Biweekly Item-Mage Dart (AD&D)

Mage Dart: This magical dart is attuned to arcane energies that magic-users channel to cast their spells. A magic-user attacking with this dart can expend a spell of any level, including cantrips, to empower the dart, allowing the magic-user to attack as a fighter of level equal to his level in magic-user.

Furthermore, when used with a spell, the dart returns to the mage’s hand who makes a dexterity check (roll under) with a -2 per level of spell used. On a successful check, the magic-user catches it deftly enough to be ready to throw it again this round if desired.

Shipping and Receiving and the Slave Caves

With all of the inventory and workshop not having very good access to the other entrances we’ve seen so far, it was inevitable that we would have a wider access nearby, but I intend for this to be the last surface access in the dungeon as it plunges deeper and deeper.

The exterior access of this floor (A) is hidden by a very skillfully disguised secret door, magically locked, through which the goods of the facility would be shipped. This concealment is somewhat undermined by the crudely concealed escape tunnel dug by slaves here long ago (E). There are several bays (B) where goods would be held to wait for shipping or entry into inventory.

Several guards had permanent residence on this level (C) and spent much of their time in the guardroom (D) from which they could observe the underground slave shanty town (H) and to some extent the more private caverns used by them (E, F, G). These slaves worked the mines below to bring up significant ore and gems used in the manufactory of the goods made here. Their tools, including the carts used to move the ore, may still be found in sheds in the north of the cavern (I).

Biweekly Monster-Letiche (AD&D)

FREQUENCY: Very Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 6  
MOVE: 2″//12″
HIT DICE: 2
% IN LAIR: 30%
TREASURE TYPE: J, Q
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-3/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Boat Tipping, surprise on 1-4
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: S (2′ long)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

Whether those who claim they are restless spirits or those who claim they are children raised by alligators are correct, these mischievous creatures frequent swamps on the edges of civilization. They love to cause trouble for traveler through their swamp and their antics frequently result in death for the unfortunates they choose to assail.

Rise of Lolith S9-Irvik the Mad

After fleeing elven society to try and contain the werewolf population among the minotaurs, the party has spent over a year teaching minotaurs how to track the phase of the moon with rise and set times. They have received pay and information from Brimahil’s temple for the work and it sounds like there may be a promising cure on the way.

• Evren (BiW): Level 5 Drow Psion Thief
• Labkost (ByW): Level 5 Gnome Magic-user
• Argent Smith (RiH): Level 5 Human Monk

One night Argent and Labkost have bizarre dreams that seem to be echoes of what their life would have been if Evren hadn’t shaken things up. They’re both smart enough to make the connection, leaving them wondering once again what’s so special about Evren. On the heels of these dreams, they receive word of a human named Irvik the Mad being bitten by a minotaur werewolf. They leave immediately to seek him out and educate him, having heard that he is unpredicatable and suspicious of the elves.

Haven: Hunting Deston

After arriving in Gilded Falls on April 5th and finding it reeling from the aftermath of a full moon exposed to the Shattered Moon Staff (they assume), Malcom and Victor decide that the best way to continue their search for Deston is to go to Randall and recruit the help of his birds to broaden their search area.

• Malcom (HuS): Level 5 Human Cleric of the Empty Tomb
  • Tom
  • Sparkle, Level 4 Skeleton
• Victor (TrS): Level 4 Elf Thief

On the 6th, they set out back up the Great Road toward Randall’s Grove. Along the way, they encounter few things of note, though they do notice slain giants and those living along the road indicate that the army as it passed through cleared many of the dangers along the road and even killed and enslaved a number of giants it happened to encounter. By the evening of the 8th, they arrive in Randall’s Grove where they stay the night, receiving reports of the army’s activity at the edge of Randall’s Grove before passing beyond the Union of Schek wall.

Biweekly Item-Cape of Moths (AD&D)

Cape of Moths: These capes can be taken from mothenwings when they are slain. The cape imparts powers similar to those possessed by the mothenwing to the wearer.

The wearer can bestow one of the moth-feathers of the cloak on another, who can any time in the next week whisper a message to the feather, which turns into a moth and carries the message to the wearer. The wearer can have given out as many as twelve of these feathers at any one time.

Once per day, the wearer can cast the mothenwing’s variant of summon insects as a 7th level druid. It always succeeds, but only summons a cloud of moths that rather than deal damage causes cloth objects worn or carried by the target to make a saving throws against acid.

Play Report: Keep on the Borderlands, Session 3 (Quasqueton)

With a player not turning up for Rise of Lolith this week, we returned to Keep on the Borderlands and Into the Unknown with Rick Stump’s unfinished AD&D Clone (a step beyond Far Realms). The now popular adventurers, having gained the reputation they sought by rescuing the merchant, go to scout out Quasqueton, leaving Armogain (who organized the company) while they make a first pass at the facility.

• Hary (JaH): Level 1 Halfling Scout
• Bunrum (ByW): Level 1 Dwarf Fighter
• Eden (BiW): Level 1 Human Cleric

Henchmen:

• Rubin: Level 1 Human Man-at-arms
• Dullis: Level 1 Human Man-at-arms

With the merchant’s guards now faithful to them and well-equipped, the company has two more strong men to carry supplies and delving equipment they had previously struggled to find a place for between heavy armor and penalties to carrying capacity (plus the desire to be only lightly encumbered). With plenty of capacity for loot, they make their way to where Armogain’s map says the place can be found.

Matthias’ Vale Regional Conference Talk (23rd)

On April 4th, Year 12 in the Vale, Matthias offered his address the gathered peoples of the Vale:

Brothers and sisters of the Vale, welcome to the Twenty-Third Semiannual Regional Conference of Vale on this lovely Easter morning. Today, we commemorate the infinite atoning sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ. For He lived in a world far distant, He suffered and died and rose again to free us all from the bonds of sin and death. Yeah, and behold He visited the people’s of Enoch and established His church in this world that all might receive the saving ordinances needed to take His name, receive His spirit, and come to be like Him. Yeah, even baptism, the laying on of hands, and the ordinances of the temple.

The Book of Jex-Chapter 16

And it came to pass that with King Heckaton in our company, our reception in Maelstrom was somewhat warmer than in our previous visit and he opened many doors to us. For behold, his access to spies and scrying did inform us of the location of Imriss and he did gather trusted warriors, among them Harshnag (who had survived his fight with Imriss) and Felgolos, to go and attack Imriss in her home. Yeah, and Aavon was given raw materials sufficient to construct 30 archers to accompany us in the attack.

“Dungeon A” First 8 Maps Overview

Since I haven’t been doing a very good job of explaining how these maps all connect, this seems like a good time to show where they all are relative to each other as I consider how to start to intertwine them again at lower levels.

Links to the individual map posts:
The Top Level Entrance
The Second Entrance and Secret Cathedral
The First Hub with the Hidden Mine
Animal Tunnels off the Mine
A Secret Store Area for Artifacts
A Workshop and Storage Area
A Massive Cathedral Area
The Chambers Beneath the Cathedral