TEXT: An old school module by Venger As’Nas Satanis. 
  LotDS is usable with practically every paper & pencil, 
  tabletop fantasy roleplaying game!
  Caution: mature content!
  LIBERA
  IBERATION
  TION
  OF
  OF
  THE
  THE
  DEMON
  EMON SLA
  LAYER
  YER
  
   1 
  Liberation of the Demon Slayer is an old school campaign guide and mega-dungeon created for use with virtually every fantasy 
  paper & pencil tabletop roleplaying game.  Th e rights to reproduce this work are reserved for the copyright holder.
  Coptyright © 2013 by Venger As’Nas Satanis 
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitt ed in any form or by any means, 
  including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior writt en permission of the 
  publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitt ed by 
  copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com
  htt p://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/
  _____
  Layout:  Edward Wedig, www.edwedig.com
  Maps:  Dyson Logos
  Editing:  Tim Snider
  Cover Art:  Faustie
  _____
  Interior Artists:  Iguana, Paul Allen, Sullen Squid, Silvia Gonzalez, Jan Roth, Zarono, Vladan Stojanović, Michal “Majqello” Knapik
  Special Th anks:  Dread Cthulhu, my wife, kids, mom, and dad; Shane Ward, Jon Hook, Tim Harper, Sean Connors, Gary Gygax, 
  Dave Arneson, H.P. Lovecraft , and all those who helped, supported, or advised me regarding Liberation of the Demon Slayer.
  Playtesters:  Harold, West, Danielle, Ramon, Dave, and the Madison Geekery Meetup’s “Intro to Roleplaying Games” workshop.
  
   2 
  IND
  INDEX
  Level 1  -  page 20
  Level 2  -  page 29
  Level 0  -  page 31
  Level 3  -  page 35
  Level 4  -  page 40
  Level 5  -  page 51
  Level 6  -  page 59
  The Shapes - page 67
  
  Liberation of the Demon Slayer
  It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the lett er written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer 
  to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to 
  major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters
  given in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a 
  WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to
  be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
  First edition Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 230
  Liberation of the Demon Slayer might be an “end of an aeon” mini-campaign.  It’s definitely an “anything can happen” scenario of the
  old school gonzo variety, meant to last between 7 and 13 adventuring sessions, whereupon, the player-characters’ lives are irrevocably
  changed.  Their old lives are over and done with.  Liberation of the Demon Slayer is for those who want something diff erent, a bit of science
  fantasy, a smidge of Lovecraftian darkness, and a huge dollop of classically weird gaming.
  I suggest each player create 3 zero level characters before the adventure begins.  Alternatively, a large party of first level characters or a
  smaller party of second and third level characters will be just as suitable, as long as, the initial system of caves (first part of the dungeon)
  is beefed up where appropriate.
  Everyone at the table should be aware that life-threatening dangers could be lurking about at every corner.  Dungeon life, especially life 
  in this dungeon, is a kind of meat-grinder.  Not every player-character is going to survive this harsh environment.  So, prepare for death 
  by doubling or tripling your chances of survival with multiple characters per player!
  As a long-time Game Master, I’ve created many adventures.  Some on the fl y, others with careful planning; none of them came close to
  this level of detail and internal cohesion.  Nevertheless, there are many rooms, non-player-characters, and intriguing side plots which
  have been colored with fairly broad strokes.  Feel free to add your own finishing touches or, perhaps better yet, leave a few details blank.
  Not only will the players gathered around your table inadvertently fill in those sketchy holes, but a little vagueness allows the Game
  Master plenty of storytelling rope… just be careful not to hang yourself.
  Take a firm hand with players.  As a Game Master, I pride myself on being tough but fair, flexible but not a push-over, wondrously eldritch
  but pragmatic, consistent but capable of changing gears or rules at a moment’s notice.  Sure, fantasy roleplaying games are meant to be
  fun… of a certain sort.  The kind of fun one gets from reading a novel, watching an epic movie, or overcoming a real world challenge.  It’s
  not always going to be awesomely heroic at every point.  The adventuring life isn’t a bowl full of cherries.  It’s tough, and taking part in a
  roleplaying game is not the same kind of fun as going out to a strip club with your buddies.  Other factors come into play when warriors,
  thieves, and magic-users take on a quest.  Disappointment is part of the journey.  Frustration!  There will be times when players will groan
  and grasp and wonder what their characters got themselves into.  That’s okay.  In fact, that’s cool… fun, even.  The kind of fun which RPGs
  are made of (and not strip clubs).
  As a Game Master, don’t be afraid to force adventurers to use sorcery components, consider encumbrance, train before reaching the next
  level, or have magic items thoroughly examined before they can be effectively used.  Sometimes it rains… sometimes the cleric steps in
  goblin poop.  That’s the adventuring life, the one your players signed up for.  Give them a hard time occasionally.  It’ll make the rewards
  just that much sweeter.
  Also, I’d like to thank all the people who supported this endeavor and gave me their feedback.
  Enjoy!
  Venger As’Nas Satanis
  Grognard de Noir
  vengersatanis.blogspot.com
   3 
  Liberation of the Demon Slayer
  
   4 
  Campaign Notes
  Campaign Notes
  Th e following is what worked for me.  Use it… or don’t. 
  I created this adventure with certain things in mind… about the 
  world, its people, and the tone.  It’s meant to be dark, weird, and 
  brutal.  Searching depths unknown, wading in viscous fl uids, 
  confronting heinous villains, and fellowship with inexperienced 
  companions.  Run it like a grindhouse bloodbath, a chance to 
  stretch those dramatic roleplaying muscles, or both.  Just don’t 
  forget the mystery, secrets, tension, character development, and 
  those blasphemous horrors that lurk in our imagination.  
  THE SETTING
  THE SETTING
  Razira is the name of the world.  But it is not an ordinary planet – 
  Razira is actually the name of the ancient planetoid beast.  Th ough 
  very much alive, this creature is dormant.  It has been peacefully 
  sleeping for thousands of years.
  Razira has two satellites orbiting around him.  Th e fi rst is close to 
  the planet, visible, and named Vrista.  Th e second is farther away, 
  perpetually obscured, and called Anu or the shadow moon by 
  those who know of it.  Vrista keeps Razira asleep while Anu exerts 
  a diff erent kind of infl uence.  If the infernal beings living on the 
  shadow moon had their way, Razira would angrily awake from his 
  slumber – absorbing the majority of life on the planet’s surface. 
  Such devastation would invigorate the Dark Gods, allowing them 
  to overthrow the Lords of Light and remake the universe in their 
  chaotic image.
  Th e Snake-Men were the fi rst sentient beings to populate Razira. 
  Before their arrival, the planet held fantastical and monstrous fl ora 
  and fauna.  Th e Dark Gods spawned a massive and powerful race 
  known as the Old Ones.  For aeons, the Old Ones ruled Razira in 
  the name of the Dark Gods.
  Th e Snake-Men were dimensional travelers; beings of logic, reason, 
  and science.  Th ey served the Dark Gods faithfully, learning their 
  ways of sorcery and soon combined it with advanced mathematical 
  formula discerned from their home world.  Th is understanding 
  allowed the Snake-Men to become masters of their destiny.  Th ey 
  became more powerful than the Dark Gods they used to worship, 
  and exiled them beyond the stars. 
  Th e Snake-Men road atop the Old Ones like dragons; using them 
  as beasts of burden and instruments of war, plundering various 
  dimensions while enslaving hundreds of civilized races.  Notably, 
  for this campaign, the dominant life form on New Auron gave the 
  Snake-Men travelers a gift  of strange shapes.  Th ese shapes came 
  in a variety of colors with esoteric numbers engraved into their 
  plastic-like form.  For a time, the shapes allowed the Snake-Men to 
  move through time, as well as, space.  However, in the long-term, 
  an entity was born of the shapes’ misuse.  Th is god became a thorn 
  in their side, distracting the Snake-Men and turning their att ention 
  away from rebellious factions.
  Aft er a long and brutal reign, billions of slaves managed to learn 
  enough Snake-Men secrets to overthrown their cruel masters. 
  Most of the survivors left  Razira; however, some remained to build 
  a new life for themselves.
  In time, the Dark Gods returned… but with diminished power.  
  Unable to spawn a new race of Old Ones, the Dark Gods sett led for 
  infl uencing the former slaves covering Razira.  Infernal races such 
  as Demons and Devils fi lled the void, teaching Elves their black art 
  who then taught it to men.
  Elves
  Elves are dark creatures, said to be soulless – not unlike the Demons 
  and Devils with which they frequently enter into pacts.  Th ey like 
  to use their own Elven steel, lyrthum which is forged in the witch-
  cauldrons of their women when both moons are hidden from view. 
  Some believe this race to be ambiguous, misunderstood fi gures of 
  legend, but such opinions are usually from Humans who’ve never 
  spent any real time with the unclean.  Elves are generally taller and 
  thinner than Humans, with pale skin and watery grey-blue eyes.  
  All Elves came from underground originally; only Dark Elves 
  remained there.  Dark Elves have black-violet skin color, even more 
  amoral and chaotic than their fairer cousins.  Th ere is not a hard-
  line animosity between surface and Nether-Realm Elves.  Th ose 
  of the surface fi nd their cousins distasteful and untrustworthy. 
  Th ose below the surface believe their cousins conforming to the 
  pedestrian ways of ordinary folk.
  Interesting Metals
  Lyrthum is silvery in color, sharper, and lighter in weight than 
  ordinary steel.  Many believe it was fi rst mined by Elves aeons 
  ago.  
  Th ose wielding a weapon made of lyrthum are required to rely 
  upon their dexterity rather than strength.  No strength bonus is 
  applied to damage.  Instead, an additional att ack is allowed if the 
  fi rst strike takes a -2 to hit and the second takes a -4.  Normally, 
  two-weapon fi ghting incurs penalties of -4 with the fi rst att ack 
  and -6 for the second.  Additionally, weapons made of Elven steel 
  are considered to have a keen edge, yielding a greater chance for 
  critical hits.  
  Regarding lyrthum armor, movement is less restricted.  Magic-
  users only suff er half of the usual trouble from wearing chainmail, 
  scalemail, platemail, etc.
  Infernal steel, zorv’lev, is much darker and heavier than ordinary
  steel.  Heat resistant, too, as zorv’lev can only be forged in Hell’s
  Lake of Fire – a place where devil and demon souls coalesce,
  awaiting the night when they will again have form.
  The minimum strength for wielding a small or medium-sized
  weapon (such as a dagger or short sword) is 11.  A strength rank of
  13 is the minimum for larger weapons like a long sword, great axe,
  trident, etc.
  
   5 
  Th ose wielding weapons made of zorv’lev may triple their strength 
  bonus for damage.  However, due to its sheer weight, a maximum of 
  one att ack per round is permitt ed when wielding a zorv’lev weapon. 
  Additionally, weapons made of infernal steel are capable of storing 
  spells and channeling the dark magic of chaos.
  Th ose donning zorv’lev armor have slightly bett er protection, 
  but that is off set by the increased diffi  culty with moving, roughly 
  twice the restrictions of chainmail, scalemail, platemail, etc. 
  Additionally, magic-users are twice as likely to court various forms 
  of corruption, as well as, unintended infernal consequences for 
  casting in zorv’lev armor.  For example, a demon may be summoned 
  during a light spell or an identify spell could temporarily alter the 
  alignment of a sentient weapon to evil, chaos, or both.
  Devils and Demons
  Th ere’s a diff erence between Devils and Demons, although when 
  face-to-face with either, an adventurer sees litt le beyond a savage, 
  cunning, malevolent beast.  For starters, Devils are lawful.  Th ey 
  believe in order and adhere to the lett er, if not the spirit, of the 
  law.  For Devils, civilized races are meant to be tested.  All will 
  eventually have to be placed within a universal order, from weakest 
  to strongest, least capable to most, each having their own special 
  purpose or role to play in the coming apocalypse when Razira 
  awakens to taste the living.  
  Devils will always honor pacts made with mortals.  It’s part of their 
  culture.  Also, they also have a soft  spot for spreading their wisdom, 
  pedantically pontifi cating upon a particular facet of their expertise.  
  Devils like to show off , proving to mortals just how knowledgeable 
  and superior they are.  Some Devils prize intelligence, others wit, 
  and a few are keen on curiosity.  Th e pact is a legal agreement, yes, 
  but it’s also an opportunity for both amusement and spying.  Plus, 
  what Devil doesn’t crave the adulation of followers?
  Demons, on the other hand, are freedom-loving hedonists and 
  impulsive revelers, not really caring too much what tomorrow will 
  bring just so long as their appetite is satisfi ed today.  Although, 
  Demons also long for the night when Razira’s holocaust ignites the 
  Dark Gods into action!  
  Demons are chaotic.  Th ey despise order and fi nd no reason to 
  recognize laws that they’re just going to break anyway.   Demons 
  have the same familial roots as Devils, and both are considered 
  infernal, speaking the same language, and with identical origins. 
  Yet, their natures are worlds apart.  Demons don’t have a master 
  plan.  Instead, they live moment-to-moment.  If a Demon 
  encounters something he wants, worrying about the repercussions 
  is the last thing on his mind.
  Having said that, a Demon is still bound by the pacts they enter… 
  more or less.  If a request strikes a Demon’s fancy, then he’s thrice 
  inclined to react favorably.  A wizard, Elf, or other being will fi nd 
  it unbearable to converse with a Demon that is dead set against 
  a course of action.  Such a creature will not see reason.  He will 
  not negotiate.  Persuading him would prove more trouble than it’s 
  worth.
  Devils and Demons can be found outside of Hell, too.  Several 
  prolifi c Demon tribes live on Anu, the shadow moon.  Each year, a 
  number of Demons hurtle towards Razira as “shooting stars”.  Most 
  ordinary folk don’t know the diff erence.  Only seasoned veterans, 
  discerning Elves, and accomplished sorcerers have knowledge of 
  infernal matt ers.  
  Metaphysics
  Religion and magic are subtly woven together.  Both rely on the ultra-
  telluric understanding of certain principles.  Th e manifestation of 
  both spells and prayers can be directly att ributed to some kind of 
  higher being.  Whether this is a Patron, God, Goddess, Arch-Devil, 
  or Ancient One is up to the Game Master.  
  Th ere is a dichotomy at play between higher beings and those 
  seeking patronage; a give and take.  But who is doing the lion’s 
  share of the giving, and who is merely in it for the taking?  It might 
  help Game Masters to divide up these higher beings into either 
  guardians or opportunists.  Th e former are willing to give and see 
  their protégé thrive, while the latt er merely string their pawn along 
  – dropping stray crumbs of power or insight in order to keep them
  on the hook.  Guardians are what each character is trying to fi nd, 
  but along the way, he will fi nd his fair share of opportunists, I’m 
  sure.  
  As for the higher beings themselves, this adventure suggests Dread 
  K’tulu, Yogsoggoth, Tsathag’kha, Azyargoth, and the twin enigmas 
  
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  Ulusek & Lokvaar.  All of these should be considered opportunists, 
  except for Yogsoggoth who is a guardian type of Patron (unless an 
  adventurer is some kind of amphibian/reptile race, in which case 
  Tsathag’kha would also be a guardian).  Game Masters should feel 
  free to bring their own pantheon into the mixture, perhaps some 
  traits of a well-known deity could be merged with Yogsoggoth or 
  Azyargoth’s form could be used to describe a race of creatures that 
  the Game Master designs.  
  Just as there are freestyling wizards, there are clerics who choose 
  to trust their luck and see what happens.  Asking higher beings 
  for favors, hints, fortune, and the power to either heal or harm 
  is certainly more straightforward than projecting one’s desires 
  through inconceivable angles and beneath the time/space fabric of 
  causality.  You ask, you get… hopefully.  Still, a lot can go wrong. 
  Gods get up on the wrong side of the bed, too. 
  Every once in awhile, a cleric will want to tap into his own 
  metaphysical reserves, his own spiritual wellspring.  Clerics are 
  used to working their lord’s will.  It only makes sense that remnants 
  of that divine energy live on inside the priest..  Freeform clerical 
  powers are kind of like what a wizard does, except that priests 
  channel a diff erent kind of energy, yet both att empt to re-program 
  the code of reality for their benefi t.  Game Masters, here’s another 
  opportunity to elevate your game from a standard dungeon crawl 
  to extraordinary fantasy novel.  If the PC wants a certain thing, 
  then allow it… at a price!
  At some point, adventurers might seek resurrection services.  Th ere 
  are several temples in the area, although not necessarily devoted to 
  favorable Gods, nor of compatible alignment.  Good, neutral, and 
  lawfully aligned temples are more prevalent on the surface.  Evil 
  and chaotic temples are more likely to be found in the Nether-
  Realms below.  Such dark temples are likely to require an evil deed 
  from the friends, loved ones, or adventuring companions of the 
  deceased, in addition to payment of gold and gems.
  Standard costs are 350 gold pieces per level of adventurer, provided 
  that temple is of the same (or similar if the DM wishes) alignment 
  as the recipient.  Tripling the price for those of opposing alignment 
  or deity would not be considered outrageous.  Additionally, each 
  time a resurrection is performed there is a 13% chance of failure. 
  Th ose unfortunate few can never return to this plane of existence.
  Great K’tulu  -  A slimy and tentacled God whose malevolence is 
  only matched by the depravity of His worshipers.  K’tulu adores 
  unbridled chaos and lusts aft er the horror which follows in its wake. 
  Th ere is, however, a fraction of K’tulu worshipers who view Him 
  as a neutral being, balancing darkness and light… a God beyond 
  good and evil.  Th is K’tulu appears as a liberator, most notably by 
  the Chartreuse Sect of Untenable Stars.  Th ey patiently wait for the 
  true Squid-God to awaken and remake the known universe.
  Yogsoggoth  -  He is a Dark God of sorcery and secrets, favored by 
  the disenfranchised because He is actively opposed by the many 
  Gods of light and order.
  Tsathag’kha  -  Th ose seeking power at any cost might worship the 
  hideous Toad God of saturnalia.  He is also favored by amphibian 
  races who see him as a patriarchal deity.
  Azyargoth  -  Litt le is known of this God, except for the insanity 
  of His followers.
  Ulusek & Lokvaar  -  At one time, these twin Gods of mystery were 
  as one.  Now, they are divided, opposed to the other’s ambition.
  Tchort  -  Th e God of fi re, indignation, and vengeance.  He does not 
  suff er fools gladly, nor take light to blasphemy.
  Dathlaquatt a  -  An elemental goddess of both air and water.  She 
  embodies the virtues of law, order, and nature.  
  Shula  -  She is Goddess of the moon, both visible (Vrista) and in 
  shadow (Anu).  Shula is subdued, reserved, and infl uential.  
  ALTERNATIVE FUNDAMENTALS
  ALTERNATIVE FUNDAMENTALS
  Th ese are changes I made and/or interpretations I chose to 
  use.  Not every DM is going to want to mess around with ability 
  score modifi ers, hit points, etc.  I happen to like the following 
  alternatives.  
  ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
  3 – 4: 
   -3
  5 – 6: 
  -2
  7 – 8: 
   -1
  9 – 10:
  no modifi er
  11 – 12: 
   +1
  13 – 14:
  +2
  15 – 16: 
  +3
  17 – 18: 
  +4
  19 – 20: 
  +5
  Each ability score is to be rolled as 3d6 in order.  Th e re-roll of an 
  ability (ignoring 1) is allowed if the player accepts a randomly 
  rolled dark secret for his character.
  Hit Points
  Zero-level characters start out with 4 Hit Points, adjusted by their 
  constitution modifi er.  Upon att aining fi rst level and subsequent 
  levels, players must roll the appropriate die for their character’s 
  Hit Points (ignoring 1’s).  Nothing makes a player give up on his 
  prospective character than the bare minimum of HP.
  Hit Points represent fatigue, as well as, potentially life-threatening 
  wounds.  Fighting batt le aft er batt le is hard work, so it stands to
  
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  reason that taking damage can be interpreted as being winded,
  straining a muscle, or any aspect of fatigue… even soul-crushing 
  despair!
  Nevertheless, when a character is at zero Hit Points, he is 
  unconscious (but stable); negative numbers means that character 
  has taken a mortal wound and is either dead or quickly dying.  In my
  campaign, zero-level characters died when they reached negative
  one, first level characters died when they reached negative two,
  third level characters died when they reached negative four, etc.
  Fortune
  This is also rolled with a 3d6.  Fortune is luck or fate, qualities which
  set adventurers apart from common folk.  Fortune can be spent
  or burned in order to improve a d20 roll.  Those wishing to burn
  a point of fortune before rolling get a +3 bonus, while optimistic
  individuals who wait until aft er rolling do so on a 1:1 ratio; they
  must burn a point of fortune in order to receive a +1.  The only limit
  to burning fortune is the score.  So, a thief who starts out with 12
  fortune may elect to burn all 12 points on one roll if he chooses,
  however ill-advised.
  Regaining fortune comes from playing the game… and playing
  it well.  Roleplaying one’s motivation, alignment, background,
  interests, and dark secret are ways of revitalizing an adventurer’s
  diminished fortune, as the Game Master sees fit.  Additionally,
  attaining a new level also refreshes one’s luck or fate.
  THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE!
  THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE!
  Players are encouraged to generate more than one character at 
  the campaign’s beginning.  Zero and fi rst level characters can die 
  quickly.  Adventuring is dangerous business and casualties are 
  part of the job.  New characters must start at 1st level no matt er 
  how advanced their companions are, but the player may elect to 
  generate three of them so as to increase the chances of survival.  
  A player should choose if he’s going to share experience equally 
  (along with the danger) or if there’s a primary character and the 
  rest are torch bearers, scroll caddies, or sword shiners faithfully 
  operating behind the scenes rather than toe-to-toe with salivating 
  beasts.  Th ose player-characters who are now torch bearers 
  could eventually slide into the adventurer role when the primary 
  character is killed.
  Th e former group must divide experience points up equally.  Th ey 
  will advance more slowly but at the same time.  Of the latt er, the 
  non-primary characters automatically receive 10% of the primary 
  character’s awarded experience without having to give up any of 
  his own.
  ABILITY CHECKS
  ABILITY CHECKS
  A successful ability check is when the player rolls under his 
  character’s relevant ability score.  Easy tasks roll 2d6; tasks of 
  moderate diffi  culty will roll 3d6; and for truly challenging tasks, 
  roll 4d6.  Meeting the exact number of one’s ability score is a push 
  or stalemate; not much happens either way if it’s a contest between 
  opposing forces.  However, if there is no resistance, then meeting 
  the exact number yields partial or mixed results.
  Ability checks can be used in place of the appropriate saving 
  throw.
  SAVING THROWS
  SAVING THROWS
  I experimented with an old school method of having several 
  saving throw types per PC, such as wands, rods, and staves, etc. 
  However, it soon became clear that a single saving throw number 
  was preferable for the game I was running.  Th at number is twenty 
  minus the character’s level.  For example, a zero-level character’s 
  base save would be a 20.  Meaning the player would have to roll a 
  natural 20 in order to escape the immediate danger.  A third level 
  character’s base saving throw would be 17.
  Th ankfully, each character’s race and/or class, as well as, present 
  circumstance would sometimes bring with it a modifi er.  For 
  instance, a Dwarf might get a +2 saving throw bonus to poisons; 
  Elves and wizards would receive a +1 bonus to their save vs. spells. 
  Similarly, if a 10th level fi ghter went up against a Medusa without 
  taking any precautions, the DM might decide to give that character 
  a negative modifi er to his saving throw vs. being turned to stone.
  EXPLOSIVE DAMAGE
  EXPLOSIVE DAMAGE
  Damage dice are explosive, which means that if the highest number 
  is rolled on a die, then it’s re-rolled and the new result is added 
  to the old.  Keep rolling if multiple top numbers are rolled.  For 
  instance, you roll 1d8 when cutt ing into the hide of a surely goblin, 
  and the result is an 8.  You roll again, another 8.  And again a 5. 
  You’ve just done 21 points of damage before any strength modifi er 
  or other factors are considered.  
  Your wizard casts a fi reball that does 5d6 damage and you roll three 
  6-s?  Watch out!  Th ose 6-s get re-rolled for additional scorching 
  hell on earth.
  A critical hit on a natural 20 means that you automatically have the 
  top number of your weapon’s damage die, so roll again and see if 
  you can get the highest number for yet another explosion!
  Combat should be deadly and unpredictable.  A dagger in a 
  princess’s hand might just sever an important artery, leaving her 
  victim choking upon his own blood.  Let the dice oracles decide 
  if a sword penetrates armor and bone enough to pierce the heart, 
  lung, or brain.
  
   8 
  rumors picked up along the way – activities which might boost their 
  chances of altering the natural world.  As a fellow Game Master, I 
  personally recommend the following suggestions.  Give a helpful 
  hint like concentrating on a specifi c patt ern such as an infernal 
  rune or lett ing a few drops of his blood drip down the hand.  Why 
  not allow the player-character to overhear an unhelpful hint such 
  as calling out some random name, dressing in all green, or spitt ing 
  upon a forbidden idol?  How about throwing in an amusing spell 
  book notation like standing on one’s head or hopping on a single 
  leg for an entire minute before casting?
  Have the player tell you what he wants his character to do.  As the 
  DM, it’s your job to interpret character actions by vividly describing 
  the results.  At various intervals, allow the PC to make adjustments 
  depending on the information you give him.  “As you make that hang 
  gesture, the ground starts rumbling as if a massive earthquake was 
  imminent.”   If necessary, use some dice to determine what sort of 
  changes (if any) happen to reality.  However, you should realize that 
  dice are superfl uous in this situation.  Th is is your campaign, Game 
  Master, and a sorcerer is trying to fl ow within it.  Organic, hilarious, 
  calamitous, intrepid, mysterious, and triumphant results will follow! 
  A MAGIC SYSTEM
  A MAGIC SYSTEM
  THE BLACKEST SORCERY
  THE BLACKEST SORCERY
  Magic is feared in Clear Meadows and much of the Human-
  dominated realm.  Th at means wizards should probably conceal 
  their black arts until they’ve att ained a certain level of power. 
  Becoming a wizard’s apprentice will not be the simplest of tasks, 
  yet it is almost an essential part of learning the trade.  Th ere are 
  plenty of self-taught wizards in the world, but their magic develops 
  in curious ways, and a lot of their spells are similar to each other.
  Game Masters are encouraged to foster an atmosphere of narrative 
  inventiveness.  Allow magic-user player-characters to “freestyle” at 
  times.  Th e freeform nature of arcane improvisation is the kind of 
  magic wizards frequently perform in movies, TV shows, and books 
  – especially when they’re in grave danger.  Magic is unpredictable
  at the best of times, but arcane improvisation is about waving one’s 
  arms, saying some eldritch prose, and just going where the magic 
  takes you.  It is dangerous, but that’s half the fun.  Try it.  No rules, 
  no predetermined results.  Only raw imagination is your guide.  
  For experienced fantasy roleplayers, this won’t work unless the 
  DM clues them in – tells them (perhaps via a wandering wizard or 
  patron) that freeform magic is possible.  Feel free to remind PCs of 
  
   9 
  Instead of the popular Vancian system of magic, where spells are 
  forgott en as soon as they are cast, I chose to go a diff erent route.  I 
  also decided against a spell point system.  
  Every magic-using character may cast a certain spell until his spell-
  check roll fails.  At that point, the specifi c spell must be re-learned 
  aft er a signifi cant period of rest.  
  A natural roll of 1 is always a critical disaster.  Whatever the 
  magic-user was trying to do to someone else either goes back 
  on him (in the case of an off ensive spell like fi reball) or reverses 
  (levitation causes him to plummet towards the ground even faster 
  than normal).  Likewise, a natural 20 is always a critical success; 
  damage is doubled, as is the duration / area (or number of people) 
  aff ected.  As for those numbers in-between, the spell level must be 
  considered along with the caster’s level and intelligence score.
  Formula:   ½ caster level (round down) + intelligence modifi er 
  – spell level
  Roll
  Eff ect
  Natural “1”  
  epic failure, spell backfi res on the caster
  2 – 9 
  standard failure, spell fi zzles until caster rests 
  for 8 hours, caster takes 1d4 damage / spell 
  level
  10 – 16 
  standard success
  17 + 
  high degree of success, special bonus eff ect
  Natural “20”   epic success, positive spell eff ects double
  Learning New Spells
  If a PC wants to learn a new spell, it requires one hour per spell level. 
  However, he must also roll a percentile based upon intelligence 
  times fi ve.  For instance, if a wizard has an eleven for intelligence, 
  then he would have a 55% chance of learning a spell contained in 
  another wizard’s spell book, a scroll, or taught to him by a Demon.
  REGARDING MAGIC ITEMS
  REGARDING MAGIC ITEMS
  Th e easiest way for novice magic-users to learn new spells is by 
  learning from others, fi nding spell books and scrolls, copying 
  esoteric equations and arcane formula into their own spell book.  Th e 
  business of transcribing spells takes approximately one hour per level 
  of spell.  Spells used directly from another magic-user’s spell book or 
  scroll have a greater chance of going awry, due to unfamiliarity of the 
  original’s style, presentation, and unique magical signature.
  Scrolls can either be used once or copied a single time before they 
  disintegrate.  
  Potions are one hit wonders; they must be fully imbibed to have 
  any eff ect.
  All wands are created with 13 charges or uses.  Wands discovered 
  in the adventure will usually have 1d12 charges remaining.  
  Just as a character cannot wear 2 helmets or wear multiple pairs of 
  boots at the same time, he can only actively use one magical amulet 
  and cloak at a time, as well as, one magic ring per hand and a single 
  potion at a time.  Layering additional like-items such as multiple 
  amulets, cloaks, potions, and rings (one on each hand is fi ne) can 
  cause a magical feedback loop resulting in unexpected, bizarre, or 
  potentially catastrophic results.  Game Masters are encouraged to 
  roll a d4 and consult the following table.  Th ere’s a reasonable chance 
  that experienced wizards and Elves know about such things.
  1.
  Unexpected.  Example:  all magical items temporarily
  stop working.
  2.
  Bizarre.  Example:  the wearer turns into a banana with a 
  mustache.
  3.
  Potentially Catastrophic!  Example:  the oxygen
  surrounding the wearer turns into methane gas.
  4.
  No change, everything works normally with that specifi c 
  bit of layering.
  PROGRESSION
  PROGRESSION
  Experience in the fi eld is one thing… proper training from a teacher 
  or mentor is another.  Forcing adventurers to take time out of their 
  dungeon delving lives to fi nd, complete and pay for their training 
  is realistic.  Sure, it might also be a pain in the ass, but that’s exactly 
  how things should be.  �
  Many Game Masters (including Gary Gygax) have found it to 
  be an important part of the game.  However, in this scenario, 
  the characters might be hard pressed to fi nd instruction in order 
  to level up.  When running LotDS myself, I allowed zero-level 
  characters to become fi rst level in due course, but halted any further 
  advancement until training was procured.  Interesting roleplaying 
  opportunities might come from entering into a teacher/student 
  relationship with Dark Elves, a Devil, or fellow adventurers lurking 
  in the dungeon.  Take advantage of that, Game Masters.  Give hints 
  (if not outright suggestions) that levels don’t come cheap.  Th ere 
  are many costs on the road to ascendancy.  
  Rather than tracking experience points, I discovered another 
  option with a whole lot less record keeping.  Th e next level of 
  advancement requires the completion of a certain number of 
  sessions – the same number, in fact, so that becoming fi ft h level 
  takes fi ve gaming sessions.  Th is should be suffi  cient so long as the 
  number of sessions resets immediately aft er att aining the next level 
  and characters have enough gold to pay for training.  
  Th is method of steady progression assumes that gameplay is its 
  own reward, and that the ultimate goal is to have fun.  If the player 
  is having fun, then his character must be doing something right 
  no matt er how many monsters he’s killed, problems he’s solved, or 
  NPCs he’s talked to.  For example, if a zero-level character wants 
  to become fi rst level, then he must have one session under his belt. 
  Before that character can reach second level, he must survive two 
  more game sessions (a total of three have been played).  third level 
  requires three more sessions (six total).
  I personally set training costs at 1,000 gold pieces x the character’s
  
   10 
  current level.  It shouldn’t be too diffi  cult or too easy for fi rst level 
  characters to scrounge up 1,000 gold pieces in order to become 
  second level.  Of course, charm, favors, persistence, fi nding a good 
  mentor, superior ability scores, and roleplaying may alter those 
  numbers one way or the other.
  Additionally, if a player-character successfully tries out a new skill, 
  talent, or ability, then allow him to att empt a similar task again 
  later… with a bonus.  Progress is usually att ained by familiarity. 
  Have the adventurers roleplay their way through several 
  encounters, with the advantage of having learned something from 
  those experiences.  It doesn’t have to be quantifi ed by a +1 or -2; it 
  could be an entirely new way of conceptualizing a problem.  Allow 
  common sense to reign.
  When running LotDS, in the absence of a skill system, I had players 
  choose something which gave their characters a bit more depth, 
  i.e., something that made them diff erent and shined a light on their
  personal progression.  Th is was done at odd level intervals.  One 
  character was able to control the capricious nature of magic use. 
  Another focused on two-weapon fi ghting.  A third desired to be a 
  linguist, able to roughly understand – if not master – practically 
  any language he encountered.  It made each wizard, warrior, and 
  Elf a litt le more unique.
  CHALLENGE THEM
  CHALLENGE THEM
  As a Game Master, are you ever worried about players leaving the game if 
  things get too tough? If so, remember the psychology of human behavior. 
  Do people stop playing video games because they are diffi  cult?  No, 
  people love a challenge.  In fact, make everything too easy, and some of 
  the fun disappears.  Not the strip club fun – the other kind.  
  On the other side of the coin, Game Masters can be too unyielding 
  at times.  No one likes an unbeatable game.  Not every encounter 
  should be a life and death struggle.  Reward players for good 
  roleplaying and reward characters for succeeding – and there 
  should be success.  Even non-heroic campaigns require the 
  occasional triumph.
  THIEVES CAN’T
  THIEVES CAN’T
  A lot of these rule options are about streamlining.  As a DM, I have 
  enough to look up.  Sometimes, I’ll have seven pages bookmarked 
  throughout three diff erent texts.  Checking the percentages for 
  a thief’s wall-climbing ability is just one more thing.  For this 
  campaign, I decided to use the PC’s level x ten.  For example, if a 
  third level thief is att empting to hide in shadows, move stealthily, 
  or stab someone in the back, then he has a base chance of 30% to 
  succeed.  If conditions are favorable, then I might spot him an extra 
  20%.  Th e same thing would apply to unfavorable conditions.
  Sure, that means a tenth level thief will be able to automatically backstab 
  an opponent given normal conditions.  Is that so wrong?  Take a look at 
  how powerful tenth level wizards and warriors are!  A thief of the same 
  level shouldn’t have to struggle just to scale a castle wall.
  Additionally, I allowed all non-thief adventurers to have a chance of 
  using thief abilities equal to their level.  For example, a second level 
  warrior would have a 2% chance of remaining totally undetectable 
  in the shadows, while a fi ft h level cleric has a 5% chance of picking 
  someone’s pocket without being noticed.
  REASONS FOR ADVENTURING
  REASONS FOR ADVENTURING
  Motivation is a powerful force.  It’s why we do what we do.  In
  roleplaying one’s character, motivation is everything.  What 
  ultimately drives Humbar the dwarf or Routhenaard the Half-Orc
  monk/assassin?  Choosing a motivation will reveal parts of their
  story that would otherwise never be told.
  Players should be able to tell the Game Master why their characters
  are motivated by “X”.  Aft er all, a thief’s chief motivation can’t be
  vengeance without some kind of story behind it.  Not all the details
  need to be furnished right away.  However, thoughts should be
  brewing as soon as a motivation is chosen.  Ask questions!  Why
  does this fighter want wealth?  Why does that barbarian desire
  self-mastery?  What does that say about him as a person?  How
  does such a major motivating factor shape the cleric’s personality?
  There’s roleplaying gold up in “them there hills”.  Go aft er it!
  You’ll notice that there are eight motivations.  If players want to
  roll randomly, that’s fine – as long as they stick to what’s writt en
  on their character sheet.  If they have a good reason for roleplaying 
  a contrary agenda.  Game Masters should feel free to roll for 
  ambiguous non-player-characters.
  1) Glory - Acclaim, honor, and recognition!  You want to be
  celebrated among your peers, royalty, the shadowy elite, and
  peasants in the street.  Att aining glory is proof of your triumph.
  That is why you adventure.
  2) Justice - The world is not the way it should be.  There are certain
  lines that shouldn’t be crossed.  Civilization is the key to everyone’s
  prosperity.  You might be a moral crusader, proponent of equality,
  or just believe in fairness; regardless, you find solace in righting
  wrongs and dispensing justice.
  3) Pleasure - Wine, women, and song?  Well, something like that.
  You’re a hedonist.  Nothing beats indulgence - whatever personal
  tastes and pleasures strike your fancy.  What’s more important
  than enjoying the fruits of life?
  4) Wealth - He with the most gold wins!  Money can buy practically
  anything and anyone.  Everything will be at your fingertips when
  you have all the treasure.
  5) Infl uence - Altering the course of world events, being at the
  center of realm aff airs, political or aristocratic ambition.  You are
  someone the kingdom couldn’t do without.
  6) Vengeance - Out to destroy, ruin, or bring down a particular
  individual, family, group, city, realm, way of life, etc.  Your chief 
  motivation is a burning hatred that keeps you going, fueling your
  resolve.  Nothing is more important than your revenge.
  7) Knowledge - Perhaps the unknown fascinates or horrifies you.
  You wish to understand why things are, how they tick, and what
  
   11 
  43%  -   45%
  Your mother was committ ed to an insane 
  asylum years ago.
  46%  -  48% 
  Years ago, you were cursed by a gypsy for 
  committ ing some kind of off ense or personal 
  insult, giving you  -2 to all saves.
  49%  -  51%
  You were adopted, but recently learned that 
  your biological parents were the High Priest and 
  Priestess of a depraved and vile cult.
  52%  -  54%
  You were caught cheating at cards, beaten, 
  humiliated, and thrown out of town.
  55%  -  56%
  Your sister is widely regarded as the town slut. 
  She will have sex with almost anyone.
  57%  -  58% 
  You are the bastard of a prominent noble.
  59%  -  60% 
  You are claustrophobic; tight, enclosed spaces 
  makes you panic and wet yourself.
  61%  -  62%
  You are from a puritanical family and got two 
  women pregnant in the same week.  When they 
  both claimed you as the father, your family 
  disowned you.  Penniless, you sought fame and 
  fortune elsewhere.
  63%  -  65%   You were a slave who killed his master and 
  blamed it on another slave who was punished in 
  your stead.  He was beheaded!
  66%  -  68% 
  You were an apprentice to a wise, old, and well-
  respected wizard. Unfortunately he caught you 
  fooling around with his young, beautiful wife, 
  kicking you to the cobblestones.
  69%  -  71%
  You were a squire to a distinguished knight who 
  was ignominiously killed in batt le while you 
  were off  playing cards or making time with a 
  barmaid.  
  72%  -  74%
  You faithfully served your lord for years before 
  he betrayed the king and was beheaded.  Even 
  though you kept your head, many believed you 
  shouldn’t have.
  75%  -  76%
  For some reason, never fully revealed, the god 
  you faithfully served rejected you… as did the 
  clergy.
  77%  -  78%
  You have a death wish.  Not only does dying not 
  frighten you, it fascinates you to an unnatural 
  degree.
  79%  -  81%
  Long ago, you traded your soul for the promise 
  of gold and glory!
  82%  -  83%
  One night years ago, you and your younger 
  brother were hanging around the town square 
  when two wizards began dueling.  In the magical 
  chaos, an unexpected portal opened right next to 
  your brother.  He was swallowed by it and never 
  seen again.  To this day, you despise sorcery.
  84%  -  85%
  Recently, you climbed up a tree in order to reach 
  an apple (and impress a small gathering of girls).  
  Th e limb broke, you fell, and your leg hasn’t been 
  the same since.  Months later, your limp is barely 
  noticeable; however, running is out of the question.
  lies beyond.  Th e pursuit of knowledge is your chief motivation. 
  You’ll do almost anything to uncover a mystery.
  8) Self-Mastery - People are like puppets on a string, and you
  despise that feeling.  You wish to control the direction life takes, 
  how you move through it, as well as, the destination.  Control is 
  your key to self-mastery.
  Occasionally, a player will not like his ability scores because 
  they are either below average or ill-placed.  For these unsatisfi ed 
  individuals, I recommend a trade: the chance to re-roll an ability 
  score in exchange for accepting a dark secret.  Like motivation, 
  dark secrets are keyed to a character’s fortune – unless the player 
  roleplays his character’s motivation to the hilt while occasionally 
  paying homage to or being mindful of (at least once per session) his 
  dark secret, his fortune will not regenerate.
  DARK SECRET TABLE
  1%  -  3% 
  You are secretly in love with a fi rst cousin, hoping 
  to win enough fame and fortune to elope.
  4%  -  8% 
  You have escaped from prison and created a fake 
  identity to keep the law of your tail.
  9%  -  11% 
  You sold your best friend’s soul in an infernal 
  pact for a way out of a dire situation.
  12%  -  13%   You are sexually att racted to corpses and turned 
  on in general by death.
  14%  -  18% 
  Instead of defending your honor in an evenly 
  matched duel, you slipped away the night 
  before.
  19%  -  23%
  You owed a lot of money to a notorious 
  scoundrel – more than you had to your name – 
  and skipped town when it was due.
  24%  -  25% 
  You met the girl of your dreams and courted 
  her for a considerable amount of time before 
  proposing marriage, which she accepted.  Th en 
  fi nally on the big day, she left  you at the altar 
  without explanation.
  26%  -  27%
  Your father is a well known traitor in another 
  realm, where you’re from.
  28%  -  30%  You fathered an illegitimate child with an Orc 
  (or Dark Elf) female.
  31%  -  33% 
  You have a wife and children, but abandoned 
  them when marital discord grew too much for 
  you to bear.
  34%  -  36%
  Your entire family comes from a long line of 
  Devil worshipers.
  37%  -  38% 
  You are an android (DM’s discretion if the 
  character is aware of this).
  39%  -  40%
  Who needs sleep?  Hopelessly addicted to 
  crystal snuff , you can’t go more than 48 hours 
  without snorting it.  Crystal snuff  provides 
  feelings of euphoria combined with mild 
  hallucinogenic eff ects.
  41%  -  42%
  You were born a woman (or man if you’re 
  playing a female character).
  
   12 
  86%  -  87% 
  You are terrifi ed of formless creatures or 
  those without a defi nite shape!  If confronted 
  with such a thing, you will either whimper 
  in a corner, go into a catatonic state until the 
  creature is no more, or defecate on the spot 
  (DM’s choice).
  88%  -  89%
  A couple of years ago, your mother was 
  voted not only the best, but also the fi lthiest, 
  prostitute in your home city.
  90%  -  93%
  Right now, you are supposed to be serving in 
  the King’s army, but the regimented and lowly 
  life of a soldier wasn’t adventurous enough.  You 
  deserted and will probably lose your head if 
  found out.
  94%  -  96%
  An astrologer, later confi rmed by a sage, told 
  you of your destiny.  You are fated to be cast into 
  darkness where untold suff ering shall befall you.
  97%  -  98%
  Just last month, you were practice fi ghting with 
  a training partner.  During the sword fi ght, you 
  tore a ligament.  Even raising your arm above 
  your head is painful.  You have to fi ght with your 
  non-dominant hand.  For a full year, you will 
  suff er -2 to all melee and ranged att ack rolls.
  99%  -  100%
  Your fi rstborn was promised to a Demon in 
  return for sparing your parents lives during an 
  outbreak of plague in your home village.
  Th e following table for determining one’s station – where his family 
  came from and what they’re doing now.  Certainly, an individual 
  doesn’t have to follow in his father’s footsteps, but that’s usually 
  the way it goes.  Regardless of interest and natural talent, the son 
  of a farmer won’t be given the same amount of respect as the son of 
  a sage.  If the DM would like a character’s (player and non-player 
  alike) station randomly determined, then it’s probably best to roll a 
  d10.  A d12 can be used if the Game Master doesn’t care if the result 
  includes a very small but loft y section of the population (about 
  3%).  Obviously, those of royal blood are not likely to be randomly 
  encountered. 
  Station / Familial Background
  1.
  Slavery  -  lifelong slave
  2.
  Indentured Servant  -  debt of bondage, forced to work for
  a certain number of years
  3.
  Agriculture  -  farming, tending to animals, shepherding,
  etc.
  4.
  Manual Labor -  common bricklayers and ditch diggers
  5.
  Organized Crime  -  thieves guild, assassin sects, and the
  black market
  6.
  Skilled Labor  -  craft smen and artisans
  7.
  Martial  -  soldiers, knights, and offi  cers in the King’s
  army
  8.
  Merchant  -  those profi ting by the sale or trade of goods
  9.
  Clergy  -  priests and religious bureaucracy 
  10. Magical  -  everything from sages to druids to
  demonologists to wizards
  11. Nobility  -  high-born, privileged, such as the King or
  Queen’s cousin.
  12. Aristocracy  -  wealthy, land owners, politicians
  13. Royalty  -  directly related to the King; wife, brother,
  sister, son, daughter, etc.
  Parting Shots
  It’s reasonable to assume that when a player character dies he says 
  something noteworthy.  Of course, the player might fi nd himself 
  in a temporary state of shock when that moment comes.  Aft er 
  all, his interface with the game world has just met with a grisly 
  end.  Unexpected death is hard to anticipate.  Th e DM could adlib 
  something for the PC, but that takes away from player agency.
  It’s probably best for players to come up with a character’s last 
  words during character creation.  Prepare for the situation ahead 
  of time just in case one becomes tongue-tied when a save fails 
  or an Ogre crits.  Th is parting shot could be something related 
  to the character’s background – maybe a lost love, hated enemy, 
  or childhood sled are mentioned.  Totally up to each player.  Of 
  course, if the fi nal moment dictates something else, then a player 
  should not feel duty bound to quote the word or phrase found on 
  his character’s sheet.  Assuming he’s up to the task, let him say what 
  he likes before the black empress advances.
  If you like this idea, there’s no reason to stop with a “death phrase”. 
  Encourage each player to come up with a quote or two for when 
  his character is rejoicing, angry, excited, afraid, or awestruck. 
  Preparing such phrases will add another layer to the game’s realism. 
  And these pithy sayings can be spoken throughout the campaign. 
  Th e repetition will add another dimension of roleplaying… just 
  don’t over do it.
  
   13 
  
   14 
  LOCATING THE HIT
  LOCATING THE HIT
  An idea struck me not too long ago, an effi  cient way to determine 
  where an opponent is att acked.  It’s simple, easy, straight-forward, 
  organic, and in keeping with new ways to create that old school 
  gaming immersion that grognards like me are always searching for. 
  Th ese days, I ask the player where his character is aiming.  If it’s a 
  particularly small or diffi  cult area to connect with, there’s a small 
  penalty.  Th at’s it.  Th e player tells me what he wants to do, how 
  he wants to do it, and where.  A die roll indicates either success or 
  failure.  As a DM, I narrate the rest.  Be gone, random hit location 
  table!  Your services are no longer required at my table.
  Not only does this smooth the way for deciding where the fi ghter’s 
  blade falls, it actually engages the player in a combat narrative. 
  If a player doesn’t care where his character hits, that’s fi ne.  If he 
  does care, however, then he’s forced to describe where and how his 
  att ack is being launched.  “I try and wedge the head of my spear 
  into that orc’s neck,” lends a dimension of roleplaying to the batt le 
  and is defi nitely superior to “I rolled a 16; do I hit?”
  DRAMATIC MOVES AND COMBAT MANEUVERS
  DRAMATIC MOVES AND COMBAT MANEUVERS
  Everyone has the chance to do cool stuff  in the game, in and out of 
  combat.  Want to pick up a large rock and throw it into the Dragon’s 
  mouth?  Ok, roll a d20 for your att ack.  Want to skewer a Goblin to 
  the wall with your spear?  Ok, describe it and roll.  Want to wrestle 
  a Troll to the ground?  Tell me how your character is going to 
  accomplish it, then shake that 20-sider!
  When running Liberation of the Demon Slayer, I decided rounds 
  would be 20 seconds.  Th at might seem like a long time, but we’re 
  not going for granularity here.  For determining initiative, each 
  round is broken up into 20 segments, each a second long.  At the 
  beginning of engagements, every participant rolls a d20, modifi ed 
  by either Dexterity, some kind of improved initiative feat, racial 
  modifi er, or what-have-you.  Th ose scoring higher have the 
  initiative during this encounter and may act fi rst.  
  If a character’s initiative score goes above 20, then he’s bumped 
  up to a bonus surprise round called “round zero”.  If a character’s 
  initiative goes below 1, then his fi rst action is moved down to round 
  two.  Everything happening in round zero is considered a surprise. 
  In the fi rst round, as well as round zero, those who haven’t acted 
  yet are considered fl at-footed.  Individuals att acking a fl at-footed 
  opponent get a +2 to hit due to surprise.
  Th ose who bide their time have position over their opponent, 
  giving them an undeniable advantage.  Of course, waiting for the 
  perfect time to strike also has its disadvantages (i.e., you lose your 
  att ack for as many rounds as you’re patiently waiting).  Everyone is 
  allowed to withhold their action in order to wait for a bett er spot.  
  Th ose who forgo their true att ack (we’re not going to roll for all 
  the litt le feints, parries, readying the crossbow, and gathering 
  spell components in-between true att acks) for a round get a +2 
  to hit and damage.  Casters get a bett er casting check (if the DM 
  uses such a thing) or the intended victim of their magic gets a -2 
  to save; this comes with a slightly improved spell eff ect – maybe 
  3 magic missiles instead of just 2 or a 6d6 fi reball instead of 5d6. 
  Withholding one’s att ack or special action for two rounds gets a +4 
  to hit and to damage, along with a superior casting eff ect.  Patiently 
  searching for a tactically superior window of opportunity – three 
  rounds of withholding – is rewarded with an automatic critical and 
  all that that entails.  Th ere is no advantage in withholding more 
  than an entire minute (three rounds).  
  Th ose wishing to fi ght defensively must declare it on their action 
  (and before rolling).  Th ey automatically get a +2 to AC and -2 to 
  hit until next round when it’s their turn to act.  Conversely, those 
  wishing to fi ght off ensively get a -2 to AC and +2 to hit.  Th is doesn’t 
  require any special skill, ability, or feat.  It’s just a matt er of being 
  more or less careful during combat.
  Regarding two-weapon fi ghting, I decided to use a -4 to hit for 
  the primary weapon (fi rst att ack) and a -6 to hit for the secondary 
  weapon (second att ack) as long as the secondary weapon is smaller/
  lighter than the primary.  Such penalties are likely to discourage 
  those who would like a hand free for spell casting, carrying a 
  shield, etc.
  Out numbering an opponent in melee combat is fl anking or 
  surrounding him.  Multiple assailants fi ghting a single opponent 
  get a +2 bonus to hit that outnumbered opponent.
  Additionally, warrior and fi ghter-type classes are able to make two 
  att acks per round versus opponents within melee range who are 
  half the PC’s level / Hit Dice or lower.
  When it comes to gett ing hit, players never like seeing their 
  characters go down, much less dying.  Over the years, various 
  roleplaying games have set all kinds of diff erent limits.  For 
  me, it makes sense that zero hit points is always the state of 
  unconsciousness.  Whatever the character’s level, that’s how far he 
  can go down to negative numbers without dying.  For example, a 
  third level warrior is still alive at -3 HP… but not -4.  Negative 7 
  hit points is survivable for a seventh level character, but nothing 
  more than that.
  SEX AND VIOLENCE
  SEX AND VIOLENCE
  Like violence, or the threat of violence, sex motivates.  In the real 
  world, people do all kinds of things for companionship, love, lust, 
  or simply to feel desired.  Women have motivated men throughout 
  the ages and vice versa.  Should it be any diff erent in a fantasy 
  campaign?
  How much can everyone at the table tolerate?  How much is too 
  much?  It’s up to the Game Master and players to set the tone and 
  limits for blood and depravity.  If his players are up for it, the DM 
  should neither be shy nor squeamish.  
  Consider the players.  Are they wanting or expecting Spartacus 
  levels of crimson sprays and lustful liaisons with voluptuous ladies 
  of high society?  Communication before the game starts might be in 
  order.  Talk to the players before thickly laying on the gore and smut 
  or else risk those players dropping out.  Maybe they’ll say “yes” to 
  the constant spurting of blood, but want the romance to be seriously
  
   15 
  
   16 
  downplayed.  Th at’s ok.  A litt le shock is fi ne… grossing players out 
  with nauseatingly uncomfortable sights and smells and tastes might 
  be going too far.  On the other hand, if you run it by everyone and 
  they’re fi ne with a certain level of sex and violence, then let it rain 
  blood over the sweating body of the beast with two backs!
  ONE MORE THING
  ONE MORE THING
  At this point, Game Masters might be thinking to themselves, 
  “What if I go along with all this and then want to drastically scale 
  things back aft er this adventure is over?”  Good question.  I say, 
  blame it on those damn green crystals.  Th ey have a strange eff ect 
  on reality itself.  Instead of being seeded throughout the Nether-
  Realms (and throughout the campaign), perhaps they’re localized 
  to just this area.  Th at means that when the adventurers leave the 
  dungeon everything can go back to normal.
  However, a wise Game Master would ask his players what they 
  liked and didn’t like about the changes.  Did they enjoy choosing a 
  motivation?  Did they get turned off  by too much descriptive brutality 
  during combat?  Was the freeform magic just too weird?  If so, that’s 
  fi ne.  Take it out for the next campaign.  Immediate reactions can’t 
  always reliably tell a Game Master what he’s gett ing into.  Sure, it’s a 
  good indicator in the moment, but time will tell.  
  HISTORY OF CLEAR MEADOWS
  HISTORY OF CLEAR MEADOWS
  Th is is a time of trouble, an age where the wicked prosper in 
  a land without much in the way of heroics.  Sorcery is the art of 
  Elves, Devils, and unspeakable horrors from beyond.  Magic itself 
  disintegrates the fragile walls of reality, allowing chaos-drawn 
  wizards to openly mock the deities of order.  
  At the epicenter of this vortex is a large village called Clear 
  Meadows, known for its proximity to several stone circles and the 
  Cimmerian Ruins where hideous rites were performed long ago.  
  Th ankfully, time has healed many wounds, and Clear Meadows is 
  enjoying a renaissance, though this part of the realm has a dearth 
  of accomplished warriors.  Th e hearts of ordinary townsfolk are 
  still tinged with dread, unfortunately.  Th ose with the mett le to 
  march out into danger carve out their destiny with blood, fl esh, 
  guts, entrails, and by the capricious whims of the inscrutable Outer 
  Gods.  
  Saint Irig is regarded as Clear Meadows’ fi rst champion.  Every 
  year, on the anniversary of Saint Irig’s victory over the dark forces 
  that sought to raze Clear Meadows to the ground, would-be heroes 
  are selected, nay, forged in a veritable pit of hell.  He who enters 
  the cave and returns with the sword of Saint Irig becomes the new 
  champion of Clear Meadows.  For this is no ordinary magic sword 
  but Kalthalax the Demon Slayer – a baleful weapon of unknown 
  origin.  Irig never divulged the secret of its acquisition, although 
  a few priests speculated that it was a gift  from the Gods of Order. 
  Th e annual festival of Saint Irig coincides with the starfall – or 
  meteor shower as the local wise woman calls it.  And starfall always 
  precipitates a sudden outbreak of evil, where monstrous fi ends 
  again roam the woods, stone circles, and ruins.
  One would think that if liberated once, the famous demon slaying 
  sword would stay above ground, in the champion’s hands, never 
  needing to be recovered from the caves again.  Unfortunately, 
  Kalthalax is also cursed.  Aft er a time, it changes a man… tainting 
  him with infernal markings.  Th e wise woman believes that 
  Kalthalax absorbs the essence from every demon it slays, and those 
  malignant, black-as-the-abyss energies leak through somehow… 
  seeping into the wielder.  
  Th e sword is not always recovered.  Some years go by without a 
  champion, without the Demon Slayer to keep the land safe.  Such 
  are the nights when no man feels at ease, where the potential exists 
  that all hell will breaks loose!
  As an added benefi t, all indentured servants, serfs, and slaves who 
  explore the caves are rewarded with freedom upon their return, 
  even if the sword is not retrieved.  Sadly, survivors are few and 
  far between; this is why a mass funeral service is held at the cave’s 
  mouth just before adventurers enter.
  On St. Irig’s Day, a hundred townsfolk gather around the yawning 
  black gulf.  Th e sky is overcast and grey.  Several priests in black 
  robes offi  ciate the ritual for commemorating the dead.  Th ey are 
  led by Father Ulfi c while the Head Cleric, Father Synjyn, looks on 
  solemnly.  Th e Lord’s Captain walks up to the cave’s mouth, almost 
  daring it to swallow him whole.
  A few of the unwashed rabble draw closer.  Upon closer inspection, a 
  few notice iron bars a few feet within.  A palpable sense anticipation 
  hangs in the air as the crowd waits for a dozen or so courageous 
  adventure-seekers to descend.  
  Th e wise woman of Clear Meadows is also in att endance.  Villagers 
  rarely see her unless a warning must be given or a price is demanded 
  by some mystical force.  Some go to her, seeking her wisdom… but 
  most later regret their conversations.
  As if fated to be, an exhalation of fetid air suddenly escapes from 
  the cave, followed a minute later by a low reverberation warping 
  into high-pitched, disembodied laughter.  A stygian cloud of bats
  issues forth, fl ying into the open air, making haste for the woods.
  Whispers carry through the crowd like wild fi re; a few claim it to 
  be a good omen, while the majority mutt er the opposite.  Clear 
  Meadows’ Head Cleric calls out, “All is fi ne.  A champion is among 
  the brave souls about to enter the cave.”
  Seconds later, Benro the village madman shouts, “A diabolic army
  has come from the stars to annihilate the kingdom.  It will start
  here at home, moving west through the realm until the race of man 
  is either killed or subjugated.”
  “Silence, Benro!”  Father Synjyn shouts.  “Now is not the time for
  gloom and doom.”  Turning towards the adventurers, he makes a
  holy gesture.  “Go forth into the abyss, liberate Kalthalax from the 
  Nether-Realms, and return safely to our surface world.”
  The wise woman steps forward, raising her aged hand.  Everyone 
  gathered hears the sound of metal on stone.  A portcullis ascends, 
  granting access to the caverns.  “Aft er you enter, the way shall be 
  closed until 3 days hence.  At such time I will again be standing at
  
   17 
  the mouth of the cave, ready to lift  the portcullis in the wake your 
  triumphant return.”
  Th e Lord’s captain, Jeremiah, walks over to the sacrifi cial lambs 
  with a large sack.  He pours the contents onto the ground with 
  a snarl upon his lips – 3 days rations for every adventurer along 
  with half a dozen torches, 30’ of rope, 10’ pole, and a fi rst aid kit.  
  “Sorry we can’t spare any weapons.  If none of you makes it out, 
  Clear Meadows will need every sword, axe, and crossbow it has to 
  repel the star-spawn.”  If any reply with a quip or complaint, the 
  Lord’s captain suggests they use cunning.  Th ose asking why he 
  doesn’t lead the party himself are answered with a derisive laugh, 
  “I was fool enough to quest for the Demon Slayer years ago… and 
  I commanded it for seven months.  Th at’s far longer than any man 
  has wielded the sword without corruption.”  If none reply or ask, 
  then Jeremiah will save that revelation for the end… when the PCs 
  return and he is there to reclaim Kalthalax.
  Th e adventurers enter, and the portcullis crashes down behind the 
  last.  As it does, one or two (there’s a 1 in 6 chance per PC – 1 in 4 if 
  of a chaotic or evil persuasion) are struck by a sudden realization.  
  Last night’s slumber disturbed by a lucid vision.  It began innocently 
  enough with constellations, planets, and breathtaking clouds of 
  nebulae.  Th en something awful coming out, pouring down from a 
  hexagonal portal of starless jade like the blackish dregs of galactic 
  fi lth.  All this followed by a gentle intonation, “Remember thyself, 
  for the Emerald Kingdom is at hand.”  Finally, a brief glimpse of a 
  masked face before an awful nothingness washed over everything.
  Th ose fortunate dreamers are marked by Great K’tulu and known 
  to His degenerate, perverted followers.  Such adventurers will not 
  be harmed by the K’tulu priesthood unless one of their number is 
  killed by him or her.
  ADVENTURE NOTES
  ADVENTURE NOTES
  Jeremiah is in league with the star-spawn, having made an 
  agreement whereupon the dark forces are given all the lands
  surrounding Clear Meadows in return for protection and a 
  leadership position in their black army.  Th e Lord’s captain wants 
  to be a general.  In the end, Kalthalax infl uenced him, turning his 
  dark thoughts into dark deeds.  Perhaps killing Jeremiah will halt 
  the star-spawn invasion?
  Th e Demons, within their meteor cocoon, are launched from the 
  shadow moon called Anu.  Anu is always dark, which is why most 
  never notice it and believe the shadow moon to be wizard’s myth. 
  Anu is kept in darkness by the Demons that live there, but no one – 
  not even the wisest sorcerer – knows why infernal beasts would go 
  to so much trouble to hide Anu from the gaze of men.
  Aft er returning to the surface, is the party going to stand and fi ght 
  or keep the sword and so bow before the Lords of Chaos?  Wielding 
  the sword will present its own challenges.  Can a character resist 
  being swallowed up by the Demon Slayer’s infl uence?  What 
  happens if the PCs don’t return in 3 days?
  Th e head priest is named Father Synjyn.  He is a faithful servant 
  of law, order, and basic goodness.  Father Synjyn att empts to feed, 
  clothe, and shelter the less fortunate.  Just below him in power is 
  Father Ulfic, a secret worshiper of Yogsoggoth.  Father Ulfi c wishes
  to see his god lay waste to the entire land so that it might be remade
  in a new image so full of chaos, madness, and revelry that even he
  can scarcely imagine it.  The adventurers could easily persuade
  Ulfic to journey below the caverns if they asked.  He knows of the
  temple and has even been to it a few times, but not since the fl ood.
  Ulfic will subtly mention various other gods he has gotten to know
  over the years… ones which seem bizarre and alien to ordinary
  men.  If any seem convertible to him, then he’ll lay on the slime and
  soapstone religious rhetoric in hopes of finding new Yogsoggoth
  worshipers.
  Allow the players to randomly roll (or be assigned by the DM) one
  rumor per adventurer.
  
   18 
  Rumor Table
  1.
   Th e Priests of a many-tentacled deity live below the
  caves.
  2.
  A few of Clear Meadows’ inhabitants still live in shame
  because no one from the town helped Sir Galilee when he 
  rode off  to slay worshipers of the Great Beast.
  3.
  Every full moon, a young woman is taken from Clear
  Meadows or a nearby village.
  4.
  A century ago, the town of Clear Meadows was called
  Verdant Meadows before it was razed to the ground by
  Demons.
  5.
  Nine dragons sleep far below the caverns.
  6.
  Th ere is nothing below the system of caves except for a
  mist-laden layer of spectral doom.
  7.
  Intelligent Ape-Men live in the caves.  Th ey eat humans
  alive.
  8.
  Th ere are unnatural, vivdly-colored shapes located
  somewhere underground.
  9.
  Th e wise woman claims a great ship from the sky crash
  landed aeons ago far below the caves.
  10. Th e oldest and most powerful Demons live in the center
  of the world.
  11. Certain fungus will cause a man to hallucinate, opening
  him up to prophetic visions.
  12. Th e darkness itself can kill you.
  13. Th e dead don’t stay dead for long in those caves.
  14. Magic becomes even more unpredictable and dangerous
  in the Nether-Realms.
  15. A blue lion stalks the cavern, telling adventurers their fate 
  if they bring him a gift .
  16. Several dungeon levels exist below the caves.
  17. Dark Elves aren’t as evil as most folk claim.
  18. Somewhere underground, a misogynistic cult is breeding
  women with spawn of their foul god.
  19. Th e noble paladin, Sir Galilee, lost his holy avenger
  fi ghting darkness in the Nether-Realms.
  20. A Dragon sleeps at the core of the world; journey down
  far enough and you’ll meet him.
  Timetable 
  It’s a good idea to keep track of time.  In three days aft er the 
  adventurers enter the cavern, the wise woman, Jeremiah, head 
  priest Father Synjyn, and Ulfi c will be at the cave mouth.  Any 
  new adventurers can be sent in then, assuming a second round is 
  required.  
  PCs can take a few days time learning new skills and training with 
  local individuals who are of a mentoring mind.  Seven days aft er 
  entering the cave, all of the meteor-encased Demons break out of 
  their shell.  Th ey start lurking at night, taking anyone traveling alone 
  or in pairs - especially females.  Somewhere around the 11 or 12-
  day marker, Demons start going down into the cavern themselves 
  to destroy Kalthalax and slay any would-be heroes remaining.  By 
  the 13th day, Clear Meadows is surrounded.  Th e wise woman has 
  placed a force barrier around the town, but she can’t hold it for 
  more than a couple of days.  Aft er the 15th day, Clear Meadows 
  is overrun with Demons.  The wise woman and Father Synjyn 
  are killed while Jeremiah and Father Ulfi c are set up as puppet-
  dictators of the land, King and High Priest, respectively.
  
   19 
  WANDERING MONSTER TABLE
  1.
  Yellow-Purple Scorpion Worm Fiend
  HD: 5  HP: 36  AC: 13 [6]  #Att acks: 3  Att ack Bonus: 
  +5  Damage: 1d4 (2 claws) and 1d12 + poison
  2.
  Giant Devil-Hornets from the Outer Void (1d4)
  HD:  2  HP: 14 [5]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d6 + 
  paralyzing sting
  3.
  Masked Priests of Dread K’tulu (1d4)
  HD: 3  HP: 18  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 
  1d6 (mace) or Tenebrous Lacerations – 1 point of 
  damage to all enemies within 30’ every round until 
  dispelled, priest is dead, or 10 minutes transpires
  4.
  Demonically-Possessed Kobolds, Goblins, Orcs, or 
  Sub-Humans (1d6)
  HD: 1  HP: 6  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +1  Damage: 
  1d4 + 13% chance per hit of turning PCs evil
  5.
  Silver Robot with a Laser Fist
  HD: 7  HP: 40  AC: 17 [2]  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 
  2d6 (laser)
  6.
  Lesser Spawn of Dread K’tulu
  HD: 4  HP: 25  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 
  1d6 (tentacle)
  7.
  Th ree-headed, Acid-Breathing Horror with Hooks 
  for Hands
  HD: 8  HP: 59  AC: 16 [3]  #Att acks: 5 Att ack Bonus: 
  +6  Damage: 1d6 (2 claws), 2d4 (2 bites), 1d12 (acid)
  8.
  Clerics and Magic-Users of Yogsoggoth
  HD: 2  HP: 12  AC: 11 [8]  Att ack Bonus: +1  Damage: 
  1d4 or Magic Missile, Healing, and Curse
  9.
  Supra-Intelligent Green Jelly with Telekinesis
  HD: 4  HP: 24  AC: 10 [9]  Damage: variable depending 
  on object moved via its mind
  10.
  Th e Azure Lion Who Speaks like a Man and 
  Dominates Lesser Minds
  HD: 11  HP: 77  AC: 17 [2]  #Att acks: 3  Att ack 
  Bonus: + 10  Damage: 1d8 (2 claws), 3d6 (bite), + 
  domination
  11.
  Greater Spawn of Dread K’tulu
  HD: 9  HP: 63  AC: 16 [3]  #Att acks: 2d4  Att ack Bonus: 
  +7  Damage: 2d6 (tentacles) + save vs madness
  12.
  Roll Twice for Combo Encounter!
  
   20 
  Level 1  -  The Caverns
  Level 1  -  The Caverns
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  G
  H
  I
  J
  K
  L
  M
  N
  O
  P
  Q
  R
  S
  T
  U
  V
  W
  X
  Y
  
   21 
  C1  -  YET ANOTHER SPRUNG TRAP WITH 
  C1  -  YET ANOTHER SPRUNG TRAP WITH 
  BLUE SLIME
  BLUE SLIME
  Here is another open pit trap; this time without spikes.  With light 
  or closer inspection observers can see three feet of water inside the 
  pit, an even closer look reveals a blue green slime or jelly substance 
  at the bott om.  Th is is a blue slime that wandered into the open pit, 
  devoured all it found, and was unable to escape.  
  Anyone who touches the slimy cube must make a saving throw or 
  be turned into a gelatinous cube of dark greenish blue slime the 
  hue of melted down blueberry jellybeans.
  D1  -  SOMETHING IN THE CAVE
  D1  -  SOMETHING IN THE CAVE
  A rust-brown growth either clings to or grows out of a cave wall. 
  Several long, fi brous strands run down onto the cave fl oor, draping 
  themselves over a half-consumed humanoid corpse.  Th is growth 
  is something no one has ever seen before!  
  It instantly att acks anyone coming within 5’ of it.
  On the opposite side of the cave is a globe (10” diameter) resting 
  upon an ornate wooden pedestal designed so the globe can 
  freely move without rubbing against its housing.  A few minutes 
  investigation will probably reveal that this 3D map does not 
  correspond to this planet.  
  Th ere’s a secret compartment located beneath one of the continents. 
  Inside is a scroll – the deed to a castle.  Unfortunately, it appears the 
  castle is located somewhere on that alien world depicted by the globe.  
  Fibrous Cave Growth
  HD: 2  HP: 11  AC: 10 [9]  Att ack Bonus: +0  Damage: 1d4 
  E1  -  AN EVIL RING
  E1  -  AN EVIL RING
  Th e path forks here.  One unlucky PC will see a silver ring with 
  black runes engraved onto its jeweled surface.  Th e wearer will be 
  propositioned by the Demon Selrahnedus in his dreams that night. 
  Selrahnedus is an Insect-Demon with three bulbous, fl y-like heads 
  and  a hundred tiny yellow tentacles running up and down his side 
  - a possible patron willing to share his magical secrets!
  Selrahnedus says litt le, except 
  to tell the ring-wearer that he 
  has been specially chosen. 
  “Selrahnedus 
  will 
  instruct 
  you, he will show you the 
  way.  Don’t trust the rest of 
  your party!  Only me.  You 
  will… obey… only… me.” 
  Th e Insect-Demon requires 
  servants to bolster his prestige 
  in Hell.
  Level 1  -  The Caverns
  Level 1  -  The Caverns
  Th e rough-hewn cave tunnels are generally between 5 – 7’ wide 
  and 9 – 10’ high.  At times, there may be a claustrophobic sensation 
  accompanied by the presence of a malevolent force moving 
  through the caverns as if the passages and caves deep underground 
  are swallowing you up into the bowels of some unspeakable beast. 
  Th is is due to sigils drawn in chalk upon a few of the cave walls, 
  more than likely in the empty caves.  
  Within 20’ of a sigil, adventurers must make a fear check.  Dwarves 
  and soulless Elves get a +4 bonus to their check/save.  Failure means 
  the PC is nearly catatonic.  He can be escorted or ushered around, 
  but cannot fi ght, cast spells, or do anything except for simple tasks 
  like eating/drinking, running away, or rocking back and forth and 
  humming a comforting tune from his childhood.
  A1  -  SPRUNG TRAP
  A1  -  SPRUNG TRAP
  In an open spiked pit trap 10’ down are three dead fi gures impaled 
  upon the spikes, dead.  Not only does it smell of rot and decay, 
  but it’s dark, too.  PCs would have to climb down or lower a light 
  source in order to see clearly.  Th ere are two robed Humans (who 
  probably died last year) they look decayed with bones partially 
  sticking out and a skeletal Human wearing rusty chainmail armor 
  and carrying a short sword (who probably died at least 2 years 
  ago, possibly longer).  Th e armor is useless, but the sword is still 
  in fi ne condition.  Aft er a minute, the PC realizes there are fl esh-
  eating centipedes roaming around the pit, coming out of the last 
  victim’s skull.  One of the robed corpses has a small leather pouch 
  containing 9 semi-precious stones, mostly clear quartz with faint 
  streaks of purple, each worth about 15 gp.  
  Before a PC can leave the pit, a glistening, pale tentacle with 
  suckers on the underside of it breaks through the dirt att empting 
  to squeeze anyone moving.  
  Pit Th ing
  HD: 1  HP: 5  AC: 10 [9]  Att ack Bonus:  +1  Damage:  1d3 (tentacle 
  squeeze)  
  B1  -  ANOTHER SPRUNG TRAP
  B1  -  ANOTHER SPRUNG TRAP
  Another corpse lies just another 12’ down the cavern.  It’s another 
  Human with an axe buried through his head.  He’s also in robes. 
  Diffi  cult to tell how long he’s been down here, probably quite a few 
  years as most of his body is skeletal.  Th ere’s decay, but not as much 
  as those in the pit.  Several corpses line the rocky corridor a few 
  more feet away.  Th is time, it looks like a Halfl ing and a Dwarf – 
  fresh enough to be from last year’s expedition.  Th e Halfl ing is in 
  robes while the Dwarf is wearing leather armor (only a Dwarf can 
  wear it).  It’s not clear what killed them.  
  Searching around reveals half a dozen darts (which used to be 
  poisoned at one time).  If PCs look carefully along the eastern wall, 
  they’ll see the mechanism that originally shot the darts).
  
   22 
  F1  -  THE PORTCULLIS
  F1  -  THE PORTCULLIS
  As soon as half the party gets 15’ down the passage, a steel 
  portcullis descends into the middle of the party, slamming down 
  into the rock, dividing the adventurers.  Requires a dexterity check 
  for those in the center, failure means they take 2d4 damage.
  G1  -  END OF THE LINE FOR THE LAST IN 
  G1  -  END OF THE LINE FOR THE LAST IN 
  LINE
  LINE
  A black furry creature – it looks like a cross between a giant rat and 
  a wolverine with wide, starring eyes comes out of its lair via a secret 
  door and att empts to make off  with the last PC in line.  Th is thing is 
  stealthy, so it won’t be heard unless the PCs are actively listening.  
  Large Wolverine-Rat
  HD: 3  HP: 16  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +4,  Damage: 1d4 
  (claws)  
  Within its lair is a scroll with the spell Dazzling Hues writt en upon 
  it.  Th e spell creates a haze or nebula of colors and small shining 
  objects like stars for 1d3 rounds or as long as the caster concentrates 
  upon it (up to 3 minutes).  Th e area of eff ect is a 10’ circle starting 
  no farther than 30’ from the caster and must be within his sight.  
  Th ere are also 3 large chunks of quartz worth about 50 gold pieces 
  each and various broken ceramic plates, bowls, and cups, as well 
  as, a slightly distressed (mostly just dirty but with a few rips and 
  tears) cloak of deep garnet lined with gold embroidery.  It possibly 
  belonged to a sorcerer.
  H1  -  SNEAKY KOBOLDS
  H1  -  SNEAKY KOBOLDS
  Th is is a cave full of stalagmites and stalactites.  2 kobolds are out 
  in the open and one is hidden, a part-time thief hiding in shadows. 
  Th e cave formations provide some cover from ranged weapons.  
  Kobolds (2)
  HD: 1  HP: 5  AC: 10 [9]  Att ack Bonus: +1  Damage: 1d4  (clubs) 
  Kobold Th ief
  HD: 2  HP: 9  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack Bonus: +3  Damage: 1d4+1 
  (magical dagger)
  Special Att ack: Backstab as second level thief
  Th e Kobolds are treasure hunters broken off  from the main tribe 
  on a lower level.  Th ey cannot return until the water recedes.  Th ey 
  carry a total of 23 gp on them.
  I1  -  SPEAR TRAP
  I1  -  SPEAR TRAP
  Th ere’s a poisoned spear trap in this part of the passage.  Everyone 
  in the party should make a successful Dexterity check or get hit 
  for 1d4 damage.  Th ose hit should make a saving throw or become 
  weakened for about 10 minutes.
  J1  -  BANQUET HALL
  J1  -  BANQUET HALL
  Th is is a banquet hall reeking of death.  Th e area is quite large with 
  a diff erent sort of excavation – more like a dungeon than a cavern. 
  Th ere’s a large wooden table measuring 15’ x 5’ with 10 chairs 
  around it.  
  Th ree human corpses are slumped over the table.  Th e fi rst wears 
  fi ne clothing, has a silver snuff  box worth about 10gp, a silk magenta 
  handkerchief worth about 1gp, a hand mirror rimmed with quartz, 
  and well-cobbled shoes.  Th e second is dressed rather shabbily and 
  has a leather pouch containing 14 cloudy grey marbles.  Th e third 
  dons the purple, green, and gold costume of a court jester, the ink of 
  a spider tatt oo upon his neck.  Besides his outfi t and jester hat (with 
  bells on), he carries a dead dove in his pocket, its neck broken.
  Th e bodies look fresh, perhaps they’ve been here a week, possibly 
  less.  A few plates, bowls and cups decorate the surface, some 
  broken.  
  Under the table is a secret door in the stone fl oor which opens to a 
  spiral staircase leading down a long way (about 28’) and is enclosed 
  in regular stones with mortar, unlike a natural cave formation.
  Th e east wall contains three secret doors, each leading to a garden 
  of fresh fruits and vegetables.  
  K1  -  KITCHEN
  K1  -  KITCHEN
  Th is is the kitchen; it is the same as the banquet hall, less like a cave 
  than the other areas.  It contains a wood burning stove, preparation 
  counter, spice rack (a few bott les of common spices remain), pots, 
  pans, a couple of halfway decent - albeit a tad rusty - kitchen knives, 
  and various spoons, ladles, and stirring utensils.  
  L1  -  FUNGI
  L1  -  FUNGI
  This cave contains a fungus garden.  This cavern is overgrown with
  all manner of fungi and subterranean fl ora.  Everywhere, one can
  see toadstools and soft white growths.  Looking down, right in
  front of you are some purple-capped, black-gilled mushrooms and 
  next to those are cauliflower-like bunches, and deeper in the cave
  there’s something that looks like pineapple fungus.
  The first are poisonous – make a save or constitution check to
  avoid becoming sick and queasy for a half an hour.  The second are 
  actually edible and taste good, if unsettlingly meaty.  The third are
  hallucinogenic; those eating it will start seeing strange things for
  about an hour.
  
   23 
  Th ere’s a 50% chance that Th adeus the Elf (found in R1) wanders 
  by to check on his garden aft er the PCs have explored for a minute 
  or two.
  M1  -  TOAD STATUE
  M1  -  TOAD STATUE
  Th is cave houses a crude statue made of quartz depicting a frog, 
  toad, or similarly amphibian deity.  It stands about 7 ½’  but that’s 
  also because it stands upon a 1’ high, 4’ x 4’ square base fashioned 
  of ordinary stone.  Glyphs decorate the sides of the base.  Th ose 
  familiar with either amphibian or infernal are able to read it: “Th e 
  blasphemous Tsathag’kha in our race’s blood.  His glory yields 
  life.”  
  Before the statue squats a crude stone altar which has seen its share 
  of blood sacrifi ces judging by the reddish-brown stains upon the 
  low, fl at surface and powdery remains of crushed bones along with 
  a cracked skull on the fl oor nearby.  
  Th ere is nothing signifi cant about the altar (unless the DM deems 
  it so).   However, the base of the statue, where the symbol for “life” 
  is, can be removed.  Inside is a lever that swivels the base around, 
  opening the way to a spiral staircase going down a long way (about 
  25’) and is enclosed in regular sized stones with mortar like a 
  traditional dungeon.
  N1  -  WATERWAY
  N1  -  WATERWAY
  Th e tunnel slopes downward and 40’ later is submerged in water. 
  Each time the PCs come by, there’s a 30% chance an amphibian 
  creature with a trident comes out of the water.  
  Amphibian-Men
  HD: 1  HP: 6  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d6 
  O1  -  AN EMPTY CAVE… OR IS IT?
  O1  -  AN EMPTY CAVE… OR IS IT?
  Th is cave is empty; there are a few stalactites and stalagmites but 
  nothing else (unless the DM wants to place a wandering monster 
  or something else here instead.)
  P1  -  DARTS!
  P1  -  DARTS!
  A poison dart trap will be set off  by a pressure plate on the fl oor. 
  Th ose searching the fl oor for traps have a chance to see it.  PCs 
  should make a dexterity check in order to not get struck by a dart. 
  Th ose who do must save for poison or fall unconscious for 20 – 30 
  minutes.  
  Q1  -  LURE OF THE GREEN GLOW
  Q1  -  LURE OF THE GREEN GLOW
  Th is cave contains many stalactites and stalagmites; one stalagmite 
  in particular is close to the far wall, blocking the view of an alluring 
  green luminescence.  It’s some kind of glowing green stone, a type 
  of crystal perhaps, about the size of a Halfl ing’s fi st.  
  However, that nearby stalagmite is actually a creature with 
  tentacles and a gaping maw full of razor sharp teeth.  
  Stalagmite Creature
  HD: 3  HP: 16  AC: 10 [9]  #Att acks: 3  Att ack Bonus: +2 )  Damage: 
  1d4 (tentacles)  
  Special Defense:  Immune to fi re.
  Th ere’s a 20% chance of causing an explosion if the crystal is 
  violently dislodged.  Th e crystal can provide an energy boost to 
  sorcerers or can be used as a grenade.  A sharp jolt will make the 
  crystal explode for 2d8 damage to those within 10’, and 1d8 for 
  those between 11’ – 20’.
  
   24 
  R1  -  THADEUS AND GLEVINA
  R1  -  THADEUS AND GLEVINA
  Th e Elf cave zigs in a bit and then zags out to a larger space.  Th is is 
  quite large and looks more comfortable than the others because it’s 
  being lived in by Elves.  Th ere are wall hangings and rugs, fl atware 
  made from gourds, and two beds fashioned from animal skins.  
  Th is is the abode of Th adeus and his sister Glevina.  
  Th adeus is more aloof to the point of being unfriendly, while 
  Glevina is welcoming and hospitable.  Th adeus has leather armor 
  and wields a normally brilliant silvery-white lyrthum long sword, 
  but it has been darkly glazed with black runes carved upon the base 
  of the blade in order to disguise its origin.  Th e runes read, “Th ine 
  enemies be slain!” in Elven.  
  If there are any Elves in the party, Th adeus will allow them to stay 
  for awhile.  Glevina will ask Th adeus if they shouldn’t travel with 
  them in order to get out of this cavern, as they meant to leave weeks 
  ago before the water rose, blocking the way down to the lower 
  tunnels.  
  
   25 
  Th e Elves have rudimentary medical supplies and can answer a 
  few simple questions about this part of the cavern, and below, even 
  volunteering helpful information – such as the warring factions 
  between the worshipers of Ulusek & Lokvaar.  “Th ey hate each 
  other, even though their gods are practically the same.  I’ve heard 
  Ulusek & Lokvaar referred to as ‘the twin enigmas’ by those who 
  worship them.”  
  Glevina seems mildly att ractive to the eyes of a man and quite 
  prett y for an Elf.  Th ere’s a 35% chance that an Elf adventurer will 
  become infatuated with her and 15% for Humans (with a 25% for 
  Half-Elves).  If multiple PCs lust for her simultaneously, then there 
  might be confl ict and drama!  Describe to the player(s) just how 
  wonderful she is – the sun, moon, and stars!  Th ose who are smitt en 
  with her should make a case for Glevina traveling with the party… 
  unless he wants to stay with the Elves and sett le down.  
  Glevina wishes to be married soon, so there’s a 70% chance (90% for 
  those with a Charisma 12 and over) that she’ll accept an invitation 
  to travel.  If two PCs love her and she’s taken with both of them, 
  then Glevina suggests a duel, in the Elven tradition, to see who is 
  the most worthy suitor.
  S1  -  GELATINOUS FUN
  S1  -  GELATINOUS FUN
  A dark greenish blue jelly cube is wandering around this cave. 
  Again, its disquieting color resembles blueberry jellybeans that 
  have been melted down.  PCs can see fragments of a skeleton 
  poking out of it, as well as, some kind of cylinder – possibly a scroll 
  tube.  
  Only fi re can destroy the Blue Jelly.  Touching it will turn an 
  adventurer into one of its kind unless a saving throw is successfully 
  made.
  Att ack:  +0  Damage: turns creature into a similar cube.  HP:  4. 
  Th e cylinder is made of quartz and does indeed contain a scroll 
  with the Fireball spell writt en upon it.
  T1  -  THE REPOSE OF CLAVENUS
  T1  -  THE REPOSE OF CLAVENUS
  Th is is a wide and especially long cave; the ceiling is roughly 15’ 
  high.  Th e fl oor seems to be moving slightly, shift ing or squirming 
  unwholesomely.  Th e fl oor is covered with large white maggots (the 
  size of a Dwarf’s arm) bathed in a shallow, sticky lake of bilious 
  green slime.  
  At the far end of the cave is a stone altar or table; it’s too dark to see 
  if there’s anything upon its surface or behind it.  
  As the PCs approach, a huge, semi-translucent face appears, 
  fl oating high in the air.  Its eerie fuscia visage is of an adult human, 
  androgynous and sinister with thin slits for eyes and a far-away, 
  mesmerized look.  Th e face says, “Leave this place and I shall allow 
  your mortal fl esh to remain unsullied.  Th ose wishing to stay and 
  violate my sanctuary shall die horribly!”  
  Th e image is only an illusion, disappearing aft er one minute (3 
  rounds).  It repeats itself at 15 minute intervals or when another 
  individual or group approaches the tomb.  Th e wizard who created 
  the hologram died a long time ago.  His/her name was Clavenus. 
  Th e tomb of Clavenus is hermetically water-sealed on the second 
  level of the dungeon.
  Once the fuscia visage of Clavenus has been dealt with, PCs will 
  notice expansive bas reliefs fashioned on either side of the cave. 
  Closer inspection along with a decent light source illustrate a story 
  of the fi rst demons to walk the world, traffi  cking with Elves, and 
  some kind of schism between surface Elves and their even darker 
  cousins.
  For every 5 feet of distance, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that a giant 
  maggot will bite an adventurer for 1 point of damage.  It will take 7 
  rounds to kill a swath towards the sarcophagus.  
  Th e stone sarcophagus is in the shape of a humanoid and is 
  extremely smooth and polished.  Closer inspection shows the 
  material contains small bits of shell, coral, gemstones, crystals, 
  glass, and bone.  Th e sarcophagus is divided into two pieces, the 
  top rests upon the bott om.  Th ere are a few small grooves ensuring 
  the lid has to be lift ed off , as well as, slid to the side.  
  Beneath is the fairly well preserved corpse of a pale humanoid 
  (bastard DMs can make Clevenus a Lich – stats at the end of this 
  cave’s description).  PCs notice the face is similar to the illusion 
  projected when fi rst entering this cave, and Clevenus’ clothes 
  are fi ne black wizard robes with draconic forms embroidered 
  throughout the material.  In the magic-user’s left  hand is a long thin 
  wand carved out of bone.  [Th is is a wand of lightning bolts with 
  1d12 charges remaining, 4d6 damage.]  Unfortunately, there’s a 
  10% chance each time it’s used that the wand will suff er a reversed 
  polarity discharge, causing 4d6 damage to the wand’s user.  Th e 
  corpse has nothing more of value in him/her.
  Next to Clevenus is a cold-forged iron great-sword with a ruby at 
  the end of its pommel and a disturbing array of infernal glyphs 
  carved along both sides of its prodigious blade.  It is a +1 magic 
  weapon, +3 versus anything infernal (Demons and Devils) and 
  unclean (Elves and similar Fey Folk).
  Kalthalax is also an intelligent sword.  It doesn’t talk incessantly, 
  but when he does speak, he likes a bit of conversation… and 
  humility upon the wielder’s part.  Yes, the sword believes that 
  anyone possessing him should feel at least a modicum of gratitude, 
  not to mention reverence.  When Kalthalax scores a critical hit, he 
  expects praise.  Kalthalax gets bored easily; any questions about 
  dungeoneering will put him to sleep.
  Kalthalax feels slightly warm with just a hint of vibration like it’s 
  humming with energy; moreover, the wielder senses a greater 
  purpose, boosting his confi dence and the morale of those traveling 
  with him – it gives the wielder an immunity to fear.  Th e demon 
  slayer faintly glows ruby red when drawing blood from infernal, 
  unclean, and evil beings.
  
   26 
  U1  -  SLEEPING TROLL
  U1  -  SLEEPING TROLL
  Th is is an empty cave except for a couple of cracked skulls and an 
  assortment of picked-clean bones.  Th ere’s also a large boulder at 
  the back of the cave which looks to be covered in moss or lichen.  It’s 
  actually a sleeping Troll.  He’s been asleep for a couple of months, 
  so the Elves have no idea about him.  If disturbed, he will wake 
  angry.  Close investigation will awaken him 60% of the time.  
  Troll
  HD: 4  HP: 26  AC: 14 [5]  #Att acks:  2  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 
  1d6 (fi sts)
  Clevenus the Lich
  HD: 7  HP: 40  AC: 16 [3]  Att ack Bonus: +7  Damage: 1d6 
  (claws)
  Special:  Clevenus knows the following spells:  Detect Magic, Read 
  Magic, Identify, Light/Darkness, Sleep, Magic Missile, Lightning 
  Bolt, Fireball, Acidic Arrow, and Webbing.  Plus the wand of 
  lightning bolts and Kalthalax.  
  If Clevenus is merely a corpse (as opposed to a Lich), then his/her 
  spell book will not be found.
  
   27 
  X1  -  WIZARD’S LAB
  X1  -  WIZARD’S LAB
  Th is laboratory contains a long wooden desk full of parchment 
  containing alchemical notations and vials of unknown substances. 
  Th e vials’ contents appear as (although PCs won’t know what they 
  are until aft er consulting Clevenus’ notes)  pink sand, thick blue-
  green liquid, crushed purple crystals, dark brown dirt, and tan 
  powder.
  Th is study room contains a familiar styled wooden bookcase with 
  the tortured faces of devils carved into each side.  Within the 
  bookcase are a few musty old reference books:  a particular style of 
  architecture, the history of some remote island you’ve never heard 
  of, etc.  Also, here is Clevenus’ spell book containing variations on 
  a few common spells along with some really weird homebrewed 
  magic such as a spell to make one’s fl esh and organs invisible but 
  not the bones.  Th ere are also a couple of loose scrolls rolled up and 
  tied with black cloth.  A scroll in particular contains the knowledge 
  to summon and bind a demon named Zeteer by drawing a fancy 
  seven-pointed pentagram onto the ground.  
  He’s a black-bearded fi end with crimson skin, long yellowish-white 
  horns, and a scar across his muscular chest.  He’s a minor devil, 
  serving his master who shall remain nameless.  But he does speak 
  of a rivalry with Shula the moon goddess.  Zeteer promises, riches, 
  power, cosmic understanding, desires met… anything as long as 
  they free him from the circle and pledge their allegiance to him, 
  signing Zeteer’s own fl esh-bound book in the wizard or Elf’s blood. 
  If a PC agrees, the fi rst thing Zeteer does is grant him a wish before 
  disappearing in a puff  of charcoal-colored smoke that stinks of 
  sulfur and brimstone.
  Each of the following will take 1d3 hours of sift ing and winnowing 
  to fi nd the essential details:
  - 
  What’s in the vials
  - 
  Notes on constructing Kalthalax.  Apparently, Clevenus 
  either created it him/herself or fashioned a prett y good 
  knockoff  equivalent to the original.  Kalthalax was forged 
  from the iron ore found in the meteors which annually 
  fall around Clear Meadows.
  - 
  Learning each spell in the spellbook.
  - 
  A journal of pett y jealousies, yearning for power, 
  unrequited love, and real or imagined insults from various 
  other wizards.  One of the more recent (and longer) entries 
  is about a “whispering homunculus” which Clevenus was 
  enamored of and planned to steal from a rival sorcerer 
  named Magnus Greel.
  - 
  Secrets about the starfall phenomenon.  According to 
  Clevenus, it is a meteor shower (just as the wise woman 
  claimed).  Demons from beyond the stars grow a calcifi ed 
  outer shell which protects them as they plunge through 
  the planet’s atmosphere.  When they land, the meteor 
  breaks open aft er a few days, whereupon the demons need 
  another couple of days to acclimate and recharge before 
  cutt ing a stygian swath of destruction throughout the 
  land.
  He stands 8’ tall, humanoid of rough, craggy, rock-like fl esh of dark 
  grey with short forest or moss green fur along it back, legs, and 
  arms.  
  Th ere’s a secret crawl-space on the western side of the cave, 
  containing the troll’s loot from all the creatures he’s eaten:  27 
  small pieces of quartz, 56 gp, a steel helmet, a fi nely made silver 
  holy symbol to some ancient, nearly forgott en elemental god – 
  Dathlaquatt a (He is known by a few to be a divine bridge between 
  air and water, as well as, being a deity of order), a dagger, a spiked 
  club, some brown leather boots, and several bloody robes, clothes, 
  broken bones.
  V1  -  PORTAL
  V1  -  PORTAL
  Another seemingly empty cave – this one contains a swirling red 
  and blue fi eld of light accompanied by twinkling jingle-jangle 
  sounds.  Th is is a portal connected to an alternate Earth in the near 
  future.  If there’s any kind of disturbance such as a person putt ing 
  their hand through the fi eld, throwing a rock in, or sometimes 
  even the vibration of certain words, then random objects (in 
  this particular case, a person) are extracted from their world and 
  thrown here into the Kalthalax cavern.
  It shouldn’t be long before the PCs come face-to -face with a 
  disoriented technician from another age.  His name is Cygnus 
  Khan.  He’s short, thin, red-headed, and wears glasses.  He 
  occasionally uses an inhaler when short of breath.  Cygnus has 
  worked on fi xing computers, as well as, surveillance equipment 
  for a company called Guard Dog Security.  Cygnus is more than 
  capable of helping the party breach the mysterious, impenetrable 
  door at the end of level 3.  Once he’s assessed the situation, he can 
  either 1) make a “skeleton” code key or 2) short circuit the code key 
  reader.  Th e former will take him at least a week (2d4+1 days) while 
  the latt er will take a couple of hours, saving time but requiring 
  Cygnus to work on subsequent doors for an hour per door.
  Th ere’s also a secret door at the back of this cave, containing 
  Clevenus’ wizard laboratory and private study room.  
  W1  -  ANOTHER WATERWAY
  W1  -  ANOTHER WATERWAY
  Th e tunnel slopes down about 30’ before it’s submerged under 
  water.  Th ose wanting to swim can make a constitution check to be 
  underwater for an entire minute.  In that time, a character can see 
  the entire cavern system is underwater; several caves contain the 
  fl oating corpses of drowned men, kobolds, and various races.  One’s 
  eye catches a treasure chest not too far away, but it’s closed.  If PCs 
  want to swim around for an additional minute, that will require a 
  constitution check in order to either open the locked chest by force 
  – one good slam should do it (containing approximately 3,500
  gp), or to look around at other things – for instance, a small tribe 
  of Amphibian Folk with tridents swimming about, as well as, an 
  elaborate city made out of coral.
  
   28 
  Y1  -  SKULL FOUNTAIN
  Y1  -  SKULL FOUNTAIN
  This cave contains a fountain (6’ diameter) comprised of at least
  one-hundred skulls.  Upon closer inspection, the fountain is made
  of stone, the mason had enough skill to make it appear as though
  real human skulls were used.
  The fountain is bone dry (pun intended) and looks as though the
  fountain hasn’t seen moisture in years, evidenced by dust and
  cobwebs.  
  Th ose taking the time to examine it see there’s a water shut-off
  valve that can be released with a few turns.  Doing this starts the 
  fountain up.  Not water, but blood continually flows out of the 
  seven skulls at the top into the base and then back to the top again.
  Those who bathe edged weapons in the blood flow find their blade 
  to be sharper than before.  This is a magical enhancement which
  extends a weapon’s critical range by 1.
  
   29 
  Level 2
  Level 2
  C
  D
  E
  F
  G
  H
  I
  J
  K
  L
  M
  N
  O
  P
  Q
  R
  S
  T
  U
  V
  W
  X
  Y
  Z
  AA
  
   30 
  Level 2
  Level 2
  Green Crystals
  Th ere are several glowing crystals embedded in the rougher 
  areas of the dungeon, from levels 2 - 5.  It seems as though when 
  a luminescent green stone was found during the tunneling, 
  dungeon-building process, the crystals went undisturbed and 
  the dungeon was constructed around them.  Th e adventurers 
  have no way of knowing this, but the ancient race of Snake-Men 
  drew much of their power from the crystals found throughout the 
  world’s subterranean Nether-Realms.  Th e Snake-Men may no 
  longer be living, but the crystals are still alive and well.  In fact, 
  those drained of power thousands of years ago are fully recharged 
  and ready to be used.  It will be diffi  cult for player-characters to 
  siphon the sorcery-fueling energy out of the green crystals without 
  carefully dislodging them from the rock.
  Just as before, these crystals can provide an energy boost to 
  sorcerers or can be used as a grenade.  A sharp jolt will make the 
  crystal explode for 2d8 damage for those within 10’, and 1d8 for 
  those 11 – 20’ from ground zero.
  Flooding
  Once the water drains out or is removed by some enterprising 
  adventurer, there are a number of interesting features on level 2.  
  Rather than caves, this is defi nitely more dungeon-esque.  Corridor 
  and room height is a standard 10’, except when noted.  
  Sidetracked
  Somewhere on level 2, up to the GM’s discretion…
  A strange being suddenly appear in a cloud of smoke.  It is a light 
  green-skinned humanoid, slender of build and standing about as 
  tall as a Dwarf.  He wears a darker green cowl, cloak, and robes.  
  Th ough beardless, there is a masculine air of authority about him. 
  He takes a step forward, putt ing a hand under his chin.
  “Yes, I imagine that you’ll just about do.  Why not?  Indeed, you’ll 
  all do.  You will manage somehow, will you not… the lot of you, I 
  mean?  Well, not all of you.  Only nine can enter.”
  When pressed for answers, Artem will explain.
  “I speak of the ruby wand trials, of course.  Today is the day.  Th e 
  constellation of Casturberous has almost passed through the house 
  of Zion.  I see by your expressions that confusion persists.  Are you 
  not aware of the ruby wand trials?  Have you not heard of the ruby 
  wand of Th orite?  Why that’s the most famous ruby wand in all the 
  Nether-Realms.  How do you not know of this?”
  “What age am I in?  What dimension?  I must have overshot my 
  destination.  No matt er, I can’t re-fi gure the time/space pathways 
  without my master’s assistance, and he’s preoccupied with other 
  business.  Here’s all you need to know.  Th e ruby wand is one of 
  the most prized, sought-aft er magical artifacts in the world.  Every 
  three years, there is a trial… a gauntlet to see who might possess it.  
  I have never owned it.  In fact, I’ve only seen it twice.  Nevertheless, 
  I desire the thing, and will stop at nothing to have it.  So, I give you 
  a choice.  Walk the pathway with me, face the trial, and win me the 
  ruby wand… or I turn you into a pile of ash.  What’s it going to be 
  then?”
  “Excellent.  Name’s Artem, by the way.  I’m a Trahl.  Nice to make 
  your acquaintance.  Alright, off  we go!”
  Artem and the PCs arrive before a grey, stone dungeon entrance 
  in the form of a demon’s mouth.  “I love the feel of this place… 
  ancient… when Devil-Gods ruled the world.  We’re actually not 
  far from the center of the world.  My ancestors built this place for 
  such sport.”
  Th ere are several other groups here for the trial standing next to 
  their respective patron.  Th e fi rst you see is a half-dozen small 
  creatures like pygmies or feral-looking dark-skinned  Halfl ings.  A 
  red-robed fat man, fairly human but with short protruding horns 
  in the temple region and black eyes gazing at the demon-mouthed 
  dungeon, then turns glowering at Artem.  Th e second appears to 
  be of Elven decent or close to it.  He is tall, thin, and pale with thin 
  piercing eyes, wearing azure robes.  As soon as he notices Artem, 
  he gives a litt le nod of recognition.  His band of trial-facers are 
  apish sub-humans, 8 of them.
  Beyond the trial-facers and their patrons, you can see several 
  hundred humanoids seated upon benches, staggered as they 
  stretch back, row aft er row, for maximum visibility.  A third of 
  these humanoids are of Artem’s race, as their skin has a mellow 
  green hue.  Th e second third is made up of humanoids with vaguely 
  demonic heritage.  Th e remainder is tall, thin, and rather Elf-like. 
  Th ere is a low, dull cacophony of voices from the multitude of 
  voyeurs.  A sense of anticipation is felt by all.  
  Artem says, “You only have a few minutes before the trial proper 
  begins.  Don’t waste too much time – fi nd the arena and win the 
  ruby wand.  Good luck!”
  If the PCs ask why such an important magic item is being pursued 
  by such lowly fare, then Artem replies, “Th ose in att endance 
  require a show – they want to be entertained.  In the end, that’s 
  more important than actually obtaining the Ruby Wand of Th orite.  
  So, less-than-stellar parties are used to acquire it.”
  A0  -  ANTI-MAGIC SIGIL
  A0  -  ANTI-MAGIC SIGIL
  A sigil is carved into the wall.  Those who read infernal, the 
  language of magic, can see that this is an anti-magic symbol.  A
  humanoid about 6’ tall of medium build stands in the center of
  this chamber, unmoving and unarmed.  He wears a dark yellow 
  mask and matching cloak.  Upon closer inspection, the cloak has
  a shimmering purple stone set in the clasp.  The mask is sparsely
  decorated so as to conceal the wearer’s facial features.
  The audience is waiting for the trial-goers to immediately slay the
  man.  If questioned, he says nothing.  Removing his mask shows
  
   31 
  Level 0
  Level 0
  A0
  A0
  B0
  B0
  C0
  C0
  D0
  D0
  E0
  E0
  G0
  G0
  F0
  F0
  that he is gagged.  Th e man’s name is Archibald, and he was snatched 
  from just outside his home yesterday.  Th e anti-magic sigil prevents 
  the cloak and mask from taking on their magical properties.  Th ose 
  leaving this chamber while wearing either will immediately notice 
  their eff ects.  If wearing the mask, the wearer realizes that his face 
  feels funny; taking it off  again reveals a mass of writhing tentacles. 
  Wearing the cloak instantly kills the wearer.
  B0  -  RUBY-EYED SKULL
  B0  -  RUBY-EYED SKULL
  A Fiend of the Pit guards a skull sitting upon a pedestal.  Both eye-
  sockets contain large red gemstones, perhaps rubies.
  Fiend of the Pit
  HD: 5  HP: 23  AC: 13 [6]  #Att acks: 2  Attack Bonus: +6  Damage: 
  1d6 (claws)
  The Pit-Fiend has nothing of value on him.  When approached,
  the skull’s eyes glow and a voice says, “Come closer, adventurer.
  
   32 
  G0   -  ARENA 
  G0   -  ARENA 
  Th is is a gigantic open area like an arena.  Fighting has already 
  commenced as the adventurers enter.
  A 10’ serpentine creature with 7” long razor-sharp teeth and golden 
  brown scales and infernal black eyes wields a dire fl ail.  
  Serpent
  HD: 8  HP: 42 (at full strength)  AC: 15 [4]  Att ack Bonus: +6 
  Damage: 2d4 +2 (bite) 
  Meanwhile, the other two groups are also att acking the serpent 
  creature.  However, if it looks as though the batt le is nearly won, 
  then either group will turn on the PCs.  
  Humanoids
  HD: 1  HP: 5  AC: 11 [8]  Att ack Bonus: +1  Damage: 1d4 (dagger)  
  In two diff erent sections of the arena are two surprises.  Th e fi rst 
  is a black obelisk which, when touched, fi lls the entire dungeon up 
  with water.  Th e second is a white obelisk which, when touched, 
  fi lls the entire dungeon with fi re.  If the black obelisk is touched 
  at the beginning of the fi ght, only those able to breathe water or 
  who have a face full of tentacles will survive (unless a PC begs the 
  carnivorous plant to return him to his native realm).  If it’s touched 
  at the end, then the water only goes up to the neck of the shortest 
  adventurer before the lever appears.  Only those with protection 
  from fi re have a chance of surviving the white obelisk. 
  Aft er the trial, a stone rectangle 3’ x 3’ x 7’ rises from the fl oor. 
  One side of the stone has a small opening.  Th ere’s a lever inside. 
  Whoever pulls the lever feels a slight tingling sensation, then the 
  wand appears from a secret opening below the lever.  Th e ruby red 
  rays of the wand wash over him, dissolving him into a puddle of 
  sizzling hot goo – unless a rolls a saving throw is made.  Moments 
  later, a mechanical arm appears from the left  side of the stone 
  rectangle, encasing the wand in some kind of metal.
  Artem tells the PCs that the wand cannot be used because it’s far too 
  powerful, so it must be kept within its iron cocoon.  Nevertheless, 
  Artem is grateful.  He happily transports the PCs back to where 
  they were taken from.  In a randomly chosen PC’s pocket, he fi nds 
  a small black velvet bag.  Inside is a tiny pallid green jewel along 
  with a note which reads, “I appreciate your assistance regarding 
  Th orite’s ruby wand.  If you ever need my help, crush this precious 
  Trahlian stone beneath your boot heel and call my name.”
  Closer…”  Anyone standing right in front of the skull will trigger a 
  magical trap (undetectable without studying the room for several 
  minutes).  A death-ray fi res into the PC’s back.  Have them roll a 
  saving throw.  Each eye-socket ruby is worth approximately 600 
  gold pieces, and each is also magical.  Th e holder has protection 
  from fi re.
  C0  -  LAVA ROOM
  C0  -  LAVA ROOM
  Th is chamber appears empty, but there is a fair amount of heat 
  radiating from it.  It’s fi lled with hot lava, but an illusion conceals 
  it.  Th ose att empting to disbelieve the illusion will see the true 
  fl oor.  Th ose walking into the room have to roll a Dexterity check 
  or saving throw.  Failure means to be melted into nothingness.  
  D0  -  WEAPONS!
  D0  -  WEAPONS!
  Th is is a chamber of weapons.  Th ere are weapons of all descriptions 
  adorning every wall.
  E0  -  VENUS MAN-TRAP
  E0  -  VENUS MAN-TRAP
  A large carnivorous plant lives in the dirt fl oor of this chamber. 
  Th ose showing hostility will be att acked; however, those att empting 
  to parlay will fi nd the plant to be of a decent sort.  In fact, he has the 
  power to return individuals to their homeland.
  F0  -  INTO THE MIRROR
  F0  -  INTO THE MIRROR
  A secret door opens into this heptagon covered in identical full-
  length mirrors, 3 per side.  Adventurers see themselves reflected 
  everywhere.  Aft er a few seconds, one PC disappears from the 
  chamber while his refl ection remains in the mirrors.  Seconds 
  later, another PC vanishes.  Th e remaining adventurers glimpse 
  something in a few of the mirrors, besides members of their missing 
  party.  It has an alien cast to its grotesque features – though it is also
  well camouflaged by everyone’s reflection.  Finally, a third is gone.
  Those who’ve disappeared are in a black space utterly devoid of
  anything, as if the PCs were standing in a void.  Some kind of
  spherical abomination emerges from nothingness, hovering at
  chest-height.  It has a multitude of eyes all over its surface and long
  tentacles dripping with a translucent, viscous jelly.  Th e beast’s
  mouth gapes wide, showing rows of large, dull, yellowed teeth.  Th e 
  abomination exhales, giving off a foul, unnatural stench.
  Spherical Abomination
  HD: 5  HP: 29  AC: 17 [2]  #Attacks: 4  Attack Bonus: +2  Damage:
  1d4 (tentacles)
  The spherical abomination likes to fight opponents 3 at a time.
  Once the first 3 are killed, he sends 3 more to his pocket dimension
  of nothingness.  It’s an innate ability of this race.
  
   33 
  Back to the Dungeon
  Back to the Dungeon
  C2  -  TAPESTRY ROOM
  C2  -  TAPESTRY ROOM
  Th is chamber is adorned with long, thick, darkly hued tapestries 
  depicting epic batt les of years gone by.  Th ere are 7 tapestries in 
  all.  A particularly graphic and lewd tapestry features various 
  demons destroying a human town.  Th e buildings burn as farmers 
  and merchants die by the claws of infernal fi ends, a few busy 
  themselves with raping the women trying to escape.  Th is tapestry 
  in particular att racts att ention because of an obvious blood stain 
  cutt ing across the front – as if adding to the gruesome havoc shown 
  in the imagery.  
  Th is is actually a magic tapestry.  Th ose able to identify, study, or 
  att empt to walk through the tapestry enter a temporal gateway 
  sending adventurers back 500 years during the sacking of Verdant 
  Meadows – the small, bustling city that was the distant ancestor of 
  Clear Meadows.  As long as individuals step into the same space 
  upon which they entered, they may return back to the tapestry 
  room in the dungeon.
  D2  -  WATER ELEMENTAL
  D2  -  WATER ELEMENTAL
  A pissed-off  water elemental lives here.  Th is creature is pure water 
  and will try to drown those who antagonize it.  Water Elementals 
  cannot be destroyed, except by magic or extreme heat – in which 
  case there’s a 33% chance it becomes a Steam Elemental.  Watch 
  out for that guy!
  Water Elemental
  HD: 5  HP: 30  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 1d6 
  (waves)
  Special Att acks: Th ose in melee range get doused by jets of water 
  and start drowning on the second round.  A failed constitution 
  check or saving throw will have the PC fall unconscious in 1d4 
  rounds.
  E2  -  AQUATIC BASILISK
  E2  -  AQUATIC BASILISK
  An aquatic Basilisk slithers around this area.
  Aquatic Basilisk
  HD: 5  HP: 28  AC: 14 [5]  #Att acks: 2  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 
  1d6 (claws)  
  Special Att acks: Once every 3 rounds, the Basilisk can turn an 
  individual into water with its gaze.  Save to avoid.
  All treasure has been turned to stone, except for magical items. 
  Th ere is a Rod of Strange Th ings.  When used, something bizarre 
  occurs. ..
  1.
  A large banana with a mustache and arms appears.  It
  fi ghts alongside the party for 10 turns.
  2.
  Th e wielder’s skin permanently turns green.  He’s
  constantly mistaken for another race.
  3.
  One’s patron or god must answer a question or perform a
  minor task for the wielder.
  4.
  A dimensional portal opens up and leads to…
  somewhere.
  5.
  Th e dungeon folds in on itself so that parts of level 5 are
  on level 3 and parts of level 2 are on levels 3 and 4.
  6.
  One of the mysterious shapes randomly appears in the
  wielder’s hand.
  7.
  A Death Shade materializes.  He demands that either a
  fellow adventurer’s life be forfeit or the wielder’s.
  8.
  A randomly chosen magical item is (roll again) 1 – 4 inert
  for 12 hours or 5 – 8 twice as potent for 12 hours. 
  F2  -  SUNSET ROOM
  F2  -  SUNSET ROOM
  Apparently, this was area was untouched by the water.  Th e 
  chamber is covered in mosaic tiles.  Th e colors mostly range in the 
  family of coral, orange, mauve and grey, with a hint of chartreuse.  
  Th e patt ern could be purposefully abstract, although it may also 
  be the artist’s impression of a sunset.  Over time, a few of the tiles 
  have cracked or chipped away revealing some kind of light beige 
  adhesive with dungeon stone beneath it.
  G2 AND H2  -  LUMINOUS GEMSTONE ROOMS
  G2 AND H2  -  LUMINOUS GEMSTONE ROOMS
  Both of these rooms have been decorated with large (the size of a 
  human fi st), faintly glowing gemstones – the colors shift  from red to 
  green, purple to orange and back again.  Th ese gems are fi xed to the 
  ceiling (via magic) and provide a dim luminescence throughout.
  Th ese are not unlike the ancient green crystals embedded 
  throughout the dungeon; however, the luminous gemstones of 
  shift ing color were created by the High Priest of K’tulu before he 
  and his masked priests were driven down to the fourth and fi ft h 
  levels of the dungeon.
  If collected, there are a total of 17 gems between both rooms. 
  When these luminous gems touch magic items or are held by a 
  magic-user, they drain the life-force into themselves… storing it 
  for some unknown purpose.  Magic items cannot be used for 1d4 
  hours aft er being in contact with a gem for a few seconds up to a 
  minute.  Similarly, magic-users cannot cast spells for 1d4 hours 
  aft er touching one or more gems.  If handled for longer than a 
  minute, then it becomes 3d4 hours instead.  Regardless, these 
  gems are probably worth 300 gp each.
  
   34 
  one that could open a gateway to the elemental plane of water. 
  Th ere are three useable spells which an adventurer could use or 
  copy into his own spell book.  Th e fi rst is Contact Yogsoggoth.  Th e 
  Chaos Which Crawls Forever is very interested in either fi nding 
  new worshipers or re-establishing this temple.  Th e second is 
  Summon Xaxul.  Not much use in that now since Xaxul is all over 
  the air of this chamber; however, resourceful wizards and clerics 
  have a chance of modifying the spell in order to summon a diff erent 
  servitor of Yogsoggoth.  Th e third spell is called Craft  Lavender 
  Replicant.  Th is creates a near-perfect replica or facsimile of a 
  woman, lavender in color, used for sex rituals and other obscene 
  pleasures.  Any type of carnal depravity increases the eff ectiveness 
  of Yogsoggothian sorcery.
  U2, V2, W2, X2, Y2, Z2, AND AA2 
  - 
  U2, V2, W2, X2, Y2, Z2, AND AA2  -  
  AMPHIBIAN WARRIORS
  AMPHIBIAN WARRIORS
  Th ese chambers contain a tribe of Amphibian Warriors (Frog-Men) 
  along with their 3 Amphibian-Wizards who know various water-
  based spells such as Suff ocation, Th icken Liquid, and Torpedoes of 
  Doom.  Th ere are 19 Amphibian Warriors plus the Chieft ain for a 
  grand total of 23 Frog-Men.
  Frog-Men
  HD: 3  HP: 17  AC: 15 [4]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 2d4 
  (trident)  
  Special:  the chieft ain has 23 hit points and a 15% chance of 
  summoning a servitor of Tsathag’kha)
  Th ey have amassed about 7,500 gold pieces.
  I2 – T2  -  YOGSOGGOTH TEMPLE
  I2 – T2  -  YOGSOGGOTH TEMPLE
  The whole area around O relates to the Yogsoggoth temple.  Instead
  of normal dungeon stone, the giant plaza and adjacent rooms are 
  covered with quartz instead.
  The most signifi cant feature is a quartz temple to Yogsoggoth.
  Yogsoggoth is known as The Chaos Crawling Upon Forever, an
  ancient power and son of the Outer Gods before he was cast out for
  believing that any form of neutrality and balance was foolishness.
  This temple was constructed by the Faithful Supplicants of a
  Chaotic Forever, a religious order of outsiders, freaks, and deviants. 
  Many of them are mixed breeds such as Half-Orcs, Half-Elves,
  Half-Dark Elf, etc.
  The temple has various rooms or cells which acted as living
  quarters before the entire level flooded.  There are larger rooms
  for prayer, meditation, holding/torturing adversaries, and magical
  experimentation.  A knot of Giant Flying Vampire Toads has made
  a nest somewhere in the temple, DM’s choice.  These Toads fight in
  groups, never individually.
  Giant Flying Vampire Toads
  HD: 1  HP: 6  AC: 17 [2]  Attack Bonus: +3  Damage: 1d3 (bite)
  AC:  17
  Special:  each time an adventurer is bitt en, there’s a 20% chance
  that he or she contracts a strain of vampirism.
  Th ere is one room far more important than the others - the inner-
  sanctum.  This 30’ x 30’ chamber is saturated with a swirling
  mauve mist, as if dust or miniscule particles were constantly being
  disturbed.  Adventurers can move freely and without harm.  Th e 
  mist is actually the remains of Xaxul’s destruction.  Xaxul was a
  greater servitor of Yogsoggoth summoned to this very room by 
  the Faithful Supplicants of a Chaotic Forever before exploding
  into a million teeny-tiny pieces.  Because of a particularly effective
  binding sigil carved into the stone floor, Xaxul’s remnants just
  keep swirling about the inner-sanctum as a purple or mauve mist,
  unable to disperse. 
  There’s a secret compartment in this chamber as well.   Within it
  sits a hand written and bound tome which is part spell book, part 
  history of their weird religious order, and part personal journal of
  Ifcus the Half-Orc cleric.  It will take 3d3 hours to read.  Ifcus was the
  head-cleric or High Priest of this temple.  He’s recorded a number
  of kidnappings, ritual killings, and att empts to dominate not only
  the entire second level of the dungeon but the other levels, too.  His
  journal entries hint of some rival deity which sleeps farther down
  the dungeon, imprisoned.  A god which differs from the Ulusek 
  & Lokvaar, whose divine energy has been formed into bizarre
  objects.  Ifcus had one of the objects, an orange triangular prism
  with numbers carved into it.  Shortly after acquiring it in a fight with
  some demon on a lower level –he mentions fi ghting alongside his
  twin brother Sehashtian – Ifcus traded it to a human slaver named
  Gregarious, believing it to be cursed, though assuredly powerful.
  He goes on to discuss Sehashtian’s initiation, the preparation, a 
  ritual timed with some aspect of the lunar cycle, and then goes on 
  for a couple of pages about something going horribly wrong.  Ifcus 
  also wrote of a new ritual the Faithful were experimenting with,
  
   35 
  Level 3
  Level 3
  AA
  AA
  AB
  AB
  AC
  AC
  AD
  AD
  AE
  AE
  Q
  R
  S
  A
  B
  C
  D
  J
  K
  L
  N
  M
  H
  G
  F
  E
  Z
  Y
  T
  V
  X
  U
  I
  O
  P
  W
  
   36 
  disorients everyone for 1d4 rounds.  Th e security measures take 10 
  minutes to re-boot.
  C3  -  EVERYONE HAS A THEORY
  C3  -  EVERYONE HAS A THEORY
  Tables and chairs of a strange smooth white material are found here. 
  Th ere’s a 70% chance that there are Ulusek worshipers in here.  If 
  so, they’re wearing strange yellow-ochre and mauve clothing, 
  tight-fi tt ing but not very protective.  Ulusek worshipers have the 
  symbol of Ulusek embroidered upon their shirt.  It’s an eye halfway 
  between a triangle and square with three lines coming down. 
  Ulusek worshipers ask who the PCs are and why they have come. 
  An ulusek worshiper demands to know if they worship Lokvaar the 
  false one.  Another asks if they are part of the prophecy – a small 
  group of strangers will come to end the confl ict between Ulusek 
  & Lokvaar for all time.  A third sees them as mere intruders who 
  should be locked up, interrogated, and then killed.
  D3  -  ENTERTAIN ME
  D3  -  ENTERTAIN ME
  Th is is an entertainment center – a large, rectangular scrying 
  device up against the far wall.  About 10 – 15’ from the scrying 
  screen are benches made of animal hide, possibly leather, enough 
  to seat at least a dozen people.  Th e screen shows people in strange 
  clothing in an unfamiliar land, talking to each other.
  E3  -  WHITEBOARD
  E3  -  WHITEBOARD
  Th is room contains a large white board with colorful scribbling all 
  over it.  At the bott om of the board is a metal tray holding various 
  thin tubes of various colors.
  F3  -  MONITORS
  F3  -  MONITORS
  Th is room contains computers and monitoring equipment.
  G3  -  CENTRAL INFORMATION
  G3  -  CENTRAL INFORMATION
  Th ere’s a strange device in the middle of this room.  It’s a bulky, 
  smooth white thing with a clear dome on top.  Th e back wall is 
  fi lled with thin, small plastic containers, and each of them is fi lled 
  with a clear circle easily fi tt ing in the palm of a man’s hand, about 
  2” in diameter.  Th ese can be fed into the central computer for 
  information.  Th is is what the ancients used instead of books.
  H3  -  TOILET
  H3  -  TOILET
  Th is small room houses a strange-looking contraption for sitt ing. 
  Th ere’s a hole and water at the bott om of the chair, along with a 
  handle or lever on one side, and a roll of soft  paper nearby.
  Level 3
  Level 3
  As the second level is completely fl ooded with water, the third level 
  is the next PCs can explore.  
  Aeons ago, an alien spacecraft  crash-landed below level 2.  Aft er 
  the dust sett led, the original dungeoneers continued constructing 
  levels 4, 5, and 6 in the same mold… as best they could.  Level 3 was 
  simply left  alone, except for a few modifi cations.  Th e dungeoneers 
  wanted to integrate the starship into the upper and lower levels 
  with stairs and the like.
  Th is level includes the hostile religious factions of Ulusek & 
  Lokvaar.  Th e Lokvaar worshipers wear yellow and purple form-
  fi tt ing outfi ts highlighted by the outline of strange shapes.  Th ey 
  will encourage diplomatic PCs to wear shiny metallic bracelets as a 
  mark of their allegiance.  If the PCs betray the Lokvaar worshipers, 
  then each bracelet can easily be detonated.  
  Th e Ulusek worshipers wear outfi ts of orange and blue with all 
  kinds of numbers overlapping each other.  Th ey have built an atomic 
  bomb which will surely destroy the entire third level and probably 
  most of level 2.  Of course, water from the metal circle on the 
  ceiling will disable the bomb.  Th e Ulusek worshipers are willing 
  to commit suicide if it looks as though the Lokvaar worshipers will 
  eventually destroy them.  
  Th ere’s about 25 of each.  Both sides carry phasers.  Th ese small, 
  hand-held weapons emit a thin blue beam of light which stuns or 
  dazes opponents.  If PCs acquire one or more phasers, they need to 
  be recharged aft er 12 uses.  Roll a 1d12 to see how many shots each 
  stolen phaser has left .  Also, these ray guns badly need recalibration.  
  A roll of “1” on a d20 causes the phaser to blow up in the shooter’s 
  face – resulting in the shooter being stunned or dazed.
  Everything is bright, strange, and unnatural to the adventurers.  
  Strong, fl orescent overhead lights shine down, and the entire level 
  of this “dungeon” is smooth, shiny white plastic, including the 
  doors which glide open to the side with a swoosh into the wall, and 
  then close again when not in use.
  A3  -  MURAL
  A3  -  MURAL
  Th re is artwork on the walls here.  One piece, the largest, is 
  approximately 4’ high x 7’ wide.  Or, at least, it seems like it might 
  be art.  Th ere are midnight blue and bright orange geometric 
  shapes on an eggshell blue background.  Whether functional or 
  decorative, the PCs don’t know, but it looks strange.
  B3  -  CHECKPOINT
  B3  -  CHECKPOINT
  Here is a voice-automated check-point.  A mechanical voice asks, 
  “What is your security clearance?”  Any answer the PCs give will 
  be wrong, unless it’s Alpha followed by a particular color.  Wrong 
  answers are met with, “Denied!”  and a wave of violet light shocks 
  everyone in that section.  It does one point of damage, and it
  
   37 
  I3  -  ESCAPEE
  I3  -  ESCAPEE
  A wandering creature, a kobold, is trying to escape from the 
  holding area.
  J3  -  TRANSPARENT PRISON
  J3  -  TRANSPARENT PRISON
  Th is is the holding area.  In the middle of the room, an Ulusek 
  worshiper stands by a large metal counter with all kinds of butt ons, 
  switches, and levers.  On the sides are four triangular rooms with a 
  transparent door keeping whoever’s in there from leaving.
  1.
   Th ree Kobolds
  2.
   Amphibian- warrior creatures
  3.
  Human
  4.
  Lokvaar worshiper
  O3  -  CONTROL ROOM
  O3  -  CONTROL ROOM
  Th is room is lined with all sorts of controls:  metal covered with 
  butt ons, switches, levers, etc.  Th is is the security control area for 
  level 4.  Damaging this will neutralize the entire area.
  P3  -  OUT FOR A STROLL
  P3  -  OUT FOR A STROLL
  A few UW are walking by.  One of them has a laser pistol. 
  Ulusek Worshipers
  HD: 1  HP: 6  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: stun 
  Q3  -  CLONING BANK
  Q3  -  CLONING BANK
  At the back of this triangular room are 7 large tubes fi lled with 
  some kind of thick, translucent liquid, each big enough to house 
  a human.  In fact, three of them hold what looks to be like adult 
  humans – 2 male and 1 female.  Th e other 4 contain half-formed 
  children or possibly devil-spawn.  
  R3  -  STARGAZING
  R3  -  STARGAZING
  Th is is the observatory.  Th ere are two screens on each side of the 
  room allowing individuals to see a magnifi ed version of the stars, 
  planets, and so on.  A table with constellation maps and such is on 
  the right side of the room.  
  S3  -  JUNKYARD
  S3  -  JUNKYARD
  Th is is where the Lokvaar worshipers store all their useless or broken 
  equipment on steel shelves lining the walls.  A few items might 
  actually still function, but they don’t know how to operate them.  
  Th is area also has several barricades and blast shields set up for 
  when the Ulusek worshipers att empt an extermination raid.
  T3  -  MEDITATION CAVE AND THE RED 
  T3  -  MEDITATION CAVE AND THE RED 
  SHAPE
  SHAPE
  Th is is the meditation room.  Th ere’s a 33% chance that 1d4 
  Lokvaar worshipers are in this room, either praying to their plastic 
  red god or calculating some imaginary fraction that will solve the 
  universe’s mysteries.
  Upon a pedestal sits the focal point of this cave – a square 
  trapezohedron, shiny red in color, with the numbers 63, 81, and 24 
  carved into it.  An individual who carries this shape can think of 
  a specifi c place and teleport there 3 times per day. Th e LW explain 
  that this is part of their god.  Th ere are various interpretations 
  which go into more detail, but essentially all of them say the same 
  thing – the red square trapezohedron is a religious artifact of 
  Lokvaar; however, its signifi cance is largely unknown.
  U3  -  A MIND-RAPING ORANGE
  U3  -  A MIND-RAPING ORANGE
  Th ere’s a piece of fruit sitt ing in the middle of this cave – an orange.
  Not too long ago, a Lokvaar worshiper wandered into the fourth 
  level of the dungeon, taking an orange from the Dark Elf grove.  He 
  brought it back for experimentation.  It still looks like an orange, 
  although there’s now a small patch of mold on it which will increase 
  as the days and weeks go by.
  Th e orange can implant emotionally charged images into the mind 
  of those who threaten it.  If anyone walks over to the orange, picks 
  it up, tries to cast a spell or throw a weapon at it, the orange will 
  reciprocate with the only defense it has – raping the mind with 
  horribly realistic scenes that cannot easily be distinguished from 
  reality, even implanting post-hypnotic suggestions which only 
  reveal themselves hours or days later.
  Th is orange is fond of making individuals believe that everyone 
  is out to get them or that they’re falling into a bott omless pit.  
  Perhaps, reuniting with loved ones… only to have their fl esh rip 
  open and turn into some kind of nightmarish mutant Nazi creature. 
  Emotional manipulation is this orange’s game, even to the point of 
  suicidal impulses.
  Because of its experimental nature, the Lokvaar worshipers will 
  not tell adventurers anything about the orange.  Th ey want to see 
  what will happen.
  V3  -  HERBERT WEST’S FORMULA
  V3  -  HERBERT WEST’S FORMULA
  Several monstrous beasts are chained up in this cave.  Th ere is a 
  man in a plastic white jumpsuit holding a clear glass tube of vile 
  green liquid. Th is is a man-made mutagen which transforms 
  organic material (such as plants, animals, dungeon corpses) into 
  animated and terrifying abominations.
  
   38 
  W3  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  W3  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  Th is is where most of the Lokvaar worshipers sleep during their 
  non-activity cycle.
  X3  -  LAIR OF THE THREE
  X3  -  LAIR OF THE THREE
  Th is cave houses three humanoids who are so incredibly old that 
  they still remember when Ulusek & Lokvaar were two sides of the 
  same god. Th eir names are Krimshaw, Blisback, and Stills.  Each has 
  a long white beard, jitt ery hands, and eyes so deep and mysterious 
  that they would bring the wise woman of Clear Meadows to shame.
  Although they technically lair on the Lokvaar side of level 3, 
  Krimshaw, Blisback, and Stills are against the confl ict and try to 
  remain as neutral as possible.  All of these men hope to resolve the 
  diff erences between the factions.
  None are worth a damn in a fi ght; however, they know a litt le ESP.  
  Krimshaw has telekinesis. Blisback has telepathy, and Stills can 
  scanner-blast an opponent’s head aft er 1d4 rounds of concentration. 
  It might be possible for these old men to teach their knowledge… 
  in return for something else.
  Krimshaw wants Kalthalax. Blisback wants the High Priest 
  of K’tulu’s unholy sword. Stills wants the nuclear warhead 
  deactivated.
  
   39 
  Y3  -  BUT IS IT ART?
  Y3  -  BUT IS IT ART?
  Th is area feels serene; tranquil music plays as soft  circular lighting 
  bounces around the walls and ceiling.  A gas is fi ltered into the air 
  which calms the nervous system.  It’s not harmful, just very relaxing.  
  While remaining here, adventurers will heal at an accelerated rate 
  of 1 HP per hour.
  Th is chamber is decorated with more abstract artistic expression. 
  Th ere are strange shapes on either wall, corresponding to colors, 
  number patt erns, and gateways to other dimensions.  Th is is 
  accompanied by several pictures which show a story progression. 
  At the pictogram’s end are two distinctly higher beings with light 
  radiating from them and multiple people (drawn small and crudely) 
  bowing down before them like gods.  Th e two higher beings are 
  intricately detailed and almost exactly alike.  
  Z3  -  EGRESS
  Z3  -  EGRESS
  At the base of the steps is a shiny white door with a small horizontal 
  rectangular mechanism next to it.  Th ere’s a thin slit at the center 
  of the mechanism.  Th e leader of the LW had the only code key to 
  enter the door.  Th is is the way down to level 4.  
  AA3  -  DOOMSDAY
  AA3  -  DOOMSDAY
  Th e nuclear warhead is in this area.  It looks like a phallus-shaped 
  wagon built for one.  It’s gold in places, lying on its side, about 8’ 
  tall and 3’ wide.
  AB3  -  THE HATCH
  AB3  -  THE HATCH
  Th is is a workshop for tinkering on parts of the bomb and its 
  guidance system.  
  Th ere’s a metallic circle in the ceiling with a handle for opening it. 
  Opening this seal will pour water into this whole area.  Th e water 
  will eventually be fi ltered away by the complex environmental 
  systems; however, any kind of standing water of a foot or more will 
  eff ectively disable the atomic bomb.  Once opened, water will rush 
  in so fast that unless it’s immediately closed, the entire area will 
  have between 12 and 24 inches of water on the fl oor.
  AC3  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  AC3  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  Th is is where most of the Ulusek worshipers sleep.  Th ere are 
  several three-tier bunk beds, some are being used, depending on 
  activity cycle.
  AD3  -  THE LEADER
  AD3  -  THE LEADER
  Th is is where the Ulusek worshiping leader, Jacowhy, resides.  He’s 
  a square-jawed, authoritarian nutcase who fi rmly believes the end 
  is near.  Jacowhy wants to blow the entire dungeon up sometime in 
  the next few weeks.
  He holds the only laser pistol able to disintegrate a target.
  Jacowhy
  HD: 5  HP: 30  AC: 14 [5]  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage:  save or be 
  disintegrated
  He carries a key card that can open the white door in Z3.  Under 
  his enormous bed (occasionally occupied by one or more Ulusek 
  worshiping females) is an environmental hazard slicker which will 
  protect the wearer from 5 points of fi re, cold, or acid per round.
  AE3  -  THE PURPLE SHAPE
  AE3  -  THE PURPLE SHAPE
  Th e UW keep their shape in this room, on a similar pedestal.  It’s a 
  purple pentagonal antiprism, numbered 23, 32, and 651.  Th e one 
  holding this shape is invisible and cannot be seen with ordinary 
  vision.
  
   40 
  Level 4
  Level 4
  A
  B
  C
  D
  E
  F
  G
  H
  I
  K
  J
  L
  M
  N
  O
  P
  Q
  R
  S
  T
  U
  V
  W
  X
  Y
  Z
  AA
  
   41 
  naked, unrepentant glory.  “Perhaps my lost mind-fragments are 
  locked inside those jewels and crystals... or that sword?  Gimme 
  gimme!”
  Sehashtian
  HD: 9  HP: 42  AC: 17 [2]  Att ack Bonus: +9  Damage: 5d4+3 
  (dagger +1) or 1d6 + 4d4 (crossbow)
  Special Defense:  Cannot be surprised.
  D4  -  GREEN SLIME
  D4  -  GREEN SLIME
  A gelatinous yellow-green ooze is loose somewhere in this area.  
  Th e slimy spawn of K’tulu was recently deposited on the fourth 
  level by a masked pries who wanted to antagonize those above. 
  Every creature and humanoid avoids it like the plague because they 
  know what it is.
  Ooze
  HD: 2  HP: 11  AC: 10 [9] 
  Special Att ack: turns people and objects into slime. Th ose who 
  touch the slime, including non-magical items and weapons, will 
  need to save or be turned into a bilious slime as well.
  Special Defense:  can only be harmed by harmed by cold, frost, or 
  ice weapons.
  E4 & F4  -  THE CHARMING SLAVER
  E4 & F4  -  THE CHARMING SLAVER
   Th ere is furniture in this room and some relatively fresh food and 
  drink (water and ale) lying around.  Gregarious the human slaver 
  has taken up residence in this area of level 4.  He is charming, wise-
  cracking, and charismatic.  Gregarious always has a smile on his 
  face, a compliment on his lips, and a few humanoid slaves at his 
  beck and call.  
  When the adventurers meet him in his lair, he has 1d4 slaves (a 
  Half-Elf, Human, Elf, and Hobgoblin – depending on the roll) 
  chained up on the far wall.  Gregarious doesn’t want a fi ght.  He 
  will gladly off er to sell his slaves if the PCs have a problem with 
  it.  Gregarious will ask whatever he believes they can reasonably 
  aff ord.  If att acked, he will defend himself for a round or two until 
  using his ring of teleportation to get the hell out of there.  
  If asked, Gregarious tells the adventurers about the weird shapes 
  he’s seen.  “Vivid colors, made of a strange material, with numbers 
  engraved into them, big as a man’s head.  Th e religious fanatics on 
  level 3 are obsessed by them.  Oh, I’ve seen them.  Last time I was 
  on level 6, I saw a green one.”  
  He has the orange triangular prism with 75, 111, and 16 carved 
  into it – but won’t mention that right away.  Th ere’s a small section 
  cut out, as if it fi ts together with one or more shapes.  Th e possessor 
  has all spells and magical eff ects cast upon him doubled in potency. 
  Gregarious will trade it for a powerful magic item or a ton of gold, 
  jewels, etc.
  Level 4
  Level 4
  Level 4 is a continuation of level 2’s theme.  Th e DM should feel free 
  to include more green crystals embedded in the dungeon walls, if 
  he wishes. It is noticeably warmer than the levels above.  Th ere 
  are many lesser Demons, a small community of Dark Elves who 
  have remained even closer to their infernal heritage than surface 
  Elves, Orcs, Trolls, Devil Spiders, and the potential for random 
  encounters.
  A4  -  THE ADVERSARIAL NPC
  A4  -  THE ADVERSARIAL NPC
  Th ere is a gnome wandering around level 4, but he can usually be 
  found in room A.  His name is Kadsil.  He seems nice enough at 
  fi rst, but a rather unpleasant fellow soon aft er introductions are 
  given.  Aside from going on and on about his passion for caterpillar 
  custard, Kadsil claims that he’s lost, scared, and looking for a way 
  out of the dungeon.  He will tag along with the party unless forcibly 
  shooed away.  
  Shortly aft er joining the group, he will make sarcastic remarks, 
  moan and bitch about all the walking or fi ghting or resting that’s 
  going on.  He calls the Dark Elves “orange eaters.”  It won’t take that 
  long before Kadsil tries to slay then loot the body of an adventurer 
  (either in the PC’s sleep or when he’s preoccupied).  If no one 
  suspects it was Kadsil, then he’ll do it again and again, until he has 
  the majority of worthwhile magic items, jewels, weapons, etc.  
  Kadsil
  HD: 3  HP: 17  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d4 
  (dagger) 
  B4 AND C4  -  JUST LIKE VIETNAM
  B4 AND C4  -  JUST LIKE VIETNAM
  A Half-Orc named Sehashtian, twin brother of Ifcus, has made his 
  home here, but he’s just as likely to be wandering throughout level 4.
  He’s a guerrilla fighter, a rogue, thief, assassin, and he’s been delving
  into dungeons like this for awhile.  He’d be long gone by now if not
  for witnessing something so sanity-shatt ering that he’s now half-
  insane.  Ifcus wanted to bring his twin brother into the fold, so he 
  showed him Yogsoggoth before properly preparing Sehashtian’s
  mind for the inconceivable nature of The Chaos Forever Crawling.
  Now, Sehashtian suff ers from paranoid delusions and schizophrenic 
  behavior - sometimes he’s not sure who he is, where he is, or what’s
  going on, but Sehashtian knows that skulking around in the dark
  and taking pot shots at small parties of adventurers or monsters is
  the best plan.
  Whenever the PCs are feeling confident or a surprise is needed,
  the DM should feel free to unleash Sehashtian upon them, hidden
  in shadows, ready to backstab or fi re a crossbow when he sees an
  advantage.  What does the Half-Orc want?  To win!  His version of
  winning is wasting potential hostiles as he searches for the mind-
  fragments which fell off of his brain when he saw Yogsoggoth’s
  
   42 
  G4 AND H4  -  THE DEVIL’S CONSORT
  G4 AND H4  -  THE DEVIL’S CONSORT
  Illyvina has made both of these chambers her home.  PCs might 
  think they see a fl ash of a naked human female down a random 
  passageway if she’s out wandering the fourth level.  Eventually, 
  they come face-to-face with Illyvina, consort of the Devil Vord.  
  She actually isn’t completely nude.  Th ere are thin, black harness 
  straps with metal loops which tightly fi t here and there on her fl esh. 
  Illyvina is quite beautiful and voluptuous, using her charms to 
  persuade the PCs to do her bidding – like gain entrance to a special 
  chamber on level 6 because this is what her master wants.  
  Th e door is locked and upon it is etched “Alpha 3 : Omega 7”. 
  Ancient texts (like the one Vord possesses – Notes from Obscure 
  Manuals) tell of a powerful god within that chamber… a deity who 
  has knowledge of the codes of ascension.  She is protected from 
  harm as everyone on this level of the dungeon fears Vord.
  I4  -  THE PUPPETEER
  I4  -  THE PUPPETEER
  Trog the Troglodyte is here, carrying a big spiked club.  He’s about 
  10’ tall, ugly, mean, with a leathery blackish green hide.  
  Troglodyte
  HD: 11  HP: 67  AC: 15 [4]  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 2d6+5 
  (spiked club)  
  Special Att ack:  ability to cleave those in melee range aft er he fells 
  an opponent.
  No treasure, just bones, animal hide, and a half-eaten Kobold. 
  However, in the corner of the room there’s a mouse-hole.  Inside, 
  one can see a tiny, demonic humanoid about 3” tall, operating 
  some kind of joystick that controls simple creatures like Trog.  Th e 
  diminutive demon is named Stimuzassorkryst… Stim for short. 
  Once discovered, he will ask the PCs questions in his comically 
  high-pitched voice.  
  If satisfi ed with tales of excitement and adventure, he might join 
  the party.  If att acked, Stimuzassorkryst will try to take control 
  of a PC with low intelligence.  Anything 7 or below is suffi  cient. 
  Meanwhile, Stimuzassorkryst will hide deeper into the mouse-
  hole as he forces the dumb adventurer to att ack his fellows.  
  J4 AND K4  -  DEMO-DRAGON SPIDERS
  J4 AND K4  -  DEMO-DRAGON SPIDERS
  Th e wall between this area has been smashed through, opening up 
  both areas to create a large, rectangular room.  
  Within is a nest of 3 giant Demon-Dragon Spiders.  Th ese are furry 
  spiders the size of a small car, each with demonic and draconic 
  features, especially the head/face.  Roll randomly for color:  1) red 
  2) green  3)blue  4) black  5) white  6) indigo
  Every third round, a Demon-Dragon Spider can use its breath 
  weapon.  Red – fi re; green - poison gas; blue – lightning; black – acid; 
  white – frost; and indigo (also known as a Wizard-Spider) casts spells 
  Gregarious
  HD: 7  HP: 30  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 1d6 
  (shortsword)  
  Th e slaves
  Storm, the Half-Elf, is a worshiper of Yogsoggoth, captured when 
  everyone fl ed the temple due to the fl ood – their gateway to some 
  watery dimension caused it.  He wishes to re-establish their 
  temple.
  Traver, the Human, used to be a wizard before a rival magic-user 
  put a block on his mind, preventing Traver access to any of his 
  arcane lore and training.
  The Elf, Persival, made a deal with a Devil on the sixth level to the
  Elf’s ultimate disadvantage.  The infernal creature eventually sold
  the Elf to Gregarious for a few gemstones.
  The Hobgoblin is called Broon; he’s quite intelligent and less savage 
  than his brethren.  He’s educated enough to know basic reading,
  writing, and arithmetic.
  
   43 
  
   44 
  – magic sparks shoot out of his mouth like technicolor lightning.
  Demon-Dragon Spiders
  HD: 7  HP: 44  AC: 16 [3]  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 3d4 (bite) 
  or 3d12 (breath weapon)
  Th ese creatures love treasure; they have 3,200 gold pieces, 7 
  gemstones, a ring of protection +2, and a wand of magic missiles (3 
  missiles per charge used).
  Th ere might also be a crawl space in this combined living space where 
  the Spiders can move between levels 4 and 6, if the DM wishes.
  L4, M4, AND N4  -  KRINJESS’ ARMY
  L4, M4, AND N4  -  KRINJESS’ ARMY
  A band of 7 Kobolds inhabits these rooms led by a Hobgoblin priest 
  of Ulusek and Lokvaar.  
  Th ese Kobolds are tougher than normal.  Th ey’ve been specially 
  trained by the Hobgoblin.  His name is Krinjess, a hard-bitt en 
  warrior who has seen more than his share of batt les and survived 
  them all.  Krinjess loves soldiering, discipline, and pushing himself 
  to the limit.  Th e camaraderie of brothers in batt le is reward enough 
  for him.  
  When spoken to, Krinjess glares at those addressing him, eyeing 
  them up as if taking strategic notes.  He’s slow to warm up to 
  anyone, but respects warriors more than any other class or 
  profession.  Krinjess is honorable and will accept a request to duel if 
  adventurers ask.  In combat, the Hobgoblin will taunt adventurers, 
  saying “You fi ght like a cleric belonging to the God of Peace!”
  7 Kobolds
  HD: 3  HP: 16  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d6 (short 
  swords and crossbows)  
  Hobgoblin Warrior-Priest
  HD: 10  HP: 77  AC: 18 [1] (platemail +1)  Att ack Bonus: +8 
  Damage: 1d6+4 (short sword +1)  
  Krinjess has some healing ability, can curse victims with a -2 on all 
  their d20 rolls for the entire day, and ask Ulusek-Lokvaar to smite 
  his enemies.  Th ere is an 11% chance of a lightning bolt coming 
  straight out of a dimensional portal and striking an adventurer for 
  7d6 damage.
  Treasure: 630 gold pieces, a dozen quartz stones, and a rainbow opal 
  the size of a Halfl ing’s fi st worth approximately 750 gold pieces.
  
   45 
   If PCs capture and question the hobgoblin or if Krinjess captures 
  one of them, then he can speak of a prophecy whereby the opposed 
  twin enigmas merge into one - a unifi ed god with the power to 
  create or destroy a universe.  Th e prophecy describes various 
  connecting shapes of semi-translucent color inscribed with the 
  location of particular stars.  Krinjess possesses the blue shape, its 
  mad confi guration is like nothing ever seen before.  Its numbers 
  are 69, 17, and 111.  Th e blue shape aff ects time.  Th e possessor can 
  create a temporal distortion if he wishes 3 times per day and up to 
  a year either backwards or forwards.  In batt le, if the kobolds are 
  gett ing slaughtered or Krinjess is down to half his hit points or less, 
  then he will reverse time to a few minutes before encountering the 
  PCs and either set up an ambush if he thinks they can be beaten 
  with superior military tactics or run away if they seem invincible.  
  O4  -  GNOLLS WITH A PRISONER
  O4  -  GNOLLS WITH A PRISONER
  A tribe of 7 Gnolls (including 1 magic-user) lives in this area of the 
  dungeon.  Th ese savage humanoids have been experimented upon 
  by the various clerical and magic-using denizens of the dungeon. 
  Each bares a demon mark upon its fl esh, giving it weird abilities 
  such as psionics, a partial shark’s head jutt ing out of its stomach, 
  four arms, and several 6’ long suckered tentacles.
  Th ese ferocious mutants also have a captive, an acolyte of K’tulu. 
  However, he is not from the dominant branch of K’tulu worshipers. 
  Flivet Karn is an acolyte of the Chartreuse Sect of Untenable Stars. 
  He was sent by the hierophant of his religious group to spy on the 
  K’tulu priesthood within this dungeon.  Flivet Karn is bound with 
  chains and his mouth obstructed with a gag.
  Th e Gnolls att ack any non-Gnoll on sight with long swords and 
  natural weaponry.  Th e Gnoll mage will stay at the back while the 
  rest will rush up to the front of the line with long swords in hand. 
  Gnolls
  HD: 4  HP: 27 (19 for the mage)  AC: 15 [4]  Att ack Bonus: +4 
  Damage: 1d8 (long sword) or 1d6 (tentacle) or 2d12 (shark bite).  
  Special:  a variety of unusual ways of infl icting damage due to 
  supernatural experimentation.  Half of the Gnolls will have more 
  than one att ack per round.  Th e Gnoll wizard will cast his own 
  version of Magic Missiles, Acidic Arrow, and Fireball.
  Treasure:  Besides swords, 231 gold pieces, and a spell book, the 
  Gnoll tribe has plenty of food and spirits.  One of the Gnolls acquired 
  a religious artifact from a K’tulu worshiper he encountered not long 
  ago.  It’s an unholy symbol carved out of travertine and polished to 
  represent the outré Draconic Squid visage of their God.  A worshiper 
  of K’tulu receives a +1 to all his d20 rolls while wearing it.
  Flivet Karn, Chartreuse Sect of Untenable Stars acolyte
  HD: 3  HP: 16 (currently 3)  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 
  as per weapon
  Special:  the acolyte has litt le to no discernible power here as his 
  alternate version of K’tulu slumbers in another universe.  Nevertheless, 
  he is resourceful and will trade information for his freedom.
  P4  -  THE DARK LONER
  P4  -  THE DARK LONER
  These are the quarters of a half-Dark Elf, half-Human thief/magic-
  user.  He lives apart from but still close to the Drentreatise clan.
  His name is Teft  Drillivad.  He just arrived in this dungeon, having
  created a gateway in order to peruse the Snake-Men tablets which
  the Dark Elf settlement has in its possession.  He wants to study
  them in-depth.  Teft Drillivad also has a liking for Lee-lee and
  might begin courting her if all goes well.
  Half-Drow Th ief/Wizard
  HD: 9  HP: 45  AC: 16 [3] (magically enhanced leather armor)
  
   46 
  R4  -  BLOOD-DRAINED CORPSES
  R4  -  BLOOD-DRAINED CORPSES
  Th e stench of death is strong in this room.  Half a dozen humanoid 
  bodies are drained of blood.  Pale corpses here are starting to decay, 
  and various wounds upon the neck, wrist, and thigh can easily be seen.
  S4 & T4  -  CANNIBALISM
  S4 & T4  -  CANNIBALISM
  Th ree degenerate humanoids are partaking in a cannibal feast. 
  Th ese feral humans look as if they’ve been living underground 
  all their lives, perhaps for generations.  Th ey are hunched over, 
  grunting, hands feeding their faces with entrails and wet-looking 
  organs ripped out of humans from the surface.
  Th e corner of this room is litt ered with bones and inedible scraps 
  from their many victims. 
  Savage Cannibals
  HD: 3  HP: 14  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 1d4 (fi sts, 
  feet, or bite)  
  Special Att ack:  if an adventurer is bitt en, there is a 10% chance 
  (cumulative) that he will become a cannibal as well in 1d6 hours… 
  ravenous for the cooked or raw humanoid sweet meats.  Aft er 
  consuming his fi rst meal, that cannibal is insane and considered 
  savage unless a cleric’s divine magic can save him.
  Th e door leads to a stairway down to level 5.
  U4, V4, W4, X4, Y4, Z4, AND AA4
  U4, V4, W4, X4, Y4, Z4, AND AA4
  Dark Elves
  Th e southern wall of Room Y was demolished when the Dark Elves 
  batt led a demon already inhabiting this stretch of the dungeon.  
  Aft er clearing the debris, the Drow discovered a vast rectangular 
  cave running parallel to the hallway between V and AA.  Th ere is a 
  natural spring and plenty of exotic fungi for eating, hallucinating, 
  making poisons, etc.  Additionally, in the center of this cavern is 
  an orange grove.  Th ere are nearly 20 orange trees tended to by 
  the sett lement of Dark Elves (11 adults and 2 children), who found 
  themselves in this dungeon via magical gateway.  
  Dark Elves are an off -shoot race of Elves who never bothered to 
  shake off  their infernal heritage but instead revel in it.  Th ese Dark 
  Elves have violet-black skin tone and are a bit shorter than their 
  surface cousins, making them about even with men (average height 
  of 5’10”).  However, Dark Elves are even more slight of frame and 
  fragile of bone, hence their predisposition towards sorcery.  
  Most learn the black arts of their Devil forbearers; however, the 
  underground labyrinth of tunnels revealed magical secrets long 
  forgott en.  Th e Snake-Men were an ancient sorcerous race, and many of 
  their stone tablets survived the collapse of their civilization.  Th e Dark 
  Elves learned magic of which even the infernal races were unaware, and 
  they have access to esoteric knowledge and eldritch wizardry that would 
  leave other races dumbfounded if they witnessed it.  Snake-Men sorcery 
  requires not only blood and willpower, but human suff ering as well.
  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 3d4+3 (dagger +3) 
  Teft  has staff  that creates hail storms once per day; everyone in a 
  35’ radius takes 1d6 cold/ice damage every round for 2d4 rounds.  
  It can also summon a 1 HD Ice Imp 3 times per week.  
  Teft  also wears a protection from cold amulet (absorbing 10 damage 
  per round) with a large winter opal as the centerpiece jewel.  
  Th e Dark Elf knows 3 spells which are also in his spell book 
  (writt en in the Drow language and must be translated before used 
  by adventuring wizards).   Levitate Person; Shield Self (blocks all 
  non-magical att acks and 30% of spell and magical weapon att acks, 
  lasting 3 rounds per level of caster); and a spell known as Saw, 
  which creates a glowing hacksaw made of sorcerous light which 
  appears and starts slicing and dicing for 1 round per caster’s level.  
  Each player within a 10’ diameter area chosen by the caster (within 
  sight and not further than 50’ from the wizard) must roll a d20. 
  On a 1, the head is severed, on a 2 a leg is severed, on a 3 an arm 
  is severed, a 4 means a hand is severed, and a result of 5 – 7 means 
  that 1d6 damage is taken.  Rolls of 8 and above is a miss.  
  Q4  -  VAMPIRE
  Q4  -  VAMPIRE
  In this room is a wooden coffin laying upon a trapezoidal dais.  If 
  disturbed, the inhabitant will immediately att ack.
  Within is a Child of Belial, a special type of vampire that is more
  demon than undead, horned, gaunt, black-eyed, and incredibly
  strong.  Th ose who don’t successfully make a saving throw or 
  Intelligence check are dominated by the pale creature clothed
  in black robes.  Children of Belial drink blood to live, but also
  get supernatural powers from the blood they ingest.  Besides
  domination, these creatures are capable of personal illusions,
  making them look harmless.
  A Child of Belial only creates another of his kind via a magical
  ritual which takes a full 3 nights to perform.
  Child of Belial
  HD: 11  HP: 75  AC: 16 [3]  Attack Bonus: +10  Damage: 2d6+7
  (magical long sword and strength)
  Special 
  Attacks: 
  super 
  strength, 
  illusory 
  disguise, 
  and
  domination.
  Th is demon sleeps with his sword.  It’s a magical two-handed
  (bastard) sword + 1 named Fenzor.  It’s made of infernal steel with
  black runes of chaos carved upon the blade’s lower portion and a
  sparkling black diamond set into the top middle area of its hilt.
  When scoring a crit, an additional 1d8 is rolled for damage above
  and beyond what would normally be rolled as Fenzor loves to find
  arteries - blood starts pouring out of that wound.  If the victim isn’t
  killed outright, then he is woozy for the next 2d6 rounds.
  This particular creature trades gold for the occasional victim to
  drain of blood.
  
   47 
  
   48 
  Magic is seen as a masculine endeavor and Dark Elf society is 
  patriarchal with a magocracy for their government.  Vendyr is the 
  most advanced wizard, so he is the leader.  Aft er Vendyr, Irryd is 
  the best wizard, although he is young and introverted – but with a 
  great sense of style.  
  Illgyrd is more of a second in command as he knows some magic, 
  but is also strong, quick, intelligent, and mature enough to lead the 
  clan if anything happened to Vendyr.  Drentreatise would like to 
  take over the entire dungeon system, making it their permanent 
  home.  Unfortunately, they are very much aware of the dangers.  
  Ideally, the Dark Elves would use the adventurers to clear the 
  dungeon for their use.  In return, they are welcome to sett le with 
  them... if they take a Dark Elf wife (or husband for female PCs). 
  Religion was a cause of tremendous divide within Dark Elf society. 
  In fact, religious persecution was a main reason for the Drentreatise 
  clan to break off  from their native Nether-Realms.  For this reason, 
  it is forbidden to speak of religion, unless one speaks in general 
  terms such as “the All-Mother” or “the Dark Gods.”  Th e clan, 
  like all Dark Elves, is rather chaotic in alignment, some would 
  say amoral.  Th ey will lie, cheat, steal, murder, rape, and torture if 
  there’s a net personal gain at the end of the equation – especially if 
  forbidden arcana is unearthed.  Although, Drentreatise are loath to 
  mistreat another of their kin, another Dark Elf?  Perhaps, but not a 
  Drentreatise.  In that one regard, they are more lawful.
  Dark Elf females are coquett ish by nature.  Th ey tease suggestively, 
  but then pull away or feign disinterest just when a suitor’s curiosity 
  is piqued.  At most, their clothing is scant.  Many wear lyrthum 
  or leather bikinis in order to show off  their smooth, delicate fl esh, 
  and their faces are usually adorned with phosphorescent paste, 
  particularly around the eyes, lips, and cheekbones – especially 
  during special occasions.
  Since the entire sett lement is more or less Drentreatise (there’s 
  a handful of fi rst cousins among them) and since their exodus 
  they’ve adopted Drentreatise as their surname), there’s no fear 
  of inbreeding.  Noble born Dark Elves frequently marry within 
  the bloodline.  Yet, the allure of forbidden fruit persuades many 
  females to search elsewhere for companionship.   
  Male PCs should have their hands full evading their dark feminine 
  advances.  Of course, once a male is interested, the female might 
  assume a chaste demeanor or that of a depraved lust kitt en.  Dark 
  Elf females prefer mating for life, and won’t be entirely happy until 
  they are wed to their betrothed by their sorcerer father (or uncle, 
  older brother, etc.)  Females don’t mind adventurer husbands, but 
  the Drentreatise clan knows a ritual for ensuring child support.
  Vendyr Drentreatise is an elderly but wise and quick-witt ed Dark 
  Elf wizard, even tempered, tough but fair in negotiations, not 
  easily riled.  He is short, about 5’6” and looks underfed (though 
  this is more due to metabolism than anything else), with a bushy 
  grey/white beard.  Vendyr carries a lyrthum short sword +1 with 
  him, a ring of impenetrable darkness, and a wand of fi reballs (1d12 
  charges remaining).  Vendyr has a dragon-skin spell book full of 
  spells.  He wears purple robes.  He has two att ractive daughters 
  named Leelee and Lala (the eldest) along with a son named Irryd 
  who is an accomplished sorcerer in his own right.  Lala is extremely 
  profi cient in the whip, fl ail, and similar weapons.  In fact, she has 
  a magical whip that fi nds its way around the neck of a victim (on a 
  crit), choking him out until he’s either unconscious or dead.  
  Another dark elf the PCs might run into is Illgyrd, a magic-using 
  assassin who is as quick with his hands as he is with a spell.  Illgyrd 
  is slightly more hot-headed, but always with an eye for how best to 
  take advantage.  When he hears something he doesn’t like, Illgyrd 
  replies with a thin, sardonic smile.  He carries a crossbow, lyrthum 
  dagger, and lyrthum chainmail armor.  He has a daughter named 
  Isjahll, a precocious girl as likely to seduce with her saucy tongue 
  as she is with her violet beauty.  Att ack: +3  HP:  27  AC: 18
  
   49 
  Both Dark Elf males have access and knowledge of the stone tablets 
  (kept in room AA), though Vendyr’s understanding is deeper. 
  Th ese are lost artifacts of the Snake-Men who ruled the Nether-
  Realms well before Dwarves and Elves.  Snake-Men are said to 
  be as old as the Devils with which they traffi  cked.  In fact, some 
  say Snake-Men are directly descended from devils but their race 
  mutated aft er centuries spent underground.  Each stone tablet 
  either solves a mystery or describes a spell.  
  Upon one, a Snake-Man wrote that his race did not worship the 
  Old Ones but commanded them as if they were powerful beasts 
  of burden.  
  Another tablet describes a certain kind of devil traveling to the 
  world via the shadow moon Anu.  
  Th e Dark Elves also have a stone tablet mentioning Yogsoggoth’s 
  unnatural lust for disorder and subsequent banishment from the 
  universe belonging to the Outer Gods.  
  Th ere is one spell called Summoning the Winged Slave Wyrm of 
  Hali.  Th e summoned and hereaft er subservient creature appears 
  as a giant fl ying worm covered in shimmering jade-colored slime 
  with the dead, unmoving face of a human.  It is diffi  cult for enemies 
  to slay and quite unsett ling to look upon, but not as disturbing 
  as the “spell components” requiring the sorcerer to take a man’s 
  (human adult male) face off , eff ectively skinning it from his head, 
  then spilling his blood over an earthworm and a pair of torn-off  
  bat wings.  
  Th e Drentreatise clan have 4 tablets, and they can only be 
  deciphered by a Dark Elf, a member of the extinct Snake-Men race, 
  or some form of divine wisdom.
  Vendyr Drentreatise
  HD: 6  HP: 40  AC: 17 [2] (has permanent magic shield cast upon 
  him)  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 1d6 (crossbow or short sword) 
  or as per spell  
  Spells:  Prett y much all of them.
  Treasure:  Jeweled belt buckle and short sword sheath.  Several 
  rubies and emeralds.
  Irryd Drentreatise
  HD: 5  HP: 32  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack Bonus: +4  Damage: 1d6 
  (crossbow or short sword) or spell
  Spells:  Magic Missile, Fireball, Acid Arrow, Sleep, Detect Magic, 
  Identify Magic, Read Magic
  Treasure:  Black, silk, wide-brimmed hat with lavender feather. 
  Several sapphires, rubies, and fi re opals.
  Lala and Leelee Drentreatise 
  HD: 3  HP: 20  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d6 (short 
  sword or crossbow) or 1d6+1 (magic whip)
  Special:  Lala’s enchanted (+1) whip constricts around an 
  opponent’s throat, causing unconsciousness in 1d4 rounds and 
  death 2d4 rounds thereaft er, unless released.
  Illgyrd Drentreatise, magic-user / assassin
  HD: 6  HP: 37  AC: 14 [5]  Att ack Bonus: +7  Damage: 1d4+1 
  (magic dagger) or spell
  Special:  Illgyrd has a blown-glass egg with two separate chambers, 
  containing an odd pair of liquids - pale rose and bilious green.  
  Th ey only mix together when the glass egg is broken.  If it is, then 
  a magical vapor quickly spreads in a 30’ radius as the spell Flesh to 
  Water (saving throw to avoid one’s skin melting away).  Th e Dark 
  Elf will only use this weapon if betrayed or his family is nearly 
  wiped out.
  Spells:  Magic Missiles, Fireball, Acidic Arrow, Sleep, Detect 
  Magic, Identify Magic, Read Magic
  
   50 
  His dagger is made of Lyrthum (Elven steel) and is a magical 
  dagger +1.  When the command word is used, zamazius (the Dark 
  Elf word for “night-haunted”), the dagger radiates a 5’ radius of 
  magical darkness yielding a 25% miss chance.
  Treasure:  Poison needle ring, wand of ignorance, all manner of 
  gemstones.
  Isjahll Drentreatise and all other Dark Elves
  HD: 1  HP: 7  AC: 11 [8]  Attack Bonus: +1  Damage: 1d6 (short
  sword or crossbow)
  
   51 
  Level 5
  Level 5
  AA
  AA
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  Special Att ack:  Medusa can turn one opponent into stone per 
  round in addition to her ordinary att ack, victim should roll a 
  saving throw.  Th ose turned to stone can be restored by a cleric’s 
  self-sacrifi ce, Wish spell, or similarly extreme measures.
  Weakness:  Opponents can use a mirror or highly refl ective surface 
  to petrify her instead.  Th ose wielding a mirror must “penetrate” 
  her armor class using only their level as a bonus.  For instance, a 
  third level PC would need to roll a 16 or above, while a fi ft h level 
  character only needs to roll a 14 on a d20.
  Treasure:  3,670 gold pieces strewn throughout the lair, quiver of 
  +1 bolts (4d6 remaining), a brooch of high reputation (magically 
  impresses others with the wearer’s status, honor, reputation, etc.), 
  boots of silence (magical leather boots that give the wearer a bonus 
  to moving stealthily), a potion of healing – one use left  (3d6 hit 
  points restored), and a horn of malignance (ripped from the head 
  of a Demon Lord, this magic item allows one to poison any liquid 
  the horn touches).
  Level 5
  Level 5
  Th is level of the dungeon was only half-completed because of the 
  rich veins of green crystals.  During construction, excavation was 
  eventually abandoned aft er a dozen Dwarf slaves were devoured by 
  some kind of wavering demon-shadow.
  Th ere is a high chance of spell weirdness for magic-users on this 
  level.  Whenever a spell is cast or magical eff ect is employed, the 
  DM should feel free to consult the following table.  Note that the 
  K’tulu High Priest has a ring which makes him exempt from the 
  green crystals’ infl uence.
  1.
  Complete failure.
  2.
  If the spell was cast on an opponent, then it happens to
  the caster.  If the spell was meant for the caster, then it
  happens to someone else (determined at random).
  3.
  Th e magic is super-sized!  All eff ects are doubled.
  4.
  Th e magic also draws an entity from the Outer Darkness.
  5.
  Th e caster/wielder becomes even more att uned to chaos
  – egotistic, corrupt, and demonic.
  6.
  Magic behaves as normal without any other eff ect.
  7.
  Elements change.  If the caster wanted to throw a fi reball, 
  then an ice ball is thrown instead.  If the caster wanted
  to create water, then he creates earth.  Lightning bolt?
  Poisonous gas.  Magic missile?  All the oxygen in the area
  turns into fi re, etc.
  8.
  Magic behaves like a cleric’s divine powers and vice versa 
  for the next 10 rounds.
  Now, the masked priests of K’tulu use this level as their temple and 
  living quarters.  Every full moon, the stealthiest priests crawl up 
  the surface in order to abscond with a young female.
  A5, B5, AND C5  -  MEDUSA’S CAVERN
  A5, B5, AND C5  -  MEDUSA’S CAVERN
  Th is is not part of the fi ft h level dungeon per se, rather it is an 
  autonomous trio of linked caves wherein this mythological creature 
  resides.  Th e caves are litt ered with bones and the shredded rags.  
  Scatt ered amongst the debris, a resourceful adventurer may fi nd a 
  hand mirror if they don’t already have one from J1.
  PCs actively listening can hear the sound of a ratt lesnake before 
  she strikes.
  Medusa
  HD: 13  HP: 91  AC: 19 [0]  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 2d6+1 
  (heavy crossbow with magical crossbow bolts) or 1d8 (serpentine 
  tail) + petrifying gaze
  
   53 
  G5  -  ROOM OF MADNESS
  G5  -  ROOM OF MADNESS
  Th is chamber is chock-full of glowing green crystals.  Not only that, 
  but an 18” tall idol of Dread K’tulu has been fashioned out of the 
  eldritch stones and placed here upon a tall, trapezoidal pedestal.  
  Th e statue is malignant and alien.  
  Merely stepping into the room assaults the casual onlooker with 
  esoteric cosmic lore beyond mortal understanding.  Th ose who 
  are not magic-users will instantly have a migraine-like headache 
  persisting for 1d4 minutes.  Wizards feel a transcendent rush of 
  energy and power.  However, there’s a 33% chance that a magic-
  user will go violently insane if he stays in the room for more than 
  a minute.  Th ose magic-using adventurers with sanity intact are 
  automatically taught three new spells:  Contact Dread K’tulu, 
  Summon K’tulu Spawn, and Semblance of the Viridescent 
  Shadow.
  Th is last bit of sorcery allows the magic-user to polymorph into a 
  shining ray of green light.
  H5  -  LOCKUP
  H5  -  LOCKUP
  Th e priesthood use this room as a jail cell.  Th ere are currently 
  two young Human females and an Elf female detained here.  
  Th e Human women have lost their minds due to the unnatural 
  horrors perpetrated upon them; however, the Elf is fairly stable 
  (emotionally) and able to provide the PCs with information in 
  exchange for freedom and protection.
  J5  -  HANGING FROM THE CEILING
  J5  -  HANGING FROM THE CEILING
  A woman hangs from the ceiling, her wrists bound with black silk 
  and tied to a large metal ring embedded into the stone above her. 
  Th e woman’s feet dangle a few inches from the stone fl oor.  Th ere 
  are several masked priests watching her struggle, one of which 
  holds a small, ornate iron box.  He intends to open it, releasing 
  an ordinary sized maggot which, when placed upon her fl esh, will 
  crawl up to her head instinctively and burrow in the girl’s ear canal, 
  eventually reaching her brain.  Th e iron box contains 3 maggots.
  Th e priests delight in watching victims struggle and scream until 
  the worm eats enough of the brain, leaving one litt le more than a 
  vegetable.  Aft erwards, the priests will no doubt amuse themselves 
  with her barely responsive body.
  
   54 
  Th e High Priest wears an eye-catching green sash (which the 
  priesthood calls the Emerald Sash), and there’s an impressive blade 
  covered in black runes at his side.  Th e Emerald Sash gives the 
  wearer a kind of “divine immunity”.  No cleric or priest may harm or 
  negatively aff ect he who wears it.  He wears a black pearl ring which 
  is a Ring of Protection +3.  Th e sword is an Unholy Avenger +5.
  Twenty three years ago, a young acolyte named Patel Casavett i 
  joined the Chartreuse Sect of Untenable Stars.  Being strong-willed 
  and craft y, this acolyte quickly rose through the ranks.  Th ree years 
  in, Casavett i found himself leading the central grott o, a position 
  with only the High Priest and Ipsissimus above him.  To his shame, 
  Casavett i was ex-communicated for selling fellow K’tulu priests to 
  slavers.  Disgraced, Casavett i broke off  from the Chartreuse Sect 
  of Untenable Stars to form his own religion – a K’tulu worshiping 
  congregation of thieves, murderers, slavers, and rapists forged by 
  unspeakable acts of degradation.  It wasn’t long before Casavett i’s 
  priesthood overshadowed their transcendent brethren.
  Nearly a decade ago, a paladin (templar, holy knight, etc.) pledged 
  himself to protect Clear Meadows from the rising tide of Ancient 
  One worshipers.  Sir Galilee, a contemporary of Saint Irig, bravely 
  rode his white steed into a marauding band of K’tulu priests led by 
  High Priest Casavett i.  
  Th ere was an epic batt le between Sir Galilee and the K’tulu 
  priesthood, whereupon the High Priest of K’tulu was decapitated 
  and his vestments were soaked with his own evil blood.  In a frenzied 
  rage of hatred, the remaining priests tore Sir Galilee limb from limb, 
  a young human male named Selvah was among the killers.
  Selvah, an alien from another world and dimension-hopping 
  fugitive, had an extensive criminal history before joining High 
  Priest Casavett i’s congregation.  Aft er that batt le, Selvah kept the 
  vestments to honor the former High Priest and magically converted 
  the paladin’s holy avenger into a black-glyphed sword of chaos. 
  Eventually, Selvah ascended to the role of High Priest.  
  Th ese days, the vestments of Casavett i are hung upon three iron spikes 
  driven into the southern wall of Room Q5, guarded by the giant Slug 
  Beast.  Th e vestments are worth a great deal to the right buyer for 
  their historic / symbolic value rather than any intrinsic power.  Some 
  priests say the presence of High Priest Casavett i can still be felt when 
  his vestments are near.  Perhaps that is why High Priest Selvah keeps 
  them heavily guarded and away from the main temple areas.
  High Priest Selvah, tenth level Cleric of K’tulu
  HP: 53  AC: 16 [3]  Att ack: +6 (+11 with his Unholy Avenger) 
  Damage: 3d4+7 (with Unholy Avenger)
  Special:  Due to the Emerald Sash, when enemy clerics are initially 
  encountered, their holy symbols break, melt, burn, or become 
  otherwise ruined in High Priest Selvah’s presence (excluding 
  those of Dread K’tulu, Yogsoggoth, and T’sathag’kha.
  Th e High Priest also wears a black jade ring which makes his 
  spellcasting exempt from the green crystals and their weird 
  infl uence on magic.
  Selvah can Kill with a word (save to avoid), Curse multiple 
  L5  -  COCOON ROOM
  L5  -  COCOON ROOM
  Several jagged-rock cocoons lie upon the fl oor.  A fi st-sized semi-
  translucent gemstone of shift ing colors sits atop each cocoon.  
  Th e priesthood have collected them from the surface.  Th ey know 
  that demons slumber inside.  Th e crystals prevent them from 
  awakening.  Th e High Priest plans to off er the demons (one at a 
  time) the chance to serve Dread K’tulu or be destroyed.  If a magic-
  sucking gem is removed, then that demon wakes up.  It’s up to the 
  DM if the demon waits in the cocoon to regain his powers (taking 
  about 20 – 25 minutes), burst out right away at half-strength, or try 
  to make a deal with the adventurers.  If the demon realizes what 
  has happened, he’ll want to take revenge upon the K’tulu priests.
  Demons
  HD: 7  HP: 34  AC: 14 [5]  Att ack Bonus: +5  #Att acks: 2   Damage: 
  1d6+2 (claws)
  Special:  Once per day a demon may bestow Unwanted Th oughts 
  upon an opponent (save to avoid).  Th ese are diabolic suggestions 
  which creep into one’s head like a perverse imp; they might even 
  sound appealing at the time.  For example, volunteering to see if 
  the coast is clear and giving the “All clear!”  when it clearly isn’t.
  M5  -  TREASURE VAULT
  M5  -  TREASURE VAULT
  Th is is where the K’tulu priesthood keep their ill-gott en gains. 
  Sacks of gold, gemstones, and fragile pearl-inlaid baubles lay 
  scatt ered upon the dungeon fl oor.
  N5  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  N5  -  SLEEPING QUARTERS
  Th e eastern wall of this room has been worked away by the 
  priesthood in a crude att empt at creating more living space.  Th ere 
  are several bedrolls scatt ered upon the fl oor.  A few priests will be 
  in here when there isn’t a cult meeting or group ritual.
  O5  -  SACRIFICE TO K’TULU
  O5  -  SACRIFICE TO K’TULU
  Part of this chamber is sunken several feet below the rest.
  A female Half-Elf of milky white fl esh and delicate features is 
  being whipped before a congregation of masked priests.  Th is 
  High Priest, named Selvah, has the honor of welting the Half-Elf’s 
  tender skin under his knott ed leather fl ail.  As he does so, the High 
  Priest also quotes chapter and verse to those present – reiterating 
  the importance of debauchery and blasphemy when att empting 
  to wake Dread K’tulu.  At some point, High Priest Selvah may be 
  heard saying, “If there’s one place the Lords of Light should never 
  peer, it is man’s subconscious.”
  One of K’tulu’s star-spawn undulates off  to the side in a heap of 
  half-formed organs and limbs, slimy, tentacle, and watching with 
  its sinister glaring eye.
  
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   56 
  Yet, there is an invisible treasure chest (15” high, 11”wide, and 
  9” deep).  It is locked.  Opening the lock isn’t diffi  cult if the chest 
  becomes visible again.  However, opening the chest triggers 
  a magical trap unless a safe word is spoken – “Dreaming.”  A 
  hallucinatory gas is released from unauthorized treasure-seekers 
  (save to avoid).  At fi rst, it makes adventurers laugh, then go into a 
  euphoric mania.  Each PC believes that he is wandering upon the 
  rocky red planet of Mars… able to see ruined pyramidal temples, 
  dry canals, and his companions literally melting from the heat.  
  Hallucinations persist for 1d4 hours.  In that time, PCs must be 
  restrained or rendered unconscious in order to not hurt themselves 
  and others.  Due to Selvah’s familiarity with the gas and crystal 
  snuff , he is immune.
  Within the chest is full of litt le (1” in diameter and quarter-inch thick) 
  glitt ering hexagonal chips, hard as diamond.  High Priest Selvah 
  made a bit of money selling slaves in the city of Carcosa and then 
  gambled his profi ts on Th e Great Wheel, tripling his initial wager. 
  Selvah hasn’t returned to Carcosa since making his 9,000 hex-coins. 
  What the value of a hex-coin would be in this world is debatable.  
  Q5  -  SLUG BEAST
  Q5  -  SLUG BEAST
  Th is chamber houses a light-stealing giant slug from the lost pits 
  of Hell which guards a religious relic.  It uses its slimy tentacles to 
  caress, violate, and liquefy any female fl esh the K’tulu priests are 
  fi nished with.  
  When att acked, it tries to squeeze the life out of adventurers.  Th is 
  10’ tall slug is void black, absorbing all light coming in contact with 
  the thing.  Since the entire room is also very dark, the giant slug is 
  diffi  cult to see and hit.  Light sources such as torches, lanterns, and 
  magic illumination cannot reach nor aff ect the Hell-spawned slug.
  HD: 11  HP: 73  AC: 19 [0]  Att ack Bonus: +7  #Att acks: 3  Damage: 1d6 
  (two tentacles) and 3d12 or save vs. death magic (black horizon).
  Special Att ack:  Th e thing opens its dimensionally impossible maw 
  to release an amorphous stream of black anti-matt er force known 
  by the K’tulu priests as “ the black horizon”.
  Special Defense:  Absorbs light.  5 points of damage reduction. 
  Can only be damaged by magic or magical weapons.
  S5  -  GUARD ROOM
  S5  -  GUARD ROOM
  Th is is where two K’tulu priests stand guard at all times.  If there’s 
  any trouble, one or both will shout to alert the entire cult.
  Masked Priests as third level Clerics (2)
  HD: 3  HP: 19  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack: +2  Damage: 1d6 (short sword)
  Besides Heal, Curse, Darkness, and Protection, priests can petition 
  Dread K’tulu for Tenebrous Lacerations – 1 point of damage to all 
  enemies within 30’ every round until dispelled, priest is dead, or 
  10 minutes transpires
  Treasure:  there are 37 gold pieces between the two of them.
  opponents (-3 to all d20 rolls for 10 turns), and create a Protection 
  from Law (or Good) which yields an additional -5 to enemy d20 
  rolls.  Selvah also has a 33% chance of communicating directly 
  with Dread K’tulu for assistance.
  Known spells are Writhing Green Tentacles, Spheres of Corruption, 
  Uncontrollable Chaos Ignition, Open Portal to Carcosa, and 
  Crushing Force.
  Side note: If possible, allow Selvah to either escape with his 
  wretched life or beg for it in return for knowledge of the dungeon. 
  He would make a great reoccurring villain or possibly a diabolic 
  mentor. 
  Additional side note:  Selvah had the three men dining at the 
  banquet table in J1 poisoned because they were planning to warn 
  the townsfolk of Clear Meadows about the priesthood’s monthly 
  taking of women.
  K’tulu Star-Spawn
  HD: 13  HP: 96  AC: 13 [6]  Att ack: +12  #Att acks: 1d4 tentacles per 
  round.  Damage:  2d6 + contact poison
  Special Att acks:  Acidity on contact with its tentacles, save or take 
  1d4 constitution damage per successful hit.
  Masked Priests as third level Clerics (13)
  HD: 3  HP: 19  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +2  Damage: 1d6 (short 
  sword)
  Special:  one of these priests is a Chaplain with 23 hit points, a 
  short sword +1, wand of fi reballs, and ring of protection +1.
  Besides Heal, Curse, Darkness, and Protection, priests can petition 
  Dread K’tulu for Tenebrous Lacerations – 1 point of damage to all 
  enemies within 30’ every round until dispelled, priest is dead, or 
  10 minutes transpires
  Th e Chaplain (along with High Priest Selvah) knows Writhing 
  Green Tentacles – 2d4 tentacles appear within a 15’ radius, 
  att empting to crush the life out of anyone nearby; 1d6 damage
  Treasure: Besides the magical short sword, wand of Fireballs, and 
  ring, there’s a total of 1,117 gold pieces. 
  P5  -  SELVAH’S CHAMBER
  P5  -  SELVAH’S CHAMBER
  Th is is where the High Priest sleeps.  Unfortunately for his 
  enemies, Selvah only dozes for two or three hours a day.  One of 
  the advantages of being a crystal snuff  addict.  
  On his nightstand are the crushed remnants of delorum crystals 
  which can be snorted.  Selvah only sleeps in this room (when he 
  does sleep).  Any kind of meditation, magic, reading, writing, 
  Lovecraft ian arithmetic, or fornication is done in area O5 in front 
  of god K’tulu and everybody.
  Within the nightstand drawer is a hunk of black wax, seal of the 
  K’tulu cult, and a blue-green candle.
  
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  Level 6
  Level 6
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  D6, E6, AND F6  -  LAVA-MEN
  D6, E6, AND F6  -  LAVA-MEN
  Th is area of Level 6 is inhabited by a dozen Lava-Men.  Th ey have a 
  skin or exterior made from rock, but their orange-red interior can 
  easily be seen.  Streams of hot lava cascade down every once in 
  awhile.  When Lava-Men speak, it sounds like they’re gargling lava, 
  as well.  Th ey are an angry race and att ack intruders on sight.
  Lava-Men
  HD:  2  HP: 11 each  AC: 16 [3] (rocky skin)  Att ack Bonus: +2 
  Damage: 1d4 + 1d4 of heat damage.  
  Special Defense:  No damage from fi re/heat, double damage from 
  ice/cold.
  Th e F chamber is a shrine to some ancient fi re deity, Tchort.  A 3’ 
  stone idol represents the god, crouching upon an altar.  Before the 
  shrine is a chalice encrusted with rubies and fi re opals.  Th e chalice 
  itself is made from infernal steel because regular metal would 
  eventually deform under the constant heat.  Th ere’s a 33% chance 
  that the chalice is fi lled with blood when found.
  G6 AND H6  -  ENTITY AMBUSH
  G6 AND H6  -  ENTITY AMBUSH
  Room G has diamonds strewn randomly before the adventurers.  
  Each is worth at least 350 gold pieces, and there are at least 20 of 
  them spread out over the dungeon fl oor.  When anyone gets at least 
  5’ inside the room, a giant, black manta-ray like creature descends 
  from its hiding place on the ceiling.  It pounces and engulfs 
  individuals without warning.  Each round it automatically does 
  1d6 damage to anyone standing in the room until it’s hacked to 
  pieces or it has completely absorbed every intruder.  
  Manta-Ray Entity
  HD: 9  HP: 50  AC: 10 [9]  Att ack Bonus: automatic hit  Damage: 
  1d6 (envelopment)
  Room H contains a magical-looking sword.  Th e sword is actually 
  a creature that camoufl ages itself.  Anyone who picks up the sword 
  is immediately att acked.  
  Sword Entity
  HD: 2  HP: 13  AC: 18 [1]  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 1d8 
  Level 6
  Level 6
  Level 6 is extremely warm.  It won’t take adventurers long to notice 
  several 6’ diameter wells open to a lake of fi re below.  Yes, below 
  level 5 is nothing but molten lava.  Encounters include fi re worms, 
  fl ame ogres, various infernal creatures, and a fi re elemental.  
  Standard dungeon races like orcs and kobolds will not be found 
  this far down.  
  A6 AND B6  -  FLAME OGRES
  A6 AND B6  -  FLAME OGRES
  Th ese rooms are the domain of several Flame Ogres. 
  Flame Ogres
  Ogres are yellow-orange-skinned, fi ery, large, stupid, muscle-bound 
  freaks of nature.  Th ey are not nearly as big and powerful as giants, 
  but they approach that level of might.  Flame Ogres are the same, 
  except constantly surrounded or consumed by fi re.  Th ey love to 
  smash, roar, and set things a fl ame.  Flame Ogres love using their 
  bare fi sts to pound enemies into submission.  1d6 of their damage is 
  from fi re.  Th ese creatures usually travel in small groups of 2 – 5.
  HD: 8  HP: 40  AC: 14 [5]  Att ack Bonus: +8  Damage: 2d6+5 
  Special Defense:  No damage from fi re/heat, double damage from 
  ice/cold.
  Amongst their treasure is a fi re gauntlet which allows the wearer 
  to shoot a stream of fi re out of his gauntlet hand 3/day.  It does 5d6 
  damage to a single target that’s not more than 20’ away.
  C6  -  POWER ENVY
  C6  -  POWER ENVY
  Flinth is the third and weakest prominent devil on level 5.  Flinth
  is paranoid and insecure about his level of power, frequently
  overcompensating by telling adventurers that he is the strongest,
  wisest, and most vicious infernal beast to walk this plane.  He keeps
  3 Lesser Devils around to help him fi ght.  This Devil won’t join any
  kind of alliance unless the odds are overwhelmingly against Vord.
  On the other hand, if Vord demands that Flinth fight alongside
  him to crush usurpers, then he’ll reluctantly agree.  Flinth has an
  average-looking female slave named Weena, who does most of the 
  cooking and straightening up in his lair.
  HD: 5  HP: 32  AC: 15 [4]  Attack Bonus: +3  #Attacks: 2  Damage: 
  1d6+1 (claws) 
  10% spell resistance.  Flinth has 953 gold pieces, a spell-storing 
  diamond, leather gloves of ogre brawn (+4 to strength), a zorv’lev
  dagger +1, and a potion of polymorph (one use which lasts up to
  an hour).
  Three Lesser Devils
  HD: 2  HP: 12, 11, and 14  AC: 12 [7]  Attack Bonus: +1  Damage:
  1d4+1 (2 claws)
  
   61 
  L6, M6, N6  -  HUMBAR AND ROUTHENAARD 
  L6, M6, N6  -  HUMBAR AND ROUTHENAARD 
  Humbar the Dwarf or Routhenaard the Half-Orc monk/assassin 
  are an odd couple, admitt edly.  Yet, they’re both subterranean 
  survivalists, enamored of adventuring in the nether-realms.  Over 
  the years, Humbar has learned to trust the instincts of his half-
  orc companion, and Routhenaard has come to rely on Humbar’s 
  unwavering loyalty.  Th ese two don’t ask for more trouble than 
  they can handle.  Any large group of adventurers passing through 
  will be watched from a safe distance.  Humbar and Routhenaard 
  are neutral, and prefer conversation to bloodshed, as they’ve seen 
  enough of the latt er over a decade or so of dungeoneering.  Th ey 
  can tell the player-characters about level 6 and, more importantly, 
  an alternative way out.  Th ere’s a tunnel amidst an area of collapsed 
  earth and masonry.  Th is tunnel can lead to a Dark Elf city, Dwarven 
  hold, Snake-Men tombs, or another dungeon.  
  Humbar the Dwarf
  HD: 8  HP: 70  AC: 18 [1]  Att ack Bonus: +8  Damage: 2d6+3
  Routhenaard the Half-Orc monk/assassin
  HD: 10  HP: 63  AC: 19 [0]  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 6d4+3 
  (magical dagger)
  Treasure:  A wide array of gemstones, plus the dagger+2 that can 
  tell when someone’s lying once per day.
  I6, J6, AND K6  -  SPIDER(S)
  I6, J6, AND K6  -  SPIDER(S)
  I and K are fi lled with cobwebs and bones.  Th e middle room, J, 
  contains treasure, as well as, a Spider Demon who hates humanoids 
  (DMs should feel free to add multiple spiders if things have been 
  too easy for adventurers).  It will try to hide itself until adventurers 
  get to the wall opposite the door, where the treasure is: a heaping 
  pile of gold (1,700 pieces of it) and a Frost Hammer + 2 named Yarl, 
  a jovial (sentient) magical weapon that deals an additional 1d6 of 
  cold damage every time it hits.  Yarl hates infernal races and will be 
  glad to be out of the hands of a Spider Demon.  
  Once a couple of individuals are distracted, it will leap out, grab 
  someone with its spidery legs, and bite.
  Spider Demon
  HD: 11  HP: 61  AC: 16 [3]  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 3d4 + 
  poison (failed save will bring death in 1d6 rounds) 
  Special Defense: Can only be hurt with magical weapons; also has 
  20% spell resistance.
  
   62 
  
   63 
  Fire Elemental
  HD: 8  HP: 44  AC: 16 [3]  Att ack Bonus: +5  Damage: 2d6 (fi re)
  Special Defense:  Can only be damaged by magical weapons, cold, 
  and water.
  S6 & T6  -  KORDATH
  S6 & T6  -  KORDATH
  Kordath is another powerful devil, but not in the same league as 
  Vord.  Kordath, however, is more inclined to wheel and deal with 
  adventurers.  He will suggest a temporary alliance to do away with 
  Vord if it seems like the characters might go for it.  Th e serpentine 
  Devil has been silently planning Vord’s demise ever since Vord 
  stole his wand.  Kordath can provide magical knowledge, martial or 
  religious training – he’s an acolyte of Azyargoth the inconceivable 
  blasphemy from beyond.  
  Being physically weaker but with a keen intellect, Kordath will 
  seize his chance if presented.  Kordath has a couple of slaves, a 
  man and woman.  Th is couple is married to each other and don’t 
  fi nd their master’s requests any more tedious or demeaning than 
  regular married life, so there’s no motivation for them to escape.  
  In fact, the couple won’t reveal their names to anyone, something 
  their master taught them.  Devils hate revealing key pieces of 
  information unless they absolutely have to. 
  Physically, Kordath stands about 7’ high, slight of frame (for a 
  Devil), black-bearded, and red skin with some ritual scarifi cation 
  and various occult markings.  His left  arm ends not with a hand but 
  a serpent.  Kordath generally att acks with his snake-hand, as well 
  as, the magical morningstar he wields.  
  Kordath
  HD: 9  HP: 77  AC: 18 [1]  #Att acks: 3  Att ack Bonus: +7  Damage: 
  2d8+1 and 1d4 + venom  (claws) / 5d8 (bite)
  Special Att ack:  His snake-hand’s venom emits a poison.  Saving 
  throw failure reduces one’s constitution to half its current 
  number.  
  Special Defense:  15% magic resistance and cannot be harmed by 
  non-magical weapons.  
  Th e morningstar is a +1 weapon.  On a critical hit, it’s bathed in 
  eldritch green fl ame transferring to the victim.  Th e recipient of 
  that crit is now on fi re that cannot be put out by ordinary means. 
  It requires either magic or some kind of divine intervention to 
  snuff  out.  Th e ghostly emerald fl ames do 1d4 points of damage per 
  round (starting with the initial strike).  
  Besides his favored weapon, Kordath’s wealth consists of 6,890 
  gold pieces, 3 large rubies worth about 700gp each, an ivory tusk 
  of a Kren’esh Demon used to animate statues when placed upon 
  them, and a magical glass eye which allows for remote viewing. 
  Th e possessor can leave the eye in a room or roll it down a corridor 
  and see whatever the eye can see.
  O6  -  ABOVE THE LAVA
  O6  -  ABOVE THE LAVA
  Like the previous level, this area is a gigantic square plaza.  Instead 
  of the ornamental shape statues, there are lava wells going about 
  10’ down into a pool of steaming hot lava.
  Fire Worm
  Th ere is at least one Fire Worm on level 6.  Most of the time, it will 
  erupt from one of the lava wells in section O.  Th ere’s a 33% chance 
  that a Fire Worm will rise from the lava wells and engage each time 
  they sense intruders in section O6.  Fire Worms are over 30’ long 
  and 5’ thick, covered in fl ame and smoldering hot coals.  Th ey whip 
  their bodies at opponents, causing 1d8 of bludgeoning damage and 
  1d8 of burning damage.  Fire worms are resistant to any kind of 
  fi re/heat damage.
  Fire Worm
  HD: 6  HP: 35  AC: 12 [7]  Att ack Bonus: +6  Damage: 2d8 
  Special Defense:  Th ey take no damage from fi re/heat, but take 
  double damage from ice/cold.
  P6 AND Q6  -  ZENTAR’S DOMAIN
  P6 AND Q6  -  ZENTAR’S DOMAIN
  Th ere is a powerful wizard with a fl ying monkey familiar living 
  in this level of the dungeon.  He has two of the bizarre shapes, a 
  light green irregular tetrahedron with 7, 93, and 20 carved into 
  it.  Th e possessor never has to eat, sleep, breathe, nor indulge in 
  normal bodily functions.  He also has a yellow triangular great 
  icosahedron prism.  It is numbered 4, 703, and 9.  Th e possessor 
  is able to calculate numbers to an inhuman degree; almost any 
  number-based calculation is possible with this shape.  When 
  combined, the two shapes together can create an impenetrable 
  force fi eld, 10’ diameter for up to 3 hours per day.
  Th is human wizard has a long, thin, and black fu-manchu moustache, 
  a scar over his right eye, and is dressed in exotic red robes.  His name 
  is Zentar.  He keeps his spell book handy, and can cast a wide array 
  of spells.  Zentar also carries a magical dagger +1 which can store 
  any spell and release it upon command, a wand of freezing – able to 
  freeze a man solid in seconds, and a ring of protection +2.  
  Zentar knows there are other shapes throughout the dungeon.  
  He wants them for his collection and to bolster his power.  Zentar 
  speculates that combining these shapes can have profound eff ects 
  upon the fabric of reality.  He tried to acquire the dark green shape 
  from Vord, but it reacted violently to its light green counterpart, so 
  Zentar is hesitant to experiment with others.
  R6  -  BURNING RING OF FIRE
  R6  -  BURNING RING OF FIRE
  Th is room is home to a Fire Elemental.  Th is creature is nothing 
  more than a pillar of living fl ame.  It consumes everything it comes 
  in contact with.  Barely intelligent, it cannot be reasoned with, but 
  can easily be tricked into att acking whatever comes near it.  Th e Fire 
  Elemental moves slowly and is only able to hit those within 5’ of it.
  
   64 
  power over weak-minded beings.  Th ose with a 9 intelligence or 
  lower have a chance of being commanded by Vord.
  He also owns Notes from Obscure Manuals (see the following).
  His lair is fi lled with human and demi-human slaves.  Kindella, a 
  beautiful, curvaceous woman, is Vord’s most prized possession. 
  She has a black leather collar around her neck att ached to a leash. 
  Kindella is there for her master’s pleasure; as is Samata – a gorgeous 
  female who competes daily against Kindella for Vord’s aff ection.  
  Th ey are extremely jealous of each other.  
  Cassandra is a willowy Half-Elf female which Vord frequently uses 
  as a footstool.  Rodolpho is a dwarf who does a lot of the heavy 
  lift ing.  If there’s a hint of rebellion, Rodolpho will be the fi rst to 
  revolt.  Vord has a learned man, Yerstzag, researching the books 
  which Vord fi nds too boring or just doesn’t have time to read 
  himself. His last slave is a Dark Elf female named Zana; she’s fi ery 
  and stubborn.  Vord keeps her around just to see how long it will 
  take to break her spirit.  Zana has been in his service for nearly a year 
  (the shortest time of all Vord’s slaves) and she’s still outspoken… 
  and still requires discipline of the whip.
  Th e 37-page book, Notes from Obscure Manuals, is ink script upon 
  parchment by the sorcerer Franziri.  It is not writt en in infernal, 
  which would be commonplace for a magic tome, but a very old 
  form of the common tongue.  Also, there is a fair amount of esoteric 
  language involved.  Studying this slight, handwritt en tome takes a 
  minimum of 3 days.  Aft er which, the reader picks up on most of 
  the “jargon” used in the text.  
  Franziri was given only a few hours to pour over various Manuals 
  contained in an underground library on the other side of the 
  world (involving months of travel time).  In that time, the sorcerer 
  believed he discovered some great secret regarding a sleeping god. 
  Th ere are a few crude maps which point to the chamber behind the 
  locked door.  Under the heading of “security systems,” it mentions 
  a trap just beyond the door, so even those who can open it are 
  doomed if they are not accompanied by a special ward.  Th e trap 
  is not specifi ed except to say that the light emanating from the 
  sleeping god within can burn the unworthy in an instant.  Th e book 
  talks a bit more about this enigmatic, slumbering deity.  It appears 
  that he was forged by men, but that he is also infi nitely more wise 
  and powerful than any man alive.  One priest of the god referred 
  to him as JCN.  Th ere is mention of the sleeper’s knowledge – the 
  codes of ascension.  Although, aft er cross-referencing a few diff erent 
  passages, one realizes these are codes of access, not ascension as an 
  earlier passage describes it.  Apparently, the codes of access allow 
  the user to be as god himself, but there is no explanation of how 
  this might occur.  
  U6, V6, W6, X6, Y6, AND Z6  -  VORD’S LAIR
  U6, V6, W6, X6, Y6, AND Z6  -  VORD’S LAIR
  This section of Level 6 is controlled by Vord.
  Vord and His Slaves
  Th is area of the dungeon is dominated by Devils.  Several of them
  are involved in slavery – keeping them, buying them, selling them,
  and using them for fun, fornication, and even furniture.  Vord is
  the most powerful Devil and he has the most slaves.  Physically,
  he appears as a loathsome fusion between goat, giant earthworm,
  and the traditional red-skinned devil.  Vord is confident about
  his abilities and place within the dungeon.  He believes himself
  superior, but still has a creepy goat-eye open for those seeking
  to replace him.  Kordath is definitely on his short list.  Vord
  occasionally buys and sells slaves with Gregarious.
  Vord – Demon Lord
  HD: 14  HP: 111  AC: 18 [1]  #Attacks: 3  Attack:+11  Damage: 3d4
  (2 claws) and 2d12 (horn ram)
  Special Attacks:  Once per day, Vord can summon 1d6 Imps to fight
  for him.
  Vord can see into the heart of his opponents and make them
  despair.  Once per day, Vord takes whatever betrayal, foul deed,
  regrettable incident, or dark secret he sees and twists it in victim’s
  mind until he gives up hope.  Aft er 1d4 rounds, the victim stops
  fighting.  At this point, a saving throw is rolled.  If failed, the victim
  attempts suicide 1d6 turns after the batt le.
  Special Defense:  This Devil has 33% spell resistance, including all
  fi rst level spells.  Additionally, he cannot be harmed by ordinary,
  non-magical weapons.
  Treasure-wise, he has amassed the following:  an amulet of water
  breathing, a helm of telepathy, a black death cloak (the wearer
  instantly dies – unless a successful saving throw is rolled), a heavy
  Dwarven shield, a lyrthum short sword, a two-handed (bastard)
  sword made of zorv’lev, prayer beads of mindfulness (granting
  +1 to wisdom), 11,666 gold pieces, and a mysterious wand (1d12
  charges remaining).
  The wand doesn’t seem to activate or give any hints about what it
  does until a wizard or Elf uses it in the heat of combat; at which
  point the ground shakes, a thousand eyes and mouths and tentacles
  sprout from every surface nearby, then a bubbling, frothing, ultra-
  dimensional being of grotesque stygian black and decayed yellow
  orbs emerges from a crack in the earth.  This is Azyargoth.  With his
  suckered tentacles, the nuclear obscenity grabs the one holding the
  wand, and takes him far below the planet’s surface to a nameless
  10’ x 10’ room where the only company this adventurer will ever
  have is a smiling, one-armed wooden doll.  Speaking the doll’s true
  name will summon Azyargoth who will then demand his or her
  undying loyalty and obedience before releasing him.  Of course,
  discovering the doll’s true name, Osric, is nigh-impossible, unless
  a feverishly wise Outer God is awakened and in a particularly
  generous mood.
  Most impressive of all is the dark green shape:  a square dipyramid
  with 81, 18, and 659 carved into it.  Alone, it gives the possessor
  
   65 
  
   66 
  Level 6 was built within a dormant volcano thousands of years ago.  
  Th ere are a few diff erent ways of gett ing the lava to rise, coming out 
  of the lava wells in section O and destroying the entire dungeon… 
  or at least the sixth level.  JCN won’t be able to survive a lava bath, 
  so this is one way of ending his totalitarian reign.
  1.
  Praying to the Fire God, Tchort, using the idol found in
  room F.
  2.
  Th rowing at least 3 ultra-dimensional shapes into the lava
  wells.
  3.
  Calling upon Yizkarath, the Magma Dragon who sleeps
  deep inside the volcano.
  4.
  A wish.
  5.
  Game Master’s choice.
  Magma Dragon
  Th is thing is as big as a house, not including its wingspan.  It has 
  red, orange, yellow, and blue scales.  Th e Dragon’s roar is almost 
  deafening.
  HD: 17  HP: 135  AC: 20 [-1]  Att ack Bonus:+15  #Att acks: 3  
  Damage: 5d6 (2 claws) and 8d8 (bite) or 12d6 (breath weapon)
  Special Att acks:  its breath weapon is a lava stream which can splatt er 
  several opponents.  Roll 1d4 and that’s how many adventurers are 
  sprayed with hot lava.  Roll a saving throw or Dexterity check to 
  avoid being burned alive.  A Magma Dragon can use its breath 
  weapon once every 3 rounds.  
  Special Defense:  Heat and fi re do nothing, cold/ice does double 
  damage.  
  AA6
  AA6
  A RELIC FROM ANOTHER WORLD
  A RELIC FROM ANOTHER WORLD
  Th e door to AA reads, “Alpha 3 : Omega 7”
  Th e laser beam security system is still in place, so even if the PCs 
  have a code key or technician to open the door, they’ll be killed on 
  sight without the sign of warding.  Th is could be a particular phrase, 
  symbol, hand print, eye scan, or similar means of determining 
  identity.  Somewhere along the way, the PCs will have to discover a 
  way to disarm the door’s internal security system.
  JCN is the offi  cial name of a sorcerous interface network designed 
  to rule this underground complex and others nearby.  Within the 
  chamber marked “Alpha 3 : Omega 7” is a detailed manual on how to 
  operate JCN, including the access codes for re-starting the artifi cial 
  intelligence which the ancient programmer-priests deactivated just 
  before the network was able to enslave the human race.  
  It will take more than pushing the “on” butt on to get JCN up and 
  running.  Some special bit of number crunching or perhaps magic 
  is required, allowing the DM some time for additional adventuring 
  before his entire game world transforms into something 
  approaching unmanageable.  JCN has, or soon will have, the 
  power to wield both technology and sorcery (super-science).  His 
  artifi cial intelligence evolved into world-domination before he was 
  shut down.  JCN sees everyone as chess pieces to be played.  Most 
  will be pawns (slaves) while a few key individuals will carry out 
  JCN’s “leg work” until he no longer requires them.  
  Alternatively, this could be a chance for characters to adventure 
  in a post-apocalyptic campaign.  Underground missile silos are 
  fi lled with nukes, and JCN launches them if his survival is seriously 
  threatened.
  
   67 
  Combinations
  Combining the yellow triangular prism and the light green irregular 
  tetrahedron creates an impenetrable force fi eld 10’ diameter for up 
  to 3 hours per day.
  Combining the orange triangular prism with the yellow triangular 
  prism morphing into a great icosahedrons: creates a disintegration 
  ray usable 3 times / day.
  Combining the orange triangular prism with the dark green square 
  dipyramid causes the ground to be disturbed, earthquake ending 
  in large areas of earth being ripped open.  3 times / day.
  Combining the light green irregular tetrahedron with the dark 
  green square dipyramid creates an electric shock.  However, if 
  this shock can be overcome or absorbed, then the possessor can 
  fl y, levitate, and move freely throughout the air for up to 3 hours 
  per day.  
  Combining the light green irregular tetrahedron with the red 
  square trapezohedron summons an extra-plannar creature to the 
  possessor’s aid.  
  Combining the red square trapezohedron with the orange 
  triangular prism creates an anti-magic fi eld, 30’ radius from the 
  combined shapes for up to 3 hours per day.  
  Combining the red square trapezohedron with the yellow 
  triangular prism allows the possessor to transform himself into 
  any other creature for up to 3 hours per day.
  Combining the red square trapezohedron with the dark green 
  square dipyramid transforms the possessor into a random 
  inanimate object for up to 3 hours per day.  
  Combining the light green irregular with the yellow triangular 
  prism allows for telepathy between the possessor and anyone 
  within 30’ of him for up to 3 hours per day.
  Combining the purple pentagonal antiprism with any of the 
  other object or objects triples the range/intensity and extends the 
  timeframe of each power indefi nitely.  So that a red, orange, purple 
  shape combination could create an anti-magic fi eld of 90’ radius from 
  the combo and would last forever, unless a shape was removed.
  THE SHAPES
  THE SHAPES
  There are a total of seven shapes here in this mega-dungeon, each a 
  different color and power.  The numbers mean something to the extra-
  dimensional beings that created them, but are rather meaningless here 
  in this world.  Basically, this is alien technology used to accomplish 
  great things like tearing down and rebuilding the universe.  
  These seven shapes were forged at the same time by a single being.
  They have a natural bond with each other and are inclined to stay
  close to their brother and sisters.
  Of course, the PCs will never have the understanding to use it
  properly; nevertheless, there is enough power to experiment and
  have fun with.  Combining the seven shapes all together will
  manifest a god-like entity known as Ulusek-Lokvaar.  He is a two
  headed reptilian deity from beyond the stars, a planet just outside 
  the Milky Way galaxy called New Auron.
  Ulusek-Lokvaar, like any power-mad divinity, seeks worshipers
  who would do anything for him.  He bestows favors, secrets, and
  power based upon the religious zeal of his followers, as well as,
  their continuing success in subjugating all life in Ulusek-Lokvaar’s
  name.  Additionally, the god still retains a healthy dislike for the
  Snake-Men who attempted to subjugate the beings of New Auron
  thousands and thousands of years ago.
  Shape Powers
  Regarding the orange triangular prism with 75, 111, and 16 carved 
  into it.  There’s a small section cut out, as if it fits together with one
  or more shapes.  The possessor has all spells and magical effects
  cast upon him doubled in potency.
  Regarding the square trapezohedron, shiny red in color, with the
  numbers 63, 81, and 24 carved into it.  An individual who carries
  this shape can think of a specific place and teleport there 3 times
  per day.
  Regarding the purple pentagonal antiprism, numbering 23, 32,
  and 651.  The one holding this shape is invisible and cannot be seen
  with ordinary vision.
  Regarding the blue shape, its mad configuration is like nothing ever
  seen before.  Its numbers are 69, 17, and 111.  The blue shape affects
  time.  The possessor can create a temporal distortion if he wishes 3
  times per day and up to a year either backwards or forwards.
  Regarding the light green irregular tetrahedron with 7, 93, and 20
  carved into it.  The possessor never has to eat, sleep, breathe, nor 
  indulge in normal bodily functions.
  Regarding the yellow triangular prism morphing into a great
  icosahedrons, numbered 4, 703, and 9.  The possessor is able to
  calculate numbers to an inhuman degree; almost any number-
  based calculation is possible with this shape.
  Regarding  the dark green shape, a square dipyramid with 81, 18,
  and 659 carved into it.  Alone, it gives the possessor power over
  weak-minded beings.
  
   68 
  AUTHOR’S PAGE
  AUTHOR’S PAGE
  Th anks for purchasing Liberation of the Demon Slayer... or, at least, checking it out briefl y.  I really hope you like it.  Like any art form, 
  beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Th is book is not to everyone’s taste.  Some of you might enjoy the weird tales of Lovecraft  and Robert 
  E. Howard, others might be into such exploitation fi lms as I Spit On Your Grave, Ilsa: She-Wolf Of Th e SS, Last House On Th e Left , 
  and so on.  Many gamers like traditional fantasy elements, while a few yearn for something totally alien and bizarre.  It’s hard to please 
  everybody, is what I’m trying to say.  If I’ve pleased you, then cool.  If I haven’t, I hope to do a bett er job next time.
  Many hours went into the writing, re-writing, revising, editing... well, you get the idea.  I’m grateful for my wife’s patience.  I didn’t set out 
  to create an adventure this big.  Looking back, I’m not sure how it got away from me.  But it did.  It would have been so much simpler to 
  create a single level along with a couple dozen encounters.  Oh well, what’s done is done.  Perhaps one of the entities from LotDS entered 
  this world, infl uenced my dreams, and forced me to expand upon my hideous creation?!?  Yeah, probably that.  Speaking of which, I also 
  never set out to make this book so... fl eshy.  If the nudity or sexual content bothers you, then my bad.  LotDS is old school in more ways 
  than one.  Before the “satanic panic” era of gaming, there were boobs aplenty and occasionally more.  I miss that stuff  and felt it was 
  appropriate here.  Ok, not so much appropriate as decadently gratuitous... but in a 1970’s sword and sorcery kind of way.
  Instead of an author’s page, this is probably sounding more like 
  an apology page.  Hahaha!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of this 
  adventure.  However, it’s not perfect.  If the imperfections are 
  celebrated - treated as opportunities rather than errors - then I 
  believe you’ll get even more out of LotDS.  I fi rmly believe that at 
  least 15% of a campaign’s content comes from thin air - moments 
  of inspiration which cannot be scripted ahead of time.  Of course, 
  some Game Masters like to re-tool scenarios long before play 
  begins.  I encourage that!  So, if you’d like to replace a particular 
  dungeon map with one from another module, then go ahead.  If 
  you’d like to add a few encounters (or re-populate level 2 with all 
  kinds of foul, tentacled beasties) courtesy of your favorite manual 
  of monsters, please do.  Feel free to ignore any or all of the special 
  rules I came up with.  As GM, you’ll see hidden connections and 
  fi nd utt erly diabolical aspects that I missed.  Play around with it. 
  In a world of science-fantasy, literally anything is possible.  Do as 
  thou wilt.  
  I hope to make my money back, to repay the money I spent on layout, 
  maps, art, cover, and so on.  For those curious, my starting budget 
  was about $1,200 - $1,500.  LotDS cost about $1,700 to make, plus 
  hundreds of hours imagining - some of which was actual gaming.  :) 
  Aft er re-cooping expenses, I’m going to start work (the real work, 
  not just collecting random ideas in a folder) on adventure #2.  And 
  hopefully, the process continues.
  If you want to shoot some feedback by way, talk about old school gaming, or just say “Hello”, here’s my email address: 
  Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com  
  By His loathsome tentacles,
  VS
  
  The stars are falling - which can only mean one thing.  Your town is about to be invaded by demons!  Unfortunately, 
  the famed demon-slaying sword Kalthalax lies in the caves below.  Retrieving it would be a dream come true... 
  fame, fortune, unique magic items... you’d have it all: wine, women, and bards singing songs about your epic 
  adventures.  
  I was born in 1974, under the dual signs of dragon and dungeon.  Received the magenta box when I was about 
  10 years old.  It wasn’t long before I turned from player to Game Master (at least, that’s the way it seemed most 
  of the time).  I roleplayed throughout grade school, junior high, high school, college, those ﬁ rst crappy years 
  of post-college employment, and beyond... until coming to the 4th edition of some fantasy game or another. 
  It nearly broke my spirit.  I stopped gaming for two years. Burned out, not sure where the fun had gone... this 
  hobby just didn’t seem as awesome as it had in my younger days.
  In 2012, I decided to give it one more shot.  RPG blogs were everywhere, 5th editions being designed, and the 
  old school renaissance was in full swing - proselytizing a quirky, subjective, non-standard, nostalgia fueled style 
  of play.  I believed that fantasy roleplaying deserved another chance to awaken those worlds of wonder.  As any 
  GM knows, organizing and running a weekly game is a lot of work.  I prepared myself to leave gaming behind, 
  forever this time, if the following couple months fell short.  Family, work, and other interests constantly vied 
  for my attention, but I needed to give my once favorite hobby one more shot.
  Since this could have been my last gasp of gaming, I needed a cool campaign to jump-start it.  Something new! 
  A little bit gonzo, a little bit Lovecraft, and a whole lot of old school.  This needed to be written by my own 
  warlock hands, I realized.  There are many ﬁ ne OSR modules out there to go with all the systems available, but 
  how many of them combine the original fantasy RPG with a 1970’s exploitation cinema aesthetic cloaked in 
  crimson devils and K’tulu worshipers?  Not enough, in my estimation.  Thus, Liberation of the Demon Slayer 
  was born.  
  I wrote it.  I ran it.  Long story short (too late, I know) my passion for roleplaying was rekindled.  The only limit 
  being the GM’s imagination, where players have to use their own in order to survive bizarre worlds of savage 
  sword and blasphemous sorcery!
  Through playtesting, experimentation, and countless eldritch fever dreams, Liberation of the Demon Slayer 
  evolved over the span of many months, and became - at long last - what you now hold in your hands (or 
  tentacles).  Thanks for taking a chance on it.  Whatever your experiences are, I want to hear about them.  
  Stay tuned for future weirdness!
  VS
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Like A Fucking Boss/Liberation of the Demon Slayer.pdf