TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
  Thundarr the Barbarian:  
  The Wizard’s Graveyard 
   
   
   
  A Mutant Future adventure for 3-6 players  
  using pre-gens of the TV show’s characters 
   
   
  North Texas RPG Con 2014 
  
  Demon dogs! The evil wizard Thraxx the 
  Ethereal has discovered an Ancient 
  weapon that will allow him to conquer 
  the village of Dee-See! Legends tell of a 
  powerful artifact long-ago lost in “The 
  Wizard’s Graveyard” that could be the 
  key to his downfall! Join Thundarr, 
  Ookla, and Princess Ariel as they try to 
  save the world of 3994 AD! Lords of 
  Light! 
   
  BEFORE PLAY BEGINS… 
  In this adventure, it helps if the players 
  have a passing knowledge of the 
  Thundarr the Barbarian cartoon show 
  from the mid-1980s. (Show them an 
  episode or two if you can!) They will be 
  playing the roles of Thundarr, Ookla, 
  and Princess Ariel during the course of 
  the game, so having an idea of the 
  characters and their individual tropes 
  will go a long way toward capturing the 
  feel of a Saturday morning action 
  cartoon show. The pre-gens have role- 
  playing tips to help players unfamiliar 
  with the show. 
   
  In this adventure, the players will be 
  playing the roles of Thundarr, Ookla, 
  and Ariel (of course) as well as their 
  three teen “protégés:” Shara the 
  Barbarian, Merlik the Sorcerer, and 
  Oosoo the Mok. (Shara and Merlik 
  were first introduced in the episode 
  “Den of the Sleeping Demon”, and 
  Oosoo is their new Mok companion.) If 
  you have less than 6 players, have 
  them play the primary team of Thundarr, 
  Ookla, and Ariel, then let the remaining 
  players choose who amongst the “teen 
  team” they’d like to play. If you’d like to 
  have your players play their own 
  characters in this adventure, be my 
  guest! (Although, if “magic” doesn’t exist 
  in your Mutant Future campaign, I 
  suggest having Thraxx’s “magic” be the 
  result of mutations and Ancient 
  technology.) 
   
  Before play, explain to the players that 
  the game needs to be played as if it’s a 
  kid-friendly cartoon from the 1980s. 
  Primarily, no one ever dies or is horribly 
  maimed in combat. When villains and 
  henchmen are defeated, they are either 
  knocked unconscious or they run off 
  with their tails between their legs. PCs 
  are dazed or winded when they take 
  damage. Attacks should be made to 
  disarm or demoralize – not to kill. 
   
  Encourage cheesy dialogue (“Demon 
  dogs!”) and acting in- character, even if 
  the action goes against what the player 
  would do. (Thundarr charges into a fight 
  without thinking of the consequences; 
  Ookla will break things that annoy or 
  frustrate him, even if the MacGuffin is 
  important to the plot; Ariel will joke 
  during combat and offer asides about 
  Ancient cultures, traditions, and 
  technology.) 
   
  Above all else, play fast and furious, as 
  it’s an 80’s action cartoon! Don’t let the 
  players catch their breath, and don’t let 
  the action wane! Have fun! 
   
  “Ookla, Ariel, riiiiiide!”
  
   
  SCENE 1 
  ARRIVING IN DEE-SEE 
   
  ((Pass out character sheets and let PCs 
  read the characters they’re to play. Play 
  the opening credits to the TV show to 
  get them in the mood.)) 
   
  Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel 
  have been travelling the countryside 
  with three young protégés: Shana the 
  Barbarian, Merlik the Sorceror, and 
  Oosoo the Mok. (The trio met Shana 
  and Merlik when they battled the 
  “Sleeping Demon” many moons ago. 
  And Oosoo has joined them since 
  then.) As their inexperience and 
  stubbornness nearly got them all 
  killed in their earlier adventure, you 
  offered the teens the opportunity to 
  tag along for a while so they could 
  learn from your experience. 
   
  You have received word that a new 
  wizard has been terrorizing a village 
  in the nearby region of “Dee-See” -- 
  the Ancient capital of these lands. 
  The area is now a swampy region due 
  to decades of flooding from the 
  “Tomack  River,” and twisted aquatic 
  abominations lurk in the boggy 
  waters. But never one to turn away 
  from a cry for help, the six of you 
  mounted your steeds and rode 
  toward adventure! 
   
  After two days of riding you begin to 
  notice large white monuments and 
  blocks of granite dotting the 
  landscape, and you realize you must 
  be getting close. It‟s around noon, as 
  the trees start to thin out as you 
  arrive at the village of “Smithson” – a 
  post-apocalyptic shantytown built in 
  one of the marble ruins. As you ride 
  up, you see the villagers are in a 
  panic as they‟re being rounded up by 
  a band of Carrocs – crocodile-like 
  humanoids armed with some kind of 
  laser blasters. 
   
  Floating above the scene is a ghostly 
  hooded figure who seems to be 
  watching the carnage below. 
   
  The ghostly figure is the “new wizard” 
  hinted at in the opening dialogue. The 
  wizard, Thraxx, is an invisible non-
  corporal being who cannot be harmed or 
  even touched in his ghostly state. He 
  appears to be an empty hooded robe. 
  Knowing he’s untouchable, he floats 
  silently, watching his minions (the 
  Carrocs) as they round up the Smithson 
  villagers. He won’t speak, and attacks 
  pass harmlessly through him during the 
  scene. 
   
  The Carrocs have orders to clear out 
  Smithson as there’s apparently 
  something within that Thraxx wants to 
  gets his hands on. It’s up to the team to 
  stop the Carrocs! 
   
  ((Sketch out map; players enter – riding 
  – from the edge.)) 
   
   
  
   
  Carrocs (7) (AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 4, 
  HP 36, #AT 1 (claw, bite, or laser), DG 
  1d8, 1d10, or 3d6, SV L2, ML 9, 
  mutations: increased strength, natural 
  armor) 
   
  CARROCS: 
  1 – 36 
  2 – 36 
  3 – 36 
  4 – 36 
  5 – 36 
  6 – 36 
  7 – 36 
   
  Thraxx passively watches the battle. 
  When the last Carroc has been 
  defeated and the villagers freed, the 
  village elder – Shadoan – thanks the 
  team and steps forward, pointing an 
  accusing finger at Thraxx. 
   
  “You have failed in your efforts to 
  remove us, Thraxx! We now have 
  help! We can withstand you and your 
  lap-dogs!” 
   
  Thraxx finally moves, turning to look at 
  the six heroes. The team can’t see a 
  face or eyes under the hood. It’s like a 
  blank empty hole where the head 
  should be. He addresses the PCs 
  directly, ignoring Shadoan. His voice is 
  hollow and raspy. 
   
  “Your arrival is an annoyance, but 
  your presence is inconsequential. I 
  will have The Weapon.” 
   
  He turns to Shadoan. 
  “You have until the sun sets to leave. 
  If you stay, you will be destroyed. 
  When I return, I shall flatten this 
  place and all within it.”  
   
  Thraxx slowly fades away and 
  disappears. Shadoan turns to the 
  PCs. 
   
  “I‟ll wager you have questions. Come 
  inside and I‟ll tell you everything.” 
   
  ((Commercial break!)) 
  
   
  SCENE 2 
  SMITHSON AIRSPACE 
   
  The building Shadoan brings the team 
  to is a ruined museum built by the 
  Ancients. The village took its name 
  from the sign in from of the building: 
  “Smithson Air Space.” Any PC who 
  knows a bit of Ancient cultures or any 
  who brushes away to clinging vines and 
  who can read will see the full name of 
  the place is “Smithsonian Air and 
  Space Museum”. 
   
  “The Ancients stored many of their 
  wondrous machines and 
  achievements here,” he says. “Man 
  once flew across the skies, and even 
  to other worlds!” He shows the team 
  the ruined examples of Ancient 
  achievements. The Lunar Module, 
  planes hanging from wires, photos of 
  famous Ancients hanging on the 
  walls, etc. 
   
  If the PCs have questions, allow 
  Shadoan to answer them. They may 
  also want to fiddle around with the 
  exhibits. Let them if they wanna for 
  comedy’s sake… 
   
  You enter a new room that is empty 
  except for one large exhibit. A long 
  cylinder fills the room, pointed at one 
  end with fins on the other. It looks 
  like a monstrous arrow. A disheveled 
  man in aviator‟s goggles wearing 
  leather gloves is here, and he hurries 
  over when you enter the room. 
  “Is Thraxx defeated?” the man asks.  
   
  “For now, Wilbur, but he threatens to 
  return at nightfall. But the help we 
  sent for has arrived. This is Wilbur, 
  the curator of the artifacts here, as 
  well as my closest advisor.” 
   
  Allow folks to introduce themselves. 
  Wilbur is a bit star-struck by the team 
  and he asks a lot of questions. (He’s 
  particularly fascinated by the Moks.) 
  Eventually he’ll get back on track (or the 
  team will probably tire and ask about the 
  rocket…) 
   
  “Oh, this is what Thraxx covets. It‟s 
  called a „Rockette‟,” Wilbur says as 
  he points to the object. “In peaceful 
  times, devices like these were used 
  to send men far into the skies and to 
  far-away worlds. But in times of war, 
  it could be used to send explosives 
  and nightmarish poisons to your 
  enemies. Thraxx wishes to take 
  control of this Rockette, examine it, 
  and build more like it. If he were to 
  build more, he‟d be unstoppable!” 
   
  Allow the team to ask questions about 
  Thraxx and the Rockette. Any questions 
  they have can be answered by either 
  Shadoan or Wilbur.  
   Thraxx only recently arrived, 
  demanding access to the Rockette. 
  When turned away, he returned with 
  an army of Carrocs. 
   They’ve been able to drive them off 
  so far, but they are weakening under 
  
   
  the constant barrage. 
   The Carrocs have been patrolling 
  the area, so the village has been 
  unable to get help. They’re amazed 
  they were able to get word to the 
  team! 
   Thraxx seems unable to interact with 
  the physical world, as if he were 
  trapped between the living world and 
  the world beyond. ((BIG CLUE)) 
   
  Eventually, Shadoan will recall they only 
  have until sundown to stop the ghostly 
  wizard. 
   
  “Wilbur and I have a theory about 
  Thraxx. He seems to be a creature 
  neither living nor dead, so the answer 
  to his defeat might be found at The 
  Wizard‟s Graveyard – a place of rest 
  for Ancient heroes and legends. 
  There, it‟s said the Fires of Forever 
  burn brightly. We believe if we can 
  expose Thraxx to this magical Fire, it 
  could somehow damage him, drving 
  him away.” 
   
  Shadoan and Wilbur explain that The 
  Wizard’s Graveyard is about an hour 
  away on horseback. They give each PC 
  a torch, instructing them to light it in the 
  Fires and bring it back to use against 
  Thraxx. 
   
  Shadoan leads them out to their mounts 
  and points them toward The Wizard’s 
  Graveyard. 
   
   
  “And time is of the essence. We don‟t 
  know what he‟s planning for 
  sundown, but it‟s imperative you 
  return before then!” 
   
  “Ookla, Ariel, riiiiiide!” 
  
   
  SCENE 3 
  ENTERING ARLING 
   
  When the team arrives The Wizard’s 
  Graveyard, they see a sign IDing it as 
  “Arling” (Arlington Cemetery if the PCs 
  think to look a bit more at the sign). It’s 
  been all but overtaken by the swamps. 
  Many bogs and damp muddy pools are 
  scattered throughout the area, with a 
  few old stone paths here and there. 
  The swamp is littered with stone 
  markers in neat orderly rows. Due to 
  the tree canopy, it’s a bit dark here, but 
  the PCs can see a flickering in the 
  distance. It’s strangely quiet, as if 
  nothing dares to explore this sacred 
  ground. 
   
  While approaching the flickering light, 
  three Surfents splash out of the 
  swampy waters. These are huge fur-
  covered snakes with antenna that gives 
  them the mutation of echolocation. The 
  PCs need to take care of them quickly if 
  they can. 
   
  Surfents (3) (AL C, MV 60' (20'), AC 6, 
  HP 30, #AT 2 (bite, constrict), DG 1d4, 
  2d8, SV L2, ML 7, mutations: gigantism, 
  echolocation) 
   
  SURFENTS: 
  1 – 30 
  2 – 30 
  3 – 30 
   
  Once the Surfents are dealt with, the 
  PCs can approach the Fires of Forever. 
  It is a large, flat, stone area with a 
  single jet of flame in the center. The 
  engraving at the base names it The 
  Eternal Flame. 
   
  (The Eternal Flame flickers with 
  otherworldly power, as if this Ancient 
  symbol has been somehow imbued with 
  arcane power.) 
   
  After the PCs dip their torches into the 
  flames, as the leave the cemetery, they 
  can see the sun in the distance where it 
  sits on the horizon. They will easily see 
  that sunset will occur in less than 20 
  minutes and they’ll never get back to 
  Smithson in time. (Dun-dun-dunnnn…) 
   
  ((Commercial break!)) 
  
   
  SCENE 4 
  THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES 
   
  You stand at the gates of The 
  Wizard‟s Graveyard, torches blazing 
  with the magic flames. But time is 
  nearly up, and you‟ll never be able to 
  get back to Smithson before Thraxx 
  launches his attack. 
   
  In the distance, you hear a buzzing in 
  the air… It grows louder and closer, 
  and in the dusk, you can see a dark 
  shadow overhead. 
   
  Let them react somehow to the 
  approaching menace. As it gets nearer, 
  it looks like a bird but buzzes like a giant 
  insect. As it gets overhead, it seems to 
  hover and they can see it some strange 
  Ancient flying machine. It is the Wright 
  Brothers flyer with a helicopter blade 
  sticking out of the top. At the controls is 
  Wilbur, who drops a rope ladder and 
  motions them to climb up. 
   
  “Thought you might run out of time, 
  so I fired up this Ancient contraption 
  I‟ve been working on!” he shouts over 
  the buzzing of the blades overhead. 
  “Be careful with those torches! This 
  thing‟s mostly cloth and lumber. It‟ll 
  go up like tinder if it catches fire!” 
   
  Once they’re on board, have the PCs 
  mark where they will be standing. Wilbur 
  banks the “heliplane” and begins the 
  flight back to Smithson, shouting for 
  them to hang on. 
   
  After a few minutes in the air (be 
  sure to have rolls to hang on while 
  Wilbur fights to keep it airborne), a 
  last from a laser narrowly misses the 
  heliplane. Glancing about, there are 
  three Carrocs riding on the backs of 
  Leatherwings (giant bats) closing 
  fast. Seated behind the “pilots” are 
  three more Carrocs with laser who 
  are trying to shoot the heliplane 
  down. 
   
  “Don‟t let them hit the plane!” 
  Wilbur shouts. “Those lasers will 
  tear us apart for sure!”  
   
  The Leatherwings are not statted as 
  they are mostly here for use as 
  “vehicles.” If the players hit a 
  Leatherwing, it will veer off, as it has low 
  morale in combat. The Carrocs who are 
  flying will try to fly close enough for the 
  shooter to get a good shot or – if close 
  enough – so the shooter can jump over 
  onto the heliplane. Looks like we have a 
  good old-fashioned, wing-walking 
  dogfight at hand! 
   
   
  
   
  Carrocs (6 – only 3 will enter combat) 
  (AL C, MV 90' (30'), AC 4, HP 36, #AT 1 
  (claw, bite, or laser), DG 1d8, 1d10, or 
  3d6, SV L2, ML 9, mutations: increased 
  strength, natural armor) 
   
  CARROCS: 
  1 – 36 
  2 – 36 
  3 – 36 
  4 – 36 
  5 – 36 
  6 – 36 
   
  This aerial combat should be played up 
  for excitement. The PCs and Carrocs 
  may jump back and forth from plane to 
  bat. Someone may get tangled up in 
  the rope ladder and be swinging back 
  and forth. The threat of torch or laser 
  fire could bring the plane down. And 
  Wilbur will be trying to shake off the 
  attackers, causing everyone to roll DEX 
  checks. 
   
  When the smoke clears and the 
  Carrocs have been driven away, the 
  players can see the Smithson coming 
  into view just as the sun sets. 
   
  ((CUTSCENE)) 
   
  In a squat rectangular monument 
  nearby, a statue of a stoic bearded 
  man sits in a quiet vigil. In front of 
  the statue floats Thraxx. As the 
  last of the sun‟s rays shine down, 
  Thraxx raises his arms and 
  approaches the statue. He fades 
  away as he passes through and 
  into the statue of the Ancient 
  leader. The statue‟s eyes begin to 
  glow, then flicker into twin blazes 
  of fire. There is the groaning and 
  grinding of stone-on-stone as the 
  giant granite statue stands up. The 
  front of the monument explodes 
  as the giant stonework man 
  breaks out of the building that 
  held him and he begins his walk 
  toward the Smithson. 
   
  Thraxx’s final attack has begun. 
   
  ((Commercial break!)) 
   
   
  
   
  SCENE 5 
  MR. LINCOLN 
   
  Thraxx has taken possession of the 
  statue of Lincoln from the Lincoln 
  Memorial, and he intends to use the 
  stone juggernaut to destroy the 
  Smithson walls and anyone who gets 
  in his way. Meanwhile, the PCs are 
  approaching from the other direction 
  on the heliplane in whatever 
  condition it may be. And in the 
  middle is the Smithson. 
   
  The PCs can take whatever tack 
  they want. If they want to attack from 
  the ground, Wilber can get low 
  enough for them to jump. If they 
  want him to buzz the statue, he can 
  do that (while Mr. Lincoln swats at 
  them like King Kong). Any cartoon-
  action attack the PCs want to 
  attempt should be encouraged. If 
  they attack the statue head-on, it will 
  take 90 points of damage before it is 
  destroyed. 
   
  MR. LINCOLN 
  (AL N, MV 150' (50'), AC 0, HP 90, 
  #AT 1 (fist), DG 4d6, SV L6, ML 12, 
  mutations: none) 
   
  LINCOLN 
  1 – 90 
   
  The trick is to drive Thraxx out of the 
  statue as he cannot be attacked 
  while he’s inside. The torch flames 
  are the key, and the blazing flame-
  like eyes are the target. If the PCs 
  can get the fires close enough to the 
  eyes, Mr. Lincoln will try to shield his 
  eyes from the blinding light. 
  Whenever they do this successfully 
  (as an attack), Thraxx loses that 
  attack round. So the PCs will need to 
  really pound on the statue as it 
  slowly stomps toward Smithson. 
   
  Once the statue is destroyed and 
  Thraxx is driven from the statue, he 
  will be utterly vulnerable to the 
  torches. Three successful attacks 
  using the flames is all it takes to 
  defeat him and drive his ghostly form 
  from this dimension! 
   
  Let the battle go until all are defeated 
  (hopefully!) 
  
   
  SCENE 6 
  WRAP UP 
   
  With the stone presidential 
  juggernaut defeated and Thraxx 
  driven away by the cleansing Ancient 
  flames, the Smithson villagers have 
  nothing to fear any longer.  
   
  The six of you are surrounded by the 
  townsfolk and a celebration breaks 
  out while, overhead, Wilbur dips the 
  wings of the heliplane in a salute. 
   
  As the townsfolk cheer, the six of you 
  jumps onto your horses: 
   
  “OOKLA, ARIEL! RIDE!” 
   
  (Play closing credits from the TV 
  show) 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Mutant Future/Mutant Future Adventures and Settings/Thundarr the Barbarian (MuFut)/Thundarr Wizards Graveyard (MuFut).pdf