Dungeon Magazine #46- Iron Orb of the Duergar – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

Dungeon Magazine #46 - Iron Orb of the Duergar
by Peter Aberg
An adventure for 6-8 PCs, levels 11-15

Tipping the scales at 22 pages Iron Orb of the Duergar is one of the best modules in any edition hands down. In fact I would say this module can hold its own with any of the classic modules as well. Dungeon #46 is a seminal product for me as it is the second Dungeon Magazine that I personally bought and it leaps off the pages on first read.

Iron Orb of the Duergar is generic enough that it can easily be set in any cold mountains region without much difficulty and has a nice Norse/barbarian feel to it. In fact the author suggests Icewind Dale for the Forgotten Realms or the Archbarony of Ratik for the World of Greyhawk; for my campaign world it was a snap.

This module is fairly straightforward and has lots of combat! There is some nice back story to it however and the whole feel is one of a more regional/kingdom level feel to it rather than adventuring at the local dungeon a few miles away from town.

The module centers on northmen raids... or so it seems. True, barbarian raiders are striking the southern kingdoms, but not as it seems. Reason being? The Iron Orb of the Duergar; a powerful artifact that has gotten itself attached to Ulmvard the High Priest of Odin. Normally such a figure might be able to cope, however the malignant orb has the powers of a beholder and duergar!

The adventure starts out assuming that the PCs are perhaps local rulers of some of the more southern lands (they might be considering level of play for this module) or contacted by such. They head out across the sea towards the Northmen's lands to investigate. Once the PCs arrive on scene they find out that Ulmavard has switched focus to now is planning on attacking the local dwarfs instead of raiding cities to the south. This is a bit odd given the fact that all of the summer months have been focused on raiding the south... a clever PC will pick up on why is this man talking about making war on dwarfs?

Ulmvard the High Priest of Odin is a bit...unhinged

Having to enter the city clandestinely the PCs will make their way to an inn (they always do). From there they eventually fall into the camp opposing the slightly unhinged High Priest of Odin. Enter the High Priest's daughter Anja who fills in the holes for the PCs. A group plans to seize the Orb realizing that Ulmvard is not himself. It just so happens that the Orb can scry and all too soon the PCs need to flee the city and head towards the mountains. Here is where things start to get good.

The mine is old that was once abandoned, but is now run by Norse guards (some frost giants) and slave labor (garnered from the raids of the PCs homelands) at the behest of Ulmvard. The upper levels are logical and well mapped and the descriptions give a great feel to it. The random encounters are perfect and quick thinking PCs will notice there is more than meets the eye here.

The whole point of the upper level culminates with the revelation that the PCs are not the only ones interested in the operations here and those of Ulmvard. The drow make an appearance and it is not the usual setup! They propose a temporary alliance which is a nice break from the fight them at a drop of a hat mentality... The dark elves have no desire to see their enemies assemble the Iron Warrior either. Make no mistake the dark elves are not friends of the PCs, but it is the old "the enemies of my enemy is my friend". Depending on the race/class makeup of the PCs it will be interesting to see what the more lawful/good types in a party might think about working with dark elves. Either way they do not accompany the group during the adventure and are off quickly.

The ruins of the duergar citadel are awesome, the first time I read this I imagined it quite vividly and the author did a great job with the descriptions, they really seem to come to life. It really captures a feeling and you can imagine the historical perspective of it. I especially liked the ruined nature of side corridors to get around the original collapsed sections, it really lends an authentic air to it. The way to get to the other side is imaginative as well and presents some great combat opportunities as well as real and present danger: falling into lava will ruin your day. The author also provides little back story snippets as to why the ruins is the way it is now, and ones that can easily be added to a campaign.

Once to the other side, the potential for large sweeping, knock down, drag em out fight(s) is right there. The rest of the ruins can become one massive battle if the PCs are not careful in their approach to tactics. There are plenty of duergar and being dwarfs they do not fight stupidly.

After breaching the upper level the forge level awaits! There is some nice flavor text here to add even more visual appeal, one can almost imagine the dwarfs sealing up and mounting the great doors after they defeated the duergar in ages past. Again there are little back story snippets that tell the DM why things are the way they are now and possibly lead to further adventures.

The riddle is a nice touch for proceeding northwards as well, if a bit easy to solve.

The final fight can go either way and the drow party makes a nice option for the DM should he need reinforcements for the PCs. Conversely if they treated the drow with the unusual reaction the drow might turn on a weakened party at the very end while they themselves hang back and let the two factions slug it out in the main fight.

Everything hinges on this fight, and the PCs need to triumph or they are in for it.

Strengths

The first strength of the module is its level requirements. All too often it is tough to challenge high level parties. If the party does not stop the plans of Ulmvard in time they are going to have a BIG problem on their hands, and I mean big ;) If this happens the PCs might want to run...

Another thing that makes this module work so well is the use of duergar as the movers and shakers along with Ulmvard. I am hard pressed to think about where there have been other modules that feature duergar this prominently. It would have been even better with derro, but I digress! ;)

The atmosphere leaps off the page from the human cities to especially the duergar ruins. The artwork of the module really lends its support as well.

The dark elves are a nice touch and create some great moral dilemmas for some of the PCs depending on the group.

The orb itself is a great item and a great way to rally lead the PCs on, especially if one of them is foolish enough to use it. The fact that it is an artifact that cannot easily be destroyed only adds to this.

This module begs for follow up. Especially if the PCs are successful in thwarting the machinations of Ulmvard! So they defeated him and stopped him from placing the orb. Now what? The Orb needs to be destroyed and it is not an easy task to do. This would be a great followup here. Plus it is entirely up to the DM as to just how this should happen or can it even be done?

Weaknesses

To be honest there are very few here and for the most part it is me being nit-picky and all are easily solved. In fact as I note depending on your campaign some of these might not even be weaknesses.

One thing that comes to mind is the weakness of having Ulmvard's daughter play the role of the guy in the tavern with the mission.. it is a minor point, but one to consider. Someone had to get the information to the PCs. The later issue revolving around her is not that dramatic as the PCs may be unimpressed with the state she is in later, or at least not highly motivated to help an NPC they only just met...

The only big consideration that I thought of on rereading it is that the premise of why the PCs are here and what are their rewards for doing so? The DM needs to take special care here to make sure that the PCs want to go on this adventure. This should not be an issue for an experienced DM as by the time they are 11-15 level the PCs have bigger concerns than getting X amount of gold for a mission... In fact being so open ended might be a boon as the DM can use this to tailor fit it to his campaign.

There is a boatload of monetary wealth here (area 36), but it is unlikely to go to the PCs, not even a fraction of it. Fortunately the author gives some flavor text as to who it actually belongs to, so this creates some nice adventure hooks as to what the PCs do with it. Any PCs of the lawful or good sides of alignment will be hard pressed to keep it as it is readily apparent that this is not the Northmen or duergar loot. Tying into this thought is that the PCs will get some monetary treasure out of this adventure, but very little in the way of magic items. This may be a plus in your campaign, however in my opinion for the level, it is a bit too skimpy. The XP award is right on however for such an epic undertaking.

In conclusion this is in my opinion a gem of a module and the top of the heap for second edition (or very near it). It acquits itself well and is well worth playing. I have left some sections generic and did not go into too much detail as I will be using this module down the line in my current campaign and give away too much.

So for those that have this or have played it, what are your thoughts?

NOTE: Link to the original review can be found here on dragonsfoot.org 

Top Twenty Greatest Villains of A Song of Ice and Fire

Like my list of the Top Twenty Greatest Warriors its now time to turn the list to those loathsome and irredeemable villains.

As you'll see some are  truly the worst of the worst, especially by the time the "top" of the list is reached. You have to give a tip of the hat to Martin. some of these villains are simply vile.

Like the list for Greatest Warriors of the Westeros, I don't expect that everyone will agree, and that's fine. But in the commentary make your case as to why each is reprehensible or maybe worse that someone else.

Top Twenty Greatest Villains of the World of A Song of Ice and Fire

1. Aegon IV, The Unworthy - The decadent king whose selfish excesses and legitimized bastards sowed generations of war.

2. Maegor I, The Cruel- A brutal tyrant who ruled through terror, blood, and the suppression of the Faith.

3. Euron Greyjoy - A chaotic, ambitious pirate king whose dark ambitions and cruelty threaten the entire realm.

4. Aerys II, The Mad King - The paranoid, fire-obsessed ruler whose cruelty and madness helped spark Robert’s Rebellion.

5. The Brave Companions (The Bloody Mummers) - A mercenary company of sadists and turncloaks who left a trail of mutilation and horror.

6. Maelys the Monstrous - The deformed Blackfyre pretender whose brutal claim nearly plunged the realm into another civil war.

7. Ramsay Bolton - A sadistic psychopath whose cruelty and psychological torment make him one of the series’ purest monsters.

8. The Mountain, Ser Gregor Clegane - A towering brute whose strength and unrelenting savagery made him a living weapon of terror

9. Joffery - The spoiled, sadistic boy-king whose casual cruelty and insecurity made him a walking disaster.

10. Cersei - The paranoid, power-hungry queen whose schemes and vindictiveness leave ruin in their wake.

11. Roose Bolton - A cold, calculating lord whose quiet ruthlessness and betrayal helped destroy House Stark.

12. Walder Frey - The treacherous, weaselly lord whose betrayal at the Red Wedding shocked the realm.

13. Craster - The wildling patriarch who practiced extremely questionable acts with his daughters and sacrificed his sons to the Others

14. Daenarys Targaryen - * - Hero at first turned villain who destroys Kings Landing on her dragon.

15. The Mountain's Men - Ser Gregor’s band of rapists and killers who spread fear and atrocity across the Riverlands.  

16. Biter - A cannibalistic brute whose animalistic violence left a lasting mark of horror.

17. Petyr Baelish, Littlefinger - The master manipulator whose ambition and chaos-making reshape the game itself. Perhaps the finest player of the Game of Thrones.

18. The Tickler - The sadistic interrogator whose methods of torture became infamous in the Riverlands.

19. Amory Lorch -The child-murdering knight responsible for the deaths of Elia Martell’s children.

20. Viserys Targaryen - The bitter, entitled Beggar King whose cruelty and delusion made him a danger to all around him.

* I include the television version of Daenerys here. There is simply no way to explain away her decision to destroy King’s Landing after the city had already surrendered. The turn was built throughout the later seasons, some fans still refuse to accept it, but the evidence is right there on screen. In the books she has not crossed that line (yet), so this ranking reflects the completed show arc.

In time I'll perhaps build out individual pots on all twenty.

 How about you? Insights as to what I got wrong or right on this list? Let me know in the comments. 

 

Series Review - Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles

All nine novels of the main series

 

In terms of book series, Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles (also known as A Dream of Eagles) is incredibly underrated. As I wrote here fifteen years or so ago, I was amazed by what page-turners these books were, and still are. The two biggest writers in fantasy are JRR Tolkien and GRR Martin, of course, but while the Camulod Chronicles is not strictly fantasy, being more historical fiction, it is certainly adjacent to the genre. And in my opinion ranks up there. 

While Tolkien imagined a world unlike anything that had come before and Martin delves into incredible detail, what Whyte does is take the Arthurian legends and weave stories that are remarkably plausible as explanations for how those legends were passed down to us. It was revelatory the first time I read them. I was struck by just how "simple" it could be to take history, give it a bit of thought, and explain the origins of myth and folklore.

I applaud Whyte for doing this because, while I use the word "simple," no one else had thought of this masterstroke.

Encompassing nine books in total, the series takes the reader from the latter days of Roman Britain and the withdrawal of the legions through the close of Arthur's reign in the final book.

The books are in the following order:

#	Title	Publication Year
1	The Skystone	1992
2	The Singing Sword	1993
3	The Eagles' Brood	1994
4	The Saxon Shore	1995
5	The Fort at River's Bend	1999
6	Metamorphosis	1999
7	Uther	2001
8	The Lance Thrower	2004
9	The Eagle	2005

 

NOTE: I have not read the prequel The Burning Stone (released in 2019) so I can not speak to that novel, but by all accounts I have read, it's a fine addition to the series.

 

The Books

I won't go into too much detail about the books, as I don't want to spoil them for readers. What I will say is that you will probably be surprised by when Arthur finally shows up.

The first book, The Skystone, pulls you in immediately, dealing with Publius Varrus, a centurion who makes his way back to his homeland of Britain in the waning days of the Empire. From there the series spans the founding of Camulod (Camelot), the rise of Caius Merlyn Brittanicus (Merlin), the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, and eventually the arrival of Clothar the Frank (Lancelot).

In each case, whether Arthur is present or not, Whyte manages to weave the story in such a way that his presence is never far from the forefront. That isn't to say the other characters don't matter. Quite the contrary. Many are outstanding in their own right, but there is always the sense of what they are building toward.

Another aspect of the series that I really liked is the backdrop. By that I mean Rome's Empire slowly crumbling. It isn't sudden but a long, slow decline as the years grind on. You can feel it happening, and yet the people still think of themselves as Roman. It is the fringes of Britain that begin to change first, and once again those changes are tied to Arthur one way or another.

By the time the reader reaches Books 8 and 9, the tale has become sweeping in both scope and detail, but the ending is one we are already familiar with. I say familiar, but not necessarily what you might expect from Arthurian stories. It is entirely in keeping with the way Whyte tells the story and makes for a fitting conclusion.

I realize I haven't gone into much detail, and that is intentional. The best way to experience this series is simply to read it and let it unfold. It is, in my opinion, one of those rare series where I wish I could go back and experience it again for the first time.

It's that good.

Gaming Uses

As to how this book series relates to gaming, Dragon #257 focuses on Dark Ages Briton and is practically an unofficial campaign source book. By that I mean the green-covered Historical Reference books for 2nd Edition AD&D, HR1 through HR7. Yes, I know the HR numbering technically ended at HR5. Using Dragon #257 along with other appropriate resources gives a Dungeon Master the makings of a great campaign.

For my own part, I have run a Dark Ages campaign set in a world of my own devising. The level of technology mirrored the setting perfectly, and a good example of the style of fortifications involved is the Dark Ages fortresss I built for the campaign.

Another connection is that old gaming warhorse, the 1st Edition Deities and Demigods hardcover and the Arthurian knights presented within. With a few tweaks to their weapons and armor, a DM can quickly assemble a number of ready-made NPCs.

An even further tie-in is the movie Arthur. The story aligns closely enough with Whyte's interpretation that it could easily provide additional adventures, encounters, or quest ideas.

An even easier path might be to skip AD&D altogether and simply use the Pendragon RPG. I'm most familiar with the 4th Edition of the game, and while it can get a bit crunchy in terms of the rules, the core rule book contains almost everything needed to run a campaign. The only other supplement I'd consider essential would be Saxons! for the same rule system.

Closing Thoughts

Some readers might take umbrage with my placing Whyte alongside the literary luminaries I mentioned earlier. Of course, that's just my opinion, but one that I hope people will explore and decide for themselves.

Whyte's writing style is highly engaging and pulls the reader in with detail, but never so much that it becomes overwhelming.

The pull through the pages is inexorable but never a chore. Even at a moderate reading pace, it is easy to finish a book in a week or so. Unless you're like me and simply can't put the series down. As I noted in my original post on The Skystone, it only took me two days to finish.

There you have it, a very high-level review of the series without venturing into major spoilers. If you're looking for a good series to read or inspiration for your next role-playing campaign, you could do far worse than the Camulod Chronicles.

Those are my thoughts on the Camulod Chronicles. Did I get it right?

Weird War II – After Action Report: The Failure of Operation Overlord

Years ago I discussed here how Weird War is a setting I'd LOVE to run.

As a campaign starter here is an idea I'm freely throwing out there for anyone to use to kick off one of their games. I've done it previously with a Roman Campaign idea for Majorian or for the New Shadow for Lord of the Rings.

Enter the Savage Worlds rules along with the Weird War II rulebook. 

In this case, imagine Operation Overlord failed. It fails not for the "normal" reasons, but because of the Weird War ones/ You know the beaches swarming with Axis zombies, wehrwolves and stitches along in additional to the rest of the Wehrmacht dug in along the Atlantic Wall.

Imagine if you will this memorandum prepared after the bloody repulse of the troops and the stories circulating among the ranks. Enter the PCs and having to land clandestinely in Europe to figure out just what the hell went wrong.

To: Major General Walter A. Smith From: Lieutenant Colonel William Thomas, 15th Army, 114th Special Operations Command Report filed: June 27th, 1944 Regarding: Failure of Operation Overlord, June 6th, 1944

TOP SECRET – For your eyes only.

General,

As you well know, the Allied invasion of Normandy was a disaster. Despite meticulous planning by SHAEF, everything that could go wrong did. Losses were far higher than even the worst projections. Allied planners are at a loss to explain why the landings failed so completely.

After-action reports chronicle the meager forces extracted from the beaches after just four days of fighting. The French Resistance carried out their missions, but like the soldiers on the beaches, they ultimately failed.

Worse, the reports suggest something far more sinister. Soldiers told of firing multiple rounds into German infantrymen: blowing off limbs only for them to keep coming. Only flamethrowers and bazookas brought some down. Pillboxes spilled out armies of shambling corpses that attacked with gruesome wounds. Despite the carnage, the invasion clawed its way inland.

As the advance continued, seaborne troops linked up with scattered paratroopers. Fighting intensified. Field hospitals were overwhelmed with bite wounds rather than gunshot or shrapnel injuries. Survivors described horrors in jumbled, near-catatonic terms. Then a massive North Atlantic storm rolled in, grounding Allied airpower.

Resistance along the beachhead fractured. Reports flooded in not just of Tigers and panzergrenadiers, but of hulking stitched-together brutes, mechanical soldiers, and other impossible horrors. While the front was stretched to the breaking point, the true enemy struck from the rear.

Men began dying in ever-increasing numbers from infected bite wounds. The dead rose from hasty graves and attacked their former comrades. The 203rd General Hospital was overrun. All medical support collapsed. Simultaneously, the 21st Panzer Division broke through and raced toward the Channel.

Split in two, Allied forces streamed back to the beaches in chaos. Evacuations began the night of June 10th/11th under extreme duress. Outbreaks occurred on several transports, forcing harsh quarantines and disposals. At least the contagion was contained.

The contingency plans of Operation Crosswire and Nightshade were activated. Success was achieved, and after two months all port facilities in the [CENSORED] area remain secure. Recommendation of immediate dispatch of [CENSORED] to France to reconnoiter and make contact with the [CENSORED] partisans.

My command has covertly observed and interviewed survivors as directed. The stories are too bewildering to dismiss. The Office of Special Investigations has been notified and is pursuing further understanding of the ramifications. Material losses and casualty figures remain incomplete.

This office has returned to Operations Mode Alpha and stands by for further instructions.

Respectfully submitted, Lieutenant Colonel William Thomas 18th Army Group, 114th Special Operations Command July 29th, 1944

Prepared by Lieutenant Susan Winters, Assistant Adjutant, 114th Special Operations Command

 The PCs have to parachute in or perhaps be deployed by boat. Either presents opportunities for the Game Master to spring other monsters on them as they infiltrate. Perhaps ultimately needing to find the lair or strange Third Reich science run amuk?

 What do you think? A good way to kick off a Weird War II campaign?

1st Edition AD&D Dragon Assault: When Cats Save the Day

A recent thread on RPG Pub caught my attention, dealing with dragons and defending a settlement in a quasi medieval world from winged death on wings.

What got me thinking was the type of dragon assaulting the city and in what game system matters a lot. A REAL lot.Also, what type of breath weapon does the dragon have? Traditional fire and smoke of the concussive, napalm nuclear stuff of Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon?

As AD&D is the focus of a lot of the older players gaming sites I decided to ponder it from a 1st Edition AD&D perspective. 

Personally, defensive fortifications is something of an obsession for me over the decades in 1st Edition ADD. And after all these years? Its a LOT of work from magic, to underground races to yes, flying creatures assaulting the battlements. 

Three helpful Dragon magazines on the subject are:

• Dragon #145 - Theme "A Knight's home is his castle"
• Dragon #160 - Theme "Who stalk the streets, are stalked as well"
• Dragon #224 -  Theme "Fantastic Architecture"

In short, because there are high number of monsters in the game system, magic items and spells that allow for ease of assault, the means for defense has to be likewise high. 

So with all this in mind there was there I looked at page and it hit me, read on.

First Post

Willmark posted: Oh and one thing just caught my eye, if we go rules as written in 1st edition AD&D? Read closely page 29 for dragon ages in the Monster Manual. The DM rolls a single die on number appearing. You could get anything from age 1 (Young) to age 8 (Ancient)! Equal chances for each one.

Of course this in an of itself could be really amusing: "Guards man the ramparts! Summon the mages to their positions and draw the ballista and await my command to fire!

Baby dragon comes winging in... Captain of the Guard "Uhhhhhhh…”

Now sure the DM can adjust this so Smaug's grand kids doesn't come winging in looking for a snack and ending up as a juicy turkey special at the local dive But the point remains, rules as written it could happen.

And if a hatchling does mange to wobble its way into the city? Forget the fact that even normal weaponry can hurt a dragon in 1st edition. Why even bother? Just send in that uber-bad-ass of low level monsters in 1st Edition: the domestic cat!

That's right, you read it right: the cat. You know, that monster that has more hit points that most first level magic users?

The domestic cat: No. Appearing: 2-12, AC:6, MV 5", Hit Dice: 1-5 hit point, Attacks 2, Damage 1-2/1-2 Special Attacks: rear claw rakes 1-2/1-2 

With that in mind consider the following.

Second Post

Willmark posted: Building on my thoughts and the wackiness of the random nature of dragon age under Rules As Written.

That very young eight hit point dragon that might show up? What if it meets the most terrifying monster in Monster Manual II? the domestic cat with two attacks plus possibly two more from the rear claws; number appearing of two to twelve. 

It just so happens there are ten of them in this scenario. Read on.

Part 1- The City is Alerted... Dragon Inbound!
The alarm sounded wildly across the walls as men scrambled to their posts throughout the vast city.

"Dragon sighted!" shouted the lookout, voice cracking just enough to be unhelpful. "Coming in low!"

The Captain of the Guard stormed up the ramparts, hand casually on his sword hilt as if he had done this many times before. "Man the ballista! Archers to the wall! Summon the mages…where in the hell are the mages?!"

A corporal instantly appeared (they always do at just the right time). "Sir! The mages are…indisposed."

The Captain narrowed his eyes. "Define exactly what indisposed means.'"

"They're at the Shady Gutter, sir. Something about arcane research and a drinking contest."

The Captain closed his eyes for a long, painful second while rubbing his temples . "Of course they are."

A distant screech echoed through the air. All heads turned skyward.

The dragon crested the horizon. All eyes squinting and straining to catch a glimpse of the fearsome beast on the way to lay waste to their city.

It was…small. VERY small.

The Captain blinked. "That's...IT?"

The lookout squinted. "Yes, sir. Very…enthusiastic, though."

The dragon gave a high pitched roar that sounded more like a kettle thinking about boiling.

A nearby soldier whispered, "I've seen bigger chickens."

"Quiet!" barked the Captain; he was in agreement, but couldn't show it to the rank and file.

The dragon swooped closer, wobbling slightly mid-flight, and let out a puff of flame that slightly singed a banner and immediately sputtered out.

A pause.

The Captain slowly turned to the corporal. "Where are the recruits…they need some…practice"

"Sir…they too are at the Shady Gutter..."

Another pause. Longer this time and the Captain shook his head. "Of course they are."

He stared at the approaching creature, then back at his men, then off toward the city.

"Very well," he said at last. "Stand down the ballista."

The corporal hesitated. "Sir?"

"You heard me. Stand. Them. Down."

The dragon attempted another roar and clipped a chimney. Its wobbly flight continued.

The Captain rubbed his temples again, a growing headache coming on. "Go into the city."

"Sir?"

"Find me…several…cats."

The corporal blinked. "Cats, sir?"

"Yes, corporal. Cats. Small, fast, angry, and sober. Unlike anyone currently in this garrison."

The corporal saluted slowly. "Yes, sir. Cats."

The dragon landed awkwardly in the square, claws scraping stone as it tried very hard to look imposing. It puffed itself up, wings flaring with all the confidence of something that had never been told "no," and let out another defiant roar.

It echoed.

It accomplished nothing.

A shutter creaked open somewhere above. An old woman leaned out, squinted, and shut it again.

Moments later, almost effortlessly a cat slinked around a statue nearby. It looked at the dragon. The dragon looked at the cat.

Then another cat appeared. A third, until several were now milling about.

The first cat finished with its paw and sat, tail wrapped neatly around its feet, regarding the dragon with a kind of detached curiosity usually reserved for mildly interesting furniture.

The Captain folded his arms, watching from the wall.

"Well," he muttered, "let's see how this plays out."

There was a brief flurry of motion, some indignant screeching, a few offended yowls, and a surprising amount of hissing.

Then silence.

The corporal returned, slightly out of breath. "Sir…target appears to be…neutralized."

The Captain nodded gravely. He peered down into the square, where three cats now lounged atop the dragon with supreme satisfaction "…commend the cats," he said.

The corporal leaned over the wall, then straightened. "Sir, they are ignoring me."

The Captain allowed himself the faintest smile. "Of course they are."

He turned back to his men.

"Stand down. And someone fetch the mages…and bring milk."

Part 2- The City is Defended...by...cats?

Meanwhile on the Ramparts...

The "battle" below had settled into something…difficult to categorize.

A few guards leaned over the parapet, watching with mild interest.

The Captain didn't look down.

"Odds?" he asked.

The quartermaster didn't hesitate. "Cats are two to one favorites, sir."

The Captain nodded once, as if this confirmed a long-held suspicion. He reached into his pouch, produced a leather purse with the unmistakable heavy clink of coin within, and slammed it onto the stone.

"Bet this month's wages on the cats. All in."

The corporal blinked. "Sir?"

The Captain didn't even look at him.

"You heard me."

Below, there was a brief, offended screech, followed by a chorus of hisses and the unmistakable sound of something losing very quickly.

The quartermaster leaned slightly, peering over the edge. "Movement suggests the cats are pressing their advantage, sir."

"Good," said the Captain calmly.

Another pause.

The corporal rubbed his forehead. "Sir…is this…standard protocol?"

The Captain folded his arms.

"It is now."

A beat.

From below? Silence.

The quartermaster straightened. "Outcome appears decided, sir."

The Captain allowed himself the faintest nod. "See?" he said. "Reliable assets."

The corporal sighed quietly, already imagining the paperwork, "…I'm going to need a new column on the duty roster."

 

Part 3- The "Triumph" at the Shady Gutter Tavern

The Shady Gutter tavern sagged under the weight of its own questionable life choices. Tankards lay overturned, a wizard snored face-down in a spell book, and two recruits were arguing with a chair that had, by all accounts, been winning for several hours.

It was, as usual, impossible to tell who was ahead.

The door slammed open.

The Captain of the Guard strode in, armor still dusty, expression carved from equal parts triumph and disbelief.

A mage lifted his head an inch. "Did we…win?"

The Captain paused.

"…Yes."

A recruit squinted. "Did we fire the ballista?"

"No."

"Archers?"

"No."

"Magic?"

The Captain glanced at the unconscious wizard drooling into his sleeve. "…not as such."

The tavern fell into a puzzled silence.

From behind him, the corporal stepped in more quietly, running the numbers in his head for tomorrow's roll call.

"Sir," he muttered, low enough that only the Captain could hear, "how would you like me to write this up?"

The Captain didn't even hesitate.

"Decisive action," he said. "Efficient use of local assets."

The corporal closed his eyes briefly. "Of course, sir."

Outside, in the square, the aftermath remained.

The dragon lay where it had fallen; a small, unimpressive thing that had arrived with grand intentions and departed as a footnote.

Draped across it, the cats rested in various states of satisfied indifference.

One blinked slowly at nothing in particular.

Another cleaned a paw with meticulous focus.

A third lay stretched along the flank, making full use of the lingering warmth while being quietly annoyed at its steady dissipation.

They looked, as they always did: mildly disappointed in the world, and vaguely pleased with themselves.

Back inside, the Captain raised a tankard.

"To the defense of the city!"

"To the defense!" came the ragged reply.

The corporal stared into his drink.

"…I'm putting them on the roster," he muttered.

A pause.

"…and requisitioning milk."

(The End)

Conclusion?

I'm not sure other than the system one is playing in makes all the difference in the world when once considers the age of question of a dragon assaulting a city. Granted I made an absurd story out of the whole thing but the point stands.

In A Lord of the Rings game, Smaug might show up. In 1st edition AD&D fluffy and his friends are wiping out a hatchling before noon.

1st Edition Warhammer Fantasy Role-play? Well...I'm not sure you could wake even wake it up. 

There you have it. What this illustrates is that "can a dragon lay waste to a city?" The smart answer is "maybe" because (RAW) Rules As Written? They can produce some amusing results.

 Let me know your thoughts. 

A4- In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

NOTE: Way back in 2011 I reviewed the entire Slavers series on Dragonsfoot. As I now improve my blog, I'm moving all my content from around the web to here. This is the second review in the A Series for AD&D.

A4 - In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords
By Lawrence Schick
An adventure for characters levels 4-7

Closing out the A-series is A4- In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, written by Lawrence Schick. Like its predecessor, it comes in at 28 pages and sports a fantastic cover by Erol Otis.

Like the previous three modules, A4 is written by yet another author. Looking through the credits for the entire series, you see many of the same names, but everyone seems to have traded roles from one module to the next. Coupled with the fact that these adventures all began life as tournament modules, it helps explain why the series sometimes feels less cohesive than it could have been. That is not to say I enjoy it any less, but I do think it accounts for some of the inconsistencies.

After harrying the Slave Lords' operations throughout A1, A2, and A3, the player characters finally reach the moment of truth. Or rather, that moment has already passed. Stripped of their equipment, deprived of most of their spells, and dumped into the Slave Lords' dungeon, they now have to survive with little more than their wits. Even today that is a memorable opening. At the time, it had to be one of the most original adventure hooks TSR had published. The only comparable shock opener that comes to mind is Vecna Lives!

So there you are. No weapons. No armor. No light. Nothing except a spell scroll that you cannot immediately use because you cannot even read it.

Schick does a good job explaining how to run this unusual situation and how the lack of equipment should affect the players. Mapping becomes almost impossible, which fortunately is not a major issue since the dungeon itself is fairly compact. Because the module predates the Survival Guides and nonweapon proficiencies, some of the mechanics require a bit of hand waving. Running it with later AD&D rules smooths over a few rough edges, but also makes parts of the escape a little easier than originally intended.

Fortunately, the dungeon is littered with odds and ends that resourceful players can turn into makeshift equipment. Rusty daggers, bone clubs, and other scraps are hardly impressive, but they are better than bare hands.

The darkness itself creates an interesting challenge for the Dungeon Master. Without being able to rely on the players seeing a map, the DM has to carefully describe every turn, intersection, and direction of travel. It demands more attention than a typical dungeon.

One part I have never bought, however, is the explanation regarding infravision. According to the text, every part of the dungeon and every inhabitant is effectively the same temperature.

Riiiiight....

The dungeon inhabitants are varied enough to keep things interesting. There is a struggling kobold tribe, an unusually weak will-o-wisp, giant crayfish, giant crabs, cave fishers, and a peaceful colony of myconids who seem content to sit around singing "Kumbayah" in their fungus forest.

The kobolds deserve special mention. They are not much of a threat, but they add something often missing from early TSR dungeons, namely a sense of ecology. They have clearly been driven deeper underground and are slowly dying out, making the dungeon feel like a living place rather than simply a collection of monsters waiting in rooms.

Exactly which route the party takes through the dungeon depends largely on how they solve a handful of obstacles.

Area 19 is probably the easiest escape route, although getting there requires crossing the infamous twenty-foot chasm in Area 18. Players can either attempt a dangerous climb two hundred feet down and back up again or, as my group did years ago, steal the bridge from Area 8 after dealing with the giant ants.

Area 21 is probably the next best option, though the cave fishers make escaping that way a nerve-racking proposition. Three cave fishers firing at lightly equipped characters is no joke.

Area 10 is probably the hardest route since it requires an underwater swim. If memory serves, the expanded map in A1-4: Scourge of the Slave Lords makes this section much easier to understand.

Regardless of which exit the players choose, they emerge onto the island about halfway between the volcano and the docks. The underwater route places them closest to the harbor if they follow the shoreline.

Once outside, most groups will naturally head for the docks.

If they escaped through Area 19, they will almost certainly encounter the looters marked as Area D on the island map. Those uniforms can prove surprisingly useful later, at least they certainly did when my group played through the adventure years ago.

Running into the giant goats could be entertaining. The fire lizard is considerably less so. As for the giant snapping turtle in Area B, I would rather admire it from a distance than experience its 3 to 18 point bite firsthand.

Notes

For my money, A4 has the best artwork in the entire series, with only A3 coming close. The combination of Erol Otis and Jim Roslof is pure old-school TSR gold.

Being a lifelong James Bond fan, I also cannot help thinking this entire setup violates the Evil Overlord List. If you really want to eliminate your enemies, there are much faster and more efficient ways than stripping them naked and tossing them into a dungeon full of monsters.

One oddity I noticed concerns the dungeon map. Two locations are marked "See Detail Map," but unless my secondhand copy is missing a page, those detail maps simply do not exist. It is hardly a major issue, but it is another small inconsistency. EDIT: I believe there is errata for it somewhere or it was fixed in the Super Module A1-4.

Strengths

The adventure's greatest strength is its premise. Taking everything away from the players forces them to rely on ingenuity rather than equipment. Even experienced groups suddenly become cautious because every rusty dagger suddenly matters.

Another overlooked strength is the Slave Lords themselves. Between A3 and A4, we are introduced to a full roster of memorable villains. More importantly, the series provides enough background material to use the Slave Lords as recurring campaign antagonists rather than one-shot villains.

Suderham also deserves another mention. Despite my criticisms of A3, I still think it has the potential to become an outstanding campaign city. In fact, I have seriously considered making it the centerpiece of a future Castles & Crusades campaign, albeit with a larger map.

Among the dungeon encounters, my favorites are Areas 17 and 21. Any module featuring a roper immediately earns points from me, and placing one at the junction of two tunnels creates an excellent choke point. The Cave of Bats is another standout encounter, helped considerably by the fantastic illustration on page one.

My favorite section of the module, however, comes after the dungeon.

Suderham in flames!

The real magic begins once the volcano erupts and the island descends into complete chaos. Lava, poison gas, magmen, terrified refugees, and panicked mobs all combine to create a wonderfully desperate atmosphere. The docks, in particular, capture the feeling perfectly. Looking over the illustrations while reading those pages gives a genuine sense that everything is collapsing around the players.

The Water Dragon is another excellent touch. The surviving Slave Lords are wounded, hurriedly preparing to flee, and trying to salvage what remains of their operation. It feels desperate, chaotic, and entirely believable.

One amusing thought always crosses my mind, though.

The players finally reclaim their equipment, defeat the Slave Lords, seize the galley, and celebrate their escape.

Then the Dungeon Master asks one simple question.

"So...uhhhh...who knows how to sail a galley?"

Cue the sound of crickets...

Weaknesses

The biggest weakness is also one inherited from A3.

For the adventure to function exactly as written, the entire party must be captured at the end of A3. I have never been particularly fond of the explanation that Mordrammo conveniently resurrects dead player characters simply so the adventure can continue. Personally, I would rather introduce replacement characters in the dungeon itself than rely on that amount of narrative hand waving.

Then there is the back cover.

What on earth is that vampire doing there?

I have read this module numerous times and still cannot connect that illustration to anything inside. Since it is by Bill Willingham, I am willing to forgive it, but it remains a mystery.

And while we are discussing the cover...

Pink?

Really?

The largest issue, however, is the inconsistency between A3 and A4 regarding the Slave Lords themselves.

In A3, we are presented with five Slave Lords while repeatedly being told Suderham is the City of the Nine.

Fast forward to A4, where we are informed that six Slave Lords survived the earthquake.

Unless my math has gotten considerably worse over the years, five plus six equals eleven.

So what happened?

Did the Slave Lords practice hot-bunking like sailors? Did some have to stand during meetings because there were only nine thrones? Were there emergency promotions after the events of A3?

More likely, it was simply an editing oversight.

It is hardly a deal breaker, but once you notice it, you cannot help smiling every time you reread the series.

Closing Thoughts

As written, A4 is an excellent adventure built around one of the most original premises TSR ever produced. By taking away the party's equipment, the module forces players to rely on their own ingenuity instead of simply reaching for another magic item.

Once they finally escape the dungeon, the adventure never really lets up. The race across an island collapsing into volcanic chaos provides a fitting conclusion to the series and keeps the pressure on right to the end.

My only real reservation lies in the transition from A3 into A4, which requires a fair amount of Dungeon Master intervention for the setup to work smoothly.

Even so, I highly recommend A4.

Run your players through it. If they are willing to embrace the challenge rather than complain about losing their equipment, they are likely to remember it for years.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it.

NOTE: the original review on Dragonsfoot can be found here. 

A3- Aerie of the Slave Lords – Old School AD&D Thoughts and a Review

NOTE: Way back in 2011 I reviewed the entire Slavers series on Dragonsfoot. As I now improve my blog, I'm moving all my content from around the web to here. This is the second review in the A Series for AD&D.

A3- Aerie of the Slave Lords 

By Allen Hammack
An adventure for characters levels 4-7

Ahhhh, A3, the penultimate module of the A series and perhaps the most mixed bag of the lot...

Before I get into this one, people should be aware that none of this is to be taken personally. This is a review. I’d still play or DM A3, it’s just that as written it’s a bit weak and certainly the weakest of the four in the series, in this writer’s estimation.

At 28 pages, A3 is the same page length as A4. But in a lot of ways this one seems, to quote Bilbo Baggins, a bit "thin, like butter scraped across too much bread", sparse if you will. I think the nature of these being tournament modules that were later fleshed out, combined with the Spartan-like nature of this one, creates a bit of a conundrum.

Having assaulted the Slavers’ operations in A1 and one of their way points in A2, the PCs are now on their way to the abode of the Slave Lords themselves, the City of the Nine, Suderham. See my notes on this in my review of A4.

Having been suitably directed from A2, the PCs find themselves in the badlands of the Pomarj near a peak in the Drachengrab Hills. Before them are four narrow caves to enter, and from there they enter a maze?

To me, the cave map in A3 is the clearest indication that this is a tournament module. It’s not bad, it’s simply showing its roots. The explanation of Mad King Olarek using this maze for his political prisoners? Ok, I guess...

Anyway, diving in we get some gnolls, which is nice if for no other reason than a change of pace from orcs in the previous modules. After that it’s a piercer cavern, which at 4 to 24 points of damage is enough to ruin anyone’s day, especially in a tournament.

More gnolls and hyena-dons feasting follow...

Next up is the first real gotcha moment of the module: Room A5. Now the trap is not that devious per se and can be partially circumvented. It’s more a case that there is no way around it. Some would say, "Well duh." That’s not my point. My point is that if you use the NPCs from the tournament as a guide, no one is going to have a fly spell. So swim through they go, taking 1 to 4 points of damage from exertion? Ummm, ok.

The thing that makes the room cool is the quirky Sword of Lyons.

I’ll skip the Stroper, as there are plenty of other monsters to bag on in 1st Edition. These merely get a "meh" from me.

Last but not least, the big bad at the end of the maze is... Wimpell Frump?

You’d think that these ace Slave Lords would have someone more accomplished covering their secret escape route, or at least someone with a better name. Also, it’s apparent from the layout of the dungeon that the illusionist spends all of his time hanging out here, as he has no means for a kitchen, bedroom, or even a garterlobe. Perhaps some illusions to cover that one corner take care of that?

I’m sure some will start gushing because he’s an illusionist and illusionists are uber-cool, you see. Um, yeah, next.

From here we get to the next part, Part B, the City itself. This is accomplished via a long tunnel leading to Scum Slum, the outskirts of Suderham.

And being (stop me if you've heard me say this): it’s a tournament module, the rush is to get to Part C. This is a shame really, as I, like a lot of people, would want more meat on the bone regarding Suderham. The intro and flavor text paragraph is cool and evocative, bringing to mind the description of the Drow city in D3.

Right off the bat the train tracks become apparent. Some old geezer waddles up to the PCs and basically gives them their first clue without doing anything. Again, in a tournament setting this makes sense. It’s important information, a bit cryptic, but smart players will figure it out easily.

It’s also a bit too easy for my tastes unless you’re in a tournament setting. As a campaign, I’d be tempted to have the PCs explore the city and give them enough rope...

Given that the PCs arrive at night, large swathes of the city are closed up while the nightlife is bustling. This is again a construct of the tournament structure. The goal in the tournament was to make it through this section in three hours. Obviously, as a DM, this will require a lot of going it alone for a campaign.

As noted, the nightlife is hopping in Suderham, although why go out when you could be dude pimping it on page 14!

In any event, almost all searching is eventually going to funnel the PCs to B13 and finding the way in through there. A longer campaign might allow for B68.

The inns, bars, taverns, etc. are all filled, as are the Houses of Ill Repute. Imagine the snickering of my 8-year-old self at those when I first read them!

Most players are going to start trolling these for additional information. Another point is that with the city being in "night mode," some PCs might try for mischief right off the bat. Let them. It will bring their attention to the Slavers that much sooner, like if they poke their heads into the Assassins Guild at B18.

Assuming they finally figure things out, there are two ways into the Catacombs in Part C: one by following the clues at B13, and one by chance at B68. It doesn’t really matter, as they both spill into area C1 below.

From there they encounter a Flesh Golem with some extra umph. Assuming they get through him, next up is a mimic, some traps, a Minotaur, obviously a transplant from the maze in Part A, a Gelatinous Cube, Shambling Mound, snakes, and then the Slavers themselves.

Putting that 18/56 strength to use!

Notes

Errr, the Jeff Dee art! Interestingly, I do like the Dee cover.

I mentioned in my A4 review that A3 has the second-best art overall. That’s because there is more Erol Otus and Bill Willingham stuff in it, which me likes. "Ogre" punching Feetla’s shield is kick ass!

I like the location of the city to a degree: on a large lake, on an island, with a volcano. Cool. Can’t imagine what’s going to go wrong with an extinct volcano in the not-too-distant future, however.

If you are into old-school sparseness, it doesn’t get much more sparse than this, maybe except for a Marine barber shop on Paris Island.

The city is numbered with only the barest of descriptions and the like. Want proof? The city is covered in seven pages of text. That has to be some kind of record.

These are assigned A1 to A4, but why? Shouldn’t they have C designations?

Strengths

Our first real look at high-level NPC baddies is the best part of module A3. The five presented are rather iconic and make for great recurring villains.

Suderham, if expanded on, makes for a great city in the scummy sort of way. Who wants cities of shining white and paladins? Not me. Give me gritty and sleazy any day of the week. There is much more to do and explore.

By and large the art is good and fits the piece well. Of particular note is Bill Willingham’s Stroper and the Arabian-attired dude with the harem girls. Otus’ weird-looking gate guards are way cool as well and depict the vertical nature of the walls looming before the PCs.

A one-of-a-kind weapon: in our heart of hearts, us geeks love the basic snippets of stuff in modules like the "legendary" Sword of Lyons. Why is it legendary? That’s for an individual DM to decide.

Weaknesses

The maze at the start.

I noted some points above, but let’s just say it works for a tournament module but not much else. The map is a one-way maze and all that entails. As a player it would most likely annoy. As a DM it could possibly bore you. Your mileage may vary.

The whole island, city, and slums are cramped. Some might like it, but we are talking about city walls that enclose an area of 400 by 400 feet. If I were running this, I’d redraw the map, at least in terms of scale, to make it, as Hannibal Lecter would say, "roomier."

The general layout of the island I have no problem with, nor the crater lake. I simply think the distances are too small. But where am I getting this from, I hear you ask?

Look at the scale on the map on page 28, then compare it to the inside cover map and its scale for the city: 600 feet by 600 feet. In any event, it’s too small for my taste, and the scale seems out of whack. At 600 by 600 yards it’s a bit better, but still not perfect.

Another thing that bothers me is the inconsistency with the city itself. Since the focus is not on the city and it merely serves as a vehicle to gather clues to get to Part C, why are they going into detail about some buildings?

By this I mean consider B16, the Assassins Guild. Is it important to know the membership fees for the guild? In a tournament, no. In a campaign, yes.

This could be a construct of trying to make the modules more user-friendly for a campaign. It’s just that I have a hard time believing these details were in the tournament module, mainly because they would serve no purpose there.

The nature of just who knows what in the city is another issue. Take the bartender at the Sign of the White Knight. Again, we get cryptic responses and no straight answers. I get it supposed to be mysterious but even for the time it falls flat.

Or the Maps and Charts library: "Where those that bear us reside." Ok, first thought, couldn’t that mean females since they bear children? Of course horse makes sense, but this could be confusing, to say the least.

That damned Flesh Golem at C1. You’d think an outfit swimming in loot from all the slave dealings would have more than a measly Flesh Golem with pimped-out iron add-ons. C’mon, Stone Golem here at least!

I’m not buying the pseudo-Iron Golem shtick as a player. Because if it were true, I’d either run if I could or say to hell with it, as I probably don’t have anything that could dent it.

Going hand in hand with this is the ecology of the dungeon, either one. Part A is better, mind you, but Part C? Ugh.

S4 is the poster child for this, but I might be tempted to rank A3 right up there with it. There are a bunch of critters who have to eat, but the straightforward, no-deviation-allowed dungeon design makes it rather implausible.

I know it sounds like a broken record, but once again tournament design is rearing its head.

As with the other modules in the A series, the rewards are few and far between. This is truly the case here, as both "dungeons" have some tough foes for the levels of the party, but little to show for it.

This can be hand-waved by saying why would the Slavers leave such things around? You’d be right in saying that, and I’d agree with that point. The problem is the players might not be happy with the rewards considering the risk.

Closing

In closing, I think A3 has the most problems out of all of them and is the most apparent as a tournament module. In order for it to be more workable, a lot of it has to be redone.

Likewise, people have been arguing over its ending probably since it came out as a published module. As a result, we are not going to end the debate here, that’s for sure.

The capture of PCs intact and not dead is one of the most difficult tasks ever without it being seen as contrived. A far better solution is that if a few PCs die, allow new ones in the dungeons of A4. It’s rather easy to do. Just roll them up and don’t worry about gear.

You’ll note that the strengths section is a bit lacking. That’s not to say that I don’t like this module, far from it. Rather, it’s a case of what I noted several times: sparse.

Seven pages, nearly one quarter taken up by the city, which if used as written the PCs breeze through. That is going to impact the quality, and it does.

The first dungeon is lackluster, and the later one is a bit improbable.

Obviously, I’d use A3 as a starting point and flesh it out from there. There are enough pieces here, in conjunction with A4, for high-level baddies for years to come.

After all, the Slaver operations aren’t just one temple in Highport and one Stockade on the way to Suderham. In fact, you could treat them like trying to grasp Jell-O. The harder you squeeze, the more mess ends up on the floor and the less you have in your fingers.

The Slavers should be used as a great source of material rather than just monsters. That is, at least, my take on it.

Despite its flaws have you played A3?