The Lords of Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2

A Mundane Guide to. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Tales From Beyond the Grave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Skeletons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Ghouls and Ghasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5Wights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9Mummies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4Vampires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2Ghosts .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Spectres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Lich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

The Night Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Table of Contents

THE LORDS OF DARKNESS

Cartography: Dave LaForce ISBN 0-88038-622-3

Typography: Kim Janke $8.95 US

Keylining: Stephanie Tabat 9240 9240XXX1501

Authors: Ed Greenwood (Introduction, Lich, Mundane Guide,Lords of Darkness), Deborah Christian (Skeletons, Shadows,Spectre), Michael Stackpole (Zombies), Paul Jaquays (Ghoulsand Ghasts, Mummies), Steve Perrin (Wights), Vince Garcia(Vampires, Ghosts), Jean Rabe (Vampires).

Editing: Scott Martin Bowles

Project Coordinators: Bruce A. Heard, Karen S. Boomgarden

Cover Art: Jeff Easley

Interior Art: Karl Wailer

Credits:

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, FORGOTTEN REALMS,DRAGON, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are trademarksowned by TSR, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and inCanada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade byregional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Anyreproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork presented herein inprohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

© 1988 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147

TSR Ltd.120 Church End, Cherry Hinton

Cambridge CB1 3LBEngland

INTRODUCTION AND DMING UNDEADWith a final sharp, splintering sound,the door gave way. The warriors forcedit aside and peered into the dimnessbeyond, blades drawn.

They beheld a dark, littered chamber,silent and dead. Dust lay thick every-where. Though there were no traces ofanyone having come there, an old mansat in its midst, sucking a pipe and hum-ming into h is beard as he regardedthem levelly.

� A n d w h o a r e y o u , g r a y b e a r d ? �demanded the foremost man-at-arms,approaching warily. In reply, the oldman spoke a word of power that smotetheir ears with a clap of thunder Hischallenger staggered back as if dazed,dropping blade and shield with a clang-o r .

�My name, despoilers of tombs,� hesaid in a deep, rolling voice, �is Elmin-ster. I sit in this crypt to be with myfriends. You will leave them, and youwill leave me�NOW.� And he rose, eyesflashing. The men turned and, with oneaccord, fled.

The old man chuckled, sighed, andsat down again. �You were saying?� heprompted the darkness. And the dark-ness answered. . .

Undead are among the most vividlychilling monsters in AD&D® game cam-paigns, from awesome vampires tosilent, purposeful skeletons. Manyadventurers have battled wraiths andcut their way through zombies; DMswanting to give players more suchexcitement will find adventures aplentyhere. Everyone has fears and gruesomeimages of the undead; may you findmore in these pages.

This sourcebook begins with intro-ductory notes on the nature and han-dling of undead. �Tales From Beyondthe Grave� then presents 10 completeadventures. Each highlights a �classic�undead type, with the challenges risingas one proceeds to the later scenarios.DMs should modify these as necessaryto better integrate them into campaignplay.

�Creature Notes� accompany eachadventure. These studies of the fea-tured undead are particularly useful to

DMs devising their own undead adven-tures.

�The Night Gallery� details the maincharacter or creature of each adven-ture and is useful in planning a series ofencounters.

It is followed by �A Mundane Guide toWards vs. Undead, Spirits, and OtherEntities,� which explores the magic andlore of dealing with undead. Some lorewill be �common knowledge� (readableto players), and more can be revealedby consulting veteran adventurers,sages, or crumbling tomes. Muchshould be learned only by trial anderror, during combat.

�The Lords of Darkness� sectionpresents new spells for �necromancers�(those mages who specialize in workingwith undead). They are fully compati-ble with the spells in other AD&D®

game rulebooks, and are recommendedas rare and mysterious magics, notspells widely known and available. Cler-ical equivalents may be devised inaccordance with the deities of individ-ual campaigns.

Undead in theForgotten RealmsAlthough this sourcebook is set in theFORGOTTEN REALMS� fantasy world,DMs need not have other Realmslore(such as the campaign set) if they wishto set these adventures in different fan-tasy campaign settings. For thosewhose campaigns are set in the Realms,a few notes will help in planning fur-ther undead adventures.

Many types of undead are known inthe Realms, including sorts not in theofficial AD&D game rules; boars,horses, wolverines, and even owlbearshave been reported. There are alsoundead animated by mages, such ascrawling claws and dracoliches (seeDRAGON® Magazine issue Nos. 32 and110), little known in other worlds.Undead are a recognized fact of exist-ence in the Realms, much feared and lit-tle understood. Many gory tavern talesabout liches and vampires and armies

of shuffling zombies chill farmers andmerchants alike late at night arounddying hearth fires.

Some undead are clearly evil,directed or created by or allied to darkpowers. Others are just as clearly neu-tral, and the intelligent undead haveproven time and again that they arecapable of all the emotions and align-ments of their living counterparts:treachery, suspicion, friendship, honor,and even kindness. There are benignundead who warn or aid travelers aswell as those who kill the living. What-ever causes undead to come into exist-ence (spell, natural process, divinedeed, or unknowable mystery) arestrong in the Realms; there are a LOT ofundead.

DMing UndeadMost DMs use undead for their memo-rable, fearsome nature and theirunique powers, which can sorely testlow-level player characters. Howundead are handled in battle is of para-mount importance; while the mindlessnature of lesser undead allows a DM torescue foolish PCs from battlefield folly,too often, more powerful undead arehandled in as mindless a manner.

Consider a lich, for example: a mageor cleric so thirsty for immortality as totry to cheat death, and already power-ful at magic. All too often a lich is playedby the DM as a being who suddenlythrows a paramount instinct for surviv-al beyond death away, to stand andtrade spells with a band of adventurers.Liches should be cunning and elusive�why be destroyed when one can slipaway to strike again another night?What�s the hurry, what�s time, to a lich?

The DM should always have a clearidea of what encountered undead aretrying to accomplish, from skeletons orzombies mindlessly seeking to slay, to avampire or lich defending a trap-filledlair. Why defend such a lair?

The lich�s lair presented in this bookhas a purpose: Alokkair is trying tostrip greedy adventurers of all the mag-ic (and valuables which can buy more

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magic) he can. A vampire or spectremay try to separate individuals from aparty with pit traps and the like, so as todrain them at leisure, and gain undeadfollowers.

All intelligent undead will have aims(even if they are insane ones, or whim-sies to entertain them). The �natural�creation of greater undead seemsrelated to strength of purpose andcharacter, so thinking undead withoutsomething to do (beyond exulting in kill-ing and mayhem) should be rare.

A vampire or lich that clashes withplayer characters many times tobecome a behind-the-scenes personalfoe is far more memorable, frightening,and satisfying to defeat than an undeadmenace seen for only an instant beforePCs let fly with all their firepower. Alltoo often, undead are defeated withboring ease, when a wily vampirewould become gaseous and escape,only to ambush PCs later when asleep,separated, or battling another monster.If DMs play undead as energetically asPCs, players will soon have their ownchilling tales of undead and hard battlesin the dark.

result in a loss of character experience.l Temporary paralysis with no sav-

ing throw, either complete or partial,thereby preventing spell-casting, climb-ing, picking locks, and giving a -2 pen-alty to AC and attacks, for 1d12 + 10rounds; curable.l Loss of all experience gained back

to the minimum required for the char-acter�s current level.l Immediate loss of consciousness,

loss of 2d6 hit points, plus a permanentloss of 1 hit point per drain attack, pluspossible loss of currently memorizedspells.l Loss of ability points at random;

character must save vs. poison to see ifeach loss is permanent.l Permanent withering of touched

limb (limited wish or wish notwith-standing), or bestowal of a disease ofsevere, chronic nature.l Bestowal of minor permanent

curse (see �Curses!�, DRAGON® Maga-zine, issue No. 77).

silent, non-attacking grim reminders oflong-ago battle valor, or guard familycrypts and the resting places of heroes.

Other undead are of the sortsdescribed in the AD&D® game rules:dangerous monsters that must befought. There are vampires in theRealms who command small armies ofundead, and liches who rule entire cit-ies or underground realms.

But vampires have helped travelersand battlefield survivors. Liches havetrained, advised, or chatted amiablywith adventurers. Skeletons havemarched out of crypts in besieged citiesto s n a t c h u p children-theirdescendants-and bear them to safety.

The next day, after the paladin�s bladehad slain many an orc, the full light ofday revealed that Ralgorax�s flesh waswithered. He bore old death wounds,and the horse beneath him was also car-rion. He smiled sadly at their revulsion,saluted, and rode away-into thehorde.

The great paladin Ralgorax, the�Sword of Tyr,� in the dead of nightroused the sleeping northern villagewhere he had been born, riding hischarger down its streets and banginghis great sword against his shield. Hewarned of an oncoming orc horde�and slew its boldest scouts as the vil-lagers scrambled to gather theirbelongings and flee.

DMs should keep players on theirtoes by occasionally using monstersthat vary from their official versions:intelligent, unturnable skeletons arefrequent undead examples. Why nothelpful undead? Or neutral undeadwho do not even know they have died,such as merchants caught encampedand asleep by a long-ago blizzard?Undead need not always have maliciouspersonalities.

Alternatives toEnergy DrainingMany DMs are reluctant to use undeadas much as the vivid descriptions ofthese monsters tempt them to; it seemsunfair to DMs and players alike to lose10 years of life (in a campaign wheretime is largely ignored, the loss is mean-ingless; in a roleplaying campaign, theloss seems horribly steep) at the meresight of a ghost, or have a single undeadattack drain one or even two levels ofhard-won experience, robbing a playerof the game benefits of what might beliterally years of AD&D® game play.

The horror and might of undeadmust be preserved: to merely turn alevel-draining ability into so many diceof physical damage seems a poor solu-tion. DMs may well devise their ownsolutions, but here are some alterna-tives to an attack that would normally

l Character stricken with insanity(refer to DMG for types), or, if the char-acter is a spell-caster, the PC perma-nently loses knowledge of how to cast acertain spell at random or perform atype of a magic.l Alignment shift of character, one

step per attack, toward that of theattacking undead. Note that this couldcause back-and-forth alignment shiftsas a character with a long careerencounters undead of different align-ments.l Immediate feeblemindedness plus

a permanent loss of 1 ability point tran-dom choice, save vs. poison to avoid).

Non-Evil UndeadThe arts of creating and controllingundead are Evil-and, as many havelearned to their detriment, very dan-gerous.

But undead themselves are notalways evil. In the Realms, and manyother real and fictional lands, there aretales of apparitions that warn the livingof hazards such as washed-out bridgesand impending disaster. Others provide

That is how easy it is to create non-evil undead. Such variety in an AD&D®

game campaign will give its participantsglowing memories of exciting, vividplay . . . and isn�t that what gaming isfor?

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Monster: Skeletons (12)Terrain: VillageParty Levels: 6 (Average 1st)Gold X.P.: 800Treasure X.P.: 1,000

SKELETONS

Monster X.P.:Kill: 744 Defeat: 558Retreat: 186

Setupl Several churchyards in local villag-

es have been desecrated. Grave robbersare suspected of unearthing the tombsand strewing bones about the ceme-tery. Only one cemetery in the arearemains untouched. PCs are asked bythe local temple to guard the church-yard and prevent this sacrilege.

l The village temple�s sexton runsscreaming to the tavern about the deadrising from their tombs in the vaultsbeneath the temple. Villagers who dareinvestigate are attacked by molderingskeletons. The PCs are rousted fromtheir sleep at the inn and pressed intoservice against this menace.

DM BackgroundVillage cemeteries in the area are beingdisturbed, not by grave robbers, butrather by the odd magical powers ofKendra, a madwoman with the abilityto animate the skeletal dead (see �TheNight Gallery�). Recently, she has wan-dered into the village of Daufin. A fewdays before, a caretaker chased thefilthy vagabond woman away from thetemple grounds. Now, at the dark of themoon, Kendra visits the cemetery,raises the dead at midnight, and turnstheir wrath against the temple staffwho live in nearby outbuildings. Joinedby the dead of the mausoleum vaultswithin the temple, the skeletons willslay the living and desecrate the templeunless heroic actions prevent themfrom doing so.

If PCs have agreed to guard the ceme-tery from what is thought to be graverobbers, they are in on all the action ofthis adventure. If they are roused from

sleep to aid the villagers, they come intothe scenario when novices arebesieged, under the heading �TheSiege�, below.

The AdventureDaufin Temple andCemetery

The temple in Daufin is small but well-supported by farmers and villagers.The curate is Hannes, a third-level cler-ic. His assistant is the first-level clericJilla, and they have accepted three vil-lage youths into service as acolytes.

Hannes (first-level cleric): AC 8;MV 9�; hp 14; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8(mace); AL CG.

Spells: Chant, hold person, bless,cure light wounds.

Hannes is fat and jovial, thoroughlycontent to be a rural cleric. He lives in afine house at the edge of town. He doesnot think clearly in an emergency and israther cowardly. Hannes is the one whosuggests that the PCs help if PCs are notalready on the scene. He stays in thebackground of any action.

Jilla (first-level cleric): AC 10;MV 12�; hp 6; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 (quar-terstaff); AL CG.

Spells: Cure light wounds.

The night Kendra raises the skele-tons, Jilla has been carousing late intothe night at the local tavern. She may ormay not aid the characters, as the DMsees fit. If the PCs acquit themselveswell, she asks to join them when theydepart.

Acolytes (3 zero-level clerics):AC 10; MV 12�; hp 3 each; #AT 1;Dmg 1d2 (fists); AL CG.

Petrus, Davic, and Lauren are obedi-ent and hard-working teen-agers, easilyawed by things and people beyond nor-mal village experience. They believeHannes is a very wise man, and follow

his orders without question.The temple is a tall and spacious

building of whitewashed stone with ared-tiled roof. Although the exterior issimple, the interior is decorated withgold leaf, frescoes, and richly carvedwoodwork. Below ground, in the foun-dation walls, are crypts, the final rest-ing place of leading clerics and somedistinguished villagers. Each crypt isplugged with a slab of marble carvedwith the name, dates, and accomplish-ments of the deceased concealedbehind it. The temple mausoleum isalmost completely filled, and is all butignored under Hannes� administration.

Along the hill behind the temple are afew outbuildings, including the aco-lytes� quarters. The cemetery occupiesthe sunny hillside below and behind thetemple. Surrounded by shady trees andplanted with flowers, the place is rest-fully beautiful by day. Folk often paytheir respects to the graves of thedeparted; there is little local history ofactive undead, and the cemetery is notconsidered to be a fearful place.

A Graveyard VigilThe cemetery is located in an areaapproximately 200� long by 100� wide.Trees grow on every side of the grave-yard. The temple and outbuildings arevisible 300� away near the top of thehill.

Once the PCs have posted themselvesaround this area for guard purposes, aquiet and boring vigil begins. Thiscloudy and overcast night is also thenight of the new moon. It is completelydark in the cemetery and the surround-ing woods. The only light that can beseen comes from a lamp over the dis-tant temple door, which burns all night.The village is out of sight beyond thehill, and any light from there fails to illu-minate the graveyard.

Night birds sing for a time after sun-set, then settle down for the evening.Near midnight, a breeze springs upwhich rustles the tree leaves andobscures small noises -such as Ken-dra�s approach through the woods, and

4

her quiet muttering as she draws near.The madwoman�s 30�-infravision helpsher in the darkness, and she is almostanimal-like in her ability to movethrough undergrowth and slip betweennearly unseen trees.

Kendra: AC 10 (7 if enraged); MV12�; hp 5 (stays conscious to -5 hp);#AT 1; Dmg 1d2 (teeth and claws,attempts to bite victim�s throat); ALCE; XP 1,000; ST 10 (18 if enraged);IN 16; WI 5; DX 9; CO 12; CH 7.

Spells: animate dead. Wears a ringof invisibility Infravision, 30�; 30%immune to sleep, charm.

To see if PCs or Kendra encountereach other before she can do her magic,roll ld6. On a result of 1, 2, or 6, go to�Running Into Kendra�� below.

Otherwise, Kendra strolls out into themiddle of the graveyard, constantlyhumming and muttering under herbreath. Her sounds are hidden by thewind in the trees, unless a character isusing magic or has exceptionally acutehearing. As the madwoman walksaround this open expanse, there is a25% chance that she may pass withinthe range of sight of characters withinfravision. PCs may respond howeverthey wish when they discover her inthe cemetery-at any rate, her magichas already done its work, and the skel-

etons will soon be rising from theirgraves. Go to �Enough to Raise theDead!�

Running Into KendraOn a die roll of 1, Kendra passes closeenough to a PC that the player charac-ter becomes aware of her presence. Ifthe PC wins an initiative roll, he is closeenough to make a leap or grab for her.

If the PC is successful in this, Kendrafights and shrieks, calling skeletons toher aid. ld4 rounds later, ld4 skeletonsrise out of the closest graves and cometo her assistance, attacking her assail-ant or captors. If the undead free her,she flees into the woods and comesback the next night to try this all again.Otherwise, go to �Rewards.�

If the PC fails to catch Kendra rightaway, she runs into the cemetery anddashes in frantic circles, singing andcalling out to her grave-bound friends.Regardless of PC actions, the entireskeleton crew of the graveyard is aboutto rise up and assist Kendra. Go to�Enough to Raise the Dead� and alterevents as necessary to reflect the mad-woman�s circumstances.

On a die roll of 2, a PC with infravis-ion glimpses a human-shaped figuremoving through the edge of the trees,but is not close enough to tackle itimmediately. Oblivious to this attention,Kendra continues on into the cemetery.

On a die roll of 6, Kendra becomesaware of the PCs before they notice her.She changes her course and then headsfor the temple mausoleum. Slippinginside, she raises the skeletons from themausoleum crypts. The sexton, alertedby the thudding of marble slabs ontothe floor, investigates -and sees theblood-chilling sight of walking bonesand grinning skulls. He screams in ter-ror and flees to the village to give thealarm.

If Kendra is diverted in this way,there is only a 2% chance for PCsguarding the cemetery to notice herslipping into the temple. At their dis-tance from the temple, they notice onlya furtively moving figure. However, the

If the PC fails to catch Kendra rightaway, and she is alerted to danger, sheflees and runs around the cemetery,calling skeletons to her aid. In this case,continue with �Enough to Raise theDead.�

If the PC grapples with Kendra in thecourse of that round, she calls out andsummons 1d4 skeletons which come toher aid in the next ld4 rounds. If theundead free her, she flees into thewoods and returns the next night to trythis all again. Otherwise, go to�Rewards.�

If she is free to walk around there for atleast one round, her magic takes effect,and play continues with �Enough toRaise the Dead.�

5

sexton�s screaming exit some minuteslater should draw their undividedattention. If PCs investigate, theirencounter is described under �TheMausoleum.�

Enough to Raise the Dead

Once Kendra has summoned the grave-yard skeletons, they begin to rise fromthe grave two rounds later. It takes oneround for a skeleton to become ani-mated, and one additional round for itto claw its way out of the ground (see�Ecology of the Skeleton,� elsewhere inthis book). In the next four minutes, allundead that are going to will haveresponded to her summons. If PCs arepresent, the skeletons attack charactersimmediately after emerging from theground.

Skeletons (7): AC 7; MV 12�; hp 7each; #AT 1� Dmg 1d6 (claws); AL CE.

One skeleton will appear in the sec-ond round, four more in the third, andthe last two in the fourth.

If there were no PCs guarding thegraveyard, Kendra proceeds to the tem-ple mausoleum, followed by her skele-tons. There she �frees� more of herfriends, and the sexton escapes througha side door to warn the village. Play con-tinues with �The Siege,� below.

If Kendra has encountered PCs and iscaptive or slain, the skeletons attack theplayer characters. If PCs are victorious,play concludes with �Rewards.� Other-wise, Kendra runs to the temple mauso-leum to �free� more of her �friends�while the cemetery skeletons engagethe PCs.

The MausoleumKendra may have noticed PCs guardingthe graveyard, and detoured instead tothe temple mausoleum. Alternately, shemay have escaped to the temple from themelee in the graveyard. If Kendra knowsshe is pursued by characters, she barsthe front door of the temple to slow pur-

suit and is drawn unerringly to the mau-soleum by her affinity for the dead.

In either case, she summons the skel-etons from their crypts in the mausole-um. If adventurers arrive within oneturn to investigate the disturbance,they are confronted inside the templeby skeletons.

Skeletons (2): AC5; MV 12�; hp 10;#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 1; AL CE.

One wears a ring of feather falling.Skeletons (3): AC 7; MV 12�; hp

6; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 (claws); AL CE.

These undead fight without reserva-tion, and can only be stopped bydestroying or turning them. They donot pursue fleeing characters far fromKendra. The first two skeletons are theremains of adventuring clerics. Theywere buried in their armor and carry+1 maces, hence are the most power-

ful fighters among these undead. Oneof the other skeletons was buried witha bag of 300 gp in the crypt at his feet; itis clearly visible to anyone lookingdirectly into that tomb.

The SiegeWhen Kendra has marshaled her forceof skeletons-unless prevented byPCs- she leads them directly to the aco-lytes� quarters, the largest outbuilding.She has mistaken it for the caretaker�sresidence, and singled it out for herrevenge.

Awakened by the sexton�s screams,the acolytes see the undead marchingtoward their quarters. They bar thedoor and stand inside, grasping chairlegs as improvised weapons. Kendrastays concealed at a distance, watchingwhat the undead do. When the skele-tons assault the building, they tear shut-ters off the two windows and enter.The acolytes can hold out for one turnbefore they are overwhelmed by theundead and slaughtered. If skeletonsare attacked from the rear (by PCs),two-thirds of their number turns to thenew threat, and the others persist intheir siege of the house.

RewardsIf the PCs successfully guarded thecemetery and/or saved the acolytes,they are thanked by Hannes andrewarded with 500 gp. If the acolytesperish, the PCs receive only 100 gp fortheir efforts. If Kendra is captured,Hannes wants to keep her in hopes ofcuring her insanity. The cleric doesn�texpect PCs to loot the dead, but unscru-pulous characters may acquire the ringof feather falling, two +1 maces, andthe 300 gp in the crypt.

Ecology of theSkeletonHubert was blustering his way throughhis third pitcher of ale at the The EmptyTankard tavern. His audience wasmostly reduced to younger adventur-ers who welcomed the blowhard�s taleswhile Callis, the innkeep, readied theevening meal.

�Last month Rado and I stumbledacross the tomb of Tynik the RobberKing, in the Gray Hills,� the big mansaid. �You�ve all heard of it . . .� he pausedwhile heads nodded on cue in the lamp-light, �. . . but they don�t tell you aboutthe carnivorous skeletons that guard it.We fought them as long as we could,but we were outnumbered. They cravehuman blood, and when we ran, theygave chase . . .�

After the past hour of similar yarns,one listener wasn�t having any of it.�That�s enough misinformation rightthere, you ignoramus!� blurted a roughvoice.

Hubert blinked in surprise at theunexpected interruption. A femaledwarf moved into the lamplight, andput her empty mug down on Hubert�stable with a definitive thunk.

�I�m Tarif Zag,� the dwarf introducedherself,� and I fought skeletons beforeyou were born. Learned a lot aboutthem in the field. Then I retired, andbecame a cleric,� she said, fingering amedallion around her neck in the formof a silver hammer, �and learned a lotmore. Any adventurer deserves to

6

know the truth about those creatures,and not a lot of hogwash.

�Now, let�s get some of this straight,�declared Zag, surveying the audienceshe had so deftly stolen from Hubert.�Skeletons are both more dangerousand less fearsome than you�ve been ledto believe. Anyone who makes them outto be worse than zombies or ghouls hasnever fought zombies or ghouls.� Shetook a long pull from her mug, and shota sideways glance at Hubert. �And any-one who says they�re nothing but a pileof bones, easy to beat, has never had aclose call with �em.�

�But I�ve seen the ones that want humanblood,� rejoined Hubert, not so easilyquelled. �They chased us, and brought myfriend down like a pack of dogs . . .�

�Sure,� Tarif cut him off. �That�s whatit looked like. But let me tell you a thingor two about skeletons.

�When a skeleton is animated, theenchantment accomplishes two things.First, it knits the bones together magi-cally, binding them with force drawnfrom the Negative Energy Plane. Almostall the bones have to be there-withoutmostly complete remains, the spell isalmost impossible to hold together.

�Second, the spell binds energy calledthe animus into the skeleton to animateit. That�s not the same as the spirit orsoul of the deceased. It is only a frag-ment of soul energy, the portion thathelped keep the soul in the living body.

In death, the animus lingers around the

have no emotions and no desires�much less �cravings for blood.�� The

remains until they turn to dust. This istrue no matter what the race of the

dwarf snorted and refilled her mug

creature whose bones are animated.�

from Hubert�s pitcher.

Tarif drained her mug and looked

Hubert peered unhappily into hisnear-empty pitcher, and drained whatwas left with one swallow. �Then howdo you explain those skeletons that

squarely at Hubert. �Since skeletons

killed Rado?� The fighter belched, thencontinued. �Once they caught sight of

have no brain and no soul, they likewise

us, they chased us forever. They werebloodthirsty enough to do that!�

Tarif shook her head. �There�s only onething that motivates a skeleton: theorders of the spell-caster that created it.Once the animus is housed in the bones,the spell-caster tells it, in a few words,exactly what he wants it to do. Skeletonsfollow those orders exactly-no more, noless. They behave rather brainlessly, actu-ally, taking those orders at their literalface value. More than one necromancerhas been undone by wording skeletonorders sloppily.�

A studious young man in robes put afull pitcher on the table near the dwarf-ish cleric, then asked a question as herefilled her mug. �So you mean if aspell-caster tells a skeleton to guard an

�No, an order like that wouldn�t begood enough,� she said. �What does

area, that might not be good enough?�Tarif studied him for a moment.

�guard� mean? Stand

�Have thoughts of animating the dead

at attention with a

yourself, do you?� His blush was ade-quate response. �Hmph.� Her disgustwas apparent, but she sampled the aleanyway and mused out loud.

halberd at port arms? Kill anyone insight? If the orders aren�t specificenough, the skeleton either standsthere undecided, or takes a randomaction that seems to fulfill the order.

�The best orders are simple and exact:�Stop anyone from leaving this room, kill-ing them if necessary,� or, �Kill anyone whoenters this hallway.� � Zag inclined herhead to Hubert. �I suspect that�s the kindof order your skeletons had. As younoticed, you can only stop them from car-rying out their orders by destroyingthem�or by evading them completely.�

Hubert returned her gaze. �Are skele-tons always used as guards, or do theyhave other purposes too?� he asked,helping himself to the new pitcher.

Zag shrugged. �That�s their most com-mon use, I�d say-either guarding a per-son, or a place like Tynik�s tomb. They�retoo brainless to do much else. But theymake tenacious and ever-alert guards.Besides obeying their orders to the letter,they are the easiest type of undead toraise, and are relatively simple to create.

7

4. The important ingredients for apotion of skeleton control are groundbone (from the type of skeleton thepotion is to control); graveyard dirt;mandrake root; hair from a cleric of10th-level or greater; and a dash of holyor unholy water (depending on align-ment of user). This is the most palatableof any potion of undead control.

Of course, you only find them employedby unscrupulous sorts who don�t minddisturbing the remains of the dead. Thenagain, they don�t even exist among peoplethat practice cremation!�

The robed fellow spoke up again.�Can a skeleton be raised if it�s buried?Or does it have to be uncovered first?�

Tarif frowned as she replied. �No,skeletons can be raised right up out ofthe ground. When the magic knits theirbones together, they�re charged withNegative Plane energy. This unnaturalforce has an �unbinding� effect on PrimeMaterial Plane matter, allowing theskeleton to push and scramble its wayout of the ground like a worm throughsand. Or push the stone plug out of acrypt. And so on. But that burst ofenergy fades after a minute or so, andthen the skeleton is no more powerfulthan a healthy man or dwarf!�

The room fell quiet as listeners envi-sioned skeletons rising from theirgraves. A few shuddered.

�Is there no protection against a sacri-lege like that?� grumbled Hubert, voic-ing the thought of many.

�Well, in fact, there is:� said the cleric.�Not many bother to have it done, butthe clerical ceremony, eternal rest,drives the animus from one�s remainsand makes it impossible for thedeceased to be raised as any sort ofundead creature. It�s a rather costlyceremony, and one not too many con-sider essential. But it can be done.�

Hubert nodded thoughtfully as ayouth in a ring-mail vest spoke up.

�How hard is it to fight and destroyskeletons? I�ve heard they�re prettyeasy to kill-if that�s the word for it.�

�They have a few quirks that areimportant to know about:� replied Tarif.�Holy water or fire are especially usefulagainst them. Holy water hurts skele-tons because it undoes the NegativePlane energy that binds them together.Fire burns them like it does a person,and you don�t have to worry about youraim too much when you use it.

�Swords, axes, spears�all bladedweapons, in fact, do only about half thedamage you�d expect them to. Slashing

8

�I�ve heard there are potions that turnundead as well.� It was the robed managain.

Tarif shook her head. �Not to turnundead, really, but to control them, as ifthey were charmed!� The dwarf made aface. �If there�s ever a disgusting thingto drink, a potion of undead control isit. The more powerful creature it�smade to control, the more nauseatingthe taste. Bleah.� She shuddered. �I�veknown some people who couldn�t keepone down, it�s that bad. At least a potionof skeleton control isn�t as awful as therest. It�s a gruesome brew to make, buteffective, if you can stand to swallow it.�

On that appetizing note, the innkeepannounced that the roast was done. Asthirsty customers ordered their meals,their attention turned away fromHubert and the dwarfish cleric. Tarifturned to the adventurer, looking sadlyat his once-again empty pitcher.

�Don�t worry,� she said under herbreath. �At least the bones of yourfriend Rado will never be animated asundead. I suppose those were hisremains I blessed with eternal rest.”

�What?� Hubert looked at Tarif,uncomprehending.

�And here,� said the cleric, placing agold coin on the table in front ofHubert. �Have dinner, on me. If youhadn�t reduced the number of skele-tons guarding that tomb, I might nothave made it in and out again. Thanks.�

The coin was stamped with the mark

�I wasn�t a cleric then!� Zag laughed.�It�s hard to turn undead if you�re not.But, just as skeletons are the easiestundead to create, they�re also the easi-est to turn. So you have a good chance ifyou have a cleric along when you meeta skeleton!�

a bone does a lot less damage than slash-ing flesh would. Arrows and other mis-siles are next to useless, since theyglance off bones and fly right throughthe skeleton. Maces and blunt weaponsdo wonders, though, smashing bonesinto bits. They�re the best hand weaponto use against skeletons.�

�Why didn�t you just turn the skele-ton instead?� asked Hubert.

of Tynik, the Robber King. Zag wasgone before Hubert could think of aresponse.

Creature Notes1. Orders are given to a skeleton at

the time the skeleton is animated. Oncegiven, they cannot be revised unless theanimation spell is terminated and theundead raised a second time.

2. A spell-caster�s orders cannot exceed24 words in length. The shorter andmore precise the orders are, the betterchance there is for the skeleton to carrythem out without error. If there is ambi-guity in a skeleton�s order when it is con-fronted with a particular situation(�Guard this room�), there is a 50%chance that it will stand inactive and con-fused. The remainder of the time, thecreature may interpret its order in anyway the DM may conceive as being inaccordance with the original wording.

3. After the appropriate spell is cast,it takes one round for a skeleton�s ani-mation to become complete. At theDM�s discretion, certain spell variationsmay allow the skeleton to be raisedfrom its grave. In such a case, one addi-tional round is required for it to freeitself if buried in the ground or sealedin a crypt. At the DM�s discretion, thismay take longer due to unusual circum-stances. In certain situations, theundead cannot free itself at all (if, forinstance, it is sealed behind a brick wallor buried beneath a landslide).

5. Skeletons are immune to theeffects of charm, sleep, cold-based mag-ic, and all spells which affect willpower.Holy water inflicts 2d4 points of dam-age on a skeleton, while sharp or bladedweapons do only ½ normal damage(round down).

ZOMBIESMonster: ZombiesTerrain: Moor and castleParty Levels: 6 (Average 1st)Gold X.P.: 5,000 per memberTreasure XP.: 500Monster X.P.:

Kill: 1920 Defeat: 1440Retreat: 480

DM Note: This adventure is set up tostress roleplaying and storytelling.There�s combat and the like herein,enough for anyone, but the focus is onhelping the players define their charac-ters and build a link into the ForgottenRealms world.

Setupl Hard luck means hard choices. In

your case, your financial insolvencymeans accepting positions as guards fora caravan passing through the LonelyMoor. You know there are safer routes,but the merchant has been told that theshipment (to avoid official scrutiny)must pass through the Lonely Moor.The only good things about this missionare the pay and the fact that Zhentarimraids in that area have been cut wayback. Of course, it is not reassuring todwell on the reasons why the raidshave been cut back, because therumors are dark and horrid. But, then,they�re only rumors, right?l Though seen as a clear sign that he

has gone utterly mad, a scholar con-fides in you that he believes the con-junction of the stars and planets pointsto a revival of the Netherese sorcerersand their power. As Aumvor the Undy-ing (commonly believed to be a lich andsecreted away in a northern cave) isperhaps the best known and roundlyinfamous of the Netherese magickers,this revival is not looked upon withfavor by anyone. The scholar, BookmanThomas, believes much could belearned from the Netherese and com-missions the group to survey the LonelyMoor for signs of Netherese�s return topower. (He�s hired a low-level partybecause more experienced adventurershave turned him down.)

l Food has become scarce, andmoney even more so. In return for thepromise of a night�s lodging and a cou-ple of meals, your crew agrees to dig awell for the owner of the farmhouseyou�ve discovered in your travels. Asyou take up the picks and shovels heoffers you, one person quips, �Whenadventuring, we get to keep whateverwe find when digging.�

The farmer nods pleasantly. �What-ever you find you may keep. The onlything I want out of that hole is water.�

You all laugh and, as the day wearson, you dice for the rights to the oddgold coin recovered from the hole. Asthe sun begins to set, you hear a yelpfrom the person down in the well. Hetugs frantically on the rope, and youhaul him to the surface.

In his hands you see a glittering silversword that practically radiates magic.Your companion looks at you, his handswrapped tightly around the pommel.�Don�t ask me how I know this,� he saysin a mournful voice, �But the sword�sname is Cleaveheart and its master,who is in the middle of the Lonely Moor,needs it badly.� He swallows hard. �If wedon�t get the sword there in time, I willdie!�

These openers can bridge into thefirst, second, and third parts of this sce-nario. The lead setup ties into the sce-nario from the start. The second andthird openers tie best into the secondsection. Setup No. 4 goes best into thethird section of the scenario. Even so,no matter what opener you wish to use,the scenario can be played straight outwith very little modification.

Part I: Night CampAs deserts go, the Lonely Moor has agreat advantage over Anauroch�it hasenough scrub brush to fuel a fire whennight falls. It falls fast, and with it goesthe heat of the day. Jackels and hyenasgreet the night with enthusiastic yowls.All too quickly, it seems to those gath-ered at your camp, the howling beastsseem to have focused their serenade on

9

your fire.The campsite is on a low expanse of

alkali flat in a narrow but long streambed. While it does not have the strategicadvantage of high ground, it does shieldthe group from the chilly desert nightwinds and will channel attackers to thenorth or south approaches. The sanddunes that form the valley walls are toosoft for horses to run through. Thereare signs (most notably a fire ring) tosuggest others have found a haven hereand, by digging down about 5�, the par-ty can create a seep well for water.

Zhentarim raiders will hit the party/caravan in the wee hours of the morn-ing. Approaching from the south, theywill ride through the camp in twowaves. The first wave will have war-riors who are meant to occupy the cara-van�s guards while the second wavepauses long enough to gather up lootand, most importantly, destroy or carryoff all freshwater supplies they can see.

Raiders (25 in each wave): AC 8;MV 24�; HD 2 (mount), 4 (men); hp10 (mount), 24 (men); # AT 2 (mount),1 (men); Dmg 1-411-4 (mount), 2-8 or2-7 (broad sword), 1-6 or 1-8 (lance);AL CE; XP 354 per each raider andmount.

The raiders will hit fast and try to getaway as quickly as possible. Certainlylet the players know, through the Zhen-tarim leader�s cursing, that their com-bat abilities (no matter how meager)have forced him away sooner thanpleases him. The raiders will leave thesite to the north and, if the players don�tthink of this themselves, the merchantwill urge them to head out after theraiders.

Carnage KnowledgeAs quick as they might be, the adven-turers do not catch the raiders. Insteadthey come upon a scene that is some-thing more than horrible. In anothersandy valley, they find the raiders dead,or almost so. It looks, clearly, as thoughthe raiders were ambushed, but who-

ever attacked them did it with theirbare hands.

By easing the pain of one victim orthrough Intelligence Ability rolls, thefollowing picture emerges. Theambushers lay hidden beneath the val-ley�s sandy walls, then attacked whenthe raiders paused to split up the lootand make it easier to carry off. From acarcass or two with split spines, it isobvious the attackers were zombies,but the efficacy of their attack surpris-es the players. Zombies, because oftheir stupidity, could not normally coor-dinate such an attack. Something con-trolled them.

Their tracks lead off to the westwhere, as it appears from the highestpoint the adventurers can reach, ahand has reached up from the LonelyMoor to clutch at the moon.

Part II: House ofNightmares.The black basalt castle sits in a valleyinto which sand has drifted and seem-ingly choked off all life. In reality, about10� beneath the sand, the ground is cov-ered with the remnants of the moun-tain from which the castle has beencarved. Its five spires stab toward thesky like fingers, and the castle�s gate isshaped like the muzzle and head of ahyena skull. The whole structure hasan antiquity of design and warped qual-ity to it that would send a shiver downthe spine of even the most jaded adven-turer.

Created by Aumvor (now known asAumvor the Undying) the castle�s own-ership has fal len to his great-grandneice, Morasha. The manner andattitude of the party will determinehow she greets their appearance at herhome. Having had a pack of hyenasshadowing the party�s approach (con-trolled by a living zombie hyena), shewill know if they are coming in a war-like mood, or if they merely happenedupon her castle by accident in a searchfor water or the Zhentarim captives.

If the party is hostile in its approach,

Morasha will use the hyenas to harrythe party while she summons up thezombie defenders of her castle tomount the walls. If the players over-come the hyenas and zombies, they canproceed directly to �Part III: NurisElfward Walks Again.� If not, truncatethe next section (eliminating dinner)and have the players languish inMorasha�s clutches.

Hyenas (8): AC 7; MV 12�; HD 3; hp10; # AT 1; Dmg 2-8; AL NE; XP 65each.

Pelts are worth a 5 gp bounty.Zombies (1d10 + 10)): AC 8; MV 6�;

HD 2; hp 6; # AT 1; Dmg 1-8; AL NE;XP 32 each.

Players arriving without evil intentwill be greeted by Morasha as theyenter the castle�s courtyard. Morashawill be standing at the top of the stair-way leading into the castle�s keep andwill openly welcome the strangers. Herattitude toward them will depend upontheir responses to her greeting -themore gracious and educated they seem,the more likely she is to play it straightwith them.

Morasha will lead them into a hugebanquet hall that has exquisite stonecarving beautiful enough to drive anydwarves almost mad. The pillars arch-ing up toward the ceiling are carved torepresent the arched spines of skele-tons. Up toward the ceiling, the skele-ton�s arms and hands spread out toform the ribs upholding the vaultedceiling. Other details of the workappear to be modeled after bones ofvarious creatures and, despite themacabre source of inspiration, the hallis a masterwork of the stonemason�sart.

Complaining she is not often calledupon to entertain travelers from afar,she invites the players to seat them-selves at her long ebony table. Onceseated, five different servants come outbearing platters of meat, dried fruits,wine and other foods. The meat is prob-ably horse, but is so well spiced that its

10

real flavor (or that of anything else) isvirtually impossible to detect.

The servants do not appear unusualexcept that they react to Morasha�sunspoken commands. She is courteousenough to thank them for some taskperformed, but she never vocalizes anorder. In addition, they appear some-what drawn and gray. Aside fromavoiding collisions with each other, theservants appear to notice no one butMorasha. Lastly, all the servants look toyou to be Zhentarim.

Small TalkRoleplaying will be very important dur-ing the dinner section of this scenariobecause Morasha will use it to solidifyher opinion of the characters. Becausenecromancy (like surgery and gamedesign) makes for lousy dinner conver-sation, Morasha will, through askingquestions about the party members,eventually bring the discussion aroundto love. She will not be looking toseduce any of the characters and willbe put off if any passes are made at her.Her point is to determine how the play-ers react to the statement, �Well, then,would you say that any action taken inthe name of love is justified by its end?�

The answer to this question, whetherit�s positive or not as well as the depth ofsincerity of the response, will deter-mine how the scenario plays itself out.If the players roundly come downagainst that attitude, Morasha will seethem as a threat. She will offer themaccommodations for the night and pro-vide each with a pillow scented withnarcotic flowers. The flowers smellvery pleasant and will ensure the play-ers sleep deeply-deeply enough to bedragged into �Part III� of this adven-ture.

If the players are sincere in answer-ing the question positively, Morashawill trust them. Depending upon howthe DM wishes to play her in terms ofmental balance, her actions will beskewed. If the DM plays her as utterlyand irredeemably crazy, Morasha willlook upon the players as a source of

parts for Nuris� body (�You have suchsoft hands for a big man. I need yourhands . . .�) Morasha will immediatelyorder her living zombies to capture theplayers and carry them down to thevaults below.

Living zombies (7): AC 6; MV 9�;HD 3+ 12; hp 45; # AT 1; Dmg 3-12;AL N; XP 240 each.

If the DM wishes to play Morasha assomewhat more sane than evil, she willinvite the players to the vaults to viewher masterwork. This will usher theminto �Part III,� but only after she gets avision from one of her living zombiejackals that some Zhentarim raiders (averitable army of them) are coming todestroy her home. She asks the playersto help defend her castle as she takesthe last step in her experiment. She willrequest one adventurer, the one whohas evidenced the most pure and braveheart among the group, to accompanyher.

Possessing the sword Cleaveheartwill affect this outcome somewhat. IfMorasha is crackers, the sword willurge the individual carrying it to searchout the vaults. Morasha and the livingzombies will oppose this move. IfMorasha is not nuts, the person pos-sessing the sword will be asked to joinher in the vaults. The sword will be

While the pillars above were vertebrae,these pillars have the form of warpedthigh bones. From the doorway, theround room�s floor is down a set of 20concentric circles of steps. The mainfloor is 40� in diameter and lies 20�below the level of the doorway.

Rusting cages with skeletons in mold-ering clothes hang from the ceiling andring the upper level. Below, on the mainfloor, two tables contain alembics andjars of ingredients commonly found in amagician�s lab. The nearest tableincludes a fat tome, bound in blackleather, with gold script worked on the

The Vaults

Part III: NurisElfward Walks AgainPlaying out this final segment willdepend upon the personality the DMhas chosen for Morasha. The descrip-tions below will largely remain thesame no matter what the case, butshould be made more sinister andcreepy if Morasha is played as mad. Agood technique for this is to include lotsof slime, spiders, snakes, and othercrawly things in the descriptions if oneor more of your players does not likethem in real life.

pointed out as a powerful artifact thatcan help her attain her goal.

cover. The lettering spells, �Death�sBook,� and seems to shift and crawlacross the cover like fog creeping upfrom the ocean. It�s worth 50,000 gp,provided a buyer can be found for it. Ina small pile, off to the left, you see awhole host of weapons well suited to aman of war.

Above the center of the floor, sus-pended halfway between the floor andceiling, is the body of a man. Tall andincredibly muscular, he would seem tobe sleeping except for the grayish pal-lor of his flesh. Black basalt tendrilsspread from the center of the ceiling�slotus design and appear to be holdinghim up, but they seem far too slenderfor the job. In addition, he is not restingupon them, but it appears they are sunkinto his flesh at the neck, chest, shoul-ders, waist, thighs, and calves. Thebody appears perfectly formed, unlessMorasha is mad, in which case the bodyis a patchwork of flesh with morestitching than a quilt to hold it together.His golden blond hair will be a mangycollection of scalps if Morasha is notplaying with a full deck, and his normal-ly symmetrical muscles will look mis-matched and lumpy.

If the characters are prisoners, theywill look on from the cages whileMorasha eyeballs them for a leg muscleor a patch of flesh. She will become dis-tracted by the Zhentarim raid andleave. In this case, the players will have

11

find. (If the players kill Morasha, the liv-ing zombies will have their mindsreturned to them, and her corpse willturn to dust right there in front ofthem.)

to escape and destroy Nuris� body. Thatwill break Morasha�s mind, leaving heropen to death, or unable to control herzombies, which will allow the party toescape with whatever loot they can

The Zhentarim RaidThis raid should pose a threat to theplayers only in the number of foes theywill face. For all intents and purposes,the castle will be overrun by Zhentarimsick and tired of their people being kid-napped and turned into zombies. Com-bat should be spiced with descriptionsof zombies attacking Zhentarim thatwould have killed a player, or usingtheir own bodies to shield players whenstuff gets very nasty. This fight shouldhave killing enough for all, but it shouldseem as though, in the end, the playerswill be overwhelmed.

The Hero AwakensMorasha wants to bring Nuris Elfwardto life. She would have infused the lifeforce from one of her zombies into him,but none of the Zhentarim had thecourage and purity of heart the Nuris oflegend possessed. She wants to drawenough life force from the player char-acter to start Nuris up and recall hisspirit from wherever it is.

If the player accepts the challenge,Morasha will ask him/her to strip off allclothing, rings, or other stuff that couldinterfere with the process. More stonetendrils will grow from the ceiling ather command and attach themselves tothe character�s neck, chest, shoulders,waist, thighs, and calves. The stone willfeel cold, then those areas will go numbas the tendrils retract and raise thecharacter into the air. (If the player hadCleaveheart, the blade will be placed onNuris� chest.)

Two tendrils will grow from the ceil-ing and touch both character and Nuris

in the forehead. Morasha will be chant-ing out her spell, sending a tingling overthe character�s body, as she powers upthe transference. (This can be madeespecially dramatic if the other playersare being backed through the castletoward the vaults by the incredibleZhentarim raider group. Alternatingbetween the two venues of play willheighten the tension with the transfer-ence (and the attendant display of pyro-technics) finally taking place when theplayer characters are backed into thevaults themselves.)

As the transference ritual proceeds,the player character will see Nuris� lifeflash before his eyes. The scenes will allbe heroic and most often feature Nurisand his moon elf companion, AranthorEliaoim, battling some evil or another.While most of it goes by too fast to becaptured, and the views of the worldare easily 2,500 years old, enough infor-mation could be slipped in to directplayers toward a future scenario. Hav-ing �Nuris flashbacks� can provideinteresting color or data as the cam-paign progresses (and can explain awaysome amazing dice rolls later).

Muscles rippling and blue eyes flash-ing with a keen light, Nuris drops to theground and lands on the balls of hisfeet. With Cleaveheart in hand, or an axpicked up from the pile on the floor, thehero moves to help the players driveback the Zhentarim horde.

Part IV: What Do WeDo Now?If the players have killed Morasha, herliving zombies will be released and willhelp the adventurers get out of theLonely Moor. As they are Zhentarim,acquaintance with them will have littlevalue, unless the players are forced, atsome point, onto the outlaw trail.

In gratitude for the players� help insaving her castle and bringing Nurisback, Morasha is more than willing torelease some of the zombies fromthralldom. If the players insist, she willrelease all her living zombies, though

she will protest that they are just Zhen-tarim and will only get themselveskilled in some less productive way.

Morasha will bestow upon the personof good heart who endured the trans-ference a magical shield +2 that willdispell possessions. She will also givethat individual and the others in theparty 5,000 gp for the risks they tookduring the fight.

The implications of Nuris� returnupon your campaign can be great orsmall. If you wish him to have no influ-ence whatsoever, have him head out forEvereska to live with the elves untilagain called from the earth. You couldalso have him return Morasha�s love,leaving the both of them in the middleof the Lonely Moor. This latter solutionwould make Nuris more accessible indire times, but would keep him out ofthe way.

If you desire a more important rolefor Nuris, he could report a desire tosee the world. Nuris remembers aworld 2,500 years gone. The playerswould have to teach him about the newworld. Seeking out ruins long hidden,but fresh in Nuris� mind can also be thesource of adventure.

Creature NotesI pressed my fingertips into the bootprint and felt the triangular lump thatmatched the place Aranthor Eliaoimhad notched his heel, I looked down atthe track, availing myself of the silverymoonlight the clouds let pass to lightmy way. Time had not much eroded thecrisp edges of the track, but I did notdelude myself. I�m days behind him.Black Bess must be laughing mightily atme.

My left hand dropped to the hilt ofCleaveheart, the weapon I�d favoredsince Aranthor and I pried it from thedead Pirate King�s own hands. Forgedfrom the metal of a rock hurled fromthe sky by that new god, Tyr Grimjaws,it was a weapon of which much wouldbe sung. Its heaviness pulling at mysword belt reassured me, for only itsunearthly magic would win my way

12

through Aumvor�s zombie legions. I�llfree you, Aranthor, and I�ll pay Aumvora most horrible ransom.

Barely a league further through thedarkened Netherese countryside, Icame to Aumvor�s castle. Ringed by hill-sides and mountains that still grewthick with green beauty, the keep fes-tered like an obscene wound in its val-ley. Strewn around it, mocking theforests, the stone chaff blighted theground. Twisted dolmens stood likelimbless trees, while smaller rockshards smothered all plant life.

His zombies are but fingers on hishand, and now his castle reaches fromthe earth to the sky Is he so bold as todare to claim divinity? I smiled grimly tomyself. Guide my hand, Tymora, and Iwill give him his release.

The castle�s gate gaped open for, withhis command of zombies, Aumvor hadnothing to fear. The gate had been fash-ioned after the skull of a hyena. As Istrode into its mouth, I waited for theportcullis to crash down, but nothinghappened. If Aumvor anticipated myvisit, he knew I would not turn away, nomatter what he chose to do to me.

Once through the beast�s stonethroat, I slipped into the shadows toskirt the courtyard. I quickly mounteda set of steps hacked into the westernwall. Half hidden in blackness, I froze asmurmured voices issued from a pas-sageway that opened beneath thestairs.

The stench of decay confirmed whatmy eyes told me about one of them.Human, or what had once been human,it shambled forward mindlessly. Fleshhung limply from its gaunt frame, andthe filthy rags wound round its middleseemed there more to hold it togetherthan out of any sense of modesty.

The other creature sniffed the air,then spun with an agility only aNetherese living zombie could muster.The ogre-thing pointed a taloned fingerat me, its eyes blazing with an unholyintelligence. �Take him, take him!� Thewords, croaked through a throat notshaped for higher speech, turned thezombie and drove it at me.

Cleaveheart slid from the scabbard ina circular draw that flashed moonlightfrom its razored edge. I wrapped bothmy battle-scarred hands around itswarm hilt, then leaped down into thecourtyard. I rolled to absorb the shockof impact, then gained my feet andengaged my foes.

The human zombie still focused uponwhere I had been. Taking a half step for-ward, I swept Cleaveheart around in acrosscut that cut through the zombie�sback and out its chest. The once-manstaggered, its bony hands clutching atits split chest, then crashed to theground.

Believing it finished, I turned to facethe ogre-thing, for I knew it to be thegreater danger. The human zombielunged at me, dragging its lifeless legsbehind it. Its fleshless fingers rakedthrough my leather breeches andtraced bloody furrows on my shin. Painflashed like lightning up to my hip. Istumbled back yet managed to swipeCleaveheart through the creature�sneck, severing its spine for the secondand final time.

The ogre�s backhanded blow explod-ed stars before my eyes and sent mesailing a dozen feet across the court-yard. I landed hard, the jerkin beneathmy mail absorbing a bit of damage, androlled to a stop. Cleaveheart sprangfrom my nerveless right hand when myelbow slammed into the ground. Disori-ented, I stood before I�d located thegray-skinned monster or my blade.

I heard something behind me and piv-oted just in time for the ogre-thing tosink its fingers into my chest. Rings ofmail snapped in the creature�s grip andagonies I�d not known since my battlewith the Blue Sword of Archendaleburned through my ribs. With laughterlittle more than guttural grunts, theogre pulled me close to its face andturned me so the moon could illuminatemy features.

Recognition flashed in those blood-shot eyes, but I knew the intelligencetherein was not native to the ogre.�Nuris Elfward! I am blessed!�

I spat in the monster�s face. �Tell that

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to Old Lord Skull!� I dropped my lefthand on the ogre�s jaw and sank the fin-gers of my right through its greasyblack hair. Screaming as it sought tocrush my chest, I wrenched hard to theleft and heard a loud snap, though Icould not tell if the ogre�s neck or myribs had produced the sound.

The ogre-thing collapsed, droppingme to the ground. My left leg gave way,its urgent aching demanding attentionnow that my ribs no longer found them-selves in a vise. I massaged my leg untilit stopped hurting so much and then,after wiping my bloody hands againstmy thighs, found Cleaveheart andhomed the blade.

I levered myself up on my left kneeand bent toward the ogre. I pressed thefingers of my right hand to its neck andfelt, right below the point of the break,a small lump over the spine. Shakingthe dagger Wasp from the sheath on myright forearm, I slit the lump and pulledfree a translucent white crescent.

It looked exactly like what it was: afingernail paring. Through an exactingritual, a necromancer like Aumvorcould insert the nail paring over thecreature�s spine and gain control overit. It would still be alive, at least until itslife force had all been fed back into thenecromancer along this magical con-nection between them, and would beunder the necromancer�s complete con-trol. As long as they are fed and healedof disease, they will live out a normallife span as the necromancer�s slaves.

I narrowed my eyes. Another fingeron his hand. The number of zombies anecromancer could control woulddepend upon his abilities, but a halfdozen zombies in thrall to one man wasas many as I�d ever heard of. That is, ofthe living zombies, because they stillhave some will and require active con-trol. Almost anyone can commandlegions of the other kind.

Zombies that are actually dead often,at least in the Netherese tradition, comefrom once living zombies. As the body�sspirit dies, rebellion goes with it. Bysubstituting the nail paring from thenecromancer for one from another

creature (including a living zombie),undead zombies can be given to andcontrolled by others. Of course, the factthat they are dead and putrifying doesmake them less than ideal servants.

My fingers felt the break in the ogre�sneck. The pillar of life. That�s what mysword master had called the spine.�Remember, Nuris, cut the spine andyou�ll win the fight. Works on men,beasts and them what should have diedlong ago. Fire�s not bad either, or moltensilver, but the latter aren�t always avail-able.�

The sound of clapping echoed fromthe shadowy walls to fill the courtyard.I turned, and my heart leaped to mythroat. Aumvor, short and stocky, withmoonlight glinting from his sweat-slickpate, stood atop the wide staircase lead-ing into the keep. Resting his fat handson the paunch supported by his blackrobe�s sash, the necromancer smiledalmost graciously.

Below him, trying to hold his headtall, stood Aranthor Eliaoim. On themoon elf�s face I saw the struggle forcontrol of his body being waged withAumvor. �Go, Nuris, flee. My folly ofasking Aumvor to return my belovedMarissa to life has trapped me. Let notyour friendship doom you as well.� Hisvoice strangled hoarsely to silence, butthe look in his eyes still begged me toleave.

I looked up at Aumvor. �Release himand I will let you live.�

Aumvor shook his head, then raisedhis hands like a puppeteer. With a fewdeft motions he forced Aranthor todraw his blade, Bloodquick, anddescend to the courtyard floor. �Saveyourself, Nuris Elfward.�

A furious moan keening from histhroat, Aranthor charged me. By reflexI drew Cleaveheart and barely man-aged to turn my friend�s head cut. Itwisted my blade free of the parry andalmost slid into a riposte, but heldmyself back.

�No!� screeched Aranthor, �You mustend this!� Aranthor abandoned himselfto Aumvor�s control and Bloodquickblurred into a silver circle. I parried the

Once clear of Aumvor�s demesne, Ilay Aranthor down and cleansed thewound on the back of his neck with thebrandy in my wineskin. The sting of itshocked some life back into him. Ismiled down at him. �You were almostdone for, back there, you know?�

My elven companion nodded weakly.�Once you ripped the nail out, I wasfree of him. It probably relieved himnot to be fighting me so hard.�

I nodded. �Couldn�t have recoveredyou had the wound fully healed over.� Iglanced back toward the keep. �Some-day, my friend, we�re going to have togo back there and kill him.�

I smiled and helped Aranthor to hisfeet. Suddenly the landscape shifted inmy sight. Sand covered everything Icould see and incredible heat bled upthrough the ground into my boots.Gone was all the greenery and life, onlyjackals and other carrion beasts livedwithin the land I saw. Glancing up intothe sky I saw that even the stars hadchanged their positions.

In a second, everything shifted backto what I knew of the world. Aranthorstudied me with concern in his greeneyes, but I shook my head. �I trust yourjudgment, my friend. Let us return tothe land of the living.�

Wasp flew from my hand and piercedthe necromancer�s breast. He clutchedat it with pudgy fingers, then stumbledbackward into his keep. For a half sec-ond I thought to follow and finish hisevil for all time, but a more importantmission stopped me. I slid Cleaveheartinto its scabbard, then homed the elf�sblade, knelt and lifted Aranthor into myarms.

Aumvor smiled. �There, I forced thegreat Nuris Elfward to break his vowand kill one of the elder race. Wait untilthe court at Evermeet hears . . . Ack!�

attack, then bound Aranthor�s bladeagainst mine. Reaching up with my lefthand, I clawed at the back of his neck,then drove my right knee into his stom-ach. Aranthor caved in and fell at myfeet.

GHOULS AND GHASTSMonster: Ghouls, ghastsTerrain: ruins, underground warrenParty Levels: 18 (Average 2)Gold X.P.:Treasure X.P.:Monster X.P.:

Kill: 1373 Defeat: 1030Retreat: 343

Setupl Prior Utrecht Bronagan, who tends

the village�s Lathander shrine, hasalways suspected that ghouls dwelledin the village graveyard, yet so long asthe �eaters of the dead� did not disturbthe living, there was little cause foralarm. Now, a brash young villager hasentered the graveyard and notreturned.l The villagers have recently begun

to cremate their dead, rather than burythem, Now, several villagers have disap-peared in the night, and the corpse of arecently deceased man was stolendirectly from its bier during a wake, infront of aghast family members andfriends.l The local lord wants the mystery of

his missing tax money solved. His taxcollector died in a remote village with-out revealing the whereabouts of thecollected taxes.

The Horror FactorThere are things that men were notmeant to see and seeing them tends tounhinge the mind, fray it a bit aroundthe edges. Generally, this does notoccur when a character sees a monsterfor the first time. Adventurers expectto see monsters. Horror engulfs thosewho see the effects a monster has hadon their fellows, or realize the awfultruth about something, then begin tofear what might happen to themselves.When an encounter requests that acharacter make a �Horror Check,� thecharacter must make a Wisdom AbilityCheck with a d20. If the d20 roll is lessthan or equal to the combined total ofthe character�s Wisdom attribute andexperience level, the check succeeds,

and the character is able to either dealwith, or rationalize what has been expe-rienced.

If the check fails, the character ishorror-struck and suffers the followingeffects: -4 penalty to all die rolls, thecharacter�s Wisdom is temporarily low-ered by 1d6 points, he will have a pho-bia (unreasoning fear) toward thesource of his horror, and he has a 10%chance to develop a mild form of insani-ty (roll a d20 and match the resultagainst the Types of Insanity Table onpage 83 of the DUNGEON MASTERSGUIDE). If a character afflicted withmild insanity is unable to separate him-self from the source of horror, theinsanity becomes more severe.

Player characters may continueonward, but horrified NPCs (includinghirelings and henchmen) must make aMorale Check at a 35% penalty. NPCswho fail this check will attempt to fleein panic (as if struck by a reversedremove fear spell).

The effects of a failed Horror Checklinger until the afflicted character istreated with the clerical remove fearspell. Even so, the effects of the horrorare lingering. Any subsequent HorrorChecks are made at a -1 penalty. Suchpenalties are cumulative; that is, eachtime the character fails a Horror Check,the next check is more difficult.

The PlotRugen Phimister, a fat, evil man whowas the local duke�s tax collector, diedand became a ghast with an insatiableappetite for flesh and gold. In order tofeed his hungers, the ghouls he leadshave kidnapped and imprisoned vic-tims in their fetid warren. Occasionally,a victim dies prematurely and joinstheir number.

Running the ScenarioIf the PCs avoid making loud noises,they may enter the lair undetectedthrough either the mausoleum (areaNo. 1) or the disturbed grave (area No.2). The ghouls do not form an organized

The ghoul warren is designed to leteach DM customize it. Only the num-bered encounter areas, enlarged tun-nels, and tunnel intersections need bemarked on the map the DM draws. Tocomplete the map, the DM must drawmost of the smaller crawl ways. Thesteepness and direction of the slope foreach passage must be marked (see mapsymbols in the key-the arrow markson the tunnel lines indicate the direc-tion of slope between tunnel intersec-tions). The number for each encounterarea indicates its relative depth. Thehigher the number, the deeper it islocated beneath the surface.

The DM should take care to vary theslopes of the passageways, realizingthat steeper passages make travel moredifficult, and the adventure a bit moredeadly.

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The ghoul lair is extensive. Dozens ofpassageways, most little more than nar-row crawl spaces, form a complex war-ren beneath the graveyard, and morerecently, the village itself. The passageslink graves, mausoleums and crypts,private family burial plots, and a num-ber of homes and businesses.

Mapping the Warren

The Lair

If Phimister the ghast is encountered,he may wish to bargain with the adven-turers, either for their continued safetyor his own (see NPC description in �TheNight Gallery� chapter).

defense until one of their number hasbeen encountered and escaped to warnRugen Phimister in area No. 7. Loneghouls who encounter more than twoadventurers will attempt to flee andjoin with the pack, otherwise theyattack. Ghoul tactics in the warren arehit and run-leap from hiding, fight oneround, then flee into the small tunnels.Ghouls also lead the chase away fromRugen Phimister and across pit trapswhenever possible, never springingtheir own traps.

Movement in the WarrenAll the numbered encounter areas aretall enough to allow a man to standupright. The small connecting tunnelsare different. Any character wearingmore than leather armor will bereduced to a movement rate of 4�.Ghouls and ghasts move at their normalspeed through the tunnels.

Random Encounters

Check for random encounters onceevery three turns. A roll of 1 or 2 on1d8 indicates that an encounter takesplace. If an encounter is indicated, roll1d8 again and use the correspondingencounter number from the followingtable:

1. The hunting pack. A single ghastleads a pack of ghouls, yipping andyammering through the warren. If theghast is destroyed here, it cannot bemet in Rugen Phimister�s lair.

Ghast (1): AC 4; MV 15�; HD 4; hp20; # AT 3; Dmg 1d4/1d4/1d8; SAnausea, paralyzation; SD immune tosleep and charm; AL CE; XP 140.

Ghouls (1d4+2): AC 6; MV 9�;HD 4; hp variable; # AT 3; Dmg 1d311d3/1d6; SA paralyzation; SDimmune to sleep and charm; AL CE;XP 109.

2-5. A ghoul.

Ghoul (1): AC 6; MV 9�; HD 4; hp10; # AT 3; Dmg 1d3/1d3/1d6; SA par-alyzation; SD immune to sleep andcharm; AL CE; XP 125.

6 . A gr i s ly corpse , par t ia l lydevoured, falls out of a niche upon theparty member most likely to be fright-ened by it (lowest wisdom). That char-acter must make a Horror Check(though the DM may have other charac-ters make checks tool.

7. An ochre jelly.

Ochre jelly: AC 8; MV 3� ; HD 6; hp25; # AT 1; Dmg 1d10 +2; SD split bylightning bolts; AL N; XP 300.

8. Pit of spikes, hidden by offal andrefuse. A character falling in takes 1d6points of damage and has a 25% chanceto contract a disease.

Encounter Areas1. The MausoleumThe graveyard contains but a singlemausoleum, the final resting place of aprominent local family. The tomb dooris closed and has an excellent key lock,which is still fastened. The interior ofthe mausoleum is in shambles; bonesand stone coffins lie strewn about likegruesome, discarded toys. None of thebody pieces bears any finery. All hasbeen taken by the ghouls. The ghouls�secret entrance is in the corner. Belowthis hidden trapdoor is a narrow shaft,about 20� deep. It connects with a ghoultunnel. However, the base of the shaft is

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a pit trap with spikes, hidden by offaland refuse. Anyone who falls in takes1d6 points of damage and has a 25%chance to contract a disease.

2. A Disturbed GraveAt first, this new-made grave appearsunmolested. Yet upon closer examina-tion, the loose soil has settled in anunnatural way, as if its support had col-lapsed from below.

Any villager can lead the PCs to themost recent burial plot in the grave-yard. The mere concept of exhumingthe body, is abhorrent to the villagers. Ifthe grave is excavated, the lid of the cof-fin is intact, yet the coffin is empty. Thecoffin has been breached from below,and the corpse removed. In its place isthe rotted body of a dead ghoul, crawl-ing with maggots and giant white centi-pedes (which attack anyone openingthe coffin). None of this is evidentunless the coffin is opened. Have thecoffin opener and any villagers presentmake a Horror Check. Penalize thecheck by -2 if the body is exhumed atnight by torchlight.

3. At a Dead RunThis is a long, curving, high-ceilinged pas-sageway, large enough for adventurers towalk upright in double file. It endsabruptly at both ends. The many side pas-sages afford the ghouls ample opportuni-ty to ambush unwary PCs. The DMshould mark several passage intersec-tions as coming from directly above thepassage, or at high, steep angles.

4. The Bone YardEvery inch of the irregular floor of thislarge cavern is deeply covered withhuman bones. It is difficult, if notimpossible to cross this room withoutcrunching bones. Giant rats dwell here,feasting on the leavings of the ghouls. Ifthe rats outnumber the PCs, theyattack. Bats on the ceiling are disturbedby noises, and create a great enoughclamor to alert the ghouls.

Giant rats (11): AC 7; MV 12�/6�;HD ½; hp 2� 2� 1� 2� 4� 1� 4� 1� 2� 3� 4; # AT1; Dmg 1d3; SA disease; AL N; XP 9each.

5. The PitsThe ghouls keep their live victims hereas a sort of �larder� for use in hardtimes. A wide, snake-filled trench fillsthe passageway to the pits. The snakes

are difficult to spot in the rubbish fillingthe trench (a 2 in 6 chance if the PCsscan the pit for traps). The snakes arenormal sized, but deadly poisonous. Acharacter who enters the trench isattacked by 1d4 snakes each round. Ifbitten, a character must make a savingthrow vs. poison or take 3d6 damage.Characters who make their saves take½ damage.

Each of the four pits is 15� deep,carved into stone, and covered by flat,heavy stones that were obviously oncetombstones. One is empty, two containliving victims and the fourth contains astarving ghoul, a former victim who hasjust recently died. One victim is a localfarmer�s son, and the other is a travelerwho spent the night too near the grave-yard. Both are sick, and the traveler isgravely wounded.

The ghoul imitates the cries of thesick victims. When its pit is opened, itreaches out with surprise (3 in 6chance) and grabs the closest characterby the neck (up to four attack chances)and drags the character in. Anyonewho witnesses this must make a HorrorCheck.

Ghoul (1): AC 6; MV 9�; HD 4; hp 6;# AT 3; Dmg 1d3/1d3/1d6; SA paraly-zation; SD immune to sleep andcharm; AL CE; XP 109.

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Giant centipedes (3): AC 9; MV15�; HD ¼; hp 1, 2, 2; # AT 1; Dmg nil;SA poison; AL N; XP 32 each.

Victims (2): AC 10; MV 6�; HD 0;hp 2, 3; # AT 1; Dmg 1d3; AL N; XP 7each.

Snakes (12): AC 6; MV 9�; HD ½;hp variable; # AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SA poi-son; AL N; XP 8 each.

6. Ghoul GoodiesThe ghouls have collected a modesttreasure apart from Rugen Phimister�shoard (area No. 7). They have buried itunder refuse in this chamber. However,except for a path around the room�sedge, the floor is loosely packed earthand trash, hiding sharp stakes. Anyonewho walks here will sink down and dothemselves 1d4 damage on the spikesand have a 25% chance to contract adisease.

The treasure includes: 3,000 cp, 1,100sp, 2,000 ep, two gems (50 gp each), andan enameled box containing two dartsof homing.

7. The Crypts Of the HolyFathersSilent skulls stare bleakly from wallniches where priests of long ago werelaid to rest. Torchlight glitters upon pol-ished gold and silver plates, candelabra,and statuary set out on a huge trestletable like a banquet for a king. Yet noking sits here, only a grostesque mock-ery of man, a grossly fat ghoul. Andwhat is set before him is a meal fit onlyfor madmen.

This is the ghast Rugen Phimister�slair. Here, he has collected his recenttreasures, taken from local graves, dis-tant tombs, and other worlds. The�food� on the table is corpse parts,many quite fresh. Rugen the ghast willbe eating with gusto while his twoghoul guards pounce upon his castoffs.Looking at the �food� and feastingrequires a Horror Check.

Rugen�s description and those of histwo ghoul and one ghast guards are tobe found in �The Night Gallery� section.If it looks like he can win a fight, Rugenwill fight, otherwise he will barter for

his life (or unlife).Rugen�s treasure is large and quite

cumbersome (very little of it is coin). Sixgolden candelabra at 500 gp each; threegolden place settings (dishes and flat-ware) at 100 gp each; 10 ornamentalreligious statues of gold, silver, andgems worth a total of 8,000 gp; a leathersatchel containing 100 harbor moons (aWaterdeep coin of platinum and elec-trum worth 25 gp in Waterdeep, butonly 10 gp anywhere else); two 500 gpgems; six pieces of jewelry 2 x 500 gp, 3x 1,000 gp, 1 x 2,500 gp, an elixir ofmadness, potion of speed, potion ofhealing, scroll of protection: undead,spell scroll: one third-level spell, spellscroll: one second-level spell (all spellsDM�s choice); and a map. The mapreveals a location where Rugen storedhis ill-gotten tax money when alive. Hecan no longer remember where he hidit or decipher the map. The treasure ishidden in a cave near the village; sev-eral mechanical and deadfall trapsguard the treasure, as do the fiercegrizzly bears who make the cave theirlair. The treasure is worth 3,000 gp,mostly silver, copper, and jewelry.

8. Door into DarknessA pair of 20�-tall, intricately carved pil-lars stand half buried in the chamber�scenter. Magical runes (if read) revealthem as the plinths of a gate, a conduitto another plane. The ultimate destina-tion is up to the DM, but given RugenPhimister�s background, the Abyss orTarterus are likely end terminals.

Ecology of Ghoulsand GhastsThe gnarled old priest stepped silentlythrough the high grass and tumbledstones, picking out a path he knew well,even in the near darkness. Edgingbehind him like frightened children, atrio of young novices gingerly steppedaround and over fallen grave markersand statuary.

Abruptly, the old priest stopped andthe first of the novices collided with his

teacher, apologetically stepping backonly to fall limbs askew into the coldarms of a smiling marble cherub.

�Brother Felloman, why bring us tothis graveyard, and at this hour of thenight?� the irritated novice whispered,disentangling himself from the statue�sembrace. �Surely there is nothing herethat we cannot know from the scrolls inthe temple�s scriptorium.�

Felloman, gave the novice a sternglance and tugged at his own ear, thenturned his attention to pouring waterfrom a flask in circle around them.When the circle was complete, thewater glowed momentarily. Youngbrother Amelior knew the look and thegesture and remained quiet, though hehoped the darkness hid the flush in hischeeks.

�Watch,� Felloman mouthed silentlyand crouched down into the tall grass.Amelior and his two fellows, Vortigurand Grendul, hunkered down into thegrass with their teacher and waited.

Something was with them in thegraveyard. The rising hairs on the backof Amelior�s neck bespoke the super-natural. As he peered across the moon-dappled graves, a figure clamberedsilently into sight, shaking off dirt andgrave mold like a dog sheds water, andclutching some prize to its chest. Thething (Amelior could not rightly call it aman) trotted a short distance from itshole and squatted. Red, feral eyes dart-ed about, seeking any who would takeits prize.

�Grave robber,� Vortigur gaspedunder his breath. Startled, the thingjumped up and looked wildly about.Dog-like, it sniffed the breeze, thenfroze. Red eyes focused directly onAmelior. He panicked, rose and tripped,falling outside the circle of protection.The thing was on him, smelling ofdeath. Its touch burned like ice and firetogether, and his limbs refused his callto flee. Amelior shrieked as filthy clawsshredded his robe and raked his chest,while snaggled teeth ripped away at hisshoulder. Old Felloman rose, shovingMystra�s encircled star before him, andjust as quickly, it was over. Amelior lay

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gasping and bleeding in the tombstonesand the thing writhed spasmodicallybeside him, still clutching its grislyprize . . . a rotting human arm, gnawednearly to the bone.

The moon was higher now. Theyretreated into an open mausoleumwhere brother Felloman called lightinto being.

�I knew that man,� Amelior said,scratching at new-healed flesh on hisshoulder. �Well, I knew him when helived and was a man. He was Wexelar,the moneylender. My father said hecheated folk of their livelihood. I thinkmy father owed him a great deal ofmoney. Wexelar died suddenly of the�plexy. I remember watching as theydumped his body in the earth. The oldtale must be true then, that ghouls wereonce evil humans who preyed uponothers in life and who died unblessed.�

�Indeed,� said the old priest as he ban-daged Amelior�s injured face. �It islucky for you, young brother, that youdid not die also. Victims who are killedby ghouls become ghouls themselves ifthey are not blessed before being bur-ied.�

�It�s not my place to pry, reverendbrother,� Amelior said as he glancedtoward the mausoleum entrance, �butshouldn�t you renew your protectionspell? If ghouls beget other ghouls, Ifear Wexelar may not be alone here.�

�You will do it, young Amelior.��Uh . . . uh . . . I, reverend one?� Amelior

choked, wishing he had heard wrong.He had done it once before, but nowhoped that Mystra could fill in the gapsin the prayers he only half remem-bered. Hands shaking, he spilled theholy water in a rough circle aroundthem, making sure to include the door.Clutching his �star� he mouthed theprayer. With a smiling sigh he collapsedto the floor. No ghoul could cross thatmagical barricade.

Amelior�s smile faded as glowing eyesgathered beyond the door. One, two,three pairs. He gagged, swallowingback sour bile. While two stayed back,one stepped casually into the light, acrooked smile cracking the scabs on its

face as it hopped excitedly from leg toleg.

�Circle-bright hurt frenzzz�� it hissed,eyeing the damp stone. �Maybe it notlassst forever? Maybe warm fleshbecome cold soon, you think. Maybe wefeast very soon?�

Felloman stepped forward, present-ing Mystra�s holy star as before, but theghoul-thing only cringed momentarily,then smiled until its face seemed itmight crack under the strain. Stunnedby his failure, the old man staggeredbackward.

�Maybe circle bright keep backfrenzzz, but not me, eh? What youthink?� And with that, the ghaststepped through the ineffectual circleof protection.

Creature NotesThe ghoul is a human or demi-human

The energy of the Negative MaterialPlane imbues ghoul and ghast alike

who has risen from the grave to feed onhuman and other corpses. Some ghouls

with a chilling, paralyzing touch. The

are self-made. In life, they were humanpredators who fed off the ill fortune of

effect of this touch is to disrupt the vic-

their fellow men. Their lives ended, yettheir evil survived. Dying unblessed

tim�s nerve synapses. Occasionally the

and buried unsanctified, they arecursed to continue feeding as ghouls.

paralyzation affects only a limb,

Ghasts are ghouls who have wander-ed or been taken into the Abyss andgained superior powers due to expo-sure to the intense evil there. Ghasts areused as hunting �dogs� by demons, andare often called the �Hounds of theAbyss.� Occasionally, they are set freeand rejoin ghoul packs as leaders.

Still, most ghouls and ghasts are thevictims of other ghouls and ghasts, folkwho died of wounds inflicted by thoseundead monsters. If victims are notblessed, they rise again in three days asghouls, under the control of their slay-er. Furthermore, unblessed victimsmay neither be resurrected nor rein-carnated.

restricting movement, spell-casting,and combat. More often than not, theentire body is affected. Rather thansimple immobility, the victim suffers aterrible seizure and may thrash aboutfor minutes before the muscles no long-er respond and the victim is paralyzed.

The duration of the paralyzationdepends on the victim�s Constitution.Subtract the victim�s Constitution from20 and add 1d6 if the attacker is a ghouland 2d6 if the attacker is a ghast. Theresult is the number of rounds that theparalysis lasts. Once the paralysiswears off, the victim�s dexterity isreduced by 2d6 for an equal number ofturns (not rounds). DMs may wish tomake reduced dexterity a side effectthat continues until a special herbalelixir is imbibed, made of rare healingherbs.

Elves are immune to the ghoul�stouch. The presumed reason stemsfrom the belief that elves are descen-

It is possible for a ghoul or ghast to be

dants of the god Corellon Larethian.

starved out of existence. It may go with-

Elven lore states that the purity of anelf�s bloodline makes him heir to the

out food for seven days before it feels

god�s gift of immunity, wrenched fromthe demons defeated in the time of

the effects of starvation. A starving

myths and legends. As legend goes, thegift once extended to an immunity to all

ghoul or ghast loses one hit point per

undead, but now only protects against

week, and ceases to exist when it has no

the lesser powers of the ghoul (ghasts,with their greater power, can paralyzeeven an elf who fails to make a savingthrow vs. paralyzation). Half-elves gainno protection against either ghoul orghast.

Ghouls and ghasts exist only to eat. Allelse is secondary to a hungry ghoul orghast. Ghouls and ghasts must havehuman flesh to survive. They attack theliving only when corpses are not to behad, or in self defense. They find animalflesh unpalatable. The flesh they eatmaintains their physical bodies andtheir energy connection with the Nega-tive Material Plane.

eventual decay. Most ghouls do notexist for more than 200 years. Even so,uncommon specimens have been foundover 1,000 years old. The evil enhance-ment of the ghasts allows them to existfor 500 years or more-though ghastswho remain in the Abyss are nearlyimmortal.

more hit points, its soul passing ontotorment in the Abyss.

In a similar vein, ghouls and ghastsare not immortal. Because they arephysical beings, they are subject to

Ghouls are superb hunters and track-ers� (tracking as fifth-level rangers).Ghasts are better still, and track likeseventh-level rangers (see UNEARTH-ED ARCANA). They track by sight,sound, and especially smell.

They prefer to hunt in packs, gibber-ing and yammering as they relentlesslypursue their prey. They never give up apursuit. Whether they are alone or in apack, ghouls and ghasts are fearless,willing to chance all for a tasty treat.

Ghouls are burrowers and tunnelers.It begins when they are �born��-a bur-ied ghoul must dig its way out of itsgrave. Common ghoul tunnels are littlemore than crawlways, letting the ghoulcreep its way to its next meal. Ghoulwarrens may form vast networksbeneath graveyards and nearby towns.Many tunnels in these warrens areenlarged to allow a upright stance.

The process which transforms aman�s soul, mind, and body into a ghoulleaves little left of what was once the

man. Its face takes on a canine aspect,developing an extended muzzle full ofsharp, discolored teeth. Even so, thosewho knew the victim well may still seethe the man within the monster.

Hands and feet become clawlike,while rank, oozing sores erupt on thebody, scabbing over with scale-likehardness. In the ghast, these scaly soresexude an odious, nauseating, carrionstench so powerful that it causes retch-ing and nausea in those nearby (within10� and failing a saving throw vs. poi-son).

Likewise, the ghoul�s mind is warpedout of shape. A cunning, predatorysemi-sentience overrides the victim�spersonality, essentially replacing whatis lost by the horror of transformation.Remnants of the creature�s mindremain intact, but the ghoul (or eventhe ghast) rarely realizes (nor accepts)that it is dead-the last vestiges of themind cannot accept that it thrives uponhuman carrion. The subsequent trans-formation to ghast reawakens the crea-ture�s intelligence. Some may actuallybe personable, more prone to conversa-tion than conflict (though they are stillundeniably evil and more than a littleinsane)�so long as one avoids discus-sing their ghoulishness or insisting thatthey have died.

Bereft of sanity, ghouls and ghasts areall afflicted with some form of mentalaberration (selected from the insanitiesin the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE).Common afflictions include paranoia,

hallucinations, megalomania or delu-sional insanity, monomania, and splitpersonalities.

Ghouls are kept back by a simple pro-tection from evil spell. However, coldiron must be used as a part of the spell ifa ghast is to be repelled-pure, unal-loyed iron, as close to elemental iron aspossible.

Paralysis Hit Location Table

1d8 roll Hit Effectlocation

1-2 Right armNo. 1 (see below)3-4 A leg No. 2 (see below)5-6 Left arm No. 1 (see below)7-8 Full body No. 3 (see below)

No. 1: Character may not cast spellshaving somatic components. If this isthe character�s weapon arm, melee isimpossible (85% of all people are right-handed). If this is the character�s �oppo-site� hand, a shield may not be used.

No. 2: Each round, the charactermust make a Dexterity Ability Check tostay on his or her feet. Dexteritybonuses to armor class are lost. DMmay wish to choose the affected leg.

No. 3: Character is fully paralyzed,though subject to spasmodic seizures.Movement and combat are impossible.If the victim does not make a Constitu-tion Ability Check, he does himself 1d3points of damage.(Special thanks to Vince Garcia for hisarticle, �A Touch of Evil,� in DRAGON®

Magazine, issue #126.

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THE TOMBS OF DECKON THARMonster: WightTerrain: ruinsParty Levels: 40 (Average 3-4)Gold X.P.:Treasure X.P.:Monster X.P.:

Kill: 2071 Defeat: 1553Retreat: 518

This adventure is set in the North ofthe Forgotten Realms, where the tombsof a long-dead culture have sat alone ina hidden valley for centuries. Theadventure is meant for characters ofbetween third and fourth level and thetotal number of levels of members ofthe party should be between 36 and 48.At least one character should be afourth-level, Good cleric.

HistoryAfter the breakup of the Lost Kingdom,a bandit culture took root in the moun-tains between what is now Silverymoonand Sundabar. Even then, these wererelatively large population centerswhich traded between themselves, andthe Chieftains in Gold, as the banditscalled themselves, grew rich eitherraiding the trading caravans or charg-ing high tolls for their safe passage,depending on how accommodating therulers of the trading lands were.For eight generations these chieftainsled their people in this activity, buteventually they were caught in the pathof an orc horde and are said, in ballads,to have died fighting to the last man,woman, and child.

The orcs looted the chieftains� greatkeep in the mountains, but no one hasever discovered the tombs of the sevenchieftains who died before the orc inva-sion.

The Ravaged Caravan.Recently, a trading party, driven off itstrail by unseasonal storms, discovereda hidden mountain valley containingwhat looked like burial mounds. Thetraders took refuge in the buildingsthat guarded these tombs. During the

night, monsters attacked and draggedthree caravan workers away. The cara-van leader and his men searched thearea the next morning but could find notrace of monsters or victims.

They left the valley, but marked itslocation on their maps and left a cairnto mark its hidden entrance.

Setupl The simplest is to say that one of

the victims from the caravan is a rela-tive or friend of one of the player char-acters. The characters will seekrevenge, and/or an attempt to find thevictim before the monsters can destroyhim (unlikely, but perhaps worth thetry).l Another method, meant for the

more avaricious, is to have someonewho hears the story (or some playercharacter doing some research) learnthat the valley is known in ancient leg-ends as the Tombs of the Chieftains inGold. The ancient nation that used toexist here was known to bury its chief-tains in great state. The caravan leadersaw no sign of grave robbing-but theplace was covered with snow.l Finally, the DM may just ignore the

previous story of the trading caravan.Drive the adventurers into the valleywith a storm, and let them do their ownexploring and perhaps be attacked atnight by the ever-lurking wights.

The ValleyThe Tombs of Deckon Thar (namedafter the first of the royal line to be bur-ied here) are nestled in a box canyon ona western mountain slope. Theentrance to the valley is along a narrow,twisted trail. The entrance is obscuredby brush, but it is marked by a cairn,which was erected by the trading cara-van. (If the party is not following up thetraders� story, the cairn is still there.The party just never heard the traders�story.)

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As you clear the brush away fromthe entrance, you realize that it leadsto a defile going right into the cliffface. You can only enter single file,leading any animals you havebrought with you. You can see thatthere are ledges and crevices aboveyou that might hold ambushers, butit would take a good climber to reachany of them from where you are.

can get through safely.

The party may think that this narrowdefile looks perfect for an ambush.However, there is no ambush, and they

When you reach the other end of thedefile, you can see the valley dipsdrastically away from you, thenstarts to climb again toward themountain cliffs at the back. As youlook at the valley with the setting sunat your backs, you can see tworuined buildings that still have mostof their walls and some of theirroofs. Beyond the buildings are sev-en large mounds, each of whichlooks large enough to hold a smallraiding ship.

Six of the mounds are arranged inthree rows of two each, and the cen-ter of this formation leads directlyfrom the sturdier of the two ruinstoward the seventh, and largest,mound.

The closest edifice to your entrypoint is the more ruined of the twobuildings.

The First BuildingThis building is at the end of a twistytrail that takes the party a hundred feetor so down from the valley mouth tothe building. When the party arrives,the sun is going down below the hills tothe west.

Looking at the building from the out-side� you realize that its wooden roofis just about gone� the wood and

The Second Buildingplaster walls are disintegrating.From the outside, you see that it hadone wide door (no longer present) inthe middle of one long wall, andnormal-sized doors (also gone) ateach end. You can see the ruins of awooden fence that enclosed an areaoutside the wide doors.

There is no sign of any life but the as-sorted birds, rodents, lizards, and in-sects you would expect to find in such aplace. The daylight is about gone.

If the party decides to camp outside,ignore the following until they actuallydo look inside the building.

Looking inside, you see that the cen-ter portion was one large room. Thelong walls were broken up intosmaller rooms about big enough tohold a horse. In fact, you realize thatyou are looking into the ruins of astable. At each end of the building isa small room that was obviously a

tack room. Now they are the homesof many different small animals,most of which leave when you enter.You can see that there are placeswhere the wall has broken down,leaving holes, throughout the build-ing. If this is a stable, then the for-merly fenced-in area outside wasprobably the paddock.

Players who make a very carefulexamination (taking about an hour indaylight) of the northernmost tackroom will find the remains of a silver bitfrom a bridle that could fetch 20 gp forits workmanship. Everything else is rot-ted or rusted away.

If the party decides to settle down inthis building or in the relatively cleararea in front of the building (where thepaddock used to be) go to �First Night!�

If the party decides to continue and toexplore the second building, which isabout 300� away, remind them that thenight is closing in fast, and they shouldset up camp.

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This rectangular building looks like agreat hall or mead hall. There is aporch running around the building,two doors in each long wall, and onedoor in each short wall. Its walls arewood and plaster, but reinforcedwith rock; its roof is obviously ofhigher quality than the barns. Nev-ertheless, it, too, is falling apart.

As the player characters look at theoutside, add details of cracks in thewalls, rotted wood in the porch floor,and a general feeling that the place willprobably last until the next storm, butthen all bets are off. Fortunately, no fur-ther storms are expected for months.

If the party enters:

Whatever walls used to divide up thecentral room of this building havenot lasted as well as the exterior. Thebuilding is one large room with what

If the party has been exploring thisbuilding after the barn, the sun hasgone down. They can either camp here,back at the barn, or in the paddock.One assumes they will not decide tosleep among the burial mounds.

In the fire pit are the remains of a fireset by the trader caravan when it wasthere. This is where the traders wereattacked by monsters.

Careful examination of the fire pitreveals an opening hidden by a rockthat looks like it is part of the bedrock,but isn�t. It is a tunnel big enough toallow a man to crawl through like asnake. If a party member wants tocrawl in, see �In the Tunnels.�

If this party consists entirely of elves,half-elves, and dwarves-all capable ofseeing in the dark-remind them thatthey have been traveling and climbingall day. Perhaps it is time to rest.

First NightAssuming the party settles down tocamp, it will probably set up guards andthe rest of the group will go to sleep.About three hours before dawn, thewights strike! They do nothing if theparty has continual light spells lightingthe area.

Use a group of wights that is half thenumber of the adventurers. Thewights� purpose is to sneak into thecamp, find an isolated victim (anyonesleeping in the remains of a stall or inone of the great hall�s closet beds is anexcellent target, and the wights know

were obviously once closet bedsalong the wall. Three of these arestill intact. If any of you desire pri-vacy, you can throw out the debristhat had been the bed and lay out abedroll in the closet. There just isenough room for two humans tosleep side by side. There is plenty ofroom for a score or more to sleep inthe central room. In the center of thestone-paved floor is a large fire pitwith the remnants of a fire about amonth old.

just how to enter these unobserved)and eat his life energy until he is dead. Ifit seems possible, they will attempt todrag the body out of the camp so thevictim can turn into a half-wight undis-turbed.

While wights can detect the presenceof life, they cannot tell the differencebetween targets who are awake andasleep. Thus, they may try to grab aguard who is not moving, or a charac-ter whose player has specified he isstaying awake. They are smart enoughnot to grab someone apart from theothers (unless they are in a stall orsleeping closet), because these are prob-ably guards, no matter how still theyare. They also do not go after horses,because horses don�t have the right sortof life energies.

If the victims put up a struggle andalert the rest of the party, the wightsscatter, heading for their tunnels. If thecharacters are foolish enough to followthem in at night, see �In the Tunnels.�

In the dark, the wights look like rock-hard, humanoid forms. A life drain vic-tim who is not killed and/or carriedaway can explain what has happened tohim. Unless the characters have seenwights before, there is no need to namethem to the players. Be as vague as pos-sible. Give them descriptions that couldjust as easily cover ghouls or zombies ortrolls or really ugly hobgoblins.

If a cleric tries to turn the attackersaway and succeeds, he will know theyare undead. Don�t tell him what roll heneeds, just watch his roll and tell him ifhe is successful or not. Better yet, rollthe turn undead attempt yourself, so hedoesn�t know how successful he was.

Holes in the EarthWhen fleeing pursuit or a successfulturning, or taking off a victim, thewights run to the holes leading to thetunnels that intertwine throughout thevalley. There are holes beneath the firepit of the great hall, outside the walls ofthe hall and outside the walls of thebarn. There are no holes to the tunnelsthat lead directly into the paddock area.

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Each hole has a rock over it that lookslike a normal one, long since packedinto the surrounding earth. The stonecovers have been carefully shaped bythe wights to look like thick rocks bur-ied deep in the earth.

When a wight leaves the hole toattack someone on the surface, it leavesthe rock off of the hole so it can make aquick getaway.

Each wight goes to a different hole ifpossible, tossing any victims into thehole first, then jumping in after them.While these wights have no real vision,they have long ago memorized the areaand know exactly where to throw andwhere to jump. If they are not beingpursued, they carefully place the capback on the hole.

Each hole is a narrow shaft just bigenough for a person wearing nothingbut rags to fit in. Normal men anddwarves wearing armor will have toshed their protection or widen theholes. Elves, gnomes, and halflings haveno trouble fitting.

The shaft goes down 10' to a connect-ing tunnel. Read the following to any-one jumping in a hole directly after awight.

You drop down a narrow shaft, yourclothes or armor scraping on thesides. You hit the floor 15� down, butthe scrape of the walls obviouslyslowed you down enough so thatyou didn�t take any damage. Youseem to be in a pit, except for onewall, which opens up into a narrowtunnel. You think it runs roughlyeast and west. You can hear the mon-ster running away down the tunnelto the east. Even as your eyes adjustto the dark, you realize that the onlylight illuminating the tunnel is thereflected light from above you. Oth-erwise the tunnel is totally dark.

The wight is not trying to be silent.However, unless the character can seein the dark or somehow managed tobring a torch with him while chasingthe wight, he cannot see a thing.

If the character is going into the holecautiously following after a wight, orjust because the party found the hole(same chance as for secret doors), usethe description above, but drop thecomments about the wight.

The Next DayIf the party is not attacked the firstnight because of how it is are set up orhaving continual light spells illuminat-ing it, the characters can explore thewhole valley easily. It is a pleasant place,full of grass and copses of trees, stillenjoying the benefits of that recentunseasonal storm which brought in lotsof water for the plants.

In fact, looking very carefully (druids,rangers, and elves would be best forthis), party members can see (using thesame chance as for secret doors) whatseem like twisted lines running throughthe grass. They can realize that thisphenomenon is caused by the stuntednature of those plants that are alongthese lines, and it doesn�t seem to haveany connection to the type of plant orthe soil directly under the plant. It�salmost as if there is something underthe topsoil (actually there is) that makesthe plants not grow as well as theyshould under these conditions.

These lines are about 3� wide and donot seem to follow any particular pat-tern except that they avoid any large

rock outcroppings.

The Burial MoundsThe seven large mounds seem to followthe pattern of burial mounds elsewherein the Forgotten Realms. They are cov-ered with grass and other shallow-rooted plants and creepers, but seemthoroughly intact. There is no immedi-ate evidence of the grave robbing socommon elsewhere. Of course, this isan isolated location, probably pickedbecause it was unlikely to attract graverobbers.

None of the other mounds show anyevidence of tampering.

However, closer examination revealsthat there is a tunnel dug into the westside of the middle of the northernmounds. Perhaps some grave robbershave been here. The tunnel is over-grown with brush and plants, buthasn�t filled in.

General Descriptions�TheFloor Plan

Each of the mounds is about 100�long, 45� wide, and built to the samefloor plan. The seventh mound is slight-ly longer (about 140�) and wider (about60�), and its internal rooms are larger,but the floor plan is the same.

Each room in the mound has a hard-packed earthen floor, rocks lining the

walls, and thick wooden beams holdingup the ceiling (the beams are only abouthalf rotted).

Entrance.

This is a passageway that has been filledwith rocks and earth. It is, in fact,harder to get through this passagewaythan it is to dig through the walls, if thecharacters have digging tools. The pas-sageway is 10' deep, the walls are allabout 10' thick but consist of a higherratio of earth to rock than found in thepassageway.

Strong men can move the rocks out ofthe passageway at a rate of 1' per hourfor every 10 points of Strength over 10applied. No more than three people canfit into the passageway to work on it atonce.

Alternately, if the party has tools suchas shovels and picks, the party can diginto a mound at a rate of 1' per 10Strength applied per hour. No morethan three characters can work on onetunnel at a time. Without the propertools, there is little the party can do todig through the walls, and they�re bet-ter off clearing the passageway.

Offering Room.

This room holds items offered by thechieftain�s followers to honor him indeath. Much of the stuff has rotted orrusted away. Some items like chairs or

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Anything of value in any of theserooms has been added to the treasurein the Hall of the Mound King.

hangings look good as new, but crum-ble at a touch.

The Guard Room.

One thing this culture believed was thata dead chieftain needed a proper honorguard. This room holds earthen plat-forms, about 2� off the ground, onwhich two to four of the chieftain�s fol-lowers laid themselves to die whentheir chieftain died. Sometimes thealready slain bodies of followers wereput on these platforms when a leaderdied in battle along with most of hismen.

There are no bodies on the platforms.However, explorers can find the rustedremnants of chain mail shirts andswords on the platforms, as well as theimprint of long-rotted leather under-garments and fastening thongs.

There are earthenware jars holdingrotted offerings of grain and otheritems meant to help the spirits of thedead on their journey to the afterlife.

The Resting Place.

This is where the chieftain was laid onanother earthen platform. His restingplace was covered by a valuable furwhich has long since rotted away. Againthere is no body, but there are rem-nants of the dead chieftain�s armor andweapons. However, there is a 15%chance in each resting place that thewights missed some item of value thatthe party could find in a corner. Use theDUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE to deter-mine the value of the item.

One of the mounds shows signs of abreak-in by grave robbers. Followingthe tunnel dug into the side of themound, the party finds the shovels andpicks used for the grave robbing scat-tered in the guard room of the moundat the end of the tunnel. There are nobodies, but there are some signs of astruggle. The metal of the tools is long-rusted-the grave robbers came by along time ago. They didn�t leave.

Running Into WightsThe wights prowl their old tombs onoccasion in groups of two to five. If theydetect the adventurers, they wait alongthe wall of a room in the mound andattack as the characters come next tothem. If they are losing, and have theopportunity to run, they do so.

Use the following table to determineif wights are encountered in any partic-ular burial mound.

Location Roll 1d10*First mound 1-2Second mound 1-4Third mound 1-5Fourth mound 1-6Fifth mound 1-7Sixth mound 1-8

� If the wights win, the adventure isover. If the adventurers win, killing allthe wights, they have the same chanceof running into a wight group in latermounds. If wights get away, the partyfinds no more wights in the moundsuntil it gets to the last one (whicheverone it is), where it is attacked by all theremaining wights. These wights use thetunnels to split up into two groups andattack simultaneously from two sides.

If this attack does not seem to beworking, the wights run back to thetunnels and retreat, running to Vin-jarek, the great wight, for his leader-ship.

Other Ways Into the TombsBesides following the grave robber tun-nel or digging into a tomb themselves,the only way adventurers can get into atomb is by the tunnels. The warren oftunnels dug by the wights hasentrances into each of the rooms ofeach of the mounds. Like the outsidetunnels, the entrances are big enoughfor a man to crawl through very care-fully and are covered by one of therocks that line the walls of the moundrooms.

Also like the outside tunnels, theseholes drop the person down a shaft forabout 10�, which leaves him in a holelooking into a tunnel which winds off in

25

at least two directions. Occasionally(see the map), the tunnel just leadsdirectly away from the shaft, which isthe end of the line.

These entrances to the tombs arevery obvious from the tunnels. There isno attempt to hide them from the tun-nel side.

As described before, there is no lightin these tunnels, since wights don�tneed it.

In the TunnelsThese tunnels have been dug by thewights over the centuries since theyfirst came to this valley. The wights justuse their hands and their greatstrength, attacking the softer pocketsof rock and earth and avoiding theharder stone, so the tunnels are contin-ually twisting without more than 10� ofstraight passage.

You are in a snaky little tunnel withvery little walking space. Tall mem-bers of the party (over 6� tall) have tobend over, and even humans of nor-mal height feel a need to duck downfor fear of running into something inthe ceiling. The walls are irregular,and the ceiling is barely supportedby occasional strategically placedlogs.

There are occasional open spots wheremassed wights can ambush the party ifthey have not already done so in one ofthe burial mounds. The wight tactic isto blend into the walls of the chamberand let most of the party in before step-ping out to attack.

They will only do this in chamberswith more than two exits, so they knowthey have the chance to get away toreport back to Vinjarek.

The Topography of the Tunnels

The tunnels are continually changingdepth, rising and falling to match thecontours of the softer rock throughwhich they are dug and the harder rockthey avoid. Frequently one wall of the

tunnel is packed earth and the other ishard rock that the wights found whiledigging.

The chambers can be above or belowthe level of the tunnel coming intothem. Some of the chambers havestreams running through them and/orpools in their centers.

Hall of the Mound KingThis is not in the king mound, butunderneath in a tunnel. Vinjarek, thegreat wight, waits here, +3 frost-brandbroad sword in hand. He has assembledall his remaining followers to help himin this last fight.

The EnemiesThere are 16 wights and Vinjarek, thegreat wight. There are also three half-wights who were members of the trad-ing caravan killed and stolen by thewights some months ago.

If the wights lose half their number(not counting the half-wights) andreceive some warning of the coming ofthe adventurers, they will retreat to thethrone room and prepare their defensearound their leader. He will not ventureout to find the adventurers. He knowsthey want his treasure, and he intendsto catch them when they come for it.

You enter a large undergroundcavern with no more light than anyother place you have been in amongthese tunnels. The room is roughlyoblong, and set out from the far wall,you see a chair made of stone thatlooks like a rough throne.

If Vinjarek is waiting for them, read thefollowing:

A man-sized rock imbedded in thefar wall crashes forward, revealinganother tunnel beyond. Out of thattunnel steps another wight. This oneis garbed in rotting chain mail armorand carries a sword that reflectsyour light like ice.

�Welcome,� rasps a voice that hasobviously not been used for centu-ries. �Your strong souls will warmme for years.� He swings his swordup in both hands and attacks.

The chamber is small enough thatonly one missile shot, or spell, can possi-bly get off before Vinjarek is in the mid-dle of the party, If a cleric withoutsufficient levels attempts to turn him,be sure to play up the ineffectiveness ofthe attempt (especially if it does affectthe wights Vinjarek has accompanyinghim) and Vinjarek�s delight in theattempt. He should laugh hoarsely andpromise to take great delight in the soulof the cleric.

Vinjarek: AC 3; MV 12�; HD 7 + 3;hp 60; # AT 2; Dmg 1d6 +2(fist)/1d6 + 6*(sword); SA energy drainwith fist; SD only magic/silver, nocharm or hold spells; AL LE; XP1250.

Wights (16): AC 5; MV 12�; HD4 + 3; hp 22; # AT 1; Dmg 1d4; SAenergy drain; SD only magic/silver,no sleep, charm, or hold spells; ALLE; XP 475 each.

Half-wights (3): AC 7; MV 12�;HD 2 + 3; hp 12; # AT 1; Dmg 1d3; SAenergy drain; SD only magic/silver,no sleep, charm, or hold spells; ALLE; XP 346 each.

In the tunnels, ranged weapons andmass destruction spells have definiteproblems. There is no real way to use abow in the narrow tunnels, and thechambers leave the adventurers facinga determined foe with no real room forarrow fire. The adventurers have to getto close quarters, which is all to thewights� advantage.

Wights will not attack any party using

Tactics: The wights have no missileor ranged attacks, they have to get closeto an enemy to affect him. Thus, theyuse the ambush techniques describedbefore, a stealthy approach to anunaware foe, or a headlong rush ifthere�s no alternative. Note that theywill not venture out of their tunnelsexcept to try to catch sleeping adven-turers.

26

a continual light spell for illumination inthe outdoors. Light spells and torchesdo not bother them at any time. If a par-ty is using a continual light spell on astaff or other item it is carrying under-ground or in the mounds, the wightsattack the continual light holder firstand try to kill him and bury the light inthe hard-packed earth or earthen wallsor ceilings around them. Note that theyare not hurt or even affected in theirfighting ability by the continual light, itjust irritates them. If they are backedup to the last chamber in which theycan fight, they ignore the light and justfight.

The half-wights have no problemwith continual light at all, since theireyes are normal.

The Mound King�s TreasureThe chamber beyond the throne cham-ber of the tunnels is the treasure houseof Vinjarek. All of the wight treasure isstored here.

Deepchill� + 3, + 6 vs. fire usersbroadsword, INT 15, Lawful Neutral,detect secret doors in ½� radius, detectsloping passages in 1" radius, detectelevator/shifting walls/rooms in 1� radi-us, speaks Lawful Neutral and Dwarf.Ego 13.

This sword is only really happyunderground. It used to belong to adwarven king, who lost it in battle tothe human king who was then buried inone of the mounds. It is not particularlyhappy with its current master, whocan�t even talk to it, but Vinjarek hascomplete mastery of the sword.

Deepchill would rather belong to adwarf, but anyone who spends a lot oftime underground is all right. He pre-fers to speak in dwarven. He onlyspeaks the alignment language if abso-lutely necessary. And, of course, he has

Since the wights have never had pos-session of an all-metal box, all of thecontainers that held the various trea-sure items rotted away long ago. Thetreasure is just scattered on the floor.

Vinjarek�s greatest treasure is neverfar from him. This is his sword.

WightThe Ecology of the

There is also 4,000 gp in gold ingotsand trade weights, 10,000 sp in silverthat used to be part of various items ofjewelry, and 2,000 ep in coins.

There are also 47 other items of jew-elry that have an average value of 150gp each (a total of 7050 gp in value). Oneof these items (worth 300 gp for the val-ue as jewelry) is actually a ring of spellturning. Another brooch, worth about400 gp as jewelry, is actually a brooch ofshielding. There is also a long sword+2, cursed berserking which had been

the proud possession of one of the morewarlike of the chieftains buried in thesemounds.

nothing but disdain for anyone whodoes not speak either language.

Also among the wights� treasures is ashield +2 that Vinjarek cannot usebecause the arm and handholds haverotted away, and a shiny spearhead. Iffastened to a spear shaft, the spearheadbecomes a spear +1. Its former shafthas rotted away.

The fine leather scabbard thatsheathed Deepchill rotted away longago, but the treasure includes threematched gems which are worth 55 gpeach, but 200 gp as a matched set. Theyused to be inset in the scabbard.

. . . Wights are formed from thebodies of men and women of noblebirth who are buried in earthen tombs.

These notes on the wights of the For-gotten Realms are taken from the writ-ings of Jilda the Sage, a priestess ofOghma who has taken as her specialtythe study of undead. When reading herdissertations on undead, however, onemust remember that (11 all of herknowledge is taken second-hand, as shehas never been an adventurer or seenmost of the creatures about which shewrites, and (2) being a daughter of roy-alty, her social prejudices show in someof her conclusions. From the Notebooksof Jilda the Sage of Neverwinter:

There, their bodies are sought out byan evil spirit of power which has noway of interacting with the Prime Mate-rial Plane unless he inhabits such abody.

When the spirit inhabits the body, ithalts the normal process of decay andinstead works its magic to partially pet-rify the body. When the body has theright balance of flesh and mineral, itcan move again under the spirit�s guid-ance. The presence of the spirit alsocauses the body to exist on both thenegative and normal planes of the mate-rial plane, making it invulnerable todamage by any but silver or magicweapons.

Why the spirit wants to return to asemi-fleshy form is unknown. Wightslead a dank and cheerless existence.They avoid sunlight or any bright light,and spend their extremely long lives ina maze of tunnels under the tombs thatoriginally encased their bodies.

The only relief for this cheerlessexistence is the occasional intrusion ofliving beings. These they attack withoutparlay or pity, trying to drain the lifeenergies of the victims and make theminto pale shadows of wights them-selves.

These pitiful victims are doomed to along but not eternal existence with theremnants of their spirits bound to theirslowly decaying bodies. They do notgain the rock-like skin of their mastersbecause they are never petrified, andeventually they become too decayed tohold together and return to dust.

What becomes of their spirits is still amatter of speculation. It is known thatslaying such a creature releases its spir-it in normal fashion; this has been con-firmed with speak to dead spells. Butwhether the spirits of those half-wights(as they are known) that just finally dis-solve are finally allowed to pass to otherpastures is still undetermined.

Entering a burial mound infestedwith wights is a risky undertaking. Nomatter how quietly a party moves, thewights seem to know they are there.Moreover, the wights themselves arevery quiet movers, and often surprise

Creature Notes1. Wights have eyes, but do not rely

on them for sight. In fact, their eyes areso calcified that only a little light from astrong source can penetrate to thebrain, which pains the spirit inhabitingthe body. This is why they avoid sun-light and other strong lights.

However, wights have a strong senseof touch and an ability gained throughthe spirit inhabiting them to detect lifeenergies. Any living creatures within120� of a wight immediately becomesperceptible to the wight, no matter howthick the walls might be between them

even the most alert of parties.Many survivors of wight attacks

speak of the creatures �coming out ofthe walls,� which would lead one tobelieve they can tunnel through theearth. However, while they do tunnelout their mazes under the burialmounds, this seems the work of manymonths of painstaking labor, not thesort of thing one can use to surprise anadventuring party.

The approach of wights, when seen,is a frightening sight indeed. They trav-el hunched over, one hand on the wallor on the body of one of their com-rades. They look something like zom-bies or ghouls, but their skin is morerock-like in color and the colors can beas varied as those found in a limestonecavern; frequently, several colors are instripes in the same body.

Wights communicate in some fashionthat has nothing to do with normalspeaking. Many wights have beenheard to wheeze and gasp and moan inthe middle of combat or when theythought they were unobserved, but thisdoes not seem to be a language. Indeed,many wights have been seen whoseoriginal bodies are such that they couldnot possibly speak.

Sages theorize that the spirits com-municate through interaction of theirlife forces. As such, this must take placeat very close range, meaning that theyhave no real way of making themselvesheard to other wights at long range.

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and their prey.If wights are in their normal tunnels

and burial mounds (and they rarelytravel out of them), they have memo-rized all the passages, and can pinpointjust what route they must take to reachthe life energies they have detected.Thus, no matter how quiet an adven-turing band may be, the wights willknow they are present and move toattack them.

A side effect of their ability to detectlife energies is their ability to detect theaura that a living intelligent body givesthe valuables carried on the body.These attract wights at a range of about30� and the wights collect and hoardsuch objects�apparently for their aes-thetic value as auras.

2. Wights are very stealthy in theirmovements. The chance of hearingthem creep up on a party is only thesame as the usual roll to find a secretdoor.

They actually collect any such objectsof value, but usually only those made oflong-lasting, non-rusting substances,such as gold and silver and most gems,since wights do not maintain them.

They are also very adept at hiding inshadows, so that sometimes they aredescribed as �coming out of the walls:�when they actually simply blendedtheir earth-toned flesh into the wallsaround them and held incredibly still.

3. Because of their undead nature,wights do not show up well on infravis-ion. Thus, elves and dwarves have littlebetter chance than humans of knowingthere are wights in the neighborhood,unless the wights are in a warm room,where their cold bodies will stand outlike statues against the warmed walls.

4. Despite their obvious intelligence,most wights seem to have lost all abilityto use weapons. Their attacks aresmashing blows with their calcifiedhands, which incidentally puts theinhabiting spirit in contact with theaura of the target and lets the wightdrain some of the soul energy of the vic-tim.

5. The reason why wights and otherundead drain life energy from their vic-

6. The wight spirits are effectivelyimmortal. Slaying a wight with silver ormagic weapons or most destructivespells simply sends the spirit off to findanother body to inhabit.

If a cleric destroys a wight by usinghis turn undead ability, the spirit is ban-

Wights of higher-than-normal hit diceare antagonistic to one another, butunless one has attained the stature ofgreat wight, the rivals do not actuallyfight one another. However, once awight has collected its 140th energylevel, he wages a war against all the cur-rent 5 + 3 and 6 + 3 hit dice wights toeliminate any competition. He alsoattempts to slay any wights who prog-ress to 5 + 3 dice after the great wighthas established his dominance.

described in �The Night Gallery.�

Energy Levels Hit Dice20 5 + 360 6+3140 7+3*

l This is Vinjarek, the great wight

Wight Advancement Table

The number of energy levels thatneed to be absorbed and the benefitsderived are shown in the WightAdvancement Table.

Also, it seems clear that absorbing agreat deal of life energy allows a wightto grow more powerful, and slightlyindependent of its urges. A wight thathas absorbed 20 life energy levels in amonth gains in power and has a chanceto become a great wight- a wight lead-er.

This would explain why such crea-tures frequently seem almost statuelikeand totally dead until living creaturesare close enough to grab. The inhabit-ing spirts are operating either on theirown reserves or a residue of energyfrom their last victims.

tims is open to speculation. However,one theory is that the life energy ofintelligent living creatures is whatallows these creatures of two planes tomove about in the Prime MaterialPlane.

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ished to the Negative Material Plane fora century before it can come back, butit is not killed.

These spirits can be killed only on theNegative Material Plane or by a raisedead spell.

7. A cleric can turn a half-wight withthe same chance he can turn ghouls.

The spirit of a half-wight that is slainor dissolves without ever draining a lifeenergy level goes to whatever rewardto which he normally would have gone.He can also be raised from the dead by acleric of sufficient level. However, oncethe creature has stolen the life energyof a victim, its spirit becomes that of awight. In effect, the creation of half-wights is the wight reproduction sys-tem. Raise dead will no longer work onthis victim, though it will destroy thewight spirit.

The half-wight is described thusly:

FREQ uncommon; # APP 1-20; AC 7;MV 12"; HD 2 + 3; % IN LAIR 80;TREAS TYPE nil; # ATT 1; Dmg. 1d3;SA energy drain; SD silver or magicweapons to hit; MAGIC RES aswights; AL LE; Size M; IN average;PSI nil; ATT/DEF MODES nil.

Half-wights have to follow the ordersof their creators. Once they havedrained an energy level, they becomewilling wights. If they strike a target,they automatically drain energy. Theystill have some command of their com-munication facilities, but wights rarelyallow their half-wights who have notdrained energy to get to a positionwhere they might warn potential tar-gets.

SHADOWSTerrain: RuinsParty Levels: 20 (Average fourth)Gold X.P.: 1,000Treasure X.P.: 2,000Monster X.P.:

Kill: 2,790 Defeat: 2,092Retreat: 698

Setupl A scholar approaches the PCs and

hires them to recover a rare book heseeks. It is somewhere in the ruins ofthe walled city of Tor Mak, and he hasprovided them with a device whichshould simplify locating the item.l While traveling, PCs make camp at

the edge of extensive ruins. In themorning they see several persons doingsomething in the wide avenue in themiddle of the crumbled town. Sudden-ly, the strangers are enveloped in ashadowy cloud. Faint cries come to thePCs� ears�and the cloud begins to movetoward them.

DM BackgroundAdventure SummaryThe test of a modified cubic gate goesslightly awry, and shadows from theruins of Tor Mak are drawn to theenergy they sense from the kindredDemi-Plane of Shadow. The group thenseeks out the nearest life forms theycan drain of energy: the player charac-ters.

The Transforming CubicGateDamien Nuren (see �The Night Gallery�)has developed a device which willtransform the user into a shade orshadow-person on the Demi-Plane ofShadows. The device is similar to acubic gate, but is keyed only to theShadow Plane. When the cube is acti-vated, it transforms those nearby andopens a interplanar vortex to that place.

If the device works properly, Damienwill be able to continue his arcaneresearches for an extended time on thePlane of Shadow, and have a way of

returning to normal when he is done.However, he wants an expendable per-son or persons to field test the device.Watching from a safe distance bymeans of a wizard eye spell, Damiencan observe whether or not the vortexappears and the device properly trans-forms its users. He does not point thisout to those he dupes into testing thecube for him.

The SetupThe person who approaches the PCs inthe first setup situation is DamienNuren. He claims to be a scholar insearch of a rare philosophy book enti-tled The Path of Peace, the last knowncopy of which lies in Tor Mak. His cube,he claims, is a direction-finding devicethat he has used many times before.The adventurers must go to the middleof the ruins and stand in the plazathere. Once the device is activated, itcannot fail to lead the PCs directly tothe book. Damien will not accompanythe party because, he explains, he bare-ly escaped a leucrotta in the ruins a dayor two ago, and fears to return. Heawaits the party at the gatehouse out-side the ruins.

The wizard has chosen the center ofTor Mak for this experiment because hehas calculated that the barrier betweenplanes is especially unstable there, andit should be an easy matter to open theplanar vortex in that place. Damienagrees to any kind of payment the partyasks for their services, but does notintend to pay them after they haveassisted him.

D a m i e n N u r e n ( 1 2 t h - l e v e lmagic-user): AC 8; MV 12�; HD xx;hp 28; # AT 1; Dmg 1d6 +2; AL NE;XP 2,400; ST 13; IN 18; WI 10; DX 12;CO 10; CH 14.

Spells: charm person, feather fall,light, protection from good, knockx2, wizard lock x2, dispel magic x2,fly, lightning bolt, confusion, dimen-sion door, fear, wizard eye, holdmonster, teleportation, wall of force,

globe of invulnerability The wizardhas a cloak of protection +2, a ringof negative energy protection, a ringof undead (shadow) control, and aquarterstaff +2. For more details,see �The Night Gallery.�

If the second setup is used, DamienLas two NPCs conduct this test for him.

He observes their actions while out ofsight at the other side of the ruins. PCsenter the action as described under�The Attack of the Shadow,� below.

The AdventureThe Lay of the Land

Widden Valley is a broad expanse ofgrassy fields and tree-lined hills. Thenarrow Widden River bisects the valley.To the south of it is the village of Meryn.To the north is the ruined city of TorMak.

Tor Mak was once a prosperous place,a center of learning that was home toscholars and wizards. But the walledcity was laid waste in the Goblin Wars,now long past. The fields surroundingit have long since reverted to wildgrasslands, in places barely concealinga carpet of bones where goblins fell invast numbers. The city walls are crum-bled and collapsed, overgrown withyoung trees and clinging vines. Thegates no longer stand, but the broadAvenue of Sages that once connectedthem runs through the middle of town.In the center of Tor Mak, the avenuewidens out into the Grand Plaza. Thissquare, like the rest of the avenue, is lit-tered with scattered stonework, blownleaves, and the detritus of years.Throughout the city are piles of rubbleand buildings that are collapsed ortreacherously decayed.

Animals and other creatures lair inTor Mak. They are seldom seen duringthe day, but emerge to hunt at night.The threat of danger is real enough tokeep beggars and casual explorers outof the ruined city.

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When PCs start down the Avenue of the

Disaster in the GrandPlaza

PCs who agree to locate the valuedbook for Damien the �scholar� receivethe cube of location from him. The cubeis 2� on each side. It is heavy, as if madeof stone or lead, but is enameled inblack on five faces and is made of silveron the other. Characters are instructedto press the silver face one time to acti-vate the cube, and a second time to turnit off. Damien claims that the device willtug the holder toward the hiding placeof the book. The cube can withstand 20points of damage before it is destroyed,and is allowed to save as a hard metalobject vs. crushing blow. If the cubetakes enough damage to be destroyed,it explodes in a 2d6 fireball affectingeverything within a 20� radius.

The Cube of Locat ion

is in one of the old gatehouses. They arefairly intact and weatherproof, andwayfarers sometimes shelter in them.The gatehouses are vacant when thePCs arrive. If the PCs choose to campelsewhere, they should at least have aview into the ruined city and down theAvenue of the Sages in the morning.

Exploration of Tor Mak is not neces-sary for the purposes of this scenario. Ifcharacters wish to explore, DMs shouldnote that any easily found valuableshave long since been carried off. Itrequires considerable searching in haz-ardous ruins to find anything worth-while in the city. If PCs poke around TorMak in the course of this adventure,they are likely to encounter one ormore of the following creatures: giantrat, wererat, huge spider, giant centi-pede, osquip, shadow, leucrotta, jerm-laine. Experience points for suchencounters are not included in theadventure total.

Camping and ExplorationIf the second setup is used, the PCsmust camp somewhere close Tor orMak. One likely place for them to do so

Sages, Damien stands just out of sightnear one of the city gates and casts wiz-ard eye to follow their progress.Though he doesn�t want to risk his ownneck near the experimental vortex andtransformation, the wizard does wantto see first-hand exactly what tran-spires when the cube is activated. If PCshave insisted he remain in sight, hedoes so grudgingly, since he doesn�twant to arouse their suspicion with hisspell-casting.

When PCs reach the Grand Plaza,about 400� from either gate, they are inthe proper place to activate the cube. Infact, the cube functions in any locationin which it is set off. If for any reasonPCs decide not to use the cube, Damienremedies their lapse in judgment with acharm person spell.

When the cube is activated, the char-acter holding it gets such a powerfulshock he is forced to drop it. The cubeflies from his hands and rolls to a stopsome distance from the party. Mean-while, the party finds it is suddenly sur-rounded by a large, roughly globularshadow 40� across. It has no substanceand chills the PCs with its contact. Dimshapes move within the murky cloud,which swirls and roils around its center(a few feet from where the cube lies).Any characters entering the exact cen-ter of the shadow-cloud step into theheart of the vortex; they are drawn intothe Demi-Plane of Shadow and so exitthis scenario.

If PCs have camped at the ruins andwatched NPCs activate the cube, theysee the cloud form, the NPCs collapse,then a hint of something moving out ofthe cloud and in their direction.

The Shadow PlaneThough it may not be clear to the party,Damien recognizes immediately whathas happened. His cube failed to trans-form the adventurers into shadow-creatures, but has succeeded inopening a vortex that leads to the Demi-Plane of Shadow (see page 21, MANUALOF THE PLANES and �Ecology of theShadow�� following).

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The Attack of the ShadowOne shadow from the Demi-Plane ofShadow attacks characters caught inthe cube effect. If NPCs used the device,the shadow dispatches them quickly,then, by itself, heads for the PCs, wher-ever they are. The shadow pursues itsintended victim until it is destroyed,turned, or has killed its target.

Shadow: AC 7; MV 12�; HD 3 + 3;hp 10; # AT 1; Dmg 1d4 + 1; SA eachhit drains 1 ST point, victim becomesshadow if his hp or ST reaches 0; SD+ 1 or better weapon to hit, unaf-fected by sleep, charm, or hold spellsand immune to cold-based attacks;AL CE; XP 465.

The shadow chooses as its victimeither the character with the greatestHP/Strength combination, or an NPCthe DM judges expendable. If the char-acter is slain, he becomes a shadow andreturns to the vortex cloud with hisslayer.

If the shadow is killed or turned, PCshave a chance to notice that more ofthese undead are coming out of theruins and gathering around the vortex.Shadows are very difficult to spot andthe DM should make it clear that thePCs see only �hints� of movement, and�what might be� a shadowy form,unless the area is in bright enough lightto show the shadows clearly.

Damien, still posing as a scholar, seeksthe party out immediately. He is dis-turbed by the partial failure of hisdevice, which he now wants to recover.To mollify the PCs, he admits the cubewas an untested invention, but protestshe had no idea it would do this. He asksthe party to recover the cube from theshadow cloud, insisting that it must beused to deactivate the planar vortexbefore something more awful thanshadows comes through it. As before,he agrees to any price to accomplishthis, trusting to his own magic to get thecube from the PCs and escape with itlater.

Life!The undead shadows of Tor Mak allsense the planar rift in the Grand Plaza,and the presence of a great amount ofboth positive and negative energywhich has suddenly appeared there.Drawn to investigate, the shadowsgather near the vortex-but find, totheir disappointment, that it does notoffer them a source of life energy uponwhich they can feed. Yet the shadowssense a large concentration of lifeforces, more than have been near TorMak for some time. In a few moments,they realize that this force comes fromthe party of player characters-and theshadows of Tor Mak descend on theadventurers.

Six shadows attack the party, minusany that have been slain or turnedbefore. The shadows have 9, 10, 12, 15,16, and 21 hit points; all other statisticsare as given above. If Damien is in thearea, he retreats from the shadows�attack.

The shadows are unaffected by thevortex, and their response does notalter if a PC reaches and deactivates thecube (thus closing the planar gate).Most of these undead are tied to theruins of Tor Mak and cannot pursuecharacters beyond a quarter mile fromthe ruins. The exception is the firstshadow which came from the Demi-Plane of Shadow; it is free to followcharacters any distance to drain theirlife forces.

Shadow BoxingIf human characters are slain by the

shadows, they become shadows in theruins of Tor Mak. If the PCs are victori-ous, they still have to deal with DamienNuren. The �scholar� attempts to get hiscubic gate back from the PCs. If PCsrefuse to cooperate, he uses his spells tobest effect. His most desperate measureis to touch the cube and teleport away.(His destination is described in �TheNight Gallery� character sketch.)

Final NoteDamien dupes the PCs, then skips out,so no experience points are included inthis adventure for his death or defeat.He returns for revenge if the PCs havekept or destroyed his cubic gate.

The Ecology of theShadowThe wizard, Damien Nuren, frowned inthought. �I suppose I could help youwith that,� he said to Elegar, a youngcleric-in-training. �Always happy tohelp the temple school, you know. Butthis is apt to be an unpleasant scene.May I ask if you wish to see it?�

Elegar shrugged modestly. �We�restudying the undead right now,� heexplained. �It is safer to observe in thisway-and since you are said to be anauthority . . .�

�Quite right,� agreed the wizard. �I doknow a bit about them. And I know justthe place to look for a suitable encoun-ter. Let�s go to the study, shall we?�

Elegar followed the wizard to agloomy, cluttered chamber lit by a sin-gle lamp. Damien pulled a crystal ballout from under a pile of astrological cal-culations. Dusting it off, he bade Elegarsit down, and invited the youth to studythe ball closely. �Don�t be surprised ifyou share their thoughts� the wizardwarned. �It�s the ESP in the crystal -theonly kind of crystal ball worth having,really!� Elegar nodded his understand-ing, and Damien closed his eyes in con-centration. After a minute, a mistyscene took shape in the globe.

Laocoon held his blackwood staffpoised in one hand, a light spell shiningabout one end of it. Pebbles tumbleddown the staircase he had justdescended, throwing small echoesdown the halls of the subterranean cor-ridors.

Beside him stood tall Robin, her headbarely clearing the ancient stoneworkof the passageway. A throwing dagger

31

gripped in each hand, Robin lookednervously behind them, then tried tosee past the darkness ahead.

�Where do you think they are?� sheasked the cleric, her voice low andtense.

Laocoon shrugged. Though theywere just roommates, they knew eachother well enough to share the sameunspoken thought. Their three com-panions had vanished one by one in thisunderground maze, and the shadow-hidden attackers that had struck downtheir friends were after them next�Robin, at least, was certain of it. �Thereit is again!� she hissed, jabbing a knife topoint. �A stirring in the shadows-doyou see?�

Laocoon, frankly, did not. �Jumpingat shadows won�t help,� admonished thecleric. �Let�s be practical, now . . .�

The priest�s voice died away as herealized something truly was hiding inthe shadows beyond the archway.Thinking quickly, he pulled a shortpiece of iron from his pouch and spokethe words of a hold spell. At the sametime, Robin�s daggers sang through theair-and flew into the darkness with noeffect at all.

The cleric�s spell was equally useless.The darkness moved again-and a sin-gle shadow moved forward, clearlydefined by the light from Laocoon�sstaff. It was close enough for the adven-turers to feel the slight chill which radi-ated from its form, and Laocoon�sthoughts raced furiously.

From his training, the cleric knewthis must be one of the undead�eithera shadow or a wraith, to judge by itsshape. If it was a shadow, he had a goodchance of turning it. In either case, noregular weapon was capable of injuringit. �Your sword!� the cleric blurted toRobin, as he began the complex motionsrequired to turn undead.

Though she favored throwing knives,Robin did not need encouragement touse the short sword at her hip. Themagical weapon should be effectiveagainst the unearthly foe she faced. Shepulled the blade from its sheath, andstood shoulder to shoulder with Laoco-

Laocoon fumbled urgently in his beltpouch. He saw Robin blanch when theshadowy form attacked, but he was notyet certain what kind of undead theyfaced. Whether shadow or wraith, itcould drain the life force from itsvictim-but a shadow would deplete itsvictim�s strength, which could berestored later, while the more powerfulwraith drained entire levels of lifeenergy at a touch.

�But I suppose it doesn�t matter,�thought the cleric. �I can�t turn it, andI�ll know soon enough what it is if ittouches me.� Pulling his only vial of holywater from the pouch, Laocoonuncorked it with his teeth. As the shad-owy figure moved to grasp Robin oncemore, the vial flew toward it, hurledwith dispatch by the cleric. The vialitself tumbled harmlessly through itsform, but the fluid which sprayed fromits mouth spattered against the undeadfigure as if it were a solid thing.

The thing shrank back, more injuredby the holy water than it had been byRobin�s sword stroke. The fighter hadrecovered her sword, and held it nowin her offhand; Laocoon stepped to herside as they began a cautious retreat.

The wave of cold at their back

on as the undead thing drew closer.Laocoon gripped the holy crystal

around his neck, symbol of his deity,and challenged the shadow form withit. But it swept on, unaffected by thecleric�s efforts to turn it, and stretchedone arm towards the priest.

Robin�s blade flashed out, and slicedthrough the arm of the insubstantialcreature. Soundlessly it recoiled, obvi-ously hurt by the shining weapon.�Hah!� exclaimed the fighter as sheleapt after it. Laocoon�s words of cau-tion came too late. Robin�s next blowmissed, but the undead creature taggedthe fighter squarely on the swordarm.A chilling numbness swept up Robin�sarm, staggering her in midstride andcausing the limb to dangle uselessly byher side. The short sword tumbledfrom the fighter�s deadened fingers,and a wave of weakness washed overher.

Laocoon ran faster, and continued topray.

warned them. Laocoon glanced behind,then whirled with a strangled cry.Three more of the shadowy figuresfloated behind them- figures bearing adistinct resemblance to their recentlyvanished companions. Frozen with hor-ror, the foremost one struck the clericbefore he could respond.

Its numbing touch and the weaknessthat followed told him, finally, whatthey faced. �Shadows!� he croaked toRobin in a pain-hoarsened voice.

�Tell me something new,� spat thefighter. �Run for it, Laocoon�we can�tfight them all!� Robin shoved the clericin the direction of the shadow they hadalready fought and injured. The com-panions ran, slashing wildly at theshadow before them as the three attheir backs gave chase. Robin led theway as Laocoon prayed intensely foraid. He knew, though the fighter didnot, that his light spell would soonexpire. And when it did, they would beblind as well as lost in these under-ground passages, with only the dark-ness and the shadows for company.And shadows could track the living bythe life energy they radiated-energythe shadows were eager to drain fromthem.

Elegar leaned thoughtfully back in hischair as the crystal vision faded. �I�lloffer a prayer for their safety,� hethought out loud. �But how is it, sir, thatshadows are created in the first place?�

Damien smiled sadly. �You know, ofcourse, that some persons who die arenot yet ready to leave life. Others aremurdered or killed under traumaticconditions.� The wizard tapped thecrystal ball to make his point. �Whenthat happens, the one who died mayleave behind a shadow-that part of aspirit or soul that grasps greedily afterlife. It is usually tied to a place of emo-tional significance-the scene of itsdeath, for instance.

�The shadow is a pitiful sort of

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undead being. It has but a vestige of theintelligence it had when alive. It is driv-en only by a desire to recapture the lifeit has lost. A shadow drains life essenceof its victim in a doomed effort to liveagain. Sad beings, shadows.� The wiz-ard shook his head.

Elegar pondered for a moment.�Then why is it that the living can sur-vive a shadow�s touch at all? I thought,existing mostly on the Negative EnergyPlane as they do, that a single touchwould be enough to drain its victim ofall life.�

�No, no, no,� Damien shook his heademphatically. �You�ve several miscon-ceptions in one, there.

�Certainly shadows are undead, andthey are capable of draining lifeenergy-but only a little at a time. Onceit was thought that this showed a clearconnection to the Negative EnergyPlane, which sucks the vital energyfrom material things. However, planartravelers have discovered that nothingcan live on the Negative Energy Plane.Nor is it connected to the Prime Materi-al, so no entity can be on both planessimultaneously.�

�Well, then,� asked Elegar, baffled,�where do shadows exist, and where dothey get their powers from?�

�To the best of our knowledge,�Damien replied, �shadows exist on twoplanes at once. The �physical� part ofthem is usually found on the PrimeMaterial Plane, taking form as the shad-owy figure of a person. This shadow ismost human-looking shortly afterdeath, but soon loses detail of outline.The shadow can be clearly seen inbright light, and is impossible to pickout of darkness. Sometimes this �physi-cal� aspect is also encountered on theNegative Quasi-Planes, which shadowsseem to like because of the closeness tothe Negative Energy Plane.

�At the same time, the shadow existspartially on the Demi-Plane of Shadows.That plane is made up of equal parts ofpure negative and positive energy, andit is connected to the Prime MaterialPlane and Negative Quasi-Plane. Thenegative energy of that demi-plane

�Not at all!� exclaimed the wizard.�Most inhabitants of that demi-planeare �shadows� in the general sense�such as shades and shadow dragons.The undead �shadows� of Prime Materi-al persons gravitate to that placebecause the balance of energies thereenables them to exist. It is said thatundead shadows can be a problem toinhabitants of the Demi-Plane ofShadows as well as to us on the PrimeMaterial Plane.�

Elegar raised his eyebrows. �Haveyou had a chance to travel to that plane,sir?�

allows shadows to drain life force in theform of the strength of their victims.And the positive energy allows them tomanifest on the Prime Material Planeand retain their forms even in sunlight.�

�Oh.� Elegar sat silently while heabsorbed the new information. �Sowhen a person is slain by a shadow andbecomes a shadow himself:� the noviceventured, �he can also be found on theDemi-Plane of Shadows?�

Damien nodded. �A part of theshadow, yes, because the negativeenergy of that demi-plane is easilytapped by shadow undead. Although ifa shadow is destroyed on either plane,the negative energy which gave it formdissipates and it vanishes completelyfrom both planes.�

�Does that mean,� asked Elegar, �thatall shadows on the Demi-Plane ofShadows are undead?�

flight of stairs. They paused in mid-stride and looked wildly about, startledto find themselves in a wizard�s study.

It was a fatal indecision. In a momentthe three pursuing shadows were uponthem. Soon, five shadows, not three,wavered in the air of Damien�s study.

With muttered words, the wizardopened a planar vortex in the darkestcorner of his study. Protected from theshadows by a ring of undead control,the wizard gestured to the Demi-Planeof Shadows, visible beyond the murkygate. �Business awaits me,� he said tothe undead. �If I need you, I�ll see youfive on the other side.� He steppedthrough the gate, and it faded fromsight behind him.

The shadows faded into the dark cor-ners of the study to await their master�sreturn.

Creature Notes1. Undead on the Negative Energy

Plane are discussed in the MANUAL OFTHE PLANES on page 54 under�Undead.�

3. When newly created, a shadowhas the least hit points possible. Theundead being gains points (up to the HDmaximum) at the rate of 1 per Strengthpoint absorbed from any victim slain.

4. Shadows on the Prime MaterialPlane are bound to the place of theirearth death and can travel no fartherthan quarter mile away from that place.

5. A shadow is destroyed if eternalrest is cast upon the victim�s physicalremains. If the victim is brought back tolife, the shadow is reabsorbed with thesouls return to its body. If the shadow isdestroyed before the victim is returnedto life, the character suffers a -20% penal-ty to his system shock survival roll. If herevives, he can never become a shadowagain, even if slain by one in the future.

2. Holy water is effective againstshadows because it dissolves the nega-tive energy bonds of their shadowform. Enchanted blades (+1 andgreater) do the same, but silveredweapons have no special effect onshadows.

Damien smiled and gave a slight nod.�And I am happy to share what I know.Now-not to rush you off, Elegar, but Ihave something to attend to.�

�Certainly, sir. I understand.� The nov-ice thanked Damien for his help andtook his leave. The wizard lingered byhis table after Elegar was gone, andstudied the crystal ball that lay there.He reviewed the running figures in themisty glass. Settling back into his chair,he faced the small door in the far walland waited.

long run and the dash up the short,

Some minutes later, the door burstopen. Laocoon and Robin charged intothe wizard�s study, panting from their

33

MUMMIES

The Lizard MenThe lizard men�s legends have told ofwhat to expect, and at least one scouthas been here before. They are familiarwith areas No. 1 through No. 6 on thelair map and believe that what theyseek lies beyond the thunder shaft (areaNo. 9).

If it looks like the PCs will deal withHsssthak too easily, have the lizard menshow up and complicate matters.

Soon after the PCs enter the tomb (waituntil the PCs leave area No. 3), a band of10 lizard men (including a seventh-levellizard man shaman) enter the tomb aswell. The lizard men seek the crypt ofHsssthak and the spells. They prefer toavoid the PCs, but will not permit theparty to leave the tomb with the goldenNether Scrolls.

Running the Scenario

was more potent in those primevaldays, and the creator races cast magicalspells of power undreamed of in mod-ern times. Sages believe that theseancient races were the forebears of thelizard men, the winged aarakocra andthe bullywugs, and that they wereresponsible for the magical creation ofthe known races and creatures of themodern ages. Yet in spite their greatpower, the creator races vanished long,long ago, leaving behind few legacies.

The greater mummy Hsssthak of theancient reptilian creator race guardsone such legacy-a pair of spells left totheir lizard man descendants, spellswhich could allow that race to regainmuch of its lost power and prestige.

His tomb was discovered by ancestralelves who did not want the lizards toregain lost stature, but felt that thespells might have value in the future.Using the rituals found within thetomb, the elves mummified their ownpeople to keep interlopers away fromthe ancient spells.

Time passed, and debris covered thetomb, until a recent rock slide revealedits presence to a far older world.

During Faerun�s prehistory, a timecalled The Days of Thunder when dino-saurs roamed the world, a number ofnon-human races, called the creatorraces by the elves, held sway. Magic

Background

Although mummies inspire paralyticfear in those whom they encounter,other occurrences can terrorize char-acters as well and require that a HorrorCheck be made. Several such occur-rences may take place in the mummylair. For details on how to make a Hor-ror Check when it is requested by thetext, see the lair description for ghoulsand ghasts.

The Horror Factor

l The PCs encounter a dying elf, whoclaims to be a representative of theelven council at Evermeet. The adven-turers must recover a pair of goldenscrolls from an ancient tomb, beforethey fall into the wrong hands.

l Lizard men have been seen in thedesert, a place they are not known tofrequent. They seem to be searchingfor something, and like birds seeking aworm, they cock their heads and listento the desiccated ground, ever seeking.l The walls of a deep sink well at a

desert oasis crumbled recently, reveal-ing the front of an ancient tomb, deco-rated with weathered carvings ofdinosaurs and lizard-like men.

The ideal location for this module is theAnauroch Desert where it borders thatpart of Faerun known as The SavageFrontier (FR5). However, the DM maylocate it any remote, desolate area,regardless of surrounding terrain.

Setup

Treasure X.P.:Monster X.P.:

Kill: 8056 Defeat: 6042Retreat: 2014

Monster: Lizard Man Greater MummyTerrain: TombsParty Levels: 360 (Average 5-6)Gold X.P.:

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Hresska, the lizard man shaman, iscunning and clever. Though he dislikesnon-reptilian folk, he will barter gems(up to 10,000 gp kept nearby) for thescrolls. He speaks the Common tonguepoorly (stereotypical �immigrant�grammar and phrase misusage-andwith a hissing accent).

Once the lizard men are aware of thePCs� presence within the tomb, theyhold back and let the adventurers takethe brunt of the damage that may beinflicted. After the party has encoun-tered the mummy Hsssthak, they showup to claim the Nether Scrolls.

Lizard men (9): AC 4; MV 6�/12�;HD 2 + 1; hp 10, 12, 7, 12, 4, 12, 11, 3, 13;# AT 1; Dmg (javelin) 1d6, (club) 1d8;AL N; XP 65 each.Lizard man shaman, seventhlevel (1): AC 4; MV 6�/12�; HD 7 + 1;hp 36; # AT 1; Dmg (club) 2d4 + 2*;SA/SD uses spells as a seventh-levelcleric * * ; AL NE; XP 120.

1. A lizard man scout. This is one ofthree, separated from the main groupand patrolling other areas of the tomb.If possible, he will remain hidden. If thisencounter is selected, roll 1d6 again. Ona result of 1-3, the lizard man is hiddenand attempts to avoid contact with theparty. Given the chance, he returns tothe main group to advise the shaman ofthe PCs� presence here. Keep track ofthe number of lizard men killed by

Check for random encounters onceevery two turns. A roll of 1 on a d6 indi-cates that an encounter takes place. Ifan encounter is indicated, roll 1d6 againand use the corresponding encounterfrom the following table:

The Lair

those l isted on page 40 of theDUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE.

vs. bullywugs. It is also grants the wield-er the ability to levitate.

* * The shaman�s spells are limited to

* His club is a magical club + 2/+ 3

Random Encounters

these encounters and subtract themfrom the total number.

Lizard man (1): AC 4; MV 6�/12�;HD 2 + 1; hp 10; # AT 1; Dmg (javelin)1d6� (club) 2d4; AL N; XP 65.

2-3. Dinosaur skeleton.

Dinosaur skeleton (deinony-thus) (1d3): AC 4*; MV 12�; HD 2;hp 13, 10, 8; # AT 3; Dmg 1d3/1d3/2d8; SA gutting talons 2d6**; SD ½damage from sharp or edged weap-ons, immune to fire*, immune tosleep, charm, hold, and cold-basedspells; AL N; XP 48 each.

*The de inonychus ske le tonbones have petrified over the eons,giving them a higher armor class andan immunity to fire.

** The special gutting attack maybe done instead of all other attacksand is +2 to hit.

4. If the PCs are searching this area

or if a ranger is present in the party,they will notice odd and quite recenttracks in the dust: The lizard men havebeen here! Following the tracks (rang-ers only), leads the PCs to area No. 6 onthe map.

5. A mummy.

Mummy ( 1): AC 3; MV 6�; HD 6 + 3;hp 30; # AT 1; Dmg 1d12; SA fear,paralysis, disease; SD immune tonon-magical weapons, ½ damagefrom magical weapons, immune tosleep, charm, hold, and cold-basedspells, immune to poison and paraly-sis; AL N; XP 640.

The mummy steps out of a niche inthe wall and attacks. If the party is sur-prised (normal chances), make a HorrorCheck for the character nearest themummy. Once destroyed and exam-ined, it is obvious that this creature wasonce an elf, though incredibly ancient.Only one such mummy will ever beencountered.

6. Collapsing ruins. The floor wherethe party stands collapses from age,dropping the PCs down into an emptycave and doing 1d6 points of damage toall who fail to make a Dexterity AbilityCheck. It is impossible to climb back up(though characters can fly). However, alow, narrow cave passage connectswith the southern wall of the well ofbones (area No. 7).

TrapsThe areas marked with an �X� on themap are spike spring traps, hidden inthe stone walls. When a characterenters the trapped area, the trap has a 2in 6 chance of working-sharp stakesthrust out of the wall, doing 4d6 pointsof damage.

Encounter Areas1. The Haunted WellLong ago, a cave collapsed here, open-ing a wide hole to the surface. Drywinds whistle hollowly above this deep

35

limestone sinkhole, while far below,shadowed in darkness for all but a fewhours each day, lies a pool of cool, sweetwater. By using a steep stair carved intothe rock, travelers could reach the pool.

Rich vegetation blankets the floor ofthe sinkhole, except where it has beencovered by a recent rock slide, whichhas destroyed part of the stone stairand revealed a piece of an ancient build-ing, so old and weathered that there isnothing to tell who built it, or why.

Were it not for the dark, open door inthe structure, the mystery would haveended here, just another curious relicof Faerun�s ancient past. Yet the door isopen, frightening the superstitious whoclaim the well cursed, but beckoningbold, brave heroes onto adventure.

The sinkhole is 80� deep. The wallsare steep, but climbable, with a numberof thick vines clinging tightly to therock (non-slippery, rough, withledges-climbing rate of 24�/round).Non-thieves climb at ½ thief ability, andadd their Dexterity Reaction adjust-ment to their climbing rate.

The stair down is steep, carved intothe crumbling walls of the sinkhole.The last 30� have been destroyed by arock slide. Characters must climb toreach pool or the tomb entrance.

The sinkhole, once a limestone cave,contains a pool of sweet, clear, coolwater. The pool is fed by a deep under-ground stream which has alsobreached the lower passages of the cat-acombs (area No. 4). It is possible for acharacter using a water-breathing spellor some means of creating a moving airpocket to travel from the pool to thecatacombs or vice versa.

Thick vegetation covers much of therocky sand floor, and thick creepervines cling to the sinkhole walls, makingclimbing 25% easier for non-thieves. Acharacter with a plant lore proficiencywill be able to find enough of the raremedicinal herb mothersleaf to aid in thecuring of six cases of mummy rot.

The stone of the tomb is black, andthough much harder than the sur-rounding limestone, it is incrediblyancient, much more so than anything

3. The Grand Hall

The corridor opens onto a vast cham-ber, lined with columns, so large thatthe PCs� light does not reveal the farwalls. The chittering of bats on the ceil-ing echoes eerily in here and the roomstinks of their guano. Flowstone covers

The long corridor descending into thedepths is twisted and broken, slopingdown here, tilting up there, heavilycracked. Massive black wall stones leanat dangerous angles, yet still remain inplace, supporting the oppressive blackceiling. Carvings in the black stoneshow fantastic monsters, great crea-tures with long snaky necks, terriblelong fangs and sharp rending claws.

The 100' long black stone corridor(shown contracted on the map) has suf-fered eons of settling, pressing, andtwisting. The floor is not level, and thePCs must pick their way through it. Itwould be difficult, if not impossible, torun through this corridor. The twisted,tilting stone blocks provide ample hardcover with many places to hide, for say,a last-ditch lizard man ambush. Thecarvings depict dinosaurs.

2. The Outer Passage

The opening has a stale, dry, bitterspicy smell, of something long decayedin spite of preservatives. Any animalsaccompanying the party, no matterhow well trained, will cower and refuseto enter the tomb.

the PCs have ever seen before. Strangeshapes in the stone hint at ancient carv-ings, but the forms are eerie, inhuman.

The entrance was not always open.Shattered remnants of a black stoneslab lay around the 10� × 10� opening.If a large piece of the shattered slab isexamined, writing becomes apparent.The runes are elvish, the languageunreadable without magic. If read, thepieces say (in no particular order):� . . .ancient secrets not to be . . . guardianswho shall keep . . . preserved in unlife . . .may Corellon Larethian forgive us ofour sin.�

36

parts of the walls and stalactite/stalagmite columns are everywhere.Like the corridor, the massive blackfloor stones here are steeply pitched upor tilted down, and in many places, arelittered with massive rubble piles, theremnants of crumbled columns. Thiswas once a temple to a forgotten lizardman deity. The statue of a huge, bat-winged, crouching tyrannosaurus-likecreature occupies the east wall, sittingatop a 10� tall pedestal, flanked bycolumns. The columns all have a scalytexture, like alligator skin. Carved pan-els on the base of the pedestal hide asecret entrance to area No. 8.

4. The Catacombs

The catacombs are high-ceilinged corri-dors whose walls are lined with nichescontaining crumbled dust that wasonce the skeletons of ancient lizardman ancestors. Many of the nichesshow signs of having been disturbed, asif someone removed something fromthe dust (tomb robbers).

If the party chooses to search in here,they have a 5% chance each turn ofsearching to find a piece of exotic jew-elry, worth 2,500 gp. Limit the totalnumber to be found to four, thoughother items of historical value may befound (DM�s discretion needed here).

Random encounters in this area havea 50% chance to be 1d4 deinonychusskeletons. Otherwise, roll encounternormally as described above.

Several special areas within the cata-combs are marked by letters.

A. and B. These areas are coveredby 5� of water and are each guarded bytwo deinonychus skeletons, whichremain hidden beneath the dark water.

Deinonychus skeletons (2): AC4*; MV 12'; HD 2; hp 13, 10 8; # AT 3;Dmg 1d3/1d3/2d4; SA gutting talons2d6**; SD ½ damage from sharp oredged weapons, immune to fire*,immune to sleep, charm, hold andcold-based spells; AL N; XP 48 each.

* The deinonychus skeletonbones have petrified over the eons,giving them a higher armor class andan immunity to fire.

* * The special gutting attack maybe done instead of all other attacksand is + 2 to hit.

C. and D. These each contain asealed, upright sarcophagus. If the sar-cophagi are opened, the contents aremummies that come to life, but crum-ble to dust as they begin to move.

E. This is a sprung trap. On the busi-ness end hangs the impaled corpse of adesert nomad. The body is positionedso that someone turning the corner(regardless of which direction) willcome face to face with the rottingcorpse. Roll for surprise (normalchances). If the character is surprised,roll a Horror Check.

F. This water-filled corridor getsslowly deeper until it intersects theunderground stream which feeds thepool in the sinkhole. It is possible for acharacter using a water-breathing spellor some means of creating a moving airpocket to travel from the pool to thecatacombs or vice versa.

5. Well Of BonesThe ledge here overlooks a vast pit ofgray, lumpy sand and dust. Large greenrunes of exotic shape have been inlaidinto the reddish stone floor around thepit.

This is the burial site for commonersof the ancient lizard people. After ashort but proper ceremony, the bodywas cast into the pit below to decay.The gray sand and dust is all thatremains of the bones of thousands, per-haps millions of dead lizard people wholived in Faerun�s prehistory.

The drop down to the dusty floor ofthe well of bones is 35�. The walls hereare unusually slippery and nearlyimpossible to climb without ropes.

If magic is used to read the runes,they say �From darkness you havecome and now to darkness you shall

return.�Sounds echo eerily in this chamber,

like whispering, half-heard voices.If the party descends to the dusty

floor, eerie events occur. After about aturn, several parts of the bone pile startquivering, as if trying to come to life. Atfirst, it is just humps of bony dust. Thisshould happen several times near theparty. Then, the floor begins to quiveras if an earthquake were taking place.The PCs have one round to flee before agigantic tyrannosaurus rex skeletonerupts from the dust and attacks. Thisgiant skeleton turns as a wraith.

Tyrannosaurus skeleton (1): AC6; MV 15�; HD 12; hp 60; # AT 3; Dmg1d6/1d6/3dS; SD ½ damage fromsharp or edged weapons, immune tofire *, immune to sleep, charm, hold,and cold-based spells; AL N; XP 2710.

If PCs have been discovered by thelizard men, the lizard men wait herebefore following the PCs to Hsssthak�schamber. The lizard men are not trou-bled by the tyrannosaurus skeleton.

6. CrawlwayThis passage connects areas No. 5 andNo. 9. It slopes slightly upward towardthe thunder shaft. It is not possible for acharacter taller than 4� to stand uprighthere, but two characters can easilyfight side-by-side (on their knees if nec-essary).

7. Operating RoomTwelve long, waist-high stone tables fillthe room. Each bench has little spill-ways coming off the edges that pourinto troughs which eventually feed intoa stone bowl beneath each bench. Inone corner of the room, lies a trio ofcrumbling skeletons, possibly elven. Inthis room, the ancient lizard peopleprepared bodies for mummification.Priests removed the internal organsfrom living victims on the tables. Thebodies are the remnants of the ancientelves who created the mummy guard-

37

ians in area No. 10.A stair leads down from this chamber

to a hall of alcoves. Each of the alcovescontains supplies for mummification.In spite of the intervening eons, theyremain in good shape. One containsspices, another, cloth wrappings, andthe third, empty canopic jars. The lidsof the jars depict the heads of sauriancreatures.

Each of the traps in this alcove hall isset with three of the spike traps (see�Traps� above).

G. This area contains 36 sealed cano-pic jars. Twelve of these jars contain theinternal organs of the elven mummiesin area No. 10. The others contain thedried organs of non-monster mummies.The opening to the alcove is protectedby three glyphs of warding that willeach do 16 points of electrical damageto those entering the alcove. Finally, theentire alcove is a yellow mold colony.

Yellow mold (1): AC 9; MV 0�; HDnil; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8; SA poisonspores; SD affected only by fire-based attacks; AL N.

H. Like the opposite alcove, this areais guarded by three glyphs of wardingwhich will do 16 points of electricaldamage. A loose tile in the floor hidessomething rectangular, wrapped inspice-scented bandages (like a mum-my). The wrapped package is a book,the Tome of Life Eternal.

The Tome of Life EternalThe tome describes the process used tocreate normal mummies and the bestmeans to destroy them. An Evil clericwho possessed this volume would beable to preserve a living human (ordemi-human) and turn it into a mummy.Non-Evil clerics may safely read thebook, but turning a living being into anundead one is an intensely Evil act andshould have a definite impact upon thecharacter�s alignment. Furthermore,any sane character, Good or Evil, whoreads the book must make a Horror

Check.To destroy a mummy, destroy its

canopic jars (which contain its internalorgans). Each smashed jar does 2d6points of damage to the mummy.

8. Pale Blue DeathCool, blue light lights the chamber, ema-nating from a glowing orb in the centerof the ceiling. Each corner contains atall, reptilian statue with horrendousfangs and terrible claws.

The light is magical, created eons agoby the makers of the tomb. It taps intothe Negative Material Plane and its radi-ation drains hit one point of life energyevery round spent in this room. Thedraining causes the victim to have a�hot flash� each time a point is lost.

9. Shaft of ThunderThe passageway opens up onto a wideshaft. Sounds echo hollowly and inten-sify with each subsequent echo.

The thunder shaft is deep, deepenough to possibly connect with a por-tion of the Deepearth (the undergroundrealm of the drow and mindflayers). Itsweird effect is to intensify sound so thateven a whisper soon becomes a thun-dering roar and the last words of eachconversation battle each other in inten-sity.

Spell-casters must make an Intelli-gence Ability Check each time a spell iscast or they cannot cast spells in here,as concentration is continually brokenby the painfully loud sounds.

Fragments remain of a bridge thatonce connected the passage from areaNo. 8 with the passage to area No. 10,but there is not enough left to crossover. The PCs must find another wayacross the shaft by flying, climbing thewalls, building bridges, or even telepor-tation.

10. Elven HorrorThe ancient elves who sought to pre-vent access to Hsssthak�s tomb convert-ed this outer tomb area into a trap,populated by mummy guardians of

38

their making-their own people turnedinto horrendous undead guardians.

The four mummies in this maze-likechamber will use hide-and-seek tactics,lurking behind corners then steppingout to paralyze intruders with fear,dealing a blow to the nearest paralyzedcharacter then stepping back into hid-ing. The mummies split up, coming atthe party from many directions. Usu-ally the second and third attackers waituntil the party is engrossed in combat,then they attack from the side with sur-prise. Remember that a cleric can onlyturn undead in one direction at a time.

Though the mummies have been herefor eons (though not quite so many eonsas the greater mummy Hsssthak in areaNo. 11), they still remember their kinwho turned them into guardians. Theirhatred is such that it overrides theirdirective to guard Hsssthak�s tomb.Elven intruders will be singled out forspecial vengeance. A mummy whofaces an elf will attempt to grapple theelf, drag the elf to the precipice, andcast him or her into the thunder shaft(area No. 9).

Elves who view an elven mummymust make a Horror Check in additionto their fear saving throw.

Each of the doors out of this chamberare guarded with a glyph of wardingthat will do 16 points of electrical dam-age to any who attempt to open them.

Mummies (4): AC 3; MV 6�; HD6 + 3; hp 30; # AT 1; Dmg 1d12; SAfear, paralysis, disease; SD immuneto non-magical weapons, ½ damagefrom magical weapons, immune tosleep, charm, hold, and cold-basedspells, immune to poison and paraly-sis; AL N; XP 640 each.

11. Eternal VigilanceAs the door opens� the air in the hallrushes into the room� stirring up smallcyclones of dust. When the dust clears�a dry� cadaverous creature� somethingthat was never human� is seated on anebony throne� studying you with glow-

ing eyes.The cadaverous creature is Hsssthak,

a greater mummy (see his descriptionin �The Night Gallery�). His purpose isto guard two ancient spells (see the�Nether Scrolls� below) for future gen-erations of his racial descendants, thelizard men.

His first goal is to either charm thePCs into taking the scrolls and givingthem to the lizard men or to place oneof the PCs under a geas spell to do thesame. The geas spell is read from ascroll.

If a battle ensues, the lizard men, whoby now have been skulking closebehind the PCs, will join in on Hsss-thak�s side.

Once the door is opened, and airenters the sealed chamber, Hsssthakbegins to decay, despite his magicalpreservation. Each round, he loses onehit point (seen as pieces crumbling off),until he crumbles into dust.

A magical mirror on the south wallfunctions exactly like a crystal ball withclairaudience.

12. Ancient SecretsThis secret door hides Hsssthak�s trea-sure. Use dice to select items from theD, Q and X treasure types. Any magicalitems will function like the item select-ed, but will have an exotic, even alienappearance. In addition to what thetables allow, Hsssthak guards two piec-es of the Nether Scrolls.

The Nether ScrollsThese magical scrolls were created dur-ing the Days of Thunder (Faerun�sancient prehistory, when dinosaurs andnon-human races ruled) by mages ofthe creator races. Later they becamethe magical foundations of ancientNetheril (an ancient human civilizationin the North, located on the westernedge of Anaurouch the Great Desert).The Nether Scrolls disappeared longbefore Netheril fell into ruin.

The two golden scrolls that Hsssthakguards contain the following two spells:

Awaken Intell igence : Level : 4 ;Range: touch; Duration: permanent;Area of effect: 1 creature; Components:V,S,M; Casting time: 4 segments; Savingthrow: none.

Gives sentience to a non-sentientcreature (roll 3d6 to select Intelligencescore), or in already sentient creatures,improves Intelligence by 2d6 points.Requires a system shock roll to surviveits effects. Awakened Intelligence maynot be passed on to offspring unless�locked� into the creature�s geneticmakeup by the alter beast spell. Thematerial components are a dried fishand a piece of brain coral.

Alter Beast: Level: 8; Range: touch;Duration: permanent; Area of effect: 1creature; Components: V,S,M; Castingtime: 1 turn; Saving throw: none.

Allows the caster to modify a selectedpart of a living creature�s physical form.This could be changing paws intohands, giving a quadruped an upright,bipedal stance, increasing brain capaci-ty, and so on. Changes made by thisspell affect the creature�s geneticmakeup and are permanent. Theeffects can be passed on to offspring ifthe creature mates with a similarlyaltered creature of its own original spe-cies. Only a limited or full wish willreverse the spell�s effects. Each use ofthis spell requires a system shock sur-vival roll. The material component istwo strands of heavy gold wire twistedtogether in a double helix.

Ecology of theMummy�. . . and so we find that here in theNorth, the crypt guardian, or mummyis known through what sages call the�Netherese oral tradition,� a collection ofcommon legends found among folkdescended from refugees of ancientNetheril. Whether or not these grue-some creatures actually exist anywherein Faerun other than the mysteriousRaurin desert is not known.�

�Excellent. Send it over to Florins forrecopying. A good ending, don�t you

think, eh Erek?��Good if you like boring dribble about

dusty dead. Why don�t you spice it up abit, add some color, some adventure.Too bad about old Felloman and yourfriend Vortigur. Was it true the councilof clerics was about to send you as amissionary to the ice wastes after that?�

�If brother Felloman had not inter-ceded, I�m sure they would have. Imag-ine, someone who actually liked being aghoul . . . or was it a ghast? But that�s notimportant. The Journal of the WatchfulOrder of Magists and Protectors is ascholarly publication, not a collection ofwild stories.

�Still, there was that time when Ijoined a band of adventurers when theyjourneyed into lost Ascore, on theperiphery of the Great Desert. I like tocall that adventure, �The Curse of theMummy�s Eye� . . .

�As I said, mummies are not commonto most cultures of Faerun�only inthose civilizations that religiously pre-serve the bodies of their dead or thatare pervaded by Lawful Evil, does onefind mummies. Dwarven Ascore,though not a part of ancient Netheril,contained much lost lore and guardiansto protect it.

�I had been studying magic for a fewyears, and had adventured some, butwith other companions. I was hired toaccompany a band of warriors andthieves who had found a map revealingthe location of a minor piece of ancientmagic called the golden eye. They hadalso paid a seer to gaze into her crystalball and reveal what obstacles stoodbetween them and their goal.

�We found ourselves inside the outershrine of an ancient tomb. The glyphson the walls were ancient, but readable:�The golden eye of Rethekan, avengerof Bhaal, curses tomb-robbers forever.�Of course, that was the usual warningone finds in tombs, doomed and cursedforever and all that, yet what was moreinteresting were the tomb paintings.They depicted, in gruesome detail Imight add, the creation of a tombguardian, what we call a mummy.

�The preparers, usually priests,

39

began the mummification process witha live victim, usually a warrior-one oftheir own people. Their spells kept thepoor soul in his body after it died, whilethey removed and preserved his vitalorgans, then dried out and preservedhis body. Remember, the victim is alivethrough this whole procedure and isaware of what is happening to him. Stillgives me the shudders to think about it.It�s no wonder the resulting creaturehates life so much.

�Anyway, we entered this dusty tomband as we went deeper, there weremore paintings, and mind you, if theother ones only made your stomachqueasy, these were nightmare makers.Who could imagine someone choosingto become a mummy? Yet, these pic-tures showed just that. A man who will-ingly submitted to mummification andretained much of his power from life. Ibegan to get a bad feeling about thewhole thing.

�My brave but incredibly thick-headed comrades laughed when I sug-gested that the guardian here might bemore than just a mummy. �The seerwould have known if it were other thana tomb guardian.� they smirked. �Thegolden eye is not that important. Maybeyou should go back to being a priest,�they said condescendingly.

�Red-faced, I entered the outer sanc-tum with them. Of course, we metmummies, two of them, garbed in

ancient armor and tattered linen wind-ings. I had not seen a mummy before,but I knew I faced them now. Even myencounter with ghouls had not pre-pared me for this. The smell, the creak-ing joints, the unnatural glaring eyes . . .they horrified me. I was paralyzed withfear-they do that you know. My com-panions hurled fragile glass bottlesfilled with volatile oil at the things, thenignited them with torches until theyburned like bonfires, stumbling aboutengulfed in flames.

�When I could force myself intomotion again, the battle was over. Theguardians were little more than smok-ing ruins in the shape of men. One ofmy companions had sustained a minorwound, and it had begun to stinkalready with the dreaded rot disease,often called Talona�s Curse after thegoddess of disease.

�The cleric of Lathander, who like mehad been hired to accompany the party,applied dried mothersleaf powder tothe wound and prayed to his god, but itstill would not heal. I later learned thatthe herb must be brewed as a tea to beeffective, but by then, the unfortunatewarrior had already lost the arm to therot.

�Undaunted, my companions burstinto the inner sanctum, confident theywould soon have the golden eye. Mean-while, I was engrossed in examining theroom, and, urn, neglected to follow

them. Poking around, I found a secretniche, filled with odd bottles, jars and asmall wooden box. Then it struck me,the jars looked exactly like those in themummification pictures.

�I grabbed everything and ran aftermy companions, only to find them allasleep. Standing over them was yetanother mummy. Like the ones behindme, it smouldered, yet it seemed tohave resisted the fire attack. Now it pre-pared to slay my companions. Theywere fools, but they were paying me tokeep them alive.

�Then, as if it heard me enter, itlooked up and I saw, the mummy wasblind! It had no eyes. And it talked!

� �Yet another disturbs my vigilance: itwhispered, �Prepare to die at the handsof Rethekan.�

� �I don�t think so,� I countered. �I�d liketo trade these jars, your canopic jars,the ones that contain your preservedguts, for my friends there. Otherwise, Idrop them or fall on them if you try toput me to sleep. Either way, they breakand you�re dust.�

�Its hands clawed air. It couldn�t seeme, couldn�t see the jars, couldn�t tell if Iwas bluffing. Yet it knew.

� �I propose a different trade, mage�� ithissed. �I wait for the return of mybeloved, the priestess Asharla-Rhil, Iwould gaze on her again. I need an eye,a living eye freely given, as I freely gavemy life for Asharla-Rhil.� �

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�So that�s how you lost that eye, Ithought you just accidentally poked itout with a stick or something� Erekinterrupted.

�I�m not done with the story. As I said,it wanted an eye. �Only if my friends gofree first.� I demanded.

� �Agreed,� it whispered and thenbegan to dance around in what I canonly guess must be glee. I gave the thingits gruesome gut jars, then dragged myfriends outside to safety. Steeling mynerve, I returned to the inner sanctum.As it waited, I jammed my fingers intomy right eye socket and yanked hardon its contents, then thrust it into themummy�s outstretched claw. I didn�twait to see Rethekan pop the grislything into its own empty orbit or listento the chanting that follwed. I just ran.My companions wisely, for once, decid-ed to pursue other adventures.�

�What a sacrifice, removing yourown eye in trade for someone else�slife.�

�I didn�t say I gave him my eye, did I?Just the contents of the eye socket,which at that time was a simple glasseye. I�d lost the real one long beforethat. On the other hand, it was an eyefor an eye. I somehow failed to mentionthat I had found the golden eye alongwith the canopic jars. I doubt if Rethe-kan had any real use for the golden eyeanymore. Erek, that sounds like thedoor, get it will you.�

�Amelior, there�s a big box out here,big enough for a coffin or somethinglike that. Real dusty too. Say, who doyou know in Ascore?�

Creature NotesKnown mummy-producing culturesinclude the ruined cities found inRaurin in the Desert of Desolation (13-51and lost Netheril in the Savage Frontier(FR5). It is also said that the tombs of theZhentarim are rife with such guard-ians.

Mummies do not exist of their ownaccord. Unlike life-draining undead,they do not give birth to their own kindout of the bodies of their victims. Mum-

mies are created by men to act as tombguardians. The process is similar to thatrequired to create a skeleton or a zom-bie, but requires long preparation ofthe body, expensive and rare preserva-tive spices and compounds, and a spellto bring them to �life.� For the mummy-creation ritual to be successful, themummy must be a living being (usuallyhuman) when the mummification proc-ess begins. The unspeakable horrorand agony of the process (the body dies,but the soul and mind remain awareand trapped within) are responsible forthe mummy�s �unholy hatred of life.�

Mummies are not skeletal beings, norare they always wrapped in cloth(though this is a common practice, sincethe cloth retains the preservatives thatkeep the mummy from decay). Thepreservation process may leave themummy with the appearance it had inlife, though its flesh is dried and with-ered.

The mummification rituals drawupon power from the Negative MaterialPlane, replacing life energy with deathenergy. While the desiccation (drying)of body tissues makes them hard andincreases the strength, negative energymakes it invulnerable to non-magicalweaponry.

Even those weapons do only ½ dam-age. Yet the spices and resins that pre-serve the mummy�s flesh from decayare flammable and make the mummyhighly susceptible to damage by fire.Even the fire of a simple torch candestroy a mummy, eventually.

The potent energy within the mum-my, combined with its preservatives,affects those it injures in a deadly way.The negative energy reverses the effectof the preservatives on the victim.While the mummy is preserved fromdecay, the victim begins to rot away,permanently losing two points of Cha-risma, and will die of the disease within1d6 months. All the while, he smells likea rotting corpse, as flesh, features, andlimbs slowly decay and slough off.

In Faerun, the clerical spell cure dis-ease cannot fully cure the advance ofthe mummy�s rotting disease. At best, it

halts its progress for a number ofweeks equal to the caster�s level, but inthe end, the spell must be renewed. Thedisease builds up a tolerance for thespell and each casting lasts 1d3 weeksless than the previous use. To cure thedisease, the PCs must have mothersleaf(fresh or properly preserved), a leafymedicinal herb found in most northerntemperate and subarctic regions. Whenthe herb is imbibed as a tea before thecasting of cure disease, all traces of therot from the body disappear. The herbis rare, and can be found only by char-acters with a Plant Lore proficiency(see WILDERNESS SURVIVAL GUIDE).

There are two types of mummies.The common mummy (as described inthe MONSTER MANUAL), which hasbeen brought into being by the acts ofothers, and the greater mummy, theundead remains of a man (or woman)who has chosen to be mummified. Thecommon mummy is a fighting creature.It retains its intelligence, but the magicsof its creation binds it to its purpose. Agreater mummy, like a lich, may usespells (though it is limited to the talentsof a seventh-level spell-caster), or anyspecial powers, abilities, skills, or profi-ciencies that it had in life.

As part of the mummification proc-ess, the internal organs of the living vic-tim are removed and preservedseparately in three canopic jars,immersed in an elixir made from thebodies of larvae. These organ jars mustremain within the tomb guarded by themummy. Destroying a canopic jar andits contents does 2d6 points of damageto a mummy. As one might imagine,these organs are often well hidden andprotected in some way (such as magicalor mechanical traps).

The appearance, smell, and magicalaura of the mummy elicits a paralyzingrevulsion and fear. Those who see amummy and fail to make a savingthrow vs. spells are subject to paralysis.

41

VAMPIRESTerrain: city (with a developed sewersystem)Party levels: 42 (Average 7th)Magic X.P.:measure X.P.:Monster X.P.:

Kill: 17,258 Defeat: 12,943Retreat: 4,314

Setupl During the past several weeks a

few members of the local merchants�guild (and a few other citizens) havevanished. However, two nights ago oneof those missing merchantsreappeared-complete with fangs and athirst for blood. The merchants� guild isoffering a reward to any daring groupof adventurers able to put an end to thetown�s terror. And the guild knows of abarkeep who might have a lead on themystery.l People are getting nervous, afraid

to go out on the streets at night. It isrumored some horrible creature is kill-ing those who wander alone. And thecreature must be stockpiling a goodamount of wealth, as it also robs its vic-tims.l The player characters learn of a

tavern owner in town who often pro-vides adventurers with rumors aboutold ruins and treasure-filled dungeons.

DM�s BackgroundAbout 400 years ago Jonathon and Jere-miah Morningmist were twin highelven brothers in an adventuring partythat stumbled upon ancient ruins lead-ing to a cavern complex deep within thebowels of the land. The complex wasfi l led with treasure. However,Jonathon, a headstrong fighter, and Jer-emiah, a quick-tempered mage, soonlearned their new-found wealth had aprice.

The dank complex was home to avampire, which made short work ofJeremiah and several members of theadventuring band. And as fate wouldhave it, a succubus, who surprised theremainder of the party as it fled

through the long twisting corridors,killed Jonathon.

Thus the twins, who shared so manysimilar experiences in life, shared a sim-ilar fate in death. Jeremiah became alesser vampire, who for many decadesserved the vampire who had createdhim. This head vampire eventually waskilled by another band of adventurers,so Jeremiah became free-willed and setout on his own to devastate the area.

Jonathon, so drained by the succu-bus, had become a greater vampire,possessing power like his brother, Jere-miah, but able to walk the Earth duringdaylight hours.

Eventually the pair was reunited, andthey began a reign a terror in the landshundreds of miles north of RavensBluff. Stuffing their bag�s of holdingwith soil from their graves, they wereable to wander the Forgotten Realms insearch of wealth and more power. Onone of their expeditions into an old cas-tle, the pair discovered a treasure ofmagical armor and weapons (the adven-turers carrying the treasure didn�t putup too much of a fight). Jonathonclaimed the magical shield and the hel-met, and Jeremiah claimed the magicalstaff and powders. The helmet was ahelm of opposite alignment, which for-ever altered Jonathon�s undead life, asit changed his alignment to LawfulGood. This development pitted thebrothers against each other, and sinceneither could win, they went their sep-arate ways.

Jonathon eventually settled in RavensBluff (DMs may use a different town intheir own campaigns), and he used partof his accumulated treasure to set upthe Blue Dolphin, a tavern that hasbecome quite popular among adventur-ers and sailors. The inn features finefood, the best of spirits, and tall tales ofglorious adventures that are spun longinto the early morning hours.

�Life� was good for Jonathon untilseveral weeks ago when a rash of mur-ders was reported in town. The victimswere drained of blood, and some of thelocal adventurers learned a few ofthose victims were coming back as vam-

42

fit the chosen setup.

pires. Jonathon knew in his heart Jere-

DM uses for this adventure, the PCs

miah was responsible and must be dealt

should somehow be directed to the Blue

with. So Jonathon has been screeningthe adventurers who frequent the inn

Dolphin where they can meet

to try to find a party tough enough todeal with the threat. He will not give

Jonathon. Alter the PCs� introduction to

away the fact he, himself, is a vampire.And a magic mirror in his establish-ment helps his ruse; it is magicked sothat Jonathon casts a reflection in it. Nomatter which of the three setups the

Player�s Introduction

It is late summer, and your unsuc-cessful search for adventurebrought you to the Blue Dolphin tav-ern near the wharfs in Ravens Bluff.you had hoped you might pick uprumors of ruins or dungeons orsomething that would lead to atreasure-filled outing. But it seemsthe only talk at the tavern is of therecent murders in town. You wereabout ready to give up and go homewhen Jonathon, the bartender,approached.

Jonathon Morningmist, a striking-ly handsome silver-haired high elf,seemed a little out of place to you inthis dark, rustic inn. Jonathon, whohas operated this establishment formany years, wears fine, pressedclothes, which are in stark contrastto the garb of his adventurer clien-tele. But despite his appearance ofaloofness, he seems quite friendly.You have witnessed him sitting withthe customers, listening to their talltales and telling a few of his own.Now he seems to want to talk to you.He sits at your table, the long, darkshadows from the room�s interiorfalling across his face. His violet elfineyes focus on you, and he begins tospeak in a soft, somber tone.

�The adventure you seek is within

the city�� Jonathon whispers. �A vile,undead creature, which has accu-mulated much treasure, is responsi-ble for the recent killings in town. Ifyou�re really seeking adventure,stake out the streets and kill the crea-ture. And if you haven�t the courage,leave town now before you becomethe creature�s next victims.�

Jonathon will stare into the eyes ofthe player character fighters, using hisvampiric ability of charming to getthem to take up this quest beginningtomorrow evening (this gives themtomorrow during the day to investi-gate).

If asked about the menace, Jonathonwill provide the following information:the majority of the creature�s attackshave taken place within a nearby three-square-block section of the city, whichis a warren of tenements, offices, andwarehouses; the creature only attacksat night; the player characters mightwant to purchase some garlic beforethey attempt to take on the creature.

Statistics and other informationabout Jonathon Morningmist and hisevil brother, Jeremiah, appear in �TheNight Gallery� section. If for some rea-son the player characters attempt toattack Jonathon, other patrons willintercede in his behalf. Jonathon will gointo a back room, turn gaseous, andescape.

If the characters try to get informa-tion from other patrons in the Blue Dol-phin, they will be told the following:

�The creature comes with the dark-ness. The townspeople have dubbedit the bane, because it truly is a baneto this once-peaceful community. Itstalks the streets. Almost nightly theterrified screams of its victims echohauntingly throughout the city.Those investigating the deaths anddisappearances have found only afew bloodstains to mark the citizens�passing. Jonathon, here, has offereda reward of a +3 shield to anyone

who can stop this bane. And the mer-chants� guild is putting up a rewardof 4,000 gp. None has stepped for-ward to earn it, at least none of thosewho have stepped forward to earn ithave returned. And a terrible auraof fear has settled over the area.Some people are talking of movingout of this city.�

If the PCs contact the merchants�guild, they will be given the names anddetailed descriptions of a half-dozenmerchants who have vanished in thepast several weeks. The merchants�guild believes the bane has taken themand probably killed them, as a few oth-er merchants have turned up as blood-less corpses lying in shadowy alleys.The PCs will be introduced to a high-ranking member of the guild who willpoint them to where the latest victimwas found. If the PCs search the areathey will find a few scuff marks leadingto the west alley between two build-ings. The marks will disappear a fewfeet down the alley. However, if the PCscontinue to search beyond the scuffmarks, they will find a sewer grating(through which the creature escaped).

The merchants� guild representativewill explain the guild�s concern over theattacks. The attacks started about onemonth ago and always happen in theevening. No one has lived through anattack. However, three evenings agotwo city guards heard a cry from theempty marketplace and spied a shad-owy humanoid dragging a body into thealley to the northeast. They gave chase,but the shadow abandoned the man-gled body and disappeared into an alley,not to be found. The city guards havebegun patrolling the streets in force atnight, but the bane is obviously smartand makes its attacks after the guardspass by. The city has organized a smallforce of fighters to deal with the crea-ture, but so far this effort has provedfruitless. So the guild has offered thisreward in an attempt to recruit a bandof adventurers. The guild is so con-cerned over the situation because a few

of its members have closed up shop andmoved elsewhere.

Catching theCreatureThe player characters, whethercharmed or acting of their own volition,will have to stake out the streets duringthe evening hours by lying in wait orposing as possible targets. There is a50% chance each night that Jeremiahwill hunt out victims. The followingtable should be checked to determine inwhich section of the city the vampirewill strike:

1. Area A: Mostly warehouses andoffice buildings.

2. Area B: Tenements varying fromone to three stories tall.

3. Area C: Tenements and shops.4. Area D: Primarily pricier shops.5. Area E: Ship chandleries and the

Blue Dolphin.6. Area F: Shops and assorted busi-

nesses.7. Area G: Marketplace with stalls

and a money-changer�s booth.8. Area H: Slums.9. Area I: Warehouses.10. Area J: Warehouses and docks.

For the purpose of this scenario, Jere-miah will not attack a PC on the streetduring the first night of a stakeout. Jer-emiah has been careful in choosing hisvictims, preferring those who havebeen frequenting the Blue Dolphin.This is his way of getting back at hisbrother.

If the characters are within the areain which an attack occurred, they willhear a cry. It will take 2d4 rounds toreach the scene of the crime. For eachround Jeremiah has before helparrives, he will have a 10% cumulativechance of retreating safely with his vic-tim through a handy sewer grate. Inthis case, the party will find only scuffmarks that lead the grate. If the partyarrives before Jeremiah has fled, readthe following:

43

Hurrying to the sound of the cry, youemerge from an alleyway to catchsight of a gaunt form with silver hairthat reflects the light of the moon.The form is dragging a body over toan open grate, which presumablyleads into the city�s sewer system.Even as you move to engage the crea-ture it sees you and abandons its vic-tim. With a snarl trailing from itsblood-stained lips, it drops into thesewer and disappears into the inkyblackness below.

The victim, which has numerousclaw and bite marks about its neck, isdead. If the PCs search the body theywill recognize the victim as being one ofthe patrons who sat near them in theBlue Dolphin. If they make the connec-tion with the silver hair, and seek outJonathon, they will discover he has anironclad alibi. More than a dozenpatrons will vow he never left the innall evening.

If the players investigate the grate, goto the sewer section. If they continue toperform stakeouts, and are in an areaJeremiah strikes next, one of the PCswill be the next intended victim.

If the latter is the case, refer to Jere-miah�s statistics and spells in �The NightGallery.�

If the PCs interview citizens and vari-ous merchants, they will hear wildreports of huge monsters emergingfrom the shadows, flying creatures thatswoop out of the skies to grab innocentpeople, and giant skeletons. They alsowill run into Gembor, a bum whom Jer-emiah has charmed. Gembor, who isusually located in Area 6 in the sewers,will say all manner of things to throwthe PCs off the track, such as directingthem to other sections of town whereJeremiah has no intention of going. Hewill warn the PCs that they mustn�tattempt to take on the creature, as thecreature is probably very strong andprobably doesn�t like people who try toattack it. If the PCs are suspicious andtry to follow Gembor, they will see himdrop down into the sewer.

The Sewer SystemBeneath the city streets of Ravens Bluffruns an excellent stone-tiled sewer sys-tem, its branches and arteries inter-twining throughout the city. Thisunderground maze of passages hasbecome home to Jeremiah. It permitshim much freedom of movement. Italso had been the home of a few thieveswho used the system to travel betweentarget businesses. The now-charmedthieves and ruffians work for Jeremiah.

The PCs may gain entrance to thesewers through one of the many sewergratings dotting the streets. Under eachgrating is an iron ladder that extendsdown 20� into a main artery of thesewer system. The arteries are uniformin size, 20� wide and 10� high. While thesewers are unpleasant, they are rela-tively clean, with constant drainage tothe sea outlets. Despite this, there arean abundance of slime growthsthroughout the main arteries andbranches, and the DM must make apoint to describe the slime growths tothe PCs.

The PCs will have to conduct a thor-ough search of the system to locate Jer-emiah�s lair.

1. This area is filled with waterabout 2� deep. Various piles of refuserise above the water in this artery,which leads west below a row of manorhomes in the better section of town.The inhabitants of this area are twogiant crocodiles.

Giant Crocodiles (2): AC 4; MV 6�/12�; HD 7; hp 35� 37; # AT 2; Dmg3d6/2d100; AL N; Size L (25� long); XP513 each.

2. This small artery, mostly dry, isused as a dump by those living in thetenements above. It is filled with debris.And crawling about on top of the debrisare 35 giant rats. These are sometimescontrolled by Jeremiah.

Giant Rats (35): AC 7; MV 12�/6�;hp 3 each; # AT 1; Dmg 1d3; AL NE;Size S; XP 8 each.

Each PC bitten by a rat has a 5%chance per wound of contracting aserious disease.

There is nothing of value in this area.3. Water about 3� deep fills this sec-

tion. If the adventurers travel this way,they will stumble upon an electric eelwhich has swum in from the ocean andhas not found a way out. Jeremiahknows of this inhabitant, but has donenothing to chase it away. It is one moreguard for his lair.

If the PCs closely watch the waterbefore entering the lair, let them detectmovement in the water on a roll of 1 or2 on 1d6.

If the group does not take any precau-tions and enters the area, the eel willfeel their approach when they comewithin 60�. The eel will quietly swim towithin 10� of the party and generate anelectric current in the water doing 4d6damage (please note PCs within 5� take6d6, and those between 10� and 15� take2d6). It will then swim farther away,hiding in a smaller sewer pipe, waitingto see if any of the PCs fall. The eel willavoid combat if at all possible, prefer-ring to shock its victims to death. If thePCs leave this area, it will begin to�stalk� them, following them at a dis-creet distance if it can. The eel can gen-erate its shock once a turn, so for everyturn the eel is able to follow the party, itwill move up to within 5� to 10�, shockthe PCs and try to dart back.

Electric eel (marine): AC 6; MV9�; HD 7; hp 37; # AT 1; Dmg 3d4; SAelectrical discharge (electrified vic-tims must save vs. paralyzation or bestunned); AL N; Size L (25� long); XP646.

The eel can generate its electricalattack once a turn. It has no treasure.

4. This section of the sewer systemhas caved in. Rubble closes off an entirebranch. Slime also is abundant here.

44

Green slime: AC 9; MV 0; HD 2; hp11 each; # AT not applicable; Dmgspecial; XP 50.

However, this slime is not harmless. It isgreen slime, and it will drop upon PCsentering the area. Jeremiah caused thecave-in to seal off some of the arteriesleading to his lair. He is unconcernedabout the slime. The PCs will find noth-ing by digging here, and the cave-in isso extensive they would have to dig fortwo days to open up the passage.

Ruffians (6): AC 7 (leather andshield); MV 12�; HD 3 (attack asthird-level fighters); hp 20 each; # AT1; Dmg 1d8; AL NE; Size M; XP 95each.

The slime attaches itself to flesh, turn-ing the victim into green slime 1d4 meleerounds later. It can be scraped off easily.

5. If the player characters journeyhere during the day, they will find dirtyplates, rolls of bedding, and a half-dozen lanterns. Several footprints canbe seen. The footprints lead to the near-est ladder and sewer grating. If a rang-er is in the party, that character willalso notice prints leading to a worn sec-tion of wall (see section after Ruffians).packing the prints above ground willdo no good, as outside the prints get lostamong the tracks of the city�s many res-idents.

However, if the PCs arrive at this areaduring the night, they will catch sight ofseveral men huddled together aroundthe light of a few lanterns. Muffled voicesreveal that the men are engaged in a dis-cussion. The characters can approachwithin 60� without being noticed.

The men are a group of ruffians fromone of the thieves guilds. Jeremiah hascharmed them to occupy the sewer sys-tem during the evening hours. Duringthe daylight hours they serve as spiesfor him, gathering the local gossipabout the murders and trying to findfences for some of the merchandise Jer-emiah has taken off his victims.

If the PCs make any noise or comewithin 60�, the ruffians will hear themand attack. If the PCs capture and/orquestion any of them, the ruffians willexplain they are common thieves in hid-ing. If pressed or threatened, they willsay their employer is Jeremiah, a pale-

faced, silver-haired high elf who travelsthrough the sewers. The ruffians donot know the location of Jeremiah�s lair,nor do they know they are charmed.However, they will tell the PCs that Jer-emiah cannot be defeated, as all of theother adventurers who have enteredthe sewers have died.

Each ruffian carries 3d10 gp and3d10 sp. In addition, one of the ruffianshas a potion of extra healing. Anotherruffian has a potion of healing and apotion of sweet water.

Against the western wall is a sectionof loose masonry (PCs must roll to findconcealed doors). If a few of the blocksare pulled away, a small tunnel will befound leading to a makeshift ladder. Itleads up to a removable section of floor-ing in a corner of a large warehouseused by the thieves guild to store smug-gled goods.

6. Mud, muck, and moss fill this pas-sageway, which leads to the entrance ofJeremiah�s lair. It is guarded by the vam-pire�s minions. If the characters ven-ture here, they will encounter the bats,rats, and nine merchants under thecontrol of the vampire. The bats willnot damage the characters and will flyoff after five rounds. However, becausethere are so many of them, the playercharacters will suffer a -2 to hit modi-fier during those five rounds.

Bats (100): AC 8; MV 1�/24�; HDnot applicable; hp 1; # AT not appli-cable; Dmg not applicable; AL N; SizeS; XP 6 each.

Rats (60): AC 7; MV 15�; HD ¼;HP 1 each; # AT 1; Dmg 1; AL N(E);Size S; XP 6 each.

Characters bitten by a rat have a5% chance of contracting a diseaseunless they save vs. poison.

45

Merchant No. 1 (third-levelhuman fighter): AC 7; MV 12�; HD3; hp 24; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8; AL NG;Size M; XP 107.

Merchant/citizens No. 2 to No.8 (zero-level humans): AC 9; MV12�; HD 0; hp 5 each; # AT 1; Dmg1d6; AL NG; Size M; XP 10 each.

Merchant No. 9 (sixth-leveldwarven fighter, + 1 to hit): AC2 (bracers AC 5 and dex); MV 9�; HD6; hp 51; Dmg 1d8 +5 (STR bonusand +2 long sword; XP 456.

This encounter could tax the PCs, asthe merchants and citizens are not evil,merely charmed. They have no trea-sure (except the dwarf�s items), as Jere-miah stole almost everything fromthem. The PCs will recognize a few ofthe merchants from the guild�s descrip-tion of the missing members.

If the characters have been carrying alight source, they will not be surprisedby the bats, rats, and merchants. Thebats will be the first to descend uponthe party, with the rats joining in on thesecond round. The merchants join themelee on the third round. Because ofthe movement rates of these creatures,the PCs will not be able to outrun them.However, fire will drive the rats awayafter two combat rounds.

Beyond this area the PCs will find acrude living quarters. Off this livingquarters is a decaying stone wall withan iron-banded door (this is the door toJeremiah�s lair, he turns gaseous to getinside). Sitting in front of this door is anelderly man, who is reading a book bythe light of an old lantern. If the PCshad interviewed people on the streetsand in the alleys about the creature�sattacks, they will recognize this man asone of those to whom they talked. Oth-erwise, the PCs will recognize him as abeggar who used to be seen in the vicin-ity of the Blue Dolphin. The beggar hasbeen charmed by Jeremiah, who useshim to run simple errands.

Gembor, a quiet, humble man, will bepleased to see the characters. The ruffi-

ans Jeremiah charmed don�t talk toGembor, and Jeremiah isn�t aroundmuch for company. Gembor is mildlyinsane and will carry on bizarre con-versations with the characters, pontifi-cating about the finer quality of hisfriends the bats and rats. He doesn�tknow anything about a creature orvampire. He just knows about a kind,silver-haired man who feeds him.

Gembor: AC 10; MV 6�; HD 1; hp 4;# AT 1; Dmg 1d4; AL N; Size M; XP 9.

Gembor has a dagger, tatteredclothes, and 5 sp.

To get beyond this door, a PC thiefmust successfully open locks at a -20%chance (because the lock is very rust-ed). The door can be forced open with acombined strength of 36. If the PCschoose, they can wait here for the vam-pire to show. If they take this action,Jeremiah and his minion vampire willattack the party when some of the char-acters are sleeping.

6a. Beyond this door is an octagonalroom. Against each wall are weatheredand empty wine racks. This roomserved as a wine storage area for an oldbusiness. When the business burneddown many years ago, this area wasclosed off and a new building construct-ed above. There is no way to travel intothe building above (unless you�re a vam-pire in gaseous form). Behind one of thewine racks is a concealed and lockediron door.

6b. Opening the concealed door, thePCs see a set of stairs going down about20�, leading to a triangular-shapedroom. This, too, was once used as astorage room. If the characters godown the stairs, they will be greeted bya charnel stench. A light source willreveal the remains of three of the vam-pire�s latest victims. These corpses havenot turned into vampires because theyhave not been buried, and Jeremiah didnot want them to be undead. About 50rats swarm over the bodies andthroughout this room. The rats will notattack the PCs, unless the PCs attempt

to harm them. If the room is searched,the PCs will find a crack in the wallwhich leads off in the direction ofanother sewer branch. This crack iswide enough for a character to squeezethrough (albeit uncomfortably). How-ever, it leads to a dead end. Also in thisroom is another door, which is locked.

6c. Opening this door the PCs willsee darkness. This chamber is hiddenby a spell of continual darkness andprotected by the minion vampire. Thevampire (not by mere coincidence), afemale silver-haired elf, will attack assoon as any PC steps inside. Jeremiahwanted to confuse any authorities asmuch as possible by having two silver-haired creatures attack citizens in dif-ferent sections of town. In addition,Jeremiah hoped this might throw suspi-cion on his brother, Jonathon.

Angelique, the vampire: AC 1;MV 12�/18�; HD 8 + 3; hp 35; # AT 1;Dmg 1d4 +6; SA energy drain; SD+ 1 or better weapon needed to hit,regenerates 3 HP per round; AL CE;Size M; XP 1420.

If Angelique is losing the melee toobadly, she will turn into mist andattempt to leave to warn Jeremiah.

If the characters search this roomthey will find coffers containing 124 pp,5,500 gp, 2,600 sp, 960 cp, a silken tap-estry embroidered with various crea-tures of the night (value 750 gp), a silverscepter capped with an Evil holy sym-bol (value 2,100 gp), a silver dagger witha skull pommel (value 900 gp); a shortsword +2; a potion of heroism; a potionof climbing; and a scroll with the follow-ing magic-user spells: knock, dispelmagic, dimension door; and teleport.

A door off of his room leads toanother octagonal chamber. The door ismagically trapped and will deliver a 4-dice fireball to those within 20� of thedoor. The coffers have been carefullyplaced out of the range of the blast.

6d. This is Jeremiah�s chamber. Acoffin rests at the center of this room.The room is damp and foul-smelling.

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Opulent chairs and a marble-toppedtable occupy half the room. The otherhalf contains statuary and tapestries(total value 5,000 gp). However, the fur-nishings do nothing to improve thegloominess of the setting.

If the characters enter this area duringdaylight hours, they will have to contendwith Angelique (if she is still alive) and Jer-emiah. If the characters enter this cham-ber in the evening, there is a 40% chanceJeremiah will be here. If the characterslie in wait for Jeremiah in this chamber,he (and possibly Angelique) will surprisethem. Refer to Jeremiah�s statistics in�The Night Gallery� chapter. If Jeremiah isalerted to the PCs� presence, he willattempt to come up behind them, begin aspell assault, and then move in to leveldrain them.

Read this description to the charac-tlers when they find Jeremiah:

The man before you looks likeJonathon Collins, his silvery hair cas-cading to his shoulders. But theclothes are different, dark and drap-ing, and he appears pale. The expres-sion on his face is pure evil. He grins,and you note the blood-encrustedfangs as he moves to attack.

7. This downward-slanted arteryleads to a sea outlet beneath a wharf,which also functions as an entry for arowboat (usually filled with contra-band). If this section is explored duringthe night hours, the party will noticethree smugglers unloading a boat filledwith stolen silk (value 3,500 gp). Thesmugglers, who are not charmed butwillingly work for Jeremiah, will noticethe characters if the characters comecloser than 100�. If the PCs are noticed,the smugglers will waste no time withwords, but will attack.

Smuggler No. 1 (Joe): AC 8; MV12�; F 4; hp 30; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8; ALCE; Size M; XP 180.

Joe wears leather armor, carries along sword, dagger, and has 50 gp.

Smuggler No. 2 (Rolf): AC 2(Dex bonus and magic armor); MV12�; F 6; hp 45; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +2(strength bonus); AL CE; Size M; XP420.

Rolf wears +2 leather armor, car-ries a long sword, +1 dagger, andhas 10 gp and a 50 gp pearl.

Smuggler No. 3 (Ned FastHands): AC 4 (Dex bonus); MV 12�;T 9; hp 40; # AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1; ALCE; Size M; XP 1080.

Zombie patrol (18): AC 8; MV 6�;HD 2; hp 2@16� 5@14� 5@12� 3@10�3@8; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8; AL N; Size M;XP 44 each.

Ned wears leather armor, carries a+1 short sword, and has 20 pp. His

prized possession is a ring of spell stor-ing, which holds two 6-dice lightningbolts (it cannot be recharged). His firstaction will be to direct a bolt against aspell-caster. Otherwise, he will directthe bolt against as many targets as pos-sible, trying to save the last bolt in casehe needs it to cover his escape.)

8. Waist-deep water fills this artery.About 100� from the outlet are a fewdenizens which will attach themselvesto a random explorer.

Giant leech (6): AC 9; MV 3�; HD 3;hp 19 each; # AT 1; Dmg 1d4; SAdrain blood; AL N; Size S; XP 107each.

9. The water in this section of thesewer system is not as deep as elsewhere,and the stone tile walls don�t have slimegrowths. However, it appears that rustclings to the walls in one section. The rustis actually russet mold. Jeremiah is notaware of the creature.

Vampire guard: AC 1; MV 12�/18�; HD 8+3; hp 35; # AT 1; Dmg1d4+6 (plus energy drain); AL CE;Size M; XP 1420.

Russet mold: AC 9; MV 0�; hp 18(this mold covers only 10 squarefeet); # AT 0; Dmg 0; SA spores; AL N;Size S; XP 25.

MV 12�/6�; HD 2; hp 4@12�4@9; #AT 1; Dmg 1d2; SA stinking cloud; SDgaseous form; AL C(N); Size S; XP 48each.

Sewer EncountersRoll 1d10 for every half hour the PCsare in the sewer system. A 1 indicates awandering encounter; a 1 or a 2 indi-

cates an encounter if the PCs are nottaking any precautions to be quiet. Roll1d6 from the table below to determinethe encounter. Do not reuse encoun-ters. If the list becomes exhausted thePCs will not encounter further wander-ing monsters.

1. Vampire guard. The PCs willhear someone or something sloshingthrough the water in the sewer, comingtoward them. This is a city guard whowas attacked by Jeremiah and has sincebecome a vampire. He is patrolling thesewer pipes to make sure no adventur-ers or foolhardy merchants are huntingfor Jeremiah. Initially, he will not attackthe PCs, letting them think he is a cityguard. He will converse with the PCs,telling them he is down here looking forthe horrible creature, and he will cau-tion the PCs to be careful. If the PCs lethim by, he will wait till they move on,and then he will sneak up behind them,attempting to first level drain those inthe rear. This vampire will not fight tothe death, opting to escape, if possible,so he can warn Jeremiah. If the PCs areable to kill him, however, they maybelieve they have eliminated the men-ace. If the PCs leave the sewer, they willfind this is not the case, as the attacksagainst merchants and citizens will con-tinue each night.

2. Zombie patrol. If the PCs arebeing reasonably quiet, they will hearsloshing sounds, as if several creaturesor people were walking through thesewer pipes toward them. Jeremiahlooted a local graveyard and magicallyanimated 18 corpses to be his zombiepatrol. They wander the sewers look-ing for people who shouldn�t be there.The zombies have been commanded tostay away from the ruffians� area, thesmugglers� section, and have beenordered to leave Gembor alone, so they

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will not be encountered in those threelocations. They likewise have been com-manded to kill people wandering in allother areas.

3. Gray Ooze. The ooze have madetheir home in the sewers for the pastfew months, feeding lately off Jeremi-ah�s victims, an occasional sea creaturetrapped here, and adventurers.

Gray ooze (2): AC 8; MV 1�; HD3+3; hp 22, 15; # AT 1; Dmg 2d8; SAcorrodes metal; AL N; Size L, M; XP173 each.

4 . Z o m b i e m o n s t e r p a t r o l .These bugbear zombies, magically cre-ated by Jeremiah, have been given thesame instructions as the 18-memberzombie patrol. The PCs will hear themapproach if the PCs are being reasona-bly quiet.

Zombie monsters (5): AC 6; MV9�; HD 6; hp 45,40,2@30,22; # AT 1;Dmg 4d46; AL N; Size L; XP 348 each.

5. Vapor rats. These rats, drawnhere out of curiosity because of thelarge number of rats in the sewer, willnot attack the PCs unless first attackedor cornered.

Vapor rats (8): AC 6 (or special);

6. Crystal ooze. This creature is anewcomer to the sewer system. It has nothad much luck finding food, as the othercreatures in the sewer have been doing agood job keeping the sewer clean ofbodies and debris. However, it has man-aged to eat a few of Jeremiah�s zombies.Jeremiah is unaware of its presence.

Crystal ooze: AC 8; MV 1�/3�; HD4; hp 17; # AT 4d4; SA paralysis; SDimmune to heat� cold� fire. Weaponsdo 1 hp per blow; AL N; Size M; XP193.

Lesser VampiresTo use the word �lesser� in regard toany vampire is a misnomer, but the typi-cal vampire begins as a luckless mortalwho falls prey to one of these creaturesof the opposite sex. It is through theoriginal vampire�s feeding off the bloodof the host that this process takes place,with the host creature losing one expe-rience level per feeding until death.Within 24 hours after burial, the hostthen arises as a vampire under the con-trol of its original slayer, remainingunder its dominion until the slayer isitself somehow destroyed.

The Appearance ofVampiresUnlike other sorts of undead, who existmostly on the Negative Material Plane,vampires retain much of their originalappearance. What physical changes dooccur tend to be limited to a chalkinessin complexion and a penetrating,unnerving stare. Vampires in humanform avoid armor, and in most caseswill be attired in the shrouds or cloth-ing in which they were buried.

Of course, vampires are not alwaysmet in human form. These monstersmay assume canine (usually wolfen)form or that of a large bat. A poly-morphed vampire differs from a nor-mal animal whose form it has assumedby being exceptionally large and havingburning eyes.

The Vampire�s LairOne consistent factor in all lairs of vam-pires is that they are set within a localethat is difficult and time-consuming tosearch out. The creature is well awarethat its need to rest during the hours ofdaylight is its Achilles� heel, and it

always takes steps to make the discov-ery of any of its resting places as diffi-cult as possible for pursuers.

About the general vicinity of the lairthe vampire will have a number oflesser guardians to protect it. This canrange from something as simple as apack of wolves or rats, to one or morecharmed helpers to mislead the unwaryinto going the wrong direction in theirquest for the vampire�s coffin(s). Theselesser animal guardians need not belimited to the two creatures mentioned,for certainly in locales where wolvesand rats are not commonplace the vam-pire may employ other sorts of crea-tures. In all cases, such guardians willbe non-benign-snakes, scorpions, hor-nets, or other similar things.

Charmed creatures near the lair willalways act in the vampire�s best inter-ests, willingly sacrificing themselves toprotect their master if necessary. Ifdeliberately employed as spies or assas-sins, they may even join up with a partyof adventurers who �rescue� themfrom a dungeon-turning upon theircomrades at a critical time.

Attack Forms and SpecialAbilitiesThe most deadly attack form of thevampire is its energy-draining touch,which the creature employs with thebenefits to hit and damage imparted byits exceptional strength. This ghastlytouch operates in much the same man-ner as a ghost�s.

An opponent slain through physicalmelee with a vampire does not becomeundead through this process. Rather,the creature�s soul and vital lifeessences are destroyed and no resur-rection is then possible, notwithstand-ing wish or similar magics.

It is perhaps a psychological weak-ness of vampires that fighter-classundead of this type often resort to theuse of melee weapons, with applicablestrength and/or specialist bonuses, toshow their contempt for living counter-parts.

As is well known, vampires may pro-

ject a powerful charm through theireyes. The range for this is 20�, and it ismost frequently employed againstmembers of the opposite sex.

The charm certainly may be usedagainst those of the same sex and lastsindefinitely in either case. As an alter-nate usage, when the monster desiresto remain inconspicuous, a creaturemaking eye-contact with the vampire issubject to a suggestion spell.

Among the most useful of the crea-ture�s abilities is that of assuming gas-eous form. When in this form, thevampire resembles a cloud grey smokeand may travel at a 10" movement rateunder doorways and through cracksand holes within masonry. In gaseousform, the creature is immune to alldamage-causing spells save magic mis-sile or other spells similar in nature.

Due to its undead status, vampirescannot be harmed by poison, or charm,sleep, and hold-type magics.

The ability of the creature to regener-ate 3 hit points per melee round is effec-tive against all sorts of damage exceptthat caused by holy water fashioned bya good-aligned cleric (the rate of regen-eration vs. this damage is 1 point/fullturn).

It is untrue that a vampire mustalways rest within its coffin during day-light hours. If deep underground andwell away from the sun, a vampire mayfunction if necessary, although it loses½ its hit points for each day it does notrest. The vampire may not under anycircumstances go more than three dayswithout rest. And should it be foughtand reduced to 0 hit points while day-light remains, it will not turn gaseousand is subject to final destructionthrough a stake in the heart.

Dealing With VampiresThe creature exists solely for its ownbenefit. And while it lacks the hatredsome other undead feel toward the liv-ing, it certainly views living characterswith contempt, not unjustifiably believ-ing itself to be superior. Yet vampiresare known to work occasionally in con-

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cert with Evil forces for mutual gain.When a party of adventurers is

forced into a confrontation with a vam-pire, their ultimate goal must be findingits resting place and driving a stakethrough the vampire�s heart.

Tools effective against the vampireinclude:

Garlic. This causes the vampire tomake a save vs. spell in order to attacksomeone either wearing or presentingit.

Mirrors. Vampires try to avoidbeing between a mirror and a target.The effect is to make the monster hesi-tate 1d4 rounds before attacking.

Neutral holy symbols. Theselikewise result in the vampire�s hesitat-ing 1d4 rounds while it mustersstrength to attack the possessors.

Good holy symbols. Such objects,especially the cross, are an absolutedefense against the creature, forcing itto turn away if boldly presented. Theirprotection is lost should the vampire besubsequently attacked by the bearer.

DMing VampiresVampires should be played as the pow-erful and intelligent creatures that theyare. Their contempt for lesser livingbeings provides opportunities foractive roleplaying between the monsterand the characters, for a vampirewould enjoy few things more thantaunting its pursuers verbally-andleading them into a number of trapsand tricks as well.

The fact that vampires �cannot� crossbodies of running water is true only tothe extent that they cannot movethrough such terrain. They certainlymay cross over by means of spell, boat,or magic items such as a ring of waterwalking.

Ultimately, the vampire�s motives willbe to survive, and so it should never by�easy� for a group of adventurers tolocate and slay the creature in its lair.Certainly, though, the ego of the mon-ster is such that while it leads its pursu-ers on a merry chase before itsintended escape, it might well place

itself in a position where it could bedefeated by a fast-thinking group ofopponents.

Greater VampiresIt is from the life-draining kiss of thesuccubus that greater vampires areborn. A major difference betweenthese and lesser vampires is that thecreature may exist safely in daylight,although it possesses no special abilitiesother than spell immunity common toall vampires, and its great strength (18/00). During the hours of darkness, how-ever, the creature is every bit as deadlyas its lesser counterpart. And the fact itis mobile during daylight hours makesit that much more so.

The Appearance ofGreater VampiresThese creatures look no different fromlesser vampires. Their greater freedomof activity and weakness during thedaylight, however, may result in theirbeing more prone to wearing variousoutfits and armor.

The Lair of GreaterVampiresGreater mobility makes this monster�slair all the more difficult to locate.Because the vampire may look no dif-ferent from any other citizen, the loca-tion of its resting place can be hiddenalmost anywhere, with guardians oftentotally unaware of their master�s truenature.

Attack Forms and SpecialAbilitiesThese creatures possess all the regularattack forms and abilities of lesser vam-pires. In addition, their gaze weaponalso may be employed as a hold personspell.

Another talent they may employ is tosummon minor demons to serve themfor up to 24 hours. This only may beattempted during the hours of dark-ness, obviously, and the monster has a

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40% chance of successfully summoninga Type 1 demon, and a 20% chance ofsummoning a Type 2 demon.

These monsters are turned by clericsas specials.

Dealing With GreaterVampiresDuring the hours of darkness, thegreater vampire may be handled inmuch the same fashion as any lesservampire.

An important difference is that themonster is entirely immune to all lessercharms. Even good holy symbols affectthe creature only if it fails a save vs.spell.

During the hours of daylight, themonster is far more limited. If caughtand battled at that time, it may be slainmuch more easily and will not turn gas-eous upon reaching 0 hit points. A stakethrough the heart still is required toassure its end.

DMing Greater VampiresGreater vampires are far more deadlythan their lesser counterparts. Inalmost every case, the creature willadopt the persona of a normal citizen,frequently wealthy, and will do itsutmost to keep its true nature a secret,often moving on to a new locale aftergarnering a few victims. It needs rest ina coffin filled with earth from where itdied only if reduced to 0 hit points andgaseous form.

Should this be impossible, the vam-pire will die with the coming of dawn.

AC 0; MV 12�/18�; HD 10; # AT 1;Dmg 2d6; SA energy drain; SD +1 orbetter weapon need to hit; AL CE;XP 5000 + 10 per hit point.

GHOSTSTerrain: City outskirts or countrysideParty Levels: 42 (average 7th)Magic X.P.: 1450Treasure X.P.: 4775Monster X.P.:

Kill: 8949 Defeat: 6711Retreat: 2237

5. Entryway

Setupl A year or so ago, Hieronymous Bos-

co, a powerful wizard dwelling outsidethe port of Ravens Bluff, died a victim,some say, of his unholy experiments.Rumors abound in the city that hisabandoned manor is filled with trea-sure and artifacts collected over theyears.l After a bit too much bragging, one

of the PCs has been goaded into accept-ing a dare that he and his friends willspend the night of a full moon withinthe deserted estate of Hinton Ampner, ahaunted mansion shunned by local citydwellers-or forfeit an item of greatpersonal value.l Night falls, and with it comes a

driving rainstorm. In the distance, nes-tled by a crossroads miles fromnowhere, a dark and brooding mansionlooms up, offering shelter from the ele-ments. For a moment, a feeble lightshines forth from a tower window, pos-sibly illuminating a face staring down.Then all is dark.

The MansionFrom the outside, the mansion can beseen to be a three-story structure witha single round tower at its southeastcorner one additional story in height.Stained glass windows are set intomany of the manor�s outer walls, withfrescoes and statuary of gargoyles andother such nether creatures burstingforth from the manor�s many gablesand ramparts.

Entry may obviously be gainedthrough direct approach up the frontstairs, or more discreetly through thegates of an inner courtyard to thesouthwest.

1. Main EntryFronted by two statues of laughing gar-goyles set at the base of its railings, astone stairway leads up to a porch anddouble doors. Here a pair of brassknockers in the form of lions� heads areset into the stout, black oak portals, andcursory examination of the handles willreveal the doors apparently areunlocked. If the knocker is used, a hol-low reverberation will echo from with-in, and the doors will slowly creak openof their own accord. They otherwisewill prove to be oddly unyielding,resisting any attempts to be forced,short of a knock spell. Upon the group�sabandoning the idea and turning away,however, the doors will swing open oftheir own accord, daring the brave toenter.

2. GatewayTwo wrought iron gates, 8� in height,are chained closed with a rusty pad-lock. On the other side, an outbuildingand a cobblestone courtyard are visi-ble.

3. StablesLong before the wizard acquired andmodified the mansion, these stableshoused riding and draft beasts. Stallsfilled with rotted hay now line most ofthe barn to the south, whilst a forge andsmithing equipment is set to the north.When the adventurers enter, they willhear a light scampering in the raftersabove, the home now of a few rats.

4. CourtyardScratches and scuff marks on the cob-blestone courtway suggest it has beenheavily used by horses. To the north-east is the mansion�s well, where an oldbucket hangs from a frayed hemp rope.If the shaft is explored, a passage will bediscovered a few feet above the waterleading to a 10' x 10� room holding anempty coffin.

Beyond the front doors lies a long hall-way with a large chandelier hangingjust inside, cobwebs covering its manycrystal facets. As the last PC passes nearit, the rope holding the chandelier willsuddenly part, causing the character tosave vs. dragon breath or suffer 2d6points of crushing damage.

Along the east and west walls hang afew valueless paintings of nondescriptsubjects, and at both ends of the northwall stand two sets of decorative platearmor.

6. Guard StairwayWith a groan, the twin doors of the out-er hallway will open to reveal a magnifi-cent stairway of pink and white marbleleading up to the second story. A web-covered grandfather clock, its handsstopped at 12:00, stands against theopposite wall. If examined, the clock�smovement will be found to be broken.If the PCs move to the east, however,the clock will chime 13 times, a warningof danger from Lady Samantha, a lesserghost from the manor�s third story.

7. Cloak RoomThis cubicle once held the cloaks andfurs of visiting nobles. Now, only a sim-ple black body cloak hangs from a wallpeg. If it is examined, within a pocketwill be found an iron skeleton key thatwill unlock the laboratory door (Room31).

8. LibraryBookcases line the southern walls ofthis teak-paneled room, while an emptydesk sits to the north beneath a coat ofarms. A character with heraldry skillswill note the crest belonged to a noblefamily which fell into financial difficul-ties a few years ago and faded away.

Many books (total value 2,500 gp)dealing with history and magical sub-jects line the shelves of the bookcases. Ifthe tomes are used in spell research,they will aid in the creation of necro-

50

mantic spells up to the fourth level ofpower.

Long ago, one of the wizard�s youngapprentices was fetching a book froman upper shelf when it slipped from hisgrasp and fell to the floor. His enragedmaster beat the boy mercilessly, caus-ing his death. The lad�s spirit nowhaunts this room in the form of a pol-tergeist.

Poltergeist (1): AC 10; MV 6�; HD0; hp 2; # AT nil; Dmg nil; SA fear; SDinvisibility, silver or magic weaponneeded to hit; AL LE; XP 36.

The boy�s angry spirit, now bound tothe room in which he died, will toss abook at a random PC, causing the char-acter to save vs. fear or flee the room ifstruck. Others may attack the invisibleforce at a -4 penalty to hit, or clericsmay deal with it in the usual manner.

9. Secret StairwayThis hidden stairway to the chapel onthe third floor is reached through aswiveling bookcase in the southeastcorner of the previous room. Cobwebsfilled with harmless spiders choke thepassage upward, and those mountingthe creaky wooden stairs will be awarethere is little if any potential of gainingsurprise on any hidden foes.

10. Ladies� Sitting RoomUpon the opening of its brass-handleddoors, the sound of a softly babblingbrook will be heard from within. Onceused by a former mistress of the houseas an after-dinner gathering place forwomen of refinement, this large cham-ber is pleasantly decorated with paint-ings and tapestries depicting attractivefloral settings and themes. Dainty furni-ture, including couches, chairs, andtables, are set throughout the room,which is hauntingly illuminated byshafts of silver moonlight penetratingthrough the turret�s stained glass win-dows. It is here in the area of the win-dows, which offer a pleasant panorama

51

of a woodland scene, that a permanentaudible glamer spell has been placed.The sounds heard by the party are aresult of the spell, reminding visitors ofthe great outdoors.

A marble fireplace, long unused, is inthe southwest corner of the room witha coat of arms identical to the set in thelibrary sculpted into it. A cabinet to thenortheast will be found to contain a finetea service, hand-painted with floralgarnishings (value 70 gp).

11. KitchenMeals were once prepared here, andtwo ovens stand in the southwest cor-ner of the room. Various sorts of cut-lery and dinner services are on theshelves, along with a few rats.

12. PantryNo longer stocked with food, this cubi-cle has become the domain of a fewmice.

13. Dining RoomDominating this chamber is a hugemahogany table with a brass candle-holder placed at the center. Dust nowcovers several quality dinner services(total value 250 gp) and 10 chairs ring-ing the table.

The most unusual facet of this room,however, is a full-length portrait of thewizard attired in a black robe and leer-ing down from its gilded frame at thoseentering this chamber. It hangs above afireplace to the east, and while it is asimple artist�s trick to make the eyes ofa subject appear to follow one about theroom, this portrait is unique in that theentire face of the wizard seems to turnwith the movement of observers, keep-ing them ever in his sight. If closelyexamined, the signature of Dreamspin-ner, a famous local artist known forfashioning magical paintings, will befound in the lower right-hand corner.Because of its intimidating theme, thepainting has a value of but 50 gp.

14. Carriage HouseIn the northwest corner of this barnstands a fine carriage of black, withlamps and trim of silver and gold.Although retaining the crest of the orig-inal owners on its glass-paned doors,the wizard had it altered somewhat toconform to his own tastes. The result�skull-shaped lamps, and the like-givesthe carriage a hearse-like appearance.Four to six draft horses are needed tohaul the carriage about, but a price of1,500 gp could be obtained for it.

The heavy carriage was deliberatelyleft in this corner to protect an ironspike hammered into the ground. It washere in this corner that the wizard,once servant to the family who built themansion, arranged for an �accident� tobefall the family patriarch upon learn-ing the man intended to denounce himas a practitioner of the black arts. Arope tied to the rafters, which held aheavy set of wagon wheels, was cut,causing the wheels to fall and crushtheir victim. Although buried in thefamily crypts within the house, the oldman�s spirit remained here, seekingrevenge, until a cleric was paid to lay itto rest, pinning the spirit in the groundwith the spike. Should that spike beremoved, the man�s haunt will bereleased.

Haunt (1): AC 0; MV 6�; HD 5; hp20; # AT 1; Dmg special; SA posses-sion; SD nil; AL NG; XP 265.

The haunt, a former fighter, will seekto attack and possess a member of thefighter class if at all possible, thereafterusing the host to enter the secret stair-way (9) and ascend to the chapel on thethird floor, where it will acquire for theparty a weapon helpful against the wiz-ard�s ghost.

Someone possessed by the haunt willsuffer no lasting effects, but will beunable to communicate or take his orher own initiative until the creatureleaves upon gaining the sword in thechapel crypt.

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15. Stableman's QuartersThis room holds only a small woodenbed and a closet in which there is a pairof old boots encrusted with mud.

16. Overseer�s QuartersIn addition to a bed and empty closet, adesk sits in the northwest corner of theroom. If searched, ledgers illustratingthe monthly household budget will bediscovered in a drawer along with aninkwell and pen.

17. Workers� QuartersTwelve bunks and as many empty lock-ers will be found here.

18. Maidservants' QuartersEight beds and lockers along with asmall table will be found in this room.

19. Smoking RoomOnce used by the master of the estate asa room to entertain fellow noblemenafter dinner, cabinets against the south-ern wall hold a fine selection of liqueursand not-so-fresh tobaccos. Since themaster was proud of his huntingexploits, quite a number of stuffedheads, ranging from deer to an owlbear, hang on the walls of this rusticchamber, paneled in oak and cedar.Stained glass windows in the northeastwall show a hunting panorama, whileabove a fireplace to the west hangs afine large crossbow (value 300 gp),inlaid with the silver filigree crest of thefamily. Although non-magical, thecrossbow�s fine workmanship is suchthat it grants a bonus of +1 to damagerolls.

Another selection of crossbows,bows, and spears is arranged on thewestern wall, and should the groupexplore the room, a spear will launchitself at a random character, striking tohit as a 5 HD monster.

20. Secret StairwayBehind a sliding panel in the diningroom, stairs eventually climb to alocked room on the second floor. As theadventurers step forward, a low moan-ing backed by the sounds of rattlingchains and heavy footfalls will be heardapproaching from above. The noiseswill continue until reaching the land-ing. They will then stop, not to be heardagain.

If the stairs are ascended, a door willbe found on the second floor. The door,which leads to the wizard�s laboratory,is wizard locked, but a character withthe skeleton key from the cloakroom (7)may open it.

21. Landing and GableThose ascending the grand staircasewill emerge at a showcase point of themanor, for here, set into two archeswithin a gable to the south, are a set ofstained glass windows proudly display-ing from floor to ceiling the crests ofboth the former lord and lady of themanor. Thick, dust-covered marooncarpeting decorated with golden pea-cocks is upon the floor, and two sets ofdouble doors will be noticed in thenorthern wall. As the doors areapproached, the noises of organ music,laughter, and merriment will be heardcoming from the other side.

22. BallroomThe sounds will instantly die as the por-tals are opened to reveal an oak-flooredballroom. Cobwebs now lace the ceilingbetween six sets of unlit chandeliers,and a thick layer of dust upon the floorreveals the tracks of a few rats andmice. Stairs up to the third level will beobserved in the northern wall, alongwith a set of double doors which lead tothe west wing.

A huge pipe organ and bench standagainst the eastern wall, covered, likeeverything else, in dust and cobwebs.Those drawing near to it will note afaint flapping noise coming from deepwithin the mahogany shell of the organ,

Air elemental (1): AC 2; MV 36�;HD 8; hp 40; # AT 1; Dmg 2d10; SAwhirlwind; SD +2 or better weaponneeded to hit; AL N; XP 3�450.

which will radiate magic if checked.Bound into a magic canvas bag withinthe organ is its source of power:

If the upper lid of the organ is priedloose, the bag will be observed flappingabout within the large recess it occu-pies. Should the bag be disturbed by asharp object, it must save vs. normalblow or part, releasing the elemental.

A similar danger exists if a characteruntrained in the use of keyboards fid-dles with the organ�s dozens of keys andtabs, misusing the instrument. If thishappens, there is a 10% chance eachround that the neck of the bag will partfrom the pipe conduits, allowing theelemental to escape and attack.

A check of the bench compartmentwill reveal a few score sheets of com-mon tunes.

23. Music RoomCheerfully paneled in white and gold,this large chamber holds several chairs,couches, and a variety of musicalinstruments including a set of bagpipes,a mandolin, three lutes, a guitar, a harp,a zither, a virginal, and a large harpsi-chord.

This room was once a favorite ofLady Samantha, daughter of the lord ofthe manor, and target of the wizard�sunwanted affections. Her spirit oftenspends much time here, and the firstcharacter through the door will feel aslight wafting of air brush past him.Because of the distance between thisroom and the chamber in which shedied, Lady Samantha cannot form orotherwise make known to the adven-turers the fact that she and the otherspirits on the grounds are bound to themanor while the wizard�s ghostremains. In an attempt to gain thegroup�s attention, though, she will for10 rounds manage to possess her harp-sichord, sharply rapping the keys

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thrice. If anyone takes the cue and asksquestions, she will respond by rappingonce for yes and twice for no until 10rounds have passed. She knows allabout the manor and the various spiritsinhabiting it, as well as the fact that asword may be found in the chapel cryptof her father which can help slay thewizard�s ghost.

24-27. Guest RoomsLarge brass beds will be found withinthese chambers along with an emptywardrobe holding a copper bed warm-er.

28. Guest RoomWhile a duplicate of the former room,leaves and debris lie about the floorhere, blown in from an open window inthe northern wall. On the door�s beingopened, a fluttering will be heard as thechamber�s sole occupant becomesaware of intrusion into its lair:

Gryph (1): AC 6; MV 21"; HD 2; hp10; # AT 1; Dmg 2d6; AL NE; XP 48.

The six-legged bird is lairing in its emp-ty nest in the ceiling rafters.

29. Guest Room

Heavy throw rugs and tapestriesimported from Tethyr decorate thewalls and ceilings of this chamber, alongwith a small brass bed, a wardrobe, anoverstuffed chair with ottoman, and awriting table.

30. Linen ClosetInside here are a few quilts and otherbedding.

31. LaboratoryIt is here, within his old laboratory, thatthe wizard�s ghost spends much of itstime, and it will certainly take steps toprotect its lair from intruders. Aware ofthe group�s movements about themanor, the ghost will treat thoseascending from the dining room to the

sounds of its moving down the stairs tomeet them. The sounds of its rattlingchains will cease midway down as theghost de-materializes and floatsthrough the walls, circling around toattack the group from behind if theyenter its lair.

As mentioned, the door to the labora-tory is wizard-locked (at the 13th level),but a character with the skeleton keyfrom the cloak room may neutralize thespell by using it. Inside, tables filledwith beakers, braziers, tongs, and oth-er assorted alchemical supplies will befound. Shelving holds vials of glass andcrystal, many of which are filled withdifferent sorts of powders, and ahuman skeleton is hanging from a hookon the ceiling in the northwest corner.Near a set of stairs leading to the thirdlevel in the southern portion of thechamber, a circle of conjuration will beseen. A small shelf in the wall above itholds several tomes dealing with someof the darker aspects of necromancy.(Good-aligned characters who are ableto and fail to destroy the books will lose500 experience points. The tomes oth-erwise will gain a magic-user skilled innecromancy a like amount of experi-ence if they are closely studied.)

Upon the party�s incursion into thisroom, the wizard�s ghost will material-ize behind the party and attack.

Ghost (1): AC 0/8; MV 9�; HD 10; hp60; # AT 1; Dmg 1d4x10 years; SAmagic jar� fear; SD silver or magicweapon needed to hit; AL LE; XP4�090.

The creature barely resembles itsformer self, with transparent featuresnow twisted and distorted. About itsbody are wrapped heavy chains, whichbespeak of the wickedness of the wiz-ard in life.

The ghost will seek to magic jar amagic-user if one is present, thereafterutilizing its host�s spells against the par-ty. If this is unsuccessful or impossible,the creature will materialize to physi-cally attack, departing through the roof

if it sustains over 20 points of damage.Attacks upon the host will not harm

the ghost, but the creature will depart ifthe magic-user is slain or otherwise pre-vented from casting spells.

32. Chapel

The original owners of the manor weregood people with a great respect fortheir faith. Here, on the uppermost sto-ry of the house, they had a small chapelconstructed and overseen by BrotherFrederick, a just and honorable cleric ofTorm. Always an opponent of the wiz-ard, it was Brother Frederick who firstsuggested to the lord of the estate thatthe mage was dabbling in forbiddenarts. In the south gable, a stained-glasspanorama of the world�s creation maybe viewed, and a few feet in front of it isa dusty altar. Four wooden pews rest inthe center of the chamber, and set with-in an alcove in the northeast wallbehind them is a 8� statue of Torm. Tothe statue�s left, a doorway permitsentrance to the quarters of Brother Fre-derick, and a set of double doors to thestatue�s right once allowed exit to theouter hallways; now they are boardedup and blocked off on the other side.Lastly, a small crypt area lies within thenorthwest wall of the chapel. Threeplaques list those whose remains liewithin, and a fourth is empty. The firstholds the body of the mistress of themanor, and is engraved:

�Dame Paige Hinton�Beloved wife and mother�Next is her husband�s crypt, that of

Sir John Ampner. The plaque has irrev-erently been stone-shaped with a rudeinscription by the callous wizard, andnow has an added line:

�Here lies John�We�re rather glad he�s gone�It is toward this crypt that Sir John�s

haunt will head if it has the opportuni-ty, prying loose the plaque to unearthhis remains. The character possessedby the haunt will then reach in and pullout the lord�s broadsword, and the spir-it will thereafter depart the body, float-ing down through the flooring.

The sword is a flametongue, whosepowers may be activated by utteranceof the word �Flicker� engraved on theblade.

Brother Fredericks resting place islast and has its own caustic epitaph:

�Here lies Fred�He�s better off dead�It was after successfully arranging

the murder of Sir John while BrotherFrederick was away on retreat that thewizard next schemed to remove the lastbarrier between himself and LadySamantha. The cleric in fact fell prey tothe wizard here in his own sanctuary,and there is much psychic energy left inthe area.

Those entering the chapel face twopossible visions of the priest�s lastmoments. Should the party start toenter the chapel without the presenceof the haunt, a brown-robed figure willsuddenly press beyond the rearmostcharacters, passing through those in itsway as it heads toward the altar. Allviewing it, save those immune to fear,must save vs. spell at -2 or be affectedby the equivalent of a fear spell. This isthe phantom (see MONSTER MANUALII) of Brother Frederick, and it willapproach the altar, where a dark manawaits. The figure, bathed like the cler-ic in a feral light, will be noted to be thesame man in the portrait in the lowerdining room. Silently, the two willargue, with the discourse becomingmore heated as time progresses. Sud-denly from the darkness of the ceilingrafters, three shadows will descendupon and attack the priest, and the wiz-ard will let fly magic missiles. A brightflash will then occur, and the scene willbe gone. A character who enters withthe haunt will, upon retrieval of thesword, note the light in the chamber.They may then turn and observe thelast moments of the argument and thecleric�s end.

33. Living QuartersBrother Frederick�s simple chambersare here, containing a bed, wash table,and a few old robes hanging from wall

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pegs. A doorway once leading to theouter hallway has likewise been board-ed up from the other side.

34. Vestry and LibraryHere, a few ceremonial robes hangwithin a wardrobe, and a number ofbookshelves hold religious writings. Asmall writing table and stool stand in analcove to the south. Upon it rest a fewleaves of parchment and a dried bottleof ink holding an old quill.

35. Alchemical StoreroomThis room contains miscellaneous sup-plies for the laboratory below. A non-magical cloak also hangs upon a peg onthe eastern wall.

36. Lady Samantha�s CellAfter the demise of those who stood inhis way, it took little time for the domi-neering wizard to gain control of theestate, assuming its debts and using hisown fortune to support its upkeep.Despised by Lady Samantha, whospurned his offer to remain mistress ofthe estate if she would submit to him,the mage finally locked the damsel inthis tower room until such time as shewould change her mind. Resistant tothe end, she eventually starved to deathhere. Past the locked door, spartan liv-ing quarters will be discovered, withonly a few sticks of furniture. A skele-ton clad in a long satin dress, LadySamantha�s remains, lies in a corner,cruelly left here to molder.

Because it was here within this roomthat she died, Lady Samantha is able tomaterialize and attempt communica-tion. Those who enter will catch sightof a transparent form coalescing overthe body, and it will be obvious to allthat this must indeed be the spirit ofwhomever�s body lies upon the flag-stones. In spirit form she still retains allof her grace and beauty, but upon herface is a look of great sorrow. Pleading-ly, she will stretch out a hand (prefera-bly toward a female PC), indicating forsomeone to grasp it.

Lesser ghost (1): AC 3; MV 18�;HD; hp 16; # AT 0; Dmg nil; SD sil-ver or magic weapon needed to hit;AL LG; XP 260.

Should the offer be taken, the spiritwill disappear, temporarily possessingthe body of whomever took her hand.The host�s mouth will then open, andLady Samantha�s voice will urge theadventurers to slay the wizard�s ghost,explaining that he is responsible for themany deaths of those who once dwelledhere, and that the spirits on thegrounds cannot rest until then. She willgo on to mention that the wizard�s ghostspends most of its time in his laboratorybelow or in his bed chamber above, andif it is not in sight, she will urge the PCsfetch the sword from her father�s cryptto aid in the ghost�s slaying. Lastly, shewill request the adventurers, uponcompletion of their quest, inter her inthe empty vault in the chapel. She oth-erwise will be able to answer any of thegroup�s questions for up to three addi-tional rounds before departing the hostand fading to nothingness.

If no one grasps her hand, she willturn away, silently weeping, and fadeaway into a corner. If attacked, she willseek to dematerialize and escapethrough the floor.

Should the chamber be searched,each character has a 25% chance of not-ing a golden ring lying in a dusty cornerof the room. The ring, delicately sculpt-ed with tiny flowers and hum-mingbirds, will radiate magic ifchecked. It was a gift from Hierony-mous Bosco which Lady Samanthathrew away. The only thing magicalabout the ring is that it has beenenchanted to a great hardness despiteits apparent fragility (consider it to havea saving throw of 2 vs. all effects, with avalue of 50 gp).

37. StairwayThrough this door, a web-filled stair-way winds upward into the tower.

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38. BedroomA large gable affords an excellent viewof the surrounding countrysidethrough its three teak-framed windowsto the south of this chamber. In the weststands a cherry wardrobe filled withmoth-eaten men�s and women�s cloth-ing, and against the northern wall is anebony dressing table holding a numberof crusty bottles of makeup and a fewpieces of jewelry (value 75 gp). Lastly, adouble canopied bed with a red satincomforter stands in an alcove to theeast.

This chamber was once occupied bythe lord and lady of the manor duringhappier times. When the lady died ofnatural causes and was laid to rest inthe chapel, Lady Samantha�s fatherkept the room unchanged until his owndeath a few months later.

39. BathThis room is tiled in marble and con-tains a large brass bathtub to the south.Shelving holds a few towels along witha selection of bath salts.

40. StudyThis cheerful room was obviously astudy, although its bookcases holditems of more interest to a younger per-son than a serious scholar. A deskstands before a window seat overlook-ing the courtyard, and should it besearched, an abacus will be found alongwith a few sheets of less-than-accuratemath work.

41. BedroomAs the adventurers draw near the doorof this room, the tinkling strains of amusic box will be detected coming fromwithin. This was Lady Samantha�schamber, which the group will noticehas a markedly feminine look to it, withfrilly furniture and soft carpeting. Abed with a white canopy from whichhang rows of silvery tassels rests in theeastern alcove. A dressing table andmirror stand against the southern wall,

next to a wardrobe filled to capacitywith various gowns of lace and satin,along with dozens of pairs of shoes.Next to windows in the western wall isa wicker luncheon table and fourchairs, two of which are occupied byvery old dolls. An open music box restsupon the center of the table. If LadySamantha hasn�t yet been encountered,a random character entering the roomwill feel a rush of air with her spirit�spassing.

42. Linen closet.Inside here will be discovered a few

sets of normal linens.

43. BedroomThis was once the bed chamber of LadySamantha�s tutor. In later times,though, she was dismissed andreplaced by an apprentice of the wiz-ard. Now, only a pair of beds and anempty wardrobe remain.

44. BedroomThree upstairs maids were once quar-tered here until their� dismissal byHieronymous. The room then fell intodisuse and is now filled with a few box-es of rubbish.

45. BedroomThis chamber was last occupied by thewizard�s chief apprentice. And it is per-haps fitting that the mage met his ownduplicitous end through the hand of hisequally ambitious apprentice. Remain-ing in the room are a brass bed in thenorthern alcove, an empty wardrobe tothe northwest, and a few bookcases tothe south. A desk filled with a fewleaves of parchment and old inkwellsstands against the eastern wall.

46. Wizard�s RoomThe dust-covered steps from below willsoon emerge into the tower�s upper-most level. Once filled with the tools ofthe wizard�s trade, the entire chamberwill be observed to have suffered thor-

ough ravaging and searching. Shelvesonce holding beakers of unknown com-ponents have been emptied, with muchof their contents dumped onto thefloor. Beneath an empty bookshelf tothe south, the drawers of a large desklie carelessly overturned on theground, their papers trodden on insomeone�s haste to quickly seize anygoods of value.

The wizard�s web-covered and blood-stained bed lies against the northernwall next to an empty wardrobe. Stilllying upon the floor, where it fell fromhis grasp, is the goblet once holding thepoisoned wine that was his undoing.

Even as his master convulsed in ago-ny, his ambitious chief apprenticeentered the room and plunged a daggerinto his heart, ending the wizard�s life.Wasting no time, the mage then ran-sacked the chamber and packed awayhis teacher�s valuables. He then madegood his escape from the grounds, leav-ing it for a frightened servant to discov-er the dead wizard the next morning.

With Hieronymous� demise, the manorimmediately became taken over by thedead. The frightened servants stayed justlong enough to inform the local authori-ties of the wizard�s death before leavingthe estate to whatever was responsiblefor the unearthly noises that began bythe next night, and in no time, the areabecame shunned by all.

Lady Samantha�s fate was neverknown, the tale being spread earlier bythe wizard that she had sold the manorto him and departed for other lands.Thus, the true depth of his depravitywas never ascertained.

Angered at his unplanned end andthe group�s penetration of his chamber,the ghost, if not already slain, will mate-rialize from the stairway behind thegroup and attempt to magic jar a PCmagic-user as outlined earlier. If unsuc-cessful, it will fight, this time to thedeath.

Creature Notes�Ah! I knew it was here some . . . � Theold halfling, coattails flapping nearly up

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to his head as he lost his footing uponthe bookcase ladder, landed with a thudbehind his desk.

The elf leaned forward and peeredover the desk. �You all right, Desmore?�she asked.

Still clutching the leather-bound tomeas he lay on the floor, the halfling liftedhis powdered wig from the front of hisface, properly replacing it upon hishead. �Yes, quite,� he managed, pushinghis spectacles back up upon the bridgeof his nose. �We Wigheads are a familyused to falling from heights�

He made it to his feet and placed thebook on the desk before her. �In fact myfather once made it almost to the top ofan old pyramid in the desert� he contin-ued. �I should preface that by saying,however, that he found it quite by acci-dent when a camel he had purchased�which I should add was actually theproperty of a certain sheik, who wasrenowned . . .�

�You say this deals adequately withthe subject of ghosts, Desmore?� the elfbroke in, thumbing through the tome.

�What? Oh, yes. It does mention quitea bit about them.�

Delsenora slowly thumbed throughthe yellowed pages of the old work,shaking her head. �Whoever wrote thisobviously was no adventurer, but wasrepeating tales heard from others,� shesighed. �I see a few mistakes about spir-its I�ve observed firsthand in the Grey-cloaks. Still, it looks fundamentallyadequate. How much?�

�Ah, well, for a friend such as you,only 10 golden crowns.�

�Fine.� She reached into her purse,dropping a small pile of golden coinsonto the mahogany desk.

�If I might apologize for prying,� thehalfling said, �why are you so interestedin ghosts? Planning on an adventuresomeplace? Might there be a chance ofsome rare books being found that youwouldn�t want? As you know, I�m everin the market for . . .�

She tucked the book under her arm.�Nothing like that, Desmore,� she said,stopping the halfling before he reallygot going. �I�ve an apprentice planning

to explore the haunted mansion outsideof town, and I wanted to get her somedetailed information about ghosts.�

�Oh. Well, if you want to know aboutghosts, you have come to the rightplace. For instance, the very wordghost has always conjured up the imageof the spirit of a departed individual.Yet, as is well known, there are manydifferent types of spirits, ranging fromthe true ghosts to lesser cousins such ashaunts, poltergeists, etc.

�Now true ghosts almost alwaysbegan as powerful humans who duringlife possessed both an evil dispositionand a powerful will. How exactly such aperson actually does become a ghostremains a mystery, but one recurrentfactor seems to be that their passingfrom life is marked by great anger orhatred.

�Whether or not this ultimatelyresults in the spirit�s being unable torest, or whether the departed �earns� itsstatus as a result of its earthly misdeedsisn�t really known, and perhaps bothlikelihoods are possible. All true ghosts,though, keep the powerful wills theyhad in life, and often they are possessedof a singular purpose-usually revengeon the living. It�s said that this drivingpurpose causes the ghost, even if cha-otic in life, to tend toward an organizedevil to accomplish its particular goals.

�Few things faced by adventurers aremore frightening in appearance thantrue ghosts:� the halfling continued.�Such creatures resemble white-hued,semi-transparent humanoid shapes,often with distorted features revealingthe true awfulness of the soul duringlife. In connection with this, true ghostsmay bear spiritual chains and weights�which some, I might add, believe to be awarning by the gods to the living thatsuch a fate awaits them if they followthe same sort of path as the wretchbefore them was foolish enough to do.Yet I should add some notable sages,such as the renowned Thomas of Cor-myr, who it�s said was a fanatical loverof horses amongst other things,although in my own perusal of hisworks, I tend to think his love or

equines was more or less a hobby. But itis true that he owned one of the fineststables in this part of the . . .�

�You were talking about the appear-ance of ghosts, Desmore�� Delsenoraprompted.

�What? Oh, yes. Just as often, trueghosts may also display a gaping woundor a headless form, illustrating the man-ner of their ultimate demise.

�The visage of a ghost is made evenmore terrifying by the fact that thecreature usually materializes with sur-prise from a wall, floor, ceiling, etc.,which may so startle those who see itthey flee in terror from the area � witha few extra white hairs.

�It�s said that only those clerics whoduring their early years of traininghave received the proper instruction onthe undead are able to stand for certainagainst the sudden horrible sight of atrue ghost and the supernatural awe itinspires. And even battle-hardenedadventurers are known to have foundthe vision so horrible that friends andcomrades have been temporarily aban-doned in their haste to move away fromthe area!�

Delsenora nodded, pondering thehalfling�s words. �I guess a ghost is atougher customer than I thought. Isthere any way to tell if you�re nearingthe heart of a ghost�s lair?�

�As a matter of fact,� the halflinganswered, �the lair of a ghost is alwaysnear the spot at which it died, and thesurroundings invariably betray the factthat the living have long since aban-doned the area. Thus, it cannot be dis-puted that some psychic tie binds therestless spirit to the vicinity of its origi-nal demise.

�True ghosts possess the ability towander about the area without losingany of their powers, and so they canindeed be encountered by happen-stance. Their sojourns are limited, how-ever, to a particular level of a dungeon,or the grounds of a castle or manorthey might be haunting. Naturally,because of their unceasing wanderingand ability to penetrate solid spaces, aghost will have perfect knowledge of

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the dungeon it inhabits.��I�ve seen spectres, and the like � and

I know what they can do, and how theydo it,� Delsenora said. �Does a ghostbehave any differently when it attacksthan other spirits?�

�Well, to some extent� the halflinganswered. �As I mentioned, true ghostshave a singular drive to revenge them-selves upon the living. The most obvi-ous way in which they accomplish thisis by shifting from the Ethereal Planeand fully materializing on the PrimeMaterial Plane to make their dreadedtouch, which draws away the life forceof the ghost�s unlucky mortal opponent,withering and aging him. This horridattack is known to sometimes be such ashock to the system that a non-elf candie from it.

�A more subtle means of allowing theghost to accomplish its goals is throughan attempted magic jarring of a target�usually one of the same profession asthe creature in life. Should this be suc-cessful, the creature may, for instance,utilize the spells of its host against itsenemies. The new shell also permits theghost egress from the area to which it istied. The creature may then wanderforth to continue its plan for revenge.

�When a ghost is in possession of abody, it may speak, but the voice, whichis that of the ghost in life, comes fromdeep inside the victim. Certainly thereis no detectable movement of thetongue or jaws.

�The hapless shell possessed by thecreature retains its hit points. But as theghost takes no steps to obtain nourish-ment, the host weakens progressively,suffering the normal consequencesfrom starvation and dehydration untilthe spirit is forced to abandon it. Thecreature thereafter is free to wanderabout until it finds another prospectivehost to inhabit.�

�Hmm. So a ghost may as likely seekto possess someone as kill him.�

�Yes, indeed. But ghosts may also pos-sess objects to aid them in causing may-hem. Most frequently they limitthemselves to, for example, causing achandelier to fall upon a target below,

or a bookcase to topple over uponsomeone examining it. At other times,the creature may even possess a weap-on such as a crossbow or spear, causingit to strike out at a victim. The durationof such possessions is always veryshort, usually along the line of a fewminutes.

�Adventurers mixing it up with trueghosts certainly have a difficult timeahead of them. The creature�s over-whelming hatred of the living, andurgency to gain revenge, make it anextremely dangerous foe. Negotiationcertainly is something for which thereis little hope, and in almost every case,the choices of those encountering sucha creature are limited to either leavingthe area of the ghost�s lair or fighting it.The creature�s immunity to spells whileon the Ethereal Plane places a heavyburden on party fighters to slay thecreature through close melee, therebyplacing themselves at great risk withrespect to the monster�s touch attack. Auseful defense, however, is the protec-tion from evil spell, which prevents theghost from successfully making its hor-rid touch upon one so protected!�

�You earlier said something about aghost dominating its dead victims. Doyou mean to say a ghost can have otherghosts under its control?�

�Not really. What I was referring toare lesser ghosts. They�re merely rest-less spirits whose passing on to the nextworld is prevented for a number of rea-sons: For instance, the person may havedied with an urgent need to pass on animportant message to someone oraccomplish some sort of unfinishedtask. Thus, it remains on the PrimeMaterial Plane, unable to rest until themessage is delivered or the task com-pleted. In another case, the lesser ghostmay, as true ghosts, be angered over itsbetrayal and murder in life, and thecreature cannot rest until the one whocommitted the crime against it is prop-erly punished.

�A lesser ghost might also, through itsown misbehavior in life, find itselfbound to an unhappy existencebetween worlds until it finds some sort

of way to atone for its deeds. Lastly, therelatively weak spirit might remainunder the domination of a greaterghost, free from obeying it, but tor-mented and unable to rest until thecreature is destroyed.

�Unlike true ghosts, lesser ghostsalways resemble themselves in life,appearing as transparent figures, oftendressed as they were at the time ofdeath or in what they were fond ofwearing prior to that. The visage ofsuch creatures, while possibly unnerv-ing, certainly doesn�t even approachthe horror of that belonging to a trueghost.

�As true ghosts, lesser ghosts likewiseare limited to staying near the area oftheir original demise. They may, how-ever, wander about the general vicinity,although their weakness makes it diffi-cult for them to make their presenceknown. In some rare cases, lesserghosts have been known to be tied toparticular objects � usually somethingit was fond of in life � accompanyingthe object when it is removed else-where.

�During their wanderings, lesserghosts are entirely invisible, for it isonly at the location where they died, orwhere their body lies, that they maybecome visible to the living. Their pres-ence might otherwise be noted througha gentle wafting of air as they pass by,and some individuals seem able to evensense their presence.

�One clue that lesser ghosts are aboutthe area is through encountering cer-tain sounds that are obviously out ofplace to their surroundings. Somehow,perhaps unconsciously, these creaturesproject the sounds that the spiritenjoyed in life. This can range from thesounds of children at play to the merri-ment of balls and dances, to good-natured swordplay. In all cases, suchnoises will be heard coming through awall or closed door � and they willalways cease when the living enter thearea in question, lending credence tothe idea that such phenomena are notconsciously created, but instead occurthrough some natural process while the

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creature�s thoughts wander back tohappier times it once knew.

�Lesser ghosts have no real attackforms, other than perhaps acting in athreatening manner when their lair ispenetrated,� the halfling replied. �Theymay, however, possess objects for up toabout 10 minutes, causing, for example,the chimes of a clock to ring, or a chan-delier to swing oddly, or the strings of amusical instrument to be strummed.Unlike true ghosts, these creatures lackthe strength to actually cause physicalharm through haunting an object, andsuch phenomena are at worstpoltergeist-like.

�Lesser ghosts may for several min-utes possess an individual in order tocommunicate. The host usually mustallow physical contact to be made,although the creature may attempt totouch a target, gaining temporary pos-session of his body if successful. Theduration for such possession is up to 10minutes, after which the ghost willdepart, leaving the host none the worsefor the experience.�

�Hmm. They don�t sound as nearly asnasty as their cousins.�

�No, indeed. It is also much easier todeal with lesser ghosts than theirgreater counterparts. If communica-tion is established, the creature usuallyis more than willing to impart whatmay be done to lay it to rest. It other-wise may be turned as easily as ashadow by clerics, and may be slainwith silver or magical weapons.�

�You�re a fountain of informationtoday, Desmore,� Delsenora said. �Buttell me � why didn�t you mention allthis before I bought the book?�

�You didn�t ask,� the halflinganswered with a grin and a wink, �andI�d have been 10 crowns poorer.�

Other NotesThe statistics for lesser ghosts follows:

AC 3; MV 18�; HD 3; # AT 0; SA nil;SD silver or magic weapon needed tohit� turned as shadows; AL any; XP100 + 10 per hit point.

ORIENTAL SPECTRESTerrain: CastleParty Levels: 45 (Average 9th)Gold X.P.: 20,000 tael, 500 ch�ien (12,500gp)Treasure X.P.: 6,300Monster X.P.:

Kill 11,570 Defeat 8,680Retreat 2,890

Setupl PCs adventuring in Kozakura have

accepted the hospitality of YamashitaObuno at his stronghold in Okane Prov-ince. When family members and retain-ers are mysteriously killed, Lord Obunoasks the PCs for their help in resolvingthe mystery.l A character with ties to the

Shikken of Kozakura finds that he is notsafe in the castle of his host, YamashitaObuno. He is stalked by spectres of thevengeful Tanomitsu clan, the castle�sprevious owners, who were killed bythe PC�s relatives in the Hojo War.

DM�s BackgroundTanomitsu Mitsuro was one of HojoTodahiro�s generals in the Hojo War. Atthe Battle of Norinoshima nine yearsago, Todahiro lost his claim to the sho-gunate. During that conflict, GeneralTanomitsu and his personal retainerswere cut off from the battle by anambush. Hard pressed and unable tocome to Todahiro�s aid, Tanomitsu Mit-suro took his retainers and fled in boatsto the mainland. Closely pursued by thetroops of Yamashita Ichiro, Tanomitsuretreated to his castle in Okane Prov-ince to defend his family there.

Yamashita�s troops swept into thetown of Ezuwara before Tanomitsu hadtime to prepare for their attack. Thegeneral and his retainers made them-selves secure inside Ezuwara Castle,where Yamashita demanded his surren-der. Mitsuro refused.

Yamashita was scornful of the cow-ard�s desertion and had no time to con-duct a long siege. His troops fired thecastle with arrows and watched it burnto the ground, destroying all within.

Ezuwara Castle and the surroundingtown were later given to YamashitaIchiro as a reward for his services to theTakenaka clan during the Hojo War.

Ichiro�s son, Obuno, is jito of Ezuwaraestate. He has had the castle rebuilt andrecently moved in with his family andretainers. In the past two weeks, one fam-ily member and three vassals have myste-riously vanished. Ninja are suspected, butthe disappearances continue in spite ofthe most stringent security.

The SpectresUnbeknownst to the Yamashita clan,there is a secret escape passage in thestone foundation of Ezuwara Castle.Tanomitsu Mitsuro, his kensai daughterIsui, and his shukenja/ninja cousinMasako were fleeing through that pas-sageway as the castle was burning over-head. However, the trio died fromsmoke inhalation before they couldmove free of the castle. Consumed withhatred for the Yamashita clan, andunwilling to let go of their abruptlyshortened lives, the three Tanomitsuhaunt Ezuwara castle as spectres.

This was a normal spectral existenceas long as the castle was in ruins. Butsince it has been rebuilt by the Yamashi-ta, the spectres� anger is stirred. Notonly is their resting place disturbed, butit is now inhabited by their enemies.Mitsuro, the most powerful of thethree, wants to destroy the Yamashitathat inhabit �his� castle. He and hisspectral companions are draining thecastle residents of life one by one, con-verting them to spectres underTanomitsu control. Soon the spectreswill be powerful enough to slay most ofthe Yamashita in Ezuwara Castle.

The entrance to Mitsuro�s escape pas-sage is well concealed in the cellar flag-stones. Besides fighting their forms, thespectres can be destroyed by perform-ing proper clerical ceremonies on theirremains which lie in that passageway(see �Ecology of the Spectre�). Tanomit-su clan treasures are also there,described under �The Passageway,�below.

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PC SetupIf the DM determines that one playercharacter (or more) was related to thewinning side in the Hojo War, then hemay single that person out for attack bythe Tanomitsu spectres as a matter ofpersonal vengeance. In that case, thatadventurer will always be the first tar-get of spectral attacks in the course ofthis scenario. Otherwise, charactersbecome involved simply at the requestof their host, Yamashita Obuno. If PCsvanquish the spectres but do not findthe Tanomitsu treasures, Obuno givesthem a cash reward of 20,000 tael. Ifthey do find the Tanomitsu treasures,Obuno allows them to keep what theyfind and does not reward them withanything else.

The AdventureEzuwara CastlePausing in their journeys, the playercharacters are hosted at Ezuwara Cas-tle, a Yamashita estate under care of jitoYamashita Obuno. Read the following tothe PCs:

Ezuwara Castle stands on a hill over-looking the coast of Okane Province.The town of Ezuwara stretchesbetween the castle and the rockyharbor, home to a sizable fishingfleet that works the waters of theInland Sea. A rustic location with abeautiful ocean vista, Ezuwara wasonce the favored retreat of the pow-erful general, Tanomitsu Mitsuro.The castle was destroyed at the closeof the Hojo War, but has since beenrebuilt by Yamashita Obuno, jito ofthe estate.

Lord Obuno, your host, is asolemn-faced samurai in his mid-30s.He is lame in one leg and moves awk-wardly on foot, but it is commonknowledge that Obuno is a masterfulrider and as skilled a fighter as anyon horseback. He makes you wel-come in his stronghold.

Yamashita Obuno, seventh-level samurai: AC 2; MV 9�; HD 7;hp 56; # AT 1; Dmg 1d10 +1, AL LG;XP 448.

Obuno has a katana +1 and a do-maru +2.

Yamashita Obuno lives at EzuwaraCastle with his wife Suke and infantdaughter, and his 15-year-old cousinMaatsune, fostered to Obuno�s house-hold to learn samurai training.

In the last two weeks, Obuno�s cousin,his guard captain, a cook, and the castlesteward have been murdered. He is dis-turbed and worried about these deaths,but does not yet share this concernwith his guests. Attentive PCs should beable to discern that something is amissat the castle. Servants look furtivelyabout as if on the watch for something,and Obuno�s bushi are grimly serious.The guard is doubled on the castle gateand sentry posts.

If PCs ask direct questions aboutwhat is wrong they�ll receive evasiveanswers. In his own time, at the eve-ning meal, Obuno broaches the subjectand asks for the PCs� help. LordYamashita explains that his cousin,Maatsune, was in the stables, the guardcaptain in his office, the cook and thesteward in the storage cellars whenthey died without a mark on them.Ninja are suspected, but the last death,that of the cook, took place in spite ofincreased security. There have been noclues about what happened or why.Anything the adventurers can to tohelp will be appreciated.

Sentry�s WalkThat night, after dinner, the alarm issounded in the courtyard. As peoplegather to see what is wrong, an oddsight greets their eyes.

On the battlements, faintly visible inthe light of the wind-blown torches, aghostly figure walks the ramparts. Thespirit is transparent, but the cut of itsrobes and the hat it wears are unmis-takably those of the Tanomitsu clan �

the former occupants of Ezuwara Cas-tle. The spirit moves without steppingon the wooden walkway, and drawscloser to a lone bushi, frozen with fearor surprise in a watchtower corner.

Other foot soldiers advance along theramparts, and the one in the leadslashes at the spirit�s back with his hal-berd. The blade passes harmlesslythrough its body � but not unnoticed.The figure turns on the hapless bushi,steps forward through the threateninghalberd, and strikes the man where hestands. With a cry, the bushi collapses,tumbling off the walkway to theground below. Ignoring the otherbushi, whose advance has slowed, thespirit grapples with the man it had cor-nered. He, too, cries out and collapsesto the walkway � but the spirit main-tains its grip. In a moment, a transpar-ent ghost-like form rises from thebushi�s body and follows the first spiritdown the battlement stairs and into thecourtyard.

Tanomitsu Mitsuro (spectre):AC 2; MV 15�/30�; HD 7 + 3; hp 45; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8; SA drains 2 levels pertouch, slain victim becomes halfstrength spectre under spectre�scontrol; SD immune to sleep, charm,hold, cold-based spells, paralyzationor poison, + 1 or better weapons tohit; AL LE; XP 2,100.

A spectre is powerless in daylight,and can be destroyed if a raise deadspell is cast on it (saving throw vs. magicallowed). Holy water inflicts 2d4 hpdamage.

The spectre of Mitsuro has justgained another recruit for his force ofspectres. When the spectres reach thecourtyard, they are intent only onentering the castle and joining the otherspirits beneath the cellar. They head

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directly for the castle wall and vanishthrough it. The attacks of bushi or play-er characters are ignored unless thespectres are struck with magical weap-ons. In that case, Mitsuro looks careful-ly at the PCs fighting with magicalweapons, and flies away with his com-panion, moving at maximum speed. Heand the other spectres will engage PCslater, forewarned about the dangerousweapons.

A speak with dead spell is not likely toget any helpful answers out of the bodyof the bushi who died on the ramparts.In life he knew nothing about the spec-tres.

Information GatheringThe man who fell to the ground is seri-ously injured and reduced to the levelof a first-level bushi, although this dropin level is not yet evident. He reportsthat the spirit�s touch was chilling andcold. By its clothes, the bushi recog-nized the undead figure as the spirit ofa Tanomitsu man in his 50s, but doesnot know who he might be.

In regards to the ghostly clothingworn by the first spirit, it is commonknowledge that many Tanomitsu diedin the flaming ruins of Ezuwara Castle.The place was so devastated that thedead could not be specifically identi-fied. If PCs inquire more closely into thedestruction of the castle, locals can tellthem the information given under�DM�s Background.� If the correct ques-tions are asked, PCs might also be toldthat Lord Mitsuro had Tanomitsu clanheirlooms with him when he enteredEzuwara Castle. These items were theHarmony Sword, a magical blade capa-ble of detecting harmony and magic,and an enchanted war fan whichshielded him from missiles. It is com-mon opinion that the sword and fancould not have survived the ruin of thecastle.

Divination and spells such as com-mune with lesser spirit can pinpoint theidentities of the spectres which hauntthe castle, and might reveal somethingof their plans (i.e., to destroy the

Bushi spectre (1): AC 6; MV 12�/24�; HD 3 + 3; hp 21; # AT 1; Dmg1d4; SA as above; SD as above; ALLE; XP 930.

Yamashita) if the right questions areasked. However, the spectres will nottalk about their earthly remains normention their location unless forced todo so by the questioner. Even then,answers are as evasive as possible.

The shukenja of Ezuwara shrine isAbutsu, an elderly man of sixth level. Ifthe party lacks a cleric or needs theassistance he can offer, Abutsu can helpthe characters.

Half-strength spectres (5 max):AC 6; MV 12�/24�; HD 3 + 3; HP25� 21� 19� 16� 14; Dmg 1d4; SAas given above; SD as given above;AL LE; XP 161 each.

Abutsu (sixth-level shukenja):AC 8; MV 9�; hp 23; # AT 1; Dmg 1d8(tetsubo); AL LG; XP 288.

Spells: cure light wounds� knowhistory� trance� weapon bless� com-mune with lesser spirit� protectionfrom spirits� invisibility to spirits.

Visitation in the NightWhen the PCs retire for the night, oneor more of them are visited by the spec-tre of Tanomitsu Mitsuro.

The spectre moves through the wallsof the castle, thus avoiding guards, andenters the room or rooms occupied byPCs. If a charm of protection from spir-its or similar spell has been installedwhere the PCs are, it is useless againstMitsuro, since the spectre already occu-pies the castle and can enter its individ-ual rooms without difficulty.

If PCs are in more than one room,

Mitsuro approaches the character stay-ing in the most luxurious and well-appointed chamber first. It is likely thatYamashita Obuno has the party�s leaderor a senior samurai PC quartered insuch a room, and Mitsuro naturallyassumes that this person is the leader ofthe group of visitors. Read the follow-ing to the character(s) so visited:

A chill draft flows into your room,and the lamplight wavers on the rice-paper wall. A transparent figurepasses through the wall and standsmotionless at the end of your futon.The spirit looks down upon you. It isclearly an older man, dressed insamurai armor and ghostly robesbearing the mark of the Tanomitsuclan. Its faint voice rasps frombeyond the grave. �What is your lin-eage?� the spirit demands to know.

If Mitsuro is attacked at this point, heflees by sinking through the floor of theroom, then sends the lesser spectres toattack the PCs. Two rounds later, onespectre arrives per PC in the room, upto a maximum of five half-strengthspectres. They enter by rising upthrough the floor.

If half the number of attacking spec-tres is destroyed (round down), theremaining undead retreat to the cellarand regroup.

PCs slain by these undead becomehalf-strength spectres also under thecontrol of Tanomitsu Mitsuro. PC spec-tres have the same statistics as for thehalf-strength spectres given above.Such undead return to the cellar toawait further orders from Mitsuro.

If he is not attacked, Mitsuro is intenton finding out what clans to which thePC is related or connected. If the spec-tre can see the insignia of an enemyclan on the PC�s clothes or equipment,Mitsuro asks specifically about thatrelationship. The clans Mitsuro con-siders enemies are the Takenaka,Yamashita, Sato, Otomo, and any othersthe DM determines opposed theTanomitsu and Hojo Todahiro in theHojo War.

If Mitsuro finds that the PC is firmlytied to an enemy house, the spectre tar-gets that character as his next victim. Ifthe adventurer refuses to discuss hisheritage, Mitsuro assumes the charac-

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spectre avoids answering any questionsthe PC may ask of it. If the spectre can-not gain the cooperation of any of theparty members, he sends lesser spec-tres to attack them as explained above,starting with characters who insultedhim or acted rudely.

ter is an enemy, and likewise marks himas his next victim. In either case, Mit-suro departs to question other PCs. The

Vengeance

If the PC reveals his heritage and is nota confirmed enemy of the Tanomitsuclan, Mitsuro tries to recruit his aid.The spectre says, �The Yamashita mur-dered us in dishonor. We must havevengeance. Burn the castle down,tonight!�

If PCs argue with this, but seem sym-pathetic to his hatred, Mitsuro will set-tle instead for the head of YamashitaObuno. This is not the limit of therevenge desired by the spectres, but itdoes give them something tangible theyotherwise could not gain for them-selves.

If PCs agree (at least verbally) to dothis grisly task for Mitsuro, the spectrepushes them for a commitment and ten-tative plans about when and how it willbe done. His first step in doing so is ask-ing the PC to swear an oath or make avow to fulfill this task. Mitsuro bargainsas best he can to get the PC to do this. Ifa character agrees, the DM must decidewhat impact this has on the PC�s align-ment and honor. Mitsuro offers areward to the character in exchangefor his help, but refuses to define whatit will be. Actually, the spectre plans toslay the PC who aids him and allow thatcharacter to serve him, Mitsuro, as hisreward.

The Tanomitsu spectre agrees to awaiting period of no longer than 24hours, then retires to wait for this mis-sion to be accomplished. The spectrecannot be tricked into saying where hewants the head delivered, although hecan be forced to say �the cellar� if anappropriate spell is cast on him. Nor-mally, the spectre will tell the PCs that

information only after they haveObuno�s head.

On the Right TrackThe morning after this visitation, itbecomes known that the injured retain-er has been reduced to the skill level ofa first-level bushi, although he was for-merly a third-level fighter. This shouldhelp any knowledgeable shukenja,sohei, or monk to determine the natureof the spirit being faced. If the charac-ters fail to figure this out on their own,the DM may allow them to make anIntelligence check. Successful ones�remember� about spectres and deducewhat they must be confronting.

Now that the spectres are lettingthemselves be seen openly, it is possibleto learn from Yamashita vassals exactlywhere the spirits are being sighted onthe castle grounds. If the party asksaround the castle or follows the spec-tres for any distance, it is clear that thespirits are moving back and forthbetween the kitchen cellar and the restof the castle. The staff is unable to thinkof any particular reason why the spec-tres should favor the cellar area. If PCsinvestigate the cellar now, go to �In theCellar;� below.

The Hapless HandmaidenWomen (except for PC characters) dineseparately from men at meal times, tak-ing their food in the women�s quartersin the north wing of the castle. At thefirst meal after dark, the adventurersare asked to dine with Lord Obuno. Themeal is interrupted halfway through.

You are disturbed by distant shrieksechoing through the castle halls.Lord Obuno looks up, riveting hisguards with a questioning glance. Inthe next moment, you hear the slapof sandaled feet running down thecedar passageways, A guard dashesinto the hall, and hurriedly kowtowsto Lord Obuno.

�So sorry, Lord . . .� he gasps, � . . .

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your wife�s handmaiden, taken by aspirit as she served dinner . . .� Obunoleaps to his feet before the bushi canfinish. He motions you to join him,and the guard�s shouted words fol-low as you run down the hall:

�Her spirit follows the other downthe East Hall!�

Because of his lame leg, Obuno isquickly outpaced by the PCs. He shoutsto the party to go ahead and pursue thespirits, and he will see to his wife. Fourguards accompany Obuno to the wom-en�s quarters. Two bushi guards runwith the adventurers, to give themassistance and lead the way to the EastHall.

Bushi (second level) (2): AC 7;MV 12�; HD 2; hp 12; # AT 1; Dmg1d6 (spear); SA nil; SD nil; AL LN; XP44 each.

The East HallIn the rush of the moment, the party�sbushi guides are intent only on leadingthem to the East Hall, which connectsthe kitchens with the north wing of thecastle. By going this way, the partyapproaches the spectres from the rear,and must run in order to catch up andclose with them.

If a character thinks to ask, theguards can take them through corri-dors that bring the party into the EastHall ahead of the spectres. In that way,if the party wants to fight or confrontthe spirits, they have a better chance ofdoing so.

Characters see two transparentforms moving down the hall. Both arewomen. The one in the rear appearsyoung; the one in the lead wears robesthat bear the Tanomitsu symbol, Ifcharacters intercept the spectres fromthe front, they can see that the leadingspirit is clothed in partial armor (of spir-it form) and carries a ghostly naginata.This spectre is Tanomitsu Isui, the ken-sai daughter of Mitsuro. With her is

Ninoye, a handmaiden who interposedherself between Lord Obuno�s wifeSuke and the spectre.

Tanomitsu Isui (spectre): hp 37;XP 2020. All other statistics as forfull�strength spectre given above.

Isui fights with her spirit-form nagi�nata, but damage is the same as if itwere a regular spectre attack.

Handmaiden spectre (1): hp 11;XP 880. All other statistics as for thehalf-strength spectres given above.

The spectres fight the PCs if they areattacked or prevented from continuingdown the East Hall. If they are pursuedinto the kitchens at the end of the hall,Isui decides they have been followedfar enough, and the pair turns aboutand attacks the adventurers. They fightuntil the PCs retreat or are slain. IfNinoye is killed and Isui loses half herhit points, she drops into the floor andvanishes, retreating in this undetect-able way to the cellar. If Isui is killed,Ninoye flees to a random place in thecastle, moving as far away from thecharacters as quickly as possible.

If Ninoye is captured or somehowcompelled to talk, she can tell nothingof the Tanomitsu plans. If the same hap-pens to Isui, she volunteers nothing andevades questions in every way possible.If Isui is captured or bespelled whileNinoye is still at large, Isui sends thehandmaiden to fetch the other spec-tres. This ploy, if successful, brings allZanomitsu undead and any lesser spec-tres under their control to the scenewithin ld4 rounds. The spectres fightthe PCs to free Isui or avenge her�death� if she has been slain. PCs killedby these undead become lesser spec-tres under the spectres� control withstatistics as given above.

Brave SacrificeIn the women�s quarters in the northwing, the story of Ninoye�s sacrificesoon comes out. As the women were

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having dinner, the female undead spiritcame to them, cursed Lady Suke, andstepped toward her, hand outstretched.Suke scrambled back, pursued by thespectre, and her handmaiden, Ninoye,stepped between the spirit and her mis-tress.

The spectre laughed when it had slainNinoye, then turned to Suke and said,�I�ll be back for you later!� As in thecourtyard last night, the guards� weap-ons proved useless against the undeadcreature, who left with the spirit ofNinoye. The handmaiden�s body nowlies in the north wing.

As with the bushi from the battle-ments, a speak with dead spell cast onNinoye is not likely to provide usefulanswers. In life, the handmaiden didnot know anything about the spectres.However, if characters are stumpedand need help dealing with this prob-lem, the DM may allow that Ninoye�ssoul has learned some helpful informa-tion since her death, and so canrespond to a cleric�s questions.

Lord Obuno is willing to arrange tohave Ninoye restored to life, in thanksfor her sacrifice in saving Suke�s life. If aplayer character is capable of doing so,Obuno offers an appropriate reward(DM�s discretion) to accomplish this. IfNinoye is brought back to life, her spec-tre is destroyed in the process as it isreabsorbed into her soul (see �Ecologyof the Spectre�).

Working to Get a Head

Mitsuro impatiently awaits results fromany character who has agreed to secureObuno�s head for him � or even better,to burn down Ezuwara Castle. This iseasier said than done, if the PCs areserious about doing so. Adventurersare accompanied by at least two bushiguide/escorts whenever they wanderabout Ezuwara Castle. Lord Obuno isaccompanied by two second-levelsamurai and five first-level bushi at alltimes. These retainers also guard himand his wife when they sleep.

Samurai (second level) (2): AC 5;MV 12�; HD 2; hp 18, 15; # AT 1; Dmg1d10; AL LG; XP 52 each.Bushi (first level) (5): AC 7; MV12"; HD 1; hp 6 each; # AT 1; Dmg1d6; AL LN; XP 16 each.

While he is waiting for results, Mitsuro remains in the cellar (a centralcontact point for all the undead) andsends Masako, his shukenja/ninjaretainer, to spy on the aforementionedPCs and keep an eye on what they aredoing. As long as it is in a place awayfrom sunlight, Masako lurks nearby,hidden in the shadows but within sightand earshot of the adventurers.

Masako (spectre): hp 32; XP 1970;all other statistics as given above for1 full-strength spectre.

Although he takes care in his hidingand can fade back into stone or walls ata instant�s notice, attentive charactersmay notice the chill that announces thespectre�s nearness. Spells or magicaldevices may also reveal his presence. Ifhe is not attacked, Masako simplysmiles at his discoverers, then fades outof sight � only to return in anotherplace and continue his spying. Havingbeen a ninja in real life, Masako is goodat picking places from which to spyundetected. He may be just behind arice-paper door, for instance, or blendright into a wooden wall in the sameroom with the characters.

If Masako is attacked by PCs, he fightswith his first opponent until that char-acter is slain or Masako loses half his hitpoints. Then the spectre retreats to thecellar to confer with Mitsuro.

Mitsuro is content to let Masako con-tinue spying until the waiting time is upand Obuno�s head is supposed to bedelivered. Mitsuro then meets the PC totell him to bring the head to the cellar. Ifby some chance Yamashita�s head isactually delivered or the castle burned,Mitsuro attempts to slay the PC whohelped him (so he can serve as a spec-tre), then all spectres retire for a time to

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gloat over their coup.If there is no head when the appoint-

ed time arrives, or if Masako�s spyinghas revealed treachery, Mitsurobecomes enraged. He orders all spec-tres to attack the �foresworn dogs�pawn adventurers.� The attack occursen masse as soon as the undead canlocate the PCs within the castle. Lesserspectres fight until they are destroyed,but the three greater spectres retreatto the cellar only when each is reducedto ¼ of its original hit points.

In the Cellar

If PCs are not drawn to investigate thecellar more closely, the spectres pro-ceed with their plan to eliminate thePCs (who pose a threat to them), thenObuno�s family, Obuno himself, and hisretainers. This plan can only be stoppedby destroying the three Tanomitsuspectres, or by dealing with their earth-ly remains.

The first time characters look aroundthe cellar they are unhindered by thespectres, who do not wish to draw toomuch attention to this location. The cel-lar is lined with quarried stone, and ispart of the stone foundation of the cas-tle. Below the kitchen area is a well anda storage cistern for rainwater.

If the characters return to the cellarand search for the secret passage or itstrapdoor entrance, they are botheredby the spectres. The undead first attackone at a time, starting with the weakestspectre available. After all, Mitsurodoesn�t want to clue the party thatthere is anything especially valuablehere to protect.

If PCs do not run away, or if they slayor turn at least two spectres, Mitsurosends the rest of the half-strength spec-tres to fight the PCs all at once. Adven-turers may notice that the undeadmaterialize each time over the samespot in the cellar floor. That is becausethe remains of the Tanomitsu are in thehidden underground passageway atthat place, and the spectres tend to col-lect there when they are not elsewherein the castle. PC investigation of this

spot provokes the same spectral attacksas detailed above.

The spectres have the objective ofkeeping the PCs away from the secretpassageway and out of the cellar. Iftheir fight with the humans escalates asoutlined above, the three Tanomitsuspectres join the fray, if it has become abattle and their side is losing. By thattime, it is pointless to pretend the cellaris unimportant, and Mitsuro sets half-strength spectres to guard against any-one entering the cellar.

If spectral forces become depleted orturned, and if time allows, some of theTanomitsu go through the castle insearch of victims they can easily turninto half-strength spectres. Each full-strength spectre returns to the fightwith one new lesser spectre in tow.

The Secret PassagewayA large flagstone behind and beneaththe kitchen stairs is not mortared intoplace. It is built on carefully balancedpivots, and swings easily when weightis put on one end. The flagstone can bebarred in place from below, as it is now,left that way when the Tanomitsu madetheir escape down this passage. It is alsosecured with a wizard luck spell whichwas keyed to Tanomitsu Mitsuro�s voiceand password. The flagstone trapdooris so masterfully crafted that there isnothing there to distinguish it from anyother flagstone or rock that paves thecellar floor.

A spectre may be forced to point outthe location of this trapdoor, but other-wise it can be found only with divina-tion spells, a spell of true seeing, or adevice that duplicates such effects. Theflagstone door can only be opened witha knock spell, or smashed open with asledgehammer. Breaking the flagstonetakes one turn of work.

At the flagstone entrance is a 20� longladder, descending to the 10' squarepassageway of stone. The passage runsfrom below the kitchen, descendsbeneath the stone foundation to anunderground tunnel excavated in dirt,and finally leads out to a rocky cavern

at one end of Ezuwara harbor, easilywithin sight of the castle, but some dis-tance from it.

If characters decide to investigate thespot where spectres keep appearing,any spell which lets PCs examine aspace underground will tell themmuch. X-ray vision, passwall, dimensiondoor, and other spells can let them lookinto or enter the passageway below. Atthat spot they will see the remains ofthe three Tanomitsu and the treasuresthey carried. If PCs do not have the aidof magic or the use of the hidden flag-stone entrance, it takes hours of exca-vation through stone to get into thehidden passageway.

The Last StandIf PCs get into the secret passagewaywithout having to battle the entire spec-tral force, they will certainly have to doso before they can reach the earthlyremains of the Tanomitsu spectres.Unless the spectres have been turnedor are otherwise powerless to act, thefinal all-out conflict takes place in thesecret passageway in the castle founda-tion. Spectres fade through stone toattack characters from the rear, andeven rise up unexpectedly in theirmidst. The spectres fight until all PCsare defeated or at least chased out ofthe cellar. The spectres then pursuethem through the castle until the char-acters are dead or flee the area.

The TanomitsuVictorious PCs who explore the passagecome upon the remains of the threeTanomitsu. They died when they wereovercome by smoke which had gottensucked into the passage�s hidden stone-work vents. Their clothes and armorare as they have appeared on theirspectral forms.

Tanomitsu Mitsuro bears a matchedkatana and wakizashi. The wakizashi isa +3 weapon, and the +3 katana is theheirloom blade called the HarmonySword. The sword has an intelligenceof 14, has semi-empathy, and can detect

harmony and magic within 1�. At Mit-suro�s waist hangs his war fan of shield-ing, which functions as a brooch ofshielding.

The naginata carried by XmomitsuIsui is a weapon of quality. She also car-ries a potion of gaseous form. Masakohas on his person a potion of mistdragon control, a scroll of protectionfrom hengeyokai, and an ordinarykawanaga. A small wheeled handcartlies near him. Spilled from it are twochests, one containing 20,000 tael, theother 50 gems worth 10 ch�ien each.

Appropriate clerical ceremonies donewith the Tanomitsu remains will elimi-nate their spectres. (See �Ecology of theSpectre.�) If by chance the spectresshould return before these ceremoniescan be performed, and PCs have madeoff with Tanomitsu belongings, thespectres will pursue and attack the PCs,fighting to the �death.�

The Ecology of theSpectreOshin-san, the venerable recluse fromthe holy mountain Ichiyama, bowed tothe imperial councilors who had gath-ered to hear her speak. Sitting down onthe fine cushions provided, her handabsently stroked the rich embroiderythat covered the silk. �Much like I usedto have�� she mused, her mind wander-ing.

Attentive faces studied her wrinkledone. She pushed a wisp of gray hair outof her eyes, and began.

�You wish to know about spectres. Ihave gained some insight into theirways, it is true. A result of long hours ofmeditation and prayer.� She paused,and wet her lips from the cup of teathat had been placed by her side. �Ihave even confronted two spectres atonce, and dealt with them withoutassistance from anyone.�

A respectful murmur ran throughthe room. When it died down, Oshincontinued. �Spectres are Evil things,clinging to unlife because of their con-suming hatred for life itself.

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�Because of this hatred, spectres con-tain more of the negative energy whichanimates undead than most of theirkind. They are more powerful andharder to destroy. And they are notcontent simply to hate. More intelligentthan most undead, they act on their ill-will for the living, sometimes planningways to destroy life. They can be wilyfoes!�

Heads nodded in agreement. �But Iget ahead of myself. First, to review thecommon knowledge about spectres:

�They prefer to haunt desolate anduninhabited places, for they wouldrather avoid life even while harboringtheir hatred for it. They hate sunlight,for though it does not physically hurtthem, the positive energy embodied init makes them powerless.

�A spectre�s touch is chill, for the neg-ative energy which gives it form drainsenergy and life from whatever theundead creature touches. Any humandrained completely of life energy by aspectre becomes a half-strength spectreunder its control.

�But I understand you are mostly con-cerned with how to fight spectres?� sheaddressed her listeners.

Voices murmured in the affirmative.�Well, then . . .� Oshin considered for a

moment. �Spectres are harmed by holywater or magical weapons because theyunbind the negative energy which givesa spectre its form. These undead areimmune to sleep, charm, hold, or cold-based spells. Nor does poison or paraly-sis harm a spectre, since it does nothave enough of a physical form to feelthose effects. A raise dead spell cast onone destroys it completely.

�Now, I have discovered some otherthings through meditation that mayprove instructive to you.� She smiledslightly at her listeners, the picture ofthe beneficent recluse. �Spectres can beslain completely if they are attackedand fought on the Negative EnergyPlane. They are found on no otherplanes, by the way, than the PrimeMaterial and the Negative EnergyPlanes.

�It is not widely known that a spectre

is bound to the place where it met itsdeath. It cannot leave that area, so youneed not fear its pursuit over a verygreat distance.,�

Oshin nodded sagely, accepted her payment, and was relieved when the journeyback to Ichiyama was complete.

It was only a matter of time beforethe spectre came to visit Oshin. Everyfew months it stopped by to report onthe progress of its plans and to find outwhat it could about worldly eventsfrom the old woman.

This time it was startled and angeredto learn of her lecture at the capital.

�What do you mean, you told them allabout us?� rasped the disembodiedvoice of Tanomitsu Mitsuro. The spec-tre loomed threateningly over Oshin �who glowered at the transparent figurein return.

�No need to exercise your foul temperon me!� she snapped. �I helped yourcause, Mitsuro, and you owe me yourthanks!�

�What I mean is this: I told them a packof lies, and they believed every word of it!Well, the common information I had totell the truth about. About holy water,and your feelings toward life � thingslike that. But then,,, she smiled conspira-torily, �I told them what I�d learned inmeditation. Meditation!� Oshin laughed.

The spectre didn�t smile. �What sortof things?�

�For instance, I told them you exist onthe Negative Energy Plane, and can bekilled there. They believed that! Theydon�t realize that just because you con-sist of negative energy, you don�t haveto be on the Negative Energy Plane. Thefools don�t even know it�s impossible foranything to exist there.

�They also believed me when I saidthe only other plane spectres are foundon is the Prime Material. Your jaunts tothe Negative Quasi-Planes shouldremain a secret for some time, I shouldthink.�

The spectre paused. �Helped me?How?�

Mitsuro raised a spectral eyebrow.�Not bad.�

�It gets better. I didn�t mention a wordabout physical remains, and they didn�task. Not even the clerics there realizedthat resurrection, raise, or reincarna-tion cast on a spectre�s physical remainswill destroy the spectre because it isreabsorbed into the returning soul �even if the revival itself fails. That�s whyraise dead cast on your spectral formworks � it forces you to go search foryour body, and dissipates your negativeenergy in the process!�

�I said you are tied to the place youdied, and they bought that, too. Itshould take them some time to realizethat spectres are powerful enough andintelligent enough to go anywhere theychoose � even though you stay in oneplace out of habit. It�ll be some timebefore before they realize only onespectre is creating these lesser spectresaround the country.,�

Oshin clapped her hands in amuse-ment. �Oh! And the half-strength spec-tres! The imperial councilors arecontent now, certain that a half-strength spectre can only create a spec-tre half as strong as itself � that is, aquarter-strength spectre. They thinkthey need only worry about weakerand weaker spectres! Fools! I didn�t tellthem that the life-draining processleaves so much negative energy in itswake that half-strength is as weak as aspectre can be. Otherwise it just isn�t aspectre anymore, is it, Mitsuro?�

The spectre regarded Oshin in grudg-ing amazement.

Creature Notes

1. A spectre�s touch does 1d8 pointsof damage, and drains 2 levels of lifeenergy. Any human victim completelydrained of life becomes a half-strengthspectre under command of the one thatslew it. Half-strength spectres havethese statistics: AC 6; MV 12�/24� ; HD3 + 3; # AT 1; Dmg 1d4; AL LE; SA, SD asregular spectre.

2. When a person is drained of lifeby a spectre, his body does not vanish

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into thin air. Rather, the corpseremains, the soul leaves, and the nega-tive part of the being that is jealous andhateful of life takes form as a spectre.Only humans can become spectres.Other races drained of life by a spectresimply die.

This can also occur spontaneouslywhen an evil or hateful NPC of LawfulEvil alignment dies. If that NPC has suffi-cient motivation (in the DM�s judgment),he may return to haunt the living as anundead spectre. The NPC should make asaving throw vs. death magic. If success-ful, he becomes a spectre.

3. If the clerical ceremony eternalrest is cast on a spectre�s physicalremains, that spectre is destroyed. Nosuch ceremony spell is currently availa-ble to Oriental Adventures characters,but DMs may wish to make similar cere-mony spells available to shukenja andsohei characters.

4. In a case where the spectre�s phys-ical remains have been destroyedthrough accident or intent (such as cre-mation), a spec t re can on ly bedestroyed by slaying the undead crea-ture, or casting raise dead on its spec-tral form.

5. A spectre is the embodiment of neg-ative energy. Its form is transparent andcan move through material objects with-out difficulty. It is affected by gravity onlyin a limited way, and can appear to float,fly, and rise or sink through ceilings andfloors. It retains these movement abilitieseven when exposed to sunlight. Unlike aghost, however, a spectre cannot fadecompletely from sight, since it is not usu-ally capable of phasing out of the PrimeMaterial Plane.

6. Some spectres are drawn to theNegative Quasi-Planes because of the con-centration of negative energy foundthere. The spectres capable of going tothat plane are generally those whoseearthly remains have been destroyed andwho have no overriding personal reasonto remain on the Prime Material Plane.Spectres are not normally planar trav-elers, and once they reach the NegativeQuasi-Planes they usually stay there.

THE DREAD LAIR OF ALOKKAIRMonster: LichTerrain: CaveParty Levels: 60 (Average 10th)Monster X.P.:

Kill: 8,780 Defeat: 6,585Retreat: 2,195

Setupl In the woods north and east of the

settled area of Shadowdale lies FoxRidge � an edge of broken, overgrownrock riddled with caves and fissures,once home (ere local farmers wenthunting) to many foxes. Local rumorsays that one of the largest caves in theridge is haunted.

Stirges (6): AC 8; MV 3�/18�; HD1+1 but attack as 4HD monsters; hp8� 7� 7� 6� 6; # AT 1; Dmg 1d3 (probos-cis) plus 1d4 hp per round (blooddrain) to maximum 12; XP 42 each.

l An adventurer once told a tavernfull of festival-goers in Hillsfar of a cavein Shadowdale, �somewhere along theFox Ridge�� that led to undergroundchambers and passages where �flyinghorrors� lurked, ending in a great opencavern where countless rocks dancedand crashed together in endless, whirl-ing motion.l �Great magic lies beyond the Grind-

ing Gulf�� says a passage in The Lore ofHlontar, an old history of the lost realmof Hlontar which lay along the RiverTesh at the western end of the Moonsea600 to 800 years ago. The Grinding Gulfis said to be �underground, behind acave in the elven woods near the riverAshaba� � Shadowdale fits this descrip-tion. The party learns this and the newsfrom Hillsfar (above) from a merchantencountered while traveling.

Fox RidgeIn deep woods east of Shadowdale�snortherly farms lies Fox Ridge, a bro-ken, often overgrown ridge of weath-ered and cracked limestone. The cracksand small caves within it are many, andare home to many normal bats, snakes,spiders, centipedes, and groundhogs.Porcupines sometimes shelter in themin wet weather, and a faint odor betraysoccasional use by skunks. One cave (keyNo. 1) is much larger than the rest.

Key to the Lich�s Lair1. This cave is a natural cavity in the

limestone, widened over the years bywinter ice. It is dark and smells of earth.Dirt, stone rubble, and pools of seepagewater cover its stone floor in places,and its ceiling is a jumble of stone,earth, and tree roots. Among the latterrest six stirges who will flutter to theattack when their lair is invaded.

On the floor of the cave is carved acurious rune, in the shape of a stemlessthree-leafed clover (three joined loops),in front of a stone door. The door has arusted-out metal keyhole and crum-bling pull-rings. It is wizard-locked byAlokkair, at 20th level, and has no key.In front of the door gleams a litter of sixgold pieces � bait placed by the lich.

On one side of the cavern a crack hasbeen widened by digging into a narrow,twisting tunnel from which a faintcharnel smell emanates. Much earthand rock rubble has been thrown out ofthis passage, and trampled by manybare, apparently human feet. Any loudnoises will bring an attack from No. 2along this passage.

2. The uneven-floored, cobwebbedtunnel and the door both lead to thislarge chamber cut out of solid rock,with a trampled, sandy earthen floor.Twenty plain stone coffins, hollowed-out granite blocks with lids, rest here intwo rows of 10. They have been rudelytorn open, and the bodies withindevoured; cracked and gnawed boneslitter the ground. Four of the coffins areempty; from them four ghouls roselong ago. The ghouls will attack anyoneentering their lair. They are very hun-gry.

Ghouls (4): AC 6; MV 9�; HD 2; hp16, 15, 14, 13; # AT 3; Dmg 1d3/1d3/1d6 (claw/claw/bite); SA touchcauses paralyzation for 2d6 roundsto a11 but elves, save to avoid; SDimmune to sleep, charm, fear; XP 93each.

In the center of the chamber mosaictiles have been set into the earthenfloor in the shape of the cloverleaf runein the outer cavern. (This is Alokkair�ssigil.) At the rear of the chamber is a setof stone doors, wizard-locked at 20thlevel, with 22 gp scattered before them.They have been scratched and clawedby the ghouls.

3. The doors open into this corridor,also cut from solid rock, with a floor ofdressed stone slabs. It stretches awaysome 90� to an empty stone seat orthrone, which glows with a faint, flick-ering faerie fire-like radiance. The cor-ridor appears empty.

The throne is an illusion; the corridoractually ends 90� away in a single,unlocked door of counterbalancedstone. The corridor�s ceiling is 30� up,well above the tops of both doors. Hid-ing just above the door from No. 2, onthe inside, is a ghost spider, whichimmediately drops down to attack any-one entering the corridor.

There are also two concealed pittraps in the corridor, No. 4 and No. 5.

Ghost spiders are common in theInner Sea lands of the ForgottenRealms. They are simply a variety oflarge spider with translucent, light-reflecting skin making them appearpearly white in light, and nearly �90%�invisible in darkness. Their venom

does not kill; instead, it causes a para-lyzed slumber lasting 2d4 rounds (savevs. poison at + 1 to avoid). Victims can-not be roused by shaking, slapping,noises, or the like. The potency of aghost spider�s venom varies: each time acreature is bitten it must save or be sentinto slumber which begins quite sud-denly, in the round after the victim isbitten.

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4. Anyone stepping on the section offloor marked on the map causes theentire 10�x10� area to tip on concealedpivots like a teeter-totter, and flip overafter the character has fallen into thepit thus revealed. Anyone in the 10�area must make two successful Dexteri-ty checks to leap clear; a single success-ful check means that the character hasbeen struck by an edge of the movingstone slab, for 1d4 damage. If the char-acter was the adventurer who trigger-ed the trap, this means he fell into it, hisfeet coming in contact with the monsterbelow, but grabbed the edge of the pit,and was struck from above by the fall-ing, flipping slab. If alone, he mustmake a third successful Dexterity checkto climb free of the weight of the slaband avoid falling into the pit. Other-wise, his fate depends on the actions of

Ghost spider (1): AC 8; MV 6�/15�;HD 1 + 1; hp 4; # AT 1; Dmg 1 plusvenom; Size 1½�; XP 73.

his fellows vis-a-vis the teeter-totterslab.

In the 10� x 10� pit is a gelatinouscube, placed there by Alokkair, which ishungry and seeking to leave. As theteeter-totter flooring about it is dis-turbed, it extends pseudopods upward.If the trap is jammed open, it will creepup the walls in one corner and try toleave the trap in the round after thetrap is triggered. It can fit through a 1�gap of any width. If this is prevented, itwill attempt to envelop anyone in thepit. If it does escape the trap, it followsthe adventurers as far as the GrindingGulf, blocking their retreat.

Gelatinous Cube (1): AC 8; MV 6�;HD 4; hp 29; # AT 1; Dmg special,contact does 1d8 + 1 hp of tissue-corrosive damage, touch paralyzesfor 4d4 +4 rounds unless save ismade; XP 241.

5. This pit trap is identical to No. 4,except that it contains water, not a

gelatinous cube. The water is 20� deep,polluted (8% chance of mild parasiticinfestation of the skin of any creaturecontacting it) and contains the body of adrowned ghost spider. Anyone fallinginto the pit will be plunged into thewater, unable to breathe, and has oneround per point of Constitution above14 to attempt to force up the teeter-totter slab and get out. (Regardless ofConstitution score, an immersed beingalways has at least one round toescape.) A successful Strength Check isrequired to do this. Note that if anycompanion of a victim moves the slab,the victim must make a Dexterity Checkto avoid being hit by the moving stoneand dealt 1 hp of damage per round ofslab movement.

After running out of air, a characterin the water can survive for one roundlonger if a successful ConstitutionCheck is made, but during this time, thecharacter is unconscious and must bepulled from the pit by another charac-ter or join the ghost spider in thewatery grave.

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6. The door at the end of the corri-dor (No. 3) opens into this room. It is a20� x 20� chamber carved out of solidstone, with a man-height mirror of pol-ished bronze facing anyone entering it.Another stone door is also visible, cutwith the cloverleaf rune of Alokkair. Itis locked, and the key is missing; it mustbe picked.

The mirror is non-magical and harm-less. The ceiling rises up 30� into aroughly carved stone tunnel, whichleads on to No. 8. At its lip, high abovethe adventurers, squat two gargoyles.Each has a wand of magic detection,which it trains on anyone entering theroom.

When it has discovered what it can,each gargoyle swoops down and

attempts to snatch one magical itemfrom an adventurer, unless there are nosuch items, in which case the monstersattack to slay. They will leave theirwands in the tunnel, above. To avoid asnatch, an adventurer must make a suc-cessful Strength Check. Each gargoylemakes two snatch attempts per round(replacing the claw attacks). When eachhas taken at least one magical item orkilled one intruder, both flee upthrough the tunnel, swinging a greatiron grating down behind them to blockoff any pursuit. This locks into placewith a clang; only Alokkair has the keyto release it, although the old massivemechanism can easily be picked (+5 onall chances).

The gargoyles know only that theirmaster is �a great and terrible wizard,�and �very powerful�; they promptlytake any magical items they seize (andtheir wands) to Alokkair. He hasenchanted them into immunity fromany mental or magical control or influ-ence except his own.

7. The locked door from No. 6 opens

into a smoothly carved hallway which ishung with weapons. It ends 70� away instone double doors. On the left wall, bythe doors, at shoulder level for anaverage-height man, the cloverleafrune is carved.Two battle-axes (dmg 1d81, twoguisarmes (dmg 2d41, six daggers (dmg1d41, two hand axes (dmg 1d61, andthree clubs (dmg 1d6) hang from rustyhooks on the wall. They are normal,non-magical weapons, and can be free-ly handled, but they and the whole hall-way radiate a dweomer.

They are enchanted: when the stonedouble doors at the end of the hallwayare touched, all will animate and attackany living creatures within 6�, levitat-ing wildly about. Each weapon is AC 4to hit, moves 24� per round (MC: A),and attacks twice per round. Each shat-ters if dealt 6 hp of damage. Any char-acter grasping one and attempting tocontrol it must make a non-damaging,weaponless attack (successful hit rollrequired) to grab the weapon, and twoStrength Checks per round thereafter;

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Gargoyles (2): AC 5; MV 9�/15�;HD 4+4; hp 32� 30; # AT; Dmg 1d3/1d3/1d6/1d4 (claw/claw/gore/bite);SD +1 or better weapon to hit; XP245 each.

the first to control the weapon, pre-venting it from twisting and jerkingabout to attack its holder or anothercreature, the second to keep hold of it.The weapons attack until there are noliving creatures within 6�, pursuing ifnecessary, until they are all destroyed,or until someone presses or touchesAlokkair�s rune on the wall. If this hap-pens, the weapons instantly drop to thefloor, forever lifeless and non-magical.The double doors at the end of the hallare wizard locked at 20th level.

8. The Grinding Gulf. Adventurersgetting through the doors from No. 7emerge onto a ledge over cacophony. Ablack gulf or chasm stretches beforethe party, its unseen bottom 220�below, its ends a quarter-mile in eitherdirection, its stalactite-studded lime-stone ceiling 10� above.

The gulf is full of floating, rapidlymoving rocks which swoop, tumble,and soar about, crashing off the wallsand each other. This mighty enchant-ment worked by Alokkair discouragescasual invasions of his lair, and thebone-strewn floor far below serves himas a garbage disposal. It is strewn withbones, a knee-deep rubble of stonechips, battered and unusable weapons,and a scattering of coins, rotting pursesand baldrics, and perhaps a scavengingmonster or two. At the DM�s option, theceiling might contain a few piercers,nestling in cavities where they are lesslikely to be crushed by ricochetingrocks. The Grinding Gulf is constantlyrocked by stony collisions, and spraysof stone chips do 1d2 points of damageper round to all beings in the area whofail a save vs. death magic in that round.

Most of the rocks are large enough fortwo people to cling to. At least six arelarge enough for three man-sized crea-tures, four are large enough to seat four,and two are large enough for six; one cancarry 10. These rocks can be controlledby the thoughts of intelligent creaturestouching them; look at a place, think ofbeing there, and the rock moves towardit at 10� per round, if all such creatures ona given rock concentrate on the same des-tination, of course.

Stones, 2d8 of them per round head forthe ledge or any rock ridden by charac-ters. For combat, consider the rocks�attack rank as fifth-level fighters, andtheir AC to be that of the nearest adven-turer. Hits do 1d12 points of spray/shardsdamage to all characters within a 22� radi-us; a direct hit on any character will do1d20 + 10 points of damage.

To proceed, adventurers have to mas-ter the rocks of the Gulf, and guidethem to the correct cave mouth (No. 11)to reach Alokkair�s lair (see No. 10). Forfalling rules, see No. 11.

9. This cave mouth leads to a naturalfissure cavern where three spread-winged gargoyle skeletons are suspend-ed in midair, in webs. It is the lair of twogiant spiders. A successful save vs. thevenom of these 20�-long black spidersmeans that the venom of that particularspider can never harm the successfullysaving character. The spiders rest onthe ceiling and drop down upon anyintruders, seeking to slay and feed.

10. This ledge and overhang is hometo two more gargoyles (stats as in No. 5,previous, but hp 24, 26), who leap ontothe moving rocks of the Gulf, control-ling them expertly � reaching out todeftly touch free-moving rocks, allow-ing them to boost the rocks in a desireddirection: to ram characters� rocks. Thegargoyles leap onto the rocks of wound-ed characters to kill, and then seize allitems carried, on Alokkair�s orders.Like the gargoyles in No. 6, they cannotbe mentally or magically controlled.

11. This ledge and cave mouth is theentrance to Alokkair�s lair. The ledge iscrumbling away under repeated rockyimpacts, and is treacherous. Any adven-turers attempting to leap from a rock toland safely on the ledge must make aDexterity Check. Those who fail fallinto the Gulf (perhaps with part of theledge) or are struck by a rock. A charac-ter falling into the Gulf comes into con-tact with 1d8 + 11 rocks. Determine thenumber of rocks and roll hits for each;any successful hit does a character 2d4points of impact damage, plus a possible1d12 points of shard damage if otherrocks are near. A character can cling to

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or grasp any rocks striking him by mak-ing a successful Dexterity Check, butdamage is still suffered. Characterswho ride rocks into any part of theGulf�s walls, floor, or ceiling sufferdirect hit damage (see No. 8).

Alokkair�s lair from this point on iscut out of earth and rock, and sheathedin smooth-dressed stone slabs, whichare fixed to a hidden lead lining behindthem by a thick mortar of Alokkair�sdevising. It contains gorgon�s blood, oilof etherealness, and other exotic ingre-dients, and has the following effects:l Every part of the lair radiates a

dweomer.l No one can teleport into or out of

the lair; teleportation within the lair isunaffected. Word of recall will notwork.l No one can pass through any walls

of the lair by turning ethereal.l No one can scry or otherwise magi-

cally look into or cast spells into the lairfrom outside.l No one can summon a Leomund�s

secret chest or successfully use Draw-mij�s instant summons into the lair fromoutside, or out of the lair from inside.

12. The unlocked, heavy stone doorto this chamber will ring a far-off, deepgong when it is opened, alerting thelich. Its inside is smeared with whatappears to be stucco (Alokkair�s specialmortar, see No. 11 above).

The chamber is empty except forunlocked plain stone doors to the left ofentering adventurers and straightahead, across the room. Fourteen skele-tons stand here, armed with old, rust-ing weapons. Any strike with these hasan 8% chance of causing blood poison-ing; treat as �terminal acute blood dis-ease� and refer to the DMG for details.The skeletons attack any living creatureentering the chamber who is not a gar-goyle under Alokkair�s enchantment.

Skeletons (14): AC 7; MV 12�; HD1; hp 7 each; # AT 1; Dmg 1d6; SDcannot be turned or clericallydestroyed or damned; XP 17 each.

Alokkair watches intruders from thispoint on, using a series of peepholesconcealed by solid stone wall illusionsfrom his secret passage. He uses a wandof magic detection to learn furtherabout magic carried by intruders, and,by a lever in No. 20, can open the doorbetween No. 12 and No. 13 if the partyseems strong, activating the golem (oth-erwise, he releases it after they leaveNo. 12, to block their retreat).

13. A stone golem stands here. It willattack any living being that enters No.13 or is present in No. 12 when the con-necting door is opened. The golemavoids striking weapons or other itemsif possible (in case they are magical),concentrating on the bodies of the crea-tures it faces. It will not move beyondchambers No. 12 and No. 13 unlessdirectly commanded to by Alokkair.

Zombie (1): AC 8; MV 6�; HD 2; hp15; # AT 1 (always last); Dmg 1d8; SDimmune to sleep� charm� hold� andcold-based spells; XP 58.

Stone golem (1): AC 5; MV 6�; HD14; hp 60; # AT 1; Dmg 3d8; SA castslow-spell every second round onany opponent within 1� of its front;XP 3,730.

14. This room contains seven skele-tons (stats as in No. 12, above, 7 hpeach), all armed with rusted weaponsand cannot be clerically destroyed orturned. Three wait against the wall oneither side of the door from No. 12, andwill surge forward to attack intrudersentering the chamber. The seventhskeleton stands in front of the closed,locked, plain stone door to No. 15, fac-ing the door from No. 12. It will casthold monster at any living creatureentering the room. (See �The Lords ofDarkness,� imbue undead with spellability.) It casts this as if it wereAlokkair, with a 10� range and 20-round duration, affecting as many crea-tures as possible and then attacking.Note that if a single target successfullysaves against the spell, all affectedbeings are slowed, not held. The skele-tons pursue intruders throughout thelair to slay, but cannot cross the Gulfwithout aid because they have nominds to guide the rocks. (Alokkair can

cause the rocks to form an unbroken,unmoving temporary bridge across theGulf if he wants to send any creaturesafter fleeing adventurers.)

15. This room has a 30� high ceiling,and a plain stone door wizard-locked at20th level opposite the door from No.14. The room contains an illusion of sixstout, iron-bound wooden chestsranged against the left wall. In reality,the room is empty, and is a trap: Any-one stepping on the floor at any pointbeyond 10� from the wall adjoining No.14 brings tragedy down on the heads ofall in the room. Literally.

The floor sinks several inches, trig-gering a mechanical trap. The entireceiling splits across in seven lines, fold-ing down in rows of doors, spilling car-rion, rot grubs which have beenfeeding on it, and glass flasks of poisongas down into the room.

The 14 flasks all shatter as they land,releasing gas that fills the room in threerounds, lasting for six rounds thereaf-ter before dissipating, and affecting No.14 and No. 16 in the fourth and fifthrounds. Anyone in these areas whilethe gas cloud is effective must save vs.poison each round, or fall into a drowsydizziness beginning in one round, last-ing for four rounds, and ending in a 2d6turn sleep. Drowsy victims are - 3 tohit and suffer an AC penalty of -4.Sleeping victims can be roused by slap-ping or attacks, but will be drowsy for1d4 rounds (effects as above) on awak-ening.

The 19 rot grubs attack hungrily.

Rot grubs (19): AC 9; MV 1�; hp 1;Dmg special; A burrow to slay in1d3 turns unless killed by cure dis-ease or flame (1d6 flame damage tovictim); XP 8 each.

16. This plain, apparently emptycorridor has two pit traps (see No. 4)hidden in its floor. Falling damage of2d6 applies to anyone falling in, and atthe bottom of each is a zombie whichattacks any arrivals.

Alokkair�s enchantments cause areverse gravity spell to affect everyonein the corridor except someone in, orpartially in, a pit trap every time a pittrap lid flips over. The ceiling is 15�above the corridor�s floor; all affectedcreatures suffer 1d6 damage (reducedto 1 if they make a successful DexterityCheck) from falling �up� to the ceiling,plus an immediate 1 hp damage uponfalling back down to the floor. The lat-ter can be avoided with a successfulDexterity Check.

17. In this chamber stand 16 zom-bies (stats as in No. 16, 15 hp each). Allhave been specially enchanted byAlokkair to be immune to turning ordestroy/damn attempts. All are holdingflasks of poison gas (one per zombie, foreffects see No. 16). They hurl these atthe floor if any living creature entersthe room, and then attack. Facing thedoor from No. 16 is an archway filled bya massive, unlocked wooden door withornate scrolled iron hinges. It leads toNo. 18.

18. This chamber is vast and dark,with a ceiling 30� up and a floor 20�below. The entry door swings back intoNo. 17, to reveal a projecting jetty: The10' wide floor passing through thearchway projects out into the room likea lowered drawbridge, ending in mid-air. At its end, a glowing two-handedsword levitates point downward in theair. It is the only source of light in theroom. By its pearly-white radiance,heaps of gold pieces can be seen gleam-ing on the floor below the jetty. The jet-ty is 6� thick, and has no rails.

The sword is an illusion. So are thegold pieces. A darkness 15� radius spellon the underside of the jetty conceals alernaean hydra. The hydra hides silent-ly until at least one creature passes overit, and then its heads rise on either sideof the jetty to cut off retreat to the door.

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The jetty floor has little chimesattached to it that ring faintly as eachstone is trodden on, so the hydra canreadily tell how far a creature has comewithout showing any of its heads bylooking.

Lernaean hydra (1): AC 5; MV 9�;HD 5; hp 8 x 5 (5 heads); # AT 1 perhead; Dmg bite for 1d6, then 1d8 and1d10 as it gains heads; SA grows 2new heads in 1d4 rounds wheneverone is killed or severed, unless fire isapplied; XP 315.

Instead of the illusory gold pieces,bones and zombies wait below the jetty.There are 15 zombies (as in No. 16, pre-vious, 12 HP each, unaffected by turn-ing or destroy/damn) waiting to attackall intruders who reach the floor of theroom. The zombies try to lead strongopponents across two 10� x 10� x 30�deep pit traps (3d6 falling damage) hid-den among the bones. When anyonefalls in onto a layer of sharp bones, thezombies swing shut barred gratingsover the traps (normal �bend bars�chances to escape) to cage the intruderfor later interrogation by Alokkair.There is no treasure, nor visible doors,in the lower level of this room.

19. These lightless service corridorsopen into Nos. 12, 15, and 17 by meansof one-way secret doors. A �normal�secret door connects them to No. 18,and a one-way secret door from No. 20opens into them. Ten zombies (as in No.16, previous) wait here. The closing ofdoors leading out of the rooms listedring little gongs not audible in therooms themselves. These gongs acti-vate the non-turnable zombies to enterany vacated room, one holding the dooropen with its body, and the othersremoving all debris, corpses, and mag-ic. Corpses will be decapitated and thebodies dumped into No. 8, the headsretained for Alokkair to magically ques-tion or use in his researches.

If any living creature not accompa-nied by Alokkair enters an area wherethese zombies are working. They

immediately attack, and the zombiestanding in the doorway retreats andcloses the secret door. The one-waydoors cannot be opened from the�wrong� side (inside the rooms), andmust be destroyed to permit passage.

Where the corridors fork, twoshriekers stand. They shriek as a warn-ing system if light reaches them. Fromthe fork, one of the corridors slopesdownward to No. 18. A peephole con-cealed by a �solid stone� illusion looksdown through the floor into No. 16.

Shriekers (2): AC 7; MV 1"; HD 3;hp 22, 20; XP 98 each.

20. This passage and sanctum isinhabited by the l ich Alokkair(described in �The Night Gallery� sec-tion of this book). Peepholes concealedby solid wall illusions open into Nos. 12,13, 14, 15, and through the secret doorinto No. 17. Refer to No. 12 forAlokkair�s activities observingintruders. He can use wizard eye toobserve adventurers not in the roomsnoted, and will employ vocalize andminor globe of invulnerability beforeany expected combat. DMs should referto �The Night Gallery� for details onAlokkair. His primary aim is to preventintruders from leaving, and gain anymagic or magical knowledge that hecan from them. His secondary aim is toavoid face-to-face combat; he willattempt to avoid PCs, using his spellsmercilessly to disable and destroy ifpursued, and will go via the one-waysecret door into No. 19 and out to No. 8,where he can teleport away to wherehe has hidden his phylactery � andbecome a tireless, long-term foe of thePCs.

The passage has a 20� high ceiling.The sanctum room has a 40� ceiling,and contains Alokkair�s spell books andjuju zombies. If the globe is discoveredand broken by dispel magic, the zom-bies attempt to take the spell books outto No. 8, attacking any living creaturesin their path. The globe confers invisi-bility on all movable objects and crea-

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tures within it, and is a long-lastingvariant of Tenser�s floating disc.

The sanctum is connected to No. 17by a secret door that is wizard-locked at20th level by Alokkair, and carries anadditional enchantment: except toAlokkair, it opens only once every ninerounds. The one-way secret door fromthe sanctum into No. 19 carries a simi-lar enchantment, as do the two secretdoors into Nos. 21 and 22.

The sanctum contains a table andchair, next to a wall shelf holding a rowof severed heads. Alokkair intends tointerrogate the remains of these unfor-tunate adventurers. The DM shoulddevise leads to future adventures thatthese can communicate to PCs if aspeak with the dead spell is used. Onthe table are rows of vials contain vari-ous rare material component substanc-es in fluid, and (at the DM�s option)useful potions such as extra healing,flight, and invisibility.21. This low-ceilinged (5�) cellar con-tains treasure: 16 neatly arrangedstrong chests of magically preservedoak bound about with metal straps. Allare wizard-locked at 20th level byAlokkair, as is the cellar door. Their con-tents are as follows:l Twelve contain 1,000 gp each, in

cloth bags of 100 gp.l Two contain silver trade bars, tar-

nished black over the years, each worth25 gp. There are 60 trade bars in onechest, and 53 in the other.l One contains loose gold pieces

gleaned from intruders (876 in all), anda cloth bag of 26 platinum pieces.l One contains loose silver pieces

(516) and copper pieces (428) takenfrom intruders, all mixed together.

22. This low-ceilinged (5�) cellar con-tains Alokkair�s magical treasure: abroom of animated attack, a false spellbook trapped with explosive runes, andany legitimate magical items a DM wish-es to introduce into his or her campaignare here. It is suggested that an assort-ment of +1 weapons gleaned fromadventurers be among them. The cellardoor is wizard-locked at 20th level.

Running Alokkair

Alokkair has a cruel sense of humor, andamuses himself by devising elaborate illu-sions. Once he is aware of adventurersapproaching (usually by the gargoylesfrom No. 8), he begins to entertain PCswith illusions. Standing in the open door-way of No. 12, Alokkair uses seven illu-sion scrolls plus a wizard eye scroll tofollow the activities of adventurersclosely, remaining hidden deep in thecavern mouth and retreating if PCs beginto master the rocks of the Gulf.

Alokkair�s primary motives, besidesentertainment, are to learn what magica party carries, and to prevent theirretreat. He will employ a very elaborateillusion of a menacingly drifting behold-er behind the party if a wholesale PCretreat begins, to stop the retreat andkeep the PCs underground, if he can.He also challenges them with illusionsof such creatures as illithids and intel-lect devourers, rust monsters and dis-enchanters, and the like, to make PCsreveal their magical equipment.

A journey into Alokkair�s lair shouldbe memorable not only for the Gulf andthe many traps, but the many illusoryattacks. These should include suchdelights as:l A stone golem revealed when a

door is opened, striding to the attack. Ifthis is used several times, the real golemin No. 13 may take the party by sur-prise.

Beyond the Lair

l A black-robed, cruel-faced magecasting a spell at PCs.l A skull silently rising from the

floor, resembling a demi-lich.l Nero or more drow bending over a

stone block where a nude human isbound, preparing for a sacrifice ormagical experiment.l Dead relatives, lovers, or recent

acquaintances of PCs appearing asundead, revenants, or zombies. Theappearances are divined by Alokkairusing ESP, if anyone in the party thinksof a person not present in the party.Alokkair will use information gleanedby his ESP to make such images speakto the PCs in a realistic manner if he

chooses vampiric images and the like.Such illusory beings could entice PCs oninto the lair by speaking of treasurebeyond that slew them, or that drainedtheir magic. Famous artifacts could bementioned, or famous missing personsfor which many seek and/or a reward isoffered.l A drow caravan wending its way

along the bottom of the Grinding Gulf,presumably using magic to preventdamage from the rocks. Many heavilyladen pack lizards under only a lightguard, ripe for attack by PCs fromabove. PCs who succumb to temptationmay find themselves facing a variety offormidable monsters who inhabit theGulf floor; cloakers, large groups ofstirges, galeb duhr, and the like.

The cumulative effect of Alokkair�sillusions should be that PCs never trustwhat they see in the lair. The DM shouldmake full use of description to make thelair seem eerie and menacing, as withall undead lairs.

Alokkair has at least one other hide-away, somewhere in the Stonelands,where he keeps his phylactery � andperhaps other caches/lairs in Sembiaand in the Desertsmouth mountainsnear the old dwarven realm of Tethy-amar. The DM should decide whereAlokkair will escape to, if he can, andhow strong his ties with local drow are.He has access to an unlife spell (see �TheLords of Darkness� section), and willsend created undead after any PCs whoescape with some of �his� magic in theirpossession. And who knows: Perhapshe will ally with the Zhentarim and riseto rule a re-founded realm of Hlontaragain, able to tirelessly send manyagents after the PCs!

Alokkair is no coward, but he will seelittle profit in confronting PCs to battleit out, when he can strike from theshadows and flee, to attack again whenPCs are weak or unprepared. He hasmany servant creatures to send afterPCs � and PCs wanting to face himdirectly will find flushing him out very

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difficult unless they seize all ofAlokkair�s magic. PCs who need aid tosurvive encounters with Alokkair couldbe rescued by his missing daughter,Alaphlame (a mid- to high-level magic-user) if the DM desires. CertainlyAlokkair should be an opponent playerswill not soon forget.

Creature NotesThe urge for immortality is so strong insome powerful mages and magic-user/clerics that they aspire to lichdom,despite its horrible physical side effectsand the usual loss of friends and livingcompanionship. Lichdom must be pre-pared for in life; no true lich ever isknown to have come about �naturally.�

Becoming a LichTo become a lich, a magic-user or magic-user/cleric must attain at least the 18thlevel of experience as a magic-user. Thecandidate for lichdom must have accessto the spells magic jar, enchant an item,and trap the soul. Nulathoe�s Ninemen,a fifth-level magic-user spell (detailed inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS�� boxed set)which serves to preserve corpsesagainst decay, keeping them strong andsupple as in life, is also required.

The process of attaining lichdom isruined if the candidate dies at any pointduring it. Even if successful resurrec-tion follows, the process must be start-ed anew. The process involves thepreparation of a magical phylacteryand a potion. Most candidates preparethe potion first and arrange for anapprentice or ally to raise them if inges-tion of the potion proves fatal. Prepara-tion of the phylactery is so expensivethat most candidates do not wish towaste all the effort of its preparation bydying after it is completed but beforethey are prepared for lichdom.

The nine ingredients of the potion areas follows:

Arsenic (2 drops of the purest distil-late)

Belladonna (1 drop of the purest dis-tillate)

Blood (1 quart of blood from a deadvirginal human infant killed by wyvernvenom)

Blood (1 quart from a dead demi-human slain by a phase spider)

Blood (1 quart from a vampire or abeing infected with vampirism)

Heart (the intact heart of a humanoidkilled by poisoning; a mixture of arsenicand belladonna must be used)

Reproductive glands (from sevengiant moths dead for less than 10 days,ground together)

Venom (1 pint or more, drawn froma phase spider less than 30 days pre-vious)

Venom (1 pint or more, drawn froma wyvern less than 60 days previous)

The ingredients are mixed in theorder given by the light of a full moon,and must be drunk within seven daysafter they combine into a bluish-glowing, sparkling black liquid. All ofthe potion must be drunk by the candi-date, and within 6 rounds will producean effect as follows (roll percentiledice):

Lichnee Potion Table01-10 All body hair falls out, but

potion is ineffective (the candidateknows this). Another potion must beprepared if lichdom is desired.

11-40 Candidate falls into a comafor 1d6 + 1 days, is physically helplessand immobile, mentally unreachable.Potion works; the candidate knowsthis.

41-70 Potion works, but candidateis feebleminded, Any failed attempt tocure the candidate�s condition is 20%likely to slay the candidate.

71-90 Potion works, but candidateis paralyzed for 2d6 + 2 days (no savingthrow, curative magics notwithstand-ing). There is a 30% chance for perma-nent loss of 1d6 Dexterity points.

91-96 Potion works, but candidateis permanently deaf (01-33), dumb (34-66), or blind (67-00). The lost sense canonly be regained by a full or limitedwish.

97-00 Death of the candidate.Potion does not work.

The successfully prepared candidatefor lichdom can exist for an indefinitenumber of years before becoming alich. He will not achieve lichdom upondeath unless preparation of his or herphylactery is complete. A successfullyprepared candidate may appear some-what paler of skin than before imbibingthe potion, but cannot mentally or mag-ically be detected by others as ready forlichdom. The candidate, however, isalways aware of readiness for lichdom,even if charmed or insanity or memoryloss occurs. (A charmed candidate cannever be made to reveal where his phy-lactery is � although he could be com-pelled to identify what the phylacteryis, if shown it.)

The phylactery may take any form �it may be a pendant, gauntlet, scepter,helm, crown, ring, or even a lump ofstone. It must be of inorganic material,must be solid and of high-quality work-manship if man-made, and cannot be anitem having other spells or magicalproperties on or in it. It may be deco-rated or carved in any way desired fordistinction.

Enchant an item is cast upon the phy-lactery (this is one of the rare cases inwhich this spell can be cast onunworked material), a process requir-ing continual handling of the phylac-tery for a long time, as described in thePLAYER�S HANDBOOK. The phylacterymust successfully make its savingthrow as noted in the spell description.It must be completely enchanted withinnine days (not the 24 hours normallyallowed by the spell). Note that the�additional spell� times given in theenchant an item spell description arerequired.

When the phylactery is thereby madeready for enchantment, the candidatemust cast trap the soul on it. Percentiledice are rolled; the spell has a 50%chance or working, plus 6% per level ofthe candidate (or caster, if it is anotherbeing) over 11th level. The phylacteryglows with a flickering blue-green faer-ie fire-like radiance for one round if it issuccessfully receptive for the candi-date�s soul.

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The candidate then must castNulathoe�s Ninemen on the phylactery,and within one turn of doing so, castmagic jar on it and enter it with his lifeforce. No victim is required for this useof the magic jar spell.

Upon entering the phylactery, thecandidate instantly loses one experi-ence level along with its commensuratespells and hit points. The soul and losthit points remain in the phylactery,which becomes AC 0 and has those hitpoints henceforth. The candidate isnow a lichnee, and must return to hisown body to rest for 1d6 + 1 days. Theordeal of becoming a lichnee is so trau-matic that the candidate forgets anymemorized spells of the top three levelsavailable to him, and cannot regain anyspells of those levels until the rest peri-od is complete. (Candidates usuallythen resume a life of adventuring toregain the lost level.)

The next time the lichnee candidatedies, regardless of the manner or pla-nar location of death, or barriers of anysort between corpse and phylactery,the candidate�s life force will go into thephylactery. For it to emerge again,there must be a recently dead (less than30 days) corpse within 90 feet of thephylactery. The corpse may be that ofany creature, and must fail a savingthrow vs. spell to be possessed. If itmakes its saving throw, it will neverreceive the lich.

If the creature had 3 hit dice or fewerin life, it saves as a zero-level fighter. If ithad 3 + 1 hit dice or greater in life, itsaves as if it were alive, with the follow-ing alignment modifiers: LG, CG, NG:+ 0; LN, CN, N: - 3; LE, - 4; NE: - 5; CE:-6. The candidate�s own corpse, ifwithin range, is at -10, and may havebeen dead for any length of time. Thelichnee may attempt to enter his owncorpse once per week until succeeding.(A phylactery too well-hidden mightnever offer the lichnee a corpse toenter. Many lichnee commit suicide tosave themselves such troubles.) Whenthe lichnee enters its own corpse, it ris-es in 1d4 turns as a full lich, with allmemorized spells and all undead abili-

ties as described in this book and theMONSTER MANUAL.

If the lichnee enters another�s corpse,he is limited to the corpse�s livingstrength, and will have no more than 4hit dice. The intelligence and wisdom ofthe lichnee candidate are preserved,and the corpse will rise after 1d3 turnsof apparent continuing death (the lich-nee�s presence being undetectable dur-ing this time) as a wight. This wightishbody cannot drain life energy, and willbe telepathic if it could speak in life. If itcould cast spells when alive, the lichneemay cast already memorized spells, orstudy and cast new ones, of up tofourth level (clerical, magic-user orboth, according to the candidate�s origi-nal class abilities). In the wightish body,the lichnee will seek his own body.

Thanks to the potion ingested earlier,the candidate�s own corpse can only bedestroyed by failing a save � as if itwere the living candidate, just prior todeath � against a disintegrate spell.Even if the body is burned or dismem-bered, its ashes or pieces will radiate anunlimited-range locate object to thelichnee. He may well encounter difficul-ties in regaining his body parts, but ifand when he does so, he will eat them.

Seven days after ingesting any part ofthe candidate�s original body, the wight-ish lichnee body will metamorphoseinto a body similar to the candidate�soriginal one, and manifest full lichpowers and abilities (re-roll hit pointsusing eight-sided dice).

Lich MagicOnce attaining full lichdom, a lich canelect to �permanently� memorize onespell per character experience levelattained in life. Such spells require onefull day to impress on the lich�s mind.Once so remembered, they will auto-matically be regained 66 turns aftercasting, forever after without recourseto spell books or need for study. Lichescan always elect to leave some spellslots open for memorization of newspells, or carry an assortment of spellsas needed in the manner used in life.

Both sorts of spells must be chosenfrom spells available to the lich for ini-tial study. Permanent spells are cast justas normal spells, but require no materi-al components. Liches cannot gainexperience levels, and are sterile.

A lich can use all scrolls and magicalitems used in life. Many liches arrangetheir lairs as traps to gain new magicfrom adventurers, offering treasure asbait. All liches know or have the spellNulathoe�s Ninemen, because at leastonce every 777 days they must cast iton their phylacteries, or they (and theliches) will crumble to dust on the 778thday.

Life as a LichEach time a lich�s life force flees to itsphylactery, it loses a level. A 10th levellich will be destroyed by a return to itsphylactery, its soul going on to theLower Planes as the phylactery crum-bles. A lich will always try to teleport (ifthe spell is available) his body back tothe phylactery before being reduced tozero hit points. (At 0 hit points or less, alich is destroyed forever.) The life forcecan get back to the phylactery (unstop-pable and unattackable on the way)without the body, but must thenattempt to possess a nearby corpse allover again, develop a wightish body,and search for his lich body again. Alich�s body will never decay (due to theNinemen spell). If it is disintegrated, thewightish lichnee will need a wish spellto reform it.

Pseudo-LichesPseudo-liches resemble real liches in allcharacteristics except energy drainingand the possession of a phylactery.They cannot be turned, and can pro-duce progeny. They are created when avery powerful magic-user is fanaticallypursuing a certain goal at the time ofdeath. Some inexplicable force, per-haps due to years of exposure to magic,allows the wizard�s soul to inhabit theshell of its dead body until the goal isachieved or the body crumbles to dust.

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Such pseudo-liches exist only 1d100years beyond death, cannot successful-ly prepare for lichdom while in thisstate, and are entirely intent on theirresearch or goal. Unless attacked orprevented from furthering their all-important work, they will pay events(and adventurers) around them noattention.

Demi-LichdomThe process of attaining lichdom cansustain a lich for many lifetimes, as longas Nulathoe�s Ninemen is faithfully castupon the phylactery, and the phylac-tery itself survives (other preservativemagics may be cast on it without harm-ing its efficacy). In the ForgottenRealms, the lich Charchee is known tohave existed in Mulhorand for almost3,000 years. But usually the magic failsto sustain a lich much beyond 900 yearsof full lichdom. Insanity (see the DMG)afflicts the lich, and the body crumbles.

Some liches survive beyond this pointas demi-liches (described in the Mon-ster Manual II), with abilities even moredangerous than those of a �normal�lich. Demi-lichdom is not a state thatcan be deliberately chosen or preparedfor; why and how it occurs to someliches and not to others remains a mys-tery, although great strength of will andactivity as a lich seems to make demi-lichdom more likely. Perhaps fell LowerPlane or divine powers are involved.Some liches consume larvae (see Mon-ster Manual) on a regular basis ratherthan employing Nulathoe�s Ninemen tomaintain bodily vitality; some sageshave advanced the hypothesis that ademi-lich�s sentience originates withsuch creatures. Investigative researchinto such details continues � but slow-ly, sages remind us, very slowly.

THE NIGHT GALLERYKendra the MadDescriptionKendra is a half-elven woman in her late30s, but looks like a crone because of herbedraggled, lined appearance. Herclothes are tattered, she bathes onlywhen she is rained upon, and the light ofinsanity shines clearly in her brown eyes.

Kendra seldom converses, and may nolonger be capable of normal speech. Shechuckles, laughs, mutters to herself, andsometimes breaks out in shrieks and sobsof anger or grief. For all that, she is rela-tively self-sufficient, stealing what sheneeds to eat from farmers� fields andsleeping in barns and haylofts when she isnot in a ditch or copse of trees. The mad-woman flees human contact, and is leeryof beasts and demi-human creatures. Shehas superhuman strength and the terri-ble cunning of the insane. Even when shehas been hunted, she has evaded pursuit,and has at times slain barehanded thosewho managed to close with her.

Statistics

Kendra: AC 10 (7 if enraged); MV 12�;hp 5 (stays conscious to -5 hp); Dmg1d2 (teeth and claws, attempts to bitevictim�s throat; AL CE; XP 500; ST 10(18 in self-defense); IN 16; WS 5; DX 9;CN 12; CH 7.

Spells: animate dead.

Her ability to raise skeletons comesfrom an arcane grimoire and does notrequire normal spell-casting proceduresto be effective (see �History�). Kendrawears a ring of invisibility and under-stands Common and Elvish. She is a half-elf with infravision to 30�, and is 30%immune to sleep and charm spells.

HistoryKendra was unbalanced to begin with. Atthe start of her apprenticeship theyseemed simple eccentricities, tolerated byher master, the fell necromancer DaalKamin: her fits of giggling, her odd fond-ness for things dead and decaying . . .

One day she sneaked away with theblack-bound tome of Garris Hominus, notrue man, he, but a shadow creature

skilled in the arts of necromancy and con-jurings from beyond the grave. Most ofwhat she read there was beyond her abili-ty to grasp, but all of it burned terriblyinto her brain, and cursed her with night-haunted visions of corpses and worm-eaten bones. Bones with the clean, simplelines of death, uncomplicated by disor-derly flesh and human needs. Bones thatfascinated her with a growing compul-sion, until she had no choice but to try aspell she had gleaned from the black vol-ume.

The spell worked better than she couldhave imagined. The long-separated bonesof the dead reformed with unnatural life,and pushed forth from their graves inevery village for miles around. Her laugh-ter rang out as she opened the gates totheir clattering knock, and tears ofamusement streamed down her face asthe dead attacked the living, leaving onlybones that reformed in their turn andswelled the ranks of her skeletons. Herminions. Even Daal Kasmin was startledfrom his sleep and died protesting thatsuch magic was beyond her.

The power of that first terrible spellsoon faded. Her mind was incapable ofrepeating such awesome magic. Laugh-ing, muttering, and sometimes sobbing toherself, Kendra wandered away downthe moonlit road, leaving a stronghold ofdead men and bones behind her.

Yet the magic lingers around her. Ken-dra is drawn to graveyards and tombs,and when she walks past, the bones of thedead knit together once more and followher on her nighttime expeditions. She isunthinking, and the skeletons which fol-low her are uncontrolled. She has no bid-ding for them save her unspoken wish tosee the clean lines of death so nicely rep-resented in skeletal form.

And the skeletons obey.

Encounters with Kendra

Kendra is found in rural areas where vil-lages are scattered within walking dis-tance of each other. It is this sort of placethat provides her with adequate hidingplaces and sources of food. She seldomlingers longer than a week or two nearany one village. If she is seen or encoun-tered by a single individual, there is a 40%

chance that Kendra will attack that per-son outright in order to keep her where-abouts secret. Otherwise, the madwomanflees the area immediately (unless bribedas detailed below).

At least once a month, during the newmoon, Kendra is drawn to a graveyard orother place where skeletons may befound. At that time, she sings and muttersto herself, undoubtedly repeating por-tions of the original spell. Soon 2d6 skele-tons rise from the ground and join her forher midnight ramble. The skeletonsremain animated for 1d4x10 hoursbefore the magical effect automaticallydispells.

Although Kendra may not have a con-scious thought of wreaking havoc orrevenge, she often retuns with the skele-tons to a place where she was harassed orinjured in the course of the last week ortwo. There, prompted by her unspokenhatred, the skeletons attack the livingwho were responsible for the �offense� toKendra, whatever it may have been.

Bribed with food and kind words, Ken-dra can sometimes (10% chance) be luredinto accompanying a person for a shorttime or distance. If they are with her atthe time, the skeletons follow as well. Atleast one Evil magic-user has tried toenlist the madwoman�s assistance in thisway, and succeeded for a short time �until the skeletons attacked him, too.

Kendra is believed to have hidden thelost tome of Garris Hominu, which wasnot found after Daal Kasmin�s death. Cler-ics agree it would be an act of great chari-ty to track the madwoman and somehowrestore her sanity, but no one has yet suc-ceeded in doing so.

Morasha theNethereseNecromancerA slender, graceful woman of pale skin,light eyes and black hair, Morasha�sapparent youth belies the nearly two mil-lennia she has owned and lived in the cas-tle. No one looking at her would imagineher to be a day over 40, and only a jealouswoman or a blind man would make thatassessment. Her speech will be archaic,and her manners a bit rusty, but she com-

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ports herself very much as one born to aminor branch of the Netherese royalhouse.

Morasha is the great-grandniece ofAumvor the Undying. Like her great-granduncle, she is a magic-user who stud-ied necromancy, but she moved into adifferent area of study from her other rel-atives. For all intents and purposes, she isa research necromancer, which meansher work impinges on reality as much asthe work of a quantum physicist does inour world.

Brought up on tales of Aumvor�s mis-treatment at the hands of Nuris Elfward,Morasha decided to redress the dishonordone her family. She succeeded in locat-ing Nuris� tomb in the mountains ofEvereska and had his bones transportedback to her castle. She reassembled theskeleton and, in contemplating how toexact revenge upon the dead hero, shebegan to read about him in sources otherthan family chronicles.

She enchanted his skeleton to performsome of the complex fencing maneuversattributed to him by the bards and discov-ered that, for an enormous man, hemoved with incredible agility. She readmore, including certain memoirs of aNetherese sorceress who had lusted afterNuris despite his repeated rejection of heradvances.

Slowly, though her studies, Morasha fellin love with Nuris. At first she tried todeny it because it would be treasonagainst her family, but the more she triedto shut Nuris out of her mind, the moreshe came to think about him. Even asNetheril dried out and Anauroch�s sandytentacles strangled it, Morasha decidedshe would do whatever it took to bringher Nuris back to life.

Her longevity is directly attributable tothe creation of living zombies. By implant-ing a paring from one of her fingernailsinto the flesh over their spines, she gainscontrol of the individual. This mysticallink also feeds the individual�s life forceback into her. She does not age, becauseshe has literally lived out the lives of thou-sands of animals and Zhentarim. (She seesthe Zhentarim as little more than animalswith hands.)

Ultimately, Morasha is obsessed withreturning Nuris to life. Her experiment is

almost complete, and her attitude towardpeople from the outside depends uponhow much or how little she believes theycan aid her goal. As a research magician,her practical knowledge of offensive anddefensive spells is nil. For all these years,she has had her zombies to protect her.Other Netherese magic-users, if others dosurvive still, might have much less of anacademic knowledge of magic.

Success in bringing Nuris back couldhave several di f ferent outcomes.Morasha could accompany Nuris on anyand all adventures, if he decides he likesher company. If he rejects her, thechances are about even that she will gonuts or wander into exile. If crazy, shewill flee in the short term to plot herrevenge against those who helped bringNuris back to life. After all, had the play-ers not done something wrong, Nuriswould love her. If she wanders into exile,she could return from time to time, espe-cially if she needs help doing something.She�d not intervene in an adventure as adeus ex machina, but certainly couldoffer the characters employment in onequest or another.

Care and Feeding of aLiving Zombie

The ritual that binds a living zombie to anecromancer takes about 12 hours andrequires intense concentration. The zom-bie is given narcotic draughts, then sub-jected to a whole series of stimuli that isshared by the necromancer. For example,both zombie and master would smell thesame incense or be lowered into the samepool of warm water. By sharing theseexperiences, the necromancer and his orher victim are brought close, making iteasier for the magic-user to take controlof the victim�s body.

Inserting a fingernail paring into, ortying a braided loop of hair around, thevictim�s neck is the final action in the rit-ual. It creates a line between the necro-mancer and the living zombie that allowsfor control of the zombie and for the zom-bie�s life force to stream back into the nec-romancer. The necromancer will literallylive out the zombie�s life for him or her.

The return benefits for the living zom-bie are such that no one chooses this as a

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career. Heightened strength and anincreased ability to take damage are theonly good points about this condition.While a zombie might, with proper care,live out his or her normal life span, thisseldom happens because the victim mostoften surrenders to despair. If a victimhas not been broken, removing the nailparing or cutting the braided hair loopwill free him or her, though the formerzombie will probably be in bad shape forsome time thereafter,

A recovering living zombie would prob-ably know some of the necromancer�ssecrets, as a result of their close link. Thiscould prove an interesting source ofinformation for a campaign.

Rugen Phimister theGhast

* Rugen�s great bulk gives him extrahit points, but it also slows him down,giving him a -3 initiative during phys-ical combat.

Rugen Phimister: AC 4; MV 6�; HD9; hp 38*; # AT 3*; Dmg 1d4/1d4/1dB;SA nausea, paralyzation; SD immuneto sleep and charm; AL CE; XP 1,456.

Rugen Phimister was (or still is, as hesees it) a tax collector for a local lord.While alive, he overcharged the tax, pock-eting the extra money, but more oftenthan not, he cheated his lord. Rugen lovedhis gold, yet he loved what gold could buyfor him just as much, if not more. Heowned a fine villa, fine clothing, and of allthings, he ate well. To him, it seemed thathe could never eat enough. In life, he wascorpulent, grossly fat.

Yet all Rugen Phimister�s ill-gottenwealth could not save him. While collect-ing taxes in a small, remote town, thestrain of his extra weight overtaxed hisheart, and he died. The dutiful townsfolknotified their lord of the tax collector�sdemise (and sent along what moneyRugen had on him, along with his recordbook), and then buried the fat corpse intheir burial grounds, in a mass grave,along with a handful of plague victimsand two bandits who had been executedthe same day, unblessed and without cer-emony.

For most men, this would be the end oftheir tale, but not Rugen. An appetite likehis could survive even death. When heawoke, there was enough to satisfy hishunger . . . at least for the time being.

Called by some inner sense, Rugen bur-rowed deep beneath his grave, and founda warren of ancient ghoul tunnels popu-lated by a few emaciated, starving ghouls.Unlike his fellows, more of Rugen�s intel-lect survived the horrid transformation,and the fat, wily ghoul led the starvingcreatures to new feasts in the graveyardabove. However, Rugen the ghoul soonbecame Rugen the ghast. Captured bydemons, he served as a �hound,� or hunt-ing beast, for demons of the Abyss, butwas later taken as a spoil of war by fol-lowers of the Type VI demon Grintharke,who controls Hellgate Keep in the North(see FR5, THE SAVAGE FRONTIER). Upongaining his release from Grintharke�s min-ions, Rugen returned to his formerhaunts, drawn by dim memories of thetreasure he had secreted nearby in life.

Rugen�s AlliesHe is always guarded by a single ghastand two loyal ghouls, former grave rob-bers who were willing to risk plague inorder to relieve the notorious RugenPhimister of any funerary valuables. Theghast is his hunt leader, and an ally fromhis time in the outer planes.

Ghast (1): AC 4; MV 15� ; HD 4; hp 20;# AT 3; Dmg 1d4/1d4/1dB; SA nausea,paralyzation; SD immune to sleep andcharm; AL CE; XP 205.Ghouls (2): AC 6; MV 9�; HD 2; hp12, 9; # AT 3*; Dmg 1d3/1d3/1d6; SAparalyzation; SD immune to sleep andcharm; AL CE; XP 85 each.

Roleplaying Rugen theGhastLike most ghouls and ghasts, the mind ofthe man who was once Rugen Phimisterhas been destroyed by the change andreplaced by a cunning intellect whichpartakes of both Rugen Phimister�s mem-ories and baser desires and the cruel sav-agery of creatures of the Abyss.

Rugen always thinks of himself first. Hewill do anything to improve his own sta-tus, increase his own wealth, or ease theconstant, gnawing hunger within histitanic scabrous belly. He makes agree-ments he will not honor and asks for trustwhen he will give none, No lie is too base,no betrayal too difficult, and no deed tooheinous for Rugen Phimister to perform.There is nothing in him like compassion,mercy, honesty, or trust.

When encountered, he is always eating,stuffing rotting flesh into his snaggle-toothed mouth or gnawing an all-too-human bone. His voice is both gutturaland hissing, and his frequent smile is nearenough to drive a man mad. He is haugh-ty, but needs constant reassurance thatmen (and others) still need him.

If his undead status is mentioned in hispresence, he becomes more unbalancedthan usual. Like many ghouls, Rugen doesnot believe himself to be dead. A part ofhis personality still thinks of himself asRugen the tax collector (it is the only waythe small, sane part of his mind canrationalize eating corpses � he calls it�collecting�). He fully intends to turn thetaxes he has accumulated over to his lord,but he can�t remember where his ill-gotten tax treasure is hidden,

Rugen loves gold and treasure, almostas much as he loves to eat, and so long ashis enormous appetite is sated, his serv-ices and knowledge can be bought.

Rugen the GuideThough Rugen is as disgusting a creatureas one might imagine, he also has his uses,though the price is high. As the formerslave of demons, he knows the location ofconduits to the outer planes, gates to oth-er Prime Material Planes, and can act as aguide on several layers of the Abyss andTarterus. So long as his personal risk islow, he will accompany adventurers onsuch missions. The fee for such a serviceis 2,000 gp for locating a gate or conduitentrance on the Prime Material Plane,and 10,000 gp if the fat ghast must accom-pany PCs as a guide. On guide missions,he requires half payment in advance anda hostage from the PCs to ensure his ownsafety. He is always accompanied by hisghast and ghoul guards. In Tarterus or the

Abyss, there is a 75% chance that he cancontract a resident who owes him a�favor from the old days.�

Rugen knows a secret entrance to the137th layer of the Abyss where he was aslave of one of Orcus� lesser demonicallies. If properly bribed (Rugen still lovesgold), he can act as a guide for travelerson the 137th and 138th layers of theAbyss, several spheres of Tarterus and atleast the part of the Prime Material Planethat has been conquered by Orcus.

Rugen can also act as a guide for charac-ters wanting to find their way around inHellgate Keep. He knows of at least onepoorly guarded above-ground entranceand is intensely familiar with the ghoulwarren beneath the city.

Vinjarek the GreatWightFrom the Notebooks of Jilda the Sage ofNeverwinter

The great wight is a leader of wights, avery rare creature that can only formfrom the body of a being of consecratedroyal blood. The original body must havebeen of lawful good alignment and beendedicated to the service of a lawful gooddeity, then fallen from grace and not beenreconciled to the religion of his birthbefore he died.

All wights must follow the commandsof such a leader, and these leaders arevery jealous of their leadership. No morethan one such leader can be found amongany collection of wights. Tyrkan the Wan-derer speaks of seeing a battle betweentwo such creatures that ended in the slowshrinking of one of the wights until hewas no bigger than the others who watch-ed, at which time he submitted himself tothe great wight. Tyrkan then left his van-tage point before he could be discoveredby the no-longer-distracted wights.

Unlike other wights, great wights areknown to use armor and weapons to sup-plement their normal combat techniques,making them even more fearsome oppo-nents than their followers.

Great wights are also more resistant tot h e c o m m a n d s o f c l e r i c s . B i s h o pSherganil of Waterdeep once attemptedto turn a horde of wights in the cata-

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combs of Waterdeep, and saw one wight,the leader, stay his ground while his fol-lowers fled; the creature continued toattack, but fortunately, the bishop�s com-panions were of sufficient strength todestroy the monster before the bishopcould be harmed.

Notes

FREQ rare; # APP 1; AC 3; MV 12�; HD7 +3; % in lair: 100%; TREAS A&B; #AT 2; Dmg weapon +2/special; SAenergy drain; SD silver or magic weap-ons to hit; MR as wights; IN average;AL LE; Size M; PSI nil; ATT/DEF nil.

1. Where most wights have lost all abil-ity to use weapons (see wights descrip-tion), the great wight still retains theweapon-using abilities he had in life.Moreover, his undead strength gives hima +2 modifier to hit and damage for anyblow he strikes with a weapon.

2. Because of their greater power, agreat wight must be turned as a spectreis, not as a wight. Thus, a cleric must be atleast fifth level before he can hope toaffect a great wight.

3. Despite the statements of Jilda theSage, great wights come from no morenoble a background than their followers.A great wight is simply a wight that hasmanaged to absorb enough life energy togain in power. This to some extentexplains the enthusiasm of wights inattacking their prey. The more successfula wight is at draining energy, the betterchance it has of becoming a great wightand getting its chance to rule its kind.

The spirits that animate wights may nothave quite this motivation, but this is thebest way it translates in human terms.The bodies animated into wights are usu-ally those of noblemen because they arethe ones buried with the most care givento preservation, thus giving the spiritsmore opportunity to find the bodies andinhabit them before they decay beyonduse.

4. Vinjarek, the great wight of theTombs of Deckon Thar, stands with thesame stooped-over posture as his fol-lowers. He wears a chain mail shirt thathangs in tatters and rags around him, butis still intact enough to give him his

higher-than-normal armor class. Hewears the crown of the people who bur-ied the original bodies in these tombs.This is a gold and silver crown with manygems in it and is worth about 15,000 gp.The rest of his treasure is detailed in theadventure.

Vinjarek prefers to sit alone in histhrone room with about three messen-gers to take his commands to the otherwights. He uses these wights to carry hiscommands and get back reports as towhat is happening.

When there are no intruders in the val-ley (the normal circumstance), he and hismessengers sit in an immobile state, justaware enough to be able to detect thepresence of arriving strangers. When theydo get intruders, the throne roombecomes a hive of activity (for wights)with messengers entering and leaving atall times with commands on how toarrange the wight defenders/attackers.

When Vinjarek realizes he is confront-ing a major force of adventurers whoactually pose a threat to him, he will com-mand the other wights to lead the playercharacters to him, and he will ready hisdefense, as delineated in the adventuredescription.

Damien Nuren theShadow MastersDescriptionDamien Nuren is in his 40s, a slenderhuman of medium height. His piercinggray eyes are deep set, and his long blackhair is touched with gray at the temples.Urbane and scholarly, Damien oftenpresents himself as a gentleman, an alche-mist, or a doctor of philosophy. Thoughperfectly qualified to carry out any ofthose poses, he is actually a wizard whodivides his time between the creation ofnew magical devices and interplanarexploration.

Damien is knowledgeable and self-confident enough to tackle the riskiest ofmagical researches completely alone. Inspite of this, he is cowardly when it comesto personal risk in dangerous places. Thewizard is secretive about his findings andis an expert at double talk. Out of choice,he spends little time in the company of

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humans and has few scruples in his deal-ings with them. Damien is self-centeredand concerned only with furthering hispersonal interests. He has amassed con-siderable wealth, but it is kept in his resi-dence on another plane. (See�Encounters�.)

Statistics

Damien Nuren (eighth-levelmagic-user): AC 8; MV 12�; HD 8; hp28; # AT 1; Dmg 1d6 +2; AL NE; XP2,400; ST 13; IN 18; WS 10; DX 12; CN10; CH 14.

Spells: charm person, feather fall,light, protection from good, knock x2,wizard lock x2, dispel magic x2, fly�lightning bolt, confusion, dimensiondoor, fear, wizard eye, hold monster,teleportation, wall of force, globe ofinvulnerability

Damien wears a cloak of protection +2.He carries a walking stick that is actually aquarterstaff +2. He wears a ring ofundead (shadow) control and an onyxring of Negative Plane protection, whichgives him the protection as the clericalspell of the same name. It has only 12charges remaining; one is used each timethe wearer is attacked by a creature tiedin any way to the Negative Energy Plane.Hence, it is also effective against crea-tures using negative energy attacks onthe Demi-Plane of Shadows (see �CreatureNotes�). Damien�s other valuables are athis residence on the Plane of Air.

HistoryIn his younger days, Damien studied witha master who introduced him to the won-ders of the Inner Planes. Loren taught hiseager pupil the secrets of planar travel,and shared some of his researches intothe Negative Energy Plane. Lorenbelieved that the greatest power in themultiverse lay untapped in that plane,and he strove to discover a way to har-ness those energies for his own ends.

Damien agreed with his master, andworked closely beside him for years.Although not all of Loren�s work andnotebooks were intended for his studentto read, Damien refused to let lack of per-

the errant mage. Damien refused to go,and, in the heat of the moment, murderedhis master.

mission hinder his learning. CatchingDamien at his unauthorized studies,Loren felt his greatest discoveries hadbeen betrayed. Furious, Loren dismissed

Quickly reconciling himself to the �acci-dent,� Damien adopted Loren�s research-es for his own purposes. His brilliantmind saw unexplored avenues and likelyconnections that the older wizard hadoverlooked. Using Loren�s resources andmagical laboratory, Damien began hisown researches into the nature of theNegative Energy Plane. He soon realizedthat no living person could hope to tap theawesome power of the energy planes. Yetalmost as much power was embodied inthe Demi-Plane of Shadow, composed ofequal parts positive and negative energy,and his researches sought a way to tapinto that power.

Over time, Damien found it moreadvantageous to live on the ElementalPlane of Air, a convenient place fromwhich to probe the elusive Demi-Plane ofShadow. Necessarily, much of the wiz-ard�s time is spent in the creation of spe-cial purpose magical items intended to Mummyfurther his researches. He often travels tothe Prime Material Plane to test thesedevices or to gather materials for theirconstruction.

EncountersDamien is encountered most often on theEthereal Plane, the Elemental Plane of Air,or the Demi-Plane of Shadow. He exploresand travels these planes frequently, main-taining his primary residence on the Ele-mental Plane of Air. His domain there isguarded by ildriss, an invisible stalker,and a djinn in servitude.

When Damien is encountered on thePrime Material Plane, it is almost alwayswhen he is collecting materials for magi-cal research or conducting a field test ofsomething he has created. Since most ofhis tests have to do with the Demi-Plane ofShadow, he looks for the presence ofundead shadows, one indicator that thedemi-plane may be close to a particularPrime Material location. As a conse-quence, he often conducts his field tests

in such locations, and is sometimes guard-ed or accompanied by undead shadows.Damien sometimes hires adventurers togather materials that he needs, or may getcharacters to test a new device withouttelling them the full truth about its natureor purpose.

When Damien wants to leave the PrimeMaterial Plane, he teleports to the secretlocation of a permanent wormhole intothe Plane of Air. From there it is a simplematter for him to travel to other InnerPlanes. Anyone touching the magic-usermay be drawn with him into the worm-hole and onto the Plane of Air.

Recently, Damien has felt he is on theverge of a great breakthrough. His stayson the Demi-Plane of Shadow have beendifficult, dangerous, and of short dura-tion. He knows his research would prog-ress better if he was, for all intents andpurposes, a native of the Demi-Plane ofShadow. He has built a device whichshould achieve this effect. Now, he onlyneeds to find some expendable persons totest it . . .

Hssstak the Greater

The greater mummy is not just a moredeadly version of the creature commonlyknown as a mummy, it is a mummy whohas chosen to undergo the mummifica-tion process, in which the victim�s bodydies, but the soul does not. Through itschoice, the greater mummy retains muchof the power it had in life, including theability to cast spells (clerical, magic-user,or illusionist, depending on the mummy�sformer class). It may cast spells like a liv-ing being, but spell use is limited toseventh-level ability.

Of all greater mummies encountered,80% will be spell-casters. Of those, 50%are former evil clerics, 45% are magic-users, and 5% are illusionists. The greatermummy also retains most, if not all, itsformer intelligence. It tends to be a think-er and a schemer, not a mindless fightingmachine.

While the lesser mummy fears fires, thegreater mummy has been enchanted toresist fire (as the ring). Like the lessermummy, the mere sight of a greatermummy within 6� causes fear in the

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viewer and, unless a saving throw vs.spells is made, the PC is paralyzed withfright for 1d4 rounds. Numerous alliesgive PCs courage when confronting amummy. For each ally above a 6:1 ratio tothe mummy, non-humans gain a + 1 totheir saving roll, while humans gain a + 2.

The greater mummy can only be struckby magical weapons, and even those dobut ½ normal damage, with all fractionsrounded down (a 5 becomes 2, a 3becomes 1, and so on). Sleep, charm, hold,and all cold-based spells have no effect onthe greater mummy, and neither does poi-son or paralysis. A raise dead spell willturn the mummy into a normal human(though it has a saving throw against thespell) of its former character class, at upto seventh-level ability.

Holy water which strikes a mummydoes 2d4 points of damage for each fullvial. The touch of a greater mummyinfects a victim with a rotting disease,which is fatal in 1d6 months. For eachmonth the disease progresses, the victimpermanently loses 2 points of Charisma,as infected body parts rot and slough offthe body. The deadly disease can only becured permanently by the casting of acure disease spell after the victim hasi m b i b e d a n h e r b a l t e a m a d e o fmothersleaf, a healing plant. The diseasenegates all cure wounds spells and infect-ed creatures heal wounds at 10% or thenormal rate. Any creature killed by agreater mummy rots and cannot beraised from death unless cure disease andraise dead spells are used within 6 turns.

Hsssthak as Himself(Lizard Man)(Pronounced Eeesss-TAK)

Hsssthak (greater mummy): AC 0;MV 6�; HD 7+3; hp 55; # AT 1; Dmg1d12; SA fear, disease, spell use; SD fireresistant, and immune to sleep, charm,and all cold-based attacks; AL LE; XP1200.

Spells: Level 1 � charm person x2,magic missile, sleep; Level 2 � flamingsphere, darkness 15� radius; ray ofenfeeblement; Level 3 � haste, holdperson; Level 4 � minor globe of invul-nerability.

Surrounded by dusty carvings of beastsno man has seen, Hsssthak of ancientIsstosseffiil broods upon his ebonythrone, in an airless hall deep beneath themighty desert. Across the eons he hasrested here, but he has found no peace.He dreams dark visions of an age whenhis people ruled, practicing mighty sor-cery, creating exotic new life forms, andforever battling both the winged folk ofthe Aearee and wretched wet-skinnedbatrachi.

Of the Isstossef, only Hsssthak nowremains, his dry, withered features bare-ly hinting at the lost glory of his reptilianrace. Someone taking a quick glance athim would identify him as human, yet histaut snake-like skin, dry, bony tail, anddistorted features categorize him other-wise.

The time of the creator races was wan-ing, the dinosaurs dying out and beingreplaced by other creatures more able towithstand the new, colder climate. Seersamong the reptilian creator race felt thata time might come when the lizard folkwould need help to reclaim their rightfulplace in the world. Hsssthak, once a notedsorcerer among his reptilian people, will-ingly allowed himself to be mummified inorder to protect part of the heritage of hisrace � the ability to magically modify oth-er creatures. Hsssthak patiently awaitsthe day when the descendants of hisancient race will come seeking the goldenspell scrolls that he guards.

Roleplaying HsssthakHsssthak has sat upon his dark throne forcountless years (possibly millions). He isaware of much of what goes in the outerworld through the use of his magical mir-ror of sight and sound (which functionsexactly like a crystal ball with clairaudi-ence). He can speak haltingly in mostmodern languages.

He is aware of activity in the outer cryptareas, and will prepare himself accord-ingly, depending on whether or not theintruders are reptilian or humans anddemi-humans.

Hsssthak is patient and does not acthastily. He has had eons to prepare for themeeting with his descendants. If theintruders are lizard men, he will give

Jeremiah Morningmist: AC 1; MV12�/18�; HD 8+3; hp 67; # AT 1; Dmg1d4+6; SA energy drain and spells; SD+1 or better weapons to hit� regener-ates 3 hp per round; AL CE; Size M; XP1�804.

them the two golden scrolls (containingawaken intelligence and alter beast; see�Mummy Lair�) to aid them in theirreturn to power. If the intruders arehumans or demi-humans, he will seek tocharm them into doing his bidding, and ifthat fails, then geas them using a scrollspell (with a 25% chance of failure).

Even though he has watched their prog-ress over the ages, Hsssthak considers allnon-reptilians to be little more thanbeasts.

JonathanMorningmist theGreater Vampire

Jonathon Morningmist (greatervampire): AC 0; MV 12�/18�; HD 10;hp 67; # AT 1; Dmg 2d6; SA energydrain; SD + 1 or better weapons to hit,regenerates 3 hp per round; AL LG;Size M; XP 2,438.

Jonathon stands 5�10� and has a slightlyruddy complexion. He is strikingly hand-some. He has shoulder-length silver hairand piercing violet eyes. He is anextremely kind man who frequently takesin beggars or other misfortunates for theevening. He is quick to champion a cause,aiding people (in the evening, of course).

He will occasionally charm Evil femalethieves and use them as barmaids, hopingcontinued exposure to him will changetheir ways. He possesses a djinn ring,which creates �nutritious� food for him.However, when his �hunger� for bloodbecomes too great, a few of his closestfriends willingly share some of theirs. Heis extremely careful to not hurt hisfriends.

His magic items include the mirror inthe Blue Dolphin, which shows his reflec-tion, a large bag of holding, the djinn ring,+ 3 long sword, ring of spell turning,cloak of the bat, and the + 3 shield he isoffering as a reward. His wealth is storedin his room above the Blue Dolphin andconsists of 5,800 gp worth of gems, 10,000gp worth of jewelry, 50 pp, 120 gp, and2,000 sp.

JeremiahMorningmist theLesser Vampire

Jeremiah s tands 5 �10� ta l l , andalthough he has a very, very pale com-plexion, he is strikingly handsome. He hasshoulder-length silver hair.

Jeremiah is Evil incarnate, killing on awhim and treating others with as littleregard as inhumanly possible. He strivesto gain more power and wealth, caring lit-tle for anything else.

Jeremiah�s magic items include dust ofsneezing and choking, ring of water walk-ing, small bag of holding, ring of spellturning, + 3 staff, cloak of the bat, anddust of disappearance (three uses).

Jeremiah, a 12th-level magic-user, hasmemorized the following spells: first-level� magic missile x2, ventriloquism, holdportal; second-level � darkness 15� radi-us, web, stinking cloud, mirror image;third-level � lighting bolt, protectionfrom good 10� radius, hold person, slow;fourth-level � ice storm, confusion,Rary�s mnemonic enhancer (3 magic mis-sile spells); fifth-level � cone of cold,transmute rock to mud, transmute mudto rock.

If Jeremiah is aware of the PCs� pres-ence, he will cast hold person. He�ll alsouse transmute rock to mud and trans-mute mud to rock to attempt to capturethe PCs with the stone floor.

If Jeremiah is turned, he will becomegaseous, only to later come upon the par-ty from behind. Jeremiah is relentless andwill not let the party escape unscathed.However, Jeremiah will not fight to thedeath. If he truly believes he is losing thebattle, he will flee.

If Jeremiah is slain, and the PCs bringsome proof of their deed to the mer-chants� guild and to Jonathon, they will berewarded. The PCs may have an interest-ing time confronting Jonathon with thelook-alike vampire. Jonathon will dismiss

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reveal the tale of the two vampires andwill explain about the helmet, which hasforever made him Lawful Good.

it as coincidence or an attempt by somedevil to impersonate him. If the PCs per-sist, and Jonathon believes them to behonorable and Good individuals, he will

Hieronymous Boscothe Ghost Wizard

Hieronymous Bosco (ghost wiz-ard): AC 0/8; MV 9�; HD 19; hp 60; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4x10 years; SA magicianfear; SD silver or magic weapoon need-ed to hit; AL LE; XP 4,090

Hieronymous Bosco was born in Thayto parents both schooled in the ways ofsorcery. From a young age, he wastutored in the ways of magic, but hiscareer as a successor to his parents as amember of the Red Wizards was encum-bered by the fact he in no way possessedtheir degree of intellectual brilliance.Nevertheless, Hieronymous proved him-self to be at least an average mage, show-ing a particular interest in necromancyand the occult. Upon his mother�s death,his father, dissatisfied with his son�s apti-tude, cast the young mage out, andHieronymous took to wandering theRealms, hiring himself out to variousnobles, and even a bandit group or two,as a wizard.

Invariably, his employers would findthe mage lazy, untrustworthy, and lack-ing the skills of sorcery that did not some-how relate to death or necromancy. Thiswasted life continued for a number ofdecades until the mage found himself inthe employ of Sir John Ampner, a noble-man seeking a wizard for his estate. Nowin his 50s, and anxious to find a perma-nent position somewhere, Hiernonymousdid his best to put on a good act, convinc-ing Sir John he was an honorable, skilledmage. Seeing through his facade from thebeginning was Brother Frederick, SirJohn�s resident cleric. The old priestinvestigated the backgound of the mage,discovering his past misdeeds, and thefact he was known to be a practitioner ofthe black arts who was wanted for a num-ber of crimes.

Angered at having been lied to, Sir Johnintended to denounce the mage and handhim over to the local authorities. ButHieronymous learned of this, and withthe help of a disreputable stable hand,arranged for the death of his employerwhile Brother Frederick was absent. Theestate then passed into the hands of LadySamantha, Sir John�s daughter.

Lacking the funds to manage the estate(which the mage had stolen and hidden),Lady Samantha was forced to accept thewizard�s offer to fund the manor�s contin-ued operation in return for being allowedto stay on as seneschal. Brother Frederickeventually returned, confronting the wiz-ard, and was slain in his own chapel. Withno one left to oppose him, the mage nowforced his attentions on Lady Samantha,hoping to wed her. Defiantly, she spurnedhim, and was locked in a tower, whereshe starved to death. The mage thenspread the tale she had sold the manor tohim and departed. Not long afterward,Hieronymous met his own end at thehands of an ambitious apprentice.Although buried elsewhere, his spirit wascursed to haunt the manor where he hadcaused so much trouble to so many.

Roleplaying the WizardHieronymous hates the living for the tor-ment of unrest he endures. The manorhouse in which he brought misery tothose around him is now his prison � andhe seeks to leave it. Toward that end, thepresence of a group of adventurers orplunderers might well give him theopportunity he needs. So great is hishatred of the living, though, and so largehis ego and domineering his personality,that the mage will not content himselfwith merely possessing a host and thenseeking egress. He will instead first fright-en and harass the living by playing tricksand possessing objects. The whole idea isto sustain the tension amongst his ene-mies as much as possible. Only when hetires of the game, or the group comes toonear the room in which he died, willthings suddenly become lethal, with theghost seeking to possess a PC wizard ino r d e r t o u s e s o r c e r y a g a i n s t t h eintruders. Failing that, he will physicallyattack his enemies, hoping to rob them of

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the life he now is denied. In life, the wiz-ard was tall, muscular, and bald, with aVandyke beard. In death, he barelyresembles a former human, his featuresnow being distorted and grotesque. Car-rying the spiritual chains he forged in life,the evil spirit of the mage is slow-moving� but deadly.

Tanomitsu Mitsurothe Samurai SpectreDescriptionIn life, Mitsuro was the samurai generalcommanding part of the forces whichfought � and lost � the Hojo War in Koza-kura. A stern and humorless man, Mit-suro prided himself on his practicalityand ruthlessness in accomplishing hisambitions.

In death, the spectre of Tanomitsu Mit-suro is much the same. He is calculatingand ruthless, and continues to harborgreat ambitions. His undead hatred forthe living is surpassed only by his hatredfor the enemies of the Tanomitsu clan.Never an idle man, the spectre Mitsuro isobsessed with his plan to destroy enemiesof his house and restore the Tanomitsuclan to fortune and power.

Statistics

Tanomitsu Mitsuro (spectre): AC2; MV 15�/30�; HD 7+3; hp 45; # AT 1;Dmg 1d8; SA drains 2 levels per touch,victim becomes half-strength spectreunder Mitsuro�s control; SD immune tosleep, charm, hold, cold-based spells,paralyzation or poison, +1 or betterweapons to hit; AL LE; XP 2,100.

Mitsuro is powerless in daylight and canbe destroyed if a raise dead spell is cast onhim (saving throw vs. magic allowed). Holywater inflicts 2d4 points of damage.

Although he was an accomplished samu-rai when he was alive, those skills have noeffect on the spectre�s fighting abilities.

HistoryTanomitsu Mitsuro was one of Hojo Toda-hiro�s generals in the Hojo War. Head ofthe powerful Tanomitsu clan, Mitsuro�s

clan was one of the most influential sup- Encountersporters of the shogun and was in greatfavor.

During the battle of Norinoshima,which was ultimately lost by Todahiro�sforces, General Tanomitsu and his per-sonal retainers were cut off from the bat-tle by an ambush. Recognizing thatTodahiro forces faced defeat, TanomitsuMitsuro fled to Okane Province to defendhis family at Ezuwara Castle.

Knowing the battle was virtually wonand not wishing to let the general escape,Yamashita Ichiro and his troops pursuedthe Tanomitsu party closely. Yamashitatook the town of Ezuwara before the gen-eral could prepare a defense, then con-fronted Tanomitsu in his castle.

Yamashita demanded his surrender, butthe general refused. Unwilling to conducta long siege and scornful of Tanomitsu�s�cowardly desertion,� Yamashita had histroops fire the castle with arrows. Itburned to the ground, destroying allwithin. Ezuwara Castle and the surround-ing town were later given to YamashitaIchiro as a reward for his services to theTakenaka clan during the Hojo War.

The Tanomitsu clan was perhaps thegreatest loser of all after the Hojo War.These longtime supporters of Hojo Toda-hiro lost their lands and estates, and mostof their numbers were executed orforced to flee to distant provinces to pre-serve their lives. The Tanomitsu clan hassunk into obscurity, and is a dangerousname to use in Kozakura today.

These wrongs have not gone unnoticedby the spectral Mitsuro. His hatred burnsagainst those who used his kin so poorly.He is particularly vengeful toward theYamashita and Takenaka clans, the twomost responsible for the destruction ofthe Tanomitsu.

Tanomitsu Mitsuro�s remains lie underthe castle foundation in a secret passage-way, along with those of this daughterIsui and his cousin Tamako (see adventureelsewhere in this book). The spectreshaunt Ezuwara Castile, which is now afief of the hated Yamashita clan. Obuno,the son of Lord Yamashita, lives in therebuilt castle; he and his family havebecome the first targets of Mitsuro�s spec-tral revenge.

One encounter with Mitsuro is detailedelsewhere in this book, as he and his fel-low spectres try to destroy the Yamashitainhabitants of Ezuwara Castle. However,the death of these few Yamashita is by nomeans the limit of Mitsuro�s ambitions.Either before or after that adventuretakes place, Mitsuro may be encounteredelsewhere, putting his grand plan intoaction.

It is Mitsuro�s ambition to create a spec-tral army, which he will eventually leadon a mission of death and destructionagainst all who have hurt the Tanomitsuclan since their defeat in the Hojo War. Hisfavorite �recruits� for his spectral armyare bushi and samurai, although he willtake anyone he can get his hands on. Noris he particular about what clan theycome from; Mitsuro considers it a goodjoke to recruit spectres from among hisenemies, since they are destined to slaytheir living relatives.

Mitsuro likes to do this business him-self, since the half-strength spectres thatresult are then under his direct control.While Isui and Tamako remain near Ezu-wara Castle, Mitsuro ranges about thecountryside, sometimes traveling quitefar away. He singles out a likely prospectfor his spectral army, then attacks anddrains the life from his victim.

Mitsuro orders the resulting spectre tostay where he was created, since Mitsurodoes not want to tip his hand by letting hisspectral army collect prematurely at Ezu-wara Castle. Needless to say, there are agrowing number of half-strength spec-tres floating about the countryside � allawaiting the call to Mitsuro�s service, andin the meantime hating and preying onthe living around them.

Mitsuro�s half-strength spectres mightbe encountered anywhere. The generalhimself is encountered if he singles out aPC as an attractive prospect for his spec-tral army. Mitsuro is clever, and does notusually attack individuals in company. Hewill wait until he can get the PC alone, andthen go after him or her when the victimcannot readily be helped by the others.

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Alokkair theWizard-King

Alokkair (lich, 20th-level magic-user in life): AC 0; MV 12"; HD 20; hp76; # AT 1; Dmg special; SA �Chillingtouch� for 1d10 hp damage plus paral-ysis (lasts 2d4x10 rounds; save vs.paralysis to avoid); SD Immune tocharm, s leep , enfeeb lement , po ly-morph cold, electricity, insanity, deathspellls/symbols and attack forms; ALCE; XP 8,780; ST 16; IN 18; WI 17; DX17; CO 15; CH 12.

Spells: DM�s choice, M-U spells5,5,5,5,5,4,3,3,2

Note: Alokkair�s phylactery is not inhis lair, but hidden elsewhere.

Description: Alokkair is a very tall(6�8�) thin male human lich, with a long,flowing white beard and long, wispywhite hair. His skin is a putrid gray, butotherwise whole, and has shrunken towrap his bones closely, so that he appearshorribly gaunt. Except for glowing eyes inskeletal sockets, his face appears almostnormal for a living man. His limbs, how-ever, are nearly skeletal. He wears long,flowing robes of purple silk and thickgray musterdelvys, which are frayed andstained with mildew around the trailingedges, but otherwise whole and splendid.He remains supple and agile.

Personality: Alokkair is brilliant, acold and sarcastic being who anticipatesattacks and stratagems with cunning,paranoid ease. He is driven by his greedfor magic, which he constantly mustacquire. One day soon he intends toreclaim his long-lost kingdom, Hlontar(which lay in and around the valley of theTesh some 800 years ago) with the aid ofthe drow who dwell deep undergroundin the area.

Alokkair is persuasive and eloquent, andenjoys a good debate. He cares nothing forthe life or existence of any creature buthimself, and will often magically attacksomeone he is in the midst of joking with,without hesitation or change in expression.

Behavior: Alokkair appears courtlyand friendly to intruders, unless theyattack him forthwith. He appears sad-dened by threats of violence, and asks

only to be left alone. If the traps and hid-den ways of his lair isolate one or twoadventurers from the rest, he appears tothem, makes them rich gifts of gold, jew-elry, and gems from his hoard (nevermagic), showing them many more richesin the process. He then teleports thesesurvivors out, to draw further intruderslater.

The DM could use a fortunate NPCadventurer to whom this happened as asetup, showing the gold and telling his orher tale in a nearby village (Voonlar orTilverton, if the FORGOTTEN REALMS�

campaign setting is used). The fortunateadventurer should be too powerful andwrongly aligned for PCs to simply rob orslay � and very worried as to the fate ofhis companions, a stout band of adventur-ers who set off to find this kindly, obvious-ly deranged old lich and get the rest of histreasure. They have not been heard fromsince, and 14 days have passed. They maystand in need of a rescue.

Spells: The spells Alokkair is carryingwhen encountered are listed below.Those marked with an asterisk are �per-manent� and require no study to beregained by the lich. In the case of multi-ple permanent spells carried, only one(e.g. one of the four magic missiles) isactually permanent.

First level: Magic missile* x4 (eachspell produces 10 1d4 + 1 hp missiles),jump.

Second level: Darkness 15� radius,ESP� invisibility*, mirror image, wizardlock.

Third level: Dispel magic* x3, light-ning bolt, slow

Fourth level: Confusion, dimensiondoor, ice storm, minor globe of invulnera-bility, wizard eye*.

Fifth level: Animate dead, cone ofcold, feeblemind, hold monster, teleport*.

Sixth level: Chain lightning, deathspell, flesh to stone x2.

Seventh level: Delayed blast fireball,phase door, reverse gravity.

Eighth level : Maze, mind b lank,Otto�s irresistible dance.

Ninth level: Imprisonment, temporalstasis.

Carried magic : Alokkair carr iesthree vocalize scrolls. He reads one justbefore any encounter, if possible. He also

has scrolls of permanency, demand, andprismatic sphere at his belt.

Alokkair wears a ring of free action anda ring of spell turning, both of whichfunction as they would on a living human.Like all liches, Alokkair can make use ofany magical item a magic-user could,except those that specifically require thetouch of a living being.

Cached magic: Alokkair has somescrolls and items hidden with his phylac-tery, far away. The DM should determinethe cache.

His spell books are in his lair. They con-tain all the spells given here, plus readmagic, slow, magic jar, Nulathoe�s Nine-men, enchant an item, project image,polymorph any object, trap the soul, andenergy drain, as well as 4d4 additionalspells of each level (at the DM�s option).They are hidden in an invisible, floatingsphere of force, which also contains twoguardian creatures: female human jujuzombies, Delartha and Ilmeera (onceAlokkair�s daughters).

Refer to MONSTER MANUAL II for theimmunities of these creatures.

Background: Eight hundred wintersago in the Realms, men farmed and herd-ed sheep on the fertile banks of the riverTesh at the western end of the Moonsea.Local lords arose, their patrols defendingthe land against orc attacks, and thefarmers prospered.

The 16th-level mage Alokkair came outof the west at this time, and befriended aminor lord, Hlonagh. With his magicalaid, Hlonagh viciously defeated lord afterlord until the kingdom of Hlontar wasfounded. Alokkair �the Wise� became itscourt wizard, and soon slew Hlonagh totake the throne.

Alokkair the Wizard-King quicklybecame known for his ruthlessness.Hlonagh�s kin and friends, and any magic-user reaching fifth level, were hunteddown and slain. Alokkair took to wifeHlonagh�s youngest daughter, Shalaera,overcoming her hatred and resistance by

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force and art. When she gave him onlydaughters, he changed her into the formof a red dragon, and by art drove her toattack nearby elves, who slew her witharrows.

Alokkair�s fearful subjects attacked himrepeatedly. One night his three daughterstried to kill him. Enraged, Alokkair slewtwo by energy drain spells. They becamejuju zombies under his control. Theyoungest, Alaphlame, was either vapor-ized or escaped by magic. Alokkair fled tohis lair, underneath far-off Fox Ridge,where he gathers magic and vows toregain his kingdom.

Juju zombies (2); AC 6; MV 9�; HD3+12; hp 30� 29; # AT 1 (as 6HD mon-ster); Dmg 3d4; SD can only be hit by+1 or better magical weapons; XP 180

each.

A MUNDANE GUIDE TO WARDSThrough graveyard and ruined c i ty /Beneath a moon pretty/Went the brave war-riors of the Black Roan/They swung swordand hammer/But lacked priestly glamour/And against the undead they went down-a-down-oh! �From an old adventurers�song (tune: �Molly Malone�)

Even farmers in the Realms know what todo when you see an undead thing � andsurvive. Run, don�t walk, to a cleric. Clericsbattle undead, where others cannot. Butwhat if no cleric is at hand? Or if the localfriar turns white and trembles at thebreathless news and hides beneath thealtar?

Old veterans of all races have all sorts ofadvice as to how to fight undead. Bardic bal-lads and old lore abound with suggestions,wild (and tall!) accounts of adventures, andsure-fire tactics . . . but what is true, andwhat is false?

If one�s information is wrong when onefaces a swooping vampire, there�ll be nogoing back to town to tell everyone so. Oneusually only gets one chance. So, here�s aguide to what does and doesn�t work whenthe living must deal with the undead. Play-ers should allow DMs to reveal as much ofthis section as is deemed right for a givencampaign, and resist the urge to read all.(Besides, who can tell what a fiendish DMmay have altered, to �reward� just suchdeceitful snooping?)

The information that follows is dividedinto handy subsections for DM reference. ADM should read through this section beforeplay begins, to find where everything is andwhat we�ve used as headings. Any questionsthat arise when reading these pages shouldbe written down, and the DM should decideon answers before players are neck-deep inbattle and arguments begin. The writtenanswers and notes should be kept with thisrulebook; consistent rulings are moreimportant than fully detailed or accuraterules or guidelines in a campaign whereroleplaying is stressed.

Cold Iron�Cold iron� is iron that has not been deliber-ately alloyed with other metals, or treatedto become steel (although it can be, and usu-ally is, impure). Weapons of cold iron arebrittle when cold, and dull easily; they arenot favored by warriors having to deal withother armed opponents, whose weaponsoften shatter those of cold iron on contact.

Cold iron does, however, do ghasts double

damage, and a protection from evil spell cir-cle adorned with iron (iron filings, a hoop ofiron, or iron weapons laid, touching, toform an unbroken ring 3� in diameter)keeps ghasts at bay. The iron will be con-sumed in the spell-casting, but its protectionwill move with the protected creature, pre-venting any ghasts from approaching with-in one� of the protected creature.

Cold iron also does double damage toghouls, and its presence will cause shadowsto recoil for 1d2 rounds at an initial encoun-ter, although it does not actually harmthem. A ghost confronted by cold iron willrecoil (hanging back or becoming ethereal)for 1d2 rounds in an encounter, but is notharmed by contact with cold iron. Otherundead are not reported to be speciallyaffected by cold iron.

Cure DiseaseUnlike lycanthropy, undeath is not a dis-ease. Undead cannot be harmed by a curedisease spell, but such a spell does affect dis-eases carried by undead. (Note that ghoul-touch paralysis is not a disease.)

An undead upon which cure disease hasbeen cast cannot confer rot grubs, para-sites, leprosy, or other diseases to creaturesthey strike. A mummy cannot rot victims orconfer a rotting disease by its touch. Thisprotection against disease affects all undead(unless they can by spell or item cast dispelmagic to remove it) for one turn per level ofthe spell-caster employing the cure. (Scrollsfunction as if the spell was cast at a level asdetermined on page 128 of the DMG.) Para-sites and rot grubs within an undead are notslain by a cure disease, only rendered inac-tive and ineffective for a time, as notedabove.

Fire vs. UndeadFire is effective against all undead, doingthe same damage to them in undeath as itdid in life. (A fire-using draco-lich wouldtake less damage from a given flame than adracolich that had been a non-fire-usingdragon.) Mummified undead and very old,desiccated liches and zombies, are especial-ly susceptible to fire (a torch blow causing1d3 hp damage, a flask of burning oil 1d8 hpon the round it strikes and a further 2d8points on the round that follows).

Less known to most adventurers in theRealms is the fact that intangible or gaseous(non-corporeal) undead such as shadowsand wraiths, and vampires when in gaseous

form, suffer double damage from all fieryattacks � that is, double what the attackwould have done the undead�s living coun-terpart.

In all cases, magical fires are at + 1 per dieof damage against undead. Fire and intenseheat both seem to adversely affect the con-nection between the Negative (or Positive)Material Plane and the Prime Material Planethat exists in all greater undead, as well asdoing purely physical damage. Rumors of�fire ghosts� or �fire spirits� are based onundead who can, by electrical discharge orfiery attacks, cause other substances toburn, and on non-undead creatures such asfirebats and will-o�-wisps that are thoughtby some to be associated with, or to be,undead.

GarlicThis strong spice in powdered form, bud, orintact plant has an odor that is offensive tovampires. It does not harm or permanentlyrepel them, but causes them to hesitate for1d4 rounds before attacking. Garlic buttersmeared on creatures or doorways, or liq-uid garlic � cooked into oil in a high concen-tration � sprayed or splashed on beings orareas will cause similar hesitation. Suchapplications of garlic will be effective fortwo days. On the third day, the waningpower of the garlic will cause only a oneround of hesitation, and thereafter the gar-lic will have evaporated and dissipated tosuch an extent that it will be completelyineffective. This is a chemical effect, andcannot be extended or made permanent bymagical means short of a limited wish.

Garlic seems to be effective only againstvampires. The sage Aldiver, who has made astudy of such matters, believes that itseffectiveness is due to two factors: a strongchemical revulsion, and an instinctively per-ceived peril to the gaseous form of the vam-pire, with which the garlic reacts. Thisreaction slows the changeover betweensolid and gaseous form to a two-round proc-ess, during which time the vampire is vul-nerable to all attacks, i.e. normal weaponsas well as magical ones. In order to beaffected, the vampire must be within 4� ofthe garlic or been exposed to it in the last 14rounds. A vampire knows garlic is some-how dangerous to it, even if it has neverencountered garlic before.

GesturesWithout divine favor (clerical turning) or

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magical powers (spell-casting) to back themup, threatening or warding gestures againstundead are just that: gestures. Undead can-not be frightened or tricked by such � andmay well be amused. More than one tale istold in taverns of the Realms of spectres orskeletons who mockingly mimicked the ges-tures of a terrified adventurer before slay-ing the unfortunate, or even pretended todance or cast spells back at future victims.As the adventurer Gorstag once said, �Saveyour breath for running.�

Holy SymbolsThe holy symbols borne by clerics and bythe most devout lay worshippers may takethe form of scepter-like held objects, pen-dants, or even flat, two-dimensional imagesgraven or painted on shields, vestments,coffers, and the like. In all cases, suchimages must have been properly conse-crated (a magical process, details of whichare left to DMs) by a cleric of at least thirdlevel in order to function as holy symbols.The mere image, even if perfectly depicted,will not suffice.

A holy symbol is required for turning,destroying or damning, or (for evil clerics)compelling undead to service. Any attemptto turn undead without a holy symbol willautomatically fail, with one exception: cler-ics of ninth level or greater, and paladins of11th level or greater, can attempt to do so.When doing so, they function as clerics ofonly third level, i.e., they cannot destroy orcommand undead, or automatically turnany undead. Paladins can never successful-ly use the holy symbol of another deity in aturning attempt. Clerics using the holy sym-bol of another deity (a serious matterindeed) in a turning attempt, even one alliedto, or identical in alignment to their own,function as clerics of six levels lower thanthey do with the holy symbols of their deity.If this results in a negative level, they cannotturn undead with that holy symbol.

All undead except poltergeists, revenants,and penanggalan in full human form suffer�burning� damage from actual contact witha holy symbol, identical to the damage theysuffer from a vial of holy water. This replac-es any physical damage; a mace or cross-bow bolt with a consecrated holy symbol onits business end does not deal both holysymbol damage and physical attack damageto an undead.

This damage will occur regardless ofwhat being wields or discharges the holy

symbol as a weapon; class and alignmenthave no effect. Priesthoods and deities willtake a somewhat dim view of adventuringbands of non-worshippers bearing theirholy symbols as weapons, however. Clericsloaning holy symbols typically give themonly to companions who worship the samedeity as they do. Holy symbols �strike�intangible undead or undead normallystruck only by silver or magical weapons,regardless of the composition of the holysymbol.

The holy symbols of lawful good deitiescause vampires to recoil, although the meresight of such devices does not harm a vam-pire in any way. Vampires of all alignmentsand faiths (in life) are affected by lawfulgood holy symbols, even if they have neverseen them before. Why vampires � and ofall undead, only vampires � are so affectedby lawful good holy symbols remains a mys-tery.

Knocking on WoodThis has absolutely no effect on undead. Alich or vampire could conceivably be dis-tracted if a character�s rapping was mis-taken for something else. Otherwise, thispractice is a mistaken waste of time, danger-ous if it attracts the attention of other mon-sters.

LightMany undead are affected by full, intensesunlight or magical effects which cause abright, Positive Material Plane-like burst ofradiant energy. DMs should refer to thedruidic sunray spell in UNEARTHED ARCA-NA book, the sunburst of a wand of illumi-nation, detailed in the DMG, and thesunstrike symbol detailed in this MundaneGuide when determining the precise effectsof newly devised magical items and spellsupon undead. One such spell, the sunburst,appears in the �Lords of Darkness� sectionof this book. Darkness, on the other hand, isnormal for most undead. Its presence givesthem no special benefits beyond surpriseand concealed movement.

As a general rule, light has the followingeffects on undead:

Torchlight, lamplight, faerie fire, dancinglights, and light spells may irritate or annoyundead, drawing them to attack the lightsource, but have no harmful effects onundead. Moonlight and starglow have noeffect on undead.

Sudden or bright lights, such as that

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caused by a continual light spell or indirectsunlight entering the window of a ruinedchamber or filtering down into a woodedglade, will cause ghosts, shadows, spectres,wights, wraiths, and vampires to recoil for1d3 rounds before attacking. Shadows canbe seen 60% of the time in such light, and ifthe light source can be attacked (e.g. it iscoming from a lamp or other item held orcontrolled by a creature), undead will seekto attack or extinguish it. (Undead not listedhere are unaffected by light.) Note that asun blade sword, as described in theUNEARTHED ARCANA book, can flare witha light equivalent to full sunlight.

Full sunlight is hated and shunned byshadows who know they can be clearlyseen, spectres, wights, wraiths, and vam-pires. All draining attacks on energy or abil-ities (e.g. the Strength drain of a shadow)fail to operate in full sunlight. Undead whoexist on both the Negative Material andPrime Material planes also cannot do chill-ing damage by touch. (Note that liches canstill do chilling damage in sunlight.) Suchundead cannot maintain control of half-strength undead they may have created,have an Armor Class penalty of -2, and canbe hit by all types of weapons. Ghosts in fullsunlight are forced into a �semi-material�state until they can reach shade. A penang-galan�s detached head and gut are paralyzeduntil nightfall. A sunstone talisman (see �Tal-ismans�) will cause 1d3 rounds of paralysisto a penanggalan, but other bright lightshave no effect.

Undead of any sort cannot regenerate infull sunlight. They can change form at will ifnormally able to do so, but many move at ½rate (see �Run! Run!�). This is what �power-less� means to spectres, wraiths, and vam-pires.

Only vampires are actually slain by sun-light. A vampire in full sun will instantly beforced to ½ movement rate, have an ACpenalty, and lose all but purely physicalattacks. It will be wracked with pain, visiblyshuddering and snarling, and will seekdarker areas at all costs, even exposing itselfto attack to do so. It will suffer a loss of 10%of its current hit points per round or partialround of exposure, be unable to regenerate,and if brought to 0 hit points while in fullsunlight will crumble forever into dust.(Vampire dust is a valuable chemical ingre-dient.)

It is stressed that the effects of sunlight onrare sorts of undead have not been fullyexplored due to the highly dangerous

nature of the necessary research. DMsshould determine actual effects of sunlighton newly devised types of undead after thegeneral guidelines given here.

Magical ItemsConcerned WithUndead

The AD&D® rulebooks describe manyscrolls, rings, wands, and other artifactsand magical items useful in dealings withundead. These include the arrow of slayingundead, mace of disruption, protectionfrom undead scroll, wand of illumination,amulet of life protection, scarab of protec-tion, and other items described in the DMGbook.

The UNEARTHED ARCANA rulebook alsocontains undead-related magical items,such as the sun blade sword, protectionfrom paralyzat ion scrol l , amulet vs .undead, shadow lanthorn, and others.

The FORGOTTEN REALMS� sourcebooksalso include items useful to beings dealingwith undead. FR4, The Magister, containsthe staff of skulls, wand of darkness, wandof Ochalor�s eye, Mierest�s starlit sphere,orb of holiness, trumpet of doom, andNidus� wand of endless repetition.

Three additional items appear here: thebone ring, the dark crown, and the hand ofharrowing.

Bone ring: This plain finger ring is alwayscarved from human bone; the method ofmaking such magical rings is secret, butthey seem numerous. When worn, a bonering prevents energy and strength drainfrom all sources (such as undead and hostilespells). Each such ring has from 1d100charges; each attempted drain againstwhich it protects exhausts one charge, untilthe ring crumbles to dust. The wearer is notmade aware of how many charges a givenbone ring has remaining. Bone rings are notrechargeable.

gp value: 20,000 XP value: 4,000Dark crown: This magical circlet of metal

is set with teeth and bones of various crea-tures. It alters in size to fit any wearer, andmay be removed freely. Despite its name, adark crown is not Evil. It is a protective itemconferring immunity to natural and magicalfear, paralyzation, and petrification. Thewearer cannot be magically aged as by aghost, or harmed by chilling attacks such asthe touch of a lich. The wearer of a darkcrown receives a +4 bonus against all

undead attacks for which saving throws areallowed.

Once in every nine turns the wearer of adark crown can disrupt undead as with amace of disruption, by touch and act of will.A successful hit roll is required (i.e. a maxi-mum of one undead creature can be affect-ed), and the wearer of the crown is subjectto any side-effects of such contact. If theattack misses or fails, the called-uponpower of the crown is wasted, and thepower is ineffective until nine more turnshave passed. The wearer of a dark crowncan see with 9� infravision and ultravision,and will always know undead normally visi-ble (i.e. not concealed behind barriers orwithin closed coffins) for what they are. Acrown-wearer looking at a skeleton lying ina casket can tell in an instant whether it isundead or just a normal skeleton.

gp value: 20,000 XP value: 2,000

Hand of harrowing: Creation of this mag-ical item requires the severed hand of ahuman. It will be rendered steel-hard andinflexible (AC 0, 16 hp damage to shatter) byits enchantment. It functions as follows:When released by a living creature, it willlie or levitate in midair in exactly the spot inwhich it was released, without regard togravity, until it is touched by a living crea-ture again.

Its touch does undead creatures 3d4points of damage, and stuns them for 1d4rounds. (See �Mirrors� in this section foreffects of stunning on undead.) Whenplaced on or against a door, archway, orthreshold (a windowsill or drain opening),undead seeking to pass the guarded area inany direction or manner (including a ghost�sethereal means) suffer wracking pain.Undead creatures within 3� of a hand ofharrowing are slowed to a movement rateof 1� per round, no saving throw allowed.Each round they are within active range ofa hand, the undead must save vs. deathmagic or be forced 1� away from the hand.In addition, during each round they arewithin active range, all undead suffer 2d4damage (1d4 if they save vs. breath weap-on). Hands of harrowing are typically usedto guard tombs against plundering by hun-gry ghouls or magic-seeking liches.

Evilly aligned creatures suffer 1d3 hp ofdamage per round of contact with a hand(or per blow, if one is used against them),but may place or wield such hands if theywish. No other creatures are affected by ahand of harrowing, except as a normal club-

87

bing weapon, doing 1d2 points of damage.Hands are typically mounted on rods forease of use.

Ten percent of all hands of harrowing areevilly aligned, and affect good-aligned crea-tures and not undead.

gp value: 25,000 XP value: 2,000

MirrorsMirrors are effective only against appari-tions and vampires, who will recoil from thereflective face of a mirror. Other undeadare only affected by mirrors when theyreflect bright light or sunlight, or are fash-ioned of silver or cold iron and brandishedas weapons. A vampire cannot charm itselfby having its gaze reflected back at itself,nor can it charm any other undead underany circumstances. While the mirror is con-fronting it, and the vampire is aware of themirror�s presence, it will not look at the eyesof other creatures, however situated. It willseek first to destroy or cover the mirror �because a vampire meeting its own gaze isstunned for 1d2 rounds, and unable tocharm with its gaze for 1d6 +2 rounds.

A vampire so stunned will reel, unable tolaunch or parry attacks or change form,and will suffer an armor class penalty of �1. Bat-form vampires can be affected just ashuman-form vampires are. Any being canwield a mirror against undead, not just acleric.

Apparitions are affected as follows: Roll1d26 On a result of 18-20, the apparitionvanishes utterly, for a period of 2d4 turns. Itis not destroyed, only driven elsewhere, outof any contact with the mirror-wielder andany companions. On a result of 13-17, theapparition is stunned (identical effect as forvampires, above) for 1d4 + 1 rounds. On aresult of 8-12, the apparition recoils (doesnot willingly approach within 2� of the mir-ror wielder) for 1d4 + 1 rounds. On a resultof 6 or 7, the apparition recoils for oneround. On a 1-5 result, the apparition isentirely unaffected.

Apparitions and vampires can only everbe affected once per 666 turns by a givenmirror, although multiple mirrors will haveseparate effects. If an undead is confrontedwith more than one mirror simultaneously,only the most severe effect occurs. Notethat some light must be present for a mirrorto be effective.

An eye of fear and flame confronted witha mirror will hesitate for one round beforeunleashing any fireball from its red-gem

Run! Run!For the non-adventurer and very often for adventurers, too,the most sensible thing to do when undead are encounteredis to flee as fast as heart and legs will permit, in the generaldirection of AWAY.

For handy reference in such situations, the movementrates of known types of undead (and common modifiers tothem) are summarized here.

Movement rates table:Key to Table Abbreviations:A = Arm�s length or adjacentDD = Double DamageE = EtherealF = Change FormFB = FireballG = Gaseous/incorporealH = Hesitation (rounds given)HM = Half moveI = InvisibleL = Lose 10% of current hit pointsM = See Monster description (rulebooks)MJ = Magic jarR = RadiusRR = Recoils (rounds given)S = ShunST = Stunned (rounds given) if own gaze metT = Teleport (see Monster Description)X = Can�t use Special AttackY = Can�t use Special Attack for 1-3 roundsZ = See text of Mundane Guide under �Light�� = Not Applicable or No Effect(MM) = Monster Manual(FF) = Fiend Folio� Tome(MM2) = Monster Manual II

SpecialAttackRange

ESP 100� ---

- - -

T (M) -- -

- -

M -

10� FB -

10� R --6� MJ R R 1 - 3-

- -- -3� R X

- -- -- - - - - -

Spells - -- 6� R - - - -

- -M --- -

- - - -- -- -- -A

Cold Iron

----M-

DDRR1-2

DD---

-- -- -- - -- -- ---

8 8

SunstoneTalisman

BrightLight

FullSunlight

-

----Z-

HM, X--

M--

HM, S, X-

HM---

HM, XHM� LHM, X

HM, H, X---

NormalMove

24�6�12�

9-12�M9�

15"9�

N

15�6�9�

12�6�6�

12�6�9�

12�9�6�

12�6�9�

15�/30�12� 118�

12�12�/24�

6�9�9�

SpecialMove

E

--ME-

E,G--

M,IF--

-I

-G-----G

F,G-G---

-

---

RRl-2DD

Mirrors

-----

H1

---

-

----

-----

ST1-2

----

Garlic

-

-----

---

-----

-----

H1-4-----

Name

Apparition (FF)Coffer Corpse (FF)Crypt Thing (FF)Death Knight (FF)Demilich (MM2)Eye of Fear and Flame (FF)Ghast (MM)Ghost (MM)Ghou/Lacedon (MM)Groaning Spirit (�Banshee�) (MM)Haunt (MM2)Huecuva (FF)Ixitxachitl, Vampiric (MM)Lich (MM)Mummy (MM)Penanngalan (FF)Poltergeist (FF)Revenant (FF)Shadow (MM)Sheet Ghoul (FF)Sheet Phantom (FF)Skeleton (MM)Skeleton Warrior (FF)Son of Kyuss (FF)Spectre (MM)Vampire (MM)Wight (MM)Wraith (MM)Zombie (MM)Zombie, Juju (MM2)Zombie, Monster (MM2)

-------

RR2-5-Y-

-------

RR1-3

RR1-3-

-RR2-5

-RR2-5

-- -

-RR1-3RR1-3RR1-3RR1-3

-

-RR2-5

RR2-5, LRR2-5RR2-5

-- --- --

eye, but mirrors have no effect on thepowers of this undead. After its initial hesi-tation, the eye will attack normally, regard-less of any other repeated mirror displays.Mirrors offer no protection against the fire-ball of an eye.

PrayersDeities answer few prayers actively; theyprefer to work in the Prime Material Planeby means of granting faithful clerics certainmagical powers (spells), in response to pray-ers. The prayers of non-worshippers arerarely heard by deities, and neveranswered. The prayers of non-clerical butfaithful worshippers may be answered ifthe protection or furtherance of the deity�saims is at stake, but not merely the survivalor well-being of individual worshippers.

Put plainly, this means that an on-the-spotprayer of even the leader of a priesthood inthe Realms would probably be ignored ifthe prayer concerned only the survival ofthe high priest. Certainly no adventurercould expect to be rescued from a tight spotby divine magic. But a worshipper pleadingfor divine intercession to preserve the dei-ty�s temple from attack, for instance, mightwell be answered.

A gravely wounded worshipper might behealed of all current wounds or surroundedby a glowing nimbus of protection from evil(or good). Hostile magic might be dispelled,or creatures sent to aid the faithful or alert-ed if nearby; e.g. a paladin might receive avivid vision, with instructions.

An adventurer who enters a dungeon orruin to battle whatever might be there andgain treasure - even if for the deity�s tem-ple or priesthood - is, however, on his own.No special prayers will be answered. Thegods help those who help themselves, it hasbeen said, and in the Realms this is certainlytrue. If an adventurer is on a quest or spe-cial task to aid the aims of a deity, any spe-cial help to be given will already have beenrendered.

Of course a DM can aid player characterswho are in real trouble by the sudden pres-ence of a guide to a way out, the arrival ofother creatures for the undead to turn andattack, the presence of a magical weapon ina tomb or among treasure that can be usedto fight the undead, and so on. If the troubleis of the PCs� own making, the DM may wishto have rescuers demand payment or serv-ice - or dump PCs out of the frying pan intothe fire. Perhaps the party lacking magical

weapons can escape the wraith by using apermanent magicalgate in its lair � but per-haps that gate leads to a lamia-hauntedruined city in the midst of a vast desert, orinto the midst of drow-held tunnels in theUnderdark . . .

Running WaterThe fallacy of the belief that undead cannotcross running water is readily apparent tothose who have encountered �waterghosts,� marine undead such as lacedons,and ghost ships crewed by undead. Undeadwho have a tangible physical existence canbe swept away or hampered in their activi-ties by the actions of waves and currentsjust as living creatures can. Magic that influ-ences water can therefore be used effec-tively against undead who are in contactwith water. If a mage devises a wall of waterspell, it could be used to bar the passage ofundead unable to physically avoid or passthrough it.

Holy water does harm undead, usuallydealing 2d4 hit points of damage per one-quart vial. (For larger amounts, increase thedamage proportionately.) Only poltergeistsand revenants are immune to holy watereffects.

Sages have postulated that holy waterharms undead not because of any divinewill, but because water that has been conse-crated is chemically altered in a mannerthat brings it somehow closer to the PositiveMaterial Plane in nature, and thereforeinimical to Negative Material Plane-relatedcreatures of all sorts, including undead.

This does not explain why Positive Materi-al Plane-related undead, such as mummies,and ethereal-related ghosts are also harmedby holy water. Does holy water act on theinterplanar bonds of a creature existing intwo planes at once? If so, why are zombiesand skeletons, Prime Material-boundundead, also affected by holy water?Research continues.

Certainly the presence of clergy or evenfaithful worshippers of any deity is not nec-essary to give holy water its damagingeffect � nor does the alignment or natureof the undead target seem to matter in thisregard. (Unholy water does not �heal�undead.)

Intangible or gaseous undead can betouched and affected by holy water flung orsplashed through them, though not if theholy water is within a stoppered, sealed vial.Shadows, spectres, wraiths, and similar

89

undead have the same height in undeath asthey possessed in life. If such non-corporealundead appear to be standing or walkingabout, their intangible substance extends tothe ground or floor whether it is visible ornot. Holy water, symbols, protective circles,and the like on the floor will affect non-corporeal undead who try to move overthem.

Vampires alone among undead aredestroyed � reduced forever to dust � bythree continuous rounds of immersion inrunning water. The �undead cannot crossrunning water� belief probably arose fromencounters with cautious vampires who didnot follow adventurers onto bridges or ontothe banks of streams or moats for this rea-son. Vampires are not hurt by beingsplashed with buckets of normal water, andexperience no pain or disability by contactwith running water until three rounds haveelapsed. A vampire could wade across asmall stream, and might not bother to flyacross in bat form if it thought no creaturecould halt its crossing and imperil it. A vam-pire always instinctively knows when it is incontact with running water, and of its peril.

If a vampire�s grave soil is immersed orscattered in running water, the vampire isnot directly harmed, but can never have itspowers restored by contact with that soil,even if it somehow regathers and dries outthe soil. See �Salt,� below for the effects on avampire of permanent loss of all its gravesoil.

SaltThe folk habit of tossing salt over one�sshoulder to ward off evil or misfortune hasno direct usefulness against undead, but itis born of tales of fleeing adventurers toss-ing salt behind them at pursuing undead.Undead are not harmed by amounts of saltnormally carried by living persons, but con-tact with even a handful of salt will causeundead who have a tangible presence torecoil for one round (the contact will causethe salt to be consumed, in cold, non-flammable �blue flames�).

A pound or more of salt striking a zombie(including animal or juju zombies), wight,revenant, coffer corpse, penanggalan, ghoul,or ghast causes 1d4 + 1 points of damage. Forhit purposes, consider flung salt to be a�grenade-like missile� if in a sack or other con-tainer, and to be + 4 to hit as a missile weaponlaunched by the character, maximum range1�, if flung in an open spray.

A vampire suffers only 1d4 points of dam-age from such contact, but vampires espe-cially fear salt, and will seek to slay anybeings carrying it. Salt can rob vampires oftheir power (regeneration, energy drain,and the ability to reform a corporeal body)if sown on the soil from their grave. A vam-pire will lose such powers within 12 turnsof salt contacting his soil (unless he has asecond, unaffected coffin of grave soil towhich he goes, and touches the soil, duringthe 12-turn period). The powers will not beregained until 1d4 + 1x10 days have passed.

If the soil is thoroughly mixed with salt,requiring 10 pounds of salt for each coffinthe vampire has, the vampire becomes ashadow forever.

Silver and MagicalweaponsWeapons of silver or enchanted weaponsare the only means of physically harming -

some undead. The following table showsthe effects of such weapons on the morecommon sorts of undead. DMs should *

extrapolate from this information to deter-mine the effects of silver and magical weap-ons on rarer (i.e. newly devised) undead.

-

Symbols Effective AgainstUndeadThe runic glyph and symbol spells availableto spell-casters of several classes are noteffective against undead, with a few excep- -tions. These exceptions include runes that - - -cause fire and other physical attacks unlessthe undead is immune to the particularattack form, e.g. a cold-magic glyph. Twospecial symbols effective against undead, -life and sunstrike, are detailed below. Lifeenergy draining runes never affect undead.

Life: Any undead touching, passing over,or passing through an opening, doorway, orportal protected by this symbol will beutterly destroyed � except liches, who aredisrupted for 1d6x10 days, reforming as - - -demi-liches thereafter. This powerful sym- - -bol lasts for a number of uses or activations

*

equal to the level of the cleric or magic-userwho cast it. It is often used to protect thedoors of crypts or catacombs (to keepundead in) and temples or palaces (to keepthem out).

S I L V E R A N D M A G I C A L W E A P O N S T A B L E

Key to Table Symbols

- = Cannot strike* = Normal damage1 = Half damage from sharp or edged (piercing) weapons2 = Double damage3 = Half damage (round down)4 = Appear to do damage, but have no real effect5 = See Monster Description (rulebooks)6 = Blunt/bludgeoning/crushing weapons do only half damage7 = Weapons may dismember; dismemberment may delay attacks for 1 or more rounds(according to situation)8 = Considered undead by most sages, but not turnable or harmed by holy water or holy/unholy symbols. Treat zombie ixitxachitl as �normal� zombies.

Undead Normal Cold I ron

ApparitionCoffer CorpseCrypt ThingDeath KnightDemilichEye of Fear and FlameGhastGhostGhoul/LacedonGroaning SpiritHauntHuecuvaIxitxachitl, VampireLichMummyPenanggalanPoltergeistRevenantShadowSheet GhoulSheet PhantomSkeletonSkeleton WarriorSon of KyussSpectreVampireWightWraithZombieZombie, JujuZombie, Monster

9 0

4--5*

*

*---*-

*---*****-

-*-*

-4--5*

2-2---*

*---2****

-

-*-*

Silver

*

4--5*

*3*-***

-

**-

*****-

*3*-*

Magical(+1 or be t te r )

***

5*********

-

*-*********

***

Notes

51,5

51

3

7

11

16

Sunstrike: This symbol is activated by themere presence of an undead creature with-in a 2� radius. It operates only once, flaringinto an intense outpouring of radiant lightenergy that affects nearby creatures as fol-lows:

Any creature touching or within 1" of anactivated symbol suffers 4d6 points ofenergy damage (undead are not allowed asaving throw, but other creatures may savefor ½ damage).

Any creature within 8� of the activatedsymbol must save vs. death magic or beblinded for 1d12 + 1 turns, unless protectedby a blindfold, unconsciousness, or similarmeans.

Any undead 1" to 4� distant from an acti-vated sunstrike symbol must save vs. poison(using the Monster Saving Throw matrix, asper their hit dice) or suffer 2d8 points ofdamage (save for ½ damage).

TalismansThe most commonly known of these

�good luck charms� is the rabbit�s foot: thesevered paw of a small, furry creature,sometimes blessed or bound about withherbs (or both). Some simple folk believethat these will protect them from undead.They are very wrong: Such body parts actu-ally attract undead within 7� to attack theirbearers. The reasons for this are muchargued about by sages (in other words, littleunderstood).

Certain mineral substances known in theRealms can provide light with which to seeundead or even absorb one or more energy-draining attacks, but only three sorts ofnon-magical things help to keep undeadaway. They are as follows:

Herbs: Certain herbs or combinations ofherbs, distilled in a salve or worn as a garland,keep lesser undead at bay as a protectionfrom evil spell does. Such protections can nev-er be stronger than the spell named. Whatherbs are effective are secrets which sagesand alchemists make much money divulgingfor fees; the commonly known ones heard intavern tales and old gossip tend to be wrongor lacking in important details.

Gemstones: Sunstones, when set in a ringand worn as a bracelet, necklace, or crown,can act on undead as full sunlight does. Thiswill only occur if the ring of stones has beenleft in full sun for at least one clear day�s sun(36 turns). Such a talisman does not give offany light or otherwise warn undead, butwhen a protected creature is successfully

attacked (physically touched) by an undeadthat can be harmed by light, the undead willrecoil for 1d4 + 1 rounds. During that time,its AC is penalized by - 2, it cannot regener-ate, drain life energy or character abilities,do chilling damage, or control half-strengthundead. (Liches, however, CAN do chillingdamage.) Ghosts are forced into their �semi-material� state.

A given sunstone talisman only worksonce between recharges of exposure to fullsun, and a single undead can only be affect-ed once in every 66 turns by sunstone con-tact, no matter how many sunstonetalismans it encounters. There is no savingthrow to avoid the talisman�s effects.Undead not harmed by light (e.g. skeletons,zombies, mummies, and liches) are com-pletely immune to sunstone talismaneffects. Vampires lose 10% of their currenthit points upon contact, but take no furtherdamage, and cannot be slain by a sunstonetalisman alone. For effects on a penangga-lan, see �Light� in this section. Only thedetached head and gut of a penanggalan aresusceptible to sunlight effects.

Carrion crawler essence: When the ten-tacles of a carrion crawler are boiled, andthe resulting residue properly treated by analchemist or other knowledgeable individ-ual to make a potion, the imbiber of thepotion can be protected against paralysis ofall sorts for 1d10 + 2 turns. This will protectany sort of creature from ghoul or ghastattacks. More common uses of carrioncrawler essence are to create a potion thatparalyzes the drinker (the usual result ifunskilled amateurs try to derive carrioncrawler essence without complete instruc-tions), or in an ointment that allows theanointed one to paralyze other living crea-tures (not undead) by touch.

Other non-magical substances effectiveagainst undead doubtless remain to be dis-covered. (DMs should devise one or two fortheir own campaigns, but keep their useful-ness limited or the substances involvedrare; otherwise, undead would soon beeradicated.)

Undead vs. UndeadClerics and magic-users able to animate

dead can animate and direct skeletons orzombies against undead without fear of los-ing control of them. Note that undead ableto fly will easily be able to avoid such slow-moving undead.

A magic-user employing an unlife spell

91

(see the �The Lords of Darkness� section in thisbook) an Evil cleric successfully compel-ling undead (see �Turning Undead: Evil Cler-ics� in the DMG) can command undead toattempt the service of fighting otherundead.

These are dangerous pursuits � but tothe desperate� they may seem less danger-ous than facing hostile undead themselves.Powerful undead commonly command lesspowerful undead� but no undead cancounter a clerical turning or compulsionattempt� except a lich who was a magic-user/cleric in life.

Evil clerics fare better against mixedgroups of undead than Good clerics; they canactually turn segments of an undead armyagainst the undead host. Good clerics canonly turn or destroy the undead � and if themost powerful member of a mixed group ofundead is unaffected by a turning cleric� noundead in the group can be successfullydestroyed by that cleric. The DM shouldall �destroy/damn� results to be successfulturnings� and may allow �turning� results tobe successful. Half-strength undead underthe control of a more powerful creatorundead (such as adventurers slain by a vam-pire) can only be turned if their creator isturned�of if their creator is affected by fullsunlight (see �Light� this section)� and tem-porarily loses control of them� whereuponthey can be separately affected.

Undead cannot drain each other of lifeenergy� one or both undead combat-ants have recently drained a living creatureof such energy. Undead cannot �chill� eachother� nor can one undead be charmed ormagically scared by another. Undead canand do threaten each other� and someundead can wield magic or magical items tocompel other undead to perform certaintasks� or serve them.

Death� withering� and aging attacks haveno effect on the undead. An undead who�kills� another in physical combat has theoption of destroying or controlling thatundead. Controlled undead regenerate onehp per day at their normal rate� which-ever is greater� and are under absolute con-trol of the victorious undead until it is itselfdestroyed (ending the control). A controlledundead is loyal to its controller� and cannotturn on it. Undead who defeat undead morepowerful in ability or hit dice than them-selves cannot control such undead� andmust destroy them. �Mindless� undead suchas skeletons and zombies cannot controlanything.

THE LORDS OF DARKNESSLegends tell us that there have always beenindividuals interested in necromantic magic,either as a means of increasing their ownpower or to �cheat the game�� somehow livingon after death. Legends also tell us how dan-gerous such activities are. Many a dabbler innecromancy has been destroyed by his ownundead creations, or by paladins or otheradventurers seeking to defeat evil.

Necromancy (or �Dark Art�) has always beenseen as inherently evil. Examination of theknown necromantic spells reveals that it cansometimes be beneficial, but the horror andrevulsion of most creatures toward magicdealing with the dead and with control of thephysical body remains.

Necromancers (that is, those who deal insuch arts) tend to be few, evil in nature, andnot often quite sane. They also tend to be lon-ers; those who can control or command theobedience of living servants tend to avoidmessy, difficult, expensive, and often danger-ous necromantic researches. And yet thosewho hunger for absolute power over others ortheir own body can find triumphant fulfill-ment in necromancy.

To avoid abuses of such potentially awesomemagic, it is necessary for DMs to ensure thatnecromantic spells are little known, and thatthe necessary research to uncover or devisethem is expensive, lengthy, and dangerous. It isrecommended that necromancy be a magicalspecialization rather than a separate class orprofession (for one thing, such a �one-note�mastery of magic makes the necromancer vul-nerable to opponents -such as a party ofadventurers-who know or guess the natureof the caster�s power).

Most clerics can use only the necromanticspells described in the PLAYERS HANDBOOKand UNEARTHED ARCANA rulebooks. Onlyworshippers of gods concerned with death,Evil, and the like are likely to have prayers fornecromantic magics granted by their deities.Such magics, and divine restrictions on theiruse, are left to individual DMs. In theFORGOTTEN REALMS� campaign set, onlyfollowers of Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul, and Talesmake normal or usual use of undead. There isalso a cult, The Cult of the Dragon, dedicatedto creating and serving dragons, or dracoliches(see DRAGON® Magazine, issue No. 110).whom they believe will one day rule the world.

In the WORLD OF GREYHAWK® campaignsetting, worshippers of Hextor and Nerull theReaper often use undead.

In the DRAGONLANCE® game setting ofKrynn, clerics of Takhisis, Sargonnas, Mor-gion, and particularly Chemosh make regularuse of undead.

Most �necromancers� are magic-users spe-cializing in spells and the making of magical

items concerned with undeath. Necromancer-mages tend to be paranoid loners who aresecretive in the extreme, use zombie or skele-ton guardians or bodyguards, and dabble ingolem-making. Many devise new sorts ofgolems or undead servitors. In the Realms,crawling claws, curst, and similar creaturesexist as a result of such researches. Necroman-cers, working alone, tend to devise uniquespells and items; that is, many will achieveeffects similar to those of �standard� (rule-book) spells and magic items by means of theirown spells and items, which have slightly dif-ferent properties.

We have space here for only a skeletal over-view of specialist necromantic magic-userspells.

One spell presented in the FORGOTTENREALMS� campaign set, Nulathoe�s Ninemen,is primarily of interest to mages interested inanimating dead things. Other spells in that set,such as Grimwald�s Greymantie, are also oftenused by necromancers. Magical items of partic-ular usefulness in necromancy are discussed inthe preceding �Mundane Guide� section of thissourcebook.

Necromantic SpellsSome of the more common necromanticmagic-user spells are revealed here for thefirst time. DMs should consider the effects ofincluding specific spells on campaign playbefore introducing them.

Corpselight(Alteration/Necromantic)Level: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: 1� /level Casting Time: 1 segmentDuration: 1 round +1 round/levelSaving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: This spell causescorpses, undead, or body parts to glow with apale radiance which outlines them. The radi-ance may be white, yellow, green, amber, orred according to the words of casting. It maybe mentally altered in intensity by the caster asmany times as desired during the life of thespell, from very bright (not blinding, butenough by which to read or perform delicatetasks such as lock-picking or surgery) to verydim. To do this, the caster must be within 3� ofthe glow. Constant concentration is not neces-sary to maintain the glow.

One corpse or separate body part per level ofthe caster may be affected by this spell; high-level casters can cause entire bands of undeadto serve as ambulatory light sources. A castercan always choose to exclude particular

corpses from a corpselight spell. The materialcomponents of such a spell are the carrion tobe affected, a pinch of saltpeter, and a bit ofphosphorous or a glowworm. Note that insub-stantial undead such as gaseous form vam-pires, wraiths, and the like are affected by thisspell. No undead harmed by bright light orsunlight is harmed by corpselight.

Detect UndeadLevel: 1 Components: V,SRange: 1� /level Casting Time: 1 segmentDuration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Globe, 1� radius/level

Explanation/description: When a magic-user casts this spell, it enables the caster to beaware of the presence and location of undeadwithin the spell range, even if the undead areinvisible or concealed (within coffins, beneathfloors, behind doors, etc.). A prickling sensa-tion warns the caster of the direction ofundead who pass into the spell�s radius after ithas taken effect. The globe moves with thecaster. This magic does not enable creatureswho are not mentally linked with the caster todetect undead.

The reverse of the spell, cloak undead, ren-ders undead invisible to detect undead andnormal sight within an identical radius ofeffect. Note that the caster must remainpresent; the globe of magical cloaking is cen-tered on, and moves with, the caster. Onlyundead can be cloaked by means of this spell,not normal corpses or living things. A cloakedundead landing a successful attack on any oth-er creature is instantly revealed, and cannot beconcealed again except by use of another suchspell. This spell does not foil true sight or simi-lar magics, and may be nullified by dispel mag-ic. Cloaked undead cannot be turned, butcannot enter magically protected areas withany bonus or special ease.

(Note: Eastern vampires, normally invisible,become wholly visible to all creatures for onefull round after any round in which they suc-cessfully physically attack any creature.)

Undead MountLevel: 1 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 1 roundDuration: 1 turn + 1 turn/levelSaving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: By means of thisspell, a magic-user can animate a dead horse orsimilar creature, or create one from bones.The mount created will be under the completemental control of the caster, and may be rid-

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den by one or more creatures and/or carryburdens, to a maximum weight of 3,000 gp.Overloading such a mount, or attempting tocreate one from insufficient bones, will breakthe spell instantly, wasting the magic. (Notethat the bones used need not ail come from thesame creature.) Broken bones and crippledlame corpses can be successfully used.

or

An undead mount is unintelligent and thusunaffected by enchantment/charm magic, isneutral in alignment, and moves at a 22� rateregardless of encumbrance (or slower at thecaster�s mental bidding). Undead mountsalways move in utter silence, and can bedestroyed by inflicting 1 d4+1 hp per level ofthe caster points of damage on them (ail typesof weapons will hit). The caster may choose inthe initial casting to have the mount glow veryfaintly. The material components for this spellare a drop of water, a human hair, a pinch ofpowdered hoof from any riding animal, andthe corpse or bones that will act as the body ofthe mount. Undead mounts cannot be turned.

Invisibility to Undead(Alteration)Level: 2Range: 0 CastingDuration: 1 round/level

Components: V,S,M

Saving Throw: SpecialArea of Effect: One creature

Time: 2 segments

Explanation/description: By means of thisspell, the caster or a single creature touchedduring spell-casting is made invisible toundead. Despite any sounds made by or activi-ties of the protected creature, undead will notsense the creature�s presence. A protectedcreature who successfully attacks an undead isinstantly revealed to that undead only, andcannot be hidden again except by applicationof another spell. Accidental contact betweenan undead and a protected creature (even ifdamage to either creature results) will notreveal the protected creature. Protected crea-tures cannot turn undead.

Wraiths and more powerful undead areallowed a saving throw against this spell; if suc-cessful, they will be unaffected. Note that apowerful undead free of the spell�s effects canurge lesser undead to attack a protected crea-ture, but cannot make them see it. The materi-al components of this spell are a piece of bone,a pinch of powdered silver, and an eyelash.Note that this spell has some important differ-ences from the first-level clerical invisibility toundead (see UNEARTHED ARCANA rulebook).

Skull WatchLevel: 2 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 Casting Time: 2 segmentsDuration: 1 round + 1 round/levelSaving Throw: noneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: By use of the intactskull (including jawbone) of a skeleton fromany intelligent race, a thread, and a flake of thecaster�s earwax, this magic creates a magicalwarning system. At casting, the skull is set inmidair where it will hang, motionless, untilactivated, or on a surface, so that its eyesocketspoint in a certain desired direction. If any iiv-ing creature passes into the gaze of the skull (a20�-wide path extending from the eyes straightahead for 90�, or until a solid barrier inter-venes, whichever is closer), the skull will beactivated. It will emit a sudden and very loudshriek. This dies away in a horrible wail as theskull sinks slowly to the ground.

This sound can be heard by ail in the vicinityup to as much as a quarter of a mile away andcan always be heard by the spell-caster, if any-where on the same plane. Silence magics willstifle the skull�s wail for ail in the vicinity, butthe caster will still hear it.

Destruction of the skull (AC 7, 1 hp per levelof the caster) or movement of it to look eise-where will not cause it to wail, but the casterwill hear an echoing rumbling, Skull warningssound in the caster�s head, and are not audibleto others nearby. Note that although a castermay have multiple skull guardians, ail willsound identical when activated. Rumors per-sist of a third-level version of this spell that hasan unlimited waiting period between castingand activation.

SpectraI Wings(Evocation/Necromantic)Level: 2 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 Casting Time: 1 roundDuration: 1 round + 1 round/levelSaving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: This spell createsan unseen, largely intangible flying steed. Thesteed forms from an intact bone of any flyingcreature (the material component of the spell,consumed in the casting). The bone may befrom a creature of any size in life, such as anormal bird or bat. The caster can clearly seethe mount at ail times, as a grey, translucentwinged shape of giant size, typically 12� long(plus tail, if any). Its wingspan is over 26�. Thesteed resembles the creature from whosebones it came. The mount is invisible to others,

but creatures or objects carried are completelyvisible.

The aerial steed is unintelligent and cannotbe mentally or magically contacted, controlled,or influenced. It is a force, not a creature, andis totally controlled by the will of the caster. Ifthe caster is slain, rendered unconscious, orturns his attention elsewhere, the spectralwings will continue to act on the last commandgiven them (perhaps flying into solid obstaclesand the like). A spectral wings is not undead; itcannot be turned and has no alignment. It cancarry 1,000 gp in weight per level of the caster,living and/or non-living material, and providesa solid, stable platform for aerial transporta-tion or spell-casting.

A spectral wings is utterly silent, has aManeuverability Class of �A:� and may passthrough solid objects without dissipating orbeing damaged. Beings and materials carriedare not empowered to pass through solidobstacles, and will suffer impact damage and/or be separated from the wings. A spectralwings loaded in excess of its weight capacitywill simply allow the last objects added to passthrough it, along with anything attached to, orheld by, these last objects, and fail away. Thus,an adventurer who leaps onto a fully-loadedspectral wings and grabs hold of its riderwould pass through as though the spectralwings did not exist - but so would the rider, aslong as contact was maintained.

Mummy Touch(Alteration/Necromantic)Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: much Casting Time: 3 segmentsDuration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: By means of thisspell, the caster is rendered immune to the rot-ting disease caused by the touch of undeadmummies. The caster is also empowered toinflict the rotting disease by touch. The diseasecauses the flesh of a victim to rot (no savingthrow, but ail undead are affected), perma-nently causing a loss of 2 Charisma points permonth, and is fatal in ld6 months. It can becured only by cure disease or more powerfulmagics, and negates ail cure wound spells.Infected creatures heal wounds at 10% of thenormal rate. The caster�s appearance is notchanged by the spell, nor are his Strength,alignment, or hp of damage of blows dealt byhim. The caster must make a successful hit roilto deliver a mummy touch, and cannot chooseto turn the power on or off to affect certaincreatures but not others; once the spell is end-ed by will of the caster, who can end it prema-turely if desired, it cannot be revived again.

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The caster cannot transfer the powers ofthis magic to another creature. A caster withan active mummy touch can suffer physicaldamage from mummies, but is not afraid of orparalyzed by them, and if slain by mummiesduring the spell duration, will not rot. Crea-tures slain by a mummy touch do not rot as thevictims of mummies do. The rotting diseasecreated by the magic cannot be transferred toweapons, drinkables, or the like for later trans-ference to victims; it works only by directtouch (maximum of one touch per round). Thematerial components of this spell are a pinch ofmummy dust, a drop of the caster�s blood, anda scrap of rotting meat or fish, which arebrought together in the casting and consumedby the gathering magic.

Revenance(Alteration/Necromantic)

Level: 3 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 3 segmentsDuration: Special Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: One undead/level Teleport Dead

Explanation/description: This powerfulmagic enables caster to make undead crea-tures temporarily immune to turning attemptsand destruction or disruption (even if normal-ly automatic) by paladins and clerics. A mace ofdisruption and similar holy items will still havenormal effects on undead protected by thisspell� but protection from evil magics will beignored by revenant undead.

The caster can affect one undead creatureper level� for one turning attempt (each) perlevel of the caster. All creatures to be affectedmust be touched by the caster within tworounds of casting. The magic will last until theundead are destroyed until they have facedas many turning attempts as the caster hadlevels at the time of casting the revenance. Thisspell is much used to render skeleton or zom-bie treasure guardians more effective. Itsmaterial contents are a flake of ash� a pinchof dust� a drop of the caster�s blood� a fragmentof bone� a stone and a drop of the caster�s spit-tle� All of which vanish during casting. A little-known higher-level variant of this spell is saidto create revenant undead (see the FIENDFOLIO� book� �Revanant�).

Ward Against Undead(Abjuration/Necromantic)Level: 3 Components: VSRange: 1� /level Casting Time: 3 segmentsDuration: 1 round + 1 round/levelSaving Throw: Neg.Area of Effect: Sphere, 1� radius/level

Explanation/description: This spell allowsthe caster to prevent undead creatures enter-ing a certain area � typically a cross-section ofcorridor, chamber, or another area containingthe caster and companions. Undead attempt-ing to enter the protected area, which glowswith a faint blue faerie fire-like radiance, visi-ble to all, must save vs. breath weapon accord-ing to their hit dice to do so.

Undead within the warded area when it iscast are slowed to ½ movement rate for thespell duration; undead who save vs. the spellare totally unaffected. The warded area is sta-tionary, once cast, and does not affect move-ment, combat, spell-casting, or turningattempts. It cannot be prematurely ended,once cast, except by dispel magic, and does notrequire continued concentration by the casterto maintain its existence. Undead may attemptto enter a warded area once per round, andare allowed a saving throw for each attempt.Once a save is successful, that undead is neveragain affected by the same ward spell. Aslowed undead who leaves a warded area andthen attempts to re-enter it must successfullysave to do so. Multiple wards may be cast in thesame area, and undead would have to saveagainst all of them to enter. A dispel magic willbring down such a ward (one ward per dispel,if multiple wards exist).

Death�s Door(Necromantic)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 6 segmentsDuration: 1 hour/level Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: One creature

Explanation/description: Like the third-levelclerical spell of the same name, death�s doorworks by touch upon a creature �at death�sdoor� ( - 1 to - 9 hit points). An important dif-ference from the clerical spell is that it workson all creatures � including undead. The spellbrings the touched creature to 0 hit points andstops bleeding and deterioration for the spellduration (further magical means can thusrestore the creature to a functioning state).The material components of the spell are aclear gem or crystal, a drop of water or dew, adrop of blood, a drop of milk or nectar, and anyform of unguent.

Speak with the Dead(Necromantic)Level: 4 Components: V,S,MRange: 1� Casting Time: 1 turnDuration: Special Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: One creature

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Explanation/description: Like the third-levelclerical spell, this magic allows the caster to askquestions of dead (not undead) creatures andreceive audible replies. Caster and dead mustshare a common language, and the spell mustbe cast on the remains or a portion thereof.The material components are a flame (of anysource), a drop of the caster�s blood, and thetongue of any creature (which may be dried orpowdered). Number of questions answered,time allowed for questioning, and length oftime after the creature�s death that it may besuccessfully questioned all depend on the cast-er�s level, as follows:

Caster�sLevelUp to 7th7-89-1213-1516-2021st and

up

Maximum Time Number ofTime Dead Questioned Questions

1 week 1 round 21 month 3 rounds 31 year 1 turn 4

10 years 2 turns 5100 years 3 turns 6

1,000 years 6 turns 7

(Alteration/Necromantic)Level: 4 Components: V,SRange: Touch Casting Time: 3 segmentsDuration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Neg.Area of Effect: One undead

Explanation/description: By means of thismagic, the caster can instantly teleport a singleundead creature to any location desired on thesame plane. Chances of teleporting high or loware as for the fifth-level teleport spell, but thecaster cannot deliberately direct the undeadhigh or low. A successful hit roll is required totouch undead not animated by the caster. (Notethat intangible undead such as spectres, gas-eous vampires, and the like can still be touch-ed.) All undead are entitled to a saving throwvs. breath weapon according to their hit diceto avoid the spell effects. If they save success-fully, the spell is wasted and lost.

Chill Touch(Alteration/Necromantic)Level: 5 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 5 segmentsDuration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: This spell enablesthe caster to touch creatures as a lich does, chill-ing for 1d10 points of damage and paralyzing allcreatures who fail to save vs. breath weapon.The caster cannot turn the touch on and off,choosing not to harm certain creatures he orshe touches while deliberately harming others,

but only one creature per round can be affect-ed. A successful hit roll is required to deliver achill touch. Undead are immune to this magic.In turn, a caster with an active chill touch isimmune to the chilling attacks of liches, and isimmune to all forms of fear and paralysis. Thematerial components of this spell are a drop ofthe caster�s blood, a thorn, and a piece or pinchof powdered lich bone.

Disguise Undead(Illusion/Phantasm/Altera-tion/Necromantic)Level: 5 Components: V, S,MRange: 1� /level Casting Time: 1 turnDuration: 1 turn/level Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: 1 undead/level

Explanation/description: This spell enablesthe caster to alter the appearance of undead sothat they appear as living creatures. Theyappear as they would have in healthy life, withflesh, eyes, and so on, and give off no charnelodors. Disguised undead have no discerniblealignment; consider them Neutral for pur-poses of magical item contact. They do notdetect as undead (although they will not detectas l ife, either), and can�t be turned ordestroyed by a cleric or paladin during thespell duration. All undead attacks and powersnot related to appearance are unaffected bythis spell. Flesh created by this spell will feelsolid and normal to the touch, although it willnot bleed or sweat. Disguised undead, ofcourse, do not need to breathe. If the disguisedundead can�t normally speak or act indepen-dently, the spell does not enable them to do so.Mages dabbling in necromancy often use thismagic to conceal the nature of skeleton or zom-bie bodyguards when visiting cities. The mate-rial components of this spell are a pinch ofashes, a pinch of dust, a drop of the caster�s (Evocation/Necromantic)blood, a bone or bone fragment, a scrap offlesh, a human hair, and an insect cocoon.

Hold Undead(Abjuration/Necromantic)Level: 5 Components: V,S,MRange: 6� Casting Time: 5 segmentsDuration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: Neg.Area of Effect: One to three undead

Explanation/description: Like the second-level clerical spell, this magic holds affectedtargets immobile. The targets must be undead,who save against the spell as follows: oneundead saves vs. spells at -2; two undeaddach save at � 1; three undead save normally.The type of undead has no effect on the savingthrow; the caster need not even know how

many undead are present. No more than threeundead can be affected. Those making theirsaving throws are completely unaffected. Heldundead cannot be disrupted or turned, norcan they change form or cast spells. Any physi-cal attack striking a held undead breaks thehold. The material components of the spell area bone wrapped in ferrous wire and two mag-nets or lodestones.

Imbue Undead With SpellAbilityLevel: 6 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 1 turnDuration: Special Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: One undead

Explanation/description: By use of this spell,the caster bestows the ability to cast a particu-lar spell on a single undead. The spell to be castby the undead must be one known to, and usa-ble by, the caster, who must cast it immediatelyafter the imbuement magic to transfer it. Anysort of spell can be transferred, and will takeeffect when released by the undead (no fur-ther verbal, somatic, or material componentsbeing required) as if cast by the living caster. Aset of conditions for release of the spell mustalso be part of the casting, typically at any liv-ing creature entering a certain guarded area.The spell is �one-shot,� that is, a single undeadcan only unleash the transferred spell once. Itis then exhausted (as if the living caster hadcast it). A given undead can only be imbuedwith a single spell at a time. This spell is oftenused to allow zombies to unleash fireballs orlightning bolts in hallways or shafts, or allowskeletons to blink when fighting intruders oremploy magic missiles.

Spectral Guard

Level: 6 Components: V,S,MRange: 6� Casting Time: 1 roundDuration: Special Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: 2� radius sphere

Explanation/Description: This spell createsan invisible guardian at a specific, immovablelocation. The caster requires a spare weapon, ahuman bone, a drop of blood, and the eye ofany creature, which may be dried or pre-served (all are consumed during the casting).The spectral guard waits, undetectable by nor-mal, non-magical means, until dispelled oruntil specific conditions, stated in the spell-casting, are met. Such conditions are typicallythe unlocking of a certain door or chest, a crea-ture who is not the caster entering a certainarea or touching specific objects, and so on.

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When the conditions are fulfilled, the spectralguard will appear as a wraith-like, swirling, fly-ing being, with a tapering, legless form and dis-tinct limbs necessary for wielding of theweapon. The wraith-like weapon will be aduplicate of the material component weaponconsumed in the casting, and will do normalweapon damage. It is non-corporeal, able topass through solid barriers, shields, and so on.It can strike ethereal and gaseous creatures,and creatures normally hit only by +2 or bet-ter magical weapons. Victims struck feel a chillas the spectral blade strikes.

The spectral guard strikes twice per round,is AC 0, strikes as the caster would, has phan-tom hit points equal to the caster�s (at the timeof casting this spell), and, if not dispelled bybeing slain, will fight for one round per level ofthe caster. Dispel magic is ineffective against aspectral guard. The guard flies at 24� perround, is Maneuverability Class A, and is utter-ly silent. It cannot be charmed, turned,repelled, blinded, or duped by illusions. It willdetect living creatures unerringly within 5�.Once activated, a spectral guard can be dis-pelled at will by its caster, but cannot bestopped and restarted later; another spell isneeded to replace the guard. The physicalappearance (features, height, etc.) of spectralguards may be fashioned by will of the casterduring casting, to resemble a specific real per-son or beings of a particular build, race, age,and/or sex.

Undead Regeneration(Necromantic)Level: 6 Components: V,SRange: Touch Casting Time: 6 segmentsDuration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: One undead

Explanation/description: This magic enablesthe caster to heal an undead by a number of hitpoints equal to the caster�s own level, plus 1d6.Note that gaseous and intangible undead canbe touched by the caster passing into the spacethey occupy. The reverse of this spell, undeaddrain, requires a successful hit roll (if missed,the spell is lost), and inflicts a like amount of hpdamage. Damage to undead is dissipated, notgained as extra hit points by the caster. Onlyundead can be affected by either version ofthis spell.

Sunburst(Evocation/Alteration)Level: 8 Components: V,S,MRange: 0 Casting Time: 4 segmentsDuration: 1 round Saving Throw: SpecialArea of Effect: Special

per level of the caster, and then dissipates. Likethe druidic sunray this radiance blinds allcreatures within it for 1d3 rounds (save vs.spell to avoid). Creatures using ultravision areblinded for 2d4 rounds if they fail to save.Creatures to whom sunlight is harmful areblinded for 2d6 rounds (or 1d100 days if theyfail to save). Creatures within the radiance alsohave their infravision, if any, ruined for1d4 +1 rounds. Undead including vampiressuffer 8d6 points of damage, half if a save vs.spells is successful. The ultraviolet light of thesunburst does 8d6 points of damage to fungoidcreatures and subterranean fungi (no savingthrow). The material components of the spellare a piece of aventurine feldspar (sunstone)and a naked flame, from any source.

Explanation/description: When a magic- the caster. The caster has a 7% chance per leveluser casts a sunburst spell, a globe of radiance of successfully choosing the type of undeadexplodes soundlessly outward in all directions created. Otherwise, use the following percen-from his body. The radiance races out in a sin- tile table to determine what sort of undead thegle round to a maximum effective radius of 1" carrion is transformed into.

Unlife (Necromantic)Level: 8 Components: V,S,MRange: Touch Casting Time: 1 roundDuration: Permanent Saving Throw: NoneArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: This powerfulmagic enables the caster to create undeadfrom corpses and skeletal remains. Undeadtake 20 turns (minus the level of the caster) tocome to unlife, and upon appearance, willattempt to carry out one task or action statedin the spell-casting (typically, to attack the firstcreature other than the caster to enter theplace where the spell was cast). The createdundead is not otherwise under the control of

Control Undead(Necromantic)Level: 9 Components: V,S,MRange: 1�/level Casting Time: 2 segmentsDuration: 1 round/levelSaving Throw: SpecialArea of Effect: Special

Explanation/description: This spell enablesthe caster to control undead creatures perfect-ly and precisely, as though they were intelli-gent creatures under a charm. Controlledundead can perform precise tasks such asclimbing, sorting or unlocking things, binding

The reverse of this spell, go down, causes asingle undead to be reduced to lifeless remains(if non-corporeal, it is reduced to dust forever).Such remains, not dust, could be reanimatedby later magic. The material components forboth forms of the spell are a pinch of dust, apinch of ashes, a drop of blood, a drop ofwater, and a fragment of bone.

existence.

Normally only a single undead can be cre-ated by this spell. Sometimes (2 in 6 chance)two or three may be inadvertently created, ifother carrion is within 2� of the casting. Typesof extra undead are not selectable by the cast-er, nor are such extra undead obligated to car-ry out any task or refrain from attacking thecaster, who may not even be aware of their

wounds, and the like, but cannot cast spells orperform other class abilities denied to thespell-caster.

When a control undead is cast, the caster isinstantly aware of all undead within range. Allmust save vs. spell at - 6 to avoid being affect-ed. As many undead as the caster has levelscan be affected; if more are present, whichones are affected is randomly determined, notdecided by the caster. On the third round ofcontrol, all controlled undead save againstspells at -5, to break free of control. On thefifth round, they save at -4, and so on, untilthe spell expires or all undead are free of con-trol. After 15 rounds of control, the save willbe made at + 1, gaining a plus on every savethereafter. Once control of a particular undeadis lost, it can never be regained. Death, depar-ture, unconsciousness, or further spell-castingon the part of the caster will end the controlundeadspell. Note that undead, unlikecharmed living creatures, are not freed of con-trol by being directed to do things harmful tothem.

Dark ArtThese pages have only touched on some high-lights of necromancy and the study of undeadof which it is a part. Eminent sages of theRealms such as Elminster warn that many Evilindividuals in the Realms have learned muchmore than is set down here, and are most for-midable, if encountered. The sage Ransair ofSilverymoon�s famous warning seems a goodplace to end, for now. He told adventurers:�Never, never hope to defeat a lich with a raisedead spell.� Be warned, and fare you well whenthe night is dark and something is moving,behind you.

UNLIFE SPELL TABLE

Level of SkeletonCaster or Zombie Ghoul Ghast Shadow Wight W r a i t h

16-18 01-12 13-25 26-36 37-48 49-57 58-64 65-7119-21 01-10 11-23 24-34 35-46 47-55 56-62 63-6922-24 01-08 09-21 22-32 33-44 45-53 54-60 61-6725-27 01-06 07-19 20-30 31-42 43-51 52-58 59-6528-30 01-04 OS-17 18-28 29-40 41-49 SO-56 57-6331+ 01-02 03-15 16-26 27-28 39-47 48-54 55-61

Mummy Spectre

72-8370-8168-7966-7764-7562-73

Other(DM�S

Ghost Vampire choice)

84-87 88-93 94-0082-85 86-91 92-0080-83 84-89 90-0078-81 82-89 90-0076-79 80-89 90-0074-77 78-89 90-00

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