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ADVENTURE GAME

MMT029 D&D Fast Play 6/18/99 4:06 PM Page 1

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WHAT IS THIS?This self-contained game gives you andyour friends the experience of playing theDungeons & Dragons® game in an easy-to-learn format. In this Fast-Play Game, youand your friends take on imaginary roles ina fantastic tale of mighty heroes, mythicaldragons, and powerful magic.

This demo version of the game isdesigned to give you the feel of playing theDungeons & Dragons game. The fullgame contains all sorts of options to helpyou create your own on-going sword andsorcery campaign. We’ll tell you more aboutthat at the end of this booklet.

CREDITSDesign:

Jeff GrubbEditing and Creative Direction:

Bill SlavicsekCover Illustration:

Tony SczudloCartography:

Todd GambleTypesetting:

Sean GlennGraphic Design:

Mark Painter and Sean GlennThanks:

Keith Strohm and Cindi Rice

Based on the original Dungeons &Dragons® game by E. Gary Gygax andDave Arneson

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DUNGEON MASTER, and the TSR logo are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the dis-tinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. © 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. TSR, Inc. is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The Lair

Maxie's xie's Room

Zombie Chamber

The Dark River

Cliffside Start

Key

Stone Door

Iron Door

Rope Bridge

Altar 0 20 feet

Smoke Dragon's Lair

ZZZ

ZZ

S S

The Lair

Maxie's Room

Zombie Chamber

The Dark River

Cliffside Start

Key

Stone Door

Iron Door

Rope Bridge

Altar 0 20 feet

Smoke Dragon's Lair

ZZZ

ZZ

S S


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HOW DO WE PLAY?The D&D® Fast-Play Game isn’t like othergames. There’s no board, no joystick, noplaying pieces. All you need is yourimagination, this booklet, and at leastthree six-sided dice.

One of the players is called theDungeon Master, or DM. The DM’s incharge of running the game. The beststoryteller in your group should be theDM. Stop reading now and give thisbooklet to the player who will be the DM.

The DM coordinates the action, tells theother players what their characters see andhear, and resolves battles. You’re two partsstoryteller, one part CPU, with a little bit of“banker” and stage manager thrown in.

You run the world, and everything in itdoes your bidding.

The other players run the heroes, whoinfluence the world with every action theytake. The players tell the DM what theircharacters do in situations the DM presents.The heroes—warriors, wizards, priests, androgues—slay monsters, rescue villages, andcollect treasure. If the heroes survive theadventure, the players win the game.

THE HEROESThere are four character sheets in thecenter of this booklet. Each describes oneof the heroes in this tale that’s set in anancient, magical, and dangerous time.Remove each sheet and give them to theplayers so they can each choose a hero. (Youdon’t get one. The DM gets the adventureand all of the DM characters in it.)

While the players take a few moments toexamine their character sheets, you need toread “The Game Session,” below.

THE GAME SESSIONHow does this work? Well, the Fast-PlayGame walks you through a D&D adventure,presenting the game rules when you needthem—you don’t have to memorizeanything to play.

In the game, the other players take onthe roles of brave adventurers. You followthe directions, describing situations,making embellishments, and reacting towhat the players want their characters to

do. You also get to play the roles of themonsters and other DM characters in theadventure.

Remember, all of the action takes placethrough discussion and dice rolling.Nobody should run around the table or tryany stunts—this is make-believe!

Players can speak “in character” (“I attackthe Zombie”) or refer to their heroes in thethird person (“Graywulf attacks theZombie”), depending on whatever waythey are comfortable playing. You candecide to use different voices and soundeffects when you’re running the monsters,or you can play it straight and describe thescenes like a narrator in a movie.

DM AIDSThroughout this booklet, you’ll find thefollowing visual aids to help you run theadventure.

The Map, printed on page 2, is for youreyes only. Use it to keep track of the actionand to help describe what the heroes see.

Red Text is called a “Read-aloud.” Readthis text out loud to the players todescribe what their heroes see and hear.

Boxed Text contains rules and advicefor running a particular scene in theadventure. It provides you withimportant directions for playing thegame. Don’t read boxed text to the

players, but do follow the directionscontained within them.

DM Secrets and Sidebars appeareverywhere else in the booklet. Don’t readthis material (or anything that isn’t RedText) to the players. We tell the DMeverything, but the players should figureout the adventure’s secrets for themselves.Note that you can skip the Sidebars entirelyif you want. They contain advice andsuggestions, but aren’t crucial to theadventure itself.

That’s it! Now we’re ready to startplaying! Let the adventure begin …


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1: WHEN DRAGONS RULED THE WORLD...

Once the players have looked over theircharacter sheets, you can start theadventure. Remember, only read the RedText to the players. Everything else is foryour information only.

Usually the Red Text ends with aquestion for the players—“What are yourheroes going to do?” At this point you turnthings over to the players. They decide iftheir heroes are going to open a door, fighta monster, run away, or do something elseentirely. It’s their choice.

The players tell you what their heroes aredoing (they don’t all have to do the samething). You then tell them the results ofwhat they do. This booklet walks youthrough the hard parts, and tells you how tohandle the situations presented. When theheroes try something that isn’t covered inthe text, just make it up! Even better, makesomething up in each scene so that theadventure is uniquely your own. That’s thefun of the D&D game.

That simple? That simple. So turn onyour imagination and read this to theplayers:

Each of you has a hero—a fighter, rogue,wizard, or priest. These valiantadventurers are devoted to ridding theworld of evil. It’s a long time ago, in anancient world filled with fantasticmonsters, great treasure, and highadventure. If your heroes do well, they’llwin the day and survive to gain powerand experience. And together, we’ll tellan exciting story.

I’m going to be the Dungeon Master forthis adventure. I’ll describe what yourcharacters see, and you’ll tell me whatyour heroes will do based on thosedescriptions. Ready? Let’s begin.

Let the players introduce theircharacters to each other. Then read:

Your heroes are gathered together in amountain pass, a full moon casts deepshadows through the surrounding pines.For the last few months, zombies—horrible undead monsters—have assaulted

the nearby villages. The villagers haveasked you to discover where the zombiesare coming from, and to destroy them.Others have sought out the secret, butnone have returned.

Now, against the side of a mountain,you see a pale bluish light up aheadthrough the trees. You see a circulardoorway set into the cliff side. Strangelycarved runes ring the frame of the door,and in the center is a massive pull-ring.

What are your heroes going to do?

You’ve asked the players what they wanttheir heroes to do. Now, as their characters,they need to tell you what actions they’regoing to perform. Ask each player what hisor her hero is doing.

The heroes have a couple of obviousoptions. They can leave. They can watch thedoorway for a while. They can try to readthe runes. Or they can open the door. Findthe action listed below that comes closestto what the heroes are doing and follow thedirections.

A. LeaveThat’s always an option, but it’s not a veryexciting one. After all, these are heroes andthey agreed to help the villagers. Encouragethe players to press on, otherwise the gameis over. See the Carrots & Sticks sidebar forways to get the players on track.

B. Watch the DoorwayAn hour passes (not in real time, but in theimaginary world of the game). Anotherhour passes. Nothing happens. Eventuallythe sky begins to brighten. Ask the playersagain: What are your heroes doing?

C. Read the RunesThe runes, written in an archaic languageand glowing with arcane light, are hard todecipher. If a hero tries to read the runes,follow these rules:

Each player rolls three dice and tries toroll less than his or her hero’sIntelligence score (as recorded on eachplayer’s character sheet). If the total isless than the Intelligence score, thehero can read the runes. (This is calledan Intelligence check.)

HANDY DM TIP:CARROTS & STICKS

People play the D&D game for manyof different reasons. If your grouplooks like it might need someencouragement to get on with themission (find the zombies, discovertheir secret, and destroy them), hereare some buttons you can push forthe various heroes.

Graywulf is dedicated to thedestruction of evil and this placereeks of it. The hairs on the back ofhis neck stand up and he’s sure thatthis is the lair of the zombies.

Stardancer is also dedicated tothe destruction of evil. However, she’snot above looking for the odd sparecoin that these monsters happen to becarrying. Play up the fact that wherethere’re monsters, there’s treasure.

Delavan has the loyalty anddependability that dwarves arelegendary for. He shouldn’t back downfrom a challenge nor desert his allies.

Zanthar Rex seeks knowledge.Where there are undead, there areusually lost tomes and magical items.


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Anybody can attempt to read therunes. If anyone who tries makes asuccessful Intelligence check, read thefollowing to them:

The runes, carved in rough, savageangles and glowing with a blue light,read as follows: “Here be the crypt of thesmoke dragon, guarded by an army of theliving dead!”


D. Examine the DoorThe door is actually a great stone plug with apull-handle in the center. If any of theheroes asks to check out the door, have themmake an Intelligence check. (Stardancer canmake a Find Traps check instead.)

To do this, a player rolls three dice andtries to roll less than his or her hero’sIntelligence score (or Find Traps score,in the case of Stardancer). If the total isless than the score, the hero discoversan important detail.

If a hero successfully examines the greatstone plug, read:

Crude letters are scrawled on the face ofthe stone plug. The small, faint letters,tucked near the upper rim, read: “Powerresides in the vessel of mist. Sunder thechalice and rend the beast.”


E. Open the DoorIt takes pure muscle to pull the large stoneplug out of the doorway. Each of the heroescan try, in turn, to open the door. If a herotries to open the door, follow these rules:

Each player rolls three dice and tries toroll less than his or her hero’sStrength score (as recorded on eachplayer’s character sheet). If the total isless than the Strength score, the heropulls open the door. (This is called aStrength check.)

There’s one other way to open the door.Zanthar (the wizard hero) carries a magicalscroll that contains the Knock spell. Thisspell automatically opens any door. (The

spell fades after it is used.)If everyone fails their Strength checks,

or the heroes just decide to let Zanthar doit in the first place, the Knock spell opensthe door.

Once the heroes get the door open, go toScene 2.

2: THE ZOMBIE GUARDSWhen the heroes have successfully openedthe door (whether by spell or Strengthcheck), read the following out loud:

The thick stone plug grinds as it pulls itsway out on heavy iron hinges, revealinga circular hole in the cliffside. Inside, thehole is dark and foreboding. What areyou going to do?

Look at the map on page 2. It shows theentrance to the crypt and the zombiechamber beyond. In the zombie chamber,the location of each of the five zombies isclearly marked. This information is for youreyes only, to help you visualize the scene.

The heroes have two choices here. Theycan leave (which isn’t really an option forheroes) or they can enter the hole in thecliff. When they enter, read:

A great doorway into the side of themountain yawns before you. Theentrance is dark and eerily quiet. Justbeyond the door lies an ancientanteroom, your meager torchlightbarely making a dent in the cooldarkness. You notice that a dustymosaic tile pattern covers part of thefloor, and a great iron door is set intothe far wall. Weird statues frame themosaic, like silent guardians of thisstrange place.

Suddenly, the statues open evil redeyes and stumble toward you! Yousee now that they aren’t statues—they look like long-dead humanwarriors. They wear rotted leatherarmor and their flesh flakes offtheir bones in long, parchmentliketatters. They are zombies, andthere’s a malicious flicker in theirdead, red eyes.

What are you going to do?

HANDY DM TIP:COOL VOICES

If the heroes decipher therunes, get dramatic with the

italicized words. This issupposed to be a frighteninginscription, a warning to all

those faint of heart to flee thisplace. Uncork your best “evil

villain” voice and let fly!(Bwaa ha ha!)


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The zombies shamble forward, ready toattack everyone nearby. There are fivezombies, one for each hero with one leftover. The heroes have two obvious choiceshere: leave or stay.

A. LeaveIf the heroes flee, they quickly lose thezombies in the pine woods surroundingthe entrance. Later, if they return, thestone door is sealed (with the zombiesback inside).

B. StayIf the heroes stay, the zombies attackthem. The box below tells you how to runthe fight.

If some of the heroes leave and some ofthem stay, the zombies stick around to beaton those that remained.

THE ZOMBIE BATTLEZombies are slow. Unless the heroes justdecide to totally ignore the zombies, theyget to attack first. The battle is pretty free-form; a hero can easily reach any zombie,or a hero can turn and run if that seems tobe the best option.

If the heroes and zombies battle, all theaction takes place in combat rounds. In acombat round, each hero makes one attack.If the attack succeeds, the hero’s playermakes a damage roll. (The heroes can eachfight a separate zombie, or they can team upagainst a single zombie.)

Then you make one attack for eachmonster, rolling for damage if a zombiesuccessfully hits a hero. As DM, you get torun the zombies as you see fit. You decidewhich heroes get attacked and what thezombies do in the round. (See the box in thenext column for full details.)

If there are still heroes and monstersstanding after the first round, play throughanother round. Keep playing throughrounds until the monsters have beendefeated or all of the heroes have fallen.

If the heroes have been killed or chasedoff, the zombies shut the door. The heroesmust return (either the same heroes or a newgroup—use the same character sheets, justchange the names of the dead heroes) andface the zombies again before you advance tothe next section of the adventure.

After the heroes defeat the zombies, goon to the next section of the adventure.

Heroes Attack: The players make theattack rolls for their heroes. To make anattack roll, a player rolls three dice.

If the total is less than the hero’s To-Hit number (as recorded on eachplayer’s character sheet), the hero’sattack misses.

If the total is equal to or greater thanthe hero’s To-Hit number, the attack forthis round succeeds.

The player then makes a damageroll, as listed on the hero’s charactersheet. You record the damage on theZombie Wounds chart, below. Whena zombie’s wound boxes are filled, itcrumbles to dust.

After each of the heroes has had achance to attack once, then it’s thezombies’ turn …

Zombies Attack: You roll for thezombies. The zombies have a To-Hitnumber of 14. Roll three dice. If thetotal equals or exceeds 14, a zombiehits. If a zombie hits a hero, it inflictsone die of damage.

Make attack rolls for each zombie, justlike the players did for the heros. If azombie inflicts damage on a hero, thehero’s player records that damage in theWound box on the character sheet.When a hero’s wound boxes are filled,the hero dies.

Zombie WoundsZombie 1 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Zombie 2 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Zombie 3 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Zombie 4 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Zombie 5 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

3. EXPLORING THE ROOM

Once the heroes kill the last of the zombies,read the following to the players:

HANDY DM TIP:WHAT

DO I DO WITHDEAD HEROES?

Death happens. The threat ofgetting your hero’s clock cleanedadds excitement to the game.However, dead heroes aren’tmuch fun. Here are some optionsfor retrieving dead characters:

Is the Hero Really Dead?

A character whose wounds equalor exceed her Hit Points is out ofthe game—unless she gets sometype of healing, like Delavan’s curelight wounds spell or Stardancer’spotion of healing. Either one restoreslost Hit Points if administered atthe first opportunity.

Share Characters. If aplayer is running two heroes,and another player’s hero dies,give that player one of theremaining heroes.

Bring in a New Hero. Theheroes could “recruit” a newhero with the same statistics asthe dead hero. Just change thename. Stardancer becomesMoonshadow, for example.

Start Over in the

Village. If all of the heroes arekilled (or a good percentage ofthem bite the dust), the villagehires a new band of heroes.They have the same statistics asthe previous group, they justhave different names (asdescribed above).

CONT’D ON PAGE 11


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GRAYWULFFighter (Human)

ABILITY SCORES

Strength 17

Dexterity 13

Constitution 14

Intelligence 10

Wisdom 13

Charisma 14

TO-HIT NUMBER 10To make an attack, roll three dice. If

you roll a total of 10 or better, you hit.

DAMAGE 1D+3Graywulf attacks with a large war

hammer and is very strong. When you hit,roll one die and add 3 to the result. This isthe amount of damage Graywulf inflictswith a successful attack.

HIT POINTS: 18●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

STARDANCERRogue (Elf )

ABILITY SCORES

Strength 15

Dexterity 17

Constitution 15

Intelligence 13

Wisdom 11

Charisma 16



DAMAGE 1DStardancer attacks with a long sword.

When you hit, roll one die. This is theamount of damage Stardancer inflicts witha successful attack.

FIND TRAPS 11To search for traps, roll three dice. If

you roll a total of 11 or less, you succeed.

OPEN LOCK 10To pick a lock, roll three dice. If you

roll a total of 10 or less, you succeed.

HIT POINTS: 14●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

© 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. © 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved.

® ®


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TREASURERecord any gold and treasure Stardancer finds here.

WEAPONSLong Sword

Damage: Roll one die

SPELLSStardancer has no magical spells

EQUIPMENTIn addition to her long sword, Stardancercarries:

A TorchA pouch of 10 gold piecesA pouch of thieves’ toolsA Potion of Healing – This is a small

bottle, which, if drunk, heals two dice ofdamage. Once drunk, scratch this off theequipment list.

WHO IS STARDANCER?Stardancer is an elf mercenary whoappreciates the finer things in life. She hasteamed up with the other heroes to defeatthe forces of evil and, more importantly,take their stuff.

WHO SHOULD PLAYSTARDANCER?

If you want to play a sneaky hero who livesby her wits, is extremely curious, and isskilled at picking locks and spotting traps,you should select Stardancer the Thief.

TREASURERecord any gold and treasure Graywulf finds here.

WEAPONSWar Hammer

Damage: Roll one die and add 3

SPELLSGraywulf has no magical spells

EQUIPMENTIn addition to his war hammer, Graywulfcarries:

A TorchSome rationsA 50-foot coil of rope

WHO IS GRAYWULF?Graywulf is a barbarian warrior from the farnorth. He has come to these lands to seekout and destroy ancient evil wherever heencounters it. His weapon is a skull-headedwar hammer, a powerful weapon of hisancestors that smashes bones anddispatches undead with ease.

WHO SHOULD PLAYGRAYWULF?

If you want to play an extremely powerful,exceedingly brave warrior who likes to usehis might and muscles to defeat evil, youshould select Graywulf the Barbarian.


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DELAVANPriest (Dwarf )

ABILITY SCORES

Strength 11

Dexterity 14

Constitution 16

Intelligence 12

Wisdom 17

Charisma 12



DAMAGE 1DDelavan attacks with a short metal club

called a mace. When you hit, roll one die.

This is the amount of damage Delavan

inflicts with a successful attack.

HIT POINTS: 15●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

ZANTHAR REXWizard (Human)

ABILITY SCORES

Strength 9

Dexterity 11

Constitution 15

Intelligence 17

Wisdom 13

Charisma 13



DAMAGE 1DZanthar attacks with a wooden staff.

When you hit, roll one die. This is the

amount of damage Zanthar inflicts with a

successful attack.

HIT POINTS: 10●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

© 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. © 1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved.

® ®


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TREASURE Record any gold and treasure Zanthar Rex finds here.

WEAPONSQuarterstaff


SPELLSMagic Missile—When cast, a magical

pulse of energy flies from his fingers toautomatically hit a target for one die ofdamage. This spell can be cast twice in theadventure.

EQUIPMENTIn addition to his quarterstaff, Zantharcarries:

A lanternA magical scroll with the knock spell—

when read, a loud knock magically opens alocked door. It can be used once.

WHO IS ZANTHAR REX?A student of magic, Zanthar seeks outmysteries and secrets. He has little patiencefor those who would seek to use knowledgeto evil or selfish ends. He has joined theheroes to discover more magical spells andincrease his own ability to help others.

WHO SHOULD PLAYZANTHAR REX?

If you want to play a scholar of the arcanearts who uses his brain and his magicalspells to put evil-doers in their place, youshould select the wizard Zanthar Rex.

TREASURERecord any gold and treasure Delavan finds here.

WEAPONSMace


SPELLSCure Light Wounds—When cast on a hero,

this spell restores two dice of Hit Points.This spell can be cast twice in theadventure.

EQUIPMENTIn addition to his mace, Delavan carries:

A lanternA mirrorA 50-foot coil of rope

WHO IS DELAVAN?A young (in dwarven terms) priest of theHollow Mountains, Delavan has joined theother heroes to battle the forces of evil.Stalwart and loyal to his friends, Delavanlooks for the other heroes to aid him in hisbattle against evil. In return, he uses hishealing spells to keep his allies alive.

WHO SHOULD PLAYDELAVAN?

If you want to play a character who isn’tafraid to get into a fight but also enjoyshelping others and keeping hiscompanions in good spirits, you shouldselect Delavan the Priest.


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The sounds of battle die out as the lastzombie crumbles to dust. Now you canbetter examine the ancient anteroom.You see a strange pattern in the dirty tilefloor. A great iron door blocks access tothe mountain’s interior. Racks of rustedand decayed weapons line the sides ofthe room, and an iron chest rests nearthe far wall.


The heroes have killed the monsters inthe room and now can explore their lair.There’s nothing else immediatelydangerous in the room.

The heroes can do different things inthe room, either together or separately.Ask the players what their characters aredoing, then check below for the entry thatcomes closest to the heroes’ actions.Remember, if a hero tries something thatisn’t covered herein, make it up! And don’tbe afraid to embellish the details and addyour own touches if you think ofsomething cool or creepy. Just be fair andconsistent and everything should workout fine.

A. Checking the ZombiesThe zombies didn’t have a lot on them andlittle remains in the piles of dust theyreverted to when the heroes defeated them.Tattered clothing is mixed with each pile ofdust. The remains of the last zombie alsocontain a jeweled bracelet that juts out ofthe dust pile. The bracelet is fashioned inthe shape of a coiled serpent, with eyesmade of small rubies. The bracelet is worth300 gold pieces if taken back and sold inthe village.

B. Checking the WeaponsThe racks filled with spears, swords, andhammers once made an impressive armory,but now these weapons are rusted anduselessness.

C. Checking the MosaicA thick layer of dust covers the floor, but thepattern of the tiles can be seen peekingthrough in places. The picture in the tilescan only be seen if the dust is wiped away.The tiles depict a disturbing image: a greatdragon of smoke and mist with blazing-redeyes rising from a dark brazier.

D. Checking the ChestThe chest isn’t locked and it contains notraps. Tell the player whose hero isexamining the chest that it looks like awooden chest bound with iron bands, witha simple latch on the front. Ask if the herois going to open the chest. If the hero opensthe chest, read the following:

A small, open bag sits on the floor of thechest. Gold coins spill out of the bag.

There are 50 gold coins, each inscribedwith the mark of a long-dead kingdom. Letthe player tell you if the hero is taking thecoins or not.

E. Checking the Iron DoorWhen someone expresses interest in theiron door, read the following out loud:

The heavy iron door is smooth, withoutrunes or other markings. It’s set into athick oak frame. It has well-oiled hingesand appears to be locked.

If Stardancer checks the door for traps(using her Find Traps skill) and succeeds,she notices the following:

The heavy iron door is locked, and thedoor is rigged with a trap of some kind.It looks like the trap will be sprung ifthe door is opened while the lock isstill engaged.

There are three ways to open this door:1. Stardancer can make an Open Lock

check. This requires the player to rollequal to or less than Stardancer’s OpenLock number on three dice. This is thebest way to open the door, because oncethe lock is disengaged the trap can’t besprung. If the player fails the Open Lockroll, Stardancer can’t unlock this door.

2. Zanthar can use his knock spellscroll, if he didn’t use it on the stonedoor. If the scroll is used, the dooropens and the trap goes off withoutharming anyone.

3. Any character can make a Strengthcheck to bash open the door.Unfortunately, this sets off the trap. Thehero who successfully bashes throughthe iron door is hit by a spring-loaded ax

HANDY DM TIP: WINGING IT

Players will eventually trysomething that isn’t coveredin the Fast-Play Game. That’sone of the cool things aboutthe game, and the reason thatit works best with a live DMand not a computer AI. As theDM, you consider a player’saction and judge howsuccessful his or her hero is.

When a situation comes upthat you don’t have an answerto, make something up! Ifyou’re fair, consistent, andhaving fun, everything willturn out fine. This is the fineart of “Winging It.” It’s aperfectly acceptable tactic forhandling the unexpected.

Just onsider the situation.What is the player trying tohave his or her characteraccomplish and how likely isit to succeed? If need be, callfor a roll against a particularability score. (Roll three dice.If the result is less than thechosen ability score, thecheck succeeds.) For example,trying to push past a zombiemight require a Strengthcheck, or trying to bargainwith a skeletal warrior mightrequire a Charisma check. Asthe DM, it’s up to you. Just bebe fair, and keep in mind thatit’s only a game—the object isto have fun.

CONT’D FROM PAGE 6


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blade that slashes across the opendoorway. That hero suffers damage equalto one die plus one. Mark this off thecharacter’s Hit Point total.

As soon as someone opens the door, read:

Through the doorway, a passage slopesdown. In the distance you hear thesound of rushing water.

When the heroes decide to press on, goto the next section.

4. BRIDGE OVER RAGING WATERS

When the heroes pass through the irondoor, read the following:

The sound of rushing water becomeslouder as you follow the descendingpassage. Finally you reach the edge of alarge underground chasm. Beneath you,an underground river surges violently,appearing out of the darkness to yourleft and disappearing to your right.Across the bridge is a rickety bridge,made of ropes and planks, that leads toanother iron door on the far side. Thebridge sways dangerously above theriver. Two threatening forms step out ofthe shadows on the far side of the bridge.Each wields a sword and wears armor. Asthey move into the light, you see thatthese figures are skeletons—moreundead guardians to block the way!


The figures with the swords are skeletalwarriors—all bones and armor andnothing else. They are more formidablethan the zombies. The heroes can cross thebridge without a problem, though youmight want to describe how it sways andshakes with every step a hero takes. Twoheroes can walk side-by-side on the bridge,or they can cross it in single file. When ahero gets about halfway across the bridge,one of the skeletal warriors steps forward tochallenge the hero. See the box in the nextcolumn for combat details.

If a skeletal warrior hits a hero formaximum damage, that hero has a chanceof being knocked off the bridge into theraging river. The heroes can avoid this

danger by using the ropes in their packs totie safety lines to each other.

Heroes Attack: The players make theattack rolls for their heroes. To make anattack roll, a player rolls three dice.

If the total is less than the hero’s To-Hit number, the hero’s attack misses.

If the total is equal to or greater thanthe hero’s To-Hit number, the attack forthis round succeeds.

The player then makes a damage roll.You record the damage on the SkeletalWarrior Wounds chart, below. When askeleton’s wound boxes are filled, itcollapses into a tangle of dead bones.

After each of the heroes has had achance to attack once, then it’s theskeletal warriors’ turn …

Skeletal Warriors Attack: You roll forthe skeletons. The skeletons have a To-Hit number of 12. Roll three dice. If thetotal equals or exceeds 12, a skeletonhits. If a skeletal warrior hits a hero, itinflicts one die of damage plus 1additional point.

If a skeletal warrior hits a hero andinflicts maximum damage (that’s 7points from one attack), the hero getsknocked to the side and might fall offthe bridge. The hero’s player mustmake a successful Dexterity check forthe hero to stay atop the bridge.

Skeletal Warrior WoundsSkeleton 1 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

Skeleton 2 ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

If a skeletal warrior inflicts maximumdamage on a hero who’s on the bridge, thatheroes must make a Dexterity check tokeep from falling into the raging river.

To make a Dexterity check, a playerrolls three dice. If the total is less than

the hero’s Dexterity score, that hero stayson the bridge.

If the total is equal to or greater than

the hero’s Dexterity score, that hero fallsinto the water.

If a falling hero was tied to ropes, the herogets dunked in the cold river, but can behauled back up. If not, read the following to

HANDY DM TIP:RUNNING MAXIE

Maxie is a dog, but he’s also acharacter controlled by you,the DM. That means that youdecide what Maxie does andhow he does it. Here are somethings to keep in mind:

Maxie barks a lot. He showsmost of what he discovers bybarking at it—heroes,monsters, treasure, lint.

Maxie is loyal. He fightsalongside his new master. Letthe player running the hero thatMaxie befriended make Maxie’sattack and damage rolls.

Maxie is not smart. He hasmore loyalty than brains.

What does Maxie look like?That’s up to you, as the DM.


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all the players, plugging in the hero’s nameat the appropriate places:

(Hero) takes a mighty blow and is knockedoff the bridge. (Hero) reaches out to grabthe bridge, but the ropes are too slick.(Hero) plunges into the raging torrent ofthe underground river, immediately disap-pearing beneath the cold, dark surface.

After the heroes defeat the skeletalwarriors, go to the next section.

5. ON THE OTHER SIDEOnce the heroes get across the river anddefeat the skeletal warriors, they see aniron door in front of them.

If the heroes check the skeletal warriors,they find nothing of value. Even the swordsthat the skeletons used, which lookedstrong and deadly while the monsters wereanimated, now appear to be rusted andbrittle.

The heroes can check out the iron door,but this door isn’t locked and it contains notraps. When the heroes open the door, readthe following to the players:

The door opens into a short passage,which ends almost in a “T” intersection.Looking to the left, the passagecontinues and turns right. Looking tothe right, the passage ends in anotheriron door.

Have a pencil ready. You might want tosketch what the heroes see on a piece ofpaper for the players. Sketching maps is acommon staple of the D&D Game, as itgives players a sense of where theircharacters are in the dungeon Use the mapon page 2 as a guide. Don’t worry aboutexact distances—just give them an ideathat they have two choices, right or left.

If they choose to go to the right, towardthe iron door, go to “6. Maxie!” If theychoose to go left, continue with “7. TheSmoke Dragon’s Lair”

6. MAXIE!This iron door on the right isn’t lockedor trapped. When the heroes open thisdoor, read:

The door opens into a small room. Thereare four things in the room: two chests, abody, and a good-sized dog.

A. Checking the ChestsThe chests look like the ones in the zombiechamber.

The first chest’s lid is open. Scorch markssurround the chest, indicating that apowerful, explosive trap was sprung whenthe lid was opened. There’s nothing in thischest.

The second chest isn’t locked, but it istrapped. If Stardancer makes a successfulFind Traps check, she can open the chestwithout setting off the trap. If she fails thecheck, or if anyone else simply tries to openthe chest, the trap is sprung.

If the trap on the second chest is sprung,a cloud of poison dust billows into the faceof the hero who opened the chest’s lid. Thehero must make a Constitution check todetermine the full effects of the poison.

To make a Constitution check, a playerrolls three dice. If the total is less than

the hero’s Constitution score, that heroonly suffers 2 points of damage from thepoison dust.

If the total is equal to or greater than

the hero’s Constitution score, that herosuffers 5 points of damage from the dust.

After the second chest is opened, theheroes find a ring at the bottom of thechest. The ring glows faintly and is made ofunadorned gold. Any hero who wears thering becomes harder to hit in combat. Amonster’s To-Hit number is increased by 1point when the monster attacks the herowearing the ring of protection.

B. Checking the BodyThe body is sprawled in front of the openchest, face up, quite dead. It looks like anadventurer, though his body has beenscorched and blackened by whateverexploded out of the chest. The dog growlsand barks if the heroes try to get too close.


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The heroes must deal with the dog beforethey can examine the body.

Once the heroes have dealt with the dog(see Checking the Dog, below), they can searchthe dead body. There’s a mace and a potion ofhealing on the body. The potion restores twodice of Hit Points when consumed.

C. Checking the DogThe dog stands guard over the fallen body(its former master). It looks hungry andlonely, and its ribs can be seen beneath itsmatted fur. It wears a leather collar with atag around its neck that reads “Maxie.”

The heroes can leave the room, butthey hear the dog barking and whiningfrom behind the closed door.

The heroes can attack the dog, butthen it fights back until the heroes kill itor leave.

Maxie has 5 hit points and a To-Hitnumber of 14. It inflicts one die ofdamage when it makes a successful bite.

Maxie ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

The heroes can befriend the dog.Maxie’s a good dog, but he won’t letanyone approach his former master untilthey become friends. The first player whosays his or her hero is being nice to thedog must make a Charisma check. (If ahero offers food to the dog, no Charismacheck is needed. Maxie immediatelybefriends that hero.)

To make a Charisma check, the playerrolls three dice. If the total is less than

the hero’s Charisma score, that herobefriends Maxie. If a hero fails, Maxiegrowls and barks at that hero. Otherscan try, but each hero can only attemptto befriend Maxie once.

Once a hero befriends Maxie, thedog allows the heroes to approach thebody of his former master and they canrecover the items discussed inChecking the Body, above. Then Maxiefollows the heroes and fights at theirside, adopting them as his new mastersand friends.

7. LAIR OF THE SMOKE DRAGON

When the heroes reach the corner, read:

The passage ahead continues a shortway and then opens into a great vault. Atthe far end of the vault, a large shrinecarved from black volcanic rock risesfrom the stone floor. A great bowl-shaped brazier sits atop the shrine’saltar. Smoke billows from the brazier,gathering into a dark cloud above theblack shrine.

What are your heroes doing?

If the heroes haven’t checked out theiron door yet (area 6), they still have time togo back before they enter the vault.Otherwise, continue with this section.

When they enter the vault, read:

As you enter the great vault, the shrine atthe far end begins to glow with reddishlight. Smoke erupts from the brazier in athick stream, gathering in the center ofthe room. It quickly forms into the shapeof a great winged dragon.

The walls resound with laughter, and adark, evil voice thunders from thedragon-shaped cloud. “Fools! You have

found only death in the lair of the

smoke dragon! Soon you will join my

undead legions!” What are your heroes doing?

Use your “Evil Voice” when you bellowthe smoke dragon’s lines. He’s the Big BadGuy, so play him up.

A battle is inevitable. The smoke dragondoesn’t appreciate invaders in his lair, andhe needs the bodies of the heroes to replacethe undead guardians that the heroes havedestroyed. Besides, if the heroes want tomake sure that the village isn’t bothered bymore zombies in the future, they have todestroy the smoke dragon.

If the heroes turn and flee, the smokedragon catches up with them at the ropebridge. If they remain in the vault, itpounces upon them there.

Who attacks first? If the heroes stay in thevault, they get to attack first. If the heroes runto the bridge, the smoke dragon attacks first.


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Heroes Attack: The players make attackrolls for their heroes (and don’t forgetMaxie if he’s around). To make an attackroll, a player rolls three dice and tries to geta total that’s equal to or greater than thehero’s To-Hit number.

If the attack succeeds, the player thenmakes a damage roll. Mark off thedamage on the Smoke Dragon Woundschart, below.

Note that the smoke dragon becomes amore or less solid, sinuous cloud ofsmoke when it attacks. It can hurt theheroes and the heroes can hurt it.Describe how slash marks appear in thesmoke whenever a hero hits it; if a heroinflicts a lot of damage in an attack, thesmoke dragon even roars in pain.

Smoke Dragon Attacks: You make theattack rolls for the dragon. Roll threedice. The dragon has 30 hit points and aTo-Hit number of 11. When it hits, rolltwo dice. The higher roll is the damage itinflicts for the hit.

Who does the smoke dragon attack?That’s up to you. Play the dragon as anintelligent foe. It attacks powerfulcharacters first, and defends its brazier ifa hero gets too close to this source ofpower (see below).

Smoke Dragon Wounds●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●

A. The BrazierThe brazier is the smoke dragon’ssource of power. If a hero destroys it,the smoke dragon immediately takes 15points of damage.

A hero can reach the brazier in oneround instead of attacking the smokedragon. The next round, the hero candestroy the brazier with a sharp strike fromany weapon (or the magic missile spell froma distance). No roll is required to hit anddestroy the brazier.

If someone decides to head for thebrazier, the dragon attacks that hero.

When the dragon is reduced to zero HitPoints, read the following out loud:

The smoke dragon lets out a loud roarand bellows “Fools! You may have won

today, but I will return to destroy

you! You have been warned …”And then it fades away, the smoke

losing its solidity and fading to wisps ofmist. You have won.

COOL! SO, IS THERE ANYCASH LYING AROUND?

The heroes discover a small alcove at theback of the shrine. In the alcove they findthe following items:

A large sack filled with gold coins (500gold total).

A magical scroll (usable by Zanthar Rex)with a magical spell on it —the sleep spellthat puts weak monsters to sleep.

A magical scroll (usable by Delavan)with a priest’s spell on it—the spiritualhammer spell that lets the priest do damagefrom a distance

Magical elf slippers, for Stardancer, thatallow her to move silently.

Metal armor large enough for Graywulfthat makes it harder for creatures to hit him.

WHAT’S NEXT? This Fast-Play Game is only the tip of theiceburg when it comes to the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS Game. The full game offers acomplete and comprehensive set of rulesthat allows you to create your own fantasticsword-and-sorcery adventures.

In the Dungeons & Dragons AdventureGame (shown on the back cover), you geteverything you need: more rules, which meansmore options and more excitement; more herocharacters to choose from; more monsters tobattle; more magic and more equipment; andmore ready-to-play adventures.

After that, look for the AdvancedDungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbookand Dungeon Master Guide. When you’reready, these rules books provide lots ofadditional material, including rules forcreating your own player character heroesand advice for the DM who wants todevelop an ongoing sword-and-sorcerycampaign. Look for these products at abook or hobby store near you, or check out<www.tsr.com>.


If you liked this Fast-Play Game, you’lllove the Dungeons & Dragons

Adventue Game! It’s a great way to learnthe game and start playing now. It

includes everything you need to play.

Play the World’s Greatest Game!

Look for this product at your nearest bookor game store, or contact us at

<www.tsr.com>.

©1999 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. ® and ™ designate registered trademarks of TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.


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