feat: initial DCC RPG knowledge base + AI DM design
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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Writing: Joseph Goodman, Harley Stroh
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Editing: Aeryn “Blackdirge” Rudel
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Cover art and cartography: Doug Kovacs
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Interior art: Jeff Easley, Tom Galambos, Doug
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Kovacs, Peter Mullen, Stefan Poag, Jim Roslof
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Contents ©2011 Goodman Games
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www.goodman-games.com
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W
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elcome to Free RPG Day 2011, a grand tradition inaugurated by Goodman Games in 2007. As one of the
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creators of the concept and the very first publisher to sign up for the very first Free RPG Day, Goodman
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Games is proud to take part in the fifth year of this great event supporting RPGs in general and brick-
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and-mortar game stores in particular.
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As announced earlier this year, Goodman Games is releasing the
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Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game in late 2011. The Free
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RPG Day supplement you hold in your hands contains two short
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adventures designed to introduce your gaming group to the
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DCC RPG. To play these adventures, you need to download
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the DCC RPG beta rules. These rules are available now from
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www.goodman-games.com!
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The DCC RPG beta rules are just that: a first pass at the
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game’s rules. We welcome your input! Between now
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and the game’s formal release, we expect thousands of
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gamers to give the rules a try. Whether it’s through the
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adventures in this supplement or through home-brewed
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adventures, we’d love to have your thoughts on the
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game. Your input will shape the final product.
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In the following pages you will find three major
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entries:
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• A brief overview of DCC RPG.
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• The Portal Under the Stars, a low-
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level adventure for either a horde
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of 0-level adventurers or a smaller
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number of 1st-level characters.
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• The Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the
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Mad, a level 5 adventure for more
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experienced characters.
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And now: Let the adventures begin!
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If you like what you see here, be sure to
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pre-order DCC RPG from your friendly
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local game store!
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Page 1
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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You’re no hero.
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You’re a reaver,
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a cutpurse,
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a heathen-slayer,
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a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets.
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You seek gold and glory,
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winning it with sword and spell,
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caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished.
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There are treasures to be won deep
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underneath, and you shall have them...
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Return to the glory days of fantasy with the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing
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Game. Adventure as 1974 intended you to, with modern rules grounded in the origins of
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sword & sorcery. Fast play, cryptic secrets, and a mysterious past await you: turn the
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page…
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Page 2
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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Page 3
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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bandon all presumptions, ye who enter
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A here. Turn the pages of this tome only
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should you meet these qualifications:
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T
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hat you are a fantasy enthusiast of imaginative mind, familiar with the
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customs of role playing, understanding the history and significance of
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the Elder Gods Gygax and Arneson and their cohorts Bledsaw, Holmes,
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Kuntz, Moldvay, and Mentzer, and knowledgeable of the role of “judge” and the
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practice of “adventure.”
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T
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hat you are in possession of the implements of role playing; namely, graph
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paper and an assortment of polyhedrons, including but not limited to d4,
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d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20; that you know the works of the great mage
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Zocchi and are prepared to exercise d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24, d30, or d% should
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they need to be deployed; and, although you may possess metal figurines and
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erasable mats for purposes of enjoyment, you understand their role as optional
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visualizers not prerequisites.
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T
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hat you understand and appreciate certain visual hieroglyphs derived
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from denizens of the higher planes whose deific identities among mortals
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are rendered, in the Common tongue, Otus, Easley, Roslof, Holloway,
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Caldwell, and Dee.
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T
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hat you should be appreciative of a life of fantastic adventure and
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escapades, and acknowledge that a dungeon crawl facilitates the judging
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of a game focused thereon, but in no way excludes broader adventures in
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the wilderness, at court, or on the sea, air, or outer planes.
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T
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hat you apprehend the fantasy pandect recorded in Appendix N with
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reverence and delight, acknowledging its defining place in creating this
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hobby.
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T
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hat you are prepared to pledge, with right hand upon your little white
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books, that you shall uphold the honor of the hobby of role playing to all
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comers, whether young and old.
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I
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f these conditions are not met, then replace this book upon the shelf on
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which it belongs and flee with great celerity, for a bane befalls the heretical
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beholder of that which lies herein.
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S
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hould you meet these qualifications, be aware that you are indoctrinated
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into the order of Dungeon Crawl Classics and will find kind fellows of
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similar sentiment also within this order. You may proceed in good health.
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Page 4
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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Page 5
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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THE CORE MECHANIC
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• There are three saving throws: Fortitude, Reflex, and
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T
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he core mechanic in the Dungeon Crawl Classics
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Willpower.
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Role Playing Game is the d20 roll. You will fre-
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quently be asked to roll 1d20 and add or subtract No matter what edition you’ve played before:
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modifiers. The goal is to roll high and beat a DC, or Diffi-
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• Clerics turn creatures that are unholy to their religion
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culty Class. Sometimes the DC will have specific terms, such
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– which may include undead and other creatures.
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as an Armor Class, or AC, which is a combat variety of a DC.
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A higher DC is more difficult to beat, and a better-armored • All spells are cast with a spell check, where the caster rolls
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creature has a higher AC. 1d20, adds certain modifiers, and tries to score high. A
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high roll yields a more effective result. Each spell has a
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If you roll equal to or higher than the DC (or AC), you suc-
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unique chart that adjudicates the spell’s results.
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ceed. Otherwise, you fail.
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• Wizards may or may not lose their spells after a cast-
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A roll of 1 is an automatic miss and often results in a fum-
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ing. A low result means the wizard cannot cast the spell
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bling failure of some kind.
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again that day. However, on a high result, he can cast the
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A roll of 20 is an automatic hit and often results in a critical spell again.
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success of some kind.
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• Cleric spellcasting works differently from wizard spell-
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Occasionally, a character may roll a die other than 1d20 casting. Clerics never lose a spell after it has been cast.
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when acting. 1d16, 1d24, and even 1d30 are used for weaker However, as a cleric casts any spell, he may take a -1
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or stronger warriors and spellcasters, as described herein. penalty to his next spell check. By the end of the day, a
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cleric may have a significant penalty to his spell checks.
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HOW IS THIS GAME
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• There is a critical hit matrix. Higher-level characters and
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DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I martial characters generate critical hits more often and
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HAVE PLAYED BEFORE? roll on more deadly result tables.
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If you are familiar with the d20 system (3.0 and 3.5): • You can burn off ability scores to enhance dice rolls. All
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characters can burn Luck, and wizards and elves can
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• DCC RPG does not have prestige classes, attacks of op- burn other abilities.
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portunity, feats, or skill points.
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Those are the basics. Now: Go to www.goodman-games.com
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• Classes and races are one and the same. You are a wiz-
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and download the DCC RPG beta rules. Read them, then be-
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ard or an elf.
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gin your adventures with the following scenarios!
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If you are familiar with various iterations of 1E:
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FUNKY DICE
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• DCC RPG uses an ascending armor class system. A nor-
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mal, unarmored peasant is AC 10; a warrior in plate mail This game utilizes polyhedrons of unusual shapes. Specifi-
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is AC 18. cally, it utilizes the standard suite of dice, as well as what the
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author refers to as “Zocchi dice.” As an experienced gamer,
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• Attacks, saves, and skill checks all involve rolling 1d20,
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you undoubtedly own a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. DCC
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adding modifiers, and trying to beat a number.
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RPG also makes use of Zocchi dice in the following configu-
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rations: d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24, and d30. Later this year you
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will be able to purchase these dice from Goodman Games.
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For now, you can purchase from your local game store (ask
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them to special order if they do not already stock them), and
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from www.gamestation.net, www.chessex.com, and www.
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koplowgames.com (as well as other select internet sites).
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It is easy to substitute for the “funky dice” with a regular
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dice set. For a d3, roll 1d6 and divide by two. For a d7, roll
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1d8 and re-roll on an 8. For d14 or d16, roll d20 and ignore
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rolls above the die-facing threshold. For d24, roll 1d12 and
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1d6; if the 6-sider is odd, add 12 to the 1d12 roll. And so on.
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Page 6
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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Page 7
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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THE PORTAL UNDER THE STARS
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A Level 0-1 DCC RPG Adventure
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By Joseph Goodman
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INTRODUCTION ENCOUNTER TABLE
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S
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eeking wealth and escape from their peasant lives, Area Type Encounter
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the characters investigate a supernatural portal
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1-1 T Searing light trap
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that appears only once every half-century when
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the stars are right. The portal leads to the burial tomb of a 1-2 T Spear-throwing statues
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war-wizard of eons past. The characters must fight iron men,
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a demonic snake, the living dead, and a variety of strange 1-3 T Flame-launching statue
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statues to recover the treasures left by the war-wizard. 1-4 C Ssisssuraaaaggg the immortal demon-snake
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This adventure is designed for 15-20 0-level characters or 8- 1-5 C Seven piles of living bones
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10 1st-level characters. Remember that players should have
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2-3 characters each, so they can continue enjoying the fun of 1-6 C Six crystal statues
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play even if some of their PCs die off. In playtest groups of
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1-8 C 78 clay soldiers
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15 0-level PCs, 7 or 8 typically survive. The author has play-
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tested this adventure with groups of up to 28 PCs and expe-
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rienced one complete TPK and several sessions with only a
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PLAYER INTRODUCTION
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handful of survivors. The adventure focus is on traps and For long years, you labored in the fields like all the peasants, sweat-
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tricks rather than combat, as that ensures the greatest likeli- ing hot and dirty in the summer, only to shiver under threadbare
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hood of low-level survival. Nonetheless, there should be an hides when winter came. This year’s harvest ended like all the rest,
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expectation of the lessons of mortality. The author recom- and autumn’s work was hard on Old Man Roberts. When you
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mends that the judge tweak the challenge of certain encoun- visited his bedside at the end, he spoke in labored breaths of con-
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ters on the fly depending on the size and skill of the adven- stellations that hadn’t been seen since he was a young lad. The last
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turing party, particularly area 3 (which has the potential to time the Empty Star had risen in the sky, it was more than fifty
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wipe out the entire party if they cluster around the doors). winters past, he said. Under the light of that strange star a portal
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had opened by the old stone mounds. He’d seen jewels in there and
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BACKGROUND fine steel spears and enameled armor, but he’d run when the iron
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men had attacked. Now, old and dying, he wishes he’d taken the
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E
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ons ago, a primitive war-wizard ruled this land chance on a life of adventure. The Empty Star is once more rising,
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with the aid of barbarian tribes and strange crea- and a young man with courage could be more than just another
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tures from beyond the stars. When his mortal form peasant – if only he’d take the chance Old Man Robert hadn’t.
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was close to expiration, his alien allies instructed him to seal
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himself away in a protected tomb. Within the tomb the war- You’re taking that chance. You stand before the monolithic rocks
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wizard could then use astral projection to travel the stars of the old stone mounds, under the dark light of a starry sky. The
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beyond our world. He intended to return later to take pos- Empty Star is clear and bright above you. Three of the large stone
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session of his mortal body, which his spirit could do when blocks lean haphazardly together to form an upright rectangular
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the stars were properly aligned. However, the war-wizard’s portal about the size of a man. They seem to be placed directly
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extraplanar adventures did not go as planned. Now his beneath the star’s path. As the Empty Star ascends to its brightest
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body sits perfectly preserved in the tomb built, protected point, its light catches in the portal, and a shimmering stone-lined
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by enchantments and the remains of his barbarian hordes. corridor is visible through the stones, but only from one side of the
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If these defenses can be bested, the treasures within are ripe opening. Grasping your pitchfork with white knuckles, you step
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for the taking. into the starlit portal which was not there before today, thoughts of
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jewels and scorching wheat fields foremost in your mind.
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Page 8
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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Page 9
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
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AREAS OF THE MAP Observant characters (DC 12 Intelligence check) notice many
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fine scorch marks on the marble floor, as if campfires had
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General Features: Unless otherwise noted, the dungeon been started there.
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is dark and dry. Doors are unlocked unless specified other-
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wise. Access to the tomb is restricted, so there are no wan- The granite statue weighs many tons but rotates freely on
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dering monsters. a well-oiled (but concealed) base. With a deep bass groan-
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ing sound, it swivels to track the characters’ movements. If
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Area 1-1 – Portal: Even though the hallway is visible from only the party splits up, it tracks the largest group. The extended
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one side of the portal, you tread on solid flagstones. The starlight hand marks its line of sight.
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fades as it reaches into this hallway, which dead-ends ahead at a
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stout iron-banded door. Jewels or crystals in an odd assortment of If any character moves to exit the room (including opening
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star shapes are inscribed on the door. a door or leaving as they arrived), the statue sends forth a
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scorching burst of flame from its fingertip: +6 to hit, 1d6
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The hallway appears only under certain constellations re- damage, 1d6 additional burning damage each round there-
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lated to the Empty Star. The star shapes on the door approxi- after until a DC 10 Reflex save is made to put out the fire.
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mate the nighttime sky visible through the reverse end of Once provoked, the statue launches flames continuously,
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the hallway. once per round, for up to 5 rounds, at which point its fuel
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If the characters wait two hours, movement of the nighttime supply is exhausted.
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sky makes the view back through the portal reveal the same Strong characters who remove the doors from their hinges
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star pattern as that inscribed on the door. (A character real- in areas 1 and 2 can use them as a shield against the statue.
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izes this with a DC 14 Intelligence check.) The door swings This full-body shield increases AC by +4 but reduces move-
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open easily for this ten-minute interval. ment to half.
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Door: At any other time, the door will not budge. Treat as The statue can be placated by uttering the name of the war-
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locked; DC 15 Strength check to break down; DC 15 Pick wizard in whose likeness it is carved. But that name is lost to
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Lock check for a thief. time. Otherwise, it is so large as to be beyond the ability of
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Trap: If the door is forced, a searing light burns from the the characters to damage.
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star-shaped inscription. The character in the lead takes 1d8 All doors are unlocked.
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damage (DC 10 Reflex save for half). The trap is detected
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with a DC 20 Search (PC notices arcane arrangement of the Area 1-4 – Scrying Chamber: A wide stone throne faces
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star-shaped inscriptions). you from the center of this square room. The walls are hung with
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primitive clay tablets, head-high and inscribed with strange sym-
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Area 1-2 – Guardian Hall: Across from this room is another bols. Each tablet is a few feet wide and there are dozens hanging on
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stout door. Four iron statues flank the door, two to a side. Each stat- the four walls. However, your attention is riveted to the enormous
|
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ue depicts a different fighting man in a round iron helmet and thick snake that has crawled out from behind the throne. It is ringed in
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scaled armor holding a long spear in a throwing position. All the crimson bands the color of hellfire and has a demonic horn in the
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spear-tips are aimed at the door through which you just entered. center of its fanged head.
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The statues are mechanical creations of the war-wizard. The immortal demon-snake guards this scrying chamber. It
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They wait for an opportune moment, then suddenly hurl speaks in a sibilant hiss: “I am Ssisssuraaaaggg, and you in-
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their spears at the characters. Four spear attacks: +2 to hit trude on my guardianship.” Then, without parley or hesita-
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(additional +2 if characters stand in doorway bull’s-eye), tion, it attacks.
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damage 1d8.
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Ssisssuraaaaggg, the immortal demon-snake: Init +0; Atk
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The jerky spear-throws are clearly mechanical. The stat- bite +6 melee; Dmg 1d8; AC 13; HP 20; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SV
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ues remain in the post-throw position and make no further Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4; AL L.
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movement. They can be attacked but are made of solid iron
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and only damage weapons used against them. Their scale When Ssisssuraaaaggg is killed, its body dissolves into ash,
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mail armor is beautifully enameled with shining black stone. leaving only the demonic horn behind. The horn can be used
|
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The armor can be removed from the statues and worn or to commune with a demon, and when meditated upon (DC
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sold for twice the usual price. 12 spell check), confers access to the spell invoke patron.
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The spears can be recovered. The door is unlocked and not A magical portal hangs on the back of the entry door. If the
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trapped. door is shut, someone seated on the throne looks directly
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upon the portal, which shows stars unlike any seen before
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Area 1-3 – Monument Hall: This spacious chamber has mar- in the night sky. The constellations slowly move across the
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bled floors and a door on each wall. At the far end is a towering “sky” shown in the portal. A powerful wizard can use this
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granite statue of a barbarian, one hand outstretched, index finger portal to see far-away places (DC 25 spell check).
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pointed toward you. The muscular savage wears animal hides, but
|
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his eyes are intelligent and his engraved neckline sports amulets Anyone who studies the tablets can make out their story.
|
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and charms. A grimoire hangs beside a broadsword on the hip of They tell of an alien race that came from the stars to bring
|
||||
the thirty-foot-tall monument. magical implements to a barbarian tribe, who in turn con-
|
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quered many lands with their new powers. The aliens will
|
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|
||||
Page 10
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Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
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return when the stars are right. Many less significant events crushed through normal means.
|
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are foretold by the stars (and tablets) as well: droughts,
|
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Seven piles of living bones: Init -2; Atk bite +0 melee; Dmg
|
||||
plagues, the birth and death of kings, and so on.
|
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1d4-1; AC 8; HP 2; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref -4, Will +1;
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Area 1-5 – Chieftains’ Burial: This musty room is clearly a AL C.
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burial chamber. Seven shrouded alcoves hold piles of loose bones.
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Most of the weaponry and armor in this room is rusted and
|
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Rusty arms and armor adorn the walls beside each alcove and fu-
|
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worthless, but a hand axe, a battle axe, and a set of chain
|
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neral masks are mounted beneath the loose skulls.
|
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mail can be recovered. Due to their age and brittleness the
|
||||
The funeral masks show primitive, almost simian features two axes are at -1 to attack, and the chain mail offers only +4
|
||||
on stern faces. Examination of the bones shows they are not armor class for similar reasons.
|
||||
quite human: the limbs are too thick, the spines too short,
|
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Area 1-6 – Gazing Pool: This enormous chamber is filled with
|
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and the beetled brows jut out too far.
|
||||
a large, rectangular pool of water running the entire length of the
|
||||
Each of the seven skeletons was a gen- room. Diffused light shines upward from the pool, illuminating
|
||||
eral in the army of the war-wizard. If wide pillars lining the walls. Strangest of all, however, are the
|
||||
the skulls in this room are destroyed, man-shaped crystal creatures visible in the shadows. They shuffle
|
||||
the spirits that animate the war- about slowly, their strange crystalline bodies sparkling like jewels
|
||||
riors in area 8 are released to whenever they catch the light from the pool. There is a door in the
|
||||
find peace. far corner of this chamber.
|
||||
The bones are living dead This room represents the war-wizard’s vengeance against his
|
||||
that have decayed over enemies. He transformed his foes into living crystalline stat-
|
||||
the eons. They shake ues, then trapped them here. Now possessed of only animal
|
||||
and rattle as characters intelligence, they are no longer capable of speech nor do they
|
||||
approach; however, need sustenance. They have wandered this room for millen-
|
||||
they can no longer nia, trapped in the unending hell of their crystal bodies.
|
||||
animate into cohe-
|
||||
There are six crystal statues. Their features are hard to dis-
|
||||
sive skeletons. The
|
||||
cern because of their translucency, but they are perfect rep-
|
||||
skulls clack, clat-
|
||||
licas of the eons-old proto-human warriors who were trans-
|
||||
ter, and attempt to
|
||||
formed to create them. They are attracted to light and shuffle
|
||||
bite, but are eas-
|
||||
toward torches and lanterns. They do not attack, but their
|
||||
ily avoid-
|
||||
approach may seem menacing, and they will defend them-
|
||||
ed and
|
||||
selves. If they reach a torch or other light source unmolested,
|
||||
they simply stand next to it and absorb the warmth.
|
||||
Six crystal statues: Init -2; Atk punch +2 melee; Dmg 1d4; AC
|
||||
12; HP 8; MV 10’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -2, Ref -2, Will +0; AL N.
|
||||
The pool is 3’ deep. Its bottom is painted pitch black and
|
||||
encrusted with thousands of crystals forming the stars of
|
||||
a nighttime constellation that is unfamiliar. (It is in fact
|
||||
the sky as it will appear twenty thousand years from
|
||||
now, when the war-wizard’s strange benefactors
|
||||
will return.)
|
||||
The light shines through the crystal stars
|
||||
from area 8 below. Each crystal is worth 10
|
||||
sp and takes 2 minutes to pry out. Prying
|
||||
out crystals causes the water in the pool
|
||||
to drain into area 8. Air bubbles rise,
|
||||
then a current starts, and after 10 crys-
|
||||
tals are pried out, the draining is obvi-
|
||||
ous. After 50 crystals are removed, the
|
||||
floor buckles. After 100 crystals are re-
|
||||
moved, it collapses onto area 8, send-
|
||||
ing any characters within the pool
|
||||
crashing down into to the room below
|
||||
in a sloshing mess (1d6 damage, DC
|
||||
12 Ref save for half).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Page 11
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
Area 1-7 – Strategy Room: The spiral staircase leads to a stands that he can use it as a scrying ball. Such a wizard
|
||||
long, narrow room with a door in the far wall. There are several can view a location he has seen or has reference to (e.g., can
|
||||
ledges holding miniature clay solders and two tables with armies view a creature whose lock of hair he possesses); DC 18 spell
|
||||
of opposing soldiers are laid out around buildings and hills. check to activate for 1d6 rounds; -2 penalty for each consecu-
|
||||
tive use in a day. However, once every 1d8 days, an alien
|
||||
The war-wizard intended for this room to be a planning sta-
|
||||
countenance appears in the ball to look back at the wizard.
|
||||
tion for his afterlife conquests.
|
||||
These are the extraplanar benefactors of the war-wizard,
|
||||
Four of the clay soldiers are solid silver. They are the gener- who taught him to use this crystal globe to guide his astral
|
||||
als, clearly the leaders of the four armies laid out on the two projection, and who occasionally use it to look upon the
|
||||
tables. DC 10 Search check; worth 20 gp each. mortal realm. See also area 9.
|
||||
Area 1-8 – Clay Army: The door opens upon a breathtaking Area 1-9 – Treasure Vault: At the end of the long hallway
|
||||
scene. An enormous, three-tiered chamber spreads before you. An is a spartanly appointed room containing simple wooden shelves,
|
||||
oversized throne rests upon a raised dais at the far end of the room. a camp chair, and a sleeping pallet. The wooden shelves hold a
|
||||
Seated on the throne is a clay warlord that resembles the giant bronze rod, a copper brazier, fine weapons and armor, and a brass-
|
||||
statue you saw earlier. A pulsating light emanates from a crystal bound tome. In the center of the floor is a large pentacle with a per-
|
||||
globe atop the throne. fect crystal circle at its center. Inside the circle is a stone table on
|
||||
which rests a wrinkled ancient body whose countenance matches
|
||||
Below the dais at floor level seven statues of clay generals stand
|
||||
the war-wizards. At the head of the table is a concave depression.
|
||||
motionless. Below them, in a huge pit that runs the length of the
|
||||
room stands an army of clay soldiers. There are dozens of soldiers Here are stored the trappings of the war-wizard:
|
||||
arrayed in marching formation, their clay armor and clay spears
|
||||
equipped for war. • The bronze rod of rulership is engraved with half of a
|
||||
demon’s face. It is worth 150 gp, but read on.
|
||||
A great stillness pervades the room. It is the stillness of death; the
|
||||
silence of a tomb. Then, suddenly, the stillness is broken as the clay • The copper brazier is worth 10 gp.
|
||||
warlord jerkily raises an arm toward his generals. Then, the entire • The assortment of weapons includes a longsword, a long
|
||||
army takes a lurching step forward, shattering the silence with the bow, 40 arrows with quiver, a mace, a spear, a battle axe,
|
||||
tramp of doom. a dagger, and a hand axe.
|
||||
This is the warlord’s elite guard, preserved and reanimated • There is a suit of scale mail.
|
||||
for eternity. The characters have no hope of defeating the 70
|
||||
warriors, 7 generals, and warlord. All share these same stats: • The tome is written in a language so ancient it is indeci-
|
||||
Init +0; Atk spear +4 melee; Dmg 1d8; AC 12; HP 9; MV 10’; pherable to modern man. A wizard who studies it may
|
||||
Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N. discover (with a DC 14 spell check) a spell of the judge’s
|
||||
choosing.
|
||||
However, there are several clever ways to win passage:
|
||||
If a character places the crystal ball in the depression on the
|
||||
• If the clay army is submerged in water by removing
|
||||
table, he sees this:
|
||||
crystals to sink the pool in area 6 all creatures in this
|
||||
room take 1d6 damage from falling debris as the ceil- Gazing into the crystal ball, you see an endless field of bright stars
|
||||
ing collapses. Additionally, any surviving clay soldiers on a faint gray background. A ghostly image of the war-wizard
|
||||
slowly turn to mud, taking an additional 1 point of dam- drifts in the star-strewn ether, perfectly still. Then a harsh goat-
|
||||
age each round until they dissolve into a puddle. like face fills the full sphere, staring intently at you. “I have wait-
|
||||
ed a long time for someone to take the warlord’s place,” says the
|
||||
• The life force of the clay generals is linked to their skel-
|
||||
strange goat-man in a deep voice. “His astral voyage was cut short
|
||||
etons in area 5. If the skulls there are destroyed, the clay
|
||||
before he could rekindle the spark of his mortal coil. I am still in
|
||||
generals’ heads shatter to shards and dust. The charac-
|
||||
need of an ally on your world. Fill this copper brazier with wood
|
||||
ters may arrive to find the generals already destroyed.
|
||||
from a dryad’s tree and ignite it with the spark of a living fire. The
|
||||
• Smart characters may try to assassinate the warlord di- blaze will reveal the location of the other half of the rulership rod.
|
||||
rectly, which quickly ends the threat. Find that for me, and you shall be rewarded.” Then the globe dims
|
||||
to mere crystal.
|
||||
If the warlord and generals are alive, the warriors climb
|
||||
from the pit (1 action) and attack while the generals look on. They say a dryad has been seen in the forests east of here…
|
||||
If the generals are killed, the warriors lack organization and
|
||||
spend a few rounds milling about before moving forward to
|
||||
attack. If the warlord is killed, the entire army loses anima,
|
||||
becoming simply a set of clay statues.
|
||||
The secret door is found with a DC 14 search.
|
||||
The crystal globe emits an ongoing light. It is worth 200 gp
|
||||
as a work of art. A wizard who unlocks its secrets (DC 18
|
||||
spell check plus study time and arcane consultation) under-
|
||||
Page 12
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
THE INFERNAL CRUCIBLE OF
|
||||
SEZREKAN THE MAD
|
||||
A level 5 DCC RPG adventure
|
||||
By Harley Stroh
|
||||
|
||||
INTRODUCTION Elzemon the Forgotten: Unfortunately for those seeking to
|
||||
plunder the wizard’s secrets, Sezrekan was notorious amid
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
T
|
||||
his adventure is designed for 4 to 8 5th-level char- the infernal hierarchies for summoning demons and devils,
|
||||
acters. If this is your first exposure to DCC RPG, and then simply refusing (or forgetting) to release them.
|
||||
you can roll up 5th-level characters and use this One such being, a minor demon named Elzemon, remains
|
||||
scenario as a contrast to a preceding one to get a sense of imprisoned in this workshop to this day. And in a desper-
|
||||
low-level versus high-level play. ate bid for its own freedom, the demon has transformed the
|
||||
workshop into an elaborate trap.
|
||||
BACKGROUND
|
||||
Elzemon has free reign within the various areas of the labo-
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I
|
||||
nfamous in the darker cycles of lore and legendry, ratory, but cannot escape the complex until the sand in the
|
||||
Sezrekan the Mad was a notorious sage, diabolist, hourglass (area 1-1) runs out. He begins the adventure in
|
||||
and warlock bent on a quest for immortality. His area 1-2 and is quickly drawn to any disturbance.
|
||||
perilous quest played out over several hundred years, and
|
||||
none can say whether the Old One achieved deification or The demon’s downfall is its delight in tormenting mortals.
|
||||
lost his soul vying with infernal powers. The pot-bellied demon follows the PCs through the cham-
|
||||
bers, invisible, doing its very best to egg the PCs into wast-
|
||||
Sezrekan’s pursuit of lost secrets and forbidden lore spanned ing precious minutes.
|
||||
the face of Áereth. In these far-flung cities and crumbling ru-
|
||||
ins, the wizard-sage created simple workshops and found- Elzemon the Quasit: Init +4; Atk claw +3 melee (dmg 1d6+2);
|
||||
ries to aid in his research. Here, amid frothing retorts and AC 17; HP 23; MV 35’ (fly); Act 2d20; SP Invisible at will; SV
|
||||
forbidden scrolls, the aging warlock plumbed the mysteries Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5; Immune to Will-effects unless true
|
||||
of life, death, and time. Every new discovery opened another name is known; AL C.
|
||||
line of inquiry, leading Sezrekan to abandon the workshop
|
||||
for another city or ruin, never to return.
|
||||
ENCOUNTER TABLE
|
||||
Area Type Encounter
|
||||
An untold number of his abandoned workshops remain un-
|
||||
discovered to this day. One such laboratory is hidden in the 1-1 P Puzzle
|
||||
ancient city of Punjar. 1-2 C 10 Glyph Worms
|
||||
1-3 P/C Sezrekan’s Ape
|
||||
JUDGING NOTES Any P/C Elzemon
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
T
|
||||
he Infernal Crucible of Sezrekan the Mad presents the
|
||||
adventurers with both a crafty villain and a deadly PLAYER INTRODUCTION
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
T
|
||||
battle, but the most dangerous challenge is also the he adventure begins with the discovery – either by
|
||||
most subtle: Escaping Elzemon’s trap requires that at least one assiduous research or by accident – of the entrance
|
||||
foe is left alive. Adventurers given to scorched-earth style ex- to the workshop: a portal set into the floor. Read or
|
||||
peditions will be the instruments of their own demise. If the paraphrase the following:
|
||||
PCs slay both Elzemon and Sezrekan’s Ape, they are left with
|
||||
a gruesome dilemma: Which of their own to leave behind? Eagerly you scrape away the mud to reveal a circular portal of dull
|
||||
How the PCs go about making this decision may reveal more gray metal set into the floor. Set into the center of the portal is a
|
||||
about true character than the players care to admit. silver bas-relief depicting a two-legged serpent biting its own tail.
|
||||
Above the serpent, cast in gold, is a crown.
|
||||
The adventure is located in sprawling, decadent Punjar. Specif-
|
||||
ically, the workshop is hidden in the sub-basement of a decay- The portal is roughly 3 feet in diameter, though attempts
|
||||
ing manor in Smoke – the worst of Old Punjar’s wards – where at precise measurement hint its diameter to be the value of
|
||||
Dim Lane intersects the Shiv. Here, hidden among the crum- π. The portal is cast of lead to foil scrying and inter-dimen-
|
||||
bling tenements and foul night smokes, Sezrekan was free to sional travel. Wizards and thieves examining the portal are
|
||||
pursue his mad experiments without fear of interruption. overcome by a powerful sense that something terrible lurks
|
||||
behind the lead portal.
|
||||
Though nominally set in Punjar, the adventure can be easily
|
||||
placed in nearly any location. The PCs can discover the hidden The portal is three inches deep and can easily be pried free
|
||||
portal in the floor of a musty tomb, in the cellar of their favorite of the floor, revealing a narrow spiral staircase descending
|
||||
pub or chapel, or even in a forgotten gallery of their own keep. into darkness. The value of the raw silver is 15 gp; the value
|
||||
of the gold is 25 gp.
|
||||
Page 13
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
Page 14
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
AREAS OF THE MAP A large granite table dominates the chamber. It is laden with glass
|
||||
retorts and a series of skulls, ranging in size from a field mouse to
|
||||
Area 1-1 – The Magic Circle: A thick coat of dust covers the that of a tusked giant. An open tome rests on a stand beside the
|
||||
floor, obscuring what appears to be a magic circle, carved in runes, table.
|
||||
circumscribing the entire chamber. Stone faces of tormented de-
|
||||
mons ring the ceiling, and a pit set into the center of the chamber The walls are covered in sheets of hammered copper, stained with
|
||||
pulses with a hellish crimson light. Beside the pit rests a tall golden vile liquids and scored by acid. The top of each sheet is attached
|
||||
hourglass. to a chain and counter weights that run to the ceiling and then
|
||||
descending to hang just above the stone table.
|
||||
Inspection by cautious wizards reveals that the magic circle
|
||||
prevents the escape of demons. However, just inside the There are seven skulls in all: field mouse, monkey, goat, hal-
|
||||
circle of runes is a pentagram, drawn in blood and hidden fling, elf, human, ogre, and the giant. The cranium of each
|
||||
by dust, that traps any living creature entering the chamber. skull is sawn open, and the interior cavity is set with plati-
|
||||
The pentagram was cast by the demon Elzemon. These two num spacers to accommodate a smaller brain.
|
||||
thaumaturgic inscriptions interact in strange, unpredictable The tome is open to a dusty page with a simple passage:
|
||||
ways.
|
||||
a curse upon thieves that dare
|
||||
The instant a PC crosses over the runes, read or paraphrase to gaze upon the works
|
||||
the following: of mighty Sezrekan
|
||||
A thunderous crack echoes through the chamber and electric blue Beneath the passage is a large glyph inked in red and black.
|
||||
waves of tormented faces cascade through the air, revealing a sin- The quickest inspection of the page activates the glyph.
|
||||
ister pentagram scrawled in blood across the floor of the chamber. It flashes brightly (Ref save, DC 15, or be blinded for 1d3
|
||||
The hourglass rotates in its base, and the sound of maniacal laugh- rounds), and then animates into inky black worms. With
|
||||
ter echoes faintly from below. horrifying speed, the worms begin to consume every writ-
|
||||
No magic shy of a deific patron or infernal power can wrest ten word within the chamber.
|
||||
the PCs from Elzemon’s trap. From this moment forward, it In the first round, the glyph worms consume the tome. In
|
||||
is impossible to leave the chamber, save for the pit down. the second and third round, they squiggle behind the cop-
|
||||
Sezrekan’s golden hourglass stands nearly three feet in height per sheets covering the walls and consume all the tomes
|
||||
and weighs roughly 30 lbs. A minor relic discarded by the and sheaves. On the fourth round, they move on to the PCs,
|
||||
Old One, the hourglass keeps perfectly precise time of any and on the fifth round, the worms consume any spellbooks,
|
||||
duration, and grants a +2 bonus to spell checks for spells maps, tomes, or scrolls in the PCs’ possession. The glyphs
|
||||
taking one turn or longer to cast. Destroying the hourglass die in writhing agony on the 8th round.
|
||||
has no effect other than to eliminate the PCs’ means of track- Glyph Worm (10): Init +2; Atk –; Dmg –; AC 15; HP 1; MV
|
||||
ing time. 20’; Act 1d20; SA consume written words; SV Fort -1, Ref +3,
|
||||
The pit is 50’ deep and runs to area 1-2. Given the opportu- Will immune; AL N.
|
||||
nity, Elzemon flies up from area 1-2, eager for the chance to The copper sheets hanging on the walls function as primi-
|
||||
push a PC into the pit or cut an unattended rope. tive blast shields, protecting the valuables behind them from
|
||||
Wizard, sages, or lucky thieves pausing to study the interac- any explosions that might take place in the main chamber.
|
||||
tion between the magic circle and the pentagram can deduce Pulling on any one of the five hanging chains raises the cor-
|
||||
the following principles: responding metal sheets, revealing five sets of shelves:
|
||||
|
||||
• So long as the thaumaturgic inscriptions remain intact, The first set of shelves is heavy with the weight of time-
|
||||
no creature can be summoned into the crucible. blackened tomes, stacks of rolled vellum, and sheaves of
|
||||
worn parchment – Sezrekan’s discarded research. If collect-
|
||||
• At the end of the hour, both the magic circle and the ed and studied by a wizard or sage, they yield 1d5 spells (to
|
||||
Elzemon’s pentagram part for an instant, permitting es- be determined by the judge or rolled randomly). The shelf
|
||||
cape. also contains a scroll that holds the true name of Elzemon
|
||||
• No matter how many exit, at least one living creature and details the demon’s weakness: striking the demon with
|
||||
must remain inside the circle. lead renders it visible and inflicts 1d4 points of damage per
|
||||
round of contact.
|
||||
One final principle applies that can only be inferred: The last
|
||||
creature left within the circle is trapped there for all eter- The second set of shelves is laden with retorts, strange flasks,
|
||||
nity. and vials stoppered with wax. They once contained elixirs,
|
||||
potions, and concoctions resulting from the Old One’s experi-
|
||||
Area 1-2 – The Infernal Crucible: The pit opens into a ments. Time has reduced most of these mixtures to poison.
|
||||
cluttered octagonal chamber. A sinister, crimson light emanates Sages and wizards succeeding on a DC 13 Intelligence check
|
||||
from web-laden globes that hang from the ceiling, casting a charnel can identify 1d5 vials of strong acids and bases; thieves suc-
|
||||
glow over the chamber’s contents. ceeding on a DC 20 Handle Poison check can identify a similar
|
||||
number of poisons (efficacy to be determined by the judge).
|
||||
|
||||
Page 15
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
The third and fourth sets of shelves are empty.
|
||||
The fifth set of shelves is laden with the raw materials vital to Sezrekan’s studies. Four coffers rest on the shelves. Inside
|
||||
the coffers are 10 silver bars (worth 30 gp each), 5 gold bars (worth 100 gp each), 2 platinum bars (worth 500 gp each), and
|
||||
a nondescript pouch containing lead dust shot through with flecks of adamantine (worth 1,000 gp).
|
||||
Area 1-3 – The Chamber of the Ape: Water drips in thin rivulets down the walls of this chamber, pooling on the floor. A trio of
|
||||
large clay vessels, each nearly 4’ in height, stands against one wall. Beside the strange jars rest a trio of iron rods.
|
||||
At the far end of the chamber is heavy iron gate.
|
||||
The gate is secured with a massive lock that is easily picked (DC 15). Inside the cell is the body of an enormous ape atop
|
||||
wooden planks. Unmoving and unresponsive, the ape is Sezrekan’s unfortunate attempt to transplant a human mind into
|
||||
the body of an animal. Branded onto the ape’s shaven scalp is the mark of Sezrekan.
|
||||
The egg-like vessels are primitive batteries. The top of each jar is sealed with clay and pierced by a hole matching the width
|
||||
of the iron rods. If each of the three rods is inserted into a corresponding vessel, the circuit is completed, initiating a rapid
|
||||
series of events:
|
||||
Arcs of electricity fan into the cham-
|
||||
ber, striking any PC standing in the
|
||||
pooled water. PCs in the water take
|
||||
1d4 points of damage per round
|
||||
and must succeed on a DC 17 Fort
|
||||
save to make any actions. The semi-
|
||||
paralysis ends with the destruction
|
||||
of at least one of the vessels (AC
|
||||
10, hp 10) or by escaping the pool.
|
||||
Other PCs can pull their paralyzed
|
||||
companions from the water, but if
|
||||
they step into the pool, they are also
|
||||
caught by the arcing current.
|
||||
The current is sufficient to shock
|
||||
Sezrekan’s Ape back to life. One
|
||||
round after awakening, it tears the
|
||||
iron gate free of its moorings and
|
||||
casts the twisted wreckage aside.
|
||||
On the third round, it proceeds to
|
||||
do the same with the PCs.
|
||||
Due to its rage and Sezrekan’s mind-
|
||||
altering magics, the ape is immune
|
||||
to the paralysis effect, as well as to
|
||||
any charm, sleep or mind-altering ef-
|
||||
fect permitting a Will save.
|
||||
Finally, if the PCs are loathe to ex-
|
||||
periment with the rods and vessels,
|
||||
an invisible Elzemon closes the cir-
|
||||
cuit for them, waiting for the op-
|
||||
portunity to paralyze the greatest
|
||||
number of PCs.
|
||||
Sezrekan’s Ape: Init +2; Atk fists
|
||||
+5 melee (dmg 1d12); AC 15; HP
|
||||
65; MV 40’; Act 2d20; SA Rend for
|
||||
additional 1d16 dmg on natural 18
|
||||
or 19; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will Im-
|
||||
mune; AL C.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Page 16
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
Massimiliano Mauri (Order #52297842)
|
||||
|
||||
File diff suppressed because it is too large.
Load diff
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
|
||||
# Reference Booklet DCC — Estratto
|
||||
|
||||
Estratto dal Reference Booklet inglese (66 pag, 230KB di testo).
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sezioni Identificate
|
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Reference in new issue
Block a user