The Assassination Solution?

I have posted before about my concerns over the Advanced Edition Companion Assassin class, and I have even made a "Decree" in an attempt to severely limit the in-game application of the class's "Assassination" ability.  Yet in explaining the Assassination Decree to Vivuli's player at a recent session, I could tell that he wasn't real happy to be losing what is probably the most potent ability the class is given in the AEC.  I empathize with him and I don't want to hamstring Vivuli, but I also do not like it when an Assassin can instantly kill a balrog or a demi-god with a single percentile roll.

Carl to the rescue!  My good friend Carl has proposed an extremely elegant solution to this problem to me via email, and I want to simply reproduce his idea here:

Here is a quick suggestion to mull over regarding "assassinations". How would you feel about replacing the percent chance to kill mechanic with an attack that does normal weapon damage +1d6 per level of the assassin? All the normal restrictions would apply as specified (the assassin would have to completely sneak up on and surprise the victim, and then actually hit with an attack). The "sneak attack" style of assassination that you dislike is pretty much the whole reason Vivuli's player selected that class, based (I am pretty sure) on a lot of experience playing sneak attack thiefs in the Final Fantasy video game series :) This removes the "magic" element of killing a creature outright and makes it explicitly about just being really skilled at doing damage to an unsuspecting target.

Replacing the chance to just kill outright with a modest damage increase would insure that powerful creatures like the demon/dragon/elemental/lava bird/thing* couldn't be killed in a single shot. As an example, Vivuli's dagger attack does 1d4 damage, +5d6 for a successful assassination at 5th level would do a max of 34 damage.

This does also keep the ability useful when used against less powerful creatures, guards and the like that would be easily dispatched by someone skilled in the art of stealth who snuck up on them and slit their throat. Against creatures of same HD, it is close to the same percentage chance of killing the creature, but at least your roll as DM when generating the creature's HP gets to go against the damage roll of an attack, instead of an instant death scenario.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Assassin class as converted for Labyrinth Lord is really weak. It is really weak in the original 1e as well. It has the same HD as a wizard, but a wizard has so many more cool powers. The assassin does thief skills like a thief two levels lower. And has worse HD. Really, the whole schtick of the assassin class is the ability to jump out and do a lot of damage in a single surprise attack. It is a limited ability - if it fails, the assassin is standing there with all the d4 HPs dangling in the breeze in front of your big bad monster. My feeling was that converting the ability to a damage increase and abandoning the percentile chance of death might make the entire class easier to stomach for you. It is a sort of specialized combat class that excels in sneaking around and being ninja-y and jumping out and surprising shit with a big attack. I don't think it has to stretch any kind of understanding of what is a magic ability and what isn't.

It doesn't change the relative power that much of the class one way or the other, but it does avoid the percent chance of instant death. It also gives you a very easy way to make sure that a creature does not get instantly killed - just give it a few extra HP!

One other nice thing is it eliminates the d30 wonkiness when interacting with a percentile chart.

Agreed, and so thanks Carl for coming up with this lovely solution.

Any thoughts anybody?

--
* The "thing" Carl refers to here is a being the Arandish Campaign group encountered in a recent session (#51).

The Assassination Decree

I have discussed this subject before, but wanted to formalize this policy for my Arandish Campaign:

Assassination (see Advanced Edition Companion p. 10) only works in the context of a planned, premeditated assassination attempt, NOT in the middle of standard melee combat -- unless that melee combat is being staged for the purpose of committing the assassination. In other words, "Assassination" does NOT equal "backstab followed by chance of instant death" unless it is as part of a premeditated Assassination attempt. This houseruling may limit how this ability works vis-a-vis the wording in the AEC, but that's how things are in Ara.

"File yer complains with me, filthy human scum!"

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 9

And now, the final installment of my "stock the sample dungeon level from the Dungeon Masters Guide p. 95" project. To catch the story so far, see James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8.

Project guidelines:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 35 through 39, thereby completing the level:

Room 35:  Rolled and got trap with treasure.  So I rolled on the "Random Traps" table on p. 32 of the Advanced Edition Companion and got "spiked pit that locks shut." Treasure = 1400 sp.

Room 36: Got monster, no treasure. I rolled "Throghrin" on the Level 3 Wandering Monsters table.

Room 37: Rolled monster, no treasure. Rolled "fly, giant carnivorous" (6) - incidentally, the same monster as in Room 29.

Room 38: Rolled empty, no treasure. Yet due to the placement of this room -- a lone chamber behind a secret door -- I feel compelled to put something interesting here, in spite of that roll. So I turn to Al Krombach's "Random Area Name Generator" tables and come up with "The Petrified Pool of Death."

Room 39: Rolled monster with treasure, and got "carcass scavenger" on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table. The carcass scavenger's Hoard Class is XXI; I rolled 8000 cp, 3000 sp, and 2000 gp for its treasure.

Now the finished key to this last group of rooms:

35. Spiked Pit Trap Room 
The entire 20' x 20' floor of this room is a 20' deep spiked pit trap. A slight delay is built into the pit's triggering mechanism: the trap springs one round after the first being sets foot on the floor of the room. Anyone caught in the room when the trap springs falls into the pit, taking 2d6 falling damage plus 1d6 damage each from 1d4 spikes. The pit lid then instantly clamps shut and locks, trapping its victims within. The pit's lock can be picked by a thief or bypassed via knock; otherwise, it stays locked for 24 hours, at which time the trap resets and may be triggered from above once again. Note that those PCs bypassing the lock must also find a way to wedge the pit open to rescue their fellows, otherwise the lid slams shut and locks again in one round. Scattered amongst the spikes and decaying bodies on the pit floor is 1400 sp.

36. Throghrin Lair
A lone Throghrin dwells here. In addition to its usual abilities, it possesses a wraithblade, a +2 chaotic longsword which drains one life level or hit die (like a wraith's touch) per successful melee strike. The wraithblade's powers only work in the hands of a chaotic being; it is a mundane sword to all others. The Throghrin is aware of the concealed doors leading west into the Carnivorous Fly Lair in Room 37, and will retreat through those doors to seek the aid of the flies if seriously outnumbered or at combat disadvantage.

37. Carnivorous Flies
Six Carnivorous Flies dwell here, awaiting prey. They will not attack the Throghrin from Room 36 should it retreat here.

38. The Petrified Pool of Death
Even if the secret door to this room is found, it requires the key from the niche near Room 34 in order to be opened. The concave floor of this circular chamber makes clear that this place once contained a pool, long since dried up. A fine grey powder remains, coating the floor of this room. Anyone ingesting even the tiniest sample of this powder must save or die. The grey stuff kills by entering the bloodstream; if it is combined with oil or sap, it becomes adhesive and will stick to blades and arrowheads, forcing anyone whose skin is pierced by such edged weapons to save or die. There is enough powder on the floor to constitute six lethal doses; harvesting all of it takes three turns.

39. The Lurker in the Dark Stairwell
The stairwell here -- which leads down* to another dungeon level -- has a permanent darkness spell cast upon it, so the stairs themselves are difficult to navigate quickly and the ceiling crack (see below) is nigh impossible to see. In a small cavern behind a crack in the ceiling above the southernmost 10' section of stairs dwells a carcass scavenger (carrion crawler) which waits for parties to pass by underneath, then attacks the hindmost party member with its paralyzing tentacles. If successful, it devours its prey and retreats into the crack; if not, it fights but will retreat into the ceiling crack or flee northward if the melee turns against it. Hidden in the nook behind the ceiling crack is the carcass scavenger's treasure: 8000 cp, 3000 sp, and 2000 gp.

Stay tuned for a compilation pdf of the entire Level Key!

--
* Or up if you prefer -- see forthcoming post about my confusion over the "stairs up" / "stairs down" icons in AD&D mapping.

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 8

And now, Part 8 of my episodic attempt to randomly stock the sample dungeon level from the Dungeon Masters Guide p. 95. See also James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7.

Project guidelines:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 31 through 34:

Room 31:  Rolled and got empty, no treasure.  I also rolled on the "Random Atmospheric Details" and "Miscellaneous Room Contents" tables on pp. 147-148 of the Advanced Edition Companion and got "sea air," "breeze, cold," "foggy," and "excrement."

Room 32: Got monster, treasure. I rolled on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table (LL p. 104) and got 1 Shadow.

Room 33: Rolled trap, no treasure. A roll on the random traps table on p. 147 of the AEC yielded "spear trap."

Room 34: Rolled empty, no treasure. This room connects Rooms 24 and 25, so I referred back to my Stocking Installment Part 6 to see what was in those rooms. I will link this intermediate locale to the general theme of those chambers if possible.

The finished key to Rooms 31-34:

31. Fog and Excrement Chamber 
This 20' x 20' room smells strongly of sea air, and a cold breeze laps at one's feet in here. The entire room is filled floor-to-ceiling with thick, swirling fog. The room is otherwise empty except for a large patch of sticky excrement in the center of the room. The sea-saltiness of the air prevents those who enter the room from smelling the dung patch until it is too late; anyone stepping in the dung will need a full hour to scrub the stuff off boots, shoes, clothes, and/or skin.

32. Shadow's Haunt
This 20' x 20' room is home to a solitary, lurking Shadow. It waits in the darkest corner of the room for its victim(s) to enter, then attacks (usually with surprise). It will chase its prey anywhere on the dungeon level until stopped or vanquished. Even if killed, the shadow will re-materialize here after 1d12 hours -- it is cursed to haunt this room forever.

33. Corridor Spear Trap
The 20' x 20' room at the western end of the corridor glows with golden light; the 30' long section of corridor just east of the room constitutes a deadly spear trap. Anyone stepping or flying into this corridor section will be fired upon by a deadly spear trap, which attacks as a Level 2 Fighter and inflicts 1d6 + 1 damage per hit. The spear trap fires once per round at each individual target in that passage, and the supply of spears cannot be exhausted. The glow in the room to the east is produced by illusory magic; there is no treasure here. Any wandering monster encountered here has a 2 in 6 chance of being the carcass scavenger from Room 39.

34. Abandoned Holy Room and Western Niche
A wooden holy symbol of an obscure cult (the same symbol as that found in Room 24) is all that remains in this otherwise empty chamber. However, if one turn is spent successfully searching the 10' x 10' nook down the passageway to the west, a key will be found in a secret wall compartment. The key is in the same general shape as the holy symbol and opens the secret door to Room 38.

Next time -- the conclusion: Rooms 35-39!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 7

Here we go with Part 7 of my serialized attempt to stock the sample dungeon level from the Dungeon Masters Guide p. 95. The story thus far is contained in James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

Project guidelines:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 28 through 30:

Room 28:  Rolled and got empty, no treasure.  Since I already know a little bit about the nearest adjoining room to the south (Location 27) from my prior stocking installment, I decide to theme this room similarly; see description below.

Room 29: Got monster with treasure. I rolled on the Labyrinth Lord Level 3 Wandering Monster Table (LL p. 104) and got "Fly, Giant Carnivorous." I rolled for number appearing and got 2, which seems a bit low (for this monster) for a third-level dungeon. I will either boost that number slightly or concoct some other advantage for these particular flies. The Giant Carnivorous Fly's Hoard Class is VI so I rolled that out (on LL Treasure Table p. 106) and came up with (merely) 34 copper pieces.

Room 30: Rolled a "unique." I had no particular ideas in mind for this location, so I entrusted myself once again to a roll of the dice: I rolled on the "Special Encounters" tables in the Advanced Edition Companion (pp. 148-149), and got "passage" and "flesh to stone." Whoa!

Thus my finished key to Rooms 28-30:

28. Shell Collector's Storage Chamber 
This is a ransacked storage room, full of broken crates and barrels and LOTS of broken sea shells, fish skeletons, shattered glass jars and vials, and some scattered rotten rope. A cold breeze smelling of salt water circulates in this room. Anyone who spends a total of two successful turns searching for the source of the cold breeze will discover that it emanates from a crack in the northeastern wall -- actually one edge of the secret door there. [The secret door can also be found by other, more typical means.] A successful turn spent searching the scattered rubble will yield 12' of usable rope, a rusty but usable iron coffee pot, and 6 silver pieces.

29. Fly Lair
This 20' x 20' room is home to a pair of very hungry and tough (max. hp) Giant Carnivorous Flies that instantly attack anyone coming down the passage from the west. The flies' extreme hunger gives them a +1 to all attack rolls against anyone edible. They will chase prey anywhere EXCEPT through the stretch of magically trapped passageway leading to the staircase at area 30. Buried amidst the offal that lines the floor of the flies' reeking chamber are 34 copper pieces.

30. Trapped Hallway and Staircase Down
The 20' stretch of north-south hallway connecting the secret door in room 28 to the staircase at area 30 is in fact a magical trap that effects all creatures EXCEPT dwarves. All non-dwarves passing through this section of hallway must save vs. petrify or be turned to stone, as per the flesh to stone spell.

The stairwell north of the trapped hallway is quite damp and smells strongly of sea air and brine. The stairs are wet and slippery; anyone descending (or climbing) them has a 1 in 6 chance of slipping and falling, taking 1d4+1 "fall down the stairs" damage.

Who knows what terrors await, lurking beyond the bottom of the stairs?

Next time: Rooms 31-34!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 6

This post constitutes Part 6 of my effort to stock the sample dungeon level from the Dungeon Masters Guide p. 95. Interested parties should consult James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my own stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Parameters:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 24 through 27:

Room 24:  Rolled and got empty, no treasure.  I also rolled on the "Random Original Purpose of Rooms and Chambers" table on p. 32 of Michael Curtis' The Dungeon Alphabet and got "Bedroom, Average."

Room 25: Got empty, no treasure. I subsequently rolled on the Dungeon Alphabet's "Original Purpose" table and got "Cell, Monk."

Room 26: Rolled trap, no treasure. Rolling on the random traps table on p. 147 of the Advanced Edition Companion yielded a result of "Spear Trap."

Room 27: Got empty, no treasure. The Dungeon Alphabet's "Original Purpose" table indicated that this was a "Study," and rolls on the "Random Atmospheric Details" Table (AEC p. 147) and the "Miscellaneous Room Contents" Table (AEC p. 148) got "odor of sea air, misty, with a cold breeze" for the former and "cart, broken" for the latter. This suggests to me that there is a broken cart laden with scattered (and shattered) sea shells here.

So the finished key to Rooms 24-27 looks like:

24. Abandoned Priest's Bedchamber 
A broken cot and a wooden holy symbol of some obscure, long-forgotten cult are all that remain in this bedroom.

25. Monks' Barracks and Prayer Niche
The remnants of a few cots and one moldy monk's robe lie scattered about in here. The western L-shaped passageway leads to a small (barely 10' x 10') meditation chamber with a couple of halfway-burned-down (but still usable) candles set into a niche in the west wall.

26. Spear Trap
A faint golden glow or twinkle illuminates the far eastern wall, luring the greedy into this room. The glow is produced by some illusory magic; there is no treasure here. Anyone stepping or flying into the eastern 60' x 20' rectangular section of the room will be fired upon by a deadly spear trap, which attacks as a Level 2 Fighter and inflicts 1d6 + 1 damage per hit. The spear trap fires once per round at anyone in that section of the room, and the supply of spears cannot be exhausted. Any wandering monster encountered here has a 2 in 6 chance of being the carcass scavenger from Room 39.

27. Shell Collector's Study.
A cold mist clings to the floor of this chamber. A broken cart laden with scattered (and mostly shattered) sea shells is parked in front of a splintered desk and bookcase. A few moldy (and therefore valueless) books -- treatises on marine life -- remain, piled amongst the furniture rubble. A cold breeze smelling of salt water wafts in from the northwest passageway, swirling the mists.

Next time: Rooms 28-30!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 5

Despite my initial intention to produce these installments every Monday, some general lagging followed by the intervention of the April A-Z Blogging Challenge have slowed me down. I will aim for the occasional Sunday in April, but likely won't hit the "weekly installments" mark while the Blogging Challenge is still running.

This post constitutes Part 5 of my stocking project for the sample dungeon level from the DMG p. 95. Interested parties should consult James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my own stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

My project parameters:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 19 through 23:

Room 19:  Rolled and got empty, no treasure.  I also rolled on the "Random Original Purpose of Rooms and Chambers" table on p. 32 of Michael Curtis' The Dungeon Alphabet and got "Cistern."

Room 20: Got monster, with treasure. I rolled randomly for the monster on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table (LL p. 104) and got "Medusa." Despite the Medusa's Hoard Class of XVII (see LL p. 106), I rolled it out and got no treasure result anyway.

Room 21: Rolled empty, no treasure. Didn't want to leave it at that, so rolled on the "Altars" Table on p. 6 of The Dungeon Alphabet; see result below.

Room 22: Got monster, no treasure. A random roll on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table yields "Wight." Man, this place is turning out to be Wight Central! (I'm not complaining.) I further decided to add some atmosphere and "dungeon dressing" to this large chamber, so I rolled on the "Random Atmospheric Details" Table (AEC p. 147) and the "Miscellaneous Room Contents" Table (AEC p. 148) and got "leather odor with static charged air" for the former and "mushrooms" for the latter. I ruled that there must be some mushrooms growing in some offal in a corner, and that one of the wights here must have a wand of lightning bolt that has left a kind of lingering static electricity charge in the air. The "leather" odor is actually the faint smell of previously burned flesh.

Room 23: Got monster, no treasure. Rolling randomly on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table produces the "Medusa" result again! A theme develops!

So my finished key to Rooms 19-23 looks like:

19. Dry Cistern 
A small, circular pool once occupied the middle 6' diameter area of this room. It is dry now; a damp, musty odor remains. The floor of this room tapers gently down toward a central metal drain. Delvers who pry up the drain (which takes two turns plus a "breaking down doors" roll; it is rusted in place) will find a vertical shaft leading down 150' to the next dungeon level; only halfling-sized or smaller beings will fit down the shaft.

20. Priestess' Prayer Chamber
This 20' x 20' room is home to a pair of robed and cowled "priestesses" who are in fact medusas. They will keep their hoods on for as long as possible, concealing their true natures and posing as "Sisters of the Goat God." They will attempt to persuade the PCs to join them for a meditation session in Room 21, at which time they will throw back their hoods and attack.

21. Worship Room and Small Altar
In the eastern 20' x 20' section of this two-part chamber, there lies a small altar draped in burgundy cloth. The cloth is studded with ornamental gems (20 gems worth 5gp each). The altar underneath the cloth is actually constructed from human bones, a fact that will not be immediately apparent. A spare priestess robe (like those the medusas in Rooms 20 and 23 wear) hangs on a peg on the east wall.

22. Wight Chamber.
This large, L-shaped chamber smells faintly of charred flesh, and the air is charged with static electricity. Some edible mushrooms grow in a small offal pile in the southwest corner. Three wights make their lair here. One of the wights possesses a wand of lightning bolt (4 charges left) -- the wight's use of this wand accounts for the room's lingering electrical charge.

These wights leave the Medusas in rooms 20 and 23 alone, believing that the "priestesses" will eventually lift the curse entrapping their wight fellows in Room 4. (The medusas encourage this belief but have no intention of fulfilling it.) Both the wights and the local medusas know of the secret door east of Room 1.

23. Priestess' Quarters
Two more Medusas, hooded and posing as "Sisters of the Goat God," dwell here. The portcullis to the north is magical: it shocks anyone touching it for 2d6 electrical damage, and it may ONLY be raised via a knock spell. The portcullis leads to Room 9. Both these medusas and the wights outside in Room 22 know of the secret door east of Room 1.

Next time (whenever that is): Rooms 24-27!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 4

Despite my initial intention to crank out these installments every Monday, the last one came out on a Tuesday, and this one a Wednesday -- sue me.  But a day or two late or no, here we go with Part 4 of my stocking project for the sample dungeon level from the DMG p. 95. (See also James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my own stocking installments Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)

A reminder of my parameters:

(1) I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon.

(2) I am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "unique" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

Now to stock rooms 15 through 18:

Room 15:  Rolled and got monster, no treasure.  So next I rolled on the Level 3 Wandering Monster table (LL p. 104) and got "Gargoyle."

Rooms 16-18:  Rolled and got "unique" for all three of these rooms.  I rolled for each one on the "Random Features" and "Random Characteristics" Tables (AEC p. 148-149) and got:

Room 16: "domed ceiling decreases INT"
Room 17: "wall ages"
Room 18: "alcove burns"

So my finished key to Rooms 15-18 looks like:

15. Gargoyle Lair. 
Two gargoyles dwell here.  They will stand stock still in the northeast and southeast corners of this room, masquerading as statues, until potential victims draw close enough to attack.  They will then fight to the death, and will even chase victims out of this chamber if they have the combat advantage.  They have no treasure.

16. Dome of the Sage's Inscription.
This large chamber features a 20' high, 30' diameter circular domed ceiling [centered on the number "16" on the map] that is covered with arcane-looking runic inscriptions that glow faintly blue.  Anyone climbing or flying up to the dome and touching the runes will lose 1 point of INT, the duration of the effect determined by d6 roll:  1: permanent, 2-3: 1d4 days, 4-6: 1d8 hours.  This effect may be visited upon each rune-toucher an unlimited number of times; repeat touchings continue to cumulatively lower INT.  The runes themselves are not in any actual language and if deciphered by some means will reveal themselves to be utter gibberish.

17. Mirror of Sorrow. 
On this 10' section of north wall is a mirror that reflects an image of the viewer as ten years younger than his or her present age.  However, if touched, the mirror ages the toucher by one year.  This effect may be visited upon each mirror-toucher an unlimited number of times; repeat touchings continue to cumulatively age the victim.  The mirror cannot be removed from the wall by any means, and if broken or shattered, it will magically mend itself within 24 hours.

18. Burning Pit.
This room contains a concealed pit trap in the center.  As soon as anyone steps on the central 10' square of floor, the trap is triggered, dropping the vicitim(s) 20' down onto a patch of oil which instantly ignites upon contact with any living thing.  Victims of the trap take 2d6 falling damage initially, plus 1d8 fire damage for every round spent in the pit.  The pit walls are coated with oil as well, so egress from the pit is slippery and difficult. 

Next time: Rooms 19-23!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 3

This post constitutes Part 3 of my ongoing effort to stock the sample dungeon level from the DMG p. 95. (See also James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my own stocking installments Part 1 and Part 2.)

I am stocking this map as a Level 3 dungeon and am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "special" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

So here we go, stocking rooms 9 through 14:

Room 9:  Rolled and got "unique."  So next I rolled on the "Random Features" and "Random Characteristics" Tables (AEC p. 148-149) and got "portcullis repulses."  I therefore rule that the concealed door leading to Room 23 is in fact a magical portcullis, which shocks anyone touching it for 2d6 electrical damage, and may ONLY be raised via a knock spell being cast upon it.

Rooms 10-13:  Rolled and got "empty" for all four of these rooms. Thus I decided to assign some features myself (rooms 10-11) and to roll on the "Random Original Purpose of Rooms and Chambers" in The Dungeon Alphabet and the random "Atmospheric Details" table in the AEC (for rooms 12-13) to determine these rooms' original purpose and add some atmosphere and flavor. My results are given in the key entries below.

Room 14:  Rolled and got "unique."  I then rolled on the "Random Features" and "Random Characteristics" Tables (AEC p. 148-149) and got "alcove heals."  In response to this I posit that there is a shallow alcove in the middle of the east wall -- right across from the number "14" on the map -- which will accommodate one human-sized being at a time, and will heal 1d4 points of damage per individual, once per day, for anyone stepping fully into it.

Thus my finished key to Rooms 9-14 looks like:

9.  Magic Portcullis Chamber.
The concealed door leading to Room 23 is in fact a magical portcullis, which shocks anyone touching it for 2d6 electrical damage, and which may ONLY be raised via a knock spell being cast upon it.

10.  Cell Block Guard Post. 
A broken partial spear haft leans against the east wall here, and anyone examining the wall above the leaning haft will find some obscenities etched there in bugbear. All of the doors along the passageway to the south are locked.

11. Cell Block Guard Room.
Rusty keys to the cells in the cell block hang on a peg.  Otherwise empty.

12. Waiting Room. 
A humid breeze blows through here; splotches of foul mold coat most of the walls.  Otherwise empty.

13. Trophy Room.
A humid breeze blows through here; a ferrous smell permeates.  Many empty shelves and trophy cases here, long since looted.  Otherwise empty.

14.  Chamber of the Healing Alcove.
This otherwise empty chamber features a shallow alcove in the middle of the east wall -- right across from the number "14" on the map.  The unmarked alcove will accommodate one human-sized being at a time, and will heal 1d4 points of damage per individual, once per day, for anyone stepping fully inside it. 

Next time: Rooms 15-18!

DMG Sample Level Stocking Project Part 2

Now for Part 2 of my ongoing weekly quest to stock the sample dungeon level from the DMG p. 95. (See also James C.'s original announcement of the project, his updated list of participants, and my own stocking installment Part 1.)

I am assuming a Level 3 dungeon and am using the Labyrinth Lord basic dungeon stocking tables on LL p. 124 to stock the map, with a few customized twists, i.e., I am deliberately placing a few monsters and treasures as I see fit.  I am also using Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet and some of the random tables in the back of the Advanced Edition Companion to randomly generate "special" encounters and miscellaneous and/or atmospheric room features.

So here we go, stocking rooms 5 through 8:

Room 5:  Last time I decided I wanted to place the treasure belonging to the wights from Room 4 in the adjoining room -- this would require the PCs to search for the secret trapdoor and crawl along the crawl-way from Room 4 to Room 5 in order to find that treasure, which amounts to 4,000 electrum pieces.  However, to add an extra challenge, I decided to add some lower-powered undead treasure guardians to Room 5 as well.  Ghouls felt about right; I rolled for number appearing and got "2."

Room 6:  Rolled and got monster with treasure.  Rolled randomly for the monster on the Level 3 Wandering Monster Table (LL p. 104) and got "Bugbear."  This was extremely fortuitous, since I had already established a Bugbear Priest's chamber in Room 1, and therefore I knew I wanted there to be a larger Bugbear lair somewhere else on the map.  I originally figured that I might have to artificially impose that lair somewhere along the line, but this roll saved me the trouble.  I rolled for number appearing and got eleven (11) Bugbears.  I rolled for treasure based upon the Bugbears' Hoard Class (XXI) but got nothing.

Room 7:   Rolled and got "unique."  I then rolled on the "Random Features" and "Random Characteristics" Tables (AEC p. 148-149) and got "vegetation heats."  In response to this I imagined some kind of highly inflammable / explosive fungus or dried vine clinging to the walls in this chamber.  Anyone poking a torch or other flame source into this room runs a 2 in 6 chance of setting it off.  If gathered, the dried vine can be used by herbalists to create an anti-cold remedy.   

Room 8:  Rolled and got trap with treasure.  Rolled randomly for the trap type (AEC p. 147) and got "scything blade."  I rolled for unguarded treasure and got 600 silver pieces, 700 gold pieces, and three pieces of jewelry worth 60 g.p., 400 g.p., and 200 g.p. 

So, my finished key to Rooms 5-8 looks like:

5.  Wight Treasure Hoard and Guardians.
Two ghouls dwell here, guarding the wights' treasure.  4,000 e.p. are stashed in a series of moldy sacks in one corner. 

6.  Lair of the Bugbear Tribe. 
This is the lair of a sizable tribe of bugbears.  There are ten (10) standard bugbears here plus their chieftain (an HD 4 bugbear with maximum hit points).  These bugbears regularly patrol the hallways between here and Room 1, and are aware of the dried vines in Room 7, which they regularly harvest for medicinal and tea-making purposes.  They also know about the existence of the wights in room 4, but never open the door leading into that area; their priest has placed divine wards on that door to keep the wights at bay.  The bugbears will fight to the death to protect their home; what treasure they possess is kept in Room 8, in order to lure unsuspecting intruders into the blade trap there.

7.  Vine-Covered Chamber.
Brownish and grayish vines completely cover the walls and ceiling of this chamber.  A few patchy areas suggest recent harvesting.  The vines are highly inflammable and explosive; anyone bringing a torch or other flame source into this room runs a 2 in 6 chance of setting off a firestorm that deals 3d6 damage to everyone in the room (save vs. breath weapon for half damage).  If (carefully!) gathered, the dried vine can be used by herbalists to create an anti-cold remedy.   

8.  Scything Blade Trap.
A large, locked chest sits in the southeast corner of this room.  Anyone stepping on the floor within 10' of the chest activates a scything blade trap that affects everyone in the whole room, dealing 1d8 damage to anyone who fails a save vs. petrify.  The chest contains 600 s.p., 700 g.p., and three pieces of jewelry valued at 60 g.p., 400 g.p., and 200 g.p., respectively.  Anyone removing the treasure from this room will incur the wrath of the bugbears from Room 6, who will subsequently hunt down the PCs in order to recover the chest and its contents. 

Next time: Rooms 9-14!

The "Sweet Spot" of an Adventure Campaign

My Arandish Campaign 2010, begun last January, has now entered what I consider to be the "sweet spot" of any ongoing D&D adventure campaign: the portion where the player characters are all at least 3rd level, but haven't yet advanced much beyond 5th or 6th level.  From this point until the PCs start hitting the double-digit experience levels, we are in for some really fantastic gaming.

Why?  Part of my reasoning here has to do with the numbers themselves: the PCs have made it past those first few vulnerable levels and are, at this point, somewhat less likely to be instantly killed by, say, a lucky battle-axe strike by a hobgoblin.  Now, to be fair, I am probably something of a "kind" DM, particularly at lower levels; I always reward players for thinking or negotiating their way out of conflicts, and I rarely allow their foes to vastly outnumber them or out-strategize them unless they (the PCs) do something especially imprudent or dumb.  I mean, I let the dice fall where they may, and character death still occurs -- our group has had two PC deaths so far -- yet I admit that I am secretly rooting for the PCs at low levels.  Perhaps I am a sucker for the underdog.

Not so anymore.  Now that the PCs are all at 3rd level and above, I feel much more freedom to hurl more deadly and pernicious monsters and foes at them.  For example, simply perusing the monster listings at the back of my Advanced Edition Companion, I notice some much-beloved creatures in the 5-8 HD range: the hydra, the owlbear, the basilisk, the minotaur, the troll, the cave bear, the remorhaz, the 8-HD elementals. . . . These are the kinds of delightful fiends I can now deploy with reckless abandon, because the party should be (more or less) ready for them.

However, beyond these matters of game mechanics is the realm where my heart truly lies: the ongoing "story" of the adventure and the characters.  Of course, I use that term loosely because I would never reduce an RPG to being the mere recounting of a story; I agree with many other (and wiser) old-schoolers that D&D is first and foremost a game.  But as DM, my role in that game is to provide at least some possible adventure hooks and plots for the characters to pursue, lines of action and exploration that might develop into something like a collaboratively generated "plot" -- and in that collaboration, I get to supply the villains!  So, in addition to the higher-HD monsters listed above, this is the point in the campaign where I get to start introducing the upper- (or at least middle-) management villains, the NPCs who are actually running things and actively plotting to do (horrible, exploitative, destructive) stuff in the game-world the PCs have been exploring.  The PCs will start becoming aware of these key players and, should they so choose, may decide to actively intervene in those nefarious NPCs' affairs -- thus making exciting new long-term enemies!

Of course, that process has already begun -- readers of my session reports are aware that Uncle Junkal has already rubbed some undead entities the wrong way by stealing their mirror, and the PCs in general have pissed off both the lizardfolk of Stonehell and the hobgoblinish Skullface Occupational Army -- but the PCs and I are in for a whole new level of adventure as they start meeting some of the behind-the-scenes string-pullers instead of (mostly) mucking about fighting with the rank-and-file.  THAT is why I particularly relish the sessions immediately ahead -- things are really beginning to get interesting.

At the meta-game level, I am also thinking about and planning for what will happen when the PCs reach level 9 and beyond.  In my earlier AD&D-playing days, nobody I ever played with payed any attention to the "build a stronghold" rules that kick in at the titled levels -- we just kept adventuring around, albeit in increasingly difficult modules (e.g., Q1).  Yet for my current Arandish Labyrinth Lord Campaign, I plan to play it much more "by the book," and therefore will expect my PCs to claim land and erect strongholds starting at Level 9.

On top of that, I am also open to seeing this campaign continue through to PC levels in and beyond the "teens," which is why I plan to use some holiday money I have coming from my folks to purchase JB's B/X Companion -- I need to start planning for higher-level play and -- gulp! -- an ENDGAME.

But that is all a long way down the road, and for the time being I am simply going to kick back and enjoy the "sweet spot" we find ourselves in -- starting next session!

I'm In Love With My AEC

My hardbound copy of Daniel Proctor's Advanced Edition Companion arrived a couple of days ago, and while I have been too busy to post about it until now, I sure have been enjoying the hell out of it.  What follows will be more rave than review, but allow me enumerate why I think this is an important, must-have book:

First, as is typical of Goblinoid Games publications, the presentation is very clear and professional.  This renders the book extremely easy to use.  If I have a minor complaint on this front it is that there is no index -- I am a big index user -- but on the other hand, that may not really be necessary here since (I think) the book to some extent presumes an audience familiar with the organizational scheme of the Labyrinth Lord basic rules, which AEC emulates.  That is, generally speaking, both books begin with attributes and character classes, then money and equipment, then spells, then encounters and monsters, etc.  There are some minor differences, e.g., AEC puts "New Magic Items" before "New Monsters," but this is made clear on its Table of Contents and I haven't actually had any trouble finding what I wanted to in the AEC yet.

Oh, the monsters!  I suppose as a referee it is inevitable that I would be getting a lot more mileage out of the "Monsters" section, than, say, the "Character Classes" section. . . but wow, I really think the "New Monsters" section alone is practically worth the cover price of this book.  It basically gives us all the old Monster Manual classics -- the Beholder (er, Eye of Terror, which by the way is an excellent re-name), the Shambling Mound, the Xorn, the Remorhaz, and, of course, the demons, including Our Lord Orcus -- statted for OSR play.  On a purely practical level, from the referee's point of view, all the number-crunching that must have gone into this part of the AEC equals a major time savings to me, and I am grateful for its existence.  Maybe my desire to have other people do the number-crunching makes me a lazy referee, but if so, then the New Monsters section of the AEC -- and arguably the whole AEC -- is a great gift to lazy referees everywhere.

To top this off, the AEC includes a complete list of Labyrinth Lord monsters by HD, an incredibly useful tool for referees who want to see the best options for stocking a given dungeon level in an at-a-glance format.  Very useful indeed.

In truth, I haven't ventured much past the monsters and new spells yet -- I told you this wasn't going to be a full-blown review.  I look forward to inspecting the sections on old AD&D classes like druids and rangers very soon, but right now I am stuck on my beloved demons and their nefarious associates on the pages of the "New Monsters" section.  But in a way, this speaks to one of the great strengths of the AEC: its modularity.  The AEC embodies the quintessential spirit of the OSR precisely because it is intended to be used differently by every gamer who picks it up.  Along this line, allow me to close with a few words quoted from Dan Proctor's "Foreword" to the AEC:

[When] I think about the way my friends and I had always played the "advanced" [AD&D] rules it was essentially like the original classic game (i.e. Labyrinth Lord) with the added monsters, treasures, classes, and some other rules from first edition. So the goal in writing the Advanced Edition Companion (AEC) was to create an expansion of Labyrinth Lord that is a natural evolution (with compatibility) of advanced first edition but keeping the slick original game engine. [. . .]

This book presents the essential first edition rules, all as open game content, and combined with Labyrinth Lord there is a vast sum of open content available to everyone, forever.

That is an admirable achievement.  THANKS DAN for providing the old school community with this invaluable resource.

Hill Orcs Kick Ass - And So Does Goblinoid's AEC!

In a recent post on his excellent "Behind the Screen" blog, my friend Carl shared a great new monster that I am rather taken with: the Hill Orc.  Hill orcs are bigger and badder than their typical orcish cousins, are greenish rather than grayish, and favor poleaxes as their main weapons.  As Carl writes:

[Hill Orcs] can be easily recognized by the floppy wide-brimmed hats they wear to shield their eyes from the daylight, and the striped kilts emblazoned with their clan colors.  Hill Orc warriors share a special bond with the giant dogs that serve as mount and companion; as a young hill orc draws closer to the initiation ceremony that will mark his entrance into the warrior fraternities, a puppy is selected for him by the shaman. For the next year, the young orc must spend all of his time with his dog, training it and building a bond of mutual love and trust strong enough to survive the rigors of battle.

Wow!  Big poleaxe-wielding orcs who ride wargs!  How can I resist?  Yet Carl's post only includes stats for these creatures in the modified D&D 3.5 system he was using when he created them.  So what does a poor old-school Labyrinth Lord like me do?  Convert this great monster to Labyrinth Lord, of course!  [I have Carl's blessing to post this conversion, and I welcome comments from him or anybody else if I miss anything here.]

Hill Orc
# Encountered: 2d4 (3d8)
Alignment: Chaotic
Move: 120’ (40’)
AC: 4
HD: 2
Attacks: 1 (claw or weapon)
Damage: 1d6 / weapon damage
Save: F2
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 20

Like standard orcs, Hill Orcs suffer a penalty of –1 to hit rolls when in sunlight - unless they are wearing their usual protective brimmed hats.  There are Hill Orc leaders who fight as 3 HD monsters.  On Ara, Hill Orcs live in the northern and eastern mountains of Telengard, and could be substituted into this encounter table -- maybe swap "Hill Orc" in for result 23, Neanderthal, or result 19, Werewolf.
Rage: Hill Orcs can fly into a combat rage like a berserker.  During a rage, which lasts 1-4 rounds, the Hill Orc gets -2 to AC, +1 to hit, and +2 to all inflicted damage.  For 1-4 rounds after the rage subsides, the Hill Orc loses all initiative and suffers a -1 penalty to hit and -1 to inflicted damage. 
Wolf mounts: For a hill orc's canine mount, I would simply use the Dire Wolf stats from p. 102 of Labyrinth Lord.

[Edit: Check out this badass illustration of a Hill Orc by Eli Arndt.]

Speaking of statting up new monsters, last weekend I was working on a creature that I hope my Labyrinth Lord party does not encounter for quite some time, for it is an undead version of a rather powerful classic monster from AD&D.  I was working on my undead version's stat block and had pulled out my 1e Monster Manual to check out the official characteristics of the original, non-undead version of the creature, when it suddenly dawned on me: Wait a minute!  I have a pdf of the Labyrinth Lord Society member's sneak preview of the Advanced Edition Companion!!  Why the hell am I dragging out my old Monster Manual when the stats I need are probably already in the AEC?? 

And indeed, what a glorious moment it was when I opened that AEC pdf and found the exact monster I was looking for, statted for Labyrinth Lord!  This made my undead-ification of the monster go very smoothly and swiftly, and will no doubt be the first of many successful encounters I have with the AEC.  Don't get me wrong, I am still quite happy to have possession of my 1e books, for obviously there is information, nuance, and nostalgia there that are not reproduced (nor reproducible) in AEC.  But in terms of a practical working text that will be of immense help to me in my current Labyrinth Lord campaign, I can hardly imagine a more useful book than the AEC right now.

Devotees will remember that I have been eagerly anticipating the Advanced Edition Companion since at least late October, in part because I am one of those people whose "default" rules system from the old days was a kind of "AD&D lite" approach that made primary use of the three core AD&D books, which the AEC emulates.   So I was thrilled to learn yesterday that the Advanced Edition Companion is finally out in print form!  I have ordered my copy and eagerly await its arrival.  I know I am going to make much use of this tome over the coming months and years.  Great job Daniel Proctor and Goblinoid Games!