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Sample file ® Thanks to words, we have been able to rise above the brutes; and September/October 2000 thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons. Issue #82 —Aldous Huxley Adonis and the Alphabet 4 Editorial 6 Letters 12 Evil Unearthed by Ed Stark People are vanishing from the village of Brookhollow. Can you solve the mystery in time to save your friends? A D&D® adventure for 1st-level PCs but adaptable for levels 1–7. 30 Playing with Fire by Jeff Grubb Follow a half-forgotten legend to treasures untold and a fiery doom. A D&D adventure for 2nd-level PCs but adaptableSample for levels file 1–8. 42 Dark Times in Sherwood by Ian Malcomson The Sheriff of Nottingham and the outlaws of Sherwood Forest share a common enemy. Will an unlikely alliance end this newest threat to the land? A D&D adventure for 3rd-level PCs but adaptable for levels 1–9. 68 Eye for an Eye by Patrick W. Ross A stolen jewel leads to the heart of the swamp, where one man’s thirst for vengeance threatens to destroy an entire town. A D&D adventure for 3rd-level PCs but adaptable for levels 1–8. Cover Carl Critchlow captures Thurra, the vengeful half-demon unleashed by unwary heroes in “Eye for an Eye.” Adventures Incorporated Give Your D&D® Campaign an Edge by Christopher Perkins When I joined Wizards of the Coast three years ago, the new through the air astride winged mounts or aboard gigantic soar DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game was in the earliest stages of whales, where even ridiculous flumphs serve a purpose, development. I knew that Monte Cook was planning to start a where peril and politics go hand-in-hand and the wonders of campaign using the new rules, so I jumped in (first as a human the natural world seed adventures untold. The players started paladic named Lauric, who died fighting his evil twin, then as a the campaign in the capital city of Retheq, a Byzantine den of lizard man fighter named Ves, who left to rebuild his homeland, treachery perched atop a 1,000-foot-tall natural pillar of rock and finally as a dwarf fighter named Aurum, who lived to a overlooking a vast canyon. When they tired of Retheqan poli- ripe old age). Monte’s campaign was called Praemal, a world as tics, they fled aboard a gnomish zepellin and were quickly young as the D&D rules we were playtesting at the time. While immersed in new adventures abroad. the campaign contained familiar elements—wizards, dragons, The D&D rules have enabled me to create some fascinat- and heroes of destiny—there were many unique twists and ing opponents over the past two years, including a particularly novelties: children born with strange runes on their faces, troublesome drow medusa/druid who managed to turn Sean floating mountains, a golden forest in a parallel dimension, and Reynolds’ dwarven fighter to stone not once, but twice. (The invisible moons that imbue the world with magic. Monte not second time, she summoned an earth elemental to smash the only allowed us to mess with new rules but also allowed us to petrified dwarf to bits. When you see Sean at a convention or explore a D&D world unlike any other. speak with him online, ask him about Droo and his prosthetic Today, the world is ten thousand years older, and we’re all arm.) The party has visited the great mushroom city of Jhure, playing different characters in a different time. Stepping back, participated in the Dance of the Windsongs (a bard’s race with I’m amazed by how much the world has evolved over the past gliders powered by song), and faced hordes of orcish barbar- three years—not unlike the D&D game itself. ians in scorpionlike helicopters (mechanical vessels inspired by A lifelong DM, I wanted to start my own campaign. Inspired the SPELLJAMMER® campaign). As the campaign heads toward its by Monte’s world and a second draft of the Player’s Handbook, inevitable conclusion, the characters find themselves heading I created the Arveniar campaign. I sought to build a world that back to where everything began—the city of Retheq—to save captured all the amazing things about D&D but was unlike any- the empire and set things aright. thing I’d seen before: a world where symbiotic plants live in tan- The new D&D game is all about starting new campaigns dem with other forms of life, where the main form of travel is and building new worlds for your players’ enjoyment. We hope Samplethat the file adventures in this issue will inspire you, and let us know how your new campaign plays out! Volume XIV, No. 4 Issue #82 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. PRESENTS “Dungeon Magazine #82” AUTHORS Jeff Grubb Ian Malcomson Patrick W. Ross Ed Stark ARTISTS Toren Atkinson Carl Critchlow Todd Gamble John A. Garner Trevor Hairsine Greg Staples Aaron Williams Craig Zipse AND Diesel COVER BY Carl Critchlow ART DIRECTOR Christopher Perkins CONSULTING ART DIRECTOR Peter Whitley DESIGN JIE-23 Mark Jackson Kim Francisco Rob Dalton PRODUCTION MANAGER John Dunn ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER Bobbi Maas CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Pierce Watters CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Dawnelle Miesner INTERN Stacie Fiorito ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bob Henning PUBLISHER Wendy Noritake GROUP PUBLISHER Johnny Wilson EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Dave Gross ASSISTANT EDITORS Eric Haddock Matthew Sernett ASSOCIATE EDITOR Chris Thomasson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christopher Perkins Subscription Queries: 1-800-395-7760 [email protected] Advertising Queries: 1-425-204-7262 [email protected] www.wizards.com Submission Queries: 1-425-254-2261 [email protected] Northeast U.S. Advertising Queries: 1-203-855-8834 [email protected] 4 september/october 2000 DUNGEON Magazine (ISSN# 0890-7102) is published bi-monthly for $19.95 per year by Wizards of the Letters Coast, Inc., 1801 Lind Ave. SW, Renton, WA 98055, United States of America. Periodicals Postage Paid Voice of the Readers at Renton, WA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to DUNGEON Magazine, P.O. Box 469106, Escondido, CA 92046. ©2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Tell us what you think of the adventures in this issue. Write to rights reserved. “Letters,” DUNGEON Magazine, 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., Renton, No part of this magazine may be reproduced WA 98055 or email us at [email protected]. (except for review purposes) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Material pub- lished herein does not necessarily reflect the opin- ions of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., its employees, or Bravo! additional factions could occupy all of its editorial staff, who are not liable for opinions I continue to be impressed with the those empty rooms in “The Akriloth” and expressed herein. Most product names are trade- improvement in DUNGEON Magazine. The make the Temple of Eadro a 150-room marks owned by the companies that publish those covers have been striking, possibly the survival contest. I am eager to use “The products. Use of the name of any product without best yet. The interior illustrations and Akriloth,” and I hope I can do it justice. mention of trademark status should not be con- maps are also great. Isometric maps like With a rich combination of adversaries strued as a challenge to such status. the ones in “The Winter Tapestry” (Issue and a dreadfully cunning and lethal final WIZARDS OF THE COAST; DUNGEONS & DRAGONS; #78) are essential for heavily tunneled foe, this dungeon is the kind that D&D; FORGOTTEN REALMS; DRAGONLANCE; PLANESCAPE; areas. The combination of top and side becomes legend among players. RAVENLOFT; BIRTHRIGHT; MYSTARA; GREYHAWK; DARK views used in the map of “Bad Seeds” A. J. Sample SUN; SPELLJAMMER; AL-QADIM; COUNCIL OF WYRMS; (Issue #79) was helpful in deciphering the Des Moines, IA MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH; MONSTROUS MANUAL; twists and turns of the Enclave lair. If the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM; ALTERNITY; STAR*DRIVE; DM doesn’t have a clear understanding of Khazefryn DARK•MATTER; ALIEN COMPENDIUM; FIFTH AGE; how these dungeons are laid out, he or I’d like to congratulate Felix Douglas for DUNGEON MASTER; PLAYER’S OPTION; DRAGON; she will never be able to explain them to “Khazefryn” (Issue #81). Normally I want DUNGEON; POLYHEDRON; LIVING CITY; LIVING GREYHAWK; the party’s mapper. Thanks to Diesel for a DUNGEON Magazine adventure to have GEN CON; and RPGA are trademarks of Wizards of lighting the way. a definite plot with a beginning, a middle, the Coast, Inc. I liked the epic adventure “Lear the and an end. Now here comes SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please contact Publishers Giant-King” (Issue #78). I doubt that I “Khazefryn,” which has none of these Creative Systems at [email protected] or will be able to convey the enormous things. Instead what we get is a delightful call 1-800-395-7760. In the United Knigdom, contact scale and historical implications of this “add-on” forSample any Underdark file campaign [email protected] or call +44-18-58-41-4713. adventure to my players. setting. The location appeals to me on ADVERTISING: Contact our Advertising Sales Mid-level adventures like “Trial of the many levels. First, the layout is Director, Bob Henning, at (425) 204-7262. All ads Frog” (Issue #78) and “Cloudkill” (Issue magnificent. I find myself visualizing the are subject to approval by Wizards of the Coast, #79) are always welcome. Most parties grandeur of this water-filled cavern with Inc., which reserves the right to reject any ad for spend a lot of time in that mid-level range.