Sample file ® May/June 2002 Vol. XVI, No. 2 Issue #92

EDITORIAL 6

LETTERS 8

INTERLOPERS OF RETURN OF THE RUUN-KHAZAI 14 BLESSED DAMOZEL 68 David Noonan Frank Brunner An ancient githyanki stronghold is ripe for the pick- A restless spirit pleads for a troubled soul to mend his ing—or is it. A D&D adventure for four 13th-level PCs ways. A D&D Side Trek for four 11th-level PCs but but adaptable for levels 9 and up. This adventure sup- adaptable for levels 7–15. ports the new Stronghold Builder’s Guide.

CRITICAL THREAT: SampleTHE file RAZING OF LORD FLAME 46 REDSHORE 72 DUNGEON Staff James Jacobs He fights, he burns. What else is there? A D&D Critical Can the city of Redshore be saved from utter destruc- Threat. tion? A D&D adventure for four 20th-level PCs but adaptable for levels 16–19. This adventure is your gate- THE SWARM 48 way to Epic-level play. Tito Leati It’s never too late to savor the sweet taste of revenge. A D&D adventure for four 1st-level PCs but adaptable for levels 2–5. This adventure supports the new novel The Savage Caves, by T.H. Lane. “Power, like a desolating pestilence, Pollutes whate’er it touches; and obedience, Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth, Makes slaves of men, and of the human frame A mechanized automaton.” —Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab. iii.

COVER In the silvery void of the Astral Plane, Kurluth the githyanki sets forth to destroy anyone who dares uncover his mystic secrets. Artist Marc Sasso reveals the danger awaiting the unwary “Interlopers of Ruun-Khazai.” MY MENTOR

Group Publisher Johnny Wilson I started playing D&D at the tender age of five: My brother was the Editor Chris Thomasson DM, and he needed players. Unfortunately, my mother, with our Contributing Editors Erik Mona best interests at heart, was caught up in the frenzy of anti-D&D sen- Matthew Sernett Stacie A. Fiorito timent running rampant in the early- to mid-eighties, and she ended Christopher Perkins up burning all our books. (Just so you know, she’s not so wacky now.) Art Director Chris Thomasson Roleplaying games dropped off my radar until I was sixteen. Designers Christopher Perkins Theresa Cummins My mom also doesn’t care much for board games of any sort; it was Production Director John Dunn one of the few things she declined to do with my brother and I. And Circulation Director Pierce Watters after the D&D episode, my brother—four years my senior—found Advertising Sales Director Johnny Wilson Ad Traffic Manager Dawnelle Miesner that his friends were amenable to board games, and he happily Cover Artist Marc Sasso EDITORIAL excluded me from such activities, not that I blame him. So where was a junior would-be gamer to get his fix? Well, my Contributing Authors David Noonan Frank Brunner grandparents lived right next door to us when I was growing up. If I Tito Leati James Jacobs got bored, chances were, that’s where I’d head. And grandpa, no matter what he was doing (usually napping), would sit up and play a Contributing Artists Marc Sasso Bob Klasnich board game with me if I so desired. We played everything he had in Carl Critchlow Derek Thompson his closet—Monopoly, Sorry, Mille Bournes, Yahtzee, Cribbage, and Christopher West Craig Zipse others. He even let me cheat (and boy, did I) and never said a word. Aaron Williams Jason A. Engle Through these game sessions, we bonded; it was, in fact, “the thing” I had in common with my grandfather that helped us tolerate each other when I was in my butthead teen years.

Over the course of my childhood, it became standard practice for DUNGEON (ISSN# 1526-6391) is published bi-monthly by , Inc., 1801 Lind Ave. SW, Renton, WA me to head to grandpa’s after school and play a quick game with him 98055, United States of America. Periodicals Postage Paid until I was about fourteen. When I was re-exposed to roleplaying at Renton, WA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to and “fancy” board gaming in high school and college, it was a natural DUNGEON Magazine, P.O. Box 469106, Escondido, CA 92046. ©2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. step, and I quickly became infatuated with all types of games. No part of this magazine may be reproduced (except for On February 8, 2002, my grandfather passed away at the age of 87. review purposes) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Material published herein does not necessarily It was one of those moments in life—the closing of a chapter—that reflect the opinions of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., its employ- ees, or its editorial staff, who are not liable for opinions gets you thinking about other things. But that’s not what this edito- expressed herein. Most product names are trademarks Sample file owned by the companies that publish those products. Use of rial is about. the name of any product without mention of trademark status Naturally, after his death, I found myself thinking about when I should not be construed as a challenge to such status. WIZARDS OF THE COAST;DUNGEONS &DRAGONS; D&D; was growing up and the shared experiences that defined my rela- ;;;; BIRTHRIGHT;;;;;AL- tionship with my grandfather. I discovered something that really QADIM;;MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH; surprised me, which was simply this: My grandfather, who’d never MONSTROUS MANUAL;MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM;ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA;ALTERNITY;STAR*DRIVE;DARK•MATTER;ALIEN heard of roleplaying games, let alone D&D, made me a gamer. My COMPENDIUM;FIFTH AGE;;PLAYER’S OPTION; DRAGON;DUNGEON;POLYHEDRON;LIVING CITY;LIVING days of playing board games in grandpa’s living room eventually led GREYHAWK;; and RPGA are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. to now, where I’m the editor of one of the coolest gaming magazines SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please contact Publishers Creative in the world. Crazy. Systems at [email protected] or call 1-800-395- 7760. In the United Kingdom, contact So here’s my challenge and question for you: Who was your [email protected] or call +44-18-58-41-4713. ADVERTISING: Contact our Advertising Sales Director, gaming mentor? Alternatively, who have you mentored? It’s not a Bob Henning, at (425) 204-7262. All ads are subject to big thing, and it’s certainly not an earth-shattering thing. But take a approval by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., which reserves the right to reject any ad for any reason. Advertisers and/or agen- moment and think about that person and the bond forged between cies of advertisers agree not to hold Wizards of the Coast liable for any loss or expense from alleged wrongdoing that you by a shared hobby. Maybe call them up and ask them to a game; may arise out of the publication of such advertisements. Northeastern Advertising Representatives: Sig or Scott believe me, it’s worth your time. At the very least, pull out one of Buchmayr, Buchmayr Associates, 137 Rowayton Avenue, those old games that got you started as a gamer and give it a whirl Rowayton, CT 06853, (203) 855-8834. for old times sake. Distribution Nationally and Internationally by Curtis Circulation Company, 730 River Road, New Milford, NJ Now if I could only find my Yahtzee set . . . 07646. Tel: 201-634-7400. Fax: 201-634-7499

OPEN GAME CONTENT: Unless otherwise noted, this Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may by reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20.

Printed in the U.S.A. 6 Editor SPELLJAMMER INSIDE!

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FIRST EVER file Sample A/UE2002 MAY/JUNE

28 28 ISSUE 92 • VOL. XVI, NO. 2

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92 DUNGEON • INTERLOPERSOFRUUN-KHAZAI • THERAZINGOFREDSHORE • THESWARM•• SPELLJAMMER MAY/JUNE 2002 Prison Mail Dungeon 92 Dungeon LETTERS

Tell us what you think of this issue’s adventures. Write to: Letters, DUNGEON Magazine, 1801 Lind Avenue S.W., Renton, WA 98055 or send an email to [email protected].

exceeded my semi-monthly quota of Vitamins R, P, OUT-OF-PRINT? NO MORE! and G, only to find even more juicy adventure good-

LETTERS Having never read POLYHEDRON before, I was sur- ness. As adventurettes go, “Prey forTyrinth” is uncom- prised and impressed with the quality of the Pulp monly versatile, packed with more atmosphere than Heroes game, published in conjunction with Issue you would think possible in five short pages. #90 of DUNGEON. Seeing that you plan to continue It was around this point that I came to the realiza- publishing new mini-games, I just had to ask: Is there tion that I was in possession of an extraordinary any chance that they will use the space to re-visit issue of DUNGEON. Then you guys hit me with both classic, out-of-print TSR/Wizards of the Coast barrels. “Tears For Twilight Hollow” is not only an games? I would love to see d20 versions of GAMMA adventure, but one of those pivotal tales that can WORLD,STAR FRONTIERS, or even the ALTERNITY game serve as an introduction to a permanent base for worlds of STAR*DRIVE and DARK•MATTER. For that those mid-level characters who are at the point matter, a d20 version of the MARVEL SUPER HEROES where they are ready to dig in and fortify against a game would be great. Any chance we might see some future of high-level campaigns. Ms. McCoy and Mr. of the above? Perkins should take my praise to heart, because I am Patrick Barrett not usually fond of event-driven adventures. They Garland, TX are difficult to balance and often under-playtested. Many authors fail to enumerate all the considera- tions that should go into triggering an event, thus CHEERS FOR ISSUE #90 creating an environment where the PCs can easily I’ll be blunt. DUNGEON Issue #90 was nothing short of and inadvertently derail the story. “Tears” should a tour de force. Sample filestand as a textbook case of how to hybridize a site- On the balance, I can usually cull one, maybe two based adventure with an event-based adventure to adventures from a particular issue that are in line create something pre-eminently playable. with my tastes as a GM. Not that I begrudge or Oh yeah, I almost forgot—the POLYHEDRON flip- bemoan whatever else is in the issue. Considering side kicked butt, too. the wide range of tastes out there, I am impressed So my question to you folks at DUNGEON is, did you that even one adventure in any given issue is up my know when you were putting #90 together that you particular alley. had something special? I mean, even the Beatles My perusal of #90 began auspiciously. I read J.C. tooling around in the studio in ’65 knew this Sgt. Alvarez’s first (?!) publication and immediately knew Pepper thing was going to blow the minds of a gen- I was in competent hands. The author truly has a eration. Writ small, is this what was going on over talent for imbuing what could be a droll recitation of there in the Editor’s office? stats and sites with marvelously evocative and Tell the back issues department to stock up on this nuanced details. I look forward to all future tales that one; it’s an instant collectable. Mr. Alvarez is wont to weave. David Neuschulz Moving on to “Totentanz,” I was further delighted Chatham, New Jersey to find a plot with a twist that was genuinely unique and not self-serving. So many writers desperately in The Beatles we are not. We simply did in Issue #90 what need of something to distinguish their mediocrity we try to do in every issue: Provide the best quality content artificially superimpose an arbitrary plot twist on for a reasonable price. We’re happy you enjoyed the issue their story. The eerie Totentanz dance was neither and hope those that follow live up to the standard. silly nor superfluous. I turned to “Prey For Tyrinth” already figuring I had 8 TABLOID REVENGE again once they had made it out the door. After a trip I have been a subscriber for nearly four years and I to the hospital, I was diagnosed with a bleeding am troubled by the recent trend of the taglines on ulcer that had been bleeding for nearly four days, the cover of DUNGEON Magazine. For instance, the (the flu symptoms were caused from blood loss). The cover of Issue #84 proclaimed “ Declare War on next day, after I’d been given some fresh blood and a Humanity,” an interesting teaser that had me leaping quick surgery to close the hole in my stomach, I was to read the adventure. The adventure however, had starting to feel a bit better. nothing to do with the drow “declaring war” on So a few days later, I’m back on my feet, and I real- humanity! The line on the cover was obviously a lie ize that had I not gone to play D&D with my friends meant to entice someone into buying the magazine. that evening, I would have passed out in my bed, Nor is this an isolated problem. On Issue #88 for unknown to everyone, and bled to death. Morbid, LETTERS example, the cover reads “Ancient Keep Doorway to yes. True, yes. So this is how D&D, and more to the Lost Empire.” If you’re referring to Netheril, the point, close friends who I enjoy playing with so portal system might have been their creation, but it much that I braved the flu to play, saved my life. doesn’t lead to anything like a lost empire. Now I Oh, and I really liked Issue #89. I will soon run understand that DUNGEON wants more readers, and “Headless” from that issue for my regular party. that the truth might occasionally have to be Patrick Mason stretched, but I don’t think outright lying is permis- Via Email sible, especially when making a promise to us, the readers. Frankly, I felt cheated by the deception. We think the lesson here is clear: Play more D&D! Seri- Roman Goerss ously, Patrick, we’re glad you’re doing better. And kudos to Glendale, AZ your friends for being there when you needed them!

We knew we were stretching the line between fact and fic- tion a bit when we started using the tabloid-style cover lines THUMBS WAY UP with Issue #82. But part of the humor involved in seeing Issue #91 was superb. Six adventures for that price is those infamous headlines in the grocery store checkout line incredible! The adventures were all excellent. I is the absurdity of them. Thus, a line like “Drow Declare especially liked “The Rock and the Hard Place.” A War on Humanity” is a stretch, but Laveth did indeed great encounter, it works for hack-and-slashers and invade the Material Plane in her search for a suitable sacri- puzzle solvers alike. “Challenge of Champions IV” fice, and the PCs begin the adventure under the assumption was great fun to read. “Kambranex’s Machinations” that some force from the Abyss has it in for some power on was absolutely horrible, which is why I like it. I can’t the Prime. If you were upset by that or other leaps of imagi-Sampleimagine file our party surviving that dungeon without nation, we apologize . . . but read that adventure. It rocks! at least two people getting mechanized. Personally, I think that “Critical Threats” are as good as “Maps of Mystery” (this makes it very good). D&D SAVED MY LIFE The ones in Issue #91 were both good, but my I know it sounds corny but it’s true. Allow me to spin favorite is “The Vortex.” In my campaign, the vortex you a small tale if you will: is an arcane creation that drains the magic of anyone I was in bed with what I believed to be the flu, or anything that falls or is cast in. An evil mage plans laying there on gaming Sunday with a few hours left to use this power to wreak his vengeance upon his until the game. I’d already called to say I would prob- hometown, which exiled him for blasting a rival in a ably not make it. I awoke from a nap later, feeling a fit of anger. Kudos to Christopher West! bit better, so I gathered my things and off to the Joe Carothers game I went. It was a mostly roleplay session that Via Email night, where the party would be divided, so I sat around chatting with friends most of the night. My How many times do we have to tell people not to praise our session was last, and we had just finished it when I artists and cartographers. Keep it up and they’ll ask for sat down and passed out. After being revived by my raises. Sheesh! friends (to whom I now owe my life—am I gonna have to provide food at every game from now on, or what?), I spoke with the ambulance drivers who had KENNON IS DA BOMB, YO! just arrived and told them I was feeling better. I Just wanted to let you fine folks at DUNGEON Maga- thought it was probably just dehydration, so I drank zine know that I recently subscribed to your maga- some water and thought I’d be fine, only to pass out zine and received the first issue of that subscription. 9