Upper Deck 1 Ladder to Main Deck NIGHTWOLF 2 Ammunition Storage (Vodoni Scout) 3 Catapult

Main Deck One Square = 5 Feet 1 Spelljamming Helm 2 Breeder's Quarters 3 Access Door (under wing) 4 Storage 5 Ladder to Upper Deck 6 Enforcer's Quarters 7 Jettison

Upper Deck

Sample file

Main Deck UNDER THE DARK FIST

by Grant Boucher A 64-page Campaign Adventure for the ADVANCED DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS® 2nd Edition SPELUAMMER™ Role-Playing Game

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 2 Appendix D: New Spelljamming Ships 58 Chapter 1: Small Universe 4 Appendix E: New Magic 60 Chapter 2: Strange Bedfellows 10 Appendix F: New Monsters 61 Chapter 3: Reconnoitering 18 Chapter 4: The Siege of Calandia 29 Maps Chapter 5: The Great Assault 35 Vodoni Ship Deck Plans cover Chapter 6: Crescendo 46 Palace of Power mapsheet Diamond-class Ship mapsheet Appendices: Imperial City/Undercity mapsheet Appendix A: The Vodoni Spheres 51 Calandia One Slave Camp 21 Appendix B: Non-Player Characters 54 The Mines of Calandia 33 Appendix C: Pregenerated Player Characters . .56 Sample file CREDITS

Author: Grant S. Boucher Internal Art: Tom Baxa Editor: Jon Pickens Ship Design: Jim Holloway Cover Artist: Gerald Brom Typography: Gaye O'Keefe Cartography: David S. LaForce Keylining: Paul Hanchette

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, , , and WORLD OF are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book trade in the United Stattes by Random House, Inc. and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. This module is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Inc. °1991 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton Lake Geneva, Cambridge CB1 3LB Wl 53147 USA United Kingdom ISBN 0-56076-131-8 $10.95 U.S. £6.99 U.K. 9325XXX1501 "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, the equivalent of all of the dragons of Krynn PLUS all of How I wonder what you are. the Mordenkainens of Greyhawk PLUS every blessed be- Up above our world so high, holder in the Forgotten Realms . . . TIMES FOUR!!! Like an emerald in the sky." Any party that thinks they can handle that straight on —strangely familiar Vodoni rhyme should not even be brought into such an conflict. It would be wasting both your time and theirs. Only experienced players (and Dungeon Masters!) DM Notes should proceed with the events in Chapter One, "Small Bobbing majestically amidst the endless rainbow rivers Universe." Otherwise, lift what you want from this tome of of the phlogiston is a trio of , inexorably knowledge or save the whole thing for a later day. Don't bound together by the strangest happenstances of fate. say we didn't warn you. While few creatures that inhabit the fabled realms of Grey- space, Krynnspace, and Realmspace know or even dream Stand-Alone vs. Campaign of each others' existence, even fewer understand the ce- lestial bonds they secretly share. Adventuring Only a handful of brazen explorers, fearless scouts, and Still here? mystic travelers know with certainty that there are other Good, you obviously have what it takes to run an epic realms beyond this cosmic triad. And as the worlds of intergalactic war. men and elves, dwarves and dragons are about to discov- Now, it is certainly impossible to scrunch the equivalent er, not all of "out there" is friendly. In fact, many of the of the entire DRAGONLANCE® Saga into one 64-page spheres, twelve to be precise, are poised for war ... a war SPELLJAMMER1" adventure. However, we've done our the other side doesn't even know is coming. best to try just that. Twelve spheres against three—hardly fair odds for an More than enough information has been provided to intergalactic war. But then again, Emperor Vulkaran the take this adventure and expand it into years of epic cam- Dark, Master of the Twelve Spheres and Ruler of All paigning. For example, we've provided useful information Known Space, doesn't like a fair fight. He's never fought on all of Vulkaran's twelve crystal spheres. Just imagine one yet. that every one of these is as fascinating and fantastic as And amidst the vast emptiness of , who have Greyhawk or Krynn alone, and you can see that your hori- the Fates chosen to carry the banner of resistance? Why, 4 zons are truly endless. to 8 heroes and heroines of from 10th to 14th level, of This is the first campaign adventure for the course. That is, if they're up to it... SPELLJAMMER setting, and as such, gives you just Sampleenoug fileh campaign material to get you rolling, but doesn't weigh you down with our vision of how your own No Novices Please SPELLJAMMER campaign is run. By virtue of this philos- DMs, one thing right from the top. This is NOT an ad- ophy, this product can also be used as a stand-alone ad- venture for novice players! While the recommended levels venture, similar to the usual offerings from TSR. and numbers of player characters should scare off new- If you don't want to interfere too much with your own comers to role-playing, it is important to realize that raw campaign, but like the epic quality of this humble tale, character power is not enough to defeat Vulkaran the just ignore the many campaign tie-in notes and adventure Dark and his dread breeders, enforcers, and conquerors. leads we've scattered throughout the journey to come. There will be times during the course of the campaign As always, do whatever it takes to create an exciting ad- when discretion is the better part of valor (read: they venture for you and your players. Hopefully, you have might have to run away once in a while). This campaign is many memorable gaming nights ahead of you. pitting a handful of mid- to high-level characters against Story Background Adventure Summary Without further ado, the adventure begins. The PCs happen upon a Vodoni scout in their own home For hundreds of years, unbeknownst to the gods and space. One way or another, they become one of the few to mortals of Untouched Space, a tyrant has slowly worked actually see and combat the strange were-warriors. his way across the infinite vastness. The few hearty trav- Searching the captured ship, the Black Dog, the charac- elers who braved the unseen boundary of the Vodoni Em- ters discover some very interesting clues about the pire in search of legends or lost artifacts never returned, strange invaders. Their second encounter with the Vodoni giving rise to new legends still. enforcers involves a disabled gnomish sidewheeler, and The might of the Vodoni Empire is unmatched in the this time elven forces mistakenly apprehend the PCs. universe, of this there is no doubt. But as with most great The PCs are taken to the Rock of Bral, where they are war machines, one critical part stands between efficient privileged guests of an unprecedented gathering. Unbe- operation and crippled inactivity. For the Vodoni, that fo- knownst to the rest of Free Space, a top-secret meeting of cus is Emperor Vulkaran the Dark. all of the space- faring races is under way. And by virtue of Vulkaran rules Twelve Spheres of Known Space the old- the party's recent encounters with the Vodoni, they are re- fashioned way: kill your enemies before they kill you; quired to attend. At the meeting, it is decided that some- crush all resistance before it grows; mercy is for the weak one, hopefully the PCs, should scout the Vodoni home and gutless; and the end always justifies the means. sphere. The PCs can use their own ship, the captured Needless to say, the Vodoni people aren't the happiest mind-flayer vessel (if its capture remains a secret from the in the universe, and neither are the inhabitants of eleven ), or the captured Vodoni scout for the mission. other spheres. During their visit to the Vodoni sphere, the PCs learn Vulkaran rules with the proverbial iron fist, but in his much about Vodoni and its people. It is obvious that case it's mithril. Yes, when you have total and utter control Vulkaran is a despot and even his own people are against over the resources of over five dozen planets, you develop him. Rumors that the sphere's gods have been imprisoned a taste for the rare, the exotic, and the infinitely valuable. by Vulkaran add to the intrigue. But Vulkaran's mithril armor is just a device, a black After the PCs report, the newly-formed Free Space Alli- knight's standard so to speak. Vulkaran's power rests not ance decides to establish a beach head on the prison plan- in his hands, but at his side. The merciless Vodoni enforc- et of Calandia in the Vodoni system. From there, the ers are the scourge of the universe—horrible lycanthropic major assault on Vulkaran is planned and set into motion. werewolves with a taste for blood and a respect for no liv- The PCs get to spearhead the critical space-based as- ing thing. And as will be seen later on in the taleSample, even the saul filet of the Imperial City, as well as lead a "decapitation" vicious and powerful Vodoni enforcers, whose numbers mission into the Crystal Palace of Vulkaran itself! More run into the tens of millions, are nothing compared to than a few plot twists and nasty surprises await the "this year's model." party . . . and the Free Space Alliance as well. The PCs' Vulkaran is scouting his latest prey very carefully these actions could very well determine the ultimate fate of the days. For him, this represents a first—three spheres for entire known universe! the price of one. Three weak and unsuspecting realms, Final Note to the DM: Because of the scale of the ad- which hardly know of each other's existence, let alone venture, much of the detailed background information is have knowledge of greater forces at work around them. contained within body of the text proper, in order to save Some unprecedented things are going to have to take repeating information here at the beginning. It is there- place if Vulkaran is to be stopped. Can a handful of adven- fore recommended that the entire adventure be read thor- turers turn the tables? oughly at least once before play, and if used as the basis We shall see. for an epic campaign, many more times as well.

About the Appendices

Some DMs, who just can't wait for revealed. You'll be skipping to them some more background information, many times during the course of the might want to skip back to the Appen- adventure anyway, so if you really dices where many wondrous things are must, go ahead. "Mother! Mother! Look!", the young child exclaimed. At this time, the characters cannot see the crew of the "Look at all the new stars out tonight!" Black Dog (a Vodoni scout-class vessel), nor can they see "Those are not stars, my son," his mother answered sad- the nautiloid, Brain Eater, closing fast. ly, "they're ships, floating high above the Great City." The DM should see what the players want to do now. If "Oh, but they sparkle just like the stars. Are they going to they decide to attack the Black Dog for some reason, have stay?" he asked anxiously. the illithid ship arrive just moments after close combat be- A nearly invisible tear began a slow course down the gins (see Event 3 below). If the party decides to follow or mother's flushed cheek. "I'm afraid so, my young dreamer. hail the Black Dog, or just waits until the alien vessel I'm afraid so." comes closer, read the following description aloud: In the distance, the fiery bombardment was just begin- ning, and another race of beings watched helplessly as their The wolf ship is bearing down fast. It seems to be both precious freedom was annihilated before their very eyes. quick and camouflaged well for travelling through space. The crew appears to be humanoid, but the heavy In this chapter, the party is presented with a couple of black cloaks they are wearing make it difficult to deter- unusual situations. No matter which way they turn, not mine anything more. everything is always as it appears. Introducing . . . the en- Suddenly, from behind the wolf ship appears an il- emy. lithid nautiloid! Much of the crew is standing near the prow of the vessel, preparing to board its prey. The il- lithids are closing. Event 1 : A handful of mind flayers are standing on the star- board side of the ship and are looking straight at you. The Enemy of My Enemy . . . Strangely, all of them are making the universal gesture The adventure begins as the party members are sailing for help! through space, preferably on their own personal ship. They might be on the way to the Rock of Bral (which was designed to be put anywhere you want), or they might be Decision time. If the PCs decide to help the illithids and randomly wandering deep space in search of pirates, attack the Black Dog, proceed to Event 3. If instead the abandoned vessels, or both. Why the party is out here is PCs decide to tackle the mind flayers, proceed to Event 2. up to the players and the DM. Either way, it shouldn't be If the PCs just stand by and watch, the nautiloid success- something too important, as whatever the PCs are doing fully rams the scout, but the Vodoni enforcers aboard the is about to be rudely interrupted. Black Dog rip the illithids apart, taking only minimal casu- Samplealties file. The party does learn about the wolf-like appearance Read the following introduction aloud: and ruthless fighting tactics (see Appendix F: New Mon- sters for details) of the Vodoni, while watching from afar. After finally clearing the last gravity well in the vicinity, However, the Vodoni take the party's lack of involvement as your vessel is only beginning to warm up again when a sign of fear, and immediately attack. If the party is caught another, as yet unseen, disturbance ends your spelljam- (the DM should see that they are facing the wrong way for ming ambitions. an effective escape), proceed to Event 3, but reduce all of Directly ahead of you is a strange black ship, de- the Vodoni enforcers' hit points by 25%. Note that all of the signed to look like a small, winged obsidian wolf. Its were-beasts are already in their blood rage (see Appendix mouth closed, and eyes blazing red, the vessel hardly F: New Monsters for details on this condition). seems to notice you as it wings towards you. It does not If the PCs successfully flee, without engaging the Vo- appear to be on a collision course, and doesn't seem to doni personally, doubts about their courage and worthi- making any hostile moves towards you. ness for the tasks ahead are voiced by the elves and dwarves in particular in Chapter 2. The party had better do the battle is a foregone conclusion. The illithids should be some slick talking if they wish to avoid be branded as cow- decimated in a few rounds, and the werewolves, who ards before the war has even began. made every indication that they were allies of the PCs up The vessel statistics for the Black Dog are typical for a until now, now direct their uncontrollable aggressions on Vodoni scout (see Appendix D: New Spelljamming Ships), the party! while those for the illithid nautiloid, Brain Eater, are iden- If the PCs win, proceed to Event 4. Otherwise, the Vo- tical to those presented in the SPELLJAMMER™ rules). doni enforcers are renowned for continuing to feed on The Black Dog is manned by 40 Vodoni enforcers with one victims long after they are dead. Unless a party member Vodoni breeder at the helm (average stats, see Appendix has a ring of regeneration or successfully abandoned ship, F: New Monsters). The Brain Eater is manned by 30 il- there isn't a lot of hope for fallen comrades. Importantly, lithids (average stats per Monstrous Compendium entry, the werebeasts are not very intelligent, even when not in two have +2 magical protection and the rest have +1 a blood rage, and when so maddened they could be magical protection) but only 25 of these are visible during called downright dense. Therefore, fleeing into the the first rounds of combat, as the other five are below depths of the ship and hiding is also a viable option for decks, controlling the nautiloid via an illithid series helm. defeated PCs. The Vodoni won't even think to search the ship until long after they've regained their senses, and only then, after they've begun to stow treasure away Event 2: ... Is My Enemy aboard their ship. The adventure and espionage possibil- ities are extensive, depending on the intelligence and This event assumes that the party is attacking the il- skill of the hidden character. lithid nautiloid. As soon as the party moves in that direc- tion, the illithids, with a look of shock and disbelief, turn On a final note, captured, killed, or hidden PCs can be to ram the PCs' ship. Their success depends on the skill of given another chance to save themselves if the DM adds a the party and the geometry of the encounter as dictated random encounter with the elven armada cruising this ar- by the DM. ea (for stats and information, see Event 8). In any case, the two ships meet in space, but the illithids refuse to board the party ship to attack. Instead, they at- tempt to warn the party about the dangerous "wolf men" Event 3: ... Is My Friend now rounding to attack. The DM should play the illithids If party members follow their gut instincts and attack as both desperate and annoyed. At this point, they see the the Black Dog, the mind flayers chose to aid the charac- party as grossly stupid and incompetent and aren't quite ters in return, in their own way of course. Keeping out of sure they want any help from "dolts such as these.Sample" If the clos efile combat, if possible, the illithids pummel the Vodoni party continues to blindly attack, for whatever reason, the enforcers with spells and "finish the kill" for any Vodoni illithids won't hesitate to return fire. enforcers that fall. At the DM's option (read: if the PCs Whether the party reaches a hasty truce or not, the need it), the mind flayers can use their three potions of Black Dog is most certainly rounding for an attack. Since extra- healing (see below) to benefit any fallen characters. the ship is not equipped with a ram, the enforcers attempt They always provide assistance in such a way that they are to board the nautiloid from the side opposite the PCs. The not noticed, either by their comrades, or by the PCs. Vodoni head straight for the illithids, all but ignoring the Note that if the PCs appear exceptionally weak at the PCs. For now, the Vodoni won't attack the characters un- end of the combat, or the PCs only joined forces with the less they themselves are attacked. After that, it's open mind flayers after having attacked them by mistake (i.e. a season on everybody, as the battle with the illithids most hasty truce was called only after mind flayer blood was certainly puts the werewolves into a blood rage. spilled), the mind flayers most certainly betray the party If the PCs were already attacking the mind flayers, then and attack the PCs later.