Roots of Evil

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"•' :-" >-J" AZALIN'S CRYPT-LAIR, LEVEL 1 KEY Scale: 1 Square = 10' Sample file Forest Road Wide Path Trail Isl Altar Chair Door One-way Secret Door Secret Door Holy Symbol Illusionary Wall Morkoth Hole Statue Sub-level Waterway Table Tapestry Throne Tomb Trap Trap Door in Ceiling Trap Door in Floor Water-filled Area ROOTS Of £UIL Table of Contents Introduction 2 Jump Start 12 Continuing the Adventure 13 Madame Yvonna 16 Vallaki 24 Castle Ravenloft 32 Castle Ravenloft Maps 48-49 Back to Vallaki 51 Azalin's Crypt-Lair 58 Back to Castle Ravenloft 88 MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM™ Entry: Yugoloth, Greater—Arcanaloth 96 Credits Design: Eric Haddock and David Wise Editing: David Wise and Dori "the Barbarian" Watry Project Coordination: Dori "Still the Barbarian" Watry Cover Art: Jeff Easley Interior Art: Stephen Fabian Typography: Angelika Lokotz Production: Paul Hanchette Cartography: David C. 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POB756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom 2S;y INTRODUCTION nee again the Mists of Ravenloft In fact, Roots of Evil represents the have parted, but this time it isn't to culmination of a six-part series of adventures, deliver more hapless victims or evil loosely connected by the prophecy known as creatures into the demiplane of Hyskosa's Hexad. Each module deals with one dread. No, quite the opposite: Aza- of six couplets written by the Vistani seer lin the lich has shattered the Hyskosa. According to the prophet, when all the boundaries that held him prisoner couplets have been fulfilled, the Grand for centuries and has escaped into Conjunction will take place and all the lords of the Prime Material Plane! His Ravenloft will return to their Prime Material actions have broken the grip of the points of origin. The first couplet is realized in land, and all the lords of Ravenloft are Feast of Goblins (9298), the second in Ship of finding the way back into the multi- Horror (9321), the third in Touch of Death verse from whence they came. Evil (9338), and the fourth in Night of the Walking courses through world after world, Dead (9352). A DM seeking to run a sustained and the gods are very, very angry! RAVENLOFT game campaign might consider This adventure is designed for four running each of these modules and then to six player characters (PCs) of 9th continue with From the Shadows (9375) and, to 12th level. It's assumed that all finally, Roots of Evil (9413). adventuring parties in Ravenloft are largely of Even if the adventuring party doesn't play good and neutral alignments; evil parties rarely through the first four modules, it is still strongly feel obliged to "do the right thing," and most advised that From the Shadows be played adventures in the demiplane of dread depend before beginning Roots of Evil. These two upon at least a bit of heroism in the PCs. adventures are more closely related than any of Magical weapons in general are important to the the others, for the first sets the Grand party's success, but few player character groups Conjunction in motion while the second gives of the appropriate levels lack a virtual arsenal of the player characters a chance to reverse the magic. Also, the encounters in thiSamples module are filehorrific occurrence. For the most part, this designed to be life-threatening, so the optional module assumes that From the Shadows has "Hovering on Death's Door" rule (see the been played first, and some adjustments will DUNGEON MASTER" Guide [DMG\) is need to be made by the DM if it hasn't. recommended. Dungeon Masters (DMs) who don't employ this rule might justify its sudden use by claiming that the very powers of the Doing Your Homework universe are at work here. After all, the Grand As always, the DM should read this entire Conjunction doesn't occur every day (or every adventure before running it. It is also millennium, for that matter)! recommended that the DM be familiar with the "Azalin" and "Strahd" entries from the rules book of the RAVENLOFT boxed set, as well as The final Adventure the "yugoloth" entry at the end of this book. oots of Evil is a sequel to the RAVENLOFT® In this module, the player characters will find game adventure From the Shadows. An that the story supersedes the "dungeon crawl" R optional entry is supplied to allow this aspects of the adventure (although that element module to be played by itself, but both players is present, too). They've started a chain of and the DM™ will enjoy Roots of Evil all the events that must be resolved in order to avert— more if it's used as the second of a two-part literally!—universal catastrophe. It's not enough adventure. to defeat the bad guys in combat; the bad guy* INTRODUCTION in this adventure are too powerful. Thinking things through, using the nonplayer characters Forbidden Lore (NPCs) against one another, waiting for the right ypsy prognostication contributes much to moment to act—these are the real keys to the all-important atmosphere of a survival, and the DM is free to explain this to the C RAVENLOFT game adventure. The DM is players before the game starts. always free to simply claim that "Madame There's a lot of story involved in resolving the Yvonna looks into her crystal ball and sees all" problems that arose in From the Shadows and a or to take a deck of normal playing cards and lot of information for the PCs to absorb. role-play a reading for the characters—the rules Therefore, several encounters in this module are book in the RAVENLOFT boxed set provides more information- than action-based. During some handy guidelines for performing such these encounters, the game takes on a activities. "questions and answers" feel. The encounters However, the Forbidden Lore boxed set are set up to anticipate the PCs' questions and contains some excellent tools for enhancing that to preserve drama and atmosphere, but it falls effect. In particular, the tarokka deck is a upon the DM to capture the PCs' imaginations perfect accessory for this module, containing by making conversations sound as natural as artwork that is quite appropriate to a magical possible. Be prepared to discuss anything the atmosphere. "The Waking Dream," one of the characters bring up. Of course, what they can five books included in the Forbidden Lore box, learn from an NPC depends upon that NPCs explains how to lay out the cards and then spin own knowledge, so it's very important for the the telling so that the DM will read the proper DM to know this module before playing it. fortune, making the PCs feel as though fate itself There's probably no need to say it, but has dictated their actions. players are notorious for (and sometimes even The DM may make use of "Nova Arcanum," proud of) erratic behavior and stunts that short- a book of Strahd's personal magic, in the circuit the most carefully planned adventures. Forbidden Lore box. There are also three other As long as the DM knows the adventure fairly Samplebooks (dealin fileg with psionics, curses, and secret well, it should be possible to redirect events to societies in Ravenloft) that may not be directly get the party back on track without forcing their useful in Roots of Evil, but the DM is free to use hands. However, if the PCs insist on actions that any element that enhances the players' burn their own bridges, then the Grand experience. Conjunction will fully unfold and the PCs will have to live in a hell of their own making. Stacking the efore beginning play, the DM may choose Shadow-planar Influences to make the following preparations with the he demiplane of Ravenloft imposes many B tarokka (or a normal) deck: 1) Stack the special conditions upon spells and abilities five following cards so that they can be drawn T in the AD&D® game rules system. Although from the top of the deck in the following order: this adventure doesn't take place in the Shadow the necromancer (or the eight of hearts), the Plane, the Grand Conjunction has opened the diviner (or the two of hearts), the paladin (or the boundaries of Ravenloft to the Prime Material, so two of clubs), the anarchist (or the six of all the rules detailed in the RAVENLOFT® and spades), and the traitor (or the nine of spades).

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