OfficialGame Adventure Knight of Newts by Slade Henson Credits Design . Slade Henson Editing ......... ........ Doug Stewart Product Manager . ... Bruce Heard Cover Art ........... ... David Dorman Poster Map Art . Robin Raab Stand-up Character Art . Robin Raab Interior Art ... Dave Simons and Karl Waller Typesetting .... ..... .... Gaye O'Keefe Production . Paul Hanchette ., 1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Plinted In the United States of America ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONSand D&D are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. DM, DUNGEONMASTER, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Random House and Its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights In the book trade for English language products ofTSR, Inc. Distributed to Sample thefile book and hobby trade In the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by Table of Contents regional distributors. This module Is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or Introduction . 2 unauthorized use of the material or artwork presented herein Is prohibited without the express DM's Background ............. 3 written permission ofTSR, Inc. GettingStarted . 4 All TSR characters , character names, and the The Ruins of Kraal . 5 distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks ofTSR, Epilogue . 12 Inc. Hazards & Sureties . 12 ISBN 1-56076-579-8 9434 New Maglcalltems . 13 New Monster . 14 TSR,Inc. TSRLtd. OM™Location Facts . 15 POB756 120Church End , NPCand MonsterTable . 16 LakeGeneva CherryHinton Wandering Monsters . 16 Further Adventuring . 16 WI53147 CambridgeCB1 3LB USA I UnitedKingdom lntRoOuct1on The Knight of Newts is one of a series of 16-page adven­ This adventure is set in the southern edge of the valley tures for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game. It is of Thunder Rift. Full information about this amazing designed be played with two to four players, with or with­ place can be found in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® out a Dungeon Master. game accessory titled Thunder Rift. It is not necessary to have that accessory to play this adventure; it merely gives Playing Without A DUNGEON MASTER™ background information and campaign details that the If The Knight of Newts is played without a DM™, the DM, or the players, may find useful. This module can players will need one player (the caller)to read the boxed also be used in any campaign setting with ease. The only text on the inside cover whenever a player enters a room things needed to enjoy this adventure are the or a hallway. The callershould ignoreall text that beginswith the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game itself, some paper phraseDM Information. This material is used only when and pencils, dice, and a few good friends. a Dungeon Master is present to oversee the game. The players should begin the adventure at the castle's Adventure Setting courtyard (Location #1 on page 5), with the caller reading For years, adventurers seeking the ultimate challenge the text for that location. Ignore GettingStarted on page 4. have sought their fortunes in the Ruins of Kraal, deep in As soon as the boxed text has been read, each player the Black Swamp. It is believed by many that great riches should decide what his character is going to do in the lie rotting in this keep, protected by vile men who are said location-fighting any encountered monsters is assumed. to look like reptiles. Since no one has ever returned from Once those decisions are made, the caller can flip through any expedition to this brooding place to say otherwise, no the book to find the complete details for that room. If the one really knows. The player characters can now can try action taken is shown on the room listing, there will be their hand at cracking the legendary ruins of Kraal. complete details on what happens next and how to resolve the situation. If the action is not listed, it is assumed to Monster Statistics have had no important result. Only one action can be at­ Throughout this adventure, players will be called upon tempted per room per player, when role-playing without to have their heroes battle various enemies. Whenever aDM. these encounters occur, information about the enemy will When a monster is encountered, players roll attacks for be presented in the following format: their characters in the usual way. When it is the monsters' turn to fight, the players roll the attacks for monstersSample file against other players. Players should not roll attacks for Monster Name(quantity encountered): AC (Armor monsters that are fighting their own characters. This Class); HD (Hit Dice); hp (Hit Points); MV (Move­ helps to keep the players honest. ment Rate); #AT (Number of Attacks); THACO (See below); Dmg (Damage inflicted per attack); Save as Playing With a DUNGEON MASTER (type of character the monster's saving throws are If you have a Dungeon Master, it should be the DM made as); ML (Morale); AL (Alignment); XP (Expe­ who reads the boxed text on the inside cover. The DM is rience Points earned for defeating the monster); Trea­ also responsible for playing the NPCs and monsters that sure (Any valuables carried by the monster). the characters encounter. One of these notations, THACO, may be unfamiliar to What's Needed to Play? new players or Dungeon Masters. THACO is simply an This adventure is intended for use with the acronym for "To Hit Armor Class O." To determine the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS boxed game. It can be used roll that must be made on ld20 for a monster to hit an with many other TSR products, such as the D&~ Rules enemy in combat; simply subtract the target's Armor Cyclopedia, or even the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & Class from this number. Thus, if a monster with a DRAGONS® 2nd Edition Game with only a little effort THACO of 15 is attacking a heroine who has an Armor on the part of a Dungeon Master. Although it is part of a Class of 7, the Dungeon Master must roll an 8 (15-7 = 8) series of adventure modules, it is a complete and self­ or better for the monster to hit her. contained adventure story. 2 Backq~ouno Nearly an elven lifetime ago, the Horned Hills were dant was discharged and expelled to the south. overrun with ogres, ores, goblins, and their vassals the Thereafter, every commandant of Castle Kraal promised kobolds. These corrupt beasts, not content to remain in to clean up the evil deeds of the previous administration. their own lands, raided human, elven, and dwarven com­ And a once proud leadership position became a circus munities throughout Thunder Rift. For years, ogres led act. their troops into battle, stealing whatever goods they were During this period the effectiveness of Castle Kraal was too lazy to produce for themselves. In response to their severely impaired. Raiding parties from the Horned Hills constant attacks the humans and dwarves proposed a grew more bold with each foray, and the morale of the plan to build a large castle in the Lower Great Grass­ castle's warriors and spell casters plummeted. They were lands, near the Horned Hills. increasingly inept at combating the marauding bands. For years the ogres and their cohorts frustrated any Soon morale became so low that a period of service at building attempts by constant attacks which destroyed all Castle Kraal was viewed as a punishment. And often, it such endeavors. The humans and dwarves had almost was. given up, when an elf suggested that they use the ogres' After seven years of bad conditions, dreadful morale, own fear of water against them. The Black Swamps, just and an extraordinarily high desertion rate, a bright, tal­ north of the Lower Great Grasslands, held great promise ented, and young, commandant took command. Things for a keep-if a method could be found to hold back the did not change overnight, but feelings of quiet hope, sub­ water. Two months and three ogre attacks passed and tle relief, and real expectation came over the Castle. The then a smith named Kraal conceived a plan. A portion of commandant ordered a salary increase for all personal the Black Swamps was to be raised above the water table, and gave each a substantial bonus for every year they had and the castle would be built upon the rise. The project served before her installment. was completed in two years. Unfortunately, over 300 of She expanded the training available to warriors and the folk of Thunder Rift died in the process, either in the spell casters and initiated free instruction for careers and attacks of the ogres, or in the claws and talons of the natu­ occupations outside the militia. This enabled the garri­ ral and hungry creatures of the swamp. One of the folk son's defenders to prepare themselves for civilian work. who died during the construction of the castle was the All her planning and initiatives began to bear fruit. Mo­ smith, :(<.raal.After its completion, the fortress was chris­ rale increased sharply, requests for transfers from Castle tened Kraal Castle. Kraal decreased, and outside requests for transfers to the To garrison the keep in a state of constant readiness,Sample stronghold file were on the rise. 1,000 fighting men and 100 spell casters were recruited to It is unknown if the commandant's plans would have man to fortress. Whenever a threat of assault developed, been successful in raising castle Kraal to a station of re­ these valiant warriors would ride out, on the dangerous spect and admiration again-the castle and all its inhabit­ journey through the Black Swamps, to greet the raiding ants were destroyed shortly after her inauguration. Castle savages with whetted steel and mystical compositions.