Opifex 20

Issue #20 July-August 1999

In This Issue The Journey, Journey, Call of Cthulu Cthulu Getting Together, AD&D Moraks, AD&D Reviews: Birth of the Federation, Half-Life , Blood II: The Chosen , Fate Deck Material for the Etrena campaign, Fantasy • • • •

•

1

Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Issue 20 June-July, 1999 Information Editor, Writer and Art Director: Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected]. Interior Art: Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected]. Writer and Archive Mast Master: er: Ricardo Ricardo J . Méndez, Méndez, [email protected]. This Issu Issue’s e’s Cover Cover:: Fishe Fisherm rmen en of the Twin Twin Suns, Suns, by Mervyn Boyd, [email protected] Web Page The web web page page provid provides es read readers ers with with link links s to acquire the software needed to view issues, information about the ezine as well as direct access to the current issue. The Th e address is

www.obmru.goplace.com. Acquiring Acquiring Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Random Universes Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes may be reliably acquired by the following means:

Subscription: To subscribe send email with the message “subscribe OBM” to [email protected]. The subscription issues are mailed as compressed pdf files. America Online will automatically decode such files. Users of other services may need to acquire a utility such as Aladdin’s Aladdin’s Stuffit St uffit Expan Expander der (available (available for bot h Mac and PC platforms) in order to expand the file. Naturally, Adobe Acrobat Reader will be needed to read the pdf files. •Online Viewing of PDF: The current issue of Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes can be viewed directly by using a web browser that has been set up to use Adobe Acrobat Reader as a helper application. Go to www.obmru.goplace.com •Online Viewing as Web Page: The current issue of Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes can be viewed directly by using a web browser. Go to www.geo www.geocities cities.com .com// TimesS TimesSqu quare are// Galax alaxy/ y/ 135 8/ .

2

•Download: The current issue of Opifex BiMonthly: Random Random Universes can be downloaded from www.obmru.goplace.com. Back Issues Ricardo J . Méndez Méndez has has set up an FTP archive site sit e for past issues of Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes . Each issue is available as an an individual ZIP file. ZIP archives can be unzipped by a variety of PC utilities as well as Stuffit Expander (freeware for the Mac and PC). The site is http:/ / www.ge www.geocitie ocities.com s.com// ~rmen rmendez/ dez/ obmru/ obmru/

Legal Information Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes©1996. All rights reserved. Fees Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes is a free ezine. Trademarks Most product names are the trademarks of the companies producing those products. Use of a trademark to identify a product discussed in this ezine should not be taken to imply the sponsorship of the holder of said trademark, nor should the use of a trademark without explicit mention of its status as a trademark be construed as a challenge to the trademark status. Copyright Information Unless otherwise noted, all of the material in this ezine is protected protect ed by the t he relevan relevantt copyright copyright laws. Contributors have given permission for their material to be used in this ezine. Contributors retain ret ain all all rights t o t heir heir material. material. Third Third parties parties wish wishing ing to make make use use of any any materi material al within this ezine mu must st contact the relevant relevant party or parties in order to secure permission. Distribution Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes may be freely distributed provided that: •The ezine is not modified. •No fee is charged for the ezine over and above the normal normal cost of distribution. The “normal “normal cost of distribution” includes the fees for online services, the cost of a shareware CD-ROM and such. Distributors who wish to include the ezine on commercial CD-ROMs or shareware collections


request and receive permission for such distribution. Review Graphics Graphics Legal Informatio Information n All graphics used in reviews are either taken from screenshots, the company’s web pages or scanned from the game documentation. All graphics remain the property of their respective owners and are used solely for the purpose of the review. Game Companies Legal Information Information Some gaming companies permit third parties to publish material relating to their games. Here are the current legal specifications from each company:

Chaosium “Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St,Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-5952440. Visit Chaosium's web page at http:/ / www.chaosi www.chaosium um.com .com FASA Corporation X is a Registered Trademark of FASA Corporation. Original X material Copyright 19XX by FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of FASA Corporation’s copyrighted material or trademarks in this file should not be viewed as a challenged to those copyrights or trademarks trademarks.. R. Talsorian Games “Mekton, Cyberpunk 2020 are Copyright; CyberGenera CyberGeneratio tion, n, Castle Cast le Falk are Trademarks.” White Wolf “This article contains terms that are Trademarks and Copyrights of White Wolf Inc. All rights reserved reserved by White White Wolf Inc., 1996 1 996 . This T his article article does not challenge any property of White Wolf Inc.” Tantalu Tantalus s Inc. Inc. This item is not not authorized authorized or endors endorsed ed by by Tantalu Tantalus s Inc. Inc. and and is used used without without perm permiss ission ion.. The item is for personal use only. only. Any use of Tantalu Tantalus s Inc.'s Inc.'s copyrigh copyrighted ted materi material al or tradem tr ademarks arks in this file f ile should should not be viewed as as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In

3

addition, this item cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author. TSR TSR, TSR, which which is now now part part of Wizards Wizards of the Coas Coast, t, has the following policy: “ as long as (1) you're not copying our text, (2) you're not copying our art, (3) you're not copying our logos, and (4) you're not making money off of it, you can use our properties to make your own fan material (within good taste - no porn, etc.). That's it. Make your stuff. Have fun.”

Contributors’ Guidelines ©1996,1997 Michael C. LaBossiere, [email protected] Kelly Rothenberg, L emarchand@ [email protected] aol.com Submission

Conditions

Opifex Bi-Monthly will consider co nsider any submission submission that falls within the scope of the ezine, however certain conditions must be met in order for material to be considered. 1. The person submitting the material must be its legal owner and must give permission for the material to be included in Opifex Bi-Monthly. 2. The person submitting the material must assume assume all responsibility responsibility f or his/ her material. material. 3. The person submitting the material must include his/ his/ her real name name with the material along with an email address. 4. Any person submitting game related material must secure permission from the company which owns the game in question and include the company’s standa st andard rd disclaimer in the t he material. This appl applie ies s only only in cases cases in in whi which ch the compa company ny in question requires that such conditions be met. Some companies have given Opifex Bi-Monthly permissions to publish material relating to their games. For the current list, look at the Legal Information section of this issue. 5. In no case will illegal material be accepted. 6. People who wish to make submissions that are larger larger tha t han n 100K 10 0K (comp (c ompresse ressed) d) should should contact the staff before sending the file via email. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Preferred Font: Palatino.

Submission Format

General: Submissions are accepted via email. Files should be sent as attached mailings whenever possible instead of being included as text in email. email. Files should be be attached att ached as as files and not sent as email text. Whenever possible, files should be compressed using mainstream compression software, such as Stuffit, Compact Pro or PKZip. Rare or unusual compression methods should not be used. The type of file(s) submitted should be identified in the accompanying email. Text Text Submiss Submission ions: s: Text Text submiss submission ions s shoul should d be MS Word Word files, if possible. possible. Version V ersion 97/ 98 files are preferred, but earlier versions are acceptable. WordPerfect , RTF files, MacWrite II and plain text files are also acceptable. Contributors who cannot save files in any of the above formats should contact Michael LaBossiere (ontologist@ (ont [email protected] aol.com). ). Text should be formatted and can be styled, but not excessively so (unless doing so is necessary). The font used should be Palatino or similar. Articles titles should be in 18 point bold, the author’s name and email address should be in 14 point plain, and the main text should be 12 point plain. Section headers should be 12 point bold. Unusual, rare or proprietary fonts (such as those in Adobe Type on Call) should not be used without making prior arrangements with the staff. The page type should be US Letter. All margins should be 1 inch. There should be no headers or footers. Contributors should spell check their work before submitting it. Text files with embedded graphics (such as maps and illustrations) should be sent in a format that preserves the graphics and their layout. layout. RTF is a useful cross-platform cross-platform forma fo rmatt for this purpose. Summary Preferred Preferred File File Type: MS MS Word Word 97/ 98 Page Type: US Letter All Margins: 1 inch Gutter: 0 Header/ Header/ Footer: None Columns: 2 or none. Font sizes: 18 for title, 14 for headers, 12 for main text.

4

Graphic Submissions Graphic submissions should be no larger than a half page, unless the art is intended for the cover. Color art is acceptable and is, in fact, desirable. Acceptable formats include PICT, Photoshop, Photo shop, BMP, TIFF, GIF, J PEG, PEG, Deneba’s Deneba’s Canvas, Canvas, Macromedia Macromedia Freehand, Freehand, Microfront ier’s Color It! and Adobe Illustrator. Graphic submissions should include the artist’s identifying signature or mark in the body of the graphic. The mail accompanying a graphic file must include the author’s name and email address. Submission Specifics

Games: The primary focus is on horror and science fict f iction ion games, although general gaming gaming material and material on other areas of gaming will be considered. Sourcebook style material rules variants, adventures, NPCs, scenarios and such are all welcome. Many game companies are extremely protective of their games and do not permit anyone else to publish or even distribute material relating to their games. Hence, those making game related submissions must determine whether or not their work infringes on the rights of a company. Hence, no material relating to these games will be considered. Some companies tolerate third parties publishing material relating to their games. For the current list see the Legal Information section of this issue. Submissions of any reasonable size will be considered and extremely large submissions might might be serialized. Send submissions submissions t o Michael Michael LaBossiere, [email protected]. Rights The pers person on mak makin ing g the subm submiss ission ion grants grants Opife Opifex x Bi-Monthly one-time publication rights, with all other rights reverting to t he author author aft erwards. erwards. Authors will be contacted for permission to publish rewrites. The person making the submission retains all other rights, including copyright ownership and the right to publish the material elsewhere. Payment At this time no payments or compensation of any kind are offered for contributions.


Reviews The Opi Opifex fex Bim Bimonthl onthly: y: Ran Random dom Unive Universe rses s staff is always interested in reviewing game and game related material, including computer games. games. If you are interested in having your product(s) reviewed, please contact the staff at [email protected] or [email protected].

5


News/Announcements New OBM:RU Web Site Source: Michael LaBossiere Information: Opifex Bi-Monthly: Random Universes has relocated its web pages from America Online to Geocities. The new pages are better designed, more detailed, and offer more features than the previous pages. Go to www.obmru.goplace.com

Haven: City of Violence Source: Louis Porter, Jr. Information: Louis Porter, Porter, Jr. is looking for editors, play testers and feedback for the RPG he is creating called Haven: City of Violence. This RPG is a cross cross between Frank Miller's Sin City; John Woo's Hard Boiled, James O'Barr's The Crow, and your worst urban nightmare come to life. They have just acquired the services of Tim Bradstreet (White Wolf's Vampire) to do the cover for Haven: City of Violence, so you know it is going to look good. For more information: http://members.xoom.com/LMPjr007/ CJ.html, so come on by. by. They also have a new electronic magazine, E-zine for short, called New World Order. NWO will cover all different sectors of the Haven: City of Violence universe from the general "going ons" to the deep dark back alley ways, ways, to the clean and pristine hall of city.

6


The Journey©1999 By Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] C al al l o f Ct Ct h u l h u

Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1999 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at user.aol.com/ontologist/. Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium Inc's registered trademark for their game of horror and wonder in the worlds of HP Lovecraft. For more information, contact Chaosium Inc., 950-A 56th St, Oakland, CA 94608 -- or call us at 510-595-2440. Visit Chaosium's web page at www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/ . Introduction This adventure is set in Europe in the 1920s game period. In this adventure, the investigators delve into the mysteries of the Order of the Ancient Stone and attempt to learn some of its dark and horrid secrets. The adventure is challenging, but not overly so, and should prove suitable for a group of 3-7 moderately experienced investigators. This adventure is intended to be a continuation of the adventure “War Buddy.” However, with some suitable modifications modifications it can easily be played as a stand-alone adventure or as part of another campaign.

Getting the Investigators Involved This adventure is written on the assumption that the investigators have completed “War Buddy.”It is also assumed that the investigators have 7

allied themselves with Father Henesey and that they have a Shard of the Stone in their possession. If this is not the case, the Keeper will need to arrange a suitable adventure so that the investigators have an ally as well as a Shard of the Stone. Father Henesey will tell the investigators that the Church has been engaged in a long struggle with various cults and other forces that are inimical to all that is good and holy. He himself has been involved in the struggle for some time. He will tell the investigators that in light of the previous events, it would be best if they left the country for a while. This, he will explain, is not just to help escape potential retaliation, but he has also been informed that there is evidence that additional information useful to both the investigators and himself is to be found in Scotland. Father Henesey will mention that an old friend of his, Dr. Hiram Jones, is involved in researching cult activities in Scotland and that he has unearthed information information that might prove quite useful. Dr. Jones has invited Father Henesey to Scotland and Henesey will suggest that the investigators accompany him.

The Journey Assuming the investigators agree to accompany him, Father Henesey will book passage on the the next vessel to Scotland. Henesey will not inform the investigators, but he will intentionally allow the Ancient Order of the Stone to learn which ship they are traveling on. It is a bit of a gamble, but Henesey hopes that the cultists will send their agents on the same ship. This way, the good Father hopes, the investigators will be able to confront and defeat the cultists before reaching reaching Scotland. This way, way, reasons Henesey, it will be some time Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

before the cultists cultists will learn what what happened and be able to react. By that time, Henesey hopes, he and the investigators will be in Scotland and well into their research. The Ship The ship the players have booked passage on is a mid-sized vessel that carries both passengers and freight. The ship, which is British, is called the John Harvey. It is an older ship and makes an average of twenty knots. The John Harvey’s accommodations accommodations are comfortable and the cabins are well appointed, but not luxurious. The ship has a pleasant dinning area and the ship’s cooks are quite skilled. Passengers can amuse themselves at the ship’s bar or by playing some of the shipboard games or engaging in the various recreational activities offered.

Actions Aboard Ship Just as Henesey hope, hope, cultists from the the Order of the will be onboard the ship. The lead cultist, Daniel West, will spend some time checking out the investigators. Once the ship is far out to sea (and out of the range of help) Daniel West and his cultists will stage an attack. West will begin the attack by activating his Shudos disk. This will disable the ship’s compass and communication communication equipment. Once the disk has been activated, Daniel West and his followers will quietly capture some passengers and use their blood to summon Lesser Blood Vortexes. Once West has summoned the Lesser Blood Vortexes, he will turn them against the investigators and the crew. Out at sea, with no working electronics, the investigators can expect to receive no outside help.

Conclusion 8

If the investigators are defeated, West will question them, then kill them. If the investigators win, they might have the chance to interrogate West. If the investigators are able to save the ship, the passengers, crew and owners will be grateful. The investigators should also receive a modest 1D3 Sanity Award. Assuming the investigators survive, the adventure continues in the next in the series: “The Bog.” NPCs Father Ronald Henesey, Catholic Priest STR: 12 CON:13 SIZ:13 INT:14 POW:15 DEX: 13 13 APP:12 EDU: 19 SAN: SAN: 72 HP: 13 DB:+1D4 Note: If the investigators have completed “War Buddy,” then they will already know Father Henesey. If his adventure is being run on its own, the Keeper will need to introduce him. Description: Henesey is forty years years old, but still in excellent excellent shape. He has black hair and brown eyes. He has a thick beard and a scar on the the left side of his face, from a shell fragment. Henesey is a member of a society that has been fighting against the evil and madness of cults like Blake’s for centuries. Henesey is a brave man and is not afraid of combat, having served in the war before taking his vows. Important Skills: Climb 55%, Cthulhu Mythos 6%, Credit Rating 34%, Dodge 37%, Fast Talk 35%, Hide 21%, History 35%, Library Use 55%, Natural History 25%, Occult 65%, Latin 55%, Persuade 55%, Rifle 55% Spells: Create Silver Blood Weapon: .45 Automatic 51% Damage 1D10+2 Range 15 Yards Attacks 1 Shots 7. Items: Silver Blood in a silver flask, the Shard (if the investigators do not have it). Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Daniel West, Cultist STR: 12 CON:15 SIZ:14 INT:15 POW:17 DEX: 13 13 APP:14 EDU: 19 SAN: SAN: 00 HP: 15 DB: +1D4 Description: West has brown hair, brown eyes and a friendly, friendly, honestlooking face. He does his best to appear as a pleasant, young American lawyer. While he is a young American lawyer, he is anything but pleasant. In actuality he is a member of the Order of the Ancient Stone who has been charged with eliminating the investigators and recovering the shard taken by Jack Meredith. West is only a junior member of the order. Hence, he only knows very little about what is going on. However, he has complete faith in (and fear of) Lance Blake and will be unwilling to tell even what little he does know, regardless of how the investigators might threaten him. Important Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 20%, Fast Talk 56%, Hide 34%, Law 64%, Occult 55%, Persuade 55%, Sneak 42%

Spells: Summon Lesser Blood Vortex , Bind Lesser Blood Vortex Weapon: .32 Automatic 52% Damage 1D8 Range 15 Yards Attacks 2 Shots 8 Items: Shard Ring, Shudos disk. The Cultists, Faithful Muscle Description: The cultists are cannon fodder for Daniel West. Three of them will have knifes and one has a hidden .38. They will use better weapons should they become available. The cultists are convinced that their cult, the Brothers of the Stone, will eventually have great power. They do not know that the Brothers of the Stone is essentially a front used by the Order of the Ancient Stone to recruit gullible cannon fodder for dangerous jobs. If defeated and questioned, the cultists will give a variety of unusual answers. For example, they claim to serve the Stone God of Babylon who will drive out the God of Moses and give them the keys to the world. They know nothing of the true purposes of the Order of the Ancient Stone or even that it exists at all.

Cultists

Characteristics STR CON SIZ INT POW DEX HP Damage Bonus Weapon

9

#1 13 12 12 10 9 12 12 +1D4 Knife 61% 1D4+2+db

#2 13 15 16 10 9 11 16 +1D4 Knife 55% 1D4+2+db

#3 16 13 16 11 12 13 15 +1D4 Knife 58% 1D4+2+db

#4 12 13 14 13 11 14 14 +1D4 .38 Revolver 23% 1D10 15 yard base range, 6 shots, Attacks 2.


Mythos Beings Lesser Blood Vortex, Lesser Servitor Race Description: Blood Vortexes are terrible beings that must be summoned through a special blood ritual (see below). In their natural state, Blood Vortexes are loci of energy and malign intelligence that dwell in the empty places of space. When summoned, they form swirling bodies from the spilled blood of the victims used in the ritual. Blood Vortexes move by flying and are remarkably fast and agile. In combat, they slash out with pseudopodia of blood. These tendrils rip at their victims and pull blood from their veins. These attacks inflict 1D6 damage per hit. In

Characteristics STR CO N SIZ INT POW DEX HP Damage Bonus

Rolls 2D6 3D6 2D6 3D6 2D6 5D6

Averages 7 10-11 7 7 7 17 10-11 0

#1 8 13 8 7 8 21 14 0

addition, the blood can be used to strengthen a Blood Vortex. A Blood Vortex’s hit points increases by one point for every two points of damage it inflicts. Blood Vortexes are themselves resistant to most forms of physical damage (being liquid and energy). They sustain only minimal damage from physical attacks. Attacks that do damage on a large scale (like explosions) and attacks that are especially effective against liquids (such as flame-throwers) will do normal damage. At the Keeper’s discretion, other forms of attacks (like high-pressure water hoses) might prove effective. #2 9 12 10 6 5 22 14 0

Move: 10 Weapons: Tear 60% Damage 1D6 Armor: None, but mundane weapons inflict only minimal damage. They sustain full damage from enchanted weapons and spells. They also regenerate (see above). Spells: None Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity Points to see a Lesser Blood Bloo d Vortex. Spells & Items Create Silver Blood Knowledge of the ritual to create silver blood enables the caster to transform a mixture of mercury, iron shavings, and a small portion of his own blood into silver blood. The ritual takes three hours of mixing and tracing symbols and patterns into the fluid. The caster must expend six magic points to create 10

enough silver blood to coat the cutting edges of about six knifes, or about twenty small projectiles, such as arrowheads. There is no sanity cost for creating silver blood. Summon/Bind Lesser Blood Vortex This ritual requires an intelligent humanoid with blood flowing in its veins. As the ritual is cast, the caster slashes the victim’s throat with a knife. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

As the blood gushes forth, the caster makes a rapid circular gesture with his hand which causes the blood to act very strangely. Instead of merely spilling down the victim’s chest, the blood will be sucked up rapidly, float, and then spin rapidly. During this time the victim, if still living, will lose a hit point every five seconds. If the ritual succeeds, within a matter of a few minutes, a small rift will appear in the fabric of space-time and a horrid entity will enter and inform the blood, creating a Lesser Blood Vortex. The magic cost varies. For each point used, the chance of success increases by 10%. A result of 96-00 is a failure. Casting the spell also costs 1D3 Sanity points. Once bound, the Lesser Blood Vortex will obey the caster. If the binding fails, the Lesser Blood Vortex will attack the nearest living creature in search of blood. Items Shudos Disk: A Shudos Disk is a rare item that is designed to interfere with compasses and electronic means of communication and detection as well as magnetic compasses. The device might be a form of Mi-Go technology. A Shudos disk appears to be a metallic disk with an odd, oily feel to it. A disk is deeply engraved with odd symbols and has a clear stone in the center. When activated, a disk will begin to consume itself. As the disk “burns,” it will disrupt compasses, radios, and similar devices within 100 kilometers. People within the area of effect will “hear” an extremely faint humming noise that is very easy to ignore. The hum stems from the effect e ffect of the disk’s field on the human nervous system. A Shudos Disk is activated by holding the central stone and sending a mental command. Once activated a disk will “burn” for twelve hours, leaving behind an oily, metallic ash.

11

Silver Blood: Silver blood is an enchanted mixture of mercury, iron and more exotic items. It is a thick fluid which will cling tenaciously to almost every metal except silver. It is known as silver blood because it looks like liquid silver with thin veins of red fluid (which is actually blood). When used to coat a weapon or projectile, it enables the weapon or projectile to act as an enchanted weapon. The first attack with a coated melee weapon will do full damage, the second attack half damage, and the third one quarter. After that, the silver blood will have come off the weapon. Coated projectiles can be used once. If a projectile hits, it will do full damage and the silver blood will be left in/on the target. If the projectile misses, the silver blood will most likely come off on whatever is hit. If a weapon or projectile is coated with silver blood, but it is not used within about 15 minutes, the silver blood will gradually drip from the weapon or projectile. Steps may be taken to prevent this from happening, such as pushing the silver blood back onto the weapon or projectile. The effectiveness of such methods is left up to the Keeper. Shard of the Stone This shard is from one of the legendary six stones. The shard appears to be made of gray slate, but it has an odd metallic sheen to it. It is cool, almost cold to the touch. If a person touches it or even gets within a few inches of the stone, strange images will gradually appear in the person’s mind. The images will grow stronger the longer a person holds it. The images appear to be mathematical and geometric symbols, odd curving marks and anomalies of space-time, and brief, but horrific, manifestations of indescribable things. If a person holds the shard for longer than Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

fifteen minutes, the images will manifest strongly enough to affect the person’s mind. For every fifteen minutes the person holds the stone, the investigator must make a Sanity check. If the roll fails, the investigator loses 1 point of Sanity. A successful roll results in no sanity loss. While the stone is held, the person will receive, in addition to the maddening images, images that indicate where the full stone is located. For every fifteen minutes the shard is held, the investigator should roll 1D10 and note the results. This is the percent chance the person holding the shard will receive a useful clue to the location of the stone. The chance of receiving a useful clue is cumulative, so the longer a person holds the shard, the more likely it is that they will receive a useful clue. Of course, the person will be risking his sanity in the attempt. The effects of the shard are blocked by lead, which is why Henesey keeps the shard in a lead-lined box. Shard Ring A shard ring consists of a band of lead (to keep the shard from contacting the skin of the wearer) with a tiny shard of one of the six stones. In addition to producing the effects described above, a shard ring has been prepared in such a way that it can detect the stones or shards of them. The shard can detect another shard within one kilometer by creating a faint pulling sensation in the general direction of the shard. A full stone can be detected within 10 kilometers. The shard is not very specific in its indications. For example, it would not pull directly towards a person who had a shard. A shard ring can be worn and used by anyone, but unless a person knows what the ring is for and how to use it (clear their mind and hold out the hand in a relaxed manner) it will not be recognized as a special item. 12

Full members of the Ancient Order of the Stone are given a Shard Ring as a mark of their position and a means me ans of finding shards and the stones themselves.


Getting Together©1999 By Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] AD&D

it is suitable for the DM’s specific situation. The adventure is written in the context of my Etrena Campaign, but is suitable for virtually any campaign world. This issue contains other material for the Etrena campaign as well as a continuation of this adventure. It is assumed that the PCs do not yet know each other well enough to form a party (hence the need for this adventure). However, the adventure can easily be modified for use with an existing party (or if the PCs are just assumed to start as a group).

Getting the PCs Involved Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1999 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at user.aol.com/ontologist/. TSR, which is now part of Wizards of the Coast, has the following policy: “ as long as (1) you're not copying our text, (2) you're not copying our art, (3) you're not copying our logos, and (4) you're not making money off of it, you can use our properties to make your own fan material (within good taste - no porn, etc.). That's it. Make your stuff. Have fun.” Introduction This adventure is a generic starting adventure that is intended to provide a plausible way of getting first level characters together into a group. Not surprisingly, the adventure is written for first level characters. Increasing or decreasing the number of monsters and the amount of treasure can easily modify the adventure so that

13

The adventure begins with the PCs in the city of Oset in the Kingdom of Trelshan. Trelshan is a civilized kingdom and its rulers tend to frown on the sort of trouble armed wanderers create. While Trelshan does need soldiers and other professionals, the rulers prefer to keep the number of armed or magicusing wanders to a minimum. Also, the nobles, who traditionally have large families, constantly fear being usurped by their own relatives. Because of this, the authorities in Trelshan do their best to encourage the more adventuresome (and threatening) to leave the kingdom. Such people are often encouraged to go to the Old Lands, in search of fame and fortune. Telshan, always looking to expand its influence at the expense of its rivals, also encourages people to travel to the Old Lands to swell the number of Trelshanians. To meet these two ends (ridding the land of troublesome adventurers and increasing Trelshan’s power) the rulers have taken suitable steps. Any citizen of Trelshan can take advantage of very low cost passage across the Friendly Sea to Velaynder in the Old Lands. Trelshan Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

authorities occasionally even provide support to encourage people to leave. Such support, of course, always comes with strings attached. The most common are agreements to not return or to carry out certain tasks. If some PCs are severely lacking in funds or equipment, a generous DM can use this as plausible way of helping them out. It can be assumed that the PCs ended up in Trelshan by intent or action and that they have chosen (or forced) to take advantage of Trelshan’s generosity. PCs who have a high class or noble background can be assumed to be seen as threats by their relatives. As such, they have been encouraged to seek their fortune elsewhere. In any case, the adventure begins with all the PCs on a small ship bound for the town of Velaynder, in the Old Lands.

Action The following details the events that are to take place in the adventure. The Journey The journey across the Friendly Sea will be uneventful, unless the DM decides otherwise. The Friendly Sea deserves its name as the weather is generally mild, the winds tend to be favorable, and the only predators are purely natural ones, such as sharks. The Friendly Sea is also reasonably well patrolled by ships from the human kingdoms of Trelshan and Balcha. The Elves of Sidihan also patrol the waters around the island of Avila. The only real danger on the sea, at least in times of peace, comes from the Kelkha. The Kelkha, a tribal affiliation of fierce humans, live on the same island as the Elves of Sidihan, but are kept ke pt at bay by an ancient wall, constructed during the time of the Ventanni Empire. The Kelkha do not have any large seagoing vessels, but they do have small

14

boats that can reach ships that blunder too close to their part of the island. Because of this, captains steer clear of the Kelkha lands. On the way over, the PCs will have a chance to get to know one another. They can also get to know the Fire While the journey will be peaceful, the end of the journey will not. A short time before the ship is to make port, one of the passengers, attempting to steal from the cargo, will accidentally start a fire in the hold. Not realizing that the ship is carry a very flammable cargo and not wanting to answer any questions about why he was in the hold, the passenger will say nothing. The fire will spread quickly and will not be noticed until it is too late. Naturally, this will take place at night. The crew will bravely try to fight the fire, but they will realize that they won’t be able to stop it. The captain will order full sail in an attempt to get as close to the coast as possible. The ship has one small boat, which can safely hold six adults. The captain will decide to use the boat to ferry people to shore. He will first have the four women and two children who are on board put into the boat. Sailor Billin will then row them to shore. While some of the crew try to slow the fire, other crewmembers will be hastily gathering things they can use for flotation. Just as it looks like the ship might be able to ground itself before sinking true disaster will strike. The fire will burn through some cargo supports, causing several large casks of flour will smash to the deck, bursting open and spraying flour dust into the fire. This will cause an explosion that will kill all of the crew except Joshut. Most of the passengers will be killed as well. The ship will be badly damaged and start sinking. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Needless to say, the PCs will escape the ordeal unharmed. Fortunately for the PCs, the ship is close enough to the shore for them to swim. They can use some empty casks to transport their equipment (the surviving sailor will suggest this if the PCs do not think of it). The ship’s boat will return to pick them up before they reach shore.

increases their chance of being surprised by +1. If attacked, the Moraks will fight in a reasonably intelligent manner. The Moraks with bows will keep their distance and seek partial cover behind trees. The Moraks’ main goal will be to escape, unless the party is obviously weaker than they are. In that case, they will attack with great gusto.

Finding the Bodies When the PCs finally arrive on shore, they will not be able to find the passengers who were brought over first. After a short search, the PCs will find the bodies of two women. Sword wounds will have clearly killed the women. Both women clearly out up a fight. The women were, in fact killed by Moraks. The Moraks were in the area, scouting for small settlements to raid. When they saw the flames from the ship and heard the explosion, they went to investigate. They found the women and children on the shore and decided to capture them. Two of the women put up a fight and were killed by the Moraks. The others were subdued and dragged back to the Morak’s camp.

Conclusion

Attacking the Morak Camp The Moraks, who can’t resist an opportunity for torture, intend to have a bit of sport with their captives before moving on. This will will probably prove their undoing. If the PCs include a Ranger or someone who can track, they might be able to find their way to the Morak camp. If not, the hideous screams of the Morak’s victims should lead them in the right direction. The Moraks will be taking turns torturing their victims, with at least four Moraks on guard at all times. Of course, these guards will be distracted by their interest in the activity in camp. This 15

The adventure ends when the PCs finally make it safely to Velaynder. If the PCs saved the surviving women and children, the people of Velaynder will be very pleased. One of the women, Matida, is the wife of Burek, a well to do moneylender. He will be very grateful to the PCs and will replace any equipment they lost. Once he learns they are adventurers, he will promise them that he will appraise, free of charge, any gems, jewels, jewelry, or similar items they might find in the course of their adventuring. The other woman is unmarried and has been hired to work as a seamstress. She does exceptionally good work and will be glad to mend the PCs clothing and even make clothing for them, provided they provide the material. The two children have lost their parents. The moneylender’s wife, who has no children of her own, will take them in. If the PCs have brought the Morak heads with them, they will receive the bounty mentioned below. Further, their actions will make a favorable impression on the leaders of Velyander, which can lead to employment opportunities. If the PCs do not defeat the Moraks Mora ks and survive, it is up to the DM to decide how the people in Velaynder react. If the PCs seem cowardly or evil, the authorities might well suspect that the Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

PCs had a hand in the destruction of the ship. If so, the PCs will need to come up with a plausible story or leave town.

NPCs Sailor Billin AC: 10 Lvl: 0 HP: 7 Weapon: Dagger 1-4 Description: Billin is an experienced sailor, but has no desire to seek any adventure that does not involve being on the sea. Sailor Joshut AC: 10 Lvl: 0 HP: 6 Weapon: Dagger 1-4 Description: Joshut is young (15 years old) apprentice sailor and is eager for adventure. His enthusiasm might well cause lead to trouble. He has the potential of earning levels as a warrior, should the DM wish to add an NPC to the party.

Monsters The Moraks (Goblins) AC: 6 Movement: 6 HD: 1-1 THAC0: 20 Damage: 1-6 Size: Small Morale: 10 XP Value: 15 # HP Weapon

16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7 6 4 4 5 5 4 3

Short Sword 1-6 Short Sword 1-6 Short Sword 1-6 Spear 1-6 Spear 1-6 Short Bow 1-6 Short Bow 1-6 Short Bow 1-6

Description: The Moraks of Etrena are biologically identical to normal AD&D Goblins. However, they tend to be a bit cleaner, braver and slightly more intelligent. They also are somewhat better suited to operating in the daylight, although they dislike it very much. Despite these differences, differences, they they still behave very much like the standard Goblin (including the –1 modifier for daylight). These particular Goblins Moraks are a small scouting force that is sizing up the area for their tribe. Their objective is to locate weak human settlements that can be raided. The Goblins are not really looking for a fight and will prefer to flee rather than stand to battle. Each Morak has 1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and 1D20 CPs on his person, plus some rather nasty Morak trinkets (polished rat skulls and the like). Statistics for eight Moraks are provided. The DM should adjust this number to match the strength of the party. The party should win the encounter, but not too easily. The two sailors also know that Velaynder offers a bounty of 3 GP per Morak head. The PCs do actually have to bring the heads to town to claim the bounty.


Milre

Balcha

N

Hobre

1 Square = 50 Miles

Avila Trelshan

Kelkha

Michan

Oset

Velaynder Sidihan

Oshun

17


Myths of Etrena Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected]

Introduction Being a fantasy world, Etrena is heavy with myths. The following myths are mostly from the human perspective and this, of course, colors them. The veracity of these myths is ultimately left to the game master. Many of these myths were collected by Pleny, the Seventh Sage of Tursen, and bound into his exceptional work, the Book of Seven Hundred Legends. Legends . These myths are also located in lesser works and are, of course, passed on from generation to generation. The Myth of the Minotaurs Before the time of the Ventani Empire, there was a small island kingdom, known as Mino. This island was famed for both its strong warriors and fine cattle. For centuries the island kingdom supplied both warriors and cattle to the surrounding kingdoms. Beyond this, Mino had little influence on the area. However, a king took the throne who intended to change all that. King Rutek assumed the king ship after his father. King Hullus, was gored and trampled to death by a huge black bull that shed arrows and sword blows like water. King Hullus had been a brave man, but was little concerned with expanding his kingdom, much to the dismay of his wife. Hence, it is believed that Rutek’s mother, the Sorceress Lutella, had a hand in King Hullus’ death. King Rutek’s set out to expand his army and to prepare for war. His first campaign was a success and his army easily conquered a neighboring island. This merely slaked the King’s thirst for

18

conquest and he set his army against greater opponents. King Rutek knew success after success until he encountered the Ventani. The Ventani were great warriors and mages and were able to defeat his army at the battle of Choben Island. Enraged by this defeat, King Rutek turned to his mother and demanded that she use her magic to strengthen his army. The Sorceress Lutella considered the problem and undertook magical research to find a solution. Lutella found her answer in an ancient myth. This myth spoke of how the god Cen combined the natures of Man and Horse to create the powerful Centaurs. Confident of her power, Lutella set out to create her own fusion of man and beasts. Instead of mixing Man and Horse, Lutella decided to mix Man and the bulls of Minos. The working of her terrible magics attracted the attention of Cen, who considered her actions to be impious. It is said that Cen appeared before her and King Rutek and cursed them both. Part of the curse is supposed to be the following: “For your impiety and pride, I curse you Rutek. All your sons unto the ten thousandth generation shall bear the mark of your sin!” After saying these words, Cen then pronounced his curse on Lutella, changing her from a beautiful woman into a twisted monstrosity. King Rutek was horrified by this, but was surprised when nothing seemed to happen to him. Thinking that the god had just been warning him, he thougt it best to abandon a magical solution to his problem and signed a treaty with the Ventani. He then turned his ambitions towards the weaker island kingdoms. King Rutek was quite successful and eventually decided to produce an heir. His first wife gave birth to a healthy daughter, but then his son was born with a bull’s head. He had his wife and Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

son executed and married another woman. She too gave birth to a bull headed boy and both were killed. The same happened with the next three women. When he was about to give g ive in to despair, a mysterious stranger appeared in court, telling Rutek to try one more time for this attempt would put and end to his troubles. Taking this to be a sign from the gods, he followed the stranger’s advice and married again. His latest wife, Andella, gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The boy, Ruten, grew into a strong and handsome boy who took naturally to weapons. Because of this, Rutek’s heart was full with joy. However, it was not to last. As the boy grew older, his features began to change to that of a bull. Seeing this, the King became enraged and ordered his guards to kill Ruten and his mother. Ruten, already skilled in arms, leapt to defend his mother, but she told him to run away. His eyes full of tears, Ruten fled. Ruten spent the next few years hiding in the ancient mazes under the city, practicing with his weapons, fighting the dwellers of the mazes and plotting his revenge. Finally, he felt ready to take action. When Ruten emerged, he found that the kingdom was in chaos. King Rutek’s experiences had driven him mad, and his madness infected the kingdom. Ruten made his way to the palace, disguised by a battered helmet that hid his face. When he arrived at the palace, pa lace, he swept aside the guards and charged into the throne room. There he fought the King and then beheaded him with the king’s own axe, the axe of Mino. Brandishing the axe and the king’s head, he left the palace, declaring that Rutek’s first child, his only daughter, should become regent. Rutten then left the kingdom, promising that someday a descendent of his would break the curse and return to 19

take the throne of Mino, leading the kingdom into a new age of glory. Rutten’s fate is not known and some speculate he is still alive. In any case, it clear that Rutten had many children, for there are still Minotaurs in the world. The Myth of the Humanoids It is known that the humanoid races, such as the Moraks, Ur-Moraks, Orcs, Ogres and other of their vile ilk, have not always burdened Etrena with their bothersome presence. It would, of course, be highest blasphemy to even suggest that the Arista created these beings, for such things are entirely opposite to their pure natures. However, it must be said that the Arista did have a role in their creation. As is known by all that are wise, the Arista created the True Races and set them upon Etrena to flourish. But, as only a few know, the Arista had other o ther children beyond their creations. Among these children were the Princes who loved order, but bore in their hearts an unceasing hatred of all that is good. Their names, which must never be spoken aloud, are Bazral, Amodu, Lilathra, Hormarz, Vaschu, Bonse, Gutacha, and Malci. These beings, as recounted in other myths, were jealous of their fellows and did make war upon them as well as upon the True Races. Of course, one cannot have a war without an army. Although the Princes were mighty, they could not stand against the vast numbers supporting the side of the Princes who still loved Good. The cleverest of them, Amodu, came up with a terrible idea. With the aid of the others, he worked a great and dark magic that would twist the forms of Elves and Men into darker shapes, more reflective of the hearts of the Princes. After capturing suitable victims, the Princes set about raising their army. The result of this dark magic was the rise of Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

what are know known as the Morakhi, the Humanoid Races. Because of their origin, the Morakhi bear a great hatred of the True Races, for they instinctively know they are but twisted and mocking parodies of these races. It is also known that the Princes were not alone in their war. They were aided by others among their kind. These were the Lords who loved chaos, but who also reveled in evil. Their names, which too must never be spoken, are Azroth, Orsus, Fruz, Jupla, Tulrk, Unlot, Muchuk, and Loprel. Inspired by the Princes, these Lords did take captive members of the True Races and did bend and blight them with their terrible magicks. These actions gave rise to the Ologhi, those humanoid races that serve chaos and evil. Among these races are the Ogres, the Olog, and the Gnolls.

While High and Middle Ventani are all but dead languages, they are still in limited use. Many churches use some version of High or Middle Ventani in their services. Further, many governments whose lands were once part of the Ventani Empire still make some use of Middle Ventani. Natural, the most common uses are traditional phrases used in ceremonies. For example, many rulers finish a decree or law with “Thus Speaks the Emperor,” in Middle Ventani. Adventurers sometimes take the trouble to learn Ventani, primarily for purely pragmatic reasons. Many old documents of interest to adventurers are written in Ventani. Further, magical items created by Ventani mages will almost always have command words in Ventani.

Languages of Etrena

Venti

The Ventani Language Family

Ventani This is the ancient language of the Ventani people. When the Ventani formed the Ventani Empire, they attempted to make Ventani the official language. This did not, of course, work. Because of the influence of the various cultures within the Empire, the “official langauge” eventually had three divisions: High, Middle and Low. The Emperor and the highest officials used High Ventani, which was the original language. It was also popular among the mages. The provincial provincial officials, officials, who who were not native Ventani, tended to speak Middle Ventani, which was a slightly corrupted version of the original. Low Ventani, which was used by the common folk, was a highly corrupted version of Ventani and it eventually became the language known as Venti. 20

Venti is a bastardized language in the sense that it is a mix of Ventani and the native languages of the cultures that were once part of the Ventani Empire. The Ventani Empire had such a profound impact on the known world that even now, over 1,000 years after its fall, Venti still functions as a common language among humans. Of course, the language has developed multitude of dialects and this can interfere a bit with communication. Venti is known by demi-humans who have contact with humans and it is often known by humanoids. The Family Venti and the three forms of Ventani form a language family. The members of the family are close enough that a person who understands one of them has a chance of correctly understanding and using the others. High, Middle and Low Ventani are fairly similar. In practical terms, this Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

means that someone who knows one of the languages will understand most of what has been said or written in one of the others. Of course, there are enough differences that there might be some problems, especially in very subtle or complex matters. In game terms, someone who knows High Ventani has a 80% chance of understanding and using Middle Ventani correctly and a 60% chance of correctly understanding and using Low Ventani. Someone who knows Low Ventani has an 80% chance of correctly understanding and using Middle Ventani correctly and a 60% chance of understanding and using High Ventani. Someone who knows Middle Ventani has an 80% chance of understanding and using either correctly. Venti is somewhat similar to Ventani. Someone who knows Venti has a 50% chance of correctly understanding and using Low Ventani, a 30% chance of correctly understanding and using Middle Ventani, and a 10% chance of correctly understanding and using High Ventani. Optionally, the DM might wish to adjust the percentage by adding the person’s INT-10 INT-10 as a modifier. For example, Asho the Mage has a 17 INT. She knows High Ventani, but finds an old map whose directions are in Low Ventani. She has a 68% chance of fully understanding and using the directions. What happens if a person fails the roll is up to the DM. Possibilities range from missing some of the subtleties (or seeming a bit uncouth when speaking) to getting the meaning entirely reversed (or giving a vile insult when flattery was intended). The DM should use the degree of failure as a guideline. For example, if the roll is missed by just a little, the mistake would be small, while a significant failure would result in a suitably bad result. 21


Moraks©1999 By Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected] AD&D

Legal Information This adventure is copyright 1999 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. It may be freely distributed for personal use provided that it is not modified and no fee above the normal cost of distribution is charged for it. Visit my web site at user.aol.com/ontologist/. TSR, which is now part of Wizards of the Coast, has the following policy: “ as long as (1) you're not copying our text, (2) you're not copying our art, (3) you're not copying our logos, and (4) you're not making money off of it, you can use our properties to make your own fan material (within good taste - no porn, etc.). That's it. Make your stuff. Have fun.” Introduction This adventure is suitable for a party of low level (1st-3rd) PCs. It pits the PCs against a small tribe of Moraks that has entered the lands around Velaynder in search of raiding opportunities. This adventure assumes that the PCs have completed “Getting Together.” This adventure is in this issue, above. There is also other material for the Etrena campaign in this issues. If the

22

PC have not played the “Getting Together” adventure, then it must be assumed that a force from Velaynder defeated the Morak scouts. It is set in the world of Etrena, although it can easily be set in other campaign worlds or run as a one-shot adventure.

DM’s Background During the final years of the Ventani Empire, various lords, generals, and other ambitious and powerful people struggled to grab as much territory as they could. While all were willing to employ force to reach their goals, some even went so far as to employ humanoid troops. Thus, beings that had been kept out of the Empire with swords and walls were brought in to fight over its crumbling remains. When Judgment was brought down upon the Empire by the gods, many of these humanoids perished. However, some of them survived and fled back to the lands of Desparda, which had been their home. These survivors brought back tales of the Judgment, warning their fellows to avoid the lands of the fallen Empire, know known as the Judged Lands to the humanoids (humans call it the Old Lands). Naturally, some mocked these warnings as the whimpering of weak fools and went to the Judged Lands. Naturally, they never returned. Unable to expand into the Judged Lands, the ever-increasing numbers of the humanoids caused them to turn more against one another as they squabbled and warred over the limited resources. Centuries passed and even though the power of the Judgment faded, superstition and fear kept most of the humanoids from entering the Judged Lands. However, some of the braver, more Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

ambitious, or desperate creatures have ventured into the Judged Lands over the years, the population of humanoids in these lands has gradually increased. A few years ago, a particularly brutal series of battles took place between a Moraki warlord and an Ologhi warlord. The Chipped Fang tribe of Moraks took place in these battles but had the misfortune of being on the losing side. Faced with being enslaved or eaten by the victors, the remnants of the tribe fled the region. Driven by desperation, the Chipped Fang tribe entered the Judged Lands. After a harrowing journey, the Chipped Fang tribe encountered a small village of fairly primitive humans. After killing the humans, the Chipped Fang chief decided that, despite the legends, the Judged Lands would be ideal for them. Bolstered by their easy victory, the tribe journey deeper into the Judged Lands seeking more settlements to prey on. Eventually they ended up in the lands near Velaynder. Shortly after setting up camp in the ruins they encountered a few woodsmen. By torturing the woodsmen, the Moraks learned of the existence of Velaynder and decided to send scouts to locate it and check it out. Unfortunately for the Moraks, the PCs, as detailed in the adventure “Getting Together” will encounter their scouts. If the PCs have not played that adventure, it can be assumed that a force from Velaynder encountered the Morak scouts.

Getting the PCs Involved It is assumed that the PCs have completed the adventure “Getting Together” and that they were able to defeat the Moraks. It is also assumed that the PCs are in the town of Velaynder. If either or both of these assumptions are incorrect, the DM will 23

need to find some other way to involve the PCs in the adventure. When the authorities of Velaynder learn that Moraks are in the area, they will decide that something must be done. Moraks and other evil creatures have threatened Velaynder before and the authorities know that it is best to deal with them quickly and decisively. Because the PCs were able to defeat the Moraks (and they are expendable), the authorities in Velaynder will ask them to join a scouting party to determine the location and size of the Morak force. Velaynder will offer to hire the PCs. The PCs will be offered an initial payment of 25 GP (more if the DM deems it appropriate) plus another 25 GP if they succeed in finding the Moraks. The authorities will stress that they want the PCs to scout first before taking any direct action. After all, the authorities do not know how powerful the Morak tribe is and do not want to provoke an attack on Velaynder before they are prepared. If there are not enough PCs to go it alone, the authorities will recruit some NPCs to go with the PCs. The recruits will be mostly out of work 0 Level mercenaries desperate for funds, but can include some 1st level NPCs as well, at the DMs discretion. If a Morak was captured by the PCs in “Getting Together,” the authorities will learn from him that the Moraks are somewhere in the ruins of Telshen. If the PCs did not play that adventure, it can be assumed that the city forces captured a Morak and learned the rough location of the Moraks. If the PCs did not capture a Morak, they will need to search with only a few rumors to guide them. Some woodsmen have vanished in the near the ruins of Telshen and some travelers have reported seeing small humanoids skulking in the woods. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Maps The following maps detail the locations covered in the adventure. Main Map The main map shows the general area of the adventure. Road to Velaynder: This is the road that leads to Velaynder. The road is mostly dirt, but there are some sections of cobblestone that are left from the Ventani Empire. The road is usually reasonably well traveled by merchants, wanderers, and adventurers. Road to Glyarnd: This road leads to the village of Glyarnd. Human survivors of the Judgment founded Glyarnd. Explorers from the New lands encountered the inhabitants of Glyarnd about 300 years ago. The inhabitants of Glyarnd, after some initial distrust, welcomed people from the New Lands. Glyarnd is best known for its famous Firedrake Inn and a battle that took place there between the forces of good and the servants of Durakor, a god of the Undead. Guard Tower: While many creatures perished in the Judgment or fled the Old Lands, a significant number of beings remained. Some of these beings were evil and, to this day, they (or their descendents) still present a threat to the human settlements. To counter these threats, Velaynder has constructed guard towers to provide vantage points and housing for the patrols that protect the land. Each guard tower houses a force of thirty men. Fourteen of the men are horsemen who ride patrol, ten of the men are foot soldiers who man the tower, four of the men are support personal (such as cooks) and one man is the captain of the

24

tower. Each patrol consists of seven men. There are six 0 Level soldiers and one 1st –3rd level sergeant in each patrol. They all wear chain mail, carry shields, long swords, and spears. Eight of the tower guards are 0 level fighters while two are 1st –3rd sergeants. All of them wear studded leather and are armed with short swords, daggers and heavy crossbows. The tower captain is a 4 th to 6th level fighter and typically has chain mail or better armor. The captain will be armed with his weapon of choice, usually a +1 or +2 sword or axe. The guards have assigned duties and will not be able to accompany acco mpany the PCs. However, they will help the PCs if possible. If, for some odd reason, the PCs decide to cause trouble in the area, the guards will deal with them. Velaynder Fields With a population of over 5,000, Velaynder requires a lot of food. The primitive farming techniques available mean that a lot of land has to be used. Peasants work these fields. Some of the peasants travel from Velaynder while others, mostly single men, live in small cabins near the fields. Lake Garla: This is a clean and pleasant lake. People from Velaynder fish here to get a change from salt-water fish. Heavy Woods: These woods are quite thick and date back to the time of the Empire. Most of the inhabitants of the woods are normal creatures, but foul creatures (such as giant wood spiders) plague some areas. Empire Road: This is a short stretch of an old Empire road. It is in remarkably good condition, although in some places the stones are melted and fused. These are some terrible things to see on the road. During the Judgment some people on the road were blasted into the stone, Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

leaving indentations that still clearly show the human shape. In some places, people and horses were fused into the stone, leaving behind twisted shapes that clearly suggest human and equine shapes. If there are any 0 Level recruited NPCs with the party, these sights might terrify some of them into fleeing. Ruins of Telshen The authorities in Velaynder are aware of the ruins. However, after two two scouting parties vanished after going too far into the ruins, the ruins have been avoided by all but adventurers. The PCs will be warned that the edges of the ruins are relatively safe, but that they should avoid going to far into the ruins. Telshen was a small city of the Ventanni Empire. Its location on the river enabled it to trade with many other cities. The city was devastated during the Judgment, but was (unlike some cities) was not completely destroyed. The ruins are unnaturally still and radiate a feeling of age, suffering, and terror. Because of this, natural creatures shun the area. Most of the buildings show signs of terrible damage as if they were smashed, burned, melted and blasted by terrible forces. However, some buildings are still fairly intact. Like the Empire Road, there are shapes of people blasted into or embedded in various surfaces. Like many Judged cities, the streets of the city are littered with bones that by all rights should have crumbled to power centuries ago. Despite the stillness, any PC who enters the ruins will seem to hear and see strange things, especially at night. The sounds begin very faintly and then grow loud enough that it will seem see m like the noises of a thriving city are around the person. Then there will be a 25

moment of silence followed by the anguished cries of a city dying. These T hese noises are very faint and muffled, as if they were coming from a long tunnel. The sights begin with the PCs seeming to see flickers of movement out of the corners of their eyes. This will create the impression that the PCs are being surrounded by something. While nothing will come of the noise and sights, the DM should use these effects to keep the PCs a bit jumpy. The ruins are an excellent place to set other adventures since some of the surviving buildings contain wealth and perhaps guardians. There are also sewers and other underground places under the city. Unless the DM has a side adventure set up, the PCs should be steered away from exploring the ruins too extensively. This can be done, without being heavy handed, by suggesting that going into the ruins could result in the PCs getting lost or sidetracked while the Moraks take action against Velaynder. Because of the terrible nature of the ruins, the DM should check the morale of any NPCs with the party. If the roll fails, the NPCs will either refuse to enter the ruins or even decide to return to Velaynder. The Morak Encampment Shortly after entering the lands around Velaynder the Moraks of the Chipped Fang tribe stumbled into the ruins of Telshen. They found it somewhat disturbing, but when they found an intact tower they decided to make it their own. This attempt failed, as detailed below. Thwarted in their first attempt but unwilling to give up, the Moraks located another tower and took it over. The Morak tower is located at the edge of the city, where the effect of the sights and sounds is weakest. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Foundations: These are the remains of buildings that were all but obliterated during the Judgment. Guardposts: The Moraks have established four guard posts around the tower. Each guard post is stocked with spears, extra arrows and other supplies. The posts are also set up with crude tarps to protect the Morak guards from the sun. Because of the tarps, the guards can be difficult to spot. There are always at least two Morak guards on duty at each post, even during the day. If the guards see anyone, they will send of their number to warn the others. The Moraks main strategy is to try to lay low in the hopes of being able to ambush any intruders. Partially Intact Ruin: This building’s outside walls and roof are mostly intact, but the interior is a hollow shell. Morak Tower: This is the tower the Moraks occupy. The tower is made of stone and appears to be in remarkably good condition. The Moraks, with their skill in stoneworking, have repaired the tower enough to make it quite usable. The Moraks have redecorated the tower to suit their tastes, hence it has many badly cured hides, odd collections of tied-together bones and other such Morak items. The interior is detailed below. First Floor Common Area: The common area is filthy and is decorated with various badly cured animal hides. There will be at least two Moraks on guard here at all times. Storage: The Moraks store foodstuffs and other items here. Kitchen: There are iron cauldrons in the 26

kitchen that are used by the Moraks to prepare their foods. There are usually at least five female Moraks here preparing food or resting. The basement of the tower is reached by the trap door in the kitchen floor. Second Floor Hall: This is the hall. Access to the top of the tower is gained via a trap door in the ceiling. If the Moraks are warned of an attack, archers will go to the roof to rain arrows down on the PCs. Barracks: These barracks have been refitted to house some of the Morak warriors. There will be at least eight e ight Morak warriors in here, if they are not out scouting or raiding. Sergeants’ Quarters: The chief’s guards use these quarters. Unless the tower is under attack, there will be two guards resting in their quarters while the other two guard the chief. Captain’s Quarters: The chief of the Chipped Fang Tribe uses this room. He sleeps in the room during the day while two of his guards stand outside the door. During the night he will be planning with his warriors and conferring with the scouts. Basement and Tunnels This map details the basement of the tower and the warrens dug by the Moraks. Basement: The basement is used mainly as a storage area by the Moraks, although some of them sleep there. The well is still full of fresh water. Hall: This is the entrance to the tunnels. The Moraks are skilled diggers, although they prefer the “natural look” over that of refined tunnels. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Warren 1 &2: These foul warrens are used as sleeping quarters for the rest of the tribe. Naturally, the warrens are unlighted and are decorated in the usual Morak style. During the day, all the Moraks who are not in the tower or on guard duty will be asleep in the warrens. At night the warrens will usually be empty as the Moraks spend most of the night scouring the lands near the tower for food. The Shunned Tower A short distance from the Morak tower is what the Moraks call the Shunned Tower. This tower is cursed. The Judgment had a wide range of effects on the people and structures of the Empire and in some places the terrible energies unleashed prevented the slain from fully going on to their final resting place. The Shunned Tower is one such place. The skeletons of the tower guards are animated by the leftover energies of the Judgment and some lost fragments of the souls of the dead guards guides them. These fragments cause the skeletons to continue the work they had in life, that of guarding the area around their tower. When the Moraks first arrived in the city, they attempted to take over the tower. Unfortunately for the Moraks, the skeletons animated and attacked them, slaying four of their number and driving the rest away in fear. Outside the Tower The skeletons took the bodies of the four slain Moraks and hung them from crossed spears. When the PCs reach the tower, they will see the rotting bodies hanging there. The bodies have not been stripped of gear and their personal loot is still on them: 1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and 1D20 CPs each. There are skeletons scattered around 27

the tower and there are weapons among them. Some of them are clearly Morak weapons and arrows, while others are clearly of human manufacture. If the PCs approach the tower, they will feel a vague sense of foreboding, as if they are being watched. If they approach within 100 yards of the tower, there will be a noise like the rustling of leaves and a faint, sparking green energy will play over the bones. bo nes. If the PCs do not immediately leave the area, six skeletons (HP 6,5,6,7,3,2) will animate and attack them. The skeletons will fight in a surprisingly competent manner rather than simply advancing and attacking like typical skeletons do. There are additional details about the skeletons below. Basement The basement is dusty and filled with 1,000-year-old supplies and equipment. Most of the supplies and equipment have either crumbled into debris or are ready to crumble at a touch. There are, however, four flasks lying on the floor amidst the remains of a shelf. These flasks are Soldier’s Flasks (see below) that have been preserved by their magical nature. While the basement is quite dusty, the well is filled with clear, clean, cool water. The well is enchanted to always a lways remain clean and pure. It radiates magic, of course. While some players might be suspicious, the well is completely harmless and contains nothing except water. First Floor The following details the first floor of the tower. Common Area: The common area is strewn with 1,000-year old dust and debris. There are four skeletons (HP 6,3,2,6) scattered about on the floor, along with an assortment of weapons. If Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

a PC enters this area, the skeletons will animate and attack. Storage: This area, which was used for storage, is also strewn with ancient debris and dust. There are no skeletons in this area. Kitchen: This area, like the others, contains dust and debris. Scattered about in the debris are the rusted remains of various cooking utensils. There is one skeleton in the kitchen (HP 4). This skeleton will animate if the PCs enter the kitchen. Unlike the others, this skeleton will start trying to clean up the kitchen. If the PCs interfere, it will pull a badly rusted cleaver from the debris and start hacking at the PCs. If the PCs ignore the skeleton, it will ignore them. Second Floor The following details the first floor of the tower. Hall: The hall contains one skeleton (HP 5) which will animate when a PC enters the area. There is a trapdoor in the ceiling that leads to the roof. The roof is empty as it was blasted clean during the Judgment. Barracks: The soldiers of the tower used to sleep here. The barracks contains the badly crumbled and aged remains of bunks, foot lockers and such. There are six skeletons (HP 4,5,4,3,2,1) in the room. Should the PCs enter the barracks, they will animate and attack. Scattered about the room are 24 GP, 100. SP, 400 CP. These are Empire coins. Sergeants Quarters: This is where the sergeants lived. The furniture, clothing and personal items in this room have long since crumbled into debris and dust. There are 41GP, 93 SP, 75 CP on the floor. These are Empire coins.

28

Captain’s Quarters: This is where the captain of the tower lived. The furniture, clothing and personal items in this room have long since crumbled into debris and dust. There is a rusted ru sted iron box on the floor that holds 175 GPs.

Action The following details the events that take place in the adventure. The Moraks Since the Moraks can leave the area and are intelligent enough to be flexible, many things can happen when the PCs try to deal with them. The following are some guidelines. Scouting The PCs first mission is to find the Moraks and gain as much information as possible about them. If the PCs know that the Morak camp is in the ruins, they can head there for the search. If they do not have this information, they will have to search the entire area. The PCs might encounter Moraks while searching. Morak patrols: The Moraks send out regular patrols of at least four Morak warriors. These patrols will no more than a half a mile from the camp. If the PCs enter this area, they might encounter Moraks. If encountered (1 in 10 chance an hour at night, 1 in 20 chance an hour during the day, or at the DM’s discretion), they will attempt to avoid detection. If that fails, some of the Moraks will try to lead the PCs away while one runs back to the encampment to warn the others. Morak hunting parties: To get fresh meat the Moraks send out hunting parties at night (to get animals when they are asleep). These parties will consist of 2-6 warriors. They will go as Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

far as three miles from the camp. If the PCs enter this area, they might encounter Moraks. There is a 1 in 20 chance per hour or at the DM’s discretion that the PCs will encounter a hunting party. If encountered, the Moraks will attempt to avoid detection. If that fails, some of the Moraks will try to lead the PCs away while one runs back to the encampment to warn the others. Morak scouts: The Moraks regularly send out scouting parties to look for dangers and places to raid. These parties will consist of 4-8 warriors. They will go as far as seven miles from the camp ca mp but will not go into the city or near the Velaynder guard tower. If the PCs enter this area, they might encounter Moraks. There is a 1 in 100 chance per hour or at the DM’s discretion that the PCs will run into scouts. The scouts will attempt to avoid detection. If that fails, some of the Moraks will try to lead the PCs away while one runs back to the encampment to warn the others. Scouting the Encampment: While the Moraks are fairly careful about concealing their presence, the PCs should eventually find the Morak encampment. If the PCs are careful, they should be able to observe the encampment from a safe distance. If the PCs are not careful, the Moraks might spot them. If the Moraks detect the PCs, the Morak warriors will set out to kill them to keep the PCs from telling anyone where the camp is loacted. If the PCs are detected and escape, the Moraks will either build up their defenses and be more alert or they might decide to move. If Moraks were killed by the PCs, the Moraks are more

29

likely to move their camp. Exactly what happens is, of course, up to the DM. Attack The following provides some guidelines for handling the attack on the Moraks. Return to Velaynder: Once the PCs locate the camp and make their observations, they are supposed to report back to Velaynder. If they do so, the authorities in Velaynder will decide to launch an attack against the Moraks. Morak s. Velaynder will be willing to pay the PCs another 25 GP to join the attack. If the PCs accept, they will be joined by a small force of soldiers from Velaynder. The exact nature of the force is left to the DM’s discretion. It is suggested that the force consist of a small number of 0Level soldiers with at most two 1st level leve l rd sergeants and a 3 level lieutenant. This way the PCs will be able to play a major role in the attack. If the party is large or powerful enough, they might be able to handle the attack themselves. In this case, the authorities will be willing to pay the PCs well to handle the fighting. The Attack: If the Moraks detected the PCs when they were scouting, the Moraks will be better prepared for an attack. If not, the PCs might even be able to take the Moraks by surprise. There is a multitude of ways the PCs might chose to act against the Moraks. One strategy would be to harass the Moraks by attacking patrols and hunting parties. Another strategy is to attack the encampment directly. If a direct attack is launched during the day, the PCs will have an advantage since the Moraks fight worse in daylight. The Moraks will fight fiercely and intelligently. When attacked, they will fall back into the tower. The archers will take up positions on the roof to rain Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

arrows down on the enemy. Other Moraks will get on the roof as well to throw objects down at the attacks. The other Moraks will take up defensive de fensive positions in the tower and in the warrens. They will fight fiercely for every inch, since they expect no mercy. The PCs might decide to use a siege against the Moraks. The Moraks have larded enough food to last them six days. After that, they will start resorting to cannibalism. Water is not a problem for them, because of the magical well. They will, of course, try to break the siege. They are good at digging, so they will try to tunnel out to attack their besiegers or get food. The Shunned Tower Since the skeletons will attack anyone who gets too close to the tower and they will not stray far from it, the action is straightforward. If the PCs approach the tower, they will be attacked. The skeletons will keep up the attack until they are destroyed or the PCs are killed or flee. If the skeletons are defeated, they will re-animate again in thirty days (unless the PCs completely destroy the bones). If any PCs are killed, the skeletons will hang their bodies from poles as a warning to others.

Conclusion The adventure ends when the PCs either defeat the Moraks, are killed, or give up. If the PCs defeat the Moraks, the authorities in Velaynder will be pleased and will be favorably inclined towards the PCs. This can lead to other adventures in which the PCs are sent on missions for Velaynder. If the PCs are killed, it’s time to roll up new characters. If the PCs flee, the city of Velaynder will eventually defeat the Moraks. However, the authorities will 30

probably not be very happy with the PCs.

Monsters The following details the monsters the PCs will face during the course of the adventure. There are two main groups of monsters. The first is the Chipped Fang Tribe of Moraks and the second are the guardians of the shunned tower. The Morak Chipped Fang Tribe (Goblins) Morak Warriors (42) AC: 6 Movement: 6 HD: 1-1 THAC0: 20 Damage: 1-6 Size: Small Morale: 10 XP Value: 15

# 20

Weapon Spear 1-6

16

Short Sword 1-6 Short Bow 1-6

6

Hit Points 3,4,5,4,2,1,5,3,2,2, 3,4,3,4,5,4,3,3,2,5 4,4,2,1,3,2,2,3,4,3, 4,5,4,3,3,4 6,5,4,4,34

Goblin Chief and Guards (5) AC: 6 Movement: 6 HD: 1 THAC0: 20 Damage: 1-6 Size: Small Morale: 12 XP Value: 15 Chief HP 8 Axe 1-8 Guard HP 7 Axe 1-8 Guard HP 7 Axe 1-8 Guard HP 7 Sword 1-8 Guard HP 7 Bow 1-6 Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Description: The Moraks of Etrena are biologically identical to normal AD&D Goblins. However, they tend to be a bit cleaner, braver and slightly more intelligent. They also are somewhat better suited to operating in the daylight, although they dislike it very much. Despite these these differences, differences, they still behave very much like the standard Goblin (including the –1 modifier for daylight). Personal Loot: Each Morak Warrior has 1D4 GP, 1D6 SP and 1D20 CPs on his person, plus some rather nasty Morak trinkets (polished rat skulls and the like). The Chief has 25 GP, 40 SP, 80 CP, and six 10 GP gems. He also has a dagger with some cheap gemstones embedded in it. The dagger is worth 30 GP. Each of the chief’s guards has 1D6+10 GP, 2D6 SP, and 2D20 CPs. The Tribe: The tribe consists of a chief, his four guards, forty-two warriors, and a number of non-combatant female and child Moraks. Skeletons AC: 7 Movement: 19 HD 1 THAC0: 20 Damage: 1-6 Size: medium Morale: Special XP Value: 65 Description: Like all skeletons they are unaffected by sleep, charm, fear, and hold spells. They are not affected by cold-based attacks, but are affected normally by fire and fire based attacks. They take one half rolled damage from slashing and piercing weapons, but take full damage from blunt weapons. They are damaged by holy water (2-8 points per vial). These skeletons are those of the tower guards. They are armed with swords 31

and spears that are in impossibly good condition for being around 1,000 years old. The skeletons have been preserved and animated by the power of the Judgment. The energies animating them and the horrible despair, terror and pain of the soul fragments creates an aura around these skeletons. The aura is not incredibly strong, but can affect people. When someone is within 20 yards of a skeleton he must save vs. spells or be affected by the aura. If the roll fails, the person feels the despair, fear, and terror. In game terms, this gives the person a –1 on attack rolls. The skeletons must remain within 100 yards of the tower. If forced outside of this area (they cannot voluntarily leave the area) they will cease to be animated.

Magic Items Soldier’s Flask A Soldier’s Flask is magical item from the days of the Empire. At the height of the Empire, its power was so great that it could afford to provide even its common soldiers with at least some magic. One of the most common commo n was the Soldier’s Flask. A Soldier’s Flask appears to be a well-constructed metal flask, typically decorated with fierce animals, battle scenes or similar things. The flask will always be found with a stopper on a chain. The magic of the flask is such that if emptied, it fills with cool, clean water up to three times a day. Once a day, at a t dinnertime, it fills with wine. The water and wine produced by the flask are normal. The flask also only fills up so that it could not be used, for example, to flood an area. 1 in 20 flasks have gone “sour.” The water they produce is stale and warm. Instead of wine, vinegar is produced. 1 in 100 have been cursed in such a way Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

that the water and wine taste fine, but are actually contaminated. After drinking, the person must save vs. poison or take 1D6 points of damage. A cursed flask could be used by an evil character to create poison. A working Soldier’s Flask is worth 500 XP, a sour one is worth 250 and a cursed flask is worth no XP (alternatively, an evil character could receive 150 XP for it). A Note on Empire Currency The majority of the treasure found in this adventure is in the form of Empire coins. The Imperial Treasury set the weight and quality standards for these coins. This made all the official coins of the same kind very similar. This standard is still used, more or less, by the states that were once part of the Empire. In fact, many of the coins are still in circulation. Because of this, the PCs can use the coins as normal gold, silver, copper, etc. pieces. If the PCs are able to find an appropriate moneychanger or collector, they might be able to get more for the coins. The Empire coins are purer than the coins currently minted; hence they can sometimes be sold for 1-6% more than their “face” value. This is, of course, at the DM’s discretion. Some collectors also seek the coins. It is up to the DM how much a particular collector will pay for the coins. Empire coins have the following names and descriptions:

Name: High Imperial Metal: Platinum Description: High Imperials were always minted with the image and symbols of Ventan, the god of Empire and Order. The image is of a handsome man wearing a plain crown. The symbols are those of a sword (military power), scroll (knowledge, government, language), and wheat (farming). 32

Mainly the government used these coins when large sums of money had to be transported. The common people rarely used these coins. Name: Imperial Metal: Gold Description: Imperials are always minted with the image of the Emperor or Empress of the time. These coins were used as the standard coin of the Empire. Name: Sword Metal: Electrum Description: These coins are minted with swords on one side and historical figures on the other. These coins were originally used to pay soldiers in the Imperial Army. The soldiers were not fond of them and the payments eventually switched mainly to gold and silver coins. Name: Wheat Metal: Silver Description: These coins are impressed with the symbol of wheat. It is said that they are so marked because one coin would buy a day’s food in the time of the Empire. Some of the coins co ins have historical figures on one side. Name: Scroll Metal: Copper Description: This coin was minted with the Scroll symbol on it to symbolize that everyone in the Empire would have a place in the hierarchy of the Empire. The coin was very common, but not very popular since it weighed about as much as a gold coin, yet was worth much, much less. These coins are often found in large numbers as people of the Empire treated the coppers much the same way people today treat pennies (dumping them in containers, planning to someday cash them in). Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

Road To Glyarnd

Ruins of Telshen

Heavy Woods

Heavy Woods Empire Road

Lake Garla Heavy Woods

Guard Tower Guard Tower

N 1 Square =1/2 Mile

33

Velaynder Farms

Road To Velaynder


Partially Intact Ruin

Guardpost 4

Guardpost 1

Foundation 1 Morak Tower

Guardpost 2 Guardpost 3 Foundation 2

N

1 Square=20 Feet

Foundation 3

34


Tower

First Floor Common Area

Storage

Kitchen

Second Floor

Hall

N

Barracks

1 Square = 10 Feet

Sergeants’ Captain’s Quarters Quarters

35


Morak Tunnels

Basement

Hall

Warren 2

Warren 1

N

1 Square = 10 Feet

36


Shunned Tower Basement

N

1 Square = 10 Feet

37


Reviews A set of nice looking looking cards, cards, but don't don't get it looking for a full game.

Fate Deck Company: TSR Author: Steve Brown, Steve Miller and Ed Stark (designers) Price: $12.95 Pages: 84 Fate Deck cards, 16 character cards and 16-page booklet Overall: 4 out of 5 TSR's new interesting Saga system has some pretty interesting rules and an overall fresh feel, and its hell-bent focus on role-playing is quite a worthy effort. At its heart lies the Fate Deck , a set of 84 cards that you now use instead of dice. What do you get with this set? The Fate Deck (and some character cards), a small booklet detailing the basic Saga game, Saga game, a Dragonlance Dragonlanc e adventure and the somewhat forgettable Dragon Wars game. While the Saga rules Saga rules are touted as a role-playing system you could use with any of your fantasy games, don't expect to be able to just get a Fate Deck and start playing right away. Basic game rules are included on the set, but they are woefully incomplete (is there initiative? what sort of school do Sleep or Charm spells fit into?) and nowhere near those included on the Fifth Age set. Age set. So, just what is the Fate Deck supposed supposed to do for for you? If the Hounds of Tindalos chewed over some of the cards that came with the Fifth Age, the Fate Deck is a somewhat inexpensive way to replace them. If you've played with the Saga before, you could conceivably start

38

a game with just what is included here. Alas, if you're new to the Saga system Saga system it is likely that you would have to go for the Saga Companion too, Companion too, which explains some of the rules a little better and clarifies others. Bottom line: give it a shot if you are interested in the Saga system Saga system but don't expect to get a full game with it. And if you already know what Saga is about, you know exactly what you're getting. - Ricardo

J. Méndez [email protected] .

Blood II: The Chosen Company: Monolith

I wasn't that keen on the first Blood game, mainly due to the use of the Build engine at a time where it was already in decline. However, the game did present you with some interesting ideas like being "The Bad Guy" and some quite nasty weapons like the flare gun. Monolith promised to solve their "technology" issues with their brandnew LithTech engine, and to add some more powerful horror elements on the new installment. installment. All things things considered, my expectations for Blood II were quite high... and they weren't met. Not by far. While Blood II is an interesting interesting and sometimes fun game, its low points do overwhelm the high ones. Let's first go with what's right with the game: a) The LithTech engine is indeed a good-looking beastie, capable of producing some really striking effects in real time. It's hardware requirements are above those of the Quake II engine, but so are the results. Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

b) The weapons: Blood II has has an odd but varied assortment of weapons. Some are funny, like the flare gun that causes you enemies to burst into flames; some are nice looking, like the mostlyuseless singularity generator that opens a vortex that attracts enemies, objects and even yourself if you're not careful; and some are just useful, like the shotgun and the the sniper rifle. It is also also worth mentioning that you have only ten slots for weapons but there are about 18 of them, so you can make your choice of weapons depending on your style of play. c) Caleb's voice: it's a small thing, but Caleb's comments and the well-chosen voice help set the mood for the bastard that you're playing. d) Some of the monsters are really creepy, like the small but pesky Life Leech, and some others are just deadly and scary (at first) like the spell-casting leech-dropping Drudge Priest. They help to set the mood well. However, there are so many low points in the game that I can only o nly list the more aggravating: a) The level design. Not only the level design is quite uninspired, but you have to go through through the several levels twice. I am not kidding you: the very same levels, with the very same doors, with only a change in choice of nasties to reflect how much you've advanced. If the levels weren't that good in the first place there's on reason to make you go through them again. b) The weapons: it is quite silly than in a high-tech, high-magic setting the most useful weapons are a sniper rifle and a sawed-off shotgun. The first-person view of the Orb is almost uncontrollable, the Death Ray looks really silly. silly. The Singularity Singularity Generator isn't any good against the large enemies that you'll find when you finally get the darned thing and can be suicide to use in small environments, and the Voodoo 39

Doll has a serious tendency to backfire at you if you aren't looking exactly at the enemy that you wish to affect. All in all, you'll find yourself relying on the low-tech weapons more and more over the rest of them. c) The monsters mo nsters are, for the most part, quite uninspired. After Sould Drudge Drudge # 1001 has come shambling forward, you'll find them more of an annoyance than anything else. Oh, and the Addams Family-esque Hand that keeps flipping you the finger is just dumb and boring. d) We don't need no stinkin' stinkin' AI! Who debugged this thing? Fanatics keep running into the walls, you can be sniping at Cultists without their partners noticing (even if they are getting splattered with blood), beasties sometimes stand still after they lose sight of you, forgetting their purpose. This is specially aggravating with the Shikari, whose "excellent tracking and sensing abilities" should allow it to hear you coming before you open the door or, at the very least, make him chase you afterwards. e) The villain, oh lord, the villain! Gideon, the main baddie, does nothing but run from you the whole game. When you finally confront him it's merely a matter of jumping around and shooting until he vanishes. Then you chase him some more in another dimension and fight him again. He dies and you fight the real villain Tchernobog, who looks like a bloated octopus on a sea of blood. Gee, can I play it again? f) Incredibly slow load times. Go with the full installation unless you really wanted to read "War and Peace" in Russian, because with any other installation option you'll be looking at the load screen for a looooong time. But the worst offender of all is that the scary game isn't. It may be a result of the level design, maybe they just didn't put enough attention to details, or more Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

likely it is just a combination of all that's wrong with the game. The end result is that what is supposed to be a horror game ends up being a dumb splatterfest with no story and no reason to hold your interest whatsoever. Blood II is an interesting attempt at a horror game. However, monsters lurking around in strategic locations isn’t what makes a horror game, and Blood II ends ends up coming out like a mere showcase for the LithTech engine. In a time and age where you can could spend your money in Half-Life in Half-Life,, getting Blood II just just isn't worth it. - Ricardo J. Méndez [email protected] .

Official System Requirements CPU: 166 MHz or Higher Memory: 32 MB RAM Available Hard Disk Space: Minimum 200MB Maximum 515MB Video Hardware: DX6.0 and above compliant 3D accelerator (or without an accelerator: P233 , 32MB RAM) Recommended System Requirements: CPU: Pentium II 233 MHz + Memory: 64 MB RAM + Available Hard Disk Space: 515MB Video Hardware: get a recent accelerator. It's too slow on 1-year old cards and it crawls on software.

40

Half-Life Company: From Sierra Studios / Valve Software 5 stars out of 5 Half-Life was surrounded in so much hype that I only kept wondering how short it would fall off the mark. Considering all that you've heard about the game, success just wasn't a possibility was it? I mean, take its key points: good AI, strong story and a good-looking game. The purported "amazing" AI was the same thing that we had heard about Unreal, and while Unreal’s monsters were fast and mean they weren't exactly intelligent. Story is the first thing everyone seems to ignore when developing a game. And finally, finally, Half-Life used the Quake II engine, which had already been used to death and surpassed by LithTech and Unreal, right? With these these expectations it it isn't surprising that I wasn't expecting to be blown away the way I was. I have to say it: Half-Life is easily the bestdamned game I've ever played. Period. It is a combination of things: the cinematic feeling, the coherence of the game world, the flow of environments, the well-crafted storyline and the just incredible AI. AI. However, the the fact remains that nothing comes close to this game and the effect it creates on the player. Much has been said about how you start the game armed with only a crowbar. That isn't even the start of it, since you don't start the game fighting. There is no introduction whatsoever: you start the game on a monorail ride towards the facilities at Black Mesa, watching things develop around you, wondering what's that military helicopter doing and who is that important-looking guy with the suitcase. Once at the facility you have to walk around, find your locker, change into your protective suite and go to Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

conduct a routine experiment. It isn't until then that things go awfully wrong and all hell breaks loose in one of the most amazing scenes I've seen in a game (surpassed only by later Half-Life scenes). While the plot has been called an upgraded Doom, that doesn't give it enough credit. The world in Half-Life Half-Life is alive, with scientists speaking to you about things that further the plot, requesting your help and giving you tips; you can also hear soldiers wonder about the orders they are carrying out and speak in damning tones about what you did to their comrades; and there’s the mysterious Man in Blue that seems to overshadow your every step while you try to catch him amidst the scores of smart enemies. Oh, the enemies... The enemies... If you thought that the Unreal AI wasn’t all that it could, just wait until you see the soldiers coordinate their attacks and flank you, or lay cover fire so that one of them can safely approach you. Their behavior is so spontaneous and appropriate that you’ll find yourself just gaping at the way they act, making whatever possible advantage they can of their terrain and scenarios. The first time that assassin stopped cold in her tracks and double-backed when faced with a magnum I was so startled that I didn't even chased her. There aren't any levels. That is, HalfLife's world is a continuous world with no break for levels whatsoever. When changing areas you'll see a "Loading" message for about two seconds and off you go into the new area, being able to return in any moment that you want. This pushes you forward with the desire of accomplishing just one more objective, until you realize that the sun has come up again and your mouse wrist aches. The incredibly well done level design that pushed the boundaries 41

of the Quake II engine does nothing to convince you that it is time to stop. I could ramble on about the excellent music (which I'm listening right now), the fact that Half-Life is way scarier than allegedly "horror" games such as Blood II, how it has the most striking scenes I've ever seen in a computer game, the imaginative alien weapons, the feeling of accomplishment and relief that you get when you finally remove one of the bosses or how I’ve finally found an action game that involves you more than Jedi Knight did. Probably you've heard it all before from different sources. The fact remains that if you haven't played Half-Life yet, you are depriving yourself from the best gaming experience in quite some time.

System requirements Minimum

CPU: 133 MHz + 24MB RAM Available Hard Disk Space: 400MB Recommended CPU: Pentium 166+ Memory: 32MB Ram Video: 3D accelerator card (works with OpenGL and Direct3D, but I suggest OpenGL)


Mostly Faithful Faithful to Trek, but but a bit buggy.

Birth of the Federation 1.0 Company: Microprose/Hasbro Interactive 3.5 stars out of 5

Overview Like Microprose’s Master Microprose’s Master of Orion Orion Federation is a games, Birth of the Federation is strategic game of galactic conquest. You start out controlling a single system and your goal is to become a galactic power using economics, technology, espionage and, of course, warfare. Unlike the Master the Master of Orion Orion games, Birth of the Federation is set within the universe of Star Trek: The Next Generation. You should keep in mind that Microprose’s license is limited strictly to STNG, so all the ships, races and such are from that series. If you are looking forward to sending Constitution class starships on five-year missions, you will be disappointed. However, the game is very faithful to the series. So, if you want to boldy send out Galaxy class starships, you might find exactly what you are looking for here. Description of game At the start of a new game, you get to choose the nature of your virtual universe. You select the starting technology for each race, the relative 42

number of minor (non-expanding) races in the game (none, some, or many), how difficult the game will be, and whether you would like random events (most of which seem to be unpleasant) to add extra uncertainty to the game. You can also set the size and shape of the galaxy. The final options are whether the starship combat will be resolved automatically or manually and how the game will be won. There are two possible paths to victory. The first option requires that you control at least 60% of the universe. The second option is that of vendetta. In this version you must eliminate two rivals of your empire. Since the game is set before the empires have encountered each other, the vendetta option seems a bit odd. After all, how can one empire have historical enmity towards a race it has never met? Once you have selected all the options that suit your fancy, you need to select which of the five galactic powers you wish to control. The empires are the Federation, the Ferengi, the Klingons, the Romulans and the Cardassians. The way the races are implemented in the game is mostly faithful to the STNG universe. The Federation (oddly named, because the game starts before the Federation is supposed to exist) is, of course, good at diplomacy and science. The Ferengi are masters of economics. The Klingons are warriors who need constant battle to remain happy. The Romulans excel at espionage and all their warships can cloak (oddly enough, their transports cannot cloak). The Cardassians are, of course, masters of duplicity. Once you finish the preliminaries, you begin play. The main screen has a grid, which is the map of the galaxy. The galaxy is broken up into sectors. Despite being called “sectors” each sector is only large enough to have one planetary system or Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

other object (black hole, wormhole, pulsar, etc.) present. Despite the fact that 20 th century technology is up to the task of telling us where the stars are, you have to send out ships to find where the star are. Once you locate stars, you can send ships to explore. Once the game gets started, it works pretty much like all other strategic space games. You will colonize systems, research technology, build fleets, conduct espionage and engage in diplomacy to achieve your ends. One nice feature of the game, which clearly stems from the STNG universe, is the (at least initial) importance of diplomacy. The various major and minor races react in accord with their nature. For example, the Vulcans will tend to be friendly to the Federation while the more xenophobic races will act appropriately. Atmosphere An important part of almost any game is its atmosphere, which includes the games look, its sounds, effects, etc. The game is good looking. Each race has its own interface style, ranging from the Star Fleet style interface of the Federation to the “sharp and red” Klingon interface. The sound effects are good, reproducing the sounds of combat quite well (okay, so no one can really hear you scream in space). The voiceovers are a nice touch and convey the attitude of each race quite well. Even though the background music seems to slow the game down do wn a bit, the music is quite good and nicely sets the mood. Hearing the Klingon battle songs in the background really make you want to go out and subjugate weaker species. The graphics are quite good, most especially the ships. Ship combat looks great, with 3D vessels moving through space, firing beam weapons and 43

torpedoes at each other. You can even see the glow of the shields as they are hit, which is a nice touch. Networking The game supports network play via a null modem cable, IPX or TCP/IP LAN, and via the internet. Up to 5 players can play at a time. The game is turn based, which means that if you play with other people you will have to wait for them. This is in contrast with real time games, such as StarCraft, in which everyone is going at once. Fortunately, the game allows you to set time limits on turns and tactical combat. This can help keep the game from bogging down. However, the complexity of the game means that waiting is inevitable. If you enjoy long, thoughtful network games, the game is fine. If you demmand constant action, this is not the game for it. Assessment To be honest, I found the game to be fun and a bit addictive. Colonizing systems, interacting with alien cultures, exploring the galaxy and managing the resources of multiple systems and is quite challenging. Also, the STNG setting adds an extra element of fun for anyone who likes the series and has always wanted to actually be a participant and not just a member of the audience. On the downside, the game does have some flaws that detract from its play value. First, the interface is a bit clumsy and this makes it more difficult to control systems and fleets, especially later in the game. For example, this is no way to check on all your fleets at once. Instead, you need to search around the map looking for each fleet. On a large map, this makes it easy to lose track of your Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

fleets. An improved interface would do much to improve game play. Second, the game reports events in an on-again off-again manner. For example, on some turns the game presents the summary at the start of the turn and reports all key events. e vents. Other turns, no reports are made. The reports are available, but must be checked manually. This can make it difficult to keep track of events. For example, a key system might finish a build and you might not realize this for several turns. The user should be able to chose from a checklist which events will always be reported. Third, the game seems to be slanted too much towards combat. In fact, war seems to be unavoidable. Both the minor races and the computer controlled empires struck me as being almost irrationally belligerent. For example, in one game the Vulcans attacked and destroyed an outpost of mine, even though we were not at war. In other games, the other empires would become enraged and attack for no apparent reason. Even the supposedly peaceful Federation and the profit-oriented Ferengi would consistently make demands, then declare war and attack without provocation. Even when a race would offer a peace treaty, it was all too common for the race to declare war the next turn, for no apparent reason. In fact, despite my best efforts to “play nice,” every game ended up being settled by combat and conquest. While combat is an expected part of space conquest games, the behavior of the game AI is a bit out of odds with the Star Trek universe. Further, the fact that the game seems to be centered on combat limits play. It would be more interesting if other means of winning were as effective. 44

Fourth, the “wandering monsters” (such as the Crystal Entity and the Borg) pose some problems. Some like the Borg and the Crystalline Entity are so powerful that they can destroy starbases and fleets with a single shot. Despite the fact that the crew of the Enterprise in the series cleverly defeated these sorts of entities, in the game you have only one option: build a large, advanced fleet and destroy them. It would have been a nice touch to allow a more “Trek-like” way to defeat these beings. For example, there could be a “study” order that allowed a ship’s crew to try to find a way to defeat the threat. Others space entities, such as the Sentient Starship and the Juggernaut do not seem to do anything. I tried to hail some of these entities, thinking that I might be able to make friends with them, but nothing ever happened. I usually end up destroying them to keep the encounters between them and my fleets from wasting time. As far as I can tell, they simply drift around the game. It would make the game more interesting if the player could interact more with these entities. Fifth, the game AI needs some work. The main weak point of the AI lies in how it plans its attacks. To be specific, while the AI seems to be very ve ry aggressive its also seems to be rather bad at offensive and defensive strategy. For example, in most games the other empires will send one ship at a time against my outposts. It will do this again and again, for no apparent reason and will keep it up no matter how many ships I destroy. As another example, whenever I attack another empire, its fleets just seem to keep on wandering around rather than attacking my fleet. In addition to the flaws, the game also has some bugs. Some of the bugs are minor, but annoying. For example, in the tactical combat mode, hitting the Enemy button Opifex Bi-Monthly Random Universes

will sometimes select your fleets. Hitting the Fleets button will sometimes select the enemy. A more serious bug seems to occur with raiding. On several occasions I have been raiding one system, but the game reports I am raiding another or even two at the same time. There have also been times when the game has reported that I am raiding myself. Also, there have been times when my systems, even those defended by outposts, have been raided by ships outside of the system. Perhaps the most annoying bug is that the game slows down excessively as play progresses. The Microprose web site suggests rebooting the game after 50 turns, but the slow down simply returns. The game turns also seem to take a long time to be resolved. While my system is not exactly high end (AMD k6-2 333MHz, 64 MB), it does exceed the recommended system specifications.

Minimum CPU: 133 MHz Pentium RAM: 16MB Graphics: 800X600 X16-bitcolor (2MB video RAM) Available Hard Disk Space: 160 MB CD-ROM: 4X Sound Card: Direct-X Recommended CPU: 200 MHz Pentium RAM: 32MB Available Hard Disk Space: 180 MB CD-ROM: 8X Network Play Null Modem: 2 players. IPX, TCP/IP: 2-5 Players. Internet: 2-5 Players. Street Price: $39.99

Overall Birth of the Federation has a great deal of potential and some excellent features. Because of this, it feels like a great game that was released a bit too early. I enjoyed playing the game, but the flaws and bugs seriously detracted from an otherwise pleasant experience. If you really like Star Trek and you like strategic space games, pick up a copy. If you are just looking for a good strategic space game, pick up a copy of Master of Orion I or II. -Michael C. LaBossiere [email protected]

45


Opifex 20

Recommend Documents