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| - | - | Dragon #131 | - | - |
THE
CHASM
BRIDGE
BY DESMOND P. VARADY
The toll may be
higher than you
can afford. . . .
Artwork by Roger Raupp
Cartography by Diesel
After graduating from the University of
Pennsylvania, Desmond Varady became
an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps
and is currently stationed just outside of
London. Although the army keeps him
busy, he finds time to read fantasy and
science fiction, and to write short stories
and fantasy adventure modules. “The
Chasm Bridge” is a small part of his
underground campaign area — one in
which the characters have yet to adventure
on the legendary “surface world.”
This is his first appearance in
DUNGEON Adventures.
This AD&D® game encounter for
3-6
characters of 4-6th level takes place in
any part of an underground realm with
natural caverns. The scenario can be
dropped into a dungeon or used as part
of an ongoing underground campaign. It
should, however, be placed in an area
that will be frequently traveled by the
character party (see "Continuing the
Adventure"). This area was originally
designed to be used in the middle parts
of the Deepearth, as presented in
the
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
(the DSG).
A copy of that book, and of the Unearthed
Arcana tome, will be useful in
running this adventure.
Adventure Background
Over a year ago, an evil <Wizard>
named Mistle and his adventuring
companions arrived at the edge of a vast
underground gorge. The party found
that there was no way to cross the
chasm at this point, so with the help of
a few spells and a wand of earth &
stone, Mistle created the stone bridge
still present here. Once Mistle?s party
was across the chasm, an encounter
with a slicer beetle crippled the magicuser
? it bit off one of the mage?s legs.
The party?s cleric did what she could,
but regenerative spells were not available,
and the party wanted to move onward.
There were many edible lichens
and molds in the area, plus a good
source of water, so Mistle decided to
stay near the newly made bridge until
his associates could come back with
magical aid. The adventurers never
returned.
After Mistle realized he might be
staying in the area for a while, he decided
to make his surroundings a bit
more comfortable and built a series of
secret caves in a rock formation near
the bridge, using his spells and wand.
2 balconies allowed him to look out
over the bridge area to view passersby
without being vulnerable, and also
provided a defensible position for the
crippled <Wizard>.
In the past year or so, events have
changed both the nature of the area and
Mistle's own life. About 2 months
after Mistle had settled into his new
home, a group of ogres and duergar
happened upon the area. Wounded from
a recent battle, they collapsed here,
thinking it a safe place to rest. Mistle
sprung upon them, hoping to kill them
quickly and quietly. But the leader of
the ogres, Graak by name, managed to
talk his way out of certain death for
both himself and his companions. Arrangements
were made for the monsters
to come into the employ of the evil
magic-user as bridge guards and toll
collectors. All agreed that it would be a
most beneficial and rewarding relationship,
especially after the group collaborated
to destroy the only other nearby
crossing of this chasm.
Just two months ago, a group of enterprising
svirfneblin opened a tunnel
nearby. These gnomes also built a ropeand-
wire bridge just a few hundred feet
away from the toll crossing, in the same
spot once occupied by the bridge that
Mistle and his allies destroyed. The
snirfneblin offered this free route to all
the underground denizens who didn't
want to pay the toll (this underground
area is well traveled by many underground
races).
The gnomes' good intentions were
ruined, however, when a group of margoyles,
led by a particularly intelligent
leader named Slissh-Ikil, moved into
the area, seeing it as a good place to
prey upon travelers. Slissh-Ikil had
hoped to also take over the bridge controlled
by Mistle, but after a fierce and
devastating battle with the magic-user
and his companions, the margoyle
leader decided to be content with his
single bridge.
As it stands now, Mistle and Slissh-
Ikil have a shaky agreement of sorts.
Those who refuse to pay the toll on
Mistle's bridge are routinely offered the
choice of traversing the margoyles?
?free? pathway. The recent addition of a
derro named Haltik Wrath to the
magician
?s guards has increased intrigue and
suspicion among the denizens of the
chasm area. This chaotic dwarf is
closely watched by both Mistle and his
henchman Graak.
The challenge for PCs is simply to
cross the chasm, a relatively straightforward
task were it not for the presence
of the various denizens and
guardians of the area.
For the Dungeon Master
The PCs can approach this encounter
from any direction, but ideally should
come from one of the southern passages.
A party that moves quietly or sends a
scout ahead can hear noise from the
ogres' guard post up to 120' away,
the
ogres being very boisterous and loud.
The chasm is roughly 200? deep, with a
large river flowing along its bottom. PCs
can negotiate all parts of the encounter
area without any risk of falling into the
chasm. When moving on the ledges,
however, the party is assumed to be
traveling in single file. Rules for checking
for falls during combat on
ledges and
bridges can be found on
page 30 of the
DSG. Anyone falling into the chasm
must roll his dexterity or less on 1d20 to
land in the deepest part of the river and
sustain only 2d6 hp damage. Failure
indicates the character lands in the
shallows and sustains 20d6 hp damage.
A PC in the water will be carried 1-4
miles downstream (west) before being
deposited on the shore. Check the swimming
rules in the DSG, page 12-14.
All walls in the chasm area are considered
rough, with ledges, and are
slightly slippery. Exceptions to this rule
are the walls for 20' surrounding all
magically created features and caves in
areas 3-6 and 8 (including the pathways,
Mistle's secret rooms, the sides of
the cliffs, and the jutting rock formation
in which the secret rooms are found)
and the areas within 20' of the stone
bridge (area 9). These areas are very
smooth and slightly slippery. For thief
and nonthief climbing rates and adjustments
for these wall conditions, see
pages 14-16 of the DSG.
Drafts and gusts of wind are frequent
in this area of the chasm. Flying characters
have a penalty of 3? to air speed
and fly at one maneuverability class
lower. The margoyles and Mistle have
much experience with the winds and
therefore receive no penalty.
As travelers frequently come through
this area, there is a 15% chance that
some other party will be dealing with
the toll collectors each time the PCs
happen upon the bridge. Prior to playing
this encounter, the Dungeon Master
can determine whether other travelers
are paying a toll and, if necessary, determine
the exact composition of the
encountered group.
Encounter Key
Monster statistics follow the numbered
section in which their description or
appearance is first noted. All monsters
in these encounters speak some dialect
of either "surface" Common or a sort of
underworld trade tongue.
| Light and sounds tell you that there
is something or someone ahead. A cool, steady breeze laden with scents of spiced wine and burning coals brushes your face as you turn a bend in the natural passage. As you approach a cavern of some sort, the light is partially blocked by a huge figure. A rough, broken challenge comes from a grizzled voice: ?Whose is its dat goes out dere?? |
One ogre watches each southern passage,
awaiting travelers. These ogres
are not alert and can be surprised on a
roll of 1-3 on 1d6, if the surprising character
moves quietly and swiftly.
| The figure is an ogre, although a
rather neat and well-dressed one. Pieces of plate and chain armor are mixed with leather jacks and leggings, both studded and plain. The ogre holds a huge, well-polished halberd. The overwhelming smell of sweat mixed with spiced wine surrounds him like a second coat of armor, and when the huge ogre grins, his smile shows teeth stained yellow and black. As the ogre steps away from the
Beyond the large table is a huge
2 ogres approach from the rock
The huge ogre
speaks. ?Name?s
|
These guardians are the toll collectors,
the ogre band that Mistle encountered
and eventually hired. After the
initial challenge, Graak is the only one
who deals with the PCs. Once any dealings
have begun, all the ogres return to
the table to drink wine, with the exception
of the passage guards.
Graak is not very intelligent, but his
cunning and sense of self-preservation
are much better than others of his species.
He rules the guards with an iron
fist, but is respected by the other ogres
who have come to expect this in a
leader. Graak's constant dealings with
travelers have made him somewhat
courteous for an ogre, and have increased
his ability to judge character.
Graak thinks Mistle is a good employer,
although the ogre occasionally protests
the smallness of the cut that the guards
receive from the toll money. Mistle has
proven himself to be powerful and has
saved the ogre band more than once
with his magic, so Graak affords the
magician much respect and even more
distance. Graak?s increased judgment of
character has made him wary of the
new derro guard, Haltik Wrath (see
area 7), and the information he has
received from the two ogres at that
guard point only feeds his suspicions.
Graak is good at collecting tolls from
passersby, and therefore has become
rather cocky. He expects no less than 25
gp or its equivalent from each individual,
but will not explicitly ask for that
amount in hopes of getting more (it
usually works with travelers new to the
area). He tries to evaluate the gold piece
value of items but usually defers to the
duergar money collectors in the alcove
(area 2) for an accurate appraisal.
Blocking one entrance to the alcove
are several wooden boxes filled with
rocks. The cauldron on the brazier contains
hot wine. The table holds a variety
of large utensils, carcasses, bowls of
food, and pots with remnants of old <porridge, mead, fowl, wine,
meal (grain), stew>
meals in them.
If the PCs decide to pay the toll,
Graak leads them to area 2 so the payment
can be secured and safeguarded.
He then orders (in ogrish) one of the
other ogres to take the party to the
beginning of the narrow ledge leading
to area 7.
If the PCs refuse to pay, Graak tries to
avoid combat and offers the following
alternative:
| As he takes a hesitant step backward,
Graak grips his trident and begins again in his halting speech. "Wait jus' a secon'. We guys don't likes the fightin' that much. I ain't gonna argue ov'r a few bits. Jus' take the utter way -- bit longer, but I guess it's wort the bits. The Master jus' won't likes it if you gone on his bridge without us collectin' the toll." The humanoid turns and starts to
|
If combat occurs, Graak runs toward
Area 2 while the other ogres battle the
PCs. One of the ogres throws the cauldron
of hot wine to cover Graak?s retreat.
The cauldron is +4 to hit and
covers a 6? diameter with a direct hit,
causing 1-6 hp damage (save vs. breath
weapon to avoid 2-8 rounds of blindness).
When thrown by an ogre, the
cauldron has a 30? range.
Then Graak or one of the money-collecting
duergar in the alcove blows a
horn that hangs from the wall in area 2.
This warns Mistle and the guards at
area 7. All arrive on the scene two melee
rounds later.
If the PCs take the alternate route,
they think they hear ogres laughing
just before they stumble into area 11.
Graak: AC 3; MV 9"; HD 7; hp 33;
#AT 1; Dmg by weapon type +3 (18/75
strength); AL CE; trident
+2. Graak?s
silver skull belt buckle is an actual
dwarf skull dipped in silver. The whole
item is worth 350 gp. Graak also has 14
pp, 31 gp, and 14 gems (worth 10 gp
each) in a pouch that hangs from his
belt. Graak can tell if someone is lying
to him with 70% accuracy, and can
make a reasonable guess at someone?s
alignment after 3 rounds of conversation
and visual examination with 80%
accuracy.
Ogres (7): AC 5; MV 9?; HD 4 +1; hp
27, 26, 22 (x2), 20, 19 (x 2); #AT 1; Dmg
by weapon type +2; AL CE; halberds.
The ogres have treasure among them
amounting to 53 pp, 160 gp, and two
gold chains (600 gp and 350 gp).
| A small lighted alcove here is apparently
used by the toll collectors to store their takings and make change. A 4'-high table nearly blocks one entrance to this cave, while the other entrance is blocked by wooden boxes filled with rocks, stacked 7' high. On the table are an abacus, several
|
2 duergar act as the money changers
and collectors. Each is dressed in
brass chain armor and wears a sheathed
hand axe attached to his belt. When
conducting toll business, one duergar
stays on the bench to make deals while
the other stands by the chest in order to
secure the monies or make change. The
duergar by the chest has a large key
hidden beneath his armor, attached to a
chain around his neck. The chest is
trapped; if opened without the key, it
emits poison gas that does 3-36 hp damage
to anyone within the alcove (save
vs. poison for no damage). The chest
contains 5-50 each of copper, silver,
electrum, and gold coins; 1-10 platinum
coins; and 1-6 each of 10-gp gems and
50-gp gems. There is a 30% chance that
1-4 items of jewelry worth 50-200 (1d4
x 50) gp are also present. Mistle comes
down to collect the money every day.
If a battle breaks out, one of the
duergar immediately moves toward the
horn and blows it if Graak has not come
to the alcove. Both draw their hand
axes and use psionic invisibility for as
long as possible, but they will fight
fiercely to defend their monies (Mistle
might reward them if they survive).
Duergar (2): AC 5; MV 6?; HD 1
+ 2;
hp 9, 8; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; SA
surprise on 3 in 6, psionics; SD save at
+4 vs. magical attacks, special immunities
(to paralysis, poison, and illusion/
phantasm spells), surprised on 1 in 10;
see Monster Manual II, page 61; AL LE;
chain mail, hand axes.
3. The South Balcony. This natural
and magic-made balcony is 15' above
the floor of the ogres' cavern and commands
a view of most of area 1 and
about 50? north along the narrow ledge
that runs toward the stone bridge. The
stone of this rock formation is very
smooth and slightly slippery, making it
very difficult to climb (see "For the
Dungeon Master"). The balcony itself
has a 4?-high stone wall running along
its outer edge.
It is at this location that the PCs
might see the Master, Mistle the crippled
magic-user. There is a 45% chance
that Mistle is watching the ogres
below as
they demand a toll from the party. Any
PC has an 85% chance to notice him
there. If this occurs, read the following:
| You notice a gaunt figure looking
down from a balcony on the rock formation that juts out into the chasm. The figure is hooded, so it is hard to distinguish any facial details, but it does seem to be leaning on a crutch and wearing some sort of narrow quiver. |
If combat with the ogres breaks out
while Mistle is watching, or if the magician
is called to the balcony by the horn
or sounds of battle, he assists the ogres
by first casting defensive spells like
transmute rock to mud
and web. If the
battle is definitely going against the
ogres, Mistle uses his lightning bolt and
magic missile spells. He also uses his
wand of earth and stone (found in the
quiver he carries) to block passage
along the ledge to his bridge, if the
characters try to run that way. The
balcony wall provides 75% cover for
Mistle; so long as he fights from the
balcony, his effective armor class
against missile fire is 0.
If Mistle is badly injured (having lost
half his hit points), he moves back into
his abode, heals himself with his potions
(see area 5), and uses his remaining
magic to hide or escape. He then
tries to annoy and injure the party,
using magic and wile, in retribution for
their ruining his profitable business.
Mistle: AC 7; MV 3? (missing one
leg); Sorcerer; hp 28; #AT
1; Dmg by spell
or weapon type; S 13, I 16, W 9, D 16 (6
if moving or dodging), C 13, Ch 16; AL
NE; dagger +2, bracers of defense AC 6,
wand of earth and stone (36 charges),
wand of paralyzation (9 charges). The
wand of earth and stone
is of the variety
that has the ?transmute? spells (see
Unearthed Arcana, page 96). This particular
wand has the spell stone shape
in place of the move earth attribute. The
charge cost of this new spell is the same
as the one it replaced (two charges per
use). The wand?s command words are (in
order of its powers): ?shovel,? ?go,? ?up
and there,? ?harden,? and ?muck.? They
can be found on a small silver charm
(jewelry value 75 gp) that Mistle wears
on a chain around his neck. The activating
command for the wand of paralyzation
is ?Stop, thief!? This is not written
anywhere. Both wands are kept in a
small quiver that Mistle wears at all
times.
Mistle's DEX for the purpose
of
combat is 6 because of his missing leg.
His effective combat armor class with
the bracers is therefore 7. His available
spells are as follows: feather fall, comprehend
languages, jump, magic missile
(x 2), detect invisibility, invisibility, web,
lightning bolt, slow, tongues, charm
monster, dimension door, transmute rock
to mud. His traveling spell books contain
the following spells in addition to
those listed above: detect magic, identify,
knock, wizard lock, dispel magic,
fly protection from normal missiles,
cone of cold.
Though vengeful, embittered, and
having an uncomfortable interest in
gaining power over evil creatures, Mistle
also has a strong wit and is an engaging
conversationalist. He has many
stories about the underworld lands, and
possesses a remarkable speaking voice
and aura of authority. He finds talkative,
good-aligned characters to be bores
but tolerates anyone who does not dispute
his personal domain in this area.
4. Laboratory and Living Area.
| The black-brown walls of this cave
clearly show the telltale smoothness of magical digging. The darkness of the walls makes the place seem dim by absorbing much of the light coming from a small candelabrum and 2 torches. The room is well-furnished, and all
Along the eastern wall are a
There are 4 exits from this
|
All of the stone items were made by
Mistle with the stone shape
power of his
wand. The containers on the large stone
table contain various ordinary and
extraordinary items for use in casting
magical spells: black bird feathers, cave
insect hind legs, soot, salt, talc, powdered
silver, gum arabic, spider webs,
animal fur, bits of turtle shell, molasses,
soft black clay, and water. (These are
the material components for most of
Mistle?s available spells). Of the five
larger jars under the table, two are
empty, one contains water, and two
contain blood (ogre and duergar).
The bowls on the shelf in the eastern
wall contain lichen and small cave
mushrooms. The large jar on that same
shelf holds water. The glass bottle on
the stone table is a potion
of sweet water
(five doses) that Mistle uses to ensure a
good supply of drinkable water. The
parchments have general writings and
some notes on the behavior of duergar,
ogres, and margoyles, but one sheet is a
magic-user scroll inscribed with a mending
spell. The book is an empty magicuser
?s traveling spell book. The tapestry
and rug are worthless. The brazier is
filled with soot and the remains of some
burnt charcoal.
This room and the one to the southwest
(area 5) give good indication of
Mistle's taste for both austerity and
comfort. The past year in his new home
has not made Mistle unhappy. On the
contrary, he has found his life underground
lacking very little. Caravans
and other underground merchants pass
over the toll bridge often enough to
keep the ogres' stomachs full of wine
and all of Mistle's personal tastes well
satisfied. The toll money is spent on
items ranging from wooden furnishings
(a luxury underground) to foodstuffs,
spices, and coal.
The door to the southwest was built
by the duergar and contains some
traps
of their own making. The four doorknobs
are set vertically into the center
of the 7'-high door. The top knob is false
but has a 30% chance to accidentally
trigger one of the other two traps. The
second knob down is the real one, opening
the door through a system of
weights and a counterbalance. The
third knob releases a trap that drops
large rocks onto a 10' x 10' area in
front of the door. Anyone in that area
takes 4-16 hp damage (save vs. petrification
for half damage). The bottom knob
releases the pins that hold the door in
place, causing it to fall forward (70%
chance) or backward (30% chance). If it
falls forward, all those within 6? of the
door must save vs. petrification at +3
or be crushed for 5-50 hp damage. A
combined score of 40 strength points is
needed to lift the door off pinned PCs.
| Smaller than the outer cave, this
room is more sparsely furnished, having only 4 pieces of stone furniture: a bed with a mattress of lichen in burlap sacks, a simple block of stone for a nightstand, a table with shelves, and a high-backed chair softened by three threadbare pillows. The table and shelves hold a collection of knick-knacks. |
The 17 knick-knacks are various nonmagical
figurines of humans, elves, and
animals, as well as some stone jars and
vases (worth 4-40 sp each). In the bottom
of one of the vases, under 2' of
murky water, is a ring of clumsiness
that appears to be a ring of jumping.
The vase must be turned upside-down
for this item to be noticed.
Underneath the bed is a loose stone
set flush with the floor. A normal search
of the room will reveal its presence. In a
hole under the stone are Mistle's revenues
from the tolls: 455 sp in a burlap
bag, 230 gp and 55 pp in another bag,
and a small unlocked coffer containing
11 gems (50 gp (x 4), 200 gp (x 3), and
500 gp).
The nightstand is another duergar
work of genius. Inside is a secret compartment
containing three potions of
healing and a magic-user scroll
of fly,
wall of iron, and invisible stalker. The
secret-compartment can be opened by
sharply hitting the left side of the nightstand
three times.
If Mistle has been injured in combat
with the PCs, he retreats to this room
and uses the potions of healing
from his
nightstand. He hides here invisibly,
waiting for the characters to get the full
effects of his trapped door. The magicuser
then sneaks out and uses the scroll
spells to trap the PCs in his room with
an invisible stalker. Finally, he flies
away down the chasm, looking for better
prospects, taking his spell books
(from area 6) with him.
6. Stairway, Ledge, and Secret
Entrance. This is Mistle's front door
and porch. Though he rarely leaves,
when he does he enters and exits his
abode through the use of a fly spell. The
PCs can approach this area either from
area 4 or by flying or climbing to the
ledge. The walls on this rock formation
are slightly slippery and very smooth.
The ledge is roughly 6? wide and is
supported by the surrounding rock. This
outcropping can hold up to 500 lbs. of
weight. The wall behind the ledge appears
to be smooth and featureless. The
secret door can be found by a dwarf
20%
of the time, by an elf 15% of the time,
and by any other character 5% of the
time. The secret door is opened by pressing
a small knob of rock underneath the
northeasternmost edge of the ledge. The
door slides straight down, a lip on the
inside catching the door from falling
further. To replace the door, the lip must
be pulled up past a catch on the inner
right side of the doorway.
Rapping hard on the second step from
the top of the staircase reveals a secret
compartment similar to that in the
nightstand in area 5. Here can be found
Mistle's traveling spell books containing
all the spells mentioned in area 3.
These books are not here if Mistle has
already left the area.
7. Approach to the Bridge. The
description below assumes the party is
approaching from the south. See area 10
for the northern approach perspective.
| As you make your way along the
narrow pathway leading to the bridge, you hear a mixture of strange voices and languages but cannot yet see anyone ahead. Rounding the final bend in the ledge pathway brings you face to face with quite a motley crew of humanoids: two large ogres, dressed similarly to those previously encountered but unarmed, four duergar in plate armor, wielding short spears and war hammers; and a crazed-looking, hairy, dwarflike personage in ragged studded leather armor who holds a huge crossbow of some type. |
A roll for surprise should be made
here, especially if the PCs gave Graak
and his gang any trouble. The two ogres
have no reservations about roughing up
a few surprised humans or demihumans,
especially since they are far
enough away from the influence of
Graak. The malicious manners of the
duergar and derro only support such
bullying and ?fun.? The shorterstatured
humanoids might encourage
combat just to get some treasure, if the
odds seem reasonable.
The derro, a recent addition to Mistle
's guards, has been nothing but trouble
for both Graak and the Master.
Haltik Wrath has received the support
of the duergar guards and, especially
since finding out about the unfair cut
the guards get from the toll revenues,
he has been concentrating on subverting
both leaders? power bases. Recently,
the derro sneaked away to negotiate
with Slissh-Ikil, who presented Haltik
with a potion as a pledge of his support.
Details of combat plans or other cooperation
have not as yet been worked out,
though. Any combat in this area, however,
is sure to draw Slissh-Ikil?s interest,
if not the margoyles? presence.
A battle in this area might provide
the opportunity that the derro and his
supporters have been looking for. Haltik
knows that one of the duergar has a
magical spear, and he feels that the
unknown potion he was given by Slissh-
Ikil (a potion of fire breath)
could turn
the tide. The derro will not use the
potion unless he feels it is the right
time for rebellion.
Ogres (2): AC 5; MV 9"; HD 4
+ 1; hp
24, 23; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; AL CE.
Duergar (4): AC 2; MV 6";
HD 2 + 2;
hp 16, 15,12,11; #AT 1; Dmg by
weapon type; SA surprise on 3 in 6,
psionics; SD save at +4 vs. magical
attacks; special immunities (to paralysis,
poison, and illusion/phantasm
spells), surprise on 1 in 10; see Monster
Manual II; AL LE; plate mail, shield,
hammer, spear (16-hp duergar has a
spear +1).
Haltik Wrath, derro: AC 3;
MV 9?;
HD 3; hp 21; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg by
weapon type; D 18; SD 30% magic resistance;
AL CE; studded leather armor,
derro repeating light crossbow (Dmg
1-3) with poison on the quarrels (2-12 hp
damage), short sword, potion of fire
breath.
8. North Balcony. This balcony is
very similar to area 3. It commands a
view of the stone bridge and about 90%
of the chasm area to the north, west and
east. The chances of seeing Mistle here
are much less, however, unless some
sort of battle has begun. There is only a
15% chance that he will be here to see
normal passing of the character party.
If, however, the alarm is sounded
here, it takes Mistle two melee rounds
to respond. His actions upon arriving
are similar to those taken for a battle at
area 1 -- defensive spells first, switching
to offensive spells if the battle gets
heated, and using his wands only if his
business or his life is in jeopardy.
| The bridge, the main feature of
this
chasm area, is a unique magical formation. Apparently, two natural ledges were altered and extended from either side of the chasm to create this bridge from the living rock. The bridge is narrow, only about 7' wide throughout its length. Two rough stone columns flank the entrance at either end of the bridge. On each stone column, a lit brand smokily burns in a torch sconce. Running along the sides of the bridge are stone railings about 4? high. The stone of the bridge is relatively smooth, although the underside of the bridge appears to be very rough. |
If the PCs approach from the north and
refuse the verbal challenge of the
guards on the south side (see area 10), a
physical challenge is made to the characters
on the bridge. The ogres, duergar,
and derro have experience fighting on
the bridge and have a specific plan of
attack for such occasions.
First, a final offer is made (by the
strongest duergar) to the PCs
to pay the
toll instead of fighting their way
through. If the PCs refuse, the ogres
charge across the bridge, attempting to
push the adventurers back to the opposite
side. Two duergar follow the ogres
closely, while the other two run for help.
The derro has found a way to safely
climb along the rough underside of the
bridge; he will try to get beneath the
structure before the battle starts. He
has a 65% chance to do this without
being noticed. He then attempts to
surprise attackers either on the bridge
or near its northern entrance. If his
movements have been noticed, his
chance to surprise is 1-3 on 1d6; otherwise,
he surprises on 1-5. The derro can
carry his weapons when he climbs under
the bridge. Mistle and the ogres and
duergar from area 1 arrive in two melee
rounds if their help is summoned.
10. The Northern Ledge.
| The natural corridor you have been
traveling through suddenly opens onto a ledge that provides a panoramic view. To the immediate south and west, the ledge overlooks a deep chasm. In front of you, seemingly formed from the ledge itself, a bridge rises over the chasm and descends to meet a similar ledge on the opposite side. On that opposite ledge stand several guards, their features obscured by the dimness that pervades the chasm. Two larger figures are flanked by four or five smaller ones, and all seem to be holding weapons of some sort. Above the figures is some sort of balcony, carved from the stone of a great outcropping of rock. Rushing water can be heard, far below in the chasm. One of the shorter guards moves
|
Characters who stand fast are met by
the 2 ogres, who cross the bridge from
area 7. These guards then escort the
party to the narrow pathway leading
from area 7 to area 1. The toll-collecting
procedure described at area 1 proceeds
normally once the party arrives. If the
PCs make threatening actions or attempt
to cross the bridge unescorted,
the guards at area 7 start their combat
procedure (see area 9).
11. The Margoyles'
Alternative.
| As you round a bend in the narrow
ledge beside the chasm, a rush of air whips past your face. Suddenly, you are set upon by thrashing horns, fangs, and claws, all seemingly made of stone. |
Slissh-Ikil hears the PCs moving
along the ledge and dispatches two of
his cohorts to attack the travelers.
Slissh-Ikil himself flies out and stays
nearby to see how the youngsters do. If
the margoyles take more than one-third
of their hit points in damage, they retreat
to their lair at area 12 (they lose
the ability to fly if below half hit
points). Under no circumstances will
Slissh-Ikil assist the other margoyles
here. Margoyles so badly wounded as to
be unable to fly manage to glide down
to a ledge far below, just above the
river, where they rest until able to fly
again.
Slissh-Ikil: AC 2; MV 6?/12?; HD 6;
hp 40; #AT 4; Dmg 1-6/1-6/2-8/2-8; SA
80% surprise near stone; SD +1 or
better weapon to hit; AL CE.
Margoyles (2): AC 2; MV
6"/12"; HD
6; hp 32, 26; #AT 4; Dmg 1-6/1-6/2-8/2-8;
SA 80% surprise near stone; SD +1 or
better weapon to hit; AL CE.
12. The Margoyles'
Lair. This large
and smelly cave can be reached only by
flying or climbing. It is 60? above the
ledge where the area 11 encounter
takes place. When the margoyles are
not attacking local travelers or foraging
for food, they are found here 95% of the
time. The bare cave contains a large
amount of grit, gravel, and sand piled
into three mounds. Sifting through the
stuff in all the piles reveals some treasure.
The two mounds in the southern
end of the cave together contain six
gems (100 gp (x4), 500 gp, 1,000 gp), 46
gp, 36 sp, and 54 cp. These two piles
also contain a good number of shiny but
useless baubles. The pile of sand and
gravel in the north end of the cave contains
a large gold pendant in the shape
of a snake (worth 1,200 gp), 78 sp, and a
silver short sword with scabbard (worth
60 gp total), as well as an assortment of
other worthless shiny items.
| Ahead, at the end of the ledge, you
can see a strange bridge. Two smooth stone pillars are sunk into stone ledges on each side of the chasm. Tangles of thick wire and rope are pulled through holes in the pillars and secured by wrapping and tying. 3 twisted lines of wire and rope are stretched across the chasm, each attached to the others by a series of small twists of rope and wire. It appears that the bridge is crossed by walking on the lower of the three ropes while using the other two for handholds. The sound of rushing water can be heard from far below. <flowing water> Unfortunately, it looks like you
|
From this location, Slissh-Ikil makes
himself known to the travelers who
dare to traverse his pathway and
bridge. He presents himself in a menacing
manner, either prior to the characters
-- crossing the bridge from the north
or when the party is approximately 20'
from the bridge approaching from the
south. He avoids combat by flying off
the ledge just before the PCs reach him,
and maneuvers around to harass characters
as they try to cross the rope-and-wire
bridge. If they are alive, the other
2 margoyles join in the fight, using
Slissh-Ikil's tactics as described below.
Slissh-Ikil attacks only those PCs who
cross the bridge, and only those with
little or no armor protection (AC 6 or
higher). The margoyle has learned several
things from dealing with travelers
on a frequent-basis -- particularly that
the best fighters usually wear large
pieces of shiny metal on their bodies.
Slissh-Ikil attacks characters when they
are approximately halfway across the
bridge. He swoops down, slashing with
his claws (two attacks for 1-6/1-6 hp
damage). A successful attack by the
margoyle requires a PC to make two
successive dexterity checks on 1d20 to
avoid falling off the rope bridge. If only
one check fails, the PC hangs onto the
bridge by 1-3 of his limbs and can continue
to hold on for 1-3 rounds per limb.
Failure of both checks indicates that the
PC has fallen into the chasm (see "For
the Dungeon Master"). Slissh-Ikil concentrates
his attacks on characters
hanging from the rope bridge, if any.
The bridge, upon closer inspection, is
a unique and fine piece of workmanship,
completed by the svirfneblin
only
a few months ago. It is an elegantly
simple three-rope suspension bridge.
| The natural stone passage you have
been traveling in suddenly turns east, and a cool, misty draft blows into your face. A few feet beyond the turn, you break out of the passage onto a ledge overlooking a vast and deep chasm. Through the dimness, you see the faint outline of a bridge about 50' south. The bridge spans the gap between the 2 ledges, and on the southernmost of these ledges you can see several shadowy figures. Your choice of movement is fairly
|
As the PCs approach the bridge, they
are challenged by Slissh-Ikil (see area
13) and the two younger margoyles. See
area 11 for their statistics. There is a
50% chance that PCs entering the area
from this point will walk out while one
or more of the margoyles is clinging to
the rocks nearby in a perfect position to
attack the group from surprise.
Continuing the Adventure
This encounter can be used over and
over again as the PCs pass through this
area, perhaps on their way to and from
the surface or an underground base of
operations. The adventurers can easily
become involved in the intrigue of the
encounter area, taking whichever side
they feel inclined to support. Any of the
NPCs can become well known to the
characters and can be a good source of
rumors and information leading to
other adventures. The PCs might even
strike up a (dangerous) friendship with
Mistle, as it has been a long time since
the mage has spoken to other people
from the surface. Though evil, he is still
reasonably honest about his intentions
and is fairly charismatic. He may offer
the PCs lodging in his humble abode
(which is safe, though uncomfortable),
perhaps in trade for their tracking down
some rare spell component or other
required item. The mage might also
express an interest in accompanying the
party on an expedition to find the associates
(or their remains!) who left him
here a year ago. Anyone who manages
to regenerate Mistle's missing leg has
won his support for the rest of his life,
though he will remain in this area.
The unfriendlier denizens of the area
can be a source of further adventure as
well. The margoyle, Slissh-Ikil, has
contacts with other margoyles and
many evil creatures up and down the
length of the chasm. This evil monster
also keeps many important personages
in the underworld informed on the comings
and goings of travelers through
this area. The derro and duergar both
have contacts with others of their ilk in
the immediate area. The toll-collecting
duergar could be skimming money off
the top of the revenues, while Haltik
Wrath?s agreement with the margoyles
could become a major problem for Mistle
and the chasm bridge guards.
Finally, a coalition of underground
merchants and citizens may become fed
up with paying the toll and hire the PCs
to do away with Mistle and his crew. If
successful, the PCs will then have to
contend with the margoyles in order to
prevent the monsters from taking over
the newly liberated bridge for their own
purposes.