The party might have arrived before the huge
obsidian valves which
bar entrance to the Hall
by means of the transporter found in the lair
of the frost Giant Jarl, and in this case they
will have to search to find a place of safety to
REST and recover their strength between forays
into the Hall. If the group journeyed hence by
some other form (horseback, mounted on hippogriffs,
etc.) they will have noted such a
place 2 miles distant from Snurre’s sooty palace.
This hidden refuge will prove to be safe
from detection as long as the party leaves no
plain trail to it, and as long as they are not followed
to it. (If they thrice venture forth from
the cave to raid the Fire Giant Hall there will
be a 10% cumulative chance per additional
raid that the hideyhole will be found by the
giants, i.e. a 10% chance the fourth raid,
20% the fifth, erc.) The ravine which is near
the safe cave leads directly to the spiney, broken
heap of slag which is indicated as the site
of the Hall by their map, or obvious to them
otherwise, for it has a wide well-trod path
leading up to 2 great slabs of black stone,
obsidian portals which give access to
Snurre’s
Hall. But these gates will open to the party if
one of the members has fire giant
strength (or
greater) and mass, or a chime
of opening to
employ, or one of them can cast a knock
spell.
Each valve is 29 feet tall, 10 feet wide, and no
less than 3 feet thick.
The plain about seems most evil and drab.
The sky is gray and filled with sooty
clouds. A
distant volcano can be seen, and
far to the
south a glowing river of molten lava moves
sluggishly down a slope and
out of sight. It is
hot and the air smells of heated rock
and
Metal. The ground is full of cinders and sharp
rocks. The place is lit by night with dim red
light from the flaming gases shooting forth
from the earth and from molten rock. On
the
second and any successive raids upon the
place, there is a 50% likelihood that the gates
will be ajar, and some guard will be watching
for the attackers in order to alert the Hall.
Notes for The Dungeon Master
The pile of lava, slag, and jutting black rock
which houses the Hall of Snurre is a steeply rising
hill about 300 feet high at its summit. It is
difficult to scale, but the party may do so if
they desire. Everywhere are vents which
smoke, and some of these holes spurt out jets
of flame from time to time. The party will
never locate any other entrance to the place,
and there is a 2 in 6 chance that any member
investigating a vent hole will be struck by
flaming gases (Dmg 2-12).
The upper 2 levels of Snurre’s Hall are lit
by torches, braziers, natural
gas jets, and even
molten lava. Most of these lights will be extinguished
if the place is heavily attacked. The
lower level is unlighted except where the matrix <fix>
acter’s actions. If you have already taken your
players through the first 2 adventures, you
will wish to be particularly mindful of how
their behavior there will have altered what is
shown here on each level matrix. Use the parameters
given to design your own epic. Be
disinterested and be just. This is a very dificult
scenario, and the players might rue
thoughtless actions, but do not allow this to
temper what you have before you. Likewise,
do not set about to entrap the party in a hopeless
situation. Allow their actions to dictate
their fate. In any event, never reveal
too much
information to players. For example, if they
learn about the drow, give only scraps
of details
from your information sheet; determine a
percentage probability of the particular bit of
knowledge being known by whatever means is
being employed (sage, commune,
lejend
lore,
contact other plane, or
whatever), and roll the
percentile dice for each scrap. Base your communication
to the party upon this, but always
judge for yourself if the information thus imparted
is too much or too little.
Remember also that these giants are both
the toughest so far encountered and that they
have the best advice immediately available to
them. As soon as the party strikes and then retires,
the attack will be assessed and countermeasures
taken. Some notes to this effect will
be found in the matrices for each level, but
you will have to design some reactions personally.
Even when the party first enters the Hall
you will have to gauge the reaction of the giants
if and when they learn the intruders are
within. How will they react? From whence will
they call in guards? Where will Snurre go?
Most assuredly, he will not remain seated
upon his throne when an attack is in progress!
You have not ceased being a Dungeon Master
by using this prepared scenario. You simply
have some details handled for you so that you
can better script the more important details.
When the party retires from the Hall, the
fire giants will lay whatever traps
and ambushes
they are able to under the circumstances.
Lights will be put out, sentries will be
posted, and so forth. In the play-test version, I
had the giants who survived the first
foray by
the (exceptionally strong and well-played)
party set several ambushes, each surprise being
set to allow them to retire quickly behind a
turn in a passage or through doors, gradually
falling back on the corridor to the 2nd level.
However, even the females and young fought,
as the King has so ordered, and I assumed that
their fear of him, (and the drow) was
greater
than their fear of the party--or at least equal.
As the characters offered NO QUARTER and SLEW
every giant or other creature encountered with
absolute ruthlessness, their opponents fought
with hopeless abandon and sacrifice. How you
will manage must be based upon knowledge
only you, as judge and referee, can have. Regardless
of what your players do, morale
checks for the giants and their associates
should seldom. if ever, be made. What hope
have they? The rationale of this whole series of
adventures is a fight to the finish. Only the
leaders and those they take with them will
normally seek to MOVE to a place of safety, the
rest will stand fast and battle to the end.
Finally, drow weapons and armor do not radiate
magick.
Wandering Monsters
Encounter occurs 1 in 12; check each turn.
All wandering monsters are assumed to
be
creatures not accounted for on the matrices.
Their appearance is mere chance, although
they can actually reinforce existing monsters
in the area if circumstances favor this action on
their part.
1. 2 fire giants
2. 2 fire giantesses with 12 gnoll
workers
3. 4 young fire giants with 1-4
young hell
hounds (HD 4)
4. 3 giant visitors (1 cloud,
1 frost, 1 stoner)
Rooms and Areas
Encounter Key: Level Two
Wandering Monsters
Encounter occurs 1 in 10; check each turn.
1. 2 fire giants and 2 fire
giantesses out
for a romantic stroll
2. 2 trolls escorting 3 hill,
2 stoner, |or|
2 frost giants.
3. 4 trolls with 4-16 gnolls
(armed)
4. Drow Istorvir (see below) with 2-8
wererats
Male Drow (Istorvir of House Tormtor):
Level
7 / 7 Champion / Enchanter
<Enchanting Champion>; hp 40; MR 64 % ;
AC 3 (chain + 1, <small>
shield); THACO 15; #AT
3/2; Dmg 2-7 (sword); SA/SD see special
notes; XPV 4,760; Spells:
First Level: charm person (x2),
magick
projectile (x2)
Second Level: knock, mirror
image, web
Third Level: lightning bolt,
protection
from normal projectiles
Fourth Level: ice storm
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9. | 10. |
| 11. | 12. | 13. | 14. | 15. | 16. | 17. | 18. | 19. | 20. |
Level 3 is all natural, the tunnels
and caverns
showing no marks of being hollowed out
except for the entranceway to the level from
above and where the exit from the level is (beyond
the River of Lava in the NW corner).
The areas of the level are dark and still.
Only a few are lit, such as the lava cavern and
where the fire giants have gathered
at area 5.
All passages are at least 15' high, small
caves are 20' or so from the floor to ceiling
vault, and large caverns are anywhere from 25
feet to 75 feet high (areas 7 and 19-20 should
be treated as among the highest). A few
patches of phosphorescent growth can be
added, the light making it possible
to see
movement across it but not sufficient to illuminate
an AREA. If the party were to remain
still, they might hear water dripping
&& perhaps
a far distant echoing of stone striking
stone--but only a single occurrence. As is
usual with natural areas, do not worry overmuch
about describing direction of passages
and walls of caves and caverns, let alone size
and shape. Primitive mapping techniques under
stress conditions would develop just about
the same sort of chart as your players will when
they explore this level.. .wretched, but sufficient
to get from place to place. If they have
made it this far, they do not need any help
from the DM!
Wandering Monsters
Encounters occur 1 in 12; check each turn.
1. 3-12 wandering trolls
2. 2 fire giants and 2 hell
hounds (HD 6,
THACO 13), patrolling
3. 4 male Drow watchers, 3 in 4 to pass
the
party unseen (see below)
Patrol Leader Calirnar of House Eilserv: Spellblade
(Champion | Magician)
(Level
7/6 Fighter/Magic-User); hp 42; MR 64%;
AC 2; THACO 14; #AT 3/2; SA/SD see
special notes; XPV 4,188; Spells:
1st Level: charm person (x2),
magick
missile, spider climb
2nd Level: knock, mirror
image
3rd Level: lightning bolt, protection
from normal missiles
Equipment: chain +1, <small>
shield +1,
model 1832 foot artillery sword
+1, dagger +1
Drow Fighters (3): MR 54%; AC 3; HD 2;
THACO 19; SA/SD see special notes; XPV
65+ 2/hp
Equipment: chain + 1, dagger
<shortsword + 1>
<shortsword + 1>
<baselard>
>1.