Scenario #15: Destroy the Seige Weapons!

 

Introduction

This is a short adventure using the B/X rules for characters of levels 2-4, set in Karameikos in the Known World. 

Scouts in the town of Penhaligon have told their captain they have spied hobgoblins and other humanoids constructing siege weapons in the hills near town. Given that Penhaligon is the only clear target for miles around and also news about the assault on Duke's Road Keep, Lady Penhaligon and her advisors have decided to deal with this preemptively, before the seige weapons get anywhere near the town walls. The PCs are asked to deal with this situation and destroy the siege weapons, and perhaps make things difficult for the enemy to build more of them. The PCs are of course entitled to any treasure they find. 

The hobgoblins have set up base in an abandoned dwarf hall that has a courtyard and perimeter wall outside the underground chambers. They are assisted by human members of the Cult of Chaos who want to see Penhaligon fall. 

Key to the Map

1) The Courtyard. This is surrounded by a wall 20ft high with a walkable parapet and four towers about 25ft high each. The towers are solid, not hollow, so are really just stone platforms with battlements around the top and an external staircase for each one. The guards manning each one are as follows:

1a) 2 hobgoblin crossbowers, 1 hobgoblin

1b) 2 hobgoblins, 1 hobgoblin crossbower

1c) 2 hobgoblin crossbowers, 1 hobgoblin Sergeant. 

1d) 2 hobgoblins, 1 hobgoblin crossbower. 

Note that the hobgoblins in 1b and 1c man the front gate. Any hobgoblin has a 40% chance of being asleep. However, if not asleep then a hobgoblin will notice combat or intruders going on in any adjacent tower. Also a hobgoblin can alert their comrades in an adjacent tower with a loud shout (this can be done at the same time as combat or movement) . This is not intended to be an easy encounter and if the PCs are not clever or careful they may find themselves being mobbed by 11 hobgoblins. Getting through the main gate is not easy as it is barred from the inside with a big wooden beam. Thieves can easily scale the walls - the stonework is rough enough that those trained at climbing need not make a check. Non-thieves will need to make a dex check when trying to climb either the walls or a tower - failure means falling to the ground and taking 1d6 damage. Ropes or ladders may help in this case. Disguises, bluffing and magical charming might work, getting the hobgoblins to open up the gate voluntarily as the hobgoblins have seen human cultists of chaos come and go. 

2) Dining room. There are 4 hobgoblins + 2 hobgoblin crossbowers here as well as 2 tables with 4 chairs each. In a corner is a metal stove with a pot of some sort of stew and  five dead rabbits hanging from hooks waiting to be butchered. There is also a cupboard containing earthenware crockery, metal pots and crude iron cutlery. 

3) The Armoury. This room has racks holding 8 sets of hobgoblin-sized leather armour, 5 shields, 4 hand axes, 5 spears, 4 crossbows and 110 crossbow bolts. 

4) The Dorm. This room has 6 bunk beds and currently has 4 hobgoblins, unarmoured and asleep. They will take 1 turn to don their armour if woken, or if attacked while unprepared they will fight without armour (AC 9). 

5) 2 hobgoblin sergeants are here. Similar to those in room 4 they are unarmoured and asleep unless given prior warning - they will be woken by fighting in room 4 and will prepare themselves in 1 turn before rushing to aid the regular troops. There are 3 beds here and chests containing the sergeants' personal belongings. Sitting on a table is a silver candelabra worth 200gp. 

6) The well. This is 20ft diameter and although the water surface is fairly close to the floor level, the water is very deep (40ft). Although drawing water from the surface is relatively safe, anyone swimming or sinking deeper than 20ft into the well will find the well shaft widens out into a large water-filled chamber and there are inhabitants near the bottom, 3 giant pirhanas. If these are defeated and the PCs don't drown, 40ft below the surface the skeletal remains of a dwarf still wears a gold medallion worth 600gp might be found. 

Giant Pirhana: AC 6, Move 150ft swim, HD 3+3, hp 13, 14, 17, THAC0 16, Att 1 bite for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 7, XP 50

7) Hobgoblin Captain: Here is the leader of the hobgoblins, Shugguthol a tough veteran, and 2 hobgoblin sergeants as his pals and bodyguards. He has a key around his neck that unlocks the treasure chest in this room. It contains 4300sp, 540gp and 4 gems worth 50gp each (a quartet of banded agates). Note that the chest also contains correspondence (in hobgoblinish) from a hobgoblin king based north of Penhaligon who is currently launching attacks against a village called Guido's Fort. 

Shugguthol, hobgoblin captain: AC 3, Move 60ft, HD 4+4, hp 26, THAC0 15, Att 1 sword for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: Chain Mail, Shield +1, Sword +1, dagger

8) Gaerron the Engineer. This room is the quarters of a human military engineer who has turned to Chaos and with a deep hatred of the rulers of Penhaligon who exiled him. His room has a bed, a chest with personal belongings and also a table with pens, paper and lots of drawings and designs for various siege engines and other large mechanical devices. Although unhinged and some of the designs are ridiculous, other designs are ingenious and would be of interest to other engineers. Think of Leonardo da Vinci meets Rube Goldberg. The whole bundle of designs is worth about 100gp if the right buyer can be found. He also has a bookshelf of engineering and mathematical textbooks, as well as some books describing magi-tech as practiced by gnome tinkers. The whole collection of books is worth another 150gp though there are 25 books, each weighing 1lb/10cn. He also has a small bag of 230gp & 24pp. 

Gaerron:  AC 4, Move 90ft, HD F4, hp 23, THAC0 16, Att 1 halberd for 1d10+1, Save F4, Ml 9, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: Chain Mail +1, Halberd, Dagger

9) Ogre Guards: These two ogres stands guard over the quarters of the chaos cultists and are loyal to them. There is a bell hanging off the wall to one side and if the ogres feel threatened or need help they will ring the bell to alert the two cultists in rooms 10 (Naellissa) and 11 (Jorrath).

Ogre: AC 5, Move 90ft, HD 4+1, hp 16, 20, THAC0 16, Att 1 club for 1d10, Save F4, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: crude hide armour, oversized club, shortsword, 60gp each

10) Naellissa , Chaos priestess. In her quarters she has two chests: one contains her personal belongings - the other is a rather dangerous gift from a senior cleric of Chaos: 7 crawling claws. Naellissa cannot actually control them; they will not attack her, but they will scurry out and attack anyone else in the vicinity. She has found trying to get them back in the chest is very difficult and usually involves trapping each one with an up-turned bucket. However, if she feels threatened she will open this chest and unleash the crawling claws.  Naellissa is a fervent true believer and wants to see the siege machines here knock down the walls of Penhaligon, and will do what it takes to see it done. The chest containing the crawling claws has a false bottom - opening it reveals 200pp and a jade gem worth 400gp, as well as a letter of commendation from a mysterious cleric of Chaos called The Rahib in the Temple of the Gray Mountain, near the elven village of Kota-Hutan. 

Chaos Priestess: AC 4,Move 90ft, HD C3, hp 11, THAC0 17, Att 1 mace for 1d6 or 1 spell, Save C3, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 75, equipment: Chain mail, shield, mace, unholy symbol; spells: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Magic 

Crawling Claw: AC 8, Move 60ft, HD 1/2, hp 2, THAC0 20, Att 1 claw for 1d3, Save NM, Ml 12, XP 5  

11) Jorrath the Chaos Mage & Gark. Jorrath is the overseer of this whole location, and can command Naellissa, Shuggothol and Gaerron if necessary. However, he is a wily fox and if things look bad he may try to surrender to the PCs, claiming that he is just an underling and he has valuable information and he was never really convinced by the Cult of Chaos anyway. He is accompanied by a gark, a magical goblin-giant hybrid whom Jorrath rescued from cruel slavery, and now owes Jorrath his life.  Underneath his bed is a loose flagstone. Under the flagstone is Jorrath's sack of treasure: 1700gp, 100pp and a bejewelled silver goblet worth 600gp. 

Chaos Mage: AC 7, Move 120ft, HD MU4, hp 11, THAC0 17, Att 1 dagger for 1d4+1 or 1 spell, Save MU4, Ml 7, align Chaotic, XP 200, equipment: Dagger +1, Spellbook, Potion of Healing, Ring of Protection +1; spells: Magic Missile, Charm Person, Mirror Image, Caustic Bolt (also in his spellbook but not prepared are: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Locate Object, Phantasmal Force)

Gark: AC 4, Move 90ft, HD 4+4, hp 26, THAC0 15, Att 1 battleaxe for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipemnt: chain mail, battleaxe, gold chain worth 75gp wrapped around wrist. 

12) Goblin worker quarters. In here are 5 goblin workers relaxing between shifts. The floor is dotted with straw mattresses and there is a water barrel and a box of rather stale bread in one corner. 

Goblin workers: AC 7, Move 60ft, HD 1-1, hp 4, THAC0 19, Att 1 tool for 1d4, Save NM, Ml 6, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: leather work apron, tool (carpentry hammer, adze, saw, chisel), 5sp each

13) Store room: This place has boxes of nails, screws, planks of timber, sheet metal and coils of rope, the raw materials from which the siege weapons are crafted. 

14) The workshop. Here are 3 hobgoblins, a hobgoblin sergeant and 10 goblin workers. The goblins are wielding crafting tools, not proper weapons and are not carrying shields, though their leather work aprons function as leather armour. The hobgoblins are here to supervise the goblins, and will occasionally kick or slap one to make sure it keeps working. There are numerous parts of siege machinery, including a giant bow that will become part of a ballista, 3 ballista bolts, a ram head and several crude heavy wheels, as well as anvils, work benches and saw horses. 

Goblin workers: AC 7, Move 60ft, HD 1-1, hp 4, THAC0 19, Att 1 tool for 1d4, Save NM, Ml 6, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: leather work apron, tool (carpentry hammer, adze, saw, chisel), 5sp each

15) The hall of siege weapons. Here are a catapult, a ballista and a battering ram. They are constructed out of combinations of metal, timber, rope and leather, and are best destroyed by fire. The large double doors leading from here into the courtyard are barred on this side, so entering into here from the courtyard is very difficult if not impossible without magical means. 

Common Monster Stats

Hobgoblin: AC 6, Move 90ft, HD 1+1, hp 6, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, shield, hand axe, 10sp

Hobgoblin Crossbower: AC 7, Move 90ft, HD 1+1, hp 5, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6 or 1 crossbow bolt for 1d6 (range 80ft/160ft/240ft), Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, hand axe, crossbow, 10 bolts + quiver, 10sp

Hobgoblin Sergeant: AC 6, Move 90ft, HD 2+2, hp 10, THAC0 18, Att 1 sword for 1d8 , Save F2, Ml 9, Align Chaotic, XP 25, equipment: scale mail, shield, sword, dagger, 5gp

Druids? In Mystara?

Source

In most editions of D&D, from 1st Edition AD&D, there have been druids - priests of nature who are similar to but not the same as clerics that follow more personal deities. In Moldvay Basic and Cook/Marsh Expert druids do not exist. By all means have a neutral cleric that worships nature, but they still function as clerics. 

This changes in the Mentzer Companion Set where druids are introduced as an option for 9th level neutral clerics. This means that according to BECMI all druids are 9th level or higher. This may be a deliberate design decision, or it might simply be a result of introducing druids in the Companion Set that focuses on characters of 14th-25th level. 

My proposal is simple. Take the BECMI druid but make it an option at 1st level. The down-side is that druids are restricted to non-metal weapons and armour (clubs, staves, slings, leather armour, wooden shields). The upside is they can choose a druid spell instead of a clerical spell for any given spell slot. As per BECMI they use the same saving throws and attack tables as clerics. Druids cannot turn undead. 

I admit this is not exactly balanced - with substandard equipment and no spells at 1st level, the druid will be distinctly squishy, only a little better in combat than a 1st level magic user who has already expended their one spell. On the other hand it does explain why druids are so rare - there is a survival of the fittest that seems appropriate for a follower of nature. I see druids as more of an NPC class than a PC class for adventuring. Also culturally the druid is much more likely to be found in cultures that are still very close to nature and the elements, such as Traladarans and Atruaghin clans. 

Elven Druids

Many druids are human, but there are elven druids. They must abide by the same restrictions on weapons and armour as their human druid counterparts and also have to use the XP progression for elves, which is a lot slower than clerics and human druids. However, they have one major advantage: elven druids retain the ability to cast magic-user spells as normal elves alongside their clerical/druidic spells. They use the spells per day of an elf, but each slot can be used for a magic-user, druid or cleric spell, thus greatly broadening their magical repertoire .  They use the attack tables and saving throws of elves and also have the racial traits of elves  - improved detection of secret doors, immunity to ghoul paralysis and 60ft infravision. 

I know a few months ago I wrote a post about character class options for elves. Right now I am considering replacing the Elven Mystic (poor choice of name given the Rules Cyclopedia) with the Elven Druid. I see them having a similar role in society, but slightly simpler to run. 

New spells and magic items

There are many new druid spells that can be brought in from other editions, starting with 1st edition AD&D. However, these are subject to the DM’s approval. Similarly there are magic items suitable for druids that can be found elsewhere. 

A few years ago I wrote a post about unusual materials for magic items. Ent-heart wood and crocodile hide are both suitable for druids, being non-metallic. Imaginative DMs might also add new items crafted from other natural materials such as ivory or antler, or even weirder stuff such as the chitinous carapaces of giant insects. 

Other Subclasses?

I have recently watched a Youtube video about assassins and monks. The Mentzer BECMI rules, particularly the Rules Cyclopedia, has the Mystic class, while the Headsman NPC is the BECMI equivalent of the assassin. I haven’t yet included in my Mystara world building but they are there ready to appear,

This opens up a lot of possibilities  regarding subclasses. Although not described as subclasses, the Paladin and Avenger described in the Companion rules are variants of the fighter that are nearly as different from the basic fighter as the druid is from the cleric. Am I going to include them? And how does the Avenger fit in alongside the other chaotic fighter subclass, the Chaos Warrior?

Subclasses and World-Building

One thing I’ve realised is that choosing which subclasses appear is a big part of world-building - it shows what sort of folks inhabit your campaign world (in this case my variant of Mystara). Subclasses link into culture and also themes and moods. Paladins tend to indicate heroism and chivalry, assassins tend to indicate cynicism and brutality, monks & mystics tend to indicate exotic cultures beyond faux-Europe, druids tend to indicate times and traditions from long before the high medieval default assumptions. Samurai, ninja and Sohei are all cultural variants of the base classes suitable for the flavour of Japan, or in this blog’s case the Pearl Islands, my Japan-inspired culture in Mystara. Chaos warriors and Twisted Summoners are not so much cultural so much as tying in with my campaign’s themes of the forces of Chaos and its ability to seduce and recruit the power-hungry and selfish humans. Gnome tinkerers are this campaign’s main practicers of magi-tech which, though not central to my campaign’s themes, is nonetheless present. 

The demihuman classes I have introduced are all indicative that demihumans are not just one-class cultures, and that all demihuman cultures have more than one set of abilities that can be used to go adventuring. 

The bottom line is that I am not going to open the floodgates and allow any and all possible subclasses into this campaign. It is unlikely that this blog will see AD&D-style rangers, paladins, illusionists, bards or the like. However, I will allow them as and when they seem appropriate. Some subclasses are rare and this is absolutely fine. Some editions of D&D (particularly 3E and later) treat all classes as being as equal in power and ease of getting started in, and apparently equal in distribution among PCs and NPCs. I do not see subclasses like this - they are much more specialised, more specific than the very broad and common core classes of Cleric, Fighter, Magic User Thief. Subclasses are definitely not core: They are optional and the DM should treat them as such. 

The Monastery of Odin

 

source

Just five miles north of Whiteheart there is a monastery on the banks of the  Otofjord river. This is run by the clerics of Odin, with 30 actual clerics, 20 men-at-arms and 20 non-combatant lay servants.  The monastery is a centre of clerical training and the clerics are spread across a wide range of levels from acolytes to two Patriarchs. 

Part of the monastery's purpose is to act as the headquarters of the church of Odin in southern Soderfjord, and the monastery advises and supports clerics in nearby villages and towns. The monastery is also known to send squads of clerics to places where they are urgently needed to maintain the ways of Odin and Asgard. The monastery can also offer healing and other clerical services (even Raise Dead) though always at a price. If the recipients do not have enough gold and silver then serivces in lieu may be accepted. 

However, there is an unspoken purpose, one that only the senior clerics know: It is there to keep the lid on a malevolent force of chaos deep beneath the monastery. 

The Cult of Nidhogg was a nihilistic, destructive cult of Chaos that worshipped Nidhogg, a serpentine dragon-like entity of primal chaos that supposedly gnaws on the roots of Ygdrassil, the world tree of Norse cosmology. Furthermore they worshipped a massive green-glowing crystal in a chamber deep in a dungeon beneath where the monastery now sits. The cultists were vicious enemies of Thor, Odin, Frey and Heimdall, but were defeated in a battle over 200 years ago. The dungeons were sealed up and the monastery of Odin was established, with the most senior clerics of Odin being aware of their secret directive - make sure the cult of Nidhogg does not revive. Some might be surprised that clerics of a neutral immortal are getting involved in the conflict between Law and Chaos. They are supposed to be neutral in such matters aren’t they? Normally yes, but the cult of Nidhogg is everybody’s enemy. It is so destructive and corrupting that even normally neutral people and immortals have to confront it.   

The green crystal is similar in nature to the eldritch crystals of the Arvorians, and it is both a source of magical power and also corruption and mutation. There are no normal humans living in the chaos-warped tunnels beneath the monastery but there are creatures kept alive by the crystal's abnormal influence. The cultists of Nidhogg called it The Fang of Nidhogg, and although they did not believe it to be literally a piece of their patron, they did believe it to be sent to them. When the monastery was first being built the clerics in charge ordered that the bottom floor of basement be lined with sheets of metallic lead. This protects the clerics on the surface from the Fang's malign influence radiating from below. There is a lead trapdoor that leads from the basement down a shaft to the dungeons. The clerics of Odin are forbidden to go down there. It is locked by the patriarch, partly to stop people from going down but also (unbeknown to most folks) to stop things from coming up from the dungeon into the monastery. 

The cult of Nidhogg has followers on the surface, particularly a band calling themselves The Gnawers of the Earth. To most folks this is a rather odd name for bandits and thugs led by a lunatic cleric, but those who know of Nidhogg may well make the connection and understand the band's true allegience. The band wants access into to the dungeon but can currently only do so via the monastery. Thus the leaders are considering how to either infiltrate or destroy the monastery. The Gnawers of the Earth have tattoos of a snake or long thin dragon coiled into a spiral,with the head in the centre and the tail on the outside and their banner has the same symbol, albeit a black serpent on a green background. Their latest project is to establish a camp near the monastery and dig their way into the dungeon, bypassing the monastery. 

What is actually in the dungeons is not clear, nor is the size and extent of the dungeon. When the clerics of Odin defeated the cult 200 years ago they attempted to clear the dungeon but the radiation from the Fang of Nidhogg caused such sickness, madness and mutation that they were driven back before they could destroy all their cultist foes. But it is clear that whoever ventures down there should be prepared for many dangers, not all of them monstrous. 

NPCs of the Monastery

Hrallmir Ravenspeaker - Patriarch of Odin for southern Soderfjord

13th level cleric, human male, align Neutral

Str12, Int 13, Wis 18, Dex 8, Con 15, Cha 14

Hrallmir is the most senior cleric in the monastery and takes a broad overview of the situation, including dealing with other senior clerics of Odin in Sodefjord City, Ostland and Vestland. He is ultimately responsible for keeping the forces of Nidhogg contained down below, though it is not his top priority, as he is more focused on proselytising the faith of Odin both among Soderfjorders and foreigners. After all, Odin is a great immortal and if everybody followed him then the world would be much better.  

Grimnir Garrallsonn - Deacon of Odin

10th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Dex 11, Con 10, Cha 13

As Deacon of this monastery, Grimnir is responsible for the day-today running of the establishment and also its defences against both outside attack and also the unspoken threat from below. Grimnir is something of a brawler, and has been in numerous battles and skirmishes. Grimnir knows something of the  Fang of Nidhogg and the dungeon below but does not pay much attention to it, considering it safely contained. He focuses more on immediate problems such as bandits roving around the monastery (including a gang calling themselves The Gnawers of the Earth), and ensuring that folks at the monastery are doing their respective jobs.  

Aesbiornn Oystercracker - Chief Cook for the Monastery

5th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 14, Cha 10

Aesbiornn is the cook for the monastery, and as such regularly enters the cellars where provisions are stored. However, recently he has opened up the lead trapdoor leading to the dungeon. This was mainly out of curiosity though there was also the hope of finding treasure. He is now reluctant to expose his torso as greenish reptilian scales have started to form on his midrift and back, a mutation caused by the accursed aura of the Fang of Nidhogg. Of course, Aesbiornn is not going to tell anybody about this as he might get into trouble. 

Mjorlloth Jurtensonn - Trainer of recruits, Dean of the Monastery

8th level cleric, human male, alignment Neutral

Str 9, Int 14, Wis 15, Dex 10, Con 10, Cha 15

Mjorlloth is responsible for turning teenage aspirants into acolytes and adepts ready to go out into the wider world and serve Odin. 

Svanhild Fairtress - Deaconess of the Monastery

11th level cleric, human female, alignment Neutral 

Str 13, Int 12, Wis 17, Dex 10, Con 13, Cha 11

Svanhild is joint deacon with Grimnir, and she looks after both the lay staff and also the females in the monastery. Technically she is Mathilda’s superior though the two treat each other with mutual respect . She does not quite share Mathilda’s worries but acknowledges the threat below must be contained. She doesn’t get too suspicious about her staff, and she knows that not everybody adheres to the monastic traditions, but there’s something odd about that new scullery maid. 

Mathilda Oswaldottir - Monastery Librarian

10th level cleric, human female, alignment Neutral

Str 8, Int 16, Wis 16, Dex 10, Con 8, Cha 10

Although physically not much, Mathilda is the most knowledgable person in the monastery. She looks after all forms of knowledge, both mundane and esoteric. She also has the powers of rune casting and can teach this to those who she deems worthy. She is the most informed about the Cult of Nidhogg and what lies beneath the monastery, having studied the records of past generations . As such she is also the most concerned, and while other senior clerics consider keeping the forces of Nidhogg contained as a duty, she considers it of vital importance and defending both the monastery and the wider world from an existential threat. Some (such as Grimnir) think she is being overly nervous and a bit obsessive. 

Driffa Hjortdottir - Scullery Maid

2nd level fighter, human female, alignment Chaotic

Str 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Cha 9

Driffa keeps a low profile and generally just does the washing up in the monastery kitchen. She is on good terms with Aesbiornn and will often talk to him. Sometimes they speculate about what’s below that lead trapdoor in the cellar. Driffa is in fact a mole, an agent of Chaos who has infiltrated the monastery. She has links to both the Gnawers of the Earth and also the wider Cult of Chaos across Mystara. She is not brave or foolish enough to go down into the dungeons herself but she will happily encourage others (such as Aesbiornn) to investigate. After all, the cult of Nidhogg must have acquired a lot of treasure before it was overthrown.  

The Shadowdeep and the Underdark

Out of the Abyss

 After my last gaming group ceased I am now gathering a new band of adventurers and hoping to start a new campaign at our local boardgames cafe. This time rather than Descent into Avernus, I am going to run Out of the Abyss, another 5E hardback book for a campaign that should take the PCs from level 1 all the way up to high level (enough to take on demon lords at the end). This adventure combines two well-known aspects of D&D - the Underdark and demons. 

Out of the Abyss starts with the characters as prisoners of the drow, along with a motley crew of fellow prisoner NPCs with their own backgrounds and motives. The first half of the adventure is about escaping the drow and the underdark and making it back to the surface while realising that demon lords are being summoned to the underdark and wreaking havoc. A bit like Descent into Avernus, I get the impression that the book contains the framework and major plot points of the adventure, but as the DM I will probably be fleshing out a lot of the encounters and obstacles along the way. I might be posting some of my homebrew stuff for Out of the Abyss in a similar way to my Descent into Avernus posts: we'll see how things turn out. 

The Underdark 

Although man-made dungeons (or at least humanoid-made) have been part of D&D since its inception, and smaller natural caves and caverns likewise, the idea of the Underdark, a sprawling network of natural caves miles deep beneath the surface containing races and monsters that have never seen the light of the sun really started with D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth, written by Gary Gygax and set in Greyhawk. That series of modules introduced the kuo-toa, the svirfneblin and drow (technically making their first appearance in G3: Hall of the Fire Giant King but really making their presence known in D1). The authors of the Forgotten Realms picked up that idea and ran with it, particularly R. A. Salvatore and his novels about Drizzt Do'Urden (I remember reading and enjoying the Dark Elf series, especially Homeland, which gives Salvatore's dark and gothic view of drow society in Menzoberranzen). Since then it has been a regular feature of D&D through the years. 

There have been numerous products that have looked at the underdark. Off the top of my head and from my own bookshelf, I would list

• 1st Edition AD&D D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth
• 1st Edition AD&D D2: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
• 1st Edition AD&D D3: Vault of the Drow
• 1st Edition AD&D The Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
• 2nd Edition AD&D The Night Below (boxed adventure)
• 2nd Edition AD&D Drizz't Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark
• 2nd Edition AD&D Menzoberranzen boxed set
• 2nd Edition AD&D The Drow of the Underdark (FR sourcebook) 
• 3rd Edition D&D The Underdark (FR sourcebook)
• 3rd Edition D&D City of the Spider Queen

And of course there are plenty of fan projects and products

I may be speculating here, but I think it scratches a particular itch for exploration in a truly alien and dangerous environment. Real world caves are still a dangerous place to go if you are inexperienced and unprepared. And they do have ecosystems of sorts, from bats and bears near the surface to blind fish and albino insects much deeper. The ancient civilizations (Greeks, Meso-Americans and others) knew of these caves and thus began the idea of the mythic underworld, leading to the realm of Hades. It is no coincidence that many depictions of Hell from the real world place it deep underground. 

The D&D Underdark is a mythic underworld of sorts, albeit codified and statted out for game rules. In a way it is the ultimate megadungeon - no party can hope to clear it out or even explore it entirely. For the most part the PCs will be away from safety, supplies and other benefits of towns and cities. It requires an expeditionary mind-set with preparation, plenty of supplies and an awareness of the challenges. Light is almost entirely absent, navigation is very difficult, food is hard to find and sometimes even the air one breathes cannot be taken for granted. Combine that with the psychological effects of isolation, claustrophobia, the threat of underground hazards such as cave-ins and chasms and it becomes clear why the Underdark takes on a reputation of being one of the most hostile environments a D&D adventurer can enter. 

Mystara's Shadowdeep

Does Mystara have an underdark like Oerth or Toril? Yes, although it is generally refered to as the Shadowdeep. A while ago I posted Tilphon's Journal of the Shadowdeep, the account of an Alphatian explorer starting his journey in the Shadowdeep beneath Brun. It has not yet received a part 2, but I think that is more because I am not used to the in-world journal style that I had a go at with that post rather than the environment being explored - I nearly always write from a DM's point of view not that of a character.

Nonetheless, in my version of Mystara the Shadowdeep is there, albeit one of the least explored aspects. One of the things I have drawn upon is issue #14 of Threshold Magazine. Threshold is an amateur magazine put together by members of the Vaults of Pandius and its associated Mystara forum on The Piazza. 

Another important source has been the Gazetteer books, particularly Gaz13: The Shadow Elves. There are hints of underground realms in Gaz2: Emirates of Ylaruam, Gaz7: The Northern Reaches, Gaz4: The Dwarves of Rockhome  and quite a lot in Gaz10: Orcs of Thar. Nonetheless, the Shadowdeep is a lot less developed than Faerun’s Underdark, probably because Mystara and B/X D&D has a vastly smaller audience than the Forgotten Realms and whatever the current edition of D&D is. The bad news is that this means more work for DMs wanting to run Shadowdeep adventures and campaigns. Good news is that the DM has a much more free hand in what they want to put there. And of course just because something in the gazetteers is canon, it doesn’t mean the DM has to stick to it in their campaign. If they want to replace shadow elves with drow or have drow as rivals to the shadow elves, that’s really up to them.

Having said that, I feel it is a good thing to keep the Shadowdeep distinct from the Underdark. I do not intend to bring drow, mindflayers, duergar, svirfneblin and the like to Mystara in this blog - the Shadowdeep is its own thing. To be honest I have mentioned kuo-toa in a post involving fish-folk. Although amusing at the time, I am not sure if it was sensible in the long run. A long time ago I did  a similar post about my homebrew world of Kaelaross and its possible underdark, but I really didn’t come up with anything concrete or playable. And it is a big topic (and geographical volume) to explore and develop. 

My current view is that it is something I can work on in various blog posts. I have a tendency to flit between realms and topics on this blog - Karameikos one week, Norwold another, then new spells, then a homebrew mini-adventure. So I’m not going to make a grand commitment to produce a new quasi-gazetteer, but I’m leaving the Shadowdeep open for me to visit in later blog posts. 

Spells of the Necro-Priests

art by Jeon Tae Kang source

This is a collection of spells for chaotic clerics of a necromantic bent, and although there is a common theme of bones and skeletons these spells should be usable by a wide range of villains, from Eldritch Crusaders among the Arvorians of Norwold to the Cult of Chaos Divided in Alphatia, to the mummified priests of ancient Nithia, to the Hagiocracy of Hule. Note that many of these spells use skeletal parts of deceased humanoids and that these components disintegrate after the spell ends. 

Create Crawling Claw

• Spell Level: 2
• Range: Touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skeletal hand 
• Description: This spell requires the skeletal hand of a humanoid creature. When cast, this skeletal hand turns into a crawling claw, a primitive form of animated undead. Unlike Animate Dead, the necromantic animating force does not last for long, and after the spell duration the skeletal hand reverts back to its inanimate state if not destroyed during its activity. 
• Crawling Claw stats:
• AC: 8
• HD: 1/2 (1d4hp)
• Move: 60ft
• THAC0: 20
• Att: 1 claw
• Dam: 1d3
• Save: NM 
• Ml: 12
• Align: Chaotic
• XP: 5

Ribcage Breastplate

• Spell Level: 3
• Range: Self
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: Self 
• Description: Casting this spell while holding a skeletal ribcage of a deceased humanoid turns the ribcage into a much more robust breastplate, albeit made of bone rather than steel. If the cleric already wears armour the Ribcage Breastplate will give +3 bonus to current AC. If not wearing other armour, the Ribcage Breastplate will give base AC 4 (Dex and shield bonuses can apply). After the casting the ribcage is destroyed. 

Femur Mace

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skull 
• Description: This spell requires the femur (upper leg bone) of a humanoid - when cast the femur is transformed into a boney mace-like club with knobbly protrusions. The caster can wield this as a normal weapon and it gives +2 to hit and does 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 necrotic damage per hit plus any strength modifiers the caster may have.  The Femur Mace may be passed to or picked up by another, though the caster can end the spell at will if the femur mace is picked up by another creature enemy. 

Spinal Whip

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: Caster
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 spinal column  
• Description: To cast this spell the cleric must be holding a humanoid spinal column. Upon casting the spinal column magically extends to the length of a bullwhip and the cleric can wield it as such in one hand. The spinal whip has a reach of 20ft from the caster. The caster may either make a normal lashing attack with the whip  at +2 to hit, doing 2d4 damage per hit, or else the caster can make a grappling attack with the whip, again at +2 to hit. But instead of doing damage, the target is immobilised as the spinal whip coils around them pinning their arms to their sides. The caster can maintain this grip on a target each round but cannot use the spinal whip for anything else. After the casting the spinal column disintegrates.

Bone Digit Missile

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: Instant
• Area of Effect: 5 targets within range 
• Description: This spell requires a skeletal humanoid hand with the bones of all 5 digits. On casting these finger bones shoot out towards targets:  the caster can aim each digit missile at either the same target or 5 different targets within 60ft. Each digit missile requires a roll to hit with the cleric’s dex modifier. On a successful hit the digit does 1d6 piercing damage + 1 per level of the caster (10th level caster will cause 1d6+10 damage per hitting digit). 

Screaming Skull

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: 1 round
• Area of Effect: 1 skull + 20ft radius from skull
• Description: This spell requires the cleric to hold a humanoid skull while casting. When cast, the cleric hurls the skull in the direction of the enemy, up to 60ft away. Where the enchanted skull lands it starts screaming. Any creature capable of feeling fear within 20ft of the skull must make a save vs spells or be overcome with fear and try to flee for 2d6 rounds. Speech and hearing each other over the noise also becomes difficult (Intelligence check needed to hear somebody talking).  Those unable to flee will cower, unable to move or take offensive action. After the casting the skull is destroyed. 

The Temple of Chaos Divided: The Second Dungeon Level Hub

The Temple of Chaos Divided is my attempt at a megadungeon, set in Alphatia. Previous posts on this are:

The Temple of Chaos Divided: Background and the Surface

The Temple of Chaos Divided: The Village of Lymewood

The Temple of Chaos Divided: The First Dungeon Level

Geomorphs for the Temple of Chaos Divided

Some More Geomorphs

The second level of the Temple of Chaos Divided has, as its centre, a hub that has stairs leading up and down as well as passageways leading off to other sectors of the level. The hub has more rooms than the first level hub and feels busier. As with the first level hub, the second level hub is intended to be expanded on using geomorphs, namely my set of 190ft x 190ft tiles. The hub is detailed as a conventional dungeon but the geomorphs on the periphery are up to the DM to place and then stock with monsters, traps and treasures. 

Factions and Groups on the Second Level

Attitudes and reactions of factions: When the PCs encounter different factions, the faction members may not recognise the PCs as intruders, and may either assume the PCs are new recruits or members of other factions.  The reaction table can be used by the DM at their discretion. It is possible that the temple members may try to persuade the PCs to attack other factions by talking of treasure held by the other faction or how the others are the real bad guys. 

The situations between the different Temple factions is tense but not automatically hostile. They are manoeuvring and jostling for territory and resources without resorting to violence most of the time. Also the factions are capable of working with each other when facing a common enemy (such as if the PCs treat the dungeon as one big hack-and-slash, attacking all inhabitants). 

The major exception to this is the gnolls who view any non-gnoll as probably an enemy (-4 to reaction rolls).  

The Temple of Chaos Grandiose (the Ambitious) already have a presence upstairs in the level 1 hub and are continuing their presence on this level. They are led by chaotic humans but include other races including orcs and a few hobgoblins. 

The Temple of Chaos Destructive (the Destroyers) has suffered a setback after their gnoll minions rebelled. However, they still retain hobgoblin footsoldiers while the leadership consists of chaotic humans.

The Temple of Chaos Entropic (the Entropists) prefer undead to living humanoids as their main fighting force and workforce. There are numerous chaotic clerics in their leadership. 

Grakthag’s Gnolls were part of the Destroyers but have broken away in an acrimonious split. Unlike the Temple factions they are far less friendly towards humans and are likely to attack humans and demihumans on sight unless there is good reason not to. 

  

Here's a map of the hub showing the distribution of factions by encounter. 

Random Encounters

Random encounters (roll 1d10)

1) 2d4 Chaos Guards (F1) + 1 Chaos Sergeant (F2) (roll 1d10 for faction: 1-3 The Ambitious, 4-6 The Destroyers, 7-8 The Entropists, 9-10 independent or other faction)

2) 1d6 Chaos Acolytes (C1) + 1 Chaos Adept (C2) (roll 1d10 for faction: 1-3 The Ambitious, 4 The Destroyers, 5-8 The Entropists, 9-10 independent or other faction)

3) 2d6 Skeletons (animated and controlled by the Entropists)

4) 2d4 Zombies (animated and controlled by the Entropists)

5) 3d6 Giant Rats (vermin not linked to any faction)

6) 2d6 Orcs + 1 orc veteran (roll 1d10 for faction: 1-4 the Ambitious, 5-8 The Destroyers, 9-10 independent)

7) 1d8 Hobgoblins (roll 1d10 for faction: 1-2 the Ambitious, 3-7 The Destroyers, 8-10 independent)

8) 1d6 Gnolls - The gnolls on this level have become independent of the major temple factions and are likely to attack any humans. 

9) 2d6 Kobolds - These are the servants and labourers of the dungeon and as such are often associated with one of the factions. Roll 1d10 for faction: 1-3 the Ambitious, 4-6 the Destroyers, 7-10 independent or other faction). Note that these kobolds are cowardly and are more likely to either avoid enemies or try to negotiate to avoid combat. 

10) 1 Chaos Seer (MU2) + entourage (1d6 chaos guards (F1) or DM's discretion). Roll 1d10 for faction:  1-4 The Ambitious, 5-6 The Destroyers, 7-8 The Entropists, 9-10 independent or other faction)

Key to Encounters on the Map 

2.1) The Pool Hall. This room has a large hexagonal pool of water set into the floor, about 5ft deep. There are no fixed encounters here but there are frequent visitors here, often to get drinking water. The pool seems to slowly refill magically. 

2.2)  6 orcs + 1 orc veteran are on guard here. They are nominally allied to the Temple Grandiose but will try to bully and extort money from anyone. 

2.3) Stairs down. Although normally empty, this room has recently been occupied by a giant gecko that lurks on the ceiling and will attack solitary (but not groups of) humanoids. The stairs going down lead to the 3rd dungeon level.

Giant Gecko: AC 5, HD 3+1, HP 14, Move 120ft, THAC0 16, Att 1 bite for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 7, Align Neutral, XP 50  

2.4) Empty

2.5) 3 Chaos Adepts + 3 Chaos Acolytes. This room is filled with beds and racks of clothing and is the living quarters for these cultists of the Temple Entropic. They have unholy symbols of the Temple Entropic to get them past the zombies in 2.6

2.6) 6 zombies stand guard here, attacking anything not wearing an unholy symbol of the Temple Entropic. 

2.7) 3 zombies + 2 zombie wolves stand guard here attacking anything not wearing an unholy symbol of the Temple Entropic.  

2.8) 1 Chaos Priest  + 3 Chaos Acolytes. This room is well-appointed and is the headquarters of The Temple Entropic on this level.  Xanthar the Chaos Priest has a well-crafted leather sack dangling from his belt - this is actually a Bag of Holding. Inside is his treasure: 1220gp, 4300sp and 2 tiger-eye gems worth 100gp each. 

Xanthar the Chaos Priest: AC 3, HD C3, hp 12, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 war hammer for 1d6+1 or spell, Save C3, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 50, equipment: chain mail, Shield +1, war hammer, unholy symbol of Temple Entropic, priestly robe, spells: Rage, Detect Law 

2.9) 4 zombies and 1 zombie wolf stand guard here under the command of the Chaos Priest in room 2.8

2.10) 5 orcs standing guard, allied to the Temple Grandiose

2.11) 6 orcs + 1 orc veteran, allied to the Temple Grandiose. There are a number of straw mattresses in the north side of this room. The orc veteran has a jeweled silver dagger studded with fancy stones and is worth 100gp. 

2.12) The Pillared Hall. This is the main gathering place for the Temple Grandiose and holds 4 chaos guards and 1 chaos adept

2.13) 4 chaos guards + 1 chaos sergeant, of the Temple Grandiose, with a large table, 6 chairs, a wood-fueled stove and several barrels of preserved food and a barrel of beer. 

2.14) 2 chaos acolytes of the Temple Grandiose. This room is sleeping quarters with 3 bunk beds (6 beds)

2.15) 1 chaos Lieutenant + his pet wolf. Trastoni is the leader of the Temple Grandiose in this hub. Trastoni keeps his treasure in a sack underneath his wolf's bedding: 6220sp, 125pp and a set of 5 silver goblets and a matching silver jug worth 700gp (100gp per goblet, 200gp for jug). 

Wolf: AC 7, HD 2+2, hp 11, THAC0 17, Att 1 bite for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 10, Align Neutral, XP 25

Trastoni the Chaos Lieutenant: AC 2, HD F4, hp 19, Move 60ft, THAC0 18, Att 1 sword for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 125, equipment: plate mail, Sword +1, shield, tabard

2.16) The Lesser Cloisters. This corridor has 6 small rooms all to one side. Each has a bed and small table. b, c & f all have 1 chaos guard each although there is a 50% they will have doffed their armour and be asleep. All the guards are loyal to the Temple Grandiose and answer to the Chaos Lieutenant in room 2.15.

2.17) 3 crab spiders lurking in the corners of this room; they have 1-4 on d6 chance of surprising anyone entering here. There are several humanoid corpses lying on the ground attesting to the spiders' lethality. One of these was a Chaos Adept who was carrying a wrought-silver amulet worth 300gp which is only found on careful searching of the bodies. 

Crab spider: AC 7, HD 2*, hp 9 each, Move 120ft, THAC0 18, Att 1 bite for 1d8 + poison, Save F1, Ml 7, Align Neutral, XP 25, poison: targets bitten must save vs poison at +2 bonus or die in 1d4 turns

2.18) 3 gnolls are here

2.19) Empty

2.20) 4 gnolls + 6 large beds

2.21) Grakthag the Gnoll leader + hyaenodon (stats as dire wolf) + locked chest with 5800sp +1100gp + 50pp. The key to the chest is around Grakthag's neck. 

Gnoll Leader: AC 4, HD 4, hp 20, Move 90ft, THAC0 15, Att 1 sword for 1d8+2, Save F4, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 75, equipment: Sword +1, chain mail, shield, potion of healing (heals 1d6+1hp)

2.22) The Greater Cloister has 6 rooms off this corridor. Rooms a, c & f each have 3 gnolls (9 gnolls total), rooms b & e are empty and d has 10 giant rats lurking under a wooden bed. 

2.23) 4 gnolls + 1 hyaenodon (stats as dire wolf)  are around a campfire in the middle of the chamber. 

2.24) Empty

2.25) 1 Gelatinous Cube lurks here. Anyone looking carefully will see 3 gems suspended in its body. These are 2 agates worth 50gp each and a moonstone worth 200gp. 

Gelatinous Cube: AC 8, HD 4*, hp 16, Move 60ft, THAC0 16, Att 1 slam for 2d4 + paralysis, Save F2, Ml 12, Align Neutral, XP 125, paralysis: target must save vs paralysis or be unable to move for 2d4 turns

2.26) Empty

2.27) Empty

2.28) Shrine of Chaotic Death. There are 2 chaos adepts + 4 chaos guards here. All belong to the Temple Entropic. The statue (of a robed skeletal undead figure) at the north end is cursed and anyone touching it suffers 1d6 necrotic damage and a further 1d6 damage per round of touching. The cultists use this as a form of torture, punishment and sacrifice, forcibly pushing victims up against the skeletal statue. 

2.29) 2 chaos acolytes + 2 chaos guards of the Temple Entropic

2.30) Chaos sergeant + chaos priestess Eriadna of the Temple Entropic. Although officially she is second in command to Xanthar (room 2.8) she feels she deserves more respect. Adventurers might be persuaded to remove Xanthar, thus leaving Eriadna as leader of the Temple Entropic on the 2nd level. Underneath her bed she has a sack containing 4600sp, 240gp, a carved walrus tusk showing scenes from Norwold worth 500gp and a scroll with the clerical spells Hold Person, Know Alignment and Aura of Shadows.

Eriadna the Chaos Priestess: AC 4, HD C3, hp 14, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 mace for 1d6+1 or spell, Save C3, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, equipment: chain mail, shield, Mace +1, unholy symbol of Temple Entropic , priestly robes. Spells: Blood Loan, Rage

2.31) 15 skeletons, animated by the Temple Entropic

2.32) Empty apart from a Magic Mouth that utters blasphemous curses when any non-chaotic human enters this chamber. 

2.33) Chapel of the Damned. Here are 6 chaos guards + 1 chaos sergeant of the Temple Destructive. The statue at the north end is of a demonic creature. Any lawful creature touching it must save vs spells or be afflicted with a Blight spell (opposite of Bless) for 1 day (or until dispelled). 

2.34) 6 hobgoblins + 2 hobgoblin crossbowers standing guard for the Temple Destructive

2.35) 2 hobgoblins + 1 hobgoblin leader of the Temple Destructive. The hobgoblin leader has an earthenware jar filled with 2500sp and also wears a pair of ornately embossed leather bracers worth 100gp (40gp each).  

2.36) This room is dominated by an oval pool of water that is drinkable. 

2.37) 4 chaos guards + 2 hobgoblin crossbowers of the Temple Destructive + 4 bunk beds. Each has a 50% chance to not be wearing their armour and be asleep. 

2.38) 1 Chaos Lieutenant, leader of the Temple Destructive in  this hub. Her name is Ranshani and she speaks fluent hobgoblin, and her strength gives her +1 to hit and damage. She keeps her treasure in the form of 4 gems worth 500gp each (2 topazes, 2 peridots) and 230gp in coins. 

Ranshani the Chaos Lieutenant: AC 2, HD F4, hp 18, Move 60ft, THAC0 17, Att 1 two-handed sword for 1d10+1, Save F4, Ml 11, Align Chaotic, equipment: Plate Mail +1, Two-Handed sword, dagger

2.39) 4 hobgoblins + 3 hobgoblin crossbowers loyal to the leader in 2.35 and to the Temple Destructive. 

2.40) Stores including barrels of preserved meat, wine and dried wheat. 

2.41) Empty

2.42) 1 ogre. He has temporarily allied with both the Temple Destructive and Temple Grandiose, and might be open to negotiation. His name is Lurguz and he is worried about the giant rattlesnake in 2.43 and may ask potential allies to kill the snake as a sign of good faith. He has a sack with 1200gp, 5000sp and 4 gold ingots worth 100gp each. 

Ogre: AC 5, HD 4+1, hp 20, Move 90ft, THAC0 15, Att 1 club for 1d10, Save F4, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 125 

2.43) 1 Giant Rattlesnake lurks here amidst the bones of previous prey, including human, orc and hobgoblin remains. Scattered among these remains are 43gp and 69sp

Giant rattlesnake:  AC 5, HD 4*, hp 17, Move 120ft, THAC0 16, Att 2 bites for 1d4 + poison each, Save F2, Ml 8, Align Neutral, XP 125. Poison: Target must save vs poison or die in 1d6 turns

2.44) 3 skeletons + 4 zombies have been set here by the Temple Entropic to keep the rattlesnake away from the living members of the faction. 

Common Monster Stats

Chaos Acolyte: AC 4, HD C1, hp 4, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 mace for 1d6, Save C1, Ml 9, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: chain mail, shield, mace, unholy symbol, clerical robes, 20sp

Chaos Adept: AC 3, HD C2, hp 8, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 mace for 1d6 or spell, Save C2, Ml 10, Align Chaotic, XP 25, equipment: banded armour, shield, mace, unholy symbol, clerical robes, 5gp, spells: 1x 1st level cleric spell, usually Cure Light Wounds, Darkness or Rage 

Chaos Guard, AC 4, HD F1, hp 5, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 spear for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: chain mail, shield, spear, tabard, 10sp

Chaos Sergeant: AC 3. HD F2. hp 10. Move 90ft. THAC0 18, Att 1 sword for 1d8+1, Save F2, Ml 9. Align Chaotic, XP 20, equipment: banded armour, shield, sword, tabard, 5gp

Dire Wolf/Hyaenodon: AC 6. HD 4+1, Move 150ft, THAC0 15, Att 1 bite for 2d4, Save F2, Ml 8, Align Neutral, XP 125 

Gnoll: AC 5, HD 2, hp 9, Move 90ft, THAC0 18, Att 1 weapon for 1d6+1, Save F2, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 20, equipment: scale armour, shield, either spear or hand axe, 30sp 

Hobgoblin: AC 6, HD 1+1, hp 6, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, shield, hand axe, 10sp

Hobgoblin Crossbower: AC 7, HD 1+1, hp 5, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 hand axe for 1d6 or 1 crossbow bolt for 1d6 (range 80ft/160ft/240ft), Save F1, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 15, equipment: leather armour, hand axe, crossbow, 10 bolts + quiver, 10sp

Orc: AC 6, HD 1, hp 5, Move 90ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 spear for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 7, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: leather armour, shield, spear, 5sp

Orc Veteran: AC 6, HD 2, hp 9, Move 90ft, THAC0 18, Att 1 sword for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 8, Align Chaotic, XP 20, equipment: leather armour, shield, sword, 15sp

Skeleton: AC 7, HD 1, hp 5, Move 60ft, THAC0 19, Att 1 weapon for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 12, Align Chaotic, XP 10, equipment: shield, weapon (either spear, hand axe, shortsword or hammer), Undead: as undead, skeletons are immune to sleep, charm and mind affecting spells as well as poison and disease

Zombie: AC 8, HD 2, hp 9, Move 90ft, THAC0 18 (always attacks last), Att 1 weapon for 1d8, Save F2, Ml 12, Align Chaotic, XP 20. Undead: as undead, zombies are immune to sleep, charm and mind affecting spells as well as poison and disease 

Zombie Wolf: AC 6, HD 3+2, hp 16, Move 120ft, THAC0 16, Att 1 bite for 1d6+1, Save F3, Ml 12, Align Chaotic, XP 50, Undead: as undead, zombie wolves are immune to sleep, charm and mind affecting spells as well as poison and disease

My Experience of D&D through the Editions

 

art by Jeff Easley

This post is my opinion based on my own experiences and is not intended to be a definitive history. 

I have recently gotten hold of a PDF of the Holmes Basic edition of D&D. For those that don’t know, this was the edition that was intended to smarten up and clarify Original D&D (the three white books), then encouraged players to move on to Advanced D&D, yet was also the direct ancestor of Moldvay Basic D&D, which is the set I first had and was my introduction to this hobby. I was going to write about just Holmes Basic and what can be borrowed from it in my B/X D&D Mystara campaign, but I’ve ended up thinking about all editions of D&D. 

My Feelings on the Matter

I think a lot of people can get defensive and close-minded about editions. In my 40 years in the hobby I have seen a number of edition wars, waged in the Forum pages of Dragon Magazine, the early Usenet forums on the nascent world wide web and of course other online places like Reddit, EN World and various blogs. One thing that irks me is when people decide quite arbitrarily what is or is not “proper” D&D. This is often based on what edition they grew up with and played with their friends when they were discovering  the game. I think it’s quite normal and natural to have a favourite edition, and that is probably going to be influenced by nostalgia. I myself wrote this blog because I wanted to get back to Moldvay Basic D&D, which I was given for Christmas 1982. It still is my favourite edition. But I try not to confuse nostalgia with being the “correct” edition, especially when talking to others. 

I have always acknowledged that D&D is always changing. It has ever since it was first published. There are those who denounce the the three supplements to the white booklets, Supplement 1: Greyhawk, Supplement 2: Blackmoor & Supplement 3: Eldritch Wizardry as deviating from “proper D&D” which should be the three booklets (Men & Magic,  Monsters & Treasure, Underworld & Wilderness Adventures) and nothing else. Thieves? Variable damage dice for weapons? Different hit dice for classes?  Bah! Newfangled nonsense!. And I believe the game will continue to evolve. 5.5E probably won’t be the final edition. That doesn’t mean I will definitely play 6th or 7th edition if and when they are published, but I’ll try to have an open mind about them and not be bitter about WotC abandoning MY edition, or resentful to those who play the new ones. Players and DMs who prefer the older editions can still continue with the books they already have - the two downsides are that firstly WotC (or whatever publisher) won't be putting out more support for that edition; secondly new editions will split the fan base and a large number of players will move along to the new edition, reducing the number of potential players for the old edition. 

I also think it is quite reasonable to like or dislike rules and mechanics within each edition. Some will veer towards the crunch-heavy side (5E and 3.5E spring to mind) while others will go for as rules-lite as possible (OD&D or its OSR imitators).  Rules vs Rulings is often a matter of taste rather than objective quality. Sometimes the size of the books is more dependent on the options available rather than explaining the underlying mechanics - new races, feats, classes, subclasses, prestige classes, kits, spells, equipment, magic items and the like can all add to the page count.  And I have seen lots of discussions (sometimes heated) about the pros and cons of different mechanics and rules, usually on the internet. 

WotC can piss people off. And as a big corporation they have made some bad business decisions. That Pinkerton incident (yes I know it was about Magic the Gathering, not D&D, but it is still the same corporation) will haunt them for a long time. Good - they deserve to be reminded of it. And that attempt to rewrite the OGL did not go down well with anybody else. But I don’t think we should look at TSR through rose-tinted glasses either. Gary Gygax’s treatment of Dave Arneson, Lorraine Williams ousting of Gary in turn, TSR’s ferocious approach to amateur D&D work on the early web all show that big businesses will behave like big businesses. I remember on the Usenet forums before TSR went bankrupt it was regularly referred to as T$R, and some players were regularly advocating piracy as T$R didn’t deserve their money. Despite all these corporate shenanigans I have not been put off from buying TSR or WotC products as long as I am interested in the actual product. Other people can boycott WotC if they want, and I’m not going to argue with them. But I don’t have to join in either. 

My personal experiences with D&D Editions

OD&D (Gygax & Arneson, 1974): I do have the PDFs, but I have never actually played it. Seeing as I don’t have Chainmail rules, I don’t think I’ll even try as it looks like a disorganised mess. But I do know that other people still play it and that retroclones of it have done well. 

Holmes Basic D&D (Eric J Holmes, 1977): Like I said earlier, I have recently acquired the PDF. It is interesting and is the branching point for B/X from AD&D. I probably won’t use anything in it but it is nice to read as an important part of D&D history. The presentation and explanation has greatly improved from OD&D.  

B/X D&D (Moldvay, Cook, Marsh, 1981): The first rules I owned (the magenta Basic D&D box with Keep on the Borderlands), and the rules I played with in prep school (ages 10-12). Very formative years, and lots of nostalgia. I still like the relative lightness of the rules even if I have sometimes found the race-as-class idea somewhat restrictive. 

BECMI D&D (Frank Mentzer, 1983): I was given Mentzer's Expert boxed set rather than the Cook/Marsh one, with the Larry Elmore cover. I reckon BECMI is so close to B/X that they are effectively the same edition though with very different presentations - perhaps Basic D&D 1.5. I also have the Companion rules and the Masters Rules (though the Masters Rules are only as a PDF). Honorable mention goes to the Rules Cyclopedia, the most complete game in one book that I own, and it is often the D&D book  I take on holiday. Incidentally this is the edition I used to play D&D with nephews and nieces a long time ago (we had a week's holiday together and they were between 8 and 12 I think - the oldest is now 26). 

1st Edition AD&D (Gary Gygax, 1977+): This is what I started playing at boarding school, particularly the earlier half (age 13-15). Again lots of nostalgia during formative years. I had nearly all the hardback books.  The fact that it was Advanced, not Basic, made us feel more grown-up.... There are things about this edition that I still enjoy and refer to, such as the appendices in the back of the DMG. 

2nd Edition AD&D (David Zeb Cook, 1989); The later years of boarding school (age 16 to 17) saw the introduction of 2E and my D&D friends and I switched. There was of course the assumption that newer is better, but we ended up playing a mash-up of 1E and 2E, with older modules, assassins, monks and half orcs making their appearances in our 2E games.  I still like how 2E clarified the rules, improved the Ranger and Bard classes, actually had a consistent mechanic for surprise and was a little less arbitrary than Gary’s 1E. However, it was also somewhat less flavourful and played it a bit too safe (I was disappointed at the initial lack of devils & demons, though they were brought back later). I bought more 2E books at university (including Dark Sun, Planescape and lots of Forgotten Realms books) but at university I never really found a group I was comfortable playing with. 

3rd Edition D&D (Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, 2000). I bought a lot of the books but I didn't get to play much - this was definitely a dry period, where I spent a lot of time world-building and dreaming of creating great adventures and supplements but never getting them further than my hard drive. There were some things about this edition I really liked, but others I was less enthusiastic about. One of the great things was the Open Game License which allowed all sorts of third-party products including adventures, settings and even whole games based off D&D, which led to retro-clones and the OSR. The thing I least liked about this was the increasing complexity  - the skills system, calculating monster XP, the massive bloat in terms of feats and prestige classes. A lot of my world building and unpublished adventurers ended up summarising NPCs as race, class & alignment rather than doing proper stat blocks, which could get really big for high level characters. 

4th Edition D&D (Rob Heinsoo, James Wyatt, 2008): I skipped this one. I did actually buy the three core books but on perusing I decided I didn’t like it. I didn’t even get to try the mechanics - I was put off by the radical changes to things like races, alignment, adding new classes & races, dropping established ones and telling players and D&Ds  “Don’t bother trying to convert your old campaign to 4E, just start a new campaign with these new classes, races & cosmology”. And I just went “Nope.” The best thing that 4th Edition did was to push me towards the OSR (Old School Revival) where I found retroclones such as OSRIC, Swords & Wizardry and of course my favourite, Labyrinth Lord, which led me back to Basic D&D. To be fair there wasn't much opportunity for actual play during this period either. However, I became more active on the internet, including joining EN World,  Dragonsfoot and the now-defunct Goblinoid Games forum. And of course I started my blog during this period. 

5th Edition D&D (Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, 2014): I bought the core books fairly early on, soon after each one was released, but I didn’t get to play until a few years ago at a board games cafe. Since then I’ve played more 5E than almost any other edition. The current edition always has a competitive edge over out-of-print editions, and although I was hoping to run a B/X game, the demand was for 5E. It turns out to be a pretty good, decent system - the campaign would not have lasted 2 years if I thought the rules were complete crap. It is more rules-intensive than B/X or AD&D, but not intolerably so. The campaign I have been running has recently ended unexpectedly. This is sad, but I do not regret the time and effort I spent running it. The two years or so DMing the campaign has meant I have gotten used to 5E and perhaps even some confidence in running it. Beforehand I had the books but really didn’t know what it felt like to play: Now I do. 

Orcs in the Known World

Orcs are second only to humans as the most populous humanoids of the Known World. They have made their homes wherever they can, including across other regions and continents of Mystara, usually in places that humans have decided not to colonise. Mountains, dense forests, caves and swamps are all potential homes for orcs.  

Image by Sam Wood from
D&D 3E Monster Manual

Alignment and outlook

Orcs are nearly always chaotic in alignment. The reason behind this is not clear - is it nature or nurture? If a baby orc was taken from its tribe and raised in human society, how would the orc turn out, and what alignment of cosmic forces would it associate with? The results are few and far between, but they do indicate that it is a combination of tribal ways and deeply embedded instincts. Those orcs raised in civilised places are nearly always aggressive and short-tempered, and often respecting might more than morals - the pecking order is how they fit into society. However, these civilised orcs are also able to curb their wanton violence, follow the rules and can often become useful members of society as long as they have some authority keeping an eye on them. Left to their own devices they have a habit of reverting to chaotic behaviours. 

Orcs are nearly always tribal rather than completely feral - they naturally gather into groups and although within the group there is a hierarchy enforced by occasional violence, there is also a certain tribal cohesion and loyalty. Reading and writing is rare, and usually taught by other races, and even then it is only some of the more intelligent orcs that become literate - often chiefs, shamans and those with potential for leadership. Oral tradition is the mainstay of orcish culture - stories and verbal histories are how orcs understand their place in the world. And it is also how they remind each other of how orcs have been wronged and cheated out of their rightful place as the masters of Mystara. A bit like within a tribe, orcs see different races as a pecking order, a hierarchy of strength. Bugbears and ogres are bigger and tougher individually but not as numerous, while goblins and kobolds are small runts to be kicked and bossed around. 

There are some races whose history with the orcs is too bitter, too unjust, to be tolerated. Elves and dwarves are at the top of this list and will usually be attacked on sight, but humans, gnomes and halflings are often viewed as no better, and subject to a similar hatred and aggression from the orcs. The orcs of the Cruth Mountains for example have a mixed view of halflings - sometimes as soft and easy targets to be enslaved and bullied, but at other times (particularly when the hin fight back) as vermin to be exterminated without mercy. 

It is fortunate that orcs are not good at getting together into a large coherent nation - they are so numerous they would threaten and probably overrun any current nation. One example of orcs actually gathering in strength was the recent attack on Dukes Road Keep, which nearly fell to the orcish horde. As it is, they are so disparate and disorganised that many adventurers start off their careers taking on small bands of orcs that are threatening trade caravans or farmsteads. Nonetheless, their nearly continual presence on the borders of civilization means that all nations need some sort of defence force to protect their citizens from orcish predation. Even if that nation is involved in all-out war with another realm, they would have to be truly desperate or singleminded to strip away the militia defending villages and towns. Orcs are the footsoldiers of Chaos, the ever-present threat that seeks to destroy civilization, the ravening horde of evil.

 

Ravening Horde by Chris Achilleos

Orc Regions of the Known World

Note that few of these are coherent nations - many are just gatherings of tribes who are as likely to attack each other as to fight other races. No populations are given as their numbers fluctuate according to food supply and success or failure in battle. Besides, it allows the DM to muster as many orcs as his adventure requires. This collection of regions is not complete, and there are plenty of other places orcs might be found. The ones listed here are generally in mountainous terrain and mountains are favoured by orcs because humans, their greatest rivals, are less likely to settle there, but as mentioned above, orcs can live in all sorts of environments. 

The Black Peaks: Between the Republic of Darokin to the north and Grand Duchy of Karameikos to the south, the Black Peaks are part of the group of mountain ranges that run through the Known World, connecting to the Altan Tepes to the east and Cruth mountains to the west. The orcs here are dangerously restless and often fall under the sway of powerful creatures such as red dragons, hill giants and malevolent wizards. Their most recent display of strength was the attack on the Duke’s Road Keep. Where the Black peaks join the Altan Tepes there is Castellan Keep and the Caves of Chaos. Some of the orcs here have thrown their lot in with the Cult of Chaos, though others are more reticent and stay independent. 

The Cruth Mountains: This range sits between southern Darokin and the Five Shires, and is really an extension of the Black Peaks. The orcs here have been a major threat to the Hin, and several times in history have conquered the Five Shires, enslaving the halflings there. Although they have been beaten back, they nonetheless have numerous tribes in the Cruth Mountains ready for another opportunity to attack the small folk. Interestingly these orcs are not particularly interested in Darokin to the north, perhaps seeing the humans as tougher or maybe not as profitable. 

The Orclands: To the northeast of Darokin, north of Selenica and Alfheim, there is the Dwarfgate Mountains, named because they link Darokin to the dwarf land of Rockhome. However, this region is more colloquially known as the Orclands because of the large number of orcs and other humanoids that dominate here. It is fair to say that the Darokin Army has lost strategic control of the land between the mountains and Alfheim to the orcs. Deep in these mountains is a stronghold of Chaos called Derothgar. Although dominated by chaotic humans, nonetheless Derothgar exerts a powerful influence on the surrounding orc tribes, offering bribes or punishment as the leaders in Derothgar see fit. 

The Broken Lands: This is the main realm of the orcs, ruled by the great king Thar who manages to hold together various humanoid populations in what is known as the Great Horde. There are 3 main groups of orc here, Orcus Rex, Yellow Orkia (the Akkila Khanate) and Red Orcland (Wogaria). The orcs here believe they are the central hub of the orc race. Most other orcs beyond the Broken Lands are not even aware the Great Horde exists, let alone paying attention to it. 

Norwold: Orcs dwell in the far north of Brun and compete with other arctic and subarctic races, fighting with elves, lupins and human colonists. They are usually in independent tribes but some have fallen under the sway of the Arvorians, acting as foot soldiers, servants and labourers. Although not quite the massive threat faced by some nations further south, that may be because in Norwold there are even greater monstrous predators such as white dragons and frost giants (not to mention the Arvorians) that orcs seem secondary in comparison. 

Orc Encounters and game statistics

The standard orc given in the Basic Rules is still the default and if there is no particular reason why they should be different, then those are the stats used. There may well be variations, particularly if the orcs are given pole-arms or missile weapons (bows or crossbows).  for example, from the adventure Berresford's Ruined Tower we have 

Crossbow Orc: AC 7, Mv 90ft, HD 1, hp 4 each, THAC0 19, Att 1 crossbow bolt (range 80/160/240) for 1d6 or hand axe (melee) for 1d6, Save F1, Ml 7, Align C, 10 XP, equipment: leather armour, light crossbow, 10 bolts, hand axe, 10sp

Tougher leaders can be done using the stats in the Basic Rules for leaders and chiefs. However, I prefer to use my homebrew rules for humanoid NPCs. Orc shamans likewise use these new rules. If I am using multiple minor orc leaders in an adventure I may well give them a standard stat block though this is usually based on them being 2nd level orc warriors. For example from the adventure Iseldek's Drop: 

Orc Veteran: AC 6, Move 120ft, HD 2, hp 10, THAC0 18, Att 1 weapon for 1d6+1, Save F2, Ml 8, Align C, equipment: Leather armour, shield, hand-axe, 2d6+7sp 

I know that both Gaz10 The Orcs of Thar and the Rules Cyclopedia have rules for Wiccans (also known as witch-doctors) the magic users of the humanoids. However, I tend not to use Wiccans as studying arcane magic does not really fit with my idea of orcs, and you probably won’t see them on this blog. 

The Selenica Co-operative

 

source

The Selenica Co-operative is a network of merchants who have agreed to work together to stay in business and protect themselves and their goods. As the name suggests, the group is centred on Selenica in eastern Darokin and as such is on a crossroads between various nations including Karameikos, the Five Shires, Ylaruam and Rockhome. The merchants are all travelling traders, moving goods and money around between cities and countries, and generally do not maintain static shops, though they often trade with those that do. 

The four main functions of the cooperative are

1. Mutual defence. Members of the co-operative will often band together into large and well-guarded caravans when travelling to the same destination, or at least travelling the same road for a distance. Given how dangerous some of the mountain passes and hills can be, this is a sensible precaution. Bandits and monsters are less likely to raid a large caravan than a sole trader. 
2. Trade and financial information. There is a general understanding in the co-operative that news about trade and economics is important for finding the best deals and avoiding difficulties. As such members of the cooperative will tell each other about the ebb and flow of commodities, the activities of rivals who might compete with the cooperative, and laws and taxes in the places the cooperative might do business.
3. Avoiding competing with each other. Merchants don't like cutting prices simply because somebody else is selling similar wares cheaper. Although there is some disagreement and arguing within the co-operative, it is considered a safe place to sort out potential rivalry and help merchants find alternative markets. 
4. Loans at reasonable rates of interest. Admitedly what counts as reasonable can be subjective, but as long as both lender and borrower are in agreement, this has kept various merchants solvent and in business when they might otherwise have been ruined by the ups and downs of life as a travelling merchant.

Darokin is a land famous for its merchants including the great merchant houses that employ dozens or even hundreds of workers, and a head of the house overseeing all of its business, with junior merchants often acting under instruction. The Selenica Co-operative is far less hierarchical, and all members are at least in principle equals (though richer members are more equal than others). Each merchant in the co-operative is considered an independent trader looking after their own business and making their own deals. Most members are from Darokin but in the fifty years since it started in Selenica, more merchants from other places have joined, including:

• Ylaruam. This includes Parsa and Ylaruam City. The co-operative avoids Abbashan as they have had bad experiences with the theocracy there. In Cinsa-Men-Noo there is Maerell Dhambor, who is not a member but has had friendly dealings with the co-operative. 
• Karameikos, including Specularum, Kelvin and Penhaligon. Specularum is also a trading port for members who wish to trade further across the sea. In Penhaligon there are two members - Beltorphix and Maddrasso.  
• Rockhome. Though there are great opportunities to trade between Darokin and Rockhome, currently the only safe route through the mountains is into Ylaruam’s Parsa and then north through the Ust-Urt valley and through Karrak Castle. Nonetheless, merchants of the co-operative consider this long way round to still be worthwhile and in Greenston there is Meribidus Silverbrow   
• Athenos in the south of Darokin is the nation’s main port, and as such many merchants will either sell to foreign merchants here or else hire ships to trade overseas. 
• Corunglain in the north of Darokin is both a large city of customers and also the jumping off point for merchant caravans braving the dangerous routes to Glantri and Ethengar. There are several members of the co-operative based here. The mutual defense clause of membership is frequently invoked and the co-operative makes sure that caravans heading north into the Broken Lands are as well protected as they can afford to be. 
• Ierendi City. Note that the members are quite cautious about trading here - the city itself may be safe but the surrounding seas are patrolled by pirates from Vlaad. No sane member of the co-operative will trade actually in one of Ierendi’s pirate ports. 
• Thyatis City and Kerendas. The Empire of Thyatis is a great opportunity for trade, and the co-operative has several merchants based there. Goods will often be loaded onto a ship at Specularum and make the short trip past Minrothad. 
• No direct trade with Minrothad City occurs, primarily because of the Minrothad Guilds’ policies and insistence on maintaining a near-monopoly in their homeland. But sometimes Minrothad merchants will trade with members of the co-operative either in Kerendas or Specularum. 

The Selenica Co-operative is quite open-minded about its membership. A certain level of trustworthiness is required, so no theft from or assaulting other members is tolerated. Fraud and getting into trouble with law enforcement is likewise frowned on, and slandering other merchants (especially those within the co-operative) is discouraged. These basic rules mean that most of the cooperative are Lawful or Neutral in alignment - Chaotic types tend not to fit into the co-operative’s ethos. However, a range of races and nationalities are represented, and female merchants are welcome as well. This is primarily a matter of professionalism - the ability to do business and make money is the most respected attribute. 

Although not hierarchical, the co-operative does have leadership of sorts in the form of the Board of Directors, who are the 9 most senior or wealthy merchants in the co-operative who are asked to set the rules, welcome or expel members and deal with disputes between members. Although there is a certain amount of political manoeuvring both by those on the board and those seeking to ascend to the board, it does generally work fairly well, partly because of the ever present competition of the big merchant houses.  Those on the board who are particularly selfish, incompetent or greedy will find themselves outvoted on decisions and possibly voted off the board if the other eight directors would rather have someone different. Nonetheless, the board has run into trouble when one or more directors have been magically influenced (usually involving Charm or Suggestion spells) and there was one period when a rival major merchant houses was using a mage to scry on the board of directors meetings.