Old School Role Playing

“Black Lotus Street Peddler : Hey… black lotus… Stygian… the best!

Subotai : This had better not be Haga!

Black Lotus Street Peddler : I would sell Haga to a slayer such as you?”

This was one of my favorite scenes from the Arnold version of Conan the Barbarian. Street peddlers in major fantasy cities and towns would offer all kinds of strange and exotic things to the people passing by in the streets. It is only logical that drugs of some kind would be among the offerings. Yet rarely is it mentioned in the rules of Dungeons and Dragons.

I say rarely…. But there are a few places in which drugs are mentioned. But the discussion of them in relation to Dungeons and Dragons is hardly exhaustive. It is hardly illuminating at all. For good sources of information on this subject one needs to look to outside sources for inspiration. There are many articles on the web regarding drugs.

Drug Use in Dungeons and Dragons is an obvious oversight

Most of the rules of Dungeons and Dragons have mirrored those issues in which we see in real life. Alcohol is discussed in various editions of the game. And it is a common enough issue that one would likely encounter it on just about any visit to a city or town. Taverns are, of course, everywhere in Dungeons and Dragons. And they certainly are not serving milk to their patrons. But medieval fantasy worlds should mirror what medieval life was like in the real world.

Opium, Hashish and other substances have been around a very long time. Certainly adventurers in a medieval type fantasy world will have heard of such substances and may have encountered them.

Drug Use in Dungeons and Dragons can help set the atmosphere of a shady fantasy city

No. I do not mean you should give your players drugs. I am talking about making a seedy city or town come to life be showing those things that we know from our own experiences. The Black Lotus seller from Conan is a good example. He offers the substance to Conan and Subotai but is doing so in a quiet whispering voice. He knows that it is either illegal or at least frowned upon by the local officials. He also gets defensive when it is suggested that the product might be only Haga. This suggests that, like today, drugs are sometimes watered down by other substances in order to make it more profitable to sell. Sounds kind of familiar right?

Some important considerations for Drug Use in Dungeons and Dragons

Introducing drugs into your game comes with a number of other issues. These issues will affect the characters that take these drugs over the long term. Such issues might include:

• The immediate effects might be depressive, hallucinatory, mind altering, stimulating, etc….
• The character might become dependent on the drug
• The character might become addicted to the drug
• After the drug wears off the character might become suddenly exhausted
• The character might overdose on the drug

Some possible drugs and their effects

Well. We already know there is a Black Lotus right? But what does it do? And what other drugs might there be in the cities (or dungeons) of the land? I am going to give you some suggestions (with 1st Edition Stats but these should be easily convertible to 5th or other editions as needed)

• Black Lotus – Poisonous if taking in large quantities this drug. This mind altering substance can sometimes create temporary psionic ability. The dungeon master should roll for psionics (again if it has been done before) with a bonus to the probabilities of 50%. The duration of this effect is 1 to 4 turns (10 to 40 minutes). An overdose should be treated as a type D ingestive poison. But when the drug wears off the person will be torn from the astral plane and then thrown back into their world of origin again. The person using this drug will take 1day to recover after it’s use. No spell use or combat is possible until this rest period is over.

• Blue Lotus – This drug causes hallucinations. It also sometimes imbues the ability to see into the astral plane. The effects of this drug last 1 to 4 turns. On rare occasions (10% chance) one also gains the ability to actually visit the astral plane while under the influence of the drug. But when the drug wears off the person will be torn from the astral plane and then thrown back into their world of origin again. The person using this drug will take 1-3 days to recover after it’s use. No spell use or combat is possible until this rest period is over.
• White Lotus – This drug causes the user to feel very cold. While under the influence of the drug the person is impervious to cold weather or cold magic. But the person becomes very susceptible to fire and will take double the normal damage from such effects. The effect of this drug wears off after 1 day. The recovery time is one hour.
• Red Lotus – This drug is the reverse of the white lotus. The user will feel hot and will be immune to heat damage while under it’s influence. The same duration and effects apply.
• Green Lotus – The user of this substance takes on a green appearance and can pass through plants at will. The user can speak with plants but will find that humans, and animals, cannot hear them at all. The duration is 1 day and the recovery time is 1 hour.

If one looks at Appendix J of the 1st Edition Dungeon Master Guide one will find a long list of “substances” that one might find that could have magical or “medicinal” properties. Some possible effects from this table of substances are listed below:

• Abcess Root – helps with respiration according to the DMG. If one were to take this substance right after being exposed to poison gas (such as that from a green dragon) it might cure (or lessen the effect).
• Wolfsbane – the DMG says it is a sedative. One taking it should, therefore, be sedated by it. Perhaps they should fall asleep for 1-4 hours.
• Acorn – the DMG refers to it causing tissue hardening. Perhaps one taking it might become harder (temporary hit point gain) or perhaps it has healing power
• Aloe – helps heal burns.
• Belladonna (deadly nightshade) – cures lycanthropy (sometimes)
• Blue flag – healing, venereal disease cure
• Burdock – laxative…..perhaps one taking this drug will suffer intense stomach issues for a short duration

There are a lot of substances listed there. Many could be treated as drugs because their effects (at least the reported ones) seem to be drug like.

But there are also some substances from other sources which might be considered. From the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings one might remember that Gandalf and Bilbo were both fond of a certain “weed” that was typically smoked in the Shire.

Some other possible drugs from my own campaign are as follows:

• Dreams – one taking this drug feels as if they are having an out of body experience. It is quite likely that they are indeed having one. They will feel as if they are flying high above the clouds. But this is merely a hallucination. The person taking the drug is not in the astral plane nor are they out of body at all. They are totally incapacitated during the duration of the drug. The duration is 2-5 hours. The recovery time is one turn.
• Nightmares – one taking this drug will soon which that they had not. They will soon find themselves in the deepest planes of the Nine Hells itself. They will feel that they have become a lowly Lemure and are being tortured by Malebranche during the duration of the drugs. The duration is 2-5 hours and the recovery time is 1-4 turns.
• Treant bark – it is not really from a Treant but from a particularly rare species of tree in the Dark Forests of Northern Zanzia. When boiled this substance becomes a thick soup like material. When imbibed it causes the user to have a barkskin like effect for the duration of the drug. The duration is 2-5 hours and the recovery time is 2-5 turns.
• Opium – yes. The original. I occasionally place Opium Dens in some of my fantasy cities. The effects are hallucinatory and depressive. Duration might be 1-4 hours. Recovery might also be 1-4 hours.
• Hashish – also a real life substance. It was known to exist and be used in medieval times. So it might also be found and used in a fantasy setting. It is made from the Cannabis plant and has hallucinatory effects. Duration might be 1-4 hours. Recovery time might be 1-4 turns.
• Hobbit weed – I would consider this to have the effects of Cannabis. It might be slightly hallucinatory and the duration should be perhaps 1-4 turns. The recovery time should be perhaps 1 turn. Perhaps hobbit weed is more potent than the real thing and might give other minor beneficial effects such as calmness and resistance to fear.
• Raindrop – This drug makes the user feel as if they are all wet. Perhaps while under the influence of the drug the user might be resistant to fire as a result. Duration is 4-24 hours. Recovery time is 1-6 hours.
• Tears of Simaru – Simaru is the god of chaos in my campaign. He is represented by the Demon Idol on the cover of the 1st Edition PHB. As he loves chaos it is natural that a drug taken by him would also be chaotic in nature. The effects of taking it are random. Kind of like a liquid wand of wonder.
• Pain – this drug intensifies pain suffered by the user. It is a popular drug by Torturers and Executioners that want to enhance the suffering of their victims. Duration is 1-4 hours. Recovery time is 1-4 hours.
• Wyvern Venom – The poison in the tail of a Wyvern can be fatal to those stung by it. But when drained from the tail of a Wyvern the poison becomes less lethal. When imbibed by someone it can make them stronger…..or it can make them dead. Some cults in the world of Zanzia have been known to use this venom as a kind of “ascension” drug among their followers. One taking the drug will either die or be proven worthy. Survivors often report intense hallucinations while under the influence of the venomous drug. Duration is 1 to 4 days. Recovery time is 1-4 weeks. Survivors of the drug have reported an increased resistance to poisons.
• Stardust – One taking this drug will find themselves floating in the Astral plane for 1-4 weeks (local time). This rare substance was scraped from a rock which fell from the sky.
• Blank – The person taking this drug feels as if they are at total peace in the world. For the duration of the drug they are immune to the effects of psionic attacks. But they are unable to use psionic abilities themselves during this time as well. Duration is 1-4 hours. Recovery time is 1-4 turns.
• Shriek – This substance is taken from living shriekers. Their spores are removed and ground into a white powder. A person taking this powder will attract shambling mounds like a magnet during the duration. The effects last 1 day and there is no recovery time.
• Devil Weed – some batches of Hobbit weed seem to have a totally different effect than the normal weed. One batch in a thousand produces this nasty substance. The user of this weed will become enraged, chaotic and homicidal. They will attempt to attack friends and allies. They will not just jump off of the deep end but they will plan the murder and then execute it in a short period of time. Duration is 1 to 4 weeks. Recovery is instant once the drug wears off.
• Dead Eye – this drug is sometimes placed in traps to spray on unwary victims. Anyone getting this into their eyes will find their vision seriously impaired as a result. It is not total blindness but they will see multiple versions of their enemies. It is kind of a “Mirror Images” effect but every one that they see will have multiple images in their mind. Duration is 1 to 4 hours. Recovery time is nominal.
• Blood eyes – taking this drug will cause the user to bleed profusely from their eyes. Strength will be reduced by 2-5 points. Constitution will be reduced by 2-5 points. Duration is 2-5 turns. Recovery time is one turn.

There can be many types of drugs in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign

Some will be beneficial. Some will be harmful. Most will be illegal. An Apothecary is a likely place where one might find such substances. But city allies and opium dens are also likely places to find them. A creative Dungeon Master could come up with many more than my suggestions. And a scan of the internet can come up with many more.

Addiction

Use of drugs, even those with beneficial properties, should come with consequences. Using a drug once or twice should probably be safe enough. But using one many times should have negative results. The person should develop tolerance to the drug. It should work for shorter duration each time it is used. The more often it is used there should be an increased chance of dependence on it. A possible table might look like this:

• 1-4 uses of a drug might carry a 10% chance of dependence
• 5-10 uses might carry a 25% chance
• 11-20 might carry a 50% chance
• 21-30 might carry a 90% chance
• every use after should increase the chance by 1% until a maximum chance of 99%

The percentages should be rolled for each occurrence in that range. For example Bruno the fighter smokes some halfling weed. Each of the 1st times he uses it roll percentiles. His chance of dependence is 10%. At use 5 it becomes 25% and so on.

Addiction for purposes of the game means that the user must get more of the substance and take it soon or suffer negative consequences. Severe illness. The “DTs”. That sort of thing. They should be unable to concentrate (or cast spells) and unable to fight at normal capacity. These symptoms of withdrawal should last for a while. Perhaps 1-4 weeks of withdrawal symptoms would be appropriate.

Do we need Drug use in Dungeons and Dragons?

Of course not. Nothing is a requirement for your game. But if you are trying to make a realistic city setting for a campaign it is a logical thing to have in it. It does not have to be a major part of a game or campaign. It can add a little dressing to fantasy cities and worlds.

If you enjoyed this article then perhaps you will enjoy these as well:

• Chess in Dungeons and Dragons
• Rust Monsters
• Critical Hits
• Owlbears
• Castles
• Keys
• Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons
• Rakshasa
• Shambling Mounds

The Black Ring is an adventure which was published in Pegasus Issue Number One. It was written by Dan Hauffe.. This adventure was intended for characters of 10th to 15th levels of experience. It was written for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st edition even though it never specifically states this. I know this to be the case because of the spells available to certain non player characters in the adventure.

This adventure involves an ancient artifact which is needed in order to restore the Sentinel of Time to it’s proper status.An ancient black ring has been shattered into three segments. These need to be gathered and then reforged in order to bring the Sentinel into balance again. The reason that the Sentinel is not in balance is that an evil wizard brought another ancient artifact, a skull, and placed it near the Sentinel. Until this is removed and the ring restored things will continue to go badly in these lands.

This adventure takes place on four little islands which are “keys.” Each has a mini dungeon which will need to be explored. This adventure is 36 pages including the covers and maps. This adventure, technically, takes place in the City States of the Wilderlands campaign setting but could easily be placed anywhere in any realm.

What I like about The Black Ring

It is a fairly high level adventure for 1st Edition. When you go back and look at what was published by TSR and by Judges Guild and other publishers you will not find very many that are higher than 10th level. So that alone makes this one a rarity.

This one has a Lich. I am quite fond of these and used one as the primary villain in my own campaign. This one is not nearly as powerful as the great Malcon the Firebringer from my own campaign. But he is still powerful. And he has an interesting selection of spells and a well planned strategy laid out for using them. This encounter alone should be worth using this adventure.

This adventure contains an artifact. Not one of the artifacts from the DMG. But one that is useful and will die with this adventure. It will not be a campaign breaking addition like so many other artifacts can be.

There are some clever tricks in this one. Most of the encounters are fairly in line with the experience levels these adventurers will be. And combined with these tricks some will be quite challenging.

What I do not like about The Black Ring

Because this was published as a piece in the magazine Pegasus it might be hard to get a “legal” copy of the original. There are editions of the magazine out there so it is possible.

Also because this was a magazine submission it does not have all of the art of the other Judges Guild products. But there is some. And it is about even in quality to most of the other modules. Why they did not sell this as a separate adventure later is a mystery to me. It would have been successful I believe.

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

Yes. I would. It will play well with characters in this level range. And it could easily fit into any campaign. It will not add any artifacts or magic items that should break a campaign. And there are plenty of good challenges and combat encounters.

Would I run The Black Ring with my own players?

Yes. I might. I really enjoyed reading this one. And it would play well with a reasonably high level group. Unfortunately my own players just restarted their characters after a total party kill. It may be a while before they get to these levels again.

If you enjoyed this article then perhaps you will enjoy these as well:

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• Verbosh Review
• Lara’s Tower Review
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• The Dragon Crown Review
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• Hall of the Fire Giant King Review
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The Wand of Orcus in Dungeons and Dragons is a powerful artifact possessed by a Demon Prince. Orcus is one of the most powerful demon princes in the game. And his weapon of choice is a rod made from obsidian and topped with a human skull. It is said that a mere touch of this wand upon a creature’s flesh causes instant death.

Orcus himself is often described as a grossly fat demon lord. He is about 15 feet tall. His appearance is that of a goat like humanoid with a goat like head and rams horns. His legs are like that of a goat but not his arms. These are humanoid in appearance. He has large bat like wings and a tail which is poisonous to the touch.

The Wand of Orcus in Dungeons and Dragons is a Powerful Artifact

Artifacts in Dungeons and Dragons are meant to be powerful. Artifacts are more powerful than mere magical items. But they come with a cost. Each has side effects and drawbacks which makes their continued use very dangerous for the user (and sometimes his or her friends).

Artifacts are not to be trifled with. They can do great things. And they can do great harm. Some are cursed and cannot easily be disposed of.

The History of the Wand of Orcus in Dungeons and Dragons

The Wand of Orcus is one of the earliest artifacts in Dungeons and Dragons. It was first described in the Eldritch Wizardry supplement for Original Dungeons and Dragons in 1976. It is sometimes referred to in that edition as the “Wand of Death.” It is further described in the Monster Manual for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition near the end of the description of Orcus himself. It is further detailed for 1st Edition in the Dungeon Master’s Guide in the section on Artifacts on page 162. This version of the wand describes the wand and suggests a certain number of powers that the device might have as well as side effects. Second Edition mentions the wand in the fourth edition of the Encyclopedia Magica and in the Planes of Chaos. Third edition mentions the wand in it’s Book of Vile Darkness. The Fourth Edition Monster Manual describes the wand and elaborates a bit on it’s description. Fifth Edition describes the wand in it’s Dungeon Master’s Guide in the section on artifacts on pages 226-227.

There are a number of differences in the descriptions of the device from edition to edition. All of them refer to it as a wand with a skull at the top. But there are some wide variances in the descriptions:

• Original Dungeons and Dragons describes it as a rod of obsidian topped with a skull
• 1st Edition describes it as a “ghastly weapon” but also calls it a rod of obsidian topped with a skull
• 3rd Edition describes it as a rod of obsidian and iron topped with a skull of a human hero personally slain by Orcus.
• 4th Edition describes the wand as a heavy mace topped with an enormous skull. It also states that it is studded by blood rubies.
• 5th Edition changes the appearance entirely. It is no longer made of obsidian but it’s haft is made of magically enhanced bones which make it hard as iron. It is topped by a large skull of a hero slain by the Demon Lord himself. The wand can change size in order to fit the wielder more appropriately.

Creation of the Wand of Orcus in Dungeons and Dragons

An adventure called “Dead Gods” written by Monte Cook for 2nd Edition describes how Orcus created this evil device. There was once a great hero named Anarchocles. Orcus trapped the spirit of this warrior within a circlet used for the control of Skeletal Warriors. But Orcus removed the skull from this warrior and then destroyed the corpse. He placed it on the end of a long iron scepter and infused it with his own demonic essence. Anyone wearing this circlet can see through the eyes of the skull at the end of the wand. But if the circlet is touched to the wand both will turn to dust.

However the Fourth Edition Monster Manual mentions that some legends exist about the skull that differ greatly from this story. According to those legends this skull once belonged to a good deity that once challenged Orcus and was defeated. Other legends suggest that the skull once belonged to a good human hero but is now filled with evil.

Orcus is not always in possession of the wand

It is known that sometimes the wand makes appearances on the Prime Material Plane. It is believed that Orcus allows it to fall into the possession of mortals from time to time in order to create chaos and mayhem with it. For mere mortals cannot control the intense evil within this object. Not for long anyway. Soon it is a force of it’s own and will bring nothing but ruin to those around it.

Destruction of the Wand of Orcus in Dungeons and Dragons

In addition to the method described earlier, involving the circlet, another method for the wand’s destruction is detailed in the the adventure module “The Throne of Bloodstone.” The wand must be steeped in the blood of foul black blood from the heart of Tiamat. But this is only a temporary reprieve. The wand will disappear for centuries but will eventually return. When it explodes the wand will leave behind a single white gem which can then be planted to grow into a tall white tree. No demons can enter the land while this tree stands.

The Fifth Edition DMG offers another method. The wand could be taken to the Positive Plane of Energy by the hero whose skull is attached to it. He would first, of course, need to be restored to life. His soul is kept imprisoned by Orcus himself so this is no easy task. The wand could then be bathed in the positive energy which will cause it to explode.

Powers of the Wand of Orcus

The Powers of the wand vary greatly in different editions and adventures.

• In First Edition the powers are left up to the Dungeon Master to determine (randomly or otherwise) from a list of suggested powers and side effects.
• The Fifth Edition wand has seven charges. It also gives the Dungeon Master discretion to assign powers and side effects from a random list. But it also assigns some specific powers which can be used such as animate dead, blight, circle of death, finger of death, power word kill and speak with the dead. It can also call forth the undead to serve the wielder of the wand. It is a sentient magic item and can communicate telepathically with the wielder. It understands the common tongue as well as Abyssal.
• The Throne of Bloodstone adventure assigns the following powers to the wand: Abyssal Night, Bodak Birth, Call Nightmare, Clutch of Orcus, Summon Monster VII, Wrack and Wretched Blight.

The wand always wants to return home

The Wand of Orcus is a terrible device of evil. And it is sentient. Therefore it knows when it is separated from Orcus. And it always wants to return to him. It also wants to spread death everywhere it goes. These two overriding goals will always come out in the end. The device will make these two things happen sooner or later. If Orcus is somehow slain the wand will try to find a way to raise him or reanimate him.

Do not feel lucky if you come into possession of the Wand of Orcus

Coming into possession of the Wand of Orcus is not good fortune at all. It is a curse. For it will bring about your destruction and that of your friends and allies. While the powers of the device might seem to be a great boon to you in the short term you will come to regret their use later on. For Orcus does not part with this powerful device for long. And the wand itself longs for his embrace. The two are never separate for long. And those in their way are soon crushed.

If you enjoyed this article then perhaps you will enjoy these as well:

• Chess in Dungeons and Dragons
• Rust Monsters
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• Owlbears
• Castles
• Keys
• Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons
• Rakshasa
• Shambling Mounds

Portals of Torsh is the first installment of a series of three Judges Guild adventures written for use with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. Each of these adventures involves a portal to some alien world where the normal rules no longer apply.

This adventure was written by Rudy Kraft and was published in 1980. It is fifty pages long.

The general premise of this series is that dungeon masters often use “portals” in order to connect adventure modules in their campaigns. That is the view of the author of this module anyway. Whether that is true in your campaign I do not know. It certainly has not been true of any of my own campaigns. But anyway the idea is that there are these magical portals everywhere and that adventurers might stumble upon them and be taken to a new and totally different place.

In this particular world the adventurers will discover a place in which lizard people are the most advanced forms of life. And humans are second class citizens (at best) and food sources (at worst).

What I like about Portals of Torsh

This adventure brings us a new and totally upside down world in which lizard men are the ruling class and humans are just workers (or food). There are laws regarding humans carrying certain prohibited weapons. This is certain to snare a visiting party of adventurers to this world. And dwarves and elves are unknown on this world.

A couple of new artifacts are offered which are specific to this world.

A description of the history and economics of this world is given. Prices are different on these worlds as different metals are rarer on them. A lot of maps are provided along with random encounter tables and notable non player characters.

Dinosaurs. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons has dinosaurs in the Monster Manual but how many adventures really include them? Or even have much reason for them to be in the adventure? In this world lizards are king. It would be only natural for dinosaurs to roam here as well. And they do.

It has a high level NPC illusionist! How often do you see that in published adventurers for AD&D? Not often.

What I do not like about Portals of Torsh

There are no real dungeons or adventuring places described in this product. Like many Judges Guild products this one describes vast areas of land and has descriptions of what might be found in those hexes. But there are no real dungeons set out. There are a couple of towns though.

Like the other products in this series there is little guidance on what the adventurers are really doing on these worlds. It is kind of a huge sandbox. I suppose anything could be done here. Dungeons could be drawn up and then when the players tire of it they could find a new portal to another (or to home).

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

It would make a good change of pace if the dungeon master spends a little time developing some areas to be explored such as dungeons, caverns, etc. I am not sold on the need to have portals everywhere in my own campaign world but I do understand the motivation to through new things at players to keep them interested. This might do well in that regard.

Would I run Portals of Torsh with my own players?

Perhaps. My players certainly have seen just about everything in the standard Dungeons and Dragons universe. Showing them something new once in a while is always a plus.

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The use of Statues in Dungeons and Dragons is an iconic part of the game. Virtually every published module has at least one statue in it. Virtually every home brewed adventure has at least one as well. Sometimes they do magical things. Sometimes they do nothing at all but decorate the tomb or castle. But statues are something that fantasy adventurers would expect to see in such places. And this is what gives the Dungeon Master their ability to place them with confidence that their adventurers will spend a lot of time investigating them.

Statues in Dungeons and Dragons should be used judiciously

What I mean is that adventurers come to expect every statue to do something. Naturally, as the Dungeon Master, you should be unpredictable. Most of your statues should do nothing at all. They should be there merely for decorative purposes. They should probably be just about everywhere in dungeons, tombs, castles and other such places. Statues are placed as art. They are often used to depict important persons. Sometimes they even depict gods.Sometimes they depict powerful creatures such as Sphinx and Gargoyles. They even depict Dragons on occasion. But most should not be magical or have any special characteristics at all.

Yes. I know. I am guilty of violating this principle in my own adventures. To my eternal shame. For my own players when they explore a dungeon and find a statue they come to expect it to do something every time. And they may spend half an hour trying to figure out what it does each time they encounter one. But in some ways I am ok with this. For the players to waste time in such ways is part of the fun of being a Dungeon Master. Confusion is the purpose of tricks in Dungeons and Dragons. The players should rarely find what they expect to find.

Statues in Dungeons and Dragons can be creatures

This is, of course, what most players expect when they encounter a statue in some dark catacomb or tomb. They immediately draw their swords before examining. So many published adventures have put Stone Golems or Stone Guardians in dungeons pretending to be statues that every adventurer expects it every time. That is just natural. They see it so often that they have preconceptions about them.

Sometimes the statue is just a golem standing still. Sometimes it is waiting to be animated by some occurrence in the room or dungeon. Sometimes an iron statue is actually an Iron Golem. Or sometimes a statue of a Gargoyle is not a statue at all but a Gargoyle being patient and standing totally still as they are often known to do.

Statues in Dungeons and Dragons can be magical

In some cases a statue may have magical properties. They may animate and speak. They may ask riddles. They might provide clues. They might control aspects of the dungeon such as control of access to certain areas. Sometimes they provide rewards when adventurers answer riddles or solve certain problems or puzzles.

Some examples of magical statues that I have used in my own adventures include:

• A statue of a Gargoyle with it’s hands stretched out. By placing a gem in it’s outstretched hand the hand will close over it and the gem will disappear. Then a wall of force blocking an archway will disappear
• A statue of a Wizard with it’s hand extended as if it is casting a spell. When adventurers do something to displease it the statue fires a fireball or lightning bolt towards the offender
• A statue of a Wizard that animates and speaks riddles. Answering the riddle properly is rewarded. Answering it improperly is punished
• A statue of a Dragon that speaks and asks riddles. Rewards are given for proper answers. Poor answers result in Dragon’s breath.

Statues in Dungeons and Dragons can be puzzling

Sometimes a statue can be part of a puzzle. Perhaps parts of the statue can be manipulated resulting in some action. Some examples of this I have used in my own campaign are:

• A statue on a rotating base. It is of a wizard with a finger pointing in front of it. If the statue is rotated in the correct place of the room a secret passage opens there.
• A statue with strange elvish runes on the base of it. The runes are a riddle. If the riddle is correctly solved the players will push one of the runes and the statue sinks to the floor. Strange mechanical sounds can be heard in the distance in the dungeon. A solid wall has been lowered into the floor allowing access to a place that was previously blocked.
• The statue can be slid revealing a secret door or passage beyond
• Parts of the statue are hollow and hide important objects or treasures.
• The mouth of the statue can be opened revealing some valuable object hidden inside
• Statues often have secret panels hiding valuable objects inside them

Statues in Dungeons and Dragons can be important clues

In some cases the statue itself may do nothing. But it represents very important clues as to the nature of the dungeon. A statue of a Minotaur at the entrance of a catacomb might suggest the presence of real ones there. A statue of a Dragon might suggest the same. A statue of a Paladin in the tomb of such a person might suggest some important things that the players might find in the tomb. If he is wearing armor or carrying weapons then they might expect to find those objects somewhere in the dungeon itself.

Statues often have runes and inscriptions on them. Sometimes these are poems about epic deeds done by the person or creature depicted. On occasion these are clues about what one might find later in the dungeon.

Statues can be treasure

Statues are often made of valuable materials. Solid gold and silver are frequently used. But sometimes they contain gems for eyes. Often these are trapped to prevent theft. Carrying a solid gold statue the size of a man out of a dungeon is no easy feat. They would be extremely heavy. But cutting parts of such a statue to make carrying easier might lower the value of the whole statue significantly.

Even a statue made from normal stone might be valuable treasure. Statues are art. And good art is always valuable to someone. The bigger problem is the logistics of taking it out of a dungeon and to some place where it could be sold. Will it be worth the effort? Will it bring such a price as to justify the time and work to move it? Small statues might be worth taking. Big ones probably must be left behind even if they have value.

Desecration of statues can be dangerous

Defiling the statue of a god can be dangerous. Gods are unpredictable. They are easily offended. And they often exact retribution against those who insult them or defile their likeness. On rare occasions they sometimes will even appear in person to settle the matter. Or they might send minions to defend their honor.

Defiling statues of other beings in a dungeon might also be perilous. One can never be totally sure that a statue is not magical unless one has detected for magic. But even then can one be totally certain that it will not animate to defend itself once it sees the need to do so? Dungeons are unpredictable. One must be careful when exploring such places.

If you enjoyed this article then perhaps you might enjoy these:

• Encumbrance
• Kobolds
• Staff of Power
• Gelatinous Cubes
• Vorpal Swords
• Mimics
• Assassins
• Tomb of Horrors
• Rust Monsters

The Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor is a Judges Guild adventure written for use with Original Dungeons and Dragons. It was designed by Mike Petrowsky, Craig Fogel , Bob Bledsaw, Mark Summerlott, Bill Own and Tony Floren. The adventure was published in 1981. This adventure was part of the Guildmaster subscription service. It was the seventh installment.

The adventure is thirty two pages long including the covers and maps. There are five dungeon levels provided along with a history of the area.

The gist of the story line is that a powerful emperor built this fortress to protect the empire from several potential enemies. Ultimately when the empire began to decline two of these entities made a play to take this fortress.

One of these groups were the followers of the God Angall. Angall is not a real god but more like a demi-god or would be god. This became nothing much more than a cult within the empire. It was an outlawed religion. Angall is depicted as having four arms. Two of these arms carry swords and the other two carry maces. This deity is an evil one.

The other group was a band of highwaymen. These men slipped over the walls one night and took control of the place.

The castle also fought off invasion from dragons.

Now it appears that all of these entities have some measure of control over the castle and it’s dungeons.

The Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor Link

What I Like about the Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor

Five levels of dungeon. There is a wide variety of creatures and challenges in the dungeon. Some are quite easy. Others are quite hard.

It is fairly short for a Judges Guild product. And it gets to the good stuff pretty quickly. There is not much space devoted to history, background or other such stuff. A little is good. A lot is a drag to read through.

A local village is provided. This gives the adventurers a place to retreat to if they need to rest and recover.

Overall the adventure does seem to get more difficult the deeper one delves into the dungeon. This is how it should be. Not everything in the dungeon is likely to be instantly hostile. But many things will be.

There is a mix of stone dungeon halls and natural caverns. I always like this in a dungeon map. It allows for a wider mix of potential creatures that might live there.

There are a few interesting magical “tricks” in the dungeon as well as some clever traps.

Unlike so many adventures made later in the development of the game this one does not force your players into any of their decisions. This is just a “here is a dungeon go and get it” kind of an adventure. It provides no moral justifications for exploring it, killing the things that live there or stealing their treasures. It just provides a detailed place and then lets the players do what they choose to do.

What I do not like about the Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor

Well. First of all. The name. I mean i can hardly spell Badabaskor. I keep having to check it as I write this. Couldn’t they picked something a little shorter? But I guess that is a minor complaint.

One universal issue that I have with most Judges Guild adventures is that they rarely give much, if any, indication as to what level ranges would be appropriate for their adventures. This one is no exception. And given the wide variance of creatures and strengths in the dungeon it is not that easy for a dungeon master to decide if it is appropriate for their group.

One of the images within the adventure is a beholder. I never saw a beholder described anywhere in the text. Was this an oversight? Or did I just miss it somehow?

There is a bit of repetition in some places. Not text. I mean monsters. You may encounter a red dragon (varying age) in four or five consecutive rooms. You might meet zombies or skeletons in a similar number of consecutive rooms. I can live with a little of this. I understand that one writing an adventure wants to have a bit of realism. Certain creatures are going to occupy multiple rooms in a dungeon if that is the theme of the place. But too much of that bores players. Especially my own players.

Another pet peeve of mine comes up in this adventure. It seems to pop up in a lot of Judges Guild products but it also shows it’s face in a few TSR ones as well. We have this dungeon. It is a deep one filled with bad guys. So….why is there a smith and a jeweler on the second level plying their trade as if this was a town or village? Is it a town or village? Or is it a dungeon? This makes no sense to me at all. People exploring a dungeon do not expect to go there to buy things. Nor are they likely to. More likely they would just kill the guy and take their weapons or jewelry or whatever else is there. Now I understand that there are specific creatures provided in the monster manuals for AD&D that are dungeon dwellers who sell items. But this is just a guy banging on an anvil in a dungeon and another guy working on a piece of jewelry. Why would they be there?

Would I recommend this adventure to others?

Yes. If you are playing original Dungeons and Dragons it should play well. If you are playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons it would be easy to run with minimal modifications.

Would I run the Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor with my own players?

I might. If I felt this adventure was the right level range for my existing party it might well fit their needs.

If you enjoyed this article then you might enjoy these:

• Sieges in Dungeons and Dragons
• Sleeping in Dungeons
• Kicking in doors in Dungeons
• Running Away in Dungeons and Dragons
• Division of Treasure
• Negotiation in Dungeons and Dragons
• Secret Passages
• Treasure in Dungeons and Dragons