Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons made their first appearance in the Greyhawk Supplement to Dungeons and Dragons published in 1975. It is described as a horrid creature that hugs like a bear and bites with it’s beak. Although Gary Gygax had the initial idea for this while developing creatures to use in Chainmail.
The creature was instantly a hit with players and dungeon masters alike. The creatures were described as carnivorous. They are aggressive and ferocious. And they live in mated pairs in caves. They are eight to ten feet tall and are a cross between a bear and an owl.
The arms of an Owlbear are powerful
The inspiration for the creation of this creature is said to be monsters from Japanese Godzilla films. According to the story Gary Gygax obtained a bag of plastic figures of Godzilla type monsters. From this bag of plastic creatures he drew the inspiration for the Owlbear as well as the Bulette and the Rust Monster.
The roar of an Owlbear can weaken the knees of the most powerful warrior
According to the various monster manuals the Owlbear’s in game origins have never fully been revealed. However, it is suggested, that perhaps some magical experiment gone badly might be responsible for their creation. In a later edition adventure a Lich claimed responsibility for creation of these creatures. But this particular Lich was known to be more than a little insane and very egotistical. The claims of his creation of the Owlbear are considered highly unlikely to be true. The Fifth Edition Monster Manual adds that some Elves have claimed that Owlbears have existed for thousands of years.
If you encounter this guy in your travels beware….Owlbears often come in pairs
Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons through the years
Virtually all editions of the game have included the Owlbear at some point in development. First edition describes the creature as living in tangled forests and warns of it’s dangerous hug. Second edition featured two variants of the Owlbear: Winged Owlbears and Artic Owlbears. Edition 3.5 added a new variant called the Skeleton Owlbear. Fourth Edition added the Winterclaw Owlbear. Fifth Edition included the Owlbear as well in the Monster Manual for that edition.
Owlbear fur can range from yellow brown to nearly black
Pathfinder also included the Owlbear as well as a number of variants. Some of these variants sound pretty interesting (except for the fact that they belong to Pathfinder). These variants include:
Darklands Owlbears
Truss Owlbears
Spectral Owlbears
Great Hook-Clawed Owlbears
Screaming Owlbears
Sleeyk Owlbears
Slime Owlbears
Sloth Owlbears
Part Owl. Part Bear. All mean and nasty. Stay away from these creatures if you can……
I have no problem stealing monsters from other editions or other game systems to confuse and confound my adventurers. Some of these might be worth looking into for that reason.
Male Owlbears tend to be heavier and darker in color
The Hug of Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons is deadly
One feature of these creatures, in every edition, is that they have enormously powerful arms. When either of these arms strikes an opponent (with a high enough to hit roll) the creature will draw the victim close and squeeze. This hug does a great deal of additional damage to the victim. This hug is deadly.
Use of range weapons against this creature is highly advisable. Getting close to it might result in a bit of crushing. Magic use from a distant is equally suggested.
Owlbears have both fur and feathers
Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons come in pairs
When one encounters an Owlbear during their travels one should be mindful that there is a high possibility that another is nearby. There might also be children. In fact, an Owlbear nest, might well have eggs waiting there to be hatched. Young Owlbears are still quite dangerous. The eggs, however, can be quite valuable. In 1st Edition the eggs were worth 2,000 gold pieces each. Captured young could be worth as much as 5,000 gold pieces.
Getting close to an Owlbear is not advisable. Their hug is deadly
Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons are huge
These creatures are massive. And this makes them terrifying when encountered. When met they always fight to the death and never run away. Males can weigh as much as 1300 pounds. Their beaks are made of yellow ivory. Their fur can range from brownish black to yellow brown. Males tend to be darker colored. Their eyes are red rimmed. And in addition to fur these creatures have feathers.
The beak of an owlbear can do a great deal of damage too
Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons can be found in a lot of places
The Monster Manuals for each edition expand a little on where these dangerous beasts might be met. First Edition states that tangled forests in temperate climes are places to encounter these creatures. But also states that they can be found in subterranean labyrinths. This opens up a great deal of places where they could be met….including just about any underground dungeon. Second edition adds that sometimes they lair in hollowed out stumps. Fifth Edition adds that they often live in ruins littered with the bones of their prey.
But the claws of the Owlbear can flay a man alive
The Life Span of an Owlbear
The Second Edition Monstrous Manual suggests that the average life span of an Owlbear is about twenty years. This, of course, assumes that they die of natural causes. But the Owlbear is a hunter. They are always on the prowl. And they are ferocious and fearless in combat. Ultimately they live until they find someone capable of killing it in battle. And there are but a few who can.
And the Hug can be far more deadly than any of their other attacks
Ecology of Owlbears in Dungeons and Dragons
Owlbears eat just about anything that they can kill. They are carnivores. And they love fresh meat. They are warm blooded animals despite being part owl. They are a hybrid between two different creatures. And this affects their hunting habits. They are most active from about noon until well after midnight. They hunt during the day and well into the night.
Owlbears met underground or in ruins have probably been placed there by some wizard or villain as a guardian. These creatures are a exceptional at convincing others to stay away from places where they are not wanted.
Owlbears live about 20 years or until slain
Weakness of the Owlbear
These creatures are powerful. They are ferocious. And they are fearless. But these things can be their undoing. They are not overly intelligent. And they can easily be tricked into running off a cliff or into a trap. But of course…..these things would need to be nearby when the creatures are encountered. And this is highly unlikely.
Meeting an Owlbear in close combat might be the last mistake you ever make
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Lara’s Tower is a Judges Guild adventure for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It was written by Kevin Nunn and was published in 1981. It is sixteen pages long including the covers and maps. This adventure is a multi-leveled tower filled with bad guys for the adventurers to confront.
A former evil high priestess has turned a new leaf. She is now a good priestess and wishes to mend her former ways. She once lead evil hordes of raiders. And these raiders still inhabit her former tower and home. She wishes that these evil beings be destroyed and asks for help from the adventurers. She offers the party 100,000 gold pieces to clear the tower for her.
The adventure is designed for parties of no more than 30 combined levels of experience. The adventurers must return with the key to the tower to fulfill the conditions of the quest.
It is an old school adventure for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It is fairly short by Judges Guild Standards in that it is only sixteen total pages including maps and covers. The actual length of the adventure key is only four pages. Not a huge amount of treasure or magic passes hands in this adventure. Which is a good thing. Too many adventures of this type give away the farm. This one does not.
The adventure does offer some modified monsters. Most of the creatures are hobgoblins and orcs but this story offers shamans and witch doctors which were not really specifically covered in the 1st Edition Monster Manual. Certainly none of these ideas are totally new or unheard of.
What I do not like about Lara’s Tower
This adventure is kind of a straight line. There is a tower. Fight your way to the top and find the key along the way. Or fly up to the top and fight your way down. Most of the rooms are combat encounters with creatures lower in level than the adventurers but attrition may take a toll. The creatures are mostly orcs and hobgoblins with a few griffons.
The thing I said earlier about treasure….well the reward itself is a bit too much. One hundred thousand gold pieces given to characters of this level is probably a bit much. This is especially true given the difficulty of the creatures in the tower. This much gold would probably level them all up at least once if you are following the 1 gold piece = 1 experience point rules from the 1st Edition DMG.
Without the reward there is not much motivation for good aligned parties to help. Lara was once evil. Now she claims to be good. Perhaps she is. But so what? Why help her? In fact…given that she is high level (presumably) then why does she need help at all?
Would I recommend this adventure?
While I think the adventure could have used some work I think it could be modified by the Dungeon Master and used with success. I do not generally like recommending adventures that require work for the DM but this would require minimal changes. Specifically the reward should be cut substantially.
Would I run this adventure with my own group?
If I needed an adventure for characters of this level I might. But there are many other adventures for this level range which are better. So I probably would not.
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Restormel is an Old School Judges Guild adventure. This one is not written specifically for Dungeons and Dragons or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. This was a “Universal” supplement for role playing. In other words…….it was like OSRIC without the legal language at the end of it.
Anyway….it was written by Scottt Fulton and Published in 1981. It is thirty two pages long including the covers and maps. It has several maps included. This adventure has a dungeon, a castle and a village. There is also a new monster.
Ostensibly this adventure is written for 1st level play or close to it. Nothing is specifically said to indicate this but given the relative ease of the dungeon areas that would be my guess. Most of the dungeon is left empty and up for the Dungeon Master to fill in the blanks. In fact…there are blanks. Specifically after each encounter. Again nothing is specifically stated but it is clear that this is the intent.
The basic gist of the storyline, from what I can piece together, is that some barbarians once invaded this region and some of the locals went into hiding underground. The area has more recently repopulated and now the descendants of these underground dwellers have returned to the surface and begun raiding the area. The dungeon is the home of these descendants. They are referred to in the adventure as “Lurkers” and “Deep Lurkers.”
What I like about Restormel
It is fairly short by Judges Guild standards. The dungeon itself is only a handful of pages long. I like the fact that it introduces a new monster and that it includes several maps and a complete area to adventure in including a local village and castle. I also like the fact that there are not six pages of history or background to read before running the adventure like many other Judges Guild products.
What I do not like about Restormel
There needs to be a bit more background than is provided. For example…on the first page of the dungeon key in the second room it states “Prison Room: If Kuvqut is alive…….” At this point….we have no idea who Kuvqut is or if we even want her to still be alive. A little background would have been nice.
The castle and village are nice additions but do we really need them? Many Judges Guild adventures are written this way. And I get it…..they are basically expanding upon the entire “Wilderlands” campaign with each installment. But I really do not care about the history of the towns or castles in the Wilderlands. That is a lot of reading that I really do not need to do in order to run the adventure.
The description of the Lurkers is very sparse. There is very little detail about them. And that makes them seem kind of hollow as a villain.
Would I recommend this adventure to others?
Probably not. I think the adventure seems kind of flawed in too many ways. There is no depth to this new creature or why it is raiding the surface of plaguing the locals. The adventure could be fleshed out by a dungeon master willing to spend some time on it. But I do not recommend adventures where the DM has to do all the work to get it ready.
Would I run Restormel with my own players?
No. I would not. There are better low level adventures to run with players than this one.
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Castles in Dungeons and Dragons are an essential part of the story. Dungeons and Dragons campaigns typically occur in a fantasy world in which a feudal society is present. Kings, princes, barons and even evil wizards often live in castles. Castles may be the “dungeon” in which the delvers explore. Sometimes castles are in ruins. Other times they may be a formidable looking fortress.
Some castles are owned by evil villains
Are castles in Dungeons and Dragons irrelevant?
Many authors, in different places on the web and in magazines, have suggested that in a world of magic such places are not a fortress at all. They suggest that with spells such as passwall, teleport and the like that such places are not really difficult to enter at all. Magical portals might also allow entry. And fly spells could also allow one to enter the castle from above.
This castle does not look that easy to get into even with magic
Some spells and magical items do make entry into the castle easier. Such spells might include:
Passwall
Fly
Gaseous form potions
Teleport
Teleport without error
Magical portals
Phase door
Disintegrate
Jump
Spider climb
Rope trick
Levitate
Magic carpets
Dimension door
Transmute rock to mud
Is this wizard thinking about how to get inside?
However…..just because the adventurers might have magic that does not mean that there can be no ways to prevent such magic from allowing entry into a castle. Some ways in which magic might be prevented from allowing easy access to a castle might include:
Would you want to try teleporting into this castle?
Low levels of experience of the adventurers
Magical seals and wards which prevent teleportation into the castle
Lack of knowledge of the inside of the castle might result in teleportation errors
Alert guards will notice anyone flying over the castle and will attack
Alarms will be set off when anyone approaches the castle from the sky
Traps might be laid in places where teleporting into a castle might seem obvious
Sometimes wizards are employed by castle builders to place magical traps and to think of ways into a dungeon through use of magic.
This castle has an unusual approach
Regardless of the usefulness of castles against magic one thing should always be clear to the dungeon master. Magic is generally considered rare in most Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. While the adventurers are powerful and well trained the common man is not. Most people will not have the means to use magic to enter the castle. And this includes most invading armies.
Sometimes the approach to a castle is dangerous
Who lives in castles in Dungeons and Dragons?
In a feudal society like most fantasy worlds there are a number of different entities which might choose to live in such a castle. Some of these might include:
Royalty
Nobility
Evil Wizards
Adventurers keeps
Military outposts on the edge of civilization
The local militia
The king’s army
Some castles look quite formidable
Taxes in a castle in Dungeons and Dragons
Entering and living in a castle is rarely without costs. Taxes and other fees can soak the adventurer visiting such places. Some of these taxes might include:
Sales
Luxury
Inheritance
Tolls
Market taxes
Tithes
Land taxes for nobles
Magic taxes for use of magic within the walls
Income taxes
Sword taxes
Every time an adventurer comes and goes from the safety of the castle walls they might feel the bite of the tax man.
Sometimes vampires live in old castles like this one
Who builds castles in Dungeons and Dragons?
Naturally not everyone can do so. They are expensive, of course, but they also typically may not be built by common folk. Land must be acquired. All of the land is generally owned by the kingdom itself and land is granted by royal decree. But land can be obtained in other ways:
Inheritance
Conquest
Purchase
Royal charter
Claim jumping
Leasing
Castles can be found in remote places like this
Building Castles in Dungeons and Dragons can be quite expensive
This topic was discussed in depth in the 1st Edition Dungeon Master Guide. There are many costs associated with constructing a castle. Some of these (with suggested prices) include:
Arrow slits – 3 gold pieces
Barbicans – 4000 gold pieces
Battlements – 20 gold pieces
Catwalks – 10 gold pieces
Iron Doors – 100 gold pieces
Wooden doors – 10 gold pieces
Drawbridges – 400 gold pieces
Gatehouses – 2000 gold pieces
Tower, round 20×30 – 850 gold pieces
Tower, round 40×30 – 1600 gold pieces
Moat, 100x10x20 (length, depth, width) – 250
A fantasy castle can even be found in the clouds
Typical castle structures and improvements used in castle design
Castle design evolved over the years. But over time certain specific structures and fortifications became commonplace for defense. Some of these structures include:
Moats – deep ditches around the castle filled with water and other nasty things. Often they were used for human waste.
Drawbridges – these platforms could be raised or lowered to cross over moats
Gatekeeps -these were fortified areas leading into the castle entry. These allowed the defenders to attack those approaching the castle before they even could get to the gate itself. These consist of multiple towers and an open kill zone. Should anyone get past the gatekeep entrance they will still be under fire from the towers on all sides.
Towers – towers could be round or square. Some towers might rise much higher than others to allow leaders inside a better view for defense.
Tunnels – it pays to have more than one way in and out of a castle. Hidden entrances and exits can allow resupply during times of siege
Stone walls – castles are only as strong as the walls that protect them. Use of the best stone available is highly advisable.
Hoardings – these are structures that jut out from the top of the wall and allow the defenders to fire down upon, or drop burning oil on, those at the very base of the castle walls
Posterns – these are small doors that allow a few defenders to sneak out of a castle unnoticed.
Barbican – these are outer defenses for castles and walled cities. Often these involve double towers above a gate or a drawbridge
Arrow Slits – for firing with cover from towers and walls
Catwalks – to walk along the wall without being under direct fire from enemies outside the walls
Rampart – a defensive wall having a broad top with a walkway
Parapet – a low defensive wall along a roof, bridge or balcony
Stairs leading to the walls or to the towers inside of the castle
Cauldrons for pouring boiling oil on enemies below
Murder Holes – these are holes in a ceiling of a gateway or passageway. Defenders can drop boulders or flaming oil on attackers. They can fire bows and crossbows into these holes will little risk of retaliation
Merlons – these are the solid pieces of stone which jut up from the tower roof and castle walls to protect the defenders and provide cover to them. The space between merlons is called a crenel.
The layout of this castle might be impossible to predict
Castles in Dungeons and Dragons come in a wide variety of designs and floorplans
No two castles are alike. Each has defenses specific to that castle. Adventurers exploring such places should never be so familiar with the design of it to know exactly where everything is. Castles are the most formidable fortifications that can be found in most Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. They are designed to be impressive. Even fearsome. One should be awed when approaching a castle for the first time. The opening image from this article is of a knight riding up a trail to a castle. The castle is lined with skulls. Naturally one would expect this castle to be held by some evil villain.
This castle looks pretty dangerous doesn’t it?
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The Dragon Crown is a Judges Guild adventure for Original Dungeons and Dragons. It was published in 1979 and is written by Michael Mayeau. This adventure was written as a tournament module and was specifically prepared for use at Pacificon 1978.
This is a very short adventure. From cover to cover it is 16 pages. This includes the map and covers. The actual text of the adventure is only two pages long. Other things included are pre-generated characters, point scoring details and specific rules and guidelines for conducting the adventure and tournament.
The adventurers are mercenaries. They have been hired to stop an invading army. This mission has failed. While running for their lives….. they stumble upon a cave to hide in. And they discover something far worse than the enemy army. This is the cave of a dragon. A huge red one. With a mate. But rather than roasting the adventurers alive or eating them for dinner he offers them a deal. Return in four hours with a golden crown that was stolen from it and they can live….and even has a portion of the vast hoard of treasure owned by the dragons. Otherwise they get eaten. He casts a spell upon them to ensure that they will not just run away.
The crown was stolen by Kobolds and they are not far away. The adventurers must go fetch it back in a short amount of time.
What I like about The Dragon Crown
It is short. Very short. The encounters are short and to the point. The background and set up are short. The whole thing cover to cover is sixteen pages. With only two real pages of encounters.
What I do not like about The Dragon Crown
It is, perhaps, too short. The encounters are kind of boring too. There is not much creativity in this adventure. Most of the numbered encounters are just a list of a few monsters in a room. There are few tricks, puzzles or role playing encounters in this one. For a tournament module there are few real ways that a player or group could set themselves up as being better than their competitors.
I really do not like tournament or contest dungeons much anyway. They tend to write these things in ways that players at your kitchen table would not actually play them. At least none of the players or groups that I have ever played with. This one, however, is not quite like that. There is plenty to fight here for low level adventurers.
The value of the crown is insane. Low level adventurers could just take the crown with them and have more money than kings or gods.
Few of the monsters have any relation to each other. There is little reason for them to live in the same dungeon together without constantly fighting each other. As there are few rooms other than monster encounter rooms it is highly unlikely that they would not be totally aware of each other.
Would I recommend this adventure to others?
Probably not. It could be used by a low level group as a one shot dungeon as long as the value of the crown (and it’s magical properties) were dropped considerably.
Would I run this adventure with my own group?
No. I would not. I love a lot of the old Judges Guild adventurers but not this one. It is pretty lame. Two pages of encounters with little relationship to each other and no creativity at all. There are no real puzzles complications that would interest my players.
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Escape From Astigar’s Lair is a Judges Guild adventure written specifically for 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. This adventure was written for tournament play and has a detailed scoring key and pre-generated characters for use in the tournament. The authors are Allen V Pruehs and Ree Moorhead Pruehs. It was published in 1980.
Escape From Astigar’s Lair is a very short adventure by Judges Guild standards. It is twenty pages long. This includes the cover and back cover as well as the map, pre-generated characters and scoring sheets. All told the adventure itself is about eight pages long.
Three friends and adventurers have grown up together and have a life long connection. One is a druid, the second is a ranger and the third is a bard. One day some artifacts come into possession of the adventurers. One is a helm and the other is an orb. The bard, named Egad, places the helm upon his head. He is a bit reckless and does not know what he has unleashed. The helm once belonged to an evil wizard named Astigar and his soul is in this helm. The power of the helm overwhelms Egad who then steals the artifacts and some other goodies and flees to the lair of this evil wizard. The two remaining adventurers feel that they must get these things back and embark upon a quest to track down Egad and regain possession of the items.
The tournament adventure is a two player one. One plays a ranger. The other plays a druid. Items and spells are pre-selected for the adventurers and most have specific purposes in the tournament. The adventure is set up in such a way that the best option is always to avoid combat. If the two players attempt to fight everything all the time in this game they will fail quickly.
What I like about Escape From Astigar’s Lair
It is an old school dungeons and dragons adventure from Judges Guild. Often these are interesting adventures with many possible encounters and outcomes. I like the idea of escaping from the dungeon rather than going in to kill everything in front of you and steal all the treasures. That aspect is unusual in published adventures for AD&D.
I like the fact that it is short. I also like the fact that there is not a whole lot of background and story line information to bore you before you begin.
What I do not like about Escape From Astigar’s Lair
I absolutely loath tournament adventures. The scoring of these things is horrible. They force players to play the game in the way that the writer thinks it should be. It forces them to play the game unnaturally. It penalizes adventurers who do things differently than the writer would or thinks that they should.
Combat is part of dungeons and dragons. In every edition of the game. Yet these tournament adventures reward players for avoiding fights. Why? That is not how people play the game in their homes or at their kitchen table. So why penalize players who do? This makes no sense to me. None at all.
But this adventure goes even further. There are penalties for going into the wrong rooms. This is ridiculous. How can one lose points for going into a room that is available for them to? This is totally arbitrary.
Certain spells are selected for the adventurers in advance. The adventure gives points for using those spells at the right time and in the right way. And it takes points away for using the spell elsewhere or in some other manner. This totally takes the independence of the adventurers away and substitutes the style of play of the writer of the adventure. I really hate that kind of crap. I understand that some kind of scoring system is needed in order to run a tournament. But it would be better to award the players points for achieving certain goals rather than arbitrarily taking points away for using spells in an unintended manner or awarding them for using them only the way the writer would.
Would I recommend this adventure to others?
If someone wanted a short two person adventure to run I suppose it would do. For a one shot. But for tournament play I think it is seriously lacking. For actual campaign play it would not fit in any campaign normally in my opinion. So no. I probably would not recommend it to others.
Would I run this adventure with my own players?
If I needed a two person one shot perhaps. Otherwise no I would not use it with my own group. My players crave combat. They would hate an adventure that seemingly wants to avoid it at all costs.
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Keys in Dungeons and Dragons are underutilized in my opinion. They are a minor treasure which can be found along the travels. These keys could open up special areas of a dungeon not otherwise accessible. They can be used to gain access to treasures and to cause magical portals to open. They can also provide the all important exit to a dungeon.
You might want to use the correct key to open this door!
Keys in Dungeons and Dragons can be treasure
The keys themselves may have value. Keys are often made from different metals. Some are adorned with gems. Sometimes a key made from a specific metal is necessary to open one door while one of another metal will cause some deadly trap to be set off. Keys made of gold, platinum and silver are often used for such purposes. Perhaps some riddle or clue along the way will indicate which key is the correct one.
Some possible treasure keys might include:
A key made of platinum
A key made of gold and adorned with gemstones at the handle
A key made of silver or electrum or even copper
A valuable key might look like this
Keys in Dungeons and Dragons to the exit
Sometimes adventurers find their path to the surface blocked by enemies or by collapse of certain areas of the dungeon. Falling stone blocks may prevent egress from the dungeon. Sometimes shifting passages may prevent retreat. Finding another way out of the dungeon may be the “key” to survival. Such keys may be hard to find. Or they may be open and obvious. Such keys might also be guarded by monsters or deadly traps. Or perhaps the boss of the dungeon wears it around his neck as in the opening image for this article.
A magical key might be necessary to pass through this portal to whatever lies beyond it
Magical Portals sometimes require keys in Dungeons and Dragons
Sometimes the adventurers may come across a magical portal in their travels. But they lack the knowledge of how to use it. Perhaps a key is necessary in order to travel through such a portal. Such keys might be closely guarded as a valuable treasure or artifact. Such a key might have magical properties itself.
Such keys might:
Allow travel to other planes or far lands
Allow passage into a hidden or concealed area of a dungeon
Might even allow travel through time
Perhaps use of the key will open up a room looking like this
Treasure Chambers are often opened by keys in Dungeons and Dragons
Treasure chambers are certain to be locked. As are treasure chests themselves. While the keys to chests are often long lost by the time dungeon delvers arrive on scene the keys to treasure chambers themselves are usually around the dungeon somewhere. Rarely are keys like these lost for long. Someone will almost certainly recognize the value of such a key quickly upon discovery. Such a key is a treasure even if it has not intrinsic value of it’s own.
Could this be a magical key?
Magical keys could be found by adventurers
There is no reason why a key could not have magical properties all of it’s own. Perhaps it will aid in the picking of locks. Or perhaps it will have a percentage chance of opening any door it is placed in. The key might be some ancient relic from a long dead civilization.
Such a key might lower a force field blocking an arch or guarding the top of a pedestal. It might also be used to lower water in some area of a dungeon or raise portcullis in parts of the dungeon.
Perhaps this key has multiple pieces to be put together before use
Keys in Dungeons and Dragons are not always found in one piece
Sometimes pieces of keys will be found by adventurers. Putting these keys back together in the proper order is a puzzle all of it’s own. Finding all of the necessary pieces is essential. But will the adventurers know when they have the last piece?
Scattering such pieces of a key throughout a dungeon creates a sense of treasure each time one is found even though the key itself may be worth nothing once the dungeon is explored. A key could be in just a few pieces or perhaps many. The pieces might fit easily together or could have to be secured together in some manner.
Might there be a keyhole here that these fellows have missed?
Keyholes are not always obvious
While one expects a door or a chest to have a key hole things are not always so clear in a dungeon environment. Sometimes the designer of such places has reason to hide the keyhole. Perhaps the door itself is secret. Perhaps the door itself is somewhere else entirely. Some possible places one might find an unusual keyhole include:
Inside of a statue’s ear (or idol)
In a fresco or painting
In a crack in the wall
In the eye of a statue or idol
In a stair on a dark staircase
In the side of a door (the narrow portion)
In the basin of a fountain
On the top of a pedestal
In a column or pillar
Under the fiery coals in a brazier
In a torch sconce
In a crack in the cobblestone floor
Perhaps turning a key will raise or lower this portcullis somewhere else in the dungeon
Sometimes keys make things happen elsewhere in a dungeon
The turning of a key does not always open a door. Sometimes things happen elsewhere in a dungeon once a key is turned. Some possibilities for this:
A low rumbling is heard elsewhere in a dungeon
A secret door or passage is opened somewhere else
Areas are flooded by the turn of the key
Monsters are released from caged areas because of the key turn
Stairs might be lowered or raised somewhere in the dungeon
Exits might be closed because of the turning of a key
Portcullis or stone blocks might close off exits or areas of a dungeon due to a key turn
A skeleton key? or a skull key?
Skeleton Keys in the Dungeon
Skeleton keys could be used to open any door in a dungeon or adventure. Such a key might be made of real bone. It would likely be in the possession of some undead creature. Perhaps even the boss of a dungeon might possess it. The key might even have nasty side effects from use.
Which key should we use?
Dungeon Masters should consider using keys in Dungeons and Dragons
Placing keys in a dungeon should be carefully considered. Some keys should just be a red herring. It will confuse players to find a key and never find keyholes needing it. Some keys should be useful. And others should cause nasty traps to be set off. Keys will add an old school flavor to your adventures which will be remembered by your players forever.
Some keyholes perhaps should not have keys placed in them
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G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King picks up where The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl leaves off. This is the third and final installment of the “Against the Giants” series of adventures and leads directly into the next series of TSR adventures involving the Drow.
This is another old school adventure written for 1st Edition by, one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax. This one is a bit longer than the other two adventures which were about 12 pages each including the maps and covers. This one is 22 pages including the maps and covers. That is almost twice as long as either of the previous adventures. This one is published in 1978.
This installment has three levels. The third and last level is a system of caverns. Hall of the Fire Giant King introduces a new enemy and connects all the dots for the adventurers that are attempting to punish the giants and find out who is responsible for all of the recent conflict.
The new enemy are the Drow. Before this module came out there was little mention of the dark elves in any previous material about Dungeons and Dragons. The later series of modules takes the adventurers into the Underdark to find more answers and punish those truly responsible for the recent aggression.
It introduces us to the Drow. The Drow are one of my favorite villains in my own adventures so this definitely appeals to me. The adventure is harder than the previous two. There are tougher creatures. And there are deeper levels to explore. This one is going to be a tough one for adventurers that had difficulty in the previous two.
It is an old school adventure with blue tile maps and only a little artwork. The artwork is black and white. I love much of the old TSR art from 1st edition. They did a whole lot with just a little.
What I do not like about Hall of the Fire Giant King
I still feel that Gary did not entirely follow his own advice in regards to handing out treasure and magic. And some of the descriptions here make one seriously wonder about the possibility of some of it. For example, in one treasure chamber, there are several trunks and chests. One trunk has 72000 silver pieces in it. Another has 60000 copper pieces in it. Could that many coins fit in a trunk? Even a giant sized one?
The Drow in the lower levels seem a bit under powered to me. After fighting all of these Fire Giants with all of their hit points and damage ability fighting a bunch of Drow that are not high in level seems a bit weak. I realize that Drow have special abilities and high intelligence. But I think a few higher level ones sprinkled in these levels might have been better.
Would I recommend Hall of the Fire Giant King to others?
Of course I would. This series is an excellent medium high level adventure and can lead to the Underdark and Lolth and her Demon Web Pits. It seems like a nice way to lead to higher level adventures in a highly dangerous place underground.
Would I play this adventure with my own group?
If I were not already positive that my own players had read every line of the adventure I probably would. I might still. I played this one back in the late 70s or early 80s but my own players have played a lot of those old adventures as well. Still….I am considering running a new campaign using old modules so it might happen anyway.
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The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl is the second part of the “Against the Giants Series” and the sequel to Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. This part continues the punitive expedition against the giants who have been making war on mankind. After finishing the attack on the hill giant steading the adventurers are led by clues to the glacial rift in which the frost giants have made their home.
Again, this adventure, is for higher level characters. Presumably characters of equal level to those of the previous adventure would be required. This adventure is written by Gary Gygax and is 12 pages long from cover to cover. This includes covers and maps. The actual text of the adventure is 7 pages. It seems amazing, looking back, how short these adventures were. Little space is wasted.
This adventure is written for 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.
What I liked about The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl
This is an old school adventure. It is short. The set up is short. The maps are old school blue tiles. There is nothing fancy about it. It is just presented and the DM can go with little preparation. There is not a ten page history lesson presented. There is little need to tell the players much of anything at all.
This is but one step in a series of escalating adventures leading up to the Demon Web Pits module later on. Something is wrong in this adventure scenario. In addition to punishing the giants the players need to explore this mystery and follow it to it’s natural conclusion.
This is a snow adventure. There are so few of these in the history of the game. I like adventures that take us to new places where adventurers rarely explore. Icy creatures are presented and would logically be found in such a place.
Like the preceding adventure this one sets up a similar scenario in which the giants might very well set up some nasty ambushes after the first expedition. Once alerted to the danger of adventurers being present the giants will certainly react accordingly. This plays so much differently than many later adventures (even those from TSR).
What I did not like about this adventure
Like the Hill Giant adventure this one does tend to give away a bit too much magic and treasure. Despite the many admonitions by Gary Gygax in the Dungeon Master Guide and in many articles he does not always follow his own advice in regards to treasure and magic. Many of his adventures are more free with both than I would be. Granted, sometimes the amounts of treasure found, could not easily be removed by the players. But the magic items almost certainly would be. And this is a bit much in my opinion.
Would I recommend The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl?
Absolutely. It is a great old school adventure that would play well in most campaigns. It would play well particularly in a Greyhawk campaign but can easily be placed in virtually any other. It is fairly high level. And the Dungeon Master would be well advised to read it and remove any excessive or duplicate treasures or magic items.
Would I run this adventure with my own players?
Yes. I played this adventure with the first group I ever played Dungeons and Dragons with in ’79 or ’80 and would not hesitate to introduce it to my own players…..if they had not already played. But I suspect some of them have played it. This reason alone might prevent me from doing so. My players are very familiar with many of the classic old school adventures so I am careful to use things that they are not so familiar with to keep them engaged.
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Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons have existed from the very beginning. But the first time, I believe, that they were ever really discussed directly was in the 1st Edition Dungeon Master Guide on page 216. The Dungeon Masters Guide really does not define them but merely refers to them as clever and innovative artifices, deceptions, conundrums and sundry tricks.
Sometimes tricks are there to confound the adventurer
The Dungeon Masters Guide gives a list of potential features that one might find in a dungeon, tomb, crypt, castle or other such place. Then it gives the reader a slightly longer list of potential attributes which could be assigned to these features to create a magical “trick” to confuse or amuse your adventurers.
Sometimes tricks are there to terrify the adventurer
Certainly magical tricks existed prior to 1st Edition. But they were not really described as such. Basically they are just those weird little magical things that one might encounter in a dungeon which do not fit into the categories of traps, monsters, non player characters or encounters. They might include such things as riddles, puzzles, teleporters and similar items. Arguably some of the spells that a magic user might cast could be considered as creating a trick. Such examples that come to my mind might be as follows:
Magic mirrors can be used by both the good and the evil
Magic Mouth
Leomunds Chest
Dancing Lights
Tenser’s Floating Disc
Any kind of wall spell
Blade Barrier
Certain features deserve discussion as they are frequently encountered tricks in many adventures. These will be described below.
Evil Altars are often magical in nature. Beware!
Magical Altars
Altars are frequently encountered in temples, tombs and crypts. Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons certainly include such altars as they are often imbued with magical energy from clerics that use them or the gods in which they worship.
Not every magical altar encountered is likely to be evil in nature. But many are. Such altars may enhance the evil powers of the clerics which use them or they may be an essential part in evil rituals and sacrifices. Such altars are often black in color but many may also be the color of blood. Or they might be covered in the blood of innocents slain upon it’s surface in a ritual.
Evil altars are probably best not touched by someone of good alignment. Such contact might be very painful or even fatal to a good aligned character. This might especially be true for a cleric or paladin of opposite alignment to the altar.
Good altars, on the other hand, might enhance healing or allow resurrection of the dead. Such altars might only display their magical abilities once a proper offering has been made.
Some tricks are there just to confuse adventurers
Some potential features of evil aligned altars:
Animation of the dead
Disintegration of anyone of opposite alignment that touch it
Animation of the altar itself if touched or desecrated
Sliding away to reveal a tunnel below it leading down
Hidden compartments with magical potions or scrolls inside
Anti magic effect which protects the evil cleric behind it
Blood. Lots of blood. The altar itself might bleed if attacked. It may have soaked up the blood of many innocents over the years
Geas to do some evil act
Curses someone of opposite alignment
Some potential features of good aligned altars:
Healing
Resurrection
Geas to do some holy act
May bless someone of similar alignment who touches it or makes an offering or kneels before it
Might temporarily (or permanently) imbue a bonus to one of the primary statistics of the person who makes a proper offering or completes a quest for it
And some tricks might just destroy the adventurer forever!
Some potential features of neutral aligned altars:
Reincarnation
Might teleport someone of another alignment from it when touched
Might be a stone altar or wooden altar of some great druid
Could cause plant growth
Cause barkskin for the person touching it if proper alignment or with proper offering
Might imbue the person giving a proper offering with the temporary ability to speak with plants or animals
Obviously these lists are not exclusive. There are many potential ways in which someone could create a unique and interesting magical altar for use in their adventures.
Magical portals can be found in all sorts of places
Magical Portals are also tricks in Dungeons and Dragons
Portals are gateways to other worlds. Magical portals as Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons are unusual but not unheard of. They can come in the form of some glowing archway or a magic mirror. They could be some strange stone object with glowing mass inside of it like the Star Trek episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” Magical portals come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
A mirror of life trapping?
Magical portals could be gateways to travel:
To other planes of existence
To the heavens or the hells
To other universes or the astral plane
To distant parts of the same plane in which the adventurers reside
To the Underdark
One should be careful passing under arches in a dungeon
Archways
Archways are one of the old school tricks in Dungeons and Dragons. You really do not see them used much in later editions than 1st or 2nd. But they were once commonly found in adventures of that era and earlier. Archways could be good or bad for the adventurer passing through one. Sometimes they did nothing at all. And sometimes they did magical things such as:
Changing the sex or race of the person passing through
Acting as a teleporter or magical portal
Might remove the armor or weapons of the person passing through
Could be blocked by a wall of force or prismatic wall
Might change the intellect of the person passing through
Could swap the minds from one adventurer passing through to that of another
Could randomly appear and disappear
Could randomly do things to one character and then nothing to the next
Enlarges or diminishes the size of people passing under
Changes alignments of those going through
Everyone passing through has a doppleganger created for him or her
Everyone passing through gains mirror images following them
Magical pools could be found inside or outside of a dungeon
Magical Pools are frequent tricks in Dungeons and Dragons
Pools have been tricks in Dungeons and Dragons since the earliest games. Water tends to pool up in the deep dark places that explorers visit in this game. Sometimes other things in these dark places give these pools magical effects. One of my favorite examples of this in a published adventure comes from the Basic Set adventure “In Search of the Unknown”. One of the rooms in the upper level has about twenty pools in it. Some of these pools have magical effects. Others do not. The pools in that adventure are a good list for other dungeon masters to use for their own adventures:
Healing
Acid
Disease
Green slime
Clean drinking water
Wine
Dried up pool
Boiling water/hot spring
Aura (drinking it causes the character to shimmer with magical aura revealing their true alignment
Sleep
Filled with fish
Dry ice (unexplained)
Treasure beneath the water
Muting/silence after drinking
Poison
Idiocy
Curse
Invisibility after drinking or bathing in it
Fountains are often the source of magical tricks
Magical Fountains
Fountains as a trick in Dungeons and Dragons have been common to many of the published adventures. Fountains are often ornate and have statues in the center of them. Some may be small and others may occupy a wide section of a room or chamber. Palaces, tombs, castles and crypts might have such fountains. Even the cities themselves might have them. Not all will be magical. Some will be.
The magical effects of fountains may be beneficial. Or they may be detrimental. The nature of the place where the fountain is found might give an indication as to it’s effects. A riddle or a puzzle might need to be solved first in order to gain knowledge about the fountain or even to cause it to have such an effect. Sometimes the waters themselves have unusual colors or auras.
Not all of the effects from fountains will be beneficial
Some possible fountain effects:
Healing
Poison
Changing colors
Invisibility
Invulnerability
Giant strength
Weakness
Diminution
Enlargement
Flying
Gaseous form
Heroism
Speed
Insanity
Feeblemind
Polymorphing
Water breathing
Resistance to fire, acid, lightning or cold
A cult seems to be worshiping this strange artifact atop a pedestal
Magical Pedestals
Pedestals are a frequently found trick in Dungeons and Dragons. Pedestals may have valuable items on top of them protected by magic. Such items might include:
Artifacts
Relics
Crowns
Keys needed for other places in the dungeon
Scrolls, books or writings
Riddles
Treasures
The pedestal itself is rarely the end goal but is often the obstacle to reaching the goal of the adventurer. Often pedestals are trapped. One good example of this that comes to mind is the original Indiana Jones Movie. The golden monkey head that Indiana Jones seeks at the beginning of the movie is on a pedestal. The pedestal itself is trapped. When the weight of the golden head is removed the pedestal sinks and then bad things begin happening all around the adventurer. This is, of course, not magic. But it is a good example of what a dungeon delver might find or expect.
Pedestals come in different shapes and sizes and have different uses as you can see here
Pedestals themselves are often imbued with magic of their own. Some examples might include:
Force fields protecting the item atop it
Prismatic walls protecting the item on top of it
Knobs, button and levers which have different magical effects when used. Some may cause harm. One sequence will lower the protections
Riddles on the base of them or puzzles to be solved before the force field lowers
Contact with the surface may cause greed, insanity or alignment change
Teleportation of those touching it
Hidden compartment might release a clue when right place is touched
Statues are sometimes golems waiting for command
Statues are another frequently used trick in Dungeons and Dragons
Statues are to be found in all sorts of places where adventurers might explore. Castles, tombs, crypts, palaces, cities and other places are likely to have statues about. Most will not be magical. Once in a while one will be. The adventurers should never know when or where they will encounter one that is magical.
Famous heroes, gods and kings are frequent subjects of statues. Most will be made of stone. Some will be carved from precious stone such as marble or onyx. Others might be made from metal. Some of the metal statues might be made from precious metals such as gold or silver. Statues are sometimes quite valuable. But they are usually very bulky and heavy. Removal from a hostile dungeon will be a daunting adventure all it;s own.
When a statue is discovered to have magical properties these might include:
Riddles
Puzzles
Spinning, moving or sliding to reveal secret doors behind or to reveal secret doors present in the room
Might provide clues to some important riddle or puzzle in the dungeon
Could hide or possess some hidden magical item
May award a magical item to adventurers who solve their riddle or puzzle
May animate and attack
Could actually be a stone or iron golem in disguise
Could actually be other adventurers turned to stone by a medusae or basilisk nearby
The Demon Idol from the PHB
Idols
Idols are found often in places where primitives live. Temples and catacombs might have idols to their pagan gods. Sometimes these idols are imbued with magic. Offerings and sacrifices are made before them. Treasures are often adorned on them. One good example of this is the demon idol from the cover of the player’s handbook. Such an idol might be trapped. It might also have magical tricks to confuse or delay the adventurers. Some examples of features might include:
Placing a weapon in the fiery brazier of the statue might cause it to be enhanced by magic
Placing an offering before it might cause it to bless the person doing so
Might curse those who do not place offerings or who desecrate it
Could spill fiery oil into the room if a gem eye or tooth is pulled from it causing a fiery explosion in the room around it (from the flaming brazier that it hold)
This is not specifically a Dungeons and Dragons image but the stained glass window in this image could easily have a magical effect in D&D
Other objects of art are often used as tricks in Dungeons and Dragons
Such items might include:
Tapestries
Paintings
Decorative containers such as vases
Frescoes
Pillars and columns
That painting might be more than it appears
These items are often decorated or carved. Some are quite valuable. Many are quite old when discovered. Such items often depict gods, kings and legendary heroes long dead. Some possible features might include:
Disintegrates into dust when touched revealing a secret or concealed door hidden behind it
Causes greed when touched
Insanity when touched
Insanity when viewed
Petrification when viewed
Animates and talks or casts spells or yells for help
Teleports a person touching it into the scene in the artwork itself
Fiery talking skulls can be an interesting trick to find in a dungeon
Tricks in Dungeons and Dragons come in many forms
The items discussed above are not all inclusive by any means. There are literally hundreds of potential dungeon features that might have magical effects and properties. There are hundreds more attributes that could be applied to them. Creativity is the best friend of a dungeon master designing such tricks. Most have been used so often that players expect them when encountered. It is best to have many features in dungeons that are not magical so then when others are encountered they will not be totally expected. It is probably also best to come up with original attributes to apply to these features in order to keep players guessing.
Not every altar is evil. Sometimes good altars have beneficial effects
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