TSR 9049 - B4 - The Lost City.pdf - Basic D&D Modules B Series - Kitraida

Dungeon Module B4

T h e Lost City

by Tom Moldvay

AN ADVENTURE FOR CHARACTER LEVELS 1-3

Lost in the desert! The only hope for survival lies in a ruined city rising out of the sands. Food, water, and wealth await heroic adventurers inside

an ancient pyramid ruled by a strange race of masked beings.

This module includes a cover folder with maps, and a descriptive booklet with a ready-made adventure for the DUNGEON & DRAGONS® Basic

game. It also includes enough information to continue the adventure beyond level 3, using the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Expert game rules.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and D&D are registered trademarks of TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.

Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom

by TSR Hobbies (UK) Ltd.

IS B N 0-93 56 96 -55-5

P R I N TED IN U.S.A. 9049

Dungeons & Dragons® Basic Set

Before beginning the adventure, please read the module thoroughly

to become familiar with the Lost City. The DM's Background

explains the Lost City's history. The Players' Background is to be

read to the players before the adventure begins. In the Encounter

Keys, the encounter number matches the location of the

encounter on the maps. The boxed encounter information can be

read aloud to the players at the right time. The DM must decide

how much of the rest of the information should be told to players

and how much should be kept secret. The DM may also add more

details as desired, such as room dimensions, smells, sounds,

tastes, feelings of hot and cold, and so on. Plan how monsters will

react if the party does nothing; this is especially important for

intelligent monsters.

Dungeon Module B4

THE LOST CITY

This module requires information found only in the D&D Basic

game rules, and cannot be played without a copy of those rules.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

If you plan to play in this module as a character, please stop

reading here. The information in the rest of this module is for your

Dungeon Master (DM) so that he or she may guide you and other

players through the adventure. Knowing the details of this adven-

ture will spoil the surprises and the excitement of the game for

everyone concerned.

T he Scope of the M odule

The basic adventure in this module is the exploration of the upper

levels of a step-pyramid.* The party, lost in a desert, finds an

ancient ruined city. The pyramid is the largest building in the ruins.

Most of the monsters in this module are found in the 2nd edition of

the D&D Basic rule book (the red-covered book). Complete

information will be given for any new monsters. Enough informa-

tion will be given in the room encounters and Wandering Mon-

ster Tables so that DMs with the 1st edition of the D&D Basic

rule book (the blue-covered Basic) will be able to use all monsters in

this module. When monsters or non-player characters (NPCs) are

described in the text, their details will be listed in the following

order:

This module is designed for a party of 6 to 10 player characters of

the 1st through 3rd levels of experience. If the players do not

already have characters, the pre-rolled characters given at the end of

the module may be used. If the party is weak, the DM may allow non-

player character (NPC) retainers to strengthen the party. The

Dungeon Master may also weaken, strengthen, or otherwise

change the suggested encounters to give the players a fair and

exciting adventure.

Name(Armor Class; Hit Dice or Class/Level; hit points; Move-

ment per round; Number of Attacks per round; Damage

per attack; Save as Class and Level; Morale; and Align-

ment)

This is a long-term adventure, designed to be completed in several

sessions of play. Successful characters will probably reach the 3rd

level of experience by the time they are finished with the third

dungeon level. The DM should not move the action too quickly,

but give the players time to rest and regain spells between sessions.

Note especially that the characters have no way to replace equip-

ment or supplies except by finding items in the Lost City.

Armor Class = AC ; Hit Dice = HD ; Cleric = C , Dwarf = D , Elf = E ,

Fighter = F , Halfling = H , Magic-user = M , Thief = T , Normal Man =

NM ; Level = a number; hit points = hp ; Movement = MV ; Number

of Attacks = #AT ; Damage = D ; Save = Save; Morale = ML ;

Alignment = AL .

If the DM wishes to expand the adventure further, Part 5 of the

module outlines a lower pyramid area. A map of a hidden under-

ground city is also provided. The DM can develop these into an

entire campaign in which the player characters find and rebuild a

lost civilization. (If the continent map in module X1 is used, the

Lost City can be anywhere in the Alasiyan Desert.)

Class/Level is used for NPCs, while Hit Dice is used for all other

monsters. Movement is the distance covered in one combat

round. Movement distance in a game turn is three times the

movement distance for one combat round.

The DM should always give the player characters a reasonable

chance for survival. The emphasis is on "reasonable." Although

there should be a chance that an unlucky or foolhardy character

will die, give the party the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.

Everyone should co-operate to make the adventure as much

fun as possible .

N ote s for the Dungeon M aster

This module, The Lost City, is a dungeon adventure module in six

parts.

Sometimes a new player will want to join the party, or a player will

want to replace a character who has been killed. The DM can

always treat new characters as wandering adventurers or other

members of the party's original caravan (see Players' Back-

ground) . As this caravan was scattered in a sandstorm, it is always

possible that other characters may chance upon the Lost City.

Part 1 is an introduction that outlines the adventure and gives

the DM background information.

Part 2 details the first dungeon level.

Part 3 describes the second dungeon level.

Part 4 details the third dungeon level.

Part 5 outlines lower dungeon levels that take the adventure

beyond the D&D Basic rules. If the expanded adventure is to be

used, the DM may find a copy of the D&D Expert rules helpful.

Part 6 details the new monsters used in this module.

The DM can also make a players' map by drawing the square

outline of each tier* (or step) of the pyramid on a blank sheet of

graph paper. The Tier 1 map should be marked with the secret

entrance and that part of the passage the characters can see from

the outside. The outline of each tier can then be given to the

players as needed. The DM should mark on the players' map

where the party enters each tier.

The Glossary after Part 6 has definitions of words that might be

unfamiliar. Words listed in the glossary will have an asterisk (*)

after them the first time they appear.

DM's Background

F a c tio ns of C ynidicea

A few Cynidiceans are nearly normal. These Cynidiceans are

trying to restore the worship of the old gods—Gorm, Usamigaras,

and Madarua. They hope to stop the slow death of their society

and regain the past glory of Cynidicea.

The Fall of Cynidicea

Centuries ago, Cynidicea was the capital of a rich and fertile

kingdom. Its people reclaimed much land from the desert, especially

during the reign of King Alexander—the last and greatest king of

Cynidicea. Upon King Alexander's death, a huge pyramid was

raised in his honor. This pyramid was the largest and most important

building in the city.

T he Brother hood of G orm . T h eir god, G orm , is the god of w ar,

storms, and justice. The followers of Gorm are male fighters of

Lawful alignment. All wear golden masks of the face of Gorm, a

long-haired, bearded man with a stern gaze. Each Brother also

wears iron chain mail over a blue tunic. Under the armor, each has a

small blue lightning bolt tattooed on his right shoulder. The

Brothers believe in justice tempered by mercy. They worship

Gorm on the fourth day of each week and consider lightning

storms to be holy.

The fall of Cynidicea began on the day that workers, digging under

the great pyramid, chanced upon the lair of a strange monster

called Zargon. Zargon was roughly humanoid in shape, though

larger than most humans. In place of arms and legs it had twelve

tentacles. Its head was that of a giant lizard, with a large black horn

in the middle of its forehead.

The Magi of Usamigaras. This faction worships Usamigaras,

the god of healing, messengers, and thieves. They are all Neutral

magic-users, wearing silver masks of the face of Usamigaras, the

smiling child. The Magi also carry silver daggers and wear rainbow-

colored robes.

Zargon killed most of the workers, then began hunting prey at

night through the streets of Cynidicea. The city guard was not able to

kill the monster. At last, the city rulers began sending criminals

from the jails into the pyramid for Zargon to feed on.

The right palm of each is marked with small silver lines in the shape

of a five-pointed star. The Magi are usually friendly toward clerics,

thieves, elves, and magic-users, but look down upon fighters,

dwarves, and halflings. Usamigaras is worshipped on certain days

when the heavenly stars and planets are in the right patterns. The

Magi record the positions of the stars and planets so that they will

know when their holy days are.

In time, a strange cult arose that worshipped the monster as a god.

The cult viewed the monster's victims as religious sacrifices. The

worship of the ancient gods of Cynidicea—Gorm, Usamigaras,

and Madarua—was forsaken in favor of the worship of the monster

Zargon. Finally, most of the citizens of Cynidicea worshipped it.

The worshippers of Zargon began to look for strange pleasures.

They s ought oblivion in rare wines and bizarre drugs. Workers no

longer repaired the irrigation ditches. Rich land turned into desert.

The army lost its discipline. People outside the city rebelled, or

moved away as chaos spread outward from Cynidicea.

The Warrior Maidens of Madarua. The Maidens worship Ma-

darua, goddess of birth, death, and the changing seasons. They

are Neutral female fighters. The Warrior Maidens wear bronze

masks of Madarua, a beautiful woman. They also wear bronze

chain mail armor over green tunics. Each Maiden has a small,

sickle-shaped scar on the inside of her left wrist. Madarua has a

special holy day at the beginning of each of the four seasons.

T h e three factions do not get along well. E ach faction is sure that

o n l y its members know the proper way to restore the lost great-

n ess of C ynidicea. O ften, w hen m embers of different factions

m e et , they argue or fight. It is possible for the three factions to

c o o p e ra te, but such cooperation is rare.

Later, barbarian warriors stormed over the walls and destroyed

the city. The only people of Cynidicea who survived its destruction

were those who had fled underground to the vast catacombs*

under the city. There, led by Priests of Zargon, the Cynidiceans

tried to rebuild the city.

The surviving people based their new life around a huge under-

ground lake fed by channels cut through solid rock. Built in the

reign of King Alexander, the lake had been the original city's water

supply. On its shores, the people grew mushrooms and other

edible fungi. They built houses using stones from the ruins above.

The new underground city was much smaller than the ancient

capital, but it was safer because it was hidden beneath the desert

sands. Above, drifting sands covered the original city, and Cynidi-

cea was lost in the vastness of the desert.

The bickering between the three factions, and their attempts to

restore sanity to Cynidicean society, give the DM the chance to

add character interaction to the adventure. While the factions

can be played as simple monsters with treasure, the DM and

players can have a lot of fun with the plots and feuding of the

factions. If this is done, the DM should plan in advance what the

faction members may say or do if the party tries to talk, attack, or

wait to see what the NPCs do first. It is important for the DM to

avoid forcing the action to a pre-set conclusion—the actions of the

players must be able to make a difference.

T he Cynidiceans

Generation after generation of Cynidiceans have lived out their

lives underground. Though still human, their skin has become very

pale and their hair is bone-white. The Cynidiceans have developed

infravision and, like goblins, attack with a penalty of -1 to hit when

fighting in full daylight.

If the player characters join one of the factions, it will be easier for

them to get supplies and rest between adventures. All the factions

may accept player characters as members.

Every Cynidicean wears a stylized mask, usually of an animal or

human face. Some are made of wood, some of paper mache', and

some of metal. They are decorated with beads, bones, feathers,

and jewels. Most Cynidiceans wear fancy clothes, flashy jewelry,

and carry short swords. Some paint their bodies with bright colors.

The Brotherhood of Gorm will take male fighters, male dwarves,

male halflings, and male elves as full members. The Magi of Usa-

migaras will take any magic-user, elf, cleric, or thief. The Warrior

Maidens will take female fighters, female elves, female dwarves,

and female halflings as full members. Also, any character may

become a lesser member of a faction, if desired. Factions will not

do as much for lesser members, and a lesser member can never

become powerful within a faction. The DM should decide how

much a faction will do for its members.

The Cynidiceans are a dying race. Each new generation is smaller

than the last. Most Cynidiceans have forgotten that an outside

world exists, living most of their lives in weird dreams. The times

when they seem normal, tending their fields and animals, are

becoming fewer and fewer as the dreams replace reality. Their

unusual costumes and masks only strengthen their dream worlds.

Typical Cynidicean encounters are given in Part 6.

The Priests of Zargon are a fourth faction. They are found mainly in

areas outside the basic adventure. The Priests of Zargon serve the

evil monster Zargon and control the underground city.

Players' Background

Days ago, your group of adventurers joined a desert caravan.

Halfway across the desert, a terrible sandstorm struck, separating

your party fr om the rest of the caravan. When the storm died

down, you found you were alone. The caravan was nowhere in

sight. The desert was unrecognizable, as the dunes had been

blown into new patterns. You were lost.

the blowing sands.

In the center of the city towered a step-pyramid. It had five

step-like tiers, each 20' high. The bottom-most tier was almost

completely covered with sand. On top of the highest tier were

three 30' tall statues.

The statue on the left was of a strong, bearded man holding a

balance* in one hand and a lightning bolt in the other. The

middle statue was of a winged child with two snakes twined

about its body. The child held a wand in one hand and a handful of

coins in the other. The statue on the right was of a beautiful

woman. In her hands she held a sheaf of wheat and a sword.

You headed east, the same way the caravan was headed before

the storm. Days passed. Your mounts died and you soon drank

the last of your water. The end of the desert was not in sight.

The second day after your water ran out, you stumbled upon a

number of stone blocks sticking out of a sand dune. Investiga-

tion showed that the sand covered the remains of a tall stone

wall. On the other side of the stone wall was a ruined city.

On the south side of the pyramid, a ramp with stairs led from the

ground to the top of the highest tier. A quick search of the ruins

revealed no source of food or water, so you decided to climb the

pyramid. In the side of the ramp, level with the floor of the top

tier, you found a secret door ...

The stone blocks of the city had toppled and cracked with the

passing of time. Sand had covered most of the buildings. The

stones that remained uncovered had been scoured smooth by

PART 2: TIERS 1 AND 2 (Dungeon Level 1)

The pyramid is made of large, smooth stone blocks. The rooms are

made of bare stone slabs, except where noted otherwise. Passage

ceilings are usually 10' high. Room ceilings are 15' high. Most doors

will be stone slabs that push inward to open. Doors will tend to

close unless held, jammed, or spiked open. Unless otherwise stated,

the pyramid will be unlit.

Remember that the characters are out of food and water. They

must have these supplies soon or they will die. In your descriptions,

keep reminding the party that they are hungry, thirsty, and tired.

This will help the players role play.

Wandering Monsters

Wandering monsters are encountered on a roll of 1 on 1d6. Check

for wandering monsters once every 2 game turns. Roll 1d8 for the

monster encountered, or choose one.

The first dungeon level consists of Tiers 1 and 2 of the step

pyramid. The first tier is room 1. The second tier includes rooms 2-

12.

Wandering Monster Table: Level 1

Die

Roll

Wandering

Monster

#AT

Damage

M o v e

Save

Centipede,

Giant

poison

20'

Cave Locust

1-2 or 1-4

20'/60'

Cynidicean

for details see Part 6: New Monsters

Cynidicean

for details see Part 6: New Monsters

Cynidicean

for details see Part 6: New Monsters

Ferret,

Giant

1+1

1-8

50'

Gnome

1-6

20'

Goblin

1-1

1-6

20'

TSR 9049 - B4 - The Lost City.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: