An Oriental Adventure

To be read to the players:

After meeting during the attack on the mura, and having been
asked by the samurai to investigate, you have uncovered
information that the bandits may be holed up in the castle
Shumomo.  This castle is three days' ride away, a week by the
roads. 

	Shumomo-jo was poorly designed and located, and,
though it incredibly held out for several weeks, it was finally
taken by the Hiro family decades ago.  Since then most of the
castle has been razed and the stone taken for the nearby Hiro
castle.  All that remains are the foundations.  Recently fell
creatures have been sighted in the ruins. Eerie lights drift
through the ruins at night, and strange clouds are seen to rise
from the earth.  The local peasantry has warned you repeatedly
not to go there, but your task requires that you at least
investigate.  Beware.


To the DM:
	This adventure was originally designed as a follow-on to the
introductory adventure in OA1, where the chracters meet while pulling
a stunt like The Magnifigant Seven(one of my favorites).   You can vary the
introduction to fit into your campaign.  It is meant for a medium size group
of low level characters, so you may adjust accordingly to the experience of
the players, and their experience with oriental characters.

	While the bandits are not holed up in the castle, there are dangerous
beings living there.  A wu jen has taken over the lower hidden cellar for
his strange experiments in alchemy and the dark arts.  He has created a
small army of skeletons to protect himself, as well as hiring some bushi as
a second line of defense.   His final protection is a dangerous maze leading
to his laboratory and living quarters.

	The ramp to the entrance is guarded by huge spiders, and the ruins
are visited by all sorts of beings at all hours.  The first cellar level has
several unintelligent monsters inhabiting it. 

	Even the journey is not without its perils.  Bakemono are often seen
in the woods around the castle, and giants are rumored to guard the road
to the castle.  There are also groups of bandits roving the area, so that the
party must constantly be on the lookout.

	The adventure consists of three parts.  The first is the journey to the
castle.  On this trip, in addition to random monsters there are two
encounters, one with a band of bakemono, and an ogre lair near the road. 
The second is the castle itself.  There are many monsters here, but plenty
of rewards, too.  This would be best conquered in stages, first clearing out
the spiders and the monsters in the upper cellar, then preparing for the
battle with the wu jen.  Of course, the players will not know this, but
careful guidance by the DM can convince them to not try to clear out the
entire castle at once.

(This part is optional, depending on if you are a softie or a sadist.)
	The third part is the trip home.  A party of brigands will encounter
the PC's, but their numbers and actions should depend on the condition of
the characters.  If they got through the adventure easily, the bandits
should be strong, and demand money after surrounding the PC's.  The
amount demanded should be about half to two thirds of what the PC's
found.  The bandits will take the money and leave.  If they got through it
intelligently, the same should happen, except with fewer bandits.  If the
dungeon was too difficult and they had serious trouble (not because of
their own stupidity), the bandits should surround them as normal, but just
when all seems lost, a group of sohei, shukenja, and monks from the
religious school of one of the PC's should arrive (like the cavalry coming
over the hill), drive off the bandits, and help the PC's. If the PC's wish to
reward their helpers, make certain they retain an amount of treasure
commeasurate with what they did. 


On the journey to the castle:

Bakemono: AC6, # attacks 1, damage by weapon, HD 1-1, HP 6,5,3,3,3
wielding katana, spear, spear, chain and shiriken, spear, tetsubo and short
sword, naginata and short sword.  Treasure: 103 fen, false treasure map
(that is why they are in this are), periapt of proof against poison +1.

One or two days before reaching the castle, the PC's will encounter this
group of bakemono.  Vary the number according to the number and levels
of characters.  The leader will have the periapt in his possesion.


Ogres: AC5, # attacks 1, damage1-10, HD 4+1, HP 17,18.  Treasure 8 tael, 11
tael respectively.

These ogres have a temporary camp.  Driven from their home, they have
decided to stay near the road for a while, not realizing that it hasn't been
used in years.  They should be encountered either in the late afternoon of
the day before or the morning of the day the PC's reach the castle.


The DM can create his or her own map, based on the design outlines given
below.  The castle is surronded by a moat, with a bridge across in frontot
the main gate.  The castle is raised above the surrounding plane, and the
ramp leading to the main gate starts on the left side, and circles up to the
gate.  In between the bridge and the lower end of the ramp is are the lairs
of two huge spiders.


The castle

There are three levels to this castle.  There is the outside, the foundations
and surrounding land.  There are two cellars, one large storage cellar, and a
lower cellar that was modified by the wu jen who moved in.  The castle is
about 150 yards on a side.


The foundations

Huge spiders: AC6, # attacks 1, damage 1-6 plus poison (+1 to save), HD
2+2, HP 11,12, special attacks: surprise 5 in 6.  Treasure 13 fen, 12 yuan,
21 tael, 1 ch'ien.

"Guarding" the entrance ramp to the castle are two huge spiders of the
trapdoor type.  They moved in on their own but the inhabitants know of
them.  They can be avoided by walking around the castle to the right,
instead of directly to the entrance ramp.


The foundations show obvious signs of use.  They are used as a meeting
place for all sorts of beings, such as ninjas, bandits, and other creatures of
the night.  The local peasantry will never go near the place.  To the
northeast strange colored smoke and ghost lights can be seen at all hours, 
in no pattern.  Investigations will show that these appear out of the ground
in an area about 5' across.  Ghost lights also drift around the ruins, but
vanish when being approached.  These are created by the wu jen to scare
off the curious, or are lights used by those who meet in the ruins.

	The entrance ramp is in good condition, and cannot be scaled at any
point other than the usual route.  At the DM's option the wu jen can have
created a secret entrance to his lab under the ramp on the north side.

a: concealed entrances to first level, one under the northwest tower, the
other under the southeast tower

c: vents of the wu jen's kitchen and laboratory to the northeast

t: four towers at the corners.  All are decrepit, and the northwest one
appears to have collapsed.  This is partially an illusion over the entrance to
the cellar.

w: well. It has no mechanism, but if one can be created, water can be
	drawn, and it will be potable.


The first cellar

This level is divided into two parts.  The larger is was once a storage room,
divided using low barriers of boxes and barrels.  The southern entrance
leads to this section, and can be found after a turn of searching.  There are
various monsters down here, including centipedes, giants rats, a carrion
crawler, and two very hungry ghouls.


Giant rats: two nests of 5 for a total of 10.  AC7, # attacks 1, damage 1-3,
special attacks: disease 5% chance each bite, HD 1/2

HP: 4,4,3,2,1 and 4,4,4,3,2.  Treasure: 84, 97 yuan


Huge centipedes: nest of 9.  AC9, # attacks 1, damage poison at + 4 for 4-16,
HD 1/4, HP 1 each, -2 on all their saves.   No treasure.


Ghouls: 2, very hungry, will attack without hesitation.  AC6, # attacks 3,
damage 1-3/1-3/1-6, plus paralysis, HD 2, HP 8,6.  Treasure 384 fen, 3
scrolls: prot. from elementals, prot. from shapechangers, 2 2nd wu jen
spells: pyrotechnics, fog cloud.  Shukenja cannot turn them, and protection
from spirits is useless, but protection from evil will keep them at bay. 
Shukenja receive full experience for defeating them.


The northern section is walled off and can be reached only through the
hidden and illusioned northern entrance (see above), or by breaking down
the brick wall obviously built after the rest of the castle at the north end of
the large storeroom.  Breaking down the wall will attract all remaining
monsters on the level.  Once the north side is reached, the stairs up can be
found easily, but the trapdoor down must be searched for as a concealed
door.  It is obvious that this section is being used, but not inhabited,
because the dust on the floor has been recently disturbed along the entire
length of the floor.


The second level

This is the home of the wu jen and his guards.

The trapdoor opens to a ladder to second level lead down to a hallway to
the west, traveling almost the width of the castle

In a room at the end of the hallway, there are 6 skeletons:

Skeletons: 6.  AC7, # attacks 1, damage 1-6, s. defense: half damage from
edged weapons, HD 1, HP 5,4,4,3,3,1.  No treasure, weapons useless.

Animated using scroll found by wu jen, they have orders to attack anyone
not accompanied by him.  They cannot be turned by shukenja, and will not
be kept at bay by a protection from spirits  spell.  Shukenja receive full
experience for defeating them.


A door to the south opens to an empty room.  In the east wall is another
door, leading to another hallway, this one going east.  It leads to two doors,
one on the east wall, the other on the south wall.  The door to the east
opens to a room wherein live two bushi:

2 2nd level bushi

	S:16, D:16, C:17 (+1 melee damage, +2 AC, +1 missles), AC5, HP 11.  
	Wears metal scale, wields halberd, 2 throwing daggers.

	S:16, D:12, C:14 (+1 melee damage), AC6, HP 16.  Wears domaru,
	quality haidate, sode, wields naginata, quality sling and 10 stones.

	Ki power: 1/day, gain two levels incl. attacks, temporary hit points.
	They have 15 and 14 tael respectively, all that is left of their last
	payment.

These are neutral evil bushi who found a easy job working for a slightly
deranged wu jen.  They are well paid and fed, and don't have to risk their
lives very often.

The southern door opens into another hallway, this one going south for
about 40'.  In the east wall are two doors.

The first is to the storage room: various foodstuffs, construction materials,
including much wood, strange powders, fluids, unidentifiable body parts,
boxes of flasks, beakers, other alchemical devices, two barrels of oil.  In the
south wall is another door, which opens to the kitchen.

The second door also opens on to the kitchen: stove, pots, pans, utensils, 
possibly meal on the stove (10%).  There is a one way secret door from the 
lab here.

At the end of this hallway is the entrance to the first maze.  It is a series of
east-west hallways.  They go 80' west, 30' south, 80' east, 30' south, etc. for
five hallways.  Each hall is separateed for the next by a 10' section of solid
wall.  At the end of each hallway are secret doors leading to the
neighboring hallway.  These are used by the bushi to confuse intruders. 
They will allow the group to pass them, then follow them, attacking and
harrassing them with missle fire.  There are spare daggers and stones in
each secret room.  The secret doors can be locked from the inside, and can
take 20 points of damage against AC5, or two successful bend bars roll
before opening.  At the end of the fifth hallway is a secret door leading to
the scond maze.

The second maze is deadly.  There is only one safe path through the maze. 
All others are blocked by 10' deep pit traps at randomn intervals, spanning
the width of the hall, which open from the pressure of two human-sized
beings, then close automatically.  The wu jen checks these once day, and
kills anyone he finds in them for new skeletons.

At the end of the maze are the wu jen's living quarters.  They are sparsely
furnished with a bed, a bedside table with a single candle holder, a desk
and chair, and a hole in one corner about 300' deep with a seat above it. 
There are no magical items in the room, and the desk merely has a record
of his work, financial records, and other various and sundry boring papers
of little import, plus several brushes, an inkwell, an inking stone, some
wax, and a seal.  If inspected carefully a PC may recognize the seal of a
wanted criminal wu jen (20%).  If the papers are examined carefully, two
will be found that link this wu jen to the bandits.  The first discusses some
"business" transactions between them, spells cast for cash.  The second
explains that the bandits will no longer operate near here.  Their base is
somewhere nearby, but not in the immediate vicinity.  These papers should
be found only if a a character who can read goes through the pile.

At the far end of the room is the door to the laboratory.  This is clearly the
research center of the wu jen.  He is trying to establish the abilities and
limits of various types of wood under the influence of the Animate wood
spell.  As such he has a weird variety of sculptures of various types of
wood, from bamboo to iron wood.  He also has a large variety of alchemical
instruments, which he is using for several different experiments.  In one
corner is a fireplace with a large pot containing a weird concoction (deadly
poison: -4 on saves) suspended on a crane-like mechanism.  In the fire is a
fire snake which will attack any but the wu jen.  Near the door and
scattered around the room are pots containing flash powder.  The treasure
chest is behind a large stone next to the fireplace.  It is opened by moving
the pot holding mechanism away from the fire, removing the pot, and
lifting the mechanism.

Fire snake: AC6, # attacks 1, damage 1-4, save vs. poison or be paralyzed
for 2-8 turns, immune to fire, , surprise 60%, HD2, HP 13.  2 gems: 1 47
ch'ien jaspar, 28 ch'ien onyx.

Wu jen: He will probably (70%) be in the
laboratory when the PCs enter the bedroom.  If not, he will be sleeping
(20%) or prepared to fight (10%).  He will definatly be ready if he was
eating a meal- see kitchen above.  If asleep he will wake as soon as the PCs
enter, then dash immediately for the secret door to the laboratory.  If in
the lab there is a 50% chance he will notice when the PCs enter his
bedroom, and 90% when they find and try the secret door, unless they are
silent and use a knock or similar means to open the doors.  When he
notices the PCs he will attack immediatly, using his ki power to gain the
initiative.  If he catches the PCs in his bedroom, he will attempt to scare
them with ventriloquism, warning of a powerful spirit guard.  If the PCs
proceed, he will use ghost light to create a glowing warrior in armor and
wielding a katana.  This figure will advance menacingly, and the PCs will
notice the lack of noise on a percentile roll less than their combined
intelligence and wisdom.  Barbarians and those with blind fighting ability
double their wisdom due to their heightened senses other than sight.  If
this fails he will allow the PCs to enter the lab, attack using the animate
wood spells, then haste himself.  If they defeat the wood constructs he will
use steam breath, spectral force, then finally ignite several of the flash
pots, use smoke shape to obscure the vision of his attackers, duck through
the secret door to the kitchen if possible, or use rope trick to hide if he
cannot reach the door.  If this spell expires before the PCs leave, he will
attempt to sneak out, or, as a last resort, offer his treasure as ransom for
his life.
(I lost my stats on the wu jen, but I can recreate him if anybody wants.
If you have the Oriental Adventures handbook, just create a seventh level
wu jen, and give the spells mentioned above, plus enough to round him out.)

The way out

If the wu jen escaped, the PCs have made an enemy for life.  If not, and
some identifying object (such as his seal on his desk, or his head) is
returned to local authorities as proof of his death they will be rewarded
(50 ch'ien apiece).  


The following is included if you are either a softie or a sadist.

On the way home they will encounter some brigands, on whatever day
they leave the immediate vicinity of the castle.  If the PCs had an easy time
and have a great deal of treasure, all the bandits will appear, and will
demand at least half the PCs gains.  If they did not have an easy time, but
are not devastated, there should be fewer bandits, or a smaller ransom
demand.  If the PCs are hurt, and weren't completely successful, all the
bandits should appear, but when all looks darkest, a group of sohei,
shukenja and monks of the religious school of one of the PCs should appear
like the cavalry coming over the hill.  The bandits will break and run, and
the shukenja will heal the PCs to the best of their ability.  The bandits
should not attack the PCs unless the forces are about equal, and the PCs
start a fight.  The bandits will seek to disarm, unless the PCs are clearly
superior.  Under no circumstances should the bandits attempt to battle the
religious group.  The purpose of this encounter is to relieve an overly
successful group of their "excess" gains, and to aid a devastated group.

Bandits: 8 1st level CE bushi.  AC8 (leather or padded), # attacks 1, damage
by weapon,  HP 9,9,8,6,6,6,6,5.  Three are mounted on light warhorses,
wielding spears.  The rest wield bo sticks or spears.

Religious party: 11-20 sohei, 11-20 shukenja, and 5-10 monks, all of levels
between second and sixth.  Must be overwhelmingly more powerful than
the brigands, and of the same school as the party's shukenja, sohei, 
and/or monk(s).


