Introductory Dungeon For 1-4 Characters at 1st or 2nd Level
                              
                              
                              
                              
     Weary from travel and miserable from a cold downpour,
you and your companions come across a little village set in
a clearing in the forest.  Surrounded by wet fields, are the
grey outlines of buildings.  A warm glow comes from the
largest building in the town.
     You make your way through the sodden streets up to the
stone porch of a country inn.  A creaky wooden sign over
your heads reads "The Vaspar Inn: Haven for lost souls."
Shrugging off your wet overcoats, you enter the building.
The warmth of the room pleasantly warms your cold bodies.
The innkeeper, a plump, short man wearing a simple apron,
produces a warm mug of ale for each of you.  You notice that
you are the only people in the inn proper.
     "Not often we get travellers through these parts.
Especially on nights like this."
     The wind seems to pick up and lightening crashes
outside as if to provide significance to his words.
     "You look like honest folk, so you can pay when you
decide to leave.  I'll have my son warm up a some rooms for
you."
     About an hour later, you decide to turn in for the
night.  The beds are comfortable and the room is a warm
shield from the howling storm.
     In the early hours of the morning, you are awakened by
a high pitched scream coming from the village common.  You
rush to the window to see what's going on and see a young
man, about 14 or 15, trying to club a huge crawfish, close
to 9' long, away from a wounded older man.  About 15' away
is a plain woman, about the age of the older man, screaming
and grasping at the air as if to draw the two to her.  It is
obvious that the boy is outclasses and will soon have to
retreat and leave the elder to his fate.
 
   Giant Crayfish Int:Low; Al:N; Ac:4; 24hp; Thac0:15;
     Att:2; Dmg:2-12/2-12; Size:L; Ml:13; Xp:125
   
 
     The Giant Crayfish had its lair in a tunnel under the
 city.  The great storm causes a flood of water to collapse
 its tunnel and forced it into the well.  It left the well
 in search of food and happened upon a family coming into
 town early in the morning.  The old man is a farmer, Arlas
 Treylor, the young man is his son, Glenn, and the woman is
 his wife Arleen.  Since this is a small town, their rescue
 will be seen as greatly heroic and will make the PC's
 accepted into everyone's home.
     The Crayfish will fight until it is down to one-third
 of its hitpoints, and then it will attempt to flee
 backwards down the well.  It will fight to the death if it
 is cornered.  Upon looking down the well, the PC's can
 clearly see a stone archway half covered in water.  It
 looks as if the archway had been covered filled with
 recently washed away mud.
 
 
1.   The bottom of the well has about 3' of dark muddy water
in it.  The archway leads into a hallway about 40 feet long
which ends in a large, rusty iron door.  There is a small
current in the water, but not enough to cause alarm.
 
     The door is jammed shut by rust and years of neglect.
 It takes a bend bars roll to open it.  There is a base 15%
 chance of a PC hearing the squeaking and scuttling of the
 rats on the other side.  A thief adds 15 to his hear noise
 roll.
 
2.   Upon opening the iron door, a strong sewer smell knocks
you back.  Large baleful, red eyes stare a you and evil
hisses fill the air.  You can see the bodies of rats as big
as cats scuttling through debris.  A gnawed skeleton lies
sprawled on the remains of a wooden couch with seams to
serve as a lair for the rodents.  There are the rotten
remains of a backpack on the skeleton.
 
   Giant Rat Int:Semi; Al:N(E); Ac:7; 1,1,2,3,3,1,
     2,4,4,1,4,4,3,2,4,4,4,4,1,1,1,1 hp; Thac0:19;
     Att:1; Dmg:1-6; SA 5% chance of disease; Size:T;
     Ml:12; Xp:65
   
 
     If the door is opened before the water is emptied from
 the well, the water rushes into the room.  The rats will
 seek shelter on floating bits of debris.  They will attack
 the characters as soon as possible because they have been
 forced into a cannibalistic society because of the
 desolation in the ruins.  If the couch is fire-bombed, the
 PC's will kill 7 of the pests.  In the rat-chewed backpack
 is a poor quality composite shortbow with an onyx grip
 (112gp), piece of the backpack with the word 'Aeri' on it,
 a holy symbol made of gold and platinum (32gp), a battered
 great helm, a flint and steel, a 30' length of rotten
 rope, 4 torches, and 30gp.
 
 
3.   This long hallway has the remains of shredded
tapestries hanging from the walls and the floors are covered
in rat droppings.  A set of iron doors close off the far end
of the hall.
 
 
     The iron doors are locked with average locks.  This
 offers no bonuses to thieves.  To break down the doors
 requires a bend bars roll at -5%.  The doors can take 50hp
 of damage before the will break open.  Blade weapons used
 to break the door require a save vs. crushing blow, or
 they'll break.
 
 
4.   This is a room about 60' long and 20' feet wide.  The
floor is covered in the rotten remains of books.  There are
a few leather covers still around, but the pages have long
since disintegrated.  A wooden door is closed at the far end
of the room.  Around the remains of an old table are the
skeletons of 9 humans in clerical trappings.  Each has an
old rusty mace in his hand.
 
   Skeleton Int:Non; Al:N; Ac:7; 2,3,5,4,3,7,4,5,2 hp;
     Thac0: 19; Att:1; Dmg:1-6; Size:M; Ml:NA; Xp:65
 
 
     The skeletons are the remains of 9 clerics who were in
 the temple when it was struck down.  They have been
 ordered to attack all who enter.  This leaves their souls
 in agony since they were of a peaceful order.  The maces
 are in very poor condition, but are worth about 3gp each.
 
 
5.   Two large beetles with red eyes are moving slowly down
the hall towards you.  The hall is about 30' long and ends
in a door that is open.  You can see the walls of a room
beyond the door.
 
   Fire Beetle Int:Non; Al:N; Ac:4; 6,9hp; Thac0:19;
     Att:1; Dmg:2-8; Size:T(2'); Ml:12; Xp:35
 
 
     The fire beetles are not aggressive and will leave the
 characters alone unless frightened or attacked.  The will
 then try to run away.  When cornered, the beetles will
 turn and charge.  Do not reward good or neutral characters
 for blindly attacking them.
 
 
6.   The remnants of fine silk tapestries lie in dust on the
floor of this 30' by 20' room.  Two old wooden doors provide
exits from the room to the north and west.  A stone archway
leads into darkness towards the south.  On the floor is a
thick worn rug covered in dust.
 
 
     Under the rug is a 10' deep pit trap.  Characters
 walking across the rug have a 25% chance of avoiding it.
 The damage is 1d6.  Characters listening to the east door
 have a 20% chance of hearing the sound of scuttling wood.
 There are also quick, soft barking noises coming from the
 room.  Characters who know Kobold will recognize it as one
 kobold ordering the others to 'Search everything real good
 we don't wanna upset Slash.'
 
 
7.   When you opened the wooden door, a loud yip comes from
the far end of the room.  You see a couple of short
goblinoids scurrying around.  There are overturned tables in
two rows of three down the middle of the room.  Towards the
far end is a metal door.  The farthest two tables are set on
their sides and provide cover for the creatures.
 
   Kobold Int:9; Al:LE; Ac:7; 4,1,4,3,1,4,4,4 hp;
     Thac0:20; Att:1; Dmg:1-4 (claw) or by weapon;
     Size:S; Ml:9; Xp:7;  each has a spiked club
     (1d6+1) and 2 javelins (1d6)
 
 
     The kobolds are really as scared of the Pc's as
 anything.  They will fight is attacked or it they think
 they can overpower the Pc's.  The overturned tables
 provide them with hard cover and concealment (-2 Ac and +2
 to hit).  Each kobold also has 2d6 copper pieces each on
 him.
 
 
8.   As you swing the door open, you see the remains of an
ancient kitchen.  Old iron pots and pans lie scattered on
the floor.  The dust in the room is stirred up and Kobold
prints are all over the place.  Other than the dust and
kitchen utensils, the room appears empty.
 
9.   The hallway extends for about 90' to the south before
it turns to the east.  It then runs about 50' to a door on
the south side of the hall, and then terminates another 30'
east of the door.  In the middle of the hall, about 15' from
the door to the west, are the bodies of two kobolds and the
body of a large beetle.
 
10.  This 20' by 20' room is padded by a thick layer of rugs
and tapestries on the walls and floors.  They seem to be in
good condition despite the years.  Not the sort of thing to
put in a home, but surprisingly intact.  Two bronze doors,
each on the south wall, are shut.
 
   Stabber (Kobold)  Int:12; Al:LE; Ac:7; 6hp;
     Thac0:19; Att:1; Dmg:1-4 or by weapon; SA:Thief
     abilities; Size:S; Ml:10; Xp:20;  x2 damage
     backstab; MS:30% HS:30% PP:45%; he is armed with a
     shortsword(1d6) and javelin(1d6).
 
 
     Behind on particularly large tapestry is a kobold
 called 'Stabber' in his native language.  He is an up and
 coming kobold captain, quite aware that stealth and
 secrecy can kill the enemy more than bluff and bravo.  He
 is also aware that it might be necessary to run to save
 his life.  He will surrender before he dies only if
 allowed to retain hold of his weapon as he leaves.  He
 will keep his word that he'll leave the Pc's alone if he
 gives it.
 
 
11.  When you open the door, you have to push the splintered
remains of a large couch.  A desk in the southwestern corner
of the room has been battered into shards of wood.  The
gouges in the desk are fresh.  Two doors, 10' apart, are on
the eastern wall.  A bronze door opens to the north.
 
12.  A soft click-clack comes from the dark east end of this
long room.  You estimated its length around 90' though you
can only see the first 40' clearly.  Busted up on the ground
are close to a dozen ancient paintings.  The walls are bare
except for some strands of hanging wire.  A couple of dark
shapes stop and run into the gloom.  The clicking noise
speeds up as they run, obviously from claws on their feet.
 
   Kobold Int:Average; Al:LE; Ac:7; 2,3 hp; Thac0:20;
     Att:1; Dmg:1-4 or by weapon; Size:S; Ml:10; Xp:7;
     armed with spiked clubs(1d6+1) and a javelin(1d6)
 
13.  You opened the door into an unfurnished, small room,
about 20' by 20'.  The stone walls, floor, and ceiling are
all completely bare execpt for the doors on each of the
compass points.
 
 
     Before any real action can be taken, a loud thunk
 followed by a shriek comes from behind the eastern door.
 The Pc's notice the blackened tip of a spear poking from
 the door.  The tip is blackened by blood which is now
 running down the door.
 
 
14.  You wrench the door open, and the dead body of an
impaled kobold slides off the door.  Looking down the hall,
you see four other kobolds lying bleeding on the floor.  40'
down the hall, where it turns to the south, four other
kobolds are staring at their fallen brethren.  Upon seeing
you, one reaches forward with his spiked club.  You notice a
pressure plate on the floor smeared with blood.
 
   Kobold Int:Average; Al:LE; Ac:7; 1,5,3,4 hp;
     Thac0:20; Att:1; Dmg:1-4(claw) or 1d6+1(spiked
     club) or 1d6(javelin)
 
 
 The character's must think fast to keep the kobold from
 triggering the trap again.  If he does trigger the trap, a
 spear shoots out of the wall towards the characters.  The
 first three characters must make a save vs. paralyzation
 to avoid it.  There is enough force behind the spear to
 penetrate any non-magical armor.  Magic armor adds its
 pluses to the save.  A failed save results in 2d4 points
 of damage.
 
 
15.  The door creaks as you open.  The room is very dusty.
The remains of a once sturdy oak table lie on top of a
crushed pair of chairs.  A faded tapestry on the south wall
depicts a robed man wearing a large gem in an amulet
pointing out a surprised assassin drawing a dagger in a
crowd.
 
16.  You open the door on four short humanoids in the
process of sifting through scraps of wood and cloth.  Two
are wearing thick leather gloves and carry leather bags at
their sides.  They immediately turn to see who their
aggravate are.
 
   Kobold Int:Average; Al:LE; Ac:7; 4,2,4,4 hp;
     Thac0:20; Att:1; Dmg:1-4(claw), spiked clubs
     (1d6+1), or javelin(1d6); Size:S; Ml:10; Xp:7
 
   Huge Centipede Int:Non; Al:N; Ac:9; 1,1 hp;
     Thac0:20; Att:1; Dmg:Nil; SA: Poison (paralyzed
     1d6 hours, +4 to save); Size:T(6"); Ml:6; Xp:35;
 
 
     The two with leather bags, will reach into their bags
 and toss a huge centipede into the party, hoping the
 distraction or poisoning will give them an upper hand.
 There is nothing the pile of debris, and the kobolds have
 no treasure on them.
 
 
17.  The dust from the floor swirls around your feet as you
move into this room.  The remains of mats and rugs lie
rotting on the floor.  A door further down the north wall is
made of iron and has a keyhole on it.  The other, on the
east wall, has what appears to be a protection glyph in
ivory on it.  It also is metal and has a keyhole.
 
 
     The glyph is an ancient symbol of protection from
 evil.  It is non-magical in nature.  Probably, it was put
 up for good-luck.
 
 
18.  This room is full of broken wooden beds, and is covered
in dust.  The grisly remains of about six men all lie on the
useless beds.  Each has a rusty mace hanging from his age-
cracked belt.  While you watch, a bony hand moves and
unhooks his mace.  The skeletons begin to stand and move
towards you.
 
   Skeleton Int:Non; Al:N; Ac:7; 2,7,7,3,2,8,7 hp;
     Att:1; Dmg:1-6; Xp:65
 
19.  This room has large square pieces of slate on each of
the walls.  It is a light grey in color.  The one on the
western wall is cracked, and pieces of it lie on the floor.
A set of broken chairs lie on the floor.
 
20.  A large wooden alter dominates the room.  The charred
words 'Look to God for you protection' drip black soot from
their indentions like blood.  There is dust in the shape of
a body on the ground in front of it.  Surprisingly, the
alter seems untouched by age.
 
 
     This is the Alter of Bloodshed.  It was created by a
 diety's curse on his followers after they lost faith in
 their god and trusted their own strength.  Any attempt to
 gain favor from this alter will result in a monster
 summoning II spell being cast against the offender.
 
 
21.  The smell of mud and wet leaves is the first indication
of another entrance to this underground crypt.  You see a
giant pit created by a giant trees torn up roots.  The pit
is about 40' to the surface.  On the edges at the top of the
chasm, you can see the armored bodies of about six kobolds.
They don't seem to be paying attention to activity at the
bottom of the pit.  You do notice that they are heavily
armed for the average kobold.
 
   Kobold Int:Average; Al:LE; Ac:4; 5,6,4,5,5,7 hp;
     Thac0:19; Att:1; Dmg:1-4(claw) or 1-8(battle-axe)
     or 1d3(dart); SA: +1 to hit with darts; Size:S;
     Ml:13; Xp:15
 
 
     These kobolds are part of the elite assault force of
 their tribe.  They are trained in close combat and in
 ranged combat with the dart.  They have hide armor and
 shields.  Each has 9 darts and 1d6 silver pieces.
 
 
22.  You pass through the open doorway and find yourself at
the entrance to a large cavern.  The air is humid, probably
from the pool in the center of the place.  There seem to be
a pile of bodies in the pool, and a human's severed hand
lays next to a large smear of blood.
 
 
     Closer inspection of the pool reveals the bodies of
 five kobolds, and two humans dressed in the forest colors
 of rangers.  One of the human's hands is missing.  One of
 the kobold bodies is dressed in hide armor like the others
 outside the pit.  The bodies have been pilfered.  There
 seem to be no other exits, but close inspection of the
 walls will reveal dry spots on the wall where the
 surrounding surface is wet.
 
 
23.  The walls of this small cavern seem to have been worked
by tools.  Rough stone shelves lie empty of their stores.
Busted cases lie in shambles next to the walls, all that is
except on case under a stone shelf.
 
 
     The intact case hold three fifths of an ancient elfin
 wine worth about 500gp to a connoisseur.  Otherwise, its
 just good drinking.
 
 
24.  Several oil soaked bundles lie on the floor of this
small, round room.  The cracked remains of 4 suits of
leather armor lie in a rack on the wall.  They are probably
useless.
 
 
     Inside the bundles are the protected weapons of old.
 The inventory includes: 1 longsword, 2 shortswords, and 8
 daggers; A fine shortbow and quiver with 20 sheaf arrows;
 and a glittering suit of chainmail.  The door to this room
 is locked with an exceptional lock that give a -20% of
 being picked.
 
 
25.  This small cavern has a clear pool of water bubbling up
in a depression in the floor.
 
26.  You get the impression that this was an old audience
hall because there are a double row of columns leading up to
two thrones.  On the columns are fine carvings of the
adventures of a great king.  Your eyes revert back to the
thrones where you see a skeleton in fine robes with a crown
on its head, and another body, not completely decomposed, in
the smaller of the two thrones.  The smaller has a gold
pendant around his neck.  As you watch in horror, the un-
decomposed body stands and points an accusing finger at you.
"Assassins M'Lord," it screams in a dry voice, "I'll save
you my king!"  With this he begins to move his hands in
complex gestures.
 
   Alamek (Zombie) Int:High; Al:CN; Ac:8; 12hp;
     Thac0:19; Att:1; Dmg:1-8; SA:Spells; Xp:100;
     Spells: Magic Missile x2, Acid Arrow
 
 
     This the king's faithful advisor Alamek, who was a
 great magician of the time before he was cursed with
 undeath.  His pendant is missing the gem that is depicted
 in the tapestry.  Yes, he does resemble the man in robes.
 It is supposed to hold a gem of seeing, but Alamek left
 the gem in his Lord's castle further in the woods.  The
 treasure here consists of the following: crown of gold
 (250gp), a gold pendant for the gem (50gp without the
 gem), and 36 gold pieces in loose change.
 
 
Note:  This dungeon was meant to be the starting off point
of a campaign in a low-magic world.  In other words, the
characters are supposed to rely on more than muscle to
overcome their obstacles.  Magic in the form of items is
supposed to be rare and any items are usually hoarded.
Missile weapons are outlawed because of an on-going war with
an evil northern nation, and other weapons are frowned upon
in towns and cities.  "What would you need a weapon for if
you weren't a trouble-maker?"  This adventure was designed
to allow many secondary stories to follow.  The Pc's become
the protectors of this village on the outskirts of the
civilized world, they search for the missing gem, or they
can look into why the kobolds were tearing the place down
(were they looking for the amulet to begin with?).
 
 
                              Brad Caldwell
                              st28669@latech.edu
