TSR 9189 - IM2 - The Wrath of Olympus.pdf

(8326 KB) Pobierz
Immortal Game
Adventure
by Robert
J.
Blake
I
Table of
Contents
Prologue
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter
1:
Athena’s Refuge
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter
2:
Earth’s Heart
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter
3:
Tempus Fugit
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editor: Mike Breault
Cover Artist: Keith Parkinson
Interior Artist: George Barr
Cartographers: Dennis Kauth, Dave LaForce,
Dave and Diane Sutherland
Typographer: Betty Elmore
“1987
TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
DUNGEONS &DRAGONS, D&D, PRODUCTS
OF
YOUR
IMAGINATION and the TSR logo
are
trademarks owned by
TSR 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
(UK) Ltd.
This adventure is protected under the copyright
laws
of
the
United States
of
America. Any reproduction
or
other
unauthorized use
of
the material or artwork contained herein is
prohibited without the express written permission
of
TSR Inc.
2
4
11
15
Pull-out Section for
DM
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.19-30
Pregenerated Player Characters
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.19,
20,
29,30
21,
22,
27
Astral and Ethereal Encounters
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table
1
:
The Identities’ Statistics
................................
26
23
Table
2:
The Immortals of Mount Olympus
.......................
24’25
Talitha’sPlaque
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Immortal Character Sheet
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
Chapter
4: When
Legends Come to Life
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter
5:
Thunder Over Olympus
..........................
34
,
. . .
42
TSR, Inc.
POB
756
Lake
Geneva,
WI
53147
TSR (UK) Ltd.
The Mill, Rathmore Road
Cambridge CB1 4AD
United Kingdom
TSR,
Inc.
PROOUCTS
OF
YOUR IMAGINATIONm
ISBN
0-88038-387-9
9189
PROLOGUE
The overriding goal of all Immortals is the
preservation of the Prime Material Plane, a
tenet that is not subject to interpretation
or
negotiation.
But there are some Immortals who choose
not to heed such dictates, regardless of the
logic involved. Seven such descended to the
Prime and declared themselves the Olympi-
ans, patterning themselves after the Pan-
theon of ancient Greece. Immortals
impersonating gods? Unheard of and, as will
be seen, the dangerous consequences of their
deed caused turmoil throughout the multi-
verse.
The day the impostors arrived on the
Prime, they appeared before the bewildered
populace of Corunglain, in the Republic of
Darokin. They demanded worship and trib-
ute, claiming it as their due right. And who
could deny them, these god-like beings en-
cased in dazzling white light and speaking
with ringing voices?
So
worship was made and tribute offered.
In
keeping with the roles they were assuming,
the Immortals ascended
a
mountain in the
Broken Lands, dubbed it “Mount Oly-
mpus,” and set about making it a permanent
home. The summit was sheathed in rolling
thunder and billowing clouds, through which
“Zeus” would occasionally hurl
a
thunder-
bolt at some hapless mortal. An enterprising
cleric was always handy to rationalize this di-
vine retribution against the sins of the victim,
no matter how trivial
or
insignificant those
sins were.
The ruler of Darokin made obeisance to
the gods and consulted the oracles, seeking a
reason for this calamity and guidance as to
the best course of action. The gods remained
silent. Sure in his heart he was being tested by
his deities, he dispatched his army to drive off
the intruders. Fully
3,000
armored elite
marched off to do battle with the “Gods of
Mount Olympus.”
Incensed by the effrontery of these mor-
tals, the fraudulent gods blasted the host with
all their Immortal might. The flanks of the
mountain were covered with slain warriors,
like dead leaves drifted by wintry winds. Few
lived to spread the news of the crushing de-
feat.
But the use of
so
much power on the Prime
attracted the attention of other Immortals.
Night, Hierarch of Entropy, and three Eter-
nals of Entropy (Masauwu, Orcus, and Tali-
tha) had long desired to hasten the
advancement of their sponsored mortals to
Immortality. To make room in the ranks of
Immortals, they sought the removal of at
least seven Immortals.
Their new Initiates would be brought
along, eventually to replace the Immortals
so
removed. Since this would be a simple re-
placement, Night sees the project as further-
ing the goals of his sphere.
The dangerous tampering by the band
of
renegades calling themselves gods proved a
stroke of good fortune for Entropy. They
moved speedily to incarcerate the Immortals,
but instead ofbringing them to the Hierarchs
for discipline, they made a few modifications
to Olympus. It is now apparent that Night is
intent on eliminating the Olympians directly
on the Prime.
Player Background
Having answered Terra’s summons, it is
puzzling that she now ignores your pres-
ence.
The Hierarch of the Sphere of Matter
restlessly scans the void for.. .what? “Fear
not,” she murmurs. “In the troubles that
have befallen you. I will lend what aid is
possible. I sense you now realize the enor-
mity of your actions, and I will protect
you if you are sincere in your repentance.
But I must know your refuge.”
And then, ever
so
briefly, like a vague
thought, a pinpoint of light flares in the
vast expanse of blackness. Terra smiles,
then turns to you. Her features reflect the
solidity of Earth, the bloom of health, and
the lack of any expression of apology for
keeping low-ranked Immortals waiting on
her doorstep.
“I desire that you put aside your per-
sonal projects for a time. An Empyreal
calling herself Athena has been chased
across the emptiness by someone
or
some-
thing. Though incredibly drained, she
was able to send
a
plea, a call for help.
Whatever pursues her is strong, totally
shielded from my probes.
“Be aware that her flight is part
of
strange and ultimately dangerous occur-
rences on the Prime. Her claim that she is
Athena is false, but she is at least showing
some repentance for her actions by mak-
ing her whereabouts known to me with
a
Last burst of power.
“The errant Empyreal has sought sanc-
tuary on the planet Coriopt in the Outer
Plane of Kryla. However, Kryla cannot be
reached astrally. It is necessary to first go
to the adjoining plane of Rylum to seek
the boundary with Kryla. Find this pre-
tender and bring her to me for censure.”
The Imprisonment
of
the
Gods
Demons descended on the mountain and,
with the help of a gluttonous jumper (see
page
46),
erected an encircling barrier com-
posed of Time and Air around part of the pal-
ace. Inside, the impostors found their magic
would not work, and all, save Athena, were
quickly overwhelmed. She was not within the
area enclosed by the barrier and fled, fol-
lowed by Orcus and Talitha in hot pursuit.
The foolish Immortals were bound with
chains to the mountain. The metal of the
chains was unknown to them and they could
not break it. A feeling of weakness and leth-
argy overcame them, as if the rock to which
they were chained was sucking the power
from their bodies.
Before leaving, Talitha released a tormen-
tor upon them, a winged fury bearing the
grinning visage of the Titan Prometheus.
The demon repeatedly attacked the Immor-
tals, ironically visiting on the Olympians the
eternal punishment the real Zeus prescribed
for the Titan.
The Flaw in the Plan
The Immortals of Entropy made a serious
error in judgment in their haste to elevate
their mortal candidates to Immortality. The
Hierarchs ruled that open slaying of Immor-
tals on the Prime, to be witnessed by mortal
eyes, would eventually jeopardize the replen-
ishment of the ranks of Immortals. What
mortal would aspire to Immortality after ob-
serving such a thing,
or
even just hearing the
tale? Clearly, this course of action is danger-
ous and must be halted..
..
Notes for
the
Dungeon Master
The Characters
This adventure is designed for four
or
five
Temporals, levels one
or
two. There should
be one from each sphere. There are six pre-
generated characters in the Reference Sec-
tion (center pull-out) who may be used to fill
out the party if you do not have enough PCs
of Immortal status in your campaign.
If five PCs are desired, an extra Immortal
of Thought could prove useful.
2
Prologue
Travel
The PCs will probably travel in their nor-
mal forms (physical forms are necessary to
complete all phases of the adventure) and re-
main visible (to keep their Anti-Magic in ef-
fect). The walking rate is
120’
(40’)
and the
nonmagical flying rate
360’
(120’).
Your play-
ers may choose other means, and you may
have to adjust the details of some encounters,
reactions, etc. to account for the characters’
actions.
Astral and Ethereal Travel
The player characters must travel to many
planes to complete this adventure. The ad-
venture begins on the Home Plane of Terra,
the Hierarch of the Sphere of Matter. The
first leg is another outer plane called Rylum.
From there the party may travel to yet an-
other outer plane (Tempus in part
3)
or to the
Elemental Plane of Earth (part
2).
From the Plane of Earth, the adventure
leads to either a PC’s Home Plane, or to Tem-
pus (part
3),
if they have not been there yet.
The final destination is the Prime Plane.
For the purposes of this adventure, it is as-
sumed that none of the characters have ever
visited any of the outer planes involved in this
adventure (except, of course, a PC’s Home
Plane). The best means of travel in the Astral
Plane is to use
astral
teleport, which all Initi-
ates learn before becoming Novice Tempo-
rals. However, the characters only have a
general knowledge of the location of the outer
planes they seek,
so
astral teleport will only
get them close. Some nonmagical travel is
still required.
The Astral and Ethereal Planes exhibit a
neutral bias to all spheres, thus the regenera-
tion of Power, ability scores, and hit points all
occur at the rate of
1
point per turn.
Random encounters in the Astral and
Ethereal Planes are covered in the Pull-out
Section. You should spend some time before
the adventure to create the parties of mortal
adventurers that may be encountered.
If
at
all possible, these should be keyed to your
campaign (i.e., the adventuring parties are
composed of actual NPCs in your world).
power to create magic. Those of you who
could cast spells as mortals may do so on
Rylum, but only by the mortal means of
memorization. Magic does not function
on Rylum as you might expect, therefore
the aid of a native mage might prove help-
ful. Other aspects of your Power and Aura
will still function.
“Of
greater concern is Kryla. It is a
trispace, and magic simply does not work.
Be careful, lest you be trapped there. The
impostor Athena must have used a gate
between Rylum and Kryla. Find this
gate, then guard it in some fashion to en-
sure your return.”
Travel to Rylum
Terra provides complete directions for as-
tral travel to Rylum. Once there, the charac-
ters are on their own.
Consult the Astral Random Encounter Ta-
ble for possible encounters en route. Make
three checks (at start of travel, near the mid-
dle, and at the end).
Getting Started
aware that you journey to unusual and
dangerous planes of existence. Rylum is
tetraspacial, thus you may not use your
3
Chapter
I:
Athena’s
Refuce
Magic Use
Rylum is tetraspacial, thus only memo-
rized magic functions here. This means that
characters who were capable of using magic
as mortals may do
so
in the standard way of
memorizing spells. The players of these char-
acters should refer to the sheet that lists the
mortal character’s last level and statistics be-
fore becoming an Initiate.
As stated earlier, planar access spells do not
work here, as the characters will discover if
they cast
gate.
Access points to planes that
bound with Rylum are physical portals cre-
ated by the magic of this place.
The Isiidi
These humanoids are the dominant race
on Simoom, but they are little known outside
Rylum since they do not have the means to
leave. Only stray references to Isiidi may be
gleaned from Immortals who have traveled
widely in the outer planes.
The fiery nature of their home plane, and
Simoom in particular, has caused the race to
evolve into creatures capable of surviving ex-
treme heat. They are taller than humans, av-
eraging seven feet in height. Their skin is a
thick, brownish hide equivalent to AC
0.
All Isiidi have the following innate abili-
ties: produce fire (as the druid spell on page
15 of D&D@Companion Set Players Book,
once per turn), fire breath (as the artifact
power [page 52 of D&D Master DM’s Book],
three time a day), and blasting (as the artifact
power [page
51
of D&D Master DM’s Book],
once per day).
The society of the Isiidi is similar to that of
some human enclaves on the Prime. The gov-
ernment may best be described as a Confed-
eracy, though relations between the states are
as fiery as the planet.
Foodstuffs are the primary commodity, the
most important of these being the grain of the
blaze plant, the staple food of the planet.
Water is very scarce on Simoom. Most
states have a few well-guarded community
wells, though these occasionally go dry, re-
sulting in public unrest. The state of Pyros,
however, enjoys unlimited water from a mas-
sive underground lake. Pyros’s treasury is
well maintained by selling water to states ex-
periencing water shortages. Water also fig-
ures prominently in all matters of diplomacy,
and is frequently a major cause of interstate
wars and intrastate power struggles.
Adventuring Isiidi are limited to the
fighter, magic-user, and thief classes. Fighters
and thieves operate as their human counter-
parts. The high natural Armor Class of Isiidi
forced metalsmiths to develop an alloy capa-
ble of cutting their tough hide. The weapons
carried by Isiidi are more than razor sharp;
all Isiidi fighters who face non-Isiidi receive
+
3 to hit and
+
6 to damage.
Magic-users cannot cast any spells based
on water; that knowledge is simply not avail-
able. However, they have developed fire-
based spells to
a
high art, capable of adjusting
the range and area of effect of
fire
ball
and
similar spells to a fine degree.
Random Encounters on Simoom
Check every other turn for a random en-
counter. The PCs need information about
this place,
so
it is to be expected they will in-
teract with the beings they meet.
Simoom Random Encounter Table
Book
D20
Creatures
Roll
1-6
7-12
13-17
18-19
20
Encountered
Merchant Party
l d 4 Red Dragons
l d 4
+
1
Isiidi Adventurers
l d 4 Helions
l d 6 Fire Elementals
and
Page
-
-
B28
C 40
C 40
The Situation
Terra was correct in that Athena used a
gate
between Rylum and her chosen sanctu-
ary, the planet Coriopt in the Plane of Kryla.
However, Athena did not cast the spell
gate.
The normal planar travel spells (other
than to the Astral Plane) simply do not work
on Rylum. Having visited here before, she
knew exactly where a portal to Kryla existed.
Unfortunately for Athena, Orcus also
knew of this
gate.
H e is aware of another
plane adjacent to both Rylum and Kryla, a
very nasty place called Pyts. Orcus found the
door
to
Kryla and concealed it by piling an
entire volcano on top of it. Then he opened
one to Pyts in the same location. Orcus is try-
ing
to
force anyone going to Kryla to pass
through Pyts first. Thus Orcus’s followers
have ample time to enter Kryla and remove
Athena to the Prime for Night’s brand of Im-
mortal Justice.
Random Encounter Explanations
Isiidi merchant party:
The group is com-
posed of ld3 merchants guarded by 2d4
+
2
men-at-arms. The goods are carried in wag-
ons pulled by two lizards, the equivalent of
oxen. The merchants are neutral in their atti-
tude toward strangers, but quite willing to
answer any questions the PCs may ask.
Red dragon:
AC
-
1; H D 10; M V
90’
(30’) Flying 240’
(80’);
AT
2
clawdl bite; D
ld8/ld8/4d8; Save F10; M L 10; Int 9; AL C
Small red dragons are quite common on
Simoom. The Isiidi are partially immune to
their breath (maximum of 10 points, save for
half damage). There are large and huge spec-
imens, though they stay far removed from
settled areas and are
so
seldom seen as to be
solely a matter of legends. The small ones are
considered a nuisance.
Any red dragons encountered cannot talk
and therefore cannot use spells. They are
only interested in food and treasure, but will
not attack anyone who puts on
a
show of
force.
Isiidi adventurers:
If more than one
group is encountered, the first is a mixed
group of fighters, magic-users, and thieves.
Their intent is to take the PCs for whatever
they can. The magic-users refuse to divulge
any information about magic use on this
plane. The thieves are surly and the fighters
openly antagonistic.
The second group is of similar makeup,
though these NPCs act very differently. The
magic-users are willing to explain how they
cast tiny fire balls, but they have no knowl-
edge about traveling to other planes. They
suggest the PCs find
a
mage named Wotan,
who has always been interested in such mat-
ters.
Arrival on the Plane of Rylum
Viewed from the Astral Plane, Rylum is a
large, pinkish bubble, indicating that its
dominant element is Fire. Bias
is
standard
(friendly to the Sphere of Energy, neutral to-
ward Matter and Time, hostile to Thought).
It is daylight on the planet Simoom in the
Plane of Rylum. The sun is a huge ball of
fire: very close, very bright, and very hot.
T h e PCs arrive in the middle of a dry lake
ringed by volcanoes. (Refer to the map on
Page 5.)
A
wish
indicates the proper direction of
travel, but it is not necessary. There are two
roads-actually
dry stream beds leading
from the extinct lake-both of which lead to
the same place. The characters may walk or
use nonmagical flying abilities for move-
ment;
gaseous form
does not function.
4

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin