Behind Door Number 3
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Author: Brian Nisbet
Homepage: http://www.irishgaming.com
System: AD&D 2nd Edition
Type: Scenario
Category: Fantasy
Requirements:

Hello Good Evening and Welcome, a little note for the GMs:

Ok, well, here we are again. So, what needs to be said? Well, this scenario should be roughly 3 hours long, including the time it takes to sort everyone out, get characters read etc. There are very few strange rules variations, or at least I’m not going to impose any on you. I’m hoping that you’re all big enough and old enough to fudge dice rolls and to handle any rules lawyers. Hmm, anything else before we get to the plot? I don’t think so.

GMs Introduction:

Well, the quick run down is fairly simple. The party has come home from a long trek and should be fairly pleased to find that everything seems to be pretty much as they left it. Of course, this isn’t the case… it would make for a short scenario, but I don’t think people would think that they got their quid’s worth. Simply put, by day the place is fine and hunky and dory, but by night it isn’t. Every night everyone in the town turns into a monster. The actual mechanics of this change are described at the end of the scenario. One night its orcs, the next its kobolds… the monsters are always humanoid and the person’s personality doesn’t totally change, but it will alter to reflect the new form. The next day everything is back to normal. Nothing done the night before is remembered maybe just as bad dreams. On the second night of their return the players will get drawn into this whole mess and, obviously enough, will try to sort it out. Because they have one night to witness this transformation they will be the only ones who know what’s going on, maybe work out a way of communicating between the two worlds and putting an end to whatever it is. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? In fact the whole problem is being caused not by a malicious mage (well, not exactly… ok, so there is one involved… but they won’t actually feature… it’ll be something a lot nastier) or other such problem, rather a complicated magical device and a small child. The child is simply wandering around a tower opening doors and each different door brings forth a different monster. That isn’t to say that there is nothing to kill, on the contrary, depending on how long it all goes on the players will have to defend against monster hunters, worry about the local beasties and overcome the various problems of the locations they visit. Possibly the most important thing from the party’s point of view is making sure that they solve the problem before the last door is opened, but what are the chances of that?

Players Introduction:

“Home at last. After months of toiling through dark forests and evil swamps, after the hazardous final assault on the Warlock’s lair and after the final thrust that robbed him of his life, you have returned home. Your spirits lifted as you rode through familiar valleys and passed the signpost marking the border of King Clovis’ land. Finally you caught sight of the city of Alhen and you knew that you had returned safely. You could think only of a filling meal and a warm bed, of home, of safety…”

Scene 1: Homecoming Queen…

So, the party will march in through the gates of Alhen, to be greeted by the populace, a very grateful populace I might add. The Warlock was not a nice man and the country is a better and happier place without him. Describe various scenes of happiness and joy if you so wish, throwing in smiles from comely men and maidens, small children waving flags and all the rest of it, make it festive. The party will be lead up through the city to the gates of the castle/keep and there they will be met by King Clovis and his Queen, Lucia. Further speeches will be made (the party should be close to falling over asleep by this stage) and honours will be bestowed. It will be announced that there will be a great feast on the morrow and the party are finally allowed to go to bed. This scene is very much a prologue. Nothing strange or unusual should happen during it and it really should look like nothing is out of place. Of course the players will suspect something and will probably be very paranoid… good; we like them like that. Again, how long this all takes is up to you, but emphasise how tired the party is etc. etc. If you think the scenario as a whole is too long or short then here is one of the bits where you can cut down or pad… but I don’t need to tell you your job, so I’ll just get on with mine.

Scene 2: All Alone in the Night…

Right, now we get to the action. The party will go home, hopefully wash and then fall into bed. They should sleep soundly for quite some time, until they are awakened by strange noises outside. The first night all of the people will have turned into Orcs (they’re nice, simple and easily identifiable). Therefore the party should be altered by Orc type noises, lots of them, lots and lots of them. There should be too many for the party to even think about attacking…

“The city streets are literally swarming with foul Orcs, they seem to be going about their business without any hindrance from the army, in fact there is not one single human to be seen. The Orcs seem to be walking in and out of buildings without a care, almost as if they lived there.”

You get the idea. The party probably will to, or at least one of them should. However it should be made very, very clear that going outside and attacking would be suicide. If, for some bizarre reason, the party do venture outside then they still won’t find any humans. They should be let sneak around to a certain extent but any attempt to get into the castle or any clumsiness will get them caught. This (unfortunately for those of you who wish to return to the bar) won’t get them killed. Instead they will be thrown into prison and left there for the rest of the night. They will be told that they will be judged the next day and possibly beaten a little. Nothing too severe as I said, these are reasonably civilised Orcs.

Scene 3: When the Morning Comes…

So, after a night of worry and discussion either at home or in the jail, the sun will rise. If a watch is kept up all night it will be noticed that all of the Orcs will have disappeared off the streets before dawn and then slowly the city will wake up again, human. If the party is in jail then the door will opened up the next morning by a very surprised jailer who will apologise profusely and let them go, imploring them not to mention this to anyone. When (I’m going to omit ‘if’) he’s questioned he will claim he slept very, very soundly the previous night and that he has no idea what happened. This is going to become a regular theme. Regardless of whether the party were at home or in jail the plot line converges from here on, for a little while at least. Anyone they question in the city will know absolutely nothing. Well, that’s not true, they’ll know lots of stuff about what went on while the party were away and will be only too happy to speak to a few heroes. Regardless of the questions asked gossip and stories will start to be repeated, mixed up and retold, with only one condition, no-body knows what happened last night…

Some possible gossip/stories could be:

1. “Improved harvest, we’re all very lucky, going to be a profitable year…”

2. “I do hear that ‘ole Spigot’s goat had a kid with 3 heads!”

3. “Aye, so tell us again about how you killed that there Warlock?”

4. “Well, I did hear tell that old woman Coldon’s grandchild hasn’t been seen in a bit. Is that the funny looking one? Aye, the funny looking one.”

5. “There’s talk of strange noises and visions on the edge of the forest.”

6. “The number of visitors to the city has been dropping off over the last couple of weeks.”

7. “They say that the King is a demon and the Queen is a witch and the world will end next week!”

Obviously some of these are nonsense and they will sound even worse if mixed up together. Also, feel free to put on your worse accents and add a few in yourselves. Two of these are particularly important. No. 6 is very true, visitors have been arriving, then running away to report a city that is infested by, well, take your pick, Orcs, Kobolds, Goblins etc. etc. More important is No. 4, yes, the child is missing, has been for a while, couple of weeks maybe… can’t find him anywhere. No. 5 isn’t actually a central part of the plot, but yes, there are beasties in the forest who may have to be dealt with.

Scene 4: Looking for a Little Bewildered Girl…

It’s entirely possible that the party’s next port of call will be the old woman Coldon. She is a wiry old woman who’s looked after her granddaughter since her daughter died a few years ago. Very tragic story. The old woman will greet the party in a not incredibly friendly manner. Nobody’s been able to find her girl (Chia is the name) and she has assumed that the kid is dead. However if the party can convince her that they mean well and they can find her then she will talk. Exactly how convincing they need to be is up to you but I would suggest identifying themselves (she has no idea, she wasn’t paying attention yesterday), telling her about their great deeds… oh, and lying, would help. Assuming the party are spinning a good yarn and are being suitably sympathetic then Coldon will slowly change from being frost to being friendly to breaking down in tears on somebody’s shoulder.

She will tell them that Chia was always an inquisitive girl (aren’t they all?) and that she used to wander off on her own, however she never went any further than the old ruins outside the walls of the city and she always came home for her tea. There was also a suspicion that the girl might be magically talented, but Coldon will say that she never encouraged her. About two weeks ago the girl wandered off, saying that she had to be some where at a special time. Coldon had paid no heed and had assumed that the child would be back, but she never came back.

If anyone says that they’re looking around the room while people talk to Coldon then have them make an intelligence check. If they pass it then they will notice a mark on the mantelpiece in the shape of a key, obviously something that had been there a long time, but had been recently removed. If Coldon is asked about this she will say that it was a family heirloom, a silver key, which the child must have taken with her, but she doesn’t know why.

There isn’t really a lot more that can be got out of her. No, she knows nothing about anything else strange going on, and isn’t a missing girl enough?! Persistence will earn them a bawling out and an ejection from the house. Further sympathy will earn them a wish of good luck and the hope that they will find not only what they are looking for but the girl as well. Oh, and hope they don’t say anything about her being funny looking.

Scene Five: Dead End Days…

The party are likely to question almost anyone they can lay their hands on. As stated above the locals know nothing. This will probably lead the party to the nobility and the castle. They will have absolutely no trouble in getting into the castle; in fact they’re supposed to be there, there is a party on after all, in their name. If they spend too long hanging around town then a herald will come to them and remind them that they are expected there soon. The feast is due to begin well before sundown and carry on into the night with much eating, drinking etc. etc.

Among those who can be questioned are countless nobles (a mixture of fops, warriors, slimy politicians, loyal subjects etc.), the court mage, the King, the Queen and their children. There will also be various functionaries. I’m not going to give a personality to everyone of these, again it’s very much a case of you picking an accent and going with it. Unsurprisingly the nobles will no nothing, they’ve all been sleeping soundly thank you very much, and really, about that Warlock…

The King and Queen will complain of some bad dreams, but nothing out of the ordinary, they were very worried about the Warlock and there have been rumours of some kind of monsters in the forest, but no-body has seen anything. There’s also the case of that missing girl. Unless the party come right out and say something about transforming citizens then nothing will be hinted at or alluded to.

The mage, Carobin, will be similarly unhelpful. He too has been having a couple of bad dreams and he hasn’t been working as well at night as he used to, but he will admit that he’s getting on in years. If the party confront him with their suspicions or fears then he will scoff at them, call it ridiculous and say that if such a thing were going on he would know about it. If they continue with their claims then he will make a show of them in front of the whole feast. This would not be a good thing and they will find it very difficult to convince people later after their cry of wolf has been so efficiently rejected.

Essentially nobody is going to believe them. Even if they were imprisoned the previous night and they use this as evidence it will just be said that they got drunk or that they went for a walk in their sleep. Perhaps some people might show some signs of believing them, but in the face of the rest of the court they won’t say a word. In fact the Mage might even begin to find some truth in their claims, but he certainly won’t admit it. If the party talk to him in private, with more proof at a later date he might, but that’s later.

Regardless of whether the party are horribly embarrassed or not, the party will continue until sundown, when strange things begin to happen…

Scene Six: Don’t Let the Sun go Down on Me…

Once the sun goes down the transformation happens. None of this warping and twisting and agonising yells, one moment everybody is sitting there, nice and human, the next there’s a crowd of monsters (well, from other people’s points of view). All of the possible monster types are humanoid and (usually) chaotic. This doesn’t mean that they’ll all start fighting each other, just the feast will get a hell of a lot messier and the potential for fights will grow. As far as everyone (including the party) are concerned they’re at a feast to celebrate the homecoming of their victorious warriors (yes, you guessed it, our noble heroes). It is important to note that the players must play along with this. It’s as if they’ve been issued with completely new characters, they know nothing of their human lives, even if their personalities remain pretty much the same. However any memory previous to the sun going down is vague and involves much sleep. Of course as the monster PCs haven’t seen the humans they have no point of reference, so they just carry on.

The party’s stats don’t actually change (this is magic, ok?). However as their personalities will be altered the way their stats manifest themselves will also be altered. Intelligence will verve more towards cunning etc. etc. The various little changes will be mentioned along with the monster types at the end of the scenario. Possessions remain constant.

If you have any people in your group who are desperate for a fight then here is the place to give them one. Arguments would be very easy to start (and don’t forget that females will definitely be of a lower status) and arguments can very easily turn into fights. They probably shouldn’t be fatal, but there should be lots of blood. There should be no investigating done that night due to lack of reason (we’re monsters, what’s there to investigate?) and lack of time.

Scene Seven: Early Morning…

When the sun comes up the party will find themselves in the banqueting hall, surrounded by the rest of the court, all apparently waking up from a night of drunken debauchery. They will have very, very hazy memories of the previous night but they will have splitting headaches and a desperate need to go to the toilet. Again, this part requires roleplaying. They have no memory of the previous night. Yes, they can make the connection, it’s not difficult, but they won’t be able to cite events in order to persuade anyone else. All and any wounds are healed and while there may be blood on the floor that certainly doesn’t mean that everyone polymorphed into a monster during the hours of darkness. Nobody’s really going to be in the mood to talk anyway.

Of course as the party are so intelligent they will put two and two together, in fact chances are that it will take some reminding on your part to make them realise that they still have no proof and that nobody else believes a word they’re saying. This may well spur them into another bout of investigation. There are a number of possible locations in the city they could go to find things out…

1. The Library: This is a very interesting place, full of lots and lots of books, some of them even have pictures. The librarian is under the same impression as the rest of the populace i.e. nothing is going on. However he will help them find books on local history, stories, myths etc. After a day’s work and maybe some appropriate intelligence checks if you’re that way inclined they will find something. The ruins of the old tower were (surprise, surprise) once a mage’s tower. However legend has it that the mage wasn’t human. Legend doesn’t really have a lot more to say on the subject however.

2. City Mage: This gentleman (by the name of Daro) is more talkative than the one in the court, although this doesn’t mean that he’ll explain the plot. He has been noticing some strangeness lately, but he hasn’t been able to study it properly because he can’t seem to keep his eyes open at night. If the party tell their story well then he will become extremely interested, if a few coins are added to the mix than he will hurry away to start researching and dabbling in things that men were not meant to wot of. If he is asked about the ruins he will repeat the legend above with added danger and evil. Given a few days (assuming the party take that long) he will contact them and ask them to visit. He will reveal (after a couple more coins have changed hands) that the tower is still there, in a manner of speaking. He will go on to say that there is a tower still standing where the ruins are now, but it isn’t easy to get to. A key would be needed, and the proper time to open it. A period of transition would be best, a solstice or twilight… As to where such a key could be found… he has no idea. He then says that he’s going to go back to work and he’ll get in contact with them if he figures anything out.

3. The Temple: Here the clerics will do a nice line in healing, but they aren’t much for knowledge. They will admit to feeling ill at ease over the last week or two, but nothing specific, nothing that they could really pin down or blame on someone else. They know nothing of the tower save that it was inhabited by an evil mage and that it’s a damn good thing that it was destroyed, by whatever destroyed it. They can’t really help much on the subject of keys either and they’re right out answers regarding sudden transformations into monsters. However they do promise to pray and commune with their god and try and get some answers. This is also the place for PCs to be healed at a minimal cost.

4. The Castle: The info in the castle is stored in the archives. The first trick is to convince Carobin (who has the key) that they aren’t mad and that he should let them in. This won’t be too difficult, but neither should it be easy. The mage doesn’t want them to find any proof, but neither can he justifiably restrict their access. Once they get inside they will be presented with lots and lots of Lore books, history books, accounts etc. etc. After applicable intelligence checks and other such things some info will be found. Vague stories of this having happened before, some sort of curse or other. These will be fragments, very old books and the such. There will also be hints about the Tower being the source of these problems. One passage should be read out to the players…

“Mark ye well the hidden way, for it may not be passed by man or beast, but only by something that is both man and beast yet appears as a beast. Something that has both the key and the time. Guard ye well the final door, let it not be opened, may it be kept shut.”

Ok, yes, it’s not a very subtle clue, but the trick is how the human PCs are going to inform the monster PCs of what they have to do. One other thing, the book will mention something about stopping the evil and that it can only be finally managed by the sacrifice of purity.

Scene Eight: Message in a Bottle…

This is where things get a little hazy. The party have to figure out a way of communicating with their other selves and getting the monster PCs to go to the ruins around Twilight. This shouldn’t be easy, but it’s very difficult to regulate for. Simply writing it down won’t work. Painting it in very big letters around the city might, but it will also get the PCs arrested. Using a spell in some way might help, going out to the ruins at sunset will get them there (well, they’ll have to do that as the door is only openable at sunset), but it won’t make them do anything. This is the bit that I leave largely up to your discretion. I’m not even sure what I’m going to allow my players to get away with, it all depends on how cunning they are, and after all, if they aren’t cunning then killing them is probably for the good of the gene pool. Bear in mind that if they can get more proof to Carobin then he will also help them, which will be nice. By the way, I haven’t included stats for Carobin, I don’t think there’s any need. He’s a powerful mage, assume he has most spells and that if the party are stupid enough to attack him, he wins.

What I can do is give you a number of things to keep them occupied both as humans and monsters while they’re trying to work it out. Also, a few distractions never hurt… much.

1. The Monster Hunters: Well, fairly self-explanatory really. A group of monster hunter fighters will arrive in the city. We’ll say 10 to begin with, add more if you think the party are getting away to easily. Obviously this is an encounter for the monster versions. This is simply a combat situation, dice rolling and all that. The Monster Hunter stats are at the back.

2. The Beasties in the Woods: More combat? Ok. Some neighbouring orcs have heard that Alden is a good place to go and meet more orcs. There’s probably going to be something a bit nastier with them, bugbears, Orogs etc. The stats (or at least all you need to run a combat encounter) are at the back. This is very much a case of keep them coming until the party look like they’re getting bored or are in danger of dying. If you have lots of time to kill introduce a rescue situation or the like. This is the human version of the encounter above. Feel free to put in both of them, or neither… as you will have guessed I’m not too worried about the combat, I’m more interested in the roleplaying.

3. Well, this is the catchall one. Disagreements in the street, romantic interests (remember, as monsters the PCs won’t be the height of subtlety), assassination attempts on the king… I could go on for hours and I’m not suggesting that you wing a large part of the adventure, but it could take a couple of nights for them to communicate properly and sort everything out and I don’t want them to just speed through the experience.

Scene Nine: East of the Sun…

Well, at this stage the players will hopefully have gone to the ruins as humans (they’re boring ruins, walls etc.) and looked around. If they do they’ll find a key which looks very similar to the one that Chia is meant to have taken. It will be lying on the ground in front of what could have been the main door. The idea is that at sunset if the right person is there with the key then a door will appear and it can be opened. Handily Chia left the key in the lock and it fell to the ground when the door closed again. So, as above, all the PCs have to do is tell their monster counterparts what to do, get to the ruins, get the key and go in. Simple, eh? If you want to spice up that particular evening have more Monster Hunters come along, only make them bigger and make the PCs desperate to find shelter.

Once they’re inside the non-existent tower things begin to come to their final climax. Hopefully the PCs will have a clean bill of health. The tower will look very, very high and there are lots and lots of stairs. On every floor there is a door. It looks like a lot of them are open. This should cause the PCs to start running (loping, whatever) up the stairs. There are 20 floors and for every floor you should roll 1d10. On an even number there will be six of one of the monster types (you choose, but do vary it) who will try to stop them. Once they reach the top they will of course find the kid (who is funny looking) about to open the final door. (You mean you guessed that would happen? Damn, I’m getting predictable in my old age). The creature inside is, well, strange. It will appear to be one of the standard monster types but everytime it’s killed it will just change straight into the next one, over and over. It’s also slightly stronger etc and keeps the same attacks though all the changes. This is going to become very annoying and very terminal after a while; this thing simply does not die. Now the only way to kill it is (you guessed again) by sacrificing purity. This could be one of a number of things. It could be Chia, it could be the cleric, it could be a bottle of holy water, let the PCs decide. What they use will change the outcome of the game. However they shouldn’t be allowed to just throw lots of stuff at the monster, nearly all of it won’t work and the thing will just target the offending player next.

The general hope is that they’ll kill it eventually. That is pretty much the end so do try and make it dramatic, have the damn thing blow up or something. Of course the aftermath is different to the finale, so we’ll get to the possible wrapping ups now.

Ending 1: The one where the PCs sacrificed Chia:

This is not a good ending; in fact it’s a very bad ending…

“You appear outside the ruins of the tower, still bestial although the sun has come up. Your human minds are awake now and they realise that you have not returned to your true forms. On the grass beside you lies the tattered body of the young child. The guilt courses through you as the full import of your actions hammers home. Then you hear the shouts and screams as the citizens approach from the city. They see you; they see the body and a great roar goes up. You see the bloodlust in their eyes and you begin to run, leaving your precious homes behind you, forever…”

Ending 2: The one where the Cleric sacrifices herself:

This is a less bad ending, but there are better endings…

“You appear outside the ruins of the tower, returned to your human forms and with the early morning sun warming you. However on the grass beside you lies the battered and shredded body of your friend. You know that she gave her life for the greater good and you know that you will never forget her act of ultimate sacrifice. The girl, Chia, lies beside her, alive but weak and you can only hope that the citizens of the town arrive soon enough to heal her, there has been enough death this day.”

Ending 3: The one where the PCs sacrifice something non-living and pure:

This is the best ending J

“You appear outside the ruins of the tower, returned to your human forms and with the early morning sun warming you. You smile as you look around at your friends and as you hear the light breathing of the little girl. The ruins behind you are quiet and peaceful and you can only hope that you remain that way. You continue to lie there, thinking about the events of the past while until eventually the citizens arrive to investigate. They are happy and singing and you are only too glad to join in their mood and to be brought back to the city for yet another heroes welcome.”

So, that’s it, adventure over, but don’t go home yet, sure the weekend’s only starting…

Appendixes and stuff…

Monster Type: Bugbear
AC: 5
THAC0: 17
HD: 3 +1
Damage: 2d4/by weapon
Mentality: Not very int, ruthless, survivalists (usually of fittest), mean bastards.

Monster Type: Gnoll
AC: 5
THAC0: 19
HD: 2
Damage: 2d4/by weapon
Mentality: Evil, cruel, always hungry. Humanoid hyenas. Not very int.

Monster Type: Goblin
AC: 6
THAC0: 20
HD: 1
Damage: 1d6
Mentality: Small, annoying, evil, fairly stupid, kills just for the heck of it.

Monster Type: Hobgoblin
AC: 5
THAC0: 19
HD: 1 + 1
Damage: 1d8
Mentality: Aggressive, more int than most, organised, v. military, feels superior.

Monster Type: Orc
AC: 6
THAC0: 19
HD: 1
Damage: 1d8
Mentality: It’s an orc, you all know what they’re like, cruel, vaguely intelligent, fighters, killers, eaters, and breeders. You’ve all read LotR, haven’t you?

Monster Type: Orog
AC: 4
THAC0: 17
HD: 3
Damage: 1d10 + 1
Mentality: Bigger, more int, nastier, well organised, generally a dangerous bunch.

Monster Hunters
AC: 5
THAC0: 16
HD: 4
Damage: 1d10 + 2 (or so, vary it).

And finally, before I forget…

Brian would like to thank the following people (in no particular order)

John, as always. He may not be around much anymore but his presence is always appreciated.

Róisín, for keeping my faith alive.

Baj, Gordon and Dave, who have collectively reminded me how much fun it can be to go back to your roleplaying roots.

The GMs, who will be putting form on my ramblings and shape on my ideas, thank you all.

© Brian Nisbet, 1998.

Characters

Sir Bordalis, Knight of the Realm.

Background and Outlook:

You have served Alhen and King Clovis all your life. From your very earliest days you knew what you wanted to do, combat evil and help your kingdom. This was very quickly recognised and you were trained to be a knight. The fact that your father was also a knight didn’t do you any harm. You believe that all evil things should be wiped out, no quarter asked, none given. There have been a few times that this may have been the wrong decision, but you carry on. You have just returning from your latest quest during which you killed the evil Warlock who was endangering the good people of Alhen. The journey and the fight were hard, but you and your party succeeded in your task, you’ve always felt that cold steel was the best cure for anything evil. You know that it will not be long until you have to ride out again to face some new challenge and you welcome that, but you also welcome the chance to rest for a little while, to get your strength back and to make yourself ready.

The rest of your companions will also need time to rest so they can be ready to ride with you. Sometimes you think that Sir Allen will never have enough time to rest, he is far too laid back for your liking, even if he is good in a fight. He seems to wish to enjoy life a little bit too much and not be incredibly enthusiastic when there is evil to vanquish. He has never shown himself a coward, but equally he has often suggested some tactic other than combat to deal with a foe.

Allyana is more to your liking. The Cleric knows what is good and what is evil and she is always willing to fight the latter. However she does this without killing and you have never seen her take another life. This can be slightly annoying at times, but it has never proven an insurmountable problem. The lady is wise and caring and contains more kindness than any other person you have ever met, truly you are blessed to have her as a companion.

However her fellow cleric is more similar to Sir Allen. Bolond enjoys his food and his drink and can sometimes be obstinate just for the fun of it. He is continually making jests, even at the darkest of moments and it seems that no occasion is ever too serious for him to laugh at. You suspect that if he ever met his god then he would laugh at him, and therefore eternally damn his soul to hell.

Finally there are Shev and Drianna, possibly the most happily married couple in the world. They have been married for five years now and their passion and love doesn’t show any signs of wear. They work together very well as a team, but can be very difficult to talk to, they always give the impression that they would much rather just be talking to each other. However, you cannot complain, they are good people and they do their job well and love is not something that should ever be hindered.

Roleplaying Notes:

Sir Bordalis is a fairly simple guy. He wants to fight and defeat evil, wherever he sees it. This is not to say that he sees it everywhere, but he has very definite ideas as to what constitutes it; monsters, all manner of evildoers, worshippers of evil gods etc. He shouldn’t be played as a mad zealot who thinks that every little infraction is a punishable offence, but he is strait-laced. He will give out to his fellow travellers and go on at length about good (and how good it is) and evil (and how evil it is) and constantly exhort them to do more and to do better. This should be annoying, but don’t bring it to the point of endangering his life.

Sir Bordalis, 6th Level Human Fighter.
Alignment:  Lawful Good

Str	18/91	AC:	1 (Field Plate -1 AC)	#AT: Sword: 3/2
Dex	11	Hp:	50	         Knife:  1
Con	16	Thac0:	Normal: 13	
Int	10		Sword: 11	
Wis	10	Dmg:	Sword: 1d10+9/3d6+9	
Cha	12		Knife:  1d3+5/1d3+5	
Paralyzation, Poison or Death Magic:	11
Rod, Staff or Wand:	13
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	12
Breath Weapon:	13
Spell:	14
Proficiencies:  	Tracking.                  
                       	Riding, Land-based.
                       	Endurance.

Equipment:  	"Proudheart" - +2/+2 Two-handed sword.
                     	Suit of Field Plate armour (-1 AC).

Sir Allen, Knight of the Realm.

Background and Outlook:

Life is good, not just at the moment but generally. It should be savoured, experienced, enjoyed. Yes, there are jobs to do, but they can be done, they will still be there when you get there and you will complete them with skill and dedication, but along the way you can relax. Equally life is complicated. Not everything is black and white and sometimes things that appear evil are good and those that appear good are evil. There’s no point rushing into a situation, sword drawn, only to realise later that you’ve made a horrible mistake. Every situation can be analysed, examined and checked out without need for hasty mistakes. Of course any real evil must be vanquished without hesitation. This attitude has got you into trouble more than once, but you have yet to be wrong in your reckoning and on occasion you have received praise and apologies from those who have rushed in.

One man who often rushes in is Sir Bordalis, not that he’s ever apologised for doubting you. He is a good man, but he only sees the world in terms of black and white. There is very little grey. Thankfully he isn’t a zealot like some of the crusading knights you’ve met, but his near constant lectures on how you should live your life do get annoying. The strange thing is that in the end you both think the same thing, that evil should be destroyed, it’s just your definitions of evil that vary.

Of course one thing that you can both agree on is that the cleric, Allyana, is good. You have often though that if goodness were to take on a form, it would be her. She is pure, wise and has never taken a life. You envy her approach and wish that you could see the world through her eyes. The major problem is that you have been in love with her for some time, which you know is pointless. Members of her order are allowed to take husbands, but you could never imagine her sharing herself with another human, she is too bound up with her goddess.

This is in complete contrast to Bolond, the other cleric. His worldview is closer to your own, if a little more extreme. He seems to think that each and every sensation in life should be enjoyed to the full. It doesn’t appear to matter whether that sensation is drinking, eating, fighting or anything else, he seems fully intent to go through life with a smile on his face. Added to this is his irreverent wit that never seems to take a moment off. He is constantly joking and passing remarks about yourself and your companions, even during the darkest of hours. You like this man a great deal, but sometimes life might be easier if he was a little quieter.

The final two members of your little band are Shev and Drianna. These two mages are so deeply in love that it is sometimes hard to get through to them. They are friendly and work well with the rest of the group but sometimes you get the feeling that they would rather be in a world of their own, and sometimes they are. For some strange reason this annoys you, maybe it is the difficulty of talking to them or perhaps it is because you have never found true love in all your journeys, or if you have, then it has been unattainable.

Roleplaying Notes:

Sir Allen is a happy guy. He does his job but he also manages to enjoy life and live it to the full. He won’t rush into a situation and prefers to find out exactly what’s going on first. Of course this isn’t always possible, but who said it was a perfect world? His major problem is his love for Allyana. He has decided that she will never love him as more than a friend and that fact is slowly making him bitterer, who knows what will happen in the end…

Sir Allen, 6th Level Human Fighter.
Alignment: Lawful Good.

Str	17	AC:	-3 (Field Plate -1+S(-1), Dex 16)	#AT: Sword: 3/2
Dex	16	Hp:	40	         Knife:  1
Con	14	Thac0:	Normal: 14	
Int	15		Sword: 12	
Wis	15	Dmg:	Sword: 1d8+5/1d12+5	
Cha	15		Knife: 1d3+1/1d3+1	
Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic:	11
Rod, Staff or Wand:	13
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	12
Breath Weapon:	13
Spell:	14
Proficiencies:  	Disguise.
                   	Direction Sense.
                       	Hunting.
                       	Etiquette.

Equipment:  	"Defender" - +2/+2 Longsword.
                    	Matched suit of armour (-1 AC) and shield (-1 AC)

Allyana, cleric of the goddess.

Background and Outlook:

From as far back as you can remember you always wanted to serve the goddess, to praise her and to love her. So you went to the temple when you were young and you trained for many years. You learned much about the goddess and the more you learned the more you loved her, you took your oaths and you read the holy books until eventually you were proclaimed a true cleric. What you have never told anyone is that the goddess visited you on your last night as a novice and she told you that you had a great future ahead of you and that she would always be with you. After you left the temple you started travelling with the others, doing good throughout the land, bringing peace, bring justice. You feel that this is what the goddess wants you to do and that your success is a sign of her favour. You do not believe that anything is entirely evil and sometimes you have tried to talk to those evildoers that you have met. This has yet to yield results but you have hope.

Sir Bordalis has given out to you more than once about your unwillingness to take any life, but he has never been angry about it and you suspect that it comes more out of a concern for your own safety. He is a strong and noble knight who protects all those he sees as weaker than himself. You do feel that his views of the world are a little too straight edged. In his opinion if something is evil, then it has no good in it and must be destroyed. This opinion has almost caused much harm in the past, but thankfully he has never made a huge mistake.

That is partly due to Sir Allen. He is a wonderful man, a true knight. He believes that good should be protected and evil destroyed, but he also believes in looking carefully at a situation, trying to find out if it is really black and white or if there are nuances, exceptions and complicated circumstances. This has saved harm and pain more than once. Sir Allen does have a slightly more relaxed view of life than you do, but that is good for if everyone was the same then the world would fall. However sometimes you think that you might seek out his company more than you should, you know that you can’t be falling in love, for he is but a man and your love is given to the goddess, but what if she meant for this to happen?

One man would certainly say that she did and that man is Bolond, your fellow cleric. He brings enjoyment of life to a level above that of Sir Allen and he doesn’t seem to be calming down. He laughs, he drinks, he eats, he jokes and his remarks and comments can be heard even over the din of battle. There has yet to be an experience that has stopped him in his tracks or removed the light from his eyes and you dearly hope that he never has that experience.

The final pair in your party are Shev and Drianna. These two mages are the happiest people you have ever seen. They are truly in love and would gladly give their all for one another. The existence of this love fills you with hope for the world, and sometimes hope for your own situation. If love between two people can be that deep, maybe you can love a man and the goddess?

Roleplaying Notes:

Allyana is good, pure, wise and generally wonderful. She won’t take another life and she will try to find the good in all things, sometimes by talking, sometimes by praying as the fighters hack it to pieces. Her major worry at the moment is Sir Allen and what she should do about him. This will be very subtle and cautious as she still isn’t sure what to do.

Allyana, 6th Level Cleric of the goddess.
Alignment: Lawful Good.                     
Str	12	AC:	3	#AT: Staff: 1
Dex	12	Hp:	35	 
Con	10	Thac0:	Normal: 18	
Int	16		Staff: 16	
Wis	18	Dmg:	Staff: 1d6+3/1d6+3	
Cha	17		 	
Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic:	 9
Rod, Staff or Wand:	 8
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	12
Breath Weapon:	15
Spell:	10

Proficiencies:  	Riding, Land-based.
                      	Religion.
                      	Healing.
                      	Herbalism.

Equipment:	+2/+2 Staff (Will never cause a fatal wound)
		Robes of the goddess, AC 3
		Various bottles of holy water
		Healing potions.

Allyana's Spells.

1st level (choose three):
Bless	Detect Evil
Command	Detect Magic
Cure Light Wounds	Light

2nd level (choose three):
Charm Person	Produce Flame
Heat Metal	Spiritual Hammer
Hold Person	

3rd level (choose two)
Call Lightning	Create Food & Water
Continual Light	Prayer
Dispel Magic	

Bolond, cleric of the god.

Background and Outlook:

As a child you were always laughing, always happy, always bright and those characteristics have not left you. As far as you are concerned life was given to you by the god to enjoy, to spread happiness, to make sure that however dark it is there is still light all around. To this end you enjoy life, you eat, you drink, you smile, you laugh. You make light of dark situations and banter with evil as you crush it. You see no point to being serious all the time, or even a lot of the time and you know that if you did not get the chance to laugh then your life would not be worth living. Your superiors long ago realised that you were never going to be a dour scribe or stern tutor so they let you out into the world where you could experience more, spread the light and message of the god and generally have a good time.

This has not always gained you admirers and you know that Sir Bordalis is one of those who are not entirely in favour of your methods. He is a good man, but he is hard. He sees that which he must destroy and that which he must protect and there is very little room for anything else in his life. He is not a zealot, but he has often chided you for your seeming irreverence and occasional lack of seriousness. In return you poke a little fun at him and continue on your way.

His fellow knight, Sir Allen, is far more to your liking. Sir Allen is of a similar opinion to you. He too enjoys his food and drink and life in general and he also seems to realise that being too serious is as bad as being too frivolous. When he begins to look pained at your jests or comments then you know that it is time to calm down a little before your attempts to bring light to the world end with someone bringing darkness into yours.

Allyana, the cleric of the goddess, is someone who carries light with them. She is the purest soul you have ever met and you constantly thank the god for letting you meet her. Her wisdom and kindness often do a better job of bringing light than your methods, but each has been gifted in different ways and you know how best to serve. You do think that slightly more interaction on a human level would be good for Allyana, but you also know that the goddess will guide her well.

The only people who might inhabit their own world more than Allyana are Shev and Drianna. These two are wonderful. They are totally in love and sometimes it appears that their mere existence relies on the other person. Yes, sometimes it can get very sweet and you send a few comments in their direction, but they know that you are only being yourself and you know that nothing you ever say could actually affect them. Sometimes, late at night, you think that you might be a little jealous of that love, but that is only a nighttime thought.

Roleplaying Notes:

Bolond is a Friar Tuck figure, but he isn’t quite that copied. For a start he will poke fun at anything and make remarks about anything. He sees this as bringing light to the world, and it does… most of the time. However he has never really got into any trouble that he couldn’t get himself out of, at least never when the party has been around. This means that he constantly pushes the envelope in order to show people that life doesn’t have to be as serious as they think it does. Occasionally he can be a little bitter, but this is occasionally and it always passes.

Bolond, 6th Level Cleric of the god.
Alignment: Chaotic Good.                     
Str	16	AC:	2 (Chain +1, Shield +1)  	#AT: Mace:   1
Dex	12	Hp:	40	         Staff:  1
Con	16	Thac0:	Normal: 18	
Int	13		Mace: 16	
Wis	17	Dmg:	Mace: 1d6+4/1d6+3	
Cha	11		Staff: 1d6+1/1d6+1 	
Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic:	 9
Rod, Staff or Wand:	 8
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	12
Breath Weapon:	15
Spell:	10

Proficiencies:  	Riding, Land-based.
                      	Religion.
                      	Healing.
                      	Herbalism.

Equipment:  	+2/+2 Mace of the god.
		Matched +1 Shield and +1 suit of chainmail.
		Various bottles of holy water.
		Healing potions.

Bolond's Spells.

1st level (choose three):
Bless	Detect Evil
Command	Detect Magic
Cure Light Wounds	Light

2nd level (choose three):
Charm Person	Produce Flame
Heat Metal	Spiritual Hammer
Hold Person	

3rd level (choose two)
Call Lightning	Create Food & Water
Continual Light	Prayer
Dispel Magic	

Shev, Magic-user and husband of Drianna.

Background and Outlook:

Your magical talent made itself obvious at a fairly young age and you entered training around the same time your friends were being apprenticed and taken on as squires. Your master was hard but fair and he taught you well. However more importantly he introduced you to his daughter, Drianna. This introduction was to become the most important moment of your life. The two of you fell in love very quickly, even if it was a number of years before you were old enough to do anything about it. Once you had completed your training and Drianna had finished hers (she was also being taught by her father) you got married and went out into the world together. Ever since then you have worked together, fought together and loved each other. You know that your love is forever and that your souls and lives are intertwined.

On some level you are aware that your extreme togetherness can cause problems when interacting with others. This can be noticed most easily in Sir Bordalis. He seems to approve of your love, but you know that there are times he wishes that you paid more attention to him and less to each other. He is a good man, sometimes a little eager to rush into a situation, but you know he would do anything to protect those he liked and that he would fight for goodness until the last drop of blood fell from his body.

His fellow knight, Sir Allen, is also a good man, but he is a lot less serious than Sir Bordalis. Sir Allen seems to be far more relaxed, far more willing to check something out before rushing in and hacking away. You think it is his tempering influence on Sir Bordalis that makes the more sombre knight actually likeable. You know that Sir Allen thinks that both yourself and Drianna are unreachable and in a different world, but you aren’t that bad and you have noticed the way he looks at Allyana. You also know the problems he will face and you have no intention of saying anything to anyone, save Drianna. Love will not be pushed or prompted, it will happen or it will not.

The object of Sir Allen’s love is Allyana, the cleric of the goddess. She is a beautiful, good, wise, kind and pure woman who carries love around with her. You have never seen her take another life and her simple belief in goodness is sometimes more effective than the sharpest sword or strongest armour. You think that she also loves Sir Allen, but you cannot be sure, as it would appear that all of her love is given to the goddess and the world. Perhaps one day she will work it out for herself.

Someone who needs to work nothing out is Bolond, the cleric of the god. He seems to exist simply to enjoy life and to bring light to the world. Sometimes his remarks and jests can get a bit annoying, but you know he means well so you are willing to tolerate him. However once or twice you have detected real bitterness in his voice and that made you slightly uneasy. Sometimes you worry that he might do something silly, but he has never really given you cause to worry.

Roleplaying Notes:

If you haven’t already guessed it Drianna is the centre of Shev’s world. He loves her totally and would do anything for her, that simple. He is an intelligent man and by no means is he oblivious to the world around him, but his first thought will always be her and in a dangerous situation he will always act to save her first. They are both simply two halves of one being. Sickly, maybe, wonderful, definitely.

Shev, 6th Level Human Mage.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Str	11	AC:	 3 (Bracers-AC4 + Dex 15)	#AT: Staff:   1
Dex	15	Hp:	20	         Knife:  1
Con	12	Thac0:	Normal: 19	
Int	18		Staff: 16	
Wis	14	Dmg:	Staff: 1d6/1d6 (See below) 	
Cha	14		Knife: 1d3/1d3	
Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic:	13
Rod, Staff or Wand:	 9
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	11
Breath Weapon:	13
Spell:	10

Proficiencies:   Riding, Land-based.
                          Spellcraft.
                       	Herbalism.
                       	Astrology.

Equipment:  	Spellbook (See below)
                    	Staff of Striking (15 charges)
                    	Bracers (AC 4)

Shev's Spell-Book:

1st level (choose four): 
Alarm	Detect Magic	Magic Missile
Burning Hands	Enlarge	Read magic
Cantrip	Feather Fall	Shocking Grasp
Charm Person	Light	Sleep
2nd level (choose two): 
Flaming Sphere	Improved Phantasmal Force	Stinking Cloud
Continual Light	Invisibility	Web
Detect Evil	Melf's Acid Arrow	
ESP	Mirror Image	

3rd level (choose two):
Blink	Hold Person
Dispel Magic	Lightning Bolt
Fireball	Melf's Minute Meteors
Flame Arrow	Suggestion
 
Shev’s Staff of Striking:
  The staff causes 1d6 + 3 hp of damage when a hit is scored.  
  This expends one charge.  If two charges are expended then 
  1d6 + 6 hp of damage are caused.  If three charges are spent
   then the bonus damage is tripled to 1d6 + 9.  No more than 
   three charges can be expended with one strike.

Drianna, Magic-user and wife of Shev.

Background and Outlook:

Your magical talent made itself obvious at a fairly young age and you entered training around the same time your friends were being apprenticed and taken on as squires. Your master was your father, a man who cared for you but taught you as any other pupil. Perhaps more important than your training was meeting your father’s other apprentice, a boy named Shev. This introduction was to become the most important moment of your life. The two of you fell in love very quickly, even if it was a number of years before you were old enough to do anything about it. Once you had completed your training and Shev had finished his you got married and went out into the world together. Ever since then you have worked together, fought together and loved each other. You know that your love is forever and that your souls and lives are intertwined.

On some level you are aware that your extreme togetherness can cause problems when interacting with others. This can be noticed most easily in Sir Bordalis. He seems to approve of your love, but you know that there are times he wishes that you paid more attention to him and less to each other. He is a good man, sometimes a little eager to rush into a situation, but you know he would do anything to protect those he liked and that he would fight for goodness until the last drop of blood fell from his body.

His fellow knight, Sir Allen, is also a good man, but he is a lot less serious than Sir Bordalis. Sir Allen seems to be far more relaxed, far more willing to check something out before rushing in and hacking away. You think it is his tempering influence on Sir Bordalis that makes the more sombre knight actually likeable. You know that Sir Allen thinks that both yourself and Shev are unreachable and in a different world, but you aren’t that bad and you have noticed the way he looks at Allyana. You also know the problems he will face and you have no intention of saying anything to anyone, save Shev. Love will not be pushed or prompted, it will happen or it will not.

The object of Sir Allen’s love is Allyana, the cleric of the goddess. She is a beautiful, good, wise, kind and pure woman who carries love around with her. You have never seen her take another life and her simple belief in goodness is sometimes more effective than the sharpest sword or strongest armour. You think that she also loves Sir Allen, but you cannot be sure as it would appear that all of her love is given to the goddess and the world. Perhaps one day she will work it out for herself.

Someone who needs to work nothing out is Bolond, the cleric of the god. He seems to exist simply to enjoy life and to bring light to the world. Sometimes his remarks and jests can get a bit annoying, but you know he means well so you are willing to tolerate him. However once or twice you have detected real bitterness in his voice and that made you slightly uneasy. Sometimes you worry that he might do something silly, but he has never really given you cause to worry.

Roleplaying Notes:

If you haven’t already guessed it Shev is the centre of Drianna’s world. She loves him totally and would do anything for him, that simple. She is an intelligent woman and by no means is she oblivious to the world around her, but her first thought will always be him and in a dangerous situation she will always act to save him first. They are both simply two halves of one being. Sickly, maybe, wonderful, definitely.

Drianna, 6th Level Human Mage.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Str	11	AC:	 3 (Bracers-AC4 + Dex 15)	#AT: Staff:   1
Dex	15	Hp:	20	         Knife:  1
Con	12	Thac0:	Normal: 19	
Int	18		Staff: 16	
Wis	14	Dmg:	Staff: 1d6/1d6 (See below) 	
Cha	14		Knife: 1d3/1d3	
Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic:	13
Rod, Staff or Wand:	 9
Petrification or Polymorph:                                                                                  	11
Breath Weapon:	13
Spell:	10


Proficiencies:   Riding, Land-based.
                          Spellcraft.
                       	Herbalism.
                       	Astrology.

Equipment:  	Spellbook (See below)
                    	Staff of Striking (15 charges)
                    	Bracers (AC 4)

Drianna's Spell-Book:

1st level (choose four): 
Alarm	Detect Magic	Magic Missile
Burning Hands	Enlarge	Read magic
Cantrip	Feather Fall	Shocking Grasp
Charm Person	Light	Sleep

2nd level (choose two): 
Flaming Sphere	Improved Phantasmal Force	Stinking Cloud
Continual Light	Invisibility	Web
Detect Evil	Melf's Acid Arrow	
ESP	Mirror Image	

3rd level (choose two):
Blink	Hold Person
Dispel Magic	Lightning Bolt
Fireball	Melf's Minute Meteors
Flame Arrow	Suggestion
 
Drianna’s Staff of Striking:
  The staff causes 1d6 + 3 hp of damage when a hit is scored.  
  This expends one charge.  If two charges are expended then 
  1d6 + 6 hp of damage are caused.  If three charges are spent 
  then the bonus damage is tripled to 1d6 + 9.  No more than
  three charges can be expended with one strike.