Halls of the Hidden Prince LVL Area 8 & 9

7. The Audience Chamber

Illumination: Shimmering ball of ghostly blue energy at the room’s center.

Smell: Dust and ozone

The broken remnants of furniture and art objects cover the floor of this large chamber. A rusted throne of wrought iron sits on a dais of crumbling limestone in the center of the room’s north wall. 1d4 rounds after the room is entered. The shimmering blue ball will explode (no damage). Ghostly energy will disperse about the room and two spectral armies will form, a force of Lizardmen and another of quite ones and stone dead. These armies will engage in a savage battle, complete with screams and the clang of weapons that last for 3 rounds, after which the armies will be sucked back in to the newly formed ball. This process repeats itself every 4 rounds.

A secret compartment in the rear of the throne (found on a roll of 1 on a 1d4) contains an energy pistol with three charges. [Using conventional rules the pistol does 3d6 damage]. Metal earth house rules it does 1d6 if the target makes a saving throw or a roll on the wound table if they do not.

8. The Faux Bedroom

Illumination: very dim yellow light from a ceiling mounted crystal

Smell: Dust with a hint of oil

The noise of snoring can be heard immediately upon entering this room- or before that if someone listens at the door.

This chamber is an obviously an ornate bedroom. It is full of fine furnishings, including a large writing desk; a beautiful wardrobe with gold inlay and (beneath the dust) a painting of the Cloelle the minotaur corn goddess (think of a really hot chick, but with a cow’s head); and a four poster canopy bed.  The room is, of course, as cobweb and dust covered as all the rest, however it appears that someone is sleeping on the bed. If the sleeper is disturbed (or 3 rounds after the room is entered if ‘he’ is not)  the door will slam closed and lock of its own accord. At this point the sleeper will rise and attack the party.

The room is actually a trap for would be assassins and the sleeper is, in reality, a techo-magical construct set there to lure in and destroy said assassins.

Magical Minotaur Robot

AC 4 [15]

Hit Dice 4+4

Attacks: Blade 1d6/Gore 1d8+1

Move: 8

XP: 400

Special +2 to hit with Blade

The construct is a mass of gears and widgets held together by glowing ruin inscribed brass and stone plates. It has the shape of a minotaur.

The construct will fight until it is destroyed and is immune to all magic.

A sword is welded into the robot’s left hand at the beginning of combat. This is a +2 magical weapon and if the MMR is defeated the sword can be removed in 1d6 turns.

The MMR’s horns are made from strange luminous blue crystal. If removed they will fetch ~ 250 gp each.

Hiddeln Halls, level two area 4, 5 & 6

Map is on the the left.

4. Spy Hall I

Illumination: Dull green radiance, emanating from an ancient glow strip mounted in the ceiling.

Smell: Dust.

The stonework here is rough and functional. No allowance is given to artifice and the entire length of the passage is bare- with one exception. A 15’ long stone bench is situated along the last twenty feet of the south wall of the corridor’s southernmost east-west extension. Opposite the bench  [on the wall contingent with Area 3] a brass disk, just a bit larger than a human hand, is inset into the stone. If anyone touches the disk, the corridor’s glowstrip dims and the wall becomes transparent, providing a complete view of Area 3’s main chamber. The wall remains opaque on the Area 3 side.

The only way out of this area is through the secret door leading to area 5, or through the portcullis leading back to Area 3.

5. Spy Hall II

Illumination: None 

Smell: Dust

A second brass disk, identical to that located in Area 4, is set in the wall contingent with the short corridor connecting Areas 3 and 4. If anyone touches the disk an arrow/gun slit opens in the wall, providing a perfect vantage point over the passageway between the two portcullises.

The door leading to area 6 is unlocked.

The secret door adjacent to the door leading to Area 6 is extremely obvious and can be found on a roll of 1 through 5 on a d6. The door’s ‘hidden’ seams don’t quite line up with the wall in which it is set and it juts out a bit. It can be ‘opened’ by moving a small light hued stone. Doing this does not actually open the door, it triggers a rock fall- 4d6 damage. The trap is slow and leads off with an ominous rumble. Who ever opens the door is allowed to roll two separate saving throws. If both saves are successful the character takes no damage; if one save is successful the character takes ½ damage. The rock fall will block the opening it will take 1d6 turns to clear the way.

6. Ornate Hallway

Illumination: Flashing glowstrip, alternating from very bright to absolutely pitch black two or three times a second. Unless the characters make use of a good light source, all combat rolls will be made at a -2. 

Smell: rotten carpet (dry) and dust

Note- The secret door leading to Area 5 is trapped- see above.

This corridor is more elegant than Areas 4 and 5 the threadbare remains of a moldered carpet trail across the polished marble floor. Like everywhere else a thick layer of dust covers everything.

A huge sculpted human face covers the location of the secret door. If anyone touches the face, it animates and attacks the party.

Stone Face

AC 5 [14]

Hit Dice 3+3

Attacks: Expectorate (1d12), Bite (1d8)

Move: 8 (See Below)

XP: 200

The stone face can levitate. At the commencement of hostilities it lifts away from the wall and bites the closest enemy. The Face cannot leave the corridor.

The stone face will expectorate a huge wad of stinking acidic phlegm in the second round and once every two rounds thereafter until the end of combat. The first time a character is hit with the loogie, a saving throw must be made, failure results in the loss of one combat round; this round is spent vomiting.

If the Stone Face’s hit points are brought to 0, it immediately returns to its place on the wall, releases a horrific wail and crumbles away to dust, revealing a small alcove lined with shelves. Most of the room is empty, but an ornate vase and a strange looking pair of goggles sit side by side on a shelf near the door.

The Vase: Covered with a finally detailed depiction of what might be a wrestling match between two over muscled male minotaurs, this item is worth 400 gp.

The Goggles are made of brass and encrusted with strange, glowing gemstones.  The wearer of this eyewear can see any secret door (on level 2 only) within 50’- regardless of lighting condtions.

Weird Adventures: buy it now.

Weird Adventures is out on rpg.now on .pdf.

I very rarely recommend or review anything, but I give this my highest recommendation.  I burned a toner cartiridge printing it out and burned my weekend reading it.  I really, really dig it.

It is one of two published settings that I would even consider running an entire campaign in.

Not only do I want to run it, I want to play in it and I want to write a novel that takes place in the setting. I will almost certainly hack my house rules to fit the setting and use it in its entirety at some point.

In the immortal words of Jack Kirby- Don't ask, just buy it.

The Hidden Halls Lvl 2, Area 3

The map is on the left

3. Ante Chamber:

Illumination: Pale green crystal, gently pulsing on the ceiling.

Smell: Dust and Mildew

The noise of rushing water is very loud here; it’s cold and the floor is coated in a very thin layer of frost.

A rusted portcullis blocks the easternmost entrance to this room.  A character with 14 or greater strength has a 1 in 6 chance of being able to lift the portcullis. A character with an18 or greater strength has a 2 in 6 chance. Two characters may pool their efforts, but the space is too constrained for more. Unless it is propped up by something, the portcullis will close immediately after it has been released. A metal pole will hold it indefinitely, a wooden staff will hold for 1d4 rounds.

Beyond the first portcullis lies a reception area. The walls are painted in a flaking pastel yellow. The decayed remains of a wardrobe lie in a heap against the south wall; broken fragments of what may once have been a table and chair are strewn across the northwest corner. A search through the wreckage of the wardrobe will yield 200 GP contained within a purse of rotten leather.  The remains of the desk conceal a gold pen and a matching inkbottle cut from onyx; the workmanship on these items is exquisite and if sold as a set they may yield up to 100 GP.  What appears to be a broken gearbox of some sort is situated on the west wall, north of the exit. Presumably its function related to the portcullises. It is rusted, smashed and in no way reparable.

The corridor exiting the room to the west is blocked by a set of portcullises separated by a 10’ passage. An assortment of bones are scattered across the floor of this passage. Any one who cares to examine the bones will note that they are exclusively phalanges, ulna, radius, carpals and metacarpals (bones of the hand and forearm). The portcullises both operate under the same principles listed above.

Two rounds after the portcullis set in the west wall is raised the skeletal hands on the floor will become suffused in a sickly green glow, reassemble themselves and attack; there are 20 of them in all.

Guard Hands

AC 8 [11]

HD 1 hp (attack as 1hd monster, can not score a critical hit)

MOVE: 6

ATTACK: Gouge 1d4-1

No more than 5 hands can attack a human sized target at once.

If the bones are not destroyed (burning is the only way to be certain) the trap will reset itself in 6 hours.

The Revolution Will not be 100% Compatable

Sorry, but there it is. You will be able to export and import things like critters with no real problems, but mechanics wise everything else is on the table right now. However, the setting itself will be compatible with whatever version of THE GAME you wish to use.

What the hell am I on about?
For example: I'm thinking that Dexterity = Armor Class; wearing armor actually detracts from AC, but provides a bonus on wound table saving throws.

Also I'm going to step away from the universal ST and replace it with a dual ST (physical/mental) system.

At this point I'm just about done with the character generation rules. It's slow going though, because I'm still committed to 2000 words a day on the novel and I'm trying to make headway on my comic project as well. and then there's the ICONS game...

By the way, that's a pretty old drawing up there, I still suck, but not quite that much.

[Icons] Lost Lands

This is (very) brief survey of some of the lost and hidden areas of the Earth Zero Universe, the setting for my icons campaign. I will be detailing them in play, and then writing them up here; Aquaticus and Island X are both soon to be visited by the heroes. The panels from page 6 of the Earth Zero comic (Cosmic Tales) I'm slowly putting together. The second panel is a redraw of something I posted previously. The artifact depicted is the Seer Sphere, the ultimate information gathering device. the doodz are Ord (the cybernetic looking fellow, and his brother... Aos (I can't be the only one who picked their online nick based off a character can I?)

No-space: a plain that lies between the parallel universes of Upper-space.

Hundulan: A Pleistocene world located in a hidden area of the Antarctic. Sustained by paleo-magic and ruled by sorcerous Neanderthal Priest-kings.

Posidinus: The remains of an ancient civilization hidden beneath the waves of the Atlantic. This civilization consists of 10 warring city-states.

Aquaticus: A second submarine realm, located in the pacific. Ruled by Nairamus, the Aqualord.

The Hollow: An alien constructed dinosaur preserve inside the moon.

The Nexus: The extra dimensional home of the Universals (space gods) possibly located in its own pocket dimension.

Dead Space: The primal universe, which lies outside of and is inaccessible from the multiverse. It predates the big bang and is largely energy depleted. It is the home of the No-gods, a group of evil space gods that staged and unsuccessful attempt to invade Upper Space 35 kya, using the Earth as their beachhead. They were driven back and the rift gate they created was destroyed, but the advanced Neanderthal civilization was destroyed in the process and many Universals were killed. They will stage another attempt at the close of the 23^rd century.

Island X: An island inhabited by giant radioactive monsters somewhere in the pacific.

1e DMG acquired. MSH denied!

I picked this up on a field trip to the awesome Black and Read books in Arvada, CO. I was actually looking for a copy of the Marvel Super Heroes (FASRIP) rpg but came up empty.

Whatever, I've been wanting a copy of the DMG for the last couple of years, but had missed it on my previous outings to B&R, because they'd moved all the old school D&D stuff out of the used RPG section and into another section of the store. They had a shit ton of stuff. I should have taken a picture; it was unbelievable. I had to force myself to leave the store with just two items. (I also scored a copy of the Moldvay basic book, but my wife decided that I'd actually bought that for my 10 year old son and I haven't figured out a way to get it back yet).

Anyway, it's been 20+ years since I've read this 1e DMG I'm looking froward to sticking my nose into it.

In other news, I'm thinking of launching a second blog for my ICONS stuff, because I feel wrong about posting it here, which leads to frustration on my part, which in turn leads to less posting over all on any topic as I feel (for lack of a better term) creatively clogged.

Returning to the topic of MSH, I must admit some frustration. I played the hell out of this game in the late 80's and I had numerous opportunities to buy it, but passed them all up. Now, I want a hard copy really, really badly and there are none to be found at what I consider to be a reasonable price.

That said, for the .05 of you who are unaware, the complete MSH catalog is available at Classic Marvel Forever for free to download. Sadly, whereas I prefer to read novels in electronic format (i.e., on the Kindle) I require hard copies for gaming books.