Dungeon #84

Alright, we're back with the latest issue of Dungeon magazine. We have five adventures in this one, ranging from 3rd level to 15th, so plenty of variety. The big one (and by big I mean 40+ pages) is elf-centric, or at least drow-centric. Let's get to it.

There are a couple of 'Maps of Mystery' here. The first is a mountainous peninsula with a few small islands off the coast. I'd say this should be scaled pretty big, so that this is easily big enough for an entire campaign to take place. Then there's a two-page map of the Halls of Huhueteotl, the Lord of Fire. This is 100% Aztec in nature, complete with step pyramid overlooking a lake of lava. Sure, why not? It wouldn't be too hard to make an interesting adventure with this map.

The Harrowing is our first adventure, and it is the aforementioned 'big one'. It's for 15th-level characters, and it's about Lolth's daughter's efforts to take over the Demonweb. Yes, Lolth's daughter. Sure, why not? The main part of the adventure as far as the PCs are concerned involves the kidnapping of a high-level elven cleric of Corellon Larethian, who is to be the guest of honor at a sacrifice that will empower Lolth's daughter, Laveth, enough to challenge her mother's control of the Demonweb. There are plenty of spider-type creatures such as aranea and of course driders. Plenty of demons, too. This would be both a terrifying slog and a running fight. Laveth has clerics, but she's only a CR18 outsider, so I'm not sure how her clerics are getting spells. There are a few new magic items here, and a new prestige class: The Arachnemancer. Basically, a spidery spellcaster who get their own unique spell list.

Demonclaw is a much shorter adventure for 5th-level characters. It's set in the Kingdom of Nyrond, and the adventurers are hired to find out what happened to a half-orc paladin of Hieroneous and his squire. He's believed to be dead; they just aren't sure how it happened. Turns out he fell victim to a formerly-friendly wizard who royally screwed up and got himself fused with a demon. Not good. The party has to defeat the demon-wizard and free the paladin's squire. Bringing the paladin back to be raised is optional. It's short, but it looks like a fun little romp through a wizard's tower.

The Dying of the Light is for 10th-level characters where the characters get to fight a cabal of vampires who used to be a powerful band of adventurers. So these vampires are going to be tough as heck. The party are asked to free a town from these vamps, and invade the local lord's castle where the vampires have settled in. They start at daybreak; they have until sunset to finish the job. So, this is a time-sensitive adventure. And yeah, these bloodsuckers are mid- to high-level adventurers with the vampire template, so the DM should play them very, very smart. This will challenge the players to their utmost if the DM can handle it right.

Dungeon of the Fire Opal is our lowest-level adventure (3rd) in the magazine. The adventure is set in a ruined monastery (the kind with monks, not clerics) with a dungeon. There will be quite a few undead to deal with, including a pack of ghouls. And--

Are you freaking kidding me?! THAT's the map of this place? Every old school gamer on the planet will recognize this the instant they see it. It's fancied up with modern graphics, but this is the sample dungeon from the original Dungeon Master's Guide in 1979. And it's complete with the limed-over skeleton of the abbot and the spiders. Oh, and yes, the ghouls are there too. So, this is the filled-in version of that original sample dungeon from so long ago. And I just checked, and yes, it's the map from the current Dungeon Master's Guide as well. Ah, memories...

Our last adventure is Armistice, for 7th-level characters. It also takes place in Greyhawk, this time in the mountains separating the Theocracy of the Pale and the Frost Barbarians. And it involves lycanthropes. Not plain werewolves, but winter werewolves. Damn. Yes, they have breath weapons. And we do get a template for them to add to our collection of lycanthropes in the Monster Manual. Anyway, two mountain clans have been at war for decades, and now they are fighting over a newly-discovered valley that looks rich and fertile. And one of them has recruited the winter werewolves to help them.

So, there's a wide variety of adventures in this issue, including a nostalgia-bait romp through the original AD&D sample dungeon and a vampire hunt in a castle. Fun stuff.

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