Thoughts on L3 Deep Dwarven Delve

 

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”

― Siddhārtha Gautama

Deep Dwarven Delve

Your party of stalwart heroes must venture into a lost dwarven mining complex, fighting terrible monsters, bypassing deadly traps, and exploring chambers heavy with the dust of ages. Somewhere deep below the surface lies the heart of darkness—a corrupting evil that must be stopped before its influence can spread! [L3 Deep Dwarven Delve – 2]

Len Lakofka’s Lendore series was to conclude with L3 Deep Dwarven Delve; and it might have if Fate had played a different hand. So, what transpired that it did not?

Short answer? Fate.

Len was contracted to write three adventures back in 1979, but only the first two saw publication: L1 The Secret of Bone Hill and L2 The Assassin’s Knot. This is not to say that he did not deliver what he promised, because he did; it’s just that L3 was somehow misplaced in TSR’s files; or maybe it was simply dropped from the roster when Gary Gygax and his old guard were turfed in the cuffuffle of office politics that shall remain uncommented on here.

And there it remained until TSR’s 25^th anniversary, that is.

For one reason or another, TSR decided to revisit its bestsellers from time to time, compiling those much-loved series into a few omnibus editions—I speak on Scourge of the Slavelords (1986), Queen of the Spiders (1986), and Realms of Horror (1987).

It comes as no surprise that they would reissue certain classics on their 25^th anniversary. They expounded upon certain classics in 1999 with Against the Giants—The Liberation of Geoff, and they returned to the Keep on the Borderlands and White Plume Mountain, with greater success than they had with their prior super-modules, IMO, if others disagree with me on that point. To each his own, I say.

But they also reissued certain unedited classics in its Silver Edition Boxed Set, namely B2 Keep on the Borderlands, G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King, I6 Ravenloft, and S2 White Plume Mountain. Why? Why not. Easy money, one might say. It was only then that L3 was “found,” or dusted off, and added to the Boxed Set. One wonders why L3 was included when L1 and L2 were not? Weren’t the others already revisited? Wasn’t the Lendore series deserving of its own omnibus edition? I believe it did; others might disagree; but to my mind, they would be wrong. But I suspect that Lakofka’s Lendore doesn’t pack the same nostalgic punch as the Slavers or Straud does.

One might think that this is where Len Lekofka’s L-series met its end. In that, one would be mistaken. He penned more adventures for his little corner of the world, but all things IP considered, he moved up the road to Kroton, which received scant mention in his earlier works. These can be found as free downloads on Dragonfoot, if you are interested in his further exploration of his little patch of Greyhawk. Lendore Adventures and Kroton Adventures deserve at least as much attention as his TSR publications, but alas, those later releases are not the focus of this piece.

L3 Deep Dwarven Delve is.

I must admit that the front cover blurb does not entice as well as it should, not as well as its “Background” does:

Restenford and Garrotton

Something must be done! For months, marauding humanoids have been attacking the small towns of Restenford and Lake Farmin. Normally, these raids take the form of quick strikes to steal livestock or to burn outlying farm buildings. The most recent engagement was much more serious. Three days ago, a group of well organized and equipped orcs, bugbears, and ogres descended on Restenford and engaged in a pitched battle with the local militia. Several soldiers were killed, and more than a dozen were wounded. In the fighting, the town hall was put to the torch. The townsfolk watched in horror as the structure burned, presumably killing everyone inside. The humanoids were driven off just before dawn. One member of the militia, a ranger, tracked the humanoids back to their lair. Unfortunately, the creatures spotted the ranger hiding in the scrub and fired at her with their crossbows. Despite severe injuries, she eluded her pursuers and managed to return to Lake Farmin with directions to the raider's stronghold. Now she lies unconscious and near death, tended by the local healers. [L3 – 3]

That sounds better, doesn’t it? That may be because Len wrote the latter, and likely not the former.

Where might the humanoids be coming from?

Well, from under the ground.

More than two hundred years ago, dwarven miners secretly constructed an underground Delve to extract the rare metal mithril from a rich vein close to the two towns. Unwilling to share the rewards of their labor, the dwarves concealed their presence from the nearby communities. Then something went terribly wrong deep in the mine, though no one—not even the dwarven clan that sponsored the dig—knows what transpired beneath the earth. When contact was lost with the mine, the dwarves sent an armed party to investigate. The group was lead by Khorliss Foesmiter, a powerful fighter who was at the time a living legend among his kin, best known for his fantastic magical sword and his exploits in fighting the drow. Neither Foesmiter nor any of his party ever returned. Unwilling to risk further losses or a chance of detection by the residents of Restenford and Lake Farmin, the dwarves decided to abandon the mine and destroy all records of its existence. [L3 – 3]

That does sound like a dwarven reaction, doesn’t it? They are a private folk. A secretive folk when it comes to their mines and riches, after all, never trusting the other races that obviously covet their riches so.

But what exactly happened?

Frelpic

As the dwarves carved ever deeper shafts following the vein of mithril, they broke through into a hidden chamber, one created far below the surface when the world was young. The shrine was dedicated to a powerful force of pure evil, the arch-devil Baalzebul. The arch-devil was cunningly twisted the allegiance of some of the miners who found his long-lost fane. Those under his influence concealed the breakthrough into Baalzebul's shrine and began an insidious campaign to take control of the mining complex from within. The most powerful agent of Baalzebul was a cleric who was dissatisfied with his standing in the dwarven community and who sought to increase his power. With Baalzebul's aid, this dwarf, Frelpic, constructed a powerful iron golem, supposedly to assist in the mining. Once the construct was fully animated, Baalzebul sent an evil spirit to possess the golem. In one long, bloody night, the entire dwarven force was murdered. Frelpic alone was allowed to live. However, the cleric was driven insane by his contact with the arch-devil and the role he played in the murder of his comrades.

When Khorliss Foesmiter investigated the Delve, the villains overcame him and his comrades. Following this encounter, Frelpic, the iron golem, two summoned devils loyal to Baalzebul, and a spirit naga residing in the Delve ensured that Baalzebul would have time to work his fell plans without further danger of discovery.

Given no other orders by the wicked Baalzebul, Frelpic animated the corpses of many of his former companions and returned to the work of mining the mithril ore. Meanwhile, Baalzebul continued to expand his malign influence, using the chamber consecrated to him as a focus for his efforts. Although it has taken nearly twenty decades, the arch-devil's persistent call has finally attracted a suitable army of mortal followers: the humanoid forces that now control the upper level of the Delve. From this protected position, Baalzebul hopes to expand his sphere of control across the entire region—a disaster of unmitigated proportions for all life nearby. [L3 – 3]

Baalzebul

Baalzebul? Holy Mack!

Not to worry, your players will not have to face the arch-devil. This is a mid-level adventure, scaled for PCs level 3-7.

It is presented in two parts, an attack on the orc stronghold, and the second as an exploration of the underlying great evil that the dwarves unearthed.

Sounds fabulous.

And it should be.

But it’s not.

It’s decidedly un Lakofka-esque.

Why do I say that? Because it’s a straightforward dungeon delve, and aside from the triple alliteration of its title, there is little else that would mark it as a Len Lakofka module. Where is the town? Where are the innumerable characters and their interwoven relations and motivations? Where is the timeline, the rumour table, the complex plot? ‘Tis lacking.

The module begins as one expects of tournament modules: At the beginning.

The few small stands of trees on the hillsides consist of pines and yews. The hills have few bushes, and their rocky sides are worn by glaciation. The Delve resides beneath one of the many hills in the area. [L3 – 7]

The main entrance is some 80 feet above ground level and cannot be seen from the base of the hill. It is cut into the mountainside with a flat rock outcropping in front of it that is roughly circular with a diameter of 60 feet. The entrance itself is rectangular, 30 feet wide and 20 feet high. It is perfectly cut from the surrounding stone. [L3 – 7]

The rear entrance is also 80 feet from ground level and cannot be seen from the base of the hill. This entrance is preceded by a 50'-diameter, flat rock outcropping. The entrance is rectangular, 10 feet wide and 15 feet high. [L3 – 8]

What follows is what one might describe as a classic dungeon delve, hence its name, I suppose. As it should, I imagine, it being written in 1979 and “lost” for 20 years.

The art is a far cry better than those early days, but the maps are a little symmetrical. There is nary a twist nor turn, the rooms almost invariably circular. One wonders how quickly TSR rushed this into production when one ponders them.

Orcs and bugbears abound, as do trolls and ogres. Undead proliferate as the heroes descend into the mine, a nice touch, considering the backstory. So too the description:

This level is musty and unused. The quarter-inch-thick layer of dust on the floor has not been disturbed for over 200 years. [L3 – 11]

I should imagine that the depths would look like that, but I have to say that what is depicted is not a mine, not by a long shot. I ought to know, it having been my trade for the past few decades. It spirals down upon itself, but not in any manner that would indicate the dwarves were following seams or mining lodes. And at only three levels, with a limited number of rooms, the dwarves did not delve too deep before meeting their end. No grade is indicated, but how deep the mine dives is noted room by room (below the last). That said, the grade must be deep enough for successive rooms to dive under those above, averaging at least -20°, by my reckoning, given the distances and spans given. That’s pretty steep! As to the temperature differences noted, mines do get colder at depth, and then, after a couple thousand feet, they begin to heat up again, what with millions of tons of rock pressing down upon them. This mine is not that deep. That said, I’ve rarely encountered a single adventure that met my expectation of what a mine should look like, the closest being A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry.

The tunnels and chambers were carved from seamless stone by skilled dwarven miners. There is the occasional broken piece of stonework, but the tunnels and rooms are secure and in no danger of collapse. The temperature of the Delve begins at about 60° F in area 9 but cools gradually as one descends (1° F per room is a good approximation) to a minimum of 50° F. The temperature is below freezing in areas 29 and 30. However, it begins to warm rapidly as one moves closer to area 39, gaining about 10° F in each successive room, so that the temperature in area 39 is about 110° F! [L3 – 11]

But depth and pressure aren’t the reasons for the temperature shift. It would be diabolical of me to reveal why. So I won’t.

Encounters grow exponentially intense at depth, becoming ever more dire, as can be seen by the cast of villains:

Nagas, and wraiths, and dwarven zombie clerics, oh my!

There’s a way of bypassing all this, but I’ll not reveal how, either; but to do so has the potential to wipe out an incautious party. [L3 – 3] Len’s words, not mine.

Is there a story? None other than the backstory, although you can work one into your greater campaign if you should decide to slip this work into it. You’ll have to concoct a reason why Enthar the Magician, a 6^th level human Magic-user is involved, because Len, in his infinite wisdom, failed to do so; although Frelpic’s, the dwarven Patriarch of Baalzebul is self-explanatory upon reading the adventure. Vezenor, the barbed devil, and Skirpus, the bone devil are there to do their masters bidding, I imagine. By their inclusion, I suggest the PCs tend closer towards 7^th level than 3^rd. Just a suggestion. Your call.

As a dungeon crawl it’s not bad. But as noted, it isn’t Lakofka-esque. Why is it not? Len suggested that the original was altered without his consent, but later admitted that it wasn’t that far removed from what he’d originally written…and 20 years had passed since he’d last seen it, so I wonder how exact his recollection was. Maybe Len wanted to branch out, maybe he wanted to prove that he could write all sorts of adventures, should TSR consider engaging him to submit more. He certainly was imaginative. His first adventure was what one could call a sandbox, his second was a murder mystery (of a sort), and the third was a crawl.

Should you decide to download his further Lendore and Kroton adventures, you will note that those were far more detailed than these three. He did have time on his hands to world-build, what with his no longer penning Leomund’s Tiny Hut, after all.

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

― Albert Einstein

One must always give credit where credit is due. This post is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.

Very special thanks to Lenard Lakofka, without whose imagination, this adventure, and this review, could not have been possible.

The Art: 

L3 cover, by Wayne Reynolds, from L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1999

TSR Silver Anniversary box cover, 1999

Restenford and Garrotton regional map, by "Reader Ethan," found on The Restenford Project

Frelpic, by Wayne Reynolds, from L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1999

Baalzebul, from Monster Manual 1e, 1977,1978

L3 Level 2 Map, by Christopher Perkins, from L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1999

Undead dwarf, by Wayne Reynolds, from L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1999

Iron Golem Encounter, by Wayne Reynolds, from L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1999

Sources:

9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980

1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983

2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979

90039A Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, 2015

9045 L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

9057 L2 The Assassins Knot, 1983

9844 L3 Deep Dwarven Delve, 1979, 1999

9016 G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, 1978

9017 G2 The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, 1978

9018 G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King, 1978

9058 G123 Against the Giants, 1981

9034 B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, 1980

9026 T1 The Village of Hommlet, 1979, 1981

9027 S2 White Plume Mountain, 1979,1980,1981

9075 I6 Ravenloft, 1983

9147 T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985

9167 A1-4 Scourge of the Slavelords, 1986

9179 GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders, 1986

9209 S1-4 Realms of Horror, 1987

11413 The Liberation of Geoff, 1999

The Restenford Project

Dragonsfoot

Thoughts on L2 The Assassin’s Knot

 

"It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely.

One must seek the truth within – not without." ~ Poirot

― Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920

The Assassin's Knot

Murder most foul! A small ruby, a leather button, and a golden lute string are your only leads. Can you follow them to the heart of THE ASSASSIN’S KNOT? [L2 The Assassin’s Knot – 0]

Len Lakofka’s second installment of his Lendore Isles series is a bit of a departure from his first, but less so than you might imagine. Where L1 The Secret of Bone Hill is a sandbox in miniature, this submission is more of a mystery, a Who-done-it investigation, if you will. This is not to say that Bone Hill doesn’t share aspects of one as well, because it does: It’s a conundrum with a number of curious threads to unravel, should you discover them; I’d go as far to say that it’s a Gordian Knot. I direct you to my earlier review, and to The Restenford Project for details why.

The Assassin’s Knot is far more straightforward than Bone Hill, if as complex; but complexity is what we expect of Len, isn’t it. He was a stickler for detail, after all, leaving nary a stone to be unturned.

L2 begins where L1 left off, in Restenford, although one need not have played the first to appreciate the second. If you had—played L1, that is—this adventure will be all the richer. You’ll know and be invested in Pelltar, in Baron Grellus and in his family.

Restenford and Garrotton

Baron Grellus of Resternford is dead. All clues point to the small town of Garrotten, a day’s journey to the south. The [sorcerer] Pelltar of Restenford has asked you to undertake a secret investigation of the crime. Can you succeed before the murderer strikes again? [L2 – 1]

You see why, now, don’t you? The Baron’s murder means something now and is not some dry text block to be endured before the action begins. Having played L1 lends continuity to the narrative. And having done so explains why Pelltar has approached you, and not Gelpas, Restenford’s Captain of the Guard, to look into this murder most foul.

Actually, the question need be asked, does Gelpas even have jurisdiction in Garrotten? Probably not.

Might Baroness Fairwind, Grellus’ widow? Surely she should; shouldn’t she? Grellus did, it would seem. [See L1 – 23, mentioned below.] But Fairwind is incapacitated, at present.

Restenford castle has been sealed to outsiders until the Baron’s wife and daughter recover from the shock. [L2 – 2]

Thus, Pelltar has approached the heroes of Bone Hill to do what he and the authorities cannot.

The evidence is as follows:

Pelltar

The Baron was found strangled at 8 AM Monday morning. His bedroom was locked from the inside. No furniture or other objects were overturned or broken; however, three clues to the murderer were found in the room. First, a small red ruby (value 50 gp) was located near the body. Second, a golden lute string was found under the bed. Third, a red leather button was found in the Baron’s hand. […] The effort to speak with dead gave no clues, and all attempts to raise the Baron met with failure. However, Pelltar has acquired the following information:

An old man with long white hair, wearing a blue robe with the symbol of three barracuda on it, ate at the Restenford inn. This symbol is known to represent one of the major sea deities worshipped on Lendore Isle: Osprem, Goddess of the Seas and Water Travel. A temple to this deity is located in Garrotten. The old man displayed a beautiful golden holy symbol, a small whale. The eyes of the whale were red rubies.

A man in traveling clothes appeared at a local tavern where he had a few drinks and played the lute for the people in the tavern. He stayed a few hours and then left. The lute had unusual golden strings.

A man came into town to buy a few barrels of beer and have them shipped to his inn in Garrotten. He wore a distinctive red vest with ornate red buttons. When shown the button found in the Baron’s room, the wine merchant identified it as resembling the ones on the innkeeper’s vest. [L2 – 2]

When younger, we likely all sat round listening to our tireless DM drone the above text block, verbatim, followed yet again by this:

Balmorrow

The guard at the south gate of Restenford (whose road leads to Garrotten) remembered each of the three men. They arrived one after the other, about an hour apart, between 7 PM and 9 PM Sunday night. None of these men were seen to leave Restenford, but a later search of the town did not find them. Pelltar the [sorcerer] thinks he knows them. The first is Harper, the high priest of the Church of Osprem in Garrotten. The second is Balmorrow, a theater owner in Garrotten. The third seems to be Abraham, the town’s innkeeper. [L2 – 2]

I would suggest that those who had were deprived of a great role-playing opportunity. Players ought to discover all the above through play, IMHO. And in doing so the conspiracy will be revealed to them one clue at a time.

All clues lead to Garrotton, it would seem. And it would seem that Garrotton is not without a bit of a reputation:

Dark rumors suggest that Garrotten is the headquarters for assassins who operate right under the nose of the town’s mayor. There is no proof that such a guild exists, but a common phrase in much of this area is, “If you want someone killed, go to Garrotten.” [L2 – 2]

One wonders how these dark rumours came to be common, or even uncommon, knowledge and why these assassins weren’t put to rights earlier by Pelltar or some other worthy, if they were true.

Rumours aside, things are not as they seem. They never are, nor should they be, should this be a mystery worth pursuing. Or any adventure, for that matter.

Should I mention that there will be spoilers?

It should come as no surprise that:

Tellish

All three suspects are innocent. The Baron of Restenford was murdered by Tellish, head of the Assassins’ Guild in Garrotten. Tellish accomplished the murder by using a cloak of etherealness and his abilities to climb walls and pick locks. At 7 PM he entered town dressed as the high priest of the temple of Osprem. He then sneaked out of town, removed the high priest disguise, and re-entered as the theater owner at 8 PM. Once that role was played, he again left by the wall and entered town at 9 PM disguised as the innkeeper. Tellish then removed the last disguise and went to perform the assassination at 1 AM. He then climbed the town wall a third time and returned to Garrotten. [L2 – 3]

Why, one wonders, was Baron Grellus assassinated?

In his megalomaniac state [Qualton, the abbot of Phaulkon] desires to gain the throne by marrying Andrella (though she knows nothing of his plan or desires). [L1 – 23]

The assassin was hired by Qualton, the canon of the Church of Phaulkon in Restenford. Qualton suffers from a form of schizophrenia that produces occasional fits of megalomania. It is his goal to become Baron of Restenford himself, but to do so he must murder the current Baron and Baroness, then marry the Baron’s daughter. In his twisted mind this all seems quite logical and possible. [L2 – 3]

Qualton, for all his schizophrenic scheming, is nothing but a pawn in a greater game.

Qualton’s desire to kill the Baron and Baroness fits right into the plans of Arrness, the mayor of Garrotten. She would like to see the Baron’s entire line die out (including the daughter, Andrella). Arrness, as the strongest surviving political leader in this part of Lendore Isle, could then claim the town of Restenford in addition to her town of Garrotten. The Duke of Kroten is too busy with non-human raids on his borders to intervene— and would probably support a strong local ruler anyway... Thus, Qualton paying Tellish to kill the Baron has played right into Arrness’ hands! [L2 – 3]

Arrness: M6 female magic-user; Castle; Mayor [L2 – 3]

Zahrdahl, the Trickster

Personally, I would wonder if Arrness is herself an unwitting pawn of the Duke of Kroton, who also seems to have designs on Restenford?

Zahrdahl [the Trickster, AL NE] poses as a bait dealer, poor and dirty, but is really an illusionist spy for the Duke of Kroten to the northwest. [L1 – 25]

The Duke does not play a part in this adventure. Nor should he. The Duke’s dark doings are beyond the pay grade of our heroes, currently. For more on Nebubenub, the Duke of Kroton, I invite you to download Len Lekofka’s further adventures in the Lendore Isles, found on the Dragonsfoot website. Yeah, if you are a little put off by the Duke’s name, I don’t blame you. I wasn’t terribly fold of Balooshi the Djinni, in L1, either; but such was Len’s sense of humour, I suppose.

The Duke’s machinations aside, we know that Tellish killed the Duke and that the Abbot of Phaulkon set him on his task; but more importantly, we know that Grellor’s death is integral to Arrness’ power play. We also know that there is an assassin’s guild in Garrotton.

This may come as some sort of surprise, but Arrness is a member of the guild.

Arrness: M6 female magic-user; Castle; Mayor [L2 – 3]

And so is Tellish.

Tellish: C5/A6, male dual-class cleric/assassin; Castle; cover: C3

Tellish poses as an advisor priest (3rd level). His is actually the head of the Assassins’ Guild and co-equal with Arrness. [L2 – 20]

Tellish poses as a clerical advisor to Arrness. He is a cleric who became an assassin, and now enjoys the benefits of both professions as a dual-classed character. His guild has two other members in the castle garrison, three at the inn, and one posing as a caretaker at the church. Associate members of the guild are the mayor of the town herself (Arrness, a 6th level magic-user) and brigands from the nearby woods. who occasionally provide “muscle” for the Guild. The Assassins’ Guild is well concealed in the town, and only Tellish knows everyone else. [L2 – 3]

Other members are:

Lothar: A5, male assassin; Temple; cover: groundskeeper

Knows Tellish is the head of the guild. [L2 – 2,10]

Only Arrness and Tellish know that Lothar is in the Guild. [L2 – 16]

Lothar poses as a fighter who has been maimed in the wars and seeks now only a more quiet life. As such he has hired on at the church some 15 months ago as a handy man and grounds keeper. [L2 – 16]

Lothar is the Assassin Guild spy [at the Church of Osprem], posing as the crippled groundskeeper. He prefers to stay out of the public eye, since his wounds caused the loss of his left ear, his left eye, and left him a horrid scar where the left side of his face was mangled by a flail. He is high in the Guild hierarchy, and a dangerous adversary. He stole the high priest’s holy symbol for Tellish, and may engineer additional problems for the party. No one knows his real purpose, and he will not risk suspicion unless the situation is critical. [L2 – 15]

Lothar has secret spy holes into Harper’s office and the main sanctuary. He will always try to get an ear or eye full and report interesting information to the guild. If present, he will quietly go to his room soon after a stranger meets the high priest. He will wait for a period of at least an hour before going to the castle. He will never go the castle during daylight hours. He always asks for Tellish when he goes to report. [L2 – 16]

Sangster: A4, male assassin [spy]; Castle/Town patrol; cover: F2

Knows Tellish is the head of the guild. [L2 – 2]

Sangster poses as a fighter in town. He knows who Tellish is.

Assassin Students—teacher, Sangster [L2 – 2,21]

Basmar

“Captain” Basmar: A4, male assassin; Inn; cover: smuggler

Knows Tellish is the head of the guild. [L2 – 2,10]

Basmar’s only contact at the castle is Sangster. Basmar does not know the boss nor does he know the mayor is connected with the guild. He does not even know that Glami is the major’s spy in the inn. If the party begins to ask too many questions. Basmar may arrange for one of them (or a contact) to be assassinated. [L2- 12]

Gellius: A3, male assassin; Castle/Town; cover: F2

Gellius poses as a fighter in town. [L2 – 2,21]

Philmar: A3, male assassin; Inn; cover: hunter

His cover profession is a hunter and dog trainer, though he will refuse offers of employment. [L2 – 2,10]

Oscar: A3, male midget assassin; Inn; cover: local

His cover profession is smuggling goods on the lake and river. [L2 – 2,10]

Philmar and Oscar share room 6. They drink sparingly and are willing to talk with virtually anyone about anything (except the guild!). They do not know who heads the guild, nor do they know that the mayor is associated with it. […]

Basmar is their guild contact, though they do not openly associate with him. When Basmar wants to see them, he ties a bandana to their doorknob. He will meet them just outside town at the bridge that crosses the river near area D. When Oscar and Philmar want to contact him, they slip a copper piece under his door. [L2 – 11]

Gilmi: F5 weaponsmith, dwarf (spy); Smithy; cover: smith [L2 – 2,8]

Gilmi is an active spy for the Assassins’ Guild. The midget assassin Oscar at the inn is his contact; he does not know anyone else. He will report interesting strangers to Oscar when he has a chance to do so. He will greet any dwarf or gnome he meets and act as friendly as possible without revealing his true alignment. [L2 – 8]

Rogan: A1 male assassin, gnome; Castle/Town; cover: clean-up boy

With his hair dyed and shorn, he can pass as a grubby human boy of about 10 years or so at a distance of 20’ or more. He tricked Falpir into getting a button from Abraham. [L2 – 2,21]

Thomas: A1 male assassin [L2 – 3]

That’s quite a motley crew.

There are others in town who, while not exactly members, aid and abet the guild, even if they don’t know they are:

Holga: M1 female magic-user (spy); Castle; student

Magic-user Student—teacher, Arrness [L2 – 2,19,21]

She goes into town. unescorted, as a spy for the mayor. She reports all new characters to Arrness directly, who might reward her with an extra gold piece or two for excellent information. [L2 – 21]

Once she realizes that the lute string was used in an assassination, she must decide whether to abandon Wilbur or try to convince him to flee Garrotten with her (she really likes him!). If the latter, he will have to decide whether his fear of assassination and love for her is stronger than his loyalty to Balmorrow. [L2 – 19]

Glami: M3 male magic-user (spy); Inn; barkeep

His right arm is partially paralyzed and he has a long ugly scar on the inside of his forearm. [L2 – 2,10]

Glami is no longer an adventurer due to partial paralysis in his arm. He still dabbles in the art and his teacher is the mayor herself. His book was lost in the adventure that maimed him, thus he is dependent upon her for spells. She does not charge him anything for reading her book as long as he keeps her informed about new people in town. He is clever and will try to trick a party into telling him their business without revealing that he is really a spy for the mayor. He does not know the mayor is part of the guild nor that three assassins stay in the inn. If the inn is attacked or if the innkeeper enters melee, Glami will support the innkeeper. He does not know of Abraham’s psionic powers nor that Philmar, Oscar, and Basmar are assassins. [L2 – 11]

It’s the players’ task to suss these villains out and put an end to their dastardly deeds. A difficult task, I warrant, considering the Dramatis Personae to consider, some suspects, some red herrings, some innocent bystanders. One expects as much from Len, citing his propensity to stating every NPC in his towns (note that each and every Castle Guard is detailed on page 21), to say nothing of their relationships, their motivations, their wants and desires.

The suspects are as follows:

Harper

Harper, High Priest of Osprem.

Harper is old and senile (which is one reason the Guild doesn’t regard him as a threat). He is essentially harmless and highly eccentric. Harper will cast a spell at the drop of a hat, though he will never actually harm anyone. [L2 – 15]

There is the innkeeper, Abraham d’Farmin.

And Balmorrow, the owner of The Theatre of the Mystic.

Balmorrow is very popular with the people of the town. He provides, with the inn, one of the few entertainments in the small village. For this reason, coupled with Balmorrow’s considerable ability to defend himself, the Assassins’ Guild has made few direct moves to oust him. However, Tellish, the chief assassin, is trying to discredit Balmorrow by making it appear that he might be an assassin—hoping that some avenging character will eliminate him without getting the guild involved. [L2 – 18]

These NPCs are integral to the investigation:

Falpir

Falpir was duped by the gnome Rogan (see the Castle) into stealing one of the buttons from Abraham’s vest. The button was left at the murder scene to implicate the innkeeper. [L2 – 11]

Wilbur

Unknown to Balmorrow, Wilbur has fallen in love with Holga, the mayor’s apprentice and spy (see Castle Residents). She convinced him to get one of Balmorrow’s golden lute strings, which the mayor passed on to Tellish for the assassination. Holga doesn’t know this, nor does she know about the mayor’s association with the guild. Wilbur is a complete (if not too bright) innocent. He thinks Holga still has this token of his affection and considers himself fiercely loyal to Balmorrow. [L2 – 18]

Krak

And here’s the obligatory red herring:

Krak, a half-orc armorer with an intelligent sword: longsword +2, damage +6 vs. lawful good (I 15, E 19, NE; slay lawful good characters; detects lawful good, sloping passages, and elevator rooms; levitation; speaks common)

The blade has a mind of its own, and is 25% likely to scan for lawful good characters within 10 feet if it is not performing some other function. If it detects any, it will takeover Krak, who does not have the intelligence, charisma, and level to oppose it. [L2 – 6]

Krak is not part of the assassin’s guild, though most old-school players will automatically assume he is.

If Len was lacking in any aspect of design, it was in naming NPCs. Intermixed with Gelmarks and Kraks, are Martins and Ollies and Lydias. I suppose there no rules against using English names, but they somehow seem a little out of place amid the Quenexes and Basmars. My real issue is that there are too many characters with similarly phonetic names in this module. There is Beshkar and Basmar, Balmar and Balmorrow, Glami and Gilmi, Wilbur and Willis, Arrness and Armax, and Falpir, Philmar and Falbore and Phillis. One must need take notes to just keep them straight, especially as Arrness and Armax are both female magic users.

I will refrain from commenting further on Nebubenub and Balooshi, as neither name is included within this adventure.

Abraham at the bar; Philmar, Basmar, Oscar, and Grellius at table; Glami behind the bar

As noted earlier, this is a complex web of misdirection, and one should read this adventure carefully to understand what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen.

The general plotline follows this schedule: [L2 – 3]

Prior:

Basmar, Philmar, and Oscar take rooms at Abraham’s Inn.

Three of the inn’s permanent residents belong to the Assassins’ Guild (Oscar, Philmar, and Basmar). [L2 – 11]

The assassin was hired by Qualton, the canon of the Church of Phaulkon in Restenford. [L2 – 3]

Falpir was duped by the gnome Rogan (see the Castle) into stealing one of the buttons from Abraham’s vest. [L2 – 11]

[Holga] convinced [Wilbur] to get one of Balmorrow’s golden lute strings, which the mayor passed on to Tellish for the assassination. [L2 – 18]

SUNDAY: Tellish murders Baron Grellus and plants his false clues. [L2 – 3]

MONDAY: The Baron was found strangled at 8 AM Monday morning. [L2 – 3]

The player characters are assembled in Restenford by the wizard Peltar. Investigations point to Garrotten. [L2 – 3]

TUESDAY: The characters travel to Garrotten [,] arriving about 8 PM. They will probably stay at the House of Abraham, the only inn in town. They will be very tired after their trip. [L2 – 3]

In the course of the adventure, some events can happen at any time:

Special Note. It is possible to make reports and get advice from Pelltar, but it takes a day for a message to be delivered and a day to get a reply. [L2 – 4]

The Visit. While the party members are out, their rooms at the inn are ransacked by assassins. This event is most likely after the party has drawn attention to itself. An alternative is to have Wilfong, a common thief, caught (or nearly caught) in the act of robbery. [L2 – 4]

The Octopus. Basmar at the inn spins a tale of a monstrous devilfish that attacks boats going upriver at the north end of the lake. His purpose is to distract the party from the investigation. Even if no one is killed, the hunt will take a full day. [L2 – 4]

The Contact. The DM introduces a special NPC who supposedly has vital information. The main purpose of this encounter is to kill the NPC to demonstrate to the players how dangerous the investigation is. The exact details are up to the DM-the effect on the players is the most important result. [L2 – 4]

If that doesn’t light a fire under the PCs this will:

The Arrest of Abraham. If the party goes to Arrness (or she hears of their investigation) she will hold an audience that will delay the party investigation half a day. Arrness will forbid the characters to continue, saying that she can keep order in her own town. The next day, Abraham will be arrested and convicted; the trial will cost the characters half a day if they go. Abraham will be executed morning of the second day following, unless rescued. [L2 – 4]

There are other side encounters presented, but as they are plot and not time sensitive, I will not I won’t mention them here.

Events will heat up if the players haven’t solved the mystery in a week of trying.

Andrella

SUNDAY: If the players have not solved the mystery (most won’t). Tellish assassinates the Baroness.

MONDAY: Word of the assassination reaches Garrotten. [L2 – 3]

SATURDAY: Events of this week depend on player actions. Probably the mystery will be solved and the characters will raid the mayor’s castle. If the DM wants a confrontation with Qualton (using L1), the characters will hear a rumor that Qualton has proposed to Andrella.

SUNDAY: On the following Sunday Tellish will again travel to Restenford. He will assume no guises this time, however. He will just sneak into the castle and murder the Baroness. If nothing stops him, one week later he will kill Andrella and Qualton as well! The death of the Baroness should be a strong hint to the party that they are under time pressure, if they have not yet guessed. [L2 – 3] If Tellish isn’t stopped, he will assassinate both Andrella and Qualton. [L2 – 3]

MONDAY: Word reaches Garrotten. Within a few days, Arrness and Tellish begin their political takeover. Pelltar retires from the scene. The characters must adapt to the new order or flee. [L2 – 3]

All in all, the plot is simple. Most mysteries are when you strip them down to their bare facts. It’s the fog of ignorance and misdirection that makes them difficult.

I’m not suggesting that this will be easy, because it won’t be: There is a ton of misdirection. There are trap doors secreted under carpets and beds in Abraham’s guest rooms leading to a secret crawl-way beneath the inn.  The assassins know about it, and make use of it, but they did not excavate it; so why did Abraham? To spy on his guests? Or did some past innkeeper with less noble aims excavate them?

The assassins have locked their trapdoors from their side so that the doors can no longer be opened. Wilfong has moved his bed so that a leg of it is squarely on top of the trapdoor, but has not locked it. [L2 – 14]

What will they think about Harper, the High Priest of Osprem?

Harper is a bit senile and eccentric. He has become very forgetful and somewhat impetuous in his daily actions. [L2 – 17]

He is essentially harmless […]. Harper will cast a spell at the drop of a hat, though he will never actually harm anyone. [L2 – 13]

Might the players think his senility an act? Or might they think he has become dangerously unstable?

And what will they make of Balmorrow’s evasive answers when questioned?

Balmorrow the owner [of the Theater of the Mystic Celebration,] a bard, has been trying to uncover the guild. Balmorrow does not want Garrotten to retain its reputation as a village of assassins, but he has not be able to break the hierarchy of the Guild and determine who is leader is. He has made little progress, and does not realize he has attracted the guild’s attention. [L2 – 18]

As long as Balmorrow thinks the guild might leave him alone, he will refuse to be directly involved. He will not risk the lives of his friends or his theater and home if he can avoid it. If he does take an active part, he will stay behind the scenes as much as possible [.] [L2 – 19]

Meanwhile, there are others working against the party, whatever their motivation in doing so.

I draw your attention to Basmar’s fishing trip, to Wilbur’s love for Holga, and Holga’s spying for the mayor: She reports all new characters to Arrness directly, who might reward her with an extra gold piece or two for excellent information. [L2 – 21]

Or Glami’s: He is clever and will try to trick a party into telling him their business without revealing that he is really a spy for the mayor. [L2 – 11]

Wilfong is a gambler on the take: He is not an assassin but he suspects [Basmar, Oscar, and Philmar] may be. He might sell his suspicions for 25 gp or more [.] He has observed that “Captain” Basmar doesn’t own a boat. [L2 – 11]

Harmon is more altruistic. The temple curate, will never admit anyone to see the high priest, but will say Harper is “too busy,” “in prayer,” “performing a ceremony,” “resting,” etc. [L2 – 17]

Others are more altruistic: Basil, the curate, takes care of the actual administration of the church grounds. He also spends much of his time looking out for Harper and apologizing for Harmin’s brusque manner. [L2 – 15]

Once the players gather in the clues and solve the mystery, the endgame is a simple assault on Arrness’ castle. I suggest stealth is the better approach, but to each his own.

What do I think of L2?

The town and regional maps are serviceable, if not as detailed as was Restenford. I wish the larger area map showed more of the coast and actually pinpointed Restenford’s position on it in relation to Garrotton. And I find the town layout a little perplexing. Those detailing “The House of Abraham,” and “Garrotton Castle” are better, but since that’s where most of the “action” will be, it stands to reason these would be highlighted. Those for “The Theater of the Mystic Celebration,” and “The Church of Osprem” are rudimentary, at best.

As to the adventure itself, I think it works better as a continuance of L1 than as itself alone; but it’s still a solid module.

I have to say that hack and slash players are not going to enjoy this adventure. Combat is sparse. And what early combat there is will likely be their end. This adventure is very much a challenge, and any party that expects to muscle its way through it will probably fail, rounded up by the guard, or laid low by the guild, itself, depending on their level.

That said, it is what I expected: a classic Len Lakofka module. Maybe that’s why I like it. I prefer skulking about and figuring stuff out. My campaigns were always urban affairs, where dungeon delving was a rare event, so this one is right up my alley.

Have I done justice to it here? Maybe. Probably not. There’s more to it than mentioned, obviously. I’ve passed over important encounters, made no mention of other important NPCs. So, if you want to learn more about this Gordian Knot, you’ll have to lay hands on it and read it.

And if I should be so bold to suggest:

“Don't judge a book by its cover”

― George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, 1860

One must always give credit where credit is due. This post is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.

Very special thanks to Lenard Lakofka, without whose imagination, this adventure, and this review, could not have been possible, to say nothing of The Restenford Project.

The Art:

L2 The Assassin's Knot cover, artist undisclosed (MD. Lak?), 1983

Restenford and Garrotton regional map, by "Reader Ethan," found on The Restenford Project

Loreseeker by chazillah

Balmorrow, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Tellish at Restenford Castle, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Wizard by artofty

Basmar, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Harper, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Krak, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

The House of Abraham, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Saccharine by vinegar

House of Abraham map, by Stephen D. Sullivan, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Garrotton area map, by Stephen D. Sullivan, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

Garrotton town map, by Stephen D. Sullivan, from L2 The Assassin's Knot, 1983

 

Sources:

9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980

1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983

2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979

9045 L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

9057 L2 The Assassin’s Knot, 1983

L4C The Lendore Isle Companion

L5A The Kroton Campaign Guide

L5C The Kroton Campaign Companion

The Restenford Project

Thoughts on L1 The Secret of Bone Hill

 

“Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

― John Lennon

“The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery.

There will always be more mystery.”

― Anais Nin

Danger lurks in the Lendore Isles. Bands of evil creatures prow the hills overlooking the town of Restenford, seeking unwary victims. Now you have come to this sleepy little village looking for adventure and excitement. You seek to fathom the unexplored reaches of Bone Hill and unlock the mysteries of Restenford. [L1 The Secret of Bone Hill – 1]

What can be said about Len Lakofka’s debut module that has not already been said? Nothing, I expect. It’s a classic for those of us of a certain age. There are those who consider it a masterpiece now; regardless that it received mixed reviews when released (I wonder if those who panned it then dislike it still?), and probably still does. Its distinction is that it may be the first “sandbox” adventure. Some may give that nod to B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, or T1 The Village of Hommlet, but I would beg to differ. Borderlands has the potential to be one, but it is really just a dungeon crawl with a keep and a few overland encounters attached; just as Hommlet is fundamentally an urban crawl with overland encounters and a dungeon. Bone Hill has both in abundance, and then some.

Restenford

I’ll pause here to admit many of my thoughts here have been heavily influenced by the those of a far more astute scholar than I, and I now find it impossible to extricate his from my own. He is best known for his blog Cave of the Dice Chucker, but in this case I would draw your attention to his other, The Restenford Project, specifically. What is the Restenford Project? It’s a deep dive into Len’s L-series, a fabulous read that I highly recommend to anyone who knows and loves Len’s module. I won’t be offended if you cease reading this humble work now in preference of his blogposts. I’ve only seen such attention to detail in regards to T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil.

Still with me? Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.

How big is the module?

28 pages; and about one hex. Yes, you read that right, one hex. 16 miles by 30.

28 pages was pretty standard then, but Len found a way to pack a whole lot into its meagre page count, detailing Restenford and its environs, if not Lendore Isle. He details its flora and fauna, its weather; he also gives us a Wilderness Encounter chart. And a rumour table. A fair bit has been buried in that rumour table, so if you have glossed over it, or dispensed with it altogether, you‘ve hamstrung what might be before you have even begun.

Why? Because Len goes so far as to give us the possibilities of who might know what, that’s why. 

Chance of Knowing the Number of Rumors Given

Character Level	1 rumor	2 rumors	3 rumors	4 rumors	5 rumors	none
1	1-40	41-50	51	-	-	52-00
2	1-55	56-66	67-68	-	-	69-00
3	1-70	71-82	83-85	-	-	86-00
4	1-70	71-83	94-87	88	-	89-00
5	1-70	71-84	85-89	90-91	-	92-00
6	1-70	71-85	86-91	92-94	-	95-00
7	1-60	61-76	77-85	86-91	92-94	95-00
8	1-60	61-78	79-91	92-97	98-00	-
9	1-50	51-70	71-86	87-94	95-00	-

The Baron-Champion, the Druid, the Sorceror, and the Canon in Restenford know one tale per level. The High Priest in the Church of the Big Gamble also knows one tale per level. The option to disclose a rumor is always up to the DM. A person might not tell everything he or she knows. [L1 – 2]

There are 36 rumours given—that’s a lot, by any measure — and Len encourages you as a DM to create even more as you see fit.

Why are the rumours important? Because some of them are lies, or at the very least untrue (not unusual in rumour tables). They are supposed to be rolled randomly, and if you do, it’s important to understand the implications of important NPCs relating those lies, or untruths, to the PCs. If they are, you had better have an inclination why they are. Are they lying? Are they themselves misinformed? Who might have misinformed them? That might be useful to know, if you want to have a deep, complex, backstory to underlie a deep, complex adventure. Therefore, you had better roll them up beforehand. That way you can work it all out; otherwise you might be fumbling for a reason that won’t satisfy your players; assuming you have players that care about such thing.

If you have a copy of the module, you might want to take it off the shelf and give them a read to familiarize yourself with them, and ponder them a moment.

Rumours aside for the moment, let’s see what Len packed into his 28 pages.

He’s detailed the surrounding hills, the eponymous Bone Hill among them (its “abandoned” keep and dungeon), the town, a burnt husk of an outlying guard house (and the dungeon beneath it), the keep (and Pelltar’s tower within), three faiths, a couple taverns, and a complete roster of inhabitants. Yes, all of the inhabitants.

Aside from the wandering monsters, there are orcs and bandits, and bugbears and gnolls in them there hills. And the obligatory new monsters.

That’s a tonne of content.

There is no secret, however. None noted, anyway, although there is plenty of grist for the mill in creating one.

Who burned the Guard Station [32], and when?

One should ask the same of the keep atop Bone Hill. What is its history? What brought on its doom? For surely something did, what with all the undead crawling over it. There are hints throughout, mere mentions that suggest quite a lot without committing to its true tale. The walls are collapsed, shattered by catapults. And although this happed some time ago, the remains of the catapults have not rotted away. Nor have the bones of elves and humans and bugbears. Have there been repeated battles for the keep over the centuries? Evil is drawn to the place, repeatedly, it would seem.

What might Telvar (6^th level magic user) be up to there?

Telvar was an apprentice to an alchemist in his early youth and still enjoys experimenting with and mixing potions. [L1 – 10]

This room is used by Telvar for astrological observation. [L1 – 11]

And what sort of deal has he made with the bugbears? Come to think on it, why are there so many bugbears? Hobgoblins might make more sense (this being a low-level module), with a bunch of goblins and a few bugbears thrown in for good measure.

Are the gnolls in league with Telvar? Why won’t they go near the Dead Wood or the northern portion of Kelman Hills? What about the orc bandits? Are they in league with Telvar? Zahrdahl the Trickster?

Speaking of the orcs, did you notice this rumour when you read it?

The warehouse guard dropped dead a few days ago during a scuffle in the inn with two half-orcs, but I saw him that very night and the half-orcs were found burned to death at the edge of town. [L1 – 3]

This might be the most important rumour of the lot, because it’s true, and it’s cryptic, and what it implies.

I’ve dropped a few names. Maybe I should introduce the personae dramatis.

Altogether, there are 315 occupants of the town, most of which are human. [L1 – 16]

What are the people like? Mostly chaotic. Mostly neutral. There are very few evil. Most are farmers and bakers and fisherman and the like.

There are a number of note, dealt with below.

TOWN OF RESTENFORD

Baron Grellus

The Garrison/Castle

Grellus, male, 7^th level fighter, AL CG

Rumour has it he’s broke. Rumour also has it that he is evil. One wonders why. Neither are true.

Fairwind, female, 3^rd level cleric, AL LG; She is the wife of Grellus. [L2 – 11]

Andrella, female, 2^nd level magic-user, AL LN; She is the daughter of Grellus and Fairwind. [L2 – 11]

Gelpas, male, 5^th level fighter; He is a loyal retainer and the captain of the guard both in the castle and in the town. [L2 – 11]

Are these NPCs interesting, themselves? They are if you make them so. Is Grellus effectual? A dupe? Is he truly the power behind the throne; or might that person be another, Pelltar, for instance.

Peltar's Tower

Pelltar

Pelltar the Sorcerer, human, 9^th level magic-user, AL LN

Pelltar is a bit of a mystery. Pelltar is very imperious and highly independent. [L1 – 24]

Does he work for Grellus? One wonders whether a LN could suffer a CG for long.

Is he using the Baron? Pelltar has a deed to the tower and an agreement of entry even if the Baron were to die. [L2 – 18]

Why does he need a tower in the keep when he has a house? One thing is for sure, he’s very secretive and security minded.

Pelltar's Tower

The trap door from the top of the tower has explosive runes on it. [L1 – 18]

Just inside the doorway is a magic mouth that will yell if anyone but a tall bearded man enters. The door is also fire trapped. The room's guardians are four skeletons […] animated by PelItar to guard the room. […]; The walkway door is fire trapped and another magic mouth is in place as in 8a. […]; The trapdoor down to level b is made of iron and is wizard locked. [L1 – 19]

Also here is a crystal ball of clairaudience resting on a small pedestal. The ball is trapped so that if it is removed a packet of dust of sneezing and choking (save vs. Poison or die) will explode in a 10-foot radius. [L1 – 19]

Pelltar owns a Crystal Ball of Clairaudience… Just the thing to listen in on others.

He owns a warehouse, too.

Warehouses

25: This warehouse belongs to Pelltar, who also pays the guard's wages. Inside is fine food (value: 700 g.p.), aging wines (value: 900 g.p.), hard whiskey (value: 800 g.p.), iron rations (value: 250 g.p.), fine clothing (value: 800 g.p.), four sets of plate mail (value: 300 g.p. each), copper mugs, jugs, and cups (value: 340 g.p.), three tapestries (value: 400, 500 and 700 g.p.), and a suite of padded leather furniture worth 1,200g.p. There is a set of triple locks to this warehouse. Each is also Wizard Locked, and each also has an Explosive Rune and a Fire Trap on it. [L1 -24]

Explosive Runes? Fire Traps? One would expect that there might be more in that warehouse than what is mentioned.

It’s attended to, as well.

Guard's Home

Welcar and his Hounds

The "old man" who poses as a mere caretaker is really a grizzled but tough fighter named Welcar [F5] […]

When standing guard duty he always has with him two war dogs (AC 6, MV 12" HD: 2 + 2, hp 12, 11, #AT 1, D 2-8). Each wears a collar with an enchantment on it that nullifies sleep spells for mammals of semi-intelligence or less. More intelligent mammals gain a 20% resistance and the duration of a successfully cast sleep spell is reduced to one round per level of the caster. This reduction will have effect even if the collar is removed from the sleeping animal. The collars are valued at 3,500 g.p. each since they can provide its protection to other mammals of value. [L1 -24]

Remember the rumour I mentioned before?

The warehouse guard dropped dead a few days ago during a scuffle in the inn with two half-orcs, but I saw him that very night and the half-orcs were found burned to death at the edge of town. [L1- 3]

It could be the most important one of the lot. That warehouse guard is Welcar. What was the scuffle about? Note that as written, Welcar dropped dead; Len did not say that the half-orcs killed Welcar. Who could have risen him from the dead? Was he ever really dead, or was it a ruse? And who might have burned the half-orcs AT THE EDGE OF TOWN? Pelltar? Is Len suggesting that no one noticed the immolation? Were the townfolk involved?

So many questions….

ABBEY OF PHAULKON

Phaulkon, Sulois, Air, Winds, Clouds, CG, m [WoGA – 64]

Symbol: Feathers/arrows

Vestment: Headdress, feathered cap

Colors: Blue and white

Animals: Any bird, especially hawk

Worshiped in: Hillside

Types of clergy: Clerics and druids

Alignment: Good

Majority of Followers: Good

[FootPrints #5 – 20]

Qualton, the abbot, human 6^th level cleric, AL NG/NE (there is a story behind that.)

Qualton was neutral good but lately has begun to shift toward neutral evil. This is due to an ill-fated bout with a psionic blast that caused a form of schizophrenia […] in which he is perfectly normal at one moment and a megalomaniac at other times. In his megalomaniac state he desires to gain the throne by marrying Andrella (though she knows nothing of his plan or desires). Qualton's true feelings are far more likely to surface with time (see module L2). A detect evil will not show anything if he is in a normal state, and he does not have control over his transformations, or, at least he currently does not. He secretly prays to an evil deity for his third level spells. He is hesitant about leading services to Phaulkon but is still capable of doing so. [L1 – 23]

Len does not say which evil god is bestowing the 3^rd level spells.

Might I suggest Syrul?

Syrul, Suloise, Deceit, False Promises, Lies NE, f [WoGA – 64]

Symbol: Two- Prong Fork

Vestment: Robe, Shaved head

Colors: Yellow & Brown

Animals: Poisonous Snake

Worshiped in: Outdoors during Full Moon

Types of clergy: Clerics

Alignment: Evil/Neutral

Majority of Followers: Evil and Humanoids

[FootPrints #5 – 20]

Almon, the Curate, human 4^th level cleric, AL NG

DRUID'S HOME

This is the home of Almax the druid, his son Amos, and his wife Felwin. [L1 – 26]

Almax

Almax, human 7^th level druid, AL N

Almax is second only to Pelltar in authority, after the Baron. [L1 – 27] That is a rather odd bit of text. It’s almost as if the baron is an afterthought.

Felwin, female elf, 2^nd level magic-user, AL CN

Amos, half-elf, 3^rd level druid, AL N

I should mention that one should be nice to potential benefactors in Restenford.

If the Fountain [of Good Health] is ever defiled, the offending party must be killed and thrown into the Fountain before it will function again. The fountain may be defiled by curse, unholy water, garbage, or excreted waste. The DM can turn such an event into an interesting adventure! [L1 – 27]

In other words, do NOT shit in the fountain, or Almax will hunt you down and kill you.

Before we pan further afield, let’s consider the conundrum in town: the bait shop. Why would a town with with fishermen require a bait shop. It’s not like they don’t catch their own bait. And to be honest, Restenford does not appear to be much of a tourism hotspot. The bait shop can’t do much business, if any; but selling bait isn’t why it exists….

BAIT SHOP

Zahrdahl the Trickster

Zahrdahl the Trickster: 3^rd level Illusionist, AL NE

Zahrdahl poses as a bait dealer, poor and dirty, but is really an illusionist spy for the Duke of Kroten to the northwest. [L1 – 25]

It’s a front. Most people of note probably suspect that he’s up to something. If not, they must be scratching their heads, wondering what this wretched, dirty little man is doing in town. I have to ask, whom is he really spying on? Grellus? Or Pelltar?

There’s another Gordian knot to unravel, just out of town.

DWEOMER FOREST

The Church of the Big Gamble

Norebo Suloise, Luck, Gambling, Risk CN m [WoGA – 63]

Symbol: Two eight-sided dice

Vestment: Robe, bare head

Colors: Brown/dark green

Animals: Satyr/rabbit

Worshiped in: Woodland mound

Types of clergy: Clerics and druids

Alignment: CN(E)/Non-lawful

Majority of Followers: Thieves and Gamblers

[FootPrints #5 – 20]

Faldelac, High Priest, 10^th level cleric, AL CN, who wears an amulet of inescapable location.

Is that a thing? It is.

Amulet of Inescapable location: This device is typically worn on a chain or as a brooch which pins on. It appears to be an amulet which prevents location, scrying (crystal ball viewing and the like), or detection/influence by ESP/telepathy. Actually, the amulet doubles the likelihood and/or range of these location and detection modes, however. Normal determination attempts, including detect magic, will not reveal its true nature. [DMG 1e – 137]

He might detect the surveillance over time. Spellcasters have a chance of detecting scrying equivalent to their percent chance to detect invisible creatures. Faldelac, a 10th level cleric, with 14 Intelligence, would have a 15% chance of detecting scrying, per round of scrying. [DMG 1e – 60]

Why is Falelac wearing a cursed amulet? How’d he come by it? Why did he not have it identified before donning it? Who is capable of scrying, anyway? Who might have a crystal ball of clairaudience? I wonder.

He’s not particularly amicable, either.

Faldelac is very short-tempered and will not tolerate an insult or obnoxious behaviour. He will quickly act to remove undesirable adventurers from the forest, and will initiate such action at a time when the party is most unaware. [L1 – 4]

Rumours regarding Faldelac:

The cleric on the hill is an honorable man. Go to him for help.

I have seen a high priest come to town from time to time though I have not met him.  They say he has a church somewhere within a dozen or so miles of town. [L1 – 3]

How could Faldelac build a temple so close to town and nobody know where it is or who he is? That seems so…secretive. Is it really a temple to Norebo? It is situated on a woodland mound, but I can’t help but think that such environs don’t really suit the Suel god of luck and gambling. If anything, its local implies devotion to the natural world. But Phaulkon already has an abbey in town. Phyton?

Auburn, High Priestess, 9^th level cleric, AL CN

Other curates, one of note, mentioned later.

Why the God of Chance would wish to have his Church of the Big Gamble hidden away in a forest, and not in the centre of town is perplexing, at best. It says so in Len’s notes, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the god of luck and gambling being so boreal.

Encounter Probabilities: 100% to observe birds and animals. It is 40% likely that such an animal, including the foxes, falcon, or raccoons, will come to the party and beg for food. This chance increases to 90% if the party makes camp. [L1 – 3]

If the berries are eaten, the person will be violently sick for 2-7 days. If the forest is entered during the winter this circle and knoll will be found to always stay above 60°F, even if snow is falling elsewhere. [L1 – 5]

If it weren’t for all the birds and woodland beast I might suggest Syrul…again. Because it all appears to be a lie.

Falelac & Auburn (left)

[The] High Priest will read from the scripture: "Oh, Master of Lots, bring the Divine Intervention in my behalf this day; all praise to thee, who controls the Destiny of Wagerers!", or "Oh, God of Chance, may the dodecahedrons of fate come up naught-naught!" [L1 – 5]

It’s an odd litany, considering he arrives carrying a leather cup containing two ivory and jade "percentile" dice. [L1 – 5]

It's like he doesn't have a clue what he's rolling....

One more note about the Church of the Big Gamble:

This is the best the party can hope for in the way of aid on their adventures in this area. If they attack the place, the DM must be ruthless! [L1 – 5]

See the druid’s home above about what the PCs can expect if they decide to shit on the altar.

GUARDIAN PEAK, LARK HILL, HIGH TOP, LOW POINT, REDDY FOREST

Not all encounters are dangerous. Some may be fortuitous:

Tolvar, 3^rd level Magic-user, AL CN

Tolvar is an adventurer down on his luck. For a good offer he will become a henchman. [L1 – 6]

Locinda

Locinda, half orc, female 3^rd level thief/fighter AL CN

She can be hired for an expedition. She is an adventuress who recently arrived on the island. [L1 – 6]

Martin, 2^nd ranger, AL NG

Martin is also a potential henchman. He is on no special mission. However, he is easily offended and expects people to take him at his word. [L1 – 6]

Others not:

Volcifar, 3^rd level assassin, AL LE

Volcifar is lawful evil but will pass himself off as lawful neutral. […] He is very unlikely to murder a party member, even for a quick gain, but if an animosity builds up between a player character and himself he might then try to do him or her in. […] If the party has too many characters of good alignment, especially chaotic good, he will likely drift away after an adventure, perhaps taking a good item with him. [L1 – 6]

We come to the eponymous Secret of the hill.

BONE HILL AND THE DEAD FOREST

As noted above, the place is riven with undead, for good reason. It’s been a haven for evil for centuries, and it casts a long shadow still. That would leave a mark. And it has. Zombies, skeletons, wights, wraiths. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

The Wraith

The wraith was once a mighty, evil warlord who now acts in concert with the magic-user to further its own hate-filled purposes. Likewise, the skelter and zombire who roam this site […] are unique beings, once utterly evil henchman of the wraith in life but then physically destroyed and cursed with undead forms, sustained by the powerful evil of this ancient and diabolical spot. [L1 – 8]

The skelter, like the zombire, is the animated remains of a once very evil low-level magic-user. [L1 – 8]

What is the wraith’s evil purposes? And what was his name? Len does not say. He does mention that others have come to put an end to them in the past. And failed.

The skeleton is the remains of a lawful good 15th level magicuser who once came to this ruin to do battle with the evil creatures within. His attempt, though valiant, was not successful, and he is now kept here, imprisoned, not wholly alive yet not wholly dead, and this torture has gnawed at his spirit for centuries. [L1 – 15]

A new evil has since taken up residence.

Telvar

Telvar, human 6^th level Magic-user, AL CE

Telvar’s name might be an issue. It’s too close to Tolvar, to my thinking, not to mention Telmar, a curate at the Big Gamble. Granted, Telvar and Tolvar could be brothers, twins. I suppose Telmar might be a relation, too, as well. That might be interesting. Grist for the mill.

Why ever Telvar’s reasons for coming, I have my doubts that his intent is fully in line with the wraith’s aims.

What’s to be done with all this information? Whatever your heart’s desire.

You could decide that Telvar and Tolvar, and Telmar, for that matter, are descendants of the evil overlord, and that Pelltar is keeping watch on Bone Hill. Why? Maybe Leomund sent him. You could swap out Pelltar with Leomund, for that matter.

Volcifar may have be drawn to Bone Hill, just as innumerable others have been. Indeed, he may even be conspiring with the orc bandits in the hills. So might Locinda, for that matter. Locinda may be there to discover why her brothers were murdered.

Is Martin a spy for the baron? He could very well be. I have to say that I would be very much disappointed if he were not. I do hate loose ends.

There are boundless possibilities to be imagined.

I wonder if that was Len’s intent? Or was he constrained by page count and pressed to leave out more text than he had wish to … you know, all those bits that explained what the secret of Bone Hill might have been, for instance.

I can’t help but believe that this was always intended to be a thinking man’s module. It was suggested for two to eight 2nd through 4th level characters rather than the usual six or so 1st through 3rd; that means its tougher than your standard, run-of-the-mill introductory adventures. It most certainly is, there being level draining undead within. I expect that those who "boldly go" very likely "quickly went" — beyond the veil, I mean. Players were never meant to duke it out with everything they met; and that in most instances, stealth was the better part of valour.

Len DMed it as a mystery, I think. Or so I imagine.

All secrets and mysteries aside, this is a difficult adventure, by any reckoning. There are quite a few mid- to high-level NPCs scattered about, and each would be a challenge to any party of 2^nd level characters, however many there might be. To say nothing of the undead present. They drain levels! Nothing raised my hackles more than coming face to face with energy drainers.

Do I think that Bone Hill is a masterpiece? I do. It’s a diamond in the rough. It does require the DM to do a lot of work to pull it off. Yes, it does. It’s going to take tonnes of work. So, why is it a masterpiece, then? Because of its myriad possibilities. Because it’s a mini gazetteer. And because of what Len hints at in his prose, if you are willing to dig in and unearth what he’s buried within its 28 pages. And he buried a lot.

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

― Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist

One must always give credit where credit is due. This post is made possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.

Very special thanks to Lenard Lakofka, without whose imagination, this adventure, and this review, could not have been possible, to say nothing of The Restenford Project.

The Art:

The Secret of Bone Hill cover, by Bill Willingham, 1981

Restenford Map, by Bill Willingham, from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill 1981

Area Map, by Bill Willingham, from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Gnolls illustration, by Harry Quinn (?), from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Knight by beaver-skin

Loreseeker by chazillah

Pelltar's Tower illustration, by Erol Otus, from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Welcar illustration, by Jim Roslof, from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Bird-the-druid by angevere

Wizard by artofty

Gig Gamble illustration, by Stephen D Sullivan (?), from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Belit by bergholtz

Graveyard illustration, by Erol Otus, from L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

Life-Reaper-Edge-of-Darkness by damie-m

Walker-3 by igorkieryluk

Sources:

9025 World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980

1015 World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983

2011A Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979

9045 L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, 1981

9034 B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, 1980

9026 T1 The Village of Hommlet, 1979, 1981

9147 T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985

Footprints magazine #5, 2005

The Restenford Project