FRC1 - Ruins of Adventure
Wow! Does this book bring back memories! Not memories of playing the table top version, but the Gold Box video game, Pool of Radiance. (It looks like you can download a copy HERE).
A FB post asked about it, which got me responding a few times, reading through the printed adventure, triggering more responses. I gotta tell you, there is nothing like a dose of reality to clear the fog of nostalgia. Still, Ruins of Adventure is not a complete loss. The pdf is cheap at DrivethruRPG, with Amazon and Ebay versions running between $30 and $60 (or more). My observations come from the pdf. This means that for less than $5 USD, you too can have a copy.
As written, it is intended for 1e rules, which means GP=XP. This helps explain the vast amounts of coinage and gems discovered. The ridiculous amounts of magic items, on the other hand.... well, it IS the Forgotten Realms. The names are equally ridiculous, but again, it is Forgotten Realms. At least there are no gratuitous Zs or apostrophes in use.
Human magic-user: Ren, the white wizard, is a 15th-level
human wizard. He is trapped in the Valjevo Castle. If the group frees him, he
leads them to a large treasure in the castle. He then helps them finish their
quest in the castle, but leaves the moment they exit the castle. He has things
he must attend to in the wilderness.
Things to attend to in the wilderness. How like a wizard! Leaving just when he'd have been most useful!
The combative NPCs, 38 in all (not counting the bandit chief, the berserker chief, the buccaneer chief, and the merchant leader who are designed to appear time and again bringing/offering trouble), range in level from 2-15, with 16 of them being name level or higher. These potential allies make better patrons and rivals than they do henchmen or short-term party members.
A canny or skilled DM can interweave the various NPC agendas into plots and places and parties of their own, but not on the fly. Especially when some of the NPCs appear or are referenced elsewhere in the book. But I've digressed.
The docks and New Phlan are given a verbal description of local inns and merchants, but no map. Not that you need one for a nonfighting area, but some gamers swear otherwise.
Then it rolls right into the various city blocks. Reading through the entries makes it apparent that different people wrote the pieces and that editing was an afterthought. Buried on page 36 is an encounter with undead that states "The first encounter the party has on their first outing, anywhere (except Sokol Keep), is with a mixed band of undead: skeleton, zombie, wight." After the stat blocks is this note: "the wight is not supposed to ever hit the party members in this first attack. It should be apparent to the party that they are fighting undead and dealing with a wight." Why it is here, and not near the front is one of many forever-unknowable mysteries.
Random Encounters –
Sunken Ship: The ship is visible, but it should be mostly
underwater. The idea is to provide a quick monster encounter (roll again from
this table) tied to a rich treasure of magic and gold.
Island: An unexplored, uncharted island. A good place for
that "special" encounter the DM's been working on.
Ruins: Ruins always have random monsters of higher level
than the PCs and very little treasure.
Useful ruins: Useful ruins are ruins that have some magic
item the characters can use. These ruins are guarded by a single monster
powerful enough to give the PCs problems (DM's option).
Magic for magic's sake: Pick a random spell from all the
lists, and it hits the party, as if a 6th level spell caster threw it.
A castle of evil, newly set up.
Cave Men (MM 1, AC 8(7), HD 2(1), Damage 1-6 +2, # appearing
Special): Cave men should be a steadily increasing threat. They should come in
numbers and strength large enough to cause the PCs real trouble. These cave men
should come more and more often until the PCs wipe out a nest of 50 of them in
the low hills to the north of Phlan.
A ghostly king appears to warn the PCs not to carry magic
for two days.
Evil cleric band: There are always exactly the same number
of clerics as PCs. The highest cleric has 2 more HD than the highest PC. The
lowest cleric has 1 less HD than the lowest PC. These clerics exist only to
destroy the PCs. They even go so far as to carry off any bodies that fall
during a battle.
Evil magic-user band: These average higher levels than the
PCs. They always exist only to destroy the PCs. They will, however, have magic
items useful to the party if defeated.
Dinosaur (MM 2, Ankisaurus, AC 7, HD 2, Damage 1-4, #
appearing 1-10)
Still, there IS plenty enough to riff on, particularly this delight: "Pilgrim Bands: These groups should be found everywhere, and always under attack." As written, there are ample bands of ne'er-do-wells about that will gladly attack hapless pilgrims.
This post will likely see a part II because I'm sorely tempted to flesh out many of these vague entries and turn them into table-ready information and one-page and/or five-room dungeons. Not too mention a map of New Phlan, better maps (variety and interconnectivity - sewers could undercut the whole area allowing for more stealth), and more connections between sections. Lots of ideas in my head, so I guess we'll see what makes it to paper.
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