d20 Goodman Games Citadel of Fire.pdf

CITADEL OF FIRE

Concept

Bob Bledsaw and Kara Geilman

Contents

Introduction

History of the Citadel of Fire

Original Design

Marc Summerlott

Adventure Summary

Judges Section

Developers

Joseph Goodman, Greg Geilman,

and Kara Geilman

Rumor Mill

Field Guide to Encounters

Area Maps

3.5 Authors and Design

Steve Edwards and Steve Stottrup

Village of Aztlan

Stag’s Leap Inn

Producer and Publisher

Joseph Goodman

Temple of Kutalabold

Manse of the Bloodmaidans

Aztlan Necropolis

Layout

Robert Conley

Citadel of Fire Level A

Citadel of Fire Level B

Managing Editor

Greg Geilman

Citadel of Fire Level C, D

Citadel of Fire Level E, F, G

Proofreading

Kara Geilman, Alysson Wyatt,

Michael Reagin, and Richard J. Henson

Dungeon Level 1

Dungeon Level 2

Dungeon Level 3

Maps

Robert Conley

Dungeon Level 4

Dungeon Level 5

104

Art

Interior: William McAusland

Cover Art: Stefan Poag

Appendixes

106

License

128

Playtest

Robert Dodge, Ben Steele, Ray Quinn

Vickie Simmons, Joe Lackey, Jason Perry,

Michael Reagin, Richard Joseph Henson,

Marty Watts, Greg Geilman, Kara Geilman

Judges Guild

Eostros Games

Special Thanks to Kara for putting this all together

Developed by Eostros Games,

Published by Goodman Games.

Goodman Games

Email Contacts

Goodman Games: goodmangames@mindspring.com

Eostros Games: ggeilman@eostros.com

Page - 1

Introduction

Citadel of Fire was originally issued by Judges Guild in 1978, and was the most challenging adventure ever released

by Judges Guild at the time. The modifications made to this classic adventure were done with great reverence to the

original, and were designed to update it and make it mesh more closely with the revised Wilderness of High Fantasy

world and with current D20 fantasy gaming. Changes include the addition of the specific location, the town, the

graveyard, and most importantly a stronger back story and cohesive plot. The changes to the plot required some

alterations of the classic Citadel layout and sequence. These changes were intended to heighten the excitement for

players and to make the adventure easier to incorporate into an active Wilderlands campaign. They were also intended

to leave fragments of plot and story that could lead to additional Wilderlands adventures.

We expect that each referee will alter, expand and illuminate areas that they wish. The setting may be changed to

fit your individual campaign (Wilderlands-based or no). Inspiration may require deleting, shrinking and modifying

areas of your choice and is desirable in personalizing this area of your campaign. It is important for you to add and

delete treasures that are appropriate to your campaign flavor. Likewise, the mix of monsters might be modified to

suit your world mythos. And finally, consider replacing some characters here with important characters (heroes or

villains) from your own campaign to create an adventure thread. Whether you change it extensively or use it as is,

we hope you enjoy this updated version as much as we have enjoyed the original for nearly 30 years.

Steve Edwards

Stephen Stottrup

This product requires the use of the Dungeons and Dragons™ Player's Handbook, Edition 3.5

published by Wizards of the Coast™

or Goodman Games is expressly forbidden. Goodman Games, and the Goodman Games logo are trademarks of Goodman

Games and Joseph Goodman. Judges Guild and the Judges Guild logo are trademarks of Judges Guild and Robert Bledsaw.

Citadel of Fire is a trademark of Judges Guild, Robert Bledsaw and its licensees and partners. Eostros Games and the Eostros

art and text herein are copyrighted by Goodman Games and Judges Guild. "D20 System" and the D20 System logo are

trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used under the terms of the D20 Trademark License contained in the

Legal Appendix. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or

used in accordance with the Open Game and D20 Trademark Licenses contained in the Legal Appendix.

This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and

intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.

Check out Goodman Games online at http://www.goodmangames.com

Visit Judges Guild online at http://www.judgesguild.net

For downloads and product support come see Eostros Games at http://www.eostros.com

History of the Citadel of Fire

In ages long past, the Markrabs, an alien race from the

planets prehistory, created the one race to rule. The

Markrabs called them ‘The First Men of the Pureblood’. They

taught them the dark arts of war and magic, raising them to

prominence. The Purebloods developed mastery over the

magic inherent within the land. Operating out of the Valley

of the Ancients, ‘Purebloods’ used the knowledge handed

them by the Markrabs to forge an empire over the nearby

human tribes. They were pale-skinned and long lived.

Thoroughly evil, their rule was malicious and cruel. Their

innate magical abilities allowed them to develop spells, tools,

and weapons which enabled the empire to span centuries.

Finally, however, a power of good with magic strong

enough to stand against them rose from amongst their

oppressed. At the ancient Battle of Waylay Pass, the former

slaves of The First Men arose and overthrew their evil

masters in a violent battle that saw many of the defeated put

to the sword as they fled.

With the pureblood armies vanquished and their elite

wizards slaughtered nearly to a man, The Great Master of

The First Men of the Purebloods fled for his life with what

few remnants of his people he could gather along the way.

Initially this secretive group of outsiders gathered in the

coastal town of what later became Warwik. However, with

their odd appearance, strange religion, and evil demeanor

the locals of this town turned upon them in anger and fear

before they had regained their full strength. Once again their

lair was destroyed and they were forced to take flight. The

Grand Master at the time, a mighty wizard called Nrathax

the Black, led the exodus northwards into the Elphand Lands

and the Elivagar River Valley. Seeking and sensing a natural

nexus of incredible power, he happened upon a towering hill

which the natives called “Flotggardt,” which meant “force”

or “of the Eldritch.” It was here that he decreed The First

Men would re-establish their power and plan their vengeance

upon the land.

In the last rays of sunlight on the first day of Blackmoon,

Nrathax undertook the raising of a tower. Using artifacts

and spells handed down by millennia of ancestors; he opened

a gate to the Great Demon Empire and summoned several

Page - 3

demons to raise a mighty tower and a small keep upon the

hill’s summit. The tower was crafted of a smooth black stone

mined from the quarries of the underworld and brought forth

by demons. This stone had the power to resist the mortal

elements of this world, including wind, rain, heat, cold, sun,

and time. The tower was built in one night.

After completing the tower, Nrathax summoned more

demons and bound these to guard certain places within the

tower for eternity. He then rested in his mighty Citadel for

two years, after which he summoned the Goblin King,

Trinogg, and bade him to tunnel out dungeons under the

tower. In return, Trinogg and his people could dwell on one

level of the dungeon complex and enjoy the protection of

the mage's wizardry.

Nrathax the Black lived in his tower for two hundred years

and saw the passing of many Goblin Kings. The relationship

between the goblins and the wizards of the tower has

remained on good terms down through the years. After the

death of Nrathax, his son Dwenar took over. For three

hundred years Dwenar studied the black arts in the Citadel.

Only two major events worth noting happened during

Dwenar's reign. The first was the addition of more dungeon

levels and the expansion of existing levels by the goblin

miners. This expansion included the underground arena,

more treasure rooms, and vast storage facilities. The second

was the enslavement of the surrounding population within

twenty miles of the Citadel. This was accomplished when

Dwenar led his army of goblins against the combined militias

of the local villages and defeated them in a four hour battle.

The sacking that followed provided slaves and riches for two

years.

Tol Axbel took over after Dwenar's death at the hands of a

demon, and kept up the tradition of evil by starting an Arena

of Death. It was into this Arena many humans were herded

to their deaths. Tol Axbel added to the excavations by making

cruel use of his human slaves. It was at this time he hired

the first humans, both as soldiers and apprentices, and

placed them in important positions in the tower. Since this

time the town of Aztlan slowly rebuilt itself, albeit always

under the shadow and influence of the Citadel and its rulers.

Little has changed since then save the ruler of the tower.

Before death, each ruler passes down the keys to the tower

and the Staff of Nrathax to the next ruler. Seven times has

the Staff passed hands since Tol Axbel. Now Yrammag wields

the Staff, harboring the same evil plans of domination and

devastation as did his ancestors.

Adventure Summary

For centuries the Citadel of Fire has stood: a menacing

spire carved by demons from black stone, brooding over the

Elivagar River Valley and the village of Aztlan below. The

masters of the Citadel, mighty wizards from an ancient and

dwindling race, have long sought pieces from their past which

would help to restore their mastery over the people of the

Wilderlands. Along with the evil temple set within the village

below (a timeless core of malice long tied to the black heart

of the Citadel), the evil powers here are poised to realize their

diabolical plans. Evil minions scour the countryside

slaughtering innocents. An artifact long sought has been

found. The furnaces inside the fortress are being stoked and

readied. Screams of horror and anticipation fill the night

air. Maniacal laughter rings from the stones like the call of

the Abyss. Dread hangs in the air as acrid smoke rises from

the black rock of the tower. The time is nigh when the ancient

ones who call themselves ‘The First Men’ will rise from the

shadows and bring forth their dark power upon the lesser

races. Woe to the people of the land: the Citadel of Fire shall

soon be unleashed! They must be stopped--the fate of the

world rest in your hands!

Judges Section

Adventure Overview

This adventure is designed for 4-6 players of 12th through

14th level. The Aztlan area outside the Citadel of Fire can be

handled by lower level adventurers. The Aztlan Necropolis

can be used by mid level adventurers and certain areas in

the Dungeon are as well. The tower is designed for use by

higher level adventures as are the lower levels of the

Dungeon.

wizards of the Citadel would be seen as a threat to the

Invincible Overlord or to the World Emperor, and wouldn’t

survive long unless it was placed in a remote region to attract

less attention. The river system of the Elphand Lands allows

the Citadel to maintain current knowledge of the politics of

the region as they plot their actions. The back story of this

adventure weaves in an ancient race and a very long timeline.

Things in this adventure have been set in motion for

thousands of years. More information on the Wilderlands

history and world can be located in the Appendix 1.

Field Guide to Resources

This adventure utilizes sources from the Wilderlands of

High Fantasy Box Set™, City State of the Invincible

Overlord™, Players Guide to the Wilderlands of High

Fantasy™ by Judges Guild® and Necromancer Games®

and has been used under license. Tome of Horrors Revised™,

and Glades of Death™ by Necromancer Games® has been

used according to version 1.0a of the Open Game License

detailed in the Legal Appendix at the end of this publication.

The material used has been reprinted for your convenience.

This adventure requires the use of the Dungeons and

Dragons® Core Rules by Wizards of the Coast®.

Adapting the Adventure

This adventure is set within the Judges Guild Wilderlands

world, but can easily be transplanted to a different fantasy

world. To do this, simply remove or modify the back story

of The First Men Purebloods and the Markrabs to suit your

world (say the wizards are outcasts from a guild or secret

society, or that they broke from a tyrant they were supporting

to go off and begin their own debauchery). The keep, tower,

village, and graveyard can be placed virtually anywhere.

The Wilderlands of High Fantasy

The original adventure was not specifically set in the

Wilderlands world, but we have chosen to locate this

adventure in the remote village of Aztlan (Elphand Lands,

Map One, hex no. 1411 & 1312). This is in the northwest

corner of the Wilderlands. Within the Wilderlands the

Page -4

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: