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The Dungeon
"Well," said Tas brightly... "I'm feeling
much better. How about you, Caramon? Let's
go explore!"
"Explore!" Caramon gave him such a horrified look
that Tas was momentarily
taken aback. "Are you mad? I
wouldn't set foot outside that
door for all the wealth in Krynn..."
"Yeah, I guess you're right,
Caramon. I'd forgotten where we were."
Caramon Majere knew well the dangers of exploring the Tower of High Sorcery uninvited. Unfortunately, not all guests are quite as prudent (and certainly not kender). Persistent "explorers" and indiscreet meddlers could find themselves suddenly transported to the dungeon hidden deep beneath the Tower. These cells are purportedly so dreadful that no report of them has ever reached the outside world. The common folk of Ansalon assume that no one has ever emerged from confinement there to speak of the frightful experience. However, as with many aspects of the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth, the truth about its dungeon is slightly more complex than what most folk understand. As noted in Chapter Three of Secrets of the Tower, no physical access to the dungeon exists; the area consists of hundreds of cubical cells carved from the bedrock deep below the central towers, even deeper than the crypts. Though each cell actually is only a scant few feet across, the Tower's manipulation of people's perception of space makes any cell seem large enough to hold its occupant, no matter what his size. To a human, a cell seems about ten feet square. No corridors connect the individual cells of this dungeon. No windows or air shafts lead to the surface. Each prisoner remains alone, entombed in the rock. The dungeon is immune to all forms of damage, just like the rest of the Tower, and to summoning magic intended to transport a prisoner away. In fact, no magic save the Tower's own can reach into the dungeon from the outside or travel out of it. Even the magical guest book in the foretower (see Secrets of the Tower, Chapter Three) fails to note those held in the dungeon - when a visitor becomes a prisoner, his name disappears from the book.
![]() A captive's own spells work normally within the dungeon, provided he can see or touch the spell's target or subject, but they can never pierce the dungeon walls, reveal anything going on outside the cell, or affect things outside the cell. Summoning spells, for example, cannot bring a creature into the caster's presence any more than they could free the caster. A visitor transported magically to a cell arrives stripped of everything except normal clothing. Inside his cell, he finds a tin cup and plate, a wooden bucket, and a hard cot just long enough and wide enough for his body. A drain grate about as wide as he is rests in the center of the floor, and a similar grate, presumably for ventilation, occupies the center of the ceiling. The walls, floor, and ceiling appear to have been built of cut stone, and a dim light emanates from the ceiling at all times. The cot, cup, plate, and bucket are real enough, though magical effects surround them. Twice every twenty- four hours, simple food magically appears on the plate. Once during that time, the bucket fills with fresh water, no matter what it contained before. The prisoner can place scraps or waste in the bucket, only to find it fresh and clean the next day - anything he put in it is whisked way by magic. A clever prisoner, after observing this pattern, might try climbing into the bucket himself. Unfortunately, he stays behind when the old contents disappear - the best he can hope for from this ploy is a thorough bath as the bucket refills. Neither can he get rid of his cup or plate this way: If he puts them in the bucket, they appear next to it when it refills. The stone walls and the two grates are not as real as a cell's other features, however. Each cell is actually just a featureless cubical space. Prisoners who try to escape by prying up these hallucinatory grates or digging through the illusory stone actually enter a vision or dreamscape in which they appear to leave their cells and visit other places. They think they're moving about freely, interacting with others, fighting, casting spells, and so on, but in reality they never leave their cells. It is possible for a captive to communicate with the Master of the Tower during such a dreamscape adventure and win release from the dungeon (see the "Crystal Ball" section, page 23). Most prisoners who free themselves this way don't realize where they've been. Instead, they think they've been on a trip though unexplored areas in Tower. Hence the story that no one has ever left the Tower dungeon - people often don't recall ever being there. A prisoner can enter the dungeon's dreamscape by "escaping" from his cell, as suggested earlier. Escape options are detailed in the Cell area on page 16. Once a prisoner "exits" his cell, he enters a world of illusion created by the Master of the Tower. In his journey, a hero may pass through areas such as libraries, other cells - even outdoor locales like graveyards and forests. Each of these dreamlike settings offers heroes a unique challenge. The dreamscape appears different to every hero or group entering it; it can even seem different to the same prisoner on separate occasions. Heroes wander from one area to the next in this imaginary world, according to the flow chart on the next page. Dreamscape Journeys For a hero to leave an area, his player plays a card from his Hand of Fate. The card's face value indicates where the hero goes next and what he finds there. For instance, according to the flow chart, playing a One, Two, or Three to leave his cell takes a hero into a familiar locale where he meets an old friend. However, playing a Seven, Eight or Nine instead would take him to a similar area where he might meet an enemy. Lower cards generally produce results more favorable to the hero - but Narrators should let players figure that out for themselves! Heroes lose control over their dreamscape journey when they hesitate or linger. For instance, if a hero fails to move on (in other words, the player does not make a choice or play a card to leave), the Narrator takes matters out of his hands by looking at the top card in the Fate Deck and moving the hero along the flow chart to the appropriate area. The Narrator then shuffles the card back into the deck without showing it to the player; suddenly the hero's surroundings begin fading away, and a new scene forms around him. A hero can fight and cast spells normally in dreamscape areas, except that - no matter where he thinks he is - he stays confined to the dungeon. He cannot escape it via magic or bring anything to him from outside. He has nothing with him beyond what he gains on his trip. All wounds and other injuries (such as ability score losses) the hero suffers during dreamscape journeys are real. However, should he die in the dreamscape, he actually wakes up back in his cell, his wounds healed but 1 point down in both Spirit and Reason. If either score falls to zero, he truly dies. Should a hero's journey bring him, wounded, back to his cell, he can rest there to recover all lost cards before venturing out again. Once a hero enters the dreamscape, he can leave it only by returning to his cell, dying (apparently) in an encounter, or reaching the "Crystal Ball" area. Creatures Each of the area descriptions that follow includes game details about creatures the hero might meet there - people, animals, or monsters. The Narrator should make them seem authentic: The Master wants prisoners to think they're real. However, the scores of these magical creatures do not always match those of real-life specimens. If a hero enters an area more than once, creatures there gain 1 point in each ability score. This increase applies whether the hero visits an area several times on one journey or whether he makes several trips while incarcerated. The creatures in an area appear at melee range if no other distance is specified. Unless noted otherwise, the hero can escape them by successfully opening the encounter distance to far missile range; hostile creatures will pursue him. He can open the range by one category with a summoning spell that has a difficulty of 17 (assumes an instantaneous invocation, as a longer one would let the creature close in or attack). Creatures cannot leave their dreamscape locales unless otherwise stated. Atmosphere Narrators should play up the dreamscape's unreal qualities to suggest the unusual nature of the hero's surroundings. He might see everything in shades of gray, for instance, or notice that he floats about like a phantom instead of walking. The paths between dreamscape locations should look like tunnels filled with white, gray, or black mist. The site descriptions below are purposely kept vague to allow the Narrator maximum flexibility in adapting them to his group of heroes. If a hero visits an area more than once, the Narrator should alter it slightly to give the hero the impression of moving forward, even When he backtracks. ![]() The hero's dreamscape journey begins in the Cell area, positioned at the top of the flow chart on page 15. Each site he might visit is described in this section, along with information on the characters he meets and the actions he can attempt along the way. Cell An inventive prisoner can find a number of ways out of his cell. (Though the escape is really all in his mind.)
- A daunting Strength action allows
him to lift or bend the grate in the
floor, exiting though the drain.
An escaping hero can use the bucket from his cell or the legs off his cot as weapons (+2 damage rating). If not used as a weapon, the bucket can serve as a shield with a +1 defense rating (after all, this is a dream world). Once a hero discovers an exit, the player must discard to determine when he goes. Opening an exit begins the dream sequence, whether the hero wants to leave his cell or not. If the hero locates an exit but decides not to leave, the Narrator should draw a card and move him along the flow chart. Friend The hero enters a familiar place: his childhood home, a familiar street, a classroom, or any other location he remembers well. The area seems abandoned and a bit run down from age. A search reveals some token of the hero's past success or of some happy moment - a medal or favorite toy. Carrying this token gives the hero a +1 action bonus until he returns to his cell. While exploring the area, the hero encounters a friendly figure from his past: a childhood friend, a favorite pet, or another trusted person. This figure has been immobilized in some fashion - caught in a trap, locked in a room, etc. (Narrator's discretion). If the hero frees his friend, the character tells him to head for the forest and indicates a direction. Should the hero comply, the Narrator subtracts a point from the face value of the card played to leave the area (to a minimum card value of 1 point). Actions Finding the token requires an average Perception action, but there is only one token, no matter how many times the hero searches. Freeing his friend requires an average Spirit (Presence) action, regardless of how how he has been immobilized. Characters If the hero attacks his friend, he automatically leaves via the Road, with an assumed card value of 10 points. Friend: Age, race, andgender variable, Co 5, Ph 5, In 5, Es 5, Dmg +0 (unarmed), Def -0 (no armor). Foe This site looks a lot like the Friend area, except that the surroundings seem rundown or partially destroyed. A hero's childhood home might have been gutted by fire, for instance, or his favorite inn might have broken furniture and windows, and so on. If the hero-searches the area, he might find some useful object from his past: a favorite weapon, useful magical trinket, or similar item. The object breaks when the hero uses it, however, causing whatever action he was attempting at the time to fail. While exploring, the hero encounters a friendly figure from his past, just as in the Friend area. This figure might seem dazed, be asleep, or might greet the hero warmly. Should the hero speak to him, the friend advises him to take the Road out of the area. If he does not immediately comply, the friendly figure takes on the appearance of a rival from the hero's past and attacks. If the hero follows the suggestion, the Narrator adds 1 point to the value of any card played for him to leave the area. Actions Finding the item from the hero's past requires an average Perception action. There are as many items as he cares to look for. However, a hero suffering a mishap in the search is injured by the debris he's sifting through and incurs 1 damage point and a -1 penalty to all actions until he returns to his cell. The hero has the normal chance to be surprised when the foe changes form and attacks. Characters The foe is the same no matter what card brought the hero here. Foe: Age, race, and gender variable, Co 6, Ph 6, In 6, Es 6, Dmg +2, Def-2. Road The hero steps onto a road, which also could appear as a path, a bridge, a hallway, a street, or a series of markers (signposts, milestones, or even footprints). Whether the hero moves or stands still, he meets a fellow traveler. Actions A successful average Perception action lets the hero see or hear the approaching traveler while still some distance away, increasing the initial encounter distance to near missile range. Characters The value of the card that brought the hero to the road dictates who he meets:
Peddler (Card Value 1-3)
This character can sell heroes anything they want, if they make challenging wealth actions. (In the dreamscape, a hero can find some money just by looking for it.) A hero can reduce the action's difficulty to average by haggling, an average Presence (Spirit) action. Any item the hero purchases proves genuine. He can try to rob the peddler or use a spell to influence him, but anything he acquires this way - though it seems fine - will break when used, causing the hero to fail his action. Peddler: Age, race, and gender variable, Co 5, Ph 5, In 5, Es 6, Dmg +3, Def -3.
Minstrel (Card Value 4-6)
The minstrel looses a pyromancy spell at a cheap hero, which inflicts 3 damage points if it succeeds. (He can create three such spells.) Minstrel: Age, race, and gender variable, Co 6, Ph 6, In 7, Es 5, Ding +2, Def -2.
Cat (Card Value 7-10)
If the hero ignores the cat, the animal follows him along the road until he kills it. The cat stays constantly underfoot, giving the hero a -1 penalty to all actions and preventing him from opening the range. When he attacks the cat, it transforms into a snarling beast. Cat: An animal, Co 7, Ph 5, In 4, Es 4, Dmg +5, Def -5. Forest The hero enters a wooded area - a sylvan forest, orchard, garden, or other verdant area. Feeling very hungry, the hero might have the urge to eat some of the fruits or nuts growing here. Nothing happens if he resists the urge. Actions Picking fruit or nuts takes an average Perception action to locate the bounty and a challenging Dexterity action to reach high into the trees and pluck some of it. If the Perception action fails, the hero can't find any fruit within reach, but a mishap means he locates some tainted fruit.
![]() If the Dexterity action fails, the hero can't grab the fruit, but can try again. In the event of a mishap, he falls and suffers 3 damage points. Eating a piece of fruit or some nuts not only satisfies the hero's hunger, it also bestows a +1 action bonus on him until he leaves the area; the price of eating tainted fruit is a -1 action penalty instead. He can carry one piece of fruit for each point of his Dexterity. If he bought a sack from the peddler at the Road or takes off his shirt, he can double his carrying capacity. Fruit also can be thrown, for a damage rating of +0. The hero can gather fruit here only once during any dreamscape journey. Characters The type of card that brought the hero to the forest determines what type of creatures live here:
Flock of Birds (Card Value 1-3)
Birds: Animals, Co 8, Ph 1, In 1, Es 1, Dmg +2, Def -0.
Parrot (Card Value 4-6)
If given a bit of fruit, the parrot says, "On the right lies one not unlike yourself; to your left, a spring of pure water." Understanding the parrot requires an average Reason (Presence) action. If the hero gets the clue, he can move right on to either the Prisoner (with an assumed card value of 1) or the Fountain (with an assumed card value of 4). Parrot: An animal, Co 6, Ph 3, In 5, Es 5, Dmg +2, Def -2.
Pack of Squirrels (Card Value 7-10)
Squirrels: Animals, Co 8, Ph 5, In 1, Es 1, Dmg +2, Def -2. Graveyard The hero enters a cemetery, its weathered headstones overgrown with trees and vines. The area might at first look like a forest or untended garden, but a casual search reveals the headstones. Actions A careful search (requiring an average Perception action) reveals the graves of every foe the hero has ever defeated in combat. If the action fails, the hero finds nothing special, but a mishap reveals his own grave. The shock is so great, he must immediately attempt a daunting Spirit action or lose 1 point of Spirit. A mishap causes him to fall dead of shock. Characters Who the hero meets in the graveyard depends on the card that brought him there (with a card value of 1 to 3, the hero meets no one):
Mourner (Card Value 4-6)
The mourner leads him to a grave whose headstone bears his own name - quite a shock, as described earlier. If the hero refuses to follow or tries to evade the mourner, the mourner attempts to close to personal range and grab him. The character can grab automatically after successfully closing. Getting free requires an average Strength (Strength) action. Otherwise, the mourner drags him to see the headstone. Once the hero sees his grave, the mourner leaves him alone. Should he attack the mourner, the character counterattacks in an effort to kill him. Mourner: Age, race, and gender variable, Co 6, Ph 27, In 9, Es 9, Dmg +8, Def -5.
Ghoul (Card Value 7-10)
Ghoul: An undead creature, Co 5, Ph 6, In 3, Es 3, Dmg +6, Def -2, also paralyze. Fountain The hero finds a bubbling fountain, natural spring, pool, river, or other small body of water. Pleasant-looking trees and bushes surround it. A drink from the fountain restores one card lost to a wound immediately and one additional card (up to normal hand size) each time the hero exits a dreamscape area until he returns to his cell. If he isn't wounded when he takes a drink, he still gets the fountain's benefits if wounded later. Additional drinks during the same dreamscape journey confer no benefit. The hero can carry water away from here if he brought the cup or bucket from his cell or if he bought a container from the peddler at the Road. Drinking the water won't do him any good if he already has taken a drink, but it might help him deal with other creatures he meets in the dreamscape. Actions If the hero isn't inclined to drink, he can attempt an average Perception action. Succeeding means he sees the words, "Drink me and be restored" appear briefly on the water's surface. A mishap at this action shows him a skull and crossbones on the water's surface. Characters The hero may meet a toad at the fountain, depending on the card played to bring him here (with a card value of 7 to 10, the hero meets no one):
Normal Toad (Card Value 1-3)
Normal toad: An animal, Co 4, Ph 1, In 1, Es 1, Dmg +0, Def -2.
Giant Toad (Card Value 4-6)
Giant toad: An animal, Co 6, Ph 10, In 1, Es 1, Dmg +4, Def -3, also swallow whole. Prisoner The hero enters an immense cell similar in appearance to his own. A hill giant sits chained to a set of huge rings protruding from the floor. The hero has entered through one of four openings in the walls, most of them too small to admit the giant. This site also can appear as a labyrinth, a cage, a collapsed mine, or other confining area. If the hero attacks, the giant fights to the death using loops of chain as weapons. To any hero who speaks to him, the giant demands to be freed. He points out a massive padlock holding his chains together. The creature won't respond to anything the hero says or asks until he is set free. Should the hero try to leave without first freeing the giant, the creature attacks (at melee range only). The hero can escape by ducking through one of the wall openings. Once freed, the giant exhibits behavior based on the aura of the card that brought the hero here: A white aura makes him friendly, red makes him neutral, and black means he's hostile. A piece of fruit from the Forest or a drink of water from the Fountain will turn any giant friendly. A hostile giant laughs when set free and promises to squash the foolish hero like a bug; the hero must fight or escape. However, a friendly giant enthusiastically rips a fifth hole in the wall, making his own way out of his cell. He invites the hero to follow. Heroes that do so wind up at the area dictated by the card played, and they lose the giant along the way. If the hero thinks to ask where the openings lead, the giant shrugs and reaches down each one. After feeling around, he makes the following pronouncements about what he finds: "prickly," "wet," "door," "round thing", and "empty" (the hole the giant just made). The creature cannot retrieve anything from the openings. Simply choosing an exit at random requires card play to see where the hero emerges. If the hero follows one of the giant's clues, however, he ends up in the area indicated below, with an assumed card value of 3 points:
- "Prickly" leads to the Forest.*
* Indicates an area the hero could not reach from here through card play. Actions Freeing the giant requires a daunting Dexterity action to pick the lock. The hero can't break the chains or lock, no matter what he tries - they're even impervious to spells. Escaping from the giant, chained or otherwise, requires a standard open range action. Characters The giant also could be an ogre, dragon, or other large creature. He need not be chained, just confined somehow. Hill giant: A hostile nonhuman, Co 6, Ph 38, In 3, Es 4, Dmg +15, Def -2. Tower The hero has arrived before a tall tower or other type of construction, from a humble cottage to a walled city. The hero can knock (or announce himself some other way), try to force open the door, or simply walk away. Any of these options brings the resident wizard running. The wizard's attitude toward the hero depends on the card that brought him here, just like in the Prisoner area. However, attempting to break down the door or pick the lock brings a hostile reaction no matter what the card was. When the wizard appears, the scene shifts to a hallway, chamber or street beyond the door (depending on the type of building). A friendly wizard mildly asks what the hero wants. If the hero explains his situation or asks for directions, the wizard invites him inside to visit the library. A neutral wizard eyes the hero suspiciously and demands to know who he is and what he's doing here. If the hero can convince the wizard he's no threat, he gets an invitation to come inside and visit the library. Otherwise the wizard orders the hero to leave. Finally, a hostile wizard attacks with his spells, beginning the assault at near missile range. If the hero leaves without being invited in, card play determines where he goes next. Otherwise, he goes to the Library. Should he think to ask what's so special about the library, he's told about a rare work: The Master's Eye. Actions Forcing the door requires a daunting Strength or Dexterity action, depending on whether the hero tries to break it down or pick the lock. Convincing a neutral wizard to invite him in requires an average Presence (Spirit) action from the hero. The attempt gets a trump bonus if he offers the wizard water from the Fountain or any fruit from the Forest, but a mishap causes the wizard to attack immediately. Characters The wizard might appear as a human, elf - even a dragon. The Narrator determines his schools of sorcery. Wizard: Age, race, and gender variable, Co 5, Ph 4, In 9 (81), Es 9, Dmg +2, Def -2, also sorcery (three schools). Cave The hero passes through a short tunnel into an immense space: the lair of a chromatic dragon. The Narrator chooses which type of dragon, then makes the area reflect that race. For example a black dragon would live in a swampy area, and a green dragon would lair in a forest.
![]() The dragon demands that the hero pay it tribute - in the form of large amounts of treasure - or it will attack. The hero must comply, flee, or fight. From the dragon's starting point of near missile range, it takes one minute to fly into the air for a dive attack. After its dive, it continues with melee attacks. To escape, the hero must open to visual range. If he gets out of melee range after the dragon has made its dive, it attempts to close range once, then switches to assaults with its dragon breath. Actions Producing enough treasure to satisfy the dragon is an impossible wealth action.The dragon also can be satisfied with a magical item (which the hero may have purchased from the peddler at the Road) or five pieces of fruit from the Forest. If the hero can't offer enough, he can still escape by promising to bring the dragon some fabulous item. For this ploy to work, the hero must describe the item in detail and succeed with a daunting Presence action. Those who escape in this way had better have the item if they return here on this trip. However, heroes using this ploy suffer no penalty if they never return. Characters The chromatic dragon's race may vary, as noted above. Dragon: A young chromatic dragon, gender and color variable, Co 9, Ph 39, In 8 (64), Es 8 (64), Dmg +12, Def -8, also dragon breath, swallow whole, dragonawe, dive attack, sorcery (three schools), mysticism (one sphere). Library In the library, the hero finds hundreds of shelves full of books. This area also might appear as a sculpture garden, an art gallery, or a collection of monuments. Inside, he meets a cloaked figure resembling the wizard from the Tower area. This creature, however, is a ghost. It does nothing unless the hero attacks or tries to converse. Actions The hero must attempt a daunting Spirit action if he disturbs the ghost by speaking to it, making noise, or trying to touch it. Success makes the ghost dissolve into mist and vanish through a crack in the wall. Otherwise, it attacks him with its fear aura and Spirit drain abilities. A search of the shelves requires a daunting Perception action. A successful hero locates a book titled The Master's Eye. Opening it sends him to the Crystal Ball area. However, in his search he inadvertently trips the catch of a hidden trap door and falls through. Card play determines where he goes from there. A mishap makes the ghost appear and attack, even if the hero has already defeated it or initially left it alone. Characters The ghost can look like the wizard in the Tower, a passerby, or anyone else. Ghost: An undead creature, Co 5, Ph 6, In 7, Es 8, Dmg N/A, Def N/A, also fear aura, Spirit drain. Crystal Ball The hero enters a hexagonal chamber that contains a pedestal bearing a crystal ball. The ball lets the hero contact the Master of the Tower and maybe persuade him to free him. Anyone can use the ball just by staring into its depths. If the hero touches the crystal ball, he suffers 1 damage point from electrical shock, as well as an additional damage point each minute he touches it. Touching or moving the ball always results in this injury, despite the hero's attempts to insulate himself, move the ball using a net rather than his hands, and so on. Once he stops fooling with the crystal ball, he returns to his cell. Actions Activating the crystal ball requires a daunting Reason action, with a trump bonus for those with a Reason code of "A." Success puts the hero in contact with the Master. Those who fail to activate the ball can try again, but three failures sends one back to his cell. A mishap drains 1 Reason point on top of that. Once the hero contacts the Master, he can try convincing him that he's learned his lesson with a Presence (Presence) action; the difficulty depends on the severity of his crime. Since the Master does not imprison people lightly, the difficulty should be at least challenging. Return to Cell Reaching a Return to Cell area immediately sends a hero back to his cell. Everything there seems intact - even items he may have removed or broken. Any objects he acquired in the dreamscape have vanished, but his wounds remain. If the hero can escape again, he begins another dreamscape journey.
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