This adventure begins with the player knights being summoned before their lord to escort someone for him. This person is Gwrfelling the Druid. He has come to the lord to collect a favor owed to him for past deeds. The favor he needs is aid in safely taking him to a sacred golden fountain in a magical glade in his forest.
Introduction:
This adventure begins with the player knights being summoned before their lord to escort someone for him. This person is Gwrfelling the Druid. He has come to the lord to collect a favor owed to him for past deeds. The favor he needs is aid in safely taking him to a sacred golden fountain in a magical glade in his forest. Recently, a wicked witch has taken over the forest that he has sworn to protect and is menacing the inhabitants. Gwrfelling is sure he can destroy the witch's power, but only with the aid of the fountain, and this is surely guarded by her evil minions.
The basic plot of the adventure is simply to escort the Druid to and through the forest to the magic glade without being stopped or distracted by the witch and her allies. The lord will place the knight with the highest glory in charge, but will not be clear on whether or not the Druid has absolute say over the knights. The Druid himself will be part of the problem as he is reknowned for being Proud and Lustful. He has no respect for knights unless the obey him without question.
The Unicorn:
Once the knights have their affairs in order, they begin their trek to the druid's forest. The first encounter along the way is the sighting of a Greater Unicorn grazing in the forest. Awareness rolls will spot the Unicorn and criticals will note the presence of a woman hiding in the shadows near the beast.
The head of a Unicorn is a priceless wall trophy and the GM should tell the knights of the great glory that can be had by tracking and slaying such a creature. The players will either choose to attack the beast or continue on and ignore its presence. The Druid will insist (correctly) that this is just a ploy of the witch to delay and mislead the knights and will try to continue on his way. If the knights hesitate in their decision, Gwrfelling will not fail to insult them. The knights who decide to follow the Druid may receive checks in either Prudent or Loyalty(Lord) while those that chase the Unicorn may take Reckless or Proud.
If the Unicorn hunt does occur, the Druid will follow along angrily, deriding the knights whenever given the opportunity. The mysterious woman will have disappeared, but the Unicorn will be quite easy to follow (Hunting +10). The Unicorn will try to lead the knights deep into the woods and then get them lost. If the players successfully catch up to the Unicorn (Crited Hunting) it has the standard stats for a Greater Unicorn from Pendragon page 204. Slaying this Unicorn however, is only worth 25 glory, for it is not real. When it is killed it will fade away, for it was only a Glamour. Injuries and even deaths sustained during the fight will also magically go away. Normal hunting rolls will be required for the knights to find their way out of the woods. Gwrfelling will continue to deride the knights for falling for the witch's trick.
The Ogre:
The next encounter occurs when the knights come across a crying woman running towards them. When she sees the knights, she will tell them how a giant ogre has eaten her child and will continue to become more and more hysterical. Again the knights will be given the choice between continuing to escort the Druid or being lured aside by the woman's plight, for she fears for the lives of her other children. As before, Gwrfelling will insist it is a trick and the knights should just continue to escort him to the fountain. This time however the appropriate personality traits are Valorous and Merciful while ignoring the plea is Cruel or Loyal(Lord).
The woman can easily lead the players to the Ogre. He will be gnawing on the leg of a young child. When the Ogre spots the knights, he will get a surprised look upon his face and drop the child. If the knights attack, he will scream at them while leaping up and down and waving his arms about. He will not defend himself. Use stats for Small Giant from Pendragon page 203 to represent him.
If the ogre is quickly slain the killer will be in for quite a shock. The Ogre will shrink to the size of a small child while the child seen earlier will metomorph into an even smaller rag-doll. The mother, who mistakenly assumed the Ogre had eaten her child when she found it instead of him, will faint upon recognising the dead child as hers. Players will discover a strange amulet around the next of the child. When placed on a live person it tranforms them into a hideous Ogre. Religious or superstitious knights should probably try to destroy it, which can be done simply by crushing the ruby center piece. It is worth 50 glory to slay the child, but this is not good glory. Gwrfelling is not above an 'I told you so' even at this sad time. (On the off chance the knights act Prudently and try to talk to the Ogre, it is possible to resolve this encounter without violence and death, assuming the players continue to behave reasonably.)
The Goblin:
After another week of travel, the knights will be within two days of the Golden Fountain. At this point, their camp will be disturbed by a small goblin at night. The goblin will be very friendly and offer whomever is on watch a huge golden coin (worth 15L) to make sure the Druid does not wake up. If there are no takers, he will also try to offer a smaller (5L) gold coin for them not to participate in an attack upon his 'friend' who guards the Golden Fountain. The goblin will magically disappear if physically threatened, but will return whenever someone else is put on watch for this night and the next night. If questioned about his 'friend' he will eventually reveal it to be a mighty serpent who has eaten many knights and that he wouldn't want such nice knights as these to be eaten as well.
The Serpent and the Fountain:
Finally, the knights will reach the glen with the Golden Fountain spraying its magical waters gleefully into the air. Pacing menacingly around the Fountain is a large serpent. Use the stats of a wyrm from page 204 of Pendragon. At this point, Gwrfelling will tell the knights to slay the beast while he runs off to deal with some other business. He will not reveal his plans, and will demand the players slay the serpent immediately if they hesitate.
Players will need Valorous rolls at -5 to approach the serpent. If and when they slay it, the Druid will return to the Fountain dragging a comely woman by the hair. He has captured the witch and demands that a knight hold her down while he deals with her. She will plead with the knight for release, swearing to end her evil ways, promising the womanly arts or begging not to let the Druid slay her; whatever she thinks may work. As part of the ritual involves the Druid taking some of her blood with a dagger, her pleas may carry some weight while he approaches her with it. He will not deign to explain his actions to the players. In the end, he will finish his ritual by dripping water from the Fountain on her head, destroying her magical powers.
After this, Gwrfelling will then state that the magic he has just worked has greatly taxed him and that he needs to renew his magical energy. He requests to be allowed to be alone with the now helpless witch in the woods for a short bit of time. If the knights refuse, he will get very angry and tell them the lord will punish them for their disobedience. Given his way with the witch, he will be smug the rest of the trip home. If he is not, the next day he will collapse and have to be placed upon a horse for the return trip.
Conclusion:
The Lord will see the players in his court when they return. If they followed the Druid without straying and allowed him all his whims, they will be thanked and invited to the Lord's table for dinner that night. If anything else occurred, then the reaction of the Lord will depend upon who the Lord is and what his religion is. Tailor his reactions to this as well as his Just personality. In any case, if the Druid is returned unconscious, the Lord will not be very pleased and will let the knights know that. Punishments may be appropriate depending upon the actions of the players. General glory for completing the mission is 50 per knight. Double that if the mission was a complete success. The witch will be burned for her crimes and the Druid will eventually recover if he became unconscious.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Gargoyle II Posted 2011
Gargoyle II
2166
| Archer | Spouter | Stone Lion | Grandfather Plaque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate/Terrain: | Building or ruin | Building or ruin | Building or ruin | Building or ruin |
| Frequency: | Very rare | Very rare | Very rare | Very rare |
| Organization: | Solitary | Solitary | Solitary | Solitary |
| Activity Cycle: | Any | Any | Day | Day |
| Diet: | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Intelligence: | Low (5-7) | Low (5-7) | Low (5-7) | Average (8-10) |
| Treasure: | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Alignment: | Chaotic evil | Neutral evil | Neutral good | Lawful neutral |
| No. Appearing: | 1 | 1 (rarely more) | 1 | 1 |
| Armor Class: | 9 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Movement: | 6 | 12 | 21 | 0 |
| Hit Dice: | 4+5 | 5+7 | 8+3 | 6+2 |
| THAC0: | 17 | 15 | 11 | Nil |
| No. of Attacks: | 1 | 2 | 3 | Nil |
| Damage/Attack: | 1d10 | 1d4+1/1d4+1 | 1d8/1d8/1d10 | Nil |
| Special Attacks: | Nil | Acid | Scare | Magic missile, shout, weakness |
| Special Defenses: | +1 or better magical weapon to hit, camouflage | +1 or better magical weapon to hit, camouflage | +1 or better magical weapon to hit, camouflage | +1 or better magical weapon to hit, camouflage |
| Magic Resistance: | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Size: | S (4’ tall) | S (3’ tall) | M (7’ long) | S (1-2’ tall) |
| Morale: | Elite (13-14) | Elite (13-14) | Champion (15-16) | Fanatic (17-18) |
| XP Value: | 975 | 1,400 | 3,000 | 2,000 |
Archer
The archer gargoyle is a malicious creation that looks like a cheerful cherub or, more rarely, a ferocious amazon. Its only sizable weapon or means of attack is a stubby bow and quiver of arrows, apparently carved as part of the statne. The archer typically stands in a fountain or on a ledge high up the wall, or serves as a garden ornament, moving to attack only when an intruder enters its territory. It can remain motionless for as long as it desires.
Combat: The archer can conceal itself against stone so that it is only 20% likely to be spotted under normal conditions. True to its name, the archer gargoyle uses its bow and arrows as its primary weapon. The bow is not a true bow, and the arrows are stone, but they allow the archer to make an arrowlike magical attack that hits with a THACO of 17 and inflicts 1d10 points of damage. The “arrow” has a range of 120 yards. Even when engaged in melee, the archer uses the bow at point blank range. The archer can be struck only by weapons of +1 or better enchantment.
Habitat/Society: These evil creatures love to shoot at passersby, even those who pose no threat, and are thus rarely found guarding the domiciles of good-aligned persons. When found in the wild, the archer is on an unending hunt, slaying every living thing it meets. More than one village has been routed by one of these gargoyles, which delights in mayhem and bloodshed. The archer is a loner and avoids contact with all others of its kind.
Ecology: The archer need not eat, drink, or sleep. Unlike other types of gargoyles, the archer has a profound destructive impact on its surroundings, because of its tendency to kill every creature and person in its territory, leaving the carcasses to rot. Special hunting parties are often immediately organized to eliminate the menace of a roving archer when one moves into the area.
Spouter
The spouter gargoyle generally looks like an ugly imp. It is often found perched above a door or serving as a raingutter outlet on a roof. Its mouth always gapes hideously. Its forearms sport two rows of sharp spikes; on its back are two undersized wings, far too small to provide flight. When motionless, it is indistinguishable from normal stonework. However, plant life and structures in the area will often be pitted and scarred, as if by acid.
Combat: Anyone who enters the spouter’s territory without uttering a password or making the appropriate gesture will be attacked, usually from above, by the spouter’s acid spittle. The spittle can be used once every four rounds and has a range of just 5 feet (unless the attack is from above – the spouter can hit anyone directly below, no matter how far down). The acid inflicts 2d20 points of damage, with a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon indicating half damage. If the spouter’s opponents escape or prove resistant to the acid, the gargoyle can float down using its tiny undersized wings to break its fall. On the ground, the spouter can attack using its armspikes, which cause ld4+1 points of damage per attack.
The spouter has a nasty streak and revels in “accidently” attacking its master or his associates, even if it recognizes them as safe.The spouter is immune to all forms of acid, is struck only by weapons of +1 enchantment or better, and can climb walls with a 90% chance of success.
Habitat/Society: Though matched sets of spouters are occaionally found, usually there will be only one. Very rarely, a group of 1d4+2 spouters will find each other and join for mutual defense of their territorry. There isn’t much competition between group members, so they will choose no chieftain or ruler. Sometimes a “free” spouter, one whose master has been slain, will offer its services to a powerful evil entity, such is its love of mayhem and its guardian instinct.
Ecology: Spouters need not eat, drink or sleep, and can remain perfectly motionless for any length of time. Thus, they usually have little impact on their surroundings, other than the havoc their acid wreaks on local plants and structures.
Stone Lion
The stone lion is a solemn guardian. often found in pairs, and generally serving good-aligned priests and wizards. The lion has an excellent memory for faces and scents and cannot be fooled by disguises. The lion is usually set up near the main door of the house, but is occasionally placed on a ledge overhead – the stone lion can jump down 20 feet without harm.
Combat: The stone lion is a superior combattant, functioning as if it had Strength and Dexterity scores of 18. It attacks with its crushing bite and deadly claws, but often defeats its opponents with speed and agility rather than physical power.
The stone lion has one special power. It can roar once every three rounds, and this functions as a scare spell. Like other gargoyles, a stone lion can be hit only by weapons of +1 or better enchantment.
Habitat/Society: Unlike other types of gargoyles, a stone lion is a kindly creation and seeks to serve as a protector rather than a wreaker of havoc. It occasionally acts as a pett or companion to its owner, and can form genuine friendships with living beings as well as other stone lions. When motionless, the stone lion is indistinguishable from a statue of a lion carved from stone.
When its creator dies and the stone lion becomes free-willed, it will often seek to continue its guardian duties along more public lines. Most commonly, they become defenders of temples or of public buildings. They patrol these confines at night, sitting motionless during the day unless needed.
Ecology: The stone lion is a magical guardian that has little or no impact on its environment. It need not eat, drink, or sleep. When not accompanying its master or patrolling the area. the lion is content to sit motionless, defending its territory.
Grandfather Plaque
The grandfather plaque is an immobile guardian that serves to secure a particular door. The plaque resembles a bas relief of a male human face with strong, dignified features. The gargoyle is placed on the stone lintel of a door, and can secure them with a wizard lock (as if cast by a 6th-level wizard), and can open and close them at will.
The plaque has enough intelligence to screen guests, and it is gifted with telepathy so that it can converse with its master (and only its master – the grandfather plaque can communicate telepathically with only one person, designated at the time of its creation). It can speak to others normally.
Combat: If attacked, the plaque can defend itself with three magical powers. First, each eye can discharge one magic missile per round. Second, the grandfather plaque can shout, as the 4th-level wizard spell, once per turn. Third, anyone who touches either the plaque or the guarded door without permission must make a saving throw vs. spell or be weakened as if by a ray of enfeeblement, the 2nd-level wizard spell.
Grandfather plaques can be hit only by weapons of +1 or better enchantment.
Habitat/Society: The grandfather plaque is totally devoted to guarding its door, and loyally serves whoever lives within. Its focus is usually narrow; unless a response is needed, a grandfather plaque seldom initiates any action. When found on an abandoned building, the plaque will try to get people to either remove it from the building or rebuild the ruin – its existence is meaningless without people to guard.
If there is more than one grandfather plaque on a building, they guard separate doors, they are never found together.
Ecology: The grandfather plaque need not eat, sleep, or drink. It has no impact on its surroundings, except when it slays an intruder and the bones and treasure become scattered about. An unattached plaque will freely give adventurers any treasure it has accumulated, as long as they promise to restore the gargoyle to its true purpose.
Last Modified: April 21, 2009, 18:04:00 GMT
◆ 750 ◆
rates html versions of documents as we crawl the web. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE NONHUMAN RACES OF THE FLANAESS Overview With regard to the Flanaess within the last millenium, the origins and migrations of the various races of humanity (the Flan, Suloise, Oeridians, and Baklunish) have been extensively discussed elsewhere. However, the dominions and travels of various non-human races (both demi-humas and humanoids) have not been treated in the same way. This work seeks to briefly investigate the history of the various nonhumans by examining the population figures given in the main reference, the Guide to the World of Greyhawk. Since that work has only minimal information about remote areas (such as forests and mountains beyond the rule of men), any figures discussed below must only be lower-bound estimates on the number of "fighting males" in the given region. However, these numbers can still be useful in gauging the general population distribution of these creatures. In summary, one finds that the demi-human races of Dwarves, Elves, and Gnomes are most thickly clustered around (and therefore presumably originating from) the geography of the old Lortmil Mountains (including the Sheldomar Valley and the Vesve Forest); Halflings can mostly be found in the Urnst states. Note that there are no large independent demi-human states in the east, such as Highfolk, Celene, or the Ulek states in the west. Organized humanoid tribes are most common in the harshest mountain ranges (Crystalmists et. al., Corusk/Griff/Rakers ranges, Yatils), those lower lands they have managed to despoil (Pomarj, Bone March), and stretches of the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Bandit Kingdoms, Rovers of the Barrens). Due to the tentative grasp that such monsters had on the Lortmil Mountains (proven by the success of the Hateful Wars in 498-510 CY), it's clear that these mainly Orc and Goblin tribes had moved into the area from some external source (and this is borne out by the language used on WOG p. 31). Dwarves Dwarves are known to number at least 57,000 in the Flanaess. They may be seen to reside primarily in three regions: (1) the Ulek states and the Lortmil mountains, where over 27,000 are known to reside (about two-thirds hill dwarves); (2) the Glorioles mountains, Hestmark and Hollow Highlands, Sunndi, and the Iron Hills (13,000 mountain dwarves in the Glorioles and Sunndi; plus, according to Dragon #57, some eight to ten thousand hill dwarf soldiers in the Iron Hills under Dwarfking Holgi Hirsute); and (3) the area of Ratik and the Rakers (where at least 8,000 mountain dwarves lend allegience to Ratik). From this information, one might suggest that at one point there were three major dwarf "kingdoms", centered in the Lortmil Mountains, the Rakers, and the Glorioles. It would be easy to assume, then, that the less significant dwarf populations were the result of centuries-long exploration and migration (such as in the Yatils and the Crystalmists and affiliated ranges, and the various highlands in the nearby regions). Since about half of the countable dwarves are in the Principality of Ulek alone, one might think that this must be the area of their origin. Elves There are at least 135,000 elves known to be in the Flanaess. Over 100,000 of these can be counted in the greater Lortmil region: (1) some 50,000 in the combined area of Highfolk, the Vesve, and Veluna (mostly High Elves, and ruled by the "Lord of the High Elves"); (2) almost 25,000 in the Gnarley Forest and Celene (wherein rules the "Queen of All Elvenkind" over a mostly Grey Elf populace); and (3) over 30,000 if one adds up the elves in the Ulek states, Dreadwood, and Geoff. It's thus easy to postulate that these monarchs have always looked over the Olvenkind in the shadows of the Lortmil Mountains. Elven populations in other regions could then be the result of ages-old travel by roving tribes when they had the opportunity to explore the open east. One can picture movement past the Lake of Unknown Depths into the Celadon ("many" elves), the Gamboge (13,000), the Adri and Grandwood (7,000), and then to Sunndi (7,000), the Rieuwood and Menowood, and then finally the far-flung Spindrift Isles. Finally, it should be noted that the Sulhaut Mountains are the only locale about which it is said that "reports of Drow are not uncommon" (WOG p. 53). It would likewise be easy to imagine that, as the result of a legendary war between the High Elves and the Dark, certain defeated elf tribes fled west out of the Lortmil region and into the forbidding Crystalmist range and beyond. Gnomes Some 75,000 gnomes can be easily counted; they live very much in the same general regions that dwarves do. Over two-thirds of this number live close to the Lortmils: (1) 31,000 in the Kron Hills, Verbobonc, and Veluna; (2) 16,500 in Celene and the Gnarley; (3) over 5,000 in Ulek and the lower Lortmils. Additionally, some 16,000 live in Highfolk and the Vesve; "many" in the Iron Hills and Hestmark Highlands; and there must be large numbers in the foothills of the Rakers, for some 3,000 are citizens of Ratik and the "Gnomeking Warren apHiller" holds sway in the Flinty Hills (according to the novel "Saga of Old City", p. 249). Other, unknown numbers of gnomes can be found near the Sheldomar Valley in the Good Hills, Stark Mounds, and Cairn Hills. At one point there were clans in the Blemu Hills (near the above-mentioned Gnomeking), but they were driven out by humanoids. The conclusions one can draw about gnomes mirror those of dwarves; each race probably shares a large piece of the other's ancient history. Halflings The halflings are not so numerous, important, studied, nor respected as the other strains of demi-humans. However, we can count at least 14,000 of their kind, and some 8,000 of them live in the rolling fields of the Urnst states (another 4,000 are in Ulek, 2,000 in Highfolk, and some in the Good Hills). So, the halfling race quite likely originated in the well-defended lands between the Nesser River, the Celadon Forest, and the Cairn Hills, by the banks of the Lake of Unknown Depths. Populations to the west might be the end of migrations to the Lortmils after the Urnst area became more unstable following Suloise movement through the region and repeated invasions by Aerdy (and later Nyrond). Humanoids The humanoids are not so easily counted as the demi-humans, but we can make certain generalizations about creatures such as the Orcs, Ogres, Gnolls, Hobgoblins, Goblins, and Kobolds. Certainly, most are found in wilderness as wasteland regions. The largest of these are in and around the huge mountain ranges: the Yatils, the Corusk-Griff-Rakers of the Thillronian Peninsula, and the massif composed of the Crystalmists-Hellfurnaces-Barrier Peaks-Jotens-Sulhaut Mountains. Great numbers are in the monster-controlled nations of the Bone March and Pomarj, along with the Drachensgrabs, the Wild Coast, and the Suss Forest -- although they are not native there, as opposed to gibberlings, ettercaps, and susserus (WOG p. 58). It would be easy to imagine these creatures to be native to the Crystalmist Mountains (et. al.), or locations even further west, and introduced throughout the Flanaess by the Suloise and Baklunish. Indeed, the "Brief History of Eastern Oerik" (WOG p. 8) says that in "the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, ... the hordes of Euroz and associated humanoid groups used as mercenaries by both sides, tended to pillage northward and eastward, driving the Oerids before them." This advancement is borne out today in the great numbers of humanoid creatures throughout the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Rover of the Barrens, Bandit Kingdoms, Howling Hills, etc.); yet here we also have the machinations of evil demigods, and the mystery of Riftcanyon, so perhaps it is not incontrovertible. The Problem of Lortmil Sovreignty Let's say we accept that the various demi-human races have their origin around the Lortmils, Sheldomar Valley, and Nyr Dyv regions. Then one remaining problem is how the main Suloise migration through the Flanaess could pass directly through that strip of land, while leaving the demi-human realms as robust as they are today (the WOG p. 10 map shows the Suloise migration running exclusively over the Lortmils, Celene, Greyhawk, and Urnst). Possibly this was a very brief passage, or else certain conquests turned out to be short-lived when the demi-humans countered and forced the Suloise to escape further east. Note that at a date after this orginal Suloise passage there came (WOG p. 5) "the Houses of Rhola and Neheli -- late migrants who settled and held the Sheldomar"; perhaps at this time the demi-humans were in arms and no travel across the Lortmils was possible. Also note that it's only been some 120 years since the Ulek states were part of the Kingdom of Keoland and Celene saw royal garrisons of the same kingdom. It's quite likely that the current rulers of those states are the same ones that held power when the countries became independent (WOG p. 9, 27). Prior to that, one has to assume that the demi-humans were willing confederates of Keoland during its "several centuries of benign leadership", and it's not unlikely that the demi-humans took a century or two before deciding that Keoish imperialism was an intolerable change in policy. February 19, 1999 (original)
rates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.
This work seeks to briefly investigate the history of the various nonhumans by examining the population figures given in the main reference, the Guide to the World of Greyhawk. Since that work has only minimal information about remote areas (such as forests and mountains beyond the rule of men), any figures discussed below must only be lower-bound estimates on the number of "fighting males" in the given region. However, these numbers can still be useful in gauging the general population distribution of these creatures.
In summary, one finds that the demi-human races of Dwarves, Elves, and Gnomes are most thickly clustered around (and therefore presumably originating from) the geography of the old Lortmil Mountains (including the Sheldomar Valley and the Vesve Forest); Halflings can mostly be found in the Urnst states. Note that there are no large independent demi-human states in the east, such as Highfolk, Celene, or the Ulek states in the west. Organized humanoid tribes are most common in the harshest mountain ranges (Crystalmists et. al., Corusk/Griff/Rakers ranges, Yatils), those lower lands they have managed to despoil (Pomarj, Bone March), and stretches of the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Bandit Kingdoms, Rovers of the Barrens). Due to the tentative grasp that such monsters had on the Lortmil Mountains (proven by the success of the Hateful Wars in 498-510 CY), it's clear that these mainly Orc and Goblin tribes had moved into the area from some external source (and this is borne out by the language used on WOG p. 31).
From this information, one might suggest that at one point there were three major dwarf "kingdoms", centered in the Lortmil Mountains, the Rakers, and the Glorioles. It would be easy to assume, then, that the less significant dwarf populations were the result of centuries-long exploration and migration (such as in the Yatils and the Crystalmists and affiliated ranges, and the various highlands in the nearby regions). Since about half of the countable dwarves are in the Principality of Ulek alone, one might think that this must be the area of their origin.
It's thus easy to postulate that these monarchs have always looked over the Olvenkind in the shadows of the Lortmil Mountains. Elven populations in other regions could then be the result of ages-old travel by roving tribes when they had the opportunity to explore the open east. One can picture movement past the Lake of Unknown Depths into the Celadon ("many" elves), the Gamboge (13,000), the Adri and Grandwood (7,000), and then to Sunndi (7,000), the Rieuwood and Menowood, and then finally the far-flung Spindrift Isles.
Finally, it should be noted that the Sulhaut Mountains are the only locale about which it is said that "reports of Drow are not uncommon" (WOG p. 53). It would likewise be easy to imagine that, as the result of a legendary war between the High Elves and the Dark, certain defeated elf tribes fled west out of the Lortmil region and into the forbidding Crystalmist range and beyond.
Other, unknown numbers of gnomes can be found near the Sheldomar Valley in the Good Hills, Stark Mounds, and Cairn Hills. At one point there were clans in the Blemu Hills (near the above-mentioned Gnomeking), but they were driven out by humanoids. The conclusions one can draw about gnomes mirror those of dwarves; each race probably shares a large piece of the other's ancient history.
So, the halfling race quite likely originated in the well-defended lands between the Nesser River, the Celadon Forest, and the Cairn Hills, by the banks of the Lake of Unknown Depths. Populations to the west might be the end of migrations to the Lortmils after the Urnst area became more unstable following Suloise movement through the region and repeated invasions by Aerdy (and later Nyrond).
It would be easy to imagine these creatures to be native to the Crystalmist Mountains (et. al.), or locations even further west, and introduced throughout the Flanaess by the Suloise and Baklunish. Indeed, the "Brief History of Eastern Oerik" (WOG p. 8) says that in "the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, ... the hordes of Euroz and associated humanoid groups used as mercenaries by both sides, tended to pillage northward and eastward, driving the Oerids before them." This advancement is borne out today in the great numbers of humanoid creatures throughout the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Rover of the Barrens, Bandit Kingdoms, Howling Hills, etc.); yet here we also have the machinations of evil demigods, and the mystery of Riftcanyon, so perhaps it is not incontrovertible.
Also note that it's only been some 120 years since the Ulek states were part of the Kingdom of Keoland and Celene saw royal garrisons of the same kingdom. It's quite likely that the current rulers of those states are the same ones that held power when the countries became independent (WOG p. 9, 27). Prior to that, one has to assume that the demi-humans were willing confederates of Keoland during its "several centuries of benign leadership", and it's not unlikely that the demi-humans took a century or two before deciding that Keoish imperialism was an intolerable change in policy.
February 19, 1999 (original)
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE NONHUMAN RACES OF THE FLANAESS
Overview
With regard to the Flanaess within the last millenium, the origins and migrations of the various races of humanity (the Flan, Suloise, Oeridians, and Baklunish) have been extensively discussed elsewhere. However, the dominions and travels of various non-human races (both demi-humas and humanoids) have not been treated in the same way.This work seeks to briefly investigate the history of the various nonhumans by examining the population figures given in the main reference, the Guide to the World of Greyhawk. Since that work has only minimal information about remote areas (such as forests and mountains beyond the rule of men), any figures discussed below must only be lower-bound estimates on the number of "fighting males" in the given region. However, these numbers can still be useful in gauging the general population distribution of these creatures.
In summary, one finds that the demi-human races of Dwarves, Elves, and Gnomes are most thickly clustered around (and therefore presumably originating from) the geography of the old Lortmil Mountains (including the Sheldomar Valley and the Vesve Forest); Halflings can mostly be found in the Urnst states. Note that there are no large independent demi-human states in the east, such as Highfolk, Celene, or the Ulek states in the west. Organized humanoid tribes are most common in the harshest mountain ranges (Crystalmists et. al., Corusk/Griff/Rakers ranges, Yatils), those lower lands they have managed to despoil (Pomarj, Bone March), and stretches of the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Bandit Kingdoms, Rovers of the Barrens). Due to the tentative grasp that such monsters had on the Lortmil Mountains (proven by the success of the Hateful Wars in 498-510 CY), it's clear that these mainly Orc and Goblin tribes had moved into the area from some external source (and this is borne out by the language used on WOG p. 31).
Dwarves
Dwarves are known to number at least 57,000 in the Flanaess. They may be seen to reside primarily in three regions: (1) the Ulek states and the Lortmil mountains, where over 27,000 are known to reside (about two-thirds hill dwarves); (2) the Glorioles mountains, Hestmark and Hollow Highlands, Sunndi, and the Iron Hills (13,000 mountain dwarves in the Glorioles and Sunndi; plus, according to Dragon #57, some eight to ten thousand hill dwarf soldiers in the Iron Hills under Dwarfking Holgi Hirsute); and (3) the area of Ratik and the Rakers (where at least 8,000 mountain dwarves lend allegience to Ratik).From this information, one might suggest that at one point there were three major dwarf "kingdoms", centered in the Lortmil Mountains, the Rakers, and the Glorioles. It would be easy to assume, then, that the less significant dwarf populations were the result of centuries-long exploration and migration (such as in the Yatils and the Crystalmists and affiliated ranges, and the various highlands in the nearby regions). Since about half of the countable dwarves are in the Principality of Ulek alone, one might think that this must be the area of their origin.
Elves
There are at least 135,000 elves known to be in the Flanaess. Over 100,000 of these can be counted in the greater Lortmil region: (1) some 50,000 in the combined area of Highfolk, the Vesve, and Veluna (mostly High Elves, and ruled by the "Lord of the High Elves"); (2) almost 25,000 in the Gnarley Forest and Celene (wherein rules the "Queen of All Elvenkind" over a mostly Grey Elf populace); and (3) over 30,000 if one adds up the elves in the Ulek states, Dreadwood, and Geoff.It's thus easy to postulate that these monarchs have always looked over the Olvenkind in the shadows of the Lortmil Mountains. Elven populations in other regions could then be the result of ages-old travel by roving tribes when they had the opportunity to explore the open east. One can picture movement past the Lake of Unknown Depths into the Celadon ("many" elves), the Gamboge (13,000), the Adri and Grandwood (7,000), and then to Sunndi (7,000), the Rieuwood and Menowood, and then finally the far-flung Spindrift Isles.
Finally, it should be noted that the Sulhaut Mountains are the only locale about which it is said that "reports of Drow are not uncommon" (WOG p. 53). It would likewise be easy to imagine that, as the result of a legendary war between the High Elves and the Dark, certain defeated elf tribes fled west out of the Lortmil region and into the forbidding Crystalmist range and beyond.
Gnomes
Some 75,000 gnomes can be easily counted; they live very much in the same general regions that dwarves do. Over two-thirds of this number live close to the Lortmils: (1) 31,000 in the Kron Hills, Verbobonc, and Veluna; (2) 16,500 in Celene and the Gnarley; (3) over 5,000 in Ulek and the lower Lortmils. Additionally, some 16,000 live in Highfolk and the Vesve; "many" in the Iron Hills and Hestmark Highlands; and there must be large numbers in the foothills of the Rakers, for some 3,000 are citizens of Ratik and the "Gnomeking Warren apHiller" holds sway in the Flinty Hills (according to the novel "Saga of Old City", p. 249).Other, unknown numbers of gnomes can be found near the Sheldomar Valley in the Good Hills, Stark Mounds, and Cairn Hills. At one point there were clans in the Blemu Hills (near the above-mentioned Gnomeking), but they were driven out by humanoids. The conclusions one can draw about gnomes mirror those of dwarves; each race probably shares a large piece of the other's ancient history.
Halflings
The halflings are not so numerous, important, studied, nor respected as the other strains of demi-humans. However, we can count at least 14,000 of their kind, and some 8,000 of them live in the rolling fields of the Urnst states (another 4,000 are in Ulek, 2,000 in Highfolk, and some in the Good Hills).So, the halfling race quite likely originated in the well-defended lands between the Nesser River, the Celadon Forest, and the Cairn Hills, by the banks of the Lake of Unknown Depths. Populations to the west might be the end of migrations to the Lortmils after the Urnst area became more unstable following Suloise movement through the region and repeated invasions by Aerdy (and later Nyrond).
Humanoids
The humanoids are not so easily counted as the demi-humans, but we can make certain generalizations about creatures such as the Orcs, Ogres, Gnolls, Hobgoblins, Goblins, and Kobolds. Certainly, most are found in wilderness as wasteland regions. The largest of these are in and around the huge mountain ranges: the Yatils, the Corusk-Griff-Rakers of the Thillronian Peninsula, and the massif composed of the Crystalmists-Hellfurnaces-Barrier Peaks-Jotens-Sulhaut Mountains. Great numbers are in the monster-controlled nations of the Bone March and Pomarj, along with the Drachensgrabs, the Wild Coast, and the Suss Forest -- although they are not native there, as opposed to gibberlings, ettercaps, and susserus (WOG p. 58).It would be easy to imagine these creatures to be native to the Crystalmist Mountains (et. al.), or locations even further west, and introduced throughout the Flanaess by the Suloise and Baklunish. Indeed, the "Brief History of Eastern Oerik" (WOG p. 8) says that in "the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, ... the hordes of Euroz and associated humanoid groups used as mercenaries by both sides, tended to pillage northward and eastward, driving the Oerids before them." This advancement is borne out today in the great numbers of humanoid creatures throughout the northern plains (Iuz, Horned Society, Rover of the Barrens, Bandit Kingdoms, Howling Hills, etc.); yet here we also have the machinations of evil demigods, and the mystery of Riftcanyon, so perhaps it is not incontrovertible.
The Problem of Lortmil Sovreignty
Let's say we accept that the various demi-human races have their origin around the Lortmils, Sheldomar Valley, and Nyr Dyv regions. Then one remaining problem is how the main Suloise migration through the Flanaess could pass directly through that strip of land, while leaving the demi-human realms as robust as they are today (the WOG p. 10 map shows the Suloise migration running exclusively over the Lortmils, Celene, Greyhawk, and Urnst). Possibly this was a very brief passage, or else certain conquests turned out to be short-lived when the demi-humans countered and forced the Suloise to escape further east. Note that at a date after this orginal Suloise passage there came (WOG p. 5) "the Houses of Rhola and Neheli -- late migrants who settled and held the Sheldomar"; perhaps at this time the demi-humans were in arms and no travel across the Lortmils was possible.Also note that it's only been some 120 years since the Ulek states were part of the Kingdom of Keoland and Celene saw royal garrisons of the same kingdom. It's quite likely that the current rulers of those states are the same ones that held power when the countries became independent (WOG p. 9, 27). Prior to that, one has to assume that the demi-humans were willing confederates of Keoland during its "several centuries of benign leadership", and it's not unlikely that the demi-humans took a century or two before deciding that Keoish imperialism was an intolerable change in policy.
February 19, 1999 (original)
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Rhennee
Rhennee
From Ghwiki
Rhennee is generally used in reference to the Rhennee people, a race of nomadic humans living in the Flanaess, though the term may also refer to the culture of said people. They speak a unique language called Rhopan that borrows heavily from both other languages and the cant of thieves' guilds but they have no written language and no recorded history. Their history is passed through oral tradition, and therefore it is assumed the Rhennee themselves don’t know the story of their origin.Contents[hide] |
Description
The skin tones of the Rhennee range form olive to tan, their hair is usually curly and brown or black, with grey, blue, hazel and sometimes green eyes. The Rhennee are short and wiry but strong, men averaging 5 feet 6 inches and women shorter.Society
The Rhennee are not natives of Oerth, but rather immigrants from a land called Rhop on another world or plane of existence. Believed to have first arrived on Oerth in the Adri Forest in approximately 140 CY, they were driven out by its hostile inhabitants and now inhabit the rivers and lakes of the Flanaess. They live nearly exclusively in a seaborne culture upon barges that hold individual families. Though the vast majority of Rhennee families are waterbound nomads, a select few travel by land in wagon trains, much like the Rhennee's real-world counterpart, the Roma (or Gypsies). These are known as the "Attloi" and are greatly looked down on by their kin, though they see themselves as the "true people" because they never left their landborne culture.Rhennee are often distrusted by many people and are thought of as thieves and worse. But there are a few, rare communities and cities that welcome them. Among these are both Veluna and The County of Urnst. They can also be commonly found in Dyvers, Perrenland and in the Wharf and River Quarters of the Free City of Greyhawk. Because of stereotypes and prejudice, the Rhennee are exploited and harassed, i.e., stopped to pay extra taxes, prohibited from trading areas, jailed for lacking fishing permits, but are driven away by illegal fishermen, etc. This is especially true in the Duchy of Urnst, where the Rhennee are persecuted by the highly militant elite cavalry of the Duke, the Bar Rampant. Because of this, and their cultural differences, they are insular and keep to themselves. They have social taboos that are perceived as virtually unbreakable that prohibit such things as marrying outside of their own culture, or teaching their language to non-Rhennee. They also have cultural standards that allow them to treat non-Rhennee differently from their own people. They can lie, cheat, steal, and deceive outsiders but these actions can end up with them being banished from Rhennee culture if they are done to others of their own families.
WOG summary
The World of Greyhawk contains examples of the following tropes:
- Artifact Of Good / Artifact of Doom: There are several of these, such as the Crook of Rao (good) and the Scorpion Crown (evil).
- Author Avatar: Mordenkainen (Who you may recognize for being the author of many spells of inconsistent quality) was originally Gary Gygax's player character. Zagyg might almost certainly was also an avatar for Gygax.
- Back from the Dead: After Rary killed him, Tenser was revived through a clone of himself he had hidden away.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Lord Robilar.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Rary of Ket was always seen as the most reserved and soft-spoken member of the Circle of Eight. Then he killed two of his friends and tried to Take Over the World.
- Broken Base: And how. There are many fans who absolutely despise the changes wrought by From the Ashes and do not consider it canon, or otherwise dislike other parts of the setting, such as Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.
- The Brute: Warduke. Originally a D&D action figure from the '80s, an issue of Dungeon retconned Warduke as the martial champion of the Horned Society (an empire of devil-worshippers). A hulking monster of a man, Warduke is presented as the ultimate physical threat in a non-epic campaign.
- The Chessmaster: Mordenkainen.
- Crossover: Greyhawk has crossed over with numerous other D&D settings, though most of these crossovers are of dubious canon at best.
- Oerth is one D&D world among many connected through the Spelljammer and Planescape campaign settings, at least until 3rd Edition when different settings were given their own cosmologies.
- Vecna and his traitorous lieutenant, Kas, were briefly imprisoned in the Demiplane of Dread, home of the Ravenloft setting. Azalin Rex, one of the archvillains of Ravenloft, also originally hailed from Oerth.
- Duke Rowan Darkwood, one of the prime movers in the Planescape setting, was born on Oerth. He later used magic to travel to the world of Forgotten Realms, and from there to the City of Sigil in Planescape.
- Mordenkainen, along with Elminster from Forgotten Realms and Dalamar from Dragonlance, was one of the "Wizards Three", a trio of archmages who met for friendly get-togethers in a humorous column in Dragon written by Ed Greenwood.
- Completely canon however is the presence of various spells bearing the name of Greyhawk mages (such as Mordenkainen) in other settings. One would suspect Planewalkers were involved at some point.
- Crossover Cosmology: Iuz is the grandson of both Baba Yaga and Nyarlathotep.
- Demon Lords and Archdevils: Most of the notable demon lords have had a hand in Oerth's affairs. Most notable are Graz'zt, the father of the half-demon demigod Iuz; Fraz-Urb'luu, a demon prince trapped under the ruins of Castle Greyhawk for centuries; Demogorgon, Prince of Demons, who launched a bid to conquer all of Oerth in the "Savage Tide" adventure series in Dungeon magazine; Lolth, Spider-Queen of the dark elves, who has ravaged both Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms; and Zuggtmoy, the Demon Lady of Fungi, who conspired with Iuz to build the infamous Temple Of Elemental Evil.
- Devil But No God: Tharizdun, an Omnicidal Maniac Cosmic Horror, is the ultimate force of evil in the cosmology, having the power to force all other evil deities and fiends to do his bidding; there is no corresponding good counterpart. A direct confrontation between Tharizdun and the forces of good would have destroyed the multiverse, so the neutral gods tricked him into sealing himself into a trap.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The racist, blond-haired Scarlet Brotherhood are basically Nazis.
- The Dragon: Saint Kargoth to Demogorgon. Also Kas to Vecna.
- The Empire: The Empire of Iuz.
- The Emperor: The god-king Iuz.
- Evil Is Sexy: Graz'zt, Iggwilv, Eclavdra. Maybe Mordenkainen if you go for older guys.
- Mordenkainen isn't really evil, he just does evil things sometimes.
- Evil Overlord: Iuz.
- Evil Sorcerer: Many.
- Rary the Traitor, a formerly heroic wizard who turned on his companions, the Circle of Eight.
- The undead Acererak, a skeletal wizard who's been dead for so long that all that's left of him is his skull. Easily the most sadistic sonuvabitch in the entire history of tabletop gaming, all thanks to his abode: the Tomb Of Horrors.
- Vecna: The ultimate evil sorcerer made good. Er, evil. Star of a series of popular adventures (including the awesomely named Die, Vecna, Die!), Vecna ultimately achieved actual godhood as Oerth's God of Secrets.
- Following Vecna's apotheosis, one of the most powerful mortal spellcaster on Oerth is the witch Iggwilv (who tips the scales at 30th level!), a binder of demons who influences her son Iuz's empire.
- Not to mention, she sleeps with Graz'zt. There's binding, and then there's binding.
- Evil Versus Evil: Evil groups like the Horned Society, Iuz, the Scarlet Brotherhood, the Aerdi kingdoms and Turrosh Mak are just as apt to fight and plot against each other as they are the forces of good.
- Face Heel Turn: Rary and Robilar.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Baklunish people are similar to real-world Middle Easterners. The Olmans and the Flan are clearly based on Native Americans-the Flan on northern First Nations (Cree, Sioux, Iroquois, etc.), and the Olman on the southern nations, especially the Maya and Aztecs. It's implied that the Rhenee are Roma, having arrived on Oerth from another place called "Rhop"—possibly Europe.
- Fantasy Gun Control: Guns are generally accepted not to work on Oerth, although exceptions are made in some cases for the hero-god Murlynd and his paladins.
- Five Races: Humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes and halflings.
- For Science: Zagig created the wacky demiplanes of Dungeonland and the Isle of the Ape pretty much just because he could.
- God's Hands Are Tied: It's generally accepted that the gods cannot intervene directly on Oerth, and can only act through their mortal servants. This typically takes the form of granting divine spells, although they can act on a larger scale if their mortal servants meet the right conditions, such as using an Artifact Of Good or Artifact of Doom. Exceptions to the rule are gods who actually dwell on the Prime Material Plane such as Iuz and Wastri. St. Cuthbert has also appeared on the material plane on a couple of occasions, although it's implied that the gods of evil may be able to do the same at some point to restore the balance.
- Hidden Elf Village: The elven kingdom of Celene, which refused to aid its human allies during the Greyhawk Wars.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: The character of Rary was originally conceived of as a spiritualist. That is: the Medium, Rary.
- Has anyone ever killed him by knocking him over a cliff? "My, that's a long way to tip a Rary."
- And the Nyr Dyv, the lake of unknown depths. "Nyr Dyv" is pronounced like "near dive." Get it?
- Ladyland: The city of Hardby was founded by a Suel witch as a monument to the superiority of womankind after men caused a great magical war, and is traditionally ruled by an all-female council of gynocrats led by a despotrix. However, in recent years, male-dominated guilds and trade unions have been chipping away at their power.
- Left-Justified Fantasy Map: Averted - to the west lies the trackless Sea of Dust, all that remains of the Suel Imperium after the Rain of Colorless Fire burnt it to ashes.
- Lovable Rogue: Gord.
- Malevolent Architecture: Castle Greyhawk is one big, mile-deep deathtrap. The Tomb Of Horrors, meanwhile, makes Castle Greyhawk look like one o' them bouncy castles.
- The Man Behind the Man: Iggwilv to Iuz.
- To a lesser extent, Graz'zt to Iggwilv.
- Mirror Universe: Oerth has several parallel worlds, including Aerth, Yarth, and Earth. The most notable, though, is Uerth, where everyone's alignment is switched (most notably Bilarro, the evil double of Robilar).
- Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Iuz the Evil, Rary the Traitor.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The demon Fraz-Urb'luu was released from his imprisonment by two foolish adventurers.
- So were Iuz, Tsuggtmoy and many many others — mostly by the same band if intrepid adventurers (Gary Gygax's original gaming group).
- Omniscient Council Of Vagueness: The Circle of Eight, founded by Mordenkainen to manipulate events across the Flaeness.
- Our Dwarves Are All the Same
- Our Elves Are Better: Actually, Our Elves Are Pretty Standard, all things considered. This was where the dark elves first arrived in D&D, though.
- Phantom Thief: Gord the Rogue. He steals mainly for the challenge (and because he loves treasure).
- Physical God: All of the gods are capable of taking material form, but the ones who most often walk the Oerth are Iuz, who rules an empire as its god-king, and Saint Cuthbert, who often dispatches avatars to fight Iuz.
- Retcon: After Gygax and Kuntz both left TSR, in the Greyhawk Wars storyline, Kuntz's character Lord Robilar betrayed his friends, killing some of them; Kuntz was none too happy. Twenty years later, Wizards of the Coast published Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, in which it's retconned that Robilar had been replaced by an evil double from a Mirror Universe.
- Science Fantasy: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. It concerns a crashed spaceship filled with aliens and robots—in the fantasy world of Greyhawk. The players can even hijack a suit of Powered Armor and take it with them after the adventure ends (though thankfully it has limited fuel). Needless to say, many fans consider it FanonDiscontinuity.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Several examples.
- Iuz (and eight other demigods, including two other evil ones) were trapped beneath Castle Greyhawk by Zagig Yragerne, who siphoned off their power to become a god himself.
- Fraz-Urb'luu was also trapped in Castle Greyhawk by Zagig, presumably as a practice run for his gambit at godhood.
- At the beginning of time, the unspeakably powerful and insane Tharizdun was trapped in a remote demiplane by the rest of the gods.
- Take That: The bizarre Egg of Coot, a ruler in the Blackmoor area, was a jab at E. Gary Gygax by D&D co-creator Dave Arneson, with whom he'd had a falling-out. (They later reconciled.)
- Theme Naming: Ernest Gary Gygax named a huge number of people and locations after himself, including Yrag, Tenser, Urnst, and of course, Zagyg/Zagig Yragerne.
- True Neutral: In earlier Greyhawk stories and adventures, a lot of emphasis was placed on some characters' obsession with preserving the balance, especially the archmage Mordenkainen.
- To truly understand Mordenkainen's dedication to neutrality and balance, consider this: Mordenkainen released a sealed evil demigod from beneath Castle Greyhawk, simply because good was "too powerful". Thanks, Mordenkainen.
- Unfortunate Implications: The description of the Rhenee—a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of the Roma—as sneaky, manipulative, unreliable, and chauvanistic plays up a lot of unfavorable stereotypes levied against Gypsies in the real world.
- The Undead: Notables include the liches Acererak and Vecna, described above. Also the first death knight, Saint Kargoth; the vampire Kas; and the piteous, zombielike King Ivid the Undying.
- Vain Sorceress: Iggwilv, the Witch of Perrenland, the mother of Iuz and on-again-off-again consort of the demon Graz'zt. She appears as a stunningly beautiful young woman and sadistically kills anyone who sees her true form—a hideous crone.
- Vestigial Empire: The fractured Great Kingdom, now split into numerous warring states.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Rary just wants to bring peace to all of Oerth... by crushing it under his heel.
- Mordenkainen wants to keep balance, even if it means unsealing evil demigods and razing entire kingdoms.
- Wretched Hive: The Vault of the Drow and the village of Nulb.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Monster Manual
| Monster Manual http://edmunds-playersbook.blogspot.ca/2016/03/zenopuss-zenopusolman-goddess.html |
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The first hardcover AD&D manual. Statistics, descriptions, and illustrations for a variety of monsters to populate your dungeon. Monster Manual by Gary GygaxGary Gygax was a proponent of a more in-depth gaming system than Original D&D provided, and in 1977 TSR published this first of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons hardcover manuals. Redesigned from the ground up, AD&D provided "experienced" role players with complexity and detail (at the expense of individual creativity... AD&D encourages hand-holding). Proving to be the more enduring of the two game systems, AD&D is still actively supported today, currently in its 4th Edition.
Thanks to Eric Banks, Rick Blumer, Scott Cordiner, Michael Deaton, Rich Franks, Jr, Jeff Gregor, Gary Kramer, David Lamontagne, Dave Macauley, Eric Niesley, Adrian Newman, Eric Pass, Ben Polson, Bruce Probst, Paul Stormberg, and Tyson Vickers for their research and assistance on various details of the print sequence. Thanks to Adrian Newman for the scan of the 3rd Print Beta / 4th print, and Michael Deaton for the scan of the Sixth print. We're experimenting with something different on the print listings for this page; I've removed the hyperlinks (all of which were rather superfluous, internal links anyway), and added green highlighting to elements that changed from the previous print. This should hopefully make it easier to identify which print you have.
|  Monster Manual (1st prt)  Monster Manual (2nd prt)  Monster Manual (3rd Alpha prt)  Monster Manual (3rd Beta & 4th prts)  Monster Manual (5th prt)  Monster Manual (6th prt)  Monster Manual (7th and later prints)  Errata |
Saturday, 21 October 2000
Goblin Steel and copper-silver allloy Billion
In game: Copper nickel alloy found naturally, which miners are unable to get the copper out of it. Used in weapons and coins.
Elinvar steel is a component in any golem, or clockwork. It is resistant to temperature changes giving armor made with it a +1 to +5 save vs. temperature attacks. It is not native to Oreath and is imported from worlds who know its secret.
Historically Elinvar Steel is iron nickle alloy. As nickel is near impossible to work it has magical implications.
1.1 Historical
Although elemental nickel was only discovered relatively late on, its use in alloys – without knowledge of the alloy composition – goes back at least two thousand years. This is confirmed by finds of coins from antiquity, which contain up to 10% nickel in addition to copper [2].
The most ancient Cu-Ni coin that has been saved for posterity comes
from the period around BC 235. It was found in Bactria and consists of
an alloy similar e.g. to the former German 50-Pfennig and 1 DM pieces
(approximately 75% Cu and 25% Ni). These and many other old coins are
outstanding examples for the high corrosion resistance of Cu-Ni alloys.In the Middle Ages, Saxon miners gave a mineral, from whose red colour they inferred a copper ore, the nickname ‘coppernickel’ (nickel = goblin = mountain troll). However, they would not succeed in extracting copper from it – a spell was cast on the ore by a ‘nickel’. It was only red nickel pyrites (NiAs), for the veins of ore worked in seams also incorporated copper and iron sulphides as well as arsenides.
Billon (alloy)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Billon /ˈbɨlən/ is an alloy of a precious metal (most commonly silver, but also mercury) with a majority base metal content (such as copper). It is used chiefly for making coins, medals, and token coins.The word comes from the French bille, which means "log".[1]
Billon coins are perhaps best known from the Roman Empire, where progressive debasements of the Roman denarius and the Roman provincial tetradrachm in the 2nd century AD led to declining silver and increasing bronze content in these denominations of coins. Eventually, by the third quarter of the 2nd century AD, these coins were almost entirely bronze, with only a thin coating or even a wash of silver.[4]
Elinvar is a nickel steel alloy with a modulus of elasticity which does not change much with temperature changes. The name is a contraction of the French elasticité invariable (elastically invariable). It was invented in the late 1890s by Charles Édouard Guillaume, a Swiss physicist who also invented Invar, another alloy of nickel and iron, which has very low thermal expansion. Guillaume won the 1920 Nobel Prize in Physics for these discoveries, which indicates how important these alloys were for scientific instruments. Historically Elinvar Steel is iron nickle alloy. As nickel is near impossible to work it has magical implications.
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