Legends of the Hero-Kings (AD&D Fantasy Roleplay, Birthright Setting) 0786904194


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Table of contents :
Table of Contents......Page 2
Introduction......Page 3
Blood Hungry......Page 6
Double Dealing......Page 17
Gathering of Heroes......Page 28
Heroes' Pride......Page 43
Terrible Awakening......Page 51
The Horns of Droene......Page 63
Dwarven Steel......Page 72
A Time of Troubles......Page 90
Poor Relations......Page 100
Fang of Kriesha......Page 110
The Gift of Azai......Page 131
Appendix: Out of the Ivory Tower......Page 151
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Legends of the Hero-Kings (AD&D Fantasy Roleplay, Birthright Setting)
 0786904194

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4

3125

0

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L I

m n d s of the Hero-mnys .......................... .......................... ..........................

Introduction., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blood Hungry.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Double Dealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gathering of Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . . Heroes' Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terrible Awakening.. . . . . . . . . . The Horns of Droene . . . . . . . . . Dwarven Steel A T i e of Troubles. . . . . . . . . . . Poor Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fang of Kriesha . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Gift of Azrai . . . . . . . . . . . . &pendix: Out of the Ivory Towe

.......................... ....................... ....................... ....................... ....................... ....................... ....................... ...................... ...................... ......................

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0 , and

Interior Art by Alyce

Art Direction by Bob Galica

2

5 16 27 42 50

62 71 89 99 109 130 150

David Home

Page Back ounds by Dee Barnett and Starr Mahoney g a p h i c Desi by Don Danowski Cartography by amd C. Sutherland 111 T ography by Nancy J, Kerkstra ElectronicYgrepress Coordination by Dave Conant Playtesting by Rich Baker, Carrie A. bebris, Karen S, Boomgard Steve Brown, Dave Gross, Bruce Heard, Duane Maxwell, Kevin M Bill Olmesdahl, Cindi M. Rice, Doug Stewart, Keith Strokm,

E

ADGrD, ADVANCEDDUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DUNGEON W T E R , BIRTHRIGHT, and the TSR logo are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc. AU TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR Inc. 01996 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is protected under the coppight laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express witten consent of TSR Inc. Made in the U , S A Random House and its affiliated companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English-language p d u c t s of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United mgdom by TSR Ltd.

TSR Ltd. 120 Church End Cherry Hinton Cambridge CB13LB United Kingdom

TSR, Inc. 201 Sheridan Springs Road Lake Geneva WI 53147

U.S.A.

3125XXX1501 ISBN 0-7869-0419-4

WOVM

iear a

t itself in their quest

interested in solving it themselves rather than sending out lieutenants or armies to take care of the problem for them. Entice the players with rumors of gold and glory. Threaten the PCs with es if they do not quest for lves. Make them want to come ivory towers and get their own running of their domains.

level party by increasing the level or number of opponents, or by including a dangerous monster, awnshegh, or NPC as a “ringleader.” The challenge of every legend summarizes the action of the adventure and recommended plot thread of the tale. Although the challenge reads like a story already complete, the PCs are expected to vary from the plot, creating

abbrevmnon:

-

lied kec

--+aintlJ own I(

inside, and he saw the world

ened

his thoug

Orlis could find this “treasure.”Then ome with grief, Orlis could not bear to report his mother’s death to the authorities (of which he was one), feeling that it was his fault she had been left vulnerable to at-

b An an

lired by Orlis through many intermediIllest the assassin seems to have finished-:.t iob-at least, he thinks so. Even though 01 got a good hit on him (better than the assassin

knows-see below), Orlis has finally collapsed, wercome by the poison on the assassin's dagger. Now the rogue can escape. He uses his smoke bombs and caltrops t -'--truct pursuit and makes eve to f'- dwelling. Jnfortunately for the assassin, fight as well. They can try to engage hin ,,,nbat, check on Orlis, or perform bc actions. The assassin attempts to kill or crip

interrogating dead subjects do to know the assassin's story. The assassin has no idea who paid money to eliminate Orlis. An agent contacted him and told him he had a job. The assassin checked out the particulars and agreed to do the work; his agent provided him with the poison he believed to be lethal. He broke into the bedchamber and tried to do the job with the dag-

after the PC regent signed it for another purpose entirely (perhaps Orlis planted it among

himself. He drop evidence, hoping t

I

the Heroes concern themselves with the

Bloodline: A z r

dicates favored spe

enchmen-or Orlis himself-u When the battle ensues then attempts to escape.

unawares. Secretly aided also by a ead moved in, struck quickly, and

Volstead decided t o harness the

proposal; if interested in the plan, the doppleganger was to return t o the Vos ruler on its

never hoped to rule a realm in his native Vosgaard-while a strong bloodline flowed through his veins, his family history boasted no tsarevos (war-chieftains). So he fought t o distinguish himself in battle and in leadership, gaining the support of many chieftains and

to drug the then spirit to a dunge cell where

quicklj

ile Volstead is a perfect

fine-kill the fool the guild: don’t pla

As a result, Cronal unpleasant, and somew

E: Yi

Note: This

the guildmaster in a manner that suggests no pretense or guile. When he reaches his target, the trap is sprung.

fter the PCs have had a chance to get flustered by the Doppleganger, annoyed by Cronal, confused by Kesta, or in trouble with some of their old foes, Mikime, the NPC r

*..\.*,A,.

Y

the d d m a s ter, Volstead is defeated. He f i g h d&perately to keep his plan from going to ruin, but or - -

comitive lean Actively following:around Mik i or his liekenants Hnd prevGting the kid pping; altogether ca - -et a cl- - icter u * ioo XP moTe. Y

r-

together for games and gladness. “But not all rivalries were f i e truces were upheld. The full cloak and poisoned dagger often turned diplomacy to intrigue and peace to war. Much was made of the celebrations that did not end with a bloodied blade or a declaration of enmity, and they became tales in and of themselves. “But this tale of festival that I tell you now, how will it end? Will laughter and revelry ring out? A t the beginning, certainly, Will arms clash and tempers flare? More than its hosts expect, I wager. Will the festival end in tired farewells and promises of peace? Not impossible, of course. , . .

vent Type: Festival (result of 4 on

wledge of courtly ways, rtiers compete on even because many nonsporting scenario. those PC

. .

- -- -

L

the other PCs (and NPCs =-the feast begins; if nat, the NPC host stan up (Idding CL Wiac glass or fkqpm) and makes a short speech:

%CO:

312

Dmg:

td8+2 420

XP: "Welcome! Welcome, one and a home and my domain. I hope that and want for nothing s time of celebratior and mirth, be a reminder to all g that cheer and brave deeds are alternative to fighting and woe to the festival, and may everyone In raising a glass to good fell petition, and joy!"

16

#AI':

Bloodline:Anduiras, minor, 22.

ic;

qome additional

recognize as meaning “Masterof the crown itself is worth 500 gp,assumwould try to sell it. xperience: For every opponent a PC s in the joust, he receives 50 XP just for experience. If the PC wins the heat, he receives bonus exnerience based on his

1

as these conditions co

n, as are Lady Marya, theen Treyneir. Buckets o are “accidentally” emptied on their heads, their bedding is made up with soiled sheets, or whatever will anger or embarrass them the most. Vicious gossip is spread. This is particularly possible if Jerrick the bard has made any enemies. He is quick with his tongue and will often make fun of incidents he only hears have happened. For example, nearly everyone knows that the baroness’s father is deathly ill-Jerrick mi informed that the illness is actual serious and is in fact caused by embarrassing situation (falling off a eating too much, drinking excessively). A bawdy poem or song baron will embarrass o *

host’s inability to

17 the PCs succeed in s

lanted tales abo“ut t

ch embarrassment

was maneu-

s mentioned at t

eps them out of trouble. Similarly, savvy ,,gents soon learn to keep their courtiers, lieutenants, and vassals involved in projects and

t perceived favoritism. Each group blames the nts and toadying up

---ws of their success. lext, however, a “war of favor” commences.

tuation leads t o more problems-most of hich involve the other members of the court ntary participants o r innocent -until the PC regent finally takes

eem very unus

e is i idventure completed with L .,t of role“hamming it up”) and a fair

s or advisers to replace all

:L

-

-

among her m e n . The first is for the P C regent’s ears; she’ll use people like Sir Caldor to deliver it, through the Heroes:

fight so she surrenders imme explain her purpose for bein dor and the rest of the mi sneer at her story. No one who orieinallvreoeate

ambush

I

who makes a successful taineering, Rope Use, could save the child.) A woman stands tra e herd from stamsuccessful Wisdom che

~pu

! range

from the plausible to the d

~p

o u a s t h e D M may choose how t h e to hear the story of the Dread oner (below). They could hear the ballad wandering bard; if the party includes a master, bard, or student of Ancient His-

ins nearly 500 years befc Deismaar, during the Wars of and the gheallie Sidhe. Azrai had o cast his shadow across Cerilia, corrupt humans and elves and uence to enslave lesser beings. One such being became one of Azrai’s pIIs. None know the creature’s origihe (?) soon became known only His form constantly shifted, but it was always black and shadowy. Some say he was a creature of the Shadow World, too terrible for it to contain; others believe the Drc was originally a man of the fiwl tribe of h (the Deretha) who betrayed his people i accepted the shadow of Azrai into his he&--. Some speculate that the Dread was a “prototype” awnshegh-a being i q v e

j .

.. of Azrai’s Dower

t h e VOS,While Azrai led in Dread followed as a shadow

Dread into nothingness, but he stayed his hand. Mercy never entered Azrai’s mind-but revenge did. Azrai cursed the Dread and his most loyal lieutenants to a living death, imprisoned and immobile beneath Cerilia in a cavern that covered him, but he would b act or move until Azrai freed him.

firs+indicdons

I

by instructions for adapting each encounter to accommodate PCs who bring along an army. If the Heroes go toward the fissure alone, they zncounter several small groups of undead :reatures until they arrive at their destination. If they lead an army, these creatures learn of their coming and soon band together in a terrible army of their own.

i&d challenges

encounters

IhieGes in any band hold levels higher than zero. The PCs should have no trouble discouraging their looting or driving off attackers. A few such encounters might make the Heroes think the tales of “shadow creatures” originate fMm peasants who saw hooded and cloaked bandits descending out of the night. But events dispel that belief fairly quickly.

OCcasionalIy, skeletons or zombies appear as well, but these should pose no great threat to the Heroes.

h&burW in the earth at dWdh&r.w intervals. Add that to the unasrviag encounttnrthe PcScon6ornt, urd&% )Ieross plnaurct

*

a sterr down Eventually, the Heroes come to a place where the fissure breaks wide and deepens ( s e e

If the Heroes lea

tfre d i a r b & worm A .

bly didn’t appear on anyone’s map&-though a bard or ranger familiar with the area could ‘mow of it and might warn against camping in lis particular area. The reason for the warnig becomes clear a t nightfall-the spectral images of the villagefolk appear, as well as the ghostly outlines of their homes. Most of the images a unaware of the Heroes’

If t h e Heroes lead an army: When the PCs and their army make camp after the first day’s march in the fissure, they make camp near the wrecked village. At night, the phantoms come out, wreaking havoc among the nearby troops. If the PCs don’t do something immediately,

d

I

When the He sends out raiders

whenever any ble opposition

others

which

son to fear-the

dead, after a1

But the lord anticipated him.While Droene

d

not before he took more Reaching up, he tore the assassin’s face. What he saw m mercenary captain

:ouia go o leal with t

iganus appea rzanized. ani

of 65%lieutenants samehow dragging

2.Cooking Fire:

Traps: Each of these areas aled pit trap almost 20 fee

f to fight another day would cause roene to give up this plan. If the Ogre fails a morale check, he does not flee but instead

Both of these approaches can work and do fit within the Ogre’s personality profile. He is aggressive, active, and determined to succeed. -The final contingency is surrender. Droene

awards

A

-3 .

side from the experiwce the PCs earn by defeating the Ogre, his lieutenants, and/or their “brigand“ followers in

those of Azrai’s blood

metic features. Maior blood abilities might cause growth or i h r i n k i n g , o r t h e eayly growth of new appendages (horns, a tail, etc.). A character who repeatedly uses a new great ability changes dramatically-his form, his color, and even his statistics may change (DM’s o p t i o n ) . The c h a r a c t e r slowly becomes evil. If the ch

blood of Azrai.

apart. I watch the

bercept does n-- . he may be appealir

,, I

uai

un-

ntrance.

‘If you wish t o bar you must prove t o

r come this far inside the uk-Azhik. Indeed, besides

ring you, heroes of

ght together. The cunning of the evil Mur-Kilad dwarves, combined %rs of the orogs, would wi zhik in a matter of weeks. So Grimm Graybeard mus prevent this alliance. He wan attack the war party as it nego evil dwarves of Mur-Kilad (tho tell them this). He hopes that in some of the evil dwarves will die escape to carry the tale home; either think the orogs betray the orogs aren't smart enou

scrolls. They might

walls for crac

Y

retainers with them as p tunnels are narrow and they are an underpowe one of Diirk Watersho

true magic, they remain smiths without peer. Their weapons and armor carry nonmagical bonuses. For example, they might fit a dwarf or bulky halfling character with field plate that the character can move freely in (treating it,

1

arallel rows of spikes

and around the

tch Post: While these

of Mur-Kilad (Reft and Mikla Falconslayer) bickerhwith wch &et-.

Bahkal the War Chieftain, M AC 0 ( f d Z pZate + 1 ); MV 9 (lightly encum-

ters and currently holds a heated debate with the dwarves of Mur-Kilad regarding the alliance. She actually proposed the idea t o Bahkal and remains steadfastly in favor of “making those little dirt-eaters understad’ what the orogs of the Iron Peaks want to accomplish.

r made of a dwarf’s

Equipment: Two-handed battle axe +I, specially lightened plate armor and shield (no movement penalties), 200 gp (each).

rawre Chest: Reft and Mikla brought a

of valuables with them as a gift t o the The chest is unlocked, b u t can be

that any wounded characters are heale

with his deeds

E

kingdom-but-how many can take command when all seem tumed against them? “Hearken to this tale ofsuch a time oftroubles. Even a Hero-King must sometimes bend to the whims of his people. And always he must try to root out the troubles that plague his kingdom. . . ”

.

A

v

,

vent Type:Unrest or Rebellion (result

‘E

of 17 on Table 15).“AT i e of Troubles” may also be used as a Monsters/ Brigandage (result of 13 or 14) o r G r e a t CaptaidHeresy (result of 19) event.

The Heroes: At least one of the Heroes in this adventure must rule a law holding in the province where the adventure takes place. If that is impossible, the Heroes find employment as agents of the province ruler, who must direct his attention toward other matters. Low- to mid-level PCs are best suited to this adven-

this rebellion and stamp it out as well. Finally he needs to regain his popularity among the commoners and nobles in the area. *>.+: :‘$.”p:?’ k

&Yfbduchn

T

his adventure interrupts whatever else concerns the regent at present. Reports of rebellion in the province flood intc the castle, as well as tales of burning, looting, and other heinous crimes against his authority. Note: If the law regent has only one province, he can look o u t his window and see t h e destruction occur right outside. The first step should be obvious: Suppress the armed bands militarily. The regent’s advisers expect him to solicit help from his friends (the other Heroes), but they also think he should summon troops to the province and command them to fight the brigands. Of course, the regent

thing “extra” thrown into the mix. Be creative. The rebels might come up with enough cash to hire their own mercenary units, or you can include a party of adventurers with spellcasting ability among the rebellious troops. While supplying more and more troops to the rebels borders on the unrealistic, coming u p with inventive little difficulties the regent has to overcome makes the battle memorable.

lying in the burning ruins of towns and houses are those of peasants too slow, too young, or too old to escape to a safe place of hiding. In the course of their investigations, the Heroes come upon a band of cutthroats surrounding a small farmhouse. The farmhouse shows scorch-marks on the roof; t h e barn burns unchecked. Occasionally, arrows arc from the windows of the house but fall short of

eliminate the cutthroats manner one or two at a time, the

Why would the regent take such a pers interest in their suffering if it were he

e r the PCs have weathered a few of

ke the “DM Fiat” option and i

When the Heroes ride frightened people come out io look at ey approach the people, the peasants terrible orders they’ve heard “the iven for the devastation of the y show the Heroes their buried r burned lodgings, and they tell brigands moved through their s, taking and killing what they wished.

s actions decrease the

I " -

The regent has witnesses murdered and butchered

era1 of the PC’s other friends may also be “under investigation” and hints that the PC

:perien .

mavh

business elsewhere. Thinkine: tl Raen found their offer moretempting each day, He did, however, have the presence of mind to consult Hugo for advice. were gone. H e wore a cloak and hat, but Hugo perceived chain mail under his outer garments-of t h e type worn only by t h e regent’s private guard. The cloaked man spoke to the innkeeper in whispers that Hugo couldn’t hear. The innkeeper only nodded in response. In the end, the innkeeper received

ake his deal or end

true vilor. Rather than return to Raen’s home domain, he decided to only remaining reliable pigeon) and to continue within the city until help co sible, he would break Raen truth of the situation, and their homes. If not, he 0

e

e

communIca-hons 1c\ oon after the PC’s adviser finishes his

t h e inn as the wa

the innkeeDer clo

o u a surprise ve come oiit

nouncing during a turn that the PC re

xyone, lowher tiga

I

owng victori ncl

tk usliarfa 1 Ok

rnrnnli2ni

describe most of the building’s fea

I

, two handlthrowing axes ( ld6 dmg), kej

t&$ ,-e-

but still looks, at an inn. There are below under "The

chance) if the temple had a large crowd. Foodstuffs are generally removed from the cupboard when a priest or guard on duty in the foyer gets hungry. If the temple is on alert, there is an 80% chance one of the war priests will think t o leave a little surprise for anyone breaking in. Three or four times the number of coins will lie in the coffer, but a lyyyern watch spell will protect the offerings. 2c. Curtain: This heavy

ain divides the entrance to the temple from the church itself. It han s from hooks on the ceiling and has a slit in ti?e middle. No more than one person can pass through the slit at a time, though crawling under the curtain is, of course, possible. The curtain is also hooked to each side wall, so going around it proves very difficult. Note that if a character unlocked the doors

where he now-holds-services every day. At any particular time of day, there is an 80% chance that a service is going on (even if the temple is alerted). During services, Hurthang and his priests cast enthrall and occasional c h a m person spells to enhance the effects of their preaching. Even though the spells wear off, most of the peasants come away thinking they were “truly moved” by the sermons. Any PC who watches a service must roll at least one saving throw vs. spell to avoid being enthrded or charmed. At any time during the night, there is a 40% chance that Hurthang, ld4 war priests, and ld4 temple guards will be holding a private service to Belinik in the temple, or possibly outdoors in the nearby woods. This service invo and bloodshed and would certainly of the peasants if they witnessed it.

PCs should beware using the axes. When a person other than a devout follower of Belinik wields either weapon in combat, t h e D M makes a secret saving throw vs. spell for that cbaracter. If the character fails, the axe functions like a sword, cursed berserking. After the berserker rage leaves the character, he must then make a system shock roll. If he fails, he loses one point of Constitution permanently. (Wish and restoration spells can return this point, as can other magical means.) If a follower of Belinik uses me of the axes in combat he automatically goes into a be serker rage, receiving a +2 hq~lusto hfi THACO and a -2 modifier to his AC,making him a better, harder-to-hit warrior. He can distinguish followers of Belinik from nonbelievers

e+

'>*.

has a 50% chance of having fire trap spell cast on it at ni

piles around the walls. A large pile of goods and dirty clothing lies in the center of the room. 7.

€ 3 4 Beds: Eac

loa. Trap door: The large door t o the cellar lies in the center of the storeroom’s floor. It has been covered by bags of supplies and piles of training clothes waiting to be washed, but a casual observer has a 1 in 4 chance to notice it

expensive bone comb on the nightstand. On the desk, near the southern window, lie papers, a pen, and a near-empty inkwell. Someone has been writing a lot here recently, and PCs who spend the time to search the desk find a few ink-stained discards in the drawers:

. . . trade in the outer regions. H . will provide goid for considerations and-’’ “. . . work on the old miller. He will come over to our side, and with him a dozen farmers. Keep prodding M., but not too hard. By all means, don’t let him get to the regent-” “Twodozen eggs, twelve silver pieces, one gold, and a bushel of mixed vegetables. E: R. promises .. two sheep and a bearskin. See if you can-

18. Lir priests fresh li

-hE U y p u U l ” ~1

award is gr lg occurs, rrunnang

naterial. Chances

ai

longer thinoc

ve nun:

.es te s s

S

U

I

T U U

sabrering regenr ilitant in hi - -

:vu alignment

__ right, the Vos

m to take their part

) of the Heroes call their resources and

solve this crisis.

or the PCs can hear the news as

Y

roes’ research yields the toll

.

The war

Heroes in their quest. Good PCs would do

’-

I

. L

ce to the adventure

iagicai f them

I

as tne cruis

Normally, krakens wilIv&tack vassels and retreat if they caDture them four victims in

d taste of brine

inland-even his

larm, the whole island t the PCs in a few short -

per such incident.

LUUL

uay3,

return hon

start sending out more powerful investigators.

scoulinp$he beach

:over the ense. Marcus keeps h muggled .,ads in several small ca iway from the inn-that way, even if. n one cache are found, Kybo will not be :ated and he’ll lose only a percentage nu usiness. Speaking of business-it’s been bad. TI ’ Serpent’s constricting coils have wrapped ’%hemselvesmore tightly around the island than ever. The shore and inland patrols keer, civilians from moving around after dark (i rime business hours for both of Marcu

3

on his maidand i

agrees to spread the wordacreetly-through his contacts in a nearby village. While recognizing a pure-bred Masetian ino easy undertozkiag (few exist, and they resemble the Khinasi in appearance),there are those on the island who remember their heritage and are proud to show it. The Serpent does not punish people for being of the same race as he once was.

Thhsame ad&

ap lies if the Heroes sta

at the inn. Patrols A s t a p iu daily for €00

d

cfriak; d a &nd€y discussion wi& Marcus. Other patmas wilf mmc through as 4,s w ofwhom coufd be the Serpent’s idommts, If they note a group of strangers htm$ia$ narv o d y around the inn tvitbno pIood accouating

of themselves, an investigation couid ensue.

escaped the Serpe throwing in a few

knows no more t lessing and has na

d muttering to himself. vigational apparatus, th g-

r r

.

+ D u e to the dise tion is at an all-

unish failure a

are marked men. The Vos war

I continuation of “T

adventures should take this into account.

the PCs feel an irresistable urge sea. This is Nasri, calline in her

t

TIG*ant

of Diemed mi&t offer Regency

P a t s b l d &qs, and/or military support to if Medoere and Ilien offer assur"power-madhigh king" gets none l m ~ r about s tlw high m a h i i t A'nnirr MA

king's ego

,

&end

-

--7

w ---

When the high king calls for southern reinforcements and money to support them, Medoere, Ilien, and the empire’s other regents can “hold e high king feels his can try to institute a W m g wth his attitude. As a final drawback, the players might take to the high king scenario too well. Like the “Collective Rule” campai n, it can become a devastating power bloc. he “empire” begins to become a true empire, marching over every-

f

e the same solutive Rule” seca t can be even

toward nonlaw holdings. That way the difference in power between the regent and nonregent characters isn’t too disparate at the outset: It’s easier to believe the regent still maintains contact with those who “knew him when.” Drawbacks: On a smaller scale, the same problem that threatens the “High King” campaign can also assert itself in this scenario: One person becomes “the boss” while the others are mere minions or minor allies. Of course, if the nonregent PCs clearly indicate that they won’t put up with powermongering from the regent, the individual playing said re

ionregent

roll

interest in! the re ency aspects of the campaign. Dor)'t be af;raid to give the PC regent obvious bdnuses for actions that he accornplishes with the help of his friends.

common hero This campsign style offers t h fantas role-playing scenario. Players assume the ro es 04 adventurers out to make their fortunes. The$ have responsibilities only to themselves as t 97 wander across the land slaying orogs and gbblins and making a name for themselves! Be-, Regency and b l o o d k s aside, Cerilia offers a rich campaign setting in and of itself. Its unique qultures, history, magic, and vilE;lins

r

1

tance. They go adventuring on behalf of their sponsors, and they are drawn together by the exchange of favors between regents and by common orders. Within a few months o r years, one or more of them might assume important positions either near or a t the head of prominent domains. Investiture and bloodtheft make i t possible for a onceunblooded PC t o become a regent if he chooses; the only limit to any PCs ambition is-well, his ambition. Eventually, if you, the DM, keep showing rulership and regency to the characters as part of the role that NPCs fill in the game, they will want to give it a try. Bring them in slowly, if they want to keep thek existing characters, by progressing to a "It's Lanely at the Tup" camthen e* "Collective Rule."

5

andard” adventures work for common o its people, and its history present PCs endless possibilities for adventure.

nciuaea in an idventure and lot being