It has been a long time, twenty years or more, since I've grabbed pencil & graph paper in an attempt to create an adventure, so when my son came to me a little over a month ago and asked me to DM for his group I was quite apprehensive. Being addicted to games common sense was dropped by the wayside & I replied, "Sure! Sounds like fun!" Over the next couple of weeks my mind began to race with hundreds of ideas flowing like a waterfall. I could do this, I can try that, this would work, that won't; all superb ideas, but, since I've become part of the fifty-years-plus group of people I have finally realized that if I don't write a good idea down it gets lost for an undetermined amount of time in that endless place called 'my noodle.' Climbing out of bed yesterday morning it hit me that I had less than twelve hours to complete my half done adventure. I sprinted to my gaming cabinet & scrambling for everything within my reach I came upon my savior........ and so we began. The group of eight adventurers found themselves in a 30' squared room. The ceiling is 15' above. On each wall is a door. The interior of the room contains the following; A 10' round fountain is in the rooms' center. An 8' tall pedestal, with a brazier of fire bolted to the top, is in the fountains center. In the liquid filled fountain is 9 golden coins. In one corner of the room is a table & stool. Resting on the table is a large sapphire, an empty goblet & a small golden statue of a man holding a globe. Also in the room is the following statues; a mummy, a wraith & a huge dragon. In front of the dragon is a large treasure chest. It's not all hack & slash..................
Sprinted for the cabinet? I could have sworn Rich told me he had to haul everything up from the garage P.S. I should add that having The Keeper for a DM was from me. After I got the pile of books the other month I wanted to get friends together to play and someone said The Keeper was a good DM. I'm not disappointed.
The eight player characters found themselves in a very 'puzzling' room. Three of the players were in physical form, dressed in only white robes. (No equipment, weapons, nothing!) The remaining five players were in spirit form, unable to verbally communicate with the three physical players. They were able to use facial expressions & hand gestures. (LOTS OF HAND GESTURES!!) As one or more of the physical players were eliminated (killed by doing something out of sequence) they were replaced by one of the spirit players. The eliminated player became a spirit player. The characters were all first level. The reward for completing this adventure 'starts at' 5000 experience, per player. Notice I said 'starts at', for each player eliminated the experience total is reduced by 'X' amount. By the time they finally figured out how to get out of the room, about three hours later, each player received 1450 E.P. This adventure is a great way to encourage players to use their brain & not their brawn. The title of this little gem is "Renlak's Do-or-Die Puzzle Room", & can be found in the spring 1980, issue six, of the Sorcerer's Apprentice magazine. Happy gaming, The Keeper.
