INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie adven-

ture. This is an introductory product designed to be
used with the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game.
New players: This adventure is compatible with the
Part 2: Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game. To play it, you’ll
need the rules found in that boxed set.

Damodar’s Experienced players: If you’ve played D&D before

and know your way around the Player’s Handbook, you’ll
need to convert the characters here to the regular D&D

Refuge rules. Rather than walk the characters through the

encounters described here, use this document as an
outline for creating your own adventure based on
Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie.
The Characters: To use the characters referenced in
this adventure, you’ll need to download the file contain-
CREDITS ing them from the Official D&D website: www.wiz-
ards.com/dnd. If you are an experienced player looking
Design: Jeff Grubb and Rich Redman for the full D&D statistics for the movie’s characters,
Editing: Gwendolyn Kestrel and David Noonan check out Dragon Magazine issue #280.

Web Production: Jesse Decker

Web Development Mark Jindra
3. DAMODAR’S REFUGE
Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti Our Story Thus Far
Typesetting: Anelika Lokotz
Creative Direction Mike Selinker You defeated the Great Maze in the Antius
Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege thieves’ guild, only to discover that Xilus used you
to get the Eye of the Dragon for him. Before you
Thanks Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook, Court- could fight the entire guild to keep the gem,
ney Solomon, Ann Flagella, Justin Whalin, Kristen Damodar and his Crimson Guard broke in. Out-
raged at the intrusion, Xilus ordered his thieves to
Wilson, Lee Arenberg, and Dave Arneson
defend their hall. In the resulting confusion, you
tried to escape, but there were more Crimson
Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game by E. Gary Gygax Guard at all the exits. Fortunately Norda, the
and Dave Arneson. , and the new D UNGEONS & D RAGONS game Empress’s family tracker, also followed you here
designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard with her elven archers, and with her help you
Baker, and Peter Adkison. escaped. Not unscathed, however.

In the movie, Damodar leaves Antius with Marina and

D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinc-
tive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.
Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is
prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
places, or events is purely coincidental.
©2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.
the map that shows the way to the Rod of Red Dragon
Control. In your game, you have more choices. For
instance, if a movie character has no player, then
Damodar kidnapped that character. If all the characters
are in play, then Damodar got the Eye of the Dragon as
well as the map. It’s up to you. Make sure your players
know everything they’re supposed to recover before
starting the adventure.

1
 This adventure is more free-form than the previous
two. We give you the description of the castle and its
environs. The players must recover whatever Damodar
took. The players tell you how they want to do it, and
you use this information to figure out what happens.
There are no sewer tunnels or maze walls to limit
player choices. If they think of something we don’t,
make it up and have fun!
The Castle
The moon shines down on the remnants of an
abandoned castle. Surrounded by the forest, the
castle sits on the highest hill for several miles in
any direction. Most of it lies in ruins, but one
small section appears intact. Sneaking closer, you
see clear signs of recent efforts at restoration.
Through a gate, you see Damodar’s soldiers setting
up tents in the courtyard around a bonfire. Many
of them sit around the fire, eating and drinking.
Others patrol atop the walls. A ball-shaped
beholder patrols outside the gate. What do you
want to do?
If your players don’t know what a beholder is, see The
Beholder and the Gate. Your DM’s map is a separate
file. Download it and, keep it handy as the characters
move around and through the castle—it tells you what
the characters encounter and see.
Norda
7th-level Elf Fighter
Hit Dice: 7d10 (43 hit points)
Initiative: d20+3
Speed: 6 spaces
Armor Class: 15
Attacks: Bow d20+10/d20+5 or longsword
d20+9/d20+4
Damage: Bow d6 or longsword d8+2
Special Abilities: Norda can use either of her weap-
ons to attack twice in the same round. The first
attack uses the numbers to the left of the slash;
the second attack uses the numbers to the right
of the slash. Both do the same amount of
damage. Elves can see twice as far as humans
in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, etc., and
retain the ability to distinguish color and detail
under these conditions.
Saves: Fortitude d20+5, Reflex d20+5, Will d20+2
Skills: Hide +5, Listen +4, Search +5, Spot +5
Alignment: Good
2
Elf Archers (5)
1st-level Elf Fighter
Hit Dice: 1 (d10 hit points)
Initiative: d20+2
Speed: 6 spaces
Armor Class: 14
Attack: Bow d20+3, longsword d20+2
Damage: Bow d6, longsword: d8
Saves: Fortitude d20+2, Reflex d20+2, Will d20+0
Skills: Listen +4, Search +4, Spot +4
Alignment: Good
Where’s Damodar?
Damodar is in his office (see Damodar’s Headquar-
ters). If a Guard raises an alarm, Damodar joins the search.
Certain character actions could move him to another
tower (see Damodar’s Quarters and Prison Cells).
Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are
people, too.
Norda and her elves are important people even if
they don’t have their own players. It’s up to you as
DM to portray them as intelligent characters with
their own hopes and desires. They provide a diver-
sion if needed. With their bows, they are far better
equipped to take on the beholder and the Crim-
son Guard than the player characters are. The
older and wiser Norda also serves as a way for you
to give the players any desperately needed hints.
On the other hand, don’t let her steal the show.
Let the players be the heroes.
Remind the players that Norda and her five
archers are present. If they want to talk to Norda
and ask questions or make requests, you play
Norda. She feels protective toward her archers, so
remember that while she lets them fight for the
characters, she won’t unnecessarily risk their lives.
Outside the Walls
Though dark and full of fierce creatures, the
shadows surrounding the castle comfort you as
they hide you. No trees grow near the castle walls,
as if they fear something within. You can move
around the castle easily if you stay within the
trees. If you want to climb the walls, you must
leave the safety of the ancient forest.
Approaching the Walls: Crossing the open space
between the trees and the walls requires a Hide roll
(DC 11, since it’s dark) and a Move Silently roll (DC 15)
for each character. If they fail either roll, two wall sen-
tries move closer for a better look.
Character Hide Move Silently Search Spot
Elwood –4 –4 +0 +2
Marina +5 +4 +5 +4
Ridley +7 +7 +4 +4
Snails +9 +9 +6 +9
Crimson Guard +0 +4 +4 +2
If Guards investigate, the players make Spot checks to
see whether they notice the approaching sentries (DC
10). If they fail, don’t put the Guard counters on the
map. If they do, put the counters on the nearest wall
and the PCs make Hide rolls again (DC 11). Their roll
becomes the DC for the Guards to notice them with the
Spot skill. If the heroes succeed, the Guards resume
their patrol. The players should make both rolls (Hide
and Move Silently) again. If they succeed, they reach
the wall. If not, repeat the investigation.
After three investigations, six Guards from inside the
camp come outside to hunt intruders. Of course, they
open the gate to do that. They search where the wall
sentries think they saw movement. If they don’t find
the players, they return to the bonfire. If they do, a
fight breaks out. See Courtyard Chaos.
If the wall sentries spot the characters, they raise the
alarm. This could be a useful diversion, because the
Guards open the gate to come out and give chase. The
characters have a head start and all the forest in which
to hide. After an hour, the Guards stop looking and
return to their campfire.
The Walls
Irregular, uncarved stones piled high on each
other form the castle walls. No one has built cas-
tles like this in hundreds, if not thousands, of
years. It suggests ancient secrets and unspeakable
horrors better left forgotten. It suits Damodar per-
fectly. The wall is 30 feet high, and the three
towers rise 10 feet higher. You see Guards
patrolling atop the wall.
Climbing the Walls: The rough walls are relatively
easy to scale (Climb DC 13). Players must make three
successful rolls to reach the top, but they also have to
make two Move Silently checks (DC 15). If they fail to
move silently, two Guards investigate (see Outside the
Walls). Every successful Climb roll means they move
15 feet higher.
Character Climb Move Silently
Elwood +2 –4
Marina –1 +4
Ridley +7 +7
Snails +8 +9
Rope Use: A rope secured to the top of the wall gives
anyone using it a +3 bonus to both his Climb and Move
Silently rolls.
Falling: Failing a Climb roll without a rope by more
than 5 means a character falls. Failing with a rope just
means the character doesn’t move. For every 10 feet
fallen, the character takes d6 points of damage. If she
doesn’t want the Guards to investigate, the fallen char-
acter must roll to Move Silently (DC 15), but gets –1
penalty to her roll for every 10 feet fallen.
The Beholder and the Gate
A beholder, a ball-shaped creature, guards the
entrance. It has one large eye at the center of its
face, beneath 10 small eyes on stalks. As drool drips
from its mouth, you see three rows of razor-sharp
teeth. Beyond the beholder is the gate to the castle
courtyard. The gate is 15 feet high and blocked by a
portcullis, an iron gate raised by a winch atop the
wall.
Beholder
Hit Dice: 5 (5d8+5 hit points)
Initiative: d20+4
Speed: 4 spaces (flying)
Armor Class: 20
Attacks: Eye rays d20+7, bite d20+2
Damage: Bite 2d4
Special Attacks: Eye rays
Special Defenses: All-around vision, feather fall
Saves: Fortitude d20+2, Reflex d20+1, Will d20+8
Skills: Hide +1, Listen +12, Search +15, Spot +16
Alignment: Evil
A beholder, also called an eye tyrant, is a 6-foot-wide
orb dominated by a central eye and a large, toothy
maw. A number of eyestalks sprout from the crea-
ture’s head, and these stalks can wield powerful
spells. Beholders are extremely dangerous crea-
tures, so they are best avoided by all but the most
experienced adventurers.
Eye Rays: Each of the beholder’s five pairs of
small eyes produce a magical ray once a turn, even
when the beholder is attacking physically or moving
at full speed. But since the creature’s own body
3
 tends to get in the way when it aims the rays, it can
aim only 3 of its 10 eye rays at targets in any one
direction other than up (forward, backward, left,
right, or down). The remaining eyes must aim at
targets in other areas or not at all. A beholder tilts
and pans its body each turn to change which rays it
can bring to bear on its desired targets.
Each eye’s effect resembles a spell. All rays
have a range of 30 spaces. Save DCs, where applica-
ble, are 18.
Charm Person: The target must succeed at a
Will save. Beholders use this ray to confuse the
opposition, usually employing it early in a fight. A
charmed target cannot attack the beholder unless it
attacks him first.
Sleep: The target must succeed at a Will save to
stay awake.
Fear: The target must succeed at a Will save or
run away for 2d6 turns.
Slow: The target must make a Will save to resist
or suffer a –2 penalty on all attack and damage rolls
and on Reflex saves. Each affected target also gets a
–2 penalty to armor class and moves only half
normal speed. In addition, the target can move or
attack, but not both.
Inflict moderate wounds: This ray causes 2d8+10
points of damage. A target that succeeds at a Will
save takes only half damage.
All-Around Vision: A beholder is exceptionally
alert. Its all-around vision negates Snails’s sneak
attacks.
Feather Fall: A beholder’s body is naturally
buoyant, which allows it to avoid falling damage.
The Beholder responds to any alarm raised outside the
walls, arriving before the Guards since it doesn’t have to
raise the portcullis. It does not respond to alarms inside
the walls.
The Guards
If the characters count the Guards through the gate, tell
the players they see dozens and dozens of soldiers, it’s
hard to be exactly sure how many there are. There are at
least three dozen Guards, but some patrol on the walls.
Crimson Guard
1st-level Fighters
Hit Dice: 1 (d10 hit points)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 4 spaces
Armor Class: 16
4
Attack: Light crossbow d20+2, longsword d20+3
Damage: Light crossbow d8, longsword d8
Saves: Fortitude d20+2, Reflex d20+1, Will d20+0
Skills: Listen +2, Move Silently +4, Ride +4, Search
+4, Spot +2
Alignment: Evil
Courtyard Chaos
Raising the Alarm: Assume it takes a sentry a full
round to raise an alarm. If the characters somehow
silence the sentry before then, they remain undetected.
Evading the Guards: Once someone raises an alarm,
the Guards respond at a run. Move their counters.
Assume it takes 4 rounds to raise the portcullis, if the
Guards have to come outside. They leave four Guards in
the courtyard, but Damodar accompanies the search
party. The Guards charge to where the characters were
spotted. If the characters move away from that place,
and no other Guards spot them, they’re safe. Otherwise
they must fight.
Fighting the Guards: This is one thing the charac-
ters don’t want to do. The Guards make full use of their
crossbows, shooting at the characters from atop the
walls or towers where the characters can’t reach them.
Any Guards on the ground shoot once and then attack
with their swords. Even with Norda and her elves, the
characters are badly outnumbered—and that’s not
counting the extremely dangerous Damodar!
Moving Around on and inside the Walls
Once the characters get inside the walls, let the
players tell you where they search for what Damodar
stole. Every round, have them make Move Silently
checks. If they fail, two Guards investigate just like in
Outside the Walls. If the players succeed, their char-
acters continue searching.
Don’t roll while inside Damodar’s Quarters or the
Prison Cells. The stone walls block sound, so no one
hears the characters once they’re inside.
Towers
All the towers have the following features in common.
Each has four floors, with one door at the base and two
more on the third floor that open onto the wall. A spiral
staircase around the inside walls links the four floors.
The third floor holds nothing but military supplies for
the camp, with a clear path between the two doors. On
the fourth floor, a ladder leads to a roof hatch. There are
no windows in the towers except around the fourth
floor. Torches in wall sconces provide adequate light.
Damodar’s Quarters
The first floor contains a dining table, a few chairs,
and a fireplace. The remains of Damodar’s most recent
meal litter the table. The second floor is Damodar’s bed-
chamber. It holds a wood frame bed, a bureau, and a
desk. A carpet (see Quicksand Rug) lies across the
space between the desk and the door. The map is clearly
visible on the desk. Other magic paraphernalia litter
the desk and bureau (see Wand of Hold Person).
The fourth floor has mysterious, arcane symbols
inscribed on the floor. Ancient tomes lie open on two
desks. Marina can make a Spellcraft check (DC 20) to
understand why Damodar has this magic laboratory. If
she succeeds, she knows that he uses this laboratory to
search for a way to remove the horrible thing Profion
put in Damodar’s head. If Damodar took the Eye of the
Dragon, it’s in this room. Characters must look for the
gem (Search DC 20). In addition, roll a d20 for each char-
acter searching (DC 15, with no bonuses). Each time you
succeed, that character finds a magic item. Roll on the
random table in the Rule Book to see what she finds.
Damodar Attacks: While the characters search the
fourth floor, the Guards may see them through a
window. Have the players make Hide rolls (DC 10). If
someone fails, the number that player rolled becomes
the DC for a Guard to Spot them (only roll once, not
once per Guard; if more than one character failed use
the highest number rolled). If the Guards spot them,
Damodar joins the attack (see Courtyard Chaos).
Prison Cells
Iron bars and locked gates divide the first two floors
into two cells each. The cells contain only a wooden cot
and a chamber pot. The fourth floor is a single prison
cell. The cot here has a straw-filled pad. Three of the four
windows are available to any prisoner, but are barred. A
small table and a stool complete the furnishings.
Any character held prisoner is on the fourth floor.
Damodar Attacks: If there are no prisoners in this
tower, Damodar doesn’t come here. If a prisoner lan-
guishes here, roll a d10 every round the characters
spend in the tower. If you roll 1, Damodar decides to
interrogate the prisoner and enters the tower.
Quicksand Rug
Any character who sees this rug makes a Spot
check (DC 25) to figure out that it’s not just a rug.
On the other hand, anyone can search the rug
specifically (Search DC 20) to figure that out. A
wizard like Marina can make a Spellcraft check
(DC 15) to figure out precisely what it is. Anyone
who walks across the rug makes a Reflex save (DC
20) to throw herself far enough toward the edge
not to drown. Failing the save means the character
sinks. Unless she has a rope or something similar,
and successfully tosses it around something heavy
(roll an attack at DC 20, if the character has two
different attack bonuses use the highest), the char-
acter in the rug drowns and dies in 3 rounds.
Another character can pull her out with a Strength
check (DC 15).
Wand of Hold Person
Marina must make a Spellcraft check (DC 15) to
recognize this item. Once she does, she knows
what it is and how to use it. She can attack anyone
she sees with this just as if casting a spell. She tar-
gets a person who makes a Will save (DC 16) or is
held motionless for 3 rounds. The wand has 4
charges: oooo
Damodar’s Headquarters
The first floor holds a large table on which pewter
mugs hold down a map of the castle and its sur-
roundings. Other maps of Izmer decorate the walls.
The second floor holds racks of scrolls and maps. The
fourth floor is clearly Damodar’s private study, and
the characters find him here except when an alarm
summons him.
Damodar
7th-level Fighter
Hit Dice: 7d10 (43 hit points)
Initiative: d20+2
Speed: 4 spaces
Armor Class: 17
Attacks: Greatsword d20+9/d20+4
5
 Damage: 2d6+2
Special Attacks: Damodar’s combat skills give him
two attacks every round. The first attack uses
the numbers to the left of the slash; the second
attack uses the numbers to the right of the
slash.
Saves: Fortitude d20+7, Reflex d20+4, Will d20+2
Skills: Listen +6, Ride +6, Search +4, Spot +6
Gear: Greatsword, chainmail armor, portal dust
Alignment: Evil
Between Adventures
In addition to giving the characters some magic
items, the Verdalf Clan welcomes the characters to
its bazaar (see below). Players can look at the
equipment tables in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Adventure Game and spend their character’s money.
The elves also heal the characters fully. When this
adventure begins, Marina’s bracelet of capture has all
its charges.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
J e f f G r u b b ’ s list of works reads like a history of
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. He has built and helped build
such works as DRAGONLANCE, the FORGOTTEN REALMS,
AL-QADIM, and SPELLJAMMER. An elder, (well, middle-
aged) god of gaming, he has most recently been work-
ing on bringing the wonders of D&D to new players,
with the D&D Fast-Play Adventures and the DIABLO
Adventure Game. In his spare time, he writes novels.
His published works include: the Finder’s Stone Tril-
ogy, Masquerades, Finder’s Bane, and Tymora’s Luck,
written with his wife, Kate Novak. He also wrote The
Ice Age Cycle, a MAGIC: THE GATHERING trilogy, and co-
wrote Cormyr: A Novel, with Ed Greenwood.
A designer for the Wizards of the Coast roleplaying
game division, Rich Redman started as a customer service
rep in 1994 and moved to design in 1998. Among other
projects, Rich has been the main designer for the MARVEL
SUPER HEROES Adventure Game. That expression on his
face comes from living with two dogs and three cats.