BY JOHNATHAN M. RICHARDS ILLUSTRATION BY R.K. POST ‘Centaur of Attention”is an AD&D? SideTrek adventure designed for three POs of 2nd and Srd level ora single th-level PC (9 total levels). A druid or an elven PC might be especially ap, but neither is necessary forthe succseful completion of the adventure ‘This encounter takes place in a small village near the forest, on a major route to ‘a larger city It employe rules taken from The Complete Bock of Humanoide and The Complete Druid’s Handbook, but neither book is necessary to run the encounter. For the PCs ‘After spending several days passing through the forest, you see a village up Jahead, where you might find the pleasures of a hot meal, @ tankard of ale, a warm bath, and a clean bed. The village appears small, but it seems big enough to suit your modest needs, ‘As you approach, there appears to be a commotion in the street, just outside the village tavern. A crowd has formed around a horse-drawn wagon. The people are shouting and shaking their fists at the driver, who you cannot see at first. Drawing alongside the wagon, you ece what has caused the crowd's anger: the wagen isn't hhorse-drawa after all; rather, hitched to it is a haggard-looking centaur. ‘The wagon's driver is a black-bearded man wearing dark robes. He holds whip in one hand and calls for the villagers to withdraw and let him pass. the crowd in its verbal assault is 2 young elf, wearing a short sword at his belt. As for the centaur, he seems dazad and bewildered by the entire ordeal For the Dungeon Master ‘The wagon's driver is a wizard named Khielgarn. After purchasing a tome detailing the procedures involved in improving the odds of acquiring a quasit to respond to a find familiar spell (Khielgarn had not cast the spell yet, for fear of summoning a toad or other weak familiar), he was anxious to return home. The stars would be in 60 Issue No. 80 their most advantageous conjunction in only a few days. Yesterday, while traveling through the forest, Khielgarn was ambushed by a band of ores that popped out from between the trees on either side of the road. Although badly outnumbered, he used his spells to good effect and was hhelding his own when a passing cen: taur, a Srd-lovel druid named Anachraous, heard the battle and came to the wizard’s aid. Together, the spell: casters routed the remaining ores, who scurried away into the forest. Khielgarn’s horse, Star, was slain during the battle, the vietim of an ore spear. Faced with a dead horse and a two-day deadline to return home to cast his find familiar spell, Khielgarn did what any evil wizard would do: he cast a jeeblemind spell on his erstwhile com: panion-at-arms, stripped him of his ‘weapons and equipment, and hooked hhim up to the wagon. The centaur has ‘spent the day being whipped to faster speeds as he pulled the wagon toward its destination, Khielgarn: AL CE; AC 9; MV 12; ‘M9; hp 21; THACO 18, #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type or opell; 8 8, D 14, C9, 1 14, W 12, Ch 7; ML 12; dagger +1, horsewhip, brooch of shielding (can absorb 63 hp of magic missile damage), ring of protection +1 Spells: affect normal fires, charm per: son, magic missile, spook; Blindness, fool's gold, glitterdust; dispel magic. protection from normal missiles, slow: charm monster, shout. Khielgarn cares only about himself and his own desires. He sees magic as, the natural way to get what he wants, He is an accomplished rider and driver, proficient with the whip as a weapon. His roofed wagon is just big enough for one person to sleep inside. Besides a coi, the interior currently holds a chest of 2,000 ep (upon which Khielgarn plans to cast fool's gold when he gets to the city), his spellbook (containing the opells listed above, as well as detect magic, find familiar, read magic, and fecblemind), the tome on summoning ‘quasits (for which he paid 2,500 gp),CENTAUR OF ATTENTION various foodstuffs, and Anachrous's equipment: a composite bow, a quiver of 10 arrows, a great club (soe The Complete Book of Humanoids, page 112, or replace with an ordinary club), and a pouch of various dried herbs. Anachraeus (centaur): ALN: AC 5; MV 18 (9 while pulling wagon); D3 (for- est wanderer); hp 18; THACO 20; Dmg 1-8/1-6 (and by weapon type, when no longer under the effect of the feeble- mind spell); § 12,D 7, C 12,19, W 14, Ch 15; ML 14; XP 420, The feeblemind spell has limited Anachraeus's intellect. He is unable to speak, has no memory of his druidical life, and can only vaguely understand what is said to him. He fully under- stands that the lash of the whip on his flank means “run faster,” and Khielgarn can get him to turn and stop by using the reins, which were modified to fit the centaur’ head. ‘The Mob ‘As tho wagon approached the village, an elven fighter named Miluki recog. nized the centaur as the forest druid /ho once saved the young els older sister from a band of hobgoblins. Knowing full well that Anachraeus would not willingly submit to such bondage, he called out to several nearby villagers. Together they blocked the ‘wagon's passage. Miluki demanded that Anachraeus be released; Khielgarn refused, demanding that the villagers move out of his way. ‘The shouts have attracted the atten- tion of quite a few of the village's resi dents, and currently there are 15 O-level humans (plus Miluki) in the ‘mob. The villagers are not armed, but they pick up rocks from the street to luse as melee weapons if it comes down toa fight. Miluki: AL LG, AC 8; MV 12; F9; hp 12; THACO 20; #AT 1; Dmg by weapon type; 8 12, D 14, C 9,19, W 11, Ch 10; ML 14; short sword, leather armor. Miluki feels honor-bound to save the centaur who rescued hie siater. He does not fight to the death, realizing that ying will do nothing to help free Anachracus. If driven off by the wizard, however, Miluki devotes himself to the centaur’ freedom, tracking Khielgarn and hiring additional help, if needed. At present, he has 260 gp in a locked box tn his room at the village inn Villagers (15): AL: LG/LNING; AC 10; MV 12: Olevel humans: hp 4 each; ‘THACO 20; #AT 172: Dmg throw rocks for 143; ML 10. ‘The villagers all respect Miluki and stand by him in his defense of the een- taur, even though they have never seen Anachraeus before today. (In fact, this is the first time many of them have fever seen a centaur) It takes each vil- lager one round to find a suitable rock for a weapon. Thus, during each round of combat, only one-half the humans can attack. Dealing with Khielgarn If the PCs do nothing to intervene, Khielgarn, sensing the upcoming hostil- ities, casts protection from normal mis- siles on himself, then uses his horse- whip to try to scatter the mob enough pass lagors are not eceomplished fighters, so ach time one is attacked, whether by ‘weapon or spell, he must immediataly make a successful morale check or flee the scene. If it seems to be taking too long, Khielzarn casts glitterdust or shout in an atiemp: to disperse the crowd. Blindness, magic missile, and charm person are reserved for individual ene- mies that are particularly intent upon stopping the wieard (eg. Mili oF the 8). If the PCs join the mob and fight the wizard, they take the chance that some of the villagers will be wounded oF killed in the battle. Perhaps the safest ‘way to combat Khielgarn isto convince the villagers to back off and let the wiz- ard go, then catch up to him later, once he's away from the villager and there are no innocent bystanders in the way. ‘Anachraeus moves at @ rate of 9 while pulling the wagon, but Khielgarn ean tse the whip to coax him up to a move- meat rate of 12. PCs on horseback should have no trouble eatching up to the wagon. Another possibility (although a remote cone) is to convince Khielgarn to free the centaur. The only way to accomplish this is to trade Anachracus for a good draft horse Even so, this takes quite a bit of persuasion on the part of the PCs, for Khielgarn is very distrustful and expects to be double-crossed once the centaur is unhitched from the wagon. Also, bear in mind that the wizard is familiar with horses and cannot be tricked into accept ing a horse of poor quality. The PCs will have to supply the horse, as no one in the village can afford to give one up. (Although the villagers might be willing to sell a horse to the PCs, at a favorable price.) Miluki, unfortunately, has no horse, nor wil he think of this solution on his own, His hatred of the wizards deed has biinded him to non-violent solutions. Concluding the Adventure If the PCs are able to free Anachraeus from the wizard’s wagon, he still requires a heal, wish or restoration spell to regain his intellect. If the PCs fare unable to cast any of these spells ‘themselves, they can try to find some- ‘one who ean (which might become an adventure in itsel) or simply turn the ‘centaur over to Miluki's care. Miluki saccompenies Anachraeus until he is cured, in any case, Ifthe PCs see the centaur through his restoration, they will have earned the gratitude not only of Anachraous but ‘lao of his druidic order and his centaur hand, once word reaches them. It is pos- siblo that at some point in the fatare, hen the PCr nad it most, dui or ‘contaur aid will be fortheomi ‘award the PCs Anachraeus fall XP value for saving him from Khielgarn. If they managed to save the villagers from harm, award an additional 200 XP. The DM might wish to have Anachraeus and Miluki join the PCs on a permanent basis, exposing the players to the roe- playing experience of having a centaur conipanion. Who knows? It might even lead to a player deciding to runa humanoid character of hisown. DUNGEON 61