Tower of Zenopus Classic Conversion 14e

Dungeon by Dr. J.E. Holmes, the Zenopus Archive authors and Zach Howard
Adapted for Dungeon World by Mark Tygart

A free pdf of the Sample Dungeon available since 2008 at:

www.wizards.com/dnd/fles/Basic_1977.pdf

For much more about the 1977 Basic Set, also known as “Holmes Basic”, see the blog Zenopus
Archives at: zenopusarchives.blogspot.com I’ve used a great deal of their material for this
conversion.

The Fallen Tower

One hundred years ago the sorcerer Zenopus built a tower on the low hills overlooking Portown. The
tower was close to the sea cliff west of the town and, appropriately, next door to the graveyard.

Rumor has it that the magician made extensive cellars and tunnels underneath the tower. The town is
located on the ruins of a much older city of doubtful history and Zenopus was said to excavate in his
cellars in search of ancient treasures.

Fifty years ago, on a cold wintry night, the sorcerer’s tower was suddenly engulfed in green flame.
Several of his human servants escaped the holocaust, saying their master had been destroyed by some
powerful force he had unleashed in the depths of the tower. Needless to say the tower stood vacant for
a while after this, but then the neighbors and the night watchmen complained that ghostly blue lights
appeared in the windows at night, that ghastly screams could be heard emanating from the tower at all
hours, and goblin figures could be seen dancing on the tower roof in the moonlight. Finally, the
authorities had a catapult rolled through the streets of the town and the tower was battered to rubble.
This stopped the haunting, but the townsfolk continued to shun the ruins. The entrance to the old
dungeons can be easily located as a flight of broad stone steps leading down into darkness, but the few
adventurous souls who have descended into crypts below the ruin have either reported only empty
stone corridors or have failed to return at all.

Other sorcerers have moved into the town, but the site of the old tower remains abandoned.
Whispered tales are told of fabulous treasure and unspeakable monsters in the underground passages
below the hilltop, and the story tellers are always careful to point out that the reputed dungeons lie in
close proximity to the foundations of the older, prehuman city, to the graveyard, and to the sea.

Portown is a small but busy city linking the caravan routes from the south to the merchant ships that
dare the pirate-infested waters of the Northern Sea. Humans and non-humans from all over the globe
meet here. At the Green Dragon Inn, the players of the game gather their characters for an assault on
the fabulous passages beneath the ruined tower.

(The Game Master should read the background material above to the assembled players and then let
them decide how they will proceed. Because of the nature of some of the traps in the dungeon, it is
highly recommended that no one attempt it alone. If only one player is taking his or her character into
the dungeon, the Game Master should recommend employing one or more men-at-arms. These non-
player characters can then be “rolled up” and hired out for a share of the treasure.)
Optional Scenarios Courtesy of the Zenopus Archives
(http://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/modules-and-scenarios/the-sample-
dungeon/sample-dungeon-simple-scenario)

The party is sent on a mission to rescue Lemunda the Lovely. The town council, including Lemunda's
powerful father, gives them a partial map of the dungeon (including the area marked START), and tells
them that "we think the tunnels shown on the map connect with the caves where the pirates are
holding her for ransom, please investigate and rescue her if possible". This can be used to introduce new
player(s) to the concept of mapping. You can even have the evil sorcerer be a member of the town
council (his tower is found in town) and secretly try to stymie the party.

Furthermore, one of the statues in the dungeon is a statue of old Zenopus himself. You see, the evil
sorcerer used to be his apprentice, until he stole his master's wand of petrification and stoned him. If
the players find the evil sorcerer’s scroll of stone to flesh, they can decide if they want to turn Zenopus
back to flesh. He will want to reward them greatly but will find he is much poorer since his Tower was
destroyed.

Questions for the party

What treasure does the party hope to find?

What forbidden knowledge?
Who has been to Portown before?
What dark rumor does someone know about Zenopus?
What friends or allies of the party have disappeared in the dungeon below?
(For the Dungeon Master: Currently a statute perhaps?

Portown (Dungeon World)

Portown, "a small but busy city linking the caravan routes from the south the merchant ships that dare
the pirate-infested waters of the Northern Sea." Portown is also home to the Green Dragon Inn, which
features in both Middle-earth's Bywater and Oerth's City of Greyhawk.

Portown a small, independent city-state that is Rich, Steady, with a City Guard, Market, and an unusual
Guild (Ajax’s Mercenaries). The city is ancient, built on top of its own ruins and the ruins of a pre human
civilization. The city is ruled by the local Merchant Guild, but the de facto ruler is the town syndic “Lord
Osric”. The city suffers from the Blight of monsters from the ruins beneath the city. The city is famous
as the former residence of the legendary wizard Zenopus. The city’s charter requires a strict policy of
neutrality, so the city has no Oaths to any other power.
Portown Rumors (Mostly courtesy of the Zenopus Archives)

Here are twenty random rumors that characters might hear while spending time and money at the
Green Dragon Inn in Portown. Or for a quick start game, simply give each character one randomly rolled
rumor to start the game with. Each rumor is followed by notes indicating the basis for it in Holmes'
Sample Dungeon (aka the Tower of Zenopus).

I have marked the rumors True or False like the ones listed in the B1 and B2, although here the "False"
rumors are generally partially true, with some misinformation involved.

1d20 Portown Rumors:

1. "An old story has a wizard with a tower on one of the hills to the west of town, out past the graveyard
near the sea cliff. I do not know much, but supposedly he dug tunnels in the hill, looking for treasures
from the past. Then he disappeared, and now it is a ruin, supposedly haunted. But if you are brave
maybe there is still treasure to be found there."

True. From the first two paragraphs of the Background, including "Rumor has it that the magician made
extensive cellars and tunnels underneath the tower" and "was said to excavate his cellars in search of
ancient treasure".

2. "I've heard the sage Ethbran holds that Portown was built on the ruins of a forgotten city. On the hills
west of town you can still find some stones from the ancient structures, decorated with odd, unsettling
symbols."

True. From the Background that the "town is located on the ruins of an older city of doubtful history"
and "the reputed dungeons lie near the foundations of the older, pre-human city". I have added the
sage; he will buy old treasures found in the dungeon and may identify magic items for a price.

3. "Don't believe a word of it, but for a bottle of whiskey that crazy old drunk Zadok will tell you a tale
about a doomed wizard he says he worked for in his youth. It's good for a laugh."

True. Zadok's tale is true as he was one of Zenopus' "human servants who escaped the holocaust, saying
their master had been destroyed by some powerful force he had unleashed in the depths of the tower".
For 10 coins bottle of whiskey Zadok will tell the full tale of Zenopus; read the first four paragraphs of
the Background to the players. (A character named Zadok Allen serves a similar role in H.P. Lovecraft's
The Shadow over Innsmouth).

4. "There are some old ruins in the hills to the west of town, but if you are wise, you'll stay away. Last
year a group of reckless youths went in there looking for treasure and were never seen again. Even if
you make it back alive, folks here don't take kindly to strangers poking about with things that should be
left alone."

True. Drawn from the Background: "townsfolk continue to shun the ruins" and "the few adventurous
souls who have descended into crypts ... have failed to return at all"; and the coda: "What are the
townspeople going to do when they discover that our friends are tampering with Things Better Left
Alone?" If the players openly enter the ruins, they may encounter hostility from some locals. The DM
could add a reward for evidence of the missing youths, perhaps the old bones & armor in the rat's nest
in Room G.

5. "Keep your voices down. I've heard that the hill to the west of town is full of a wizard's gold, but it's
also guarded by his vengeful ghost".

False. There is treasure there, but it is not the wizard's gold or guarded by his ghost. From the
Background: "Whispered tales are told of fabulous treasure and unspeakable monsters in the
underground passages below the hilltop".

6. "Now don't tell anyone, but as youths some friends and I snuck into a dungeon in the old ruins west of
town. It is easy to get in; the entrance is a set of wide steps going down. We found nothing but empty
tunnels and dangerous vermin. I think it was all cleaned out a long time ago. You'll have better luck
earning some coin by finding a job here in town."

False. There is still plenty of treasure to be found; the teller is either lying or simply did not find
anything. From the Background: "The entrance to the old dungeons can be easily located as a flight of
broad stone steps leading down into darkness, but the few adventurous souls who have descended into
crypts below the ruin have either reported only empty stone corridors or..."

7. "Bandits in the hills have been attacking caravans from the south bringing up spices and other goods.
The Guild is seeking to hire scouts to find the bandit's hideout."

True. Based on the "caravan routes from the south" (from the Background) and "a trip apt to be
punctuated by attacks by brigands" (from Holmes' DM guidance).

8. "The Swift Merman, a merchant ship, is paying well for fighting arms to protect it while plies the
Northern Sea to deliver spices from the south leaving Portown enroute for other towns up the coast."

True. Based on the "the merchant ships that dare the pirate-infested waters of the Northern Sea".

9. "If you need an extra sword arm, try hiring a man-at-arms from that big fellow Ajax at the shop
"Warrior-For-Hire". Pricey, but he hires only the strongest and most dependable."

True. Background: "If only one player is taking his or her character into the dungeon,
the Dungeon Master should recommend employing one or more men-at-arms. These non-player
characters can then be "rolled up" and hired out for a share of the treasure." Ajax is based on Holmes'
Warrior-For-Hire. They require an equal share of the treasure.

10. "The Guild is hiring extra night watchmen to patrol the warehouses down by the harbor. Robbers
keep evading their current guards and stealing goods, mostly food. Street urchins are suspected since
small footprints were found in spilled flour in one break-in."

True. But the "urchins" are the goblins from Room A, sneaking into town for food. If confronted, they
will try to escape unless cornered, in which case they will fight until half their number is killed, and then
surrender. To evade pursuit a goblin may even throw a vial of sleep gas as per their trapped chest.
11. "Looking for work? There's a hardworking magician who lives in a short tower on the west side of
town who is said to be a dependable employer".

False. While this magician will hire the characters for certain jobs, he is the evil thaumaturgist from
Rooms F and S in the dungeon, with his tower above Room S. This rumor assumes he is one of the
"other magic-users [that] have moved into the town" from the Background. The thaumaturgist is "trying
to take over the dungeon level" so this work could even lead to a job clearing out a dungeon room such
as the Giant Spider. Obviously, he will betray the party at some point.

12. "That old drunk Otus was recently fished out of the sea to the west of town, half-drowned. He says
he last remembers wandering into the sewers beneath town, looking for a warm place to sleep and fell
in a river. But then how did he end up out in the sea?"

True. Otus fell in the underground river that goes through Rooms H, K, L and M, and was swept out to
sea, amazingly surviving. Inspired by Lovecraft's The Festival, where the protagonist is swept out to sea
by an underground river.

13. "Looking for lost treasure, eh? Try those sea caves beneath the high cliffs west of town if you dare. I
have always heard that pirate treasure is buried there! But watch yourself getting in or that surf will
dash you to pieces against the rocks at the base of the cliffs."

True. One of the sea caves is the entrance to Room M. Others should have pirate treasure troves hidden
in the sea caves" per the coda of the adventure. Others may have Deep Ones worshipping Dagon
(Cthulhu), a trapped hidden pirate ship with treasure as per the goonies or whatever the DM imagines.

14. "Merchants are complaining that stolen goods have been turning up in town. Smugglers are
suspected, but it is not clear how they are getting the goods past the town guards. The Guild will pay for
information."

True. The sea cave in Room M is "used by smugglers and pirates" to hide out while they bring stolen
goods into town.

15. "The town is abuzz due to the disappearance of Lord Lemunda’s heir and eldest daughter Lemunda
the Lovely. She has been missing for a day and the Lord is offering a reward for her return or any
information on her whereabouts. The word is that she ran off with a band of adventurers on a quest for
treasure".

False. Lemunda has disappeared but was kidnapped by pirates and is being held in Room M, a sea cave.

16. "Several fishermen have gone missing while checking crab pots to the west of the harbor. Their
boats were found floating, abandoned. One corpse was found with strange marks on its skin. A sea
creature is suspected, and groups of a fisherman are offering a reward for proof of its destruction."

True. The Large Octopus described in Room M is responsible. If killed, the pirates will hear of the party
and recognize them as a possible threat.

17. "I've heard stories that kings were buried in the ancient catacombs of Portown in huge coffins filled
with coins. If only I knew where they were!"
False. Room N is part of the catacombs, but the ancients were buried with jewelry and arms rather than
coins.

18. "The Widow Dannick is frightened of the scratching noises she hears coming from her cellar and
would like someone to investigate. In return she offers the gear of her deceased husband, a retired
adventurer, which is stored in the basement."

True. Rats from Room RT have tunneled into her basement and are nesting there. The PCs will find that
the tunnels lead to Room N, providing a possible entrance to the dungeon.

19. "Grave-robbers recently struck the cemetery. Ol' Gozef the caretaker says that a grave collapsed into
a large hole in the ground, with no trace of the coffin that should have been there. He wants to catch
the robbers if you are interested in a job."

False. The coffin was stolen by ghouls rather than more mundane grave-robbers. This rumor is based on
the "ghoul haunted passages beneath the graveyard" mentioned in the coda to the Sample Dungeon,
and Room P with ghouls and smashed coffins. The ghouls dig out the graves from underneath, hence the
collapse. A stakeout could lead to a confrontation with one or more ghouls. An entire underground
complex could be designed, perhaps with a ghast leading the ghouls. The coda also references,
"inhuman rites in the tunnels", which suggests cultists are also involved with the ghouls. Ol' Gozef
secretly accepts bribes from the undead cult to allow unholy ceremonies on the cemetery grounds but
has become nervous that the resulting ghouls may eat him for dinner. His actions may result in the cult
paying the evil sorcerer to turn him into a statute in his own cemetery to keep him quiet.

20. "The Merchant Amev was known for walking about town accompanied by his beloved ape
companion Thak. But the ape ran off one evening and never returned. Amev is distraught and is offering
a hefty reward for the ape's return or information leading to such."

True. The evil thaumaturgist has captured the ape and is keeping him in a cage in Room S2. The ape
"hates the cage and has been waiting to get even". See also Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue and
Howard's Rogues in the House (where the name Thak is from).

Note: Some of these rumors will result in the PCs approaching the dungeon from a different
entrance or meeting one of the encounters out of context. They also were designed with the
idea of making the Portown setting more of a mini-campaign area.
Portown (mostly courtesy of the Zenopus Archives)

1 - The old lighthouse remains a functioning one. It was built on the ruins of a temple to Dagon
(Cthulhu). All that remained of the ancient structure was the stone foundation, upon which the early
townsfolk built a lighthouse to guide ships into the harbor. The lighthouse keeper is a reclusive but
kindly healer-hermit dedicated to Triton (neutral sea god) who lives on the site. He can heal or revoke
most curses. He may want the party to investigate a secret door he has discovered in the lighthouse
basement leading to the dungeon ruins deep below. Triton is the overwhelmingly most popular deity in
the town among locals and the lighthouse keeper the unofficial town cleric.

2 - The graveyard (sometimes called the potter’s field) for executed prisoners, suicides and other
unclaimed bodies and is on an old executioner's hill. It is largely unused. A feral zombie cat (1 hp)
sometimes haunts the area after dark but is harmless. Above ground on the hill, this was originally the
old potters' field for burial of the poor. The soft earth was easy to dig, albeit stony, and the hill was far
from town. The hill itself was once used for executions, with the deceased convicts being buried right
near the spot. The rats' tunnels honeycomb these burials; since the poor were buried in shrouds and not
in caskets, the potters' field has been a veritable buffet for the eager rats.
Every full moon a strange event occurs here. A group of six skeletons will claw up from the stony earth
(See Location B) and dance as one plays eerie music on fiddle. If disturbed, they will attack but if
undisturbed (Or if the players join the dance) they will vanish after the dance and leave a magical item
as a gift (GMs Choice). The second time the players peacefully attend the feral zombie cat will be
restored to life and “adopt” an adventurer. It is now a magical talking cat that will help the party out
with useful advice. The third time all will be blessed with a small skull tattoo on their left hand that will
enable each player to make their next Last Breath roll (afterwards it will vanish) but the Danse Macabre
will not reoccur.

3 - The cemetery is a collection of tombs and a mausoleum which remains in active use. Unlike the
graveyard, the cemetery is surrounded by a stone wall punctuated by wrought iron gates and is next
door to a talkative caretaker's home. Sometimes (1-4) undead cultists bribe the caretaker and conduct
secret unholy ceremonies here to create a ghoul from the corpse of a former member. One of the
tombs contains a secret tunnel that links up with Room P where two of these former cult members
dwell.

4 - The ruins of Zenopus tower itself, and the entrance to the dungeon. The stairway from the surface
leads twenty five feet straight down and ends in the corridor marked START on the Game Master’s map.

5 - The location of the Thaumaturgist's tower (also on a hill, since it needs to be at the same elevation
as the entrance to the dungeon)

6 - The cave entrance to the dungeons below the ruins of Zenopus tower in the sea cliffs to the west

7 - Fishermen’s quarter. The fishing boats and vessels generally make use of the west part of the harbor.

8 - The Harbor master is the first place foreign ships need to check in with

9 - Warehouses around the docks area

10 - This is the town square, with the town hall on the east side of the square. This is where important
announcements are declared, etc. The ruling merchant guild headquarters and the local town guard
barracks and jail are here. Lemunda's father “Lord” Osric is the guild’s Syndic and is the acting guild
master, primary town judge and the de facto city manager.

11 - This is the crowded tenement district. Only one narrow street winds through the area. The rest is a
maze of claustrophobic alleyways and crowded, filthy tenements. Somewhere in this district is the
headquarters of the small local thieves' guild. The guild will happily hire the players to investigate the
“urchin thefts” (goblin raids).

12 - The Green Dragon Inn is in a slightly better part of town and is one of the buildings around a small
square. The homes in and around this area are where some of the wealthier citizens live (including
Lemunda the Lovely's father). This is the best place for rumors, job offers, clean beds and decent fare.

13 - Ajax and his "Warriors for Hire" were just too good old-fashioned Holmes goodness to leave out.
Holmes describes a building in town with a banner reading “Expeditions Unlimited: Hire a Warrior!” run
by Ajax, a “big heavy set fellow” and “veteran of the dungeons” who “has a patch over one eye and is
missing several fingers of his left hand”. Ajax and his “Warriors-for-Hire” later reappeared in Holmes’
novel “The Maze of Peril” (1986). Boinger and Zereth hire two of his employees, Haldor and Olaf, who is
described as a big blonde man – obviously one of the Viking barbarians. Olaf tells the party “We
Warriors-for-Hire accept burial on the field of battle as part of the risks of the game” and that Ajax
“loves us all as sons, of which he has none, and he begrudges each as he dies, though we die in this
business”.

14 - Farmers' market – Great source of affordable snacks.

15 - The Bazaar is where many of the more exotic products (and services) can be found. It is centered
within a part of the city where most foreigners reside

Zenopus Dungeon Factions (Courtesy of the Zenopus Archives)

Some thoughts on using the encounters in the Sample Dungeon as "factions" vying for control of the
dungeon:

Thaumaturgist (Rooms F and S) - This evil magic-user's goal is "to take over the dungeon level". Allies
include a charmed smuggler (2nd level fighter) and a pet giant snake. Other resources include his tower
(home base), a wand of petrification and a captured ape in a cage.

Per Holmes' advice, I've generally had him react to intruders by fleeing and ordering his lackey to attack,
but in the Portown Rumors he is a potential employer in town. Why not have the Thaumaturgist play the
same role if first encountered in the dungeon? He might parlay with the PCs to get them to aid in taking
over the dungeon. An easy first mission would be cleaning out the giant rats in nearby Room G. Other
targets might be the goblins in Room A, the giant spider in Room J, the giant crab in Room L, the
pirates/smugglers in Room M, the ghouls in Room P.

Following Zenopus' demise, "[o]ther magic-users have moved into town", which I've taken to mean the
thaumaturgist, but it also implies at least one other. Perhaps there is a rival M-U also searching for
ancient treasures on a deeper level in the dungeon.

Another option is to have the thaumaturgist as a former apprentice of Zenopus who turned his master
to stone and used him as the rotating statue in Room F. In this type of scenario there is the potential for
restoring Zenopus with the scroll of stone to flesh. Another twist would be to place the thaumaturgist
on the town council, or perhaps as an advisor to one of the lords on the council.

Goblins (Room A) - this group lives in this huge room (120 x 120 feet, the largest in the dungeon) as
evidenced by the beds (one for each goblin), tables and benches. Their total number is not defined as
Holmes suggests adjusting it on the number of PCs. If goblins are encountered as wandering monsters
on this level, they could also be part of this group. If more goblins sneak into the area from the nearby
hills and join the group they may try to expand their area of control.

The only other clue that Holmes gives for goblins' motivations is survival - they will flee or surrender if
half the number is killed, and will bargain duplicitously in order to escape. They have knowledge of "the
dangerous trap rooms" although it is not clear what this refers to. The ambushing giant spider in nearby
Room J is a possibility.

The goblins' room is very close to the entrance to the dungeon, with no other encounters between, and
they could easily slip to the surface to steal food from the town; in Portown Rumors this activity is
responsible for one of the rumors.

They have a good deal of coin which means they might be working for someone, perhaps the
thaumaturgist. If the PCs offer more money, the goblins will probably provide information or
cooperation for the time.

Pirates (Room M) - Another group of indeterminate number; there at least four but with a 1 in 4 chance
every turn of 2-5 more arriving with no limit indicated. This group is mainly concerned with maintaining
their sea cave hideout in the sea cave. They have a dangerous "guard dog" in the form of the hungry
octopus they feed as they row in to keep from attacking them. They are also described as smugglers but
are probably not currently moving the goods into town through the dungeon due to the various
dangerous monsters in the way. But having them use the dungeon for transport could be a motivation
for having them vie for control of the dungeon. Alternately, if their lair is threatened, they may go
seeking revenge on the offending party.

The forces in Room M are all described as normal men, but they had at least one former member who
was a powerful fighter (now charmed by the thaumaturgist). This raises the possibility of stronger
leaders that are currently elsewhere. If they feel threatened by the town, they might assemble a larger
force and stage a raid.

They have Lemunda the Lovely prisoner. Did they kidnap her with the goal of ransoming her? Or did
they catch her spying on them and are now debating what to do?

Ghouls (Room P) - These undead are tied to the cemetery in an ambiguous manner. The room contains
some smashed coffins (their own or someone else's?) and the east door "leads to a short dirt tunnel
which ends blindly under the cemetery". The coda to the adventure indicates something is going on
there: "What inhuman rites are being practiced deep in the ghoul haunted passages beneath the
graveyard?" This implies cult activities, which could be another faction. Perhaps the cultists are
animating dead bodies - skeletons, zombies, ghouls. The cult would have a leader, possibly an evil curate
and many lower level acolytes Perhaps they carry a "sigil" (silver mask and purple robes?) that keeps
their undead minions from attacking them. The cult could be based under the lighthouse or on a deeper
level of the dungeon.

Rats (Rooms G, N and RT) - These are not intelligent, but there are many ("there is no end to the rats").
Add a controlling were-rat or two (or even a vampire!) with a base somewhere in the rat tunnels or a
deeper level and there's another faction vying for control of the dungeon.

Townsfolk - While the citizens of Portown are not ordinarily encountered in the dungeon, they've got a
stake in it since it is under their town and the denizens may pose a threat. Per the coda of the
adventure, the townspeople may not take kindly to trouble stirred up from below ("tampering with
Things Better Left Alone"). This brings the possibility of invoking the "Angry Villager Rule" - "Anyone
who has viewed a horror movie is aware of how dangerous angry villagers are…” However, if the PCs
gain some prominence - such as by rescuing Lemunda - the town leaders would probably support any
efforts to defeat all the above factions.

TOWNSFOLK, ANGRY MOB OF Solitary, Large, Organized, Horde

Pitchforks (d8 damage) 16 HP 0 armor

Special Qualities: Will burn buildings

A mob of angry townsfolk that will murder anything that crosses their path.

Instinct: Destroy

● Burn all!
● Express insane rage
● Will dissolve if suffers serious damage

UNDEAD CULTIST Group, Stealthy

(d4 damage) 3 HP 0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Ghouls will not attack

These cultists wear purple robes and silver masks. Local ghouls will not attack humans wearing this outfit.

Instinct: To serve Death and Greed

● Worship Ghouls

PORTOWN GUARDSMAN Group, Intelligent, Organized

Spear (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor

Close, Reach

Noble protector or merely drunken lout, it often makes no difference to these sorts. Falling shy of a noble knight, the
proud town guard is an ancient profession, nonetheless. These folks of the constabulary often dress in the colors of
their lord (when you can see it under the mud) and, depending on the richness of that lord, might even have a decent
weapon and some armor that fits. Those are the lucky ones.

Instinct: To do as ordered
North ↑
Beneath the Fallen Tower

Location A Goblin Bunkhouse (Illuminated by Goblin Torches)

A large room, 120 ft. x 100 ft.; there are doors in the east, west and the south wall. The room is
furnished with rough tables and benches and as many beds as there are occupants.

The occupants are at least three goblins. The Game Master should increase the number of goblins
if the party of adventurers is a large one — i.e., if more than three are in the party, have five
goblins, more than five, seven or eight goblins, etc. The goblins wear leather armor and carry
swords and daggers. If half their number is killed, the other(s) will try to escape through one of
the doors or surrender. If surrender is accepted the captured goblins will offer to lead the party to
a treasure but will try to guide them to one of the dangerous trap rooms and then run.

GOBLIN Horde, Small, Intelligent, Organized

Sword (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 armor
Close

Nobody seems to know where these things came from. Elves say they are the dwarves’ fault—
dredged up from a hidden place beneath the earth. Dwarves say they are bad elvish children,
taken away at birth and raised in the dark. The truth of the matter is that goblins have always
been here, and they will be here once all the civilized races have fallen and gone away. Goblins
never die out. There are just too damn many of them.

Instinct: To multiply

● Charge!
● Call more goblins
● Retreat and return with (many) more

There are small wooden chests under each bed and several leather sacks hanging on pegs along
the wall. Most of the sacks contain junk, dirty clothes, old bones, etc., but two contain coins, 500
coins each (one sack can be carried by one character but must be dropped during combat). There
are several cloaks hanging on pegs and in a pocket of one cloak there is a magical potion of
enlargement in a glass vial.

The portion causes the target's size to double in all dimensions, and its weight is multiplied by
eight. This growth increases its size by one category. The character also gains + 1 on all rolls
involving strength. If there is not enough room for the target to double its size, the creature or
object attains the maximum possible size in the space available. The target's weapons also grow
to match its new size. While these weapons are enlarged, the target's attacks deal 1d4 extra
damage. The effects last until the character next makes camp.

One of the chests contains an additional 2,000 counterfeit coins but the chest is booby-trapped
and an opening release a cloud of sleep gas filling an area 6 x 6 x 6 feet. Anyone within this area
who fails to make his (DEFY DANGER+CON) roll will fall deeply asleep until the party next
makes camp. A partial success means the player is groggy and takes a -1 on all rolls until camp is
made. If all the characters are affected by the gas, then the situation will have to be handled at
the GM’s discretion. Capture by the pirates in the complex for ransom is likely.

The counterfeit coins will be automatically detected by either a thief or a dwarf and may be
fenced by a thief for 1/10 of their fraudulent value. Laws against counterfeiting or passing
counterfeit coins are usually very harsh, but these coins were expertly made.

Location B Skeletal Alcoves (Dark)

This is a 50 ft. x 50 ft. room with a north door and an open door at the south end. The four deep
niches in the walls can be seen from the north doorway but they are covered with cobwebs and
nothing can be seen within them. The room is totally dark, and the floor is covered with an inch
of undisturbed dust.

There are four skeletons in the niches. They do not attack unless someone advances over ten feet
into the room, then they all rush out and attack until destroyed or turned away. If turned, they run
out the door at the end of the room farthest from the party.

SKELETON Group, Construct

Rusty sword (d6 damage) 6 HP 2 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: They perform simple tasks as mandated by their creator but are incapable of
higher thought.

A skeletal warrior appears as a cracked and yellowing skeleton covered with shards of decaying
flesh. Its eyes are black holes containing pinpoints of reddish light. It is clad in the blackened
armor and rotted trappings it wore in its former life.

Instinct: To destroy all life

GM’s Note: Bones must be scattered, buried, blessed or have holy water poured on them after
“death” or the creature(s) will eventually reassemble.

There is no treasure in this room.

Location C (Dark)

An empty corridor: all corridors in this dungeon are 10 feet wide and 10 feet high. (The magic-
user’s secret corridor (S to F) is 5 feet by 5 feet.) Remember that the GM may always invoke a
hard move when applicable to “make a wandering monster appear”— corridors are likely
places for this to happen. Also note that all doors in the dungeon are made of heavy oak and
locked if not otherwise noted. Note that the evil sorcerer has a master key to all the doors in this
dungeon. The doors are enchanted (by the evil sorcerer or Zenopus) and will open for monsters
generally (DM’s option) but not the party.
Location D Swiveling Statue (Dark)

An almost empty room with a 6 ft. tall stone statue of the wizard Zenopus (the actual wizard
petrified by his former apprentice, the new evil sorcerer if wished) in the center. There is a door
in the middle of each wall, north, south, east and west. The statue is facing the door by which the
party just entered. Doors to this room always open from the outside, but at the same time the
statue will rotate on its base to face the opening door. Once it has been opened, the door starts to
slowly shut, activated by a powerful spring in the hinges — it will stay open to allow the party to
enter. The door opens outward into the corridor.

From inside the room all doors are firmly held shut except the one the statue is facing — that
door can be easily opened. To open any door, then, the statue must be rotated on its base (it |
turns easily) until it faces the door. Then the door opens easily. Doors cannot be forced open;
they are held by the equivalent of a wizard lock spell.

Solitary, Stealthy, Magical, Devious, Intelligent,

ZENOPUS
Hoarder
Elemental Blast (w[2d8] damage) 18 HP 2 armor
Close, Reach, Near

A canny wizard, he is most dangerous on his home turf.

Instinct: To seek knowledge and power

● Cast a low-key level spell

● Offer a gift, bargain, or trade
● Reveal a magical trap, curse, or binding

He will seek to hire the party to investigate the mysterious second level.

New Spells

Wizard’s Lock (Wizard Third Level, Evocation)

You touch a closed door, window, gate, chest, or other entryway, and it becomes locked. You
and the creatures you designate when you cast this spell can open the object normally. You can
also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, suppresses this spell for 1
minute. Otherwise, it is impassable until it is broken, or the spell is dispelled or suppressed.
Casting a Knock on the object suppresses Wizard Lock for 10 minutes.

While affected by this spell, the object is not more difficult to break or force open.
Knock (Wizard First Level, Evocation)

Choose an object that you can see within range. The object can be a door, a box, a chest, a set
of Manacles, a padlock, or another object that contains a mundane or magical means that
prevents access.

A target that is held shut by a mundane lock or that is stuck or barred becomes unlocked,
unstuck, or unbarred. If the object has multiple locks, only one of them is unlocked.

If you choose a target that is held shut with Wizard Lock, that spell is suppressed for 10 minutes,
during which time the target can be opened and shut normally.

Location E Wandering Monster Check

Room E is always an empty room. The size of the rooms and the number of doors is variable, as
shown on the Game Master’s map.

Every time the party enters an E room the Dungeon Master should have the players roll for
Wandering Monsters. A d6 is rolled with Wandering Monsters appearing on 1 or 2.

Wandering Monsters (Roll 1d6)

1. 1 Ghoul (See Location P)
2. 1 Zenopus Cube (See Below)
3. 1-4 Giant Rats (See Location G)
4. 1-4 Goblins (See Location A)
5. Item Table (Roll on the Item Table Below)
6. Supernatural Events (Roll on the Supernatural Events Table Below)

ZENOPUS CUBE Solitary, Hoarder, Construct

Pseudopod (w[2d10] damage) 12 HP 0 armor
Close, Near
Special Qualities: Opens Doors, Cleans

A Cleaning or Zenopus Cube is a smaller, more visible (translucent) gelatinous cube first bred by
Zenopus to clean his dungeon. A non-aggressive scavenger, it attacks only if threatened.
Indigestible material such as rocks or metal is deposited in a selected rubbish room. Other
dungeon monsters will avoid a cleaning cube.

Instinct: Devours Waste

(Inspired by Zach Howard’s 5e monster)

The cube will always contain an item from the item table which it deposits in Room N,
eventually.

Item Table (Roll 1d6)

1. Goblin Graffiti (Examples: Gruumsh loves humans! To Eat; Beware the Humans! Bagosh
was here! Fear the Zombie Cat!)

2. Arcane Runes

When you find arcane runes deeply etched on the dungeon wall, roll+Wis.

On a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose 1:

• Learn something useful about the dungeon

• Avoid being attacked by wandering monsters (Reroll as per table in Room E; 6 counts as
encounter)

Examples of Useful Information:

“Beware the new Sorcerer!”, “Rotate the statute and the doors will open”, “Illuminate and then
ask”; “Some statutes were once people”, “Dagon once ruled here and will again…” , “The Sword
of Aurelius lies in the crypts to the north”, “Dance with the Dead in the Graveyard by the Full
moon’s light” and “Beware the Kraken!”

3. Hidden Goblin Dart Trap (by Andrea Parducci)

When you step on a hidden trap trigger, Roll+Dex. On a 10+, you avoid the dart. On a 6-, you
suffer 1d8 damage, and you are paralyzed until your party makes camp by the poison on the dart.

On a 7–9, choose 1:
• The dart barely hits you; half damage and you are simply stunned for a while.

• The dart hits your stuff; you suffer no damage, but you must remove a useful piece of
equipment.

• The trap mechanism was flawed. No dart is coming for you; however, the trap made a lot of
metallic sounds... someone has heard it for sure. (Roll Wandering Monster Table again)

• You can avoid the dart at the last second, but your nearest ally now must roll for the trap (you
need to have his approval to choose this one).

4. Map of the Dungeon (Dropped by the Sorcerer) If rolled again it is a Knock scroll. If rolled a
third time again reroll.
5. Map to the Pirate Treasure buried in Cavern K If rolled again it is a letter from an undead
cult member to the evil sorcerer mentioning the time and place of their next ghoul creation
ceremony (next new moon at midnight in the cemetery) and inviting him to come. . . If rolled
again reroll.

6. Master Key for this Dungeon level (Dropped by the Sorcerer) If rolled again it is a key to the
next trapped treasure chest the party finds. If rolled a third time again reroll.

Supernatural Events Table (Roll 1d6) Inspired by Zach Howard

1. An insane antiquarian (1 HP) wearing a bronze octopoid crown rushes the party, yelling
for submission to Dagon, and pummeling whoever is closest. The antiquarian will regain her
sanity if the bronze crown is removed and they are brought out of the dungeon. The crown
was found in an ancient chamber discovered when a cellar was excavated in Portown and is
cursed so it cannot be removed by the bearer once worn but has gems worth 2,000 Coins. It
will whisper advice to its bearer slowly driving them mad. (Defy Danger +WIS by the Owner
once per week or risk losing a point of Intelligence. The DM should feel free to roleplay the
creepy mask. If the gems are removed the curse will cease to operate. If the mask is
removed and the wearer leaves the dungeon the Intelligence is regained. Note that the
wearer is enchanted; no monster in the Dungeon will attack the crown bearer unless
attacked and all doors will open to him or her. The bearer also gains dark sight while
wearing the crown.) If rolled again reroll if needed.

2. Column of sickly green flame, 5' wide and 10' high, spouts from the floor (1-3 = ahead 10-
100', 4-5 = behind, 6 = ceiling above the party). All viewing it feels increasingly queasy (Defy
Danger +WIS) or flee. If touched or hit, the cold flame suddenly leaps on to the attacker and
burns away (Defy Danger+ DEX to escape, then a Last Breath roll) the victim's flesh withers,
leaving an animated skeleton (See Location B) wearing their equipment as the flame
vanishes.

3. A ghostly blue light illuminates the corridor, slowly coalescing into a shape vaguely like a
blue-robed figure. If the party lingers, the character with the highest Intelligence must Defy
Danger+INT. If they save, the spirit will assault the next most intelligent character, and so
forth. Failure results in a whispering in the mind urging the character to spend the night in
the dungeon (Defy Danger+ WIS again to leave). Each night in the dungeon temporarily
drains a point of Wisdom, until zero when they are under control of the spirit, which is that
of a sinister wizard from the past, wishing to return to life (optionally, this is Zenopus
himself).

4. A salty sea fog rolls across the floor and begins to fill the room. Each round it grows 1 foot
higher, continuing no matter how far the party travels during this time, until it reaches the
ceiling. Once, this occurs visibility is reduced to 1 foot (and all attacks are made at -2). It will
disappear once the party leaves the room. Ghostly moans and rattled chains may be heard
in the fog.

5. A lone ghastly scream is suddenly heard in the distance, but the direction is not clear, and
it is not immediately repeated. Roll again for a chance of a wandering monster.
 6. A small daemon (1HP) hangs from a wall at the edge of the party's light source. It hisses
and dances away if the light advances. This is one of many small otherworldly familiars
summoned by Zenopus to aid in his laboratory, and now trapped in our world. If a magic
using approaches and converses with the creature it may agree to serve as a “familiar”. It
will assume its master’s alignment and become a useful source of advice and help as per the
unseen servant spell or cantrip. It may only be damaged by magic or magic weapons.

Location F Wizard’s Workroom (lit by Fire Wasp Lanterns)

This is the evil sorcerer’s room; he has been trying to take over the dungeon level. The room is
50 ft. by 60 ft. There is a large door in the south wall and a smaller one in the north wall. The
sorcerer himself is standing behind a worktable in the southwest corner. Near him is a second
level warrior whom he holds under a Charm spell. This man is one of the smugglers or pirates
from the sea cave whose curiosity allowed him to wander too far into the underground.
This warrior is basically neutral but will attack fiercely on command from the sorcerer. He
carries a magic sword (unbreakable and will hit incorporeal foes but otherwise no further
bonus). He wears a jeweled belt (stolen) with rubies worth 1,000 coins.

SMUGGLER Intelligent

Magic Sword (d6 damage) 12 HP 1 armor

Close or a few yards away

Special Qualities: Has been magically Charmed by the sorcerer

Instinct: To win every battle

● Quick Thrust
● Attack with a plan
● Serve the Sorcerer
EVIL SORCERER Magical, Intelligent, Hoarder, Terrifying

Fireballs and Pain Magic (b[2d10] damage) 16 HP 0 armor

Close, Reach, Ignores Armor

Special Qualities: Can also cast Charm Person and Wizard Lock

Instinct: To find forbidden knowledge

If he can get out the door, he will put a Wizard Lock spell on it and run up the stairs to his tower.
He carries a scroll of levitation. He will drop the magic scroll attempting to exit the room.
The rest of room F is occupied by 3 stone statues of men. They are men turned to stone by the
magic-user with a special wand which he has in his tower. He will use the wand on anybody
entering his hideaway. All three are pirates from the Sea Caves.
New Spells

Levitation (Wizard First Level Transmutation)

One creature or object of your choice that you can see within range rises vertically, up to 20 feet,
and remains suspended there for the duration. The spell can levitate a target that weighs up to
500 pounds. An unwilling creature that succeeds on a Constitution saving throw is unaffected.

The target can move only by pushing or pulling against a fixed object or surface within reach
(such as a wall or a ceiling), which allows it to move as if it were climbing. You can change the
target’s altitude by up to 20 feet in either direction on your turn. If you are the target, you can
move up or down as part of your move. Otherwise, you can use your action to move the target,
which must remain within the spell’s range.

When the spell ends, the target floats gently to the ground if it is still aloft.

Wizard’s Lock (Wizard Third Level, Evocation)

You touch a closed door, window, gate, chest, or other entryway, and it becomes locked. You
and the creatures you designate when you cast this spell can open the object normally. You can
also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, suppresses this spell for 1
minute. Otherwise, it is impassable until it is broken, or the spell is dispelled or suppressed.
Casting a Knock on the object suppresses Wizard Lock for 10 minutes.

While affected by this spell, the object is not more difficult to break or force open.
Location G Gloomy Rats' Nest (Dark)

The gloomy room: piles of rocks and rubbish four feet high cover the floor. There is a door in the
center of every wall except the north. There are 1d6+1 giant rats in the room, but they are hiding
in the shadows and not easily seen. An elf or a dwarf might spot them. They will attack if the
room is entered.

GIANT RAT Horde, Small

Bite (d4 damage) 3 HP 0 armor
Close

These Giant Rats are native to the fabled Island of Sumatra.

Instinct: Attack intruders

● Claw and Bite

● Gnaw Things
● Infect with plague

The rats have a treasure: concealed in a mass of old bones, chewed leather straps and bits of
armor in its nest is a belt attached to which is a silver dagger (50 coins in value) in a sheath and a
bag containing 50 coins. It takes a turn of careful searching to refuse to come up with these
things.

Location H Underground River (Dark)

An 80 ft. x 50 ft. room; doors in the north and south walls.

There is a river running through the room, 50 ft. wide. It enters and exits through holes in the
east and west wall with less than a foot of air space over the water. The channel is 10 feet deep
and the current is swift. Anyone falling in will be swept away unless he has Strength 9+. Heroes
in metal armor will sink to the bottom if they fall in. They may be able to shed their armor
(DEFY DANGER+DEX) in one turn and get to the surface.

The current will deposit anyone swept away in room K at the end of a turn. Being dragged under
the rock wall between rooms is dangerous. Anyone with a Constitution of 8 or better will survive
unhurt, others run a 50% chance of taking a 1d6 of damage from drowning.

The walls of room H are fitted granite blocks as is the ceiling 20 feet above. The Dungeon
Master will have to evaluate the characters’ attempts to cross. The floor is also of rock, 15 feet
wide on each bank and the drop into the river is sheer.
Location I The Brazen Head of Zenopus (Dark)

Doors in the north, south and east walls give entrance to this room. In the center of the room is a
bronze sundial on a low pedestal. Set into the stone of the west wall is a bronze mask, about the
size of a shield. The eyes and mouth are shut. Below the mask, in common language is an
inscription:

“I’ll answer questions, one, no more. I never speak till it is four.”

The magic is activated by shining the light of a single torch, lantern, etc. on the sundial so the
shadow of the gnomon falls on the Roman numeral IV. The bronze mask then opens its eyes and
says:

“Speak, I’ll answer.”

It will give a reasonable answer to any brief pertinent question and then say:
“I’ve answered one, now go away. I will not speak again today.”

Since the shadow must be held on IV, there is little chance of triggering the magic accidentally,
even by walking around the sundial with a light.

The actual entrance to the second level may be found in a secret door behind the bronze mask; if
the DM does desire it to exist. The mask must be asked access to open this portal.

Location J Spider’s Lair (Dark)

A room 60 by 50 feet in size; the ceiling is out of sight in the darkness but there are large spider-
webs in the corners. There are doors in the middle of all 4 walls.

A giant spider lurks in the darkness of the roof, thirty-five feet above. He will drop on unwary
adventurers.

ZENOPUS GIANT SPIDER Solitary, Devious

Bite (1d8 damage) 12 HP 1 armor

Close

Custom Move: When a Zenopus Giant Spider first bites you, Roll+Constitution. On a miss,
you are paralyzed. On a 7-9, take the full 1d8 damage. On a 10+, you are immune to the spider’s
venom.
Instinct: Drain its prey of life

● Wrap up its victims in webs to snack on later

● Attack with surprise
● Avoid all Halflings with glowing elvish daggers

Any magic healing or making camp will restore a paralyzed player.

If the party enters and does not see the spider, the monster will select a victim (by random-
number assignment of some sort) and try to drop on top of him.

If the spider makes his first hit, he has dropped on the character and knocked him down. If he
misses, he lands beside the victim on the floor and the battle proceeds from there. If the spider
gets a knock-down it is a surprise (naturally), and the spider gets the next blow. The character
knocked down makes his first hit with a -2 off his roll, after that he hits normally. There is no
treasure in this room, but a magic dagger (roll twice for damage; higher applies) is embedded in
the spider’s body (evidently a souvenir from some previous battle); it can be found only if the
beast is cut open.

Location K Pirate Treasure (Very Dark)

A cavern, about 10 feet high, irregularly shaped, with the river running through it; there is a
shallow beach where flotsam from the river is deposited. There is an exit to the west. The cave is
completely dark, characters without lights or the ability to see in the dark will have to feel their
way out.

There is a chest of pirate treasure (2,000 coins) buried at the northern end of the cavern. {t is
buried with four skeletons (See Location B), which will attack.

Location L Giant Crab Beach (Lit by Phosphorescent Fungus)

Another cave with the river running through it; there is phosphorescent fungus growing on the
rocks, so anyone can see without lights. There are east and west entrances on both sides of the
river to the sandy beach. The river is only 3-4 feet deep at the center of the channel and can be
forded.

There is a giant crab concealed under the sand on the south beach. It will attack anything that
moves on either beach.
GIANT CRAB Group

Pincers (d8 damage) 16 HP 3 armor

Close, Forceful

A giant crab! Run away!

Instinct: To feed on almost anything alive or dead

● Crush prey
● Ambush
● Devour

Location M Pirate Cavern (Dimly Illuminated)

A large sea cave with entrances to the north and south; there is a sandy beach, on which are
drawn up two rowboats. The entrance to the sea is to the west about 500 feet. If it is day up
above, the cave will be dimly illuminated by sunlight coming through the tunnel. If it is night,
torches in the hands of the occupants will shed a dim glow.

The cave is used by smugglers and pirates. There are four pirates present now, sitting in one of
the boats, talking. They are normal men and are armed with cutlasses. (At the Game Master’s
discretion, he may increase the number of pirates.) Each pirate carries 2-12 coins in his purse
(roll two 6-sided dice). The pirates use the cave to hide treasure and there are chests in the first
boat and a prisoner in the second boat.
PIRATE Horde, Stealthy, Organized, Intelligent, Hoarder

Cutlass (1d6 damage) 6 HP 1 armor

Close, Far

Instinct: Acquire Loot

● Rob and pillage

● Ambush - Summon 3 more pirates in a boat once per encounter per group
● Betray

The prisoner is a girl, Lemunda the Lovely, whose father is a powerful lord in the city above.
Lemunda is a good fighter in her own right and carries a concealed dagger in her girdle, but right
now she is bound and gagged. She is lying in the bottom of the second boat, not the one occupied
by the pirates. Her family would be incredibly grateful to get her back.

LEMUNDA THE LOVELY Intelligent, Hoarder

Mithril Dagger (1d6 damage) 12 HP 2 armor

Close, Reach

A friend to those in her city in need, and a foe to those with ill intent.
Instinct: Kill the evil sorcerer!

● Defend those who need defending

● Plot to become the next City leader
● Charm men with her beauty

Lemunda’s Savior

When you help rescue Lemunda, you may tell GM why you admire her. If you do, write a bond
with Lemunda and gain 1 XP.
The treasure is in two chests in the first boat. One chest contains 1,000 coins, the other 500 coins
and 12 gems each worth 100 coins.

Exit from the underground can be made by rowing out to the sea, although there is a possibility
of meeting another boat coming in.

There is a large octopus at the bottom of the sea cave, which will attack boats. The pirates always
throw the monster a large fish or the body of one of their victims and so it does not attack their
boats. If the octopus makes a “hit” with a tentacle it will not do any damage immediately but will
pull the victim overboard and try to drown him. See Location H for more information about
drowning; assume that all characters know how to swim.

LARGE OCTOPUS Solitary, Huge

Giant tentacles (d10 damage) 16 HP

Reach, Forceful

Special Qualities: Aquatic

Instinct: To rule the ocean

● Drag a person or boat to a watery grave

● Wrap them in tentacles
● Eat tasty treats the pirates provide

Location N Tombs of Terror (Dark)

This large room — 120 feet by 70 feet — is part of the catacombs of the city. The north wall has
caved in and there are doors only at the east and west ends of the tomb. Ten stone sarcophagi are
scattered about, four empties with the tops off. Six, however, are closed. If the adventurers open
one, roll a die to see which they have chosen.
Die Roll Contents 1d6

1. Nothing but moldering bones but a cloud of noxious gas is released which renders
unconscious anyone within 3 feet unless they make their DEFY DANGER+CON throw.
Unconsciousness lasts 1 to 6 minutes, depending on the Game Master’s die roll. A partial
success will cause the character to cough loudly.

2. A partially clothed skeleton which holds a jeweled dagger in its bony hands, folded across its
chest. If the dagger is removed it will flash away into the air, turn and attack the one who
touched it. It will continue to attack until it draws blood, doing 1 die of damage, or its intended
victim runs from the room. It will then return to the coffin with its owner. The dancing dagger is
hard to hit — and if hit it falls to the floor and remains motionless for 3 minutes and then takes
up the attack again! Putting it back in the sarcophagus will stop the attacks of course. The
enchanted dancing dagger must be hit with a 10+ to be hit and does 1d4 damage per hit.

3. An intact skeleton wearing rings and a coronet worth 300 coins.

4. Intact skeleton wearing jewelry worth 900 coins.

5. A 7-foot long (animated) skeleton clad in rusted chain armor and armed with a wicked
scimitar.

WARRIOR SKELETON Group, Construct

Scimitar (d8 damage) 12 HP 3 armor
Close, Forceful
Special Qualities: They perform simple tasks as mandated by their creator but are incapable of
higher thought.

A skeletal warrior appears as a cracked and yellowing skeleton covered with shards of decaying
flesh. Its eyes are black holes containing pinpoints of reddish light. It is clad in the blackened
armor and rotted trappings it wore in its former life.

Instinct: To destroy all life

GM’s Note: Bones must be scattered, buried, blessed or have holy water poured on them after
“death” or the creature(s) will eventually reassemble.

6. A well-preserved skeleton wearing chain armor and holding an enchanted sword to its chest.
Enchanted Sword

Close, 1 Weight

A gladius engraved with ancient runes. When you “Hack and Slash” with the sword; the sword
will inflict double your rolled damage, but this only applies against undead. The sword emits a
faint flickering green glow when the undead are present. It can hit incorporeal monsters.

When the party enters the room there is a 50% chance a giant rat will burst through the loose dirt
at the north end of the room and attack. Each time a sarcophagus is opened there is another 50%
chance that a rat will enter from the tunnels. The rats will not, however, leave room N except to
go back to the tunnels.

The sarcophagus lids are heavy. Four or more men can lift them off; one man would have to
slide the lid off to open each. The rats are fairly sure to show up. For stats on the Giant Rats refer
to Location G.
Location P Ghoul Chamber (Dark)

This room is 50 by 80 feet and has doors in all four walls. It contains two ghouls and some
smashed coffins. The coffins contain, in addition to indescribable odds and ends, 250 coins and 5
gems each worth 10 coins.

GYGAX GHOUL Group, Devious, Terrifying

Bite (d6 damage) 10 HP 0 armor
Close
Special Qualities: Paralyze with bite, Undead

Ghouls are undead creatures, once human, who now feed on the flesh of corpses. Although the
change from human to ghoul has deranged and destroyed their minds, ghouls have a terrible
cunning which enables them to hunt their prey most effectively. Ghouls are vaguely recognizable
as once having been human but have become horribly disfigured by their change to ghouls. The
tongue becomes long and tough for licking marrow from cracked bones, the teeth become sharp
and elongated, and the nails grow strong and sharp like claws. Their bite causes humans
(including dwarves and halflings but excluding elves) to become rigid unless a Defy Danger
versus CON or be paralyzed. Ghouls delight in revolting and loathsome things – from which we
draw our adjectives “ghoulish” and “ghastly”.

Custom Move: When you are first bitten by a ghoul, ROLL+CON. On a 10+, you keep going.
On a 7-9, you choose 1: You do not take -1 ongoing until you rest. Your movements are not
slowed down. A part of your body is not paralyzed. On a 6-, you are paralyzed until after the
combat.

Instinct: Devours living and the dead

● Consume all
● Paralyze with a touch or bite
● Ambush

The east door leads to a short dirt tunnel which ends in a tomb under the cemetery.

Feature RT

Rat tunnels: they are only 3 feet in diameter, round and dug through the soft earth of the
cemetery. A man could crawl through them, but it should be hard for him to fight (a -1 from his
attack roll). A halfling or dwarf would be at no disadvantage. Every 100 feet there is a 50%
chance of meeting a rat, every 200 feet a 50% chance of coming on 5 coins. The tunnels form an
endless maze and there is no end to the rats. The tunnels intersect the dungeons at the
northernmost corridor, an open grave in the potter’s field and at room N. Rats are described
under room N.
Location S Serpent Surprise (Lit by Fire Wasp Lanterns)

A spiral staircase begins at floor level at the north wall and winds around up to the ceiling 25 feet
above. The stair ends in a closed trap door, leading up to room S1.

The room contains a giant snake.

GIANT SNAKE Solitary, Large, Stealthy

Coils (d10+2 damage) 12 HP 1 armor

Close, Forceful

Special Qualities: Amphibious

Monstrous snakes are stealthy, patient hunters that regard humanoids as prey. Most are simply
dangerous animals, but the dark god Set blesses some serpents with evil intelligence. The
constrictor that scores a bite immediately wraps its coils around the victim and tries to squeeze
them to death.
Instinct: To hunt

● Swallow a helpless victim whole

● Serve the evil sorcerer
● Crush prey with an iron grip

There are two visible doors at ground level, north and south as well as the trap doors in the
ceiling. There is a secret door under the stairs, opened by pressing a hidden catch.

Location S1 Sorcerer’s Tower (Lit by Fire Wasp Lanterns)

Ground floor of the sorcerer’s tower entered through the trap door on the floor. There is a door to
the north and a spiral stair leading up, just like the one in the room below, ending in a trap door
in the ceiling. The door to the street outside and the trap door in the ceiling is both open. There is
a fireplace, cooking utensils and a few chairs. The room is unoccupied. The trap door above
leads to room S2.

Location S2 Sorcerer’s Study (Lit by Fire Wasp Lanterns)

Just above S1 and shaped the same, also with a spiral stair leading to the roof, trap door closed.
No doors, but narrow (2-foot-wide), tall windows in each wall. This is the sorcerer’s study, and
here he has his two giant volumes of magic spells, table, lamps, chemicals, skulls, loose pages of
parchment, mystic designs on the floor, etc.

Against the south wall there is an ape in an iron cage. The key is in the lock of the cage door.
The ape will attack as soon as he gets out — he hates the cage and has been waiting to get even.
If the sorcerer opens the cage there is a chance the ape will attack him (2-in-6). If anyone else
opens the cage, the ape will attack someone in the room and then try to escape through a
window, down the side of the tower and off through the city streets.

GIANT APE Solitary, Intelligent

Fist Smash (w[2d10] damage) 12 HP

Close, Forceful

Instinct: Escape slavery, kill master if possible

The sorcerer keeps his magic books of spells and a Wand of Statue (turns flesh to stone if he
makes a hit with it) hidden in a secret compartment of the table. The Wand of the Statute has
seven charges, but can be recharged by foul, unholy rites involving human sacrifice. It can only
be used by a wizard. A charge may also be used to restore a petrified person.

Hidden among the undecipherable parchment notes on the table is a scroll which reverses the
wand effect, but only for 1 person and only once. There is also a Far Sight Stone as described in
the Dungeon World rulebook and any treasure the GM should wish to add.

The sorcerer himself is described in Location F. If he is not in Location F he will be found here.

Far sight Stone

1 Weight
Swirling clouds fill this smoky orb and those in its presence often hear strange whispers. In
ancient times, it was part of a network of such stones, used to communicate and surveil across
great distances.

When you gaze into the stone, name a location and roll+WIS.
On a 10+, you see a clear vision of the location and can maintain it if you concentrate on the
orb. On a 7–9, you still see the vision, but you draw the attention of some other thing (an angel,
a demon, or the holder of another Far sight stone) that uses the stone to surveil you, as well.

By the time the adventurers have worked their way through this, the Game Master will probably
have lots of ideas of his or her own to try out. Design your own dungeon or dig new passages
and levels in this one. What lies in the (undiscovered) deeper levels where Zenopus met his
doom? Do the pirates have other treasure troves hidden in the sea caves? What inhuman rites are
practiced deep in the ghoul haunted passages beneath the graveyard? What are the townspeople
going to do when they discover that our friends are tampering with Things Better Left Alone?
In 1977, TSR published the first introductory set for Dungeons & Dragons. This Basic Set
included a monochrome blue rulebook (the Blue Book) edited by Dr. J. Eric Holmes from the
original D&D booklets (the Little Brown Books) by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the first
supplements. Holmes also created a Sample Dungeon for the rulebook in which novice
adventurers from Portown explore the dungeon beneath the ruined tower of the wizard Zenopus.
This set served its role until 1981 when it was replaced by a revised Basic Set. Some still find
Holmes Basic, as the rules are popularly known, to be a concise 48-page introduction to OD&D
or AD&D, and others have been inspired to use it as the basis for expansion to an entire game of
its own. Many gamers involved in the current "Old School Renaissance" (OSR) started with the
Holmes Set. The source dungeon for this conversion was included in that text.

Source: https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/

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