Below the Isle of Dread

Jerry Stratton

lost in the eighties

Notes

I thought I’d got the remotely complete tractor feed adventures all online. But last night I was browsing through module X1, the Isle of Dread, and out popped some extra levels.

The Isle of Dread has some caverns on level three unmapped, with the note “so the DM can create his or her own special encounter areas”. I have to say, this is special.

What’s going on, though? I’m guessing I knew at one point, although the complete lack of writing throughout the dungeon may belie that assumption. The dungeon appears to be old.* It appears to have both human and Kopru skeletons. There are lots of rock and crystal statues, and at least two quicksilver statues, giving it a sort of ancient technology feeling. This was well before Terminator, let alone the sequel’s liquid metal android. The feeling is increased because I seem to be treating the statues as robots, most of which are no longer in service.

There’s a spectre on level 6 who is probably an undead king. And there’s an “indoctrination” room on level 6 which presumably means there was some indoctrination going on. Probably Kopru indoctrinating humans rather than the other way around, but you never know.

And that “magical type” Kopru statue on level 6. Magical in what way? Or was it referring to two different kinds of Kopru (ala the two kinds of Sleestak in Land of the Lost)? I have no recollection.

It’s not surprising that dinosaurs were still alive when whoever inhabited this place inhabited it, seeing as the Isle of Dread still has dinosaurs on it. The edible dinosaur hardtack probably means they’re not prehistoric.

I do like the idea of doors and tables all being made of pumice.

I make references to pages that are probably pages in X1, since this document only hit 4 pages long and my home-built word-processor never handled automatic page cross-references.

Magic items

The ring of questions: As I recall, it was a ring that you could get the answers to questions from. Put it on, ask yourself a question, and you’d get the answer. Like a ring of one wish, a ring of one question is likely to be frustrating.

The sword of inversion: Again, as I recall this meant that hits and failures to hit were reversed. That is, if you succeeded on your to-hit roll, that meant you missed, and if you failed your to-hit roll, that meant you succeeded. A great sword for klutzes.

Level 4

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The crooked lines are crevices from the earthquake, only about 1ft wide or less. Doors and tables, unless otherwise noted, will take about 2-5 turns for 3-4 people to clear. The caverns slant downward at a rate of about 1ft/4ft, except in rooms. It also slowly gets cooler and less humid, so that by the end of the stairs it is comfortable.

1) In this room are skeletons of fish-like creatures (2 large Kopru and many smaller fish).

2) The pool in here is dark, smelly, putrid—and poisonous. It is about 3ft deep in the center.

3) A green slime (HD2, hp 12, at1, save F1, N, magic weapon required) resides on the ceiling and will drop on persons coming in here.

4) The ROCK in this room separates, as a wall, the two sides. There are a few more fish-type skeletons here (1 Kopru).

a. These rocks completely cover the entrance to the ruins. It will take 3-6 turns to clear.

b. This water is like that of room 2, but 5ft deep in center.

5) This room has actually been caved in completely. If excavated, this will be found, all smashed: sofa, chair, table, glasses, cabinet (around which are: 5pp, 20gp, 30sp, 200gp emerald now 25gp)

6) Under the rubble (part can be seen) is a human skeleton. In the desk are parchments—what used to be records. The desk is falling apart. There are 4 more skeletons here, 2 wearing chain mail, no good. 4sp is by one, and a wand of fire balls (1c). The west door is locked. It may be forced on a roll of 1 in 6 by str16, 2 in 6 by str17, 4 in 6 by str18, pushed as hard as possible. If the roll isn’t made, the person must save vs. Death Ray or fall unconscious for 1-4 rounds. The same is true for the east door.

7) This room was at one time used for records. There are wooden (cheap, rotting) cabinets, and scraps of paper, rotted parchment, unreadable, lying around. There is also a skeleton in the E-W hallway.

8) This is the same as room 7, but filled with rubble, no skeleton.

9) Rubble is also filling this room. Smashed things: 4 beds (in extreme N,S), 2 cabinets (in first N,S): gold ring (25gp), glass, silverware (ruined, scrapped might bring 10gp for the 40 pieces). The east is the kitchen area, and is not covered: cooking utensils, knives, iron ware, kettles, etc.

Level 5

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Wandering Monsters

WM will be met every two turns on a 1 in 6 chance. Roll d20:

1-6 Rock Statue AC4, HD5, hp 20, 22, 18, 24, 26, 20, at2, D2-12/2-12, save F5, C. There are a total of 6 wandering ones.
7-11 Crystal statue AC4, HD3, hp 10, 13, 18, 16, at2, D1-6/1-6, save F3, L. There are a total fo 4 wandering ones.
12-15 Iron Statue AC2, HD4, hp 16, 14, 18, 20, 17, 13, 15, at2, D1-8/1-8+spurt, save F4, N, for a total of 7 wandering ones.
16-18 Nothing
19 Wraith AC3, HD4, hp 17, 13, 19, 21, 16, at1, D1-6+1 level, save F4, C, for a total of 5.
20 Wight Ac5, HD3, hp 20, 18, 16, 14, at1, D1 level, save F3, C, for a total of 4. Magic weapon required.

Rooms

1) The doors from the stairs are both locked, and can be forced as level 4, room 6. In front of the secret door is a divan, rotted. There is a crystal statue laying on the floor in the NW corner—was once alive but ceased functioning many years ago.

2) Four beds here, a cabinet in center of west: tattered clothes, and a false bottom with a wand of fear (2 charges), 30 gp, 10 pp.

3) There is a de-animated rock statue on the floor.

4) Desks hold parchment, unreadable. The rooms connected to this room are:

a. Old food, unedible.

b. Guarded by 1 iron statue: AC2, HD4, hp 25, at2, D1-8/1-8+spurt, save F4, N, and a de-animated iron statue are: 5 plate mail (4 good), 10 chain mail (5 good), 20 leather (no good), 10 swords (5 good), 5 maces (3 good), 7 shields (all good), and 7 spears (2 good).

c. This is where people were put before cremation. At one time there was ventilation, but it has long since been blocked off. There are 3 wraiths in here: AC3, HD4, hp 20, 24, 26, at1, D1-6+1 level, save F4, C, magic weapon required. In the west ventilation shaft (1 foot from the entrance) is a scroll of wizard eye.

d. This was the cremation/funeral service room. Bodies were dropped into the volcano’s fires through the west trap door. The poles beside it are gold (1,000 gp each, fire/snake motif) and control the trap door. North, pulled east, opens it, and the south one closes it again. The room is blessed, so undead will not enter. Statues will also not.

e. In here are statues of gods (water-type) and rock church objects.

f. This room is guarded by 2 iron statues (the third is no longer animated): AC2, HD4, hp 30, 31, at2, D1-8/1-8+spurt, save F4, N. In here is magic and special weaponry: scimitar (jeweled—300 gp); gold helmet (100 gp); suit of armor, inlaid with runes; all on stand. Also on stands: plate mail +1; shield +2. Also a chest (poison needle in lock): sword +1 slay lawful good clerics, chaotic evil, intelligence 10, ego 8; sword +2, zombie battle-ax.

g. In here is money, guarded by 2 iron statues: AC2, HD4, hp 25, 26, at2, D1-8/1-8+spurt, save F4, N. Three chests: #1 has 500 gp, #2 has 200 sp, #3 has 100 pp. And a pile in the east of 3,000 cp and 1,000 ep.

5) Meeting room: Statue is of a Kopru, non-magical, non-gold, and 2 skeletons lay here also.

6) The bunks are wood, and in some places the top one has fallen through. In the first closet are some rotten clothes, hiding a dagger. In the second are many compartments, with metal razors, old papers, dried inkwells and pens, and a total of 10 sp and 25 cp. There is a rock statue, de-animated, in front of the south door.

7) The bunks are as room 6.

8) At one time, this was three rooms, but the wood walls have fallen in.

9) In here are 2 de-animated rock statues, and 2 living ones: AC4, HD5, hp 30, 28, at2, D2-12/2-12, save F5, C; and a smashed crystal statue. In the north desk (2 drawers, each has a poison tip in a lock) are more records. The south one is the same.

10) In here, to the north, is a glass case (now broken) with a bunch of gems inside: 2 red rubies (50 gp), 3 green emeralds (75 gp), and a purple amethyst (25 gp). There is also a diamond (1,500gp) but it will not be noticed because of the glass. On the east side of this is a statue of a Kopru, like room 8, p. 24.

11) The two statues are as above, same powers and make. The statues in the corners are crystal. The SW is still alive: AC4, HD4, hp 24, at2, D1-6/1-6, save F3, L.

12) Minor pantry: some old food. There is a container of hard-tack (dinosaur, still edible!) and utensils, cookware, etc.

13) Kitchen—under the stove is a hole to the volcano, and it is extremely hot.

14) This was the theater.

15) The prop-room: still some old costumes, fake weapons, armor.

16) Besides clothes in the closets, the east closet has 50 cp, 10 ep, and a broken sword; the west closet has 10 pp, 2 gp.

17) In the west desk is writing materials and 10 gp. In the east desk is 11 cp, writing materials, and an old book. In the non-secret closet is clothes, but beyond the secret door is a chest with 400 gp and 100 pp in it. It is on a 5 foot by 3 foot floating table.

18) Clothes in the closet.

19) This room is still empty.

20) Desk, closet: empty.

21) Empty, as room 19.

22) Empty, as room 19.

23) Empty, as room 19.

Level 6

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Wandering Monsters

Roll every 2 turns, and a roll of 2-6 gets rock statues: AC4, HD5, hp 23, 20, 30, 35, 28, at2, D2-12/2-12, save F5, C.

Rooms

Note: rooms 11 through 13 are on the map “Level 7”.

1) There are many statues (5 crystal, 2 iron, 7 rock) here, but none have been animated. There are many broken vials on the floor, which have combined to make this room a magical sleep trap: each character must make a save vs. poison 1-4 rounds after entering, and then every round after, or fall asleep until carried out. There are two skeletons here, and one holds in its dead hand a potion which will bring to life a rock statue under the pourer’s control if said person pours it on a rock statue. This will also cause an explosion which will cause 4-24 points of damage to all within 10 feet.

2) There are 3 skeletons in here, and 2 wraiths: AC3, HD4, hp 28, 22, at1, D1-6+1 level, save F4, C, magic weapon required to hit.

3) The statue is a non-magical 2,000 gp Kopru.

4) Kitchen: stove uses volcanic heat, pantry full of rotten food.

5) The desk has 2 drawers on the right and one in the middle. The middle drawer holds writing utensils, the top right holds 1 cp, and the bottom right is open, with a poison tip discharged.

6) See room 5.

7) See room 5.

8) A spectre lives here: AC2, HD6, hp 32, at1, D1-8+2 levels, save F6, C, magic weapon required to hit. In the middle drawer of the desk is writing utensils (I am King! I am King! etc. ad nauseum). In top right there is nothing and in the bottom (tip not discharged—key in pocket of spectre’s ragged clothing) is 50 pp, dagger+1. In the closet, under old clothes, is 100 gp, 30 sp, 50 cp a ring of 1 question, and a sword of inversion.

9) Guarded by 2 iron statues and a non-living iron statue: AC2, HD4, hp 17, 18, at2, D1-89/1-8+spurt, save F4, N. This is the human treasure: chest with 300 pp, 700 gp; chest with 1,500 sp; box with explosion scroll (16), a ring of control dinosaur, 3 hits of a potion of healing, and one of extra-healing.

10) This is a meeting and ‘indoctrination’ room. The 2 statues by the ‘altar’ are 4,000 gp Koprus, magical type. The ‘altar’ is silver plated (5,000 gp, but weighs 30,000 cn: 5 feet by 3 feet by 4 feet). The statues in the corners are crystal; the south one is still alive: AC4, HD3, hp 16, at2, D1-6/1-6, save F3, L.

image 411) In here are desks with records under rocks, 4 skeletons in bad chain mail (one seems good condition—cursed -2) and 2 dead rock statues. The other 3 are alive, though: AC4, HD5, hp 24, 25, 17, at2, D2-12/2-12, save F5, C.

12) A spectre resides here: AC2, HD6, hp 20, at1, D1-8+2 levels, save F6, C, magic weapon required to hit.

13) In this hot water live 3 monsters: a Kopru/wraith (which will attack after the statues): AC2, HD5+2, hp34, at2, D1-6/2-16+1 level each hit, save F5, C, magic weapon required to hit; and 2 living statues of mercury, in Kopru form: AC-1, HD5, hp 32, 30, at2, D1-4/2-9, save F6, C. Damage vs. quicksilver statues is halved, and from weapons such as spears and arrows it is halved again. Due to their construction, they cannot survive out of water—it buoys them up.

The Treasure of the Kopru

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Gems pile: 20 rubies (5 50gp, 3 100gp, 7 75gp, 5 125gp); amulet (50 gp green emerald, protection+1); 4 rings (25 gp gold, silver w/diamond 900 gp, 2 electrum 25 gp).

Underwater chest (C2): 3,000 pp.

Chest (C1) on ceiling: potions: gaseous form, polymorph self (3 hits), invisibility, control undead, powder of darkness (3 pinches).

B is a bowl of controlling water elementals.