Mista

Jerry Stratton

Tractor Feed Adventures

For superheroes of all kinds

Notes

This was clearly an attempt to merge superhero gaming with D&D. It’s likely from early 1981, as I hadn’t yet graduated to including things like player notes or descriptions, or anything that looks like a professional D&D adventure. Also, Dune, as there are sandworms that have something unspecified to do with a “melange” that does weird things to people.

Things that don’t make sense even now: I have cave maps 3, 4, and 6. Probably cave map 5, as I’m guessing it’s the unlabeled cave map below maps 3 and 4. But there is no cave map 1 or 2. Page 1 of my notes—which is marked as page 1—starts right out with cave map 3 as the “entrance to Mista”. This probably means that cave maps 1 and 2 were part of some other adventure. I was a big fan of putting entrances to home-built adventures into caverns or dungeons below existing adventures, whether commercial ones or other home-built ones.

I would have separated the cave maps out for this document, but cave 3 and 4 reference each other.

The notes for the entrance include a primitive version of THAC0, a simple calculation for the DM when rolling monster attacks. However, none of the monsters listed have a THAC0 listed, so I’m not sure what use I put that to.

Mist-Lak appears to have started out with an umlaut, but he/she/it quickly lost it.

The multiversal terminology is very similar to what DC used, with Earth-this and Earth-that. Mista is meant to be in another dimension. That’s why I occasionally refer to where the characters are from as “Earth-Fantasy”. The dimension is a tiny one, perhaps a precursor to what I now refer to as personal dimensions. The only thing that exists in the Mista dimension is what is shown on the top and bottom maps. There is nothing outside of Mista’s top and bottom. I don’t think I explicitly state that anywhere in the text.

Occasionally I refer to the top and bottom of Mista and top and bottom, and occasionally as light and dark.

I vaguely remember running this, and the player characters having a great time trying out their superpowers, but it doesn’t look like they ever made it to the Stronghold, because there are at least two unfinished pieces to it.

In the list of monsters, the Madriff and the Mud Slug, while mentioned in the text, were not on the original list of monsters. They were in an appendix sheet of sorts, and are clearly in a different format than the others, including treasure type, number appearing, movement, and morale.

Clearly, radio waves go between the modern world and Mista, as the player characters—and the effects of Mista upon them—were prophesied by a fifties superhero show.

And the fifties show was clearly real, as both it and Mista are in black and white…

Cave Maps

Cave Map 3: Entrance to Mista

All is black & white.

They were prophesied: he tuned in on 50s superhero show.

1. The dragon has blocked this spot up, but it will only take 3 turns for 4 people of average strength to clear.

2. When stepping in this circle, there will be an ‘avalanche’, but no one will take any damage. Upon awakening, they will be in Cave #4. They are now in the dimension of Mista.

Traveling from Earth-Fantasy to Mista causes the following stat changes:

• Str+10

• AC: -10

• Con+7 retroactive

• Fly: dex\*3 + str\*2 + con mph

All magic stops working.*

If more than 25 is needed ‘to hit’, it is impossible to do so. If less than -5 is needed, it is impossible to miss unless jostled.

Formula:

What the monster needs to roll = what it needs vs. AC0 - the character’s AC.

Mistans:

The people of Mista are very similar to those of Earth-Fantasy, and fight, save, advance the same. Missiles will only go in the correct direction 10%—and then normal roll must be made.

Magic-User Spell Changes:

• They get one more 1-3 level than is shown.

• ‘Missiles’ is 3rd level, doing 2-13 each, 1 extra every 5 levels.

• ‘Read Languages’ is a 6th level spell.

• ‘Web’ exist as a web of energy, 6th level spell, trapping one person minus level of caster for 1-4 turns.

• Dimension Door is a 7th level spell

• Massmorph is nonexistent.

Clerical Changes:

• They cast spells as one level higher.

• Snake charm is nonexistent.

• Sticks to snakes is rocks to mud slugs.

Mista Map (Top)

Dotted Line: Nomadic Mistans. They travel the route and back about once every 8 months. Their pack animals are jistkalts.

Evil persons (Madriffs, for some reason, are immune) in the top of Mista will take1-4 points of damage every 8.5 hours, and cannot be healed of any wounds, magically or otherwise. Evil characters also may not go through the middle of the planet from the bottom to the top.

A) Badlands: Hills 10-100ft high.

1. Cave #3 opens out.

2. River comes out of cave. If it is traced down (how?) they would make it to the other side of Mista.

3. Mist-Läks stronghold

4. (and 5) Other Madriff Lairs.

B) Trik Lake: about 60 ft deep in center. In one part, however, it goes all the way through to the other side. Its beaches are inhabited by mud slugs, and there are a lot of fish in the water.

C) Village of Curakin

Mistans

Money:

144 Arak = 12 Mora = 1 Junt = 1/12 Levki

• Arak: clear

• Mora: white

• Junt: gray

• Levki: black

Mistans have 5 fingers, 1 thumb—Numerical system base 12.

Directions:

Languages, Light side

• Mistans (‘common’)

• Madriff

• Mist-Laki: personal language*

Miscellaneous Mistan Words

Trik	lake
Jastin	River
Jistkalts	Pack animal
Madriff	The monsters in the caves
Mista	World
Billdark	Mud slugs
Siltek	Money (pieces)
Arak	similar to copper, a metal
Mora	similar to silver, a metal
Junt	similar to gold, a mineral
Levki	similar to platinum, a gem
dil	nothing, zero
ser	one	1
rest	two	2
mint	three	3
ferk	four	4
slet	five	5
mürs	six	6
murset	seven	7
sken	eight	8
brit	nine	9
flik	ten	10
seront	eleven	11
serril	twelve	12
serril-ser	thirteen	13
serril-rest	fourteen	14
restril	twenty-four	24
restril-ser	twenty-five	25
sermin	one hundred forty-four	144
sermin-dil-ser	one hundred forty-five	145
sermin-serril-murset	one hundred sixty-three	163
restmin-dil-seront	two hundred ninety-nine	299
Que	North
Sont	West
Mil	East
Lak	South

Mistan Monsters

Air

Grilges

30ft wing span

Water

Dliltal

sea serpent

Land

Wild Jistkalts (serkalts)

Phantom

Normal, except HD: 2+1, wpn+1

Aranea

On Dark side: normal, except 2nd level M-U, HD2

Shrieking Stones (aran-tellt)

When loud noise is made in the presence (10-15 ft) of one of these, it (or all) will emit a large, piercing scream, deafening for 1-4 turns per stone. If a save vs. paralysis is not made, person will be paralyzed for 2-5 rounds per stone.

Tiltal (sandworm)

On Dark side

The ‘Melange’ is useless if taken from this side, and acts normally to natives; however, to people from Earth-Fantasy it will act weirdly*:

More Monsters

Madriff

Madriffs resemble ogres, but are 25 feet tall.

Mud Slug

Mud Slugs resemble rocks, and do not attack unless provoked. Their attack is a brown liquid which they squirt as missile fire.

Encounter Areas

Badland Madriff Lair A1; Cave Map #4

1. It will take one turn to pick up and move the rocks. These are the size of small boulders, but seem amazingly light, of course. There is a pile of 80 Levki and 3000 Junt.

2. There are 40 Madriff (AC4, HD20, hp 127, 143, 121, 85, 40, 47, at+3, D7-42, Save F20, LE). Pile A: 5000 Mora, Pile B: 10,000 Arak

3. OUTSIDE!

Madriff Lair A4. Cave Map #5

hp 100, 101, 105, 116, 22, 155

1. 6 Guard Madriffs. (AC4, HD20, hp 83, 109, 145, 160, 110, 108, at+3, D7-42, Save F20, LE)

2. 10 Madriff.

3. Trap: 40ft hole. All going in will fall.

4. 15 Madriffs

5. 20 Madriffs

6. Three Madriffs, hp 155, 158, 149, at+8, D10-45.

7. Treasure: 100 Mora, 300 O? D?, 40 Levki.

Madriff Lair A5, Cave Map #6

hp 148, 72, 105, 88, 113, 44

1. Guard Room: 5 Madriffs (hp 136, 160, 158, 132, 130)

2. 10 Madriffs

3. 15 Madriffs

4. 5 Madriffs (hp 160, 156, 140, 150, 154)

1200 Arak pieces, 20 Junt, 55 Mora, Explosion Scroll (in Mistan) 8d6 points.

Stronghold of Mist-Lak

The Forest

Inhabited by Phanaton. They report to Mist-Lak about any intruder 1-4 turns after said intruder enters the forest. There are a total of 400 phanaton in the forest, in two villages in the trees (marked P).

The entrances to his stronghold are three hollow trees. An Elf will have a 1 in 20 chance of finding one if looking in the right spot, and others have a (10 in 20) in (1 in 20). The tunnels go straight down 10 feet, then hit a trap door. The entrances are guarded by this space intentionally left blank?*

The Hold itself*

1. To enter, the lead character must knock three times on the trap door, then open it. If they do not do the correct code, they will come down in room left blank

In each room, there are two clay golems (AC 4, HD 12, hp 32, 51, 69, 63, 55, 46, at 1, D 3-18, save F12, N)

2. The death of any of the golems sets off an alarm, and 5-8 fighters will be ready in room 2 to protect it and stop the intruders.

The fighters in room 3 and 4. All have chain, shields, sword unless noted otherwise.

3. Fighters:

Tistle (AC 3, F7, hp 30, at+2, D3-12, LG; str 15, int 13, wis 16, rex 17, con 11, car 8; two-handed sword+1, no shield).

Mark (AC 4, F5, hp 20, at+3, D4-11, LG, str 16, int 12, wis 16, rex 12, con 9, car 17; sword+1, +3 vs. undead; potion of clairvoyance).

Sarod (AC 3, F3, hp 19, at+2, D3-10, LG, str 17, int 11, wis 13, dex 14, con 14, chr 14).

Drilio (AC 3, F3, hp18, at1, D1-8, LG, str 12, int 11, wis 11, dex 14, con 7, chr 13).

4. Fighters:

Lastro (AC 4, F7, hp 40, at +4, D5-10, LG, str 15, int 14, wis 8, dex 9, con 12, chr 10; mace+3; scarab of protection 10c).

Brian (AC2, F6, hp40, at 1, D1-8, LG, str 12, int 14, wis 17, dex 16, con 16, chr 6; ring of invisibility).

Drack (AC2, F5, hp29, at+1, D2-9, LG, str 13, int 13, wis 17, dex 16, con 15, chr 7; potion of invulnerability, 3 hits).

Tildor (AC4, F4, hp30, at1, D1-8, LG, str 12, int 15, wis 17, dex 11, con 16, chr 17).

5. Two seventh level fighters guard in this room.

Mik (AC1, F7, hp53, at+3, D4-11, LG, str 18, wis 11, int 13, dex 18, con 15, chr 17).

Kim (AC 3, F7, hp62, at+2, D3-10, LG, str 16, wis 15, int 8, dex 14, con 16, chr 11).

6. A seventh level, a 5th level, and two third level fighters reside in this guard room.

Jaral (AC 2, F7, hp50, at+2, D3-10, LG, str 14, wis 13, int 16, dex 15, con 15, chr 12; ring+1, 5’ radius; sword+1).

Elieu (AC 3, F5, hp44, at+2, D3-10, LG, str 15, int 12, wis 13, dex 13, con 15, chr 8, sword+1 flames)

Ulog and Gralem will attempt to flank Jaral, thus gaining the protection of his ring.

Ulog (AC 3/2, F3, hp25, at+1, D2-9, LG, str 13, int 12, wis 14, dex 13, con 14, chr 14)

Gralem (AC 3/2, F3, hp23, at+1, D2-9, LG, str 14, int 11, wis 10, dex 14, con 13, chr 12)

Rooms 7-12 are bunkers, holding fighters:

7. 9th level; 5th level, 6th level; (3) 3rd level, (4) 2nd level, (9) 1st level

8. 7th level; (2) 4th level; (8) 2nd level, (8) 1st level

9. 9th level; (2) 6th level; (7) 3rd level, (5) 2nd level, (4) 1st level

10. 8th level; 6th level, 5th level; ^6) 3rd level, (4) 2nd level, (6) 1st level

11. 7th level; 4th level, 5th level; (11) 1st level, (3) 3rd level, (2) 2nd level

12. 9th level; (2) 5th level; (10) 1st level, (4) 2nd level, (2) 3rd level

13. Armory: Two armorers, 3 assistants total. 16 suits chain mail, 27 swords, 38 shields.

14. The Army leader and his two ‘assistants’.

Irn Ber (AC 4, F13, hp65, at+2, D3-10, LG, str 17, int 13, wis 15, dex 12, con 13, chr 12, ring of spell turning 5 charges, medallion of ESP 42’)

Redbac (AC 4, F11, hp48, at+3, D4-11, LG, str 17, int 16, wis 11, dex 9, con 9, chr 13, sword+1 clairvoyance/find traps/secret doors with int 11, ego 3, LG)

Cardan (AC 2, F10, hp61, at+1, D2-9, LG, str 15, int 15, wis 16, dex 15, con 15, chr 15, chain+1, scroll of protection from undead)

15. The Great Hall: The tables can hold 2 chairs per 5 feet.

16. Storage Room: chairs, lights, braziers, etc.

17. Kitchen

18. When this door is opened (push), 9 crossbow bolts will fly out of the wall, as a 11 HD monster.

19. In the middle of the sont wall is an illusion of a hallway. When it is touched, the block over the entrance will fall into place, and a sleep gas will fill the room. In 2-5 rounds, each player must save vs. poison each round or sleep that round—this one affects the people from Earth-fantasy! The wizard will then dispose of them as he sees fit.