Chaotic Adventures in Karameikos
by AozThe Grand Duchy of Karameikos
Expert Set Threshold Town Map | Atlas of Mystara From mystara.thorfmaps.com
D&D Expert Rules [Image on blogspot.com]
Campaigning in Karameikos
by Francesco Defferrari from Threshold Magazine issue 22
The Gambler: The fat, successful gambler is everyone's friend, collecting free food, lodging, and other expenses. He buys land with his winnings, and the Patriarch is worried the gambler may eventually buy most of the town! The gambler is a devil swine with a ring of telekinesis. His many charmed victims prevent a simple solution to the problem; the characters could get into big trouble if they're not careful. The gambler likes to wander in hog form at night. If captured and held in that form, he can be forced to turn back to human form in front of a Town Meeting: destroying his reputation so the Patriarch can safely confiscate his lands and winnings.
Francesco Defferrari wrote:
The Gambler
By Frank Mentzer, D&D Expert set, page 40, 1983
Location: Threshold
PCs level: Any (BECMI)
Main Antagonists: A devil swine.
Allies/NPCs/Pre-generated PCs: None.
Main Treasures: Money, ring of telekinesis.
Plot/Main accomplishment: A devil swine wins a lot by charming his victims and using a ring of telekinesis.
Connections: The Gambler may be an agent of Orcus or connected to the Black Eagle Path as a member of the Iron Ring and/or agent of Bargle. He should be connected to the new Guildmistress of the Thieves Guild, leading to the adventure “Extortion”, below.
Twist: The devil swine infects all the PC with lycanthropy and now everyone is one the same side or are they?? The adventurers can kill off him off and take his place or work with Gambler and the Extortion.
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Extortion: After the Thieves' Guild gets a new Guildmaster, several local businessmen start complaining about a new scheme being run by the Thieves' Guild. Each of them must pay a monthly fee, or be harassed. The Guild claims it to be an independent operation; the new Guildmaster cannot be found to verify or deny the claims. This shadowy individual appeared masked at the last Guild meeting. She's actually one of the local business owners, and is merely keeping her identity secret while setting up this new racket. The challenge — find who the Guildmistress really is, and shut down this evil scheme.
Francesco Defferrari wrote:
Extortion
By Frank Mentzer, D&D Expert set, page 40, 1983
Location: Threshold.
PCs level: 4-14 (BECMI)
Main Antagonists: New Guildmistress of the Thieves’ Guild.
Allies/NPCs/Pre-generated PCs: None
Main Treasures: Reward.
Plot/Main accomplishment: A new Guildmistress is harassing local businessmen and trying to take over the local Thieves’ Guild.
Connections:. The Guildmistress could be an agent of the Veiled Society or the Iron Ring
Twist: The Guildmistress hires the PC and Helps the adventurers set up their own "Thief Guild". The adventurers solo job is to selectively loot and harass local businessmen. Those merchants that pay protection money: she will have a few of her thugs and the PCs do mock combat...the PC will retreat after a few blows and her thugs will be "Heroes". Her scheme will gain more ground as she is actually "protecting" the merchants. The adventurers may even take a few skeletons/zombies made by cleric from Homecoming to rough up some non paying businesses.
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Homecoming: One of the local fishermen comes back to town at noon, carrying a body he pulled out of the lake. The body is that of his Uncle Joe — who died 3 months ago, and was properly buried in the grave- yard. The logging business, the town's principal industry, is perfectly normal, but the owner, who runs the logging camp in the mountains, is a chaotic cleric. He keeps costs down by using zombies — all the town's deceased residents! — to cut the trees. His camp includes fighter guards and many skeletons and zombies, plus treasures found and jewelry dug up while "recruiting."
Francesco Defferrari wrote:
Homecoming
By Frank Mentzer, D&D Expert set, page 40, 1983
Location: Threshold.
PCs level: 4-14 (BECMI)
Main Antagonists: Chaotic cleric, undead.
Allies/NPCs/Pre-generated PCs: None
Main Treasures: Reward.
Plot/Main accomplishment: A chaotic cleric is operating a logging business using the local deceased reanimated as zombies and skeletons.
Connections: This could be a first meeting of the PCs with a cleric of the Dark Triad, and could be used in any town or village of Karameikos. See also “The Returned Corpse” by Hayley Hummerston
Twist: The PC belong to the Religion of the Cleric. The adventurers want to expand the logging into the woods. The PC and cleric may also want to build a Church in Threshold. Will need the help of The Gambler and a few worshipers from Extortion.
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The Gambler: Buying or winning land all around Threshold.
-Did any PC think this was a great idea and wanted to do it themselves [with their new ring of telekinesis]? Maybe even open a Gambling Parlor??
Extortion: Take over the local Thieves’ Guild.
-Any PC want to Join the Guildmaster/Thieves’ Guild? Take over the Thieves’ Guild??
Homecoming: logging business using zombies and skeletons.
-Any PC want to help the Cleric for % of take? Like suppling Orc/Goblin bodies to the cleric??
Twist: The devil swine infects all the PC with lycanthropy and now everyone is one the same side or are they?? The adventurers can kill off him off and take his place or work with Gambler and the Extortion.
Twist: The Guildmistress hires the PC and Helps the adventurers set up their own "Thief Guild". The adventurers solo job is to selectively loot and harass local businessmen. Those merchants that pay protection money: she will have a few of her thugs and the PCs do mock combat...the PC will retreat after a few blows and her thugs will be "Heroes". Her scheme will gain more ground as she is actually "protecting" the merchants. The adventurers may even take a few skeletons/zombies made by cleric from Homecoming to rough up some non paying businesses.
Twist: The PC belong to the Religion of the Cleric. The adventurers want to expand the logging into the woods. The PC and cleric may also want to build a Church in Threshold. Will need the help of The Gambler and a few worshipers from Extortion.
Den of Thieves (2e) | wikimedia.org
So, anyone ever think about being a Guildmaster of a thieves guild in Threshold??