Grakhirt's Lair (AD&D1e to Beacon Conversion)

Today I bring you a Beacon d20 conversion of an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition module from Dungeon Magazine. The next module I will convert to Beacon will be an AD&D2e module, also from Dungeon Magazine. I have been converting modules to Beacon from AD&D to see how effective and versatile it is. Also, there is some good stuff in the old modules. I will also be converting these same modules to ACKS to see how well that system can handle material from AD&D (it'll probably be easier than converting to Beacon). The conversion is available in this blog post, on this Google Doc (if I change anything, the changes will be there first), this bookmarked PDF, and this ODT.

Converted from AD&D 1e to Beacon v6: “Grakhirt’s Lair” by John Nephew Dungeon Magazine no 1 pp. 28-37.


Grakhirt's Lair

If the Party is level one or two, they may want to grab a few Henchmen to help with the fighting. I tried to compile the monster information in one place, but scattered throughout the Event/Encounter Outline are various monsters that are specific to each room.

Setting/Locations

Wilderness

The wilderness counts as normal terrain as far as the AD&D1e Dungeon Master’s Guide is concerned. Normal terrain ranges from open ground to light forest. In Beacon, light forest gives a -5 penalty to overland movement. Since this module can be placed anywhere within a human kingdom, I’d say that it depends on where the GM places the adventure. I would have the wilderness be light forest, since the trip would take two days anyway, unless the Party hurried.

Upper Level

All characters with d8 HD types take a -1 penalty to their attacks for the ridiculous and awkward passages constructed for d6 HD undersized freaks. This penalty also extends to all skills based on Dexterity.

Lower Level

The walls are slippery enough that climbing checks incur a -14 penalty (or the DC is increased by 14, however you want to handle it).

NPCs

Aldrelle the Druidess

Druid 12

AC 17

If the Party is level one, I recommend that Aldrelle send along one of her initiates.

Prince Corin

Strength 11 Dexterity 14 Mind 13 Charisma 17

Fighter 7 (HD 7d8; 38 hp), AC 19; longsword (+7 to atk, 1d8+4 damage).

Physical +8, Knowledge +3, Communication +3, Survival +1

Princess Teliva

Strength 9 Dexterity 6 Mind 14 Charisma 14

HD 4d8 (18 hp), AC 10; dagger.

Communication +7, all others +4

Grakhirt

Str 13 Dex 18 Mind 15 Cha 17

6d8 (22 hp)

Subterfuge +8, Knowledge +6, all others +4.

Casts spells as 4th level Enchanter and may fight as a Rogue.

Monsters/Mooks

Bandits See Beacon for the human bandits listed there.

Cave Bear HD 2d10 (11-20) AC 12; 2 claws and bite.

Centipede See Beacon.

Flind HD 2d10 (11-20) AC 14 (Chain and size)

Flinds are very big, and so receive a -1 penalty to their AC.

Leprechaun HD 1d6 (3-6), AC 12 (padded, size); spells as 3rd level enchanter.

Norkers HD 1d6 (4-6) AC 14 (padded) weapon or bite and claw.

Norkers are the featured monster of this adventure. As a goblinoid, they, if they were a PC race, would basically function as Halflings. Consequently, they receive a size bonus of +1 to their AC.

Huge Spiders See Beacon.

Dire Wolf See Beacon.

Event/Encounter Outline

The First Level

The Entrance

The treasure on the dead elf is as written. Drinking the water incurs the Flux (Beacon p. 16; ouch and ew).

1. Entrance Room

Southern door requires DC 13 Physical-Strength check to push open.

2. Guard Alcoves

Two wounded norkers attack the party, but attempt to increase the chance of surprise (+1 to surprise die).

3. Drunken Guard

As is.

4. Solitary Cell

Weak and starving half-elf (HD 2d6 (7 hp, normally) AC 10; unarmed). He has 1 hp as of now.

5. Large Cell

Merchant (HD 1d8 (4 hp) AC10, unarmed); wounded flind, unarmed; Kargh (1d6 (6 hp), AC 10)

6. Feast Hall

Chair’s worth 2000 sp. Hragtam (HD 3d6 (16 hp) AC 17; two-handed sword). Bracelet worth 55 sp, ring worth 92 sp. Statuette worth 155 or 255 sp.

7. Treasure Room

Chest: Physical+Dex check DC 13 to avoid Poison (Puffer Fish Poison, DC 16, coma for 3d6 days, target appears dead unless DC 14 medical check is made). The medical checks could be Knowledge or Survival. 430 cp, 19 pp, 67 sp, 25 gp. Three earrings worth 160 sp. Scroll of Baleful Polymorph (Druid 6th), scroll of Magic Mouth (Enchanter 2nd). Jade map case worth 435 sp.

Secret door functions as is.

8. Wet Corridor

Physical+Dex DC 15 to not fall every 5/10 feet (however you scale your tiles) of running. take 1d8 damage if falling down the stairs.

9. Armory

Plate mail is Banded Mail; Cost for blacksmith to repair 15 gp.

10. Food Storage

40 Bulk Rations (worthless since they taste so bad – time for Communication+Mind to talk a merchant into purchasing it). Brown mold deals 2d8 damage. Norker body has 3 gp, 8 sp, and five agates (worth 10 sp each).

11. The Subchief’s Chamber

The guards have 1d6 gp and 2d8 sp each.

Krekal (HD 3d6 (16 hp), AC 16; throwing ax and mace). 7 gp, 13 sp, blue quartz worth 10 sp, splinter of obsidian worth 3 sp.

Violet garnet worth 250 sp (search DC 17), horseman’s flail is a regular flail. Colorful woven rug worth 16 gp.

12. Guard Post

2 gp, 30 sp, rhodochrosite worth 16 sp. The guard has 6 hp.

13. Secondary FOod Storage

DC 16 Physical+Strength check to break open the locked door. Physical+Dexterity DC 12 to avoid the rot grubs while searching the lonely crate – margin of failure rot grubs burrow into the hand (up to 14), dealing 1 Strength damage each. Any kind of healing will remove the rot grubs.

14. Wine Cellar

As is.

15. Common Room

Four Norker women (1d6 (4 hp) AC 14; light hammer), 10 young Norkers (1d4 (2hp) AC 12; unarmed), 3 old Norkers (1d6 (5, 4, 3 hp) AC 14). Chief’s concubine (2d6 (10 hp) AC 14; sling and dagger) has two gold earrings worth 11 sp each, fox-skin sash dyed red worth 25 sp, lapis lazuli bracelet worth 21 sp, two gold bracelets with platinum inlays worth 20 sp each, and a pouch with 3 gp, 13 sp, 18 cp, pepper (worth 1 sp), red-brown spinel (worth 10 gp). Distributed among everyone else is 9 gp, 21 sp, 14 cp, and 1d10 agates each worth 10 sp.

16 Warrior’s Room

Eight warriors with varying hp: 3x 6 hp, 3x 5 hp, 4 hp, 3 hp. One norker with 6 hp has 15 AC. 5 gp, 11 sp, 64 sp, 13 cp, three moonstones worth 55 sp each, two hematites worth 1 gp each, silver neck gain worth 3 sp.

17. Witch Doctor’s Guards

Two Elite Norker Guards (2d6 (10 hp) AC 15).

18. Witch Doctor’s Room

Shum-Valka (2d6 (8 hp) AC 14; casts spells as 3rd level cleric). Gray-green rug worth 2 gp, gray-black rug worth 14 sp, green rug worth 9 sp. 23 gp, 76 sp, 44 cp. Bronze brazier worth 1 gp. 37 Incense blocks worth 5 cp each.

19. Shrine of Maglubiyet

The curse laid on each of the inset rubies amounts to this: While carried, if they ever enter a combat and take an aggressive action they activate. The carrier rages and attacks every living thing until either they are dead/unconscious or no living thing is alive (this, of course, includes Party members). A Remove Curse ritual will cleanse the rubies. The rubies are worth 500 gp, if the buying merchant doesn’t discern what they are (handling them will certainly tip them off).

Lower Level

20. Underground Stream

As is.

21. Garbage Room

Scum Creeper (1d1 (1 hp) AC 12; attaches and deals 1 hp per turn).

22. Torture Chamber

Subterfuge+Mind DC 11 to notice that the extra leg is, in fact, a horrific monster. If it isn’t noticed, it surprises the Party and begins attacking. Kampfult (HD 1d6 (4 hp) AC 10; 6 tentacles; it can set aside each tentacle to increase its AC by one).

Subterfuge+Mind DC 15 to notice the hidden compartment under the stone table leg. 57 gp, 4 sp, moonstone worth 5 gp, a decorated knife worth 2 gp.

23. Auxiliary cell

As is.

24. Torturer’s Room

As is.

25. Enchanted Mud

Six Mud Men (See Beacon p. 41)

26. Magical Fountain

As is.

27. Burial Chamber

Chambers: 1 simple crown worth 2 sp. 2 1d4 gp. 3 jeweled golden rings worth 5 gp each. 4 Ghoul (See Beacon) 5 Silver dagger worth 2 gp. 6 Tourmaline worth 10 gp. Otherwise, as is.

28. Meeting Room

As is.

29. Grakhirt’s Inner Quarters

See The NPCs section above for Grakhirt. Tunic worth 16 gp, belt worth 55 sp, mink cape worth 270 gp.

Spellbooks:

0-level spells – Dancing Lights, Detect Magic,

1st Level Spells – Color Spray, Detect Illusion, Fright, Mesmerize, Message, Ventriloquism

2nd Level Spells – Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Darkness, Hypnotic Pattern, Invisibility, Magic Mouth, Minor Image, Mirror Image

Afternotes

This converter thinks it’s a great idea. These are very good adventure seeds for the GM’s Campaign Garden Patch.

Wandering Monsters & Random Events

The d8 random encounter table. Convert the treasures to Beacon.

1. Bandits This encounter remains unchanged.
2. Centipedes Change the Huge Centipedes to Centipedes, and 2d10 Centipedes doesn’t seem as outrageous.
3. Flinds Change the Flinds to Gnolls. 3-6 flinds is a lot of very dangerous big gnolls-on-steroids. Instead, make whatever determination (3d2, 1d4+2, etc.) you need to about the number of gnolls, and make one of those gnolls the Flind.
4. Leprechaun Str -2, Dex +2 Mind +2 Cha +1; Subt +4. The loot must be revised to 14gp, 8 sp, 59 cp; the four moss agates are worth 50 sp, and there are no feather tokens.
5. Cave Bears Yup, that’s 1d4 cave bears…
6. Norkers Change the pouch that each Norker is carrying to 1d6 sp and 2d4 cp.
7. Yup, Huge Spiders …
8. Sigh Yeah … Of course there’s a Dire Wolf.