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Secrets of Dungeon Mastery
Secrets of Dungeon Mastery
Written
By the Hand of the Late
Sir Edvarg the Unfailing
May the Heavens have Mercy on His Soul
Trademark s
FTL Games, the FTL logo, Dungeon Master, the Dun geon
Mas ter logo, Secrets of Dungeon Mastery, and the Sec rets of
Dun geon Mas tery logo are trademarks of Software '-leaven,
Inc.
Contents
Forward .......................................................................... 1
Translator's Note: ............................................................................. I
Choos in g your Compatriots .................................... 3
The Balance of the Party ........ ".................................................. 4
Balance: that all ski lls are at hand ....................................... 4
Covering Strength: my strength shields my
brother's weakness ........................................................................ 6
Death, Resurrection and Reincarnation .......................... 8
Stratagem .................................................................... 12
Limited frontage ............................................................................ 1 3
Party depth....................................................................................... I 4
Choose your attack with care .............................................. 1 6
Weapons and Armor .................................................................. 1 7
Combat at a distance................................................................... I 9
The Winning Withdrawal ......................................................... 2 0
Using the Dungeon against itself........................................ 2 2
Stones go where men fear to tread ................................. 26
Whither to Charge? .................................................................... 26
The C rafts of Power and Miracle ........................ 2 9
The Most Precise of all the arts in Delving ................... 2 9
Learning from every failure ................................................ 2 9
Treating lightly the Arts of Nature's Power. ............. 3 0
The Wise Cleric and Wizard.................................................... 3 0
The Ways of Darkness: Understanding th e
Enem y and its World .............................................. 4 1
Danger increases with depth ............................... ................. 4 I
The twisted log ic of Dungeon Architecture ............... .4 3
A puzzle of many parts and levels ...................................4 4
Edvarg' s Notes on th e Anaias Ca mpaign ........ 5 2
Artifacts of legend and of power........................................ 5 2
Clothing ................................................................................................ 5 5
The Futures phere ........................................................................ 65
Abo ut the Author ................................................... 69
Sir Edvarg the Unfailing .......................................................... 6 9
Tracy Hickman ................................................................................ 69
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Forward
I, SIR EDV ARG of SAGNA vas, honored of the LORDS
OF SAGNA vas and titled thereby as EDV ARG THE
UNFA ILI NG, take quill and parchment in hand . I
propose to record the know ledge and wisdom of my
many campaigns. This I do in the hope that those
who take adventure to hear( will follow the wisdom
of my many years of service and find that unfailing
success which I have been so fortunate to enjoy.
May you, from these pages, glean honor and wealth
for yourselves In their words of wisdom and
"dungeon sense."
For myse lf, I do now set forth on the great
cu lmin a tion of my own career and enler into the
dungeons of Mount Anaias. There shall I use my
wits. courage and talent ( 0 wrest the Firestaff from
the bowels of {hat dark place and bring prosperity
and joy once more to Viborg. There, then, shall I
write my memoirs which you, aspiring adventurer,
have so long awaited.
Translator's Note:
This compilation of the writ ings of Sir Edvarg I S
taken from a folio collect ion of his writings found In
the possession of a Cleric of the monastery at
Brenevoy, his Scrolls of Fighting Mastery as held in
the Library of Viborg and cenain letters in the
possession of one Candice Bumbury-a woman with
whom Sir Edvarg kept a voluminous
correspondence. I hope that the reader will forgive
me for includin g at the end of the text a collection of
writings found near the entrance to th e Dungeon of
Mou n t Anaias. They were contai ned in a charred
map case in the middle of a blackened hillside. While
many authorities discount the authorship of these
pages (primarily due to the fact that all the other
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planning his overthrow while all the army looked for her in
the Blackwoods. She was co nfined to the castle for two
weeks and denied access to the imperia l carriage.
!Note that Edvarg does not mention th e obvious corol lary:
that the fighter who bashes on everyt hin g also robs the
wizard of a chance to better himself as well.
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080
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Karganl, Reincarnation leave s the fundamenta l
abilities such as a persons strength or agility intact
while erasing forever any knowledge or ski ll s they
once possessed. This has advantages and drawback s.
On the advantage side, reincarnated com panions
retain the great strengt h that once they had in
many areas. As they begin to learn again their skills
and gai n once more the mastery of the ir craft, those
abilities will rise even higher than they were before.
As to drawbacks, suc h compan ions start out being
relatively helpl ess as thei r quest for mastery begins.
Whether to resurrect or lO re incarnate is
pr imarily a matter left up to opportun ity and
persona l preference. Be su re, however, to obtai n
(he dead person's preferences before choosing 2 •
Director
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Stratasem
" ... whe n , wi th equal su ddenne ss, we found
ou rse lves confronted with the most fou l and
demonic monsters t yet encounte red. We had
sundered the woode n door with se veral blows from
OUfaxe and thu s the door no longer offe red
protect ion as we rushed into the cavernous room.
The demonic creatures numbered no fewe r than
eight in number and wasted no time in an attempt
to surround us.
"Quickly assessing th e situation . J o rdered OUf
re treat int o the narrow corridor which led to this
c hamber. This , of course, meant that th ey could
only attack us two al a time. Xar 2 a nd Phineous3,
their powers of Mana exhaus ted by th e previous
encounter, began wi th ha ste to aim their throwing
stars and longbow arrows with greatest effec t. We
retreated down the long hall, Sla ying just out of
reach of the creatures poisonous fangs until we once
more passed under the portcullis. There, as each set
ISubseq uen t en tries id ent ify th ese as the Sugac h. bee tle- like
c reatures with a deep blue carapace and oversized eyes
ind ige nou s to th e Lulh region of Karanthia . As the
re maind er of the text describes a variety of lost wonders,
this probably refers to an adventure in the Forbidden City
which legend has existing deep within the Jungle of Mists of
that land.
2The late Xar of Thundendary, a much revered wizard who
died sudden ly while exploring his own future.
3Phineous the Thoroughgood, aco lyte after the order of SI.
Pillary . Numerous re ferences place him in th e area at the
time. The aco lyte now resides at the monaste ry in Orthol
and after denying in a letter Ihal he was ever in the region
of the Forbidden City, refused me an audience to speak with
him.
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the enemy you are attacking. So me c re atures
defend better agai nst certain types of attack while
being more vulnerable to others. A monster may
defend well agai nst a chopping motion bur take great
damage from a stabbing or thrusti ng attack.
Many circumstances suggest a defensive posture
rather than an assault. Here, a well-executed parry
or block by front-line fighters may give enough time
to rearward mages or figh ters to unleash magic or
range weapons.
The options whi ch open up for fighters grant him
a great deal of leeway during the course of the
battle-but they will be worthless to him if he refuses
to use them effectively.
Weapons and Armor
Nothing is more discouraging than facing a
superior force with inferior weapons or armor.
Therefore, the carefu l adventurer chooses the tools
of his trade wi th cons iderable care.
Naturally, the prudent adventu rer wants the
best weapon he can obtain at his side. However, the
wise warrior is also aware of his weaknesses and
doesn't choose a weapon wh ich requires more sk ill
or strengt h than he possesses.
No serious adventurer would venture far wit h
only a dagger or plain wooden club for protection.
The novice looks to obtain a falchon, small mace, or
sword, or perhaps even better a rapier, samurai
sword, or sabre. If avai lable, a mace of order, axe, or
morning star can do serious damage, but their
we ight requres greater physical st rength to wield
effectively.
Choos ing effective armor is a subtler task. It is a
sure sign of the amateur to load himself with armor
much heavier than he can easily carry. Effective
fighting (and retreat) demands a qu ickness of
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Combat at a distance
The basis of any armed confrontation is to deliver
maximum damage to the opponent wh il e, at the
same time, minimizing your own damage . In
nothing is this axiom mo re evident than in projectile
or thrown weapons.
Weapons with bite beyond tooth or claw.
The beauty of a longbow, shortbow, crossbow or
even the hand-thrown shirikan 1 is that they deliver
damage while your party of adventu rers is still far
out of reach of the natural claws or teet h of the
wilderness beast The same is equa ll y true of the
opponent armed on ly with a swo rd. These foul
opponents may easily be defeated before they have
a single opportunity to lay a damaging blow to any
person of your group. When coupling this technique
with th e "Winning Withdrawal" that I shall describe
shortly, the effect can be to whittle more powerful
opponents down to size before they can have an
opportunity to strike.
Ju st how far you can throw an item is largely
dependent upon your strength and the item itself.
The stronge r you are, of course, the better distance
you will gain from a throw. The item itself, however,
has the greatest effect on d istance. Its weight, size
and shape all account for the fact that some items
can be th rown, or launched such as wit h bows or
ca tapults, from various distances.
An addi tional benefit of these weapons is that
they may be fired with equal effect from the second
rank of the party. (This, then, is the reason why an
idea l party will have the magician and cleric on the
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such a lim it, hea l yourself and rest, and then engage
the enemy when you are prepared to do so.
This, again, is a situation where the W inning
Withd rawal is used (Q your great advantage.
Poor Health amoos Foul Creatures (Slow
Recovery)
One of the greatest advantages w hi c h an
adventurer ha s over the minions of evil is the
notor iously s low healing rate of mon stersl, The
du ngeon foe you fight may be attacked with vigor
and both you and the monster may be taking
terrible wounds, as did I at the hand s of the Wreni sh
of Durxan 2 , The beasts nearly had the better of me
when my party and I withdrew to the far side of a
great gate through which they cou ld not pass. We
re sted and healed our wounds. Re!ucta nrl y we
released the counterbalance on the gate and threw
it open. The Wren ish, as we suspected, were still
there, ye t we were shocked to see that their
condition had not improved a bit whi le our own was
most measurably be ller. The ensuing combat was
again fierce and, again we were nearly defeated unt il
we slammed closed the gate. After a long period of
resting and healing we again opened the gate on
'Estival (q.v.) says ,hal Ihere are creatures of the deep ean h
whi ch can regenerate th ei r health as well or quicker than
even the most powerful spell s of the clerics. Est ival could
not. however. site any specific examples.
2The Wrenish were great beelie-Iike crealures nearl y seven
feet long which cou ld cast lightning fro m their antenna.
Durxan refers to the fabled und erwate r ci ty said to have
su nk under the waves of Ihe Great Ocean west of Viborg.
The c ity was said to have been made of grown and shaped
crysta l which focused the light of the stars to the industry of
its people.
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FataL DeLay
A party of adventurers who does not keep
moving through the dungeon and finding new
sources of food will find themselves starving to
death in very short order. While it may be
educational and interesting to gain Mana and then,
after blowing it all off, sleep until you have more to
blow off-it will most likely result in your sleeping
yourself to death. There are far more effective ways
of using your magic while still moving through the
dungeon, as I have noted before l ,
In addition, there will be sections in any dungeon
where you cannot hope to stop and fight every
creature you meet. Some sections of the
underground environment are so rife with
proliferating monsters that taking the time to fight
them all will result in your party starving to death.
In either of these cases, waiting around without
making real progress through the underground
structure will make for a fatal delay. In these
circumstances, you might consider gambling by
charging around your opposition rather than facing
up to it.
Charsins requires Speed & Room to Maneuver
To charge around an opponent requires two
things: speed and room to maneuver.
Speed puts distance between you and the
pursuing creature, and thus gives more time to deal
with any new problems you encounter ahead of
you. Perhaps the monster behind you has given up
the chase, though it is not likely. Better to give
yourself time to either react to a new menace or to
find another safe haven farther down the corridor.
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IShreny disputes (his hotly, saying that Edvarg was Han idiot
when i( came to mag ic."
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tLord Onro Kilpik the Fifth, master of the Iron Keep unti l it
fe ll to the Black Knight in the following year.
2Shrefly: "What Edvard didn't know is that I didn't pract ice
that spell once in that night but concentrated on lower level
spells. which I cast over and over until my Mana expanded.
Our success th e next day was largely due to my increased
capacily. not to some recit ation of the runes the night
before. Cramming was always one of Edvarg's faults."
lS hrefly scoffed at suc h dire forebodings. "If we never
experim ented, how wou ld we learn anything? The powers
of magic are dangerous. no doubt, but-egad, man!-they aU
conform to a pattern and logic. We ca n't expect to find
every scroll with the runes that have power and sometimes
creativity can payoff in a big way.R
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training with a very limited amount of Mana with
which to practice. The maximum amount of Mana
which they can carry does not increase until they
gain higher levels of proficiency in their orders.
Once a wizard or cleric is filled with the maximum
Man a they can bear, he will gain no more until he
have expended the Mana he already has. Like a
kettle, one can only pour so much Mana into a magic
user before he is full. Adding any more will simply
spill over the edge and be wasted.
The kettle will grow larger as the magic user gains
levels of knowledge and power so it is important that
the wizard or cleric constantly use his magic force .
The more spells cast by either class of adventurer,
the faster they will gain in levels of mastery.
Many simple spells can t1shten the burden of others.
One of the simplest ways to gain levels of mastery
is through constant casting of elementary spells.
Nearly every wizard 1 ever knew l practiced casting
light spells to add to their mastery. In the process,
the way was more easily illuminated for all the
others who were adventuring with them. Creation
of healing potions may be a simple exercise for the
cleric and the potions so produced can speed a party
along their way.
Carry Power in your mind before you rest .
... Shrefly sat to one side of the spiraling shaft
while the rest of us rested. Seeing that he was
murmuring the strange words of his craft, I waited
until he had completed his task before questioning
him on the matter. "What ever are you about?" I
asked him. Quoth he, "I carry one power in my
heart before 1 rest, that upon awakening afresh, I
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may carry with me all the morc." After some
persistence on my part, he explained that a wizard
or priest of the gods is like a vessel which can,
depending upon its greatness, ho ld more or less of
the stuff of magic which he called Mana. Mana is like
unto clay which the wizard can take from the vessel
and shape to his will. But, he went on, if the wizard
shapes the clay, for example, into a lamp, then that
clay which he used from the vessel can be replaced
while the wizard still holds the lamp. Said It "I see!"
Said he, "No you don't, you dolt! If you could truly
see then you wouldn't have led us into this te rrible
pit!l "
The wizard or cleric actually holds the power of
Mana in two ways: in his soul and in his mind. 2 That
part which normally provides the wellspring for
magic is thought of as the soul where the Mana is
kept. The mind is where th e current spe ll being
invoked is found.
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~~
Some spells are the most powerful distance weapons.
Fireballs and LighlIlillg Bolts nying from the
hands of an experienced wizard can deliver great
damage to the enemy while still at a distance. 1 That
such spells can be cast from the back of the party
also makes them fabulous aids during close cornbal 2 .
Just as important are the defensive spells which a
wizard can throw. There are spells which can
envelope the party in a magical shield which will
ward off most damage being infli cted on them by the
foe . Others spells can be employed to enhance your
ability to fight and do damage . All of these are
known only to the wizards who know their words)
Health of others quickened by Clerics
Often a party can not wait fo r the natural healing
processes to bring health back to their members.
Frequent encounters with nasty monsters often
require a recovery pace faster than natural healing
can give. In addition, th e poisonous effec ts of many
creatures' biles will not allow healing 1O take place
and can, in fact, bring untimely death if allowed to
continue unche cked.
For these rea so ns a Cleric and his special healing
abili ti es are essential to the health and success of a
party. The potions of healing and poison cures
l"Assuming, " says Shrefly. "that the creature does not have
defen ses against mag ic."
2Shrefly shudders: "Casting suc h dangerou s spells at close
quarters can. often as not, cook your own friend s as well as
the opponent."
3"These spe ll s remain unwritten. On ly ror th ose who are
willing to understand the nature or derense and to
experiment enough to find the right words can learn them.
Once the key is discovered, I can tell you, spells and potions
to this errect are equa ll y poss ibl e." Shrefly (q.v.)
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IThe dwarf who may possess thi s helm is, by tradi tion. kin g
of all the dwarve n na ti ons th roughout the known world. It
fo und its origins wi th Ki ng Dasar in the earl y Age of Rain
and passed in and out of wri tten hi story through th e many
ages.
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Thinkins v.r ticatl y.
Many of us have, to a great extent. made our
minds as flat as the scrolls and parchments we work
with each day. We make OUf map of the dungeon
and blindly think that the only relationships which
the various levels have is from side to side.
Anyone who has fallen down a pit or climbed the
Unending Stair of Time l can tell you, a dungeon
extends not only from side to side but vertically as
well. The Unending Stair was particularly
instructive in this sense. OUf party was heavily
laden with provisions for the exhaustive journey
which we had proposed to undertake. As such, it
was impossible to fight or even defend ourselves
against attack: fleeing was out of the question. So it
was that we fou,oct a safe room just off the portal to
the Age of Graganth 2 • There we locked up our
provisions in chests and closed the portcullis of the
room behind us. From that time on, when we needed
supply, we had but to get back to the Unending Stair
and climb it that shott way to the room with our
supplies. From time to time, we found it needful to
move this cache to a lower location in the well so
that it would not be far from us. Yet were we freed
of the need to carryall our baggage with us
wherever we went.
Remember that puzzles , traps and many other
workings in a dungeon are linked-and not just on
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the same floor as the one you are currently on. You
must see in your mind the layout of the
archi tecture not just from side to side, but how the
different floors relate to each other top to bottom.
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future years-a location much farther dow n in the
well.
What is more important to know is that there is a
solution to your prob lem which is within your
ability to reach it. Not even the darkest of evil
creatures can Jock his prize out of his own reach. A
way is always provided for him to regain access to
his keys. If he can get to his keys ... then so, too, can
you.
When aU else faits ...
If your brains fail, you can always try the last
resort-raw and physical violence. Some wooden
doors wi ll not open except to the ringing of an axe
against them. Runn ing face fi rst into walls may be
the on ly way to determine if they are illusory or
not.
Besides, bashing your helmeted head against a
wall can occasionally clear up a situation fo r you
anyway... or at least make you feel less frustrated.
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Ittumutit
A symbo l of t he Temple of Rat, this was
traditiona ll y worn by the High Priest of Ra during all
state occasions. When the temple was destroyed
during the invasion of the Jurandai 2 , old Grey Lord
was given the IIIumul it by the Hi gh Priests for its
safe keeping.
Moonstone
These medallions have been brought in recent
years from an unknown pagan religion from t he
East. Those few that have been know n to exis t are
most prized by wizards. Their properties are said to
include those of the first moon w hic h grants
increased magic and influence to their wea rer.
Pendant Feral
Stolen from the Burrows o f Dit h 3 during thei r
great war with the Bika's, this pendant was once
worn w ith pride by Wuuf. Those who wear th is
pendant are said to be granted the ag il ity of a field
mouse and the wisdom of a un icorn. He is know n to
have worn it when he entered the dungeon.
Spirit Eye
Syra entered the dungeon of A naias not looking
to solve the mystery which is there but, rather, to
retrieve this ancient anifact fo r he r people. The
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amulet is said to contain the essence of truth in the
physical world. Its properties therefore, protect the
wearer against the effects of magic.
The Hellion
A great secret locks within this amu let the powers
of the un iverse and the ability to combine magic,
physik and energy interchangeably into any form
desired. Once opened, however, its powers must be
controlled or a rip between the fabric of the three
elemen ts will destroy all creation. The Hellion has
remained hidden for years but only a short time ago
did I discover that Halk the Barbarian-not knowing
its true nature-had taken it dur ing the Siege of
Silvastopilis four years ago. Halk wandered into the
Viborg area a nd, probably during a drunken binge,
entered the dungeon unde r Mount Anaias.
Rins s
St or mrins
Originally the property of Streth the
Cloudwarrior • The ring was forged for him by the
1
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Stormgian t s l of Strataria 2 , a realm that exists in a
great thund ercloud that moves from place to place
over the world . Si nce the Stormgiant s are also
g iven to manufacturing l ightning, the ri ng's
properties may move along sim ilar lin es.
Eye of Time
A lost artifact from the Well of Time (q.v.) which,
lege nds tell us, has the ability of stop pin g tim e for
everyone except those designated by th e wearer of
the device. T he ring appears to be magically
charged.
Clothins
Cloak of Ni3ht
Taken into the dungeon by that foo l Gothmog who
has probab ly lost it by now. It made th e little weasel
too sl ick to catch and to limber to hit. I' d sure like to
get my hands on him whe n he wasn't wearing it!
Flamit
Ori ginally one of the wonders o f Zu rn 3 , the Flami t
was a gau ntl et which cou ld cast flam ing death at
oppo nents. Tradition has that it was taken into the
dungeo n by Hawk th e Fearless, who had obtained it
during an earl ier adventure in Zurn. Neithe r Hawk
nor th e Flamit have turned up since.
Power towers
No one knows the o rigins of these leg braces, onl y
their effect. Somehow, through means still a
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somewhat better than normal plate, although
certainly not as good as the Armor of Darc.
Oexhelm
A mistake by one of the Grey Wizard's
apprentices, the Dexhelm remain s an alluring
promise to anyone visiting the du ngeon of the
mountain. Its ability to increase a wearers prowess
makes it valuable to any combatant.
Mi thril Armor
Thought to be forged by the hidden kingdoms of
the Great Wood]. Mithril Armor is substantially
lighter than normal chain mail and considerably
super ior in combat. A su it of Ihi s armor was
reportedly worn by Linflas, a South Kingdom elf who
entered the dungeon nearly a century ago.
Weapons
Salt Slade
The weapon of Streth the Cloudwarrior(q.v.), Like
Slormring. Bolt Blade was forged in Strataria. Once,
in the service of the Lords of Sagnavos, Streth was
forced to sacrifice hi s beloved in order to destroy
Duke Karvi and thereby save the greater part of the
Seven Kingdoms from utter de s truction. The
sacrifice. however. provides li ttle consolation to the
distressed warrior. who gave up his weapons and
armor to the Grey Lord and took up a lone life quest
for peace.
Oelta Sword
Delta was designed specifically as a thrusting
weapon for Zed, Duke of Banville. Zed never let the
weapon leave his side and was las t seen heading
toward Anaias.
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Oiamond Edse
A weapon designed with a purpose. The diamond
edged swords were created by the dwarven smiths
of Durxan for the Twilig ht Wars. On ly three of them
were made. These swords had magnificent abili ti es
against armor and were orig in ally used by the
Guards of King Stephen. Two of them have since
passed out of memory and knowledge but the third
is known to have been hidden and well guarded in
the depths of Anaias.
Fury
Weapon of preference for Prince Hov is!, Hovis, in
trying to reinstate the dynasty of h is father, Lord
Dare, entered the Dungeons of Ana ias secre tly and
attempted to ga the r the bones of his fathe r and
restore their li fe. The min ions of the Grey Lord
caught him, fortu nately, and now Hovis' bones rest
beside his fa thers. The fate of h is sword, however,
remains a mystery.
Har d clcavc
The weapon of Lo rd Dare, Hardc1eave is one of the
fi nest combat axes ever created alt hough not qu ite a
match for Inquisitor. The weapon was so good that
its w ielder could even enter a berserk attack and
cause tremendous damage. It was especially helpful
in attacks against armor or hard bod ied creatu res.
The Inquisitor
Certainly numbering among the fi nest-edged
weapons in the world, the Inquisitor was the
preferred weapon of King Stephen Lyte. L ike
ISon of Lord Darc and heir to his throne. After the biller
outcome of the Tw ilight War, he sought to reinstate his
fathers dynasty. He allempted to recover hi s father's bones
from th ei r tomb under Mt. Anais and must have crossed the
Grey Wizard. for he never came back.
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Crowns
Calista
Legendary wealth and powe r were bound up in
the Calista l . O f all of the items rumored to be in the
dungeon, this one is the most important to obtain.
Those w ho have it may, by uttering the words f ound
in the Book of Kran 2 , obt.ain the greates t treasure in
all the world. I have it on good authority that the
Grey Lord had thi s in his keeping when the dungeon
was taken ove r.
Crown of Nerra
Nerra 3 was a wise philosopher of the Age of Man.
Hi s many wri tin gs often gave credi t for hi s abili ties
to the crown w hi c h was given hi m by the gods in
appreciation for hi s service. It cost the Grey Lord a
pretty durga to buy this pi ece, I tell you!
Lesendary Items
Horn of Fear
Mythical device with little use whatsoever. Blow it
and it makes a noise. HAl Some say that it ca n
frighten mon sters into retreat-allowing yo ur
attack s to work much better as you chase them to
their sup posed doom. I, who have been th ere, can
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tell you that it will take more than a toot from some
hom to make evil cower!
Mas nifier
A device about which legend tells us great things,
but whi ch has never been proven to exis t. It ca ll s
dow n the power of li ght and brings fi re in to being
where none existed before.
Mirro r of Oawn
Those of the Ether cannot stand to he reminded of
their own corrupt state, nor can they tolerate the
direct rays of the sun above. To these ends was this
mirror created. The light of day beams from its
surface and its reflection is effective against ghosts
and thei r ilk in the depths of the dungeo n- this being
made know n to me by Shrefly after I h ad
accidentally broken several of his valuable mirrors.
Staffs & W ands
Oras onspi t
Charbroil, the dragon under the Temples of Tran
Khar (q.v.) was engaged in combat with Sh reny. The
crafty old (illegible) had somehow created this item
in such a way tha t when the drago ns gapping maw
opened, the very flame of his throa t was absorbed
by the device. Shreny presented Dragonsp ir to the
Grey Wizard rather than to me out of sheer spite 2 •
Should I find it, I will reclaim it as my rightful prize.
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Sc.pt.r of Lyf
An apparent poor spelling, this item was created
by the brotherhood at the Abbey at GJoxton (q.v.).
during the last Age. It had properties of healing
which, though limited, could bring a man great favor
in a hazardous quest.
Staff of Manar
Manari was a great and wise wizard apprentice of
the Grey Wizard who often took to wandering the
ethereal realms in search of ever more interesting
tales for his master. In return for his services, the
Grey Wizard created this staff for him. It could
altack elemental and ethereal creatures and ward
off damage as well. Manar used the staff to travel far
afield in the ether. It was not many yea rs laler,
however, when Manar fell in love Wilh one of the
Daughters of Light 2 and vowed to never return to
the material world again. His staff, so the tales tell,
was forsaken by him and returned to the Grey
Wizard.
Teo wand
Local wizards have bee n whispe rin g about the
possible existence of this art ifact for many months
now and speculate about its possible use in end ing all
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of the mi sery in this area. Segurd 1 ha s it on good
authori ty that this item alone is the key to th e
freedom of all people in this locale.
The Conduit
Stolen from the Order of SiP, this wand not only can
ca ll down the powers of th e storm in the midst of
calm day but can allow those who use it to see past
sol id objects to what lies beyond them.
yew Staff
The twin staff of the Staff of Man ar (see above).
This staff was retained by the Grey Wi zard ,
ho wever, for hi s own use.
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The Futuresphere
Translators Note: Before beginning his final
adventure into the dungeons under Mount Anaias,
Edvarg consulted a soothsayer woman who was
passing lhrough Viborg at that time. Edvarg may
have had little faith in magic but his belief in Jate
was a religiolls one. While no trace of this woman is
to be fo und (even her name is not known), the
transcript of her prophesy remains.
I am quire skeptical as to its accuracy. Edvarg
lIoles in the margin thaI "this is the best prophesy
ever obtained for 50 gold durgas." Whether what is
contained in the prophesy are true remains for
those who have en tered that cursed fortress [0
know. As for me , J am ineluding them as the fast
verifiable writings of Edvarg.
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TIME'S ESSENSE BEGS SPEED OF FOOT AND HAND
AND FAITH THAT THE GLANCE TO SEE THE WA Y
MAY BAR IT WITH WALL AND FALL
WH ILE BLIND BACKWARDS MAY YET WIN THE DAY.
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HERE, TOO, A CORRIDOR OF ETERNAL LENGTH
IS BUT ILLUSION OF MAGIC AND FLOOR
ILLUMINATE YOUR PATH BY MAGIC OR
YOUR MlND BY OBJECTS LEFT BEHlND.
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FORCED BACK AND CAGED WIlli NO RETREAT
HE STANDS IN FEAR OF YOUR FREE WILL.
YET IF THE POWER BE IN YOUR HANDS CHOOSE WISELY
FOR BALANCE AND RESTORATION.
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