The Ruins of Grimspire

This was obviously the main hall of the fortress. The roof is largely gone, and the room is open to the sky. Further, there is a large breach in the back wall. This area is basically empty. Note that this is the only area where wandering monster checks are made. Also, review the description of area 8, below, if the door to that area is approached.

The first thing you see when you enter this large room is a kind of chair or throne made of stones that have fallen from the walls of this very keep. It's a big chair, and it needs to be, as it's occupied by an ogre. Check for surprise. If the ogre is surprised, tell the players that he seems to be asleep (he is). If he is not surprised: He seems to be asleep, but then his eyes open. "Rah, visitors!" he exclaims, standing up and grabbing a huge club. "Give me treasure or I take your lives!" This ogre, Gorfang, is motivated by greed; he'll accept any treasure that "looks good" meaning that he might choose a prize of 1,000 cp over 200 sp, but he will always choose gold over anything else. He claims to know "all about" the dungeon inhabitants, but in fact he really knows just three things: 1. His neighbors are goblins (as found in areas 8 through 12).

Gorfang neither likes nor trusts. The ogre has 600 gp and a potion of diminution in his sack. Gorfang, Ogre: AC 15, HD 4+1, #At 1 huge club, Dam 2d6, Mv 30', Sv F4, ML 10, XP 240

This room appears mostly empty, save for an ominously-large bloodstain on the floor near the door leading toward the back. A stick of some kind lies in the middle of the blood patch... no, not a stick, a spear. A large, broken spear, with its head lying several feet closer to that door. There is nothing of consequence here. The spear was used by the ogre in 2 against the geckos; he retreated after it broke, but not before he had killed one of them. It was dragged away by its fellows and eaten, leaving only the large bloodstain behind.

3 Skeletons: AC 13, half damage from edged weapons, 1 point only from arrows, bolts, and sling stones, HD 1, #At 1 shortsword, Dam 1d6, Mv 40', Sv F1, ML 12, XP 25 ea. HP

As you open the door, you hear a sudden "twang" sound... There is a dart trap here, a complicated and fragile apparatus hanging from the far wall and attached to the door with a string. It fires 6 darts; each attacks at AB +1 and does 1d4 points of damage on a hit. If there are multiple possible targets, roll a second time for any that miss against a further target. The maker of the trap is long gone, so it will not be reset after firing. A small sack is hidden in a niche in the wall behind the trap apparatus. It contains 600 sp, 110 ep, 100 gp, and a dagger +1.

A small chest is buried in the back of the gecko lair under some of the rubble from the collapsed wall section. Use the usual chance to find secret doors if the area is searched. The chest contains 1,000 ep, 200 gp, three identical-looking rubies worth 50 gp each or 200 gp as a set, and a wand of lightning bolts with 3 charges remaining. 2 Giant Gecko Lizards: AC 15, HD 3+1, #At 1 bite, Dam 1d8, Mv 40' Climb 40', Sv F2, ML 7, XP 145 ea.

In front of the door from room 1 to this one: You see a mat of some sort lying before the door, made of some kind of plant fibers woven together. Painted on it is a single word in Common: "Welcome!" This is the entrance to the main lair of the goblin tribe. Five goblin warriors stand guard here; if the door from 1 is breached, one will go to warn the rest of the tribe while the other four will fight the invaders. Each goblin warrior has 2d6 sp. 5 Goblins: AC 14, HD 1-1, #At 1 shortsword or 1 shortbow, Dam 1d6 shortsword, 1d6 shortbow, Mv 20', Sv F1, ML 7, XP 10 ea. HP

You see goblins. A bunch of them. They don't look happy to see you. 7 Goblin Males: AC 14, HD 1-1, #At 1 shortsword, Dam 1d6, Mv 20', Sv F1, ML 7, XP 10 ea. HP 5 Goblin Females: AC 14, HD 1-1, #At 1 dagger, Dam 1d4, Mv 20', Sv F1, ML 7, XP 10 ea. HP

The passage ahead is entirely blocked by debris caused by a collapsed section of wall and ceiling. There appears to be no way to access the northeast tower. The blockage would take more than a day's worth of work for several men to clear it. The goblins have no interest in clearing the blockage, as they are using the ladder in room 11, below, to gain access to room 12.

The door from the stairway is secured with a newly-installed heavy oaken bar. This room has a human-sized bed, unmade, and the bedclothes look dirty. A ladder in the corner leads up to an improvised-looking trapdoor in the ceiling. The GM should describe whichever goblins are present here; normally, the chieftain and his chosen females listed below will be present. Besides his magic handaxe the chieftain has a silver goblet worth 10 gp, but nothing else of value. He wears a key around his neck that fits the chest in room 12, below. The trapdoor in the ceiling gives access to a V- shaped breach in the tower wall; the goblins have been using it to access area 12, below. Goblin Chieftain: AC 16, HD 5-5, #At 1 hand axe +1, +2 vs. undead or 1 shortbow, Dam 1d6+2 hand axe or 1d6 shortbow, Mv 20', Sv F5, ML 8, XP 360 HP 3 Goblin Females: AC 13, HD 1-1, #At 1 dagger, Dam 1d4, Mv 20', Sv F1, ML 8 (7), XP 10 ea. HP

The ladder here leads down from the breach in the wall. Part of the ceiling (which is the floor of the original tower's second level) has collapsed, but most of it is still intact. All food and equipment storage for the goblins is in this room. To prevent their foodstuffs from getting wet due to the gap in the ceiling, they have laid logs on the floor and put their supplies on top. In addition, their treasure is locked in a heavy chest here: 2,576 cp, 1,038 sp, and a rope of climbing. The chieftain wears the key around his neck.

The ceiling of this room is almost entirely missing, with only a few feet of it remaining in the far corner. Under the scant protection of that bit of wood floor you see a large nest made of mud stuck back in the corner. The nest is occupied by a pair of stirges; they do not yet have any young. If not surprised they will attack immediately. 2 Stirges: AC 13, HD 1*, #At 1 bite, Dam 1d4 bite + 1d4/round blood drain, Mv 10' Fly 60', Sv F1, ML 9, XP 37 ea. HP