"Escape from Astigar's Lair" was the tournament dungeon for the Metro Detroit Gamers' Michicon VIII Gamefest, held June 1-3, 1979 at Oakland University, Rochester MI.
JG 124 "Escape from Astigar's Lair" (1980) by Allen V. Pruehs and Ree Moorhead Pruehs. Cover illustration by Kevin Siembieda.
Dainer the Druid
uses AD&D 1e Dexterity bonus
Therain the Ranger
*uses Greyhawk (not AD&D) Strength bonus to hit/damage
uses AD&D 1e Players Manual for spell progression (1 druidic, 1 magic-user) and includes a 1st level magic-user spell not appearing in OD&D/Greyhawk (Feather Fall)
tracking percentages also based on the AD&D ranger description
Illustration by Kevin Siembieda, from "Escape from Astigar's Lair"
"Escape from Astigar's Lair" introduces a few notable conventions.
In terms of initiative, a d6 is rolled for the two-member party and another is rolled for the monsters. Highest roll goes first, as per group initiative in Moldvay (published in 1981).
Combat is also divided into sequences (missile fire/spells, movement, melee) similar to that in Moldvay (where movement precedes missile fire/spells and melee).
A system for critical hits and fumbles is also described (as in "The Dragon Crown").
Natural 20s result in double damage (for both players and monsters) and if a player rolls a natural 1, they must make a Dexterity check on a d20 or fumble (weapon takes 1 melee round to recover).
I was too young and poor in the 70s and 80s to travel to any of the major gaming conventions, so I've never played in a tournament dungeon like this. I've always wondered how much a group could possibly get done in 60 minutes (or even 2-3 hours). That feels like just enough time for some brief exploration and maybe a fight or two. :)
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have attended those cons - my first was Gary Con in 2018, believe it or not.
DeleteI think the 30-60 min format was experimental and short-lived. Most tournaments appear to have resumed the longer-duration group play in the years that followed.