The Ghostship Gambit

"The Ghostship Gambit" by Randy Maxwell is a D&D mini-adventure for character levels 3-6, published in Dungeon #9 (January/February, 1988).

Illustration by Wanda Lybarger

I ran this for my son and a friend of his, years ago.  I posted a summary of our game in the Campaign Journals section on Dragonsfoot, here.

About the Author:

Randy Maxwell lives in Odessa, Texas (which he describes as "Mayberry with angst".  He says the idea for this adventure came from an old war movie whose plot revolved around a WWII German warship that used various disguises to approach Allied merchant ships.  Once the ship was in close, the disguise was discarded, the victim attacked and sunk.  "This just goes to show that good adventure ideas can be found anywhere," Randy says.  His module "White Death" appeared in Dungeon issue #8.

Dungeon (January/February, 1988)

The war movie Maxwell was likely referring to is the Italian-American production "Under Ten Flags" (1960) directed by Duilio Coletti.

Maxwell contributed four additional classic D&D adventures to Dungeon magazine: "Of Nests and Nations" (#13, September/October, 1988); "Pride of the Sky" (#20, November/December, 1989); "The Vineyard Vales" (#23, May/June, 1990); and "Isle of the Abbey" (#34, March/April, 1992).

The undersea boat is borrowed from module X7 "The Wat Rafts of Kron" (1984).

Location:

Maxwell states "DMs using the Known World of the D&D game may wish to place this adventure in either the city of Mule Beach or the port of Sea Camel (see module X6 "Quagmire!") or any town under 5,000 population."

Portion of map of the Known World from the D&D Master Set (1985), indicating possible location of Koll (2, Arm of God; 13, The Coast; 26, The Serpent Peninsula; 27, Southold)

While Mule Beach and Sea Camel on the Serpent Peninsula are good alternatives, Mystara fan LoZompatore identified a suitable location for Koll at the southernmost extremity of the "Arm of God"/"Arm of the Immortals":

Koll from Dungeon Magazine #9 and the Arm of the Immortals

One might envision the Ghostship prowling the coast from Koll up the Arm of God, along the Savage Coast, where it can be encountered by adventurers in X9 "The Savage Coast" all the way to the Serpent Peninsula, where it can be encountered by adventurers in X6 "Quagmire!"

Reader Feedback:

The poor pirates have no place to hide their loot!

Hal Looby, Philadelphia PA

Dungeon #15 (January/February, 1989)

Slagovich: Gateway to Adventure

I've long considered Slagovich to be an ideal campaign home base.

PCs can begin their adventuring careers in the frontier city of Akesoli in the Lands and Environs of the D&D Wilderness (I've always liked the area north of there for B7 "Rahasia") and join a caravan across the Sind all the way to Slagovich (the caravan encounters, including the buried temple, from X4 "Master of the Desert Nomads" could be used).

Illustration from X6 "Quagmire!" depicting the port of Slagovich (note mountain range in the background)

Arriving in Slagovich, there are 12 adventure hooks to be had:

1. If the characters take their time wandering through the streets of Slagovich, they come across the following advertisement:

Wanted: Wild horses, mules, and camels.  Best prices paid.  100 gp for camels, 75 gp for horses, 50 gp for mules.  Bring roped animals to the agent of Bondee Slagomann at the corrals on the outskirts of town"

Module X6 "Quagmire!"

Bondee is a wealthy Slagovich merchant.  His daughter, Kazandra Slagomann, is later captured by the mermen of the Sunken City, and must be rescued.

Alternatively, Bondee could hire the characters to find out what happened to his daughter.  This might lead into a more natural hook for module X6 "Quagmire!".

The PCs learn that lizard men have been harassing the trading ships in the area around East Fang Cape, and that no one can recall the last time a ship arrived from Quagmire.

2. Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" on the Serpent Peninsula:

For several months, possibly even years, there have been reports of banditry in the jungles to the south.  Merchants carrying precious loads of rare goods from the jungle lands have been waylaid, their goods taken and their men captured or killed.  Even then, those who survived these raids had to face headhunters, brain fever, giant leeches, cannibals, and leopards.  Few men ever returned.  The stories they told were fantastic and addled, surely brought about by disease and the horrors with which they had to deal.  Singing snakes, twisted and deformed ape-men, men who were not men, and writhing, horrid flowers filled their tales-surely such things were not to be believed.  Nonetheless, something had destroyed the caravans.

Furthermore, none of the goods taken from the caravans has ever appeared in the markets of the north, at least as far as the merchants can tell.  Some were certainly identifiable - rare pieces of art, scrolls, books, and other items destined to fetch good prices in the kingdoms of the north.  It could only mean that someone or something was hoarding a great treasure in the jungle.  Prompted by this information, adventurers set out to find the bandits and gain their treasure.  Your party is one of these.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

Map of Serpent Peninsula from X6 Quagmire! (left) and Champions of Mystara (right) indicating the location of Onyo Maata, a suitable location for I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City

Four additional reasons for seeking the Forbidden City are given:

3. Revenge

A group of merchants has hired your party to stop the raiding (as explained in the module Background) permanently.  Characters must find and enter the city, determine who is responsible for the raids and destroy that person or group.  The characters must also ensure that no further raids occur.  This could be done by destroying all of the inhabitants, bribery, creating feuds, sealing all the ways in and out of the city, or any other plan the players might invent.  The merchants would no doubt like to have the goods they lost to the raids returned, so the DM might wish to create a very well-guarded storehouse of these items.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

4. Rescue

Many important people have been disappearing from the courts of nearby lands.  The people are being kidnaped by the Black Brotherhood (a secret group the DM must create) and given to the yuan ti for safekeeping.  The Brotherhood wants to help the yuan ti by weakening the power of the surrounding kingdoms.  First the characters must discover who is doing the kidnapping, and then trace the kidnappers to the yuan ti.  A group of the Black Brotherhood would be based in the city.  The prisoners would be hard to find, for they are scattered throughout the city.  Some might be easy to rescue, while others might be very difficult to rescue.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

5. Conquest

A local potentate (or other ruler) has declared that his ancestors were once the masters of the Forbidden City (although there is no proof to his claim).  He wants the adventurers to enter the city, scout it, and, if possible, clear it of all foul monsters.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

6. Defense

A courier carrying important information was recently attacked and robbed while crossing the jungle.  Found before he died, the courier told his rescuers of the theft.  Since his papers reveal the weaknesses and strengths of a nearby kingdom, the monarch of that land has offered a reward for the return of the documents.  At the same time, the rulers of several other lands have likewise offered rewards if the documents should just happen to reach their hands first.  However, once the characters reach the city, they will learn that an evil army is being assembled to attack all the surrounding lands.  To save themselves and others from slavery, the adventurers must try to prevent this attack from occurring.  The players must defeat or join other parties also after the stolen documents.  How they do it is left to the players and the DM.

Module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City"

Map of Hule from module X5 "The Temple of Death" with recommended location for the city of Highport from A1 "Slave Pits of the Undercity" (left) and the Gulf of Hule (right) from "Adapting classic AD&D modules to a Mystara campaign" in Threshold: the Mystara Magazine #22

7. Modules A1-4 "Against the Slavers" in the nearby Gulf of Hule:

It is time to put a stop to the marauders!  For years the coastal towns have been burned and looted by the forces of evil.  You and your fellow adventurers have been recruited to root out and destroy the source of these raids.  But beware, hundreds of good men and women have been taken by the slavers and have never been seen or heard from again!

Module A1 "Slave Pits of the Undercity"

The four adventure hooks from module X9 "The Savage Coast":

8. Gold Rush

There's gold...lot's of it...west of here.  It's supposed to be all along the coast of someplace called Orcs Head Peninsula.  An old seer told me it was there.  It's ours for the taking if we can get past the natives who live there.  He said the peninsula is a dangerous place, but if we're smart, we'd never want for anything again.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

9. Cartographers Guild

The Cartographers Guild of Slagovich has offered us a handsome reward for a more detailed map of the coastline areas of Orcs Head Peninsula.  If we agree to sail along the coast of the peninsula to map the lands of the area, they will give us 50,000 gp each, and they've already given us a map that shows the areas where hidden treasures might be found, and a map of a legendary lost city.  No adventurer has been able to find the treasures or the city yet.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

10. Rival Brotherhoods

The local clerics of the Brotherhood of Light are looking for a few good adventurers to discover the whereabouts and the activities of their rivals, the Lawful Brotherhood.  They believe the Lawful Brotherhood is engaged in some exploitive pursuits, and are becoming too powerful.  They have noticed ships in the harbor that fly the Lawful Brotherhood flag, but they have not been able to determine the Brotherhood's business here.  The ships come and go only at night—a good indication that something is not right.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

11. Merchant Company

The Pure Gold Merchant Company is searching for a party of adventurers with a ship.  Rumors of gold along Orcs Head Peninsula have caused a panic among the owners of the company.  Their ships are all on other expeditions—they have no time to wait for their return.  If there is gold to the west, they want it first, and are willing to pay for it.

Module X9 "The Savage Coast"

Site of the lost city of Risilvar in the Forbidden Highlands of Orc's Head Peninsula, from module X9 "The Savage Coast", a fitting location for the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (left).  Illustration by Jeff Dee (right).

12. Finally, there could be rumours regarding module C1 "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan"

Notes:

Originally posted on Dragonsfoot (September 8, 2018)

See also  "The Voyage of the Princess Ark (Part 17): The Slagovich affair" by Bruce Heard, in Dragon #171 (July, 1991)

X6: Quagmire!

X6 "Quagmire!" (1984) by Merle M. Rasmussen is a D&D wilderness adventure for character levels 4-10, detailing the Wild Lands to the west of the Sea of Dread.

Module X6 "Quagmire!" (1984) by Merle M. Rasmussen.  Cover illustration by Steve Peregrine.

The Adventure:

I posted a review of this module on Dragonsfoot, back in 2010.

While a fascinating map to explore, the main flaw in the adventure is one of size and scope.  X1 "The Isle of Dread" works better as a hexcrawl, since the island is manageable in size (with 6 mile hexes) as opposed to "The Wild Lands" in "Quagmire!" (with 24 mile hexes).

The encounter density becomes too sparse to maintain dramatic tension.  Weeks and weeks go by, as opposed to the day by day exploration involved in module X1, the party moving 1-2 instead of 4-8 hexes per day, which negatively impacts pacing.

For this reason, the rescue of the citizens of Quagmire really works best as a side quest for a larger campaign set in the Wild Lands.  The PCs should find Molariah's message* in a bottle while already exploring Serpent Peninsula.

*complete with labels on the roughly sketched map, as in Rasmussen's original version, omitted in the published version

The Calendar:

A table indicating the percentage chance of gales and hurricanes uses the months of our own calendar.  This did not seem out of place, back in the day, since Tolkien did the same.

Design Origins:

The origins of module X6 "Quagmire!" are described in detail in "Quagmire!  The Making of a 1980's D&D Module" (December 29, 2014) by Jon Peterson.

Side view of spiral city.  Illustration by Merle M. Rasmussen.

Rasmussen originally submitted two one-page briefs as ideas for D&D Expert modules.  The first was titled "Frozen Burial Mounds of the Southmarch" and the second "Quagmire of the Swamp King":

Characters must cross a bog having a surface that yields with each step* past slimy creatures half burrowed in the muck to reach the highground of the Swamp King.  He is searching for only the best adventurers to chart his kingdom so safe navigation by ship can occur.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (July 23, 1982)

*the Lagoon Lowlands on Serpent Peninsula are later described as "(a) marshy bog (that) gives with each footstep."

The initial brief for "Quagmire" was approved and expanded upon:

D&D characters must cross a fog-covered bog past slimy creatures half burrowed in the muck to reach the last highground of the benevolent but dying Swamp King.  His plague-ravaged sinking kingdom will soon be gone forever and his surviving followers will perish.  Characters must rescue the kingdom's people from their overcrowded rock by finding a safe land or sea route to civilization.  Monsters and natural hazards abound threatening to destroy the characters and the kind survivors of the swamp.  The swamp king offers only precious herbs and stones in payment for his people's safe passage to new higher ground.  When the moon rises again the rock of the Swamp King will sink into oblivion.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (April 22, 1983)

Compare to the final plot outline, with its intriguing mention of ancient roads connecting the various cities (a detail omitted in the published module):

A party of 4th to 10th level adventurers receive an urgent plea for help from Quagmire, an ancient trading port, now sinking into the sea.  The party starts out from Slagovich, Specularum, or the Isle of Dread to reach the exotic locale.  Along the way, the party will have many encounters, some relating to the mission, and others that simply add excitement to the adventure.

When the party reaches Quagmire they find the city under siege by creatures from the surrounding swamp.  Once inside the spiraling city, the party is told that the city's survivors want to be escorted to the legendary city of Thanopolis.  Thanopolis supposedly lies on the southwest side of the island of Thanegia.  An ancient overgrown road is rumored to run from Quagmire to Thanegia but no one has dared to travel the road in decades.

Thanopolis exists but is infected with swamp and jungle denizens.  Within the legendary city, a duplicate of Quagmire, is a map to a third sister city.  Another ancient road leads into the sea.  Adventurers can try to find the third city if they choose but it sank centuries ago and is now a city for mermen.

Merle M. Rasmussen, (January 4, 1984)

Serpent Peninsula:

The general weather patterns of this part of the world move from east to west.  Tbe world’s equator lies just south of Thanegia Island.  The climate of this area is similar to that of Florida or Cuba.

Quagmire (1984)

I've written previously that Serpent Peninsula is an excellent location for module I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (1981) by David Cook.

Map of Serpent Peninsula from X6 "Quagmire!" indicating a suitable location for I1 "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (adapted from this map, by Thorfinn Tait)

I've shared my ideas for a X6/I1 Quagmire/Dwellers of the Forbidden City mash-up, including BECMI stats for bullywugs, mongrelmen, tasloi, and yuan ti.

*see also "Jungle Fever" in The Dragon #31 (November, 1979) and "The Voyage of the Princess Ark (Part 17): The Serpent Peninsula revisited" by Bruce Heard, in Dragon #170 (June, 1991)

Shallow Sea:

Legends speak of the Yavdlom, an early race of man that lived here in harmony with the island's natural beauty.  At that time, several different forms of life were said to have filled the island.  The legends also say, however, that some unknown force eventually decimated the island's life forms, and the Yavdlom apparently moved on to other lands.  The unknown force was actually the slow sinking of the land that now makes up the floor of the Shallow Sea.

Quagmire (1984)

According to the "Champions of Mystara" (1993) boxed set, earthquakes changed the geography of the Serpent Peninsula in 1750 BC, forming the Shallow Sea.

The water level rose progressively higher each year, forming the Lagoon Lowlands, resulting from a gradual sinking of the land, triggered by the earthquakes.

"After nearly a century", the Serpent Peninsula stabilized into its current shape and size, although another earthquake in 500 BC triggered a subsequent gradual phase of sinking.

In speaking with Rasmussen at Gary Con last month, he shared with me that his idea for the slow sinking of the land was in fact inspired by news reports of sinkholes.*

*see The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic

New Monsters:

Fish, Giant (Piranha, Catfish);* Grab Grass;** Killer Trees;** Piranha Bird;*** Pocket Dragon;**** Spider, Giant Hunting****

*appeared in Cook/Marsh Expert, but omitted from Mentzer Expert
**appeared in X2 "Castle Amber"
***appeared in B5 "Horror on the Hill"
****appeared in M2 "Maze of the Riddling Minotaur"

Champions of Mystara:

Champions of Mystara, Explorer's Manual (1993) by Ann Dupuis and Bruce  Heard.  Cover illustration by Fred Fields, from Dragon #142 (February, 1989)

The "Champions of Mystara" boxed set (1993) by Ann Dupuis, based on the "Princess Ark" articles by Bruce Heard, provides updated, Gazetteer-era versions of Serpent Peninsula and Thanegia Island, retconning the original module into the distant past:

If you wish to play the Quagmire! module in its entirety, you should set the adventure in the year 425 BC, while the People of Yav were exiled to the Immortals' Arm.  This works well with a one-shot mini-campaign (with characters you won't be using in your normal campaign) or as a time-traveling side trek for the normal group of player characters.

Champions of Mystara, Explorer's Manual (1993)

The Explorer's Manual includes updated lists of possible encounters for each of the different regions, as discussed in this post on Dragonsfoot.

Conclusion:

Module X6 "Quagmire!" works better as a mini-gazetteer than an adventure module, providing a rich environment with endless potential for expansion.