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NO MORTAL POWER

By Gareth Williams

Strange beasts lurk in the woods. Things howl at night. Travelers go missing. Peasants huddle in terror. Brave knights feel an icy grip seize their hearts. Adventurous warriors ready their blades. For the people of Talabheim, it has been too short a time since the forces of Chaos last attacked their city. Only months before were their very walls assaulted by blood greedy hordes. Horrific braying beastmen and brass-clad chaos warriors. But those foes had been easy to spot, easy to see. Whatever lurks in the darkness this time is unknown. But there are clues, tracks and trails that the brave could follow� Leading them once more into the underworld. The clues tell of a powerful sorcerer of Tzeentch, skilled in the creation of many vile magics, who has released this new terror upon the land. But the stories say he guards himself with all manner of daemons and monsters of large size, trolls, ogres and minotaurs. The tellers also speak of an ensorcelled griffon, but go silent at the mention of those things the sorcerer has created himself.

No Mortal Power is a Dungeon Level 5 adventure. It uses the special rules below. As an event deck it uses half a deck of normal cards, the entire suit of Spades and the entire suit of Diamonds. Whenever a card is drawn, look up its entry on the chart below to see what it means. Note any markings indicating special rules.
 
 

 
Spades
 
Diamonds
A
Firekind* +
A
Stolk* +
K
Stone Golem**
K
Griffon
Q
Gorgon +
Q
Skarl* and Paestur*
J
4 Daemonic Automata**
J
Berruch*, Mostog*, Kyeg* and Gert*
10
8 Flamers
10
8 Flamers
9
9 Ogres
9
9 Minotaurs
8
7 Stone Trolls
8
8 Pink Horrors
7
7 Trolls 
7
8 Pink Horrors
6
5 Chaos Warriors +
6
4 Dragon Ogres
5
Event
5
Event
4
Event
4
Event
3
Event
3
Event
2
Event
2
Event

* Entry indicates a special character listed in the rules below.
** Entry indicates a new type of monster listed in the rules below.
+ The listed monster is rarely found alone, when drawn, immediately draw a second event card. If that card is also designated with a + shuffle it back into the deck and draw again.
Event This is a special event, see the chart below.

Map
No Mortal Power follows no special mapping rules. The warriors begin in the Stairway, and must advance through the dungeon deck as normal. The Objective Room is the Fountain of Light. All normal dungeon cards are used. Some rooms have special rules however; these are listed below.

 Dungeon Rooms

T Junctions
The corridor ahead of you branches and offers you a choice of two directions. You must choose to follow one or the other. But choosing is always so hard. Why can�t you choose the other one? But what about the first one? Or that one over there?
These sections of corridor are enchanted with spells of confusion. The warriors will manage to avoid going the wrong way here, but are at �1 Weapon Skill as long as they remain.

 Monster�s Lair
A foul stench announces this room long before the lantern illuminates it; it is clearly the home of many of the denizens of this dark dungeon.

This is the home of many of Astaro�s guards and servants, who have readied it against incursion. Draw 2 Event Cards instead of 1 in this room.

 Torture Chamber
Instruments for inflicting pain and agony litter this room, but all seem long unused, and some racks show that devices have been carried away, for use in some other place.

Two potions of healing are secreted within this chamber. Each will restore D6 wounds to a warrior when drunk.

 Circle of Power
Even with the lantern in this room, is seems to be barely brighter than pitch dark. A long decayed skeleton lies in a pool of its own blood by one wall, blood that remains fresh.

The presence of dark magics within this room makes spell casting more difficult here. A wizard�s spells all have their casting number increased by one. Other warriors casting spells receive a �1 on their die roll to cast.

Fountain of Light
A bright room lit by magical means, this long hall brings little cheer. For even here are there creatures of darkness. Bull headed minotaurs, a ponderous but moving statue, horrific beasts of clockwork, tin and steel, and a man who smiles at you, his tail swishing behind him absently. "Greetings brave champions. I am Astaro the Maker, I daresay you have cost me much effort and have struck down many of my servants. But fear not, for creation is my specialty, though I feel that it is my far from meagre talents for destruction that I should release upon you!"

The home of Astaro the Maker, this room contains the Sorcerer, as well as a Stone Golem with Guards (Astaro), 6 Minotaurs and 4 Daemonic Automata. This room also contains the alchemical formula for a Restorative Salve, 2 Dungeon Room Treasures that are weapons, armour, gold or mundane valuables of any sort and 1 Objective Room Treasure. Once the warriors have cleared this room they must pass back through the dungeon and back to the Stairway in order to leave. Upon doing so the adventure has been successfully completed.

 
Special Events
If an event is drawn roll a D6. On a roll of 1-3 it is a Trap, on a 4-6 it is an Unusual Encounter. Roll a D6 on the appropriate chart below. Re-roll any duplicate Unusual Encounters until a new one is found. If all the Unusual Encounters have been met roll a trap instead. Each trap can be met any number of times.
 Trap Chart
D6
Effect
1
Cloud of Confusion. This gas prevents all models on the board from casting spells for the next D6 turns.
2
Poison Darts. Roll to hit each warrior as if attacking with a Ballistic Skill of 3+. Any warrior struck takes 2D6 damage with no deductions.
3
Scything Blade. Each warrior must roll under his Initiative on D6 or take a Strength 5 hit with two dice for damage.
4
Acid Spray. Draw a warrior counter. That warrior is sprayed by acid, and takes 4D6 damage, with no deductions for armour.
5
Ankle Trap. Draw a warrior counter. That warrior steps into a trap and injures his ankle, reducing his move by 1 for the rest of the adventure.
6
Spell of Madness. Draw a warrior counter. If able, that warrior may roll to resist magic. Otherwise, the warrior will attack a random adjacent warrior for a whole turn with his normal hand to hand weapon.
 

Unusual Encounter Chart
D6
Effect
1
Dead Warrior. The warriors come across a slain warrior, nailed to one wall. The sight so disturbs the warriors that they make a great deal of noise, giving the next group of monsters they meet Ambush A.
2
Chaos Familiar. A small vile creature begins to follow the party, staying out of reach and proving impossible to get rid of. The creature causes all sorts of havoc, alerting monsters and setting off traps. Each turn, roll a D6, if that roll equals the power roll, then an Unexpected Event occurs, just like on the roll of a 1 for power. The creature scuttles off into the darkness should the power roll ever be a 1.
3
Scrap of Parchment. Draw a warrior counter. That warrior finds some parchment detailing some complex mechanical devices. Unfortunately the scrap is blown away by a gust of wind before it can be shown to the rest of the party. The warrior who saw the scrap can ignore the armour of any Daemonic Automata he attacks.
4
Disembodied Spirit. A ghost springs up and terrifies the party. They are so unnerved that they treat the next group of monsters as having Fear 10.
5
Echoes and Lights. A strange magical phenomenon hurtles by the warriors. Draw two warrior counters, and then swap the locations of those warriors. Do this a second time.
6
Falling Masonry. Draw a warrior counter. A chunk of ceiling falls on that warrior, inflicting 3D6 damage. However, the warrior has revealed a hiding spot and finds a treasure. Draw a treasure card.
 

New Monsters

Daemonic Automaton
Bizarre collections of twisted metal and turning gears stand in clanking menace. But deep beneath the armoured plates and claw-like blades hides a faint glow. No other machine ever built was ever so consciously evil.
Wounds
Move
WS
BS
Str
T
I
Attacks
Armour
Dam
Gold
20
4
5
-
4
2 (8)
5
3
6
2D6
700
Special Rules: Magic Resistance 6+
 

Stone Golem
Nine feet tall and made of solid granite, only magic allows this gigantic creature to move, and even then only slowly. But independent thought seems far too much effort, when a simple instruction like "Kill!" will suffice.
Wounds
Move
WS
BS
Str
T
I
Attacks
Armour
Dam
Gold
70
2
3
-
5
7
1
2
0
3D6
1900
Special Rules: Ignore Blow 5+
 

Special Characters

Berruch, Mostog, Kyeg and Gert (Jack of Diamonds)
Many say that the charge of a group of minotaurs is one of the most unnerving experiences a warrior can face, but these four seem to be unusually large and well armed, any you hope more that your armour might possibly hold than your nerve.

These are four Minotaur Champions who are one of the most senior teams of monsters Astaro has guarding his lair. Each is armed with the same Magic:

Heart Spear: These weapons do +2 damage and never miss.

 
Skarl and Paestur (Queen of Diamonds)
With burning arms and armour, you scarcely get a look at these two great beasts before they crash amongst you.

Skarl and Paestur are Dragon Ogre Champions wielding identical sets of magical wargear forged by Astaro himself:

Volcanic Mace: This weapon ignores 3 points of armour and inflicts double damage if the to hit roll was a 5 or more.

Basalt Armour: The wearer of this armour may completely ignore the first blow it takes each turn.
 

Stolk (Ace of Diamonds)

Striding forward in rage, the creature flicks back a long leather whip and roars, "How dare you enter my master�s domain! Your insolence shall be your doom!" The ring through the monster�s nose glows with ready magic.

Stolk is a creature of enormous size and is the most senior of all Astaro�s monstrous henchmen. He is a Minotaur Hero carries and wields the following magical devices:

Whip of Entanglement: The monster wielding this weapon may attack at a range of 2 squares. Any warrior struck must roll a number of D6�s equal to the number of attacks he has. For every die equal or higher than the warriors Initiative, he loses 1 attack in his next turn.

Scarab of Sorrow: Each turn roll 2 dice for power instead of 1. Whichever die is lower is treated as the power roll for the turn.

Ring of Resistance: Magic Item 1 on WQ RPG book page 84.
 

Firekind (Ace of Spades)

Though he is dressed like a Sorcerer of Tzeentch, this foe does not hang back but leaps at you as you enter. Something about the broadsword he holds in both hands chills the very marrow in your bones; he swings wide and cries, "Kalar sartok sheno Tzeentch mardak!"

Firekind is a Chaos Sorcerer sent as a messenger to Astaro, keeping him informed of any measures he needs to take to further the mission of the followers of Tzeentch. Firekind is very aggressive, so place him as a normal monster, not as if he where armed with a missile weapon like a normal spell user. He carries the magic listed below.

Sword of Draining: The wielder of this weapon may make only a single attack each turn. Any warrior who loses his unmodified toughness or more wounds in a single blow from this weapon is reduced to 0 wounds immediately.

Venom Armour: Magic Armour 5 on WQ RPG book page 83.

Chime of Tardiness: All warriors adjacent to bearer are at �1 attack.

 
Astaro the Maker (Objective Room)

"You make your expedition too early. You shall die before the true power of Tzeentch is revealed. We called to him for victory and he answered! Our lord has reached out, to another time or another universe, and sent us his greatest followers. Great armoured knights that can overwhelm any foe that can be named! They will spread and they will conquer, not just a single fief, but the whole world! And this shall not be their first, they have already conquered many worlds. But you shall not live long enough to see them. Such a pity."

Astaro is a powerful champion of Tzeentch who spends his time searching for more and more knowledge with which to increase his power. He is a Chaos Sorcerer Master with the host of magic items listed below.

Arcanum Sword: Wielder gains a strength bonus equal to the power roll.

Mail of Curses: Any damage dice scoring 1s or 2s are ignored when calculating damage against the wearer of this armour.

Charm of Confusion: At the beginning of each Monster�s phase, draw 2 warrior counters and then swap the positions of the 2 warriors indicated.

Potion of Unholy Rejuvenation: When a monster with this potion is reduced to half its starting wounds or less it will drink it, returning its wounds to full. A monster can only drink this once before using it up, and may only drink it at the end of the turn.

Pendant of Invulnerability: Draw a Warrior Counter at the beginning of each turn. Nothing that warrior does can affect the Pendant�s bearer in any way.
 

Conclusion

With the defeat of Astaro the Maker, the warriors have uncovered a plot to see the whole of the Empire, and all lands beyond, fall under the sway of the mighty Tzeentch, Changer of the ways. The warriors should return to a Settlement, to ready for their next adventure, when they must overcome the very foes that Astaro said could conquer an entire planet. The alchemical formula that the warriors find in this adventure is of no use until certain ingredients are obtained in later adventures.

Sharpen your blades, ready your spells and mend your armour, because the second part of this series of adventures will face your warriors soon. Prepare for Spirit Warriors.

© Gareth Williams 1997