The Throne of Bloodstone
Encyclopedia
H4 - The Throne of Bloodstone is an Official Game Adventure
or "module" for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
.
s take a trip to the Abyss
to steal the wand of the demon prince Orcus
.
This module is recommended for characters between levels 18 and 100. They play the rules of Bloodstone Pass. A war against the Witch-King of Vaasa has come to a standstill. The players venture into the 'Abyss', destroy a mighty demon, steal the Wand of Orcus and take it to the Seven Heavens to be destroyed.
The battle between the mighty undead army of the Witch-King of Vaasa and the forces of Bloodstone has come to a standstill. As long as the source of the Witch-King's power is at work, his evil forces will never be defeated! This module requires the Player Characters, as the rulers of Bloodstone Pass
if following the series, to find the true power behind the Witch-King and defeat it.
The module requires the players to journey to the Abyss, confront Orcus
, one of its greatest demons, steal the Wand of Orcus, and destroy it.
The wide range of levels the module is for is dealt with in several ways as well as the general principles described above for dealing with 100th level characters. For some encounters either the number and/or type of opponents vary or the NPC's reaction to the characters vary depending on the total level of the party. Some areas in the module like the city of liches
or the city of 100,000 demons
, are really too difficult for any party to take out directly and require approaches other than brute force.
and Michael Dobson
, with a cover by Keith Parkinson
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 96-page book.
This module is part four of four, though it is not required to have played the previous three modules. While this is the fourth adventure in the Bloodstone pass saga, and the second that sets the saga in the Forgotten Realms
, it is the first publication that bears the official Forgotten Realms logo.
At 96 pages the module is larger than common at the time and the longest in the Bloodstone Saga. It comes in a loose cardboard cover, however the maps are not printed on the inside but in the book itself and a foldout poster. It had a recommended retail price of US$8.95
This module is listed for Character Levels 18 - 100, the upper range of this is by far the highest level specified for any D&D module. The module includes a significant section on running games with 100th level characters focusing on three principles:
The module includes two sets of pre-generated characters. The first set is the same seven characters that have run through the Bloodstone Saga, most are now 19th level. The second set are based on great characters of mythology and all have at least one class at 100th level. These characters, who are much more powerful than the versions appearing in the Legends & Lore
manual are Perseus
, Circe
, Hermes
and Artemis
.
& Douglas Niles
Editing:
Brand Manager:
Cover Art: Keith Parkinson
Interior Art:
Cartography:
Typesetting:
Art Direction:
Electronic Prepress Coordination:
Playtesters:
Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.
product number 9228
ISBN 0-88038-560-X
Other major opponents characters may face include:
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
or "module" for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
.
Plot summary
In The Throne of Bloodstone, the player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s take a trip to the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
to steal the wand of the demon prince Orcus
Orcus (Dungeons & Dragons)
Orcus is the fictional demon prince, and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head...
.
This module is recommended for characters between levels 18 and 100. They play the rules of Bloodstone Pass. A war against the Witch-King of Vaasa has come to a standstill. The players venture into the 'Abyss', destroy a mighty demon, steal the Wand of Orcus and take it to the Seven Heavens to be destroyed.
The battle between the mighty undead army of the Witch-King of Vaasa and the forces of Bloodstone has come to a standstill. As long as the source of the Witch-King's power is at work, his evil forces will never be defeated! This module requires the Player Characters, as the rulers of Bloodstone Pass
Bloodstone Pass
H1 Bloodstone Pass is an adventure module for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson and published by TSR, Inc., in 1985...
if following the series, to find the true power behind the Witch-King and defeat it.
The module requires the players to journey to the Abyss, confront Orcus
Orcus (Dungeons & Dragons)
Orcus is the fictional demon prince, and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head...
, one of its greatest demons, steal the Wand of Orcus, and destroy it.
The wide range of levels the module is for is dealt with in several ways as well as the general principles described above for dealing with 100th level characters. For some encounters either the number and/or type of opponents vary or the NPC's reaction to the characters vary depending on the total level of the party. Some areas in the module like the city of liches
Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
or the city of 100,000 demons
Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...
, are really too difficult for any party to take out directly and require approaches other than brute force.
Publication history
H4 The Throne of Bloodstone was written by Douglas NilesDouglas Niles
Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...
and Michael Dobson
Michael Dobson (author)
Michael S. Dobson is an American author in the fields of Business , Alternate History novels and Role-playing game adventures .-Early life:At a young age, Dobson's family moved from North Carolina to Germany; his father...
, with a cover by Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 96-page book.
This module is part four of four, though it is not required to have played the previous three modules. While this is the fourth adventure in the Bloodstone pass saga, and the second that sets the saga in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, it is the first publication that bears the official Forgotten Realms logo.
At 96 pages the module is larger than common at the time and the longest in the Bloodstone Saga. It comes in a loose cardboard cover, however the maps are not printed on the inside but in the book itself and a foldout poster. It had a recommended retail price of US$8.95
This module is listed for Character Levels 18 - 100, the upper range of this is by far the highest level specified for any D&D module. The module includes a significant section on running games with 100th level characters focusing on three principles:
- 100th-Level Characters Are Not 10 Times More Powerful Than 10th-Level Characters
- Apply All the Rules Strictly
- Never Give a 100th-Level Character an Even Break
The module includes two sets of pre-generated characters. The first set is the same seven characters that have run through the Bloodstone Saga, most are now 19th level. The second set are based on great characters of mythology and all have at least one class at 100th level. These characters, who are much more powerful than the versions appearing in the Legends & Lore
Deities & Demigods
Deities & Demigods , alternatively known as Legends & Lore , is a reference book for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game . The book provides descriptions and game statistics of gods and legendary creatures from various sources in mythology and fiction...
manual are Perseus
Perseus
Perseus ,Perseos and Perseas are not used in English. the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians...
, Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
, Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
and Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
.
Reception
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, found it strange that the module purports to be usable for character levels 18-100, "considering there are no rules for character levels above about 25 in AD&D".Table of contents
| Chapter | Page |
|---|---|
| Prologue | 9 |
| Citadel of the Witch-King | 12 |
| Into the Abyss | 30 |
| Realm of the Undead | 46 |
| The Abyssian Fortress | 57 |
| Into the Seven Heavens | 78 |
| Epilogue | 82 |
Credits
Design: Michael DobsonMichael Dobson (author)
Michael S. Dobson is an American author in the fields of Business , Alternate History novels and Role-playing game adventures .-Early life:At a young age, Dobson's family moved from North Carolina to Germany; his father...
& Douglas Niles
Douglas Niles
Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...
Editing:
Brand Manager:
Cover Art: Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...
Interior Art:
Cartography:
Typesetting:
Art Direction:
Electronic Prepress Coordination:
Playtesters:
Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.
product number 9228
ISBN 0-88038-560-X
Opponents
To complete the adventure players will need to defeat many opponents. Those difficult or impossible to avoid include:- Arctigis, a huge, ancient White DragonDragon (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
. - The Witch-King Zhengyi - a LichLich (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
with 30th level magic-userWizard (Dungeons & Dragons)The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
ability. - 100 Type III DemonsGlabrezuIn the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the glabrezu is one of the most powerful types of demon. In first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, glabrezu were known as type III demons...
. - Fyrillicus, the Abyssian Dragon - a Red DragonDragon (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
larger than any found on the Prime Material PlanePrime Material PlaneThe Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
. - BaphometBaphomet (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Baphomet is a demon lord who rules a layer of the Abyss called the Endless Maze. He is the Prince of Beasts and the Demon Lord of Minotaurs.-Publication history:...
, a Demon Lord. - OrcusOrcus (Dungeons & Dragons)Orcus is the fictional demon prince, and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head...
, Lord of the UndeadUndead (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
. - TiamatTiamat (Dungeons & Dragons)Tiamat is the name of a powerful draconic goddess in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The name is taken from Tiamat, a goddess in ancient Mesopotamian mythology who is substantially different ....
, the Chromatic Dragon.
Other major opponents characters may face include:
- Large numbers of Demons of all types, including large cities of hundreds of thousands of demons.
- the TarrasqueTarrasque (Dungeons & Dragons)The tarrasque is a magical beast in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.Tarrasques are gigantic lizard-like creatures which exist only to eat, kill and destroy. In most campaign settings, only one tarrasque is said to exist on each world. Tarrasques have low intelligence and cannot speak...
- 10,000 ZombiesZombie (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the zombie is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
- 100 Liches, 12 DemilichLich (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
es & 12 Death knights - Various Lesser Gods and Demon PrincesDemon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...
including:- PazuzuPazuzu (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Pazuzu is a powerful demon prince, called the Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms. He rules the skies above all layers of the Abyss. He is sometimes known as Pazrael or Pazuzeus....
, Prince of Lower Aerial Kingdoms (Demon Prince) - CharonCharon (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Charon is a powerful altraloth, a lord of the yugoloths, reportedly transformed into a more powerful creature by the night hags of the Gray Waste. Charon's role is to provide travel on the River Styx, but he always charges a steep price and kills those...
- DemogorgonDemogorgon (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince. He is known as the Prince of Demons, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence; which in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons...
, Prince of Demons - YeenoghuYeenoghuIn the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Yeenoghu is a Demon Prince, the Demon Lord of Gnolls, and the bestial embodiment of savage butchery. His personal weapon is his dreaded triple flail, created from the bones and skin of a slain god. Yeenoghu commands the obedience of ghouls and ghasts...
, Demon Prince of Gnolls - LolthLolthLolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
, Demon Queen of Spiders - JuiblexJuiblexIn the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Juiblex, also called The Faceless Lord, is the demon lord of Slimes and Oozes. Juiblex's lair is on the 222nd layer of the Abyss, which he shares with Zuggtmoy, the Demoness Lady of Fungi. In Gary Gygax's Gord novels, Juiblex is alternately called Szhublox...
, the Faceless Lord (Demon Prince) - UrdlenUrdlenIn the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Urdlen is the gnome deity of greed and blood.In many campaign settings, the gnome pantheon of gods consists of the leader Garl Glittergold, as well as Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Flandal Steelskin, Gaerdal Ironhand, Nebelun, Segojan...
, the Crawler Below (Lesser God) - ZuggtmoyZuggtmoyIn the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Zuggtmoy is the Demon Queen of Fungi. Her symbol is a jawless human skull with fungi blooming from within, though some of her false cults use other symbols...
, Demoness Lady of Fungi - Graz'ztGraz'ztGraz'zt is a demon lord in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and one of the most powerful demons in the Abyss. Graz'zt, one of the earliest and most famous demons created for Dungeons and Dragons, was named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final print issue of...
(Demon Prince) - Fraz-Urb'luuFraz-Urb'luuIn the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Fraz-Urb'luu is a demon lord, sometimes known as the "Prince of Deception." In Gary Gygax's Gord novels, Fraz-Urb'luu is alternately called Var-Az-Hloo.-Publication history:...
, the Demon Prince of Deception - KostchtchieKostchtchieKostchtchie is a demon lord from the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Publication history:Kostchtchie made his first appearance in the first edition module The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth...
(Demon Prince) - KaliKali' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, Goddess of Destruction - VaprakVaprakIn the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Vaprak is the deity worshiped by ogres and trolls. Vaprak is also known as "The Destroyer." His symbol is a taloned hand.-Publication history:...
, demigod of TrollsTroll (Dungeons & Dragons)Trolls are fictional monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Dungeon Masters can use them as enemies or allies of the player characters.-Publication history:...
and OgresOgre (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities... - LaogzedLaogzedIn the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Laogzed is the deity worshipped by reptilian troglodyte race. Its symbol is an oozing toad-lizard, or a lizard's head. Laogzed's sacred animal is the toad.-Publishing history:...
, demigod of TroglodytesTroglodyte (Dungeons & Dragons)The troglodytes is a fictional race of primitive reptilian humanoids in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:The troglodyte was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons....
- Pazuzu