Monsters in the Hills

Magic Modules #2 - Monsters in the Hills by Tim Lowell - Solitaire Playing Guide & B/X Rules Adventure Module for Lone Adventurers & Parties Level 1-9

This is not a complete game.  You will need your favorite rules set.  The majority of the stats in this book were taken from the 1980 and 1981 Basic and Expert level rules by Tom Moldvay & David Cook, respectively.  This book is a solo module and guide for playing the Classic 1980-81 version of the Original Fantasy Role-Playing Game - the Basic/Expert Rules in other words, as well as games like Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord, et cetera either solo or with a group (with or without a dungeon master).  It is a great way to play the game when no one wants to referee. 

Your adventures begin at the town limits of Woodbridge, near the village of Stickford, at the Red Wyvern Inn.  Many brave fools can be found at the Inn.  It is a meeting place for fighting men and mages, holy men and rogues, even dwarves, halflings and elves intending to explore the Goblin Hills which are less than a day's walk from the inn on the King's Road.  The inn is often the last place they visit before entering the hills to seek their fortunes.  Once rich in copper, the hills are riddled with mine tunnels and natural caverns from the time of the Goblin Wars.  The hills are pockmarked with cave entrances which lead to a warren of tunnels and chambers - filled with monsters, traps and treasure. 

The Goblin Hills and nearby settlements are watched by vigilant sentries that man the walls of the Frontier Fortress.  Here, the rulers of the land have garrisoned a small army to observe the hills for signs of humanoid activity or army formation.  Officially, it is forbidden to enter the hills but the law is never enforced because those who return from their expeditions often bring back hordes of coins to spend in town.  Also, it is believed that the destruction of monsters by bands of treasure hunters is preferable to monsters rampaging over the countryside.  In fact, the Gnome & Dwarf Alliance regularly sends parties in search of ancient coins, artifacts and the chance to destroy their ages-old foes. 

The goal of play is to explore dungeons, wander the land, perform legendary deeds, gain levels and wealth.  You might measure your success by your character or party's final level and the number of legendary deeds they performed.  It is suggested that if any characters reach 9th level, they retire from adventuring and build a stronghold.  You can create your own stronghold locale for other adventurers to visit and an encounter table for your stronghold's environs.

This book is basically a 60+ page expansion of the Dungeon Master Information section of the Basic Rulebook.  It contains notes on characters, abilities, spells, equipment and encumbrance - house rules in other words.  It includes an intuitive guide to exploration turns and combat rounds, a simple and quick method to build balanced monster encounters, a simple yet effective guide to dungeon generation and mapping, extensive encounter tables, treasure and trap tables.  Also included is an extensive Wilderness Adventures section in case you want to leave the dungeon and explore the Land and its locales.  The Wilderness Adventures section is completely optional.  If you're content to make trips from town to the dungeons, that's fine. 

This product was released in compliance with the OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a.