Expedition To The Ruins of Greyhawk - Contents

Contents

Unlike most published adventure modules, the Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk is technically an incomplete "open ended" adventure. Rather than detailing every single room of the dungeons below the ruins, only key areas that affect the main plot of the adventure are detailed. In fact, entire dungeon levels are left unmapped and the DM is encouraged to improvise their own encounters to fill in areas not covered by the game with their own content. The game provides a list of random encounters for each dungeon level, generic dungeon maps left clear of content, and numerous side quests to help the DM along the way and keep the adventure flowing.

• Introduction - The Introduction reviews the background history leading up to this adventure and introduces the major NPCs such as the Mad Wizard Zagig, Iuz the Evil, and the Archmage Mordenkainen.
• Chapter 1: Welcome to Greyhawk - This chapter contains the initial set up encounter that hooks the player characters into the adventure. The rest is a guide to the Free City of Greyhawk and contains numerous side quests the PCs can conduct while not directly exploring the dungeons below the ruins. There is a detailed overview map of the city here as well which is based on the original map published by TSR in 1989.
• Chapter 2: Castle and Dungeon - This chapter contains more background history for the ruins and has a detailed overview map to all the dungeons below the ruins and the structures on the surface level. The adventure leaves many levels of the dungeon unmapped, creating gaps in the main storyline that the Dungeon Master can fill in with their own material. Provided in this chapter are a list of random encounters for each level, and four generic dungeon maps that the DM can place anywhere in the dungeon to fill in these gaps in the action.
• Chapter 3: The Tower of War - This chapter details one of the three towers that make up the Ruins of Greyhawk and is the initial entry point to the dungeon as the characters will find access to the other towers barred until they uncover how to get into them.
• Chapter 4: The City of Thieves - This chapter brings the party back to the city after their first major delve into the dungeons. Here they can wrap up any side quests they started in Chapter 1, as well as get involved in more predicaments as the plot of the story thickens.
• Chapter 5: Wrath of Iuz - This chapter begins with the PCs the target of Iuz's forces who now know of the party's activities to stop their master's plans. The party must return to the dungeons via the Tower of Magic – another tower of the ruins which was previously barred to them and uncover the secrets below.
• Chapter 6: In Zagig's Shadow - This chapter contains the climactic showdown between the party of heroes and the forces of darkness that linger in the depths of the ruins including a surprise plot twist where the PCs end up facing a new enemy that could be worse than Iuz.
• Appendix: Monsters and Mythology – The appendix introduces two new monsters for D&D 3.5 edition – the aurumvorax (a badger-like magical beast whose pelt can be melted into pure gold. This beast originally appeared in the first edition module Expedition to the Barrier Peaks), and the Cataboligne Demon (an Abyssal creature that can appear as a beautiful maiden and lure victims closer with its captivating voice). This section also provides information on the demigods Iuz, Zagyg, and Zuoken, and a few new magic items such as the blade of chaos, and the bonewand.