Sure, always wanted to try this...
Deaja - NO peeky!!
MMI-7
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MMI-7 Out of the Mouth of Madness
You burst out of the trap-riddled tunnel just as it collapses behind you, along with the last bits of Mystical Marvin's Mysterious Mansion. As the ringing in your eats and the throbbing in your heads fades, you are astounded by the magnitude of the silence confronting you. You stop your heaving chests just for a moment, almost in unison, to see if there is any other sound in the world. Slowly, the sounds of the tropical island begin to reassert themselves. You dust yourselves off and slowly rise to your feet. Glancing at each other, you can't help but grin. Against massive odds, you made it out of there alive!
In unspoken agreement, each of you takes out the various loot that you managed to scavenge from the Mansion. Unfortunately, while you saw various body parts presumably from Mystical Marvin, you did not manage to come away with so much as a finger. Knowing that your commission will be cut in half without any such artifact sobers the mood a bit. But at least you came out alive! So far. There is still the matter of getting off the island. If the dock collapsed with the rest of the Mansion, your boat and hired retainers might have gone with it!
As the island sounds return to their normal deafening cacophony, images of what you saw inside the Mansion flash through your minds. Some of the items and creatures were beautiful and inspiring, while some were just demented and twisted. With a glance to the trees, you wonder if any of them escaped and live on the island, outside the walls of what used to be a Mansion. Increasingly wary, you also wonder if any of the magical effects which were so prevalent inside might have also escaped.
Examining the now blocked tunnel through which you recently escaped, you see that it comes out of a sheer wall - apparently this wall of the castle was partly built into the mountainside. The wall collapsed with the rest of the mansion, but now rubble rises hundreds of feet into the air. Glancing to the right and left, you see only trees and jungle to the horizon. Away from the ruined castle, through a small break in the foliage you can just make out - water. The ocean lies in that direction, but the sun is just disappearing over the horizon. You guess there is another hour of light, and that you will not be able to get to the water before dark.
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(DM Note - The pile of rubble is immovable for all intents and purposes. Characters can dig for the remaining hour of daylight if they wish, but they will get nothing but sore hands. It is also impractical to attempt to scale the cliff or rubble. If they travel to the east or west, they can follow the cliff for the remaining hour of daylight. They can also travel south, toward the water - it will always remain partially visible so they will not get lost. In any case, there will be no encounters before dark.
After dark, if the adventurers have not set a watch, 1 small piece of equipment (a gem, or anything from the size of a ring to the size of a dagger) disappears. If they have set a watch, roll 1d8. On a 1, the same effect happens - a small piece of equipment disappears. On a 2-8, the character on watch will notice what looks like a vine from one of the trees moving toward the sleeping characters. It may be mistaken for a snake. If any character makes a noise or interacts with the vine, it will disappear into the trees in a second, and not be back during the night.)
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You wake from your sleep stiffly - it was not a very restful night. Nightmares of the magical effects and beasts from inside the Mansion still haunt you.
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(DM Note - The party can attempt to follow the wall, if they were, though it will take them through another day, and another, and eventually disappear. If they want to explore that side of the island they will find nothing but rubble and ruins. Each night they spend in the trees, the same effect occurs of a small item disappearing (or a vine being seen). If a party member specifically interacts with an item that is missing, they will notice it is gone. If they do not, roll 1d20 each day. There is a cumulative chance that something is noticed missing - if a 1 is rolled, the first item which disappeared is noticed missing, if a 2 is rolled, the second item, etc. If the roll is higher than the number of items missing, then nothing is noticed. If the party goes to the water, they can get to it with a half day trek. In case they do, about half way there they will have the following encounter.)
Rollin' Robby (AC 5, T 8, hp 40, #AT 2 at + 2, D 3-12 3-12, ML 6) is the magical combination of a bee and a tree. When the characters meet Robby, he will be hiding with a vine cleverly hidden across the path. Robby has a 70% chance for both move silently and hide in shadows while in the jungle. After the first character trips (and any behind the first if they are close together), Robby will stick his head up and start laughing - it is a strange buzz mixed with a deep cough-like sound.
If the party attacks Robby, or act aggressively, he will disappear into the jungle and not be seen again. If they talk to him, or do nothing aggressive, he will begin to talk to them. Robby is actually a very friendly fellow, if a bit shy. He will also walk with the characters toward the beach. He will not, however, leave the jungle, and will disappear at any sign of violence. If the party talks to Robby, roll 1d10 each hour (he will only say each item once except numbers 1, 4 and 7) and he will act accordingly:
1. Honey is *buzz* goood. Do you have any honey?
2. Honey is *buzz* goood. Have some honey! (Robby gives the party a potion of healing)
3. Careful. Sharkgulls Swarming!
4. Like Rocks? Shiny.
5. Like Rocks? Here - shiny! (Robby gives the party a gem worth 5,000gp)
6. Watch out! Vulture Turtle Time!
7. Walk soft. Too soft!
8. Walk hard! Here - hard! (Robby gives the party a staff of healing)
9. Poor Marvin! Always walk under boat.
10. Nice stuff. I find! (Robby gives party all of their missing gear, if any. If none, he gives a small handful of plain gray pebbles)
It will take about 4 hours from the time they encounter Robby to get to the beach, at which time he will fade into the jungle. He answers direct questions with half intelligent words and half buzzing. He does not speak about any specifics.
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As you reach the beach, you see the waves softly brushing against the shore. There is a slight breeze, but for the most part everything is calm. The soft sand stretches around a cove-like bay. There are small boulders dotting the beach, as well as set into the surf. As you approach you realize they are oddly regular boulders. In fact - they seem like large, stone eggs. Which seem ridiculous. Until you notice the empty shell of one, next to two grooves leading into the ocean.
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(DM Note - These are Vulture Turtle eggs. If the party can manage to take any with them, they can sell them for 25,000gp each (or attempt to tame them). The characters can feel free to explore the beach. The Vulture Turtles leave their young to fend for themselves. About 10 minutes after the party arrives, roll 1d6. If you roll a 1 or 2, one of the characters sees the Sharkgull before it attacks, otherwise it gets a free attack. On the third round 3 more Shargulls will arrive. When rolling initiative, if the party and the Sharkgulls tie 3 times in a row, *another* 3 Sharkgulls will arrive on round 5.)
Sharkgulls (AC 3, HD 6, hp 42, #AT 1 at +4, D 9-18, Save F 4, ML 12) will attack until they or their prey is destroyed. They are roughly the size of a small-medium dog and have a vicious bite. If the party wins the battle and stays on the beach, Sharkgulls will repeat the attack each morning. If the party leaves the beach (by going into the jungle) there will be no more attacks (unless they return to the beach).
If the party performs a detailed search of the nearby trees at the edge of the beach, they will find a hidden boat just large enough for the party (and possibly up to 2 eggs if they feel lucky).
Hidden in the sand underneath the boat is an ornate wooden box. The party must state that they are digging in that spot in order to find the box. Any elves or thieves in the area automatically have a 1 in 6 chance to notice something amiss (and know to search that spot).
Inside the box is the mummified Foot of Marvin. If grasped in the hand, the Foot can be used as a dagger in combat - it will flex and assist with the stabbing action with its claw-like toes. It has the effect of +5 to hit and +5 to damage if used in this way, but the wielder will be continually scratched by the protruding bone, and thus take 1hp damage each round automatically (this will go through any gauntlet or cloth so is unavoidable). Alternatively, the Foot can be attached to any object and will continually and quickly kick. This can be used to create a very annoying distraction. Or it can be used for such things as attaching to the back of a boat to act as a crude sort of motor.
Also, as the commission for the characters to come to the island is doubled with the return of any portion of Marvin, it is quite a valuable find.
If the characters think to attach the Foot to the boat, and do not take any of the eggs, the boat will speed away from the shore faster than the Sharkgulls can fly and the characters will be safe. If they did not attach the Foot but did also not take any eggs, OR if they attached the foot and did take any eggs, they will be attacked one last time by the Sharkgulls (as above). If they did not attach the Foot and they did take eggs, they will be attacked by the Sharkguls, then given a 5 minute respite, then attacked another time (with 5 minture break) for EACH egg they attempted to bring. Each attack is conducted the same as the initial Sharkgull attack. During each Sharkgull attack roll a 1d10 - on a 1 or 2, one of the eggs in the boat (if any) falls out and is lost into the ocean. The boat will not carry more than 2 of the eggs in addition to the party.
End Notes:
When the party gets to the mainland, after they receive their commission is a good place to divide loot and award experience points. The loot division and experience points (for non-magical treasure and monsters killer, divided among surviving party members) are conducted as normal.
This concludes the MMI (Magical Marvin's Island) series of modules for DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (TM), designed for use with the Expert Rules, for character levels 7-9. You may want to use the island as a basis for further adventures, or as an eventual base for the party. Robby is still there, as are the Sharkgulls and many other Mystical creations!
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