Kill Bargle!

[Crothian]

Anyone else use the evil wizard Bargle in your campaigns? I wanted to give some fun references to some old school NPCs so I introduced Aleena and Morgan Ironwolf to the group and then had Bargle chasing after them. I did have him destroy Black Eagle Barony though in a different way. The PCs are now hunting him down and we will have a final showdown with him this coming week. I am drawing inspiration from the Kill Bargle adventure in dungeon but find it a bit disappointing. It is too many kobolds and not enough mad Wizard lab.

Anyone else have fun Bargle tales? Do people remember who he is?

 

[douglasamcintosh]

Bargle's Barbarous Confinement (BBC)

I used him in a one off game (Savage Worlds of all things not even D&D) where they players had been dropped in Black Eagle Barony after leaving an entirely different realm. They were quickly captured and locked in the dungeons of the keep.

Bargle had fitted the dungeon with many crystal spheres so he and other foul fellows could view what was going on in the dungeon as they banqueted.

The plays all woke up naked and in a cell with nothing to their names except a loin cloth. Looking at the crystals in the corner of each room they could see the tiny figures of the bad fellows watching them. Bargle introduced himself via a magical voice and announced that they would be released if they survived his dungeon and provided sufficient entertainment ( a lie of course

The players had *never* played in a classic old school dungeon of death and had a fairly steep learning curve. Especially when I had it stocked with a variant of Tucker's Kobolds http://www.tuckerskobolds.com/

They did well and after forming an alliance with the kobolds managed to escape after learning how to use a ten foot pole, duck when opening suspicious looking chests and how to do some creative out of the box thinking.

I was planning on using Bargle as the main villain for the following adventures and he tried to wreak his vengeance on those that had ruined his dungeon, but it sadly never happened.

 

[delericho]

Perhaps the only thing that disappointed me about "Lost Mine of Phandelver" was his absence. Though given it's an FR adventure and he's from the Known World I guess that's understandable.

 

[Ranes]

I am drawing inspiration from the Kill Bargle adventure in dungeon but find it a bit disappointing. It is too many kobolds and not enough mad Wizard lab.

Anyone else have fun Bargle tales? Do people remember who he is?

I was looking through some old issues of Dungeon today and came across that adventure. I don't remember seeing it before. I must admit, I came to the same conclusion as you.

As for Bargle himself, I only have vague memories of seeing his name a long, long time ago. Was he in the old Rogues Gallery? What is the origin of his infamy?

 

[Crothian]

As for Bargle himself, I only have vague memories of seeing his name a long, long time ago. Was he in the old Rogues Gallery? What is the origin of his infamy?

In the red box set there is a little self play choose your own adventure. In there you meet Aleena a kind cleric NPC who is willing to help out and heal the party. When you encounter Bargle in this for the final showdown the text has him killing Aleena. From there he becomes a famous Wizard in the Known World (basic D&D) and causes a lot of strife for Black Eagle Barony. I think that version of him gets to like 27th level. In the Dungeon adventure he is much lower level.

 

[Ranes]

Ah, thank you. I never played the red box edition. (I sold hundreds of them though, while working in a games shop back then.) I must have just overheard his name in discussions and comments over the years. I was a little confused to read you'd had him destroy the Black Eagle Barony, while I only knew him as the antagonist in a low-level adventure.

Thanks for the history. If I ever pick up an old red box (I've got two copies of Basic but they're both Holmes editions), I'll check out that adventure.

 

[diaglo]

poor Aleena.

 

[Crothian]

poor Aleena.

In my version she is still alive and captured by the evil Bargle. The PCs will have a chance to rescue here although there is a few twists in store for them.

 

[evileeyore]

poor Aleena.

She never stood a chance. At least not with the dastardly Zagyg writing her fate!