Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures

162 Pages·1999·9.85 MB·English

Design: Jeff Grubb
Additional Writing and Development: Andria Hayday
Cover Painting: Jeff Easley
Black-and-White Illustration: Karl Waller
Color Illustration: Richard Bober (21 and 45), Fred Fields (61), Henry Mayo (81), Bryn Barnard (101),
Carol Heyer (133)
Logo and Decorative Borders (Cover and Interior): Robin Raab
Cartography: David C. Sutherland III
Page Layout: Andria Hayday, Stephanie Tabat
Cover Layout: Dee Barnett, Sarah Feggestad
Production: John Knecht
Playtesting and Review: Tim Beach, Bill Church, Cathy Collins, David Collins, (cid:147)Damage, Inc.(cid:148) (Anna Behling,
Darryl Behling, Don Hageenson, Paul Kalman, Jon Kugath, Guadalupe Nerios, Ann Smolinski, Joel Westphal),
(cid:147)Fellowship of the Tower(cid:148) (Geoff Hinkle, Jeff Neville, Robert Schneider, Dave Shidler, Mitzi Young), Ed
Greenwood, Allen Grimes, Joe Karpierz, Sharon Karpierz, Clark Loche, Jim Lowe, Troy Malden, Greg Minter,
Chris Moore, Jon Pickens, Robert Quillen II, Wayne Rasmussen, Craig Rickman, John Rufner, Peter Rufner,
Sandy Sanford, Roger Shultz, James Ward, Bill Weaver, Steve Winter.
Special Thanks: David Hirsch of the UCLA Research Library and Daniel Wolk of the University of Chicago for
their invaluable assistance with the Arabic language.
TSR, Inc. TSR, Ltd.
POB 756 120 Church End
Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton
WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB
U.S.A. United Kingdom
ADVANCED DUNGEONS &DRAGONS, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and AD&Dare registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
AL-QADIM and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Copyright ©1992, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the
material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.
Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR,
Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR, Inc. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional
distributors.
ISBN 1-56076-358-2
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Contents
Introduction, 8 Chapter 6: At the Bazaar, 85
Equipment Lists, 85
Chapter 1: The Land o Fate, 10 Equipment Descriptions, 92
The Land, 10
The People of Zakhara, 10 Chapter 7: Sha(cid:146)ir Abilities, 97
Honor, 14 Summary of Powers, 97
Family, 15 Summoning a Familiar, 97
Purity, 16 Requesting a Spell, 98
Hospitality, 17 Recognizing Genie Work, 102
Piety, 18 Calling Upon the Jann, 102
Fate and the Loregiver, 18 Elemental Protection, 103
Sidebar: Map Key, 10 Calling a Genie, 103
Binding a Genie in Servitude, 105
Chapter 2: Characters, 19 Creating a Genie Prison, 108
Ability Scores, 19 Elemental Travel, 109
Races, 19 Receiving an Audience, 109
Groups, Classes, and Kits, 20 Sha’irs and Tasked Genies, 110
Station in Life, 20
What’s in a Name?, 26 Chapter 8: Wizard Spells, 111
First-level Spells, 112
Chapter 3: Kits, 27 Second-level Spells, 118
Proficiencies, 28 Third-level Spells, 123
Kit Descriptions, 28 Fourth-level Spells, 127
Warrior Kits, 29 Fifth-level Spells, 132
Wizard Kits, 40 Sixth-level Spells, 137
Rogue Kits, 44 Seventh-level Spells, 141
Priest Kits, 58 Eighth-level Spells, 144
Ninth-level Spells, 147
Chapter 4: Proficiencies, 71
Appendix A: Wizard Spells by Province, 152
Awareness, 71
Begging, 71 Appendix B: Spell Index, 154
Bureaucracy, 72
Glossary, 156
Debate, 73
Display Weapon Prowess, 73 Guide to Major Illustrations, 156
Genie Lore, 74
Grooming, 74 Index, 157
Haggling, 75
Metalworking, 76 Tables:
Riding, Horse Specialization, 76 1: Station, 22
Riding, Camel Specialization, 77 2: Nonweapon Proficiency Group Crossovers, 28
3: Character Kit Summary, 31
Chapter 5: Perils of Adventure, 78 4: Monthly Trading Checks, 56
Armor in Fiery Zakhara, 78 5:New Proficiencies, 72
Desert Survival, 79 6: Armor Class Ratings and Penalties, 79
Calling Upon Fate, 82 7: Dehydration, 80
The Evil Eye, 84 8: Dehydration, Animal, 80
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Introduction
T
he Seven Voyages of Sinbad,” “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,”
“Aladdin and His Magic Lamp”— these and other classics fill the
pages of the Arabian Nights. Each story is told by a very wise and
beautiful young woman called Scheherazade, who reveals them night after
night to a king with a murderous heart. The first of the thousand-and-one
tales is Scheherazade’s own . . .
In a time long ago, there lived a great king of the kings of the Banu Sasaan. This
king had two sons, Shahryar and Shah Zaman. Shahryar, the eldest, ascended his
father(cid:146)s throne. To his younger brother, Shah Zaman, he bestowed the throne of
Samarkand.
Twenty years passed, and King Shahryar longed to see his younger brother
again. He sent word to Samarkand, asking Shah Zaman to come for a visit. Shah
Zaman agreed. He had not traveled far when he remembered something that he had
left behind in his palace, and slipped back into his chambers to retrieve it. There he
discovered his wife, her arms wrapped round a kitchen slave, both sleeping
peacefully upon his own bed-carpets. Shah Zaman drew his scimitar and cut them
both into four pieces with a single blow. Then, deeply saddened and shocked, he
resumed his journey.
By the time Shah Zaman reached his brother(cid:146)s palace, his body was weak and his
color had changed to yellow. Shahryar could see that his brother was sick with grief,
but Shah Zaman refused to explain the cause. King Shahryar arranged a hunt,
hoping that such an outing would raise his brother(cid:146)s spirits. When the date arrived,
however, Shah Zaman stayed behind at the palace, and his brother went off without
him.
The next morning, as the melancholy Shah Zaman stared down into a garden
court, he spied his brother(cid:146)s wife and her female slaves. They entered the court,
completely unaware of his presence in the window above. As Shah Zaman
watched, a group of male slaves entered the courtyard, and then all cavorted wildly
until the day had nearly passed. Shah Zaman(cid:146)s health improved when he saw that
his brother(cid:146)s plight was worse than his own.
When Shahryar returned, Shah Zaman told him what he had witnessed. At first
Shahryar refused to believe the bawdy tale. But after Shahryar himself had
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witnessed a similar event, he ordered that every man and includes everything you need to begin: new character
woman involved be slain to the last, including the queen. roles, new proficiencies and equipment, new rules for
Eventually, Shah Zaman returned to Samarkand. King adventure, new wizard spells, and a wondrous new
Shahryar proclaimed that he would wed a different maiden power—the power to summon genies to obey one’s
each night. Each morning thereafter, he would have the girl own desires. You’ll also find an introduction to
slain, so that none could betray him again. This brutal Zakhara, the Land of Fate, a new setting specially
practice continued for three years, until many of his created for the AL-QADIM™ campaign.
subjects had fled, and no more brides could be found. The foundation of the AL-QADIM campaign is the
Finally, only the daughters of his trusted vizier remained: AD&D 2nd Edition game, spiced with Arabian flavor.
Scheherazade and Dunyazade. Like Scheherazade’s tales, the AL-QADIM campaign
Scheherazade was the eldest, as clever and learned as blends the real with the imagined, the natural with
she was beautiful. She vowed that she would wed the the supernatural, creating a unique new realm of
king(cid:151)and live to see his terror ended. With Dunyazade in fantasy.
agreement, she formed a plan. Three distinct visions of Arabia have helped give
That night, as Scheherazade lay with the king in his shape to these rules. The first is the historical Arabian
chambers, she began to weep. When the king inquired Empire, a force which boiled out of the desert and
about the cause of her sorrow, she asked whether her swept through Asia and Africa, eventually
younger sister might be allowed to visit on this, her final encompassing an empire from the Atlantic to India.
night. The king agreed. Dunyazade appeared and asked This historic Araby was the home of great warriors,
Scheherazade to tell a story to entertain her and the king. explorers, and traders, as well as great knowledge and
In response, Scheherazade wove a tale more wondrous than civilization.
any Shahryar had heard before. When the dawn came, The second Araby, more important to these rules, is
Scheherazade left the end of the tale untold. The king was that of legend—the world of genies and ghuls, mad
so enrapt that he allowed her to live, in order that she might barbers and magicians, and young women gifted with
continue her tale the next night. true sight. The AL-QADIM campaign builds upon
Thus Scheherazade told one story after the other, night these legends, creating a living realm filled with
after night, until she had entertained her husband for three human as well as inhuman creatures.
years. In that time she bore him three children. At last, the The third Araby comes from our own culture and
king declared that he would not kill her, for he loved her its Hollywood movies—films that are occasionally
and knew that her devotion was real. The king(cid:146)s heart had humorous and quite often inaccurate. In the movies,
mended, and he slew no bride again. strong-jawed heroes brandish curved swords, battling
behemoths that move in stop-animation, winning, at
If Scheherazade had continued her tales for a last, the love of some beauteous maiden whose sheer
thousand more nights, what would she have veil scarcely conceals her face. These films offer a third
described? Perhaps she would have painted another lens through which we can view the world of the
exotic world, much like her own, with spired cities; Arabian Nights. They are entertaining rather than
glittering sands; and vast, sparkling seas. Perhaps she educational, but this is the Arabian fantasy world that
would have filled this realm with magics beyond most of us know first, through Saturday TV matinees.
compare, and then peopled it with daring adventurers All three of these visions have left their mark upon
who were not only humans but also elves, half-elves, the AL-QADIM campaign, creating a world that is
dwarves, gnomes, and even ogres—all living strictly fantasy. Like Scheherazade’s tales, these
peacefully side by side. Arabian adventures are yours to create, one legend at
In your hands is the key to that imaginary world. a time.
The Arabian Adventures rulebook opens the door to a Your magic carpet awaits. Let your magical journey
new campaign that weaves threads of Arabian legend begin, and may Fate be with you, for we have no Fate
with the fantasy of the AD&D® game. This book but the Fate which we are given.
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