XL-1 Quest for the Heartstone, Spell Resistance

I think this may have been the first time that TSR created a module just to help sell another licensed product. It was released in 1984. The purpose of this module was to spotlight the action figures that were being sold at that time. The action figures were produced by TSR and LJN. LJN  was an American toy manufacturer who made licensed products from movies and TV shows.

This module was not well received and has gotten some bad reviews in White Dwarf and Heroic Worlds. If you don't have a copy of Heroic Worlds and can find a copy by all means do so. Most of it is dry but he does throw some barbs out there on occasion.There are comments through out the module telling you what plastic bendable figure can be used here. The advertising is somewhat rampant. We even get the following from the back of the module:

Quest for the Heartstone is a combined wilderness/dungeon adventure designed to be compatible with the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Action Toys from LJN Toys, Ltd. and the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Fantasy Adventure Figures from TSR, Inc. The adventure also includes complete maps, new monsters, and players' illustrations.

Jeff over at Jeff's Gameblog gives us a great story from his youth regarding this module. I am not sure my parents would have helped me out like his did but it is a great story. I have not read this all the way through in years and have never ran it so I had to skim through it. In the end I did not find it to be as bad as it was made out to be. It was rated a 4/10 in White Dwarf. I would gone 5/10 which put it middle of the road. The story is a little contrived but many modules are. If you overlook the advertising the module really is not the piece of crap it is made out to be and the art is actually pretty good. You should be able to find a copy fairly cheap if you wait so grab one and judge for yourself.

Spell:

Spell Resistance (R)

Level: Fifth
Range: None
Duration: Special
Ares Effect: Creature Touched
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 Round + Other Casting Time
Saving Throw: None

When the magic user casts this spell the recipient becomes immune to the affects of a single spell that is specified when the spell is being cast. There are a few limitation on what spell the caster can specify. The spell must be no higher than a third level spell. Next the spell must be one that the magic user has in their repertoire and they must be able to cast it at the time of this spells casting. Lastly the spell must be one that would normally be detrimental to the recipient.

The casting of this spell will require the magic user also cast the spell that the recipient will be immune to. The spell will not have any effect but the caster has lost that memorization of the spell for the day. Once the spell is cast the recipient will now be immune to that spell the next three times it is cast on them or they would be affected by it or for a period of one day whichever occurs first.

This only protects against real spells and not spell like affects from wands and other items. The protection will be carried over to any items that the recipient has on their possession when they would be affected but not those around them including familiars.

The reverse of this spell is Spell Vulnerability and it will entitle the intended victim to a saving throw. If the save is successful then the spell has not effect though they will now need to save versus the other spell connected with the casting which takes full effect. If the save fails then then the secondary spell has no effect but the recipient will suffer double the effect the next three times the spell is cast at them or for a period of one day. The victim will also not be entitles to any saving throws even if one would normally be allowed. This effect can be removed by a casting of Dispel Magic or Remove Curse.

The material component for both versions of this spell are a small steel figure and the material components for the secondary spell. In the fist version of the spell the figure is not destroyed but in the reverse casting it is.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.