Dragons of Weng T'Sen - Role Aids, Mutation

Dragons of Weng T'sen is a module released by Role Aids in 1983. It states on  the front cover that it is compatible with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It  also states on the back that Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is a trademark of  TSR and use of that trademark is not sanctioned by the holder.

The module si designed for three to six characters of sixth to ninth level.  The setting is one that I wish there were more of. The setting very much  mimics medieval China and in particular the Han dynasty. The method the  characters are introduced is not one of my favorites but every now and then  you have to ride the railroad. I want to be sure and point out that some of  the art in the module is quite amazing and overall it is better than what is  found in some early modules.

After making their way to the land where the adventure is set the module  first begins with a journey through the valley of Weng T'sen. This is  probably my favorite part of the adventure. I am a huge fan of the outdoor  adventure and the environment for the valley is different and the encounter  areas all are interesting. I have often thought of using the special weather  situation in the valley elsewhere.

The module next presents the DM with information on the Dragon Lords. These  will not be needed now and might have been better serves being at the end of  the module. The Dragon Lords could also very well be lifted and used as part  of a pantheon for dragons in another setting.

The next section of the module is the one that deals with getting to and the  upper levels of the tower that is occupied by Weng T'sen. The tower is a  pagoda shaped structure. It is 120 feet high and consists of seven levels.  There are quite a few encounters here and it may take a few sessions to work  through the valley and the tower areas.

The underground chambers portion of the tower is described next. This is a  much smaller area than the previous portion as the dungeon area is not very  large at all. Weng T'sen himself is described in this section. He is a very  powerful opponent and handling this section of the module could end in a loss  of the entire party. There are ways to mitigate this or avoid the problem  entirely though that opens up some role playing questions should it happen.

Most of the Role Aids modules and accessories that were released for Advanced  Dungeons & Dragons were well done. They were also better when they were  originally written. Like many early products the scope and detail of some  newer products make the older products seem inferior in many ways. This one  seems to hold up better than some of the others. This module seems to go for  more than many others from Role Aids but it is still worth picking up.

Spell:

Mutation

Level: Eighth   
Range: 6"
Duration: Permanent
Ares Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Round
Saving Throw: Negates

When this spell is cast the magic user causes the victim of the spell to undergo a number of mutations. These mutation will alter the physical nature of the victim but not their mental nature. These effect are permanent unless removed via a Wish or some level of divine intervention.

The victim of this spell is entitles to a saving throw. If hte save is made then there is no effect. If the victim failed their save they will undergo a random number of mutations. The number is determined by rolling a d20. The mutations will take affect one per day until the cycle is complete. During this time the victim will be incapacitated with pain once the mutations begin in two to twelve turns.

The mutations will be based off the Appearance table in Appendix D of the First edition Dungeon Masters Guide. The DM will either select tables or roll for them randomly. No table should be duplicated unless there are no other options. The tables are on pages 194 and 195. The list of tables are below and if the DM does not have access to them they should come up with their own options for each area or make the decision on their own.

01) Head
02) Head Adornment
03) Overall Visage
04) Ears
05) Eye Color
06) Eyes
07) Nose
08) Mouth
09) Body Attribute (1-4 Bipedal, 5-6 Quadrupedal)
10) Bipedal Torso
11) Quadrupedal Torso
12) General Characteristics
13) Tail
14) Body Odor
15) Skin
16) Predominant Color
17) Back
18) Arms
19) Hands
20) Legs & Feet

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of 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.