GW1 - Legion of Gold was the first module released for the Gamma World setting. It came out in 1981 and was written, at least in part, by none other than Gary Gygax himself. It is labeled as an Exploration Module but in the end it is really more of a dungeon crawl with a few side adventures. Not that there is anything wrong with this as the module is open ended enough that the players may end up taking things in a whole different direction.
The module starts by giving the GM an introduction and a setting that could serve as the basis for the setting used throughout a long running campaign if the GM wanted. The location is the Barony of Horn which bears a strange resemblance to an area of the world that was probably well known to the author. There is a map of the areas as well as the actual city of Horn provided.
The module then has three mini-adventures that will help guide the adventurers to the final conclusion of the module. Each of these mini-adventures is different enough that they will not seem to drag out the modules eventual goal. In some ways they are more interesting than the actual end game of the module. The module is
32 pages long so each of the mini-adventures will be long enough to take a single session depending on how much the players explore and role play. I won't go into too much detail about the mini-adventures and the module cover, as if often the case, gives too much away about what the Legion of Gold end game is.
The module is chock full of new game material as well as the adventure. There are no less than seven new creatures presented in the module. I can't recall if any of these make it into later editions of the game but it would not surprise me. There is then expanded information on guns for use in the module and then the game with some nice tables that will need to be copied. The next item will be a short description of the 14 villages in the Barony. This gives an idea as to how easy it would be to make this the setting for the campaign. Finally comes one of my favorite Gamma World items. There are two loot tables. I loved the lists of mixed everyday junk to useful items that made up these tables. Though comical at times it helped in my mind to paint a picture of the chaos that was left.
In the end this module is worth picking up. The fact that it could end up being a campaign setting is nice. The additional game material in the shape of creatures, baddies and gun rules is nice as well. Add those up, mis in the art by the likes of Otis and Willingham and the fact that it is a Gygax piece and it deserves a place in the collection of any Gamma World GMs collection.
From the back cover...
Excerpts from notes made by Ydal Eilffik, professor at the University of Horn:
"All know that there is much to worry about in these difficult times, but the skies have grown darker in the past few weeks, as if an omen of destruction hangs over us all.
"Baron Jemmas, the Warder, has been very preoccupied in the recent weeks. This bothers me, for the mind of the ruler of the Barony of Horn ought to be clear, since his decisions affect us all.
"I can only hazard a guess at the problem that afflicts him for only vague rumors of the trouble have reached my ears.
"In the past several weeks there have been raids on several outlying towns of the Barony by mysterious golden marauders. Whether these creatures are robots, mutants or men, none can be sure for reports are scarce. The monsters are rumored to have struck from nowhere, then vanished without a trace, leaving only destruction in their wake.
"The Warder fears that unless something is done the very heart of the Barony will fall victim to this threat. It is rumored that he had offered a substantial reward for the destruction of this 'Legion of Gold;. I only hope it is not already too late."
This is the first GAMMA WORLD module to be produced by the Game Wizards at TSR Hobbies, Inc. This module includes the main Legion of Gold adventure, several mini-adventures which lead up to it, background information, suggestions for the referee, a special players' map and numerous referee's maps.
Spell:
Spell Lock
Level: Fourth
Range: 6"
Duration: Special
Ares of Effect: One Spell
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 Segment
Saving Throw: Special
When this spell is cast the magic user causes a spell being cast by another to become locked in mid-cast in the mind of the other caster. This will have a number of possible outcomes depending on the levels of the casters as well as the saving throw. The actual casting of the spell is but a single word and can therefore affect any spell regardless of where the casters action might fall in the combat round.
When the spell is cast the DM will need to compare the level of the two casters. If the caster of Spell Lock is higher than that of the other spell caster then the spell will go off with no required rolls. If the other caster is a higher level than the caster od Spell Lock then the caster is entitled to an initial save to see if Spell Lock even affects and interrupts the casting.
If Spell Lock has an effect the then the target will need to make a second saving throw. Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw the casting of the spell will be locked in the mind of the caster. This will mean that the spell is not completed and may not be cast again for a period of time.
If the saving throw is made then the spell will be locked in the mind of the caster for a number of rounds equal to the level of the caster of Spell Lock. If the saving throw is not made then the spell will be locked into the mind of the caster for a number of days equal to the level of the caster of Spell Lock. In either case the effect can be removed by a successful casting of Dispel Magic or Remove Curse on the victim.
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.
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