The Secret of Bone Hill
| The Secret of Bone Hill | |
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| Type: | Adventure |
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| Code/Abbreviation: | L1 |
| Edition: | first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons |
| Author(s): | Lenard Lakofka |
| Series: | L1 L2 L3 |
| First Published: | 1981 |
| Class: | Canon |
The Secret of Bone Hill (L1) is an adventure for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons written by Lenard Lakofka and published by TSR in 1981. It is designed for novice and intermediate players with characters of levels 2-4.
The players adventure in and around the town of Restenford in the Lendore Isles. It is more a mini-setting than an adventure, offering several adventure locations, and may require a Dungeon Master to expand it using the World of Greyhawk milieu.
Playing good characters with undead-turning abilities is quite essential. This adventure is continued in L2: The Assassin's Knot, and L3: Deep Dwarven Delve.
Index
Characters
Prerolled characters were provided, but none have names.
NPCs
- Abracus(p.24) - apprenticed to Pelltar
- Almax(p.26-27) - druid of Restenford
- Almon(p.22) - curate at the Abbey of Phaulkon, Restenford
- Alton(p.22) - Restenford armorer
- Amos(p.26-27) - half-elven druid of Restenford, son of Almax/Felwin
- Lady Andrella(p.17,19) - daughter of Baron/Baroness of Restenford
- Auburn(p.4) - high priestess of the Church of the Big Gamble
- Fairwind(p.17,20) - Baroness of Restenford
- Falco(p.22) - dwarven tavern keeper
- Faldelac(p.4) - high priest of the Church of the Big Gamble
- Felcar(p.22) - Restenford distiller
- Felix(p.24) - mercenary for hire in Restenford
- Felwin(p.26-27) - elven magic-user & wife Almax of Restenford
- Fliban(p.24) - apprenticed to Pelltar
- Gap(p.22) - dwarven tavern keeper
- Gelcuff(p.23) - innkeeper of the Dying Minotaur, Restenford
- Gelpas, Relkin, Ashfor, Marcus, Brilman, Mark, Amos, Carlton, Weber, Fraunk, Villie, Colemak, Prellis, Halco - the baron's guards(p.17,19,23)
- Gorharg(p.5) - a half-orc leader of a band of thieves
- Grellus(p.17,20) - Baron of Restenford
- Gristla(p.24) - apprenticed to Pelltar
- Haki(p.23) - co-owner of the Tavern of the West Wind, Restenford
- Holrag(p.23) - priest at the Abbey of Phaulkon, Restenford
- Kelso, George, Bettie, Marie, Gevies, Relmar, Bret, Will, Gloria - the baron's servants(p.17-18)
- Krelar(p.23) - adept at the Abbey of Phaulkon, Restenford
- Krellus(p.5) - a half-orc leader of a band of thieves
- Locinda(p.6) - half-orc fighter/thief adventurer
- Martin(p.6) - ranger adventurer
- Pelltar(p.18-19,24) - sorcerer of Restenford
- Pelo(p.21) - elven Restenford fletcher
- Perk(p.22) - elvenn Restenford bowyer
- Pheldman(p.21) - half-elf Restenford shopkeeper
- Posted, Quall, Myla, Ulla, Telmar - curates of the Church of the Big Gamble
- Qualton(p.23) - abbot at the Abbey of Phaulkon, Restenford
- Reswald(p.22) - Restenford distiller
- Selmo(p.23) - adept at the Abbey of Phaulkon, Restenford
- Smyth(p.22) - Restenford smith
- Tello(p.22) - half-elven Restenford cobbler
- Telvar(p.8,10-11) - magic-user in the ruins at Bone Hill
- Tolvar(p.6) - magic-user adventurer
- Volcifar(p.6) - assassin adventurer
- Welcar(p.24) - caretaker in Restenford
- Yalta(p.25) - spiritual advisor to the Baroness of Restenford
- Zahrdahl(p.25) - bait dealer in Restenford
- Zelmar(p.23) - co-owner of the Tavern of the West Wind, Restenford
Creatures
- bugbear(p.8,9,10)
- dog, war(p.24-25)
- gelatinous cube(p.14)
- ghoul(p.11,26)
- ghoulstirge(p.7-8)
- gnoll(p.7)
- grey ooze(p.12-13)
- horse, war(p.18)
- ogre(p.7)
- rat(p.12,26)
- rat, giant(p.12)
- skelter(p.8)
- skeleton(p.7,9,15,19,25,26)
- skeleton, animal(p.7-8)
- spectator(p.14,27-28)
- stone guardian(p.13,20,21,28)
- warg(p.7)
- wolf, dire(p.7)
- wraith(p.8,12,14)
- zombie(p.8,15)
- zombire(p.8)
Items
- Fountain of Good Health(p.27)
- mirror of opposition (variant) (p.13)
Locations
- Lendore Isles(p.2)
- Bald Hill(p.5)
- Bone Hill(p.7-8)
- castle ruins(p.9-14) - unnamed ruins at the top of the hill
- Dead Forest(p.7-8)
- Dweomer Forest(p.3-4)
- Church of the Big Gamble(p.4-5)
- Guardian Peak(p.6) - campground for travelers
- High Top(p.6) - campground for travelers
- Kelman Woods(p.6-7) - occupied by gnolls and wolves
- Lark Hill(p.6) - campground for travelers
- Low Point(p.6) - campground for travelers
- Pebble Hills(p.6-7) - occupied by gnolls and wolves
- Reddy Forest(p.6) - campground for travelers
- Restenford(p.2,15-27) - home of the region's baron
- Abbey of Phaulkon(p.22-23)
- Baron's Castle(p.17-21)
- Falco's Tavern(p.22)
- Inn of the Dying Minotaur(p.23)
- Tavern of the West Wind(p.23)
- Spring Glade(p.6-7) - occupied by gnolls and wolves
- Tri-Top(p.6-7) - occupied by gnolls and wolves
Reception
The adventure was reviewed in issue 16 of Different Worlds magazine, which complained that TSR had abandoned its tradition of using maps as color art "in favor of pretty pictures irrelevant to the text." The reviewer, Anders Swenson, disliked the randomness of the module's encounters, arguing that it was unrealistic for so many monster nests to be found within a day's march of a hardy military garrison. His real problem with the adventure, however, was that he believed that too many encounters were compressed into too small of an area. "What deals and pacts have been made to permit the villagers, the clerics, the gnolls and wolves, and the inhabitants of Bone Hill to live in such harmony?"
Receiving 8 out of 10, the adventure was positively reviewed in issue 35 of White Dwarf magazine, noting good prospects for role-playing but that some of the material would not be utilized until L2 (unreleased at that time) was purchased. Lawrence Schick in his book Heroic Worlds was critical of the module, calling it "Not one of TSR's more sterling endeavors," and noting that the back cover was "deliberately botched" by the artist "who did not care for the product." The artist in question is Erol Otus.
Bibliography
- Bambra, Jim. "Open Box: Dungeon Modules" White Dwarf #35. London: Games Workshop, November 1982.
- Swannon, Anders. "Reviews" (review). Different Worlds #16. Albany, CA: Chaosium, November 1981.
- Schick, Lawrence. Heroic Worlds. Amhearst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1991.