As module "C2", it was the second in the C series of modules, a group of unrelated adventures originally designed for competition play. Interior artists included Jeff Dee, Greg K. This printing featured a red cover with color cover art by Jim Roslof. In 1980, the adventure was officially published as AD&D module C2 as a 32-page booklet with an outer folder. The version is quite rare and highly prized by collectors. A printed version bearing a green monochrome cover without the "C2" designation was made available for sale at the convention, but was never published for general distribution. This version included never-reprinted illustrations by Erol Otus. The module had an original print run of 300 numbered copies for sale at the convention in 1979 as a set of 40 loose-leaf pages and a zip-lock bag.
The module was originally used for the AD&D tournament at Wintercon VIII which took place on November 1979 in Detroit, MI. The adventure was written by Allen Hammack, with art by Jim Roslof and Erol Otus. Additional encounters and traps are also added, which are marked "Not for Tournament Use" in the module. Also, unlike the tournament version, which often specifically states how much damage characters take from certain actions, in the non-tournament version characters are subject to normal random damage rolls.
The characters are hired by the Duke to recover the gem, but are not provided starting gold nor subject to the 20% treasure tariff of the spoils. The "twist" at the end is that any character that was killed by the gem can be restored to life by the Duke's Seer. Should the characters survive, they use the amulet to return to the Duke and keep all treasure they find (subject to 20% tax). The final level of the tower houses the Soul Gem, which is behind a force field that must be broken before the characters can claim it. When the proper keys from this level are gathered and activated, the party (unbeknownst to them) travel back in time within the Tower, where more challenges await, among them elemental levels of the newly restored tower. These include a chess room, a "frozen bugbear" room, a "tunnel" room, and others. Tournament Points are added, or deducted, from both team and individual scores depending on how characters choose to handle the situations they encounter.
After equipping is complete, the palace guard escort the characters to the ruined site of the ghost tower, where players must then figure out actions on their own how to best enter the tower and recover the gem. The Duke, after providing gold for the characters to equip themselves, also provides a magic item (the Amulet of Recall) which teleports the party back to the Duke, no matter where they are. Li Hon - A monk indentured into the Duke's service by her monastery in lieu of tax payment Lembu - A fighter who killed the palace guard captain and 11 of his men in a barroom brawlĭiscinque - A thief who attempted to steal jewels from the crown, only to fall off the wall on top of the guard patrol Zinethar - A priest who led a temple revolt against the Duke's citizens Hodar - A sorcerer practicing forbidden magic specifically outlawed by the Duke All of the characters are in the dungeon of the Duke Justinian Lorimnar of Unst for various crimes and charged with the task of recovering the Soul Gem for the Duke: Players may choose from one of five pre-determined characters listed in the module. The Soul Gem is there, but its magic tries to steal the souls of the characters even as they try to claim it. Passing through levels of air, earth, fire, and water (the latter featuring reversed gravity) eventually leads the characters to the top of the tower. The key opens the doors to the central chamber beneath the tower, which holds a time portal that takes the characters back to the age when the tower of Inverness was still standing.Įach level of the tower is a deadly gauntlet meant to destroy intruders. Seeking to discover where the Soul Gem was hidden, the characters descend beneath the ruined tower, discovering four pieces of magical metal that bond together to form a key. No sign of the Soul Gem was ever found, but local folk talk of seeing a ghostly vision of the tower of Inverness on fog-shrouded nights. The monsters and magic of the tower kept the gem safe for many years, but when Galap-Dreidel vanished, Inverness was seized and its tower was destroyed. The tower was built to house Galap-Dreidel’s most prized possession, an eldritch jewel called the Soul Gem, which could steal life from any creature. Inverness was the fortress of the great wizard Galap-Dreidel, whose magic raised a great stone tower within a formidable keep. They must gather the four parts of a key granting them entrance to the Ghost Tower. The player characters go on a quest to find the fabled Soul Gem, a legendary artifact of great power.