DDA2 Legions of Thyatis (Basic)

REVOLT OF THE GLADIATORS!

The corrupt Thyatian senator, Helenites Osteropolus, his latest scheme smashed by the adventurers and their gladiator allies, hatches a new plot to destroy the influence of the Order of the Sands (even, perhaps, to attack the Emperor himself!). Yet greater dangers lie ahead. If his plot succeeds, it will remove the guardians that protect the city from the creatures that lurk in the caverns and catacombs below. Can the players block his gambit? Will the wheels of justice grind small, or will the greasy palm of political corruption reach out and save the senator once again? YOU decide, in the chaotic swirl of the Thyatian capital's politics.

This module is designed especially for the DM who wants to sharpen his interactive skills.

- Recommended for four to six characters, levels 3-4
- Includes map of a realistic catacomb complex below Thyatis City
- Unique role playing climax tests players' integrity and skill
- New information on the military Legions of Thyatis

This module is a stand-alone sequel to DDA1: Arena of Thyatis.

Product History

DDA2: "Legions of Thyatis" (1990), by John Nephew, is an adventure for the Basic D&D game. It was published in August 1990.

Origins: Continuing the DDA. DDA2: "Legions of Thyatis" (1990) continues directly on from DDA1: "Arena of Thyatis" (1990). It's another low-level Basic D&D adventure set in (and below) the city of Thyatis.

However, "Legions of Thyatis" offers one big change from the vast majority of Basic D&D adventures: it effortlessly bridges the gap between Basic-level and Expert-level play by supporting characters levels 3-4. This showed one potential advantage to changing from the classic "B","X","CM","M", and "I" module codes. In another year, the Rules Cyclopedia (1991) would make these distinctions entirely moot.

About the Product Tie-In. Like "Arena of Thyatis", "Legions of Thyatis" is tied in to a big boxed set, but this time it's the Hollow World Campaign Set (1990). The previous adventure hinted at this connection, and now it comes center stage as a monster from the Hollow World threatens the city of Thyatis. Plenty of background on the Hollow World is included, to entice readers into finding out more.

Adventure Tropes. "Legions of Thyatis" is very much a mirror of "Arena of Thyatis", with realistic themes in a carefully plotted story that nonetheless offers a bit of time for underground explorations. It ends in a very nice roleplaying set piece: a trial.

Expanding D&D. The rake character class appears once more, but the upgrades from "Arena of Thyatis" have gone missing; this was probably a mistake, as there's no discussion of the rollback.

Exploring the Known World. The expansions to the Known World in "Legions of Thyatis" are fairly scant, other than increased details of the connections to the Hollow World — and particularly the burrowers beneath. There is also a page describing the armies of Thyatis.

NPCs of Note. Villain Helenites Osteropolus returns here and may get his just rewards. The adventure also features a variety of high-level powers including the Emperor of Thyatis, three of his judges, and a group of immortals: Korotiku, Loki, Tarastia, and Vanya.

About the Creators. Nephew got into the roleplaying business through Lion Rampant and his own company, Atlas Games, but he also tried his hand at freelancing. This was his third Known World book, following PC1: "Tall Tales of the Wee Folk" (1989) and DDA1: "Arena of Thyatis" (1990).

About the Product Historian

The history of this product was researched and written by Shannon Appelcline, the editor-in-chief of RPGnet and the author of Designers & Dragons - a history of the roleplaying industry told one company at a time. Please feel free to mail corrections, comments, and additions to shannon.appelcline@gmail.com.