Chapter One: The Impact Site
starmilk, which some characters and creatures can learn to manipulate for great benefits. Engram Ark. This meteorite is a relic of a lost world, a hollow sphere protected by a shield of force that contains an uncountable number of engrams—the encapsulated memories and abilities of the refugees of a world annihilated by the evil force known as the Dark Plea.
Mundane Meteorite Impact When even a mundane celestial object strikes a material world more than a few miles in diameter, it utterly eradicates all but the most basic life forms (assuming no other intervening forces or magical deflection). Thus, unless you simply want to end your campaign for the sake of a 50-mile-wide crater, it is best to focus on direct impacts of masses less than a mile in diameter, and usually only tens of feet on a side. For that reason, many of the details of a mundane meteorite strike will deal with an “average”-sized meteor, which is defined for purposes of this book as a roughly 30-footdiameter nodule of mineral-bearing stone. However, all the rules for the devastation wrought by mundane meteorites also apply to thaumaturgic meteorites and engram ark meteorites of the same size.
Describing the Fall When a meteor steaks across the sky, almost every creature for miles around is aware of it. The meteor (it becomes a meteorite only upon impact; before it begins its fall, it’s a meteoroid) is visible long before it is audible. It appears as a great mass of light, usually white, but also green, red, or yellow (the color can change during the course of the fall). The mass is trailed by a long tail the same color as the head. People can see the meteor streaking at a steep angle across the sky. During the day, great tails of smoke trail the tail of light—this smoke trail can persist for hours in the upper portions of the sky. Imagine the dramatic image of several meteors streaking across the sky simultaneously (as might happen when a larger mass in the upper atmosphere calves into several smaller pieces). A meteor glows because of the phenomenon known as ram pressure. As a meteor moves quickly through the upper atmosphere, it violently compresses the air in front of itself. The air gets very hot, which in turn heats the meteor, and it gives off light and smoke as a byproduct of this heating process—the hotter the meteor, the brighter the glow. As a meteor plunges deeper into the atmosphere, gravity pulls it ever more rapidly toward the surface of the planet. When the velocity of this descent exceeds the speed of sound, observers will hear the meteor giving off a booming noise not unlike thunder, or a gunpowder cannon detonation, or the
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clamor of continuous large explosions. Sometimes one hears the rapid clatter of smaller explosions (caused by fragments of the meteor breaking off during its fall).
The Impact A meteorite strike causes a massive explosion. A fountain of earth and released heat from melting rock destroys everything in the immediate area, so About the Author observers of the Born in Watertown, South Dakota, Bruce R. direct impact had Cordell earned a degree in Environmental, best be miles away Population, and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado. While working as a (at least) on the peak Research Associate in process chemistry he or slope of a hill or learned to synthesize DNA, but he could not resist the call of game design. mountain that In 1995 he abandoned science for a designer affords a good view position at TSR, now Wizards of the Coast. His of the site. The shock many design credits include the Psionics Handbook, The Sunless Citadel, Heart of wave and air blast Nightfang Spire, and the Origins Award-winning from the explosion Return to the Tomb of Horrors. He won the 2002 EN World d20 System Award for Best Adventure move outward confor his first Malhavoc psionics title, If Thoughts centrically, like a Could Kill. His followup title, Mindscapes, was recently released. colossal ripple on the surface of a pool Bruce lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Dee and their dog and five cats. He’s hard at where a stone has work on his second novel. Visit his website at fallen, in a quickly <www.brucecordell.com>. widening radius. About the Illustrators The air blast of a mundane meteorite strike produces hurricane-force winds. Within 1,000 feet from the impact, winds in excess of 600 miles per hour scour the ground. The air blast flattens trees out to a distance of about 2 miles, and animals in the same area are either killed or injured so severely that they are unable to feed or defend themselves (see rules on the next page). The sound of impact is a deafening roar that slowly fades away like distant thunder.
Cover artist Alan Pollack was born in New Jersey in 1964. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and in 1991 received his first cover assignment for TSR’s Dungeon® Magazine. Two years later, Alan became a full-time illustrator at TSR. In 1997 he went out on his own and has worked for many roleplaying game companies as well as for Del Rey, ROC, Tor Books, and Wizards of the Coast. Alan lives in Freehold, New Jersey, with his wife, their two children, and his Siberian huskies Xena and Pikachu. Interior artist Kieran Yanner has always been interested in art, roleplaying games, and the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Taking example from such artists as Jim Lee, Tony DiTerlizzi, and Brom, Kieran began shaping his art style long before he ever thought he would actually become a professional illustrator. From Decipher to Malhavoc Press, White Wolf to Dream Pod 9, Kieran has produced hundreds of illustrations for the roleplaying industry and continues to do so.
Malhavoc Press Malhavoc Press is game designer Monte Cook’s d20 System imprint devoted to the publication of unusual magic, monsters, and evocative game elements that go beyond traditional fantasy. Malhavoc Press products such as The Book of Eldritch Might exhibit the mastery of the d20 System rules that only one of its original designers can offer. Look for Anger of Angels, designed by Sean K Reynolds, offering source material on playing angels in their cosmic war against the demons of hell, coming soon. Current titles are available to purchase in either print or electronic (PDF) format at <www.montecook.com>.
