Four Against Darkness (Base)

Levels 1-4 Action die: d6 Four Against Darkness core rulebook

Standard dungeon delve for novice to experienced parties. Six basic spells, classic monster tables, d6-driven content tables.

Four Against Darkness (Base)

The original ruleset and the recommended starting point. Levels 1–4. All action rolls are d6. Treasure rolls are d6. The dungeon is generated room-by-room with d66 shapes and 2d6 content rolls.

Key conventions

Action die: d6 (Basic tier).
Treasure die: d6.
Room generation: d66 on the room-shape pages.
Room content: 2d6 on the Room Contents Table.
Searching: Once per room (corridors at -1).
Clues: Need 3 clues for a character to discover one major secret.
Final boss: Triggered on a Boss roll when the escalation d6 + bosses-encountered ≥ 6, or when the map runs out of space.

When the party reaches level 5 and meets the transition requirements (4 saved XP rolls, 500 gp/character training), they graduate to Four Against the Abyss — Expert tier with d8 action die.

Exploration Rules

Entrance: Roll d6 to determine the entrance room. Draw it at the center of the lower edge of the map sheet. Then choose a door and roll d66 to generate the next room.
Room Generation: Roll d66 on the room generation pages to determine the shape of each new room or corridor. Rooms can be rotated or stretched up to 1-2 squares to fit.
Corridor Vs Room: Any room only 1 square wide is a corridor. Any room 2+ squares wide is a room. This affects encounters (corridors more often empty, fewer fighters can engage).
Room Content Roll: After generating room shape with d66, roll 2d6 on the Room Contents Table.
Paper Edge: Recommended sheet size is 20x28 squares. Rooms touching the paper edge end there; doors connecting to the edge are dead ends.
No Room For Room: If a rolled room won't fit (intersects existing geometry), truncate it as a dead end. Still counts as a room and still rolls for content.
Retracing Steps: When moving back through previously visited rooms, roll d6 per room/corridor section. On a 1, wandering monsters attack with surprise (attacking from rear of marching order first).
Time: Each room or corridor generated equals approximately 10 minutes of in-game time (if tracking matters).
Expert Die: Standard parties roll d6 for actions. (Expert/Abyss-tier parties roll d8.)

Four Against Darkness (Base) — Articles

Clues & Major Secrets
How a character converts 3 clues into a lasting party-wide bonus.

Rules Tables

Room Contents

2d6

Roll	Result
2	Treasure found. Roll on the Treasure table.
3	Treasure protected by a trap. Roll on the Traps table AND the Treasure table.
4	If corridor, empty. Otherwise, roll on the Special Events table.
5	Empty. Roll on the Special Feature table.
6	Roll on the Vermin table.
7	Roll on the Minions table.
8	If corridor, empty. Otherwise, roll on the Minions table.
9	Empty.
10	If corridor, empty. Otherwise, roll on the Weird Monsters table.
11	Roll on the Boss table. Then roll d6, +1 for every boss/weird monster encountered so far. If 6+, or if dungeon layout is complete, this is the FINAL BOSS.
12	Empty if corridor. Otherwise, the room is a small dragon's lair (use Boss table dragon entry). Counts as a boss and may be final boss.

Empty Room Search

May search empty rooms once. Mark with 'S'. Halflings may use luck to reroll. Searching corridors is at -1.

Roll	Result
1	Wandering monsters attack!
2-4	Room is empty.
5-6	Choose: find a Clue, a Secret Door, or a Hidden Treasure.

Special Features

Roll	Result
1	Fountain: All wounded characters recover 1 Life the first time they encounter a fountain in an adventure. Further fountains have no effect.
2	Blessed Temple: A character of your choice gains +1 to Attack vs undead or demons. Bonus is gone after killing at least one undead or demon.
3	Armory: All characters can change weapons within the limits of their class allowed weapons.
4	Cursed Altar: A random character is cursed (-1 on Defense rolls). Break the curse by slaying a boss alone, entering a Blessed Temple, or receiving a Blessing spell from a cleric.
5	Statue: Leave it or touch it. If touched, roll d6: 1-3 it awakens (level 4 boss, 6 life, immune to all spells; 3d6x10 gp inside if defeated). 4-6 it breaks, find 3d6x10 gp inside.
6	Puzzle Room: Contains a puzzle box of level d6. Each failed attempt costs 1 life. Wizards and rogues add their level. If solved, roll on the Treasure table for contents.

Special Events

Roll	Result
1	A ghost passes through the party. All characters save vs level 4 fear or lose 1 life. A cleric adds his level to this roll.
2	Wandering monsters attack the party. Roll d6: 1-3 vermin, 4 minions, 5 weird monsters, 6 boss. Reroll any small dragons. Boss as wandering monster cannot be the final boss.
3	A Lady in White appears asking the party to complete a quest. If accepted, roll on the Quest table. If refused, she disappears. Ignore further appearances.
4	Trap! Roll on the Traps table.
5	Wandering Healer: heals 10 gp per life point. Once per game; reroll if rolled again.
6	Wandering Alchemist: sells potions of healing (50 gp each, max 1 per party member) and blade poison (30 gp; +1 attack vs first foe; not vs undead, demons, blobs, automatons, statues). Once per game; treat further encounters as a trap.

Traps

Rogues add their level to save vs traps. Rogues may attempt to disarm a trap before it triggers using d6+L vs trap level.

Roll	Result
1	Dart (level 2) attacks a random character.
2	Poison gas (level 3) attacks all characters.
3	Trapdoor (level 4) opens under the leading character of marching order.
4	Bear trap (level 4) hits the character leading marching order.
5	Spears from a wall (level 5) attack two random characters.
6	Giant stone block (level 5) falls on the last character in marching order.

Vermin

Vermin are a sub-class of minions. Defeating them gives no XP roll. No need to track count.

Roll	Result
1	{"name": "3d6 Rats", "level": 1, "treasure": "none", "special": "Wounded characters have 1 in 6 chance of losing 1 additional life from infected wound.", "reactions": "1-3 flee, 4-6 fight"}
2	{"name": "3d6 Vampire Bats", "level": 1, "treasure": "none", "special": "Spells cast at -1 due to distracting shrieking. NOT undead.", "reactions": "1-3 flee, 4-6 fight"}
3	{"name": "2d6 Goblin Swarmlings", "level": 3, "treasure": "-1", "morale": "-1", "special": "Dwarves attack them at +1.", "reactions": "1 flee, 2-3 flee if outnumbered, 4 bribe (5 gp x goblin), 5-6 fight"}
4	{"name": "d6 Giant Centipedes", "level": 3, "treasure": "none", "special": "Wounded characters save vs level 2 poison or lose 1 additional life.", "reactions": "1 flee, 2-3 flee if outnumbered, 4-6 fight"}
5	{"name": "d6 Vampire Frogs", "level": 4, "treasure": "-1", "special": "NOT undead.", "reactions": "1 flee, 2-4 fight, 5-6 fight to the death"}
6	{"name": "2d6 Skeletal Rats", "level": 3, "type": "undead", "treasure": "none", "special": "Crushing weapons attack at +1. Cannot be hit by bows/slings. Clerics add +L (undead).", "reactions": "1-2 flee, 3-6 fight"}

Minions

Track minion encounters. 10 encounters = 1 XP roll.

Roll	Result
1	{"name": "d6+2 Skeletons OR d6 Zombies (50/50)", "level": 3, "type": "undead", "treasure": "none", "special": "Crushing weapons attack skeletons at +1. Arrows at -1 against both. Never test morale.", "reactions": "Always fight to the death"}
2	{"name": "d6+3 Goblins", "level": 3, "treasure": "-1", "special": "1 in 6 chance of surprise. Dwarves attack at +1.", "reactions": "1 flee if outnumbered, 2-3 bribe (5 gp/goblin), 4-6 fight"}
3	{"name": "d6 Hobgoblins", "level": 4, "treasure": "+1", "reactions": "1 flee if outnumbered, 2-3 bribe (10 gp each), 4-5 fight, 6 fight to the death"}
4	{"name": "d6+1 Orcs", "level": 4, "treasure": "normal", "special": "Test morale when killed by spells; -1 if reduced below 50% by spells. Treat magic loot as d6 x d6 gp. Elves attack/spell at +1.", "reactions": "1-2 bribe (10 gp each), 3-5 fight, 6 fight to the death"}
5	{"name": "d3 Trolls", "level": 5, "treasure": "normal", "special": "Regenerate unless killed by spell or chopped to bits (1 attack). Each killed troll: roll d6, on 5-6 returns to life. Halflings add +L Defense vs trolls. Dwarves cause trolls to fight to the death.", "reactions": "1-2 fight, 3-6 fight to the death"}
6	{"name": "2d6 Fungi Folk", "level": 3, "treasure": "normal", "special": "Wounded characters save vs level 3 poison or lose 1 life. Halflings add level on save.", "reactions": "1-2 bribe (d6 gp/fungus), 3-6 fight"}

Bosses

Defeating a boss = 1 XP roll.

Roll	Result
1	{"name": "Mummy", "level": 5, "type": "undead", "life": 4, "attacks": 2, "treasure": "+2", "special": "Any character killed becomes a mummy and must be fought. Fireball attacks at +2. Never test morale.", "reactions": "Always fight"}
2	{"name": "Orc Brute", "level": 5, "life": 5, "attacks": 2, "treasure": "+1 (no magic \u2014 treat as 2d6 x d6 gp)", "reactions": "1 bribe (50 gp), 2-5 fight, 6 fight to the death"}
3	{"name": "Ogre", "level": 5, "life": 6, "treasure": "normal", "special": "Each hit inflicts 2 life points damage.", "reactions": "1 bribe (30 gp), 2-3 fight, 4-6 fight to the death"}
4	{"name": "Medusa", "level": 4, "life": 4, "treasure": "+1", "special": "All characters save vs level 4 gaze at start of battle or be turned to stone (out until Blessing cast). Rogues add half level.", "reactions": "1 bribe (6d6 gp), 2 quest, 3-5 fight, 6 fight to the death"}
5	{"name": "Chaos Lord", "level": 6, "life": 4, "attacks": 3, "treasure": "2 rolls at +1", "special": "Roll d6 for power: 1-3 none, 4 evil eye (-1 Defense until slain on fail of 4+), 5 energy drain (lose 1 level on fail of 4+ when wounded), 6 hellfire blast (lose 2 life if fail roll of 6+; clerics add half level). Killed: roll d6, on 5-6 a character finds a Clue.", "reactions": "1 flee if outnumbered, 2 fight, 3-6 fight to the death"}
6	{"name": "Small Dragon", "level": 6, "life": 5, "attacks": 2, "treasure": "3 rolls at +1", "special": "Each turn roll d6: 1-2 fire breath (level 6 vs all, lose 1 life on fail; add half level rounded down), else bites 2 random characters. Never met as random/wandering.", "reactions": "1 sleeping (+2 first attack), 2-3 bribe (all gold/100 gp min or one magic item), 4-5 fight, 6 quest"}

Weird Monsters

Weird monsters equivalent to bosses. Defeating one gives 1 XP roll (except Invisible Gremlins).

Roll	Result
1	{"name": "Minotaur", "level": 5, "life": 4, "attacks": 2, "treasure": "normal", "special": "First Defense roll vs minotaur is at -1 (bull rush). Minotaurs love to eat halflings \u2014 halflings cannot use Luck in this encounter.", "reactions": "1-2 bribe (60 gp), 3-4 fight, 6 fight to the death"}
2	{"name": "Iron Eater", "level": 3, "life": 4, "attacks": 3, "treasure": "none", "special": "Defense rolls do not benefit from heavy armor (shield/light armor still count). On hit: no damage but loses armor, shield, main weapon, or 3d6 gp (in that order).", "reactions": "1 flee, 2-3 bribe (d6 gp; no fools' gold), 4-6 fight"}
3	{"name": "Chimera", "level": 5, "life": 6, "attacks": 3, "treasure": "normal", "special": "Each turn roll d6: 1-2 fire breath instead of attacks (all save vs level 4 fire or lose 1 life).", "reactions": "1 bribe (50 gp), 2-6 fight"}
4	{"name": "Catoblepas", "level": 4, "life": 4, "treasure": "+1", "special": "All characters save vs level 4 gaze at start of battle or lose 1 life.", "reactions": "1 flee, 2-6 fight"}
5	{"name": "Giant Spider", "level": 5, "life": 3, "attacks": 2, "treasure": "2 rolls", "special": "Wounded characters save vs level 3 poison or lose additional life. Cannot withdraw without casting Fireball to burn webs.", "reactions": "Always fight"}
6	{"name": "Invisible Gremlins", "level": "N/A", "special": "Steal d6+3 objects. Surrender in priority order: magic items, scrolls, potions, weapons, gems, coins (10 gp bundles). If they steal everything, they leave a thank-you note that counts as a clue. Cannot be fought. No XP roll."}

Treasure

One roll per encounter, not per monster. Roll for treasure even if monsters flee. Wandering monsters never have treasure. Barbarians may not be assigned magic items.

Roll	Result
0_or_less	No treasure found.
1	d6 gold pieces.
2	2d6 gold pieces.
3	A scroll with a random spell (roll Random Spell table).
4	One gem worth 2d6 x 5 gold pieces.
5	One item of jewelry worth 3d6 x 10 gold pieces.
6_plus	One random magic item from the Magic Treasure table.

Magic Treasure

Roll	Result
1	Wand of Sleep. User may cast Sleep 3 times before depleted. Wizards and elves only. Add user's level to spell roll.
2	Ring of Teleportation. Automatically pass a Defense roll by moving the character out of the room. Character rejoins after combat. After one use, becomes a simple gold ring worth 1d6+1 gp.
3	Fools' Gold. Magical fake gold pieces — automatically bribe the next monster that asks for a bribe. One-use.
4	Magic Weapon. +1 to Attack rolls. Permanent. Roll d6 for type: 1 crushing light hand weapon, 2 slashing light hand weapon, 3 crushing hand weapon, 4-5 slashing hand weapon, 6 bow.
5	Potion of Healing. Restores all lost life to one character. Free action. One-use. All classes except barbarians.
6	Fireball Staff. Cast Fireball spell twice before depleted. Wizards only. Add user's level to spell roll.

Quests

Completing a quest = roll on Epic Rewards table.

Roll	Result
1	Bring me his head! Kill a specific boss (roll on boss table). Next boss met may be replaced with the quest boss. Bring its head to the questgiver's room.
2	Bring me Gold! Bring d6 x 50 gp worth of treasure to this room. If already held, double the requirement.
3	I want him alive! As 1, but subdue (Sleep spell or fight at -1 to attacks) and tie up the boss with rope, then deliver.
4	Bring me that! Roll on magic items table. Bosses have 1 in 6 chance to carry the object. Bring it to the questgiver's room.
5	Let peace be your way! Complete at least 3 encounters non-violently (bribe, monster help, another quest, sleep+rope).
6	Slay all the monsters! Lay out the entire dungeon and slay all occupants except the questgiver.

Epic Rewards

Each reward only once per campaign — reroll duplicates.

Roll	Result
1	The Book of Skalitos. Counts as one scroll of each of the six basic spells. Tear up to distribute, or assign to one character. Destroyed if carrier killed by dragon breath. Sells for 650 gp unused.
2	The Gold of Kerrak Dar. Next clue generated may instead reveal a hidden chest of 500 gp.
3	Enchanted Weapon. One party weapon now rolls 2 dice for Attack (best result) and can hit magic-only monsters. Lasts the rest of the adventure.
4	Shield of Warning. One shield (or new one if none) protects even when surprised or fleeing. Permanent. Sells for 200 gp.
5	Arrow of Slaying. Auto-inflicts 3 wounds on a specific monster (roll on Boss table). Bow only. Sells for 3d6 x 15 gp.
6	Holy Symbol of Healing. Cleric adds +2 to all healing rolls until death. After death, returnable to church for resurrection attempt. Sells for 700 gp.

Random Spells

Roll	Result
1	Blessing
2	Fireball
3	Lightning Bolt
4	Sleep
5	Escape
6	Protect