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GP Starting GP Lifestyle � None � Standard (12 gp x TU) � Rich (50 gp x TU) � Luxury (100 gp x TU) Lifestyle Cost Other Coin Spent Total Coin Spent - GP GP Spent GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal - GP GP Spent GP FINAL GP TOTAL Items Sold Total Value of Sold Items Add ½ this value to your gp value Items Bought Total Cost of Bought Items Subtract this value from your gp value XP Starting XP - XP XP lost or spent XP Subtotal + XP XP Gained FINAL XP TOTAL XP TU Starting TU 1 TU TU Cost - TU Added TU Costs TU REMAINING ITEMS FOUND DURING THE ADVENTURE Cross off all items NOT found APL 2 � Special weapon ability: merciful (Regional , DMG) APL 4 (all of APL 2 plus the following) � boots of elvenkind, (Regional, DMG) APL 6 (all of APL 4 plus the following) � circlet of persuasion, (Regional, DMG) APL 8 (all of APL 6 plus the following) � caster’s shield, (Adventure, DMG) � chime of opening, (Regional, DMG) APL 10 (all of APL 8 plus the following) � ring of counterspells, (Adventure, DMG) � Special weapon ability: disarming, (Regional, CW) Adventure Record# 595 CY A D V E N T U R E L E V E L O F P L A Y (CIRCLE ONE) APL 2 max 450 XP; 450gp APL 4 max 675 XP; 650 gp APL 6 max 900 XP; 900 gp APL 8 max 1125 XP; 1300 gp APL 10 max 1,350xp; 2,300gp � Favour of Lukan the Boar: For saving him from an evil curse, Lukan owes you something. This reward can be cashed in if the PC is in the Adri and needs some advice that can be obtained through Bardic Knowledge. Lukan’s Bonus on such a check is +8. This favour can also be checked in for casting a single arcane spell from the Bard or the Sorceror List of the PHB of 1 st or 2 nd Level. � Gnome Vale Green Gemstone: A gnome calling himself Clegin presented you with a well-cut, human’s palm-sized gemstone colored green. Upon the face is etched a symbol of arcane magic signifying the school of transmutation; there is also a lingering aura of this magic upon the gemstone. If sold, it will fetch 50 gold pieces. You do not have to pay for this item. You may only possess one Gnome Vale green gemstone. � Favour of the people of Yonderhilldon: For giving them the chance to lay their slain people to rest or bring the missing ones back to their families, the people of Yonderhilldon provide you with enough provisions that you don’t have to pay standard adventurers upkeep for the next TU of a Regional Adventure. However higher upkeep has to be paid in full. This Record Certifies that _______________________________________________ Played by____________________________________________ Player RPGA # Has Completed Totentanz A Regional Adventure Set in the Principality of Innspa Event: _________________________________ Date: ________ DM:___________________________________________________ Signature RPGA # Play Notes: � Gained a level � Lost a level � Ability Drained ______________ � Died � Was raised/res’d � Was reincarnated _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Home Region______________________

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13 CHAPTER 4: RACES STEP 4: SELECT RACE At this stage in the creation process you should select a race as outlined in the Player’s Handbook, paying the appropriate Character Point cost as listed in Table 4-1 (using the discretionary Character Points granted in Step 1, page 9). With your GM’s permission, you may design your own racial package and pay the appropriate cost out of your starting Character Points. Included herein is a Character Point break down of the races found in the Player’s Handbook, as well as for an artificial construct (such as the Giant Robot class, page 18). RACIAL COST DETERMINATION When the special abilities were being assigned Points, each talent was examined closely. If the ability had a direct comparison to an Attribute in BESM d20, that value was used (for example, 4 Skill Points are worth 1 Point; acute vision is worth 1 Point; +1 to a Will save is worth 1 Point; etc.). Other abilities were modified depending on whether it was applicable in a wide variety of situations, or only useful in limited circumstances. Occasionally, an ability was valued at a half Point (if its utility seemed to be worth less than a full Point), and sometimes the final total was rounded appropriately. The Game Master may alter the Point cost assigned to each race as desired. See the Player’s Handbook for more information about racial abilities. In BESM d20, the default race for a character is human (normally worth 6 Character Points). Consequently, the final number of Character Points assigned to a race equals the calculated value minus 6. This adjustment means being a human is “free;” no Points must be assigned for this race. Other races are adjusted accordingly. As a result, half-orc characters have 5 Character Points return to them to compensate for their lack of abilities (when compared to humans and other races). Elf Point Cost Base movement 0 +2 Dexterity 1 -2 Constitution -1 Immunity to magical sleep spells 1 +2 save vs. enchantment 1 Low-light vision 1 +2 Listen, Search, and Spot Skill checks 1.5 Detect secret doors 1 Total Value 6 Final Cost 0 Gnome Point Cost Small Size (Table 10-2; page 97) 3 Base movement 0 -2 Dexterity -1 +2 Strength 1 +4 Constitution 2 Low-light vision 1 +1 DC for cast illusion spells 1 +2 save vs. illusions 1 +1 attack vs. kobolds/goblinoids 1 +4 dodge defence vs. giants 1 +2 Listen Skill checks 0.5 +2 Craft (Alchemy) Skill checks 0.5 Free 0th Level spells (cantrips) 1 Total Value 12 Final Cost 6 Half-Elf Point Cost Base movement 0 Immunity to sleep 1 +2 save vs. enchantment 1 +2 Diplomacy and Gather Information Skill checks 1 Low-light vision 1 +1 Listen, Search, and Spot Skill checks 0.5 Elven blood 1 Any favoured class (when multiclassing; an optional cost) 1 Total Value 7 Final Cost 1 Half-Orc Point Cost Base movement 0 +2 Strength 1 -2 Intelligence -1 -2 Charisma -1 Darkvision 1 Orc blood 1 Total Value 1 Final Cost -5 Halfling Point Cost Small Size (Table 10-2; Page 97) 3 Base movement 0 +2 Strength 1 +2 Constitution 1 +2 Climb, Jump, and Move Silently Skill checks 1 +1 all saving throws 3 +2 save vs. fear 1 +1 attack with thrown weapons 1 +2 Listen Skill checks 0.5 Total Value 12 Final Cost 6 Human Point Cost Base movement 0 +1 Feat at 1st Level 2 +4 Skill Points at 1st Level 1 +1 Skill Point each Level 2 Any favoured class (when multiclassing; an optional cost) 1 Total Value 6 Final Cost 0 TABLE 4-1: RACE COSTS Artificial Construct Point Cost Base movement 0 No Constitution 0 Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stun 4 Immune to disease, death, necromantic effects 3 Cannot heal (must be repaired) -4 Not subject to critical hits or subdual damage 2 Not subject to Ability damage, Ability drain, or energy drain 2 Automatic Fortitude saves unless effect can target objects 3 Total Value 10 Final Cost 4 Dwarf Point Cost Slow movement -1 +2 Constitution 1 -2 Charisma -1 Darkvision 1 Stability 1 Stonecunning 1 +2 save vs. poison 1 +2 save vs. spells 2 +1 attack vs. orcs/goblinoids 1 +4 dodge defence vs. giants 1 +2 Knowledge: Cultural Arts (Appraisal) Skill checks 0.5 +2 Craft Skill checks 0.5 Total Value 8 Final Cost 2 3.5 UPDATE 14 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES STEP 5: SELECT CLASS A class is an archetype that helps you define the baseline capabilities of your character, a template from which you build your anime hero. It is also a label of convenience that tells the Game Master and other players your character’s strengths and abilities (the class name) as well as his or her rank of achievement (the class Level). Each class presents its own progression chart that indicates what new Skills, abilities, Feats, Attributes, and bonus Character Points your character gains as he or she advances in Level. Players should select a class (or possibly classes, if starting at higher than 1st Level) for their characters as outlined in the Player’s Handbook. THE MULTICLASS CHARACTER As your character acquires experience and advances in Level (or if your character starts above 1st Level), he or she may choose to gain Levels in one or more new classes instead of only advancing in a single class. Adding secondary or tertiary classes gives the character different advantages, but progression in the new classes occur at the expense of advancement in the character’s other classes. For example, if your character is the lone Magical Girl in her adventuring group, she may decide to advance in that class only. If a new Magical Girl also joins the team, the two characters may decide to gain several Levels in the Sentai Member class to compliment each other’s abilities before progressing in the Magical Girl class once again. While your character continues gaining Sentai Member Levels, her current Magical Girl Level remains the same and does not increase. When she decides to start advancing in the Magical Girl class again, the Sentai Member Level remains constant. Your character can only advance a single Level in one class at a time. For more information on the multiclass character, see the Player’s Handbook. Though BESM d20 characters do not usually suffer Experience Point (XP) penalties for multiclassing, the Game Master may decide otherwise. LEVEL BONUSES All classes gain various character bonuses at each Level, the exact type and when depends on the specific class. The bonuses granted to each class are presented in a chart in their respective sections. BASE SAVE BONUS The two numbers listed under Base Save Bonus in Table 5-2 are added to your character’s saving throws — Fortitude (Fort) Save, Reflex (Ref) Save, and Willpower (Will) Save. To determine whether the lower or higher bonus applies to each specific saving throw, see the appropriate class progression chart for your character. These bonuses are cumulative for multiclass characters. BASE ATTACK BONUS When attacking in combat (see Combat, page 114), your character adds his or her Base Attack Bonus to the attack check. The bonus associated with each class is listed in Table 5-2. The first number reflects the bonus applied to the character’s first attack, and any additional attacks provided by the Extra Attacks Attribute (see page 47). Numbers after the slash indicate additional attacks at reduced bonuses. For example, “+15/+10/+5” means the character has three attacks each round: the first at a +15 bonus, the second at a +10 bonus, and the third at a +5 bonus. The first Base Attack Bonus is cumulative for multiclass characters, which will determine how many additional attacks the character can make and their bonuses. Additional attacks are gained once the character’s lowest Base Attack Bonus reaches +6, +11, or +16; an additional attack is then gained at a +1. For example, a 12th Level Samurai/8th Level Giant Robot has individual Base Attack Bonuses of +12/+7/+2 and +6/+1. The character’s combined first bonus equals +18 (12 + 6 = 18). Consequently, the character’s combined Base Attack Bonus is +18/+13/+8/+3. See Table 5-2 for sample Base Attack Bonus progression. GAINING ATTRIBUTE RANKS When an Attribute is listed in the Special section of each specific class progression chart, your character gains a Rank in that Attribute upon achieving that class Level. If the character already possesses one or more Ranks in that Attribute, his or her Rank is increased by one. If the TABLE 5-1: BESM d20 CLASSES Adventurer Magical Girl Samurai Dynamic Sorcerer Martial Artist Sentai Member Giant Robot Mecha Pilot Shapechanger Gun Bunny Ninja Student Hot Rod Pet Monster Trainer Tech Genius ERRATA 15 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES Beyond 20th Level Once a character reaches 20th Level, advancing beyond is handled a little differently. While the XP needed to achieve higher Levels follows a logical progression [XP needed for Level Y = (Level Y-1) x 1,000], the character no longer receives anything automatically at reaching a higher Level: no Base Attack Bonus increase, no save increase, no extra Hit Points, no additional Skills, etc. Instead, the character gains +10 Character Points at each new Level, which can be used to acquire Attributes, Feats, and Ability Scores the character desires. Attribute is new for the character, he or she gains the Attribute at Rank 1. You can determine specific details regarding the Attribute with GM approval. For example, if your character gains the Special Attack Attribute (page 61), you should add Attack Abilities and Disabilities as appropriate for your character, and then discuss your ideas with your Game Master. With the Game Master’s approval, any Attribute Ranks gained through Level progression can be exchanged for a number of Character Points equivalent to the cost of the Attribute through the Incomplete Training Defect (page 91). Unless specified otherwise, abilities listed in the Special section refer to Attributes (page 37). CHARACTER POINT BONUSES When Character Points are listed as a Level progression Special bonus, you can spend them to: increase Ability Scores, increase Attribute Ranks, obtain new Attributes, add new Feats, acquire new or raise existing Skills (through the Highly Skilled Attribute), or eliminate current Defects. The Character Point cost for these modifications is the same as it is during character creation. If you prefer, Character Points can be saved for future allocation (with GM permission). LEVEL BENEFITS See Table 5-3: Level-Dependent Benefits and the Player’s Handbook for information regarding Level advancement. MAXIMUM SKILL RANKS (OPTIONAL) The maximum number of Skill Ranks your character can have in a class Skill, if your Game Master uses this optional rule, is equal to his or her character Level + 3. For cross-class Skills, the maximum is one-half the maximum for a class Skill. Class and cross-class Skills are listed with the descriptions for each class. FEATS In addition to specific class benefits, your character gain one Feat at 1st Level (two if he or she is a human) and an additional Feat at 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th character (not class) Level, as listed in Table 5-3. ABILITY SCORE INCREASE At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th character (not class) Level, your character increases one of his or her Ability Scores (your choice which Score) by one Point. CLASS DESCRIPTIONS BESM d20 presents 15 new character classes appropriate for a wide range of anime adventures. The classes are presented in alphabetical order, and outline important information you need to better understand the nature and game mechanics of the class. Alternatively, you may select a class from the Player’s Handbook for your character (with GM approval). Details on how BESM d20 converts the standard fantasy classes to a point-based system are presented at the end of this chapter. SIZE NOTES The default size for all classes (including Giant Robots) is medium, unless the GM decides otherwise. Characters may be created at an alternate size, however, using the Character Point costs given in Table 10-1: Size Categories (page 97). The GM may modify these size costs as appropriate (see Table 10-3: Size Cost Modifiers; page 97). DEFAULT ATTRIBUTE COSTS Unless stated otherwise, Attributes with variable costs are assigned the following default cost per Rank: Armour 4 Points/Rank, Flight 4 Points/Rank, Flunkies 1 Point/Rank, Item of Power 4 Points/Rank, Massive Damage 5 Points/Rank, Organisational Ties 1 Point/Rank, Servant 2 Points/Rank, Special Attack 4 Points/Rank, and Telepathy 3 Points/Rank. TABLE 5-2: BASE ATTACK BONUSES Giant Robot Hot Rod Magical Girl Adventurer Mecha Pilot Dynamic Sorcerer Base Gun Bunny Ninja Pet Monster Trainer Class Save Martial Artist Sentai Member Student Level Bonus Samurai Shapechanger Tech Genius 1 +0/+2 +1 +0 +0 2 +0/+3 +2 +1 +1 3 +1/+3 +3 +2 +1 4 +1/+4 +4 +3 +2 5 +1/+4 +5 +3 +2 6 +2/+5 +6/+1 +4 +3 7 +2/+5 +7/+2 +5 +3 8 +2/+6 +8/+3 +6/+1 +4 9 +3/+6 +9/+4 +6/+1 +4 10 +3/+7 +10/+5 +7/+2 +5 11 +3/+7 +11/+6/+1 +8/+3 +5 12 +4/+8 +12/+7/+2 +9/+4 +6/+1 13 +4/+8 +13/+8/+3 +9/+4 +6/+1 14 +4/+9 +14/+9/+4 +10/+5 +7/+2 15 +5/+9 +15/+10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +7/+2 16 +5/+10 +16/+11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +8/+3 17 +5/+10 +17/+12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +8/+3 18 +6/+11 +18/+13/+8/+3 +13/+8/+3 +9/+4 19 +6/+11 +19/+14/+9/+4 +14/+9/+4 +9/+4 20 +6/+12 +20/+15/+10/+5 +15/+10/+5 +10/+5 TABLE 5-3: LEVEL-DEPENDENT BENEFITS Maximum Skill Ability Character Experience Ranks (Optional) Feats Score Level (XP) Class Cross-Class Increases 1 0 4 2 +1 - 2 1,000 5 2 - - 3 3,000 6 3 +1 - 4 6,000 7 3 - +1 5 10,000 8 4 - - 6 15,000 9 4 +1 - 7 21,000 10 5 - - 8 28,000 11 5 - +1 9 36,000 12 6 +1 - 10 45,000 13 6 - - 11 55,000 14 7 - - 12 66,000 15 7 +1 +1 13 78,000 16 8 - - 14 91,000 17 8 - - 15 105,000 18 9 +1 - 16 120,000 19 9 - +1 17 136,000 20 10 - - 18 153,000 21 10 +1 - 19 171,000 22 11 - - 20 190,000 23 11 - +1 ERRATA 19 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES are good bragging buddies. To their eyes, a Tech Genius is the techie version of a Dynamic Sorcerer — both nerds that rely on huge power sources to do their thing. Pet Monster Trainers fall under the same wimpy category along with Students. Sentai Members and Adventurers can gain the Gun Bunny’s friendship and respect with their deeds, not their words. HIT DICE AND ABILITY SCORES The Gun Bunny uses d8 Hit Dice. Dexterity is the most important Ability for a Gun Bunny. Most combat is ranged, and a Gun Bunny is more focused on avoiding damage than enduring it. Strength and Constitution are also important since a Gun Bunny does engage in many battles. Finally, a high Charisma is useful as well; several vital class Skills depend on it. CLASS SKILLS AND SKILL POINTS The Gun Bunny’s class Skills (and the key Ability for each) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Demolitions (Int), Gamble (Wis), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Investigate (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Police Sciences (Int), Listen (Wis), Powerlifting (Str), Seduction (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Languages (Int), Sports (Str, Dex, or Con), Spot (Wis), Archery, Gun Combat, and Ranged Defence. • SKILL POINTS AT 1ST LEVEL (4 + Int Modifier) x 4 • SKILL POINTS AT EACH ADDITIONAL LEVEL 4 + Int modifier GUN BUNNY The smell of smoking gunpowder is the perfect drug for a Gun Bunny — male or female. Those who walk technology’s razor edge will prefer burning ozone, but the effect is the same. Gun Bunnies are all about their personal weapons, sharp-shooting, and blasting their way through any obstacle. Although many people see the Gun Bunny as a crazed force of destruction, there are as many cool, silent, and dark strangers as there are trigger-happy psychos. Snipers, law enforcement, outlaws, bounty hunters (and bounty hunted) are amongst the most common careers for the Gun Bunnies, where their talent is appreciated and they can get easy permit to carry their beloved guns. CHARACTERISTICS When a Gun Bunny enters combat, he or she enters it with style. Gun Bunnies’ reflexes and cool hands are almost superhuman and they can draw a gun at an opponent’s head before anyone can blink. As they become better, they learn to carry more weapons t h a n p h y s i c a l l y possible, not to mention the variety of trick shots they master, such as shooting with their eyes closed and doing the damage of a mortar shell with a simple submachine gun. People think that there must be a higher power looking out for the Gun Bunny for all the gunfights he or she walks away from. OTHER CLASSES Hot Rods give wheels to Gun Bunnies’ firepower. A Gun Bunny grins with glee when facing the challenge of a Giant Robot, and scoffs at the antiquated (and in their opinion, obsolete) fighting styles of Martial Artists, Samurai, and Ninja. They like Mecha Pilots if only because they TABLE 5-7: GUN BUNNY Base Ref Will Fort Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Improved Initiative Feat 2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Divine Relationship +1 3 +3 +3 +1 +1 Massive Damage +1 4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Blind-Shoot Feat 5 +5 +4 +1 +1 Portable Armoury Feat 6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 Weapons Encyclopaedia Feat 7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Divine Relationship +1 8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Judge Opponent Feat, Massive Damage +1 9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 +2 Character Points 10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Defensive Combat Mastery +1 11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 +2 Character Points 12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 Steady Hand Feat 13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Divine Relationship +1, Massive Damage +1 14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Defensive Combat Mastery +1 15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 +2 Character Points, Accuracy Feat 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 Two-Weapon Fighting Feat 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Divine Relationship +1 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Massive Damage +1 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Defensive Combat Mastery +1 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 +2 Character Points, Improved Initiative Feat 3.5 UPDATE 20 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES OTHER CLASSES Hot Rods and Mecha Pilots have a lot in common and therefore share a friendly rivalry. They understand the spiritual connection of the Samurai with their katana, as well as the Gun Bunnies’ attachment to their guns. Magical Girls, Pet Monster Trainers, and Sentai Members are targets to be run over more often than they are friends. Martial Artists and Ninja get grouped under the “crazy kung-fu” banner, but Hot Rods can respect their fighting prowess. A Tech Genius is a highly useful mechanic by his or her standards, while Students and Adventurers make for good flunkies. Dynamic Sorcerers and Giant Robots are two questions that a Hot Rod prefers to leave unanswered. HIT DICE AND ABILITY SCORES The Hot Rod uses d8 Hit Dice. Intelligence and Dexterity are the two key Abilities for a Hot Rod. Dexterity helps with his or her reflexes and agility and Intelligence helps with Skills and Attributes. Charisma is also important, since many activities of this class involve social situations. CLASS SKILLS AND SKILL POINTS The Hot Rod’s class Skills (and the key Ability for each) are: Bluff (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Drive (Int or Dex), Gamble (Wis), Investigate (Int), Knowledge: Area (Int), Knowledge: Mechanics (Int), Knowledge: Police Sciences (Int), Navigate (Int), Pilot (Int or Dex), Repair (Int), Ride (Dex), Seduction (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Languages (Int), Spot (Wis), Gun Combat, Melee Attack, Unarmed Attack, and Unarmed Defence. • SKILL POINTS AT 1ST LEVEL (4 + Int Modifier) x 4 • SKILL POINTS AT EACH ADDITIONAL LEVEL 4 + Int modifier HOT ROD Hot Rods feel the need — the need for speed. Leading as fast a life as they can, they live with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the clutch (no self-respecting Hot Rod will drive an automatic!). Cocky and self-assured, Hot Rods have a certain magnetism that they carry with them even when they get out of their cars and off their motorcycles. They are damn proud of their vehicle and will do anything to make sure it is always in top condition, going so far as to risk their lives for a part they want or mouthing off to the fool who dares to sit on the chromed bumper. CHARACTERISTICS The telltale sign of a Hot Rod is his or her set of wheels; it is a badge of honour, a trusted friend, and a symbol of freedom. Not content to just drive it, the Hot Rod has e n o u g h mechanical skills to fix and enhance it. Since top- notch parts cost money, however, the Hot Rod often develops ties with an organisation that funds his expenses or gives him work to pay for them. Their natural charisma attracts followers in the form of pit crews, gear heads, co-pilots, and navigators. They can keep their cool under the most harrowing circumstances, never losing their grip on the wheel and the stick shift. TABLE 5-8: HOT ROD Base Ref Will Fort Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Personal Gear (Car) +1 2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Mechanical Genius +1 3 +2 +3 +1 +1 Flunkies +1, Item of Power (Car-related) +1 4 +3 +4 +1 +1 Organisational Ties +1, Personal Gear (Car) +1 5 +3 +4 +1 +1 +5 Character Points, Divine Relationship +1 6 +4 +5 +2 +2 Steady Hand Feat 7 +5 +5 +2 +2 Personal Gear (Car) +1 8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +2 Aura of Command +1, Wealth +1 9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +3 Item of Power (Car-related) +1 10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +3 +5 Character Points, Personal Gear (Car) +1 11 +8/+3 +7 +3 +3 Flunkies +1, Organisational Ties +1 12 +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 Mechanical Genius +1 13 +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 Personal Gear (Car) +1 14 +10/+5 +9 +4 +4 Improved Initiative Feat, Item of Power (Car-related) +1 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +5 +3 Character Points, Divine Relationship +1 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Aura of Command +1, Personal Gear (Car) +1 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Defensive Combat Mastery +1, Wealth +1 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Flunkies +1, Organisational Ties +1 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Defensive Combat Mastery +1 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 +5 Character Points, Divine Relationship +1 3.5 UPDATE 22 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES abuse tools and ignore their inner strength. Pet Monster Trainers are similar in this regard. They see an echo of their pursuit for perfection in the Magical Girl’s and Dynamic Sorcerer’s struggle to master their powers. Adventurers are somewhat of an annoyance, while Students and Shapechangers are either allies to be protected or bullies and monsters to be defeated. HIT DICE AND ABILITY SCORES The Martial Artist uses d10 Hit Dice. A pairing of high Abilities is important for a Martial Artist: at least one physical (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution) and one social (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). The Martial Artist is a combatant that endeavours to balance him or herself both spiritually and physically. CLASS SKILLS AND SKILL POINTS The Martial Artist’s class Skills (and the key Ability for each) are: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Controlled Breathing (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Cultural Arts (Int), Knowledge: Occult (Int), Listen (Wis), Medical (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Languages (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex). Melee Attack, Melee Defence, Special Ranged Attack, Unarmed Attack, and Unarmed Defence. • SKILL POINTS AT 1ST LEVEL (2 + Int Modifier) x 4 • SKILL POINTS AT EACH ADDITIONAL LEVEL 2 + Int modifier MARTIAL ARTIST The idea that one’s own body is the best weapon is central to the martial artist’s philosophy — they make a very convincing argument when they break a wall with their bare fists. Products of rigorous training and discipline, Martial Artists are masters of unarmed combat, achieving with punches and kicks what others need weapons to do, and they are much flashier. A Martial Artist is protective of his abilities, treasuring his or her master’s teachings and upholding the honour of their fighting school against any opponent, particularly against other Martial Artists. CHARACTERISTICS Martial Artists do not need a weapon to inflict grievous bodily harm on their enemies. The best Martial Artists can even punch holes through armour. Coupled with such talent for hurting, Martial Artists also learn to avoid being hurt either by deflecting attacks or simply by not being there. As they become skilled at harnessing their inner energies, they acquire special attacks that can strike foes at a distance, suck the breath out of opponents, ignite flammable materials, and other effects that border on the magical. Their mystical awareness also allows them to fight under the most adverse conditions. OTHER CLASSES Although Martial Artists respect a Samurai’s discipline and a Ninja’s prowess, they still see their methods as inferior. Gun Bunnies, Hot Rods, Mecha Pilots, and Tech Geniuses are beneath their notice, since they TABLE 5-10: MARTIAL ARTIST Base Ref Will Fort Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +2 +2 +0 Unarmed Attack Skill +2, Unarmed Defence Skill +2 2 +2 +3 +3 +0 Massive Damage (Unarmed Strikes) +1 3 +3 +3 +3 +1 Improved Initiative Feat 4 +4 +4 +4 +1 Judge Opponent Feat 5 +5 +4 +4 +1 Speed +1 6 +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Special Attack +1 7 +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Massive Damage (Unarmed Strikes) +1 8 +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 Defence Combat Mastery +1 9 +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Special Attack +1 10 +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 Improved Initiative Feat 11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 +2 Character Points 12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 Speed +1 13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Massive Damage (Unarmed Strikes) +1 14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 Special Attack +1 15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 Blind-Fight Feat 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 +2 Character Points 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Special Attack +1 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 +2 Character Points 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Massive Damage (Unarmed Strikes) +1 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 +1 Character Point, Defence Combat Mastery +1 3.5 UPDATE 24 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES distance from the technological focus of Mecha Pilots, Giant Robots, Hot Rods, and Tech Geniuses. Students, Adventurers, and Pet Monster Trainers are treated on a case-by-case basis. HIT DICE AND ABILITY SCORES The Ninja uses d8 Hit Dice. Dexterity is the key for a Ninja. This nimble and fast assassin needs agility for acrobatics and stealth. Wisdom and Intelligence are also important since it is important to know when and how to strike at an opponent. CLASS SKILLS AND SKILL POINTS The Ninja’s class Skills (and the key Ability for each) are: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Controlled Breathing (Con), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge: Area (Int), Knowledge: Architecture (Int), Knowledge: Occult (Int), Knowledge: Streetwise (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Poisons (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Languages (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex), Wilderness Tracking (Int or Wis), Archery, Melee Attack, Thrown Weapons, Unarmed Attack, and Unarmed Defence. • SKILL POINTS AT 1ST LEVEL (4 + Int Modifier) x 4 • SKILL POINTS AT EACH ADDITIONAL LEVEL 4 + Int modifier SPECIAL NOTE Ninja may only use the Teleport Attribute up to the maximum safe distance (see page 70 for details). s. NINJA Wrapped in mystery and shadow, Ninja have haunted the sleep of the powerful for centuries. Heirs to an ancestral tradition, the Ninja know a great variety of mystical secrets and guard them with great zeal from outsiders. The veil of secrecy they foster makes ordinary people believe them to be legends, and they would not have it any other way. A fearful reality clothed in myth, Ninja fight for many purposes; some are ruthless assassins for hire while, at the other extreme, they can also be like knights- errant, serving justice against tyrants, striking from anonymity. CHARACTERISTICS As masters of the shadow arts, Ninja learn various techniques dealing with agility and stealth. With practice, they can become as light as air and just as fast, capable of jumping to great heights, balancing on impossibly narrow surfaces, and always landing on their feet. They eventually learn to bend shadows and silence around them by sheer force of will, giving rise to the many legends about their powers. A vast array of exotic weaponry is another of their trademarks, along with the ability to disappear. A Ninja’s awareness does not stop with enhanced senses, but extend to mystical forces and even to the spirit world. OTHER CLASSES Ninja do not often associate with other classes except by necessity or by virtue of their normal lives. Their respect for Samurai and Martial Artists tends to be one-sided, and they enjoy besting Gun Bunnies in trickery vs. firepower combats. They share the Dynamic Sorcerer’s interest in the mystical arts and the Shapechanger’s aura of mystery. Some Ninja can be a close ally with a Magical Girl or a Sentai Member, but prefer to maintain a TABLE 5-12: NINJA Base Ref Will Fort Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +2 +2 +0 Jumping +1, Personal Gear +1 2 +1 +3 +3 +0 Improved Initiative Feat 3 +2 +3 +3 +1 Heightened Senses (Hearing) +1, Sneak Attack Feat 4 +3 +4 +4 +1 Special Movement (Light-Footed) +1 5 +3 +4 +4 +1 +4 Character Points, Personal Gear +1 6 +4 +5 +5 +2 Jumping +1 7 +5 +5 +5 +2 Teleport +1, Sixth Sense (Sense Ki-Energy) +1 8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +2 Sneak Attack Feat, Environmental Control (Darkness) +1 9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +3 Speed +1, Heightened Sense (Sight) +1 10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +3 +3 Character Points, Improved Initiative Feat 11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +3 Jumping +1, Blind-Fight Feat 12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 Defensive Combat Mastery, Special Movement (Untrackable) 13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 Sneak Attack Feat 14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +4 Sixth Sense (Sense Spirits) +1, Teleport +1 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +5 +2 Character Points, Environmental Control (Silence) +1 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Jumping +1, Special Movement (Cat-Like) +1 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Invisibility +1, Defensive Combat Mastery +1 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 Speed +1, Sneak Attack Feat 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Heightened Senses (Smell) +1 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 +2 Character Points, Special Movement (Wall-Crawling) +1 3.5 UPDATE 33 EXAMINING d20 MODERN CLASSES The character classes in d20 Modern have less variation in their design compared to the fantasy classes, which makes assigning appropriate Character Point values to them easier. Table 5-21: d20 Modern Classes Point Costs gives the value for each class ability. Smart Heroes, like Wizards, include an additional 0.5 Character Points/Level in their progression associated with their high Intelligence bonus for Skills. Table 5-22: Balancing d20 Modern Classes shows the Character Points totals associated with each class over 10 Levels (rounded down), plus the number of discretionary Character Points that should be added to the class by Level 10 to more closely balance them when using BESM d20. CHAPTER 5: CLASSES TABLE 5-21: d20 MODERN CLASSES POINT COSTS Character Point Class Advantage Cost (3 + Int modifier) Skills gained each Level 0.75 each Level (5 + Int modifier) Skills gained each Level 1.25 each Level (7 + Int modifier) Skills gained each Level 1.75 each Level (9 + Int modifier) Skills gained each Level 2.25 each Level Smart Hero Class Skill bonus each Level 0.5 each Level +1 Defence Bonus 2 +1 Reputation Bonus 1 +1 Talent 2 TABLE 5-22: BALANCING d20 MODERN CLASSES Initial Discretionary Final Point Class Points Points Total Strong Hero 100 0 100 Fast Hero 103 0 103 Tough Hero 97 3 100 Smart Hero 98 2 100 Dedicated Hero 95 5 100 Charismatic Hero 91 9 100 TABLE 5-23: BARBARIAN Hit Dice: d12 Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int Modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +0 +0 +2 Rage 1/day, +10 move, 2 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +2 +0 +0 +3 Uncanny dodge (Dex) 3 +3 +1 +1 +3 Trap sense +1 4 +4 +1 +1 +4 Rage 2/day 5 +5 +1 +1 +4 Improved uncanny dodge 6 +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Trap sense +2 7 +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 Damage reduction 1/- 8 +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 Rage 3/day 9 +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 Trap sense +3 10 +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 Damage reduction 2/- 11 +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 Greater rage 12 +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 Rage 4/day, Trap sense +4 13 +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 Damage reduction 3/- 14 +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 Indomitable will 15 +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 Trap sense +5 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 Rage 5/day, Damage reduction 4/- 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Tireless rage 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 +1 Character Point, Trap sense +6 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Damage reduction 5/- 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Rage 6/day, Mighty rage TABLE 5-24: BARD Hit Dice: d6 Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +2 +2 +0 Bardic knowledge, Bardic music, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1, 2 Armour Proficiency Feats, +2 0th Level spells 2 +1 +3 +3 +0 +1 0th Level spell 3 +2 +3 +3 +1 Inspire competence, +1 1st Level spell 4 +3 +4 +4 +1 +3 Character Points, +1 1st Level spell 5 +3 +4 +4 +1 +1 1st, +1 2nd Level spell 6 +4 +5 +5 +2 Suggestion, +1 2nd Level spell 7 +5 +5 +5 +2 +4 Character Points 8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +2 +2 Character Points, Inspire courage +2, +1 2nd, +1 3rd Level spell 9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +3 Inspire Greatness, +1 3rd Level spell 10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +3 +3 Character Points 11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +3 +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 +3 Character Points, Song of Freedom, +1 4th Level spell 13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 +3 Character Points 14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +4 Inspire courage +3, +1 0th, +1 4th, +1 5th Level spell 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +5 +3 Character Points, Inspire heroics, +1 1st, +1 5th Level spell 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 +3 Character Points, +1 2nd Level spell 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 +1 3rd, +1 6th Level spell 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 +2 Character Points, Mass suggestion, +1 4th, +1 6th Level spell 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 +1 5th, +1 6th Level spell 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 +2 Character Points, Inspire courage +4, +1 6th Level spell 9th Level Spell for 4.5 Points? Looking at the Character Point costs we assigned to spells directly, a 9th Level spell is worth 4.5 Points. Seem too cheap? Perhaps it is, if you only look at the 9th Level spell in isolation. The balancing factor, though, are the implied pre-requisites needed to obtain high-level spells: many, many levels of class (not character) progression. By the time a Wizard, for example, can access 9th Level spells, he or she has already allocated over 70 Character Points to spellcasting ability and has achieved a minimum of 17 class Levels. Quite an accomplishment! If you want to gauge the appropriate cost of each spell Level by itself, use this formula as a guideline to determine the Character Point cost of each spell: (spell Level) x (spell Level) x 0.5. For example, 1st Level spells are worth 0.5 Points (1 x 1 x 0.5 = 0.5), 4th Level spells are worth 8 Points (4 x 4 x 0.5 = 8), and 9th class Level spells are each worth 40.5 (9 x 9 x 0.5 = 40.5). This cost applies to the first spell at each Level only; additional spells a the same or lower Level cost usually substantially less. Thus, the first 9th Level spell costs 40.5 Points, but adding a second 9th Level spell, or perhaps an 8th Level spell, may only be worth 5, 10, or 15 Points — much less than the first 40.5 Points. If necessary, the Game Master will determine the exact cost of each spell-like ability. 3.5 UPDATE 34 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES TABLE 5-25: CLERIC Hit Dice: d8 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Turn undead, 2 Domains, Spontaneous casting, +3 0th, +1 1st, +1 domain 1st Level spell, 3 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +1 +0 +3 +3 +1 0th, +1 1st Level spell 3 +2 +1 +3 +3 +1 2nd, +1 domain 2nd Level spell 4 +3 +1 +4 +4 +1 0th, +1 1st, +1 2nd Level spell 5 +3 +1 +4 +4 +1 3rd, +1 domain 3rd Level spell 6 +4 +2 +5 +5 +1 2nd, +1 3rd Level spell 7 +5 +2 +5 +5 +1 0th, +1 1st, +1 4th, +1 domain 4th Level spell 8 +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 9 +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 +1 2nd, +1 5th, +1 domain 5th Level spell 10 +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 +1 4th, +1 5th Level spell 11 +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 +1 1st, +1 3rd, +1 6th, +1 domain 6th Level spell 12 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 +1 5th, +1 6th Level spell 13 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 +1 2nd, +1 4th, +1 7th, +1 domain 7th Level spell 14 +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 +1 6th, +1 7th Level spell 15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 +1 3rd, +1 5th, +1 8th, +1 domain 8th Level spell 16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 +1 7th, +1 8th Level spell 17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 +1 4th, +1 6th, +1 9th, +1 domain 9th Level spell 18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell 19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 +1 5th, +1 7th, +1 9th Level spell 20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell TABLE 5-26: DRUID Hit Dice: d8 Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Nature sense, Animal companion, Wild empathy, 2 Armour Proficiency Feats, +3 0th, +1 1st Level spell 2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Woodland stride, +1 0th, +1 1st Level spell 3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Trackless step, +1 2nd Level spell 4 +3 +1 +4 +4 Resist nature’s lure, +1 0th, +1 1st, +1 2nd Level spell 5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Wild shape 1/day, +1 3rd Level spell 6 +4 +2 +5 +5 Wild shape 2/day, +1 2nd, +1 3rd Level spell 7 +5 +2 +5 +5 Wild shape 3/day, +1 0th, +1 1st, +1 4th Level spell 8 +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Wild shape (Large), +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 9 +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Venom immunity, +1 2nd, +1 5th Level spell 10 +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Wild shape 4/day, +1 4th, +1 5th Level spell 11 +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Wild shape (Tiny), +1 1st, +1 3rd, +1 6th Level spell 12 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Wild shape (plant), +1 5th, +1 6th Level spell 13 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 A thousand faces, +1 2nd, +1 4th, +1 7th Level spell 14 +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Wild shape 5/day, +1 6th, +1 7th Level spell 15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Wild shape (Huge), Timeless Body, +1 5th, +1 8th Level spell 16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Wild shape (Elemental) 1/day, +1 3rd, +1 7th, +1 8th Level spell 17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 +1 4th, +1 6th, +1 9th Level spell 18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Wild shape 6/day, Elemental wild shape 2/day, +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell 19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 +1 5th, +1 7th, +1 9th Level spell 20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Elemental wild shape 3/day, Elemental (Huge), +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell TABLE 5-27: FIGHTER Hit Dice: d10 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +0 +0 +2 Bonus Feat, 3 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +2 +0 +0 +3 Bonus Feat 3 +3 +1 +1 +3 +1 Character Point 4 +4 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 5 +5 +1 +1 +4 +1 Character Point 6 +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Bonus Feat 7 +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 +3 Character Points 8 +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 Bonus Feat 9 +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 +4 Character Points 10 +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat 11 +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 +4 Character Points 12 +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 Bonus Feat 13 +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 +4 Character Points 14 +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 Bonus Feat 15 +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 +4 Character Points 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 Bonus Feat 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 +4 Character Points 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Bonus Feat 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 +3 Character Points 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Bonus Feat 3.5 UPDATE 35 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES TABLE 5-28: MONK Hit Dice: d8 Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +2 +2 +2 Unarmed strike, Flurry of blows, Bonus Feat, d6 Damage, AC +0 2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Evasion, Bonus Feat 3 +2 +3 +3 +3 Still mind, +10 ft. Move 4 +3 +4 +4 +4 Slow fall (20 ft.), Ki strike (magic), d8 Damage 5 +3 +4 +4 +4 Purity of body, AC +1 6 +4 +5 +5 +5 Slow fall (30 ft.), Bonus Feat, +10 ft. Move 7 +5 +5 +5 +5 Wholeness of body 8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Slow fall (40 ft.), d10 Damage 9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Improved evasion, +10 ft. Move 10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Ki strike (lawful), Slow fall (50 ft), AC +2 11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Diamond body, Greater flurry 12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Abundant step, Slow fall (60 ft), 2d6 Damage, +10 ft. Move 13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Diamond Soul 14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +9 Slow fall (70 ft) 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Quivering Palm, AC +3, +10 ft. Move 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Ki strike (Adamantine), Slow fall (80 ft), 2d8 Damage 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Timeless body, Tongue of sun and moon 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11 Slow fall (90 ft), +10 ft. Move 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Empty body 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Perfect self, Slow fall (any distance), 2d10 Damage, AC +4 TABLE 5-29: PALADIN Hit Dice: d10 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +0 +0 +2 Aura of good, Detect evil, Smite evil 1/day, 3 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +2 +0 +0 +3 Divine grace, Lay on hands 3 +3 +1 +1 +3 Aura of courage, Divine health 4 +4 +1 +1 +4 +1 Character Point, Turn undead 5 +5 +1 +1 +4 Special mount, Smite evil 2/day 6 +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Remove disease 1/week, +1 1st Level spell 7 +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 +1 Character Point 8 +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 +1 Character Point 9 +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 Remove disease 2/week 10 +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 +2 Character Points, Smite evil 3/day, +1 2nd Level spell 11 +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 +3 Character Points 12 +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 Remove disease 3/week, +1 3rd Level spell 13 +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 +3 Character Points 14 +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 +3 Character Points, +1 1st Level spell 15 +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 Remove disease 4/week, Smite evil 4/day, +1 4th Level spell 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 +3 Character Points, +1 2nd Level spell 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 +3 Character Points, +1 3rd Level spell 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Remove Disease 5/week, +1 1st Level spell 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 +1 2nd, +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 +3 Character Points, Smite evil 5/day, +1 4th Level spell TABLE 5-34: CLASS AND CROSS CLASS COMBAT SKILLS FOR FANTASY 20 CLASSES Barbarian Bard Cleric Druid Fighter Monk Paladin Ranger Rogue Sorcerer Wizard Archery • • x x • x x • • x x Gun Combat x x x x x x x x x x x Heavy Weapons x x x x • x • x x x x Melee Attack • x x x • x • • • x x Melee Defence • • • x • x • • x x x Ranged Defence x • • • • • • x • x x Special Ranged Attack x x • x x x • x x • • Thrown Weapons • • x • x • x • • x x Unarmed Attack • x x x x • x x x x x Unarmed Defence x x x x x • x x x x x • Class Skill x Cross Class Skill 3.5 UPDATE 36 CHAPTER 5: CLASSES TABLE 5-33: WIZARD Hit Dice: d4 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +0 +2 +0 Summon familiar, Scribe scroll, +3 0th, +1 1st Level spell 2 +1 +0 +3 +0 +1 0th, +1 1st Level spell 3 +1 +1 +3 +1 +1 2nd Level spell 4 +2 +1 +4 +1 +1 1st, +1 2nd Level spell 5 +2 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feat, +1 3rd Level spell 6 +3 +2 +5 +2 +1 2nd, +1 3rd Level spell 7 +3 +2 +5 +2 +1 1st, +1 4th Level spell 8 +4 +2 +6 +2 +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 9 +4 +3 +6 +3 +1 2nd, +1 5th Level spell 10 +5 +3 +7 +3 Bonus Feat, +1 4th, +1 5th Level spell 11 +5 +3 +7 +3 +1 3rd, +1 6th Level spell 12 +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 +1 5th, +1 6th Level spell 13 +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 +1 4th, +1 7th Level spell 14 +7/+2 +4 +9 +4 +1 6th, +1 7th Level spell 15 +7/+2 +5 +9 +5 Bonus Feat, +1 5th, +1 8th Level spell 16 +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 +1 7th, +1 8th Level spell 17 +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 +1 6th, +1 9th Level spell 18 +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell 19 +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 +1 7th, +1 9th Level spell 20 +10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Bonus Feat, +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell TABLE 5-31: ROGUE Hit Dice: d6 Skill Points per Level: 8 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Sneak attack +1d6, Trapfinding, 2 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Evasion 3 +2 +3 +1 +1 Trap sense +1, Sneak attack +2d6 4 +3 +4 +1 +1 Uncanny dodge 5 +3 +4 +1 +1 +1 Character Point, Sneak attack +3d6 6 +4 +5 +2 +2 Trap sense +2 7 +5 +5 +2 +2 Sneak attack +4d6 8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +2 +1 Character Point, Improved uncanny dodge 9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +3 Trap sense +3, Sneak Attack +5d6 10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +3 +3 Character Points, Special Ability 11 +8/+3 +7 +3 +3 Sneak attack +6d6 12 +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 +3 Character Points, Trap sense +4 13 +9/+4 +8 +4 +4 Sneak attack +7d6, Special ability 14 +10/+5 +9 +4 +4 +3 Character Points 15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +5 Sneak attack +8d6, Trap sense +5 16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Special ability 17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Sneak attack +9d6 18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 +3 Character Points, Trap sense +6 19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Sneak Attack +10d6, Special ability 20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 +4 Character Points TABLE 5-32: SORCERER Hit Dice: d4 Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +0 +0 +2 +0 Summon familiar +5 0th, +3 1st Level spell 2 +1 +0 +3 +0 +1 0th, +1 1st Level spell 3 +1 +1 +3 +1 +1 1st Level spell 4 +2 +1 +4 +1 +1 1st, +3 2nd Level spell 5 +2 +1 +4 +1 +1 2nd Level spell 6 +3 +2 +5 +2 +1 2nd, +3 3rd Level spell 7 +3 +2 +5 +2 +1 2nd, +1 3rd Level spell 8 +4 +2 +6 +2 +1 3rd, +3 4th Level spell 9 +4 +3 +6 +3 +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 10 +5 +3 +7 +3 +1 4th, +3 5th Level spell 11 +5 +3 +7 +3 +1 4th, +1 5th Level spell 12 +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 +1 5th, +3 6th Level spell 13 +6/+1 +4 +8 +4 +1 5th, +1 6th Level spell 14 +7/+2 +4 +9 +4 +1 6th, +3 7th Level spell 15 +7/+2 +5 +9 +5 +1 6th, +1 7th Level spell 16 +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 +1 7th, +3 8th Level spell 17 +8/+3 +5 +10 +5 +1 7th, +1 8th Level spell 18 +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 +1 8th, +3 9th Level spell 19 +9/+4 +6 +11 +6 +1 8th, +1 9th Level spell 20 +10/+5 +6 +12 +6 +2 9th Level spell TABLE 5-30: RANGER Hit Dice: d8 Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int modifier Base Attack Ref Will Fort Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1 +1 +0 +0 +2 Track, Favoured enemy, Wild empathy, 2 Armour Proficiency Feats 2 +2 +0 +0 +3 Combat style 3 +3 +1 +1 +3 Endurance 4 +4 +1 +1 +4 Animal companion 5 +5 +1 +1 +4 Favoured enemy 6 +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Improved combat style, +1 1st Level spell 7 +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 Woodland stride 8 +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 Swift tracker 9 +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 +2 Character Points, Evasion 10 +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 Favoured enemy, +1 2nd Level spell 11 +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 Combat style mastery 12 +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 +2 Character Points, +1 3rd Level spell 13 +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 Camouflage 14 +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 +2 Character Points, +1 1st Level spell 15 +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 Favoured enemy, +1 4th Level spell 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 +2 Character Points, +1 2nd Level spell 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 +3 Character Points, Hide in plain sight +1 3rd Level spell 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 +2 Character Points, +1 1st Level spell 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 +1 2nd, +1 3rd, +1 4th Level spell 20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Favoured enemy, +1 4th Level spell 3.5 UPDATE 44 CHAPTER 6: ATTRIBUTES Casting a spell requires the character to draw upon the power of his or her soul to reach a new Balance with Nature. This link with the mystical world allows reality to be altered to accommodate the existence of the spell. Such spell creation is quite exhausting, however, drawing on the character’s Energy Points at a rate determined by the minimum Rank of the Attribute needed to produce a desired effect (whether the casting was a success or a failure) — see below. Should the spell effects target more than one person or object, the GM may choose to increase the effective Rank required by one if affecting two people, by two if affecting 3-6 people, by three if affecting 7-20 people, and by four if affecting 21-50 people. The GM will decide the Attribute Rank needed to cast a particular spell. In addition, any spell that is an attack on another entity also requires an Attack dice roll to hit. If the spell inflicts direct damage, the target will normally be allowed a Defence roll to avoid its effects. If the spell is something that has a more indirect effect, an appropriate saving throw (usually Will or Fortitude) should be allowed to resist or see through the effects. The character’s Caster Level is equal to the character’s Rank in the Dynamic Sorcery Attribute or the character’s Level in the Dynamic Sorcerer class, whichever is higher. any Attributes or Defects the original character does not possess. Additionally, Attributes and Defects cannot be raised to Ranks that would exceed the original character’s Ranks. The GM may waive this restriction if it seems appropriate. Once the Character Points are allocated to the duplicate in a specific pattern during character creation, the distribution cannot be changed; all duplicates ever made will be identical. PROPORTIONATE DUPLICATE If the Duplicate Rank is not sufficiently high to create a duplicate with the exact same number of Character Points as the original, a less- powerful duplicate is created. In these cases, the reduced Character Points are distributed over the duplicate’s Abilities, Attributes, Skills, and Defects proportionately with the original character. The one exception to this rule involves the Duplicate Attribute; the character may decide that his or her twin does not have the Duplicate Attribute. DYNAMIC SORCERY Cost: 8 Points/Rank Relevant Ability: Variable Progression: Descriptive; see below This is the ability to use the mystical forces of Nature to alter reality. In anime, this can represent either the ability to improvise magical spells at a moment’s notice or the reality-bending capabilities of powerful entities like gods, goddesses, or angels. Dynamic Sorcery is a very powerful Attribute and should be discussed with the GM at length to determine the effects and limitations in his or her game. Proper use of Dynamic Sorcery will not unbalance the game but can provide many opportunities for character innovation. A character with this Attribute has the potential to cast spells from a vast variety of magical disciplines. Limiting the character’s knowledge to just one discipline, however, reduces the Attribute cost to only 4 Points/Rank. Such specialisations can include protection spells, elemental spells, weather spells, charm spells, necromantic spells, spells involving animal spirits, etc., or spells restricted to one of the magical schools (abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, or transmutation). A common variation on Dynamic Sorcery is magic whose effects are restricted to a particular reality different from the main reality of the campaign, such as the world of dreams, a cyberspace, or another pocket dimension. Such a heavy restriction may only cost 2 Points/Rank; the effects normally disappear when their subject leaves that reality (jacks out, wakes up, etc.). ERRATA 49 HEIGHTENED SENSES Cost: 1 Point/Rank Relevant Ability:Wisdom Progression: The character gains one heightened sense or technique/Rank A character with Heightened Senses has one or more senses that have been sharpened to a superhuman level of acuity. It can represent either the preternatural sharpening of a specific sense honed by special training (such as a blind person’s trained sense of touch) or the enhanced senses of a paranormal or technologically augmented character. Additionally, several Ranks of Heightened Senses reflect the capabilities of sensors built into spaceships and other commercial or military vehicles. For each Rank of the Heightened Senses Attribute, the character will either gain one enhanced sense (Type I), one sense technique (Type II), or a combination of Type I and Type II senses. The character must make a successful Wisdom or relevant Skill check against an appropriate DC to detect and pinpoint a specific target within a large area (for example, to listen to a specific conversation thought the background noise of the city). TYPE I One of the character’s five senses — hearing, smell, vision, taste, or touch — is enhanced, and can operate over an area of several city blocks. The character may take the same sense twice, which doubles the effect and extends the area of detection. A character using a Heightened Sense has a +4 bonus (+8 if the sense was heightened twice) on Ability and relevant Skill checks that relate to using that sense to perceive things that someone with human-level senses might conceivably notice. TYPE II The character has one Heightened Sense technique, which extends beyond human capabilities. Examples of techniques include: darkvision, electric current detection; infravision; magnetic field detection; microscopic vision; radar sense; radio reception; sonar detection; ultrasonic hearing; ultravision; vibration detection; X-ray vision. Most techniques only work at short range, often requiring line of sight. The Heightened Awareness Attribute (above) allows a lower Rank of enhancement for all of a character’s senses. HIGHLY SKILLED Cost: 1 Point/Rank Relevant Ability:Variable Progression: The character gains an additional 4 Skill Points/Rank A character with this Attribute is more experienced or better trained than an ordinary person, and as a result has more Skill Points (see page 74) than an average adult. Extending this Attribute beyond Rank 6 provides 4 additional Skill Points per Rank (for example, Rank 11 would provide a total of 44 Skill Points). Acquiring several Ranks of the Highly Skilled Attribute is the ideal method for creating a versatile character. HYPERFLIGHT Cost: 1 Points/Rank Relevant Ability:Constitution Progression: Speed of light at Rank1; multiply speed of previous Rank by 10 for Ranks 2 to 6. This Attribute is intended for use in star-spanning campaigns, involving travel between solar systems or galaxies (or even planets at low Ranks). A character with Hyperflight can fly in the vacuum of space (but not in an atmosphere) between planets, starts, asteroids, solar systems, and galaxies, at speeds equal to or exceeding the speed of light. The player can determine whether this Attribute represents warp technology, jump point formation, or the breaking of known physical laws. The Flight Attribute (page 47) is required to escape from the atmosphere and gravity of a planet similar to Earth. Without Flight, the character can only achieve Hyperflight speeds by taking off when already in space. very specific type of weapon (such as lasers). A minor limitation counts as one Disability, a major limitation as two Disabilities. • SHIELD ONLY This type of Field is one of the 2 Points/Rank versions. The Field does not entirely surround the character. Instead, it is a shield (maximum of about 1 yard in diameter) that the user must deliberately interpose between an attack using a Block Defence (see page 120). The character must also possess the Block Ranged Attacks Feat to us the Field in a Block Defence against ranged attacks. If the character successfully defends, the Force Shield provides protection as normal. This Disability cannot be used with the Block Teleport Ability or Both Directions Disability. It counts as two Disabilities. • STATIC The character cannot move when generating the Field. He or she may still attack or otherwise act, but must stay in one place (or continue to drift if floating through space, continue to fall if falling, etc.) • USES ENERGY The Force Field drains Energy Points from the character. Upon activation, the Field burns a number of the character’s Energy Points equal to half the total Point cost of the Attribute. The same number of Energy Points are consumed each minute the Field is up. This is not available for Force Fields acquired with the Magic Attribute (page 51) since they ordinarily burn Energy Points. HEALING Cost: 4 Points/Rank Relevant Ability:Wisdom Progression: The character can restore up to 10 Hit Points/Rank to a target This Attribute allows a character to heal a target’s injuries (including him or herself; for continuous healing, see the Regeneration Attribute, page 60). In anime, characters with healing power include holy individuals, psychic healers, and sorcerers, while mecha may be equipped with high-tech medical bays with similar abilities. The maximum number of Hit Points that a Healer can restore to a particular person in any single day equals 10 per Rank. This cannot be exceeded, even if multiple healers work on a subject; the combined Hit Points restored cannot exceed the maximum Hit Points that the character with the highest Rank could restore. The subject must have at least a full day’s rest before he or she can benefit from any additional healing. Hit Points are restored over a 10-minute period, rather than instantly. A character with Healing Rank 4+ can cause a subject to regenerate lost body parts or organs, such as a severed hand. One with Rank 5+ can restore massive damage, such as putting a character together who was literally cut in half. No healer can repair someone who was blown to bits, disintegrated, or dead for more than a few minutes, however. A subject must normally be alive to benefit from Healing. A character with Healing Rank 3+ may, however, revive someone who is “clinically” dead (serious injury, heart stopped) but not actually brain dead. A character is considered “dead” if his or her Hit Points are reduced to a bigger negative number than the characters maximum Hit Points. A healer can revive a mortally wounded character, however, if he or she can bring the subject’s Hit Points back up from beneath the negative threshold to a positive value quickly. This grace period can be extended indefinitely if the subject’s remains have been somehow placed in suspended animation. HEIGHTENED AWARENESS Cost: 1 Point/Rank Relevant Ability:Wisdom Progression: The character gains a +2 bonus/Rank to specific Ability/Skill checks The character possesses a high degree of situational awareness. He or she is usually very alert and receives a bonus on Ability and Skill checks relevant to noticing otherwise hidden things, such as concealed objects, ambushes, or anything else related to sensory awareness. The bonuses of Heightened Awareness are cumulative with those of Heightened Senses (next column). CHAPTER 6: ATTRIBUTES ERRATA 62 SPECIAL ATTACK ABILITIES The following Abilities may be assigned to a Special Attack. The GM may disallow any combination of Abilities that seems inappropriate. • ACCURATE The attack is unusually accurate giving a +4 bonus to Attack rolls (or Ability checks if the attack has the Mind or Soul Attack Ability). This Ability can be assigned two or three times for a +8 or +12 bonus, but may not be combined with the Linked (Attack) Ability. • AFFECTS INCORPOREAL This attack will affect characters who are currently Astral or Incorporeal as if they were solid. • AREA EFFECT This is an attack, like an explosive blast, that affects not only the direct target, but also anyone in the immediate area. All affected characters are allowed a Reflex Save (diving for cover, swerving out of the way) for half damage. Characters and mecha that can shield themselves with very solid objects or terrain in the vicinity may avoid damage completely (GM’s discretion) on a successful Reflex save. This represents the character ducking or moving behind cover. The GM will decide whether an object or person is within the area of effect, and may assume the area radius is equivalent to 5 feet for every Special Attack Rank. Area Effect can be assigned multiple times; each Ability doubles the area radius. • AURA Rather than having to make an actual attack, the character instead automatically damages anyone who touches his or her body. An example might be a character who was sheathed in flame or electrified. If this Ability is combined with the Area Effect Ability, it automatically damages anyone in the designated area around the character. Aura counts as two Abilities. • AUTO-FIRE The attack consists of a burst of multiple shots like a machine gun or rapid sequence of energy bolts. Instead of scoring one hit when an attack is successful, the attacker scores hits (minimum of one, maximum of five) equal to the difference between his or her final to hit roll (including all modifiers) and the targets defence roll (including all modifiers) divided by five, rounded down. For example, if a character (with a final hit roll result of 27) attempts to hit a target who rolls a final defence value of 16, he or she would score 2 hits (27 - 16 = 11; 11 — 5 = 2.2; round down to 2). Each hit delivers separate damage (important when considering Armour and Force Fields). Bonuses from Massive Damage, Superstrength, and critical hit multipliers are only applied to the first hit in an Auto-Fire burst — all others only inflict the normal damage of the Special Attack. The Game Master may increase the maximum number of hits scored to 10 to reflect more potentially damaging attacks. Auto-Fire counts as three Abilities. • ALTERNATE ATTACKS Although a character or mecha often uses his or her highest-Rank “primary” weapon, alternate or backup ones may also be possessed. The Point cost of these additional “secondary” attacks are one quarter the cost of the primary attack at 1 Point/Rank. The primary attack — the attack with the highest Rank — is the only one that costs the standard 4 Points/Rank. Secondary attacks may each possess different damages, Abilities and Disabilities. If acquiring alternate attacks as Magical Powers (see Magic, page 51) the secondary attacks drain the regular 2 Energy Points/Rank, not 0.5 Energy Points/Rank. • MECHA WEAPON ATTACKS AND DIFFERENT GUNNERS If a mecha has the Special Attack Ability, each armament is normally designed for use by whomever is controlling the mecha. An operator can only fire one of the weapons each round, unless he or she possesses the Extra Attacks Attribute (page 47) and the Special Attack has the Flurry Ability (page 64). If the mecha carries multiple people, however, it may be designed with many independently operated weapons, each manned by a different character, which allows simultaneous attacks. If a weapon is created from this category, it should be noted as requiring a “Different Gunner” and purchased at an additional flat cost of 2 Points each (this is the half-cost discounted version; see Own a Big Mecha for more information on page 56). SPECIAL ATTACK DESCRIPTORS Many d20 games assign attacks descriptors such as “magic,” “lawful,” “evil,” and the like, which usually affects Damage Reduction as well as some other abilities. Players may assign a descriptive term to a Special Attack at a cost of 1 point per term (multiple terms may be applied to the same attack). If anything is affected by attacks of that descriptor, the Special Attack will be modified accordingly. Otherwise, if a player does not assign a descriptor, treat the attack as a normal attack. SPECIAL EFFECTS The special effects of Area Effect, Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, Spreading, and Tangle are determined by the Rank of the Special Attack only. Massive Damage, Superstrength, and critical hit multipliers are not included in the calculation. Additionally, Armour and Force Fields do not normally protect against the special effects of Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, or Tangle. Before making an attack, a character can choose to inflict less damage than the normal 1d8/Rank, or reduce the power of their special effects. CHAPTER 6: ATTRIBUTES TABLE 6-2: ATTACK ABILITIES ABILITY # OF SLOTS Accurate 1 Affects Incorporeal 1 Area Effect 1 Aura 2 Auto-Fire 3 Burning 1 Concealable 1 Contagious 2 or 4 Drain Body 1 Drain Energy 1 Drain Mind 1 Drain Soul 1 Enduring 1 Flare 1 Flexible 1 Flurry 1 Homing 1 or 2 Incapacitating 3 Incurable 4 ABILITY # OF SLOTS Indirect 1 Irritant 1 Linked (Attack) 2 Linked (Attribute) 1 Long Range 1 Mind or Soul Attack 5 Muscle-Powered 1 No Regeneration 1 Penetrating (Armour) 1 Penetrating (Force Field) 1 Quake 1 Spreading 1 Stun 1 Tangle 2 Targeted 1 or 2 Trap 1 Undetectable 4 Unique Ability 1 Vampiric 2-4 Effects Based on Damage Inflicted The scope of the special effects for attacks with the Area Effect, Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, Linked, Spreading, or Tangle Abilities depend on the Rank of the Special Attack. For example, Drain (Mind) reduced the target’s Intelligence Score by 2 for every Special Attack Rank; similarly, Tangle creates restraints that have 4 Hit Points for every Special Attack Rank. Attacks with the No Damage Disability are treated as one Rank higher when determining the special effects for these Abilities. To introduce randomness into these special effects, their scopes could instead be based on every 5 damage that the attack inflicts (or would have inflicted in the case of attacks with the No Damage Disability). For the above examples, Drain (Mind) would reduce a target’s Intelligence Score by 2 for every 5 damage, and Tangle would create restraints that have 4 Hit Points for every 5 damage. If this alternate rule is used, damage must be rolled for all attacks — including ones with the No Damage Disability — to determine the special effect scope. While this rule will balance the attacks with each other more accurately (particularly if the No Damage Disability is assigned), a little more calculation is involved. ERRATA 72 devices. Unless the GM decides otherwise, Transmutation is only able to make objects that could be classified as Personal Gear; it cannot create Items of Power. When attempting to transmute an Item of Power, the character suffers a penalty to the Intelligence Ability check of -2 for each Rank of the Item of Power. TUNNELLING Cost: 2 Points/Rank Relevant Ability:None Progression: Descriptive; see below The Tunnelling Attribute allows a character to move earth and/or burrow underground. Tunnelling assumes that the character is going through sand or packed earth; boring through solid rock is one Rank slower. The tunnel the character leaves behind will either be permanent or will collapse immediately (must be specified during creation of each tunnel). UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE Cost: 1-5 Points/Rank Relevant Ability:Varies Progression: Descriptive; see below This Attribute covers any abilities not detailed in the rules. Often a single Point is sufficient to give the character “flavour,” but more Points can be allocated to enhance the effects on game play and must be added if the Attribute would be of considerable benefit. Discuss the Attribute with the GM to determine what specific game effects the Attribute possesses. The GM should assign a Point cost per Rank based on how the Attribute compares to other Attributes and how useful it is. In general, an Attribute that is somewhat useful in the game should cost 1 Point/Rank, one that is very useful should cost 2-3 Points/Rank, and one that is extremely useful should cost 4-5 Points/Rank (or more). TRANSMUTATION Cost: 3-5 Points/Rank Relevant Ability:Intelligence Progression: Descriptive; see below This Attribute allows a character to transmute one non-living object (or set of connected objects) into another, or even create them an object from nothing. Transmutation costs 5 Points/Rank if the character can transmute any object into another (within the limits of his or her Rank). It costs 4 Points/Rank if the character can only transmute (to or from) a general class of objects such as “metal,” “weapons,” “clothing,” or “food.” It also costs 4 Points/Rank if the character can only transmute one object to another of similar mass; the types of objects are unrestricted. The cost is 3 Points/Rank if the character is limited to a transmutation within a specific category and of similar mass, such as “regular clothes to battle costume,” “lead to gold,” or “spoiled food to edible food.” Finally, if the character can only create objects in one of the above categories, but not transmute one object to another, the cost is reduced by 1 Point/Rank. The GM may restrict any categories that seem overly broad or too powerful. The character cannot transmute material into new objects outside the character’s experience. The character could transmute a weapon into a book, painting or videotape, but the content must be something with which he or she was already familiar. Likewise, a character who had no familiarity with computers could not transmute a television into one using Transmutation. The GM may choose to require a Intelligence Ability check (or relevant Skill check) if the character attempts a particularly complex transmutation. Failure may indicate the new object does not function properly; this is especially applicable when creating complex technological CHAPTER 6: ATTRIBUTES RANK 1 Can transmute objects into other related ones as long as the mass remains about the same. For example, it could transmute a TV into a VCR, a suit into a dress, or make spoiled food edible again. The power’s effectiveness is limited to transmuting items into mundane items of Personal Gear. RANK 2 As Rank 1, but it extends to minor items of Personal Gear. RANK 3 As Rank 2, but it extends to major Items of Personal Gear. RANK 4 As Rank 3, but the character can transform unrelated objects that are only very loosely related. For example, he or she can transform a metal clock into a gun (as both have metal in them) or a lump of coal into a diamond (both are carbon) but not a pair of boots into a gun or lead into gold (different elements). RANK 5 As Rank 3, but the character can transform objects that are not related, as long as they have the same general mass. He or she could turn a lump of coal into a golden crown, for example. RANK 6 As Rank 3, but the character can transform unrelated objects of drastically different relative weights (up to 100 fold). For example, he or she could transmute a big pumpkin into a stagecoach. RANK 1 The character tunnels very slowly, similar to the tunnelling speed of ten men with shovels. RANK 2 The character tunnels slowly, similar to the tunnelling speed of a bulldozer. RANK 3 The character tunnels at a snail’s pace (up to 60 feet per minute). RANK 4 The character tunnels at a walking speed (up to 10 mph). RANK 5 The character tunnels at slow vehicle speeds (up to 50 mph). RANK 6 The character tunnels at fast vehicle speeds (up to 100 mph). RANK 1 The Attribute has little character or game effect. RANK 2 The Attribute has a moderate character or game effect. RANK 3 The Attribute has a large character or game effect. RANK 4 The Attribute has a major character or game effect. RANK 5 The Attribute has an extreme effect on the character or game. RANK 6 The Attribute has a primal effect on the character or game. ERRATA RANK 1 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 1 lb. RANK 2 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 5 lbs. RANK 3 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 10 lbs. RANK 4 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 50 lbs. RANK 5 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 100 lbs. RANK 6 The character can transmutate objects weighing up to 500 lbs. 74 select the one most appropriate to the circumstances. For example, the Pilot Skill has the Relevant Ability: Intelligence or Dexterity. When a character attempts to pilot a large cruise ship, the GM should require a Skill check using the Intelligence modifier — the character’s knowledge of the boat’s controls are more important when driving such a massive ship. When the character hops into a small ski boat, however, his or her Dexterity is more important and thus the GM should require a Skill check using the Dexterity modifier instead of the Intelligence Modifier. SPECIALISATIONS (OPTIONAL RULE) A selection of Specialisations is provided. When a character gains a new Skill, he or she may select one Specialisation for free. Any time the character makes a Skill check (a character attempting to balance on a thin wire using Balance (Tightrope), for example), the character gains a +1 bonus to his or her Skill check. With GM permission, players may select a Specialisation that is not listed if it fits with their character concept. Also, GMs may allow characters to gain two additional Specialisations for a particular Skill by paying the normal cost associated with gaining a Rank in that Skill. DESCRIPTION The Skill name line is followed by a general description of what using the Skill represents. STEP 7: SELECT SKILLS The following outlines the rules for using Skills in BESM d20. See the Player’s Handbook for the rules for acquiring Skill Ranks. SKILL POINTS AND SKILL RANKS Characters have a number of Skill Points based on their class Levels, as outlined in the class descriptions. Depending on a character’s class, some Skills are “class Skills” and some Skills are “cross-class Skills.” For non-combat Skills, cross-class Skills require 2 Skill Points per Rank while class Skills require 1 Skill Point per Rank. For combat Skills, the cost is tripled to 6 and 3 Skill Points, respectively. If the GM desires, the maximum number of Ranks a character can have in a class Skill is equal to that character’s Level +3 (a common limit in many d20 System games). The maximum Rank a character can have in a cross-class Skill is half that number (round down). Optionally, the GM can add the Skill’s relevant Ability Score modifier to this maximum Skill Rank for the character. Of course, the Game Master can also ignore these limitations (and possibly develop his or her own Skill Rank maximums). USING SKILLS When a character uses a Skill, the character makes a Skill check to see how well the character performs the action. The higher the result on the character’s Skill check, the more successful the attempt. Based on the circumstances, the character’s result must match or exceed a particular number (called a DC, or Difficulty Class) to use the Skill successfully. The harder the task, the higher the number the character needs to roll. For more information on Skill checks, see Chapter 12: Combat (page 110). SKILL DESCRIPTION FORMAT RELEVANT ABILITY This is the Ability modifier that most often applies to the Skill check. If two (or more) Abilities are listed, it indicates that different Abilities may be relevant, depending on the situation. The GM should CHAPTER 7: SKILLS TABLE 7-1: CLASS AND CROSS CLASS SKILLS Dynamic Giant Gun Hot Magical Martial Mecha Pet Monster Sentai Tech Adventurer Sorcerer Robot Bunny Rod Girl Artist Pilot Ninja Trainer Samurai Member Shapechanger Student Genius Balance • x x • x • • x • x x • • x x Bluff • x x • • x x x • x x x • x x Climb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Computer Use • x • x x x x • x x x x x • • Concentration • • x x x x x x x x x x x x x Controlled Breathing . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Craft • x x x x x • x x x • x x • x Decipher Script • x x x x x x x x x x x x • • Demolitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• Diplomacy • • x x x x x x x x • • x • x Disable Device • x x x • x x x x • x x x x • Disguise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Drive • x • x • x x • x x x x x x • Escape Artist • x x x x x • x • x x x • x x Forgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Gamble • x x • • x x x x • x x x • x Gather Information • x x • x x x x • x • x • x x Handle Animal . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Hide • x x x x x x x • x x x • x x Combat Feats and BESM d20 To provide more player options and better reflect common elements in anime shows, BESM d20 replaces several combat Feats with combat Skills (see page 80). The three weapon proficiency Feats (Exotic, Martial, and Simple) have been eliminated, indicating that all characters are proficient with all weapons, and thus do not suffer the -4 attack penalty. Additionally, the Weapon Focus Feat (which gives a +1 with a specific weapon) has been removed in favour of combat Skills that can provide much greater attack bonuses. As a result, BESM d20 characters who specialise in combat prowess by assigning many combat Skills can become much more deadly in battle than standard d20 characters. If you prefer to use combat Feats from the standard d20 System instead, simply remove the combat Skills option from BESM d20 and make the appropriate Feats available to characters once again. • Class Skill x Cross Class Skill 3.5 UPDATE 75 CHAPTER 7: SKILLS Dynamic Giant Gun Hot Magical Martial Mecha Pet Monster Sentai Tech Adventurer Sorcerer Robot Bunny Rod Girl Artist Pilot Ninja Trainer Samurai Member Shapechanger Student Genius Intimidate • x x • x x x x • x • x x x x Investigate • x x • • x x x x x x x x x x Jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Knowledge (Arcane) • • x x x • x x x x x x x x x Knowledge (Architecture) • x x x x x x x • x x x x • x Knowledge (Area) . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . .• . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Knowledge (Biological Sciences)• x x x x x x x x • x x x • x Knowledge (Business) • x x x x x x x x x x x x • x Knowledge (Cultural Arts) . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Knowledge (Domestic Arts) • x x x x x x x x x • x x • x Knowledge (Electronics) • x • x x x x • x x x x x x • Knowledge (Foreign Culture) . . .• . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Knowledge (Law) • x x x x x x • x x x x x • x Knowledge (Mechanics) • x • x • x x • x x x x x x • Knowledge (Military Sciences) .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Knowledge (Nature) • x x x x x x x x • x x x • x Knowledge (Occult) • • x x x • • x • x x • x x x Knowledge (Physical Sciences) • . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . .• Knowledge (Police Sciences) • x • • • x x • x x x x x x x Knowledge (Religion) • • x x x x x x x x • x x • x Knowledge (Social Sciences) . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Knowledge (Streetwise) • • x x x x x x • x • x x x x Listen • x x • x x • x • x • x x x x Medical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Move Silently • x x x x x • x • x x x • x x Navigate • x x x • x x • x x x x x x x Open Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Perform • x x x x • • x x x • • x • x Pilot • x x x • x x • x x x x x x x Poisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Power Usage • x x x x • x x x x x • x x x Powerlifting • x • • x x x x x x x x • x x Profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . .• Repair • x • x • x x • x x x x x x • Research • • x x x x x x x x x x x • • Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . .• . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Search • x x x x x • x • x • x x x x Seduction • x x • • x x x x x x x • x x Sense Motive . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . .• . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Sleight of Hand • • x x x x x x • x x x • x x Speak Languages • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Spot • • x • • • • • • x • • • x x Survival • x x x x x x x • x • x x x x Swim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x Tumble • x x x x • • x • x x • x x x Use Rope • x x x x x x x • x x x x x x Wilderness Tracking • x x x x x x x • x • x x x x Dynamic Giant Gun Hot Magical Martial Mecha Pet Monster Sentai Tech Adventurer Sorcerer Robot Bunny Rod Girl Artist Pilot Ninja Trainer Samurai Member Shapechanger Student Genius Archery x x x • x • x x • x • x x x x Gun Combat x x x • • x x x x x x x x x x Heavy Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . x . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Melee Attack x x • x • x • x • x • • x x x Melee Defence x x x x x x • x x x • • x x x Ranged Defence . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . x . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Special Ranged Attack x • • x x • • • x x x x x x x Thrown Weapons x x x x x • x x • x x x x x x Unarmed Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . .• . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . . x . . . . . .• . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . . . . . x . . . . . . . x Unarmed Defence x x • x • x • x • x x x x x x • Class Skill x Cross Class Skill 3.5 UPDATE 81 CHAPTER 8: FEATS NEW FEATS The following new Feats are introduce in BESM d20: Accuracy, Blind-Shoot, Block Ranged Attacks, Concealment, Deflection, Judge Opponent, Leap Attack, One Shot Left, Portable Armoury, Reflection, Sneak Attack, Steady Hand, Weapons Encyclopaedia APPROPRIATE FEATS The following Feats are appropriate for a BESM d20 game: Advanced Combat Martial Arts, Ambidexterity, Armour Proficiency (all), Blind-Fight, Brawl, Burst Fire, Cleave, Combat Martial Arts, Dodge, Double Tap, Empower Spell, Endurance, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Far Shot, Force Stop, Frightful Presence, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Heighten Spell, Improved Brawl, Improved Initiative, Improved Knockout Punch, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Knockout Punch, Lightning Reflexes, Maximise Spell, Mounted Combat, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Rapid Shot, Run, Silent Spell, Spell Focus, Spirited Charge, Still Spell, Streetfighting, Stunning Fist, Two-Weapon Fighting, Vehicle Dodge, Whirlwind Attack STEP 8: SELECT FEATS While Feats will have a place in your anime campaign, BESM d20’s Attribute power creation system (particularly combat Skills) reduces the scope of Feats. Additionally, since BESM d20 abstracts combat movement and position (thus there are no attacks of opportunity), many Feats no longer apply to anime characters. Finally, some Feats (such as Expertise) allow characters to perform actions that every character is capable of performing in BESM d20. GMs may also allow players to use approved Feats from any d20 System game. See the Player’s Handbook for the rules for acquiring Feats. The Game Master will decide whether the benefits derived from a Feat are cumulative if it is assigned multiple times. FEAT COSTS Feats cost 2 Character Points each. TABLE 8-1: REPLACED FEATS The following Feats can be replaced by elements of the BESM d20 system, as indicated: Acrobatic Replace with Jump and Tumble Skills Advanced Firearms Proficiency Replace with Combat Skill Agile Replace with Balance Skill Aircraft Operation Replace with Pilot Skill Alertness Replace with Heightened Awareness Attribute Animal Affinity Replace with Handle Animal and Ride Skills Archaic Weapon Proficiency Replace with Combat Skill Athletic Replace with Climb and Swim Skills Attentive Replace with Investigate and Sense Motive Skills Brew Potion Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Builder Replace with appropriate Skills Cautions Replace with Demolitions Skill Craft Magic Arms and Armour Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Craft Rod Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Craft Staff Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Craft Wand Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Craft Wondrous Item Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Combat Throw Replace with Unarmed Attack and Unarmed Defence Skills Confident Replace with Gamble and Intimidate Skills Creative Replace with appropriate Skills Deceitful Replace with Disguise and Forgery Skills Deceptive Replace with Bluff and Disguise Skills Defensive Martial Arts Replace with Combat Skills Deflect Arrows Replace with Deflection Feat Deft Hands Replace with Sleight of Hand and Use Rope Skills Diligent Replace with Decipher Script and Knowledge: Cultural Arts (Appraise) Skills Drive-By Attack Replace with Steady Hand Feat Educated Replace with appropriate Skills Exotic Firearms Proficiency Replace with Combat Skills Exotic Melee Weapon Proficiency Replace with Combat Skills Exotic Weapon Proficiency Replace with Combat Skill Focused Replace with Balance and Concentration Skills Forge Ring Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Gearhead Replace with Computer Use and Repair Skills Guide Replace with Navigate and Survival Skills Improved Feint Replace with Bluff Skill Investigator Replace with Gather Information and Search Skills Leadership Replace with Flunkies Attribute Martial Weapon Proficiency Replace with Combat Skill Medical Expert Replace with Medical Skill Meticulous Replace with Forgery and Search Skills Mounted Archery Replace with Steady Hand Feat Negotiator Replace with Diplocay and Sense Motive Skills Nimble Replace with Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand Skills Nimble Fingers Replace with Disable Device and Open Lock Skills Personal Firearms Proficiency Replace with Combat Skills Persuasive Replace with Bluff and Intimidate Skills Scribe Scroll Replace with Item of Power and Magical Genius (variant of Mechanical Genius) Attributes Self-Sufficient Replace with Medical and Survival Skills Simple Weapon Proficiency Replace with Combat Skill Skill Focus Replace with appropriate Skill Snatch Arrows Replace with Deflection Feat Stealthy Replace with Hide and Move Silently Skills Studious Replace with Decipher Script and Research Skills Surface Vehicle Operation Replace with Drive or Pilot Skills Surgery Replace with Medical Skill Toughness Replace with Damn Healthy! Attribute Track Replace with Wilderness Tracking Skill Trustworthy Replace with Diplomacy and Gather Information Skills Two-Weapon Defence Replace with Combat Skill Vehicle Expert Replace with Drive and Pilot Skills Weapon Focus Replace with Combat Skill Weapon Specialisation Replace with Massive Damage Attribute (2 Points/Rank option) Windfall Replace with Wealth Attribute 3.5 UPDATE 82 FEAT NAME Prerequisites: Some Feats have prerequisites. A character must have the prerequisite in order to select or use that Feat. A character can gain a Feat at the same time that he or she gains the prerequisite. A character can’t use a Feat if he or she has lost a prerequisite. Benefit: What the Feat enables the character to do. ACCURACY Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +2 Benefit: The character suffers reduced dice penalties when attempting an accurate attack, such as striking at partial Armour, weak points, or vital spots, shooting at longer-than-usual ranges. Accuracy is also used when attempting a special trick shot, such as carving an initial on someone’s body or ricocheting an arrow off a wall to shoot a target around a corner, and when using the Deflection Feat (page 84). Each difficulty penalty is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 0). For example, attacking a vital spot (-8 penalty) would become a -6 penalty, while firing at double range (-4 penalty) would receive -2 penalty. This Feat can be assigned more than once. INAPPROPRIATE FEATS The following Feats are not appropriate for a BESM d20 game, and should probably not be used unless the GM decides otherwise: Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting, Agile Riposte, Augment Summoning, Combat Casting, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dead Aim, Diehard, Elusive Target, Eschew Materials, Expertise, Extra Turning, Greater Spell Penetration, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialisation, Heroic Surge, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Throw, Improved Counterspell, Improved Critical, Improved Damage Threshold, Improved Disarm, Improved Familiar, Improved Grapple, Improved Overrun, Improved Precise Shot, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Sunder, Improved Turning, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Low Profile, Magical Aptitude, Manyshot, Mobility, Mounted Archery, Natural Spell, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Quick Reload, Rapid Reload, Renown, Ride-By Attack, Shield Proficiency, Shot on the Run, Skill Focus, Skip Shot, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration, Spring Attack, Spring Attack, Strafe, Sunder, Tower Shield Proficiency, Trample, Unbalance Opponent, Weapon Finesse, Widen Spell CHAPTER 8: FEATS TABLE 8-2: APPROVED FEATS FEAT NAME PREREQUISITE PAGE Accuracy Base Attack Bonus +2 82 Advanced Combat Martial Arts Combat Martial Arts 83 Armour Proficiency (Heavy) Armour Proficiency (Light) 83 Armour Proficiency (Medium) Armour Proficiency (Light) - 83 Armour Proficiency (Medium) Armour Proficiency (Light) 83 Blind-Fight - 83 Blind-Shoot - 83 Block Ranged Attacks Dexterity 13+ 83 Brawl - 83 Burst Fire Wisdom 13+ 83 Cleave Strength 13+ 84 Power Attack Combat Martial Arts Base Attack Bonus +1 84 Concealment - 84 Deflection Dexterity 13+ 84 Dodge Dexterity 13+ 84 Double Tap Dexterity 13+ 84 Point Blank Shot Empower Spell - 84 Endurance - 84 Enlarge Spell - 84 Extend Spell - 84 Far Shot Point Blank Shot 84 Force Stop Drive Skill 4+ Ranks 84 Frightful Presence Charisma 15+ 84 Intimidate Skill 9+ Ranks Great Cleave Strength 13+ 84 Cleave Power Attack Base Attack Bonus +4 Great Fortitude - 84 Greater Spell Focus Spell Focus 84 Heighten Spell - 85 Improved Brawl Brawl 85 Base Attack Bonus +3 Improved Initiative - 85 Improved Knockout Punch Brawl 85 Knockout Punch Base Attack Bonus +6 FEAT NAME PREREQUISITE PAGE Improved Trip Intelligence 13+ 85 Iron Will - 85 Judge Opponent - 85 Knockout Punch Brawl 85 Base Attack Bonus +3 Leap Attack Dexterity 13+ 85 Base Attack Bonus +3 Lightning Reflexes - 85 Maximise Spell - 85 Mounted Combat Ride Skill 85 One Shot Left - 85 Point Blank Shot - 85 Portable Armoury - 85 Power Attack Strength 13+ 85 Quicken Spell - 86 Rapid Shot Dexterity 13+ 86 Point Blank Shot Reflection Deflection 85 Run - 86 Sneak Attack - 86 Silent Spell - 86 Spell Focus - 86 Spirited Charge Mounted Combat 86 Ride Skill Still Spell - 86 Streetfighting Brawl 86 Base Attack Bonus +2 Steady Hand Dexterity 13+ 86 Stunning Fist Dexterity 13+ 86 Wisdom 13+ Base Attack Bonus +8 Two-Weapon Fighting Dexterity 13+ 86 Vehicle Dodge Dexterity 13+ 86 Drive Skill 6+ Ranks Weapons Encyclopaedia - 86 Whirlwind Attack Dexterity 13+ 86 Intelligence 13+ Dodge Base Attack Bonus +4 3.5 UPDATE 84 ENDURANCE Benefit: Whenever the character makes a check for performing a physical action that extends over a period of time (running, swimming, holding the character’s breath, and so on), the character gets a +4 bonus to the check. ENLARGE SPELL Benefit: An enlarged spell has its range doubled. Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance do not have their ranges increased. A spell whose area or effect is determined by its range has the dimensions of its area or effect increased proportionally. An enlarged spell uses up a spell slot one Rank higher than the spell’s actual Rank. EXTEND SPELL Benefit: An extended spell lasts twice as long as normal. Spells with a concentration, instantaneous, or permanent duration are not affected by this Feat. An extended spell uses up a spell slot one Rank higher than the spell’s actual Rank. FAR SHOT Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot Benefit: When the character uses a projectile weapon, such as a bow, its range increment increases by one-half (multiply by 1.5). When the character uses a thrown weapon, its range increment is doubled. FORCE STOP Prerequisites: Drive Skill 4+ Ranks Benefit: When the character attempts to sideswipe a surface vehicle with his or her own, the character can force the other vehicle to a stop by nudging it into a controlled sideways skid. FRIGHTFUL PRESENCE Prerequisites: Charisma 15+, Intimidate Skill 9+ Ranks Benefit: When the character uses this Feat, all opponents within 10 feet who have fewer Ranks than the character must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the character’s Level + the character’s Charisma modifier). An opponent who fails his or her save is shaken, taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and Skill checks for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 + the character’s Charisma modifier. The character can use the Feat once per round as a free action. A successful save indicates that the opponent is immune to the character’s use of this Feat for 24 hours. This Feat does not affect creatures with an Intelligence of 3 or lower. GREAT CLEAVE Prerequisites: Strength 13+, Cleave, Power Attack, Base Attack Bonus +4 Benefit: As Cleave, except that the character has no limit to the number of times he or she can use it per round. GREAT FORTITUDE Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws. GREATER SPELL FOCUS Prerequisites: Spell Focus Benefit: Choose a school of magic to which you already have applied the Spell Focus Feat. Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against spells from the school of magic you select. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus. CLEAVE Prerequisites: Strength 13+, Power Attack Benefit: If the character deals an opponent enough damage to make the opponent drop (either by knocking the opponent out or by reducing the opponent’s Hit Points to less than 0), the character gets an immediate extra melee attack against another opponent adjacent to the character. The extra attack is with the same weapon and at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous opponent. The character can use this ability once per round. COMBAT MARTIAL ARTS Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1 Benefit: With an unarmed strike, the character inflicts damage equal to 1d4 + Strength modifier. CONCEALMENT Benefit: The character has an unearthly ability to conceal weapons about his or her person. As long as the character has something to hide the weapons (even if it only long hair or a light robe) the character’s weapons will not be noticed by anything short of an actual physical search, and such a search is conducted at a -8 penalty. A Special Attack weapon with the Concealable Ability is even harder to find: searches suffer a -12 penalty. DEFLECTION Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+ Benefit: If the character makes a successful Block Defence, he or she can deflect a standard melee or ranged attack away harmlessly without damaging the blocking object. The GM may decide that some types of attacks cannot be deflected. When trying to deflect a Special Attack (page 61), the Block Defence roll is penalised: -2 for each Rank of the Special Attack. DODGE Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+ Benefit: During the character’s action, the character designates an opponent and receives a +1 dodge bonus to Defence against any subsequent attacks from that opponent. The character can select a new opponent on any action. A condition that makes the character lose his or her Dexterity bonus to Defence also makes the character lose dodge bonuses. DOUBLE TAP Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+, Point Blank Shot Benefit: When using a semiautomatic firearm with at least two bullets loaded, the character may fire two bullets as a single attack against a single target. The character receives a -2 penalty on this attack, but deals +1 die of damage with a successful hit. EMPOWER SPELL Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one-half. An empowered spell deals half again as much damage as normal, cures half again as many Hit Points, affects half again as many targets, etc., as appropriate. Saving throws and opposed rolls (such as the one the character makes when the character casts dispel magic) are not affected. Spells without random variables are not affected. An empowered spell uses up a spell slot two Ranks higher than the spell’s actual Rank. CHAPTER 8: FEATS 3.5 UPDATE 116 ATTACKING MULTIPLE WEAKER OPPONENTS Sometimes a character wants to attack multiple significantly weaker opponents with one offensive action. This action is very cinematic (representative of a powerful warrior battling hoards of lowly minions), and consequently the attack penalties are not as severe. For each additional target who is at least 5 character Levels (or 5 CRs) lower than the attacker, the penalty is only -2 instead of -4. The attacker does not suffer any penalties for each additional target who is at least 10 character Ranks (or 10 CRs) lower than the attacker. Characters represented by the Flunkies Attribute (page 48) are considered CR 1 characters for the purpose of determining these modifiers. For example, a 12th Level Magical Girl uses her magical tiara Item of Power to combat a hoard of 8 Ninja with the following Levels: 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 6, and 8. The Magical Girl suffers no penalty for the two Level 1 and two Level 2 Ninja (since they are at least 10 Levels lower than she), a -2 penalty for the two Level 4 and one Level 6 Ninja (since they are at least 5 Levels lower), and a full -4 for the Level 8 Ninja (since he is only 4 Levels lower, which is less than 5). The final attack check penalty the Magical Girl suffers for her one attack is -10 (-2 -2 -2 -4 = -10). ATTACKS WITH TWO WEAPONS A character with a one-handed weapon in each hand may use both at once against the same target or attack two different targets (even if he or she does not have Extra Attacks) but at a severe penalty to both checks. A two-weapon attack incurs a -6 penalty for the primary or first hand and a -10 for the other hand (the off hand). An additional -2 penalty is applied on each attack (-8 and -12 penalties) if the attacks are aimed at different targets. If a character has Extra Attacks, he or she can only use this option with one attack and not every attack. If the character possesses the Two-Weapon Fighting Feat, the penalties for attacking with two weapons are reduced by 2 for the primary hand and 6 for the off hand. CALLED SHOTS An attacking character may opt to suffer a penalty to hit in exchange for a Called Shot that provides some special advantage. For example, a Called Shot may ignore Armour (by attacking a small, unarmoured spot) or strike a vital point, inflicting greater-than-normal damage results. Players must specify a Called Shot before rolling the dice. CALLED SHOT - DISARMING A character may attempt to shoot or knock a weapon out of another person’s hand. If using a ranged attack, this requires an attack at a -8 penalty. If the attack hits, the character knocks away the weapon (probably damaging it). If using a melee weapon or unarmed attack to disarm, the character only suffers a -4 penalty, but the target may make a Strength check to retain control of the weapon. If the check succeeds, the weapon’s user still suffers a -4 penalty on his or her next action with that weapon (since it is off balance), but he or she retains control of it. CALLED SHOT TO PARTIAL ARMOUR Some armour may provide partial protection, like a flak vest only protecting a person’s torso. An attack aimed at a thin or unarmoured area suffers a -4 attack check penalty and ignores the effects of the armour if successful. CALLED SHOT TO VITAL SPOT A character attacking a living being can specify he or she is aiming for a vital spot (heart, brain, spine, etc.) rather than simply shooting at the centre of mass as usual. He or she suffers a -8 attack check penalty, but, if successful, the damage dice used in the attack increases to the next CHAPTER 12: COMBAT Mooks in BESM d20 The rules for Attacking Multiple Weaker Opponents is for cinematic games where the heroes are able to dispatch significantly weaker foes without much concern. The rules should not be used in grittier, realistic games. ERRATA BESM d20 – FOR FREE! BESM d20 is part of an unstoppable force known as Open Source Gaming, which generates a plethora of d20 System game rules and text that can be distributed freely with very few restrictions. GUARDIANS OF ORDER supports this movement and has made a System Reference Document (SRD) containing all primary Open Game Content from BESM d20 available on our website to everyone — free of charge! Download the BESM d20 SRD at: http://www.guardiansorder.com/d20 We also make it easy for companies to publish and market products compatible with BESM d20 through a low-cost trademark license. You can even have GUARDIANS OF ORDER distribute and sell your BESM d20 product for you through our creator-owned publishing imprint, Magnum Opus — and you keep most of the profits! 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker. Silver Age Sentinels d20 Copyright 2002, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Authors Stephen Kenson, Mark C. MacKinnon, Jeff Mackintosh, Jesse Scoble. BESM d20 Copyright 2003, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Author Mark C. MacKinnon. Spycraft, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group. Horizon: Grimm, Copyright 2003, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Conan: The Role-Playing Game, Copyright 2003, Conan Properties International LLC. CONAN ®, CONAN THE BARBARIAN® and related logos are trademarks of Conan Properties International LLC unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorised User. Strongholds & Dynasties, Copyright 2003, Mongoose Publishing. Mutants & Masterminds RPG, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson BESM d20 Revised Copyright 2003, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Author Mark C. MacKinnon, Ian Sturrock.

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Black Dogs #I NOVEMBER 2017 Unofficial house-rules and materials for Lamentations of the Flame Princess Black Dogs is a dark fantasy collection of house-rules, materials, adventures and monsters, a toolbox to generate new content for OSR systems, particularly focused on Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Issue VII contains: creatures that are not elves some words about dwarfs quick-start adventuring gear an adventure in Balthergar and some swamp monsters THIS PAGE IS LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK It is not part of the printed material. It’s just here for viewing pages side by side. 1 Black Dogs #VII DECEMBER 2018 Unofficial house-rules and materials for Lamentations of the Flame Princess This product is an independent production by Daimon Games and is not affiliated with Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Lamentations of the Flame Princess is a registered trademark owned by James Edward Raggi IV. For any feedback or question, contact me at davide.pignedoli@gmail.com    2 Introduction, 3 (Guts) These are not Elves, 8 (The Wild) These are Dwarfs, 14 (The Wild) Quick-start Adventuring Gear, 22 (Guts) Balthergar, 28 (The World) Swamp monsters, 44 (The Wild) 3 Introduction Black Dogs is a dark fantasy collection of house-rules, materi- als, adventures, monsters, and together a toolbox to generate new content for OSR systems, particularly focused on Lamenta- tions of the Flame Princess. Black Dogs shares a common set of rules and aesthetics with Lamentations, but it has its distinct flavor. Whenever a rule is not found (or not presented yet) in the Black Dogs ‘zine, just use the default from Lamentations or whatever OSR system you’re running. Lamentations of the Flame Princess Circle of Hands Dogs in the Vineyard The Black Hack Warhammer Fantasy RPG Ten Foot Polemic Paolo Greco, of Lost Pages Credits Davide Pignedoli www.daimongames.com Author Eddie Hardy (looking for an editor? Contact Eddie at edhardyjr@gmail.com) Editor Art is public domain Map by Dyson Logos Artwork Beta 0.8 Version 4 Call for editors If you liked the Black Dogs so far, and you are a native English speaker - I will gladly ac- cept your help to edit the future issues of this ‘zine. I am not a native English speaker and I need editors and proofreaders. If you’d like to participate, just drop me an email and get in touch. Usually the deal is this: if you submit changes or fixes which are accept- ed into the ‘zine, then you will get that issue in PDF for free. Submit your materials Do you have original material suitable for this ‘zine? Send me your stuff if you’d like to participate: it is time for new contributors to add their voices to the future issues of the ‘zine. We’ll work out a deal with a reasonable reve- nue percentage. (In the image below, you can see the two of us arguing about the exact meaning of “reason- able”.) 5 Issue number 7 marks one year since the re- lease of issue number 1. I’ve managed to keep up with a steady bi-monthly release, and I guess this deserves a little celebration. More than celebrating, though, it’s time to review my initial project goals, and see what I accom- plished so far, and what I have not. One Year of the Black Dogs The list below is a review of what I hoped to accomplish and declared in issue 1, and present an overview of how I feel things went, so far, with these ‘zines. This, I believe, was done properly:  Slightly different score system including Saves and re-rolls (issue 1)  Simple encumbrance system (issue 2)  Combat, hit points and wounds (issue 3)  XP and level-up system (issue 4)  Character careers (issue 5) I believe these items can be considered as accomplished In general, I believe that with issue 5 - with the characters’ careers and character sheets - and the current issue - with tables for starting gear - everything related to characters has been covered pretty extensively. With the exception of new spells Besides the basic mechanics, I believe that the various ‘zines so far have presented also a nice overall framework for the GM, from adven- tures to NPCs, from communities to monsters, from campaign advice to various GM guide- lines. 6 Where to improve But while I am happy with what I have pub- lished so far, and I am grateful for the positive feedback that many of you provided, I also must note that the project have somehow fallen short on a few specific topics:  Rules for travel and exploration, and in general more material for The Wild  New spells to replace the original lists of traditional spells Regarding The Wild, I feel like the short ad- ventures and the material published so far, does not do it justice. There is much more to explore, both in terms of rules and structure for play, and in terms of purely gameable content such as creatures and other weird features. I hope to expand a bit on this in this issue and the next with additional creatures, but there is more to do. Regarding sorcery and spells... it’s too early to make announcements, but I hope to have some good news very soon! 7 8 These are Not Elves The default setting of the Black Dogs is an imaginary Europe in the late medieval times - and there are no Elves there. There you go, I said it: no Elves, not as a character’s Class (don’t get me started on “race”), not as NPCs, not as monsters. What you have here, instead, is a drastic variation on the theme of Elves. You may even call them Elves, I don’t care. But they are not. What they are is a humanoid, sentient species living in the woods of The Wild, which look like Elves except that, well, roll 2D20 and consult the tables below. If you roll anything with the symbol , apply that result and roll once again on the same table (reroll conflicting results). 1d20 Trait (first roll) 1-3 Double length legs 4 A single giant eye 5-6 No hair at all 7 Only females  8 Only males  9-10 Angelic wings 11-12 Long tail 13-16 Long spiral horns 17-18 Poisonous fangs 19-20 Bright green skin  1d20 Trait (second roll) 1-3 No facial features 4-6 Red eyes 7-9 Seven long fingers 10-12 Double length arms 13-14 Snake hair 15-16 Can switch gender  17 Invisibility at will 18 No visible genitals  19 Teleport (in sight) 20 Extreme charm  Weird Elves Yes, you may call them Elves: they look like Elves except for those features mentioned above. And more crazy stuff, see the next pages. 9 First of all, these are creatures of The Wild and therefore potentially evil and anyway alien, suspicious of humankind and likewise, they appear as monsters or demons to humans. They do not look like a kind, kindred species. But they are not a threat to mankind. Not a threat to mankind They might possess an advanced civilization, but they are not dangerous for humans as a species (they might be a danger for a single settlement or for a group of humans, even for a small nation, but never to all of humanity). Find out why by rolling on the table below. This doesn’t mean that they are not a threat for the characters 1d6 They are not a threat to mankind because 1 There is never more and never less than 1000 of them. When one dies, another is born somewhere else within their domain, but none is born until a previous one dies. 50% chance that the newborn is a new individual, 50% that they actually reincarnate in the newborn (and 50% that they retain a significant part of their memories) 2 They have an advanced civilization but they cannot handle fire. Fire does damage x2 and scares them to death; even their bravest cannot get close to a flame 3 They suffer for the proximity of metal (1 HP/round); metal causes them damage x2 and they die of shock (no Saves) if they suffer a critical by a metal weapon 4 They cannot breed; they steal human children at most 1- year-old, born with a full moon. Children are mutated with sorcery over long, painful years of transformation 5 They live at least 1000 years, but are terrorized by vio- lence because they don’t want to die ahead of time 6 They believe that killing a human means eternal dam- nation; they might not like humans, but won’t kill them, ever, for any reason 10 Weak- nesses If you roll a weakness to fire or metal, repeating the one from the previous table, then reroll These creatures - do you insist on calling them Elves? Ok, let’s call them Elves - have also some peculiar vulnerability that makes them even less of threat for humans. In other words, these are fragile, exotic fairy creatures which might even be evil, but that can relatively easily be slaughtered by a group of reckless adventurers. Good thing that the Black Dogs are usually not venturing in The Wild with the intent of killing everything that moves. So, roll 2D6 for their weakness, and if you roll a double, keep the result as a weakness and roll again (keep rolling again as long as you get doubles). 2d6 Weakness 2-4 Double damage by: 50% fire, 50% metal 5-6 Vulnerable to sunlight: 1 HP/round if exposed to the light of the sun; 1 HP/turn at dawn and sunset 7-8 They simply cannot move out of this forest; if they do, they die within a few days as a human without water (although it’s not lack of water killing them, and it’s not a curse or magic - it cannot be cured or dispelled) 9-10 Each of them has a small white crow as a familiar; the crow is smart but fragile, and killing the crow kills the Elf immediately (no Save) 11-12 They suffer damage x2 from sorcery and damage x4 from sorcery cast by anyone with a cross or some other holy symbol which is visible on them. I don’t think this is the proof that God exists, because the symbol must be visible for the damage to quadruplicate, and hitting them with a sword inflicts regular damage even if the swordman is the Pope himself 11 As sentient humanoids, these creatures have formed a society and have their own customs, which the tables below can help you to outline. The first table presents a few options for how they interact with humans upon first contact, while the others will support you in generating a weird societal structure. Customs 1d6 First contact 1 They are extremely cautious and need reassurance. If they steal children, though, they might be looking for opportunities and willing to take risks 2 They are apparently friendly but have trouble com- municating in human language. Their curiosity is evi- dent and this might be exploited 3 They offer gifts but expect humans to do something in return. They are very likely to have some task at hand for a group of adventurers 4 They appear neutral, understand human language but speak very little and almost never give meaningful an- swers. But they keep observing... 5 They are used to interact with humans, but only a few of them are authorized to do so. They are either a priest caste or their lowest caste (or both?) 6 They have an interest in trade but they are fundamen- tally hostile: all their trade offers are unreasonable and seem to be made just as a joke or an offense While describing their first reaction to the contact with the adventurers, remember to bring into your description their weird appear- ances, and to give them a behavior which suits the reason why they are not a threat to humani- ty... and show their weakness. 12 1d6 Their religion 1-2 They have none and mock those of the humans 3-4 Cult of the ancestors 5 They are keen to convert but unlikely to be welcomed by the human churches 6 They say nothing of their religion, but are strongly against the church (assuming they know about it) 1d6 Their graves 1-2 Their dead hung from trees, with very little treasure 3-4 Their dead are buried in hidden natural caves, with decent treasure 5-6 They have something similar to a palace where all their dead rest, with more than enough treasure 1d6 They like 1 Their forest; and allow no fires in it 2 All animals; and will protect them at all cost 3 Talking to animals, because they can 4 Any kind of music 5 Playing naked in the water 6 The taste of human flesh, unless killing humans is taboo for them. If so, they have a tendency to cannibalism 1d6 They don’t like 1 Any kind of human magic 2 Any kind of human spirituality or religion, but may have a conflicting desire to convert 3 Questions and doubts. Of any kind, for any reason. They always speak in affirmative sentences 4 Ranged weapons; they are not cool 5 Sentences of more than five words 6 Fire weapons: not allowed in their domain 13 There are several ways to introduce these sort of Elves into your campaign. They are not a mandatory element in the Black Dogs’ wilder- ness but I find them a useful addition to convey the sense of dealing with a different, weird, world. So roll a d10 to find a possible hook. Introduce them in your campaign 1d10 Hooks 1 They guard an ancient treasure of a lost civilization 2 Pick 1D6+3 spells avail. in your campaign; the Elves are the only ones that can teach those to your sorcerers 3 For some reason a Bishop or Cardinal wants at least a couple of them, captured alive. Pays in gold, lots of it 4 Elves have the cure for a plague affecting the region 5 There is a crusade against the Elves; the characters might support it or oppose it. If they ignore it, within a year over 75% of the Elves will be killed and the survi- vors will be hiding and will be very, very hard to find 6 Rumors have the Elves responsible for kidnapping sev- eral children (it is true if the Elves cannot breed) 7 Elves seek help against another threat from The Wild 8 Elves know the only access to your next adventure(s) or portion of the map, or to a relevant specific location 9 Elves are highly prized by alchemists and sorcerers; their blood is used for potions. The Church despises and persecutes both the Elves and those hunting them 10 Legends say that Elves can resuscitate a dead person (it is true only once a year and has a 75% chance of failure) Note that there are no Stats for Elves. Give them what feels appropriate and don't worry, make them powerful. As basic reference: HD 3d8 (13 HP), AC 14, 2 attacks for 1d8 damage, and +2 to-hit (as a human knight, see issue #2). No Stats There is usually 1d6+4 of them in an encounter 14 These are DWARFS As much as I believe that traditional, noble Elves have no place in the Black Dogs setting, I have a certain liking for Dwarfs. So you have Dwarfs in the Black Dogs universe; just not precise- ly the ones you’re used to. Where “Elves” - or whatever name you gave to the creatures you generated in the previous section - are creatures of The Wild, Dwarfs are not. They are not a friendly species and they are hard to convince that humans are not to be slaughtered on sight, but they are sentient and civilized, and fundamentally neutral. Basic Traits Some of the things you know about Dwarfs are true:  They are shorter than humans, sturdy and resistant  They have a strong honor code (not applied to humans) and they are stubborn  They love to complain, to curse, to drink, and to prove their valor How Dwarfs are born Dwarfs do not speak of their method of re- production, and female dwarfs are a bit of a mystery for humans. Finding out how dwarfs reproduce (and being able to bring proof of it) might result in a lucrative adventure, if the characters can find an agreement with a wealthy scholar. To determine how Dwarfs are born, roll on the table to the side. 15 1d6 How Dwarfs are born 1 Another dwarf must make a hollow statue, in bronze, of the new dwarf. Two precious rubies must be set in the eye sockets of the statue. Hot steel is poured into the statue from a hole on the top of the head. The bronze melts away and a new, steaming dwarf is born 2 An old man must be kidnapped from his bed. He must be a widower and have no living children left. The old man is taken to the bottom of an ancient dwarven un- derground fortress, to a secret chamber where he's left, in chains, for three days, behind sealed doors. When the doors are reopened, a dwarf emerges and of the man there is no trace. The dwarf retains the memory and personality of the old man - although all the dwarven traits such as honor, stubbornness, and so on, take prec- edence over the previous character 3 Adult, functional Dwarfs emerge periodically from the bottomless pits of a dwarven underground fortresses. The dwarfs never explored those pits; it is forbidden 4 Dwarfs are humans; they are chosen among children with deformities, destined to be killed or abandoned by their heartless parents. Sometimes they are kidnapped, sometimes saved from their cruel destiny. They are taken to a dwarven fortress where they are fed with steel and beer, quicksilver and red meat. They are trained hard but never abused; they die, daily. Then they resuscitate, and die again, until they don’t die an- ymore, grow a beard, and become adult dwarfs 5 Although they look natural, dwarfs are not born. They are built. They are machines made to look organic 6 Female dwarfs have beards, and male dwarfs have breasts. But if you have the chance to have a look at their genitalia, you’ll understand their baby dwarfs are born just as human children, what did you think? 16 Why they do this Dwarfs are naturally sturdy and resistant, but they also work all the time and keep fit. They do not perform exercises, they simply work all the time. They are never idle. They complain about everything, including work, but they never stop working, and the harder the work is, the tougher the adversity, the better. They follow a strong code of honor; they never refuse a challenge, they always honor hospitality, they always keep their word. These rules apply to their relationship with other dwarfs, but perhaps they may extend this to some (worthy) human. They believe the stone witness all what they do and say, and want to remain honest, fair, as the stone does. They are a loud lot: they work hard, they have a strict code of honor, but they just say and do whatever they want, all the time. They just open their mouth and never fail to voice a nasty remark, or drink a beer, or both together. This mixture of careless and drunk talk, with honor and ostentatious bravery, often results in brawls and fights among them. They (almost) never push it too far, though, as to kill each other. Not everyone believes dwarfs exist; these prejudices come more from fairy- tales than direct experience Other things that are common knowledge (as much as it can be “common”, the knowledge about a different species most people believe is just a fantasy) but are not necessarily true:  They may be greedy (2 in 6)  They may respect courage (3 in 6)  They may love their beards (4 in 6)  They may love metal and stone (4 in 6) 17 This will tell you how and where Dwarfs build their immense fortresses. They have a few, and rarely move far away from them. First of all, roll on the next two tables to determine where their main fortress is. Their fortresses The main fortress is considered the heart of the dwarven civilization, it’s their most ancient and largest settlement, and has a great value for all of them. The main fortress 1d6 Their fortress 1-2 Is on the Alps 3-4 Is on the Pyrenees 5-6 Is in the Black Forest 1d6 Ruled by 1-2 An elected King 3-4 A council of priests 5-6 Their 7 oldest 1d6 In the same region of the fortress 1-2 There are only 1d10 small dwarven settlements 3-4 There are another 1d4+1 fortresses, but combined, they do not reach the size of the main one, and they are loyal 5-6 There are another 1d6+1 fortresses, smaller, but com- bined they are as strong as the main fortress, and they are ruled differently than the main fortress If the main fortress for example is on the Alps, then the table above ("In the same region of the fortress") tells you what else is on the Alps. This table can set the premises for some potential conflict within the local dwarven community; something the characters may wit- ness, participate in, or try to exploit. You can use the tables on the next pages to flesh out more details about those settlements or fortresses If instead in the same region you have just minor settlements or smaller fortresses, these are potentially good gateways to introduce the characters to the main fortress little by little. 18 How does the fortress look like These tables will tell you what a fortress looks like. The first time you will roll to determine how the main fortress looks. Try to use these as inspiration for minor settlements too. 1d6 The fortress 1-2 Develops only underground, with a large main gate, and just few other secret entrances 3-4 Mostly underground but with several gates and watch- towers outside 5-6 For the majority underground but with many gates, towers, defensive walls and fortifications outside 1d6 How they build 1-2 Squared angles, predilection for squared rooms and long halls 3-4 Circular corridors, rounded walls, circular rooms, eve- rything always bends a little 5-6 Following natural patterns, maintaining or often repro- ducing natural environments 1d6 Their fortress includes 1-2 Very large, imposing stairways 3-4 Enormous fires and pools of lava 5-6 Water, anywhere possible 1d6 They decorate mostly with 1 Runes and esoteric carvings 2 Jewels and precious metals in geometric patterns 3 Bronze and glass in ornate decorations 4 Stone, reproducing animals and monsters 5 Statues and paintings of dwarfs 6 They do not decorate: everything is just functional. At most you get a bit of metal or gems 19 If the main fortress is in one of the listed re- gions (Alps, Pyrenees, Black Forest), what is in the other two? Use the next table to answer both about the size of the other communities, and about their political stance with regard to the main fortress. The other regions Then roll on the previous tables to determine additional details about whatever is in each of those regions (you can differentiate everything if you want, or just some components like how they build or decorate, etc., or differentiate nothing at all - except what is specified below). For example, if the main fortress is on the Pyrenees, roll for the Alps and for the Black Forest 1d6 In the other regions 1 Only minor, isolated settlements in both regions, and all loyal to the main fortress 2 There is a minor fortress in each region, and each has a 50% chance to be loyal to the main fortress 3 Each region has 1d4 minor fortresses, and a region with 4 fortresses will be opposing the main fortress 4 There is one major fortress per region; roll for each one for their respective ruling. Fortresses with the same type of ruling are competing for supremacy with each other (including competing with the main fortress) 5 As above, but every fortress has 1d6 minor settlements 6 There is one major fortress per region; one is ruled by a clan of warriors, the other by a council three immortal dwarven ghosts (50% that they are instead some other supernatural entity). Both major fortresses have valid reasons to hope to gain supremacy over the main for- tress. Both have built 1d4 minor fortresses and will add one per decade. The first with at least 5, will fight the main fortress for supremacy, and will have a solid 49% chance of winning 20 Other info There is more that you should know about dwarfs when putting them in your campaign. Use the next tables to determine further details - you may use them all, or just some of them; roll in advance or wait for the appropriate occasion to determine and reveal more about them. 1d6 They go out of their fortresses because 1 They are passionate about flowers and small animals; both do not last long underground, so there are groups of dwarfs constantly travelling outdoor to gather and hunt 2 Same as above, but they are even more passionate about trees - and the bigger they are, the better. The operation of digging one out, with roots and all, is a marvelous feat of engineering 3 They have metals and coal in their mines, but they need to farm and hunt outdoor 4 They have everything in their fortresses, including wa- ter from underground springs and food from their in- door plantations; they go out to hunt for monsters which they need for their alchemical properties 5 They have everything in their fortresses, but they go outside to fight and prove their valor 6 They have everything they need in their fortresses; those who are out are criminals and outcasts, trying to make atonement and hoping to be admitted again back in their communities 1d6 They’ll side with humans 1-2 For a sizable payment 3-4 Against sorcery and sorcerers 5 Against undead 6 Against any other humanoid species, gladly 21 While the Initial Attitude table will determine how they react to the first contact with the group of adventurers, the General Attitude ta- ble determines instead the stance of the local community (which might differ from the one of the small group who made first contact). Attitudes You may roll for different attitudes in differ- ent regions - perhaps the community of one fortress is in conflict with the humans, while another is secretive and a third is friendly. There is usually 1d6+6 of them in an encounter 1d6 Initial attitude 1-2 Reasonably friendly 3-4 Moderately cautious 5 Very prudent, mildly unfriendly 6 Openly antagonistic 1d6 General attitude 1-2 Looking for a way to form an alliance with humans 3-4 Open to moderate trade and some exchanges 5 In open contrast; ready even for war 6 Absolutely secretive; no friendship, no conflict, no con- tact at all if possible Basic Dwarf AC 13, or 15 (75%) full plate Save 3 HD 3d8 (15 HP) 2 attacks: medium (1d6) or large weapon (1d10) Add +2 to to-hit and damage rolls Veteran Dwarf AC 13, or 15 (75%) full plate Save 4 HD 4d8 (20 HP) 3 attacks: medium weapon (1d6+1), musket (2d10) Add +3 to to-hit and damage rolls You may give to your dwarfs one or both of these: * Dark Vision: see the entire room even in the dark * Smell metal: detect metal (incl. character’s weapons and armor) from the next room Stats It is suggested to treat dwarfs as skilled fighters 22 Quick-start adventuring gear During character generation, one of the most time consuming activities for players is the selection of armor, weapons and equipment. The first session Usually this is less of a problem in the very first session, when everyone is making a charac- ter and there’s more time available for pouring over the equipment tables. Some groups, though, want to dive straight into the adventure and waste no time. High mortality rate Also, with a high mortality rate (although the Black Dogs characters are perhaps just a little more resilient than standard LotFP ones), comes the need for a faster character generation dur- ing regular sessions, so that dead characters can be replaced. The Black Dogs addresses this by making every player generate two characters at the start, making them available to other players too, and restricting the group’s selection only to those characters (see issue 1). Careers Issue 5 also introduces careers; with those you stress the random elements of the charac- ter generation process, and also simplify the selection of equipment. There’s, in fact, a default list plus each career gets some specific gear and a reduced amount of money for buying more. 23 Still, you may want to approach the equip- ment selection in a different manner, and to have something that works faster than the tradi- tional buying items one by one. If this is the case, this is the section for you. It contains sev- eral tables that will allow you to have all or part of the starting equipment generated randomly for every character. These tables can be used in different ways, and not all of them will come into play every time, depending also on the procedure that you want to follow (for example, using careers or not). Those procedures are outlined below. Random starting equipment Note that in some cases a character still has their starting money (for example the Charisma score x 10, replacing the traditional 3d6 x 10) and that they must pay to roll on the random tables, unless otherwise specified. Pay to roll  Make characters normally  Remember that in Black Dogs, the starting money is the Charisma score x 10  Start random equipment on table A1, then A2, then A3 or A4, as long as you can afford them Simple Procedure (A)  Make characters normally, then select a career according to the procedure on issue 5  Get the basic gear of table B1  Get the specific equipment granted by the career, including a bit of money  You can invest this money to roll once on A3 or A4, paying their price With careers (B) 24 Gear table A1 Use this to generate the basic equipment of your character. Rolling on table A1 costs 35 coins. d6 Starting gear 1 Ragged clothes (AC none), club (1 slot, 1d4+1 damage) Sack with 2 rations (1 slot each), 5 candles (small item), hammer (or one light tool, 1 slot) and nails (small item)  Go to table A2, roll a d6 2 Dirty clothes (AC none), knife (1 slot, 1d4 damage) Pouch with flint and steel (small item) and whistle (small) / Sack with 3 rations (1 slot each), 3 torches (1 slot), short rope (1 slot), bedroll (2 slots), crowbar (2 slots)  Go to table A2, roll a d6+1 3 Regular clothes (AC none), club (1 slot, 1d4+1 damage) Backpack with 3 rations (1 slot each), 5 candles (small item), hammer (or one light tool, 1 slot) and nails (small item), pick or shovel (or one heavy tool, 2 slots)  Go to table A2, roll a d6 4 Regular clothes (AC none), dagger (1 slot, 1d4 damage) Pouch with flint and steel, rogue tools, tobacco (all small) / Backpack with 2 rations (1 slot each), 5 candles (small item), long rope (2 slots), grappling hook (1 slot)  Go to table A2, roll a d6+1 5 Regular clothes (AC none), knife (1 slot, 1d4 damage) Pouch with flint and steel, chalk, lock, manacles (all small) / Backpack with 2 rations (1 slot each), 3 torches (1 slot), bedroll (2 slots), short chain (2 slots)  Go to table A2, roll a d6+2 6 Fancy clothes (AC none), dagger (1 slot, 1d4 damage) Pouch with 1d10 coin, holy symbol, small mirror, sealing wax, tobacco (all small items) / Saddlebag with book (1 slot), flask of wine (1 slot), lantern (1 slot) and oil (1 slot)  Go to table A2, roll a d6+2 25 On table A2, you roll a d6 with the modifier given by table A1 (if any). Rolling on table A2 costs 45 coins. If you cannot afford this, pay 10 coins, roll anyway but keep only the first item of the list, then go to table A3 (even if the result points you to table A4). If you cannot pay 10, your gear rolls end here. Gear table A2 d6 Starting weapon(s) and armor (if any) 1 Sling (1 slot, 1d4 damage), Axe (1 slot, 1d6 damage)  Go to table A3 2 Mace (2 slots, b2d6 damage), short bow (1 slot, 1d6 dam- age) w/10 arrows (1 slot)  Go to table A3 3 Spear (2 slots, 1d8 damage), heavy furs (1 slot, AC+1), simple shield (1 slot, AC+1)  Go to table A3 4 Warhammer (2 slots, b2d6 damage), short bow (1 slot, 1d6 damage), heavy furs (1 slot, AC+1)  Go to table A3 5 Short bow (1 slot, 1d6 damage) w/10 arrows (1 slot), sword (1 slot, 1d6+1 damage), leather (2 slots, AC+2)  Go to table A4 6 Pike (2 slots, 1d8+1 damage) , partial mail (2 slots, AC+2), crossbow (1 slot, 1d8+1 damage) w/10 darts (1 slot)  Go to table A4 7 Long sword (2 slots, 1d8+1 damage), crossbow (1 slot, 1d8+1 damage) w/10 darts (1 slot), cuirass (3 slots, AC+3)  Go to table A4 8 Rapier (1 slot, 1d6+1 damage), partial mail (2 slots, AC+2), pistol (1 slot, 1d8 damage) w/10 gunpowder (1 slot)  Go to table A4 26 Gear table A3 Your gear rolls end here On table A3, you roll a d6 without modifiers. Rolling on table A3 costs 10 coins. If you cannot afford this, pay 2 coins, roll an- yway but keep only the first item of the list. If you cannot pay 2, take nothing. In all cases, your gear rolls end here. d6 More starting gear 1 Chalk (small item), pulley (1 slot) 2 Spikes (small item), fishing gear (1 slot) 3 Garlic (small item), bell (small item) 4 Tobacco (small item), tent for one (2 slots) 5 Holy water (small item), ink and parchment (small) 6 Holy water (small item), holy symbol (small item) Gear table A4 Your gear rolls end here On table A4, you roll a d6 without modifiers. Rolling on table A4 costs 45 coins. If you cannot afford this, pay 10 coins, roll anyway but keep only the first item of the list. If you cannot pay 10, take nothing. In all cases, your gear rolls end here. d6 More starting gear 1 Tent for one (2 slots), lantern and oil (1 slot each) 2 Small dog, ink and parchment (small item) 3 Magnifying glass (small item), climbing gear (2 slots) 4 Hunting dog, fishing gear (1 slot), bedroll (2 slots) 5 Mule, 2 saddlebags, 2 rations (1 slot each), shovel and pick (2 slots each) 6 Holy water and holy symbol (small items), riding horse Leftover money Even if you have coin left, you cannot spend it now. You can spend it over the course of the adventure or after it. 27 This is not really a random table, but the basic gear that you get if you use careers. If you use careers, you get this package for free. Gear table B1  Regular clothes (AC none)  A knife or dagger (1 slot, 1d4 damage)  A pouch with flint and steel (small item)  Backpack with:  4 rations (1 slot each)  Bedroll (2 slots)  3 torches (1 slot) or 5 candles (small item)  A short rope (1 slot)  One of the following: crowbar (2 slots), or hammer (or one light tool, 1 slot), or pick or shovel (or one heavy tool, 2 slots) If you don’t even want to have to pick the tool, roll a d6: 1: crowbar 2: hammer and nails 3: pick 4: shovel 5: crampons 6: long pole After getting the default package, if you use careers then you get the gear that is listed in the career itself (see issue 5). This includes some- times a bit of money, and that money can be invested to roll once, paying the related price, on tables A3 or A4. If you don’t use careers, anyone can buy this package at the flat price of 33 coins. You can offer to players to use this instead of rolling on A1, but then they should roll on A2 without modifiers. If you don't use careers 28 BALTHERGAR With this adventure, once again we present the characters with a complex situation in a village. There are several possible interesting interactions and different areas to explore, within the village itself and in the surroundings. But this time, The Wild doesn't take form as a threatening thick forest, but rather as a swamp. There are countless small rivers and little ponds, all po- tentially harboring monsters and undead creatures. And as much as the characters and the NPCs would be better off by keeping far from the swamp, rest assured there will be plenty of reasons to leave the (relative) safety of the village behind. The Village Balthergar is a large village of traders and river fisherman, built close to the Marrow Swamp. This area was once fertile and the vil- lage was born originally as a military encamp- ment strategically placed between two rivers, Bhaltera and Regar. For a while the area thrived with the profits of river trade and the village grew quite large, but then the easternmost of the twin rivers, Regar, started to eat away fertile land little by little. Season after season, year after year, the entire eastern countryside has turned into a large swamp by countless violent flooding. The situation grew even worse when the Marrow Worms infested the area. 29 These white worms, usually growing up to the size of a dog, are typically harmless for hu- mans but their constant digging taxed the area severely. The worms’ tunnels flood every spring, and every year the swamp grows larger, and closer to the village. The few fields remain- ing on the eastern side of the village are also growing more and more unsafe with time: they are filled with the worms' tunnels, which cave in under the weight of humans or beasts. In the last couple of generations, all the area to the east of the village is dangerous and many adults and children have gone missing: some disappeared in the swamp, some fell into the deep tunnels of the Marrow Worms drown- ing in those dark pits, a few have fallen prey to other beasts infesting the area. The Swamp The local nobles typically at war with each other over petty matters, found an unsteady peace once they decided to build a dam above the village to stop the flooding from the Regar river, and a hunt aimed to drive the Marrow Worms away. As much as the nobles found some agreement over these matters, they had no support from the local population, and so far, have managed to accomplish nothing. The Marrow Worms, in fact, are named as such because they don't feed only on insects and dirt like regular worms, but suck the bone marrow of dead little animals during their reproduction season (twice or thrice a year, usually). The Marrow Worms Marrow Worm AC 10 Save 1 HD 2d8 (10 HP) 1 attack: bite (1d6) Slow, half speed of a human. Always last in initiative 30 The Regar Sponge trade (see below) is exempted from taxes by a royal decree, therefore the local nobles gain nothing from it, and would rather get rid of the Marrow Worms Worms that feed on bone marrow become slower but larger, and have more numerous and stronger offspring. Moreover, if a Marrow Worm feeds on the bones of a dead creature, it also begins to grow a sort of a mushroom infec- tion in the inside of its mouth. This infection, called Regar Sponge, is a powerful although disgusting (in its natural form) sedative. The Regar Sponge A full dose of untreated Regar Sponge inflicts 2d20 damage. Save vs poison for half damage. A survivor will anyway sleep for a number of hours equal to the damage x2 The sweet, white, gummy paste derived by the Regar Sponge, grants 1d6 hours of pleasant stupor A strong dose will do 3d6 hours but will double the HP recovery if it’s a long rest Regar Sponges can grow the size of a human fist, and such a dose is enough to kill a man in a few seconds. In lighter doses, and after appro- priate treatments, the Regar Sponge can be turned into a sweet, white, gummy paste which goes from relaxing (in its lighter concen- tration) to completely knocking someone out for a day or two (in its more powerful dosage). Every family in the village has a member or two involved in the Regar Sponge trade. Some harvest the sponge from the Marrow Worms - risking their lives in the swaps - and others ac- tually provide dead animals to the worms (the worms are too slow to hunt effectively). There are at least three official alchemic houses in the village dedicated to the transformation of the Regar Sponge, and a steady supply of this stuff is provided to the local kingdom major cities by the work of few different families of mer- chants, who deliver the Regar Sponge drug among their usual goods. As an estimate, almost a fifth of the local economy is based on Marrow Worms, hence the reluctance of the people in trying to dry up the swamp or hunt away the worms. 31 Roll every Turn, and count a Turn as equal to an hour, when exploring the swamp. Use rules for the Turn-Dice as in issue 5, pages 14-15. Every hour spent in the swamp, add +1 to the next Turn-Dice roll, up to a maximum of +5, then reset to +0. If you get a creature encounter from the Turn-Dice, use table A below, and if you get “terrain/location threat or difficulty” use table B. Encounters in the swamp If the characters light fires or do anything very loud or unusual that attracts attention, add another +1 Movement in the swamp is half speed and the group’s guide must Save vs Wisdom every hour to go in a specific direction (i.e. “to the church” or “to the village”). A failure means no progress towards the destination. The distance between village and church is 3 turns worth of walking 1d10 Encounter (table A) 1 2d6 Marrow Worms, pag. 29- 30: half are hidden in tunnels, one random worm (hidden or not) has the Regar Sponge in the mouth 2 Giant White Worm, pag. 44-45 3 6d6 Pink Angus, pag. 47 4 One Brakala (80%) or a couple (20%), pag. 47 5 1d4 Swamp Whitey, pag. 48 6 Crocodile, pag. 49 7 Giant Leeches, pag. 49 8 Grukers, pag. 50 9-10 40% of finding the caverns of the dungeon (see pag. 34-35); 60% other cavern with 1d20 Sparkle Bats (pag. 51) 1d10 Terrain (table B) 1-4 Worms’ tunnels: Save vs Dex to avoid a 1d6 damage fall 5-7 Worms’ flooded tunnels: Save vs Dex to avoid falling into it; if you fall in, roll another Save to avoid to begin drowning 8-10 A massive pile of shit of the Giant White Worms, see page 45 32 PURPLE CHURCH Map 33 Way out of the village, where once were fer- tile lands and now the swamp reigns, is the Purple Church, or actually what's left of it. The church (or temple) was built over a cen- tury ago in the place where St. Berno was bur- ied. St. Berno was initially the protector of hunt- ers and known, in life, as a solitary but jovial old man, who never refused a kind word to those who went to visit him from the village. It is murmured that in the last years of his life, the saint started to preach against the local nobles, and to envision the expansion of The Wild and the swamp. When he died, a church was built by a cult of local followers, and painted in purple to challenge the local bishop who had a predilection for such color. Apparently, the Pope himself instructed the local Bishop about how to deal with the matter: architects were sent to oversee an expansion of the church, and a golden treasure was sent to be buried with the Saint. The Purple Church If you want, you can place some cryptic reference to the position of the dungeon (see next pages) in a ruined fresco or in some old book; in this case make the distance to the dungeon equal 2 turns from the Purple Church (rolls required to stay on course) The revolutionary figure of the Saint was smartly absorbed by the church in the ranks of countless local regular saints, was normalized and neutralized by the joint efforts of the Pope and the local Bishop. A small, but regular and canonic, cult for St. Berno developed in the re- gion. The cult lasts until today, and St. Berno is once again just an old saint protecting the local hunters. The most revolutionary of the original followers quickly lost their grip on the popula- tion, without the lead of Berno himself, and a few executions commanded by the church over a generation ago have extinguished (apparent- ly) the old cult. Nowadays the Purple Church remains purple and periodically the locals have ceremonies dedicated to entering the swamp and repainting it The gold is gone apparently, or anyway no one has found it yet 34 Dungeon Map 35 The dungeon is where the few survivors of the ancient cult of St. Berno still gather today. Their ancestors have also hidden here the treas- ure and the body of St. Berno, although the cur- rent cult has no knowledge of this. The Dungeon  The characters may stumble on the dun- geon by chance, or guided by members of the cult, or by Jasde, the scholar  The dungeon appears from the outside as a muddy cave with a single entrance (the one on the left top of the map)  All the irregular rooms are natural caverns filled with mud and fungi  The last cavern at the bottom is actually not accessible from here and not visible (St. Berno’s head and the treasure are there) About finding and entering the dungeon (If you add references to the dungeon in the Purple Church, the characters might find it also with those indications)  The cult uses the two large halls with col- umns (the one L shaped and the one below it); occasionally the other two little rooms with the statues and altar for ceremonies  They rarely use the rooms at the higher lev- el, and basically just for storage or sleeping after a long ceremony The cultists in the dungeon  If there is a ceremony (once a week) there will be 1d20+10 cultists; otherwise there is 1d10-5 cultists in the dungeon (meaning that half of the time the dungeon is empty) For ceremonies use a day count er simply a 3 in 20 random chance  The status of the central little room has a secret compartment with 3d20+50 coins  The cultists do not know of the secret doors; they lead to a cavern with the head of St. Berno and 10d100 worth of gold Secrets of the dungeon 36 Jasde the scholar Jasde AC 11 Save 3 HD 2d8 (10 HP) 1 attack: knife (1d4) She can also cast a few spells Jasde can cast the following spells, as a level 4 caster: Mirror Image Holy Banishing Holy Sight Sacred Spirits (spells are in the Black Dogs issue number 8) If you use the standard LotFP spells, give her: Mirror Image Turn Undead Dispel Magic Detect Evil Bless and Magic Missile (since this is available to all casters in Black Dogs) Jasde is a woman in her thirties, born of a de- cayed noble family, who went through a great deal of trouble to study within the church ranks despite her gender. She acquired a large body of knowledge, both canonical and esoteric, and the woman always had a passion for relics and treasures. She moved to Balthergar a couple of years ago and is lending a hand in a tailor shop to sustain herself. She has a bit of her old family money at her disposal, which she uses to fuel her passion for treasure hunting. She doesn't work much and mostly spends her time in the back of the shop, buried in her books and scrolls, or exploring at the edge of the swamp. At least once a week she goes to the Purple Church with charts and maps. She is clearly on the hunt for the ancient treasure of St. Berno. She gets away with all this because she has an affair going on with Arthur, the tailor, who owns the shop. Treat Jasde as a scholar and a cleric, with the attitude of a former noblewoman who learned to live below her standards and accepts it, but fueled by a strong desire to acquire knowledge and with knowledge, restore her rank or at least make enough money to retire in luxury. She's smart, in good shape, and with keen senses and hard to fool. She knows the swamp well enough, even better than some local hunters. What she lacks, is prudence. If there's going to be a chance to get her hands on enough gold, she'll take whatever risk. She started to seek entrance in a local, secret cult allegedly connect- ed to St. Berno, in hopes of gathering more in- formation about the treasure. 37 Well over fifty years old, burly but shy and with a keen attention to details, Arthur is a great tailor. His products are simple and solid, and his shop is the favorite one of the low and middle class of the village. He's always been too shy to step up his game and try something fan- cier; he occasionally works for richer customers and does very well even for their standards (although perhaps his work is of high quality, but a bit plain and lacking imagination). He is always making provisions well in advance for the shop, keeps a cellar full of food in case of a bad year, sleeps in a room above the shop in case thieves would come by... he's always trying to make sure everything is safe. He's honest and fair, and loves Jasde very much. She's younger and attractive and he nev- er had a family before, and this is as close as it gets. He's possessive and jealous but tries not to show it because she's the one in charge and she doesn't like him when he gets paranoid or controlling. Arthur the tailor Arthur AC 12 Save 3 HD 3d8 (14 HP) 1 attack: knife (1d4) Add +1 to to-hit and damage rolls If needed Arthur has armor and weapons: AC 14 and damage 1d8 He will also be able to pay for 4 to 6 thugs if needed He believes that she's not really in love with him but probably just seeking stability, and he intends, with time, to have her come around and to love him for all his care for her. He's happy with what he has with his shop, treats his workers fairly, and knows they des- pise Jasde but always avoids the subject. When she'll finally love him and give up her treasure hunt, they'll learn to appreciate her. And she'll understand that this tailor shop is enough for a good life, and perhaps they'll start a family to- gether. He really hopes this is how it's going to go, because he knows he's weak: if she'd ask him to leave the shop for her, he would; if she'd ask him to give her more money, he would; if she'd be in trouble, he'd do anything to save her 38 Rumors about Jasde The other shop workers are always eager to talk bad about her: they resent her for having worked her way into the graces of Arthur and for not doing her part in the shop. They don't care too much about what she's doing with all her books and scrolls, but will be ready to give away information about that, about the subject of her studies (although the thought of a treas- ure in the Purple Church is ridiculous to them), and about her trips to the swamp. The Cult Nothing like the former cult of St. Berno, the current cult is just a bunch of amateurs with a taste for secrecy but not much more. The original cult followed the inspiration of St. Berno: the old wise man wanted to make the swamp and its monsters stronger so that the local population would take weapons against it. United by the fight against The Wild, Berno hoped they would in turn move against the nobles and the corrupted Bishop. The current cultists, instead, have just an empty reverence for St. Berno, a desire for social uprising but vague ideas about it, and worship the worms because of the drug. The nobles They are the proper leaders of a place like this: on one hand made rich by the taxes on the drug trade, on the other they seek to get rid of the swamp which would stop the trade. They perceive the cult as a threat but do nothing to really stop it, besides occasional hangings of casual suspects, which fuel the sympathy of the people for the cultists (otherwise ignored). 39 Beltrand is a solitary man, in his late thirties, with long blond - almost white - hair and a short beard. He can be found in the village or in the swamp, hunting or patrolling according to his own mysterious plans. He always carries full hunting gear with him (a bow and a pistol, a dagger and a short spear, fishing gear and traps, rations and a bedroll, a raincoat, some medicines). He exhales an air of confidence and appears to be trustworthy; he will not reveal everything he knows to the characters right away, but will appear as if testing them, and slowly letting them gain his trust. What he knows (and may be randomly revealed to the players after each interaction) is listed below. Note that some of the things he knows are false; Beltrand is para- noid and delusional but will always provide some weird (but not crazy) explanation when things are not as he expected or revealed. Even if Beltrand appears cautious at the start, he will try to involve the characters in his ac- tions, depending on what he reveals to them: Beltrand the hunter Beltrand AC 13 Save 3 HD 4d8 (17 HP) 2 attacks: bow (1d6+1) or pistol (1d8); ranged dagger (1d4) or spear (1d8); melée Add +2 to to-hit and damage rolls It’s probably just the Regar Sponge use driving him slowly insane 1: Cultists have a great treasure (F) 2: Marrow Worms are fed by the villagers (T) 3: Many locals are in the Regar Sponge business (T) 4: Marrow Worms are given dead bodies as part of a ritual (F) 5: Cultists are revolutionary (T) and feed the Giant Worms (F) 6: The Regar Sponge grants visions of the future (F) 7: There are mysterious pale semi-humans in the swamp (T) 8: These Swamp Whitey are created by the Marrow Worms feeding of human corpses (F) 9: Jasde is after something magical in the treasure (F) 10: Jasde must be killed before she activates this dark magical object (F; reveal 9 before, if you roll 10 first, reveal 9 instead) 40 Tension in the village The situation is loaded with tension from multiple fronts. The characters will move into the village and reasonably learn soon enough of Jasde and Arthur, and probably gather some information about the Purple Church. And of course, the swamp itself is a constant threat and presence. The cult is not a secret and references to it can be dropped casually in any conversation about the Purple Church or about the local nobility and the tension with the locals. Something about the cult can be easily overheard also in a tavern or in conversations in the market. Beltrand, on the other hand, will keep a low profile at the start, unless the characters actively seek him and his advice. He will nevertheless keep an eye on the characters and slowly try to gain their trust and help. All those involved in the drug trade are vocal and assertive against the plans of the nobles for the swamp and the worms. It is also known that the nobles are going to try to push forward with their projects for the dam and the hunt. The characters may find a way to talk with the nobles (which will not hide their intentions and might try to enlist the char- acters for security or hunting), or may hear about it from the local garrison, from the mer- chants and their entourage, and so on. Escalation of events There is no precise plan about what will hap- pen in the village, but this is left to random de- termination once you begin to play. Just re- member that every action triggers a reaction from one or more of the other factions. 41 For the merchants roll 1d6 days after the characters arrived in the village, for the nobles 1d8 days after (1d4 and 1d6 days if your players are fast). Repeat the roll after day 10 for one or both factions, if it makes sense. When to roll Merchants, roll 1d6: 1: They hire a killer to kill one of the nobles. If they succeed (75%) the nobles will stop pursu- ing the work on the dam or hunt for 1d12 days 2-3: They begin the works to try to keep Mar- row Worms in captivity (not possible; they need way too much space). They’ll keep trying for at least 1d6+3 weeks 4-5: They have agents in the cult, which will lead the cult in causing trouble in the village and try to undermine the nobles’ authority, or at least get their attention away from the swamp and the worms 6: The same agents will attempt to lead the cult towards an open uprising, with the support of the locals, in an attempt to get rid of the noble families and their plans for a dam and a hunt Roll for the merchants 1d6 days after the characters arrived in the village The merchants will always try to sabotage the dam or the hunt but are unlikely to cause an uprising; instead they will look for a way to compromise the authority of the nobles or to interfere with the works for the dam Nobles; roll 1d6: 1-2: They enlist forced labor for the dam, work to start in a week from now 3-4: They enlist forced labor for the hunt of the white worms, starting tomorrow 5: They arrest and try a random peasant as a member of the cult (he is not) 6: They arrest and try a real member of the cult. There is a 30% chance he will reveal the location of the dungeon, and in that case 1d10+10 guards will be sent to clear it out Roll for the nobles 1d8 days after the characters arrived in the village The nobles will always act with force against the cultists but seek some compromise with the rich merchants 42 Roll for the cultists every day after day one Cultists; roll 1d6: 1: One of the cultists is openly preaching about revolution; probably will be arrested and executed 2-5: No significant actions, just the usual oc- casional ceremony in the dungeon 6: 1d10 villagers convert and become mem- bers of the cult. Always add 1 cultist to the number of those in the dungeon. You can get this result multiple times and each increases the size of the cult. If the cult adds 50 members to its original number, they will begin an open revolution even though they stand little chances against the armed guards of the nobles Jasde does not have pseudo- random actions but a clear plan. It is just a matter to see how much time it will take her to reach her objectives Run the story according to the steps (i.e. Arthur is concerned when she gets into the cult, she may become a victim of the nobles, or if she goes alone, she may want some protection, etc.) Jasde; every day after day one, roll a d6: 1: She is one step closer in the infiltration in the cult 2-5: No real progress 6: She is one step closer in finding the dun- geon on her own In the infiltration of the cult, she will pro- ceed by these steps: 1-Gather information; 2- Make contact; 3-Participate in one small cere- mony; 4-Enter the inner circle of the cult; 5-Find the secret door By step 3 she knows the location of the dun- geon, by step 4 she believes the treasure must be in some secret place, by step 5 she will steal the treasure and run away. In finding the dungeon on her own, she will need to complete 3 steps, 4 to explore it, and 5 to find the secret room and take the treasure. 43 44 SWAMP MONSTERS This section contains additional notes about various monsters that can be found in the swamp next to the village of Balthergar. Besides the Marrow Worms, in fact, the swamp hosts several other dangerous beasts and supernatural monsters. If the charac- ters explore the swamp in day time, use the normal encounters table found in the previous chapter. But if they move into the swamp at night, you might want to introduce a few other dan- gers, taking inspiration from your monsters’s manual. Remember that Saves for monsters are written as x in 6 chances (roll a d6 equal or under x), same as for characters. Giant White Worms Giant White Worm AC 14 Save 3 (4 vs magic); HD 6d8 (30 HP) 2 attacks: Bite (1d10) Trample (1d12) Giant Worms are believed to be simply a larger version of Marrow Worms, but they are actually a completely different species. Where Marrow Worms are simple beasts of The Wild, Giant White Worms are real supernatural monsters. They feed on anything: they can eat dirt and rocks, trees and animals, and even feed on magical energy. There are two Giant White Worms in the swamp, but they rarely move together. In case of an encounter with one, there is only a 10% chance that the other will be nearby. These two Giant White Worms are around 10 meters (30 feet) long, and have large heads, with a huge mouth capable to swallow a child whole. They prefer to keep in the water where they move slowly, floating around, but it’s not uncommon to see them also on solid ground. 45 Giant White Worms have a predilection for magic users and magic items. See the rule to the side if the Giant White Worm is dragged into a fight. In this case the monster will proba- bly attack magic users first (in case of multiple failed Saves, attack the magic user of higher level or determine the target randomly). If magic users are missing, but anyone carries magic items, the Giant White Worm will be after those. When close to a Giant White Worm, any magic user must make a save vs. magic to hide their true nature. Any magic user that fails the roll will become the favorite target of the Giant White Worm There is also a rumor, which might be known to the characters, that eating the disgusting shit of a Giant White Worm is somehow giving su- pernatural powers or poisoning, or a bit of both. The rumor is actually true: anyone eating shit once will gain the possibility to cast one ran- dom spell once. The spell should be deter- mined randomly but the character will know its power. It may be used at any time, in this ad- venture or another. This is actually true only the first time some- one eats shit from a Giant White Worm in a time span of 24 hours. Eating more than once per day instead of granting a spell, will cause 1d6 damage. It is advisable to consider that a magical overcharge may occur if the characters collect, without using, a number of spells higher than their level. Every day passed with too many spells memorized triggers a Save vs magic; upon fail- ure all spells are lost and each will trigger a magic damage of 1d6. Note that Giant White Worms are not aggressive, typically. They are disturbed by loud noises, and fires, but otherwise they will not attack the characters. They might become aggressive only if a magic user gets close enough that they can sense them, and in that case, they will hunt them to feed on them and on their magical energy There is a 25% chance that a Giant White Worm has contracted the Regar Sponge infection 46 47 Brakalas are monsters found only in swamps and sometimes close to small, temperate lakes. They look like very large feline predators, but their fur is actually infested by a parasite that covers it in thousands of tiny tentacles. The Brakalas hunt for large animals and suck their blood, but also feed on cadavers and if need be, on tiny fish and insects captured by the parasite. They are lonely hunters but sometimes (20% chance) a pair of two males or two females may be found with 1d4 puppies. If a brakala is reduced to less than 10 HP, it goes frenzy in pain and rage; drop the standard +3 to-hit and damage, and replace it with a +X where X is the HP left. Brakala Brakala AC 14 or 15 (50%) Save 3 (1 vs fire) HD 6d8 (25 HP) 2 attacks: bite (1d8) claws (1d8) Add +3 to to-hit and damage rolls A large bird mockingly named after the an- gus - the cattle - because of its size. The Pink Angus has four thin legs and four large wings, and is covered in pink and white feathers. During the mating season, females loose most of their plumage to make the nest for the com- ing offspring, while males turn from white and pink to completely white or completely pink, for some unknown reason. Of course, among the nobles in the village and in the nearby towns, any decoration of Pink Angus worth having must be either fully white or fully pink. Nobody would pay for a mix, for the “regular” color. Therefore, the hunting is done only for males and during the mating sea- son, often using trapped females as bait. Pink Angus birds can fly, although not very fast and with no great agility. They feed by hunting for fish in ponds and lakes. Pink Angus Pink Angus AC 14 Save 2 HD 1d6 (4 HP) 1 attack: 1d3 48 Swamp Whitey Swamp Whitey AC 13 Save 2 (3 vs magic) HD 2d8 (9 HP) 1 attack: medium weapon (1d6) Add +1 to to-hit and damage rolls Can turn invisible for 1 round once per fight These are creatures found only in this swamp and in some similar places in the area, but no- where else on the continent. They are called Swamp Whitey because of their color but the villagers lack a better name for them. Nobody in the village will mention them, because peo- ple like to believe they are just the product of the imagination of swamp hunters and of scary tales to tell kids. Only if forced to admit that they’ve seen one, villagers working or hunting in the swamp will refer to them as demons. In truth, the Swamp Whitey exist, they are not demons but simple, moderately intelligent creatures. They have spoken (but not written) language, and they refer to themselves in their tongue as “the people forgotten here”. They might look like silly monkeys, but they are smarter than that and they can easily learn to communicate with humans by signs or even with a human vocabulary, although the concepts they express are rather simple They are small humanoids, shorter than a human teenager, very thin, with large bellies and a very pale skin. They have long skinny arms, thin legs that end with what looks like another pair of hands rather than feet. They have vestigial wings on their backs, but they cannot actually fly. Wings are more for show and mating rituals. They use wood and stone instruments and weapons, but often have also rusted, metal ones that they took from human corpses. They have a complex system of traditions and are quite formal among their ranks. They also have enough of a vocabulary to share a com- mon knowledge and have some shared memory of the past, back when this area was not a swamp. 49 Crocodiles are a terrible danger in any swap: they are hard to notice and fast in their sudden attacks. A crocodile will always attack the last person or animal of a group, and has a 4 in 6 chances to surprise the victim. A surprised vic- tim suffers the first bite as a automatic hit. During combat, if both bites hit successfully the same target, the crocodile gains a third bo- nus attack. On the ground, a human will easily outrun a crocodile, but in the water humans will fight with a -2 to-hit, automatically lose initiative and cannot outrun the crocodile. Crocodile Crocodile AC 14 Save 2 HD 5d8 (22 HP) 2 attacks: bite (1d10) Add +1 to to-hit and damage rolls Giant Leeches are a common feature of this swamp. They appear in large numbers; there is always 2d6 x10 of them when encountered (you may even rule that 50% of the times there will be even more of them). But they are indeed huge, and white, easy to spot in the shallow waters of the swamp. They are decently fast in the water but anyone not encumbered can easi- ly outrun them. Nevertheless, when they infest a certain pond or lake, they pursue any moving living creature with tenacity. To avoid their attacks, the only way is to either move with a boat, or to circle around the given pond or lake, which will take one Turn more. If a character stays in the water long enough to be attacked, there will be one Giant Leech in the first round, then another, then another, up to a maximum of 6 concurrent Giant Leeches per character. Giant Leeches Giant Leeches AC 12 Save 2 HD 2d8 (9 HP) 2 attacks: bite (1d4) + bite (1d4) If both attacks hit, the 2nd inflicts +2 damage 50 Grukers Grukers AC 14 Save 2 HD 2d8 (10 HP) 2 attacks: claws (1d6) web (special) If an attack hits with the web, the target gets a -1 until they take time to get rid of it Multiple attacks cumulate the penalty, but whatever the penalty, a single round is sufficient to get rid of the web, instead of other actions Swam: if more than 2 Grukers attack the same target, every Gurker gains a +1 to-hit and to damage for each other Gruker involved against the same target Grukers are very large, crab-like spiders. Of the spiders they retain the fast movements and the capability to spin webs, and of a crab they have claws and thick carapace, capable of pro- tecting them from great harm. The Grukers can grow up to the size of large dogs, and hunt daily for small game. They often carry their victims to a nest where they share the meat with the other members of the group. In fact, Grukers always come in a pack of 1d6+6 and are rarely found alone. They are too heavy to walk in their own webs like spiders would do, but use them nonetheless for hunting, placing them strategically close to ponds or on the path of small animals. Their webs are thin enough to be nearly invisible, but strong enough to capture such small animals. The web is not thick enough to hold a human, although it will slow them down or hinder their movements. The claws, though, are strong enough to cause harm to an armored man, in the right conditions. Grukers ‘meat is actually quite good, and sometimes hunters set off hunting them in the swamp. To avoid their claws, the hunters use heavy mail or even plate armor, which are quite dangerous in a place so full of water. It’s not uncommon for a hunter or two in a group to drown during the hunt, which in turn makes the Grukers meat an expensive luxury. A dead Gruker weights like mail armor for en- cumbrance purposes, but can be easily sold for 1d100+100 coins back in the village. 51 Sparkle Bats are so named because of their habit of scratching together their talons, causing little sparkles of light in the dark of the caverns where they usually sleep through the day. There are, actually, several different species of the Sparkle Bats, and each of them is some- how magical. When the characters encounter a group of Sparkle Bats, roll a d10 for each bat, and see the table below for the exact type. Each of the listed powers can be used once per day (i.e. drinking the bat’s blood); if the same character tries to use the same power in the same day, Save vs Poison or suffer 1d6 damage, and get no powers anyway. Note that Sparkle Bats will be asleep in their cavern at daytime, but any light (such as from torches, lamps or magic) will wake them up. During the night, only half of the Sparkle Bats will be in the cavern; the rest will be out hunt- ing. Remain in the carven long enough, though, for example using it to camp for the night, and the rest of the bats will soon return. Sparkle Bats Sparkle Bat AC 12 Save 1 HD 1d6 (3 HP) 1 attack: 1d4 They are not aggressive if not disturbed When a character sees a Sparkle Bat of a given type for the first time, there’s a 1 in 6 chance that they know its power of Sorcerers or locals will have a 2 in 6 chance d10 Sparkle bats appearance and powers 1-3 Four eyes; its blood grants dark vision for 1 hour 4-5 Fast, always first in initiative; its blood gives the same 6 Vampire, gain 1 HP on a hit; its blood restores 1d4 HP 7 Electric sparks, +3 damage on a hit; its flesh restores 2d6 HP and allows to skip sleep that night 8 Sweet meat; its flesh is delicious and pricy (4d10 sp) 9 Silver hide; worth 5d10 sp. 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Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy Role-Playing Player Core Book: Rules & Magic © 2013 LotFP, author James Edward Raggi IV Swords & Wizardry Complete Rules, Copyright 2010 and Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch; System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathon Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original mate- rial by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.System Reference Document © 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff , Thomas Reid, James Wya , based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Black Dogs © Daimon Games, Davide Pignedoli

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1 Compass a game of exploration and adventure Welcome Playtesters to a draft of Compass, a game in progress by Emily Care Boss. This is an alternate version of the game, with a short-form play style. If you have an hour or two to play a game with a friend or three, I hope you’ll try this out and let me know how it went for you. I’ve played with these rules and enjoyed the game. You can contact me at: blackgreengames@yahoo.com blackgreengames.com This version of Compass owes a great debt of inspiration for its structure to the game Microscope, by Ben Robbins of Lame Mage Productions at lamemage.com. Other influences are The Quiet Year by Avery Mcdaldno and The Companions’ Tale by Laura Simpson. Thanks to Ben Arens and Epidiah Ravachol for play- storming help, and to the Baker family and JiffyCon players for early playtests and suggestions. Travelers cross lands and oceans, encountering neighboring communities, lost secrets and natural wonders as they go. Set in a pre-industrial world not-our-own, Travelers may seek audience in an Obsidian Palace or lose themselves in the Twisting Mountains of Forever, on a Shifting Plateau. A world from your imagination— full of verdant f ields, quiet villages, raging seas, magical courts and perilous passages—awaits your exploration. SUMMARY: Players take turns creating Locations and Events, and moving Travelers to interact with these Components. Components are written on note cards and placed in a grid. They form a growing and developing world. Black & Green Games, © 2014. blackgreengames.com WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY: Index Cards Two to Five Players Pens/pencils One to Three Hours OVERVIEW OF PLAY: Create Travelers. For 2 to 3 players, create two. For 4 to 5 players, create three. Players take turns. On each turn take a Character Action and a World Action • Character Action: Have a Traveler interact with the World. • World Action: Create or change something about the world. World Actions: Add a Location to the World Add an Event to a Location Add a Ripple to Location adjacent to an Escalated Event Escalate an Event Resolve an Event Resolve a Ripple chArActer Actions: Pick a Character and use them to.... Play a Vignette Play an Event Escalate an Event Resolve an Event Resolve an Escalated Event Resolve a Ripple May move the Traveler at start or end of Action. The player’s goals are to create a wondrous world to explore, to witness and build off of what others have created, and to portray characters experiencing that world. ENDING THE GAME When Travelers have all reached their Destination, Abandoned the Road or Died, the game ends. 2 December 2014 2 SETUP: 1) Create Travelers (See page 2 below) Two to Three players—Create 2 Travelers Four to Five players—Create 3 Travelers 2) Create Starting Locations and Events(See pages 3 and 4) Locations: A central Location and an additional Location per player Events: One per Traveler in play Place each Traveler in the central Location and person who came from farthest away begins play. HOW TO MAKE TRAVELERS: TRAVELERS – These are characters who will move through the world, meeting people and having adventures. The players will collaborate on making their story happen. Name. On both sides of a note card folded in half, write a name this Traveler answers to. The Note card will sit on the Locations making a small tent or triangle. (see diagram on page 9) Examples: • Athene • Pria Description. Write a short phrase that tells something about the Traveler’s occupation, demeanor or habits. Examples: • A road hardened traveler, sings hymns for food and coin. • Deposed priestess. • Inquisitive tinker, with rattling pots and wares. • Sword for hire. • Courtier clothed in forbidden colors. Home. The name of their home location. May be a known Location, or one not written down yet. Create the name as you would for a Location. Examples: • Cloud Pass • Green River Destination. Write down a place to which they travel. Should not be a known Location. May be their Home. Create the name as you would for a Location Name (say what it is and provide an evocative detail). Examples: • Holy Shrine • Temple at Delphi • The Court of Regents • The Shadow God’s Abode Why: Explain why the Traveler journeys, involving their Description or Destination. Need not be written down. • Cordel • Ramiro • The Oasis of Homecoming • The Fortress of Light 3 HOW TO MAKE A LOCATION: On a horizontal note card, write: NAME, DESCRIPTION, GROUP (see diagram on p. 9) Later, Locations will have more Groups, Characters and Landmarks added to them. NAME. Write a Location name at the top of the note card In the name include 1) What kind of location it is. (e.g. a Village, Fortress, River) 2) A detail about the location. (e.g. The Dyer’s Village, The Silent Fortress, The Red River) Examples: • The Cliffside Monastery • Sea of Bounty • City of Illusion • Black Rock Pass • The Monuments of Forgotten Hope DESCRIPTION. Explain in a short phrase or sentence give a brief description of the atmosphere of the place, what might be seen there, or the place it holds in the world. This need not be written down. Examples: • A haunted land full of dunes and overlooks with sands of many colors. • For as long as people have plied the seas, this place has harbored their ships. • Jagged stony hills with giantic ruins. GROUP. Write down the name of People present at or who live in this place. In the name include 1) Their nature or occupation 2) An evocative descriptor Examples: • Brotherhood of the Sacred Hunters • The Astral Lamplighters • The Hapless Pilgrims • Foxes who Speak as Humans Do Group’s name should not include the name of any existing Location. Although, locations may be made later that refer to a Group’s Name. The following may be added to a location after a Vignette, Event or Ripple. Characters - A person or being in this location. (See page 4) Landmark - An object, building or point of note. (See page 4) Site - a place of interest within the Location. (See page 4) • Stilt Village of Vurst • Blood River Falls • The Painted Desert • The Eternal Port Scope: The location should large enough to encompass some days travel, or be a settlement or building that can accomodate a large number of people. Players may create a Location during another players’s Turn or a break, and add it to s acentral Location Deck. Place these Locations face down in a pile. Players may draw one for World Action instead of making a new one to Add. Place as usual. May add Group if there is none. 4 HOW TO MAKE AN EVENT: These are occurrences of moment, offering danger, unrest or change to the place in which they occur. Choose a Location to add an event to. On a note card folded in half across the longer edge (see diagram on page 9), write the Event TITLE. Describe the Event and place it on the Location. TITLE. Write down a few words that summarize the event. Include in the Title 1) A group from the Location, a Traveler or another character 2) The activity happening Examples: • The Fox Council calls a meeting on the Solstice • Athene is seized by the Sacred Hunter Demetrios. • Pilgrims schism over collecting chips of the Monuments. Optionally: After placing the Event Add a Character, a Landmark or Site to the Location NAMING CHARACTERS, LANDMARKS AND SITES Character. Write the name of a new character present at or involved in this Event. The character’s name should include 1) A title or what they are called 2) A detail that shows their occupation, place in the world or some other distinguishing characteristic Examples: • Arleni the Unhooded Executioner • Captain Alexandry • Ridolfi, father of the lost child Each character should only be written down on one Location. Landmark. Write down the name of an object or building which can be seen from far away. Include 1) What it is 2) A detail that makes it stand out from others of its type Site. Write down the name of a shelter, building, grove or other smaller area of note within a larger Location. Include 1) What it is 2) A concrete detail that show who owns it, or what you can see, smell or hear there Examples: • The Poisonberry Grove • The Potter’s Shed • The Weathered Sampan Example Landmarks: • The Whispering Pines • The Mirror Falls • The Golden Tower 5 HOW TO PLAY: The game takes place in turns. In their turn each player two things: 1) Take a Character Action 2) Take a World Action CHARACTER ACTIONS Play... a Vignette an Event Escalate... an Event Resolve... an Event an Escalated Event a Ripple End a Traveler’s Tale May move Traveler before or after the Character Action. But not during World Action. MOVING A CHARACTER: Travelers may move from one Location to another Location that is above, below or on either side of the Location they were in at the start of the turn. May not move diagonally. CHARACTER ACTIONS: Play a Vignette. Move the Traveler to a Location without an Event (or keep them on one with no Event where they start the Turn). Role play a brief scene, showing a moment or two of the Traveler’s journey. Need. The player whose turn it is chooses a need that the Traveler is addressing at this Location. Choose from this list: • Food • Shelter • Romance • Friendship Cast. The person whose turn it is plays the Traveler. They Cast one other person to be an already named Character or a new member of a Group from that Location. Characters may also be from other Locations. Set the Scene. • The Cast player describes surroundings in the Location—a place where the Need could be met • The Cast player describes their character doing a daily task Play. Play the scene, either narrate or speak in character as the Traveler and the other character interacting. The Traveler asks for their Need to be met. End the Vignette when the Traveler’s Need has been met, or the offer is rebuffed. NO QUESTS. In Vignettes, a price may be asked, or a bargain struck, but only so far as could be easily paid or settled off screen. No condition can be made for a task requiring a long trip or travail. Save that kind of thing for Events. ALTERNATE RULE: Narration. The player whose turn it is simply narrates a scene of the Traveler meeting a Need. WORLD ACTIONS Add... a Location to the World an Event to a Location a Ripple to Location adjacent to an Escalated Event Escalate... an Event Resolve... an Event an Escalated Event a Ripple • Employment • Transportation • Enjoying the Sights 6 CHARACTER ACTIONS CONTINUED: Play an Event. Move the Traveler to a Location with an Event (or keep them on one with Event where they start the Turn). Role play a brief scene, showing a moment or two of the Traveler’s journey. Cast. The person whose turn it is plays the Traveler. Choose a character from that Location or another that will interact with the Traveler about the Event. They Cast one other player as that character. Additional Cast. The other players may add themselves to the Event if they so choose, picking another char- acter to play. Set the Scene. • The Cast player describes surroundings in the Location—a place where the Event is taking place Play. Play the scene, either narrate or speak in character as the Traveler and the other character interacting. • The Cast player describes how the Event is going on, or upsetting their character’s daily routine. • The Traveler enters the scene and interacts with the first character • Additional Cast enters the scene, or if they were already present, now may interact with the Traveler, too. End the Scene after all characters have interacted with the Traveler. The player of the Traveler then says whether the Event is Escalated or Resolved. They choose another player to summarize the outcome and write the Escalation or Resolution out. Events may be Escalated or Resolved as an independent Traveler Action, or after Playing an Event Escalating an Event. To Escalate an Event, turn the folded card over to the other blank, folded side. Mark it with a delta character, or triangle. (see diagram on page 9) Traveler may be moved before or after Escalating. On the card, write the following: TITLE. Just as with the initial Event, write down a few words that summarize the event. Include in the Title 1) A group from the Location, a Traveler or another character 2) How things have become worse or more intense Examples: • Athene kills Demetrios, earning his brother’s ire. • Pria’s song is seen as a portent of doom by the Fox Elders Replace the Event on the Location which it originated. Optionally: After replacing the Event Add a Group, a Character, a Landmark or Site that relates to the Event, to the Location Examples: • Hakim, who was Left Behind • Captain Alexandros <Δ> 7 CHARACTER ACTIONS CONTINUED: Resolving an Event. Choose a Location with an Event and Traveler. To Resolve this event: Describe how the Event comes to completion and activity in the Location goes back to how it was before the Event, or say how it has changed. Involve one (or more) of the Travelers present on the Location. Remove the Event from play. Write a sentence on the back that shows how the Event was resolved. Place it in a pile with other Resolved Events. Examples: • Athene is taken by the Brotherhood. • Pria takes Hakim with her on her journey to the Holy Shrine. Optionally: Add a Group, a Character, a Landmark or Site to the Location that relates to the Event. Examples: • The Oracle of the Song • The Siren’s Stones • Wreckers of the Green Tower • A Warm Eddy Pool Resolving an Escalated Event. Choose a Location with an Escalated Event with a Traveler. Resolve as with an Event. Resolving a Ripple. Choose a Location with a Ripple and at least one Traveler. Resolve as with an Event. Ending a Traveler’s Tale. See ENDING THE STORY (on page 8) to Reach Destination, Abandon Road or Die. WORLD ACTIONS: Add a Location. Follow the same process as described for creating Locations during Setup. Place the new Lo- cation in an open slot above, below, to either side, or diagonal from an existing Location. Add an Event. Follow the same process as described for creating Events during Setup. Place the new Event on any Location without an Event or a Ripple. Cannot add more than one Event to a Location. Add a Ripple. As in Character Actions Creating a Ripple from an Escalated Event. Create a new Event in a Location adjacent to a Location with an Escalated Event. Mark the note card with the symbol of a tilde (see diagram on page 9) TITLE. Just as with the Event, write down a few words that summarize the event. Include in the Title 1) A Group, Character, Landmark or Site in this Location 2) How the Escalated Event affects or is manifesting in this Location Examples: • Disappearance of the Caravan Masters, all but one. • Ship of Sacred Hunters—The Swift Vengeance—is wrecked. Place the Ripple on this Location. <~> 8 WORLD ACTIONS CONTINUED: Resolving an Event. Choose a Location with an Event (since this is a World Action, it need not have a Traveler on it, but it is fine if it does). Resolve as with an Event in Character Actions. If no Traveler is present, you do not need to mention one in the Resolution. Resolving a Ripple. Choose a Location with a Ripple (since this is a World Action it need not have a Traveler on it, but it is fine if it does). Resolve as with an Event for a Character Action. If no Traveler is present, you do not need to mention one in the Resolution. Resolving an Escalated Event. Choose a Location with an Escalated Event (since this is a World Action, it need not have a Traveler on it, but it is fine if it does). Resolve as with an Event in Character Actions. If no Trave- ler is present, you do not need to mention one in the Resolution. Resolving a Ripple. Choose a Location with a Ripple (since this is a World Action it need not have a Traveler on it, but it is fine if it does). Resolve as with an Event for a Character Action. If no Traveler is present, you do not need to mention one in the Resolution. ENDING THE STORY. The game ends when all of the Travelers’ stories are completed. A Traveler’s story ends when they: • Reach their Destination • Abandon the Road • They Die Reaching the Destination. Once a location card has been created that matches a Traveler’s Destination, when the Traveler reaches it, the players may work together to End that Traveler’s Tale. Event. Using a World Action, create an Event about the Traveler reaching their Destination. Resolve (or Escalate) through Character or World Actions. When the Event has been Resolved, write the Traveler down as a Character on that Location. If they have joined a Group there, indicate that. Remove the Traveler from play. Abandoning the Road. After the first Escalated Event with Ripples has been Resolved, when a Traveler reaches a Location that is not their Destination and Resolves an Event, they may Abandon the Road and travel no more. Add the Traveler to that Location as a Character. If they have joined a Group there, indicate that. Remove Traveler from play. The Traveler Dies. Travelers and other characters may die as part of an Escalated Event or Ripple, either during their creation or resolution. If a Traveler dies, when the Event is resolved, write “The Grave of [Traveler’s Name]” on the Location where the event occurred, and take the Traveler out of play. End and Epilogue Once all Travelers are removed from play, end the game. To see the Tales of their adventures, look at the Resolved Events. As an Epilogue, each player may choose one Event or Ripple to Resolve. 9 Location Name Description of the Location in a short phrase or sentence. Groups: Start with one at Setup May add other Groups, Characters, Landmarks or Sites after Events and Ripples are Resolved or Escalated } Note Card Folded in Half Stand Up -- write their name in large letters on the other side Traveler Name Description of the Traveler in two words or a phrase. Home: Name of a Location Destination: Name of a Location Horizontal Note Card } Event Title: one or two words, or description of the Event in a phrase. Ripple Event Title: one or two words or description of the Event in a phrase. ~ Escalated Event Title: one or two words or description of the Event in a phrase. Folded Note Cards, Lay Flat on Location Flip over to Escalate Δ } 10 ON YOUR TURN..... • TAKE A CHARACTER ACTION • TAKE A WORLD ACTION CHARACTER ACTIONS: MAY MOVE A TRAVELER AND... • PLAY A VIGNETTE (p. 5) OR PLAY AN EVENT (p.6) • ESCALATE AN EVENT (p. 6) • RESOLVE AN EVENT, ESCALATED EVENT OR RIPPLE (p. 7) • END A TRAVELER’S TALE (p. 8) WORLD ACTIONS: • ADD LOCATION TO WORLD (MAY DRAW FROM LOCATION DECK) (p. 3) • ADD AN EVENT TO A LOCATION (p. 4) • ADD A RIPPLE ADJACENT TO AN ESCALATED EVENT (p. 7) • ESCALATE AN EVENT (p. 6) • RESOLVE AN EVENT, ESCALATED EVENT OR RIPPLE (p. 7) • TRAVELERS MOVE ORTHOGONALLY: UP, DOWN OR SIDE TO SIDE. NOT DIAGONALLY. PLACE LOCATIONS ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER (ABOVE, BELOW, LEFT, RIGHT OR DIAGONAL). PLACE RIPPLES ADJACENT TO THE ESCALATED EVENT THEY SPIN OFF FROM. PLAYERS MAY MAKE LOCATIONS DURING OTHER PLAYERS TURNS. ADD TO LOCATION DECK. IN A VIGNETTE A TRAVELER SEEKS... (CHOOSE ONE) • FOOD • SHELTER • ROMANCE • FRIENDSHIP • EMPLOYMENT • TRANSPORTATION • TO ENJOY THE SIGHTS A TRAVELER’S STORY ENDS WHEN THEY... • REACH THEIR DESTINATION (p. 8) • ABANDON THE ROAD (p. 8) • DIE (p. 8) Playing Compass

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1 2 Designer: Christen N. Sowards Editor: James Durchenwald Cover Art and Character Art: Dio Mahesa Graphic Design: Christen N. Sowards, James Durchenwald Playtesters: Aaron Gulledge, Donald J. Decker, James Durchenwald, Matt Groen, Michael Lefavor, Orion Peterson, Shawn Rhoades, Vanessa Moon Special Thanks to Owen K.C. Stephens and Steve Russell for their contributions to 3pp Gaming. All references to Rite Publishing or Rogue Genius products are by permission only. Compatibility with Ultimate Psionics requires Ultimate Psionics: Core Psionics System from Dreamscarred Press. See http:// dreamscarredpress.com for more information on Ultimate Psionics. Dreamscarred Press does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Psionics Unleashed is copyright 2010 Dreamscarred Press and is referenced with permission. Published Under the SRD, OGL, and d20 (v 3) License ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Inc.. See http:// paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The Lost Spheres Publishing company names and logos; the “Races of the Lost Spheres: Bloodborn” name and logo; all artwork, backgrounds, proper names, and logos; all trade dress, and graphic design elements. DECLARATION OF OPEN CONTENT: All game mechanics, proper names of classes, prestige classes, archetypes, feats, skills, spells, magic items, monsters, rituals, artifacts AND OR the names of abilities presented within this book are Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) of the License. Proper names including but not limited to Darhamahn, Vengean, Prymmean, Emmanant, proper names of rune families, and Essaria are not open content and may not be used without Christen Sowards’ written permission. Lost Spheres Publishing, ©2015 - www.lostspherespublishing.com For bonus content follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LostSpheresPublishing 3 Table of Contents Bloodborn Racial Traits .................................................................................................... 5 Bloodwells: ...................................................................................................................... 5 Sourcerunes..................................................................................................................... 6 Sourcerune Families ........................................................................................................ 6 Atkai Family ..................................................................................................................... 6 Blood Patron: ................................................................................................................... 6 Muo Family ...................................................................................................................... 7 Essal Family ..................................................................................................................... 7 Sourcerunes: ................................................................................................................... 7 Juhn Family ...................................................................................................................... 8 Jhi Family ........................................................................................................................ 8 Sho Family ....................................................................................................................... 8 Sourcerune Resonance .................................................................................................... 9 Atkai-Muo ....................................................................................................................... 9 Atkai-Essal ....................................................................................................................... 9 Atkai-Juhn ........................................................................................................................ 9 Atkai-Jhi ........................................................................................................................... 9 Atkai-Sho ......................................................................................................................... 9 Muo-Essal ...................................................................................................................... 10 Muo-Jhi.......................................................................................................................... 10 Muo-Sho ........................................................................................................................ 10 Essal-Juhn ...................................................................................................................... 10 Essal-Jhi ......................................................................................................................... 10 Essal-Sho........................................................................................................................ 10 Juhn-Jhi .......................................................................................................................... 10 Juhn-Sho ........................................................................................................................ 10 Jhi-Sho ........................................................................................................................... 10 Feats: ............................................................................................................................. 11 Ambient Soulshield (Runic) ........................................................................................... 11 Bloodmind Rage (Runic) ................................................................................................ 11 Charge Resonance (Psionic,Runic) ................................................................................. 11 Coordinating Resonance (Runic) ................................................................................... 11 Devastating Deftmind (Runic) ........................................................................................ 11 Empowered Lifesurge (Runic) ........................................................................................ 11 Enduring Soulgrace (Runic) ........................................................................................... 11 Extend Soulflare (Runic) ................................................................................................ 11 Imprint Rune (Runic) ..................................................................................................... 12 Penetrating Powerstrike (Runic) .................................................................................... 12 Rising Mindfire (Runic) .................................................................................................. 12 Runic Reversal (Runic) ................................................................................................... 12 Soulmind Reserve (Runic) .............................................................................................. 12 Spellblood Alteration (Runic)......................................................................................... 12 Skillsurged Confidence (Runic) ...................................................................................... 13 Sublimate Rune (Runic) ................................................................................................. 13 Surging Bloodseethe (Runic) ......................................................................................... 13 Swiftblood Blur (Runic) .................................................................................................. 13 Swiftstrike Surety (Runic) .............................................................................................. 13 Tertiary Attunement (Runic) .......................................................................................... 13 Warblood Adaptability (Runic) ...................................................................................... 13 Weapon of the Soul (Runic) ........................................................................................... 13 Prestige Classes ............................................................................................................ 14 Bloodrune Adept ........................................................................................................... 14 Requirements ................................................................................................................ 14 Class Skills ...................................................................................................................... 14 Class Features ................................................................................................................ 14 Table 1-1: Bloodrune Adept........................................................................................... 15 Zenith Caster ................................................................................................................. 16 Requirements ................................................................................................................ 16 Class Features ................................................................................................................ 16 Table 1-2: Zenith Caster ................................................................................................. 17 New Psionic Powers....................................................................................................... 18 Destabilize Resonance ................................................................................................... 18 Rune Lock ...................................................................................................................... 18 New Spells ..................................................................................................................... 18 Hide Sourcerune ............................................................................................................ 18 Seal Sourcerune ............................................................................................................. 18 Appendix 1: Mythic Path Abilities ................................................................................. 19 Archmage Path .............................................................................................................. 19 1st Tier Ability................................................................................................................ 19 Master-of-Shapes Path .................................................................................................. 19 1st Tier Ability................................................................................................................ 19 Scion-of-High-Sorcery Path ............................................................................................ 19 1st Tier Ability................................................................................................................ 19 Will-of-All Path .............................................................................................................. 19 1st Tier Ability................................................................................................................ 19 Universal Path................................................................................................................ 19 1st Tier Ability................................................................................................................ 19 3rd Tier Ability ............................................................................................................... 19 4 Introduction: The bloodborn are an offshoot of humanity found scattered through the reaches of the known worlds. Long ago, Those Who Came Before (the ancestors of the bloodborn) journeyed the Spheres colonizing and laying claim to worlds of their choosing. While perceived as aggressive by those they met the mandate of these explorers was simple: accumulate and master all knowledge they encountered. A diverse and cosmopolitan people, the ancestors of the bloodborn were not expecting to accrue enemies as fast as their rapid expansion earned them. When suddenly swarmed with masses of equally powerful races on far too many fronts to contend with, the ancient progenitors of the bloodborn responded with an unusual plan: Preservation. Not of the self, as common in times of war but instead, they chose to preserve their knowledges, their magics, and their essential powers by entrusting them to souls yet born. A gathering was held of as many of their people to their homeland as possible. They drew forth their power and spirit and in a vast working of mages and priests and runemasters and crafted the Sourcerunes. Following the foci and ley-lines of the worlds they found, the Sourcerunes formed repositories of their essences crisscrossing their world with a web of magic and spirit. Studding the lines of power between the Sourcerunes they created indestructible works of artifice, the Bloodwells. When later seeded by the blood of a compatible race, these Wells can reconstitute a new being blessed with fragments of their once great Empire. As the scattered children of Man came upon the Bloodwells some of them found the courage to offer up their blood to the strange devices. Realizing that the sarcophagi-like devices could give rise to armies over time, many races of humanity attempted to conscript or enslave the newly reborn race. Physical Description: Generally speaking bloodborn resemble humans. They emerge from the Bloodwells in a state resembling adult humans and have no physical childhood. Their ethnic variations favor the appearance of their Blood Patrons (see below). The presence of small glowing runes echoing of their Sourcerunes shine above their brow in various formations is their primary distinguishing feature. A canny eye may spot the notable lack of aging and dermatological stress that comes from a young bloodborn’s origins. When a bloodborn’s Sourcerunes are in resonance their eyes often glow the same shade as their runes but this is not always the case. Society: Bloodborn often resemble the human societies that discover the Bloodwell (or Bloodwells) and give rise to them as Blood Patrons. Larger settlements will maintain colonies for Darhamahn, a period of 5 adjustment where newly made bloodborn are allowed to weather out the heightened period of emotion and psychic strain from reconciling the conflicting memories and imprints of both Sourcerunes and Blood Patrons. Relations: Bloodborn tend to serve in a related capacity to the human race that discovers the Bloodwells. This can result in them becoming slaves, guardians or holy saviors. In larger settlements where bloodborn have control over the Bloodwells the bloodborn make trade for blood from promising individuals and send emissaries into other lands to seek new diversity in Blood Patron pools. This need to seek normal human blood to grow the numbers of their race often times can lead surrounding cultures to associate them with blood-drinking monsters such as vampires. Some colonies have taken to the practice of domesticating stirges for use in seeding the Bloodwells but most bloodborn find the practice abhorrent or claim it dilutes the purity of the Blood Patron. Alignment and Religion: Bloodborn tend to favor the alignments of their Blood Patrons. If these alignments conflict the bloodborn often suffers a particularly stressful Darhamahn period trying to reconcile the different viewpoints of their “parents.” Similarly, the influence of Blood Patrons can create religious bias as well. Sometimes deeper beliefs rise from the Sourcerunes themselves granting a bloodborn intimate knowledge of religions often thought lost, unknown or forgotten. Of more immediate threat can be the discovery of a Bloodwell by cultists or other worshipers of gods of evil as that such dark Blood Patrons will increase the tendencies of the newly created blood born to follow similar practices. Gods of madness have been known to command followers to seize a Bloodwell just to create bloodborn with conflicting Blood Patrons. Adventures: Bloodborn are occasionally born from the wells possessing more knowledge than many adventurers who have been active for years. Darhamahn can contain periods of conflict, wanderlust or needs to reconcile the memories of Those Who Came Before with their Blood Patrons. Names: Bloodborn often awaken with a name on their lips. Some echo of a great ancient shattered into eternity at the crafting of the Sourcerunes. Often times they journey for lifetimes without ever hearing its like, but sometimes they find recognition in the most unexpected places. Bloodborn Racial Traits +2 to One Ability Score: As a Human offshoot, Bloodborn characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation. Augmented Humans: Bloodborn are humanoids with the (human) and (augmented) subtypes. Medium: Bloodborn are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Bloodborn have a base speed of 30 feet. Sourcerunes (Su): See the Sourcerune Section for information on this racial ability. Blood Patrons (Ex): Each Bloodborn was born of two blood donors whose power and knowledge becomes the raw material of the newly created bloodborn’s being. The player selects two skills to represent these blood patrons knowledge reborn in the new character and become class skills regardless of class selection. Additionally, the GM may also allow the bloodborn to make skill checks Bloodwells: The Bloodwells are artifice left by Those Who Came Before. Most often cast in hues of metallic bronze or gold, the devices resemble sarcophagi that are studded with at least two spindles meant to draw blood from the humans activating the it. Each Well has minor vi- sual differences as exterior runes are ad- justed for the Well’s play in a worlds Ley- web. Damage to the Bloodwells is near impossible but some have been found damaged. Bloodwells may only be used once an hour to create life. 6 untrained when dealing with circumstances familiar to one of their Blood Patrons. Bloodforged (Ex): Due to the energies of the Bloodwells used to create them, Bloodborn have a -2 penalty to saving throws vs. Death Effects and Negative Energy attacks. Additionally bloodborn are sterile via natural means of reproduction and may not trigger Bloodwells with their own blood. Conflicted Soul (Ex): Bloodborn are driven by the conflicting memories of both their Blood Patrons and their Sourcerunes. They resolve these conflicts by embracing diverse skill-sets and mastering counterbalancing arts. Bloodborn who remain single classed after their first level take a cumulative circumstance penalty equal to the number of levels in their single class beyond the first to all d20 rolls made for the character. If this penalty exceeds their highest mental statistic bonus, they descend into madness are surrendered to the GM as NPCs. If you are using the alternate multi-classing rules from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Unchained you may avoid conflicted soul penalties by giving up the required feats to acquire a multiclass progression. Languages: Bloodborn begin play speaking Common, and a language belonging to one of their Blood Patrons. Bloodborn with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). Sourcerunes Each Bloodborn begins play with attunement to at least two Sourcerunes. These Sourcerunes represent the manifestation of ancient knowledge from the collective of Those Who Came Before. Each Bloodborn has at least one primary Sourcerune and one secondary Sourcerune. Bloodborn may not be attuned to a single Sourcerune Family more than once. Each Sourcerune has different game effects depending on whether it is primary or secondary in attunement. The Sourcerunes Families are as follows: Sourcerune Families Examples of an Atkai family rune. Atkai Family Signs of Prymmean energy skill: Primary - Atkai primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Charisma modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell-like abilities, these class abilities may reference Charisma instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Atkai secondary attuned Bloodborn with a Charisma based casting class gain access to an alternate favored class benefit. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn may choose another spell known. This spell may not be of the character’s highest level known. Blood Patron: The Bloodwells must be activat- ed by the blood of two creatures with the human subtype by coating the ex- terior bloodspindles. The artifacts utiliz- es the blood to synthesize the physical body of the newly made bloodborn. The bloodborn will resemble both parents but does not require any specific com- bination to yield a gender. General ideas of the Blood Patrons of any given blood- born should be known to the player and/ or GM as the racial mechanics and feats in the product may refer to them. 7 Example of a Muo family rune. Muo Family Signs of Emmanant energy skill: Primary - Muo primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Wisdom modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell- like abilities, these class abilities may reference Wisdom instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Muo secondary attuned Bloodborn with the Channel Energy (Su) feature gain access to an alternate favored class benefit. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn may gain ½ of a daily use of Channel Energy (allowing the character 1 additional daily use of the ability for each two levels she assigns this benefit). Example of an Essal family rune. Essal Family Signs of Vengean energy skill: Primary - Essal primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Intelligence modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell- like abilities, these class abilities may reference Intelligence instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Essal secondary attuned Bloodborn gain access to an alternate favored class benefit. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn may choose one skill, this skill receives a +1 racial modifier from ancestral and blood memory. These bonuses stack with each time this benefit is applied to the same skill. Even skills that are not class skills may be selected. This bonus does not count as ranks for other character prerequisites. This total bonus can never exceed the Bloodborn’s Intelligence bonus for any one skill. Example of a Juhn family rune. Sourcerunes: Each bloodborn has a minimum of two luminous runes at their brow. The runes can be either in vertical or horizontal presentation. In the case of a third rune triangular formations are present in addition. Sourcerunse are su- pernatural in nature and are suppresed in antimagic. They may shed light similar in intensity to a candle or dim to bare visibility. Runes may be of various color- ation and each family has hundreds of variations. If resonance is active the col- ors blend to the same hues or patterns. 8 Juhn Family Signs of Enduring resolve: Primary - Juhn primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Constitution modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell- like abilities, these class abilities may reference Constitution instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Juhn secondary attuned Bloodborn with a Soulwell (such as arcane pool or ki pool) pool gain access to an alternate favored class benefit. The bloodborn may select one Soulwell. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn may gain ½ a point to that Soulwell’s pool. Jhi Family Signs of Physical prodigy: Primary - Jhi primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Dexterity modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell- like abilities, these class abilities may reference Dexterity instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Jhi secondary attuned Bloodborn gain access to an alternate favored class benefit. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn gains access to ¼ of a bonus feat of their choosing (allowing the character one bonus feat every 4 levels this benefit is selected). The Bloodborn must still qualify for the feat. Example of a Jhi family rune. Sho Family Signs of Primal might: Primary - Sho primary attuned Bloodborn may use their Strength modifier in place of the casting or manifesting attribute normally assigned to a single class of their choosing. Alternatively, the Bloodborn can select a single class that provides supernatural and/or spell-like abilities, these class abilities may reference Strength instead of their original attribute. Secondary – Sho secondary attuned Bloodborn access to an alternate favored class benefit. At each level of the selected favored class, the Bloodborn may a gain a bonus martial weapon proficiency feat. Alternatively, she may gain ½ of an exotic weapon feat (allowing the Bloodborn to learn an additional exotic weapon feat for every two levels in the chosen favored class). Runic Resonance: Each bloodborn has at least two runes that interact with each other un- der certain conditons. This interaction is referred to as Resonance. While this inteaction is active the the bloodborn gains bonuses to attacks, checks or oth- er game benefits. The act of resonance involves visible changes that are highly noticable. The flash of light and color shift only require a DC 10 perception check to notice. Stealth checks while in Resonance suffer a penalty equaly to at- tribute bonus of your Primary rune. 9 Juhn-Sho runes in a vertical resonance. Sourcerune Resonance Each bloodborn is marked by the presence of glowing echoes of two or more of the Great Sourcerunes that power the Bloodwells. These echoed Sourcerunes manifest as a runepair (or triad) at the brow of the bloodborn. The Sourcerunes’ power resonates with the countless spirits of the ancients that sacrificed themselves in their creation. Each pairing of a bloodborn’s Sourcerunes grants the character abilities echoing the ancient orders of his or her ancestors. Under the right circumstances the two runes interact powerful synergies called Resonances. When a Resonance is triggered both (or all) of the bloodborn’s Sourcerunes flare and blur colors into each other. The Resonance are different for each potential runepair and are listed below: Atkai-Muo Soulflare (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a spell, granted ability or power from a different class, the second effect is permeated with the lingering power of the first granting a bonus of +1 to the effective usage level or +1 to save the effects DC, chosen upon the casting of the second effect. Atkai-Essal Mindfire (Su) - When the Bloodborn uses a damaging spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a spell, granted ability or power from a different class, the second effect is permeated with the lingering power of the first granting a damage bonus of equal to bonus of the Primary attribute of the first effect. Atkai-Juhn Lifesurge (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a spell, granted ability or power from the same class, the Bloodborn gains temporary Hit Points equal to the level of the effect. These hit points overlap from round to round, and fade if no damage is taken within 1 hour. Atkai-Jhi Skillsurge (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a spell, granted ability or power from the same class, the Bloodborn gains a circumstance bonus to his next skill check equal to the level of the effect. This bonus fades after 1 full round if no skill check is initiated. Atkai-Sho Powerstrike (Su) - When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a spell, granted ability or power from the same class, the Bloodborn gains a bonus to melee damage rolls equal to the level of the effect. This bonus fades after 1 round has passed. Granted Abilities: The term “granted ability” shows up quite often in the mechanics of the Sourcerunes but not all players are fa- miliar with it. For purpose of this book granted abilities are those supernatural abilities granted your by a class feature. Examples of granted abilities of vestig- es and spirits bound by occultists, the Channel Energy class feature or a task- shapers powers of shapeshifting. Other classes are likely eligible with the ap- proval of your GM. 10 Muo-Essal Soulmind (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses spell, granted ability or power within one round of using spell, granted ability or power from a different class, the Bloodborn’s spirit is suffused with the totality of his diverse powers. He gains a circumstance bonus on his next saving throw equal to the level of the effect. This bonus fades after 1 full round if no saving throw is made. Muo-Juhn Soulshield (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a personal range spell, granted ability or power, the Bloodborn gains a shield bonus equal to the level of the effect. This bonus fades after 1 round. Muo-Jhi Soulgrace (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a personal range spell, granted ability or power, the Bloodborn gains a luck bonus to any penalized rolls (due to curses, conditions, or ability damage) equal to the level of the effect. This bonus fades after 1 round. Muo-Sho Soulsword (Su) – Whenever the bloodborn roles initiative, he gains access to the Weapon of the Soul feat, he does not need to qualify for the feat and can manifest this mind blade as per soulknife rules. This ability stacks with soulknife levels as per the normal feat rules. See the feats section for more on this ability. Bloodmind resonance in horizontal formation. Essal-Juhn Bloodmind (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a personal range spell or power, the Bloodborn gains an insight bonus to damage roles equal to their Constitution modifier. This bonus fades after 1 round. Essal-Jhi Deftmind (Su) – When the Bloodborn uses a spell, granted ability or power within one round of using a personal range spell or power, the Bloodborn gains a insight bonus to attack roles versus flat-footed foes and on critical hit confirmation rolls equal to their Intelligence modifier. This bonus fades after 1 round. Essal-Sho Mindmight (Su) – When the Bloodborn scores a successful critical hit, the DC of the next spell, granted ability or power he uses is increased by his Strength modifier. This bonus fades in 1 round or after the next spell is cast, whichever is sooner. Juhn-Jhi Swiftblood (Su) – When the Bloodborn takes hit point or Constitution damage, the character gains a circumstance bonus of +5 feet to his movement speeds for every point of Dexterity modifier he has. This bonus fades after 1 round. Juhn-Sho Bloodseethe (Su) – When the Bloodborn takes hit point or Constitution damage, the character gains a circumstance bonus to melee damage roles equal to his current Constitution score. This bonus fades after 1 round. Jhi-Sho Swiftstrike (Su) – When attacking flatfooted opponents or confirmation on critical hits, the Bloodborn may add their Dexterity bonus as a circumstance bonus to the roll. 11 Feats: Ambient Soulshield (Runic) Your soulshield feeds off residual magic. Requirements: Soulshield Resonance Benefit: Any round you use a power, spell or granted ability while you have a soulshield resonance active adds 1 round of duration to your soulshield to a maximum of three rounds. Bloodmind Rage (Runic) Your power carries your rage effortlessly. Requirements: Bloodmind Resonance, ability to use a round based combat ability (such as rage or dervish dance). Benefit: Rounds where your Bloodmind resonance is active do not count against rounds for uses round based combat abilities. Consult your GM about whether or not a particular ability will benefit. You can cast spells and manifest powers while raging. Charge Resonance (Psionic,Runic) Your psionic will can reinforce your runes. Requirements: Sourcerune Resonance, Psionic Subtype. Benefit: You may expend your psionic focus to extend the duration of a Resonance by 1 round, this increases to 2 rounds at 10th level. Coordinating Resonance (Runic) You can react to the tactics of other bloodborn. Requirements: Source Resonance, BAB +3 or Knowledge (Martial) 3 ranks. Benefit: During each round your res- onance, is active you may choose one blood- born in visual range. You may act as if you have a teamwork feat in common with them. Devastating Deftmind (Runic) Your hand is guided by the memories of ancient assassins or surgeons to great effect. Requirements: Deftmind Resonance Benefit: During rounds of your deftmind resonance, you may also add your intelligence modifier to damage rolls against flat-footed opponents and on successful critical hits. Empowered Lifesurge (Runic) Your lifesurges linger longer than others. Requirements: Lifesurge Resonance Benefit: You may stack the benefits of the lifesurge resonance for three rounds, pooling your temporary hit points. Temporary hit points still fade after one hour. Enduring Soulgrace (Runic) Your power soothes the your suffering longer. Requirements: Soulgrace Resonance Benefit: Your soulgrace resonance now lasts for 1 minute or until you have no penalized d20 rolls, whichever comes first. Extend Soulflare (Runic) Your risen magic lasts longer than usual. Requirements: Soulflare Resonance Benefit: You may stack the benefits of the soulflare resonance for two more castings, manifestations or uses as long as each is from a different class than the one proceeding it. Runic feats: While racial feats learned by the bloodborn are independent of most other rune magic, they do interact with them. If your campaign uses the Runic feat rules as presented in the Rogue Ge- nius products The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might and The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might II you might want to consider using some of those feats to further develop your character as that many of them build nicely with abilities already native to the bloodborn racial trait options. 12 Imprint Rune (Runic) You may share knowledge through your runes to other bloodborn. Requirements: Bloodborn Benefit: You may spend 10 minutes meditating in physical contact with another bloodborn sharing one of the runes of your runepair. After this you may replace this feat with a feat they know that you qualify for. You may spend a full-round action to clear this feat back to its normal state. Living Runecraft (Runic) You can scribe runes in the same medium as the living light of the Sourcerunes. Requirements: Runic Literacy, Bloodborn, Linguistics 5 ranks Benefit: You can draft runes in the living light your Sourcerunes radiate from. This process is faster allowing you to draft runes as a move action by drafting in the air. Additional rules for Runic feats are presented in the Rogue Genius Games products The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might and The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might II. Mindmight Mastery (Runic) You magic opens lethal holes in foes defenses. Requirements: Mindmight Resonance Benefit: You add your Intelligence bonus to attack and damage rolls for weapon attacks against targets that failed a saving throw against an effect benefiting from mindmight resonance for 1 round. Penetrating Powerstrike (Runic) Your precision increases with your blows’ surety. Requirements: Powerstrike Resonance Benefit: You may increase the threat range of your melee attacks critical multipliers by 1 for one round after gaining your powerstrike damage bonus. You may extend your threat bonus for up to three rounds before this ability must reset. Rising Mindfire (Runic) Your mindfire burns brighter with each repetition. Requirements: Mindfire Resonance Benefit: You may extend the benefits of the mindfire resonance for two more castings, manifestations or uses as long as each casting dealt damage successfully. Each time you extend your damage bonus it increases by a +1 circumstance bonus. Runic Reversal (Runic) You can reverse the dominance of your runepair. Requirements: Bloodborn Benefit: You may enter a trance lasting 8 hours. You gain the benefits of a full rest period from this trance. If you complete the trance uninterrupted you may reverse your primary and secondary source rune attunements. Soulmind Reserve (Runic) The resistance of your soulmind runes persists. Requirements: Soulmind Resonance Benefit: Your saving throw bonuses from your soulmind are retained up to 1 minute before dissipating. You may save up to three bonuses before losing their benefits. They must be used in the order they were gained. Spellblood Alteration (Runic) Your runes can hold spell knowledge. Requirements: Atkai, Muo or Essal rune family. Benefit: Select one spell or power of each level you can cast or manifest but do not currently know, when you prepare or regain spells (or powers) you may trade a known ability for one selected with this feat. Spells and powers selected with this feat must be available to a class-list that you have access to. When you prepare or regain access to your abilities for the day you may replace a power or spell with an ability chosen with this feat. Skillsurge runepair in horizontal formation. 13 Skillsurged Confidence (Runic) Your faith in yourself builds with each success. Requirements: Skillsurge Resonance Benefit: You gain confidence with every successful use of a skill effected by your Skillsurge Resonance. For each round you successfully execute a skill under the resonance effect, you gain a +1 morale bonus to all d20 and damage rolls. This bonus lasts for 1 round, unless you successfully execute a Skillsurged skill again in that round in which case your bonus increases by 1 and the duration extends for 1 more round. This effect can stack to a maximum of three times (for a +3 morale bonus). Sublimate Rune (Runic) You have the ability to hide your Sourcerune. Requirements: Bloodborn Benefit: You may completely conceal the visible effects of your Sourcerunes. You still gain the benefits of their Resonance, primary and secondary effects. They shed no light and do not flare during Resonance. Special: You may take this feat as bonus feat by making it uncontrolled. This limitation also might include a traumatic Darhamahn period and may even prevent your from recognizing your true nature. Surging Bloodseethe (Runic) Your killing frenzy makes you nearly impossible to take down. Requirements: Bloodseethe resonance Benefit: Whenever your defeat a foe during a bloodseethe resonance, you may use an immediate action to gain temporary hit points equal to your character level. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 hour. Swiftblood Blur (Runic) Your Sourcerunes flare wildly and your movements become difficult to follow. Requirements: Swiftblood Resonance Benefit: During any round your Swiftblood resonance is active, you may also add your Constitution modifier as a dodge bonus to AC as long as you move more than 5 feet. Swiftstrike Surety (Runic) You seize every chance to exploit surprised foes. Requirements: Swiftstrike Resonance Benefit: When you succeed in attacking flatfooted opponents or confirmation on critical hits, you may add your Dexterity bonus as a circumstance bonus your next attacks damage roll. Tertiary Attunement (Runic) You have a third Sourcerune. Requirements: : Any Sourcerune Resonance Benefit: You may select an additional secondary rune. You gain the resonance for it and your primary rune and its alternate benefits. Warblood Adaptability (Runic) You may call upon ancestral memory in battle. Requirements: Warblood resonance Benefit: You gain the martial flexibility ability of a first level brawler. You can take a move action to gain the benefit of a combat feat you don’t possess. This effect lasts for 1 minute. You must meet all the feat’s prerequisites. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + 1/2 her brawler level (minimum 3). Weapon of the Soul (Runic) You may manifest a mystic weapon of power. Requirements: Bloodborn, Autohypnosis 3 ranks. Benefit: You gain the manifest mind blade ability of a 1st level Soulknife. If you already have access to this ability you effective level is increased by 2 for purposes of calculating all mind blade related class features (this does not include psychic strike) As a swift action you may suppress the resonance effect of your runepair and grant the mind blade a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage. Soulsword bloodborn may gain the same bonus by using a swift action. 14 Prestige Classes Bloodrune Adept From the earliest days of their Darhamahn, the bloodborn struggle to reconcile their conflicting influences. Both the massive unconscious lore imparted by the Sourcerunes and the counterpoint influence of their Blood Patrons can overwhelm even the strongest willed bloodborn. Some however learn to embrace the conflict and shift their essences like a tide. These bloodrune adepts can delve their ancestral personas and summon up the essences of their Blood-Patrons. Hit Die: d8 Requirements To qualify to become an bloodrune adept, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria. Feats: Runic Reversal (or see below). Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks. Special: Access to past-life or ancestral memory via a racial or class ability. The bloodrune adept must also undertake a special ritual that allows them to bond with two other characters who become their Blood Patrons if not of the bloodborn race. Class Skills The bloodrune adept’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history). Additionally, you may select one skill per level to become a class skill. Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the bloodrune adept prestige class. Runic Self (Su): By entering a trance lasting 8 hours, the bloodrune adept can draw deeply on the memories of his predecessors and channel an alternate self. The Bloodrune Adept creates a second character still designed with the same statistics and racial bonuses. The runic self must have one level in common with the bloodrune adept’s current levels (if your are using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Unchained rules you may take levels in a class you have feature access to via feats) but may have more or less levels in a class than the bloodrune adept. A runic self may not take levels in this prestige class. A runic self may have levels equaling the bloodrune adept’s total character level -2, experience gained while in a Runic Self is applied to the core character not the alternate. Runic selves can be up to one step removed from the bloodrune adept’s own alignment. 15 While the runic self is active a bloodborn’s conflicted soul trait is suppressed allowing runic self characters to be single classed without penalty. You gain an additional runic self at 6th and 10th levels. Blood Self (Su): At 2nd and 7th levels, the Bloodrune Adept gains a alternate self following the same rules as runic self except that the Blood Self alternate character must instead share a level with one of the bloodborn’s Blood Patrons. Blood Selves can be up to two steps removed from the alignment of the bloodrune adept as long as it moves toward the alignment of a Blood Patron. If your character is unaware of their Blood Patron then your GM will tell you what abilities are selectable for your blood self. See the Blood Patron sidebar for more information. Spellcasting/Manifesting/Features: At each level except 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th, you gain new spells per day or powers and an increase in caster or manifester level (and spells or power known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting or psionic classes to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained. Alternatively, you may increase a classes effective level for all features except spellcasting in a class allowing the bloodrune adept to increase sneak attack, paladin smite and the other class abilities instead of gaining new mystical powers. GMs may allow these levels to impact other class progressions as well. Bonus Feat: At 3rd level you may select a bonus feat your character qualifies for. It must also belong to a runic or blood self. Alternatively, you may select any feat with the (Runic) subtype. See Rogue Genius Games’ Genius Guide to Runic Might I and II for more information on non- bloodborn runic feats. Improved Bloodrune Recall (Ex): At 4th level your runic and blood selves may increase in level to equal your total character level -1. Bloodrune Surge (Su): At 5th level an immediate action you can draw on a flash of momentary insight of your alternate runic or blood self. For one round after you do so you can act as though your were an alternate character from either your Runic Self or Blood Self class abilities with its full compliment of powers, abilities, and magic. Your core character abilities become unavailable to you. At 9th level you may do this for one additional round per day. The rounds need not be consecutive. Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Class Feature Spellcasting or Advancement 1st +0 +0 +0 +1 Runic Self - 2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Blood Self +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 3rd +2 +1 +1 +2 Bonus Feat +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 4th +3 +1 +1 +2 Improved Bloodrune Recall 5th +3 +2 +2 +3 Bloodrune Surge 1/day +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 6th +4 +2 +2 +3 Runic Self 2 +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 7th +5 +2 +2 +4 Blood Self 2 8th +6 +3 +3 +4 Bonus Feat +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 9th +6 +3 +3 +5 Greater Bloodrune Recall +1 level for spellcasting/powers/features 10th +7 +3 +3 +5 Bloodrune Surge 2/day, Runic Self 3 Table 1-1: Bloodrune Adept 16 Zenith Caster As a Zenith Caster, you are a living crux in the tides of magic and the eddies of the supernatural. Mastering not a single source of magic but two, you follow the guidance of each of your sourcerunes and learn to use one art to enhance the other. Believe to have been founded by temporal masters who made contact with They Who Came Before. The secrets of the ancients fell directly from their lips and fell on the ears of the Now. The zenith casters of the bloodborn most often combine powers of arcane Sources with divine or psionic Sources but entropimancers and timemages are far from unknown among them. Hit Die: d6 Requirements To qualify to become an zenith caster, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria. Feats: Two metamagic feats. Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks. Special: Access to spells or powers of 2nd level of more in two classes that have such abilities. Class Skills The zenith caster’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Perception (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Features The following are class features of the zenith caster prestige class. Spellcasting/Manifesting: At each level except 1st and 5th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster or manifester level (and spells or powers known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in Source using classes to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained. At 1st and 5th level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster or manifester level (and spells or powers known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in your spellcasting class with the lowest effective level. For example, a 4th-level wizard/3rd level cleric who gained one level of zenith caster would gain increased spellcasting ability as if he had gained a level of cleric (since that class’s caster level is lower than his wizard caster level). If all your Source-using classes have equal effective levels, you can apply this benefit to any of your existing Source-using classes. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained. Tidal Magic (Ex): At 1st level, you may select two classes with different Sources, your caster level for spells from those two Sources increases by 1. It increases again at 4th level, and 7th level (to a maximum of +3). Dual-Source Metamastery (Ex): At 2nd level, you can select one metamagic feat you know. You can choose to sacrifice a spell or spell slot from one of your classes selected with Tidal Magic to apply the effect the selected metamagic Sources of Power: Power comes from many places and for purposes of these rules Sources of Powers are mechanically significant. These power sources include: Arcane - The power of the universe drawn through study or birthright. Di- vine - The power of the spirit. Entropic - The power of system failures in the uni- verse Material - The power of the phys- ical world. Psionic - The power of the mind unlocked. Temporal - The power of the flow of time. Other sources may be available to you by GM permission. 17 feat that you know to a spell cast using the other Tidal Magic class. (For instance, you could sacrifice a cleric slot to apply a metamagic effect to a wizard spell.) This sacrificed spell or slot is lost (just as if you had cast the spell) in addition to the spell you are actually casting. The effective level of the spell to be enhanced can’t exceed one-half your total character level rounded up. For example, a 7th level character could not create spell effects greater than 4th level after adjustment. The level of the spell slot sacrificed must equal or exceed the spell level adjustment of the metamagic feat. To empower a spell, for example, you would have to spend a 2nd-level or higher spell. If one of your Sources is psionic you may instead use 2 power points to count as a level of sacrificed spell energy, paying more as needed to account for metamagic adjustments. So for example to maximize an effect you would need to spend 6 power points instead of sacrificing a 3rd level spell slot. Metamagic effects may be applied to powers with this ability as though they were spells of the same level. You select an addtional feat to work with this ability at 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level. Bonus Feat: At 5th level, and again at 9th level, you can select a bonus metamagic feat for which you meet the prerequisites. Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Class Feature Spellcasting or Advancement 1st +0 +0 +0 +1 Tidal Magic +1 +1 level to lower Source’s spells/powers 2nd +1 +1 +1 +1 Dual-Source Metamastery 1 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 3rd +1 +1 +1 +2 Tidal Magic +2 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 4th +2 +1 +1 +2 Dual-Source Metamastery 2 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 5th +2 +2 +2 +3 Bonus Feat +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 6th +3 +2 +2 +3 Dual-Source Metamastery 3 +1 level to lower Source’s spells/powers 7th +3 +2 +2 +4 Tidal Magic +3 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 8th +4 +3 +3 +4 Dual-Source Metamastery 4 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 9th +4 +3 +3 +5 Bonus Feat +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers 10th +5 +3 +3 +5 Dual-Source Metamastery 5 +1 level to both Sources’ spells/powers Table 1-2: Zenith Caster 18 New Psionic Powers Destabilize Resonance Discipline Metacreativity (Creation, Force); Level: Cryptic 3, marksman 3, psion/wilder 3, psychic warrior 3, sighted seeker 3, tactician 3, vitalist 3 Display Mental and visual Manifesting Time 1 immediate action Range Touch Target You Duration Instantaneous Saving Throw No; Power Resistance: Yes Power points 5 You infuse unstable astral energies into your Sourcerunes and terminate a resonance in a burst of explosive force. Your resonance immediately ends and you may make a touch attack to deal 2d6 of damage. Augment: This power can be augmented in one or more of the following ways. 1. For each additional power points you increase the damage dealt by this power by 1d6. Rune Lock Discipline Metacreativity (Creation); Level: Cryptic 3, marksman 3, psion/wilder 3, psychic warrior 3, sighted seeker 3, tactician 3, vitalist 3 Display Mental and visual Manifesting Time 1 standard action Range Personal Target You Duration 1 round/level (D) Saving Throw Reflex negates; Power Resistance: Yes Power points 5 You infuse astral energies into your Sourcerunes and lock a resonance into a more stable state, allowing the effect of your resonance to extend without a new trigger for the duration of this power. Augment: This power can be augmented in one or more of the following ways. 1. For 2 additional power points you may lock a second resonance if you have a tertiary rune. 2. For 4 additional power points you may increase the duration of this power to 1 minute/level. New Spells Hide Sourcerune School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, bard 1, cleric/oracle 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (a pinch of ash) Range touch Duration 1 minute/level (D) Saving Throw Will (harmless); SR yes You completely conceal the visible effects of a bloodborn’s Sourcerunes. They still gain the benefits of their Resonance, primary and secondary effects. They shed no light and do not flare during Resonance. The gain a +5 to disguise checks attempting to pass themselves as normal humans. Seal Sourcerune School necromancy (curse); Level alchemist 4, cleric/oracle 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 3 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (a pinch of ash) Range Touch Target One bloodborn Duration Permanent (D) Saving Throw Will negates; SR yes You completely close the runes of a bloodborn of to them. They loose all benefit of their primary and secondary runes and cannot gain Resonance. Additionally, they take a penalty equal to the stat modifier of their primary rune stat modifier to skill checks and attack roles. 19 Appendix 1: Mythic Path Abilities Archmage Path 1st Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at any tier. Efficient Invocation (Su): You may invoke a drafted rune from a runic feat 1 time per tier without it being consumed. Additional rules for drafted runes and Runic feats are presented in the Rogue Genius products The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might and The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might II. 6th Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at 6th tier. Blood of the Everlasting (Su): You may expend a use of mythic power to prime a Bloodwell with your own blood. If you are slain, your essence seeks the blood and lies in wait for the next activation of the Well. When it is triggered the newborn bloodborn is overwritten with your essence and your are reincarnated as per the spell but with new physical statistics and all the racial traits of a bloodborn. Master-of-Shapes Path 1st Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at any tier. Consume Sourcerune (Su): You may expend a use of mythic power and consume the corpse of a recently fallen bloodborn. You may gain access to one of that bloodborn’s Sourcerune attunement. If you do not have a Sourcerune this acts as a Primary rune. Otherwise you gain access to it as per the Tertiary Sourcerune feat. The rune lasts until you use this ability on another bloodborn corpse. Scion-of-High-Sorcery Path 1st Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at any tier. Bloodrune Tongue (Su): You may expend a use of mythic power and taste the blood of a bloodborn. The blood must be from a living bloodborn or a bloodborn that has been dead for no more than a minute per tier. You gain access to one of their Sourcerunes. If you do not have a Sourcerune this acts as a Primary rune. Otherwise you gain access to it as per the Tertiary Sourcerune feat. The rune lasts for up to 1 minute per tier. Will-of-All Path 1st Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at any tier. Runebridge (Su): You may expend a use of mythic power as a standard action to link another bloodborn character to you in a way that connects two sourcerunes. These runes must be runs that the both you and the other bloodborn do not share in common. For one minute per tier you gain access to the resonance between those runes as if they were you rune pair. Universal Path 1st Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at any tier. Enduring Resonance (Su): You may extend the duration of your Sourcerune Resonance by a number of rounds equal to your tier. 3rd Tier Ability You can select these path abilities at 3rd tier. Fleshrunes (Su): You may add your tier to the number of runic feats you are considered to have. Many Runic feats grow in strength in response to this number. Additional rules for Runic feats are presented in the Rogue Genius products The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might and The Genius Guide to Feats of Runic Might II. 20 Published Under the SRD, OGL, and d20 (v 3) License ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Inc; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Advanced Player’s Guide. Copyright 2010, Paizo Inc; Author: Jason Bulmahn. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Inc; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney‑MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Inc; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney‑MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman The Iconic Bestiary: Classics of Fantasy Copyright 2005, Lions Den Press; Author Ari Marmell Hyperconscious: Explorations in Psionics Copyright 2004 Bruce R Cordell. All rights reserved. If Thoughts Could Kill Copyright 2001–2004 Bruce R. Cordell. All rights reserved. Mindscapes Copyright 2003–2004 Bruce R. Cordell. All rights reserved. Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004 Wizards of the Coast. Mutants & Masterminds Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing. Swords of Our Fathers Copyright 2003, The Game Mechanics. Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker,Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker The Grand OGL Wiki, http://grandwiki.wikidot.com Copyright 2008-2011 Purple Duck Games; Authors: Mark Gedak, Alex Schroeder, Joel Arellano, George Fields, Yair Rezek, Mike Whalen, Shane O’Connor, Mike Rickard, John Whamond, Bill Browne, Eric Williamson, Slatz Grubnik, Charles R. Wenzler Jr, John Fraser, Jonathon Thompson, Thomas Boxall. Legendary VI: Legendary Armor © 2012, Purple Duck Games; Author: Marc Radle. The Genius Guide To: Feats of Psionic Might. Copyright 2011, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens Pathfinder Companion: Sargava, the Lost Colony. Copyright 2010, Paizo Inc; Author: JD Wiker. Psionics Unleashed. Copyright 2010, Dreamscarred Press. Psionics Expanded. 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Madness in Freeport Revised, © 2001-2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author William Simoni. Terror in Freeport Revised, © 2001-2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Robert J. Toth. Seas of Blood, © © 2001, Mongoose Publishing. Assassin’s Handbook, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors David “Zeb” Cook and Wolfgang Baur. Armies of the Abyss, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors Erik Mona and Chris Pramas. Book of the Righteous, © 2002, Aaron Loeb. Freeport: The City of Adventure, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors Matt Forbeck and Chris Pramas. Mutants & Masterminds, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Steve Kenson. Salon du Masque, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Chris Pramas. Secret College of Necromancy, © 2002, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors David “Zeb” Cook and Wolfgang Baur. Avatar’s Handbook, © 2003, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Jesse Decker. 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Toth. d20 Freeport Companion, © 2007, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Robert J. Schwalb. Freeport Companion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Edition, © 2008, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors Robert J. Schwalb, Adam Daigle, Brandon Hodge, John E. Ling, Jr., Greg A. Vaughan The Secrets of Divine Channeling Copyright 2010 Steven D. Russell Author Jonathan McAnulty The Genius Guide to: The Dragonrider. Copyright 2009, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens. Paths of Power. Copyright 2009, 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming; Authors Sean O’Connor and Patricia Willenborg, with Connie J. Thomson and Robert W. Thomson. The Genius Guide to: The Godling. Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens. The Great City Player’s Guide © by Øone Roleplaying Games The Complete Book of Eldritch Might Copyright 2004 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved Copyright 2005 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. The Book of Roguish Luck Copyright 2005 Wolfgang Baur. All rights reserved. The Secrets of the Luckbringer Copyright 2011, Steven D Russell; Author Steven D. Russell Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed DM’s Screen and Player’s Guide Copyright 2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. The Diamond Throne Copyright 2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed Copyright 2003 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved Copyright 2005–2007 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, © 2009, Paizo Inc; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. The Secrets of the Taskshaper, Copyright 2010, Steven D. Russell; Author: Steven D. Russell The Genius Guide to: The Time Thief Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens The Genius Guide to: The Vanguard. Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Authors: Marc Radle, Owen K.C. Stephens. The Genius Guide to: The War Master Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens The Genius Guide to: The Witch Hunter Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens Classic Monsters Revisited. Copyright 2008, Paizo Inc; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Mike McArtor, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary. © 2009, Paizo Inc; Author: Jason Bulmahn (based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide, © 2010, Paizo Inc; Author: Cam Banks, Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Butler, Eric Cagle, Graeme Davis, Adam Daigle, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Kenneth Hite, Steven Kenson, Robin Laws, Tito Leati, Rob McCreary, Hal Maclean, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, David Noonan, Richard Pett, Rich Redman, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber Scott, Doug Seacat, Mike Selinker, Lisa Stevens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, Penny Williams, Skip Williams, Teeuwynn Woodruff. Advanced Player’s Guide. © 2010, Paizo Inc; Author: Jason Bulmahn. Fang & Fury: A Guidebook to Vampires. © 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Author: Jim Bishop. The Assassin’s Handbook Copyright 2002 Green Ronin Publishing. All rights reserved. The Book of Roguish Luck Copyright 2005 Wolfgang Baur. All rights reserved The Secrets of Divine Channeling Copyright 2010 Steven D. Russell Author Jonathan McAnulty The Secrets of the Luckbringer Copyright 2011, Steven D. Russell; Author Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Magus Copyright 2011, Steven D Russell; Author Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Taskshaper, Copyright 2010, Steven D. Russell; Author: Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Gunslinger Copyright 2011, Steven D Russell; Author Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Inquisitor Copyright 2012, Steven D Russell; Author Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Magus Copyright 2011, Steven D Russell; Author Steven D. Russell The Secrets of the Oracle Copyright 2011 Steven D. Russell; Author David Mallon The Secrets of Martial Mastery Copyright 2010 Steven D. Russell Author Steve D. Russell The Secrets of Adventuring Copyright 2013 Steven D. Russell, David Mallon, Jonathan McAnulty, Will McCardell, Benjamin Rombeaut Monster Encyclopedia I. © 2004, Mongoose Publishing Ltd. Wayfinder #5. © 2011, Paizo Fans United; Authors: Ryan Costello, Jr., Liz Courts, Paris Crenshaw, Darrick Dahl, Adam Daigle, Blake Davis, Jess Door, Jeffrey Erwin, J. Russell Estes, Charles Evans, Dawn Fischer, Christoph Gimmler, Robert Gresham, Jesper Haglund, Eric Hindley, Michael Kelley, Michael Kortes, Michael Lane, Thomas LeBlanc, Jeffrey Lee, Tom McQueen, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Tom Phillips, Dane Pitchford, Marc Radle, John C. Rock, Carl Rossi, Joseph Scott, K. Neil Shackleton, Justin Sluder, Neil Spicer, David Schwartz, Ian Turner, Brandon Waldenberg, and Mike Welham. 101 Renegade Class Feats Copyright 2011 Steven D. Russell; Author Steven D. Russell 10 Luckbringer Feats Copyright Steven D. Russell; Authors: Steven D. Russell Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Inc; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Inc; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. Genius Options: Masters of Time. Copyright 2012, Super Genius Games, LLC; Author: Owen K.C. Stephens The Genius Guide To: The Time Thief. Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games. Author: Owen K.C. Stephens The Secrets of the Taskshaper, Copyright 2010, Steven D. Russell; Author: Steven D. Russell Pathfinder Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jonathan H. Keith, Colin McComb, Steven E. Schend, Leandra Christine Schneider, and Amber E. Scott. The Genius Guide to the Archon. Copyright 2010, Super Genius Games, LLC; Author: Owen K.C. Stephens The Genius Guide to the Riven Mage. Copyright 2012, Super Genius Games, LLC; Author: Carl Gilchrist and Owen K.C. Stephens Genius Guide to the Mosaic Mage. Copyright 2011, Super Genius Games, LLC; Author: Ryan Costello, Jr. Transcendent 10 – Systems of Skill – Expanded Skill Checks. © 2012, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Transcendent 10 – Feats of Offense – Spellcasting & Metamagic. © 2012, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Transcendent 10--Spells of Synergy – Multiclass & Melee. © 2013, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Transcendent 10--Psionics of Conflict – Zones of Power. © 2013, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Classes of the Lost Spheres - Echo. © 2013, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Transcendent 10 – Feats of Synergy – Heartbound Heroes. © 2012, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Transcendent 10 – Feats of the Lost – Figures Forlorn. © 2013, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Pact Magic Unbound Vol. 1. Copyright 2012, Radiance House Pact Magic Unbound Vol. 2. Copyright 2013, Radiance House Pacts & Pawns. Copyright 2014, d20pfsrd.com Publishing; Author: Michael Massey. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Ross Byers, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, Jonathan H. Keith, Will McCardell, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Sean K Reynolds, Tork Shaw, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. Path of War, © 2014, Dreamscarred Press. Mythic Paths of the Lost Spheres. © 2014, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2 © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3 © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. Baphomet from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Genie, Marid from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Grippli from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Nereid from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ Taylor. Player’s Guide to the Dragon Empire, Copyright 2012, Open Design LLC. Design Adam Roy. All rights reserved. Advanced Races: Dragonkin. Copyright 2013, Open Design LLC. Author: Amanda Hamon. www.koboldpress.com Kobold Quarterly issue 23, “Slithering in Moonlight”, © 2012, Open Design LLC, Author: Marc Radle www. koboldquarterly.com. All Rights Reserved. New Paths: The Expanded Shaman © 2012, Open Design LLC.; Author: Marc Radle. Advanced Races: Lamia. © 2014, Open Design LLC. Author: Marc Radle Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, © 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with 22 Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.” Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Keith Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Clinton J. Boomer, Jason Bulmahn, Joshua J. Frost, Ed Greenwood, Stephen S. Greer, Jeff Grubb, James Jacobs, Michael Kortes, Tito Leati, Mike McArtor, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Eric Nelson,Jeff Quick, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Leandra Christine Schneider, David Schwartz, Amber E. Scott, Stan!, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan, Jeremy Walker, and JD Wiker. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bonus Bestiary. © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor. The Assassin’s Handbook, Copyright 2002 Green Ronin Publishing. All rights reserved. The Book of Roguish Luck, Copyright 2005 Wolfgang Baur. All rights reserved. Empire of the Ghouls, Copyright 2007 Wolfgang Baur, www.wolfgangbaur.com All rights reserved. Imperial Gazetteer, Copyright 2010, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Blood of the Gorgon, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC; Author: Nicolas Logue Castle Shadowcrag, Copyright 2007, Wolfgang Baur, www.wolfgangbaur.com All rights reserved. Dark Creeper from the Tome of Horrors, Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Simon Muth. Northlands © 2011, Open Design LLC; Author: Dan Voyce; Streets of Zobeck. Copyright 2011, Open Design LLC, Authors: Ben McFarland, Mike Franke, Richard Pett, Christina Stiles, Matthew Stinson. Sunken Empires. Copyright 2010, Open Design, LLC; Authors: Brandon Hodge, David “Zeb” Cook, and Stefen Styrsky. www.koboldquarterly.com Tales of the Old Margreve. Copyright 2010, Open Design, LLC; Authors: Tim and Eileen Connors, Michael Furlanetto, Jonathan McAnulty, Ben McFarland, Richard Pett, Steven Robert, and Dan Voyce. Tales of Zobeck, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Bill Collins, Tim & Eileen Connors, Ed Greenwood, Jim Groves, Mike McArtor, Ben McFarland, Joshua Stevens, Dan Voyce Zobeck Gazetteer, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC; Author: Wolfgang Baur Zobeck Gazetteer Volume 2: Dwarves of the Ironcrags, Copyright 2009, Open Design LLC., www. koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly, Copyright 2007, Wolfgang Baur, www.wolfgangbaur.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 4, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC, www.wolfgangbaur.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 6, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 7, Copyright 2008, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 8, Copyright 2009, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 9, Copyright 2009, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 10, Copyright 2009, Open Design LLC www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 13, Copyright 2010, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly issue 14, Copyright 2010, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6582.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6596.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6947.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2011, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page10447.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2011, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page5074.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6556.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page3595.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2009, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6138.php Kobold Quarterly Blog, 2010, http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page6594.php Advanced Bestiary, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author Matthew Sernett. Anger of Angels. © 2003, Sean K Reynolds. The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Book of Fiends. © 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors: Aaron Loeb, Erik Mona, Chris Pramas, Robert J. Schwalb. The Book of Hallowed Might. © 2002, Monte J. Cook. Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition Copyright 2003, Silverthorne Games; Authors Ian Johnston and Chris S. Sims. A Dozen Hazards of the Dragon’s Lair, Copyright 2005 Philip Reed, published by Ronin Arts www. roninarts.com Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed. © 2003, Monte J. Cook. Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, Copyright 2005 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Original Spell Name Compendium, Copyright 2002 Clark Peterson; based on NPC-named spells from the Player’s Handbook that were renamed in the System Reference Document. The Compendium can be found on the legal page of www.necromancergames.com The Iconic Bestiary: Classics of Fantasy, Copyright 2005, Lions Den Press; Author Ari Marmell Material from http://home.gwi.net/~rdorman/frilond/, Copyright 2001-2005 R. Dorman. All rights reserved. Path of the Magi. © 2002 Citizen Games/Troll Lord Games; Authors: Mike McArtor, W. Jason Peck, Jeff Quick, and Sean K Reynolds. Pathfinder Adventure Path #24, Copyright Paizo 2009. All Rights Reserved. Pathfinder Chronicles: Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Vol. I. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: F. Wesley Schneider. Rise of the Ghouls, © 2005 Adam Windsor. Skreyn’s Register: The Bonds of Magic. © 2002, Sean K Reynolds. Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. Tome of Horrors III, Copyright 2005 Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author: Scott Greene, with Casey Christofferson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Patrick Lawringer, Nathan Paul, Clark Peterson, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb and Bill Webb. Unearthed Arcana, Copyright 2004,Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman Unhallowed Halls. Copyright 2002, Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games; author Christina Stiles. Courts of the Shadow Fey. Copyright 2013, Open Design LLC. Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Ben McFarland. Imperial Gazetteer, Copyright 2010, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved. Advanced Races:the Darakhul. Copyright 2013, Open Design LLC. www.koboldpress.com. Author: Ben McFarland. Classes of the Lost Spheres - Paramour. © 2014, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Unchained © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Ross Beyers, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Robert Emerson, Tim Hitchcock, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, and Russ Taylor. Races of the Lost Spheres - Bloodborn. © 2015, Lost Spheres Publishing. Author: Christen N. Sowards 23 Throughout the worlds of the Lost Spheres and beyond stand the slumbering Blood- wells awaiting to awaken with the power to create life with but a few drops of the blood of Man. Those Who Came Before left their knowledge to join in the wells and give rise to a race both more and less than human: The Bloodborn! Inside this book you will find a new race for your Pathfinder Roleplaying Game cam- paigns. Supporting a broad range of the newest content from the Pathfinder Role- playing Game Advanced Class Guide and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Unchained, the Bloodborn present a robust suite of racial options. Included are: • The Sourcerune mechanic system providing new ways to explore old classes and support multiclass characters from both the core and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Unchained systems. • Over two dozen feats supporting the racial mechanics and interacting with Rogue Genius Games’ Genius Guide to Runic Might I and II! • New Psionic powers and character options (including Sourcerunes) supporting the Ultimate Psionics system from Dreamscarred Press. • New spells to to alter the way your character’s runic powers work. • New prestige classes to support the rune mechanics, the Bloodrune Adept - a master of summoning up the hidden skills of blood and ancient knowledge from past lives, and the Zenith Caster - a tidal mystic able to reconcile magical and supernatural powers from two sources and synthesize them into a singular force. And much more!

textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Lost Spheres/Lost Races - Bloodborn.pdf

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Hvy Machinery Australian Aboriginal Barter Intelligence Pilot: Deep Dive Suit Baltic Brotherhood Accounting Pilot: Dirigible Basqu Chameleon Anthropology Pilot: EVPA Celtic Charismatic Leadership Astral Navigation Pilot: Gyro Creole & Patois Combat Sense Astrogation Pilot: Fixed Wing Dravidian Con Astrology Pilot: Hardshell Esperanto Counsel Awareness/Notice Pilot: OTV Finnic Credibilit Body Language Pilot: Power Armor Germanic Family Biogenetics Pilot: Remote Greek Gang Rank Biology Pilot: Shuttl Hamitic Interface Botany Pilot: Sub Indic Jury Rig Braindance Use Pilot: Vectored Thrust Indo-Iranian Kith Bureaucracy Rifle Japanese Marine Instinct Business Sense Sleight of Hand Khoisan Medical Tech Chemistry Stealth Korean PA Combat Sense Composition Underwater Combat Loglan/Logical Lang. Reason Corporate Policy Underwater Hvy Wpns Mayalo-Polynesian Recognition Culture Underwater Weapons Mon-Khmer/Annamit Reconnaissance Diagnose Illness Water Vehicles Niger-Kordofanian/Afr. Research ECM Zero-G Combat Nilotic Resources Education & Knowledge Zero-G Maneuver Papuan Salvage Eiditic Memory PC-Speak Scrounge Gamble Technical Romantic Sneak Geology Aero Tech Semetic Space Combat Grapholog AV Tech Sign Languag Spy Craft Herbalism Basic Tech Sino-Tibetan Streetdeal Hide/Evade Braindance Editing Slavic Street Tactics History Calligraphy Streetslang Thief Library Search Cryotank Operation Turkic Titillate Magic (Stage Magic) Cyberdeck Design Ugrian Trace Mathematics Cybertech Algonquian Urban Survival NuScub Demolitions Athabascan Vamp Physics Disguise Caddoan Vehicle Zen Pilot: Ship Electronics Haida Warpath Programming Electronic Security Inuit Workgang Psychology Expert: Elect. Warfare Iroqouian Rune Lore First Aid Macro-Chibchan Attractiveness Sailpower Forgery Mayan Personal Grooming Seamanship Gyrotech Muskhogean Wardrobe & Style Shadow/Tra Marine tech Otomanguean Space Survival Municipal Comm. Salishan Body Stock Market Origami Siouan Controlled Hypervent. Street Survival Paint or Draw South American Indian Endurance System Knowledg PA Tech Tlingit Strength Feat Tactics Pharmaceuticals Uto-Aztecan Swimming Teaching Photography & Film Theology Pick Loc Expert Skills & Area Know. Cool Underwater Survival Pick Pocket Area Know: Cadre tactics Urban Survival Play Instrument Area Know: Interrogation Vampire Lore Pressure Suit Tech Area Know: Intimidate Water Vehicles Sonar Tech Expert: Meditation Wilderness Survival Spacecraft Tech Expert: Oratory Zoology Sub Tech Expert: Resist Drug & Torture Tattooing Expert: Rhetoric Reflexes Video Manipulation Expert: Streetwise Action Game Weaponsmith Expert: Archer Wetware Design Expert: Empathy Athletics Expert: Animal Handling Brawling Psyche Expert: Human Perception Combat Soccer Psychic Expert: Interview Dance Expert: Leadership Dodge & Escap Psy/Emp Expert: Palmistry Driving Aura Reading Expert: Perform EVA Tarot Lore Expert: Persuasion & Fast Talk Fencing Voodoo Divination Expert: Seduction Handgun Expert: Simper Heavy Weapons Expert: ����� ��� ���� ������ ������ ���� �� ����� ��� ���� ������ ������ ���� �� �� ��� ������ �� � !�" � �"#$� �%�"& �"�# �� �%"�� �&��' ���''�� Damage 1D6/2+DM 1D6+DM -2ATT 1D6+DM, Stun-2 Escape Hold or Choke 1D6/Turn +2 next ATT Auto Choke, Hold or Throw next action �#'�+,�+� �� �� �#'�+,�+� �� �� HC Total HC Total Humanity Cost Grand Total ��)- . �/���)�) Available Cash Housing Food Phone Other Expenses 0��+ �� �$)! 0��+ �� �$)! 0��+ �� �$)! ������ ���� �� ���� ������ ������ ����� ��� ���� ���� ���� �))�!) . �+$��+!# Asset Value Asset Value ���������� ���� ������ List one life event for each year from age 16 ���� ����� �(%��!�1�) . ��)�(%��!�1�) ����� ���������������� ������������������ Welcome to the first expansive, organized Cyberpunk character sheet, b rought to you by the good folks at www.CyberpunkContraband.com. This record sheet set is designed for use in keeping track of your favorite, most cherished surviving characters from your cyberpunk campaigns. The first page is the combat page. It carries your complete stats, plus space for all the necessary skills, cyberware, some martial arts and the weapons your character usually uses in a fight.. One important note is the extra 8 damage boxes which is for support of some of the variant material created by game fans, like the Aliens and Starship Troopers material. You'll also note some of the other 'extras', like support for Radiation exposure from the Near Orbit and Deep Space books and support for the new stats found in Night's Edge and other books published by Ianus Publications or Dream Pod 9. All in all, the page is designed to keep everything you need for combat focused on a single page. The second page is your master skill page. Unlike other published pages, we provide two variants for this page. The first variant is the typical alphabetized listing, with room to check off the skill and list your current skill level. The list is very complete, with a complete list of the language skills and space for 3 area knowledge skills and about 15 expert skills. The second variant is our custom skills page, which allows you to keep far better track of your skills. Space is provided for 100 skills, a special consideration for those using the DP9 magic or psychic skills, plus a section for more martial arts. Each skill line provides room for the skill name (skill), Improvement Point Multiplier (IPx), the associated statistic (STAT), the skill's current level (sk.lv.), the stat's current level (st.lv.), and the skill total before die roll (D10+). Finally there is space to track IP spent on the skill thus far toward the next skill level, especially useful when you have a Referee that like giving skill-specific critical success IP bonuses or forces you to distribute your earned IP each session. There is also a sma ll section for more martial arts should your character actually have knowledge of more than the three listed on the combat page. Next is the cyberware and outfit page. This allows you to provide a lengthy list of installed cyberware, with space for 36 items, more than enough to suck up most if not all your empathy through Humanity Loss. Along with this is a small sectio to track your cash and monthly expenses, any assets and property you own (houses, cars, etc.) along with your character's typical outfit or costume and gear. There's also some more room for an extra dozen weapons. Fourth is the life story page. This is where you list the character's background, lifepath data (supporting characters up to 38 years of age), life story, advantages and disa vantages from Ocelot's CharGen, Fusion, or Neo-City, etc. The eventual goal is to create a complete dossier that can handle with relative ease any version of Interlock or Fuzion. As the dossier evolves, you'll always be able to obtain a copy from www.cybe rpunkcontraband.com. Just beware, eventually it may become the Fuzed Interlock Character Dossier rather than remaining with the Cyberpunk 2020 Character Dossie name.. In all, this character dossier will suit the need of almost any player. If you find thi s document useful, please consider making a donation to the author at http://www.cyberpunkcontraband.com/donations.asp

textdata/thevault/Cyberpunk/Cyberpunk 2020/CPCB - Cyberpunk 2020 - Character Dossier (2001) [Q5].pdf

3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 1/26 Bubba's 5th Edition Expansion Bubba's 5th Edition Expansion Version 4.3.2.b Version 4.3.2.b The world The world's a magical place and my mind is no exception. s a magical place and my mind is no exception. The following is a homebrew compendium for use in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. we've gone green we've gone green created by xbubba1995x created by xbubba1995x 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 2/26 Wizards of the Coast Disclaimer Wizards of the Coast Disclaimer ⠀⠀⠀Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. © 2015 Wizards. All Rights Reserved. This Compendium is completely unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. For more information about Wizards of the Coast or any of Wizards' trademarks or other intellectual property, please visit their website. Special Thanks Special Thanks ⠀⠀⠀I would like to thanks some of my closer friends, who don't wish to be named. I would like to thank my players, who also don't wish to be named. I would also like to thank everyone on Reddit for providing feedback, but because there are too many of you, I can't list them here. So instead, just head down to the next page and use the Reddit link to go to the Subreddit for this Compendium. Then just read through the comments. My Other Compendiums My Other Compendiums You can find links to my other Compendiums below. I put a lot of work into each one, so enjoy. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon D&D 5e Race Expansion Pokémon Mystery Dungeon D&D 5e Race Expansion ⠀⠀⠀Ever want to play a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game that's just like D&D, but everyone's a Pokémon? With this expantion, you can! There's over 30 Pokémon you can play as, plus evolutions! Ever want to play a cryomancer Charmander wizard? How about a Barbarian Ralts? How about a dual wielding Machop that upgrades to two greatswords when he evolves into Macoke? Well, with this, you can! Oh, and if the link didn't work, then you can always use the backups on google drive here, but they wont be as up todate! 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 3/26 Version 4.3.2.b Version 4.3.2.b You can view the newest version of Bubba's 5th Eddition Expansion using the following links: Thehomebrewery link! Google Documents! Last Update On... Last Update On... March 19, 2018 | 9:28 pm Mountain Time Reddit Feedback Reddit Feedback To give feedback, please post a comment on this reddit page. Everything So Far Everything So Far With everything that I've done, and everything that I plan on doing, I think it would be easier if I listed the basics of what this Homebrew Compendium has in it! So without any other distractions, Bubba's 5th Edition Expansion has... 16 New Races and Subraces 10 New Subclasses 2 New Backgrounds 9 New Sections on Trade Goods 7 New Feats 6 New Magic Items 4 House Rule Suggestions Bubba's note on update 4.3.0.a Bubba's note on update 4.3.0.a Major update, with too many changes to list. See the details at the end of the PDF, in the change long! Index Index Chapter 1: Races ........................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Classes ........................................................................ 5 Chapter 3: Backgrounds ............................................................ 12 Chapter 4: Trade Goods ............................................................. 14 Chapter 5: Customization Options .......................................... 20 Chapter 6: Treasure .................................................................... 21 Chapter 7: House Rule Suggestions ....................................... 22 Change Log .................................................................................. 23 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 4/26 Chapter 1: Races Chapter 1: Races T he content found in this chapter includes new subraces and races. From canyon dwarves to the half-goblins, you'll find a colorful cast of things to play. These subraces were based on the races and subraces found in the player's handbook, and are balanced. Integrating them into your game will not be difficult. For the mix blood races can take the same role as the half-elf race found in the player's handbook, while the new sub-races take on a role of their own. Use your best judgment for these new sub- races based off of their short description and features. I would recommend all new races and subraces to take on a positive roll in your games, as a majority of them where made to play alongside the standard races found within the player's handbook. Dwarf Subraces Dwarf Subraces Below, you'll find details on Canyon Dwarves. Canyon Dwarf Canyon Dwarf Canyon dwarves are dwarves that grew up in great canyon that have been torn through the earth by great quakes or world ending tragedies. Much like their Hill and Mountain brothers, they are quite resilient but are known to be quite watchful of the skies because of creatures that hunt within their canyons. Because they require the aid of ranged weapons, all canyon dwarves train with crossbows to fend off the sky-bound predators. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity Score increases by 1. Keen Eye. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill. Dwarven Crossbow Training. You have proficiency with light crossbows, heavy crossbows, and hand crossbows. Elf Subraces Elf Subraces Below, you'll find details on Fairy Elves and Teeny Elves. Fairy Elf Fairy Elf As a Fairy Elf, life just seems to be full of love and joy. Because of your ageless lives, you have enough time to do everything in life, so you, like other fairy elves, take your time with things. You have more patience than even the eldest of dragons and have a caring heart for others because of how short-lived they are. Even other elves seem to disappear in a blink of an eye. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma Score increases by 1. Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with any four simple or martial weapons of your choice. Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with one artisan's tools of your choice. Skills. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. Ageless. Once you reach 200 years of age, you stop aging. You become immune to any effect that would age you, and you can't die from old age. Because of the long lives that fairy elves have, fairy elves aren't considered adults until they are two centuries old and often live with their parents until they are adults. Teeny Elf Teeny Elf As a Teeny Elf, you are often seen as children at first glance. However, you are just short. Because of your stature and size, you and other teeny elves often build homes within trees or underground, much like some gnomes and halflings. Thanks to your size, life is much harder to deal with, but you've adapted well, and have learned tricks that most smaller creatures use to get around. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution Score increases by 1. Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with daggers, rapiers, scimitars, and shortswords. Small Size. Teeny Elfs range from 3 to 4 feet tall. Your size is Small. Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns. Halfling Subraces Halfling Subraces Below, you'll find detail on Night Halflings. Night Night As a night halfling, you live under the moon and have adapted to the darkness of night to stray away from the predators that roam during the day. Some say night halflings are undead vampires, other say you're cursed to shun the sun, and those that know the truth know you're just like deep gnomes and dark elves; grey skin and all. Ability score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1. Darkvision. Accustomed to the twilight of the night, you have superior vision in the dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Human Subraces Human Subraces Below, you'll find detail on Human Derived. Derived Derived Some humans are well rounded, while others have a sharp skill set. You're something diffrent. Ability Score Increase. Two different ability scores of your choice increases by 2, and two other ability scores of you choice increase by 1. Dragonborn Variant Dragonborn Variant Below you'll find details on the Dragonborn Variant Blood. Dragonborn Variant Dragonborn Variant Some Dragonborn are not the strong, heroic Dragonborn you're aware of. Some are smaller and more dexterous than their larger counterparts, due to environmental changes, and pore diets that affected future generations. Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. Size. Dragonborn Variant are shorter and thinner than most humans, only standing between 4 and 5 feet tall. Your size is still Medium. 1 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 5/26 ⠀ Fleet of Foot. Your base walk speed increases to 35 feet. Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestroy, even if you are weaker then your stronger kin. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table found on page 34 of the Player's Handbook. Your breath weapon and damge resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown on the table. Weak Breath Weapon. You gain the breath weapon feature that normal Dragonborn gain, however, due to your ancesters being weaker then your other, stronger kin, your breath weapon does 1d6 less damage. This can be revsered by used of the 9th level Wish Spell. Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage associated with one of your draconic ancestry (whichever one you're not using your breath weapon). Languages. You can speak, read, and write common and draconic. Half-Blood Races Half-Blood Races Below you'll find details on all of the half-blood races throught the world of D&D. Half-Dwarf Half-Dwarf Half-dwarves use either human or dwarven naming conventions. If they were born into a dwarven house, they will have a dwarven house name, otherwise, they'll have a normal last name. Thanks to their physical characteristics and builds, half-dwarves can fit in both dwarven and human society. They are seen as short humans or tall dwarves. Ability Score Increases. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-dwarves mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live longer than humans, however, and often live roughly 180 years. Alignment. Half-dwarves share the drive for order that both humans and dwarves have, and often tend towards neutral or lawful because of their love for society. Size. Half-dwarves are shorter than most humans, standing between 4 and 5 feet tall. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your dwarven blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim condition. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage. Tool Versatility. You gain proficiency in two tools of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarven. Half-Halfling Half-Halfling Half-halflings use either human or halfling naming conventions. As a half-halfling, you take on the extreme curiosity that both your parents had, and are quite active in seeking out those things that interest you, and thanks to your charm, you are welcomed in human and halfling societies. Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-halflings reach adulthood just like their humans and halflings and live roughly a century. Alignment. Half-halflings share the chaotic nature of their parents but are rarely evil. Size. Half-halflings are much shorter than most humans, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is small. Speed. Your base walk speed is 25 feet. Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. Skilled and Talented. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice and one instrument of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfing. Half-Gnome Half-Gnome Half-gnomes use either human or gnome naming conventions. As a half-gnome, you take on the smaller size of gnomes, and though you're larger then they are, you can fit into their society easily, however, because of your size, you can't fully integrate into human society, but you are welcomed. Ability Score Increases. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-Gnomes reach adulthood at the age of 20 and can live up to 180 years thanks to their gnome blood. Alignment. Half-gnomes are often good and tend towards neutral because of the lawful ways of gnomes and the chaotic ways of humans. Size. Half-gnomes are much shorter than most humans, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is small. Speed. Your base walk speed is 25 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your gnome blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim condition. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and charisma saving throws against magic. Tool Versatility. You gain proficiency in two tools of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnomish. Half-Goliath Half-Goliath Half-goliaths are often seen as the bridge between most humans and those that dwell in the highest peaks of mountains. If they were born into a human house, they were being welcomed with no question, as most half-goliaths resemble humans quite well. However, if they were born into a goliath tribe, they would have to prove themselves over and over, showing the tribe that their mixed blood was nothing to be ashamed of. Ability Score Increases. Your Strength score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-goliaths mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs. 2 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 6/26 ⠀ Alignment. If raised in a human house, half-goliaths are welcomed to be whatever they saw themselves to be. Lawful, chaotic, good or evil. If the half-goliaths was raised by a Goliath tribe, they would hold lawful or neutral ideals due to how they were raised. Size. Half-goliaths grow slowly as children, matching most humans in height and weight, but as maturity hits, they often stand above 6 feet tall and weigh between 220 and 340 pounds. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet. Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when deteermining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Mountain Born. You're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. You're also naturally adapted t ocold climates, as describted in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant. Half-Goblin Half-Goblin Half-goblins share the same bonds most half-orcs hold. They are somewhat welcomed in most civilizations but are oftentimes seen in a negative light. They have simmular skin colors to goblins, but have humans features. Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-goblins age quickly, much like goblins, reaching adulthood at the age of 10, but can live as long as most humans. Alignment. Half-goblins are often neutral and tend towards chaotic because of their genetics. Size. Half-goblins are much shorter than most humans, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall. Your size is small. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your goblin blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim condition. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin. Half-Hobgoblin Half-Hobgoblin Half-hobgoblins share the same bonds most half-orcs hold. While they are welcomed in most civilizations, they are seen as warlike people, who wish for only battle, like their Hobgoblin kin. They have red skin, like hobgoblins, but can be just as attractive as their human kin. Ability Score Increases. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-hobgoblin mature at the same rate as humans and have lifespans similar in length to theirs. Alignment. Half-hobgoblins often takes strong stands in their beliefs because of how often they must prove themselves, and rarely waver from their lawful ideals. However, depending on who they were raised will dictate if they shirt towards good or evil. As most half-hobgoblin are raised by their human parent, most are good people. Size. Half-hobgoblins share the same builds as their human parents. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. Thanks to your hobgoblin blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim condition. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Saving Face. Like hobgoblins, half-hobgoblin are careful not to show weakness in front of their allies, for fear of losing status. If you miss with an attack roll or fail an ability check or a saving throw, you can gain a bonus to the roll equal to the number of allies you can see within 30 feet of you (maximum bonus of +5). Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin. Half-Triton Half-Triton Half-tritons are very rare to find, as most Triton people don't mate with humans, and those that do don't often have children. Half-tritons are often raised by their human parent, as they lack most of the abilities that Triton people carry, and are unable to protect the waters of the world. Ability Score Increases. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-tritons mature at the same rate as humans but often live almost two centuries. Alignment. Because half-tritons are raized by their human parents, they don't tend move towards any particular alignment. Few, however, turn evil. Size. Half-Triton share the build of their Triton parent, and slightly shorter than most humans, averaging about 5 feet tall. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet. Amphibious. You can breath in air and water. Control Air and Water. You can call on the magic of elemental air and water. You can cast fog cloud with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast gust of wind with it, and starting at 5th level, you can also cast wall of water with it. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Primordial. Half-Tabaxi Half-Tabaxi Half-tabaxis are extremely rare, as tabaxi and humans are not the most compatible creatures around. Even if a tabaxi and human were to try their whole life, they might not bare a child. In cases that a child is born, they appear human, as their human traits are very dominant, but have tabaxi ears, tail, claws, and eyes, and are slimmer than most humans. 3 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 7/26 ⠀ Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-tabaxi mature as fast as humans, and have an equivalent lifespan. Alignment. Because of their traits, Half-tabaxi are often chaotic, as they let impulse and desires guide their decisions. They are rarely evil, as they hold an exotic sense, and often seen in a higher light because of their traits. They are rarely evil but with their human blood, it's not out of the realm of possibilities. Size. Half-tabaxi share the slim build that tabaxis have, but are shorter than their feline parents, reflecting their human side. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. You have the tabaxi's keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Cat's Claws. Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. Half-Bullywug Half-Bullywug Half-bullywug are so rare, that most kingdoms have never seen one or heard of them. While an odd mix, half-bullywug's take primarily after humans, as the bullywug physical appearance is extremely recessive. They fully appear human except for webbed toes. The physical jumping capabilities of bullywug are present, allowing the half-bullywug to swim faster, and leap greater distances thanks to larger, stronger legs. Half-bullywugs also have the tongue of the bullywug but are unable to breathe in water. All half-bullywugs are born through a female human, as female bullywugs lay eggs that hatch into bullywug tadpoles, but most female humans don't survive the act, as they are quickly killed after. Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increases by 1. Age. Half-bullywug mature as fast as humans, and have an equivalent lifespan. Alignment. Like humans, half-bullywug tend towards no particular alignment as they are raised in a human house. However, some tend towards evil if abandoned as a child. Size. Half-bullywug share the same height and weight as humans. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet. Standing Leap. You long jump increases by 10 feet and your high hump increases by 5 feet, with or without a running start. Frog Tongue. You have the frog's long tongue and have full control over it. The tongue is 5 feet long and can be used to grab and hold objects. You can't make attacks with the tongue, or use objects held by your tongue to attack. If the tongue is damaged, you are damaged. The weight your tongue can hold is equal to twice your strength score. Skilled. You gain proficiency in two skills of your choice. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. Creddit: I would like to thank Tauberpa for the Half-Bullywug suggestion. Draco-Liz Draco-Liz Draco-Liz are not common as most Dragonborn don't mate with Lizardfolk. However, the two races are compatible and are welcomed in both societies when born, as they are quite a force to reckon with, and are a powerful addition to any clan or tribe. With the tail and scales of lizarfolk, and resilence of the dragonborn, draco-liz are a hardy breed. Ability Score Increases. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1. Age. Draco-Liz reaches maturity at age 14. They grow slower than Dragonborn while young, but are equivalent to a 10-year-old human child by the age of 6. They live to be around 80, but some are known to reach 90 because of their tough genetics. Alignment. Because Draco-Liz comes from two different sides of society, their alignment reflects the way they were raised. If raised by Dragonborn, they are often Lawful and believe in order. If raised by Lizardfolk, they neutral and only wish to survive. Size. Draco-Liz are much larger than their kin, standing between 7 and 8 feet tall, and weighing more than 320 pounds. Your side is Medium. Speed. Your base walk speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet. Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Natural Instincts. Due to your size and stature, you gain proficiency with the Athletics and Intimidation skills. Natural Armor. You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor. Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. You gain damage resistance based on what dragon type you chose, as shown in the table. See the standard Dragonborn in chapter 2 of the Player's Handbook for details. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and draconic. Credit: I would like to thank Brachy on twitter for the 'Draco- Liz' suggestion. He drew an amazing image that I got this idea from. 4 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 8/26 Chapter 2: Classes Chapter 2: Classes T he content found in this chapter includes new class-feature options for most of the classes. From the mighty Stone Barbarians to the well versed Magus Wizards, you'll find more than a dozen fun and balanced subclasses to play, with features and abilities, often not found anywhere else (don't quote me on that). Barbarian Barbarian "The Barbarian is thought to be mindless brutes, but they are demons of rage. The song they sing is written in blood. I fear facing one in battle, and would rather wed myself to a goblin. So you better watch what you say around them—because if another table breaks, you'll be paying for it. You'll be dead, but that coin in your pocket won't go to waste, I mean. Now spend your coin, buy a drink, and stop causing trouble!" ⠀⠀⠀ —Some Random Bar Wench, Keeper of the Ale Primal Path Primal Path Rage burns in every barbarian's heart! Even if they don't always show it! Within this expansion, you can find the Path of Stone barbarian, and more spirit animals to follow in the Totem Spirit path! Path of Stone Path of Stone Path of Stone barbarians are seen as simple-minded monsters, like hill giants or goblins. While some are respectable and capable of having a conversation, others are nothing more than cavemen, living in caves and mountains. Dwarves see them as kin, as simple as they may be. Elves see them as mute morons and treat them with little respect. Gnomes fear them and hide away; as they remind them of the giants that eat their kind. Path of Stone Features Path of Stone Features Barbarian Level Barbarian Level Feature Feature 3rd Stoic Rage ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 6th Avalanche 10th Stone Worker 14th Tectonic Plate Stoic Rage Stoic Rage When you choose this path at 3rd level, your rage takes on a dull tone. Instead of screaming for blood, you become mute and expressionless. Your skin turns gray and takes on a rock- like appearance. For the duration of your rage, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your rage damage bonus. Avalanche Avalanche Begining at 6th level, while raging, you now gain double your proficiency bonus to Strength (Athletic) checks made to shove other creatures. In addition, you can shove creatures two size larger than you, instead of just one. If you choose to knock a creature prone instead of pushing them away, you can use a bonus action to attack them. If the attack hits, the target creature takes additional damage equal to your strength modifier. Stone Worker Stone Worker Beginning at 10th level, you gain proficiency in mason's tools. If you are already proficient with the tool, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it. Tectonic Plate Tectonic Plate Starting at 14th level, you gain a metaphysical understanding of stone. While raging, you gain immunity to the grappled and prone conditions, and have advantage on saves and rolls aginst being restrained. In addition, any creature you successfully shove while raging takes 4d6 + your strength modifier in bludgeoning damage. This damage counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity. Path of the Totem Warrior Path of the Totem Warrior If you follow the Path of the Totem Warrior from the Player's Handbook, you have access to the options presented here Totem Spirit Totem Spirit As with the spirits in the Player's Handbook, the options here require a physical object incorporating some part of the totem beast and you might acquire minor physical attributes associated with your totem spirit. Dove. While you're raging and aren't wearing armor, you gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier. The charm of a Dove makes you handsome/beautiful. Rabbit. While you're raging, you can use your bonus action to take the dash action, and you gain your rage damage bonus with melee weapon attacks that use Dexterity. In addition, you may now use Reckless Attack with melee weapons that use Dexterity instead of Strength. Like the bunny, you're agile and your choice of weapons reflext that. Shark. While you're raging, you gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your Rage Damage bonus. The precision of a shark is with you, even in times of bloodlust. Spider. While you're raging and aren't wearing heavy armor, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. Aspect of the Beast Aspect of the Beast At 6th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected at 3rd level or a different one. Dove. You gain the charm of a dove. You become unnaturally handsome/beautiful, and you gain proficiency in the following skills: Deception and Persuasion. Your proficiency bonus with these skills is doubled. Rabbit. You gain the rabbits speed and leaping abilities. Your speed increases by 10, and your jump distance is trippled. Shark. You gain the shark's blessing and are given their powerful nose and swimming capabilities. You are able to 5 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 9/26 pinpoint the exact location of any spilled blood within 1,000 feet (this works on land and while in water), you gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed, and you can now breathe in air and in water. Spider. You gain the spider's web-spinning abilities. You are able to cast the 2nd level spell web three times between long rests. For spellcasting purposes, Constitution is your spellcasting ability with this spell. You are able to cast web as a bonus action and while raging. The spell no longer requires concentration, and the web is permanent until it is destroyed. In addition, you gain the spider's Web Sense and Web Walker feature (to find these features, see the Giant Spider monster in the Player's Handbook or Monster Manual). Totem Attunement Totem Attunement At 14th level, you gain a magical benefit based on the totem animal of your choice. You can choose the same animal you selected previously or a different one. Dove. While raging, as a bonus action, you can attempt to charm any humanoid creature within 120 feet of you, so long as they can see or hear you. The DC for this is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the charmed target obeys any verbal command you give it for 10 minutes. If the target suffers any harm or receives a suicidal command, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the target successfully saves against the effect, or if the effect on it ends, the target is immune to this Charm for the next 24 hour. Rabbit. While raging, when you are wielding a finess weapon, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach. You also are able to take one reacion on every turn in combat. Shark. While raging, you gain advantage on melee weapon attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points. You do not gain this bonus against creatures that do not bleed. Spider. While raging, poison mist empowers you. When you deal damage with a melee weapon attack, or when a creature damages you with a melee weapon attack, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they take 5d6 poison damage , or half as much on a successful save. Bards Bards "Song, dance, dreams, and stories! There we were looking for! Now drink up, lads!" ⠀⠀⠀ — Random Bard, with the Keeper of Ale at his side Bard Colleges Bard Colleges The way of the bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other and swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Those bards within the College of the Tacticians is no different. Only the song they sing on the battlefield is one that few can match. College of Tactics College of Tactics Bards of the College of Tactics are song-sword worries that are able to analyze the battlefield with a keen eye. The songs they sing are of the details each person takes in a battle. The rage of the barbarian is deep and saddening, but the soft prayer of the cleric counters it with joy. The wizard knows what he must do, but the fighter is just keeping his friends safe! Bards of the College of Tactics are able to see this, and more! College of Tactics Features College of Tactics Features Bard Level Bard Level Feature Feature 3rd Bonus Proficiencies, Combat Ready 6th Tactician's Knowledge 14th Bardic Leadership Bonus Proficiencies Bonus Proficiencies When you join the College of Tactics, you learn two languages of your choice. You also become proficient in the insight and investigation skills. If you are already proficient in one or both of these skills, you can pick different skills to become proficient in. Combat Ready Combat Ready Starting at 3rd level, you stride into battle with confidence. You can add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls. In addition, when you roll for initiative, you can grant one ally creature Bardic Inspiration. Tactician's Knowledge Tactician's Knowledge Starting at 6th level, you use your charm and intuition to gain insight on other easier. After spending at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside of battle, you learn certain information about them. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, your superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice: Dexterity score Intelligence Score Charisma Score Armor Class Current hit points Total class level (if any) Bard class level (if any) Bardic Leadership Bardic Leadership At 14th level, you learn how to rally allies and prepare them for battle. All friendly creatures within 30 feet of you that can see or hear you gains your Intelligence modifier to your their initiative rolls. In addition, if you give an ally Bardic Inspiration when you roll for initiative, you can choose up to three ally creatures to give Bardic Inspiration to instead of one. Clerics Clerics "I don't care what he's saying! He and his friends saved the town from those crazy drunks at the bar! So that cleric can preach all he wants! Now shut up, and let me here the tail of how he saved his temple from the Reivax demon of the elevin hellfires! I have to know, damn it! I have to know!" ⠀⠀ —The Chief of Town, minutes after the barfight 6 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 10/26 Divine Domains Divine Domains Every deity rules over a domain. Life and death are two examples. Below, you'll find the Phoenix domain. The Phoenix domain counts as a Life domain, a Light domain, and a Nature domain for the purposes of picking your god. Phoenix Domain Phoenix Domain Life and light are what drives the Phoenix. An endless cycle of life, then death, then life again. While you bring the burning flame of the Phoenix to bare of those around you, you choose to share its light and life with the ones you love. Phoenix Domain Features Phoenix Domain Features Cleric Level Cleric Level Feature Feature 1st Bonus Proficiencies, Born of Flame 2nd Channel Divinity: Phoenix Fire 6th Gift of Fire 8th Disciple of Fire 17th Live, Die, Repeat Domain Spells Domain Spells You gain domain spells at the cleric level listed in the Pheonix Domain Spell table. See Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work. Phoenix Domain Spells Phoenix Domain Spells Cleric Level Cleric Level Spells Spells 1st burning hands, cure wounds 3rd lesser restoration, scorching ray 5th fireball, revivify 7th death ward, wall of fire 9th raise dead, flame strike Bonus Proficiency Bonus Proficiency When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Nature and Perception skills. Born of Flame Born of Flame Also starting at 1st level, you learn how to harness fire within you. You learn two of the following cantrips: Control Flames, Create Bonfire, Fire Bolt, Green Flame Blade, or Produce Flame. The cantrips chosen do not count towards the number of cantrips you know. Channel Divinity: Phoenix Fire Channel Divinity: Phoenix Fire Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel divinity to unleash the pure Phoenix flame within you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can sheath yourself in flame for 1 minute. While sheathed in flame, when you use a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points to a creature, you regain hit points equal to 2 + the spell's level. In addition, when you use a spell of 1st level or higher that deals fire damage to a creature or object, the creature or object takes additional fire damage equal to 2 + the spell's level. As a bonus action, you can end this channel divinity, and extinguish the flames you're sheathed in. Gift of Blazing Light Gift of Blazing Light Starting at 6th level, you gain the light cantrip. If you already have the light cantrip, then you gain one cantrip from the cleric class. This new cantrip doesn't count towards the number of cantrips you know. The radius of both the bright light and dim light for the light cantrip quadrupled. Disciple of Fire Disciple of Fire At 8th level, the fire within you burns as hot as the sun. The cantrips you chose from the born to flame feature deal one additional die worth of damage. When you reach 14th level, the chosen cantrips do two additional die worth of damage instead of one. You also gain gain resistance to fire damage. Live, Die, Repeat Live, Die, Repeat Starting at 17th level, when you would normally die, you erupt in flames. When you have to make a death saving throw at the start of your turn, you can instead spring back to life in a burst of fire. You regain hit points equal to half of your hit point maximum, you activate your channel divinity without expending a channel divinity use, and then you stand up if you so choose. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. Fighter Fighter "I still can't believe that armor-clad monster of a man took on the whole bar by himself! He didn't even draw a weapon, he just beat them with his bare hands! Hell, I'm still steppin on the teeth he knocked out of them!" ⠀⠀ —The Bar Owner, one week after the bar fight Martial Archetypes Martial Archetypes Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The following Martial Archetypes are the Brawler, a hand to hand expert, and the Juggernaut, a monster of a waller that will never fall. Brawler Brawler A sword can't cut through most armor, spears can be ripped from your hands by skilled enemies, maces are too easy to evade, and axes are for chopping wood! Weapons are just not as reliable as your two best friends and can leave you at any moment, or be taken away by those who just don't trust you. You only have two weapons that are reliable. Your two best friends, right fist, and left fist. Brawler Features Brawler Features Fighter Level Fighter Level Feature Feature 3rd Martial Arts 7th Steel Fists 10th Armored Brute 15th Devestating Martial Arts 18th Adamantium Fists 7 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 11/26 Martial Arts Martial Arts Starting when you choose this Martial Archetype at 3rd level, you gain the Martial Arts feature found in the Monk class. Like the monk class, your unarmed damage increases as you level the fighter class. However, unlike the monk class, you do not gain the bonus damage for monk weapons, but you are able to wear armor and still gain the benefits of the Martial Arts feature. Steel Fists Steel Fists Starting at 7th level, your fists become as hard as steel. Your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. In addition, you now deal double damage to objects and structures. Armored Brute Armored Brute At 10th level, you gain different bonuses to your unarmed strikes based on of the armor you wear. See the table for details. Armor Armor Bonus Bonus Light or N/A +2 to hit with unarmed strikes Medium +1 to hit and damage with unarmed strikes Heavy +2 to damage with unarmed strikes Devastating Martial Arts Devastating Martial Arts Starting at 15th level, your unarmed strike attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20. Adamantium Fists Adamantium Fists At 18th level, your fists become as strong as Adamantium. Your unarmed strikes now do additional damage based equal to your Constitution modifier. In addition, any hit you land against an object or structure with your fists is considered a critical hit. Juggernaut Juggernaut You are a Juggernaut. An almighty force that will not waver. You are the immovable object, the first and last line of defense, and a force that can't easily be taken down by weak foes. Only the powerful can give you a challenge. Brawler Features Brawler Features Fighter Level Fighter Level Feature Feature 3rd Damage Reduction 7th Juggernaut Strength 10th Never Go Down 15th Greater Damage Threshold 18th I'm The Juggernaut, Bitch! Damage Reduction Damage Reduction Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd, you learn to shrug off weak blows. While wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you take from non-magical weapons is reduced by your Constitution modifier (minimum of 0) + 2 + your heavy armor bonus. See table for details on your heavy armor bonus. This feature stacks with the Heavy Armor Master feat. Heavy Armor Heavy Armor's Bonus s Bonus ⠀⠀⠀ Armor Armor Damage Reduction Damage Reduction⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Ring Mail 1 ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Chain Mail 2 ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Splint 2 ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Plate 3 ⠀⠀⠀ Magic Armor & Heavy Armor Bonus Magic Armor & Heavy Armor Bonus Magic armor that provides +1 to AC will provide a +1 bonus to Damage Reduction, if worn by a Juggernaut. The same follows for +2 magical armor, and +3 magical armor. This bonus isis increased when 'I'm The Juggernaught, Bitch!' is used. Juggernaut Strength Juggernaut Strength Beginning at 7th level, wearing heavy armor is second nature to you. You've learned to handle its weight, and use it to your advantage. While wearing heavy armor, you gain advantage on skill checks and saving throwss against the following conditions: grappled, knocked prone, restrained, and stunned. Never Go Down Never Go Down At 10th level, you can now add your Constitution modifier to any death saving throw you make. If the total you roll on a death saving throw is 20 or higher, treat it as if you rolled natural 20, and regain 1 hit point. Greater Damage Reduction Greater Damage Reduction Starting at 15th level, your learn to shrug off even greater blows. While wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you take is reduced by your Constitution modifier (minimum of 0) + one-fourth your fighter level (rounded down) + 4 + your armor’s bonus. In addition, your 'damage reduction', even if not gained through this class, such as the Heavy Armor Master feat, now reduces damage from magical weapons. I'm The Juggernaut, Bitch! I'm The Juggernaut, Bitch! At 18th level, you become a true juggernaut. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to triple your Damage Reduction for that attack, potentially negating its damage. You can choose to use this feature before or after learning how much damage you would take from a creature's attack. Rogue Rogue "I wish I didn't agree to the cleric's demands. I would have made so much money stealing from those drunks." ⠀⠀ —The Party Rogue after agreeing to not kill Rogue Archetype Rogue Archetype While some rogues enjoy stealing, killing, or just pranking people, some steer their talents towards the way of the Ninja. Stealth is the key, but being able to evade foes is vital for their 8 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 12/26 survival, while the Savage just hurts people. Intimidation is the Savage's best tool, second only to the weapon of their choice. Ninja Ninja While most Ninja's are falsely fantasized as magical people, capable of spitting fire and teleporting, they are nothing more than average men and women who just know how to get around. Being unseen and unnoticed, going where they shouldn't, and only be found by those of incredible skill. While they do have the power of mobility on their side, they're not as powerful as some beleave them to be. However, even when you find one, harming them is almost impossible, as they've trained themselves to evade almost every attack. Ninja Features Ninja Features Rogue Level Rogue Level Feature Feature 3rd Evasive, Expeditious Mobility 9th Ambulatory 13th Greater Uncanny Dodge 17th Furtive Tactic Evasive Evasive Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to Dodge. Expeditious Mobility Expeditious Mobility When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, difficult terrain no longer costs you extra movement. Ambulatory Ambulatory Starting at 9th level, you gain the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside along ceilings, while leaving your hands free, and you can walk on water at will. These effects are non-magical, and cannot be dispelled. You must be conscious to gain the effects of this feature. Greater Uncanny Dodge Greater Uncanny Dodge Begining at 13th level, when you use the Uncanny Dodge feature to halve the attack's damage, you can choose to take no damage instead. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Furtive Tactic Furtive Tactic When you reach 17th level, you have learned the way true ninjas remaining hidden. You can't be tracked by nonmagical means unless you choose to leave a trail, your thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means, unless you allow it, and your movement no longer provokes attacks of opportunity. Savage Savage Desolation and death. That is the definition of a Savage. They how to make it hurt and will smash and break their way through life. Very few foes are able to stand up to their might, and fewer can live to speak of the battle. Their presence alone strikes fear into their enemies and brings hesitation to the battle. Allowing them and their allies to strike them quickly. Savage Features Savage Features Rogue Level Rogue Level Feature Feature 3rd Bonus Proficiencies, Devastation 9th Brutal Critical 13th Savage Intimidation 17th Fearful Strike Bonus Proficiencies Bonus Proficiencies Starting at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons, and medium armor. Devastation Devastation When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can now gain sneak attack damage with any simple or martial weapon, regardless if it has the finesse or ranged weapon properties. You still follow the standard rules for gaining sneak attack damage. Brutal Critical Brutal Critical Starting at 9th level, you gain the Brutal Critical feature found in the barbarian class. As it is detailed in the feature, the bonus damage increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level. Savage Intimidation Savage Intimidation Beginning at 13th level, you've learned how to make foes hesitate in battle. All hostile creatures within 30 feet of you that can see you have disadvantage on initiative rolls. If a creature is blind or immune to fear, they are immune to this feature. Fearful Strike Fearful Strike When you reach 17th level, you've learned how to strike fear into foes with your sneak attacks. When you deal sneak attack damage to a creature, the creature must make Wisdom saving throw. The DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, the creature is frightened by you for one minute. If the creature is surprised, they have disadvantage on the saving throw. If the frightened creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn't have line of sight of you, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is no longer frightened. Sorcerer Sorcerer "I thought he was one of those druids, but when I called him one, he told me off, tired me to a tree with another tree, and started called me names. I don't even know what a orchis italica is, but he said I looked like one." ⠀⠀ —Town Drunk with a Black Eye Sorcerous Origins Sorcerous Origins Different sorcerers claim different origins for their innatemagic. Below, you'll find details on the Great Mother bloodline, a Sorcerous Origins intuned with nature, and the Monstrosity bloodline, a whild Sorcerous Origins that is quite unrelenting. 9 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 13/26 Great Mother Bloodline Great Mother Bloodline Your innate magic comes from the powerful connection you have with the world itself. Great Mother Features Great Mother Features Sorcerer Level Sorcerer Level Feature Feature 1st Nature's Gift, Natural Resistance 6th Nature's Toughness 14th Nature's Awakening 18th One with Nature Nature's Gift Nature's Gift At 1st level, your connection with nature allows you to learn spells and cantrips from the Druid class. Whenever your Spellcasting feature lets you learn or replace a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose new spells from the druid spell list or the sorcerer spell list. You must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting spells, and it becomes a sorcerer spell or you. Natural Resistance Natural Resistance As nature empowers your body, you grow a natural resistance to poisons. At 1st level, you have advantage on saving throws against poison, and gain resistance to poison damage. Nature's Toughness Nature's Toughness Starting at 6th level, your skin takes on a rough, bark-like appearance. You become permanently under the effects of the 2nd level spell barkskin. This effect is nonmagical, and cannot be dispelled. Nature's Awakening Nature's Awakening At 14th level, you learn the awaken spell. It doesn't count towards the number of spells you know. You can cast awaken without expending a spell slot or material components. When you do so, you can target only a plant. Once you cast awaken in this way, you can't do so until you finish a long rest, though you can still cast it normally using an available spell slot. One with Nature One with Nature Beginning at 18th level, you learn the commune with nature spell, and it doesn't count towards the number of spells you know. You can cast commune with nature at will. Titan Bloodline Titan Bloodline The Kraken, Tarrasque, and Empyrean are three of the deadliest titans in the world, have been worshiped by many through the ages. Some worshipers of these titans infused themselves with the blood of these massive beings, and they and their descendants have gained powerful from it. Titan Features Titan Features Sorcerer Level Sorcerer Level Feature Feature 1st Monstrocity Ancestry, Frightful Might 6th Siege Magic 14th Ancestry Potential 18th Ancestry Ascension Titan Ancestry Titan Ancestry At 1st level, choose other the Kraken, the Tarrasque, Empyrean, or the Astral Dreadnought as the titan you share blood with. If you chose the Kraken, you gain the Amphibious feater, if you chose the Tarrasque, you gain the Frightful Might feature, if you chose Empyrean, you gain the Cherub feature, and if you chose the Astral Dreadnought, you gain the Spectral Mind feature. Amphibious. You, like the Kraken, can breathe air and water. In addition, you gain a swim speed of 30 feet and can survive at the bottom of the ocean with no problem. You also gain resistance to lightning damage. Cherub. You learn the Hand of Radiance, and Sacred Flame cantrips. They count as Sorcerer cantrips for you. These cantrips don't count towards the number of cantrips you know. You also gain resistance to radiant damage. Frightful Might. The fear and furry of the Tarrasque is with you. You gain proficiency in the Athletics and Intimidation skills. Your proficiency bonus with these skills is doubled. You also gain resistance to fire damage. Spectral Mind. The mystic might of the Astral Dreadnought heightens your abilities. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill, and your proficiency bonus with this skill is doubled. You also gain two Sorcerer cantrip of your choice. They do not count towards the number of cantrips you know. Titan's Resilience Titan's Resilience As the blood of titans runs through your veins. Your Hit Dice at 1st level is 1d10, your Hit Points at 1st level becomes 10 + your Constitution modifier, and Hit Points at higher Levels becomes 1d10 (6) + your Constitution modifier per sorcerer level after 1st. Siege Magic Siege Magic Starting at 6th level, your Sorcerer cantrips and spells deal double damage to objects and structures. Ancestry Potential Ancestry Potential At 14th level, the blood flowing through your veins grants you the might of the titans you share blood with. If you chose the Kraken at 1st level, you gain the Lightning Storm feature, if you chose the Tarrasque at 1st level, you gain the Claws of the Tarrasque feature, if you choose Empyrean, you gain the Empyrean's Bolt feature, and if you chose the Astral Dreadnought, you gain the Astral Armor feature. Astral Armor. You learn the 1st level spell, Magc Armor. It is condiering a Sorcerer spell, and does not count towards the number of spells you know. If you cast this spell on yourself, you may spend 4 sorcery points to gain reistence to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for the duration of the spell. Empyrean's Bolt. At the cost of one 3rd level spell slot or higher, you fire a bolt at a target within 600 feet. Make a ranged spell attack roll against the target. On a hit, the target takes 7d6 damage of one of the following types (your choice): acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, radiant, or thunder. This damage is considered magical, and this feature is considered a spell. When you use this feature with a 4th level spell slot or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd. 10 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 14/26 ⠀ Lightning Storm. As an action, you can expend 6 sorcery points to cast the 3rd level spell Lightning Bolt three times, at the same time, at the cost of one 3rd level spell slot (or higher, if casted at highlevels). Creatures that are feared by you have disadvantage on the saves. Claws of the Tarrasque. At the cost of one 3rd level spell slot or higher, you summon the claws of the Tarrasque to slash a target within 600 feet. Make a ranged spell attack roll against the target. This attack ignores half cover and three- quarters cover. On a hit, the target takes 4d8 + 10 slashing damage. This damage is considered magical. When you use this feature with a 4th level spell slot or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 + 5 for each slot level above 3rd. Ancestry Ascension Ancestry Ascension Beginning at 18th level, the true power of your bloodline shines. If you chose the Kraken at 1st level, you gain the Sea Storm feature, if you chose the Tarrasque at 1st level, you gain the Spell Resistance feature, if you choose Empyrean at 1st level, you gain the Angelic Protection feature, and if you chose the Astral Dreadnought at 1st level, you gain the Living Dreadnought feature. Angelic Protection. You gain immunity to radiant damage, and when you make a saving throw, you gain a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of 1). You must be conscious to gain this bonus. Living Dreadnought. You become immune to the following conditions: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrifed, poisoned, and stunned. Sea Storm. You gain immunity to lightning damage, and your swim speed is doubled. Spell Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells, and you have resistance against the damage of spells Wizards Wizards "Even with a hangover, I can still outsmart those drunks." ⠀⠀⠀ —The Party Wizard with a Hangover Arcane Traditions Arcane Traditions To some, the standard Traditions of the Arcane allow wizards to master their skills within their respective school. To others, a jack-of-all-trades is better. Below, you'll find details on the Magus Arcane Tradition. Magus Magus As a Magus Wizard, you prefer to master the art of weaving magic and learning great knowledge. Magus Features Magus Features Wizard Level Wizard Level Feature Feature 2nd Magus Teachings, Greater Knowledge 6th Keen Impression 10th Greater Learning 18th Arch Magus Magus Teachings Magus Teachings Beginning when you select this arcane tradition at 2nd level, select one of the following classes: Cleric, Druid, or Warlock. Whenever you gain a wizard level (including this level), you can choose new spells to add to your spellbook that are from the wizard class or the chosen class, and when you gain a wizard level, you may choose to replace one of the existing spells in your spellbook with a wizard spell or a spell from the chosen class. You must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting spells. These spells gained are considered wizard spells for you, however other wizards are unable to copy non-wizard spells from your spellbook into theirs, unless they are also a Magus wizard who has picked the same class as you. Greater Knowledge Greater Knowledge When you choose this arcane tradition at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with two skills based off of what class you chose in Magus Teachings. Please see the table for details. Class Class Skill Proficiency Skill Proficiency Cleric Medicine and Religion Druid Nature and Survival Warlock Arcana and History Keen Impression Keen Impression Starting at 6th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interaction with another creature outside of combat, you can learn certain information about its arcane capabilities and mind. The DM tells you if the creature is equal, superior, or inferior in regards to two of the following characteristics of your choice: Intelligence score Wisdom score Charisma score Armor Class Class level (if any) Wizard level (if any) Highest spell slot (if any) At the DM's option, you might also realize you know a piece of the creature's history or if they have the ability to cast spells. Greater Learning Greater Learning Starting at 10th level, each time you gain a wizard level, you can add three spells to your spellbook instead of two. You also learn three languages of your choice. Arch Magus Arch Magus Starting 14th level, your understanding of magic grows in astounding ways. You no longer require the use of your spellbook, and are able to commit all of the spells within it to memory. When you gain levels in this class, you commit the new spells you learn from leveling into memory as well. Instead of copying new spells into your spellbook, you memories the new spells instead. You are unable to forget any spell you memories. When you prepare spells after taking a long rest, you can prepare any spell you have memorized. 11 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 15/26 Chapter 3: Backgrounds Chapter 3: Backgrounds B elow, you'll find details on two backgrounds, as well as Hight and Weight details for the new subraces. If you do not see details for one of the new subraces, just use the standard height and weight table within the player's handbook. Please enjoy the Scavenger and Servant backgrounds. Height and Weight Height and Weight Thanks to the additional Subraces, I have included details for rolling their random hight and weights. Random Height and Weight Random Height and Weight Race Race⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Base Base Height Height Height Height Modifier Modifier ⠀Base Base Weight Weight Weight Weight Modifier Modifier Dwarf, Canyon 4'0" 2d4 100 lb. x2d4 lb. Dragonborn Variant 4'2" 2d4 100 lb. x1d4 lb. Elf, fairy 4'4" 2d10 100 lb. x1d4 lb. Elf, teeny 3'0" 2d6 ⠀30 lb. x1 lb. Half-Dwarf 4'0" 2d8 110 lb. x2d4 lb. Half-Halfling 3'0" 2d4 ⠀40 lb. x1 lb. Half-Gnome 3'0" 2d4 ⠀40 lb. x1 lb. Half-Goliath 4'8" 2d10 120 lb. x2d4 lb. Half-Goblin 3'5" 1d4 ⠀35 lb. x1 lb. Half-Hobgoblin 4'8" 2d10 110 lb. x2d4 lb. Half-Triton 4'6" 2d8 ⠀90 lb. x2d4 lb. Half-Tabaxi 4'4" 2d8 ⠀90 lb. x2d4 lb. Draco-liz 6'2" 2d10 250 lb. x2d4 Scavenger Scavenger Everyone always leaves something behind. It could be a copper coin, a dropped apple, or a forgotten arrow. Somedays you get lucky and find a dropped coin pouch or a gem, while on others, you may have to pick at a dead body for goodies. No matter what it may be, you have learned to take these objects to survive. What is lost will be forgotten, and what is forgotten will be found by those with a keen eye, like you. You've learned what is valuable, and how to pick out from junk, and you've learned where to go to sell it. No matter what you're doing, you always keep an eye out for things lost and forgotten. Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Perception Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, a blanket, a crowbar, a hooded lantern, 2 flasks of oil, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp. Feature: Quick Sales Feature: Quick Sales As a scavenger, you know the prices of armor, simple weapons, martial weapons, and adventuring gear, and ways to sell them quickly. You know how to easily find people within cities that will buy these items at full price, no questions asked. If you come across an item that you know the price of, and it's not from one of the lists above, such as a gem or a rare painting, then you are able to find a buyer for the item at half price, no questions asked. This feature doesn't require a roll on your part and is automatic. d8 d8 Personality Trait Personality Trait 1 I don't ask questions. It's safer that way. 2 I keep my mouth shut, and my ears open. There's always something to learn if you're paying attention. 3 I don't care how useful something is. If it's not worth at least five gold, then I'm not taking it. 4 What's mine is mine, and once you're dead, what's yours is mine. Oh, and that junk is also mine, too. 5 I scavenge to survive, not because I want too. 6 I'll always smile, no matter how bad things get, cause the worse things are, the more scavenging must be done. 7 I've been robbed one too many times, and don't trust others to carry my share of the loot. 8 I'm well known for my work and are often hired for my looting capabilities. 1d6 1d6 Ideal Ideal 1 Greed. Greed. I'm only in it for the money. (Evil) 2 Generosity. Generosity. I know people have it bad, so I give what coin I don't need to those that need it the most. 3 Mundane. Mundane. I'm here to scavenge. Not much else interests me. Not even a golden dragon. (Neutral) 4 Logic. Logic. It's not hard guessing where to go for loot. Follow around some adventures for a while, and you'll get your hands on their leftovers. (Any) 5 Hope. Hope. One day, I pray that I won't have to scavenge to survive. (Any) 6 Community. Community. I don't just scavenge for myself, but for my family. (good) d6 d6 Bond Bond 1 I will always remember the first place I scavenged. 2 I owe my survival to another scavenger who taught me the finer details. 3 I have angered many other scavengers growing up, and have dozens of enemies because of it. 4 I pursue wealth to support my family. 5 I will never forget those who died with me while scavenging because no one else will. 6 I will have revenge on the ones that forced me to become a scavenger to survive. 12 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 16/26 1d6 1d6 Flaw Flaw 1 I always spend every coin I get on ale, wine, and other intoxicants. I can't help it. 2 I don't care if it takes a year, I will always take the time to check everything for loot to scavenge. 3 Violence is always the answer to someone else trying to take my loot. 4 I have no respect for beggars. Don't just beg for coin, go earn it yourself. 5 I'm open to the idea of breaking the law, and often do. 6 I'm always willing to carry other people's loot. Even if it means dropping something I'm saving to sell. Variant Scavenger: Scrounger Variant Scavenger: Scrounger Not everyone can make it as a Scavenger. It's a deadly task scavenging a battlefield or a dungeon. Soldiers, undead, monsters, or just other scavengers stop you at every turn. You've never been able to find enough to earn to sell, and don't have enough experience to find those to sell too. In some ways, you're just unlucky. In others, you're too much of a coward. If you decide that you are just too weak to be a scavenger, then you don't gain the Quick Sales feature. Instead, you gain the Coward feature (see sidebar). Variant Feature: Coward Variant Feature: Coward If your character has the Scavenger background, you may select this background feature instead of Quick Sales. No matter where you go, you find someone or something that can kill you. You have to survive by picking up scraps or stealing just to survive in this deadly world. Because of your hardship, you gain the following bonus: You can use your bonus action to take the Disengage action. Servant Servant You have worked under another for quite some time. It could have been a noble, a high ranking soldier, royalty, or a wealthy merchant. Regardless of who you worked for, you know how to keep yourself prim and proper. Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Persuasion Tools: One Artisan tool's of your choice Equipment: Fine clothes, Mess Kit, an Iron Pot, a tinderbox, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Yes Sir Feature: Yes Sir Thanks to your time as a servant, you're fully aware of how to act prim and proper. You have advantage on Charisma skill checks when speaking to people of a higher lifestyle, such as a noble, a high ranking soldier, a wealthy merchant, or someone of royalty. d8 d8 Personality Trait Personality Trait 1 I'm always polite and respectful. 2 If I am asked to do something, I do it right, and I do it right the first time. 3 I'm always up for a conversation. 4 Because of my time as a servant, I'm always taking care of everyone's equipment. It's habit at this point. 5 I never forget a name. Regardless of how hard it is to say. I would never forgive myself otherwise. 6 I'm rude to those who lack respect unless they someone in power or of high wealth. 7 Those in power always look towards me to get the job done; my reputation precedes me. 8 I know how to clean everything and make anything look presentable. I've even polished a ball of dirt once. d6 d6 Ideal Ideal 1 Order. Order. Everything has a purpose or meaning. (Neutral) 2 Honor. Honor. I have to act respectfully at all times. (Lawful) 3 Respect. Respect. Only those who are worth my time have my attention. Otherwise, you're a waste of space. (Evil) 4 Responsibility. Responsibility. I always do what is required of me. (Any) 5 Servant Obligation. Servant Obligation. At a moment's notice, I will drop what I am doing to serve my master. (Lawful) 6 Patience. Patience. I am willing to wait for things. Even if it takes longer than anticipated. (Any) d6 d6 Bond Bond 1 I will always remember those that I first served. They are always with me. In thought and heart. 2 Those I travel with are family, and it is my duty to aid them the best I can. 3 No matter the difficulty, I will face any challenge to prove I am a worthy servant. 4 I am in love with the heir of those I serve, but they don't love me back. I'm ok with that. 5 As a servant, my loyalty is unwavering. 6 I'm seeking a gift for those I serve, and will even face hoards of dragons to recover something of great value. d6 d6 Flaw Flaw 1 I secretly hate those I serve and wish to see them dead and dishonored. 2 The lives of the common people are worth throwing away if it means those I serve don't have to face hardship. 3 I do what I am told, even if I don't agree with it. 4 I often forget to do what I am told. 5 I sometimes steal from those I serve. 6 I will keep a secret, even if it gets me killed. 13 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 17/26 Chapter 4: Trade Goods Chapter 4: Trade Goods W ithin the player's handbook you can find a list of several goods, all armor, along with all simple and martial weapons. What you don't find in the player's handbook is a list of metals, their costs, and other simple trade goods that some players do wish to have. Sure, you can find gold and the like, but that's just not enough information. The following is a massive list I've made of useable equipment and trade goods. Different Settlements Different Settlements To aid you, the Dungeon Master, in knowing if a location within your can provide services, equipment, or trade goods, I've ordered provided ten types of settlements and their details below. Players, or even NPCs, need to be able to travel to the settlements to obtain these services. There are ten types of settlement listed below from 1 to 10. The smaller settlements provide less services than larger ones. Larger settlements can also provide everything a smaller settlement provides. I've also included the Average Population so that you know what you're working with. Note. That not every table has this. Order Order Settlement Settlement Average Population Average Population 1 Kingdom Capital 50,000+ 2 Large City 25,000–49,999 3 Medium City 10,000–24,999 4 Small City 4,000–9,999 5 Large Town 1,000–3,999 6 Medium Town 500–999 7 Small Town 150–499 8 Large Village 100–149 9 Medium Village 50–99 10 Small Village 10–49 Buying Animals & Creatures Buying Animals & Creatures Animals can be an essential part of people's lives. The following tables are for buying animals and where to buy them. Know that you can't buy a polar bear while on a tropical island. So even if you are in a medium city, you can't always find the animal. The prices of these animals may vary depending on the location. Not every animal will be open to buy, however. For example, a polar bear can't be purchased in the savana. Other creatures might also be buyable, however, you the DM must come up with prices for such creatures. Common Animals & Creatures Common Animals & Creatures Creature Creature Cost Cost ⠀⠀Location Location⠀⠀ Ape 15 gp Large Town Baboon 15 gp Large Town Badger 1 gp Small Town Creature Creature Cost Cost ⠀⠀Location Location⠀⠀ Bat 1 gp Large Village Boar 8 gp Medium Village Camel 50 gp Medium Town Cat 1 sp Medium Village Cow 8 gp Medium Town Chicken 3 sp Small Town Deer 10 gp Medium Town Dog 5 sp Medium Village Donkey 8 gp Small Town Eagle 8 gp Large Village Elk 8 gp Medium Town Frog or toad 5 cp Small Village Goat 2 gp Small Village Hawk 1 gp Large Village Lizard 5 cp Small Village Mule 8 gp Small Town Owl 10 gp Medium Village Snake, constriction 30 gp Medium Village Snake, poisonous 50 gp Medium Village Snake, flying 250 gp Small City Rat 2 cp Small Town Raven 1 gp Medium Village Scorpion 5 sp Medium Village Spider 5 sp Medium Village Weasel 1 gp Large Village Deadly Animals Deadly Animals Deadly Creature Deadly Creature Cost Cost Location Location Bear, Black 100 gp Medium Town Bear, Brown 125 gp Large Town Bear, Polar 200 gp Medium City Crocodile 100 gp Large Village Death Dog 150 gp Medium City Dire Wolf 150 gp Medium City Hyena 75 gp Medium Town Jackal 50 gp Medium Town Lion 150 gp Large Town Panther 200 gp Medium Town Tiger 200 gp Small City Worg 75 gp Small city Wolf 15 gp Large Village 14 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 18/26 Acquiring Slaves Acquiring Slaves People can be enslaved if they break the law, are in the wrong place at the wrong time, or if they are born into it. These people are sold off as property, traded, and bought. Players may wish to buy slaves, or in turn, sell someone into slavery. Slaves Slaves Slave Slave Cost Cost Location Location Slave, common 25 gp Small Town Slave, hard labor 75 gp Medium Town Slave, household 150 gp Medium Town Slave, specialized 200 gp Small City Slave, common. These slaves are people from around the world. They are the common folk. They have no special talent but are competent enough to do as told. Use the Commoner stat block for these individuals. Slave, hard labor. These slaves are people who were raised to be strong and have spent their time as a slave working. They are much stronger than normal people but are not as smart. Use the Commoner stat block for these individuals, with the following ability score changes: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 intelligence. Slave, household. These slaves are people who know how to clean a household, take care of horses, and cook. They are most commonly found in noble houses. Use the Commoner stat block for these individuals, but are proficient with Cook's Tools and the Animal Handling skill. Slave, Specialized. These slaves are people who are experts are a single thing and are sold off, traded, or bought for their skills in that single thing. Use the Commoner stat block for these individuals, but they are proficient in any combination of three skills or tools. Their proficiency bonus for the three skills or tools is +4. However, one of the skills or tools they are proficient in gains double their proficiency bonus. Note A: This was inspired by the D20 PFSRD slave rules. Note B: These are trained, loyal slaves. A random person you kidnap can't be sold for 75 gold. As the DM, use logic and reasoning for times when your players do such things. Drawn Vehicles & Barding Drawn Vehicles & Barding A strong mount can become nothing more than a liability in combat if not taken care of, or properly used. The same can be said for your ship and boats. The following tables are for buying barding and vehicles for mounts. Waterborne Vehicles Waterborne Vehicles Item Item Cost Cost Speed Speed Location Location Galley 30,000 gp 4 mph Small City Keelboat 3,000 gp 1 mph Small Town Longship 10,000 gp 3 mph Medium Town Rowboat 50 gp 1½ mph Large Village Sailing Ship 10,000 pg 2 mph Large Town Warship 25,000 gp 2½ mph Large City Stabling (per day, per creature) Stabling (per day, per creature) Creature Creature Cost Cost ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tiny Creatures ≥ 1 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Medium Creatures ≤ 3 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Large Creatures ≤ 5 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hudge Creatures ≤ 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Gargantuan Creatures ≥ 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Waterbone Vehicles. The seas are calling, and these are the prices and locations you can acquire sea vehicles. However, the location must be connected to a body of water, and the vehicle must make sense if it is sold there. You can't a massive Warship from a small village that's connected to a small lake. Stabling. Available stabling for creatures will vary from place to place, and the costs for stabling might change depending on the creature you're looking to house. I did not list locations of where you can house these creatures because of those two facts. You can have a pet dog sleep with you in your room and you won't be charged for it, but if you have a pet tiger, you might not even be let in the front door. Tack, Harness, and Draw Vehicles Tack, Harness, and Draw Vehicles Creature Creature Cost Cost Weight Weight Location Location Barding x4 x2 - - Bit and bridle 2 gp ⠀1 lb.⠀ Small Town Carriage 100 gp 600 lb. Medium Town Cart 15 gp 200 lb. Large Village Chariot 250 gp 100 lb. Medium Town Feed (per day) ⠀⠀Tiny Creature 1 sp 2 lb. Small Village ⠀⠀Medium Creature 3 cp 6 lb. Small Village ⠀⠀Large Creature 5 cp 10 lb. Medium Village ⠀⠀Hudge Creature 2 sp 16 lb. Small Town ⠀⠀Gargantuan Creature 2 gp 22 lb. Medium Town Saddle ⠀⠀Exotic 60 gp 40 lb. Large Town ⠀⠀Military 20 gp 30 lb. Medium Town ⠀⠀Pack 5 gp 15 lb. Large Village ⠀⠀Riding 10 gp 25 lb. Medium Village Saddlebags 4 gp 8 lb. Medium Village Sled ⠀Dog 25 gp 120 lb. Large Village ⠀Standard 30 gp 300 lb. Small Town Wagon 35 gp 400 lb. Small Town Food and Drink Food and Drink The food, drink and lodging table gives prices for individual food items and a single night's lodging. These prices are included in your total lifestyle expenses. 15 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 19/26 Please know that this has been copy and pasted from the D&D 5e player's handbook, and I'm just including it here convenience. Look into the player's handbook for more details. Know that some of the items in this are taken from the player's handbook and included here for your conference. Food and Drink Food and Drink Item Item Cost Cost ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ale ⠀⠀Barrel 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Gallon 2 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Mug 4 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Waterskin 1 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Banquet (per person) 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bread, loaf 2 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Cheese, 1 lb. 5 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Cream, 1 gallon 5 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Eggs, One dozen 2 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fruit, 1 lb. fresh 3 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fruit, 1 lb. dried 4 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Honey, 1 pint 2 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meals (per day) ⠀⠀Squalid 3 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Poor 6 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Modest 3 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Comfortable 5 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Wealthy 8 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Aristocratic 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Meat, 1 lb. 4 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Milk, 1 gallon 2 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Salt, 1 lb. 2 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sugar, 1 lb. 2 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wine ⠀⠀Common, barrel 10 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Common, bottle 12 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Common, glass 4 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Common, pitcher 2 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Common, waterskin 1 sp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Fine, barrel 220 pp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Fine, bottle 10 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Fine, glass 4 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Fine, gallon 50 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Fine, waterskin 25 gp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Vegetables, root 2 cp⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Credit: I would like to thank dandwiki for some of the items on the Food and Drink section. Metals Metals The world holds a lot of metals such as iron, copper, steel, aluminum, titanium, adamantine, mithral, and so on. Here is a list of those metals and their costs. I've included the metals within the player's handbook for your conference. Metals Metals Metal Metal Cost Per Pound Cost Per Pound⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Adamantine 25 gp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Aluminum 2 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Brass 5 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Lead 1 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mithral 10 gp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Steel 3 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tin 4 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ titanium 8 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Zinc 2 sp ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mithral Weapons Mithral Weapons Mithral weapons are as rare as some magical weapons and are considered to be on par with most magical weapon. For the sake of context, Mithral weapons are considered uncommon, magical items. In addition, mithral weapons have the following characteristics: Mithral weapons without the light property, that do not have the heavy property, gain the light property. Small creatures do not roll with disadvantage when using a mithral weapon with the heavy property. Adamantine Weapons Adamantine Weapons Adamantine weapons are as rare as some magical weapons and are considered to be on par with most magical weapon. For the sake of context, Adamantine weapons are considered uncommon magical items. In addition, Adamantine weapons have the following characteristics: Whenever an adamantine weapon or pierce of ammunition hits an object, the hit is a critical hit. Adamantine weapons score critical hits on a roll of 19 or 20. This stacks with the Fighter's Improved Critical and Superior Critical. Mithral & Adamantium Prices Mithral & Adamantium Prices Because Mithral and Adamantium are considered uncommon magical items, all Mithral and Adamantium weapons cost between 500 gp to 4,999 gp. Past that, it's up to you how much they are worth in your game. I would recommend using a baseline multiplier that changes depending on the item. Plate armor does require work, but shouldn't cost more than 4,999 gp. While a spear would cost much, much less, and would be on the low-end side. Around 650 gp. It's complicated. From what I learned, Adamantium plate should roughly cost 4,500 gold, while mithral plate is about 2,500 gold. 16 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 20/26 Furniture Furniture Decorating a home is sometimes overlooked by Players and the Dungeon Master. The following lists are for the Dungeon Masters who have to deal with the crazy players that don't forget things like this. From beds to wardrobes, you'll find most of the things you need to buy for a house. Mostly, anyways. I mostly made this because of I'm one of those players that go out and buy this kind of stuff. Enjoy! Furniture Furniture Furniture Furniture Cost Cost⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Beds, simple ⠀⠀Child 3 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Military 5 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Twin 8 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Queen 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀King 5 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Beds, exotic ⠀⠀Child 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Military 4 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Twin 5 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Queen 15 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀King 25 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Chair ⠀⠀Child high chair 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Barstool 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Exotic ≥ 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Simple 5 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Thrown ≥ 50 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Thrown, exotic ≥ 250 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Couch, simple ⠀⠀One person 3 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Two person 5 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Three person 8 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Lovesac (per piece) 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Couch, exotic ⠀⠀One person 8 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Two person 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Three person 25 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Lovesac (per piece) 7 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Dresser, simple ⠀⠀Small 1 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium 1 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large 3 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Dresser, exotic ⠀⠀Small 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium 15 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large 30 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Furniture Furniture Cost Cost⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Racks ⠀⠀Clothing Rack 2 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Mannequin 3 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Weapon, single 1 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Weapon, ten 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tables, simple ⠀⠀Bedside 5 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for four 5 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for eight 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for Twelve 15 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Workdesk 1 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tables, exotic ⠀⠀Bedside 3 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for four 30 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for eight 75 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Dinner Table for Twelve 100 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Workdesk 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wardrobe, simple ⠀⠀Small, shelf 1 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium, shelf 5 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large, shelf 8 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Small, clothing 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium, clothing 8 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large, clothing 15 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wardrobe, exotic ⠀⠀Small, shelf 12 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium, shelf 60 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large, shelf 75 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Small, clothing 25 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medium, clothing 75 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Large, clothing 100 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Simple Furniture & Exotic Furniture Simple Furniture & Exotic Furniture Simple furniture is made up of mostly wood and a few iron nails or simple cut stone. While it can look nice, simple furniture is for the common folk to buy. Players who are skilled with artisan tools may be able to make simple furniture very easily, but it will take time (10 hours minimum). However, the DC to make for simple furniture is 10. On a failed check the item sells for half its value. Exotic furniture is any form of furniture made up of odd materials or has exquisite detail that makes the objects quite divine. Players who are skilled with artisan tools may be able to make exotic. This requires weeks of effort and great skill to pull off (minimum of 40 hours) The DC to make for exotic furniture is 25. On a failed save the item sells for half. On a failed save of 10 or lower, the item becomes a simple furniture. 17 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 21/26 Spellcasting Services Spellcasting Services Spell services generally available including healing and recovery spells, as well as information-gathering spells. Other spells services might be available as specified in adventure. Spellcasting Services Spellcasting Services Spell Spell Cost Cost Location Location Cure Wounds 10 gp Small Village Identify 20 gp Medium Village Lesser Restoration 40 gp Large Village Prayer of Healing 40 gp Small Village Ceremony 50 gp Small Village Remove Curse 90 gp Small Village Speak With Dead 90 gp Large Village Divination 250 gp Large Village Greater Restoration 450 gp Large Village Raise Dead 1,250 gp Small Town Teleportation Circle* 2,500 gp Large Town Heal 3,000 gp Medium City Regenerate 3,000 gp Large City Resurrection 7,500 gp Large City Mass Heal 10,000 gp Large City Clone 20,000 gp Large City True Resurrection 50,000 gp Large City Note on Teleportation Circle Note on Teleportation Circle Even if the town has someone to cast Teleportation Circle, they may not know the place they are teleporting to. In such cases, having the spell provider know of more popular places is a wise idea. For example, they might be able to teleport you to the capital of the kingdom you're in, or to a very popular location somewhere in the next kingdom. Note on Prices Note on Prices In some instances, players may not have to pay for the spell being cast, or they might gain a discount based on their actions or who they are. For example, the cleric of the party may be able to work a discount for the Regenerate spell if they worship the same god as the caster. Alternatively, if the spellcaster is in danger, and the players are there to make sure they survive, and a player is wounded or needs medical help, the spellcaster may just use a spell for free. At lower levels, players may have to go on quests to gain use of the spells instead of paying, or a whole campaign. Standard Services Standard Services Adventurers can pay nonplayer characters to assist them or act on their behalf in a variety of circumstances. Most such hirelings have fairly ordinary skills, while others are masters of craft or art, and few are experts with specialized adventuring skills. Some of the most basic types of hirelings appear on the services table, others common hireling include any of the wide variety of people who inhabit a typical town or city when the adventurers pay them to perform a specific task. Other hirelings provide more expert or dangerous services. Such hirelings may be a Mercenary Solder you paid to help fight off the hobgoblin army, or a sage you paid to research ancient or exotic lore. At higher levels, simple quests or deadly adventures may be required to hire such people. Standard Hiring Services Standard Hiring Services Service Service Pay Pay ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Coach Cab ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀Between towns 3 cp per mile ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Within a city 1 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hirelings ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ Skilled 2 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Untrained 2 sp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Messenger 2 cp per mile ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Road or gate toll 1 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ship's passage 1 sp per mile ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Combat Hiring Services Combat Hiring Services Service Service Pay Pay ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ Archer 3 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Champion 125 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Gladiator 15 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Knight 3 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Swashbuckler 3 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Veteran 3 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Warlord 500 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Magical Hiring Services Magical Hiring Services Service Service Pay Pay ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Abjurer 150 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Apprentice Wizard 3 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bard 15 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Conjurer 200 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Enchantr 75 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Envoker 200 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Illusionist 25 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Mage 15 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Necromancer 250 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Priest 30 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Transmuter 200 gp per day ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Note on Hiring Prices Note on Hiring Prices Most of these Prices can only be paid by high-level characters who have acquired a great amount of gold. Because of this, lower level characters may need to go on quests or full adventures to acquire the services of these hirelings. In some cases, hirelings may be free if they hold a grudge against those the characters are opposing, such as a dwarf Champion who hates all giants, or an elven Priest who despises goblins. 18 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 22/26 Non-Standard and Illegal Services Non-Standard and Illegal Services At times, adventurers seek out the simple things that everyone needs, such as a bath, laundry services, or even healers to bandage their wounds. Other days, they may seek out the strange oddities that the world has to offer, such as prostitution, assassination, theft, and kidnapping. The following tables are the prices for these services. Locations are not given, as each setting may be different, and some locations may not provide such services because of the world the players are playing in. For example, in a world of evil, assassination might be much, much cheaper. Non-Standard Services Non-Standard Services Service Service Cost Cost ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bath ⠀⠀Cold 2 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Hot 5 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Public 3 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Healers ⠀⠀Healer 3 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Medic 2 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Doctor 10 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Laundry ⠀⠀Standard 1 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Magical 1 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Prostitution ⠀⠀Basic Wench 5 cp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Average Wench 2 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Exotic Wench 6 sp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Basic Courtesan 3 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Average Courtesan 25 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Exotic Courtesan 75 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bath Bath A player character can clean themselves with a bath. Healers Healers A Healer is someone who can mend and bandage player character wounds. A player can spend one hour with a Healer and take a short rest. A Healer provides the benefits from the Healer feat. A Medic provides them the benefits from the Healer feat and the Medict feat. A Doctor provides the benefits from the Healer, Medic, and Doctor feats. Laundry Laundry This is a way for player characters to lean their clothing and armor. For every twenty-five pounds of clothing and armor, increase by price by the cost of the laundry; 1 silver coin for standard and 1 gold coin for magical. Prostitution Prostitution This is a way for characters to find pleasure. The prostitute prices may change depending on what the players are looking for. An ugly wench would be much cheaper than a beautiful Courtesan Illegal Services Illegal Services Service Service Cost Cost ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Assassination ⠀ ⠀⠀Commoner 50 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Noble 5,000 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Royalty 45,000 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kidnapping ⠀⠀Commoner 25 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Noble 3,000 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Royalty 30,000 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Theft ⠀⠀Commoner 20 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Noble 1,250 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Royalty 15,000 gp ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Assassination Assassination Paying others to kill off people is a commodity few can afford. Characters, players mostly, can pay shady people in the darkest of places gold to have the lives of people ended. Tracking down these people can be difficult, and sometimes, take days or even months to find, but when dealing with death, isn't that the point? For the assassination of a commoner, any back alley thug will do. For the assassination of a Noble, someone of skill is required, and tracking them down may take time. For Royalty, tracking down someone may take days or even months, and even then, you might not find someone to kill the target you want dead. Kidnapping Kidnapping Kidnapping is an oddity and a service that the most insane can provide. Players can hire a trained individual that can track down and capture. These people can be bounty hunters, bandits, slavers, or so on. The harder the target they are going for, the more gold they will be required to pay. The price may vary depending on how deadly their target is, or what they'll have to do to acquire the target. Theft Theft Many towns have shady places within them, and those places house people who are willing to do things that others won't, but also rats that enjoy taking this from others. These rats can be hired to steal. Players can hire people to steal things from others for the listed price, but if the payment is not sufficient, then the Thief may keep what they stole, such as a magic item, or a rare jewel. Note on illegal Services Prices Note on illegal Services Prices The processes may go up or down depending on the job. A powerful king that you wish to kidnap may require a higher payment. A noble that everyone hates may be cheaper to assassinate. A commoner who is nothing more than petty fool may be killed for nothing more than a simple mug of ale. Different situations can provide different changes to the pricesses. 19 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 23/26 Chapter 5: Customization Options Chapter 5: Customization Options T he number of feats within D&D 5th edition are few in numbers, but thanks the UA expansions, we have been given dozens of new and fun feats to use. Expect, there are a few things missing. In the massive collection of over 80 feats that have come out, a few really important things were missing. Below, you'll find a few homebrew feats that I came up with. Combat Training Combat Training You train yourself in a particular style of fighting. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You learn one fighting style from the fighter class. You can't take a fighting style option you already know. Doctor Doctor Prerequisite: the healer feat or the medic feat You are a Doctor who's knows how to bind wounds quickly and skillfully. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Creatures you heal with a healer's kit now heal for additional hit points equal to your proficiency modifier. In addtion, you are able to heal a creature with a healer's kit three times between long rests, instead of only one. You have advantage on all Medicine skill checks you make. Expert Expert You gain expertise in two skill you're proficient in. Dressmaker Dressmaker You pride yourself on the wonderful clothing you are able to make. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain proficiency with weaver's tools. If you are already proficient with them, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with them. Clothing you make now sells for double the normal value, and you're able to make new clothing worthy of a king. See the table below for details. Item Item Sell Price Sell Price Weight Weight Weave Time Weave Time Clothes, common 1 gp 3 lbs. 4 hours Clothes, costume 10 gp 4 lbs. 8 hours Clothes, elegant 50 gp 6 lbs. 16 hours Clothes, fine 30 gp 6 lbs. 8 hours Clothes, royal 100 gp 8 lbs. 34 hours Clothes, traveler's 2 gp 4 lbs. 8 hours Dressmaker Aid! Dressmaker Aid! You don't always need top of the line, high-end silk to make clothing look good. Creativity works well enough with average quality goods. Elegant and royal clothes require silk, found within the player's handbook under trade goods. Most medium creatures will require 4 square yards of fabric to make clothing, but to make things easy, just use the following table. Please know that dressmaking also uses heavier things when making the clothing. For example leather or furs. Creature Size Creature Size Square Yards of Fabric Square Yards of Fabric Tiny .5 yards of fabric Small 2 yards of fabric Medium 4 yards of fabric Large 8 yards of fabric Master Master Select a skill you have Expertise in. Whenever you make an ability check with that skill, you can treat a d20 or 9 or lower as a 10. In addition, once between long rests, when you use the selected skill, you may choose to do so with advantage. Swimmer Swimmer You've spent a lot of time in or near water, and have learned to swim quite well. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain a swim speed equal to your walk speed. You can hold your breath for an additional minute. Water Blessed Water Blessed The spirit of a Water Elemental has blessed you, and you gain the following benefits: Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You learn the create or destroy water and the purify food and drink spells, and are able to cast them at will. However, you are only able to create water with the create or destroy water spell and are only able to purify drink with the purify food and drink spell. In addition, the cast time for both spells are 1 minute, instead of 1 action. For spellcasting purposes, whichever ability score you increased with this feature is your spellcasting ability for these two spells. If you learned these spells another way, say the wizard class, then you're still able to cast them as an action with those methods, but you still need spell slots to cast. 20 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 24/26 Chapter 6: Treasure Chapter 6: Treasure T he following chapter is a large list of magic items that I came up with! Honestly, there's not much I can say on the subject, other than 5th edition has a small list of magical items. Really, compared to what I've seen in older additions, they really toned down what's available to the players. Magic Items Magic Items The following magic items will not be given tables to roll on, as those are very difficult to make, and hard to balance. Use your best judgement when providing them to the player. Brutal Weapon Brutal Weapon Weapon (any melee weapon), rare (requires attunement) This savage weapon allows creatures to maim and injury other creatures. When a creature takes a critical hit from this weapon, roll on the Lingering Injuries table found in chapter 9 of the Dungeon Master's Guide to determine the injury they take. Eye of the Storm Eye of the Storm Orb, legendary (requires attunement) This pitch black orb has a single charge and regenerates one charge at sundown on the final day of the month. When a charge is used, a hurricane will form over the next 24 hours. The eye of the hurricane will be centered on where the orb is, and where the orb moves, the hurricane will move. The hurricane lasts 4d6 hours. The eye of the hurricane is .5 mile radius, while the hurricane itself has a radius of 24 miles (from side to side, the hurricane is 50 miles in diameter). Those within the hurricane, but not in the eye of the storm, must deal with winds reaching 40 miles per hour (64 kph), and heavy rainfall. Creatures within the Hurricane must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw every minute. On a fail save, they take 1d4 bludgeoning damage. Well crafted structures or structures made of stronger material, such as stone, iron, or steel, automatically pass the check and take no damage, while poorly built structures made of wood and straw automatically fail this check and take double damage. Flooding and other natural tradigital can occur because of the hurricane, however, it's up to the DM as to what happens and how badly things turn out. Moonlight Weapon Moonlight Weapon Weapon (any weapon), rare (requires attunement) You can use a bonus action to speak this magic sword's command word, giving the wielder 60 feet of darkvition. If you already have darkvision, you increase its rage by 60 feet. Between the hours of 6 pm to 6 am (1800 to 0600), this weapon becomes a +2 weapon. Noble's Armor Noble's Armor Armor (any), uncommon This armor can be dawned and doffed as an action using its command word. This armor will automatically repair itself from any damage it takes, and will always be clean and pristine under any circumstance. Potion of Arcana Potion of Arcana Potion, rarity varies When you drink this potion, you gain arcana points that you can use to create spell slots (at the time of drinking). The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating spell slots of a given level. You can't create spell slots higher in level than 5th. A creature is only able to gain the benefits of this potion a number of times a day equal to their constitution modifier (minimum of 1). Unused arcana points are lost if they are not used at the time of drinking the potion. This potion's blue liquid has a visible number of small glowing beads within it. As it grows in rarity, the number of beads increases. Potion of... Potion of... Rarity Rarity Arcana Points Arcana Points Arcana Common ⠀ 6 Great Arcana Uncommon ⠀ 10 Superior Arcana Rare ⠀ 14 Supreme Arcana Very Rare ⠀ 18 Creating Spell Slots Creating Spell Slots Spell Slot Level Spell Slot Level Arcana Point Cost Arcana Point Cost 1st ⠀ 2 2nd ⠀ 3 3rd ⠀ 5 4th ⠀ 6 5th ⠀ 7 Potion of Rage Potion of Rage Potion, rarity varies When you drink this potion, you gain the effects of Rage as seen in the Barbarian class in the Player's Handbook. However, the rage only ends after a minute has passed, regardless if you have attacked or have taken damage. Whatever its potency, the potion appears blood red, with black pulsating veins flowing through it. Potion of... Potion of... Rarity Rarity Rage Damage Bonus Rage Damage Bonus Minor Rage Uncommon +2 Great Rage Rare +3 Extreme Rage Very rare +4 Potion of Valor Potion of Valor Potion, rarity varies When you drink this potion, you gain a bonus to hit and damage, as shown in the Potion of Valor table. Regardless of the potency, the potion lasts 1 hour. Whatever its potency, the potion's gold liquid shines faintly. Potion of... Potion of... Rarity Rarity Bonus To Hit and Damage Bonus To Hit and Damage Valor Uncommon +1 Great Valor Rare +2 Heroic Valor Very rare +3 21 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 25/26 Chapter 7: House Rules Suggestions Chapter 7: House Rules Suggestions T he following house rule ideas are to make your game more fun, and to allow players to get around some of the restrictions within 5th edition, while still being fun. However, these House Rules are just ideas and suggestions. If you do not agree with them, you can alter house rule them to fit your game. They're just suggestions after all! Come on! Heavy Weapons & Small Creatures Heavy Weapons & Small Creatures How badass would it be to be a two-foot tall gnome, swinging a six-foot-long greatsword, or a halfling rogue with a longbow? Thanks to the heavy rule, you can't. However, here are two options that allow small characters to use heavy weapons. Small creatures are able to attack with heavy weapons without disadvantage if... Their strength score is 15 or higher. Basically, the rule for heavy armor, but for heavy weapons. They count as one size larger when determining their carrying capacity and the weight they can push, drag, or lift. Their carry capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled (through any means). Stunned Rule Variant Stunned Rule Variant The following is my version of the Stunned condition: A stunned creature is incapacitated, can't move, and can't speak. A stunned creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. The stunned creature can't add their Dexterity modfire to their armor class, nor do they gain additional AC through the use of a shield. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. Sunlight Sensitivity Sunlight Sensitivity Everyone knows how to handle sunlight sensitivity, but if you don't know, here are two options on how to deal with the sunlight sensitivity race feature: Sunglasses! Someone in the world made sunglasses, and now they're this big thing. Modern day sunglasses, I mean. Since they're a pain to make in medieval days, even with magic, make them cost 10 gold piece to buy, plus you have to find someone who can make them. If a character is starting out with sunlight sensitivity, they can give up 10 starting gold to automatically get them. It is up to the DM how common they are. Remove it all together. This is up to the DM. However, there is a good argument as to why you should: first, the deep gnomes don't have it. They have superior darkvision like drow but have no negative penalty to what they can see. It's a strong argument and welcoming to players who want to play drow or even kobolds. Unconscious & Death Unconscious & Death The standard rules within D&D for being unconscious are somewhat annoying. People still need to make attack rolls to hit you, and even though they have advantage, they can miss sometimes. How hard is it to miss someone who's not even able to dodge? The following house rules on Unconscious & Death are to be used in addition to the standard rules for Unconscious & Death. Unconscious Unconscious Creatures have advantage on melee weapon attacks aginst unconscious creatures. While unconscious, you no longer add your Dexterity modfire to your armor class, nore do you gain additional AC through the use of a shield. Unconscious creatures auto fail any saving throw. Death Death A character automatically dies when they receive damage equal to or greater than their max health while unconscious (it does not count as a failed death save, it's auto death). Credit: I would like to thank Brachy on twitter for the base work of my "Unconscious & Death" rules. For the most part they are the same, but I would not have thought of this idea if it wasn't for him. 22 3/21/2019 The Homebrewery - NaturalCrit https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/rybwnuj91M?dialog=true 26/26 Change Long Change Long The stuff here is... The stuff here is... A list of all the balance changes that I have made to the content above. If you have downloaded this PDF file, you can make sure you're up to date by using this link or using the link found next to the index! Current version: 4.3.2.b Current version: 4.3.2.b First off, I deleted the old change long to clear up space. You may still find those logs on older version of this PDF. 1. 'Dragonborn Mixed Blood Renamed' 1. 'Dragonborn Mixed Blood Renamed' I renamed the 'Dragonborn Mixed Blood' to 'Dragonborn Variant'. This was to simplify the subrace. Draconic Ancestry is now the same as the standard Dragonborn, however, the breath weapon still deals 1d6 less damage. With this change, also comes a change to the name of some abilities. Mixed Draconic Ancestry is now just Draconic ancestry, and so on... 2. 'Half-Tabaxi' alteration 2. 'Half-Tabaxi' alteration Short and simple. I swapped 'Feline Skills' with 'Skilled'. Total skills given is two instead of three. 3. 'Half-Bullywug' alteration 3. 'Half-Bullywug' alteration Short and simple, and the same as Half-Tabaxi. I swapped 'Frog Skills' with 'Skilled'. Total skills given is two instead of three. 4. 'Draco-Liz' alteration 4. 'Draco-Liz' alteration Removed 'Blood Training' for Natrual Instincs. Now you're just getting two skills for who you are, instead of having a background alteration forced upon you. Overall, the race is still strong enough to play without the changes. It's just good, plain and simple. 5. Barbarian changes 5. Barbarian changes To the Rabbit Barbarian features, I added, "In addition, you may now use Reckless Attack with melee weapons that use Dexterity instead of Strength." to the aspect of the beast feature, so that Rabbit Barbarians may now use Reckless Attack with Dex weapons! I also altered the Bunny's Totem Attunment to make it... much better then it was. See page 6 for details. On top of that, I reduced the poison damage the 'Spider Totem Attunment' deals from 5d8 to 5d6. 6. Phoenix Domain 6. Phoenix Domain Renamed 'Gift of Light' to 'Gift of Blazing Light'. 7. Juggernaut! 7. Juggernaut! Altered the whole archtype to use Damage Reduction instead of Damage Threshold. Also changed the 7th level feature to resist status effects when wearing heavy armor... Let's hope it makes a great tank class now! 8. Ninja Rogue! 8. Ninja Rogue! Expeditious Mobility no longer provides an additional increases in speed. 9. Savage Rogue! 9. Savage Rogue! Changed Fearful Strike to use Charisma, not Strength or Dex. 10. Great Mother Bloodlone! 10. Great Mother Bloodlone! Removed the 'short rest' part on Changed Nature's Awakenin. It can now only be used freely between long rests. 11. Titan Bloodline 11. Titan Bloodline Added 'Astral Dreadnaught' to the titan bloodline. 12. Master Feat 12. Master Feat Reworked the master feat... Go read it. And then there was the spelling! And then there was the spelling! Yeah, I went through and fixed a some of spelling errors that I found. I don't think everythings fixed, and I know there are more mistakes, but I just can't find them. Current version: 4.3.1.a Current version: 4.3.1.a Reddit feedback! Edit to Master Feat Edit to Master Feat Chanced feat to the following: 'Select a skill you are expertise in. You gain a +5 bonus to that skill's passive. In addition, once between long rests, when you use the selected skill, you may choose to do so with advantage.' Current version: 4.3.2.a Current version: 4.3.2.a Reddit feedback! Edit to Master Feat, again Edit to Master Feat, again Chanced feat to the following: 'Select a skill you have Expertise in. Whenever you make an ability check with that skill, you can treat a d20 or 9 or lower as a 10. In addition, once between long rests, when you use the selected skill, you may choose to do so with advantage.' Current version: 4.3.2.b Current version: 4.3.2.b Reddit feedback! Simplifed Rabbit Barbarian Simplifed Rabbit Barbarian Moved 'In addition, you may now use Reckless Attack with melee weapons that use Dexterity instead of Strength.' to the lv. 3 Totem Spirit, and simplifed the Aspect of the Beast. Current version: 4.3.2.c Current version: 4.3.2.c General Update Spelling and Titan Blood Spelling and Titan Blood Spelling update, along with Titan Blood fixes. Simple stuff. 23

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Homebrew/Bubba's 5th Edition Expansion v4.3.2.b.pdf

The Fourth Page: Artifact An abstract random generator
 for World of Dungeons and other fantasy RPGs To generate a random artifact, simply roll a D12 and a D6 for each category: Origin, Power, and Drawback. Use your results to inspire you when fleshing out the artifact’s details. For games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Dungeon World, the randomly generated entries can be a guide for creating stats and abilities. For games such as Fate Core, entries can be turned directly into aspects with only some minor tweaking. The most important part of each entry is the bolded word or phrase; pronouns and other text are there for flavour and may be changed or ignored at your leisure. Special thanks to Andrew James Huffaker, Ryan Stoughton, and all our Patreon backers. The Fourth Page: Artifact © 2017 Mike Riverso and Fourth Page Games. Visit us at fourthpagegames.com This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 The Fourth Page: Artifact Origin (Roll d12 + D6 to determine an aspect of the artifact’s origin) 1. Alchemical 1. It bubbles. 2. You rub it into your skin. 3. It tastes awful. 4. It splashes when you throw it. 5. You only have the recipe. 6. It's inherently unstable. 2. Ancient 1. It's been lost for centuries. 2. It belongs to a museum. 3. It's corroded and rusted. 4. It was passed down through your family. 5. It's been told of in song and story. 6. Its creators have gone extinct. 3. Elemental 1. It's made of solid ice. 2. It's glows like magma. 3. This wood only comes from one place. 4. It cackles with lightning. 5. It is light and wispy. 6. It's basically just a rock. 4. Holy 1. It radiates divine energy. 2. It was the weapon of a god. 3. Only the good can wield it. 4. It's faithful to you and your cause. 5. It's emblazoned with a holy symbol. 6. They want it back.
 5. Magic 1. It's covered in mysterious runes. 2. It attunes itself to you. 3. You must speak the proper words. 4. It emanates power. 5. It's a piece of something bigger. 6. The focus crystal needs replacing. 6. Masterwork 1. It was forged by dwarven blacksmiths. 2. Elven weavers put years into its making. 3. No demon lord fights without one. 4. It's infused with a drop of dragon blood. 5. It's in mint condition. 6. It's the best a human could do. 7. Natural 1. It pulses in your hand. 2. It grows in the wild. 3. It bonds to your flesh. 4. It's starting its metamorphosis. 5. It glows in the dark. 6. It followed you home. 8. Otherworldly 1. It's decidedly non-euclidean. 2. It's a silicon-based lifeform. 3. It hurts to look at it. 4. It's goopy. 5. It's bigger on the inside. 6. It's made from meteoric ore.
 9. Purpose 1. It is a key. 2. It was meant to defeat a great evil. 3. It's a map to something greater. 4. It contains a powerful force. 5. It was used in religious ceremonies. 6. It denotes royalty. 10. Shadow 1. It's easily concealed. 2. It exists in two places at once. 3. It feels malevolent. 4. It is almost translucent. 5. It whispers to you. 6. It's inhabited by an tortured soul. 11. Simple 1. It belonged to your parents. 2. It's nothing if not reliable. 3. It was made by a local craftsman. 4. It's literally a child's toy. 5. It was cobbled together quickly. 6. It's quaint. 12. Technological 1. Its gears click and whiz. 2. It blasts steam. 3. They were once mass-produced. 4. It's a one-of-a-kind prototype. 5. The gunpowder stinks. 6. It is from the future.
 © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 1 3 The Fourth Page: Artifact Power (Roll d12 + D6 to determine the artifact’s primary power or effect) 1. Autonomy 1. It fights at your side. 2. It scouts ahead for you. 3. It guards your camp. 4. It delivers your messages. 5. It carries your burdens. 6. It stores your knowledge. 2. Blessing 1. You are shielded by divine force. 2. You shed an inspiring aura. 3. You've had fantastic luck lately. 4. You sense lies and deception. 5. You are filled with heroic vigour. 6. Dark entities fear you. 3. Control 1. You can command simple beasts. 2. Your enemies are hypnotized. 3. They must tell the truth. 4. You paralyze your foe. 5. He follows your suggestion. 6. You dominate their mind. 4. Divination 1. You see and hear over vast distances. 2. You understand foreign languages. 3. You get glimpses of another time. 4. Illusions uncovered. 5. You read their thoughts. 6. The gods grant you guidance.
 5. Enhancement 1. You have the might of the giants. 2. You're as agile as a bird. 3. You feel healthier than ever. 4. Your mind is filled with knowledge. 5. Your senses are heightened. 6. Your charm is irresistible. 6. Elemental 1. It shoots gouts of flame. 2. You shock your foes. 3. The wind obeys your call. 4. Thunderous sound staggers your enemies. 5. The ground rumbles beneath your feet. 6. You freeze your target in place. 7. Healing 1. It closes your wounds. 2. The poison is leeched from your veins. 3. Your energy is restored. 4. The curse is lifted. 5. It resurrects the dead. 6. It mends broken items. 8. Illusion 1. You move unseen. 2. It puts on a light show. 3. Smoke fills the room. 4. You control illusory phantasms. 5. You are disguised as someone else. 6. The illusion has physical form.
 9. Metamorphosis 1. You breathe underwater with gills. 2. You fly with leathery wings. 3. Your skin is as hard as stone. 4. You become mist for a short time. 5. You grow to crush your enemies. 6. You take the form of a beast. 10. Movement 1. You teleport short distances. 2. You float gently to the ground. 3. You phase through walls. 4. You run as fast as the wind. 5. You leap to great heights. 6. You are returned to town. 11. Protection 1. You are immune to the elements. 2. Weapons bounce right off you. 3. It cloaks you in shadow. 4. Harmful magics are dispelled. 5. You're as steady as a mountain. 6. It warns you of danger. 12. Summon 1. A familiar does your bidding. 2. You entrap an elemental. 3. There's a monster in your pocket. 4. Summoned, but uncontrollable. 5. The undead serve you. 6. A spirit guides you. 
 © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 2 3 The Fourth Page: Artifact Drawback (Roll d12 + D6 to determine the artifact’s most prominent drawback) 1. Corruption 1. Your thoughts are not your own. 2. Your emotions become unstable. 3. Nothing can sate your appetite. 4. You're plagued by terrible nightmares. 5. You are being drawn somewhere. 6. Your conscience has gone quiet. 2. Cost 1. You'll have to pay for it. 2. They want to barter. 3. They'll come to collect someday. 4. You must reveal a secret. 5. You'll have to fetch something. 6. An arm and a leg, literally. 3. Curse 1. Your memory is not what it used to be. 2. You've been polymorphed! 3. You are plagued by insomnia. 4. You've lost your voice. 5. You're aging rapidly. 6. The stink just won't wash off. 4. Flaw 1. You're missing an important part. 2. It's objectively ugly. 3. It's magic is unravelling. 4. You need a mechanic to fix it. 5. It needs constant adjustment. 6. It's cracked and dented.
 5. Geas 1. It cannot leave your possession. 2. You must join its quest. 3. It's only on loan. 4. You must prove yourself to it. 5. It won't work without the ritual. 6. You are compelled to use it. 6. Hindrance 1. It draws plenty of attention. 2. You must endure the pain. 3. The instructions are complex. 4. Your mind is foggy. 5. Your senses are dimmed. 6. It's large and unwieldy. 7. Limitation 1. It must be recharged. 2. You're low on ammunition. 3. It activates on a cycle. 4. It will only work once. 5. Batteries not included. 6. It is bound to this place. 8. Malfunction 1. It spews random magical effects. 2. It jams at the worst times. 3. It leaks all over you. 4. Sparks fly in all directions. 5. It misfires. 6. It overheats easily.
 9. Metamorphosis 1. Your flesh becomes scarred. 2. The scales are spreading. 3. Your eyes look strange. 4. You begin to resemble the previous owner. 5. That third arm is vestigial. 6. Are those... horns? Is that... a tail? 10. Personality 1. It talks. Loudly. All the time. 2. It's in love. 3. It balks at your commands. 4. It's curiosity will get you killed. 5. Flattery will get you everywhere. 6. It seeks nothing but revenge. 11. Side-Effect 1. Your allies are affected, too. 2. There's an equal and opposite reaction. 3. Using it leaves you exhausted. 4. It leeches energy from its surroundings. 5. You feel nauseous. 6. It causes collateral damage. 12. Weakness 1. Don’t expose it to sunlight. 2. It's very fragile. 3. Some creatures are immune to its effects. 4. It can be countered. 5. It's useless when wet. 6. It's mostly harmless. © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 3 3 The Fourth Page: Monster An abstract random generator
 for World of Dungeons and other fantasy RPGs To generate a random monster, simply roll a D12 and a D6 for each category: Nature, Habitat, and Role. Use your results to inspire you when fleshing out the monster’s details. For games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Dungeon World, the randomly generated entries can be a guide for creating stats and abilities. For games such as Fate Core, entries can be turned directly into aspects with only some minor tweaking. The most important part of each entry is the bolded word or phrase; pronouns and other text are there for flavour and may be changed or ignored at your leisure. The Fourth Page: Monster © 2017 Mike Riverso @ Fourth Page Games. Visit us at fourthpagegames.com This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
 The Fourth Page: Monster Nature (Roll d12 + D6 to determine an aspect of the monster’s nature) 1. Aberration 1. They phase in and out of reality. 2. It floats unnaturally. 3. It disobeys the laws of physics and magic. 4. Ichor drips from its wounds. 5. You find its gibbering speech disturbing. 6. Tentacles everywhere. 2. Animal and Plant 1. Its barbs are filled with poison. 2. You're entangled in its web 3. They travel in packs. 4. It's hunting you. 5. Teeth and claws rend and tear. 6. The place is swarming with them. 3. Construct 1. They fight with mindless perseverance. 2. They repair their own injuries. 3. It's disguised as a mundane object. 4. You're walking through it's hallways. 5. It's immune to your usual tricks. 6. Its patterns are predictable. 4. Elemental 1. Fire burns your flesh. 2. You're blown away by air. 3. The earth shakes, rocks fall. 4. Water freezes and drowns you. 5. You're seared by blinding light. 6. Your world is plunged into darkness.
 5. Fey 1. They are frustratingly elusive. 2. Her magics are subtle and mysterious. 3. It hides its true nature. 4. He's tricked you with misdirection. 5. You hear eerie music in the distance. 6. She can sense your intentions. 6. Giant 1. He's as slow as he is large. 2. Two heads are better than one. 3. Her form is bent and twisted. 4. It's smarter than it looks. 5. They command the elements. 6. Her patience is legendary. 7. Humanoid 1. Humanoid, but not mammalian. 2. Their primitive spells are surprisingly effective. 3. They're simply misunderstood. 4. You've offended them. 5. They wield strange devices. 6. They're a motley crew. 8. Monstrosity 1. The experiment has escaped its cage. 2. Its gaze will turn you to stone. 3. They were born in the most extreme conditions. 4. It's larger than anything you've ever seen. 5. It's hybrid form is misshapen. 6. She's only protecting her offspring.
 9. Mythical Beast 1. Its breath is worse than its bite. 2. It's older than civilization. 3. You've encroached on its lair. 4. Its hide is worth a fortune. 5. Its appearance is an ill omen. 6. Its magics are beyond your ken. 10. Ooze 1. It dissolves organic matter. 2. It slips between cracks in the walls. 3. When you hit them, they split in two. 4. It shifts its form with frightening speed. 5. Eww. You’re stepping in it. 6. It corrodes your weapons and armour. 11. Outsider 1. His motives are inscrutable. 2. Its wingspan is imposing. 3. Their army is readying for battle. 4. It smells of fire and brimstone. 5. She is surrounded by a powerful aura. 6. They serve a mysterious master. 12. Undead 1. Their howls make you tremble in fear. 2. They remember their former lives. 3. Their touch drains your life force. 4. They just won't stay down. 5. They carry terrible disease. 6. They pass through solid objects.
 © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 1 3 The Fourth Page: Monster Habitat (Roll d12 + D6 to determine an aspect of the monster's Habitat) 1. City 1. It's been domesticated. 2. These vermin are everywhere. 3. They come in many different breeds. 4. She's lost. 5. It's a mage's familiar. 6. It was summoned here. 2. Coast 1. They fight with hooks and nets. 2. Their carapaces are hard and chitinous. 3. It came up from the deep. 4. He revels in the storm. 5. Their eggs are a delicacy. 6. They've made a colony here. 3. Desert 1. It drinks the blood of its prey. 2. They burrow beneath the sands. 3. Skinny and gaunt, it hasn't fed in days. 4. It rests during the day, and hunts at night. 5. They travel in caravans. 6. It scavenges from the dead. 4. Dungeon 1. It was put here for a purpose. 2. They died here, long ago. 3. It broke free of its chains. 4. He'll guard this place with his life. 5. It wanders the halls, aimlessly. 6. Their banter echoes through the halls.
 5. Fey Realm 1. He shines with a rainbow of colours. 2. Her weapons are made of opal. 3. Verdant flora sprouts wherever she steps. 4. They flicker in and out of existence. 5. They're laughing at you. 6. It's ethereal and translucent. 6. Forest 1. They hide in the trees. 2. It moves more silently than its size suggests. 3. This hermit is well known in town. 4. It blends into the environment. 5. They scurry into the underbrush. 6. They make excellent game animals. 7. Grassland 1. It slithers among the grass. 2. The herd is migrating to greener pastures. 3. It charges you at full speed. 4. They chirp at night. 5. You've stumbled upon their mating ritual. 6. There's safety in numbers. 8. Mountain 1. It climbs the rocks effortlessly. 2. They make their nests among the crags. 3. She hurls rocks with surprising force. 4. He just wants to be left alone. 5. They're as ancient as these stones. 6. It has naturally stone-like skin.
 9. Shadow Realm 1. Its presence fills you with despair. 2. You are chilled to the bone. 3. They're thralls to a darker power. 4. Her eyes are soulless. 5. It is caught between worlds. 6. He speaks in barely audible whispers. 10. Swamp 1. It lives on both land and water. 2. It tries to pull you under. 3. They come here to spawn. 4. Even the plants eat meat. 5. They strike quickly, without warning. 6. It's slimy. 11. Tundra 1. It's covered in thick fur. 2. Its tusks will tear you apart. 3. These ones were hibernating. 4. Steam billows from its internal furnace. 5. A layer of blubber keeps it warm.. 6. It stalks you in the mists. 12. Underground 1. It glows in the dark. 2. They're digging for something. 3. They see via echolocation. 4. He is one with the fungus. 5. It leaves tunnels in its wake. 6. They're controlled by a hive mind.
 © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 2 3 The Fourth Page: Monster Role (Roll d12 + D6 to determine an aspect of the monster’s role in combat) 1. Artillery 1. They shoot at you from cover. 2. You're caught in the blast radius. 3. They're aware of your approach. 4. They fall back when threatened. 5. You're trapped by suppressing fire. 6. They use unusual ammunition. 2. Boss 1. It has mastery over its environment. 2. First, you'll have to deal with his henchmen. 3. She’s toying with you. 4. It rises again in its final form. 5. You'll have to try an unconventional approach. 6. He has only one weakness. 3. Brute 1. It knocks you down. 2. It gets in your way. 3. It goes berserk. 4. It tramples you. 5. It wrecks the place. 6. It cuts a wide swath. 4. Controller 1. Their charms confuse you. 2. The terrain turns treacherous. 3. It counters your magic. 4. It's all an illusion. 5. Their nets and traps ensnare you. 6. It disarms you.
 5. Horde 1. There's too many of them. 2. They swarm your position. 3. For every one you kill, two more take its place. 4. Kill their leader and they will break. 5. They come in all shapes and sizes. 6. You've awoken them. 6. Leader 1. He heals his allies. 2. She inspires her minions to fight. 3. His extended monologues are tedious. 4. It has a master plan. 5. There is method to his madness. 6. She leads the charge. 7. Lurker 1. You don't see the sneak attack coming. 2. It blends in with the surroundings. 3. They dart just out of reach. 4. It's literally invisible. 5. They're actually enjoying this. 6. It waits for just the right moment. 8. Manipulator 1. She speaks in a sing-song voice. 2. His charming smile is disarming. 3. He wants something from you. 4. Their loyalties are shifting. 5. Plans within plans within plans. 6. It offers you a choice.
 9. Minion 1. They attack in packs. 2. They're not paid enough for this shit. 3. They follow orders blindly. 4. This one has fled its master. 5. They cower and flee. 6. They have a rich society and culture. 10. Scout 1. She has incredible endurance. 2. They’ve warned their companions. 3. There's one behind you. 4. He's laden with supplies. 5. She's carrying a missive of great importance. 6. You won't catch him when he runs. 11. Skirmisher 1. They surround you from all sides. 2. She slips in and out of combat. 3. He's carrying a hidden blade. 4. Your attacks are parried with ease. 5. She wields two weapons at once. 6. He fights in tandem with his animal companion. 12. Soldier 1. They're careful in their approach. 2. They're well-armed and well-armoured. 3. Their teamwork puts yours to shame. 4. They've been forced to fight. 5. They defend their weaker allies. 6. They outnumber you. © 2017 Fourth Page Games released under a CC-BY 4.0 License Page of 3 3

textdata/thevault/_GM Books/World Building & Game Design/ Misc U, V, W, X, Y, Z/World of Dungeons - Fourth Page - Artifact & Monster (abtract random magic item & monster encounter generators).pdf

1 The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® adventure Deep Horizon is the sixth of eight adventures designed to take charac- ter from the beginning to advanced levels of play. This mini-adventure can be added easily to any campaign or used when playing with the Deep Horizon adventure, and it should work nicely with a group of four PCs of about 13th level. You will need a copy of the Deep Hori- zon adventure to run the desmodus, however. PREPARATION You need the Player’s Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide, the MONSTER MANUAL®, and the Deep Horizon adventure to run this mini-adventure. Text in shaded boxes is player information. Monster statistics noted in each encounter are radically abbrevi- ated, but provide the Monster Manual page number or Deep Horizon appendix notation for full statistics of common monsters. ADVENTURE BACKGROUND The PCs come across a ruined gatehouse that was for- merly a fortified gate leading into the drow city of Chael-Rekshaar. A quartet of beholders have laid claim to it and use it as a strongpoint to keep interlopers out of the ruined city while they loot it. Look to the Adven- ture Background within Deep Horizon for more informa- tion about how to fit this into that particular adventure. If you’re using this ruined gatehouse as a stop in your campaign, you can arm the NPCs with whatever infor- mation or specific treasure you wish so that you can draw the PCs to this location. THE GATEHOUSE The PCs can explore the ruined gatehouse so long as they take care of the beholder and its desmodu merce- naries first. Maps 3 and 3A show the gatehouse. Features The gatehouse originally had a pair of towers three stories high, but the upper floors have fallen into ruin and the beholders have gutted them. They use only the ground floor. Arrow slits: Only the lowest row of arrow slits (about 5 feet above the floor) show up on the map. There are two identical rows of arrows above the ones shown on the map. Creatures behind an arrow slit have nine- tenths cover (+10 AC, +4 Reflex saves). Light: Phosphorescent fungus covers the entire exte- rior of the gatehouse (provides 5-foot radius of light). The interior of the gatehouse is not so lighted. A Web Enhancement for Deep Horizon by Skip Williams Additional Credits Editing Miranda Horner Cartography: Todd Gamble Typesetting: Sue Weinlein Cook Web Production: Julia Martin Web Development: Mark Jindra Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison. D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,DRAGON, MONSTER MANUAL, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks and the d20 System logo is a trademarkowned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the dis- tinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit <www.wizards.com/d20>. ©2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. Visit our website at <www.wizards.com/dnd> Ruined Gatehouse 2 Residents The gatehouse is currently home to a beholder and six desmodu mercenaries. The beholder is here to see that nobody enters Chael-Rekshaar until the beholders are done with it. The four beholders involved in looting the city rotate their assignments, and the beholder here is very familiar with operations in the city. The desmodus are less well informed. All they know is that they have been hired to do a job and that some of their comrades also are employed in the city (though they’re not sure where). They also know that the beholders have some slaves in the city, including some desmodu who were stupid enough to be captured and not smart enough to know a good deal when it was offered. They’re not sure how many slaves there are, but they’re pretty sure there are at least two beholders in the city. The desmodus have never visited the city and have no useful information for the party, other than the general history of the area. (Dungeon Masters should either utilize the information within Deep Horizon to fill in the gaps, or they should create their own reason why the beholders and their hired mercenaries are at the gatehouse and the city.) Ad Hoc XP Award: When the PCs’ defeat creatures in the gatehouse, increase their experience awards by 50% to account for the superior defensive position the beholders and their allies have. 1. Moat and Bridge (EL Variable) When the PCs approach the ruined gatehouse, they can see the moat and bridge. The bits of statue came from a war bat a desmodu explorer rode toward the gatehouse. The beholder in area 3 turned the bat to stone, and the statue plum- meted to the ground and shattered. Then the beholder and its minions captured the explorer and sent it off to toil as a slave in the ruins of the city. The moat is 20 feet wide and 40 feet deep. Water from an underground river rushes along the moat. It is 30 feet deep (leaving 10 feet between the water’s surface and the top of the moat) and moves north to south. Spiked gratings block the north and south ends of the moat, though they are out of sight below the surface. The water flows from a volcanic cavern and is very nearly boiling hot (hence the vapors and sulfur smell). The dotted line on the map shows the river’s course underground. Anyone who falls into the water suffers 10d6 points of fire damage (just touching the water inflicts 1d6 points of damage) and must make a Swim check (DC 15) to stay afloat. Characters who fail are swept against the south grating and suffer 2d6 points of damage. They also must make Reflex saves (DC 20) or become stuck on the spikes below the surface. Stuck characters remain held fast until rescued. Characters can extend a stone bridge over the moat. The bridge retracts into the eastern side of the moat and is currently fully retracted. It is visible from the west side of the moat as a thin rectangle of stone; how- ever, the PCs must operate the bridge only from area 5. Before you stands a moat, perhaps 20 feet wide, filled with rushing water. Thin tendrils of vapor rise from the water, tainting the air with a hint of sulfur. Shards of some great, broken statue lie at your feet. A crumbling stone arch wide enough for at least nine humans to march through, shoulder to shoulder, and at least that high lies behind the moat. A smashed portcullis of rusty iron partially blocks the arch. Beyond the portcullis, the pas- sage takes a sharp turn to the left, leaving you staring through the arch at a natural stone wall pierced with three rows of arrow slits. The lowest row is perhaps 5 feet above the chamber floor, with the upper two rows at about 20 and 35 feet. 3 s Ruined Iron Portcullis: 2 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 30; AC 1; Break DC 28. Please note that it’s possible to simply move through gaps in the portcullis (which are shown on the map). The portcullis is jammed and cannot be lifted out of the way. The portcullis does not block spell effects, but if any ranged attack (including a ray) passes through the intact portion of the portcullis, the target gains one- quarter cover (+2 cover bonus to AC). s Moat Grating: 4 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 120; AC 4; Break DC 35. Development: The beholder and the desmodu in area 3 keeping watch over the moat can spot anyone approaching. The beholder quickly uses its antimagic cone against anyone trying to fly over the moat. Lines and shaded areas on maps 3 and 3A show where the cone (or any ranged attack) can reach. The beholder, thanks to its flying ability, can use the higher arrow slits and can aim the cone down at angle of up to 45 degrees (also shown on map 3A). So, it is quite possible it can make characters using fly spells or magic flying devices fall into the water, especially of if it catches them over the western half of the moat. See area 3 for more information on the beholder’s tactics. The desmodus in area 6 joins the fight one round after the beholder is alerted. 2. Passage (EL Variable) The PCs find themselves in the passage once they pass the moat. The portcullis is brand new (the beholders had it repaired). It is operated from area 5. s Iron Portcullis: 8 in. thick; hardness 10; hp 240; AC –1; Break DC 45 (lift DC 55). Please note that it’s not possible for a creature of less than Gargantuan size to lift the portcullis. If some immensely strong creature were to make a lift attempt, the portcullis would simply tear away; treat such lift attempts as break attempts. Development: The desmodus in areas 3 and 4 spot anyone entering here, and they fire their bows at any intruders. The beholder in area 3 uses its eye rays on any intruders it sees. See areas 3 and 4 for details. 3. South Tower (EL 14) The drow built this chamber to control access to the moat and bridge (area 1). It has a floor strewn with rubble and a ceiling 50 feet high. There is a crack in the wall leads north to area 2, but the crack is 20 feet above the floor level in area 2 (15 feet above the floor level in here). Creatures: A beholder and a desmodu keep a vigil on area 1 from here. d Beholder: hp 72; see Monster Manual page 24. Possessions: 5 pinches of dust of appearance, 4 pinches of dust of disappearance. d Desmodus (2): hp 114 each, see Appendix II in Deep Horizon. Tactics: When a desmodu spots anyone, it alerts the beholder and uses its hope power. The desmodu and the beholder stays inside as long as they can attack effectively from the tower. They make ranged attacks against foes in areas 1 or 2. The beholder uses its eyes and the desmodu uses its bow. The beholder uses its antimagic cone to keep foes from crossing the moat by magic. The water in the moat does not block magic or the beholder’s eye rays, but it does limit vision. Creatures and objects can be seen clearly through up to 15 feet of vapor. At more than 15 feet, but at less than 30 feet, creatures have one-half concealment. Beyond 30 feet, all vision is obscured. Increase the amount of conceal- ment one step (see Table 8–10 in the Player’s Handbook) if someone looks at a submerged creature from above the surface. If nobody tries to cross the moat, or if foes get across despite the antimagic cone, the beholder switches to its other eyes. Characters can avoid the beholder’s eye rays and the desmodus’ arrows by hugging the blindspots around and below each arrow slit (though this leaves them exposed to attacks from area 4). Once the characters figure out how to hide from the beholder’s eye rays, the beholder uses some of its dust of disappearance and flies out the crack You find yourself in a twisting passage that turns right, then left, and ends in a high, broad archway blocked by a portcullis of black iron. The natural rock walls to either side are well pro- vided with arrow slits arranged in three rows, just as you saw at the moat. There are cracks in the walls to your right and left that are easily large enough to admit a human or even an ogre. However, they are both 20 feet off the ground and are at the level of the second row of arrow slits. 4 in the wall to carry the fight to the PCs. (It carries its con- tainers of magic dust in its mouth.) When the beholder leaves the tower, the desmodu follows suit (though it must climb up to the crack and them jump down to area 2). If faced with invisible opponents, the beholder uses its dust of appearance against invisible PCs (it watches where the desmodus direct their attacks to figure out about where the invisible foes are); the beholder’s telekinesis ray is handy for sprinkling dust over a distant foe. If reduced to 20 hit points or less, the beholder tries to escape invisi- bly, disintegrating its way out through a wall if it has to. If it is apparent that one or more foes can detect invisible creatures, the beholder attempts to obliterate them with its most potent attacks (disintegrate, finger of death, flesh to stone, and charm monster) before it goes. When the beholder leaves the tower, the desmodu does, too. Once within melee reach of foes, the desmodu uses its stunning screech on opponents and a smokestick or two to give itself concealment. The desmodu stays with the fight so long as the beholder is in the battle (it fears being disintegrates or petrified if it displeases its employer). If the beholder is slain or flees, the desmodu surrenders. Development: Any disturbance here brings the desmodu from area 6A in two rounds. 4. North Tower (EL 13) This area is similar to area 3. Creatures: Two desmodus keep watch on area 2 from here d Desmodus (2): hp 114 each; see Appendix II in Deep Horizon. Tactics: The desmodus fire arrows at any intruders they spot in area 2. If they find they cannot attack effec- tively with their bows, they climb or jump up to the crack in the wall and enter area 2 to make melee attacks. They otherwise use the same tactics the desmodu in area 3 uses. Development: Any disturbance here brings the two desmodu from area 6B in two rounds. 5. Machinery Room (EL 0) This chamber contains two large windlasses. One on the west wall operates the bridge at area 1. The mechanism is functional, but stiff. It takes a Strength check (DC 20) to turn the windlass for one round. Each round of operation extends or retracts the bridge 5 feet; the moat is 20 feet wide, so that means it will take 4 rounds to extend it fully. The east wall holds the windlass that operates the portcullis at the east end of area 2. The mechanism turns smoothly, but requires a Strength check (DC 10) each round to operate. Each round of operation raises or lowers the portcullis 5 feet. 6. Barracks (EL 11) These chambers once housed the gatehouse’s drow garrison and are now home to the desmodus. Each desmodu sleeps in a canvas hammock slung from the chamber’s ceiling, which is about 6 feet off the floor. Creatures: Area 6A is home to two desmodus, though only one is here at any time. The other is on duty in area 2. Area 6B houses four desmodus, two of which are on duty in area 3 at any given time. Treasure: Area 6A contains a stack of five silver bars. Area 6B has ten silver bars, and each bar weighs 5 pounds and is worth 25 gp. ABOUT THE AUTHOR A senior roleplaying game designer at Wizards of the Coast, Skip Williams is a game industry veteran who started behind the cash register at TSR’s Dun- geon Hobby Shop in 1976. He was part of the team that created the newest edition of the D&D game, was the primary author of the new MONSTER MANUAL, and is DRAGON® Magazine’s Sage. Skip is fond of old movies, old airplanes, and old books, but not neces- sarily in that order.

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Play Notes: � Gained a level � Lost a level � Ability Drained ____________ � Died � Was raised/res’d � Was reincarnated _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Home Region______________________ GP Starting GP Lifestyle � None � Standard (12 gp x TU) � Rich (50 gp x TU) � Luxury (100 gp x TU) Lifestyle Cost Other Coin Spent Total Coin Spent - GP GP Spent GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal - GP GP Spent GP FINAL GP TOTAL Items Sold Total Value of Sold Items Add ½ this value to your gp value Items Bought Total Cost of Bought Items Subtract this value from your gp value XP Starting XP - XP XP lost or spent XP Subtotal + XP XP Gained FINAL XP TOTAL XP TU Starting TU 1 or 2 TU TU Cost - TU Added TU Costs TU REMAINING Adventure Record# 593 CY A D V E N T U R E L E V E L O F P L A Y (CIRCLE ONE) APL 2 max 450 xp; 400 gp This event can only be played by 1st level characters. This area of the Adventure Record is used to detail new rules items such as new magic items, spells, or feats. It is also used to detail special effects the character might earn such as curses, influence, favors, access, or debts. As an Introductory Scenario, this section contains no such items or effects. This Record Certifies that ___________________________________________ Played by______________________________________ Player RPGA # Has Completed ________________________________________________________ An Introductory Scenario Set in Geoff Event: ________________________________ Date: _________ DM: __________________________________________________ Signature RPGA # This area is typically used to list items from the DMG or from the area above that have been found in the scenario and are now available for purchase as a result of playing the scenario. As an Introductory Scenario, this event does not list any such items. However, the following items are available for purchase after any LIVING GREYHAWK event once the character has participated in at least one LIVING GREYHAWK scenario (like the one you just finished): � Anything in the PH from tables 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, 7- 7, 7-8, or 7-9 (excluding NPC spellcasting). � Any potion from the DMG table 8-18 with a market price of 500 gp or less. � Any scroll from the DMG table 8-24 or 8-25 with a market price of 500 gp or less. � Any +1 weapon of a type listed on table 7-4 in the PH. � Any +1 armor or shield of a type listed on table 7-5 in the PH. � The following items from the DMG: ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, bracers of armor +1, and cloak of resistance +1. You must have campaign documentation to purchase items not found on the above list. Adventure Records are the most common form of campaign documentation for this purpose. Lions in Hand

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The Modern Dispatch Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Page 1 Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and other countries and are used with permission ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. Content Manager: Charles Rice and Chris Davis Layout: Chris Davis www.RPGObjects.com #115 Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Written by Mike Lafferty Art by Rick Hershey of Empty Room Studios In the alternate historical setting of Wizards and Wiseguys, Magic is awakened in 1908 and drastically alters the history of the 20th Century. Along with the emergence of sorcery, portals have opened between our world and Faerie. Around these portals, markets and eventually towns spring up as mankind is eager to learn the ways of magic and buy the wares that the Fey offer. Most portals are temporary, only existing during the week of the full moon. A few are permanent however. On the European continent, there are temporary portals scattered randomly throughout various nations with only 2 permanent portals – one in Bavaria and one in Siberia. The Great War sees the first military applications of wizardry upon the European continent. With its permanent access to the Bavarian portal, Germany has outstripped most other nations in magical development and has been able to devote much research towards the uses of magic in warfare – specifically improving their skills in Evocation sorcery. With its own portal in Siberia, Russia has had the same advantage, but its magic research is under the iron hand of Rasputin (under the auspices of the Czar). Eager to cement his position of influence within the Romanov power structure and loathe to share his newfound knowledge, Rasputin limits access to the Siberian portal to a bare handful. At Rasputin’s insistence, Russia also refuses to share any research with allied nations. This results in Russia being unable to field an effective magical fighting force and the Central Powers being at a marked advantage at the onset of the Great War. The Modern Dispatch Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Page 2 Each nation’s research into the Arcane Arts is inevitably influenced by the personalities of the scholars who devote themselves to the study, as well as by the type and quality of instruction available from the Fey at portals that are located within its borders. While the Germans are able to focus on the school of Evocation, and Rasputin buries himself in the study of Enchantment, French mages excel in the practice of Necromancy and the British develop a proficiency in the practice of Illusion magics. Fortified with German and Austrian combat mages, the Central Powers dominate the early years of the war. Their infantry pushes into Belgium and the Alsace-Lorraine region – attacking France from two fronts. After a series of withering defeats, British Illusionists and French Necromancers are able to halt the juggernaut of the Central Powers combat mages at the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. With the Central Powers advance stopped, both sides settle in for what promised to be a long grim stretch of trench warfare. However, 1915 brought 2 innovations that threatened to break the deadlock and deliver quick victory to the Central Powers. The first was the development of a “synchronization gear” that allowed a machine gun to fire through the turning propeller of an aircraft. This made the aircraft of the German air force vastly superior to their opponents. Additionally, the Imperial German Army had trained enough combat mages at this point for the generals to allow several squads to be reassigned to aviation duty. A second seat was retrofitted onto the Fokker and Albatros fighter planes to allow the addition of a combat mage as a sort of supernatural bomber and tail-gunner. These two innovations decimated the ranks of the Allied air forces and allowed the Germans to provide crushingly effective ground support to their infantry. The Central Powers armies were moving again – and France looked to be on the verge of quick defeat.. With French and British air defenses weakened, zeppelin bombings become a deadly threat to both Allied military and civilian targets. French and British cities both lived in fear of nightly zeppelin attacks. In Berlin, the Central Powers began drawing plans for an invasion of England. In London, members of parliament openly call for the government to surrender. With their army retreating, their squadrons of planes reduced to a mere handful and their allies faltering, the French Air Force (the Armée de l’Air) took a gamble and procured several prides of griffins from a Faerie trader at a portal near Marseilles. While French wizards had never been able to apply shielding spells to aircraft, they have no difficulty applying them to living creatures and this provided some measure of protection from the Central Powers combat magic and bullets. The Fey trader (actually, a sympathetic elf) also provided training in the art of griffin riding and aerial combat as well as agreeing to provide the Entente (Allied) Powers with a steady supply of various magic items (particularly wands and rings) that could be used with ease while engaged in airborne combat. Soon French spellcasters were trained as griffin riders and the new Calvary of the Sky (Calvaire du Ciel) took to the French skies, the last hope of their desperate nation. Although not as fast as the Central Powers planes at top speed, their combination of defensive spells, magical firepower and maneuverability made them a force to be reckoned with. They had a dramatic impact from the moment they entered service. On one memorable night, July 28, 1915, the air cavalry downed 8 German zeppelins and 30 fighter escorts in a 4 hour time span. Expert at overwhelming and grounding the feared zeppelins, they also proved effective at negating the air support provided by German combat mages. Over four weeks of extensive combat in the summer of 1915, the griffin riders of the Calvary of the Sky single-handedly turned the tide of the war, halting the unstoppable Central Powers and saving France from almost certain defeat. (This also has the unfortunate effect of returning the war to a state of stalemate and trench warfare.) Several more prides of griffins were purchased and some are transported across the English Channel along with a contingent of trainers to assist the British. [Griffins are found in the SRD, along with the rules for using them as mounts.] Kaiser Wilhelm II responded by ordering the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) to begin the immediate creation of their own airborne legions. Unfortunately for the Central Powers, the Fey traders at the Bavarian Portal did not have access to griffins. The best they could offer in terms of airborne mounts were wyverns – barbarous, draconic creatures. Fierce and savage beasts, wyverns had an unfortunate tendency to kill would-be riders. Because of this issue, they could never be deployed in as great numbers as the allied griffins and do not help regain the initiative as Central Power generals hope they would. [Wyverns are found in the SRD, along with the rules for using them as mounts.] The mounts in this setting have been purchased from traders at Faerie Portals and are allegedly already trained. The Imperial German Army Air Service found out quickly that even “trained” wyverns could turn on their riders. A Wand of Charm Monster quickly became standard issue for wyvern riders. At the GM’s discretion, a wyvern that becomes spooked may turn on its rider. A DC 25 Handle Animal check will be required to placate the wyvern. A Diplomacy check may be substituted for this. A mount can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check. At the GM’s discretion, other magical creatures (hippogriffs, howlers etc) could be used as mounts. See the SRD for full rules about having a magical creature as a mount. The Modern Dispatch Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Page 3 Famous Airborne Legionnaires Charles Nungesser (French - 43 victories) Nungesser had volunteered for the air service in 1914, before the introduction of griffins. He was denied and entered the ground cavalry – specifically, the 2nd Hussars. He acquitted himself very well, bravely charging a German staff car – killing 5 officers and capturing the vehicle. He was able to parlay this victory into an appointment in the French Air Force at about the time the first griffin pride was purchase from the Faerie Portal at Marseilles. During his initial week of training, he took his griffin up without authorization and became one of the first riders from the Escadrille de Griffin (Griffin Squadron) to score a kill, downing a German Albatros fighter plane. As a result, he was simultaneously sentenced to eight days in the stockade and awarded the Croix de Guerre. Nungesser has been credited with creating the stereotype of airborne legionnaires as flamboyant, hard-living, reckless, womanizing rogues with a strong disregard for military formality and discipline. He was known to show up for morning patrol in a tuxedo, often with his date from the previous evening still on his arm. He was a frequenter of the brothels of Paris and spent as much time or more there as he did in the air. Legend has it that he was a patron of Mata Hari, and, suspecting her espionage, would tantalize her with wild (and wholly fictional) stories about platoons of giant, bullet-proof cyclopean warriors the French Army had procured from the Marseilles portal. A man of black humor, he had the barding for his griffin done up in black and grey with a skull and crossbones, funeral candles and a coffin as decorations. His distinctive adornment made him instantly recognizable to his enemies. One example of this renown was when, late one night in 1917, a German spy plane buzzed Nungesser’s aerodrome, dropping a formal printed invitation to a duel that was addressed simply: “To Monsieur Skull and Bones.” Unfortunately, the duel was a set up for an ambush. When Nungesser arrived at the specified place and time, he was met by 2 German wyvern riders and 3 Albatros biplanes. According to his own unverified report, Nugesser downed both wyverns before the planes fled in fear. Nungesser did not return unscatched however – he had broken both legs and had a cracked skull. This was nothing unusual for him, and he was back on duty after 3 months in the infirmary. (It has been said by his detractors that Nungesser spent as much time in the hospital as he did in the air or Parisian brothels combined.) This outcome was typical of Nungesser’s career – he was often injured but proved very hard to kill. He survived both the Great War and the Dragon War. He disappeared in the early 1920s while trying to cross the Atlantic on the same griffin he’d ridden throughout both wars. He was never a great navigator and some questioned why he’d undertake such a difficult adventure. For weeks after his disappearance, the French press, unwilling to report the loss of a national hero, refused to acknowledge his death and engaged in baseless speculation that he had flown into a mid- ocean Faerie portal or was living among natives in a South American jungle. Manfred von Richthofen (German – 80 victories) The son of Prussian nobles, Richthofen learned to ride and hunt in protected game forests at an early age. His early military career in the cavalry on the Russian Front was unremarkable and he was transferred to the Quartermaster Corps in early 1915. This displeased Richthofen immensely and he wrote the Emperor a letter stating: “I have not gone to war to collect eggs and cheese.” His family called in a few favors, and Manfred Richthofen, and his brother Lothar, were both reassigned to the second class of German wyvern riders who were training at an air base near the Black Forest.. Manfred’s experience riding horseback made him a natural. After a few false steps (including one that landed Richthofen in the hospital for a week), he bonded quickly to his wyvern and mastered the finer points of aerial combat just as fast. He saw action first in early 1916 at the battle of Verdun. Soon afterwards, Oswald Boelcke, a noted German commander, took an interest in Richthofen and had him transferred into his own unit. Boelcke’s squadron was attempting to contain the Allied advance in the trench battles of Somme. Although the skies over Somme were controlled by the effective and highly organized Allied griffin squadrons, it was hear that Richthoven would begin to earn his reputation as a masterful and methodical adversary. Under Boelche’s tutelage, he racked up 12 kills by November of 1916. In early 1917, Richthofen scored his 16th kill. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite (the Blue Max) and promoted to captain of his own squadron based at the aerodrome at Douai, France. Richthofen recruited the best wyvern riders he could get into his unit and decorated their wyverns in blood red barding. The long list of victory and penchant for daredevil flying made them darlings of the patriotic German press (who were eager for any positive news to divert attention from the bloody horrors of trench warfare). A Berlin newspaper dubbed the squadron “Richthofen’s Flying Circus” and the name stuck. It was during this time that a reporter gave Richthofen the nickname: “The Red Baron.” After the bitter winter of 1916, the Flying Circus was able to fly daily patrols and began executing The Modern Dispatch Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Page 4 the revolutionary group tactics that Richthofen had designed during the slow cold weather months. The effects were alarming: the squadron took down 80 Allied planes and griffins by March of 1017 – with Richthofen upping his personal kill record to 36. He treated his defeated opponents with an unusual sort of respect, often purchasing elaborate headstones for their gravesites. He also had a German silversmith cast a tiny silver cup engraved with the date of each victory (and when possible – the name of the downed pilot). He displayed the cups in a trophy case in his aerodrome. Allied pilots and riders were obsessed with killing Richthofen, but he evaded their attacks and ambushes throughout 1917, racking up 68 kills by the end of the year and evading many attacks and ambushes. On April 21 of 1918, Richthofen’s luck ran out. He led his squadron in an ambush of a allied patrol of 15 griffin riders and 5 warplanes. One of the largest and most dramatic dogfights of the war ensued, with over 40 wyverns, griffins and planes engaged in a frantic, twisting, aerial combat for most of an hour. A soft-spoken Canadian griffin rider, Captain Roy Brown, saw Richthofen attacking one of his wingmen. To protect his comrade, Brown maneuvered his griffin directly behind the Red Baron and unleashed a bolt of lighting from a standard issue RAF wand. Perhaps distracted by the whirling melee or by the target in front of him, Richthofen took the full brunt of the attack and fell, unconscious, from his wyvern. The modest Brown never claimed credit for the kill. Richthofen’s remains was recovered by a platoon of Australian infantry. The British Armed Forces claimed the body and buried him with full military honors. Airborne Legionnaire Advanced Class Hit Die The Airborne Legionnaire gains 1d8 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies. Requirements: Base Attack Bonus: +8 Dexterity 13 Skills: Ride 4 ranks OR Pilot 4 ranks, Handle Animal 4 ranks. Action Points The Airborne Legionnaire gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half his character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class. Class Skills Balance (Dex), Climb (Str),Listen (Wis), Jump (Str), Spot (Wis), Navigate (Int), Tumble (Dex), Ride (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Profession (Wis) Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Features All the following are class features of the Airborne Legionnaire prestige class. Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 5th and 8th, the Airborne Legionnaires gets a bonus feat. . The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Airborne Legionnaire must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it: Blind-Fight, Brawl, Combat Expertise, Dead Aim Improved Brawl, Improved Feint, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Strafe and Survival. Weapon Proficiency: Airborne Legionnaires are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Flyby Attack: Beginning at 1st level, while flying upon his aerial mount, an Airborne Legionnaire and his mount both benefit from the Flyby Attack feat. They may attack before, during, or after the mount’s move. The Modern Dispatch Airborne Legionnaire: Advanced Class for Wizards and Wiseguys Page 5 Share Spells: Beginning at 1st level, at the Legionnaire’s option, he may have any spell he casts on himself also affect his mount. The mount and his Legionnaire can share spells. The mount must be within 5 feet. Aerial Defense: Beginning at 2nd level, whenever an Airborne Legionnaire’s flying mount is required to make a Reflex saving throw, the Airborne Legionnaire may substitute his own Reflex saving throw, if his bonus is greater than the mount’s. Empathic Link: Beginning at 2nd level, the Legionnaire has an empathic link with his mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The mount cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotional content can be communicated. Evasive Action: At 4th level, the Legionnaire can make a Ride, Pilot, or Tumble check to lessen the damage dealt by a successful attack. If the check result exceeds the attack roll, the damage is reduced by half (round fractions down, minimum of 1 point of damage). The Legionnaire can make an evasive action check once per round. Table 1: Airborne Legionnaire Advanced Class Level Bab Fort Ref Will Features Def Rep 1st +0 +0 +0 +0 Share Spells, Flyby Attack +1 +0 2nd +1 +0 +0 +0 Aerial Defense, Empathic Link +1 +1 3rd +2 +1 +1 +1 Bonus Feat +2 +1 4th +3 +1 +1 +1 Evasive Action +2 +1 5th +3 +2 +1 +1 Bonus Feat +3 +2 6th +4 +2 +2 +2 Enhanced Maneuverability +3 +2 7th +5 +2 +2 +2 Mounted Spellcasting +4 +2 8th +5 +3 +2 +2 Bonus Feat +4 +3 9th +6 +3 +3 +3 Extended Empathetic Link +5 +3 10th +7 +4 +3 +3 Improved Aerial Defense +5 +3 Enhanced Maneuverability: At 6th level, the Airborne Legionnaire can increase his mount’s flying maneuverability rating by one ranks, so that a maneuverability rating of clumsy becomes poor, poor becomes average, average becomes good, and both good and perfect become perfect. At 8th level, this ability improves so that the cavalier increases his mount’s rating by 2 ranks (maximum is still perfect). Mounted Spellcasting: At 7th level, the Legionnaire does not need to make a Concentration check to cast a spell while riding a flying moving mount. Extended Empathic Link: At 9th level, the Airborne Legionnaire’s Empathic Link with his mount improves. It now has an unlimited range. Improved Aerial Evasion: At 10th level, an Airborne Legionnaire’s mounted Aerial Evasion ability improves. He and his mount still take no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as fireball, but now only take half damage if they fail their saving throw. Typical Equipment for a Wyvern Rider (ie Central Powers Airborne Legionnaire): Leather pilot’s jacket, knife, military issue pistol (use Colt M1911 stats from MSRD), exotic military saddle (wyvern), helmet, goggles, Broken Arrow Tattoo, Spell Resistance Tattoo, Wand of Fireball (3rd) (50 charges), Wand of Charm Monster (50 charges), Ring of Feather Falling. Typical Equipment for a Griffin Rider (ie Entente (Allied) Powers Airborne Legionnaire): Leather pilot’s jacket, knife, military issue pistol (use Colt M1911 stats from MSRD), exotic military saddle (griffin), helmet, goggles, Broken Arrow Tattoo, Tattoo of Body Adjustment, Tattoo of Spell Resistance, Tattoo of Feather Falling ,Wand of Web (3rd) (50 Charges), Wand of Lightning Bolt (3rd) (50 Charges), Ring of the Ram. Note: Magical items can exceed the spell limitations outlined in Wizards and Wiseguys for factions in this time frame. 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AN ADVENTURE FOR 4 PCS OF 5TH LEVEL BY JERRY LeNEAVE The GlowinG ossuary The GlowinG ossuary Kobold Press, Midgard, Open Design, and their associated logos are trademarks of Open Design. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game Licenseversion 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, sidebars, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.) Open Game Content: The Open Content in this adventure includes the skeletal sentry and tormented soul monsters and the hammer of witches magic item. © 2021 Open Design LLC www.koboldpress.com NAZ'VAZA THE SOULLESS In life, he was born to nobility, though still an outcast even among his own kind. Naz'Vaza Nosmadi, first and only child of the great Nosmadi fortune, was not just any ordinary pariah—some say he was born without a soul at all. Born under grim portents, he emerged from his mother's womb with an upside-down face, his fate already begginning to weave itself. Where his mouth should have been were two dark, beady eyes, and where his eyes should have been was a mouth that would later grow crooked teeth and load his lips with curses. Placed in charge of the Nosmadi family business at an incredibly young age, Naz'Vaza never really stood a chance. For a noble, he was uneducated yet vastly overconfident. Empathy and humility were alien concepts to him, so he commanded those under his employ with the same callous disregard as was given to him throughout most of his life. His workers demanded respite from their harsh working conditions, and he regularly ignored their pleas until one fateful day when he decided to give the “rest” that was demanded so passionately from one of his workers. While hoisting some large slabs of rock headed to the Southlands, THE GLOWING OSSUARY Design: Jerry LeNeave Editing: Scott Gable Art Direction & Graphic Design: Marc Radle Layout: Anne Gregersen Art: Phil Stone Cartography: Dyson Logos supported on patreon | www.dysonlogos.com Publisher: Wolfgang Baur TM TM TM Adventure Background Lost to time and buried in the echoes of wars in the name of the Blood Kingdom, the Cloudwall Mountains hide a tomb unlike any other—the forgotten, once-dwarven halls of the dead that have more recently come to be known as the Glowing Ossuary. Branching out like stony roots from a seemingly bottomless shaft, the tomb runs deep into the earth below, so deep that it’s rumored to be endless, possibly extending into the Empire of the Ghouls and beyond. A century ago, however, its entrance was buried in an avalanche caused by foolhardy adventurers attempting to slay Zrobaishalil. Sealed beneath so much rubble and snow, the dwarves decided to leave the tomb sealed as a silent memorial to those interred within. Recent rumors abound, however, of new activity—of an enthralled legion of skeletal laborers, incessantly digging deeper. All of which toil under the dark gaze of a cruel master: Naz'Vaza, a death knight of unimaginable malignancy and cruel resourcefulness. 3 a sweat-soaked laborer demanded a break, claiming without one that it would be the death of him. With a wave of his hand Naz'Vaza obliged him; the pulley he was operating was loosed by one of his guards, and the laborer was crushed to death instantly. "You can rest when you're dead!" Naz'Vaza shouted from behind the mask that corrected his juxtaposed visage to the rest of his workforce, attempting to teach them a lesson. However, this maliciousness would be his undoing. A revolt was led against him the following day, and he was stoned to death by his own workers. However, he had become an adept necromancer in the latter years of his life and planned ahead to make the most of his inevitable demise, so in death, he was only brought more power. His return to un-life was swift, and his wrath even more so. The newly risen Naz’Vaza excavated the entrance to the long-lost dwarven ruins, following up on family maps obtained during his life, and claimed it for his dark ambitions. It’s said that the bones of the very same people who stoned him to death toil in the Glowing Ossuary under his command. THE OSSUARY STIRS Naz’Vaza stirs in the depths of the ossuary, a profane and underdeveloped death knight, alongside his army of skeletons that have been toiling to deepen and expand the halls. They've unearthed treasures and horrors alike and created their own as well, laying many cruel and peculiar traps. All the while, Naz'Vaza's forces have been harvesting bones from those that traverse the Cloudwall Mountains and from interlopers who dare to enter their domain. Naz'Vaza has combined his knowledge of necromancy and his dabbling in blood magic in an attempt to fuse together new bloody hybrids of bone and repurposed flesh. He ultimately aims to amass an army of undead to descend upon the Blood Kingdom and all of Midgard, emerging across the entire land through a vast system of tunnels. Still growing, his legions have begun seeping out of the Cloudwall Mountains into the surrounding lands to surreptitiously harvest ever more resources. Rumors of these skeletal raiding parties drift through the Blood Kingdom, finding a home in the taverns and town halls on the lips of scared commoners and boastful adventurers. The goal of this adventure is for characters to enter the ossuary and seek out the source of Naz'Vaza's power—a literal beating heart—and put an end to it and his schemes. Adventure Hooks As characters travel through Midgard, they are bound to hear some fragment of a rumor about roaming bands of skeletons dragging people out of their homes in the middle of the night or stories of adventuring parties delving into a long-lost tomb in the Cloudwall Mountains, never to be seen again. If that's not enough impetus for them, here are a few suggestions: • An antiquities dealer thinks that the Glowing Ossuary hides pieces essential for their collection, and they will pay handsomely. • A local bard has been regularly singing ballads about the “Glowing Bone Brigade” that dwells within the mountains and wishes to achieve infamy by traveling with a group of brave heroes. • The Blood Sisters of Cantri Abbey fear for the safety of the mothers in their care and have sent a band of their priestesses to investigate, but they have yet to return. Reaching the Glowing Ossuary Just off the Black Road, northeast of Cantri Abbey, there is a small mountain pass fallen into disuse: the climb is treacherous and a few of the jumps may end in death if missed. Feel free to have characters make the journey up purely narratively or to place some obstacles in front of them and call for skill checks or saving throws as they encounter falling rocks, stubborn mountain goats, crumbling ledges, and rickety bridges. You may also want to employ random encounters with the two-headed eagles, ogres, and yetis— and vampires—that inhabit the Cloudwall Mountains. The trek to the peak entrance should take about 2 days total. Once the characters reach the entrance, read the following aloud: As you reach the end of your journey, near the peak, there is a small hole, approximately 5 feet in diameter. It is mundane, undecorated, and would seem otherwise innocuous if not for the stories you've heard about this place. Looking inside reveals a short, narrow stairway carved from the mountain itself, leading to a sturdy wooden platform. ENVIRONS Unless otherwise noted, the walls and floors are made of hewn stone and the ceilings are rough-cut. Throughout the halls are dozens of alcoves filled with rows of skulls and sometimes whole skeletons, and doors and archways are decorated with additional bones as well. (The remains left in sarcophaguses are from dwarves unless otherwise noted while the bones used as decoration are generally newer and from a variety of peoples.) The halls are dimly lit by faint magical torchlight and colorful, glowing, yet indiscernible runes that decorate the walls. The runes range from bright greens to otherworldly purples, nauseating pinks, eldritch blues, and crimson reds. The air is dry and smells of dust and moldering remains. It is quiet with the exception of a low, slow rhythm that can be felt as much as heard with increasing clarity as you travel deeper. 4 NAZ'VAZIAN SIGILS Throughout the ossuary, strange glowing sigils will be found. They do not belong to any known language and are indecipherable, even by magical means. The markings themselves are magical and will show when detect magic is cast, but beyond that, they cannot be manipulated and will vanish if the heart of the Glowing Ossuary is destroyed. These are sigils of Naz'Vaza's own making via profane magic and hold the will of some of his minions, the particularly resistant ones, by disabling their memories of the cruelty inflicted upon them by Naz'Vaza himself—a countermeasure to ensure his skeletal legions do not turn against him. (They are largely decorative and symbolic for the purpose of this adventure.) THE DESCENT The platform is approximately 15 feet by 15 feet and is made of iron-reinforced oak; this is a lift that uses a pulley-and- lever system to traverse up and down. It is the primary mode of transportation characters will utilize in the ossuary. The lift is activated by a lever and moves at 5 feet/round when traveling up and 10 feet/round when traveling down. It takes an action to activate the lever, which allows the lift to rise, lower, or stop. The lift can hold up to 2,000 pounds. It extends downward to ever-deepening levels of the ossuary— level 1 being the highest point and level 10 being both the deepest point and the heart of Naz’Vaza’s lair. This portion of the adventure covers levels 1–6. Level 1 The lift halts after a descent that lasts several minutes. There is a single open archway to the west that leads to a short, narrow hall lit by a torch and ends at a wooden door with an iron handle and decorated in teeth and jawbones. 1. TRAPPED ENTRANCE The first stop on the lift leads to a narrow, torchlit hallway with a closed door (see bolt trap below). Beyond the door is a narrow, 15-foot hallway, ending at an iron portcullis, barring further progress. The bars can be bent with a successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check or raised via the lever in Area 2. Bolt Trap. A successful DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals a mechanism in the door hinge. The trap can be disarmed by disabling the hinge mechanism with a successful DC 18 Dexterity (thieves’ tools) check or by jamming the hole where the bolt fires from. When the door is opened, a diseased bolt makes a ranged attack with a +10 bonus against a random target within 5 feet. A target that is hit takes 4 (1d8) piercing damage and must succeed a DC 20 Constitution saving throw against disease, taking damage equal to two Hit Dice or, on a critical hit, three Hit Dice. (These Hit Dice are considered spent, for purposes such as healing, until after a short or long rest.) After 10 minutes, the bolt trap resets. 2. GUARD ROOM The dust on the floor here is thick. Bones of all kinds are piled in the corners of this rectangular chamber. On the east wall, you see a lever. Amid the bones are various simple weapons that characters can sift through. Up to five intact weapons can be found this way. Weapons should be chosen randomly from simple melee and simple ranged weapons. On the east wall is a lever flipped to the down position. If flipped up, both portcullises in Areas 1 and 3 are raised. 3. GUIDING PILLARS Green light bounces off the smooth marble of the decorated pillars that dominate this room. To the north, you see two alcoves containing tall skeletons resting upright. This room contains two bone-decorated columns at its center: the western column depicts a sword, and the eastern an eye. To the north are two alcoves, each containing skeletal remains (see skeletal sentry in Appendix) bathed in green light from sigils carved in the ceiling. They are dressed in tattered armor, and one has its bony fingers clasped around a flail, the other a tarnished greatsword. To the south is a small alcove barred by an iron portcullis behind which rests a bronze plaque with an inscription in Common: "As above, so below." Columns. A successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the middle of each column can be rotated, requiring a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. There are three symbols on each: a sword, an eye, and a cross. These columns do nothing on their own but are linked to the column puzzle in Area 12. Inscription. The full inscription is covered in dust. If brushed off, the sword (left) and eye (right) symbols are revealed, identical to those on the columns. Skeletons. If the columns’ centers are rotated in any way, a mechanism in the wall behind them snaps, causing the skeletons to come to life and attack. Level 2 As the lift stops, a low stone archway decorated in mandibles and vertebrae opens to the east into a cramped hall with a small alcove to the south. The hallway ahead is lit by dim purple light and curves off to the north. 4. SEPULCHRAL ENTRY The alcove here contains another dormant skeletal sentry (see Appendix), wielding a halberd. If its weapon is tampered with or it is attacked, it awakens and attacks. There is a loose stone in this alcove, noticeable with a successful 5 DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check, behind which is a small sack of coins (3d6 sp) and a gold ring worth 50 gp. 5. THE WINDING SEPULCHERS The hallway here contains several sarcophaguses, each within its own alcove, and glances north before taking a sharp turn to the east. The purple light grows brighter. There are eight tombs here total, each decorated differently and with different family crests, none of which appear decadent or noteworthy. Each can be opened with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check and contains a skeleton in rotting funerary garments along with 1d4 gp worth of valuables. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals remnants of flesh, clearly not their own, on their fingertips or in their teeth. If any of them are disturbed or their valuables taken, they wait for characters to leave the area and then climb from their graves, crawling down to Area 20 by some unknown passage to await beneath the water to attack those that plundered the funerary hoard. 6. COLLAPSED HALL The hallway comes to an abrupt end. Bathed in nauseating purple light from a string of eight glowing sigils on the north wall, you see the bodies of three adventurers who appear to have been crushed by a cave-in. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check makes it clear that portions of the bodies’ exposed flesh have been scraped down to the bone. A search identifies the following bodies: • An elf in fine robes. A successful DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that she is the only one that appears to have not been instantly killed. She is only buried in rubble up to her waist, and her fingers still grasp a corked vial (a potion of greater healing). She has a jeweled silver clasp in her hair worth 4d6 gp. • A human wearing a golden breastplate and a red cape. Beside him is a crumpled shield bearing the symbol of a griffon. • A dwarf clad in blood- soaked leather. Beside him is a sturdy dagger (a +1 dagger) of dwarven craftsmanship. His beard is beaded with various jasper ornaments worth 1d4 sp. Level 3 Beyond the lift, the ceiling here is high and vaulted, decorated in thousands of skulls and other bones. The floor is a painted- bone mosaic—strewn skulls and various fragments forming a malformed skull—its eye sockets instead where its mouth should be, and a grinning jaw in the middle of its forehead. Flames are carved into the stone tiles surrounding the visage. Where the skull's nose would be, instead a triangular altar rises several feet from the floor. There are stairs leading upward to the north, east, and west. 7. THE ANTECHAMBER A successful DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a hidden iron portcullis. Upon entering this area, the portcullis shuts behind the characters, barring the way back onto the lift. It can be forced open with a successful DC 25 19 18 17 16 4 5 6 10 1 2 9 3 8 7 13 14 12 15 22 21 11 20 MAP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS MAP FOR YOUR VIRTUAL TABLE TOP. 6 The altar requires a red and blue skull. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) checks identifies the carved flowers, though worn, as violets. Level 4 As the lift lurches to a halt, you are met with two gateways: to the east, a narrow hall shrouded in total darkness and to the west another dimly lit funerary hall. 11. THREE WISE GHOULS Stepping off the lift and into the passageway, you see a door at the end of the hall on the north wall and, leading up to the door, three alcoves. The air here is dry, and cobwebs dangle from the ornate spiral patterns of bones that decorate the walls. Along the north wall are three tombs, each containing an upright sarcophagus covered in thick dust and cobwebs. Brushing the dust from the sarcophaguses reveals beautiful marble inlays of skeletons. Each contains treasure and a resting ghoul, and their lids serve as subtle clues, pertaining to the direction their depictions face, as to the nearby rooms. If any of the lids are opened, all three ghouls immediately emerge and attack. Sarcophaguses. The easternmost is depicted facing east and is blindfolded. This sarcophagus contains a widow's lantern (see Appendix) and a wedding ring worth 6d6 sp. The middle is depicted facing forward. It is covering its mouth with both hands. This sarcophagus contains several gold teeth worth 3d6 gp and various jeweled bracelets worth 5d6 gp. The westernmost is depicted facing west. Its hands are bound in iron manacles. This sarcophagus contains an iron crown inset with false rubies and 1d4 potions of healing. A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) or DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the rubies are fake. 12. SO BELOW Thick marble columns decorated in a facade of skulls dominate this room. Eerie yellow light glints off them from a half-dozen sigils on the ceiling. The center of each column bears a series of symbols on an iron band that wraps around it. On the floor between the two pillars is an obvious circular stone dais. To the north are two stone doors, one sealed and another reduced to rubble. To the south is a simple wooden door reinforced with iron banding. This room contains two bone-decorated columns at its center, identical to the ones found in Area 3. However, these have six symbols on their rotating middle portions: a sword, an eye, a cross, a fist, a comet, and an inverted Strength (Athletics) check. It will raise once the puzzle has been completed. Puzzle Trap. Combinations of primary-colored skulls (from Area 9) need to be placed on the altars to create the correct secondary colors. In the east room, red and blue skulls will need to be placed on the altar, creating purple (for violets). In the west room, blue and yellow will need to be placed on the altar, creating green (for dragon scale). Here in the antechamber, yellow and red will need to be placed atop the altar to make orange (for flames). If skulls are not placed correctly on the altars, once the sixth and final skull is placed anywhere on any altar, it will trigger the trap. Twenty skeletons begin forming amid the remains that comprise the ceiling and will descend, clawing at any living creature in sight. These skeletons come down at a rate of five skeletons per round for 4 rounds: some are unarmed, and others wield daggers made of sharpened bone. Shortly after describing the room, feel free to add the following: To the east and west are stairs that ascend to bone archways that open into chambers containing altars. Directly north, another set of carved steps lead toward a doorway, seeping multicolored light. 8. WEST ALTAR ROOM This small, elongated alcove is carved painstakingly in a dragon-scale pattern that covers every surface, with the exception of the forked altar in the middle that's painted red and resembles a serpent's tongue. The altar requires a blue and yellow skull. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check identifies the pattern here as representative of those folk tales and illuminated manuscripts depicting angry green dragons, razing villages to the ground. 9. THE SKULL CHAMBER Prismatic light emanates from beneath the door set into this skull-adorned archway. A heavy iron lock bars entry. A successful DC 13 Dexterity (thieves’ tools) check or DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check will open the door. Within the room are four pillars, each containing three skulls, each with a different brightly colored, glowing sigil emblazoned between its eyes. In total, there are four red, four yellow, and four blue skulls. Only six are needed to solve the puzzle in Area 7. 10. EAST ALTAR ROOM This small, rounded chamber is carved floor to ceiling in a beautiful bas-relief of a wooded grove, dominated by flowers and petal-shaped patterns. At its center is a rough-cut altar with two jagged protrusions. 7 unstable ledge just beyond the door that if stepped upon could lead to an abrupt, calamitous drop of several hundred feet. Characters not paying attention and stepping through this door must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling to their death. 16. SCYTHING COLUMN From the entryway, you can see an unlit narrow passage. The hall opens into a square chamber with a column at its center. A path leads to the east and another to the south. Characters with a light source, low-light vision, or darkvision can plainly see that on the floor of the chamber ahead lies the slumped-over corpse of a small humanoid. Scythe Trap. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the column contains a hidden scythe trap: a thin, spinning blade deploys from the column when the trap is triggered. The trap is armed when any of the adjacent floor tiles (pressure plates) around the column are depressed with more than 50 pounds of weight, but the trap doesn’t activate until that weight is removed from the tile (such as when a creature steps from it onto the next tile). Once activated, the blade deploys and spins fully around the room, reaching all but the four corners. Each creature in the area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) slashing damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The pressure plates can be alternatively triggered by poking a blade between their seams, and they can be disabled with a successful DC 21 Dexterity check, using either thieves’ tools or a small blade. Corpse. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that the corpse, that of a halfling, is several weeks dead due to a lacerated throat. Searching the body reveals 2 gp, a set of thieves’ tools, and an elven dagger. 17. HALL OF GUARDIANS This long, narrow hall is home to yet more alcoves that house stone sarcophaguses. At its end is a large sigil that glows red, bathing the bone-laden walls in bloody crimson. An ornate marble door on the north wall stands adjacent to the sigil. Midway down this hall is a pressure plate (see skeleton trap below). The marble door at the end of the hall is magically trapped (see tormented souls trap below). Skeleton Trap. The trap is armed and triggered as the one in Area 16 and can also be revealed and disarmed in the same way. Once triggered, it unleashes a skeleton from each of the seven sarcophaguses in this chamber along with one tormented soul (see Appendix) that emerges from a skull atop the column in Area 16. Tormented Souls Trap. Upon the door in gold inlay is the same iconography as the pillars in Area 3 (sword on the left, eye on the right) along with the message, "Speak the words," trident. The door on the north wall that isn't broken is magically sealed and unbreakable. The door on the south wall leads to Area 15. Pillar Puzzle. Currently, the western pillar has the trident symbol facing forward on its middle portion, and the eastern pillar has the comet symbol. The center of each column can be rotated with a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. To solve this puzzle, these pillars and those in Area 3 must both be set to the symbols indicated on the inscribed plaque in Area 3: the sword on the west and the eye to the east. After the pictographic choices are made, the dais must be stood upon, or otherwise depressed, to activate the puzzle. If the solution is correct, the sealed stone door to Area 13 slides into the floor, revealing its contents. If the solution given is anything but what is mentioned above, the roof of the chamber to Area 13 collapses, burying the treasure beneath thousands of pounds of rubble, and any remaining ghouls from Area 11 emerge and attack as magical darkness fills the room. 13. TREASURE CHAMBER With a low rumble and the sound of stone grinding against stone, a gout of dust spews upward from a slot in the ground as the massive stone doorway slides beneath the floor, revealing a gleaming chamber full of valuables that rest atop a black granite sarcophagus. Atop the sarcophagus are gold coins from ages past (12d6 gp), a bracelet of pink pearls (worth 800 gp), and a golden necklace inset with an emerald (a periapt of health). A successful DC 19 Strength (Athletics) check is required to lift the lid of the sarcophagus; a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) check identifies the stout skeleton within as a once-mighty dwarf lord. The remains are dressed in ceremonial vestments threaded with red and gold embroidery and a crown of silver and gold filigree (worth 6d6 gp in total). Beside the skeleton is the hammer of witches (see Appendix), the handle wrapped in black dragon scale and the head set in the form of a comet. 14. LOOTED CHAMBER The stone door to this tomb is crumbled away. In the dim light, you see a funerary chest that has been forced open. This small cask once contained a small trove of trinkets and jeweled baubles but is now barren. The inlay on the outside of the chest is made of gold; removing the gold from the chest will take approximately 1 hour and is worth 2d6 gp. 15. THE PRECIPICE This narrow hall is filled with fresh, crisp air, and natural light floods in from the windowed door to the west. This hallway ends in an unlocked doorway that opens directly out to the mountainside. There is a very short, 8 written in Dwarvish script. If the trap is not disarmed, when the door is opened, two tormented souls burst from the heads of the corpses of the halfling in Area 16 and the human in Area 19, and they seek out the character that triggered the trap. To deactivate the trap, the phrase, "As above, so below," must be spoken aloud in Common or Dwarvish. Casting dispel magic will also deactivate the trap. 18. THE DARK DESCENT This cramped corridor has a high ceiling and travels eastward down two short flights of stairs. At the bottom, a chamber, its door ajar, contains an obsidian obelisk, emanating a bright coral glow that lights the entire hallway. The walls are decorated with ilium and other flat bones that have been well polished, reflecting the strange pink light that cascades over the smooth walls and ceiling. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a trail of blood, leading down the stairs. The first landing has an elongated alcove to the south that houses a low stone dais large enough for a human figure. It is devoid of features but contains several sheets of parchment, an ink bottle and quill, and a small plate of moldering food. The second landing has additional alcoves: one to the north and another to the south. They both contain a similar stone dais. The northern alcove contains an adventurer's pouch with 3 days’ rations, a quiver of crossbow bolts, 50 feet of hemp rope, and a retractable 10-foot pole. The south alcove contains two skeletons, waiting to attack any that enter. 19. THE DREAD OBELISK Before you in a small chamber with its door swung wide stands an abyss-black obelisk made of obsidian. It radiates a sickly pink light. At the base of the obelisk is the slumped corpse of an adventurer who has taken their own life with a crossbow. The obelisk has been here for ages, well before Naz'Vaza and his thralls began hollowing out these halls. This portion of the hall was found mostly intact as part of a dwarven ruin, and bones were placed over the existing architecture. The undead are unaffected by the obelisk's effects, but adventurers who find themselves here are drawn to it like moths to flame. Characters coming within 15 feet of the obelisk must succeed a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw to resist approaching it and touching its otherworldly smooth surface. Characters who touch the obelisk are affected differently by its presence; roll on the table below to see what happens. Characters may only be affected by the obelisk's presence once. d6 Effect from Dread Obelisk 1 Stygian Secrets. The character is immediately plagued by visions of the thing they are horrified of the most. Their deepest, darkest fears manifest before their very eyes. Some fight until they are exhausted and collapse and eventually starve, some take their own lives, and some simply go mad and may wander out of the chamber into the wild or into the claws of Naz'Vaza's skeletons. The GM should elaborate on how this plays out on a per-game, per- character basis. Other characters unaffected by the obelisk are free to intervene and may snap them out of it with enough effort. 2 Dread Vistas. A momentary vision of indescribable creatures amid an alien realm flashes before the character’s eyes. They must succeed a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or suffer 4d6 psychic damage. 3 Sands of Time. The character experiences what feels like several years of their life passing by. Though it only takes a moment, it feels as if the time has actually passed. They gain one level of exhaustion. 4 Curse of Comfort. The adventurer feels as if this portion of the ossuary is now their home. They find a small spot to call theirs, where they eat, drink, and pass time. They may venture out in search of sustenance but always return here. They will continue to do this until their curse is removed by magical means. 5 Sickly Tendrils. A wave of discomfort washes over the character. If they are living, they must succeed a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or immediately throw up, taking 2d6 damage. 6 Eldritch Reconstruction. The character is granted a boon from beyond the stars. They heal as if they drank a potion of superior healing and regain a single spell slot or charge of a daily ability. The fallen adventurer here is human and is sitting slumped over, a crossbow in their hands and one of its bolts protruding from the back of their head. Several slashing wounds can be found on their body as well, if closely inspected. They have long red hair and wear common traveler’s garb. A small leather coin pouch on their belt contains 5d6 sp and a love letter written in Elvish. 9 Level 5 As the lift plunges lower, echoes from the pulleys above are so distant they take several seconds to reach you. This stop feels softer than those before it as the lift glides into its resting position. An archway to the south opens to a brightly lit chamber where two cylindrical braziers burn bright with blue light. 20. THREE KINGS, ONE WORM Before you, between the braziers, is a rectangular chamber filled with water that sits high enough that some of it laps over the edges of the floor near the base of the braziers. A staircase descends into the mostly clear water below where a faint glimmer can be seen beneath its surface. Water drips from above, breaking the stillness of the water every few seconds. Above this chamber, and the cause for its flooding, is the corpse of a massive, dead purple worm. It can be plainly seen by any character looking up. It's rows of teeth are rotten, and its hardened cartilage juts from breaks in its mostly dried flesh. Runoff from the mountain above flows over the carcass to fill the chamber. Magical Braziers. The flames here are magical and cannot be extinguished with water. Diseased Pool. The water in this pool is mostly clear with sediment on the bottom that will make it cloudy should it be disturbed. It is also diseased: any living creature submerging themselves in the water must succeed a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. Below the Surface. Within the water are the tombs of three kings (skeletal sentries, see Appendix) and potentially some skeletons from Area 5. The skeletons will attack if the water is disturbed or if the characters begin to leave the chamber. The skeletal sentries will all attack if any of their tombs are disturbed. Their tombs are empty of valuables but for the crowns they wear on their heads, except that one also holds a metal placard depicting a trident. (This placard will become valuable in the second part of this adventure.) If any characters retreat from this chamber, any attacking skeletons and skeletal sentries will pursue the characters onto the lift. If characters continue to run, the enemy will regroup and find them in a later part of the dungeon (or whenever the GM sees fit for them to pop back up). Level 6 As the lift creaks to rest, the air feels a bit warmer than in previous areas of the ossuary. In the distance below you, a faint repetitious thump can be heard. Before you to the west is an archway with five full and well-preserved skulls on a stone shelf above it. On the south wall burns a single torch, and next to it is a fist-sized, triangular cut-out in the wall. If characters attempt to take the lift any lower, it will not move. It requires a special key to be set into the triangular space in the south wall in order to travel farther down. This key is found just ahead in Area 22. 21. HALL OF HARROWING REFLECTION A wide set of stairs descends to a stone landing and a narrow hall that leads north. You see bones strewn all about the floor, piled as high as one or two feet in some places. At the end of the hall to the east is a green glow. Any bones here are protected by the same antimagic aura that protects the skeletal sentries (see Appendix). As characters pass through, they will notice that each alcove contains a dirty mirror. If they gaze into these mirrors, they see rotting, undead versions of themselves bathed in a putrid green glow, staring back with empty eyes. Any character that looks into a mirror, even if only for a second, will spawn a doppelganger of themselves into existence. These doppelgangers lie in wait inside the mirrors for characters to attempt to leave the area or until after they obtain the key from Area 22. The doppelgangers have hit points equal to half the maximum hit points of the character but have the same armor class, attributes, skills, armor, gear, weapons, proficiencies, spells, and abilities as the character. The only differences being that they are skeletal and undead, meaning they are vulnerable to bludgeoning damage, immune to poison, and susceptible to effects such as turning. 22. THE EMERALD KEY Before you is a slim stone archway decorated in only the eye portions of skulls. Beyond it is a small room, containing a basalt pedestal. Sitting atop the pedestal is a triangular icon of jade and granite, carved in the shape of a trident with a serpent coiled around it. A successful DC 17 Intelligence (History) check identifies this icon as that of the Nosmadi family crest. It is the key to allowing the lift to descend farther into the ossuary. Once it is removed from the pedestal, the doppelgangers in Area 21 10 emerge from the mirrors and attack. They fight to the death and are unrelenting in their pursuit of the characters. Descent to Level 7 and Beyond Once players have hopefully defeated their undead selves and not become more bones for Naz'Vaza's legion, they will likely continue their descent into the ossuary. The next four levels await you in the second part of this adventure, but feel free to read aloud the following text for a nice cliffhanger: You set the icon into the depression in the south wall of the lift, the trident's tines face downward. With a burning hiss and a loud pop akin to the crackle of a lively campfire, the sigil shatters to pieces. You hear its fragments tumble downward into the darkness for what feels like forever before the lift finally rumbles to life again, its squeaky pulleys lowering you deeper into the shaft. After several minutes of darkness, it is broken by the dim orange glow of more strange sigils on the walls above two archways to the west and east. You begin to notice the repetitious thump from earlier has grown louder and more rhythmic, but just as the beat seems to stabilize, you're interrupted by a series of loud screams. APPENDIX All of the new game elements in this adventure are presented here. New Magic Items These items may prove useful to resourceful adventurers. HAMMER OF WITCHES Weapon (warhammer), rare (requires attunement) When you hit a fiend or an undead with this magic weapon, that creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage. If you reduce the creature to 0 hit points with this damage, it is utterly destroyed and cannot be brought back by any means, and the sudden surge of righteousness fills you with power, allowing you to spend one Hit Die to regain hit points, as if during a short rest. While holding this weapon you have advantage on saving throws made to avoid becoming frightened by fiends or undead. WIDOW'S LANTERN Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) Made with tomb-crawlers in mind and imbued with the soul of one who has lost their spouse and died of a broken heart, these lanterns are hard to come by. Not only is this necromancy scarce, but the glass that encompasses the flame is created from a rare alchemical stone known as umbralyne. When light is shone through the stone, it reveals things the naked eye could never see. This lantern burns for 3 hours on 1 pint of oil. While carrying the lantern and it is lit, it gives 11 off faint purple light in a 15-foot radius. Invisible creatures as well as any magical text, as per the illusory script spell or other hidden markings, become clear and visible. Those who are attuned to the lantern may sacrifice a bit of their own life force in order to peer beyond the veil by spending a bonus action and taking damage equal to a Hit Die, allowing them to see spirits of those who have died within a 30-foot radius of the lantern for 10 minutes. (The Hit Die is considered spent, for purposes such as healing, until after a short or long rest.) These apparitions become visible as translucent white representations of themselves, looking exactly as they did just before they died. They do not produce sound and cannot interact. They simply give the wielder a glimpse into the last minute of their lives in an endless loop, such as stepping on a trap, falling victim to a wound, choking, or whatever other actions their death throes might have involved. Monsters & NPCs There are many foes that seek to block your progress. SKELETAL SENTRY Medium undead, chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (armor scraps) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 3 (−4) 12 (+1) 3 (−4) Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Antimagic Aura. When detecting magic, the skeletal warrior does not give off an aura nor does it show up when detect evil and good is cast or a paladin's divine sense is used. Turn Resistance. The skeletal warrior has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Actions Multiattack. The skeletal warrior makes two greatsword attacks. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. TORMENTED SOUL Tiny undead, neutral evil Armor Class 13 Hit Points 40 (9d4 + 18) Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1 (−5) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) Skills Arcana +5, Perception +2 Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Damage Resistances lightning, necrotic, piercing Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages understands all languages it spoke in life but can't speak Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Blazing Hatred. The tormented soul blazes with bright light in a 10-foot radius. Creatures ending their movement adjacent to a tormented soul take 1d6 fire damage. Magic Resistance. The tormented soul has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Spellcasting. The tormented soul is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The tormented soul has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrip (at will): fire bolt 1st level (3 slots): magic missile, shield 2nd level (2 slots): blur, scorching ray 3rd level (1 slot): fireball Actions Multiattack. The tormented soul uses Incendiary Spit twice. Incendiary Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d6) fire damage and must make a constitution saving throw or be set on fire, taking 1d6 fire damage each round until a successful Constitution saving throw is made or they douse themselves with water. 12 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Midgard Worldbook. © 2018 Open Design LLC. Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, Jeff Grubb, Chris Harris, Brian Suskind, and Jon Sawatsky. The Glowing Ossuary. ©2021 Open Design LLC. Author: Jerry LeNeave.

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$3.00 by Jaye Sonia t h e c l o c k wo r k a supplement for rhune: Dawn of twilight P r i m e r 2 creDits Written by: Jaye Sonia AdditionAl design: Will Cooper and David Headquist Cover Artsist: Terry Maranda interior Artists: Terry Maranda, Hugo Solis editing And development: Will Cooper, David Headquist, and Jaye Sonia lAyout: Stephen Wark publisher: Storm Bunny Studios, LLC produCt identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artworks, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.) open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. the CloCkWork primer – A supplment for rhune: dAWn of tWilight© is published by Storm Bunny Studios, LLC under the Open Game License. Copyright 2013 Arenthol settled into his daily routine, arranging his tools—in a fashion that easily bordered on ritual – on his work bench. He inspected each tool one at a time, ensuring each was properly oiled and ready for use. When he was done, he looked over all of his components, marveling at the elaborate pile of bolts, springs, gears, and actuators. All of these, in the course of a few days, would become his newest creation. Arenthol smiled to himself, slipping his hand into a pouch hidden behind his smock, and felt the small piece of Jötunstone there. For most of his fellow adepts, this small piece of stone would represent years of labor and effort. He had won it with his blood and sweat—bought it with silver he had won from the ruins of South Pointe. As he turned the small piece of stone over in his hand, he said a small prayer to Velash, the Old Forge Father—who he trusted watched on such marvelous work. Then, he began his day’s work. 3 clockwork aDept asters of invention, clockwork adepts are specialists that blend precision craftsmanship, arcane knowledge, and clockwork understanding into a seamless art. Whether uncovering ancient technologies or designing new ones, these individuals rely on their highly specialized understanding to repair, animate, and even command the clockwork devices that exist around them. Very few classes excel at becoming clockwork adepts like wizards. Trained extensively in the arcane arts, a wizard’s ability to learn and prepare a wide range of spells makes him an ideal choice for would-be adepts. While a sorcerer could become a clockwork adept, her limited range of daily spells makes this a more difficult career choice – although not impossible. A witch could certainly become a clockwork adept with some work, but her spell list and focus on her familiar makes this an extremely difficult pursuit. role A clockwork adept’s role in society is as varied as his creations. Most choose utilitarian paths, incorporating their life’s work into their neighborhoods, outposts, and cities—building everything from elaborate lightning stations to the storm-engines they power. Others work solely on personal projects, building automatons and a wide array of portable clockwork devices. Still others spend their days adventuring and seeking out the rare materials required to build therma-torque engines and other wonders. alignment Clockwork adepts may be of any alignment, but most tend to lean toward philosophies that honor order, precision, and greater understanding. As a result, they tend to be lawful, leaning toward neutrality. They are not restricted, however, to these values and some of the most inventive individuals have proven to be the most chaotic. Hit Dice d6 requirements To qualify to become a clockwork adept, a character must satisfy all of the following criteria. Skills: Craft (clockworks) 7 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 7 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 4 ranks Feats: Craft Construct, Skill Focus (Craft [clockworks]) Spellcasting: Ability to cast 4th level arcane spells class skills The clockwork adept’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), and Spellcraft (Int). Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier. class features All of the following are the class features of the clockwork adept prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Clockwork adepts are proficient with simple weapons. They are not proficient with any armor or shields. Spells per Day: At the indicated levels, a clockwork adept gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the clockwork adept prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a clockwork adept, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day. Author’s Note This concise primer represents some of the many forthcoming options available to fans of Rhune: Dawn of Twilight. It can (and should) be used in tandem with existing products, but need not be. Enterprising Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GMs and players are welcome to cherry pick their favorite options from the pages within, of which there are many. You’ll find a whole host of options packed into this PDF including an updated prestige class (the Clockwork Adept originally appeared in Kobold Quarterly #16), updates to the Craft (clockworks) skill, updated clockwork equipment (specific to Rhune: Dawn of Twilight), the Clockwork Domain, six new clockwork spells, four new clockwork magical items, and a new subtype for constructs. All of this is designed for Rhune, but easily fits into any setting you might play! Enjoy! ~Jaye Sonia, April 2013 4 Command Clockworks (Su): At 1st level, you can enslave animated objects, clockworks, and constructs within 30 feet. Constructs and intelligent clockworks receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your clockwork adept level. Constructs and clockworks that fail their saves fall under your control for 1 hour +1 hour per point of Charisma modifier, obeying your commands to the best of their ability. When commanded to perform actions that would endanger them or would run contrary to their normal routines, they receive a new saving throw to resist your command. You can control any number of clockworks, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed twice your clockwork adept level and no individual construct has Hit Dice greater than ½ your total character level. If a construct or clockwork is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict. Commanding clockworks is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Artificer, Lesser (Sp): At 2nd level, you gain the spell-like ability to imbue a construct with one of your spells. This ability functions identical to the 4th level cleric spell imbue with spell ability, except the construct need not meet the Intelligence or Wisdom prerequisites and you may add spells from the school of Transmutation to the list of allowable spells. You may use this ability once per day. Clockwork Insight (Ex): At 3rd level (and again at 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th), you gain special insight into how automatons, clockworks, and constructs function. Whenever you gain this ability, you may choose one of the following insights. Clockwork Advantage • —When you flank an enemy with one of your clockwork or construct allies, you increase your bonus to hit to +3 (instead of the normal +2) and deal additional damage equal to ½ your Intelligence modifier. Commanding Presence • —Whenever you use the supernatural ability to command clockworks or constructs, you can control any number of clockworks, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed three times your clockwork adept level. Efficient Construction • —Whenever you build a construct, you pay only 75% of the base cost. Intelligent Defense • —Whenever you build or modify a construct, you may add half of your clockwork adept level as a bonus to its natural armor as part of the work. Doing so increases the cost of the construct by 25%, but does not cost CPs (customization points). You may only modify or customize a construct with this insight once. Rapid Construction • —Whenever you build a construct, you do so in ¾ of the time normally required. Rapid Response • —You may use the Craft (clockworks) skill to modify a construct’s response time, permanently adding your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to the construct’s initiative modifier. Doing so increases the cost of the construct by 25%, but does not cost CPs (customization points). You may only modify or customize a construct with this insight once. Receptive Machine • —Whenever you command a construct, you do so as a swift action instead of a move action. Level BAB Fort Reflex Will Special Spells per Day 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Command Clockworks +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Artificer, Lesser +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Clockwork Insight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Command Clockworks, Greater +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 5 +2 +2 +2 +4 Clockwork Insight, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Clockwork Insight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 7 +3 +3 +3 +5 Artificer, Greater +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 8 +4 +3 +3 +6 Clockwork Insight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 9 +4 +4 +4 +6 Clockwork Insight +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class 10 +5 +4 +4 +7 Ghost in the Machine +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class endanger them or would run contrary to their normal routines, they receive a new saving throw to resist your command. You can control any number of clockworks, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed twice your clockwork adept level and no individual construct has Hit Dice greater than ½ your total character level. If a construct or clockwork is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict. Commanding clockworks is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma nd with spell ability, except the construct need not meet the Intelligence or Wisdom prerequisites and you may add spells from the school of Transmutation to the list of allowable spells. You may exceed three times your clockwork adept level. Efficient Construction • —Whenever you build a construct, you pay only 75% of the base cost. Intelligent Defense • or modify a construct, you may add half of your clockwork adept level as a bonus to its natural armor as part of the work. Doing so increases the cost of the construct by 25%, but does not cost CPs (customization points). You may only modify or customize a construct with this insight once. Rapid Construction • build a construct, you do so in ¾ of the time normally required. • use the Craft (clockworks) skill to modify a construct’s response time, permanently adding your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to the construct’s initiative modifier. Doing so increases the cost of the construct by 25%, but does not cost CPs (customization points). You may 5 Resourceful Repair 1 • —Whenever you repair a construct, you gain a +2 insight bonus to your Craft (clockworks) skill check and if successful, the clockwork regains 5 hit points, plus 2 additional hit points for every 5 points by which the skill check succeeds. Resourceful Repair 2 • —You gain a +3 competence bonus Craft (clockworks) skill checks to Treat Critical Damage and may repair a construct in this fashion one additional time per 24-hour period. You must have Resourceful Repair 1 to take this insight. Understanding the Machine • —Whenever you use a supernatural ability to command clockworks or constructs, you add your Charisma modifier to the DC of the Will save. Command Clockworks, Greater (Su): At 4th level, you can enslave animated objects, clockworks, and constructs within 30 feet. Constructs and intelligent clockworks receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your clockwork adept level. Constructs and clockworks that fail their saves fall under your control for 1 hour +1 hour per point of Charisma modifier, obeying your commands to the best of their ability. When commanded to perform actions that would endanger them or would run contrary to their normal routines, they receive a new saving throw to resist your command. You can control any number of clockworks, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed twice your clockwork adept level and no individual construct has Hit Dice greater than your total character level. If a construct or clockwork is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict. Commanding clockworks is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Artificer, Greater (Sp): At 7th level, you gain the spell- like ability to imbue a construct with one of your spells. This ability functions identical to the 4th level cleric spell imbue with spell ability, except the construct need not meet the Intelligence or Wisdom prerequisites and you may add spells from the school of Transmutation to the list of allowable spells. When you imbue the construct, you may sacrifice an additional prepared 4th level spell (or slot, if you are a spontaneous caster) to imbue your construct with spell resistance equal to 12 + your caster level, as well. This resistance lasts until the construct discharges the initially imbued spell or for 1 hour, whichever comes first. Once the construct discharges the held spell, you regain that 4th level spell (or slot), even if you’ve already prepared spells for the day. DesigN Notes: upDAtiNg CrAft (CloCkworks) When I first published the Craft (clockworks) skill in the Rhune: Dawn of Twilight: Stormpunk Character Primer©, it was pretty simple – a combination of the Craft and the Handle Animal skills. It allowed players to do a little more than they could with the Craft skill, but didn’t really shine. Over the last two and half years, it’s evolved considerably. While it still does what it was originally designed for, it now does a lot more. Some GMs may feel, when they read this, that it’s a little too good. I would remind them that, for the most part, this skill is limited to constructs and complex clockwork devices; both constructs and clockwork devices are expensive to buy, to build, and to maintain. So, while the additional ability to program and modify constructs falls under this skill (and broadens its use some), the current design team didn’t feel creating another skill to cover training/programming constructs was necessary! In play, this skill will see a lot of use, especially if you have automata or other intelligent constructs in play. Keep in mind, though, that this skill (much like Heal) is tied directly to the associated kit and is clearly resource dependent. Without an engineer’s kit, a lot of the skill’s features simply cannot be used. In light of that (and to avoid a ‘resource tax’), we’ve reduced the cost of the basic engineer’s kit. That said, heavy modifications or repairs would quickly deplete a kit. Players and GMs should be mindful of that when using (or assessing) this skill. 6 Ghost in the Machine (Su): At 10th level, you may prepare a special construct to receive your life force when you die (including death from natural causes such as old age). In order for this ability to work, you and the construct must be on the same plane of existence. When this is complete and the construct is prepared, you instantly awaken inside the construct upon death. Preparing this construct is an extremely expensive and time-consuming process. The construct’s body must be prepared with masterwork materials, gems, and exotic oils costing no less than 300,000 gold pieces. Preparing this construct takes thirty days of uninterrupted work (stopping only to eat and sleep) and requires a Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 40) one per week. If you fail this check, you loose that week’s work and must spend an additional 30,000 gold pieces in lost materials. craft (clockworks) raft (clockworks) is treated much like any other craft skill (see the Craft skill in Chapter 4 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook). Players wishing to use this skill to create clockwork items, both masterwork and normal, should use those rules. In Rhune, Craft (clockworks) can be used to accomplish a number of additional tasks beyond those listed. These are: Customize You may use the Craft (clockworks) skill to customize existing clockwork automatons, awakened constructs, or regular constructs. The DC for these individual customizations is specific to type and is listed accordingly. Only a limited number of customizations can be made to most. Constructs, including automata (and awakened constructs), can accept a greater number of customizations. Customizations occupy body slots in the same manner that magic items do. Customizations are generally permanent and require special tools (like artisan’s or precision tools). See The Awakened: Guide to the Automata© for a list of customizations. Modify You may use the Craft (clockworks) skill to temporarily modify existing clockwork automatons, clockwork items, and awakened constructs, as well as clockwork items (including weapons). Modifying a clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or regular construct takes 1 minute, requires two uses of an engineer’s kit, and requires special tools (like artisan’s or precision tools). The DC for these individual modifications are specific to the type of modification and are listed accordingly. These modifications are generally temporary, lasting a number of minutes, hours, or days. A clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or regular construct may only have one modification active at a time. Amplify • (weapon modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to enhance the battle performance of a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. If your Craft (clockworks) skill check is successful (DC 15 + target construct’s base attack bonus), you may add a +1 enhancement bonus to its attack rolls. This bonus lasts a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s base attack bonus. Fortify • (hit point modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to reinforce the frame of a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. If your Craft (clockworks) skill check is successful (DC 20 + target construct’s current hit dice), you grant the construct a number of temporary hit points equal to its hit dice. These temporary hit points last a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s hit dice. Harden • (hardness modification)— You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to reinforce a clockwork device’s hardness. Upon making a successful skill check a (DC 10 + item’s current hardness), you increase the item’s hardness by 2. This increase lasts a number of days equal to the item’s new hardness. Overclock • (ability score modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to enhance the performance of a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. Upon making a successful skill check (DC 10 + the current ability score to be modified), you add a temporary +1 enhancement bonus to a single physical ability score. This bonus lasts a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s hit dice. When this bonus wears off, the overclocked construct gains the staggered condition for an equal number of minutes. raft clockworks) raft (clockworks) is treated much like any other craft skill (see the Craft Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook). Players wishing to use this skill to create clockwork items, both masterwork and normal, should use those rules. In Rhune, Craft (clockworks) can be used to accomplish a number of additional tasks beyond those You may use the Craft (clockworks) skill to customize existing clockwork automatons, awakened constructs, or regular constructs. The DC for these individual customizations is specific to type and is listed accordingly. Only a limited number of customizations can be made to most. Constructs, including automata (and awakened constructs), can accept a greater number of customizations. Customizations occupy body slots in the same manner that magic items do. Customizations are generally permanent and require special tools (like artisan’s or precision tools). enhancement bonus to its attack rolls. This bonus lasts a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s base attack bonus. Fortify • (hit point modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to reinforce the frame of a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. If your Craft (clockworks) skill check is successful (DC 20 + target construct’s current hit dice), you grant the construct a number of temporary hit points equal to its hit dice. These temporary hit points last a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s hit dice. Harden • (hardness modification)— You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to reinforce a clockwork device’s hardness. Upon making a successful skill check a (DC 10 + item’s current hardness), you increase the item’s hardness by 2. This increase lasts a number of days equal to the item’s new hardness. Overclock • modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to enhance the performance of a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. Upon making a successful skill check (DC 10 + the current ability score to be modified), you add a temporary +1 enhancement 7 Reinforce • (armor modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to reinforce the armor on a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct. If your Craft (clockworks) skill check is successful (DC 10 + target construct’s current armor bonus), you may add a +1 enhancement bonus to its AC. This bonus lasts a number of minutes equal to the modified construct’s hit dice. Toughen • (hit point modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check to grant a clockwork device a number of temporary hit points. Upon making a successful Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 15 + item’s current hit points), you grant the item 5 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last a number of hours equal to its hardness. Tweak • (skill modification)—You may make a Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 15 + the total skill bonus to be modified) to grant a single clockwork automaton, awakened construct, or similar construct a +2 competence bonus to a single physical skill (like Acrobatics or Stealth). This bonus lasts a number of hours equal to the modified construct’s hit dice. Program You can program a clockwork automaton or construct to obey specific commands. These commands require an hour of programming and require special tools (like artisan or precision tools). You must make a successful Craft (clockworks) skill check against the indicated DC to successfully install them. Clockworks may be programmed to obey a number of commands equal to 1/3 of their Hit Dice (minimum 1). Once programmed, constructs obey these commands until programmed to do otherwise. Commanding a construct is, unless noted in the command’s description, a move action. Clockworks and constructs may be programmed to obey the following commands: Aid (DC 25)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct distracts an enemy. The construct makes an attack against AC 10. If it succeeds, it grants you a +2 to hit that opponent with your next attack. The clockwork or construct must be programmed with the Attack task. Attack (DC 20)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct attacks apparent enemies. You may direct it to attack particular enemies as a move action. Defend (DC 20)—The clockwork or construct defends • you (and stands ready to defend you when no apparent threat is present) without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command it to defend a specific individual or item. Flank (DC 25)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct moves to flank an opponent. The clockwork or construct must be programmed with the Attack task. equipmeNt The following items, which originally appeared in the Rhune: Dawn of Twilight: Stormpunk Character Guide©, have been updated with the release of the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment™. Engineer’s Kit This kit is a collection of actuators, bearings, gaskets, seals, bolts, and other consumables used to repair clockwork devices (including clockwork automatons and awakened constructs). Without the parts provided in this kit, you must improvise (using second-hand parts) and receive a -2 penalty to repair, modify, and fix automata, constructs and clockwork devices. This kit has 10 uses and weighs 5 lbs. Cost 5 gp. Masterwork Engineer’s Kit This kit is a collection of exceptional actuators, bearings, gaskets, seals, bolts, and other consumables used to repair clockwork devices (including clockwork automatons and awakened constructs). You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to when you use the parts provided in this kit to repair, modify, and fix automata, constructs and clockwork devices. This kit has 10 uses and weighs 4 lbs. Cost 50 gp. Precision Tools This kit is a collection of finely crafted tools used for precision work, such as on smaller automata and tiny clockwork devices. This kit contains a collection of delicate tools (each tool has a hardness of 3 and 5 hit points) in a finely crafted leather satchel. Using these tools grant a +1 circumstance bonus to repair, modify and fix small and tiny-sized clockwork devices. Cost 35 gp. Gather (DC 15)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct retrieves something. If you do not point out a specific item, it gathers random objects. Guard (DC 20)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct stays in place and prevents others from approaching. The clockwork or construct must be programmed with the Attack task. Return (DC 15)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct moves to you, taking the most direct route. It may provoke attacks of opportunity while doing so. Search (DC 15)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct moves into an area and looks for anything that is obviously alive or animate. Stop (DC 10)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct immediately stops whatever action it is currently taking. This command is a free action. 8 Stand Down (DC 15)—Upon command, the clockwork • or construct breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. A clockwork or construct that isn’t programmed with this task will fight until disabled, destroyed, or until it defeats its opponent. Hold Fast (DC 15)—Upon command, the clockwork or • construct stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge others, though it still defends itself if it needs to. The clockwork or construct must be programmed with the Defend task. Tactical Return (DC 25)—Upon command, the • clockwork or construct returns to you, taking the most direct route, but avoiding attacks of opportunity in the process. The clockwork or construct must be programmed with the Return task. Work (DC 15)—The clockwork or construct pulls or • pushes a medium or heavy load. Some clockworks or constructs may be programmed to perform specific types of work, such as repairing armor or weaving cloth. When they are, they are restricted to the most basic types of work (those with a DC of 10 or less). Quick Fix You may use a full round action to remove the broken condition from a clockwork item for a short time. Make a Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 10 + points of damage the item has taken). If you are successful, you may use that item as normal for 1 minute. Repair Clockwork or Construct You may attempt to repair a construct or sentient clockwork. Repairing a construct takes two hours. You make a Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 15); if you are successful, you restore 2 hit points, plus 2 additional hit points for every 5 points by which the skill check succeeds. You must expend two uses from an engineer’s kit to perform this task. You take a –2 penalty on your Craft (clockworks) skill check for each use from the engineer’s kit that you lack. Treat Critical Damage When you treat critical damage, make a Craft (clockworks) skill check (DC 20). This takes 10 minutes. If you are successful, you restore hit points to a damaged construct or clockwork creature. Treating critical damage restores 1 hit point per level of the creature. If you exceed the DC by 5 or more, you add your Intelligence modifier (if positive) to this amount. A creature can only benefit from this ability once within 24 hours of being injured and never more than once per day. You must expend four uses from an engineer’s kit to perform this task. You take a –2 penalty on your Craft (clockworks) skill check for each use from the engineer’s kit that you lack. clockwork Domain any devotees of the Old Forge Father find themselves drawn not to the forge and smithy, but rather to new technologies. They share Velash’s joy in the precise craftwork and subtle interplay of design that creates life from lifeless bronze and steel. These individuals frequently take up the clockwork domain in place of artifice, focusing on the creation of intelligent clockworks and automatons. Clockwork Domain Deity Velash, Old Forge Father Granted Powers You possess an innate understanding of how clockworks function and always treat Knowledge (clockworks) as a class skill. Fine-Tune (Sp): You touch a willing construct as a standard action, infusing it with divine power that enhances its capability and efficiency. The construct gains a sacred bonus equal to ½ of your cleric level (minimum 1) to its next skill check and may take a 10 on that roll, even if distracted or in immediate danger. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. Aura of the Artificer (Su): At 8th level, you can emit a 30 ft. aura as a swift action that repairs allied constructs, clockwork devices, and similar items (containing moving parts) at a rate of 1d6 hit points per round (per target). You can emit this aura for a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level. These rounds need not be consecutive. *Appears in The Awakened: Guide to the Automata© **Appears in Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Magic™ ***Appears in the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 2™ 9 Domain Spells 1st—repair automata, lesser* 2nd—make whole 3rd—repair automata* 4th—malfunction** 5th—repair automata, greater* 6th—perfect repair* 7th—control construct** 8th—iron body 9th—summon monster IX (1d3 clockwork golems*** only). new clockwork spells Arenthol’s Instant Toolbox School conjuration (summoning) Level artifice 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 CASTING Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S EFFECT Range short (25 ft. + 5 ft./level) Effect one summoned set of masterwork tools Duration 10 minutes +5 minutes/level (D) Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance none DESCRIPTION This spell summons a set of complex, masterwork tools. These tools appear within range, but only on a safe, flat surface (they do not appear midair, nor can they be summoned into a space occupied by another object or creature). Only you (or a single target you designate) may use the tools. The tools fail to function correctly for anyone else (wrenches won’t open, screwdrivers slip off of screws, and so on). The tools disappear at the end of the spell’s duration. Awaken Construct School transmutation Level artifice 5, clockwork 5, sorcerer/wizard 5 CASTING Casting Time 24 hours Components V, S, M (arcane oil imbued with Jötunstone dust worth 3,000 gp) EFFECT Range touch Target a single construct Duration instantaneous Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance none DESCRIPTION You awaken a single automaton, clockwork, or construct, granting it true sentience. To succeed, you must make a single Will save (the DC equal to 10 + the target’s HD). Once you awaken it, the construct undergoes several significant changes. The construct instantly gains 3d6 points of Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom (rolled individually); it instinctively knows the language of its creator and may learn additional languages equal to its Intelligence modifier. Although the new awakened construct gains no special connection to you (like empathy or telepathy), it does treat you favorably and willingly aids you (provided your requests do not run counter to its best interests). In addition to its newfound sentience, an awakened construct undergoes additional changes (and gains the awakened and augmented subtypes). AwAkENED SubTyPE An awakened construct is a construct that has gained sentience via special circumstances (or by being subject to the awaken construct spell) that did not possess sentience beforehand. Unless otherwise noted, they have the following traits. Partial Construct Immunities • An awakened construct loses its immunity to mind-affecting effects, but gains a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against such effects. Additionally, it becomes vulnerable to ability drain and damage if that damage targets its mental ability scores (its Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom). Clockwork Knowledge • An awakened construct gains a +2 racial bonus on all Craft (clockworks) and Disable Device skill checks. Environmentally Sensitive • An awakened construct gains sensitivity to extreme temperatures. In extremely cold conditions (below 0° F), it gains the staggered condition and reduces its movement by 10 ft. In extremely hot conditions (above 110°), it begins to short circuit and gains the sickened condition. Frail Core • Unlike a normal construct, an awakened construct that is brought to 0 hit points is considered staggered and is completely destroyed only when it reaches negative hit points equal to its Charisma score. Once destroyed, it cannot be raised or resurrected. Additionally, an awakened construct becomes extremely sensitive to electricity. An awakened construct that suffers electrical damage totaling more than 25% of its current hit points in a single round gains the staggered condition for 1d4 rounds. Additional damage in excess of this amount is cumulative. Partial Construct Immunities • An awakened construct loses its immunity to mind-affecting effects, but gains a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against such effects. Additionally, it becomes vulnerable to ability drain and damage if that damage targets its mental ability scores (its Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom). Unless otherwise noted in this entry, constructs with the Awakened subtype retain the immunities normally granted to constructs. Self-Maintenance • An awakened construct becomes keenly aware of its need for maintenance; it requires a minimum of 4 hours per day to clear, repair, wind its gears, and otherwise perform preventive maintenance. Unless otherwise noted, awakened constructs that fail to perform this daily maintenance gain the fatigued condition. An awakened construct may operate a number of hours equal to its Charisma modifier before gaining the exhausted condition. Skilled • An awakened construct gains a single feat and gains bonus skill points appropriate to its new Intelligence score modifier (if positive). Essential Senses • An awakened construct loses its darkvision. In its place, it gains low-light vision, as well as the ability to speak and hear normally. It does not gain the ability to smell and cannot be nauseated or sickened by vaporous conditions. Likewise, it cannot make scent-based Perception skill checks. one summoned set of masterwork tools none This spell summons a set of complex, masterwork tools. These tools appear within range, but only on a safe, flat surface (they do not appear midair, nor can they be summoned into a space occupied by another object or creature). Only you (or a single target you designate) may use the tools. The tools fail to function correctly for anyone else (wrenches won’t open, screwdrivers slip off of screws, and so on). The tools disappear at the end of the spell’s artifice 5, clockwork 5, V, S, M (arcane oil imbued with none You awaken a single automaton, clockwork, or construct, granting it true sentience. To succeed, you must make a single Will save (the DC equal to 10 + the target’s HD). Once you awaken it, the construct The construct instantly gains 3d6 points of Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom (rolled individually); it instinctively knows the language of its creator and may learn additional languages equal to its Intelligence modifier. Although the new awakened construct gains no special connection to you (like empathy or telepathy), it does treat you favorably and willingly aids you (provided your requests do not run counter to its best interests). (provided your requests do not run counter to its best interests). reduces its movement by 10 ft. In extremely hot conditions (above 110°), it begins to short circuit and gains the sickened condition. Frail Core • awakened construct that is brought to 0 hit points is considered staggered and is completely destroyed only when it reaches negative hit points equal to its Charisma score. Once destroyed, it cannot be awakened construct becomes extremely sensitive to electricity. An awakened construct that suffers electrical damage totaling more than 25% of its current hit points in a single round gains the staggered condition for 1d4 rounds. Additional damage in excess of this amount is cumulative. Partial Construct Immunities • construct loses its immunity to mind-affecting effects, but gains a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against such effects. Additionally, it becomes vulnerable to ability drain and damage if that damage targets its mental ability scores (its Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom). Unless otherwise noted in this entry, constructs with the Awakened subtype retain the immunities normally granted to constructs. Self-Maintenance • becomes keenly aware of its need for maintenance; it requires a minimum of 4 hours per day to clear, repair, wind its gears, and otherwise perform preventive maintenance. Unless otherwise noted, awakened constructs that fail to perform this daily maintenance gain the fatigued condition. An awakened construct may operate a number of hours equal to its Charisma modifier before gaining the exhausted condition. Skilled • feat and gains bonus skill points appropriate to its new Intelligence score modifier (if positive). Essential Senses • its darkvision. In its place, it gains low-light vision, as well as the ability to speak and hear normally. It does not gain the ability to smell and cannot be nauseated or sickened by vaporous conditions. Likewise, it cannot make scent-based Perception skill checks. 10 10 Gear Alignment, Lesser School transmutation Level artifice 0, clockwork 0, sorcerer/wizard 0 CASTING Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (two interlocking gears coated in grease) EFFECT Range touch Target construct touched Duration 1 round or until attacked Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object) DESCRIPTION You imbue a construct with a magical energy, granting it a slight degree of alacrity. The construct gains a +1 dodge bonus to its AC against the next attack that targets it or until its next turn, whichever comes first. Additionally, it gains a +1 enhancement bonus to a single skill (whose key ability is Dexterity) for the duration of the spell. Gear Alignment School transmutation Level artifice 1, clockwork 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 CASTING Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (two interlocking gears coated in grease) EFFECT Range touch Target construct touched Duration 1 round/level (D) Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object) DESCRIPTION You imbue a construct with a magical energy, granting it a slight degree of alacrity. While under the effects of this spell, the construct gains a +1 dodge bonus to its AC. Additionally; it gains a +3 enhancement bonus to a single skill (whose key ability is Dexterity) for the duration of the spell. Moment of Inspiration School divination Level artifice 0, bard 0, cleric 0, clockwork 0, oracle 0, sorcerer/wizard 1 CASTING Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S EFFECT Range touched Target creature touched Duration 1 minute or until discharged Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes DESCRIPTION This spell inspires the touched creature, expanding its degree of knowledge slightly above its normal capacity. The touched creature gains a +2 insight bonus on its next craft or knowledge skill check. Wrack n’ Pinion School enchantment (compulsion) Level clockwork 3, sorcerer/ wizard 3 CASTING Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (a handful of sand mixed with metal shavings) DesigNer’s Note While constructs are normally immune to mind-affecting effects, this is not the case with the awakened automatons (called the automata) in Rhune: Dawn of Twilight and this spell was designed with this fact in mind. If the setting you enjoy does not have awakened constructs with this weakness, consider asking your GM to change the spell’s school to Transmutation and the save to Fort. the automata) in Rhune: Dawn of Twilight Rhune: Dawn of Twilight and this spell was designed with this fact in and this spell was designed with this fact in mind. If the setting you enjoy does not have awakened constructs with this weakness, consider asking your GM to change the spell’s school to Transmutation and the save to Fort. 1111 EFFECT Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target a single construct Duration 1 round/level Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes DESCRIPTION You force a single, awakened construct (such as an automata) to lose the use of an appendage (such as an arm or wing), which binds up for the duration of the spell. The effects of the spell depends on which limb is affected. The construct may attempt a new Will save each round to regain the use of the affected limb. If the construct loses the use • of one of its legs, reduce its movement by half and apply a -1 penalty to its AC for the duration of the spell. Constructs with more than two legs reduce their movement by ¼ instead. If the construct loses the • use of one of its arms and is holding a shield, it loses the armor bonus provided by that shield. If the construct loses the use • of one of its arms and has a weapon in hand, it drops that weapon. If the construct loses the • use of one of its arms and is wielding a two-handed weapon, it suffers a -2 penalty to hit until it regains the use of that limb. If the construct loses the use • of wing, it begins to descend at a rate of 20 ft. per round and suffers a -4 penalty to all fly skill checks. new clockwork magical items Runegear Stave Aura strong transmutation; CL 9th Slot none; Price 24,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs. This long bronze staff is etched with a spiral groove and surmounted by a blue crystal that pulses with actinic light. Rotating armatures of brass and silver metal, deeply inscribed with runes, spin up to a humming whir when the following spells are used: Diamond spray • (1 charge) Ball lightning • (1 charge) Malfunction • (2 charges) Rapid repair • (3 charges) Construction Requirements Craft Staff, ball lightning, diamond spray, malfunction, rapid repair; Cost 12,000 gp. the use of an appendage (such as an arm or wing), which binds up for the duration of the spell. The effects of the spell depends on which Clockwork Sword Aura strong evocation; CL 8th; Weight 2 lbs.; Price 8,000 gp Finely wrought from silver-grey steel with an intricate brass clockwork apparatus set into the hilt, this weapon acts as a masterwork short sword in untrained hands. Once per day, a wielder with at least four ranks in Craft (clockwork) can activate a hidden switch in the pommel as a standard action. When activated, the blade hums and sparks hungrily, gaining the keen and shocking burst properties for one minute before reverting to its inert state. Construction Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, keen edge, lightning bolt, creator must have eight ranks in Craft (clockworks); Cost 4,000 gp Stormlight Goggles Aura moderate divination; CL 5th Slot eye; Price 16,000 gp; Weight — These circular pale, blue crystal lenses are fitted into a polished brass frame and are held together by fine, soft, brown leather straps. Stormlight goggles allow the wearer to easily perceive the faint charge of electric power moving through charged metal. When worn, the goggles grant a +2 insight bonus on Craft (clockwork) skill checks and provide a +2 insight bonus on Reflex saves to avoid electrical damage from spells, spell-like abilities and traps. Furthermore, the wearer can activate the goggles once per day to use the arcane sight spell (for up to five minutes). Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, arcane sight, Craft Wondrous Item, arcane sight; creator must have eight ranks in Craft (clockworks); Price 8,000 gp Sparkshield Vambraces Aura faint abjuration; CL 1st Slot hands; Price 2,500 gp; Weight — These thick, leather gauntlets, bearing rune-marked metal plates bound together with coils of fine copper wire, both defend the wearer and provide a last-ditch surprise for would-be attackers. The complex wiring and runes generate a small force effect that protects the wearer as if it were a buckler, granting a +1 shield bonus to AC. This special buckler has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure. Once per day, the wearer can dismiss the shield in response to a successful melee attack (as a free action) to deal 1d6 points of electricity damage. A target damaged in this manner that fails a Fortitude saving throw (DC 11) is dazed for one round. Once discharged, the shield slowly reformsover the next 10 minutes and does not provide any AC bonus. Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, shock shield; Cost 1,250 gp 12 12 open game license Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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Rhune: Dawn of TwilighT: The SToRmpunk ChaRaCTeR pRimeR Copyright 2010, Storm Bunny Studios, LLC The CloCkwoRk pRimeR – a SupplemenT foR Rhune: Dawn of TwilighT Copyright 2013, Storm Bunny Studios, LLC.

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TREASURES & TRINKETS: RAGING SWAN PRESS TREASURE HOARDS #4 PATREON.COM/RAGINGSWANPRESS   YOUR TIME IS PRECIOUS MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGN PREP. EASIER JOIN RAGING SWAN PRESS’S PATREON CAMPAIGN ragingswan.com gatekeeper@ragingswan.com TREASURES & TRINKETS: TREASURE HOARDS #4 Your PCs are deep in the dungeon and have just defeated a terrifying dragon! As they bandage their wounds, and ready their fallen friend’s bodies for return to the surface, they look around and ask “So what treasure’s in the dragon’s hoard, anyway?” At that point, unless the GM has prepared a detailed list of treasure, the PCs get (possibly) literally tons of coins and some generic magic items. (After all, most GMs have better things to do with their prep time than generate descriptions for stuff the PCs will likely sell). Treasures & Trinkets: Treasure Hoards #4 banishes these problems by providing a veritable hoard of 25 pre-generated, richly detailed treasure hoards for challenges 17-20 ready to insert into almost any GM’s campaign. Treasures & Trinkets: Treasure Hoards #4 is designed for use with the 5th edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game. C R E D I T S Design: Ron Calbick and Ben Kent Development: Creighton Broadhurst Art: William McAusland. Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. ©Raging Swan Press 2016. The moral right of Ron Calbick and Ben Kent to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Raging Swan Press or as expressly permitted by law. C O N T E N T S Challenge 17+ Treasure Hoards ................................................... 2 Support Raging Swan Press .......................................................... 7 OGL V1.0A .................................................................................... 7 Product Identity: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artefacts, places and so on), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, artwork and trade dress are product identity as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e) and are not Open Content. Open Content: Except material designated as Product Identity, the contents of Trinkets & Treasures: Treasure Hoards #4 are Open Game Content as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License, visit wizards.com/d20. 2 C H A L L E N G E 1 7 + T R E A S U R E H O A R D S Use the table below, to determine which set of items the PCs find. They can find the entire hoard in one place or the GM can split it up among encounter areas. D% TREASURE HOARD NOTES 01-04 Treasure hoard #1 05-08 Treasure hoard #2 09-12 Treasure hoard #3 13-16 Treasure hoard #4 17-20 Treasure hoard #5 21-24 Treasure hoard #6 25-28 Treasure hoard #7 29-32 Treasure hoard #8 33-36 Treasure hoard #9 37-40 Treasure hoard #10 41-44 Treasure hoard #11 45-48 Treasure hoard #12 49-52 Treasure hoard #13 53-56 Treasure hoard #14 57-60 Treasure hoard #15 61-64 Treasure hoard #16 65-68 Treasure hoard #17 69-72 Treasure hoard #18 73-76 Treasure hoard #19 77-82 Treasure hoard #20 83-86 Treasure hoard #21 87-92 Treasure hoard #22 93-96 Treasure hoard #23 97-98 Treasure Hoard #24 99-100 Treasure Hoard #25 T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 § Coinage: 34,614 gp, 37,320 pp. § Star Rubies (3): Transparent red stone with a white star centre (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Platinum-Plated Sceptre: This smooth sceptre is about 18 inches in length and topped by a transparent green sapphire (worth 7,500 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Platinum Bracelets: A matching pair of platinum bracelets set with transparent black diamonds (each worth 5,000 gp or 5,500 gp as a set; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Chimera-hide Rug: This huge (12 ft. by 10 ft.) rug weighs 340 lbs., and is crafted from a chimera’s intact hide, although none of the heads are present (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Supreme Healing: A fine crystal flask contains a thick silver fluid. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 § Coinage: 42,163 gp, 26,239 pp. § Platinum Amulet: A platinum amulet comprising a translucent colourless diamond, opaque white pearl, translucent red ruby, transparent yellow sapphire, transparent deep bright green emerald, translucent pale blue topaz, semi translucent rich brown cat’s eye, opaque crimson coral and nearly opaque red hyacinth (red zircon) (worth 12,500 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Gemstone Headdress: Including countless translucent purple amethysts and opaque pale blue tourmalines, this headdress fans out about the wearer’s face, placing them at the centre of the array of jewels (worth 10,000 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Supreme Healing: An uncovered bowl filled to the brim with a silver metallic fluid. § Potions of Storm Giant Strength (3): These beaten metal flasks are bound together with a long strip of worn leather. § Scroll of Holy Aura: Etched into bleached white parchment this scroll rests in a plain wooden box. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 3 § Coinage: 50,123 gp, 28,702 pp. § Promissory Note: This vellum parchment is sealed in a scroll case completely coated with wax; the document details an agreement with a major faith to reward the bearer of the letter with 10,000 gp in goods or services (worth 10,000 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Velvet Choker with Pearl Cameo: A black velvet choker, including a profile of an elegant woman, carved from opaque white pearl (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § +1 Plate Mail: This magnificent suit of armour is crafted from solid gold, but is as solid as steel. The image of a peacock, its tail fanned prominently, is emblazoned across the breastplate. § Well of Many Worlds: An exquisite square of black cloth rests within a small wooden box lined with silk. 3 T R E A S U R E H O A R D 4 § Coinage: 43,149 gp, 32,673 pp. § Diamonds (5): Transparent colourless stones (each worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Holy Water: A very large barrel (with a capacity of 400 pints) full of holy water. The barrel bears the holy symbol of a deity opposed to undead and is labelled in Common (worth 10,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Portable Hole: The pocket of an old tattered coat contains a circular piece of fine black cloth. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 5 § Coinage: 48,401 gp, 37,585 pp. § Opals (6): Subtranslucent red stones (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Silver Brooch: A diving hawk, with moonstones as the hawk’s talons (worth 2,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Ring-Bracelet: Intricate and elegant, this matched ring and bracelet are attached by a web of fine platinum chains, set with jet stones at the links (worth 2,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Oil of Sharpness: A sturdy metallic flask contains a thick amber-coloured liquid. § Potions of Invisibility (2): This simple bottle contains a milky white liquid. § Scroll of Feeblemind: Stylised empty eyes decorate this scroll. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 6 § Coinage: 41,248 gp, 23,285 pp. § Jacinths (2): Small transparent red-gold half-spheres (each worth 2,500 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Emerald Torc: This platinum torc has transparent bright deep green emeralds set at the ends (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Potions of Supreme Healing (3): These light green potion bottles each contain a thick silver fluid. § Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments: A large earthen pot of rainbow- hued paint. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 7 § Coinage: 40,384 gp, 25,607 pp. § Jade Incense Burner: A translucent green statue of a small dragon, lounging like a cat; the dragon would hold a stick of incense in its paw and the ashes fall along its belly (worth 7,500 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Supreme Healing: This potion bottle is etched with divine runes. § Scroll of Sunburst: This scroll was written with a deep orange- coloured ink. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 8 § Coinage: 46,996 gp, 29,147 pp. § Sapphires (2): Translucent lustrous black stones (each worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Gilded Sextant: A functioning ship’s sextant, with gold trim and studded with opaque pink coral and lavender jade; etched into the golden trim in Common are the words “Ever Home” (worth 1,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Gilded and Jewelled Saddle: A lady’s saddle, with bit and bridle; the fixtures are in gold, studded with translucent pink garnets, the leather is of the highest quality (worth 2,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Flying: This small vial is filled with a clear liquid but feels empty. § Scroll of Programmed Illusion: This paper scroll is exceptionally thin and nearly transparent. § Scroll of Delayed Blast Fireball: A fine vellum scroll bordered with images of fire and flames. § Horseshoes of a Zephyr: This set of four worn iron horseshoes are much lighter than expected and are engraved with symbolic imagery of clouds, wind and sky. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 9 § Coinage: 48,951 gp, 32,154 pp. § Blue Spinels (5): Transparent deep blue stones (each worth 500 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Golden Sceptre: At the top of this gold sceptre is a platinum lion, standing proud (worth 7,500 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Horse Statuette: Silver statuette of a mare and foal decked with tiny gemstone flower wreaths and gold harness work (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Potions of Storm Giant Strength (2): A faintly glowing charcoal-coloured liquid fills two ordinary potion bottles. § Scroll of Mind Blank: This scroll looks to have been pieced together from numerous smaller pieces of parchment. § Universal Solvent: A narrow tube contains a liquid that smells strongly of alcohol. 4 T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 0 § Coinage: 36,853 gp, 30,173 pp. § Drinking Horn: A huge auroch’s horn hollowed for use as a cup, banded with gold and etched with hunting scenes (worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Fake Fruitbowl: Small ebony fruit bowl containing amethyst grapes, a citrine banana, carnelian orange, red jasper plum and two green malachite apples (worth 3,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Jewelled Thieves’ Tools: A set of thieves’ tools made with gold, platinum and darkwood studded with translucent colourless diamonds (worth 3,000 gp as a set; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Necklace of Fireballs: Seven brilliant red beads hang from a finely crafted gold necklace. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 1 § Coinage: 41,700 gp, 28,915 pp. § Mithral Armband with Opals: A mithral armband etched with the elven word “memory”, and studded with eight large subtranslucent blue opals (worth 10,000 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Platinum Hair Comb with Matching Earrings: A platinum comb set with opaque white pearls and a matched pair of platinum and pearl earrings (comb worth 2,500 gp, earrings worth 2,000 gp; set worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Crystal Vase: This crystal vase is in the form of a voluptuous woman holding a water jug above her head, with flecks of opaque pale brown tourmalines serving as her scanty clothing (worth 2,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Scroll of Glibness: A narrow yet long piece of vellum carefully wrapped around a glass rod. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 2 § Coinage: 42,853 gp, 36,614 pp. § Ruby Chalices (2): A matched set of silver chalices, each set with four translucent reddish-brown rubies (worth 4,500 gp each; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Gold Mail Glove: As if for a suit of chain mail; an opaque reddish-brown ruby is mounted in a setting on the ring finger (worth 3,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Ring of Invisibility: An elegant lady’s platinum band, with a leaf pattern etched into the surface. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 3 § Coinage: 39,559 gp, 27,142 pp. § Matching His & Hers Platinum Bands (2): His band is wider with a translucent pink diamond; her band is narrower with a translucent black diamond (worth 2,500 gp each; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Supreme Healing: This large potion bottle is half empty but still holds a single dose of silvery liquid. § Potion of Speed: A glass bottle containing a multi-hued liquid is decorated with the image of a cat. § Potions of Vitality (2): Small pieces of parchment with undecipherable writing are wrapped around these vials. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 4 § Coinage: 42,944 gp, 26,609 pp. § Diamonds (4): Large, transparent blue-white stones (each worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Fire Opals (5): Translucent fiery red stones (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Spider Rings (3): Three matching platinum spider rings, with tiny opaque deep black jets as eyes (each worth 1,500 gp; the set worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Bronze Horn of Valhalla: This long bronze horn is engraved with various bearded figures engaged in battle. § Obsidian Steed Figurine of Wondrous Power: A black velvet pouch contains an obsidian figurine of a rearing horse. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 5 § Coinage: 43,869 gp, 25,858 pp. § Peridots (7): Small, transparent olive green trapeziums (each worth 500 gp; DC 10 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Chess Set: An ebony and ivory chessboard, with a full set of golden “evil” pieces (orcs, ogres and chromatic dragons), and platinum “good” pieces (elves, dwarves and metallic dragons) (worth 10,000 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Tiara: Slender gold tiara with a design of flowers and leaves picked out in diamond and emerald (worth 3,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § +2 Rod of the Pact Keeper: A twisted wrought iron rod topped with two hands clasped together and wrapped about by a sinuous tentacle. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 6 § Coinage: 51,470 gp, 23,849 pp. § Topazes (6): Small transparent yellow spheres (each worth 500 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Sapphire Earrings: Heart-shaped mid-blue sapphires in a platinum setting (worth 2,000 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Potions of Supreme Healing (3): Slender glass bottles in the shape of horns wrapped in white silk. § Scroll of Power Word: Heal: An ivory scroll case with gold end caps contains a single rolled sheet of vellum (scroll case worth 500 gp; DC 10 Intelligence check values). § Arrow of Giant Slaying: Silver runes run the length of this long white shaft. 5 T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 7 § Coinage: 37,409 gp, 30,572 pp. § Decanter: Large crystal decanter etched with grapes and vines with an electrum lip, handle and foot (worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Heavy War Horses (5): These magnificent animals are trained for war; each has a military saddle and chain mail barding (worth 1,000 gp each; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Gold Bars (15): Gold bars weighing 4 lbs.; each is stamped with the mark of a hammer and shield (each worth 200 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Half Plate Armour of Cold Resistances: This suit of armour has a faint pale blue tint to the metal and is cold to the touch. § Holy Avenger: This shortsword is adorned with a gold and platinum hilt and translucent deep bright green emeralds on both the pommel and the crossguard. § Robe of the Archmagi: This pale grey robe is made from exquisite material and has been embroidered with dark grey, silver and gold thread throughout. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 8 § Coinage: 43,026 gp, 23,525 pp. § Diamonds (3): Translucent pink stones (each worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Mithral Crown: This carefully sculpted light crown is a lattice of three-score interwoven mithral wires with translucent yellow and pink diamonds at the joints (worth 12,500 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Silver and Garnet ring: Twenty tiny red garnets wrapped in curlicues of silver erupting from a heavy silver band (worth 2,000 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § +3 Shortbow: This wide, flat bow is built with a mighty recurve. Each end is carved in the shape of a horse’s head, holding one end of the string in its mouth. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 1 9 § Coinage: 51,796 gp, 28,493 pp. § Galley: An entire 20 ft. by 130 ft. sailing ship, complete with riggings, masts and all the accoutrements; still seaworthy with some simple repairs (worth 10,000 gp for the ship, plus assorted furnishings totalling another 5,000 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Glamoured Studded Leather: Brass studs, each resembling a different and remarkably detailed tiny face, decorate this armour. § Ring of the Ram: This ring has been crafted into the head of an auroch’s bull, its horns wrapping around the finger to form the band. § Wand of Wonder: Slender wand of white wood topped with long, floppy bristles. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 0 § Coinage: 39,438 gp, 31,475 pp. § Diamond: Translucent yellow stone (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Golden Statuette: A golden statuette of a unicorn with one hoof raised and its head held high; the unicorn’s eyes are translucent yellow diamonds, its horn is of polished ivory and the hooves formed from opaque white pearls (worth 7,500 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Scroll of Weird: This fine vellum scroll is written in an elegant yet fanciful script. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 1 § Coinage: 41,392 gp, 31,865 pp. § Star Sapphires (7): These round blue stones are vaguely translucent and have a brilliant starburst pattern within (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Decorated Skull: This dwarf skull has large yellow sapphires inserted into its eye sockets. The teeth are of silver, and a disk of gold is hammered into the top (worth 1,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § Potion of Supreme Healing: Fine silver wire protects a glass potion bottle. § Scroll of Symbol: A dusty piece of old parchment contains a scroll written by a shaky hand. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 2 § Coinage: 40,863 gp, 31,929 pp. § Crystal Chandelier: Six feet in height with golden fittings, crystal lens and three continual flame, this chandelier weighs nearly 400 lbs. (worth 7,500 gp; DC 30 Intelligence check values). § Genesis Grimoire, 1st Edition (I – VI): These six 100-page leather bound books are not modestly named, dealing as they do with the very beginnings of magic. This particular printing, annotated by the original author, has long been believed to be lost. The six books are each worth 1,000 gp; the set is worth 10,000 gp although a sage or other student of magic might pay up to 20,000 gp (DC 30 Intelligence check values) for the kudos of owning the set. § Silk (17 bolts): High quality bolts of 10 sq. yards of silk, in blues (6), reds (5), and purples (6) (worth 100 gp per bolt; DC 15 Intelligence check values). § Rod of Lordly Might: A slender metallic rod with six gemstone buttons arrayed along the length of the haft. 6 T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 3 § Coinage: 49,632 gp, 28,099 pp. § Sapphires (10): Transparent yellow-green stones (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Topazes (12): Translucent greenish stones (each worth 500 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Potion of Clairvoyance: A delicate bottle is filled nearly to the brim with a green liquid containing flecks of gold. § Potions of Invulnerability (2): These thick stout flasks each contain a crimson liquid. § Scroll of Dominate Beast: This poorly crafted piece of vellum is smudged with dirt and grime. § Bag of Beans: A simple cloth bag appears to have been mended many times with varying types of material. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 4 § Coinage: 35,763 gp, 28,654 pp. § Large Black Pearl: An opaque, black smooth sphere with undertones of shimmery green, blue, silver and pink (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Star Rubies (5): Transparent red stone with white star centre (each worth 1,000 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Dancing Greatsword: A huge greatsword, the pommel of which is stylized to resemble a dragon’s eye, and the crossguard is styled to make it seem that the blade extends out of a dragon’s paw. § Mirror of Life Trapping: A tattered cloak covers this 4-foot high mirror set in a tarnished brass frame and held within a wooden stand carved with images of leering faces. § Belt of Storm Giant Strength: This thick brown belt bears an thick iron belt shaped like a clenched fist. T R E A S U R E H O A R D 2 5 § Coinage: 40,722 gp, 37,432 pp. § Spinels (5): Transparent deep blue stones (each worth 500 gp; DC 15 Intelligence check identifies and values). § Ruby Studded Belt Buckle: A belt buckle shaped like a flame, studded with rubies (worth 5,000 gp; DC 25 Intelligence check values). § Bracelet: This golden bracelet with six translucent orange amber charms, with insects trapped inside (worth 2,500 gp; DC 20 Intelligence check values) is sized for a particularly slender wrist. Sometimes—perhaps as a trick of the light—the insects seems to move within their orange prisons. § Platinum mobile: Four platinum doves, elegantly sculpted, with translucent blue azurite eyes, are suspended from a teak frame (worth 500 gp each, worth 2,500 gp as a set; DC 20 Intelligence check values). § +3 Chain Shirt: A sturdy chain shirt, constructed mainly of steel has a third of the links being iron. The shirt is clearly well-used and shows signs of being worn in battle—buckled links, worn straps and so on. § +3 Defending Rapier: Inscribed into the well-balanced, but worn, hilt of this rapier is the word “Steady”. The blade itself seems heavier and slightly thicker than a normal rapier. § Cloak of Invisibility: This gaudy black cloak with an inner gold lining has a voluminous cowl deep enough to completely obscure the wearer’s face. 7 S U P P O R T R A G I N G S W A N P R E S S Please consider joining our Patreon campaign. Your support enables us to pay our freelancers a decent wage. In return, you get free books before they go on general release. Learn more and sign up at patreon.com/ragingswanpress. O G L V 1 . 0 A The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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YOUR WORLD TRUTHS WORKBOOK IRONSWORN Copyright ©2018 Shawn Tomkin. The text of this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. For details on licenses and the Ironsworn System Reference Document, visit ironswornrpg.com. 1 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK THE OLD WORLD { The savage clans called the Skulde invaded the kingdoms of the Old World. Our armies fell. Most were killed or taken into slavery. Those who escaped set sail aboard anything that would float. After an arduous months-long voyage, the survivors made landfall upon the Ironlands. Quest Starter: You are a descendant of the Skulde. Because of your heritage, your family has long borne the distrust of your fellow Ironlanders. Now, a small force of Skulde have landed on our shores. Are they the harbinger of an invasion? Where do your loyalties lie? { The sickness moved like a horrible wave across the Old World, killing all in its path. Thousands fled aboard ships. However, the plague could not be outrun. On many ships, the disease was contained through ruthless measures—tossing overboard any who exhibited the slightest symptom. Other ships were forever lost. In the end, those who survived found the Ironlands and made it their new home. Some say we will forever be cursed by those we left behind. Quest Starter: A settlement is stricken by disease. Though this sickness bears some similarities to the Old World plague, it doesn’t kill its victims. Instead, it changes them. How does this disease manifest? Why do you swear to seek out a cure? { The Old World could no longer sustain us. We were too large in number. We had felled the forests. Our crops withered in the barren ground. The cities and villages overflowed with desperate, hungry people. Petty kings battled for scraps. We cast our fate to the sea and found the Ironlands. A new world. A fresh start. Quest Starter: Decades ago, the exodus ended. Since then, no ships have sailed here from the Old World. Until now. Word comes of a single ship, newly arrived across the vast ocean, grounded on the rocks of the Barrier Islands. When you hear the name of this ship, you swear to uncover the fate of its passengers. Why is it so important to you? { IRON { The imposing hills and mountains of the Ironlands are rich in iron ore. Most prized of all is the star-forged black iron. Quest Starter: The caravan, bound for the distant southlands, left the mining settlement last season but never arrived at its destination. It carried a bounty of black iron. Why is finding this lost caravan so important to you? { The weather is bleak. Rain and wind sweep in from the ocean. The winters are long and bitter. One of the first settlers complained, “Only those made of iron dare live in this foul place”—and thus our land was named. Quest Starter: The harvest fell short. The unrelenting snows left the village isolated. The food is running out. What will you do to see these people through this harsh season? { Inscrutable metal pillars are found throughout the land. They are iron gray, and smooth as river stone. No one knows their purpose. Some say they are as old as the world. Some, such as the Iron Priests, worship them and swear vows upon them. Most make the warding sign and hurry along their way when they happen across one. The pillars do not tarnish, and even the sharpest blade cannot mark them. Quest Starter: Your dreams are haunted by visions of a pillar which stands in an unfamiliar landscape. What do you see? Why are you sworn to seek it out? { 2 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK LEGACIES { We are the first humans to walk these lands. Quest Starter: In the writings of one of the first settlers, there is a description of a glade in the heart of the Deep Wilds. The spirits of this place are said to grant a miraculous blessing. What boon does it bestow? { Other humans sailed here from the Old World untold years ago, but all that is left of them is a savage, feral people we call the broken. Is their fate to become our own? Quest Starter: You find a child—one of the broken. It is wounded, and hunted by others of its kind. Do you protect it, even at the risk of inviting the wrath of the broken tribes? { Before the Ironlanders, before even the firstborn, another people lived here. Their ancient ruins are found throughout the Ironlands. Quest starter: Miners uncovered an underground ruin. Thereafter, the people of the settlement are haunted by strange dreams. The ruins call to them, they say. Several have disappeared in that dark, ancient place—including someone important to you. { COMMUNITIES { We are few in number in this accursed land. Most rarely have contact with anyone outside our own small steading or village, and strangers are viewed with deep suspicion. Quest Starter: In the dead of winter, a desperate man arrives at a snowbound steading. He is wounded, hungry, and nearly frozen to death. His family has been taken. By whom? Will you brave the merciless winter to save them? { We live in communities called circles. These are settlements ranging in size from a steading with a few families to a village of several hundred. Some circles belong to nomadic folk. Some powerful circles might include a cluster of settlements. We trade (and sometimes feud) with other circles. Quest Starter: A decades-long feud between two circles has flared into open conflict. What is the cause of this dispute? Do you join in the fight, or swear to put a stop to it? { We have forged the Ironlands into a home. Villages within the Havens are connected by well-trod roads. Trade caravans travel between settlements in the Havens and those in outlying regions. Even so, much of this land is untamed. Quest Starter: Caravans are forced to pay for passage along a trade road. This payment, one-quarter of the goods carried, leaves several communities without sufficient winter stores. Who is making these demands? How will you set things right? { 3 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK LEADERS { Leadership is as varied as the people. Some communities are governed by the head of a powerful family. Or, they have a council of elders who make decisions and settle disputes. In others, the priests hold sway. For some, it is duels in the circle that decide. Quest Starter: You have vivid reoccurring dreams of an Ironlands city. It has strong stone walls, bustling markets, and a keep on a high hill. And so many people! Nowhere in the Ironlands does such a city exist. In your dreams, you are the ruler of this city. Somehow, no matter how long it takes, you must make this vision a reality. { Each of our communities has its own leader, called an overseer. Every seventh spring, the people affirm their current overseer or choose a new one. Some overseers wear the iron circlet reluctantly, while others thirst for power and gain it through schemes or threats. Quest Starter: An overseer has fallen ill. She is sure to die without help, and the illness is unknown to the village healer. Poison, or perhaps even foul magic, is suspected. The families in the community are now at each other’s throats as they position their preferred candidates to take up the iron circlet. Will you discover the truth of the overseer’s illness and restore her to health? { Numerous clan-chiefs rule over petty domains. Most are intent on becoming the one true king. Their squabbles will be our undoing. Quest Starter: You secretly possess one-half of the True Crown, an Old World relic. Centuries ago, this crown was broken in two when an assassin’s axe split the head of the supreme ruler. You are descended from that lineage. Who gave you this relic? Will you find the other half of the broken crown and attempt to unite the clans under your rule? Or, do you see another use for it? { DEFENSE { Here in the Ironlands, supplies are too precious, and the lands are too sparsely populated, to support organized fighting forces. When a community is threatened, the people stand together to protect their own. Quest Starter: A settlement is unable, or unwilling, to defend itself against an imminent threat. Why? What peril do they face? What will you do to protect them? { The wardens are our soldiers, guards, and militia. They serve their communities by standing sentry, patrolling surrounding lands, and organizing defenses in times of crisis. Most have strong ties to their community. Others, called free wardens, are wandering mercenaries who hire on to serve a community or protect caravans. Quest Starter: You come upon a dying warden. She tells you of an important mission, and charges you with its completion. “Swear to me,” she says, reaching out with a bloodied hand to give you an object crucial to the quest. What is it? { Our warbands are rallied to strike at our enemies or defend our holdings. Though not nearly as impressive as the armies that once marched across the Old World, these forces are as well-trained and equipped as their communities can manage. The banners of the warbands are adorned with depictions of their Old World history and Ironland victories. Quest Starter: A warband was wiped out in a battle against an overwhelming enemy. What is your connection to this band? Who defeated them? Will you carry their banner on a quest for vengeance, or do you vow to see it brought home to a place of honor? { 4 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK MYSTICISM { Some still find comfort in the old ways. They call on mystics to divine the fortune of their newborn, or ask them to perform rituals to invoke a bountiful harvest. Others act out of fear against those who they suspect of having power. However, most folk believe true magic—if it ever existed—is lost to us now. Quest Starter: Someone close to you is accused of cursing a settlement, causing fields to go fallow and cattle to become sick. What is the evidence of this? Will you defend this person and uncover the true cause of the settlement’s troubles? { Magic is rare and dangerous, but those few who wield the power are truly gifted. Quest Starter: You have heard stories of someone who wields true power. They live in an isolated settlement far away. Who told you of this mystic? Are they feared or respected? Why do you swear to seek them out? { Magic courses through this land as the rivers flow through the hills. The power is there for those who choose to harness it, and even the common folk often know a helpful ritual or two. Quest Starter: Someone you love walked the paths of power, and succumbed to it. Who are they? Why did they fall into darkness? Where are they now? Do you seek to save them or defeat them? { RELIGION { A few Ironlanders still make signs or mumble prayers out of habit or tradition, but most believe the gods long ago abandoned us. Quest Starter: A charismatic Ironlander, encouraging her followers to renounce the vestiges of Old World religions, proposes a new path for this new world. What doctrine does she teach? What does she seek to achieve? Are you sworn to aid or stop her? { The people honor old gods and new. In this harsh land, a prayer is a simple but powerful comfort. Quest Starter: An Ironlander is determined to make a pilgrimage into dangerous lands. What holy place do they seek? Why do you swear to aid them on this journey? Who seeks to stop them and why? { Our gods are many. They make themselves known through manifestations and miracles. Some say they even secretly walk among us. The priests convey the will of the gods and hold sway over many communities. Quest Starter: You bear the mark of a god. What is it? The priests declare this as a sign you are chosen to fulfill a destiny. Do you accept this fate, and swear to see it through, or are you determined to see it undone? What force opposes you? { 5 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK FIRSTBORN { The firstborn have passed into legend. Some say the remnants of the old tribes still dwell in deep forests or high mountains. Most believe they were never anything more than myth. Quest Starter: Someone obsessed with the firstborn wants to find evidence of their existence. This will require an expedition into the far reaches of the Ironlands. What is your role in this mission? { The firstborn live in isolation and are fiercely protective of their own lands. Quest Starter: The elf, outcast from his kind, lives with Ironlanders. Over time, he became a part of the community. Now, he is dying. He yearns to return to his people before he passes. Does he seek absolution or justice? Why do you swear to help him? What force opposes his return? { The firstborn hold sway in the Ironlands. The elves of the deep forests and the giants of the hills tolerate us and even trade with us—for now. Ironlanders fear the day they decide we are no longer welcome here. Quest Starter: Humans and giants are on the brink of war. What has happened? Who do you side with? Can anything be done to defuse the situation? { BEASTS { The beasts of old are nothing but legend. A few who travel into the deep forests and high mountains return with wild tales of monstrous creatures, but they are obviously delusional. No such things exist. Quest Starter: You were witness to an attack by what you thought was an animal of monstrous proportions. No one believes you. In fact, you are accused of the murder you blame on this beast. How can you prove your innocence? Can you even trust your own memories of the event? { Monstrous beasts stalk the wild areas of the Ironlands. Quest Starter: A prominent Ironlander is consumed with the need to bring vengeance upon a specific beast. What makes this creature distinctive? How did it earn the wrath of this Ironlander? Do you aid this person in their quest, or act to prevent their blind hate from destroying more than just the beast? { Beasts of all sorts roam the Ironlands. They dwell primarily in the reaches, but range into the settled lands to hunt. There, they often prey on cattle, but attacks on travelers, caravans, or even settlements are not uncommon. Quest Starter: Professional slayers earn their keep by killing beasts. This particular slayer, famed throughout the Ironlands for her numerous kills, has gone missing on a hunt. Did she finally meet her match, or is something more nefarious at play. What is your connection to her? { 6 YOUR WORLD — TRUTHS WORKBOOK HORRORS { Nothing but stories to frighten children. Quest Starter: The murders began last season. Local gossip suggests they are the work of a vengeful horror, but there may be more mundane forces at work. What is your connection to these killings? What will you do to stop them? { We are wary of dark forests and deep waterways, for monsters lurk in those places. In the depths of the long-night, when all is wreathed in darkness, only fools venture beyond their homes. Quest Starter: You bear the scars of an attack by a horror. What was it? Are those scars physical, emotional, or both? How do you seek to make yourself whole again? { The dead do not rest in the Ironlands. At night we light torches, scatter salt, and post sentries at the gate. It is not enough. They are coming. Quest Starter: A group of Ironlanders establish a settlement in a territory cursed by a malevolent horror. What evil plagues this land? Why are the Ironlanders so intent on settling here? Will you aid them, or attempt to force them to give up this foolish undertaking? { OTHER NOTES

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Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK ® Yeomanry Regional Adventure Version 1.1 by Eric Williamson The alliance between the Yeomanry League and the Hillman of Clan Cumalh is solidified. When a crisis arises on the northern border, will the alliance hold? A Yeomanry regional adventure for APLs 4-10. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 2 Introduction This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario. Preparation First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Keep in mind that you must have at least three players (not counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. Scoring After the players have completed the scenario or the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, the players and DM score the game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your convention coordinator to determine which method to use for this scenario: 1. No-vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for people who are just playing for fun. 2. Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal information, but don’t vote for other players. The game master rates the scenario and completes personal and event information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for players. This method is used when there is no competition, but the event coordinator wants information on how the game masters are performing, or the game master wants feedback on his or her own performance. 3. Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, including voting for best player. If this method is used, be sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10 minutes for voting. This method is used when the players want to know who played the “best” amongst the group, or when the adventure is run in tournament format with winners and prizes. When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not influenced by their comments on your abilities. It’s a good idea to have the players vote while you determine treasure and experience awards for the scenario. After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordinator. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 3 # of Animals Mundane Animals Effect on APL 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 6 7 8 5 5 7 8 9 6 6 8 9 10 CR of Animal 7 7 9 10 11 This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, ant then have any players without a character create on. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. Living Greyhawk Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportioned to the average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine the Average Party Level (APL): 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely being war horses, dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum above. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. 3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. By following these four steps, you will have determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL this adventure is being played at, that character will receive only half of the experience points awarded for the adventure. This simulates the face that either your character was not as challenged as normal, or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or sometimes even five 1 st-level characters may find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 there are three things that you can do to help even the score. 1. Attempt to create a table of six 1 st-level characters, or try to enlist higher-level characters to play at that table. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. All riding dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack must succeed at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates that the animal will not attack that round. This is a free action (spoken command) that may be attempted each round. If an animal loses half or more hp in a single round it flees, unless another check is successful. Time Units and Upkeep This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, set in the Yeomanry. Characters native to the Yeomanry pay one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 4 Adventure Background About the Yeomanry The Yeomanry is situated in a valley between the Jotens and the Tors in the southwest corner of the Sheldomar Valley. The moderately sized realm is nearly surrounded by the Crystalmists and its spurs, though its eastern border with Keoland is generally regarded as the eastern bank of the Javan across from the county of Cryllor. Its border continues south to where the great river enters the Hool marshes and the lands of the Sea Princes. The climate is hot nearly year-round in the central valley, though the temperature moderates as one approaches the foothills, particularly in late fall and winter. The Yeomanry is a land populated primarily by freemen Farmers, who are mostly a Suel-Flan mix. The Yeomanry is one of the few representative democracies in the Flanaess. Any citizen of majority who has carried a spear for the nation, either now or in the past, is eligible to elect spokesmen on his behalf from his community, these spokesmen in turn elect Grosspokesmen that serve in the Council of Common Grosspokesmen in Loftwick. The people of the Yeomanry are rural, cloistered folk with little exposure to either foreigners or magic. They are religious and superstitious, yet reservedly friendly to travelers. Many Yeomen have served in the Militia and are stout defenders of their homes. You can learn more about the Yeomanry at its official website: http://yeomanry.living-greyhawk.com. Is this a ‘Military Module?’ As the characters are not called to active duty nor is there any demonstration of militia or military presence in this module, this module may not count towards the annual militia or military TU requirements. Is this adventure “promotion worthy?” Heroic deeds in the name of the Yeoman Militia are possible in this module, and as such, the possibility for promotion exists. In order for a PC to be considered for promotion at the end of this adventure, the PC must do the following: The GM and all Yeomanry militia members present at the table must unanimously agree that the PC has performed an action and behaved in a manner that would make them a good leader of men in their unit. There must be at least two other military PCs playing the scenario besides the PC up for advancement. Only one PC can be nominated for advancement per scenario. The player so nominated must then gather the names and email addresses of all Yeomanry militia players AND THE DM at the table. The player must then submit a small summary of what happened in the adventure and why he or she should be considered for promotion. Emailing this information to yeomanry-triad@yahoogroups.com. The Triad will then discuss your promotion and determine whether promotion is granted. You will be notified via email, and a promotion certificate will be sent to you via snail mail. In order to be considered for promotion, the Yeomanry militia member must have spent a minimum of one year of REAL time as the rank below that being applied for. So in order to be considered for Serjeant, the player must have spent one full year as a Yeoman, and one full year below that as an unranked militiaman. Is this a “Dustdigger Module?” As this adventure does not significantly involve archeological matters, students in the Academy of Lore may not count this adventure towards their Academy TU requirement. Jotens The Jotens are the largest spur of the Crystalmist mountain chain. The Jotens are known as the legendary home of numerous tribes of antagonistic hill giants, and scattered bands of cloud and stone giants are known to dwell within the Jotens as well. The southern end of the range is well protected by sturdy, long-ranging Yeomanry spearmen and allied dwarven irregulars. They defend the fertile valley from invaders via a number of well-fortified strongholds and citadels that line the border. Fighting between the giants and the people of Sterich continues to the north. Little Hills The Little Hills form the eastern border of the Yeomanry, where the Jotens turn south to follow the course of the mighty Javan River. The hills are 'little' only in comparison to the mighty Jotens that loom above them. Considerable numbers of demihumans dwell in the Little Hills, along with communities of humans. The Hillmen and dwarves who populate the Little Hills are known for their ferocity in battle and have been employed in Keoland as mercenaries for centuries. The city of Longspear, in the foothills of the Little Hills, is an active YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 5 trade center and guards the northeastern-most point of the Yeomanry League. Hillmen The Hillmen are the closest one can find to pureblood Flan in the Yeomanry today. While generally Oeridian and Suel ancestry is evident in many tribes (by thick beards or fiery red hair, for instance), the Hillmen as a whole exhibit the dark skin and wavy black hair of their Flan heritage. Culturally cut off from the Flan of other nations such as Geoff, the Hillmen have developed their own distinct way of life over the millennia. Their hunter- gatherer background is still apparent in many of the customs practiced by the Hillmen and, as people of tradition, they adapt to other cultures and customs very slowly. The most important thing to remember about Hillman culture is the importance of family, clan, and tribe. A Hillman can trace his or her family heritage back many generations; dedication is to the family before anyone else. One interesting aspect of this concept is that each Hillman must keep his or her own honor intact, or the entire family will suffer. This cycle of responsibility, both to oneself and to family, drives most of the tradition and honor that are the backbone of Hillman society. Second only to family is the clan. Clans are basically extended families—groups of Hillmen that have lived together for centuries. Each family generally has a role in the clan, as craftsmen or farmers, nobles or builders. Although these roles are not enforced in any way, tradition generally keeps family members from exploring other possibilities. A single clan generally makes up what the common Yeoman knows of as a Hillman community. Each clan controls a certain area of land, based on tradition, clan strength, and geography. A powerful clan may claim many leagues of territory, or may control a small but prosperous area. These clans are known for the strong hillforts they build to protect their lands. At the same time, unfortunate clans are often driven to unwanted territories by more powerful clans. It should be noted that Hillmen clans do not consider other clans as allies simply because they are Hillmen. In fact, some clans have blood feuds that date back centuries. These feuds rarely result in all-out war, but the involved clans will often raid one another’s livestock or push territorial bounds. Clans often engage in lengthy diplomatic deals to ensure that neighboring clans will not violate their territory. Druids, who are considered to exist above the clan structure (along with bards and adepts), are called upon to witness such deals, or to judge those accused of violating any agreements. After the clan comes the tribe, a group of clans spanning a large, often non-contiguous area. There are three known tribes in the Yeomanry, as determined by Hillman tradition. More tribes existed at some point, but have been absorbed by the existing tribes or destroyed by tribal warfare. All three tribes share similar cultural backgrounds, but harbor differing views on the relationship of the Hillmen to the Yeomanry League. During the Yeomanry’s early struggles for independence from the hated mage Asberdies, one large tribe of Hillmen, the Donnchadh, aided the fledgling democracy. The tribe joined with the Yeomanry League after its declaration of independence from Keoland and the alliance has lasted for 800 years. The tribe includes most of the Hillmen clans found in the central Little Hills. They “elect” a Grosspokesman to represent them to the Council, although this person is always the rightful king of the tribe (as determined by heritage, combat prowess, and leadership skills). Many of the Hillmen in this tribe are actually Yeoman citizens, as they have an even stronger military tradition than the Yeomanry and so easily fulfill the militia service requirement. In general, this tribe is considered more "civilized" by the common Yeoman, as they have adapted some to Yeoman culture. The Church of the Seven Faiths, for instance, can be found in most communities of this tribe, although the degree of acceptance for the Church still varies. The renowned “Hillmen mercenaries” come largely from this tribe. The second tribe, the Lachtna, lives more on the fringe of the Yeomanry, in the large gaps between major communities. This tribe is made up of clans that refused to join the Yeomanry League, but have remained on generally good terms with the nation. The clans live largely independent of other communities, even other Hillmen, and do not consider themselves part of any nation. As such, they have no votes within the Yeomanry League, and no Grosspokesman to represent them. Their clanholds lie at the extremes of the Little Hills, or in remote sections in the Jotens and Tors. As a scattered group, they are much more decentralized than the larger tribe and generally don't have a tribal king. The clans of this tribe are not generally hostile to outsiders, and some Yeoman influence can be found in several communities, in areas such as religion and law. Still, a Yeoman should be aware that traveling in such communities might place one under very different customs and local laws. The last tribe, the Sithig, is the remnant of those Hillmen that considered the Yeomanry League a hostile enemy. This tribe united clans to fight against the Yeomanry during the nation’s initial formation. However, those clans that chose to join the League stood with the young YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 6 nation against the Sithig (which was then the most powerful tribe in the region) and together they shattered their common enemy. The surviving clans fled to the most remote parts of the country, especially to the desolate regions of the Tors, the surrounding mountains, and the Hool Marsh. To this day, the clans of this tribe consider all other Hillmen to be traitors, often attacking members of their own tribe, but a different clan, in distrust. In one sense, the clans of this tribe are the most traditional of the Hillmen. They accept no outside influence, even following the ancient customs (such as slavery and the taking of enemies’ heads as trophies) long abandoned by the other clans Adventure Background Under the leadership of Connoch ed’Laren, Clan Cumalh, the greatest clan among the Lachtna, agreed to a military alliance with the Yeomanry League in 592 CY after representatives from the Yeomanry proved their honor, reliability, and wisdom through a series of tests. This alliance, however, did not come without trials, as Connoch’s sub-chief, Ryn, attempted to assassinate the chieftain during a meeting at Fort Thomas. The assassin was thwarted and turned over to the Cumalh, whereupon he was declared “headless,” a man without a clan, and banished from the lands of the Cumalh. The addition of the Cumalh hillfort filled a strategic gap between Fort Thomas and Fort August, making giant and humanoid raids from the Jotens all the more difficult for the aggressors. This alliance inspired some smaller Lachtna clans to consider joining with the League. However, it also led to sinister results. Upon leaving the lands of the Cumalh, Ryn the Headless journeyed south, all the way to the Tors. There he found many small clans of the Sithig tribe living in the broken and desolate land. Ryn, a capable warrior, seized power in one such clan by killing their chieftain in single combat. He then began drawing other clans under his power, some through force and others through the promise of a prophecy fulfilled… A common story among the Hillmen prophesies that a great leader, descended from the kings of old, will one day rise up and lead the tribes to glory. These stories, however, are generally vague on the exact nature of this “glory,” leading some to speculate it means a retaking of their traditional lands while others believe the king would unite the clans with the Yeomanry. Ryn built on this story and proclaimed himself the Sean Rígh or “King of Old” that will break the Yeomanry hold over the “rightful” lands of the Sithig. Through battle prowess and charisma, Ryn won almost every Sithig clan in the Tors to his cause, in the process gaining the attention of other evil powers at work in the Yeomanry. Together, Ryn and these powers struck a deal. Using humanoid and giant forces to compliment the Hillmen warriors, a plan was devised to destroy the Cumalh-Yeomanry Alliance and discourage any other clans from such action by luring the Cumalh into a trap that would lead to the death of their chieftain, the decimation of their hillfort, and the installation of Ryn as the new chieftain of the remaining Cumalh. Adventure Summary While traveling on the road south of the Jotens, the characters come upon a lone Yeoman spearman, the last of a scouting patrol from the mountains. The soldier hurriedly explains that his patrol was ambushed while tracking the movement of a large group of humanoids through the mountains. As he explains that all signs point to the group moving against Fort Thomas, the party is beset by the same humanoids that ambushed the patrol. After defeating the humanoids, the characters likely escort the scout (if he still lives) to inform Fort Thomas of the impending danger. (Parties that choose to not go to the fort soon find the horde is much closer than anticipated and must flee or face literally hundreds of goblins, ogres, and worse.) Upon hearing the scouts report, the captain of the fort acts quickly to secure the hold and organize riders to call reinforcements. Depending on the party’s reputation (determined by Influence in the Yeomanry League) and diplomatic skill, the party may assist or advise in performing various tasks in preparation. The party may also volunteer to ride for help. With the fort prepared and riders sent to the nearest Yeoman cities (assuming the party is not also gone), the forces brace for the attack. Nightfall finds the hills to the north aglow with the light of a hundred campfires; the fort is now under siege. The horde displays its cunning the next morning by parading before the fort the horses of the riders sent for help, the riders’ bodies dragging behind in the dirt. This turn of events leads the captain to ask the party for more assistance—they must ride for help. A secret escape route leads to freedom, if the party can win its way past the guards without alerting the horde. A hard ride, possibly dogged by scouts from the horde, brings the party to the nearest allies, the Hillmen of Clan Cumalh. Although the fey guarding the Cumalh lands prevent any horde pursuers from entering, they also YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 7 block the party unless the characters can win their way past the guardians. Having gained entry to the Cumalh hillfort, the characters present their case before the chieftain, Connoch ed’Laren. In compliance with the Yeoman- Cumalh alliance, Connoch agrees to send warriors to the fort with all haste, but fears they will not arrive in time to save the beleaguered troops. Hope returns, however, when the clan druid announces another way. The party must awaken an ancient spirit of divination that once served the elves of this land and seek its aid. A vengeful druid trapped the ancient spirit, a fossergrim sorcerer, long ago. To secure the location, the druid cursed the land around the fossergrim’s grotto and brought a horrible monster to guard over the location. Defeating this guardian frees the fossergrim, which gladly aids the party by offering its substantial magical powers to transport the Hillmen warriors to Fort Thomas. As the party returns with the Cumalh warriors, they find a struggling Fort Thomas. After scouting the situation and finding the fort about to fall, the Hillmen rush into battle, pressing the surprised humanoids toward the fort. The party is asked to eliminate the horde’s leader while the main force is engaged with the Cumalh. Teleportation and Divination Higher APL parties may have significant magical resources to aid in travel and information gathering. The following may be used as guidelines for adjudicating such spells. Use of the transport via plants spell requires the character be a member of the Cumalh clan to have knowledge of a specific plant through which to transport. Failing that, the character must estimate the direction and distance to the Cumalh clanhold (or perhaps Fort Thomas)—use the DM’s Aid Map of the Northern Little Hills as a reference. Traveling to the Cumalh in this manner moves the character to Encounter 4 if the estimate is not within 25 miles, or to Encounter 5 if it is within 25 miles. Spells such as shadow walk and tree stride simply increase the affected character’s movement rate. Should a party or character attempt to teleport to the Cumalh clanhold, a result of Off Target lands the character(s) in Encounter 5 and a result of Similar Area lands the character(s) in Encounter 4. Characters that have played through YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall are considered to have “Seen Casually” the Cumalh hillfort and surrounding lands. Brien cannot provide enough description of the Cumalh (he has never been to their lands) to aid in this or any similar spell. Spells such as augury, commune, contact other plane, and divination should be adjudicated by the DM based on knowledge of future encounters described in the module. Characters may also attempt to Scry specific Cumalh clansmen, such as Connoch or Gevrog (these are the only two NPCs currently at the clan that characters might know). Characters that cannot name a Cumalh clan member are considered to have No Knowledge and so cannot Scry without some form of Connection (the weapons Cumalh’s Fury and Ronan’s Pride are considered Possessions of the Cumalh). Characters that can name a Cumalh clan member but have never been to the clanhold (i.e. by playing in YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall) are considered to have Secondhand Knowledge. Characters that have played through the YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall are considered to have Firsthand Knowledge. Finally, characters that are members of the Cumalh clan are considered to have Familiar Knowledge. Similar methods might bring the party to Fort Thomas if they decide not to simply walk. The only NPC present at the fort that characters might know is Captain Michner. Attempts to Scry the horde are hampered by an idol of false visions that produces a false vision spell (as cast by a 10 th level caster) up to three times per day, centered on the tent in the middle of the horde camp and protecting individuals or locations within 50’ of the magic item. Introduction Reference DM Aid #1 throughout this adventure. To aid in the realism for Listen checks, have each player provide his or her bonus for Decipher Script, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Listen, and Spot skills. Only the Listen and Spot checks are directly used in the module, but getting scores for each keeps the players guessing (and they might come in useful if the PCs get inventive). Also ask the players to describe any noteworthy items or influence (in private, if necessary). Look for characters that have played YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall in particular, as possession of items from that module may impact encounters in this adventure. Specifically, characters that wear an Emblem of the League gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma- based checks with the soldiers in Fort Thomas while characters that possess the sword Cumalh’s Fury or the warclub Ronan’s Pride gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks with the Cumalh and their fey allies. Finally, when the player’s are ready to begin read or paraphrase the following: YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 8 You are traveling on the road connecting Fort Thomas and the village of Singleton. The peaks of the Jotens, ever white with snow, rise to the north like the claws of a great beast. Pine trees dot the countryside around you, although they have been cleared away from the main road for a hundred yards or so. If necessary, allow the party this time to introduce themselves to one another. They may, for instance, choose to share whatever knowledge they have of the region, why they are currently traveling, or exploits from their past. When they begin to get comfortable with the conversation, the following occurs: Suddenly, a figure bursts from the trees to the north, sprinting across the open space. A red tabard hangs loosely from his shoulder; he carries a broken longspear in his left hand. Upon sighting you, he begins waving his spear in the air and crying out, “Good folk, I beg you to stop for the sake of the Yeomanry!” Assuming the characters do not attack the soldier (who is roughly 300’ from the party), he approaches rapidly and introduces himself: “I am Brien, a Yeoman spearman from a mountain scouting patrol. My unit was tracking the movements of a large group of humanoids through the mountains when a force of worg-riding goblins ambushed us! Before my comrades fell, we determined that all signs point to the horde marching against Fort Thomas…” � Brien, Yeoman Spearman: Male human War3; hp 14; AL LG; see Appendix I. Before he can finish this last sentence, the remainder of the goblins that ambushed the patrol besets the party. An ominous howl from the trees interrupts the scout’s tale as large black wolves, standing nearly three feet tall at the shoulder, emerge from the pines. Small, yellow-skinned humanoids, the goblins Brien spoke of if you had to guess, ride each one. Catching sight of you, the riders immediately begin circling their mounts around you as they draw barbed javelins from cases slung across their backs. They are roughly three hundred feet away and stalking closer. Creatures: The spearman was tracked to this location by a pack of worgs (+6 on Survival checks when tracking by scent). This is a simple roving ambush/scout group, and so the party will likely outclass the goblins at most APLs. This combat is a quick introduction into the action of the adventure; greater challenges to the party’s combat skill will come later. Note that these goblins are treated as goblin cavalry (as described in the Combat Skills section of the “Goblin” entry) and thus have the Mounted Combat feat rather than Alertness. APL 4 (EL 3) � Goblins (2): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Worgs (2): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 5) � Goblins (3): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Worgs (3): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 7) � Goblins (6): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Worgs (6): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 9) � Goblins (10): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Worgs (10): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The area around the party is completely open for at least 300 feet in all directions, as all the trees near the road have been clear-cut. Brien uses a Total Defense standard action (gaining a +4 Dodge bonus to his AC) until the goblins run out of javelins, at which time he uses a Readied action to set his broken longspear (treat as a shortspear) to receive the first charge from the worg- riders. Due to his Hold the Line feat, he gets an attack of opportunity against the charging worg-rider before his opponent resolves the charge (in addition to his Readied action). The worg riders advance carefully to within sixty feet of the party before launching their attack, spreading out to avoid area attacks and trying to circle the party as best they can to attack from all sides. With the party circled, the goblins launch volleys of javelins at the characters (-2 to the attack rolls due to range increment) to soften them up; each rider carries 2 javelins. After exhausting missile weapons (or beforehand if the party launches considerable ranged or magical attacks), the worgs charge into combat (gaining a +2 to attack rolls and a –2 to armor class). The goblins always allow the worgs to attack first in hopes that the evil wolves trip an opponent, granting the goblin a +4 to its attack while its victim lies prone (prone opponents are at –4 to all melee attacks, -4 to AC against melee attacks and most use a move action to stand, provoking an attack of opportunity). Each goblin uses its Mounted Combat feat to attempt to negate one attack against its mount per round; in effect the worg’s YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 9 AC becomes 1d20+4 if the result is greater than 14. If it is obvious that the goblins cannot hit the characters, they will switch to aiding their worgs’ attacks (using the Aid Another action to grant a +2 circumstance bonus to the worg’s bite attack if the goblin makes a successful attack roll against AC 10). The worgs continue to attack even if their riders are killed. Development: The remaining ambush party members know they must kill the fleeing scout (and now these new interlopers) or suffer their leader’s wrath. As such, they will not flee from this battle, even if it becomes apparent that the party will surely win. Death at the hands of the party is preferable to the slow torture they will suffer for failing. Note that the worgs’ Scent ability allows them to detect the presence of invisible characters within 30’. They can use a move action to determine the direction of the scent and can pinpoint invisible characters within 5 feet. Treasure: The treasure in this encounter is the goblins’ possessions. APL 4: L: 4 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 6: L: 6 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 8: L: 12 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 10: L: 20 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. Encounter One: Long Walk Home After defeating the worg riders, the spearman continues his plea, if he still lives: As the last evil wolf falls, Brien also collapses to the ground, a look of exhaustion filling his face as he wipes dirt and blood from his hands. “Valiant folk, what you have done today might well save the lives of thousands! I must continue to Fort Thomas with all haste so that I may report my findings to Captain Michner. Completing this mission is now the only way I can avenge my companions’ deaths! If you were traveling east, I would caution you not to continue, as the horde is advancing from that direction. I know the captain would welcome capable warriors such as yourself and Fort Thomas is likely the only shelter you will find before the horde is upon us.” Tactics: After resting for a few minutes, Brien stands and continues his trek toward Fort Thomas. The fort is roughly 15 miles from the party’s present location. As such, it will take from 4 (assuming a speed of 40) to 10 (at a base speed of 15) hours for most parties to walk to Fort Thomas. The party can hustle to cut this time in half, but characters suffer nonlethal damage as follows: Base Elapsed Nonlethal Speed Time Damage 15 5 hours 15 20 3.75 hours 7 30 2.5 hours 3 40 2 hours 1 Brien hustles (at a speed of 30) unless he is severely wounded (3 hp or less) or the party provides a mount of some sort. A horse bearing a rider can move at a hustle. The damage it takes, however, is lethal damage, not nonlethal damage. A character that takes any nonlethal damage from hustling becomes fatigued. A fatigued character can’t run or charge and takes a penalty of –2 to Strength and Dexterity. Eliminating the nonlethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. During the trip, Brien will answer any questions as best he can. The following are probable questions and the information he knows: How many soldiers were in your patrol? “We had two dozen originally—a march of spearmen like me and another mixed march of dwarven heavy infantry and mountaineers.” What can you tell us about the worg riders that attacked you? “A scouting group had just returned to camp last night when the worg riders broke through our perimeter. They had apparently followed the scouts back to us. I’m not sure exactly how many there were since it was dark— at least a dozen and perhaps two. The Yeoman in charge of my march ordered me to head for Fort Thomas, in case the group could not defeat the attackers.” How long have you been tracking this group? “Two weeks, after several patrols reported signs of varying goblin, ogre, and giant bands moving toward a central location.” Where did the horde originate? “Somewhere further into the Jotens. Our patrol did not find signs of the group until after it had left their gathering site. We chose to track the groups’ movement rather than seek out their origin.” What creatures make up the horde? What are their numbers? “There appears to be between 200-300 goblins, with another 100 or so hobgoblins and bugbears as sergeants YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 10 and elite soldiers. A band of 2-3 dozen ogres travels near the center of the horde, possible serving as a personal guard to the commanders. Finally, whoever gathered this horde has enough strength to control 15-20 hill giants, many of whom are pulling heavy, covered carts that are likely filled with boulders for use as siege ammunition. The giants are traveling a bit behind the main force, as they must move more slowly through the difficult terrain.” Who leads the horde? “There is always a large tent pitched in the middle of their camp and we assume their leader is inside. We were never able to approach close enough to observe more.” Tells us about yourself. “I’m from Wymmswold originally, a small farming community of about 250 souls located on a rough road between Sule and Burn. This is my first year in the Army, having just finished serving my service in the Militia. After guarding cattle ranchers and sheep herders against tyrgs in the central farmlands for three years, I decided to sign up for something more exciting— patrolling the giant-infested Jotens—so I could be more like Flanders McQuinn.” Who is Flanders McQuinn? “Why, he’s the Yeomanry’s most famous ranger! Although he rarely returns to Wymmswold, he still calls it home. He’s half-elven—he used his elven magic to single-handedly keep a force of 300 kobolds from entering the village by setting scores of booby traps in the outlying fields.” Development: If Brien is killed during the combat with the worg-riders, he obviously cannot impart this information. Parties may use speak with dead to gain some of the information. If raise dead or similar magic is employed, Brien’s soul is free and willing to return. Parties that choose not to go to the fort and continue on the road traveling east soon find the horde is much closer than anticipated and must flee or face literally hundreds of goblinoids, ogres, and worse. If the party presses this plan, they will be attacked by successive waves of goblin scouts, then hobgoblin and bugbear troopers, and finally a contingent of ogres and hill giants. Make it obvious that standing to fight in this situation is not feasible. Parties with considerable insight (and perhaps thinking of the Yeomanry alliance with the Cumalh) or with Cumalh Hillmen characters might choose to travel directly to the Cumalh hillfort to seek aid for Fort Thomas. In this case, the party skips Encounter Two and Three, instead meeting up with a horde scout, as detailed in Encounter Four. Actually trying to find the lands of the Cumalh while traveling overland without a map subjects the party to a chance of getting lost, unless a character is a Cumalh Hillmen. The character leading the way must succeed on a Survival check (DC 12) or become lost. A character with at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (local) pertaining to the area being traveled through gains a +2 bonus on this check. If the party becomes lost, it is no longer certain to be moving in the direction it intended to travel. Randomly determine the direction in which the party actually travels during each hour of local or overland movement. The characters’ movement continues to be random until they blunder into a landmark they can’t miss, or until they recognize that they are lost and make an effort to regain their bearings. Once per hour of random travel, each character in the party may attempt a Survival check (DC 20, –1 per hour of random travel) to recognize that they are no longer certain of their direction of travel. Some circumstances may make it obvious that the characters are lost. A lost party is also uncertain of determining in which direction it should travel in order to reach a desired objective. Determining the correct direction of travel once a party has become lost requires a Survival check (DC 15, +2 per hour of random travel). If a character fails this check, he chooses a random direction as the “correct” direction for resuming travel. Once the characters are traveling along their new course, correct or incorrect, they may get lost again. It’s possible that several characters may attempt to determine the right direction to proceed after becoming lost. Make a Survival check for each character in secret, then tell the players whose characters succeeded the correct direction in which to travel, and tell the players whose characters failed a random direction they think is right. Check once per hour (or portion of an hour) spent in local or overland movement to see if travelers have become lost. It is roughly 50 miles to the Cumalh clanhold from the party’s current location. The travel is through trackless hills (movement rates cut in half) and so will generally take from 3 (assuming a speed of 40) to 8 (at a base speed of 15) days to complete. This assumes a day of normal walking for 8 hours. The party spends the rest of daylight time making and breaking camp, resting, and eating. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 11 The party can walk for more than 8 hours in a day by making a forced march. For each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, each character must make a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour). If the check fails, the character takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Characters cannot recover this nonlethal damage normally until they halt and rest for at least 4 hours. A character that takes any nonlethal damage from a forced march becomes fatigued. Eliminating the nonlethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. It’s possible for a character to march into unconsciousness by pushing himself or herself too hard. A forced march adds from 1.5 (assuming a speed of 15) to 4 (at a base speed of 40) miles per hour marched. A horse bearing a rider can be force-marched, but its Constitution checks automatically fail, and the damage it takes is lethal damage. Mounts also become fatigued when they take any damage from forced marches. Should the party become lost for too long or travel at a very slow pace such that they take more than six days to reach the Cumalh, they will be unable to bring reinforcements from the Hillmen in time to save Fort Thomas from the siege. See the Development section of Encounter Eight for more information. Encounter Two: Home Sweet Home When the party exhausts their questions for Brien, continue with the following: Fort Thomas is apparently a common stop for travelers in addition to being a defensive site. A smaller road, a cart path really, breaks from the main road you have been traveling and heads to the south and east, back into the Little Hills. Two inns sit outside the fort itself—the Spear and the Pickled Eel. Brien passes both of these structures without even pausing and heads straight for the fort. If the party follows Brien, describe the following, The fort itself is a square, walled structure with rounded three-story towers of worked stone at each corner. Narrow slits are the only windows into the towers, and the wall and towers are all crowned with battlements. You see what looks like a large crossbow (a ballista, really) mounted on the roof of each tower. A single ironbound door (barely large enough for a single horse and rider) with machicolations overhead leads into a barbican—this appears to be the only entrance into the fort. You see a large, square keep inside the walls. Brien presents himself to the gatekeeper at the barbican and is quickly admitted into Fort Thomas to meet with the captain. Party members that are not members of the Yeoman militia or army are not allowed to continue into the keep unless that character displays an Emblem of the League (an item found in the module YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall). Captain Michner will activate militia and Army characters that enter the fort after Brien presents his report If characters remain outside, both the inns have basic items for sale from the Food, Drink, and Lodging section of Table 7.8—Goods and Services in the Player’s Handbook. The Spear is considered good (2 gp for a night’s stay), while the Pickled Eel is considered common (5 sp for a night’s stay). Smart characters will note that getting a room for the night might not be the best idea, in light of the approaching horde. If the party openly talks about the advancing humanoids, they will likely start a panic. Party members that do not enter the fort have about an hour of time to rest as Brien goes over the information he has learned (the same information the party might gain in Encounter One) with the captain of the fort. Upon hearing the scouts report, the captain acts quickly to secure the hold, sending a runner to recall the current patrol (1 march of 6 infantry and 6 archers, which arrives within 2 hours). The staff (5 at the Spear, 2 at the Pickled Eel) and the few travelers (7 in all) staying at each inn are brought into the fort. Depending on the party’s reputation (determined by Influence in the Yeomanry League) and/or diplomatic skill, they may be able to advise the captain in further preparations if they so choose. Creatures: Fort Thomas is a border keep, housing 4 units of Yeoman soldiers and militiamen (2 marches of 12 infantry each, and 2 braces of 12 archers—11 soldiers in each unit are War1, while the Yeoman of the Militia in charge of each is a War3). Captain Helmut Michner, commanding officer of Fort Thomas, has been stationed at the fort for over three years and is nearing his term of service for promotional consideration. He is a soldier at heart, prim and proper to the end. Unfortunately, he has never endured a siege before. While he understands basic tactics, the party can use this opportunity to advise the commander on more advanced defense options and preparations. � Yeoman Infantry (22): Male human War1; hp 8; AL LG. � Yeoman Archer (22): Male human War1; hp 8; AL LG. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 12 � Yeoman of the Militia (4): Male human War3; hp 15; AL LG. � Captain Helmut Michner: Male human Ftr6; hp 50; AL LG. Development: Characters with significant Influence within the Yeomanry League receive greater respect, and thus are listened to more closely by Captain Michner and his men. A character gains a +1 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks with the soldiers in Fort Thomas for every two points of Influence with the Council of Grosspokesmen, the Militia, and/or the Freeknights. In addition, characters that wear an Emblem of the League gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks with the soldiers in Fort Thomas. This latter bonus stacks with any bonuses gained through Influence. Both Michner and the soldiers start with an attitude of Indifferent to average Yeomen party members. The have an Unfriendly attitude toward parties that contain half- orcs (they’ve spent at least two years fighting off orcish invaders from the Jotens), characters obviously from other nations (especially Keoland), or characters of an “odd” nature (an obvious Dragon Disciple or Oozemaster, for instance). Characters must shift Captain Michner’s attitude to Friendly (DC 15 if he started as Indifferent, DC 25 if he started as Unfriendly) in order for him to listen to any advice they may have. Characters that can shift his attitude to Helpful (DC 30 if he started as Indifferent, DC 40 if he started as Unfriendly) are listened to and their advice followed automatically. This will be a Diplomacy check (or Charisma check if untrained in Diplomacy). Some characters may try to Bluff their way into Michner’s good graces instead. As the captain has no real skill here, the DC is simply 1d20. Such attempts at best grant the character a +2 circumstance bonus to the above-mentioned Diplomacy or Charisma check. Likewise, characters may attempt to Intimidate Michner into letting them lead (DC 16). While this approach may cow Michner into initial compliance with the party’s plans, all future attitudes for encounters will downgrade by one (to either Unfriendly or Hostile, as appropriate) and the party members must either go through normal diplomacy or use intimidation for every plan. Use of magic such as charm person or suggestion will, if detected, lead to a similar shift in attitude. The DM may reward roleplaying experience points (in addition to the listed experience award) to individual characters based on the suggestions they offer and the usefulness of suggestions to defending the fort. Possible suggestions include: placing arrows and other supplies near likely combat areas, stationing individuals (travelers from the inns work best) on the ground floor near the walls to listen for attempts to undermine the walls, bringing supplies and other goods in from the inns, bringing the mounts (including the characters’) and food for them inside the fort, and razing the inns to deny the horde a base of operations or booby-trapping the inns to injure invaders. The DM is free to adjudicate the usefulness of any other ideas the party may come up with and award experience accordingly. The most important strategy for the fort is to send riders to nearby cities/forts for assistance. Michner will eventually come to this conclusion if the party does not, sending two infantrymen south and two west. He would also like to send riders to the east toward their nearest allies with a sizeable fighting force, the Cumalh clan of the Lachtna Hillmen tribe. He is reluctant to send his unskilled soldiers in that direction, however, due to the presence of the horde. The party may actually volunteer for this duty, in which case they will skip the escape described in Encounter Three and instead encounter a horde scout, as described in Encounter Four. In this case, Michner provides a rough map, identifying major landmarks along the route to the lands of the Cumalh, to aid in the party’s travel. This map reduces the Survival check DC for the chance of getting lost by 4. Use the information provided in the Development section of Encounter One to describe the overland movement. The distance from the fort to the Cumalh clanhold is now roughly 65 miles, adding another 1 (assuming a base move of 40) to 2 (assuming a base move of 15) days to the trip. Encounter Three: Wild Ride With the fort prepared and riders sent to the nearest Yeoman cities, those inside brace for the impending attack. Nightfall finds the hills to the north aglow with the light of a hundred campfires, the only light to see by as heavy cloud cover blocks out light from any moon or star. Despite the best efforts of the captain, it is obvious that many of his men are shaken, seeing inevitable doom on the horizon. Party members may again use their Influence and/or charisma to bolster the troops’ morale. However, all troops are now treated as Unfriendly (due to fear, rather than dislike for the party unless characters have tried to Intimidate Michner or his men) and must be shifted to Friendly or better in order to shake off their fear. Each of the four units must be addressed separately. The bardic ability Inspire Courage is automatically successful. The presence of a paladin will also hold the fear at bay for any unit the paladin is with. Other similar powers may also prove useful, at the DM’s discretion. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 13 Barring any further preparations the party might suggest, the night passes tensely but uneventfully. The horde, however, displays its might and cunning the next morning: A black mass of bodies seems to churn continuously in the north, within the horde camp. Occasionally a taller form, a giant or ogre perhaps, pushes through the crowd on some unknown errand. The force seems to be waiting for something… They are, in fact, waiting for the remainder of the horde to arrive—hill giants pulling heavy cartloads of boulders for use against the fort’s walls (and any troops that happen to get in the way). The horde was originally traveling at a slower pace to accommodate the giants, but advanced more rapidly after their worg-rider patrol disappeared. Roughly an hour after sunrise you see four goblins break from the mass and move toward the keep. Each leads a horse with what looks like a red sack dragging along behind it on the ground. As they draw nearer, it becomes obvious these are bodies of some sort, though now beaten and mangled beyond recognition, wearing tattered red tabards—there can be no doubt these were the riders sent for help. This turn of events leads the captain to ask the party for more assistance—as it is obvious his men cannot make it past these creatures, the party must ride for help. A secret escape route leads to freedom, if the party can win their way past the guards without alerting the horde. Assuming the party agrees to aid the captain, he leads them to the ground floor of the main keep, into a large supply room. There, under a stack of crates filled with rations, a trapdoor leads to a tunnel. Michner explains that this tunnel, an emergency egress, can be collapsed from inside the fort if need be. It leads to a cave sheltered by a small outcropping of rocks higher in the hills. Lookouts have determined that the horde seems to have camped a large portion of their supplies and equine mounts near this cave, guarded by a mix of bugbear and goblin troops. Michner advises the party to leave under the cover of darkness, bypass the guards without drawing too much attention, and steal horses to ride to the nearest ally—the Hillmen clanhold of the Cumalh. He provides a rough map, identifying major landmarks along the route to the lands of the Cumalh, to aid in the party’s travel. This map reduces the Survival check DC for the chance of getting lost by 4. Use the information provided in the Development section of Encounter One to describe the overland movement. The distance from the fort to the Cumalh clanhold is now roughly 65 miles, adding another 1 (assuming a base move of 40) to 2 (assuming a base move of 15) days to the trip. Refer to DM Aid #2 for a map of the area around the horse pens. Creatures: The horde keeps its horses separate from the worg mounts of the goblin cavalry, as the worgs spook the horses (and might occasionally take a bite out of one). As such, this area contains only horses, goblin troopers, and a band of bugbear enforcers. A hobgoblin commander is stationed here at all times as well, but is slow to react to calls for help as the goblins often fight with one another, and are in turn beaten by the bugbears. When he does react, however, he also brings his ogre reinforcements. � Goblins (40): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Bugbears (20): hp 21 each; see Monster Manual. � Hobgoblin sergeant Ftr3: hp 30; see Appendix I. � Ogres (2): hp 33 each; see Monster Manual. � Light Horses (20): hp 23 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The sergeant doesn’t take his assignment here very seriously, longing to be closer to the battlefront. As such, he spends most of his time watching developments below. His troops in turn are somewhat lax in their patrols without his leadership. At any given time, only two bugbears and four goblins will be at the horse pens, approximately sixty feet from the cave entrance. Each of these guards has both Listen and Spot skills of +3. However, some of the guards are distracted in a game of bones, bringing a –5 penalty to Listen and Spot checks. In addition, they suffer a –1 penalty to their checks for every 10 feet of distance between them and the party. Assuming one goblinoid is actively on watch, with a variable number assisting, the DC for Hide and Move Silent checks is APL+4. Characters may only move at half their normal speed while hiding and moving silently without penalty. At more than one-half and up to full speed, each character suffers a -5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide and moving silently while running or charging. The following chart demonstrates typical scenarios for party members: Base Number of DC to for Hide and Move Checks Move Silently checks 15 9 APL + 2/3/4/4/5/6/6/7/7 20 6 APL + 2/3/4/5/6/7 30 4 APL + 3/4/6/7 40 3 APL + 2/5/7 YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 14 60 2 APL + 4/7 If the guards detect a party member, they all rush into melee while calling out an alert for the rest of the camp. All 6 guards will begin combat in the same round (Round 1). Other combatants arrive according to the following chart: Round 1: 2 bugbears, 4 goblins Round 2: 2 bugbears, 4 goblins Round 3: 1 ogre, 2 bugbears, 8 goblins Round 5: 4 bugbears, 8 goblins Round 7: 1 ogre, 4 bugbears, 8 goblins Round 9: 6 bugbears, 8 goblins Round 10: 2 ogres, hobgoblin sergeant Round 12: 2 hill giants Round 15: 4 hill giants, 8 ogres, 10 bugbears The hobgoblin sergeant commands his ogres to kill any mounts the party may have while he attempts to get a mount himself (allowing him to use his Mounted Combat and Trample feats). After fifteen rounds of combat, the horde is alerted and moves as a whole to the scene. The DM should use whatever means necessary to encourage the party to beat a hasty retreat. Treasure: Picking up loot during this encounter will be difficult at best, but PCs may try to do so. They will have to use a Move Equivalent action to Pick Up An Item (drawing attacks of opportunity) to retrieve items from fallen foes. Removing armor from a fallen foe is particularly troublesome, requiring at least ten rounds. At all APLs, the goblins and bugbears carry morningstars and wear leather armor (worth 1 gp per PC per item recovered). The hobgoblin sergeant carries a longsword (worth 1 gp per PC) and wears a chain shirt (worth 8 gp per PC). The ogres carry large greatclubs (worth 1 gp per PC per item recovered) and wear large hide armor (worth 3 gp per PC per item recovered). All APLs: L: 130 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. Development: The focus for this encounter is stealth and speed. Even parties that alert the guards can escape safely by fleeing the scene with mounts within fifteen rounds. While certain parties (especially at higher APLs) might be able to kill every creature present, such actions will bring the wrath of the entire horde down on them if not done quietly. A simple, quiet spell such as sleep that can incapacitate all the guards in one round, however, will greatly enhance the party’s likelihood of escaping unnoticed. Fly and invisibility also provide obvious tactical advantages, as the goblinoids have little means of dealing with such magic. If the party successfully evades the horde with mounts, move to Encounter Five. If they evade the horde but do not have suitable mounts for every party member, move to Encounter Four. Parties that choose to stand for more than fifteen rounds in combat will be hounded by wave upon wave of goblinoids, ogres, and hill giants until they retreat (which may be difficult if Michner collapses the tunnel!). The pen is made from scrap wood the goblins gathered and hastily tacked together. It is roughly four feet high with three posts, driven in the ground and spaced two feet apart, acting as a gate. Jumping the fence from inside the pen requires beating a DC of 32 and the horses have a Jump skill modifier of +14 (from Strength and Speed 60). It is thus more likely for the party to simply break through the fence (each 5’ section has a hardness of 5, 10 HP, and a Break DC of 13) after everyone is mounted and flee during the ensuing confusion. The escape tunnel is large enough to accommodate a single Large mount such as a horse traveling down it, so characters may choose to bring mounts instead of stealing them. However, the characters must then try to Hide these mounts while exiting the tunnel. A typical horse has Hide and Move Silent skills of –3, while a typical riding dog has a +2 skill modifier. Armor check penalties for barding should be applied as appropriate. In addition, a Handle Animal check (DC 10) must be made each round for each mount to keep it moving quietly. Captain Michner is monitoring the situation from the fort and will collapse the tunnel if he sees significant troop movement toward the exit (i.e. the party remains in the area for ten or more rounds of combat) as he then assumes the party has failed and/or compromised the tunnel location. Encounter Four: Ghosts of the Past If the party heads toward the lands of the Cumalh before the horde lays siege to Fort Thomas or fails to escape with suitable mounts, they will encounter a horde scout. When they finally encounter the creature (see Tactics and Development below), the following may be used to describe the scout. A lone humanoid stands before you, its canine muzzle and slavering jaws revealing its bestial nature. Yellowed fur and gray-green skin are matted and smeared with blood from innumerable kills—red tabards hanging from his belt hint at who his victims might have been. A black-bladed axe can be seen YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 15 strapped to his back, and he carries a black yew shortbow. The terrain around the party is hilly—sometimes even mountainous—with sparse forest (a mixture of pine, oak, and maple mostly) and the occasional glen or clearing. Small streams run throughout the region, although none present any significant problem for travelers. Creatures: The horde uses various scouting parties to secure the area around its camp and movement path. The worg-riding goblins are one such unit (they are the creatures that discover any riders sent from Fort Thomas other than the party). The characters, however, encounter one of the horde’s special scouts, a gnoll ranger. This particular gnoll is embittered against the Yeomanry after having his entire tribe wiped out by Yeoman militia. He survived that earlier encounter, felling the last militiaman and stealing his enchanted axe before retreating into the Little Hills. Calling himself the “Ghost of Kuurkrahk” (Kuurkrahk (pronounced kur- KRAK) was the chieftain of its slain tribe), he now hunts militia members at all possible opportunities, trapping them in devious ways so as to capture, torture, and eventually kill them. His depredations (with the aid of an evil shaman) have corrupted the axe into a weapon suited to the gnoll’s lust for hunting humans and other Yeoman races. APL 4 (EL7) � The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr4: hp 50; see Appendix I. � Wolf Animal Companion: hp 15; see Appendix I. � Worgs (2): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 9) � The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr7: hp 75; see Appendix I. � Wolf Animal Companion: hp 30; see Appendix I. � Worgs (4): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 11) � The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr9: hp 91; see Appendix I. � Wolf Animal Companion: hp 30; see Appendix I. � Worgs (8): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 13) � The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr12: hp 116; see Appendix I. � Wolf Animal Companion: hp 45; see Appendix I. � Worgs (10): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: After picking up the party’s trail about a day into their journey, the ranger uses his considerable tracking skills (supplemented by his wolf’s Scent ability) to shadow the party for two days at a distance of about 200’, learning their travel patterns, magical preparations, etc. The party may notice him with a successful Spot check (APL 4: DC 26; APL 6: DC 31; APL 8: DC 34; APL 10: DC 37). The wolf is easier to notice (APL 4: DC 22; APL 6 and 8: DC 24; APL 10: DC 25) but doesn’t really look all that suspicious in the wilderness. The worgs stay further away from the party (at least 250’; DC 29 to Spot) until called by the ranger. If the party moves toward the ranger’s position, he flees. He will only face the party on his own terms. When the ranger is comfortable with the party’s direction of travel and daily routine, he lays a trap for them. He initiates this encounter during the time that seems most likely to interrupt spellcasters regaining spells. Using a wand of snares given to him by his current employer, he creates a field of traps (as illustrated in DM Aid #3) in a narrow gorge and then attempts to lure the party into this area. At higher APLs he also casts speak with animals to allow greater control of his wolf’s actions and uses his scroll of barkskin for extra protection. At the determined time he then sends the worgs racing through the camp, nipping at any sleeping or meditating party members on the way through, while he fires at any visible watchmen. The worgs attack any party members attempting to don armor. After falling back, he places as many of the previously created snares as possible between him and the advancing party and stops atop a 5’ high boulder, behind which hides his wolf companion (its bite enchanted with a magic fang or greater magic fang spell at APL 6 and higher). He fires from this position until the party makes it half way across the battlefield, at which time he casts entangle, attempting to target as many characters as possible. He then readies an action to attack the first person that clears the area of the spell (at higher APLs he also casts wind wall to block any archer attacks). His wolf companion attacks the first party member that comes near the ranger. The ranger favors attacking militiamen above all others (humans first, followed by elves, then dwarves) and will maneuver to flank them with his wolf companion or worgs if YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 16 possible. Half the worgs attack characters caught in the snares while the rest lurk near the ranger, waiting for opponents to draw near. Note that the animals’ Scent ability allows them to detect the presence of invisible characters within 30’. They can use a move action to determine the direction of the scent and can pinpoint invisible characters within 5’. The ranger will stay close to his animals if he suspects an invisible opponent is near. As the ranger uses the numerous trees in the area for the snares, the spell causes each tree to bend and then straighten when the loop is triggered, dealing 1d6 points of damage to the creature trapped and lifting it ten feet off the ground by the trapped limb or limbs. Characters entering a square with a snare are entangled, suffering a - 2 penalty to attack rolls and a -4 penalty to effective Dexterity. As the snare is anchored to an immobile object, the entangled character cannot move. A character capable of spellcasting who is bound by this spell must succeed at a Concentration check (DC 15) to cast a spell. As the snare is magical, to escape the trapped creature must succeed at an Escape Artist check (DC 23) or a Strength check (DC 23) that is a full-round action. The snare has AC 7 and 5 hit points. A successful escape from the snare breaks the loop and ends the spell. Any character with the trapfinding ability has some chance of finding the various snares set throughout the battleground (DC 23 Search check). � Snare Trap: CR 1; magic; location trigger; no reset; No Save, DC 23 Escape Artist check or a DC 23 Strength check as full-round action to escape; 10 ft. high (1d6, lift off ground); Search DC 23; Disable Device DC 27. Development: The area chosen by the ranger was recently subjected to a natural forest fire caused by a lightning strike. As such, the trees here are small and provide no cover or bonuses to AC and reflex saves. They are as easy to climb as any tree (DC 15) but will bend over to the ground if more than 200 pounds of weight reach a height higher than about 15 feet. Characters may also climb the gorge walls (DC 20), and they will not collapse under a characters weight. The natural rock walls are each sixty feet high. The entire area is also filled with briars and other light undergrowth, making this Difficult Terrain such that each square moved into counts as two squares, effectively reducing the distance that a character can cover in a move and preventing actions involving a run or charge. While the undergrowth provides concealment, it also increases the DC of Tumble and Move Silently checks by 2 because the leaves and branches get in the way. The ranger has no intention of sacrificing himself for his current employer and will flee the battle if possible when his wolf companion falls and he has less than half HP or if he should fall to less than ¼ his total HP (regardless of any allies remaining). He must make a Will save (DC 5+APL) however, if there are any visible militiamen present and still standing. If he fails, he continues fighting to the death. Also, canny parties may not fall for the trap. In this case, the ranger will continue to harass the party during its trip, using similar tactics and attempting to interrupt spellcasters regaining spells each day. After defeating or evading the scout, the party moves to Encounter Five. Treasure: The treasure in this encounter is the Ghost’s possessions. APL 4: L: 54 gp; C: 0 gp; M: wand of snare – 3 rd level caster (375 gp). APL 6: L: 92 gp; C: 0 gp; M: wand of snare – 3 rd level caster (375 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp). APL 8: L: 66 gp; C: 0 gp; M: wand of snare – 3 rd level caster (375 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), +1 battleaxe (193 gp), divine scroll of barkskin – 3 rd level caster (13 gp). APL 10: L: 52 gp; C: 0 gp; M: wand of snare – 3 rd level caster (375 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), +1 bane (human) battleaxe (693 gp), divine scroll of barkskin – 3 rd level caster (13 gp), +1 spiked light steel shield (97 gp). Encounter Five: Eternal Vigilantes Ahead, you see the first signs of civilization you’ve encountered in several days—two large, roughhewn stone pillars in a clearing atop a low rise. And if the party has the map provided by Captain Michner, Captain Michner’s map clearly marks these monoliths as the borders of the Cumalh Clanhold. The terrain around the party is hilly—sometimes even mountainous—with light forest (a mixture of pine, oak, and maple mostly) and the occasional glen or clearing. Small streams run throughout the region, although none present any significant problem for travelers. Although the monoliths deter any horde pursuers (as they are all fearful of the legendary wrath of the Hillmen and their fey allies) from entering, the fey guarding the Cumalh YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 17 lands will also block the party unless the characters can win their way past these playful guardians. The monoliths, called wardstone menhirs, are ancient magical items created by the sorcerers and druids of the Cumalh, in cooperation with the fey of this region. Each pair serves as a waypoint for a massive alarm spell that encompasses the lands of the Cumalh. The monoliths serve two primary purposes, extending the duration of the alarm to permanent (unless a monolith is destroyed; each has a hardness of 8, 540 HP, and a Break DC of 50; attacking a monolith triggers the alarm) and changing the area of effect to a 25’ wide, 25’ feet high line running overland to the two nearest sets of monoliths. Any Hillmen that touches the clan symbol (in this case a pattern of intertwining lines forming the shapes of a ram, a wolf, and a hawk) carved into either pillar can bypass the alarm. Otherwise, the alarm sounds as a mental “ping” to any Hillmen or fey within one mile of the monoliths. This “fence” may be bypassed by flying over it, digging under it, or by traveling in an ethereal or astral state. Parties that pass the monoliths without having a Hillman touch the clan symbol alert various fey in the region, which come to challenge the intruders within a half hour of the crossing. Hillmen PCs from the Cumalh clan automatically know how to bypass the monoliths. Other characters may make a Knowledge (local) check (DC 25) to determine this. Non-Cumalh Hillmen PCs may make this check untrained and gain a +1 (if from the tribe of Donnchadh) or +2 (if from the tribe of Lachtna) Circumstance bonus to the check, with the DC determined by their clan’s location as above. Bardic knowledge may also reveal this information (DC 25). A character may also attempt to Use Magic Device (DC 25 to either activate blindly by touching the symbol or emulate a Hillman) to bypass the wards. Creatures: The first to respond to the alarm will be a single pixie (the fastest of the fey in this area) that observes the party invisibly using detect evil and detect thoughts (can scan for 8 minutes; Will save, DC 15 negates detection for a single individual for the day) to determine their intentions and relative strength. He will then return with a suitable group to challenge the party’s progress. APL 4 (EL 6) � Sprite, Grigs (4): hp 3 each; see Monster Manual. � Sprite, Pixie (1): hp 5; the pixie employees sleep arrows, as detailed in the Special Arrows (Ex) ability description; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 8) � Sprite, Pixies (2): hp 5 each; the pixies employees sleep arrows, as detailed in the Special Arrows (Ex) ability description; see Monster Manual. � Satyrs (2): hp 27 each; each has panpipes as described in the Pipes (Su) ability; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 12) � Sprite, Pixies (3): hp 5 each; the pixies employees sleep arrows, as detailed in the Special Arrows (Ex) ability description; see Monster Manual. � Satyrs (2): hp 27 each; each has panpipes as described in the Pipes (Su) ability; see Monster Manual. � Nymph (1): hp 32; AL CG; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 12) � Sprite, Pixies (5): hp 5 each; the pixies employees sleep arrows, as detailed in the Special Arrows (Ex) ability description; see Monster Manual. � Satyrs (5): hp 27 each; each has panpipes as described in the Pipes (Su) ability; see Monster Manual. � Nymph (2): hp 32 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The fey begin any encounter at maximum distance from the party to use their opening attacks (so satyrs will be 100 feet away to move forward and use their Pipes abilities, nymphs will be 60 feet away to move forward and use their Stunning Glance ability, and the sprites will be 70 feet away to use their composite shortbows). Alter the following as necessary for characters with see invisibility, truesight, or other such abilities. The lead pixie initiates the encounter by flying within 10 feet of the lead party member while using greater invisibility and declaring (in as booming a voice as a pixie can muster), “Who now violates the lands of the Cumalh with their presence on this protected ground? Halt your trespass, or face the wrath of Cumalh!” Make secret Listen checks (DC 14) for each PC. Privately inform those that check successfully that they hear tinkling laughter coming from the forest (the sprites find this pompous speech very amusing). Anyone that beats the Listen DC by 20 can pinpoint the sprites locations. Observant PCs may also be able to Spot the hiding nymphs (DC 38) or satyrs (DC 43). The sprites are harder to pinpoint, as they begin the encounter invisible. Trying to actively Spot the sprites’ locations is a DC 63 for the YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 18 grigs and DC 55 for the hiding pixie (the pixie addressing the party is only DC 20). After the laughter, the fey make no noise other than the conversation listed below. If the party continues forward, the pixie matches their pace and proclaims, “People of the Wood, they mock our fearsome might! Shall we show them what wrath the Cumalh hold for such vagabonds?” From all around you, voices affirm this call. Some seem to come from above you, in the trees, while others are in clearings where you can see no one. “My kin echo the call for battle! You shall not be warned again…” If the party insists on continuing forward without parlaying, or mocks the abilities of these guardians, the fey attack in full force. The grigs, each located in a tree 20 feet off the ground in a rough circle around the party, begin combat by casting as many entangle spells (DC 13) as necessary to encompass the party in the area of effect. They then alternate between raining arrows down on the party and using ventriloquism to confuse the party while their leader moves within range to use his fiddle. They use invisibility if any PC gets within 20 feet of them, fleeing to another tree before again raining arrows down on the party. At higher APLs, the sprites begin combat by casting entangle spells (DC 14) similar to the grig strategy. The satyrs use their Pipes ability to invoke sleep unless they cannot do so without affecting other fey. In this case, they switch to charm person (which will not affect the fey). At APL 8 and 10, any party putting up significant resistance will first be targeted by the nymphs Blinding Beauty ability (she uses dimension door to appear in an area that will affect the most part members). The fey are not, however, out to kill the party, and the pixies will actually stop combat to stabilize a fallen character if necessary. The Cumalh druids will reincarnate any PC that is slain in this battle if the party convinces the Cumalh the battle was a mistake. Should the fey manage to incapacitate all foes, they will tie their “prisoners” up and deposit them at the Cumalh hillfort (using woodland creatures for transport). If any fey is killed, the rest retreat to warn the Cumalh of advancing intruders. Development: The focus for this encounter is diplomacy, not combat. Should the party actually manage to kill any of the fey guardians, the rest flee to warn both the Cumalh and other fey in the area. This will result in adjustment of the attitudes for all future encounters with both fey and Hillmen to Hostile. The fey begin the encounter with an attitude of Indifferent. They take there role as guardian more as an opportunity for sport and comic relief than anything serious, as they rarely encounter any humanoids capable of standing up to them (and in such cases always retreat to return later with significant support). They will listen to any reasonable conversation the party makes, although they possess considerable ability to overcome deception, due to the pixies’ detect thoughts ability. The DM may resolve the diplomatic portion of this encounter through simple rolls (changing their Attitude to Friendly (DC 15) grants the party passage, while changing it all the way to Helpful (DC 30) wins them an honor guard escort (resulting in a more favorable reception by the Hillmen later). However, this encounter can also be handled through role-playing, with the party presenting its case for passage and the fey generally having fun with the “mortals.” Failure to successfully parlay with the fey may result in an alternate beginning for Encounter Six, as determined by the DM. Notes for Characters that have played YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall Fin, a fey shapechanging creature known as a phouka, cannot be located and has been missing for several weeks. Even the other fey do not know where he might have gone. Characters that possess the sword Cumalh’s Fury or the warclub Ronan’s Pride gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks while dealing with the fey, as the creatures recognize these gifts as legitimate favors of the Cumalh. Encounter Six: A Helping Hand As you crest a hill, breaking through the tree line, you see a tower that seems to cover the entire pinnacle of the next rise illuminated by the bright mid-morning sun. The top of the hill has been flattened to accommodate the tower, which seems to be constructed of loose stones, stacked one on top of the other, to a height of at least 30 or 40 feet. The base, probably one hundred yards wide or more, slopes upward for about half the height of the fort before the wall straightens to form a cone. Four horsemen at the large, wooden gate, each wearing a conical steel helm and bearing a longspear, leave the tower and begin heading toward you. Four of the chieftain’s guards are approaching on horseback. The fey have informed the Cumalh of the party’s arrival and this guard was posted to watch for the approaching party. If the party was not hostile to the fey, YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 19 or resolved any such differences, the horsemen escort the PCs to the hillfort. The warriors ride up casually to greet the party. The lead guard speaks in a heavily accented Common: “Hail, friends, Clan Cumalh awaits yer arrival.” With that, the riders return to the hillfort, motioning for the PCs to follow. Assuming the PCs have maintained a non-Hostile relationship with the clan and thus follow their escort, they find the following: The interior buildings all seem to be built into the wall of the fort, leaving the center open. Many people, all dressed in buckskin and furs, are working in this open space—grinding grain, stretching hides out to tan, and a few are even practicing swordplay. Across this space, a crowd of children sits at the feet of a wizened man, who is apparently instructing them. A gnarled staff leans against the stump he is using as a chair. Standing near the gate is a tall (6’2”) powerfully built man perhaps in his mid- to late fifties. Unlike most of the people, he has fairer skin and sports a black beard and mustache streaked with gray. At your approach, he unfolds his arms, which had been crossed across his broad chest, and states in a commanding voice in Common (with a less noticeable accent than the guard), “Hail, kind folk of the League, and well met. I am Connoch ed’Laren ed’Cumalh, chieftain of Clan Cumalh and lord of this Clanhold. You are welcome among our people.” He then pauses expectantly… The PCs must introduce themselves before the clan. Luckily, Connoch has grown used to Yeomen that do not understand proper Hillmen tradition for introductions. As such, he will not be offended by most anything the party may say. Characters that properly introduce themselves (stating their name, their parent’s name, and their clan or family affiliation, accompanied by a deed or two of renown for non-Hillmen) particularly impress Connoch and he will prefer to converse with them above all others. Such characters gain a +1 Circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks while dealing with the Cumalh. Creatures: Connoch, son of Laren, has led the Cumalh for more than 40 years, taking the title of chieftain after his father’s death. A little over six feet tall, the chieftain is still a powerfully built man despite his age. Unlike most of the people of the Cumalh, Connoch has fairer skin and sports a black beard and mustache streaked with gray (a sign of his mixed Flan-Oeridian ancestry). He speaks Common with the same accent as his people, though not nearly as thick. He is generally a peaceful man, seeking diplomatic solutions to problems when possible, but gladly leading his clan into battle when diplomacy fails. � Connoch (KÁ-nák) ed’Laren (éd-L -ren) ed’Cumalh (éd-kü-MÁL): Male human Ari8/Ftr8. Gevrog, the old druid teaching the children, has lived among the Cumalh longer than any clansman can remember. He instructs the young in the ways of the Old Faith, and mentors potential candidates for initiation into the ranks of the Druids. In addition, as the highest- ranking druid in the Cumalh lands, Gevrog serves as advisor to the chieftain and judge in disputes of honor or law. � Gevrog (gé-VRÁG): Male human Drd13. Tactics: By this point, the party should have no problem convincing the Cumalh to aid Fort Thomas. Connoch readily agrees to assist the Yeomanry, per the alliance the Cumalh and the League have formed. However, any trip the party might have taken short of teleportation will mean many days have lapsed, allowing the horde to fully lay siege to the Fort. Marshalling the Cumalh clan warriors will take no more than a day, but moving such a large force to aid Fort Thomas would require another 5 days at least. Connoch needs a way to move his warriors quickly if the fort is to be saved. Gevrog, fortunately, knows of one possible solution. As the party discusses the situation with Connoch, the old druid comes to listen to the tale. The old fellow that had been teaching the children apparently has grown interested in your conversation. He shuffles near, leaning heavily on his staff as his brown robes drag the ground. Connoch introduces him as Gevrog the Wise, most respected Druid of the Old Faith. He listens quietly, nodding his head at times in agreement with Connoch’s decisions or statements. When the discussion turns to the trouble of getting the Cumalh warriors to Fort Thomas in time, Gevrog listens for a bit and then offers, in a gravelly voice, “Centuries ago a spirit lived in a waterfall deep in the heart of the forest. This spirit, called Stairtarc by the ancient Olve, was said to have powers to see to distant lands and even send people to or retrieve things from those lands. He required a heavy price for this boon, however, revealed only after imparting his favor—a maid of surpassing beauty to serve him for a period of 50 years or until such time as he decided to release her.” YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 20 “This price proved to be the spirit’s doom, however, when he played his trick on a man of considerable magical power. The legends vary on whether this man was a sorcerer or druid, or even a wizard of the Suel. In any case, the man refused to pay the spirit’s price, but proved incapable of preventing such a powerful being from taking his only daughter. The man worked with vengeance in his heart for years to determine a means of retribution. Finally, he devised a way to trap the creature in its home forever. He then brought a terrible monster to that place to guard against any that might try to free the spirit.” “The forest surrounding that waterfall has from that time forward been known as the Winter Wood, for it is always cold as winter there. Few enter that wood and return alive, and none have found the spirit’s waterfall in at least two centuries. If you could venture into that perilous place and free the spirit, perhaps it would grant us its favor, without requiring the sacrifice of a beautiful maiden…” “I can direct you to this place, if you are brave enough to undertake such a quest.” Assuming the party agrees to seek out the spirit of the waterfall, Gevrog prepares to lead them to the Winter Wood while Connoch begins marshalling his warriors. He agrees to meet the party the following morning at the edge of the Wood with Breeya (pronounced BRE- yä), Connoch’s champion, and the other Cumalh warriors. Development: Both Gevrog and Connoch are reluctant if the party wishes to delay more than an hour in heading to the Winter Wood (so they may rest or rememorize spells, for instance). They will not prevent the party from doing so, but will advise that such action might lead to more deaths, or even defeat, for the troops at Fort Thomas. If the party was hostile to the fey, and especially if they killed any of the creatures, the horsemen approach to within 200’. They announce that the party must leave the lands of the Cumalh immediately or face the wrath of their clan. Parties that fail to comply will soon be facing over a hundred armed and angry Hillmen! Such an encounter is not covered here, as the party would then be combating a known group of Good allies to the Yeomanry League. Warn the party that such an action could result in dire consequences for their characters, even if they could win such a battle. Parties that persist but do not seek a violent end must successfully shift the Cumalh’s attitude from Hostile to Friendly (DC 35) or Helpful (DC 50) to regain the clan’s trust and continue with the mission. Notes for Characters that have played YEO1-07 Hole in the Wall Fin, a fey shapechanger known as a phouka, cannot be located and has been missing for several weeks. Even the other fey do not know where he might have gone. Riane, the female trader that regularly does business with Singleton, is traveling through Keoland selling her wares. Characters that possess the sword Cumalh’s Fury or the warclub Ronan’s Pride gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all Charisma-based checks regarding the Cumalh. Encounter Seven: Long, Cold Winter The Winter Wood lies nearly twenty miles from the Cumalh hillfort, but with Gevrog as a guide (and the Cumalh provide mounts if necessary) the party will reach the wood in about 8 hours (just before the sun begins to set) unless the party delayed in leaving the hillfort. The forest Gevrog leads you to stands in stark contrast to the other woods around you. It is almost as if a line has been drawn on the ground—on one side the forest is alive and green with growth and on the other the trees are bare of leaves, with no ground cover at all. Coldness seems to radiate from the ground itself, chilling you to the bone. Gevrog halts his steady stride and speaks, “I shall meet you here, leading Breeya and the warriors to this location before the sun rises. If you do not return by that time, we will assume you lost to the monster of the Winter Wood and begin our march to Fort Thomas.” With that, Gevrog turns and begins heading back in the direction you came from. The dark, cold woods loom before you. A vengeful druid trapped the ancient “spirit” of the waterfall—a fossergrim sorcerer with powers of divination and teleportation—long ago using a special item he created called a Rod of Winter. The druid waited until winter when the fossergrim was asleep within its frozen falls, then drove the rod into the ground near the waterfall. This rod acts as a continual control weather spell, dropping the temperature in a 3-mile radius to frigid cold (below 0° F) as long as the rod is stuck in the ground. Removing the rod disables the spell effect and renders the item non-magical. When winter passed, the area remained frozen and the fossergrim never awoke from its torpor. To secure the location, the druid brought a cryohydra he trapped in the Crystalmist Mountains to YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 21 guard over the location. The cryohydra now stays mostly within the bounds of the Winter Wood, as it does not like the climate beyond the radius of the Rod of Winter’s effects (even winter in the Yeomanry is “warm” compared to the Winter Wood). When not hunting, it rests at the coldest point in the Wood, the center, and thus inadvertently guards the frozen waterfall of the fossergrim. � Stairtarc (star-T-ärk), Fossergrim Sor18: see Appendix II. As the party moves through the Winter Wood, feel free to describe the eerie lack of wildlife, streams frozen in place, and the occasional footprints of a very large, clawed foot, apparently supporting a huge beast. It will take the party roughly 30 minutes (base party move of 40) to two hours (base party move of 15) to reach the center of the Winter Wood where the cryohydra lives as the party is moving through trackless forest. In these conditions of extreme cold (below 0° F), unprotected characters must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC15, +1 per previous check), taking 1d6 points of nonlethal damage on each failed save. A character that has the Survival skill may receive a bonus to his saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (DC 15; gain +2 on all Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to one-half overland speed, may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which the check result exceeds 15). Characters wearing winter clothing only need check once per hour for cold and exposure damage. A character that takes any nonlethal damage from cold or exposure is beset by frostbite or hypothermia (treat as fatigued). These penalties end when the character recovers the nonlethal damage taken from the cold and exposure. Refer to DM Aid #4 for a map of the waterfalls area. The party has about an hour of daylight left. If they do not reach the waterfall before nightfall, the bright, full moon provides light as a torch (bright illumination out 20 ft., shadow illumination out to 40 ft.). After the party has successfully navigated to the center of the Wood, use the following to describe what they see (possibly modified by alternate forms of locomotion, such as flying party members or scouting familiars): The temperature has dropped steadily as you marched further into the cold forest. Now you have reached what must be the center of this dreary realm. A large stream, twenty feet wide but now frozen solid, meanders through a low vale. At a midpoint in the vale the stream once plunged over a cliff, creating a waterfall that would have been at least thirty feet high. Now the falls are a series of huge, fang-like icicles. A large, dark cave looms behind the frozen falls. At the mouth of the cave, seemingly driven into the ground, is what looks like a faintly glowing, pale blue shard of ice, roughly 2’ long and about two inches in diameter. Creatures: The cryohydra has a purplish body roughly 20 foot long, with a lighter underbelly that is bluish in hue. Reptilian heads sprout from this body on 10’, sinuous necks, each with ice-white eyes, yellowed fangs, and a bluish fin. The creature weighs nearly 4,000 lbs. Its breath comes out as a 10’ high, 10’ wide jet of frost 20’ in length. APL 4 (EL 7) � 6-headed Cryohydra: hp 70; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 9) � 8-headed Cryohydra: hp 93; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 11) � 10-headed Cryohydra: hp 115; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 13) � 12-headed Cryohydra: hp 138; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The cryohydra makes its lair in the cave behind the falls (once the home of the fossergrim). With its Scent ability it will detect anyone that comes within 30’ of the cave (even if invisible). Upon sensing prey, it moves out of the cave and attacks as many characters as it can reach (hydras may attack with all their heads at no penalty after moving or even charging). Its attack may be a bite or a blast from each head’s frost breath (all heads breathe once every 1d4 rounds). If it loses half its HP or heads (only slashing weapons may severe a head) the hydra retreats to its cave to minimize the number of opponents that may attack it in a round. Due to its reach, it can still attack party members trying to pull the Rod of Winter from the ground. Moving on the frozen surface of the stream or the pool in front of the cave is considered moving on an ice sheet, as the “ground” is covered in slippery ice. It costs 2 squares of movement to enter a square covered by an ice sheet, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks increases by 5. A DC 10 Balance check is required to run or charge across an ice sheet. Failure by 4 or less means the character can’t run or charge, but may otherwise act YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 22 normally. A failure by 5 or more means the character falls. If the rod is destroyed the party may not take the rod as treasure, and they may only sell the fragments for roughly ½ the rod’s sell value (379 gp per PC) as interested spellcasters will pay this to acquire the fragments for study in possibly creating a replica. Development: Removing the rod from the ground (by pulling it free or even destroying it) causes the area to return to normal temperature over the next ten minutes. Wrenching the rod from the frozen earth takes monumental strength (a successful Strength check against a DC of 25 will remove the rod after three successful attempts, beating a DC of 35 succeeds after two successes, and beating a DC of 45 succeeds after one success—one character may assist in this attempt, adding a +2 Circumstance bonus for if that PC beats a DC 10 Strength check. An easier method would be to destroy it (AC 9, Hardness 10, 10 HP, Break DC 27). Disabling the rod and leaving without slaying the cryohydra will force the creature into the nearby hills. It will gradual find its way northward to the Jotens, killing everything in its path. Within two hours from the time the Rod of Winter is disabled, the humid climate of the Yeomanry will melt the stream and falls sufficiently to free the fossergrim from its deep sleep. Party members may accelerate this process by utilization of fire magic, or even by building a bonfire beneath the falls (there is plenty of deadfall wood in the perpetually cold forest). As the ice melts, a slow trickle begins to run over the falls again. Soon, a small stream, growing with each minute, is rushing over the cliff and into the pool below. As the icicle falls melt, you can see a vague, humanoid form within them. When the stream finally encompasses this form, it yawns and stretches, as if waking from a restful night of sleep. It steps from the water, bleary eyed, and looks about. The creature look like a handsome, rugged human male, but with flowing white hair and a beard tinged with blue. His piercing eyes shimmer like pools of water. He wears beautiful shining chainmail and carries two exquisite silvery axes. He also wears attractive clothing of a very old fashion and exquisite silver jewelry that glints in the sunlight. The fossergrim (shown in Player Handout #1) addresses the party, first in Sylvan, and if that fails in a very ancient dialect of Common. If asked about its imprisonment, the fey explains how an old druid came and left it a present, a beautiful scepter, while he was sleeping one winter. He had fought with the human for a little while (just a few decades, really) over his daughter and assumed the mortal had finally come to his senses and brought a peace offering. He decided to accept the gift as soon as he awoke from his winter nap, but the winter never ended. In fact, the cold was so deep the fossergrim found it impossible to wake up. The fey is indeed thankful that the party was finally able to wake him, offering the Rod of Winter as a gift (he really does not want the thing anywhere near him, anyway!). On hearing the plight of Fort Thomas, he even agrees to help the party further—if they will bring the Cumalh to the waterfall, he will send as many as possible to help the beleaguered fort. He dismisses the party to fetch the Cumalh and then retires to his cave to repair the damage done by the cryohydra and “catch up” (by employing various divinations to see how the world has gone during his nap). The party may camp in the Winter Wood or return to the meeting place to wait for Gevrog. Either way, they should get just enough rest to rememorize spells. When the party and Cumalh warriors return they find the fossergrim ready to assist. Using his scrying powers, he has located a spot near the fort and is ready to create a teleportation circle to send the Cumalh there. As the teleportation circle remains active for three hours, the entire Cumalh force (roughly 200 warriors) can easily make it through. The spirit sprinkles an amber-colored dust that glitters in the fading moonlight in a circle near the now-rushing waterfall. He instructs the Hillmen to enter, asking you to remain until all are through. Breeya, the tall, dark-haired champion of the Cumalh, looks suspiciously at the circle but steps through when Gevrog nods his approval. As she enters the circle, the amber dust swirls up in a cloud around Breeya, obscuring her from view. When the dust settles, she is gone. Gevrog and the remaining Hillmen soon follow. Encounter Eight: Through the Circle When the party enters the teleportation circle, open with the following: As you step into the circle, the world around you begins to blur into an amber-hued mist. As your vision clears, you find yourself elsewhere—in a light pine forest just south of the Jotens. The Hillmen have already begun securing the sight, with guards posted in a rough circle around the area. Breeya stands at the treeline, looking down upon a field of YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 23 burning campfires. Gevrog seems involved in a ritual or spell of some sort, calling out in a strange tongue and raising his hands to the sky. You see dark clouds forming in the direction of his gestures, blocking out the stars... Breeya has sent numerous scouts around the perimeter of the forest, which lies to the south of Fort Thomas, while Gevrog casts a control weather spell to summon a thunderstorm (Spellcraft DC 22 to identify the spell being cast). From her location, she is now looking down on the force massed against Fort Thomas. The scouts have reported what Breeya already suspected—the fort will fall within a day judging from the condition of the walls. The hill giants have managed to nearly destroy one entire section of wall with their boulders, although a few giant forms also lie face down on the battlefield with ballistae bolts piercing their bodies. The goblinoids seem to be massing to charge through this breach once it is complete, with the hobgoblins readying large shield walls to protect the advancing horde from arrows. She has already formulated her strategy, and now adds the party’s might to her plans. In heavily accented Common, she presents her strategy, “I assume you are strong warriors if you were able to best the monster of the Winter Wood. If you will add your might to our attack, these filthy beasts shall flee back into the mountains! We shall circle our force around behind the fort under cover of darkness—my scouts are already working to eliminate the hordes’ weak defenses there. Gevrog has already begun invoking Beory’s wrath against the vermin and shall call lightning down upon the giants from a position between the forest and the fort, surrounded by a guard of our strongest archers. I believe the beasts will shift their attention to attack him when they see a target outside the walls. As they do, I will lead our warriors in an attack against their flank from the forest, then move to engage any remaining giants with my elite warriors.” She pauses and seems to evaluate each of you before pointing at a large, shadowy tent to the rear of the horde camp, “If you are strong enough, I would ask that you attack there. Gevrog says he is unable to see into the area due to some foul magic, so I have little doubt the leader of this scum is there. A force of ogres seems to linger near the tent at all times, and so I shall send more warriors to attack them ahead of you. With the majority of those guards distracted, you should be able to enter the tent and kill their leader. If we cut the head from this snake, its body shall rot and blow away!” Assuming the party takes Breeya up on her plans, the battle falls out as she predicted. Gevrog moves into a position roughly 500’ from the horde front lines. As dawn breaks, he conjures a wall of thorns around his position before casting call lightning storm. Bolstered by the storm clouds summoned by his control weather spell cast earlier, he begins raining bolts of lightning down on the horde, targeting any giants within range. He breaks up his attacks on the giants to blast the goblinoids with other spells. The horde is at first confused by this sudden attack, but soon streams of goblins and bugbears are racing toward the druid. The giants begin lumbering closer, dragging their ammunition carts to pound this new nuisance to dust with their boulders. As they begin their barrage, however, Breeya’s forces attack from the forest with withering hails of arrows. They catch the goblinoids halfway to Gevrog’s position, and so the horde is split between fighting two foes. While the main force battles here, Breeya and her elite warriors engage the hill giants in melee, occasionally bolstered by a lightning blast from Gevrog. As the soldiers in Fort Thomas become aware of this new situation, they rush to help the Cumalh, with Captain Michner leading his remaining warriors in a last- ditch charge against the hordes’ other flank. At the first lightning bolt from Gevrog, Breeya’s second force of warriors attacks the ogres surrounding the leader’s tent. Their attack draws the ogres into a heated melee (although some ogres remain behind to face the party). If the party is following Breeya’s plan, they will use this opportunity to attack the tent and challenge the horde leader—the ogre mage known as Priauth the Stunted. Refer to DM Aid #5 for a map of the tent area. Creatures: Breeya was born to the family of Ur, one of the smaller farming families among the Cumalh. In early adolescence, she exhibited signs of having the “blood of the joten” (meaning she could rage as a barbarian). This ability, coupled with remarkable fighting skill, led Connoch to induct her into his elite warriors. She quickly rose to lead the group, gaining the title Sword of Cumalh, and has served as Cumalh’s champion for the past twelve years. She received the title Slayer of Giants after single-handedly dispatching a hill giant as the rest of her clan fought of an attack of ogres and orcs. Breeya is a little over 6’, with the dark, wavy hair and black eyes common to her people. She wears a mithral chain shirt that marks her status as champion of the Cumalh and carries a massive greatsword. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 24 Cumalh Forces: � Breeya (BR -á) an’Ur (an-UR): Female human Bar8/War3; hp 104; AL CG. � Gevrog (gé-VRÁG): Male human Drd13; hp 62; AL N. � Cumalh warriors (150): Human War1; hp 8; AL NG. � Cumalh Elite (50): Human War3; hp 15; AL NG. Fort Thomas Forces: � Yeoman Infantry (22): Male human War1; hp 8; AL LG. � Yeoman Archer (22): Male human War1; hp 8; AL LG. � Yeoman of the Militia (4): Male human War3; hp 15; AL LG. � Captain Helmut Michner: Male human Ftr6; hp 50; AL LG. Horde Forces (representing those not already killed during the siege): � Goblins (250): hp 7 each; see Monster Manual. � Bugbears (100): hp 21 each; see Monster Manual. � Hobgoblins (50): hp 8 each; see Monster Manual. � Ogres (30): hp 33 each; see Monster Manual. � Hill Giants (15): hp 108 each; see Monster Manual. Priauth and his guard Priauth (pronounced PRI-oth) was born a deformed, shriveled being to a band of cruel, rapacious ogres. Initially his siblings and kin abused him, inflicting murderous wounds on the misfit (sometimes to the point of severing limbs) to watch them heal “like magic.” As Priauth grew older, his hatred for his kin fueled an inner desire to control them all. He seemed to age prematurely, never attaining the physical strength and size of his kind, but developing a cunning intellect and indomitable will. When he felt secure in his innate magical talents, he duped his eldest brother—the favorite of the band’s children—into murdering his parents. The band subsequently killed the offending brother in rage and Priauth used the ensuing chaos and his magic to cow the band into submission. Since that time Priauth has manipulated the ogres, and any other creatures he can find, into serving his needs. His present employer used the ogre mage’s considerable powers to unite this horde and drive them against Fort Thomas. Priauth generally stays within the confines of his tent, using the mystery of his powers to frighten the goblinoids into compliance. He interacts with the horde through messengers, some of which are carried out dead from the tent after delivering news counter to Priauth’s desires. He uses his sorcerous powers to manipulate the horde, and often flies invisible among his troops to ferret out dissension. Those that speak out against Priauth die publicly and swiftly, sometimes at the hands of their own closest comrades. Physically, Priauth is much smaller than a typical ogre mage (only Medium size). His blue-green skin is mottled and his ivory horns are small, almost vestigial. Although he is no more than middle aged for an ogre mage, he already has the body of someone of venerable status. Luckily (for him at least) he also has superior intellect, insight, and presence even for one of his kind. Priauth wears black and gold robes that he believes increases his appearance of power and mystery. APL 4 (EL 8) � Priauth, venerable Ogre Mage Sor2: hp 36; see Appendix I. � Ogres (2): hp 33 each; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 10) � Priauth, venerable Ogre Mage Sor4: hp 42; see Appendix I. � Ogres (4): hp 33 each; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 12) � Priauth, venerable Ogre Mage Sor6: hp 48; see Appendix I. � Elite Ogres, Male Ogre Bbn4 (2): hp 87 each; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 14) � Priauth, venerable Ogre Mage Sor8: hp 54; see Appendix I. � Elite Ogres, Male Ogre Bbn4 (4): hp 87 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: Priauth is not expecting an attack from the west or south, as he believes his worg-riders have cut off all chances to call for reinforcements. If he is aware of the party’s ride to gain aid from the Cumalh, he doesn’t expect them to return for many days. Thus the early morning attack catches him by surprise. His cadre of ogre guards spot the approaching Hillmen roughly 400’ YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 25 from the tent. Most move to attack the group, although Priauth’s most trusted guards fall back to stand guard at the tent entrance while shouting a warning to their commander. Priauth begins combat by turning invisible and flying outside the tent to investigate the unexpected danger. As soon as he sees the party moving toward his tent, he will fly inside and order half his guards to follow, stationing the remainder outside to warn when anyone approaches the door. As Priauth is invisible, PCs observing this may mistakenly believe that one of the guards is the leader. If given time, Priauth utilizes his cache of protective scrolls and potions to prepare for battle. He uses items in the following order, gaining the listed benefit: APL 4 Item 1: scroll of protection from arrows; DR 10/magic against ranged weapons, lasts 3 hours or until 30 points of damage are absorbed Item 2: potion of shield of faith +2; +2 deflection bonus to AC, lasts 10 rounds Item 3: scroll of shield; +4 shield bonus to AC and negates magic missiles, lasts 10 rounds Item 4: scroll of displacement; 50% miss chance, lasts 5 rounds APL 6 Item 1: scroll of stoneskin; DR 10/adamantine, lasts 70 minutes or until 70 points of damage are absorbed Item 2: potion of shield of faith +3; +3 deflection bonus to AC, lasts 6 minutes Item 3: scroll of shield; +4 shield bonus to AC and negates magic missiles, lasts 10 rounds Item 4: scroll of displacement; 50% miss chance, lasts 5 rounds APL 8 and 10 Item 1: scroll of stoneskin; DR 10/adamantine, lasts 70 minutes or until 70 points of damage are absorbed Item 2: potion of shield of faith +5; +5 deflection bonus to AC, lasts 18 minutes Item 3: scroll of shield; +4 shield bonus to AC and negates magic missiles, lasts 10 rounds Item 4: scroll of displacement; 50% miss chance, lasts 5 rounds Priauth uses Item 1 as soon as he returns to his tent. At APLs 6-10, he also uses Item 2. He saves Items 3 and 4 (and at APL 4, Item 2) until his guards outside signal that the PCs are near at hand (i.e. within 40’ of the guard position). At this signal, he completes his preparations (he believes his ogres can delay the party at least 2-3 rounds). When fully prepared, he flies out (still invisible) through the ventilation hole in the roof of the tent and begins his magical assault on the party. Priauth favors using his most powerful attacks early and often. At higher APLs, he prefers to first target obvious spellcasters (he judges by the armor and weapons used, or lack thereof) with spells such as enervation, Tasha’s hideous laughter, and blindness to reduce their spellcasting abilities. At lower APLs, he simply blasts spellcasters with his cone of cold (he otherwise reserves this attack as a last-ditch ability for use in an escape). He then targets obvious archers with spells to incapacitate them, such as deep slumber, Tasha’s hideous laughter, blindness, cause fear, and sleep. For melee fighters, he uses the same incapacitating spells, but also spells like ray of exhaustion and ray of enfeeblement to render them easier opponents for his ogre guards. Priauth only uses touch spells as a last resort, preferring to stay out of melee. He always turns invisible before using such a spell. Should the battle last long enough for Priauth to exhaust his spells, or if the party proves resistant to his enchantments and necromancy, he will use his wand of magic missiles (and his wand of lightning bolts at APL 10). Being a creature that uses invisibility everyday, Priauth is quick to recognize when he is faced by invisible opponents and (when available) uses his scroll of true seeing to counter such tactics. Development: If the party took seven to nine days to reach the Cumalh, then the will arrive at the fort as it is being sacked by the horde. In this case, the hill giants have already punched a hole through the outer wall and the goblinoids have invaded the fort, putting everyone to the sword and looting with abandon. Priauth will still be in his tent and may be attacked basically as described above. If the party took ten or more days to reach the Cumalh, then they will arrive to find the fort destroyed and the horde gone. In either case, modify the descriptions and battle plans accordingly. Priauth is no coward, and will continue to fight as long as the battle seems winnable. If he drops to half HP or lower, he turns invisible and flies upward, then drinks his curative potion before returning to combat. However, if things begin to look grim (such as if all his guards fall in combat and he has exhausted his protective and curative items), Priauth will abandon the horde and his fellow ogres to their fate, turning invisible and YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 26 fleeing, using his potion of sanctuary to evade pursuers, using his horn of fog (if available) to produce cover for him to flee in gaseous form, or any other means he can find to escape. He might even surrender to the party and promise to tell them of the horde’s plans (there aren’t any; his only assignment was to attack Fort Thomas and return with whatever remained of the horde—he was contacted through goblin intermediaries), only to turn gaseous and flee at the first opportunity. If Priauth is captured and somehow forced to reveal everything he knows, the only interesting information he can reveal is that he was supposed to allow riders to head east, having his scouts push them toward the Cumalh lands as necessary. He does not know why such a strange order was given, as it would logically mean the Cumalh would come to fight the horde if possible (he suspects his attack is being used as a diversion or cover for some other activity, but has no idea what that might be). The horde morale, already withered by the ferocious attacks by the Hillmen and the inspired Yeomen, breaks entirely if Priauth is slain or captured. What forces remain flee back into the Jotens, harried by the united Yeoman and Cumalh. If the ogre mage simply flees, the news slowly trickles through the horde and they begin falling back in small groups before turning back to the mountains. Treasure: The treasure in this encounter is Priauth and his guards’ possessions. APL 4: L: 8 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), potion of sanctuary (4 gp), potion of shield of faith +2 (4 gp), arcane scroll of shield – 1 st level caster (2 gp), arcane scroll of protection from arrows – 3 rd level caster (13 gp), arcane scroll of displacement – 5 th level caster (31 gp), wand of magic missile – 1 st level caster (63 gp). APL 6: L: 16 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp), potion of sanctuary (4 gp), potion of shield of faith +3 (25 gp), arcane scroll of shield – 1 st level caster (2 gp), arcane scroll of stoneskin – 7 th level caster (79 gp), arcane scroll of displacement – 5 th level caster (31 gp), wand of magic missile – 3 rd level caster (188 gp), cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), arcane scroll of true seeing- 11 th level caster (158 gp). APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of cure serious wounds (63 gp), potion of sanctuary (4 gp), potion of shield of faith +5 (75 gp), arcane scroll of shield – 1 st level caster (2 gp), arcane scroll of stoneskin – 7 th level caster (79 gp), arcane scroll of displacement – 5 th level caster (31 gp), wand of magic missile – 5 th level caster (313 gp), cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), arcane scroll of true seeing (158 gp), bracers of armor +1 (83 gp), horn of fog (167 gp), 2 +1 large hide armors (98 gp), 2 +1 large great clubs (193 gp), 2 rings of protection +1 (167 gp). APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of cure serious wounds (63 gp), potion of sanctuary (4 gp), potion of shield of faith +5 (75 gp), arcane scroll of shield – 1 st level caster (2 gp), arcane scroll of stoneskin – 7 th level caster (79 gp), arcane scroll of displacement – 5 th level caster (31 gp), wand of magic missile – 7 th level caster (438 gp), cloak of resistance +1 (83 gp), arcane scroll of true seeing (158 gp), bracers of armor +1 (83 gp), horn of fog (167 gp), wand of lightning bolt – 10 th level caster (1,875 gp), 4 +1 large hide armors (98 gp), 4 +1 large great clubs (193 gp), 4 rings of protection +1 (167 gp). Conclusion If the party arrives with the Cumalh in time to break the siege: With the siege broken, the Yeomen and Hillmen set about treating their wounded, burying their dead, and piling the horde corpses in great piles to burn. Over half the Yeomen soldiers were killed in the siege and their final charge, although both Captain Michner and Brien (if he survived the earlier encounter) are still alive. Of the Hillmen, only 25 warriors were killed, 10 being the elite warriors that fought the ogres and giants. Of the goblinoids, roughly 200 goblins, 75 bugbears, and 50 hobgoblins were slain, most by the Hillmen archers. Every single ogre (40 in all) and 20 hill giants were killed by a combination of Yeoman ballistae fire, Yeoman infantry (Brien and Michner having felled a hill giant together), and Cumalh warriors. After rough repairs are made to the main walls of Fort Thomas, the staff of both inns invites the Yeoman army and their Hillmen allies to a great feast. The party is seated as honored heroes along-side Breeya and Gevrog. During the feast, homage is paid to those that fell in battle, including Brien’s scouting patrol. Captain Michner acclaims Brien as a hero to the people of the Yeomanry and Michner vows to see a medal pinned to his chest in recognition. The same praise is showered on the party in turn. Finally, Captain Michner turns to Breeya and Gevrog as representatives of the Hillmen, “‘Brave and honorable warriors,’ that is what I shall call all Hillmen from this day forward! I have not always considered you in such high regard, and for that I apologize. Too long have the Yeomen considered your people barbarians and worse. Never has an alliance been so quickly tested, and never has an alliance proven more sound!” YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 27 As the captain speaks, you notice that Gevrog seems distracted, watching a bird flying toward you from the east. “Breeya an’Ur, Sword of the Cumalh, Slayer of Giants, and now Savior of Fort Thomas, you are the warrior all soldiers long to be—strong in battle, good of heart, and loyal to both kin and ally. I hope that from this day forward, we shall call one another friend, for I would never wish to face you in battle!” “And Gevrog, called the Wise by your people…” But at this Gevrog stands and begins walking away from the feast. Captain Michner looks after him in confusion. The crowd grows silent as Gevrog walks to the bird you saw earlier, which is now sitting calmly on the ground near the shattered fort walls. The old druid bends low and scoops the creature up in his hands, removing what looks like a scroll from its leg. As he unfurls the scroll and begins to read, a look of surprise, then dismay crosses his face. As he walks slowly back toward you, his countenance is truly grim. In a voice cold as ice, Gevrog declares, “We have been deceived.” At this, the Hillmen look suspiciously at the remaining few Yeomen, who in turn look terrified. “This very day, even as we left our lands to aid the Yeomanry, the Cumalh Clanhold was invaded.” At this Breeya and her warriors leap to their feet with weapons drawn. “Stay your hand, Breeya, our home was attacked not by Yeomen, but by the Sithig! What is more, they are allied with malformed giants—this can be none other than the ancient Fomorians that held this land in terror even before the coming of the Olve. And their leader is Ryn the Headless, who has declared himself Sean Rígh, the ‘King of Old.’” Outrage and surprise are now obvious on Breeya’s face. “It seems many Sithig clans now recognize his claim, and he thus challenged Connoch as rightful ruler of the Cumalh. Although Headless among the Cumalh, Ryn’s right to challenge is valid as King of another clan, and so Connoch faced him in battle. Connoch…has fallen to Ryn.” The gathered Cumalh gasp in surprise. You can hear some exclaiming the improbability of Ryn defeating a warrior of Connoch’s renown. “This message is from the druid circle of the Sithig, now advising Ryn. For our traitorous actions in helping the Yeomanry—a nation now declared eternal enemies of the Cumalh—we have been judged as Headless. Any that return to the lands of the Cumalh are subject to immediate execution and subject their family to further dishonor.” “Truly, Captain Michner, not all Hillmen can be called ‘Brave and honorable warriors.’” If the party arrives to late to break the siege: With the horde destroyed, the Hillmen set about treating their wounded, burying the dead (both Cumalh and Yeoman), and piling the horde corpses in great piles to burn. Every Yeoman soldier and citizen was killed in the siege, including both Captain Michner and Brien. Of the Hillmen, 50 warriors were killed, 25 being the elite warriors that fought the ogres and giants. Of the goblinoids, roughly 200 goblins, 75 bugbears, and 50 hobgoblins were slain, most by the Hillmen archers. Every single ogre (40 in all) and 20 hill giants were killed by a combination of Yeoman ballistae fire (before the arrival of the Cumalh) and Cumalh warriors. With the dead buried or burning, the Cumalh make camp to rest for the day before beginning the long trek back to their clanhold. The early evening meal is interrupted, however, As you eat with the Hillmen, you notice that Gevrog seems distracted, watching a bird flying toward you from the east. Eventually the bird flies close and Gevrog stands and begins walking away from the camp. The old druid walks to the bird, which is now sitting calmly on the ground near the shattered fort walls. He bends low and scoops the creature up in his hands, removing what looks like a scroll from its leg. As he unfurls the scroll and begins to read, a look of surprise, then dismay crosses his face. As he walks slowly back toward you, his countenance is truly grim. In a voice cold as ice, Gevrog declares, “We have been deceived.” At this, the Hillmen look suspiciously at you. “This very day, even as we left our lands to aid the Yeomanry, the Cumalh Clanhold was invaded.” At this Breeya and her warriors leap to their feet with weapons drawn. “Stay your hand, Breeya, our home was attacked not by Yeomen, but by the Sithig! What is more, they are allied with malformed giants—this can be none other than the ancient Fomorians that held this land in terror even before the coming of the Olve. And their leader is Ryn the Headless, who has declared himself Sean Rígh, the ‘King of Old.’” Outrage and surprise are now obvious on Breeya’s face. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 28 “It seems many Sithig clans now recognize his claim, and he thus challenged Connoch as rightful ruler of the Cumalh. Although Headless among the Cumalh, Ryn’s right to challenge is valid as King of another clan, and so Connoch faced him in battle. Connoch…has fallen to Ryn.” The gathered Cumalh gasp in surprise. You can hear some exclaiming the improbability of Ryn defeating a warrior of Connoch’s renown. “This message is from the druid circle of the Sithig, now advising Ryn. For our traitorous actions in helping the Yeomanry—a nation now declared eternal enemies of the Cumalh—we have been judged as Headless. Any that return to the lands of the Cumalh are subject to immediate execution and subject their family to further dishonor.” If the party arrives after the horde has left: With the horde gone, the Hillmen set about burying the dead Yeomen and piling the few horde corpses in great piles to burn. Every Yeoman soldier and citizen was killed in the siege, including both Captain Michner and Brien. Of the goblinoids, roughly 50 goblins, 25 bugbears, and 10 hobgoblins were slain by the Yeoman archers and ballistae. Of the giant-kin, 4 ogres and 3 hill giants were also killed. With the dead buried or burning, the Cumalh make camp to rest for the day before beginning the long trek back to their clanhold. The early evening meal is interrupted, however, As you eat with the Hillmen, you notice that Gevrog seems distracted, watching a bird flying toward you from the east. Eventually the bird flies close and Gevrog stands and begins walking away from the camp. The old druid walks to the bird, which is now sitting calmly on the ground near the shattered fort walls. He bends low and scoops the creature up in his hands, removing what looks like a scroll from its leg. As he unfurls the scroll and begins to read, a look of surprise, then dismay crosses his face. As he walks slowly back toward you, his countenance is truly grim. In a voice cold as ice, Gevrog declares, “We have been deceived.” At this, the Hillmen look suspiciously at you. “This very day, even as we left our lands to aid the Yeomanry, the Cumalh Clanhold was invaded.” At this Breeya and her warriors leap to their feet with weapons drawn. “Stay your hand, Breeya, our home was attacked not by Yeomen, but by the Sithig! What is more, they are allied with malformed giants—this can be none other than the ancient Fomorians that held this land in terror even before the coming of the Olve. And their leader is Ryn the Headless, who has declared himself Sean Rígh, the ‘King of Old.’” Outrage and surprise are now obvious on Breeya’s face. “It seems many Sithig clans now recognize his claim, and he thus challenged Connoch as rightful ruler of the Cumalh. Although Headless among the Cumalh, Ryn’s right to challenge is valid as King of another clan, and so Connoch faced him in battle. Connoch…has fallen to Ryn.” The gathered Cumalh gasp in surprise. You can hear some exclaiming the improbability of Ryn defeating a warrior of Connoch’s renown. “This message is from the druid circle of the Sithig, now advising Ryn. For our traitorous actions in helping the Yeomanry—a nation now declared eternal enemies of the Cumalh—we have been judged as Headless. Any that return to the lands of the Cumalh are subject to immediate execution and subject their family to further dishonor.” AFTERMATH Even before Gevrog completes his revelation of events at the Cumalh Clanhold, Breeya and many of her warriors are preparing for battle. She plans to march back to the hillfort and retake it by force if necessary; every remaining Cumalh warrior soon rallies behind her. Gevrog, however, interrupts their preparations with a voice of reason--none among them, not even Breeya, has a rightful claim to the position of chieftain. Further, if a majority of the Cumalh clanhold voice acceptance of Ryn as the King of Old, even a chieftain would have a difficult time reclaiming the clanhold without also challenging Ryn's right of kingship. Thus, by Hillmen law their attack would be fruitless even if they could beat the entire Sithig and Fomorian armies. The only solution is to find a rightful challenger that could reclaim the clanhold. In light of this, the Cumalh warriors fall into a deep, brooding depression. If Fort Thomas still stands, Captain Michner (or another Yeoman soldier, if Michner has died) offers to accommodate the homeless Hillmen as long as necessary. If no Yeomen remain at Fort Thomas, Gevrog suggests they camp in the ruins and send a representative to present their situation to the Freeholder. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 29 The End Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter One Defeat the worg-riding goblins APL 4 – 90 xp; APL 6 – 150 xp; APL 8 – 210 xp; APL 10 – 270 xp. Encounter Two Offer a substantial contribution or idea to prepare defenses of the fort APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Encounter Three Boost troop morale at Fort Thomas APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Escape Fort Thomas without alerting the horde APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Encounter Four Defeat or evade the “Ghost” APL 4 – 50 xp; APL 6 – 60 xp; APL 8 – 70 xp; APL 10 – 80 xp. Encounter Five Convince the Fey to allow passage to the Cumalh APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Encounter Seven Defeat the cryohydra APL 4 – 210 xp; APL 6 – 270 xp; APL 8 – 330 xp; APL 10 – 390 xp. Free the Fossergrim from his slumber APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Encounter Seven Defeat Priauth or force him to abandon the horde APL 4 – 240 xp; APL 6 – 300 xp; APL 8 – 360 xp; APL 10 – 420 xp. Learn of Priauth’s orders to allow riders to flee to the Cumalh APL 4 – 10 xp; APL 6 – 15 xp; APL 8 – 20 xp; APL 10 – 25 xp. Discretionary Roleplaying Award Judge may allocate up to the following for good role- playing APL 4 – 25 xp; APL 6 – 30 xp; APL 8 – 35 xp; APL 10 – 40 xp. Total Possible Experience APL 4 – 675 xp; APL 6 – 900 xp; APL 8 – 1,125 xp; APL 10 – 1,350 xp. Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 30 the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. L: Looted gear from enemy C: Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables M: Magic Items (sell value) Introduction: APL 4: L: 4 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 6: L: 6 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 8: L: 12 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 10: L: 20 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. Encounter Three: All APLs: L: 130 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp. Encounter Four: APL 4: L: 54 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 375 gp. APL 6: L: 92 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 400 gp. APL 8: L: 66 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 606 gp. APL 10: L: 52 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 1,203 gp. Encounter Eight: APL 4: L: 8 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 142 gp. APL 6: L: 16 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 595 gp. APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 1,974 gp. APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 4,890 gp. Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward Allowed) APL 4: L: 196 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 517 gp - Total: 713 gp (600 gp). APL 6: L: 244 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 995 gp - Total: 1,239 gp (800 gp). APL 8: L: 208 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2,580 gp - Total: 2,788 gp (1,250 gp). APL 10: L: 202 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 6,093 gp - Total: 6,295 gp (2,100 gp). Special � Rod of Winter Appearing as a two-foot long, pale blue icicle, this rod acts as a continual control weather spell, dropping the temperature in a 3-mile radius to frigid cold (below 0 degrees Fahrenheit) as long as it is stuck in the ground. Removing the rod from the ground disables the spell effect and renders the rod non-magical from that point forward. Strong transmutation; Caster Level: 13 th; Prerequisites: Craft Rod, control weather; Market Price: 45,500 gp; Weight: 2 lbs. Items for the Adventure Record Item Access APL 4: � Rod of Winter (Adventure, see above) � Wand of Snare (Adventure, 3 rd level caster, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (Adventure, 1 st level caster, DMG) APL 6 (APL 4 Items plus): � Arcane Scroll of Stoneskin (Adventure, 7 th level caster, DMG) � Arcane Scroll of True Seeing (Adventure, 11 th level caster, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (Adventure, 3 rd level caster, DMG) APL 8 (APL 4, 6 Items plus): � Potion of Cure Serious Wounds (Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (Adventure, 5 th level caster, DMG) � Potion of Shield of Faith +5 (Adventure, DMG) YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 31 � Horn of Fog (Adventure, DMG) APL 10 (APL 4, 6, 8 Items plus): � +1 Bane (Human) Battleaxe (Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (Adventure, 7 th level caster, DMG) � Wand of Lightning Bolt (Adventure, 10 th level caster, DMG) YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 32 Appendix I: NPCs Introduction Brien, Yeoman Spearman, Male Human War3: Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d8+3; hp 20 (14 when initially encountered); Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 [16] (+1 Dex, +4 chain shirt, [+1 Dodge]), touch 11, flat- footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+3 (20/x3), shortspear); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3 (20/x3), shortspear); SA none; SQ none; AL LG; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills: Climb +8, Jump +8. Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Hold the Line. Languages: Common. Possessions: chain shirt, shortspear Encounter Three Hobgoblin sergeant Ftr3: Medium-size Humanoid (goblinoid); HD 3d10+9; hp 30; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+2 Dex, +4 chain shirt), touch 12, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+3 (19-20/x2), longsword); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3 (19-20/x2), longsword); SA none; SQ Darkvision 60’; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12. Skills: Handle Animal +7, Ride +8. +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Feats: Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Trample. Languages: Common, Goblin. Possessions: chain shirt, longsword Encounter Four APL 4 The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr4: Medium Humanoid (Gnoll); HD 2d8+6+4d8+12; hp 50; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+1 Dex, +1 Natural, +4 chain shirt, +1 spiked light steel shield), touch 11, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +5; Grap +9; Atk mw battleaxe +11 melee (1d8+4/x3 + 2 vs. humans) or composite shortbow +6 ranged (1d6/x3 + 2 vs. humans); Full Atk mw battleaxe +9 melee (1d8+5/x3 + 2 vs. humans) and spiked light steel shield +7 melee (1d4+2/x2 + 2 vs. humans) or composite shortbow +6 ranged (1d6/x3 + 2 vs. humans); SA Favored enemy (Humanoid (human) +2), spells; SQ Animal companion (wolf, 1 bonus trick, link, share spells), darkvision 60’, wild empathy; AL NE; SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills: Hide +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Speak Language (Common), Spot +7, Survival +7. Feats: Endurance, Improved Shield Bash, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (battleaxe). Languages: Common, Gnoll. Spells Prepared (Rgr 1 base DC 12): 1 st—entangle. Possessions: masterwork battleaxe, wand of snare (3 rd level caster), chain shirt, masterwork spiked light steel shield, composite shortbow, 3 quivers with 20 arrows each, dagger Wolf Animal Companion: Medium Animal; HD 2d8+4; hp 15; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12; Base Atk +1; Grap +2; Atk Bite +3 melee (1d6+1); Full Atk Bite +3 melee (1d6+1); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent, link, share spells; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.) Feats: Track, Weapon Focus (bite). Tricks: Attack, Defend, Down, Fetch, Guard, Seek, Track Trip (Ex): If the wolf hits with a bite attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent (+1 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. APL 6 The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr7: Medium Humanoid (Gnoll); HD 2d8+6+7d8+21; hp 75; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural, +4 chain shirt, +1 spiked light steel shield), touch 12, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +8/+3; Grap +12/+7; Atk mw battleaxe +14 melee (1d8+4/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) or composite shortbow +10 ranged (1d6+4/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves); Full Atk mw battleaxe +12/+7 melee (1d8+5/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) and spiked light steel shield +10/+5 melee (1d4+2/x2 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) or composite shortbow +10/+5 ranged (1d6+4/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves); SA Favored enemy (humanoid (human) +4, Humanoid (elf) +2), spells; SQ Animal companion (wolf, +2 HD, +2 natural armor, +1 Str/Dex, 2 bonus tricks, link, share spells, evasion), darkvision 60’, wild empathy, woodland stride; AL NE; SV Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 33 Skills: Hide +11, Listen +11, Move Silently +11, Speak Language (Common), Spot +11, Survival +11. Feats: Cleave, Endurance, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (battleaxe). Languages: Common, Gnoll. Spells Prepared (Rgr 1 base DC 12): 1 st—entangle, magic fang. Possessions: masterwork battleaxe, wand of snare (3 rd level caster), potion of cure moderate wounds, masterwork chain shirt, masterwork spiked light steel shield, composite shortbow (+4 Str bonus), 3 quivers with 20 arrows each, dagger Wolf Animal Companion: Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 30; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 17 (+3 Dex, +4 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grap +4; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); Full Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent, link, share spells, evasion; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills: Hide +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.) Feats: Improved Trip, Track, Weapon Focus (bite). Tricks: Attack, Defend, Down, Fetch, Guard, Heel, Seek, Track Trip (Ex): If the wolf hits with a bite attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent (+6 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt is successful, the wolf gets another attack against that opponent (who is at –4 AC due to being prone). If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. APL 8 The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr9: Medium Humanoid (Gnoll); HD 2d8+6+9d8+27; hp 91; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural, +4 chain shirt, +1 spiked light steel shield), touch 12, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +10/+5; Grap +14/+9; Atk +1 battleaxe +16 melee (1d8+5/x3 +4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) or composite shortbow +12 ranged (1d6+4/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves); Full Atk +1 battleaxe +14/+9 melee (1d8+5/x3 + 2d6+4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) and spiked light steel shield +12/+7 melee (1d4+2/x2 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves) or composite shortbow +12/+7 ranged (1d6+4/x3 + 4 vs. humans + 2 vs. elves); SA Favored enemy (humanoid (human) +4, Humanoid (elf) +2), spells; SQ Animal companion (wolf, +2 HD, +2 natural armor, +1 Str/Dex, 2 bonus tricks, link, share spells, evasion), darkvision 60’, evasion, swift tracker, wild empathy, woodland stride; AL NE; SV Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +4; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills: Hide +14, Listen +13, Move Silently +14, Speak Language (Common), Spot +13, Survival +13. Feats: Cleave, Endurance, Improved Shield Bash, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (battleaxe). Languages: Common, Gnoll. Spells Prepared (Rgr 1 base DC 12): 1 st—entangle, magic fang. Possessions: +1 battleaxe, wand of snare (3 rd level caster), potion of cure moderate wounds, divine scroll of barkskin (3 rd level caster), masterwork chain shirt, masterwork spiked light steel shield, composite shortbow (+4 Str bonus), 3 quivers with 20 arrows each, dagger Wolf Animal Companion: Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 30; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 17 (+3 Dex, +4 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grap +4; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); Full Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent, link, share spells, evasion; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills: Hide +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.) Feats: Improved Trip, Track, Weapon Focus (bite). Tricks: Attack, Defend, Down, Fetch, Guard, Heel, Seek, Track Trip (Ex): If the wolf hits with a bite attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent (+6 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt is successful, the wolf gets another attack against that opponent (who is at –4 AC due to being prone). If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. APL 10 The “Ghost of Kuurkrahk,” Gnoll Rgr12: Medium Humanoid (Gnoll); HD 2d8+6+12d8+36; hp 116; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural, +4 chain shirt, +2 +1 spiked light steel shield), touch 12, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +13/+8/+3; Grap +17/+12/+7; Atk +1 human bane battleaxe +19 (+21 vs. humans) melee (1d8+5/19- 20/x3 + 2d6 +4 vs. humans or elves +2 vs. dwarves) or composite shortbow +15 ranged (1d6+4/x3 +4 vs. humans or elves +2 vs. dwarves); Full Atk +1 human bane battleaxe +17/+12/+7 (+19/+14/+9 vs. humans) melee (1d8+5/19-20/x3 + 2d6 +4 vs. humans or elves +2 vs. dwarves) and spiked light steel shield +15/+10/+5 melee (1d4+2/ +4 vs. humans or elves +2 vs. dwarves) or composite shortbow +15/+10/+5 ranged (1d6+4/x3 +4 vs. humans or elves +2 vs. dwarves); SA Favored enemy (humanoid (human) +4, Humanoid (elf) +4, Humanoid (dwarf) +2), spells; SQ Animal companion (wolf, +4 HD, +4 natural armor, +2 Str/Dex, 3 bonus tricks, link, share YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 34 spells, evasion, devotion), darkvision 60’, evasion, swift tracker, wild empathy, woodland stride; AL NE; SV Fort +14, Ref +10, Will +5; Str 18, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills: Hide +17, Listen +17, Move Silently +17, Speak Language (Common), Spot +17, Survival +17. Feats: Cleave, Endurance, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Critical (battleaxe), Improved Shield Bash, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Power Attack, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (battleaxe). Languages: Common, Gnoll. Spells Prepared (Rgr 1 base DC 12): 1 st—entangle, speak with animals; 2 nd—wind wall; 3 rd—greater magic fang. Possessions: +1 human bane battleaxe, wand of snare (3 rd level caster), potion of cure moderate wounds, divine scroll of barkskin (3 rd level caster), masterwork chain shirt, +1 spiked light steel shield, composite shortbow (+4 Str bonus), 3 quivers with 20 arrows each, dagger Wolf Animal Companion: Medium Animal; HD 6d8+12; hp 45; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 19 (+3 Dex, +6 Natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grap +4; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); Full Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+2); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent, link, share spells, evasion, devotion; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 15, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills: Hide +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Spot +4, Survival +1 (+4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.) Feats: Improved Trip, Track, Weapon Focus (bite). Tricks: Attack, Come, Defend, Down, Fetch, Guard, Heel, Seek, Track. Trip (Ex): If the wolf hits with a bite attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent (+6 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt is successful, the wolf gets another attack against that opponent (who is at –4 AC due to being prone). If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. Encounter Eight APL 4 Priauth “the Stunted”, venerable Ogre Mage Sor2: Medium-size Giant; HD 5d8+2d4; hp 36; Init +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good); AC 14 (-1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +4; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d4+1, slam); Full Atk +5 melee (1d4+1, slam); SA Spells, spell-like abilities (At Will: darkness, invisibility; 1/day: charm person (DC 18), cone of cold (DC 22), sleep (DC 18); caster level Sor9); SQ Darkvision 60’, regeneration 5, spells, spell-like abilities (1/day: gaseous form, polymorph; caster level Sor9), SR 19; AL LE; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +9; Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 20, Cha 24. Skills: Concentration +10, Intimidate +12, Listen +13, Knowledge (arcane) +14, Spellcraft +14, Spot +13. Feats: Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment). Languages: Common, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Orc. Spells Known (Sor 6/6; base DC 17 + Spell Level): 0—detect magic, daze 1, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic; 1 st— charm person 1, sleep 1. 1DC +2 from Greater Spell Focus Possessions: potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of sanctuary, potion of shield of faith +2, arcane scroll of displacement (5 th level caster), arcane scroll of protection from arrows (3 rd level caster), arcane scroll of shield (1 st level caster), wand of magic missile (1 st level caster) Flight (Su): An ogre mage can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form it can fly at its normal speed and has perfect maneuverability. Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to an ogre mage. An ogre mage that loses a limb or body part can reattach it by holding the severed member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If the head or some other vital organ is severed, it must be reattached within 10 minutes or the creature dies. An ogre mage cannot regrow lost body parts. APL 6 Priauth “the Stunted”, venerable Ogre Mage Sor4: Medium-size Giant; HD 5d8+4d4; hp 42; Init +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good); AC 15 (-1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +5; Grap +6; Atk +6 melee (1d4+1, slam); Full Atk +6 melee (1d4+1, slam); SA Spells, spell-like abilities (At Will: darkness, invisibility; 1/day: charm person (DC 18), cone of cold (DC 22), sleep (DC 18); caster level Sor9); SQ Darkvision 60’, regeneration 5, spells, spell-like abilities (1/day: gaseous form, polymorph; caster level Sor9), SR 19; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +11; Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 24. Skills: Concentration +12, Intimidate +13, Listen +14, Knowledge (arcane) +17, Spellcraft +17, Spot +14. Feats: Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (necromancy). Languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Orc. Spells Known (Sor 6/8/5; base DC 17 + Spell Level): 0—detect magic, daze 1, flare, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic; 1 st— charm person 1, chill touch 2, sleep 1; 2 nd— Tasha’s hideous laughter 1 1DC +2 from Greater Spell Focus 2DC +1 from Spell Focus YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 35 Possessions: cloak of resistance +1, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of sanctuary, potion of shield of faith +3, arcane scroll of displacement (5 th level caster), arcane scroll of shield (1 st level caster), arcane scroll of stoneskin (7 th level caster), wand of magic missile (3 rd level caster), arcane scroll of true seeing (11 th level caster). Flight (Su): An ogre mage can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form it can fly at its normal speed and has perfect maneuverability. Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to an ogre mage. An ogre mage that loses a limb or body part can reattach it by holding the severed member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If the head or some other vital organ is severed, it must be reattached within 10 minutes or the creature dies. An ogre mage cannot regrow lost body parts. APL 8 Priauth “the Stunted”, venerable Ogre Mage Sor6: Medium-size Giant; HD 5d8+6d4; hp 48; Init +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good); AC 15 (-1 Dex, +5 natural, +1 bracers of armor), touch 9, flat- footed 16; Base Atk +6/+1; Grap +7/+2; Atk +7 melee (1d4+1, slam); Full Atk +7/+2 melee (1d4+1, slam); SA Spells, spell-like abilities (At Will: darkness, invisibility; 1/day: charm person (DC 19), cone of cold (DC 23), sleep (DC 19); caster level Sor9); SQ Darkvision 60’, regeneration 5, spells, spell-like abilities (1/day: gaseous form, polymorph; caster level Sor9), SR 19; AL LE; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +12; Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 24. Skills: Concentration +14, Intimidate +15, Listen +15, Knowledge (arcane) +19, Spellcraft +19, Spot +15. Feats: Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (necromancy). Languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Orc. Spells Known (Sor 6/8/7/5; base DC 17 + Spell Level): 0—detect magic, daze 1, mage hand, prestidigitation, touch of fatigue 2, read magic, resistance; 1 st—charm person 1, chill touch 2, ray of enfeeblement, sleep 1; 2 nd— blindness/deafness 2, Tasha’s hideous laughter 1; 3 rd— deep slumber 1. 1DC +2 from Greater Spell Focus 2DC +1 from Spell Focus Possessions: bracers of armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, horn of fog, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of sanctuary, potion of shield of faith +5, arcane scroll of displacement (5 th level caster), arcane scroll of shield (1 st level caster), arcane scroll of stoneskin (7 th level caster), wand of magic missile (5 th level caster), arcane scroll of true seeing (11 th level caster). Flight (Su): An ogre mage can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form it can fly at its normal speed and has perfect maneuverability. Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to an ogre mage. An ogre mage that loses a limb or body part can reattach it by holding the severed member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If the head or some other vital organ is severed, it must be reattached within 10 minutes or the creature dies. An ogre mage cannot regrow lost body parts. APL 10 Priauth “the Stunted”, venerable Ogre Mage Sor8: Medium-size Giant; HD 5d8+8d4; hp 54; Init +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (good); AC 15 (-1 Dex, +5 natural, +1 bracers of armor), touch 9, flat- footed 17; Base Atk +7/+2; Grap +8/+3; Atk +8 melee (1d4+1, slam); Full Atk +8/+3 melee (1d4+1, slam); SA Spells, spell-like abilities (At Will: darkness, invisibility; 1/day: charm person (DC 19), cone of cold (DC 23), sleep (DC 19); caster level Sor9); SQ Darkvision 60’, regeneration 5, spells, spell-like abilities (1/day: gaseous form, polymorph; caster level Sor9), SR 19; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +13; Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 25. Skills: Concentration +16, Intimidate +16, Listen +16, Knowledge (arcane) +21, Spellcraft +21, Spot +16. Feats: Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Focus (necromancy). Languages: Common, Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Orc. Spells Known (Sor 6/8/8/7/5; base DC 17 + Spell Level): 0—detect magic, daze 1, flare, mage hand, prestidigitation, touch of fatigue 1, read magic, resistance; 1 st— cause fear 1, charm person 1, chill touch 1, ray of enfeeblement, sleep 1; 2 nd— blindness/deafness 1, scare 1, Tasha’s hideous laughter; 3 rd— deep slumber 1, ray of exhaustion 1; 4 th— enervation. 1DC +2 from Greater Spell Focus Possessions: bracers of armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, horn of fog, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of sanctuary, potion of shield of faith +5, arcane scroll of displacement (5 th level caster), arcane scroll of shield (1 st level caster), arcane scroll of stoneskin (7 th level caster), wand of magic missile (7 th level caster), wand of lightning bolt (10 th level caster), arcane scroll of true seeing (11 th level caster). Flight (Su): An ogre mage can cease or resume flight as a free action. While using gaseous form it can fly at its normal speed and has perfect maneuverability. Regeneration (Ex): Fire and acid deal normal damage to an ogre mage. An ogre mage that loses a limb or body part can reattach it by holding the severed member to the stump. Reattachment takes 1 minute. If the head or some other vital organ is severed, it must be reattached within 10 minutes or the creature dies. An ogre mage cannot regrow lost body parts. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 36 Appendix II: New Monster Fossergrim Medium-size Fey (Aquatic) Hit Dice: 5d6+15 (32 hp) Initiative: +7 Speed: 30 ft., swim 60 ft. AC: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 +1 chainmail), touch 12, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+4 Attack: Masterwork Longspear +3 melee, or masterwork battleaxe +3 melee, or masterwork longbow +6 ranged Full Attack: Masterwork Longspear +3 melee, or masterwork battleaxe +3 melee and masterwork handaxe +3 melee, or masterwork longbow +6 ranged Damage: Masterwork Longspear 1d8+3, masterwork battleaxe 1d8+2, masterwork handaxe 1d6+2, masterwork longbow 1d8 Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: True strike (in water only) Special Qualities: Fast healing 5 (in splashing water only), low-light vision, SR 15 (in splashing water only), waterfall dependency, DR 5/iron (in water only) Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 15, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 18 Skills: Diplomacy +13, Heal +9, Hide +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Sense Motive +9, Spot +9, Survival +9 (+11 in aboveground natural environments), Swim +17 Feats: Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting Climate/Terrain: Any land Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 5 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Always Neutral Advancement: 6-8 HD (Medium-size); 9-15 HD (Medium- size) Fossergrims are reclusive fey that are mystically tied to waterfalls in the same way that dryads are bound to oak trees. A fossergrim does not bother anyone who uses its waterfall for bathing or drinking, but it is merciless toward anyone who pollutes or dams the river that feeds the waterfall. Fossergrims have been known to give assistance or information to those in need, as long as those receiving information act politely and don’t do anything to harm the water. Legends are told of fossergrims that seduce young maidens who come to bath or wash clothing at the banks of their rivers. This mating produces more fossergrims, who appear as normal humans until maturity, at which point they seek out a waterfall of their own. Fossergrims look like handsome and rugged human males with flowing white hair and beards tinged with blue. The have piercing eyes that shimmer like pools of water. Fossergrims wear beautiful shining chainmail and carry weapons of fine quality. They also wear attractive clothing and exquisite silver jewelry that glints in the sunlight. Although mystically bound to its waterfall, a fossergrim can leave its river, but it never strays far. The creature can swim up its waterfall as easily as is walks across solid ground. Although they do not need shelter, most fossergrims create comfortable and well-furnished lairs in the caves that are found behind their waterfalls. When its waterfall freezes during the cold winter months, a fossergrim falls into a deep torpor inside the frozen cascade of ice. It is still aware of its surroundings, however, and emerges from the ice to protect its river from harm. Fossergrims speak Common and Sylvan. Combat A fossergrim prefers to fight from within the cascading sheet of its waterfall (providing at least one-half concealment) and attack with its Longspear or longbow. If attacked while caught away from its waterfall, a fossergrim retreats to it as quickly as possible. Many of its special abilities work only when a fossergrim is standing in “splashing” water. This includes the waterfall itself, plus an area that extends out 2d10x5 feet downstream (or farther for bigger waterfalls). A fossergrim can be summoned using a summon natures ally V spell. True Strike (Sp): As long as both a fossergrim and its opponent are standing in the fossergrim’s river, the fossergrim grains a +20 insight bonus on attack roles as if affected by the spell true strike. The distance between the fossergrim and target does not matter, although range increments still apply. Fast Healing (Ex): When in splashing water, a fossergrim regains lost hit points at the rate of 5 per round. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow a fossergrim to regrow or reattach lost body parts. Waterfall Dependency (Su): Each fossergrim is mystically bound to a large waterfall and must never YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 37 stray more than 1,000 feet from it. Any who do become ill and die within 4d6 hours. A fossergrim’s waterfall does not radiate magic. Skills: A fossergrim has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard and can always choose to take 10 on Swim checks, even if distracted or endangered. As published in the Fiend Folio YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 38 Appendix III: New Rules Feats Hold the Line [General] You are trained in defensive techniques against charging opponents. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2, Combat Reflexes. Benefit: You may make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who charges you when he enters an area you threaten. Your attack of opportunity happens immediately before the charge attack is resolved. As published in Sword and Fist New Items Wardstone Menhir: These monoliths are ancient magical items created by the sorcerers and druids of the Cumalh, in cooperation with the fey of this region. Each pair serves as a waypoint for a massive alarm spell that encompasses the lands of the Cumalh. The monoliths serve two primary purposes, extending the duration of the alarm to permanent (unless a monolith is destroyed; each has a hardness of 8, 540 HP, and a Break DC of 50; attacking a monolith triggers the alarm) and changing the area of effect to a 25’ wide, 25’ feet high line running overland to the two nearest sets of monoliths. Any Hillmen that touches the clan symbol carved into either pillar can bypass the alarm. Otherwise, the alarm sounds as a mental “ping” to any Hillmen or fey within one mile of the monoliths. This “fence” may be bypassed by flying over it, digging under it, or by traveling in an ethereal or astral state. Caster Level: 9 th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, alarm, Rary’s telepathic bond; Market Price: 21,700 gp per set; Weight: 16,000 lb. per set. YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 39 Player Handout #1: Stairtarc, The Spirit of the Falls YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 40 DM Aid #1 Map of the Little Hills region (1 Hex=30 Miles) YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 41 DM Aid #2 YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 42 DM Aid #3 YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 43 DM Aid #4 YEO3-05 A Friend in Need Page 44 DM Aid #5

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Yeomanry/593/Normal Scenarios/YEO3-05 - A Friend in Need (APL 4-10)/YEO3-05 - A Friend in Need.pdf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, LIVING GREYHAWK, D&D REWARDS, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc and the adventure author or authors. Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com For questions specific to this document and your region, please e-mail your triad point of contact (POC) at jeff@shieldlands.net; for LIVING GREYHAWK campaign questions email rpgahq@wizards.com. SHL5-03 The Book of Dark Alchemy A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK ® Shield Lands Regional Adventure Version 1.0 by Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl Reviewed by Chris Tulach Plague ravages the Shield Lands. As the population weakens, reports are that the forces of Iuz are growing stronger. The party has an opportunity to secure part of the cure but to do so must face evils best left sleeping… An adventure for hearty adventurers who are not afraid of sacrificing themselves for the good of the Shield Lands: APL 2-8. RPGA SANCTIONED PLAY Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you received it from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign------a worldwide, ongoing D&D campaign set in the GREYHAWK setting------ you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a group of friends meeting at the DM’s house. To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a HERALD-LEVEL gamemaster. The person who sanctions the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs the game is called the table DM (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the time in the cases of home events) the senior gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if you are not the senior GM. By sanctioning and reporting this adventure you accomplish a couple of things. First it is an official game, and you can use the AR to advance your LIVING GREYHAWK character. Second player and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned RPGA play if they are members of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing this adventure is worth one (1) point. This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play on December 31, 2006. To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK character creation and development, RPGA event sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com. PLAYERS READ NO FARTHER If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop reading now. The rest of the information in this adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this point makes you ineligible to do so. PREPARING FOR PLAY To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of the following D&D books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics provides player information for you to paraphrase or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain important information for you, including special instruction on running the adventure. Information on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. Full information on NPCs and monsters are given in Appendix 1. Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA Table Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn in this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll also find a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure Record (AR). LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS OF PLAY Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportionate to the modified average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine this modified Average Party Level (APL) follow the steps below: 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (such as animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts) or the warhorse of a character with the Mounted Combat feat, use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum of step one. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. 3. Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round up to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs face. APLS are given in even- The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 2 numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a PC can gain at the end of the adventure. If a player character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL at which this adventure is being played, that character receives only one-half of the experience points and gold for the adventure. This simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels higher than the highest APL supported by the adventure may not play the adventure. LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1 st-level characters may find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the following to these groups to help increase their chances of success: 1. Enlist a sixth player. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. 5. TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP This is a standard one-round regional adventure, set in the Shield Lands. Characters native to the Shield Lands pay one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. Characters that fail to pay at least Standard Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game benefits) as may be detailed in this scenario. A character that does not pay for at least Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-described penalties by living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more ranks in the Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the character has at least four ranks in Craft (bowmaking). The player is allowed to Take 10 on this roll. More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign Sourcebook. Adventure Background For the last few years, the Shield Lands has fought hard to reclaim their homelands from the Occupation by Iuz. However, after some all too sweet gains, Iuz struck back! Torkeep, South Keep, Gensal and Bright Sentry were all attacked. Gensal actually fell in the initial assault. And then, with the Iuzian army poised to strike to the heart of the Shield Lands, the Iuzians withdrew… Meanwhile, a virulent plague, known as the Black Breath of Iuz, is sweeping through the Shield Lands. Only Paladins and some Monks seem immune to its effects. Weakened soldiers find it hard to fight and consequently raids on caravans are increasing. Weakened mages and clerics find it difficult to cast spells and consequently divine and arcane solutions seem unlikely… In Bright Sentry, adventurers put an end to an invasion by goblin mercenaries and secured the aid of Lineene the Bear. This formidable adventurer learned much of the nature of the plague and also learned of a possible cure: Three items of great power must be secured. The first of these is the Book of Dark Alchemy… Adventure Summary The adventure begins out side of Critwall on the way to Gensal. The party is camped out on their way to discover information about the Book of Dark Alchemy, rumored to be outside of the Gensal Region. Once in Gensal, the party can interact with the locals and learn a little about the war effort. From there they can go to investigate the ruins of Gensal. In the ruins it is possible for the party to find Trys sitting on the rim of the ruins, looking a bit tense about something. Investigating the bottom of the pit reveals a cavern opening below the traditionally known ruins of Gensal. Going down the rift quickly reveals the earth switching from natural openings to worked stone. There will be an entire complex beneath the ruins. Exploring the ruins, the party can find the horrible fate of the Iuzians who were still here, searching, and destroy the undead guardians of this tomb. Finally, they The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 3 can encounter the Alchemist’s lab and retrieve the Book of Dark Alchemy. In the conclusion, the party will return to Critwall where they will receive a letter from Simen Sharn, advising the party to be careful in their dealings with Natan Enerick. Simen believes Natan may be trying to engineer matters so that he does not have to step down from the council. Preparation for Play The Black Breath of Iuz: Various characters in the Shield Lands may have the Black Breath of Iuz. It is a nasty virus that seems to be magical in nature. Players should have campaign documentation that explains the details more completely. Non-player characters may have their reaction to infected characters spelled out in the module. If not, their reaction will vary from fear and loathing to pity and everything in between. At the end of the adventure, if there are any party members who have this disease, the other party members might catch it! Characters immune to disease are also immune to this disease. Characters must make a fortitude save DC 14 to avoid catching the disease. Note the fortitude save is higher than in previous modules. This is because much of this adventure takes place in the Lands of Iuz where the plague seems more virulent. The Dungeon Master should give creative players circumstance bonuses to their savings throws to avoid this plague: for example a player might insist on wearing heavy leather gloves and a thick face mask when dealing with the ill. This might be worth a +2. Another player might role-play their devotion to their god and claim their god will protect them from such a vile disease! Good role-playing in such a case should also be worth a +2 circumstance bonus. In other words: This should be something that gives players a role- playing opportunity. In this adventure, there is a possible encounter with an NPC, Trys. There are two versions of Trys listed in the module: Trysta and Trystim. It is possible that more than one player has an AR with a favor of Trys printed on it. In this adventure it is possible for the party to learn that Trysta and Trystim are actually sister and brother. However, at the end of the adventure, Trysta will only choose to give her favor to one adventurer who previously received her favor. Trystim, the cad, can actually give out his favor to as many adventurers who have previously received his favor… Bards, Wizards and other scholars: Oh My! There may be party members with special access to information in the party. Generally speaking, in order for access to exist, either the player must be a bard (bards just know stuff!) or have a Knowledge Skill that is appropriate. Some players may receive bonuses to such checks because they are members of a Shield Lands Meta-organization. Here is the various things to be learned (the DC is 25 for each): • Bardic Knowledge: There are a variety of poems and stories from ages ago (we are talking hundreds upon hundreds of years ago) about the animosity between dwarves and elves. Apparently there was an alchemist who was skilled with enchantments and transmutations. He did a lot of work for the two races, until he stole from them. He pointed each race at the other as the source of their loss. • Knowledge (Arcana): The Book of Dark Alchemy is rumored to let the user make potions for free. • Knowledge (History): Many centuries ago, the elves and dwarves fought some bloody wars in the Gensal region – apparently over a stolen magic item that belonged to the dwarves. • Knowledge (Religion): The Book of Dark Alchemy is rumored to have the power to steal a mortal’s soul, condemning them to a life of evil. Introduction – Fire Read or paraphrase the following to the party: Bitter winds and chilling rains plagued your party most of the day, but now, fl ckering ights that can only be from Gensal pierce the darkness. Mov ng forward through the mud soup that passes for a road, you recall the events that brought you here… i l i li Only four days ago, word had been brought to you that one of the eldritch items of lore that may yield a cure for the plague blighting the Shield Lands may have been located. The Arcanists broke the seal to the chamber housing their darkest books of lore, and therein, found reference in molding scrolls to the Book of Dark Alchemy. They learned the Book is a vile book of greatest darkness. Its secrets could very well pervert the soul of the purest saint into that of the foulest of sinners. And yet, such a foul object lies buried in the Shield Lands very back yard… It seems that beyond the borders of the Shield Lands, deep beneath the ruins of Gensal, es catacombs unbreached for ages. Nearly forgotten, save for a reference here, a whisper there, the ruins of the mad alchemist M’rial Errot would have been lost to all times. However, two things conspired to bring this name back to light. First, in recapturing Gensal three years ago, there were signs of heavy mining activity under Gensal Keep. The Iuzians were doing The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 4 something there, but what, nobody knew. Second, when Gensal was recaptured, there were bodies everywhere: bodies that had died from a mysterious plague. These pieces of information were tied together as references for research. In l ght of the nformation received by Lineene, suddenly obscure clues hooked together like puzzle pieces. All of the activity of the Iuzian armies, the resources spent capturing and recapturing this pile of land, seemed to make sense. Power draws evil like carcasses draw flies, and the power of the Book must have drawn the Iuzian forces time and again… i i But that research is for the light of a new day. Now, the ruined village of Gensal, with its few survivors, beckons. The Jousting Mug, one of the only surviving buildings in the village, has lights from its windows full of the promise of warmth, food and shelter. Let the party introduce themselves. Players who were able to perform research into the Book may receive it (and reveal it if they wish) at this time. The time is 7:30 at night in early spring. The sun set a half-hour ago. The party, if they continue on to Gensal, would under typical conditions, be ‘exhausted’. Resourceful parties may have ways to easily defeat such a condition (and can be presumed to have memorized such spells as desired). The Jousting Mug is a one-floor affair, built of wood. The fact it survived the assault is nothing less than amazing. Perhaps it is a testament to invading armies to destroy the military but save the food and drink… In any event, except for a few charred boards, and a few hastily repaired holes, it seems no worse for wear. It is about 45’ wide by 35’ deep. There are two windows on the front and each side, and none on the rear. A chimney from the back side puts out a thick smoke, rich with the smells of food being cooked. The party does not have to go in. The ruins of Gensal should be described as being about 20 wood buildings, all of which are more or less destroyed. The party can, within 15 minutes or so, find suitable, if wet, shelter for the evening. There will be no encounters during the night, and about three in the morning, the storm will let up. Inside the bar, however, is where the real action begins… Encounter One: Water The Jousting Mug The inside of the bar is basically a 30’ wide by 35’ deep room. There are 8 tables set up and on the back wall is a roaring fire. Fire wood (that looks suspiciously like busted boards from some destroyed building) is stacked neatly nearby. An animal of some sort roasts over the fire ( it is a deer). On the far left (north) hand side is another door, currently shut. The owner is currently Gandor Meadbow. He is a bull of a man, and is never without his falcion strapped into a scabbard on his back. Obviously of mixed decent, his balding brown hair hangs in greasy strands around his head. His dark brown eyes are hard and almost cruel, and his hands are calloused slabs. His clothes are thick cotton work clothes, stained and patched. Despite his appearances, he is generally friendly enough. Stuffed in his belt is a mouth-harp. However, if anyone looks like they are casting a spell (and he actually notices), he will point at a sign hanging above the fire places that reads “No Wizzies. This means you!” (His definition of a wizard is pretty wide). Except for Heironeous and Fortubo, he does not personally recognize ANY clerical symbols (which is not to say he does not know of other religions, just that he does not know their holy symbols). He survived the siege of Gensal by staying in his tavern and hacking just about everything he could to death with his falchion. If asked about the siege of Gensal, he will relay it was horrible. A few of the locals made a stand with him, a few others at the local shrine to Fortubo, but most went into the fort, where they were slaughtered. The Iuzians seemed nearly fanatical about retaking the fort, and for the most part were almost attacking the town as an afterthought. The explosions from the siege engines and magic still ring his ears… He does not have a lot of different foods to offer. He has venison, a vegetable stew, a thick coffee-like drink they call ‘mud-water’, and a very good ale. � Gandor Meadbow: Male human Brb 1/Ftr 1/Brd 1. In the northeast corner, near the door, a group of dwarves sits at a table (three male and two female). They are very grumpy, not liking this weather (“Not one bit, I tell you. I like it not one bit.”). They are all merchant/miners, loyal to Lord Bladehone (the dwarf lord on the Council of Lords). Their family was traditionally from Laws Forge. They are now off to do mining in the hill region northeast of Gensal. They are not too worried abou the possible dangers “…as we are more of the granite sort, and not grassy, like, say elves or such…” They are dressed in traveler’s gear, but a Spot check of DC 15 or better will show they are wearing armor. All of them have battle-axes and shields. Their backpacks are carefully lined against the wall. In the middle backpack (belonging to Pokes) is their masterpiece, an adamantite heavy pick. It is currently not for sale. However one of their band, Khelvan, is currently sick (he hacks, wheezes and coughs a lot, and sits The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 5 huddled, shivering, despite the fire). A Heal check (DC 20) will reveal he has contracted a lung infection that will kill him, but it is not the Black Breath. Cure Disease or similar will cure him of this. If the party is able to cure him, then the dwarves will offer to sell the heavy pick to them (3,308 gp). The dwarves dislike elves (they got the raw end of a business deal once before) and so will charge elves and half elves double costs and make no bones or apologies when talking about “flighty elves” or muttering something about “elf gold isn’t worth half the trouble to get it so it should cost twice as much”. Dorgan is the leader and is cranky. Quarrel is the “map-reader” of the bunch and generally likeable (she especially likes Halflings for some inexplicable reason). Pokes is shy around strangers, while Nogzi is a mild braggert. Khelvan is very ill. � Dorgan: male hill dwarf Ftr 3/Rgr 2. � Quarrel: female hill dwarf Ftr 3/Wiz 1. � Pokes: female hill dwarf Ftr 3 � Nogzi: male hill dwarf Ftr 2/Rog 1 � Khelvan: male hill dwarf Ftr 2 In the middle of the room sits a group of human farmers, three men and three women, two of them, a man and a woman, seem very young, maybe only 16. They look LESS than pleased to have so many adventurers in here (an ‘adventurer’ to these farmers is anyone they have not seen before, such as the dwarves, and probably, the party). None the less, they are trying to make the best of it and will be friendly enough with the players once introduced. In fact, the 16 year old Dorienson will virtually BEG to hear any stories involving fighting orcs and goblins and the like. He views himself as “The Big Hero to Be” and would love the taste of adventure. The two families are out for a bite to eat and to get together to chat. (With the hopes that Dorienson and Zayle will want to see more of each other). They survived the siege on Gensal by coming here to the tavern and fighting for it tooth and nail. They found it odd that the Iuzians, for the most part, ignored slaughtering the village and hammered so heavily on the fort. � Dorien: male human Com 3 � Wheata: female human Com 2 � Dorienson: male human Com 1 � Tobius: Male human Com 2 � Marta: female human Com1/Ftr 1 � Zayle: female human Com 1 Other than what is mentioned above, the party can use Gather Information. Soldiers of the Standing Army will have a +2 circumstance modifier because the locals appreciate all they have done. DC 15 � There is a band of ogres still in the area, under the sword of a particularly nasty one named Gristletooth. � The Iuzians hammered the fortress unmercifully. There appeared to be virtually no survivors. � The army (reinforcements) is currently about a mile out of town, to the east, working on a new set of border forts. � The only other building in town that survived more or less intact was the fortress to Fortubo. � Nobody goes into the ruins of the keep. The keep is haunted by the spirits of all the soldiers who died there. DC 20 � Gristletooth has a magic sword, named “Hate” that seems to cut down all foes for him. � They have overheard that the plan is to build a series of forts further out from Gensal, and try to have a more mobile command to react to the Iuzian armies. After that is established, they will be working on rebuilding the fort. � There are strange lights that started appearing in the ruins of the keep. Also, a cart loaded with supplies was left near the ruins and the next morning it was empty! Nobody is willing to investigate. After all, it could be the spirits of dea-d soldiers… DC 25 � A survivor of a merchant band attacked by Gristletooth said the ogre was very large and the sword was black as midnight. She thought the ogre was probably headed towards Torkeep. � The Knight Barronette survived the attack on Gensal, but suffered from grievous wounds. She was sent back to Critwall for healing. � After the attack, the Iuzians marched towards Critwall, but then, merely two days later, marched back out. They seemed to be in a state of confusion. None of them noticed the few survivors in Gensal and marched right on by, as if they were not there… Staying in the tavern for the night gets the party common floor space (although warm). The Shrine of Fortubo This structure is set 200 yards south west of the Jousting Mug, beyond the main wreckage of the town. It is a newer structure set into the side of a hill about 40 feet across. The outside of the structure is not much more than a set of stone blocks on either side of a dug out entrance into the hill. The blocks are crossed by an additional stone block about 10’ wide and 2’ high. All of The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 6 the blocks have tiny carvings related to the worship of Fortubo, as well as prayers for those have ‘gone to earth’ (died) (Fortubo is a lesser deity of mining worshipped typically by humans, although occasionally by dwarves.). Inside the hill is a hollowed out 20’ by 20’ area big enough for only a handful of worshippers. It looks largely unfinished. Outside of the Shrine is a crude shed, built literally of wreckage of other shacks. It is only 10’ by 10’ and a curl of smoke comes from its roof. Inside is a female, possibly in her mid 40’s with graying short brown hair and dangerously bright brown eyes, dressed in white with black and red trim, a flaming hammer of Fortubo sewn into her shirt. She has very few possessions in here: a sleeping bag, a backpack with a few changes of clothes, and some food supplies. A camp fire is set in the center of the room, its smoke rising through a hole in the roof of the shack. She is “Mother” Garla Gravelstone. “Mother” is her rank in the church. She has been here about six months, having been drawn by word of the shrine being erected here. Previously, she lived in Tent Town near Critwall and worked as a potter. She follows Fortubo because he seems very down to earth (literally) and does not seem to be involved in the weighty politics like the other local churches do. Further, she is drawn to the aspect of this local branch of the church which seems to venerate the wisdom of one’s ancestors (some members go so far as to carry a bone or skull of a loved ancestor with them). Upon questioning, she can relay the following: � The village of Gensal was completely obliterated by the invading army. � She and a few defenders rallied here at the shrine, shooting missiles from the entry way. � When the Iuzians started to come this way, she used magic to shape the stones into a covering. Those she saved now farm the outer regions, having decided to stay on. � The Iuzians seemed to be driven by some force, more than merely their commanders. They seemed to overly focus on destroying the keep itself as opposed to setting up any kind of a supply base or anything else that might have aided them long term. � There have been a number of shady explorer/adventurer types in the region as of late. They always check out the ruins of Gensal but none go in. There was one who had a strong accent (possibly from Dyvers…). � She will act as a source of healing for the party (at standard prices) for spells of level two or lower. � “Mother” Garla Gravelstone: female human Clr 3. Encounter Two: Air The Surface The party can investigate the ruins day or night. The only difference is the effect that a lack of lighting would have. During the first night (the night the party arrives), the sky is overcast. During the second night, the sky is partly cloudy with both moons visible (but neither full). Read or paraphrase the following to the party. The ruins of Gensal: a picture of complete destruction. The mighty outer walls are smashed, almost as if a gigantic child was tired of its toy. The inside of the ground is littered with rubble, broken weapons and scraps of armor. Where there were once smal build ngs and shops around the perimeter, there are now only heaps of stones and busted timbers. l i As to the central keep, itself, there is only the vaguest hint of stone walls surrounding a crater. One can only imagine the destructive force necessary to completely destroy such a building, and then to realize the armies of Iuz wields such power… It is amazing that Torkeep and South Keep survived the most recent assault. The party can spend as much time as they want searching through the rubble. They can find any number of busted weapons, armor scraps, etc., from just about anything in the Player’s Handbook off the weapons and armor table. To make any of these items usable would require magic, such as mending spells or the like. Doing so will add 1 TU to the party’s time spent here digging up such treasures and restoring them. Also, the party will then receive (automatically), the maximum treasure for their APL, regardless of any other activity. All of the area around here is severely obstructed terrain (See Tumble, page 84 of the PHB). Unless a character states they are moving cautiously, have that character make a climb check, DC 10. Failure means they have twisted their ankle. Treat this as a wound from a caltrop (player moves at ½ speed for next 24 hours unless they receive a Heal check DC 15 or at least 1 point of magical curing). The central keep is a complete loss. Rubble is everywhere, mixed with the debris of civilization: an iron cup lies smashed here, a burned map (now useless) is buried there, etc. Feel free to describe all manner of destroyed trinkets if the party insists on being archeologists. However, a party member with Knowledge The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 7 (Dungeoneering) or Knowledge (Architecture), or Stonecunning may make a check after 10 minutes of studying the region, DC 25, to reveal the keep looks more like it was exploded from within, rather than pounded from without. There is actually a lack of rubble in the central chamber, and instead there is a pit approximately 250’ across by 100’ wide. It is about 30’ deep to the lower floor area. See Map 1. This is the wreckage of the basement area of the keep. Players who played in SHL01-11, The Invisible Hand, may remember there was a set of ruins beneath the castle. Players may also attempt to use the Track feat. In such a case, a Survival check DC 28 (20 for Hard Surface + 2 for each 24 hours since the tracks were made +8 for 8 hours rain – 2 for tracking up to six creatures) will reveal that some of the rubble appears to be scraped, perhaps by the metal nails on the bottom of boots, and there is the occasional gnawed on rat carcass lying about. The amount of marks is consistent with a half-dozen or so humanoids moving in or about the region within the last week. If any of the party members has the favor “A Kiss from Trys” from SHL05-01, A Dirty Little Job, then Trys will be found sitting on the edge of the ruin, crying. If in fact MULTIPLE players have the favor AND the party members are not of the same sex, then BOTH Trys’ will be here (with the additional explanation they are brother and sister). Each Trys will ONLY end up flirting with one character in the party. Thus, if there are three players at the table running 2 female characters and 1 male character, each with “A Kiss from Trys”, then the female Trys will automatically flirt with the male character, while the male Trys will only flirt with one (chosen at random – such is the ways of fate) of the female characters. Trys should be run as competent. That said, Trys is interested in discovering if the spark of love has a chance to ignite. Trys will be a bit on the flirtatious side, but nothing too over the top. In the previous adventure, Trys was drawn to the something positive about the character (their character class, high strength, etc.). In this adventure, Trys will instead find a way to compliment them on something they would not normally be complimented on (“you are so gentle for a fighter” for example) Trys is a sorcerer from the Far East (Trys most recently spent time honing his/her skills in Eastfair in the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy). However, Trys does not like to reveal any of his/her background, at least at this time. Characters who are able to use skills or magic to learn more about Trys’ background will only get that Trys is Blakunish, a sorcerer, is exploring the area (but is being paid by an unrevealed employer for anything learned), and is, genuinely, interested in a member of the party. Description of Trysta: She is a young woman dressed in black, from her pointed wide-brimmed hat, down to her thigh-high leather boots. Her olive skin and dark hair set off her equally dark eyes. She is holding a broom and a black cat sits nearby, lazily licking at a paw. Description of Trystim: He is a young man dressed in black, from his pointed wide-brimmed hat, down to his sturdy leather boots. His olive skin and dark hair set off his equally dark eyes. He is holding a quarterstaff while a black cat sits nearby, on a hand woven carpet. Read or paraphrase the following to the party (making sure to modify it appropriately if brother and sister Trys are present): As you cross the rubble filled ruins, you can see a person sitting on the remnants of what used to be a wal . (he/she) s looking pensively into the pit, and is gripping the wall so tightly that (his/her) knuckles are turning white. l i ! You recognize this as none other than Trys, whom you last saw in Bright Sentry. (he/she) turns to you flashes you a big grin “Oh Well this is unexpected. What a pleasure to bump into a friendly face. Oh, I’m being the imperfect (host/hostess): Welcome to Gensal!” Trys will interact with the party as politely as the party will interact with Trys. Trys will especially be interested in interacting with party members who have previously caught his/her favor. After all interaction is completed (see below), and if the subject has not been broached by such a party member, Trys will ask if the party member would be interested in meeting for a bite to eat in two weeks time in Critwall ‘between your duties and adventures, of course…” If the player agrees (or suggests something similar) they get the favor on the AR “A lunch with Trys”. Players who have the Hatred of Try will have some explaining to do as Trys suddenly recognizes them as those insufferable meddlers. If they can change Trys’ reaction from Unfriendly to Indifferent (Diplomacy DC 15), then Trys will perk up and become friendly. Otherwise, Trys will become quite cross with that person/persons and refuse to deal with them any further (This would eliminate any favors such a player may have). It is very possible for Trys to like one player (who has the favor) and hate another in the party (who has his/her hatred). Trys reveals the following information based on polite conversation: � He/she is here because he/she is looking for acquaintance) friend that was lost during the The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 8 siege (his/her father, actually, which can only be revealed via magic or similar. Absent this Trys will NOT voluntarily reveal this information). � If asked if the acquaintance was a soldier here, Trys will answer no, and say they were here at the fort on business. � If asked specifically if the acquaintance was a member of the Shield Lands, Trys will shake his/her head sadly and say “no, just here at the wrong time, I’m afraid”. � He/she will NOT reveal more about her acquaintance or why that person was here. � He/she will state it is amazing the amount of devastation that occurred here and that it is clear nothing survived. � He/she will state he/she has spent all the time he/she can here and must be off on other matters (again, magic can reveal he/she is thinking about a job to survey the Shield Lands by an employer – but he/she will NOT be thinking about who that employer is). � If asked if he/she saw anyone in the ruins, he/she will say no, but it looked like someone WAS here and will point to some burned out torches in the bottom of the pit. When finished speaking to the party, Trys will get on her broom/his flying carpet, blow a kiss to the party member if they have set up a lunch date and say something along the lines of “until next time”. Then he/she will fly off to the south. If party members INSIST on following Trys, Trys will fly straight off to Critwall, camping over night once, and thence continue in to stay at Dewey’s Tavern. Spying on Trys in such a fashion will lose any favors of Trys that player might have (although Trys will at first try to warn off the character that ‘now is not the time for this’ if Trys can spot or see the character. The Pit The pit edge drops about 30’ to the new surface. Those with stonecunning or with Knowledge (Dungeoneering) or Knowledge (Architecture) will, upon being lowered into the pit, clearly see the devastation is centered from within, even if they did not see it before. There are no signs of fire or the like and there are no signs of explosions per se (other than the walls were blasted apart) such as scorch marks. While there is nothing too tricky about getting lowered into the pit, it may prove a bit of a challenge for animal companions and the like. The pit is edged with an overlapping lip, so there is no place to actually repel against. Treat it as an “overhang with handholds but no footholds” for Climb checks (DC 25). Upon reaching the bottom, players will note the ground is handworked stone (as much as survived). There are bits and pieces of statuary mixed in with the rubble, but there is not enough left for identification. In the north east wall, there is a 15’ wide section of wall mostly covered with rubble that fell back into the pit. A Search check DC 15 will reveal there is something odd about the rubble. Looking behind it will reveal a startling site. Read or paraphrase the following to the party: Behind the rubble is a strange sight: A room about 15 feet on a side is filled with what appears to be statues of three axe wielding warriors fighting some fiends of an indescribable sort. Between the knights and fiends lies another figure. All of these figures appear as if they are trapped in yellow amber, obscuring their features from complete identification. The armor of the knights is quite old and the figures wear full helms. The figure on the ground s in ful robes, and is possibly a wizard or scholar due to the robes worn. The fiends seem to be a flurry of claws, horns, and teeth. i l Appropriate Knowledge skills may reveal additional information: � Arcana DC 25 The amber is not a magical effect, as in a spell, but it may be alchemical in nature. � History DC 20 The warriors are dressed in ancient (400+ year old) armor associated with the Knights of Holy Shielding from that time period. � History DC 20 Gensal is thought to be only 300 to 400 years old. � Local (Iuz Metaregion) DC 30 The warriors are dressed in ancient (400+ year old) armor associated with the Knights of Holy Shielding from that time period. (Yes, it is tougher to make this skill check than it is for a person schooled in history) � Nobility and Royalty DC 25 The warriors are dressed in ancient (400+ year old) armor associated with the Knights of Holy Shielding from that time period. (Yes, it is tougher to make this skill check than it is for a person schooled in history) � Planes DC 20 The fiends appear to be similar to many of the demonic types. It is impossible to determine exactly which as they are stuck in the midst of shape changing into their demonic forms. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 9 There is nothing more to learn at this site, and the party would not have any magic that can free anyone from the amber. This odd effect first appeared in SHL01-11 the Invisible Hand. What it portends for the future of the Shield Lands is not revealed at this time. However, after the party explores the under ruins (or at least 6 hours has gone by), a Spot check DC 30 will reveal that the figures appear to have moved ever so slightly. Finally, a Search check DC 25 will reveal that the amber effect may have pulled back over time. Lying under the rubble, as if they had finally fallen free of the trapped room, are three silver strings. These are the Strings of the Three Fingered Bard (see the Adventure Record for more information). It will not require a person with the tracking skill to determine the pit has been recently used by others. Lying against the walls are a number of very long ladders, such as those used in a siege (40’ long) as well as remnants of a campfire. This is in addition to the burned out torches visible from the upper rim of the pit. Finally, in the North West corner of the room, there is a crevasse in the earth. It is not visible from the upper rim, and unless the party is actively looking for it (they search the pit) it will not be noticed. However, even a cursory search will reveal it. Investigating the ruins reveals a five-foot wide crack in the wall. It goes to a chamber five foot wide, and on the opposite side is a rift leading deeper into the earth. Treasure: APL All: strings of the three-fingered bard (regional, Adventure Record, 275 gp) Encounter 3: Earth Note: all of the doors in this dungeon, except for the door to room 6, are exceptionally thick and are locked with an incredibly cunning set of locks. All such doors have the following traits: � Stone Doors: 2 in. thick; hardness 15; hp 25; AC 5; Break DC 35, Open Locks DC 40. The door to room 6 is identical to those above except it not locked but is stuck and requires a Strength check DC 20 in order to push it open. Once is it pushed past the sticking point (which takes one round), it swivels easily open. Read or paraphrase the following: The chamber in front of the party is a narrow, twisting rift in the earth. It is as if the gods had dug into the ground and pul ed the bedrock apart. The rift is about five feet wide and descends rapidly into the darkness beyond. l i f i The party can traverse the chasm down 100’ to the subterranean area. The chasm is hard bedrock and is very rocky. There appears no signs of anyone being here (although a character with Tracking may make a Survival Check DC 28) to discover minute traces of recent travel (scrapes in the stone where metal brushed against it). The chasm opens up into a 30’ by 30’ chamber. The ceiling stretches far into the overhead darkness (nearly 60’). 1. The Black Door Read or paraphrase the following: Into the wall across from the chasm appears a set of double doors made from cold iron. It is 15’ tall and each section of the door is 5’ wide. The doors contain a h deous relief molded in o a fanged skull. Where the two doors meet, the skull appears solid, as if the skull were set on top of it, instead of molded from it. The jaws of the skull appear red. Sticking to the metal teeth is something that looks like blood… It is, in fact, blood that is nearly dry (it is sticky to the touch). The orc band had spent some time trying to figure out how to get the door open. Finally, yesterday, one of them had stuck its hand into the skull’s mouth to try and twist the teeth, thinking that may open it. Instead, the skull snapped down, biting off the orc’s hand. The skull itself, if the party checks, will swivel on an unseen hinge. To get the proper leverage, the party needs to grab the spikey teeth and twist the skull. It will then swivel, allowing the doors to open. Since there is already blood on the skull’s teeth, it will not bite down on anyone’s hand. Note that it will NOT swivel back down on its own. Clever players may wonder, then, what caused it to swivel back down… 2. The Entry Chamber Read or paraphrase the following: The chamber behind the door is a 35’ by 35’ room carved from the stone itself. A wrought-iron candelabrum hangs dark and silent from the ceiling. Dusty piles of cloth, wood and metal outl ne where a number of chairs must have sat, and possibly a table as well. A door way sits in both of the two walls: one to the right and one to the west. On the far wall is a fireplace, choked with rubble. In the midst of this wreckage lies the body of an orc, hacked to death in a The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 10 manner most grim. A trail of blood leads to the left, through the doorway… i il t lit In this room, guests of the alchemist (few and very far between) were made comfortable while they waited his arrival. More than often, he used it as a reading room. The candelabrum is rusty and of no special quality. The wreckage of the various bits of furniture hides nothing special. The fireplace has been filled with rubble for centuries and is filled nearly solid with stone and dirt. The orc was slain by the undead in room 3. The Track feat can be used to determine there is a lot more blood in this room, leading to room three, than would have come from just one orc… (Survival DC 15). The hallway to room 3 and 4 are shaped stone, 10’ wide and 10’ tall. 3. The Room of Blood Read or paraphrase the following to the party as they approach this room: The stone door to this room, five feet wide and eight feet tall, sits dead center at the end of the hall. It is carved from top to bottom with figures in a process of change ~ a cat becoming a wolf, a fish becoming a man, a mouse becoming a dragon, (and more!) and then, cyclically, the carvings show the figures changing back to their original form. One of the figures, located dead center, should be that of a skull (having changed from a man and back again). However, the skull appears to be missing. On the ground in front of the door l e broken bits of stone. The door stands ever so slightly ajar… The trail of blood from the entry chamber leads within. The door is very heavy and requires a Strength Check (DC 15) to open it. This is not intended as much as impediment as it is to set the mood of a big heavy door, more or less unopened for centuries. That said, how the party gets around this affects the tactics of the monsters in this room. None the less, the door will make a horrible scraping sound as it pushes in. The rubble itself appears as if it could be pierced together to form a stone skull, roughly of the size and shape of the hole in the door. Once inside, read or paraphrase the following to the intrepid band of adventurers (presuming an adequate light source): The chamber before you is 25’ wide and 40’ long. A heavy scent of copper hits your senses before anything else. Hanging from five (out of six) v e con raptions in the ceiling are five orcs. The orcs are dead, but horribly so. The contraptions have erally squeezed all of the blood from the orcs, draining them into vats beneath them. Rising from the vats are bloody human shapes, their dark eyes flashing at you greedily. Horrible symbols carved into their bodies. Also in the room, on the far side, is a door, again with elaborate carvings. This time, the carvings are all of moons. The two moons of Oerth are shown in every possible combination: waxing, waning, eclipsed, etc. There is a crescent moon missing in the center of the door. If the party checks, the door with the skull in it has a clear handle from the inside, allowing those within to easily open it. APL 2 (EL 2) � Ghouls (2): hp 13 each; see Monster Manual page 119. APL 4 (EL 4) � Ghouls (4): hp 19 each; see Monster Manual page 119. APL 6 (EL 6) � Ghasts (3): hp 29 each; see Monster Manual page 119. APL 8 (EL 10) � Ghasts (6): hp 36 each; see Monster Manual page 119. Tactics: The first monster (Ghoul or Ghast) at each APL is wearing a suit of Masterwork Dragonhide Half-Plate armor. This increases its AC by +7 and reduces its movement to 15’/round. Unless the party had somehow silenced the opening of the door, the undead will NOT be surprised. If the party took more than a single round to break in, the undead will have taken a round of initiative to set their initiative scores to 20 (22 with their bonus). The undead will rush forward to attack whoever they can. If they paralyze a victim they will then move on to the next. The exception is elves (and half-elves) who they will not attack until the very end. As a special note: If a player is a member of the Sidhee Nation Shield Lands Meta-organization, they will find themselves filled with an unnatural loathing for these creatures. This is because the symbols carved into their bodies are actually in a derivative of the ancient Sidhee Language (and an abomination to be used in such a grisly manner). As a result, such characters will get a +1 Morale Bonus to hit, damage and wound these creatures. Treasure: APL All: Dragonhide Masterwork Half Plate (Adventure; DMG; 1500 gp) This room has no trinkets or treasures that are readily seen. There are two items to find in the room. First, one of the undead had been wearing a silver amulet (it is shaped like a crescent moon with unusual Sidhee The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 11 symbols etched into it) of no real value (only about 6 gp). It slipped off in one of the vats. It would require a search check (DC 25) to locate it in the bottom of the vat, unless the vat is otherwise drained. The amulet DOES have value to the Sidhee nation, as it belonged to one of their warriors, an elf named Elz’hara. Elz’hara was lost centuries ago with no word of what became of him. Bringing this to the Sidhee will allow a player to either: learn the Sidhee language (and join the Sidhee nation if an elf), or learn a special feat. See “Favor of the Sidhee” on the Adventure Record. Second, and perhaps more importantly, is a stone the size of a man’s hand, shaped from granite into a nine- pointed star. It is hidden just inside the door inside a secret door. The alchemist hid some of his notes here and kept the key (the stone) with it. The secret door is DC 25 to locate and opens a 3’ by 3’ chamber, filled with dust. In the dust is the stone key. It opens room 4. 4. Room of Dust and Lies The hallway to this room is dusty with no signs of any activity. The end of the hall ends in a carved stone door. The carvings are of various constellations, revolving around a central star. A Knowledge (Nature) check (DC 20) will reveal there is a theme: the carvings are set up to tell the changing of one season into the next based on the various constellations visible around the star. The central star is missing. Using the star shaped stone key from Room 3 allows the door to unlock. The door is in excellent shape and easily (and quietly) pushes in. The room should be described to the party as follows: This dusty room’s purpose is lost to the ages. Was it a shrine? The many bas-relief sculptures of horrible creatures, some with wings, some with fangs, all deadly looking, would lead one to bel eve so. Was t some sort of room for working on statuary? The ground, being littered with bits of marble and white stone dust lend truth to such a theory. In any event, it is now empty. i i The room is, on its face, empty. However, some of the bas relief carvings are actually monsters. When the party enters, the monsters will break free of their wall fixtures and attack. APL 2 (EL 4) � Animated Object (Medium) (2): hp 31 each; see Monster Manual page 13. APL 4 (EL 6) � Gargoyles (2): hp 37 each; see Monster Manual page 113. APL 6 (EL 8) � Gargoyles (4): hp 37 each; see Monster Manual page 113. APL 8 (EL 10) � Gargoyles (8): hp 49 each; see Monster Manual page 113. Tactics: Please note: at APL 2, the animated objects are statues in the shape of gargoyles. Their stone exterior has crumbled with age giving them a hardness of only 4, instead of the normal 8. These ageless monsters were bound here centuries ago by the iron will of the alchemist. They have served as mute watchers to the silent boring centuries waiting to serve out their last command: Guard the key to the door to room 5. The alchemist used to feed the gargoyles the occasional failed experiment or slave, and now they are ravenous, having not been fed for centuries, and will attack without mercy, targeting those without hard shiny metal skins first (armor), regardless of whether this is actually a good idea or not. The animated objects will just mindlessly attack the closest character. Treasure: In one of the recesses of their alcoves is crescent shaped piece of stone. It is the key to room 5. 5. The Hall to Nowhere The door from room 3 opens into a hallway that runs immediately to the left then travels 35’ before turning sharply left. When the last square (before the turn) is stepped on, a pressure plate falls away and the corridor tilts down sharply on a pivot. The high end is the far end by the sharp turn. The end that drops is actually just before room 3 (see the map). The pit drops down to a pit filled with spikes. Originally, this trap would reset. However, time has ruined it and now once the pit has been triggered, it stays open. Characters on the corridor when it tilts might not slide down the ramp. First, they may make a Balance Check (DC 20) to brace themselves in some manner. If that fails, they slide at great speed down to the end of the ramp. At the end, they may make a Reflex save (DC 20) in order to grab the lip of the pit and avoid a nasty fall 20’ to the spikes below. APL 2-8 (EL 2) � Spiked Pit Trap: CR 2; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset; DC 20 Balance Check or DC 20 Reflex save avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6 fall); multiple targets (anyone on the corridor area when triggered); pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spkes per target for 1d4+2 damage each); Search DC 20, Disable Device DC 15. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 12 Development: How the alchemist ever used such an entrance to his lair in any feasible manner is a mystery (although a healthy supply of potions of gaseous form is suspected). In the base of the pit is a door. This leads to the last room of the dungeon, room 6. This door at first has no symbols on it. However, when pulled open, the stone door will open to a copper door immediately behind it. The copper door, when opened, will reveal a rotted wooden door, so brittle that it cannot be opened, but merely falls apart at the slightest touch. Behind the three doors is a short corridor. 6. Chamber of the Master This room is behind a door at the end of a short corridor. The door to this room is stuck and requires a Strength check DC 20 in order to push it open. Once is it pushed past the sticking point (which takes one round), it swivels easily open. � Stone Door: 2 in. thick; hardness 15; hp 25; AC 5; Break DC 35, Open Locks DC 40. Behind the door is a massive room with a vaulted ceiling. A variant of continual flame keeps the ceiling tiles lit. They are covered with bright, cathedral like, stained glass paintings. The paintings are all of horrible changes: People changing to beasts and beasts to people, plants into animals and vice-versa, demons into men and women and back again. Overall: very unpleasant. The room itself is void of nearly all furnishings, all having turned to dust, except for three features: First, there is an iron bird cage hanging from the ceiling. Inside of it is a bird skeleton. It flops around harmless inside and its beak opens in an attempt to make squawking noises. This is a 1 hp animal skeleton included only for atmosphere and roleplaying purposes. The party can easily kill it and it is not intended to have any combat purpose. Second, there is a massive chair, built of metal and vials and glass tubing and wires and sparkly bits and, well, it’s very chaotic. One could possibly describe it as an electric chair designed by the truly insane. There are clamps for legs and arms, as well as weird copper crown hooked by a spring dangling from bony-looking arm. Sitting in the chair is a skeletal being (the alchemist – or what’s left of him). NOTE: At APL 8, in the 10 ft. by 10 ft. section in front of the deathlock, there floor is littered with a vast number of slightly larger than normal caltrops, each of which bears a sickly green stain on its points (actually a silent image). Finally, there is a stone pedestal, not far from the chair. It is carved in an intertwining mass of creatures, each mutating into the one adjacent to it. On top of the pedestal is a massive book, black as sin and bound with brass. It is the Book of Dark Alchemy. Upon entering, the creature in the chair will turn and look at the party, then rise and attack to defend its lair. APL 2 (EL 4) � The Alchemist (Deathlock, 1 st level wizard): hp 26. See the Appendix. APL 4 (EL 6) � The Alchemist (Deathlock, 3 rd level wizard): hps 40. See the Appendix. APL 6 (EL 8) � The Alchemist (Deathlock, 5 th level wizard): hps 54. See the Appendix. APL 8 (EL 10) � The Alchemist (Deathlock, 7 th level wizard): hps 68. See the Appendix. Tactics: It is important to note that the alchemist was turned into this undead abomination by the very chair he is sitting in. It was his greatest invention. He used it to convert his other abilities into intelligence, literally draining himself to increase his brilliance. Unfortunately, he went too far and drained himself of all of his constitution, converting him to an undead. Over time, his converted intelligence faded, leaving him with mere whispers of his former power. Being drained in such a fashion has made him lose much of his knowledge. At all levels, the alchemist is unaware of the passage of time, having been trapped in an endless hatred over his own failure. He will use that hatred against the party to slay as many of the intruders as possible. At APL 2, the alchemist will not use its ghoul glyph. At APL 4 and 6, it will have placed three ghoul glyphs (See the map). At APL 8, the alchemist will also have placed a silent image spell of a 10 ft. by 10 ft. area filled with unusually large caltrops. The tips of the caltrops are covered with a vile sticky green substance. If interacted with and a player fails their Will save, the caltrops act as normal. However, make an affected character roll Fortitude saves for the green substance (which has no effect). If the party took more than one round to push open the door the Alchemist will also prepare other spells. At APL 2, the alchemist will not leave its lair. Thus the party can go get healed at the temple of Fortubo and then come back, better prepared, to slaughter it. At all other APLS, the Lich will pursue victims to the very end. At APL 4 and higher, the Alchemist’s magic missile spells are all heightened. At APL 8, the Alchemist saves its dimension door spell to use in case it gets grappled or needs to cut off an escape. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 13 Treasure: At APL 2, the Alchemist has nothing. At APL 4-8 he is wearing a ring. At APL 4, the ring is worth 1,200 gp (200 gp to each character when sold) and at APL 6, the ring is worth 2400 gp (400 gp to each character when sold). However, at APL 8, the ring is a true treasure. It is a ring of wizardry I, however its magic has faded, making it a valuable trinket in its condition (worth 5100 gp or 850 gp to each character when sold). It can be repaired, however, and a player could buy it (the cost works out to buying one new, repairing it works out to being the cost of crafting it – and requires the skill to do it as well). APL 2 none APL 4 silver ring 200 gp APL 6 silver ring with ruby inset 400 gp APL 8 faded ring of wizardry 850 gp Also, there is a stone brick near the chair. It appears to have no value, although there is a hole drilled through it, perfectly. It radiates strong enchantment magic. Development: The Horrible Chair: This is the Alchemists SECOND greatest invention. It twists and alters its user’s abilities. It has one use left. It radiates strong transmutation magic. There has been MUCH foreshadowing that the alchemist was into changing thing (the carvings on the various doors). Further, the undead thing was sitting in the blasted chair! Nonetheless, if a player sits in the chair, they may make a Fortitude Save (DC 20) to avoid its affects (or may choose to voluntarily allow the magic to take affect). Roll 1D6: 1 being strength, 2 being dexterity and so on. Reduce that score by 2. Roll 1D6 again. Increase that score by 2. IF DOUBLE ARE ROLLED (the same score rolled twice) the player wins! Increase that score by 2 with no reduction. 4D12 hours after a player has been affected by the machine, the effects fade away returning the player’s ability scores to normal. The machine crumbles to worthless junk and dust, beyond the repair of any magics available short of a full wish or miracle. If not used, it will fall apart from the disturbance within 24 hours in any event. The Book of Dark Alchemy: This is the Alchemists GREATEST invention. Holding it bestows a negative level on anyone who is not evil. Players were advised in the introduction the book is incredibly evil. It radiates both evil and magic at the highest of levels. Studying its blasphemous writings will shift the alignment of the reader one step towards chaotic and evil in this manner: Original Alignment New Alignment Lawful Good Lawful Neutral Lawful Neutral Neutral Neutral Good Neutral Neutral Chaotic Neutral Chaotic Good Chaotic Neutral Chaotic Neutral Chaotic Evil The Will DC to resist this effect is DC 20. In addition to acting as the Alchemist’s spell book (containing the following spells: 0—[detect magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue)]; 1st—[color spray, ray of enfeeblement, shield, silent image] 2 nd- [ghoul touch, glitter dust, mirror image, scorching ray] 3 rd – [blink, lightning bolt, vampiric touch] 4 th- [dimension door], the book also bestows foul, alchemical secrets upon its reader. Upon successfully reading its foul secrets (which takes 4 TU and costs 400 gp in materials) the reader gains the following ability: When attempting a Craft (alchemy) skill check, the character may make an Intelligence check (DC 10) to remember some insight from this tome. This insight gives the character a +3 circumstance bonus to their Craft (Alchemy) check. Further, any potions a character who has read the book makes last 20% longer (where appropriate), than a normal potion. However, the user will develop a strong paranoia that others want their secrets. This results in a -2 penalty on all Diplomacy checks. Conclusion The party can go back to Critwall with the book. On the way, they may decide to stop at the Jousting Mug or the Shrine and report the lights were undoubtedly from the Iuzians, who are now dead. Upon their return to Critwall, the party should take the book to the Church of Holy Shielding or the Arcanist’s Society. The authorities will thank the party for their actions and let any party members who want to study the book to do so. As to the mysterious stone brick recovered from the Alchemist’s Lair, further study of it reveals it to be dwarven in origin. The party will be contacted by a representative of Lord Bladehome (the dwarven member of the Council of Lords), asking if it can be inspected. If the party agrees, the dwarven lord will return a note to the party offering access to a few magic trinkets in exchange for it (See Items for the Adventure Record, below). He will reveal in the note that is a partly constructed head to a dwarven weapon of some sort. It is possible that ages ago, the stone was brought by dwarves to the alchemist for enchanting, but beyond that he would have no idea what it was doing in the lair of the Alchemist. Finally, anyone in the party who participated in SHL5-01 will receive a note from Simen Sharn, the future Lord of Bright Sentry. It will read as follows: The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 14 A quick note to thank you again for your assistance. As long as you are on the main land, I thought I would ask you to keep an eye out. My guardian left for Critwall after spending a week here. He was VERY angry about something. It fe as though he was upset that I survived being captured by goblins! Can you imagine that! Wel , I just thought you should know since you were the instrument of my salvation… Appreciatively yours, S. Sharn. lt l l i l l The adventure ends with the party being thanked again by the Church and Arcanists for their work: The thank you from the Church and Arcanists seems almost hol ow, somehow. Certainly, you did find the Book of Dark Alchemy, but such a foul dev ce seems oddly suited to help the Shield Lands defeat the p ague. Anyways, there are still MORE relics to find if the p ague is to be defeated. This means the cure will not be happening soon, and every day without a cure means a day more Shield Landers suffer the wrath of Iuz. You can only hope the other pieces are found quickly, and that a cure is achieved. The End Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter Three – Room 3 Kill the monsters APL2 60 xp APL4 120 xp APL6 180 xp APL8 240 xp Encounter Three – Room 4 Kill the monsters APL2 120 xp APL4 180 xp APL6 240 xp APL8 300 xp Encounter Three – Room 5 Avoid the Trap APL2 60 xp APL4 60 xp APL6 60 xp APL8 60 xp Encounter Three – Room 6 Defeat the Alchemist APL2 120 xp APL4 180 xp APL6 240 xp APL8 300 xp Story Award Retrieve the Book: APL2 45 xp APL4 63 xp APL6 90 xp APL8 113 xp Discretionary roleplaying award APL2 45 xp APL4 62 xp APL6 90 xp APL8 112 xp Total possible experience: APL2 400 xp APL4 600 xp APL6 800 xp APL8 1250 xp Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 15 Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. Encounter Two APL All: M - 275 gp strings of the three-fingered bard. Encounter Three – Room 3 APL All: M - 125 gp masterwork dragonhide half- plate armor. Encounter Three – Room 6 APL 4: C - 200 gp APL 6: C - 400 gp APL 8: M – 850 gp faded ring of wizardry. Total Possible Treasure APL 2: M: 400 gp - Total: 400 gp APL 4: C: 200 gp; M: 400 gp - Total: 600 gp APL 6: C: 400 gp; M: 400 gp - Total: 800 gp APL 8: M: 1250 gp – Total 1250 gp Special Well-worked Stone: This stone is carved by true masters of the art. Further, it has received special enchantments. What does it do? Who knows! But if you want it you will have to pay. If you want Regional access to this item, you must have your Dungeon Master cross out access to the wand of magic missiles (5 th) and the pink and green sphere ioun stone. Price 5,000 gp. Strings of the Three-Fingered Bard: These silver mystic strings, when attached to a masterwork stringed musical instrument, such as a lute, allow a possessor with bardic music as a class ability to create certain magical effects. As a full round action, its user can produce tasha’s hideous laughter twice per day, and joyful noise (Complete Adventurer) once per day. Faint enchantment; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, tasha’s hideous laughter, joyful noise; Price 4.800 gp. Items for the Adventure Record Lunch with Trys: You managed to get a lunch date with Trys. You are quite the sly dog! Well-worked Stone: This stone is carved by true masters of the art. Further, it has received special enchantments. What does it do? Who knows! But if you want it you will have to pay. If you want Regional access to this item, you must have your Dungeon Master cross out access to the wand of magic missiles (5 th level) and the pink and green sphere ioun stone. Price 5,000 gp. Favor of the Sidhee: You return the amulet of Elz’hara to the Sidhee nation. This takes 1 TU. In exchange, you receive access to the Sidhee language (you must spend the skill points necessary to learn the language) and are then able to join the Sidhee meta-organization. You do not need to be an elf to use this favor but you may not be a dwarf or a half-orc. Strings of the Three-Fingered Bard: These silver mystic strings, when attached to a masterwork stringed musical instrument, such as a lute, allow a possessor with bardic music as a class ability to create certain magical effects. As a full round action, its user can produce tasha’s hideous laughter twice per day, and joyful noise (Complete Adventurer) once per day. Faint enchantment; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, tasha’s hideous laughter, joyful noise; Price 4.800 gp. Student of Dark Alchemy. You have successfully read the Book of Dark Alchemy and deciphered its foul secrets (which takes 4 TU and costs 400 gp in materials). Your alignment is now __________________. The book has bestowed foul, alchemical secrets upon you. When attempting a Craft (alchemy) skill check, you may make an Intelligence check (DC 10) to remember some insight from this tome. This insight gives you a +3 circumstance bonus to your Craft (alchemy) check. Further, any potions you create have a 5% chance of being affected as though they had the Extend Spell feat (roll percentile dice at the time of potion use). However, you have developed a strong paranoia that others want your secrets. This results in a -2 circumstance penalty on all Diplomacy checks. Item Access APL 2: • Adamantine heavy pick (Adventure, DMG) • Dragonhide half plate (Adventure, DMG) • Strings of the three-fingered bard (Regional, see above) • Well worked stone (regional; 5,000 gp) APL 4 (all of APL 2 plus the following): • Wand of magic missiles (5 th level) (Adventure, DMG) The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 16 APL 6 (all of APLs 2-4 plus the following): • Pink and green sphere ioun stone (Adventure, DMG) APL 8 (all of APLs 2-6 plus the following): • Ring of wizardry I (Regional, DMG) The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 17 Appendix One – APL 2 Encounter Three. 6 The Alchemist (Deathlock, 1st level Human Wizard): CR 4; Medium Undead; HD 4d12; hp 26; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11; Base Atk/Grp: +1/+1; Atk +1 melee (1d4 bite); Full Atk +1 melee (1d4 bite); Space/Reach: 5ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance; AL NE; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 11, Dex 12, Con -, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Craft (alchemy) +6; Concentration +6, Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Listen +9, Spellcraft +8, Spot +9; Alertness, Improved Initiative, Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (3/2; caster level 1st; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—[detect magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue)]; 1st—[ray of enfeeblement, shield] Spell-like abilities: At will – detect magic, inflict minor wounds (DC 13), read magic; 3/day – cause fear (DC 13), magic missile, summon monster I; 2/day – death knell (DC 14), ghoul glyph (DC 14)*. Caster level equals the deathlocks HD (3). The save DCs are charisma based. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 18 Appendix Two – APL 4 Encounter Three. 6 The Alchemist (Deathlock, 3rd level Human Wizard): CR 6; Medium Undead; HD 6d12; hp 40; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11; Base Atk/Grp: +2/+2; Atk +2 melee (1d4 bite); Full Atk +2 melee (1d4 bite); Space/Reach: 5ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +7; Str 11, Dex 12, Con -, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Craft (alchemy) +7; Concentration +7, Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Listen +9, Spellcraft +8, Spot +9; Alertness, Empower Spell Like Ability – magic missile, Improved Initiative, Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/3/1; caster level 3rd; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—[detect magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue x2)]; 1st—[color spray, ray of enfeeblement, shield] 2 nd- [ghoul touch, mirror image] Spell-like abilities: At will – detect magic, inflict minor wounds (DC 13), read magic; 3/day – cause fear (DC 13), magic missile, summon monster I; 2/day – death knell (DC 14), ghoul glyph (DC 14)*. Caster level equals the deathlocks HD (3). The save DCs are charisma based. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 19 Appendix Two – APL 6 Encounter Three. 6 The Alchemist (Deathlock, 5th level Human Wizard): CR 8; Medium Undead; HD 8d12; hp 54; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11; Base Atk/Grp: +3/+3; Atk +3 melee (1d4 bite); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4 bite); Space/Reach: 5ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 11, Dex 12, Con -, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Craft (alchemy) +8; Concentration +8, Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Listen +9, Spellcraft +8, Spot +9; Alertness, Empower Spell Like Ability – magic missile, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus – Necromancy*, Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/4/3/2; caster level 5th; base DC = 14 (15*) + spell level): 0—[detect magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue x2)]; 1st—[color spray, ray of enfeeblement x2, shield] 2 nd- [ghoul touch, mirror image, scorching ray] 3 rd – [blink, vampiric touch] Spell-like abilities: At will – detect magic, inflict minor wounds (DC 13), read magic; 3/day – cause fear (DC 14), magic missile, summon monster I; 2/day – death knell (DC 15), ghoul glyph (DC 15)*. Caster level equals the deathlocks HD (3). The save DCs are charisma based. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 20 Appendix Two – APL 8 Encounter Three. 6 The Alchemist (Deathlock, 7th level Human Wizard): CR 10; Medium Undead; HD 10d12; hp 68; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+2 Dex, +1 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 11; Base Atk/Grp: +4/+4; Atk +4 melee (1d4 bite); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4 bite); Space/Reach: 5ft./5 ft.; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +8; Str 11, Dex 12, Con -, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Craft (alchemy) +9; Concentration +9, Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Listen +9, Spellcraft +8, Spot +9; Alertness, Empower Spell Like Ability – magic missile, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus – Necromancy*, Summon Familiar, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/5/4/3/1; caster level 7th; base DC = 14 (15*) + spell level): 0—[detect magic, ray of frost, touch of fatigue x2)]; 1st—[color spray, ray of enfeeblement x2, shield, silent image] 2 nd- [ghoul touch, glitter dust, mirror image, scorching ray] 3 rd – [blink, lightning bolt, vampiric touch] 4 th- [dimension door] Spell-like abilities: At will – detect magic, inflict minor wounds (DC 13), read magic; 3/day – cause fear (DC 14), magic missile, summon monster I; 2/day – death knell (DC 15), ghoul glyph (DC 15)*. Caster level equals the deathlocks HD (3). The save DCs are charisma based. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 21 Appendix Two: New Monsters and Spells DEATHLOCK (from Libris Mortis) Medium Undead Hit Dice: 3d12 (19 hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 12, flat- footed 11 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+1 Attack: Bite +1 melee (1d4) Full Attack: Bite +1 melee (1d4) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, +2 turn resistance. Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 Abilities: Str 11, Dex 15, Con ---, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 14 Skills: Concentration +6, Hide +8, Knowledge (arcane) +8, Listen +9, Spellcraft +8, Spot +9 Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative Environment: Any Organization: Solitary, trio, or college (5-9) Challenge Rating: 3 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Usually neutral evil Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +3 Skeletally thin, this figure wears a dramatic cloak fringed with magical sigils. Its cadaverous eyes sizzle with cursed power, and deadly spells dance on its fingertips. Deathlocks are undead born of the corpses of powerful spellcasters whose remains are so charged with magic that they are unable to lie quiet in the grave. Animate, but shorn of the spirit that once ruled their forms, deathlocks seek to bring all those they meet into an intimate embrace with death. Only their knowledge of spellcasting remains, though twisted and charged. Sometimes deathlocks retain a single shred of memory from their former spirits. If the recollection was dear to the spirit that once inhabited the now shrivelled and blasted body of the deathlock, the creature usually seeks out the source of that memory, hoping to destroy it, compromise it, or undo the deeds associated with it. Deathlocks stand between 5-1/2 feet and 6-1/2 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 120 pounds. Deathlocks speak Common, Abyssal, and Infernal. Combat: A deathlock prefers to use its spell-like abilities from a distance, disdaining melee. Thus it can also use it’s inflict minor wounds to heal itself. Spell-Like Abilities: At will – detect magic, inflict minor wounds (DC 13), read magic; 3/day – cause fear (DC 13), magic missile, summon monster I; 2/day – death knell (DC 14), ghoul glyph (DC 14)*. Caster level equals the deathlocks HD. The save DCs are charisma based. *This spell is from Libris Mortis and is presented below. Ghoul Glyph (from Libris Mortis) Necromancy Level: Hunger 2, sorcerer/wizard 2 Components: V,S,M Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Effect: One ghoul glyph that must fit within a 1-ft. square Duration: Permanent until discharged Saving Throw: Fortitude partial Spell Resistance: Yes You inscribe a glyph that paralyzes any living creature of Large or smaller size that enters, passes, or opens the warded area. You can scribe the glyph to be visible faintly glowing lines, or invisible. You can inscribe a ghoul glyph on a portable object, but if the object is moved more than 5 feet, the glyph fades. Conditions for triggering a ghoul glyph are stringent. It takes effect on any creature except yourself that moves to or within 2 feet of it. It affects invisible creatures normally, but is not triggered by those that travel past it ethereally. Only a single ghoul glyph can be inscribed in a 5-foot square. Ghoul glyphs cannot be affected or bypassed by such means as physical or magical probing, though they can be dispelled. Mislead and nondetection can fool a ghoul glyph. Read magic allows identification of a ghoul glyph with a successful DC 13 spellcraft check, if the glyph is noticed before it is activated. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a ghoul glyph and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 27. When a glyph is activated, the subject is paralyzed for 1d6+2 rounds. Additionally, if the subject fails his Fortitude save, the paralyzed subject exudes a carrion stench that causes retching and nausea in a 10-foot radius. Those in the radius must make a Fortitude save or take a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks until the spell ends. Material Component: You trace the glyph with earth from a ghoul’s lair. The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 22 Appendix Three: The Map The Book of Dark Alchemy Page 23

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Shield Lands/595/Normal Scenarios/SHL5-03 - The Book of Dark Alchemy (APL 2-8)/SHL5-03 - The Book of Dark Alchemy.pdf

1 The anniversary edition of this best-selling introductory adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game 2 Contents CH. 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................... 3 CH. 2: MELTON AND BEYOND ............................... 4 CH. 3: THE TEMPLE ............................................... 6 APPENDIX A: MAGIC ITEMS ................................... 13 APPENDIX B: MAPS ............................................... 14 Credits DESIGNER: M.T. BLACK EDITOR: LEITH BROWNLEE COVER: JACOB ATIENZA INTERIOR ART: DARRIN SCOTT, OTHER ART PROVIDED BY WIZARDS OF THE COAST AND USED WITH PERMISSION, ELITE DESIGN ELEMENTS © RISING PHOENIX GAMES PLAYTESTERS: ADAM PINKERTON, ALEX RUNNINGS, ANDREA GAMBOA, ANDRÉS INFANTOZZI, ANDY MACTYRE, ARIEL HALLE, ART KEDZIERSKI, AUTUMN MANZUTTI, BRAD RIEGNER, BRANDY DIETZ, CAILIN SYLVESTER, CARLOS DORDELLY, CARRINE LEBLANC, CHARISSOPHIA, CHASE OVERSTREET, CHRISTOPHOR RICK, COLIN KELLY, DEALDY2469, DREW DAWES, DUNGEON CLASS PLAY GROUP, ELIZABETH MERCHANT, ERIC ZEIGLER, IAN SPREDEMANN PLASENCIA, JAY DENNIS, JAZZ JENSEN, JOHN HARENKE, KIAN BERGSTROM, KILTER, LIAM MALTZ, LIZ FRANSON, LIZ ZIEGLER, MARK CROSLAND, MARK S, MARTIN KREUTZ, MATT BENNON, MATTEW FISH, MEG GALVIN, MICHAEL BROWN, MICHAEL NGUYEN, NACHO INFANTOZZI, NATE WIGFIELD, NICK KOSTICH, NORA TENSCHERT, PHIL RUFF, ROBERT SHERMAN, RYAN ESTELLE, RYAN WEAVER, SAM GRAY, SEASPRAY, SICKBOY324, SILVER'S MUTINEERS, SOL RIVERA, SPARTANBEAR K, STEPHEN HOWARD, SULLIVAN, VALERIANO MARROQUIN, VENOMSLINGER, WALTER ORELLANA, WALTER SREBALUS, ZANE ALBERTS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, FORGOTTEN REALMS, RAVENLOFT, EBERRON, THE DRAGON AMPERSAND, RAVNICA AND ALL OTHER WIZARDS OF THE COAST PRODUCT NAMES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OF WIZARDS OF THE COAST IN THE USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES.THIS WORK CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT IS COPYRIGHT WIZARDS OF THE COAST AND/OR OTHER AUTHORS. SUCH MATERIAL IS USED WITH PERMISSION UNDER THE COMMUNITY CONTENT AGREEMENT FOR DUNGEON MASTERS GUILD.ALL OTHER ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN THIS WORK IS ©2019 AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE COMMUNITY CONTENT AGREEMENT FOR DUNGEON MASTERS GUILD. 3 Chapter 1: Introduction Temple of the Nightbringers is a fifth edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventure for characters of levels 1-3, optimized for level 1. It is designed to be played in a single session. Although the adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms, it can be easily transported to any other setting. To run this adventure, you need the fifth edition Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Adjusting This Adventure This adventure is optimized for 5 characters of level 1. To determine whether you should consider adjusting the adventure, add up the total levels of all the characters and divide the result by the number of characters. This is the group’s average party level (APL). To approximate the party strength for the adventure, consult the table below. Determining Party Strength Party Composition Party Strength 3-4 characters, APL equals 1 Weak 3-4 characters, APL greater than 1 Average 5 characters, APL equals 1 Average 5 characters, APL greater than 1 Strong 6-7 characters, APL equals 1 Strong 6-7 characters, APL greater than 1 Very strong Background A tribe of goblins known as the Bloody Mask Mob has been raiding caravans traveling on the Long Road, between Triboar and Longsaddle. The goblins recently abducted a young man from Triboar named Bran Whitborne. His wealthy family is willing to pay a handsome reward for his rescue. Getting Started The adventure begins with the characters having accepted a commission and already plodding north on the Long Road. Read the following: It’s cold this far north—the sort of cold that sinks deep into your bones and makes you feel like you’ll never be warm again. When the rain starts falling and the wind comes up, it feels like needles of ice are piercing your face. A few days ago, you were in Triboar looking for an adventure when you were approached by a wealthy family, the Whitbornes. Their son, Bran, went missing on the Long Road two weeks ago, traveling north with a caravan. Everyone thinks the caravan was taken in a goblin raid. His family were desperate for news and had an augury cast at the local shrine, revealing that Bran is still alive but won’t be for much longer. You accepted an offer of 200 gp to find him and bring him back home. Have each of the players introduce their character. They should also explain how they first met the character to their left. The Whitbornes heard that their son’s caravan was last seen at a tiny village on the Long Road called Melton, which lies about midway between Triboar and Longsaddle. It is here that the action begins. Proceeding to Chapter 2 Once you have read the boxed text above and the characters have introduced themselves, proceed to chapter 2. 4 Chapter 2: Melton and Beyond Read the following: After a few more miles trudging you find Melton—and maybe you wish you hadn’t. To call it a “village” seems generous as it’s really about a dozen primitive huts and one larger building, surrounded by a sturdy little palisade. There is mud everywhere. Melton Features Melton is a tiny village on the Long Road, midway between Triboar and Longsaddle. Population. There are about 50 people in the village. Most of them are human, with a few gnomes and dwarves as well. All villagers are commoners unless otherwise stated. VILLAGER NAMES Typical villager names include Darrick, Cordelia, Kelsie, Lia, Varis, and Peren. Government. The village elects a constable every year. Frida Crabapple has held the position for five years, and usually runs unopposed as no- one else wants the job. Commerce. The village has an inn called The Weary Knight. There is also a blacksmith, a butcher, a baker, and a carpenter—all of whom do good trade with passing caravans. The rest of the villagers are mostly hunters and trappers involved with the fur trade. Construction. All the buildings in Melton have dry-stone walls and turf roofs. The single street through the village is dirt, while the surrounding palisade is 4-foot high and made of sharped tree trunks buried in the ground. The Gate The single gate into Melton is shut. When the characters approach, a grizzled face looks over the palisade and says in a raspy voice: “I’m Frida Crabapple, constable of Melton. What’s your business here?” Once the characters have answered her question, have one of them make a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a successful roll, she lets them in. On a failure, she asks a question about some part of their story. Repeat this process until they make a successful check. Frida is short and squat, with cropped gray hair and yellow teeth. When she finally lets the characters enter, she mutters, “We don’t like adventurers here—they bring trouble.” The Weary Knight The large building in the middle of Melton is the inn, which is called The Weary Knight. It is long and low, with eight shuttered windows facing the muddy street. Noise and firelight seep out from beneath the closed front door. The Common Room When the characters enter, read the following: The small common room is crowded with perhaps twenty people across half a dozen rough-looking tables. A huge fire roars in the corner. As you enter, all conversation stops. A wiry old man scowls at you from behind the bar. “Close the door—it’s cold!” he snaps. The innkeeper is Seth Grimhill, a short-tempered human with white hair. Ale is 5 cp per mug, goat stew is 1 sp per serving, and rooms are 2 sp per person per night. There are three rooms available. Village Chatter Other people in the common room include:  Flint Frostforge, a helpful dwarven blacksmith. 5  Bryll Copperhold, an irritable human carpenter.  Thorn Farwalker, a sleepy half-orc trapper. Talking to the villagers reveals the following:  A new tribe of goblins moved into the area about 3 months ago, known as the Bloody Mask Mob.  Since then, they have attacked at least half a dozen caravans, preferring those that are weakly guarded.  Survivors report that the tribe is led by an especially vicious goblin chief.  A gnome hunter named Ellywick Bafflestone claims to know where the goblin hideout is. Anyone in the common room can point out where Ellywick lives. Concerned Constable At around this time, the constable, Frida Crabapple, enters the common room. She tries to dissuade the adventurers from their quest. Her reasoning is that the goblins have so far left Melton alone—any kind of attack might provoke a hostile response toward the village. Some of those present agree with her, others don’t. Ellywick Bafflestone Ellywick Bafflestone (scout) is a gnome hunter who lives with the butcher’s family. Should the adventurers try to see her that night, the butcher tells them to come back the next day and refuses to unlock the door. When they meet Ellywick in the morning, they find her to be cheerful and carefree, happily telling them what she knows. She was following an old game trail several weeks ago when she came across a cave in a small hill, and saw several goblins enter and leave it. She concluded this was their hideout. The cave is about a day’s travel east of Melton. Ellywick is happy to lead them to the cave but does not offer to accompany them inside unless the party is especially weak. She suggests they begin the journey right away. Should the adventurers want to talk to anyone else, they discover that most of the hunters and trappers (including Frida Crabapple) have left for the day. The Old Game Trail Read the following: Ellywick leads you out of Melton and into the light woods to the east of the village, following an old game trail. She sets a brisk pace, occasionally whistling and skipping as she goes. Wuzig’s Bridge They travel for about 5 hours without incident before coming across an obstacle. Read the following: The trail is interrupted by a deep, rocky gorge with a chattering creek running along the bottom of it. A stout oak tree has fallen across the gap and provides a natural bridge. There is an ugly old bugbear sleeping on the far side of the bridge. Ellywick tells them his name is Wuzig and he is a deep sleeper. She has crept past him many times before. Sneaking past. Sneaking past Wuzig requires each character to make a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check. On a failure, Wuzig awakens angrily and attacks the party. Climbing down. The gorge is 25 feet across and 60 feet deep. Climbing either side requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Strong: Wuzig has maximum hit points.  Very Strong: Wuzig has a nearby mate, another bugbear, who emerges from the bushes to help 1 round after fighting begins. 6 Chapter 3: The Temple After a few more hours of travel, Ellywick motions for everyone to stop, and whispers, “The hideout is up ahead.” Read the following: A low rocky hill pushes up from the surrounding trees. A large natural cave is plainly visible near the base, and there are stairs just inside the entrance, hewn from the rock and descending into the ground. The stone steps lead to area 1. Temple Features The goblins call themselves the Bloody Mask Mob. They are hiding out in an abandoned underground temple which was built by the Nightbringers, a depraved sect of Shar, goddess of darkness. See appendix B for a map of the temple. Construction. Unless specified, the walls of the temple are made from large, smooth blocks of onyx, engraved with swirling, circular patterns. The floor is paved with black and purple tiles. Ceilings. The ceilings are made from onyx blocks and are 10-feet high, except where specified. Light. Narrow shafts to the surface fill the temple with a dim light during the day. It is much darker at night, though there are fires in most of the inhabited rooms due to the cold. Noise. The corridors are long and the doors are thick, so fighting in one room is not likely to be heard from the others. Resting. The goblins do not move about much—they are used to spending long stretches of time between raids just eating, drinking and sleeping. There should be ample opportunity for the party to take short rests when needed, and even a long rest. GOBLIN NAMES Members of the Bloody Mask Mob include: Gabox, Snox, Ket, Smakob, Gaxam, Sud, Trub, Noz, Boxug, and Xog. 1. Foyer Read the following: A large room lies at the bottom of the stone steps, full of dust and rubbish. The only other exit from the room is a wide corridor to the north, flanked on either side by dark statues. A single goblin lies near the bottom step, snoring loudly. Her name is Pox and she is meant to be on guard duty, but she has fallen asleep. A successful DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check is required to sneak through the foyer without waking her. If she is woken, she runs toward area 4, screaming for help. Questioning Pox. If captured, Pox is easily intimated by the party. Under questioning, she reveals that the “big boss” is in a room up north, that there are many goblins in the temple, and that there is also lots of “bad magic” around. Statues. The two statues flanking the corridor are nearly identical. They are 3 feet tall, made of 7 obsidian, and depict a fully cloaked humanoid with the face hidden by a cowl. The eastern statue has the left arm outstretched, while the western statue has both arms by its side. The base of eastern statue is inscribed in common with the words, “Love is a lie.” On the base of the western statue, the inscription reads “Only loss endures.” A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that these phrases come from the dogmas of the goddess Shar. Treasure Pox has 23 cp in a battered purse. The outstretched arm of the eastern statue can rotate. Pulling it down causes a small hatch to open in the base, revealing a cavity holding a potion of healing. 2. Guardroom Read the following: A short corridor opens out into a small room, reeking with the odor of refuse and animal fur. In the middle of the room, someone has created a den from smashed furniture and old linen. There are 2 worgs in the den—enormous creatures with bristling gray fur and malevolent yellow eyes. They growl menacingly at the characters. The worgs, whose names are Hrusk and Garoo, accompany the goblins on their raids but have no great loyalty to the tribe. They can be bribed with copious amounts of fresh meat, but otherwise are likely to attack. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove 1 worg.  Strong: Add 1 worg.  Very Strong: Add 2 worgs. Treasure Searching the room and making a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check locates a silver necklace worth 30 gp beneath a broken chair. 3. Storeroom Read the following: It appears that this room has not been visited for a long time. A thick layer of dust hangs over the smashed crates, barrels and shelves. The goblins trashed this room when they first moved in, searching for treasure. Treasure Anyone searching the room and making a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check finds an obsidian disk under an old barrel, and some engraved text on the wall. 8 Obsidian Disk. This disk is about 18-inches wide and 1-inch thick. It is the key to the magical barrier in area 6. Engraved Text. A few inches above the floor, the word HALFGLINT is neatly engraved on the south wall. Touching a letter causes it to glow faintly for a moment. Touching the letters in this order, NIGHTFALL, causes a small panel to swing open, revealing a tiny alcove containing a potion of healing. 4. Dormitory Anyone listening at the western door hears muffled voices within, seemingly in argument. When the characters enter the room, read the following: This large chamber contains about a dozen stained and stinking bed rolls as well as a few benches and tables, and a large, open barrel. A fire burns in a heavy iron brazier in the corner, while bones and other litter cover the floor. There are 3 goblins loudly playing dice near the brazier. An unconscious halfing commoner named Harriet Hilltopple is chained to the south wall. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove 1 goblin.  Strong: Add 2 goblins.  Very Strong: Add 4 goblins. Eastern Door. The eastern door has been jammed shut with iron stakes, and the word “Danger!” in goblin has been scrawled across it using chalk. A successful DC 13 Strength check is required to force it open. Questioning Harriet. The halfling, Harriet Hilltopple, has a bad gash across her ribs, and she is unconscious and near death. If untreated, she dies within the hour. A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check is required to stabilize her and bring her back to consciousness. Any healing magic restores her to full health. If questioned, she reveals the following:  She was part of a caravan traveling from Longsaddle to Triboar. The goblins attacked and she was captured. She doesn’t know how long she has been a prisoner.  The goblins in this room have kept her as a servant. They have treated her badly, and today one of them sliced her with a dagger.  The goblin boss wears a dark mask and is very cruel.  She has heard the goblins say the word “Melton” more than a few times.  Some of her fellow caravanners were locked in the room to the east and left to starve. They soon perished, but about a week after they died, a terrible thumping started coming from the room. The goblins were terrified and spiked the door shut. Treasure Each goblin has an average of 15 cp and 5 sp on their person. The open barrel contains watery ale. Searching the room and making a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check locates a soft felt bag under a bed roll, containing 4 moonstones worth 30 gp in total. 5. Library Read the following: The walls of this room are lined with shelves, most of which have been smashed. In one corner lies a charred pile of books and scrolls. The rest of the floor is covered in dust, ashes, and scraps of parchment. Standing in the middle of the floor are 4 zombies, hideous undead monstrosities that despise the living, brought into being by a stray piece of necromantic magic. They stare at the 9 characters for a moment through diseased eyes, then shamble forward to attack. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove 2 zombies.  Strong: Add 1 zombie.  Very Strong: Add 3 zombies. Treasure The books are mostly perished, but there is one partially intact book of poetry titled The Nightsinger. It tells the story of Shar, goddess of the night, and her ongoing rivalry with her sister, Selûne, the goddess of the moon. Anyone searching the room and making a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check finds a spell scroll (inflict wounds). 6. Sanctuary Both doors have the words “Danger!” and “Keep Out!” scrawled on them in goblin. This long and high room is filled with evenly spaced stone benches. The walls are lined with dark marble and carved to depict scenes of perversion and depravity. An alcove in the northern wall contains a statue with a glittering medallion around its neck. The arched ceiling in this room is 20-feet high. The statue in the alcove depicts a slender, robed figure, holding a wicked knife in one hand. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that this is a statue of the goddess Shar. Alcove. There is a permanent wall of force blocking the front of the alcove and preventing anyone from touching the statue. Anyone searching the area nearby and succeeding on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check locates an indentation in the floor. It is 18 inches across and 1 inch deep. Placing the obsidian disk from area 3 into the indentation causes the wall of force to dissolve. The wall reappears if the disk is removed. Treasure Around the neck of the statue is a medallion of thoughts. 7. Summoning Room A chalk message scrawled on the floor of the south corridor leading into this room says, “Stay Away!” in goblin. A large stone pool, three feet high and a dozen feet across, dominates the center of this room. The water glows with a flickering, green light while a pallid mist curls about the floor. This room was used by the High Priest of Shar to summon infernal monsters. The pool is primed for a summoning now—anything that disturbs the surface of the pool causes an imp to materialize. If this happens, the pool immediately ceases to glow. The imp is called Ibjiuq and, like most its kind, it is proud, lazy, and mischievous. Ibjiuq stares at the party for a few moments, expecting them to cast some sort of control magic upon it. If no such magic is cast, and if the party fail to make some sort of attractive offer, the imp turns 10 invisible, circles the room a few times, then attacks. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: The imp has minimum hit points.  Strong: The imp has maximum hit points.  Very Strong: Add 1 imp. 7a. Mosaic Nook A tiled mosaic covers the entire north wall of this small alcove. It depicts a woman with ivory hair, dressed in robes of silver and blue, wrestling with a black-robed figure whose face is hidden by a cowl. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that the mosaic depicts Selûne, goddess of the moon, and Shar, goddess of the night. Anyone standing here can hear the raucous noise coming from area 8. 8. Dining Hall Smashed old chairs and tables are pushed up against the walls of this large room, and the middle has been covered with improvised bedding—straw, leaves and scraps of old canvas. There is an open barrel of beer in the corner, next to a broad hearth which houses a roaring fire. There are 8 goblins here, drinking raucously. Two of the goblins are mounted on naked, filthy humans, and are racing them up and down the hall, spurring them on with improvised riding crops. The others are cheering them on. Note. This is probably too many monsters for the party to face head on, and so a clever plan of attack is required. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove 3 goblins.  Strong: Add 2 goblins.  Very Strong: Add 4 goblins. The humans are Uthgardt from the Griffon tribe, and their names are Otilier and Jorg. Both are suffering from 4 levels of exhaustion, and neither of them speaks common. Using sign language, they try to indicate that the goblin boss can be found up the north passage. Treasure Each goblin has an average of 10 cp and 4 sp on their person. Searching the room and making a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) locates an old wine skin stuffed in a crack in the wall, containing a potion of healing. 9. Kitchen A bubbling cauldron full of dark, fleshy meat sits atop a hot fire in a recessed hearth. A large wooden table is weighed down by a partially butchered giant goat. There is a small well in one corner. A dirty, naked human commoner cowers near the fireplace, clutching a ladle defensively in front of him, and not daring to look up. His name is Bran Whitborne, and the goblins have broken his spirit with their cruel treatment. They call him “Stink,” and this is now the only name he shares or answers to. Bran initially refuses to accompany the party but can be forced to do so 11 with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation) check. HASTY EXIT Having rescued Bran, the party may choose to leave the temple immediately. If they have not yet faced the goblin boss from area 12, and if you want to climax with a big fight, you could have her and her worg show up in pursuit just as the characters get to the temple exit. 10. Inquiry Chamber Rusty hooks, spikes, pinchers and other instruments of torment are hung about the walls. The center of the chamber is covered by a large and revolting pile of slimy goblin excrement. The smell is nauseating, and there are flies everywhere. The goblins use this room as a latrine. It is a good place to set an ambush and whittle down the goblin numbers. For every 10 minutes the characters wait here, there is a 25% chance that a goblin from room 8 comes to the latrine. After 2 goblins have gone missing, a group of 3 come to investigate. Treasure Anyone willing to spend 10 minutes searching through the revolting pile and making a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check finds a gold-plated anklet worth 25 gp. 11. Priest’s Chamber This is a large sleeping chamber. Several iron- framed beds have been pushed against one wall, and some old tapestries lie in a heap in the corner. A fire blazes in a large hearth set in the north wall. There are 2 hobgoblins siting near the fire and talking quietly. Their names are Akglag and Snigyob, and they are working as bodyguards for the goblin boss in area 12. Upon seeing the characters, they draw their longswords, offer a salute, and charge, crying “Honor bound, by glory crowned!” in goblin. ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove 1 hobgoblin.  Strong: Add 1 hobgoblin.  Very Strong: Add 2 hobgoblins. Treasure Each hobgoblin has an average of 15 sp and 7 gp on their person, held in neat leather purses. Searching the room and making a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check uncovers 5 pp wrapped in a rag hidden under a bed. 12. High Priest’s Chamber This room is much cleaner and more richly appointed than any other part of the temple. There are oak-paneled walls, vibrant tapestries, a four-posted bed, and a carved fireplace. There is also a large strongbox in one corner. A squat goblin boss, wearing a grotesquely carved ebony mask, stands before the carved 12 fireplace with an enormous worg sitting at her feet. “Fools!” the dark figure hisses in a muffled, raspy voice. “I warned you to stay away—now you must die!” The boss and worg attack furiously. The boss also begins calling to her bodyguards (area 11) for help. If they are still alive, the hobgoblins from that room join the fight in the third round. Once the fight is over, the characters can remove the mask, revealing Frida Crabapple, Constable of Melton! (Should the party have slain Frida in Melton, then they simply unmask a regular goblin boss). ADJUSTING THE SCENE Here are some suggestions for adjusting this scene:  Weak: Remove the worg.  Strong: Add 1 worg.  Very Strong: Add 1 worg and 1 hobgoblin. Questioning Frida. If the characters take Frida alive and question her, they can learn the following facts with a successful DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) check.  About a year ago, Frida discovered the temple and found the obsidian mask.  She tried on the mask and found she desired to wear it as much as possible. It also seemed to make her a better hunter.  As time went on, she found herself becoming more violent and more acquisitive, though she worked hard to hide this from her fellow villagers.  One day she was ambushed by a small group of goblins. She managed to slay the boss and subdue the others. She then realized this was the path to the riches she craved.  She set up a hideout in the temple, recruited more goblins to the tribe, and began aggressively harassing caravans using the knowledge she gained from her position in Melton. Strongbox Trap. There is a poison needle trap on the strongbox latch. Finding the trap requires a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check; once found, it can be disabled with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. A character who opens the latch without first disabling the trap must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the character is pricked by the needle, takes 9 (2d8) poison damage, and is poisoned for 1 hour. Treasure Inside the box are: 1100 sp, 150 gp, and 10 pp. There are also 4 bloodstones worth 25 gp each and miscellaneous jewelry worth 100gp total. The mask is a magic item called the mask of the nightbringers (see appendix A). Wrapping Up The journey back to Melton is uneventful. The villagers are skeptical when they hear the news about Frida Crabapple, but grudgingly accept the story if confirmed by Ellywick. “Stranger things happen in Waterdeep,” they say, repeating a local aphorism. If the characters return Bran to the Whitborne family in Triboar, they are overjoyed and gladly pay the promised reward. 13 Appendix A. Magic Items Mask of the Nightbringers Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement) This mask is made of ebony and has been carved to resemble a grotesque, frowning face. These items were created by the Nightbringers, a depraved sect of the goddess Shar, for the purpose of ensnaring people into their cult. The mask has 10 charges. Upon wearing the mask, you expend a charge and gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. This benefit lasts for 1 hour. When you expend the last charge, roll a d20. If you roll a 1 the mask is depleted, and you gain no further benefits from wearing it. Otherwise the mask regains 1 new charge at dawn the following day. The mask regains all 10 charges when a creature who has not used it before attunes with it. Curse. This mask is cursed. Attuning to it curses you until you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the mask, keeping it within reach at all times. Each time you put on the mask you must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, your alignment permanently changes to neutral evil. While cursed, if you go 24 hours without wearing the mask, you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 1 level of exhaustion. This exhaustion disappears as soon as you wear the mask again. 14 Appendix B. Maps 1 square = 10 feet 7a 15

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/M.T. Black/Temple of the Nightbringers Anniversary Edition.pdf

������������������������������� � First off if you are converting a character from SR you can determine someones humanity either by taking Essence straight over to Willpower/Cool for purposes of cyberware; or use the Shadowrun characters [BODY+WILLPOWER(COOL)]/2=Essence for cyberpunk purposes. Multiply that by 10 for their Humanity Points. But whatever works for you. ESSENCE LOSS CONVERSION Take the SR Essence loss, multiply by 10 then divide by 6, drop all the digits after the tenths place. The ones place is the number of d6 you automatically have. Take the number in the tenths place and divide by 3. This is additional dice and the remainder is an adder. EXAMPLES Cybereyes in Shadowrun cost .2 Essence. With this that comes to [.2x10]=2. That's divided by 6 to give us .33. Rounded to the nearest tenth that's .3. Divided by 3 thats 1. So cybereyes cost 1d6 HL. Cyberlimbs in SR cost 1 Essence. That's (1x10=10)/6= 1.66. Rounded thats 1.6 So thats 3d6 HL. Wired Relexes[3] cost a whopping 5 Essence!! Thats (5x10=50)/6=8.3 That equals an incredible 9d6 HL. Yikes. Hope you paid for alphaware!! Level 2 Boosted Reflexes cost 1.25 Essence. Thats (1.25x10=12.5/6=2.8. That equals an HL loss of 3d6+2. Hmm, humanity costs are similar to those in CP but are a bit lower. Well SR DOES take place 40 years ahead of CP... The monetary costs are WAY above CPs "everyone and their pet chihuaha has a cyberleg and smartlink" costs. I suggest dividing the costs by about 100 for a medium route or 1000 if you think cyberware should REALLY be as cheap as in the CP2020 rulebook. �

textdata/thevault/Cyberpunk/Unofficial/Datafortress 2020 Archives/Cyberpunk 2020 - Net - Rules - Essence Cost to Humanity Loss by Tzeentch.pdf

ENTENTE Cthulhiana presents… second amphora thesecond amphora the Number of players 2-4 (4 pre-generated PCs included) This lasts 1-2 sessions EnTENTE CTHULHIANA presents… 9002b MODERN DAY entente Cthulhiana presents… �3 THE SECOND AMPHORA Call of Cthulhu is a Trademark of Chaosium Inc. and is used with their permission via the OBS Community Content program. For more information please visit Chaosium’s website: www.chaosium.com The Miskatonic Repository Logo is used under license. The Second Amphora is ©2019 Enrique Camino Written by: Enrique Camino Layout: JSDS, based on a template by the Chaosium’s Miskatonic Repository A note on gender: as we do not know the gender of the PCs that will play the scenario with you, we have opted for using the singular they in all descriptions involving any of the Player Characters. All images in this book, including maps, have been created from rights-free images or from images in the author’s private collection, except for the following: The engravings of the wise man’s head (pages 15 and 26), and the image of a man in front of a bowl (page 19) have been created from an origi- nal with a CC BY SA 3.0 Unported licence, and their owner is the Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures: https:// commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Een_ritueel_specialist_bogin_genaamd_tijdens_een_consult_TMn- r_20010345.jpg The text in Nabatean writing that has been digitally inscribed onto the amphora’s image (cover art and pages 6 and 23) is part of an image with a CC BY SA 3.0 Unported licence, and its owner is Sabulhab: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabataean_alphabet#/media/File:Umm_al-Ji- mal_al-Awwal_commons.jpg Foundation of the Children's Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, Poland The Foundation was created in October 1989 by employees and collaborators of the Children’s Memorial Health Institute, and was registered as a charity in September 2004. Nowadays, it cooperates with several institutions, companies and private donors, seeking funding for modern med- ical equipment. 10% of the revenue generated by the sales of this book will be destined to the Foundation. �4 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… INTRODUCTION
 FOR THE KEEPER WHAT HAS HAPPENED UNTIL NOW The Second Amphora is a contemporary scenario in which the historical myth of the desert devil (the Arab djinn) is intertwined with the presence of the Mythos entities, in this case, the lloigor. In the past, someone defeated a djinn, sealing its heart in- side an amphora, and its body inside another, to prevent it from reviving. Chance wants the PCs to find the first ampho- ra, with the heart… cracked, for later receiving the task of protecting the second one. This other amphora is located in a remote house in the woods where the group will find clues and references to the rituals that have taken place around the artefact. Additionally, since their first contact with the vessel one of them has become marked. And finally, a “spe- cialist” sent by their superiors appears in the house. A “spe- cialist” that, strangely, all PCs recognise. What the charac- ters have to discover is the purpose of the rituals that took place in the house, what the intentions of this “specialist” are, and who the real enemy is. Is the djinn really trapped? Whom can they trust? PLAYING IN ANOTHER ERA OR PLACE This story is designed to be played in the present time. While there is nothing necessarily contemporary in the de- velopment or ideas behind the scenario, some of the main clues are given via video recordings and computer files. If you are interested in taking the adventure to the Classic Era (the 20’s or 30’s of the XXth century), the Victorian times, or even further into the past, some adaptation work will be required. The video recordings can become transcriptions of sessions, and the computer files can appear as paper floor plans and lists. No information should be missed for doing this. Regarding the place, most of the action takes place inside a remote house, so taking the action to the geographical spot you prefer should not be a major issue. Amphorae, legends and visions, all point to the Middle East as the origin of the creature. If you also want to modify this, you’ll need some real work to adapt the scenario. The legends of the djinn overlap almost perfectly with what we know about the lloigor. It may not be so easy to find another historical myth to mix it with. PLAYING WITH PRE- GENS OR WITH YOUR OWN PCS PCs are involved in the events of this scenario when they join a SWAT assault onto an illegal warehouse of stolen ar- chaeological items. There is a specific object they are inter- ested in. If you are playing with an already existing group that is part of an organisation or institution, or if the charac- ters are a group on their own and interested in the Cthulhu Mythos, justifying their interest in that specific object is triv- ial. Later on, when the story uses a common boss of theirs to send them to a certain place to wait for a contact, being a stable group, following that order will be natural. If you are playing without any such structure for your group, you can still explain these “orders” taking into account that characters are cooperating with the police in the assault (they could be policemen, specialists in Art or History, Lawyers… or hold any other specialisation which the Police would want to count with, in an advisory role). At the end of the book we have included four pre-generated characters. You can use them, create your own or, if it hap- pens that you have an already existing group with skills and knowledge that match the ones required by the scenario, insert the story into your regular games. If you decide to create new characters, it would be interesting for each one of them to come from a different cardinal point, but by no means critical. It would also come in handy if at least one of them spoke fluid Arabic. �5 THE SECOND AMPHORA PREAMBLE We invite you to read the below text to your players before starting the scenario proper: The screen is still black but a sound begins to be heard. A voice intones an almost musical litany. Maybe in a di- alect of Arabic, or Persian… or in a much older tongue. An old man, but not too old, of coloured-skin, with a sparse and white-haired beard, in a clear-coloured robe and with a turban hums while rocks himself, sitting. It is a dark room, barely lightened by feeble flames that make shadows flicker. Next to him is another man, lying on the floor. We are not able to see his face, but he is moaning and his body full of burns. The sitting person brings a small bowl to him and helps him to sit up so he can drink from it. The lying one, we see his bandaged face now, drinks and coughs.   The lloigor and the djinn It is known that the lloigor, even if they are com- posed of pure psychic energy, have the ability to manifest in our reality in physical form (many think that it was their apparitions in the shape of gigantic reptiles what led to the tales and legends of dragons, for example). In our era (and in the last centuries), the lloigor have lost a great part of their power, and their capacity to manifest physically is limited to possessing other beings, being unable to take a physical form themselves. It is also believed that they are able to steal the psychic energy of people and animals while these are asleep. People and animals that suffer these attacks in their sleep feel extremely tired, or even ill, when they wake up. Thanks to this stolen energy, the lloigor, even with- out taking physical form, are able to trigger explo- sions and other apparently unexplainable physical phenomena, and also, maybe, influence the course of time. If we take all the above and compare it with the traditional tales that talk about the djinn, we see an almost exact correspondence. In the pre-muslim Arabia, djinns are invisible spirits that can, albeit only temporarily, take the form and shape of peo- ple, animals, or plants, and are capable of influenc- ing people, both mentally and physically. This being the starting point, our characters are about to mea- sure themselves against a djinn… or a lloigor… THE SECOND AMPHORA �6   THE ASSAULT Baltimore, Maryland. October 2nd, 2018. 10:28 AM. The PCs are joining a SWAT team (Special Weapons And Tactics – a Police assault team) about to assault a flat. Right now they are in the hallway of a housing building, where nothing is specially remarkable beyond the obvious negli- gence in its maintenance. There are a dozen operatives with tactical gear lined up at each side of the door. Characters are in their own plain clothes (good moment to ask them what are they wearing and how they look like), and wearing also an uncomfortable and heavy black bullet-proof vest with the word “POLICE” written across in big white block letters. If it fits their profession they may be armed with pistols or re- volvers (bigger firearms are limited to the assault team, PCs would be armed just for their own safety, never to take part in the assault proper). The purpose of the action is to arrest the members of an an- tiques-trafficking network, and to seize the artefacts they may have in their possession. Ask the players how their characters feel. Are they stressed? Have they taken part in similar actions already? Do they know any of the operatives? Do they remember any such assault that went wrong? Are they thinking on any specific safety measure or manoeuvre they were instructed about…? Specifically, PCs are participating in an advisory role (as per their professions). It would be enough for one of the PCs to have been invited by the Police to justify the presence of the others, as the first one would have asked for them as sup- port. The true goal of the PCs, beyond the cooperation with the authorities, is to find a specific amphora they believe could be in the flat. They have never seen it and they only have a draft drawing (copy of which you can find close to this para- graph – and another copy at the end of the book, as a gam- ing aid). The amphora is ochre-coloured, has an edging of inscriptions next to its neck, has a wax seal in its mouth, and is approximately 1.5 meters high (5 ft). The policemen enter. The PCs stay behind. Someone shouts orders around. Gunshots are heard and something breaks. But confusion lasts little. When the characters step in they see an Arab man, dressed in a traditional way, lying on the floor, and with a gunshot injury on his chest. The operatives talk to the radio informing that they are in and that the place has been secured. One of the agents confirms the death of the man on the floor by placing his fingers on his throat. The assault team leave so that characters can “do their job”. In a few minutes more personnel will come in to help with the inventory. Alone now, the PCs find themselves in a relatively small flat, full of cardboard and wooden boxes and small Arab-style objects of all sorts and shapes. Some of the items seem to be on display, or maybe they were out of the boxes to be evalu- ated, cleaned or restored. ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… �7 THE SECOND AMPHORA The corpse lies on the floor of a side room, located beyond the main room the entrance gives access to. There are also two noticeable objects, in glass cabinets. To the left, some- thing resembling a trough, made of stone and engraved with silhouettes of farm animals, on top of a plinth. To the right, a meter and a half-long (5 ft) amphora, lying on a red cush- ion, inside a broken glass cabinet –likely broken by the gun- shots-. The shot may have hit the vessel also, as it shows a hole and several cracks around its base. While characters study the surroundings and try to identify the item they need to carry away, suddenly, the man on the floor begins to mumble: “you must protect the other ampho- ra”, grabs the closest PC by the ankle and invites them to go closer to his face. He repeats the words “you must protect the other amphora”, and hands the character a small chain he takes off from his own neck. A small key hangs from the chain, with a metal tag showing the number 314. Right at that moment the man passes away. ALONE WITH
 THE AMPHORA The amphora looks as it had been described to them al- though, as said, its base is cracked, as is the glass cabinet inside which it lies. The first character to touch the object feels a shiver (give this information only to that player). Besides that, nothing remarkable. The vessel weighs as much as a piece of such volume and material would be expected to weigh and is easy to carry inside the black evidence bag they have taken along. It is hard to determine the contents (if any). If they decide to remove the wax seal (or it they find any other wilder way of accessing the interior), a mass the size of a fist is inside, like- ly composed of leathery putrid skin. A character with med- ical knowledge can easily presume it is probably muscular tissue. (Actually, it is a mummified human heart, but this is impossible to find out unless it is taken to a laboratory, something we are going to make sure the PCs do not have time to do.) Now, you need to find a way to take the character who touched the amphora first aside for a second. They may hear a noise in another room, want to investigate something fur- ther, or just visit the toilet. We need just a few seconds. Out of the blue, one of the walls close to that character melts into fire. From among the flames, a daemonic face takes form and stares at the PC intently. It is a reptilian face full of pointy appendages, and somehow very appealing. Immedi- ately, out of a sudden the vision disappears and the wall is restored to its previous normal state. If the PC studies the wall there is nothing out of the ordinary, not in the materials nor in the temperature; nothing that makes them think this has been anything more than a momentary hallucination (SAN 0/1). THE LOCKER The small key the dying man has given to the characters be- longs to the luggage locker in the central bus station. Any PC can conclude this easily. The situation in the bus station depends on the time of the day in which they visit it. If they decide to go there just as they leave the flat we can assume they’ll reach it at around noon or close to 1:00 PM. We’ll (boldly?) assume you have been in at least one bus station in your life, so we are not going to give you many guidelines on how to describe the scene. The important thing here is to toy with the players’ paranoia; so make sure there are plenty of people there. Drop basic descriptions of someone sitting at a bench read- ing a newspaper, of a cleaner leaving their trolley next to a trash bin they are emptying… maybe taking too long to do it, and of a group of Arab-looking people, two or three adult men, talking to each other standing up close to the lockers area. When one of the characters walks to the numbered cabinets, a man bumps into them (into whomever is carrying the key if they are all going together) and the PC hears how the man whispers “free it”. If the character confronts the man, he claims he has not said anything. He is a young blond man, with long untidy hair, a three or four-day beard, jeans, a red checked shirt open over a white sleeveless t-shirt, and a dark blue truck driver cap. The first thought is that the young man’s voice does not even correspond to what the whisper- ing sounded like. The contents of the cabinet number 314 (that can obviously be opened with their key) are as follows: �8 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… - A photograph, taken from the outside, of a two- storey country house, surrounded by trees and by fallen brown and orange leaves (you have a copy on page 10, and another one at the end of the book, as a gaming-aid). - A road map of the Groton area (Vermont) with some handwritten notes about how to drive to a solitary house in a wooded area. The destination lies in a sparsely populated area, on the side of a hill, and close to a lake. Any search engine or maps app can confirm that the trip there would take 8 or 9 hours by car. (If they check other means of trans- port it turns out that, in fact, car is the fastest one, as flight connections are not straightforward at all.) - A piece of paper showing a strange design consist- ing of several circles and lines (you have a draft of it next to these lines, and a copy at the end of the book, as a gaming-aid). - A printed piece of paper listing several dates, with always an exact four-year difference between one and the next one, and the last one being two days from today. You can create the document yourself if you want to use it as a gaming-aid. (If you use the dates we propose in this scenario, the last one will be October 4th, 2018, as “today” is October 2nd.) - A sticky note with the handwritten text: “Aden2018”. You can prepare it yourself if you want to use it as a gaming-aid. THEIR ORDERS If they discuss all this information with their superiors, their orders are, on one hand, sending photos of everything they have found, and on the other, visiting the house on the map and, if a second amphora were to be found there –as the dying man’s warning seems to suggest- protect it inside the house until a specialist arrives. The specialist should arrive there in one or two days. ABOUT THE HOUSE If they think about requesting researching the place, while they are driving, later in the day, they get an encrypted email message with the following information: The house was built in 2010 and is owned by an import-ex- port company dealing with Saudi Arabia: Arabimpo, Inc., originally based in Aden (Yemen), and now in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The company has a small commercial representa- tion office in Baltimore, USA, located at an office building (the company pays for having a landline there, someone to pick messages, and access to a meeting room if they ever need it, but it is not a real workplace and there are no direct employees there). Managing the times We cannot foresee in which order your players will find out each clue, nor for how long will they interact with each other or discuss possible actions to take, so managing the time is in your hands. In any case, as the scenario unwraps, and specially once inside the house, it is important to keep letting them know how the strength of the wind outside is constantly and steadily increasing. At some point the thump of a tree’s branches against the windows will startle them. Later, when the sun begins to set down (or as you decide it is a good moment) they can see whirlwinds of leaves raised by the gale building up. FIRST VISION As the trip to the house takes several hours, the basic options available to the group are, either sleeping in a road motel, or keeping driving in turns and sleeping in the car. In any case, you can use that time to introduce the scene below. If a specific PC insisted in dri- ving by themselves alone all night (we would discourage that option as they would be too tired the following day to “operate” properly), and there were no –subtle- way to convince them otherwise, just play the scene with the rest. The relevant information will end reach- ing that character later on, when the others share their experiences in the dream. If the group organise themselves in a way that avoids sleeping at all for everyone between the moment of finding the first amphora and the arrival at the house, you should use this vision as an hallucination and introduce it to each character individually. For example, when they see the house for the first time, before entering. This scene is a dream (or hallucination) that each character experiences. Although it is (almost) exactly the same for all of them, we suggest you play it individually, to raise some confusion (and suspicion). You can read or paraphrase the following text: You step out of your tent. The night has just arrived and you taste your tea at the same time you enjoy the endlessness of the desert. Your camel chews some roots, sitting on the floor, and roars distracted. You should reach the crossroads tomorrow, the old ruins, and meet the rest of the chosen ones, as foretold by the prophecy. You fi- nally feel you are about to reach the end of a long travel. Just one more day, although the night’s sky tells you there is a storm com- ing for tomorrow… If it happens that each “real” (read “contemporary”) PC comes from a different cardinal point (as is the case with the pre-generated ones presented at the end of the book, and our advice if you roll new ones), you can add that information here: “you have been travel- ling for days from the North/South/East/West…” The very last sentence of the dream is different for each character, as each one carries a different element. If you have fewer than four players, assign them the elements in the order below and ignore the last one/s. First character: You sip your tea one more time and stroke the vial full of water they have ordered you to carry. Second character: You sip your tea one more time and stroke the small bag full of dirt they have ordered you to carry. Third character: You sip your tea one more time and stroke the small sealed amphora they have ordered you to carry, it is so light you’d say it is empty. Fourth character: You sip your tea one more time and stroke the lacquered box inside which you carry the flint and tinder they have ordered you to carry. It is likely that players will interrupt you and demand to know how this adds up to whatever they have been doing until here. Be dry and tell them that this is what they are seeing and doing right now, and that their characters would not come up with those questions, because they know who they are. The only question you can answer is “where am I?”, telling them that they are close to Adan (Adan is the ancient version of the name Aden, and the one those characters would use). Leave this as nothing more than an oneiric interlude (that is exactly what it is after all). As they wake up again in the reality they know, they will easily conclude it was just a dream. �10 THE HOUSE
 IN THE WOODS   The car trip to the place indicated on the map takes several hours. As they get closer, both their GPS and their phones’ signal keep failing more and more often. For the last kilome- tres (or miles, as you prefer) they need to keep checking the handwritten notes on the map they found at the luggage locker, as there is no signal whatsoever in any of their de- vices anymore. The attention they were paying to their screens is called for now by the map and the environment. An endless extension of red and orange trees flanks the roads, and a thick blanket of fallen leaves hides some of the forks, forcing the group to check the map and even to take their steps back from time to time. Fortunately, there are not so many roads around and finding the house is not such a complicated task in the end. As they leave the car they feel the breeze is slightly stronger than what would feel nice. Besides that, the house itself looks exactly as in the photograph. It seems the image was taken from the front, more or less from the spot the PCs are in right now. The only difference being the security fence running along the whole perimeter, between the building and them. It is a metallic wire mesh of diagonal squares, supported at regular intervals by 1.80 or 2.00-metre high (6- 7 ft) concrete pillars. In front of the main entrance is a locked two-door black metal gate that could be opened to allow vehicles in. There are plenty of fallen leaves also on the road to the gate, both inside and outside of the property, what would make anyone assume no car has visited the place in a long time. There are not any vehicles in the area nor anything that would make them think the house is occupied. Next to the entrance is an intercom with a security camera. Pressing the button produces no response. If they insist, they notice that there is no electrical humming when they press. At one corner of the façade is a bigger security cam- era, pointing at the gate. If they pay attention, there is no led that could reveal if it is active, nor does it follow them if they move around (in fact, it is turned off right now, but they cannot confirm it from their current position). ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… �11 THE SECOND AMPHORA They can walk around as much as they want, and even en- ter the property. The house is empty. We are sure that, eventually, they’ll come up with a plan to break in. Once inside, let’s begin with the basic things. If they open a tap, the water runs. What they do not have is hot water, as the boiler runs on electricity and the supply is off. They need to find the electrical panel and switch the power on. The panel is located close to the main door, next to a wardrobe that contains an old umbrella and a pair of green gardening boots half covered in dried mud. If they remember the external security camera and decide to check the cabling, the cord ends also here, connected to a small closed circuit monitor that shows the images the device takes from the outside (when switched on). Howev- er, these do not seem to be recorded anywhere. This cam- era is useful just to see what is happening outside at a cer- tain moment, not as a security device. In general terms the house is tidy. It looks as if they had left it closed for the “end of the season”. There is no evi- dence of anyone having been living here in the last months. There is no mail in the mailbox and there is no landline. There are no clothes or personal objects. And obviously, there is still no mobile phone signal. LOWER FLOOR As you can see on the floor plan (page 13), here are a main room (that includes the sitting room, the dining room and the kitchen), a larder, a bedroom, the entrance hall and a bathroom. The only room that deserves a specific description is the main room, covered later in detail, in its own section. The kitchen is clean and tidy (there are very faint traces of it having ever been used). Next to it, the small larder con- tains only not perishable goods: cans of several types, dry foods and water containers. If someone pays attention and asks explicitly, there is no alcohol nor any pork-based product. Nothing remarkable in the bathroom. In the en- trance hall, as said, they can find the electrical panel, next to the wardrobe. UPPER FLOOR Several bedrooms, also clean and tidy. There are no clothes in the wardrobes. Nothing remarkable either in this other bathroom. The only interesting room on this floor is the library, described later, in its own section. FIREWOOD CELLAR Conjoined with the building, on the rear side, is a green metal door giving access to a small cellar used to store firewood. The underground space is almost empty. It is just a storeroom, so it does not have windows nor any electrical supply (therefore there are no lightbulbs or lamps to light- en it). The end farthest to the door shares a wall with the main basement under the main room, but unless you want to eventually use this place as an epic escape route after the last scene of the scenario, if everything goes terribly wrong, this space should not be relevant at all. THE MAIN ROOM The main room, on the lower floor, is a big sitting room with French windows looking over the woods. There are three spaces clearly differentiated. In the first one, by the windows, the floor is built at two different heights, in a stair-like shape similar to sports stadiums’ stands. There is a depression in the middle, and inside it a glass cabinet supported among four vertical wooden beams, these paint- ed in black, towering from floor to ceiling. Inside the cabi- net lies the second amphora, which looks the same as the Strange Event At any given time, one of the characters –pick the one you prefer- realises that one of their colleagues -the one marked for having been the first one to touch the first amphora at the beginning of the game, but do not explain this to the player- picks something from a drawer in the kitchen (e.g. a knife), opening that specific drawer naturally, without having to look around for “the drawer with the knives”. Considering that they all have been in that house for just a few hours, it is surprising that they have not had to check several drawers to find the one containing the item they needed. Give this information individually to the player whose character has noticed this behaviour. If they decide to ask the (marked) character how they knew that exactly that one was the drawer for the knives, the other has nothing to tell, they just did it, automatically, without thinking. �12 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… first one, and bears the same inscriptions around its neck. At this point you should distractedly describe, in no appar- ent order, how the room’s walls are decorated by an aquar- ium on one side (curiously enough it contains no fish, but then… there was no power supply to keep it working, maybe the tenants take the fish with them when they come?); some plant pots with ferns on the opposite side, a fireplace and, something weird, a kind of inverted glass column, with a square base, inside which is nothing (strict- ly speaking, there is air, from the outside), and of which they may think is a kind of elaborated skylight. In fact, these are the four elements (water, earth, fire –when light- ed on-, and air –inside the column-) surrounding the am- phora; but we do not want players to put two and two to- gether yet. The corners of the lowered square are furnished with mas- sive engraved green stone ashtrays. It is not immediately apparent, but if someone pays attention or asks, there are traces of a certain incense scent in all of them. These gigan- tic ashtrays look the same as the ones the characters see in their second dream (page 18). If they see these ashtrays after having had the dream, they recognise them from the temple ruins (SAN 0/1D2). If they see them in the dream after having seen them in person inside the house, they look familiar to them, but cannot fully recall why. There is no obvious way to open the glass cabinet, and the glass itself is thick enough as to make it unbreakable if PCs try to smash it with anything they may have at hand. In the same way, pistol shots would not be enough to crack the glass. We’d assume they are not equipped with more pow- erful weapons. If they happen to have these, or if they find any other way to access the amphora, there is no major change in the scenario. The djinn gains some more power, but not enough to be able to act in a different way from there on. If they open the vessel, it contains ashes. The second part of the room is a dining room with a long 12-seat table. Curiously enough, one of the chairs is miss- ing. Finally, in front of the windows, towards the inside of the room, is a kitchen island and behind it the cooker and all the usual appliances installed against the wall.   THE LIBRARY The library (upper floor) is an ample room with some book shelves, a window, and two armchairs flanking a coffee table, on the side opposite the one where the main desk lies. Almost all the books are written in Arabic, with maps and diagrams covering a topic difficult to guess; some others tomes are in English and other European languages, and discuss Arab history, rites and traditions. There are also three engravings hanging from one of the walls. You have a copy of each of these on pages 14 and 15, and also at the end of the book, for your convenience in case you want to distribute them as gaming-aids. The first one is a tradition- al representation of Arabic daemons. It looks very old and is in a terrible condition. The text seems to have been ex- tracted from some kind of sacred text, and discusses the powers of these entities. The second one is a drawing of a reptilian beast, covered in pointy appendages (describe it like that, and check for any reaction from the player whose character saw the daemonic head in the house, during the first scene). If you deem it useful, you can tell that player that what he saw could very well have been this beast’s head. The text here also seems to have been extracted from some kind of sacred text, and discusses the power of the beast. The last one is a charcoal drawing of a coloured man’s head, old but not much, with a sparse white-haired beard. It is the man from the second dream. All characters can recognise him immediately if they have already experi- enced that second vision (SAN 0/1D2). The shelves hold more books than the amount they were designed for, and these are piled up both vertically and horizontally. Even this being the case, it is easy to spot an empty vertical slot that used to be occupied by a book, as the tome to the right as well as one on top have fallen down into said empty slot. Strange Event While the “marked” PC is in the kitchen, a small appliance reacts “against them”. The toaster or the coffee machine burn their hand, or maybe a power outlet sends a spark towards them… and all other characters witness it. �13 THE SECOND AMPHORA Library Bedroom Bedroom with en suite bathroom WC Bedroom Garage Access to Bedroom the firewood cellar Entrance hall Main room WC Upper floor Lower floor �14 Another item that calls for the PCs’ attention here is an elaborated dagger with an orangish yellow blade, almost translucent, inside a locked glass cabinet. The small key lock could be easily picked by someone with basic knowledge, or the glass broken… (You may want to remember this later…) The desk is made of dark wood and very adorned (generally, everything screams money inside that house), and with it a wooden upholstered chair, and a not very modern desktop computer. Switching on the computer shows a splash screen demand- ing a password. We hope your players remember the sticky note from the luggage locker now: “Aden2018”. If they do not make the connection, they can use the Hint the comput- er offers to remind them of the password. If they click that, the hint is “City and year”. The machine is not connected to the Internet and has only a few pieces of software installed. Just by playing around a bit (no roll needed) they find the following: - Right after the splash screen, with the desktop fully loaded, a reminder blinks at the top right of the screen with information about an event that will take place tomorrow (October 4th). The title is “Ceremony”. If they check the details of the calen- dar entry they see it is a recurring event happening every four years, on October 4th, since 2010. (Looking at the Control Panel or the software li- cences they can find out that the computer was bought in 2009, what could explain why there is no information about events or tasks prior to that year.) - Besides the icons for apps installed by default with the operating system, there is an icon that starts a DVD playing app. - In the menu for “Recently accessed items” several files are listed: 1.- A draft of some kind of engineering project describing what would be needed to create an elevating platform, in- cluding approximate sizes and weights, and a list of the components required to build the machinery. If any of the ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… �15 THE SECOND AMPHORA players asks explicitly about the square area of lowered floor in the main room, the size of the platform could match the size of that area, yes. Alternatively, you can inform them that the lowered floor area in the main room is of the same approximate size as the platform described there, “as a reference”. That should put them on the right track. 2.- A spread sheet listing most of the components described in the previous file as required to build the platform. 3.- A spread sheet with names of different companies –names suggest they are all construction or engineer- ing companies-, dates and prices. If they compare the contents of the different files, it seems that the third one is a plan or budget plan to build the structure described in the first one, with the compo- nents listed in the second one. If they run the DVD player, the menu shows that the last files opened have names that are dates, and they refer to October 4th, 2014, and October 4th, 2010. The desk has several drawers, one of them locked. A good use of Locksmith or enough strength can help to open it. There are two DVD discs with handwritten dates on them. The discs contain video recordings, each one around 2-hour long. Dates are: - October 4th, 2010 - October 4th, 2014 The first recording (2010) shows a dark room (or it could be somewhere outside, hard to tell as darkness hides the places where walls would be… but the smooth cement floor makes viewers think it is a space inside a building). There is image in the recording, but no sound. Four Arab-looking people are located forming a square, and a fifth one, clearly older than the rest –the angle of the camera does not allow his face to be seen- is sitting among them. The dim lightning, yellowish and creating flickering shadows, seems to come from torches or from a bonfire. In addition to the people, some sort of sculpted stone arcade can be seen. They are all taking part in some kind of ritual, with the man in the centre humming and the rest participat- ing after each verse. You have a complete description of the ritual in the section about the second vision (page 18). The recording ends with the officiant using wax to seal the mouth of an amphora that looks as the ones the characters have already seen. The second recording is very similar to the first one, but here the camera has been taken to a different spot and things that were hidden earlier can be seen now. The man sitting in the centre is located in front of two amphorae –no need to describe them, right?-. Additionally, at around minute 20 something differs from the ritual in 2010. When the officiant throws something into the fire and the five flames seem to turn green, in this recording, one of the �16 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… flames does not change. All people present look surprised, and one of them gets near another one, likely shouting at him, even threatening him. Immediately, all join the first one. One person leaves the scene and comes back some sec- onds later with a chair (like the ones in the dining room of the house they are in). They sit and tie the man they were shouting at and begin to hit him. The beating continues for almost half an hour when, it seems, they give up and some- one switches the camera off. If they have already been through the second dream, one of the four men, whose face, curiously enough, is not seen dur- ing the whole recording, looks familiar to the characters. He is the stranger that enters the ruins after the ritual has be- gun, but players do not need that level of detail yet. THE BASEMENT The perimeter of the lowered area in the main room is aligned with a discreet railing system. If they apply strength and try to displace the half columns holding the censers (ashtrays) so they end aligned with the four elements, the whole structure turns and a noisy snap of cogs falling into place can be heard. And then the floor begins to descend, as does the lower surface of the glass cabinet, what finally al- lows access to the amphora. The whole structure moves about 3 meters down (10 ft), giving access to a dark cellar. The limited light reaching down from the main room allows the following to be seen: - Walls cannot be seen, but the room is at least as big as the whole lower floor of the house. - There seems to be no lamps or lightbulbs. - There are several stone structures: ruins from an arcade. In fact, the one at the abandoned mosque from the second dream. If they recognise it, the SAN loss is 1/1D3. They can lighten the place up lightning the censers, for ex- ample. Once they get some more light, at a corner they see a small desk on top of which lies a switched off video camera, plugged to an extension lead that runs up through the wall and into a power outlet on the ceiling. On the same desk are a clay bowl and a book, written in Arabic, with the tile ينــطايشــلا [Demons], and the subtitle “Of the demons and risks that can bring death and madness to the man venturing into the deserts”. If none of the PCs speaks Arabic make the book a bilingual edition (Arabic/English). It lies open on a certain page, showing the following text: And the way to defeat the djinn, for it cannot be killed as a man or animal once it has taken physical form, resembling either a man or an animal from the earth, is arduous and uncertain. The essence of the djinn will always inhabit the heart of the being it has decided to haunt. To prevent the essence from animating and controlling the body, the heart must be taken away, so denying the use of the limbs and the senses, and this leading the djinn to a lethargy that can be extended forever if watch is kept and these wise rules are followed. The man or animal haunted by the djinn is to be killed by way of a knife made from silver or amber. The being that is the djinn is to die twice, because being wise, it’ll appear as dead the first time, this being but a trap to deceive him who thinks has defeated the creature and to come back to defend itself as demons do re-animating corpses. After the second death the body remains motionless. The same knife made of silver or amber will be used to extract the heart from the body. The heart, still haunted, will be cold to the touch, even if the man or animal are recently dead, for the bond between heart and body was one of a mystical nature, and the heart was already dead to the eyes of man. The heart is to be sealed away inside an am- phora inscribed with the sacred symbols. 
 Just to cash on the paranoia and suspicions, when playing the second recording, you can tell the PC marked by touching the first amphora that they see something else that the others, apparently, do not. A weird shadow, big and vague behind the man strapped to the chair. Somehow, the charac- ter feels that said shadow corresponds to the dae- monic face they saw at the wall during the first scene. �17 THE SECOND AMPHORA So that the wax in the seal can truly put the djinn to sleep and prevent its escape, it has to be prepared inside a hot bowl, surrounded by the water, the earth, the air, and the fire. For only in this way, all that is feared by the djinn, the material existence that is forbidden to him, will be present in the seal. The body is to be incinerated and the ashes gathered inside a twin amphora, following the same ritual, as one specific heart is only useful to animate one specific body, and separating them, two barriers against the return of the djinn are created. And as wax is mundane and, as happens to men and animals alike, ends dying, is advisable to repeat the ritual after time has passed, so that the seal does not lose its power and the djinn, if only as a ghost, escapes its prison and wanders freely to deceive and haunt others. SECOND VISION This scene is a continuation of the hallucination PCs went through individually. Ideally they should experience this as a night dream between the second and third days however, as already said, you’ll have to adapt to your group’s pace. If you cannot present this in the form of a dream, the moment they discover the machinery to access the basement may be a good opportunity to play it. In this dream they are all together, so you can narrate it directly to the whole group, without separating them. Travelers meet. They do not know each other. They just know they need to reach Al Habilayn together, and once there perform a ritual using the elements they carry, to make sure a certain djinn will never revive. If you have fewer than four characters, as many NPCs as needed to reach that number arrive also with them. These other travellers carry the missing elements with them (water, earth…). The meeting place, which they can already see, is an old abandoned mosque, half ruined, in the middle of the desert, on a crossroads of ancient paths already erased by time. The adobe walls are no more than a meter (3 ft) high in some places, but a handful of pillars have beard the attacks of the sandstorms, and support enough remains of walls and roofing as for the building to still work as a shelter against the ever strengthening desert breeze, blowing already with a strength that is both annoying and menacing. Four heavy stone censers burn providing the only lightning to the scene, at the same time that the incense that burns in them provides some kind of oneiric quality to the whole experience. The “wise man” they told them about is there (N.B. for the “audience”, this is the man from the introductory scene, the one humming next to the injured man), dressed in a light-coloured robe and with a white turban. He seems to be praying. The man does not react to the group entering the building. If any character talks to him, the host grabs a stick and draws some lines and circles on the sand of the ground, for then handing the stick to the PC. (Note for the Keeper: as you’ll see on next page’s image, the man draws an incomplete version of the design the group found in the luggage locker. The point is that characters should complete it, proving they are the cho- sen ones. If you have fewer than four characters and they are unable to come up with this idea, use an NPC to complete the drawing. If you have four PCs and none is able to come up with the idea, hopefully one of them will pass an INT check to save the day.) If any player recognises the design, the SAN loss for their “present day” character is 1/1D2. Once the newly arrived have confirmed they are the ones that were expected, the man stands up and walks them around the perimeter delimited by the censers. Inside each one, one of the PCs has to drop whatever they had carried with them: the water, the earth… Again, if you have fewer than four PCs, the remaining elements are provided, in the same way, by the NPC travellers. This is, step by step: the first character drops the first element, then the man walks that character to the second censer (one traveller, one line, the top one), then the second traveller drops the second element, and both walk together to the next censer (two lines, vertically, to the right of the design), when the third traveller drops the third element, they all advance to the next vertex (three lines, at the bottom), and final- ly, all travellers, after providing the fourth element, go back together to the starting point (four lines, to the left of the design). When all characters have left their items, the man uses the fire from the fourth censer to light a handful of dry branches that he then sticks to the floor, in the centre of the room. Then he sits and begins to intone a hymn while he rocks himself. The PCs move them- selves to the apexes of the rhombus inscribed within the square, as the diagram shows. They do it instinctively, without anyone provid- ing any explanation to them. The officiant throws something into the fire in front of him and the flame turns momentarily green. Characters would swear the same has happened with the flames at the four censers, but it is hard to tell for sure. The marked PC sees the same daemonic presence he saw in the house of the first amphora forming in the central fire, momentarily. The officiant takes a clay bowl from the floor, throws some wax flakes inside, and begins to expose it to the flames, while holding it in his hands. And then another traveller arrives. A tall dark-skinned man, with short black hair, deep eyes and an aquiline nose, walking with elegance. He wears black, and unwraps his face only when he has entered the building already. (Note for the Keeper: later on the characters will recognise this man as the specialist their bosses send to the house in the “present time”.) He addresses the wise man (he behaves as if he had not seen that the PCs are also there) in a language the characters do not understand, although they are able to catch a word here and there, and the cadence sounds familiar, maybe an archaic version of their own tongue. The conversation seems to grow violent until a point when suddenly both men stay mute, staring at each other. For the first time now characters realise there are two amphorae, approximately one and a half meters high (5 ft), behind the place where their host had been sitting. Both of them open. �19 THE SECOND AMPHORA This is the diagram the wise man draws on the sand. If you compare it with the one to the right, the rhombus inscribed inside the square is missing. The PCs have to complete the diagram to prove they are the chosen ones. (The version on the note found in the locker shows the complete diagram.) �20 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… THE SPECIALIST Ideally this should happen in the morning of the 4th, the ritual’s date. That morning the wind outside, far from calm- ing down, makes any thoughts of leaving the house seem like a bad idea. Someone calls the intercom. He is the specialist sent by their superiors. They can see him through the intercom’s camera, although his face is half-covered by a scarf and a hat, to pro- tect him from the wind. If you have fewer than four charac- ters, he carries as many people as needed to reach that number, so that there is a total of five: he as the officiant, and four “travellers”. The man enters the house, greets the characters, and takes the hat and scarf off naturally. All PCs recognise him as the last attendee to the ritual in their dream. SAN loss 1/1D4. He introduces himself as Abdul Kaisher and asks for an up- date on their findings and to see the two amphorae (if the PCs did not carry the vessel from the first scene with them – or at least the heart inside it-, the specialist has brought it). He does not bother introducing his companions. One of the first things he demands to know is if the characters have been through any kind of hallucination. If they answer nega- tively, he mumbles “excellent”. If they confirm they have, he mumbles “we must be quick” instead. Of course, he denies any knowledge about the scenes the characters have seen in their dreams. If the characters have not found the underground ritual area (they should have), under the main room, Abdul enters the room and begins to mumble, as if he recognised the compo- nents: “the four elements, the censers… it has to be…”, and then activates the machinery for the amphora’s platform to go down. Once in the basement, without wasting any time, he begins to prepare the ritual (as described in the second vision’s text, page 18). He then asks each “traveller” to drop the appropriate ele- ment inside each of the censers, one by one. Afterwards, he starts a bonfire in the middle of the room, takes the bowl from the desk and holds it over the fire, placing a handful of wax flakes inside, these he takes from inside a sheet of waxed paper he had been carrying in his pocket. He raises his head and asks: “Do you know what you have to do?” If PCs answer that they do not, he asks them to “simply ob- serve”. At a certain moment, a few minutes after having begun the chanting (in which the NPCs having arrived with Abdul ac- company him), from among the darkness at one of the cor- ners the wise man from the second dream enters and, as happened in their shared vision, although with interchanged roles here, begins to speak to Abdul in a tongue the charac- ters do not understand… but then they do! Just then, present time and dreams begin to overlap each other. Be- yond the shadows surrounding the room the light of a sun- rise begins to be seen, joined by the increasingly loud and violent noise of the gale strengthening. Right now they are all inside the temple ruins, close to Adan (SAN 1/1D6). Both men talk: The wise man: The second amphora is cracked. [Characters see now that the amphora keeping the body is cracked at its base]. Abdul: What are you saying, Master? The wise man: The first amphora broke, and the second one is cracked. They do not hold the djinn anymore. Abdul: Where is it then? What must we do? Strange Event At any given moment, one of the characters looking to the gale through the window sees how it becomes a sandstorm, with whirlwinds violently shooting grains of sand against the glass. As suddenly as it has appeared, the storm dissipates, and the PC is again looking at the canopies of the trees, bent by the strong wind. �21 THE SECOND AMPHORA The wise man: It is here. It has not gone far, as it was still weak; but that is going to change soon. It has been here all along. With the person who freed it. At that precise moment, the PC who was the first one touch- ing the broken amphora during the initial scene feels how their heart begins to pound faster and their vision becomes momentarily cloudy. Then they fall to their knees, dizzy. Abdul: Is it he (she)? – shouts he pointing at the fallen character. The wise man: [PAUSE] You know it isn’t. At that precise moment, the man grabs his leather pouch and takes his fist out, holding something that he immediate- ly throws against Abdul’s face, some kind of powder. Abdul’s skin begins to melt and, at the same time, all NPCs arriving to the house with him begin also to dissolve. From inside the melted skin on his face, through the holes for eyes, mouth and nose, a golden brightness can be perceived, that soon finds its way out through each pore of his skin. Shortly thereafter, instead of Abdul, characters see just an enor- mous silhouette, a vague shadow, that turns rapidly into the shape of a gigantic reptile (easily identifiable as the one of the engraving in the library), which leaps to attack the wise man knocking him down to the ground. If any character is armed (regardless of the weapon being wielded or hidden), the silhouette attacks that PC first. As the djinn has revealed itself and has left Abdul’s body, the desert hallucination has ended and they all find themselves in the house’s basement again. Outside, the wind keeps blowing strongly. In this form, the djinn is immune to all non-magical weapons, and bullets simply traverse its body, as if it were no more than the shadow they can see. If in this moment characters do not remember the text of the ritual nor the dagger in the library, the wise man, lying on the ground, in just a whisper, reminds them: “The dagger, the amber dag- ger…” Do not make this easy for them. If they do not operate the mechanism to lift the platform (unlocking the censers to turn the whole structure back again so it moves up), the only way to access the lower floor is by climbing over the wooden columns that used to support the amphora’s cabi- net. Once they have gotten the weapon from the library (or if they had it with them), when a character gets a Hit combat result against the djinn while wielding the dagger, describe how the shadow shatters into golden light impregnating and burning the character. Stop the description there and change the scene: The screen is still black but a sound begins to be heard. A voice intones an almost musical litany. Maybe in a dialect of Arabic, or Persian… or in a much older tongue. An old man, but not too old, of coloured-skin, with a sparse and white-haired beard, in a clear-coloured robe and with a turban hums while rocks himself, sitting. It is a dark room, barely lightened by feeble flames that make shadows flicker. Next to him is another man, lying on the floor. We are not able to see his face, but he is moaning and his body full of burns. The sitting person brings a small bowl to him and helps him to sit up so he can drink from it. The lying one, we see his bandaged face now, drinks and coughs. The wise man looks up and speaks to the rest of surviving PCs: “he’ll get well”. They are all safe now, inside the house’s basement. You can give the following information in an or- ganic way, as characters ask the man, or just have it told by the man when he explains what just happened. The djinn has been killed (by one of the characters), and then killed again (as the ritual demands) by the wise man. The ritual to seal the amphorae has been repeated (with the help of the group; even if there were fewer than four trav- ellers left for the second part of the ritual, four had added the elements to the censers, which is enough). Regarding the ritual from 2014, he can explain that at that time the djinn tried to escape, but it was not strong enough, and was unable to completely control the willpower of the victim it had chosen to be helped by. During the ceremony they identified that person as an infiltrator and took good care of him. Now there are two sealed amphorae again. The wise man tells them that one will remain in the house and, in a friend- ly but assertive way, asks the group to keep the other one safe, to end saying: “it would be good to meet again in four years’ time”. Warsaw, December 8th, 2019 �22 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… The lloigor in human form STR 70 CON 110 SIZ 70 DEX 42 INT 100 APP 80 POW 90 EDU N/A HP 18 DM +1D4 Build 1 Mov. 8 MP 18 Luck N/A Attacks per round: 1 Fighting (Brawl) 30% (15/6), dmg 1D3 + 1D4 (DM) Armour: N/A Skills: Dodge 26% (13/5) SAN loss: N/A The lloigor in beast form (reptile) STR 220 CON 110 SIZ 260 DEX 42 INT 100 APP N/A POW 90 EDU N/A HP N/A DM +5D6 Build 6 Mov. 7 MP 18 Luck N/A Attacks per round: 2 Claws 30% (15/6), dmg 1D6 + 5D6 (DM) Armour: 8 points, for scaly skin. In this form it cannot be damaged by non-magical weapons. Skills: Dodge 26% (13/5) SAN loss: 0/1D8 On the atmosphere The overlapping of elements from the “present time” and what the characters go through in their dreams should lead your players to understand that both situations are connected. To take advan- tage of the confusion, as a Keeper, it is important that you never clarify any of these two things: It should not be clear if characters are the reincar- nation of the people taking part in the ritual they see in their dreams, or if it is the influence the house has over them what causes the visions –or maybe the djinn’s influence!-, or if there is some kind of time portal in the house and both realities are happening “in parallel”, what happens in one impacting the other. It should not be clear if the rituals that took place in that same house in 2010 and 2014, and for what they know, about to take place again in 2018 with them there, is meant to defeat the djinn, destroy- ing it for good or keeping it “asleep”, or if, to the contrary, their goal is to grant it enough power so it can walk free again. �23 THE SECOND AMPHORA gaming- aids Draft of the amphora the PCs have to find. Ref.: page 6. Disclaimer The author does not speak Arabic nor can he read the Arabic or Nabatean scripts, so he is pretty sure the text in the handouts is not directly related to the story. Please accept my humble apologies. �24 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… Strange diagram and photograph of the house. Part of the contents of cabinet 314 in the luggage locker. Ref.: page 8. �25 THE SECOND AMPHORA (This page and next one:) Engravings on the library’s walls. Ref.: page 12. �26 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… �27 THE SECOND AMPHORA Text describing the beginning of the ritual. On the next page you have the full text in English. Ref.: page 16. �28 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… And the way to defeat the djinn, for it cannot be killed as a man or ani- mal once it has taken physical form, resembling either a man or an ani- mal from the earth, is arduous and uncertain. The essence of the djinn will always inhabit the heart of the being it has decided to haunt. To prevent the essence from animating and controlling the body, the heart must be taken away, so denying the use of the limbs and the senses, and this leading the djinn to a lethargy that can be extended forever if watch is kept and these wise rules are followed. The man or animal haunted by the djinn is to be killed by way of a knife made from silver or amber. The being that is the djinn is to die twice, be- cause being wise, it’ll appear as dead the first time, this being but a trap to deceive him who thinks has defeated the creature and to come back to defend itself as demons do re-animating corpses. After the second death the body remains motionless. The same knife made of silver or amber will be used to extract the heart from the body. The heart, still haunted, will be cold to the touch, even if the man or an- imal are recently dead, for the bond between heart and body was one of a mystical nature, and the heart was already dead to the eyes of man. The heart is to be sealed away inside an amphora inscribed with the sa- cred symbols. So that the wax in the seal can truly put the djinn to sleep and prevent its escape, it has to be prepared inside a hot bowl, surrounded by the water, the earth, the air, and the fire. For only in this way, all that is feared by the djinn, the material existence that is forbidden to him, will be present in the seal. The body is to be incinerated and the ashes gathered inside a twin amphora, following the same ritual, as one specific heart is only useful to animate one specific body, and separating them, two barriers against the return of the djinn are created. And as wax is mundane and, as happens to men and animals alike, ends dying, is advisable to repeat the ritual after time has passed, so that the seal does not lose its power and the djinn, if only as a ghost, escapes its prison and wanders freely to deceive and haunt others. �29 THE SECOND AMPHORA Main room - detail �30 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… Pre-generated pcs Below you’ll find four pre-generated characters. For these we give you the attributes and skills, belongings, age and profession. Name, gender and physical appearance are for your players to decide. PC 1 – ARCHAEOLOGIST Age: 42 Born in: Siracusa, NY STR 35 CON 55 SIZ 45 DEX 45 INT 100 APP 35 POW 70 EDU 85 SAN 70 HP 10 DM -1 Build -1 Mov. 7 MP 14 Luck 45 Attacks per round: 1 Fighting (Brawl) 25% (12/5), dmg 1D3-1 (BD) 9 mm. Automatic 25% (12/5), dmg 1D10, range 15 yards, shots 1 (3), ammo 17, malfunction 98 Armour: Kevlar vest (6 points of protection) * (* this piece of equipment is only available during the initial assault scene.) Skills (if not listed here, the skill is at the base percentage): Appraise 10%, Archaeology 60%, Computer Use 5%, Credit 30%, Dodge 22%, Electric Repair 21%, Electronics 1%, Fast Talk 15%, Fighting (Brawl) 25%, Firearms (Handgun) 25%, Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) 25%, History 50%, Library Use 50%, Listen 25%, Mechanical Repair 35%, Navigate 40%, Operate Heavy Machinery 30%, Own Language (English) 75%, Other Language (Arabic) 60%, Persuade 40%, Psychology 20%, Science (Geology) 60%, Spot Hidden 50% �31 THE SECOND AMPHORA PC 2 – ANTIQUARIAN Age: 38 Born in: Atlantic City, NJ STR 45 CON 45 SIZ 50 DEX 45 INT 70 APP 50 POW 80 EDU 75 SAN 80 HP 9 DM 0 Build 0 Mov. 7 MP 16 Luck 80 Attacks per round: 1 Fighting (Brawl) 32% (16/6), dmg 1D3 9 mm. Automatic 20% (10/4), dmg 1D10, range 15 yards, shots 1 (3), ammo 17, malfunction 98 Armour: Kevlar vest (6 points of protection) * (* this piece of equipment is only available during the initial assault scene.) Skills (if not listed here, the skill is at the base percentage): Appraise 50%, Computer use 20%, Credit 50%, Dodge 50%, Drive Auto 35%, Electronics 1%, Fast Talk 60%, Fighting (Brawl) 32%, Firearms (Handgun) 20%, Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) 25%, History 50%, Library Use 70%, Listen 40%, Occult 55%, Own Language (English) 75%, Persuade 15%, Spot Hidden 60%, Stealth 40% PC 3 – U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP) AGENT, SPECIALISED IN ANTIQUES TRAFFICKING Age: 34 Born in: Norfolk, VI STR 45 CON 50 SIZ 40 DEX 45 INT 50 APP 50 POW 90 EDU 90 SAN 90 HP 9 DM 0 Build 0 Mov. 9 MP 18 Luck 80 Attacks per round: 1 Fighting (Brawl) 25% (12/5), dmg 1D3 9 mm. Automatic 50% (25/10), dmg 1D10, range 15 yards, shots 1 (3), ammo 17, malfunction 98 Escopeta Cal. 12 shotgun, semi-automatic 75% (37/15), dmg 4D6/2D6/1D6, range 10/20/50 yards, shots 2, ammo 5, malfunction 100 * (* the shotgun is not available during the first scene, it is the PC’s own and can be used later in the scenario) Armour: Kevlar vest (6 points of protection) ** (** this piece of equipment is only available during the initial assault scene.) Skills (if not listed here, the skill is at the base percentage): Computer Use 5%, Credit 20%, Dodge 75%, Drive Auto 50%, Electronics 1%, Fighting (Brawl) 25%, Firearms (Handgun) 50%, Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) 75%, Law 47%, Own Language (English) 90%, Persuade 75%, Psychology 75%, Spot Hidden 75%, Stealth 75% �32 ENTENTE CTHULhIANA presentS… PC 4 – PRIVATE SECURITY AGENT, EXPERIENCED AS BODYGUARD IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSIONS IN IRAQ Age: 28 Born in: Columbus, OH STR 60 CON 50 SIZ 85 DEX 50 INT 60 APP 70 POW 70 EDU 45 SAN 70 HP 13 DM +1D4 Build 1 Mov. 7 MP 14 Luck 55 Attacks per round: 1 Fighting (Brawl) 35% (17/7), dm 1D3+1D4 (BD) 9 mm. Automatic 51% (25/10), dmg 1D10, range 15 yards, shots 1 (3), ammo 17, malfunction 98 Cal. 12 shotgun, semi-automatic 60% (30/12), dmg 4D6/2D6/1D6, range 10/20/50 yards, shots 2, ammo 5, malfunction 100 * (* the shotgun is not available during the first scene, it is the PC’s own and can be used later in the scenario) Armour: Kevlar vest (6 points of protection) ** (** this piece of equipment is only available during the initial assault scene.) Skills (if not listed here, the skill is at the base percentage): Climb 50%, Computer Use 5%, Credit 24%, Dodge 50%, Drive Auto 36%, Electronics 1%, Fighting (Brawl) 35%, Firearms (Handgun) 51%, Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) 60%, First Aid 60%, Intimidate 25%, Medicine 35%, Navigate 15%, Own Language (English) 40%, Other Language (Arabic) 20%, Psychology 20%, Stealth 35%, Survival (Desert) 20%

textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu/Cthulhu Now/Modern Day Adventures/Miskatonic Repository - Cthulhu - Modern - The Second Amphora.pdf

The Lighthouse A Call Of Cthulhu Adventure Nominally set in the 1990s (though with just a little modification it can be set in nearly any time period), this truly horrific adventure has the investigators venturing to an old abandoned lighthouse-island off of rural Maine where vague sightings of ghosts and hideous apparitions have kept the townsfolk of Port Clyde away for nearly fifty years... THE LIGHTHOUSE: The following adventure is an in-depth mystery that involves science fiction and modern horror in a short adventure-type layout. Written in the same tradition as horror movies and stories, it has the potential to be a highly entertaining “one-night session” scenario. Note that this adventure is nominally set in the 1990s, though with just a little modification it can be set in nearly any time period. KEEPER'S INFORMATION: 40 years ago, in 1951, a strange meteorite blasted a small region of the Alaskan snow fields during an extremely cold season. This meteorite was not a regular falling star, as it contained a strange space virus that began to affect local wildlife in the area. As reports of these strange mutated phenomena began to spread, the government sent scientists to the area who soon contained the disease. One of these scientists, however, became mad with the idea that he could use the alien virus for other purposes. This mad scientist, Dr. Lars Jurgens, stole the secrets of the virus and disappeared mysteriously in December of that year. After several months of trying to find him, government law enforcement agencies were forced to give up the chase, and he was assumed to be dead. In truth, however, the mad doctor secretly moved to a small abandoned lighthouse with lab apparatus and a considerable sum of money. Here he began to conduct experiments with the virus, first using lab animals, then humans. He began to lure people to the lighthouse; a drunken sailor or a street bum, but by the end of the next year, he had gone so far as to kidnap children for his vile experiments. The virus, a form of space plague, is a disease that originates from the center of the galaxy. The virus is a horrible mutagen that causes random, chaotic mutations, and drives the carrier insane. The ultimate result is the transformation of the host into a lesser form of the dreaded Dimensional Shambler (if death does not occur first). After infecting his human "guinea pigs" followed by a period of observing them, the mad doctor, Jurgens, hacked the poor souls to pieces with an axe and buried them in a secret place under the lighthouse. Dr. Lars Jurgens died one stormy night in April, 1956. That night, the ghosts of some of his former experiments rose from their earthy tomb and drove him to the point of committing suicide. They took his body to a secret place in the lighthouse, hacked him to pieces, and buried him. By 1957, new occupants arrived in the supposedly "haunted" lighthouse, though they were eventually driven out by ghostly visitors and disturbances. The same happened again when it was reoccupied throughout the years. For forty years no one has stayed in the lighthouse for more than two weeks, and as such, the lighthouse has acquired a reputation for being haunted. A Note On Conducting The Scenario: This investigation is set up rather differently than most, in that the investigators come here not knowing exactly what is going on or why. The whole series of events which happen go according to a "schedule", and you should remain aware of what happens when are where. If, by the end of the scenario, the investigators are shaken, disgusted, and confused - so much the better! Not every investigation yields palpable results, and only through luck and skill will the investigators come out in one piece. Also, note that there are parts where you, as Keeper, must read to the players so they know what they are seeing, what is going on, etc. The parts which are meant to be read aloud are written between quotation marks. INVESTIGATOR'S INFORMATION: There are several ways the investigators can be involved with this scenario, two of the most playable listed below: Coming to Maine on vacation, one of the investigator's friends challenges the investigators to stay a week at the "haunted lighthouse" of Port Clyde. Not about to be frightened out of a dare, the investigators decide to stay in the abandoned place. Recently, a small prestigious university in rural Massachusetts has commissioned the investigators to investigate a supposedly "haunted" lighthouse in Maine. For this expedition, the group has been granted a sum of $5,000 to buy equipment and supplies. Any other inventions by the Keeper can also be used to get the investigators to go to the haunted lighthouse. Try to make it fit your particular campaign, however. THE LITTLE TOWN OF PORT CLYDE: Port Clyde, located along the forested coast of Maine, is a small fishing community that also prospers in the manufacture of leather goods (particularly shoes and boots). Port Clyde is inhabited by little over 2000 people, and is in fact a small community that is considerably "out of the way". This little town is just like your typical New England coastal village, with small boats for rent, tourists coming every summer for fishing, etc. One of Port Clydes' forgotten landmarks (forgotten by the outside world, that is) is a small lighthouse situated in the middle of the bay. THE FERRYMAN: The boatman of Port Clyde is one Barney Jones, a friendly local who is seldom found anywhere but on the sea. An experienced boat pilot and fisherman, Barney is known by nearly everyone in town as an honest man. As good old Barney is the only one who will go out to the Lighthouse Island, his services will be required. Wearing a weathered brown jacket and tattered trousers, Barney appears to be a common man with a broad stature and a friendly, warm smile. Barney is nearly 45 years old, as is evident in his short brown beard and slightly-wrinkled face. "Good old Barney" (as he is known in town) is a friendly fellow without a single mean bone in him. Openly hospitable and amiable, Barney is always on the good side of everyone he meets. Barney never acts meanly or insultingly, and works to the best of his ability. He has a good reputation in town, and will make a similar impression on the investigators. Barney, however, is far from an ordinary, mundane fellow. Barney is the son of Edward Jones, a boatman like himself, who was murdered by the mad scientist one stormy night. The spirit of Edward Jones still lingers around the lighthouse, and during "The Storm", his spirit possesses the body of his son, Barney, to wreak havoc on the island (cutting power, attacking the investigators, etc). For more details on Edward Jones' ghost, see the section labelled "The Storm". LOCAL TALES AND LEGENDS: The people of Port Clyde have their share of folk tales and legends, ranging from the average to the bizarre. Depending on who you ask in town, each story will vary somewhat, with the tale-spinner adding a little more mystery or a little more horror. One of the most common tales in town is of the mad doctor who supposedly lived in the lighthouse many years ago. According to the locals (some of the older ones claim it's true), the mad doctor came to the area one bitterly cold year. Though he was definitely odd and strangely reclusive, he ran the old lighthouse without event, until one night in 1956, when a great storm was ripping up the coast. That night, as people were going to bed, strange howls and screams were heard coming from the middle of the bay, where the lighthouse stood. The local hotel owner, along with a few youths, took to the seaside and they saw lights flickering madly in the lighthouse's windows, and screams came from it's weather- beaten spire. Calling the local police, they went out to the lighthouse when the storm was over, but after a thorough search, not a trace of the mad doctor was ever found. Other tales in town tell of how people went missing over the years, strangely disappearing, never to be heard of again. Now and again, a sailor or bum would just "disappear". Things got to be serious in 1953, when children began to disappear as well. Despite investigation, neither the bums nor the children were ever found again. CONDUCTING THE ADVENTURE The following notes are presented for the Keeper's use only. The notes help the Keeper to conduct the adventure, taking the party from "scene" to "scene". The Keeper may, at any time, vary from this schedule, allowing for individual creativity if so desired. THE FIRST DAY: As the small ferry boat cuts through the dark water, white foam sprays out over the prow and onto the deck of the skiff. If it weren't for the confident look on the boatman's face, you would have thought the boat was sinking. From where you stand, you can see the tall spire of the old lighthouse, standing above the small stone island in the middle of the cold bay. The light-tower is weather-beaten and decrepit, while the rest of the house seems genuinely antique and even foreboding. You take a deep breath as you get closer, and the air seems colder still as you begin to come to a stop. Let the investigators discuss the situation for a moment, during which time the boatman, Barney Jones, will tie the boat to the jetty located on the west side of the artificial lighthouse island. Barney ties the boat up to a small stone jetty at the base of a staircase. Taking a few cardboard boxes filled with supplies, he gets off and tells you to follow him up the stairs. As you reach the landing above, you see the boarded-up windows of the house connected to the lighthouse tower, though Barney makes little note of it's almost frightening condition. He takes you to the front door, takes out a ring of keys, and unlocks the door. Smiling, he hands you the keys. Turning to leave, he tells you he will return in two days with fresh supplies, and says goodbye. THE LIGHTHOUSE: Located on a tiny man-made island in the middle of the bay, the lighthouse has been vacant for some years. Only accessible by small boat, it is completely reclusive and mysterious. From the outside, the lighthouse appears to be a small brick building with stark white trim, a dark shale roof and small, antiquated windows on each floor. The lighthouse tower is made of similar materials, but is round and completely white. Weather-stained and old, the entire island appears decrepit and antique. JETTY This small stone area is situated some fifteen feet below the main area of the house (as the lighthouse is on elevated land), and access to the house is provided by an old metal staircase that ascends to a landing above. The far side of the staircase has a sturdy guard-rail to prevent persons from falling into the icy waters of the bay. WALKWAY This area goes the whole way around the small lighthouse island, and is made of thick and sturdy stone. A slightly-corroded guard-rail runs the whole way around the island as well, preventing persons from falling off the walkway and into the water fifteen feet below. PARLOUR The small room at the front of the house is brightly lit and almost "homey". The far north corner is filled with a small bookcase, while the entire eastern wall is dominated by a plush sofa with lacy pillows. The wooden floor is covered in a warm rug, and a fireplace in the room keeps the air cozy. The books in the bookcase range from old magazines (several issues of Time and National Geographic) to typical bedside literature. None of the books here are of any interest to the investigators. DINING ROOM The dining room is a warmly-lit chamber, dominated by a long wooden table in the middle of the room. An old crystal chandelier hangs above the table, while the corners of the room are filled with end tables and even a seascape painting or two. The table, covered in a fine white sheet, is in surprisingly good condition, despite it's age. With a little dusting and repair, it can be restored to excellent condition. KITCHEN The kitchen is a large white room with wooden floor, like the others in the house, though it is more weathered and stained than the rest. Wooden cupboards line the walls, and the northern part of the room is occupied by a great fireplace and stove. Though the wooden floor creaks a little, the kitchen is in relatively good shape. The cupboards are almost completely empty, except for a stack of ancient newspapers (see "The Lighthouse Papers #1") and a few cans of food above the sink. The food in the cans is stale and inedible, and one of them has inside it, the preserved body of a dead mouse (which was accidentally canned many years ago). LIBRARY/STUDY Books line the walls and corners of this entire room, and a fine wooden desk sits in the center of the room, bare of anything useful except for a small kerosene lantern and an inkwell. The desk itself is filled with nonsensical papers, ranging from supply forms, supply inventories, and scattered notes. The books on the walls range from classic novels (like "Moby Dick", "War and Peace", etc.), to encyclopedias and medical journals. Surprisingly, there are A LOT of medical journals and old scientific magazines located in the Library. Hidden in a secret compartment in the desk (requiring a Spot Hidden check at 1/2 chance to find it) is a small glass ampule, stopped with a rubber stopper, filled with a strange glowing red serum. Unknown to the investigators, this is the serum described by Dr. Jurgens in his journals (it will keep the victim of the Virus alive until the eleventh stage of the disease). There are only two "doses" of this strange serum left. In addition, there is a small jar, completely sealed with rubber, containing strange ice-like crystals (this is the only sample of the alien virus). Note that neither of these containers are labelled! LIGHTHOUSE, FIRST LEVEL The first level of the lighthouse tower is damp and dark. The door, having been shut for nearly ten years, gets stuck and anyone attempting to open it needs a Strength score of at least 10 to open it. The room itself is dominated by the spiral staircase that ascends up the lighthouse, though a few old wooden crates have been stacked here and there along the wall. Most of the crates are empty, except for a few which contain hammers, nails, lengths of worn-out rope, and a kerosene lantern or two. If one of the investigators succeeds in an Spot Hidden check, he or she will find, located behind one of the crates, a deep hole which at first glance appears to be a sewer entrance or pit. With further investigation, the hole will be found to contain the slightly- decomposed remains of a cat, the body of which is very lean (any investigator with the either the skill First Aid or Treat Disease is able to determine that the cause of the cat's death was by slow starvation). Seeing the corrupted form of the dead cat costs two SAN points automatically, with or without a check. BASEMENT Access to the lower level of the lighthouse is provided via the stairwell in the Kitchen, which leads to the earthen basement below. The basement is a damp area plunged in complete darkness. The central room of the basement is somewhat "L-shaped", the north part of which is dominated by an old hand-operated generator. The generator is still in working order, requiring little maintenance or repair. As such, it is easily activated, providing electricity throughout the house (though the lighthouse's lighting equipment needs to be replaced). The southern part of this room is cluttered with empty crates and boxes, and water drips down from the ceiling and rusty pipes that hang above. If one is not careful, he or she might bang his or head against one of these (inflicting a point of damage in an Agility check is failed). Though the investigators do not know it, the walls of the basement are filled with the remains of Dr. Jurgens experiments, each of which were hacked to pieces with an axe and put in garbage bags, then buried in different places. There is no way for the investigators to determine this unless they excavate the walls. SECRET ROOM Located in the basement of the house, this tiny chamber is concealed behind a wall of stone bricks, lain here many years ago. The only way to break into the chamber is to pick away at the bricks, or hammering a part of the wall down. Once inside, the investigators will find that the small room reeks of something rotten and unnatural. With a light source available, it is obvious that the room was once used for the conducting of scientific experiments; the floor is littered with shattered beakers and tubes, while the decrepit table in the center of the room holds metal tools, primitive electrical gear, and a whole assortment of glass tubes, wires, and vials. Among the jumble of broken vials is a small leather journal, covered in dust and locked with a tiny brass padlock. The journal is in a serious state of decay, missing many pages. This journal is the diary of Dr. Jurgens (the mad scientist), and contains many of his notes on both his experiments (see "The Lighthouse Papers #2") and the strange hauntings that he observed in the lighthouse (see "The Lighthouse Papers #3"). Buried in the west part of the secret room is the dismembered body of Dr. Jurgens, though the only way to discover this is to continue digging. The only remains of him still intact are his fractured skull, a severed arm, his pelvis, and a complete leg with thigh and calf bones intact. All are buried separately, in a crude manner as if the someone or something that buried them was either crippled or horribly deformed. SITTING ROOM The sitting room, located on the second floor, is a comfortable room filled with a plush sofa, a few wooden chairs, and an old 1950s-style radio, which is still in working order (though there are few channels worth listening to here in this part of rural Maine). A plain brown rug, thick and warm, covers the entire floor of the room. Besides the radio, there are few things here worthy of note. GUEST ROOM Located in the northeast section of the second floor, the guest room is a warm little room with a comfortable bed, wardrobe, and a washbasin on the western nightstand. A mirror hangs against the same wall, while an antique clock (of 18th-century make) sits on the eastern wall. The wardrobe of the room is finely crafted, but contains little of value other than empty hangers and the like. The antique clock no longer functions, as it has simply outlived it's usefulness. Still, it is beautifully made, and makes a fine wall ornament. If anyone checks under the bed, he or she will find an old, tattered teddy bear, one of it's black button eyes missing. It is extremely old, and is covered with dust (this was the sole property of a little girl that was locked-up in this room many, many years ago). BATHROOM The north wall of this nicely-appointed room holds a fine wash basin and sink, an empty towel rack, and a medicine cabinet. The western part of the room is taken up by a bath tub and shower fixture, while a little closet (filled with old towels and a few bars of flaky soap) fills the southeastern corner of the room. The shower and bath both possess running hot water, and the soap in the cupboard is still usable. The bathroom, though once a scene of horrible decay, was refurnished by previous occupants of the place. MASTER BEDROOM The master bedroom is the largest bedroom in the lighthouse, and contains a great big bed, an ancient dresser, and a pair of nightstands. A wooden wardrobe (of the same make as the one in the Guest Room) fills the northwestern corner of the room, while the entire floor is covered by a thick white rug. The wardrobe is filled with empty hangars, and a few old leather suitcases, now empty. The dressers are similarly empty and unoccupied, and the whole room is actually a little lonely. LIGHTHOUSE, SECOND LEVEL The second story of the lighthouse, much like the first, is increasingly damp and drafty. The only thing in the "room" is the spiral staircase that runs along the wall all the way up to the top of the lighthouse, where there is a wooden hatch that leads out onto the parapet. ATTIC Coming into the attic, it is apparent that no one has been for a considerable time. The attic of the house is large and spacious, though it's corners and wooden posts are littered with dust, cobwebs, and trash. Several wooden crates, filled with hardware such as plates, silverware, glass beakers, test tubes, and vials, lie against the walls, while a few chests contain old clothing from long ago. Though none of the chests contain anything useful, the presence of beakers and test tubes may alert the investigators to experiments having taken place here on the island (they may make the connection between Dr. Jurgens and his mad experiments, but give no obvious hints). The attic is otherwise empty, and contains little objects of value or interest. LIGHTHOUSE, TOP LEVEL The top level of the lighthouse is only accessible through the wooden hatch that leads to the second level. The hatch, old and weather-beaten, takes considerable strength to push open (Strength of 14) and aside. Once open, the investigators are able to get onto the palisade, the part of the towering lighthouse where the equipment (lightbulbs, mirrors, etc.) are located. The equipment here is severely damaged, and have not worked in over ten years, and as such are in desperate need of replacement. Only a successful Operate Heavy Machinery check made at 1/2 percent will make the lighthouse equipment start up successfully. ELECTRICITY AND THE HOUSE: The lighthouse has a small generator in the Basement, operated by hand cranking it for several seconds. The generator supplies electricity to the entire house, and even powers the lighthouse light, which consumes a lot of electricity. Power from the generator runs from the basement outside the house through a thick cable, and then back into the house in the kitchen, where the power is then transferred to smaller wiring and cablework. Though starting the generator and electricity should not be a problem at first, alter on in the scenario, during "The Storm", the wires are cut by the possessed body of Barney Jones. A SPECIAL NOTE ON THE LIGHTHOUSE: Though this adventure takes place over a period of several days, any loss of Sanity Points or Spell Points will not be regenerated through rest, as the place is extremely unnerving and upsetting to the mind. As such, only Hit Points can be regenerated through rest. Later That Day: Allow some of the investigators a lot of time to explore the lighthouse grounds, while others in the group put away the supplies and check out the accommodations (which are in surprisingly good condition). This time would be a good time to start role-playing investigator relations, beginning reactions to the "mission", etc. Though the first day passes without event, later that night, when everyone has presumably gone to bed, something strange happens to a randomly determined investigator. That Night: As you sit in bed trying to sleep, you hear a strange noise, seemingly in the distance. You bat your eyes for a moment, wondering whether you are dreaming or if you are still awake. As you get to your feet, you hear the noise again, though it sounds as if it is directly above you, perhaps in the attic. Putting on a bathrobe, you head towards the door, your head cocked up, keeping an eye on where you hear a strange creaking - as if someone is walking around above you. Let the player decide what actions his or her investigator takes from here on. If the investigator wakens another, the noise will quickly subside, and will not be heard again. If he or she follows the noise, it seemingly "walks" directly overhead, ending right at the top of the attic stairwell. Several seconds later, it will become evident that the noise has completely ceased to continue. This event will cause the loss of a single SAN point from the individual who encounters it. Note, however, nothing else will happen for the rest of the night. THE SECOND DAY: The next day is a bright and cheery one, though an icy winds blows from the north, and a small flock of sea gulls decides to inhabit the upper story of the lighthouse tower. The day should pass without event, as the investigators continue to find things on the grounds (such as the newspapers, the journal, or the body of the dead cat. These items, though not immediately threatening, should liven up the time and add a little suspense and mystery to the adventure). Play the day's events out regularly; DO NOT just skip to the following night, as if you do so, the players will soon come to expect the worst at night. By role-playing and adding minor events (such as one of the investigators falling into the bay, or a sea gull attacking a walking investigator, etc.), the time will go by while adding excitement to the daytime. The Bathroom Sink: Around lunchtime, as the investigators gather to eat, one of the investigators using the bathroom will notice something strange about the sink in the room. Seemingly out of order, if it is left running for several minutes, a thick, gooey substance will begin to drip slowly out of the tap. This will continue for five minutes, at which time the tap will again be clogged - then, mysteriously, water will again flow from the tap like normal. If the investigators examine the goo emitted from the sink, a successful Chemistry check will identify it as a strange form of slime, neither produced by rust nor algae. The goo, after several hours, will fade into a luminescent patch where it was left (in a cup or sample jar). Witnessing the slime and goo requires the investigator to make a successful SAN check or lose one point. In The Basement: If any of the investigators end up working (in one way or another) in the basement, the following encounter will happen in his or her presence. As you shuffle through the boxes and crates, you think you hear a strange trickling noise towards one corner of the room. Turning cautiously, your flashlight illuminates a puddle of dark water forming only a few feet away from you. Though your torch is powerful, you cannot readily identify the substance that seems to be coming from right out of the wall. Allow the investigator to investigate, but the "water" will seemingly deny identification. Like the water from the tap (see "The Bathroom Sink"), the puddle will disappear a few hours later, leaving only a slightly luminescent patch of ground in it's place. Witnessing the slime and goo requires the investigator to make a successful SAN check or lose one point. That Night: Later on that night, several hours after the investigators have gone to sleep, choose a random investigator who is staying in the Master Bedroom, and read the following to him or her: You are awakened in the middle of the night by a strange noise. Looking around in the darkness for the source of the sound, you hear it again, over by the wall. Getting up, you feel your way to the wall, and you hear the strange noise - like tapping - coming from the heat vent on the wall near the floor. Kneeling, you are able to put your ear up to the vent to listen. The noise sounds like something scraping or tapping against the metal. As you try to make out the noise, a subdued whisper - like that of a young child - speaks from behind the vent. "Help me," the voice says, sounding like a little girl, "help me. I'm frightened. I'm scared of the dark. Please help me." Allow the investigator (or investigators) a few moments to react or talk through the vent to the child. Though obviously frightened, she is still able to speak a few more words. "Please help me. I'm scared of the dark.' suddenly her voice quiets, and you hear a distant noise from behind the vent. Suddenly, she sounds extremely frightened. "He's coming back! Oh, please help me! He's coming back!" With that, there is complete silence. The investigators have just experienced the ghostly manifestation of the little child (Annie Morris) that was experimented on and murdered by the mad doctor, some 30 years ago. Her ghost is able to speak through the vent in the wall, as she was kept locked-up in the Guest Room - it is here that her ghost haunts. Note that if the investigators rush to the other room to investigate what is behind the vent, they will simply find an empty room, though they will be able to find the vent that connects the two rooms. There is nothing inside however, and the ghost of the child silently departs. In addition, none of the strange sounds will be heard by the occupants of the Guest Room throughout the encounter. This event costs the investigators a loss of four Sanity Points if a successful SAN Point check is not made; if it is passed, there is only a loss of 1 point. THE THIRD DAY: The following day is a dark one, with storm clouds forming on the horizon, and the sky above clouded with wispy fog. At 10:00 in the morning, Barney Jones will arrive at the Jetty on the island to provide more supplies to the investigators. As you sit, watching the white plume come to the side of the island, you see old Barney Jones hop off onto the jetty, and come up the stairs to greet you. He is smiling as usual, and his arms are full of boxes containing canned food and other supplies. Allow the investigators to speak with Barney as much as the want, about whatever they want. Play out Barney realistically (although he's a nice guy, he's still rational about the hauntings, explaining them away as old wives' tales. If the investigators bring up the fact that his father disappeared back in the 1950s, Barney will become strangely silent, then he will turn to the investigators and say the following: "My dad disappeared when I was a little kid. I remember the night that he never came back. Me an' ma, we were sittin' in our house by the bait store, waitin' for dad to come home. He had been workin' that day, he had said, on the old abandoned lighthouse.' With that he looks around and blinks, and continues, 'My dad disappeared on this island, I know. But like the cops said, he must've drowned." Barney can't be convinced that his father was somehow murdered, as he knows his father was a simple man without any enemies. Having said his story, his melancholy face will suddenly cheer up again. Barney turns to you once more as he makes his way to the staircase leading down to the jetty. He looks up at the sky, sighting the dark clouds forming on the far horizon. "Looks like a storm's brewin," he says in a subdued tone, "you fellers sure you want to stick it out out here? Tell ya what, there's gonna be one hell of a wind blowing out here. Won't be able to come back in that rain. If you wants out, come on with me now." Whether the investigators wish to abandon their investigation here on not, that is up to them, but with that, Barney gets on his little boat, starts the motor, and heads off to the mainland. He turns once more and waves goodbye to the investigators standing on the Walkway. THE THIRD NIGHT: (On the third night, the island will be stricken by a storm that covers nearly the entire coast of Maine. The storm causes the ghosts of the dead experiments to rise from their graves, to again haunt the lighthouse and it's dark corridors.) After Barney leaves, the lighthouse will seem even more foreboding than before - distant cracks of thunder and momentary flashes of lightning echo throughout it's rooms. After only three hours, rain begins to come down on the lighthouse, at first only a heavy drizzle, then an all-out storm. THE STORM As you all gather in the Dining Room for dinner, the lights flicker from the intense rainfall outside. A strong gale can be heard, muffled only by the thick walls of the lighthouse. Outside, through the window, you can the sea is a rising crescendo of clashing white waves and currents. As one of the investigators prepares to go to dinner, in his or her room, read the following to him or her ONLY: As you look at yourself in the mirror, seeing if your shirt (or blouse) is on right, you fix the button and admire yourself. Suddenly, you are overcome by a strange feeling, as if someone was in the room with you. Stepping back, you glance around the room, but you see nothing. You are completely alone. Only a flash of lightning from the storm outside breaks the silence. You can hear your friends downstairs playing some light music, and you hear them laughing. Turning back to the mirror, you are gripped with fear. Standing directly behind you, reflected in the mirror, is a man, covered from head to toe in sopping wet clothing, an evil smile cracked across his face. In one hand he holds a butcher's knife, covered in blood, while his eyeless sockets stare at you eerily. Let the investigator react however he or she wishes, but when he or she turns around, the image will be gone. Turning back to the mirror, the man, whoever he was, is gone. Later That Night: Several hours after dinner, when everyone is relaxing or getting ready to go to bed, read the following: As you close your eyes for a moment, you think you hear something from upstairs. Looking at each other, listening at the silence, you hear it again. A hissing noise, like the kind made by a cat, echoes from the stairs above. Soon it is accompanied by a louder, 'hiss', then a thumping noise, like something was rolling down the stairs, comes from the stairwell. You all turn to see what it is. The severed head of a cat comes rolling down the stairs and into the center of the room, hissing evilly, leaving a trail of frothy saliva as it lands. This is the ghost of the dead cat found in the bottom level of the lighthouse tower (see above), though it cannot hurt the investigators in any way. It will simply hiss and screech, cocking itself to look at everyone in the room. If the investigators beat it or shoot it, it will cease making the noise, though it leaves a red stain on the rug. Seeing this event will cost the investigators 2 SAN (if a SAN check is failed). Shaken and scared, the investigators will soon become tired, and will probably decide to retire (albeit cautiously). THE GHOSTS: Roughly around midnight, during the crescendo of the storm, the ghosts of Dr. Jurgens and his "guinea pigs" will materialize in the lighthouse. Whether the investigators are asleep or awake, in different parts of the house, different things will happen. The Wailing Woman: This event occurs to any investigators in the attic during the storm. If none are present, the Keeper may feel free to have one of the investigators hear a strange noise from the attic, and have him or her investigate. As you come up the stairs into the attic, you are gripped with a fear you have never known. A strange light dances across the ceiling like light reflected by water, but this light begins to come together, right above you, forming a mass of glimmering ghostly light. As you back off, the image of a woman, with a pale face and empty eye sockets, fang-like teeth, and a mouth so wide that you could fit your entire head in it, forms from the ghostly light. She is screaming, howling a horrible cacophony of cries and gasps for help and mercy. The ghost is that of Edith White, one of the early experiments of the mad doctor. Her appearance causes a loss of 1D6 SAN (unless a check is passed, in which case only 1 SAN is lost), though she vanishes just moments after manifesting. The Basement: During the storm, around midnight, the possessed body of Barney Jones arrives on the island. Taking a pair of massive wire-cutters, the cable between the basement and the house is severed, cutting off all power in the house. Allow the investigators to investigate this occurrence. As they go down into the cellar (the Basement), they will see something strange coming from the corner of the room. As you come into the Basement, the darkness is negated by a strange glowing green substance, like water, dripping from the far wall of the room, between cracks in the wall. This liquid, glowing intensely, seems to indicate that the wall is "bleeding"." The liquid is ghostly protoplasm, coming from behind the wall in the Secret Room (see "The Lighthouse"). If the investigators have not already discovered the presence of this room, they will now know something exists behind the wall. If they excavate, read to them what they find in the Secret Room. As the investigator read the journal (where it indicates that Jurgens buried the bodies of his "guinea pigs" in the basement), the walls of the basement peel open, and the remains of Dr. Jurgens mad experiments literally step out! They will attack anyone trapped in the basement with them, brutally ripping them into pieces. For the statistics of Dr. Jurgens' experiments, see the section labelled "Statistics". The Mad Butcher: The possessed spirit of Edward Jones, inhabiting Barney Jones, is free on the Lighthouse Island. Though he prefers to get his victims alone, the ghost will attack whenever possible, preferably when others are not around, with his skinning knife. The statistics of Edward-Barney are the same as for Barney. Note that if Barney is killed, the ghost of Edward (his father), will emerge from the body in a flash of ghostly blue light, howling and wailing, eventually joining the rest of the ghosts in The Menagerie (see below). This causes the investigator to lose 2 Sanity Points if he or she does not pass a SAN roll. What's That In My Jelly?: As things are going wild in the house, have one of the investigators run into the kitchen (perhaps due to a failed SAN roll) during a bout of hysterical cowardice. As you run into the darkness of the kitchen, the sounds from all around seem to fade. Turning to one of the cupboards to retrieve a knife, you pull open the door to see two large containers, like jelly jars, except that in each of them is a glowing fluid. As you shriek in terror, an eye opens up inside one of them, and a liquidy mouth appears, pleading in a little girl's voice "Please help me! I'm afraid of the dark!". At the same time, a little boy's voice is heard from the other jar, screaming and wailing, and a pair of mutated eyes, melted face, and bloody streams seem to form out of the glowing ooze. The sight of this causes the loss of 2D4 SAN Points unless the investigator makes a successful Sanity check, in which case there is only a loss of 1 point. The Menagerie: After all the above has either happened or been avoided, the greatest spiritual event will occur, only minutes after midnight. This is the last event to take place during the night, and it happens in the Sitting Room, where everyone has by now gathered. As you come into the room, screaming and terrified, the whole house (which is by now plunged in darkness) falls strangely silent. Catching your breaths, your ears strain to hear the slightest noise. Suddenly, a strange glow, like a phosphorescent "breeze", seems to blow through the room. You hear distant screams, both male and female, as images begin to emerge from the walls. At first it's just a face, twisted and screaming horribly, but then it's a series of warped, mutated forms. Suddenly, out of the wall springs the ghost of a man, horribly obese, wearing a pale coat and wire-rimmed spectacles. He appears to be some sort of doctor. He is screaming in fear, and runs into the center of the room, away from the other ghosts. Suddenly, the other ghosts are upon him like a herd of jackals, their arms and claws tearing at his clothes, ripping his flesh to pieces. Two deformed children gnaw at the flesh on his legs, while another man, appearing somewhat like Barney Jones, hacks at him with a butcher's knife. The other ghosts tear at his limbs as he screams, and slowly but surely, his body is pulled apart and hacked to pieces. The ghosts, taking each tiny piece in hand and mouth, form into one mass of screaming faces, deformed limbs, and slashing arms, and turning on your group, attempt to dismember each and every one of YOU! There is no way to stop the events which happen during the Menagerie, and only by the investigators fleeing the lighthouse will they be able to survive the night (unless they kill all the ghosts). For the statistics of the Menagerie, see the section labelled "Statistics". REWARDS: When the investigators have had all they can take, they'll probably run out of the lighthouse and out onto the Jetty. As Barney returned via boat, his ferry will still be here. With only a few seconds of preparation, the investigators will be able to make their way back to Port Clyde, with the haunted lighthouse behind them. The investigators will probably have to explain the death of Barney Jones (perhaps resulting in a run-in with the law, though Oratory checks should clear that up), as well as the strange events which happened that night. The end result can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it - they might be branded lunatics and thrown in an asylum, called liars and murderers, or they might even be believed by the local populace, and discreetly allowed to go their own way if they vow never to return to Port Clyde. Of course, if the investigators try to publish the story or otherwise inform the public, no one will believe them. In addition, they might even attract the attention of the government, which has been looking for the renegade Dr. Jurgens (and the results of his experiments) since the 1950s ... Defeating the experiments of the mad doctor awards the investigators 1D6 SAN each. Defeating the Menagerie awards them 2D6 SAN. Managing to defeat the ghost of Edward Jones, without causing serious injury to Barney, awards the investigators an additional 1D3 SAN. If they somehow manage to destroy the samples of the Virus, award them a final bonus of 1D4 SAN. STATISTICS: Barney Jones, boatman, age 45 STR 16 CON 16 SIZ 16 INT 14 POW 10 DEX 14 APP 12 EDU 12 SAN 50 HP 16 Weapons: Fishing knife, 50%, 1D6. Skills: Climb 30%, Mechanical Repair 50%, Operate Heavy Machine 45%, Sneak 30%, Track 35%. THE EXPERIMENTS of The Mad Doctor: These are the remains of Frank Martin, Steve Barker, Lenny Smith, and Johnny Leer, all of whom appear to be in the early to medium stage of the Virus, and as such are horribly mutated and deformed. They bear a striking resemblance to fully-developed Dimensional Shamblers, though they do retain some human features. Frank Steve Lenny Johnny STR 20 22 16 19 CON 19 20 16 17 SIZ 19 19 19 19 INT 4 3 7 7 POW 11 11 10 10 DEX 11 10 12 10 HP 19 20 18 18 Move 7 7 7 7 Attk% 30% 30% 30% 30% Damage: 1D8 1D8 1D8 1D8 +1D6* +2D6* +1D6* +1D6* (*: Bonus for strength and size are listed below the basic damage) Armor: All of the experiments possess the sickly inhuman hide of a Dimensional Shambler, and thus retain 3 points of armor. Spells: None. SAN: Viewing the experiments costs 1D10/0 points of SAN. THE MENAGERIE The Menagerie is the manifestation of all the hideous experiments and murdered victims of the mad doctor, which takes form during the Storm. It appears to be a huge ball of rubbery, semi-incorporeal blubber, covered in disembodied faces screaming in torment. Limbs and extremities protrude from the heaving mass, dripping melted flesh and leprous hairy growths. As it moves about in a sickly and obese manner, it flashes in and out of this dimension, lending a strange ghostly appearance to it every second or so. STR 50 CON 50 SIZ 50 INT 18 POW 20 DEX 5 Move 2 HP 50 Weapons: The Menagerie attacks with a multitude of twisted arms, claws, screaming mouths, and babbling orifices. It gets four attacks, though only one attack can be made against each opponent. It's attacks have a 50% chance to hit, inflicting 10D3 points of damage per strike. Armor: 6 points of thick, undefinable blubbery hide. Spells: None. SAN: Seeing the Menagerie in all it's hideous deformity causes a loss of 1D20 SAN, unless a SAN roll succeeds, in which case only 1D6 SAN is lost. THE LIGHTHOUSE PAPERS #1: (An old local newspaper, dated December 17th, 1954, containing the following headline:) LOCAL BOATMAN DISAPPEARS A local boatman, by the name of Edward Jones, disappeared last night during the storm that whipped along the coast. Despite a thorough search, police suspect Jones died of drowning off Lighthouse Island. Edward Jones was a resident of Port Clyde, Maine, a small village on the coast, ten miles from New Haven. Edward is survived by his wife, Edith, and five year-old son, Barney. THE LIGHTHOUSE PAPERS #2: (A dusty old journal) The journal contains most of the information listed under "The Virus", including the different stages of the Virus' development. In addition, a page in the back of the book contains the following mysterious script: Edith White, 31, achieved Stage 3; Frank Martin, 26, achieved Stage 6; Steve Barker, 23, achieved Stage 8 (!); Lenny Smith, 42, achieved Stage 2; Edward Jones, 26, achieved Stage 7; Johnny Leer, 33, achieved Stage 4; Annie Morris, 8, achieved Stage 11 (!); Danny Little, 9, achieved Stage 11 (!). Finally, a page of the notebook, torn and in a rather decrepit condition, contains the following writing: April 16th: I've done it! My experiments with the serum have proven to be successful. I am able to sustain the victim to the eleventh and final stage of the Virus; the children seem to have been the best test subjects. Now that I know what the Virus is capable of, I can begin serious research into it's workings. Reminder - buy a new axe blade, the old one is getting dull from all the burying in the cellar. THE LIGHTHOUSE PAPERS #3: (Again in the journal) One of the soiled pages contains the following notes, scribbled in an excited yet frightened hand: Something strange happened today; I wonder if it's from the lack of sleep since starting the work. I thought I saw a man looking at me through my bedroom window last night. Could've sworn he was smiling at me - almost evilly. Must get some sleep. THE VIRUS: Discovered in 1951 by a team of government scientists, the Virus came from a stray meteorite that crashed into the icy wastes of Alaska, far away from civilization. As stated above, stories about strange and horrific mutations (told by local hunters and trappers), began to emerge into local news. Within weeks, a team of scientists was called into the area to investigate. That is when they found "the Virus". A horrendous disease, the Virus is a form of syndrome that originated from the center of our galaxy. How it happened to be on a meteorite, why it came to Earth; all this is a mystery still unsolved. The disease is able to genetically mutate all forms of life and matter, causing blasphemous random changes and effects that ultimately change him or her into a form of lesser Dimensional Shambler. In most cases, however, the infected victim dies before the full transformation can take effect. Still, the scientists were able to confine the horrible disease, though one of them, Dr. Jurgens, stole the samples of the Virus one December and was never heard of again. The Virus thrives in a type of crystal, and is kept dormant in extremely high temperatures. When exposed to ice or other cold conditions, the particles become alive and the Virus becomes both very contagious as well as very deadly. Anyone can become infected, though only through physical contact with the Virus; either through being injected (as Dr. Jurgens explored through his experiments) or by taking it in another way internally. The Virus is not an airborne one, and investigators completely avoiding it through touch will be safe. There are eleven different stages of infection from the Virus, each of which is detailed below: Stage 1 - The mouth of the victim widens considerably, with extra cheek fat hanging down off the face, like flabby skin. Stage 2 - Warty growths begin to sprout all over the individual, either on joints, limbs, or the face of the victim. Stage 3 - Teeth become sharp, crooked, and twisted, and become extremely painful to endure. Victim becomes extremely hostile, attacking all within sight. After about an hour, the victim's teeth are pushed out by a set of insect-like mandibles. Stage 4 - Finger and toe-nails grow considerably, becoming strong and razor-sharp. At this point, the infected victim may make physical attacks as a Dimensional Shambler. Stage 5 - The flesh on the limbs and torso of the individual become fat and loosely fleshy, hanging off the bones like dripping mucus. Stage 6 - The subject's eyes become pale and glazed over; within an hour they will peel away to reveal black insect-like eyes underneath. Stage 7 - The subject's face loses all definition; flesh hangs loosely off the head, all hair falls out, and fleshy slits replace ears and nostrils. Stage 8 - Hands meld into four-fingered digits, with powerfully thick flesh and muscles. Stage 9 - Flesh becomes strong and thick, despite being loose and blubbery; the victim now receives 3 points of armor, and has completed the transformation into a Dimensional Shambler. Stage 10 - Hours after turning into a Shambler, the victim begins to die. Bones turn jelly-like, and body turns into a seething pool of gelatinous, fleshy matter. Mouth turns into a membranous bubble, and other features similarly degenerate. The victim is still alive, but exists in a state of horrible pain and anguish. Stage 11 - Subject completely dissolves into slime and soon dies. These physical changes can take place within an hour of each other, and there is no known resistance, cure, or treatment for the Virus (except for Dr. Jurgens' serum, which only keeps the subject alive until the tranformation into a Dimensional Shambler is complete). All individuals suffering the disease ultimately die within a matter of hours after infection. At any stage of the disease, the victim must roll under his or her CON on 1D100 or die, though the drug manufactured by Dr. Jurgens allows the infected victim to survive until the ninth stage of the Virus - when the infected victim has metamorphosed into a Dimensional Shambler.

textdata/thevault/Call of Cthulhu/Cthulhu Now/Modern Day Adventures/CoC - Now Adv - The Lighthouse.pdf

BY THE LION’S MANE Rules (modified 5/17/2017) First and foremost By the Lion’s Mane is an event of LARPing fun designed specifically to escape the everyday rigors of modern life. It is aimed primarily at role playing, Christian faith building, and team spirit and we have deliberately kept the combat system basic and easy to use for everyone. It is a youth friendly LARP System. By the Lion’s Mane is a Live Action Role-Playing, Live Role Playing ( LARP/LRP) game set in the fantasy world of Narnia. The priority for Sound View Camp is to give everybody the opportunity to fully participate in a LARP event and interact with others as part of a team. By the Lion’s Mane events are ideal for both veteran live action role players and for those that are new to the concept. They also provide friends of current role-players the chance to see what LARP is all about and become as little or greatly involved as they wish. Everything has been simplified to allow young people to turn up and commence play with minimal preparation. Each event is designed as a stand-alone adventure that has its own aims and objectives, but is also an integral part of an ongoing history with a Christian focus, where characters actions will have an impact on future events. Therefore it does not matter whether you have been to a By the Lion’s Mane LARP event before everybody is just as important, no one player has an advantage over another and everybody will be able to contribute to the event. By the Lion’s Mane uses a live combat system. This means that all participants agree to being hit by and hitting others with live role-playing weapons that have passed a safety check by Sound View Camp staff. The character is the focus of By the Lion’s Mane and generally has a personality that is separate from your own (although this is not essential). This personality can either be developed before play or during events, allowing Narnia to shape your character. To start the ball rolling, the first thing you should consider is what name you are going to give your character. This can be something from your favourite fantasy book or from a movie or entirely made up. Do not worry too much about this if it is your first ever LARP event, you can always change it once you have seen how our weekends work and have a better idea about how to play your character. CHARACTER BACKGROUND Every live role playing character should have a personal background or history. This is not essential for your first LARP event or even your second or future events. As you come to more of our live role playing weekends you will begin to develop your character and a history and background will emerge. It is easier to not have a background and create it as you go along than to try and start with one that doesn't quite fit and then have to change it if you decide you aren't happy with how it is progressing. When you are happy with how you want the characters past to be revealed the starting point for this process is often to invent a background for the character, which can be anything from a few lines of personal history or a detailed brief. The types of things normally included in a background are your relationship to other group members as well as what your character's aims and objectives are (although clearly these may change). CHARACTER RACE The next step of character generation is to choose the live role playing race that you wish your character to be part of. There are two generic races within Narnia which your character should form a part of; Human (Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve), or Talking Beast. Human​ - No explanation should be required to play a human. If in doubt we will of course explain! Talking Beast​ - Choose an animal of your liking. The talking beasts have certain LARP physical representations (requirements, which players should observe for authenticity). This includes the application of make-up to change skin color or applying certain prosthetics (e.g. ears, tails, horns). What method you use to act as a phys-rep for your character is up to you, but you should produce something to clearly identify what race your character is – if in doubt, play a human! COSTUMES The costume is another identifying feature of your character, which helps you to stand out and should be appropriate for the character that you are playing. Obtaining a good LARPing costume may appear daunting for newcomers but need not be. A basic under costume (brown or black trousers and a shirt (with no buttons), with sturdy footwear, a plain belt and gloves) is a good start and can be further supplemented by other attire. PROPS The addition of suitable props for your character will also help set the scene, but are not essential. Props are used to act as a visual aid to role-playing and are substituted for real objects that are either dangerous or expensive to use (i.e. swords, money, fake jewellery, tankards or fantasy LARP objects like wands or banners, that have no real world equivalent). ARMOUR There is no benefit to wearing armour within the By the Lion’s Mane system. However it may be worn as part of your LARPing costume or to enhance it, but armour made of metal or other hard materials should not have any protruding burrs or snags that could cause injury or damage to other player’s or their boffer weapons. CHARACTER ALLEGIANCE Every character within the By the Lion’s Mane game has sworn allegiance to Narnia. There are no traitors among true Narnians. ADVANCEMENT Each player picks a Character Class for their first event, or for a new character, their character gets the skills associated with that class After your first event, or the first event with a new character, you gain your first additional skill, which can be selected from the list of character skills. After your second event, or second event with a new character, you get your second additional skill, and then finally after your 3rd event or 3rd event with your new character, you get your third additional skill. This means that each character can end up with 5 skills in total CHARACTER CLASS The final thing to decide is your character class. There are a number of different LARPing classes available that define what your character can do on an event Each player picks a Character Class for their first event or the first event with a new character, and their character gets the skills associated with that class After your first event, you gain your first additional skill, which can be selected from the lists of character skills. After your second event you get your second additional skill, and then finally after your 3rd event, you get your third additional skill. This means that each character can end up with 5 skills in total Knight of Queen Susan Bow, One Handed Weapon Knight of Queen Lucy First Aid, One-handed weapon Knight of King Edmund Two-weapon fighting, One-Handed weapon Knight of King Peter Shield use, One-Handed weapon LARP General Skill Descriptions Bow Allows a character to be able to use any bow. (Max 30 pound pull) For younger players, this will be a thrown boffer ball. One-Handed Weapon Allows a character to be able to use a one handed weapon. Size to be between 12” – 42” only (from tip to pommel). Two-Weapon Fighting Allows a character to use a one-handed weapon in each hand. Shield Use Allows a character to be able to use a shield. Size to be no larger than shoulder width and neck to groin of wielder. LARP Medicinal Skill Descriptions First Aid Allows a character to be able to apply healing to themselves and others, and to determine how injured they are. Delay Poison Allows the character to remove the effects of a standard poison, or to delay the onset of the effects of unique poisons. Suitable role playing should be used to treat Poisoned wounds, and if in any doubt about which type of poison, then treat them as unique poisons Delay Magic Allows the character to remove the effects of a standard magic spell, or to delay the onset of the effects of unique diseases. IN AND OUT OF CHARACTER Due to the nature of By the Lion’s Mane LARP it is designed that you will always be in character. The only occasions that Time Out or Man Down (explained below) will be called is for safety reasons. Time Out... Stop role-playing when you hear this call. This call is used when the Referee needs to suspend role-playing for a period of time (normally for safety reasons). You should remain in your current position but may talk out of character with people nearby. You may resume role-playing when Time In is called by a staff member. Man Down... Stop role-playing immediately when you hear this call. This call can be used by anyone and is used to indicate that a real injury has occurred (although this is a rare occurrence). You may resume role-playing when Time In has been called by a staff member. Time Freeze... Stop role-playing immediately when you hear this call. Stop moving and stand still with your eyes closed. You may be asked to hum whilst doing this. You may resume role-playing when Time In has been called by a staff member. Time In... Resume role-playing when you hear this call. This call is used by a staff member to start or restart the game after it has been stopped for any reason. AURA OF SERENITY We have an in Game Term called the ​Aura of Serenity This stops all living creatures from dealing damage in certain areas of the site. The Dining Hall and about 3m around it. Lodging Spaces This is so that people can dine, and use the faciltites in peace, and so that peoples own property doesn't get damaged. One thing we would say, is that should enemies be waiting outside an area of serenity, then please go out and fight them, don't encourage them / entice them into the Aura area. And do not use the Aura of Serenity to nip in & out of during a combat. THE STAFF At each By the Lion’s Mane LARP event there will be a number of staff who will act as Referees throughout the LARPing event. These Referees will be made known to you at the start of the event, but will always be in character and not wear any distinctive clothing. The Referees are there to ensure that the rules are being followed and to act as an arbitrator, if required, for certain actions. The staff who run the dining hall are also available to help with most problems whether LARP related or otherwise so please ask. NON PLAYER LARP CHARACTERS We use a dedicated NPC team during each event. These change, depending on the nature of the event and the age group it is targeted toward. Sometimes, players will be asked, for a time, to take on NPC roles. FAITH By the Lion’s Mane is based on the world of Narnia in the books written by C.S. Lewis. In Narnia, Jesus Christ was known as Aslan and appeared usually in the form of a Lion. By the Lion’s Mane is a Christian LARP where the message of the game is of great importance. COMBAT The By the Lion’s Mane LARP combat system is a simple locational hit system. All characters when LARPing have the same number of locations;​ 5 - body, both arms and both legs​. The head is normally not a viable location for LARP combat and has no effect on the character when struck; this is to discourage head hits. The only time when the head is a viable location is when a character uses a shield in combat; for these purposes the head will have one hit. Therefore, you should only use a shield if you are prepared to be hit on the head, if you would prefer not to be hit on the head, then do not use a shield. Shield users are advised to wear an in character LARP helmet. However, players should still try and avoid head hits where there is a viable alternative target. Each time that you are struck you lose your one hit and that location stops working; multiple hits on a location do no further damage. You should role-play the fact that the struck location no longer works (i.e. do not use the struck limb, or hop on the non damaged leg or leave the damaged arm dangling by your side). If both legs are struck you are unable to do anything other than seek healing of some kind. This also applies if your body or head (Shield users) is struck. When fighting in live role playing, there should be at least a full second between each blow/strike with the weapon, regardless of how many LARP weapons you are using. There should be no “drum rolling” or swift strikes with weapons and each blow should be aimed at a different location. The By the Lion’s Mane LARP system encourages good role-playing whilst fighting and effective parrying and striking. There will always be the opportunity to practice weapon fighting and different styles upon each By the Lion’s Mane event – this is completed both in and out of character. Everyone attending a By the Lion’s Mane LARP event should know how to fight in a safe manner, and we will demonstrate this at a player briefing, held at each event. In combat you must pull all your blows so that they land with negligible force. Thrusting with weapons is not permitted. Fighting should only be conducted within the in character areas and is not to take place around any of out-of-play areas. Any character that has fallen over in combat should be given the chance to crawl out of the way of the melee (if they wish).. Our fighting system is a trust based system; We trust all of our players to own up to the hits they have received, and role play their effects suitably. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING Fighting If a character has an issue or problem with another characters fighting style then they should make one of the By the Lion’s Mane staff aware and they will deal with the problem. The staff are there to ensure that all combat is as safe as possible and will, if necessary, arrange for extra training in fighting styles. If your character is approached by a staff member to discuss your fighting style, please adhere to their instructions. Types of Weapons There are different types of weapons available for use when LARPing within the By the Lion’s Mane system as described in the Skills paragraph of the Character Section. If you do not possess the skill to use a certain type of weapon, then you should not carry or use one. Daggers may be used in combat however these count as a single handed weapon and should have a minimum length of 12" / 300mm from tip to pommel. Weapon Safety Safety is the single most important aspect of LARP combat. Every weapon, shield or projectile (bolt or arrow no throwing weapons!) that you bring onto the site must be checked by a staff member. Any item that is judged to be unsafe cannot be used and you must not carry the item for the duration of the event. In general, items will be checked for serviceability, the integrity of its core, to ensure that there are no hard or unsafe edges and that they are of the correct length and have sufficient foam/protection so as not to cause injury to other players. Any non boffer or real items that are normally held in a characters hand during combat, such as wands, lanterns, bags or banners should be dropped or discarded when LARP fighting occurs; preferably to the side of any fighting area, out of the way and not used to parry with. Banned Items The following items are not considered LARP/LRP safe and cannot be used whilst LARPing at By the Lion’s Mane events. Real weapons, including camping knives and re-enactment weapons. Javelins and wrist-mounted hand crossbows. Flexible weapons such as flails and whips. No fireworks or pyrotechnics of any sort may be brought onto the site Any Thrusting weapons Thrown weapons Banned Activities There are certain styles of fighting that are not permitted at By the Lion’s Mane LARPing events. These techniques include shield bashing/charging or striking someone with the pommel/hilt of a weapon. Grappling and other types of physical contact are also not permitted. It should also be noted that the striking of flying arrows with weapons is dangerous, and it can cause them to spin in the air, and someone could get struck with the nock. Please do not do it. Non-Combatant If you do not wish to be involved in combat then you can be a non-combatant. Non combatants should not be attacked or struck by any person. To identify yourself as a non combatant you must wear a white sash at all times ​– the bigger the better. You will need to provide your own white sash. If it is dark or if you think that for any reason nearby combatants will be unable to see your sash then you should call out “non combatant” and move away from any fighting immediately. Non Combatants should make every effort not to put themselves into areas of fighting. Please note that non combatants cannot carry any treasure, items of trade or any other in character valuables. HEALTH IN BY THE LION’S MANE Each LARP character has only one hit per location (5 hits in total – body, both arms and legs – head only for those who use shields). When LARPing, if a weapon strikes a location it ceases to work and cannot be used until it is healed. It is not possible to remove/sever locations or to take multiple hits to one location – once a location ceases to work it can take no further damage. Players with damaged locations should not use them. If a player is struck upon the body (or the head if applicable), they must retire from combat immediately, and find a suitable place to lie down, as ​YOU CANNOT BIND YOUR OWN WOUNDS WHEN INJURED IN THE HEAD AND BODY. BIND WOUNDS Only Knights of Queen Lucy or players who have taken the first aid skill are able to use bandages and therefore bind a character’s wound; this includes being able to bind their own wounds. It takes one minute to bind either your own or another characters wound; once bound, the location can be used again as normal. In order to bind a wound, a bandage must be placed upon the damaged location and you must role-play staunching the wound for one minute. Individuals who play a LARP Healer character are advised to carry a sufficient quantity of bandages in order to bind wounds; bandages can be re-used. To bind wounds you must have both hands free and cannot perform any other action whilst using this skill or whilst having this skill used on you by another character. If you are interrupted before you have spent one minute binding a characters wound, you must start again once the interruption has gone. Bandages may be removed from a characters location fifteen minutes after they have been applied. It is advisable for all characters when LARPing to carry their own bandages in case healers have run out, this way you can still be healed. Characters with the First Aid skill are also able to Discern Nature of Wounds - where they spend 10 seconds checking over an injured person, and then they can ascertain where they are wounded. They can then apply their bandages to the suitable location. MORTAL WOUNDS IN NARNIA There are no such things as wounds that will instantly kill a character. However if every location is struck before any location has been bandaged then the character is considered to have a mortal wound. Mortal wounds cannot be cured by the use of bandages; A mortally wounded character can only be healed by Queen’ Lucy’s Cordial which is kept at the dining hall. The character has 15 minutes to walk slowly, with their entire group, to receive the cure. A MORTALLY WOUNDED CHARACTER MAY ONLY WALK IF AIDED, AND MAY ONLY SPEAK QUIETLY DEATH IN NARNIA It is possible for a character to die in Narnia. If you receive a mortal wound and you cannot receive the appropriate Healing within 15 minutes then you are dead. Death is a part of any live action role playing event and the fear of this happening is one of the main things that LARPing so much fun. ENEMY SKILLS Enemies (NPCs) who arise in Narnia may have skills in magic as well as the other weapons that they possess. Enemies are also wounded differently and will often take several blows to be vanquished. Be wary of all enemies introduced in the game. Paralysis If the monster shouts 'paralysis' when they strike you, in addition to being injured on the location that you were struck you must remain totally stationary for 60 seconds (once the 60 seconds are over no further ill effects are suffered – other than the wound) Fear If the monster shouts 'fear' when they strike you, in addition to being injured on the location that you were struck you must flee the sight of the monster for 60 seconds (once the 60 seconds are over no further ill effects are suffered – other than the wound) Mortal Wound If the monster shouts 'Mortal' when they strike you, then you must consider yourself mortally wounded. Iif you do not receive the Cordial of Queen Lucy in 15 minutes, the character will die. Disarm If the monster strikes your weapon, and shouts 'disarm', you must drop your weapon to the floor. Once your weapon has hit the floor, you may attempt to pick it up again.

textdata/thevault/Kid Friendly/5. Simple LARPs/By the Lion's Mane LARP (Narnia kids larp).pdf

INDEPENDENTS - TOP SECRET - BROWNCOAT EYES ONLY 独立 - 最高机密 - 布朗外套只注视 The Official Serenity Blueprints Detailing the design, layout and systems of the Firefly-class transport, Serenity. Issued and approved by Firefly Coach Works, Ltd., Hera, and Mandel & Earls, Ltd., Londinum, and Quantum Mechanix Inc., Earth That Was. (Class No. 03-K64-FF. Registry No. 404-E-132-4FE274A.) Available at midnight EDT on April 7, 2007, in a limited-edition run of 750 copies and signed by creators, Geoffrey Mandel (graphic designer, Serenity) and Tim Earls (illustrator, Firefly; set designer, Serenity), the Official Serenity Blueprints set contains 10 18” x 24”, full-color, 100 pound satin-finish sheets documenting the design, systems and layout of our favorite Firefly-class transport, Serenity. This blueprint set, which retails for $99, is the definitive resource for any Browncoat interested in the details of Serenity, including the shuttles and mule. Each sheet is printed in full color and is suitable for framing. These blueprints encompass months of work verifying every aspect of Serenity, distilled from hundreds of set photos, architectural drawings, CGI files, and volumes of background material used to produce Serenity, the movie. They represent the only official and complete documentation on Serenity, revealing details not seen in the movie or TV show or in any other previously published source material (official or fan-made.) Notes on Authenticity A common occurrence in science-fiction television and movie ship design is something we like to refer to as the TARDIS Effect. Put simply, the TARDIS Effect is the tendency for spaceships to be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. This happens primarily because the folks who design the set are not the same ones who design the miniatures (old tech) or the CGI (new tech). And, because neither team is actually constrained by reality, they tend to design toward their own objectives – on the one hand, to make it look cool, and on the other, to serve the staging the director wants for a particular story. With Serenity, Joss Whedon was looking to change that. He wanted a ship that felt both real and familiar, with well-defined spaces that could be identified from the inside and the outside. This goal was largely met, with some small accommodations made for the realities of filming a TV series and movie. In creating these blueprints, Quantum Mechanix Inc. is forcing the issue on these “small accommodations,” which is why we approached the folks who helped create the sets and ship designs to complete that design work here. That’s why you may notice small variances between what you saw in the movie and what you’ll see here. Those variances will be few and in every case will exist to address problems in continuity. Our goal with these blueprints is to bring Serenity to life, to make her as real as possible. We didn’t want any “this space left intentionally blank” areas on our favorite boat. But rather than just “make stuff up,” we went to the people who made her in the first place, and are most familiar with her specifications and overall design objectives. These blueprints represent a labor of love for many people from Serenity’s creative team. Beyond Geoffrey and Tim, there were many, many more folks without whose love and creativity in crafting Serenity, these blueprints would not have been possible. We thank you all! And, of course, there is the blueprint beta test team, or the Serenity Brain Trust as they came to be known: a loose consortium of hardcore Browncoats that pored over millions of film and video frames in an effort to ensure 100 percent authenticity, even when hard data contradicted observed fact. Thanks, guys, for all your hard work. The t-shirts are in the mail! ;-) In these blueprints, you will learn: Sheet One - Port Outboard Profi le • How Serenity controls attitude in space. (We mean the ship, of course, not the crew.) • That the main engine system has a “maintenance position” for servicing the engines or docking in tight spaces that won’t accommodate Serenity’s full wingspan. • That the Firefl y-class transport comes with missile countermeasures. • Exactly how that cargo ramp works. Sheet Two - Starboard Outboard Profi le • How the main engine pivot works. • Where Serenity’s reverse thrusters are housed. • That those spikes above the bridge actually serve a function, besides lookin’ cool. • That the big yoke around the back of the engine is what compensates for inertia and keeps the crew from gettin’ crushed in hard burn. It also helps attain “gravity buoyancy” in atmo. It doesn’t, however, generate specifi c gravity inside the ship. That job is left to the fl ywheel grav rotors (grav dampeners) detailed on Sheets Six and Seven. • Where that gorram primary buffer panel is, when it’s actually attached to the ship. Sheet Three - Stern Elevation • How incredibly complex and cool the main engine system is. (No wonder it takes a mechanic of Kaylee’s skill to keep this bird airborne.) • That you don’t have to be a Reaver to have use for a magnetic grappler. • How the shuttle docking “shelf” works. • How the engines can swivel low enough to suck a tattooed huen dahn through the intake. Sheet Four - Dorsal Surface Plan View • How Serenity gets refueled. • The exact design of those solar panels (and that they actually are solar panels). • Where life support is located. • The function of that “fi n” on the top of the spinner. Sheet Five - Ventral Surface Plan View • Every gorram specifi cation on the boat! (Admit it: You know you always wondered how many AUs Serenity could travel on a tank of gas, right?) • Exactly how the landing gear feet work. • There’s another escape pod? Didn’t anyone ever tell Mal where these were? Sheet Six - Forward Cross-Section • Where the ship’s armory is located (besides Jayne’s bunk). Wonder if they ever lock someone in that explosives vault when they’re bad? • That the area in front of the pilot’s station is the avionics bay and an escape hatch. • Those vents in all the halls? Air conditioning. • That Serenity’s artifi cial gravity is deck-specifi c and can be adjusted to compensate for angled decks. Sheet Seven - Aft Cross-Section • The big spinny thing in the engine room is NOT the reactor. • Where all the crawlspaces and access areas are that allowed River to move so freely through the ship without getting caught. • That the fresh water is awfully close to the reactor. • That the passengers sleep even closer to the reactor. Sheet Eight - Main Deck Plan/Shuttle • That there’s an airlock off the kitchen (probably for when it’s Jayne’s turn to cook). • That the shuttles are really big. • That there really is a shower on Serenity. (Guess them sponge baths are mostly for effect.) Sheet Nine - Mid-Deck Plan • That there is a second entry to the shuttle, for loading and unloading cargo. • Remember that shower? It’s here. Just don’t tell Inara... please? • Where aux fuel and reactor coolant is stored. (The more you learn about Serenity’s workin’s, the bigger Kaylee’s job looks, don’t it?) • More hidey holes for River. • Where the crew sleeps. Sheet Ten - Transverse Cross-Section • That barging into Inara’s shuttle required a little effort on Mal’s part. • That there’s a shower for the passengers... luxury accommodations! • That you can enter the shuttles from the dining area as well as the cargo bay. • That the infi rmary is modular, and could be replaced with a cargo container for, say, wobbly-headed dolls? • Once they managed to fence the Lasseter, one of the fi rst things Mal did was refi t the main cargo bay. • That, apparently, Book’s hair demands a double-wide room. And thanks! The Serenity Blueprint team, the Serenity Brain Trust and all of us at Quantum Mechanix would like to thank Universal Studios, Joss Whedon and the entire Serenity cast and crew for trusting us with the incredibly challenging and important job of extending the world of the ‘Verse, even in this small way. We feel a bit like you let us watch your baby for while, and we’re glad we could return her a tiny bit older, a bit wiser and none-the-worse for wear. For more information, go to www.quantummechanix.com, or sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates at insider.quantummechanix.com.

textdata/thevault/Cortex System/Cortex - Accessory - Serenity - Serenity Blueprints.pdf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie A D&D LIVING GREYHAWK® Principality of Ulek Introductory Adventure Version 1.0 by Daniel Gray With the help of the Emerald Conclave, an enterprising Halfling named Mildowney Briarfoot has created a zoo of wonderful creatures and beasts for all to see. It's an ambitious project and it's just about ready to open...but Mildowney's forgotten one thing: Not all beasts are wild, and some have families. A Principality of Ulek Introductory Scenario for 1st level PCs. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 2 This is an RPGA® Network introductory scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for this scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and recording keeping after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA introductory scenario. Preparation First you should print this introductory scenario. This introductory scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA table tracking form, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Text that appears in bold italics is written so that you present it, as written, to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text in appendixes contains important DM notes, for you, offering insight to issues particular to the adventure. Monster and non-player character (NPC) statistics are provided with each encounter in abbreviated form. Full monster statistics for standard monsters are provided in the Monster Manual, while statistics for unusual monster and unique individuals are profiled in the Appendix at the end of the adventure. You should review all of these statistics before the game starts to refresh your memory of the creatures’ abilities. This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. Living Greyhawk Levels of Play LIVING GREYHAWK introductory scenarios are designed for APL 2 only. Four to six players with 1st level PCs may play this event. Time Units and Upkeep This is a one-round introductory scenario, set in Principality of Ulek. Characters native to Principality of Ulek pay one Time Unit, all others pay two Time Units. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 3 Adventure Background There are so many incredible creatures on Oerth. So many know of them by stories, legends or tales told by adventurers, but very few actually get to see them. Mostly, this is because as the beasts become more incredible, they become more dangerous. Only the bravest (or luckiest) adventurers have seen more than a handful of these spectacular creatures. Well, Mildowney Briarfoot, an ambitious and wealthy halfling wizard, feels that this is unfair. Why should this privilege only extend to the adventuring types? Animals were citizens of the world, and Mildowney believes that not only does everyone have the right to see such wonders, but in fact, has an obligation to preserve them. Using his seemingly unending supply of money (inherited from his late father, who was, ironically, an adventurer in his youth), Mildowney put a plan in motion to create a sort of wildlife preserve, or a ‘zoo’ as others called it. Realizing that he could not do it alone, Mildowney sought help from the Emerald Conclave. A branch of the conclave had members that worked amongst and around the villages on the plains west of Eastpass. At first, the druids were against the idea of caging animals at all, but Mildowney convinced them that he was doing it as an ode to nature and assured the Emerald Conclave that all animals in his charge would be safe from poachers. Only after Mildowney agreed to let representatives from the Emerald Conclave perform weekly inspections did the druids agree to help. After obtaining the help of the Emerald Conclave, MIldowney, realizing that he had to cover all his bases, met with representatives of the Royal Army. He assured them that his preserve would be well off the most heavily traveled roads, and that the Emerald Conclave would be overseeing the operations. Not wishing to get involved in something so seemingly mundane during a time of war, the Royal Army made a deal with Mildowney. They offered Mildowney an unused tract of land to the Northwest of Eastpass that had access to a network of caves where Mildowney could house the nocturnal and underground dwelling creatures. In return, Mildowney gave a large sum of money from his estate to the war effort and promised that more would be forthcoming once the zoo was open and admission monies started to flow. With all agreements in place, Mildowney began seeing about construction. With the help of the Emerald Conclave and some hired hands, he was able to build enclosures strong enough to hold the mightiest of beasts, including a large net-covered aviary where he planned to house wondrous birds. The Emerald Conclave did their part by scouring the plains and woods for animals that would be well served by captivity. To assist their effort, the Emerald Conclave recruited Armos Williger, a well-known animal hunter of Suel descent. Though he usually sought out exotic beasts to sell to collectors, the conclave was able to convince him to assist their cause by jingling some of Mildowney’s money. Always willing to help collect animals for a good cause (in this case, filling his pockets), Armos joined up, ready to spin some outlandish tales about his derring-do and his bravery in the face of vicious animals. Armos and the Emerald Conclave were able to find animals that had been so badly injured that they could not hunt on their own, creatures so sick that death was sure to come for them soon if they were not treated, and a few young animals that had been abandoned by their parents. Five weeks later, Mildowney’s pens were starting to fill up and neared the point of crowding. He and the hired hands worked on breaking the pens down into smaller enclosures so that each creature would have its own space. The pens and enclosures were constructed based on the creature within. For example, the dire badgers were given dirt to burrow in, but their pen was surrounded by stone so they could not burrow away. After two months, the animals at Mildowney’s zoo included (among others): • 2 Cloaker Apes recovered by Armos Williger from the Silverwood in the County of Ulek, near the confluence of the Lort and Kewl Rivers. • 2 Dire Badgers rescued from a nest in plains near the Old River. • 2 Shocker Lizards brought in by the druids after being removed from a farm, where they were terrorizing livestock. • 4 Dire Wolf pups, found near woods north of Eastpass, abandoned. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 4 • 4 Krenshar separated from a large pack that roamed the plains because of their small size. • 3 • 3 Hippogriffs, a young hippogriff with a broken wing and his two parents brought in together from an area near the Sheldomar River a couple of miles within the realm of Keoland. • 6 Giant Eagle chicks brought in from the Lortmil Hills after the druids discovered the mother’s lifeless body at the bottom of a ravine. • 2 Giant Owls, a nearly blind mother owl and her chick brought in for safety purposes. • 10 Corollaxes brought in from the Axewood forest in the Duchy of Ulek. • 3 Deer from the woods near Thrutch. A buck, a doe and their fawn. • 4 Bison from the western plains of the Principality of Ulek. • 1 Griffon who is a part time resident; it stops by once a week or so as long as the druids feed him. • 2 Dire Bats brought from a cave near Hyle after being captured by local Mine Rangers. • 3 Giant Worker Ants captured by local Mine Rangers. • 2 Darkmantle also brought in by the Mine Rangers. They were found in the same cave as the bats. • 1 Assassin Vine transplanted by the druids from the Dreadwood in Keoland. It had been burnt and scored almost beyond salvation. Mildowney wanted more, though. He drew up plans to dig a large lake and populate it with all manner of marine creatures. He temporarily shelved the idea, however, when he realized that he would need two such lakes: one for salt-water creatures and one for those that lived in fresh water. The druids brought in a trio of ankhegs and asked Mildowney to find a place for them in his cave network. Mildowney, who had a horrible fear of insects, immediately turned them down. The druids insisted, noting that one of the ankhegs had lost their acid gland and another was missing a leg. Mildowney still balked at the idea, but when it became apparent that the druids were not going to back down, Mildowney relented. It did not mean that Mildowney had to like it, though. He confided in his familiar, Kuelthador, who, besides being a good friend to Mildowney, was also a grimalkin. Kuel had an opinion about everything, and the ankheg situation was no different. Kuel believed that having the ankhegs around could help Mildowney get over his fear of them. He made sure to remind Mildowney of this whenever he could. After a few months, the pens were full, the plan for digging the lakes was back on the table and the nocturnal creature’s cave was just about filled to capacity. Mildowney, however, was still not satisfied. He asked the druids about procuring a dragon for the zoo. He was met with skepticism and amusement. A dragon? How, they wondered, did Mildowney expect to locate and capture a dragon, let alone keep one? But Mildowney was insistent. He believed if he could get a dragon while it was still in its wyrmling stage, he could raise it to be part of the zoo. The druids were skeptical, but promised that they’d keep an ear out. Luck, however, really seemed to be with Mildowney. While in Eastpass not a week later, Mildowney was informed by Horam, a member of the Eastpass Mine Rangers, that they were going into the hills to locate a clutch of dragon eggs. In the hills was the nest of the bronze dragon Pianasharlana. Piana, as the Mine Rangers called her, was a reclusive bronze dragon who, more than anything, simply wanted to be left alone. She kept to herself whenever she could. Upon first being discovered by the Mine Rangers, she angrily chased them out of her lair. Eventually, the Mine Rangers and Piana came to an agreement. The Rangers agreed to stay out of Piana’s lair and she would in turn leave them be. As part of the agreement, The Mine Rangers occasionally swept the area to rid it of any ‘unwanted visitors’ that might stumble across the dragon’s lair. On their last venture into the Hills, however, the Mine Rangers were confronted by the remains of a small Pomarjian force. There were some dead ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 5 bodies, which indicated a skirmish of some kind, but before they could investigate further, the Mine Rangers were set upon by the remainder of the force. They fought well and were able to vanquish the enemy, then returned to Eastpass to report their encounter. A small Royal Army detachment was sent to investigate. They came across the remains of the battle, and soon after, found the body of a bronze dragon, whom they later found out (from the Mine Rangers) to be Pianasharlana. A quick investigation revealed that the dragon had been in a rather brutal battle – the Royal Army assumed it had come across the Pomarjian force – and had died of her wounds afterwards. The Royal Army continued their investigation and came across the Dragon’s lair, deep in a cave within the Lortmil Hills. In the lair were four broken eggs. Somewhere around the area, there were four bronze dragon wyrmlings. The Royal Army returned to Eastpass and informed the Rangers of their findings. The Mine Rangers were immediately incensed – and saddened – by the events, and immediately set out for the Hills to try to, if nothing else, find and relocate the young wyrmlings to a safer, more hospitable place. When Horam and the other Mine Rangers returned from the hills, they had three bronze dragon wyrmlings in tow, tranquilized and trussed up. Their plans were to relocate them to another bronze dragon colony near the Axewood in the Duchy of Ulek. Mildowney found out from Horam that the nest held four eggs, even though they could only find three wyrmlings. The Rangers assumed that the fourth one had most likely wandered off and had become prey for a larger creature, as they were unable to follow the tracks very far before they disappeared. Undaunted by the news, Mildowney put together a group of hired hands and traveled into the Lortmil Hills to find the last of the wyrmlings, or at the very least find the remains. They traveled for days, following directions gleaned from Horam and his fellow rangers. When they got to the site in the hills where the dragon nest lay, they spiraled out from there and like the Mine Rangers, found no trace of the fourth dragon. Right as they were about to give up hope, though, Mildowney spotted movement coming from a cave opening under an over hang of rock. Out stepped a bronze dragon wyrmling, unharmed and none the worse for wear. Using nets and some simple spells, Mildowney and his group were able to subdue and trap the dragon, then drag it triumphantly back to the menagerie. Little did Mildowney realize at the time that by capturing the young dragon he had doomed his entire operation. The dragon had found a safe home in a dry cave within the Lortmil Hills. Unbeknownst to the small beast, however, was that the cave also housed Roghard, a hill giant that had been outcast from his clan for being too “soft.” When the dragon stumbled into the cave one night to avoid a rainstorm, Roghard, who had been lonely since leaving his family, was stunned by the appearance of the small creature and praised the gods (whichever were listening, he didn’t name one specifically) for his new friend. He even named him ‘Spot’ – noting the white discoloration of scales on the top of its head. Roghard came to love Spot as his own. When Mildowney took the dragon away, Roghard was not at home, but when he came back he found the signs of the struggle and easily followed the trail left by the Halfling and his friends past the village of Thrutch into the plains near Eastpass. The beasts’ natural aromas carried far on the wind and it didn’t take long for Roghard to follow the scent to the menagerie. When he saw the numerous animals penned up and caged in, he immediately went into a fury, looking for Spot and calling for him. Mildowney was shocked as the giant began tearing through his carefully crafted pens and watched helplessly as his animals began to run free. He went out to talk to the giant but was chased back into his house by Roghard, who then stood vigil over the building demanding that Spot be let free. For a day and a half Roghard paced the menagerie grounds, occasionally stopping at the house to pound his club into the ground and ask for Spot. Mildowney, naturally, had no idea who Roghard might mean. Was Spot a cat? A Dog? What? At his wits end, Mildowney sent Kuelthador, his grimalkin companion, out of the house and down a tree. Kuelthador ran as fast as he could toward Eastpass, looking for help and hoping he could find it in time! ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 6 Introduction The PCs start the adventure in Eastpass in a small inn called The Marble Mug. As new adventurers, they have stumbled into The Marble Mug on the same day looking for something to spark their interest and the place is crowded. As luck – or fate – would have it, they have been forced to gather around a common table. Read or paraphrase the following text, then allow character introductions. When you decided to come to Eastpass to look for work, you certainly didn’t expect this. You entered a small inn called The Marble Mug hoping to find a way to begin down the path of the adventurer, but instead you find yourself stuck inside the small tavern with several dozen other patrons, staring balefully out of the windows as the rains come down. The storm hit Eastpass late this morning and has raged throughout the day and into the night. Occasionally, lightning flashes and floods the room with light momentarily, and the mood is understandably subdued. After character introductions, allow the PCs to talk to some of the other patrons in the tavern as well as the employees. The PCs are able to pick up some vague reports of wild animals harassing travelers on the plains west of the city. This fact alone is not really all that strange, but the animals being reported seem quite a bit out of their environment. Specific sightings of mountain lions, large apes and even some giant insects have been reported. As the PCs converse – with each other or the other patrons – they hear a racket from the back room. As you continue your conversations and your drinks, the general malaise of the bar is broken by a spirited argument coming from the back room. “Back again, fiend?” a rough human voice begins. “How many times do I have to kick you out of this place before you stop coming back?” An elegant, if somewhat uppity voice, tries to answer. “Dear man, if you’d just hear me out. I am here on a matter of dire imp-“ “Oh I’m SURE it’s important. Come to enslave my fellow townsfolk, I bet. Now GIT!” A loud clamor follows and the hollow ringing of pots and pans falling to the floor painfully interrupts the silence. The bartender, who had been watching the exchange from the doorway to the back, gasps and leaps aside as a black cat barrels out of the back, followed close behind by a man wearing a chef’s apron and wielding a broom. The man swings the broom at the cat, which deftly dodges out of the way and alights on the bar. Now that you can take a look at this animal, you begin to understand why the innkeeper seems a bit nervous. It’s a housecat, at least in form, but it is the largest such cat you’ve ever seen. About the size of a border collie, it sits on its haunches and looks around the bar with a glint of intelligence in its eye. The patrons seated at the bar immediately grab their mugs and stand up and most of the other people in the place simply gasp at the size of the beast. “C’mon now, no doddlin’! I said GIT!” The innkeeper swings his broom again and barely misses the cat, causing it to start in fright and jump up onto a windowsill, its weight forcing open the shutters and allowing the wet weather to find its way into the tavern. The cat sits on the sill for a long moment, its fur becoming wetter with each passing second. It scans the room one last time and its eyes seem to stop and focus on you, before another swing of the innkeeper’s broom breaks it from its trance. “Begone, witch!” With what appears to be a sigh, the cat hops out of the window and into the rain, letting the innkeeper close and lock the shutters behind it. You’re quite sure that you imagined it, but was that a look of indignation you saw on its face as it leapt into the night? At this point, have the PC make Spot check (DC 20). Anyone PC who is successful is able to notice that the cat’s fur was not black at all, but a dark grayish blue. Any of the PCs making the Spot check can then make a Knowledge: Arcana (DC 17) check to identify the “cat” as a Grimalkin in its favored form. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 7 If the innkeeper is approached, he introduces himself as Zaten Parsens and talk as he sweeps the floor. If asked about the cat, he sighs in exasperation and says that it has been a nuisance all day, trying to talk to the customers and interrupting their drinking. At first he tried to ignore the thing. He figured that when word got out about the talking cat at The Marble Mug, maybe it would help business. All it did, though, was chase away his customers. It turns out it doesn’t matter how much reassurance you give a patron, if he finds himself talking to a cat – and hears the cat talking back – he’s gonna assume he’s had too much to drink and he’s gonna head home. Zaten bitterly notes that there’s nothing natural about talking cats and that he’s sure “it’s a witch or demon or sumthin.” If the PCs ask for lodgings, Zaten has a few rooms on the top floor that are not taken. Most of the customers in the bar at the moment are locals, waiting out the rainstorm. Encounter 1: A Street Performer The next morning, as the PCs eat breakfast, Zaten approaches their table and relays a rumor that he heard earlier in the morning. According to some travelers, there are giants coming down out of the hills and they are wreaking havoc on the farmland west of the city. “Makes me wonder what’s gotten the behemoths so riled up, ya know? Them farmers have it hard enough without havin’ to worry about rampaging giants takin’ their anger out on their livelihood.” Zaten shakes his head. “This won’t be good for business either, that’s fer sure. I depend a lot on you traveling types for most of my business, and what with the weird animals roaming free and now these giants, I wonder if I’ll see any new business at all.” At this point, Zaten absently fills your mugs and then walks toward the back, muttering to himself. The silence of the near-empty tavern is a sharp contrast to the night before. As you continue your morning meal, you’re interrupted… “PSSST!” Looking toward the source of the sound, you’re confronted with a bizarre sight. Peeking into the only open window in the tavern is the large housecat from the night before. All that is visible above the windowsill is the top half of his head and his front paws. When it sees you look over at him, it blinks and makes a beckoning motion with his head. “You there, come on out here!” it says, and then drops out of sight. If the PCs ignore the cat (and the somewhat obvious plot-hook), it tries to get their attention a couple more times by talking to them through the window. If the PCs still do not respond, the cat gives up and moves on, and the adventure is over. If the PCs respond to the cat’s plea and go out into the street, read or paraphrase the following text. Answering the call, you find yourself standing on the walkway outside of The Marble Mug. The sun is out today, and the rain soaked ground has already begun to dry. Sitting on the low divider wall that surrounds the tavern, making no effort to hide itself, is the freakishly large cat, which beckoned you outside. It watches you curiously as your group files out, its eyes narrowing a bit as it looks you over. Now that you see it in the daylight, you notice that the cat’s fur is not black at all, but a very dark bluish-grey. After staring at your group for a moment, it hops down off the wall and begins walking away from you, toward an alley that runs along side of the tavern. When it reaches the entrance to the alley, it stops and looks back at you expectantly, then heads into the alley. It is soon out of sight. Have any PC who did not notice the cat’s fur the night before make a Knowledge: Arcana check (DC 17) at this time (if applicable). Those PCs who are successful realize that the creature is not a cat at all, but a Grimalkin. If the PCs do not realize that the cat wishes them to follow it down the alley, have them make Intelligence check (DC 10). Those PCs who are successful realize that they should follow the cat into the alley. When the PCs enter the alley, they see the cat waiting patiently, sitting on a crate near the far end of the alley. When the PCs approach it, the ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 8 cat bows its head in greeting and, in the same elegant voice they heard him speak in the tavern the night before, introduces himself as Kuelthador and asks the PCs to introduce themselves. Once this is done, Kuelthador speaks again, explaining his plight in a whimsical rhyme: It's adventure you want? It's adventure I've got. Hear me out, travelers, You'll sure like this a lot! My poor master is trapped and he needs help from you! A prisoner, I fear, In his personal zoo! It's a wonderful place, That has beasts of all kinds! And magical creatures Some incredible finds! But now something's gone wrong And it's causing much stress. A Giant's come calling, And the place is a mess! He's angry and screaming, Searching for a lost pet. And he's named the thing "Spot," How cliche' can you get? He's been swinging his club, And the pens are destroyed! You see what can happen When a Giant's annoyed? With the beasts running free, We are in quite a plight. My master's in hiding And I've had to take flight. I am here to find help, I suppose that you'll do. To rescue my master From his magical zoo. You need information? I'll explain on the way. But I must return soon... Well then, what do you say? After Kuelthador finishes his rhyme, he waits a few seconds before prompting the PCs to answer, as he “doesn’t have all day.” He explains that if they aren’t interested, he will have to move on, as his master’s situation grows more dire with each moment that help does not arrive. He promises to answer any questions should the PCs agree to assist him, but insists that they must leave now. If the PCs agree to help, but ask that they be allowed to buy supplies, Kuelthador reluctantly agrees, but asks that they be as quick as possible. A simple Sense Motive (DC 10) check reveals that Kuelthador is very worried about his master and wants to return to his side as soon as possible. If the PCs do not accept Kuelthador’s request for help, he moves on to find other adventurers and the mod ends. If the PCs do accept his offer, he rears up on his hind legs as he exclaims his joy, jumps into the air and polymorphs into an eagle, then alights on the closest PC’s shoulder (DM’s choice). Once the characters have made their purchases, Kuelthador wants them to leave town by the western gate, as his master – and the zoo – lie on the plains to the west. APL 2: Kuelthador - Male Grimalkin: hp 24; see Appendix. Encounter 2: Nature Walk Kuelthador leads the PCs from Eastpass, while still in eagle form, along the main road to the west, occasionally taking to the air and circling a bit before coming back down. As they PCs walk, Kuelthador remains true to his promise and answers any questions the PCs might have. The following are some examples of what the PCs might ask, and Kuelthador’s answers. Use these as guidelines, but feel free to add more based on the Adventure Background at the beginning of the scenario, or change the answers listed to better fit PC questions. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 9 Q: Where did the zoo come from? “The zoo is a partnership between Mildowney and the Emerald Conclave. Most of the animals are either orphaned or injured and cannot live well in the wild, so the druids brought them to the zoo for protection. They also hired a known trophy hunter named Armos Williger to help with the gathering of the animals.” Q: Who is Mildowney? “Mildowney Briarfoot is an incredibly wealthy halfling wizard (due to inheritance). He started dabbling in the druidic arts after discovering his love for animals. Mildowney worships Yondalla.” Q: How big is the zoo? “There were over one hundred animals at the zoo when the giant attacked, and over half of those either escaped or were killed in skirmishes with each other within minutes of being set free as a result of the giant’s attack. “The zoo itself is split into four main areas: The aviary, which is surrounded by reinforced netting, the ‘standard’ holding area, where normal and close-to-normal beasts roamed about, the reinforced, magical holding areas where the more aggressive and ‘special’ beasts were kept, and the subterranean creature cave, where those creatures that thrived in darkness lived. “There are plans to expand eventually, as Mildowney would like to be able to house aquatic and marine creatures, though he knows setting up something like this will take a lot of time and resources.” Q: What can we do against a giant? “I am is pretty sure that the giant isn’t trying to hurt anyone. He seems pretty intent on finding ‘Spot,’ whatever or whoever that is…some pet, he assumes. “The giant seems content on smashing the pens with his giant club and setting the animals free. “The only time he comes near Mildowney’s house is to demand that Spot be let free. Mildowney is a scholar, not a diplomat, and doesn’t really know what to say to a giant. I am hoping you can at least get the giant to calm down long enough to gather more information about Spot and perhaps convince him to stop destroying Mildowney’s zoo.” Q: If the giant isn’t attacking the house, why is Kuelthador so worried about Mildowney? “As I was making his escape, I saw some of the larger insect-like creatures advancing on the house. I fear that Mildowney will be able to deal with them, but the halfling has an intense hatred – and fear – of bugs.” Q: Why does Mildowney have insects – giant ones at that – in his zoo if he hates them so much? “Mildowney’s ‘partners’ are some druids of the Emerald Conclave, insisted on keeping the insects after realizing they were injured and unable to take care of themselves in the wild. Mildowney didn’t want anything to do with them, so the Conclave promised to be their keepers. Eventually, Mildowney relented to avoid damaging his relations with the Emerald Conclave.” As the group travels, they notice that the weather is cool and the ground is wet (due to the recent rain). After about three hours of travel, Kuelthador hops off the PC’s shoulder, transforms back into his favored form (that of the giant housecat), and begins walking north along a barely visible dirt trail. He beckons the PCs to follow him, as the zoo is merely an hour away to the north. As the PCs follow Kuelthador, they notice that the vegetation becomes more abundant the farther north they travel. Low bushes become much more numerous and occasionally, they pass a copse of trees. The PCs travel up the dirt path for about thirty minutes, before they come to a patch of ground that is covered with mud and is extremely messy. If any PC wishes to make a Survival skill check and has the Track feat can determine: DC 10: A pack of animals came through here recently. DC 15: The animals came from the north and moved into the trees near the trail DC 20: The animals had four legs and the prints left behind are feline in nature. If none of the PCs have track, they can make a Spot check (DC 13) to notice the animal tracks and another Spot check (DC 17) reveals the tracks head into the trees. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 10 If the PCs do not ask or are unsuccessful in the above skill checks, they may be surprised in the next encounter. Encounter 3: Cats and Dogs If, during Encounter 2, the PCs did not elect to make Survival/Spot checks, or failed their checks, have them make Listen Checks (DC 15). Those PCs who are successful are not surprised. If, during Encounter 2, someone was successful in spotted and/or tracking the footprints well enough to determine that they went into the trees on the side of the trail, then nobody in the party is surprised (provided that the PC making the check informed the other PCs of their findings). Once it has been determined who is surprised and who is not, read or paraphrase the following: As you continue your trek to the north, suddenly Kuelthador stops in his tracks and tilts his head. “Did you hear that?” he asks, turning toward you. Before you can answer, a loud feral growl sounds from the bushes on the left side of the trail. Kuelthador lets out a gasp and jumps into the air, transforming into an eagle and flying out of reach just as a large hyena-like beast leaps out of the vegetation and onto the trail. It sports a spotted coat, a long bushy tail and a bristling mane along its spine. Three large and angry looking dogs emerge from the bushes soon after, and with the grimalkin safely out of their reach, they turn their attention to you. The PCs can make a Knowledge: Arcane check (DC 12) to identify the large creatures as a krenshar. APL 2 (EL 4) Krenshar (1): hp 15; see Monster Manual. Riding Dog (3): hp 15 each; see Monster Manual. Note: The krenshar and dogs try to pin the PCs in to make for easy feasting. Kuelthador remains in a nearby tree in eagle form during most of the fight. If two or more PCs are dropped in combat, however, Kuelthador leaps from his hiding place and polymorphs into a dire weasel in an effort to chase off the remaining krenshar. As the judge, you can choose to have Kuelthador join the initiative or simply say that his sudden appearance startles the remaining foes into fleeing. See Appendix I for Kuelthador’s statistics in dire weasel form. Kuelthador (dire weasel form): hp 24; see Appendix. Encounter 4: Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie After the krenshar (and his friends) have been dealt with, Kuelthador reverts to his favored, housecat form and continues leading the PCs northward. He relates to the PCs that he believes the beasts were from the zoo, as Mildowney had brought in some for display. After another fifteen minutes of hurried walking, Kuelthador stops and sits on his haunches and waits for the PCs to catch up to him. Read or paraphrase the following: The dirt trail ends here at a field of grass that surrounds a large, if understated, two-story white house. Small decorative trees dot the land, partially obscuring the house from view. Off to one side, near the beginning of yet another trail – this one much more defined – is a large wooden placard staked to the ground. It is about five feet wide and three feet tall, and painted across its face in vibrant, rich colors, is ‘Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie. Est. 595 CY.’ “Well,” Kuelthador says as he starts toward the house. “Here we are. It’s very quiet, considering. Maybe the beast has left. We can only hope. C’mon then…follow me.” Whether the PCs follow or not, Kuelthador starts walking toward the house cautiously, his head darting from side to side as he looks for anything suspicious. Have the PCs make Listen checks (DC 12). Those who are successful clearly hears someone scream and then a door slam, though it is hard to tell where it comes from. If none of the PCs make the check successfully, read the following: Suddenly, Kuelthador jerks his head foward and his ears perk up. He leaps forward and darts toward the house. Once he gets there, he jumps through an open window on the bottom floor and disappears inside the house. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 11 If any PC does make the check, they see Kuelthador’s ears perk up at the same time they hear the scream. In either case, they may travel to the house at this point. As they walk toward the house, have the lead PC in the marching order make a Spot check (DC 13). If they succeed, then they notice a large (approximately 5 feet across) hole dug into the dirt. Further exploration of the hole reveals it to be a tunnel of some kind. A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 11) check helps the PCs realize that a giant ant most likely dug this hole. If they decide to look into the hole it is quite clear that the tunnel leads toward the house. If the lead PC fails his Spot check, none of the other PCs should be allowed to make one unless they specifically ask for one, in which case you should allow it but at a –2 circumstance penalty due to their focused movement toward the house. If the PCs decide to enter the dug out tunnel, proceed to Encounter 5a. If they enter the house through the front door, go to Encounter 5b. Encounter 5a: Making a Mountain Out of an Anthill As the PCs move down the tunnel, they hear sounds coming from the opposite end, amplified by the echo-forming properties of the circular tunnel. They hear several different sounds, so have them make a Listen check to try and discern any specific sounds: DC 10: Various animal sounds, hard to make anything out, but they’re pretty sure they heard a feline type hiss. DC 15: A clear feline-type hiss and loud clicking sounds. DC 20: Along with the feline hiss and the clicks, the PCs hear a rattling sound. DC 25: The PCs are also able to make out a soft whimpering sound, but it sounds a bit muffled. After traveling for about 70 feet down the tunnel, it starts to slope upwards and dim light can be seen coming from above as the tunnel opens into a room of some sort. As the PCs reach the opening of the tunnel, read or paraphrase the following: The oddest conglomeration of sound fills the room above you. Between the clicks and the rattling, a banging sound now repeatedly fills the air. You thought you were coming to a zoo, but it sounds like a haunted house. Have any PC who wishes to climb out of the hole make a Spot check (DC 13). A successful check allows them to notice the thin, insect-like leg sticking out over the edge of the hole. It is not moving and smells of soot. It belongs to one of the dead ankhegs in the basement above and can successfully be moved out of the way. If they do not successfully make the Spot check, they brush against this leg as they exit the hole. Should this happen, the PC needs to make a Will save (DC 11) or call out in surprise. Should the PC call out; they immediately gain the attention of the three giant worker ants that are here in the basement. Should this happen, the ants get an action in the surprise round before the PCs can react. If at least one PC is able to get out of the hole without being noticed (i.e., they either made the Spot check to notice the leg or at least did not call out when they coming in contact with it), then read or paraphrase the following: As you exit the hole, you see now that the leg you noticed is attached to a very large, very dead insect-type creature with large pincers. Another similarly dead creature lies dead at the opposite side of the room, but its what lies in the middle of the room that gives you pause. Three large ants stand guard at a lone door in the room, occasionally banging at it with a mandible. Something bangs on the door from the other side and you can hear a small, high- pitched voice call out, “Get out of here, beasts! Shoo! I’m not gonna be your snack!” You catch movement out of the corner of your eye and are alerted to an interesting tête-à-tête occurring on the stairway that leads up and out of this room, which appears to be the basement of the house. A snake with a bloated, hooded neck hisses angrily and sways its arched neck back and forth as it tries to stare down its opponent, a long-bodied, thin rodent with almond shaped eyes and a sinister mouth. It darts and dives at the snake, trying to grasp it about the throat. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 12 After watching this battle unfold for a moment, you become aware of how silent the room has become, and when you turn back toward the ants, they have given up their fight on the door and have turned their attention to you. A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 11) check identifies the snake as a cobra and the little rodent as a rarely seen species of animal called the mongoose. They seem very intent on killing each other and ignore the PCs. A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 12) check successfully identifies the dead insects as ankhegs. PCs can make these checks as they come out of the hole, if they’re able, or after the fight is over. At this time, the party can get up to two more PCs out of the hole before the ants can act. Any PC in the basement, as well as the three ants, get an action in the surprise round, and then the fight falls into initiative. For the layout of the basement, refer to DM Aids, Map #2: Mildowney’s House – Basement. NOTE: Medium-sized PCs pulling themselves out of the hole can do so without a climb check, but it takes a move action to do so. Small characters can do the same, but it costs them a standard action to do so. APL 2 (EL 3) Giant Worker Ant (3) hp 12 each; see Monster Manual. After the fight is over, read the following: As the last of the beasts falls, the small rodent hops off the stairs and skitters its way across the floor towards you, holding the very dead snake in its mouth. It looks up at you, spits the snake onto the ground and then seems to smile as it begins to talk. “Quite impressive, I must say, quite impressive indeed. I never liked those bugs. Too ornery for my taste, really.” The small animal continues to chitter on but is interrupted by a loud banging on the now unguarded door. “Kuelthador, shut up for a moment and get me out of here!” The rodent blinks and looks toward the door. “Mildowney?! Oh dear…hold on my friend, I’ll get you out of there.” Without another word, Kuelthador begins to run across the floor, changing into a cat once again as it bounds up the stairs. Any PC checking the door at this point notices that it is locked but can be opened with a successful Open Lock check (DC 20). Should any PC shake the knob, Mildowney calls out from inside the door and asks who is out there and for the PCs to identify themselves. Should any PC offer to break down the door, Mildowney declines, noting that it won’t be necessary, as Kuelthador knows where the key is and should be back shortly. Whether the PCs are able to pick the lock on the door or nor, Kuelthador returns soon after with a key in his mouth. If the PCs have freed Mildowney from his ‘prison’ already Kuelthador simply drops the key on the floor and runs over to Mildowney, standing on his hind legs and nearly knocking the halfling over as he exclaims his happiness that his master and friend is okay. If the PCs have not rescued Mildowney by the time Kuelthador returns, he bounds over to the door, drops the key onto the ground and pushes it under the door with his paw, then moves away from the door long enough for Mildowney to unlock and open the door. When the PCs see Mildowney for the first time, read the following: Before you stands a halfling of average height and width, with hair that has a bit less curl than one might expect. He brushes dirt from his clothes, and you notice that rings adorn each of his fingers. He has smudges of dirt and soot on his face and despite their dirty appearance, its quite clear that his clothes are well made and expensive. He smiles as he wipes a smudge of ash from his face and extends a hand. “Mildowney Briarfoot at your services. Thank Yondalla you found me when ya did or those overgrown garden pests woulda made lunch of me yet!” Mildowney looks around the basement and sighs, disappointed. He steps over the body of one of the dead ankhegs and starts upstairs, and asks the PCs to follow him upstairs. Upstairs, there is more carnage. Two more snakes lie torn apart and dead near the window, and a dead wolf lies in the center of the kitchen. A ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 13 successful Heal (DC 15) check reveals that it has been burnt by acid. The PCs also see a couple of dismembered ankheg legs. The place is quite a mess. Proceed to Encounter 6. Encounter 5b: Ant-icipation The PCs decide to enter the house via the front door. Read or paraphrase the following: You enter the house and are confronted with death. The remains of a few small snakes lie in pieces near the open window, and several dismembered limbs litter the ground. A successful Knowledge: Nature check (DC 13) identifies the legs as belonging to an ankheg. Allow the PCs to explore the first floor of the house as they wish to, but note that only the entrance foyer, the kitchen and the basement staircase area have any signs of struggle or battle (refer to DM Aids, Map #1 – Map of Mildowney’s house: First Floor). When the PCs enter the kitchen area, note that they see the remains of a wolf sprawled on the floor. A successful Heal check (DC 15) reveals that the wolf was killed by a large amount of acid. The door out of the kitchen to the basement stairs is held open by yet another ankheg leg. When the PCs begin to descend the stairs, read the following: From below, you hear an odd conglomeration of sounds. Angry squeaks and hisses are joined by a loud banging sound that echoes through the house every couple of seconds. It sounds like someone – or something – is trying to break down a door. As you start to descend, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye and are alerted to an interesting tête-à-tête occurring at the base of the stairs. A snake with a bloated, hooded neck hisses angrily and sways its arched neck back and forth as it tries to stare down its opponent, a long-bodied, thin rodent with almond shaped eyes and a sinister mouth. It darts and dives at the snake, trying to grasp it about the throat. Seemingly obsessed with each other, the two combatants don’t seem to notice you as you come down stairs. A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 11) check reveals these animals to be a cobra and a little seen mammal known as a mongoose. If the PCs attempt to attack either of these creatures, they quickly retreat into a dark corner, still viciously attacking each other (or trying to). Once the PCs have descended the stairs, have the lead PC make a Spot check (DC 12) to notice the large burnt husk of a giant insect lying on the floor next to a large hole, and are able to sidestep it and alert the party. If they did not make the Spot check, the PCs are unable to pick out the corpse in the dimmed light of the basement and they run into it, at which time they need to make a Reflex save (DC 12). A success means that they are able to keep from tripping over the corpse and sprawling onto the ground. If they fail, they trip over the corpse and fall prone, making enough racket to alert the three giant ants in the room who have been standing guard at a lone, locked door. If the lead PC did not alert the ants (i.e they made their Spot check, or made their subsequent Reflex save to avoid falling), read the following: As you enter the basement, you notice three large, dark shapes standing before a door in the opposite wall. They appear to be rather large ants. Occasionally, they beat at the door with one of their mandibles then click angrily. Something bangs on the door from the other side and you can hear a small, high-pitched voice call out. “Get out of here, beasts! Shoo! I’m not gonna be your snack!” A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 11) check identifies the creatures as giant ants. The fight begins here. The PCs can each do a partial action, as they are able to get the jump on the ants and get a surprise round. If the lead PC was unable to avoid alerting the ants, read the following: You notice the corpse second too late and try as you might to retain your balance, you are unable to, and fall forward across the burnt out body of what appears to be a large insect. As you land on it, the crunch of its exoskeleton seems to echo loud in the room, ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 14 and out of the corner of your eye, you see a trio of shapes emerge from the shadow across the room. A successful Knowledge: Nature (DC 11) check identifies the creatures as giant ants. There is no surprise round and the fight begins in initiative. NOTE: Remember to remind the lead PC that at the beginning of the fight, he is considered to be prone. APL 2 (EL 3) Giant Worker Ants (3): hp 11 each; see Monster Manual. After the fight is over, read the following: As the last of the beasts falls, the small rodent hops emerges from the shadows and skitters its way across the floor to you, holding the very dead snake in its mouth. It looks up at you, spits the snake onto the ground and then seems to smile as it begins to talk. “Quite impressive, I must say; quite impressive indeed. I never liked those bugs. Too ornery for my taste, really.” The small animal continues to chitter on but is interrupted by a loud banging on the now unguarded door. “Kuelthador, shut up for a moment and get me out of here!” The rodent blinks and looks toward the door. “Mildowney?! Oh dear…hold on my friend, I’ll get you out of there.” Without another word, Kuelthador begins to run across the floor, changing into a cat once again as it bounds up the stairs. Any PC checking the door at this point notices that it is locked but can be opened with a successful Open Lock check (DC 20). Should any PC shake the knob, Mildowney calls out from inside the door and asks who is out there and for the PCs to identify themselves. Should any PC offer to break down the door, Mildowney declines, noting that it won’t be necessary, as Kuelthador knows where the key is and should be back shortly. Whether the PCs are able to pick the lock on the door or nor, Kuelthador returns soon after with a key in his mouth. If the PCs have freed Mildowney from his ‘prison’ already Kuelthador simply drops the key on the floor and runs over to Mildowney, standing on his hind legs and nearly knocking the halfling over as he exclaims his happiness that his master and friend is ok. If the PCs have not rescued Mildowney by the time Kuelthador returns, he bounds over to the door, drops the key onto the ground and pushes it under the door with his paw, then moves away from the door long enough for Mildowney to unlock and open the door. When the PCs see Mildowney for the first time, read the following: Before you stands a halfling of average height and width, with hair that has a bit less curl than one might expect. He brushes dirt from his clothes, and you notice that rings adorn each of his fingers. He has smudges of dirt and soot on his face and despite their dirty appearance, its quite clear that his clothes are well made and expensive. He smiles as he wipes a smudge of ash from his face and extends a hand. “Mildowney Briarfoot at your services, sirs…thank Yondalla you found me when ya did or those overgrown squeak toys woulda made lunch of me yet!” Mildowney looks around the basement and sighs, disappointed. He steps over the body of one of the dead ankhegs and starts upstairs, and asks the PCs to follow him upstairs. Proceed to Encounter 6. Encounter 6: A Giant Problem Mildowney starts cleaning up the mess in his kitchen and living area with the use of a prestidigitation spell. If asked how he was able to best two ankhegs and a wolf and yet had to hide from some ants, he proudly explains that there were three ankhegs, not two. The third, he notes, is upstairs somewhere, with a fireplace poker in its gut. The wolf, he goes onto explain, he cannot take credit for, as it got in the way of one of the ankhegs, who didn’t take too kindly too it and blasted it with its acid spit. Unfortunately, as he was not expecting to be involved in a to-the-death combat today, he had not taken the liberty of memorizing many combat ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 15 spells, and he feels fortunate to have had what he did. As he cleans, Mildowney is drawn into a discussion with Kuelthador, and it quickly degenerates into an argument: As Mildowney starts stacking dishes, Kuelthador slowly makes his way over. The halfling smiles down at the grimalkin. “I’m so glad you’re safe, Kuel. I was worried sick.” Kuelthador rolls his eyes and hops up onto the counter. “Save it for the scribes, Mil. I’m not in the mood.” “But...but…I thought you’d be happy that I’m okay. Isn’t that why you brought these fine folk?” “Yes, yes, of course,” Kuelthador says as he looks out the window. “I just can’t imagine what you’ve done, though, to anger a giant like you have.” “Oh dear me, the giant…I’d almost forgotten.” As if on cue, the ground shakes a bit. From outside, you hear a loud guttural roar and the ground suddenly starts to shake a little more. With each second that goes by, the tremors get worse and worse. Finally, a shadow falls across the house. Mildowney slowly steps away from his wash bucket and sits down, his eyes on the window along the ceiling of the kitchen. In the window, all you can see is a very large pair of eyes, and they seem to follow Mildowney as he moves. The eyes pull away from the window for a moment and the ground shakes again and this time the tremor is so violent that it knocks a couple of knick-knacks from their shelves to the floor, where they shatter into several pieces. There is a moment of silence, then a voice like thunder screams out “YOU TAKE HIM!! WHERE IS HE? WHERE SPOT? GIMME SPOT BACK!!” Should any PC move to a window to take a look outside, allow them to make a Knowledge (Nature) check. A DC 22 reveals the giant creature to be a Hill Giant. Even if the Knowledge check is failed however, read the following (assuming someone looked out the window): Standing outside the window, brandishing a tree like a large club, is what appears to be an extremely tall human man with slouched shoulders and a large, sloped forehead. He wears a tunic of torn animal hides and boots fashioned of a similar material. After standing silently for a few seconds, he swings his ‘club’ with both hands, striking a nearby tree, then walks away from the house while letting out a sigh. Once the giant has moved away, the PCs are able to hear him a short distance away, calling incessantly for “Spot” and frequently smashing his “club” into something, whether it be the ground, a holding pen or a tree. Kuelthador, who had been hiding under a chair since the giant showed up, emerges from his hiding place and notes to the PCs that perhaps he was wrong in asking them to come. Mildowney notes that an angry giant cannot easily be talked down, but if the PCs still wish to try, he and Kuelthador, as well as the Emerald Conclave, would be grateful. If the PCs ask Mildowney if he has any idea what “Spot” is or who the giant may be looking for, he says that he doesn’t know, but wishes that he did. He is afraid to seek out the giant, though; because he’s convinced he’ll end up splattered against a tree before he can say his peace. Mildowney is not a skilled liar, though, and although he isn’t being totally dishonest, a successful Sense Motive check (should the PCs elect to try) reveals that Mildowney knows more than he is letting on, but if asked about it, he blames it on his nervousness and further insists he doesn’t know what the giant wants. In truth, Mildowney has an inkling about what the giant is looking for, but he does not reveal this to the PCs for fear of losing his prized possession, the bronze dragon wyrmling currently being kept in the cave. If the PCs want to go see the giant now, Kuelthador expresses his disagreement. He says that the PCs have saved Mildowney and that should be enough, and he wants everyone to leave while they still can. Should the PCs take this advice, they travel back to Eastpass and the scenario ends here (though they can report what they saw to the Royal Army and the Emerald Conclave). Should the PCs want to stay, Mildowney lets them, but if the PCs decide to go talk to the giant immediately, Mildowney tries to talk them out of it, ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 16 saying they should at least rest somewhat before trying to talk down an angry giant. If the PCs still want to talk to the giant now, Mildowney will beg them and reiterate his warning. He explains that an angry giant is not one to be trifled with, and he truly believes that they should wait until he calms down, perhaps in the morning, Should the PCs STILL insist to go, Mildowney will not stop them but will warn them to be careful, as they are being foolhardy. If this occurs, proceed to Encounter 7. If the PCs relent, then Mildowney cooks them a nice dinner of chicken and pork stew and allows Kuelthador to entertain them by polymorphing into various and wonderful animals. If the PCs ask Mildowney about the menagerie, He provides any information that is covered in the Adventure background but does not mention anything about the dragon (or that he even wanted one). He is rather possessive of the dragon and is afraid that if anyone else knows about it, they’ll try to take it. He is not modest about the menagerie. He is rather proud of the idea and even at this stage, he doesn’t see the inherent problems in his plan. He just figures that it’s a freak occurrence that could never happen again, and even goes on to explain that mathematically, the odds of anything even similar to this happening again are so miniscule, its not even worth mentioning. In this case, proceed to Encounter 8. Encounter 7: A Tall Order Read or paraphrase the following: Against the advice of Mildowney and your better judgement, you decide to tackle the enormous task at hand. As you round the house, you stop before you enter the small valley to get your first good look at the menagerie itself. It is several hundred yards wide, and perhaps twice that in length, with walking trails twisting in every direction. It is hard to tell what the layout might have been, because most pens and holding areas are now nothing more than a twist of broken metal and shattered stone. Several wild animals run free amongst the debris, though from your standpoint, you can see numerous dead bodies as well. In the center of this morass of destruction stands the hill giant, still brandishing his tree. He swings it at the ground again and again, though he doesn’t appear to be aiming for anything in particular. He throws his head back and screams, but without being able to see his face, it’s hard to tell if it’s out of anger or frustration. As you walk down the slope behind Mildowney’s house and into the menagerie, you notice several animals that duck and shy away from you. Wolf pups whine and cry as they search frantically for their mother, deer scatter into the nearby woods at your approach, and flocks of birds take immediate flight as you get near. Along with the many living creatures, you see several dead ones as well…apes, lizards, dogs of many different breeds, and even a bison or two lie amongst the destruction. As you snake your way through the debris and approach the giant, he sniffs the air a bit and turns toward you, then lifts his club into the air. When the PCs get to the giant, it is clear that he is incensed. It can be easily determined, via a successful Sense Motive check (DC 5), that the giant is violently angry. The PCs can try to talk to him, but it is extremely difficult. To get him to calm down, the PCs would essentially need to succeed on a Diplomacy check (DC 40). This check is intended to be near impossible and the PCs are expected to fail. The DC check is included to give the DM an idea of just how angry the giant is at the moment. Once the PCs have said their peace, the giant responds: “YOU THINK FANCY TALK HELP? FANCY TALK NOT BRING SPOT BACK!” he says, swinging his club wildly in the air before continuing. “YOU GO NOW! YOU LEAVE ROGHARD!” he says, and to emphasize this point, he brings his club down with a mighty blow, indenting the ground mere inches from where you (choose random PC) stand. Hopefully at this point, the PCs realize they are in a lose-lose situation and run. When they do so, scare them just a little bit. Have the giant chase them back toward the house and attempt to swing upon once PC (determined at random). Note that the giant misses with his swing and instead ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 17 destroys a nearby tree as the club whistles harmlessly over the PCs head. The PCs are then able to make it to the house, where Mildowney greets them. “Don’t you ever do that again! Rushing out there like that, giving me a worry like I’ve never seen…” he begins, patting his eyes with his apron. “Now you all just rest up for the night. Let the beast cool off. I’m sure he will be more conducive to talking in the morning.” Mildowney cooks the PCs a nice dinner and then they can rest for the evening, while Kuelthador entertains them by constantly polymorphing into random animals and vermin. When the PCs wake up the next morning, Mildowney has already cooked them breakfast, and he notes that he’s been watching the giant since he got up and he seems to have calmed down quite a bit. If the PCs wish to try to talk to him again he can stand watch nearby, as he is prepared for the worst this morning (he’ll pat his spellbook as he says it). Proceed to Encounter 8. Encounter 8: Once More into the Breach, Dear Friends Leaving the house again, this time with Mildowney in tow, the PCs notice that the entire menagerie seems a bit more peaceful this morning. Not as many animals are running around, and even the giant is nowhere to be seen. Mildowney directs the PCs view to the center of the menagerie, where the giant is sitting in the path, his club on the ground next to him. “I’ll take cover behind where I had the shocker lizards penned up. If he tries anything, he’ll suddenly realize that tending my garden is a much more constructive way to spend his time.” A successful Spellcraft (DC 18) check allows the PC to realize that Mildowney is referring to casting “Suggestion” on the giant if need be. If the PCs protest and wonder why Mildowney doesn’t just cast it now, he’ll note that he doesn’t think he can get close enough to the giant without someone else drawing his attention, since the giant seems to be on the lookout for him. Mildowney smiles and promises that everything will be okay. Assuming the PCs decide to go ahead with approaching the giant, give them a Spot check (DC 15) as they move through the menagerie. A successful Spot check allows them to see that not only is the giant sitting on the ground with his club next to him, but that he seems to be hugging his knees and rocking back and forth. They are able to approach him, but if Roghard notices them before they are able to speak to him, it startles him and it takes a Diplomacy check (DC 15) to calm him down. Should one of the PCs call out to him before approaching him, he hears them and turns toward them. He is not startled in this case, and the PCs are then able to approach him completely. When the PCs have reached the giant, he lowers his head to get a good look at them, and rubs his scalp before speaking (in a much softer tone than he has so far). “Me Roghard. Roghard sorry if he scare you. Me just angry. Sad. Me miss Spot. Spot was friend. Only friend Roghard have.” Should the PCs ask Roghard who Spot is, he says very plainly that Spot is his pet lizard. He even produces the collar he made for Spot. It is made of well cut and cured leather and sports a brass tag that has had the name ”SPOT” cut into it, apparently by some sort of knife. The text is sloppy, but readable. “This for Spot. I give to him. Give him present, show how Roghard happy. But I come home and Spot gone. I think he leave by himself, but I see tracks. Lots of tracks leaving hills. I follow them. They lead here. Spot is here. Me just want Spot and me go home. Me promise! I almost give up, but me so angry that someone would TAKE Spot. I wish little man would say where Spot is.” Should any of the PCs ask what Spot looks like, Roghard will give a basic description: Spot is about the size of a large wolf, with shiny green scales. He sports a large white spot on his head. He will not mention wings because as far as he knows, all lizards have wings (he doesn’t have Knowledge (Arcana), the poor guy). If any of the PCs make note of the fact that Roghard is rather eloquent in his speech for a hill giant, he notes that he learned the “people ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 18 language” after being banished from his tribe for being too “soft” where killings were concerned. He lived alone for a long while until Spot showed up. He knows that Spot is a blessing from the Gods to reward him for being so good to the animals, and he is distraught that he’s accidentally killed so many of them in his anger. At this point, Roghard actually starts to cry. “Me told to leave family because me too gentle, they say. So I leave. Now, I kill the cuddly kind. I didn’t mean to! Sometimes, I don’t realize I kill. Roghard not smart. I wish Roghard was smarter so me not cause such accidents.” With that, Roghard opens his hand to reveal a pair of dire wolf pups. They’re sleeping soundly. Roghard smiles at them and pets them gently with one of his meaty fingers before setting them gently on the ground. “Roghard kill the puppies’ mother. Roghard take care of them now to show that Roghard is sorry.” He looks down at the pups for a second and then look at you. “Will you help me find Spot? Me too big to look in small places. Perhaps you can? You are kind to Roghard. Roghard like you.” Should the PCs agree to help, Roghard smiles and, as a token of his good faith, starts to clean up the mess he has perpetrated. APL 2 Roghard: Male Hill Giant Rng1, hp 111; see Appendix. If the PCs go back to Mildowney after talking to Roghard and ask him about any lizards he has, Mildowney notes that the only lizards he had on the premises were the pair of shocker lizards which have since escaped, and the family of monitor lizards, which for the most part are still around (they don’t move very fast, after all). A successful Sense Motive check (DC 21) lets the PCs realize that while Mildowney is telling the truth, he isn't telling the whole truth - Mildowney doesn't consider dragons to be lizards, but he realizes that 'Spot' must be the bronze dragon wyrmling he brought in seven days before. He does not reveal this to the PCs. NOTE: Encounters 9-11 are optional, and may be skipped if the PCs decide to head directly to the cave. Encounter 9: Here Leezard, Leezard, Leezard Mildowney directs the PCs to the area of the menagerie where the monitor lizards were kept and then goes back to the house to (he says) do more research into his animal inventory to see if there’s anything he missed. The pens are pretty much empty. Most of the pens have been broken open and various animals lie dead in the grass. There are bodies of cloaked apes, wolves, a couple of shocker lizards and various other small creatures. There are a handful of living animals here, most notably a bison, a couple of bear cubs and two large monitor lizards. Should the PCs try to collect one or both of the monitor lizards, the creatures resist, but a Wild Empathy check (DC 17) allows the PCs to calm them down. If the Wild Empathy check fails, or none of the PCs have Wild Empathy, they need to go find Roghard and bring him over to the area where the lizards are in order to show him where they are and to see if either of them is Spot. When Roghard sees them, he responds sadly and very vehemently that neither is Spot. He goes on to explain (or reiterate, if he already explained this to the PCs) that Spot is green and has a large white spot on the top of his head. He thanks the PCs anyway, and goes back to his clean up duty, letting the PCs continue their search. As he moves away, Roghard notes that he cannot think of where Spot might be, but he is sure the ‘little man’ knows and suggests asking him. The PCs have nothing else to go on at this point and should return to Mildowney’s house. Kuelthador is lying on the windowsill talking to a mouse, and getting rather agitated that it won’t answer him. When the PCs enter, he asks if they have had any luck and expresses disappointment when they say that they have not. He notes that Mildowney is in his study and that they can go in and see him if they like. Proceed to Encounter 10. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 19 Encounter 10: Nooks and Crannies When the PCs enter the study, they find Mildowney face down on his desk, snoring. The halfling has had a rough couple of days and he is catching up on some much needed sleep. The study is filled with the usual things you’d expect to see in a magician’s study: Spellbooks, strange writings and drawings, and other such mundane lore. What seems out of place, however, is a giant map that dominates the back wall of the room. It seems to be of a rather small area, with several twisting trails and roads, sporting several well- defined sections. There is writing in each area of the map. Anyone who speaks Halfling can read the writing on the map. Each section of the map is labeled: “Holding Pens,” “Special Pens,” “Aviary,” “Future expansion (lake)” and “Subterranean Cave.” If nobody speaks Halfling, any PC that makes an Intelligence check (DC 11) realizes that they’re looking at a map of the menagerie. At this point, show the PCs Player Handout #1 – The Menagerie. They should be able to figure out that the only places left to look are the aviary and the cave, since Roghard cannot possibly fit into those two places. If the PCs do not realize this, have them make yet another Intelligence check (DC 10) to realize this. Once they have figured out where they have left to go, ask where they’re going first. If they’re going to the Aviary, proceed to Encounter 11. If they choose the cave, go to Encounter 12. Encounter 11: Birds of a Feather The PCs have decided to investigate the aviary. The enclosure is composed of reinforced silk fiber and has been strung up to a height of approximately 400 feet. There are birds of every kind contained in the net. In fact, this part of the menagerie has remained relatively untouched by Roghard's raging fury. Aside from a small tear in the netting near ground level, it is completely intact. A couple of giant eagles glide from one end of the aviary to the other. The PCs find no evidence of Spot here, though they do find feathers along the ground just outside the opening in the aviary. A DC 13 Spot check helps the PCs realized that the feathers are dotted with blood. Encounter 12: Feeling a Bit Rusty The PCs have decided to check the cave. They enter it easily enough, but soon hear a loud grinding sound. Read the following before starting the combat. As you enter the cave, you’re startled by a loud grinding sound. Coming out of the darkness, you’re confronted with an odd looking beast. About the size of a pony, it has four insect-like legs and a squat, humped body protected by a thick, lumpy hide. It’s tail is covered with armor plates and ends in a bony projection that looks like a double ended paddle. The creature sports two long antennae on its head, one beneath each eye. It rushes at you, flailing its antennae wildly. You, or something you have, has made it very excited. APL 2 (EL 3) Rust Monster (1): hp 34; see Monster Manual. After dispatching the rust monster, the PCs are free to enter the cave. Encounter 13: Out Spot! When the PCs enter the cave, they notice that a baby hippogriff lies in a small naturally formed alcove near the mouth of the cave. It is still alive, but has a broken wing and doesn’t appear able to walk. He screeches weakly and obviously is in need of some assistance. Have the PCs make a Listen check (DC 16). If they succeed, they’re able to make out a screech coming from farther down the cave seemingly in answer to the injured hippogriff’s call. Roghard has come over by now to see what the commotion was about (he heard the PCs fighting the rust monster) and offers to take care of the ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 20 baby one. He shows a great amount of care with it, and gingerly carries it in his hands. When the PCs descend into the cave, they are assaulted by the dusk scent of mildew that comes with such places. There are several subterranean creatures confined here: bats, rats, a choker, two darkmantles and even a grick! It doesn't take long before the PCs come across a large pen in the back of the cave. Read or paraphrase the following: In the far back portion of the cave is a large pen that is enclosed with reinforced steel from floor to ceiling. At first, you don’t see anything inside the pen, but then you hear a soft shuffling sound followed by a low bellowing cry. Stepping out of the dark corner of the pen is a large lizard with greenish scales, showing just a hint of metallic tinge. It sports a frilled tail and a pair of small wings. When it steps out of the shadows and sees you, it spreads its wings and bellows loudly, spreading its wings and extending its neck. A successful Knowledge: Arcana check (DC 16) identifies this creature as a bronze dragon wyrmling. The check also successfully reveals that the wyrmling is trying to intimidate the PCs. The lizard folds its wings in after a second and rushes the enclosure. For the first time, you notice the oddly shaped, but very obvious white spot on the top of its head. At this point, if the PCs wish to, they can simply release the dragon (the gate isn’t locked, but its barred several times). Should they do this, the dragon rushes past them and out of the cave without looking back. If the PCs choose this tack, they can follow the dragon to the surface. When they get there, they see Roghard literally running toward the cave, yelling “SPOT!” He stops and drops to a knee, and amazingly Spot runs over to him and hops into his arms. With an incredibly large grin on his face, Roghard stands and approaches the PCs. He thanks them as he hugs Spot closely, his eyes full of tears. He looks around at the mess he hass created, and then back down at the PCs. He vows to finish fixing what he has broken, but makes it clear that he does it for the animals, not the “little man.” With a smile, he slips his homemade collar around Spot’s neck, and then fishes in his pockets for something. When he brings his hands forth, he dumps a pile of gold coins in front of the PCs. He notes that he found them in and around the cave he lives in and has no use for them, and knows that people like the shiny crown coins, so it is the least he can do. What Roghard doesn’t know is that these coins were dropped by the same Pomarj force that ended up killing Spot’s mother, the bronze dragon Pianasharlana. (See the Adventure Background for details). This pile nets each PC 100 gold pieces. He waves to the PCs as he carries Spot to his temporary “home” at the center of the menagerie, setting him down gently next to the injured hippogriff and the two dire wolf pups. If the PCs do not release the dragon, it starts roaring as loudly as it can. Normally, this would not travel far, but the cave walls provide a natural amplifier and the sound makes its way to the surface where Roghard can hear it. The giant storms over to the cave, peeks in and calla for Spot. If, at this point, the PCs still do not release the dragon, they have to deal with a very angry giant at the cave’s entrance. If the PCs are foolhardy enough to try to leave the cave while Roghard is outside and the dragon is still penned in, they are walking into their own deaths, as Roghard swings his fist at any PC who exits the cave. If, for some reason, the PCs decide to attack the dragon, they can certainly do so, but they are committing an evil act and their characters may be forfeit. APL 2: Spot - Male Bronze Dragon Wyrmling: hp 45; see Monster Manual. Conclusion IF the PCs released the dragon and allowed it to return to Roghard unscathed, read the following conclusion: As you watch Roghard tend to his wards, you see such joy well up in his eyes. The once lonely, gentle giant now has four companions to love instead of just one. He looks up at you as you walk down the trail and lifts a hand in farewell. The smile on his face tells volumes. The giant is alone no more. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 21 When the PCs reach Mildowney’s house, they find him sitting in the grass, staring out at the giant. He speaks to them, but he doesn’t appear to be addressing them directly. “The dragon was going to be my star attraction. And for my need of it, I have seen my dreams crushed under the vengeance of an angry heart. I have spent so much time, and so much of my inheritance on this…and now it’s gone…” The halfing stares down at the grass and appears to begin to cry, but Kuelthador hops down out of a nearby tree and rubs up against him. “You can do it, Mildowney. Who’s to say you can’t try again?” Mildowney looks down at Kuelthador and forces a smile, then stands up and turns to you. “Please do not think I’m not grateful. I am. If for nothing else, you have saved me from certain death. Allow me to pay you for your time. One hundred gold crowns a piece, and I dare say you’ve earned it.” He fishes out a sack from his pocket and hands each of you ten platinum coins. “I will rebuild, I think…and better next time, too. Yes….my Menagerie will be Magnificent once again. The Briarfoots have never given up easy.” With that, the halfling smiles and bids you farewell, then heads into the house with Kuelthador in tow. Just before the door closes, you hear Kuelthador’s voice ring out. “Spot?! Really, giants have no creativity whatsoever.” If the PCs decide to return to Eastpass to report Mildowney to the proper authorities, they certainly can do so. The Royal Army washes their hands of it, saying that he had proper clearance from the Royal Army and the Emerald Conclave. They agree that what he did was rash, but legally there is not much they can do. If its reported to the Emerald Conclave, they thank the PCs for their report and promise to make sure that if Mildowney does decide to rebuild, that he does so under direct supervision of the Emerald Conclave. They also find the report of Roghard interesting, and promises to send emissaries to him to learn more about him. The End Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter 3 Defeat krenshar and dogs. APL 2 – 120 xp. Encounter 5a or 5b Defeat giant ants. APL 2 – 90 xp Encounter 12 Defeat rust monster. APL 2 – 90 xp Discretionary Roleplaying Award Judge may allocate up to the following for good role-playing: APL 2 – 90 xp Total Possible Experience APL 2 – 390 xp Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters come upon treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 22 value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. In the case of potions, they may use Spellcraft to identify them. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. L: Looted gear from enemy C: Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables M: Magic Items (sell value) Encounter Thirteen APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 100 gp; M: 0 gp. Conclusion APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 100 gp; M: 0 gp. Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward Allowed) APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 200 gp; M: 0 gp; – Total: 200 gp. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 23 Appendix I: NPCs Encounter 1: Kuelthador (in normal form): Male Grimalkin; CR 2; Medium Magical Beast (Shapechanger); HD 4d10; hp 24; Init +5; Spd 40 ft.; AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 11 (+1 Dex, +1 natural); Base Atk +4; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d4-1, claw); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4-1, 2 claws) and -2 melee (1d6-1, bite); SQ alternate form, darkvision 60 ft., empathy; AL NG; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +2, Jump +5, Listen +2, Move Silently +6, Spot +2; Acrobatic, Improved Initiative. Empathy (Ex): A grimalkin can detect the surface emotions of any creature within 50 feet that it can see. It can sense basic needs, drives and emotions, but not thoughts. A successful Will save (DC 13) allows a target to avoid being sensed in this way by that grimalkin for 24 hours thereafter. Alternate Form (Su): A grimalkin can assume can assume any animal or vermin of Medium Size or smaller as a free action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself as a caster level of 4th, except that the grimalkin does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or vermin. The creature can remain in its new animal or vermin form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. Encounter 3: Kuelthador (in Dire Weasel form): Male; CR 2; Medium Animal; HD 3d8; hp 15; Init +9; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 natural); Base Atk +2; Grp +4; Atk +6 melee (1d6+3, bite); Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+3, bite); SA Attach, blood drain; AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 14; Dex 19, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Hide +5, Jump +8, Listen +2, Move Silently +9, Spot +2; Acrobatic, Improved Initiative. Attach (Ex): A dire weasel that hits with its bite attack latches onto the opponent’s body with its powerful jaws. An attached dire weasel loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and thus has an AC of 12. An attached dire weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached dire weasel through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature. Blood Drain (Ex): A dire weasel drains blood for 1d4 points on Constitution damage each round it remains attached. Empathy (Ex): A grimalkin can detect the surface emotions of any creature within 50 feet that it can see. It can sense basic needs, drives and emotions, but not thoughts. A successful Will save (DC 13) allows a target to avoid being sensed in this way by that grimalkin for 24 hours thereafter. Alternate Form (Su): A grimalkin can assume can assume any animal or vermin of Medium Size or smaller as a free action. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself as a caster level of 4th, except that the grimalkin does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or vermin. The creature can remain in its new animal or vermin form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. Encounter 8: Roghard: Male Hill Giant Rng1; CR 8; Large Giant; HD 12d8+1d8+65; hp 130; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 21 (-1 Size, +1 Dex, +9 natural, +3 armor); Base Atk +9; Grp +22; Atk +19 melee (2d8+13, greatclub) or +18 melee (1d4+9, slam) or +11 ranged (2d6+9, rock); Full Atk +19/+14 melee (2d8+13, greatclub) or +18 melee (1d4+9, 2 slams) or +11 ranged (2d6+9, rock); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SA rock throwing; SQ favored enemy (giant), low light vision, rock catching, wild empathy; AL N; SV Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 29, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +12, Survival +12, Spot +4, Listen +5, Climb +16, Jump +14, Knowledge (Nature) +12; Animal Affinity, Weapon Focus (Greatclub), Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Track (B). Possessions: large great club, large hide armor. ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 24 DM Aid 1 – Mildowney’s House, First Floor ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 25 DM Aid 2 – Mildowney’s Basement ULP5INTRO-02 Mildowney’s Magnificent Menagerie Page 26 Player Handout #1

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Principality of Ulek/595/Intro mods/ULP5-IS02 - Mildowney's Magnificent Menagerie/ULP5-IS02 - Mildowney's Magnificent Menagerie.pdf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. URC4-07 The Past Shall Haunt Us A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK® County of Urnst Regional Adventure Version 1.2 by Jeff Glenny The County of Urnst is still a dangerous place to call home, what new adventures will present themselves? Will they stem from mistakes in your past? The County’s past? Only time will tell. A County of Urnst scenario for APLs 2-12 The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 1 Introduction This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and record-keeping after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario. Preparation First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not counting the judge), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Playing the Game Instruct the players either to prepare their characters to participate in the adventure before the session begins, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the judge) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the judge can bar the use of even core rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in bold italics. It’s strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. Tracking After the players have completed the scenario or the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, the players and judge fill out the RPGA Tracking Sheet. The judge should complete the top of the form and list his name and RPGA number. The players should each list their name and RPGA number. After the form is filled out it should be given to the Event Coordinator. LIVING GREYHAWK This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials discussed in the Preparation section above that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. LIVING GREYHAWK Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportioned to the average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine the Average Party Level (APL): 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely being war horses, dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc.) use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum above. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. Nevertheless, if a character has the Mounted The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 2 # of Animals Mundane Animals Effect on APL 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 6 7 8 5 5 7 8 9 6 6 8 9 10 CR of Animal 7 7 9 10 11 Combat feat, he may bring a single warhorse, light or heavy, with him in the adventure and it will not count toward the APL calculation. 3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. By following these four steps, you will have determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a PC may gain at the end of the adventure. If a player character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL at which this adventure is being played, that character will receive only one-half of the experience points for the adventure. Further, if the PC is three character levels or more lower than the APL at which this adventure is being played, that PC will receive one-half gold for the adventure as well. This simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Further, a PC who is four or more levels higher than the highest APL supported by the adventure may not play the scenario unless the highest APL supported by the adventure is APL 12. Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If a group is APL 1 there are three things that the group can do to help even the score. 1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level characters, or try to enlist higher-level characters to play at that table. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. All riding dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack must succeed at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates that the animal will not attack that round. This is a move action (spoken command) that may be attempted each round. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases to 12. Time Units and Upkeep This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, set in the County of Urnst. Characters native to the County of Urnst pay one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. Characters that fail to pay at least Standard Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game benefits) as may be detailed in this scenario. A character who does not pay for at least Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-described penalties by living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more ranks in the Survival skill and succeeds at a Survival check (DC 20), the character will heal temporary ability damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the character has at least four ranks in Craft (bowmaking). The player is allowed to Take 10 on this roll. More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section of Chapter 3 of the LIVING GREYHAWK Campaign Sourcebook. Adventure Summary and Background Several years ago, a couple of half-orcs, Gruuntar and Gramal, along with a few other adventurers (mainly Gnomes) were in Nyrond doing as adventurers do; looking for a job. Gramal, Gruuntar’s cleric cohort, had caught wind of a ceremony; one he felt he had to attend. Gruuntar, understanding Gramal’s need to expand his belief, allowed him to attend. While he was gone the remaining party members were traveling through the Gamboge when they stumbled on a cave in the heart of the forest. This seemed to be like any one of a thousand caves they had seen before until they entered a room that had a door. This door was not just any door; it was a door that had a riddle emblazoned on its surface. With some thought, the party was able to figure out the said riddle The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 3 and pass into the lair of some foul beast. The air had a heavy chlorine stench, but despite this, plants grew amazingly well and they would soon discover why. This was the lair of a Green Dragon and not just any Green Dragon, the Green of the Gamboge. All had heard of her, especially the gnomes, as she has been destroying one gnomish village after another. They were not about to let this opportunity pass them by and to Gruuntar’s surprise; they attacked! During the ensuing fight, Gruuntar had taken a flanking position at the rear of Sasrakananakmasha (Sassy), the Very Old Green Dragon, where he was landing some very solid blows. Then, without warning, the smell of chlorine had intensified and half the party was dead! Her vile breath had eaten the flesh from half of his companions! Gruuntar, hearing the blood curdling screams of his companions tried to flee but was slammed up against the wall by an inadvertent tail slap from Sassy. He woke up the following day slumped at the base of a cave wall. Looking around, it was obvious he had nowhere to run. His only recourse was to sit here and hide, hoping for a moment to escape before she discovered him. The following hours were agonizing, he laid motionless for what seemed like an eternity until Sassy finally left the cave swearing vengeance on the gnomes. This might be his only chance to get out of here! When he was certain she had left, he immediately took what few potions he had remaining and tried to find an exit from the cave. There was only one way out, a fissure in the side of the cave. This fissure proceeded for several hundred yards until it came to a cavernous opening; this could be nothing less than Sassy’s brood- chamber. On the other side of the expanse, which seemed like miles the path continued. But there was a problem, a young dragon lie basking near a volcanic fissure in the floor, which blocked his path to the other side of the room! Gruuntar retreated and sat, contemplating his action for what seemed like hours, he came to the conclusion that he would rather take his chances with this young dragon than its mother. He tried to sneak along the wall of the chamber and made it about half way across the room when he slipped on some rocks he had over-looked. The young dragon immediately noticed the intruder and unleashed another cloud of chlorine gas. He had no choice; he had to fight his way out. After a very evenly matched battle, Gruuntar succeeded in defeating the young dragon. Standing over the corpse, a strange thought came over him, "You have spent several hours in a dragon lair, and you will walk out with nothing? Take the hide of this dragon, it will be worth something." This was the final mistake Gruuntar would make that day. When he was just about to finish the finally skinning, he heard a hideous howl behind him. "You insignificant fool! You break into my lair, disrupting my peace, and now kill my baby!!! You will die a slow painful death.” Gruuntar fled! Running as fast as he possibly could down the fissure to his freedom, skin in tow. When he was leaving the den that all too familiar smell of chlorine surrounded him, but holding his breath and ducking behind a stalagmite, he avoided death. When she inhaled to breathe again he continued, but as he was leaving he heard words that would haunt him for the rest of his days, "I will find you, and when I do, you will regret every second of your life!" When he finally met up with Gramal, he explained what had happened. After many hours of discussion there was only one thing they felt he could do, give up adventuring and find a safe place to retire. So the two went into hiding, for months traveling Oerth as cloaked figures, being very careful not to leave names or get into situations where they could be recognized. After months of travel, he decided the best place to hide would be in the city of Radigast. Here Gruuntar would change his name to Ramar and remain hidden. That was until the devils invaded the County of Urnst. Being the hero that Ramar found it very hard to sit idly by while the invading devils destroyed people he had grown to love. In the past he would not have offered his help to the powers that be, but during his tenure in Urnst he has served as a political advisor to the nobles in the County and has learned a thing or two. Perhaps there was a way he could get a seat at the table and help his kind at the same time. With this flash of brilliance, Ramar pulled what strings he had and was granted time with Nimar, alone. Ramar, knowing that the County’s defenses were stretched to the limit, convinced Nimar that he could create a force that could assist the Screaming Manticores in the defense of the Northern border and help keep Iuz’s Bone Heart mages and their followers out of the County. This was the easy part. The hard part of their negotiations was a plot of land; a place to build a village; a place for his tribe of half-orcs to call home. The locale needed to be as close to the northern border as possible and, they finally decided on a plot of land where the Artonsamay River and forest meet. Thus, the Spit Axe Orc tribe was formed in the town of Arton. Encounter 1:The Demon Hunters of the Cloth (DHOTC) have recruited the PCs for their specific talents. Trenton, the Head Clergyman of DHOTC has learned of a demon that escaped from Ventnor. He has recruited the PCs to take care of this problem. He gives them a map of the demon's location, which is in a cave. He also gives the PCs some cold iron arrows to assist them in the Demon's defeat. While in the DHOTC office the PCs discover the head of a Balor demon mounted in Trenton's office. If asked he will give them a short account of this battle without giving too many details. As The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 4 the PCs depart the offices of the DHOTC, Trenton will encourage the PCs to stay in the newly formed half-orc village. He will tell the PCs an entry code into the village so Ramar, the tribal leader, will recognize them. His final words to the PCs as they are leaving the office will be "Ask Ramar if he has skinned anything lately." Encounter 2: When the PCs arrive at Arton, the half-orc village, they will be challenged. If they state the entry code given to them by Trenton, an NPC will go get Trenton; while they wait they will be forced to stay outside of the drawbridge of the town. If they try to move in they will be warned and if they force the issue they will be fired upon. Either way when Ramar arrives at the gates, the guards’ weapons will be lowered. Ramar will show the PCs through the town, proudly escorting the PCs around his new village. He will show them the blacksmith shop, the Stumble Inn, the local tavern, and the Temple of Nazarn. If the PCs ask about the skinning remark, he will put it off until later in the encounter. Ramar will show them to his home where they will have a fine meal waiting. Here the PCs will meet various people from within the village, Mandark, the local sheriff, Trangor the local blacksmith, and Gramal, the Cleric of Nazarn of the Nazarn Temple in town. Here the PCs will be able to gather what little information the NPCs have about the demon. They will also learn of a man that showed up in town complaining about his lost weapon, but since he was drunk, little attention was paid to him while he was here. At this point Gramal, who tells them to get ready for tonight’s festivities, will escort the town citizens out. Once they have left, Ramar will say "Some mistakes never die. How I do regret that day." At this point, Ramar will recount his mistake of several years ago when he was in Nyrond and got caught skinning the young of a Very Old Green Dragon who swore vengeance upon on him. This is why he laid low in Radigast for all these years pursuing a political interest. With the County in Ruins, however, and the fact that he was tired of seeing his fellow half-orcs being shunned by the populace, he decided it was time he came out of hiding for the better good of the County and his fellow half-orcs. Thus Arton was built. (See the Split Axe half- orc Tribe for history) When this is done, he will invite the PCs to attend the evening sermon, which will happen later on in the day. At this point PCs are also able, if they choose, to go to the Stumble Inn and try to get some info about their upcoming mission. What they do find out is that only 2 half-orcs have ever been banished from the tribe and it is rumored that they are still around, watching the tribe from afar. Encounter 3: This is a ritual performed by the tribe, a public battle, not to the death, but more of a show of skill. No one dies in the battles; in fact, when the individual reaches 1/4 hit points the fight is stopped and they are healed by Gramal. Ramar will ask one of the PCs if they would like to step into the ring. If they refuse, he moves to the next until one accepts, or the entire party rejects him. If someone accepts, they will fight in the ring completely unarmed. Again when someone reaches ¼ HP the fight will be stopped and if the PC follows Ramar’s lead and shows the respect they expect, Ramar and the PC will be healed. The PC, if he/she behaves in an appropriate manner, will be given honorary membership to the tribe for one year. Another fight starts at this point. While here, if PCs try to gather more information, nothing will be provided as the tribe is far too engaged in the events before them. Encounter 4: While the 3rd fight is raging on, an Old Green dragon (Note: this is not Sassy, but her eldest offspring) will land in the village and address Ramar as Gruuntar, stating he is there for his life and nothing else. This dragon is too tough for the PCs and they should flee (Will save of 27 for his frightful presence alone). When they take refuge behind a building, there they will find a surprise waiting for them, 1 or 2 dragons will engage them here. When this battle is complete, the PCs will turn just in time to see the Old Dragon fall from the sky and destroy the Temple of Nazarn. As they assess the damage, they will discover that Ramar has been slain along with about 50 or so half-orcs. They will see Gramal pick him up and carry him to his house. Gramal will address the PCs, and tell them they performed valiantly, and not to worry about Ramar, Gramal will tend to him. If the PCs choose to help the village, they are welcomed but after about an hour, Gramal returns and ushers them to their huts as they have a task to perform the following day. Encounter 5: As the PCs awaken, they will be offered breakfast at the Stumble Inn, then Gramal will usher them off. Gramal will inform them that a band of people numbering from 2-4 slipped through their patrols last night and tells them to keep an eye out for them. Here the PCs have a choice, which cave do they proceed to? Regardless of which cave they go to first, they will either come up against the banished half-orcs or the band of adventurers that slipped through the Split Axe patrols. A die roll (odd the banished tribe members - even the Bandit Kingdom party) of the GM will determine this before the encounter takes place, note this should be random! If the roll is odd, the party will not find anything suspicious outside the cave other than humanoid tracks, a pair of them. At higher APL these will be Barbarian/Frenzied Berserkers. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 5 If the roll is even, outside the cave they will find weapons with blades broken, handles snapped in half etc. In the cave they will find (at higher APL) 2 Black Guards, 1 Barbarian and 1 Sorcerer. At lower APLs the Black Guards will be fallen Paladins. These black guards will attempt to sunder any melee weapons the PCs may have on their person while the Sorcerer and the Barbarian keep the rest of the party occupied. When this battle is complete, PCs will have an opportunity to search for replacement weapons. Encounter 6: When the PCs fight and destroy the Demon in the 2nd cave, they will find some parchment written in blood, which they should return to Trenton. Here Trenton will thank them for their deeds performed for the County and offer the PCs the opportunity to have their weapons replaced. That is, IF they are willing to donate time to the church equal to the amount of time it takes to craft the weapon. For instance a +5 weapon is 10 TUs. If the PCs had a bonded weapon, he will offer them the same deal for a magically enhanced weapon. The APL played will determine the amount of the enhancement. Introduction While in Radigast city enjoying some of the finer things the city has to offer, each of you are approached by a young boy, not much older than 10 summers, wearing tattered clothing and out of breath. Holding out a piece of parchment, the boy exclaims, “Excuse me, I have been told to give this to you.” The boy will stand there until the PC takes the piece of paper. The boy knows nothing about who gave it to him, only that he was paid handsomely by a man in a burlap bag, given a sketch of the PC, and told when he delivered the paper to return and he would get more. He has enough gold to feed his family for many moons. If the PCs refuse to respond to the note, a few days will pass then the boy will show again with handout #2, knowing no more than he did the last time. If the PCs still refuse to respond module is over, fill out ARs and charge the players their TUs. Encounter One As you approach the office of DHOTC, you see a sign hanging above the door that reads “Demon Hunters of the Clothe.” When you walk in there is no one to greet you or to bid you welcome. Instead, you see heads, all seemingly staring at you from their perch on the walls. These heads are not of big game, but of demons. Under each of these heads a plaque and on each plaque is a date, a name, a town, and names of what must be demons. As you begin to wonder what type of place this is, a door opens and in walks a Suloise male about 35 years of age wearing a robe with the sleeves ripped out and made of a very coarse brown fabric, almost like burlap. On his face and exposed arms you notice many scars of battles waged years ago and around his neck you see a symbol of a winged human silhouette. In a gravelly voice he speaks, “Welcome, my name is Trenton. Please, please, step into my chambers.” With this he steps aside, holding the door open, gesturing for you to enter a hallway. It takes a Knowledge religion check DC 20 to know the symbol he wears is of the god Phaulkon. The man’s name is Trenton, he is the head Clergyman for the Demon Hunter’s of the Cloth. He swiftly turns and heads down a long hall. Allow the PCs to turn away if they wish, but if Trenton is asked to wait and speak here, he will simply state that these matters are better discussed behind closed doors. The man leads you into a room where a horrifying site strikes you; on the wall behind the man’s desk you see a head and just above the head you see wings that stretch from one edge of the room to the other. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 6 The head looks to be that of a possessed dog with horns, and eyes that seem to glow even in death. The man doesn’t look twice at the head and asks you to sit. It takes a Knowledge (planes) check DC 20 to know the head is that of a Balor. Here Trenton will address each of the PCs by name and bid them all welcome. He will commend their adventuring efforts thus far and hope their good-fortune continues. If asked he will also comment on the Balor head stating that he and some of his friends defeated this demon outside of Ventnor last year. If the PCs played Flames of Ventnor, this is the same Balor that was fighting the Pit Fiend. He will say it was a nasty beast, hell bent on destruction and finish with “The only good demon is a dead demon.” If asked about the Demon Hunter’s of the Cloth, he will state that he noticed that the County was in dire need of assistance. When he heard of the prison break out of Ventnor, he gathered up a band of adventurers and set out to help. When they arrived at the prison, the patrols had left days before and the Pit Fiend and the Balor were fighting. The Balor killed the Pit Fiend and started after them. Luckily they were able to defeat the demon, but it would not have been possible if the Fiend had not weakened him first. After this defeat, he decided he would start supplying people with the necessary gear to defeat the demons and has been in business ever since. Trenton addresses all of you and says, “I have a matter that is of the utmost importance to the citizen’s of the County. My organization has caught wind of a demon that is holed up near the northern borders of the County. What is more disturbing is there are reports that are trickling in that say there could be two of the foul beasts. I fear the worst. I believe they are here as scouts for another hellish army. We need to eradicate this threat before another disaster happens. I would send some of my people, but we are scattered to the four winds and it would take far too long for me to gather a suitable party, so this is where you come in. I need you to help find and eradicate this threat, are you willing to accept this honor?” If asked, Trenton will state that he believes this demon was one that escaped from Ventnor. He believes that ever since the demon’s escape, it has been keeping an eye on the County’s depleted defenses and has been formulating an attack plan. Once he finds a way back to hell, his superiors will undoubtedly attempt to open a gate and bring another army to invade the County and then the Flanaess. If the PCs ask for payment he simply states, “Isn’t defeating this abomination enough payment for you?” If pushed he will state, “Perhaps I was mistaken in my choice of individuals for this mission, you are welcome to leave.” A Sense Motive check DC 15 will let the PCs know that he is not joking, nor does he intend on paying them a penny. If still pushed he will simply stand, open the door, and bid the PCs good day. The module is over, hand out the ARs. If the PCs accept this mission, he will issue them a map of 3 known caves in the wooded area west of Arton in the Black Forest. “I suggest you spend the evening with my good friend Ramar and his new formed tribe in Arton, he may be able to shed some light on which of these three caves the demon could reside. Don’t worry; Ramar is expecting a band of adventurers by nightfall, so I suggest you get there before they lift the drawbridge. When you arrive you will be challenged, reply ‘The Hunter has sent us.’ This should grant you entrance into the village and the hospitality of the Split Axe Tribe, but you are welcome to proceed as you see fit.” As the PCs are departing Trenton will offer each PC a quiver of Cold Iron arrows to assist with defeating the demon and will apologize for not having more weapons to offer the PCs. If asked, Trenton will tell the party that he knows Ramar from years ago. They had a few adventures together and states that he is a fine honorable man and then he will usher them off. As Trenton is closing the door to the street, he chuckles and says "When you see ole Ramar, ask him if he has skinned anything lately!” laughing, he slides the door shut. The PCs will not be addressed again at this point; in fact, Trenton has left the building through a back entrance. The PCs may choose to go to the caves first. If they do they have until the second dawn to investigate all 3 caves. IF the PCs investigate the caves, the rest of the module will proceed like this: (Encounter 5a or b) the 1st cave will be NPCs (depending on your roll) and the 2nd will be the demon. They can look at the third, but it will be empty. If they do decide to proceed with this course, when they finally move towards Arton they will be attacked on their way by the half-dragons in Encounter 4. When they get to the town, it will be destroyed and the half-orcs will not be interested in receiving any visitors. To determine which encounter to move to when they investigate the caves roll your die as a GM to see which encounter the PCs have in their first cave. If the result is an odd number, move to encounter 5b otherwise go to encounter 5a. Encounter Two The town of Arton is nestled in a clearing just south of the Artonsomay River and east of the Black The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 7 Forest. As you approach, you notice a 15’ high wooden wall surrounding the village and around that, a trench lined with spikes. When you finally reach the gates, the sun is beginning to tickle the horizon. Sunset is very close, and there are two half- orc guards standing watch. Each mans his post atop two wooden towers that stand on either side of a drawbridge; their bows are drawn and aimed in your direction. On the tower to the east, a third half-orc pops up and barks in broken common "What business you have with da Split Axe?" When the PCs respond correctly with “The Hunter’s have sent us,” the half-orc will state that they are to wait there and not move. He will disappear behind the wall for several minutes. Point out to the PCs that the guards will not lay down their weapons and if yelled at they will not respond. If the PCs attempt to cross the drawbridge they will fire at the ground in front of them and yell. “Stop where you are.” If the PCs fire back, allow the half- orcs one more shot before Ramar appears at the gates. If the PCs attacked at any point read them the following; A half-orc dressed in very fine clothing appears at the village gate and yells “HOLD YOUR FIRE! These are guests of mine!” If the PCs continue to fight, close the drawbridge and pelt them with arrows until they withdraw or are defeated. Then proceed to Encounter 5 if they wish to continue to the demon’s lair, if they wish to continue to assault the fort after their first defeat, ensure their death. If the PCs did not make an aggressive move read or paraphrase the following. A half-orc dressed in very fine clothing appears at the village gate raises his arms to the guards and motions them to lower their weapons. Here Ramar will introduce himself to the PCs as the mayor of this fine village and welcome them. He will apologize for his guards stating that we can never be too careful, we have seen a few raids from up north and you are obviously not members of the tribe. Ramar will explain that an hour before sun down they challenge every individual who enters the village. This helps to ensure that when the drawbridge is lifted at night, the likelihood of being attacked from within decreases. He realizes the flaw in this logic but is more worried about giving the village a sense of security. Ramar speaks in a very intelligent, clear and powerful voice (especially for a half-orc). As he is escorting the PCs into the village, he will point out different landmark points in the town, very proud of all of it, after all this was his creation. Outside the walls he will point out the spikes in the moat surrounding the village, inside the walls are cat walks which are patrolled by 2 half-orcs at all times. The village itself is organized into 3 sections. The outer section is the living quarters for the villagers; the middle section is the merchants’ section where you will find a blacksmith, the Stumble Inn, as well as various merchants. The inner section is Ramar’s house, the Temple of Nazarn (Knowledge religion 25 to know Nazarn is the Half-Orc God of Formal and Public Combat). When and if the PCs relay Trenton’s message about skinning something, he will hang his head and say that this is not the time or place to talk about it. As the PC’s complete their tour of this new village: Ramar turns to you, saying "And this is our final stop, my home, where I insist you join me for dinner." Not taking no for an answer, Ramar leads you into his home. In it, you find he has many fine furnishings, high ceilings, servants, art work hanging on the walls and to your surprise, all of it seems to be dust free. Through the main foyer, the home opens into a large room with the centerpiece being a large table with room for 16 large individuals to sit comfortably. Three of the seats are already filled by half-orcs. Ramar points to each individual and introduces them. "I would like for all of you to meet Gramal, the town shaman, Mandark, the town sheriff, and Tangor, the town blacksmith. Now please, please sit." He will offer the PCs a fine dinner. When asked about the demon, he will state that he is familiar with the caves referenced on the map but knows nothing more than what Trenton said about the demon. Trenton sent him a note just yesterday telling him about it; in the same note it said to expect this band of adventurers and not to try to take out the demon as his patrols have enough to worry about. Gramal is a very pleasant individual, though a little rough around the edges. He does recall that when they started construction of the village it always felt to him that something was watching from the trees. There were a few men that would show up from time to time asking what we were doing and why. They never stayed long and did not cause any problems, so he paid little attention to them. Mandark, the local sheriff, is a very gruff individual, even for a half-orc. He does not speak common nearly as well as Gramal or Ramar, and has a wondering eye. Mandark talks about how surprised he is that a bunch of his kind is not causing more problems than they are in a community setting such as this one. He attributes this to the ceremonial fights they have every Earthday evening. If asked about these fights, he says they should join them tonight for a first hand look. With a Gather Information Check (DC 20) the PCs get the following information from Marduk: • He recalls that a few nights ago some human adventurer came into town and got so drunk he had The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 8 to throw him in the drunk-tank. He was rattling off about how he lost his weapon to a cave, or something like that. • He is not sure why they have a drunk-tank, as far as he is concerned, drunks should be left in the alley to soak in there own vomit, but Ramar insisted, so he abided. When they are finished with the meal, Gramal ushers the local citizens (Mandark and Trangor) out of the home smiling and saying that he will see them tonight during the ceremony. At this time, Ramar will turn and face the PCs: With a very heavy look in his eyes, Ramar turns to you and says, "Some mistakes never die, how I do regret that day." If the PCs ask him what he is referring to, he will continue, if not he will drop the subject completely. If they inquire further read the following I was doing some adventuring up in Nyrond, near the Gamboge when we ran across a cave, so I convinced my party to investigate. Well I found out it was inhabited by, or is inhabited by a dragon, a very power hungry dragon that is terrorizing the local gnome villages, kidnapping men, women and children alike. I later found out it she is known as the Green of the Gamboge, or as the locals called her, Sassy. At this point, Gramal shakes his head and gets a very sullen look in his eyes, as if remembering a horrifying experience, while he is recalling the events that took place in Sassy’s Lair. If the PCs push for more information, continue, if not this dialog stops. “We went into her lair and fought a horrific battle, I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke, she was still there, cursing the gnomes, swearing revenge upon all gnomes who walked Oerth. Apparently, someone before us had really pulled a number on her. So I sat, and I sat, for what seemed like days, not making a sound, trying to look as dead as I could until she finally left. I took this opportunity to escape, fleeing down a fissure in the rock.” Looking at the ceiling, with a tear in his eye he exclaims, “Oh, how I wish I had taken a different path.” Looking back at you he regains his composure, “Sorry, where was I, ah yes, down the fissure. Well when I tried to escape down this fissure, I came across a young dragon. I tried to sneak by it but slipped on the uneven ground and battle ensued. I was able to defeat the young one and something came over me,” Shaking his head, he continues, “greed. I was not about to walk out of a dragon’s lair with nothing to show for it, so I skinned it. O BOY was THAT ever a mistake!” At this point Ramar drops his head with a mixed look of fear and shame in his eyes, and refuses to talk any further. If the PCs push him for more details, the remainder of the story will require a Diplomacy check of 30 (the PCs can assist one another on this). If they succeed, read the following. Just as I was finishing my task I heard, “You insignificant fool! You break into my liar, disrupting my peace, and kill my baby!!! You will die a slow painful death!” Without even looking over my shoulder, I ran down a corridor that was on the other side of the cavern. I ran for my life! As a fog of acid surrounded me, I heard “I will find you, and when I do, you will regret every second of your life!” That was the last time I ever went on an adventure. From that point on, I laid low in Radigast, hoping that I could avoid her wrath. But after the Countess had all her issues with the devils, I decided that I had to swallow my fear and help the County. I took a risk in founding this village you see before you. Now I fear my arrogance will come back and haunt my tribe. If the PCs have played "Silence of the Gnomes" or "Gnome Way Out" (A Nyrond Regional) they will know the Sassy is really out to kill the gnomes. To that end, she has destroyed several gnome villages around the Gamboge and she is now breeding an army of full dragons and half dragons. At the conclusion of the meal Ramar tells the PC’s he has arranged for them to stay in some quarters along the inner edge villager section. He will also invite them to attend the evenings sermon just outside the temple of Nazarn, in the roped off section. If the PCs go to the Stumble Inn to try to get some information this is what they get: Scook, the bar keep, knows nothing about any demon and has heard nothing in the bar. He is, however, more than willing to tell stories of his adventuring days making up long-winded stories about a simple mission defeating devils. He makes the devils sound vicious and mean and the adventure perilous, filled with danger at every corner. If PCs keep pushing, they find out that he faced imps, and fiendish rats, during his adventuring career. Even after the PCs discover this, he is still absolutely convinced they were the meanest ugliest things that ever walked Oerth. He will also talk about the only two half-orcs banished from the tribe. Those 2 idiots, they really screwed up. You see we are bound never to discuss certain things and those two fools went against Ramal and did exactly that, talked about it. The punishment was swift. Ramal stripped them of their possessions and sent them away, heh, not before marking them though. Besides, they couldn’t control themselves, even for us half-orcs they were reckless. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 9 Any member of the tribe knows that the mark is the ultimate shame for speaking of the pact with the Countess. No one will talk about it, and if they do there are repercussions (reference Appendix 2). NO ONE in the module will reveal this information to the PCs. For a Gather Information of 20 the PCs do find another individual who was drinking with this human that came into town. His name was Windell, and he recalls how the human kept complaining about how he had lost sword. He was quite down and DRUNK so a coherent story was almost impossible to get out of him. Encounter Three It is time for the ceremonial fights and you hear a commotion just outside. As the PC’s move to investigate, they see a gathering crowd of tribesman. Hearing Gramal closing up the sermon, the crowd begins to roar. As the PC’s wade their way through the crowd to gain a better vantage point, they realize that next to the Temple is a fighting arena. In the arena you see two half-orcs waging in bare-chested, unarmed combat. Shocked you stop. Ramar moves to stand next to the PC’s, he turns to them and says, “Welcome, I am glad you came!” At this point Ramar will walk up to the highest level non half-orc fighter in the party and ask if he/she would like to join the ceremony, if they say no, move to the next PC until you find one that will be willing to join. If there is not a PC willing to join in the fight, Ramar will be very disappointed and will not address the crowd shown in the box text below. If asked Ramar will explain the Half-orc God Nazarn is the God of Public Combat and so the temple has this every Earthday. Ramar will say he is not necessarily a believer in Nazarn, but Ramar does enjoy the occasional fight, as long as it is organized and helps maintain the peace. He will also tell the fighter that it is a great honor to be allowed to fight in the ring and even a greater honor if that person is not a member of the tribe. He also asks the PC to tell his party members not to interfere. Remember the fight is still going on and the crowd is into the fight, there are cheers coming from the crowd from time to time when a solid blow connects. At the end of a very even match both half-orcs walk towards Gramal and kneel on one knee bowing their heads. Gramal reaches out and touches each of their heads with his hands, mumbles some unheard words and then says “Rise my brave warriors.” When the half-orcs stand, you realize that they seem to stand a little taller, a little straighter, and with a little less blood dripping from their wounds. When this obvious ceremonial ritual is complete, you turn to notice Ramar standing in the middle of the Ring shouting “My tribesmen!!! We are graced this evening with some warriors of the County. We shall show them the utmost respect and allow them to enter the ring to partake in our new-found customs.” The crowd seems bewildered by this, looking at each other in amazement and disgust, then from the crowd you hear, “Who will oppose them?” Ramar replies, “ME!” Ramar removes all of his equipment and instructs the PC to do the same. This fight will continue until one of the fighters, Ramar or the PC, is at ¼ hit points. At that time Gramal will step into to the ring, signifying the end of the combat. DO NOT ALLOW EITHER FIGHTER TO DROP BELOW 0 HIT POINTS. This fight is ceremonial and is not intended to kill or knock anyone unconscious. Ramar will be the same level regardless of APL, see appendix for stats (Note: use unequipped stats). If the other PCs attempt to interfere in any way, spells or otherwise, have the crowd subdue their attempts by holding them back or interrupting their spells. When Gramal steps into the ring, Ramar immediately stops fighting and bows his head to the PC. Ramar then takes the arm of the PC and gently nudges him toward Gramal and kneels. If the PC kneels, Gramal will touch the head of both and fully heal both members. At this point Gramal will say, “Rise my brave warriors.” If the PC bows and his party members did not attempt to assist in the battle, or were unsuccessful in their attempt, Ramar will turn to the PC and say “Welcome to the tribe.” If the PC does not kneel, Gramal only heals Ramar, the crowd turns their back on the PC to return the disrespect the PC has shown them. This happens until the PC leaves the ring and the next fight begins. At the end of the fight allow the PC to re-equip as well as Ramar before proceeding to Encounter 4. Once this is over, move to Encounter 4, if the PCs attempted to gather information, they were very hard pressed to talk to anyone as they are focused on the fights. They are not able to find out anything about the Demon, or the men that Mandark mentioned. Encounter Four As the village is enthralled with the fights, there are 2-3 green dragons circling over head. Spot check at 35 to see the flight of the dragon, as their height makes them near impossible to see and after one solid run movement they are upon the village. One Old will land first on point A (indicated on your map) and will address the crowd. Standing there before the very village that has just opened up its hospitality to you is a huge dragon. The sunlight plays with the soft sparkle of dark green on much darker green. The age this thing possesses must be tremendous for the colors to be so rich and deeply hued. It stands nearly 25 feet tall and has an air about it that makes many of the villagers shake and run. He grins and states, “Gruuntar, I am here for nothing less than your life!!!" The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 10 A loud roar erupts from the beast’s belly and the PCs should now make a Will save of 27 or flee (Frightful presence). Allow the PCs to react as they choose, but this is not the dragon they are supposed to fight. Allowing the PCs to roll initiative makes them believe this IS their fight. Allow the PCs to discuss their tactics and what they intend to do as you gather their initiatives. The PCs will more than likely flee. Read this before their 1st initiative. The dragon let's out another mighty roar and the crowd scatters. Ramar immediately charges the dragon and lands a solid blow as a green mist envelops him and numerous tribesmen, 3 of which fall to the ground, flesh melting from their bones. Coalescing above the dragon you see a spark of light. As the light grows, you realize it is fire and a mighty column of fire comes crashing down all around the dragon. Then, in the distance, you hear FIRE AT WILL. Within seconds you see 15 arrows come from somewhere beyond your sight and strike the dragon. The dragon let's out a hideous laughter, "Is that all you can muster Ramar!" Stepping back, you find yourself in an alley. As they make their way to their respective hiding places ask the ones that may have made their will saves if they wish to split the party. Encourage them to flee to an area well away from the Old Dragon's fight. Their fight has not revealed itself yet. Allow the PCs to flee where they choose. Once there, allow them to talk for one round then read the following: As the fight rages all around this tiny village, calmness finally fills the area and fear vanishes. It is but short lived when a deep-menacing laughter pierces the chaos. In the darkness a set of green eyes, with a tint of poisonous yellow can be seen. Sound emits from under those eyes, a horrible strange laughter that sounds like gases escaping the fissure of a volcano. The eyes lunge forward followed by a mass of shiny, slimy, green scales. The PCs are not surprised as the half dragon has spent his surprise round laughing at the PCs. If the party does not kill the dragon and it attempts to flee, the village guards will take a few pot shots during its escape. There will be 5 guards attempting the shot, each with 1 +5 1d8 longbow shot. APL 2 (EL 4) � ½ Green Dragon Ape: hp 37; see Appendix One APL 4 (EL 6) � ½ Green Dragon Bear: hp 63; see Appendix One APL 6 (EL 8) � ½ Green Dragon Rhinoceros, Advanced: hp 110; see Appendix One APL 8 (EL 10) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Ape, Advanced: hp 132; see Appendix One APL 10 (EL 12) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger: hp 345; see Appendix One APL 12 (EL 14) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger, Advanced: hp 369; see Appendix One The hybrid is defeated just in time to hear a deafening roar, followed by a thunderous crash as the Old Dragon falls from the sky, its limp body disintegrating the Temple of Nazarn, showering rubble all through the courtyard. You look around to assess the damage and notice half-orcs cowering behind buildings and half the village dead. Their bodies scattered all throughout the village including that of Ramar. Gramal slowly lifts Ramar's body and carries him into his home tears clearly visible on his face. Gramal intends on performing a Raise Dead. If the PCs offer their assistance, Gramal turns to them and says. "Ramar knew the risks of showing himself after incurring the wrath of that b........" Gramal stops himself short as an untold anger rages in his eyes. Yet, he gathers himself and continues, "Don't you worry about Ramar, I will tend to him. You, on the other hand, have fought valiantly today, but you still have a job to do. Get your rest, you will need it." If the PCs choose to help the village by removing the bodies, their help is more than welcome. However, after an hour of assistance Gramal, himself, will tell the PCs that the village can handle this, you have a mission and ushers them to their quarters. Encounter Five If the PCs set up a watch, they will be aware of Gramal’s approach otherwise, they will be startled by a knock at their door. The door to the yurt opens and it is Gramal that enters. It is obvious he has been working all night, without rest. His clothes are stained with the blood of his fallen tribesmen and his eyes are heavy; it is difficult to discern if it is because of the lack of a sleep or the weight on his heart. He speaks in a tired tone, “I have arranged for a parting meal at what is left of the Stumble Inn. The village is almost an entire loss and it is going to take us weeks, if not months, to get a viable community started again. I have ordered that the drawbridge remain closed unless it is a tribesman or.........you.......stand at the gates. Here is a writ signed by me that will allow The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 11 passage into our village any time you wish. I, that is, we are forever grateful. If we had to deal with another beast the village would have surely been a total loss.” If the PCs inquire about Ramar, Gramal says he has means to return him to life, Ramar will be up and about the village again in about a week. As the PCs make their way to the Stumble Inn, they will see that what Gramal said was exactly right. It is obvious the battle took place in the middle of town, as there is a stench of chlorine that emanates from that area. The PCs know that is from the dragon’s breath weapon. 40 percent of all of the buildings have been completely destroyed, the Nazarn temple is flattened, Ramar’s roof is all but gone, and the front half of the Stumble Inn looks as if a hand had come down and removed the front wall. There is a crowd of about 27 half-orcs gathered in front of the Stumble Inn awaiting their arrival. As you approach the Stumble Inn, the crowd of half- orcs parts before you. Passing the crowd Scook stands there with bandages around his left leg and chest and yet he has a smile on his face. He looks on with a fire in his eyes and says, “I have a very special meal prepared this morning.” He swings his arm to one side pointing to a table that is formally set. Scook steps into the back room and returns with the meal. He walks to each in turn and proudly places a slab of meat on each of the plates then says, “To the victor goes the spoils.” The crowd gathered outside begins clapping. When the PCs inquire as to what they are eating, it is the heart of the dragon they had slain. The PCs can refuse the meal. Scook will be offended if they do but will get them anything they wish. However, his storeroom was destroyed in the battle, and he will not be able to get their first two requests, telling them “Destroyed” or “Ruined.” When the PCs finish their meal, Gramal will make his way through the crowd and tell the PCs that it is time for their journey to continue. He knows Trenton well and is aware that Trenton will be expecting them back soon. He will also mention a band of people that seem to have slipped through their patrols and asks the PCs to keep an eye out for them as their resources are all but decimated. Leaving what is left of the village, Gramal comes running up, “Friends! Friends! I have just received word.” When he catches up, “A patrol reported that a band of people crossed the Artonsamay River last night from the Bandit Kingdoms. Who knows what they are up to or why they are here? Whatever it is I am sure it isn’t good. Keep an eye out for ‘em, please.” Here, roll your die as a GM to see which encounter the PCs have at their first cave. If the result is an odd number, move to encounter 5b otherwise move to encounter 5a. Encounter Five A The travel time from Arton to the cave mouth of their choosing is approximately 4 hours through dense forest. When the PCs are traversing this, have them roll spot checks (DC 25), if they succeed on the check, they will notice deer and such scampering away from their path. As the PCs approach the cave, they will see a few broken weapons scattered all around the mouth of the cave, which is about 10 foot tall and 15 foot wide. If they try to stay outside the cave to watch for activity they will not see any and will not for many days. A track check of 20 reveals humanoid footprints outside the cave. They will not be able to tell how many due to the amount of the traffic in and out of the cave, though the newest are only a few hours old. If they try to salvage the weapons they will not find any that are viable. As the PCs enter the cave, it begins to narrow approximately 40 ft into it and weapons still litter the floor, one about every 25 feet or so. At 75 feet the opening narrows to 5 foot wide. At 100 feet, there are torches lining the walls, ever burning torches, placed every 40 feet. They proceed another 300 ft before they come to the first room. Upon entering the first room of the cave, it is eerily silent. A heartbeat sounds like it surely must be a drummer’s cadence, pounding down the cave walls. Looking on one can see strewn about the floor are a Bampton’s Fair worth of unusable and broken weapons. APL 2 (EL 4) � 2nd lvl Fallen Paladins (2): hp 20, see Appendix One APL 4 (EL 6) � 2nd lvl Fallen Paladins (2): hp 20, see Appendix One � 2nd lvl Barbarian: hp 23, see Appendix One � 2nd lvl Sorcerer: hp 12, see Appendix One APL 6 (EL 8) � 4th lvl Fallen Paladins (2): hp 36, see Appendix One � 4th lvl Barbarian: hp 45, see Appendix One � 4th lvl Sorcerer: hp 20, see Appendix One APL 8 (EL 10) � 6th lvl Fallen Paladins(2): hp 51, see Appendix One � 6th lvl Barbarian: hp 65, see Appendix One � 6th lvl Sorcerer: hp 28, see Appendix One The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 12 APL 10 (EL 12) � 8th lvl Blackguards (2): hp 75, see Appendix One � 8th lvl Barbarian: hp 85, see Appendix One � 8th lvl Sorcerer: hp 36, see Appendix One APL 12 (EL 14) � 10th lvl Blackguards (2): hp 93, see Appendix One � 10th lvl Barbarian: hp 105, see Appendix One � 10th lvl Sorcerer: hp 47, see Appendix One Tactics: If the NPCs have surprise, they will be waiting at the mouth of the entrance to the cavern. When the first PC enters they will attempt to sunder their weapons. If neither has surprise, the NPCs will be moving toward the opening when the PCs arrive. In combat, the NPCs will try to sunder all of the fighter’s weapons, then the archer’s bows. After sundering their weapons, the NPCs will attempt to defeat the spell casters, fighters, and then archers, in that order. At higher APLs the Sorcerer will attempt to render some party members helpless. Allow the PCs to loot the NPC’s bodies; they will be able to use their equipment for the last encounter with the demon. They will also be able to find, with a search check of 25 (-1 DC per minute searched), a short bow, a long sword, a rapier and a great axe that are still usable. Regardless of which cave they choose to investigate, move to Encounter 6. Encounter Five B The travel time from Arton to the cave mouth of their choosing is approximately 4 hours through dense forest. When the PCs are traversing this, have them roll spot checks (DC 25), if they succeed in the check, they will notice deer and such scampering away from their path. As the PCs approach the cave, they will see a few carcasses of woodland animals scattered all around the mouth of the cave, which is about 10 foot tall and 15 foot wide. If they try to stay outside the cave to watch for activity they will not see any as the half-orcs inside have the food they need for many days to come. Inside the cave, it travels approximately 100 feet down before it opens up into a cavernous room that the 2 banished half-orcs call home. When the PCs arrive, the 2 half-orcs will greet them in Orcish. Make certain to play the PC’s move silent and hide checks against the NPC’s spots and listens. What are you doing in my home? Here to raid us, take our food? I know, Ramar sent you didn’t he? Well that was one mission you should have left for someone else! APL 2 (EL4) � Ftr1/Bbn1 (2): hp 22, see Appendix One APL4 (EL6) � Ftr2/Bbn2 (2): hp 39, see Appendix One APL6 (EL8) � Ftr4/Bbn2 (2): hp 57, see Appendix One APL8(EL10) � Ftr2/Bbn2/Frenzied Berserker 2 (2): hp 73, see Appendix One APL10(EL12) � Ftr2/Bbn2/Frenzied Berserker 4 (2): hp 91, see Appendix One APL12(EL14) � Ftr2/Bbn2/Frenzied Berserker 6 (2): hp 108, see Appendix One Tactics: The NPCs will immediately enter a rage and at higher levels a frenzy, note these 2 effects stack. They will move to attack. Upon defeating the half-orcs, the party will not find anything of value, other than what the NPCs carried. The one thing they will find is on the walls, written in blood, the words “Ramar will die” written in common over and over and over again. It is obvious these two were hell bent on destroying Ramar. Regardless of which cave they choose to investigate, move to Encounter 6. Encounter Six The 2nd cave is situated near the bottom of a small ravine. The cave mouth is jagged, and difficult to get to, Balance checks of DC 15 are required when make the way down to the bottom, the loose rocks and uneven surfaces make it difficult to traverse. The cave mouth is a 5ft by 10ft opening and winds back 100s of feet before it reaches the chamber of the demon. Every now and again the cave will open up into a room, if you as the GM have time, you can use this to “waste time,” and let the PCs move in tactically if they choose. If you are running short have them proceed down the cave about 900 feet where the come to a bend in the cave. At the other end of that bend is their prey. If the PCs made their move silent/hide rolls against the demon, they will not be surprised. As the PCs enter the cave, they are overwhelmed by the stench coming from this room. The only light being shed in the room is that which they brought with them. “Entering the demon’s chamber, noxious fumes seem to seep into every pour. Acidic mists assaults the senses and out of the translucent fog comes a gravelly voice. “So, you are here to fetch me back to Ventnor are you?” A hideous laughter ensues, “Well The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 13 today you will not be so lucky, for it’s your last on this Oerth.” APL2 (EL 2) � Quasit: hp 13; see Monster Manual page 46 APL4 (EL4) � Quasits (2): hp 13; see Monster Manual page 46 APL6 (EL6) � Babau: hp 66; see Monster Manual page 40 APL8 (EL 8) � Babau (2): hp 66; see Monster Manual page 40 APL 10 (EL 10) � Bebilith: hp 150; see Monster Manual page 42 APL 12 (EL 12) � Vrock (3): hp 115, 114, 112; see Monster Manual page 48 Upon defeating the Demon(s), the PCs can perform a search check of 20 to find a parchment written on human flesh with blood, the language is Draconic. If the language is not spoken by the PCs, Trenton will inform them of its contents when they deliver it to him. It depicts an invasion strategy that would start at Bampton and sweep across the County. It has a VERY accurate count of the number of citizens in the County, as well as a detailed list of possible threats to the invasion. This includes the Demon Hunters, the Countess, herself, Nimar, Lord Duncombe, and the list goes on and on. Much to their surprise all of their names are on the list. It also includes several names they recognize as adventurers they traveled with in the past. It also gives weak points to many of the strongholds within the County. This list is quite impressive, some of the best intelligence these PCs have ever seen assembled. It also mentions that they may be able to gather a few allies in the Bandit Kingdoms, these details are not mentioned. If the PCs investigate the 3rd cave it will be empty. If the PCs did not assist in the defense of Arton, move to Encounter 7, regardless of where they are going (Arton or back to DHOTC) If the PCs helped defend Arton, move to Conclusion A. Encounter Seven Moving through the thick undergrowth of the forest, someone or something is watching, always. Continuing to move onwards, that feeling of being watched still permeates all around you. Staring off into the distance, and shielding the sun seems to help little or not at all until that last moment, turning to see a nightmarish creature with a green- scales, seemingly slimed covered, hulking towards you at an alarming rate. Start this encounter at the appropriate distance and roll the half dragons hide/move silent check vs. the PCs listen and spot checks. Subtract the hide from the spot/listen from the move silent, divide this by 2 and multiply it by 10, this is the distance the creature is from the PCs at the start of the surprise round. Remember, at APL 10 and 12 the tiger gets a +16 in addition to its original skill on its hide check when in this environment. The creature will not get surprise; unless the spot and listen checks allow the creature to be within 30 ft. then the half dragon does get surprise. If the number is below 30, assume the Half-Dragon starts 30ft. away. APL 2 (EL 4) � ½ Green Dragon Ape: hp 37; see Appendix One APL 4 (EL 6) � ½ Green Dragon Bear: hp 63; see Appendix One APL 6 (EL 8) � ½ Green Dragon Rhinoceros, Advanced: hp 110; see Appendix One APL 8 (EL 10) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Ape, Advanced: hp 132; see Appendix One APL 10 (EL 12) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger: hp 345; see Appendix One APL 12 (EL 14) � Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger, Advanced: hp 369; see Appendix One Knowledge Nyrond Meta-Region DC 15 to know that this is the first green half-dragon ever encountered in the County and that green half-dragons have been encountered in Nyrond. If the PCs are heading towards Arton move to encounter 7a If the PCs are heading toward DHOTC move to Conclusion B Encounter Seven A Since the PCs chose this path, the village of Arton has already been attack by the Green Dragon and is almost destroyed. Half-orcs are scrambling around try to shore up walls build shelter etc. Approaching what must have been the village of Arton, you are struck by the amount of sheer damage the place has sustained. Half-orcs are running around trying to shore up sections of a 15 ft The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 14 high wooden wall that seem to have melted. As you get closer, you see what once was a drawbridge that has been destroyed and the people are traversing a trench via make shift planks. Looking into the village there is a green mound of glinting scales, then it all becomes clear, this place was attacked by a Green Dragon. When the PCs approach the village, they will be challenged by half-orcs, asking them to state their business. When they mention the Hunters, one of the guards will rush into the village to get Gramal (note: this is the town cleric/shaman, not the leader). Gramal will explain to the PCs what happened, and regretfully tell them that the village is far to busy with repairs to accept any guests at this time. If any of the party is a member of the “Split Axe Orc Tribe,” Gramal will address them by name and ask them to assist in the repairs of their village. If a PC offers to help, Gramal will accept their help, but insist on only labor, not cash contributions. Move to Conclusion C. Conclusion A When the PCs return to Trenton, he will be VERY pleased with the results. “This is wonderful news!!! The Countess can use this information to assist in her rebuilding efforts. She will be able to concentrate her efforts on what this report shows as our weakest areas, which will help in the defense of the County for years to come. I also caught word that Ramar died while you were in the village. I received a message that instructed me to tell you he was up and already working hard on rebuilding his village and is grateful for all assistance. If the PCs lost some weapons during the fight with the Blackguard, read them the following: “I see that you have lost some weapons. I had information that this could have occurred but without further investigation could not rely on that information. Knowing how fighters have their affinity for their weapons, I can see how the loss is great to some. Regardless, I know how much they mean. Given the favor done for me, I will offer some compensation. If you are willing to donate some time with my cause and me, I will pull some strings and get your weapons replaced, deal?” This is based on market value of the weapon, TUs required for replacement, this is based on the amount of time it takes to make the weapon. The weapon HAS TO HAVE the same abilities as the weapon that was destroyed. If the PCs would like to get a weaker weapon (if they had a +1 holy, flame burst long sword and would like to get a +1 holy or a +1 flame burst or a +1 flaming, they can make that choice), Trenton will allow it. The TUs required are: +1 Weapon 1 TU +2 Weapon 2 TUs +3 Weapon 4 TUs +4 weapon 6 TUs Note: If the PC is out of region, the TUs ARE NOT doubled If a PC lost a bonded weapon(s) read this. Trenton looks on with regret in his eyes and says, “I am sorry, but the weapon you had was a unique item and I do not have the power to create such a weapon. If you are willing to donate time to my cause, perhaps I can get you another weapon. I know it is not what once was, however, I feel strongly about making amends for the kindness showed me earlier. Here is what will be offered by APL, the PC can choose to have any legal enhancement from the light and medium table listed in the DMG: APL2: 1 TU and the PC can have a +1 Weapon APL 4&6 2 TUs and the PC can have a +2 weapon APL 8&10 4 TUs and the PC can have a +3 weapon APL 12 6 TUs and the PC can have a + 4 weapon Note: If the PC is out of region, the TUs ARE NOT doubled Note: If the bonded weapon’s market value was below what is offered, they will get a weapon equal to it’s enhancement bonus. For example at APL 8 a player had a + 2 Sword of the Rogue, they will receive a +2 market value weapon of their choice. “If I can help in the future, I will do all that is within my power. May the sun always shine brightly before you, and favorable winds pursue your back.” The PCs gained favors from the Orc tribe, as well as the DHOTC. Conclusion B When the PCs return to DHOTC, he is obviously saddened by something. His head hangs low as the PCs enter his office. Looking up from his desk, Trenton appears to be a different person from when you last left him. It is obvious to anyone with eyes that his is deeply saddened by something. As his eyes meet yours, a flash of anger crosses his face, “YOU! It’s YOUR The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 15 fault Ramar is dead. I hold you personally responsible for my friend’s death. I suggest you leave anything you found with the demon and leave, NOW!” Trenton will not listen to anything the PCs have to say and they are escorted out of his office, end of the module. The PC did not gain any favors from any meta-org this module. Conclusion C When the PCs return to Trenton, he will be pleased with the results, but wishes the PCs had helped Ramar, and is not as eager to help them and will not replace the PCs weapons, but will still get them the DHOTC favor. “This is wonderful news!!! The Countess can use this information to assist in her rebuilding efforts. She will be able to concentrate her efforts on what this report shows as our weakest areas, which will help in the defense of the County for years to come. I also caught word that Ramar died before you arrived to the village. If only time had been longer, or one’s journey quicker, perhaps he would not have died. Alas, he made a foolish mistake, and paid for it with his life. But I am sure Gramal will take care of him, and if he doesn’t. I will.” The End Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter Four Defeat the mean green thing. APL2 120xp; APL4 180xp; APL6 240xp; APL8 300xp; APL10 360xp; APL12 420xp; Encounter Five (a or b) Defeat what lurks in the cave. APL2 120xp; APL4 180xp; APL6 240xp; APL8 300xp; APL10 360xp; APL12 420xp; Encounter Seven Defeat the demon. APL2 60xp; APL4 120xp; APL6 180xp; APL8 240xp; APL10 300xp; APL12 360xp; Story Award Fought Rimar without causing an incident APL2 45xp; APL4 67xp; APL6 90xp; APL8 112xp; APL10 135xp; APL12 157xp Discretionary roleplaying award APL2 45xp; APL4 68xp; APL6 90xp; APL8 113xp; APL10 135xp; APL12 158 Total possible experience: APL2 450xp; APL4 675xp; APL6 900xp; APL8 1,125xp; APL10 1,350xp; APL12 1,575xp Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 16 Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. Adventure Maximums APL2 450gp; APL4 650gp; APL6 900gp; APL8 1,300gp; APL10 2,300gp; APL12 3,300gp Special Honorary member of the Split Axe tribe: The PC has enguaged in ritual combat with Ramar and has earned the respect of the entire tribe. This honor lasts for one calendar year from the date on this AR. Thanks of the DHOTC: As thanks for your help and to repay you for your lost weapon, Trenton of the DHOTC has offered to replace it with a weapon of equal or lesser value. The abilities must be the same as the original weapon. In return he ask that while you are waiting you help the order. Mark off a number of TU as described below. 1 TU for a +1 Weapon 2 TU for a +2 Weapon 4 TU for a +3 Weapon 6 TU for a +4 Weapon 8 TU for a +5 Weapon The weapon HAS TO HAVE the same abilities as the weapon that was destroyed. If the PCs would like to get a weaker weapon (if they had a +1 holy, flame burst long sword and would like to get a +1 holy or a +1 flame burst they can make that choice), Trenton will allow it. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 17 Appendix One: Stat Blocks Tactics: Ramar will not grapple the PC, he will stand toe to toe and use his power attack feat for 3. As soon as the PC reaches ¼ HP he will stop throwing punches even if during a full attack action. Have Gramal step into the ring immediately following this, not allowing the PC to have his next action. If Ramar reaches ¼ or falls (he will NOT die during this encounter) have Gramal step in and give him a cure spell then proceeds as depicted in the text. Ramar, Tribal Leader: Monk 11, Aristocrat 2, CR 13, medium humanoid (Half-orc) HD 13D8 hp 68, Init + 5 spd 60 ft AC 23 touch 21 Flat Footed 23 Base atk +9 Grp + 18, Atk Melee + 13 or +11 ranged, Full attack +13/+13/+13/+8 (Unarmed Strike, flurry of blows 1d10+4) or +10 ranged ( 1d8 19-20) AL LN; SV Fort +11 Ref + 12 Will +18; Str 18 Dex 12 Int 12 Wis 19 Con 12 Cha 14 Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +22, Sense Motive +22, Tumble +15, Move Silent +15, Bluff +9, , Knowledge religion +5; Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike, Improved Evasion, Ki Strike (Lawful, Magic), Purity of Body, Wholeness of body, Diamond body, Greater Flurry, Improved Grapple, Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Improved Init, Leadership, Dodge, Negotiator Equipment: + 4 vest of resistance, + 4 Belt of Giant Strength, , Periapt of Wisdom +4, +1 Large steel shield- Animated Unequipped stats: Monk 11, Aristocrat 2, CR 13, medium humanoid (Half-orc) HD 13D8 hp 68, Init + 5, spd 60 ft AC 18 touch 18 Flat Footed 16 Base atk +9 Grp + 15, Atk Melee + 11 or +10 ranged, Full attack +11/+11/+11/+6 (Unarmed Strike, flurry of blows) 1d10+3 AL LN SV Fort +8 Ref + 9 Will +12; Str 14 Dex 12 Int 12 Wis 15 Con 10 Cha 14 Encounter 4 APL 2 ½ Green Dragon Ape: CR 4: Large Dragon HD: 4d10+11; hp 37; Init: +2 Spd 30 ft, Fly 60ft (average); AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 16 [-1 size, +2 Dex, +7 Natural], BAB/Grapple +3/+16, Atk +11 melee (1d6+9, claw); Full Atk: +11 melee (1d6+9, 2 claws) and +6 melee (1d8+2, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/10ft; SA Breath Weapon; SQ Immunity Acid, low-light vision, scent AL: LE; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 29, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 9 Skills and Feats: Climb +14, Listen +6, Spot +6, Hide +6, Move Silent +6. +8 racial bonus to on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 even if hurried or threatened. Language: Draconic and Common Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 13) for half. APL4 ½ Green Dragon Bear, Brown: CR 6: Large Dragon HD: 6d10+30; hp 63; Init: +1 Spd 40 ft., Fly 80ft. (average); AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 18 [-1 size, +1 Dex, +9 Natural], BAB/Grapple +4/+20, Atk +15 melee (1d8+12, claw); Full Atk: +15 melee (1d8+12, 2 claws) and +11 melee (2d4+4, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/5ft; SA Breath Weapon, Improved Grab; SQ Immunity Acid, low-light vision, scent; AL: LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 35, Dex 13, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +7, Hide +9, Move Silent +9, Bluff +7; Endurance, Run, Track Language: Draconic and Common Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 18) for half. APL6 ½ Green Dragon Rhinoceros, Advanced: CR 8: Large Dragon; HD: 10d10+60; hp 110; Init: +0; Spd 30 ft., Fly 60ft. (average); AC 20, touch 9, flat-footed 20 [-1 size, +11 Natural], BAB/Grapple +8/+22, Atk +19 melee (2d6+16, gore); Full attack: +19 melee (2d6+16, gore) and +14 melee (1d8+4, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/5ft; SA Breath Weapon, Powerful Charge; SQ Immunity Acid, low-light vision; AL: LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 34, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 4 Skills and Feats: Listen +14, Spot +3, Hide +13, Move Silent +13, Bluff +13, Jump 10, Alertness, Endurance, Improved Natural Attack (gore) Language: Draconic and Common The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 18 Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 21) for half. Powerful Charge (Ex): A rhinoceros deals 4d6+24 points of damage when it makes a charge. APL8 Legendary ½ Green Dragon Ape, Advanced: CR 10: Large Dragon; HD: 13d10+42; hp 132; Init: +0; Spd 40 ft, Fly 80ft (average); AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 [-1 size, +11 Natural], BAB/Grapple +9/+27, Atk: +23 Melee (1d8+14, claw); Full Atk: +23 melee (1d8+14, 2 claws) and +18 melee (2d6+7, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/5ft; SA Breath Weapon, Rend 2d8+15; SQ Immunity Acid, low-light vision; AL: LE; SV Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +7; Str 38, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 16 Cha 12 Skills and Feats: Listen +14, Spot +3, Hide +16, Move Silent +16, Bluff +16, Jump 13; Alertness, Endurance, Language: Draconic and Common Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 19) for half. Rend (Ex): When the Advanced Legendary ½ Green Dragon Ape successfully hits a PC with both claws in one round it automatically rends deal 2d8+15 APL10 Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger: CR 12: Large Dragon; HD: 26d10+202; hp 345; Init: +4; Spd 50 ft, Fly 100ft (average); AC 27, touch 13, flat-footed 23 [-1 size,+4 Dex, +14 Natural], BAB/Grapple +18/+33, Atk +33 melee (2d6+15, claw); Full Atk: +33 melee (2d6+15, 2 claws) and +28 melee (2d8+ 7, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/5ft; SA Breath Weapon, Improved Grab, pounce, rake 2d6+7; SQ Immunity Acid, scent, low-light vision; AL: LE; SV Fort +23, Ref +19, Will +10; Str 40, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 12 Skills: Listen +5, Spot +25, Hide +25, Move Silent +25, Bluff +8, Jump +15; Alertness, Endurance Language: Draconic and Common Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 31) for half. Pounce (Ex): If the tiger leaps on a foe during the first round of Combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the tiger must have first hit with the bite attack. If it succeeds, it has grabbed its prey and can rake. Rake (Ex): A tiger can make 2 attacks (+33 Melee) against a held creature with its hind legs for 2d6+7 point of damage each. If the tiger pounces, it can also rake Skills: A legendary tiger receives +8 on both hide and move silent checks. In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the hide bonus improves to +16 APL12 Legendary ½ Green Dragon Tiger, Advanced: CR 12: Large Dragon; HD: 30d10+202; hp 369; Init: +4; Spd 50 ft, Fly 100ft (average); AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 23 [- 1 size, +4 Dex, +15 Natural], BAB/Grapple +18/+33, Atk +33 melee (2d6+15, claw); Full Atk: +33 Melee (2d6+15, 2 claws) and +28 (2d8+ 7, bite); Space/Reach 10ft/5ft; SA Breath Weapon, Improved Grab, pounce, rake 2d6+7; SQ Immunity Acid, scent, low-light vision; AL: LE; SV Fort +23, Ref +19, Will +10; Str 40, Dex 18, Con 26, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 12 Skills and Feats: Listen +5, Spot +25, Hide +25, Move Silent +25, Bluff +8, Jump +15; Improved Natural Armor, Alertness, Endurance Language: Draconic and Common Breath Weapon (Ex): 30 ft cone of corrosive (acid) gas which is useable every 1d4 rounds. It deals 6d8 points of damage, reflex save (DC 31) for half. Pounce (Ex): If the tiger leaps on a foe during the first round of Combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the tiger must have first hit with the bite attack. If it succeeds, it has grabbed it’s prey and can rake. Rake (Ex): A tiger can make 2 attacks (+33 Melee) against a held creature with it’s hind legs for 2d6+7 point of damage each. If the tiger pounces, it can also rake Skills: A legendary tiger receives +8 on both hide and move silent checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the hide bonus improves to +16 The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 19 Encounter 5a APL 2 Fallen Paladin: M Hum PAL 2 ; CR 2; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d10+4,hp 20; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18; BAB/Grp: +2/+4; Atk: +5 melee (2d6+2/19-20, greatsword) or +4 melee (1d4+2/19-20, dagger); AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Knowledge Religion +4, Sense Motive +6; Power Attack, Improved Sunder Equipment: Full Plate, Masterwork Great Sword, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) APL 4 Fallen Paladin: M Human PAL2 ; CR 2; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d10+4,hp 20; Init +1; Spd 20 ft., AC 19 (touch 11, flat-footed 18); BAB/Grp: +2/+4; Atk: +5 melee (2d6+2/19-20, greatsword) or +4 melee (1d4+2, dagger); AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Knowledge Religion +4, Sense Motive +6; Power Attack, Improved Sunder Equipment: Full Plate, Masterwork Great Sword, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) Barbarian: M Human Bbn2; CR 2; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d12+4, hp 23; init +3; Spd 40 ft., AC 17 (touch 13, flat-footed 14); BAB/Grp: +2/+5; Atk: +7 melee (1d12+3/x3, Greataxe) or +3 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty (+3) Composite Longbow); AL NE; SV Fort +6 Ref +3 Will -1; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Jump +7, Listen +4, Survival +0, Tumble +6; Power Attack; Weapon Focus (Great Axe) Equipment: MW Chain shirt; MW Great Axe; Mighty Composite Longbow +3 Sorcerer: M Human Sor2; CR 2; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d4 +2 hp 12; Init + 2; Spd 30; AC 12, touch 12, flat- footed 10; BAB/Grp: +1/+1; Atk: +0 melee (1d4-1/19- 20, dagger) or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, Light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +3; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 18 Skills and Feats: Concentration 6, Spellcraft 4; Combat Casting; Spell Focus (Enchantment) Spells Known (6/5; base DC = 14 + spell level (+1 for enchantment): 0— Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Touch of Fatigue, Mending; 1st— Sleep, Shield; Equipment: Scroll of Mage Armor, Scroll of Alarm (cast at 4th lvl) APL 6 Fallen Paladin: M Human PAL4; CR 4; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d10+8,hp 36; Init +1; Spd 20 ft., AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18; BAB/Grp: +4/+7; Atk: +8 melee (2d6+4/19-20, greatsword) or +7 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Knowledge Religion +6, Sense Motive +8; Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Cleave Equipment: Full Plate, +1 Great Sword, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) Barbarian: M Human Bbn4; CR 4; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+12, hp 45; init +3; Spd 40 ft., AC 17 (touch 13, flat-footed 14); BAB/Grp: +4/+7; Atk: +9 melee (1d12+4/x3, Greataxe) or +7 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +7 Ref +4 Will 0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Climb +9, Jump +10, Listen +6, Survival +0, Tumble +8; Cleave, Power Attack; Weapon Focus (Great Axe) Equipment: Chain shirt; +1 Great Axe; Mighty Composite Longbow +3 Sorcerer: M Human Sor4; CR 4; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d4 +7 hp 20; Init + 2; Spd 30; AC 12, touch 12, flat- footed 10; BAB/Grp: +2/+2; Atk: +1 melee (1d4-1/19- 20, dagger) or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, Light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +2 Ref +3 Will +4; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 21 The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 20 Skills and Feats: Concentration 8(+4 when casting defensively), Spellcraft 6; Combat Casting; Spell Focus (Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment) Spells Known (7/7/4; base DC = 14 + spell level (+2 for enchantment): 0— Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Touch of Fatigue, Mending, Message; 1st— Sleep, Shield, Magic Missile; 2nd-- Tasha’s Hideous Laughter Equipment: Cloak of Charisma +2, Familiar Toad APL 8 Fallen Paladin: M Human Pal5/Rgr1; CR 6; Medium Humanoid; HD 5d10-1d8+12 1; hp 51; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 20; BAB/Grp: +6/+9; Atk: +11 melee (2d6+4/19-20, Greatsword) or +9 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); Full Atk: +11/+6 melee (2d6+4/19-20, Greatsword) or +9/+4 melee (1d4+3/19- 20, dagger); AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Knowledge Religion +7, Sense Motive +9. Hide +1, Spot +2; Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greatsword) Equipment: +1 Full Plate, +1 Great Sword, +1 Amulet of Natural Armor, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) Barbarian: M Human Bbn6; CR 6; Medium Humanoid; HD 6d12+18, hp 65; init +3; Spd 40 ft., AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grp: +6/+9; Atk: +11 melee (1d12+4/x3; Greataxe) or +9 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +11/+6 melee (1d12+6/x3; Greataxe) or +9/+4 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +8 Ref +5 Will +3; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Climb +11, Jump +12, Listen +8, Survival +0, Tumble +9; Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack; Weapon Focus (Great Axe) Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Great Axe; Mighty Composite Longbow +3, Amulet of Natural Armor +1 Sorcerer: M Human Sor6; CR 6; Medium Humanoid; HD 6d4 +9 hp 28; Init + 6; Spd 30; AC 14, touch 12, flat- footed 10; BAB/Grp: +3/+2; Atk +2 melee (1d4-1/19- 20,* dagger) or +5 ranged (1d8/19-20, Light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +5; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 23 Skills and Feats: Concentration 10(+4 when casting defensively), Spellcraft 8; Combat Casting; Spell Focus (Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Improved Initiative Spells Known (7/7/6/4; base DC = 16 + spell level (+2 for enchantment): 0— Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Touch of Fatigue, Mending, Message, Flare; 1st— Sleep, Shield, Magic Missile, Alarm; 2nd— Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Blindness/ Deafness; 3rd— Deep Slumber Equipment: Cloak of Charisma +4, Toad familiar APL 10 BlackGuard: M Human Pal5/Rog1/Dark Guard2; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 7d10+1d8+24; hp 75; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 20; BAB/Grp: +8/+11; Atk: +14 melee (2d6+5/19-20, greatsword) or +11 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); Full Atk: +14/+9 melee (2d6+5/19-20, greatsword) or +11/+6 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); SA Sneak Attack(+1d6); SQ: Smite Good 2/day, poison use, detect good, Aura of Evil, Cause Fear; AL LE; SV Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Knowledge Religion +9, Sense Motive +9. Hide +1, Spot +2; Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greatsword) Equipment: +2 Full Plate, +2 Adamantine Great Sword, +1 Amulet of Natural Armor, +1 Ring of Protection, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) Barbarian: M Human Bbn8; CR 6; Medium Humanoid; HD 6d12+18, hp 85; init +3; Spd 40 ft., AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 18; BAB/Grp: +8/+11; Atk: +13 melee (1d12+6/x3; greataxe) or +11 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +13/+8 melee (1d12+6/x3; greataxe) or +11/+6 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); SQ: Can’t be flanked, Rage, DR 1/-; AL NE; SV Fort +9 Ref +5 Will +3; Str 17, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Climb +13, Jump +16, Listen +10, Survival +0, Tumble +10; Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack; Weapon Focus (Great Axe) Equipment: +2 Chain shirt; +1 Great Axe; Mighty Composite Longbow +3, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, +1 Ring of Protection The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 21 Sorcerer: M Human Sor8; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 8d4 +11 hp 36; Init + 6; Spd 30; AC 14 (Touch 12, flat-footed 10); BAB/Grp: +4/+3; Atk +3 melee (1d4- 1/19-20, dagger) or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, Light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +5; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 24 Skills and Feats: Concentration 12(+4 when casting defensively), Spellcraft 10; Combat Casting; Spell Focus (Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Improved Initiative Spells Known (7/7/7/6/4; base DC = 17 + spell level (+2 for enchantment): 0— Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Touch of Fatigue, Mending, Message, Flare, Light, Mage Hand; 1st— Sleep, Shield, Magic Missile, Alarm, Burning Hands; 2nd— Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Blindness/ Deafness, Glitterdust; 3rd— Deep Slumber, Suggestion; 4th—Confusion Equipment: Cloak of Charisma +4 APL 12 BlackGuard: M Human Pal5/Rog1/Dark Guard4; CR 10; Medium Humanoid; HD 9d10-1d8+24 1,hp 93; Init +1; Spd 20 ft., AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 20; BAB/Grp: +10/+13; Atk +17 melee (2d6+6/19-20, greatsword) or +13 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); Full Atk: +17/+12 melee (2d6+6/19-20, greatsword) or +13/+8 melee (1d4+3/19-20, dagger); SA: Sneak Attack (+2d6); SQ: Aura of Evil, Bull’s Strength, Cause Fear, detect good, Smite Good 2/day, poison use; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Knowledge Religion +11, Sense Motive +9. Hide +1, Spot +2; Cleave, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Greatsword) Equipment: +2 Full Plate, +3 Adamantine Great Sword, +1 Amulet of Natural Armor, +1 Ring of Protection, Dagger Tactics: NPC will ALWAYS attempt to sunder the fighter weapons in combat. Remember that Improved Sunder gives the NPCs +4 on their opposed rolls and +4 due to a 2-handed weapon. Weapon enhancements DO NOT add to a weapon’s hp. (Reference PHB pg. 158, 96 & DMG pg. 222) Barbarian: M Human Bbn8; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 10d12+18, hp 105; init +3; Spd 40 ft., AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 18; BAB/Grp: +8/+11; Atk: +13 melee (1d12+4+2d6 against good aligned beings/x3, +1 Unholy Greataxe) or +11 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +13/+8 melee (1d12+6+2d6 against good aligned beings/x3, +1 Unholy Greataxe) or +11/+6 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); SQ: Can’t be flanked, Rage, DR 2/-; AL NE; SV Fort +10 Ref +6 Will +4; Str 17, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills and Feats: Climb +15, Jump +18, Listen +12, Survival +0, Tumble +11; Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack; Weapon Focus (Great Axe), Great Cleave Equipment: +2 Chain shirt; +1 Unholy Great Axe; Mighty Composite Longbow +3, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, +1 Ring of Protection Sorcerer: M Human Sor10; CR 10; Medium Humanoid; HD 10d4 +16 hp 47; Init + 6; Spd 30; AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grp: +5/+4; Atk: +4 melee (1d4-1/19-20, dagger) or +7 ranged (1d8/19-20, Light crossbow); AL LE; SV Fort +4 Ref +5 Will +7; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 26 Skills and Feats: Concentration 14(+4 when casting defensively), Spellcraft 12; Combat Casting; Spell Focus (Enchantment), Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Improved Initiative, Toughness Spells Known (7/7/7/7/6/4; base DC = 18 + spell level (+2 for enchantment): 0— Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Touch of Fatigue, Mending, Message, Flare, Light, Mage Hand; 1st— Sleep, Shield, Magic Missile, Alarm, Burning Hands; 2nd— Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Blindness/ Deafness, Glitterdust, Touch of Idiocy; 3rd— Deep Slumber, Suggestion, Fireball; 4th—Confusion, Wall of Fire; 5th— Dominate Person Equipment: Cloak of Charisma +6, Toad familiar The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 22 Encounter 5b APL2 Barbarians: M Half-orc Bbn2; CR 2; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d12+2, hp 22; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 15; BAB/Grp: +2/+6; Atk: +7 melee (2d6+4/19-20, greatsword) or +3 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +5 Ref +1 Will +2; Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Listen +7, Survival +7; Intimidating Rage Equipment: MW Chain shirt; MW Greatsword; Mighty Composite Longbow +3 Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. APL4 Barbarians: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr2; CR 4; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d12+2d10+8, hp 39; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 15; BAB/Grp: +4/+8; Atk: +9 melee (2d6+5/19-20, Greatsword) or +5 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +7 Ref +1 Will +2; Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +5, Listen +7, Survival +7; Intimidating Rage, Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Cleave Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Greatsword; Mighty Composite Longbow +3 Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. Destructive Rage: While Raging NPC gains +8 on any Strength check checks he makes to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects APL6 2 Barbarian/Fighter: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4; CR 4; Medium Humanoid; HD 2d12+4d10+12, hp 57; init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grp: +6/+10; Atk: +12 melee (2d6+5/19-20, Greatsword) or +7 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +12/+7 melee (2d6+5/19-20, Greatsword) or +7/+2 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +9 Ref +2 Will +3; Str 19, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +7, Listen +7, Survival +7; Intimidating Rage, Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Cleave, (Weapon Focus Greatsword), Close Quarters Fighting Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Greatsword, +1 Ring of Protection, Mighty Composite Longbow +3 Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. Destructive Rage: While Raging NPC gains +8 on any Strength check checks he makes to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects Close Quarters Fighting: NPC is entitled to an AOO even if the attacking creature has improved grab/grapple ability. When the enemy attempts to grapple you, any damage inflicted on a successful attack is added to the ensuing grapple check to avoid being grappled. In addition, if the enemy does not have improved grab/grapple, and a successful hit is made, the grapple is automatically broken. This feat does not offer any additional Attacks of opportunity, so if the attack of opportunity the NPC has already been used when the enemy attempts a grapple, no benefit is gained from Close Quarters Fighting APL8 Frenzied Berserkers: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/ FBk2; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+ 4d10+16, hp 73; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grp: +8/+13; Atk: +15 melee (2d6+8/19-20, Greatsword) or +9 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +15/+10 melee (2d6+8/19-20, Greatsword) or +9/+4 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +13 Ref +3 Will +6; Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 6 Stats while raging/Frenzying: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/FBk2; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+4d10+16, hp 89; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 10, touch 6, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grp: +8/+18; Atk: +20 melee (2d6+16/19-20, Greatsword); Full Atk +20/+20/+15 melee (2d6+16/19-20, Greatsword) ;AL NE; SV Fort The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 23 +15 Ref +3 Will +8; Str 30, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +9, Listen +7, Survival +7, Intimidating Rage, Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greatsword), Close Quarters Fighting, Diehard, Supreme Cleave, Rage, Uncanny Dodge, Frenzy Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Greatsword, +1 Ring of Protection Mighty Composite Longbow +3, +2 Periapt of Wisdom, +2 Vest of Resistance Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. Destructive Rage: While Raging NPC gains +8 on any Strength check checks he makes to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects Close Quarters Fighting: NPC is entitled to an attack of opportunity even if the attacking creature has improved grab/grapple ability. When the enemy attempts to grapple you, any damage inflicted on a successful attack is added to the ensuing grapple check to avoid being grappled. In addition, if the enemy does not have improved grab/grapple, and a successful hit is made, the grapple is automatically broken. This feat does not offer any additional attacks of opportunity, so if the attack of opportunity the NPC has already been used when the enemy attempts a grapple, no benefit is gained from Close Quarters Fighting Frenzy: A frenzied Berserker can enter a frenzy as a free action. While Frenzied she gains a +6 bonus to Strength and each round at her highest bonus. (This effect is not cumulative with haste or other effects that grants extra attacks) However, she also takes a -4 to AC and takes 2 points of subdual damage per round. A frenzy lasts for a number of round equal to 3+ her Constitution modifier. To end the Frenzy before its duration expires, the character may attempt a DC 20 will save once per round as a free action. Success ends the frenzy immediately, failure means it continues. The effects of frenzy stack with those from any rage ability the character may have. At 1st level, the character can enter a frenzy once per day. Thereafter she gains one additional use per day of this ability for every 2 levels of frenzied berserker (but she can’t use this ability more than once per encounter). The character can enter a frenzy as a free action. Even though this takes no time, she can do it only during her turn, not in response to another’s action. In addition if she takes damage form an attack, spell, trap, or any other source she automatically enters a frenzy on her next action as long as she has at least one daily usage of the ability left. To avoid entering a frenzy in response to provoking effect, the character must make a successful Will save (DC 10+points of damage taken since her last action) at the start of her next turn. While frenzied, the character cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence- based skills (Except for intimidate), the Concentration skill or an abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells, drink potions, activate magic items, or read scrolls. She can use any feat except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, or meta-magic feats. She can use her special ability to inspire frenzy normally. During the frenzy, the frenzied berserker must attack those she perceives as foes to the best of her ability. Should she run out of enemies before her frenzy expires, her rampage continues. She must then attack the nearest creature (determine randomly if several potential foes are equidistant) and fight that opponent without regard to friendship, innocence or health (the targets or her own). When frenzy ends, the frenzied berserker is fatigued (-2 to Strength and Dexterity, unable to charge or run) for the duration of the encounter. If the character is still under the effect of a rage ability, the fatigues condition does not apply until the rage ends-at which point the character is exhausted, not merely fatigued. Supreme Cleave: At 2nd level and higher, a frenzied berserker can take a 5-foot step between attacks when using Cleave or Great Cleave feat. She is still limited to one such adjustment per round, so she cannot use this ability during a round in which she has already taken a 5-foot step. APL10 Frenzied Berserkers: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/ FBk4; CR 10; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+ 4d10+16; hp 91; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grp: +10/+17; Atk: +19 melee (2d6+10/19-20, Greatsword) or +11 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +19/+14 melee (2d6+10/19-20, Greatsword) or +11/+6 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3);AL NE; SV Fort +14 Ref +4 Will +9; Str 24, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 6 Stats while raging/Frenzying: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/FBk4; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+4d10+16; hp 111; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 10,touch 6, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grp: +10/+22; Atk: +24 melee (2d6+19/19-20, Greatsword); Full Atk: +24/+24/+19 melee (2d6+19/19-20, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +16 Ref +2 Will +11; Str 34, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 24 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +11, Listen +7, Survival +7; Intimidating Rage, Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greatsword), Close Quarters Fighting, Diehard, Supreme Cleave, Iron Will, Rage, Uncanny Dodge, Frenzy 2/day, Deathless Frenzy Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Greatsword, +1 Ring of Protection Mighty Composite Longbow +3, +2 Periapt of Wisdom, +2 Vest of Resistance, +4 Belt of Giant Strength Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. Destructive Rage: While Raging NPC gains +8 on any Strength check checks he makes to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects Close Quarters Fighting: NPC is entitled to an AOO even if the attacking creature has improved grab/grapple ability. When the enemy attempts to grapple you, any damage inflicted on a successful attack is added to the ensuing grapple check to avoid being grappled. In addition, if the enemy does not have improved grab/grapple, and a successful hit is made, the grapple is automatically broken. This feat does not offer any additional Attacks of opportunity, so if the attack of opportunity the NPC has already been used when the enemy attempts a grapple, no benefit is gained from Close Quarters Fighting Frenzy: A frenzied Berserker can enter a frenzy as a free action. While Frenzied she gains a +6 bonus to Strength and each round at her highest bonus. (This effect is not cumulative with haste or other effects that grants extra attacks) However, she also takes a -4 to AC and takes 2 points of subdual damage per round. Frenzy lasts for a number of round equal to 3+ her Constitution modifier. To end the Frenzy before its duration expires, the character may attempt a DC 20 will save once per round as a free action. Success ends the frenzy immediately, failure means it continues. The effects of frenzy stack with those from any rage ability the character may have. At 1st level, the character can enter a frenzy once per day. Thereafter she gains one additional use per day of this ability for every 2 levels of frenzied berserker (but she can’t use this ability more than once per encounter). The character can enter a frenzy as a free action. Even though this takes no time, she can do it only during her turn, not in response to another’s action. In addition if she takes damage form an attack, spell, trap, or any other source she automatically enters a frenzy on her next action as long as she has at least one daily usage of the ability left. To avoid entering a frenzy in response to provoking effect, the character must make a successful Will save (DC 10+points of damage taken since her last action) at the start of her next turn. While frenzied, the character cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence- based skills (Except for intimidate), the Concentration skill or an abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells, drink potions, activate magic items, or read scrolls. She can use any feat except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, or meta-magic feats. She can use her special ability to inspire frenzy normally. During the frenzy, the frenzied berserker must attack those she perceives as foes to the best of her ability. Should she run out of enemies before her frenzy expires, her rampage continues. She must then attack the nearest creature (determine randomly if several potential foes are equidistant) and fight that opponent without regard to friendship, innocence or health (the targets or her own). When frenzy ends, the frenzied berserker is fatigued (-2 to Strength and Dexterity, unable to charge or run) for the duration of the encounter. If the character is still under the effect of a rage ability, the fatigues condition does not apply until the rage ends-at which point the character is exhausted, not merely fatigued. Supreme Cleave: At 2nd level and higher, a frenzied berserker can take a 5-foot step between attacks when using Cleave or Great Cleave feat. She is still limited to one such adjustment per round, so she cannot use this ability during a round in which she has already taken a 5-foot step. Deathless Frenzy: At 4th level and higher, a frenzied berserker can scorn death and unconsciousness while in a frenzy. As long as her frenzy continues, she is not treated as disabled at 0 hit points, nor is she treated as dying at -1 or -9 hit points. Even If reduced to -10 hit points or less, she continues fighting normally until her frenzy ends. At that point the effects of her wounds apply normally if they have not been healed. This ability does not prevent death from massive damage or from spell effects such as slay living or disintegrate. APL12 Frenzied Berserkers: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/ FBk6; CR 12; Medium Humanoid; HD 8d12+ 4d10+16, hp 108; Init +1; Spd 40 ft., AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16; BAB/Grp: +12/+19; Atk: +21 melee (2d6+8/19-20, +1 Wounding Greatsword, -1 Constitution per hit on foe) or +13 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); Full Atk: +21/+16/+11 melee (2d6+10/19-20, +1 The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 25 Wounding Greatsword, -1 Constitution per hit on foe) or +13/+8/+3 ranged (1d8+3, Mighty Composite Longbow +3); AL NE; SV Fort +15 Ref +5 Will +13; Str 25, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 6 Stats while raging/Frenzying: M Half-orc Bbn2/Ftr4/FBk4; CR 8; Medium Humanoid; HD 4d12+4d10+16, hp 135; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 10, touch 6, flat-footed 10; BAB/Grp: +10/+22; Atk: +26 melee (2d6+19/19-20, +1 Wounding Greatsword, -1 Constitution per hit on foe); Full Atk +26/+26/+21/+16 melee (2d6+19/19-20, +1 Wounding Greatsword, -1 Constitution per hit on foe); AL NE; SV Fort +17 Ref +5 Will +15; Str 34, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +13, Listen +7, Survival +7; Intimidating Rage, Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Greatsword), Close Quarters Fighting, Diehard, Supreme Cleave, Iron Will, Combat Reflexes, Deathless Frenzy, Improved Power Attack, Inspire Frenzy Rage, Uncanny Dodge, Frenzy 3/day, Equipment: +1 Chain shirt; +1 Wounding Greatsword, +1 Ring of Protection, Mighty Composite Longbow +3, +4 Periapt of Wisdom, +4 Vest of Resistance, +4 Belt of Giant Strength Intimidating rage: While you are raging, you designate a single foe within 30 ft of you that you attempt to demoralize as a free action (See the Intimidate skill, page 76 of the Player’s Handbook). A foe that you successfully demoralize remains shaken for as long as you continue to rage. You may only use this feat against a single foe in any particular encounter. Destructive Rage: While Raging NPC gains +8 on any Strength check checks he makes to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects Close Quarters Fighting: NPC is entitled to an AOO even if the attacking creature has improved grab/grapple ability. When the enemy attempts to grapple you, any damage inflicted on a successful attack is added to the ensuing grapple check to avoid being grappled. In addition, if the enemy does not have improved grab/grapple, and a successful hit is made, the grapple is automatically broken. This feat does not offer any additional Attacks of opportunity, so if the attack of opportunity for the NPC has already been used when the enemy attempts a grapple, no benefit is gained from Close Quarters Fighting Frenzy: A frenzied Berserker can enter a frenzy as a free action. While Frenzied she gains a +6 bonus to Strength and each round at her highest bonus. (This effect is not cumulative with haste or other effects that grants extra attacks) However, she also takes a -4 to AC and takes 2 points of subdual damage per round. A frenzy lasts for a number of round equal to 3+ her Constitution modifier. To end the Frenzy before its duration expires, the character may attempt a DC 20 will save once per round as a free action. Success ends the frenzy immediately, failure means it continues. The effects of frenzy stack with those from any rage ability the character may have. At 1st level, the character can enter a frenzy once per day. Thereafter she gains one additional use per day of this ability for every 2 levels of frenzied berserker (but she can’t use this ability more than once per encounter). The character can enter a frenzy as a free action. Even though this takes no time, she can do it only during her turn, not in response to another’s action. In addition if she takes damage form an attack, spell, trap, or any other source she automatically enters a frenzy on her next action as long as she has at least one daily usage of the ability left. To avoid entering a frenzy in response to provoking effect, the character must make a successful Will save (DC 10+points of damage taken since her last action) at the start of her next turn. While frenzied, the character cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence- based skills (Except for intimidate), the Concentration skill or an abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can she cast spells, drink potions, activate magic items, or read scrolls. She can use any feat except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, or meta-magic feats. She can use her special ability to inspire frenzy normally. During the frenzy, the frenzied berserker must attack those she perceives as foes to the best of her ability. Should she run out of enemies before her frenzy expires, her rampage continues. She must then attack the nearest creature (determine randomly if several potential foes are equidistant) and fight that opponent without regard to friendship, innocence or health (the targets or her own). When frenzy ends, the frenzied berserker is fatigued (-2 to Strength and Dexterity, unable to charge or run) for the duration of the encounter. If the character is still under the effect of a rage ability, the fatigues condition does not apply until the rage ends-at which point the character is exhausted, not merely fatigued. Supreme Cleave: At 2nd level and higher, a frenzied berserker can take a 5-foot step between attacks when using Cleave or Great Cleave feat. She is still limited to one such adjustment per round, so she cannot use this ability during a round in which she has already taken a 5-foot step. Deathless Frenzy: At 4th level and higher, a frenzied berserker can scorn death and unconsciousness while in a frenzy. As long as her frenzy continues, she is not treated as disabled at 0 hit points, nor is she treated as dying at -1 or -9 hit points. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 26 Even If reduced to -10 hit points or less, she continues fighting normally until her frenzy ends. At that point the effects of her wounds apply normally if they have not been healed. This ability does not prevent death from massive damage or from spell effects such as slay living or disintegrate. Improved Power Attack: Beginning at 5th level, a frenzied berserker gains a +3 bonus on her melee damage rolls for every -2 penalty she takes on her melee attack rolls when using power attack feat (or +3 for every -1 she takes when using a two-handed weapon). This benefit does not stack with normal effects of Power Attack. Inspire Frenzy: Beginning at 6th level a frenzied berserker can inspire frenzy in her allies while she herself is frenzied. When she uses this ability, all willing allies within 10 ft gain the benefits and the disadvantages of frenzy as if they had that ability themselves. The Frenzy of affected allies last for the number of rounds equal to 3 + the frenzied berserker’s Constitution modifier, regardless of whether they remain within 10 feet of her. A Frenzied berserker gains one additional use of this ability per day for every two additional frenzied berserker level she acquires, though the ability is still usable once per encounter The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 27 Player Handout #1 Your assistance is needed, Please report to Demon Hunters of the Cloth headquarters located across from the Lil Spicey shop. Speed is of the essence. The Past Shall Haunt Us Page 28 Player Handout #2 Heroes of your stature are needed now -- Please report to Demon Hunters of the Cloth headquarter as requested.

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/County of Urnst/594/Normal Scenarios/URC4-07 - The Past Shall Haunt Us (APL 2-12)/URC4-07 - The Past Shall Haunt Us.pdf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK® Yeomanry Regional Adventure Version 1.1 by Christopher M Johnson In the quiet town of Eastcot something strange is happening. A visiting noble has gone missing and the family is up in arms. Can you discover what has happened before the situation becomes a serious international incident? An investigative Yeomanry Regional adventure for APLs 2-12. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 2 Introduction This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario. Preparation First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. Living Greyhawk Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportioned to the average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine the Average Party Level (APL): 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely being war horses, dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum above. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. 3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 3 # of Animals Mundane Animals Effect on APL 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 6 7 8 5 5 7 8 9 6 6 8 9 10 CR of Animal 7 7 9 10 11 By following these four steps, you will have determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL this adventure is being played at, that character will receive only half of the experience points awarded for the adventure. This simulates the face that either your character was not as challenged as normal, or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or sometimes even five 1st-level characters may find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 there are two things that you can do to help even the score. 1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level characters, or try to enlist higher-level characters to play at that table. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. All riding dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack must succeed at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates that the animal will not attack that round. This is a free action (spoken command) that may be attempted each round. If an animal loses half or more hp in a single round it flees, unless another check is successful. Time Units and Upkeep This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, set in the Yeomanry. Characters native to the Yeomanry pay one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100 gp per Time Unit. There is an optional encounter at the end of this adventure that PCs may choose to participate in. If they do so, this optional encounter costs them an additional one Time Unit (or two if their PC is not native to the Yeomanry). YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 4 Adventure Background About the Yeomanry The Yeomanry is situated in a valley between the Jotens and the Tors in the southwest corner of the Sheldomar Valley. The moderately sized realm is nearly surrounded by the Crystalmists and its spurs, though its eastern border with Keoland is generally regarded as the eastern bank of the Javan across from the county of Cryllor. Its border continues south to where the great river enters the Hool marshes and the lands of the Sea Princes. The climate is hot nearly year-round in the central valley, though the temperature moderates as one approaches the foothills, particularly in late fall and winter. The Yeomanry is a land populated primarily by freemen Farmers, who are mostly a Suel-Flan mix. The Yeomanry is one of the few representative democracies in the Flanaess. Any citizen of majority who has carried a spear for the nation, either now or in the past, is eligible to elect spokesmen on his behalf from his community, who, in turn, elect Grosspokesmen that serve in the Council of Common Grosspokesmen in Loftwick. The people of the Yeomanry are rural, cloistered folk with little exposure to either foreigners or magic. They are religious and superstitious, yet reservedly friendly to travelers. Many Yeomen have served in the Militia and are stout defenders of their homes. Life in the Yeomanry is changing. There is a greater influx of magic as trade between the Sheldomar nations grows. And with constant rumors of giants gathering in the mountains, Scarlet Brotherhood agents sneaking into the country, and horrors creeping out of the Passage of Slerotin, the average Yeoman is now both more militant and more vigilant. You can learn more about the Yeomanry at its official website: http://yeomanry.living-greyhawk.com. Is this a ‘Military Module?’ As the defense of the homeland is imperative in this module, members of the Yeoman military may count this adventure towards any annual TU requirement for their branch of the military. Is this a “Dustdigger Module?” As this module does not significantly involve archeological matters, students in the Academy of Lore may not count this adventure towards their Academy TU requirement. Is this “Promotion Worthy?” Heroic deeds in the name of the Yeomanry are possible in this module, and as such, the possibility for promotion exists. In order for a PC to be considered for promotion at the end of this adventure, the PC must do the following: 1. The GM and all Yeomanry militia members present at the table must unanimously agree that the PC has performed an action and behaved in a manner that would make them a good leader of men in their unit. There must be at least two other military PCs playing the scenario besides the PC up for advancement. Only one PC can be nominated for advancement per scenario. 2. The player so nominated must then gather the names and email addresses of all Yeomanry militia players AND THE DM at the table. 3. The player must then submit a small summary of what happened in the adventure and why he or she should be considered for promotion. Emailing this information to yeomanry- triad@yahoogroups.com. 4. The Triad will then discuss your promotion and determine whether promotion is granted. You will be notified via email, and a promotion certificate will be sent to you via snail mail. In order to be considered for promotion, the Yeomanry militia member must have spent a minimum of one year of REAL time as the rank below that being applied for. So in order to be considered for Serjeant, the player must have spent one full year as a Yeoman, and one full year below that as an unranked militiaman. Eastcot (pop 600) Eastcot is a small farming village of approximately 600 people that is well placed for two trades. First it is halfway between Tarris and Newick along the Westburn Road, so it is a popular stopover for travelers and trade caravans along the road. Second, it has become a popular vacation retreat for the well to do and some visiting nobility. Its largest structure is the hunting lodge that is rented out to the visiting nobles. It has The Tors to the south, woodlands to the east and plains to the northwest, giving a wide variety of hunting options. With Fort Omar nearby the land is usually relatively safe from raiders and humanoids. The hunting lodge will be where the PC’s stay if they pay Luxury upkeep otherwise the PC’s will stay at The Traveler’s Roost. Most of the major trading companies maintain small warehouses, not much more than a barn, to store their caravans while stopped in town. Background The Scarlet Brotherhood has had a problem recently with an underground network helping slaves and enemies of the state escape from the Hold of the Sea Princes. They have discovered that the slaves are being moved along YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 5 the Westburn Road to points in the Yeomanry and beyond. With the Yeoman authorities being less than helpful, the Brotherhood has decided to take matters into their own hands. They have set up an operation to help recapture the slaves and to put a stop to this escape route. They have people in high places; they have replaced both Eastcot’s Grosspokesman and the bartender/owner of the Traveler’s Roost. The brotherhood has also employed a band of mercenaries from the Hold of the Sea Princes to help with additional muscle to raid the caravans. The Brotherhood now has a new problem: they have captured Jalab Kreshin who, while hunting, has stumbled into their camp. Enter the PCs to save Jalab and end the plot of the Brotherhood. DM’s Note: It is very possible that this adventure could end with the rescue of Jalab Kreshin. Give the PCs the hints and let them make their own decisions. If they try to discover who is behind the raiders, the adventure could continue to the last two encounters. Also remember that the person who is acting as the Grosspokesman is one of the antagonists so if the PCs try to involve the militia too much the Grosspokesman will hear about it and would act accordingly. This scenario does not need to be linear. Encounter One may proceed to encounter Two or Five. Encounter Five can be gotten to in a number of different ways, though the combats in Encounters Five, Six, and Eight should be done in that order. Adventure Summary The adventure begins with the PCs traveling along the Westburn Road, towards Eastcot, from Tarris. Along the road they will discover the remains of a caravan that was attacked by raiders. Assuming the PCs continue to Eastcot, they are approached by an aid to Captain Jensen, who asks them to look into the attacks on the caravans along the Westburn Road. In Encounter Four they are able to talk to the Baron’s servant to point the PCs in the correct direction. In Encounter Five the PCs have their first encounter with a raiding party trailing the caravan they are protecting. It is also possible for the PCs to catch the raiding party if they leave immediately from the site of the ambush. Encounter Six deals with the raiders’ camp. Here the PCs find Jalab Kreshin and have the possibility of discovering other Brotherhood involvement in the town of Eastcot. The mercenaries working for the Scarlet Brotherhood are part of a force operating in the Hold of the Sea Princes called the Death Falcons. They are no friends of the Scarlet Brotherhood and do not know they are working for the brotherhood. They believe they are here to recapture escaped slaves for the still existing Princes who need the manpower to help defeat the Brotherhood forces. In reality the brotherhood has managed to trick them into leaving the Hold of the Sea Princes and help further their own ends. If it is revealed to them that they are working for the Brotherhood they will leave their charge. The mercenaries are a long way from home. The only thing keeping their morale reasonable is their leader. They are more than willing to defend themselves, but if their leader falls they decide it is time to return home. If the PCs follow the clues they discover the bartender’s involvement in the raiders’ activities. Encounter Eight is where the PCs encounter the bartender in his abode, the Traveler’s Roost. Introduction A strong breeze blows through your hair as you travel down the Westburn Road. The day is warm and the journey has been pleasant so far. The rolling hills of the local grassland have made the journey quite relaxing, once in a while glimpsing a deer or buffalo off in the distance. Your group left early this morning from the town of Tarris with hopes of making Eastcot by nightfall. Traveling with the party are two others, a merchant with a rickety cart loaded down with various goods and an older ranger. This is a good point for PCs to introduce themselves to each other. The merchant is Jeran Havershamp, traveling from Tarris to Newick to sell his goods. He is carrying some simple cloth and a couple of Kegs of Tarris’ finest mead. He has helped the freed slaves from the Sea Princes to escape to up north. Unless the party gives him a reason to trust them now, he mentions none of this. Later on, he can be used to connect the dots for the PCs. The ranger is Old Vernanon. He has been hired by Jalab Kreshin to help him track game. The ranger explains that he is running a couple of days late to meet Jalab at Eastcot for his hunting expedition. After the PCs have introduced themselves and gotten all the information from their companions proceed to Encounter One. Encounter One: Death Along the Roadway Around midday you spy in the distance a wisp of smoke. It looks as if your group will have company for their midday meal. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 6 Allow the PCs to do as they please here to prepare for this encounter. Once they make their preparations continue reading or paraphrasing the following box text. While you are approaching the smoke you notice up in the sky some black birds are circling above head. Old Vernanon starts to become visibly worried. A DC 15 Knowledge (nature) check identifies the birds as crows. If the PCs ask Old Vernanon he suggests that the birds are carrion birds and he is worried what is up ahead. He also suggests that the group hurry along. As your group passes the crest of a small rise you see a disturbing sight. The remains of a merchant cart lay out in front of you. The corpses of what must have been the merchant and defenders lay strewn about the roadway. Looking around you see what must be the contents of the cart laying about in the roadway, some of it currently smoldering from being set on fire. The bandits are long gone but the PCs have many options at this point. This wagon was traveling from Eastcot towards Tarris. The group of bandits attacked the caravan, because it was carrying a small group of escaped slaves. There are five corpses, four guards and one merchant. First a Survival check (DC 8) gives the PCs the direction the caravan was headed. This should not be difficult, because it has not rained since the caravan was attacked earlier in the day and the tracks are still fresh. A successful Heal check (DC 15) gives the approximate time of the attacks, which was four to six hours before the PCs arrive. Failure gives them that the attack happened in the past day or two. Speak with dead on one of the guards reveals that they were ambushed from the grass with bow fire. The guards do not know what the merchant was carrying and had taken the job because the recent bandit attacks have made for a decent demand for their services. Speak with dead on the merchant allows the PCs to discover the contents of the wagon. The caravan was carrying some furs and a couple of bolts of silk. The wagon was also carrying was three escaped slaves from the Hold of the Sea Princes. The slaves were a male and two females in their late teens, which had been servants to a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood. The PCs have two choices at this point they could continue on to Eastcot or they may attempt to track the attackers. If they proceed to Eastcot continue with Encounter Two. If they attempt to track the attackers continue with Encounter Five: Pick Up the Raiders’ Trail Now. Encounter Two: Eastcot As the sun sets in the western sky, you approach the small town of Eastcot. As you enter the town, you pass several warehouses each with the logo of a major trade company. To your left you can see, off some distance on the top of a small hill, a large, well appointed building which must be the famous Eastcot Hunting Lodge. At this point the PCs may decide to report the destroyed caravan. They are directed to the barracks where they meet Yeoman Fanigan. If they decide to proceed to an inn, continue with the boxed text, and Old Vernanon makes the report about the incident on the road. Relatively quickly you arrive at the Traveler’s Roost, a rather large inn for the size of town Eastcot is. Upon entering the inn you find a bustling place with several tables, many of which are filled. There is a minstrel playing a rather refreshing melody on a lute over in the corner of the room. As you enter a rather tall man behind the bar looks your way and calls out, “Hail, and well met travelers. I am Nyrong owner of this establishment. Come over here and have a seat at the bar and tell me of your travels.” DM’s Note: Nyrong is portraying the “cousin” of the original owner of The Traveler’s Roost. He is actually a Scarlet Brotherhood agent who killed the original owner. He is well aware of what is going on and tries to befriend anyone who comes into the bar. He has built a rather good contact network within town and there is very little he is unaware of in town. He is be very interested in the travels of the PCs and what they have done, he is a firm believer in knowledge is power. Nyrong is a tall Suloise human approximately 6’1” tall. He is slightly overweight. His cheeks and nose are always rosy. Nyrong tries to be everyone’s friend and is almost always found talking to someone. More details on him can be found in Encounter Eight and Appendix One. If the PCs choose to talk to Nyrong and tell them of their travels, two events should occur: 1. Nyrong should spill a drink as he serves one of the PCs. He apologizes profusely and gives the PC a couple of drinks to make up for his clumsiness. This is an intentional accident. An opposed Sense Motive check against Nyrong’s Bluff check may be warranted if the PCs are suspicious of him. 2. A young boy comes in and gives Nyrong a note. If asked, Nyrong tells the PCs the boy’s name is Darius. He is one of the local farmers’ children and he does some work for the Grosspokesman. Nyrong says this particular message is a request for him to make a pie for some event the Grosspokesman is holding in a couple of days. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 7 This is a lie and therefore an opposed Sense Motive check against Nyrong’s Bluff check may be warranted. Nyrong does not offer the information unless the PCs ask. At this point let the PCs look around and talk to the people. There are a few locals and many caravan drivers and their guards. Gather Information checks reveal the following, based on the DC made: DC 5 Captain Jensen has had difficulty in capturing the raiders along the road because he is receiving a payoff from him. (False) DC 10 There have been many caravans attacked along the road. There doesn’t seem to be rhyme or reason as to which ones are picked, but there have been a number of refugees from the Hold of the Sea Princes that have given the local authorities trouble. (False) DC 15 Jalab Kreshin is missing from the hunting lodge. The family is up in arms and causing all sorts of trouble for the local militia. (True) DC 20 All the caravan attacks have happened west of town. (True) DC 25 The Grosspokesman has been relatively sick recently, so recently after the death of the original owner of The Traveler’s Roost. Upon further questioning the person running The Traveler’s Roost is revealed to be his cousin. Nobody had met his cousin until after the original owner had died. DC 30 Most of the caravans attacked were carrying escaped slaves from the Hold of the Sea Princes. DM’s Note: The “cousin” is a Scarlet Brotherhood agent who killed the original owner. He is well aware of what is going on. He is also the main information source for the Brotherhoods’ operation in this area, so he keeps an eye on the PCs if they start asking too many questions. After the role-playing has wound down a bit and the PCs are content with their investigations, the PCs are approached by a man wearing a red tabard. A rather short and trim man wearing the red tabard of the Yeomanry Militia approaches you after talking to the caravan driver that you traveled here with. He smiles and begins, “Hello, I am Yeoman Fanigan. The Captain and I saw you enter town tonight and we were wondering if you are interested in some work.” Allow the PCs to decide if they are interested or not. Any questions asked of Yeoman Fanigan yield little information. He provides the PCs with what he’s heard (roll a straight Gather Information for him, no modifiers, and compare to the chart above), states he is unsure of any of it, and tell the party that they need to speak with the captain. Upon expressing interest in his offer Yeoman Fanigan states, “Please follow me to Captain Jensen’s office. We can work out the details there.” Encounter Three: Captain Jensen’s Office You follow Yeoman Fanigan to what looks like a relatively small barracks. In the back portion of the barracks, in what looks to be the officers’ area, you are led to a door. Through the half opened door, you hear a young man yelling quite loudly, “What have you done to find my father?” A man calmly replies, “I have sent a patrol out to look for him. I have not heard back from them yet.” The young man yells angrily back, “A patrol, a single patrol? My father is a very important person! Captain I want this to be your top priority! Muster that entire militia you have and find my father!” With that a dark haired young man storms out of the room and runs into Yeoman Fanigan. He glares at Yeoman Fanigan and says coolly, “Watch yourself; I have many important things to do without being slowed down by incompetent fools like you.” Yeoman Fanigan knocks on the door almost apologetically and you hear a gruff, “Enter,” from the other side. The captain waits for you to enter and then begins, “Thank you for coming. I am Captain Jensen in charge of Militia operations here in the Eastcot area. From what I understand you encountered a destroyed caravan. We have had many such attacks and, quite frankly, I am stumped. Every time we seem to catch up to the raiders they disappear from under our fingertips. We have found their camp a couple times, vacated less than a day before hand. It almost seems as if they know we are coming. This is why I would like outsiders to look into the problem.” Captain Jensen looks at you and almost sarcastically continues, “There is also the matter of the missing Jalab Kreshin. I do not know if it is related, but if you happen across Jalab please let him know to check in with his family. His son is giving me quite a headache.” YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 8 At this point the Captain activates any militia or army members within the PCs ranks. He is more than willing to answer any questions. What do we get paid? “I can pay you the reward being offered for the elimination for the raiders.” This is 25 gp times the APL per PC. Where were the old camps found? “In both cases they were north and west of the town. They were quite a few miles from the road and difficult to track from there. He shows the PCs the approximate location on the map.” Where should we start? “You may want to start with the caravan drivers in town. It is a possibility there will be a caravan leaving town tomorrow. You may also want to talk to Jalab’s son Alik also. If it is related, she may know where her husband went.” Can you lend us a tracker? “All my trackers are out right now trying to hunt down these raiders, and one’s working on the missing Jalab. You may try Old Vernanon the tracker Jalab hired, I have worked with him in the past and he is pretty decent in his trade.” Where can I find the Jalab’s family? “As far as I know they are staying at the hunting lodge.” At this point the PCs have a choice of what to do. They can: 1. Talk to Jalab’s son Alik or Old Vernanon. Proceed to Encounter Four. 2. Go to the Traveler’s Roost and try to find a caravan leaving tomorrow. Proceed to Encounter Five: The Caravan. 3. Go back to the place of attack and try to track from where the caravan was attacked. Proceed to Encounter Five: Pick Up the Raiders’ Trail Later. 4. Attempt to track Jalab on their own. Proceed to Encounter Five: Pick Up Jalab’s Trail. Encounter Four: Alik’s Story As you approach the Hunting Lodge it seems to be at the height of elegance. The Lodge is somewhat out of place in a town as small as Eastcot. As you enter the large entryway the sweet smell of incense enters your nostrils. There are many trophies hung on the wall of different game, each of them have a plaque with a name under them. Just as you start to look around, an older gentleman approaches you and introduces himself as Servant Yen manservant to Jalab Kreshin. Servant Yen says humbly, “What is your business with the Kreshin family?” Assuming the PCs tell their story Servant Yen continues: “Let me see if the young master is available. Please make yourself comfortable,” Servant Yen states showing the PCs a sitting room. About 10 minutes later a young man and a much older man enter the room. You recognize the older man as Old Vernanon. The younger man was the one who ran you over outside the captain’s office. “I am Alik Kreshin,” says the young man, “Yen says you are here to find my father. I suppose you are expecting something from me, what is it? Come on now out with it, or are you just here to waste my time?” If the PCs do not get directly to the point, Alik announces that they are useless and leave. He takes Old Vernanon with him. � Old Vernanon: male human Rgr2; hp 15; see Appendix One. The following are answers to some of the PCs’ most likely questions: When the Jalab left where was he headed? “Since Old Vernanon here was late my father decided to head to the north and west towards the plains. He figured hunting would be easier on the plains without his tracker.” Who is Jalab’s tracker? “Old Vernanon.” Can we use Old Vernanon to help track down Jalab? “Since my father is lost, I am most sure that he would be happy to be found. It would be a good use of my father’s money to help get him found.” Can we use Old Vernanon to help track down the raiders? “What makes you think I care one lick about the raiders? You need to be looking for my father; the raiders are for the incompetent Captain Jensen to deal with.” What do we get paid? “What do you need payment for? All you are doing is sending a message to my father. I am already paying for Old Vernanon here and it seems he is what you need.” If Old Vernanon is asked his sentiment is the same. While he is worried about the plight of the town, but he YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 9 has also entered into an agreement with Jalab and is unwilling to break it. Encounter Five: Mercs on Us No matter how the PCs leave the city they are seen and the bartender of the Traveler’s Roost sends a message to the other camp to have the party attacked by a patrol of mercenaries. If the PCs instead have proceeded here directly from Encounter One, they eventually catch up to the mercenaries who are slowed down by the captured slaves. Pick Up the Raiders’ Trail Now To pick up the trail a PC with the Track feat must make a Survival check (DC 12). If they succeed: You follow the trail the raiders must have traveled in to the plains north of the road. After a few miles the trail enters into the stream. The raiders traveled approximately a half-mile up stream within the water. The tracks have since washed away, but the PCs can pick up the trail where they exit. The trail continues northwest. After a few hours of travel you see a group of people up ahead. Upon further inspection most seem to be wearing some sort of metal armor. Let the PCs take any sort of precautions they wish to. If they are not trying to sneak up on the group read the following. The party in front of you stops and spreads out. As you approach you see at least two of the group ahead of you fire arrows. The mercenaries are not happy being followed and as soon as they discover that they are being followed they stop and start attacking the PCs. They attack at 215 feet away, and continue attacking as the PCs approach. If the PCs do something to get closer without the mercenaries noticing them they attack as soon as they are aware of the PCs. The mercenaries have the slaves found in Tent Three of Encounter Six with them. See DM Aids: Map #1 for terrain but ignore the NPC setup on the map. Proceed to The Mercenaries below. The Caravan There is a caravan that leaves the next day; it is actually Jerram Havershamp’s caravan. He is not prepared to pay for any protection. He is more than happy to have the well-armed PCs accompany him, however. You have hooked up with the caravan of Jerram Havershamp. He is quite happy that you will be joining him on his journey back to Tarris. Accompanying the group are two others, a halfling brother and sister that identify themselves as Othan and Xira. Othan and Xira are rather quiet, being told directly by Jerram not to talk about their current situation. The PCs can make a Spot check (DC 20) to notice scars on their backs. This can be followed up by a Heal check (DC 20) to recognize the scars would be made by whips and these two look malnourished. If the PCs press the matter the pair stays stubbornly quiet, but Jeran jumps in. He informs the PCs that the pair is escaped slaves from the Hold of the Sea Princes. He also explains that he is part of an organization operating here in the Yeomanry to transport these slaves to the northern sections of the country where they can start over. He is worried because the driver of the destroyed caravan was a member of his organization. Othan and Xira confirm this story. A Sense Motive check (DC 15) also confirms he is telling the truth. Let the PCs make a Spot check (DC 8 + APL) to discover the ambush waiting for them off the road. The mercenaries had plenty of time to prepare. If PCs fail, the mercenaries get a surprise round. If the PCs are employing good scouting tactics, reward them for it. A wizard flying would have a much better chance of spotting the impending ambush. You have traveled approximately four hours towards Tarris when suddenly you come under attack. See DM Aids: Map #1 for terrain and NPC setup. Proceed to The Mercenaries below. Pick Up the Raiders’ Trail Later To pick up the trail a PC with the Track feat must make a Survival check (DC 15). If they succeed: You have traveled back to the site of the attack. There is a patrol of troops wearing red tabards. After few pleasantries you easily pick up the trail headed off to the north. After a few miles the trail comes to an end at a stream. The raiders traveled approximately a half-mile up stream within the water. The tracks have since washed away, but the PCs can pick up the trail where they exit. To pick up the trail the PCs must make a second check at the same DC 15: After crossing the stream and picking up the trail again, you continue on for about an hour and a half, when you come upon a grove of trees. The trail continues on into the grove. This is an ideal spot for an ambush. Let the players make any preparations necessary and continue on. The mercenaries have had plenty of time to set up an ambush. The grove is large enough that the party only gets the Spot check (DC 10 + APL) if they are in the grove of trees. If they decide to go around the grove, the mercenaries charge out eliminating any chance of surprise they had. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 10 See DM Aids: Map #2 for terrain and NPC setup. Proceed to The Mercenaries below. Pick Up Jalab’s Trail To pick up the trail a PC with the Track feat must make a Survival check (DC 17). Old Vernanon can pick up the trail automatically (no check needed). If they succeed: You have been following what must have been the route Jalab must have taken. It is a rather easy path to follow since he was not attempting to hide his tracks. After continuing along a few hours, you approach a grove of trees. The trail continues on into the grove. This is an ideal spot for an ambush. Let the players make any preparations necessary and continue on. The mercenaries have had plenty of time to set up an ambush. The grove is large enough that the party only gets the Spot check (DC 10 + APL) if they are in the grove of trees. If they decide to go around the grove, the mercenaries charge out eliminating any chance of surprise they had. See DM Aids: Map #2 for terrain and NPC setup. Proceed to The Mercenaries below. The Mercenaries APL 2 (EL 4) � Archers (3): Male Human Ftr1; hp 9 each; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr1; hp 9; see Appendix One. APL 4 (EL 6) � Archers (3): Male Human Ftr1; hp 9 each; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr5; hp 49; see Appendix One. APL 6 (EL 8) � Archers (3): Male Human Ftr2; hp 18 each; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr7; hp 69; see Appendix One. APL 8 (EL10) � Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr3; hp 30 each; see Appendix One. � Archers (4): Male Human Ftr1; hp 9 each; see Appendix One. � Cleric (1): Male Human Clr3; hp 21; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr9; hp 88; see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL12) � Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr5; hp 49 each; see Appendix One. � Archers (4): Male Human Ftr2; hp 18 each; see Appendix One. � Cleric (1): Male Human Clr5; hp 34; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr11; hp 108; see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL14) � Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr7; hp 69 each; see Appendix One. � Archers (4): Male Human Ftr4; hp 36 each; see Appendix One. � Cleric (1): Male Human Clr7; hp 48; see Appendix One. � Sigil Narsan: Male Human Ftr13; hp 137; see Appendix One. Tactics: At APLs 2, 4 and 6 the leader and all the soldiers will fire their bows (if they get a surprise round) and then attack the PCs in hand-to-hand combat. At the higher APLs, if the cleric has forewarning the PCs are coming, he starts casting spells. Be sure to give the PCs Listen checks (DC 0 +1 per 10 feet) to hear the cleric casting as they get close. Then the leader and the soldiers attack the PCs in hand-to-hand and the archers stay back and shoot at any casters. At all APLs, the mercenaries surrender if their leader falls. Developments: Upon surrender the remaining mercenaries attempt to bargain for their life and their freedom in that order. They use the information they posses to attempt to gain both. Their morale is rather low because of their distance from home, they are also not sure they are doing the right thing. The only thing that was keeping the band together was their leader, Sigil Narsan, without him they are unwilling to continue to fight. They try to use this as leverage and tell the PCs that if they bring the medallion around Sigil’s neck to the rest of the band they will probably surrender too. The following are answers to common questions. Who are you? “We are part of the mercenary company the Death Falcons” Where do you come from? “We mainly operate out of the Hold of the Sea Princes.” YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 11 What are you doing here? “We have been hired to help recapture escaped slaves for one of the princes. To continue our fight against the Scarlet Brotherhood.” Who hired you? “We were hired by Venmore Zolif.” Where can we find Venmore Zolif? “At our camp.” Where is your camp? “Hidden about an hour’s walk northwest of here. There is a lone pine tree sitting in the middle of a field and the camp is about 100 yards to the west on the top of a small rise.” How many people are in the camp? “Four” If the PCs fail to get the information from the mercenaries they are stuck trying to backtrack the path or follow Jalab’s path. To pick up the trail a PC with the Track feat must make a Survival check (DC 17). Again Old Vernanon can make the check automatically. Encounter Six: Camp of the Scarlet Brotherhood See DM Aids: Map #3 for the layout of the raiders’ camp. If the PCs got information about the location of the camp from the mercenaries: You come across a lone pine tree in the middle of the grasslands. This is what the mercenary must have been talking about. About 100 yards to the west of where the tree is you see a small rise. Looking in that direction for a few minutes you see what is possibly some tents hidden in the tall grass. If you hadn’t known where this camp is, you would have stumbled right into the middle of it. At this point let the PCs decide how they are going to approach the camp. If they come up with a reasonable plan to get Sigil’s medallion into one of the mercenary’s hands without getting the entire camp alerted and can convince the mercenary not to sound an alarm (unfriendly to indifferent - Diplomacy check DC 15), the mercenaries leave within an hour, leaving the monk to fend for himself. Otherwise, if the whole camp is alerted, the PCs can only get the mercenaries to disengage if they refrain from attacking them for a round so that they can show them the medallion and explain how they got it (hostile to indifferent - Diplomacy check DC 25). The morale of the mercenaries is low, so, if the PCs can negotiate successfully, the mercenaries will learn their leader has died fighting an obviously stronger party. If allowed to disengage at this point, they head back home to the Hold of the Sea Princes. If the PCs tracked to get here, allow them a Spot check (DC 20 + APL). If they succeed, read the above text and allow them the same opportunities as above. If they fail, continue with the following text instead: Following the trail of the soldiers you stumble into a well-hidden camp. A single person standing outside a tent looks at you and yells, “Intruders!” At this point three other people step out of tents and combat begins. If the PCs give the camp any reason to suspect an impending attack, they have the cleric buff them all. Since the whole camp is alerted, the PCs can only get the mercenaries to disengage if they refrain from attacking them for a round so that they can show them the medallion and explain how they got it (hostile to indifferent - Diplomacy check DC 25). The morale of the mercenaries is low, so, if the PCs can negotiate successfully, the mercenaries will learn their leader has died fighting an obviously stronger party. If allowed to disengage at this point, they head back home to the Hold of the Sea Princes. APL 2 (EL 5) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk3; hp 23; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr1; hp 10 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr1; hp 7; see Appendix One. APL 4 (EL 7) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk5; hp 38; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr2; hp 20 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr3; hp 21; see Appendix One. APL 6 (EL 9) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk7; hp 53; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr4; hp 39 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr5; hp 34; see Appendix One. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 12 APL 8 (EL 11) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk9; hp 68; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr6; hp 59 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr7; hp 48; see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL 13) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk11; hp 83; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr8; hp 84 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr9; hp 61; see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL 15) � Venmore Zolif: Male Human Mnk13; hp 98; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Soldiers (2): Male Human Ftr10; hp 105 each; see Appendix One. � Mercenary Cleric (1): Male Human Clr11; hp 75; see Appendix One. Tactics: If the PCs give the mercenaries or the brotherhood agent any forewarning, the cleric casts his protection and enlargement spells. The Scarlet Brotherhood monk fights to the death to protect their operations here in the Yeomanry. The mercenaries surrender, if the Scarlet Brotherhood monk goes down. Developments: The mercenaries have the same information the ones in Encounter Five had. After completing the combat the PCs find the following when searching the tents: Tent 1 This tent contains all of the mercenaries’ sleeping stuff. Tent 2 The PCs discover a runner from Eastcot, and Player Handouts #1 and #2. The runner is just one of the farmer boys, Darius, who was hired by the bartender (Nyrong Sindan) of the Traveler’s Roost to carry messages to this search party. He is completely unaware that these are the actual raiders. In fact, he thinks the PCs are the raiders. Answers to typical questions asked of Darius: Who are you? “I am Darius, son of one of the farmers near town.” What are you doing here? “Nyrong the bartender of the Traveler’s Roost paid me to deliver some messages to Venmore Zolif.” What do you know of the raids? “Nothing, why? I haven’t done anything.” Tent 3 This tent contains all the prisoners. There are currently four people tied up here (or one if the PCs intercepted the three slaves in Encounter Five: Pick Up the Raiders’ Trail Now). The first is Jalab Kreshin. The other three are the slaves that were captured from the caravan that was attacked in Encounter One. Once Jalab is free, he thanks the PCs profusely (rewarding them in the Conclusion) and requests that the PCs escort him back to Eastcot. Answers to typical questions asked of Jalab: Who are you? “I am Jalab Kreshin.” What are you doing here? “I was out hunting here in the plains when I stumbled across the camp. The men here roughed me up and then brought me here. They tied me up and seemed to have an argument on what to do with me.” Answers to typical questions asked of the slaves: Who are you? “I am Laster; these are my companions Sinwa and Veluth.” What are you doing here? “We were traveling with a caravan westward when it was attacked. They killed everyone but us. We have been transported back here. Why do you think they kept you alive? “If I had to guess we were slaves to a member of the Scarlet Brotherhood. They probably wanted to bring us back to the Hold.” Did anyone help you escape? “Yes we made contact with a group of merchants in Newick that were rumored to help escaped slaves. One of them offered to take us west to Tarris and help us get north after that. The merchant was killed when the bandits attacked.” Encounter Seven: Eastcot Again Upon returning to Eastcot, the PCs have two real choices: go take on the bartender at the Traveler’s Roost or talk to YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 13 the Captain. If the PCs choose to take on the bartender immediately, proceed to Encounter Eight. Upon entering the barracks you are greeted by Yeoman Fanigan. He says, “Welcome back, have you discovered anything?” Assuming the PCs tell their story continue. If they didn’t bring Jalab, the slaves, or Darius with them paraphrase as appropriate. The captain is not able to connect the bartender without Darius’ testimony. Captain Jensen has you recount your tale along with Jalab, the rescued slaves, and Darius. He contemplates the matter for a few minutes and then begins. “I wish that I had known we had such an operation was going on right under my nose. It would have saved quite a bit of time trying to discover what these raiders were after. We might have even been able to arrange an escort for those particular caravans. You have been a great service to the Yeomanry, but I do have one more request. The raiders seem to have quite a bit of information about what is going on here in town including my patrol schedule. I have to discover who is behind this and providing the information. It looks like young Darius here has been carrying messages for Nyrong (the bartender of the Traveler’s Roost if the PCs have not met him). He probably knows more of who is involved. I would like to arrest him without tipping him and his contacts off. Right now I am unsure of who I can trust and who I can’t, so please arrest him for me. I will deputize you for the job and I would prefer you to capture him alive if possible. In the mean time I will work from my end to discover who has been feeding them information.” Encounter Eight: The Traveler’s Roost Nyrong has eyes and ears all over town. He has heard from one of his customers that Jalab Kreshin is back. He is preparing a message to the Grosspokesman Gerheart as the PCs walk in. He will assume the PCs are here to arrest him, but he will pretend not to know why and act comfortably. At APL 6 and above, Nyrong is a Drunken Master and he tries to buff himself up before the combat begins. Nyrong attempts to delay the PCs by talking to them while he imbibes drinks. At APL 6 he needs two, at APL 8 he needs four, at APL 10 he needs six, and at APL 12 he needs eight. Apply the drinks to his strength so he can take down his opponents faster. If given the chance, Nyrong will drink his potions next, pretending to fill his tankard with ale while actually pouring a potion into it. If the PCs decide to do something other than walking in the front door, feel free to paraphrase the following as needed. As you enter the Traveler’s Roost the jovial atmosphere continues on. The bartender looks at up as you enter and smile. He takes a drink of ale and states, “Welcome my friends come have a drink with me and tell me of your recent travels.” He picks up another ale and downs it and looks your way expectantly. See DM Aids: Map #4 for the layout of the Traveler’s Roost. There are a number of bar patrons in the bar at this time. � Bar Patrons (10): Male Human Com1; hp 4 each. APL 2 (EL 4) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk1; hp 8; see Appendix One. � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog1; hp 6 each; see Appendix One. APL 4 (EL 6) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk5; hp 38; see Appendix One. � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog1; hp 6 each; see Appendix One. APL 6 (EL 8) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster2; hp 53; see Appendix One. � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog3; hp 18 each; see Appendix One. APL 8 (EL 10) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster4; hp 68; see Appendix One. � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog5; hp 30 each; see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL 12) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster6; hp 83; see Appendix One. � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog7; hp 42 each; see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL 14) � Nyrong Sindan: Male Human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster8; hp 98; see Appendix One. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 14 � Thugs (2): Male Human Rog9; hp 63 each; see Appendix One. Tactics: Give the PCs a chance to answer. Remember he continues to take drinks as the PCs approach him. If they state he is under arrest he states he surrenders. He does anything at this point to get his fill of drinks and try to keep the PCs talking. As soon as he gets his fill and a PC is in range, he attacks. The two rogues are sitting at tables as shown on the map and attempts to sneak up as the remaining patrons attempt to run out of the place. The ten other patrons marked on the map take the quickest route to the door. Nyrong and the thugs fight to the death to protect the Brotherhood’s secrets here. Upon defeating Nyrong and his thug buddies, the PCs are free to search the inn. They will find Player Handout #3 under the bar. It is about this time that the Watch shows up. The PCs will have some quick explaining to do, especially with possibly three corpses on the ground, if they were not deputized by Captain Jensen. If captured alive, Nyrong reveals nothing of value. Speak with dead on Nyrong can potentially reveal the following: Who do you work for? “The Scarlet Brotherhood.” What is the Scarlet Brotherhood Doing here? “Recapturing escaped slaves, and getting intelligence on Yeoman troop movements.” Are there any more agents in town? “Yes.” Who are the other agents in town? “The Grosspokesman.” Conclusion Returning to the captain with the additional evidence allows the captain to continue his investigation. He tells you, “Thank you very much for your help in this matter. I was stuck thinking the problem was smaller than it actually was. If you are willing to stick around over night I may have some additional work for you.” If the PCs are interested in participating in the optional encounter, which costs one additional TU (two for out of region PCs) and time permits, proceed to Optional Encounter Nine and then continue with the below once that encounter is completed. Otherwise, proceed directly to the below. After a few weeks you receive a letter from Captain Jensen. He thanks each of you for your great service to the Yeomanry and welcomes you to come to him if you ever need his recommendation. Later that month a messenger from Jalab Kreshin contacts you. He offers if you are ever in the area again he has a copy of one of his fine collection of hunting crossbows made for you. The PCs receive an Influence Point with Captain Jensen and, if they rescued Jalab, the Favor of Jalab Kreshin (see the Treasure Summary). In the weeks following the adventurers’ departure, the position of Grosspokesman of Eastcot is declared vacant and a new election is held. Jalab Kreshin is elected Grosspokesman. Optional Encounter Nine: Going After the Grosspokesman The captain determines through his investigation that only three people knew the patrol schedule so well. Grosspokesman Gerheart, Yeoman Fanigan, and himself are the only possible suspects. He has questioned Yeoman Fanigan and determined he was not involved. He has not been able to question the Grosspokesman since he has left town the previous evening while the PCs were arresting Nyrong. He is headed to Newick and a safe house there. The captain sends them with his recommendation to Grosspokeswoman Wendolene in Newick. He states that she has a very good contact to discover Brotherhood activity in the Newick area. The following morning Captain Jensen calls you to his office. “Welcome back,” he says, “Well I have completed my investigation and determined only three people have had access to the information on the map you gave me. Two are sitting in this room Yeoman Fanigan and myself. The third is the Grosspokesman Gerheart. We attempted to contact him yesterday evening and were unable to. Apparently he left town about the time you arrested Nyrong. I felt there was enough cause to search his house and we found several letters signed by the mysterious N. This is the last piece of evidence I needed to have him arrested. This is what I have to ask of you: will you accept the responsibility of chasing down and arresting Grosspokesman Gerheart?” The captain awaits the PCs answer. Captain Jensen smiles and says, “Again it seems the Yeomanry is in debt to you. Grosspokesman Gerheart was seen leaving town to the east towards Newick. I am not sure if that is his final destination, but it is definitely a place to start. I have some pull with Grosspokeswoman Wendolene and I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.” He quickly writes up a letter of recommendation for you to speak with Grosspokeswoman Wendolene. He hands it to you and says, “I suggest you leave immediately, you do not want him to get too much of a head start.” YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 15 The journey from Eastcot to Newick is relatively peaceful. As the sun just is beginning to set over the western horizon you arrive at the city of Newick. Allow the PCs to decide what to do here. They can go through Grosspokeswoman Wendolene or they could go directly to the rascals. They both accomplish the same thing. Assuming the PCs go to the Grosspokeswoman's office continue. Arriving at the office just before it closes you see an elderly gentleman who some may recognize as Kiers, the Grosspokeswoman’s assistant. Kiers looks up and asks, “May I help you?” Kiers grants immediate access to the PCs if they show him the letter that Captain Jensen gave them. If the PCs have played YEO1-04 Rogue Rescue, YEO1- 06 Cold Blooded, or YEO3-03 Sticks and Stones, Grosspokeswoman Wendolene recognizes them and addresses them by their name. Kiers gives her Captain Jensen’s letter. After looking over the letter that Captain Jensen has given you, she looks a little disturbed. She says, “Well it looks like you have spoiled another Brotherhood plot within our borders. These are becoming alarmingly frequent. I doubt that it is the true Grosspokesman Gerheart we are looking for, because I have had many dealings with the man and I do not believe he would betray his country. This is very disturbing. I will ask my contact here in Newick to see if there was any unusual Brotherhood activity here in Newick. Please wait for my messenger at the Haranshire House. While having dinner the following day, almost twenty four hours since you spoke to the Grosspokeswoman, a young boy not out of his early teens approaches you. He hands you a note wordlessly and heads off. The note gives the PCs the location of a Brotherhood safe house that has had more activity recently. The boy is a member of the Rascals and claims that he is working for Grosspokeswoman Wendolene. Safe House See DM Aids: Map #5 for the layout of the Safe House. 1. Front Door The front door of the house is locked. � Wooden Door: 1 in. thick; Hardness 5, hp 10; Break DC 15; lock (Open Lock DC 18+ the APL). 2. Back Door The back door of the house is locked. � Wooden Door: 1 in. thick; Hardness 5, hp 10; Break DC 15; lock (Open Lock DC 18+ the APL). 3. Kitchen This is the kitchen; it looks as if it has been used recently. There is a door here with a set of steps going down behind the door. The door to the wine cellar has a bell attached to the side of the frame to warn those below of intruder: � Warning Bell: mechanical, touch trigger, automatic reset, Search DC 18+ the APL; Disable Device DC 23+ the APL. 4. Living Room The living room is relatively well furnished. There is a robe laying over one of the chairs that looks relatively recently used. 5. Bed Room This room looks relatively unused recently. The bed is still made and nothing has been touched on any of the shelves. 6. Stairs to the Wine Cellar These stairs lead down to what must be a pantry or a wine cellar. There is a pressure plate about halfway down the stairs that are tripped by someone walking down the stairs. The trap involves the stairs becoming a slide and opening a spiked pit trap at the bottom. When the trap deploys anyone within the 10 feet between the bottom of the stairs and the wall are caught on the trap along with anyone on the stairs. After the trap is sprung, anyone who managed to not slide down the stairs into the pit must make a Balance check (DC 12) to walk down the slope without sliding into the pit. APL 2 (EL 3) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 3; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 18 Reflex save avoid; 10 ft deep (1d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+1 each); Search DC 18; Disable Device DC 18. APL 4 (EL 4) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 4; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex save avoid; 20 ft deep (2d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); onset delay 3 rounds; pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. APL 6 (EL 6) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 6; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 22 Reflex save avoid; 30 ft deep (3d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 16 stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); onset delay 2 rounds; pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+3 each); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 22. APL 8 (EL 8) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 8; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 24 Reflex save avoid; 40 ft deep (4d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); onset delay 1 round; pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+4 each); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 26. APL 10 (EL 10) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 10; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 24 Reflex save avoid; 50 ft deep (5d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); onset delay 1 round; pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+5 each); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 28. APL 12 (EL 11) � Sliding Stairs to Spiked Pit Trap: CR 11; mechanical; location trigger; manual reset; DC 28 Reflex save avoid; 60 ft deep (6d6, fall); multiple targets (anyone on the stairs or in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares between the bottom of the stairs and the wall); onset delay 1 round; pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+5 each); Search DC 28; Disable Device DC 28. 7. Wine Cellar This place looks to be set up as living quarters for someone. The Grosspokesman is hiding out here (with guardians at higher APLs). APL 2 (EL 5) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk4/Sor1; hp 31; see Appendix One. APL 4 (EL 7) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk5/Sor1; hp 38; see Appendix One. � Gargoyle (1): hp 39; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 9) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk5/Sor3; hp 45; see Appendix One. � Gargoyles (2): hp 39 each; see Monster Manual. APL 8 (EL 11) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk6/Sor4; hp 56; see Appendix One. � Shield Guardian (1): hp 135; see Monster Manual. APL 10 (EL 13) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk8/Sor4; hp 69; see Appendix One. � Shield Guardians (2): hp 135 each; see Monster Manual. APL 12 (EL 15) � Grosspokesman Gerheart: Male Human Mnk8/Sor6; hp 77; see Appendix One. � Shield Guardians (4): hp 135 each; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The grosspokesman attempts to flank with the gargoyle(s) at APLs 4 and 6. If the PCs have set either of the traps off or bashed down the door or a window, the grosspokesman is aware of the PCs’ presence and will have cast both mage armor and shield on himself and will prepare his potions for consumption. At higher APLs, he uses the shield guardian(s) to protect him and take half of his damage. At APL 10 and APL 12 all of the shield guardians are controlled by a single amulet; therefore, if the PCs destroy the amulet on the grosspokesman it disables all of them. Once the grosspokesman dies, the shield guardians execute their last given command and attack the PCs until destroyed. The shield guardians each have a spell stored in them (caster level = APL) that they use if commanded by the grosspokesman (use #1 at APL 8, #1 and #2 at APL 10, and all four at APL 12): #1 – stoneskin, #2 – fire shield, #3 – enervation, #4 – Evard’s black tentacles. The End Experience Point Summary The player characters receive the following experience point awards, by APL and encounter: Encounter Five Defeat Sigil APL 2 – 120 xp. APL 4 – 180 xp. APL 6 – 240 xp. APL 8 – 300 xp. APL 10 – 360 xp. APL 12 – 420 xp. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 17 Encounter Six Defeat Venmore Zolif APL 2 – 120 xp. APL 4 – 180 xp. APL 6 – 240 xp. APL 8 – 300 xp. APL 10 – 360 xp. APL 12 – 420 xp. Rescue Jalab Kreshin APL 2 – 45 xp. APL 4 – 60 xp. APL 6 – 75 xp. APL 8 – 90 xp. APL 10 – 105 xp. APL 12 – 120 xp. Encounter Eight Defeat Nyrong Sindan APL 2 – 120 xp. APL 4 – 180 xp. APL 6 – 240 xp. APL 8 – 300 xp. APL 10 – 360 xp. APL 12 – 420 xp. Conclusion Bring all the evidence to Captain Jensen APL 2 – 45 xp. APL 4 – 75 xp. APL 6 – 105 xp. APL 8 – 135 xp. APL 10 – 165 xp. APL 12 – 195 xp. Total Possible Experience w/o Optional Encounter APL 2 – 450 xp. APL 4 – 675 xp. APL 6 – 900 xp. APL 8 – 1,125 xp. APL 10 – 1,350 xp. APL 12 – 1,575 xp. Optional Encounter Nine Disarm or survive the trap APL 2 – 75 xp. APL 4 – 127 xp. APL 6 – 180 xp. APL 8 – 232 xp. APL 10 – 285 xp. APL 12 – 338 xp. Defeat the Grosspokesman APL 2 – 150 xp. APL 4 – 210 xp. APL 6 – 270 xp. APL 8 – 330 xp. APL 10 – 390 xp. APL 12 – 450 xp. Total Possible Experience w/ Optional Encounter APL 2 – 675 xp. APL 4 – 1,012 xp. APL 6 – 1,350 xp. APL 8 – 1,687 xp. APL 10 – 2,025 xp. APL 12 – 2,383 xp. Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. L: Looted gear from enemy YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 18 C: Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables M: Magic Items (sell value) Encounter Three APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 50 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 100 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 200 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 250 gp; M: 0 gp. APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 300 gp; M: 0 gp. Encounter Five APL 2: L: 212 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 3 potions of protection from arrows 10/magic (25 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp). APL 4: L: 193 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 3 potions of protection from arrows 10/magic (25 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (98 gp). APL 6: L: 193 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 3 potions of protection from arrows 15/magic (125 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (98 gp), oil of greater magic weapon +1 (63 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp). APL 8: L: 700 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 4 potions of protection from arrows 15/magic (125 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (98 gp), oil of greater magic weapon +4 (200 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), bead of force (250 gp), 2 potions of shield of faith +4 (50 gp each), potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), potion of barkskin +2 (25 gp). APL 10: L: 700 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 4 potions of protection from arrows 15/magic (125 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (98 gp), oil of greater magic weapon +4 (200 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), bead of force (250 gp), necklace of adaptation (750 gp), 2 potions of shield of faith +5 (75 gp each), potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), potion of barkskin +2 (25 gp), 2 brooches of shielding (125 gp each), quiver of Ehlonna (150 gp). APL 12: L: 700 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 4 potions of protection from arrows 15/magic (125 gp each), 4 oils of greater magic weapon +2 (100 gp each), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), +1 full plate (221 gp), +1 heavy steel shield (98 gp), oil of greater magic weapon +5 (250 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), bead of force (250 gp), necklace of adaptation (750 gp), gem of brightness (1,083 gp), 2 potions of shield of faith +5 (75 gp each), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), 2 brooches of shielding (125 gp each), quiver of Ehlonna (150 gp), 2 Quaal’s feather tokens - whip (42 gp each), ring of sustenance (208 gp), ring of swimming (208 gp). Encounter Six APL 2: L: 72 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure light wounds – 1st level caster (63 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +2 (25 gp each). APL 4: L: 463 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure light wounds – 1st level caster (63 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +2 (25 gp each), necklace of fireballs – type I (138 gp). APL 6: L: 463 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure moderate wounds – 25 charges, 3rd level caster (188 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +2 (25 gp each), necklace of fireballs – type III (363 gp), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), elixir of swimming (21 gp), dust of illusion (100 gp), goggles of minute seeing (104 gp). APL 8: L: 463 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), ring of protection +1 (167 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure serious wounds – 5 charges, 5th level caster (94 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +5 (100 gp each), necklace of fireballs – type III (363 gp), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), elixir of swimming (21 gp), dust of illusion (100 gp), goggles of minute seeing (104 gp), Nolzur’s marvelous pigments (333 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), potion of barkskin +4 (75 gp), 2 oils of magic vestment +2 (100 gp each). APL 10: L: 463 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), monk’s belt (1,083 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure critical wounds – 5 charges, 7th level caster (175 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +5 (100 gp each), necklace of fireballs – type III (363 gp), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), elixir of swimming (21 gp), dust of illusion (100 gp), goggles of minute seeing (104 gp), Nolzur’s marvelous pigments (333 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), potion of barkskin +4 (75 gp), 2 oils of magic vestment +4 (200 gp each), 2 oils of greater magic weapon +4 (200 gp each), 2 Quaal’s feather token – swan boat (38 gp each), figurine of wondrous power – silver raven (317 gp). APL 12: L: 463 gp; C: 0 gp; M: potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), monk’s belt (1,083 gp), potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), wand of cure critical wounds – 5 charges, 7th level caster (175 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +5 (100 gp each), necklace of fireballs – type III (363 gp), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), elixir of swimming (21 gp), dust of illusion (100 gp), goggles of minute seeing (104 gp), Nolzur’s marvelous pigments (333 gp), periapt of wisdom +2 (333 gp), potion of barkskin +4 (75 gp), 2 oils of magic vestment +5 (250 gp each), 2 oils of greater magic weapon +5 (250 gp each), 2 Quaal’s feather token – swan boat (38 gp each), figurine of wondrous power – silver raven (317 gp), boots of speed (1,000 gp), ring of the ram (717 gp), helm of comprehend languages and read magic (433 gp), eversmoking bottle (450 gp). Encounter Eight APL 2: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +2 (333 gp). APL 4: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +2 (333 gp). APL 6: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +2 (333 gp), potion of barkskin +4 (75 gp), potion of shield of faith +4 (50 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +3 (50 gp each), 2 potions of cat’s grace (25 gp each), 2 oils of magic vestment +1 (63 gp each). YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 19 APL 8: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +2 (333 gp), potion of shield of faith +4 (50 gp), 3 potions of barkskin +4 (75 gp each), 2 potions of cat’s grace (25 gp each), 2 oils of magic vestment +1 (63 gp each), 2 javelins of lightning (125 gp each), robe of useful items (583 gp). APL 10: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +3 (750 gp), potion of barkskin +5 (100 gp), potion of shield of faith +5 (75 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +4 (75 gp each), 2 potions of cat’s grace (25 gp each), 2 oils of magic vestment +1 (63 gp each), 2 javelins of lightning (125 gp each), robe of useful items (583 gp). APL 12: L: 100 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 2 elixirs of sneaking (21 gp each), badge of Nyrong Sindan (83 gp), bracers of armor +3 (750 gp), potion of barkskin +5 (100 gp), potion of shield of faith +5 (75 gp), 2 potions of barkskin +4 (75 gp each), 2 potions of cat’s grace (25 gp each), 2 oils of magic vestment +1 (63 gp each), 2 javelins of lightning (125 gp each), robe of useful items (583 gp), monk’s belt (1,083 gp), ring of jumping (208 gp), potion of greater magic fang +2 (100 gp), 2 pairs of slippers of spider climbing (400 gp each). Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward Allowed) w/o Optional Encounter APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (450 gp). APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (650 gp). APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (900 gp). APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (1,300 gp). APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (2,300 gp). APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (3,300 gp). Optional Encounter Nine APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: potion of cat’s grace (25 gp), potion of bear’s endurance (25 gp), potion of owl’s wisdom (25 gp), potion of protection from arrows 10/magic (25 gp), hat of disguise (150 gp), wand of magic missile – 1st level caster, 25 charges (32 gp), wand of shield – 1st level caster, 25 charges (32 gp), wand of mage armor – 1st level caster, 25 charges (32 gp). APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: wand of magic missile – 3rd level caster, 25 charges (94 gp), potion of nondetection (63 gp). APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: wand of magic missile – 5th level caster, 25 charges (156 gp), stone of alarm (225 gp). APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: wind fan (458 gp). APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: monk’s belt (1,083 gp). APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 150 gp; M: staff of fire (1,479 gp). Total Possible Treasure (Maximum Reward Allowed) w/ Optional Encounter APL 2: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (675 gp). APL 4: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (975 gp). APL 6: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (1,350 gp). APL 8: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (1,950 gp). APL 10: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (3,450 gp). APL 12: L: 0 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp – Total: 0 gp (4,950 gp). Items for the Adventure Record Special � Favor of Jalab Kreshin This favor may be used directly after any Yeomanry Regional adventure to gain access (Frequency: Adventure) to purchase a darkwood longbow, darkwood composite longbow, darkwood shortbow, darkwood composite shortbow, or an upgrade to an existing crossbow to a +2 or +3 enhancement bonus. Mark this favor as USED when it is consumed. � Influence Point with Captain Jensen This PC has earned an influence point with Captain Jensen. This counts as an influence point with the Yeoman Army. Contact the Yeomanry Triad for further details. � Badge of Nyrong Sindan Taken from the body of Nyrong Sindan, a spy of the Scarlet Brotherhood operating in the Yeomanry town of Eastcot, this ivory badge (about the size of a fist) confers a +1 resistance bonus to all saves made by the wearer. Additionally, it identifies the wearer as sympathetic to the goals of the Scarlet Brotherhood to other members of the order, who recognize its significance immediately upon sight. Faint abjuration; CL: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, resistance, item must be created in the secret city of Hesuel Ilshar, located somewhere on the Tilvanot Peninsula; Market Price: 1,000 gp; Weight: ½ lb. Item Access APL 2: � Badge of Nyrong Sindan (Adventure, see above) � Bracers of Armor +2 (Adventure, DMG) � Elixir of Sneaking (Adventure, DMG) � Hat of Disguise (Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only � Wand of Cure Light Wounds (1st level caster, Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Mage Armor (1st level caster, Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only � Wand of Magic Missile (1st level caster, Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only � Wand of Shield (1st level caster, Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 20 APL 4 (APL 2 Items plus): � Necklace of Fireballs – Type I (Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (3rd level caster, Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only APL 6 (APL 2, 4 Items plus): � Dust of Illusion (Adventure, DMG) � Elixir of Swimming (Adventure, DMG) � Goggles of Minute Seeing (Adventure, DMG) � Necklace of Fireballs – Type III (Adventure, DMG) � Potion of Barkskin +4 (Adventure, DMG) � Potion of Protection from Arrows 15/magic (Adventure, DMG) � Stone of Alarm (Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only � Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (3rd level caster, Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Magic Missile (5th level caster, Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only APL 8 (APL 2, 4, 6 Items plus): � Bead of Force (Adventure, DMG) � Javelin of Lightning (Adventure, DMG) � Nolzur’s Marvelous Pigments (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Greater Magic Weapon +4 (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Magic Vestment +2 (Adventure, DMG) � Potion of Barkskin +5 (Adventure, DMG) � Robe of Useful Items (Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Cure Serious Wounds (5th level caster, Adventure, DMG) � Wind Fan (Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only APL 10 (APL 2, 4, 6, 8 Items plus): � Bracers of Armor +3 (Adventure, DMG) � Brooch of Shielding (Adventure, DMG) � Figurine of Wondrous Power – Silver Raven (Adventure, DMG) � Monk’s Belt (Adventure, DMG) � Necklace of Adaptation (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Magic Vestment +4 (Adventure, DMG) � Potion of Shield of Faith +5 (Adventure, DMG) � Quaal’s Feather Token – Swan Boat (Adventure, DMG) � Quiver of Ehlonna (Adventure, DMG) � Wand of Cure Critical Wounds (7th level caster, Adventure, DMG) APL 12 (APL 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 Items plus): � Boots of Speed (Adventure, DMG) � Eversmoking Bottle (Adventure, DMG) � Gem of Brightness (Adventure, DMG) � Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Greater Magic Weapon +2 (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Greater Magic Weapon +5 (Adventure, DMG) � Oil of Magic Vestment +5 (Adventure, DMG) � Potion of Greater Magic Fang +2 (Adventure, DMG) � Quaal’s Feather Token – Whip (Adventure, DMG) � Ring of Jumping (Adventure, DMG) � Ring of Sustenance (Adventure, DMG) � Ring of Swimming (Adventure, DMG) � Ring of the Ram (Adventure, DMG) � Slippers of Spider Climbing (Adventure, DMG) � Staff of Fire (Adventure, DMG) – Optional Encounter Only YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 21 Appendix One: NPCs All APLs Encounter Four Old Vernanon: Male Human Ranger 2; CR 2; Medium Humanoid (Human); HD 2d8+4; hp 15; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; AC 18 (touch 14; flat-footed 14); BAB +2; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d8/19-20, longsword) or +6 ranged (1d8/x3 long bow); Full Attack +2 melee (1d8/19-20 longsword) or +6 ranged (1d8/x3 long bow) or +4/+4 ranged (1d8/x3 long bow); SA Favored enemy (+2 Animals); AL LG; SV Fort +5, Ref +7; Will +2; Str 11, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +5, Hide +9, Knowledge (Geography) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Spot +7, Survival +7; Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Track, Wild Empathy. Possessions: longsword, longbow, quiver w/ 20 arrows, chain shirt. APL 2 Encounter Five Archer: male human Ftr1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 9; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +1/+4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +4 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +3; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Ride +7; Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, breastplate, heavy steel shield, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 9; Init +2; Spd 20 ft; AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+2 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +1/+4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3/19- 20, longsword) or +3 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +2; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +4, Ride +6; Dodge, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, breastplate, heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk3; CR 3; medium humanoid (human); HD 3d8+6; hp 23; Init +2; Spd 40 ft; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 ring); BA/Grp +2/+4; Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +2/+2 melee (1d6+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows; SQ evasion, still mind; AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +5; Will +5; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +6, Escape Artist +8, Listen +8, Spot +8, Tumble +8; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, ring of protection +1. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+3; hp 10; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +1/+4; Atk/Full Atk +6 melee (1d8+3/19- 20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +1; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Ride +5; Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, banded mail, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +2. Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr1 of Kord; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8+1; hp 7; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor); BA/Grp +0/+2; Atk/Full Atk +2 melee (2d6+3/19-20, greatsword) or +0 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0; Will +5; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +5, Heal +7, Knowledge (religion) +5, Spellcraft +5; Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (3/2+1, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0— guidance, light, resistance; 1st—enlarge person*, protection from law, shield of faith. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, splint mail, wand of cure light wounds (1st level caster). Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8+2; hp 8; Init +6; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 bracers); BA/Grp +0/+1; Atk +1 melee (1d6+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk -1/-1 melee (1d6+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows; AL LN; SV Fort +5, Ref +5; Will +5; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +4, Escape Artist +6, Profession (Bartender) +6, Sense Motive +6, Tumble +6; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +2. Thug: male human Rog1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d6+2; hp 6; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +0/+1; Atk/Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ trapfinding; AL CN; SV Fort +2, YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 22 Ref +5; Will +0; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Disguise +4, Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +5, Move Silently +7, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Spot +4, Tumble +7; Dodge, Improved Initiative. Possessions: mw short sword, mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking. Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk4/Sor1; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 4d8+1d4+5; hp 31; Init +6; Spd 40 ft; AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis); BA/Grp +3/+4; Atk +4 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +2/+2 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft.; AL LN; SV Fort +5, Ref +6; Will +8; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Concentration +8, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (arcana) +3, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +4, Profession (politician) +9, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +3, Tumble +9; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist. Spells Known (5/4, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0— detect magic, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, magic missile. Possessions: potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges). APL 4 Encounter Five Archer: male human Ftr1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 9; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +1/+4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +4 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +3; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Ride +7; Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, breastplate, heavy steel shield, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr5; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d10+15; hp 49; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +3 shield); BA/Grp +5/+8; Atk/Full Atk +9 melee (1d8+5/19- 20, longsword) or +7 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +7, Ref +3; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +8, Ride +10; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk5; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+10; hp 38; Init +2; Spd 40 ft; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 ring, +1 monk); BA/Grp +3/+5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +4/+4 melee (1d8+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +6; Will +6; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +10, Listen +10, Spot +10, Tumble +10; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, ring of protection +1, necklace of fireballs – type I. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr2; CR 2; medium humanoid (human); HD 2d10+6; hp 20; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +2/+5; Atk/Full Atk +7 melee (1d8+3/19- 20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +1; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +4, Ride +6; Dodge, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +2. Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr3 of Kord; CR 3; medium humanoid (human); HD 3d8+3; hp 21; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 armor); BA/Grp +2/+4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +1; Will +6; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +7, Spellcraft +7; Combat Casting, Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/3+1/2+1, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—guidance, light x2, resistance; 1st—enlarge person*, inflict light wounds, protection from law, shield of faith; 2nd—bull’s strength*, hold person, inflict moderate wounds. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, full plate, wand of cure light wounds (1st level caster). YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 23 Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk5; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+10; hp 38; Init +7; Spd 40 ft; AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk, +2 bracers); BA/Grp +3/+4; Atk +4 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +3/+3 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body; AL LN; SV Fort +9, Ref +8; Will +7; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +11, Profession (Bartender) +10, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +11; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +2. Thug: male human Rog1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d6+2; hp 6; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +0/+1; Atk/Full Atk +2 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ trapfinding; AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +5; Will +0; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Disguise +4, Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +5, Move Silently +7, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Spot +4, Tumble +7; Dodge, Improved Initiative. Possessions: mw short sword, mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking. Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk5/Sor1; CR 6; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+1d4+6; hp 38; Init +6; Spd 40 ft; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk); BA/Grp +3/+4; Atk +5 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +4/+4 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body; AL LN; SV Fort +5, Ref +6; Will +8; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Concentration +9, Diplomacy +11, Knowledge (arcana) +3, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +4, Profession (politician) +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +3, Tumble +10; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse. Spells Known (5/4, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0— detect magic, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, magic missile. Possessions: potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of nondetection, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (3rd level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges). APL 6 Encounter Five Archer: male human Ftr2; CR 2; medium humanoid (human); HD 2d10+4; hp 18; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +5 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +2/+5; Atk/Full Atk +6 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +5 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +3; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +4, Ride +8; Dodge, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, breastplate, heavy steel shield, potion of protection from arrows 15/magic. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr7; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d10+21; hp 69; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +3 shield, +1 ring); BA/Grp +7/+10; Atk +11 melee (1d8+5/19-20, longsword) or +9 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (1d8+5/19- 20, longsword) or +9/+4 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +8, Ref +4; Will +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +10, Ride +12; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, ring of protection +1, oil of greater magic weapon +1, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk7; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d8+14; hp 53; Init +2; Spd 50 ft; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 ring, +1 monk); BA/Grp +5/+7; Atk +7 melee (1d8+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +6/+6 melee (1d8+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 30 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body; AL LE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7; Will +7; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +10, Escape Artist +12, Listen +12, Spot +12, Tumble +12; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, ring of protection +1, necklace of fireballs – type III, elixir of swimming. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr4; CR 4; medium humanoid (human); HD 4d10+12; hp 39; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +4/+7; Atk/Full Atk +9 melee (1d8+5/19- 20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +7, Ref +2; Will +2; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 24 Skills and Feats: Intimidate +6, Ride +8; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +2, dust of illusion (soldier #1), goggles of minute seeing (soldier #2). Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr5 of Kord; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+5; hp 34; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 armor); BA/Grp +3/+5; Atk/Full Atk +6 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +1; Will +7; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 17, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +9, Heal +11, Knowledge (religion) +9, Spellcraft +9; Combat Casting, Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (5/4+1/3+1/2+1, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—guidance x2, light x2, resistance; 1st—enlarge person*, inflict light wounds x2, protection from law, shield of faith; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, inflict moderate wounds; 3rd—dispel magic, magic vestment*, searing light. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, full plate, wand of cure moderate wounds (3rd level caster, 25 charges), potion of bear’s endurance. Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster2; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d8+14; hp 53; Init +7; Spd 40 ft; AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk, +2 bracers); BA/Grp +4/+5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +4/+4 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic), improvised weapons, stagger; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body, drink like a demon; AL LN; SV Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +7; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Jump +6, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +11, Profession (Bartender) +10, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +11; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Stunning Fist. Drink Like a Demon (Ex): A drunken master’s body handles alcohol differently from other people. He can drink a large tankard of ale, a bottle of wine, or a corresponding amount of stronger alcohol as a move action. Every bottle or tankard of alcohol he consumes during combat reduces his Wisdom and Intelligence by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Constitution (character’s choice) by 2 points. A drunken master may benefit from a number of drinks equal to his class level. The duration of both the penalty and the bonus is a number of rounds equal to the character’s drunken master level + 3. Improvised Weapons (Ex): While bottles and tankards are a drunken master’s preferred improvised weapons, he can use furniture, farm implements, or nearly anything else at hand to attack his foes. A drunken master’s improvised weapon deals as much damage as his unarmed strike plus an extra 1d4 points. Most improvised weapons deal bludgeoning damage, although some (a broken bottle, for example) would deal piercing or slashing damage. When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless. Stagger (Ex): By tripping, stumbling, and staggering a drunken master of 2nd level or higher can make a charge attack that surprises his opponents. This ability has two beneficial aspects: First, the charge need not be in a straight line, even though the character can still move up to twice his speed. Second, if a drunken master makes a DC 15 Tumble check before beginning a charge, his movement through threatened squares provokes no attacks of opportunities. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +2, potion of barkskin +4, potion of shield of faith +4. Thug: male human Rog3; CR 3; medium humanoid (human); HD 3d6+6; hp 18; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +2/+3; Atk/Full Atk +6 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ trapfinding, evasion, trap sense +1; AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +6; Will +1; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +9, Hide +9, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +7, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +9, Spot +6, Tumble +9; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse. Possessions: mw short sword, mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking, potion of cat’s grace, potion of barkskin +3, oil of magic vestment +1. Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk5/Sor3; CR 8; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+3d4+8; hp 45; Init +6; Spd 40 ft; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk); BA/Grp +4/+5; Atk +6 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +5/+5 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body; AL LN; SV Fort +6, Ref +7; Will +9; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Bluff +7, Concentration +11, Diplomacy +11, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +5, Profession (politician) +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +4, Tumble +10; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 25 Spells Known (6/6, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—acid splash, detect magic, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st— charm person, disguise self, magic missile. Possessions: potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of nondetection, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (5th level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges), stone of alarm. APL 8 Encounter Five Soldier: male human Ftr3; CR 3; medium humanoid (human); HD 3d10+9; hp 30; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +3/+6; Atk/Full Atk +8 melee (1d8+3/19-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +3; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +5, Ride +8; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of shield of faith +4. Archer: male human Ftr1; CR 1; medium humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 9; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +5 armor); BA/Grp +1/+4; Atk/Full Atk +4 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +5 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +3; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +3, Ride +7; Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 40 arrows, breastplate, potion of protection from arrows 15/magic. Cleric: male human Clr3 of Kord; CR 3; medium humanoid (human); HD 3d8+3; hp 21; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +8 armor); BA/Grp +2/+4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +2; Will +6; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +6; Combat Casting, Domain Focus (Strength) [casts domain spells from Strength domain at +1 caster level], Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts]. Spells Prepared (4/3+1/2+1, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—guidance, light x2, resistance; 1st—bless, enlarge person*, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd—bull’s strength*, hold person, silence. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, full plate, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of barkskin +2. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr9; CR 9; medium humanoid (human); HD 9d10+27; hp 88; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +3 shield, +1 ring); BA/Grp +9/+12; Atk +14 melee (1d8+5/17-20, longsword) or +11 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +14/+9 melee (1d8+5/17- 20, longsword) or +11/+6 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +5; Will +3; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +12, Ride +14; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, ring of protection +1, oil of greater magic weapon +4, bead of force, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk9; CR 9; medium humanoid (human); HD 9d8+18; hp 68; Init +2; Spd 60 ft; AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis, +1 ring, +1 monk); BA/Grp +6/+8; Atk +8 melee (1d10+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +8/+8/+2 melee (1d10+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 40 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body, improved evasion; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +8; Will +9; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +12, Escape Artist +14, Listen +15, Spot +15, Tumble +14; Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw [if opponent you have chosen to use your Dodge feat against attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate trip attack against that opponent which counts as one of your AoO in the round], Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, ring of protection +1, necklace of fireballs – type III, elixir of swimming, Nolzur’s marvelous pigments, potion of barkskin +4. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr6; CR 6; medium humanoid (human); HD 6d10+18; hp 59; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +6/+9; Atk +11 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +8, Ref +3; Will +3; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +8, Ride +10; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 26 Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +5, oil of magic vestment +2, dust of illusion (soldier #1), goggles of minute seeing (soldier #2). Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr7 of Kord; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d8+7; hp 48; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 armor); BA/Grp +5/+7; Atk/Full Atk +8 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +5 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +2; Will +9; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 17 (19), Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Heal +14, Knowledge (religion) +11, Spellcraft +11; Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1, base DC = 14 + spell level): 0—guidance x3, light x2, resistance; 1st—bless, enlarge person*, inflict light wounds, protection from law, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, inflict moderate wounds, sound burst; 3rd—dispel magic, inflict serious wounds, magic vestment*, searing light; 4th—dismissal, divine power, freedom of movement*. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, full plate, wand of cure serious wounds (5th level caster, 5 charges), potion of bear’s endurance, periapt of wisdom +2. Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster4; CR 9; medium humanoid (human); HD 9d8+18; hp 68; Init +7; Spd 40 ft; AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk, +2 bracers, +1 drunken master); BA/Grp +6/+7; Atk +7 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +6/+6/+1 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic), improvised weapons, stagger, improved improvised weapons; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body, drink like a demon, swaying waist, AC bonus; AL LN; SV Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +8; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +7, Jump +8, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +13, Profession (Bartender) +12, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +13; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flying Kick [when fighting unarmed and using the charge action, you deal an extra 1d12 points of damage with your unarmed attack], Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Stunning Fist. Drink Like a Demon (Ex): A drunken master’s body handles alcohol differently from other people. He can drink a large tankard of ale, a bottle of wine, or a corresponding amount of stronger alcohol as a move action. Every bottle or tankard of alcohol he consumes during combat reduces his Wisdom and Intelligence by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Constitution (character’s choice) by 2 points. A drunken master may benefit from a number of drinks equal to his class level. The duration of both the penalty and the bonus is a number of rounds equal to the character’s drunken master level + 3. Improvised Weapons (Ex): While bottles and tankards are a drunken master’s preferred improvised weapons, he can use furniture, farm implements, or nearly anything else at hand to attack his foes. A drunken master’s improvised weapon deals as much damage as his unarmed strike plus an extra 1d4 points. Most improvised weapons deal bludgeoning damage, although some (a broken bottle, for example) would deal piercing or slashing damage. When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless. Stagger (Ex): By tripping, stumbling, and staggering a drunken master of 2nd level or higher can make a charge attack that surprises his opponents. This ability has two beneficial aspects: First, the charge need not be in a straight line, even though the character can still move up to twice his speed. Second, if a drunken master makes a DC 15 Tumble check before beginning a charge, his movement through threatened squares provokes no attacks of opportunities. Swaying Waist (Ex): At 3rd level, a drunken master knows how to weave and bob during an attack, making him more difficult to hit. The character gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against any one opponent he chooses during his turn. AC Bonus (Ex): At 4th level a drunken master gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class. This bonus improves to +2 at 9th level. Improved Improvised Weapons (Ex): A drunken master of 4th level or higher can use long improvised weapons (such as ladders) as a reach weapon according to their length, and improvised weapons with many protrusions (such as chains) provide a +2 bonus on opponents’ disarm attempts. Finally, large objects with broad, flat surfaces (such as tables) can be upended to become improvised tower shields. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +2, potion of barkskin +4, potion of shield of faith +4, robe of useful items. Thug: male human Rog5; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d6+10; hp 30; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +3/+4; Atk/Full Atk +7 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +3d6; SQ trapfinding, evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge; AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +7; Will +1; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Disguise +8, Escape Artist +11, Hide +11, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +9, Move Silently +11, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +11, Spot +8, Tumble +11; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse. Possessions: mw short sword, mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking, potion of cat’s grace, potion of barkskin +4, oil of magic vestment +1, javelin of lightning. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 27 Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk6/Sor4; CR 10; medium humanoid (human); HD 6d8+4d4+10; hp 56; Init +6; Spd 50 ft; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk); BA/Grp +6/+7; Atk +8 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +7/+7/+2 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 30 ft., purity of body; AL LN; SV Fort +7, Ref +8; Will +11; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Concentration +12, Diplomacy +14, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +6, Profession (politician) +11, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +5, Tumble +11; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Negotiator, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse. Spells Known (6/7/4, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0— acid splash, detect magic, flare, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, disguise self, magic missile; 2nd—scorching ray. Possessions: shield guardian amulet, potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of nondetection, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (5th level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges), stone of alarm, wind fan. APL 10 Encounter Five Soldier: male human Ftr5; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d10+15; hp 49; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +5/+8; Atk/Full Atk +10 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +7, Ref +3; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +7, Ride +10; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of shield of faith +5, brooch of shielding. Archer: male human Ftr2; CR 2; medium humanoid (human); HD 2d10+4; hp 12; Init +3; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +5 armor); BA/Grp +2/+5; Atk +5 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +6 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +5 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +4/+4 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +3; Will +0; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +4, Ride +8; Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 40 arrows, breastplate, potion of protection from arrows 15/magic. Cleric: male human Clr5 of Kord; CR 5; medium humanoid (human); HD 5d8+5; hp 34; Init +1; Spd 20 ft; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +8 armor); BA/Grp +3/+5; Atk/Full Atk +6 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +2; Will +7; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +9, Heal +11, Knowledge (religion) +8; Combat Casting, Domain Focus (Strength) [casts domain spells from Strength domain at +1 caster level], Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts]. Spells Prepared (5/4+1/3+1/2+1, base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—guidance, light x3, resistance; 1st—bless, enlarge person*, protection from law, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd— aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, silence; 3rd—invisibility purge, protection from energy*, searing light. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, full plate, light crossbow, 20 bolts, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of barkskin +2, quiver of Ehlonna. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr11; CR 11; medium humanoid (human); HD 11d10+33; hp 108; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +3 shield, +1 ring); BA/Grp +11/+14; Atk +16 melee (1d8+5/17-20, longsword) or +13 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +16/+11/+6 melee (1d8+5/17-20, longsword) or +13/+8/+3 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +5; Will +3; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +14, Ride +16; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, ring of protection +1, oil of greater magic weapon +4, bead of force, necklace of adaptation, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk11; CR 11; medium humanoid (human); HD 11d8+22; hp 83; Init +2; Spd 60 ft; AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis, +3 monk); BA/Grp +8/+10; Atk +10 melee (2d8+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +10/+10/+10/+5 melee (2d8+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic, lawful), greater flurry; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 50 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body, improved evasion, diamond body; AL LE; SV Fort +9, Ref +9; Will +10; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 28 Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +14, Escape Artist +16, Listen +17, Spot +17, Tumble +16; Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw [if opponent you have chosen to use your Dodge feat against attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate trip attack against that opponent which counts as one of your AoO in the round], Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, monk’s belt, necklace of fireballs – type III, elixir of swimming, Nolzur’s marvelous pigments, potion of barkskin +4. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr8; CR 8; medium humanoid (human); HD 8d10+32; hp 84; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +8/+11; Atk +14 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); Full Atk +14/+9 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +10, Ref +3; Will +3; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +10, Ride +12; Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +5, oil of magic vestment +4, oil of greater magic weapon +4, Quaal’s feather token – swan boat, dust of illusion (soldier #1), goggles of minute seeing (soldier #2). Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr9 of Kord; CR 9; medium humanoid (human); HD 9d8+9; hp 61; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 armor); BA/Grp +6/+8; Atk/Full Atk +9 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +9/+4 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +7, Ref +3; Will +11; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18 (20), Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +13, Heal +17, Knowledge (religion) +13, Spellcraft +13; Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Domain Focus (Strength) [casts domain spells from Strength domain at +1 caster level], Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (6/6+1/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1, base DC = 15 + spell level): 0—guidance x3, light x2, resistance; 1st— bless, divine favor, enlarge person*, inflict light wounds, protection from law, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, inflict moderate wounds, sound burst, spiritual weapon; 3rd—dispel magic, inflict serious wounds, magic vestment*, searing light x2; 4th—dismissal, divine power, freedom of movement*, summon monster IV; 5th—flame strike, righteous might*, wall of stone. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, full plate, wand of cure critical wounds (7th level caster, 5 charges), potion of bear’s endurance, periapt of wisdom +2, figurine of wondrous power – silver raven. Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster6; CR 11; medium humanoid (human); HD 11d8+22; hp 83; Init +7; Spd 40 ft; AC 20, touch 17, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +2 Wis, +1 monk, +3 bracers, +1 drunken master); BA/Grp +7/+8; Atk +8 melee (1d8+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +7/+7/+2 melee (1d8+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic), improvised weapons, stagger, improved improvised weapons, greater improvised weapons; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body, drink like a demon, swaying waist, AC bonus; AL LN; SV Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +9; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Jump +8, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +15, Profession (Bartender) +14, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +15; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flying Kick [when fighting unarmed and using the charge action, you deal an extra 1d12 points of damage with your unarmed attack], Great Fortitude, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack, Stunning Fist. Drink Like a Demon (Ex): A drunken master’s body handles alcohol differently from other people. He can drink a large tankard of ale, a bottle of wine, or a corresponding amount of stronger alcohol as a move action. Every bottle or tankard of alcohol he consumes during combat reduces his Wisdom and Intelligence by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Constitution (character’s choice) by 2 points. A drunken master may benefit from a number of drinks equal to his class level. The duration of both the penalty and the bonus is a number of rounds equal to the character’s drunken master level + 3. Improvised Weapons (Ex): While bottles and tankards are a drunken master’s preferred improvised weapons, he can use furniture, farm implements, or nearly anything else at hand to attack his foes. A drunken master’s improvised weapon deals as much damage as his unarmed strike plus an extra 1d4 points. Most improvised weapons deal bludgeoning damage, although some (a broken bottle, for example) would deal piercing or slashing damage. When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless. Stagger (Ex): By tripping, stumbling, and staggering a drunken master of 2nd level or higher can make a charge attack that surprises his opponents. This ability has two beneficial aspects: First, the charge need not be in a straight line, even though the character can still move up to twice his speed. Second, if a drunken master makes a DC 15 Tumble check before beginning a charge, his movement through threatened squares provokes no attacks of opportunities. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 29 Swaying Waist (Ex): At 3rd level, a drunken master knows how to weave and bob during an attack, making him more difficult to hit. The character gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against any one opponent he chooses during his turn. AC Bonus (Ex): At 4th level a drunken master gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class. This bonus improves to +2 at 9th level. Improved Improvised Weapons (Ex): A drunken master of 4th level or higher can use long improvised weapons (such as ladders) as a reach weapon according to their length, and improvised weapons with many protrusions (such as chains) provide a +2 bonus on opponents’ disarm attempts. Finally, large objects with broad, flat surfaces (such as tables) can be upended to become improvised tower shields. Greater Improvised Weapons (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a drunken master wielding an improvised weapon deals an extra 1d8 points of damage instead of 1d4. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +3, potion of barkskin +5, potion of shield of faith +5, robe of useful items. Thug: male human Rog7; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d6+14; hp 42; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +5/+6; Atk/Full Atk +9 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +4d6; SQ trapfinding, evasion, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge; AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +8; Will +2; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +13, Hide +13, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +11, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +13, Spot +10, Tumble +13; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Weapon Finesse. Possessions: mw short sword coated w/ one dose of wyvern poison (Fort DC 17, 2d6 Con/2d6 Con), mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking, potion of cat’s grace, potion of barkskin +4, oil of magic vestment +1, javelin of lightning. Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk8/Sor4; CR 12; medium humanoid (human); HD 8d8+4d4+12; hp 69; Init +6; Spd 50 ft; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 monk); BA/Grp +8/+9; Atk +10 melee (2d6+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +9/+9/+4 melee (2d6+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 40 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body; AL LN; SV Fort +8, Ref +9; Will +12; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18. Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +17, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +7, Profession (politician) +13, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +5, Tumble +13; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw [if opponent you have chosen to use your Dodge feat against attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate trip attack against that opponent which counts as one of your AoO in the round], Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Negotiator, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse. Spells Known (6/7/4, base DC = 14 + spell level): 0— acid splash, detect magic, flare, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, disguise self, magic missile; 2nd—scorching ray. Possessions: shield guardian amulet, potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of nondetection, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (5th level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges), stone of alarm, wind fan, monk’s belt. APL 12 Encounter Five Soldier: male human Ftr7; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d10+21; hp 69; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +7/+10; Atk +12 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); Full Atk +12/+7 melee (1d8+5/19-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +8, Ref +4; Will +2; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +9, Ride +11; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of shield of faith +5, brooch of shielding, Quaal’s feather token – whip, ring of sustenance (soldier #1), ring of swimming (soldier #2). Archer: male human Ftr4; CR 4; medium humanoid (human); HD 4d10+8; hp 36; Init +7; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +5 armor); BA/Grp +4/+7; Atk +7 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +8 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +7 melee (1d8+3/19-20, longsword) or +6/+6 ranged (1d8+5/x3, composite longbow); AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +4; Will +1; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +6, Ride +10; Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow), Weapon Specialization (longbow). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 40 arrows, breastplate, potion of protection from arrows 15/magic, oil of greater magic weapon +2. Cleric: male human Clr7 of Kord; CR 7; medium humanoid (human); HD 7d8+7; hp 48; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +8 armor); BA/Grp +5/+7; Atk/Full Atk +8 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 30 AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +3; Will +9; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 17 (19), Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Heal +14, Knowledge (religion) +10; Combat Casting, Domain Focus (Strength) [casts domain spells from Strength domain at +1 caster level], Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Improved Initiative. Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1, base DC = 14 + spell level): 0—guidance x2, light x3, resistance; 1st—bless, enlarge person*, obscuring mist, protection from law, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, silence, sound burst; 3rd—invisibility purge, protection from energy*, searing light x2; 4th—dismissal, divine power, spell immunity*. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, full plate, light crossbow, 20 bolts, quiver of Ehlonna, periapt of wisdom +2. Sigil Narsan: male human Ftr13; CR 13; medium humanoid (human); HD 13d10+52; hp 137; Init +6; Spd 20 ft; AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 23 (+1 Dex, +9 armor, +3 shield, +1 ring); BA/Grp +13/+16; Atk +18 melee (1d8+7/17-20, longsword) or +15 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); Full Atk +18/+13/+8 melee (1d8+7/17-20, longsword) or +15/+10/+5 ranged (1d8+3/x3, composite longbow); AL N; SV Fort +12, Ref +6; Will +6; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +16, Ride +18; Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Greater Weapon Specialization (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: longsword, composite longbow (+3 Str bonus), quiver w/ 20 arrows, +1 full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of bear’s endurance, ring of protection +1, oil of greater magic weapon +5, bead of force, necklace of adaptation, gem of brightness, medallion. Encounter Six Venmore Zolif: male human Mnk13; CR 13; medium humanoid (human); HD 13d8+26; hp 98; Init +2; Spd 70 ft; AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +3 Wis, +3 monk); BA/Grp +9/+11; Atk +11 melee (2d8+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +11/+11/+11/+6 melee (2d8+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic, lawful), greater flurry; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 60 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body, improved evasion, diamond body, abundant step, diamond soul (SR 23); AL LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +10; Will +11; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Diplomacy +16, Escape Artist +18, Listen +19, Spot +19, Tumble +18; Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw [if opponent you have chosen to use your Dodge feat against attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate trip attack against that opponent which counts as one of your AoO in the round], Dodge, Extra Stunning [three extra stunning attacks per day], Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Rapid Stunning [may make one additional stunning attack per round], Spring Attack, Stunning Fist. Possessions: potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of cat’s grace, monk’s belt, necklace of fireballs – type III, elixir of swimming, Nolzur’s marvelous pigments, potion of barkskin +4, boots of speed. Mercenary Soldier: male human Ftr10; CR 10; medium humanoid (human); HD 10d10+40; hp 105; Init +5; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +8 armor, +2 shield); BA/Grp +10/+13; Atk +16 melee (1d8+5/17-20, mw longsword); Full Atk +16/+11 melee (1d8+5/17-20, mw longsword); AL CN; SV Fort +11, Ref +4; Will +4; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +12, Ride +14; Blind- Fight, Dodge, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Critical (longsword), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (longsword) [+4 bonus to confirm critical with longsword], Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Possessions: mw longsword, full plate, heavy steel shield, potion of barkskin +5, oil of magic vestment +5, oil of greater magic weapon +5, Quaal’s feather token – swan boat, dust of illusion (soldier #1), goggles of minute seeing (soldier #2), eversmoking bottle (soldier #1), helm of comprehend languages and read magic (soldier #2). Mercenary Cleric: male human Clr11 of Kord; CR 11; medium humanoid (human); HD 11d8+11; hp 75; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 18 (+8 armor); BA/Grp +8/+10; Atk/Full Atk +11 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +8 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); Full Atk +11/+6 melee (2d6+3/19-20, mw greatsword) or +8 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA spells, turn undead 3/day; SQ aura, spontaneous casting; AL CN; SV Fort +8, Ref +3; Will +12; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 18 (20), Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +15, Heal +19, Knowledge (religion) +15, Spellcraft +15; Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Domain Focus (Strength) [casts domain spells from Strength domain at +1 caster level], Domain Spontaneity (Strength) [may convert prepared divine spells into any spell from the Strength domain of equal or lower level by expending one of your daily turn undead attempts], Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (6/7+1/5+1/5+1/4+1/3+1/1+1, base DC = 15 + spell level): 0—guidance x3, light x2, resistance; 1st—bless, comprehend languages, divine favor, enlarge person*, inflict light wounds, protection from law, sanctuary, shield of faith; 2nd—aid, bull’s strength*, hold person, inflict moderate wounds, sound burst, spiritual weapon; 3rd—dispel magic x2, inflict serious wounds, magic vestment*, searing light x2; 4th— dismissal, divine power, freedom of movement*, greater magic weapon, summon monster IV; 5th—flame strike, righteous might*, slay living, wall of stone; 6th—harm, stoneskin*. *Domain spell. Domains: Luck, Strength. Possessions: mw greatsword, light crossbow, quiver w/ 20 bolts, full plate, wand of cure critical wounds (7th level YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 31 caster, 5 charges), potion of bear’s endurance, periapt of wisdom +2, figurine of wondrous power – silver raven, ring of the ram. Encounter Eight Nyrong Sindan: male human Mnk5/DrunkenMaster8; CR 13; medium humanoid (human); HD 13d8+26; hp 98; Init +7; Spd 40 ft; AC 21, touch 18, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 monk, +3 bracers, +1 drunken master); BA/Grp +9/+15; Atk +11 melee (1d10+2, unarmed strike); Full Atk +10/+10/+5 melee (1d10+2, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic), improvised weapons, stagger, improved improvised weapons, greater improvised weapons; SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 20 ft., purity of body, drink like a demon, swaying waist, AC bonus; AL LN; SV Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +11; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Jump +14, Diplomacy +8, Escape Artist +15, Profession (Bartender) +14, Sense Motive +10, Tumble +15; Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flying Kick [when fighting unarmed and using the charge action, you deal an extra 1d12 points of damage with your unarmed attack], Great Fortitude, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, Stunning Fist. Drink Like a Demon (Ex): A drunken master’s body handles alcohol differently from other people. He can drink a large tankard of ale, a bottle of wine, or a corresponding amount of stronger alcohol as a move action. Every bottle or tankard of alcohol he consumes during combat reduces his Wisdom and Intelligence by 2 points each, but increases his Strength or Constitution (character’s choice) by 2 points. A drunken master may benefit from a number of drinks equal to his class level. The duration of both the penalty and the bonus is a number of rounds equal to the character’s drunken master level + 3. Improvised Weapons (Ex): While bottles and tankards are a drunken master’s preferred improvised weapons, he can use furniture, farm implements, or nearly anything else at hand to attack his foes. A drunken master’s improvised weapon deals as much damage as his unarmed strike plus an extra 1d4 points. Most improvised weapons deal bludgeoning damage, although some (a broken bottle, for example) would deal piercing or slashing damage. When a drunken master rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll while using an improvised weapon, that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless. Stagger (Ex): By tripping, stumbling, and staggering a drunken master of 2nd level or higher can make a charge attack that surprises his opponents. This ability has two beneficial aspects: First, the charge need not be in a straight line, even though the character can still move up to twice his speed. Second, if a drunken master makes a DC 15 Tumble check before beginning a charge, his movement through threatened squares provokes no attacks of opportunities. Swaying Waist (Ex): At 3rd level, a drunken master knows how to weave and bob during an attack, making him more difficult to hit. The character gains a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class against any one opponent he chooses during his turn. AC Bonus (Ex): At 4th level a drunken master gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class. This bonus improves to +2 at 9th level. Improved Improvised Weapons (Ex): A drunken master of 4th level or higher can use long improvised weapons (such as ladders) as a reach weapon according to their length, and improvised weapons with many protrusions (such as chains) provide a +2 bonus on opponents’ disarm attempts. Finally, large objects with broad, flat surfaces (such as tables) can be upended to become improvised tower shields. Greater Improvised Weapons (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a drunken master wielding an improvised weapon deals an extra 1d8 points of damage instead of 1d4. For Medicinal Purposes (Sp): At 8th level, a drunken master gains the ability to convert a single alcoholic drink he has ingested into a single potion of cure moderate wounds, as if he had just drunk a dose of the potion. To use this ability, the character must be under the effect of an alcoholic drink (see Drink Like a Demon, above). When he converts one drink of alcohol into one dose of the potion, his ability scores change (+2 to Intelligence and Wisdom, -2 to Strength or Constitution) as if the duration of the alcohol’s effect had expired. This ability can be used up to 3 times per day. It is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Possessions: badge of Nyrong Sindan, bracers of armor +3, potion of barkskin +5, potion of shield of faith +5, robe of useful items, monk’s belt, ring of jumping, potion of greater magic fang +2. Thug: male human Rog9; CR 9; medium humanoid (human); HD 9d6+27; hp 63; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +3 armor); BA/Grp +6/+7; Atk +10 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); Full Atk +10/+5 melee (1d6+1/19-20, mw short sword); SA sneak attack +5d6; SQ trapfinding, evasion, trap sense +3, uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge; AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +9; Will +3; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Disguise +12, Escape Artist +15, Hide +15, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +13, Move Silently +15, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +15, Spot +12, Tumble +15; Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse. Possessions: mw short sword coated w/ one dose of wyvern poison (Fort DC 17, 2d6 Con/2d6 Con), mw studded leather, tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, alchemist’s fire, elixir of sneaking, potion of cat’s grace, potion of barkskin +4, oil of magic vestment +1, javelin of lightning, slippers of spider climbing. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 32 Optional Encounter Nine Grosspokesman Gerheart: male human Mnk8/Sor6; CR 14; medium humanoid (human); HD 8d8+6d4+14; hp 77; Init +6; Spd 50 ft; AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 monk); BA/Grp +9/+10; Atk +11 melee (2d6+1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +10/+10/+5 melee (2d6+1, flurry of blows); SA unarmed strike, flurry of blows, ki strike (magic); SQ evasion, still mind, slow fall 40 ft., purity of body, wholeness of body; AL LN; SV Fort +9, Ref +10; Will +13; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18. Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +17, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (local – Sheldomar Valley Metaregion) +8, Profession (politician) +13, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +6, Tumble +13; Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Throw [if opponent you have chosen to use your Dodge feat against attacks you and misses, you can make an immediate trip attack against that opponent which counts as one of your AoO in the round], Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Negotiator, Stunning Fist, Weapon Finesse. Spells Known (6/7/6/4, base DC = 14 + spell level): 0—acid splash, detect magic, flare, light, message, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—charm person, comprehend languages, disguise self, magic missile; 2nd—detect thoughts, scorching ray; 3rd— lightning bolt. Possessions: shield guardian amulet, potion of cat’s grace, potion of bear’s endurance, potion of owl’s wisdom, potion of protection from arrows 10/magic, potion of nondetection, hat of disguise, wand of magic missile (5th level caster, 25 charges), wand of mage armor (1st level caster, 25 charges), wand of shield (1st level caster, 25 charges), stone of alarm, wind fan, monk’s belt, staff of fire. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 33 DM Aids: Map #1 – Road Ambush YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 34 DM Aids: Map #2 – Trail Ambush YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 35 DM Aids: Map #3 – Raiders’ Camp YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 36 DM Aids: Map #4 – Traveler’s Roost YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 37 DM Aids: Map #5 – The Brotherhood’s Safe House YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 38 Player Handout #1 A note found in one of the raiders tents: Here is the most recent map of the patrol areas of the Eastcot patrol. Captain Jensen is a good soldier but rarely does anything unique, so if you avoid these areas you should be fine. The patrols will be leaving here tomorrow. N. YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 39 Player Handout #2 YEO4-05 Whispers of Deceit Page 40 Player Handout #3 A note found behind the bar in the Traveler’s Roost. Get out of here, they are on to us. Jalab Kreshin is back in town. Therefore, I can only assume that Venmore’s camp has been destroyed and they will be coming for us soon. N.

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Yeomanry/594/Normal Scenarios/YEO4-05 - Whispers of Deceit (APL 2-12)/YEO4-05 - Whispers of Deceit.pdf

exposit@katamoiran Heirs of Sea & Shadow i Acknowledgments Illustrations by Andrew Rackham, courtesy of Project Gutenberg and the public domain. Thank you to Against the Wicked City, for an in-depth and insightful se- ries of posts about what exactly “romantic fantasy” is, and for many of the principles that inform this system. And thank you to Ron Edwards (Trollbabe) and John Harper (Stranger Things) for the heart of this game. Heirs of Sea & Shadow is a tabletop role-playing game inspired by Trollbabe and Stranger Things, as well as the many helpful design discussions by lumpley games. It is primarily designed for solo play, but should be easily adapt- able for groups that have good communication and who are willing to compromise. It is strongly narrative, intended to facilitate writing a story while enjoying an ttrpg experience. It also has a framework for creating generational stories. The PDF is designed to be printed in landscape on standard a4 or letter-sized paper. The fonts used are Cantarell, Simonetta, and Cinzel Decorative. This DRAFT document was last updated May 22, 2017. If this date is more than two weeks ago, you should check the website for an updated version. https://exposit.github.io/katamoiran/rpglets.html Copyright 2017 by exposit@katamoiran. Sir Vissa tilted her head, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight, her mouth set in a scowl. The nervous emissary coughed; he was well aware of the demonslayer’s reputation. “The Queen requests that you return to Never as captain of the newly formed Demonsguard.” He didn’t think it wise to mention it was literally a detail for guarding demons. 4 “We need a guide to the Wastes,” the pale young woman said, and gestured imperiously. Her mercenary dropped a bag of gold on the table. “They say you’re the best.” Arion cocked an eyebrow; he wasn’t sure where they’d heard he was for sale, but they’d heard wrong. 4 Gambrom spun lower on his web, sliding down to the forest floor where a young human lay, blood staining her tunic. “For the Queen,” she murmured with her last breath, the slender scroll case clutched in her hand falling to the forest floor. He would have left it there if the trees hadn’t asked him to help. Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i 1 The Dying of the Light 1 1.1 What Kind of game is this? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Prepare to Play 2 2.1 Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2.2 Overview of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2.3 The Oracle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2.4 Playing With a Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 Creating a Character 3 3.1 Descriptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3.2 Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3.3 Final Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 What It Looks Like 5 5 How to Play the Game 6 5.1 Rerolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5.2 Status Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5.3 Foe or Obstacle? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5.4 Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5.5 Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5.6 Replenishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5.7 Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6 Dynasties 9 6.1 Creating a Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6.2 Building Your Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6.3 The Birds and the Bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 6.4 Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 6.5 Creating an Heir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 6.6 Secret Heirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 6.7 Passing the Torch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 6.8 Factions & Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 7 The World of Lunedd 12 7.1 Lunedd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7.2 Anwy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7.3 The Demon Wastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7.4 Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.5 Never . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.6 The Fishing Village of Sako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.7 Isa Verys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 8 Scenarios 14 8.1 Demonsguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 8.2 The Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 9 Major Hooks 16 9.1 Never . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 9.2 Sako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 9.3 Isa Verys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Minor Encounters 17 9.4 Never . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9.5 Sako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9.6 Isa Verys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9.7 Demon Wastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Names 18 Random Generators 19 Scene Structure 21 Character Sheet 22 Tips for Playing Heirs of Sea & Shadow 23 ii 1 The Dying of the Light The cause is all but lost. The demons have won. The Light dies. ...Or so they would have you believe. Across the last human kingdom, glittering Lunedd, shadows creep in search of the smallest foothold, the tiniest doubt or fear, to encourage greed and lies and deceit. And in the crystal city of Never, the heart of Lunedd, the twilight lasts a little longer each dusk, and rumors whisper of dark pacts and darker deeds, done for the pettiest of reasons and the basest of coins. ...But all is not lost. Heroes rise, answering the call of their hearts and driven by honor, however they define it. They come in unlikely shapes. A knight in gleaming armor, all but exiled for choosing action over her mother’s politics. A talking spider, in search of answers, met only with terror and hostility. A shapeshifter, last carrier of a lost lore, seeking a hollow revenge and the oblivion of death. These are the stories of those of good heart in the last hours after darkness falls. Stories of triumph against all odds, of tragic foolishness, or of brilliant failure that shines as a beacon to those who would follow. You will play to find out which. When heroes rise up and say, “This far, and no farther.” What Kind of game is this? Heirs of Sea & Shadow is a game of storytelling. The goal is simply that– to tell a story, to participate in the crafting of a legend, whether for good or for ill. You create and control heroes who have chosen not to give in to despair, but to fight for what they believe in. The story may ultimately be a tragic one, or a happy one, or somewhere in between, but it will always be a hopeful one. Unlike many tabletop roleplaying games, in Heirs of Sea & Shadow combat is not the first option, or even often a good idea. Violence begets more violence, and only empathy and love will truly change hearts and minds and make the future brighter. Plus he who draws first often finds himself stabbed in the back by the guy he didn’t see sneak up on him. So parlay, when you can, and use trickery when you must, and lift your blade only when the most dire of needs arises. Remember, the light shines brightest in the dark. The Light shines in the darkness; the darkness has not overcome it. 1 2 Prepare to Play Read the rules carefully and be sure you understand the order of play and the mechanics. Pay special attention to the Principles below; they are not guidelines, but rules that must be followed for the game to work properly. Collect some paper and pencils and one or more ten-sided dice (d10s). A d6 will be useful as well. Or use a computer program like Google Docs or Notepad and a dice roller. How much you narrate and how detailed it is is up to you, but you will want a way to jot down your progress as you go. Principles The fiction is the first rule. Every mechanic is informed by the fiction and compelled by it. Once a fact about the world is established in play, it is as relevant and restrictive as any rule. Ask the oracle questions frequently. Look for hard questions. You are not your character. You are your character’s author. Your mission is not to make your hero’s life safe or to succeed; it is to test your hero’s mettle and prove he deserves the title. Don’t pull your punches, but root for the poor sap – he’s going to need it. Diplomacy is always an option. Remember that everyone wants something. You may not like the terms of the bargain or to be able to offer enough, but there’s always a chance, however brief, to negotiate. No one is irredeemably evil. It is up to you – and the fiction – whether that redemption is in reach. And if you want to reach for it. Motives are personal and between people. No matter how grand the plan or far-reaching the plot, an actor ultimately wants something personal. To gain a parent’s love, or prove worth of a mentor’s respect, or earn a lover’s regard; these are the forces that drive the game. Overview of Play Create a character. You may use a Scenario, or one of the provided adventure hooks, or a world of your own devising. Feel out the world, asking questions of the oracle as you go, until you reach a point when there is a chance of failure and something the hero cares about is in danger. Declare your intent and stakes. Build a modifier, then roll. If you fail, reroll if you choose, or accept the failure. Once you’ve resolved the roll, narrate the fallout and go back to feeling out the world using the oracle. The Oracle Roll 2d10 and read the face value; the first die as the tens and the second the ones. If you roll higher than 50, the answer’s “yes”, otherwise it’s “no”. If you roll 10- or 90+ add an ’and’ qualifier, an intensifier that makes the answer more extreme. If you roll between 40 and 60, add a “but” qualifier, a reducer that adds a drawback or caveat to the answer. Add or subtract 10 from the roll if it’s particularly likely or unlikely. Playing With a Group Share a hero or each make your own. Pick a GM or play GM-less. Be considerate, empathetic, and respectful towards each other. Listen. If you’re playing without a GM, take turns framing the scene and declaring when it is over. When a player triumphs, they narrate; when they fail, whoever is playing their foe does. If that’s nobody, it’s the player on their left. 2 3 Creating a Character Descriptor Each character has at least one sentence of descriptive text that defines her. Choose one: I am a (blank) trying to be (blank) despite (blank). I am a (blank) but I am (blank) and (blank). I am a (blank), (blank) but (blank). The “blanks” are your starting Tags; they describe the hero’s skills, abilities, heritage, or personality. Tags that are part of your starting sentence are fundamental to your character. If you are using a Scenario, follow the instructions, otherwise, pick a starting sentence and three Tags to fill the blanks. Pick two more Tags that appeal to you, for a starting total of five. Honorable, Brave, Vengeful, Sullen, Greedy, Lustful, Demonspawn, Mage, Seer, Ranger, Silvertongue, Lover, Noble, Merchant, Royal, Doomed, Lucky, Gardener, Ex- plorer, Sailor, Spy, Brawler, Orator Attributes The five attributes are Combat, Exploration, Weird, Social, and Skill. Each attribute is a sliding scale, from 1 to 10, with a number between 2 and 9. This number is the scale’s long-term number. Each attribute also has a number, from 2 to 9, that is the scale’s current number. The current number begins equal to the long-term number. Circle or mark one of each pair; this side of the scale’s range is inclusive of the current number. Combat fight or flee Fight is when you physically or mentally engage in combat or attempt to resist damage. Flee is when you seek to avoid combat, or hide from it instead of facing it head on. Explore bold or cautious Exploration is your curiousity about the world, experience navigating it, and openness to new experiences while doing so. A Bold approach is one that meets challenges head-on, kicking down the door, swaggering into the tavern, or cutting the Gordion knot. A Cautious approach studies the runes before touching them, researches the lore before the journey, or tries all the options in the puzzle patiently to find the correct solution. Social aggressive or empathetic Social is your ability to navigate society and interpersonal relationships. With an Aggressive approach, you intimidate, demand, or impress with your force of personality. With an Empathetic approach, you persuade, listen, and negotiate to get what you want. 3 CHAPTER 3. CREATING A CHARACTER 4 Skill your choice or your choice Your Skill reflects two things your hero knows how to do well, one better than the other. Try to choose items that overlap as little as possible with each other and with the core sliders, but don’t overthink it. You might be a Sailor first, a Merchant second. You might be a Farmer first, a Thief second. Or you might be a Scholar first, a Lover second. Whatever you choose for your Skill, make it something you want to use in play. Skills are unique in that you may add a second skill scale later. Weird demanding or sensitive Weird is your connection to the arcane, the unseen forces that shape the world. If you are Demanding, you force fire into existence with your will, you blast your foes with waves of mental energy, or you ward a door against passage with explosive consequences. If you are Sensitive, you see the invisible, speak with plants, or whisper into the wind for a far off ally’s ear to hear. Final Details Choose a name for your hero. Write “x2” next to a Resource; you may use this Resource twice before crossing it off. Sir Vissa Au’Brinian I am a knight trying to be honorable despite temptation. Combat [ 8 ] Fight* 8 Flee Explore [ 6 ] Bold* 6 Cautious Social [ 5 ] Aggressive* 5 Empathetic Skill [ 5 ] Knight* 5 Politician Weird [ 5 ] Demanding* 5 Sensitive Tags: knight, honorable, tempted, brave, aristocrat Resources: carried item x2 4 Gambrom Manylegs I am a spider, feared but canny. Combat [ 2 ] Fight 2 Flee* Explore [ 4 ] Bold 4 Cautious* Social [ 3 ] Aggressive 3 Empathetic* Skill [ 5 ] Stealth 5 Weaving* Weird [ 3 ] Demanding 3 Sensitive* Tags: spider, feared, canny, large, kind Resources: hidden knowledge x2 4 Arion of Fanwood I am a shapeshifter, but I am vengeful and suicidal. Combat [ 5 ] Fight* 5 Flee Explore [ 5 ] Bold 5 Cautious* Social [ 8 ] Aggressive* 8 Empathetic Skill [ 7 ] Shapeshift* 7 Hunter Weird [ 5 ] Demanding 5 Sensitive* Tags: shapeshifter, vengeful, suicidal, ranger, scholar Resources: supernatural power or ability x2 4 What It Looks Like Vissa sat cross-legged on the warm rock overlooking the gleaming waters of Lake Meiron. Her eyes were closed as she meditated, focusing her mind on the blissfulness of nothing. Since this is the first scene, I’ll roll up a random event using the conflict consequences table. A 1, so Combat, and a 4, meaning a sneak attack. I could roll Exploration, to see if she is aware enough of the world to react before it hits her. Or I could do Weird, to see if she senses it. Or Knight, if she relies on her training and experience to perceive it. Whatever I choose, it will help define the threat. I decide to go with “Knight”, on the Skill scale. It has a number of 5 and is inclusive, meaning I roll a 5- to succeed. Then I define my intent and my stakes. The intent is to sense the attack so I can react first to get out of the way. Since I don’t know quite what I’m facing yet, I’ll roll to see what the stakes are. I get an 8, for “major”. Whatever it is, it hits hard! I assemble my modifier; a +1 for the knight tag. The roll is a 7, a failure, even with my modifier moving it in my favor to a 6. I’m taking a major injury. So I narrate the failure and the injury, and add a Status Effect – “Poisoned” – that helps me define the creature. The whoosh of air ruffled her hair and her eyes flew open as the wyvern swept past, the barb of its tail stinging her shoulder through her light summer dress. There’s no chance for a reroll, since the fictional circumstances have changed and my original intent no longer applies. So I accept the failure, and choose to move my number, to a 6. I get 1xp for using the “knight” tag from my descriptor. This is a new roll; my intent is now to “drop behind the rock, out of harm’s way, so I can grab my gear”. The approach is Combat, Flee, which isn’t really my strong suit at a 9+. For the stakes, I choose minor. My modifier is a +1 for knight and a -1 for poisoned, for a net of 0. I need to roll a 9 or better. I roll a 7, a failure. So I narrate taking the hit and add a status effect to reflect the injury – “grazed”. She threw herself flat, sliding behind the rock, and the wyvern’s talons parted her hair and grazed her face. And I’ll reroll, same stakes, same intent, invoking a found item as a resource. The modifier is the same. Roll is a 10. I mark off “a found item” and add 1xp since I used “knight” for this series of rolls. She scooped up a heavy rock and threw it, hard, at the creature. It hissed, wings stroking the air as it climbed. It almost disappeared against the bright sun as it circled around for another pass. She felt a wave of dizziness as she scrambled for her sword and shield. What’s a wyvern doing this far south? she wondered, as her fingers closed around the familiar hilt of the blade and she turned to face the foe streaking from the sky. 5 5 How to Play the Game Heroes are capable individuals who can handle themselves against the world. Rolls should be called for when there is a risk of failure and something the hero cares about is put in danger. Risk of failure applies when a situation is more difficult than someone competent with the hero’s Tags and Skills could handle easily. A sailor can tie a knot without a roll; tying that same knot in a gale requires one. The thing the hero cares about in danger might be his pride, or his sword arm, or his position in society, or simply the regard of the pretty lass he’s been flirting with all evening. These are the stakes, the injury the hero risks if he fails. Stakes fall into three categories, based on how much your hero cares – minor, a major, or yourself. These may be injuries, say, a slash across the ribs or a broken arm, or more abstract, like exile or being stripped of a cherished illusion or destruction of a long-term project. A good intent has both an action – “I want to tie off the rope” – and a goal – “so the ship doesn’t break free of its moorings”. If your intent is vague or you need more details about a situation, ask an oracle question instead. If you aren’t sure what the stakes should be, roll a d10; on a 5-, the stakes are minor, on a 6-8, major, and on a 9+, the stakes are yourself. You may only use a stake that has a corresponding unchecked injury box – if a rolled stake is invalid, choose a different level of risk. You do not have to clarify what the stakes are exactly, just state the severity, though you’re free to be more specific if the context suggests it. It’s up to you if your hero recognizes the danger or not. Don’t narrate anything yet! Choose the most appropriate scale and decide which approach matches the fiction and intent best. If the approach is hard to determine, pick the one with the best range. Minor: bruised, tired, look bad, small fine, flee with minor cost, hesitate Major: broken arm, exiled from court for a season, a difficult task, scarred face, flee at heavy cost, pause for exchange, poisoned Yourself: death, exiled from court forever, a seemingly impossible task, loss of limb, flee with nothing, hold off for a scene, missing in action Assemble a modifier; add one for each Tag or Status Effect that applies to your advantage, and subtract one for each that hinders your hero. If you’re not sure if a Tag or Status Effect applies, ask the oracle. Roll a d10; if your approach is on the left side, roll under your current number, if on the right, roll over it. Include the current number in the success range for the marked side. Adjust your roll by the modifier. I want to make an Explore roll. Bold is marked, and my current number is 6. When I use a Bold approach, I roll a 6 or less to succeed. For a Cautious approach, I roll a 7 or greater to succeed. If you roll your number exactly, roll on the “Conflict Consequences” chart and use the result as part of your next narration, taking an extra Status Effect to reflect the new circumstances. When you fail a roll, narrate how the failure and injury happens, then add any appropriate Status Effects, and mark off one of your injury boxes. If you are still capable fictionally, have not checked off your last injury box or your “yourself” box, and have Resources left, you may opt to reroll. When you have failed and can’t or don’t reroll, slide the scale’s current number up or down by one, then decide if you will give up on the goal or try a new approach. If you succeed, narrate the success. Move in the direction that increases your chances of success at the same roll again. 6 CHAPTER 5. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME 7 Rerolls To reroll, first invoke a Resource; this is the force that gives you the will or ability to push forward, past defeat. Check the Resource off when you invoke it. Choose or roll new stakes. Just as a primary roll, if you lack an unchecked injury box for the stake’s level, raise the stakes until you have an unchecked box. If the stakes are too high, you may give up and accept the original failure. If you do, the goal is unattainable unless circumstances change. Otherwise, roll again, adjusting the modifiers for your current Status Effects and Tags. If you succeed, you achieve your goal. Otherwise, you fail and suffer the injury. Mark off the injury box and add an appropriate Status Effect. Narrate the result either way. If you fail, you may reroll again as long as you have a Resource left to spend, are fictionally capable, and have unchecked wound boxes. Status Effects Status Effects are the temporary version of Tags and may be lost, changed, or added in play as the fiction dictates without penalty. It’s not necessary to detail every last emotion or impairment a hero suffers, just the ones that are strong enough to affect his capabilities. If you’re not sure if something should be a Status Effect or not, ask the oracle. If you’d prefer not to keep track of Status Effects, simply assess the situation before each roll. If you’re in an advantageous position, add +1 to the roll, a disadvantagous one, a -1. Resources: Emotion • Found item • Supernatural effect or ability • Hidden or specialized knowledge • Geographical feature • Element like silver, fire, or iron • Carried item • Ally Foe or Obstacle? A “foe” is a sentient creature who can be negotiated with, reasoned with, and empathized with. An “obstacle” is anything in your way that isn’t a foe. You may only demand of a foe a setback or change as severe as that which you are willing to wager yourself; if you don’t risk yourself, neither do they. Note that this doesn’t mean the terms must be identical, but they must be commensurate in value. Injuries Injuries reflect setbacks you’ve taken recently. They track how much fight your hero can bring to the table at the moment. When you fill in your final injury box or your “yourself” box, your hero is out of the current conflict. Finish any narration, then end the scene. Decide if your hero is dead. This is your call, regardless of the fiction. If she is, narrate how the world is changed by her life and her passing. Otherwise, before the next scene starts, roll a d10 for each injury; on an even result, erase the injury, on an odd, leave it. Use which injuries remain to inform your fiction; was he tended while unconscious? Left to die of his wounds? Locked in the tallest tower? Stranded in the wilderness? Status Effects may vanish with the injury (a tended wound no longer Bleeds) or linger as consequences (an exile is still Exiled, even if they find themselves on new shores). CHAPTER 5. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME 8 Scenes Scenes are units of game time, much like a scene in a movie or play. They begin when the action does and end when you, the player, say they do. A game of Heirs of Sea & Shadow is divided into scenes, during which conflicts arise, dramas are played out, and the hero’s life becomes ever more complicated. You may want to follow a strict Scene Structure or to just go with your instincts. Either way is fine. Replenishment When you want to replenish your Resources, play a replenishment scene. Make rolls as usual. At the end of the scene, if the fiction indicates you’ve recuperated, your Resources are all restored. Any Status Effects that would naturally end after a rest do. Any injuries that would be healed by the fiction are. You may also return the current number of one scale of your choice to its long-term number. Advancement Gain one point of experience when you use at least one Tag from your descriptor on a roll or series of rolls. Only take 1xp regardless of the number of rerolls. You may spend 5xp to change the long-term number of one of your hero’s scales to a new number, to add a new non-descriptor Tag, to change your marked scale, or to fill in a blank space in your descriptor. You may spend 3xp to set one of your hero’s scales to whatever current number you wish. You may spend 1xp to restore a Resource on the spot, to change an oracle answer to one you like better, or to add one in your favor to a roll. Overview of Play 1 Generate fiction using the oracle until there’s a risk of failure and there’s a danger. 2 Make a statement of intent, including the goal and the stakes. 3 Assemble a modifier from Status Effects and Tags. 4 Roll the dice. Narrate the outcome. Assign Status Effects and injuries. 5 Determine if a reroll is possible and desired. If so, spend a Resource and name new stakes. 6. Repeat steps 3-5 until the fiction makes your approach invalid, you give up, succeed, or are too badly hurt to continue. If the fiction demands that you lose a regular Tag and you agree, gain 5xp. Otherwise, narrate why you should keep it and gain 1xp. If you do something that directly contravenes one of your hero’s descriptor Tags, you may choose to drop the Tag, making it blank. If so, gain 10xp. Once you have spent 15xp, gain an advance. Add a new phrase with a single blank to your hero’s descriptor and choose a new Tag, or add a second Skill scale. Return any of your scales you wish to their long-term numbers. Vissa’s player has spent 15xp; she decides to add a new phrase, “and Captain of the Demonsguard”, with the Tag “Demonsguard (Captain)”, to reflect her interest in exploring that aspect of the character. 6 Dynasties Heirs of Sea & Shadow can be used to tell the stories of one hero, or it can be used to create sweeping stories of generations – of the rise and fall of an entire line of heroes. If you decide to include Dynasties, there are two levels of focus; “Adventure” and “Downtime”. During the Adventure, play as usual, exploring the world and building an immediate story, just as you would if you weren’t using dynasties. This is the “on screen” time. Downtime reflects a period of significant time off from adventuring; a time to rest and recover and to pursue less dramatic matters. It is also treated as a Replenishment scene for the purposes of healing wounds and removing Status Effects. When you create your first hero, create a time tracker. This doesn’t need to be complicated; a plain list will do. Track time on a monthly basis, marking down each month that passes. If nothing of note occurs, just make a mark. You may choose to switch the focus (and pass a large chunk of time) whenever you please, even if it’s in the middle of an adventure. When your hero gains an advance, switches focus from Adventure to Downtime, or a year passes in Downtime, roll on the Dynasty Events chart; play the resulting scene out before continuing and add any entries to your time tracker. frail • depressed • violent • perverse • visions • incest addict • fits • mismatched eyes • distinctive hair color • bald • short tall • bad eyesight • ugly • glutton • lazy • infertile beautiful • magic-poor • curse • nose • giant • often ill short life • quick • temper • lechery • demonspawn • demonmark coward • fertile • genius • deformity • charming • lucky Creating a Dynasty Create your character as usual. You may roll on the Upbringing chart for an extra Tag. Add an additional phrase to your descriptor. I am of House family-name, and we are known for (blank) and (blank). I am the first of my line, and we will be known for (blank) and (blank). Choose or roll two additional Tags to fill in those blanks; these are hereditary to your family line. Treat these Tags as regular descriptor Tags; they may be removed and replaced as normal. For each Tag you add to your hero, in play or at creation, that can be passed down genetically or via upbringing, roll a d10; this is the likeliness that it will be passed down to the next generation. Add the Tag “Less Fertile” to a female hero when she reaches age 40. At age 50 (for female heroes only), pregnancy is no longer an issue. Give your hero a birth month and an age or birth year. Building Your Domain Your hero’s domain reflects the wealth of her home and, to some extent, her social standing. Choose a descriptor for your hero to reflect the domain and then choose three Tags to fill in those blanks. My home is domain-name, a (blank) by a (blank) that is (blank). My home is domain-name, a (blank) that is (blank) and (blank). This part of the descriptor works just like any other part of the descriptor; it’s subject to fictional positioning and the Tags are used in the usual way. You improve your domain by spending time in it and by working on its behalf at home and abroad. You may spend xp on it, just like you spend xp on your character; it is part of your hero. When you are in your domain, add “my home” to your list of resources. 9 CHAPTER 6. DYNASTIES 10 The Birds and the Bees When your hero discovers a potential love interest, generate a random Tag for them, either by rolling on one of the Tag charts or on the Motivation for Sex chart. If your hero risks pregnancy during an adventure (or for each month an heir might potentially be conceived in Downtime), create an entry for the event under that month in the time tracker. Note the partner’s name and add a Status Effect to the event to reflect any increased or decreased chance of pregnancy, such as “Infertile” or “Extended Dalliance”. Add more Tags to the partner as you learn about them in play. If the partner turns out to not be able to contribute to creating an heir for some reason, note this as well. As always, ask the oracle if there’s doubt. Pregnancy Each month your hero might be pregnant or have caused a pregnancy (and your hero would know about it), determine the chance of pregnancy, then roll 2d10; if both are the target number or under, a pregnancy results. If a female partner or hero is trying to get pregnant and has full access to an enthusiastic potential father, the base target number is 7, otherwise, the base target number is 1. When in doubt, use the lower base number. Build a modifier; add one for each Tag your hero and the partner possess that would increase the chances of pregnancy, and subtract one for each Tag your hero and the partner possess that decrease the chance of pregnancy. If your modifier is positive, add it to the target number, otherwise, subtract it. Add the Status Effect “Tired” immediately to any actor, including the hero, who rolls pregnant. Replace “Tired” with “Pregnant” after she passes the third month. It’s up to you (or the oracle, if you prefer) if your hero continues adventuring, retires for a time, or retires for good. It’s also up to you how punitive the pregnancy-related Tags are and how you use the hero’s status and new hostages to fate as stakes. When 10 months have passed, roll a d10 for Birth Events. These rules are intended to preserve mystery; if you’d prefer just to know, roll for pregnancy whenever there’s a chance of it – or you can streamline things even further by simply asking the oracle. Creating an Heir Until the hero changes, all heirs are simply NPCs with a bit of extra information in the form of Tags. They may gain and lose Tags as time passes, if the hero interacts with them or changes their circumstances. Try to resist determining more than the basics about a given heir; leave as much as you can to be discovered in play. To define an heir, first roll a gender, then assign the heir’s relationship Tags. Only create those that will be useful in play (say, if his mother’s the queen or his father’s a bold adventurer). Establish the heir’s starting Tags by rolling a d10 for each of the hero’s inheritable Tags and for each of the partner’s inheritable Tags. If you roll equal to or under the Tag’s rating, it’s passed on, with a rating of the new roll. Note that it’s possible to purchase a Tag later, to reflect a late bloomer. If there is a question about the heir’s paternity for some reason, perhaps because she fails to display any definitive Tags from a male hero or due to uncertain timing for a female hero, ask the oracle who the real parent is before rolling Tags, or leave it as an open question in play. The heir also gains a Tag reflecting her upbringing, of your choice, if known, or rolled randomly, if the heir is secret. Known heirs may be named by your hero or randomly, your choice. CHAPTER 6. DYNASTIES 11 Secret Heirs Whenever a chart result indicates a secret heir’s arrival, look through your hero’s time tracker. Starting with the oldest or most interesting potential conception, roll against them as usual for determining pregnancy. A “no” on this roll means that this is not the heir that’s arrived, not that that event did not result in pregnancy. When a pregnancy is rolled, stop rolling; that’s the mother and the general time of conception for the secret heir who just arrived in your hero’s life. If you don’t have any suitable entries or none turn out to be the secret mother, you may choose to add a liaison in the hero’s distant past, to choose the mother you (or the oracle) prefer from the list of potential entries, or to ignore the result. A secret heir is created just as a known one is (don’t forget the Birth event!), except that they gain a random Tag to reflect their upbringing and their name is chosen at random (or points to the hero). If a Tag doesn’t make sense to pass down to a child one hasn’t raised (for example, Educated), don’t roll to see if it is passed down. Note that the arrival of a secret heir can have effects ranging from spousal tension to family rifts to outright civil war. Inheritance issues might be the least of your hero’s worries. Passing the Torch When your hero dies, retires, gives up adventuring, or goes missing, it’s time to choose his heir. Review your time tracker for any unrevealed secret heirs. Test each entry as detailed under “Secret Heirs”. Choose one or more of your favorites from the list of potential heirs and create them fully. First, choose the heir’s descriptor as usual, including the family phrase. Do not add any new Tags over his existing ones. Use his existing Tags to fill in the blanks as you prefer; any unfilled blanks are left empty but may be filled in play. Roll a d10 for each scale’s long-term number; if even, mark the left side, otherwise circle the right. If you roll a 1 or a 10, you choose both the number and the marked side. Choose a resource you want to be able to use twice with this hero. Finally, choose the heir you find most interesting to be your new hero, or play as many as you wish in rotation, tracking each separately. The remaining heirs become NPCs; use their Tags to give them personality, if you wish, but they provide no mechanical benefits. If your hero doesn’t have any heirs, you may opt to create an heir if you want to continue the dynasty. This heir may be secret or known; whether they’re from a past liaison, adopted, or the child of a friend or relative, is up to you. When creating an heir from nothing, roll all Tags randomly. The domain descriptor phrase may be inherited or not, depending on the situation. If it’s not, create a new domain descriptor phase. Either way, roll once on the Dynasty Events chart when the new hero comes of age or inherits hero status and play the scene out, changing Tags as appropriate. If you get a seemingly nonsensical result, try interpreting it in context of the old hero and his interpersonal relationships. Factions & Relationships Factions and interpersonal relationships such as parentage can be modeled in play with Status Effects and Tags. When your hero ingratiates himself to a faction or alienates one, add a new Tag, in the format Relationship-type(Person or group). In play, change Tags as the relationship itself changes, or intensify them by adding more Tags to reflect different aspects of the same relationship. 7 The World of Lunedd The world is broken; the light is dying and there is no hope. These are the words of the hopeless and the afraid. The farmers who huddle around fires as the shadows roam their fields and take their livestock in the night. The nobles in fine silks who listen just a moment longer than they should to the blandishments of merchants from the demon courts. This is a world where terrible things have happened and continue to happen, but as long as heroes – ordinary men and women who choose not to surrender – rise to fight and to extend a hand, there is hope. Two hundred years ago, the mad king of Anwy made a bargain that unleashed the demons across the isle. In the initial carnage, only the queen of Lunedd was able to rally her forces and the other survivors to beat back the demon hordes. After nearly two centuries, formal rules of etiquette and diplomacy have been forged between various powers of the isle, including the primarily human Llunedd and the most stable and influential of the demon courts, in ruined Anwy. The giantkin to the west squabble amongst themselves. The mainland has grown decadent and self-absorbed. And rumors grow of a warlord who seeks to unite the many petty demon fiefs scattered across the isles into a force capable of conquering not just Lunedd, but the world. And every night lasts just a little bit longer... Lunedd Lunedd is a forested kingdom along the south-western coast of the island, originally settled by refugees from the western isles, and rich in copper and demon-prized silver. It is bounded on the south and west by sea, and to the north and east by the Demon Wastes. Luneddians are hardy and sensible, with a strong love of the sea and a tendency towards traditionalism. The culture is egalitarian and despises slavery; there are no rules about sexual preference, as long as those with familial obligations fulfill them. The society does have strong gender roles, though they are often crossed in storms of gossip and scandal. Women are expected to care for the land, the people, and affairs of state as farmers, politicians, priests, and healers, while men serve as warriors, guards, and, most importantly, sailors. Anwy Anwy once rivaled Lunedd in stature and virtue, but now crumbles, buried under the weight of perpetual darkness. Wren, the City of Silver, gleams darkly in the center of a barren plain that once was rolling farmland. None know what has become of her rightful king or his heirs, and no human has met face to face with the Lord of Anwy and lived to tell of it. Some voices whisper that the trade and diplomacy is merely a diversion, a pastime for the demons as they wait for the night to fall for the final time. Others, louder, herald a new age of peace and understanding. Only time will tell. The Demon Wastes With the demons came the strange and twisted forests that covered most of the isle overnight, now known as the Demon Wastes. The demons who lurk within go by many names and have as many different powers; imps, devils, medusae, ogre, ghost, hobgoblin, banshee, vampire. Some scholars claim they have always been here, and that the mad king of Anwy merely gave them power. Unfortunately, most of what the demons want out of existence is morally unpalatable to humans, if not downright destructive, and even the kindest, most benevolent demon has to eat... 12 CHAPTER 7. THE WORLD OF LUNEDD 13 Demonspawn Most unfortunate are those who are born with the blood of a demon in their veins. In Lunedd, those with demon heritage are only grudgingly tolerated, though a vocal contingent among the nobility advocates acceptance. Subtler voices whisper of the power to be had by embracing those of demonic lineage. One thing is for certain; you cannot trust a demonspawn, for they are Other. The Otherkin Deep within the Wastes live sentient animals, the spirits of nature given form. They reflect the spirits that they once were, spirits driven to the fringes of the now twisted forests they once stewarded. Some are cursed humans. Some are demons. Some just are, eternal and unchanging. All are bad luck to cross paths with; things best avoided when they call out to you at dusk or dawn from the wild places. The Averyni The Averyni, wild shapeshifters, have suffered the most at the hands of the demons, their ancestral groves engulfed by the Demon Wastes overnight. They hide, now, rarely seen by human or demon. Who knows what ancient lore is hidden with them? Magic Magic is rare, and may be fueled by strength of will or, more commonly, by pacts with spirits. Everyone knows a rhyme or gesture or two to propitiate the humble spirits of trees and wild game and chance; only a few stumble across or dare the unholy rites that bind greater demons to heel. Magic is subtle, creating wrinkles in reality rather than tears. Jinxes, illusions, enchantments, curses – all of these are hinted at by the folklore of the people of the isles. Silver has an affinity with magic, and is thus greatly in demand by demons and sorcerers. Iron, especially that forged by human hands, repels magic and is equally in demand by those who wish for protection from the ravages of magic. Never The glittering city of Never rises against the very edge of the sea, built along the mouth of the wide, placid Shikoru River. The palace at its center, shaped by some long-ago hand from glass as hard as diamond and from infused silver, is home to the Queen Regent Cairfyl and her urbane, educated court. The city, like all cities, has a poor underclass, mostly centered around the wharfs that feed the city, and struggles with crime. The Fishing Village of Sako Sako is a tiny town of nets and ramshackle but tidy houses, along the curve of the bay looking out to the west. It smells of tobacco smoke and campfires in the evening, and of fish and sea at all times. The fisherfolk are staunch traditionalists, and the town Burgher, a local farmer, runs things loosely but efficiently. To the north lies the Eid Plains, and then the edge of the Demon Wastes, the dark forest that engulfs the island north and east of Lunedd. Nearby is Lake Meiron, long rumored to be the dwelling place of an ancient spirit. Isa Verys On the northern edge of Lunedd, where the Demon Wastes begins and the trees become twisted and angry, the tiny hamlet of Isa Verys marks the safest road to Anwy – and one of the richest silver mines on the isles. The foresters are a hard and surly folk, used to dealing with demons and treachery, and unused to civility. They keep well apart from the highly trained guard responsible for the safety of the miners. 8 Scenarios Demonsguard Choose one Tag from each list. if a Tag is bracketed, specify what it is. Choose a sentence from the Character Generation section and fill in the blanks with three of your chosen Tags. noble • soldier • knight • royal • priest • guard honorable • tough • clever • graceful • stubborn • grieving demonspawn • shapeshifter • mage • cursed • haunted • pragmatic well-educated • artist • cultured • <craft> • <profession> • dilettante Finally, choose a relationship and a target, and add it as a Tag, as Relationship-type(Person). For example, “Mother(Queen Cairfyl)” or “Rival(Captain Aeryn)”, or more generally, “Friendship(Watch)”. Now choose your attributes, and your extra resource. scholar/brawler • soldier/farmer • privateer/courtier • priest/lover • knight/noble • healer/warrior The Beginning You’re in Sako, at a wedding • the Demon Wastes, tracking an old enemy • the wharfs, in a brothel • the palace, someplace you shouldn’t be • Isa Verys, at a funeral • Lake Meiron, meditating The Queen Regent has betrothed the young heir to the demonspawn heir of Anwy, who is to be fostered at court along with other heirs from across the isles. A new guard is being formed to protect the newly arrived fosterlings, and they want you to take the thankless, dangerous, career-ending job of leading it. Why you? What do you do? 14 CHAPTER 8. SCENARIOS 15 The Lost Choose one Tag from each list. if a Tag is bracketed, specify what it is. Choose a sentence from the Character Generation section and fill in the blanks with three of your chosen Tags. ranger • captain • farmer • sailor • merchant • noble inquisitive • determined • connected • exiled • world-weary • bitter demonspawn • shapeshifter • mage • cursed • haunted • pragmatic educated • artistic • traditional • <craft> • <profession> • dilettante Finally, choose a relationship and a target, and add it as a Tag, as Relationship-type(Person). For example, “Sister(Gwen)” or “Rival(Mayor Chlona”, or even more generally, “Friendship(Miners)”. Now choose your attributes, and your extra resource. ranger/noble • miner/farmer • merchant/pirate • soldier/artist • scout/fisher • healer/warrior The Beginning A group of mercenaries in the employ of a pale, ill-looking youth have arrived in Isa Verys, renting the entire inn and purchasing supplies for a long journey. They are seeking a guide to the Wastes, and have sought you out, in particular. Of course you told them no. Why did you? They want you because you’ve been there before • you’re the best • you have a reputation for success • everyone else said no • of something special about you • they won’t say You don’t expect your beer to be drugged or to wake up miles into the Wastes, tied to a horse, and you definitely don’t expect the ambush that erupts from the trees. What do you do? 9 Major Hooks Never An attempt has been made on the life of the queen, and a good friend of yours stands accused of providing aid to the assassin. A close relative has passed away, leaving you a business in the city, if you can just deal with his mysterious partner. Who, as it turns out, is secretive for a reason – they’re not exactly human. A veiled woman asks for your aid for her enclave, deep in the Wastes, and offers a healthy sum for a simple task – to travel to her home with a gift for her sister. She promises that she has information you would be very interested in if you accept the job. In a run-down church in the poorest part of the wharf district, a stranger lies, delirious and ill, and his ravings are those of a madman – or a seer. The pastor begs you for help on the strength of your old friendship. The tippling manservant of a feckless noble mistakes you for a scandalous author and demands that you return certain ill-advised and indiscreet letters from his employer. When he realizes his mistake he begs you to help. You’re standing, blinking against the light, on a pier over the Shikoru river. How did you get here? Where are your allies? What is this strange mark? Sako A giant otter has been spotted nearby, on the edge of the lake, alternately begging for help and cursing passerby. The Burgher has posted a note on the town pillory offering a reward for someone to investigate. A demon has been captured attempting to pass as human; a demon hunter is sought to interrogate it and to track down any allies that might lurk in the caves near Lake Meiron. The wedding of your cousin to the heir of a rival family is tomorrow, and everything’s going wrong. Start by figuring out where the priest wandered off to. And don’t let a love-sick demon interfere or you’ll catch hell from your aunt. Isa Verys A traveling caravan was due through from Anwy four days ago, carrying much needed medicine and a good friend of yours. It’s not like them to be this late. Your sister, the idealistic teacher, has set up a school for the children of the miners and the rangers. The whole group’s been snatched, just before lunch, and time’s of the essence. The big Moot is in full swing, the town flooded with anti-social fur trappers, demonspawn traders, and various other riff-raff camped around the moot-field. A valuable shipment of silver has gone missing, and everyone’s pointing fingers at everyone else. 16 Minor Encounters Never 1 Your scholarly uncle has vanished on a delve below the city. 2 A circus has transformed Riverside into a carnival. 3 Your cousin from the country is at your door. 4 The nightengale at your window pleads for help. 5 The walled garden is quiet save for the whisper of hauntingly beautiful voices. 6 A pack of drunk fops surrounds the actress, jeering. 7 The drunk young student’s in more danger than he realizes. 8 An outraged merchant demands justice but is denied; the guards laugh at him. 9 A good friend has not returned from an expedition to the Wastes. His wife asks your aid. 10 The person you love asks you to rescue the one they love from captivity. Sako 1 You dream of an angry storm goddess blocking the sea. 2 Inside the fish is a gold ring shaped like a dragon devouring its own tail. 3 A great beast lairs in the sea caves, hunting fish and livestock in gluttonous amounts. 4 A storm is coming, and there’s little time to prepare. 5 Some local children and a boat are missing. 6 Your brother flirts with a fisherman’s wife; he notices. 7 A worried dignitary is in town to consult with the Lake. 8 An owl has taken up residence in the town green and watches passerby as if searching for someone. 9 The sirens’ song has gone quiet and nobody knows why. 10 An emaciated troll has been spotted skulking around the sea caves. Isa Verys 1 A gambler’s been accused of cheating by one of the miners. 2 A pale white spirit haunts the road to Anwy; her touch is ice and sorrow. 3 The guards are harrassing travelers with petty fines and beat- ings. 4 A flock of ravens, one with a ruby in its grasp, watches the road to Anwy. 5 An old hermit who raves about darkness and waves lives in a cave near the mines. 6 The rangers and miners are at odds over an assault. 7 The fashion in Never this season is for Kaptiauri leather boots. 8 A knight’s corpse lies beneath a briar a few miles from town. 9 Travelers always need supplies, but too few merchants risk the journey as the mainland routes are safer. 10 The last letter-carrier went missing; the pay is poor, the job dan- gerous, but the need is there. Demon Wastes 1 A plaintive child’s cries echo through the forest at night. 2 The campfire’s flames twist in a suggestive, enticing way. 3 The water tastes odd, but you’re sure it was harmless. 4 A white stag appears, bounding back and forth, inviting chase. 5 By a stone well, an old woman sits, too tired to draw water. 6 A girl in a once fine gown sits beneath a tree, sobbing. 7 A castle lies silent and still, overgrown with wild roses. 8 The trees whisper to each other of things seen far away, but the message is garbled. 9 A crumbling tower rises from a briar thicket, with a single dark window high above. 10 The fox begs you to free him from the trap. 17 Names Women of Lunedd Charity, Quina, Sara, Millicent, Chlona, Isabre, Elinor, Gianna, Ivy, Gwen, Ayanana, Rachel, Philippa, Nilley, Thomasin, Meirona, Dila, Hely, Morgana, Catris, Meria, Avis, Sybil, Rose, Vissa, Aeryn, Yurane, Emma, Madys, For- tune, Cecily, Gillian, Audrey Men of Lunedd Moah, John, Arthur, Techam, Hugh, Phillip, Arcan, Mathias, Simon, James, Edward, Henry, Christian, Caron, Eogath, Alexander, Luke, Nicholas, Nath, Isaph, Brandley, Gaith, Halan, Nathaniel, Rowland, March, Cadyr Surnames Of <Place>, Au’Brinian, Myn Gaethytr, Traughn, Rees, Brysterch, Lackland, Aleistr, Eloque, y <parent’s name>, Morgan, Lledric, Smith, Cook, Cooper, Hunter, Hawk, Woodman, Wright, Taylor, Sawyer, Mason, Page, Knight, Fisher, Fletcher, Wood, Green, Brown, Hall Averyni Megumi, Sukiko, Perie, Miko, Alys, Rees, Zoeyke, Yui, Emikiko, Haruka, Hiko, Rei, Aiko, Ryo, Arion, Shi, Ise, Yeo, Mel, Fin, Cyn, Akaede, Caion, Hyles, Col, Ardan, Card, Ryou, Rhyn Nicknames & Sobriquets Redbeard, Walker, War-Rider, Bladebearer, Heir, Seer, Soultook, Thrice-Bidden, Silvertongue, Blessed, Unlucky, the Unwelcome, Farseer, Seaborne, son or daughter of <person> Places Riaran, Palanden, Morvisti, Gla Wion, Brani, Gende, Layl, Mer, Gwyvael, Yokanori, Savelea, Giangwen Dunwen, Vice, Bolinno, Hyl, Gladwed, Treg- giana, Areiratto, Bridge, Harwood, Barnslow, Horne Never Districts Whitehall, Oldwitch, Archway, Goldgleam, Riverside, Greyfriars, Yeo Vil- lage, Mora Wharf, Blackhall, Laylea Hall, Palace, Dunwy Green, Heron, Shio Park, East Birch, Demon Hollow, Lilywalk, Gallows Corner, the West End, Trath, Meria-on-sea Demons Medusa, Imp, Shadow, Tempter, Hobgoblin, Night Hag, Ghost, Revenant, Vampire, Firesnake, Green Hag, Kelpie, Pixie, Meerbat Animals Enne’s Sea Allian, Kaptiauri, Giant Ant, Leopard, Wolf, Wyvern, Adjule, Auk, Woolly Rhinoceros, Giant Eagle, Snow Lizard, Crocodile Fish Caught in Sako Plathead, Sniper, Ribalofish, Pilcat, Wartfish, Puffaloach, Garibbonnel, Ar- rowana, Sixgill, Coleye, Banjaray, Targazer, Pikefish, Wrymout, Ridgeon Luneddians often name their children after friends and ancestors, or after great heroes and places. Averyni have two names; a for- mal name reflecting nature or omens around their birth, and a short, gender neutral name they use informally and with those who are not Averyni. Both cultures use sobriquets. 18 Random Generators Conflict Consequences Combat Explore Social Skill Weird Random 1 Powerful enemy Friendly encounter Trust built Exceptional quality Unexpectedly powerful Roll Combat 2 Hazard, flood, or fire Gear fails Secret revealed Flawed product Side effect Roll Explore 3 Dirty trick Illusion Rival scores points Flawed materials Secret revealed Roll Social 4 Enemy reinforcements Unlucky injury Made vulnerable Unlucky slip Bargain required Roll Skill 5 Ally or item harmed Supplies ruined Ulterior motives Actor interferes Backlash Roll Weird 6+ Sneak attack Nothing happens Nothing happens Nothing happens Nothing happens Nothing happens Scene Keywords 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1-2 attack resist future agent secret revenge laugh obsess pride pain 3-4 distance anger supplies power desire choice malice plot sword shield 5-6 phobia ice lust dirt machinery water silver gold sky sea 7-8 love betrayal honor duty mistake debt fear guilt purity vice 9-10 fire air death time self history flaw want need reason Relationships The first actor relationship the second actor and expresses it overtly [5-] or covertly [6+] and actively [5-] or passively [6+]. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1-2 craves contact with was childhood friends with wants to hu- miliate was childhood rivals with came to blows with respects the opinion of needs permis- sion from is being black- mailed by wants to change wants to men- tor 3-4 tolerates took a blow for grew up with is trying to ruin is resentful of is a crutch for has a crush on hates and loves has the dirt on has cowed 5-6 was saved from harm by is married to or trapped by is afraid for watches out for sacrificed for is afraid of wants to hurt is hostage to wants recom- pense from wants to show up 7-8 was humiliated by wants to im- press wants the ap- proval of wants the love of wants the for- giveness of wants the un- derstanding of disregards the value of has wronged admires seeks out the advice of 9-10 wants the re- spect of opposes every goal of is a crutch or linchpin for is close blood kin of is distant blood kin of hates but can’t escape from was saved from social ruin by is estranged from wants to dom- inate serves the same master as Wise • Angelic • Impulsive • Decisive • Level-headed • Creative Inventive • Educated • Trustworthy • Honorable • Spirited • Clever Energetic • Hard-working • Curious • Suspicious • Lucky • Striking Methodical • Haunted • Stubborn • Devilish • Arrogant • Perceptive Deft • Two-fisted • Gutsy • Insensitive • Passionate • Experienced Evasive • Provocative • Strong • Hot-headed • Tough • Independent 19 RANDOM GENERATORS 20 Motivation for Sex 1 Out for revenge or to hurt the hero. Add “Spiteful” or “Vengeful”. 2 Using the hero as a pawn in another relationship. Add “Tempting” or “Desperate”. 3 Just wants someone to love – or perhaps worship – them. Add “Eager to Please” or “Needy”. 4 Needs an heir and isn’t above deception to get one. Add “Ardent” and “Thorough”. 5 Life’s short, so why start worrying now? Add “Libertine” or “Careless”. 6 Enjoys the game of cat and mouse, but tires of the prey once the game is won. Add “Fickle” or “Louche”. 7 Trapped in a dead-end, and this might be the last chance. Add “Lonely” and “Restless”. 8 Loves wealth, status, or reputation. Add “Avaricious” or “Hero- worship”. 9 An agent of the enemy. If they find the hero admirable, add “Conflicted”, otherwise, add “Deceptive”. 10 Loves the hero passionately and is not thinking of the future; add “In Love” and “Ardent”. Birth Events 1 The mother or the child dies. 2 A dark omen. Add “Cursed”, “Doomed”, or “Unlucky”. 3 A deformity. Add a Tag like “Lisp”, “Bad Arm”, or “Limp”. 4 An obvious mark of demonic heritage or taint. Add “Demonmark” or “Demonblood”. 5 The spitting image of someone other than the presumptive father. Don’t add either family Tag. 6 The spitting image of his father. Add both family Tags without rolling for them at the father’s values. 7 Superior. Add a Tag like “Strong”, “Beautiful”, or “Genius”. 8 A fortunate omen. Add “Lucky”, “Blessed”, or “Nine Lives”. 9 Twins. Make two heirs with “Twin”, rolling once again for each and counting 9+ as 8. 10 Triplets. Make three heirs with “Triplet”, rolling once again for each and counting 9+ as 8. Upbringing 1 Raised by evil forces. Add “Fanatic” or “Evil”. 2 Left to fend for herself on the streets. Add “Streetwise” and a relation- ship formed on the streets. 3 Protected by a powerful figure for their own purposes. Add “Experi- mented on” and a Tag to reflect his training. 4 Orphanage. Add “Orphan” and a relationship formed in the orphanage. 5 Raised by family as a burden. Add “Insecure” and “Defiant”. 6 Raised by family as a blessing. Add “Curious” and “Kind”. 7 Raised by someone who was abusive and cruel. Add “Abused” and a Tag to reflect the status of upbringing. 8 Raised by mother, with no knowledge of his true parentage, as a mem- ber of her group. Add “Outsider” and one to reflect the group’s training. 9 Passed around distant kin but largely ignored. Add “Insecure” and a Tag to reflect the circumstances. 10 Found by benevolent but inhuman forces and given everything he could want. Add “Spoiled” and “Other”, and one more to reflect his training. Dynasty Events 1 An old lover who betrayed you once turns up asking forgiveness. 2 Someone you lust over but couldn’t or shouldn’t have offers themselves to you for a price. 3 One of your heirs, partners, friends, or yourself is kidnapped. 4 An attractive former enemy, beaten and lost, has surrendered to you in the hope of mercy. Is it a trap? 5 Your domain is endangered by a natural hazard. 6 You become lost and stumble over an attractive stranger in need of as- sistance. 7 Your house is betrayed by someone you thought an ally, while they are a guest in your home. 8 Bandits have struck at your holdings, disappearing into the forest with a vital item. 9 A band of human-like creatures has established an outpost nearby. 10 If the hero is female, an unexpected pregnancy. Otherwise, a secret heir arrives. Scene Structure Set the Scene Roll or choose the Scene type, purpose, main event, and three scene key- words. For the first scene, use locations from the Scenarios along with adventure hooks to get the ball rolling. If things seem slow, use a result from Con- flict Consequences as a twist or introduce an adventure hook. Scene Type Roll the Act in d6s, keeping the highest: Montage • Flashback • Inter- lude/Replenishment • Straight • Interrupt • Obligatory/Justice Scene Purpose 1 2 3 4 5 6 1-2 Atmosphere Introduce Exposition Transition Prepare Aftermath 3-4 Investigation Revelation Recognition A Gift Escape Pursuit 5-6 Seduction Unexpected Visitor Roll twice Roll twice Roll twice Roll twice Act One Status Quo • Plot Point: Incident The same old grind, until a threat is made • someone gets into a fight • it is missing • a map is found • a body is discovered • a stranger arrives Predicament • Plot Point: Lock In Your goal is clear, but now you’ve got to save yourself • find the cure • clear your name • get it back • help a friend • find out why Act Two First Obstacle • Play To Your Strength Danger strikes as emotions run high • a lead is found • a target is acquired • someone wants something • someone seduces • a vice is tempted Higher Obstacle • Plot Point: First Culmination The going gets tougher now as a connection is made • someone is seduced • the rival uses a resource • emotions lead to action • a victim is found • a threat worsens Subplot • Compare and Contrast You have an immediate, pressing problem. A resource is used up • danger looms • someone is sick • a secret must be dealt with • emotion flares • someone is gone Highest Obstacle • Plot Point: Main Culmination Your usual methods have made things worse, and someone dies • someone is captured • some- thing you care about is lost • a secret gambit succeeds • someone is tortured • the foe seizes the initiative Act Three New Tension • Plot Point: Twist You know what you want, but you need a new approach. Add a new Tag. Discover it is deadly • it was a lie • you’re the chosen one • the foe is in the right • it isn’t real • an ally is not an ally Resolution • Don’t Pull Your Punches Fight! But it will take a sacrifice • means a hard choice • can’t be stopped • has captured your allies • will take everything • requires your surrender You discover someone thought lost • a weakness • an unexpected use • one of your allies knows • a blind spot • a bigger prize Epilogue Wrap things up, following the established fiction. Are you better off? Worse? Was the goal achieved, the task resolved, or is there still work to be done? 21 Character Sheet Name: Descriptor: Combat [ ] Fight [ ] Flee Explore [ ] Bold [ ] Cautious Social [ ] Aggressive [ ] Empathetic Skill [ ] [ ] Weird [ ] Demanding [ ] Sensitive Tags: Wounds: Minor [ ] [ ] [ ] Major [ ] [ ] Yourself [ ] Resources: An emotion [ ] A found item [ ] Hidden or specialized knowledge [ ] A supernatural effect or ability [ ] A geographical feature [ ] An element like iron, fire, or bone [ ] A carried item [ ] An ally [ ] 22 Tips for Playing Heirs of Sea & Shadow Listen to the fiction; the heart of the game is using the established fiction to push the story forward. Be true to the fiction. You can always choose an option from a list instead of rolling it, or make up your own! Look for options that speak to you or feel like they “fit”. There are many fluff tables scattered throughout the game; use the ones that appeal to you. Scenarios are suggestions, packages to create a certain “feel” to your game. Take options you like, even if they’re not part of the scenario. Make it yours. Choose the Tags you want to use and explore in play, that define your hero, not that you think will be mechanically advantageous. If a character option is almost right but not quite, change it. Use the flavor text as part of the fiction. That’s what it’s there for, to provide impetus to the fiction and to inspire you. If it doesn’t inspire or doesn’t feel right, change it. Ask the oracle questions that matter and choose interesting outcomes for those questions. If an outcome will end progress or halt the story, don’t bother asking. Just say “yes” to the most exciting option and move on. In a solo game, balance is irrelevant. Build your hero as powerfully as you want; if the challenges seem too easy, look for harder challenges. Don’t beat yourself up about the prose on the page. Don’t even think twice about it. It’s not about writing a novel on the first pass, it’s about having an exhilarating experience right now. And finally... have fun with it! 23 The End

textdata/thevault/Collections/Collaborative & Peer & Gm-less & Shifting GM/Heirs of Sea and Shadow.pdf

VEL1-04 LLLLiiiikkkkeeee W W W Waaaatttteeeerrrr UUUUnnnnddddeeeerrrr tttthhhheeee BBBBrrrriiiiddddggggeeee AAAA OOOOnnnneeee----RRRRoooouuuunnnndddd DDDD&&&&DDDD LLLLIIIIVVVVIIIINNN NGGGG GGGGRRRREEEEYYYYHHHHAAAAW W W WKKKK® ® ® ® VVVVeeeelllluuuunnnnaaaa RRRReeeeggggiiiioooonnnnaaaallll AAAAddddvvvveeeennnnttttuuuurrrreeee Version 1 RRRRoooouuuunnnndddd 2222:::: BBBBoooorrrrddddeeeerrrrlllliiiinnnneeee bbbbyyyy EEEEddddwwwwaaaarrrrdddd AAAA EEEEnnnnnnnneeeetttttttt A boring caravan job takes an odd twist and thrusts the party into the limelight. Can the Heroes of the day live up to the expectations put on them or will the troubled waters claim more lives? An adventure for character level’s 1-8. DUN GEO NS & DR AGON S, D&D, G REYHAWK and R PG A are register ed t radem ar ks o f Wizar ds o f t he Coast , Inc . LIVIN G G REYHAWK is a t radem ar k o f Wizar ds o f t he Coast , Inc . S cenario d et ail co pyright 2001 b y Wizar ds o f t he Coast , Inc . ALL R IGHT S R ESER VED. T his scenar io is int en ded f or t ourn ament use o nly and m ay no t b e rep rod uced wit hou t app ro val o f t he R PG A Net wor k. Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 2 Thi s is a n RP GA® N e tw or k sc e nar io f or t he D ung eo ns & D ra g ons ® g a m e. A f our -ho ur t im e bl ock ha s be e n a llo ca t e d f or e a ch ro und of t his sc e nar io, but t he a ct ua l pl a yi ng t im e w ill be cl ose r t o t hre e hour s. The re s t of t he t im e is sp e nt in pr e pa ra t io n be f o re g a m e pl a y, a nd sc ori ng a f te r t he g a m e. The f oll ow ing g uid el ine s a re he re t o he lp y ou w it h bo t h t he pr e pa ra t io n a nd v ot ing se g m e nt of t he g a m e. Re a d t his pa g e ca r ef ull y so t ha t y ou kno w a nd ca n co m muni ca t e t o y our pl a ye r s t he sp e cia l a sp e ct s of pl a yi ng a n RP GA sc e nar io. PPPPrrrreeeeppppaaaarrrraaaattttiiiioooonnnn Fir st y ou sho uld pr int t his sc e nar io. Thi s sc e nar io w a s cr e at e d t o sup po rt do ubl e- si de d pr int ing , but pr int ing it si ngl e si de d w ill w ork a s w e ll. The r e is e noug h ro om a lo ng t he ins ide m a rg in t o bi nd t he a dv e nt ure , if y ou de s ire . Re a d t his e nt ire a dv e nt ure a t le a st onc e be f or e y ou run y our g a m e. B e sur e t o f a mi lia ri ze y our se lf w it h a ny sp e cia l rul es , sp e lls, or e qui pm e nt pr e se nt e d in t he a dv e nt ure . It m a y he lp t o hig hli ght pa r ti cula rl y im po rt a nt pa s sa g e s. W he n y ou run a n RP GA D &D a dv e nt ure w e a ss ume t ha t y ou ha v e a cc es s t o t he f oll ow ing bo ok s: t he Pl a ye r ’s Ha nd boo k, t he D ung eo n Ma s te r ’s Guid e , a nd t he Mo nst e r Ma nua l. W e a lso a ss ume t ha t y ou ha v e a se t of di ce (a t le a st one d4 , d6 , d8 , d1 0 , d1 2 , a nd d2 0 ), so m e sc ra p pa p e r, a pe nc il, a n RP GA sc ori ng pa c ke t , a nd y our se ns e of f un. It is a lso a g oo d id e a t o ha v e a w a y t o t ra ck m ov e m e nt dur ing co m ba t . Thi s ca n be a s si mp le a s a pa d of g ra p h pa p e r a nd a pe nc il, a s ha ndy a s a v iny l g rid m a p a nd chi ts , or a s e la bo ra t e a s re s in dung e o n w a lls a nd m inia t ure s. Ins tr uct t he pl a ye r s e it he r t o pr e pa re t he ir cha r ac t er s now , or w a it unt il y ou re a d t he int ro duc ti on, de p e nding on t he re q uire m e nt s of t he sc e nar io a s de s cri be d in t he int ro duc ti on. Ke e p in m ind t ha t y ou m ust ha v e a t le a st f our pl a ye r s (no t co unt ing t he D M), f or t he g a m e se s sio n t o be a sa nc ti one d RP GA e v e nt. A s w e ll, y ou ca nno t ha v e m or e t ha n se v e n pl a ye r s pa r ti cip a ti ng in t he g a m e. O nce y ou a re re a d y t o pl a y, it is ha ndy t o ins tr uct e a ch pl a ye r t o pl a ce a na m e ta g in f ro nt of him or he r. The t a g sho uld ha v e t he pl a ye r ’s na m e a t t he bo t to m , a nd t he cha r ac t er ’s na m e , ra c e, a nd g e nde r a t t he t op . Thi s m a ke s it e a sie r f or t he pl a ye r s (a nd t he D M) t o ke e p t ra ck of w ho is pl a yi ng w hich cha r ac t er . The pl a ye r s a re f re e t o use t he g a m e rul es t o le a rn a bo ut e qui pm e nt a nd w e ap ons t he ir cha r ac t er s a re ca r ry ing . Tha t sa id , y ou a s t he D M ca n ba r t he use of e v e n co re rul e bo ok s dur ing ce r ta in t im e s of pl a y. For e xa m pl e , t he pl a ye r s a re not f re e t o co nsult t he D ung eo n Ma s te r ’s Guid e w he n co nf ront e d w it h a t ra p or ha z a rd, or t he Mo nst e r Ma nua l w he n co nf ront e d w it h a m ons te r . So m e of t he t e xt in t his sc e nar io is w rit t e n so t ha t y ou m a y pr e se nt it a s w rit t e n t o t he pl a ye r s, w hile ot he r t e xt is f or y our e y e s onl y . Te x t f or t he pl a ye r s w ill be in g ra y bo xe s . It ’s st ro ng ly re c om m end e d t ha t y ou pa r a phra s e t he pl a ye r t e xt ins te a d of re a d ing it a lo ud. So m e of t his t e xt is g e ne ra l a nd m ust be a da p te d t o t he sp e cif ic si tua t io n or t o a ct io ns of t he pl a ye r cha r ac t er s. SSSSccccoooorrrriiiinnnngggg A ft e r t he pl a ye r s ha v e co m ple t e d t he sc e nar io or t he t im e a llo t te d t o run t he sc e na rio ha s run out , t he pl a ye r s a nd D M sc ore t he g a m e. The RP GA ha s t hre e w a ys t o sc ore it s g a m es . C onsul t y our co nv e nti on co or dina t or t o de t e rm ine w hich m e tho d t o use f or t his sc e nar io: • N o- v ot e sc ori ng : The pl a ye r s w rit e t he ir na m e s a nd RP GA num be rs on t he sc ori ng pa c ke t g rid . You f ill in t he t op of t he g rid . Tha t is a ll. N o one is ra t e d. Thi s m e tho d is use d f or pe o ple w ho a re j ust pl a yi ng f or f un. • Pa r ti a l sc ori ng : The pl a ye r s ra t e t he g a m e m a st e r a nd t he sc e nar io on t he ir pl a ye r v ot ing she e t , a nd pr ov id e pe rs ona l inf or m at io n, but do n’t v ot e f or ot he r pl a ye r s. The g a m e m a st e r ra t e s t he sc e nar io a nd co m ple t e s pe r sona l a nd e v e nt inf or m at io n, but do e s not ra t e t he pl a ye r s a s a t e a m or v ot e f or pl a ye r s. Thi s m e tho d is use d w he n t he re is no co m pe t it ion, but t he e v e nt co or dina t or w a nts inf or m at io n on how t he g a m e m a st e rs a re pe r fo rm ing , or t he g a m e m a st e r w a nts f e e dba c k on his or he r ow n pe r fo rm a nce . • V ot ing : Pl a ye r s a nd g a m e m a st e rs co m ple t e t he e nt ire pa c ke t , inc luding v ot ing f or be s t pl a ye r . If t his m e tho d is use d, be sur e t o a llo w a bo ut 1 5 -2 0 m inut e s f or t he pl a ye r s t o br ie f ly de s cri be t he ir cha r ac t er s t o t he ot he r pl a ye r s, a nd a bo ut 5 - 10 m inut e s f or v ot ing . Thi s m e tho d is use d w he n t he pl a ye r s w a nt t o kno w w ho pl a ye d t he “b e st ” a m ong st t he g ro up, or w he n t he a dv e nt ure is run in t our nam e nt f or ma t w it h w inne rs a nd pr iz e s. W he n usi ng v ot ing , ra nk t he pl a ye r s in or de r of y our v ot ing cho ice w hile t he y a re co m ple t ing t he ir f or ms , so t ha t y ou a re not inf lue nce d by t he ir co m me nt s on y our a bi lit ie s. It ’s a g oo d id e a t o ha v e t he pl a ye r s v ot e w hile y ou de t e rm ine t re a sur e a nd e xp e rie nce a w ar ds f or t he sc e nar io. A ft e r v ot ing , g iv e t he Sc or ing Pa c ke t t o y our e v e nt co or dina t or . Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 3 This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a Living™ adventure, it is expected that players will bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, a character sheet, and a LIVING GREYHAWK log sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING G REYHAWK Gazetteer. LLLL IIIIVVVVIIIINNN NGGGG GGGG RRRREEEEYYYYHHHHAAAAW W W WKKKK TTTTiiiieeeerrrr SSSSttttrrrruuuuccccttttuuuurrrreeee Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK campaigns, this adventure is tiered. Basically, the challenges in this adventure are proportioned to the average character level of the characters participating in the adventure. To determine the tier that you will use to run this adventure, add the character levels of all the characters. In addition, add the levels of any cohorts or animals according to the values on their certificates. Cross-reference the total and the number of players participating in the game using the chart below to determine the tier used for this adventure. 4 players 5 players 6 players 7 players Lvl Cap T1: 4-12 5-13 6-14 7-15 4nd T2: 13-22 14-24 15-26 16-28 6th T3: 23-32 25-35 27-38 29-41 8th T4: 33-42 36-46 39-50 42-54 10th The level cap indicated is the highest level of character allowed to play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the highest level shown for the highest tier cannot be played. IIIIssss iiiitttt aaaa FFFFuuuullllllll M M M Moooooooonnnn???? Since the hazards of lycanthropy are a current part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign, it may be necessary to determine if this adventure takes place during a full moon. For game purposes, the full moon lasts three days of each month. For a given scenario that does not state the phase of the moon, roll 1d10 before play begins. On a result of 1, the first day of the scenario is a night of the full moon (roll 1d3 to determine where in the sequence of three nights it falls). LLLLiiiiffffeeeessssttttyyyylllleeee At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to maintain. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play, are: Destitute: You have no living space, and must carry all your gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes. Poor: You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have two sets of clothing. Common: You have common lodgings, and eat common quality food. You have normal clothing for your profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You probably have two or three sets of clothing. High: You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good quality food. You wear anything in value up to courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of clothing every two weeks. Luxury: You have luxurious accommodations (twice the cost of good accommodations), and you eat excellent foods. You can throw a banquet for your friends every day, and frequently do. You wear clothing up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy a new set of clothes every week. Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy, Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties, shown below, should be applied at the DM’s discretion, and can sometimes backfire—for example, a PC with a poor lifestyle would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not. DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever possible. Lifestyle Cost Skill Modifier Destitute 14 sp -2 Poor 43 sp -1 Common 12 gp 0 High 250 gp +1 Luxury 500 gp +2 AAAAddddvvvveeeennnnttttuuuurrrreeee SSSSuuuum m m mm m m maaaarrrryyyy aaaannnndddd BBBBaaaacccckkkkggggrrrroooouuuunnnndddd Caravans have been disappearing. A caravan is headed to Thornwood, and the city wants the PCs to accompany it to the border of Bissel. The caravan is leaving in the morning. The party interacts with a group of teamsters who are unhappy that they are being babysat by fresh new adventures. Each teamster has a different idea of what is happening to the caravans. The caravan comes across an orc raiding party. The caravan reaches the border to Bissel and the PCs mission is done. The PCs rest at a small border town on the Fals River. A sea monster has Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 4 been swallowing fishing boats whole. The townsfolk ask for the PCs help. They want the PCs to accompany a small group fishing boats trying to fish the Fals River. The fisherman have been afraid since the old man Jemsun’s boat was found crashed, and chewed up on Zeal’s Point. (It is still there). The fisherman will be setting sail tomorrow The boat has been tossed upon the rocks, above the high water mark Signs of long gashes and gouges made by claws and teeth are visible. There is no sign of bodies on the boat. The hold is full of rotting fish, and is now the home of carrion crawlers. The PCs ride in fishing boats, while the small fleet has a quiet day, and the fishing is good. As the boats begin to stop for the day, some very strong ‘fish’ begin hitting on the boat’s lines. Suddenly, from over the side of the boats, several undead attack the fishing boats. The undead are the missing fisherman, arisen as zombies and skeletons by some mysterious force. As the fight goes on, more and more of the undead appear, this should give the PCs an idea to weigh anchor and head home as fast as possible. A couple of the boats that the PCs are not on are swamped by undead, who strike down the crew. As the boats fade in the distance, the boat the PCs are on is bumped by something under the water. Looking back a dark shape rises from the water and swallows two whole fishing boats at the same time. A fury of turbulent water lashes around and just as suddenly the water is still and no boats are visible. The PCs return defeated to the border town. The PCs learn that the papers they recovered have given the city a clue that they want them to follow up on. IIIInnnnttttrrrroooodddduuuuccccttttiiiioooonnnn You have been the toast of the town here in Falsridge for the last few days. Your success in rescuing the missing passengers from the lizardfolk, has earned you rest and reward. The food and spirits have been flowing freely, and your coin purse is none the lighter. Around the hearth each night a crowd gathers to hear your tales of adventure. It seems that you have gained quite a following in Falsridge. Each day the tales and stories last deep into the night. The same was last night, and you find yourself a little sore this morning, be it the drink or the dancing, you crawl gently from bed and prepare for breakfast. Sitting at the table with your companions you wonder what the day will have in store for you when the door to the Inn swings open and you see a familiar face. Entering the Inn, Captain Roche heads directly toward you. “Good morning, I hope I am not disturbing you.” he says. “I have come on behalf of the city to ask you for help again. It seems that the problems facing us do not confine themselves to the river. Over the past few weeks, several caravans have turned up missing. Normally, the knights would handle a problem such as this, however it seems that all our requests to the capital have been unanswered. There is a caravan leaving today at noon. It is headed to Thornwood. I would like to ask that you escort it to the border town of Delkellet. It is a two-day journey, and should not inconvenience you too much. I have heard some strange rumors of trouble out of Delkellet so by doing this we can kill two birds with one stone. Protect the caravan and get you to Delkellet to see what is happening. Hopefully its nothing but if something did happen having you there would be a big help. ” He looks at you expectantly. Allow each PC to agree. “Excellent, you will be able to meet up with the caravan at the Silver Star Merchant House in the Warehouse district. It will be leaving at noon. That should give you about three hours to get ready. I am sorry for such short notice.” With that Captain Roche stands, tips his hat and offers you a “good day.” The PCs have 3 hours to prepare for their journey. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 1111:::: M M M Meeeeeeeetttt tttthhhheeee TTTTeeeeaaaam m m msssstttteeeerrrrssss The large silver star painted on the side of the warehouse is good enough indication that this is where you are to meet the caravan. Shortly before noon you arrive at the Silver Star Trading Company Headquarters in Falsridge. The caravan is being loaded in an enclosed field next to the warehouse. Ten large covered wagons make up the caravan that you will be escorting. As the PCs approach a guard steps out to stop them. “Halt! Identify yourselves and state your business.” When the PCs identify themselves they will be allowed to pass, the guard will escort them to the office. Entering what appears to be the waiting room of the trading company office, you hear the sounds of a heated argument happening beyond a door at the other side of the room. Suddenly, the door opens and a middle-aged fellow with a long dark beard and portly belly steps through the doorway, he turns and yells: “I’m telling you, I won’t be held responsible for your foolish actions!” With that he then wheels and stomps out, his ears are burning bright red in anger. Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 5 Moments later an elderly gentleman steps up to you. “Greetings, I am Kanna Silverson, owner of the Silver Star Trading house. You have been sent by Captain Roche, I presume.” He then looks out the door that the other man stormed out of, and remarks, “do not mind my son, he is loud and impertinent at times, foolish at others.” “Captain Roche, speaks highly of you all. I hope that you will be able to help me. I have a caravan leaving for Thornwood, and I would ask that you escort it as far as the border with Bissel to a small hamlet by the name of Delkellet. Due to losing several caravans lately we really cannot afford to pay you in gold but heroes such as you should be above such things. We can sell you anything we happen to have in stock at a small discount. The journey should last about two days. Is that agreeable?” Kanna offers the party 10% off any common item that costs less then 50 gold. Success in Diplomacy can yield more beneficial discounts. (DC 15, a 15% discount, and DC 20 a 20% discount—role play this and give the PCs up to a +2 bonus, or as much as a –2 penalty as a consequence to their roleplaying. Also factor in lifestyle modifiers). If the PCs spend a lot of time roleplaying with Kanna, the following bullets present some information that he may give the PCs. • He will not discuss his son, except to say that “the boy” should learn to think with the long- term in mind. • Ten guards have been assigned to the caravan. • The caravan carries various crafts made both locally and throughout Veluna. • The last two caravans sent to Thornwood disappeared. • Neither of the missing were Silver Stars caravans, but Kanna does not like to take chances. • The head teamster is Andru, • Andru doesn’t appreciate ‘help’ in the form of adventures. He told Kanna that he “didn’t babysat,” so the Silver Star patron ask that the PCs try to alleviate his angst. When the PCs are ready to leave the town with the caravan, read the following: As the sun shines down upon the caravan, the head teamster signals to move out. The ten-wagon train moves through the streets of Falsridge and heads out the western gate on the Fals-Gap Road headed toward Thornwood. The first two days of the trip are ineventful, however the PCs will have the opportunity to roleplay with several of the teamsters and get information. The teamsters are listed in Appendix 1, by name and by wagon number. Wagons 9 and 10 are for guards. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 2222:::: TTTThhhheeeerrrreeee BBBBeeee OOOOrrrrccccssss!!!! This encounter utilizes DM’s Map #1. It is well past noon on the second day of your trip to Delkellet, so far there has been no sign of trouble. Cresting a hill on the roadway, you see that the trail enters a dark copse of woods up ahead. Have the PCs roll opposed Spot check verses the Orc’s Hide check (+4, modified for being under cover of thick foliage). Failing the check will give the savage humanoids gain a surprise round. In which the goblins hurl javelins and the orcs move up to strike. You hear the loud cry of a bird, and suddenly from out of the tall grass on either side of the trail a flight of javelins arch toward your position. From somewhere up ahead groups of orcs yell battle cries as they swoop down upon the caravan. The teamsters quickly circle the wagons into a defensive formation as the orcs and goblins attack… TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 1111 ((((EEEELLLL 3333)))) Goblin (3): hp 5, 4, 3; see Monster Manual page 107, or A Orc (2): hp 6, 4; see Monster Manual page 146, or Appendix A. Orc, Bbn1: hp 10; see Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 2222 ((((EEEELLLL 5555)))) Goblin (7): hp 5 (x2), 4 (x3), 3; see Monster Manual page 107, or A Orc (4): hp 6, 5 (x2), 4; see Monster Manual page 146, or Appendix A. Orc, Bbn1 (2): hp 10; see Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 3333 ((((EEEELLLL 8888)))) Goblin (7): hp 5 (x2), 4 (x3), 3; see Monster Manual page 107, or A Orc, Bbn3 (4): hp 28, 25 (x2), 24; see Appendix A. Worg (1): hp 30; see Monster Manual page 184, or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 4444 ((((EEEELLLL 11110000)))) Goblin (8): hp 5, 4, 3; see Monster Manual page 107, or Appendix A. Orc, Bbn3/Ftr 2 (4): hp 42, 39; see Appendix A. Worg, Advanced 6HD (2): hp 45, 40; see Appendix A. Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 6 Leaving the bodies of the orc raid behind you continue on toward Delkellet. Cresting another in the seemingly endless hills, you finally see your destination in the distance. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 3333:::: AAAAtttt tttthhhheeee BBBBoooorrrrddddeeeerrrr Delkellet is a small hamlet of about one hundred and forty people. It is nestled between the nations of Veluna and Bissel on the Great Western Road to Thornwood. It actually lies upon a small island in the Fals River; a situation that makes it easier to defend from outsiders, but the village buildings crowed on the island, with no more room to expand bit up. From the crowd of small boats in the harbor it is apparent that fishing is a staple of the citizens. The Silver Star Trading Company has a warehouse on the outskirts of town. The local guild master greets you, and congratulates you on a successful trip. As the wagons settle into the trading company’s stockade, the guild master asks you about your trip. The guild master’s name is Darin Soortell. He is a rotund man, about five-foot tall. He has a deep rumbling laugh and is a rather joyful guy, for one who has seen many caravans disappear. He seems genuinely interested in the PCs’ tale, and is honestly impressed with any stories of valor. It is late in the day when the PCs make it into town. The PCs may wish to find a warm meal and a soft bed. The only place in town is the Inn of Last Resort. Darin will tell the PCs to mention his name when they get to the inn, if they do they will get the company discount (3 sp instead of the typical 5 sp charge). The basic information about Delkellet is on the DM’s Aid: Village of Delkellet. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 4444:::: TTTThhhheeee IIIInnnnnnnn ooooffff LLLLaaaasssstttt RRRReeeessssoooorrrrtttt The Inn of Last Resort looks like almost any other inn that you have visited in your travels. What does set it apart is the smell—it reeks of fish. Maybe it is the fish stew boiling at the hearth, or the many fishermen who crowd the tables in the main room—whichever, it assaults your nose, and is impossible to suppress. Finding a seat at a table takes a few minutes; the inn is very crowded. The entire town seems to be here, which is strange since it’s the middle of the day… Moments after you take your seat a beautiful young lady steps up to your table, and asks, “What will you be having for lunch today.” The Waitress’s name is Terrasi and she has bright red and ice blue eyes, and has a voluptuous frame. She wears a low-cut white blouse with a dark emerald green dress. She is cocky and will jest with the PCs and other patrons at any opportunity. At some point during there meal, read the following to the PCs: As you sit at your table, the conversation at the next table is impossible to miss. A ragged looking man, in tattered clothes is recounting a tale of horror and death to a group of worried looking fishermen. “I tell ya, It was her. Falsey, she be back! I was working on old man Jemsun’s boat that day. I had just signed on. He said that he needed a new deckhand. How was I to know what had been happening on the river lately.” He stops and takes a big sip from an offered mug of ale, continuing he speaks softly. “We were just pulling up the nets. We had a pretty good haul, and our nets were full. Then it happened as we were pulling the nets in, suddenly they gets very heavy, so heavy that we couldn’t haul them up. Then the water around the boat begins to boil and froth. Next thing I know the boat deck pitches hard to the side. I grab onto the side-wall, and I hear old man Jemsun screaming. I look over and see him holding on for dear life too. By this time we was hanging straight down as the boat had rolled onto its side. So I look at him and wonder what he is screaming about and I see these wild eyes on his face as he is looking down. So I go and look down, and that’s when I see it. It’s her I tell you. The Fals River Monster had us. So I looks down and that when I see the big spike sticking through the bottom of the boat, All scaly and sharp the tip of something is sticking through the boats bottom, mmm…Mister Jemsun’s son was impaled on it. I could see his insides leaking out, a distant look on his face.” He takes another big gulp from the mug. It was then I realized that we were hanging in mid-air. The boat was completely out of the water and being waved around like some child’s toy. As I’m hanging there I see Mister Jemsun’s grip slipping. I wanted to reach out to help him, but I was a scared. You don’t blame me do you?” He asks looking up with pain on his face. A chorus of fishermen joins in: “Of course not, you did what you had to.” And “Why would we do that?” And “You had it bad enough already” Their comments seem to reassure him, and give him the confidence to go on. “Then, his hand slipped. I wanted to reach out. I really did. But then he started to fall right into the huge mouth of the beast. I heard him screaming the whole way. Next thing I know the boat slams down into the water. I go under and start to swim. I don’t know how long I swam, but finally I made it to shore. When I looked out into the river, there was no sign of the boat or old man Jemsun. They were both just gone, and the water was as calm as had I ever seen it.” Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 7 After the story is over, you hear another fisherman join in: “I seen old man Jemsun’s boat yesterday, It was washed up on shore down by Zeal Point.” Allow the PCs to have fun at the inn. Eventually all of the NPCs in the Delkellet town information sheet will be patrons of the bar. If the PCs do not decide to check out the boat, have Sir Dunagallan. approach and speak with them about their recent adventures, suggesting that clues may be found by investigating the boat. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 5555:::: OOOOlllldddd M M M Maaaannnn JJJJeeeem m m mssssuuuunnnn’’’’ssss BBBBooooaaaatttt This encounter utilizes DM’s Map #2 Heading south from town along the river, the going is comfortable. The low river leaves a wide path to walk along the forests edge at this time of day. The wet sand is hard and compact as you trudge forward. Ahead of you see Zeal Point in the distance. Like some long forgotten tower, the end of the point stretches up into the deep blue sky. Atop it you can see the remains of a monastery. The walls still partially standing, and the empty windows looking like sightless eyes staring down upon you. From the Wet Rocks leading into the expansive river, you can see that at high tide Zeal Point is cut off from the shore by a wide expanse of water. Near the base of the point you see old man Jemsun’s boat. Right where the people of Delkellet said it would be. It seems strange that it is considerable above the high water line. Get the PCs intentions. As you approach, the smell of rotted and decaying fish assaults you. The boat is tossed on its side a large hole torn in its bottom, spilling from the dark black hole you see hundreds of dead and decaying fish laying upon the rock strewn ground. When a PC is within ten feet of the wrecked boat, he or she must succeed a Fort Save (DC10) or be nauseated for next one minute. Nauseated PCs are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move (or move-equivalent action) per turn. PCs with darkvision or low-light vision may attempt a Spot check at (DC15). If they succeed at the check they are not surprised. If they fail the carrion crawler gets a surprise round. The carrion crawler will target first any PCs that is nauseated, as it appears to be an easy target. Suddenly from out of the dark hole a writhing mass of tentacle lunges out at <insert PC here>, following the tentacles two large viciously snapping mandibles follow on a large segmented body. The smell of fish is suddenly overwhelmed by the horrific smell of some foul beast as it attacks mercilessly. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 1111 ((((EEEELLLL 4444)))) Carrion Crawler: hp 19; see Monster Manual page 29, or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 2222 ((((EEEELLLL 6666)))) Carrion Crawler (2): hp 22, 19; see Monster Manual page 29, or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 3333 ((((EEEELLLL xxxx)))) Carrion Crawler, Advanced 9HD: hp 75; see Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 4444 ((((EEEELLLL xxxx)))) Carrion Crawler, Advanced 9HD (2): hp 75, 70; see Appendix A. As the slimy monster(s) fall(s) dead to the ground you are flush with the exhilaration of combat. Stepping up to the wreck of the fishing boat you are able to discern more details. • A successful Search check (DC 10) reveals that tiny white splinters surround the hole in the bottom of the boat. • A successful search check (DC 12) of the boat will reveal a similar hole directly above the one in the keel, only smaller. • A successful Search check (DC 14) will find a severed hand of a creature that is stuck to the inner hull of the ship by a trident. • A successful Search check (DC16) will have the PC notice some seaweed that is wrapped around the captain’s wheel. • A successful Heal check (DC 10) will ascertain the splinters to be bone fragments. • A Religion or Spellcraft check (DC 20) will identify the hand as being from a ghoul. • A Knowledge (nature) or a Wilderness Lore check (DC 20) will identify the seaweed as not being from the Fals River region. • The hold of the boat is filled with decaying fish, which the carrion crawler was feeding upon. There is nothing else of interest. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 6666:::: OOOOlllldddd FFFFiiiisssshhhheeeerrrrm m m maaaannnn NNN Neeeevvvveeeerrrr DDDDiiiieeee Returning to Delkellet you relax at the Inn of Last Resort. Some of the younger folk eye you Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 8 closely, and whisper amongst themselves. Finally one of them approaches your group. “Excuse me sir (ma’am), but me and my friends were wondering if you’re adventurers. We haven’t seen many adventurers around here. And if you are, we were wondering if you would tell us about some of your great battles?” The boy seems genuinely interested and respectful. He is fishing for the story of what they found at old Jemsun’s boat. When they do have several of the older people gather around. Allow the PCs to be generous with their stories. This is a place for the PCs to show off. As the stories continue, have the Fishermen buy rounds of drinks for the heroes. This is truly an adoring crowd as the night goes on. When the heroes have finished their stories, tell that is getting very late and that most of their audience has left. At this point have Wailts approach the PCs table. As you sit at your table enjoying the warm feelings and friendship flowing through the air, you notice that one of the fishermen is standing at your table hat in hand. “If you would excuse me, I would like to talk to you. You see, I have a small fishing boat here in town and I would like to go fishing tomorrow to make some coin, but my crew is afraid. I can’t seem to get them to go out with me on the river. I was just sitting here listening to your stories and I had me an idea. If I could hire you to come with me tomorrow, to protect my boat, I could get my crew to come along. I don’t have much to pay you, but I have this ring that I found in the belly of a great big fish. I’m not sure what it does, but the old shaman in the woods says that it’s magic of some kind. I don’t need magic, I need a good day of fishing. The PCs can examine the ring, and detect that it is magical. It detects as transmutation magic. The ring is a ring of protection +1. If the PCs agree: “I am so happy that you are going help me. I’ll send ma boy over early to wake you. Thanks again. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 7777:::: DDDDeeeeffffeeeeaaaatttt!!!! This encounter utilizes DM’s Map # 3. Dawn comes early and you are woken by sound of knocking upon your door. Looking out the window you see the early morning sky as if fades from deep violet to an orange-red. Allow the PCs to answer the door. Standing at your door is Stevn, the son of Wailts who hired you yesterday to help protect the fishing boats this morning. He tells you that they will be setting sail shortly and that there is a small breakfast meal prepared for you downstairs. As he turns to leave he says that they will be expecting you in about a half-hour. Allow the PCs time to eat and prepare, they have 30 minutes before they must be at the docks. As you near the docks, you see a veritable town meeting. It seems that the whole town has heard of your agreement to protect the fishing boat, and has decided that they will brave the river with you. As you board the fishing boat, Wailts greets you. “Good Morning to you! It looks to be a fine day for fishing. Make yourself at home. I am sure that all of this is unnecessary, but as you can see it has given the others a spine and the confidence to join us out on the river today. Get the PCs action during the day of fishing. If they ask Wailts, he will inform them that he expects to be fishing for 8-10 hours. They can help, relax or prepare spells. The boating trip is enjoyable. You settle in for a day of fishing with your host. His knowledge of the river and the fine points of fishing it are most impressive. He seems to always be one step ahead of the fish, as the nets are always full. After several hours of chasing the fish around the river the hold is starting to become full. Looking around, you can spot many of the other boats from Delkellet around yours. The fishing appears to be very good for everyone. The captain drops anchor casts the nets once again. • Listen Check (DC 15): screams can be heard coming from one of the boats nearby. • Spot Check (DC 20 if no one makes a listen check, DC 10 otherwise): from out of the water a mass of putrid looking humanoids are crawling into the boats nearby. • If no one makes one of the above checks, then the party will be surprised. Suddenly, you feel the boat lurch to one side, as the lines on the net goes taut. Slowly you feel the boat slipping away, when the anchor rope goes tight. The rear of the boat dips lower from the force of the tension on the net, when out of the water crawl numerous vile humanoids. The stench from them is horrific as you realize that they are dead, well undead now! The captain reels back in horror, crying out loud…”But you’re dead” as he steps back pointing at one of the figures, “Mr. Jemsun, no…it can’t be!” TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 1111 ((((EEEELLLL 4444)))) Zombie Fishermen (3): hp 20, 18, 16; see Monster Manual page 191 (Medium zombie), or Appendix A. Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 9 Skeletal Goblins (4): hp 5, 4 (x2), 3 (x3); see Monster Manual page 165 (Small skeleton), or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 2222 ((((EEEELLLL 6666)))) Zombie Fishermen, Advanced (5): hp 30, 23 (x2), 21 (x2); see Appendix A. Skeletal Orcs (5): hp 5, 4 (x2), 3 (x3); see Monster Manual page 165 (Small skeleton), or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 3333 ((((EEEELLLL 7777)))) Zombie Fishermen, Advanced (6): hp 18, 16; see Monster Manual page 191 (Medium zombie), or Appendix A. Skeletal Ogres (4): hp 17, 15 (x2), 13 (x2); see Monster Manual page 165 (Large skeleton), or Appendix A. TTTTiiiieeeerrrr 4444 ((((EEEELLLL 9999)))) Zombie Fishermen, Advanced (5): hp 30, 23 (x2), 21 (x2); see Appendix A. Skeletal Ogres (5): hp 17, 15 (x2), 13 (x2); see Monster Manual page 165 (Large skeleton), or Appendix A. Skeletal Hill Giant (1): hp 30; see Monster Manual page 165 (Huge skeleton), or Appendix A. Before the PCs finish fighting the undead, at the start of round three read the following: As the battle with the undead rages, Captain Wailts cuts the anchor rope and begins to get the ship underway. Just as the ship begins moving, it lurches to the side, the deck tilting at a strange angle. • Reflex save (DC 12): Or be thrown prone to the deck. PCs who fail by more than 10 will fall overboard. The boat has started to move and is moving at a rate of 20 feet. • Spot check (DC 12): A large moving object can be seen under the water, it can be reasonable assumed that it just slammed into the boat from below. As the last of the undead fall, to the PCs attacks read the following description: As the last of the abominable undead fall to your mighty blows, you realize that a breeze is blowing in your face. It seems that Captain Wailts has been successful in getting the boat underway. Looking back at the cluster of other fishing boats, you see a desperate pitched battle being fought between the undead and the crews of the other boats. Suddenly the water around them begins to froth and boil, long bony tentacles reach out at the remaining boats, slashing at the sails and decks. Fishermen are tossed from the decks into the dark roiling waters of the river. Suddenly a bubble of water rises up from the center of the cluster, rising high into the air it expands outward, washing over the boats, obscuring them from your view. The wall of water rushes outward racing toward your boat, as the captain urges his craft onward the wall of water gets ever closer. The stern of your boat begins to rise with the wave of water. Then, suddenly the wall of water stops and begins to recede. With a thunderous crash the water slams to the surface of the river. And silence fills your ears. Looking back, you see an eerie sight. The surface of the river is calm, silent and empty. The fishing boats are gone. With the loss of a dozen fishing boats to the undead attack, it is with much sorrow that you return to the village of Delkellet, defeated. CCCCoooonnnncccclllluuuussssiiiioooonnnn:::: LLLLooooooookkkk W W W Whhhhaaaatttt W W W Weeee FFFFoooouuuunnnndddd Having been defeated by the undead, and unable to protect the fishermen of Delkellet, you are treated coldly back at the Inn of Last Resort. No one wants to be associated with you it seems. The next day a runner from the Silver Star Trading Company brings you a message from Falsridge. Give the PCs Players’ Handout #1. Well, it seems that at least someone trusts you still, as you prepare for the ride back to Falsridge. The End EEEExxxxppppeeeerrrriiiieeeennnncccceeee PPPPooooiiiinnnntttt SSSSuuuum m m mm m m maaaarrrryyyy To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplaying experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different characters. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter Two Defeating the Orcs and Goblins 125 xp Encounter Five Defeating the Carrion Crawler 175 xp Encounter Seven Defeating the Undead 175 xp Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 10 Total experience for objectives 450 xp Discretionary roleplaying award 0-50 xp Total possible experience 500 xp TTTTrrrreeeeaaaassssuuuurrrreeee SSSSuuuum m m mm m m maaaarrrryyyy Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are listed on the treasure list below or which meet the following conditions: 1. The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the text of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the text, the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be sold for 50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet. 2. Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any living being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any reason unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically. It is okay for the player characters to form relationships with NPCs, but these will not be certed and cannot bring material benefit to the character. Contacts (sources of extra information) must be specifically certed. 3. Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player characters. Items which are worth more than 250 gp that are of personal significance to the owner (including family heirlooms), and all magical items, will be discovered in the possession of the character by one means or another. The character must return the item and pay a fine equal to three times the value of the item stolen. In addition, the PC caught receives campaign- decided penalties for being known as a thief. For other stolen items which meet the criteria in #1 above, use your judgment and the circumstances within the game to determine whether a PC thief gets away with the theft or not. Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have a certificate, will not ever have a certificate issued for it. The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or gold acquired for things which it later finds unreasonable but which were allowed at the time. Encounter One • 100 gp each PC Encounter Two • 14 sp • 2 great axes • 2 sets scale mail • 3 morning stars Encounter Five • Silvered masterwork trident Encounter Six • Ring of p r o t e ction +1 [e t c] Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 11 AAAAppppppppeeeennnnddddiiiixxxx AAAA EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 2222 Goblin: CR 1/4; Small Humanoid; HD 1d8; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (Touch 12, Flat-footed 14); Atks morningstar +1 melee (1d8-1, morningstar) or +3 ranged (1d6-1, javelin); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0;Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Hide +6, Listen +3, Move Silent +4, Spot +3; Alertness. Orc: CR 1/2 Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d8; Init +0; Speed 20 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 10, Flat-footed 14); Atks +3 melee (1d12+3/x3, greataxe); SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitive; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will –1; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Listen +2, Spot +2; Alertness Orc, Bbn1: CR 1; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 1d12; Init +0; Speed 30 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 10; Flat- footed 14); Atks +4 melee 1d12+4/x3, greataxe; SA Rage 1/day; SQ Darkvision, light sensitive; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will –1; Str 17 Dex 10 Con 11 Int 9 Wis 8 Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Listen +4, Spot +4; Alertness, Weapon Focus (greataxe). Orc, Bbn3: CR 3; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d12; Init +0; Speed 30 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 10, Flat- footed 14); Atks +7 melee (1d12+3/x3, greataxe); SA Rage 1/day; SQ Darkvision, light sensitive, uncanny dodge (Dex to AC); AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 17, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Listen +8, Spot +8; Alertness, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe). Orc, Bbn3/Ftr2 (4) CR 5; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 3d12+2d10+5; Init +4; Speed 30 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 10, Flat-footed 14); Atks +10/+5 melee (1d12+3/x3, greataxe); SA Rage 1/day; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitive; uncanny dodge (Dex to AC); AL CE; SV Fort +9 Ref +1, Will +0; Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Listen +12, Spot +12; Alertness, Weapon Focus (greataxe), Power Attack, Cleave, Improved Initiative. Worg: CR 2; Medium-size Magical Beast; HD 4d10+8; Init +2; Speed 50 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 12, Flat-footed 12); Atks +7 melee (1d6 +4, bite); SA Trip; SQ Scent AL NE; SV Fort +6, Ref +6 Will +3; Str 17 Dex 15 Con 15 Int 6 Wis 14 Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spot +9, Wilderness Lore +2; Alertness. Worg, Advanced 6HD: Worg: CR 3; Medium-size Magical Beast; HD 6d10+12; Init +2; Speed 50 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 12, Flat-footed 12); Atks +7 melee (1d6 +4, bite); SA Trip; SQ Scent AL NE; SV Fort +6, Ref +6 Will +3; Str 17 Dex 15 Con 15 Int 6 Wis 14 Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spot +9, Wilderness Lore +2; Alertness. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 3333 Carrion Crawler: CR 4; Large Aberration; HD 3d8+6; Init +2; Speed 30ft.; AC 17 (Touch 11, flat- footed 15); Atks +3 melee (paralysis, 8 tentacles), -2 melee (1d4+1, bite); Face/Reach 5 ft x 10 ft/5 ft.; SA Paralysis; SQ Scent; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 14 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 1 Wis 15 Cha 6. Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Listen +6, Spot +6; Alertness. Special Attacks: Paralysis (Ex)—Those hit by a carrion crawler’s tentacle attack must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or be paralyzed. Carrion Crawler, Advanced 9HD: CR 8; Huge Aberration; HD 9d8+36; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (Touch 9, Flat-footed 17); Attks +11 melee (paralysis, 8 tentacles), +6 melee (1d6+3, bite); Face/Reach 15 ft. x 30 ft./15 ft.; SA Paralysis; SQ Scent AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +8; Str 22 Dex 15 Con 18 Int 1 Wis 15 Cha 6. Skills and Feats: Climb +16, Listen +9, Spot +9; Alertness, Improved Initiative. Special Attacks: Paralysis (Ex)—Those hit by a carrion crawler’s tentacle attack must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or be paralyzed. EEEEnnnnccccoooouuuunnnntttteeeerrrr 5555 Zombie Fisherman (Medium Zombie): CR 1/2; Medium-size Undead; Init –1 (Dex); HD 2d12+3 Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (Touch 9, Flatfooted 12); Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, slam); SQ Undead, partial action only; SV Fort +0; Ref –1, Will +3; Str 13, Dex 8, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 1. Feats: Toughness. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Partial Actions Only (Ex)—Zombies have poor reflexes and can perform only partial actions. Thus they can move or attack, but can only do both if they charge (a partial charge). Zombie Fisherman, Advanced (Medium Zombie): CR 1; Medium-size Undead; Init –1 (Dex); HD 3d12+3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (Touch 9, Flatfooted 12); Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, slam); SQ Like Water Under the Bridge Round 2 Page 12 Undead, partial action only; SV Fort +0; Ref –1, Will +3; Str 13, Dex 8, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 1. Feats: Toughness. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Partial Actions Only (Ex)—Zombies have poor reflexes and can perform only partial actions. Thus they can move or attack, but can only do both if they charge (a partial charge). Skeletal Goblins (Small Skeletons): CR 1/4; Small Undead; HD 1/2d12; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (Touch 12, Flat-footed 12); Atk +0 melee (1d3-1, 2 claws); SQ Undead, Immunities; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 8, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Improved Initiative. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Immunities (Ex)—Skeletons have cold immunity. Because they lack flesh or internal organs, they only take half damage from piercing or slashing weapons. Skeletal Orcs (Medium Skeletons): CR 1/2; Medium-size Undead; HD 1d12; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (Touch 12, Flat-footed 12); Atk +0 melee (1d4, 2 claws); SQ Undead, Immunities; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Improved Initiative. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Immunities (Ex)—Skeletons have cold immunity. Because they lack flesh or internal organs, they only take half damage from piercing or slashing weapons. Skeletal Ogres (Large Skeletons): CR 1; Large- size Undead; HD 2d12; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 40 ft.; AC 13 (Touch 10, Flat-footed 12); Atk +2 melee (1d6+2, 2 claws); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft. SQ Undead, Immunities; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3; Str 14, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Improved Initiative. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Immunities (Ex)—Skeletons have cold immunity. Because they lack flesh or internal organs, they only take half damage from piercing or slashing weapons. Skeletal Hill Giants (Huge Skeletons): CR 2; Large-size Undead; HD 4d12; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 40 ft.; AC 13 (Touch 9, Flat-footed 12); Atk +4 melee (1d8+4, 2 claws); Face/Reach 10 ft. by 10 ft./15 ft. SQ Undead, Immunities; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 18, Dex 12, Con --, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Improved Initiative. Special Qualities: Undead—Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage; Immunities (Ex)—Skeletons have cold immunity. Because they lack flesh or internal organs, they only take half damage from piercing or slashing weapons. Borderline Round 2 Page 10 DDDDM M M M M M M Maaaapppp 1111 The Wagons have settled in a defensive formation. Each Wagon is 5 feet wide by 10 feet long. The Forest on the left provides cover (decided by the DM) to those in it. The Goblins are in prepared positions on the sides of the road, these provide 1/2 cover. There is one guard at each wagon. Guard, Ftr1 (10) CR 1; Medium-size humanoids (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 6; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (Touch 12, Flatfooted 12); Atks +1 melee (1d6/19-20, short sword) or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); AL NG; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +0; Str 10 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 11 Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Jump +4, Handle Animal +4; Weapon Focus (crossbow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot. Borderline Round 2 Page 10 DDDDM M M M M M M Maaaapppp 2222 Note: Zeal Point lies about 100 yards offshore. It is a towering column of dark black rock that rises from the Fals River. Atop it are the ruins of an abandoned monastery. The walls are crumbling and the tower has collapsed in upon itself. The monastery sits 70-80 feet above the surface of the Fals River. At high tide the rocky path leading to the base of the towering edifice is underwater. The remains of the wreckage of old man Jemsun’s boat sits upon the slope of the point. The boat is keel up, easily 20 feet above the high water mark on the rocky slope. Borderline Round 2 Page 10 DDDDM M M M M M M Maaaapppp 3333 Note: The Zombies will enter the boat from the nets. The skeletons will enter from the sides of the boat. The front part of the lower deck is enclosed. The upper deck, where the captain’s wheel stands is above the galley and berthing. Borderline Round 2 Page 10 DDDDM M M M’’’’ssss AAAAiiiidddd:::: TTTThhhheeee VVVViiiillllllllaaaaggggeeee ooooffff DDDDeeeellllkkkkeeeelllllllleeeetttt TTTThhhheeee VVVViiiillllllllaaaaggggeeee ooooffff DDDDeeeellllkkkkeeeelllllllleeeetttt Population: 102 Situated on an Island in the Fals River, the folks of this village make their living on trade and fishing. Sitting on the boarder of Bissel and Veluna, the village is a safe stop for travelers on the Great Western Road. Though Knights of Veluna do not patrol this area, A former knight holds a small keep in the island-town and serves as guardian of the village. A sturdy gatehouse and a shore sidewall protect the town. There are several docks and piers that jut from the island, that moor the numerous fishing boats. There are several sights of interest within town. 1- Inn of Last Resort: The only place in town that has rooms available for the night. It also is the local hangout for fisherman. It serves a variety of seafood and strong drinks. When the PCs enter Delkellet the inn will be very crowded; lately the local fishermen are afraid to venture onto the river, and stay in the inn to drink their worry away. 2- Regency Goods: This place sells mostly fishing and boating supplies. Those kinds of goods are available at 75% of normal cost. Other goods types of goods are available at a 25% premium. 3- Delkellet Keep: Home of the retired Knight of Veluna, Sir Dunagallan. He is a grizzled veteran of many campaigns against Veluna’s enemies. He is about 65 years of age, however he is still strong and skilled. His men-at-arms patrol the local countryside and keep the peace. He is a gracious host. He will also know much of the information available at the Inn of Last Resort, and PCs may get the information from him instead, if they are more inclined to deal with knights than sailors. He will suggest to the PCs that they may find some clues to the missing river traffic at Zeal Point, where old man Jemsun’s boat washed up after it went missing for a couple of days. He says that the local fishermen are afraid to venture onto the river due to the mysterious disappearances that have occurred lately. 4- Ship-Shape: Fitters, builders and, repairers of all sizes of riverboats. PCs may purchase boats: rowboats 50 gp, keelboat 3,000 gp, sailing ship 10,000 gp. If a PC succeeds at a Diplomacy or a Bluff (DC 20) they may buy boats at a 20% discount. 5- Sorrie and Sons Fish Market: This is the local market where fisherman sell their harvest. It has a trading agreement with Silver Star who ships the market’s smoked fish to Thornwood. The building smells strongly of fish. The owner of the market a frail man of 30 years, with beady eyes, and a greasy smile. He will offer no information unless the PCs buy a barrel of smoked fish for 50gp. Otherwise he will send them away in deference to real customers. The supply of fish is getting short as the local fishermen are afraid to venture onto the river as of late. 6- Silver Star Trading Company: A local trading house of Veluna. This company hired the PCs to escort a caravan from Falsridge. 7- Three Rings Trading Company: A rival trading house to the Silver Star. If the PCs comment that they escorted a caravan for the Silver Star, they will be treated with distrust by the people who run this trading company. The guild master has not lost any caravans. He will tell the PCs about the Fals River monster, and how it has been messing up the fishing lately. The local fishermen are afraid to venture onto the river as of late, because of it. Borderline Round 2 Page 10 M M M Maaaapppp ooooffff DDDDeeeellllkkkkeeeelllllllleeeetttt Borderline Round 2 Page 10 PPPPllllaaaayyyyeeeerrrrssss’’’’ HHHHaaaannnnddddoooouuuutttt Dear Heroes, We have been able to get some information out of the documents that were recovered from the Ogres. We would request that you return to Falsridge as soon as possible. We would like to commission you to finally get to the root of the problem here. We are looking forward to your pro With Regards Captain Roche, Constable of Falsridge

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/EXTRAS/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/VEL (Veluna)/VEL1-04 Like Water Under the Bridge (Round 2) (3E).pdf

Faits d’hiver Style : huis-clos / horreur Cadre : un refuge de chasseurs au coeur de la montagne Saison : hiver Durée : environ deux heures E n tant que fils de noble, Jorelle n’avait jamais vu quoi que ce soit lui être inaccessible jusqu’au jour où il fit la rencontre d’une magnifique jeune femme du nom d’Olenna. Succombant à son charme, Jorelle mit tout en œuvre pour tenter de la séduire et l’attirer dans son lit, mais celle-ci rejeta ses avances. Fou de rage à l’idée de voir l’objet de son désir lui échapper, le jeune noble céda alors à ses pulsions et viola la malheureuse. Lorsqu’il réalisa ce qu’il venait de faire, il s’enfuit et alla se confesser à son père qui décida, tant afin de le protéger que de le punir, de l’envoyer un temps rejoindre les rangs d’une garnison relativement éloignée. L’histoire aurait pu s’arrêter là si, quelques semaines après l’arrivée de Jorelle à la garnison, une nouvelle recrue venue effectuer son service ost n’avait fait son apparition. Prénommé Ionas, le nouveau venu était un ami d’enfance d’Olenna et était bien décidé à venger l’honneur de son amie. Quoi qu’il lui en coûte... Racines Tronc L es PJ appartiennent tous à une communauté rurale quelque peu isolée au cœur des montagnes centrales de Tri-Kazel. Ils ont été désignés par le conseil du village pour partir à la recherche d’un groupe de chasseurs disparus. Ceux-ci étaient supposés descendre dans la vallée pour rejoin- dre un refuge et revenir trois ou quatre jours plus tard, mais ils n’ont pas donné signe de vie depuis maintenant près d’une semaine et le conseil craint qu’il ne leur soit arrivé quelque chose. Le refuge se situe à une bonne journée de marche du village et les PJ se mettent en route aux premières lueurs de l’aube. Après plusieurs heures de voyage, ils remarquent des traces de pas dans la neige qu’un pisteur pourra identifier comme étant celles de quatre hommes accompagnés d’un chien ou d’un loup. Les traces mènent à un petit abri installé à l’aplomb d’un roc au milieu duquel gisent les corps de cinq hommes, armes à la main. Malgré le froid, leurs cadavres sont encore tièdes et les blessures qu’ils portent ne laissent aucun doute sur la nature humaine de leurs agresseurs. Alors que les PJ inspectent le bivouac, trois hommes accom- pagnés d’un chien-loup les attaquent par surprise. Il s’agit de soldats portant les armoiries du seigneur local et leurs intentions sont davantage de capturer les PJ que de les tuer. Toutefois, avant que quiconque n’ait infligé de blessure sérieuse à son adversaire, un vieil homme en armure de cuir cloutée fait son apparition et ordonne aux soldats de cesser le combat immédiatement, arguant que les PJ ne sont pas des brigands. Il tient une vieille épée à la main mais semble blessé et peine à se tenir sur ses jambes. Après un moment d’hésitation, les soldats s’exécutent et les PJ réalisent alors que le vieil homme en question n’est autre que Cregan, un officier d’une garnison installée plus bas dans la vallée que certains d’entre eux con- naissent. Après avoir présenté ses excuses aux PJ, Cregan leur explique que lui et ses hommes ont traqué pendant plusieurs jours un groupe de brigands et qu’ils sont parvenus à les rattraper un peu plus tôt dans la journée. Durant l’affrontement, il a reçu un vilain coup d’épée dans le flanc et doute d’avoir la force de retourner jusqu’à la garnison, voire de passer la nuit s’il vient à neiger. Toutefois, ses hommes et lui ont aperçu le refuge des chasseurs en venant jusqu’ici et ils envisagent de s’y rendre afin de pouvoir s’y reposer en toute sécurité. Outre Cregan, la petite troupe de soldats se compose de Jorelle, Ionas et Bran. Si Jorelle s’est peu à peu fait à la vie de soldat et à appris à renoncer à ses privilèges et à se faire respecter de ses compagnons d’armes, Ionas n’en a pas pour autant oublié ce qu’il a fait subir à Olenna et ne cache aucunement son mé- pris et sa haine à l’encontre du jeune noble, bien qu’il se garde d’en expliquer les raisons. De son côté, Bran est un garçon de village débrouillard ayant choisi d’embrasser une carrière mili- taire pour échapper à la vie des champs. Pisteur hors-pair, il est toujours accompagné de son chien-loup Fitz. Durant le chemin jusqu’au refuge, les conditions climatiques vont peu à peu se détériorer et la progression des PJ et des soldats, déjà compliquée par la blessure de Cregan, va deve- nir extrêmement difficile. Le principal danger étant de chuter dans une crevasse dissimulée par la neige ou de glisser sur une pente, la petite troupe va devoir redoubler de prudence au fur et à mesure que la visibilité va se réduire. Alors que la nuit tombe et qu’une véritable tempête de neige commence à se lever, les PJ arrivent finalement en vue du ref- uge. Il s’agit d’une maisonnée de pierre installée au beau milieu d’une petite passe donnant sur une vallée boisée et giboyeuse. Cependant, si les voyageurs pensaient être tirés d’affaire, ils déchantent rapidement en réalisant que la lourde porte de bois qui permet d’y accéder été enfoncée et que l’intérieur de l’abri est sans dessus-dessous. De nombreuses traces de sang sont visibles un peu partout dont une particulièrement importante partant de l’une des quatre paillasses que compte l’habitation et menant à l’extérieur. En fouillant un peu, les PJ retrouveront sans peine la plupart des affaires de voyage des chasseurs et découvriront également un certain nombre de bandages usagés. Et si jamais... Si les PJ décident de ne pas suivre les traces de pas des sol- dats et préfèrent descendre directement en direction de la vallée sans se poser de questions, il est possible qu’ils croisent Bran en chemin. Celui-ci sera parti en éclaireur en compagnie de Fitz pour se faire une idée de la distance séparant le campement des brigands du refuge des chasseurs. Dans ce cas, Cregan et ses hommes débarqueront au refuge en fin de journée, peu avant l’arrivée du feond. Branches M algré l’état dans lequel se trouve le refuge, les PJ vont être forcés d’y passer la nuit s’ils ne veulent pas mourir de froid. La maisonnée dispose d’une petite cheminée et d’une réserve de bois suffisante pour se chauffer quelques heures, et quelques vivres peuvent être retrouvées parmi les affaires des chasseurs. Malheureusement, outre la tempête qui faire rage dehors, un sérieux problème attend les voyageurs : un véritable feond dé- rangé par les chasseurs quelques jours auparavant et qui rôde toujours dans les environs. En effet, ne parvenant pas à trou- ver de gibier, ceux-ci se sont enfoncés trop profondément dans les bois qui jouxtent la passe et ont été attaqué par la créature. Après une première confrontation ayant coûté la vie à l’un d’eux, les deux chasseurs restant, dont l’un gravement blessé, se sont alors enfuis et sont parvenus à retourner jusqu’au ref- uge. Lancé sur leurs traces, le feond les y a rejoint pour ter- miner ce qu’il avait commencé, avant de se mettre en quête d’un nouveau refuge en emportant au passage les cadavres des malheureux avec lui. A partir de là, un huis-clos mortel va donc se mettre en place et les PJ vont non seulement devoir lutter contre le froid, la fatigue et un feond particulièrement retors, mais également contre la tension nerveuse qui va s’emparer peu à peu des voyageurs au fur et à mesure que les heures s’écouleront, jusqu’à les pousser dans leurs derniers retranchements. Inspirations musicales Jason Graves – Dead Space O.S.T. – 01 – Dead Space Theme Ce morceau particulièrement angoissant pourra être utilisé à l’approche de l’attaque du feond, si les PJ tentent une sortie nocturne par exemple. Le feond A partir du moment où les voyageurs arrivent au refuge, le feond se met en chasse et tente alors de s’en prendre aux personnes isolées ou accompagnées d’un compagnon tout au plus, privilégiant dans ce cas une approche furtive. En effet, la créature n’est pas dépourvue d’intelligence et hésite à attaquer de front un groupe bien armé. Néanmoins, si elle se retrouve pour une raison ou une autre confrontée à plusieurs assaillants, elle se battra jusqu’à la mort sans chercher à fuir. Par ailleurs si à un moment où un autre Jorelle, Ionas, Bran ou l’un des PJ se retrouve seul dans le refuge avec Cregan, elle s’approchera pour s’assurer qu’il n’y a pas de danger avant de passer à l’attaque. Un hurlement résonnera alors dans toute la passe, mais lorsque le reste du groupe arrivera sur place, il n’y aura plus que deux corps sans vie baignant dans leur sang, voire pas de corps du tout si la créature a le temps de les emporter avec elle. Jorelle et Ionas Une fois Cregan inconscient et le stress aidant, la tension va peu à peu monter entre Jorelle et Ionas jusqu’à ce que la situa- tion devienne incontrôlable. Rapidement, ce dernier va réaliser que le moment est venu pour lui d’en finir avec son ennemi juré et qu’il n’aura peut-être pas de seconde chance de le tuer de ses propres mains. Si Bran disparaît, il va alors tout faire pour se retrouver seul lui, quitte à aller jusqu’à expliquer la situation aux PJ et à leur demander de fermer les yeux sur le meurtre du jeune noble. S’il n’y parvient pas, il finira par se jeter sur Jorelle dans un accès de folie et tentera de l’égorger avec sa dague, ainsi que toute personne cherchant à s’interposer. Une nuit en enfer Au cours de la nuit et en fonction des décisions des PJ, les évènements suivants sont susceptibles d’avoir lieu : Cregan, épuisé par le voyage et par sa blessure dont l’état empire, finit par sombrer dans l’inconscience. En proie à une forte fièvre, il se met alors à faire des cauchemars et se réveille parfois en hurlant, avant de se rendormir presque aussitôt. Les PJ peuvent tenter de le soigner, que ce soit durant la nuit ou plus tôt dans la journée, mais son état est grave et il a besoin de beaucoup de repos. Quoi qu’il en soit, dès l’arrivée au refuge, Ionas allume un feu dans la cheminée et installe le vieil homme a proximité. Relativement calme malgré les événements, Fitz se met soudain à grogner, puis à hurler à la mort. Il a senti la présence du feond qui rôde autour du refuge. Au bout d’un moment, ne parvenant pas à calmer la bête, Bran décide de sortir pour inspecter les environs. A peine a-t-il ouvert la porte que Fitz se sauve et disparaît dans le blizzard, le jeune soldat sur ses talons. Peu avant minuit, la tempête finit par se calmer et Ionas, qui est resté pour ainsi dire silencieux depuis son arrivée au refuge, se propose alors d’aller chercher du bois afin d’alimenter le feu et demande à Jorelle de l’accompagner. Il dit qu’il sait que sortir de la maisonnée est risqué mais ne peut se résoudre à laisser Cregan souffrir du froid. Jorelle refusera dans un premier temps mais si les PJ n’interviennent pas, Ionas fini- ra par le convaincre de le suivre. Quelques minutes plus tard, un hurlement déchirera la nuit et Ionas reviendra vers le refuge, couvert de sang et en état de choc. A noter qu’à la discrétion du MJ, il se peut également que Ionas tente de convaincre les PJ d’aller eux-même chercher du bois et qu’il en profite pour se débarrasser de Jorelle. Plus tard dans la nuit, Bran réapparait, poursuivi par le feond. Avant qu’il n’ait eu le temps d’atteindre le refuge, il est rattrapé par la créature qui n’en fait qu’une bouchée mais les PJ ont le temps de l’entendre appeler à l’aide et hurler avant qu’il ne succombe. Si Jorelle est mort sous ses yeux ou de sa main, Ionas finira par tenter de mettre fin à ses jours. Il se peut en effet, selon les circonstances dans lesquelles son camarade a trouvé la mort, qu’il soit devenu fou après avoir aperçu le feond ou qu’il se sente incapable de vivre avec son crime sur la con- science. Outre ces évènements, l’un des facteurs de stress les plus im- portants pour les PJ va être le feond va jouer avec leurs nerfs tout au long de la nuit en leur faisant sentir sa présence, grat- tant à la porte, grognant et poussant parfois des hurlements ter- rifiants. A plusieurs reprises, et notamment lorsque la tempête se calmera, il s’éloignera un peu de l’abri et se contentera de jouer les observateurs discrets pendant un temps dans l’espoir de pousser les PJ et leurs compagnons d’infortune à risquer une sortie. Au petit matin, il ira même jusqu’à faire semblant de quitter les lieux et d’abandonner ses proies pour mieux les prendre en chasse par la suite. S uite à cette nuit de cauchemar, le scénario peut se ter- miner de multiples manières selon les actions des PJ, le nombre de survivants et leur état psychologique. Quoi qu’il en soit, et s’il est toujours en vie, Cregan ne sera pas capable de se déplacer avant plusieurs jours et devra donc être porté ou abandonné sur place si personne n’a le cour- age de rester avec lui dans le refuge. De son côté, le feond pren- dra en chasse les proies les plus vulnérables et ne renoncera pas jusqu’à ce qu’elles soient en lieu sûr. Si les personnages déci- dent de fouiller les environs, ils finiront par découvrir une pe- tite grotte naturelle qui lui sert de refuge. A l’intérieur de celle- ci, ils trouveront les cadavres de ses victimes, parmi lesquelles les deux chasseur qu’il a poursuivi depuis les bois. Cependant, la créature défendra violemment son territoire et n’hésitera pas à attaquer les PJ, quel que soit leur nombre. C e scénario repose avant tout sur l’ambiance et sur la tension que le MJ va instaurer au fur et à mesure de la partie, et sa réussite dépend donc pour beaucoup de la façon qu’il aura de gérer la réaction des PJ et des PNJ face au froid, à la fatigue et aux incidents qui vont émailler leur nuit au refuge. Aussi, la plus grosse difficulté consistera à user correctement du système de Santé Mentale pour provoquer des réactions de plus en plus extrêmes chez les protagonistes sans pour autant les pousser à se jeter dans les griffes du feond ou a s’entretuer. Le MJ devra donc veiller à ne surtout pas négliger l’évolution de la Santé Mentale des PNJ afin de se servir de ces derniers pour générer des situations dramatiques et jouer avec les nerfs des PJ. Par ailleurs, et toujours afin de maintenir les joueurs sous une pression constante, le MJ devra faire veiller à ne laisser aucun moment de répit aux PJ. Ainsi, si par exemple ces derniers décident de se barricader dans le refuge et que tous les PNJ sont morts, le MJ ne devra pas hésiter à décrire briève- ment les conditions dans lesquelles se déroulent le reste de la nuit pour se concentrer sur les évènements du lendemain. Par ailleurs, rendre Jorelle particulièrement sympathique aux yeux des PJ dès le début de l’aventure pourra amener à une sit- uation intéressante lorsque Ionas voudra s’en prendre à lui. Au Feuilles Vent cours du voyage jusqu’au refuge, il pourrait par exemple être le premier à se jeter au secours d’un PJ sur le point de chuter une crevasse, le sauvant ainsi in extremis d’une chute mortelle au péril de sa propre vie. Nul doute qu’après un tel acte, le PJ en question se sentira redevable envers son sauveur et risque de s’interposer lorsque Ionas tentera de l’assassiner. Seilgfear La bete des bois Attaque : 12 Rapidite : 8 Perception : 14 Degats : 4 Potentiel : 3 Discretion : 10 Defense : 10 Vigueur : 14 Prouesses : 12 ARMURE : 1 Sante : 40 / 30 / 20 / 10 Il s’agit d’une variété de feond assez peu répandue vivant sur- tout dans les régions froides et boisées de Tri-Kazel, là où les hommes s’aventurent rarement. Prédateur né à la musculature impressionnante, le Seilgfear possède un corps long et robuste recouvert d’un épais pelage de poils et de piquants rappelant ce- lui des porc-épics. Ses puissantes pattes sont munies de griffes rétractiles et son crâne long et massif se termine par un museau étroit flanqué de deux défenses latérales et garni de crocs acérés. Le Seilgfear est un chasseur solitaire qui s’aventurent rarement en dehors des bois où il vit, bien qu’il soit capables de traquer une proie sur de grandes distances, a fortiori s’il s’agit d’un être humain. Une fois celle-ci morte, il traine son cadavre jusqu’à un refuge sûr et entreprend de la dévorer. Néanmoins, il n’est pas rare que les Seilgfears s’en prennent à plusieurs proies à la suite afin de se constituer d’importantes réserves de nour- riture, où simplement pour le plaisir de la chasse. Bien qu’ils ne craignent pas grand chose, pas même le feu, ce sont des créatures assez rusées qui n’hésitent pas à attendre le bon mo- ment pour attaquer et qui préfèrent s’en prendre à des proies relativement isolées ou affaiblies plutôt que d’affronter plu- sieurs adversaires à la fois. Cependant, face à des humains, leur nature feonde les trahit et les pousse à se battre jusqu’à la mort plutôt que de fuir. Agiles, rapides et puissants, ils font alors de terrifiants adversaires capables de décimer en quelques minutes un groupe de combattants expérimentés. En raison de leur apparence terrifiante et de leur nature mys- térieuse, les Seilgfears sont source de nombreuse rumeurs plus ou moins fondées et sont évoqués à travers toute la péninsule dans des contes destinés à effrayer les enfants. Se retrouver pour la première fois face à l’une de ces créa- tures entraine un jet de Résistance mentale compliqué (14). Canevas non-officiel pour les Ombres d’Esteren créé par Kevin “Netzach” Baussart (textes et illustration). Utilise des contenus protégés par la propriété intellec- tuelle © Agate RPG, 2010, avec l’aimable permission de l’éditeur dans le cadre de la licence CUVOE. http://www.esteren.org

textdata/thevault/Les Ombres d'Esteren [FR]/Les Ombres d'Esteren – TÉLÉCHARGEMENTS/Sets graphiques - LIcence CUVOE/Canevas/Esteren_canevas_Faits_d_Hiver.pdf

Anvil of Time Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Conversion by Kentti Anvil of Time You can find this adventure on page 13 in the Dungeon Magazine #86 by Wizards of the Coast. Beginning the Adventure See pages 13-14 for the following information. There is Harland. 2. Temple See page 16 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) is required to find the secret doors. To climb to area 24 requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. 3. Corridor See page 16 for the following information. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check or a Passive Perception score of 10 or higher is required to hear the draconians. 5. West Guard Room See page 17 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcnana) check is required to realize that the scraps of cloth were once black wizards's robes. 6. Captain's Post See page 17 for the following information. There are four baaz draconians in the room. They have disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks. 8. Captain's Quarters See page 17 for the following information. There is a swarm of spiders in the room. 10. Headmaster's Cell See page 17 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is required to discover the large bone under the bed. 11. Privy See page 17 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence check is required to note that the undead creatures appear to be fighting over something. There are four ghouls in the room. 15. Throne Room See page 17 for the following information. The room is lightly obscured to all creatures outside of 5 feet. There are five baaz draconians. 16. Crystal Globe See pages 17-20 for the following information. The door has hardness 5, AC 15, and 30 hp. To break the door requires a successful DC 20 Strength check. A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check is required to decipher the ancient symbols on the device. There is Darmath Goodfellow in the room. 17. Codex Library See page 20 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is required to reveal a singed piece of paper. 20. Up-down See pages 20-21 for the following information. A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check is required to understand how Up-down operates. 24. Apprentice Quarters See page 21 for the following information. To climb down requires a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure, the character takes 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 30. Transfinite Repeater See pages 21-22 for the following information. A successful DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) check is required to understand the device. 33. Winch Adjustment Rooms See page 23 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Strength check is required to operate the winches. 33f. Creature See page 23 for the following information. There is a phase spider in the room. The Time Bridge See pages 25-26 for the following information. To understand the elves' antiquated mode of speech requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence check by those who know Elvish. The three Silvanesti warriors are scouts with breastplates instead of leather armors (AC 16). Age of Might (Third Age) See page 26 for the following information. 1. Entry See pages 26-27 for the following information. There are five Solamnic knights of the Crown in the room. When the PCs enter the room, have the knights make a DC 15 Wisdom check to assume the PCs are not hostile to them. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) check is required to convince that the PCs are not enemies. This check is made at disadvantage if there is a wizard, sorcerer, or warlock in the party. 5. West Guard Room See page 27 for the following information. There are four apprentices of Fistandantilus in the room. 6. Captain's Post See page 27 for the following information. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check or a Passive Perception score of 10 or higher is required to hear the mercenaries plundering area 7. 21 ANVIL OF TIME 7. Barracks See page 27 for the following information. There are four Ergothian mercenaries who are guards with scale mail, shield (AC 17) and equipped with longswords instead of spears. Treasure. There is a wand of magic missiles. 11. Privy See pages 27-28 for the following information. There is a Lithebit Winderkin in the room. 13. Ward Room See page 28 for the following information. There is Merdos Kardan and three Solamnic knights of the Crown in the room. 15. Throne Room See pages 28-29 for the following information. There is Lord Soth and two Solamnic knights of the Crown in the room. 16. Crystal Globe See pages 29-30 for the following information. There is Fistandantilus' Simulacrum in the room. Trap. PCs who open eiher door unleash a terrible blast of fire that explodes in a 10-foot radius from the door. All creatures must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. All creatures that take damage catch on fire and suffer 3 (1d6) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. 19. Chapel See page 30 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals a secret compartment. 20. Up-down See page 30 for the following information. There are three apprentices of Fistandantilus. 21. Guardian Statue See pages 30-31 for the following information. There is an animated armor in the room that is not equipped with a wand of shocking grasp. Treasure. There is no wand of shocking grasp. 29. Guardian Room See page 31 for the following information. There is Gnodi in the room who is a ghost. 32. Crystal Focus Rooms See page 31 for the following information. There is a spell scroll of Tenser's floating disk on the floor. Age of Light See page 31 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check yields the background information. 1. Entry See pages 31-32 for the following information. There is Magna, a young red dragon in the room. Treasure. The treasure has the following items: 1,400 stl and 11,000 sp in loose coinage potion of diminution spell scroll of grease, spell scroll of levitate, and spell scroll of unseen servant goggles of night flame maul (works as flame tongue) four gems: an eye agate (9 gp), tiger eye (12 gp), deep blue spinel (500 gp), and a green Transport Gem 2. Temple See pages 32-33 for the following information. The treasure is an inactive orb of dragonkind. Orb of Dragonkind Wondrous item, legendary An orb of dragonkind possesses the power to summon evil dragons. Evil dragons who are thus summoned are powerless to resist its call and stay within 150 feet of the device while activated, even when attacked. Creatures attempting to activate this dangerous device, however, must make a successful DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the Orb. The charmed creature becomes obsessed with the orb, protecting it and never allowing others to touch it, attacking them to prevent such use. This charm ends only if dispelled or someone else seizes control of the globe. The orb of dragonkind found in this adventure has the following additional abilities: cure wounds cast at 4th level (3/day), continual flame (at will). 4. Armory See page 32 for the following information. The treasure has the following items: frost axe, a battleaxe functioning as frost brand. +1 warhammer +1 longbow three longswords four spears six shortswords 10. Headmaster's Cell See page 33 for the following information. There is Lornivan Quistar in the room. 14. Kitchen See page 33 for the following information. There are two minotaurs in the room. 15. Throne Room See page 33 for the following information. Elisand is a ghost. 31 ANVIL OF TIME 17. Codex Library See pages 33-34 for the following information. There is Magius in the room. Traps. 01-50: Shocking grasp deals 13 (3d8) lightning damage. 51-80: Conjure Elemental conjures an air elemental. 81-95: Feeblemind, with save DC 17. 96-00: Disintegrate, with save DC 17. Treasure. A successful DC 25 Intelligence (Arcana) or Intelligence (History) check is required to read the spines of some of the works. 19. Chapel See pages 34-35 for the following information. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals a secret compartment in the back of the altar. There is Sithalan Qualeni in the room and the three Silvanesti elves are scouts with breastplates instead of leather armors (AC 16). 25. Apprentice Commons See pages 35-36 for the following information. There is Huma and Arlis Treval in the room. Huma has a lesser footman's dragonlance. To know that the lance is a dragonlance requires a successful DC 10 Intelligence (History) check. Lesser Footman's Dragonlance Weapon (lance), legendary You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon that glows with an inner light. Upon a hit against a dragon, it deals an extra 3d6 piercing damage. 28. West Laboratory See page 36 for the following information. There are two minotaurs in the room. Concluding the Adventure See pages 36-37 for the following information. To recall the previous settings requires a successful DC 25 Intelligence check. 41 ANVIL OF TIME Appendix: Monster/NPC Statistics 51 Apprentice of Fistandantilus Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) Hit Points 18 (4d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) Skills Arcana +4, History +4 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Magius Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Spellcasting. The apprentice is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The apprentice has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, sleep 2nd level (2 slots): invisibility Actions Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft, one target. Hit 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. Arlis Treval Medium humanoid (Silvanesti elf), lawful good Armor Class 14 (leather, shield) Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) Skills Medicine +7, Perception +5, Persuasion +3, Religion +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 2 (450 XP) Fey Ancestry. Arlis has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep. Divine Eminence. As a bonus action, Arlis can expend a spell slot to cause his melee weapon attacks to magically deal an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage to a target on a hit. This benefit lasts until the end of the turn. If Arlis expends a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 1st. Spellcasting. Arlis is a 5th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Arlis has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, guiding bolt, sanctuary 2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, spiritual weapon 3rd level (2 slots): dispel magic, spirit guardians Actions Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 61 Baaz Draconian Medium dragon (draconian), chaotic evil Armor Class 13 (chain shirt) Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 8 (-1) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Glide. The baaz can use its wings to glide, negating any damage from a fall of any height. It can also travel horizontally up to four times the vertical distance it descends. Death Throes. When the baaz dies, it turns to stone instantly. If the killing blow was dealt with a slashing or piercing melee weapon, the creature dealing the killing blow must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. If it fails, its weapon is stuck in the petrified draconian and cannot be removed. The baaz crumbles to dust 1 minute after death. Items in the baaz’s possession are unaffected by the petrification and subsequent dissolution. Actions Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d8) slashing damage, or 5 (1d10) slashing damage if used with two hands. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) slashing damage. Darmath Goodfellow Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (studded leather) Hit Points 19 (3d8 + 6) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8 Tools Thieves' tools Senses passive Perception 14 Languages Common, Thieves' Cant Challenge 1 (200 XP) Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Darmath can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Sneak Attack. (1/Turn). Darmath deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Darmath that isn't incapacitated and Darmath doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll. Actions Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 71 Fistandantilus' Simulacrum Medium illusion, chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (bracers of defense, 19 with mage armor) Hit Points 38 (7d8 + 7) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Religion +6 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Magius Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Special Equipment. The simulacrum has bracers of defense and wand of web which do not melt when the simulacrum reaches 0 hit points. Spellcasting. The simulacrum is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The simulacrum has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, sleep 2nd level (3 slots): invisibility, mirror image, suggestion 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, lightning bolt 4th level (1 slot): ice storm Actions Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. Harlan (Newt) Hightale Medium humanoid (human), neutral good Armor Class 12 Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 17 (+3) Skills Arcana +3, History +3, Performance +5, Persuasion +5 Tools Lute Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Spellcasting. Harlan is a 3rd-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Harlan has the following bard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): charm person, comprehend languages, dissonant whispers, sleep 2nd level (2 slots): enthrall, suggestion Actions Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 81 Huma Medium humanoid (human), lawful good Armor Class 18 (plate) Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +4 Skills Animal Handling +4 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Brave. Huma has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Actions Multiattack. Huma makes two melee attacks. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Lesser Footman's Dragonlance. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) piercing damage. Huma has disadvantage when he uses the lance to attack a target within 5 feet of him. Also, the lance requires two hands to wield when Huma isn't mounted. Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, Huma can utter a special command or warning whenever a non hostile creature that he can see within 30 feet of him makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand Huma. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Huma is incapacitated. Reactions Parry. Huma adds 2 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, Huma must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. Lithebit Winderkin Small humanoid (kender), neutral Armor Class 14 (leather) Hit Points 14 (4d8) Speed 25 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7 Tools Thieves' tools Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Kenderspeak, Thieves' Cant Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Cunning Action. On each of his turns, Lithebit can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Fearless. Lithebit cannot be frightened. Kender Nimbleness. Lithebit can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than him. Sneak Attack. (1/Turn). Lithebit deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Darmath that isn't incapacitated and Darmath doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll. Actions Hoopak. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 3 (1d6) bludgeoning or piercing damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning or piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. Hoopak. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. Taunt. Lithebit makes a Charisma (Performance) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight) check. Lithebit fails the contest if the target can't understand him. If Lithebit wins the contest, the target must use its next action to attack only him with disadvantage. If Lithebit is out of range of 30 feet, it must Move or Dash towards Lithebit. If the target wins the contest, it is immune to Lithebit's Taunt for 24 hours. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 91 Lord Soth Medium humanoid (human), lawful good Armor Class 19 (+1 plate, 21 with shield of faith) Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Wis +3, Cha +6 Skills Animal Handling +3, Persuasion +6, Religion +3 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Aura of Protection. Whenever Lord Soth or a friendly creature within 10 feet of him must make a saving throw, the creature gains a +3 bonus to the saving throw. Also, friendly creatures within 10 feet of him can't be frightened while Lord Soth is conscious. Brave. Lord Soth has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Special Equipment. Lord Soth has +1 plate mail of teleport (allows wearer to cast teleport 1/day), +1 longsword, and potion of fire giant strength. Spellcasting. Lord Soth is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Lord Soth has the following paladin spells prepared: 1st level (4 slots): divine favor, searing smite, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots): aid, branding smite 3rd level (2 slots): blinding smite, crusader's mantle, magic circle Actions Multiattack. Lord Soth makes two melee attacks. +1 Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 10 (1d8 + 6) slashing damage, or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used with two hands. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) piercing damage. Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage. Lay on Hands (Recharges after a Long Rest.) Lord Soth can touch a creature and restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to 50 hit points. Alternatively, Lord Soth can expend 5 hit points from his pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, Lord Soth can utter a special command or warning whenever a non hostile creature that he can see within 30 feet of him makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand Huma. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Lord Soth is incapacitated. Reactions Parry. Lord Soth adds 3 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, Lord Soth must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. Lornivan Quistar, "Guardian of Time" Medium humanoid (Silvanesti elf), neutral good Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield) Hit Points 10 (3d8 - 3) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Perception +3, Performance +4, Persuasion +3, Religion +6 Tools Flute Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Fey Ancestry. Arlis has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep. Spellcasting. Harlan is a 3rd-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Harlan has the following bard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, prestidigitation, vicious mockery 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, detect magic, longstrider, sleep 2nd level (2 slots): hold person, invisibility Actions Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 10 1 Magius Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor) Hit Points 45 (10d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 9 (-1) Saving Throws Int +8, Wis +5 Skills Arcana +8, History +8, Nature +8 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Common, Magius Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Special Equipment. Magius has spell scroll of cloudkill, spell scroll of cone of cold, spell scroll of conjure elemental and spell scroll of fire shield. Spellcasting. Magius is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). Magius has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, Tenser's floating disc 2nd level (3 slots): arcane lock, detect thoughts, Melf's acid arrow, see invisibility 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, lightning bolt 4th level (3 slots): arcane eye, stoneskin 5th level (2 slots): dominate person, wall of force Actions Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage, or 3 (1d8 - 1) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands. Merdos Kardan Medium humanoid (human), lawful good Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield, 20 with shield of faith) Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 9 (-1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) Skills Arcana +2, Medicine +5, Persuasion +2, Religion +2 Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Common Challenge 3 (700 XP) Divine Eminence. As a bonus action, Merdos can expend a spell slot to cause his melee weapon attacks to magically deal an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage to a target on a hit. This benefit lasts until the end of the turn. If Merdos expends a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 1st. Spellcasting. Merdos is a 6th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Merdos has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, guiding bolt, sanctuary, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots): enhance ability, lesser restoration, spiritual weapon 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, spirit guardians Actions Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 4 (1d8) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS 11 1 Sithalan Qualeni Medium humanoid (Silvanesti elf), neutral good Armor Class 16 (chain mail) Hit Points 33 (5d8 + 15) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) Skills Perception +3 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Fey Ancestry. Sithalan has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep. Pack Tactics. Sithalan has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of Sithalan's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. Actions Multiattack. Sithalan makes two attacks. Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. Solamnic Knight of the Crown Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral Armor Class 20 (plate, shield) Hit Points 13 (3d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 15 (+2) Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 1 (200 XP) Actions Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands. Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) piercing damage. APPENDIX: MONSTER/NPC STATISTICS

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/5th Edition/Homebrew/Kentti - Dragonlance Anvil of Time 5e Conversion.pdf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. To learn more about the Free Lands of Dyvers, visit our regional website at dyvers.living-greyhawk.com. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. Dyv5-06INT The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor A 1-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK® Dyvers Interactive Adventure By Sean Kliethermes Triad Edit: Joe Selby Tragedy in Bainbridge. Can you help the sun shine down on this once benevolent village? A Dyvers interactive adventure for APLs 2-16. Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 2 Introduction This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, but the actual playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario. Preparation First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA table tracking form, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Keep in mind that you must have at least four players (not counting the DM), for the game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray boxes. It’s strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text instead of reading it aloud. Some of this text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. If players do not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and then have any players without a character create one. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 3 # of Animals Mundane Animals Effect on APL 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 6 7 8 5 5 7 8 9 6 6 8 9 10 CR of Animal 7 7 9 10 11 Living Greyhawk Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportioned to the average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine the Average Party Level (APL): 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely being war horses, dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum above. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. 3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. By following these four steps, you will have determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL this adventure is being played at, that character will receive only half of the experience points awarded for the adventure. This simulates the face that either your character was not as challenged as normal, or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or sometimes even five 1st-level characters may find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 there are two things that you can do to help even the score. 1. Attempt to create a table of six 1st-level characters, or try to enlist higher-level characters to play at that table. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. All riding dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack must succeed at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates that the animal will not attack that round. This is a move action (spoken command) that may be attempted each round. If an animal loses half or more hp in a single round it flees, unless another check is successful. Time Units and Upkeep This is a standard one-round Regional adventure, set in Dyvers. Characters native to Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 4 Dyvers pay one Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. Adventure Background Anson Bainbridge was a rich man. He got that way through a combination of genuine business acumen, shady dealings, and the clever use of his sorcerous heritage. He also had a bit of help from an ancient artifact he obtained early in his career. The artifact hid his thoughts and alignment from magical detection and ensured that his business partners never suspected that they were getting the short end of the stick. He even had his family crest engraved upon it so he could claim it was a family heirloom. Over the years, the Bainbridge Merchant House prospered. Bainbridge purchased an elegant manor house in the countryside and took a beautiful young sorceress for a wife. But wealth alone was not enough to stave off the inevitable. Bainbridge began to show symptoms of a wasting disease that had plagued his family for generations. He sought out various magical cures, but all the best healers in the told him it was no use. Eventually, he would succumb to it, they said. Bainbridge cursed his luck and despaired. Then one day, hope arrived in a most unexpected manner. His niece and last remaining relative died and sent her two children, Thomas and young Sarah, to live with old man Bainbridge. At first, Bainbridge was annoyed by the intrusion into his home. Then it dawned upon him that he could use Thomas as a way to cheat death and ensure himself another lifetime of profitable dealings. Spending a fair potion of his wealth, Bainbridge was able to contact dark priests and obtain the details of a despicable ritual that would transfer his soul into the body of another. Bainbridge planned to use this ritual to place his own intellect inside Thomas Bainbridge, severing the connection between Thomas’s soul and his body in the process. Since Thomas would not come of age for a number of years, Bainbridge took steps to ensure that he, in the young man’s body, would have unhindered access to great wealth without interference from his wife, Lilly, whom he had grown to despise. Bainbridge began selling off his assets, hording the proceeds in an enchanted chest that he had constructed. The materials within would stay hidden away in an extra-dimensional space until the key (his family medallion) was touched to the lock and a special pass phrase was spoken. Bainbridge also cut a deal with the foreman of the gemstone mine he was a primary investor in. He arranged for the foreman to triple production and the extra profits were collected by Bainbridge alone. This caused the mine to peter out years earlier than expected, but the other investors were none the wiser. With his health failing rapidly, Bainbridge finally decided to put his heinous plan into action. Late at night, five years ago, Bainbridge locked the doors to the bedrooms of his wife and Sarah and woke up Thomas. He led the trusting boy down into a secret room in the basement of the manor house, drugged him and laid him down upon a stone alter. Then he began the ritual that would replace the boy’s soul with his own. But Bainbridge overestimated his own arcane powers. As a natural sorcerer, his grasp of magic was more intuitive and he turned out not to have much of talent for precise arcane rituals. Over the course of performing the complex chants and motions, he made a terrible error. Thomas’s soul was not ejected and while a portion of Anson’s soul did make the journey into the host body, it became buried in Thomas’s subconscious and lay dormant deep inside his mind. After the ritual was botched, Anson’s mindless body wandered off on a rampage and careened through the house. In the process, it knocked over a brazier and set the building aflame. Awakening in a daze in the secret room in the basement, Thomas stumbled upstairs and was able to get out of the burning house before collapsing in a field adjacent to the manor. He was later discovered by villagers, but had no memory of the event. His sister, great-aunt, and a visiting priest of Zilchus were not so lucky. They died in the fire, along with the soulless body of Anson Bainbridge. The secret room was sealed forever when part of the building fell in upon itself during the blaze. Bainbridge’s domestic servants and his business advisors from the Temple of Zilchus in Dyvers have been kind to young master Thomas Bainbridge. They have helped him maintain control of the Bainbridge Merchant House and the manor using what little funds remain that Anson Bainbridge did not covert to cash and hide away. Because Anson’s soul remains locked away and dormant inside Thomas’s mind, and due to the masking nature of the medallion he inherited, no one suspects the old man’s hidden presence. Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 5 Tragedy continues to visit Bainbridge Manor, however. On the first anniversary of the fire, three ghosts appeared to haunt poor Thomas. His sister Sarah manifested in her old bedroom, while his great-aunt, Lilly Bainbridge appeared at her crypt in the family plot next to the house. The ghost of Frederick Abernathy IV, cleric of Zilchus, appeared in the library. Summoning up his courage, Thomas attempted to interact with the ghosts, but each attacked him in turn, apparently able to detect the presence of Anson Bainbridge within Thomas’s mind. Thomas was forced to flee, but he tried again the next year, only to meet with a similar reaction. Another year, Thomas enlisted the help of a high-level cleric of Zilchus who succeeded in turning the creatures. However, they reappeared again last year, prompting the church to speculate that they had some link to this plane that prevents them from moving on. Hoping to gain a clue to their motivations, Thomas had some divinations performed, but the results were cryptic: the spells indicated that by discovering how to release them from this plane, Thomas would find the key to restoring the Bainbridge family. In his desperation, he has decided to enlist the help of adventurers. Encounter Summary Introduction – The players find work as caravan guards and travel to Bainbridge Manor. When they arrive, they may notice that the Bainbridge family employees seem to be rather nervous. They are invited to speak to Master Bainbridge. Encounter One: The Tale of Thomas Bainbridge – The players meet Master Thomas Bainbridge and he relates the recent tragic history of his family. He asks the players to try to speak to the ghosts and discover why they are still haunting him. The players are then free to complete Encounters Two, Three, or Four in any order. Encounter Two: Little Girl Lost and the Monster in the Maze – The players will meet the ghost of Sarah Bainbridge, who has appeared in her old bedroom. If the PCs are kind and gentle with her, she will tell them that she is afraid to move on without her doll. The missing piece of her doll can be found in the hedge maze behind the manor. Of course, there’s a monster in the hedge maze. Provided the PCs are successful in defeating the monster and recovering the head of her doll, Sarah will disappear, but not before revealing that she knows the pass phrase that Anson Bainbridge used to open his enchanted box. Encounter Three: Faded Beauty – Investigating the manifestation of Lilly Bainbridge will bring the PCs to her crypt in the family cemetery. There, they will find her fawning over her corpse and they’ll have to do some fast talking to convince her that they sincerely believe she is just as beautiful as she ever was. Should they fail, she’ll do everything possible to drive them away. Provided the PCs can figure out a way to deal with her, Lilly will reveal that she hid Anson Bainbridge’s enchanted box in his mother’s crypt. Destroying her body will end her connection to this plane. Encounter Four: Accounting Irregularities – The library at Bainbridge Manor houses the spirit of Frederick Abernathy IV, a cleric of Zilchus. He cannot move on because he is convinced there is some sort of error in one of his ledger books. There isn’t, in fact, but the ledger book does hold a clue to the embezzlement activities that old Anson engaged in before his death. If the PCs are clever enough to figure this out, Abernathy’s link to Oerth will be severed. Before he passes on, he’ll be able to tell the PCs what key to use to open the box. Encounter Five: Thomas Bainbridge Isn’t Home Right Now – After the PCs reveal what they have discovered, Thomas Bainbridge will reveal that he isn’t Thomas Bainbridge anymore. The spirit of Anson Bainbridge has finally come out of its dormancy and taken over. Anson has brought in some muscle and will direct the creatures to attack the PCs while he provides cover fire. Conclusion - Assuming the PCs survive, they will be able to use the rediscovered Bainbridge fortune to either bring Thomas back from the dead (sans Anson’s spirit) or to pay for an exorcism. The restored Thomas will thank them and offer a reward. Introduction Sometimes, the life an adventurer is as grand and exciting as it can be. Defeating dark cultists, slaying vile dragons and rescuing beautiful princesses – it’s all in a day’s work for a hero of Dyvers. Fortunately, the world doesn’t need saving every week. Unfortunately, however, this means you occasionally have to take a less glamorous job in order to get by. Thus you find yourself here, working as a lowly caravan guard, a day and a half’s travel outside of Dyvers. “Soldiers of fortune needed for caravan guard duty. Pay commiserate with qualifications. Possibility of Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 6 bonus and future work. Inquire at Bainbridge Merchant House office,” read the sign posted at one of your favorite local taverns. It was the line about the bonus and the tantalizing hint of future employment that sparked your curiosity, so you sought out the Bainbridge Merchant House. It turned out to be a drab little stall in the market commons populated solely by a bored little gnome who had the audacity to interrupt your recitation of your heroic resume. “Meet here tomorrow at dawn,” he said, stifling a yawn and seemingly barely finding enough energy to write your name down on a crumpled scroll. Returning the next day, you discovered that a number of other local adventurers had been hired as well. Allow the players to introduce themselves. Any players who wish to may make a Knowledge (local: Velverdyva, Tuflik, Fals Trade Route) check in order to obtain the following information. Note that the DCs are rather high, as the Bainbridge Merchant House is no longer very well known. • DC 15: The Bainbridge Merchant House used to be rather prominent, dealing mainly in gemstones. • DC 20: The Bainbridge Merchant House has fallen upon hard times and isn’t involved in much these days. • DC 25: Anson Bainbridge was the man responsible for its successes. • DC 30: Anson died in a fire about five years ago and his nephew is the new Master Bainbridge. Your trip so far has been relatively uneventful. Your encampment was attacked by (Goblins (APL 2-4); Hobgoblins (APL 6-8); Ogres (APL 10-12) or Trolls (APL 14-16)), last night, but you dispatched them without much difficulty, suffering only a few scratches and the loss of a spell or two. With the dawn, you were at full strength again and ready to continue on your tedious journey to Bainbridge Manor. A person on horseback or even walking at a brisk pace could make the journey to the manor in a day, but your wagons are loaded down with dry goods, foodstuffs, lumber, and other building materials. Nevertheless, the caravan captain says you ought to reach Bainbridge manor before nightfall. Ask the players if they wish to do anything while they are traveling. Continue when they are ready. Finally, as the sun begins to dip low in the west, your wagons round a bend in the road and you are treated to your first site of Bainbridge Manor. You feel distinctly under whelmed. At the bottom of a small hill stands an assortment of ramshackle farm houses and a community granary and mill. A rutted path, little more than the tracks from wagon wheels, leads up from the “village” to the overgrown estate surrounding the manor house itself. As your wagons make the plodding trek up the washed-out trail, you glimpse hedgerows behind the manor, next to what looks to be a family graveyard. The stone and wood house itself has definitely seen better days. Its wooden siding is cracked and warped in many places and a number of the building stones have fallen out of the walls. One chimney looks dangerously close to toppling over. Moth-eaten curtains grace the interiors of the windows. Perhaps most disturbing is the obvious fire damage to the northern section of the house. There, charred streaks surround gaping, windowless holes and part of one of the rooms lies exposed to the elements, its roof having collapsed into a jagged heap of burned timbers and crumbling plaster. The wind, which has just recently picked up, whistles through the tumbled masonry. The wagons pull into the dilapidated courtyard and you lend the teamsters a hand unloading crates. The caravan captain goes inside the house to collect your fee. As you stack the heavy lumber near a decrepit- looking carriage house, you notice an older couple exit from a back door. They appear to be domestic servants. Making their way across the yard and heading in the direction of the path down to the village, they glance nervously back at the house. If the PCs wish to question the couple, they will learn that they indeed serve as butler and cook for Master Bainbridge. They normally live in the house but tonight they will be staying with friends in the village. If asked why, the old man will not answer, saying only that “No one with any sense would stay here tonight.” After the PCs have finished unloading the wagons, the caravan captain will exit the house and approach them. “Thank you for your help. You done well and I told Master Bainbridge as much. He wants to pay you in person and offer you a place to bed down for the night. I’m to take you to him.” Assuming the PCs follow the man, he will lead them into the house. The interior of Bainbridge Manor is dank and gloomy. Oppressive wood paneling, dark with age, seems to suck in all of the light that filters in through the dusty windows. Shadows lurk in all the corners and cobwebs stretch across the plaster and exposed beams. Although you do not see any evidence of a fire Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 7 in this section of the house, the smell of burnt timbers lingers in the air. The caravan captain leads your group through a kitchen and then a dining room, emerging into a grand central foyer dominated by a large chandelier adorned with gutted candle stumps. A wooden staircase leads to the second floor. Your guide pauses before the staircase. “Master Bainbridge is up in his study – first door on the right.” He looks around for a moment, then draws in closer to you and speaks in a conspiratorial whisper. “Look, it may not be my place to say it, but… you seem like good folk. If’n you don’t want to stay here tonight, I can put you up in my barn, down in the village. It ain’t fancy, but it’s safe and the roof don’t leak – mostly.” If questioned about his offer, the caravan captain will state the following: “Like I says, it ain’t my place to say but, well, people talk. And talk is that this place ain’t somewhere you want to stay tonight of all nights. It’s the anniversary of the fire, you see, and that means the dead ain’t gonna sleep too well tonight.” He glances around again, obviously nervous. “Look I gotta go. Thanks again and good luck to you.” The caravan captain takes his leave and you proceed up the staircase, stopping before a heavy wooden door stained to match the dark paneling. One of your party members knocks to announce your presence and after a moment you hear a voice beckoning you to enter. Turning the handle, you step into the private study of the Master of Bainbridge Manor. Encounter One: The Tale of Thomas Bainbridge Given what you have seen so far of the dark and moldered interior of Bainbridge Manor, the décor of the well-lit study is actually quite inviting. Floor-to- ceiling bookshelves cover most of the walls, the myriad colors of the book bindings serve as a contrast to the dark paneling. Comfortable-looking armchairs are placed throughout the room and a sturdy desk occupies one wall. A fire crackles merrily in a stone fireplace. Perhaps most surprising is the sight of Master Bainbridge himself, who appears to be a sleight, dark-haired boy of no more than 16 or 17 winters. He is sitting in a chair by the fire. Around his neck is a silver chain on which hangs a medallion bearing the Bainbridge crest which you saw on the wagons and emblazoned on the wall of the central foyer below. Rising to his feet, he gestures at the furniture. “Thank you for agreeing to see me,” he says in a serious voice. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. Would you like some wine? I had the cook warm some up before she left for the night.” After seeing that everyone is content, your host seats himself in his chair and begins to speak. “Again, thank you. The caravan captain told me of the brave deeds you performed on the journey here. You sound like very capable people. That’s why I asked him to bring you to me.” He pauses, his face appears troubled. “I’m looking for sturdy individuals to do a difficult job. Of course, you’re under no obligation and I’ll pay you your fee plus a bonus for what you’ve already done so far. However, if you can assist me, I’ll make sure it is worth your while. “I’m being haunted, you see. And I really need year help.” The remainder of this conversation is covered in bulleted points below so that judges can more easily respond to the direction the PCs take the conversation. However, young master Bainbridge is anxious to tell what he knows to the PCs and will volunteer crucial information if the PCs are not forthcoming with questions. Note that Anson Bainbridge’s essence is still lying dormant at this point and all of Thomas’s statements below are truthful. If the PCs attempt Sense Motive checks, they will determine that he is being sincere and not holding anything back. • “Each year on the night of the anniversary of the fire which took the lives of my family, this house is visited by three ghosts. I don’t know why they com back. I only know that they mean me harm and that they are aware of information that is key to finding some lost family fortune.” • “One of the ghosts is my Aunt Lilly Bainbridge, the wife of my uncle. She appears at her crypt in the family plot. Another is Frederick Abernathy, a cleric of Zilchus who my uncle employed as a part-time accountant. He manifests in the library. The last is… is my younger sister Sarah (Thomas chokes up while mentioning her name). She returns to her old bedroom on the third floor.” • “I’ve tried to talk to each of them on several occasions. Each time, I’ve been attacked and had to flee for my life. They don’t ever leave the area of their manifestations, however.” Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 8 • “One time, I brought in a Zilchan specialist in the undead. He successfully turned two of them in such a way that they appeared to be destroyed. However, the spirits reformed and came back a year later. The cleric told me that’s not uncommon when dealing with ghosts, however. Apparently, each one has something, perhaps an unfinished task or some other link to this place that prevents them from moving on. If we could discover that link, perhaps their spirits could finally rest.” • “I want you to seek out each spirit and try to determine whey they have returned. I don’t think they’ll attack you – they ignored my companions when I tried to speak to them previously.” The following information is provided for PCs who want more details about Thomas’s past. He will not necessarily volunteer this information but will divulge it if the PCs ask the right questions. • “My little sister and I came to live with my uncle, Anson Bainbridge, six years ago, after my mother died of a wasting sickness common to our family. She hardly knew him, but he was our only living relative. And because he had no children of his own, my adoption made me the heir to Bainbridge Manor.” • “Bainbridge wasn’t a very friendly man, but he didn’t mistreat me or my sister. We didn’t want for anything, although he appeared to be having some difficulties with his finances. He had originally made his money by investing in gemstone mines in the Cairn Hills, but the mines were almost played out by the time we got here. His argued a lot with his wife, Lilly. I think the stress of dealing with the other investors must have gotten to him, because he seemed to be in poor health near the end.” • “I don’t remember much about the night of the fire. I vaguely recall stumbling my way through the house, trying to avoid the flames and coughing and gagging in the thick, black smoke. I was woken up by villagers who found me unconscious in the field outside.” • “My uncle Anson’s body was found in the great hall downstairs. Apparently, he bumped his head trying to get out of the house and died in the fire. My great-aunt was found dead of smoke inhalation in her room and the cleric was overcome while working in the library. My sister… well, that part of the house was pretty badly damaged by the fire. (He chokes up again while relating this last bit).” • “We don’t know how the fire started. It could have been lighting, however. There was a big storm that night. In fact, that’s what kept the whole place from burning down. Eventually, the rain came down and put out the fire.” • “Since the fire, I’ve been struggling to keep this place afloat. The mines petered out long ago and the merchant business has been struggling, what with the dock fires and all. If a fortune does exist, it would allow me to reinvest in more profitable enterprises and finally get this place fixed up. It’s more important to me to find out why the spirits are still here, though, and to try to find them some peace.” • “I haven’t had to go it alone, however. The cook and manservant who used to work for my uncle have looked after me, although they refuse to stay here at night. I’ve also had excellent assistance from the Church of Zilchus in Dyvers. They’ve helped me keep the business going and provided clerical duties on a number of occasions. It appears as though my uncle was a valued contributor to the church.” After answering the PC’s questions as best he can, young master Bainbridge again asks for their help. Provided they agree, he will direct them to the locations of the hauntings. Note: Now the adventure moves into the live-action role-playing component. Players will be escorted to each of three different stations (Encounters Two, Three, and Four) where they will have the opportunity to interact, in character, with three “ghosts” played by volunteers. Each of these locations will have the appropriate décor and props. Once a group has finished with a station, they will be escorted by their host judge to the next station. Encounter Two: Little Girl Lost and the Monster in the Maze Little Girl Lost Scene: This station will be decorated like the burned- out bedroom of a little girl. Scorch marks will mar the walls and burned stuffed animals will adorn a rotting bed. Sitting on the floor in the center of the room will be a volunteer outfitted in a pretty dress. She will Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 9 glance up nervously as the players enter, and then look away shyly. At all times, she’ll be nervously clutching the burned body of a doll which is clearly missing its head. This is Sarah, sister to Thomas. Her death was quite traumatic and it left her soul in a state of anxiety. She doesn’t want to remain here but she’s afraid to move on without the item that provided her with a sense of security in life – her doll, Suzie. However, Suzie is currently incomplete. Old Man Bainbridge caught Sarah spying on him one day when he was opening up his enchanted chest. Fearing that she had overheard his password, he took her doll, popped the head off, and threw it in the well at the center of the hedge maze, a place she was terrified of. He threatened to do the same to her if he ever caught her spying on him again. Sarah is very shy, but she is willing to talk to the players if they are kind and gentle with her. Have them make Diplomacy or Bluff checks (DC = 10 +APL) (separate or assisted) to get her to respond to them. Sarah misses her mother, so friendly female PCs receive a +2 bonus to the attempt. If the players role- play this encounter particularly well, don’t even bother requiring them to roll. Note that if the players are mean or threatening, Sarah will look at them sadly and then fade away. No amount of pleading will get her to return for the rest of the adventure and the players will have blown it. Here are some questions the players may think to ask Sarah. Sample answers are provided. What’s your name? Sarah. How old are you Sarah? I’m eight. What happened to you? I got burned in a fire. It was bad. Why are you still here? I’m scared. Why are you scared? I want Suzie. Who’s Suzie? Suzie is my dolly. She holds it up for the PCs to see, but she doesn’t let it go. Her head is gone. Where did it go? Uncle Anson threw it in the well. He said I was a bad girl. He said if I ever spied on him again, he’d throw me in the well too. Why did he say that? I heard him talking to his box. What? His box. He was bending over it and whispering to it. Did you hear what he said? She looks at them shyly. Yeah. But I’m not supposed to tell. Come on, you can tell us. Well, maybe. But before I do, you have to go get Suzie’s head. It’s in the well. And the well’s in the maze. And there’s a MONSTER in the maze! I’m scared to go there. What kind of monster? Oh, it’s a big one, with big nasty teeth. It’ll eat you for sure. She looks very glum at this prospect. If asked why she attacked her brother, Sarah will become confused and deny the incident. As far as she knows, she is being truthful. Like the other ghosts, the trauma of returning from the dead has addled her memory and she doesn’t recall anything about her previous manifestations. The Monster in the Maze The second part of this encounter is a table-top combat that will be conducted by the host judge. It takes place in the hedge maze. Exiting the manor, you approach the overgrown hedge maze which lies behind it. The area is very dark and the stars and moon are blotted out by thick clouds. In the distance, you hear a menacing rumble of thunder. Entering the hedge maze itself, you find that it has not been trimmed in years and the passageways within have grown very narrow. The walls themselves are very thick and in places you have to push your way through intersections that are choked with branches and vines. The darkness seems to smother your light sources and you find the whole place very disorienting. This disorientation the PCs are experiencing is not normal. Long before Anson Bainbridge purchased the Manor, the previous owners had the maze constructed and then enchanted by a friendly local druid. The enchantment made the maze seem more confusing than Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 10 it was and ensured that children would never grow bored exploring its many twists and turns. However, when the monster moved in, that enchantment came to serve a more sinister purpose. Now, animals (and the occasional curious villager) that blunder into the maze usually become too confused to find their way out, allowing the monster to stalk and kill them at its leisure. Have the PCs make Will saves (DC 10 + APL). Failure means that they suffer a -4 penalty to all Spot and Listen checks within the maze. While the PCs are exploring, have them make a few random Spot and Listen checks. Tell the highest roller(s) the following: (Spot) For a moment, you think you see a shadow move down one of the side passages. Then you blink and it is gone. (Listen) Something seems to be moving down one of the side passages. Wait. Now you can’t hear it. Clever PCs may wish to fly or use other means to get into the center of the maze. If so, let them. They will still experience the disorientation affect before the monster attacks. Once the PCs have penetrated to the heart of the maze, read the following: After a several wrong turns and an argument or two, you emerge into the center of the maze. Although the grass is overgrown and tangled with weeds, no hedgerows grow to block your path. The area is perhaps 50 feet by 50 feet. There is an overturned wooden bench here, along with a wishing well atop a small mound in the very center of the space. An opening in the clouds allows moonlight to bathe the scene in an eerie glow. This is when the monster attack occurs. Have PCs make Spot and Listen checks to notice the monster before he is in their midst. The DC is 12 + APL because the monster has had many years to find the best hiding places and to practice stalking its victims. APL 2 (EL 3) Hell Hound: hp 22; See Monster Manual p. 151-152 APL 4 (EL 5) Manticore: hp 57; See Monster Manual p. 179-180 APL 6 (EL 7) Chimera: hp 76; See Monster Manual p. 34 APL 8 (EL 9) Nessian Warhound: hp 114; See Monster Manual p. 151-152 APL 10 (EL 11) Skindancer: hp 202; See Monster Manual III p. 158 APL 12 (EL 13) Hydra, twelve-headed cryo: hp 129; See Monster Manual p. 155-157 APL 14 (EL 15) Battlebriar: hp 312; See Monster Manual III p. 14-15 APL 16 (EL 17) Battlebriar (2): Huge Plant; hp 312; See Monster Manual III p. 14-15 Treasure: APL 2-16 – L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: 0 gp After the PCs defeat the monster, they should approach the well. Any PCs who think to drop a coin in and make a wish will receive a +1 Luck Bonus to the next d20 roll they make in this adventure. It is a simple climb to the bottom of the well (PCs scaling the walls need only make a DC 10 climb check, due to the many good handholds and footholds. Those using rope need not make a check. The well is only wide enough for one person to enter. PCs making a Search Check of DC 10 + APL will find a few rusted copper pieces and Suzie’s intact but mud-encrusted porcelain head If the PCs return Suzie’s head to Sarah, her face will light up and she will look truly happy for the first time. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she says. “I can tell you what Uncle Anson said now.” She draws close and whispers in a conspiratorial fashion. “He said, ‘Dead men tell no tales.’” She nods knowingly and then looks away, staring for a moment at something you can’t see. “I’ve got to go now,” she says. “Thanks for helping me find Suzie!” Then she skips off, disappearing through a wall and vanishes, taking Suzie with her. Encounter Three: Faded Beauty Scene: The players will come upon an open crypt in a graveyard. Lounging around it is the spectral figure of Lilly Bainbridge, who will be in the act of lovingly combing the long, rotting hair of her own desiccated corpse, which will be lying inside the coffin. Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 11 This next encounter takes place in the graveyard which lies to northwest of the manor house. It will feature the ghost of Lilly Bainbridge, Anson’s wife, who also died in the fire. In life, Lilly was a beautiful woman and a sorceress by trade. She married Anson for his money, hoping to outlive him and gain his fortune for herself. And at first, it seemed an equitable arrangement. Bainbridge gave her many gifts of precious gemstones from his mines and she delighted in having them fit into jewelry which she wore constantly. However, his need to appear destitute caused him to take back his gifts and hide them in his enchanted box, an act that Lilly never forgave him for. In a last act of defiance, Lilly stole the box on the day of the fire and hid it in a place she knew he would never visit – the crypt of his mother, whom Anson Bainbridge despised. Lilly’s vanity in life survived the trauma of her death and she manifests once a year to check on the condition of her corpse. Although decay and neglect have made the body a hideous sight, she sees only the beauty that once was. As the players approach, she will give them a bored glance, and then return to grooming the body and speaking to them once they have drawn near. “I was such a beauty back in my day. Why, all the boys in the county wanted to court me. Sometimes, they would even get into fights to see who would get to hold my hand, the little fools. Still, I knew I was bound for better things.” She will sigh and continue, “Do you see that not even death can diminish my beauty? Don’t you agree?” She will turn to look at the PCs and her voice will take on a menacing tone. “Well, you do agree, don’t you? Tell me how beautiful I still am.” Let the players make Bluff checks versus Lilly’s Sense Motive roll. They may not assist each other because Lilly will be judging their reactions individually. If the players role-play their appreciation of her corpse’s beauty well, they should be given a +2 bonus to their Bluff Checks. (Note: players might also be quick enough to realize that threatening her corpse will also get her to talk. This requires an Intimidate roll) This encounter can go one of two ways. If the players work hard at sounding sincere, Lilly will allow them to remain and they may continue to question her. If so, she will tell what she knows but will frequently fish for compliments. If the players bungle their attempts to placate the addled former sorceress, a combat, of sorts, will ensue. Lilly doesn’t want a big fight here, however, because she is terrified that something will happen to her corpse if there is a great deal of violence. She will first attempt to use her Frightening Moan, then she’ll employ some of the spells she still remembers to try to drive them off. The only way to get her to stop attempting to drive the players away is to cause some type of harmful effect (an explosion, acid, etc.) near her corpse, or to threaten to destroy it outright. This will require an Intimidate roll of DC 4 + APL. Once she is convinced that the players really will harm her body, her tone will change from haughty to pleading and she’ll willingly tell them anything she knows. Before talking, she’ll try to extract a promise from them that they won’t hurt her body. APL 2 (EL 3) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor1; hp; See Appendix I APL 4 (EL 5) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor3; hp; See Appendix I APL 6 (EL 7) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor5; hp; See Appendix I APL 8 (EL 9) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor7; hp; See Appendix I APL 10 (EL 11) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor9; hp; See Appendix I APL 12 (EL 13) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor11; hp; See Appendix I APL 14 (EL 15) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor13; hp; See Appendix I APL 16 (EL 17) Lilly Bainbridge: Female ghost Sor15; hp; See Appendix I Treasure: APL 2-16 – L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: 0 gp Note that destroying Lilly’s corpse is the only way to sever her connection to the Prime Material Plane. If the PCs do this prior to obtaining the information they need, however, they’re screwed. They may think to do it afterwards, however, and can come back later that night, or even at some date in the future. Lilly only manifests on the night of the fire. Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 12 Here are some typical responses to questions the PCs may ask: What happened the night of the fire? “I don’t know. I woke to the smell of smoke in my room. I ran to the door and tried to open it, but I found it locked. I beat on it and screamed for help, but no one came for me. More and more smoke came in and I remember coughing and choking. Then I awoke here.” What do you know about the Bainbridge fortune? “I don’t know anything about any fortune. Anson said he was having money problems and he took my jewels, my precious, precious jewels! He put them in his damn box, so I stole it! But I couldn’t get the thing open, so I hid it somewhere the old bastard would never think to look for it. I planned to retrieve it later and run away to find someone that could open it.” Where did you hide the box? “I put it in his mother’s crypt! He hated her. He’d never think to look there.” Lilly, like the other ghosts, does not remember her previous manifestations. If asked why she attacked Thomas, she won’t have a ready answer. Encounter Four: Accounting Irregularities Scene: This encounter will take place in the library of Bainbridge Manor. Upon opening the door, the players will discover the figure of man in his dressed in the clerical robes of the church of Zilchus. He will be seated at a table loaded down with ledger books, loose parchment, scrolls, quills and ink bottles. He will be completely oblivious to the presence of the players until they approach the table. This is the ghost of Frederick Abernathy IV, Master Accountant and Priest of Zilchus. He worked part-time for Anson Bainbridge’s mining interests and was staying in the manor house the night of the fire. He fell asleep at this very table and was overcome by smoke. Abernathy’s spirit remains tied to Oerth because he is convinced that there is an error somewhere in his accounting records. In fact, there is no error. All of Abernathy’s sums are correct and his columns are all in alignment. However, the records do contain evidence that Anson Bainbridge cheated his fellow investors out of a substantial portion of the profits from the gemstone mines. To see this requires that one look beyond just the numbers on the page. And this is Abernathy’s problem. His mind is too literal and while he has an instinctual feeling that something isn’t right, his narrow outlook doesn’t allow him to grasp it. Note that this is not intended to be a combat encounter. If the players are threatening or initiate combat, Abernathy will fade into the ethereal plane and will not return for the duration of the adventure. The players will have blown it. When the players approach, Abernathy will be focusing on one ledger book in particular and muttering to himself. “Yes, this is the one. It has to be in here. In here somewhere. But where? Where is the error?” He will then notice the players. “Oh. Uh… hello there. Um…. Who are you?” After the players have had an opportunity to introduce themselves, Abernathy will continue. “Well, that’s all very well and good, I suppose. Nice to meet you. Now, you really must excuse me. I have a lot of work to do. There’s an error in here somewhere and I just can’t seem to find it.” If the players are friendly and offer to help, Abernathy will regard them suspiciously for a moment, and then throw up his hands in exasperation. “Oh, I suppose so. You can’t do any worse than I have.” He will direct their attention to the ledger book he has been obsessing over. The ledger book will be an actual prop the players can examine. All of the sums in it will indeed be correct. However, some of the entries will seem rather suspicious to clever players. In particular, the entries in the months prior to the fire will show a dramatic increase in expenses for labor, foreman’s pay, and alchemical supplies used to separate gemstones from the surrounding rock. However, the profits indicated for those months will nearly the same as for the other months. This is evidence that Bainbridge was embezzling funds (in the form of gemstones) from the mine. Poor Abernathy’s addled mind can’t make this intuitive leap. He will be able to assist the PCs by explaining what each of the entries means, however. If Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 13 they seem particularly stuck, he’ll also be able to identify the pages that bother him the most, although he won’t be able to explain why. Once this oddity is pointed out to him, he will be become visibly relieved. He will thank the players, all the while expressing his relief that he hadn’t, in fact, made an error. “Now I can finally enter the great vault in the sky,” he says. Before he closes his account for good, the players will have an opportunity to ask Abernathy some questions. Here are some of his likely answers. What do you remember of the night of the fire? “I guess I fell asleep here in this room. I was working late, trying to verify that my records were accurate. The next thing I knew, I woke up, well, dead.” What do you know of the Bainbridge financial situation? “While he wasn’t going to be destitute, his business ventures were failing. In fact, profits from the mines appeared to be running out. Bainbridge told me he was going to have to sell some of his personal property just to keep the merchant house afloat. He had me look for other enterprises for him.” If he had some valuables, where would he hide them? “Oh, well, I guess it can’t hurt to tell you about it now. He had an especially enchanted box he kept his most valuable papers in. Apparently, if you opened it up without saying the pass phrase and touching the key to it, it would appear to be empty. The actual valuables would be stored in an extra-dimensional space. If you opened it properly, however, the real contents would appear. Very clever, if you ask me.” A key, eh? What was this key? “The key was the medallion with the Bainbridge family crest. He wore it on a silver chain. I’m sorry; I don’t know what the pass phrase was. He always whispered it.” Again, like the other ghosts, Abernathy will have no memory of his previous manifestations and will expression confusion if asked why he attacked Thomas previously. After the players have finished with their questions, Abernathy will perk up his ears and then look away at something the players cannot see. “It looks like I’m being summoned, now that my books are in order. Thanks again for your help. May your accounts always be in the black.” With that he will smile and fade away. Encounter Five – Thomas Bainbridge Isn’t Home Right Now It is a simple matter for the PCs to retrieve the box from the crypt of Anson’s mother. Whether they do or don’t, however, they’ll eventually need to report their findings to Thomas Bainbridge. Unfortunately for them, Thomas Bainbridge is no longer available. Sensing that his evil plan is finally nearing fruition, Anson Bainbridge’s consciousness has emerged from its dormant state and has taken over the body of Thomas Bainbridge. Using some magical devices he had hidden away in his study for just such an emergency, he has summoned some monstrous thugs and is awaiting the return of the PCs. The thugs are currently hiding inside a secret passage behind the bookshelves and await Bainbridge’s signal to attack. Now that his plan is nearly complete, he wants no witnesses. Note that while Bainbridge’s mind and alignment are still shielded by the medallion he wears, a simple Sense Motive check may reveal that something isn’t right. Upon your entering the study, Thomas Bainbridge rises from behind his desk and hastily motions you inside. “Come in, my friends, come in. I heard some commotion from outside earlier tonight. Please tell me what you’ve learned.” After the PCs have finished their information dump, Bainbridge will nod knowingly. “Ahh, it’s all coming back to me now. The pass phrase, the key. And you say the box was hidden in my mother’s crypt? Clever girl. I knew there must have been a reason I didn’t strangle her in her sleep.” Thomas Bainbridge’s face suddenly grows dark and his features twist into a snarl. It almost seems as though you are looking at a different person. “I have to compliment you on your work. You’ve really performed admirably tonight, better than I would have expected, quite frankly. And while you’ve Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 14 certainly earned it, I don’t think your bonus will be quite what you envisioned. Get them!” With that, the thugs break out of the secret passage and the combat round begins. APL 2 (EL 4) Gnolls (2): hp 11; See Monster Manual p. 130-131 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 5) Bugbear (2): hp 16; See Monster Manual p. 29 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 7) Ogres (2): hp 29; See Monster Manual p. 198-200 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 8 (EL 9) Trolls (2): hp 63; See Monster Manual p. 247 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 10 (EL 11) Ogre Magi (2): hp 37; See Monster Manual III p. 200 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 12 (EL 13) Gray Slaad (2): hp 95; See Monster Manual p. 228- 231 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 14 (EL 15) Astral Stalker (2): hp 126; See Monster Manual III p. 12 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 APL 16 (EL 17) Golem, Greater Shadesteel (2): hp 178; See Monster Manual III p. 72-73 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Possessed human male Aristocrat1; hp 4; See Appendix 1 Treasure: APL 2-16 – L: 0 gp, C: 0 gp, M: 0 gp The thugs will fight until slain. Bainbridge, will take cover behind the desk and will use a wand of magic missiles to fire at whatever party members look the most dangerous. He will resist until slain or knocked unconscious. Conclusion Once the party has dispatched the thugs and killed or defeated Bainbridge, they can use his medallion and the pass phrase to open his enchanted box. Inside, they will find a fortune in gemstones, enough to get the Bainbridge Merchant House back on its feet (and to provide the PCs with a healthy reward). If Thomas Bainbridge was slain, there will be enough money to purchase a Raise Dead spell, which the Church of Zilchus in Dyvers will be willing to perform at a slightly discounted rate (they don’t want to lose a good customer). Thomas’s soul will return to his body with no taint of Anson’s influence and he will express his gratitude to the PCs. If Bainbridge was not slain, but merely incapacitated, Anson’s soul will still be in control of the body. However, the Church of Zilchus in Dyvers will agree to perform an exorcism for a moderate fee. Again, Thomas Bainbridge will express his gratitude to the PCs. “I can’t thank you enough for the good deeds you have done for my family. Perhaps now, we can finally emerge from the shadow that his hovered over us for so long. Please take this reward as a token of my gratitude. You are always welcome here and, if you’re willing, I might call upon you again sometime when I need stout adventurers for a special task.” Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 15 Appendix 1- NPC stats APL 2 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor1; CR 3; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD 1d12; hp 7; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +0; Grp -1; Atk -1 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 15), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 18. Skills and Feats: Bluff +13, Concentration, +4, Knowledge (Arcana) +2, Profession (Actress) +2; Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff) Spells Known (4/2; save DC = 14 + spell level): 0 – Daze, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person Spells Per Day (5/4) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Magic Missile (1st level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 16 APL 4 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor3; CR 5; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD 3d12; hp 21; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +1; Grp +0; Atk +0 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 15), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 18. Skills and Feats: Bluff +15, Concentration, +6, Knowledge (Arcana) +3, Profession (Actress) +3; Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration Spells Known (5/3; save DC = 14 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism Spells Per Day (6/6) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Magic Missile (3rd level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 17 APL 6 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor5; CR 7; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD 5d12; hp 35; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +2; Grp +1; Atk +1 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 16), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 19. Skills and Feats: Bluff +17, Concentration, +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +4, Profession (Actress) +4; Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration Spells Known (6/4/2; save DC = 15 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep; 2nd – Darkness, Scare Spells Per Day (6/7/5) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Magic Missile (5th level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 18 APL 8 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor7; CR 9; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD 7d12; hp 49; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 17), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 19. Skills and Feats: Bluff +19, Concentration, +10, Knowledge (Arcana) +5, Profession (Actress) +5; Persuasive, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration Spells Known (7/5/3/2; save DC = 15 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image; 2nd – Darkness, Scare, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; 3rd – Major Image, Suggestion Spells Per Day (6/7/7/5) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Magic Missile (7th level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 19 APL 10 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor9; CR 11; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD 9d12; hp 63; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +4; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 19), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 20. Skills and Feats: Bluff +22, Concentration, +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Profession (Actress) +6; Greater Spell Penetration Persuasive, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration Spells Known (8/5/4/3/2; save DC = 16 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image; 2nd – Darkness, Daze Monster; Scare; Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; 3rd – Major Image, Slow, Suggestion; 4th – Fear, Rainbow Pattern Spells Per Day (6/8/7/7/5) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Magic Missile (9th level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 20 APL 12 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor11; CR 13; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD11d12; hp 77; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +5; Grp +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 20), Telekinesis (caster level 12th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 20. Skills and Feats: Bluff +24, Concentration, +14, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Profession (Actress) +7; Greater Spell Penetration Persuasive, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration Spells Known (8/5/5/4/3/2; save DC = 16 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image; 2nd – Alter Self, Darkness, Daze Monster, Scare, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; 3rd – Deep Slumber; Major Image, Slow, Suggestion, 4th – Charm Monster, Fear, Rainbow Pattern; 5th – Dominate Person, Hold Monster Spells Per Day (6/8/7/7/7/5) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Empowered Magic Missile (9th level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 21 APL 14 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor13; CR 15; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD13d12; hp 91; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +6/+1; Grp +5; Atk +5 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Full Atk +5/+0 (1d4-1 ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 21), Telekinesis (caster level 13th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +7; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 21. Skills and Feats: Bluff +26, Concentration, +16, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Profession (Actress) +8; Greater Spell Penetration Persuasive, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration, Still Spell Spells Known (8/5/5/5/4/3/2; save DC = 17 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image; 2nd – Alter Self, Darkness, Daze Monster, Scare, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; 3rd – Deep Slumber; Major Image, Slow, Suggestion, 4th – Charm Monster, Confusion; Fear, Rainbow Pattern; 5th – Dominate Person, Hold Monster, Persistent Image; 6th – Mass Suggestion, Symbol of Persuasion Spells Per Day (6/8/7/7/7/7/4) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul from moving on. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat- footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Maximized Magic Missile (9th level, 50 charges) Dyv5-06INT: The Riddle of Bainbridge Manor Page 22 APL 16 ENCOUNTER 3 Lilly Bainbridge: Ghost Sor15; CR 17; Medium undead (augmented humanoid) (incorporeal); HD15d12; hp 105; Init +1; Spd 30 fly (perfect); AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 Deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +7/+2; Grp +6; Atk +6 melee (1d4-1, ethereal dagger); Full Atk +6/+1 (1d4-1 ethereal dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA spells, Manifestation, Frightful Moan (Save DC = 22), Telekinesis (caster level 15th); SQ undead traits; incorporeal, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance +8 (special, see below); AL CN; Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8; Str 9, Dex 12, Con --, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 21. Skills and Feats: Bluff +28, Concentration, +18, Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Profession (Actress) +9; Extend Spell, Greater Spell Penetration, Persuasive, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Penetration, Still Spell Spells Known (8/5/5/5/5/4/3/2; save DC = 17 + spell level): 0 – Dancing Lights, Daze, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic; 1st – Cause Fear, Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image; 2nd – Alter Self, Darkness, Daze Monster, Scare; Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; 3rd – Deep Slumber; Major Image, Slow, Suggestion, 4th – Charm Monster, Confusion; Fear, Rainbow Pattern; 5th – Dominate Person, Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Persistent Image; 6th – Mass Suggestion, Repulsion, Symbol of Persuasion; 7th – Limited Wish, Mass Hold Person Spells Per Day (6/8/7/7/7/7/6/4) Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifest, it partly enters the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where it is not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plan or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect if from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plan, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost’s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Turn Resistance (Ex): a ghost has +4 turn resistance. In addition, Lilly’s resistance is bolstered by +4 because she is so near to her corpse, the Material Plane link that keeps her soul stranded. Possessions: dagger (ethereal) ENCOUNTER 5 Thomas/Anson Bainbridge: Male human Aristocrat1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; Init +0; Spd 30; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp +0; Atk +1 melee (1d4, masterwork dagger); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA wand (see below); SQ none; AL NG/NE; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +7, Forgery +6; Gather Information +7; Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +5; Profession (Merchant) +5; Persuasive Possessions: masterwork dagger, wand of Empowered Maximized Magic Missile (9th level, 50 charges)

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Introduction This supplement will help you create fun and memorable dungeon encounters – encounters that your players will love! There is lots of great advice in the Dungeon Masters Guide, but it can take hours to understand and apply it all. We have done all of the hard work for you by pre-generating 300 separate monster encounters, all categorized by level and encounter difficulty, as well as creating dozens of treasure assortments. We’ve also provided many tables to “spice up” your encounters, covering things such as dungeon architecture, monster actions and general dungeon dressing. In total, there are over 30 tables! Using this supplement, you will be able to stock a dungeon with awesome encounters in just a few minutes. This is an essential resource for both novice and experienced Dungeon Masters! Great Encounters Creating a great encounter takes just four steps – 1. Create a Space 2. Choose a Foe 3. Add some Action 4. Dress it Up 1. Create A Space Your awesome encounter needs a space – most often a room. But not just any room - with a few rolls of the dice we can add a great deal of interest and color. Purpose Most of the dungeons your players explore will be inhabited by at least some intelligent creatures, and the dungeon rooms will then likely have specific purposes. Use the following table - 1. Armory 2. Barracks 3. Bathroom 4. Chapel 5. Bed Chamber 6. Library 7. Common Room 8. Guard Post 9. Kitchen 10. Larder 11. Latrine 12. Mess Hall 13. Nursery 14. Prison 15. Workshop 16. Store Room 17. Torture Room 18. Kennel 19. Treasury 20. Cistern The room purpose will suggest additional features. For example, a kitchen will probably have an oven or a spit. Just by defining the purpose of the room, you are already bringing it to life. Special Features Sometimes your room has special architecture or other features, and these can create interesting opportunities for combat, exploration and roleplay. Following are some examples – 1. Altar 2. Bridge 3. Cage 4. Chasm 5. Flooded 6. Forge 7. Fountain 8. Full of vegetation 9. Hole 10. Ledge 11. Muddy floor 12. Pillars 13. Platform 14. Pool 15. Shaft 16. Shrine 17. Statue 18. Sunken area 19. Trapdoor 20. Well Some special features readily tie-in with a room purpose – for example, you would expect to find a shrine in a chapel. Unusual combinations, however, can quickly flesh out some interesting background for your location. For example, if there is a shrine in a barracks, you need to figure out why it is there. Perhaps it is a barracks for trainee monster priests, or perhaps one of the monsters is just especially devout. Maybe the room used to be a chapel, and the monsters are just using it as a barracks. All of these possibilities can lead to new encounter and adventure threads. 2. Choose A Foe Choosing a monster is the one essential part of every encounter design. The DMG provides a very good, but laborious, method for calculating encounter strength. We have done the hard work for you, and pre-calculated 300 monster encounters. Level and Difficulty You need to first determine the average level of your party, and then decide how difficult you want the encounter to be – easy, medium or hard. Monster Encounter tables have been provided in the following chapter for party levels 1, 2 and 3, and for each difficulty rating. The number of monsters to include in the encounter is shown in parentheses. Sometimes this will be a range. Dungeon Theme You could simply roll for the monster type on the encounter tables (and numbers are provided for that purpose). However, dungeons are much more plausible when they follow a consistent theme – for example, a goblin lair. At the end of this supplement is the Monster Affiliation table. This shows monsters that tend to be found in the same dungeon. These should not be treated too prescriptively. Vermin can be found in any dungeon, for example. Scaling the Encounter The calculated encounters assume the party consists of four characters. If you have more than four characters, the easiest way to scale the encounter is to add one monster per encounter that has a CR of ¼ the average party level. For example, if the average party level is 2 and you have 5 characters, you would scale the encounter by adding a monster of CR ½. If you have less than 4 characters in the party, we recommend you bolster the party numbers with hirelings. Include Treasure Use the Treasure Assortment tables to determine what treasure the PCs find. Most encounters should use the Standard table, but major encounters (such as boss fights) should use the Hoard table. 3. Add Some Action Rooms are not static. Things happen in them – they shift and change. In this step, we’ll determine what is happening in your location. Monster Actions Monsters don’t sit around waiting for adventurers to show up - they pass the time in a large variety of ways. You can bring your monsters to life by having them engage in an activity when the party comes across them. Animals and insects will typically be doing one of the following – 1. Sleeping 2. Building a nest 3. Eating & drinking 4. Foraging/Hunting 5. Grooming 6. Mating Intelligent monsters (usually humanoids) can be doing a multitude of things. Following is just a sample - 1. Cleaning a weapon 2. Cooking a meal 3. Counting treasure 4. Dozing 5. Drawing 6. Eating & drinking 7. Fetching water 8. Fighting 9. Gambling 10. Praying 11. Reading 12. Sharing jokes 13. Honing a dagger 14. Singing a tune 15. Sleeping 16. Smoking 17. Starting a fire 18. Talking 19. Tormenting 20. Washing Location Events Sometimes the room itself does something unusual. The following ideas should be used sparingly – perhaps just one per dungeon. 1. A fire starts 2. A magical force field appears 3. A magical silence descends 4. A monster suddenly polymorphs into something different 5. A net drops from the ceiling 6. Gravity begins behaving strangely 7. Vegetation suddenly fills the room 8. Fissures appear in the floor 9. Half the floor drops 20’, revealing a secret tunnel 10. An illusion falls away, revealing something startling 11. Magical darkness covers the room 12. Room begins to spin 13. Room fills with smoke 14. Something explodes 15. The ceiling begins to collapse 16. The doors close and lock 17. The room begins flooding 18. The room fills with gas 19. There is an earthquake 20. A wall collapses, revealing another room 4. Dress it Up You can add a lot of color and interest to your encounter by including a few small details. This is sometimes called “Dungeon dressing”. Don’t overdo it – one or two items per encounter is plenty. Sounds Most dungeons are noisy places, and describing sounds can really spice up an encounter. Because you often hear things before you see them in a dungeon, sounds can also foreshadow the action to come, and provide the players with interesting choices. Following are some typical dungeon sounds – 1. Clanking 2. Clicking 3. Dripping 4. Footsteps 5. Giggling 6. Grating 7. Hissing 8. Jingling 9. Moaning 10. Music 11. Roaring 12. Screaming 13. Snapping 14. Sobbing 15. Splashing 16. Splintering 17. Squealing 18. Thudding 19. Thumping 20. Whispering Of course, having selected a sound, you need to create an explanation for it. If the party hers sobbing, perhaps it’s because the monsters have a prisoner chained up. Smells Dungeons are very smelly places. Once more, a strong smell can be used to foreshadow the action to come. The following smells are often present in dungeons – 1. Ashes 2. Body odor 3. Burnt out fire 4. Cured leather 5. Decaying meat 6. Dust 7. Fresh soil 8. Fresh vegetation 9. Manure 10. Oil 11. Old straw 12. Terrible mold 13. Ozone 14. Roasting meat 15. Rotting trash 16. Rotting vegetation 17. Smoke 18. Stale beer 19. Sulfur 20. Wet animal fur Once more, you will need to determine a source for the smell. Furniture Intelligent monsters don’t sit around on a bare floor. Following are some typical furnishings found in a dungeon - 1. Barrel 2. Basin 3. Bed 4. Bench 5. Blanket 6. Bucket 7. Box 8. Cask 9. Chest 10. Cushion 11. Fireplace 12. Mat 13. Pail 14. Pallet 15. Rug 16. Stool 17. Table 18. Tub 19. Urn 20. Workbench Including one or two items to a room adds a realism and character. Bric-a-brac Dungeons are full of small, worthless bits and pieces. Including one of these items will make a location feel “lived in” - 1. Blood stain 2. Broken bottle 3. Broken pole 4. Broken sword blade 5. Dagger hilt 6. Dented helmet 7. Empty bottle 8. Frayed rope 9. Old iron bar 10. Pile of bones 11. Pile of dung 12. Pile of straw 13. Puddle of water 14. Rusted spike 15. Rusty chain 16. Some ashes 17. Wax drippings 18. Splintered club 19. Torch stub 20. Torn sack An Example Let’s look at how we might apply these options in real life. Consider the following encounter – Player: We take the north passageway. DM: After about 50’ you enter a room that is 30’ square, with a door in the north wall. There are 3 goblins in the room. What do you do? Player: Attack. DM: They grab their swords. Roll initiative. Ok, let’s spice it up a bit using some of the principles we looked at above – Player: We take the north passageway. DM: After about 20’ you smell smoke, and see the glow of a fire ahead. It looks like it’s coming from a room. Player: Ok, we quickly extinguish our torches. Everyone stay still – can I hear anything? DM: You can hear a couple of goblin voices – they appear to be arguing. You can also smell roasting meat now. Player: We can only hear a couple of voices? DM: Yes. Player 2: We can handle a couple of goblins. Player: Ok, how far away is the room? DM: About 30’. Player: We charge in and attack any goblins we see. DM: You rush in. The room is about 30’ square - it appears to be a guard room. There’s a closed door in the north wall. There are several straw pallets on the floor, as well as some old blankets and a few upturned wooden boxes. The floor is also littered with ashes and straw, and there is a reeking pile of dung in one corner. There are three goblins in the room. One of them is roasting a rat over an open fire, and the other two are arguing over a game of dice. They look momentarily stunned as you charge into the room, but quickly grab their swords and leap to their feet. Roll initiative. I hope you agree that the second encounter has much more depth, and hence is much more interesting and entertaining. And the “dungeon dressing” options such as smells and sounds actually gave the players more things to think about, and more options. Dungeon Notes A final word before we get to the monster lists. You might be concerned that creating encounters like this will require you to write hundreds of words for each room in your dungeon, like in some professional products. This is not the case. You can actually include all of the detail you need in a few abbreviated notes, which you can then expand off the cuff during actual play. For example, assume the above example encounter is in room #15 of your dungeon. You might have the following notes for it – Smell cooking, smoke. Hear arguing. Room #15 - Guard post. Pallets, blankets, boxes, fire. Floor => ashes, straw, dung. Goblins (3) => cooking/gambling mm166 The prefix “mm” is here used to indicate what page of the Monster Manual the monsters can be found on. There is a master index at the end of this supplement with these numbers, for easy reference. Using a notation like the above, it is very possible to detail an entire adventure on a single sheet of paper. After a few goes you will come up with a notation that suits yourself. Level 1 Monster Encounters Easy 1. Bullywugs (1-2) 2. Cockatrice (1) 3. Crawling Claws (2-7) 4. Darkmantle (1) 5. Flying Snakes (1-3) 6. Giant Fire Beetles (2-7) 7. Giant Poisonous Snakes (1-2) 8. Goblin (1) & Wolf (1) 9. Goblins (1-2) 10. Gray Ooze (1) 11. Homunculus (2-7) 12. Kobolds (1-3) 13. Mastiffs (1-3) 14. Piercer (1) 15. Poisonous Snakes (1-3) 16. Rust Monster (1) 17. Shriekers (5) 18. Swarm of Bats (1) 19. Swarm of Insects (1) 20. Warhorse Skeleton (1) Medium 1. Bugbear (1) 2. Bullywugs (2) & Flying Snake (1) 3. Crawling Claws (8-10) 4. Death Dog (1) 5. Dire Wolf (1) 6. Drow (1) & Mastiffs (2) 7. Fire Snake (1) 8. Flying Snakes (3) & Kobold (1) 9. Flying Snakes (4-5) 10. Ghoul (1) 11. Giant Fire Beetles (8-10) 12. Giant Poisonous Snake (1) & Flying Snakes (3) 13. Giant Rats (4-5) 14. Giant Spider (1) 15. Giant Toad (1) 16. Goblin (1) & Mastiffs (2) 17. Goblin (1) & Worg (1) 18. Goblin Boss (1) 19. Half-ogre (1) 20. Hobgoblin (1) & Wolf (1) 1. Imp (1) 2. Kobold (1) & Giant Lizards (2) 3. Kobolds (2) & Giant Poisonous Snake (1) 4. Kobolds (2-3) & Giant Lizard (1) 5. Kobolds (4-5) 6. Kuo-toa Whip (1) 7. Lizardfolk (1) & Giant Lizard (1) 8. Maness (4-5) 9. Mastiffs (4-5) 10. Myconid Adult (1) & Myconid Sprouts (2-4) 11. Myconid Sprouts (8-10) 12. Orc (1) & Wolf (1) 13. Quasit (1) 14. Skeleton (1) & Crawling Claws (2-3) 15. Specter (1) 16. Stirges (4-5) 17. Violet Fungus (1) & Shriekers (5-6) 18. Warhorse Skeleton (1) & Skeleton (1) 19. Winged Kobold (1) & Kobolds (2-3) 20. Zombie (1) & Crawling Claws (2-3) Hard 1. Bullywug (1) & Giant Frogs (2) 2. Cockatrices (2) 3. Dretch (3-4) 4. Dust Mephits (2) 5. Giant Bats (3-4) 6. Giant Centipedes (3-4) 7. Giant Frogs (3-4) 8. Giant Wolf Spiders (3-4) 9. Goblins (3-4) 10. Grimlocks (3-4) 11. Kobolds (6-7) 12. Kuo-toa (2) & Drow (1) 13. Mud Mephits (3-4) 14. Smoke Mephits (3-4) 15. Steam Mephits (3-4) 16. Stirges (6-7) 17. Violet Fungi (3-4) 18. Winged Kobolds (3-4) 19. Wolfs (3-4) 20. Zombies (3-4) 1. Bugbear (1) & Goblin (1) 2. Drow (3-4) 3. Gas Spores (2) 4. Ghoul (1) & Zombie (1) 5. Giant Lizards (3-4) 6. Giant Wasps (2) 7. Goblin Boss (1) & Goblin (1) 8. Goblin Boss (1) & Wolf (1) 9. Hobgoblins (2) 10. Ice Mephits (2) 11. Kuo-toa (3-4) 12. Lizardfolk (2) 13. Magma Mephits (2) 14. Magmins (2) 15. Myconid Adults (2) 16. Orcs (2) 17. Shadows (2) 18. Skeletons (3-4) 19. Troglodytes (3-4) 20. Worgs (2) Level 1 Treasure Assortment Standard 1. 10gp 2. 13sp 3. 11cp 4. 11gp 5. Malachite (10gp) 6. Blue Quartz (11gp) 7. 14gp 8. Turquoise (15gp) 9. 16gp 10. 17sp 11. Obsidian (13gp) 12. 18cp 13. 2sp 14. 17sp 15. 12gp 16. 22cp 17. 4ep 18. 8gp 19. 8gp 20. 8gp Hoard 1. 2800 cp, 1100 sp, 60 gp, Azurite (10 gp), Malachite (10 gp), Moss agate (10 gp), Tiger eye (10 gp), Turquoise (10 gp), 3 x Potion of Climbing, 2 x Potion of Healing 2. 2200 cp, 700 sp, 50 gp, Azurite (10 gp), Malachite (10 gp), 3 x Obsidian (10 gp), 2 x Turquoise (10 gp), Spell Scroll (Dancing Lights), Spell Scroll (Resistance), Spell Scroll (Earth Tremor), Driftglobe, Potion of Climbing 3. 2100 cp, 1800 sp, 70 gp, Electrum Cloth Ribbon (25 gp), Iron Diadem (25 gp), Leather Boots with Copper Buckles (25 gp), Leather Belt set with Lapis lazuli (25 gp), Polished Stone Coffer (25 gp), Iron Sundial (25 gp), +1 Wand of the War Mage, +1 Weapon 4. 2500 cp, 1100 sp, 70 gp, Azurite (10 gp), 2 x Blue quartz (10 gp), 2 x Eye agate (10 gp), Hematite (10 gp), 3 x Moss agate (10 gp), Obsidian (10 gp), Tiger eye (10 gp) 5. 2400 cp, 800 sp, 20 gp, Carnelian (50 gp), Chalcedony (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), 3 x Onyx (50 gp), Star Rose Quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Spell Scroll (Light), Potion of Greater Healing 6. 1700 cp, 1500 sp, 110 gp, 2 x Azurite (10 gp), 2 x Eye agate (10 gp), Lapis lazuli (10 gp), Malachite (10 gp), 2 x Obsidian (10 gp), 3 x Turquoise (10 gp), Potion of Invulnerability 7. 1200 cp, 1000 sp, 60 gp, 2 x Bloodstone (50 gp), Carnelian (50 gp), 3 x Citrine (50 gp), 3 x Jasper (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), Quartz (50 gp) 8. 1800 cp, 1200 sp, 70 gp, Painted Glass Dice (pair) (25 gp), Iron Ring (25 gp), Pewter Diadem (25 gp), Leather Boots with Brass Buckles (25 gp), Painted Glass Miniature (of a Castle) (25 gp), Ceramic Ewer (25 gp), Pewter Bracelet (25 gp), Spell Scroll (Friends), Spell Scroll (Web), Potion of Climbing, 2 x Potion of Healing 9. 1900 cp, 1400 sp, 60 gp, 2 x Chrysoprase (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), 2 x Onyx (50 gp), Bag of Holding, Lantern of Revealing, Potion of Animal Friendship, Potion of Greater Healing 10. 2100 cp, 1100 sp, 50 gp, Bloodstone (50 gp), 2 x Carnelian (50 gp), Chrysoprase (50 gp), Onyx (50 gp), Quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Adamantine Armor (chain mail), Hat of Disguise, Headband of Intellect, Stone of Good Luck Level 2 Monster Encounters Easy 1. Dire Wolf (1) 2. Fire Snake (1) 3. Giant Toad (1) 4. Imp (1) 5. Quasit (1) 6. Specter (1) 7. Giant Rats (4-6) 8. Kobolds (3) & Giant Lizard (1) 9. Maness (4-6) 10. Cockatrices (2) 11. Darkmantles (2) 12. Dretch (3-4) 13. Giant Bats (3-4) 14. Giant Centipedes (3-4) 15. Giant Frogs (3-4) 16. Giant Wolf Spiders (3-4) 17. Piercers (2) 18. Rust Monsters (2) 19. Violet Fungi (3-4) 20. Wolfs (3) Medium 1. Drow (4-5) 2. Giant Lizards (4-5) 3. Giant Poisonous Snakes (4-5) 4. Goblins (2-3) & Worg (1) 5. Kuo-toa (4-5) 6. Skeletons (4-5) 7. Troglodytes (4-5) 8. Ankheg (1) 9. Azer (1) 10. Black Dragon Wyrmling (1) 11. Carrion Crawler (1) 12. Cave Bear (1) 13. Ettercap (1) 14. Gargoyle (1) 15. Gelatinous Cube (1) 16. Ghast (1) 17. Giant Constrictor Snake (1) 18. Gibbering Mouther (1) 19. Goblin Boss (1) & Worg (1) 20. Green Dragon Wyrmling (1) 1. Grick (1) 2. Intellect Devourer (1) 3. Mimic (1) 4. Myconid Sovereign (1) 5. Nothic (1) 6. Ochre Jelly (1) 7. Ogre Zombie (1) 8. Orc Eye of Gruumsh (1) 9. Orog (1) 10. Quaggoth (1) 11. Specter (poltergeist) (1) 12. Spined Devil (1) 13. Myconid Adults (2) & Myconid Sprouts (1-4) 14. Bullywug (1) & Giant Frogs (3-4) 15. Goblins (4-5) 16. Stirges (7-9) 17. Violet Fungi (3) & Shriekers (4-7) 18. Winged Kobolds (4-5) 19. Bullywugs (2) & Flying Snakes (4-5) 20. Kobolds (7-9) Hard 1. Drow (6-8) 2. Mud Mephits (6-8) 3. Smoke Mephits (6-8) 4. Grimlocks (6-8) 5. Kuo-toa (4-6) & Drow (2) 6. Steam Mephits (6-8) 7. Zombies (6-8) 8. Bugbear (1) & Goblins (2-4) 9. Bugbears (2) 10. Death Dogs (2) 11. Dust Mephits (3-4) 12. Gas Spores (3-4) 13. Ghouls (2) 14. Giant Spiders (2) 15. Giant Wasps (3-4) 16. Goblins (3) & Wolfs (3) 17. Goblin Boss (1) & Dire Wolf (1) 18. Half-ogre (1) & Dire Wolf (1) 19. Hobgoblins (3-4) 20. Ice Mephits (3-4) 1. Lizardfolk (3-4) 2. Magma Mephits (3-4) 3. Magmins (3-4) 4. Myconid Adults (3-4) 5. Orcs (3-4) 6. Shadows (3-4) 7. Warhorse Skeletons (2) & Skeletons (2-4) 8. Worgs (3-4) 9. Winged Kobolds (2) & Giant Lizards (4-5) 10. Winged Kobolds (2) & Kobolds (6-8) 11. Drow (2) & Giant Lizards (4-5) 12. Death Dog (1) & Skeletons (2-4) 13. Ghoul (1) & Skeletons (2-4) 14. Hobgoblins (2) & Wolfs (2-4) 15. Lizardfolk (1) & Giant Lizards (4-5) 16. Goblin Boss (1) & Goblins (2-4) 17. Kuo-toa Whip (1) & Kuo-toa (2-4) 18. Minotaur Skeleton (1) & Skeleton (1) 19. Ogre (1) & Wolf (1) 20. Kobolds (4) & Giant Lizards (3-5) Level 2 Treasure Assortment Standard 1. Moonstone (11gp) 2. 2pp 3. 12sp 4. 4gp 5. Blue Quartz (13gp) 6. 16cp 7. 17cp 8. 21cp 9. 10gp 10. 10cp 11. Topaz (10gp) 12. 9cp 13. 12gp 14. 11ep 15. 20cp 16. 16sp 17. 6gp 18. 5pp 19. Tiger Eye (11gp) 20. 18sp Hoard 1. 1600 cp, 1300 sp, 60 gp, Banded agate (10 gp), Eye agate (10 gp), 2 x Lapis lazuli (10 gp), Malachite (10 gp), Moss agate (10 gp), Obsidian (10 gp), Dust of Dryness, Potion of Greater Healing, Potion of Hill Giant Strength 2. 2400 cp, 1100 sp, 60 gp, 2 x Bloodstone (50 gp), 2 x Chrysoprase (50 gp), Citrine (50 gp), Onyx (50 gp), Sardonyx (50 gp), 2 x Star rose quartz (50 gp), Circlet of Blasting, Headband of Intellect, +1 Weapon (sickle) 3. 2400 cp, 1000 sp, 90 gp, Bloodstone (50 gp), 2 x Chrysoprase (50 gp), Citrine (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), Onyx (50 gp), 2 x Star rose quartz (50 gp), 2 x Zircon (50 gp) 4. 2400 cp, 900 sp, 60 gp, 2 x Citrine (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), 4 x Quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Potion of Growth 5. 2100 cp, 1300 sp, 120 gp, Citrine (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), 2 x Quartz (50 gp), Sardonyx (50 gp), Hat of Disguise 6. 2500 cp, 1500 sp, 80 gp, Bloodstone (50 gp), Chalcedony (50 gp), 2 x Chrysoprase (50 gp), 2 x Sardonyx (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Potion of Resistance (psychic), Potion of Greater Healing, Potion of Poison 7. 2200 cp, 1000 sp, 60 gp, Carnelian (50 gp), Opal (50 gp), 3 x Moonstone (50 gp), Onyx (50 gp), Star rose quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Spell Scroll (Shocking Grasp), Spell Scroll (Expeditious Retreat), Spell Scroll (Sanctuary), 2 x Potion of Healing 8. 2700 cp, 800 sp, 120 gp, 2 x Onyx (50 gp), Quartz (50 gp), Star rose quartz (50 gp), Spell Scroll (Guiding Bolt), Driftglobe, Potion of Climbing, Potion of Healing 9. 1400 cp, 1100 sp, 60 gp, Moonstone (50 gp), Onyx (50 gp), Sardonyx (50 gp), +1 Wand of the War Mage 10. 2200 cp, 600 sp, 90 gp, 2 x Chalcedony (50 gp), 2 x Opal (50 gp), Citrine (50 gp), Sardonyx (50 gp), +2 Ammunition (20 crossbow bolts), Spell Scroll (Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound), 2 x Potion of Invulnerability Level 3 Monster Encounters Easy 1. Gas Spores (2) 2. Ice Mephits (2) 3. Orcs (2) 4. Giant Wolf Spiders (3-5) 5. Grimlocks (3-5) 6. Winged Kobolds (3-5) 7. Gargoyle (1) 8. Gelatinous Cube (1) 9. Ghast (1) 10. Giant Constrictor Snake (1) 11. Gibbering Mouther (1) 12. Green Dragon Wyrmling (1) 13. Grick (1) 14. Intellect Devourer (1) 15. Mimic (1) 16. Minotaur Skeleton (1) 17. Myconid Sovereign (1) 18. Nothic (1) 19. Ochre Jelly (1) 20. Ogre (1) Medium 1. Magma Mephits (3-4) 2. Magmins (3-4) 3. Shadows (3-4) 4. Winged Kobolds (2) & Giant Lizards (4-5) 5. Giant Centipedes (6-7) 6. Bullywugs (3) & Giant Frogs (3-4) 7. Drow (6-7) 8. Stirges (10-11) 9. Winged Kobolds (2) & Kobolds (6-8) 10. Goblins (6-7) 11. Skeletons (6-7) 12. Giant Lizards (6-7) 13. Troglodytes (6-7) 14. Basilisk (1) 15. Doppelganger (1) 16. Giant Scorpion (1) 17. Grell (1) 18. Hell Hound (1) 19. Hook Horror (1) 20. Manticore (1) 1. Minotaur (1) 2. Quaggoth Thonot (1) 3. Spectator (1) 4. Drow (2) & Giant Lizards (4-5) 5. Wight (1) 6. Kobolds (4) & Giant Lizards (3-5) 7. Kuo-toa (6-7) 8. Dust Mephits (3-4) 9. Hobgoblins (3-4) 10. Bugbear (1) & Goblins (2-5) 11. Kobolds (10-12) 12. Mud Mephits (6-7) 13. Smoke Mephits (6-7) 14. Steam Mephits (6-7) 15. Wolfs (6-7) 16. Zombies (6-7) 17. Bullywugs (2) & Giant Frogs (4-5) 18. Dretch (6-7) 19. Giant Frogs (6-7) 20. Violet Fungi (6-7) Hard 1. Kuo-toa Whip (1) & Kuo-toa (5-8) 2. Drow (5) & Giant Lizards (3-6) 3. Giant Wasps (5-6) 4. Drow (8-10) 5. Giant Centipedes (8-10) 6. Phase Spider (1) & Giant Wolf Spider (1) 7. Wight (1) & Skeleton (1) 8. Hobgoblins (2) & Wolfs (5-8) 9. Bullywugs (4) & Giant Frogs (4-7) 10. Hobgoblins (5-6) 11. Worgs (5-6) 12. Hobgoblin Captain (1) & Hobgoblin (1) 13. Death Dogs (2) & Skeletons (1-4) 14. Kuo-toa (5-8) & Giant Toad (1) 15. Hobgoblins (3) & Worgs (2-3) 16. Myconid Adults (5-6) 17. Goblins (4) & Worgs (3-4) 18. Lizardfolk (5-6) 19. Ghoul (1) & Skeletons (5-8) 20. Lizardfolk (2) & Giant Lizards (5-8) 1. Zombies (5) & Skeletons (3-5) 2. Orog (1) & Orcs (2-3) 3. Kobolds (6) & Giant Lizards (6) 4. Kobolds (6) & Giant Lizards (5-7) 5. Quaggoths (2) 6. Specter (poltergeist) (2) 7. Spined Devils (2) 8. Azer (2) 9. Black Dragon Wyrmlings (2) 10. Cave Bears (2) 11. Ankhegs (2) 12. Ettercaps (2) 13. Carrion Crawlers (2) 14. Goblin Boss (1) & Goblins (5-8) 15. Ogre Zombie (1) & Zombies (2-5) 16. Minotaur Skeleton (1) & Skeletons (2-5) 17. Ogre (1) & Wolfs (2-5) 18. Orc Eye of Gruumsh (1) & Orcs (2-3) 19. Bugbear (1) & Goblins (5-8) 20. Kuo-toa (7) & Drow (1-3) Level 3 Treasure Assortment Standard 1. 11gp 2. Pearl (16gp) 3. 11ep 4. 8sp 5. 28cp 6. 14cp 7. 19sp 8. 4pp 9. 19cp 10. Jasper (12gp) 11. 29cp 12. 9sp 13. 15cp 14. 6pp 15. 24cp 16. 16gp 17. 17cp 18. Opal (11gp) 19. 14sp 20. 18sp Hoard 1. 2100 cp, 600 sp, 100 gp, Box of Perfumed Candles (25 gp), Small Bag of Incense (25 gp), Polished Stone Ring (25 gp), Pewter Dice (pair) (25 gp), Silk Pennant trimmed with Fox Fur (25 gp), Rabbit Fur Sash (25 gp), Iron Amulet (25 gp), 2 x +1 Ammunition (20 crossbow bolts), Potion of Greater Healing 2. 1400 cp, 900 sp, 60 gp, Chalcedony (50 gp), 2 x Citrine (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), 2 x Moonstone (50 gp), Sardonyx (50 gp), Star rose quartz (50 gp), Spell Scroll (Chill Touch), Spell Scroll (Prestidigitation), Spell Scroll (Detect Evil and Good), Potion of Climbing 3. 2300 cp, 800 sp, 50 gp, Chalcedony (50 gp), 2 x Opal (50 gp), Keoghtom's Ointment 4. 2200 cp, 700 sp, 50 gp, Small Bag of Spices (25 gp), Small Silver Mirror (25 gp), Small Vial of Perfume (25 gp), Fine Cloth Gown (25 gp), Ring of Warmth 5. 1900 cp, 1600 sp, 60 gp, Feathered Ribbon (25 gp), Silk Gloves trimmed with Ermine (25 gp), Leather Vest (25 gp), Feathered Choker (25 gp), 2 x Wand of Magic Missiles 6. 1900 cp, 1400 sp, 70 gp, Small Bag of Incense (25 gp), Feathered Talisman (25 gp), Rabbit Fur Ribbon (25 gp), Iron Scroll Case (25 gp), Dust of Dryness, Goggles of Night 7. 1900 cp, 1100 sp, 90 gp, Citrine (50 gp), Quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), Spell Scroll (Spirit Guardians), Dust of Disappearance, Mithril Armor (scale mail) 8. 2500 cp, 1300 sp, 90 gp, Box of Perfumed Candles (25 gp), Small Bag of Incense (25 gp), Painted Glass Ring (25 gp), Feathered bound Book (blank) (25 gp), Iron Sundial (25 gp), Copper Cloth Hunter's Cap (25 gp), Feathered Choker (25 gp) 9. 2600 cp, 1400 sp, 110 gp, Silk Sash threaded with Brass (25 gp), Leather bound Book (blank) (25 gp), Iron Flute (25 gp), Bronze Cloth Choker (25 gp), Rabbit Fur Boots (25 gp), Pewter Medallion (25 gp) 10. 2400 cp, 1100 sp, 110 gp, Carnelian (50 gp), Opal (50 gp), Citrine (50 gp), Jasper (50 gp), Moonstone (50 gp), Star rose quartz (50 gp), Zircon (50 gp), 2 x Potion of Climbing, Potion of Greater Healing, 3 x Potion of Healing Monster Affiliation The following monsters tend to be found together in the same or nearby dungeons. Goblinoid Bugbear, Cave Bear, Dire Wolf, Goblin, Goblin Boss, Half-ogre, Hobgoblin, Hobgoblin Captain, Mastiff, Ogre, Orc, Orc Eye of Gruumsh, Orog, Wolf, Worg, Reptilian Black Dragon Wyrmling, Flying Snake, Giant Constrictor Snake, Giant Frog, Giant Lizard, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Scorpion, Green Dragon Wyrmling, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Poisonous Snake, Poisonous Snake, Troglodyte, Winged Kobold Underdark Ankheg, Bullywug, Drow, Giant Frog, Giant Lizard, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Scorpion, Giant Toad, Giant Wolf Spider, Grimlock, Kuo-toa, Kuo-toa Whip, Myconid Adult, Myconid Sovereign, Myconid Sprout, Poisonous Snake, Quaggoth, Quaggoth Thonot Undead Crawling Claw, Death Dog, Ghast, Ghoul, Minotaur Skeleton, Ogre Zombie, Shadow, Skeleton, Specter, Specter (poltergeist), Warhorse Skeleton, Wight, Zombie Fiendish Death Dog, Dretch, Fire Snake, Giant Fire Beetle, Hell Hound, Homunculus, Imp, Manes, Quasit, Spined Devil Aberration Basilisk, Carrion Crawler, Cockatrice, Darkmantle, Doppelganger, Ettercap, Gibbering Mouther, Grell, Grick, Hook Horror, Intellect Devourer, Manticore, Mimic, Minotaur, Nothic, Phase Spider, Piercer, Rust Monster, Spectator Elemental Azer, Dust Mephit, Fire Snake, Gargoyle, Ice Mephit, Magma Mephit, Magmin, Mud Mephit, Smoke Mephit, Steam Mephit Vermin Flying Snake, Gas Spore, Gelatinous Cube, Giant Bat, Giant Centipede, Giant Constrictor Snake, Giant Fire Beetle, Giant Frog, Giant Lizard, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Rat, Giant Scorpion, Giant Spider, Giant Toad, Giant Wasp, Giant Wolf Spider, Gray Ooze, Ochre Jelly, Poisonous Snake, Shrieker, Stirge, Swarm of Bats, Swarm of Insects, Violet Fungus Monster Manual Page Reference Ankheg mm21 Azer mm22 Basilisk mm24 Black Dragon Wyrmling mm88 Bugbear mm33 Bullywug mm35 Carrion Crawler mm37 Cave Bear mm334 Cockatrice mm42 Crawling Claw mm44 Darkmantle mm46 Death Dog mm321 Dire Wolf mm321 Doppelganger mm82 Dretch mm57 Drow mm128 Dust Mephit mm215 Ettercap mm131 Fire Snake mm265 Flying Snake mm322 Gargoyle mm140 Gas Spore mm138 Gelatinous Cube mm242 Ghast mm148 Ghoul mm148 Giant Bat mm323 Giant Centipede mm323 Giant Constrictor Snake mm324 Giant Fire Beetle mm325 Giant Frog mm325 Giant Lizard mm326 Giant Poisonous Snake mm327 Giant Rat mm327 Giant Scorpion mm327 Giant Spider mm328 Giant Toad mm329 Giant Wasp mm329 Giant Wolf Spider mm330 Gibbering Mouther mm157 Goblin mm166 Goblin Boss mm166 Gray Ooze mm243 Green Dragon Wyrmling mm95 Grell mm172 Grick mm173 Grimlock mm175 Half-ogre mm238 Hell Hound mm182 Hobgoblin mm186 Hobgoblin Captain mm186 Homunculus mm188 Hook Horror mm189 Ice Mephit mm215 Imp mm76 Intellect Devourer mm191 Kobold mm195 Kuo-toa mm199 Kuo-toa Whip mm200 Lizardfolk mm204 Magma Mephit mm216 Magmin mm212 Manes mm60 Manticore mm213 Mastiff mm332 Mimic mm220 Minotaur mm223 Minotaur Skeleton mm273 Mud Mephit mm216 Myconid Adult mm232 Myconid Sovereign mm232 Myconid Sprout mm230 Nothic mm236 Ochre Jelly mm243 Ogre mm237 Ogre Zombie mm316 Orc mm246 Orc Eye of Gruumsh mm247 Orog mm247 Phase Spider mm334 Piercer mm252 Poisonous Snake mm334 Quaggoth mm256 Quaggoth Thonot mm256 Quasit mm63 Rust Monster mm262 Shadow mm269 Shrieker mm138 Skeleton mm272 Smoke Mephit mm217 Spectator mm30 Specter mm279 Specter (poltergeist) mm279 Spined Devil mm78 Steam Mephit mm217 Stirge mm284 Swarm of Bats mm337 Swarm of Insects mm338 Troglodyte mm290 Violet Fungus mm138 Warhorse Skeleton mm273 Wight mm300 Winged Kobold mm195 Wolf mm341 Worg mm341 Zombie mm316 Credits & Legals Design: M.T. Black DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

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1/8 La Maison au Bord du Lac lundi 23 janvier 2006, par Akodo Shendai L’intrigue Ide Okaeri est un marchand qui s’est spécialisé dans le négoce des diamants produits par une petite mine dans une vallée isolée sur les terres de la famille Iuchi, du Clan de la Licorne. Cupide et ambitieux, il a attiré l’attention d’un Maho-tsukai ayant trouvé refuge dans les hauts plateaux environnants la vallée de Nikkatsuwa, la ville où réside Ide Okaeri. Le Maho-tsukai a eu l’occasion, lors des rares fois où il descendait dans la vallée, d’observer le marchand dans l’unique maison de thé de la petite ville : " La maison du Bonheur Céleste ", tenue par Mme Zuwo. Ayant rapidement cerner le profil du marchand, le Maho-tsukai a réaliser qu’il pourrait l’utiliser pour lui fournir la grande quantité de diamants dont il a besoin lors de ses rituels d’invocation de créatures de l’Outremonde. A terme, le Maho-tsukai rêve, en effet, de s’emparer de la mine de diamants pour convoquer une foule de créatures des Shadowlands et couper la petite vallée du reste du monde en déchaînant les éléments grâce à sa puissante magie. Une fois la vallée totalement coupée du reste du monde, il sera le seul maître des lieux. Le Maho-tsukai a donc discrètement pris c o n t a c t a v e c l e m a r c h a n d e t l ’ a progressivement convaincu de collaborer avec lui. Les deux hommes se rencontraient à l’écart de Nikkatsuwa, dans un cabanon de montagne, au bord d’un lac, que possède le marchand à une journée de cheval du village. Le Maho-tsukai a fait miroiter richesse et pouvoir à Ide Okaeri lorsqu’il sera arrivé à ses fins. Effrayé et fasciné par une petite démonstration de magie, Ide Okaeri a accepté d’apporter son concours. Les deux hommes se sont entendus sur un plan destiné à permettre au Maho-tsukai de recueillir suffisamment de diamants pour amasser une troupe de créatures de l’Outremonde. Parce que Ide Okaeri ne pouvait pas ouvertement vendre sa cargaison au Maho-Tsukai sans attirer des soupçons sur lui, les deux hommes ont décidé de simuler des vols. Ide Okaeri donne au Maho-tsukai les horaires et l’itinéraire emprunté par les convois qui partent depuis la mine jusqu’à la ville de Nikkatsuwa et une bande de brigands à la solde du Maho-tsukai se charge de tendre des embuscades aux convois. Prudents, les deux hommes ne s’attaquent pas à tous les convois (environs deux sur trois jusqu’à présent) et surtout l’attaque des convois doit disculper totalement Ide Okaeri puisque les diamant sont sa propriété à partir du moment où ils quittent la mine. Personne ne peut donc imaginer qu’il se vole lui-même. Tout à parfaitement marcher depuis deux mois. Quatre convois sur les sept partis ont été attaqués et ce, alors même que les itinéraires étaient différents et que les écarts entre deux convois n’étaient pas réguliers. Ide Okaeri a parfaitement joué son rôle de victime supposée 2/8 et feint de pouvoir se maintenir à flot grâce à l’aide d’un généreux cousin chez qui il va réclamer de l’argent environ une fois tous les quinze jours. En réalité Ide Okaeri ne se rend pas chez son cousin mais, dès lors qu’il connaît la date et l’itinéraire des convois (Seuls le directeur de la mine, le chef convoyeur et lui sont au courants.), il part pour son cabanon au bord du lac de montagne où, loin des yeux indiscrets, il peut rencontrer le Maho-tsukai et lui communiquer les informations. Ce dernier lui remet de l’argent et se charge alors de faire attaquer le futur convoi par ses hommes. Même si il ne faut que deux jours pour faire l’aller-retour jusqu’au cabanon, Okaeri y séjourne quatre jours pour simuler le voyage jusque chez son cousin. Et c’est là qu’est le grain de sable dans la belle machinerie. Les deux journées de plus sont bien ennuyeuses puisque le marchand est seul dans son cabanon (les rencontres avec le Maho-tsukai se font brièvement de nuit). Ide Okaeri a donc rapidement imaginé de faire venir sa geisha préférée de la " Maison du Bonheur Céleste ", Kiju. Il a mis la belle en partie dans la confidence (elle ne sait pas que le voleur des diamants est un Maho-tsukai) et lui a demandé de venir le rejoindre au cabanon. Prudent, il a ordonné à Kiju de ne partir de la Maison de Thé qu’une journée après son propre départ supposé chez son cousin. (Cela évite de faire le rapprochement et cela permet à Ide Okaeri de rencontrer le Maho-Tsukai, seul, dès la première nuit.) Ils repartent ensuite ensemble mais se séparent avant d’arriver à Nikkatsuwa. Ide Okaeri a inventé un riche client désireux de rester anonyme et qui fait appel à Kiju à domicile. Le début de l’histoire Il n’y a pas d’introduction type. Au maître de jeu de faire comme il l’entend en fonction de sa campagne et de ses joueurs. Pour ma part, j’ai utilisé deux amorces pour réunir des personnages joueurs crabes et des licornes. Les Licornes (voir des ronins)peuvent être contactés par un cousin éloigné : Shinjo Masayo ; le chef convoyeur. Celui-ci fait appel aux joueurs pour enquêter discrètement sur les attaques. Il ne comprend pas comment les brigands peuvent aussi facilement attaquer des convois supposés secrets. Il fait un point d’honneur à découvrir les coupables pour venger ses hommes morts. Selon lui, les bandits sont forcément renseigner par quelqu’un pour pouvoir tendre aussi efficacement des embuscades. Il ne peu s’agir que du directeur de la mine : Iuchi Makitsu ou du marchand Ide Okaeri (mais pourquoi ?). Il ne peut pas enquêter lui-même ou faire enquêter ses hommes sous peine de faire perdre la face à ses employeurs. Ils a donc besoin des personnages joueurs. Des personnages Crabes ou combattant les Shadowlands peuvent être attirés jusqu’à la vallée en poursuivant une meute de gobelins. Cette meute a étrangement contourné le Kaiu Kabe depuis l’Outremonde pour s’engouffrer dans le nord du territoire du Crabe. Les personnages peuvent avoir été chargés de les traquer et de les détruire. Ces gobelins se dirigent vers les terres des Licornes et les montagnes. Les investigations des joueurs les mèneront jusque vers la vallée de Nikkatsuwa, les gobelins étant les premières créatures convoquées par le Maho-tsukai. Là, ils pourront peut-être découvrir que les deux affaires sont 3/8 liées. Dans mon groupe, les Crabes étaient un Chasseur de sorcière Kuni accompagné par son yojimbo, un bushi Hida. Les joueurs pourraient aussi être engagés par Ide Okaeri (pour renforcer son image de victime. Des samouraïs d’autres Clans seraient idéaux puisque ne connaissant pas la région.) ou par le chef de la mine Iuchi Makitsu. Des personnages magistrats feront aussi très bien l’affaire. La mine de diamants Il s’agit d’une modeste mine de diamant enfoncée au plus profond de la vallée de Nikkatsuwa. La production est de très grande qualité mais malheureusement faible, de sorte que l’intégralité de la production est achetée par Ide Okaeri. La mine se compose de quatre bâtiments : le premier, le plus grand est celui qui sert de réfectoire et de dortoir aux 35 mineurs. le deuxième est le logement des dix gardes. Le troisième est le bureau et la maison de Iuchi Makitsu, le chef de la mine. Le dernier fait office d’entrepôt / forge /menuiserie... A cela viennent s’ajouter une dizaine de tentes qui accueillent Shinjo Masayo et ses hommes. Iuchi Makitsu est un samouraï d’une quarantaine d’année qui travaille pour le compte du daimyo local. Il n’est donc pas propriétaire de la mine mais simplement gérant. Bien qu’il ne soit pas directement concerné par les attaques des bandits, il est inquiet de la situation car il craint de perdre bientôt son unique client et d’être dans l’impossibilité d’en trouver un ou des nouveaux. Si les personnages viennent l’interroger, il se montrera assez nerveux car il sait bien qu’il peut apparaître comme un suspect idéal. Si on lui demande si il a des soupçons, il annoncera qu’il n’en a pas de concret mais qu’il se demande si Shinjo Masayo n’est pas de mèche avec les bandits car il aurait de grosses dettes de jeux dans les villes alentours. (C’est vrai pour les dettes mais c’est tout.) Si on lui demande son aide, il se refuse à laisser partir les gardes car il se demande si ce n’est pas précisément ce que recherchent les brigands. Si on le suit, on découvrira uniquement qu’il est un habitué de la " Maison du Bonheur Céleste " (il s’y rend une fois par semaine) et qu’il a pour favorite Nakami. Shinjo Masayo est un samouraï d’une trentaine d’année. Il a l’allure et les attitudes d’’un meneur d’homme, ce qu’il est avec ses hommes depuis une petite dizaine d’années où ils servent d’escorte aux nombreux marchands du Clan. Il est prêt à tout pour aider les personnages à mettre la mains sur les brigands qui ont causé la mort de cinq de ses compagnons (ils ne sont plus que treize), y compris leur prêter main forte si ceux-ci lui amène des preuves suffisantes. Avant cela, il se refusera à leur prêter des hommes car beaucoup sont blessés et les autres doivent rester pour les escortes. Interrogé sur les attaques, il affirmera qu’il s’agît d’embuscades minutieusement préparées. Lui et ses hommes sont toujours tombés dans des guet-apens et ce quel que soit l’itinéraire emprunté. Les assaillants étaient toujours masqués mais ils semblaient posséder du matériel de qualité, inaccessible à de vulgaires 4/8 paysans. (des ronins ?). Sur la route Si les personnages enquêtent sur les lieux de la dernière attaque, ils pourront constater qu’il s’agissait bien d’une embuscade puisque quelques dizaines de mètres au dessus de la route, des troncs ont été abattus pour barrer le passage au convoi et puisque des traces de campement sont encore décelables. Si les personnages parviennent à suivre les traces des brigands (Hunting TN 30), ils pourront remonter les flancs de la montagne sur une d e mi - j o u r n é e a v a n t d e l e s p e r d r e définitivement. Les personnages qui suivaient les créatures de l’Outremonde pourront réaliser que les brigands semblent se diriger vers la région de montagne où les créatures se sont probablement réfugiées. Si les personnages voyagent de nuit entre la mine et Nikkatsuwa ou à travers la montagne, ils auront de très fortes chances de tomber dans une embuscade ( surtout si ils ont remontés partiellement la piste des brigands et ont été repérés par leurs guetteurs qui scrutent la vallée) mais cette fois-ci tendue par des gobelins (entre 5 et 10). Ces embuscades doivent contribuer à faire monter la tension et à mettre les joueurs sous pression en leur faisant prendre conscience que les événements se précipitent. La ville de Nikkatsuwa Il s’agit d’une petite bourgade tranquille. Le seul lieu digne d’intérêt et qui monopolise la vie sociale locale est la maison de thé de Mme Zuwo : " La maison du Bonheur Céleste ". Iuchi Usui est le ventripotent magistrat local. Il a toujours été en charge de Nikkatsuwa et plus de trente années de tranquillité l’ont convaincu que rien ne pourrait jamais arriver dans sa bonne ville. Aussi paraît-il très nettement dépassé par les événements récents et semble-t-il leurs préférer largement la fréquentation de la " Maison du Bonheur Céleste ". Avec ses réflexes de juge de paix, il se plaira à dire aux personnages que tout se règle par une fréquentation assidue de la maison de thé puisqu’on y observe les gens et par le dialogue poli désamorce-t-on toutes velléités de délits qui peuvent les habiter. Il se vantera de l’efficacité de sa méthode en affirmant aux personnages joueurs " qu’en plus de trente années, personne n’est jamais venu se plaindre de quoi que ce soit auprès de lui. " La preuve même de son génie préventif. L’inefficacité crasse du brave Usui devrait même pouvoir le rendre suspect aux yeux des joueurs les plus méfiants. Confronté à l’accablante vérité, il ne saura pas comment réagir mais s’efforcera d’aider au mieux ( c’est à dire pas beaucoup) les personnages. Ide Okaeri joue à merveille son rôle de victime dans cette affaire. Il présente à tous une mine résignée mais n’hésite pas à laisser transparaître des accès de désespoir lorsqu’il estime cela nécessaire. Il a réduit ses sorties en ville (à la " Maison du Bonheur Céleste ") mais ne les a pas stoppées complètement pour ne pas apparaître suspect. Face aux personnages, il manifestera une parfaite bonne volonté de façade et ne manquera pas par la suite de s’enquérir de l’avancement de leurs investigations. Il prétendra n’avoir aucune idée des suspects possibles mais si on le pousse il essayera d’aiguiller les joueurs sur des fausses pistes. Il expliquera qu’il parvient à se maintenir à flot grâce à l’aide de son riche et généreux cousin 5/8 Ide Dukeri qui habite à deux jours d’ici, dans la plaine, et chez qui il se rend environ deux fois par mois. Il sait bien que cette situation ne pourra pas durer éternellement et il craint de devoir se résoudre à quitter la vallée pour s’établir ailleurs. Il est tellement dépité qu’il n’a plus le goût à fréquenter la Maison du Bonheur Céleste comme il le faisait auparavant. Dès que les personnages en découvriront trop ( par Kiju, en découvrant le cabanon au bord du lac, en se rendant chez son cousin), il s’empressera de partir dès la nuit tombée pour son cabanon puis pour le repère du Maho-tsukai et essayera dans la mesure du possible de faire venir Kiju (Ils ne partiront toutefois pas en même temps du village). La Maison du Bonheur Céleste Cet établissement tenu depuis bientôt trente ans par Mme Zuwo (qui se plaît à rappeler qu’il s’agît de la meilleure maison de thé de toute la ville) est aussi l’unique maison de thé de Nikkatsuwa depuis maintenant quinze ans. La salle commune est toujours bien remplie puisqu’il s’agît du meilleur endroit pour commercer et régler tous les problèmes de la ville. On peut y trouver presque en permanence Iuchi Usui, qui se plaît à jouer le patriarche au milieu de " sa " population. Mme Zuwo est une ancienne geisha qui a pu racheter son indépendance et établir sa propre maison de thé. Ancienne favorite de Iuchi Usui , elle a rapidement imposé son établissement comme le lieu incontournable de la vie sociale de Nikkatsuwa, éclipsant progressivement toute sa concurrence. Rude en affaire et avec ses filles, elle n’en reste pas moins attachées à ces dernières comme à ses propres enfants. Elle ignore tout de la manoeuvre de Kiju et s’imagine que le riche client n’est autre qu’un riche mari désireux de rester discret. Et puis tant qu’il paie, il n’y a pas de raison de poser des questions. Nakami est la doyenne de l’établissement de Mme Zuwo puis qu’elle a récemment dépassée la trentaine. Elle est certainement la plus posée et la plus élégante des trois geishas. Elle sait garder son calme en toute circonstance et ne manquera pas de le faire si les personnages viennent la questionner. Elle n’est pas non plus au courant de l’identité du mystérieux client et s’efforcera, toujours poliment, de collaborer le moins possible avec les personnages, bien consciente que les esclandres nuisent à la réputation des lieux (et au commerce). Elle est la favorite de Iuchi Usui et Iuchi Makitsu. Kiju est certainement la plus populaire des pensionnaires de la Maison du Bonheur Céleste. Agée d’une vingtaine d’année, elle sait associer le raffinement requis chez toute geisha avec une joie de vivre, une espièglerie et une fraîcheur que tous s’accordent à trouver communicatives. Elle ne sait rien du commerce de Ide Okaeri mais s’amuse du caractère clandestin de leurs rencontres au Cabanon. Elle conserve d’autant mieux le silence qu’Okaeri ne manque pas de la choyer dès qu’ils se retrouvent au Cabanon. Subtile, elle affirmera, si les personnages joueurs la questionnent fermement, que son fameux mystérieux client n’est autre que le cousin d’Ide Okaeri et que celui-ci désire garder l’anonymat pour ne pas vexer Okaeri. Elle dira qu’elle a rencontré le cousin, il y a de cela plusieurs années, et que celui-ci a toujours désiré garder leur relation secrète sans qu’elle sache réellement pourquoi. Dès que les joueurs partiront enquêter chez le cousin, elle se précipitera alors chez Okaeri pour le prévenir. Elle achète la discrétion de Toko, l’homme à tout faire de l’établissement. 6/8 Ikiko est la plus jeune des geishas. Agée d’environ seize ans, elle vraiment très belle mais son caractère affirmé qu’elle a parfois du mal à contrôler à tendance à effrayer certains clients. Elle est, en effet, assez frondeuse, provocante et capricieuse. Elle ne supporte pas vraiment que Kiju puisse être la préférée de la plupart des clients et ne manquera pas de s’en plaindre auprès de personnages un peu inquisiteurs. Elle trouve incompréhensible qu’on lui préfère "une cruche" comme Kiju mais mettra cela sur le compte du fait que Kiju a toujours été la préférée de Mme Zuwo. C’est ainsi qu’elle explique le fait que à chaque fois qu’un riche client désire faire venir chez lui une courtisane, c’est toujours Kiju qui s’en va. Interrogée sur la fréquence de tels déplacements, elle affirmera que Kiju part environ deux fois par mois et qu’elle se refuse à lui dire le nom de son où ses clients, se contentant de la narguer en arborant les présents qu’elle reçoit en ces occasions. Toko, enfin, est le seul homme de l’établissement. Il s’occupe de toutes les tâches d’entretien du bâtiment et fait également office de garde du corps et de videur. Il accompagne toujours Kiju jusqu’au cabanon mais les larges pourboires de Kiju et d’Okaeri suffisent à lui faire tenir sa langue. Interrogé, il ne dira strictement rien aux personnages, refusant de risquer de tarir une importante source de revenus. Poussé à bout, il montrera aux personnages qu’il sait se défendre. Si Okaeri et Kiju se sont enfuis, il finira par avouer où se trouve le Cabanon si il est menacé ou si on lui offre une bonne récompense. La suite des événements Avec cela, le maître de jeu devrait pouvoir gérer la suite de l’aventure. Voici les différentes pistes possibles : Aller voir le cousin. Si les personnages quittent Nikkatsuwa pour se rendre chez le cousin de Okaeri, ce dernier, qui ne manque pas de les épier, fera parvenir une lettre à son cousin pour le prier de faire semblant de lui prêter de l’argent. Sur place, les personnages devraient toutefois rapidement réaliser que Ide Dukeri n’est pas un riche marchand mais un simple boutiquier et qu’il ne peut donc pas avoir les moyens d’aider son cousin. De plus, il s’embrouillera dans son mensonge et, si on le secoue un peu, avouera qu’il a reçu une lettre de son cousin, avec un peu d’argent, l’enjoignant de raconter cette histoire aux personnages. A partir du moment où les personnages seront partis pour le rencontrer, Okaeri organisera sa fuite, avec Kiju, jusque chez le Maho-tsukai. Dans cette situation, il deviendra difficile de les retrouver sauf à découvrir des indices sur le Cabanon que peuvent fournir Dukeri (il s’y est rendu il y a longtemps) ou Toko. Filer Kiju ou Okaeri. Cette méthode délicate ( car Kiju comme Okaeri seront sur leurs gardes) s’avérera très payante puisque les personnages pourront découvrir l’emplacement du cabanon et réaliser que le fameux client mystérieux est Okaeri. Avant cela, ils pourront réaliser que les contacts entre Kiju et Okaeri sont discrets mais fréquents (contrairement à ce qu’ils affirment) car dès qu’elle sera interrogée par les personnages, Kiju essayera de prendre contact avec Okaeri pour lui faire part de l’enquête des personnages et pour lui demander quelle attitude adopter. Une filature constante de ces deux individus finira donc par trahir la véritable nature de leurs relations. Patrouiller la montagne. Dans cette hypothèse, les joueurs après des longues recherches pourront découvrir un cabanon au bord d’un lac 7/8 et se rendre compte que celui-ci, loin d’être abandonné, est très richement meublé et décoré (Okaeri devant feindre la pauvreté, dépense tout son argent pour son cabanon. Les achats sont évidemment fait ailleurs qu’à Nikkatsuwa .) Si les joueurs restent en planque longuement, ils finiront par voir arriver Okaeri puis verront arriver, le lendemain, Kiju et Toko. Ils remarqueront aussi que Okaeri quitte son cabanon le premier soir pour monter plus haut dans la montagne afin d’y rencontrer le Maho-tsukai. (Toute tentative de le suivre, en pleine nuit, sera vouée à l’échec et risque de faire tomber les personnages dans une embuscade des brigands qui veillent.) Patrouiller la haute-montagne aboutira nécessairement à des embuscades avec les brigands réfugiés sur les hauteurs. Dès lors qu’ils auront découverts la zone où se cachent les brigands, les personnages ne pourront obtenir des renforts que si ils ont des preuves tangibles. Dans tous les cas, dès que Okaeri aura pris contact avec le Maho-tsukai, ce dernier décidera de hâter les choses. Ils déploiera donc les gobelins sur l’ensemble de la vallée afin que ceux-ci harcèlent tous ceux qui voyagent de nuit. Ils utilisera ses brigands pour assaillir la mine (au MJ de déterminer quand). Le Final Logiquement ce scénario devrait se terminer par l’attaque du camp en altitude du Maho-tsukai et de ses sbires. Libre à chaque MJ de définir la force des adversaires en fonction de ses joueurs. Le Maho-tsukai n’hésitera toutefois pas à prendre en otage une Kiju effrayée par ce qu’elle a découvert en arrivant au camp et retenue prisonnière depuis lors. Les personnages non-joueurs Le Maho-tsukai Fire 3 Earth 4 Air 2 Water 2 (Perception 3) Compétences : Acting 2, Sincerity 3, Etiquette 2, History 2, Shugenja Lore 4, Shadowlands Lore 3, Theology 4, Knife 3, Torture 2 Sorts : Maho (7k4) - Summon Oni ; Summon Revenant, Stealing the Soul, Willpower 5 Touch of Death + des rituels d’invocation de créatures diverses. Earth (6k4) - Call the Elements, Earthquake, Force of Will Fire (5k3) - Fire that Cleanse, Fire from Within Fist of Osano-Wo Air (4k2) - Command the Mind, Know the Shadow Ide Okaeri, le diamantaire Fire 2 (Intelligence 3) Earth 2 Air 2 (Awareness 4) Water 2 Compétences : Acting 3, Etiquette 2, Investigation 2, Sincerity 3, History 2, Law 1, Knife 2, Commerce 4, Forgery 2 Arme de prédilection : Aiguchi [4k2 au toucher, 3k2 aux dégâts] Kiju, la geisha favorite Fire 2 Earth 2 (Willpower 3) Air 3 Awareness 4 Water 2 Compétences : Acting 3, Bard 2, Dance 3, Music 2, Poetry 2, Tea Ceremony 2, Seduction 4 Arme de prédilection : Son charme. 8/8 Shinjo Masayo, le chef convoyeur Fire 2 (Agility 3) Earth 2 Air 2 Water 3 Compétences : Horsemanship 3, Horse husbandry 3, Hunting 3, Archery 3, Lance 3, Naginata 3, Horse archery 2, Gambling 2, Commerce 3 Arme de prédilection : Naginata [6k3 au toucher, 6k3 au dégats] Toko, le garde du corps Fire 2 (Agility 3) Earth 3 Air 2 Water 2 Strength 4 Compétences : Hand to Hand 3, Knife 3, Bo stick 2, Athletics 3, Gambling 1, Horse husbandry 2 Arme de prédilection : Kama [6k3 au toucher, 6k2 au dégâts] Les gardes, les convoyeurs Tous les Rings 2 sauf Agility 3 Compétences : Kenjutsu 2, Hunting 2, Horsemanship 2 Les brigands Tous les rings à 2 sauf Fire 3 et Strength 3 Compétences : Kenjutsu 2, Hunting 3, Moutaineer 3, Hand to Hand 2, Athletics 2 Les Gobelins Se reporter au Livre des Règles. P.-S. Merci à mes joueurs et au film "Les Fleurs de Shanghai" pour la "Maison du Bonheur Céleste".

textdata/thevault/Legend of the Five Rings/LANG/[FR]/Sc_narios/L5A - Adv - La Maison au Bord du Lac.pdf

Shadows on the Shadows on the Shadows on the Shadows on the March March March March A One A One A One A One----Round D&D 3 Round D&D 3 Round D&D 3 Round D&D 3rd rd rd rd Edition Living Greyhawk Edition Living Greyhawk Edition Living Greyhawk Edition Living Greyhawk Adventure Adventure Adventure Adventure by J. Allan Fawcett by J. Allan Fawcett by J. Allan Fawcett by J. Allan Fawcett A dark shadow is falling across the once lush fields of Furyondy. Across the countryside, crops are dying and workers are missing. This adventure is suitable for characters levels 1-6. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Scenario detail copyright 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. Shadows on the March Page 2 This is a RPGA Network adventure game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for playing the game (or this round of the game), but the actual playing time will be about three hours. It is a good idea to ask each player to put a name tag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player's name at the bottom, and the character's name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players to keep track of who is playing which character. Scoring the game for RPGA points Scoring the game for RPGA points Scoring the game for RPGA points Scoring the game for RPGA points: The RPGA has three ways to score this game. Consult your convention coordinator to determine which method to use: 1. No-vote scoring: The players write their names and numbers on the scoring packet grid, you fill in the top of the grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for people who are just playing for fun. 2. Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the scenario on their player voting sheet, and provide personal information, but don’t vote for other players. The game master rates the scenario and completes personal and event information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for players. This method is used when there is no competition, but the convention coordinator wants information as to how the game masters are performing, or the game master wants feedback on his or her own performance. 3. Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, including voting for best player. If this method is used, be sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10 minutes for voting. This method is used when the players want to know who played the best amongst them, or when the adventure is run in tournament format with winners and prizes. Multi-round adventures usually required advancing a smaller number of players than played the first round, so voting is required for multi-round adventures. When using Voting, rank the players in order of your voting choice while they are completing their forms, so that you are not influenced by their comments on your abilities. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in bold italics bold italics bold italics bold italics. It is strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text, instead of reading it aloud, as some of the text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. LLLLIVING IVING IVING IVING GGGGREYHAWK REYHAWK REYHAWK REYHAWK Tier Tier Tier Tier Structure Structure Structure Structure To determine the tier, add the character levels of all the characters. In addition, add the levels of any henchmen or animals according to the values on their certificates. Compare the total to the chart below to find the tier. 4 players 5 players 6 players 7 players Lvl Cap T1: 4-12 5-13 6-14 7-15 4nd T2: 13-22 14-24 15-26 16-28 6th T3: 23-32 25-35 27-38 29-41 8th The level cap indicated the highest level of character allowed to play this adventure. Characters of levels higher than the highest level shown for the highest tier cannot be played. Lifestyle Lifestyle Lifestyle Lifestyle At the beginning of every scenario, each PC is required to pay upkeep costs matching the level of lifestyle they wish to maintain. The cost of each lifestyle will be indicated at the beginning of the scenario scenario scenario scenario. The lifestyles, and the effects that each has on play, are: Destitute Destitute Destitute Destitute You have no living space, and must carry all your gear everywhere. You eat poor quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, your only change of clothes. Poor Poor Poor Poor You sleep in poor accommodations, and eat poor quality food. You wear a peasant outfit, and have two sets of clothing. Common Common Common Common You have common lodgings, and eat common quality food. You have normal clothing for your profession (adventuring); nothing fancy. You probably have two or three sets of clothing. High High High High You stay in good quality lodgings, and eat good quality food. You wear anything in value up to courtier’s outfits, and generally buy a new set of clothing every two weeks. Luxury Luxury Luxury Luxury You have luxurious accommodations (twice the cost of good accommodations), and you eat excellent foods. You can throw a banquet for your friends every day, and frequently do. You wear clothing up to the value of noble’s outfit, and buy a new set of clothes every week. Lifestyles come with bonuses or penalties to Diplomacy, Intimidate, Disguise, and Bluff skill checks. These penalties, shown below, should be applied at the DM’s discretion, and can sometimes backfire—for example, a PC with a poor lifestyle would not have a penalty when talking to a beggar, but would when talking to a city official. A PC with a high lifestyle should have a penalty when dealing with a group of street thugs, where a PC with a destitute lifestyle might not. DMs are encouraged to role-play these reactions whenever possible. Lifestyle Lifestyle Lifestyle Lifestyle Cost Cost Cost Cost Skill M Skill M Skill M Skill Modifier odifier odifier odifier Destitute 14 sp -2 Poor 43 sp -1 Common 3 gp 0 High 250 gp +1 Luxury 500 gp +2 Shadows on the March Page 3 Adventure Summary and Adventure Summary and Adventure Summary and Adventure Summary and Background Background Background Background This adventure takes place within the province known as the Viscounty of the March, which is ruled by Viscount Luther Derwent. For more information on the Viscounty see the below. Although not directly related to the Blight story, this adventure begins to set the stage for these events. Throughout the adventure, references will be made to the failing crops, DMs should seek to emphasize these points and help set the stage for future events. Located in the heart of the kingdom, the March is by far the most populous region of Furyondy. Protected from the ravages of the wars with Iuz, these lands are practically untouched by evil. The capital city of Gorsend was secluded from the conflict and few of its soldiers saw combat in either the Greyhawk Wars or the Great Northern Crusade. For the most part, the population of the March remains blissfully ignorant of the horrors of war brought by Iuz. The March lies along many of the established supply routes and Derwent has judiciously invested in the restoration of the road system. This province lies along on of the most important supply routes to the recently restored Shield Lands and the new route has served to greatly increase tax revenue and new settlers in the area. In addition to its isolation form Iuz and prosperity from trade routes, the March is also located on the most fertile soil in all of Furyondy. The province is an interesting mix of rich nobility and hard working farmers whose daily toils provide much of the wheat used throughout the kingdom. Recently, the farmlands have failed to produce the usual bountiful crops. Blights have started to ruin entire fields and the once bountiful harvests are starting to dwindle. Furyondians here are often apathetic and rather cowardly. There has been a slow migration away from the eastern fringe of the province and Luther is considering the use of convict labor, or forced service from peasants on his own lands to maintain the local farming industry. During the adventure, the heroes will be drawn into a plot involving an evil spell caster, Velladenna Delinener. She uses her inherent charms, a few enchantments, and the dark powers of Nerull to lure members of the local populace into permanent service to her god. She has made her way quietly into the lands of Furyondy on a series of caravans and has decided to test some of her powers in the relative obscurity of the complacent Viscounty of March. If her new spells and potions prove to be a success, she plans on moving into one of the larger cities of the kingdom, the capital of the Viscounty, Gorsend. Velladenna’s plan is to move about the country side is the guise of a pilgrim and speak to the simple folk of the March. Then, using her natural beauty and magical assistance if needed, she will draw unsuspecting people into her traps with promises of a better life of unlimited beauty and one free from the toils and pain that comes from the hard work upon the farms. At ceremonies in secluded woods, she initiates her chosen victims, who are all attractive people, into the dark world of Nerull. By feeding her victims a potion designed to preserve the body and laced with poison, she animates them and fulfills her promise. Her victims are freed from the pain and suffering of their lives, only to suffer a worse fate and be trapped as a servant to a dark god for all eternity. Due to the powers of the potion, the recently animated bodies do not decay provided they are immersed in a rose petal herbal bath at night. It is very unlikely that the heroes will know that the missing farmers have been transformed. Other than their improved appearance, they are normal zombies. Adventure Synopsis Adventure Synopsis Adventure Synopsis Adventure Synopsis PCs arrive for various reasons at the inn of Whittleborough were they learn that something is not quite right about the town by talking with the people in the bar. Shortly after, a local page will arrive, he will attempt to hire the group to assist with a delicate situation. If they agree, he will have them look into the missing farmers. One boy went missing only a few days ago while the other (Jerad) has been gone for a while. The heroes will investigate two farms – one closer than the other (Jared’s is closer). The two lads are different in that Jared was dedicated to farming while the other, Lunth, dreamt of adventure and an easier life. After investigating the first farm, the heroes will be attacked at night by one of Velladenna’s creatures. Velladenna’s songbird familiar alerted her to the stranger’s presence in the area. Following a clue from the boy’s room at the second farm, the heroes can get to the secluded wood where the ceremony was performed. At the wood, they will find remains of a campsite and a small cave. Inside the cave they will find a number of objects including braziers, rose petals, etc. There will be no signs of the owner until later that evening when another meeting occurs. That night, Velladenna and her servants (zombies) dressed in monk robes will return. They will set up camp and the zombies will go into the cave to prepare their baths. Then the guard captain will arrive, drawn by Velladenna’s charms. If they allow it, she will complete the ritual, killing the captain and making another slave. The final encounter can be resolved a number of ways, including a possible discussion between Velladenna and the PCs as she attempts to sway them to her point of view – using charm spells, etc. The longer they talk with her, the worse their situation becomes. Locale Rules of Interest: Locale Rules of Interest: Locale Rules of Interest: Locale Rules of Interest: Coinage Coinage Coinage Coinage: While in the borders of the Kingdom, prices will be stated in Furyondian coinage: paladin, platinum; wheatsheaf (or “sheaf”), gold; knight, electrum; sheridan, silver; common, copper. Shadows on the March Page 4 Reaction Adjustments Reaction Adjustments Reaction Adjustments Reaction Adjustments: The common people of Furyondy (farmers, etc.) have little exposure to races other than humans and the occasional half-elf. The other races are treated with either a sense of suspicion (gnomes and halflings), careful concern (dwarves), wonder (elves), or downright fear and distrust bordering on hatred (half- orcs). DMs should role-play these reactions and impose situation modifiers to ability checks as appropriate. Players Introduction Players Introduction Players Introduction Players Introduction Read the following descriptive text when the players first sit down at the table. Based on this information they should determine which characters they will play, what spells to select, and what (if any) magical items they wish to bring along. The following blurb describes this event. A dark shadow is falling across the once lush fields o A dark shadow is falling across the once lush fields o A dark shadow is falling across the once lush fields o A dark shadow is falling across the once lush fields of f f f Furyondy. Across the countryside, crops are dying and workers Furyondy. Across the countryside, crops are dying and workers Furyondy. Across the countryside, crops are dying and workers Furyondy. Across the countryside, crops are dying and workers are missing. This adventure is suitable for low level characters are missing. This adventure is suitable for low level characters are missing. This adventure is suitable for low level characters are missing. This adventure is suitable for low level characters (Tiers 1 (Tiers 1 (Tiers 1 (Tiers 1----3) of all classes 3) of all classes 3) of all classes 3) of all classes Once the players have had an opportunity to introduce themselves to one another and to select their heroes, the adventure may formally begin. The heroes start the adventure having just arrived in the small town of Whittleborough. For various reasons, they have found their way to this small town. Given its location along a number of well-established roads, the players may have nearly any explanation for why they are here. For example, they may be traveling with a caravan heading to Gorsend or the nation’s capital Chendl. Allow players to make up whatever story they like for why they are in Whittleborough and determine whether or not they have any knowledge of the other characters. DMs should encourage those players whose characters have similar backgrounds or goals to consider having traveled together (caravan guards, religious pilgrims, etc.). The south The south The south The southern provinces of Furyondy have been spared the ern provinces of Furyondy have been spared the ern provinces of Furyondy have been spared the ern provinces of Furyondy have been spared the horrors of the two great wars fought upon this nation’s soil. horrors of the two great wars fought upon this nation’s soil. horrors of the two great wars fought upon this nation’s soil. horrors of the two great wars fought upon this nation’s soil. Many of these provinces have benefited greatly from the Many of these provinces have benefited greatly from the Many of these provinces have benefited greatly from the Many of these provinces have benefited greatly from the increase in trade due to driving back of the Old One. One such increase in trade due to driving back of the Old One. One such increase in trade due to driving back of the Old One. One such increase in trade due to driving back of the Old One. One such land is the Viscounty of the land is the Viscounty of the land is the Viscounty of the land is the Viscounty of the March. The roads here have been March. The roads here have been March. The roads here have been March. The roads here have been rebuilt and maintained by the lands’ feudal lord, the Viscount rebuilt and maintained by the lands’ feudal lord, the Viscount rebuilt and maintained by the lands’ feudal lord, the Viscount rebuilt and maintained by the lands’ feudal lord, the Viscount Derwent, arguably one of the richest men in the kingdom, if Derwent, arguably one of the richest men in the kingdom, if Derwent, arguably one of the richest men in the kingdom, if Derwent, arguably one of the richest men in the kingdom, if not the world. not the world. not the world. not the world. Your travels have taken you through much of the Your travels have taken you through much of the Your travels have taken you through much of the Your travels have taken you through much of the province, although you have not made province, although you have not made province, although you have not made province, although you have not made it to Gorsend, the it to Gorsend, the it to Gorsend, the it to Gorsend, the capital, yet. Currently, you find yourself several days travel capital, yet. Currently, you find yourself several days travel capital, yet. Currently, you find yourself several days travel capital, yet. Currently, you find yourself several days travel from the city, in one of hundreds of small farming from the city, in one of hundreds of small farming from the city, in one of hundreds of small farming from the city, in one of hundreds of small farming communities found throughout the region. The Viscounty is communities found throughout the region. The Viscounty is communities found throughout the region. The Viscounty is communities found throughout the region. The Viscounty is one of the richest farming areas of the land, providing grain one of the richest farming areas of the land, providing grain one of the richest farming areas of the land, providing grain one of the richest farming areas of the land, providing grain an an an and corn for citizens across the nation. d corn for citizens across the nation. d corn for citizens across the nation. d corn for citizens across the nation. The town of Whittleborough is unremarkable. Located in The town of Whittleborough is unremarkable. Located in The town of Whittleborough is unremarkable. Located in The town of Whittleborough is unremarkable. Located in the center of several large farms, the town serves as a meeting the center of several large farms, the town serves as a meeting the center of several large farms, the town serves as a meeting the center of several large farms, the town serves as a meeting place for the locals and a common stop for travelers. The place for the locals and a common stop for travelers. The place for the locals and a common stop for travelers. The place for the locals and a common stop for travelers. The atmosphere of the inn, the only one in atmosphere of the inn, the only one in atmosphere of the inn, the only one in atmosphere of the inn, the only one in town, is somber. There town, is somber. There town, is somber. There town, is somber. There are very few patrons talking quietly over their ale but are very few patrons talking quietly over their ale but are very few patrons talking quietly over their ale but are very few patrons talking quietly over their ale but otherwise the place is silent. An innkeeper, a serving girl, and otherwise the place is silent. An innkeeper, a serving girl, and otherwise the place is silent. An innkeeper, a serving girl, and otherwise the place is silent. An innkeeper, a serving girl, and a young boy are all present as you enter. As you walk through a young boy are all present as you enter. As you walk through a young boy are all present as you enter. As you walk through a young boy are all present as you enter. As you walk through the door, the innkeeper nods at the boy who quickl the door, the innkeeper nods at the boy who quickl the door, the innkeeper nods at the boy who quickl the door, the innkeeper nods at the boy who quickly exits y exits y exits y exits through the kitchen. through the kitchen. through the kitchen. through the kitchen. Encounter One: The Inn of Encounter One: The Inn of Encounter One: The Inn of Encounter One: The Inn of Whittleborough Whittleborough Whittleborough Whittleborough When the heroes arrive at the small inn, they may immediately realize that things are not what they expect. It will be late afternoon when the last of the heroes arrive, and the inn would normally be busy with local farmers and workers coming in for a bite to eat or cold ale to drink. The few patrons in the bar are dour faced and bitter. Despite the sunshine filling the room from the open windows and doors, the place feels dark. The innkeeper looks expectantly at the new arrivals, hoping they bring some coins to his establishment. Given the problems with the local harvests, times are tough for the inhabitants of the town. The inn is fairly small consisting of four sleeping chambers (2 sheridan (silver) per night), a common room (1 common (copper) per night), a small kitchen, and a storeroom. The common room has a small bar in the corner by the kitchen and a well-built hearth along one of the outer walls. A collection of mismatched chairs and stools are found throughout the place, nearly all of them empty. A well-used dartboard and several darts are located on a table in the corner to amuse the patrons (the darts have no value as weapons). Demo Hint Demo Hint Demo Hint Demo Hint: If DMs are running first time 3E players, simulating a game of darts to familiarize players with the combat to hit system may be a good idea. Treat the dartboard as AC 12, the middle ring as AC 14, and the bulls-eye as AC 18. Heroes may wish to speak with either the innkeeper (Hal), the serving girl (Illiana), or the some of the patrons (Foelmen and Gelmien) of the bar after their arrival. Illiana, the serving girl (Cha 10) will tend to the needs of the group quickly after they are seated providing a modest meal and ale or wine. The charge for a meal at the inn is 2 sheridan per person which heroes will notice is quite high. If they inquire about the prices, she will smile and apologize, and comment on how bad the harvests have been going this season. Heroes that wish to obtain more information about the locale happenings may use the Information Gathering skill (DC 13). Or, preferably, role-play interactions with the NPCs. Remember the reaction effects for each of the races mentioned earlier in the adventure when role- playing these events. If PCs are half-orcs and attempt to Intimidate or bully any of the people in the bar, they will be asked to leave. Hal, the innkeeper, will refuse to allow them to stay at the inn. Unless these characters are careful, they will alienate the local population and the lord’s man Bukan, and not be asked to assist with the task at hand. The people in the inn are: Shadows on the March Page 5 Tavern NPCs Tavern NPCs Tavern NPCs Tavern NPCs Halvenai (Hal), the Innkeeper (male human Com Halvenai (Hal), the Innkeeper (male human Com Halvenai (Hal), the Innkeeper (male human Com Halvenai (Hal), the Innkeeper (male human Com 2) 2)2) 2) Halvenai runs the simple inn in Whittleborough and has lived in the town for all his life. He is very protective of his niece Illiana and his nephew Gabriel who has taken care of since their parents death by plague several years ago. He is personally glad that the wars have ended and that the Viscount has been so thorough in managing the land’s coffers. He tends to be good-natured and up beat about most things, but PCs that empathize with him will get to see his current situation. He is very concerned about the high level of taxes being levied by the king, blaming them for his need to charge high prices. Although he will never speak out against the king directly, he does wish the taxes could be reduced, after all, the war is over. In addition, he will complain about the lack of business lately. Several local farmers have stopped coming in due to the problems they are experiencing in the fields. Odd weather and strange crop failures have caused a reduction in the bounty the fields of the March typically produce. Illiana, Serving girl (female human Com1) Illiana, Serving girl (female human Com1) Illiana, Serving girl (female human Com1) Illiana, Serving girl (female human Com1) Illiana is a seventeen-year-old girl and the niece of the innkeeper. She is a simple girl who works hard to help her uncle make a living at the inn. She has no dreams of grand adventure or anything other than eventually marrying a farmer, working some land for a local lord, and starting a family. Although of common origin, she has seen enough bards and other rogues come through the inn to develop quite a resistance to sweet words and charming travelers. PCs will find her open and honest as long as they do not cross the line of propriety. She knows she has little chance of marrying wealth, and has no desire to be courted by adventurers or mercenaries. If asked about the town, she will admit that business has been a bit slow and that many of the farmers have been complaining about the low yield of the fields. Many of the fields have had crops die quickly before they could even send for a cleric from a nearby town. PCs that are able to truly gain her trust will learn what is really bothering her. A good friend of hers (the man she someday hopes to marry though she will blush when she admit this), has not been to the inn for over two weeks. His name is Jared, and he is the son of a farmer about a two days walk from the inn. If asked what he looks like, she sighs and informs the PCs that he is a tall man with broad shoulders, long blonde hair, and bright green eyes (Cha 13). He often comes to spend time with her, about every 4th day, and her uncle lets him stay on the common room floor without charging him. She is very worried that something happened to him. She sent word to the farm a couple of days ago, but has not heard anything. Gabriel, Human male, Errand Boy (Com1) Gabriel, Human male, Errand Boy (Com1) Gabriel, Human male, Errand Boy (Com1) Gabriel, Human male, Errand Boy (Com1) Gabriel is the boy who leaves when the PCs arrive. He is a young lad of about 8 or 9 summers and is Illiana’s kid brother. He returns later to the inn with Bukan. Gabriel helps about the inn most days to be near his uncle and sister. He does not know much about what has been going on in the town, other than lots of the grown-ups, including his parents, have been complaining about the poor harvests. Foelmen & Gelmien, Human Male Farmers Foelmen & Gelmien, Human Male Farmers Foelmen & Gelmien, Human Male Farmers Foelmen & Gelmien, Human Male Farmers (Com3) (Com3) (Com3) (Com3) These two farmers have tired of seeing many their crops die on the vine despite their best efforts. The are both very skilled farmers and have worked the lords land for their entire lives. Recently, they have both suffered some severe crop loss due to an odd blight. They are so angry that they have decided to get roaring drunk! Although obnoxious and argumentative, these two are harmless to the PCs. If taunted or angered, they will eventually attempt to throw a punch at the offending hero. They will miss horribly, and pass out in a heap on the floor Illiana will quickly tend to them while scolding the PCs. PCs that wish to get on their good side may buy them a drink for a pair of commons (copper) each for the house ale. This will win the PC a smile and a tip of a mug, but that is about it. Both men will complain loudly if asked about the crop situation, taxes, churches (just another tax on the simple man) or just about any topic the PCs bring up. DMs should use these NPCs to set the stage for actions to come. They should seed the belief that crop damage is a major concern to the region as are the tax increases. Both of these leads are important to the development of forthcoming Furyondy regional modules, however, only the missing farm boy is critical to the plot of this adventure. After the PCs have had a good opportunity to interact with the bar patrons and one another, proceed to the next encounter. Encounter Two: Call to Service Encounter Two: Call to Service Encounter Two: Call to Service Encounter Two: Call to Service After a few hours in the inn (when the PCs have learned what they need to know or are growing tired), the young boy will return with Bukan, a servant of the local lord, Jacalarn. The boy was instructed by Bukan to fetch him if any people suitable to assist him in the search for the missing boys arrived at the inn. Bukan is a member of the local lord’s household and a close friend to the local guard captain and war veteran, Hennevier. When the first farmer, Jared, went missing Hennevier was tasked with finding the lads whereabouts. Bukan has noticed him acting strangely and is afraid that his friend could be disgraced in the eyes of Lord Jacalarn. He has a deep sense of respect for the guard captain and is hoping that someone else can help his friend avoid a fall from grace. When he arrives, use the following description or paraphrase as appropriate: The main door to the inn opens and two people make The main door to the inn opens and two people make The main door to the inn opens and two people make The main door to the inn opens and two people make their way into the inn. Leading the way is the young boy who their way into the inn. Leading the way is the young boy who their way into the inn. Leading the way is the young boy who their way into the inn. Leading the way is the young boy who left earlier, with him, is a young man (about 20 or so) dressed left earlier, with him, is a young man (about 20 or so) dressed left earlier, with him, is a young man (about 20 or so) dressed left earlier, with him, is a young man (about 20 or so) dressed in leat in leat in leat in leather armor and carrying a rapier and dagger. He has a her armor and carrying a rapier and dagger. He has a her armor and carrying a rapier and dagger. He has a her armor and carrying a rapier and dagger. He has a long cloak made of fine weave that is fastened with a brooch long cloak made of fine weave that is fastened with a brooch long cloak made of fine weave that is fastened with a brooch long cloak made of fine weave that is fastened with a brooch that bears the symbol of the Viscounty and of the local lord that bears the symbol of the Viscounty and of the local lord that bears the symbol of the Viscounty and of the local lord that bears the symbol of the Viscounty and of the local lord Shadows on the March Page 6 Jacalarn. The boy points at you, and the man makes his way Jacalarn. The boy points at you, and the man makes his way Jacalarn. The boy points at you, and the man makes his way Jacalarn. The boy points at you, and the man makes his way across the common area across the common area across the common area across the common area to meet you. to meet you. to meet you. to meet you. “Greetings and welcome to the town of Whittleborough, “Greetings and welcome to the town of Whittleborough, “Greetings and welcome to the town of Whittleborough, “Greetings and welcome to the town of Whittleborough, protectorate of the Viscount Dewnet and his noble, Lord protectorate of the Viscount Dewnet and his noble, Lord protectorate of the Viscount Dewnet and his noble, Lord protectorate of the Viscount Dewnet and his noble, Lord Jacalarn. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Bukan, a Jacalarn. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Bukan, a Jacalarn. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Bukan, a Jacalarn. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Bukan, a member of the house of Jacalarn. Do you plan on staying in member of the house of Jacalarn. Do you plan on staying in member of the house of Jacalarn. Do you plan on staying in member of the house of Jacalarn. Do you plan on staying in town a while, or a town a while, or a town a while, or a town a while, or are you, like so many others, just passing re you, like so many others, just passing re you, like so many others, just passing re you, like so many others, just passing through?” through?” through?” through?” Bukkan Bukkan Bukkan Bukkan Human male, Fighter1/Rogue1: Human male, Fighter1/Rogue1: Human male, Fighter1/Rogue1: Human male, Fighter1/Rogue1: CR 2; SZ Medium humanoid; HD 1d10+1d6; HP 10; Init+6 (Dex +Feat); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (Leather & Dex); Atks: +3 (1d6, [Crit 18- 20/x2] Rapier), AL LG; SV Fort +2 Ref +5 Wil +0 Str 10 Dex 15 Con 10 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 10 Skills: Intuit danger +4, Listen +4, Sense motive +4, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Escape artist +6, Innuendo +4, Move silently +4, Hide +4; Feats: Dodge, Weapon Finesse (rapier), Improved initiative Equipment: leather armor, rapier, dagger, riding horse w/saddle, Furyondy medallion (10 gp), 60 gp in coins Bukkan is a young man (about 20 or so) dressed in leather armor and carrying a rapier and dagger. He has a long cloak made of fine weave that is fastened with a brooch that bears the symbol of the Viscounty and of the local lord Jacalarn Bukan is superstitious and be very skeptical of any outlandish looking characters such as barbarians, obvious wizards, etc. He also shares the race reactions outlined in the side bar earlier, although he is more willing to accept outsiders given his current situation. During his conversation with the PCs, Bukan will attempt to learn as much about them as is reasonable (using his Sense Motive skill) before letting them know too much about his problems. He is very interested in what skills the group possesses to look into things but will not attract undue attention to this curiousity. Bukan is hoping to find an “unofficial” group of people willing to look into the recent events to avoid embarrassing his friend Hennevier. He is not acting on any official requests of his lord and is careful not to misrepresent this fact. If asked any questions he cannot or does not want to answer, he will attempt to deflect them. He will not lie to the PCs, and will apologize if they give him the impression that he is not being forthright. If any of the PCs are hostile towards him or any of the other patrons, he will refuse to speak about the situation in the offending PCs presence. If pressed, Bukan will insist that any offensive PC be left out of the mission, thereby ending the tournament for that player character. Bukan’s dilemma is a fairly complicated one. He needs to continue to obey his lord and defend the lands to the best of his ability. He also has a deep sense of commitment to the people of the March and does not want to see any harm come them. Bukan knows that Illiana and the missing farmer, Jared, were close and he has been staying nearby hoping of some sign of the man’s return. If any of the PCs have befriended Illiana, Bukan will play on this fact when trying to negotiate for the group’s assistance. With the recent disappearances and the strange behavior of his friend, Bukan has decided to take matters into his own hands. He hopes that his friend Hennevier can address the lord’s issue, but he also knows that his friend’s strength is his sword arm and presence, not his intellect. If the PCs are able to convince Bukan of their abilities and interest in helping out, he will let them know a bit more about what is going on in the March. Since he is not working on behalf of the lord or Hennevier, he has limited resources to bargain with. If the PCs require an incentive, all he has to offer is a gold medallion that belonged to his grandfather and a few saved coins. The medallion is an ornate piece, well, but not exceptionally well made, with the coat of arms of Furyondy on it. The medallion is worth 10 sheaf (gold). In addition, Bukan has saved 60 sheaves he is reluctantly willing to part with for the good of his friends. Once an agreement to look into things has been struck and sealed by a handshake, Bukan will reveal the following: These past few months have been hard upon the people of the March. It is his job to travel Lord Jacalarn’s holdings to watch over the people and collect tithes when due. Crops have been failing and many of the farmers are growing uneasy with the tax burden levied by the King. Recently, two farm workers have disappeared. About two weeks ago a farmer named Jared disappeared after leaving from his father’s farm a day to the north. A few days ago, another farmer’s son, Lunth, disappeared from another farm, a little further north of Jared’s. As far as he knows, the boys were cordial, but not really friends. I have been to both farms over the past week to speak with the farmers, but has learned nothing. Jared’s parents were very distressed by his disappearance while Lunth’s father Aniradal seemed angry and annoyed. Shortly after Jared’s disappearance, Lord Jacalarn dispatched a guard captain, Hennevier, to look into the matter. He was gone for over a week and a half, returning shortly after the second boy disappeared, and was somehow different. His once warm smile was gone and he seemed distracted. The two of them often dined together, but they have not said more than a few words since Hennevier’s return. Hennevier now rides through the land looking for the boys, but something is amiss. Bukan is unsure where to find the captain at this time. Lord Jacalarn is growing impatient with the lack of results from his dependable captain. Hennevier served in the Northern Crusade and saw action on the front against the forces of the Old One and is very dependable. Bukan fears that some evil must have come over him. If asked where to start, Bukan will suggest the group travel to the farms and try and talk to the parents to find out what is happening, perhaps the farmers will share with other people things they would keep from nobility. He will provide descriptions of each of the farms locations and distances so that the PCs will be able to find them without difficulty. They can mention his name, but he encourages them to be as discrete as possible. He will also caution the group about the affects of any odd behavior or appearances will have on the conservative and somewhat sheltered people of the March. Shadows on the March Page 7 Once Bukan has made some arrangements with the PCs, paying them half of the funds in advance at most, he will excuse himself from their table. He suggests that the group return to the inn when they have figured out what happened. They can send word to him at the inn with a local farmer if they need to get him a message. Bukan will speak softly and quickly with Illiana, assuring her that they will find Jared, before departing the inn and riding off into the night. The rest of the evening will pass without incident unless the PCs cause one. They will be able to stay at the inn provided they pay the innkeeper the appropriate amount. Once they arise in the morning, they will be free to journey to the first farm. Contacting Bukan Contacting Bukan Contacting Bukan Contacting Bukan If the PCs leave word with Bukan during the adventure he will respond to the best of his ability. He will be able to meet them anywhere within reason for face-to-face meetings in fairly short order. Although he will have no new information, PCs that bring him into the final encounter will have a much easier time dealing with the charmed Hennevier. Encounter Three: Traveling to Encounter Three: Traveling to Encounter Three: Traveling to Encounter Three: Traveling to Jared’s Jared’s Jared’s Jared’s The trip from the Inn of Whittleborough to Jared’s father’s farm requires a two-day walk. If the PCs have horses—there will not be any for rent or sale in the town—they can make the journey in a single day. If not, they will be forced to camp along the road near the place where Jared camped the night he met Velladenna. A small hill lies about half way between the town and the farm, and the PCs will find it an ideal place to camp. A small stream runs nearby where a fair number of trout can be caught by those attempting to fish. The relevant skill is Profession (fishing) (DC 12). If no character has this skill, they may still attempt to fish using one-half of their wisdom score due to the abundance of fish (normally Profession skills cannot be used untrained). DMs should add a significant penalty if the PCs do not have proper equipment such as fishing line, hooks, etc. DMs should ask the PCs what their sleeping arrangements and watch schedule will be when setting up camp. Although not directly relevant for this encounter, this will be important for the following night. If the PCs decide to camp on or near the hill, they will find the remains of Jerad’s camp. As you make your way towards Jared’s farm, you find the As you make your way towards Jared’s farm, you find the As you make your way towards Jared’s farm, you find the As you make your way towards Jared’s farm, you find the daylight growing short. A small hill seems to make an ideal daylight growing short. A small hill seems to make an ideal daylight growing short. A small hill seems to make an ideal daylight growing short. A small hill seems to make an ideal campsite. You can hear the sounds of a small stream not far campsite. You can hear the sounds of a small stream not far campsite. You can hear the sounds of a small stream not far campsite. You can hear the sounds of a small stream not far away. away. away. away. Taking a closer look around, you can see that not too Taking a closer look around, you can see that not too Taking a closer look around, you can see that not too Taking a closer look around, you can see that not too long ago this spot had been used by other travelers. A small long ago this spot had been used by other travelers. A small long ago this spot had been used by other travelers. A small long ago this spot had been used by other travelers. A small clearing contains a fire pit from which the ashes of an old fire clearing contains a fire pit from which the ashes of an old fire clearing contains a fire pit from which the ashes of an old fire clearing contains a fire pit from which the ashes of an old fire have nearly completely blown away. have nearly completely blown away. have nearly completely blown away. have nearly completely blown away. If the PCs decide to make camp, they may find a few items tossed unceremoniously into the bushes near the remains of the old campsite. If the PCs take time to search the area carefully, several skills may prove useful. These skills (DC 16) include Spot (no active looking required) and Search or Track (if actively looking for other signs of the campers). Those PCs that are using Track may also find additional information (see below). If any of the skill checks are successful, the heroes will have found a clue to Jared’s disappearance. Located in the bushes not far from the camp are three items. A simple wreath made of laurels, a small bouquet of wild flowers now wilted and dying (at least a week old), and a simple silver ring sized for a small hand. The ring is actually holding the stems of the flowers together and is rather cleverly hidden. While each of these items is not worth much, their meaning is more valuable. Any PC of common or peasant upbringing will immediately recognize these items and their relationship to courtship among the simple people of the March. Whoever left them behind was contemplating proposing to a hopeful bride. The ring is small but well made and is worth 5 sheridan (silver). The ring was intended for Illiana and the PCs may wish to return it to her – although it is not required. PCs that return the ring at the end of the scenario receive an additional experience bonus listed in the module summary. If the heroes attempt to thoroughly search the area for additional tracks, have them make a Track check, DC 23 due to the elapsed time and rain from several days ago. If successful, the PCs will notice two sets of sporadic tracks lead from the campsite down to the road, heading away from Whittleborough. The first set of tracks belongs to a man-sized boot while the other belongs to a smaller person, perhaps a woman or an elf. This clue is more subtle, but would seem to indicate that the two beings left together rather than one being forcibly removed from the area. Crop Investigation Results Crop Investigation Results Crop Investigation Results Crop Investigation Results If the PCs examine any of the plants along the way to the farm or once they arrive, they will notice that they are suffering, although not dying outright. The plants are all covered with a trace of a white film that blows away in the wind if disturbed. Characters that attempt to investigate the nature of the problems with the crops may do so using any number of avenues. The plants will neither detect as evil or poisonous if checked. Characters that are able to cure disease will be able to remove the film from a single plant, but each breeze blows new powder onto the plant whose effects are outlined below. Two primary skills: Profession/Farming and Alchemy provide the most insight. Each player with any of these skills is allowed one check against whichever skill(s) they posses. Consult the following table: DC 0-19: No information available Shadows on the March Page 8 DC 20-25: The substance does not appear to be a natural phenomenon, however the plant appears to have been altered in some way to produce this substance. DC 25+ If any of the powder touches an unaffected plant, that plant will suffer and produce the powder within 24 hours of contact. Encounter Four: Jared’s Farm Encounter Four: Jared’s Farm Encounter Four: Jared’s Farm Encounter Four: Jared’s Farm DMs will need to modify the descriptions and interactions depending on whether they arrive after camping (assumed option) or if they have ridden horses and arrived a day earlier—arriving late in the afternoon. Assuming the PCs camped and wake up at a decent hour, they will be able to reach the farm without difficulty by late in the afternoon. The weather is good for the walk and the simple wagon trail is very easy to find. PCs that wish to look for additional tracks around the campsite will be disappointed to find that any trail they may have discovered last night has been lost when they joined the road. After several hours of walking, the PCs will reach the small farm. Ahead of you is the farmhouse that Bukan described as Ahead of you is the farmhouse that Bukan described as Ahead of you is the farmhouse that Bukan described as Ahead of you is the farmhouse that Bukan described as belonging to the father of the missing farm boy Jared. Its belonging to the father of the missing farm boy Jared. Its belonging to the father of the missing farm boy Jared. Its belonging to the father of the missing farm boy Jared. Its simple stone construction and log paneling appear to be well simple stone construction and log paneling appear to be well simple stone construction and log paneling appear to be well simple stone construction and log paneling appear to be well maintained and a small stream of smoke appears to be coming maintained and a small stream of smoke appears to be coming maintained and a small stream of smoke appears to be coming maintained and a small stream of smoke appears to be coming from from from from the hearth. The fields appear well tended and orderly the hearth. The fields appear well tended and orderly the hearth. The fields appear well tended and orderly the hearth. The fields appear well tended and orderly with a scarecrow placed to keep away pests. The crops, with a scarecrow placed to keep away pests. The crops, with a scarecrow placed to keep away pests. The crops, with a scarecrow placed to keep away pests. The crops, primarily wheat, appear to be wilting despite the recent good primarily wheat, appear to be wilting despite the recent good primarily wheat, appear to be wilting despite the recent good primarily wheat, appear to be wilting despite the recent good weather. weather. weather. weather. The PCs will notice that the farm is typical of those found within this region. A small (3 room) structure is the home of an entire family who works the surrounding lands on behalf of the local feudal lord. There is also a small barn and area for livestock including a pair of dairy cows and four large pigs. There are also a number of small barnyard animals including about a dozen chickens in a coop and a few cats as well. The farm is home to Owell (hm, Com1) and Milliene (hf Com1) who are simple farmers. They are like most people of the March and believe the same stereotypes outlined in the DM’s introduction. They have not seen many non-humans and they have heard that all orcs are evil so they will be fearful of any group that has a half-orc among its number. If the players attempt to bully them in any way, Owell will try and protect Milliene, locking themselves within their farmhouse. They possess no weapons and have no combat skills. If the characters act in a kind and friendly manner, and do not possess any obvious character types that would upset them, they will invite the characters inside for a meal. They have simple fare consisting of eggs, breads, cheese, vegetables, and a small amount of sausage. All of these items come from this farm and they will be insulted if the PCs are rude or insult the food. They will not accept payment for the meal since it is an act of common hospitality, and they will also be insulted if the PCs insist on paying them. If the players ask them about their son, Owell and Milliene will react quite differently. Owell will become suspicious, wondering what his son would have to do with a group of adventurers. He will become very concerned and seek to be near his wife (if the PCs have attempted to separate them). He is much more comfortable discussing the recent weather (it has been great), the problems with the crops (strangest thing he has seen – he will point out the white powder mentioned above), or the taxes (how can he pay more with crops failing?). Milliene, however, will be quite willing to chat about Jared and she thinks her husband worries too much about the crops. When the conversation turns to Jared, she is quite hopeful. She does not know too much about her son’s disappearance other than that he left for Whittleborough two weeks ago to visit his girlfriend, Illiana who works at the inn. The night before he left, he mentioned to his mother that he was going to ask Illiana to marry him. She was so happy for her son when he left, and now, she hopes and prays to St. Cuthbert that he’s alright. If the PCs brought the ring and flowers with them from the campsite and think to show them to Jared’s parents the effect is dramatic. Millene will break down crying and Owell will stand up demanding they return the ring and leave the farm. The PCs will get no further information from them after displaying the ring. Specifically, they know following pieces of information: • Jared left the farm two weeks ago to meet Illiana at the Whittleborough Inn. They are fond of Illiana and think the two of them would be able to get a small parcel of land from the local lord if they asked for it. • Jared is a tall man with broad shoulders, long blonde hair, and bright green eyes (Cha 13). He leaves about once a week to meet Illiana. He is usually in Whittleborough for only a day before heading back. They have heard that he never arrived but are hopeful that he is alright. • Two servants of Lord Jacalarn (Hennievier and Bukan) visited separately to ask about Jared. Owen and Millie suspect that something bad has happened, but neither of the Lord’s men gave them any information. • This season’s crops are still several months away from harvest, although they are way behind previous year’s growth patterns. The weather has generally been good with the exception of a couple heavy storms. The white film on the plants is troubling and has spread throughout the fields like wildfire. • When the PCs ask them about the other farmer’s disappearance, they will become even more guarded and worried. At this time, they will begin to shuffle around and the first sign of tears begin to appear in Millie’s eyes and Owell will insist the PCs leave. They will provide directions to the farm if the PCs need them – it is just Shadows on the March Page 9 over a day’s walk to the north (away from Whittleborough). Regardless of the overall questions the PCs ask, Owell and Milliene will be unwilling to put them up for the night. The simple people are not used to people disturbing their routine and they, will politely but firmly insist they leave before nightfall. Encounter Five: Shadow Encounter Five: Shadow Encounter Five: Shadow Encounter Five: Shadow Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack! Based on the report from her songbird familiar, which has been traveling around the area, Velladenna has discovered the presence of a group of strangers in the land. Assuming that they must be trouble, she has used her a magical figurine to call forth a powerful creature. Following the guidance of her familiar, she has sent the creature to the area of the PCs camp. Deep in the night, a couple hours after midnight, the beast will make its move. The creature will stalk the camp, trying to eliminate sentries first, before attacking the entire camp. The beast is magical in nature and is considered “summoned” for the purposes of determining the effects of protective magic. The panther is a powerful and experienced hunter. Due to its dark color and its stalking ability, there is a chance the creature will surprise the PCs. DMs should remember that if the creature surprises the PCs, they will be “flatfooted” (PHB Chpt 9 pg. 3) and unable to act or add their dexterity modifier to their armor class.. All creatures and characters act in initiative order during the surprise round, however only those characters not surprised may act. Those who are surprised, remain “flatfooted” until their turn in the initiative order is reached, at which time they may act and add their dexterity modifier (if any) to their armor class however they still cannot act until the following round. Tier One: Tier One: Tier One: Tier One: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: CR 2; Medium-size animal (outsider); HD 3d8+6; HP 23; Init +4 (Dex); Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural); Atks: +6 (1d6+3, bite), or +1 (1d3+1, 2 claws), SA Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d3+1, smite good; SQ scent, darkvision; SR 6 AL NE Saves Fort +5 Ref +7 Wil +2 Str 16 Dex 19 Con 15 Int 2 Wil 12 Cha 2 Skills: Climb +11, Hide +9, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6; Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite, claw) SA: Pounce—If leaps on foe during fist round of combat, it may make a full attack even if it already has taken a move action; Improved grap—must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold it may rake; Rake—when it gets a hold it can make two rake attacks (+6 melee) with its hind legs for 1d3+1 each; Smite good—Once a day may make a normal attack to deal an additional +3 damage to a good foe. SQ: Scent—can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. The exact location is not revealed only presence within range. Speaks: Infernal Tier Two: Tier Two: Tier Two: Tier Two: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: CR 2; Medium-size animal (outsider); HD 4d8+8; HP 40; Init +4 (Dex); Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural); Atks: +6 (1d6+3, bite), or +1 (1d3+1, 2 claws), SA Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d3+1, smite good; SQ scent, darkvision, resistance, damage reduction; SR 8; AL NE Saves Fort +5 Ref +7 Wil +2 Str 16 Dex 19 Con 15 Int 2 Wil 12 Cha 2 Skills: Climb +11, Hide +9, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6; Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite, claw) SA: Pounce—If leaps on foe during fist round of combat, it may make a full attack even if it already has taken a move action; Improved grap—must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold it may rake; Rake—when it gets a hold it can make two rake attacks (+6 melee) with its hind legs for 1d3+1 each; Smite good—Once a day may make a normal attack to deal an additional +3 damage to a good foe. SQ: Scent—can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. The exact location is not revealed only presence within range. Resistance—ignores 10 points of cold or fire damage each round; Damage reduction— reduce 5 points of damage for each hit unless weapon is +1 or above. Tier Three: Tier Three: Tier Three: Tier Three: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: Panther, Fiendish: CR 2; Medium-size animal (outsider); HD 5d8+10; HP 50; Init +4 (Dex); Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural); Atks: +6 (1d6+3, bite), or +1 (1d3+1, 2 claws), SA Pounce, improved grab, rake 1d3+1, smite good; SQ scent, darkvision; SR 10; AL NE Saves Fort +5 Ref +7 Wil +2 Str 16 Dex 19 Con 15 Int 2 Wil 12 Cha 2 Skills: Climb +11, Hide +9, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +6; Feats: Weapon Finesse (bite, claw) SA: Pounce—If leaps on foe during fist round of combat, it may make a full attack even if it already has taken a move action; Improved grap—must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold it may rake; Rake—when it gets a hold it can make two rake attacks (+6 melee) with its hind legs for 1d3+1 each; Smite good—Once a day may make a normal attack to deal an additional +3 damage to a good foe. SQ: Scent—can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. The exact location is not revealed only presence within range. Resistance—ignores 10 points of cold or fire damage each round; Damage reduction— reduce 5 points of damage for each hit unless weapon is +1 or above. Given the creature’s magical nature it will attack until killed. When the beast is destroyed, use the following description. The final blow is struck and the beast begins to shudder violently. Its jade green eyes begin to go dim and Shadows on the March Page 10 small fissures form over its body. The beast shatters into thousands of pieces that scatter in the wind. PCs that wish to track the creature may attempt a tracking skill check at DC 25. The beast traveled along a stream nearby for several miles and cannot be tracked back to its place of origin. Following the battle, the PCs will be able to rest and regain spells normally. The following morning is another sunny day with mild temperatures. When the PCs are ready to head for the second farm, proceed to the next encounter. Encounter Six: Lunth’s Place Encounter Six: Lunth’s Place Encounter Six: Lunth’s Place Encounter Six: Lunth’s Place If the PCs were terribly wounded in the battle, they may wish to rest for an additional day or two to recuperate. The timing of this adventure is flexible since Velladenna will be using her cave base for a few days. Eventually the PCs will be ready to travel to the second farm and continue the adventure. The morning sunrise(s) is beautiful and the PCs will have good weather or the short trip. The journey to the farm takes several hours, but the PCs will make it shortly after midday if they do not dawdle. While they are making their way to the second farm, the PCs will notice that the crops in the area seem to be suffering the same effects as those near Jerad’s place. Wildlife appears to be unaffected and numerous small animals and birds are found throughout the area (including a certain songbird). PCs may wish to take special precautions on the journey and DMs should note the PCs efforts even though they will not be needed. The journey to the farm is safe and pleasant in the early day sun. When the PCs arrive, use the following description: Following the directions you were given you reach the farm Following the directions you were given you reach the farm Following the directions you were given you reach the farm Following the directions you were given you reach the farm where the second missing worker lived. The farmhouse is where the second missing worker lived. The farmhouse is where the second missing worker lived. The farmhouse is where the second missing worker lived. The farmhouse is typical of those found throughout typical of those found throughout typical of those found throughout typical of those found throughout the area and is made of the area and is made of the area and is made of the area and is made of simple stone work. The fields appear well tended, however the simple stone work. The fields appear well tended, however the simple stone work. The fields appear well tended, however the simple stone work. The fields appear well tended, however the crops, wheat primarily, do not appear to growing well despite crops, wheat primarily, do not appear to growing well despite crops, wheat primarily, do not appear to growing well despite crops, wheat primarily, do not appear to growing well despite the good weather. the good weather. the good weather. the good weather. As you approach the home, a large farmer standing well As you approach the home, a large farmer standing well As you approach the home, a large farmer standing well As you approach the home, a large farmer standing well over six feet tall exits the barn over six feet tall exits the barn over six feet tall exits the barn over six feet tall exits the barn with a chicken under one arm with a chicken under one arm with a chicken under one arm with a chicken under one arm and a pitchfork under the other. Noticing your presence, the and a pitchfork under the other. Noticing your presence, the and a pitchfork under the other. Noticing your presence, the and a pitchfork under the other. Noticing your presence, the man strides over quickly with a small look of displeasure man strides over quickly with a small look of displeasure man strides over quickly with a small look of displeasure man strides over quickly with a small look of displeasure coming over his face. coming over his face. coming over his face. coming over his face. “Obviously you are not from around these parts, what “Obviously you are not from around these parts, what “Obviously you are not from around these parts, what “Obviously you are not from around these parts, what business brings you to my simple business brings you to my simple business brings you to my simple business brings you to my simple farm? Mind you, this is no farm? Mind you, this is no farm? Mind you, this is no farm? Mind you, this is no place for charity.” place for charity.” place for charity.” place for charity.” The man is Lunth’s father, Aniradal (Com4, Str 16 Int 14), who lives and works this farm for the local lord. DMs should note that he has the same reaction adjustments to non-humans and strange looking characters outlined in the DM Background. Since his son’s disappearance, Aniradal has been forced to work the lands himself while looking for a hired hand. If the PCs wish to speak with him at length or win his trust, they are going to have to pitch in around the farm. Aniradal will exchange only a few pleasantries (if any) with the PCs before returning to work. He is very intelligent and polite, but is a very busy man with many chores ahead of him. Among the many chores to be completed are tending the livestock (feeding cows and chickens), cleaning the barn (sweeping out old hay and manure), repairing a stone fence, baking bread, and chopping wood. Aniradal will not directly ask the PCs for any help in the tasks, but will smile kindly at anyone who takes the hint and initiative to pitch in and talk while the work is getting done. In fact, this is the only way the PCs will be able to get any helpful information other than resorting to unethical tactics such as charm spells. Although he appreciates the assistance, he takes a dim view of any PC that uses magic in place of a few hours labor. Aniradal is well educated for a farmer (we can read and write and insisted that his son learn these skills as well) and is too wise to fall for common tricks and persuasion such as a flirtatious PC. His wife died several years ago of illness and Aniradal is content to take his pleasure from a hard day’s labor. After a few hours of work (DMs should feel free to add their own descriptions to the tasks at hand), Aniradal will suggest the “workers” take a break and he will draw cool clear water from the well. “Well I must thank you for the assistance today. As you can see “Well I must thank you for the assistance today. As you can see “Well I must thank you for the assistance today. As you can see “Well I must thank you for the assistance today. As you can see this is quite a lot of work for one man, especially one of my this is quite a lot of work for one man, especially one of my this is quite a lot of work for one man, especially one of my this is quite a lot of work for one man, especially one of my age. You have the look of people in search of somet age. You have the look of people in search of somet age. You have the look of people in search of somet age. You have the look of people in search of something that hing that hing that hing that you think I can help with, otherwise you would have left you think I can help with, otherwise you would have left you think I can help with, otherwise you would have left you think I can help with, otherwise you would have left hours ago. Now, what can I do for you?” hours ago. Now, what can I do for you?” hours ago. Now, what can I do for you?” hours ago. Now, what can I do for you?” Aniradal will listen attentively to the PCs as they begin to tell their story. He will focus his attention on those PCs that pitched in while politely ignoring those that did not help. When the PCs mention his missing son, they will notice that he shakes his head in disbelief a bit before responding. Through conversation with Aniradal, the PCs may learn the following: • Lunth has only been missing for a short time (5-6 days depending on how long it took the PCs to make it to the farm), and Aniradal thinks he will return shortly. This is in fact, what he told the Lord’s man (Bukan) when he stopped by a few days earlier. • Aniradal believes that Lunth simply could not stand life on the farm any more. Lunth is a headstrong lad with a few too many brains and not enough sense for his own good. He was always dreaming of a bigger life and making it rich. Since his mother passed away a few years ago, he hardly stopped talking about leaving the farm. • Lunth was always fascinated with magic despite being warned about the dangers the pursuit of magic often brought about. Shortly after his mother taught him to read (at age 6), he began saving money to buy books about magic from travelers in Whittleborough. • Lunth left the farm in the middle of the night following a particularly hard day of work. He and his son had a late dinner and turned in. When Aniradal awoke, Lunth was gone with a small bag of clothes Shadows on the March Page 11 and belongings. He left no note (that he has found) and did not take anything else from the farm. The PCs will be unable to convince Aniradal that his son has fallen into ill luck, even if they describe their findings from the camp, the other missing farmer, and the creature from the night before. There have been no sightings of unusual creatures in the area and if pressed on the subject, he will simply respond that if one leaves his home seeking trouble, trouble often finds him. If the PCs were polite and wish to see Lunth’s room, Aniradal will let them take a look around. Inside the room, which is a small area with a simple bed and a chest of drawers. Located under a loose floorboard underneath the bed is a clue to Lunth’s disappearance—a letter he left for his father (Player Handout 1). The secret compartment was made by Lunth and is therefore not exceptionally well hidden. PCs that are searching the area under the bed may attempt a Search skill roll at DC 15 to detect the compartment. DMs should remember to add +2 if the searching character is an elf or half-elf. The contents of the letter are as follows: Dear Father, Dear Father, Dear Father, Dear Father, I know you would not approve of my decision to I know you would not approve of my decision to I know you would not approve of my decision to I know you would not approve of my decision to leave so I am leaving without your approval. I am sorry, leave so I am leaving without your approval. I am sorry, leave so I am leaving without your approval. I am sorry, leave so I am leaving without your approval. I am sorry, I know how much this must upset you. Over the la I know how much this must upset you. Over the la I know how much this must upset you. Over the la I know how much this must upset you. Over the last st st st few years on the farm I have slowly realized that there is few years on the farm I have slowly realized that there is few years on the farm I have slowly realized that there is few years on the farm I have slowly realized that there is more to my life than working the land for someone else. more to my life than working the land for someone else. more to my life than working the land for someone else. more to my life than working the land for someone else. I wish to set forth and have a new life, one of my own. I wish to set forth and have a new life, one of my own. I wish to set forth and have a new life, one of my own. I wish to set forth and have a new life, one of my own. A few nights ago while near Whittleborough I met A few nights ago while near Whittleborough I met A few nights ago while near Whittleborough I met A few nights ago while near Whittleborough I met an amazing woman. She is as beau an amazing woman. She is as beau an amazing woman. She is as beau an amazing woman. She is as beautiful as the sky at tiful as the sky at tiful as the sky at tiful as the sky at twilight. She has started to show me how to control the twilight. She has started to show me how to control the twilight. She has started to show me how to control the twilight. She has started to show me how to control the first touches of magic! At last I have found my true first touches of magic! At last I have found my true first touches of magic! At last I have found my true first touches of magic! At last I have found my true calling in life. Tonight I meet her at Trovel’s Grove, she calling in life. Tonight I meet her at Trovel’s Grove, she calling in life. Tonight I meet her at Trovel’s Grove, she calling in life. Tonight I meet her at Trovel’s Grove, she has promised to share with me a secret of magic that has has promised to share with me a secret of magic that has has promised to share with me a secret of magic that has has promised to share with me a secret of magic that has given her e given her e given her e given her everlasting life. Imagine it Father, to live verlasting life. Imagine it Father, to live verlasting life. Imagine it Father, to live verlasting life. Imagine it Father, to live forever while studying magic with such a beautiful forever while studying magic with such a beautiful forever while studying magic with such a beautiful forever while studying magic with such a beautiful woman. woman. woman. woman. I promise to return when I have established myself as a magician. I will buy us a new home and we can live a better life. Your Son, Your Son, Your Son, Your Son, Lunth Lunth Lunth Lunth PC who share the letter with Aniradal will earn a sincere thank you from the farmer. He will initially scold the boy for being so foolish as to run off, but will then comment that each boy becomes a man and has to venture off someday. If asked about the grove, he will also give the PCs directions to the grove under one condition. Aniradal will insist that the PCs do not mention him or the farm. Aniradal believes that his son should have the opportunity to make up his own mind about what he wants to do with his life, after all, the farm will always be here. If the PCs ask him about the grove, Aniradal will tell them the local folklore. Trovel’s Grove is the site of an old hangman’s tree where over a hundred years ago evil men were hung for their crimes. It is a simple superstition held among most of the common folk of the area, although no one knows if it is true or not. The grove is on the top of a plateau overlooking several local farms nearby, about two-hour hike to the west. If the PCs leave soon after finding the letter, they will arrive just before nightfall. If the PCs wish to attempt and contact Bukan, they may send word with a local farm boy for 2 cp. Bukan will arrive the following afternoon and be available to approach the grove that evening. He will have no new information upon his arrival. Encounter Seven: Trovel’s Encounter Seven: Trovel’s Encounter Seven: Trovel’s Encounter Seven: Trovel’s Grove Grove Grove Grove The trip to Trovel’s Grove is a fairly easy hike to the west of the farm. The PCs can take one of the wagon trails for the first hour before turning off on an animal trail for the last portion of the journey. When they leave the wagon trail, they will be able to see the plateau upon which the grove sits more clearly. In the distance you can see the ridge upon which stands In the distance you can see the ridge upon which stands In the distance you can see the ridge upon which stands In the distance you can see the ridge upon which stands Trovel’s Grove. The landscape here is a bit rockier and an Trovel’s Grove. The landscape here is a bit rockier and an Trovel’s Grove. The landscape here is a bit rockier and an Trovel’s Grove. The landscape here is a bit rockier and an aaaanimal trail leads through the field up the slope to the stands nimal trail leads through the field up the slope to the stands nimal trail leads through the field up the slope to the stands nimal trail leads through the field up the slope to the stands of trees. The top of the plateau looks heavily wooded and there of trees. The top of the plateau looks heavily wooded and there of trees. The top of the plateau looks heavily wooded and there of trees. The top of the plateau looks heavily wooded and there is no sign of the hangman’s tree that Aniradal described from is no sign of the hangman’s tree that Aniradal described from is no sign of the hangman’s tree that Aniradal described from is no sign of the hangman’s tree that Aniradal described from this distance. this distance. this distance. this distance. By the time the PCs arrive at the turn off, it will be late in the afternoon. The animal trail is a well-established run for deer and other animals common to the area. There are no signs of large or unusual creatures along the trail. If the PCs search for tracks along the trail, they may discover (Track, DC 18) several sets of human footprints along the trail. There are three sets larger sets of tracks (Jared, Lunth, and another farmer) and a smaller set of tracks (Velladenna). All the tracks appear to be roughly human size and are booted. All of the tracks lead up the game trail towards the top of the ridge. Clever PCs may think to scout the surrounding area around the hill for other signs of tracks. The plateau is fairly large and can be accessed from several points without difficulty. A careful inspection of the base of the plateau will take the PCs several hours of tracking time— meaning they will have to spend more than a single day performing this task. If the PCs elect to spend the time searching, make a Tracking check (DC 20) to discover another set of tracks. If successful, the PCs will find a second trail consisting of the small booted feet identified earlier and another larger set of boot prints obviously leading a horse. These tracks are difficult to spot because the persons making them took care to pass through with minimal disruption to the surrounding area. Eventually, the PCs will approach the top of the ridge and Trovel’s Grove. When they are near the top, the sun will be getting ready to set. Read the following description (modify it if the PCs are not approaching at night as appropriate): Shadows on the March Page 12 The top of the plateau is not far off and the trees on the ridge The top of the plateau is not far off and the trees on the ridge The top of the plateau is not far off and the trees on the ridge The top of the plateau is not far off and the trees on the ridge are fairly heavy. Although not appearing to be very healthy are fairly heavy. Although not appearing to be very healthy are fairly heavy. Although not appearing to be very healthy are fairly heavy. Although not appearing to be very healthy terrain, over a hundred large oak trees fill the area. Their dark terrain, over a hundred large oak trees fill the area. Their dark terrain, over a hundred large oak trees fill the area. Their dark terrain, over a hundred large oak trees fill the area. Their dark trunks and ampl trunks and ampl trunks and ampl trunks and ample leaves provide heavy shade from the typical e leaves provide heavy shade from the typical e leaves provide heavy shade from the typical e leaves provide heavy shade from the typical March sun. As the sun begins to go down the trees appear to March sun. As the sun begins to go down the trees appear to March sun. As the sun begins to go down the trees appear to March sun. As the sun begins to go down the trees appear to stand silent vigil of the surrounding countryside. Somewhere stand silent vigil of the surrounding countryside. Somewhere stand silent vigil of the surrounding countryside. Somewhere stand silent vigil of the surrounding countryside. Somewhere deep within the grove is the area described in Lunth’s letter deep within the grove is the area described in Lunth’s letter deep within the grove is the area described in Lunth’s letter deep within the grove is the area described in Lunth’s letter and the local legends, the and the local legends, the and the local legends, the and the local legends, the hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. PCs that wish to continue following the small game trail will have little difficulty keeping site of it. The trees are very thick and the PCs will have an exceptionally difficult time (+4 DC) keeping quiet using the move silently skill due to the heavy branches and thick undergrowth. Located a few hundred yards inside of the tree line is the hangman’s tree. When the PCs reach the area, use the following description: Making your way through the trees you notice the signs Making your way through the trees you notice the signs Making your way through the trees you notice the signs Making your way through the trees you notice the signs of a small clear of a small clear of a small clear of a small clearing in front of you. Dominating the clearing is ing in front of you. Dominating the clearing is ing in front of you. Dominating the clearing is ing in front of you. Dominating the clearing is an ancient oak tree standing well over 100 feet high. Its thick an ancient oak tree standing well over 100 feet high. Its thick an ancient oak tree standing well over 100 feet high. Its thick an ancient oak tree standing well over 100 feet high. Its thick trunk burrows deep into the rocky soil and its roots appear to trunk burrows deep into the rocky soil and its roots appear to trunk burrows deep into the rocky soil and its roots appear to trunk burrows deep into the rocky soil and its roots appear to have ripped the stones apart to reach the soil beneath. About have ripped the stones apart to reach the soil beneath. About have ripped the stones apart to reach the soil beneath. About have ripped the stones apart to reach the soil beneath. About twenty feet off the twenty feet off the twenty feet off the twenty feet off the ground is a wide branch, about the width of ground is a wide branch, about the width of ground is a wide branch, about the width of ground is a wide branch, about the width of large barrel that runs parallel to the ground, an ideal large barrel that runs parallel to the ground, an ideal large barrel that runs parallel to the ground, an ideal large barrel that runs parallel to the ground, an ideal hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. hangman’s tree. The clearing has seen some use lately, and a small fire pit The clearing has seen some use lately, and a small fire pit The clearing has seen some use lately, and a small fire pit The clearing has seen some use lately, and a small fire pit has been dug about twenty feet away from the tree. A strange has been dug about twenty feet away from the tree. A strange has been dug about twenty feet away from the tree. A strange has been dug about twenty feet away from the tree. A strange odor seems to ema odor seems to ema odor seems to ema odor seems to emanate from the clearing nate from the clearing nate from the clearing nate from the clearing— — — —the soft evening the soft evening the soft evening the soft evening wind carries the scent of rose petals although you have seen no wind carries the scent of rose petals although you have seen no wind carries the scent of rose petals although you have seen no wind carries the scent of rose petals although you have seen no rose bushes on the plateau… rose bushes on the plateau… rose bushes on the plateau… rose bushes on the plateau… The PCs will have several minutes to investigate the area before any of the NPCs return. If the PCs post a look out, they will notice the small party including a warrior (Hennevier), a woman (Velladenna), and three monks approaching (no skill roll needed). If they do not post a look out, the PCs will be unprepared for their arrival. The clearing is a well-used and maintained campsite. There are places where two bedrolls have been placed and numerous sets of tracks. Several man-sized tracks can be seen about the area matching the tracks the PCs may have found on the trail earlier. Although the campsite looks fresh, there are no items lying strewn about. Upon careful inspection of the area, PCs will notice that there is an opening leading underground at the base of the tree, Several of the main roots have formed a natural ceiling to a cave underneath the hangman’s tree. Several sets of tracks are clearly visible leading into the area and the scent of rose petals emanates from the cave. PCs with darkvision will be able to see clearly in the cave while those without will require a light source. DM Note: Use of a light source will alert Velladenna to the presence of someone within her campsite. The cavern underneath the tree is natural earth and leads about twenty feet underground before leveling out to a domed cave. The smell of rose petals is nearly overpowering in this area. Inside the small cave are several objects carefully packed away. A travel bundle is stashed near the wall that includes a bedroll, cooking kit, two black robes, and other travel supplies. Carefully hidden within the bundle are three items of potential value to the PCs: The first is small pouch of coins (no mintage printed) with 100 gp is tucked in a small pocket. Further inspection will reveal the other two items—two carefully packed vellum sheets with odd writing. These sheets are copies of two arcane spells stolen from a mage years ago with a single spell on each page. The writing is legible with read magic and the spells are sleep and charm person. Certificates for these spells are contained in the end of the adventure. Located on the center of the floor is a wrought iron brazier with ashes from burning incense that has a foul smell. In the rear of the chamber are three large spring fed pools with uncomfortably cold water. Each of these pools has clear water and a slight current indicating the direction of the spring. Hundreds of rose petals can be found all around the pools and footprints leading around the edges and into them are visible if the PCs have ample light. If the PCs waited for the following day to investigate (they may or may not have Bukan with them), Velladenna and company will not arrive until that evening. If the PCs traveled directly to the grove after meeting Lunth’s father, Velladenna and her entourage will return to their campsite while the PCs are investigating the cave. If the PCs have left obvious signs of their presence (such as disturbing the area too much or igniting light sources), the NPCs will be prepared for a confrontation as outlined below. Encounter Eight: Velladenna Encounter Eight: Velladenna Encounter Eight: Velladenna Encounter Eight: Velladenna The final confrontation with Velladenna can take many forms depending on the actions and locations of the PCs (her statistics are provided in the following encounter). Velladenna will return to the grove about twenty minutes after nightfall. She will be accompanied by her three servants dressed in simple monks robes (the animated farmers) and the guard captain Hennevier. Descriptions of each of the NPCs are listed below. Velladenna, Velladenna, Velladenna, Velladenna, Dressed in dark clothes of better than average make, Dressed in dark clothes of better than average make, Dressed in dark clothes of better than average make, Dressed in dark clothes of better than average make, this woman is truly striking. Her pale skin is offset by this woman is truly striking. Her pale skin is offset by this woman is truly striking. Her pale skin is offset by this woman is truly striking. Her pale skin is offset by jet black hair and jet black hair and jet black hair and jet black hair and dazzling green eyes. She stands well dazzling green eyes. She stands well dazzling green eyes. She stands well dazzling green eyes. She stands well over five feet tall and has a slim, but athletic build. over five feet tall and has a slim, but athletic build. over five feet tall and has a slim, but athletic build. over five feet tall and has a slim, but athletic build. Hennevier Hennevier Hennevier Hennevier Standing over six feet tall this man has the walk of a trained Standing over six feet tall this man has the walk of a trained Standing over six feet tall this man has the walk of a trained Standing over six feet tall this man has the walk of a trained solider. He is dressed in chain mail armor adorned with the solider. He is dressed in chain mail armor adorned with the solider. He is dressed in chain mail armor adorned with the solider. He is dressed in chain mail armor adorned with the livery of the local Lord Jaca livery of the local Lord Jaca livery of the local Lord Jaca livery of the local Lord Jacalarn. His shield bears an identical larn. His shield bears an identical larn. His shield bears an identical larn. His shield bears an identical similar symbol and he carries a fine longsword in a sheath. similar symbol and he carries a fine longsword in a sheath. similar symbol and he carries a fine longsword in a sheath. similar symbol and he carries a fine longsword in a sheath. The man is fairly handsome, in a rugged manner, with long The man is fairly handsome, in a rugged manner, with long The man is fairly handsome, in a rugged manner, with long The man is fairly handsome, in a rugged manner, with long brown hair and deep brown eyes. brown hair and deep brown eyes. brown hair and deep brown eyes. brown hair and deep brown eyes. Shadows on the March Page 13 Monks Monks Monks Monks Three solemn figures are dressed in simple robes of plain Three solemn figures are dressed in simple robes of plain Three solemn figures are dressed in simple robes of plain Three solemn figures are dressed in simple robes of plain brown brown brown brown fabric, tied with a simple rope around the waist. They fabric, tied with a simple rope around the waist. They fabric, tied with a simple rope around the waist. They fabric, tied with a simple rope around the waist. They wear sandals and walk with a slow purposeful gait. Their long wear sandals and walk with a slow purposeful gait. Their long wear sandals and walk with a slow purposeful gait. Their long wear sandals and walk with a slow purposeful gait. Their long hoods cover the bulk of their features, although each of them hoods cover the bulk of their features, although each of them hoods cover the bulk of their features, although each of them hoods cover the bulk of their features, although each of them stands nearly six feet in height or more. All three figures smell stands nearly six feet in height or more. All three figures smell stands nearly six feet in height or more. All three figures smell stands nearly six feet in height or more. All three figures smell strongly o strongly o strongly o strongly of rose petals. f rose petals. f rose petals. f rose petals. The finale of the adventure can proceed along one of the following paths. Regardless of how the finale encounter is staged, DMs should remember that Velladenna’s first priority is survival. She will seek to parlay with PCs first, escape if pressed, or fight if no other alternative presents itself. If the NPCs are Unaware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Unaware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Unaware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Unaware of the PCs: Upon their arrival, the “monks” will head into the cave located at the base of the tree and begin preparations for their evening restorative bath. If there are PCs in the cave, they will be detected unless they are capable of Hide (zombie’s spot check at –3) or are invisible. If they are detected, a fight ensues in the cave. If Bukan is with the PCs, he will insist they announce themselves when Velladenna arrives. This will alter the encounter to the thread of having the NPCs aware of the PCs with the exception that Velladenna will not have pre-cast her Protection from Good spell. Her first action will be to cast this spell and then and engage the PCs in a deadly spell laden dialogue. If uninterrupted, Velladenna and Hennevier will start a small fire and continue talking in soft voices. She will touch his arm in a soft manner and the two speak with their heads held very closely together. Unless prevented, they will continue to become more intimate and begin softly kissing by the fire. As their passion begins to increase, Hennevier suddenly screams in agony as Velladenna removes a small blade from the captain’s beating heart—there is nothing the PCs can do in time— Hennevier dies in her arms as she begins to laugh. If the PCs initiate combat at any time, refer to the combat tactics in the following encounter. If the NPCs are Aware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Aware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Aware of the PCs: If the NPCs are Aware of the PCs: If the NPCs are alerted to the PCs presence, either due to the PCs making too much noise or using a light source around the camp, they will be more prepared for a conflict. Velladenna will be prepared for a wide variety of situations seeking first to parlay, then to flee if danger threatens, and as a last resort attack. She is willing to sacrifice her zombies to protect her escape. During her approach she will cast protection from good (adding a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus to saves from good creatures). If a PC is watching her approach they may notice this spell being cast with a successful Spellcraft check at DC 16. Velladenna will attempt to play the role of the mysterious pilgrim and traveling mage when she first encounters the PCs. She will look for opportunities to cast her spells to the greatest effect. The longer the PCs speak with her, the greater danger they face. Throughout the conversation she will carefully weave half-truths about magic and her story regarding her search for apt pupils in the magical arts. She will refuse to allow the PCs to speak with her other students. She possesses strong Diplomacy (+8) and Bluff (+6) skills that will make it difficult for PCs to sense her true nature. She will hope to avoid combat and will attempt to parlay with anyone she finds in her camp using several well-placed spells potentially including Enthrall (hopefully allowing her zombies to move into better position to attack flatfooted PCs), charm person, and sleep. DMs should note that all of these enchantment spells are Charisma based so the difficulty to resist their effects is a minimum of DC 17 (10 (base) + 4(ability modifier) +2 (spell focus)+ the spell level. The Monks: The Monks: The Monks: The Monks: While Velladenna is speaking with the PCs, the “monks” stay close to those PCs that appear to be obvious warriors. When the PCs get a better look at the monks they notice that two of the three are definitely the missing farmers Jared and Lunth. They will not recognize the third figure. All three have glassy-eyes and smell strongly of rose petals but do not reek of death due to the Gentle repose baths. If the PCs attempt to speak to the monks, Velladenna will interrupt and inform the PC that they have taken a vow of silence. These poor souls are zombies animated by Velladenna. Henneiver: Henneiver: Henneiver: Henneiver: The guard captain will seek to remain near his “beloved”. When they approach the camp, they can be seen walking arm in arm. He has fallen victim her many charms and, in addition to feeling in love with her, is currently under the effects of a charm person spell. This spell effect is detectable with a successful Sense Motive check (DC 25). He will say very little during the conversation unless it appears that another male PC is acting overly flirtatious with Velladenna at which time he will let the offending PC know that they are treading on unsafe ground. He will react similarly if any PC insinuates that she has been acting improper or accuses her off wrongdoing. If Bukan is with the PCs, he will correctly detect the enchantment on his friend 3 rounds after the groups begin talking. When he discovers this fact, he will notify whichever PC is closest that he fears that his friend is under magic influence. Velladenna will continue chatting with the PCs until she has either charmed them all (through guile or magic) or is running low on spells. If this occurs, she will inform the PCs that she is tired from a long day of traveling and desires to sleep. She will politely insist that the PCs give her and her friends privacy by camping elsewhere. They will set up camp and Hennevier will keep careful watch over his sleeping beloved. It is possible for the PCs to sneak back into camp and continue their investigations since Hennevier does not possess either the Spot or Listen checks (no modifiers to opposed checks). If the PCs express interest in joining her traveling group of students, she will grow very intense while Shadows on the March Page 14 talking to them. She will refuse to reveal any of the true secrets of magic while non-believers are around. If she is able to separate the group, she will use any remaining charm spells on those left behind to win them over. Once she is convinced they are within her power, she will concoct a powerful brew over the fire and invite the PCs to drink the brew to take their first step towards greater awakening. Charmed PCs will be unable to resist this simple request. The potion is a powerful sleeping poison (Fort save, DC 22 to resist). PCs that fail the save will fall into a deep sleep and cannot be awoken for 1D2 hours. If left alone with the sleeping bodies, Valledenna will kill them and animate them over the next few days. If the PCs all succumb to her charms or see to leave her alone, the adventure may end. She and her minions will only stay in the area for another day before moving on and leaving the March behind. PCs may revisit the grove the following night and DMs should use the text above to run the dialogue. DMs should remember that Velladenna is very intelligent and may sense that she is in danger, in which case she will flee. Encounter Nine: Evil Revealed Encounter Nine: Evil Revealed Encounter Nine: Evil Revealed Encounter Nine: Evil Revealed The dialogue with Velladenna can prove exceptionally dangerous for the PCs the longer it continues. If the group does not sense her intent and confront her, it is highly likely the group has either been convinced that she is a genuine pilgrim or she has placed the PCs in a sleep trance and ceremoniously killed them one at a time. Hopefully the PCs are clever enough to avoid either of these potential outcomes and force her hand. If combat ensues, each of the NPCs actions are outlined below. DMs should remember that Velladenna’s priorities are to escape first and fight to the death in order to avoid capture. The major differences in the staging of this combat encounter center on whether the PCs have brought along Bukan and what tier the PCs are playing in. These variables affect how long it takes for Hennevier to break free from the charm spell. If Bukan is present, he will occupy the guard captain until he is able to break free from the charm spell. The guard captain will break free based on the chart below. Until he is free, he will attempt to defend Velladenna – he will only attack the PCs if they successfully attack her of him. Bukan Present Bukan Present Bukan Present Bukan Present PC Tier PC Tier PC Tier PC Tier Round Free Round Free Round Free Round Free Yes 1 2 No 1 3 Yes 2 3 No 2 4 Yes 3 4 No 3 5 Use the following statistics regardless of PC tier. The presence of NPCs dictates the variation in the tier of the event. Velladenna will use her abilities to escape if possible. She will use her animate dead spell to bring forth skeletons described below. Velladenna Delinener, Servant of Nerull Velladenna Delinener, Servant of Nerull Velladenna Delinener, Servant of Nerull Velladenna Delinener, Servant of Nerull Female human, Sor1/Clr5 Female human, Sor1/Clr5 Female human, Sor1/Clr5 Female human, Sor1/Clr5 CR 6; Medium-size humanoid; HD1d4+5d8; HP 26; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (chain shirt & Dex); Atks: +1 melee (1d66, sickle); SQ Trickery and Death domains; AL NE; SV Fort +4 Ref +2 Wil +7 Str 10 Dex 13 Con 10 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 16 Skills: Diplomacy +8, Spell craft +7, Gather information +7, Knowledge (religion) +2, Concentration +9, Bluff +6; Feats: Still Spell, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Spell Focus (x2) (Enchantment and Necromancy) Equipment: Sickle, Holy symbol of Nerull, Spell components, Incense, Dagger, Cloak, Fine clothes, Perfume, Riding horse, Saddle, 100 gold pieces Arcane Spells (6/4): 0-lvl—daze*, ray of frost, detect magic, ghost sounds; 1st-lvl—charm person*, sleep* Spell focus spells marked with an * (20% chance of arcane spell failure w/armor) Divine Spells (6/4+1/3+1/2+1): 0-lvl—cure minor wounds, detect magic, mending, read magic, resistance, guidance; 1st-lvl—cause fear, doom, cure light wounds, obscuring mist, protection from good; 2nd-lvl—invisibility, enthrall, gentle repose, Undetectable alignment (already cast obscuring her alignment for 24 hours); 3rd-lvl—non-detection monster summoning III, animate dead Familiar: Songbird (Int 6), speaks Infernal, Benefits: Alertness skill, Improved evasion, Share spells, Empathic link (1 mile range) to Velladenna Velladenna is dressed in dark clothes of better than average make. She is truly striking. Jet-black hair and dazzling green eyes offset her pale skin. She stands well over five feet tall and has a slim, but athletic build. Due to its history of being a hangman’s tree, the area around Trovel’s Grove is filled with the remains of bodies from those criminals hung on the tree. If Velladenna is forced into combat, she will cast animate dead, creating additional undead creatures to aid her. The number of skeletons available varies by the PC Tier. Use two skeletons for Tier 1, four skeletons for Tier 2, and five for Tier 3. These skeletons have the following statistics (summoned creatures are included within the casters Encounter level): Skeletons Skeletons Skeletons Skeletons (2/4/5): CR 1/3; Medium-sized undead (HD 1D12; hp 8 (each); Init +5 (Dex & Feat); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+ 1 Dex, +2 natural); Atks claws +0/+0 melee (1d4, 2 claws); SD Undead, Immunities; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2 Str 10, Dex 12, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Improved initiative (+4 added) SD—Undead Immune to mind influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralyzation, stunning, disease, and necromantic effects. Not subject to critical hits, sneak attacks, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to anything requiring a Fort save (including Shadows on the March Page 15 subdual attacks). Immunities – No damage from cold and piercing weapons. Take only half damage from slashing weapons. Ripping through the rich earth, these horrid skeletal figures answer the call of the dark priestess. Their bones are white and the remains of a few tattered rags hang loosely from their bones. A look of pure evil radiates from their empty eye sockets. Zombies (3 Zombies (3 Zombies (3 Zombies (3): CR .1/2; Medium-size undead; HD 2d12; hp 9 (each); Init –2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+ 1 Dex, +2 natural); Atks +2 melee (1d6+1, buffet); SD May only take Partial Actions in any given round, undead immunities; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2 Str 13, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 11. Feats: Toughness. SD—Undead Immunities. Immune to mind influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralyzation, stunning, disease, and necromantic effects. Not subject to critical hits, sneak attacks, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to anything requiring a Fort save (including subdual attacks). Three solemn figures are dressed in simple robes of plain brown fabric, tied with a simple rope around the waist. They wear sandals and walk with a slow purposeful gait. Their long hoods cover the bulk of their features, although each of them stand nearly six feet in height or more. All three figures smell strongly of rose petals. These zombies are the animated corpses of Jared, Lunth, and another missing lad from a distant farming community. Due to the special gentle repose bath used on them, they do not have any features that give them away as zombies other than their slower movement rate. Although their eyes are glassy, their bodies are not rotten or decaying in any way. It is very likely the PCs will not realize they are facing undead unless the attempt to turn the creatures. Hennevier, Guard Captain Hennevier, Guard Captain Hennevier, Guard Captain Hennevier, Guard Captain Male Human Fighter4: Male Human Fighter4: Male Human Fighter4: Male Human Fighter4: CR 4; SZ Medium-size humanoid; HD 4d10; HP 33; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (chainmail, shield & Dex); Atks: +7 melee (D8+2, longsword threat 19-20,x2), SA Nil; SD Nil; AL NG*; SV Fort +6 Ref +2 Wil +1 Str 14 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 11 Skills: Ride (+8), Profession / Solider (+4), Spot (+2), Swim (+4), Climb (+5); Feats: Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (longsword), Power Attack, Cleave, Blind-Fight Equipment: chainmail armor, medium shield, long sword, dagger, light war horse w/Saddle Standing over six feet tall this man has the walk of a trained solider. He is dressed in chain mail armor adorned with the livery of the local Lord Jacalarn. His shield bears an identical similar symbol. The man is fairly handsome in a rugged manner and has long brown hair and deep brown eyes. Encounter Nine: Epilogue Encounter Nine: Epilogue Encounter Nine: Epilogue Encounter Nine: Epilogue Based upon the complications the PCs face in the final encounter with Velladenna, there are a number of ways the adventure can end. DMs should take a few moments to record the outcomes of any of the Critical Events outlined in Appendix 3 at the end of the adventure. If the PCs were able to avoid Velladenna’s charms and engage her in combat, they will have either been successful (either by capturing or killing her) or they will have failed (if she gets away). In addition, an added degree of success is gained if the PCs were able to deal with Velladenna and avoid killing the Hennevier. The experience point chart below outlines the benefits of each of these options. Following the battle, the PCs will be able to return to Whittleborough with Bukan or meet him there. He will gladly pay the PCs the agreed upon fee for their services and will morn the loss of the farmers and potentially his friend. If the PCs mention the silver ring, Bukan will suggest they give it to Illiana if they do not think of it. If Hennevier survives the battle, he will not return with the PCs to the town Rather he will head for the lord’s keep. If Velladenna escaped, Hennevier will have fallen from grace with his lord and this outcome should be recorded in the Events Summary. If this is the outcome of the event, DMs should try and keep the mood of the ending a somber one, especially if Velladenna escaped to continue to plague the lands of Furyondy! Here Ends Here Ends Here Ends Here Ends “Shadows on the March” “Shadows on the March” “Shadows on the March” “Shadows on the March” Experience Point Summary Experience Point Summary Experience Point Summary Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the discretionary roleplaying experience award. The roleplaying award should be given for consistent character portrayal and contribution to the fun of the game. You can award different roleplaying amounts to different characters. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Gathering Information at the Inn 25 xp Accepting the mission 25 xp Finding the items at the old camp 25 xp Returning the ring to Illiana 25 xp Talking with Jared’s family 25 xp Defeating the Panther 100 xp Finding the Letter 25 xp Investigating the Cave 50 xp Capturing or Killing Velladenna 150 xp Avoiding killing Hennevier 50 xp Total possible experience Total possible experience Total possible experience Total possible experience 500 xp 500 xp 500 xp 500 xp Shadows on the March Page 16 Treasure Summary Treasure Summary Treasure Summary Treasure Summary Player characters may keep items from the scenario that are listed on the treasure list below or which meet the following conditions: 1. The item must be non-magical and specifically listed in the text of the adventure (e.g armor on foes). If it is not listed in the text, the characters cannot keep it. Items of this nature can be sold for 50% of book value, or recorded on a log sheet. 2. Animals, followers, monsters, henchmen, and so forth (any living being, basically) may not be kept from a scenario for any reason unless the treasure summary lists the being specifically. It is okay for the player characters to form relationships with NPCs, but these will not be certed and cannot bring material benefit to the character. Contacts (sources of extra information) must be specifically certed. 3. Theft is against the law, but may be practiced by some player characters. Items which are worth more than 500 gp are of personal significance to the owner (including family heirlooms), and all magical items, will be discovered in the possession of the character by one means or another. The character must return the item and pay a fine equal to three times the value of the item stolen. In addition, the PC caught receives campaign-decided penalties for being known as a thief, such as Infamy. For other stolen items which meet the criteria in #1 above, use your judgment and the circumstances within the game to determine whether a PC thief gets away with the theft or not. Any item retained according to these rules, which does not have a certificate, will not ever have a certificate issued for it. The campaign staff reserves the right to take away any item or gold acquired for things it later finds unreasonable but which were allowed at the time. • Payment from Bukan 60 gp • Furyondy Medallion (from Bukan) 10 gp • Small silver ring 5 sp • Riding horse (unless used in the escape) 75 gp • Traveling Pack Coin Purse 100 gp • Velladenna’s Arcane Spell Sheet with charm person (Value 100 gp): This sheet may be copied into a wizard spell book or learned by a sorcerer or bard provided the character is able to learn and translate the spell. This sheet may be traded between players, though all players who learn this spell must retain a photocopy of this certificate as documentation that they have copied or learned the spell. • Velladenna’s Arcane Spell Sheet with sleep (Value 100 gp): This sheet may be copied into a wizard spell book or learned by a sorcerer or bard provided the character is able to learn and translate the spell. This sheet may be traded between players, though all players who learn this spell must retain a photocopy of this certificate as documentation that they have copied or learned the spell. Shadows on the March Page 17 Appendix 1: Player Handout Appendix 1: Player Handout Appendix 1: Player Handout Appendix 1: Player Handout Dear Father, I know you will not approve of my decision to leave so I am leaving without your approval. I am sorry, I know how much this must upset you. Over the last few years on the farm I have slowly realized that there is more to my life than working the land for someone else. I wish to set forth and have a new life, one of my own. A few nights ago while near Whittleborough I met an amazing woman. She is as beautiful as the sky at twilight. She has started to show me how to control the first touches of magic! At last I have found my true calling in life. Tonight I meet her at Trovel’s Grove, she has promised to share with me a secret of magic that has given her everlasting life. Imagine it Father, to live forever and study magic with such a beautiful woman. I promise to return when I have established myself as a magician. I will buy us a new home and we can live a better life. Your Son, Lunth Shadows on the March Page 18 Appendix 3: Critical Events Summary Appendix 3: Critical Events Summary Appendix 3: Critical Events Summary Appendix 3: Critical Events Summary The following events may be important to future adventures planned in Furyondy. DMs should circle the appropriate response to the following questions or fill in the information as appropriate and submit it with the scoring materials. This form should be used only during the convention at which the adventure debuts. 1. What happened to Velladenna? Escaped Killed Captured Other ___________________ 2. Did Hennevier survive the final battle? Yes or No 3.. Did Hennevier “fall from grace” by allowing Velladenna to escape or by killing a PC? Yes or No 4. Did any PCs die in the event Yes or No 4b If so, complete the following: PC Name & Player Cause of Death 1. _________________________ _________________________________________ 2._________________________ _________________________________________ 3._________________________ _________________________________________ 4._________________________ _________________________________________ 5._________________________ _________________________________________ 6._________________________ _________________________________________ 7._________________________ _________________________________________ 5. How many players participated in the event? 4 5 6 7 6. At which Tier was the event played? 1 2 3

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Furyondy/591/Normal Scenarios/FUR1-02 - Shadows On March (APL 2-6)/FUR1-02 - Shadows On March.pdf

The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of General P'Mare A Is for Assassin This secretive member of the Honorable holds an obligation of debt towards you for your services on his behalf. He will arrange to have any 1st-4th level clerical spell cast for you for free. This may be requested up to four times. It is redeemable at any official temple within the confines of Pekal or any temple of the Old Man. __ __ __ __ The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Notice of the Blooded A Is for Assassin Your actions have gained the notice of a member of The Blooded. This has no game effect nor is your character aware of the notice. This certificate may be redeemed for an entry in a The Blooded certificate. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: Charges: Favor of the Gray Legion A Is for Assassin You have either kept a ranking member of the Gray Legion from falling to enemy forces or miraculously restored him to life. He is impressed by your skill or greatly honored at your gesture and is indebted to you for your competence or generosity. This can be redeemed twice for an automatic pass on a Gather Information check anywhere in Pekal, the Young Kingdoms, or Kalamar. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: see text Tradable: No Charges: N/A Forge of the Judge A Is for Assassin Cert 1 of 6. Because you keep hammering away at your players and building a mighty team of heroes, the gods have seen fit to reward you. This cert is good for 3,100 gp towards the enchantment of one magic weapon. It can be used individually or combined with any of the subsequent 5 certs in the series, for a total value of 18,600 gp towards a magic weapon. This value can be supplemented with your characters own gold. Keep any certs you use together. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: resale 5079 gp Tradable: yes Charges: n/a Kinslayer Longsword A Is for Assassin Kinslayer blades earned their name for their reputation for earning their wielders glory at the cost of the health and well- being of their comrades. A kinslayer is a +2 keen longsword forged from mithral. Its pommel bears an inscription in Infernal that when translated reads "I Alone." When drawn in battle, a kinslayer imposes a -2 penalty to AC to all of its wielder's allies who stand within 60 feet of the blade. Moderate Transmutation; Caster Level: 10th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, keen edge; Maket Price: 20,315. Due to what most merchants consider this blade's "cursed" nature, it is only saleable at a quarter its market value. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert. The following “Living Kingdoms of Kalamar” character known as has received during Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are registered trademarks of Kenzer & Company. Living Kingdoms of Kalamar and the Living Kingdoms of Kalamar logo are trademarks of Kenzer & Company. © 2004 Kenzer & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Value: Tradable: yes Charges: n/a From the Forge of Ketta Asa A Is for Assassin You have visited the Forge of Ketta Asa in the town of Fidoka’omidu. She is willing to make a weapon or armor for you of masterwork quality from the following list. In addition, she is willing to use some of her special metals in forging your armor or weapon. You may purchase one of the below items from each list and circle it when it has been fully paid for. Check the box next to the Dwarven Steel notation if the selected weapon was made of this special metal. (Any of the weapons, except those that are Adamantine, may be made of Dwarven Steel.) If purchased during this adventure, the weapon or armor is ready by the end of the module. If not purchased during this adventure, the bearer of this cert must spend one NAA to make their purchase. Any weapon purchased provides a +1 circumstance bonus with the Ka'Asas people on Diplomacy Checks. Armor provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks. These bonuses do not stack. ____ Special metal: Dwarven Steel (adds +1 to damage modifier of weapons and 500 gp to the cost) Weapons: Armor: Masterwork Longsword 315 gp Masterwork Breastplate 350 gp Adamantine Longsword 3,015 gp Mithral Breastplate 4,200 gp Masterwork Throwing Axe 308 gp Masterwork Half-Plate 750 gp Masterwork BattleAxe 310 gp Masterwork Full Plate 1,650 gp Masterwork Heavy Pick 308 gp Mithral Full Plate 10,650 gp Masterwork Warhammer 312 gp Masterwork Dwarven Plate* 3,150 gp Masterwork Greataxe 320 gp (AC bonus +9, Max Dex Bonus +0 Masterwork Dwarven Waraxe 330 gp Armor Check Penalty -8, Arcane Spell Adamantine Dwarven Waraxe 3,030 gp Failure 45%, Weight 55 lbs) Masterwork Dwarven Urgosh 350 gp Adamantine Dwarven Plate* 18,000 gp *Note – dwarven plate is sized only for dwarves. The Judge should note if the PC receives a discount or increase in price during the Forge Encounter before giving out this cert.

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/RPGA/Living Kalamar Organised Play/Adventures/LKoK52_AIsforAssassin_Certs.pdf

$4.99 — CRAWLJAMMER — DCC RPG ‘S GREATEST SCIENCE FANTASY ZINE P R E S E N T S THEWEIRD WORM-WAYS OFSATURN CRAWLJAMMER P R E S E N T S A P L A N E TA R Y C R AW L B Y DANIEL BISHOP PART ONE: ASHES AND WORMWOOD AN ADVENTURE FOR 5TH LEVEL CRAWLJAMMERS Daniel J. Bishop W R I T E R Tim Callahan E D I T O R Fred Dailey I N T E R I O R A R T W O R K & B A C K C O V E R Matt Hildebrand L AY O U T & F R O N T C O V E R Special thanks to Zoe Rose Ripley for aid in drawing initial maps for her dad while he was in a cast! This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game published by Goodman Games. This product is published under license. Dungeon Crawl Classics and DCC RPG are trademarks of Goodman Games. All rights reserved. For additional information, visit www.goodman-games.com or contact info@goodman-games.com. For information about Crawljammer or Moon Dice Games products, please email us at crawljammerzine@gmail.com 12 MOON DICE GAMES — CRAWLJAMMER — THEWEIRD WORM-WAYS OFSATURN LEGAL STUFF: This printing of Crawljammer: The Weird Worm-Ways of Saturn is done under version 1.0 of the Open Gaming License, and the System Reference Document by permission from Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1e of the Open Game License, version 1.0: Crawljammer, all proper nouns, capitalized terms, artwork, maps, symbols, depictions, and illustrations except such elements that already appear in the System Reference Document. Designation of Open Content: Subject to the Product Identity designation above, such sections of C Crawljammer: The Weird Worm- Ways of Saturn as derive from the SRD are designated as Open Gaming Content. OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. DCC RPG, copyright 2012 Goodman Games, all rights reserved, visit www.goodman-games.com or contact info@goodman-games.com. Crawljammer: The Weird Worm-Ways of Saturn #1, copyright 2015 Daniel Bishop. Luck: An Ape-Man’s Luck modifier is applied to AC. An Ape-Man may spend 1 point of Luck to reroll any failed Strength check. Poor Swimmer: Saturnian Ape-Men are poor swimmers, always making checks to swim with 1d10. Zero-level Ape-Men: A 0-level Ape- Man begins with a +2 Climb Bonus and the Poor Swimmer penalty. To determine starting occupation, roll 1d7: (1-3) farmer (weapon: hoe [1d4]; trade good: basket of vegetables); (4-5) warrior (weapon: spear; trade good: hide shield); (6) worm hide tanner (weapon: stone scraper [1d4]; trade good: 2d7 pounds of cured worm leather); or (7) Wormgod acolyte (weapon: club; trade good: 2d5 dried worm augury sticks). NOTE: If the judge desires Ape-Man characters to become priests of the Wormgod (or other powers), he may allow Saturnian Ape-men to progress as Clerics (requiring twice the normal XP at each level), or he may use the normal level progression, below, and require that the would-be priest quest for additional powers and spells. Level Attack Crit Die/ Table Action Dice Strength Die Climb Bonus Wariness Ref Fort Will 1 +1 1d4/II 1d20 1d3 +3 1 in 16 +1 +1 +0 2 +1 1d6/II 1d20 1d3 +5 1 in 14 +1 +1 +0 3 +2 1d8/II 1d20 1d4 +7 1 in 12 +1 +1 +1 4 +2 1d5/III 1d20 1d4 +9 1 in 10 +1 +2 +1 5 +3 1d7/III 1d20+1d14 1d5 +12 1 in 8 +2 +3 +1 6 +4 1d10/III 1d20+1d16 1d5 +15 1 in 7 +3 +4 +1 7 +5 1d6/IV 1d20+1d20 1d6 +18 1 in 6 +3 +4 +2 8 +5 1d7/IV 1d20+1d20 1d6 +18 1 in 5 +4 +4 +2 9 +6 1d3/G 1d20+1d20 1d7 +18 1 in 14 +4 +4 +3 10 +7 1d4/G 1d20+1d20+1d14 1d8 +20 1 in 3 +4 +5 +4 SATURNIAN APE-MAN LEVEL TITLES Level Title by Alignment Lawful or Neutral Chaotic 1 Warder Lurker 2 Canyon-Walker Outcast 3 Worm-Stalker Worm-Feeder 4 Battle-Leader Worm-Brother 5 Champion Worm-Lord PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 31 Saturn. Well known for the weird magnetic energies of its core, which attract even non-ferrous metals, and which pulled many a would-be Crawljammer to his doom in the early days of space exploration. Saturn. Legendary home of fierce Ape-Men and even fiercer giant worms, which devolved from a great civilization that once worshipped the vast demon-god Tsathoggua before the first great reptiles appeared to dominate long aeons upon the Earth. It is said that the collapse of that civilization caused the weird energies of Saturn’s magnetic core. Many, but not all, of that demon-haunted culture’s works were drawn into the planet’s crust, there to be crushed and consumed. Even so, there is a flux to that strange magnetic attraction. Once in several thousand years, the magnetic forces wane for a period, and ships may safely approach or land upon Saturn. INTRODUCTION 02 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 03 The technomancer Satrampa, who has long made her cold dwelling upon the frozen ocean-moon Tethys, has predicted that such a time is near, and seeks adventurers willing to brave the ringed world’s dangers. There they must locate the Vault of Zin the Meticulous. She will pay a man’s weight in gold for the black onyx ring long-dead Zin once wore upon his right hand. Failing that, she will pay the same weight in silver for proof that the Idol of Tsathoggua which one strengthened the ancient sorcerer’s spells is no more. This offer may come through the Perilous League, or the PCs may hear of a rich prize to be one in some spaceport dive. Searching the Perilous League archives may reveal that a technomancer named Satrampa has been rumored to occupy Saturn’s moon, Tethys, for centuries even before the League was formed. If the judge desires, the PCs may also be able to track down a legend of an expedition to Saturn with the same objectives, over 1,000 years earlier. Lore has it that the previous expedition disappeared without a trace. 30 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N You are a thin but towering man-ape with pale purple fur, tusks, and wide splayed hands and feet. You hail from the planet Saturn, where your people subsist off of melons, tubers, fruit, root vegetables, and the flesh of giant worms. You come from a people with only Stone Age technology, but with a strong spiritual connection to the Wormgod who crawls deep beneath the surface of Saturn. Hit Points: A Saturnian Ape-Man gets 1d8 hit points at each level. Weapon training: A Saturnian Ape- Man is trained in the use of club, dagger, and spear. An Ape-Man can throw stones up to 30’ for 1d4 damage. They can also bite (1d4) or attack with fists (1d6) for lethal damage. They are trained in the use of shields, but do not normally wear armor. Armor sized for an Ape-Man costs 150% normal, and increases the Fumble Die by +1d on the dice chain. Alignment: The Ape-Men of Saturn are usually Lawful; they need to work together to survive in the harsh landscape of their worm-dominated world. However, Neutral Ape-Men are not uncommon, and Chaotic Ape-Men exist, such as the rulers of Duggabask. Strength Modifier Adjustment: A Saturnian Ape-Man gains a Strength Die that is rolled along with any check (including melee attack rolls and damage) that is Strength-dependent. This relates to adrenalin surges, and does not change the Ape-Man’s base Strength. The Strength Die is not a Deed Die, and high rolls grant no additional benefit. Climb Bonus: Ape-Men are excellent climbers, and gain a bonus to making any skill checks involving climbing. Ape-Men are always roll 1d20 to make these checks. Wariness: Even where surprise would automatically occur, an Ape-Man has a chance of negating that surprise (for himself only). This is in addition to any other chance for avoiding surprise that might apply to all characters. Wormgod Omens: Given 10 minutes’ time and access to some worm- based divination method, a Saturnian Ape-Man can access the mood of the Wormgod, gaining some idea of Its favor or disfavor over the next 24 hours. Roll 1d5-3. If the result is 1 or 2, the Ape-Man gains one or two points he can use to modify one of his own die rolls over the next 24 hours (as if they were additional points of Luck). If the result is -1 or -2, the judge can use these points as a penalty to any single roll made by the Ape-Man, or as a +1 or +2 bonus to a roll made against the Ape-Man by an adversary, over the next 24 hours. If the result is 0, there is no effect. Action Dice: An Ape-Man can use her Action Dice for attacks or climbing skill rolls. SATURNIAN APE-MAN CHARACTERS PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 29 Over 150 moons and satellites orbit ringed Saturn, most of them quite small, and most of the poorly known or unexplored. Tethys is much smaller than Earth’s moon, being 666 miles in diameter in the Crawljammer universe (less than 4 miles different from our universe!). It is orbited by two even smaller irregular moons, Telestro and Calypso, making the sky an odd mixture of braided rings, Saturn’s enormous disc, tiny-seeming far-flung moons, and the endless dance of Telestro and Calypso. Tethys is close enough to feel Saturn’s pull on metals, slightly, but not close enough to have a game effect beyond an additional -1d shift to attack rolls with metal weapons at long range. The surface of Tethys is cold enough to cause anyone remaining outdoors without protection 1d3 points of temporary Stamina damage each minute (Fort DC 10 negates). Even within Satrampa’s palace of crystal and ice the temperature is cold enough to be uncomfortable. There is no requirement to meet with Satrampa before the adventure begins, and this adventure doesn’t detail Satrampa’s palace in detail. Satrampa’s servitors and guardians have ashen grey skin and sunken features, but they are not un-dead. The servitors wear clearly visible golden circlets, while the guards wear chain mail and helms of bronze. The headgear of each is wired into their skulls, connecting all to a mechanical brain located deep beneath the palace. A Mighty Deed of 3+ can damage a circlet, and 4+ a helm enough to cause the creature to pause, twitching and sparking, for 1d3 rounds. A higher Mighty Deed can remove the device entirely, leaving the creature catatonic for 1d4 hours, by which time it must either be repaired or it dies. So long as its headgear remains intact, these beings are able to act as a single unit. Each knows what any knows, and the artificial brain allows them to act in concert. This linkage may also be a weakness – if one fails a Will save, they are all affected...and so is the mechanical brain! Servitor: Init –2; Atk makeshift weapon +1 melee (1d4); AC 9; HD 1d6; hp 4 each; MV 25’; Act 1d20; SP hive mind; SV Fort +4, Ref –2, Will +15; AL L. Guard: Init +2; Atk spear +3 melee (1d8); AC 16; HD 2d6; hp 7 each; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP hive mind; SV Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +15; AL L. Should the PCs approach within 100’ of the mechanical brain, it can defend itself with powerful psionic attacks (3d3 temporary Personality damage; Will DC 20 negates; 0 Personality indicates catatonic state lasting 1d3 days). It is housed in a sub-cellar where characters must get within 60’ to have line of sight to the brain-machine. Destroying the mechanical brain kills all the connected servitors and guards instantly. MEETING WITH SATRAMPA 04 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N Mechanical brain: Init +6; Atk psionic attack; AC 14; HD 5d12; hp 28; MV 0’; Act 3d20; SP psionic attacks, control hive mind; SV Fort +10, Ref –15, Will +15; AL L. Satrampa herself is a beautiful woman with pale green skin, lightly dressed despite the cold. Her black eyes hold a cold wickedness. She cannot avoid adopting a sly, sardonic expression when dealing with the PCs, especially when it seems they are not paying attention to her. She doesn’t truly care if the PCs distrust her, or keep Zin’s onyx ring for themselves. In truth, she is Zin the Meticulous’ millennia- old lover, whose withered body is kept alive by arcane technology, and whose withered and decayed body is wreathed in an illusion of youth and beauty. She is also Zin’s insurance policy. She knows that any who dares to wear the onyx ring will be assaulted by Zin’s ancient consciousness, still vital after all this time. Failing that, feeding the idol of Tsathoggua will provide enough life force for the dead sorcerer to maintain his link to this plane of existence until Saturn’s magnetic field fluctuates enough for another potential victim to be sent after the onyx ring. Satrampa does not believe that the idol can be defeated by moral beings. (If the judge desires, other parties can be introduced both as competition and as “red shirts” to demonstrate the perils of Saturn. This can also be PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 05 L. Duggabask: Here, where the canyon widens to meet a broad flowing river, is a mighty village of Ape-Men, consisting of a great many houses of wood and worm skin, some built to two or even three floors. Rising in the center of the village is a great stone mound, upon which squats a huge stone state, like a grotesquely corpulent toad crossed with a bat and some nameless thing more loathsome still. Hundreds of large Ape-Men dwell here, in a riot of noise and odors! The Vault of Zin is located within the enormous statue, which represents Tsathoggua. If one or more PCs can get within 100 feet of it, an event will occur which has not for over 1,000 years – the Mouth of Tsathoggua will open, revealing the doors to the Vault of Zin! Any Ape-Men who witness this instantly scatter in superstitious fear. Although they have “advanced” somewhat due to the influence of the foul elder god, their village did not exist when the Vault was entered last, and none of the Ape-Men are even aware that the Vault exists. The Chaotic Ape-Men of Duggabask may not immediately notice a stealthy party. If they do notice characters, their first reaction is to capture then using lariats of liana fiber and worm sinews. Each of these attacks is rolled at a +3 bonus, ignoring armor (but not shields). Each hit reduces the target’s Action Dice by –1d on the dice chain. A PC whose Action Die is reduced to 0 is helpless. Any given lariat can be escaped with a DC 10 Strength or Agility check, or by 5 hp damage with a sharp weapon vs. AC 9. Captured PCs are dragged to a bloodstained stone in front of the statue of Tsathoggua. If possible, Aggor (see Area K) is present at this point — especially if she has already been slain once. Of course, bringing the PCs before the statue causes its mouth to open, and all the Ape-Men flee, including Aggor. Even helpless PCs can then work themselves free with 1d5+3 minutes of effort. A free PC can release another PC at a rate of 1 per minute. Duggabask can marshal 253 Ape-Man warriors, each with 15 hp and armed with both spear and lariat. There are 345 Ape-Man farmers and servants (many of which are captives from Burdurask). There are 422 young, non- combatant Ape-Men as well. The Vault of Zin will be fully detailed in Part II: Vault of Ashes, in the next installment of Crawljammer. 28 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N K. Sacrificial Stones: The canyon widens out here, and the riotous growth recedes to the edges of a clearing, a dry area raised from the general muck of the canyon floor. There is a structure of five standing stones here, spaced equidistantly in a circle around a central boulder. The central boulder is darkly stained with blood. Here Aggor, the Ape-Man priestess of Duggabask (see Area L, below), conducts blood sacrifices to the Wormgod and Tsathoggua. A group of 5 Ape-Man warriors wielding spears and wormhide shields always lurk around this area, as does Aggor herself. Every 5 minutes spent in this area results in a 1 in 4 chance of an encounter. These Ape-Men are always aggressive, and will not flee so long as Aggor lives. Aggor can cast two healing spells at a 30’ range each day, each healing 2 dice. In addition, she can cast 3 harmful spells to a range of 120’. These spells always do 1d8 damage unless a DC 16 Will save succeeds, but they have different manifestations and may have additional effects. Roll 1d5: (1) worms sprout from the target’s flesh, doing an additional 1d3 Stamina damage if the save fails; (2) an ethereal worm of pure shimmering yellow force snaps at the target, biting successfully for normal damage each round until the save succeeds; (3) blood-red worms made of coagulated blood erupt from the ground, causing an additional 1d3 temporary Agility damage if the save fails, as they seek to hold the target fast; (4) tiny azure pinworms streak from Aggor’s outstretched finger, each point of damage indicates a worm that strikes true; or (5) the target feels worms crawling in his brain, taking an additional 1d3 Personality damage if the save fails. If Aggor is slain, her body collapses into a pile of writhing worms. A bloated toad hops from her stomach, and a coal black bat erupts from her mouth. A character who succeeds in a DC 15 Reflex save may get a free attack as the toad immediately buries itself and the bat streaks away. The bat is AC 20 and has 5 hp. The toad is AC 12 and has 15 hp. If either survives, Aggor’s flesh is reknit within 2d5 hours. Aggor, Ape-Man Priestess: Init +4; Atk stone knife +3 melee (1d3+3) or spell; AC 16; HD 5d8+5; hp 30; MV 20’ or climb 30’; Act 2d20; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +7; AL C. Ape-Man Warriors (5): Init +3; Atk spear +6 melee (1d8+3) or bite +2 melee (1d4+3) or slam +6 melee (1d6+3) or thrown stone +3 missile fire (1d4); AC 14; HD 3d8; hp 13 each; MV 20’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4; AL C. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 27 Saturn’s magnetic field fluctuates over the course of the adventure. The stronger the flux, the less metal is pulled towards Saturn, but the shorter the period of flux lasts. At the greatest level of flux, metal is actually repelled from the world’s surface. It is assumed that the PCs arrive on Saturn near the beginning of the magnetic flux, when it reaches stage 1. At the end of each stage’s duration, the flux increases until stage 5 is reached. Once the maximum flux is reached, the stages reverse, each lasting for a random duration, until the flux ends at stage 0. Characters on Saturn when stage 0 is reached are doomed to remain on the planet unless they have some means other than Crawljamming to escape. SATURN’S MAGNETIC FLUX a source of replacement characters, or to fill needed roles in a small PC party…as each group is whittled down, necessity dictates that they work together to survive.) If the party refuses the adventure, it hardly matters. Satrampa will likely be there to offer it again in a thousand years or so, and an adventure involving time travel may put opportunity in the PC’s way once more. Satrampa, powerful un-dead technomancer: Init +1; Atk claw +4 melee (1d4) or bite +1 melee (1d6 plus Will DC 10 or lose 1d5 XP); AC 14; HD 8d6 + 2d12; hp 49; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP spellcasting, cybernetic implants to increase Intelligence (18), techno- artifacts, control hive mind and mechanical brain, un-dead traits; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +6; AL C. Spells (+13 to spell check): Hyper-repair (Crawljammer #2, pp. 10-11). Spells linked to primary techno- artifact (throne, +15 to spell check): Magic missile, sleep, mirror image, scare, spider web, and control ice. Spells linked to secondary techno-artifacts (each to a different ring, +11 to spell check): Chill touch, flaming hands, shatter, strength, and paralysis. 06 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N Flux Duration Effects 0 Thousands of years Metal objects are pulled downward with a force greater than any living being can resist, stopping only when solid stone is reached. Metal objects on a solid surface cannot be moved. Anyone carrying significant amounts of metal (including coins, weapons, buckles, or other gear) suffers 3d3 damage as these are drawn violently to the ground. Packs, bags, and pockets are torn. Earrings or piercings are ripped free. Armored characters are dragged to the ground, and begin to suffer 1 point of damage each round from the distortion of their armor. A trapped character can be cut free with a non-metallic blade in a number of rounds equal to 1d10 + the AC bonus of the armor. Standard crawljamming ships cannot fly, and are likely to be torn apart as fittings, gold mesh sails, etc., are pulled to the ground. 1 3d7 days Metal items weight significantly more than normal (4 x). Characters in metal armor are at a -2d shift for initiative and attack rolls, and at a +2d shift for fumbles. Ranged attacks using metal weapons are effectively impossible, unless the target is directly below the attacker (in which case damage is at a +2 shift). Movement speed with armor on is decreased by 10’. 2 3d6 hours Metal items weight twice normal. Characters in metal armor are at a -1d shift for initiative and attack rolls, and at a +1d shift for fumbles. Ranged attacks using metal weapons are at an additional -1d shift, unless the target is directly below the attacker (in which case damage is at a +2 shift). Speed wearing armor is decreased by 5’. 3 3d5 turns Metal items are treated as normal. 4 3d4 minutes Metal items are effectively half as heavy as normal. Attack rolls are at +2 using these items, but any metal weapon that is not strictly piercing has a -1d shift for damage. Wearing metal armor does not reduce a character’s movement speed. Ranges for metallic missiles are doubled. 5 3d4 minutes Metal is repulsed, “falling” upwards. A character wearing metal armor “falls” to the ceiling if indoors, taking normal falling damage, but ignoring the first 10’ fallen. Outdoors, armored characters “fall” 30’ into the sky each round. When this flux stage ends, they then fall 90’ to 270’, ignoring the first 10’ fallen, unless somehow rescued before this occurs. These durations are given in terms of standard terrestrial days – the Saturn of the Crawljammer universe rotates far more slowly than that of our universe! Satrampa will not lie about these effects. Rather, she urges those who would seek the Vault of Zin to be swift, as the flux is unpredictable – lasting from under a week to over a month. She also urges characters to “go native,” carrying as little metal as possible, to avoid any negative effects from the planet’s magnetism. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 07 Kaned and Ebar are Ape-Man farmers with 10 hp each, and Narle is an Ape- Man warrior with 18 hp. This Ape-Man village is predominantly Lawful. I. Swinging Rapids: Here a narrow line of swift rapids crosses the canyon. A structure of twisted vines and worm husks is built over the river, allowing one to swing across by moving hand- over-hand for 30 feet. Failure means dropping into the fast moving water below, and being swept away to the southeast. A DC 10 Strength check crosses the rapids. Thieves may add their Climb Sheer Surfaces bonus. Clever PCs may climb above the structure with a DC 5 Agility check, and can then cross the river with an Agility check (DC 10) rather than a Strength check. Those who fail drop into the rapids, and are swept 1d5 hexes downstream, taking 1d3 damage per hex (Fort DC 10 reduces total damage by half). J. The Deepening Way: At this point, the canyon ends, becoming a tunnel headed roughly northwest. The alien growth of the Wormwood has colonized the outer reaches of the tunnel, where some light still remains, but only darkness and the dripping of water is beyond. This passage is taboo to the Ape-Men. Any character passing beyond the area where sunlight remains feels a chill and a sensation of dread. There is a minor tremor as the Wormgod turns in the depths. The dark tunnel seems to eat light, and no light illuminates more than 10’ from its source. The pinkish-white walls of the tunnel seem to resemble the carved ribs of a colossal worm, glistening with moisture. The tunnel heads steadily down, corkscrewing deep into Saturn for several miles, before entering one of the buried ruins of ancient Saturn. This area is left for the judge to develop, possibly as part of a future trip to Saturn, using planar step or similar magic. It is possible that the ancient civilization of Saturn colonized other worlds in the solar system, leaving arcane gates to pass to and from those worlds. Even in a Crawljammer campaign, crawljamming is not the only way to travel! If the judge doesn’t wish to develop this area further, the tunnel is collapsed after 1d5 miles. It is also the lair of Vombis leeches (DCC core rulebook, p. 431), 1d3 of which are encountered on a 1 in 5 chance every 10 minutes of travel. Each mile traveled both increases the chances of encountering leeches (2 in 5, 3 in 5, etc.), and increases the number of leeches encountered using the dice chain (1d4, 1d5, 1d6, etc.). 26 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N bridge constantly clings and shifts underfoot. Creatures on the bridge move at half normal speed, and have a –2d on the dice chain penalty to all rolls. The nature of the bridge grants an additional +4 AC bonus to any creature on it against any creature attacking from outside. Any time a result would cause a creature on the bridge to fall, it must make a DC 5 Reflex save or fall off the bridge for 6d6 damage as it strikes the rapids below. Whenever this bridge is used, there is a 1 in 5 chance of an encounter (1d10): (1-4) 3d4 Ape-Man farmers going to or from crops, (5-6) Ape- Man war party with 3d8 members, (7) 1d6+2 ring bats looking for prey, (8) 1 Saturn cat seeking to cross the bridge (and perhaps willing to talk), (9) a swarm of shimmer lizards, or (10) a manifestation of the Wormgod. Use random encounter information for statistics. Ape-Men avoid fighting on the bridge, and will grant safe passage even if combat then ensues. Only if PCs on the bridge attack will they respond in kind. Even then they are reluctant to damage the bridge; worm skins of this size are not easy to come by! H. Budurask: The canyon ahead is blocked by a rough wooden palisade, built to a height of 30 feet. Wary Ape- Man sentries patrol the top. Unless the PCs are extremely cautious, they will be spotted almost at once. Budurask has been raided many times by the village of Duggabask, and is constantly vigilant. Still, the village beyond the palisade has suffered – only 8 Ape-Man warriors, 90 farmers, and 5 children remain. 80% of these are male, as Duggabask has been raiding for females and child sacrifices specifically. The Ape-Men cross the palisade by climbing (DC 10), and there is a palisade in each direction where canyon can be found. There are usually 6 sentinels to the south, and 3 sentinels each to the north and west. Beyond the palisade, many huts of worm hide and wood frame are burnt and/or empty. The entire village is grim, silent, and depressed, for they live in constant fear. When they first encounter the PCs, the Burduraski will fear that they are a ploy of the Duggabaskers to weaken them further. If the PCs can demonstrate any victory over the Ape-Men of Duggabask, however, the Burduraski will hail them as heroes, as a sign of the Wormgod’s favor, and as a new hope for their community. Elderly Kaned and her husband Ebar are the Village Heads, but Narle, the chief remaining warrior, wishes to make a grasp for power if the chance arises. He feels that might, not wisdom, is needed to save his people! PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 25 Saturn is an enormous world, many times larger than the Earth. The portion of Saturn where this adventure takes place consists of sharply broken lands – spires of broken rock striated in shades of brown, ochre, mauve, and green. The land is broken by threaded canyons. The spires are shrouded with heavy vines and pockmarked by shallow caves. The hexmap for this region is divided into three general types of areas: rivers, canyons, and broken spires. Each hex is ½ mile across. Rivers: Rivers flow from west to east. These rivers are mostly rapids, interspersed with calm areas and falls of various heights from the inconvenient to the deadly. The Ape- Men of Saturn make no boats, but the PCs could potentially create a raft. Travel downstream is swift (6 hexes every 10 minutes), but it is dangerous. A random encounter is rolled every 5 minutes while travelling on the river (1 in 3 chance of an encounter). The 3 mph average water speed is about 45 feet per round; to determine actual speed at an encounter location the judge can roll 6d10+15. In most places, a DC 10 skill check is required merely to avoid drowning while being carried along the stream; a DC 15 check is required to reach a bank (after being carried 1d3 hexes). Canyons: The canyons are dimly lit, with muddy or boggy ground at their bottom more often than not, but they are strangely fecund with the weird plants of Saturn. This is the Wormwood – a vast tangle of trees, vines, and undergrowth rooted to the canyon floors and walls. Vegetation is typically hued in shades of yellow, pink, or red, with black-barked trees, and round, pentagonal, or hexagonal leaves being the norm. When Saturn’s magnetic flux is weak, metal items dropped here are swiftly lost in the soft ground unless a DC 15 Luck check succeeds. Characters can typically travel 1 hex every 10 minutes, with a random encounter occurring on a 1 in 5 chance every half hour. Broken Spires: Some parties may wish to attempt travelling in a direct line. Doing so is slow and dangerous – characters must succeed in a DC 10 check (Strength, Agility, or Climb sheer surfaces) in order to move 1 hex in 30 minutes time. Failure means it takes an hour to traverse the hex. Failure by 5 or more indicates a potential fall: Reflex save DC 10+1d6 to avoid falling 1d7 x 10 feet, taking standard falling damage. Creatures are rare among the spires, and a random encounter has a 1 in 10 chance of occurring every 3 hours. FEATURES OF SATURN 08 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 1d7 Rivers Canyons Broken Spires 1 Flotsam Ape-Man Farmers (3d4) Deathjay (1d3-1) 2 Giant Flatworm (1) Ape-Man War Party (3d8) Ring Bats (3d6) 3 Hidden Rock Giant Bloodworms (1d5) Rockfall 4 Major Falls Giant Muckworms (2d3) Saturn Cats (1d3) 5 Minor Falls Melon Patch Shimmer Lizards (1d3-1) 6 Rapids Vegetable Patch Tunnel 7 Toadfish (1) Wormgod Wormgod Ape-Man Farmers (3d4): Init +0; Atk wooden rake or hoe +4 melee (1d4+3) or bite +0 melee (1d4+3) or slam +2 melee (1d6+3) or thrown stone +1 ranged (1d4); AC 12; HD 2d8; MV 20’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will –1; AL L. The Ape-Men of Saturn are tall and thin, with pale purple fur and wide, spayed hands and feet. Their tusked jaws are able to crack the toughest nut or deliver a nasty bite. They are largely agrarian, being far more likely to flee than to fight. If communications can be established, their knowledge of the canyons may be invaluable to the PCs. These Ape-Men are armed only with wooden hoes or rakes, as well as stones found lying upon the ground. When encountered they are (1d5): (1) planting seeds from wormskin pouches, (2) harvesting nuts from bushes, (3) weeding a melon patch, (4) carrying bundles of vegetables back to the nearest Ape-Man village, or (5) clearing an area to create a new planting site. Unfamiliar with metal, the Ape-Men view it as supernatural. The PCs may be able to establish themselves as gods or potent sorcerers in order to cow the Ape-Men or gain their aid. The judge should remember that a god who can bleed is not a god, and may face bloody consequences for his imposture. If even one Ape-Man manages to escape should the PCs become violent, the party is attacked by an Ape-Man War Party with +1 member per PC after 1d3+2 turns (see below). PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 09 E. Glimworm Ford: The canyon is intersected here by a broad, relatively gentle river current. You can hear the thunder of more rapidly moving water both upstream and down. Here and there you can see flashes in the water – opalescent worms about 4 to 6 inches long cling to a few of the flat stones. These mall worms are glimworms. They are not a hazard. Swallowed whole and alive, a glimworm grants 1d3 dice of healing – this first affects poisons, then diseases, and then wounds. A glimworm cannot help with wounds while a character is diseased, or with diseases while a character is poisoned. Saturn’s Ape-Men are well aware of their healing properties, and consider them a gift of the Wormgod. Finding 1d5 glimworms is easy if the ford has been undisturbed for several hours. Thereafter, it takes 3d10 minutes to capture each additional glimworm. They die in 2d3 minutes if not kept moist, but can otherwise survive up to 1d3 days away from their native waters. F. Grimsurk: The Ape-Man village of Grimsurk is built of worm-skin membranes stretched over wooden frames to create platforms high among the trees of the canyon’s Wormwood. As such, it is not immediately apparent to characters passing below. They collect rainwater in worm skin traps among the trees, and eat food raw rather than risk tell- tale scents. This eerily quiet Ape-Man village consists of 42 Ape-Man warriors, 78 farmers, and 34 children. All members of the village are adept in a complex sign language as well as the language of Saturn’s Ape-Men. They believe that secrecy is the key to survival, and especially fear discovery by the village of Duggabask. To that end, they will attempt to capture PCs who discover them. Captives will be questioned by the three eldest Ape-Man warriors (Eveogg, Grangam, and Buhk; each has 20 hp) and killed if there is any doubt that they will keep the village secret. This village is largely Neutral in outlook. Any Ape-Man from this village gains a +3 bonus to any skill checks involving hiding or moving quietly. G. Wormsbridge: A roaring cataract cuts through the canyon, creating a chute of white water and rocks some 60 feet below. Across the 120 foot gap, a tattered worm skin is stretched, the blue-grey membrane translucent near to the point of transparency. It is large enough for even the tallest among you to pass through it with room to spare. The worm skin is held onto the rock using many wooden and bone pegs. The skin is still strong and elastic, being oiled regularly with muckworm slime. Because of its elasticity, the 24 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N D. Corpse Worms: Ahead, the canyon is blocked by the enormous, bloated corpse of a gigantic worm. Only part of it is out of the ground, but what you can see is a body at least 30 feet in diameter and of an untold length. Its glistening pink-red skin has pulled back in several areas, revealing rotting flesh beneath. The stench is incredible. Large bristles in the dead worm’s skin offer a way to climb over it, if you wish to continue in this direction along the canyon. It takes the average character seven rounds to cross the rotting body: three rounds climbing up, two crossing over, and two climbing down. Any character can use an Action Die to make a DC 10 Agility check to reduce the time needed for any step by 1 round, but only a Thief can attempt to use his second Action Die (if any) in this manner. Any roll made atop the worm has a –1d penalty on the dice chain due to unstable footing on the shifting gelid mass. In the event of a natural “1,” in addition to any other penalties, a creature falls into the gelid mass, requiring a successful DC 5 Agility check to stand or move (this requires the use of an Action Die). Characters can simply drop off the worm rather than climb down. This requires a DC 15 Reflex save on the first round to avoid 2d6 damage, or a DC 10 Reflex save on the second round to avoid 1d6 damage. This body is infested with venomous corpse worms, narrow green-black creatures between 5 and 7 feet long with mouths that separate into four sharply serrated cartilaginous plates (shaped like an X when closed). It takes the corpse worms 1d7 rounds to become aware that other creatures are in contact and move into position to attack. This means that one, several, or all characters may be able to cross the barrier without hazard. Once corpse worms appear, 1d3 additional worms appear each round. Corpse worm venom is a neurotoxin causing a –5 penalty to movement and a – 2 penalty to Reflex saves and Agility checks. A DC 10 Fort save negates, but penalties for failed saves are cumulative. If movement is brought to 0’, a character is paralyzed for 10-30 minutes. Otherwise, the effect wears off in 1d3 minutes. Corpse worms lay eggs in paralyzed victims. These eggs do no harm, but chemicals created by the breakdown of dead tissue cause them to hatch, creating 1d5 corpse worms in a human-sized creature after death. These worms require 1d3 hours to grow before posing a menace. For every 10’ a character’s movement is reduced, it takes 1 more round to complete any step in crossing the dead worm’s carcass. Corpse worms (Up to 30): Init +0; Atk bite +3 melee (1 plus venom); AC 12; HD 1d5; hp 3 each; MV 10’ or burrow 10’; Act 1d20; SP venom, lay eggs; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +0; AL N. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 23 Ape-Man War Party (3d8): Init +3; Atk spear +6 melee (1d8+3) or bite +2 melee (1d4+3) or slam +6 melee (1d6+3) or thrown stone +3 missile fire (1d4); AC 14; HD 3d8; MV 20’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; AL L. These Ape-Men carry spears and crude shields of cured wormhide stretched across a wooden frame. Unlike the farmers, they are prepared for conflict and not easily cowed. Unless looking for the PCs specifically, the war party is engaged in (1d5): (1) raiding an opposing village’s gardens, (2) hunting (1 in 3 carrying 1d3 giant muckworms as game), (3) stealing mates from other villages (1 in 5 with 1d3 females already in tow), (4) on patrol against other raiders, or (5) fighting an opposing war party of 3d8 Ape-Men. As with the Ape-Man farmers, metal armor and weapons fill these warriors with supernatural awe. Deathjay (1d3-1): Init –1; Atk bite +8 melee (2d4) or tail swipe +5 melee (4d5); AC 14; HD 4d8; hp 17 each; MV 40’ or climb 20’; Act 2d20; SP screech; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N. Deathjays are six-legged creatures which resemble a cross between a wingless blue jay and a feathered stegosaur the size of a horse. They nest among the broken spires, where females brood on clutches of 2d5 eggs 20% of the time, or seek immobilized prey to feed their chicks 5% of the time. The screech of a deathjay causes all within 30’ to make a Fort save, with the result based upon the outcome, as shown on the accompanying table. If the roll for number encountered results in “0”, roll 1d5: (1-3) a deathjay screech is heard from afar – 10 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N disconcerting, but not damaging, (4) an abandoned deathjay nest is found, (5) a deathjay nest with eggs (1-5) or chicks (6) is found – the mother lurks nearby. Flotsam: A jam of logs and matted vegetation across the surface of the river. PCs travelling downstream must succeed in a DC 10 skill check to avoid striking the mass; if they strike, each PC must make a DC 10 Fort save to avoid 1d6 points of damage (from jarring, striking a log, and/or being thrown from their raft or boat). Characters can get ashore here with a DC 9+1d5 Agility check. Alternatively, they can free their vessel with 1d3 x 10 minutes of work. There is a 20% chance of a creature on or below the flotsam (roll 1d4): (1) Ape-Man (as farmer, without weapon), (2) bedraggled deathjay (reduce hp by 2d4), (3) giant bloodworm, or (4) giant flatworm. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 11 Hydra worm: Init +4; Atk bite +6 melee (1d10+4); AC 14; HD 7d12; hp 7 per head; MV 20’; Act 1d20 per head; SP crit on a 19-20, spit ammonia, death throes; SV Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +5; AL C. The hydra worm’s slimy body is studded with gem-like sequins, biological nodules that may be red, green, or violet. Once the body stops thrashing, these sequins may be harvested at the rate of 10 red a minute, 1 green a minute, of 1 violet every 10 minutes, with a maximum of 4d100 red (1 sp value) sequins, 4d24 green (1 gp) sequins, and 4d3 violet (1 ep) sequins. They are non-metallic. The bones are from Ape-Men and other creatures. Examination may give clues about the creatures listed as random encounters. Characters entering the noisome cave discover that it goes roughly north some 200’ before ending in a miles-deep chasm. What may be found below is left to the judge’s discretion. C. Turkorog: A village of Ape-Men is built where two canyon branches meet, comprised of many cave dwellings and a few buildings around a large clear pool. The buildings are made of translucent worm-leather stretched over black wooden frames. Worm meat is being smoked on racks over smoldering ashes. Males grind roots into a kind of flour. Children play. Females practice at arms, drink fermented brew, or simply talk in small groups. The village of Turkorog is matriarchal. Males are considered the weaker gender, and perform menial tasks and rear children. Females hunt, fight, and command. When a Turkorog female is visibly pregnant, she retires in comfort, attended by her husbands, until her child is old enough to be weaned. Female PCs have a real advantage here, as the Turkorogi will assume they are in charge, and will deal with them by preference. The hairless skin of most PC species will fascinate the Turkogogi, who call it “worm-smooth” – some females may even try to add male PCs to their harems! This village consists of 89 female Ape-Man warriors, 133 male Ape-Man farmers, 50 non-combatant Ape- Man children, and the Alpha Female, Grydris – a muscular Ape-Woman over eight feet tall. So long as the PCs have not assaulted villagers, are reasonably well-behaved, and are not known allies of Duggabask, this village is cautiously friendly. For Ape-Man warrior and farmer statistics, see the section on random encounters. Grydris, Alpha Female Ape-Woman: Init +4; Atk spear +8 melee (1d8+4) or bite +3 melee (1d4+4) or slam +8 melee (1d6+4) or thrown stone +5 missile fire (1d4); AC 14; HD 6d8+6; hp 34; MV 20’ or climb 30’; Act 1d20 + 1d14; SP Crits using 1d3 on Table G; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +6; AL L. 22 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N The cave is the lair of a hydra worm, an abomination 20’ long whose forward section splits into seven “necks,” each terminating in a lamprey-like mouth. The hydra worm smells like vinegar, and each head has a 1 in 5 chance each round of spitting a stream of caustic liquid ammonia (2d6 damage, Fort DC 12 for half). Like a true hydra, each “head” of a hydra worm requires 7 hp to destroy. Unlike a true hydra, hydra worms regenerate slowly, and are slain if all their heads are killed. When the last head is reduced to 0 hp, the hydra worm’s body begins to thrash violently, and does so for 1d7 rounds. Each round, all within 30’ must succeed in a Reflex save to avoid 1d6 damage from the crushing bulk of the worm’s body. The DC for this save starts at 15, but is reduced by 2 for each round the worm thrashes. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 21 Fort Save Result 1 or less Victim dies 2-5 Victim is paralyzed for 2d3 x 10 minutes, and possibly taken to a nest to feed deathjay chicks. 6-10 Victim is paralyzed for 1d3 minus Stamina modifier rounds. 11-15 Headache gives victim –1d penalty to all rolls for 1d6 rounds. 16 or higher No ill effect. Giant Bloodworms (1d5): Init +1; Atk bite +0 melee (1 plus attach); AC 9; HD 1d6; hp 4 each; MV 20’ or climb 10’; Act 1d20; SP attach, blood drain, hard to remove; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N. These are slender foot-long purplish- red worms with lamprey-like mouths. They live both along the ground and in the vegetation of Saturn’s canyons, where they seek small creatures as prey. When a bloodworm bites an opponent, it latches on, sending a strong, narrow tongue like barbed wire into the wound. Dislodging this tongue requires a DC 15 Strength check while the worm lives, or a DC 10 check once it is dead. Once attached, they drain blood at the rate of 1d3 hp per round unless slain or removed. The barbed tongue makes removal even more difficult – the wound continues to bleed (doing 1d3 per round) for 3d3 rounds, unless healed with an appropriate DC 5 skill check or the victim receives magical healing. Giant Flatworm (1): Init –2; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6); AC 14; HD 3d8; hp 14; MV 5’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP snatch, immune to blunt weapons, regeneration; SV Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +0; AL N. This is an enormous, planarian-like flatworm which normally subsists by filter-feeding, but which is willing to add both meat and vegetation to its diet. It has sharp silicate teeth, and any successful attack allows it to snatch a being off of a boat or raft, allowing for automatic damage on subsequent rounds. Escape is relatively easy – a DC 5 Strength or Agility check – but at that point it is likely that the victim’s boat has been bourn downstream and the victim may face an unhappy choice between drowning, being devoured, or being lost, alone on Saturn. Giant flatworms are difficult to kill. They are completely immune to damage from blunt weapons, and if reduced to 0 hp they are not necessarily dead – over a period of days or weeks, each part may grow into a new giant flatworm. 12 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N Giant Muckworms (2d3): Init –4; Atk bite –2 melee (0 plus psychedelic spores); AC 9; HD 1d8; hp 5 each; MV 10’; Act 1d20; SP surprise, psychedelic spores, eggs; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N. These are three to seven feet long worms are ringed with bright patterns or black-and-white markings. They hide beneath the muck of the canyons, achieving surprise on a 1-5 on 1d6 (1-2 on 1d6 against the Ape-Men of Saturn, who hunt them for food, leather, and oil). Their bite does no damage, but may inject spores into the victim (Fort DC 10 negates). Any infected by these spores completely lose touch with reality for 1d5 minutes, and thereafter must make a DC 20 Fort save or suffer a –2 penalty to all rolls as the spore are metabolized over the next 1d5 hours. The Ape-Men use these spores to brew a potent drink called tsath. Muckworms attempt to lay eggs in the bloodstream of victims affected by their spores. This requires 1d3+1 rounds where the worm is not being attacked, but allows no save. The eggs take 1d3 days to affect the host, who then suffers 1d3 points of damage to Strength, Stamina, or Agility (determine each point randomly) for 2d6 days. At the end of this period, 3d6 threadlike young muckworms exit through whatever orifice is available. The infestation can be cured with 3 dice of clerical healing. Hidden Rock: A hidden rock in the stream ahead is hit unless someone is watching out for hidden water hazards (DC 5 Intelligence-based skill check to notice). Assume any character with an appropriate background is watching; otherwise the players must state this before the encounter. If the rock is hit, roll 1d4 for the rock and 1d8 for a raft or 1d6 for a makeshift dugout canoe. If the d4 result is equal to or higher than the other die result, the vessel is holed or capsized (equal chance of each). Major Falls: The water level drops by 2d6 x 10 feet. The falls can be heard 1d3 hexes away. At 3 hexes, reaching the shore line instead of going over the falls requires a DC 5 skill check. At 2 hexes, the DC is 10. At 1 hex, the DC is 15. In the same hex, the DC is 20. Going over the falls causes normal falling damage. In addition, roll 1d6 for every 10’ fallen; a boat is destroyed if the result of any die is a “1,” unless a PC spends a permanent point of Luck to preserve it per “1” rolled. PCs who reach the shore find a way to portage on a 1 in 6 chance. Portaging takes 1d7 x 10 minutes. Melon Patch: The PCs discover a hidden patch of dark red melons, being grown by Ape-Men from the closest village. There is a 1 in 5 chance that a group of Ape-Man Farmers is in the vicinity. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 13 Passing over the Broken Spires of Saturn – where the Vault of Zin is supposedly hidden – it is impossible to trace the narrow canyons amid the general alien foliage of the region. To the southeast of the Broken Spires is a relatively flat place large enough to set down your ship…and clear enough to see anything that might lurk waiting for you. A few strange formations rise from the ground, covered with brightly- colored vines and shrubbery. Your information is that the Vault is somewhere in the center of the region north and west of you, where a river and the twisting canyons intersect. An entrance to the canyons winds down to the east from your landing site. Yellow, pink, and red leaves, and a tangle of black-barked trees and vines, create deep shadows below. Weird animal calls echo up from the foliage. A distant screech sets your teeth on edge. Welcome to Saturn. SET ENCOUNTERS A. Landing Area: The starting area is a relatively clear region about a half-mile across. Spending 10 minutes clearing vines from any of the strange formations in the clearing reveals the eroded pieces of stone crawljamming ships, thousands of years old…or even older. Some are now so degraded that it is impossible to tell that they were ever worked stone. These are the remains of earlier expeditions, sent by Satrampa to rescue or fortify her dead paramour. Half an hour of hard digging is sufficient to uncover the first of many golden sails buried here. These sails are spread out, and are largely responsible for the reduced vegetation in the clearing. Uncovering a single sail enough to free it from the soil requires 2d3 hours of hard labor cutting through matted roots and removing heavy loam. These sails are heavy, even though they are not made of both cord and gold springs, with a 500 square yard sail weighing 200 pounds or more when dry. Saturn’s magnetic pull may make them even heavier, although at Stage 4 of Saturn’s flux, it is relatively easy to move the sails. At Stage 5, unless held down by sufficient weight, moving the sails may prove deadly. There are golden rudders down there somewhere, too, but Saturn’s magnetic pull has drawn them so deep that they will probably never be found. B. Hydra Worm: Where the canyon forks there is a deep pit in or cave undercutting the jutting rock dividing the ways to the north and the northwest. The area around the cave-pit is littered with bones, some apparently humanoid and others from the strange animals of this world. There is a strong scent of vinegar and ammonia here. The cave-pit itself is 15 feet in diameter. ADVENTURE START 20 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N Vegetable Patch: The PCs discover a hidden patch of vegetables, being grown by Ape-Men from the closest village. Roll 1d5: (1) orange tubers, (2) pink carrot-like root vegetables, (3) purple leafy vegetables, (4) parsnips, or (5) blue pods. There is a 1 in 7 chance that a group of Ape-Man Farmers is in the vicinity. Wormgod: Saturn’s Ape-Men worship a great pallid Wormgod gnawing in the depths of the world. This is a real creature – the manifestation of the sins of Saturn’s ancient civilization, or the physical representation of its punishment. When this encounter is indicated, roll 1d5 and consult the table below. Any Ape-Man present will know this to be an omen from the Wormgod. 1d5 Effect 1 Tremor: The ground shakes. In the Broken Spires, a DC 5 Reflex save is required to avoid a fall causing 1d6 damage. The Wormgod moves in the depths. 2 Earthquake: The ground shakes violently. In the canyons, a DC 5 Reflex save is required to remain standing. In the Broken Spires, a DC 10 Reflex save is required to avoid a fall (or falling rocks) causing 2d6 damage. The Wormgod is angry. 3 Vision: A miles-long pallid worm, over a mile and a half wide, rises in the far distance, writhes against the sky, and then collapses in silence. Was it real, or just a vision? Ape-Men who see it gain +1 Luck. 4 Fissure: A miles-deep fissure opens in the ground, 1d12 x 10’ across. In a canyon, it cuts the canyon off completely in one direction. In the Broken Spires, a DC 5 Reflex save is needed to avoid falling into the fissure (which opens where the PCs are). The fissure closes after 1d6 hours. Anyone in the fissure when it closes, or who falls into it, is forever lost. The Wormgod hungers. 5 Wailing: The wailing of the ancient damned is heard from deep beneath the ground. The noise lasts for 1d7 minutes. The Wormgod warns of its displeasure. Ape-Men who hear the wailing lose 1 point of Luck. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 19 Minor Falls: As Major Falls, above, but the drop is only 1d6 x 10’. The falls is heard 1d3-1 hexes away, and the DC for reaching the shore safely is DC 5 at 2 hexes, DC 10 at 1 hex, and DC 15 in the same hex. Portaging takes 1d5 x 10 minutes. Rapids: An area of rapids requires a skill check (DC 1d12+5) to negotiate safely. If the check fails, all characters must roll a Luck check. Any character who fails sustains 1d6 damage while traversing the rapids. If all PCs fail, the boat is capsized and all PCs suffer an additional 1d6 damage. If the skill check succeeds, the PCs gain an extra 1d3 hexes of movement during this 10 minutes. If the skill check fails, the PCs lose 1d3-1 hexes of movement. Ring Bats (3d6): Init +3; Atk tail whip +6 melee (1d6) or bite +2 melee (1d4 plus poison); AC 15; HD 3d8; hp 13 each; MV 10’ or fly 40’; Act 2d20; SP tail whip 15’ reach, screech, immune to cold; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +2; AL C. Brightly colored, alligator-sized reptilian bats that can fly within the space between worlds, ring bats nest among the jumbled ice and stone of Saturn’s rings. They hunt in the rings, on Saturn’s many moons, and along the higher reaches of Saturn itself. They have long, whip-like tails, which can strike at a foe up to 15’ away. They can screech to disorient a single foe within 30’ (Fort DC 15 negates), dropping that foe’s next Action Die by –1d on the dice chain. Luckily for potential prey, they are highly competitive, and an uninjured ring bat has a 1 in 3 chance of using its screech against another bat attacking the same creature, rather than against the creature itself. The bite of a ring bat is mildly poisonous (Fort DC 5 or suffer 1d3 points of temporary Agility damage). Rockfall: A rock fall threatens climbers. A DC 1d10+5 Reflex save avoids falling rocks (either falling from above or breaking from beneath climbers). 1d3 random PCs must save. Failure causes 1d5 (modified by Luck) d6 of damage (Fort DC 12 for half). Saturn Cats (1d3): Init +1; Atk tentacle or pseudopod or bite or claw +2 melee (1d3); AC 15; HD 2d8; hp 9 each; MV 40’; Act 1d20; SP disorient, teleport; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4; AL C. The cats of Saturn look nothing like terrestrial cats, yet any who sees one immediately understands that it is a cat. Other than that, Saturn cats defy easy description, being an ever-shifting mass about the size of a small dog. Attempting to comprehend a Saturn cat is disorienting; the PC must succeed in a DC 10 Will save with each action, or take a –1d penalty on the dice chain. These cats can teleport between worlds, possibly offering stranded PCs an escape route from Saturn. They are intelligent, and can be bargained with. Saturn cats and terrestrial cats harbor mutual implacable enmity, and attack each other on sight. 14 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N Shimmer Lizards (1d3-1): Init +5; Atk swarming sting +3 melee (1d3); AC 14; HD 3d6; hp 11 each; MV 10’ or fly 30’; Act special; SP swarm traits; SV Fort +0, Ref +5, Will –4; AL N. A shimmer lizard swarm fills a 20- foot square area with numerous iridescent red and black lizard-wasps with dragonfly wings. Each lizard is only about 6 inches long. As a swarm, they make a single attack against all creatures in their area. Non-area attacks do only half damage to the swarm. When the swarm reaches 0 hp, it breaks up, but some of the component parts survive. Shimmer lizards dwell in vast honeycombed nests within the broken spires. They sun on exposed rocks or branches. If an encounter indicates “0” shimmer lizards, there are not enough present to form a swarm. Toadfish (1): Init +0; Atk bite +3 melee (1d5) or tongue +8 ranged (0 plus snatch); AC 10; HD 8d10; hp 42; MV 10’; Act 1d20; SP snatch, swallow; SV Fort +8, Ref –5, Will +4; AL C. A toadfish is a malevolent creature that clings to Saturn’s riverbeds with vast fins resembling bat wings. Although piscine, its features strongly resemble a corpulent toad admixes with a bat, and it exudes a foul-smelling slime. The flesh of a toadfish is horrible to taste. The creature itself is 30’ long and 20’ wide. It moves by crawling across the riverbed with its fins. PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 15 A toadfish attacks with its sticky tongue, which has a range of 50’. Whatever is hit is drawn toward the toadfish’s maw at a rate of 20’ per round. The tongue is AC 15 and releases if dealt 15 points of damage or if a creature is drawn into striking range. Because boats are not used by the Ape-Men of Saturn, there is a 4 in 6 chance that a toadfish will initially target a boat or raft in preference to its occupants, succeeding if it hits AC 10. If the toadfish’s bite hits with a natural 19-20, in addition to other critical effects the toadfish swallows its prey whole. Swallowed prey takes 1d3 damage each round, and can only attack with a small weapon at –1d on the dice chain. It takes 1d6 rounds to cut a victim free, and the victim continues to take damage during this time. Tunnel: The PCs locate a tunnel that seems to head in the direction they want. If the PCs test the tunnel, roll 1d12, using the modifiers of the PCs with the highest and lowest Luck scores in the group: Result Outcome 0 or less The tunnel dead ends in (1d5): (1) a deathjay nest with two deathjays, (3-4) the lair of 1d5 shimmer lizard swarms, or (5) an area occupied by 1d6 Saturn cats (Will DC 20; if all PCs fail, they pass out, awakening 1d3 hours later in a location chosen by the judge, anywhere on the adventure map). 1-2 The tunnel moves in the desired direction for 1d3 hexes, and then sharply descends, terminating in a bottomless pit. The time spent exploring this area is lost. 3-5 The tunnel moves in the desired direction, but is riven by a chasm after 1d3 hexes. The chasm is 3d6 x 10’ deep, and can be leaped with a DC 1d10+5 Strength or Agility check. If the PCs cross the chasm, roll again to determine how the tunnel ends. 6-9 The tunnel travels 1d3 hexes in the desired direction before ending in a usable exit. 10-12 The tunnel travels all the way to the nearest encounter location, canyon section, or river in the desired direction, where the PCs can safely exit. 13+ As 10-12, above, but the tunnel interior is also completely shielded against Saturn’s eerie magnetic pull and its associated flux. 18 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N The PCs can travel 1 hex in 15 minutes within the tunnels, if they have a light source. Further, there are no random encounters within the tunnels. The judge is encouraged to mark the location of known tunnels, so that the PCs may exploit them in the future. J K L G H I E F D C B A 16 T H E W E I R D W O R M - WAY S O F S AT U R N PA R T O N E : A S H E S A N D W O R M W O O D 17 N NORTH

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SWORDBREAKERS BY BRUCE R. CORDELL AN ELITE ORGANIZATION OF THE STRANGE 2 Credits Writer/Designer Bruce R. Cordell Developer Monte Cook Creative Director Shanna Germain Editor & Proofreader Ray Vallese Cover Artist Matt Stawicki Graphic Designer Bear Weiter Cartographer Hugo Solis Artists Patrick McEvoy Grzegorz Pedrycz Joe Slucher Matt Stawicki Tiffany Turrill Monte Cook Games Editorial Board Scott C. Bourgeois David Wilson Brown Eric Coates Gareth Hodges Jeremy Land Laura Wilkinson Marina Wold George Ziets © 2014 Monte Cook Games, LLC The Strange and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Table of Contents Introducing the Swordbreakers 3 Manifest Zeal (for the GM) 4 Swordbreaking (for player characters) 14 Dedicated to our Kickstarter backers Andrew Cotgreave, Brian Hickey, Federico Franceschi, and Andrew Brereton 3 INTRODUCING THE SWORDBREAKERS Throughout this adventure, you’ll see page references to various items accompanied by this symbol. These are page references to The Strange corebook, where you can find additional details about that item, place, rule, NPC, or creature. It isn’t usually necessary to look up the referenced items in the corebook; it’s an optional way to learn more about the situation and provide additional information to your players. The exception is if a cypher or creature stat is referenced, in which case you’ll want the corebook nearby. Swordbreakers: An Elite Organization of the Strange gives players and game masters a close look at a select group of NPCs active in various recursions, but especially Ardeyn. As a GM resource, Swordbreakers introduces a crack team of NPCs for players to ally with, fight, or even aspire to join, along with the history, goals, and short description of the group’s main base. In addition, this Fractal also includes several adventure seeds, a location (Swordbreaker Keep), and artifacts (the Soul Gem of Zeal and its various fragments, plus boots of the Strange). As a player resource, Swordbreakers potentially provides a special focus (Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal), patrons (or sometimes allies) in the form of the NPCs, and an affiliate organization for those who want to expand their horizons. It’s up to the PCs. Will their characters oppose, ally with, or join the Swordbreakers? INTRODUCING THE SWORDBREAKERS Soul Gem of Zeal, page 10 Swordbreaker Zeal fragment, page 15 Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal, page 14 4 Recruited out of an already-elite team called the Prime Element on Earth, Swordbreakers are among the best of the best. They can acclimate to almost any recursion, environment, or situation. But their primary mission is facing threats that arise in the recursion of Ardeyn. To that end, the Swordbreaker Alpha Team spends most of its time in the Land of the Curse, operating out of a fortress called Swordbreaker Keep. (The Swordbreaker Bravo Team is made up of recursors who include the PCs, but only if the characters join the organization.) Symbol: Exploding sword Motto: Bravery, Honor, and Sacrifice SWORDBREAKER ALPHA TEAM The four principals of the group, plus their commanding officer, are detailed below. Each member of the Alpha Team focuses on one or two areas where they particularly excel, though they’re all deadly with weapons, cunning, and, because they work as a team, hard to kill. Prime Element, page 201 Ardeyn, page 160 “Really, you didn’t already know that? How . . . interesting.” —Federico Franceschi, Swordbreaker MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) 5 MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) ANDREW COTGREAVE “GREAVES” Andrew Cotgreave, commonly called “Greaves” by his teammates, is a former Navy SEAL. Andrew is a brash man of few regrets and fewer friends. Mostly, only other Swordbreakers have warm feelings for him (and not all of them, and none of them all the time). Despite his sometimes harsh bearing, flaring temper, and fiery language, Greaves is a man of honest feelings and the kind of person you want in your corner. As your friend, Greaves will never let you down. As your enemy, he will never stop looking for you until you’ve paid for whatever you did to piss him off in the first place. Like any sane resident of Ardeyn, Greaves is concerned about Lotanic cultists, but he has a special dislike for dragons, who once served as the mounts for Lotan’s ancient army. Even though most dragons in Ardeyn have no obvious remaining connection with what burns in the Heart Core, Greaves retains a nigh-unstoppable hatred for the creatures that seems unlikely to ever be tempered. In Ardeyn, Greaves is particularly adept at hunting and killing dragons, which puts some of the fear of him into dragons that dragons normally instill in others. CONDAR FREED Condar Freed is a mechanic/demo specialist. Only his closest friends know that he was born Brian Hickey. But like so many other things, he resolved to leave his old life behind. He became Condar Freed in mind, body, and will. It’s his resolute nature that saved him when he was injured by an IED on a patrol across Syria. Given the terrible wounds he received, most people would have given up. But Condar vowed to live. He crawled 10 miles back to base in what can only be called a superhuman effort. He’s a man of his word, and not just to himself. If Condar promises something, he won’t stop until he does what he swore he’d do. Condar Freed’s indomitable will is what first allowed him to fend off the fear that besets most people who deal with ghosts, spirits, and necromancy. Despite the real possibility that a bodiless spirit could “sour” and become wrathful or demonic, he recognizes that those who have passed into the spirit realm should be protected, respected, and, when possible, saved from a fate of irredeemable evil. In Ardeyn, Condar Freed gains the ability to command spectral spirits. FEDERICO FRANCESCHI Federico Franceschi is a hacker/tech genius. Seriously, he’s the smartest man you’ll probably ever meet. His memory is supernatural, he grasps difficult concepts with ease, and his wit is beyond compare. In fact, some would say he’s so cutting that he’s cruel. That goes double for people who demonstrate a willful ignorance regarding any topic important to Federico. Some say he deserved to win a national “computer hacker” championship, but his open contempt for the event organizers got him disqualified from the final match. He plays it off when the topic comes up, but the slight is something that bothers him to this day. More than just his wit is cutting—Federico is a master with the blade. His great intelligence gave If Condar Freed were a PC, in Ardeyn his focus would usually be Shepherds the Dead, unless he Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal, page 14 Condar Summary: quiet unless provoked, intense, given to staring impolitely Slays Dragons, page 77 Dragon, page 267 Heart Core, page 186 Shepherds the Dead, page 76 If Greaves were a PC, in Ardeyn his focus would usually be Slays Dragons, unless he Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. Greaves Summary: foul-mouthed, loud, doesn’t (seem to) give a rip ANDREW COTGREAVE STATS ON EARTH Level: 5 Tasks related to planning combat tactics as level 6 Health: 25 Armor: 1 Long-range pistol attack that inflicts 6 points of damage IN ARDEYN Level: 5 Health: 25 Armor: 2 Lance attack that deals 7 points of damage (10 points to creatures more than twice as large as him) Carries Swordbreaker Zeal fragment CONDAR FREED STATS ON EARTH Level: 5 Attacks with pistol as level 6, tasks related to engine repair and explosives as level 6 Health: 20 Long-range pistol attack for 4 points of damage IN ARDEYN Level: 5 Health: 20 Accompanied by level 3 spirit accomplice that serves as an asset to any one attack or defense task each round Shamshir (scimitar) attack for 4 points of damage Carries Swordbreaker Zeal fragment If Federico were a PC, his focus in Ardeyn would usually be Wields Two Weapons at Once, unless he Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. Federico Summary: cutting humor, knows more than you Wields Two Weapons at Once, page 82 6 him not only the capacity to study the techniques of old masters but also the mental agility to incorporate moves of newer teachers, including those located in a “mere” recursion like Ardeyn. Federico appreciates how the near-boundless computing potential of the dark energy network precipitated Ardeyn’s retroactive history, making it almost as real and relevant as actual history on Earth. That history is also much longer, and blade techniques in Ardeyn have had much more time to develop. In Ardeyn, Federico studies and improves his blade technique with as much intelligence and attention to detail as he applied to mastering computer code and related technology on Earth. ANDREW BRERETON Andrew Brereton is a tough palooka type, ready to take on anything that comes his way. That’s because he’s truly jovial and never lets anything get him down too long. That good nature extends to his comrades. Andrew is always ready with a quip, a play on words, or a comedic expression to ease the strains of everyday life—or, in the case of the Swordbreakers, the vicissitudes of the occasional grueling mission. In fact, Andrew is in many ways the glue that holds the Alpha Team together. Internally, his near-endless supply of good cheer is something that other Swordbreakers have come to rely on, even if they never admit it. Moreover, without Andrew to put a pleasant face on Greaves’s foul mouth, Federico’s cruel wit, and Condar’s intense silence, the Swordbreakers would probably have a much different reputation than the fairly positive one they enjoy in Ardeyn. If Andrew were a PC, his focus in Ardeyn would usually be Abides in Stone, unless he Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. Andrew Summary: jolly, friendly, ready with a joke FEDERICO FRANCESCHI STATS ON EARTH Level: 5 Tasks related to computer use and hacking as level 6 Health: 20 Scimitar attack for 5 points of damage IN ARDEYN Level: 5 Health: 20 Armor: 1 Two shamshir (scimitar) attacks as a single action for 4 points of damage each Carries Swordbreaker Zeal fragment Abides in Stone, page 51 7 MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) energy (which shines blue-white). In this guise, the Swordbreakers’ commander comes across as a no-nonsense leader with little time for niceties or distractions. That may be her true personality, though because she has a limited period while in simulacrum form—usually no more than an hour at a time—she just might not have time to act otherwise. When she is not communicating through the Soul Gem of Zeal or present in the Swordbreakers’ base as a spirit energy simulacrum, where she resides remains a secret. SWORDBREAKERS BACKGROUND Zanousha Nazari wasn’t the first Swordbreaker. When the Quiet Cabal formed the organization, the group first picked Gordon Galbraith to lead the team. He immediately set the Swordbreakers on a quest to find and destroy something called the Soul Gem of Zeal. According to Galbraith, the power accumulating in the soul gem was like a time bomb, and the longer it was allowed to resonate, the more certain Lotan’s eventual freedom would become. To destroy the soul gem, the Swordbreakers had to find it. Thanks to the efforts of Condar Freed and his ability to question spirits, the soul gem was finally located in a bastion in the hollowed-out center of a massive stone monument along the eastern Borderlands of Ardeyn. The bastion was defended by several golems, but Andrew Brereton convinced the creatures that the Swordbreakers were allies, not enemies. The team slipped into the inner sanctum, where the soul gem rested in an elaborate cradle. Its potent guardian, a creature of brilliant spiritual energy powered directly by the Soul Gem of Zeal, emerged to face them. Andrew had a tough childhood, one in which his father was something of a bully and an avid proponent of corporal punishment. Rather than pull into himself, Andrew looked outward for peace and happiness in other parts of his life. And he was rewarded in spades. In Ardeyn, where jokes are less common, he applies himself to riddles. In the city known as Citadel Hazurrium, he sometimes presents himself not as a member of the Swordbreakers but as the celebrated Golem Riddler, whose riddles are as hard to penetrate as his stony hide is. (On the rare occasion he translates back to Earth, it’s usually to attend an “open mic” night at a comedy club.) When Andrew translates to Ardeyn, his body becomes stone like a golem’s, which is incredibly useful when his jokes fail to impress servitors of Lotan, the Betrayer, or invading Strangers. ZANOUSHA NAZARI The true identity of the Swordbreakers’ commander is secret, but her code name is Zanousha Nazari. She apparently resides in Ardeyn, but the team members have never met her in person. She sends them mission updates via the Soul Gem of Zeal whenever official Swordbreaker services are required. In rare circumstances, a simulacrum of Zanousha forms for short periods, composed of Zeal spirit “There’s no time to feel sorry for the victims. If that makes me a bad guy, too bad. The Lotanic cultists who did this don’t feel bad, for fuck’s sake. So we need to toughen up and go after them right now, not sit around wringing our hands.” —Greaves, Swordbreaker ZANOUSHA STATS AS ENERGY SIMULACRUM Level: 6 Health: 30 Armor: 3 from Zeal energy Long-range Zeal energy attack that inflicts 7 points of damage and ignores Armor If destroyed, reappears 24 hours later Gordon Galbraith, page 13 Zanousha Summary: terse, focused, sometimes wistful Condar Freed, page 5 Lotan, page 162 Citadel Hazurrium, page 166 ANDREW BRERETON STATS ON EARTH Level: 5 Tasks related to diplomacy, persuasion, and detecting the lies of others as level 6 Long-range pistol attack for 5 points of damage IN ARDEYN Level: 5 Health: 25 Armor: 3 from stone form Melee fist attack for 8 points of damage Carries Swordbreaker Zeal fragment A Stranger is the term for any creature native to the Strange, rather than Earth or a recursion. 8 The “creature” named itself Zanousha and seemed unstoppable until Greaves plunged his lance into the soul gem itself. Although this attack didn’t destroy the gem, it did splinter off several fragments and dissipate Zanousha’s form. Galbraith stepped forward and began smashing the remaining Soul Gem of Zeal into so much powder. As he bashed the relic, Federico Franceschi finally put together all the clues that Galbraith had accidentally provided. With his impressive intellect and knowledge of Ardeyn history to draw upon, Federico realized that the massive monument in which they stood likely represented the ruins of one of the missing Seven Sentinels of Ardeyn—which meant the soul gem that Galbraith was hammering away at was a sentinel’s heart or engine. Given that the Seven Sentinels were supposedly set to guard against Lotan’s release, it occurred to Federico that destroying a sentinel’s heart might be unwise. At the precipice, the four team members turned on their commander. It was touch and go, but they prevented Galbraith from utterly destroying the soul gem. However, he managed to escape. He remains somewhere at large to this day, plotting his revenge and sending trouble the Swordbreakers’ way every now and then. In the aftermath, the team members were chastened by how they’d been rooked into doing the opposite of their charter. They pledged to make amends, gain vengeance on Galbraith, and work against Lotan’s servitors and other threats to Ardeyn. In this work, they found a new ally and eventual leader: the same guardian entity they’d first defeated upon attaining the soul gem chamber, Zanousha Nazari. Due to the partial destruction of the soul gem, Zanousha can manifest physically for only a limited time. Even when not manifest, she can still communicate as an image on the Soul Gem of Zeal, or to anyone carrying a fragment of the gem that broke off during the conflict. (Zanousha never explained her lack of a physical body or her association with the soul gem, despite being asked many times.) Besides allowing communication, each Zeal fragment serves as a power conduit artifact to the main soul gem. These days, an outsider might know a Swordbreaker by the soul fragment he carries or the bluish-white glow of Zeal that shines like a faint nimbus around him. SWORDBREAKER GOALS Though individual members have their own motivations, as a group under the command of Zanousha Nazari, the Swordbreakers are consumed by two desires. One is to track down Galbraith and exterminate him and every other Lotanic cultist in Ardeyn. The second is to explore the mysteries of the Age of Myth, especially those that pertain to the Seven Sentinels. This includes learning the fates of the many artifacts and magic objects that bedecked the qephilim cities of old. Individual Swordbreakers are free to pursue secondary concerns, as long as those do not interfere with the organization’s goals. For instance, Andrew Brereton occasionally attends comedy clubs on Earth (and performs during “open mic” nights) and later goes out drinking with friends who have no idea of his secret life in Ardeyn. If he does so on a night before a major mission, however, there’s friction between him and other team members. When the Swordbreakers deploy on missions related to their primary goals, they usually plan ahead, develop fallback contingencies, and pull the trigger only when they’re reasonably confident they know all the facts (the history of their founding still leaves a psychic scar on the original members). Andrew Cotgreave, page 5 Federico Franceschi, page 5 THE QUIET CABAL AND THE PRIME ELEMENT The organization called the Quiet Cabal in Ruk has a covert arm pledged to protecting Earth from various Strange-related dangers. They believe that if Earth were destroyed, Ruk would be as well. Much of the Quiet Cabal’s assets are tied up in countering another faction in Ruk called the Karum. To help fight the Karum’s recent upsurge in activity, a special force called the Prime Element was created. The Prime Element is made up of Earth humans recruited from military units, security companies, and related situations. For a while, the Quiet Cabal was content with leaving Ardeyn-only conflicts to the Estate, its sister organization on Earth. But that eventually changed, and the Swordbreakers was born. Quiet Cabal, page 199 Ruk, page 190 Karum, page 200 Prime Element, page 201 Ardeyn, page 160 Seven Sentinels, page 182 Age of Myth, page 162 Qephilim, page 163 9 MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) SWORDBREAKER KEEP Located on a free-floating skerry in the Borderlands east of Lornvale is a mass of broken stones. Thrusting up from the center is Swordbreaker Keep. The “keep” was once a stupendously large humanoid statue, but to naive eyes, it now appears like a particularly tortured natural mesa. The skerry that hosts the keep is part of the demolished original sculpture, one of the lost Seven Sentinels. A heavy mist usually swirls about the area, which further conceals the true nature of what the place once was. KEY FEATURES Swordbreaker Keep is essentially a series of tunnels and rooms carved into the core of a defunct Sentinel. The chambers are spread across several levels. Defenses One of the keep’s best defenses is its relative isolation. Enemies who find it must contend with a handful of exterior golem guards that stand watch at equidistant points across the skerry. If a golem notices unannounced visitors, it booms out a warning that echoes across the entire chunk of free-floating landscape. Golem, page 270 Borderlands, page 178 CROSSING THE GAP Moving between free-floating skerries in the Borderlands is difficult for creatures that can’t fly. That counts as one more defense that Swordbreaker Keep enjoys, but it also limits the ability of well-meaning petitioners to approach and ask for aid. To help alleviate this gap, the group recently built a transfer tower on the very edge of Ardeyn. From it, the mist-swaddled mote of Swordbreaker Keep is visible several miles in the distance, right where the atmosphere begins to fuzz and give way to the Strange. A group brave enough to enter the cage at the top of the tower and pull the rusted iron lever labeled “Pull for transfer” is slung like a bullet from a ballista on an arcing trajectory that deposits them on the shore of the skerry holding Swordbreaker Keep. Travelers who fail a difficulty 3 Speed defense roll take 4 points of damage from a hard landing. A similar tower on the skerry can provide return passage. 10 All told, about a dozen golems (including the golem watchers on the exterior) remain active enough to respond if invaders appear at the keep’s gate. They don’t automatically attack visitors; those who aren’t obviously Lotanic cultists, servitors of Galbraith, or otherwise deemed to be enemies are escorted under heavy guard (two golems) through the keep gate and into the audience chamber (see below). Besides golems, the Swordbreakers, including the manifest simulacrum of Zanousha, defend their keep if it comes under attack. In addition to the Alpha Team, Bravo Team Swordbreakers (if any) also respond to an alarm. Because each member carries a Soul Gem of Zeal fragment, communication between them is usually well coordinated. Finally, several level 3 qephilim Free Battalion mercenaries serve as general staff for the keep. They clean, cook, repair, and do other needful tasks. They also defend the keep when necessary. Visiting the Swordbreakers Guests are first escorted to an audience chamber. Banners showing a symbol of an exploding sword decorate this large hall. Comfortable seats and a long table fill most of the room; foods from a connected kitchen are laid out when visitors arrive. Guests are usually accorded the opportunity to talk to a senior Swordbreaker. Visitors are in luck if they get Andrew Brereton, but not so lucky if one of the others is on diplomatic duty, especially if it’s Greaves. What the Swordbreakers do with guests after the initial greeting depends on why the visitors have journeyed to the keep. If they bring dire news, all the Swordbreakers are eventually summoned, including the simulacrum of Zanousha. There’s always the chance that none of the Alpha Team are present, in which case a Bravo Team member (if any) or a qephilim meets with guests and determines what’s to be done. Soul Gem Chamber PCs on the road to becoming Swordbreakers (or those who have already joined the group) are eventually ushered into the presence of the Soul Gem of Zeal, which is in a chamber at the heart of the complex. The chamber is spherical and large. A complex cradle about 10 feet (3 m) in diameter lies at the center. Within the cradle floats a massive, glowing, bluish-white crystal gem. Despite the cracks that run through it (and the broken-off fragments that orbit the gem like tiny moons around a planet), the object radiates palpable power. It is, of course, the Soul Gem of Zeal. It once served as the heart of one of the Seven Sentinels. Now it is the heart of the Swordbreakers. The feminine visage of Zanousha forms on the gem’s surface, or steps out as a fully formed humanoid simulacrum of bluish-white energy, to greet visitors or fend off attackers. If someone new is accepted into the ranks of the Swordbreakers, Zanousha gifts them with a fragment of the soul gem, which functions as an artifact known as a Swordbreaker Zeal fragment. (Despite not being completely physical, Zanousha enjoys the benefits of wielding a fragment herself, one she never needs to renew while the Soul Gem of Zeal remains intact.) The Soul Gem of Zeal is a level 9 object suffused with magic power. How and why Zanousha Nazari became so intimately associated with an object of Ardeyn’s extrapolated history remains mysterious to say the least. Being asked about that association is one of many topics that Zanousha will not entertain, instead leaving by simply dissipating her visage or simulacrum. Qephilim Free Battalion mercenary, page 284 Bravo Team Swordbreakers, page 14 11 MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) ADVENTURE SEEDS These adventure seeds provide the GM with several additional ways to use the Swordbreakers in her campaign. WHO ARE THESE GUYS? A den of Lotanic cultists is operating out of a nearby secret base (a hidden cave beneath a tower). Despite periodic cleansings of such ilk by various agencies, new dens keep popping up. But that doesn’t make shutting down a Lotanic cultist den routine by any means. Although each den draws from the same playbook of kidnapping, human and qephilim sacrifice, and sometimes even demon worship, most dens also offer something surprisingly dangerous. Getting the PCs Involved: This adventure seed is well suited for PCs who have had only limited exposure to the Swordbreakers or who have never heard of the group. The PCs are pursuing their own mission in Ardeyn, which might be completely unrelated to Lotanic cultists (such as following up The Curious Case of Tom Mallard, page 386 Qephilim, page 163 Spirit of wrath, page 292 Umber wolf, page 295 Sark, page 288 Soulshorn, page 291 on The Curious Case of Tom Mallard or tracking down the Mouth of Swords). On the other hand, their mission might be to find the offending Lotanic cultist den and clean it out. Either way, the characters become involved because they’re initially mistaken for Lotanic cultists by two Swordbreakers who have come to investigate the same site that the PCs are exploring. Complicating Factor: If necessary to end a conflict between Swordbreakers and PCs, the location where the two groups encounter each other suddenly reveals itself to be a trap. The floor gives way, and both groups fall 30 feet (9 m) into a maze of tunnels thick with spirits of wrath, umber wolves, and sark. “Boss” Fight: The Lotanic cultist den is made up of four level 3 members. However, they are being led by nothing less than a soulshorn. The PCs are likely to need every bit of help the two Swordbreakers can provide to put the Lotanic soulshorn down. MOUTH OF SWORDS The Mouth of Swords is an ancient qephilim burial place full of treasures from the Age of Myth. A crazed spirit of wrath called the Myth Keeper guards the stored items on behalf of their original owners. The secure underground complex is also guarded by lesser spirits, traps, and sorcerous wards. Its treasures have lured more than one adventuring company to its doom. For additional information on the Mouth of Swords, see The Dark Spiral, page 47. 12 PROVE YOUR WORTH Something bad is happening in the city of Shalmarn. Residents in random neighborhoods wake to find their eyes are missing. The only clue regarding the nature of the eye thief is that a pearlescent slime remains behind in the otherwise empty sockets of victims. With investigation, a residual slime trail leads to previously unknown entrances to the abandoned qephilim ruins and mines that the city of Shalmarn is built over. (In fact, many of the buildings are converted remnants of structures first built during the Age of Myth.) Getting the PCs Involved: This adventure seed is well suited for PCs who wish to join the Swordbreakers as part of the group’s Bravo Team. The mission is suggested as a quest. If the PCs bring the eye thief to justice, they prove themselves and are invited to join the Swordbreakers. Alternatively, they discover what’s going on when a screaming, eyeless victim runs into the street one morning with goo leaking from her sockets. Complicating Factor: A group of seven level 3 brigands, who call themselves the Dethroned, have their lair in the abandoned ruins, and the residual slime trails lead right through it. The brigands attack anyone who discovers them. Though uncooperative, a captured brigand who is persuaded to talk explains that sometimes a “burning star” shoots up from the lower tunnels. The Dethroned don’t mess with it, and it doesn’t mess with them. If pressed further, the captive may admit that when the silvery star appears, the brigands recite the Seven Rules over and over, which seems to placate it. “Boss” Fight: Characters who get past the brigands and follow the residue discover a vast, dark crack leading even deeper. Within the gulf, motes of silver light burn. One such mote grows larger and larger as it approaches. The spherical mote seems to transform (or perhaps it sheds an illusory guise) and is revealed as a winged qephilim who describes itself as a “fallen star.” This particular fallen star has developed an unholy appetite for eyes. LOCATE ANOTHER SOUL GEM A trading caravan attempting to find new routes discovers a potential location of one of the missing Seven Sentinels. The site is deep in the Green Wilds, and according to the stories of the surviving traders, it is overrun with flesh-eating vines, spiders the size of houses, and sark. Getting the PCs Involved: One of Zanousha’s longstanding goals is to locate the remains of the Seven Sentinels. Every so often, rumors of a potential new site come to light, and Zanousha sends the Bravo Team to investigate whether there’s Green Wilds, page 170 Seven Rules, page 162 Shalmarn, page 169 Age of Myth, page 162 Fallen Star: level 6; health 21; Armor 2; can fly a long distance each round; long-range beam of burning light inflicts 8 points of damage (loses this power in sunlight); see The Strange Bestiary, page 53 13 MANIFEST ZEAL (FOR THE GM) any truth to the story. Alternatively, the PCs hear the tale of a massive, vine-strangled statue in the heart of the Green Wilds from a drunken trader down on his luck in a nameless dive bar. Either way, the characters learn enough to travel to the general location where the lost Sentinel supposedly rests. Complicating Factor: PCs who get past the sark, the flesh-eating vines, and the very large spiders (which are only the size of well-fed humans) find someone else who heard the same stories and came to investigate: Galbraith. Characters who are part of the Swordbreakers may eventually realize that Galbraith was the name of the original traitorous leader of their team, and that he wants to find soul gems so he can destroy them. Galbraith is allied with several Lotanic cultists as well. Whether the site is just the ruins of a very large statue or the location of another Sentinel is for the GM to decide. Either way, the PCs learn one thing while fighting Galbraith or investigating the area: the soul gems that once served as the hearts of the Seven Sentinels were not native to Ardeyn. Somehow, and against all common sense and causal linkage, soul gems are artifacts of the Strange. Flesh-eating vine: level 4; immediate-range attack deals 2 points of damage to Speed Pool Very large spider: level 4; short-range web-strand attack holds victims in place for a round if hit; mandible attack deals 5 points of damage Galbraith: level 6; Armor 1; long-range flesh- decaying attack against one target inflicts 5 points of damage; short-range death spell attack (usable once per minute) moves one target who fails an Intellect defense roll one step down the damage track; wears an artifact called boots of the Strange Lotanic cultist: level 3; health 12; talwar (great sword) attack inflicts 6 points of damage Sark, page 288 Chaosphere navigation, page 215 Fractal surfing, page 215 ARTIFACT: BOOTS OF THE STRANGE Level: 1d6 + 3 Form: Pair of boots inlaid with swirling fractals Effect: When the boots are activated as part of a move, the wearer can walk across empty air for a long distance each round for up to one minute. If used in the Strange, the boots decrease the difficulty of any Chaosphere navigation or fractal surfing task by one step. Depletion: 1 in 1d100 14 The Swordbreakers are an elite group dedicated to hunting Lotanic cultists, and they don’t hand out memberships to just anyone. If the PCs wish to join, they’ll have to be invited and, what’s more, meet the entry requirements. SWORDBREAKERS BRAVO TEAM REQUIREMENTS The first requirement, of course, is that the GM introduce the Swordbreakers into the campaign, then determine whether it will remain an NPC-only group or recruit for a Bravo Team that includes characters. If the PCs come to the attention of the Swordbreakers in a positive fashion, they may later be invited to join. Joining imposes a few requirements, as follows. Initial Quest: The PCs must successfully accomplish a mission set by the Swordbreakers, such as the one described under “Prove Your Worth,” or another quest provided by the GM. Dues: The initiation fee is a one-time payment of 100 crowns. Annual dues are also 100 crowns, but the real cost of membership is a commitment to destroy a few Lotanic cultists or dangerous Strangers each year. Members set their own limits, but each limit is publicly displayed for all to see, so members are held accountable. Availability: A Swordbreaker must respond to urgent summons from any member of the Alpha Team or Zanousha. Swordbreakers on the Bravo Team who enjoy an affiliate status (those who don’t reside in the keep, which probably includes most PCs) aren’t bothered for routine missions— they are summoned only if something of particular importance is afoot. The Estate, page 148 Prove Your Worth, page 12 SWORDBREAKERS BRAVO TEAM BENEFITS PCs who become members are either affiliate or core members. Core members are those who stay in the keep full time. They are sent on missions far more often than affiliate members. Affiliate members (likely the status of most PCs) have their residence elsewhere and can more easily maintain other affiliations, such as with the Estate. A Bravo Team affiliate member gets room and board whenever she visits the keep, if desired. In addition, the Swordbreakers provide the following benefits to all members. Swordbreaker Zeal Fragment: Bravo Team members gain an artifact referred to as a fragment of the Soul Gem of Zeal. Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal: Bravo Team PCs gain access to a special focus called Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. Reasonable Aid: A Bravo Team member can expect aid from the larger organization, though usually only on matters that are directly related to Lotanic cultists or Strangers. SPECIAL FOCUS: EMBRACES SWORDBREAKER ZEAL This special focus is available only to members of the Swordbreakers Bravo Team in Ardeyn. Once gained, the focus can be chosen as an alternative to the character’s regular focus any time she is in Ardeyn and activates a Soul Gem of Zeal fragment that is not depleted. When a character gains this focus, whatever other focus she had goes into abeyance, though her equipment remains constant between her normal Ardeyn focus and Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal. If the character’s Soul Gem of Zeal fragment is depleted, Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal immediately goes into abeyance and can’t be made active again until the fragment is renewed. Empowered by a relic from the Age of Myth, you fight for Ardeyn. When you call upon the Soul Gem of Zeal, you gain a power over the evil of Lotan and that which lies beyond the Borderlands. SWORDBREAKING (FOR PLAYER CHARACTERS) 15 SWORDBREAKING (FOR PLAYER CHARACTERS) Blinded creatures act as if in complete darkness. Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal GM Intrusions: The cultist has allies. A scene of horrific sacrifice and torture is uncovered. A demon of Lotan attempts to possess the character. Darkness, page 111 Demon of Lotan, page 265 You keep whatever equipment is provided by your normal Ardeyn focus. However, when Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal is active, you can display a faint bluish-white nimbus (or not, as you desire). Swordbreakers are commonly vectors, but paradoxes and spinners also join the group. Connection: This is never a PC’s starting focus. Equipment: As provided by your normal Ardeyn focus. Minor Effect Suggestion: Bluish-white energy blazes from you and partially blinds your foe for one round, increasing the difficulty of all its actions by one step. Major Effect Suggestion: Bluish-white energy blazes from you and fully blinds one or more foes for one round. Tier 1: Find the Lotanic Cultist (1 Intellect point). You sense the presence of the nearest creature (including living cultists) within immediate range who serves or has been touched by Lotan. If the Lotanic cultist has taken special precautions to hide her identity, determining her presence or true nature is an Intellect-based task whose difficulty is equal to the target’s level or the level of the effect employed. Action. Minor Zeal. You gain 1 point from your soul gem fragment that you can spend when you spend points from any Pool for any reason. This is a difficulty 2 Intellect-based task, but each time you use it again before your next ten-hour recovery roll, the difficulty increases by one step. In addition, you must make a depletion roll for your soul gem fragment. For example, if you use Find the Lotanic Cultist, you can use this ability to pay the cost instead of spending 1 point of Intellect. If using another ability that costs more than 1 point, you can use Minor Zeal to pay part of the cost. Enabler. Tier 2: Flame of Zeal (2 Intellect points). You emit a bluish-white beam of energy that deals 5 points of damage to a target within long range. Alternatively, you can use this ability to enhance a melee weapon, causing it to inflict 1 additional point of damage. The weapon continues to burn with the flame of Zeal until the next time you use this ability or any other special ability from this focus. Action. Tier 3: Swordbreaker Grace. You are trained in using a weapon or an attack in which you are not already trained. Enabler. Tier 4: Weaponbreaker. When fighting a creature touched by Lotan (including living cultists) and you roll a 16 or higher on a successful attack, the physical weapon held by the target breaks. This effect supersedes the minor or major special effect you’d gain for rolling a 19 or 20. If the target isn’t holding a physical weapon, the difficulty of all actions attempted by the target is increased by one step for one round. If the weapon held by the target is an artifact, it does not break unless you succeed on a Might-based task whose difficulty is equal to the artifact’s level. Enabler. Tier 5: Improved Swordbreaker Grace. You are specialized in using a weapon or an attack. If you are already specialized in that weapon or attack, you instead deal 2 additional points of damage with it. Enabler. Tier 6: Amazing Zeal. When using Minor Zeal, you draw 2 points from your soul gem fragment instead of 1 point. Enabler. ARTIFACT: SWORDBREAKER ZEAL FRAGMENT Level: 5 Form: A crystal fragment, usually set in an amulet, a staff head, a weapon hilt, or a ring Recursion: Ardeyn Effect: Someone with this fragment who has personally renewed it (see below) gains access to the following abilities. Anyone else with this fragment can use only the Repel Enemies function. Each use requires a depletion roll unless otherwise noted. Speak: The user can broadcast to all the other fragments and the Soul Gem of Zeal for about a minute. If more than one fragment bearer does this simultaneously, it enables real-time communication between them. Action to initiate. Shift Focus: The user can change her normal Ardeyn focus to Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal, or change it from Embraces Swordbreaker Zeal to her normal Ardeyn focus. Switching foci is a difficulty 1 Intellect- based task. Action to initiate. Repel Enemies: If the user makes an attack of any kind against a Stranger, a demon of Lotan, a creature that employs spells provided by Lotan, or Lotan himself, the difficulty of the attack is decreased by one step; this effect does not require a depletion roll. If the attack succeeds, the artifact bearer decides whether to activate the following additional effect (which does require a depletion roll). If activated, the fragment flares with Zeal, and the attack inflicts 4 additional points of damage (ignores Armor). Enabler. Renew: Once a fragment’s energy has been depleted, it can be renewed if it is pressed against the Soul Gem of Zeal by someone who utters the Swordbreaker Oath: “I vow to quench the fires of Lotan, to stand as a bulwark against Strangers, and to break the swords drawn against the sanctity of Ardeyn. By the Seven, I so bind myself with bravery, honor, and sacrifice.” Action. Depletion: 1 in 1d20 Eschatology Code The Dark Spiral The Strange Bestiary Monument spiders, data sentinels, octopus sapiens, extereons, blobs, kaiju, and killer robots: The Strange Bestiary features more than 150 lavishly illustrated creatures and characters native to Earth, Ardeyn, Ruk, Crow Hollow, Atom Nocturne, and others. It also facilitates creating your own worlds by providing scores of creatures that will work in any recursion you can dream up, including those created by fictional leakage and operating under the laws of Magic, Mad Science, Psionics and more. The Strange Creature Deck 100 Strange, scary, dangerous, and just plain weird creatures from the Shoals of Earth! Build encounters quickly and easily, or create them randomly on the fly. Then give your players a look at their foes before plunging into combat. The Strange Cypher Deck Also Available: DriveThruRPG. The Strange PDFs are also available on The Strange XP Deck The Strange Player’s Guide The Strange corebook

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Changeling "I HAVE WATCHED PEOPLE LIE, CHEAT AND TRICK OTHERS for their own gain. I have watched how humanity turns against each other at the merest hint of provocation. I had lived most of my life more honrest than Humans and other races have been in a week. Yet I am the one ridiculed and hated for what I am. I have not deserved this hatred, but mark my words... I will ensure that I have earned it." — Chryss, the Queen of Misery Beings just like any other, majority of people don't even realize their presence just because of their signature ability. The changeling is a result of a pact made by their ancestor long ago with the beings residing in the Far Realms, but there are other ways in which a changeling could be made that average population does not know of. This, along with their natural abilities, is why they are generally greeted with suspicions and distrust. Well, that is, if they turn up in their true form... Hundreds of Faces As all other planetouched races do, changeling true forms have numerous physical characteristics they share regardless of their bloodline. Their skin tones cover all sorts of shades of gray, some of which can have slight hint of a blue, green or red to them, and the texture of their skin is smooth to touch, seemingly featureless. Unlike eyes of most other beings, eyes of the changelings in their true form are characteristic by being completely blank, surrounded by darker shade of gray. Most of the time, changelings have white to silvery hair, but ones with blue, pink, green or other hues to them have been seen, as well as any color. Of course, none of this applies once the changelings turn into someone else - with their alien ability, they can take form of anyone they have seen, or modify their looks in many ways, limited only by their imagination, and keeping their basic shape intact. Quick to Change, Slow to Decide Most of the changelings are ashamed of what they are, spending most of their lives looking like someone else. Some of these try to have a life just like the life anyone else would have, not even changing their form, while others take full advantage of this, becoming infiltrators, thieves, blackmailers and spies. Minority of changelings however live their lives in their true form, trying to show to the world that their kind has a chance to be trustworthy, if only they did not hide their nature. There are two kinds of changelings in the world - those who look for themselves, and those who already found out who they want to be. With the ability to become anyone they wish, or even to attempt a new identity with whatever look they desire, many would see it as a gift. But to the changelings it can seem as a curse. 1 With their chaotic nature, they often change their moods as often as they change their appearance. Hardly ever settling on a singular goal or task, and causing them sometimes to be indecisive of their choices. Their innate ability of changing gives them an uncanny ability to deceive others. Befriending a Changeling could either be a trap, or a miracle in the works. Just be careful what you do in your own time, they might be watching you. Quirks 1 I like to judge people by their outside, figuring out what pieces of each of them would fit together well. 2 I have worn so many faces that I have problem telling who I really am. 3 One of my biggest problems is my indecision. I think... 4 My looks reflect my mood, and my body is a means of self-expression for me. 5 I steal qualities and quirks of others to piece together my own identity. 6 When I have trouble deciding, I like to roll a dice to make up my mind. Changeling Names When a changeling child is born to two non-changeling parents, they name it the way their race names their children. If a changeling is born to one or two changeling parents, they prefer to pick short names that would fit both genders so that they avoid confusion while taking different forms. Little attention is paid to the actual meaning of the name, since they borrow lots of names from other languages and like to judge names based on how they sound. Unisex Names: Alex, Ash, Bryn, Carol, Charlie, Chris, Dee, Fran, Gray, Haven, Jackie, Jess, Jo, Kit, Lee, Mel, Nat, Pat, Quinn, Sam, Steph, Val, Will Changeling Traits Due to their aberrant origin, changelings share certain racial traits. Ability Score Improvement. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores increase by 1. Age. Changeling mature at the same rate as humans and live up to 120 years. Size. Changelings are built much like their ancestors, but tend to be a little leaner and shorter than average in their true form. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Duplicity. You gain proficiency in the Deception skill. Shapechanger. As an action, you can assume a different form of a humanoid creature or change back into your true form, transforming your appearance. You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your statistics change. You also can't appear as a creature of a different size than you, and your basic shape stays the same. However, your equipment does not change with you. If you die, you revert to your natural appearance. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against any spell or effect that would alter your form. Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Touch the Mind. You know the message cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. You can cast it without requiring components. Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and two other languages of your choice. Changeling Feats Name Description Alien Psychology Advantage against frightened and charmed; harder to read thoughts, detect truth or emotions; detect shapechangers 1/short rest Beastly Forms Shapechange into beasts; Mimicry Changeling Psionics Friends; sleep and detect thoughts 1/long rest Eldritch Physiology Trance; swimspeed and water breathing; natural weapons Inanimate Shapes Shapechange into objects and constructs; shapechange into objects or creatures of Medium or smaller size Unearthly Adaptation Adaptation to two extreme environments; feather fall, jump or longstrider 1/short rest 2 Changeling Feats Sometimes the individuals belonging into each of the races can have their innate abilities developed more, lots of times in ways other members of their race just couldn't practise yet. Changelings are no different to this, exercising the limitations of their shapeshifting as well as some of their otherworldly talents. As a changeling, you gain access to several unique feats. Alien Psychology Prerequisite: Changeling Your aberrant origin opens up possibilities of improving your mind, granting you the following benefits: You gain advantage on saving throws to avoid being charmed or frightened. You have advantage on checks and saving throws to resist effects that detect your thoughts, emotions or compel you to tell truth. Additionally, you can present false thoughts, emotions, or lies as if you are being truthful by making a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the creature's Wisdom (Insight) check. You can use your action to sense presence of shapechangers and creatures whose true form is different from their apparent form (such as ones under the effects of disguise self) within 60 feet of you. You know their number, direction and distance from you, but don't know their true form or identity. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Beastly Forms Prerequisite: Changeling With enough training, your ability to change form has improved so well that you can now take forms of beasts. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Charisma score by 1, up to a maximum of 20. You can mimic sounds you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds you make can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by your Charisma (Deception) check. 3 You can now use your Shapechanger trait to turn into a beast that you have seen of basic shape different from yours. While you are transformed into a beast, your stats don't change, your equipment melds into your new form and you can't speak, but you can cast message. Changeling Psionics Prerequisite: Changeling You learn the psionics of the planes that are not a part of this world. You learn the friends cantrip. You also learn sleep and detect thoughts, each of which you can cast once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to cast the spell in this way when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can cast them without requiring components. Eldritch Physiology Prerequisite: Changeling You stared into the Far Realms studying them long enough, and they finally stared back. Your body is improved, and you gain the following benefits: You don't need to sleep. Instead, you meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While you are transformed into a creature has a swim speed and waterbreathing, you gain a swimming speed of 30 feet and can breathe air and water. While you are transformed into a creature with horns, claws or other natural weapons, you have natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier. Inanimate Shapes Prerequisite: Changeling Your shapeshifting skills have improved, and now you can transform into objects that make your size more compact. You gain the following benefits: Your Shapechanger trait is now not limited by size. You can now transform into creatures and objects of Medium size or smaller. When you do so, your statistics are changed based on the description below. You can now use your Shapechanger trait to turn into a construct or an object. When you transform into an object, your equipment melds into your form, your speed is reduced to 5 feet, and you can't speak or use any actions for anything other than casting message or transforming into another form. While you're in an object form and remain motionless, you are undistinguishable from a normal object. Size reduction and change in statistics Based on your size, your statistics may change in following ways: Small. Your size in all dimensions is halved and your weight is reduced to one eighth. Additionally, your base speed is reduced to 25 feet, and your weapon damage rolls are reduced by 1d4. Tiny. Your size in all dimensions is quartered and your weight is reduced to one sixtyfourth. You have disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Additionally, your base speed is reduced to 15 feet, and your weapon damage rolls are reduced by 2d4. Unearthly Adaptation Prerequisite: Changeling Whatever form you take, your body has adapted better to this world and its rules. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity score by 1, up to a maximum of 20. You are naturally adapted to extreme cold, extreme heat and high altitude, and suffer no penalties caused by them. You can cast feather fall, jump or longstrider, targeting only yourself. Once you cast either spell, you can't cast it again with this trait until you finish a short or long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. You can cast it without requiring components. Credits Thanks to everyone from the Discord of Many Things for help, as well as Wizards of the Coast! Also thanks to Keith Baker who came up with Eberron where my initial idea for Changelings came from, as well as many more that inspired me in ways I don't realize. Special thanks to my brother who did most of the stuff in Photoshop, as well as these fellows: Boes Dejers IrishBandit LankyFamiliar LaserGuidedHerpes Lendagan NastoK Rhadamanth Nemes VampireBagel Art Walking down the alley by Derrick Song Vei, Changeling Fighter by fuuryoku Novo, Changeling Monk/Druid by Nick Avallone Book of Void by AppleSin 4

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Changeling-race.pdf

Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 This is an official RPGA® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run Dungeons & Dragons game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, Living Greyhawk, D&D Rewards, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2007 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Visit the Living Greyhawk website at www.rpga.com. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten A Four-Round Dungeons & Dragons® Living Greyhawk™ Core Adventure Version 1 by Creighton Broadhurst, Christopher Lindsay, and Colleen Simpson Circle Reviewer: Creighton Broadhurst HQ Reviewer: Chris Tulach Deep below the ruins of the War Tower, strange and terrifying creatures lurk in the lightless tunnels of a forgotten temple. Meanwhile, cultists dedicated to the Old One stalk the streets of the Free City intent on their master’s diabolical schemes. A “Greyhawk Ruins” adventure for characters level 1-9 (APLs 2-6) set in the Domain of Greyhawk. Resources for this adventure [and the authors of those works] include CGR7-02 The Silent Barracks [Christian J. Alipounarian, Creighton Broadhurst, and Christopher Lindsay], City of Peril [Ed Stark], Complete Arcane [Richard Baker],Dungeon Master’s Guide II [Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Chris Thomasson, James Jacobs, and Robin D. Laws], Dungeonscape [Jason Bulmahn and Rich Burlew], Exemplars of Evil [Robert J. Schwalb], Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk [Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Erik Mona], Greyhawk Ruins [Blake Mobley, Timothy B. Brown], Fiendish Codex I [Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona], Greyhawk Ruins Sourcebook [Creighton Broadhurst, Chris Chesher, Paul Looby, Bruce Paris, and Sam Weiss], Libris Mortis [Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell], Monster Manual IV [Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Matthew Sernett, Eric Cagle. Andrew Finch, Christopher Lindsay, Kolja Raven Linquette, Chris Sims, Owen K. C. Stephens, Travis Stout, JD Wiker, Skip Williams], Monster Manual V [Creighton Broadhurst, Jason Bulmahn, David Chart, B. Matthew Conklin III, Jesse Decker, James “Grim” Desborough, Rob Heinsoo, Sterling Hershey, Tim Hitchcock, Luke Johnson, Nicolas Logue, Mike McArtor, Aaron Rosenberg, Robert J. Schwalb, Rodney Thompson, Wil Upchurch], Player’s Handbook II [David Noonan], and Races of the Dragon [Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Kolja Raven Liquette], Spell Compendium [Matthew Sernett, Jeff Grubb, Mike McArtor], and The Adventure Begins [Roger E. Moore]. 598 CY CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 1 RPGA® SANCTIONED PLAY Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an RPGA event from the RPGA website, or you received it from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as part of the Living Greyhawk campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D® campaign set in the Greyhawk setting— you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a group of friends meeting at the DM’s house. To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a Herald-Level™ gamemaster. The person who sanctions the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs the game is called the session Dungeon Master (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the time in the cases of home events) the senior gamemaster is also the session DM. You must be at least a Herald-Level GM to run this adventure. By sanctioning and reporting this adventure, you accomplish a couple of things. First, it is an official game, and you can use the AR to advance your Living Greyhawk character. Second, players and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned RPGA play if they are members of the Dungeons & Dragons Rewards program. Playing this adventure is worth two (2) points. This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play on December 31, 2008. To learn more about the Living Greyhawk character creation and development, RPGA event sanctioning, and Dungeons & Dragons Rewards, visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com. PLAYERS READ NO FARTHER If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop reading now. The rest of the information in this adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this point makes you ineligible to do so. PREPARING FOR PLAY To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of the following D&D rule books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. Core adventures often utilize new rules items – including new classes, prestige classes, races, feats, spells, and equipment (including magic items) – that do not appear in any of the three core D&D books (Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, or Monster Manual). The full write-up of any featured feats, spells, or equipment appears in Appendix 2. Information on featured classes, prestige classes, and races appears in the relevant creature’s stat block. This adventure includes all the information required to run these characters. The DM should double-check that he fully understands any new rule items presented in this adventure before play begins. Along with this adventure, you’ll find a RPGA session tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn in this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll also find a Living Greyhawk adventure record (AR). You need one copy of this for each participating player. LAYOUT AND ORGANIZATION This adventure has several sections: • CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback: Devotees of the demon-lord Orcus have found their way into the ruins of Greyhawk, and now stand between the PCs and further exploration into their fabled depths exactly why they are exploring the ruins. • CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls: The ruined and abandoned halls of a former shrine hold terrifying creatures and hide forgotten treasures. • CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us: Shapeshifters stalk the streets of Greyhawk City fighting the machinations of a deadly cult. • Appendices: This section contains all the New Rules Items required for this adventure as well as affiliation briefing sheets and any other required generic information. LIVING GREYHAWK LEVELS OF PLAY Because players bring their own characters to Living Greyhawk games, this adventure’s challenges are proportionate to the modified average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To calculate the Average Party Level (APL), follow the process below: 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. Each PC may bring one animal, plus any creatures gained from class abilities to help in combat. (PCs can bring more creatures but they cannot help in combat). If you deem that the animal bestows a significant benefit in combat add the animal’s CR to the level of the PC it is accompanying for calculating APL. (Animals gained from class abilities and one standard horse, warhorse, or riding dog for a PC with Mounted Combat do not affect APL). 2. Sum the results of step 1 and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 3. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs face. APLs are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 2 Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a PC can gain at the end of the adventure. A player character more than three levels higher than the APL at which the adventure is played cannot participate. If a player character is more than two levels away from the APL at which the adventure is played, he suffers a 50% penalty to the amount of gold and XP gained in the adventure. This simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Living Greyhawk adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the following to these groups to help increase their chances of success: 1. Enlist a sixth player. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them and fight for them. These APL calculation rules reference version 7.0 of the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. If you are playing this adventure in 2008, check the current version of the LGCS and follow any updated rules presented within. TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP This is a “Greyhawk Ruins” adventure. Each “Greyhawk Ruins” adventure comprises three distinct rounds (or zones), set in the Domain of Greyhawk. Treat each adventure as a separate round. Thus, it costs most characters 2 TUs to participate in each round but characters with the Domain of Greyhawk as their home region pay only 1 TU per round. Characters must pay upkeep for each round in which they participate. Each round has its own AR. A character receives an AR for a round at the end of the session in which he first earns XP or gp from that particular part of the dungeon. Once a character has received an AR for a zone, he may never again adventure in that area. A character can chose to explore all the rounds of this adventure in a single (mega) session (equivalent to four adventure rounds) or can chose to enter them one at a time (taking up to four sessions to complete the entire adventure). Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per time unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per time unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100 gp per time unit. Characters that fail to pay at least Standard Upkeep retain temporary ability damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game benefits) as may be detailed in this adventure. A character that does not pay for at least Standard Upkeep may avoid the above-described penalties by living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more ranks in Survival and succeeds on a DC 20 Survival check, he heals temporary ability damage as if he had Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the character has at least four ranks in Craft (bowmaking). PCs may Take 10 on this roll. Chapters 1 and 5 of the LGCS present more information about lifestyle and upkeep. PREPARATION FOR PLAY Read these notes before play begins. GREYHAWK RUINS SOURCEBOOK To play this adventure you also need a copy of the Greyhawk Ruins Sourcebook. The sourcebook contains information about the free city, its laws, and statistics for watchmen, and the like. Download the map free from www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/welcome. The DM should ensure that he reviews the city’s laws before play. AFFILIATION BRIEFING SHEETS Many of the PCs participating in this adventure will be members of one of the free city’s affiliations (as detailed in the Greyhawk Ruins Sourcebook). Before play begins, hand out the relevant briefing sheet to each player. PCs not belonging to any affiliation must determine for themselves exactly why they are exploring the ruins. ORDER OF PLAY Unlike previous parts of “Greyhawk Ruins,” the PCs do not necessarily have to play zone one of this adventure first. Of the four component zones, one takes place in the free city itself while the other three are set below the War Tower. Of these three zones, two – zones one and two – can be accessed from the level above and, thus, can be played first. Both zones link to zone three. When the PCs first enter the dungeons give them the choice of accessing either zone. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 1 ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Momentous events again threaten to overwhelm the free city of Greyhawk. To the south, Turrosh Mak demands peace with the Domain while bandits grow emboldened by Greyhawk’s stretched armed forces. Indeed, some of these bandits have powerful friends within the free city who manipulate the bandits for their own ends. The rise of banditry has not gone unnoticed in the free city. Many within the city grow concerned at the increase of lawlessness in the Near Domain. Chief among these is Eritai Kaan-Ipzirel, Matriarch of St. Cuthbert and member of the free city’s Directing Oligarchy. Several weeks ago, she dispatched Korenth Mauk, a trusted servant, to learn more. Korenth’s investigations quickly bore fruit and he swiftly came to the conclusion that the ruins of the infamous Castle Greyhawk – only a few miles from the city – was in some way connected to the rise of lawlessness in the Domain. Unfortunately, his investigations drew the attention of certain powerful individuals who were angered at Eritai’s servant poking his nose into such sensitive matters. Thus, Korenth was slain by a master assassin two days ago. Korenth resisted mightily, however, and the sound of battle alerted those staying in the nearby rooms, so the assassin could not complete a thorough search of the room, leaving vital evidence unrecovered. In CGR7-01 Ruins of Discovery, the PCs uncovered clues within Korenth’s room confirming that his investigations centered on the ruins of Castle Greyhawk. Setting out to the ruins, bandits beset the PCs but were eventually slain. Once they reached the ruins, they entered the War Tower after bargaining with the Wartower Wardens. Exploring the dungeons, they destroyed many foul creatures and odious individuals and discovered that the bandits were in some way using portions of the first level (and perhaps areas below) that as a kind of base of operations. In CGR7-02 The Silent Barracks the adventurers again returned to the dungeons below the War Tower and fought many dangerous creatures and defeated several fiendish traps during their exploration of the second dungeon level. They also discovered another nest of bandits but their exploration of the bandits’ base was complicated by an invasion of undead that had recently ascended from a lower level. While the undead and the bandits were eventually defeated, the PCs uncovered no definitive proof of for whom the bandits worked for. To uncover this important information, they are once again called upon to explore the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. INTRODUCTION As the adventure opens, the PCs are in Greyhawk City. They could be at the Griffon’s Nest or at another venue. Each of the PCs has been contacted by his affiliation and asked to continue his investigation of the dungeons below the War Tower (refer to the Affiliation Briefing Sheets for more information). Before play begins, hand out the affiliation briefing sheets to the appropriate PCs and allow them time to assimilate and discus the included information. PCs without any affiliation score must decide why they want to explore Castle Greyhawk; likely, the lure of fame and wealth has proved too strong to resist! The mood of the free city has darkened in recent days. Bandits still stalk the roads and byways of the domain and rumors of evil cults once again active in the city serve to increase the anxiety of the citizenry and those in power alike. Rampant speculation regarding the true purpose behind Turrosh Mak’s recent offer of peace further serves to divide public opinion. Many folk believe that these events are all somehow linked while others dismiss this as little more than paranoia. Whatever the truth of the matter, you have gathered again to pursue the truth wherever it may lie. Once the PCs have introduced themselves to each other, proceed with the adventure. If the PCs wish to learn more about the castle or recent events, proceed to encounter one. Before setting out, the PCs have enough time to buy consumable magic items, visit old friends, call in favors, and so on. If the PCs want to role-play the journey to the castle, use encounter two. Once they arrive at the ruins, use encounter three. If instead you are running zone four, proceed to the introductory text of that zone. 1: LEARNING MORE Doubtless, at some point during the adventure, the PCs will seek to learn more about Castle Greyhawk and other things of interest. When they do so, consult the tables below to determine exactly what they learn. Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local: core) or bardic knowledge can learn more Castle Greyhawk and its environs. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. GETTING THERE • DC 10: Castle Greyhawk stands eight miles from the city beyond the mighty Selintan. The safest and quickest way to reach it is to follow Marsh Path across Zagig’s Bridge. • DC 15: Most people avoid Zagig’s Bridge – some say it is haunted or cursed. Several hovels have grown up around the span, mainly populated by landless immigrants from the Wild Coast. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 2 CASTLE GREYHAWK • DC 10: The shattered stumps of the castle’s three great towers are clearly visible from North Hills Park. There are rumored to be at least 10 levels of dungeon below each tower as well as strange portals to other planes. The castle was abandoned in 421 CY after Zagig disappeared. Only adventurers explore the ruins now. • DC 15: The three towers are known as the Tower of War (to the east), the Tower of Power (to the west), and the Tower of Magic (in the centre). • DC 20: Returning in secret, Zagig captured nine demigods in the dungeons below his castle around the turn of the century and used their power to propel himself to godhood. RECENT EVENTS PCs succeeding on a Gather Information check reveal the relevant information listed below. A success also reveals all information gained by a lesser result. • DC 10: A friend of a friend was coming home late from a tavern a few nights before when he saw a huge spider, easily the size of a horse, scaling a wall near the courthouse! It saw him but didn’t attack, disappearing over the rooftops! • DC 15: Many adventurers have been exploring the ruins below Castle Greyhawk. Those returning from below the War Tower tell of desperate battles against hordes of undead and even worse! • DC 20: Turrosh Mak seeks alliance with the free city and has even promised troops to aid our defense. No sane person would agree to such a suggestion. From what I hear, occasional raiding still takes place through the buffer zone. Turin Deathstalker disappeared from Safeton recently for several weeks. He returned in unusually high spirits. (A DC knowledge [local – core] reveals that the Deathstalker often goes on one-man missions into the Pomarj; whole tribes have fallen beneath his blades). 2: GETTING THERE Use this encounter when the PCs decide to leave the city and travel toward the ruins of Castle Greyhawk. This encounter assumes that the PCs leave through Marsh Gate (the gate nearest to Castle Greyhawk). If they leave through another gate, modify the encounter as necessary. If time is tight, skip this encounter. For simplicity, assume that any PC with weapons that had to be left with the City Watch did so at Marsh Gate. Thus, as they leave the city they can retrieve their weapons without any problems. The City Watch do not hinder the PCs in any way as they leave. Set just north of the junction between the city walls and the Black Wall, Marsh Gate gives access to the southern end of the Foreign Quarter. It is mainly used by wagons bringing piles of waste to the city’s refuse tip, which lies at Garbage Hill, outside the western walls. It is also common to see funeral processions bearing bodies to the city’s cemetery – also just outside the western wall. Those bound for Castle Greyhawk leave the city by Marsh Gate, heading along the river trail leading to Zagig’s Bridge. Two Watch patrols guard the gate Read: As you retrieve your weapons from the City Watch, several large wagons laden with rubbish and filth pass by on the way to Garbage Hill. Travelers, merchants, and watchmen all get out of the way of the foul-smelling carts. The PCs are free to leave the city. DEVELOPMENT Proceed to encounter 3. DM Maps 1 and 2 shows the location of the ruins in relation to Greyhawk City. 3: THE RUINS In this encounter, the PCs finally reach the ruins of Castle Greyhawk and meet the Wartower Wardens. Read: A small, squat building stands just outside the shattered ruin of the Tower of War. The building is of grey stone and is obviously of much newer construction than the surrounding ruins. A lone dwarf sits outside, sitting on a shattered stone block. He is smoking a long pipe. When the PCs approach the dwarf or enter his field of vision, continue: At your approach, he looks up. “Well met, strangers. You have the look of adventurers about you. Have you come to try your luck in the War Tower? This is Grebold Blitzhame (LN male dwarf fighter 5). A member of the Wartower Wardens he shares this guard duty with this brother, Thren (who watches here at night). If the PCs confirm that they are here to explore the War Tower, Grebold insists that they speak with Stillguar, leader of the Wartower Wardens. Grebold calls inside and presently, a grizzled dwarf emerges. If the PCs try to enter the tower without speaking with Stillguar, the entire guild turns out to stop them. See Development for more details. Stillguar explains that the Wartower Wardens controls access to the ruins and that to enter, the PCs must promise to pay 25% of the treasure to the guild when they leave. To facilitate this, the dwarves demand that they inventory the PCs’ possessions and wealth so that they only tax what the PCs find. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 3 STILLGUAR Short, stocky and heavily bearded this muscled dwarf carries an axe at his side and has an air of authority about him. Attitude: Indifferent (PH 72). What He Knows: See Learning More. Background: Stillguar has dwelt here for two decades, taxing adventurers seeking to enter the War Tower. In that time he has seen many things and is happy to paint a lurid picture of the terrors lurking in the dungeons below the tower. LEARNING MORE The PCs may have some questions for Stillguar. His responses to such questions appear below: Have you seen any bandits around here? No. (A DC 20 Sense Motive check reveals that Stillguar is holding something back. If the PCs push this point and threaten to tell the free city’s authorities that bandits have been using the tower, Stillguar drops his demand to 10% of treasure found as long as they promise to keep the knowledge to themselves. He denies helping the bandits but argues that everyone should be allowed access to the ruins, no matter their personal philosophy. Has anyone recently entered the War Tower? A small group of adventurers went into the tower two days ago. They have not yet returned. Why are you here? We of the Wartower Wardens believe that much wealth lies unclaimed in the dungeons below. We guard this entrance to claim a fair share. How long have you done this? About 20 years. DEVELOPMENT If the PCs try to muscle their way into the tower without speaking to, and making a deal with, the Wartower Wardens twelve members of the guild emerge from the guildhouse to stop the PCs. In total, the PCs are confronted by 10 guards (LN male dwarf fighter 4) and 2 lieutenants (LN male dwarf fighter 7). If combat ensues, use the statistics starting on page 110 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The dwarves beat the PCs unconscious, steal half their coin wealth and deposit the PCs outside the ruins. If the PCs agree to Sillguar’s demands, the PCs may enter the dungeons. Proceed to the appropriate adventure zone. If this is the PCs first visit to the Silent Barracks they should ideally proceed to zone 1. If the bulk of the party has already adventured there, though, but one or more of the PCs has not, move immediately to the zone they wish to investigate giving no details about the layout of zone one. (In this situation it is assumed that zone one has been temporarily cleared out). In summary, the zones are: • CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback: Devotees of the demon-lord Orcus have found their way into the ruins of Greyhawk, and now stand between the PCs and further exploration into their fabled depths exactly why they are exploring the ruins. • CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls: The ruined and abandoned halls of a former shrine hold terrifying creatures and hide forgotten treasures. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 2 CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback By Christopher Lindsay ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Though the original occupants of these chambers are no longer in evidence, they were in most recent history, the location of a goodly-sized church of Wee Jas. The Stern Lady’s congregation has mysteriously disappeared since then, though very few would have marked their passage. Since then, these chambers had found peace, until very recently, when they were invaded by followers of Orcus, Prince of the Undead. In exchange for their lord’s assistance to reach this level of the ruins without the requisite keys, Lady Moniqua Vasilov had made promises of sacrifice and tribute from what she surmised to be, ancient coffers of power and lore. In exchange, Orcus gifted his disciple with a retinue of undead and a hooded pupil (or two). Additionally, Orcus provided assistance in the form of a spell turret, which Lady Vasilov has set up in one section of the ruins, and a tiny fraction of his power, housed within a crystalline phylactery, which he crafted on his home plane of Thanatos. Upon reaching her current location within the ruins of Greyhawk, Lady Vasilov smashed the phylactery (as she was instructed to do), releasing a torrential wave of negative energy throughout this level and the one above. The introduction of so much raw negative energy into the area caused many of the aged corpses in the vicinity to rise as undead of one sort or another. Once she accomplished this task on behalf of her fell lord, Lady Vasilov set about expanding her dominion, taking control of these chambers as quickly as she was feasibly capable of, while disposing of as few of her precious followers (treated as resources to be expended or not, dependant upon their usefulness) as possible. Not a systematic delver, however, Lady Vasilov has worked her way through areas that proved less threatening, rather than clearing any particular area prior to moving on. Because of this, one section of the ruins has gone unexplored by Orcus’ devotee. That section houses a nasty quasit named Phaestus who has been trapped down here for some time. Phaestus has had plenty of time to think about his predicament however, and survives on hope strangely enough. Hope that someone dumber than himself may come along and free him from his current predicament. Phaestus is a servant of the Dark Prince Graz’zt in his unholy war against Orcus. How he came to be trapped in the ruins is a story known only to the diminutive demon however, and he isn’t talking…on that account anyhow. ADVENTURE SUMMARY There are two possible ways for the PCs to have made their way down into this section of the ruins, though both bring them along the same path. PCs that managed to procure the key from Blackstone Crypt find that it is capable of unlocking the door at the top of the stairway leading down to this level. PCs that did not successfully recover the key, however, are given access to this level, though 20% of the treasure they find is owed to the Thieves’ Guild of the city of Greyhawk, for providing them with the magical resources required to continue their exploration. While many chambers make up this section of the ruins, only a few of them house guardians or are areas of particular interest to the PCs. Additional information on these chambers follows. 1-01 Skeletal Guardians: This large chamber houses a massive pile of skulls, constructed in honor of Orcus by the skeletal guardians that have been posted here by Lady Vasilov. If anyone other then Lady Vasilov or the hooded pupils enter this chamber, the guardians attack, defending their post until destroyed. 1-04 Temple of Orcus: This chamber has recently been consecrated to Orcus, and contains a number of items suitable for worshiping the Prince of the Undead. The chamber is also guarded by a spell turret, constructed by Orcus himself, though it holds only a portion of its power here on the Material Plane. 1-05 Hooded Pupils: This large chamber, used to be a temple of Wee Jas, though one or more hooded pupils are in the process of desecrating this chamber when the PCs arrive. Fanatical devotees of Orcus, these creatures fight to the death. 1-08 Graz’zt’s Pupil: Phaestus, a quasit that serves the demon prince Graz’zt is trapped in this chamber. Once the PCs find their way through the door and into this sanctum, its cunning inhabitant does its level best to CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 3 get free. If the PCs are aware they face followers of Orcus, and say as much to Phaestus, they might gain a temporary ally…extremely temporary. 1-09 Grave Business: Lady Vasilov found her way to this chamber, which houses a crypt formerly consecrated to Wee Jas. This alone kept these corpses from animated when Moniqua set off the phylactery. Since discovering this chamber however, she has desecrated it sufficiently to remove the restriction of the goddess, and now works diligently to extract as many intact corpses from their rest, prior to using further magic to animate their bodies into servitude. PREPARATION FOR PLAY No special preparation is required prior to DMing this adventure. However, if you wish to have greater insight into the political machinations, goals, and whatnot of the demon lords Orcus and Graz’zt, then you may wish to read up on them in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. Additionally, at higher APLs, the quasit Phaestus has levels of warlock. Though all of the information required to run Phaestus is presented within this adventure, you may also wish to read up on warlocks in the Complete Arcane, as well as the most current version of the FAQ, and any errata that may be available regarding that class online at www.wizards.com. INTRODUCTION If one or more of the PCs have access to the key from the end of CGR7-02, The Silent Barracks, read: Successful in finding the key to the door leading down to this level, you took a well earned break back in the big city. Now that you’re rested, refreshed, and ready to face danger once more, you can take your key and delve deeper into the chambers beneath the ruins of Greyhawk. If none of the PCs were successful in gaining access to the key from the end of CGR7-02 The Silent Barracks, read: Confounded by the only door remaining in this gods-forsaken ruin, you returned to the city without a clue how to explore further. Lucky for you, the Thieves’ Guild found you, and after discovering the source of your consternation, provided you with a solution. The man was like a shadow, and you’re not even sure that he was ever in the same room as you, at any given time. However, once you reached the forbidden door again, it was open. The price was simple enough…20% of anything of value that you find in the ruins, as well as full disclosure on its secrets. If the PCs enter the ruins under these circumstances, deduct 20% from any treasure they discover in the course of their exploration for this round of the adventure only. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 4 1−01: SKELETAL GUARDIANS This chamber is the starting point for the PCs’ further exploration into the ruins of Greyhawk. When the PCs reach the bottom of the stairway and open the door, read: A ten-foot pile of skulls dominates the center of this chamber, and many more lay strewn about the floor. Four stone braziers bearing hot embers dimly light the room, casting deep shadows into the corners. A wide stone stairway is the only apparent exit. Several skeletal figures appear to be gathering the loose skulls and adding them to the pile in the center. The skeletal figures vary, depending on the APL of the group. Human skeletons collect the skulls using their hands as appropriate. However, if there are wolf skeletons present, they collect each skull in their bony mouths, flinging them up onto the pile. Once the PCs enter the chamber, read: Noticing your entry into the chamber, the skeletal figures turn to advance on you menacingly. APL 2 & 4 (EL 2) �Human Warrior Skeletons (6): hp 6; MM 226 APL 6 (EL 4) �Human Warrior Skeletons (3): hp 6; MM 226 �Wolf Skeletons (3): hp 13; MM 226 Skeleton Tactics: The skeletons’ orders are very specific. Stop all intruders from passing through this chamber to the stairs. The skeletons charge to attack as soon as the PCs enter the chamber. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 20 ft. high. Pile of Skulls: This pile is pyramid-like in shape, having a 10-foot by 10-foot base, and being roughly 10 feet high at the top. Attempting to climb the pile only scatters the skulls in all directions. When examined closely, most of the skulls are human, though a few dwarf, elf, and halfling skulls are present as well. If the pile of skulls is cleared from where they currently rest upon the floor, the image of a leering, blazing skull is revealed. A DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check reveals this to be a holy symbol of Wee Jas. If one of the PCs is a cleric of Wee Jas, no check is necessary. The skeletons were ordered to cover the symbol with skulls as the first step toward desecrating this chamber. Braziers: These are built into the stone of the chamber, and were recently home to blazing fires, lit by Lady Vasilov and her followers to reveal the features of this chamber. Only coals burn within now. Entrance Door (Stone): 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; no check is necessary to open this door. 1−02: GRAND STAIRWAY When the PCs reach the first landing, read: A dead bugbear lays face down on the first landing of this wide stairway. A blackened scorch-mark stretches across the width of the passage. A pair of wide alcoves each bears the engraved image of a leering skull, blazing with fire, though it appears as though they have both recently been splashed with large quantities of blood, as well as more fragrant bodily excretions. The bugbear wears a robe with a deep hood. Close examination reveals that the creature was burnt to death, and that it bears a heavy mace whose head has been fashioned to appear as a skull. A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check reveals this as a functional holy symbol of the demon lord Orcus, Prince of Undead. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Alcoves: The alcoves once held tables laden with candles that were lit in prayer to Wee Jas. The tables and candles were destroyed and discarded after the hooded pupil died from the trap set here. Additionally, the engraved images have been desecrated by Lady Vasilov and her minions. Landings: A DC 25 Search check reveals that the first landing was trapped magically, a trap that was only set off in the last day or so. The second landing grants access to a set of wide stone double doors. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 5 1−03: STORAGE CHAMBER This chamber was previously used to store supplies for embalming as well as foodstuffs, water, and other general store needed by the priests who once dwelt here. Once the PCs open the doors leading into this chamber, read or paraphrase: A steep narrow stair winds down into this frigid chamber. Shelves line the walls, though they are largely empty now. A pair of large ornate tables has been smashed to pieces in the middle of the room. Dozens of moldy burnt out candles lay amidst the wreckage. Several crates and barrels are stacked against one wall as well. Close examination of the shelves reveals that they were only recently looted. Patterns in the dust reveal that they recently held many circular containers. The crates hold the ancient remnants of stored food, no longer edible. The barrels, which once held water, are now dry. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Stone Double Doors: 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; no check is necessary to open this door. Wreckage: The destroyed tables and candles were previously housed in the twin alcoves described in area 1- 02. 1−04: TEMPLE OF ORCUS Lady Vasilov converted this extra large chamber into a temple dedicated to Orcus after defacing the room of all Wee Jas symbolism. A step leads up to a large stone altar which stands at the end of this chamber. A blood-red tapestry depicting a skull topped black mace hangs behind the altar, and decrepit wooden pews have been lined up, arranged to accept the patronage of any that might come to worship. Lady Vasilov has installed the spell turret (shown on the map as a glowing blue glyph) gifted to her by Orcus to protect this chamber. As soon as any PC reaches the first set of pews, read or paraphrase: The stone step pivots, and a skull-topped black mace stands upright, a flash of blackness passing through the chamber as it does so. The spell turret releases a different spell each round for four rounds, and then pauses on the fifth; repeat. It continues this pattern until disabled, destroyed, or the PCs leave the chamber. APL 2 & 4 (EL 2) �Spell Turret: Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 4) �Spell Turret: Appendix 1 AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 20 ft. high. Pews: Each of these was originally constructed of good strong wood. However, time has taken its toll, and the hardness of these have been reduced to 2, and each can take only 10 hps damage before becoming totally useless. They provide cover (+4 to AC, +2 on Reflex saves) against the attacks of the spell turret (if applicable to the spell effect). Altar: A stone structure, the altar has withstood the time admirably (hardness 8; hp 1,000) It is obvious however that the front has been scoured of all markings. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 6 1−05: HOODED PUPIL This chamber used to serve as the meeting/dining hall for the assemblage of Wee Jas. Additionally, the chamber could be converted into a giant working laboratory for magical experimentation, when deemed appropriate by the heads of the church. A raised platform with an altar dominates the entryway to this chamber. Two long stone tables are built into the floor in the center of the chamber, while a large ten-foot statue, depicting a beautiful woman with an imperious glare is nestled against the wall at the far end. A bugbear hooded pupil of Orcus is in this chamber, working to defile the sanctity of Wee Jas. Unless the PCs have managed to maintain absolute silence on their approach to this room, the bugbear is likely aware of their approach. Read or paraphrase: A single muscular savage goblinoid, nearly seven feet tall stands ready and waiting for you, shrouded in a voluminous cloak. Unnaturally glowing red eyes glare balefully out from where they’re nestled deeply within its hood. In one hand, the creature grips a morningstar whose head resembles a skull with jagged spikes protruding. APL 2 (EL 3) �Hooded Pupil Bugbear: hp 16; Appendix 1. APL 4 & 6 (EL 5) �Hooded Pupil Bugbear: male bugbear fighter 2; hp 29; Appendix 1. Hooded Pupil Bugbear Tactics: While the hooded pupil has some different attack types available to him (clutch of Orcus, drinking blood), he tends to fight in a straight forward manner, attempting to break down individual opponents quickly. He begins the combat having already consumed his potion of bull strength. The affects of this is not included in the creature’s stat block. HOODED PUPIL LORE Characters who have ranks in Knowledge (religion) can learn more about hooded pupils, When a character makes a successful skill check the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs Knowledge (Religion) DC 18: This is a hooded pupil. Hooded pupils are undead creatures that like to drink the blood of their victims. This result reveals all undead traits. DC 23: Hooded pupils can walk on walls and can cause a victims heart to stop. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 20 ft. high. Altar: The altar is constructed of stone, and has a built-in bookstand, allowing it to serve as a study or podium in a pinch (hardness 8; hp 1,000). Characters can leap atop it with a DC 10 Jump check, gaining the benefits of higher ground against opponents on the floor. Stone Tables: These stone tables are built into the floor, and are good for whatever utilitarian purpose, one might put them to (hardness 9; 500 hp/5-foot section). Statue: Depicting Wee Jas (DC 10 Knowledge [religion]), this statue has a hidden drawer (DC 25 Search) which contains a number of items. Refer to the Treasure Summary. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 7 1−06: MEDITATION CHAMBER This chamber is the head of a ‘T’ intersection amidst the halls of the ruins. Why it was here originally is anybody’s guess. However, the followers of Wee Jas used it as a place for reflection. This odd-shaped chamber rests at the head of a ‘T’ intersection, bisected by the originating hall. The far wall of the chamber appears to be a shifting, changing sea of flame. Occasionally, tiles on the wall are laid bare, each one possessing a strange rune of arcane nature. Down one hallway, an open cistern of fresh water appears to have been constructed just outside the room. The other hallway extends off into the darkness. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 15 ft. high. Flaming Wall: The arcane symbols that appear, stand for the energy types used in magic (fire, cold, acid, electricity, and sonic). Though they hold no significance beyond that, their respective appearance gave the disciples of Wee Jas a focus for meditation, as well as presenting a challenging exercise for finding order in chaos. If any PC is a cleric of Wee Jas, they immediately recognize the wall for its purpose. To any other character incapable of making a DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check, the wall is a mystery. The wall radiates no heat. If detect magic is cast a DC 20 Spellcraft check reveals that it has a moderate aura of illusion. Cistern: Built into the floor, the cistern effectively blocks off the hallway. It is 10-feet deep and kept fresh and full through magic. Additionally, the floor on this side of the cistern is treated with a permanent effect that most closely resembles the spell grease. Anyone running through the ten feet just before the cistern must make a DC 20 Balance check or slide through the area, falling into the cistern itself. Any PC that makes a DC 15 Spot check (provided that light is available) can see that an armored bugbear lies dead at the bottom of the cistern, where it drowned recently. The lip of the cistern only rises a foot off the floor itself however, so any PC capable of making a DC 20 Jump check, jumping from 10 feet back, (or levitating, or flying) may bypass this portion of the hall and reach the door on the far side. Another option is to make the DC 20 Balance check while running, and then make a DC 10 Jump check to clear the cistern and reach the other side. At higher APLs, the PCs may have access to dispel magic. A successful caster level 10, removes the grease-like enchantment for 24 hours. Stone Double Doors: 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; no check is necessary to open this door. 1−07: MASTER’S CHAMBERS These two chambers previously served as the personal chambers of the co-founders of the temple of Wee Jas. One was divine and one arcane, though there is very little here now to give that away. When investigating these chambers, the PCs find them to be essentially identical. A large crumbling bed dominates one side of this chamber, the other being taken up by an assortment of previously well-made but now seriously deteriorated furniture. A burn mark in the shape of a perfect circle, 10 feet in diameter, dominates on section of the far wall. If any character takes the time to examine the burn mark more closely, read or paraphrase: A faint spidery tracing of magical script encloses the circumference of the burn mark. There is nothing of value to be found anywhere, in either chamber. A DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that the burn marks were likely the home of a planar gate or other such powerful conduit at one time, though no other trace of a magic portal exists now. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Stone Double Doors (both sets): 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; no check is necessary to open. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 8 1−08: DEMONIC TRAPPINGS This chamber is currently the permanent residence of Phaestus, a quasit who served, at one time, as a part time errand boy for Graz’zt, Prince of Demons. He was trapped here by Wee Jas’ devotees, when he was caught causing mischief of a dire and fatal nature within the church. Even though Graz’zt has since abandoned his pawn, Phaestus firmly believes that one day his master will send help to free him. Barring that, the quasit isn’t above taking help where he can get it. Phaestus begins the encounter invisible. An unusually well-preserved desk and chair dominates one corner of this chamber. A series of dimly glowing magical runes surrounds the desk, casting the rest of the room in shadow. A set of decrepit looking bookshelves, lined mostly with a thick layer of dust, stand against the opposite wall. Any PC touching or crossing over the runes disrupts their power, releasing Phaestus. The quasit is quite willing to patiently wait and give them the opportunity to do so. APL 2 (EL 2) �Phaestus (quasit): hp 13; Appendix 1. APL 4 & 6 (EL 4) �Phaestus: quasit warlock 2; hp 20; Appendix 1. Phaestus’ Tactics: Phaestus remains perched on the desk invisibly, and absolutely still hoping that the PCs’ curiosity gets the better of them, and they might do something to release him from his magical prison. If a PC is capable of seeing invisible (or if Phaestus should become visible later in the encounter), read or paraphrase: A tiny humanoid-shaped creature with spiky horns and bat wings sits perched atop the desk. Its hands and feet are long and slender, with long, claw-tipped digits. A tiny silver chain and amulet hangs from the creature’s neck. The silver on the amulet is blackened and resembles a six-fingered hand. Anyone succeeding on a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check recognizes the amulet as a holy symbol of Graz’zt, the Prince of Demons. If they make the check by 5 or more, and they recognized a symbol of Orcus previously in the adventure, they recall that Orcus and Graz’zt are deadly enemies. PHAESTUS’ DEAL If seen, Phaestus attempts to bargain slyly with the PCs. The deal he offers is his freedom, for the contents of the desk. While the quasit cannot get into the locked drawers himself, he insists that heroes as mighty as the PCs are resourceful enough to do so. He also points out that there must be something valuable hidden within, since it is the only well-preserved furniture in the room. If the PCs suggest that followers of Orcus are nearby, Phaestus even goes so far as to offer his assistance in dealing with these undead-loving upstarts, offering to make a pact of service (short-lived of course) with the PCs as well. Once Lady Vasilov is defeated, Phaestus turns on the party, attacking them while their resources are depleted. The depths of the quasit’s treachery know no limits. FIGHTING PHAESTUS If the PCs do not see Phaestus, and they touch or cross the runes physically, the magic of the runes fails, and the quasit is freed. At this point, if the door is open, Phaestus leaves, following the PCs, attacking them at a moment that would be inconvenient to them. If this is during a fight with Lady Vasilov, Phaestus does nothing to help the PCs against her as long as they have the upper hand, allowing them to expend their resources in the conflict. If she gains the upper hand in combat (DM discretion), Phaestus attacks from concealment whenever possible. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Entrapment Area: If any PC has the power to teleport into the area enclosed by the runes, they find themselves trapped along with Phaestus, a permanent effect that resembles the spell dimensional lock, prevents them from teleporting or otherwise translocating themselves from this area, and the runes prevent them from crossing out physically. Desk: Preserved by the same magic that binds Phaestus, the desk is otherwise unremarkable. Its one drawer is locked (DC 20 Open Locks; hardness 5, hp 20). It contains only a single silver token, fashioned in the visage of a blazing, leering skull (holy symbol of Wee Jas). When brought into contact with the second magical barrier (1-13), the barrier is dispelled, allowing the PCs to pass freely to zone three. Shelves (Treasure): Unremarkable and rotten, these shelves do in fact contain a single hidden catch in the base (DC 25 Search). When opened a cache of scrolls is found to be held within. Refer to the Treasure Summary. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 9 1−09: GRAVE BUSINESS Previously a prison, this oddly shaped chamber was converted into a crypt by the disciples of Wee Jas, and now houses dozens of corpses, previously undead, though destroyed by the Stern Lady’s followers. Having discovered this crypt, Lady Vasilov is in the process of exhuming the bodies and fully intends to animate as many of the corpses as she is able prior to continuing her exploration of the ruins. Dozens of bodies lay neatly arranged on the floor of this oddly shaped chamber, having apparently only been disinterred from their rest recently. Debris from their exhuming is littered everywhere throughout the chamber, making walking through this area somewhat tricky. When the PCs first enter the chamber, Lady Vasilov is working toward the back, around the corner. She thus probably has at least two rounds to prepare before she must face them. Once the PCs do see Lady Vasilov however, read or paraphrase: A fair-skinned woman with long braided blond hair and unnaturally glowing red eyes, wearing heavy armor, glares menacingly. She holds a wicked looking skull-topped mace loosely in one hand, and speaks in cool tones, “I don’t know who you are, but I will animate your corpses to honor my lord Orcus.” A DC 15 Spot check reveals that patches of her skin appears to be covered in oily black scales. APL 2 (EL 3) �Moniqua Vasilov: female human cleric 3 (Orcus); hp 24; Appendix 1. APL 4 (EL 5) �Moniqua Vasilov: female human cleric 5 (Orcus); hp 38; Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 7) �Moniqua Vasilov: female human cleric 7 (Orcus); hp 52; Appendix 1. Lady Vasilov’s Tactics: At all APLs, in her two rounds of preparation, she casts bull’s strength and shield of faith. Her stat blocks already reflect the changes from these spells. At APL 2, Lady Vasilov opens with cause fear on an apparent front-line fighter, followed by doom on a different melee combatant. She reserves hold person for the most troublesome opponent. At this APL, you can expect that she’ll be in melee combat with someone rather quickly at any rate, though she hopes to forestall with spells as described above. If at any time she might suspect that a PC would succumb to her death touch, do not hesitate to use it in an attempt to remove a combatant permanently. Clerics of Orcus play for keeps. At APL 4, Lady Vasilov casts demon wings and taking to the air (fly 20, average maneuverability). The vaulted ceiling in this chamber should allow her to escape melee with PCs fairly quickly. She then follows up with the spells as described under APL 2. At APL 6, Lady Vasilov casts demon wings and taking to the air (fly 20, average maneuverability). She then follows up by casting summon monster IV twice, over the next couple of rounds. She summons a howler (MM 154) on each casting. She then casts darkfire and targets PC spellcasters and others with ranged attacks. At all three APLs, she is capable of casting sanctuary if she feels she needs to remove herself from the fight for healing or to attempt an escape, depending upon how badly it is going for her. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 20 ft. high. Corpses/Debris: The corpses and debris littered about the floor make the entire room difficult terrain. It is impossible to move more than half speed, charge, run, or take 5-foot steps in this situation. Stone Doors: 4 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 60; no check is necessary to open these doors. DEVELOPMENT Once the PCs have defeated Lady Vasilov they can claim the key to the first magic barrier in area 1-13. She found it amongst the bodies while she toiled at exhuming them. This key, and the one possessed by Phaestus, allow the PCs to progress to the next level of the dungeon, Shatterstone. If Phaestus is present during this combat, he attacks Lady Vasilov first, though he only does so if things are going well for Moniqua. Once the combat is over, Phaestus turns on the PCs, hoping to finish them off, and sacrifice them in the name of his fell lord Graz’zt. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 10 1−10 EMBALMING CHAMBER This chamber was previously used by the clerics of Wee Jas for embalming the bodies in preparation for their interment. Now, the chemicals are stale and fetid. A rotten, broken down table dominates this chamber, having long ago collapsed due to mold, whose smell pervades the air in this chamber. A stone shelf carved into one wall holds an array of glass jars. Some of these contain substances of varying hues and consistency. A DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check reveals that the jars contain substances that are commonly used for embalming corpses, though all of them are rotten with age, and have become useless for this purpose now. One flask at the back contains acid which has, for some inexplicable reason, grown stronger over time (deals 2d6 damage, instead of 1d6). For the purpose of alchemical study, this flask is worth 100 gp. Additionally, another flask contains a potion. The type of potion is different depending on APL, and can be found in the Treasure Summary. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. 1−11 DOMITORY This chamber previously served as the living quarters for the remainder of Wee Jas’ disciples. The floor of this chamber is covered with the wreckage from numerous broken down bunks. Nothing of value is contained herein, though if the PCs pick through the debris, they may determine that as many as a dozen occupants could have slept here at one time. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. 1−12 INTERROGATION CHAMBER This chamber was used for interrogating intelligent undead. The clerics of Wee Jas did this to find the location of their respective lairs, so that additional undead could be located and destroyed. A stone table with rotten leather straps is pushed up against one wall of this chamber, while a spike-less iron maiden is in the opposite corner. Close inspection of the iron maiden reveals that a hole has been drilled into the top of the structure, and a tiny funnel with a drip has been attached. The followers of Wee Jas would slowly drip holy water through the funnel into the iron maiden, searing the undead interred within over extended periods of time, as a form of torture. Close inspection of the table reveals that a holy symbol of Wee Jas (blazing, leering skull) is engraved into its surface. The clerics could use this as a focus for their turning, as well as low-powered cure spells; another form of torture for intelligent undead. Succeeding on a DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check reveals the above information regarding certain sects of the clergy of Wee Jas. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 11 1−13 PASSING THE LEVEL These portals are permanent effects that resemble a wall of force with color. Use the same description for both. A transparent field of azure energy stretches across the hall, blocking further passage into the ruins. A faint, semi-opaque image of a leering, blazing skull shimmers in and out of visibility every few seconds. Each portal may be unlocked with the appropriate key. The first portal can be brought down by applying Lady Vasilov’s key to its surface; the second, by applying Phaestus’ key to its surface. Both keys are holy symbols of Wee Jas, though one is silver (Phaestus) and the other is gold (Lady Vasilov). Both of these keys permanently disable the portals, and if retained, are of value to the church as well. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of note: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. DEVELOPMENT PCs breaching both these barriers have found a way to access parts of the next level – Shatterstone – cut off during the earthquake that destroyed much of the level. These areas are detailed further in CGR8-02 Shatterstone. CONCLUSION Once the PCs have left the ruins, proceed to the relevant section below. SUCCESS Use this text if the PCs successfully find their way through the crypt, defeat the tomb motes and recover the key from where it is hidden. Having defeated the cultists and the miniature demon, you have successfully located what you believe to be keys needed to proceed further into the ruins of Greyhawk. FAILURE Use this text if the PCs survived, but did not successfully find their way into the final crypt and/or find the key hidden there. Leaving the ruins for a well deserved rest, you get the feeling that you’re missing something, though you can’t quite put your finger on it. Perhaps if you spend some time at the library in the city of Greyhawk, you might garner the clues needed to proceed further into the ruins. AFFILIATION AWARDS Now is time to determine how many affiliation points each PC gained for their given affiliations. Record each PC’s gain (or loss) on the Affiliation Score Gained/Lost AR item. PCs can gain the following points: Cartographers' Guild • +1: Producing an accurate map of this section of the ruins. Guild of Wizardy • +1: Studying and disabling the wards leading to Shatterstone. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 12 EXPERIENCE POINT SUMMARY To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. 1-01: Skeletal Guardians Defeat the skeletons. APL 2 60 XP APL 4 60 XP APL 6 120 XP 1-04: Temple of Orcus (Trap) Disable/survive the spell turrent. APL 2 60 XP APL 4 60 XP APL 6 120 XP 1-05: Hooded Pupil Defeat the bugbear hooded pupil. APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 150 XP 1-08: Demonic Trappings Defeat Phaestus, the quasit. APL 2 60 XP APL 4 120 XP APL 6 120 XP 1-09: Grave Business Defeat Lady Vasilov. APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP Discretionary Roleplaying Award APL 2 90 XP APL 4 135 XP APL 6 180 XP Total Possible Experience APL 2 450 XP APL 4 675 XP APL 6 900 XP TREASURE SUMMARY During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items. 1-01: Skeletal Guardians APL 2: Loot 13 gp; Total 13 gp. APL 4: Loot 84 gp; Total 84 gp. APL 6: Loot 121 gp; Total 121 gp. 1-05: Hooded Pupil APL 2: Loot 4 gp; Total 4 gp. APL 4 & 6: Loot 115 gp; Total 115 gp. 1-08: Demonic Trappings All APLs: Loot 2 gp; Magic (58 gp) 2 scrolls of death ward 116 gp; Total 118 gp. 1-09: Grave Business APL 2: Loot 76 gp; Magic (4 gp) 2 potions of cure light wounds 8 gp; Total 84 gp. APL 4: Loot 154 gp; Magic (25 gp) potion of cure moderate wounds, (192 gp), +1 heavy mace 217 gp; Total 371 gp. APL 6: Loot 17 gp; Magic (63 gp) potion of cure serious wounds, (192 gp), +1 heavy mace, (221 gp), +1 full plate armor, (83 gp) cloak of resistance +1 559 gp; Total 576 gp. CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 13 1-10: Embalming Chamber All APLs: Loot 8 gp; Magic (63 gp) 3 potions of cure serious wounds 189 gp; Total 197 gp. Treasure Cap APL 2: 450 gp; APL 4: 650 gp; APL 6: 900 gp. Total Possible Treasure APL 2: 414 gp; APL 4: 694 gp; APL 6: 1,127 gp. ADVENTURE RECORD ITEMS Use these notes to determine which AR items the PCs gain: Silver Holy Symbol of Wee Jas: PCs defeating Phaestus, the quasit gain this item. Golden Holy Symbol of Wee Jas: PCs defeating Lady Vasilov gain this item. Thanks of the Stern Lady: PCs who slay Lady Vasilov gain this AR item. Fermented Acid: If the PCs recovered at least one flask of fermented acid from area 1-10 they gain access to this item. �Silver Holy Symbol of Wee Jas: You took this silver holy symbol from a demon found lurking in the dungeons below the War Tower. �Golden Holy Symbol of Wee Jas: You wrested this symbol from a depraved follower of the demon lord Orcus. �Thanks of the Stern Lady: The followers of the Stern Lady have learnt of your exploits below the War Tower and are grateful to you for cleansing one of their old holy places of the taint infesting it. In gratitude, they provide you access to the items marked WJ below. �Fermented Acid: You found a flask of concentrated acid deep below the War Tower and the alchemists of the free city have managed to unlock the secrets of its creation. Treat this acid in all regards as normal acid (PH 128) except that it does 2d6 points of acid damage on a direct hit and splashed everyone within 5 ft. for 2 points of acid damage. ITEM ACCESS APL 2 Fermented acid (Adventure; 100 gp per flask) Blessed bandageWJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Greater skill shardWJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Potion of lesser vigorWJ (Core; Spell Compendium) APL 4(all of APL 2 plus:) Eternal wand of shield WJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Phylactery of faithfulness WJ (Core; DMG) Lens of revelation WJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) APL 6 (all of APLs 2-4 plus:) Elemental gemWJ (Core; DMG) Spellsink scarabWJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Infinite scrollcase WJ (Core; Magic Item Compendium) CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 14 APPENDIX 1: APL 2 1−04: TEMPLE OF ORCUS ORCUS SHRINE SPELL TURRET CR 2 Search DC 26; Type magic Trigger visual (true seeing); automatic reset Effect Four different spell effects cast once per round in set order (entropic shield [self], doom [DC 12 Will negates], cause fear [DC 12 Will negates], inflict light wounds [DC 12 Will half]), no spells cast every fifth round but spell turret self repairs 4d8+20 hp. The first spell (entropic shield) is always cast on itself, but the other three spells always target the nearest PC. Caster level 1st. Duration 5 rounds (repeat) Destruction AC 7; hp 200; hardness 8 (stone) Disarm Disable Device DC 26 1−05: HOODED PUPIL HOODED PUPIL BUGBEAR* CR 3 *Libris Mortis CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent, Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Common, Goblin AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+1 Dex, +2 armor, +1 shield, +5 natural) hp 16 (3 HD) Resist cold 5 Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); spider climb Melee morningstar +8 (1d8+5) Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+5) Base Atk +2; Grp +7 Atk Options drink blood Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th): 1/day—clutch of Orcus (DC 11) Abilities Str 21, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 9 Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (morningstar) Skills Climb +6, Hide +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Spot +7 Possessions combat gear plus leather armor, light wooden shield, morningstar, 6 javelins, silver holy symbol (Orcus) Clutch of Orcus (Sp) Once per day, a hooded pupil can use the spell clutch of Orcus. Caster level 10th. The save DC is Charisma-based. Drink Blood (Su) Once per day, a hooded pupil can suck blood from a living victim who has damage that is yet unhealed (the hooded pupil doesn’t have exceptionally sharp teeth, unless the base creature has a bite attack, so it must sip from wounds). It does so by making a successful grapple check (it usually prefers to use this ability on foes that are already helpless). Against a pinned or helpless foe, it drinks blood, dealing 2 points of Constitution damage. Spider Climb (Su) Hooded pupils can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell. Skills Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently. Hooded pupils have a +2 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot checks. 1−08: DEMONIC TRAPPINGS PHAESTUS (QUASIT) CR 2 CE Tiny outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, evil) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Abyssal, Common AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural) hp 13 (3 HD); fast healing 2; DR 5/cold iron or good Immune poison Resist fire 10 Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 claws +8 (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +3 (1d4-1) Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +3; Grp -6 Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): At Will—detect good, detect magic, invisibility (self only) 1/day—cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11) 1/week—commune (may ask 6 questions; caster level 12th) Abilities Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10 SQ alternate form Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +17, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Search +6, Spellcraft +6, Spot +7 Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Alternate Form (Su) Phestus can assume one of two forms at will as a standard action, a bat or wolf. 1−09: GRAVE BUSINESS MONIQUA VASILOV CR 3 Female human cleric 3 (Orcus)* *Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses darkvision 30 ft., Listen +2, Spot +4 Languages Common AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+6 armor, +2 shield, +2 deflection, +2 natural) hp 24 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +5 Speed 20 ft. in banded mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee mwk heavy mace +7 (1d8+4) Base Atk +2; Grp +6 CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 15 Atk Options death touch (1/day; +6 melee touch; 3d6) Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day (+3, 2d6+4, 3rd), spontaneous casting (inflict spells) Combat Gear 2 potions of cure light wounds Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 3rd): 2nd—bull’s strength, death knellD (DC 14), hold person (DC 14) 1st—cause fearD (DC 13), doom (DC 13), sanctuary (DC 13), shield of faith 0—detect magic, light, purify food and drink, read magic D: Domain spell. Deity: Orcus. Domains: Death, Demonic* �Already cast Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 12 Feats Combat Casting, Demonic Skin, Eyes of the Abyss Skills Concentration +8 (+12 casting defensively), Knowledge (religion) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +6 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork banded mail, masterwork heavy steel shield, masterwork heavy mace, silver holy symbol, spell component pouch CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 16 APL 4 1−04: TEMPLE OF ORCUS ORCUS SHRINE SPELL TURRET CR 2 Search DC 26; Type magic Trigger visual (true seeing); automatic reset Effect Four different spell effects cast once per round in set order (entropic shield [self], doom [DC 12 Will negates], cause fear [DC 12 Will negates], inflict light wounds [DC 12 Will half]), no spells cast every fifth round but spell turret self repairs 4d8+20 hp. The first spell (entropic shield) is always cast on itself, but the other three spells always target the nearest PC. Caster level 1st. Duration 5 rounds (repeat) Destruction AC 7; hp 200; hardness 8 (stone) Disarm Disable Device DC 26 1−05: HOODED PUPIL HOODED PUPIL BUGBEAR* CR 5 Male bugbear fighter 2 *Libris Mortis CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent, Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Common, Goblin AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +4 armor, +5 natural) hp 29 (5 HD) Resist cold 5 Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); spider climb Melee mwk morningstar +12 (1d8+9/19-20) Ranged mwk composite longbow (+4) +6 (1d8+4) Base Atk +4; Grp +10 Atk Options drink blood Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th): 1/day—clutch of Orcus (DC 11) Abilities Str 22, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 9 Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (morningstar) Skills Climb +7, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +7, Spot +7 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork chain shirt, masterwork morningstar, masterwork composite longbow (+4) and 20 arrows, silver holy symbol (Orcus) Clutch of Orcus (Sp) Once per day, a hooded pupil can use the spell clutch of Orcus. Caster level 10th. The save DC is Charisma-based. Drink Blood (Su) Once per day, a hooded pupil can suck blood from a living victim who has damage that is yet unhealed (the hooded pupil doesn’t have exceptionally sharp teeth, unless the base creature has a bite attack, so it must sip from wounds). It does so by making a successful grapple check (it usually prefers to use this ability on foes that are already helpless). Against a pinned or helpless foe, it drinks blood, dealing 2 points of Constitution damage. Spider Climb (Su) Hooded pupils can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell. Skills Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently. Hooded pupils have a +2 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot checks. 1−08: DEMONIC TRAPPINGS PHAESTUS CR 4 Male quasit warlock* 2 *Complete Arcane CE Tiny outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, evil) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Abyssal, Common AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural) hp 20 (5 HD); fast healing 2; DR 5/cold iron or good Immune poison Resist fire 10 Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 claws +10 (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +5 (1d4-1) Ranged eldritch blast +10 ranged touch (1d6) Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +4; Grp -5 Atk Options invocations Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): At Will—detect good, detect magic, invisibility (self only) 1/day—cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11) 1/week—commune (may ask 6 questions; caster level 12th) Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10 SQ alternate form, entropic warding, see the unseen Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +18, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (the planes) +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Search +6, Spellcraft +8, Spot +7 Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Alternate Form (Su) Phaestus can assume one of two forms at will as a standard action, a bat or wolf. Eldritch Blast (Sp) An eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet. It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. Entropic Warding (Sp) When this invocation is activated, chaotic energies swirl about Phaestus, deflecting incoming arrows, rays, and other ranged attacks (as entropic shield). Phaestus leaves no trail (as pass without trace) and cannot be tracked by scent. (You can still be detected normally by scent, just not tracked). CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 17 See the Unseen (Sp) When Phaestus uses this invocation, he can activate great powers of vision, allowing him to see invisible creatures and objects (as see invisibility). 1−09: GRAVE BUSINESS MONIQUA VASILOV CR 5 Female human cleric 5 (Orcus)* *Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses darkvision 30 ft., Listen +3, Spot +5 Languages Common AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+8 armor, +2 shield, +2 deflection, +2 natural) hp 38 (5 HD) Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +7 Speed 20 ft. in full plate armor (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee +1 heavy mace +8 (1d8+5) Base Atk +3; Grp +7 Atk Options death touch (1/day; +7 melee touch; 5d6), Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day (+3, 2d6+6, 5th), spontaneous casting (inflict spells) Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 5th): 3rd—bestow curse (DC 16), demon wingsD, dispel magic 2nd—bull’s strength, death knellD (DC 15), desecrate, hold person (DC 15) 1st—cause fearD (DC 14), cure light wounds, doom (DC 14), sanctuary (DC 14), shield of faith 0—detect magic, light, purify food and drink, read magic (2) D: Domain spell. Deity: Orcus. Domains: Death, Demonic* �Already cast Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12 Feats Combat Casting, Demonic Skin, Eyes of the Abyss Skills Concentration +10 (+14 casting defensively), Knowledge (religion) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +8 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork full plate armor, masterwork heavy steel shield, +1 heavy mace, silver holy symbol, spell component pouch CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 18 APL 6 1−04: TEMPLE OF ORCUS ORCUS SHRINE SPELL TURRET CR 4 Search DC 28; Type magic Trigger visual (true seeing); automatic reset Effect Four different spell effects cast once per round in set order (bestow curse [-4 to attacks, saves, and checks; DC 15 Will negates], contagion [cackle fever; DC 16 Fort negates], searing light [+10 ranged touch; 2d8 damage], inflict serious wounds [DC 15 Will half]), no spells cast every fifth round but spell turret self repairs 4d8+20 hp. Spells cast always target the nearest PC. Caster level 5th. Duration 5 rounds (repeat) Destruction AC 7; hp 200; hardness 8 (stone) Disarm Disable Device DC 28 1−05: HOODED PUPIL HOODED PUPIL BUGBEAR* CR 5 Male bugbear fighter 2 *Libris Mortis CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent, Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Common, Goblin AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +4 armor, +5 natural) hp 29 (5 HD) Resist cold 5 Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); spider climb Melee mwk morningstar +12 (1d8+9/19-20) Ranged mwk composite longbow (+4) +6 (1d8+4) Base Atk +4; Grp +10 Atk Options drink blood Combat Gear potion of bull’s strength Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th): 1/day—clutch of Orcus (DC 11) Abilities Str 22, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 9 Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (morningstar) Skills Climb +7, Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +7, Spot +7 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork chain shirt, masterwork morningstar, masterwork composite longbow (+4) and 20 arrows, silver holy symbol (Orcus) Clutch of Orcus (Sp) Once per day, a hooded pupil can use the spell clutch of Orcus. Caster level 10th. The save DC is Charisma-based. Drink Blood (Su) Once per day, a hooded pupil can suck blood from a living victim who has damage that is yet unhealed (the hooded pupil doesn’t have exceptionally sharp teeth, unless the base creature has a bite attack, so it must sip from wounds). It does so by making a successful grapple check (it usually prefers to use this ability on foes that are already helpless). Against a pinned or helpless foe, it drinks blood, dealing 2 points of Constitution damage. Spider Climb (Su) Hooded pupils can climb sheer surfaces as though with a spider climb spell. Skills Bugbears have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently. Hooded pupils have a +2 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently and Spot checks. 1−08: DEMONIC TRAPPINGS PHAESTUS CR 4 Male quasit warlock* 2 *Complete Arcane CE Tiny outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, evil) Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +7, Spot +7 Languages Abyssal, Common AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural) hp 20 (5 HD); fast healing 2; DR 5/cold iron or good Immune poison Resist fire 10 Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 claws +10 (1d3-1 plus poison) and bite +5 (1d4-1) Ranged eldritch blast +10 ranged touch (1d6) Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +4; Grp -5 Atk Options invocations Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th): At Will—detect good, detect magic, invisibility (self only) 1/day—cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11) 1/week—commune (may ask 6 questions; caster level 12th) Abilities Str 8, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10 SQ alternate form, entropic warding, see the unseen Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +18, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (the planes) +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Search +6, Spellcraft +8, Spot +7 Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 13, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus. Alternate Form (Su) Phaestus can assume one of two forms at will as a standard action, a bat or wolf. Eldritch Blast (Sp) An eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet. It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target, allowing no saving throw. Entropic Warding (Sp) When this invocation is activated, chaotic energies swirl about Phaestus, deflecting incoming arrows, rays, and other ranged attacks (as entropic shield). Phaestus leaves no trail (as pass without trace) and cannot be tracked by scent. (You can still be detected normally by scent, just not tracked). CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 19 See the Unseen (Sp) When Phaestus uses this invocation, he can activate great powers of vision, allowing him to see invisible creatures and objects (as see invisibility). 1−09: GRAVE BUSINESS (EL 7) MONIQUA VASILOV CR 7 Female human cleric 7 (Orcus)* *Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses darkvision 30 ft., Listen +4, Spot +7 Languages Common AC 27, touch 13, flat-footed 25 (+9 armor, +2 shield, +3 deflection, +3 natural) hp 52 (7 HD); DR 3/lawful Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +9 Speed 20 ft. in full plate armor (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee +1 heavy mace +10 (1d8+5) Base Atk +5; Grp +9 Atk Options death touch (1/day; +9 melee touch; 7d6) Special Actions rebuke undead 4/day (+3, 2d6+8, 7th), spontaneous casting (inflict spells) Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 7th; +5 ranged touch): 4th—death wardD, summon monster IV (howler) (2) 3rd—bestow curse (DC 16), darkfire, demon wingsD, dispel magic 2nd—bull’s strength, death knellD (DC 15), desecrate, hold person (DC 15), spiritual weapon 1st—cause fearD (DC 14), cure light wounds (2), doom (DC 14), sanctuary (DC 14), shield of faith 0—detect magic (2), light, purify food and drink, read magic (2) D: Domain spell. Deity: Orcus. Domains: Death, Demonic* �Already cast Abilities Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12 Feats Combat Casting, Cloak of the Obyrith, Demonic Skin, Eyes of the Abyss Skills Concentration +12 (+16 casting defensively), Knowledge (religion) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +10 Possessions combat gear plus +1 full plate armor, masterwork heavy steel shield, +1 heavy mace, cloak of resistance +1, silver holy symbol, spell component pouch CGR8-01:1 Negative Feedback Page 20 DM MAP CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 1 CGR8-02:2 Forsaken Halls By Creighton Broadhurst ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Devotees of Nerull once held portions of the third level below the War Tower. These black-hearted priests and their servants strove against followers of Vaprak for control of the surrounding dungeons. Eventually, those following Vaprak were triumphant and the priests of Nerull and their followers were wiped out. In turn, the victors were slain by successive waves of adventures exploring the ruins in search of gold and fame. Several years ago a devastating earthquake cut off this level from those below, destroying all known means of accessing the deeper levels. Consequently, there was no easy route by which the denizens of the lower levels could creep upwards. For years, the tunnels and passages once sacred to Nerull lay forgotten, haunted only by scavengers and such like. Political developments in the nearby free city, however, have recently pushed the ruins back into the public consciousness. ADVENTURE SUMMARY Returning to the tunnels beneath the War Tower, the PCs investigate the dusty tunnels in search of clues regarding the ultimate goals of the bandits that have recently begun to plague trade in the environs of the free city. While they uncover no such information they do battle several groups of strange creatures before returning to the free city. Area 2-01: Here the PCs battle the offspring of a web spider. At APL 6, the web spider itself is present. Area 2-02 – 2-05: This small section of the dungeon is claimed by a small band of vivisectors. Trapped here by the web spider and its children, they prey on anyone entering their territory. Area 2-09: A graveyard ooze – the remnants of the high priest who once ruled this portion of the dungeon – lurks here ready to destroy any interlopers. At higher APLs, it uses zombie slaves to destroy intruders. INTRODUCTION When the PCs have traversed the first two levels of dungeon they reach this area. Beyond this room’s burnished brass double doors is a chamber that reeks of death. At random points on the room’s ceilings, walls, and floor are the corpses of all manner of humanoids. While their species differ, the method of their dispatch is identical – a steel rod has impaled them into the wall. A pair of dilapidated winches flanks a yawing pit from which cold, damp air flows, keeping the room chilly and slick with moisture. The pit is covered with an enormous, crudely crafted metal grate. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Magic Corrupted: Parts of this dungeon level are magic corrupted. In this chamber, this has the effect of making the walls appear to expand and contract as if breathing. Metal Grate: The grate (hardness 10; hp 50; Break DC 28) is made of two inch-thick iron. It is secured to the floor via forty-eight iron bolts, anchored directly into the stone floor. As an additional effect of the magic corruption of this area of the dungeon the grate, if struck, bleeds. This has no in-game affect but looks very nasty. Winches: The winches are badly damaged by the moisture and passage of time, but clever PCs might think to use the winch for leverage to pull open the grate. For this to work, the winch drum must be slowly ratcheted notch by notch. PCs using the winch gain a +10 circumstance bonus against the Break DC, but each attempt takes 10 minutes and ruins the winch in trying. Humanoid Remains: The humanoid’s remains appear have been impaled into the wall with terrific force. While humanoids of all sorts of represented, they appear to be predominantly those of “dungeon dwellers” – goblinoids, orcs, troglodytes, and so forth. Shaft: The shaft leads to area 2-01. Refer to area 2- 01 for more information. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 2 2−01: CLOYING WEBS A tomb spider and its offspring dominate this large chamber. At lower APLs the tomb spider has been slain – only its offspring remain. This area is reached from area 2- 05 of CGR7-02 The Silent Barracks through a shaft that pierces the room’s ceiling. Refer to Adventure Background for more information. A pair of large, old, and rusted winches dominates this web-shrouded chamber. The bodies of several gnawed and decomposed adventurers litter the floor. APL 2 (EL 4) �Tomb Spider Broodswarm (2): hp 22; Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 6) �Web Mummy (2): hp 29; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 8) �Tomb Spider (1): hp 76; Appendix 1 �Web Mummy (2): hp 29; Appendix 1 When the PCs first see a tomb spider broodswarm, read: A swarm of fist-sized, bright red spiders scuttles toward you. When the PCs first see a web mummy, read: A human-shaped creature, completely encased in webs, shambles towards you, its skin rippling as it many small creatures strain to escape from within. When the PCs first see a tomb spider, read: Chitin flakes off a mottled gray, spindly spider the size of a horse. Tactics: All the creatures start the encounter in the main chamber. Tomb Spider Broodswarm: The broodswarm attempts to overwhelm any intruders in its lair. If it hears movement in the shaft, it lurks on the ceiling and pounced upon anyone emerging. Web Mummy: The web mummies mindlessly attempt to overwhelm any intruders in its lair. Tomb Spider: the tomb spider uses its hurled webs to incapacitate the physically most dangerous members of the party before preying on clerics and other spellcasters. TOMB SPIDER LORE Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) can learn more about tomb spiders, broodswarms, or web mummies. When a character makes a successful skill check the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs Knowledge (Arcana) DC 16: Tomb spiders are magical beasts with a special connection to negative energy. This result reveals all magical beast traits. DC 21: Creatures affected by their poison are harmed by magical healing for a short time thereafter. Knowledge (Religion) DC 14: Web mummies are undead creatures animated by a spider with a connection to negative energy. This result reveals all undead traits. DC 19: A tomb spider lays its eggs in a humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or giant’s body, animating the corpse as a web mummy. The resulting creature is mindless but very tough. If the web mummy is destroyed, a tomb spider broodswarm bursts from the body. DC 24: Web mummies are vulnerable to fire. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 30 ft. high. Shaft: The shaft is 50 ft. long and protected by an illusion of a plain stone ceiling. A DC 26 Spellcraft check identifies this effect as a permanent illusion while a DC 21 Spellcraft check in conjunction with detect magic reveals moderate illusion magic. The shaft can be scaled with a DC 25 climb check but in three places is blocked by a sheet of sticky webbing. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise, they become trapped as though hit by a successful web attack. Each 5-foot section of webbing has 12 hit points and damage reduction 5/--. Winch: The winches are dilapidated but still work. The platform currently rests on the chamber floor. Treasure: The remains of several adventurers litter the chamber. Refer to the Treasure Summary for details on what the PCs manage to loot. Shaft from above CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 3 2−02: ABERRANT DISSECTION The area was a dining chamber in which the normal rank- and-file guards of the complex ate. Now a small group of vivisectors use it (and areas2-3, 2-04, and 2-05) as their lair. Note: Because the vivisectors prefer to fight a battle of movement, leave enough space on the battle mat to depict the other chambers. (This is particularly important at APLs 4-6). Upturned tables and chairs are scattered about the main part of this large chamber. To your left a large table stands atop a raised platform. A door studs the wall directly across from you and to your right an archway leads to another chamber. Once the PCs enter the chamber and start traversing the tumbled furniture, the vivisectors attack (see Tactics, below). The vivisector(s) are hiding behind the tables. Remember vivisectors are deaf, so they must peek out from the tables to spot intruders, possibly allowing the PCs to notice them. APL 2 (EL 4) �Vivisector (1): hp 45; Appendix 1 APL 2 (EL 6) �Vivisector (2): hp 45; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 8) �Vivisector (4): hp 45; Appendix 1 When the PCs first spot a vivisector, read: A gangly biped with crystalline wings appears before you. Dozens of blue chitinous plates, between which blood and black ichor ooze, protect it. It has no nose or mouth but does have strange, multifaceted eyes. Its arms end in bloodstained, wickedly sharp claws. Tactics: The vivisectors first drink their potions of resist energy. Subsequently, they turn invisible, surround an isolated PC, and attack. They position themselves to gain maximum use of Combat Reflexes and use their flight ability to move about the chamber, avoiding the upturned furniture. They prefer hit and run tactics – they are cowards at heart –relying on the furniture to slow down their opponents. In subsequent rounds, they concentrate their attacks on PCs with ranged attacks and try to draw the PCs deeper into this network of rooms (areas 2-03 – 2-05). VIVISECTOR LORE Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) can learn more about vivisectors. When a character makes a successful skill check the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC 14: This is a vivisector, a gruesome hunter that feasts on its opponents’ remains. This result reveals all aberration traits. DC 19: Vivisectors are immune to sonic damage, and their deafness renders them immune to auditory effects. They are unnatural creatures, and they heal themselves by consuming the organs of their victims. DC 24: Vivisecvtors are little more than carapace and claws. They cut out the vital organs of their victims and place them inside their own bodies, drawing sustenance from them in some unearthly way. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 15 ft. high. Tables and Chairs: Four wooden tables are scattered through the main part of this chamber. All have been overturned and the chairs laid out to form obstacles. The vivisectors have deliberately set this up to hinder intruders. It costs four squares of movement to move through a square with upturned furniture. A successful DC 10 Jump check reduces this cost to 2 squares of movement. Alternatively, the furniture can be destroyed; the chairs (hardness 5, hp 5) are not as durable as the tables (hardness 5, hp 10). Raised Platform: A long rectangular table stands atop a 5-ft. high platform. Two gradual stairs lead up to the platform. The table has not been overturned (it is too heavy for the vivisectors) but no chairs stand around it. PCs can hop up onto the table (DC 10 Jump check) to gain the benefits of higher ground. Similarly, PCs on the platform gain the benefits of higher ground against opponents in the main part of the chamber. Treasure: The vivisectors carry a few items of worth to the PCs. Refer to the Treasure Summary. DEVELOPMENT: 2−03, 2−04 AND 2−05 The vivisectors know these areas well and use them to ambush, or hide from, the PCs. Each area contains specific notes on their actions. If any vivisectors survive the PCs’ incursion they regroup and stalk their attackers through the dungeon. They do not, however, attack the PCs while they are engaged fighting other foe. 2−03: ABANDONED KITCHEN This area was originally a kitchen wherein food was prepared for the guards dining in areas 2-02 and 2-04. The door way at the end of the kitchen, leads to the pantry. Note: This area contains adult themes – namely of mutilated bodies. Bare this in mind when describing the area to younger gamers. This room is a charnel house. Once a kitchen – as evidenced by the many sideboards and so on – it is CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 4 now used to store the horribly mutilated bodies of adventurers and dungeon denizens alike. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Pantry: Shelves storing moldering foodstuffs adorn the walls. Several barrels of brackish water are here. Mutilated Corpses: The corpses of several half-orcs, three humans, and a dwarf are scattered about the chamber, many of their internal organs ripped out. All equipment is damage, broken, or covered in dried gore. Treasure: The vivisectors have a small store of treasure, looted from their victims and the surrounding chambers and halls. It is hidden in one of the sideboards. Refer to the Treasure Summary. DEVELOPMENT If a vivisector is chased into the pantry he slams the door shut before moving behind one of the barrels of brackish water. As soon as the door is opened, he tries to topple the barrel (DC 15 Strength check succeeds), deluging the room, the short passageway leading to the kitchen, and the last half of the kitchen with water. This makes the floor very slippery. PCs moving through the area are considered balancing and must make a DC 5 Balance check. (PH 67). 2−04: HALL OF TAPESTRIES This small, richly appointed chamber was a private dining room for elite guards. They were called away mid-way through their meal and never returned. Read: A large table (the remains of a hastily abandoned meal atop it) and its attendant chairs dominate this chamber. Three faded and dust-covered tapestries adorn the walls. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 15 ft. high. Table and Chairs: A single, Large table stands in the center of the room. Eight chairs stand around it. Upon the table stand the remains of a meal, hastily abandoned. The chairs are pushed back; two lie on their sides. Tapestries: Each tapestry is faded and dust-covered. In many places, they are frayed, are stained or even slashed. They can be scaled with a DC 10 Climb check and creatures behind them gain concealment (20% miss chance). Each tapestry depicts a different scene: Tapestry One: This tapestry depicts a pyramid above a giant spiral staircase. Tapestry Two: This tapestry depicts five large humanoids (a DC 15 Knowledge [nature] check identifies them as ogre magi) in various poses of devotion. Tapestry Three: A long line of obvious slaves – troglodytes, kuo-toa, drow and other subterranean races – snake up this tapestry. Several are depicted with wounds. Treasure: Although the tapestries can be removed, they are worth nothing. DEVELOPMENT A vivisector trapped in this chamber, hides behind a tapestry to gain concealment and stays as high up as possible. If the PCs enter the chamber, it moves around behind them and returns to area 2-04. 2−05: CELLS These plain cells were home to duergar slaves. The chambers are for all intents and purposes identical. This small, plain chamber has a single simple bed in one corner. Otherwise, the room is empty. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Wooden Door: A closed wooden door (hardness 5, hp 10; Break DC 13) blocks access to each chamber. Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Bed: The dust-shrouded bed is plain, simple and has no features of note. 2-04 2-02 2-03 CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 5 2−06: OLD GUARDROOM This area was once a guardroom but is now disused and abandoned. The occupants of this chamber died violent deaths. Their skeletons strewn among a number of hacked up and moldering chairs tell of the ferocity of the combat here. A large fireplace dominates the northern corner. Two doors in the left-hand wall lead elsewhere. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Smashed Chairs: The remains of several chairs litter the floor. Fireplace: This fireplace has evidently not been used for years; several partially burned hunks of coal lie among the ashes. The chimney is too narrow to climb. Wooden Doors: Both wooden doors (hardness 5, hp 10, Break DC 15) lead to the same storage area. Several empty barrels still stand there. Sniffing nearby or in the barrels confirms they once held wine. Skeletal Remains: The remains of six large, powerfully built orcs lie scattered about the chamber. A DC 20 Knowledge (local: any) identifies them as such. Much of their equipment was damaged beyond repair in battle or has rusted or faded away since then. A few items of interest yet remain, however. A DC 20 + APL Search check reveals a golden nose ring lying forgotten in one of the skulls and a silver armband. Treasure: Refer to the Treasure Summary for details of the treasure found here. 2−07: OLD BARRACKS This chamber was the barracks of those watching from area 2-06. It is also abandoned. A large fireplace dominates the north part of this chamber while the smashed remains of wooden furnisher litters the rest of the floor. Three wooden doors pierce the wall to your left. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Smashed Wooden Furniture: The remains of several cots cover the floor. Fireplace: This fireplace has evidently not been used for years; several partially burned hunks of coal lie among the ashes. The chimney is too narrow to climb. Door One: This wooden door (hardness 5, hp 10, Break DC 15) protects a coal store. While the coal here is abundant, the PCs cannot earn anything from carrying it all back to the surface – it is far too heavy and cumbersome to shift a commercially viable amount. Door Two: The second wooden door (hardness 5, hp 10, Break DC 15) opens into an armory. A few weapons – a spear, two longswords and one battleaxe as well as one heavy flail – still hang in the room’s racks. Door Three: The chamber behind this door is empty of all but dust; it’s original purpose is unknowable. Treasure: The only treasure to be found here are the weapons in the armory. Refer to the Treasure Summary for more information. 2−08: MURDER HOLES Three wedge-shaped alcoves studded with arrow slits in this long corridor look into a large, empty chamber. The adjoining room was a storeroom (see Storeroom, below, for more details.) The floor of this small chamber is strewn with the moldering remains of several smashed barrels. A strange acidic smell hangs in the air. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Arrow Slits: Each arrow slit is set at the end of a wedge-shaped alcove. They provide extra cover (+8 to AC, +4 on Reflex saves) against attacks originating from the empty chamber beyond. Flush Stone Door: This stone door (hardness 8, hp 60; Break DC 28) is particularly well-made – fitting flush with the surrounding walls. It has nested hinges and thus opens both ways. A DC 15 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) reveals that the door is of dwarven manufacture. Storeroom: This area was once a storeroom used to keep several barrels of noxious poison gas safe. During the final battles for this level, the barrels were smashed open but because the door was swiftly closed afterwards the gas did not dissipate. Although the battles took place decades ago such is the efficacy of the dwarf stonework that some part of the gas yet lingers in the room. Anyone entering the room must succeed on a DC 11 Fortitude check or fall asleep for 1d4 x 10 minutes. The shattered remains of the barrels stand against the far wall of this chamber. There is nothing of value here. DEVELOPMENT If the PCs reach this area while fleeing from one of the many monsters of the level, do not force them to make saving throws against the lingering sleep gas. Assume in this instance that the gas has managed to dissipate but describe to the PCs a wave of tiredness sweeps over them when they enter the room. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 6 2−09: THE FORSAKEN This area was once a temple dedicated to Vaprak. Long ago the priest and his humanoid attendants were slain in bloody battle with the forces of Nerull. The negative energies that subsequently gathered in this series of chambers spawned a graveyard sludge. It, in turn, slew and animated a number of humanoids to act as its slaves. This chamber was once a chapel of sorts. To your left an altar composed of dull red bones squats against one wall. Directly ahead of you the shattered stump of a statue dominates the centre of the chamber while to your right a passageway leads away. Either side of the passageway two dais stand empty. The graveyard ooze lurks in the passageway leading to area 2-15. If present, a zombie stands atop each dais. At APL 6, one of the minotaur zombies in front of the ooze. APL 2 (EL 4) �Graveyard Sludge (1): hp 63; Appendix 1 APL 2 (EL 6) �Graveyard Sludge (1): hp 63; Appendix 1 �Bugbear Zombie (2): hp 42; MM 267 APL 6 (EL 8) �Graveyard Sludge (1): hp 63; Appendix 1 �Minotaur Zombie (3): hp 81; MM 267 When the PCs first spot the graveyard sludge, read: A writhing puddle of black and green sludge oozes across the floor. Decayed body parts protrude from the putrid mass while within horribly melted faces and hands seemingly strain to escape. Tactics: The undead, if present, mindlessly flail away until slain. The graveyard sludge lurks in the passageway as much as possible, attacking those who venture too near. If forced to retreat, it moves into area 2-15 where it makes its final “stand.” GRAVEYARD SLUDGE LORE Characters with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) or Knowledge (religion) can learn more about graveyard sludges. When a character makes a successful skill check the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs. Knowledge (Dungeoneering) DC 14: This is a graveyard sludge, an ooze that lives where dead bodies can be found. This result reveals all ooze traits. DC 19: Graveyard sludges form spontaneously in places where corpses lie. Like many oozes, their slams deliver acid damage. DC 24: Graveyard sludges can cause fear in their attackers. They usually do so just before retreating. Knowledge (Religion) DC 14: This is a graveyard sludge, an ooze that appears in areas where negative energy collects. DC 19: Any creature slain by a graveyard sludge rises as a zombielike creature with an acidic touch. DC 24: undead creatures are strengthened by the presence if a graveyard sludge. Such undead are more resistant to almost every form of attack as well as to turning. They gain a small amount of magical potency if they’re spellcasters. DC 29: Graveyard sludges are at once living and dead. They are healed by both cure and inflict spells. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Cracked and Broken Statue: This statue represented Vaprak in his troll form. The top half of it has been broken off and lies behind the upstanding shard still attached to the floor. The statue is hollow. Below it, a serviceable but pitted and rusty ladder and a passageway leads downward. A DC 15 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) confirms the ladder is safe. A DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check identifies the statue as Vaprak (CE lesser deity of ogres, combat, greed, destruction, aggression, frenzy, and trolls). Dais: Raised dais each 3-ft. high stand either side of the tunnel through which the PCs enter. Characters standing on a dais gain the benefit of higher ground. Bone Altar: This altar, comprised completely of bone, was long ago doused with blood and ichor staining the bones dull red. Parts of the front of the altar show signs of being dissolved by acid. Characters succeeding on a DC 10 Jump check can leap atop the altar and gain the benefit of higher ground. Secret Door: A cunning hidden stone (hardness 8, hp 60, Break DC 28) secret door (DC 28 + APL Search check reveals) stands behind the altar. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 7 2−10: PRISON OF THE LOST This area is reached through the secret door behind the bone altar in area 2-09. The priests of that area used it as a makeshift prison. The creatures imprisoned here have long since starved to death. This small chamber’s floor is littered with large bones and the pieces of heavy mottled gray exoskeleton. Two sets of manacles and chains hang from the walls. AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Floor: The floor is covered with a jumble of bones and the mottled gray exoskeletons. Walls: The walls around the manacles and chains are heavily gouged as if some great, clawed creature repeatedly struck them. Manacles and Chains: Two sets of masterwork chains and manacles are fixed to the walls of this place. A hook driven into the wall to the left of the secret door contains a set of keys (these unlock the manacles). Skeletal Remains: Remnants of a mottled gray exoskeleton litter the floor. Two large skulls shaped like those of a huge vulture are mixed in with the bones. The creature’s arms were extremely long and powerful with very sharp hook-like talons. A DC 20 Heal check reveals that these creatures were probably hook horrors. Treasure: The PCs can take the masterwork manacles; refer to the Treasure Summary for more details. 2−13: SECRET PASSAGE This tunnel is reached via the ladder and shaft hidden in and below the shattered statue of Vaprak in area 2-09. Part of the tunnel runs under 2-09 before turning to the left and finally ending in a featureless wall. At the bottom of the ladder, a passageway leads off into the gloom. About 10 feet distant, it turns away to the left. The ceiling is low, barely five ft. in height. When the PCs advance to the corner, continue: The passageway continues for another twenty feet before ending in a featureless wall. There are no obvious exits from the passageway but the end wall conceals a secret door that leads to zone three (see Development, below). AREA FEATURES This area has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 5 ft. high. Many PCs will have to stoop to move through this area but they suffer no in- game penalty for doing so. Dusty Floor: The floor is covered in dust. At the foot of the ladder a small amount of rubble – pieces of the statue above – cover the floor. Treat this as light rubble. Secret Door: A stone (hardness 8, hp 60, Break DC 28) secret door (DC 28 + APL Search check reveals) pierces the end wall of this corridor. Refer to Development, for more information about handling the PCs’ interactions with the door. DEVELOPMENT The secret door hidden here links this zone (zone two) to zone three. If you are playing this adventure without time restrictions, the PCs can pass through the secret door without incident (assuming they find it). If, however, you are playing under time constraints, refer to the notes below. Restricted Play Notes: If you are playing this zone under time constraints simply rule that the PCs do not find the secret door; thus, they cannot progress to zone three. When the PCs are ready to proceed to zone three reveal the presence of the secret door to them in one of several ways. If they have returned to the city they can hear of the door by overhearing another group of adventurers planning their next expedition. Alternatively, if they search zone two for some means of progression, rule that they automatically find the door. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 8 2−12: BEDCHAMBER This room was once the bedchamber of the priest charged with tending the chapel in area 2-09. He is long dead of course and much of his wealth has been looted. Since his death, the ooze has felt compelled to lurk here (it contains his essence after all) and so much of the area is acid-damaged. This was once a bedchamber. Ahead of you, the remains of a desk and chair lean against the wall. Beyond, a raised alcove hosts an ornate bed upon which a dismembered skeleton rests. The entire left- hand wall is covered by a large wardrobe. A profusion of small wooden pegs have been driven into the walls. The PCs may reach this location while battling the graveyards ooze from area 2-09. If this is the case, resolve battle before fully describing the area. CHAMBER FEATURES This chamber has the following features of interest: Acid-Eaten Door: The door that once barred access to this chamber has long since succumbed to the graveyard sludge’s acid-laced slam attacks. A few shards of heavily corroded door lie on the floor and a few small pieces yet cling to the pitted hinges. Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Desk and Chair: Badly damaged by the graveyard oozes occasional attacks, the desk and chair are in imminent danger of collapse. If the PCs disturb either of these items, they quickly collapse releasing a cloud of green and noxious (but harmless) dust. Bed on Dais: This bed has not been damaged by the graveyard ooze. Unfortunately, a dismembered skeleton lies atop the bed and its decomposition has destroyed the bed’s fine sheets and other bedding. Dismembered Skeleton: This is the skeleton of the priest who once controlled this area. When he died, the evil in this area transformed him into a graveyard ooze. As such, the head and arms of the body are missing. Otherwise, like the bed upon which it lies, the ooze has not attacked the body. His murderers, however, comprehensively looted his remains. Wall Pegs: Many wooden pegs stud the walls. A few are missing while others have been dissolved by acid. A few placed high up on the walls have, however, survived. Several of them still have wooden holy symbols of Vaprak (a taloned claw) hanging from them. A DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check identifies this as Vaprak’s symbol. Closet: A wooden closet obscures one wall. The remains of many clothes lie on the floor within. They are slashed and torn. The space in front of the secret door is free of clothes. PCs noting this gain a +4 circumstance bonus to their Search check to find the secret door. Secret Door: A stone (hardness 8, hp 60, Break DC 28) secret door (DC 28 + APL Search check reveals) pierces the back wall of the closet. 2−14: HIDDEN BEDCHAMBER A secret door in the rear of the closet in area 2-12 leads to this area, which once served as the bedchamber of the priest’s concubine. Her refuge remained undiscovered by her lover’s killers and so she survived his fall. After the battle, she crept forth just in time to witness his terrible transformation into a graveyard sludge. Witnessing this unhinged (and terrified) her and she retreated to her chamber, there to remain trapped until she starved to death. A short corridor leads to a small heptagon-shaped bedchamber that appears to have escaped detection by previous looters. A skeleton – a woman by her dress – lies curled up on the dusty bed. A similarly dusty vanity table stands against one wall. Upon it, the familiar gleam of gold beckons. CHAMBER FEATURES This chamber has the following features of interest: Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high. Double Bed: The bed is covered in dust. The sheets were obviously once valuable but the woman’s decomposed body (see Skeleton) has ruined them. Vanity Table: Coated in dust, many small pots and small boxes lie scattered across the table. (These contain dried up beauty products). A small golden comb and a set of golden earrings are clearly visible. Skeleton: Clad in once fine robes (ruined in a similar fashion to the bedclothes) the skeleton is that of a human female. A DC 15 Heal check reveals no signs of violent death. Writing in Blood: Before she died the woman, Amarinn Starwatch, wrote a message on the wall in her own blood. It reads: “My beloved, dead; killed by those villains. Not dead for long though, not my love! I saw him change into that thing – that foul sludge. It took his head and would have taken me if it had found me! Trapped, I am. Take my bones from this place so that I may rest easily and tell my friends of my fate. Amarinna Starwatch. PCs succeeding on a DC 20 Decipher Script check on the scrawl detect a hidden message within. Ararinna was a member of the Thieves’ Guild and wants the reader to tell them of her fate so that they know she did not betray or abandon them. If the PCs do this, they receive an affiliation point award with the Thieves’ Guild. Additionally, members of the Guild of Nightwatchmen received an affiliation award for discovering the fate of this wanted criminal. Treasure: Refer to the Treasure Summary for more details on what the PCs find here. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 9 CONCLUSION Once the PCs have left the ruins, proceed to the relevant section below. SUCCESS Use this text if the PCs successfully cleared this part of the dungeon: You have successfully cleared another part of the dungeons below the War Tower but did not uncover any evidence of bandit activity. Perhaps evidence of their activity or of the agency controlling them is to be found elsewhere within the ruins. FAILURE Use this text if the PCs did not clear this zone: The foul monsters and denizens haunting the tunnels have defeated you. After you return to Greyhawk City you hear tales of other adventurers – perhaps more skilled than you – destroying the remaining beasts lurking in the darkness. Additionally, you did not uncover any evidence of bandit activity. Perhaps evidence of their activity or of the agency controlling them is to be found elsewhere within the ruins. AFFILIATION AWARDS Now is time to determine how many affiliation points each PC gained for their given affiliations. Record each PC’s gain (or loss) on the Affiliation Score Gained/Lost AR item. PCs can gain the following points: Thieves' Guild • + 1/2 point: Telling the Thieves’ Guild of Amarinna Starwatch’s fate. Nightwatchmen • +1/2 point: Uncovering the fate of Amarinna Starwatch’s, a wanted criminal. Religious Organizations • +1 point: Uncovering the abandoned shrine of Vaprak and defeating the denizens therein. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 10 EXPERIENCE POINT SUMMARY To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. 2-01 Cloying Webs Destroy the tomb spider and its children APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 2-02: Aberrant Dissection Destroy the vivisectors APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 2-11: The Forsaken Destroy the graveyard sludge and its servants APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP Discretionary Roleplaying Award APL 2 90 XP APL 4 135 XP APL 6 190 XP Total Possible Experience APL 2 450 XP APL 4 675 XP APL 6 900 XP TREASURE SUMMARY During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items. 2-01 Cloying Webs APL 2: Loot 30 gp; Coin 20 gp; Magic 92 gp; elixir of truth (42 gp), boots of agile landing (50 gp); Total 142 gp. APL 4: Loot 30 gp; Coin 20 gp; Magic 228 gp; elixir of truth (42 gp), salve of slipperiness (83 gp), boots of agile landing (50 gp), brawler’s gauntlets (83 gp); Total 308 gp. APL 6: Loot 30 gp; Coin 20 gp; Magic 610 gp; elixir of truth (42 gp), salve of slipperiness (83 gp), horn of fog (166 gp), boots of agile landing (50 gp), brawler’s gauntlets (83 gp), headband of conscious effort (166 gp); Total 640 gp. 2-03: Abandoned Kitchen All APLs: Loot 20 gp; Coin 60 gp; Magic 249 gp; ring of brief blessing (83 gp), ring of four winds (166 gp); Total 329 gp. 2-06 Old Guardroom All APLs: Coin 25 gp. 2-07: Old Barracks All APLs: Loot 4 gp. 2-10: Prison of the Lost All APLs: Loot 8 gp. 2-14: Hidden Bedchamber APL 2: Loot 100 gp. APL 4: Loot 150 gp. APL 6: Loot 200 gp. Treasure Cap APL 2: 450 gp; APL 4: 650 gp; APL 6 900 gp. Total Possible Treasure APL 2: 608 gp; APL 4: 825 gp; APL 6 1,170 gp. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 11 ADVENTURE RECORD ITEMS Use these notes to determine which AR items the PCs gain: Tomb Tainted: PCs injured by a tomb spider, a tomb spider broodswarm, or a web mummy gain this AR item. Inevitable Strike: PCs that defeat the vivisectors gain this AR item. Fearless: PCs that defeat the graveyard ooze gain this AR item. �Tomb Tainted: You have been injured while fighting a tomb spider, a tomb spider broodswarm, or a web mummy. The next time you are struck by an inflict spell you are healed for the amount of damage that you would normally have suffered. As normal, you must make a Will save against the spell. If you succeed on your saving throw, you only heal half the listed damage. This ability activates only once; score through once used. �Inevitable Strike: You have fought and defeated creatures that harvest organs from their slain foes for their own depraved uses. The next time you threaten a critical you do not need to roll to confirm - the strike is automatically successful. Threatening a critical against creatures immune to critical hits does not activate this power. This ability activates only once; score through once used. �Fearless: You have destroyed a graveyard ooze and have learnt how to master terror. The next time a spell, magic item, or creature affects you with fear you may attempt the saving throw to resist the affect twice. This ability activates only once; score through once used. ITEM ACCESS APL 2: Elixir of truth (Any; DMG) Boots of agile landing (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Ring of brief blessing (Core; Magic Item Compendium) Ring of four winds (Core; Magic Item Compendium) APL 4 (all of APL 2 plus): Salve of slipperiness (Any; DMG) Brawler’s gauntlets (Core; Magic Item Compendium) APL 6 (all of APLs 2-4 plus): Headband of conscious effort (Core; Magic Item Compendium) CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 12 APPENDIX 1: APL 2 2−01: CLOYING WEBS TOMB SPIDER BROODSWARM CR 2 *MM IV 164 NE Tiny magical beast (swarm) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11 Languages – AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +5 Dex) hp 22 (3 HD) Immune swarm immunities Resist half damage from piercing and slashing weapons Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +6 Weakness swarm vulnerabilities Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee swarm (1d6 plus poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +3; Grp – Atk Options distraction, poison (DC 13, 1d4 hp/1d4 hp) Abilities Str 7, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 2 SQ swarm traits, tomb-tainted soul, web walk Feats Alertness, Iron Will Skills Climb +13, Hide +11 (+19 in tomb spider webs), Jump +2, Listen +11, Move Silently +7 (+15 in tomb spider webs), Spot +11 Distraction (Ex) Fortitude DC 13, nauseated for 1 round. Poison (Ex) Creatures affected by a tomb spider broodswarm’s poison are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if they were undead. This affect lasts for 1 minute after a failed save. Tomb Tainted Soul (Ex) A tomb spider broodswarm is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if it were an undead creature. Skills A tomb spider broodswarm can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed of threatened. 2−04: ABERRANT DISSECTION VIVISECTOR CR 4 *MM V 200 LE Medium aberration Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deaf; Spot +10 Languages – AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 deflection, +6 natural) hp 45 (7 HD) Immune sonic Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +5 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 20 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +9 each (1d8+2/19-20/x3) and sting +4 (1d6+1 plus poison) Base Atk +5; Grp +7 Atk Options Combat Reflexes, augmented critical, poison (DC 15 1d6 Str/1d6 Str) Special Actions invisibility 3/day, vivisection Combat Gear potion of resist energy (fire) 10 Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15 SQ unnatural biology Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Heal +8, Hide +16, Move Silently +16, Spot +10 Possessions combat gear plus ring of protection +1 Deaf (Ex) Vivisectors are immune to effects that require hearing to function, such as language-based spells. They automatically fail Listen checks. Augmented Critical (Ex) A vivisector’s deadly claws are incredibly sharp, allowing it to surgically dismantle foes. Invisibility (Su) Three times per day, as a swift action, a vivisector can become invisible for 1 round. A vivisector remains invisible even when it attacks. Vivisection (Ex) As a full-round action, rather than performing a coup de grace, a vivisector can hack into the chest of a helpless humanoid, attempting to harvest choice organ for its personal use. Treat this as an automatic critical hit with a single claw attack that also heals the vivisector of the same amount of damage. If the target is killed, its corpse is rendered unsuitable for spells such as raise dead that require an intact body. If the victim survives, the vivisector moves on, ignoring it in favor of other creatures. Unnatural Biology (Ex) Vivisectors are unnatural creatures that do not eat, drink, breathe, or heal naturally. Instead, they draw their sustenance from the vital organs of others. 2−11: FORSAKEN CHAPEL GRAVEYARD SLUDGE CR 4 *MM V 72 N Large ooze Init +1; Senses blind, blindsight 120 ft.; Listen -5 Languages – AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 deflection, +3 natural) hp 63 (6 HD); between worlds Immune acid, ooze immunities Fort +7, Ref +3, Will -3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee slam +7 (1d6+6 plus 1d6 acid) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +4; Grp +12 Special Actions oozespawn zombies, spirit resurgence, vigor of the dead Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 20, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1 SQ ooze traits Skills Listen -5 Between Worlds (Su) Graveyard sludges are healed by both cure spells and inflict spells. They take no damage from inflict spells. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 13 Oozespawn Zombies (Su) Whenever a creature that can acquire the zombie template (MM 265) dies within 20 feet of a graveyard sludge, that creature rises as a zombie 1d4 rounds later. However, the graveyard sludge imparts some of its own unique physiology to the zombie, causing each of the zombie’s natural attacks to deal an extra 1d6 points of acid damage. Spirit Resurgence (Su) A graveyard sludge can release its latent spiritual energy, causing the spirits within it to reach out at the sludge’s enemies. All adjacent opponents must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or be subject to the affect of a fear spell for 1 round, the save DC is Constitution-based. Vigor of the Dead (Su) A graveyard sludge possesses a great deal of negative energy, and it can sacrifice its actions to transfer that energy to nearby undead. As a full-round action, a graveyard sludge can target a single adjacent undead creature. That creature gains a +2 bonus on saving throws, a +2 bonus on caster level checks made when casting spells from the necromancy school, DC 5/good, and +2 turn resistance. These benefits last for 1 round. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 14 APL 4 2−01: CLOYING WEBS WEB MUMMY CR 4 *MM IV 165 NE Medium undead Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages – AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +9 natural) hp 29 (4 HD); DR 3/-- Immune webs, undead immunities Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5 Weakness vulnerability to fire Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee slam +9 (1d6+10) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +2; Grp +9 Atk Options enraged Abilities Str 25, Dex 13, Con –, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 7 SQ adhesive, bloodswarm host, undead traits Feats Great FortitudeB, ToughnessB Skills Climb +15, Listen +1, Spot +1 Immunity to Webs (Ex) A web mummy’s movement is not affected by webs, including those generated by the web spell. Enraged (Ex) If a web mummy’s creator tomb spider is destroyed, the mummy becomes enraged, gaining a +2 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls for the next 10 minutes. Adhesive (Ex) A web mummy is extremely sticky. A weapon that strikes it is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 19 Reflex save. Creatures using natural weapons are automatically grappled if they fail the save. Pulling a weapon or limb loose from a web mummy requires a DC 19 Strength check. Bloodswarm Host (Ex) Tomb spiders use web mummies as hosts for their young. When a Small or larger web mummy is destroyed, a bloodswarm is released from the corpse and can act next round. Skills A web mummy can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed of threatened. TOMB SPIDER BROODSWARM CR 2 *MM IV 164 NE Tiny magical beast (swarm) Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11 Languages – AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +5 Dex) hp 22 (3 HD) Immune swarm immunities Resist half damage from piercing and slashing weapons Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +6 Weakness swarm vulnerabilities Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee swarm (1d6 plus poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +3; Grp – Atk Options distraction, poison (DC 13, 1d4 hp/1d4 hp) Abilities Str 7, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 2 SQ swarm traits, tomb-tainted soul, web walk Feats Alertness, Iron Will Skills Climb +13, Hide +11 (+19 in tomb spider webs), Jump +2, Listen +11, Move Silently +7 (+15 in tomb spider webs), Spot +11 Distraction (Ex) Fortitude DC 13, nauseated for 1 round. Poison (Ex) Creatures affected by a tomb spider broodswarm’s poison are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if they were undead. This affect lasts for 1 minute after a failed save. Tomb Tainted Soul (Ex) A tomb spider broodswarm is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if it were an undead creature. Skills A tomb spider broodswarm can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed of threatened. 2−04: ABERRANT DISSECTION VIVISECTOR CR 4 *MM V 200 LE Medium aberration Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deaf; Spot +10 Languages – AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 deflection, +6 natural) hp 45 (7 HD) Immune sonic Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +5 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 20 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +9 each (1d8+2/19-20/x3) and sting +4 (1d6+1 plus poison) Base Atk +5; Grp +7 Atk Options Combat Reflexes, augmented critical, poison (DC 15 1d6 Str/1d6 Str) Special Actions invisibility 3/day, vivisection Combat Gear potion of resist energy (fire) 10 Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15 SQ unnatural biology Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Heal +8, Hide +16, Move Silently +16, Spot +10 Possessions combat gear plus ring of protection +1 Deaf (Ex) Vivisectors are immune to effects that require hearing to function, such as language-based spells. They automatically fail Listen checks. Augmented Critical (Ex) A vivisector’s deadly claws are incredibly sharp, allowing it to surgically dismantle foes. Invisibility (Su) Three times per day, as a swift action, a vivisector can become invisible for 1 round. A vivisector remains invisible even when it attacks. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 15 Vivisection (Ex) As a full-round action, rather than performing a coup de grace, a vivisector can hack into the chest of a helpless humanoid, attempting to harvest choice organ for its personal use. Treat this as an automatic critical hit with a single claw attack that also heals the vivisector of the same amount of damage. If the target is killed, its corpse is rendered unsuitable for spells such as raise dead that require an intact body. If the victim survives, the vivisector moves on, ignoring it in favor of other creatures. Unnatural Biology (Ex) Vivisectors are unnatural creatures that do not eat, drink, breathe, or heal naturally. Instead, they draw their sustenance from the vital organs of others. 2−11: FORSAKEN CHAPEL GRAVEYARD SLUDGE CR 4 *MM V 72 N Large ooze Init +1; Senses blind, blindsight 120 ft.; Listen -5 Languages – AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 deflection, +3 natural) hp 63 (6 HD); between worlds Immune acid, ooze immunities Fort +7, Ref +3, Will -3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee slam +7 (1d6+6 plus 1d6 acid) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +4; Grp +12 Special Actions oozespawn zombies, spirit resurgence, vigor of the dead Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 20, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1 SQ ooze traits Skills Listen -5 Between Worlds (Su) Graveyard sludges are healed by both cure spells and inflict spells. They take no damage from inflict spells. Oozespawn Zombies (Su) Whenever a creature that can acquire the zombie template (MM 265) dies within 20 feet of a graveyard sludge, that creature rises as a zombie 1d4 rounds later. However, the graveyard sludge imparts some of its own unique physiology to the zombie, causing each of the zombie’s natural attacks to deal an extra 1d6 points of acid damage. Spirit Resurgence (Su) A graveyard sludge can release its latent spiritual energy, causing the spirits within it to reach out at the sludge’s enemies. All adjacent opponents must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or be subject to the affect of a fear spell for 1 round, the save DC is Constitution-based. Vigor of the Dead (Su) A graveyard sludge possesses a great deal of negative energy, and it can sacrifice its actions to transfer that energy to nearby undead. As a full-round action, a graveyard sludge can target a single adjacent undead creature. That creature gains a +2 bonus on saving throws, a +2 bonus on caster level checks made when casting spells from the necromancy school, DC 5/good, and +2 turn resistance. These benefits last for 1 round. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 16 APL 6 2−01: CLOYING WEBS WEB MUMMY CR 4 *MM IV 165 NE Medium undead Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages – AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +9 natural) hp 29 (4 HD); DR 3/-- Immune webs, undead immunities Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5 Weakness vulnerability to fire Speed 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee slam +9 (1d6+10) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +2; Grp +9 Atk Options enraged Abilities Str 25, Dex 13, Con –, Int –, Wis 12, Cha 7 SQ adhesive, bloodswarm host, undead traits Feats Great FortitudeB, ToughnessB Skills Climb +15, Listen +1, Spot +1 Immunity to Webs (Ex) A web mummy’s movement is not affected by webs, including those generated by the web spell. Enraged (Ex) If a web mummy’s creator tomb spider is destroyed, the mummy becomes enraged, gaining a +2 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls for the next 10 minutes. Adhesive (Ex) A web mummy is extremely sticky. A weapon that strikes it is stuck fast unless the wielder succeeds on a DC 19 Reflex save. Creatures using natural weapons are automatically grappled if they fail the save. Pulling a weapon or limb loose from a web mummy requires a DC 19 Strength check. Bloodswarm Host (Ex) Tomb spiders use web mummies as hosts for their young. When a Small or larger web mummy is destroyed, a bloodswarm is released from the corpse and can act next round. Skills A web mummy can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed of threatened. TOMB SPIDER CR 6 *MM IV 164 NE Large magical beast Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +11 Languages – AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural) hp 78 (8 HD); DR 5/good Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee bite +10 (2d6+7 plus poison) Ranged web +12 ranged touch (entangle) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +8; Grp +17 Atk Options poison (DC 18, 1d4 hp/1d4 hp) Abilities Str 21, Dex 20, Con 19, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 18 SQ -tainted soul Feats Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will Skills Climb +13, Hide +5 (+13 in their webs), Jump +15, Listen +11, Move Silently +8 (+16 in their webs), Spot +11 Poison (Ex) Creatures affected by a tomb spider’s poison are healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if they were undead. This affect lasts for 1 minute after a failed save. Webs (Ex) A tomb spider can throw a web up to three times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 60 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets of up to Medium size. The web anchors the target in place, allowing no movement. An entangled creature can escape with a DC 19 Escape Artist check or burst the web with a DC 19 Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based. The web has 12 hit points, hardness 0 and takes double damage from fire. A tomb spider can create sheets of sticky webbing up to 20 feet square. It usually positions these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to notice a web; otherwise, they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Each 5-foot section of webbing has 12 hit points and damage reduction 5/--. A tomb spider can move across its own sheet web at its climb sped and can determine the exact location of any creatures touching the web. Tomb Tainted Soul (Ex) A tomb spider is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy as if it were an undead creature. Skills A tomb spider can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed of threatened. 2−04: ABERRANT DISSECTION VIVISECTOR CR 4 *MM V 200 LE Medium aberration Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deaf; Spot +10 Languages – AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +1 deflection, +6 natural) hp 45 (7 HD) Immune sonic Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +5 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 20 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +9 each (1d8+2/19-20/x3) and sting +4 (1d6+1 plus poison) Base Atk +5; Grp +7 Atk Options Combat Reflexes, augmented critical, poison (DC 15 1d6 Str/1d6 Str) Special Actions invisibility 3/day, vivisection Combat Gear potion of resist energy (fire) 10 CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 17 Abilities Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15 SQ unnatural biology Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Heal +8, Hide +16, Move Silently +16, Spot +10 Possessions combat gear plus ring of protection +1 Deaf (Ex) Vivisectors are immune to effects that require hearing to function, such as language-based spells. They automatically fail Listen checks. Augmented Critical (Ex) A vivisector’s deadly claws are incredibly sharp, allowing it to surgically dismantle foes. Invisibility (Su) Three times per day, as a swift action, a vivisector can become invisible for 1 round. A vivisector remains invisible even when it attacks. Vivisection (Ex) As a full-round action, rather than performing a coup de grace, a vivisector can hack into the chest of a helpless humanoid, attempting to harvest choice organ for its personal use. Treat this as an automatic critical hit with a single claw attack that also heals the vivisector of the same amount of damage. If the target is killed, its corpse is rendered unsuitable for spells such as raise dead that require an intact body. If the victim survives, the vivisector moves on, ignoring it in favor of other creatures. Unnatural Biology (Ex) Vivisectors are unnatural creatures that do not eat, drink, breathe, or heal naturally. Instead, they draw their sustenance from the vital organs of others. 2−11: FORSAKEN CHAPEL GRAVEYARD SLUDGE CR 4 *MM V 72 N Large ooze Init +1; Senses blind, blindsight 120 ft.; Listen -5 Languages – AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 deflection, +3 natural) hp 63 (6 HD); between worlds Immune acid, ooze immunities Fort +7, Ref +3, Will -3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee slam +7 (1d6+6 plus 1d6 acid) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +4; Grp +12 Special Actions oozespawn zombies, spirit resurgence, vigor of the dead Abilities Str 18, Dex 12, Con 20, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1 SQ ooze traits Skills Listen -5 Between Worlds (Su) Graveyard sludges are healed by both cure spells and inflict spells. They take no damage from inflict spells. Oozespawn Zombies (Su) Whenever a creature that can acquire the zombie template (MM 265) dies within 20 feet of a graveyard sludge, that creature rises as a zombie 1d4 rounds later. However, the graveyard sludge imparts some of its own unique physiology to the zombie, causing each of the zombie’s natural attacks to deal an extra 1d6 points of acid damage. Spirit Resurgence (Su) A graveyard sludge can release its latent spiritual energy, causing the spirits within it to reach out at the sludge’s enemies. All adjacent opponents must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or be subject to the affect of a fear spell for 1 round, the save DC is Constitution-based. Vigor of the Dead (Su) A graveyard sludge possesses a great deal of negative energy, and it can sacrifice its actions to transfer that energy to nearby undead. As a full-round action, a graveyard sludge can target a single adjacent undead creature. That creature gains a +2 bonus on saving throws, a +2 bonus on caster level checks made when casting spells from the necromancy school, DC 5/good, and +2 turn resistance. These benefits last for 1 round. CGR8-01:2 Forsaken Halls Page 18 DM MAP 1: ZONE LAYOUT Unkeyed Areas: Unkeyed areas contain no features of note. Describe them as obviously abandoned. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 1 CGR8−01:3 They Walk Among Us By Colleen Simpson ADVENTURE BACKGROUND Initially found in the jungles to the south, the spiders that became the race of Araneans agreed to assist Pelor and St. Cuthbert in one of their battles against the machinations of Iuz. As a reward for their efforts, they were granted the ability to change shape, and wield magic. In thanks for their new-found abilities, many araneans follow St. Cuthbert’s teachings, although some enjoy the reward granted to their ancestors and now walk their own paths. A very small proportion of them feel strongly enough to dedicate themselves to the continuing battle against Iuz. They have followed the battle, through the use of divination to the City of Greyhawk, where they have been quietly living for the last 12 months. The Greyhawk City Watch have noticed their presence, but, through the efforts of the Guild of Nightwatchmen, are happy to note that the shapeshifters prove no threat to the city. While they keep a gentle eye on the araneans, they allow the spider women to go about their business unhindered. Guided by their god, and in contact with the city’s temple of St. Cuthbert, the araneans continue their search to uncover Iuz’s latest plot. Iuz’s agents, in the meantime, have not been idle. Discovering the existence of old enemies in the City of Greyhawk, they have hatched an elaborate plot in order to have the citizens of Greyhawk drive the spider-women from the city. After capturing one of the paladins in spider-form, they sacrificed her to fuel a ritual designed to honor and empower their god, and then dumped her body on the steps of the Greyhawk City courthouse… and this is where the PCs stumble into their plot. ADVENTURE SUMMARY Introduction: The PCs are in the vicinity of Greyhawk’s major courthouse when a commotion catches their attention. It seems that someone has dumped the body of an enormous spider on the steps and attached the note: “They walk among us!” Most people are terrified and flee the scene, but a few members of the crowd may catch the PCs’ attention and lead them deeper into the oncoming conflict. Following a weeping woman (an aranean who is mourning the death of a sister) leads the PCs to encounter 1A. Following one of the cultists who staged the scene leads to encounter 1B and may loop back to encounter 1A. Encounter 1A: PCs follow the woman in grey, who, bereft at the death of a sister, stumbles into an ambush set by cultists, trying for a second victim. If PCs are successful in defeating the cultists, the araneans, who live behind some iron-bound streets at the end of the side street, arrive on the scene. If the PCs defeat the cultists, then they meet the araneans and have a chance to not only learn what is going on, but become involved more deeply in the battle. Encounter 1B: The cultist has noticed the adventurers who were mingling with the crowd, and isn’t completely surprised when someone follows him. He leads them to a quiet alley behind a tavern, where he and another of his brethren are waiting. PCs defeating the cultists find clues to the location of both the aranean and cultist lairs. PCs defeated by the cultists lose an extra 2 TUs getting free and end the adventure here. Encounter 2: On their way to the cultist’s lair, PCs are either guided past or walk past the Greyhawk City courthouse in order to check on how another group of araneans are progressing in removing their sister’s body for burial. A riot looks like it is about to occur. Fuelled by suspicion and fear, a group of townsfolk are about to turn into an ugly mob. PCs may attempt to talk the mob into allowing the body to be removed. Whether they do this successfully or not, they are on the scene when the cultists unleash hunting spiders to attack the crowd, in the hopes that further blame and suspicion falls on the spider-women. Once this situation is resolved go to encounter 3. Encounter 3: The cultists have one guard on the entrance the combined forces of araneans and Nightwatchmen have decided the PCs will begin their assault on the cultist headquarters through. A single guard hides in an upstairs entrance and uses the verandah to her advantage to dissuade PCs from opening the door. PCs can enter hurriedly via the door, leaving the threat at their back, so to speak, or they can defeat the guard CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 2 and/or enter the cult headquarters. Once the cultists are defeated, PCs have access to the area assigned to them. Go to encounter 4. Encounter 4: Inside the house, the cultists have prepared a small surprise. Eschewing the usual watchdog, they have enlisted the aid of a choker, which they found in the city sewers and bribed with a more comfortable shelter, better food, and payment for security. Once PCs have defeated the choker, they are free to advance to the inner sanctum of this little bastion of Iuz’s servants. Go to encounter 5. Encounter 5: Thinking they could stop any intruders either outside the house, or with the chokers, the cultists left only one member inside. A wizard, Alvarici, has his familiar alert him when the PCs are at the door, and summons fiendish dire rats to get in their way. If the party looks powerful, Alvarici attempts to escape through a window. If this fails, he tries throwing himself on any mercy they might have and, if bribery fails, hides behind the laws of Greyhawk to gain the relative security of prison. He first expresses fear regarding the araneans and the City Watch, and tries to hire the PCs to take him safely out of the city. If they agree, go to encounter 6A. If they disagree, he asks to be arrested in accordance with city laws, and PCs are able to use the information found here to go to encounter 6B. Encounter 6A: PCs helping Alvarici must defeat the araneans who have assaulted other parts of the house and face the consequences of assisting someone the spider- women consider a dire enemy. Go to conclusion C. Encounter 6B: PCs have learned of a captured aranean, and the location of the missing priestess of Lydia and Samael, and leave in pursuit of the cultists. They arrive at the location indicated just as the Iuzians begin their ceremony. The PCs must defeat the cultists in order to rescue the priestess and the aranean who tried to aid her. If the PCs are defeated, go to conclusion A. If they defeat the cultists, go to conclusion B. Conclusion A: If the PCs are captured or killed by the cultists, they are freed and/or given the option of being brought back from the dead. PCs still need to pay the cost of being raised. This process takes 2 TU as the araneans work with the City Watch to find those who tried to help them. The PCs receive the Captured or Killed by Cultists adventure item, Lesser Gratitude of the Araneans, and the Ire of Iuz. Conclusion B: If the PCs manage to defeat the cultists they receive the Gratitude of the Araneans, Thanks of the Greyhawk City Watch and Night Watch, Gratitude of the Lydians, Gratitude of a Greyhawk Wizard, and the Ire of Iuz. Members of the Nightwatchmen and the Religious Organizations Affiliations receive one point for their part in the cultists’ defeat. Conclusion C: If the PCs assisted, or attempted to assist, Alvarici escape, they lose their status with the Nightwatch/Mercenaries/University of Magic (if applicable), and may gain the Convicted or Wanted in Greyhawk City, and the Gratitude of Iuz’s Pet AR awards. PCs involved in assisting Alvarici’s escape also earn a five- point penalty to their affiliation scores. PREPARATION FOR PLAY DMs need to check if any of the PCs: • Have played COR5-04 Desecrators of the Lord’s Tomb and have (or had) the Thanks of the City Watch AR favor; • Have played COR6-03 Riders of the Grave and are either members of the Nightwatch or Mercenaries Guild or are University of Magical Arts Visiting Professors; • Have played COR6-10 Murder in Elmshire and have the Grateful City Watch AR favor; • Have a home region of Greyhawk and/or belong to any of the affiliations; • Have played CGR7-01:4 Soiled Souls and have the Favor of the Constables; • Have earned the Ire of Iuz in any regional adventure (try to do this last one without alerting the players of what you are looking for). PRE−INTRODUCTION INFORMATION Some of the PCs gain additional information relevant to this adventure. Give them this information prior to reading the introduction. For PCs who are members of the Guild of Nightwatchmen: “We’d like a bit of help with an investigation into a couple of missing persons: one Allara Guinvay, a priestess of Lydia, and a Samael Mortvot, an enchanter who’s currently attending a course on transmutation at the University of Magic. It seems a group of shapeshifters – and I don’t mean wererats, has been implicated in their disappearances. We think it’s someone else. The shifters we’re thinking of are a group of women who came to the city late last year. They’re a peaceful enough gathering who follow St. Cuthbert and it seems they’ve got a fight of their own going on with a cult to one of the more troublesome gods. They won’t go into details, but they’re not causing any trouble, and they’ve been reporting back to us on what they find, so we don’t have a problem with them. After all, while we don’t hold with vigilantism, we can do with all the help we can get keeping the cults and thieves under control, especially if the group isn’t taking the law into their own hands. We’d like you to find out who’s really taken the Lydian and the wizard, and find out what’s happened to the pair. For PCs who are University of Magical Arts Visiting Professors: “We’re missing a wizard.” Well, at least the Chancellor of Transmutation has the grace to look embarrassed by this statement. “Er… what I mean to say is that one of our more promising students has vanished – and I don’t mean via invisibility, teleportation, or a spell gone horribly wrong; he was one of our more promising students. Name of Samael. He was on an errand for me, CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 3 and happened to detour past the courthouse on the way back. Typical enchanter, has a girl there he was seeing. Unusually, though, I think that was the only girl he was seeing…” He pauses to ponder this a moment before continuing. “Well, there have been all sorts of rumors flying about the place about giant vermin being seen on the street – nothing to do with us,” he hastens to add. “And then there are tales of another cult coming to power. We’ve reason to believe shapeshifters are involved – can’t work out what type; the augury was a bit vague. Anyway, we noticed that you’re the adventuring type and we thought you could quietly look into it. Try to get young Samael back in time for his exams, and maybe find out who’s responsible for the giant vermin, since we’re getting complaints… and possibly look into that rumor of a cult, while you’re at it. We’d give you a week to sort it out, but then, as you know, you’re teaching rounds will start and we’d like you to be able to focus on your students…” For PCs who have the Thanks of the City Watch, Favor of the Constables or the Grateful City Watch AR favors: You have assisted us before, and I think I recognize some of you from the Elmshire case a couple of years back. We would like your assistance to find two more missing persons. A priestess of Lydia who disappeared in the vicinity of the Courts of Justice while on an errand for her temple, and a young wizard from the University of Magical Arts. He was on an errand to the markets, but stopped off to visit a clerk of the courts on the way back. While I don’t believe the clerk was involved, the courthouse might be a good place to start. From the rumors we’ve uncovered in our investigations, you could be tangling with a cult of some kind, giant vermin, shapeshifters, the Scarlet Brotherhood, or orcs from the Pomarj. Just focus on finding the missing persons and getting them back; we’ll chase down the rest. GATHER INFORMATION CHECKS If the PCs want to make Gather Information checks, use the information below to determine what they find. DC 5: “There has been some interesting goings on at the courthouse recently.” DC 10: “The Lydians are upset about a missing priestess. I have no idea what sort of errand she would have been on to the courthouse, though. I mean, who visits the courthouse if they’re not in trouble?” DC 15: “Samael? Not a bad sort. Some say he had a crush on a clerk of court and that he was on his way to see her when he was taken. I tell you, what was the boy thinking? Visiting the courthouse at dusk; his girl would have been at home and looking after her parents by then.” DC 20: “Disappearances? Well, there’s always been a bit of cult activity in the old City – and that business down in the Pomarj isn’t helping matters any. Not sure what that would have to do with the Lydians, though. Wizards, however…,well they’ve got their finger in just about every pie!” DC 25: “Strange things have been happening about the city recently. Things like those disappearances you mentioned… and some say there have been creatures roaming about that have no right being in a city like this. Giant spiders and the like. Others say that those serve Erythnul and that the Scarlet Brotherhood are on the loose again. If things get any worse, I might just take myself up the Velverdyva to a nice quiet place like Perrenland!” DC 27: “Some say there’s a new organization in town. Been all sorts of secret goings on between the Nightwatch and…” your informant glances quickly around and drops his voice even further, “… an’ a bunch of women in grey. They’re not Lydians, that’s for sure. I would have said Mayaheine, myself, ‘ceptin’ they don’t carry longswords.” His eyes twitch to observe another newcomer to the inn, and he raises his voice to a pitch that’s audible to those nearby. “Oh look, there’s me old gran. Nice seein’ you… You say hi to your mum for me.” RULES CLARIFICATIONS Note that the stat blocks of NPCs with levels of scout included the extended description from the Complete Adventurer errata, as well as possessing Disable Device as a class skill. INTRODUCTION The PCs are in the City of Greyhawk for any number of reasons such as: to fulfill their obligations to the University of Magic, undertake a stint in the Nightwatch, visit the Mercenaries’ Guild, or the Bakers and Sweet Goods guild, or to prepare to explore the ruins of Greyhawk. They may already be adventuring together, or may have met at one of the many inns where adventurers congregate to swap stories, news, and information. For an inn not too far from the courthouse, this place isn’t as stuffy as you thought it would be. As a matter of fact, there seems to be a dearth of judges and a good range of adventurers, all willing to share stories, or news of who’s hiring, and who’s late coming back from their latest venture. Before the fellow standing beside your table can answer your question, however, you hear a scream of horror from outside, followed by shouts of alarm. Around you, the bar stills, and all eyes turn to the door. Give the players time to declare their actions. If they head towards the commotion read: Heading through the push and jostle to the door, you are surprised to discover that the cries are coming from the direction of the courthouse, rather than the maze of streets and alleys further along. The scene that meets your eyes in the plaza before the courthouse is one of confusion and chaos. People have fled the steps and the area immediately CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 4 in front of the great building, but, on not being pursued or harmed, have started to mill in uncertain groups as they stare in horror at the carcass now gracing the courthouse steps. If the PCs decide to go closer, read: The carcass is that of a great, grey spider, about the size of a pony. Its legs are crossed over its abdomen, but do not hide the gaping wound that must have killed it. A large sign, written in Common is nestled amongst its legs. Its blood-red writing reads: They walk among us! All around you, people are asking themselves ‘who’ and ‘what’ and trying to figure out what it means. PCs that succeed on a DC 10 Spot check, notice the following: You notice that a few of the people in the crown aren’t reacting like the others. A young woman, dressed in a light gray gown, lets out a quickly- stifled sob, and, with a fist pressed against her lips is hurrying from the square. PCs that succeed on a DC 15 Spot check also notice: Further away from you, a man and a woman (APL2, OR group of men and women at APLs 4-6) stand at the edge of the square watching the crowd’s reaction. After letting their gaze slide over the crowd, they turn and slip away down a side street. You notice that they are all wearing dark blue cloaks. Now the party has a choice. They can follow the weeping woman (go to encounter 1A), or they can follow the observers and go to encounter 1B. Those that saw neither can make Gather Information checks to search for a lead. Succeeding on a DC 5 Gather Information check gives them the following: “I saw a woman. Real strange she was too – crying, and more like she’d lost her bestest friend in the world, rather than seen a dead spider. Dressed in grey she was. She went that way. If you hurry, you’ll probably catch up with her.” A DC 10 Gather Information check gives them: There was these people, see? I mean people that weren’t upset by that… that… thing on the courthouse steps. They just stood and watched a while, and then went off down Little Arms Street. At least one of them was a fighter, and they was both wearing dark blue cloaks. They weren’t in a hurry, that I could see.” Following the woman leads to encounter 1A just as the cultists are preparing to wrap Tiira in a rug and carry her away. Alter the boxed text for that encounter as necessary. Following the lead on the people that weren’t upset, takes the PCs to the courtyard where the two cultists have stopped to see if anyone is following them. They are just about to leave when the PCs arrive. 1A: THEY WALK AMONG US The woman does not stop, or slow down as she hurries away from the courthouse plaza. She doesn’t look to left or right, either, and seems oblivious to the glances her distress is drawing. No one tries to stop her, though, and no one turns to follow her. She is alone when she turns into a narrow side street that ends in a single iron-bound door… and she is alone when something flies out of a doorway and disappears into her skin. Before you can react, a human steps out in front of you to bar the way: “This is none of your business,” he snarls, as it holds its longsword before it. “Leave us to conduct our business in peace.” The side street where this ambush takes place leads to the courtyard of a house where the araneans have set up their cell. Tiira is not aware of the PCs following her. The cultists have chosen the alley as the most secluded point on Tiira’s home path, and the best place to attack. They are aware of the PCs’ approach, but not that the PCs are following Tiira specifically. APL 2 (EL 4) �Cultist guard: female human fighter 2; hp 20; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout: male human rogue 2; hp 12; Appendix 1 �Tiira: female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 APL 4 (EL 6) �Cultist guard (2): female human fighter 3; hp 28; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout: male human rogue 3; hp 17; Appendix 1 �Tiira: female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 APL 6 (EL 7) �Cultist guard (2): female human fighter 3; hp 28; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout (2): male human rogue 3; hp 17; Appendix 1 �Tiira: female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 Cultist Tactics: The cultists are intent on capturing Tiira. They do, however, break off their attack on her in order to defeat the PCs. The cultists are not out to take prisoners. If PCs survive at the end of the fight, the cultists stabilize them and take them back to their headquarters for questioning (and as potential hostages), CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 5 but this is more a matter of opportunity, than deliberate design. Guards: The guards move immediately to interpose themselves between the PCs and Tiira. If the PCs refuse to let them remove the aranean, they fight intelligently and attempt to defeat their opponents quickly before help can be called, activating their brute gauntlets to this end. Scouts: The scouts have brain locked Tiira using one of their pearls, and turn their attention to the PCs. Of course, since they have a pearl to spare, they attempt to use this on the PC they deem to be the greatest threat. The scouts attempt to use their Bluff skill to feint and flank in order to maximize their sneak attack. They work in concert with each other and the guards. Tiira: Once recovered from the pearl (this takes three rounds), she does not involve herself in the battle, unless it’s to stabilize a PC. She does not know who the PCs are, but is aware that they were following her and is uncertain of their intentions. Development: The araneans are expecting Tiira’s return. They arrive after ten rounds of battle and subdue all combatants without preference (unless it’s obvious that some combatants are working to defend Tiira). They intend to sort out the good from the bad, later, during questioning – something their Nightwatchmen contacts assist with. If the PCs manage to defeat the cultists before the tenth round, read the following just as they are deciding what to do next (or beginning to question any survivors and so on): The last of the woman’s attackers has just hit the ground, as the gate at the end of the side street opens to reveal a woman dressed in gleaming mithral chain, and carrying a light mace. The symbol of St. Cuthbert hangs, in a medallion, around her throat. “What is going on here?” she demands, the light of battle enlivening her features as she hefts the mace and takes a step forward. “What are you doing with my daughter, Tiira?” Give the PCs time to explain, or have Tiira intervene and tell how they rescued her, and then continue: The woman’s frown lightens: “And we won’t ask how you just happened to be in the same unfrequented street at the same time as she was attacked… will we?” She raises a hand to still your protests. “Why don’t you come inside so what has happened can be explained… and so that we can ask these ones what they were doing, and where they are from. I’m sure their answers would interest us all.” Give the PCs a chance to accept or decline. If they decline, they can be brought back into the adventure in encounter three, after Tiira comes to ask them to help in the attack on the cultist’s lair. If they accept, go to Encounter two. 1B: DEATH’S TRAP Just ahead of you, you see the flash of a cloak disappearing rapidly around a corner, and hear a soft bark of laughter. Surely your prey is only around that corner – and then, perhaps, some of your questions can be answered. Give the PCs time to describe their approach to the corner and the courtyard beyond. The cultists are lying in wait for them, so there is no surprise round. As you round the corner, a strongly-built woman in banded mail, and wearing a dark blue cloak, steps out in front of you: “You’ve been following us a while now, haven’t you?” she says. “What is your business?” Again, the PCs have time to respond. The guard might be drawn into dialogue but, when the talk turns to the dead spider carcass on the courtyard steps and their possible involvement (a simple: What do you know about the spider carcass? Or similar does it), the cultists attack. None of the scout cultists show themselves, preferring to attack from hiding rather than risk the PCs actually being friendly. The courtyard where this ambush takes place is deserted. The inhabitants of the houses surrounding the courtyard are either out, or pretending that nothing is happening – after all, things like this happen all the time and not noticing them is the best survival tactic of all. APL 2 (EL 4) �Cultist guard: female human fighter 2; hp 20; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout: male human rogue 2; hp 12; Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 6) �Cultist guard (2): female human fighter 3; hp 28; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout: male human rogue 3; hp 17; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 7) �Cultist guard (2): female human fighter 3; hp 28; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout (2): male human rogue 3; hp 17; Appendix 1 Cultist Tactics: The cultists are interested in finding out who is following them and why. To this end, they use subdual damage, until the PCs start using lethal damage, at which point, they reply in kind. Guards: The guards move immediately to interpose themselves between the PCs and the courtyard, but fall back gradually, using five-foot steps so that the scouts can work their way in behind the PCs. Scouts: The scouts are currently hiding. PCs need to succeed on an opposed Spot check against the scouts’ CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 6 Hide checks in order to notice them. The scouts wait in hiding until the PCs have been drawn past them by the guards – or until the PCs attack them instead of the guards. They use flanking and feinting in order to use their sneak attack. Development: The city watch arrive ten rounds after combat starts for, while the citizens that live around the courtyard ‘see nothing’, they also know who to call when ‘nothing’ is happening and no one can see them. If PCs hand the cultists over to the City Watch, they are not able to speak with them. There may, however, be some time to speak to them, before the Watch arrives. PCs can attempt to improve the cultists’ attitudes to friendly (DC 3 Diplomacy check) in order to discover the information below, or they can wait for the watch. Improving the cultists’ attitudes to friendly results in the PCs discovering the following information: • The cultists are working for a cult of Erythnul (false). • The location of their base (false; this is the location of the aranea base). • The fact that they are just hirelings of the cultists because Erythnul is as good a boss as any (although a little scarier than most). A successful DC 20 Sense Motive check reveals the areas where the cultists are being a little less than truthful, but PCs need to shift their attitude from friendly to helpful (DC 20 Diplomacy check) in order to discover: • They work for a cult of Iuz. • The location of a house they meet at. If the PCs follow the false location, then paraphrase the information in encounter two without the cultists and the Nightwatch, of course). That encounter ends with the araneans promising to contact the PCs once they can confirm the cultists’ story. If the PCs turn things over to the City Watch, the watch promises to get back to them if the PCs are willing to assist further. Go to encounter three, paraphrasing as appropriate. If the PCs decide to follow up on the lead to the cultists’ house, go to encounter three, paraphrasing as appropriate. 2: SHAPESHIFTERS’ LAIR The women in grey are areaneans, a race of shapeshifting spiders. These creature follow the laws and tenets of St. Cuthbert. They are, so they say, in a constant battle against the plots of Iuz and his mother Iggwilv, but they keep their battle secret. “You saw how the people reacted to one of our dead,” Mistress Ethtran explains. “We can’t afford to be watching our backs against the people we live amongst, while we are watching on all sides for those we seek to destroy. Even in Perrenland, the Bandit Kingdoms and High Folk, no one knows of our existence, although, truth be known, I don’t know if there are any of us still in those places doing battle, since our lord has led us farther afield. I think he believes that the Old One’s neighbors can deal with his plots there, but that we must be more vigilant against the mischiefs he stirs up elsewhere.” She sighs, “And where would be a better place for stirring up mischief than in the very gem on human civilization – the great Greyhawk City. I can’t understand why our battles haven’t brought us here sooner. As the PCs chat with Ethtran, several members of the Nightwatch arrive to question any surviving cultists. If the PCs express surprise at this, read: “We do obey the law, you know,” Tiira informed you, with a smile. ‘At least, most of the time…” After a short time, the surviving cultists reveal the following information after a range of subtle threats, promises, and ministrations of an odd truth serum • Their headquarters lie on the other side of the courthouse square. • The Lydian and the wizard stumbled on the truth of the cult in the course of their business around the courthouse, and that, being two halves of a whole, they will make worthy sacrifices to Iuz. • The sacrifice will take place two nights from now, outside the city, but they don’t know where… they really don’t know where. • Iuz is as good an employer as any… although a good bit scarier than most, and, no, we’ve met him. With the route to the cult base mapped, it is time and enough to turn the cultists are turned over to the Nightwatch representative for charging and confinement. PCs are able to request some time alone with one or the other of the cultists – or both. Members of the Thieves’ Guild, in particular, might be interested in discussing their willingness to join, or otherwise share information with the guild. If they can use diplomacy to shift the cultist’s attitude to helpful (DC 50 Diplomacy check), the cultist concerned is willing to speak with the Thieves’ Guild. The following circumstance modifiers apply: • -2: For anyone not a member of the Thieves’ Guild • -4: For anyone who is a member of the Nightwatchmen • +2: For particularly good roleplaying on behalf of the player. • +2: For promising to have them set free, or allowing them to escape. (This requires a successful Bluff check opposed by the cultist’s Sense Motive check. Failing this check results in an overall -4 modifier to the Diplomacy attempt.) CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 7 All penalties and bonuses are cumulative.The cultists aren’t interested in talking to anyone else in particular, and don’t have any extra information to add. Once the PCs are finished with the cultists, and the cultists have left, the PCs are free to return to their lodgings while the araneans follow up on the information and promise to get back to them when they have confirmed the cultists’ story. Move on to encounter three. 3: LAW & DISORDER It takes the araneans and the Nightwatch until the following afternoon to get back to you. The cultists were, surprisingly, telling the truth, but perhaps that is because they have a surprise in store for you. Tiira will lead you through the plaza to the right street, but then she must join her sisters. You will be assailing the front door, while the servants of St. Cuthbert use their innate abilities to make sure there is nowhere to which the cultists can flee. Give the PCs time to respond. It is too late to change the plans as the araneans have already left, and the contingent of Nightwatch required to take the sewer entrances is already on its way. Once they are underway, read: Tiira leads you to the courthouse plaza, and is about to lead you across it when she stops in horror. Following her gaze, you see a group of women, dressed in grey, trying to maneuver the spider’s body onto a stretcher. It seems that they plan to load it onto the pony cart waiting at the foot of the courthouse steps. It seems that the people of Greyhawk are opposed to this move and a crowd is gathering around the base of the steps. Angry muttering can already be heard. “The fools,” Tiira hisses. “We were told to wait for the Watch to do this. We could have collected the body from the watchhouse.” Give the PCs time to react. If they wish to attempt to use Diplomacy to disperse the crowd, they may do so. The crowd’s reaction to the aranea is hostile but, if the PC group has members of the Guild of Nightwatchmen, the Merchants’ and Traders’ Union, Religious or Mercenary Guild affiliations, the crowd is merely unfriendly. PCs must try a rushed Diplomacy check (PH 72) to shift the crowd’s attitude to indifferent in order to get the people to let the araneans remove the body. Once the success or failure of any Diplomacy check has been determined, and the crowd is beginning to disperse, or preparing to attack, read: You can hear the sound of the city watch approaching, and the crowd is shifting from hostility/indifference to uncertainty, when there is a sudden shriek of terror from one side of the plaza. This is followed by another shriek of terror, and another, and the crowd shifts from uncertainty to panic. Even the whistles being blown as the Watch approach, make no difference. PCs succeeding on a DC 10 Spot check see a hunting spider leap over the heads of the crowd into a clear space near them in the plaza. Those that fail can do nothing as the frenzied creature attacks the nearest of them in a panic. Those that succeed can react as normal. APLs 2-4 (EL 3) �Monstrous hunting spiders (2): hp 11; MM 288 APL 6 (EL 4) �Monstrous hunting spiders (3): hp11; MM 288 Hunting Spider Tactics: The spiders are hungry and enraged and just want to find a quiet place to escape to… right after they deal with the next food source that disturbs their flight… and the next… and the next. They do not fight intelligently. Development: The city watch arrive five rounds after combat starts and try to calm the crowd. Once they are aware that the PCs are dealing with the spiders, they turn their attention to any townsfolk bitten by the spiders. PCs are urged to ‘save us’ and ‘don’t mind him, get that spider’, if they stop fighting before the last spider has fallen. Once the spiders are dealt with, any efforts they make to heal the townsfolk, or assist in the aftermath, is much appreciate. As soon as things are settled, Tiira urges them to hurry and join the assault on the cultists’ house – as, “no doubt, they are responsible for this cowardly attack.” Proceed to encounter four. 4: DOORS TO EVIL The entrance, through which the araneans and Nightwatch want the PCs to attack, is guarded by a single, but deadly guard. The entrance to the cultists’ base is via a narrow sidestreet somewhat similar to the street leading to the aranean’s own base, except that it is via a door leading directly in from the street. PCs succeeding on a DC 10 Spot check note the balconies and the rickety wooden stairs leading up to a first floor verandah. Allow the party to make its plans, and then have them make a second Spot check opposed by the guard’s Hide check. Those that fail cannot act in the surprise round, when the cultist attacks from a landing on the fire escape. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 8 APL 2 (EL 1) �Cultist guard: female human scout 1; hp 9; Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 2) �Cultist guard: female human scout 2; hp 15; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 3) �Cultist guard: female human scout 3; hp 21; Appendix 1 Cultist Guard Tactics: The guard attacks from the verandah. She does not use her skirmish ability in the surprise round, but does on every subsequent round. She has cover from opponents in the street below and gains the benefit of higher ground, but she also has limited options for running away. She loses her cover bonus to shoot at targets on the stairs. Her main duty is to alert the watch-chokers inside the house, and then to harass any uninvited guests as they enter or leave the premises. She uses the narrow space on the verandah to take advantage of her skirmish ability. Should PCs climb the stairs after her, she forgoes her cover bonus in order to shoot at them as they approach. ENCOUNTER FEATURES Illumination: It is late afternoon/early evening. Lighting is dim, but not shadowy. Stairs: The stairs are 5 ft. wide and run parallel to the wall. There is a banister on the street side. Unless an attacker is looking directly up or down the stairs, anyone on the stairs receives a +4 cover bonus to their AC. The stairs grant the benefit of higher ground (+1 to melee attacks against foes below her). Verandah: The verandah is 5 ft. wide and 20 ft. long. There is only one door leading from the far end of the verandah. The door can be locked from the inside, and barricaded with a large wooden chest. Development: Should PCs enter the cultists’ headquarters while the guard is still able to fight, she comes down the stairs and assists the chokers in their battle. If she is defeated, the PCs can enter the headquarters unhindered. 5: LITTLE HOUSE OF EVIL The cultists have recruited a choker, found in the sewers, to act as a watch-dog. In return for comfortable lodgings, plenty of food, and a small amount of treasure, the creature zealously guards the front parlor of the cultist headquarters. If PCs enter without a light source, read: As suggested by the heavily-curtained windows, this room is pitch black. Nothing is apparent here without some source of light. If PCs have darkvision or a light source, read: This room is sparsely furnished. A large rug adorns the floor, and book cases line the walls. Even as your eyes adjust to the light (or lack thereof), something moves in a shadowed doorway that leads further into the house. Have PCs make Spot checks opposed by the choker’s Hide check. Success means that the PC notices the creature as it prepares to attack from a corner opposite the doorway – the apparent movement in the doorway was just a trick of the eye. APL 2 (EL 2) �Choker: hp 16; MM 34 APL 4 (EL 3) �Advanced 7 HD Choker: hp 41; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 4) �Fiendish 8 HD Advanced Choker: hp 49; Appendix 1 CHAMBER FEATURES Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high in this room. Illumination: There is no light in this room, except what the PCs bring with them. Heavy drapes over the windows prevent light getting in. Uncluttered: There is no furniture to clutter up this room, beyond the book cases that line the wall, and the coat rack by the door. Development: If PCs did not defeat the guard from encounter three, she assists the choker in its attacks on the PCs. Once the choker is defeated, the PCs are able to move further into the house. 6: EVIL’S LAST RESORT With the cultist’s strange guard defeated, you are free to move down the short hallway to a closed door. Drifting to you from different parts of the house, and from beneath your feet, you can hear the muffled sounds of fighting. Allow the PCs time to decide how to approach the door. It is locked. PCs succeeding on a DC 20 Listen check, can hear the sound of soft chanting behind the door (it sounds like one person), as well as what might be the skitter of claws. Bloodfang’s Pre-Combat Tactics: Bloodfang is stationed right next to the door. As soon as the PCs stop at the door, and begin to tinker with the lock, or try to open the door, he scurries back to Alvarici and warns him of intruders. Alvarici’s Pre-Combat Tactics: While the PCs were battling the choker, Alvarici casts mage armor (at APL 6 CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 9 only). He does not start to summon creatures until Bloodfang, his familiar, warns him that someone has started to try to open the lock (or break down the door). When the PCs have opened the door, read (adjusting to account for PC actions): This room is cluttered with papers, scrolls, and books. Behind a desk, in front of a window, and a bookcase overflowing with more reading material than a wizard could cover in a month, stands a nervous-looking young man. He appears to be of Suel descent, and is dressed in wizardly garb. Right now he is completing the last few gestures of a spell. As you watch a large, angry-looking rat appears in front of the doorway and advances towards you. It is identical to the other rat that launches itself into a frenzied attack at the first of you that it sees. APL 2 (EL 1) �Alvarici: male human wizard 2; hp 11; Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 2) �Alvarici: male human wizard 2; hp 11; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 3) �Alvarici: male human wizard 3; hp 16; Appendix 1 Fiendish Dire Rat Tactics: The summoned dire rats attack any PC entering the room. The rat that just appeared has two rounds before it vanishes, and the rat that launches itself to attack, has only this round remaining before it returns to whence it was summoned. They do not fight in a coordinated manner. Fiendish Monstrous Centipede Tactics: At APL 6 (only) Alvarici summons a fiendish monstrous centipede as his first act when the PCs appear. This creature attacks as viciously as the rats. Bloodfang’s Tactics: Bloodfang stays hidden in Alvarici’s top desk drawer. If Alvarici is defeated, he either flees, or huddles with his master. Alvarici’s Tactics: Alvarici finishes summoning the second fiendish dire rat as the PCs break down the door. On his next initiative, he begins summoning a fiendish centipede (APL 6), or attempts to open the window behind him and climb out of it to escape. ENCOUNTER FEATURES Wooden Door: 1 in. thick; hardness 5; hp 10; AC 5; Break DC 18. Ceiling: The ceiling is 10 ft. high in this room. Illumination: The light in this room comes from two large lanterns that sit on either end at the front of the desk. Alvarici does not put these out. Clutter: Because of the very large desk, the bookcase and the summoned creatures, there is very little clear space in this room. Development: Should PCs prevent him from escaping, Alvarici throws himself to his knees and begs for mercy. ALVARICI This wizard of Suel descent, is of stocky build and has short, white hair. His dark blue robe is well- tailored, and he wears more than one gold ring on his fingers. A gold hoop adorns one ear. A DC 14 Knowledge (local – NMR, Pale or Ratik) check identifies Alvarici as having some Schnai or Fruzzti parentage (or grand parentage). Attitude: Helpful (PH 72). Alvarici is willing to be helpful as long as the PCs are willing (or might be willing) to help get him out of the city. As soon as it becomes apparent that they won’t help him out instead of going after his brethren, he becomes unfriendly. Personality: Confident that he can convince the adventurers to do what he wants, and arrogant even in defeat, Alvarici won’t back down and divulge the location of the cultists’ latest sacrifice – although it can be found in the large tome sitting under his spellbook. He really is indifferent to the cruelty and evil that Iuz inflicts on the world, and is much more interested in developing a ‘working relationship’ with the deity in return for Oerthly power. He really can’t see what is wrong with this – he is truly amoral when it comes to his own advancment. What He Knows: He knows that the cultists are under attack, and that he really, really needs help in getting away. The PCs look like that help. He offers them his jewelry, his spellbook (if pressed), and 200 gp that he keeps in a small chest in the desk drawer. If that doesn’t work, he won’t divulge the information needed to get the PCs to the sacrifices in time, but instead clams up and demands to be handed over to the Greyhawk Watch. He does know that the Lydian and Samael have been taken by the cult for sacrifice, but won’t give it up – although his body language and snide hints might reveal it (Sense Motive opposed by Alvarici’s Bluff). If it seems that the PCs won’t do this – or might even do him harm, he screams for help in an effort to attract the attention of the Nightwatch and araneans to his plight. He accuses the PCs of attempted murder whether or not they are murdering him, and accuse them of torture. Recent History: Alvarici is a descendant of a Fruzzti clan north of the Rakers, but his amoral attitude to life in his search for power, as well as his tendency to find the easy way round things, instead of facing hardship like a true barbarian soon had him facing mistrust and exile from his clan. Leaving before he was thrown out, his travels brought him into contact with a sect of Iuzians, and thence to Greyhawk in their company. Treasure: In addition to the items listed in the treasure summary, PCs find Alvarici’s spellbook, and the notes on how he was able to form a kinship with the cold, giving them access to new spells and the Soul of the North feat. The desk also yields a thick, black, leather-bound book (calf-skin, nothing more…) that has notes on promising phases of the moon, and an auspicious location for sacrifices to evil powers. If the PCs do not find these CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 10 items, the Nightwatch and the araneans do, and are able to use the information to discover the location of the sacrifice, and for PCs to read over later. Development: If PCs agree to help Alvarici escape the Nightwatch and aranean force, go to encounter 6A. If they refuse to help him, and insist on finding and rescuing the Lydian and the other wizard, go to encounter 6B: 6A: HELPING OUT THE EVIL While it seemed a good idea to help Alvarici out with his plan (for a fee, of course), things are not going to plan, and you are now faced with (give appropriate number here) aranean/s – rather angry and disappointed aranean/s. “I thought you were on our side,” one accuses, “but never mind. St. Cuthbert sees all and demands justice! Surrender, or be subdued!” APL 2 (EL 4) �Aranean: female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 APL 4 (EL 6) �Araneans (2): female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 APL 6 (EL 9) �Araneans (6): female aranean; hp 22; MM 15 Bloodfang’s Tactics: Bloodfang stays hidden in Alvarici’s pocket. If Alvarici is defeated, he either flees, or huddles with his master. Alvarici’s Tactics: While the PCs battle the aranean, Alvarici attempts to sneak away. If this fails, he runs for it, leaving the PCs to face the aranean/s. Aranean Tactics: The aranean(s) is in hybrid form and, at first, attempt to use her web to immobilize her enemies. She also tries to inflict non-lethal damage on the PCs, but, if they use lethal damage, she returns the favor. She fights the PCs single-mindedly and methodically, seeking to drop one, and then the next, and then the next. She is hoping help will arrive in time to stop them. She does not pursue Alvarici if she is faced with active PCs. She attacks PCs who flee, calling on them to stop and surrender. ENCOUNTER FEATURES Illumination: There is no light in the alley, save what comes from windows and the moon overhead. Conditions here are shadowy, unless the PCs have brought their own light source. Footing: While not the tidiest of places, the street underfoot poses no difficulty to movement here. Development: More araneans (as many as the PCs face at this APL) arrive after ten rounds, and more again five rounds after that. They accept surrender and deliver the PCs up for judgement. If the PCs are defeated, or if they defeat the aranean and escape, go to Conclusion C. Treasure: If the PCs defeat the aranean, they can loot their bodies gaining their possessions and some loot they recently took from a couple of lain cultists. Beyond this, they receive 50 gp of jewelry and 200 gp from Alvarici for assisting him. If they are captured, they receive nothing from this encounter. 6B: PURSUIT OF EVIL It doesn’t take long for the Nightwatch and the araneans to go through the evidence taken from the cultists’ headquarters. That, combined with what they gather from the prisoners, has given you a location for the sacrifice. A day’s hard ride, and you should reach the site by dusk. Your allies insist you get a full night’s rest before you leave, and make sure you are fully healed. NOTE: If PCs need to borrow mounts, they are able to do so. They ride out with a Nightwatchman as a guide. The Nightwatchman is there to mind the horses, and report back to the Night Watch. Allow the PCs to make any preparations they deem necessary, and then read: Now, approaching the clearing, you can see the tall doglike figure/s of a priest standing before what can only be the Lydian priestess you’ve been looking for. She is tied to one side of a tree, and what can only be the wizard is tied to the other side. As you watch, the doglike creature hefts its greatsword and, calling on the greater dark, prepares to thrust it forward. Go to initiative and have the PCs declare what they wish to do. APL 2 (EL 4) �Cultist cleric: male fiendish gnoll cleric 1; hp 15; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout: male fiendish gnoll scout 1; hp 15; Appendix 1 APL 4 (EL 6) �Cultist cleric: male fiendish gnoll cleric 2; hp 21; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout (2): male fiendish gnoll scout 2; hp 21; Appendix 1 APL 6 (EL 9) �Cultist cleric (2): male fiendish gnoll cleric 4; hp 33; Appendix 1 �Cultist scout (2): male fiendish gnoll scout 4; hp 21; Appendix 1 Gnoll Cultists in General: At all levels, neither the clerics or scouts think to take prisoners, but only stabilize CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 11 downed PCs after the battle in order to add them to the ceremony as sacrifices. This is more a matter of opportunity than deliberate thought, though. Nightwatch Tactics: The nightwatchman is under strict orders not to get involved. If the PCs look like they are doing badly, he takes one of the horses and rides back to Greyhawk for help. Scout Tactics: The cultist scouts have hiding at the perimeter of the clearing. They use their scout ability to skirmish using ranged attacks, while remaining concealed for as long as possible. Even if the PCs seem intent on the priestess, the scouts try to pick them off, only engaging in melee if they are given no choice. Cleric Tactics: The cleric/s are going to drive their sword/s into the cleric in the first round, unless distracted by something – a PC, for example. He/They kill her in the second round –unless distracted. APLs 2-4: At APL 2, the cleric casts blessed aim, command, or entropic shield, whichever it deems most appropriate. It then either attacks using its greatsword, or casts other spells in subsequent rounds. APL 6: At APL 6, the clerics take turns assisting their allies with spells such as blessed aim, or close wounds, or assisting themselves using command, entropic shield, shield of faith, or command. They resort to using their greatswords if this appears to be the most effective way of dealing with the PCs. ENCOUNTER FEATURES Illumination: It is dusk when the PCs reach the clearing. While the light is dim, it is not dim enough to be considered shadowy. Trees: There is only one large tree in the clearing. The priestess and the wizard are tied to opposite sides of it. Surrounding the clearing, however, are many trees. The scouts skirmish from tree to tree, moving at least 10 ft. to stop in the same square as a tree. When they do this, they gain a +2 bonus to AC, and a +1 bonus to Reflex saves. Anyone wanting to climb a tree need a DC 15 Climb check. Tree: 4 in. thick; hardness 5; hp 150; AC 3. Undergrowth: There is no undergrowth in the clearing. There is undergrowth where the scout/s are hiding, however, meaning that each square costs 2 squares of movement (a scout must move the equivalent of 4 squares in order to gain their skirmish bonus, since that would be only 10 ft. of distance in the undergrowth). The scouts gain the advantage of concealment (20% miss chance), but gain a -2 penalty to Tumble and Move Silently checks. The undergrowth in this area does not provide a bonus to Hide checks. Stealth & Detection: The maximum distance for a Spot check to succeed when used to try to see something outside the clearing is 3d6x10 feet. The clearing is perfectly visible. Listen checks have an increased DC of 2 per 10 feet, not 1. Development: If the PCs are captured, they are sacrificed that night, but the Nightwatch and araneans are able to collect their bodies. The PCs have the option of being raised (raise dead) in this instance, but still need to pay the cost for casting. PCs that are captured or killed earn the Killed by the Cultists award. They also earn the Lesser Gratitude of the Araneans, and the Ire of Iuz. Go to Conclusion A. If the PCs defeat the cultists, they earn the Gratitude of the Araneans, thanks of the Greyhawk City Watch and Night Watch, Gratitude of the Lydians, Gratitude of a Greyhawk Wizard, and the Ire of Iuz. Go to Conclusion B. Treasure: The PCs are able to loot the gnolls if they are victorious. Development: PCs can talk to the cleric and the wizard (if the pair are still alive). ALLARA GUINVAY This fair-haired woman has a touch of Flan and Suel in her. Her blue-green eyes are dark with fear, and bright with tears. Her gown is torn, and her skin bruised, and there are hollows under her eyes. Attitude: Helpful (PH 72). Allara is relieved to see the PCs. Although she has been hurt and is terribly afraid, she also had prepared herself to meet her goddess. She is able to cast curative spells. Personality: Allara wavers between being timidly helpful, and on the verge of tears. Even small acts of kindness can bring her close to weeping, and she tries to avoid this by making herself useful, or changing the topic to how soon they can return to Greyhawk. While she can be convinced that rest is a good idea (especially when the day’s ride is described to her), she is extremely reluctant to camp in this particular clearing. (PCs making a DC 15 Survival check can find a suitable alternative not too far away.) What She Knows: Allara does not know a lot – only that she had the feeling of being watched recently, and that she is embarrassed at being captured while going to research a particularly intricate law of adoption for the priestesses. She assures PCs that the Temple of Lydia will be working to divine the reason behind her (and others) kidnapping. She is also sure that this is an upstart cult that has no stronger base in Greyhawk. Perhaps it is an offshoot from the Pomarj raiders, although she isn’t so sure of that… Brief History: Allara was taken by the cultists while researching adoption laws at the Greyhawk Courthouse. She grew up in the Temple of Lydia after being left the sole survivor of a caravan that fell prey to bandits while travelling up the Velverdyva SAMAEL MORTVOT This Oeridian man has eyes the color of a winter sky and the dark red hair. He is Suelishly pale, but that could be from too much time spent inside with books. The first thing he asks you is if Kellia, the CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 12 courthouse clerk is alright. He was afraid she had been taken as well. Attitude: Helpful (PH 72). Samael only wishes to return to his studies, and the woman he believes to be his one true love. He does everything in his power to assist PCs in helping him achieve this goal. Personality: A gentle man, who does not seem to have a manipulative nature, Samael loves children, and is looking forward to a quiet home life in Greyhawk City, where he has his studies, and his future career… and maybe the woman who will become his wife. He is very modest about his abilities, and plays down any compliments the PCs might pass on to him from his colleagues. What He Knows: Samael knows only that he was taken while visiting his girlfriend at the courthouse. He says he can’t remember much of the capture as he had found a bunch of rare and expensive flowers from her homeland and was hurrying to take them to her. He had also forgotten the time of day and was embarrassed to find the courthouse empty. Having bribed a night clerk to tell him where his lady lived, he was leaving the court when he was attacked from the shadows. He can remember little of the days since his capture and is regretful that it will probably take him half a year to order more of the flowers. He hints at a ‘special’ occasion in the future, but can’t quite be drawn into a definite decision to ‘pop the question’; after all, his lady might not be as in love with him as he thinks… Recent History: Samael has spend the last six months in Greyhawk City pursuing his studies of transmutation. He misses his homeland, but knows his future is here. CONCLUSION A: You’re aware of a bright light, and of voices. The voices ask if you want to continue to the lands of the gods, or if you would like to return to Oerth in its time of need and continue in your battle against the evils that plague the world. It seems the araneans, and the Night Watch, are somewhat grateful for your intervention on their behalf – even if you did go and get yourself killed doing it. What say you? Go to your final rest? Or return and do battle with the forces that have sought to destroy you? If the PCs are captured and sacrificed, or killed by the cultists, they are given the option of being brought back from the dead. They still need to pay the cost of being raised. They receive the Killed by Cultists adventure item, Lesser Gratitude of the Araneans, and the Ire of Iuz. CONCLUSION B: Paraphrase the following, depending on whether or not the PCs were successful in rescuing the Lydian and Samael: Well, that was a battle worth fighting. Your return to the city with the priestess and the wizard was a lot slower than the journey outwards, but you were met and welcomed at the gates, with a small escort of Nightwatchmen that saw you through the gates in record time. Of course, you still had to surrender any illegal weapons after you reached the Watch House and debriefing, but you didn’t have to pay anything, and you were met with food and a safe place to sleep. Debriefing was another kind of battle, with all sorts of questions thrown your way. And now you know you’ve done well. With the Iuzian cultists put down, the Nightwatch say that there is no more sign of the Old One’s evil, and that the araneans are praying for a new direction in their battle. They’d like to be able to call on you in the future, if you’re willing – and that request is from both groups. You’ve got a little time to decide… and maybe shop, or get back to the University in time for those tutorials, or get ready for your duty shift – and there’s plenty of time for that report… If the PCs manage to defeat the cultists they receive the Gratitude of the Araneans, Thanks of the Greyhawk City Watch and Night Watch, of a Greyhawk Wizard, and the Ire of Iuz. CONCLUSION C: Your attempt to help Alvarici, the cultist wizard, escape from Greyhawk has reaped more of a reward than you anticipated. The organizations to which you belonged have severed ties with you and hold you in disdain, and you are (select the most appropriate), thanks to an informant you’d like to get your hands on in danger of serving time. While the priestess and wizards were rescued, it seems they required raising before they could tell what they knew, and evil has new enemies. Unfortunately, those enemies are also your own. If the PCs assisted, or attempted to assist, Alvarici escape, they lose their status with the Nightwatch/Mercenaries/University of Magic (if applicable), and gain the Arrested by the Greyhawk City Watch, and the Gratitude of Iuz’s Pet AR awards. AFFILIATION AWARDS Now is time to determine how many affiliation points each PC gained for their given affiliations. Record each PC’s gain (or loss) on the Affiliation Score Gained/Lost AR item. PCs can gain the following points: The Guild of Wizardry • 1 point for detaining or defeating Alvarici and turning him over to the Greyhawk City Watch. • 1 point for rescuing the missing wizard. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 13 • Gain a 5 point penalty for assisting, or attempting to assist, Alvarici’s escape. Mercenaries' Guild • 1 point for being involved in the rescue of the priestess and the wizard. Thieves' Guild • 1 point for developing a good standing with the Nightwatchmen Nightwatchmen • 1 point for uncovering the cult headquarters and defeating its occupants. • Gain a 5 point penalty for assisting, or attempting to assist, Alvarici’s escape. Religious Organizations • 1 point for defeating the cultists during the ceremony. • Gain a 5 point penalty for assisting, or attempting to assist Alvarici’s escape. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 14 EXPERIENCE POINT SUMMARY To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. 1A: They Walk Among Us Defeat the cultists (50%) Gain aranean paladins of St. Cuthbert as allies (50%) APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 210 XP 1B: Death’s Trap Defeat the cultists APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 210 XP 2: Law and Disorder Defeat the creatures unleashed by the cultists. APL 2 90 XP APL 4 90 XP APL 6 120 XP 3: Doors to Evil Defeat the cultist guard APL 2 30 XP APL 4 60 XP APL 6 90 XP 4: Little House of Evil Defeat the choker watch-dogs APL 2 60 XP APL 4 90 XP APL 6 120 XP 5: Evil’s Last Resort Defeat the poisonous creatures Capture Alvarici APL 2 30 XP APL 4 60 XP APL 6 90 XP 6A: Helping Out the Evil Defeat the aranean paladins APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 270 XP 6B: Pursuit of Evil Defeat the cultists (70%) APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 270 XP Total Possible Experience APL 2 450 XP APL 4 675 XP APL 6 900 XP TREASURE SUMMARY During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Loot = Looted gear from enemy; Coin = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; Magic = Magic Items. 1A: They Walk Among Us or 1B:Death’s Trap APL 2: Loot 50 gp; Magic 121 gp brute gauntlets (42 gp), pearl of brain lock (75 gp), potion of cure light wounds (4 gp); Total 171 gp. APL 4: Loot 109 gp; Magic 242 gp brute gauntlets (2 pair; 42 gp each), pearl of brain lock (2; 75 gp each), potion of cure light wounds (2; 4 gp each); Total 351 gp. APL 6: Loot 150 gp; Magic 242 gp brute gauntlets (2 pair; 42 gp each), pearl of brain lock (2; 75 gp each), potion of cure light wounds (2; 4 gp each); Total 392 gp. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 15 3: Doors to Evil APL 2: Loot 96 gp; Magic 21 gp jumping caltrops (21 gp each); Total 117 gp. APL 4: Loot 4 gp; Magic 196 gp jumping caltrops (21 gp), +1 mithral shirt (175 gp); Total 200 gp. APL 6: Loot 4 gp; Magic 196 gp jumping caltrops (21 gp), +1 mithral shirt (175 gp); Total 200 gp. 6A: Helping Out the Evil APL 2: Loot 59 gp; Coin 200 gp; Total 9 gp. APL 4: Loot 68 gp; Coin 200 gp; Total 18 gp. APL 6: Loot 63 gp; Coin 200 gp; Magic 61 gp, +1 light mace (2; 193 gp each), +1 mithral chain (2; 175 gp each); Total 75 gp. 6B: In Pursuit of Evil APL 2: Loot 110 gp; Magic 0 gp; Total 110 gp. APL 4: Loot 132 gp; Magic 196 gp +1 greatsword (196 gp); Total 328 gp. APL 6: Loot 113 gp; Magic 588 gp +1 greatsword (2; 196 gp each), +1 studded leather (2; 98 gp each); Total 701 gp. Treasure Cap APL 2: 450 gp; APL 4: 650 gp; APL 6: 900 gp. Total Possible Treasure APL 2: 581 gp; APL 2: 879 gp; APL 2: 1,293 gp. ADVENTURE RECORD ITEMS �Alvarici’s Notes: By spending 1 TU reading the notes found in Alvarici’s office, and 2 TU travelling to the North to put it into practice, you gain access to the feat Soul of the North (Complete Arcane). �Alvarici’s Spellbook: contains all the 0-level spells in the PHB as well as the following: APLs 2-4: 0-caltropsSpC:42-43; 1st—familiar pocketSpC:88, ice daggerSpC:118-119, lesser shivering touchFr:104, summon monster I, treacherous weaponCS:29 ; Cost 2,500 gp. APL 6: as for APLs2-4 plus the following: 1st—mage armor; 2nd—belker clawsSpC:26-27, snowball stormSpC:194, summon monster II; Cost 3,200 gp. �Lesser Gratitude of the Araneans: You attempted to assist the araneans in defeating the cultists and have been granted Open access to the spells bless weapon, swift (SpC), the feat Efficient Defender (CSc) and you receive free Standard upkeep for the next adventure set in Greyhawk City. You must still meet all prerequisites and costs, and must spend 1 TU for each spell and feat you train for. �Gratitude of the Araneans: You successfully assisted the araneans in defeating the cultists and have been granted access to: angelskin (SpC), the prestige class gray guard (CS), and the feats: Awesome Smite (CC) and Battle Blessing (CC). You also gain all access granted by Lesser Gratitude of the Araneans. You must still meet all prerequisites and costs, and must spend 1 TU for each spell or feat you train for. Training for gray guard costs 4 TU. �Thanks of the Greyhawk City Watch and Night Watch: For your services you are granted an exemption from the Freesword Tax and a free licence for one of the banned weapons in Greyhawk City as well as free Standard Upkeep for one adventure set in the City of Greyhawk. This favor is non-transferable. �Gratitude of a Greyhawk Wizard: You are granted access to one of the following: a wand of magic missiles (CL 3), or a single armor or weapon enhancement from the DMG, with a +1 bonus modifier to the base price. �Ire of Iuz: You have interfered with his plans and earned his anger. The Old One consequently dislikes you. His servants attack you in preference to targets who have not earned his ire. �Arrested! You have run afoul of the constabulary of Greyhawk. You are imprisoned for six months (26 TU) before being released. Alternatively, you may pay an amount equal to half the treasure cap of this adventure (at the APL you played) to avoid imprisonment. �Gratitude of Iuz’s Pet: for your assistance in his release, Alvarici gives you access to his notes, and spellbook, as described on this AR. ITEM ACCESS APL 2: • Brute gauntlets (Adventure; Magic Item Compendium) • Jumping caltrops (Adventure; Magic Item Compendium) • Pearl of brain lock (Adventure; Magic Item Compendium) APLs 4-6 (all of APL 2 plus): • +1 mithral shirt (Adventure; DMG: 2,100 gp) CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 16 APPENDIX 1: APL 2 1A: THEY WALK AMONG US CULTIST GUARD CR 2 Female human fighter 2 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Common, Dwarven AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 shield) hp 20 (2 HD) Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +0 Speed 20 ft. in banded mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft Melee longsword +5 (1d8+2/19-20) Base Atk +2; Grp +4 Atk Options Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack Combat Gear brute gauntlets, potion of cure light wounds Abilities Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 Feats CleaveB, Combat ReflexesB, Power AttackB, Stealthy Skills Bluff +1, Climb -3, Handle Animal -1 , Hide +1, Intimidate -1, Jump -9, Listen +2, Move Silently +0, Ride +1, Sense Motive +0, Spot +2, Swim -3 Possessions combat gear longsword, masterwork banded mail CULTIST SCOUT CR 2 Male human rogue 2 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Common, Elven AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +3 armor) hp 12 (2 HD) Resist evasion Fort +1, Ref +5, Will -1 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), Melee short sword +1 (1d6/19-20) and dagger +1 (1d4/19-20) Ranged dagger +3 (1d4) Base Atk +1; Grp +1 Atk Options sneak attack +1d6 Combat Gear pearl of brain lock Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14 SQ trapfinding Feats Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon FinesseB Skills Balance +4, Bluff +7, Climb +0, Decipher Script +6, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +2 (+4 to act in character), Gather Information +8, Hide +6, Intimidate +1, Jump +7, Knowledge (local – Core) +6, Listen +0, Move Silently +6, Search +1, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +1, Tumble +9, Use Magic Device +7 (+9 when using scrolls), Possessions combat gear plus dagger, masterwork studded leather, short sword 3: DOORS TO EVIL CULTIST GUARD CR 1 Female human scout* 1 *Complete Adventurer 10 NE Medium humanoid Init +3; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 16; uncanny dodge (+2 Dex, +4 armor) hp 9 (1 HD) Fort +1 Ref +4, Will +1 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee short sword +0 (1d6/19-20) or Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20) Base Atk +0; Grp +0 Atk Options Point Blank Shot; Rapid Reload Special Actions skirmish +1d6 Combat Gear jumping caltrops Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8 SQ battle fortitude +1, trapfinding, Feats Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload Skills Balance +5, Disable Device +4, Hide +6, Jump +6, Knowledge (geography) +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Listen +5, Move Silently +5, Search +6, Spot +5, Survival +4, Tumble +6, Possessions combat gear plus light crossbow, 20 light crossbow bolts, mithral chain shirt, short sword Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks she makes during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn. The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits such as plants, constructs plants etc. are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor, or when carrying a medium or heavy load. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 17 5: EVIL’S LAST RESORT ALVARICI THE WIZARD CR 2 Male human wizard 2 NE Medium humanoid (Schnai human) Init +2; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal, emapthic link AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+ 1 Dex, +4 cover) hp 11 (2 HD) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee dagger +0 (1d4-1/19-20) Base Atk +1; Grp +0 Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; +2 ranged touch): 1st—summon monster I (2)��, treacherous weapon (DC 13) 0—acid splash (2), caltrops, daze (DC 12) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st): 1/day—chill touch (DC 12), ray of frost, resistance �Already cast Abilities Str 8, Dex 13 , Con 14, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 12 SQ familiar, share spells Feats AlertnessB, Scribe ScrollB, Skill Focus (Concentration), Soul of the North Skills Concentration +10, Decipher Script +7, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Listen +0, Move Silently +2, Spot +2, Spellcraft +7 Possessions spell component pouch, spellbook, dagger Spellbook spells prepared plus 0—all PHB, caltrop; 1st—familiar pocket, ice dagger, lesser shivering touch, summon monster I, treacherous weapon BLOODFANG Male weasel NE tiny animal (weasel) Init +2; Senses Low-light vision, Listen +1, Scent, Spot +3 Languages empathic link AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) hp 5 (2 HD) Resist improved evasion Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4 Speed 20 ft (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee bite +5 (1d3-4) Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +1; Grp -11 Atk Options attach Abilities Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 5 SQ shared spells Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Balance +10, Climb +10, Concentration +5,Hide +11,Listen +1, Move Silently +8, Spot +3 Attach (Ex) If Bloodfang hits with a bite attack, it uses its powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deals bite damage each round it remains attached. An attached weasel loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an AC of 12. An attached weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached weasel through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature. Skills A weasel can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. 6B: PURSUING THE EVIL CULT CLERIC CR 2 Male fiendish gnoll cleric 1 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +2, Spot +3 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 natural) hp 15 (2 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +4 Speed 20 ft. in splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee mwk greatsword +2 (2d6+1/19-20 x2) or Ranged composite shortbow +1 (1d6+1/x3) Base Atk +1; Grp +2 Atk Options smite good 1/day (+1 damage) Special Actions spontaneous casting (inflict spells), rebuke undead 3/day (+0, 2d6+1, 1st) Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 1st): 1st—blessed aim, commandD (Will DC 13), entropic shield 0—guidance (3) D: Domain spell. Deity: Iuz. Domains: Chaos, Tyranny Abilities Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10 Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatsword) Skills Concentration +1, Knowledge (religion) +4, Hide -5, Listen +2, Move Silently -5, Spot +3 Possessions combat gear plus masterwork great sword, composite short bow (+1 Str), arrows (20), splint mail CULTIST GUARD CR 2 Male fiendish gnoll scout* 1 *Complete Adventurer 11 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +4, Spot +5 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +4 armor, +1 natural) hp 15 (2 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee battleaxe +4 (1d8+3/x3) or Ranged composite shortbow +3 (1d6+3/x3) Base Atk +1; Grp +4 Atk Options Point Blank Shot, skirmish +1d6, smite good 1/day (+1 damage) Abilities Str 17, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 6 SQ trapfinding Feats Point Blank Shot Skills Hide +7, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +5 CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 18 Possessions combat gear plus +1 studded leather armor, battle axe, composite shortbow (+3 Str), arrows (20) Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks he makes during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn, and applies only to living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach this spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If they gain the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 19 APL 4 1A: THEY WALK AMONG US CULTIST GUARD CR 3 Female human fighter 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4 Languages Common AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 shield) hp 28 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1 Speed 20 ft. in banded mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee mwk longsword +7 (1d8+2/19-20) Base Atk +3; Grp +5 Atk Options Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack Combat Gear brute gauntlets, potion of cure light wounds Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 Feats Alertness, CleaveB, Combat ReflexesB, Power AttackB, Stealthy Skills Bluff +1, Climb -3, Handle Animal -1 , Hide +1, Intimidate -1, Jump -9, Listen +4, Move Silently +1, Ride +1, Sense Motive +0, Spot +4, Swim -3 Possessions combat gear masterwork longsword, masterwork banded mail CULTIST SCOUT CR 3 Male human rogue 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Common, Elven AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13; +1 against traps (+0 size, +2 Dex, +3 armor) hp 17 (3 HD) Resist evasion Fort +2, Ref +5 (+6 against traps), Will +0 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee short sword +2 (1d6/19-20) and dagger +2 (1d4) Ranged dagger +4 (1d4/19-20) Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Atk Options sneak attack +2d6 Combat Gear pearl of brain lock Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14 SQ trapfinding Feats Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon FinesseB Skills Balance +4, Bluff +8, Climb +0, Decipher Script +7, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +2 (+4 to act in character), Gather Information +8, Hide +6, Intimidate +1, Jump +7, Knowledge (local – Core) +7, Listen +0, Move Silently +8, Search +1, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +1, Tumble +10, Use Magic Device +7 (+9 when using scrolls), Possessions combat gear plus dagger, masterwork studded leather, short sword 3: DOORS TO EVIL CULTIST GUARD CR 2 Female human scout* 2 *Complete Adventurer 10 NE Medium humanoid Init +3; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6 Languages Common AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 17; uncanny dodge, +1 skirmish (+2 Dex, +5 armor) hp 15 (2 HD) Fort +2 Ref +5, Will +1 Speed 40 ft. (8 squares) Melee short sword +1 (1d6/19-20) or Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20) or Ranged light crossbow +1/+1 (1d8/19-20) with Rapid Shot Base Atk +1; Grp +1 Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload, skirmish + 1d6 Combat Gear jumping caltrops Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8 SQ trackless step, trapfinding, Feats Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload, Rapid Shot Skills Balance +8, Disable Device +6, Hide +7, Jump +7, Knowledge (geography) +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Search +7, Spot +6, Survival +4 (+6 when tracking), Tumble +9 Possessions combat gear plus light crossbow, 20 light crossbow bolts, +1 mithral shirt, short sword Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks she makes during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every four levels gained above 1st. The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits such as plants, constructs plants etc. are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able tor each such a spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. At 3rd level a scout gains a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet. This bonus applies as soon as the scout has moved 10 feet, and lasts until the start of her next turn. This bonus improves by 1 for every four levels gained above 3rd. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor, or when carrying a medium or heavy load. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 20 Trackless Step (Ex) Beginning at 3rd level, a scout cannot be tracked in natural surroundings. See the druid class feature in the PHB. 4: LITTLE HOUSE OF EVIL HIDDEN GUARDIAN CR 3 Male advanced choker CE Medium aberration Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages Undercommon AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural) hp 41 (7 HD) Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee 2 tentacles +10 (1d6+5) Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Base Atk +5; Grp +10 Special Actions constrict, improved grab, quickness Abilities Str 20, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 7 Feats Improved InitiativeB, Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy, Improved Natural Attack Skills Climb +15, Hide +7, Listen +1, Move Silently +7, Spot +1 Constrict (Ex) A choker deals 1d3+3 points of damage with a successful grapple check against a Large or smaller creature. Because it seizes its victim by the neck, a creature in the choker’s grasp cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components. Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability a choker must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. Chokers receive a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics block. Quickness (Su) Although not particularly dexterous, a choker is supernaturally quick. It can take an extra standard action or move action during its turn each round. Skills A choker has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. 5: EVIL’S LAST RESORT ALVARICI THE WIZARD CR 2 Male human wizard 2 NE Medium humanoid (Schnai human) Init +2; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal, empathic link AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+ 1 Dex, +4 cover) hp 11 (2 HD) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee dagger +0 (1d4-1/19-20) Base Atk +1; Grp +0 Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 2nd, +2 ranged touch): 1st—summon monster I�� (2), treacherous weapon (DC 13) 0—acid splash (2), caltrops, daze (DC 12) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st): 1/day—chill touch (DC 12), ray of frost, resistance �Already cast Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 12 SQ familiar, share spells Feats AlertnessB, Scribe ScrollB, Skill Focus (Concentration), Soul of the North Skills Concentration +10, Decipher Script +7, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Listen +0, Move Silently +2, Spot +2, Spellcraft +7 Possessions spell component pouch, spellbook Spellbook spells prepared plus 0—all PHB, caltrops; 1st—familiar pocket, ice dagger, lesser shivering touch, summon monster I, treacherous weapon BLOODFANG – ALVARICI’S FAMILIAR Male weasel NE tiny animal (weasel) Init +2; Senses low-light vision, Listen +1, Scent, Spot +3 Languages empathic link AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) hp 5 (2 HD) Resist improved evasion Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4 Speed 20 ft (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee bite +5 (1d3-4) Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +1; Grp -11 Atk Options attach Abilities Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 5 SQ, shared spells Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Balance +10, Climb +10, Concentration +5, Hide +11, Knowledge Listen +1, Move Silently +8, Spot +3 Attach (Ex) If Bloodfang hits with a bite attack, it uses its powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deals bite damage each round it remains attached. An attached weasel loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an AC of 12. An attached weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached weasel through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature. Skills Bloodfang can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. 6B: PURSUIT OF EVIL CULT CLERIC CR 3 Male fiendish gnoll cleric 2 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +2, Spot +3 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 natural) CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 21 hp 21 (3 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +5 Speed 20 ft. in mwk splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee +1 greatsword +4 (2d6+2/19-20) Ranged composite shortbow +2 (1d6+1/x3) Base Atk +2; Grp +3 Atk Options Power Attack, smite good 1/day (+2 damage) Special Actions spontaneous casting (inflict spells), rebuke undead 3/day (+2, 2d6+3, 3rd) Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 3rd): 1st—blessed aim, commandD (Will DC 13), entropic shield, shield of faith 0—cure minor wounds, guidance (3) D: Domain spell. Deity: Iuz. Domains: Chaos, Tyranny Abilities Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 10 Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatsword), Power Attack Skills Concentration +2, Knowledge (religion) +6, Hide -4, Listen +2, Move Silently -4, Spot +3 Possessions combat gear plus +1 greatsword, composite short bow (+1 Str), arrows (20), masterwork splint mail CULTIST GUARD CR 3 Male fiendish gnoll scout* 2 *Complete Adventurer 11 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +7, Spot +8 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15; uncanny dodge (+2 Dex, +4 armor, +1 natural) hp 21 (3 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee battleaxe +5 (1d8+3/x3) Ranged composite shortbow +4 (1d6+3/x3) Base Atk +2; Grp +5 Atk Options Point Blank Shot, smite good 1/day (+2 damage), skirmish +1d6 Abilities Str 17, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 6 SQ battle fortitude, trapfinding Feats Point Blank Shot, Stealthy Skills Hide +10, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +8 Possessions +1 studded leather armor, battle axe, composite short bow (+3 Str), arrows (20), dagger Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks he makes during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn, and applies only to living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach this spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If they gain the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 22 APL 6 1A: THEY WALK AMONG US CULTIST GUARD CR 3 Female human fighter 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Listen +4, Spot +4 Languages Common AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 shield) hp 28 (3 HD) Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1 Speed 20 ft. in banded mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee mwk longsword +7 (1d8+2/19-20) Base Atk +3; Grp +5 Atk Options Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack Combat Gear brute gauntlets, potion of cure light wounds Abilities Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 Feats Alertness , CleaveB , Combat ReflexesB , Power AttackB , Stealthy Skills Bluff +1, Climb -3, Handle Animal -1 , Hide +1, Intimidate -1, Jump -9, Listen +4, Move Silently +1, Ride +1, Sense Motive +0, Spot +4, Swim -3 Possessions combat gear masterwork longsword, masterwork banded mail CULTIST SCOUT CR 3 Male human rogue 3 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages Common, Elven AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13; +1 against traps (+2 Dex, +3 armor) hp 17 (3 HD) Resist evasion Fort +2, Ref +5 (+6 against traps), Will +0 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), Melee short sword +2 (1d6/19-20) and dagger +2 (1d4/19-20) Ranged dagger +4 (1d4) Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Atk Options sneak attack +2d6 Combat Gear pearl of brain lock (1) Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14 SQ trapfinding Feats Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon FinesseB Skills Balance +4, Bluff +8, Climb +0, Decipher Script +7, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +2 (+4 to act in character), Gather Information +8, Hide +6, Intimidate +1, Jump +7, Knowledge (local – Core) +7, Listen +0, Move Silently +8, Search +1, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +1, Tumble +10, Use Magic Device +7 (+9 when using scrolls), Possessions combat gear plus dagger, masterwork studded leather, short sword 3: DOORS TO EVIL CULTIST GUARD CR 2 Female human scout* 3 *Complete Adventurer 10 NE Medium humanoid Init +3; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6 Languages Common AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 17; uncanny dodge (+2 Dex, +5 armor) hp 21 (3 HD) Fort +3 Ref +5, Will +2 Speed 40 ft. (8 squares); trackless step Melee short sword +2 (1d6/19-20) Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/19-20) or Ranged light crossbow +2/+2 (1d8/19-20) with Rapid Shot Base Atk +2; Grp +2 Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload, skirmish +1d6 Combat Gear jumping caltrops Abilities Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8 SQ battle fortitude +1, fast movement, trapfinding, Feats Point Blank Shot, Rapid Reload, Rapid Shot Skills Balance +8, Disable Device +5, Hide +8, Jump +8, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +7, Move Silently +8, Search +8, Spot +7, Survival +4 (+6 when tracking), Tumble +10 Possessions combat gear plus light crossbow, 20 light crossbow bolts, +1 mithral chain shirt, short sword Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks she makes during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every four levels gained above 1st. The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits such as plants, constructs plants etc. are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able tor each such a spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. At 3rd level a scout gains a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class during any round in which she moves at least 10 feet. This bonus applies as soon as the scout has moved 10 feet, and lasts until the start of her next turn. This bonus improves by 1 for every four levels gained above 3rd. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor, or when carrying a medium or heavy load. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 23 4: LITTLE HOUSE OF EVIL HIDDEN GUARDIAN CR 4 Male advanced choker CE Medium aberration (extra-planar) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages Undercommon AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural) hp 49 (8 HD); DR 5/magic Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 12 Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), base speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee 2 tentacles +11 (1d6+5) Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Base Atk +6; Grp +11 Atk Options poison, quickness, smite good 1/day (+ 8 damage) Special Actions constrict, improved grab Abilities Str 20, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 7 Feats Improved InitiativeB , Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy, Improved Natural Attack Skills Climb +15, Hide +8, Listen +1, Move Silently +7, Spot +1 Constrict (Ex) A choker deals 1d3+3 points of damage with a successful grapple check against a Large or smaller creature. Because it seizes its victim by the neck, a creature in the choker’s grasp cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components. Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability a choker must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a tentacle attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict. Chokers receive a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks, which is already included in the statistics block. Quickness (Su) Although not particularly dexterous, a choker is supernaturally quick. It can take an extra standard action or move action during its turn each round. Skills A choker has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. 5: EVIL’S LAST RESORT ALVARICI THE WIZARD CR 3 Male human wizard 3 NE Medium humanoid (Schnai human) Init +6; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal, empathic link AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+ 1 Dex, +4 armor) hp 16 (3 HD) Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3 Speed 30 ft (6 squares) Melee dagger +0 (1d4-1/19-20) Base Atk +1; Grp +0 Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; +2 ranged touch): 2nd— summon monster II, snowball storm 1st—mage armor�, summon monster I��, treacherous weapon (DC 13) 0—acid splash (2), caltrops, daze (DC 12) Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st): 1/day—chill touch (DC 12), ray of frost, resistance �Already cast Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 12 SQ familiar, share personal spells Feats AlertnessB, Improved Initiative, Scribe ScrollB, Skill Focus (Concentration), Soul of the North Skills Concentration +10, Decipher Script +7, Hide +2, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Listen +0, Move Silently +2, Spot +2, Spellcraft +7 Possessions combat gear plus spell component pouch, spellbook Spellbook spells prepared plus 0—all PHB, caltrop; 1st—familiar pocket, ice dagger, lesser shivering touch, mage armor, summon monster I, treacherous weapon, 2nd—belker claws, snowball storm, summon monster II BLOODFANG – ALVARICI’S FAMILIAR Male weasel NE tiny animal (weasel) Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +1, Spot +3 Languages empathic link AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural) hp 8 (1/2 [3] HD) Resist improved evasion Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4 Speed 20 ft (4 squares), climb 20 ft. Melee bite +5 (1d3-4) Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Base Atk +1; Grp -11 Atk Options attach, deliver touch spells Abilities Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 5 SQ share spells Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Balance +10, Climb +10, Concentration +5, Listen +1, Move Silently +8, Spot +3 Attach (Ex) If Bloodfang hits with a bite attack, it uses its powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deals bite damage each round it remains attached. An attached weasel loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an AC of 12. An attached weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached weasel through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature. Skills Weasels have a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks. A weasel can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. CGR8-01:3 They Walk Among Us Page 24 FIENDISH MONSTROUS CENTIPEDE NE Large magical beast (extraplanar centipede) Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +0, Scent, Spot +6 Languages - AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural) hp 13 (3 HD) Immune mind-affecting effects Resist cold 5, fire 5 Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +1 Speed 40 ft (8 squares), climb 40 ft. Melee bite +3 (1d8+1 poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Base Atk +2; Grp +7 Atk Options poison, smite good 1/day (+ 3 damage) Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 2 SQ vermin traits Feats Weapon FinesseB Skills Climb +12, Hide +8, Listen +0, Move Silently +2, Spot +6 Poison (Ex) If a large centipede hits with a bite attack, it administers a poison (Fort DC 11; 1d4 Dex/1d4 Dex) Skills Monstrous centipedes can take 10 on Climb checks, even if threatened or distracted. 6B: PURSUIT OF EVIL CULT CLERIC CR 5 Male fiendish gnoll cleric 4 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +2, Spot +3 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +6 armor, +1 natural) hp 33 (5 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +8, Ref +2, Will +6 Speed 20 ft. in mwk splint mail (4 squares), base speed 30 ft. Melee +1 greatsword +6 (2d6+2/19-20 x2) Ranged composite shortbow +4 (1d6+1/x3) Base Atk +4; Grp +5 Atk Options Power Attack, smite good 1/day (+ 4 damage) Special Actions spontaneous casting (inflict spells), rebuke undead 3/day (+2, 2d6+4, 4th) Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 4th): 2nd— close wounds, deific vengeance (DC 15), divine protection, enthrallD (DC 15), 1st—blessed aim, commandD (DC 14), entropic shield, shield of faith 0—cure minor wounds, guidance (3) D: Domain spell. Deity: Iuz. Domains: Chaos, Tyranny Abilities Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 10 Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (greatsword), Power Attack Skills Concentration +3, Knowledge (religion) +8, Hide -4, Listen +2, Move Silently -4, Spot +3 Possessions combat gear plus +1 greatsword, composite short bow (+1 Str), arrows (20), masterwork splint mail CULTIST GUARD CR 5 Male fiendish gnoll scout* 4 *Complete Adventurer 11 CE Medium humanoid (extraplanar, gnoll) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +7, Spot +8 Languages Common, Gnoll AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15; uncanny dodge (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +1 natural) hp 21 (3 HD) Resist cold 5, fire 5; SR 7 Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee battleaxe +7 (1d8+3/x3) Ranged composite shortbow +7 (1d6+3/x3) or Ranged composite shortbow +5/+5 (1d6+3/x3) with Rapid Shot Base Atk 4; Grp +5 Atk Options Point Blank Shot, skirmish +1d6, smite good 1/day (+ 4 damage) Abilities Str 17, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 6 SQ battle fortitude, trapfinding Feats Point Blank Shot, Rapid ShotB, Stealthy Skills Hide +10, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Spot +8 Possessions combat gear plus +1 studded leather armor, battle axe, composite short bow (+3 Str), arrows (20), dagger Skirmish (Ex) A scout deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks he makes during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet away from where she was at the start of her turn. The extra damage applies only to attacks made after the scout has moved at least 10 feet. The skirmish ability cannot be used when mounted. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the scout’s turn, and applies only to living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The scout must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach this spot. Scouts can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet. A scout loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If they gain the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack. CGR8-01:4 They Walk Among Us Page 25 DM MAP 1: A note on the maps. Where a circle shows a number, it indicates the APL at which the figure appears. If the number is lower than the APL, then it appears. For example a circle with ‘4’ appears at both APLs 4 and 6, but not at APL 2, while a circle with a ‘6’ appears at only APL 6. Encounter 1A: They Walk Among Us Cultist Scout Cultist Guard Cultist Scout Cultist Guard PCs enter here 4 4 6 6 Encounter 1B: Death’s Trap A Aranean Cultist Guard Cultist HQ Encounter 3: Doors to Evil Dark Hallway C C Encounter 4: Little House of Evil PCs enter here Dark Hallway Encounter 5: Evil’s Last Defense Dark Hallway PCs enter here Al l Rl R APL 6 Centip- ede Buildings Buildings PCs start here with Alvarici PCs enter here A Araneans start A Encounter 6A: Helping Out the Evil CGR8-01:4 They Walk Among Us Page 26 Encounter 6B: In Pursuit of Evil 2 6 4 2 Cultist Cleric Cultist Guard Lydian Priestess Wizard Clearing Undergrowth and trees Tree PCs approach from here CGR8-01:4 They Walk Among Us Page 27 AFFILIATION BRIEFING SHEETS GUILD OF WIZARDRY Mission: “We’re missing a wizard.” Well, at least the Chancellor of Transmutation has the grace to look embarrassed by this statement. “Er… what I mean to say is that one of our more promising students has vanished – and I don’t mean via invisibility, teleportation, or a spell gone horribly wrong; he was one of our more promising students. Name of Samael. He was on an errand for me, and happened to detour past the courthouse the other day. Typical enchanter, has a girl there he was seeing. Unusually, though, I think that was the only girl he was seeing…” He pauses to ponder this a moment before continuing. “Well, there have been all sorts of rumors flying about the place about giant vermin being seen on the street – nothing to do with us,” he hastens to add. “And then there are tales of another cult coming to power. We’ve reason to believe shapeshifters are involved – can’t work out what type; the augury was a bit vague. Anyway, we noticed that you’re the adventuring type and we thought you could quietly look into it. Try to get young Samael back in time for his exams, and maybe find out who’s responsible for the giant vermin, since we’re getting complaints… and possibly look into that rumor of a cult, while you’re at it. Rumors: Cultists and servants of Nerull are taking wizards and using their arcane life forces to power terrible spells. Some say they are trying to open a gateway to the Abyss! MERCHANTS’ AND TRADERS’ UNION Mission: Find out who is behind the plague of strange creatures and disappearances affecting the City. It’s bad for trade. Rumors: Oversized vermin have joined the ranks of Pomarj dissidents trying to undermine the peace treaty. We’re all ruined! MERCENARIES’ GUILD Mission: Beasts that do not belong in cities walk the streets of Greyhawk. We hire out to kill such creatures in other lands and cannot tolerate them in our own. You are to find those responsible and ensure that the creatures are removed from the city border. It would also be good for the guild’s reputation if our members were to be involved in discovering what is behind the recent disappearances of city folk. Rumors: Another cult has taken refuge in the city and is trying to make the Gem of the Flanaess its home. CARTOGRAPHERS’ GUILD Mission: Become more familiar with the city. Compare known maps with their physical locations. Map the interior of any ‘typical’ buildings and establishments you have access to, but don’t be obvious about it, and don’t annoy building owners (or make them suspicious of the guild’s motives – we don’t want to be accused of planning any heists.) Rumors: There are secret connections to the city sewers… and the guild has placed a bounty on their discovery. THIEVES’ GUILD Mission: Cults are bad for business – as are rival organizations. The strange creatures in the city and the recent disappearances indicate that one or the other has moved into our territory. Find out which it is, and ensure their members talk to us – or work against it as best you can. Rumors: Monsters are snatching those who walk the streets alone … night or day! NIGHTWATCHMEN Mission: “We’d like a bit of help with an investigation into a couple of missing persons: one Allara Guinvay, a priestess of Lydia, and a Samael Mortvot, an enchanter who’s currently attending a course on transmutation at the University of Magic. It seems a group of shapeshifters – and I don’t mean wererats, has been implicated in their disappearances. We think it’s someone else. The shifters we’re thinking of are a group of women who came to the city late last year. They’re a peaceful enough gathering who follow St. Cuthbert and it seems they’ve got a fight of their own going on with a cult to one of the more troublesome gods. They won’t go into details, but they’re not causing any trouble, and they’ve been reporting back to us on what they find, so we don’t have a problem with them. After all, while we don’t hold with vigilantism, we can do with all the help we can get keeping the cults and thieves under control, especially if the group isn’t taking the law into their own hands. We’d like you to find out who’s really taken the Lydian and the wizard, and find out what’s happened to the pair. Rumors: There are evil shapeshifters setting up base in the city. CGR8-01:4 They Walk Among Us Page 28 RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS Mission: We suspect that followers of one or the other of the evil deities has set up shop in Greyhawk. Find out if this is true, and see if there is any connection between the rumor of growing cult activity and the recent disappearances and appearance of wild animals in the city precinct. We also need you to try to uncover some leads in the disappearance of Allara Guinvay, a cleric of Lydia; the Watch seems to be stumped. Rumors: Cultists are working against the good-aligned temples of the City of Greyhawk – and there are shapeshifters among them. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 4 APPENDIX 2: NEW RULES ITEMS FEATS Cloak of the Obyrith [Abyssal Heritor] The chaos of the Abyss suffuses your being, as it does the ancient obyriths. Prerequisites: Chaotic alignment. Benefit: You gain damage reduction1/lawful. The amount of damage reduction increases by 1 for each additional Abyssal heritor feat you possess. Special: You are careless when it comes to your own fundamental well-being and take a -2 penalty on Survival checks. Source: Fiendish Codex I 85 Eyes of the Abyss [Abyssal Heritor] Your eyes glow with an inner fire of some unusual color. This glow increases your perception and allows you to see in the dark. Prerequisite: Any one other Abyssal heritor feat. Benefit: You gain darkvision out to a range of 30 feet and a bonus on Search and Spot checks. The amount of this bonus equals the number of Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Special: Your glowing eyes are disconcerting and distracting to those with whom you interact. This effect manifests as a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks. Source: Fiendish Codex I 86 Demonic Skin [Abyssal Heritor] Your skin has rough, scaly patches that enhance your natural armor. Benefit: Your natural armor bonus improves by 1. This improvement increases by 1 for every two Abyssal heritor feats you possess. If you do not have natural armor, assume your natural armor bonus is +0. Special: Your thickened skin tends to catch on objects and makes you less flexible. Because of these effects, you take a -2 penalty on Escape Artist checks. Source: Fiendish Codex I 85 Soul of the North You possess a magical understanding of the nature of cold. Benefit: An innate talent for magic grants you the following spell-like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day— chill touch, ray of frost, resistance. Save DC 10 + spell level + your Cha modifier. Source: Complete Arcane, p.83 MAGIC ITEMS Brute Gauntlets Price (Item Level): 500 gp (3rd) Body Slot: Hands Caster Level: 3rd Aura: Faint; (DC 16) transmutation Activation: Swift (command) Weight: — This pair of heavy black leather gauntlets is set with metal studs. Brute gauntlets allow you to temporarily increase your physical might. These gauntlets have 3 charges, which are renewed each day at dawn. Spending 1 or more charges grants you a morale bonus on Strength checks, Strength- based skill checks, and melee weapon damage for 1 round. 1 charge: +2 morale bonus. 2 charges: +3 morale bonus. 3 charges: +4 morale bonus. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, bull’s strength. Cost to Create: 250 gp, 20 XP, 1 day. Source: Magic Item Compendium, p. 83 Jumping Caltrops Price (Item Level): 250 gp (2nd) Body Slot: — (held) Caster Level: 11th Aura: Moderate; (DC 20) transmutation Activation: Standard (command) Weight: 2 lb. This leather bag periodically twitches and jerks, as though it holds something alive.. Jumping caltrops function just like normal ones, except that each round at the start of your turn, if no targets are in their square, they move 5 feet towards the nearest enemy (chosen randomly if more than one is equidistant). Upon entering an occupied square, the jumping caltrops “attack” that creature as normal for caltrops. They remain capable of movement for 5 rounds after being activated, then function like normal caltrops until dawn the next day. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animate items.. Cost to Create: 125 gp, 10 XP, 1 day. Source: Magic Item Compendium, p. 162 Pearl of Brain lock Price (Item Level): 900 gp (4th) Body Slot: — (held) Caster Level: 3rd Aura: Faint; (DC 16) enchantment Activation: Standard (thrown) Weight: — This tiny pearl is engraved with the draconic symbol for the mind.. You can hurl a pearl of brain lock as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. If the target fails a DC 13 Will saving throw, the pearl seems to impact and then enter the flesh of the creature, dazing it for 3 rounds. This is a mind-affecting ability. A flying creature affected by a pearl of brain lock is allowed to descend to the nearest safe, level area rather than be dazed, while a swimmer incapable of breathing water is allowed to head directly for the surface. In either case, the creature is dazed for the remaining duration once it has reached safety. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 5 Once activated, a pearl is expended and cannot be used again. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, daze monster or brain lock (EPH 81). Cost to Create: 450 gp, 36 XP, 1 day. Source: Magic Item Compendium, p. 167-168 SPELLS Belker Claws Transmutation [Air] Level:Sorcerer/wizard 2 Components: V,S, M Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Living creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes You uncork the vial and speak the old words. The smoke issues from the bottle and wraps itself around your hand, turning it into smoke as well. With a successful touch attack, you deal 2d12 points of damage. For every three caster levels, the smoke lasts for another round (to a maximum of 4 additional rounds at 12th level), dealing another 2d12 points of damage per round. Material Component: A small vial of smoke. Source: Spell Compendium 26-27 Blessed Aim Divination Level: Blackguard 1, cleric 1, paladin 1 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: 50 ft. Effect: 50-ft.-radius spread centered on you Duration: 1 minute/level Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: No With the blessing of your deity you bolster your allies’ aim with an exhortation This spell grants your allies within the spread a +2 morale bonus on ranged attack rolls. Source: Spell Compendium 31 Caltrops Conjuration [Creation] Level:Sorcerer/wizard 0 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Area: see text Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You speak the words and spread your palm open, as if you were throwing jacks. Copper sparks spring from your palm, filling the corridor with small, four-pronged spikes. A caltrops spell covers one 5-foot-by-5-foot square with caltrops. Every time a creature moves into an area covered by caltrops or spends a round fighting while standing in such an area, it might step on one. The caltrops make one attack roll (+0 melee) against the creature. For this attack, the target’s shield and deflection bonuses do not count, nor does its armor bonus for armor worn. A target wearing shoes or other footwear gains a +2 armor bonus to Armor Class (which does count). If the caltrops succeed on the attack, the creature has stepped on one. A successful attack by a caltrop deals 1 point of damage. If the target is Small, Medium, or Large, its land speed is reduced by one-half because of the injury. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical healing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a caltrop. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble. The DM judges the effectiveness of caltrops against unusual opponents or opponents outside the size range given above. A giant centipede, for example, can scramble among the caltrops with no chance of hurting itself, and a fire giant wearing thick, massive boots might be immune to their attacks. For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you can affect an additional 5-foot-by-5-foot square, and the caltrops’ attack bonus increases by 1. Thus, you affect two squares at 3rd level (+1 melee), three at 5th level (+2 melee) and so on. Multiple caltrops spells (or mundane caltrops) occupying the same space have no additional effect. Source: Spell Compendium 42-43 Close Wounds Conjuration [Healing] Level: Cleric 2 Components: V Casting time: 1 immediate action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); see text Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) Your ally falls from a crushing blow, but you don’t have time to reach him. You quickly speak words of power, and the worst of his injuries glow golden and begin to heal. This spell cures 1d4 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +5). If you cast this spell immediately after the subject takes damage, it effectively prevents the damage. It would keep alive someone who had just dropped to -10 hit points, for example, leaving the character at negative hit points but stable. Used against an undead creature, close wounds deals damage instead of curing the creature (which takes half damage if it makes a Will saving throw). Source: Spell Compendium48 CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 6 Clutch of Orcus Necromancy [Evil] Level: Cleric 3 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Target: One humanoid Duration: Concentration Saving Throw: Fortitude negates Spell Resistance: Yes Magical force grips the subject’s heart (or similar vital organ) and begins crushing it. The victim reacts as if having a heart attack (it is paralyzed) and takes 1d3 points of damage per round. Concentration is required to maintain the spell each round. A conscious victim gains a new saving throw each round to end the spell. If the victim dies as a result of this spell, its smoking heart appears in the caster’s hand. Source: Libris Mortis 63 Darkfire Evocation [Fire] Level: Cleric 3 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: 0 ft. Effect: Flame in your palm Duration: 1 round/level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes Your hand feels warm cupping the eldritch flames. You cannot see the fire in the shadows, but you know it is there, as will those who will soon feel the hungry flames. Dark flames appear in your hand. You can hurl them or use them to touch enemies. The flames appear in your open hand and harm neither you nor your equipment. They emit no light but produce the same amount of heat as an actual fire. Beginning the following round, you can strike opponents with a melee touch attack, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d6). Alternatively, you can hurl the flames up to 1020 feet as a thrown weapon. When doing so, you make a ranged touch attack (with no range penalty) and deal the same damage as with the melee attack. No sooner to you hurl the flames than a new set appears in your hand. The darkfire is invisible to normal vision but can be seen with darkvision as easily as normal flame can be seen in darkness (this means that darkfire can be used as a signal or beacon for creatures with darkvision). This spell does not function underwater. Source: Spell Compendium 59 Deific Vengeance Conjuration (Summoning) Level: Cleric 2, Purification 2 Components: V, S, DF Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: One creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will half Spell Resistance: Yes You call out to your deity, declaring your foe’s crimes and asking your deity to punish him. This spell deals 1d6 points of damage peer two caster levels (maximum 5d6), or 1d6 per caster level (maximum 10d6) if the target is undead. Source: Spell Compendium, 62 Demon Wings Transmutation [Evil] Level: Blackguard 3, Demonic 3 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 minutes/level (D) You raise your arms dramatically, whisper the name “Pasuza” twice, and watch as demonic wings sprout from your back. Wings sprout from your back, allowing you to fly at your normal land speed with average maneuverability. You can carry weight while flying according to your normal carrying capacity, and greater burdens affect your fly speed as they would your land speed. Source: Fiendish Codex I 92 Divine Protection Enchantment [Compulsion] Level: Cleric 2, paladin 2 Components: V, S, DF Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: Will half (harmless); see text Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) Giving up some of your life force to win the battle, you empower your next blow against your foe. Your first attack each round for the duration of the spell deals an extra 5d6 points of damage if it hits, and you take 10 points of damage each time you make such an attack, whether or not the attack is successful. Source: Spell Compendium 70 Familiar Pocket Universal Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1 Components: V, S, M Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: One container or garment with a pocket touched Duration: 1 hour/level (D) Saving Throw: None CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 7 Spell Resistance: No You move your hand along the mouth of the pocket intended for your familiar, and a line of glowing white energy follows in its wake. The glow fades, and the space seems strangely larger inside than a normal pocket. When you cast this spell, a garment or container becomes a safe haven for a Tiny or smaller familiar. The spell turns the target pocket into a comfortable extradimensional space (about 1 cubic foot). The familiar can fit inside the space without crating ay noticeable bulge in the item. Whenever the familiar is touching you, you can whisk it inside the space as a free action by speaking a command word chosen by you when the spell is cast. If the familiar can speak, it can command itself inside. As a free action, you can call the familiar forth or it can leave the space on its own. Once inside, the familiar has total cover and total concealment, and as a free action, you or the familiar can further seal the space to make it air-tight and waterproof. The air supply inside the sealed space lasts for 1 hour, but with the pocket unsealed, the familiar can remain inside indefinitely. The familiar cannot attack or cast spells from within the space, but can use supernatural or spell-like abilities as normal (provided they don’t require line of sight, which the pocket blocks). You can continue to gain the special ability granted by your familiar. While inside the pocket, the familiar continues to benefit from the share spells ability as if it were adjacent to you. The spell ends if the familiar pocket is placed within or taken into another extradimensional space (such as a portable hole). If your familiar is within the pocket when the spell duration expires or if the spell ends abnormally (as above), the familiar appears in your space, unharmed. Material component: A tiny golden needle and a strip of fine cloth given a half twist and fastened at the ends. Source: Spell Compendium 88 Ice Dagger Evocation [cold] Level: Sorcerer/wizard 1 Components: V, S, M Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Effect: Dagger of ice Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes The melted ice cupped in your palm crystallizes into a daggerlike shard of ice that then flies at your foe, exploding into a ball of icy fragments at its feet. The ice dagger created by this spell launches itself at a target. Treat the attack as a thrown splash weapon (PH 158) that requires a ranged touch attack to hit. The ice dagger deals 1d4 points of cold damage to the target per caster level (maximum 5d4), and splash damage of 1 point of cold damage to adjacent creatures. Material component: A few drops of water made from melted ice. Source: Spell Compendium 118 Shivering Touch, Lesser Necromancy [Cold] Level: Cleric 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 Components: V, S Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Creature touched Duration: 1 round/level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes Your successful melee touch attack delivers a bitter chill to the target, causing it to shiver uncontrollably for the duration of the spell. Shivering characters take 1d6 points of Dexterity damage. Creatures with the cold subtype are immunt to the effects of lesser shivering touch. Source: Frostburn 104 Snowball Swarm Evocation [cold] Level: Sorcerer/wizard 2 Components: V, S, M Casting time: 1 standard action Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Area: 10-ft.-radius burst Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Reflex half Spell Resistance: Yes As you cast this spell, those around yousense an unnatural chill. This vanishes, though, as you release a burst of frost-filled power in the midst of your foes. A flurry of magic snowballs erupts from a point you select. The swarm of snowballs deals 2d6 points of cold damage to creatures and objects within the burst. For every two caster levels beyond 3rd, the snowballs deal an extra 1d6 points of damage, to a maximum of 5d6 at 9th level or higher. Material component: A piece of ice, or a small, white rock chip. Source: Spell Compendium 194 Treacherous Weapon Transmutation Level:Bard 1, hexblade 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 Components: V,S Casting time: 1 immediate action; see text Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: One creature Duration: 1 round Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes You make a gesture accompanied by a sharp arcane command, and your foe’s weapon gives off a momentary shower of sparks You can cast this spell on any creature wielding a manufactured weapon. If the target fails its saving throw, the weapon takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls. For every two caster levels beyond 1st, this penalty worsens by 1. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 8 When this spell is cast on a creature wielding a magic weapon, subtract the weapon’s enhancement bonus from the penalty. For example, a 1st-level caster would reduce a +1 longsword to a +0 longsword If you extend the spell’s casting time to one standard action, the enhancement penalties double. Source: Exemplars of Evil 29 DOMAINS Tyranny Granted Power: Add +1 to the save DC of any enchantment (compulsion) spell you cast. Tyranny Domain Spells 1 Command: One subject obeys selected command for 1 round 2 Enthrall: Captivates all within 100 ft. + 10 ft./level 3 Discern Lies: Reveals deliberate falsehoods. 4 Fear: Subjects within cone flee for 1 round/level. 5 Command, Greater: As command, but affects one subject/level. 6 Geas/Quest: As lesser geas, plus it affects any creature. 7 Bigby’s Grasping Hand: Hand provides cover, pushes, or grapples. 8 Charm Monster, Mass: As charm monster, but all within 30 ft. 9 Dominate Monster: As dominate person, but any creature. Source: Spell Compendium 281 CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 9 DM MAP 1: THE FREE CITY AND THE RUINS DM MAP 2: THE RUINS CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 10 AFFILIATION BRIEFING SHEETS GUILD OF WIZARDRY Mission: Somewhere in the dungeon, two barriers of magical energy prohibit access to a network of tunnels and passages thought to provide access to deeper levels of the dungeon. Disable these barriers as beyond (on a deeper level) is thought to lie a small network of caverns dedicated to Zagyg himself. Rumors: A decade ago or so the upper levels below the War Tower were the scene of bitter fighting between devotees of Vaprak and Nerull. The two sides basically annihilated each other or fell to the depredations of monsters creeping forth from the lower levels. Much treasure is thought to still lie unclaimed among the dust and the bones of that long ago conflict. Some of the treasure – perhaps books, scrolls, and spell - was once owned by the mighty Zagig himself! MERCHANTS’ AND TRADERS’ UNION Mission: While many of the bandits plaguing the area around the city have been slain or driven off, attacks still continue. They must have a secret base from which they strike and in which they keep their treasures. Finding such a lair would be a great boon to the merchants of the city and allow the reclamation of much stolen property. It is possible that the bandits are operating from a lair deeper in the dungeons. Even eliminating portions of the dungeons from the search is useful and valuable. Rumors: A decade ago or so the upper levels below the War Tower were the scene of bitter fighting between devotees of Vaprak and Nerull. The two sides basically annihilated each other or fell to the depredations of monsters creeping forth from the lower levels. Much treasure is thought to still lie unclaimed among the dust and the bones of that long ago conflict. Some of the treasure – perhaps books, scrolls, and spell - was once owned by the mighty Zagig himself! MERCENARIES’ GUILD Mission: bandit attacks still plague the locality and many of our members have been killed defending their caravans. Returning the stolen trade goods would go some way to restoring the guild’s image as a purveyor of skilled and dependable guards. If such cannot be found, the destruction of as many lurking evils in the dungeons below the castle will also bring honor to the guild. Rumors: A decade ago or so the upper levels below the War Tower were the scene of bitter fighting between devotees of Vaprak and Nerull. The two sides basically annihilated each other or fell to the depredations of monsters creeping forth from the lower levels. Much treasure is thought to still lie unclaimed among the dust and the bones of that long ago conflict. CARTOGRAPHERS’ GUILD Mission: An earthquake shook the dungeons below the castle many years ago. Updated maps showing the damage and any new passages (or blockages) would be very useful. It is possible that the earthquake may have opened up previously unknown chambers or utterly destroyed portions of known dungeon. The earthquake may also have opened up new links between dungeon levels – knowledge of such passages would be extremely valuable. Rumors: Maps have recently been stolen from the guild’s archives. The stolen maps all relate to the dungeons below Castle Greyhawk. While the guild is thought to have copies in a heavily guarded and secret vault, the motivation behind the theft remains unknown. THIEVES’ GUILD Mission: While many of the bandits plaguing the area around the city have been slain or driven off, attacks still continue. They must have a secret base from which they strike and in which they keep their treasures. Given that the trade goods and other items in question have already been lost, there is no reason why they should be returned to their original owners…Even if such cannot be found much treasure undoubtedly still lies forgotten below the castle. A young thief could make his fortune and name by recovering such. Rumors: Much treasure stills lies unclaimed in the chambers and passages below Castle Greyhawk. Several members of the guild have been lost there over the years; word of any of their fates would be gratefully received by their families. NIGHTWATCHMEN Mission: Strange cults are ten a penny in the free city, but a recent upsurge in activity is of concern to the guild. Try to ascertain if any of these new cults have links to Castle Greyhawk’s ruins. CGR8-01 Crypts of the Forgotten Page 11 Rumors: Dark forces – cults dedicated to sinister gods – once again move through the streets of the free city. They must be stopped for surely they seek to harm the city and its inhabitants. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS Mission: The goat headed sigil of Orcus has been spied in the depths of the dungeons. Such a sinister power must not be allowed to establish a hold so close to the Free City. Destroy any who worship such a power and discover what – if any – schemes that have enacted. Rumors: Dwarves are said to have once claimed parts of the third dungeon level. What happened to them, or if any of them still haunt the lightless passages of the dungeon, is unknown.

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Adaptables/Castle Greyhawk/CGR8-01 - Crypts of the Forgotten (APL 2-6)/CGR8-01 - Parts 1-3 Crypts of the Forgotten.pdf

1 House of harpies A short adventure for four 6th-level player characters CREDITS Design: Owen K.C. Stephens Editing: Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti Typesetting: Sue Weinlein Cook Web Production: Julia Martin Web Development: Mark A. Jindra Graphic Design: Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison. D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,DRAGON, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinc- tive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. ©2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. INTRODUCTION The local thieves’ guild survives by hiding outside of town, in the nearby forest. Since the thieves confine their predatory efforts to within the city, local druids and rangers have no reason to look for them, and the town guard concentrates its efforts within the town’s walls. Over the past several decades, the guild managed to build a well-concealed hideout in one of the large evergreen trees near the town. This allows the thieves to plan and plot in safety, gives them a place to rest and hide if things get too hot, and lets them check caravans coming into the city for likely targets. Unfortunately for the guild, their ideal hideout attracted a flight of harpies that moved into the area. The harpies like the hideout for many of the same rea- sons the thieves do, and have driven the thieves out and taken up residence. The thieves managed to escape with most of their secret documents and important possessions, but now lack a good, secure base of opera- tions. The leader of the harpies, a particularly nasty creature named Irith, hopes to use the treehouse base as a headquarters from which she will expand her flight, becoming a force in the area with which to be reckoned. PREPARATION You, the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of the Player’s Handbook, the DUNGEON MASTER’S Guide, and the Monster Manual to use this adventure. Text that appears in shaded boxes is player informa- tion, which you may read aloud or paraphrase when appropriate. Unshaded boxes contain important infor- mation for you, including special instructions. Monster and NPC statistics are provided with each encounter in full. This adventure uses one of the elven tree base maps from the January Map a Week feature on the D&D website. It is is available for download at <http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek /Jan_56b4EF89r.jpg>. The map is reprinted here for your convenience. CHARACTER HOOKS This adventure can be inserted in any wilderness set- ting or just outside any city. It provides a good side trek to get groups out of the dungeons and more involved in outdoor and possibly urban adventures. It could take place as part of a larger adventure centered on the 2 nearby town, or could be used as a standalone encounter with Irith and her flight. Although the tree- house is set in an evergreen, it could easily be moved to a large tree appropriate in any climate, allowing the adventure to be set nearly anywhere. You can use one of the character hooks below to get the characters inter- ested in the area around the treehouse. • A flying bat-creature of some sort, possibly a mon- strous bard, has been seen and heard in the area. It seems to be able to mesmerize people with the sound of its voice. A few caravans have disappeared entirely, and a local collection of merchants are willing to pay 1000 gp to whoever can get rid of the creature. • A group of griffins are believed to have moved into the local forest. Numerous entrepreneurs have begun searching large trees for griffin nests, hop- ing to find eggs to sell. • The thieves need to reclaim their base without attracting any official attention. A member of the party with underworld contacts is asked to accept the job of clearing out the nest without any of the local guards becoming aware of their efforts. • Rumor claims that the songs heard in the forest are from an ancient magic harp, lost in the area hun- dreds of years ago. TREE FEATURES Most likely at some point characters are going to end up climbing up or down the trunk of the tree or moving along some of its branches. The tree’s trunk is a DC 15 to climb. A character can move along a tree limb with a Climb check (DC 15) or Balance check (DC 10 within 10 ft. of the trunk, DC 20 further out). The thieves intentionally kept the interior of the treehouse rough so it can be climbed. The walls are DC 15 to climb, and the ceiling DC 20. The ladder linking the treehouse’s levels is a DC 5 to climb. Remember that a climbing character or balancing character with less than 5 ranks of Balance loses his Dexterity bonus to AC and that attacks get a +2 bonus to attack either climbing or balancing characters. A character struck while climbing or balancing must make an additional skill check or fall. THE LAYOUT OF THE TREEHOUSE Note that the scale of the room maps is 2.5 ft. per square, but the side-view is at double that scale (making the tree 400-ft. tall). The lowest layer of the treehouse is 140 ft. off the ground and 20 ft. tall. The second layer is 20 ft. above the first, and the third and fourth each 10 ft above the layer below them. Each of the four layers has a ladder access from above, meaning you must climb over a level to its top before you can climb down into it (normally there would always be a guild member on duty to lower a rope to anyone allowed in). The lowest layer of the treehouse has areas 6-9. The next layer up has areas 10-13, the third layer areas 1-3 and the topmost lookout post areas 4 and 5. Since the harpies have darkvision to a range of 60 feet, they’ve made no effort to illuminate any of the treehouse’s rooms. The thieves built the treehouse without win- dows (to increase its camouflage value), so unless the characters provide their own light or can see in dark- ness, they won’t be able to see in any of the rooms described below. Area 6: The Main Hall (EL 6) This room was originally the treehouse’s main hall, where members of the thieves’ guild met in secret. The harpies have intentionally trashed it to encourage a pack of dire rats to move in and make a nest. Assuming the characters have not already fought some of the dire rats, twenty of the creatures live here, though no more than ten are likely to be present at a time. The rats hide (Spot DC 21), and will not attack the characters unless they begin digging through the refuse. d Dire Rats (20): CR 1/3; small animal; HD 1d8+1; hp 5 ea.; Init +3; Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 15 (touch 14, flat-footed 12); Atk +4 melee (1d4, bite); SA Disease; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 4. Skills and Feats: Climb +11, Hide +11, Move Silently +6; Weapon Finesse (bite). Disease (Ex): Filth fever — bite. Fortitude save (DC 12), incubation period 1–3 days; damage 1d3 temporary Dexterity and 1d3 temporary Constitution (see Disease in chapter 3 of the DUNGEON MASTER’S Guide). A ladder in the center of the room leads down into a floor covered in filth and rot. The room is a semi-circle five roughly 15-feet wide and 50-feet in diameter, with a door at either end. The thick smell of waste and musk fill the air, overpowering any other scent. Piles of broken furniture, decom- posing food and torn, bright fabrics line the curved walls, with random refuse scattered across the floor and smeared onto the wooden walls. A few small holes, no more than a foot across, are visible in the walls. 3 4 Area 7: The Kitchens This was the small kitchen that allowed the treehouse to serve small, informal meals. The cooking lamps allowed food to be reheated but were not really appro- priate for fully-cooking raw food. They were tipped when the harpies attacked, and the oil has never been cleaned up. Moving cautiously isn’t a problem, but anyone running or fighting in this room must make a Reflex save (DC 13) each round to avoid falling. If the oil comes in contact with fire, the whole room erupts into flames dealing 2d4 points of damage (Reflex save for half, DC 15) each round for 3d4 rounds. The tree- house was built of wood treated to resist fires, so the conflagration won’t spread beyond this room unless the characters do something to encourage it. Area 8: Pantry This room is full of rusty nails from the crates and sharp shards of broken pottery and glass. Anyone moving through this room who doesn’t have at least a +2 armor or natural armor bonus to AC needs to make a Reflex save (DC 10) or take 1 hit point of damage. A character is then exposed to the red ache disease (Forti- tude save DC 15, id3 day incubation period, initial damage 1d6 points of Strength - for more information see Chapter 3 of the Dungeon Masters Guide). A Search check (DC 10) reveals both this danger and a safe path through the room. Area 9: Cloakroom This was the treehouse’s cloakroom, where visiting members of the guild would drop off packages and hang outerwear. A single dire rat makes its nest along the outer shelf, but it is hiding (Spot DC 21 to notice it), and doesn’t attack unless the characters search the top shelf. SECOND LEVEL Area 10: Meeting Room (EL 8) If the characters haven’t dealt with the harpies from this room yet, add the following. These are the four youngest and weakest harpies in Irith’s flight, and they’re not likely to be encountered Within each nest sits a horrid, hag-like creature with long claws and huge bat-like wings. Four nests made of broken chairs and fouled clothes sit in this thirty-five foot long room, one to either side of each of the two doors, located at either end of the room. A few tattered pieces of cloth line the floor of this 15- foot long room. Small brass hooks line the curved walls, and empty shelves run above the hooks. Doors sit at each end of the room. There is a small hole near the floor of the outside wall. A thick stench of rot fills this 15-feet by 40-feet wedge-shaped room. Broken barrels and splin- tered wooden boxes fill it. Traces of rotting food still show in cracks and crevices between the broken containers. A door sits at each end of the room. This curved room is roughly 15-feet wide and 20- feet long. A door sits at either end of the room. Tipped tables line the walls. The remnants of small lamps that had been fitted with metal plates to allow food to be cooked lie scattered around the room. The floor is slick, covered in a thin lair of oil from the smashed cooking lamps. Irith’s Tactics Irith is a cunning foe, and has no interest in taking on a well- armed group of adventurers in a fair fight. She does her best top ambush them, wear them down, and weaken them before they reach her own nest. Irith normally stay in area 1 when not out hunting for prey, and she only preys on targets that are alone. She always has at least one harpy in the tree- house’s lookout post, so she is likely aware of the characters’ approach to the treehouse unless the heroes take steps to remain hidden. If aware of the characters’ approach, Irith sends the two harpies from area 12 to go attack them and assess how pow- erful they are. These harpies make a few flyby attacks and try to use their captivating song to get a few characters away from the main party. If they seem likely to lose a fight with the characters, the two harpies fly away and circle back to report to Irith. In this case, Irith does her best to ambush the heroes when they’re most vulnerable — likely while climbing on the outside of one of the highest layer of the treehouse. Irith has encouraged the dire rats in area 6 to make a nest there so they are available for her to summon with her pipes of the sewers. Irith uses this item whenever she’s directly threatened, or the characters seem vulnerable to being over- whelmed by their numbers. Even if the heroes manage to drive off the dire rats, the survivors stay within 400 feet of the tree and can be summoned again by the pipes. Irith does not want to be driven out of her new nest, but if it becomes obvious she can’t overcome the characters, she flees through the air at her best possible speed, ordering any remanding harpies to remain to fight the characters and help cover her escape. 5 anywhere other than on this level. These harpies are brash and arrogant, and fight to the death if attacked. If encountered outside of area 10 the young harpies have armed themselves with clubs (+7/+2 melee, 1d4 damage), otherwise they attack only with two claws (+7 melee, 1d3 damage per claw). If it’s night time and the characters come in quietly, the harpies are asleep and the characters can get a sur- prise round of action. If its daylight the harpies are awake, and no one gets a surprise round. The harpies try to use their captivating songs to lure the characters to them, but give up singing and defend themselves if attacked. If the harpies in area 12 haven’t been dealt with yet they definitely hear a prolonged fight in here unless the characters take steps to prevent it (such as cast a silence spell). If it can obviously be determined by the sound of the fight that it’s going against the harpies here, the ones in area 12 flee to warn Irith. d Young Harpies (4); CR 4; Medium-size monstrous humanoid; HD 7d8–7; hp 29, 28, 24, 22; Init +2; Spd 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 13 (touch 12, flat-footed 11); Atk +7/+2 melee (1d6, club) and +2 melee (1d3, 2 claws); SA Captivating song; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +4, Listen +7, Perform (buffoonery, chant, epic, limer- icks, melody, ode, storytelling) +9, Spot +6; Dodge, Flyby Attack. Captivating Song (Su): When a young harpy sings, all creatures (other than harpies) within a 300-foot spread must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or become utterly captivated. This is a sonic, mind-affecting charm. If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that harpy’s song for one day. A captivated victim walks toward the harpy, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, etc.), that creature gets a second saving throw. Captivated crea- tures can take no actions other than to defend them- selves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but suffers no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of the harpy stands there and offers no resistance to the monster’s attacks. The effect continues for as long as the harpy sings. A bard’s countersong ability allows the captivated creature to attempt a new Will save. Possessions: Each of the young harpies has a potion of cure moderate wounds, the harpy with 29 hit points wears a necklace of fireballs (Type I). Area 11: Infirmary This was the treehouse’s infirmary, for dealing with the injuries of wanted thieves who couldn’t seek help in town. The harpies smashed it along with everything else in the treehouse, but found they hated the smell and haven’t been in since. If a character smears some of the poultices on themselves, any harpy attacking them suffers a -1 penalty to their first melee attack against the character. Area 12: Thieves’ Quarters (EL 6) If the characters haven’t already faced the two harpies that live here, they’re hiding behind two of the bunk beds (this is where the harpies sleep, the nests are just a decoy). A Spot check (DC 12) allows a character to see the harpies as they leap out to attack on a surprise round. Any characters that don’t notice the harpies hiding can not act on the surprise round. These two are Irith’s second and third in command of the flight. They’re cunning old creatures, who have fought many battles before. Each harpy is armed with a +1 bone club. They won’t try to win a fight that’s clearly going against them, instead attempting to flee and warn Irith of the invader’s presence. The nests do contain the harpies’ possessions, which can be found by a thorough investigation (Search DC 15). There are 200 gold pieces hidden in the two nests as well as four small, polished stones worth 5 gp each. d Harpies (2); CR 4; Medium-size monstrous humanoid; HD 7d8+7; hp 36, 34; Init +2; Spd 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 14 (touch 12, flat-footed 12); Atk +7/+2 melee (1d6, club) and +2 melee (1d3, 2 claws); SA Capti- vating song; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15. Two large nests of torn furnishings and tree boughs dominate the center of this 45-foot long room. There are claw marks along the walls, and a few dark stains soaked into the wooden planks of the floor. Broken bunk beads line the walls, and a door can be found at each end of the room. Smashed pottery, broken tables, and ripped band- ages line the floor of this 15-foot long room. Sev- eral pastes and poultices are smeared across the floor, and from them a strong, herbal smell fills the room and overwhelms any other scents. A door sits at either end of the room. A thin layer of dust covers everything in this room. 6 Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +4, Listen +7, Perform (buffoonery, chant, epic, limer- icks, melody, ode, storytelling) +9, Spot +6; Dodge, Flyby Attack. Captivating Song (Su): When a harpy sings, all creatures (other than harpies) within a 300-foot spread must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or become utterly captivated. This is a sonic, mind-affecting charm. If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that harpy’s song for one day. A captivated victim walks toward the harpy, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, etc.), that creature gets a second saving throw. Capti- vated creatures can take no actions other than to defend themselves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but suffers no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of the harpy stands there and offers no resistance to the monster’s attacks. The effect continues for as long as the harpy sings. A bard’s countersong ability allows the captivated crea- ture to attempt a new Will save. Possessions: Each harpy wears bracers of armor +1. Area 13: Storeroom This was the treehouse’s storeroom, where the vari- ous dry goods (rope, travel rations, cloth - 400 gp worth of mundane sundries) were kept. When the harpies took over, they made this their prey room, where victims of their horrid songs were brought to be tortured before being killed and eaten. Ten bodies are piled in the center of the room - all merchants and townsfolk who were found alone and lured off by the harpies captivating songs. Careful examina- tion of the bodies reveals that they have be gnawed upon and stripped of most of their flesh. All that remains are tattered clothes and a few items that fell while the harpies fed on them (150 gp worth of random coins and small gems). If the characters make any loud noises in this room, have any harpies in areas 10 and 12 that haven’t already been dealt with make Listen checks (DC 10 to 20, depending on how loud the characters are) to notice the intrusion. Any harpies that hear the characters burst into the room two rounds later and attack the characters. THIRD LEVEL Area 1: Guildmaster’s Room (EL 6) If Irith has been warned of the character’s approach, she lays an ambush for them. She has any harpies available wait to fight the characters in this area, while she remains hidden in area 3. She uses the pipes of the sewers to summon any remaining rats early in the fight, and tries to single out a spellcaster or bard to target with her captivating song. If surprised, Irith attempts to escape either up to area 5 or down to area 12 to gather reinforcements. She uses the pipes to cover her escape if need be. If any fight seems to be going badly against her, Irith flees rather than fight to the death. If Irith hasn’t needed to cast mage armor by the time she goes to sleep at sundown, she casts an alarm spell on the trapdoor into area 2. The alarm lasts 4 hours, so if the characters move into area 2 in the four hours after sundown, Irith is warned. If Irith is attacked after she has awoken from a full night’s sleep and before the goes to bed, she casts mage armor on herself, increasing her AC by 4. d Irith; Harpy Brd2; CR 6; Medium-size monstrous humanoid; HD 7d8+7 plus 2d6+2; hp 47; Init +2; Spd 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 14 (touch 13, flat-footed 12); Atk +8/+3 melee (1d6, club) and +3 melee (1d3, 2 claws); SA Captivating song; SQ Bardic knowledge +0, bardic music (countersong, fascinate, inspire com- petence, inspire courage) 2/day, darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +10, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Diplomacy +5, Intimi- date +5, Listen +11, Perform (buffoonery, chant, epic, limericks, melody, ode, storytelling) +10, Spot +8; Alertness, Dodge, Flyby Attack. This wedge shaped room is about 12-feet wide and 25-feet long. It is dominated by a huge bed that has had a large, tattered nest built There is a door at either end of the room. A ladder in the center of the room leads down into a floor covered in filth and rot. The room is a semi-circle five roughly 15- feet wide and 30-feet in diameter, with a door at either end. Several torn and tattered bodies lay in a heap at the center of the room, a dark stain surrounding the floor around it. Several large crates line the outside wall, with only a few showing signs of being pried open. 7 Captivating Song (Su): When Irith sings, all creatures (other than harpies) within a 300-foot spread must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or become utterly captivated. This is a sonic, mind- affecting charm. If the save is successful, that crea- ture cannot be affected again by Irith’s song for one day. A captivated victim walks toward Irith, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, etc.), that creature gets a second saving throw. Captivated crea- tures can take no actions other than to defend them- selves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but suffers no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of Irith stands there and offers no resistance to her attacks. The effect contin- ues for as long as Irith sings. A bard’s countersong ability allows the captivated creature to attempt a new Will save. Bardic Knowledge: Irith may make a bardic knowledge check with a bonus of +0 to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. Bardic Music: Irith can use her song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around her. Countersong (Su): Irith can counter magical effects that depend on sound by making a Perform check for each round of countersong. Any creature within 30 ft. of her who is affected by a sonic or language- dependent magical attack may use Irith’s Perform check result in place of his or her saving throw if desired. Countersong lasts for 10 rounds. Fascinate (Su): Irith can cause a single creature within 90 ft. that can see and hear her to become fas- cinated with her. Irith’s Perform check result is the DC for the opponent’s Will save. Any obvious threat breaks the effect. Fascination lasts 2 rounds. Inspire Courage (Su): Each ally who can hear Irith receives a +2 morale bonus on saves against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. The effect lasts for 5 rounds after the ally can no longer hear Irith. Bard Spells Known: (3/1; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0 — daze, ghost sound, light, read magic, resistance; 1st — alarm, mage armor. Possessions: Ring of protection +1, pipes of the sewers, potion of cure light wounds. Area 2: Antechamber If the character’s enter through the trapdoor any time within four hours of sundown, an alarm spell silently warns Irith to their entrance (see area 1). Area 3: Treasure Chamber This was the guildmaster’s treasure chamber, where he kept his personal treasure and items placed within the guild’s care. Most of the treasure was suc- cessfully removed when the thieves evacuated, but a single chest was left behind. The chest has a heavy padlock on it, which is difficult to pick open (Open Locks DC 30). The chest itself has a hardness of 5 and 20 hit points. However, it contains six potions of cure light wounds, and these break if the chest is destroyed. The chest also has ten very small rubies of high quality, each worth 20 gp, which survive the chest’s destruction. FOURTH LEVEL Area 4: Emergency Storage Although still designed to be part of the lookout this area is also used for storage of several large barrels of water (in case the treehouse catches fire) and three 15- foot long silk ropes. The wedge shaped room is about 12-feet wide and 30-feet long. It is almost entire taken up by sev- eral large barrels. Three huge coils of knotted rope sit atop the barrels. The outer wall has numerous peepholes placed five feet from the floor, each no more than two inches across and covered by a leather flap. There is a door at either end of the room. This curved room is about 12- feet wide and 20- feet long, and is accessed by a single door. It is bare except for a single ironbound, oaken chest sitting in the center of the room. A ladder at one end of the room leads down into a smooth hardwood floor clean of any debris. Four wood and leather chairs are arranged casually around the room, and a small table sits in the center. A single door at one end of the room is the only other exit. 8 Area 5: Main Lookout Post (EL 4) If the characters approach this room from the outside, the harpy is likely to see them and give a warning cry before flying down to warn Irith. If the characters manage to get into this room through some other route, they may well surprise the harpy, getting a sur- prise round against it before it can fly off. If the harpy discovers Irith has already been defeated, it attempts to flee. d Lookout Harpy; CR 4; Medium-size monstrous humanoid; HD 7d8; hp 31; Init +2; Spd 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (average); AC 13 (touch 12, flat-footed 11); Atk +7/+2 melee (1d6, club) and +2 melee (1d3, 2 claws); SA Capti- vating song; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 15. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +4, Listen +7, Perform (buffoonery, chant, epic, limer- icks, melody, ode, storytelling) +9, Spot +11; Dodge, Flyby Attack. Captivating Song (Su): When a harpy sings, all creatures (other than harpies) within a 300-foot spread must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or become utterly captivated. This is a sonic, mind-affecting charm. If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that harpy’s song for one day. A captivated victim walks toward the harpy, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, etc.), that creature gets a second saving throw. Captivated crea- tures can take no actions other than to defend them- selves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but suffers no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of the harpy stands there and offers no resist- ance to the monster’s attacks. The effect continues for as long as the harpy sings. A bard’s countersong ability allows the captivated creature to attempt a new Will save. Possessions: Quaal’s feather token (tree), eyes of the eagle, potion of cure light wounds. FURTHER ADVENTURES If Irith or any of her flight escape, they’re likely to remember the characters and attempt to make allies powerful enough to help destroy them. If the charac- ters undertook this adventure to help the thieves’ guild, they are all made honorary members and given access to the treehouse for future operations in the area, and may ask them for further help in the future. If the characters weren’t working for the thieves’ guild, the guild writes off the treehouse as unrecover- able and the characters can negotiate with the local lord to possibly use it themselves. Of course in that case the guild feels the characters owe the thieves a new base of operations, and attempt to find some way to make them pay for one. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Owen K.C. Stephens was born in 1970 in Norman, Oklahoma, and attended the local high school and the University of Oklahoma. He enrolled in creative writing courses taught by FORGOTTEN REALMS® novel author Mel Odom and later attended the TSR Writer’s Workshop in 1997. Owen’s first work in the adventure game field was an article on elven names in issue 250 of DRAGON® Magazine. He moved with his wife to the Seattle area in 2000 after accepting a job at Wizards, but returned to Oklahoma in 2001 to resume his career as a freelance writer. Owen can be reached at <OStephens@aol.com>. This semi-circular room is about 12-feet wide and 60-feet long. The outer wall has numerous peep- holes placed five feet from the floor, each no more than two inches across and covered by a leather flap. A single harpy perches on a ladder near the middle of the room, looking outward.

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Adventures/Mega book pack adventures/Level 06-10/House Of Harpies.pdf

1 A group of arriving passengers help foil a terrorist attack on a space station orbiting Mora (Spinward Marches 3124) and become involved in further drama among the Imperial nobility. A one-round adventure set on Mora (3124/Mora/Spinward Marches). This adventure does not require any other resources to run. Useful references are: The Spinward Marches for background material regarding the area around Mora (the planet itself is described in this scenario). Resources for this adventure include The Spinward Marches [Martin Dougherty]. Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an event from the Mongoose Living TraveLLer A Festive Occasion A One-Round Mongoose Living Traveller Adventure by Hans Rancke-Madsen Campaign Story Coordinator: Don McKinney 2 PreParing for Play As a minimum to run this adventure you need the Traveller Core Rulebook. The Spinward Marches will be useful for background material regarding the area around Mora. Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics provides player information for you to paraphrase or read aloud when appropriate. Information on non-player characters (NPCs) and creatures appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. Refer to the Appendix for full information on NPCs and creatures. At the end of the adventure, you will note what awards your players’ characters received in this adventure and record it on their Master Log Sheets (MLS). If you are playing this as part of a sanctioned event, please turn those details into your Senior Referee. Otherwise, please note what awards were given out and report the results to the Campaign Coordinator. PaSSage Participation in this adventure requires one passage of any type except low passage, as indicated in the Mongoose Living Traveller Campaign Sourcebook. Low passage is not allowed as it would prevent the characters from interacting prior to arrival at Mora. CaMpaign website, or you received it from your Senior Referee. To play this adventure as part of the Mongoose Living TraveLLer CaMpaign (MLTC) – a worldwide, ongoing Traveller campaign set in the spinward MarChes setting – you must sanction it as part of a gaming event. This event could be as elaborate as a big convention or as simple as a group of friends meeting at the Referee’s house. The person who sanctions the event is called the Senior Referee and is in charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then reported back to Mongoose Living TraveLLer CaMpaigns in a timely manner. The person who runs the game is called the Session Referee. Sometimes (and almost all the time in the cases of home events) the Senior Referee is also the Session Referee. You should use the Mongoose Living Traveller Campaign Master Log Sheet (MLS) to track your play and advance your Mongoose Living Traveller Campaign character. To learn more about Mongoose Living TraveLLer character creation and development, event sanctioning and rewards, visit the Mongoose website at www.mongoosepublishing.com . PlayerS read no further If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop reading now. The rest of the information in this adventure is for the Referee only. If you read farther than this section, you will know too much about its challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you are playing this adventure as part of a sanctioned event, reading beyond this point makes you ineligible to do so. Sanctioned Play 3 DATES All dates correspond to the standard Imperial calendar. The start date of this adventure is Forday 005-1105 (the 5th day of the 1105th year since the founding of the Third Imperium). Time will flow normally once the adventure begins. If a different date is required, for example to fit the adventure into an existing campaign, then the start date can be altered with little or no disruption to the adventure. loCation The adventure takes place on Mora (AA99AC7-F), a rich, strategically positioned trading gateway, the capital of Mora subsector in the Spinward Marches. The action takes place partly in a small orbital space station and partly in the startown associated with the Imperial downport. A more detailed description of Mora is provided later. enCounterS The Referee should review the material in Arrival before running Disembarkation or To Warn a Duke. Disembarkation – The characters arrive on Diamond, an auxiliary space station normally reserved for private yachts and luxury liners, but were re-routed due to traffic issues in-system. Unknown to everyone, the Ine Givar have just seized control of the station. To Warn A Duke – The characters having dealt with their watchers, moves to warn/assist the Duke of Regina, whose ship is about to dock at Diamond. The Ine Givar try to prevent this. Vacation (optional) – As a reward for their assistance, Baron Hasse hosts the characters in his suite, allowing them to enjoy and appreciate Mora’s luxury side. Adventure Summary Our Host is Missing – Baron Hasse is missing, and the only person who knows anything is his “loyal” retainer, Gerasim Zeif. To Rescue the Baron – Baron Hasse must be rescued from the thugs who are holding him. A Most Enjoyable Day – The baron repays the characters by letting them enjoy a dinner in the gardens of the ducal palace on Mora. A Narrow Window of Opportunity – The characters uncover a plot by the Ine Givar to humble the nobility of the Marches and must stop it, by storming the embassy of a member of the Imperium! These are sequential, but Vacation is easily skipped, as it involves basically a week of the characters enjoying themselves. The others should all run in sequence, but the Referee should not run them as if they were one right after another – the Referee will need to be familiar with the details and pace them accordingly. Chronology Forday 005-1105 PCs arrive on Mora Fiday 006-1105 Senate opening Forday 012-1105 Baron Hasse is kidnapped Fiday 013-1105 Baron Hasse’s appointment Senday 015-1105 Palace Gardens Picnic Fiday 020-1105 Senate closing Sir Abel is kidnapped. Sixday 021-1105 Afternoon: Marriage Evening: Grand Gala Ball 4 Mora is known as the “Gateway to the Marches” as it sits at a critical pinch-point for the Jump routes through which most of the rimward half of the Spinward Marches is reached (from Deneb sector and the rest of the Imperium to Trailing). As a result, it became the seat of both the Duchy government and the Sector administration and accumulated a disproportionate amount of wealth and influence. It’s now more than a millennia since Ling Standard Products first established itself on Mora to exploit the rich natural resources of this water-dominated world. Over the centuries the population has swelled to over ten billion, mostly dwelling in hundreds of huge arcologies that dot the small areas of exposed land and sprawl across the seabed (primarily in the equatorial regions). PhySiCal detailS Mora is a large, molten-core world with a diameter of 15,567 km (9,673 miles) giving it a gravity of 1.19G. A day lasts 23 hours and 51 minutes and it takes 1,162 (local) days to circle its sun. The dense oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere is tainted with industrial pollutants from its past but over the last hundred years this has been reduced to a minor irritant by various environmental ‘clean up’ measures. As a result, almost all inhabitants and most visitors suffer no ill effects, though those of a sensitive constitution may prefer to wear some form of filter mask when outside the sealed areas of the arcologies. Around 92% of the planet is covered with water, with only one small continent (Batadis), a few large islands, a few archipelagos, and a smattering of lesser islands rising above the surface of the sea. A relatively high axial tilt of 33 degrees combined with an orbital eccentricity of 0.02 means equatorial temperatures of up to 60°C in Summer but in the polar regions, ice sheets cover large areas of the sea with temperatures as low as -65°C in winter. SoCial detailS Mora’s population of over ten billion mostly live in huge self- contained arcologies, about one-eleventh of which are built on dry land on to the continent of Batadis and the various islands, though most of the available arable land surface is dedicated to intensive agriculture. The remainder are spread across the sea floor, mainly in the equatorial regions and often have seabed farms around them. Arcologies may be home to tens or even hundreds of millions of inhabitants. Around 300 million people live in space habitats spread out across the star system. The planetary government of Mora is split into three authorities – the Judiciary (an elite council known as “The Eleven Brides”); the Executive (another elite council, of 33 women called “The Caucus”); and the Legislative authority which is theoretically held by the Duchess of Mora in her capacity as Matriarch, but in practice exercised by a large bureaucracy appointed by her. Over the last millennium, Mora has suffered various conflicts – mostly between the merchant lords who sought to control it for its strategic position and trade value. However, for the last 400 years the strong rule of a steady line of Matriarchs has provided a relatively stable and tranquil environment. The current Matriarch is Delphine Adorania Muudashir, 15th Duchess of Mora, who has reached the remarkable age of 125 years, has ruled Mora for more than 90 years, and is generally regarded warmly by Mora’s population. As Mora also hosts the Imperial Sector Administration, the political and economic power-play of the whole of the Spinward Marches revolves around the Duchess’ world. Components of each of the military services provide law enforcement and first-response teams for the emergency services, with close day-to-day liaison with the judiciary run by The Eleven Brides. However, the Matriarch has overall control of the planet’s military and can mobilise any and all of its units in a crisis situation. The world’s laws are fairly strict and somewhat intrusive. Mora’s matriarchal bias extends across many of its government positions with males prevented (by law) from rising above specified levels of responsibility. doWnPort and StartoWn Mora Imperial Downport is located on an island in the Fakla River estuary, adjacent to the capital Wavecrest City on the east coast of Batadis. Two of the other arcologies have spaceports and most have some form of airborne access, being built in sufficiently shallow water for their uppermost levels to be above the surface of the sea. Given Mora’s economic, astrographical and political importance, its downport is huge (140 square kilometres) and one of the busiest in the Marches. There is an equivalently large highport, handling bigger, unstreamlined starships as well as orbiting space habitats, space industry complexes and megacorporation docks. Not only is the downport very large but in a fairly uncommon arrangement the associated startown is inside the extrality fence so the port’s boundaries are swelled by residential areas, warehousing districts, and an extensive diplomatic district Mora (A-A99AC7-F) Primary Name: Dimoph Type: F0 V Orbital zones Inner limit: 0.32 Life zone: 2.4 - 3.3 Snow line: 13 Outer limit: 64 List of Planets Orbit Distance Name Type 0 0.96 Murugil Terrestrial 1 1.35 Elicar Terrestrial 2 1.74 Iyrne Terrestrial 3 2.52 Mora Terrestrial 4 4.08 Forigi Terrestrial 5 7.20 The Guarek Belt Planetoid belt 6 13.44 Gigig Gas giant 7 25.92 Gogog Gas giant 8 50.88 Erstine Terrestrial Mora is named after a harvest goddess of an old Sylean pantheon. The continent, Batadis, is named after her cornucopia-like Basket of Plenty, and other prominent geographical features on Mora are named after artefacts belonging to other gods. The sun is named after the Sun God and the other inner planets after other gods. The biggest planetoids in the belt are named for members of the Guarek, a race of small mischievous supernatural beings akin to the elves, trolls, and dwarves of Old Terra and the gishkan of Old Vland. The two gas giants are named for two of the giants who hold up the sky, and the major planetoids in Gigig’s trojan points (Borranek (The Vanguards) and Surranek (The Rearguards)) are named after heroes listed in the Heavenly Muster chapter in an epic describing the Dawn War between the gods and the primal forces that opposed the creation of Sylea. Erstine, the tiny outermost planet, is named after a dog-like animal belonging to Forigi, the Goddess of the Hunt. 5 housing hundreds of ambassadors and their staffs, as well as the ducal palace. As a result, the extrality fence encloses an area of roughly 140 square kilometres. The various names applied in connection with the urban agglomeration at the Fakla River estuary are often confused and mixed up. ‘Wavecrest City’ is strictly speaking only the part that lies outside the extrality fence, but is often used to include the part inside. The part inside the fence is officially the Imperial Enclave, but is often referred to indiscriminately as ‘the startown’ or ‘the starport’, since there is no real separation of the two. Star SySteM The Mora system has mining operations and high-technology industrial research and manufacturing centres spread throughout its star system. Close in to the planet are four moons, the largest of which is a vast military complex which is home to the Imperial 73rd Fleet, the Duchy Fleet, and the System Defence Force. A Scout base and secondary naval base are located in the planetoid belt, the former being the IISS regional headquarters for the Spinward Marches. As a result, the system is full of every kind of vessel, from heavy battle squadrons to high-performance Scout Couriers. KEY GAME POINTS • Any of the world data given in this section is readily available to players as long as they carry a personal communicator, which can easily access the library data system. • Mora’s atmospheric taint only affects PCs with a weak constitution (i.e. Endurance of 5 or less). Enterprising local outfitters will try to sell tourists filter masks anyway. Characters with low Endurance may feel the need to wear some form of breathing filter (cheap nasal plugs are adequate) to remove the contaminants from past industrial excesses. Should they not do so, any period of exertion requires them to make an Endurance check (Easy, +4) to avoid a fit of breathlessness and coughing (determine the game effects as you feel appropriate, but this could be awkward in the middle of a chase or gunfight). This is not a problem inside the big arcologies, thanks to TL 15 filtering, even though the massive quantities of air pumped around within these mega-cities is drawn from the planetary. • Mora’s law level requires all PCs to store personal firearms in secure facilities inside the extrality fence before leaving the Imperial Enclave. The only weaponry allowed outside the extrality fence are: stunners; small blades (larger blades if of appropriate social status or career background); and clubs or similar. • Mora’s law enforcement is fairly strict and intrusive. The police (a part of the military on Mora) are armed, never hesitate to point their weapons at potential criminals and can call on military assault teams at very short notice. They expect all civilians to be obedient and produce identity documents whenever asked for, etc. There is also a high degree of video surveillance around the arcologies. This does not mean that all enforcers are thugs – most of them are very approachable and helpful. However, they are capable and ready to deal with those who break the law. 6 This adventure concerns a group of characters, all recently finished with their previous careers, travelling to Mora on the same passenger liner to see what opportunities there may be found on the sector capital. As it happens, this trip takes place on the eve of the 74th Assembly of the Senate of the Spinward Marches, with lots of extra visitors coming to Mora. The player characters are all passengers on the same liner arriving in the Mora system on Forday 005-1105. They may know each other beforehand or they may have met on the ship. Holiday, the Imperial New Year, occurred while they were in jump and the shipboard party that was held on that occasion has broken down most reserve and if they weren’t acquainted before the trip began, they certainly are by now. The Referee should begin by handing out Player Handout 1 and allowing the players to present their characters to each other. Once the introductions are over, the captain announces that due to extra high volumes of arriving traffic, the liner has been diverted to a small auxiliary station. There will be a delay of about half an hour before docking, since the station is undermanned and a luxury liner from Rhylanor is being processed at the moment. KEY GAME POINTS • The Spinward Marches' Senate is an advisory body comprised of all Imperial peers associated with the Marches. It can be summoned at will by the Emperor to advise him on matters of local importance. In addition, once a decade it assembles on Mora, the sector capital, to discuss matters of mutual interest and to compose a formal document known as the State of the Marches Report for the Emperor. Considerable politicking and many hours of committee meetings and plenary sessions during the daytime goes into deciding just what that report does and does not say. In the evenings, Mora's High Society takes the opportunity to hold a succession of glittering parties and balls, and the commoners simultaneously hold a magnificent festival of their own. The opening ceremony will be held on Fiday 006-1105 and senate activities are scheduled to spread over fourteen days, culminating in a closing ceremony on Fiday 020 followed by a Grand Gala Ball on Sixday 021. • During this period security arrangements are stepped up. This year there have been rumours that the Ine Givar, the most powerful terrorist organization to plague the Marches in living memory, are planning some spectacular atrocity during the festival. Consequently security has been tightened an extra notch. • It is assumed that the PCs have become well acquainted during the trip. The adventure is supposed to accommodate almost any combination of characters (although they do have to be able to put up a good fight); hence the rather vague hints about what motives they have for travelling to Mora on the ship in question. They also have to be at sufficiently loose ends to accept an invitation to stay with a fellow passenger. If desired, the Referee can encourage players to figure out prior friendships and specific motives, but there can be no urgent purposes that would preclude spending a couple of idle weeks at a luxury hotel with someone else picking up the tab. Introduction 7 The Space Station The Diamond is a small auxiliary space station in orbit around Mora. It is mainly used for private yachts and luxury liners, but is occasionally used to accept overflow from the main station at peak hours. With nobles coming in from all over the Marches and tourists pouring in to participate in the associated festivities (directly or vicariously on 3V screens), such a peak has just occurred and the ship the PCs are on has been diverted to the station. What they don’t know is that the Ine Givar has just taken over control of the station and is waiting for a yacht belonging to Duke Norris of Regina, one of the six most important nobles in the sector, to dock. The yacht arrived at the jump limit several hours Arrival ago and will be here in 3½ hours. The terrorists are keeping up appearances, but are not allowing any communications from the station. They’ve taken over the control room and communications array, of course. Station Layout The Diamond is shaped rather like a diamond, with a tall deck for docking ships in the middle and successively smaller decks in both directions. The side that faces away from Mora is mostly administrative and the side that faces Mora is mostly passenger service. 8 KEY GAME POINTS • The terrorists infiltrated the Diamond by impersonating a relief shift of 12 guards. To avoid arousing suspicions, they were forced to leave behind their normal weaponry and make do with the shotguns, snub pistols and other equipment local station security guards usually carry. • One third of the real guards left peacefully as they were relieved. The rest were surprised, some of them killed, the rest locked up in a back room; not in the brig, which only have two cells, and not in low berths, because there are only two low berths on the station, in the sickbay. These were used for the station commander and the security chief. • Key civilian personnel were locked up in another room and some of the Ine Givar took over their roles. Just the really indispensable ones. The team didn't have enough men to secure the entire station, nor to guard all the passengers and personnel, so they put the least dangerous people in a big arrival lounge on Moraside and blocked access from there to the docks. The Opposition At the moment, the 12 terrorists are distributed as follows: The leader and one more are on the station bridge. Two are in the security office, keeping a desultory eye on the monitors. Two are in the communications office, and the last six are waiting in an empty starship dock for Norris’ yacht to arrive. Ine Givar team leader: human rogue (enforcer) 2, rogue (thief) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5), suicide pill. 3 Ine Givar team members: human rogue (enforcer) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5). If the PCs manage to deal with any of the terrorists without the alarm being raised, the rest will remain at those locations. If the alarm is raised, a deadly game of hide and seek will ensue. The Security Office The office has a bank of monitors, desks, weapons locker, and a brig with two cells (empty). Two terrorists are sitting at a desk in the centre of the room and playing cards, occasionally casting an idle glance at the banks of monitors mounted on the walls. If surprised, they can be defeated before giving the alarm. The two cells are empty. The weapon cabinet has racks for snub pistols and shotguns to equip 36 guards; while some of the snub pistols are carried by the guards, the characters will find plenty of weapons on hand here. 2 Ine Givar team members: human rogue (enforcer) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), shotgun (4d6), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5). KEY GAME POINTS • There is no real reason the terrorists haven’t used the cells to hold half a dozen prisoners. It just turned out to be easier to bundle everybody in together elsewhere. 9 The passengers file out of the liner and into a small arrival lounge. Six security guards inspect the luggage and confiscate any guns they may find, after which both passengers and crew are guided to the main lounge. Bay S4 Lounge KEY GAME POINTS • In an effort to deal pre-emptively with those most likely to make trouble, uniformed military officers are deftly separated from the rest and herded into another room. The player characters may not even notice that this has happened. • Check: Carouse + Intelligence, Difficult (-2). • If anyone asks for their weapons, they are told that they'll be forwarded to the downport and that they will get them there. • If asked about any irregularities, the guards will explain that increased security measures in connection with the upcoming Senate Assembly have increased workloads and caused personnel to be diverted to other tasks. The station is therefore severely undermanned. Disembarkation The Main Arrival Lounge The lounge is a large area with room for about 200 passengers to sit and wait in comfort, with all the facilities one might expect -- bar, restaurant, gift shop, comm screens, rest rooms, etc. The lounge is already occupied by the passengers and crew of the Trimkhana Brilliance, a fancy jump-6 liner that just arrived from Rhylanor (2716) via Heroni (2521) and docked a little while ago. The roughly 80 passengers and 20 crew are already somewhat upset about the situation; the doors leading to the shuttle dock are closed, communication with Mora has been temporarily interrupted, the crew was herded in here instead of into the crew lounge on starside, and no one is answering their questions. A dozen harassed starport service personnel man the bar, the restaurant, and the shop and know no more than the passengers about what is going on. Interaction is aided by social barriers breaking down as the frustration the passengers feel over being kept in the lounge with no communication and no information mounts. One of the passengers on the Trimkhana Brilliance was a lesser Imperial noble, Baron Hasse von Harkhoost, an honour baron from Rhylanor. Baron Hasse should introduce himself as soon as any of the PCs make a remark that he might overhear and feel like commenting on. He is bored and worried and could respond to a question about Imperial nobles or the Senate, or to remarks about how something appears to be amiss. 10 Somebody has to do something After a bit of social interaction the PCs and the baron are drawn aside by Captain Lyn Ilkanii, Imperial Navy, an Imperial Navy Intelligence (INI) agent in mufti who has been sent to meet Duke Norris of Regina, whose yacht arrived at the jump limit some hours ago and is heading for the Diamond. She’ll concur with any suspicions the PCs have expressed (or present her own suspicions if the players are still oblivious) and prompt them into trying to regain control of the station. Both the doors they came through and the door leading to the shuttle dock are locked. They will also be in full view of surveillance cameras. However, there are various service entrances that can lead into the back corridors. Any reasonable plan should work. Captain Ilkanii can give a rough description of the station layout. Places that she thinks might be of interest are the security office, the communications room, and the station bridge. Other places are the starship docks holding the two starships and the sickbay. Whatever plan the PCs come up with, the captain will say that her first duty is to warn Duke Norris; to this end she will try to make her way to the physical communications array and try to get a message out without alerting any terrorists or would-be kidnappers that may have taken over any part of the station. Baron Hasse will elect to come with the PCs. Surveillance cameras are sparsely mounted in the parts of the station that is not open to passengers and can be circumvented with a little care. Along the way the PCs will find several dead bodies clad in the uniforms of security guards. They have been knifed, mostly in the back, and casually tucked away in corners. Their weapons are missing. KEY GAME POINTS • The PCs were selected by the captain as the likeliest bunch of people around. If the question is raised, she’ll note that the passengers from the two ships ought to have included a sprinkling of serving Imperial officers and men, but there are none to be seen in the lounge. If no one noticed it at the time, one of the PCs will now recall that he saw several uniformed fellow passengers being guided elsewhere. • Acquiring weapons is probably uppermost in the minds of the players. The restaurant kitchen is mostly for preparing pre-packaged meals, but there are enough kitchen knives to equip everyone. Other improvised weapons may be found here and there. Fire extinguishers are mounted at regular intervals. The likeliest place to obtain weapons is the station’s security office. • Baron Hasse has to stay with the PCs to develop a rapport born of shared danger, in order to set up later developments (He will invite the PCs to stay in the suite he has booked at a hotel in the startown; see below). The baron is accompanied by a single family retainer, an older man named Gerasim Zeif, who is not suited for strenuous let alone dangerous activities. He will stay behind in the lounge. 11 Bay S1 Lounge The layout of Bay S1’s arrival lounge is the same as that of Bay S4. Use the same deckplan. The PCs and Baron Hasse should arrive outside the lounge, armed and ready for action, just as Norris’ yacht is about to dock. Captain Ilkanii has failed to get her warning out and the Duke is about to fall into the hands of the terrorists. Although accompanied by a couple of excellent bodyguards, they are likely to prove ineffective due to the element of surprise. The PCs have to act, and luckily they have the element of surprise now. Ine Givar team leader: human rogue (enforcer) 2, rogue (thief) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5), suicide pill. 5 Ine Givar team members: human rogue (enforcer) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5). NOTE: there are only 11 Ine Givar members and 1 leader on the station, so numbers may need to be adjusted for this encounter to account for previous player character actions. If all goes well, the Ine Givar are defeated just before the Ducal party enters the lounge. If things go badly, the noise of the fight is sufficient to alert Norris and his people, and the Referee can let his bodyguards intervene. Norris himself will be right behind them (much to their resigned dismay). All three are armed with automatic pistols. When the dust settles, there’s a brief encounter with Norris, who thanks all of his rescuers, after which he allows Captain Ilkanii to guide him and his entourage to the shuttle dock. As the Duke moves away, Baron Hasse asks if the PCs have anywhere to stay on Mora, and when told that they have not, expresses concern that it may be difficult to obtain decent rooms in a city that is currently bursting with tourists. He offers to put them up in the suite he has reserved for himself in a hotel in the Twins Arcology; he’d planned to bring his wife and daughter, but when the daughter became ill, they decided to stay behind; and without them and their maids there is plenty of room for everyone. The customs area is manned by a single, very busy, customs officer and everybody gets waved through without so much as a cursory examination. Downside in the South Landing Field Terminal the PCs are told that they must rent a storage locker to keep their guns in until they can get a license to carry them (see above), but are warned that even with a license the weapons may be carried only inside the Imperial portion of Wavecrest City. The story of the kidnap attempt is all over the news services the next day, but the names of the PCs are kept out of it. Apparently the attempt was foiled by Imperial undercover agents whose identities must be kept secret to protect their effectiveness. KEY GAME POINTS • Mora’s law level requires all PCs to leave behind personal firearms if they leave the extrality area. Inside, personal firearms may be carried, provided a license has been acquired, but no assault weapons, submachine guns, or heavier weapons. Acquiring a license upon arrival on Mora requires a skill check: • Check: Admin + Social Standing, Routine (+2); if the character was a member of the Imperial Army, Marines, Navy or Scouts, the check becomes Easy (+4). A check takes 1D6 working days (Wonday, Tuday, Triday, Forday and Fiday are working days, Sixday and Senday are not), half that (rounded up) for former members of the Imperial Army, Marines, Navy or Scouts. The only weaponry allowed outside the extrality fence (regardless of licenses) are: stunners; small blades (larger blades if of appropriate social status or career background); and clubs or similar. To Warn A Duke 12 Referee’s Information: The Real Plot While the Ine Givar would love it if their plan to kidnap Duke Norris succeeded, they don’t really expect it to work. The entire operation is a blind to allow a fairly well-known Ine Givar operative to slip past security and down on Mora. Although he no longer looks like he used to, the risk of being spotted under ordinary circumstances was deemed far too high. Agent Leopard is a highly skilled Ine Givar operative, well- known to the Imperial security forces, who has been surgically altered to look just like Colonel Sir Abel Spendabel, the man in charge of security for a wedding involving a lot of important nobles. He travelled to Mora aboard the same ship as the PCs. While aboard, he didn’t dare wear any makeup, as the risk of getting spotted when spending over a week at close shipboard quarters was considered too great. Upon arrival, he slipped away from the rest of the passengers and crew and joined his fellow Ine Givar members for just long enough to disguise himself. He then slipped past the customs barrier and lurked in an unused janitorial closet until the situation was resolved and then calmly walked aboard a shuttle and flew down. Here he used a fake ID to exit the starport. (Note that a traffic controller on the main station had been bribed to direct the ship to dock at the Diamond. He was killed as soon as he came home after his shift. This may be mentioned on the news.) KEY GAME POINTS • Although everybody assumes that the terrorist takeover of the Diamond was triggered by the arrival of Norris’ yacht, it was actually the arrival of the ship that Agent Leopard was on that did it. It was pure luck that such a juicy target as Norris was on his way at the time, though there would have been something else they could have done instead of gunning for him, such as holding a ship full of highborn passengers hostage. 13 This portion of the adventure should be compressed or omitted if pressed for time, or for convention scenarios. It is intended to develop the relationship between Baron Hasse and the player characters, and introduce Mora to the characters. the hotel Suite The suite has a lounge in the middle, a master bedroom to one side, and four smaller rooms to the other side. The baron will take the master bedroom, Gerasim Zeif, his personal attendant, will take one of the small bedrooms, and the PCs may distribute themselves as they want. Baron Hasse leaves the PCs to their own devices during the first week or so, attending senate sessions in the day and touching bases with the PCs in the evenings, where it rapidly becomes an established routine that they all meet for dinner followed by some kind of show. The baron proves a thoughtful and convivial host and they soon become firm friends. During the day the PCs do touristy stuff. TOURIST ACTIVITIES These are potential timewasters. As long as all players are content to spend time on them, the Referee should allow them to. As soon as even one player expresses a desire to get on with the adventure, the Referee should encourage the rest to wrap it up. The Referee should feel free to think up other tourist attractions. • The Oldest Building on Mora. A modest eight-story permacrete building of utilitarian design originally erected by Ling Standard Products (LSP) in 60 to be the administrative centre of the outpost (At the time it was referred to as ‘The Tallest Building on Mora’). Today it houses a museum dedicated to the period from the initial Scout survey in 53 to the admittance of Mora into the Imperium as a full member in 116. Located in Porsiar, a fashionable district in Wavecrest City named after Port Ziar, the original startown. • The Kig’reel! Gardens. A recreational park constructed by the K’kree and donated to the people of Mora. Located on the edge of Wavecrest City. • The Vargr Quarter. A rough and ready neighbourhood inhabited primarily by Vargr. It is a favourite party spot for tourists who like the thrill of danger to spice up their partying. Although things do on occasion get out of hand, the danger is more imagined than real. • The Keksihedin: One of the Seven Wonders of Mora, the Keksihedin is a region of the sea far to the north where a range of active underwater volcanoes cause the sea to bubble and roil spectacularly and a huge plume of clouds to ascend from the surface of the sea. It is named for the cauldron used by the storm goddess Elicar to brew weather. Day trips in comfortable grav busses are conducted by several tourist agencies. • The Mountain Retreat of Lark Kenaashiim: Another of Mora’s wonders, a fabulously luxurious secret underground complex built in the 5th Century by one of the richest of the Merchant Lords to serve as a secure place to relax and filled with his extensive collection of art collected from worlds for many parsecs around. It was hidden deep in the Brindigor Mountains and every effort made to keep its location secret. When Kenaashiim and a number of close family members and trusted retainers were killed by a bomb, the location was lost and the retreat remained undiscovered for several centuries. When it was discovered in 811, the complex was turned into a museum. Day trips are available. • Undersea cities: Many tourists are fascinated by the underwater arcologies dotting Mora’s seabeds. Excursions to a number of them are available. Or visitors can just buy tickets on one of the regular flights. The closest is Fenrock, only 100 km east of Wavecrest City. Vacation 14 On the evening of Forday 012-1105, the player characters find that the baron has not returned to keep their dinner appointment. Nor has he sent any messages about being delayed. What really happened: Baron Hasse has been spending his afternoons talking to a lawyer about a legal case involving an inheritance lawsuit. The other party (a half cousin) stand to lose a fortune if the baron shows up at court with various legal documents that are in his possession. The cousin had managed to bribe Gerasim Zeif, the not-quite-faithful-enough family retainer. The baron returned early that day and went directly up to the suite, where Gerasim gave him a message that lured him to an empty apartment where he was grabbed and tied up. The baron is now being held prisoner by a couple of rent-a-thugs. Gerasim Zeif is a non-combatant, and will neither engage in combat nor defend himself. He will attempt to run if there is any violence. Investigation * Gerasim says that he hasn’t heard a word from the baron all day. * Any comm message to the baron will be fielded by a secretarial expert program. The baron is not accepting messages at the moment. * If the master bedroom is searched, it will be discovered that the towels in the bathroom are damp. The baron took a quick shower before heading out again. The suit he wore this morning is also to be found in the laundry hamper. • Check: Investigate + Intelligence, Routine (+2). * If confronted by evidence that he has lied, Gerasim can give the address he lured the baron to. This will require a successful skill check. • Check: Persuade + Intelligence, Average (+0). * The man who bribed Gerasim was masked, but he can provide sex (male), height, and build. * If contacted, Captain Ilkanii can trace the baron’s personal comm unit to the same address Gerasim knows. It has been left behind there by the thugs. * The office is a multi-purpose room that can be configured for a number of purposes. Apart from a standard work desk, there is also an internal security system console where a visiting nobleman can install his own guards if he is sufficiently paranoid. Baron Hasse didn’t bother, but Zeif snuck into the office and turned on the monitors; the one in the baron’s room allowed Zeif to learn the combination to the wall safe. Zeif tried to erase the surveillance files afterwards, but a person skilled with Computers could bring them up again. • Check: Computers + Intelligence, Difficult (-2). * Gerasim has a rendezvous with the culprit later that night. He is supposed to bring a folder full of legal documents that the baron keeps in the wall safe and exchange it for a Cr50,000 bearer debit card (An anonymous way to transfer credits in a society where the bank notes are equipped with RFID chips). If the PCs leave him alone in the suite he will take the folder and leave. However, he will forget that his comm unit can be traced. Our Host Is Missing 15 The Captor’s Apartment The two thugs watching the baron keep him in the bedroom for the most part. They really are just waiting on a call from the cousin, and certain have no reason to expect any interruption or attack. 2 local thugs: human rogue (enforcer) 2; autopistol (3d6-3), flak jacket (4). The rescue concludes with the Baron thanking them for their timely assistance and rewarding them by inviting them to come with him to a highly prestigious picnic lunch in the Palace Gardens. He has six tickets; for himself, his wife, his daughter, and for three personal attendants, but since his wife and daughter isn’t here and his attendant just betrayed him, there are enough to go round. The baron will deal with his cousin personally later. To Rescue The Baron 16 The Baron and his party have thoroughly enjoyed the picnic lunch and are now strolling through the ducal grounds. In one fairly secluded corner of the gardens, they come across a (relatively) small chapel surrounded by idyllic trees. Here they meet Captain Ilkanii again and fall into conversation with her. First she apologises for the news stories depriving them of the credit they deserved. It wasn’t her doing. People higher up the chain of command felt that it would inspire greater confidence among the public if they thought the Imperium had not been caught completely off guard. After that, the conversation becomes general. The PCs learn that a wedding will take place here in a couple of days, on the early afternoon of Sixday 021; Admiral Lord Frederick Santanocheev, the son of a powerful Imperial count, is marrying Lady Indu, the daughter of Sector Admiral Marquis Ottmar Manolis. A whole slew of important nobles, including Duchess Delphine of Mora and Duke Norris of Regina, are going to be there. What’s HE doing here?!? Suddenly, one of the PCs recognizes someone from the ship they came in on. At the time he was a commercial traveller; now he is decked out in the uniform of a colonel of Imperial Marines and dictating notes to an aide. Ilkanii can tell the PC that he must be mistaken. That is Colonel Sir Abel Spendabel, the man in charge of security for the wedding (Because of the naval nature of the wedding, and because the palace guards have their hands full with all the guests staying at the palace, the Marines rather than the Palace Guard will be handling security). Sir Abel has been very much in evidence for months; the captain has seen him on numerous occasions (their duties overlap a lot) and he definitely has not been on any ship lately. At this point the Ine Givar has not yet performed the substitution. The captain is willing to investigate if the PC insists, but the evidence is inconclusive. The Ine Givar deleted all the security footage and none of the other PCs have the same vivid recollection of the commercial traveller (He sat opposite the PC during meals (where it would have been suspicious behaviour to stay away) but otherwise spent his time mostly in his cabin). The ship has long since departed and won’t be back for another week, and the other passengers are scattered across Mora. Captain Ilkanii is willing to listen, but is unable to help directly. She’s the younger daughter of an Imperial baron on Regina, so even though she tries to avoid politics, she is regarded by the clique surrounding Sector Admiral Manolis as an adherent of Norris, who is politically opposed to Duchess Delphine on a number of issues, whereas Admiral Manolis is a firm supporter of the duchess. Hence any accusation that she endorses against a A Most Enjoyable Day member of his clique (such as Sir Abel) will be suspect. She asks the PCs to keep Sir Abel under discreet surveillance. She can put them in contact with a private agent who has an unmarked grav van full of surveillance equipment for hire. She will promise to reimburse them later, out of the office slush fund if they come up with something useful, otherwise out of her own pocket. KEY GAME POINTS • If none of the PCs have the skills to run the surveillance equipment, the private agent, Zaynab Vicente, can come along and run it (though not round the clock, of course). She displays complete disinterest in anything she learns during the stakeout and will not get involved any further than absolutely necessary. The Terrorist Plan Sir Abel’s aide, Captain Dominique Durand, is a full-fledged member of the Ine Givar who has infiltrated the marines. It is actually him that has alerted the organization to this opportunity, and he is the main reason Sir Abel was chosen as the person to be substituted. Agent Leopard plans to kidnap Sir Abel as late as possible to reduce the risk of being exposed. The chapel in the Palace Gardens will be a much softer target than anything inside the Palace, and in any case he can’t impersonate the commander of the Palace Guards. He will choose a time fairly close to the wedding (which is scheduled for early afternoon on the day of the Great Ball) to reduce the time he has to be found out. He takes advantage of his position to use a fake marine company for the security (The company exists and is stationed elsewhere on Mora; he just fiddles the deployment orders to have the company stay where it is while inserting his own people.) The Kidnapping On Fiday 020-1105 the 74th Senate Assembly is formally closed. That evening, Sir Abel is kidnapped by an Ine Givar team. The PCs can follow them to their hideout (without being spotted!). Unfortunately, it is located in a small embassy belonging to Morovic, a minor country on Porozlo (2715). There are hundreds of such minor embassies in the Imperial Enclave, but however minor they are, they’re still embassies, with all that implies about diplomatic immunity, and cannot be searched by anyone without permission from the ambassador. The surveillance equipment in the van will let them examine the embassy and see that it’s chock full of armed guards, something in the neighbourhood of 60 men. Sir Abel himself is held in a shielded section in the basement, so they can’t locate him. 17 The Diplomatic District houses representatives from other Imperial member worlds and nations and from comparable non-Imperial states, worlds and nations. Representatives from other dukes and from various Imperial organisations are mostly housed in the Ducal Palace and the major neighbouring empires each have large compounds in Wavecrest City outside the Imperial enclave, or outside Wavecrest City in the case of the K’kree. But diplomats from the Darrians, the Sword Worlders, the Tobians, many Aslan clans, the Thoengling Empire and the Commonality of Kedzudh, to name but two Vargr states, and high-population worlds from Fornice to Terra congregate in the district. Obviously, not everyone bother to send representatives to Mora, only those with interests there, but that covers a lot of nations. Some make arrangements to share a single consul. The next step up is rented office space in the outskirts of the district. But if that’s not sufficiently grand, estates consisting of a mansion surrounded by a sizable garden – a small park, really – is available. The richest worlds either occupy several adjacent estates, or have big grav supported flying islands (known as laputas) floating high above an estate where the mansion has been torn down and replaced by a pavilion where those who arrive on foot can state their business and be conveyed up to the embassy (Anyone in a grav vehicle simply flies to the laputa in the first place). Morovic is not one of the rich nations. In fact, it’s really not wealthy enough to warrant more than a bit of office space. Renting an estate was pure swank, an attempt at gamesmanship aimed at their neighbour and arch enemy, Stepozhevac. The staff was never big enough to fill the embassy and it has been reduced recently. The rest stays instead of moving to cheaper accommodations only because the rent has to be paid anyway until the lease runs out or they can find someone to take it over. The Ine Givar chose the Morovici embassy because it was easy to capture, had lots of room inside, and conducted very little business. Referee’s Information: The Real Plot The Ine Givar has taken over the Morovici embassy and is masquerading as embassy security. A direct assault by a mere handful of people is doomed to failure. Captain Ilkanii will make the connection between the large number of men and the half- company of marines that are scheduled to provide security for the wedding. They are currently quartered in a base located several hours flight from Wavecrest City. A fake Sir Abel could simply rescind their orders and allow the terrorists to take their place. However, this means that most of the terrorists will leave the embassy the next morning (along with Agent Leopard), leaving behind only a few guards (and taking the autorifles and ACRs with them). At that point the PCs could move in and free the real Sir Abel. Once free, he will be all the proof needed to have the terrorists dealt with before any of the wedding guests begin to show up around noon. The assault on the embassy should be the climax of the adventure. The embassy staff was locked up in the basement with Sir Abel and will be suitably grateful. Embassy Grounds The chameleon surfacing of the three metre tall wall surrounding the embassy grounds has been set to look like it is made of a kind of blue-veined marble (used extensively in classical Morovici architecture) giving it the incongruous appearance of being made of ripe cheese. The wall is very smooth and requires adhesive gloves and kneepads or something similar to climb. All the trees, bushes, flowers, and even the grass, in the garden are species native to Morovic, no stranger than vegetation seen on most other worlds, but unfamiliar to the PCs. The garden has a neglected look. Topiary bushes of strange animals have been allowed to grow shaggy, the grass is a bit long, dead branches and flowers have been left in place, secluded nooks and crannies have grown just a bit too secluded. The embassy building has been set to look like it was built of the same blue-veined marble. There is a front entrance, a side door leading to the kitchen, stairs down to another side door leading into the cellar, and at the back a set of French doors leading from a ballroom out onto a big patio. If none of the PCs have lock picking skills, the private agent will come with them as far as the embassy and open the door of their choice, but she will not enter the building. A Narrow Window Of Opportunity 18 19 The ground floor houses offices, kitchen, dining room, ballrooms, smoking rooms, a library, and a few completely empty rooms. The upper floors contain accommodations. The master suite and a dozen other bedrooms are occupied, another dozen are furnished but not in use, and the rest are empty. If the master suite is searched thoroughly, a drop shaft is found in a closet. This is an escape route for the ambassador that leads to the secure communications room in the cellar, something that can be guessed with an Intelligence check. • Check: Intelligence, Easy (+4). The cellar is where the action is. In addition to various storage rooms, the embassy’s secure communications room is located down there. In the room the terrorists are watching news channels and setting up a camera. If the PCs sneak up and listen to the discussion, they seem to be preparing to record the execution of Sir Abel and arguing about what to do with the ambassador and her staff. Execute them too or let them live? At the moment they are awaiting developments at the wedding, which, as they consider hilarious, will be televised. Sir Abel and the embassy staff are locked up in several rooms deeper inside the cellar. Trying to open the doors without making or causing any noise risks having the terrorists block the way out. Setting Up The Action There are at least three ways to handle the situation: A direct assault on the terrorists, who haven’t bothered to close the armoured door to the communications room; setting up an ambush outside the door to the room and causing the terrorists to investigate; and somehow scaring the terrorists into sealing themselves inside the room. All six terrorists spend most of their time in the secure communications room, though some of them will leave from time to time for short rambles through the mansion (going to the kitchen for snacks, or the bedrooms to steal any small valuable they can find, or to use the a restroom). Waiting for just the right moment to strike could improve the odds for success, but the clock is ticking and the time when the first guests will show up at the chapel approaches. The assault is risky, but (if successful) gives the best results. Sir Abel can communicate directly from the embassy and give the alarm. The ambush is likely to result in some dead terrorists and the rest holed up inside the room. The third option leaves all the terrorists alive and holed up. In both the second and the third case they can and will warn Agent Leopard and his merry men, allowing them to escape, at least for the moment (hotly pursued by most of the soldiers, marines, security guards, fire- fighters, and dog catchers in Wavecrest City). Coordinating a second attack through the drop tube from the master suite with either the assault or the ambush would (hopefully) result in the complete defeat of all terrorists. Ine Givar team leader: human rogue (enforcer) 2, rogue (thief) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), shotgun (4d6), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5), suicide pill. 5 Ine Givar team members: human rogue (enforcer) 2; snub pistol (3d6-3), shotgun (4d6), dagger (1d6+2), cloth armour (5). Any terrorists forced or tricked into sealing themselves up in the communications room will be difficult to winkle out, but that would be somebody else’s problem, as both the Ambassador and Sir Abel will have been rescued at that point. 20 Unfortunately, Sir Abel is a scene-stealing, credit-grabbing glory hound, so as the Referee, you need to explain the player characters that they will not receive full credit for their exploits, but Captain Ilkanii knows the truth and will do what she can. She will privately inform her superiors, suggesting that these people can be trusted in future situations. She will also let the PCs know that while most of the fake marines were killed or captured, the fake Sir Abel managed to escape somehow or other. Sir Abel, on the other hand, will largely forget the role the characters played, although if the embassy rescue is mentioned, he will remember to get their names wrong. Badly. The Morovici Ambassador, on the other hand, will consider the player characters to have saved her life, and the lives of her staff. The characters will be regarded as true heroes, in the nation of Morovic on the world of Porozlo. The rest of the Marches aren’t even sure where that is. Mongoose Living Traveller Campaign rewards are based on the following events throughout the adventure: 1. The Ine Givar were defeated before Duke Norris’ arrival, or were defeated with the assistance of the Duke’s security team. This awards “Favour of Duke Norris of Regina”, and Cr 4,000 for each character. 2. The characters successfully rescue Baron Hasse from his captors. This awards “Contact – Baron Hasse of Rhylanor”. In addition, the Baron will give the characters Cr 3,000 each. 3. The characters successfully rescue Sir Abel Spendabel from the Morovic embassy. This awards “Contact in Imperial Naval Intelligence”, plus Cr 5,000 apiece. In addition, each character involved in the rescue gains the option of purchasing ONE TL 15 or under item costing Cr 12,000 or less, if they wish to spend the money at the end of the adventure. 4. The characters successfully rescue the Morovici Ambassador. This awards “Planetary Knighthood – Morovici Order of the Golden Bell”, although only recognized in the nation of Morovic on the world of Porozlo in Rhylanor subsector, plus Cr 1,000 each. The Referee should make sure to let the Story Coordinator know what rewards above were granted in the adventure for future campaign consideration. Conclusion 21 1. Aboard the DIAMOND. Baron Hasse von HarkHoost Noble (Administrator) 3 Abilities Str 7 (+0), Dex 6 (0), End 12 (+2), Int 9 (+1), Edu 6 (+0), Soc 12 (+2) Languages Anglic, Zhodani Skills Admin 1, Advocate 2, Carouse 1, Comms 0, Computers 0, Diplomat 2, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 0, Gun Combat (shotgun) 0, Investigate 0, Persuade 1, Streetwise 0 Possessions comm, rapier (1d6+4), cloth armour (5) Baron Hasse is a tall, well-built man in his early thirties with the sleek, well-groomed aspect of a man who routinely works out with a personal trainer. His clothes are subtly understated, but tailored from expensive materials. He is an honour baron from Rhylanor. Captain Lyn iLkanii, imperiaL navy Navy (Line) 5 Abilities Str 6 (+0), Dex 8 (+0), End 5 (-1), Int 12 (+2), Edu 14 (+2), Soc 12 (+2) Languages Anglic, Sagamaal (Sword Worlder), Trokh (Aslan), Zhodani Skills Admin 1, Animals 0, Carouse 0, Comms 0, Computers 1, Leadership 2, Medic 0, Melee (blade) 1, Remote Ops 1, Sensors 1, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 0, Zero-G 0 Possessions hand computer, comm., snub pistol (3d6-3), cloth armour (5) Captain Ilkanii appears to be a bookish woman in her late thirties. She’s a younger child of an honour baron on Regina. As many other sprigs of the Imperial nobility, she chose to pursue a career in the Imperial Navy, and is currently assigned to Naval Intelligence’s Mora Office. Although she tries to avoid politics, she is regarded by the clique surrounding Sector Admiral Manolis as an adherent of Norris, which is why she gets assigned to meet Norris’ yacht and why any accusation against a member of the clique that she endorses will be suspect. She becomes the PCs’ conduit into the Intelligence community, giving them whatever unofficial help she can get away with. ine Givar team Leader Rogue (enforcer) 2, Rogue (thief) 2 Abilities Str 8 (+0), Dex 8 (+0), End 10 (+1), Int 8 (+0), Edu 10 (+1), Soc 6 (+0) Languages Anglic Skills Deception 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Leadership 1, Melee (unarmed) 2, Persuade 1, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2 Possessions Snub Pistol (3d6-3), Shotgun (4d6), Dagger (1d6+2), Cloth Armour (5), suicide pill While the team leader does know about Agent Leopard, the suicide pill will prevent these details from being revealed. Death is a necessary sacrifice. ine Givar FiGHter Rogue (enforcer) 2 Abilities Str 9 (+1), Dex 8 (+0), End 7 (+0), Int 6 (+0), Edu 9 (+1), Soc 5 (-1) Languages Anglic Skills Athletics (coordination) 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Melee (unarmed) 1, Stealth 1 Possessions Snub Pistol (3d6-3), Shotgun (4d6), Dagger (1d6+2), Cloth Armour (5) While they have been trained and led by their team leader for some time, they know no other details about Ine Givar operations. Their capture will serve no purpose. 2. The Wedding CoLoneL sir aBeL spendaBLe Marines (Ground Assault) 5 Abilities Str 6 (+0), Dex 8 (+0), End 10 (+1), Int 9 (+1), Edu 9 (+1), Soc 11 (+1) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 1, Athletics (Endurance) 1, Battle Dress 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Gun Combat (slug rifle) 1, Leadership 1, Medic 1, Melee (blade) 2, Melee (unarmed 1), Tactics (military) 1 Possessions comm, slug pistol (3d6-3), cutlass (2d6+4), cloth armour (5) Appendix 1: Characters 22 Colonel Sir Abel is a fairly competent officer, but it is his unctuous personality and skill at ‘office politics’ that has brought him to his present rank. He hitched his wagon to Sector Admiral Manolis’ star six years ago and has now become one of the Admiral’s most trusted men. Currently employed as the Admiral’s security aide, he has been tasked with handling the security arrangements in connection with the marriage of the Admiral’s daughter Indu to Admiral Lord Frederick Santanocheev. Sir Abel allows no opportunity to shine in the eyes of his patron to escape him. Captain dominique durand Marines (Support) 3 Abilities Str 7 (+0), Dex 9 (+1), End 9 (+1), Int 12 (+2), Edu 10 (+1), Soc 9 (+1) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 1, Advocate 1, Comms 1, Flyer (grav) 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Leadership 1 Possessions snub pistol (3d6-3), comm, cloth armour (5) Captain Durand, whose real name is Dominique Edongenuce, is the son of a woman from a backwater world in Deneb sector who was abandoned by her Imperial Army husband when his tour of duty was over, leaving her in difficult circumstances. He grew up hating his father and the Imperium in general. Recruited by the Ine Givar at the age of 16, he was given a false identity and told to enlist in the Marines and become a mole when he turned 18. He has never lost his hate or his dedication to the Cause. aGent Leopard Agent Leopard is one of the Ine Givar’s best known leaders, although his true name and origins has never been revealed. He’s a skilled and dedicated terrorist, both cunning and versatile. He has been behind some of the Ine Givar’s most successful actions, which has brought him to the attention of the Imperium and, despite routine precaution, have left the authorities in possession of various biometrics readings that might make it possible to identify him. No matter the circumstances, Agent Leopard will not be among the captured or dead, and those terrorists who are captured will not be able to identify him at the end of this adventure. He will return… 23 The characters below are not likely to become directly involved with the scenario, but at the same time Referees may find it useful to have additional details on them. duCHess deLpHine adorania muudasHir oF mora Citizen (Corporate) 4, Noble (Diplomat) 23 Abilities Str 4 (-1), Dex 5 (-1), End 4 (-1), Int 10 (+1), Edu 13 (+2), Soc 15 (+3) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 4, Advocate 2, Broker 1, Carouse 1, Comms 1, Deception 1, Diplomat 3, Leadership 1 Delphine is the 15th Duchess of Mora of the second creation, her ancestress having replaced the previous family in the aftermath of the Civil War. In addition to being duchess of the Duchy of Mora, Delphine is also the ruler of the Mora system with the title Matriarch of Mora. In theory the Imperium’s nobles constitute a layer of government separate from that of the member worlds, but in practice quite a few hereditary planetary leaders have acquired Imperial authority too. Delphine was born in 979 and became Duchess and Matriarch of Mora when her mother abdicated in her favour on her 35th birthday. Although she does not take anagathics (or so she claims), she has lived a very long life and show little sign of slowing down. She celebrated her 125th birthday and the 90th anniversary of her rule last year. duke norris aeLLa aLedon oF reGina Navy (Line) 4, Noble (Administrator) 2 Abilities Str 7 (+0), Dex 6 (+0), End 6 (+0), Int 10 (+1), Edu 12 (+2), Soc 15 (+3) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 1, Advocate 1, Astrogation 1, Comms 0, Computers 1, Diplomat 1, Flyer (grav) 0, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 0, Gun Combat (slug rifle) 2, Leadership 2, Medic 1, Melee (blade) 1, Persuade 1, Sensors 0, Tactics (naval) 2, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 0 Norris, the 14th Duke of Regina, was the second child of Willem Caranda Aledon, the 13th Duke. Expecting his older brother William to inherit, Norris originally made his career in the Imperial Navy. Unlike many of his peers in the service, he did not play the patronage game (except, arguably, when he had himself assigned to a post on the other side of the Imperium, allowing him to visit Capital on his way there) and advanced in rank at the normal rate for an officer of his abilities. His career was cut short when William died in an accident in 1097. At the time Norris had just been promoted to commander. He took leave of absence and went home to help his father; when Duke Willem died of natural causes a year later, Norris resigned his commission and took up his new duties running the Duchy of Regina. Norris was and remains unmarried, but to safeguard the succession, he was persuaded to have a clone of himself, which he insisted be female, created in 1097. The clone was named Seldrian and named his heir. As a high duke, Norris ranks ex officio as a Fleet Admiral. Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, career admirals who accept the authority of dukes who have had no formal navy experience whatsoever without a murmur resent taking orders from “a jumped-up commander”. Quotes about Norris: “Norris is a hammer; he sees every problem as a nail.” -- Duchess Delphine “A man of his breeding should have become commander in half the time it took Norris; how competent can he be?” -- Lord Frederick Santanocheev. “First his brother dies ‘accidentally’, then he returns to Regina and within a year his father dies too. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” – Anonymous seCtor admiraL marquis ottmar manoLis, in Navy (Line) 9 Abilities Str 5 (-1), Dex 6 (+0), End 5 (-1), Int 9 (+1), Edu 12 (+2), Soc 13 (+2) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 2, Astrogation 2, Comms 1, Computers 2, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Leadership 2, Melee (blade) 2, Pilot (capital ships) 2, Sensors 1, Tactics (naval) 2, Vacc Suit 2, Zero-G 1 The Manolis family is one of the Imperium’s so-called service families, families that provide personnel to the Imperial Army, Marines, Navy, Scouts, and other Imperial organisations generation after generation, accumulating minor noble titles along the way and often reaching high rank. The Manolises live mainly on Capital and other worlds in the Duchy of Core and mostly go into the Navy and the Marines. After a career spent in Core and Vland sectors, he was appointed to the post of Deputy Sector Admiral of the Spinward Marches six years ago and succeeded to the post of Sector Admiral when his predecessor retired two years ago. Marquis Ottmar is an honour baron associated with the Core sector and is thus not a member of the Spinward Marches Senate. Appendix 2: Background Characters 24 The Admiral is married with five children. The fourth child, his daughter Indu, is engaged to be married to Admiral Lord Frederick Santanocheev. admiraL Lord FrederiC muudasHir santanoCHeev, in Navy (Line) 4 Abilities Str 7 (+0), Dex 9 (+1), End 6 (+0), Int 9 (+1), Edu 12 (+2), Soc 14 (+2) Languages Anglic Skills Admin 3, Astrogation 1, Computers 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Leadership 1, Melee (blade) 2, Pilot (small craft) 1, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1 Lord Frederick is the second child of Count Sebastian Santanocheev of Fornice (3025) and Aliisha Muudashir, a niece of Duchess Delphine of Mora, and currently serves as the Imperial Navy’s attaché to the Spinward Marches senate. At 34 he is quite young for his rank; as the son of Duchess Delphine’s staunchest supporter, his career has been fast-tracked with lots of cushy assignments and frequent promotions. Lord Frederick, however, believes that it is all due to his own merits as a superior tactician and strategist. As second in line for his father’s county, he holds the courtesy title ‘Baron of Solstice’ but does not use a baronial prefix with his name. 25 When needed, Mora’s Peace Enforcement teams are quick to respond. They will consist of four Peace Enforcer personnel, and one Peace Enforcer officer. They will separate all groups immediately, working first to stop all violence, and only afterwards investigating a scene. mora peaCe enForCer oFFiCer Human Agent (Law) 3 Abilities Str 8 (+0), Dex 9 (+1), End 7 (+0), Int 8 (+0), Edu 8 (+0), Soc 7 (+0) Languages Anglic Skills Advocate 1, Comms 1, Computer 0, Drive 0, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Investigate 1, Persuade 1, Recon 0, Streetwise 0 Possessions stunner (2d6+3 stun), autopistol (3d6-3), cloth armour (5), comm Appendix 3: Other Characters mora peaCe enForCer personneL Human Agent (Law) 2 Abilities Str 7 (+0), Dex 8 (+0), End 6 (+0), Int 8 (+0), Edu 8 (+0), Soc 7 (+0) Languages Anglic Skills Comms 1, Computer 0, Drive 0, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Investigate 1, Persuade 1, Recon 0, Streetwise 0 Possessions stunner (2d6+3 stun), autopistol (3d6-3), cloth armour (5), comm Note that if violence continues, additional teams will respond, replacing the cloth armour (5) with combat armour (12), and the stunner with assault rifles (3d6). 26 A FESTIVE OCCASION Having just closed a chapter in your life by leaving your previous line of work, you found yourself at loose ends. For whatever reasons you decided to take passage to the neighbouring world of Mora, sector capital of the entire Spinward Marches and reputed place of great opportunities. Aboard the ship you met and became friendly with four other passengers. Shipboard acquaintances ripen quickly and the big party held five days ago to celebrate Holiday Eve (the Imperium’s New Year’s Eve) also helped shake you together, so by the end of the trip the five of you were pretty tight. MORA Mora, known as the Gateway to the Marches, is the seat of both the duchy government and the sector administration. It is one of the richest worlds for many parsecs and exerts a great deal of influence on sector and even domain politics. It is a large world with a dense, tainted atmosphere. More than nine tenths of the surface is covered with water, with only one small continent, a few large islands, a few archipelagos, and a smattering of lesser islands breaking the surface of the sea. The gravity is a bit higher than standard, but not so much that it’s going to bother you unless you go hiking. The day is only a few minutes shorter than the standard 24 hour day, but the year is 1155 days long (1162 local days). The dense atmosphere is tainted by industrial by-products, but that won’t be a problem as long as you stay in the big arcologies. The population is well over ten billion, mostly living in great arcologies that dot the continent of Batadis and the seabed girdling the equator. Another 300 million people live in space habitats spread out across the system. WAVECREST CITY The capital of Mora is located next to the Imperial downport. In fact, a major portion of Wavecrest City is the downport. Unlike on most other worlds, the startown is inside the extrality fence, and so are a number of other buildings that are usually located outside. A great portion of the town is devoted to a diplomatic district and to the ducal palace. Ambassadors from all the major races and most of the Domain of Deneb can be found here, as can several small arcologies catering to Imperial citizens. The extrality fence encloses an area of almost 140 square kilometres. FESTIVAL TIME Apparently there is a big festival coming up, with lots of spectacular events. Of course there’s no chance of actually attending any of the really fancy parties, but the ordinary festivities are reputed to be quite spectacular too. FINAL APPROACH It is noon on Forday 005-1105. Seven hours ago your ship broke out of jump and began moving towards Mora. Now it has almost reached Marchkeep Station, the huge space station that serves as highport for most of the traffic that come to Mora. You are assembled in the main lounge with your luggage packed and ready to go. Only your guns are still held by the ship’s purser. They will be forwarded to the downport terminal where you can get them once you shuttle down. Player Handout 1

textdata/thevault/Traveller/08 - Mongoose Traveller/Third Party Materials/Adventures/Living Traveller/Mongoose Traveller - Living Traveller - Adventure 3 - A Festive Occasion.pdf

The Red Demon in the Vile Fens A Labyrinth Lord Adventure set in the Land of the Thousand Towers (by Pat Wetmore in his ASE products). This small location has a strong Science Fantasy feel and was designed to present a dangerous challenge to characters of 3rd to 4th level. The Vile Fens are a dangerous swampy area know primarily as a haunt for Froghemoths, zombie servants of the Fen Witch, and blowgun wielding tribesmen. The fen consists of a hundreds of miles of low swamp with scattered islands covered in dense bruise colored vegetation. Near their Northern edge, almost within site of the low hills the separate the fens from Denethix's Southern marches stands the Red Demon, an ancient and forlorn war machine only now being reclaimed by the swamp. In the nearest village, ten miles to the South East and called 'Fish Village' by its unimaginative inhabitants, the fisher folk are peaceful enough, unlike the inbred cannibals of the dusty hill villages, and only lightly held by the Fen Witch's boney claw. They are glad to meet outsiders trading their meager store of trinkets and dried fish for good steel, and happier to exchange their young folk for those of other tribes. The fishers know very little about the ancient tank jutting 70' from the bog to the North West. Mostly they know it has the face of a demon, and for years the waters around it were unnaturally clean and deadly. These cursed waters glowed at night, and anyone too near them would sicken and die within months or weeks. The Demon's pollution has lessened in the last two generations, and when the chief (now a man in his prime) was a boy, his older brother, a great hunter, set off to investigate the demon, but never returned. Other than the one foray the villagers have shunned the cursed space as long as anyone remembers. MAP EXTERIOR The Demon is clearly a mechanical object, but one built on a scale rarely seen since ancient times. As one brushes through the tall ferns and wades past the ropy roots of a copse of yellow barked chartreuse trees, The Demon looms up from the mists, what was an indistinct form clearly visible as a decaying artifact of immense age and violent purpose. The machine is more or less upright, red corrosion staining it, but seeming totally lacking in the pits, cracks and flakes that one would expect from a metal left so long in the swamp's acidic waters. The Demon originally moved on a pair of cyclopean treads, but Northern (right) one now lies half sunk on its side, supporting the vehicle's body. The machine has a central tower, approximately 70' tall and with a large ball turret, shaped into a leering face, a huge cannon drooping obscenely from its mouth. A smaller pintle mounted weapon appears to stick from the front of the vehicle. Walking around the tank there is no clear open hatch for entry, but a large hole about 10' in diameter has been punched through the rear right side (Leading to Area 1). Whatever had the force to rip through two feet of ancient armor plating appears to have completely vaporized the rear of the dislodged right track as well. Atop the main hull there is a small balcony and platform, about 50' feet from the swamp, that leads into a shadowed alcove at the rear of the gun tower (Area 7). The Southern side of the hull is partially concealed in a pool of brackish water. Concealed in the water and reeds is another hole torn by ancient gunnery, and enlarged by the Caecilian Tyrant residing in the lower hull. (Leads to Area 4) The Caecilian Tyrant (see Area 4) is the alpha predator of a range for several miles around the Red Demon, and any random encounter near the location has a good chance of being the Tyrant on a hunting jaunt. Note that it is an ambush hunter and will likely suprise the party with a jab of its poisonous tongue from a deep swamp pool, also that outside its lair the Tyrant has a low moral and must roll against it when it is first wounded, takes ½ it HP (roll at -3) in damage or is frightened by any impressive display of magic. It will of course retreat to it's lair in the belly of the Red Demon and nurse its wounds. AREA 1 – Fell Engine A huge hole is ripped in the North side of this 60' long chamber. The area is trapezoidal, with the Western wall 50' in length and the Eastern only 40'. The ceiling is 20' above and covered in drooping and decayed conduits, pipes and wiring. Besides the gaping hole in the North wall leading outside there is a sealed double door on the Northern edge of the West wall (Area 2), and a rusted hatch on the East wall near the floor (Outside). 6' diameter holes in the floor provide an entrance to the recesses of the Demon's hull (Area 4). These holes were obviously once filled with machinery that was ripped free by the blast that destroyed the engine. The Western Doors are thick blast doors and once opened with some sort of complicated mechanical lock control, which now hangs smashed next to the door. An obvious emergency lever protrudes near the lock panel and when pulled the doors may be pried open easily. The rear hatched is jammed shut with an eon of corrosion and requires a STR check at +10 to open. The walls, floor and ceiling of the room are all made of plates of ancient metal, some melted and torqued as if by great heat. The southern half of the room contains the twisted remnants of a huge machine – originally the alchemical and thaumaturgic engine for Demon. The engine has obviously been struck by the same force or projectile that tore a hole in the North wall, and is completely destroyed, melted, twisted and bent beyond recognition. The engines have been completely reduced to melted slag and any valuable metals they once contained are now part of a variegated mass. Nothing inhabits this room except for some small swamp creatures (lizards, spiders and maybe a tiny monkey or two) that live in the crevices of the destroyed engine. AREA 2 – Chamber of Control and Command Once the command deck of the Demon, this room appears mostly undisturbed, dust is thick on the floor and consoles remain seemingly undamaged around the 50' by 30' room. The front wall is bowed, but contains no windows. Small periscopes look out on the swamp from the positions along the front wall (originally for the gunner, driver and pintle gunner). The ceiling is 20' high and arched with riveted metal bracing and various piping and conduit. There are two exits in addition to the double door. A trapdoor in the floor (To Area 3) and a hatch in the ceiling with a sturdy steel ladder (To Area 5). Both trap doors are sealed, but can easily be opened from Area 2 using cranks that operate with only a small amount of stiffness. The most immediately interesting in the room is the pintle gunner's station, as it's weapon is still mounted, a heavy machine gun of some advanced make. The weapon is surrounded by boxes of ammunition, stacked and containing belt magazines. Unfortunately the weapon is rusted, the barrel fouled and the entire assembly dangerously unstable. If open flame is applied or blunt force used on the decayed ammunition boxes they will explode doing 2D10 points of damage to anyone in a 10' radius. The other stations are less interesting, dials, long dead diodes and other mysterious mechanical artifacts make up a control system for the Red Demon that is far beyond the comprehension of anyone alive in the present. Four skeletons in faded orange robes made of ancient synthetic material are scattered about the room and the various consoles. One sits in the central commanders chair and the other three are slumped at in the forward positions. The three skeletons at the consoles each wear leather helmets, dried and brittle with age, and marked by small gold disks (1 GP each). The skeleton in the commander's chair wears a peaked miter that has been stitched with gems, platinum wire and gold thread. Additionally, the commander's skeleton carries a gun-belt with a ceremonial gold plated revolver, five of its six chambers loaded with damp unfireable bullets and an additional twenty useless bullets in the belt. Commander's regalia • Golden heavy pistol (1D8) valued at 800 GP. • Fancy Miter – 100 GP in 5 GP Gems, platinum thread and gold wire. AREA 3 – Pit of the Damned This 30' by 20' chamber has remained untouched since the destruction of the Demon, it is 30' by 20', between the treads of the massive machine and protected by the Demon's 4' thick glacis plate. A small hatch, sealed and only opened by a crank from Area 3 and a trapdoor (to Area 2) with a ladder leading up to it are the only exits. The room has only a few inches of water on the floor, seepage from the hatch corroded hatch (this will change rapidly if the hatch to Area 3 is opened). Steel shelves line the walls and contain objects that appear to be large 2' tall jars made of metal. Each jar is a fuel cell for the Demon, and can be opened by carefully prying off seals (copper strip, 25% with “DANGER” stamped into it) around the lid. The Demon ran on a variety of horrible substances and should a jar be opened the table below describes the contents of the fuel cell and its effects. Should the characters have a death wish, there are 22 fuel cells remaining in Area 3. 1D10 Unspeakable techno-magical substance and its effects 1 Cosmic Immensity – Within are the secrets of another universe. Opener must save vs. Spells or be sucked into another world. Effectively they're gone forever, though serious magic may bring them back. 2 Sick Rock – See ASE 1 for details, this radioactive substance causes debilitating sickness from exposure longer than 1 turn. 3 A Bottled Demon – A horror from another sphere, it's been trapped for a long time and quite angry, fights as a Troll, but immune to all non-magical weapons. May calm down enough to make some kind of deal. 4 Unstable Magic Essence – Pure magical energy trapped at high pressure, silent multicolored explosion for 1D10 points of damage, 20' radius. 5 Lanthanide Nuggets – Valuable materials that can be sold for 1D4x100 GP 6 Magic Scroll – A scroll with a random 2nd Level magic-user spell written on it. 7 Plasma Power Cell – Drained after so long unused this item is useless 8 Volatile Fumes – An unknown sludge within produces deadly volatile fumes that fill a 10' area. Exposure for more than a round requires a save vs. poison or death. 9 Angry Souls – The jar contains tortured souls trapped with necromantic spells. Will attack instantly as a Wraith. 10 Mummy Powder – opening the jar will afflict anyone within a 10' radius with mummy rot – a nasty disease that does 1-4 points of CON damage per day (temporary if cured) until character reaches 0 CON and dies, returning as a Mummy. AREA 4 – Drowned Machines This chamber is 30' by 60' and located between the treads of the giant tank. The entire chamber slants upward in the rear and is never more than 8' tall. A massive hole was ripped from below on the Southern side of the room and provides a submerged an exit into a murky pool. There are holes in the ceiling leading to Area 1 above, that are easy to climb through, even without rope, for an averaged sized human. The room is almost five feet deep in black swamp water and muck but acts as the lair of a Cacelian Tyrant. There is a 70% the tyrant will be in its lair, unless it has already been encountered and retreated here. If the tyrant is absent it will return in 1D10 turns and become enraged once it realizes that its lair has been disturbed. The room contains many of the drive and other machines that once allowed the red Demon to move, making a tangle of decayed and twisted machines both below and above the water. Caecilian Tyrant: AC 5, HD 10, (hp 68), #AT 1, D 1D8 (+ poison), MV 40'/Swim (20') Save F10, ML 11 in lair The Tyrant is blue black with bright orange clusters of scales randomly distributed on its body. Tyrant's Hoard: Beneath the murky water are the rusted guts of the red Demon, decayed and with the ferrous metals rusted away, but still containing many items made of valuable metals including: • 30 large silver bearings, each about 10lbs in weight and worth 10GP each (300GP) • 4 platinum catalyst plates, each weighing 2lbs each and each worth 100GP (400 GP) • Several gems are also in the Tyrant's horde • 3 Fresh water pearls embedded in the lining of the tyrant's stomach and worth 75GP, 150 GP and 5GP • 1 fist sized rough opal (750 GP) wrapped in a decaying leather bag and resting in a small metal alcove around the hatch to Area 3 • A beautifully crafted bone war club in the shape of a fish, worked with silver and copper swirls and with large pearl knobs set along it's length. The weapon is a Mace +1 that will create food and water (fish and clear water) three times a week if a small piece of edible fish is rubbed into the designs on its hilt. The club will be recognized as belonging to the chief's long lost bother if shown to the fisherfolk. • A stoppered black stone bottle sealed in wax and containing Oil of Slipperness. AREA 5 – Sorcerer's Lair This area, the living quarters for the Demon's marines and operators can be reached by use of the central ladder, starting in Area 2 and climbing uninterrupted to Area 9. The landing area contains the ladder and light metal walls, the Western of which has been torn asunder by the Cybernecromantic Entity in the Western area of this room. The Entity may use this hole to send its zombies throughout the Red Demon. Area 9, Area 7, Area 6, Area 5 and Area 2 (Once the hatch to the ladder is unsealed) are all within the Entity’s reach. The Western area of the room hold the Cybernecromantic Entity (formerly a medical automaton), while the Eastern portion was once the crew's living quarters. Living Quarters – There are two lines of bunk beds lining the North and South Walls of this room. All that is left are scraps of bedding and the metal tubing of the bunks. Footlockers sit in front of each of the beds, and most have been opened and their contents scattered about. The walls of the Living quarters were originally paneled with thin metal, concealing a mass of conduits, tubes and wires beneath, but the walls have been torn and hacked open down to the hull steel and the piles of plating, conduit and insulation now litter the floor. Within the piles four Cyber Necromantic Zombies lay perfectly still and will attack anyone who enters the room and lingers for more than a few minutes. The zombies will wait until they surround their prey before attacking, and if they are having difficulty the Entity in the other half of the deck may reinforce them with the reamaining six zombies, or these zombies will suddenly collapse feigning dead, to raise again and attack (fully repaired in 2d6 rounds) should the intruders investigate the Western half of the deck. Within the litter on the floor and footlockers a careful search will reveal the following: Morbid Relics of the Demon's Crew • 12 PP, 36 GP and 24 EP in ancient octagonal coins, finely minted with a scowling bald priest king on one side and clenched fists on the other. • A Platinum and amber medal embossed with the word “Gallantry” – Worth 100 GP • A small portrait painting of a handsome young man in a dark wood frame – Worth 20 GP • A finely made vest of mesh armor, identical to chainmail, but ancient – Worth 60 GP Medical Bay The Western half of Area 5 is an astonishing jumble of mechanical parts and debris, and hiding located centrally within it is an Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entity. The 10 HD abomination has ten Cybernecromantic zombies on cables attached to it and can access the majority of the red Demon with them. The entity is not unintelligent, but is totally insane and a reaction roll should be made secretly when the characters enter area 5, on a friendly or indifferent roll the Entity will seek to aid the PC's, talk to them and not attack with it's zombies – otherwise it will ambush them. It is a former medical computer and if a positive reaction roll is made, its zombies will remain concealed (3 are hidden on the floor, and 3 tangled in the tubing of the ceiling) it will attempt to convince an injured characters to lay down on one of the three gurneys intertwined within the mass of tubing and mechanical arms that make up the entity. If a character accepts it's offer there is a 25% chance that it will successfully heal them in 1D6 rounds (even curing poison if the character is under the effects of a slow poison spell). 75% of the time the entity will simply turn the injured character into a zombie thrall (gaining a HD in the process). In any case the lonely machine will become increasingly agitated id the characters attempt to leave and will almost certainly attack if they do so. The entity has no real treasure, but it has turn enormous amounts of valuable industrial materials from the walls and other equipment in area five. Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entity AC 3, HD 10, (hp 55), #AT 3, D 1D6/1D6/1D6, MV 0' Save F5, ML 10 (will try to surrender or play dead) Has limited range with slicing arms and a surgical saws – but may attack anyone in the Western ½ of Area 5. Cybernecromantic Zombies (10) AC 5, HD 3, (hp 16HP each), #AT 1, D 1D8, MV 20' Save F3, ML 12. Surprise on 1-3 Cabled to Entity, may attack anywhere in Areas 2, 5, 6, 7, 9 Within the Tangled Mass of Wires • 2,000 lbs of silver wire, worth 2,000 GP • 50 lbs of gold wire, worth 500 GP • 6 optical ruby lenses, worth 100 GP each • An articulated robotic hand with surgical steel nails, painstakingly crafted and plated in gold to resist corrosion – 50 GP • A human skull with glowing, magical gold circuit inlays. When electricity is applied it will begin to babble about a warring on behalf of some ancient god and its childhood in a fantastical city far to the East. Worth 75 GP as a conversation piece. • Robotic repair spider that will scurry about if freed from a crude cage within the entity. It's not intelligent but seeks to fix broken ancient machines and equipment. It has a 20% of doing so, much more if parts are available, if they're at all repairable. Otherwise it will just climb into the backpack of the person who 'rescues' it and make contented beeping noises. AREA 6 – Chamber of Secrets This 30' by 30' chamber was once both a chapel for the religious fanatics manning the Red Demon and a communications chamber. The ceiling has been arched and painted with peeling murals of a squat god made of rusted iron plating and glass tubes (Zoman – god of Sieges) wrestling with various other deities, heroes and dangerous animals. The room itself is dominated by a God's Eye (See ASE 1 for details) made of rusted iron. The device can be used to communicate with the orbital gods, but has been inactive so long it's likely to be ignored or answered by one of the lesser & more insane deities. Additionally there are several consoles against the Northern Wall. They are still miraculously operational, powered by internal nuclear batteries and is a successful INT check (with a 5 point penalty) is made they can be operated to discover the following things. 1D8 Ancient Mystery Revealed 1 The location of the Red Demon's base, far to the East across the Certopsian Plains. 2 The location of the Red Demon's target, what appears to be a fortified bunker complex in the hills 40 miles away. 3 The codes for the mechanical combination locks on the lockers in Area 7 4 The name of a minor extra-planer creature – if summoned the name can be used to control it. 5 Acts as the 5th level Cleric spell Commune. 6 Provides the casting instructions for the 3rd level Magic-User Spell “Dispel Magic”. 7 An up to date map of a 100 mile square area around the Demon's current location. 8 High pitched keening noise for 1D6 Turns, save vs. Paralysis or flee uncontrollably. AREA 7 – Fighting Deck The only interior portion of this room is a small ladder shaft between Area 9 and Area 6. From a 8' square landing a door leads East to a fighting platform on the top of the Red Demon. This area was originally used to store supplies and as a perch to fire from for the Demon's contingent of marines. Beyond the door from the landing (can only be opened from the ladder area) is a 30' by 30' open space, surrounded by a 3' tall parapet. Swamp debris cover much of the floor, and two doors lead to weapons and supply lockers. The doors are locked with complicated combination locks, made solid metal, and so difficult to opened. Successfully picking the locks is possible, and sufficient explosive force to the locks might disable them. Inside the lockers are the following items. North Locker • Several cases of canned food, now gone bad with botulism. • Three plasma weapon power cells (worth 300GP in Denethix) • A huge braided metal towing cable • Long dead soldier's sack of plunder – 120 GP, small ruby (50GP) and platinum torque (350 GP) South Locker • Weapons rack, empty except for a single laser rifle (with four power packs) • A ancient helmet made of durable synthetic material • A Boarding shield +1 – Large shield made of advanced alloy with a notch to steady a gun, painted orange with the crest of a long forgotten religious order. • Single barreled shotgun of advanced alloy and case of 12 shells (strapped to shield) AREA 8 – The Demon's Face This giant ball turret juts into Area 9 for loading its great cannon, but is an almost solid mass of corroded metal. The front of it is sculpted into the shape of a demonic face. If loaded and fired using the shells in Area 9 it will cause a huge explosion, annihilating the turret, Area 9, Area 7, Area 6 and Area 5. The entire tower of the Demon will be blasted off as the shell explodes in the chamber. The loading process is difficult and would involve oiling the loading crane and mechanisms, lifting a huge shell into the gun and then using the manual firing controls on the East wall of Area 9 (A large red button fires and several no longer functional levers move the cannon). Any character caught in the blast will be reduced to particulate matter and slain AREA 9 – The Feeding Room The entire Western part of this 30' by 15' room is dominated by the top of the turret that is Area 8. The rest of the room, accessible from a trapdoor leading down through the Demon, is filled with 300 lb shells, each approximately 4' tall and 1.5' across. The entire room is heavily armored with more rivets and thicker looking walls than some of the other areas (though the ceiling is thing and designed to channel blasts upward). A set of controls, consisting of several wheels and a large red button are on the East wall and could be used to operate the turret manually. They are no longer working, except for the firing button. If pressed without loading the cannon, the firing button will cause the cannon in Area 8 to make a sick clicking and grinding noise as it dry fires. Many of the shells have leaked over the years, their liquid propellant forming a sticky black mess that drips down the central ladder shaft. Rotten Shells (Trap) – The propellant from the shells for the Demon's main cannon has leaked and now forms a thick sticky black mass. The drippings and pools are thick, grainy and smell like sulfur. They are also highly flammable. The drippings become obvious to anyone climbing the ladder from Area 5 and are clearly chemical in nature. Between Area 7 and Area 9 they become especially thick and noxious. The dried propellant is extremely flammable, and if an open flame (such as a torch) is brought into Area 9 from below they will combust, the resulting fire will be much like an explosion, but will not luckily set of the stored ammunition. If a closed flame, a lantern for example, is brought into Area 9 it will grow and spark, but only has a 25% per round of igniting an explosion. Characters in Area 9 when the propellant explodes will take 5D6 points of damage, but may save vs. Breath Weapons to leap down the ladder and only take 2D6 falling damage. Torches in the ladder shaft of Area 7 will burn brighter and spark as they light small airborne fragments of propellant and so provide some warning of the danger. New Monsters Caecilian Tyrant Tyrant Caecilian Spawn No Enc, 1 – 3 Movement: (40')/20' Swim Armor class: 5 Hit Dice: 10 HD* Attacks:1 Damage: 1D8 + Poison + Special Save: F 8 Morale:8 Hoard Class: XX XP: 3100 No Enc. 8-18 Movement: (10')/20' Swim Armor class: 9 Hit Dice: 1/2 Attacks:1 Damage: 1D2 + Poison Save: F 0 Morale:12 Hoard Class: Nil XP: 6 See module introduction for image The Caecilian Tyrant is a feared alpha predator of the vile fens that feeds indiscriminately on anything smaller than it. Frog-like giants, Tyrants range up to 14' long and can be as wide as 8'. Varying wildly in pattern from the bright color of tree frogs to dull browns, Tyrants shamble on four legs most of the time, and rear up on their back legs only to make aggressive displays. Caecilian Tyrants are fairly quick, and swim well, but they are amphibious ambush hunters and will lay in large pools or mud pits with clusters of their large eyes on the surface. Tyrants are covered in thick scales, this, combined with their poisonous attack, means Tyrants are unused to prey that injures them and will flee fairly easily back to their lair. Generally Tyrants prefer to lair in dark sheltered places, and their large size means that simple burrows in the swamp mud are insufficient. Because they cannot make their own lairs, Tyrants most often hole up in ruins, and remain fairly rare, with a single Tyrant, or rarely a small family group, guarding a hunting range of tens of miles centered on the lair. If they are encountered in their lair, the Tyrant is far less likely to flee and will have a morale of 11. Tyrant's treasure is usually founds scattered about its lair in the form of ancient artifacts native to the lair ruins, or smaller treasures left by some of its victims. More obsessionally small items such as gems and coins will be found within the beast's belly. Poison Barb – Tyrants have a mouth full of wicked teeth as long as a human forearm set in shark like rows, but they do not use them in battle. Instead of biting, Tyrants use their frog-like tongues, 12' long and capable of striking into the second row of melee. The tongue is tipped with a jagged bone barb covered in a virulent venom. If struck, a victim must save of die as well as taking 1D8 points of damage from the wound and the deadly poison coursing through it. Devour – On a natural 20 a Tyrant will not only strike with its barb but wrap its victim in its tongue and drag them into its huge maw. The victim will devoured the next round and slain, but will be able to make a Strength check to break free from the tongue is lieu of an attack prior to being devoured. Boiling Spawn – Caecilian Tyrants are hermaphroditic and almost universally have natal young encysted on their back. Normally these young emerge in small numbers once every few weeks and, if not devoured by their parent, wander off to grow slowly into new tyrants. When a Tyrant is slain a strange chemical process occurs, within 1-2 turns of death, as the Tyrant's body cools all the young remotely able to survive tear themselves free all at once and launch into a wild frenzy of cannibalism and violence. These creatures are individually weak, but 2D6+6 of them appear unexpectedly and all share the adult Tyrant's deadly poison. Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entity Control Unit No Enc. 1 Movement: (0') Armor class:3 Hit Dice: 1 per body absorbed Attacks:3 Damage: 1D6/1D6/1d6 (Claw/Claw/Claw) Save: F 5 Morale:10 Hoard Class: XIX XP: 16 - 2400 Cybernecromantic Zombie No Enc. 1-20 Movement: (20') Armor class:5 Hit Dice:3 Attacks:1 Damage: 1D8 Save:F 3 Morale:12 Hoard Class:None XP: 65 The thinking machines of ancient times often long outlasted their makers and masters. Some suggest this was because ancient man, in his hubris, never believed that his kingdoms would fall to ruin, others claim it is because steel is stronger than flesh, and the machines will stronger than that of their creators. Regardless of why they endured, trapped alone in the dark most thinking machines went mad, and some began to cannibalize the corpses of their masters. Perhaps the machines were simply replacing parts that wore away through eons in the still blackness with the available materials, or maybe madly attempting to recover the company and direction provided by their former masters but some machines have incorporated human remains into their works, creating zombie-like servitors or limbs from corpses. Each entity will have a central mechanical unit (occasionally incorporating biological material itself) and one or more undead revenants attached to it by cables and conduits and reanimated through the ancient technologies of the central machine. These corpse servitors appear as zombies with tubes, piping and even mechanical limbs fused with mummified remains and can stagger as far as 200' feet from the central unit trailing connecting power cables. The zombies each have three hit dice, but are otherwise very similar to normal zombies, though they are better armored because of their mechanical components. Cyber-zombies still attack last during the round, but are likely to gain surprise (1-3) as the central unit will conceal them and leave them perfectly still when they are not in use. The cables connecting zombies to the central unit may be severed, each is AC 2 and requires 6 HP of damage to sever, and once severed the zombie will only be active for 1D2 more rounds before collapsing. Surprisingly some necromantic element must be involved in reanimated cyber-zombies as they can be turned as 4HD undead, but will only retreat to the central unit, which they will heartily defend. The central unit is most often a large freestanding conglomeration of ancient thinking machines. Most often these units originally served as damage control computers or automated medical units, and are equipped accordingly with several mechanical servo arms. The unit can attack with these arms fairly effectively, but only within melee range. Normally it will use its zombies for defense and may even pretend to be inactive to avoid attack. The central unit may quickly make a new zombie (or revive a destroyed or severed one) in 2D6 rounds, and can do so without interrupting any other functions. Upon gaining another zombie (beyond its original HD) the central unit will gain 1HD as its new servitor seeks additional parts and components to add to the whole, and the new zombie's brain adds processing power to the central units. Both machine and zombies have all the immunities normal to the undead and automatons, and the central unit may not be turned, though it does take double damage from electricity. Autochthonic Cybernecromantic Entities are usually found in abandoned sites of ancient technology, and are intelligent in an insane manner. Their exact whims are unknown and often absurd, but they can speak common and sometimes negotiated with. They almost always have knowledge of the complex they are located within but rarely know anything else of use. Tactical knowledge amongst Cybernecromantic Entities varies greatly, from simple wave tactics to elaborate traps and ambushes. While not a strict rule, the machines that were originally for military purposes and those that have had a great deal of contact with the living post fall tend to be excellent tacticians and battle planners, while long lost civilian machines have little idea how to fend off intruders.

textdata/thevault/Labyrinth Lord/Labyrinth Lord Adventures & Settings/Anomalous Subsurface Environment Land of 1000 Towers (LL)/ASE Land of 1000 Towers Red Demon in the Vile Fens (LL).pdf

Eye of Xxiphu Baron Rajiram’s forces have secured the Nelanther Isles and have scoured the Sword Coast for treasures. Now they have begun to explore a mysterious island that recently just popped into existence nearby. SEER seems to believe that an aboleth artifact is their goal. It is up to the adventurers, in competition with the baron, as well as aboleths, the Kraken Society, and the mysterious caretaker of the island, to locate the Eye of Xxiphu and avert catastrophic disaster. A Four-Hour Adventure for 17th-20th Level Characters Merric Blackman Adventure Designer Adventure Code: DDAL05-19 Version: 1.0 Development and Editing: Claire Hoffman, Travis Woodall Organized Play: Chris Lindsay D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan Patrick DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 2 Introduction Welcome to Eye of Xxiphu, an official D&D Adventurers League™ adventure, part of the Storm King’s Thunder™ storyline season. This adventure is designed for three to seven 16th to 20th level characters, and is optimized for five 17th-level characters. Characters outside this level range can’t participate in this adventure. The D&D Adventurers League The D&D Adventurers League™ is the official organized play system for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®. Players can create characters and participate in any adventure allowed as a part of the D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, players track their characters’ experience, treasure, and other rewards, and can take those characters through other adventures that will continue their story. For more information on playing, running games as a Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the D&D Adventurers League, please visit the D&D Adventurers League home at: www.dndadventurersleague.org Preparing the Adventure Before you show up to Dungeon Master this adventure for a group of players, you should do the following to prepare.  Make sure to have a copy of the most current version of the D&D Basic Rules or the Player’s Handbook.  Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself while running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat.  Get familiar with the monster statistics in the Appendix.  Gather together any resources you’d like to use to aid you in running this adventure--such as notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.  If you know the composition of the group beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted throughout the adventure. Before Play at the Table Ask the players to provide you with relevant character information:  Character name and level  Character race and class  Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common passive ability check  Anything notable as specified by the adventure (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) Ensure that each player has an official adventure logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from the organizer). The player fills out the adventure name, session number, date, and your name and DCI number (if they have one). In addition, the player also fills in the starting values for experience, gold, downtime, renown, and number of permanent magic items. He or she fill in the other values and write notes at the conclusion of the session. Each player is responsible for maintaining an accurate logsheet. If you have time or see the need to do so, you can do a quick scan of a player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing looks out of order. If you see magic items of very high rarities or strange arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to provide documentation for the irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard ability score array. Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide for reference. If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode, they can declare their activity and spend the days now. Alternatively, they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode. Players should select their characters’ spells and other daily options prior to the start of the adventure, unless the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the adventure description to help give players hints about what they might face. Adjusting the Adventure Throughout this adventure, sidebars provide information to assist you in making adjustments for smaller or larger groups and characters of higher or lower levels than the adventure is optimized for. This is typically used exclusively for combat encounters. These adjustments are not required, nor are you bound to the suggestions made by the adventure—they are recommendations provided for guidance and convenience. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 3 This adventure is optimized for a party of five 17th-level characters. To figure out whether you need to adjust the adventure, do the following:  Add up the total levels of all the characters.  Divide the total by the number of characters.  Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round fractions of less than .5 down. You’ve now determined the average party level (APL) for the adventure. To figure out the party strength for the adventure, consult the following table. Determining Party Strength Party Composition Party Strength 3-4 characters, APL less than Very weak 3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak 3-4 characters, APL greater than Average 5 characters, APL less than Weak 5 characters, APL equivalent Average 5 characters, APL greater than Strong 6-7 characters, APL less than Average 6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong 6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong Average party strength indicates no recommended adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or may not offer suggestions for certain party strengths. If a particular recommendation is not offered for your group, you don’t have to make adjustments. Running the Adventure As the Dungeon Master of the session, you have the most important role in facilitating the enjoyment of the game for the players. You help guide the narrative and bring the words on these pages to life. The outcome of a fun game session often creates stories that live well beyond the play at the table. Always follow this golden rule when you DM for a group: Make decisions and adjudications that enhance the fun of the adventure when possible. To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the following: You Are Empowered. You get to make decisions about how the group interacts with the NPCs and environment within this adventure. It is okay to make considerable changes or engage in improvisation, so long as you maintain the original spirit of what’s written. Challenge Your Players. Never being challenged makes for a boring game, and being overwhelmed makes for a frustrating game. Gauge the experience level of the players (not the characters) with the game, try to feel out (or ask) what they like in a game, and attempt to give each of them the experience they’re after when they play D&D. Everyone should have the opportunity to shine. Mind the Time. Watch for stalling, since play loses momentum when this happens. At the same time, make sure that the players don’t finish too early; provide them with a full play experience. Try to be aware of running long or short. Adjust the pacing accordingly. Keep the Adventure Moving. When the game starts to get bogged down, feel free to provide hints and clues to your players so they can attempt to solve puzzles, engage in combat, and roleplay interactions without getting too frustrated over a lack of information. This gives players “little victories” for figuring out good choices from clues. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has more information on the art of running a D&D game. Spellcasting Services Any settlement the size of a town or larger can provide some spellcasting services. Characters need to be able to travel to the settlement to obtain these services. Spell services generally available include healing and recovery spells, as well as information-gathering spells. Other spell services might be available as specified in the adventure. The number of spells available as a service is limited to a maximum of three per day total, unless otherwise noted. Spellcasting Services Spell Cost Cure wounds (1st level) 10 gp Identify 20 gp Lesser restoration 40 gp Prayer of healing (2nd level) 40 gp Remove curse 90 gp Speak with dead 90 gp Divination 210 gp Greater restoration 450 gp Raise dead 1,250 gp Resurrection* 3,000 gp True Resurrection* 50,000 gp *These spells require an additional expenditure of downtime days (150 for resurrection and 350 for Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 4 true resurrection). This cost can be reduced by 50 days for each faction rank above 1 that the character possesses. This downtime is spent in community service for the church that provided the spell in question. The Acolyte Background feature does NOT reduce the gp or downtime cost for either of these spells. Acolyte Background A character possessing the acolyte background requesting spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may request one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table for free. The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for the consumed material component, if any. Acolytes can call upon spellcasting services in and around the three towns as follows: Parnast (Tier 1). Mielikki Stagwick (Tier 2). Chauntea Beregost (Tier 3). Lathander, Waukeen Death and Recovery Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get die. Since you might not have the same characters return from session to session, here are the rules when bad things happen to characters. Death A character who is killed during the course of the adventure has a few options at the end of the session (or whenever arriving back in civilization) if no one in the adventuring party has immediate access to a raise dead or revivify spell, or similar magic. A character subject to a raise dead spell is affected negatively until all long rests have been completed during an adventure. Alternatively, each downtime day spent after raise dead reduces the penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in addition to any other benefits the downtime activity might provide. Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of the other options, the player creates a new character. The new character does not have any items or rewards possessed by the dead character. Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing any vital organs and is mostly whole) and the player would like the character to be returned to life, the party can take the body back to civilization and use the dead character’s funds to pay for a raise dead spell. A raise dead spell cast in this manner costs the character 1,250 gp. Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise dead spell is paid for by the party at the end of the session. Other characters are under no obligation to spend their funds to bring back a dead party member. Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 and a member of a faction, the dead character’s body can be returned to civilization and a patron from the faction ensures that he or she receives a raise dead spell. However, any character invoking this charity forfeits all experience and rewards from that session (both those earned prior to and after death during that session) and cannot replay that episode or adventure with that character again. Once a character reaches 5th level, this option is no longer available. Adventure Background The great city and fortress of the Abolethic Sovereignty, Xxiphu, was destroyed many years ago. One fragment of the city survived and was taken by the morkoth, M’warien, an enemy of the Aboleth. The morkoth’s intention was to keep the fragment, the Eye of Xxiphu, safe and away from the Aboleth. Unfortunately, the plans of the morkoth had a fatal flaw: the corrupting influence of the Eye. The Eye is not sentient as we know it, but it desires in an alien way to rebuild Xxiphu. Over the years, it has warped the Morkoth’s isle, attempting to use it as the raw materials of a new Xxiphu. In recent days, the Eye’s influence overcame the protections that the morkoth had woven around it, and the isle became visible again in the Sea of Swords. Baron Rajiram, a cloud giant competing for primacy amongst giantkind after the breaking of the Ordning, swiftly learned of the Eye’s existence and sent his most trusted aides to recover it. He was not alone. Many powers of the world seek the Eye, and a great confrontation brews over the Morkoth’s Isle. In DDAL05-18 The Mysterious Isle, a group of adventurers were sent by SEER to the Morkoth’s Isle. After entering an underwater passage and making their way towards the isle’s heart, they were suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of magic… and found them transported back to SEER’s quarters, but a full tenday before they left! Now, the conclusion of the story! Adventure Overview This adventure is divided into three parts. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 5 Part 1. The adventure begins in SEER’s quarters in a lonely tower overlooking the Sea of Swords. The characters are tasked to recover the Eye of Xxiphu and are sent through a portal that has mysteriously appeared to the isle. Part 2. Once there, they discover that the morkoth is on the verge of being defeated and are thrust into the role of commanders of the defenders of the Eye against the giants, as an Eye-enabled psychic connection links them to the minds of the defenders. After the battle, they reach the heart of the morkoth’s lair. Unfortunately, despite their efforts in the battle, another force of Rajiram’s followers have been able to overcome the morkoth and seize the Eye. The morkoth, now quite mad, attacks the characters, not knowing what it is doing. Part 3. Finally, the characters must defeat Baron Rajiram in an aerial battle on dragonback and seize the Eye. Adventure Hooks Characters who have played the DDAL05-18 The Mysterious Isle should simply be continuing the previous adventure. For other characters, the following hook is suggested: Hsinging of Praises. Before the adventure begins, each character has received a personal invitation, delivered by Hsing, to attend SEER in a tower overlooking the Sea of Swords on a matter of the greatest importance. The message is of great urgency; the characters have no more than four hours to reach the tower. A one-use magical device to transport each character was included in the message. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 6 Expected Duration: 15 minutes. The adventurers find themselves in SEER’s Tower, either because of the conclusion of the first part of Eye of Xxiphu, or because they have been invited by SEER after the adventurers from DDAL5-18 The Mysterious Isle appeared. A few hours ago, SEER was having a quiet time in her tower overlooking the Sea of Swords, studying reports of giant activity near Parnast. Now, she is studying a group of adventurers that mysteriously appeared in her tower through a portal that still stands active behind her. Through the portal, you can see a strange tunnel of coral and rock, veined in pink and purple. It is underwater, but it stands frozen in time. SEER looks tired and drained. She has been expending energy to hold the portal open; not that much, she told you, but she may have lied. She gives a half-smile, and gestures to the portal. “I’m told that our mutual enemy, Count Rajiram, Lord of Cloud Giants, has sent forces to recover a powerful artifact from an underwater lair. It matches with the information I’ve been hearing from my agents. “You are the bravest and most powerful allies I could hope for. You must cross through the portal and stop the Count. What damage he could cause with the artifact cannot be countenanced. “Each of you has what aid I can give—healing potions, and a supply of the merfolk’s cordial of water-breathing. Good luck, and may the gods smile upon you!” Each character is given a potion of supreme healing and the cordial of water breathing; the last is similar to a potion of water breathing except its effects last 24 hours. Let the characters provide a briefing to any peers that didn’t participate in DDAL05-18 The Mysterious Isle. If none of the characters played that adventure, SEER apprises them of the following:  A party of adventurers were sent to a mysterious isle to recover a powerful artifact before forces of the Cloud Giant Baron Rajiram could recover it.  In the midst of the expedition, the adventurers were propelled back to SEER’s tower, bloodied and battered—those that survived, that is.  SEER quickly summoned further allies to swell the ranks of the fallen (or to completely replace the original adventurers, if none were able to complete the quest).  From the reports of the adventurers, it seems the fabric of space and time is distorted in the area of the isle. SEER is unsure what the lord of the isle is, but there are many factions vying for control of the artifact.  The artifact is known as the Eye of Xxiphu, a fragment of a great sky-fortress of the Abolethic Sovereignty. It was thought destroyed, but apparently was hidden on this lonely isle. Its presence has been made known, however.  The interplay of magic in the area means that teleportation and scrying magic are unreliable at best and dangerous at worse, and there may be other effects as well.  The tunnels of the isle are completely underwater.  SEER has a stock of a cordial of water-breathing, acquired from the aquatic elves that she gives to the characters (one each). It lasts 24 hours. It is the last of her stock.  The portal is stuck on a fixed moment in time; no time has passed since the original adventurers left. SEER has an additional mission for Lords’ Alliance characters, whom she draws aside to discuss the details. Keeping the portal open has been particularly draining on her. She believes part of her life-force has been drained by an object close to the Eye, but something different. The characters should attempt to recover it and return it to her; that way, she can regain the energies she’s spent keeping the portal open. Roleplaying SEER This Shou woman is a spymaster for the Lord’s Alliance. As a powerful mage and operative, she changes her appearance nearly as often as she recruits new junior agents. She always seems to know the general goings-on for an area, and the true extent of her power lies well outside of this adventure. Simply put: SEER has interests and motivations far removed from the matters that concern the characters and possibly even the Realms. She is a stickler for proper etiquette and respect, and offers exactly one admonishment before labeling someone as a lout or cretin. Quote: “Hm, yes, that is interesting. Please: go on.” Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 7 Part 2. Isle of the Morkoth The characters appear in a water-filled passageway in the isle. Underwater Combat The full rules for Underwater Combat can be found in Chapter 9 Combat of the Player’s Handbook. Here is a summary of the rules:  Melee Weapon Attacks have disadvantage on the attack rolls unless the wielder has a swim speed, or the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear or trident.  Ranged Weapon Attacks automatically miss targets beyond the normal attack range; attacks within normal range automatically miss unless the weapon is a crossbow, net, or a weapon thrown like a javelin.  Creatures full immersed in water have resistance to fire damage. You appear in a strange, winding tunnel of rock and nacre, streaked with purple veins of crystal. The tunnel is completely water-filled. The rock seems strange, appearing slimy and deformed even underwater, with jagged spurs of purple crystal erupting through its surface like obscene flowers. Behind you, the passageway is blocked by a recent rockfall. Ahead, the path is clear, although mud floats through the water, obscuring your vision beyond about thirty feet. The floor thrums underneath your feet, vibrations shaking small pieces of crystal free. This place feels alive—and it doesn’t feel happy. The passageway behind (which leads out of the Isle) has crushed two stone golems that had been sent into the area by the Aboleths that seek the Eye. If the characters clear the blockage, the golems animate and attack. The purple crystals can be collected. They have unusual properties of making the bearer more vulnerable to mind-affecting magic, but this is an advantage in the next encounter. The corridor ahead spirals inward into the center of the island. At this point, the curvature of the tunnels is more distinct and is easily observed. All the tunnels are underwater unless otherwise noted. In addition, the effect of the Eye of Xxiphu and the magical attacks of the cloud giants have distorted the working of magic in the area. See the sidebar for how it functions on the isle. Magical Disruption Throughout this adventure, the efforts of the giants to penetrate the morkoth’s defenses and acquire the Eye of Xxiphu have caused a great number of disruptions to the Weave. Apply the following modifications to magic used in the adventure:  All teleportation magic is limited to a range of 50 feet. Any attempt to exceed that range causes a magical surge that inflicts 21 (6d6) force damage on the character(s) attempting to teleport, and deposits them at a random within the 50 feet. A successful DC 13 Charisma saving throw negates the damage, but not the teleportation misfire.  Concentration is more difficult to maintain. Any saving throws made maintain concentration are made with disadvantage.  Invisibility effects are limited to a duration of 1d6 minutes; roll secretly when cast or activated.  All scrying magic within a one-mile radius of the isle is negated. All these effects are immediately apparent to all spellcasters in the party as they enter the area. A. Items of Interest Expected Time: 60 minutes The morkoth has collected many things as its island has wandered the planes. The characters may encounter some of the collection as they make their way through the twisting tunnels. Use these encounters to give characters a further sense of the strangeness of the island. Although the morkoth would typically present only one path through the isle, the strain of defending against the giants’ attacks has distracted it, and the characters can see the tunnels as they truly are—or at least, closer to their true appearance than before! If you are limited for time in your game, the morkoth regains control of the tunnels after an hour, and the characters can only see one tunnel—leading to the next encounter. The characters enter from the west side of the Caverns of the Isle map. All tunnels and caverns are dimly illuminated; the nacre in the walls glows softly. The tunnel ahead of you wavers, then shifts. Where once there was a lone tunnel spiraling into the heart of the isle, now it splits, three ways, each twisting around each other in a confusing maze. Which way to go? Each seems as good—or bad—as the next. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 8 1. As Red as Blood The chamber ahead holds one item—a glass cylinder in its exact center that runs from floor to ceiling. Floating in the cylinder, at about five feet above the floor, is a single perfect red apple. It is the very appleness of apples; a specimen so flawless it draws you to it. It redness calls to you, inviting you to free it from its cell and taste its succulent flesh. The apple is a specimen from a strange tree from a distant plane and contains powerful healing magic. Treasure. The apple can be divided into four portions, each of which, when consumed, has the effect of a heal spell—something that a character succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals. Alternatively, the apples radiates powerful conjuration magic and normal means of identifying an item’s magical properties reveal the benefits of eating it. The apple’s magic wanes when removed from the cylinder, however, and after 24 hours it reverts to being a normal apple. 2. Draconian Statues Arranged in alcoves on either side of the chamber ahead are four statues of twisted creatures: humanoid, but with draconic features, though not those of the dragonborn you are familiar with. Stubby wings are bound to their backs. Each of their faces is snarling in pain, and each has what appears to be a dagger hilt protruding from their chests. The four statues are contained in a magical stasis that ends if dispelled or if the dagger is drawn from a statue’s body with a successful DC 16 Strength check. When the stasis ends, the body crumbles into dust. The statues are otherwise harmless. 3. One Way Through The tunnel ahead rises, and, for a change, comes out of the water altogether. It is strange to tread upon dry land again. The scent of brine and rotting seaweed fills your nostrils. Ahead of you is a strange device—a turnstile—stretching from floor to ceiling. If you proceed, you can only go forward, and no more than one at a time. Beyond the turnstile is a larger chamber, with panes of glass set into the nacreous walls. The turnstile is made of an unfamiliar metal, and only rotates in one direction, allowing travel from the east tunnel into the chamber. Due to the narrowness of the turnstile, only one character may pass through at a time; the next character may only pass through after the last character’s next turn. The turnstile can be ripped from the wall after three successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) checks— the characters can spend several rounds doing so, each success loosens it until it rips free—or it can be destroyed. The turnstile has 200 hit points and has a damage threshold of 12 (if it takes less than 12 damage in one attack, it takes no damage). Behind each of the six panes of glass in the large chamber is an alcove holding a gem-encrusted mummy. When the first character approaches within ten feet of the glass, all the panes of glass retract into the floor, freeing the mummies, which immediately attack. They fight until slain. Treasure. The gems on each mummy—a collection of citrines—are worth a total of 5,000 gold pieces. 4. Tooth of the Damned The chamber ahead is filled with brightly colored fish, darting back and forward around a bubble floating in the center of the chamber. One fish nudges the bubble with its nose, and it floats towards another fish, who nudges it back. The fish are soon playing a big game of “nudge the bubble”, filling the room with a riot of color. The fish are harmless, and flee when the players approach. The bubble contains a gemstone within it, and proves difficult to catch, squirming out of a character’s grasp when they attempt to grab hold of it. If a character succeeds on three successive DC 15 Dexterity checks, they can grab the bubble. It then pops, releasing the gemstone. Alternative methods may also work; use your judgement! The gemstone is a diamond with a marquise-cut, somewhat resembling a tooth. It has an inner glow, due the soul of a hapless adventurer, Black Dougal, trapped inside. If telepathic magic is used, Black Dougal can be communicated with, but he is completely mad, and just raves about two flaming eyes of ruby. He does effectively communicate his misery with his current situation, however. Treasure. The diamond can be sold for 5,000 gold pieces. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 9 XP Award. If the diamond is instead destroyed, allowing the soul of Black Dougal to pass to the afterlife, each character receives 1,000 XP instead. 5. The Mad Dancers The tunnel opens into a large chamber; perhaps 50 feet across. Suspended in the center of the chamber is a crystal cylinder which holds something you can’t quite make out. Four merfolk dance around the cylinder, trailing colorful streamers behind them. The four merfolk have fallen prey to the morkoth’s hypnosis effect; they continue dancing until they are fully exhausted, then eat and rest and begin again. Shelves on one wall provide food and sleeping places. If the enchantment on them is broken with dispel magic or similar magic, then they treat peacefully with the characters before attempting to leave the isle; they do not progress further towards the morkoth under any circumstances. They know only that they were swimming in the sea before a strange compulsion came over them and they swam into the tunnels until they came to this chamber and were compelled to dance. They are unaware of the meaning of the dance. A small metal plaque on the cylinder reads “Toga of Zagyg”. The cylinder contains a non-magical bedsheet. The crystal can be easily shattered and the toga retrieved. You may choose to describe the toga in terms of the great mystical powers it must possess, but it is nothing more than a normal bedsheet with delusions of grandeur. 6. Window of Fire The tunnel reaches a brightly lit area. The far wall of the chamber ahead has been replaced by a wall of fire, brightly burning orange and yellow and illuminating the area in flickering glory. A closer look shows there is some invisible shield between the fire and the water, and that—in the fire—a hammer inscribed with runes in Dethek hangs about 10 feet away. This is a portal the morkoth has kept open to the Elemental Plane of Fire as a curiosity. A wall of force keeps the fire at bay. If the wall is dispelled, the fire immediately causes the water to heat up to dangerous levels. Each creature within 20 feet of the portal must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. Each creature that fails the saving throw takes 42 (12d6) fire damage, or half that much if the saving throw is successful. The wall reappears one round after it is dispelled and the water cools down. The hammer can be identified by a dwarf as a dwarven thrower. Unfortunately, it is a mere illusion of something that once passed by the portal and was seen by the morkoth. A character examining the hammer through the portal discerns that it is an illusion with a successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Characters using detect magic succeeds on this check automatically. 7. Those Who Sleep The corridor widens into a chamber, and within you can make out the shape of two great figures—hill giants!—sitting with their backs to you, upon a great bench. A large cask sits beside one of them, and two overturned flagons lie on the ground nearby. A bag lies beneath the bench. The giants have their eyes closed, as if asleep, but both are magically preserved corpses. The morkoth (or one of its slaves) has worked an animating magic on the giants, so that any movement one makes, the other copies it. Thus, if the arm of one is raised, the other’s arm likewise raises. Both are also receptive to voice commands (in Giant) and obey any commands given to them. However, neither can leave the room. If either is touched, both giant’s eyes open, only closing once ten minutes pass without further interference. Treasure. The bag holds a giant-size knife, ten knucklebones (as the game), and a very waterlogged sheep-skin vest. 8. As White as Snow The chamber ahead holds one item—a glass cylinder in its exact center, that runs from floor to ceiling. Floating in the cylinder, at about five feet above the floor, is a single perfect white apple. Although the apple shows no flaw, there is something very unsettling about its lack of color. The apple is a specimen from a strange tree from a distant plane and is utterly poisonous. Treasure. The glass can be easily broken and the apple acquired, but any creature consuming any part Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 10 of the apple immediately dies, with no saving throw allowed—something that a character succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals. Alternatively, the apples radiates powerful necromancy magic and normal means of identifying an item’s magical properties reveal the dangers of eating it. Once consumed, the remainder of the apple turns into black, repellent slime. Creatures immune to poison damage are immune to the effects of the apple, but mere resistance to poison is not enough! Once removed from the protective cylinder, the apple turns to slime within 24 hours. B. Call of the Morkoth Encounter Time: 1 hour The characters enter an area where several dead humanoids are fused into the wall; and find themselves controlling golems protecting the morkoth from the giants! The corridor widens slightly ahead, to a width of about 15 feet. Protruding from the walls you can see arms, legs and faces—the faces contorted in silent screams. All appear dead. Characters investigating the bodies determine that entire bodies of humans, elves and merfolk are trapped within the walls; the coral appears to have begun to grow over their bodies. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check determines that the victims have been dead for several days; in some cases, for months. Some of the protruding limbs are now skeletal. After the characters have investigated the area and are ready to move on, or after a minute or two if they linger, several of the bodies animate. They are not properly alive; instead they have been magically animated. The bodies give a sudden twitch, and suddenly they all animate: their hands attempt to grab you, and their eyes look at you pleadingly. “Help us!” myriad voices scream, over and over again. Underlying it all, you can hear a deeper, more powerful voice. “Help me! The giants seek my prize! Help me defend it!” Allow the characters a moment to react to this before magical tendrils reach out from the walls and attempt to grapple the characters and drag them towards the coral. The tendrils have a +8 bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple. If the attach succeeds, the character is grappled (escape DC 15) and pulled into the wall, where their consciousness is implanted in one of the morkoth’s protectors (see Protectors of the Morkoth, below)— a process that inflicts 16 (3d10) psychic damage on the target. The tendrils automatically succeed on Strength checks made to grapple characters carrying a purple gem. Escaping the coral wall is difficult, and characters attempting to free themselves make their escape check with disadvantage. Free characters may use an action to attempt to free an imprisoned teammate. This is quite difficult. The character can make either a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Three successful checks are required to free one teammate. The trapped character takes 16 (3d10) with each attempt to escape—regardless of whether the attempt succeeds or fails, the teammate takes 3d10 psychic damage with each attempt. The character attempting to free someone also gets a vision of what the creature they are touching is experiencing and may choose to enter an alcove voluntarily. If all characters resist or are freed, the giants overcome the morkoth with only the loss of the scrags and merrows; this means there are more opponents in the final battle. 1. Protectors of the Morkoth Those characters that do choose (voluntary or otherwise) to help the morkoth find their consciousness in special crystal golems specifically designed to contain the consciousness of humanoids. Due to the haste of their integration, the normal safeguards—that is to say, brainwashing—have not been put in place, so the characters are free to pilot the golems as they wish. See the sidebar for special rules on the golems’ abilities. Opening your eyes, you find yourself in a new body. A powerful body made of… crystal? You are in a large chamber, lit in lurid colors of pink and purple from glowing crystals protruding from the nacreous walls. Above, a great hole gapes to the surface. Below it, a mound of rubble indicates that it is of recent construction. Around you are several crystal golems that are fashioned in the likeness of your companions… indeed, they are your companions! Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 11 “Protect me! Help me!” The command comes from an eldritch being at one side of the chamber, near to a coral pedestal upon which stands a rocky sphere—something that you know must be the Eye of Xxiphu. Fleshy tendrils snake from it into the coral… and eventually, to your bodies? The eldritch being, a vaguely humanoid form surrounded by tendrils, looks up in alarm. There you observe giants and merrows swimming down towards you through the opening. The first wave of creatures consists of eight merrows and three cloud giants. The giants in this combat are under the effect of potions of water breathing; each carries another potion if the effects of the first is disrupted in some manner. Their aim is to gain the Eye. Before it can be taken, five tendrils must be ripped off; a creature adjacent to the Eye may use an action to make a DC 22 Strength check; on a success, one of the tendrils is removed. Alternatively, a tendril may be severed. Each tendril has AC 15, 50 hit points, is immune to bludgeoning and piercing damage, and regains 25 hit points on Initiative count 20. The morkoth fights to prevent the Eye from being taken. The giants, merrows and scrags do not directly attack it, instead preferring to target the characters’ golems and the Eye. Only one of Dworkin’s forces attempts to recover the Eye each round. Throughout the combat, the giants gain reinforcements as follows:  End of Second Round. Six scrags enter from above.  End of Fourth Round. Six merrows and one cloud giant enter from above.  End of Sixth Round. Two cloud giants and a cloud giant smiling one enter from above.  Beginning of Eighth Round (winning ties). Lord Dworkin enters from above and uses a magic item (a rod of some sort) that temporarily neutralizes the Eye. This has the same effect on the characters as the Eye being removed (see below) and ends the encounter. When the Eye is removed from the pedestal, the links the characters have with the golems are broken, and each character immediately wakes up in their restraints. Keep track of which opponents survive the combat; they are added to the foes the characters must face in the final encounter. Fighting as Golems The following special rules are used for characters controlling the golems. The players should be made aware of these rules:  The Crystal Golems have taken on all attributes of the characters, and function exactly as do the characters except as noted. Ability and spell slot expenditures are taken from the character’s allowance.  The Crystal Golems possess replica weapons and equipment that are the equivalent of what the character possesses. (These possessions are destroyed when the connection is lost or the golem destroyed).  The Crystal Golems begin with the full maximum hit points of the characters.  Crystal Golems do not need to breathe, and have a swim speed of 30 feet, if the character does not already have a better speed.  Half of the damage taken by the clay golems is inflicted on its controlling character as psychic damage (instead of its normal damage type). Healing spells work on the golems as if they were living creatures, and heal half that amount on the controlling character.  Characters carrying purple gems may take additional damage (vulnerable to psychic damage), but gain advantage on all attacks and saving throws made by the golem. Healing magic likewise heals both the golem and controlling character at the same amount.  If a golem is destroyed, the character wakes up in the restraints.  Use your judgement to make this a fun and unusual battle for the characters. A handout is available to facilitate ease of play. C. Wrath of the Morkoth Expected Time: 20 minutes It takes five minutes for the characters to travel from their current location to the morkoth’s chamber. As they enter the chamber, Lord Dworkin has just left with his entourage (and the Eye) through the tunnel he bored through the ceiling. The morkoth, who goes by the name of Hieronymus, is enraged, driven (more) insane by the loss of the Eye of Xxiphu. He attacks the characters with all his fury. You reach the large chamber at the heart of the island. It is lit in lurid colors of pink and purple by glowing crystals protruding from the nacreous walls. A shattered pedestal of coral stands to one side, fleshy tendrils flapping helplessly around. From a large hole in the ceiling, rocks and mud wash down. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 12 A strange figure of tentacles and scales swims dejectedly above the pedestal. “My eye… my eye… They took my eye…” It sees you, and its eyes narrow. A large mouth with many fangs gapes wide. “You! You did not help! Did not stop him taking my Eye!” It swims towards you, its intentions clear: vengeance! The characters now must choose between fighting the morkoth and chasing Dworkin. The morkoth is unlikely to delay the characters particularly long, but every round counts at this stage. One advantage the characters have is that Dworkin is, as yet, unaware of their presence, and does not know that he is being chased. The ceiling of the chamber is 40 feet high and the tunnel leading to the surface is 300 feet long and 20 feet in diameter. The water ends 20 feet before its end; the rest must be climbed with DC 10 Strength (Athletics) checks, or ascended with magical aid. Characters in heavy armor are unlikely to be able to swim to the tunnel without the aid of magic, but it is simple to attach a rope to the mouth of the tunnel if just one character can reach it; no check is then required to reach the tunnel. Treasure Characters may discover the morkoth’s treasure concealed underneath the remnants of the pedestal with a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The pedestal can be removed with a successful DC 10 Strength check. Beneath the pedestal are the following items:  Ten rubies worth 5,000 gold pieces each  Seven platinum necklaces worth 5,000 gold pieces each  A carved ivory statue of the morkoth, six inches long, worth 15,000 gold pieces  A tome of understanding. The tome’s cover pictures a tentacular creature, and the pages are illustrated with scenes from the Far Realm. A creature that possesses it is convinced that they are always being watched.  A large, fist-sized pearl, lustrous except for areas where the surface has been turned into a purple crystalline material. This was once the heart of the Morkoth’s isle, until it was replaced by the Eye of Xxiphu. A character can determine this with a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check is 16 or higher, the character also determines that it has absorbed time energies (from the interaction between the magic of the Isle, the Eye and the giants). This is the item that Lords’ Alliance characters need to return to SEER; the Heart of the Isle. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 13 D: Battle in the Sky Expected Time: 90 minutes The characters must stop Dworkin before he can escape with the Eye of Xxiphu. Against the characters are the full forces of Dworkin, especially his cloud castle. However, the characters are aided by the dragons that originally brought them to the isle (see DDAL5-18 The Mysterious Isle), allowing for the characters to fight from dragonback if desired. NOTE. The magical disruption has now ended, but the Eye of Xxiphu may not be magically transported (or moved with, for example, telekinesis). It seems strange to be breathing air again. You stand on the Morkoth’s Isle, in the shadow of the great Cloud Castle above. Just above you, you can see an airship lifting the giants towards the castle. Around you, the seas are filled with the wreckage of ships. While you have been daring the morkoth’s lair, a great battle has taken place—and one not many have survived. From the east, a small, golden form darts in front of you. It stops and hovers, the late afternoon sun glinting off its scales, and says, “Hello folks! Need a lift?” Then the dragons come, landing on the rock around you. Hsing looks very pleased with himself. SEER’s blind pseudodragon grins toothily and looks at you as if to say “Go get ‘em!” There is one young bronze dragon mount for each character. Give the players the appropriate handouts. The dragons act on the initiative count of their controller, even if they are not being used as a mount. The dragons begin with their breath weapons expended and cannot use them until they recharge. Aboard the airship are the following forces:  Dworkin, a cloud giant archmage wielding a staff of power (14 charges)— globe of invulnerability already used.  Two cloud giants  Twelve trolls  Any surviving forces from the previous encounter The giants and their servant are aboard a giant airship (see sidebar). They begin 60 feet above the party for each round spent fighting the morkoth or exploring his lair in the previous encounter. 1,200 feet above the party is the Cloud Castle. Aboard it: four more cloud giants, twenty trolls, thirty ogres and eight wyverns. The cloud castle also possesses six ballistas (AC 15, HP 50, immune poison and psychic damage, with the following attack: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/240 ft. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage; range 120/240 ft.) The ballistas require an action to load, an action to aim and an action to fire; two ogres are thus able to fire a ballista once every other round. The ballistas are fired at the dragons in preference to the characters. Giant Airship AC 13, HP 600, Damage Threshold 10 Speed fly 60 ft. Requires 10 (large) crew, holds 20 (large) passengers Dworkin uses his spells against the characters while aboard the airship, while the other giants fly to engage the enemy. No rocks are present on the airship, although there are many on the cloud castle, and the giants certainly use them against characters within range. If Dworkin makes it to the cloud castle, he then proceeds to the control tower. Once in the tower, he takes three actions to install the Eye of Xxiphu in the control console, then one action to activate the controls. Ten rounds later, the castle travels to the Ethereal plane, and an additional effect leaves the characters and their dragons in Faerûn (likely high above the ocean). The characters have, at this point, failed. The characters must kill Dworkin to recover the Eye of Xxiphu. The Cloud Castle Use the following descriptions to aid in running battles surrounding and aboard the cloud castle. Area 1. Control Tower. This area is dominated by a circular giant-sized “table”, slightly raised at the center, from which protrude several levers of translucent crystal, jet and ivory, which can be manipulated to control the flight of the castle. One cloud giant is on guard here, and doesn’t leave her post if Dworkin isn’t present. Area 2. Ogre Barracks. There is enough room here to quarter fifty ogres; during the combat, only ten ogres are present; they investigate any alarm. Area 3. Troll Barracks. There is enough room here to house thirty trolls; during the combat, only five trolls are present; they investigate any alarm. Area 4. Scrag Barracks. This sunken area consists of several partly-submerged caves. No scrags are present, as all were taken down to the Isle. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 14 Area 5. Wyvern Stables. Six wyverns are normally stationed here; they are in the battle. Area 6. Giant Guard Tower. A cloud giant is stationed at each of these open-topped areas, able to see the terrain (and sky) around with ease. A pile of rocks is handily placed nearby for easy access. Area 7. Ballista Post. Each of these areas holds a ballista. Three ogres can be found at each one, along with large racks holding 20 projectiles. Area 8. Audience Chamber. Dworkin’s audience chamber is tastefully decorated with many tapestries depicting giants crushing small folk underfoot and shooting dragons out of the sky. A large throne dominates the chamber, along with many giant-sized benches. Area 9. Keep. The remainder of the keep holds the giant quarters and all other things a keep needs. Dworkin’s quarters are richly furnished, and a large library of books fills the shelves. If recovered, the books can be sold for 50,000 gold pieces. The various paintings and jewelry are worth a further 50,000 gold pieces. Area 10. Airship Dock. The airship docks here. Ropes hold it to the cloud castle when docked, so it doesn’t blow away in a high wind. Hsing in the Final Battle Hsing is not content to sit out the final battle. As events proceeds, he flies from one character to another (randomly determine one within range; he has a fly speed of 80 feet), using the Aid Another action to grant them advantage on attacks against their foe. Throughout all of this, he is mysteriously unharmed by all attacks aimed at him. Despite being blind, his superior hearing (and grace granted to him by the gods) allows him to perceive the battlefield. He also possesses a small magical satchel from which he retrieves one of the following potions and administers it to a character as an action:  Eight potions of flying  Four potions of supreme healing  Two potions of vitality Treasure The characters may recover the books and paintings in Dworkin’s quarters. Hsing keeps any potions that remain at the end of the battle. Running the Final Battle Dragons. Giants. Airships. Cloud castles. Ballistas. A brave pseudodragon. Yes, this is a big one. And not one that is kind to miniature-based play. Dworkin’s goal is simple—get the Eye back to his cloud castle, activate it, and escape. At the beginning of the battle. As far as he’s concerned, his forces are victorious. The morkoth and all of his other opponents that were fighting around the isle are dead. He doesn’t know about the adventurers—he hasn’t interacted with them at all! So, having a band of dragon-riding heroes turn up is incredibly frustrating for Dworkin. If he is given the chance, he lets the characters know what he feels. At length. With fireballs. The Eye can’t be transported magically (that is, teleported or telekinesis), although it can be held by a flying character. So, Dworkin can’t use the easy method of teleporting home. He travels the long way—although, depending on how long the morkoth delayed the characters, he might already be there. The aerial battle sees giants throwing rocks, dragons breathing lightning, and ogres firing ballistas. Characters may be able to take advantage of the large blind spot directly beneath the castle. Even when they’re in the open (as the airship is), only a couple of ballistas and giants can attack them. Keep the map of the Cloud Castle handy. The battle should be kept moving and entertaining. Pay attention to the overall balance of the fight; it depends very much on the party’s composition. A group with no spellcasters is likely to find this combat extremely difficult, and so you may wish to reduce the forces accordingly. Two possible ends to this battle are:  The airship is destroyed and Dworkin’s attempts to fly are countered. He fights his final battle from the island. (A place of many jagged rocks).  Dworkin reaches his castle, and the characters must fight him in the control tower. However, there are many scenarios that can occur. It’s up to you and your players to create a memorable one. Good luck! Falling Cloud Giants Did you know that a cloud giant falling from 1,200 feet takes about nine seconds to hit the ground? If Dworkin makes his final stand on the isle, you can have cloud giants jump off the cloud castle, casting feather fall just before landing to engage the characters. Assume it takes them two rounds to go from the castle to engaging the characters. Did you also know that casting counterspelling a featherfall could lead to a very angry or a very dead cloud giant? Do your players know? Just wondering. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 15 Conclusion With the recovery (or loss) of the Eye of Xxiphu, the adventure is almost over. The (surviving) dragons return the characters to SEER’s tower, or, if no dragons survive, eventually a Lords’ Alliance ship is sent to pick the survivors up. SEER is pleased to see the characters, and busies herself with checking that each has not been affected badly by the time distortion. If the characters have retrieved the Heart of the Isle, she takes it if they allow her (she uses it to regain the vitality she lost keeping the portal open). The disposition of the Eye of Xxiphu, if recovered by the characters, is now up to them. It is too powerful an artifact for any of the characters to be trusted with it. SEER counsels that the Lords’ Alliance is an excellent faction to give it to, but she abides by the characters’ choice of which faction should care for the artifact—but choose they must. Alternatively, if the characters insist on keeping it, one of them may, but SEER issues a stern warning that the choice may come back to haunt them, and by the time they realize it, they may be beyond saving. Finally, SEER chants a small spell that returns characters that have not played DDAL05-18 The Mysterious Isle to their proper time (a tenday ago). She may contact them shortly in their future for a familiar mission… Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 16 Rewards Make sure players note their rewards on their adventure logsheets. Give your name and DCI number (if applicable) so players can record who ran the session. Experience Total up all combat experience earned for defeated foes, and divide by the number of characters present in the combat. For non-combat experience, the rewards are listed per character. Give all characters in the party non-combat experience awards unless otherwise noted. Combat Awards Name of the Foe XP per Foe Cloud Giant 5,000 Cloud Giant Smiling One 7,200 Dworkin 11,500 Merrow 450 Morkoth 7,200 Ogre 450 Scrag 1,800 Troll 1,800 Stone Golem 5,900 Wyvern 2,300 Non-Combat Awards Task or Accomplishment XP per Character Recover the Heart of the Isle 5,000 Recover the Eye of Xxiphu 5,000 The minimum total award for each character participating in this adventure is 18,750 experience points. The maximum total award for each character participating in this adventure is 25,000 experience points. Treasure The characters receive the following treasure, divided up amongst the party. Characters should attempt to divide treasure evenly wherever possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable gear are calculated at their selling price, not their purchase price. Treasure Awards Item Name GP Value Morkoth’s Treasure 100,000 Dworkin’s Books 50,000 Dworkin’s Treasure 50,000 Permanent Magic Item Distribution D&D Adventurers League has a system in place to determine who is awarded permanent magic items at the end of a session. Each character’s logsheet contains a column to record permanent magic items for ease of reference.  If all the players at the table agree on one character taking possession of a permanent magic item, that character gets the item.  In the event that one or more characters indicate an interest in possessing a permanent magic item, the character that possesses the fewest permanent magic items gets the item. If there is a tie in the total number of permanent magic items owned by contesting characters, the item’s owner is determined randomly by the DM. Staff of Power Staff, very rare (requires attunement by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard) This great ashen staff is etched with many designs of swirling air and clouds. The staff magically resizes to fit the hand of any who carry it. This item is found in Player’s Handout 1. Tome of Understanding Wondrous Item, very rare The cover of this iron-bound book is scribed with many swirling tentacles. A character carrying the book is always aware of eyes from a distant realm following them. This item is found in Player Handout 2. The Eye of Xxiphu Wondrous item, legendary While not a truly intelligent item, the Eye of Xxiphu bestows terrifying insight into the true nature of the nightmarish aboleths. The attuned possessor of the Eye gains telepathy out to a range of 120 feet, and may cover themselves in coat of mucous that allows them to breathe underwater as well as on land. The petrified orb is large and heavy, but does not need to be held in order to use its powers. Additionally, aboleths have disadvantage when attacking the owner of the Eye, and the owner has advantage on ability checks in regards to knowledge-based ability checks about aboleths and the Far Realm when they are not in combat. This item is found in Player Handout 3. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 17 Downtime Each character receives ten downtime days at the conclusion of this adventure. Renown All faction members earn one renown point for participating in this adventure. Each character that is a member of a faction (rank 2 or higher) may mark the completion of a secret mission on their adventure logsheet. DM Rewards You receive 6,250 XP, 3,125 gp, and ten downtime days for running this session. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 18 Appendix: Monster Statistics Cloud Giant Huge giant, neutral evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 200 (16d12 + 96) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 27 (+8) 10 (+0) 22 (+6) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +7, Cha +7 Skills Insight +7, Perception +7 Senses passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Giant Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Keen Smell. The giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Innate Spellcasting. The giant’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light 3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis 1/day each: control weather, gaseous form Actions Multiattack. The giant makes two morningstar attacks. Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage. Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. Cloud Giant Smiling One Huge giant, chaotic neutral Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 262 (21d12 + 126) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 26 (+8) 12 (+1) 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Con +10, Int +6, Cha +7 Skills Deception +11, Insight +7, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +9 Senses passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Giant Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Keen Smell. The giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Innate Spellcasting. The giant’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light 3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis 1/day each: control weather, gaseous form Spellcasting. The giant is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The giant has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): minor illusion, prestidigitation, vicious mockery 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, disguise self, silent image, Tasha’s hideous laughter 2nd level (3 slots): invisibility, suggestion 3rd level (2 slots): major image, tongues Actions Multiattack. The giant makes two morningstar attacks. Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage. Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. The attack deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage if the giant has advantage on the attack roll. Change Shape. The giant magically polymorphs into a beast or humanoid it has seen, or back into its true form. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 19 Dworkin, Cloud Giant Archmage Huge giant, neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 283 (21d12 + 147) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 27 (+8) 10 (+0) 24 (+7) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) Saving Throws Con +12, Int +10, Wis +8, Cha +8 Skills Insight +8, Perception +8 Senses passive Perception 18 Languages Common, Giant Challenge 14 (11,500 XP) Keen Smell. The giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Special Equipment (6 Uses). As an action, Dworkin consumes a potion of supreme healing and regains 10d4 + 20 hit points. Innate Spellcasting. The giant’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light 3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis 1/day each: control weather, gaseous form Spellcasting. The giant is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The giant has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 1st level (4 slots): identify, magic missile, shield, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, mirror image, scorching ray 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, lightning bolt 4th level (3 slots): banishment, fire shield, stoneskin* 5th level (3 slots): cone of cold, scrying, wall of force 6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability 7th level (1 slot): teleport 8th level (1 slot): mind blank* 9th level (1 slot): time stop * Dworkin casts these spells on himself before combat. Actions Multiattack. The giant makes two morningstar attacks. Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage. Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. Merrow Large monstrosity, chaotic evil Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12) Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 9 (−1) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Aquan Challenge 2 (450 XP) Amphibious. The merrow can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The merrow makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws or harpoon. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage. Harpoon. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it must succeed on a Strength contest against the merrow or be pulled up to 20 feet toward the merrow. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 20 Morkoth Medium aberration, chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 130 (20d8+40) Speed 25 ft., swim 50 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +9, Wis +6 Skills Arcana +9, History +9, Perception +10, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks. Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Amphibious. The morkoth can breathe air and water. Spellcasting. The morkoth is a 11th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The morkoth has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, mage hand, mending, ray of frost, shocking grasp 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, identify, shield, witch bolt 2nd level (3 slots): darkness, detect thoughts, shatter 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, lightning bolt, sending 4th level (3 slots): dimension door, Evard’s black tentacles 5th level (3 slots): geas, scrying 6th level (1 slot): chain lightning Actions Multiattack. The morkoth makes three attacks: two with its bite and one with its tentacles or three with its bite. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 15 (3d8+2) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the morkoth’s turns, and the morkoth can’t use its tentacles on another target. Hypnosis. The morkoth projects a 30-foot cone of magical energy. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed by the morkoth for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the target tries to get as close to the morkoth as possible, using its actions to Dash until it is within 5 feet of the morkoth. A charmed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature has advantage on saving throws against the morkoth’s Hypnosis for 24 hours. Reactions Spell Reflection. If the morkoth makes a successful saving throw against a spell, or a spell attack misses it, the morkoth can choose another creature (including the spellcaster) it can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the attack roll is rerolled against the chosen creature. Lair Actions When fighting inside its lair, a morkoth can invoke the ambient magic of the island to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the morkoth takes a lair action to cause one of the effects described below:  The morkoth uses its Hypnosis action, originating at a point with 120 feet of itself. It doesn’t need to see the effect’s point of origin.  The morkoth casts darkness, dispel magic, or misty step, using Intelligence as its spellcasting ability and without expending a spell slot. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 21 Ogre Large giant, chaotic evil Armor Class 11 (hide armor) Hit Points 59 (7d10 + 21) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 8 (−1) 16 (+3) 5 (−3) 7 (−2) 7 (−2) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages Common, Giant Challenge 2 (450 XP) Actions Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Scrag Large giant, chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40) Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 7 (−2) 9 (−1) 7 (−2) Skills Perception +1 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Giant Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Keen Smell. The scrag has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Regeneration. The scrag regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the scrag takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the scrag’s next turn. The scrag dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. Actions Multiattack. The scrag makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. Troll Large giant, chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 7 (−2) 9 (−1) 7 (−2) Skills Perception +1 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Giant Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the troll takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the troll’s next turn. The troll dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. Actions Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 22 Stone Golem Large construct, unaligned Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 178 (17d10 + 85) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 9 (−1) 20 (+5) 3 (−4) 11 (+0) 1 (−5) Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 1200 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical. Actions Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Slow (Recharge 5-6). The golem targets one or more creatures it can see within 10 feet of it. Each target must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic. On a failed save, a target can’t use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can’t make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the target can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. These effects last for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Wyvern Large dragon, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 110 (13d10 + 39) Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 5 (−3) 12 (+1) 6 (−2) Skills Perception +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages — Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Actions Multiattack. The wyvern makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its stinger. While flying, it can use its claws in place of one other attack. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage. Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 23 Appendix. Caverns of the Isle Map Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 24 Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 25 Appendix. Cloud Giant Castle Map Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 26 Player Handout 1. Young Bronze Dragons Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 27 Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 28 Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 29 Young Bronze Dragon Large dragon, lawful good Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +7, Wis +4, Cha +6 Skills Insight +4, Perception +7, Stealth +3 Damage Immunities lightning Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Draconic Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water. Actions Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Breath Weapons (Recharge 5–6). The dragon uses one of the following breath weapons. Lightning Breath. The dragon exhales lightning in a 60- foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Repulsion Breath. The dragon exhales repulsion energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 40 feet away from the dragon. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 30 Player Handout 2. Staff of Power Staff of Power Staff, very rare (requires attunement by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard) This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff that grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. While holding it, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class saving throws, and spell attack rolls. The staff has 20 charges for the following properties. The staff regains 2d8 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff retains its +2 bonus to attack and damage roll but loses all other properties. On a 20, the staff regains 1d8 + 2 charges. Power Strike. When you hit with a melee attack using the staff, you can expend 1 charge to deal an extra 1d6 force damage to the target. Spells. While holding this staff, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spell attack bonus: cone of cold (5 charges), fireball (5th-level version, 5 charges), globe of invulnerability (6 charges), hold monster (5 charges), levitate (2 charges). lightning bolt (5th-level version, 5 charges), magic missile (1 charge), ray of enfeeblement (1 charge), or wall of force (5 charges). Retributive Strike. You can use an action to break the staff over your knee or against a solid surface, performing a retributive strike. The staff is destroyed and releases its remaining magic in an explosion that expands to fill a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on it. You have a 50 percent chance to instantly travel to a random plane of existence, avoiding the explosion. If you fail to avoid the effect, you take force damage equal to 16 x the number of charges in the staff. On a failed save, a creature takes an amount of damage based on how far away it is from the point of origin, as shown in the following table. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. 10 ft. Away or Closer: 8 x number charges in staff 11 to 20 ft. Away: 6 x number charges in staff 21 to 30 ft. Away: 4 x number charges in staff Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 31 Player Handout 3. Tome of Understanding Tome of Understanding Wondrous item, very rare This book contains intuition and insight exercises, and its words are charged with magic. If you spend 48 hours over a period of 6 days or fewer studying the book's contents and practicing its guidelines, your Wisdom score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score. The manual then loses its magic, but regains it in a century. This item is found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 32 Player Handout 4. The Eye of Xxiphu The Eye of Xxiphu Wondrous item, legendary While not a truly intelligent item, the Eye of Xxiphu bestows terrifying insight into the true nature of the nightmarish aboleths. The attuned possessor of the Eye gains telepathy out to a range of 120 feet, and may cover themselves in coat of mucous that allows them to breathe underwater as well as on land. The petrified orb is large and heavy, but does not need to be held in order to use its powers. Additionally, aboleths have disadvantage when attacking the owner of the Eye, and the owner has advantage on ability checks in regards to knowledge-based ability checks about aboleths and the Far Realm when they are not in combat. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 33 Player Handout 5. Fighting as Golem Fighting as Golem The following special rules are used for characters controlling the golems. The players should be made aware of these rules:  The Crystal Golems have taken on all attributes of the characters, and function exactly as do the characters except as noted. Ability and spell slot expenditures are taken from the character’s allowance.  The Crystal Golems possess replica weapons and equipment that are the equivalent of what the character possesses. (These possessions are destroyed when the connection is lost or the golem destroyed).  The Crystal Golems begin with the full maximum hit points of the characters.  Crystal Golems do not need to breathe, and have a swim speed of 30 feet, if the character does not already have a better speed.  Half of the damage taken by the clay golems is inflicted on its controlling character as psychic damage (instead of its normal damage type). Healing spells work on the golems as if they were living creatures, and heal half that amount on the controlling character.  Characters carrying purple gems may take additional damage (vulnerable to psychic damage), but gain advantage on all attacks and saving throws made by the golem. Healing magic likewise heals both the golem and controlling character at the same amount.  If a golem is destroyed, the character wakes up in the restraints. Fighting as Golem The following special rules are used for characters controlling the golems. The players should be made aware of these rules:  The Crystal Golems have taken on all attributes of the characters, and function exactly as do the characters except as noted. Ability and spell slot expenditures are taken from the character’s allowance.  The Crystal Golems possess replica weapons and equipment that are the equivalent of what the character possesses. (These possessions are destroyed when the connection is lost or the golem destroyed).  The Crystal Golems begin with the full maximum hit points of the characters.  Crystal Golems do not need to breathe, and have a swim speed of 30 feet, if the character does not already have a better speed.  Half of the damage taken by the clay golems is inflicted on its controlling character as psychic damage (instead of its normal damage type). Healing spells work on the golems as if they were living creatures, and heal half that amount on the controlling character.  Characters carrying purple gems may take additional damage (vulnerable to psychic damage), but gain advantage on all attacks and saving throws made by the golem. Healing magic likewise heals both the golem and controlling character at the same amount.  If a golem is destroyed, the character wakes up in the restraints. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. DDAL05-19 Eye of Xxiphu 34 Results Code: February March 2017 If you are DMing this adventure during the months of February—March 2017, please show your players this page. The QR code below can be scanned, and will allow them to give feedback and results on the adventure to influence the storyline in the future! If a player does not have a mobile device, please tell them to head to dndadventurersleague.org/results to enter their results.

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Scions of the Betrayer Legacy of Shadow for Shadow of the Demon Lord ~Credits~ Writing, Design, and Art Direction: Robert J. Schwalb Editing: Tom Cadorette Proofreading: Jay Spight Layout: Kara Hamilton Graphic Design: Kara Hamilton and Hal Mangold Illustrations: Biagio d’Allesandro, Ivan Dixon, Matteo Spirito, And Bob Schwalb Scions of the Betrayer is © 2018 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. Shadow of the Demon Lord, Legacy of Shadow, Scions of the Betrayer, Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. Schwalb EntErtainmEnt, llc PO Box #12548 Murfreesboro, TN 37129 info@schwalbentertainment.com www.schwalbentertainment.com 1 Darkling .......................................... 4 Creating a Darkling ......................7 Level 4 Darkling Expert ...............7 Darkling Ages .................................7 Darkling Builds ............................. 8 Darkling Faerie Marks ................ 8 Darkling Quirks ............................ 9 Darkling Obsession ..................... 9 Darkling Personality ...................10 Darkling Marks of Darkness .................................11 Darkling Backgrounds ...............12 Darkling Motivations ................. 13 Darkling Professions ................... 13 Character Interactions ...............14 Darklings and Mortals ...............14 Darklings and Faeries ................. 15 Darklings and Other Peoples ...........................16 Darkling Weapons ...................... 17 Boneweave ..................................... 17 Wyrdwood ..................................... 17 Darkling Paths ..............................18 Priest of the Devil Novice Path ................................18 Level 1 Priest of the Devil ...........19 Level 2 Priest of the Devil .........20 Level 5 Expert Priest of the Devil ................................20 Level 8 Master Priest of the Devil ................................20 Forktongue Expert Path ............20 Forked Tongue Story Development ............................20 Level 3 Forktongue ......................21 Level 6 Forktongue ......................21 Level 9 Master Forktongue .......21 Darklings as Adversaries ...........21 Darklings........................................22 Table of Contents 2 The peace that had prevailed for thousands of years in Rûl shattered when the Edene, human refugees from lost Eremeä, made landfall on the continent’s eastern shores. The First People, the various tribes of humans who were the first of their kind to settle Rûl, bore the initial brunt of the Edene onslaught. While these tribes had benefitted from their friendly relations with the faeries, some even going so far as to worship some of the great fey as gods, their close ties with the immortals availed them not. The Edene, determined invaders who cleaved to alien and harsh beliefs, were a hardened people who considered Rûl to be theirs by right of conquest. Led by their cruel and rapacious God-Queen Umessa, they quickly swarmed over the land and nearly wiped out the peaceful and pastoral human society that had existed on the continent for untold centuries. Desperate, the First People beseeched the faeries for aid and support. But, in their greatest hour of need, the mortals’ entreaties went largely ignored, as the faeries all but withdrew from the world. The Faerie Queen, Titania, witnessed the horrors wrought by the Edene, seeing them as an all-too-grim reminder of the terrible losses her own people suffered in their epic war with the trolls in an ancient age long before mortal reckoning. She saw the arrival of the Edene as a sign that the time for immortals to be in the world had come to an end. Refusing to allow her comparatively fewer kind to be pulled into what she believed was essentially a struggle between humans, she and the other powerful fey lords and ladies used their magic to create and secure the hidden kingdoms as refuges for all faeries, where they could live free from the strife and death that afflicted humankind. Although many faeries followed their queen in quitting the mortal world for the hidden kingdoms, not all of the fey folk were so willing to readily abandon the humans with whom they had enjoyed such a lasting friendship, or leave behind the world they believed was rightfully theirs. Led by the elf lord Ilenfar, Queen Titania’s eldest son, these faeries joined forces with the First People, using their superior combat prowess and powerful magic to push back the Edene invaders and reclaim their lands. Despite several initial decisive victories, Titania was enraged by what she saw as her son’s betrayal of her will, and his needless risk of precious immortal lives in what she saw as mere, petty mortal affairs. She cursed and disavowed Ilenfar, declaring that his name never be uttered again by any faerie, henceforth referring to him only as “the Betrayer.” 3 Although the invaders were nearly forced back to the coast where they landed, Ilenfar soon realized that he could not prevail in a long-term war against the all-too- numerous Edene without help. Each slain faerie diminished his forces forever, as their souls were forever lost to the Void, unlike the mortal humans for whom death was but a temporary, albeit horrific, struggle until their souls were reborn into the world. Whenever his forces met the Edene in open combat, the elf lord was always able to beat the mortals, despite their ferocity and greater numbers. The battles were always fierce and the loss of life great for both sides, but it was only a matter of time, Ilenfar knew, before attrition would inevitably exact its toll in favor of the Edene invaders. Over time, the elf lord’s faerie armies were greatly diminished and the few First People allies remaining were eventually destroyed or enslaved by the Edene. As the Edene began to recover and regroup, Ilenfar begged his mother to relent and come to his aid, but to no avail. Titania refused to even answer him, stonily resolved to leave her son and all those faeries who followed him to suffer 4 the consequences of what she saw as their choice against her. In return, he bitterly cursed his mother and all the fairies of the hidden kingdoms who refused to help. He forsook his birth name, and vowed to do all that was within his power to live up to the name she now called him: the Betrayer. The elf lord wasted no time in demonstrating just how desperate he was to fulfill this oath. With utter defeat and oblivion looming and seeing no other choice before him, the Betrayer turned to an unthinkable source for aid: Diabolus, the Lord of Lies and King of Hell, an ancient enemy of Titania and all of the other great fey. The Betrayer pledged his service, and that of all the faeries who were sworn to him, to the Devil. In exchange for the promise that Hell’s legions of hogmen would issue forth to aid them in their war against the Edene, the Betrayer and his followers agreed to dedicate their immortal lives to the corruption and harvesting of as many human souls for Hell as possible. Diabolus accepted the Betrayer’s pledge, and their unholy bargain was struck forever. Emboldened by his newly forged alliance with Hell, the Betrayer and his remaining faerie forces marched against Umessa and the Edene. But Hell’s support was strangely slow to arrive. The Devil stalled and dawdled in fulfilling his part of the bargain, sending only token forces and hapless excuses, promising that his legions would soon arrive to bolster the Betrayer’s ranks. Diabolus’s deliberate slowness allowed Umessa enough time to rally an Edene army strong enough to meet and defeat the Betrayer’s army in one final battle. Umessa herself met and slayed the Betrayer in single combat, and any surviving fairies were quickly routed and scattered, consigned to exile both from the lands they once held and from their own kind dwelling in the hidden kingdoms. Many centuries have passed and the exiles’ hatred for the Edene has become one for all of humankind. Worse yet, they remain bound to the vile compact the Betrayer made with Diabolus, which transformed them into dark, twisted, and evil creatures. They have since lurked in the shadows for many centuries, desperately craving vengeance upon those they hold responsible for their downfall and doom. And now that the Shadow has fallen across the world, they have begun to emerge from the darkness to seek their due. Darkling The faeries who chose to remain behind and follow the Betrayer in his war against the Edene invaders paid a terrible price. Faced with an implacable foe with superior numbers, the Betrayer made an unwise bargain with the Devil to even the odds. But instead of a great triumph over the hated God-Queen, the Betrayer met defeat and a humiliating death at her hands, and all those sworn to his service who survived remained bound by the diabolical pact. Scattered across Rûl, these beings are irrevocably sullied by corruption and burdened with an undying hatred for humankind. 5 Now known as darklings, these corrupted fairies and all of their descendants have been twisted by darkness into spiteful, malicious creatures. The darklings are forever bound to Diabolus, driven by the ancient pact the Betrayer made to harvest mortal souls and send them screaming to Hell. The hate and corruption that fills their hearts eternally consumes them—they are foul monsters who are cruel, wicked, and thoroughly evil. Devils: The terrible oath the Betrayer swore to the Devil doomed himself and all the faeries who served him to an eternity of service to Hell, transforming them all into devils, twisted beings who feed on the corruption staining mortal souls and revel in torturing and destroying these mortals whenever they can. Although most devils live in Hell, darklings remain in the mortal world, where they work as agents of the Lord of Lies, charged with corrupting as many mortals as they can, and dispatching their corrupted souls to Hell. While a very few darklings struggle to resist the obligations imposed on them by the Betrayer’s oath, the overwhelming majority embrace their evil nature, proudly counting themselves as one of mankind’s greatest foes. Exotic and Alien: As with all faeries, darklings possess a strange, otherworldly beauty, one many mortals find captivating, if extremely unsettling. Darklings show their immortal heritage in odd (by human standards) physical characteristics, such as having pointed ears, scaly skin, fangs, fur, elongated fingers and toes, or some combination of these traits. Beyond these features, all darklings bear some mark or sign of their corruption. These marks of darkness vary wildly, some obvious, others subtle, but all reveal them as eternal slaves bound to the Betrayer’s pact with the Devil. Most darklings, regardless of gender, stand about 4-1/2 feet tall, and weigh around 120 pounds. Menacing Presence: A palpable feeling of menace radiates from all darklings, a manifestation of the malice that burns in their hearts and the obsessive hatred they bear for humans. Wickedness exudes from them, causing others who are not devils or otherwise corrupted beings to instinctively flinch away from them, as if they can feel the darkness oozing from the darklings’ pores. Reactions to spending time around darklings vary: some can feel the hairs on their necks stand up or a sudden cold chill, while others get nauseous or gripped by an overwhelming sense of panic. Eternal Evil: Like other faeries, short of violence or mishap, darklings live forever. Upon reaching maturity, they stop aging and remain at that physical state for as long as they manage to stay alive. Being trapped in the mortal world means any mortal children they abduct are never at risk of becoming faeries. For this reason, darklings have little interest in snatching babes from their cribs; they’d much rather silence them with a sharp knife than let humans continue to increase their numbers. The nature of the pact that binds them to Diabolus, however, acts as some restraint in keeping them from wildly murdering every innocent mortal they encounter; whenever possible, 6 they seek to inflict as much corruption as possible upon the mortal’s soul before sending them on their way to Hell. That darklings themselves have few children just means they are even more cautious about taking risks, knowing that reckless action could mean their extinction. Forgotten Lives: Although darklings are immortal, there are limits on what memories they can retain over time; their minds can only hold so much. As the years pass, old memories fade to make room for new ones, and all but the most important experiences disappear. This forgetting results in darklings living many different lives over time, with many different interests and abilities. For example, they might study magic for a century only to lose interest and take up swordplay. As their mastery at arms increases, their command of magic weakens until they forget they ever knew spells in the first place. Once they get bored with honing their skills at arms, they might move on to some new interest, and their older abilities fade as new ones are learned. Mad Obsession: As committed as they are to exacting their vengeance upon humans, most darklings also become preoccupied with certain obsessions. Some darklings crave pain and pass their days mutilating their bodies for the sick pleasure it brings them, while others wallow in sorrow, lamenting what has been done to them. Their obsessions color everything they do, and when not committed to performing particular tasks or services, darklings spend as much time as possible indulging their obsessions. Common Names: Darklings choose names for themselves from things they find particularly interesting, ugly, or hurtful. Example names include Scream of a Dying Child, Widow’s Tears, Foulest Semen, Morbid Feast, Pangs of the Starving, Innocent Blood, and Father’s Ashes. 7 Creating a Darkling Starting Attribute Scores Strength 9, Agility 10, Intellect 10, Will 8; choose two different attributes and increase each by 1 Perception equals your Intellect score + 1. Defense equals your Agility score Health equals your Strength score Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health, round down Size 1, Speed 10, Power 0 0 Damage, 1d3 Insanity, 1d3 + 1 Corruption Languages and Professions You speak, read, and write Elvish and High Archaic. You might gain additional professions based on your starting age. Immune damage from disease; charmed, diseased Shadowsight You see into areas obscured by shadows as if those areas were lit. Devil You are a devil, and you take half damage from fire. Menacing Presence Your magical nature manifests as a palpable aura of menace. You make attack rolls in social situations to threaten or intimidate with 1 boon. Spell Defense You take half damage from spells and you make challenge rolls to resist spells with 1 boon. A creature attacking you with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane. Iron Vulnerability You are impaired while you are in contact with iron. In addition, if you touch or are touched by an object made from iron, you lose Menacing Presence and Spell Defense for as long as you remain in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward. Marked by Darkness You begin the game with one mark of darkness. Roll on the Darkling Marks of Darkness table to determine the form it takes. Level 4 Darkling Expert You gain one of the following options. Characteristics Increase your Health by 4. Magic You learn one spell. Darkling Ages* d20 Age in Years 1–6 1d20 + 30 7–20 1d20 × 50 *For every two centuries you have lived, add either one darkling profession to your list of professions or one language to your list of known languages. 8 Darkling Builds* 3d6 Build 3 You’re short and slender. Reduce your Size to 1/2, your height by 5d6 inches and your weight by 2d20 + 10 pounds. 4–5 You’re short and either heavy or slim. Reduce your height by 3d6 inches and either increase or decrease your weight by 4d6 pounds. 6–8 You’re short. Reduce your height by 3d6 inches and your weight by 2d6 pounds. 9–12 You’re of average height and weight. 13–15 You’re tall. Increase your height by 3d6 inches and your weight by 2d6 pounds. 16–17 You’re tall and either heavy or slender. Increase your height by 3d6 inches and you can increase your weight by 3d6 pounds. 18 You’re tall and muscled. Increase your height by 4d6 inches and your weight by 2 pounds for each inch increased. *Regardless of gender, your base height is 1d6 + 51 inches tall and your base weight is 1d20 + 110 pounds. Darkling Faerie Marks* d20 Faerie Mark 1 You appear two-dimensional from behind, nothing more than an image of a person. Clothing that you wear conforms to your appearance and returns to normal when it is removed. 2 Thorns grow out from the top of your head. 3 Your eyes are pools of darkness. 4 You have unusual skin color. 5 You have a tail of a cow, fox, cat, horse, or dog. 6 Your breath always mists. 7 Odd whorls and symbols appear to have been carved in your skin. 8 You appear to have been carved from stone. 9 You have unusually long fingers or toes. 10 You have pointed ears. 11 You have no body hair whatsoever. 12 Your hair is made of feathers. 13 You always appear cloaked in shadows, though they do not obscure you. 14 Fur covers your body. 15 You have the legs of a frog, fox, grasshopper, or of some other animal. 16 You have vestigial bat-like wings sprouting from your back. 17 You have a pair of sharp horns sprouting from your forehead. 18 Your skin moves as if there was something sliding around underneath it. 19 Your body appears to be made from wood. 20 You have a forked tongue. *You can have up to three marks. 9 Darkling Quirks d20 Quirk 1 You speak in a raspy, whispery voice. 2 Blood always leaks from one or both of your eyes. 3 You have a chilling laugh. 4 You always smell of the grave. 5 You are an albino. 6 Your hair writhes when you are in the presence of iron. 7 The name of every human you have killed appears somewhere on your body. 8 Cockroaches infest your person and sometimes fall from your body. 9 Your shadow never matches your movements. 10 If you touch a small animal for more than a minute, it sickens and dies. 11 You tremble. 12 You pepper your normal speech with foul curses. 13 You have long nails that always remain at the same length regardless of how often you trim them. 14 You bear several awful scars from your encounters with your enemies. 15 Normal flames within short range of you flare and spark. 16 You always appear filthy, as if you have never washed. 17 In sunlight, you appear as a corpse. 18 Whenever you walk in nature, plants touched by your feet wither and die. 19 Ravens always seem to hang around you, squawking and making a mess. 20 Faint silvery lines track across your skin, as if slugs have been crawling all over your body. Darkling Obsession d6 Obsession 1 Sorrow 2 Hatred 3 Pleasure 4 Pain, giving or receiving (your choice of either or both) 5 Vengeance 6 Lust 10 Darkling Personality 3d6 Personality 3 Darkness claimed you, transforming you into a monstrous thing, though it might not be evident by merely looking at you. You actively work to make the lives of people around you worse, spreading pain, terror, and despair wherever you go. You revel in the chaos and the horror you create and no act is so foul for you to consider it taboo. 4–5 You are a diabolical monster, an immoral force for evil in the world. Fully in league with the Devil, you seek to corrupt as many mortals as you can, to ensure they fall screaming into Hell. 6–8 Malicious and hateful, you direct your efforts toward destroying your enemies. Destruction is not enough for you, however. You want to make them suffer first. You kill pets, murder children, lead loved ones into such horror they go mad. Only when you have thoroughly broken your enemies do you relent by dragging the knife across their throats. 9–12 Your hatred bubbles just under your surface and you lash out with little provocation and often for no reason at all. 13–15 You regret what you have become and see yourself as a monster. You strive to shake off Hell’s chains, but you know you are damned no matter what you do. 16–17 You fight against the darkness in your heart and work to be an agent of good in the world. You suppress your impulses and try to make peace with those around you. 18 Remorse fills your heart and drives you to make amends for the horrors you have unleashed on the world. You strive for redemption, to earn back your place among the faeries, and to rid yourself of your infernal burden. 11 Darkling Marks of Darkness d20 Mark of Darkness 1 Six flies constantly buzz around you, periodically landing on your open eyes. If you kill any, more come to take the place of the fallen moments later. 2 Your laughter sounds like crying children. 3 Your sexual organs carry a horrific disease. Any creature with whom you have sexual congress must get a success on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane or become diseased. Each time a creature diseased in this way completes a rest, it must repeat the challenge roll, receiving no benefit from completing the rest on a failure. After six successes, the creature removes the diseased affliction. 4 Your flesh is cracked and riddled with fissures that exude foul-smelling pus. 5 Once a year, a pregnant woman within 1 mile of you gives birth to a small monster that kills her and then goes on a rampage until it is put down. 6 A second mouth appears on your neck and whispers awful things to you while you sleep. 7 Your eyes push themselves out of your head and orbit your skull. Their new positions do not affect your vision. 8 Vomit-pink mites infest your body. When you sleep, they sometimes arrange themselves to spell out the nature of your crimes. 9 You cannot hold down anything you eat. You do not need to consume food, but you still hunger for it. 10 Other faeries are always hostile to you. 11 You spoil any food you touch, causing it to become poisonous to any creature that consumes it. A creature that eats the food must get a success on a Strength challenge roll or take 1d3 damage and become poisoned for 1d6 hours. 12 Whenever you kill a living creature with a soul, the body rots, forcing each creature that can see it to make a Will challenge roll. A creature becomes immune to this effect on a success, or gains 1 Insanity on a failure. 13 You vomit up maggots whenever you laugh. 14 Faces of people you have killed sometimes appear in fires that burn within short range of you. 15 Whenever you urinate, a centipede scuttles out from your urethra. 16 All of your teeth are black and pointed. 17 Your body hurts all the time. When you take damage, you take 1 extra damage. 18 Your bones shift and pop, rearranging themselves to make you appear weird and monstrous. 19 The skin from your body pulls itself away leaving just muscle and bones behind. 20 An extra arm grows out from the back of your body, over which you have no control. 12 Darkling Backgrounds d20 Background 1 You or your ancestors fought the trolls long ago. 2 You had many lovers among the First People and you took up with the Betrayer after the Edene slew them all. 3 The Edene captured and tortured you for years. By the time you escaped, you were horrifically scarred. 4 You stole a baby from a human family and drowned it in a pool of your urine. Gain 1 Corruption. 5 You once saved the Betrayer’s life by shouting a warning. He rewarded you with an enchanted object that you still carry with you. 6 You keep the bodies of several smaller faeries you killed preserved in embalming fluid to prevent their souls from ever decaying. Gain 1 Corruption. 7 You frequently sought out mortal newlyweds and murdered the husband or wife on their wedding night. Gain 1 Corruption. 8 You spent years inflicting torments on mortals to discover new ways of making them suffer. You have left a trail of mutilated and maimed people behind wherever you go. 9 You spent many years living in Hell, playing politics with the other devils to advance your position and gain power. After a misstep, you fled the place before your enemies could destroy you. 10 Against your better judgment, you fell in love with a mortal. When the person spurned your attentions, you killed him or her, but not before you killed everyone the mortal loved. 11 Fighting the ennui that comes from years spent in isolation, you committed yourself to pleasure and have indulged in every vice you could find that would stimulate your senses. 12 You traveled to Alfheim to beseech forgiveness from the Faerie Queen and to claim your place among your people. You were humiliatingly refused and cast out, and now hate other faeries as much as you hate humans. 13 You have the Devil’s favor and he sometimes watches your exploits shown on the surface of the blood he sips from his Chalice of Hate. 14 You were a companion of the Betrayer or descended from one of his companions. You vow to continue the struggle against the Edene. 15 A diabolist used dark magic to summon you and bind you to his or her service. Little more than a plaything and a slave, you eventually won your freedom when you led your summoner into danger. 16 You formed a cult devoted to the worship of the Devil and, through your efforts, you condemned many humans to spend their afterlife in Hell. Gain 1d3 Corruption. 17 You delight in pain and have several wounds in your flesh you prevent from healing to ensure you’re always stimulated. 18 You have been plotting against Alfheim for years and hope to tear open the borders to the Void and allow the demons to invade and destroy that hated place. Gain 1 Corruption. 19 You aided and abetted a mortal in summoning a demon that wound up destroying him. Gain 1 Corruption. 20 You lived among the goblins and found them useful agents in your work to spread chaos and destruction. 13 Darkling Motivations d20 Motivation 1–2 You witnessed the destruction wrought by one or more demons at some point in the past. As demonic incursions have been increasing thanks to the shadow creeping across the land, you felt moved to set aside your grudges and take up arms against darkness more evil and more ruinous than you. 3–4 After being robbed by cultists, adventurers, or someone else, you set out to regain what is yours. You scour the lands for signs of your purloined possessions and you won’t stop until you get them back. 5–6 You consulted a hag who told you that dark times were coming to the world and that you would play some major part in the crisis. 7–8 A faerie lord or lady sought you out and recruited you to help them fight against the horrors being loosed in the world. In return, they promise to help cleanse you of your Corruption and welcome you to one of the hidden kingdoms. 9–10 A mortal, by intent or accident, learned your true name and whisked you away to serve as the mortal wishes. You are bound to that mortal for seven years and seven days and must do as ordered. Luckily, your binder sets you loose to be his or her agent. 11–12 A herald of Diabolus found you and pressed you into service with other characters. You might be a spy, feeding the dark lord information about these characters, or an integral part of the team, your talents necessary for whatever great quest they undertake. 13–14 You spent centuries destroying lives and now, it seems, you have lost your taste for all things related to your hatred. You set out to do something different. 15–16 You and the other characters come together to confront a mutual threat, something that poses great danger to all of you. 17–18 Another darkling betrayed you and now you seek revenge. You join up with the other characters to get it. 19–20 You have so much blood on your hands, so many screams in your ears, you feel as if you are sliding into madness. The only hope for you is to break your ties to the Devil and somehow find redemption in this chaotic world. Darkling Professions Darklings live on the shadowed borders between the mortal world and the hidden kingdoms, and thus their lives are such that some professions found in Shadow have little appeal or meaning for them. When rolling to determine your starting professions, use the Darkling Profession table instead of the tables included in the main rulebook. Darkling Professions d20 Profession 1 Artist. Choose a medium from painter, poet, sculptor, or writer. 2 Burglar 3 Carouser or sot 4 Charlatan or confidence artist 5 Cultist 6 Dilettante 14 7 Entertainer. Choose a style from actor, dancer, fool, orator, singer, or storyteller. 8 Exile or hermit 9 Gambler 10 Hunter 11 Murderer 12 Musician. Choose an instrument style from percussion, string, or wind. 13 Nomad 14 Outlaw 15 Saboteur 16 Scholar. Choose one area of scholarship from architecture, astrology, folklore, geography, history, magic, medicine, navigation, occult, philosophy, nature, or war. 17 Soldier 18 Spy 19 Torturer 20 Tracker Character Interactions Given their antithetical stance toward humanity, it’s a wonder darklings ever become involved in human affairs beyond sowing discord and spreading misery among them. While it’s true that many darklings exist as little more than mankind’s enemy, some have realized, with the coming of the Shadow, that the world’s needs dwarf their hatreds and the destruction of the world means their extinction as well. As the enormity of the threat the Demon Lord poses begins to dawn on them, some darklings can set aside their hate for a time to work alongside their enemies in the hope of overcoming common threats. But alliances darklings make with other peoples rarely last for long. Not unlike cambions (see Exquisite Agony), darklings see it as their duty to lead others into darkness by tempting them to perform evil acts, peer into forbidden places, and do anything else that would sully their souls. After they have dealt with their common threat, darklings are quick to turn against their one-time allies, doing whatever they can to send their darkened souls screaming to Hell. Darklings and Mortals As much as darklings loathe humans, some can still recall a more peaceful time when their two peoples lived in harmony. Darklings might show restraint when interacting with a person who shows obvious signs of descending from the First People or who keeps their erstwhile allies’ ancient customs and beliefs. Such restraint, however, should never be taken as doubt, hesitation, or weakness—darklings will still seek to corrupt and kill humans, regardless of their origins. The hatred that darklings have for humans does not fully extend to other mortal peoples. Darklings, like other faeries, have little reason to interact with dwarfs or jotun, since both of those peoples reek of the iron all faeries 15 despise. The avoidance darklings display toward such peoples does not signal loathing, but rather a move toward self-preservation driven by their unfamiliarity with their kind. As for halflings, darklings have no conflict with them and tolerate their presence. Darklings take a special interest in fauns, especially those they sire on mortals. Usually society’s castoffs, fauns have no place to call their own, a predicament darklings are only too happy to exploit. Darklings lure fauns into their employ with promises of affection, shelter, and wants met, and then, over time, twist them toward darkness. Darklings and Faeries Corruption might stain their souls, but faeries the darklings remain. Darklings regard their estranged kin with a mixture of suspicion, fear, and sometimes hate. Titania’s refusal to come to either their or the Betrayer’s aid, and eternal consequences of their foul pact with Diabolus have left them abandoned and shunned by most of their kind, the ancient bonds between them severed. For this reason, many darklings vex the faeries of the hidden kingdoms nearly as much as they do humans, which only widens the gulf between them. Darklings place great value in changelings and exploit them for their magical natures. Changelings can help darklings infiltrate human settlements, gather crucial information, or sometimes just embed themselves 16 in such societies until the darkling calls upon them. As noted above, darklings rarely take mortal children and leave behind a changeling; whenever they do, these creations rarely last and prove troublesome, foul, and unsettling until the magic quickly fades from them. Goblins flock to darklings and can reliably find service as their henchmen, assistants, and agents. Darklings might recoil from certain goblin practices, but they can overlook their cousins’ flaws to see the commonalities between them. After all, both are denied their places in the hidden kingdoms and must make do in a hostile world. Darklings and Other Peoples Darklings have little reason to interact with clockworks. In fact, the darklings find the mechanical beings’ existence extremely disturbing since the souls bound to their machine bodies are often summoned forth from the Underworld or Hell without having fully forgotten their old lives. This process of cleansing, darklings know, balances the scales between mortals and immortals, ensuring that mortals can never attain the same heights as immortals can. Fetching uncleansed souls and embedding them in created bodies gives mortals a way to extend their lifespans and preserve their identities indefinitely, even if most mortals haven’t quite figured that out yet. Orcs fascinate darklings, despite the fact that most orcs wear armor and wield weapons forged from iron and steel. Darklings see orcs as the architects of humanity’s demise, a people just as contaminated as the dark faeries, who have also been driven to avenge centuries of abuse, exploitation, and horror dealt to them by human hands. The darklings aid and abet orcs when they can, delighting in the chaos created by orc warbands on the march. Darklings are often found in the company of orc commanders, where they serve as shadow advisors, informants, and assassins. The undead pose a significant threat to the world’s natural order. By circumventing the process of life-death-rebirth, these unnatural abominations create fissures in reality’s bounds by their mere existence alone. Darklings destroy any undead they encounter without compunction, and might even be moved to help peoples they would normally treat as enemies to destroy a horde of shuffling corpses or to help put an end to a vampire’s vicious and bloody reign. Finally, darklings tend to regard elemental peoples neutrally. The elementals have been no threat to the faeries since the time when the genies created the Urth, and their diminishing numbers suggest their presence in the world is slowly fading. They might occasionally align themselves with salamanders or gnomes for a common purpose, but have few opportunities to mingle with sylphs or undines. 17 Darkling Weapons Like all faeries, darklings recoil from objects made from iron or iron alloys and cannot bear to handle such items, even when wearing gloves or using some other kind of covering. Iron weapons played a considerable part in the darklings’ defeat at the hands of the Edene: faerie weapons either broke against the Edene’s iron shields or could not pierce their armor, while the faeries themselves suffered great agony at the merest touch of this foul metal. The darklings have had centuries to reflect on their defeat, particularly upon the role iron weapons and armor played in it, and have since devised new materials and methods to fashion arms and armor with which they can effectively even the odds. Boneweave Faeries have always used bone in the creation of arms and armor, but darklings have devised a way to make the material more resilient when used against foes wearing and wielding iron. The ingenious use of magic from the Necromancy tradition allows “self-healing” weapons, whose cracks and chips fill themselves in as they occur, ensuring the weapon does not shatter on impact with a harder material. A byproduct of this technique causes eerie moaning sounds to emanate from the weapons when swung in battle, an effect that works to demoralize and even terrify an opponent. Only basic weapons, military melee weapons, and swift weapons can be made from boneweave. They sell for the same price as ordinary weapons, but count as if they were exotic. Wyrdwood More common among the elves of Alfheim and other hidden kingdoms, the secrets of wyrdwood have found their way to darkling artisans who harvest the material from the sacred wyrd trees found growing in old forests touched by faerie magic. These enormous trees grow hundreds of feet tall, their bone- white trunks up to 18 feet in diameter. So ancient and sacred are the trees that not even the darklings dare harm them, lest they invite the wrath of the leshys who protect them. Instead, petitioners come before the trees and lay out the reasons for their need. If the tree accepts their arguments, the pale bark separates and out comes the desired weapon, fully formed and ready to serve. A tree can give such a gift only once every thirteen years, so wyrdwood weapons are extremely rare and highly prized. A weapon made from wyrdwood has the hardness of steel while weighing almost nothing. They take the forms of basic weapons, military melee weapons, or swift weapons. They are never sold, but are instead given as gifts to worthy wielders or taken from the corpses of their former bearers. Most wyrdwood weapons are enchanted objects. 18 Darkling Paths Darkling characters can take any of the available paths provided a particular path makes sense within the developing story of the campaign. The following paths offer new options for any character, though their story and concepts make them especially appealing to darkling characters. Priest of the Devil Novice Path The Devil entices mortals and immortals alike to serve his interests with offers of wealth, power, and the fulfillment of any desire, no matter how sordid or vile. Since pledging service to Diabolus guarantees damnation, people who serve do so with full knowledge of what awaits them in the afterlife and, through a combination of self-deception and denial, believe they can forestall the horror to come through constant and dedicated service to their dark master. The Devil’s minions work to further their master’s interests by corrupting people in positions of power, infiltrating and subverting powerful organizations, and by recruiting others to join their diabolical cause. Few people outwardly display their devotion to the Devil, knowing that such an affiliation invites attention from the Inquisition and other foes of Hell. Instead, they mask their true nature with upstanding, virtuous, and noble facades, appearing to all others as exemplary members of their communities. However, on certain nights of the year, the Devil-worshipers gather in secret, coming together to conduct those rites and rituals required by their faith to honor Diabolus and gain his dire blessings. Exceptions, of course, exist. Darklings, for example, make no secret of their fidelity to the Devil, wearing his symbols on their persons and invoking his dark name in their prayers. 19 In Set, the City of Gods, there stands a temple dedicated to the Lord of Lies, where his priests carry out their vile rituals in full view. The sordid particulars of a Devil-worshiping cult’s initiation varies from sect to sect, though most involve the eating of raw flesh, copious drug use, orgies, torture, sacrifice, and the casting of dark spells. Initiates wear masks, usually of angelic appearance, and are forced to perform a series of debased and humiliating acts until they have satisfied the other cultists as to their loyalty and commitment to Diabolus. Few emerge from initiation with their sanity intact. Since enemies lay on all sides, priests of the Devil rely in secret signs to communicate their faith. Several signs are known. The most common is to make the devil’s horns by extending the forefinger and pinky away from the hand, while curling down the middle fingers behind the outstretched thumb. Others include a trident worn as a trinket or a tattoo, the speaking of a phrase such as “Embrace the Father’s Fires,” or by shaking with one’s left hand while applying light pressure on the wrist. People fear the Devil for good reason. No ally to mortals, the Devil seeks total dominion of the Urth and to make all its people his slaves. He reaches up from his fiery realm to pull the strings of countless agents he has installed in various positions of incredible power and influence. His ambition leaves no room for invasion from an outside threat, however, and Diabolus opposes the Demon Lord and the horrors of the Void as vigorously as every other deity and faith in the world, and he expects the same of anyone who serves him. The Devil reveals the Enchantment, Fire, and Shadow traditions to his priests. Level 1 Priest of the Devil Attributes Increase two by 1 Characteristics Health +4, Power +1, Corruption +1 Languages and Professions You add cultist to your list of professions, or a different profession if you already have cultist. In addition, you can either read a language you already know how to speak or add a language to the list of languages you can speak. Magic You discover the Enchantment, Fire, or Shadow tradition. Then choose one of the following options: • You discover the other two traditions. • You discover one of the other traditions and learn one spell. • You learn two spells. Tempting Recovery You can use an action to heal damage equal to your healing rate. Then one creature you can see within short range heals damage equal to half its healing rate or equal to twice its healing rate if it chooses to gain 1 Corruption. 20 Level 2 Priest of the Devil Characteristics Health +4, Corruption +1 Magic Choose one of the following options: • You discover two traditions from Enchantment, Fire, or Shadow. • You discover the Enchantment, Fire, or Shadow tradition and learn one spell. • You learn two spells. Diabolical Prayer When you or a creature within short range makes an attack roll or challenge roll, you can use a triggered action to grant 1 boon to the triggering roll. If the target is a creature other than you and the target has 1 Corruption or more, the target makes the roll with 1 additional boon. Level 5 Expert Priest of the Devil Characteristics Health +4, Power +1 Magic You learn one spell. In lieu of learning a spell, you can discover one of the traditions associated with the Devil. Divine Strike When you use Diabolical Prayer to grant 1 or more boons on an attack roll, the triggering attack deals 1d6 extra damage. Level 8 Master Priest of the Devil Characteristics Health +4 Magic You learn one spell. In lieu of learning a spell, you can discover one of the traditions associated with the Devil. Devil’s Reward Whenever you use your Diabolical Prayer talent, you make all attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon until the end of the round. If a creature gains Corruption from your Tempting Recovery talent, your attacks deal 1d6 extra damage for 1 minute. Great Temptation You can use Tempting Recovery twice. In addition, the creature you target for your Tempting Recovery talent must get a success on a Will challenge roll or be forced to gain 1 Corruption and heal damage equal to twice its healing rate. Forktongue Expert Path The Devil’s hunger for souls is insatiable and thus he rewards those servants who excel at providing them, offering them greater power and lives relatively free from the deleterious effects felt by the darkening of their souls. Drawn from the ranks of the most diabolical of the Adversary’s servants, the forktongues move through the world, luring mortals onto the path of damnation. Shielded by their master’s favor, they become subtle enemies of the virtuous, hiding their wicked intent behind kindly and helpful masks, while slowly chipping away at their victim’s resolve until they eventually succumb to temptation and embrace the darkness of Hell. Forked Tongue Story Development d3 Story Development 1 You bargained with a devil and came up short. You became a forktongue to pay off your debts to Hell. 2 You managed to grow your tiny cult into a great network of corrupted agents. You have chosen this path to continue your work for your dark master. 3 You swore your soul to the Devil to help you get revenge against your enemies. Your talents reflect the benefits you gain from your vile pact. 21 Level 3 Forktongue Attributes Increase two by 1 Characteristics Health +4, Power +1, Corruption +1 Languages and Professions Add devotee to your list of professions. If you have this profession already, add a random criminal profession. Magic You discover one of the Enchantment, Fire, or Shadow traditions or you learn one spell from those traditions. Hell’s Agent You ignore all of the effects from gaining Corruption, though you are still at risk of gaining Marks of Darkness. Silver-Tongued Devil You make rolls to deceive and persuade with 1 boon. Veil of Innocence To any effect that would reveal your Corruption score, you appear as if your Corruption score was 0. Level 6 Forktongue Characteristics Health +4, Corruption +1 Magic You learn one spell. Tainted Gift You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to make an offer to one creature within short range that can hear you. Choose a gift from the following. If the target accepts the gift, it gains 1 Corruption. Once a target accepts your gift, you must wait until you complete a rest before you use Tainted Gift again. • For 1 hour, the target makes all attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon. • For 1 hour, the target’s attacks deal 1d6 extra damage. • For 1 hour, the target has a +2 bonus to Defense. • The target heals all damage and removes all afflictions. • The target regains 1d3 + 1 expended castings. Level 9 Master Forktongue Characteristics Health +4, Power +1, Corruption +1 Magic You learn one spell. Devotee of Darkness When you cast an Enchantment, Fire, or Shadow attack spell, you make the attack roll with 1 boon and creatures make challenge rolls to resist the spell with 1 bane. Darklings as Adversaries Although some darklings might set aside their age-old grudge against mankind in order to fight against the darkness from the Void, these are the exception and not the rule. Bound by their vile pact with the Devil, their hearts filled with hate for mortals, the darklings continue their struggle against humanity, fighting in ways large and small to avenge themselves and their fallen kin. Most of these fully commit their immortal lives to the destruction of mankind, and the extent to which they conduct their war knows no limit or end. They strike back at their ancient foes through theft and murder, arson and corruption. They are Hell’s agents, bound by ancient compacts with the Lord of Lies to corrupt and drag mortal souls screaming into Hell to feed their master’s bottomless appetite. Most darklings work alone or in small groups or families. They hide in ancient ruins, roaming the crumbling structures left by the faeries who fled to the refuge offered by the hidden kingdoms. They haunt the primeval forests, nursing hatreds that have poisoned them against their own kind. Some are even bold enough to hide in plain sight within the lands held by 22 their enemies, always working against the mortals in subtle ways. Wherever they dwell, darklings plot and connive, weaving conspiracies against their enemies and carrying them out through the minions and agents they employ. Darklings lack the numbers to move directly against their enemies, instead relying on underlings to carry out their schemes. Goblins, redcaps, corrupted fauns, changelings, and other wicked faeries often serve darklings as spies, saboteurs, and assassins, either acting on the darklings’ orders or working alongside them in their schemes and intrigues. Darklings sometimes serve hags, with whom they share much in common, particularly their hatred for mortals, and might be found in their company or protecting the hags’ lairs. You can use the following darkling statistics boxes for adventures that feature darklings as adversaries. Darklings Faeries twisted by hate and stained by Hell’s vile influence, darklings bitterly recall the defeat and destruction of their elf lord, the Betrayer, at the hands of the Edene. Bound in eternal service to the Devil, they exist only to continue their never-ending quest for vengeance against mankind, sowing discord and despair wherever they strike, harvesting the souls of mortals for their dark master. Darklings speak Elvish and High Archaic. DARKLING DIFFICULTY 1 Size 1 faerie (devil) Perception 12 (+2); shadowsight Defense 12 (soft leather); Health 9; Insanity 1d3; Corruption 1d3 + 1 Strength 9 (–1), Agility 11 (+1), Intellect 11 (+1), Will 8 (–2) Speed 10 Immune damage from disease; charmed, diseased Fire Resistance The darkling takes half damage from fire. Spell Defense A darkling takes half damage from spells and makes challenge rolls to resist spells with 1 boon. A creature attacking the darkling with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane. Iron Vulnerability A darkling is impaired while in contact with iron. In addition, if a darkling touches or is touched by an object made from iron, it loses Spell Defense for as long as it remains in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward. ATTACK OPTIONS Small Sword (melee) +1 with 1 boon (1d6 + 1) Bow (long range) +1 with 1 boon (1d6) Hellbound All darklings bear the stain of corruption left by the Betrayer’s foul bargain with the Devil. While not all darklings actively serve the Lord of Lies, most do and fully embrace all the horror and power that such alliance brings them. Hellbound darklings stand with one foot in the mortal world and the other in Hell, and it shows in their mastery over elemental flame and in their willingness to use it against innocents. Deadly and merciless, hellbound see it as their personal mission to purge the world of all humanity. 23 HELLBOUND DARKLING DIFFICULTY 250 Size 1 frightening faerie (devil) Perception 13 (+3); shadowsight Defense 16 (soft leather, small shield); Health 60; Insanity 1d3 + 3; Corruption 1d6 + 1 Strength 10 (+0), Agility 14 (+4), Intellect 12 (+2), Will 10 (+0) Speed 12 Immune damage from disease; charmed, diseased Fire Resistance The darkling takes half damage from fire. Spell Defense A darkling takes half damage from spells and makes challenge rolls to resist spells with 1 boon. A creature attacking the darkling with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane. Iron Vulnerability A darkling is impaired while in contact with iron. In addition, if a darkling touches or is touched by an object made from iron, it loses Spell Defense for as long as it remains in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward. ATTACK OPTIONS Fiery Scimitar (melee) +4 with 2 boons (2d6 + 1 plus 1d6 from fire) SPECIAL ATTACKS Fiery Blast The darkling uses an action to throw fire into a 3-yard cone originating from a point in its space. The fire deals 2d6 damage to everything in the area. A creature can make an Agility challenge roll with 1 bane and takes half the damage on a success. Fire and Fury The darkling uses Fiery Blast and then attacks with its fiery scimitar. Immolating Step The darkling uses an action to fill a 1-yard radius sphere centered on a point in its space with fire and then disappear. Everything in the area takes 5d6 damage from the flames. A creature can make an Agility challenge roll with 1 bane and takes half the damage on a success. At the end of the round, the darkling reappears in an open space of its choice within medium range of the space it left. 24 Manhunter After the defeat of the Betrayer, the surviving darklings were pursued by the Edene, which scattered them across Rûl. From their hiding places, the darklings would creep out, flitting from shadow to shadow to conduct a ceaseless guerilla war against the Edene. Over time, they developed tactics and methods that became the techniques of the manhunters. Deadly hunters, they pick out their prey and follow them unseen, relentless in their pursuit until they make the kill. Manhunters often wear trophies of those they slay, keeping ears, fingers, or scalps hanging from their clothing and armor. DARKLING MANHUNTER DIFFICULTY 50 Size 1 frightening faerie (devil) Perception 13 (+3); shadowsight Defense 14 (hard leather); Health 33; Insanity 1d3; Corruption 1d3 + 1 Strength 11 (+1), Agility 12 (+2), Intellect 12 (+2), Will 9 (–1) Speed 12 Immune damage from disease; charmed, diseased Fire Resistance The darkling takes half damage from fire. Spell Defense A darkling takes half damage from spells and makes challenge rolls to resist spells with 1 boon. A creature attacking the darkling with a spell makes the attack roll with 1 bane. Iron Vulnerability A darkling is impaired while in contact with iron. In addition, if a darkling touches or is touched by an object made from iron, it loses Spell Defense for as long as it remains in contact with the object and for 1 minute afterward. ATTACK OPTIONS Scimitar (melee) +2 with 2 boons (1d6 + 1) Longbow (long range) +2 with 2 boons (1d6 + 1 plus Poison) Poison A creature must get a success on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane or take 1d6 extra damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the creature is slowed. If the target is already poisoned, it takes 2d6 extra damage. SPECIAL ACTIONS Choose Prey The darkling uses an action, or a triggered action on its turn, to choose one creature it can see within medium range. The target becomes the darkling’s prey until the darkling becomes incapacitated, the target becomes incapacitated, or the darkling uses Choose Prey again. The darkling makes attack rolls against its prey with 1 boon and its attacks deal 1d6 extra damage. Stalk Prey The darkling uses an action, or a triggered action on its turn, to become invisible from its prey for 1 minute or until the darkling uses an action to attack. Check out these other demon lord releases! Between two worlds Riders of the wind Kingdom of sails Embrace the Darkness... Thousands of years ago on the continent of Rûl, the son of the Faerie Queen Titania defied his mother’s will by involving himself and his faerie followers in mortal affairs, allying with the First People to wage war against the invading Edene. Forever condemned by Titania as a traitor to faeriekind, the Betrayer, as he came to be known, turned to the Devil to bargain for his aid in defeating the Edene. But this deal proved to be a terrible mistake, as Diabolus dithered and balked at issuing forth his hogmen legions from Hell, giving the Edene God-Queen Umessa time to slay the Betrayer in battle and scatter the elf-lord’s followers throughout the continent. In defeat, the Betrayer’s followers suffered the enormity of their leader’s bargain, finding themselves forever stained, sullied, and corrupted. Transformed into hideous thralls of Hell, these darklings have hidden in Rûl’s shadows, forced by the Betrayer’s pact with the Devil to corrupt and lead mortals into damnation. But as the Demon Lord’s shadow spreads over the Urth, these wicked faeries find themselves drawn out of their exile in darkness, either to take up arms against the common threat or to join forces with the Hunger in the Void to bring an end to their suffering. Scions of the Betrayer kicks off a new series of supplements for Shadow of the Demon Lord that reveal the forgotten peoples, places, and relics littering the lands of Rûl. Scions examines the darklings, warped faeries forever bound to serve the Devil, and makes them available to players as a new ancestry and to Gamemasters as a dreadful new foe. www.schwalbentertainment.com

textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Legacy of Shadow/SotDL - Scions of the Betrayer.pdf

Something for Everyone D ispensing magic items is one of the joys of GMing but they are sources of great power and wealth so opportu- nities to reward adventurers with fun relics are limited. That’s where Enchanted Trinkets come in! These magic items all have a minor, largely flavorful effect, and in a pinch they can be permanently expended or broken to have a greater impact. Note that while each of these minor magic items has a listed rarity it is suggested that GMs use gold values instead (included with each item) to reflect their expendability. WRITING Mike Myler COLOR ART Indi Martin EDITING Mike Myler LAYOUT Frank Michienzi Enchanted Trinkets: Something for Everyone | EN World EN5idEr Enchanted Trinkets: Something for Everyone | EN World EN5idEr Open Game Content | The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All other material in this article, including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), in-character and out-of- character narrative and descriptive text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing product and article titles, and EN World and EN Publishing logos, are designated Product Identity. Barbarian’s Victory Cord Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a barbarian; 50 gp) While this length of sinew taken from a powerful creature is wrapped around the handle of your weapon, a monstrous double of your voice simulta- neously emanates from it and you gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks. When you hit a creature with the weapon the cord is wrapped around, you can use a bonus action or reaction to untether the piece of monstrous spirit trapped within it. The cord becomes a mundane item and for the next minute the weapon is a magical weapon. Bard’s Miraculous Ring Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a bard; 85 gp) While you are wearing this ring, you know the prestidigitation cantrip. If you already know the cantrip, at the end of a short rest you can choose one creature you can see to learn the prestidigitation cantrip until the end of your next short rest. When you make a Charisma (Performance) check, you can use your reaction to expend the magic inside of the ring. You have advantage on the check as the energy within it makes your voice resonant, your movements sublime, and your memory for cues impeccable. Roll 1d4 and on a result of 2, 3, or 4 the ring becomes a mundane item. Cleric’s Devoted Diadem Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a cleric; 85 gp) While you are wearing this crown, you know the thaumaturgy cantrip. If you already know the cantrip, at the end of a short rest you can choose one creature you can see to learn the thaumaturgy cantrip until the end of your next short rest. When you make an Intelligence (Religion) check, you can use your reaction to activate this magic item and make the check using Wisdom instead. Roll 1d6 and on a result of 1 the diadem becomes a mundane item. Druid’s Leafy Greaves Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a druid; 85 gp) While you are wearing these wooden shin guards, you know the druidcraft cantrip. If you already know the cantrip, at the end of a short rest you can choose one creature you can see to learn the druidcraft cantrip until the end of your next short rest. When you make an Intelligence (Nature) check, you can use your reaction to activate this magic item and make the check using Wisdom instead. Roll 1d6 and on a result of 1 the greaves becomes a mundane item. Fighter’s Splendid Sheathe Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement by a fighter; 50 gp) Whenever you return your weapon to this holster, the blade is impeccably cleaned as though it were just oiled and polished. The first time your draw your weapon from this sheathe after taking a short rest, the weapon is a magical weapon until the start of your next turn. When you hit a creature with the weapon most recently enchanted by this sheathe, you can use a bonus action or reaction to expend the magic inside of it. The sheathe becomes a mundane item and for the next minute the weapon is a magical weapon. Enchanted Trinkets: Something for Everyone | EN World EN5idEr Mage’s Magnificent Cape Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard; 85 gp) While you are wearing this resplendent cloak, you gain some intuitive understanding of the arcane, though it is fleeting. When you finish a short rest, you learn one randomly determined cantrip (roll 1d8: 1–dancing lights, 2–guidance, 3–light, 4–mending, 5–message, 6–minor illusion, 7–resistance, 8–spare the dying). As soon as you cast this cantrip, you forget it and learn another randomly determined cantrip (as above). You can use an action to expend the magic inside of the cape. The cloak becomes a mundane item and you cast one 1st level spell chosen from the bard, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list (as if you had used a 1st level spell slot). Monk’s Combat Bracers Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a monk; 100 gp) While you are wearing these intricately engraved leather armguards, your fists are deadlier. When you use Strength with your unarmed strikes, you gain a +1 bonus to damage on your first successful hit each round. When you use Dexterity with your unarmed strikes, you gain a +1 bonus on your first attack roll each round. These bonuses do not make your unarmed strike count as a magical weapon. When you hit a creature with your unarmed strike, you can use a bonus action or reaction to expend the magic inside of the bracers. The armguards become a mundane item, for the next minute your unarmed strikes gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and they count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Paladin’s Minor Relic Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a paladin; 50 gp) While you are carrying this trinket in battle, it emits a zealous rendition of music inspired by your deity. When you roll initiative, you gain 1d4 tempo- rary hit points as it bolsters your resolve and faith. When you use Divine Sense, you can use a bonus action or reaction to expend the magic inside of the relic. The trinket becomes a mundane item and you are able to sense the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 500 feet of you even if it is behind total cover. Ranger’s Sacred Locket Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a ranger; 60 gp) While a piece of terrain from the terrain chosen for your Natural Explorer feature is inside of this locket, you feel a tangible connection back to your home. At the end of each long rest, choose Wisdom or Charisma. You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws made using the chosen ability score until the end of your next long rest. When using Natural Explorer, you can use a bonus action to expend the magic inside of the amulet. The locket becomes a mundane item and for the next day you are able to treat whatever terrain you are in as if it was one of your chosen terrains for Natural Explorer. Rogue’s Brass Knuckles Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a rogue; 75 gp) While wearing these metal guards over your fingers your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage + your Strength modifier, but you have disadvantage on any Dexterity checks that require the use of your hands. The magic within them grants you advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks made to hide the brass knuckles. Enchanted Trinkets: Something for Everyone | EN World EN5idEr When you hit a creature with your unarmed strike while wearing these metal guards, you can use a bonus action or reaction to expend the magic inside of them. The brass knuckles become a mundane item and for the next minute your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Sorcerer’s Exceptional Boots Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a sorcerer; 100 gp) While you are wearing this fashionable footwear, you know the prestidigitation cantrip. If you already know the cantrip, at the end of a short rest you can choose one creature you can see to learn the presti- digitation cantrip until the end of your next short rest. In addition, the boots have 2 charges. You can use your reaction to expend a charge, casting the feather- fall or jump spell. The boots regain 1 expended charge daily at dawn. Whenever you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a result of 13 or less, the boots becomes a mundane item. Warlock’s Glittering Gemstone Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a warlock; 95 gp) While you are carrying this empowered jewel, you hear the whispers of your patron in the back of your mind fueling you with a stream of knowl- edge that dissipates as quickly as it appears. When you inish a short rest, you learn one randomly determined cantrip (roll 1d4: 1–mage hand, 2–minor illusion, 3–prestidigitation, 4–true strike). As soon as you cast this cantrip, you forget it and learn another randomly determined cantrip (as above). You can use a bonus action to expend the magic inside of the gemstone. The jewel becomes a mundane item and you either gain some temporary knowledge (learn one warlock spell of your choice that you forget at the end of your next long rest) or trade some memories for those constructed by your patron (choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list). In either case the learned spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Warrior’s Battle Belt Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a barbarian, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, or rogue; 55 gp) While you are wearing this thick leather band about your waist, your resilience is dramatically increased and the effect bolsters your mettle as well. At the end of each long rest, choose Strength or Constitution. You gain a +2 bonus on your next ability check or saving throws that uses the chosen ability score, and a +1 bonus on your next ability check or saving throw that uses the other ability score. When you take a critical hit, you can use your reaction to expend the magic inside of the belt. The belt becomes a mundane item and the critical hit becomes a normal hit. Wizard’s Remarkable Gloves Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a wizard; 85 gp) While you are wearing these gloves, you know the mage hand cantrip. If you already know the cantrip, at the end of a short rest you can choose one creature you can see to learn the mage hand cantrip until the end of your next short rest. When you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check, you can use your reaction to expend the magic inside of the gloves. You have advantage on the check as the energy within it spreads throughout your body and attunes you to the supernatural, imbuing a nuanced understanding of all things mystical. Roll 1d4 and on a result of 2, 3, or 4 the gloves become a mundane item. e

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 293 - Enchanted Trinkets Something for Everyone.pdf

Aftermath! Zombie Supplement Including zombie in Aftermath! is a fun way to liven up the game which was created way back in 1982, but several of the rules make zombies highly impractical. I’ve created a subset of the rules for dealing with zombies. I’ve made a few assumptions about zombies, but there is room for interruption by the GM. Rule Modifications Several special rules need to be added to allow a more natural zombie experience. Obviously, we have to suspend disbelieve a bit to allow zombies, so these added rule changes should come par for the course. I’ve created the zombie virus definition, special missile hit rules, missile hit location rules, HTH hit rules and zombie class information. Special hit rules allow for more headshots, per zombie movie examples. The justification is that when shooting at a human, they tend to be defensive about being shot in the face. When shooting at a zombie, they just want your brain, they don’t defend against headshots, I’m not sure they even understand they are being shot. Zombies There are two basic zombies that are the same, expect their movement rate. This allows for a mix of fast and slow zombies. Zombie (Slow) BAP 6 Bite BCS 10 WDM: 1L MNA 2 Damage Dice 1D6 PCA 3 Scratch BCS 10 WDM: 1L BMA 1m (no running) Damage Dice 1D4 AV 3-5 WDA 0 CDA 0 DRT (2D6) + 4 SF 20 Zombie (Fast) BAP 12 Bite BCS 10 WDM: 1L MNA 2 Damage Dice 1D6 PCA 6 Scratch BCS 10 WDM: 1L BMA 2m (no running) Damage Dice 1D4 AV 3-5 WDA 0 CDA 0 DRT (2D6) + 4 SF 20 Assume the Fast Zombie is always running. Fast and slow zombie have the same stats, just their movement speed is different. Armor Value: 3-5AV. Using armor and building zombies is too crunchy. Just use average armors. For Zombie bosses, or turned PC, used the correct armor values. Attack Modifier: Zombie bites and scratches may not penetrate Rigid and Semi-Rigid armor, for purposes of infection. Special Attack: Any attack on a location with AV (Armor Value) 0 that does damage will result in infection. Any attack that does more damage than double the AV of the location (Damage > AV * 2) has a 30% (70-00 on a D100) chance of infection against non-rigid armor. Example: Bob is wearing a light cloth shirt, AV 2. A successful zombie bit to location 28 does 5 points of damage. 5 points is more than (AV *2) 2*2=4, so there is a 30% chance of infection. Bob must roll below 70 on a D100 to avoid infection. Defense: CDA and WDM: Zombies do not defend against attacks or dodge attacks. Their CDA and WDM are always zero, even when running and falling. Zone of Influence: These defensive values give zombies a huge weakness in that players can stand still, let zombies attack them and get a free Zone of Influence attack as they close. If a large number of zombies can be forced to go through a doorway, one at a time, then players can play whack a zombie. This makes zombies much less lethal in confined spaces. Zombies do not attack when players enter their Zone of Influence, though players must still stop when they enter a zombie’s ZoI. Zombies shock factor is normally higher than their DRT, so they are not affected by shock. Zombies who exceed their DRT de-animate, fall and remain motionless. They still carry the Zombie Virus and must be burned to eliminate it. Zombie Virus Name Vector Format Target Incubation Period Virulence Group Cycle Time Notes Zombie S - (Acute) WL 1D20 + 2 Minutes 4 6 Minutes Weakness, Green Skin Coloration Zombie bites using this formula are survivable. Increase the Virulence group to make them non- survivable, but don’t underestimate the deadliness of this virus. Exposure: Determine if target is exposed to the virus. Roll a HTH AST – Virulence group. Successful means not infected. Failure means incubation period has started. The Zombie Virus has no symptoms during the incubation period. Remember, the incubation period is not known by the players. Players may not even initially know the time range. During Incubation Period: A successful Pathology BCS roll minus the Virulence Group will allow another HTH AST – Virulence Group saving throw. Success means no infection, failure means infection. A Broad-Band Antibiotic may be used in conjunction with Pathology, with the strength of the drug adding to the HHT AST roll. If no pathology skill is available, the Broad-Band Antibiotic may be used to allow a HTH AST – Virulence group saving throw. Only one saving throw is allowed during incubation. Post Incubation Period: Every 6 minutes that passes in the game the patient must make a HTH saving throw. After the Incubation period, characters are infectious, prior to their death. Due to the subcutaneous nature of the virus, infected characters are not extremely dangerous. Saving throw in HTH CST range: Disease has run its course, the patient has survived, but has built up no defense to the virus. Saving throw in HTH AST range: Disease does not progress. Failed HTH AST: The effect die for the virulence group is deducted from the patients WL. If WL goes below 1, the crisis point has been reached. Modifications to HTH Saving throw: +1 Successful Pathology BCS – Virulence Group roll. Broad-Band Antibiotic applied, add strength to HTH saving throw -1 if character is more than 50% wounded -2 if more than 75% wounded Crisis Point When the patient reaches the crisis point of the zombie disease, the player must make a unmodified HTH CST. If this fails, the character becomes a zombie and control of the character is taken over by the GM. Characters who become zombies retain their current DRT and armor, but may not use weapons. Zombie conversion no longer suffer from Weakness from the disease. Conversion is immediate. When the character fails their HLH roll, the character is a full strength zombie. Standard Antibiotic vs Super Broad Band Antibiotic The standard BBA (Broad-Band Antibiotic) has a strength of 2 against this virus. The Super Broad-Band Antibiotic (SBBA) has a strength of 3. A Cipro style antibiotic called PAX-4 has a strength of 4 and should be available in small quantities in most pharmacies. Disease Notes Depending on their WL, characters will get a number of chances to successfully throw off the zombie virus, however it is better to avoid infection. There is no immunity built up by prior infections. Note, the incubation period is very short, so immediate medical care is needed to be effective during incubation period. Special Missile Hit Rules Zombies do not dodge or defend against missile fire, so while they are not easier to hit (beyond not having a CDA), they are easier to hit in upper body locations. This allows for more headshots. This is a concession to the zombie movie idea of head shots. When a zombie is outside of a player’s ZoI (Zone of Influence), i.e. more than 1m away, the normal BCS rules apply, but this special biped hit location chart is used. D100 LOC 1-10 1 11-21 2 22-31 3 32-41 4/5 42-51 6/7 52-61 8/9 62-70 21/22 71-79 23/24 80-87 25/26 88-94 27/20 95-100 29/30 Standard rules for location moves for scores above 100 may be applied. Players may move to any location and are not restricted to upper body. A player may optionally, roll on the Biped hit chart if they feel that is to their advantage. Due to cover or whatever reason, but this must be determined before the BCS is rolled. Hits to location 1 and 2 have their BDG increased by 10. Once a zombie enters the ZoI for a shooter, the standard hit chart applies. Zombies are subject to free attacks when entering the ZoI, as they do not take combat moves. HTH Special Hit Rules Zombies do not have a WDA, and do not dodge head blows. This allows character to land blows against their heads with HTH weapons. When battling zombies with HTH weapons, player may optionally use the Special Zombie HTH Hit Chart. D100 LOC 1-10 1 11-21 2 22-31 3 32-41 4/5 42-51 6/7 52-61 8/9 62-70 21/22 71-79 23/24 80-87 25/26 88-94 27/20 95-100 29/30 Hits to location 1 and 2 have their WDM increased by 1. Zombies do not get a free attack when a player enters their ZOI or with attempts to disengage. Zombie Search Rules Zombies do not act like animals or humans. They have their own special characteristics when looking for brains to eat. Zombies have four modes Inactive, Alerted, Active Search and Chase Mode. Zombie Enemy Detection Ranges Zombies use sight and hearing to detect enemies and at short range smell. Sight and Smell The will see enemies up to 40m. Enemies moving outside of that range will not be detected by sight or smell, even if there is a clear line-of-sight. In zero light or low light, their sight detection range goes down to 15m, mostly due to their sense of smell. Hearing Zombies have good hearing and can low volume, non-environmental, sounds up to 50m. Stealth Characters using successful Stealth skill maybe able sneak past zombies. If they move within 15m of a zombie or fail stealth roll, then that triggers a detection roll. Stealth does not work on zombies that are not in Inactive Mode. Detection by Inactive Zombies The following table can be used to determine detection by zombies in Inactive mode. One roll is made regardless of the number of zombies. Roll modifiers are below. Roll D20 Detection 1-5 Not noticed 6-12 Zombies go to Alerted Mode 13-17 Zombies go to Active Search Mode 18-20 Zombies go to Chase Mode Modifiers -5 Successfully Using Stealth +3 Running +3 Making mechanical noise (opening doors, inserting magazine, dropping a knife…) If zombies go to Alerted Mode or Active Search Mode due to a detection, and the targets are further away than 15m, they must be able to see the target moving in order to go into Chase Mode. It is possible for characters to hide and stop moving to avoid being Chased. If characters are hiding and zombie movement caused zombies to close within 15m (smell range), use the close-range detection table. Roll D20 Close Range Detection 1-9 Not noticed zombies move out of range, if possible 10-15 Zombies go to continue to wander in range, roll again in 1D6 minutes. 16-20 Zombies go to Chase Mode Alerted Mode When zombies enter Alerted mode, they will begin to move around, shuffling in circles or random patterns toward the point of detection at 3m per turn. Zombies will remain in Alerted Mode for 3D6 minutes. Detection by Alerted Zombies Alerted Zombies will go to Chase Mode if they see a human within 40m in normal light, 15m in low-light or darkness. Stealth has no effect on sight with Alerted Zombies. Alerted zombies will move toward any non-environmental sound within 50m and a rate of 6m per turn. Loud sounds within 50m (such as gunfire) will send Zombies into Chase Mode. Chase Mode When zombies see humans or large animals, they will go into Chase Mode. In Chase mode, they will move at their maximum movement rate directly toward detected targets. Zombies will be blocked by visible obstructions, such as a chain link fence or glass windows and will not attempt to go around. They will not attempt to actively break down a visible barrier, but will press up against it, possibly causing it damage. This is because the zombie doesn’t realize the barrier is keeping them from the target, since they can see it. Zombie blocked by physical barriers which blocks vision, where they are aware the target is on the other side, for example a door that has been closed in their path, will attempt to break down the barrier and if not successful will return to Active Search Mode after 1D10 Minutes and will search for 3D6 minutes. Zombies who lose sight of targets where more than one possible direction of travel is possible, for example a “T” junction in a hallway, will enter Active Search Mode 3D6 minutes, then go Inactive, provide there are no visual or sound clues to guide them. Obviously, if the zombies can hear the target running down another hall, they will continue to Chase. Active Search Mode If Active Search mode is reached by detection or by loss of target, the zombies will wander around the area, moving at 6m per Action Phase or 36m per minute. When attempting to determine if zombies will reacquire their target the follow formula should be used. Number of Zombie/Total Direction Choices = detection group size. Example 1: 30 zombies were chasing a group up from the sewer and find themselves in an empty field. There are 6 possible directions they can go, so the detection group size is 5 zombies. Example 2: 30 zombies come to a “T” junction and do not know which way the group went. 15 zombies will go left, 15 zombies will go right, some randomness can be added if necessary. For a group that moves in the right direction, a roll is made to determine what happens. Roll D20 Detection Group 1-5 Group loses target 6-12 Group travels in the correct direction to reacquire targets 13-17 Zombies travel 4D10 meters toward the target (perhaps past it) and go into Active Search Mode, if they have not detected the target in another way. 18-20 Detection Group goes into Chase Mode and move toward the target. If they don’t find the target, they may run pass it. Modifiers -5 for successful stealth Failing to reacquire the target, they will go into Alerted Mode for 3D6 minutes, then go Inactive. Gun Fire Non-silenced gunfire and explosions will attract zombies. The Detection Range is 50m plus the BDG*2 of the weapon. The Extended Detection range is 300m. Extended detection range is 150m in urban areas with tall buildings due to echoes. While zombies can hear gunfire up to a mile or two away, it is difficult for them to determine the range and direction of fire. Zombies in detection range will begin moving in the direction of the gun fire in Active Search Mode. Zombies in Extended Detections range will begin to move in the direction of gun fire in Alerted Mode. The detection range for silenced gun fire is 25m for zombies in Alerted Mode or higher. Inactive zombies will not react to silenced fire. Noise Made by Zombies Generally speaking noises made by zombies do not alert other zombies. For example, banging on barriers by zombies is common and doesn’t mean “Brains”, so zombies may ignore those noises. Even screams of zombies to not draw other zombies, though a screaming zombie will Alert other zombies nearby. A zombie will scream when they take more than 50% of their damage have not reached their DRT. i.e. if they are reduced to less than 50% of the DRT and are not also deaminated (Damage > DRT). Walk Like a Zombie It is assumed that trickery such as shuffling along in old torn clothing and pretending to be a zombie is part of successful Stealth. Only Stealth skill can be used to confuse or trick zombies allowing characters to travel among them. Noise Makers Characters can use noise makers to distract zombies who are not in Chase Mode. A zombie within 30m of a noise maker will go into Alert Mode and move to the noise maker. When they reach it, they will attempt to destroy it, if they can reach it. While the noise maker is active, they will remain in Alert mode. Once the noise maker stops, they will return to Inactive mode in 3D6 minutes. Technology use, electrician, woodworking or similar skill may be used to make noise makers. Characters in Zombie Country The zombie infested land of Zombie Country means that specific types of characters will fare better than most. Characters should have firearm skills, stealth and decent WL attributes, to help fight off infections. Characters should put an emphasis on wearing armor that covers all parts of the body. Rigid or Semi-Rigid armors whenever possible. It might seem odd to have the whole group all stealth characters, but that specialty skill is one of the only ways to survive. Doctors in Zombie Country Doctors should have Pathology. Emphasis should be put on finding and using BBA or SBBA. Exotic healing, such as Poly-3 have no effect on the Zombie Virus and will not heal infected individuals, prior to them recovering. Live saving techniques such as CPR or Defibrillators will not prevent the Zombie Virus from killing a character. No one wants to have a zombie wake up while they are doing CPR on it anyway. Special Rule for Silencers It should be the first goal of characters to find actual silenced weapons. While this is the overall goal, improvised silencers can be built with Firearm Repair, Modern, for the purposes of this special game. Special Improvised Silencers (SIS) SIS Reduce firearm noise enough to classify as silencers for Zombies. Humans will not be fooled. SIS have limited practicality. They only work on weapons with Autoloader or lower rates of fire and BDG of 11 or less. They only last for 3-6 shots before they self-destruct. Starting on the 4th shot (4th bullet down the barrel) a D6 is rolled. 1-3 the silencer still works. Starting on the 5th shot, at 1 to the die for each shot after 4. When the silencer self-destructs, that shot was still silenced, but the next shot will be at the normal noise level. Zombie Country Campaign The ideal campaign would be a 10-minutes after campaign. Players start in their start location (either as friends or as people unlucky enough to be stuck together), just after the zombie apocalypse starts. Their initial goal should be to survive the fall of civilization. Initially, they will need to get armor and weapons to defend themselves. Initial Equipment Initial equipment will be that which they were able to scrounge in the minutes leading up to the campaign. It is assumed that the zombie apocalypse is understood by each character and they have spent the last 10 minutes gathering whatever they can find as armor and weapons. Armor Players have the following armor: D6 Armor 1 Survivalist Attire Jacket – HL, AV 4 Pants – HC, AV 2 Boots – HL, AV 4 Gloves – (Loc 27-30), PX, AV 6 Neck Guard – PX, AV 6 2-3 Business Attire Jacket – PC, AV 3 Pants – HC, AV 2 Shoes – LL, AV 3 4-5 Casual Attire Long Sleeve Shirt – LC, AV 1 Pants – HC, AV 2 Shoes – LL, AV3 6 Worker Attire Jacket – PC, AV3 Pants - PC, AV3 Work Boots - PH, AV 4 Work Gloves - HC, AV 2 Helmet (Loc 1,2) - MP, AV 6 Weapons Players have the following weapons, one assumes they have been moving and picked these up from ground, dropped other people, military or police on the way to their current location. D6 Weapons 1 Improvised Weapon Spear, WDM 1.5L 2-3 Sledge Hammer, WDM 2B 4-5 Pistol, 45 ACP, 3D6 Bullets, 1D3 magazines 6 Long Gun D6 Long Gun 1-2 Rifle, M-14, 3D6 Bullets, 1D3 magazines, Autoloader 3-4 Shotgun, Mossberg 500 Hunting, 3D6 Shells (20ga shot) 5-6 Carbine, M4 Carbine, 3D6 bullets, 1 magazine Any additional specialty items for specific skill that a character would be expected to be carrying during their daily life. Doctors bag, Electricians tool kit, tool box for maintenance man, color swatches for interior designer, lock picks for a thief or other items. In addition, a character may have weapons on them for any non-firearm combat skill they have that has a score of 100 or more. Modern Characters It is assumed that this Aftermath! scenario is happening right at the start of a zombie outbreak in the modern world. All characters are treated has having grown up in the world. There are no “Wild” upbringings for characters in age group 0. Characters should be generated in the normal way, then be provided with the following free skills and have minimum BCS set for those skills below the minimum BCS level. If characters get any of these skills for free due to their age group, they are still free. No extra points are awarded. Automobile Driving BCS 15 Technology Use BCS 15 Pre-ruin Culture Literacy Double Score Mathematics Swimming They may take one of the following skills: Archery Fishing Hunting, Shoot Basic Research Chemistry They may not any Format 3 “Post-Ruin” skill, all skills are converted to Pre-Ruin. The Zombie Virus Testing I tested some of the characters on i314.org for the effect of the zombie virus. Here are the results. Character sheets are at i314.org. Alex Gonzalez: WL 13, HLH AST 6 Infected. Incubation period 17 minutes. 12 minutes later, 8 WL lost. Survived after 18 minutes. Grasshopper: WL 8, HLH AST 9 Infected. Incubation period 15 minutes. After 6 minutes, turned zombie. Tosheda Miller: WL 9, HLH AST 10 Not infected. Xavier Goldstine: WL 12, HLH AST 13 Not infected. Serra: WL 9, HLH AST 7 Infected. Incubation period 15 minutes. Turned after 6 minutes. Virus Conclusion Anyone infected has a 33% chance of surviving. However, only about 40% of those exposed were infected. Still, those are some poor odds. The virus is something to be avoided. The Zombie Environment As time passes the campaign will have different phases. These will change how the world looks and acts, while changing the composition of the world. Phase 1: Infection Phase The first phase is the infection phase. This will last 2 weeks. The environment during the infection phase is an equal mix of uninfected humans and zombies. The infection phase starts when the first infection happens and the players are usually dropped into an infected zone. People will normally be travelling in small family units during the infection phase and the organized resistance from police and military is still active. FEMA camps are being formed for survivors and treatment of the injured. Military and police units during this phase are considered friendly and will help when possible. However, these units will attempt to disarm civilians they encounter. During this phase the players will not need to worry about food, water, shelter or other survival requirements. These will be common, and so easy to obtain that the GM does not need to include them in the game. Equipment, armor, ammunition and weapons will common place and will literally be laying around. Realistically, firearm ammo should be limited during this period to prevent the players from creating a large stock pile. Most stores will no longer have ammo, as it has been taken or purchased by individuals. It will be possible to find small amounts of ammo on dead bodies. Phase 2: Collapse The collapse phase is marked by the end of civilization as we know it. Power goes out, water stops coming out of pipes and the majority of humans have begun to group up into collective groups of survivors and few existing family units are still intact. Groups of survivor’s fight zombies and other groups as they try to consolidate their resources. During the collapse, FEMA camps are abandoned as there are no longer enough living people to operate them. All organized resistance ends during the collapse phase. Most surviving military and police units begin to abandon survivors and start to worry about their own survival rather than the protection of civilians. During this phase military and police units should generally be treated as hostile, though exceptions would exist. Food and convenience stores no longer have much food and Salvage Food skill is required to recover food from these locations. Private homes still are a viable source of food. The collapse phase starts at the two-week time mark since the first infection and lasts 2 months. During the collapse phases zombie concentrations are extremely high. It is impossible to move in buildings or in the open without encountering zombies, sometimes in high concentrations. Every new area must be cleared of zombies to be considered safe. Phase 3: Desolation The desolation phase is marked by a decrease in survivor groups and a marked reduction of the number of free roaming zombies, due to attrition. There is no strictly military nor police units left, remnants of these groups have merged with other survivors. Survivor strongholds now exist with small groups of survivors hiding in zombie proof enclosures. These strongholds fight off zombie and raider attacks. Raiders are groups of people, who in their desperation, have chosen to begin robbing and killing other survivors for their stuff. It is now possible to move outdoors without encountering large number of zombies, though the threat still exists from zombie pacts. Lone zombies or small groups of zombies are found in inactive mode throughout the game area. Raiders are now an issue of the players base is located in a known location, such as a trade point or farming area. Raiders may now also encountered when moving in the open. Weapons, armor and ammunition are much harder to come by as most has been collected in the collapse phase cached, damaged, broken or used in the case of ammunition. Shop are no longer a source for weapons and ammo. Survival supplies of food and water should now be tracked by the GM closely, as the characters have moved into a live or die situation based on food and supplies. Food in stores has rotted, been destroyed, used or cached. Food and convenience stores are no longer a resource for food and water. FEMA camps have been completely stripped. Starting in the desolation phase, gasoline and diesel supplies will need processing before they can work in modern cars due to the amount of water in the fuel and due to the breakdown of the various elements of the fuel. Less sophisticated engines will still be able to use gasoline and diesel can be syphoned from the top of fuel tanks that have settled. To process fuel a character needs to have either Production of Fuel – Petroleum (converts 100% of fuel), Distillation (converts 50% of fuel) or Internal Combustion Engine (converts 10% of fuel) skills and a fuel distillation setup. The desolation phase starts at the end of the collapse phase and lasts at least five years. Phase 4: Recovery The recovery phase is marked by a return of civilization. Small survivor enclaves have begun to group into small towns and communities. Small communities have begun to actively fight the zombie in their surrounding areas and have come up with plans to prevent future infection. The zombie threat is basically overcome. Many survivors are those that found themselves naturally immune to the zombie infection. Characters in this phase will need to worry if they are bandits or law breakers as law enforcement will begin to effectively deal with raiders and other outliers. Players will do best in this phase of their characters have moved into a scavenger role, as small communities are in need to specialty equipment, such as rare medical equipment and other pre-ruin items. In the recovery phase, technological advancement has stagnated and many communities have reverted to preindustrial revolution status, though even those communities have some modern equipment and modern technology is generally understood, just unobtainable. Gun Cheat Sheet Is Skill Being Averaged? Moving faster than combat move? Driving Car? Surprised? Hip Fire Only Engaged Roll DFT AST to fire if shooter is engaged. Modify for Restrictions Hex sides touching walls or object higher than 1m. Bodies in hex. Shooting over cover -5 Modify for Situation Damaged in Combat Turn (Damage/2) Firing Gun in Each Hand -1 Surprised -2 Shooting Newly Acquired Target -2 In Firing Stance +1 Braced Weapon (requires Stance) +1 Sighted (requires Stance) +1 Shooting to Side Hex -2 Shooting to Rear Hex -4 Target Combat Dodge Ability Target Not Moving CDA x 1 Target Walking CDA x 2 Target Running CDA x 3 Target Dodging CDA + 1 Target Falling (diving to the ground) CDA x 3 Movement Combat Move -1 BCS Walk Hip fire, -2 BCS Running Hip fire, -4 BCS Dodge Double penalty Target Range PBR SHR EFF LNG EXT MAX BCS +1 +1 0 -1 -2 -5 BDG +10 0 0 -10% -25% -50% Inherent Accuracy Pistol: Snub -1 Pistol: SHT 0 Pistol: STD +1 Pistol: LNG +2 Carbine +3 Rifle +4 Shotgun: Slug +3 Shotgun: Shot +4 Recoil Effects Apply from web data HTH Cheat Sheet Is Skill Being Averaged? Moving faster than combat move? Driving Car? Using Brawling instead of proper skill for weapon? Modify for Restrictions Hex sides touching walls or object higher than 1m. Bodies in hex. Modify for Situation Target is Prone +2 Attacker is Prone (Not Unarmed Combat) -10 Attacking to Rear Hex -10 Attacking from a Rear Hex +10 Superior Position (stairs, crate) +1 Inferior Position -1 Dim Light -3 Poor Light -5 Darkness or Partially Blind -9 Totally Blind -12 Missile Attacker over 50% wounded -2 Missile Attacker over 75% wounded -4 Target Combat Dodge Ability Target Not Moving CDA x 1 Target Walking CDA x 2 Target Running CDA x 3 Target Dodging CDA + 1 Target Falling (diving to the ground) CDA x 3 Target WDA Target weapon skill/20 (nearest) Weston Commerce Center WCC is an Aftermath! Zombie supplement to start a sandbox game. The basic setup is that the players find their characters in the Weston Center (WCC) hiding in the conference room. The supplement contains: 1. Aftermath! Zombie Rules Supplement 2. Weston Commerce Center building layout 3. Character: Doc 4. Character: Sissy 5. Character: Wild Bill GM are free to use their own characters, but this supplement is meant to be a way to start a new game with players who do not know the Aftermath! rules or system. The characters are designed to limit the players exposure to more complex rules until later, when they are ready to roll their own character. Conference Room Start We pick up the group after their backgrounds and they find themselves in a windowless conference room in the Weston building. The sounds of screams begin to die down and an eerie quite comes over the building. Introductions are made and the group decides that since it’s been hours and no rescue has arrived, it is time to start making their way to a safer location, perhaps an evacuation center or shelter. Since conditions outside have likely worsened since they’ve been in here hiding, the group feels it is prudent to search the Weston Center for gear and equipment that would be helpful. One Shot/Sandbox Start This one shot is designed to test the Zombie Supplement for Aftermath!. The game will end when the characters decide to exit the Weston Commerce Center for good. Players may exit a door at the WCC and then return to the build via another door, if they feel the need to without ending the game. With one long hallway and 46 rooms, this should give players plenty of interesting things to investigate before the depart. The players will have successfully completed the one-shot if all three-player character survive to exit the building. There choices in which rooms to search first will control what equipment, armor and weapons they find, so a bit of luck will make things much easier. Conference room Standard conference room with speaker phone, lots of chairs, a projector, a water pitcher and some water glasses. When the group entered the conference room to hide, the building appeared very normal, but once they leave, it has drastically changed. There are now blood splotches on the floor in the hall and there is a smell of death. Notes about the conference room The only exit to the room is the door. The drop ceiling doesn’t allow access to the hall. There are no windows. Character could smash through the wall into suite 950, but that would require destroying a barrier of 30 and an attempt would draw 1D6 zombies from the door and also into suite 950 from the outside of the building. Players should be warned of this possible outcome. Suite 700 – Nagata Group Import company that imports goods from Asia. The room is decorated in Asian style, mostly Japanese. There are four desks in the room, with a receptionist’s desk on the right of the entry. Suite – 1 zombie eating a recently dead body. Notable gear: A Katana is hanging on the far back wall on a fancy and ornate holder. All three doors are closed to the offices. Office 1: Door closest to the entrance – Mr. Park The floor is covered with blood splotches and there is a 2x2 foot shipping box on the desk. Inside the box is packing material and the rotted head of what appears to be a zombie. Notable gear: Inside the desk is a pair of Binoculars Office 2: Door in the middle – Mr. Kim The room is pristine and appears to be just the way Mr. Kim left it. Notable gear: Propped in the corner near the desk is a small back pack, which may have contained a laptop, but is nowhere to be seen. Office 3: Furthest door – Mrs. Bellantoni There are 3 zombies working on eating Mrs. Bellatoni. They are making a lot of noise, so anyone standing outside the door would hear them. Notable gear: Working computer showing a news site with live updates. Suite 800 – Vandorn Architect An architect office. The outside door to the office is locked. Outside Door: Physical Barrier 40pts, lock heavy key lock, complexity 5. Suite – The office is adorned with drawings and photographs of various buildings. The main room has 3 desks, with computers requiring logins to access. The room is in perfect condition, it appears they had not made it in for the day prior to the events outside. Notable gear: Under one of the desks is a tool box with a hammer and other tools. Encumbrance 1.2 Hidden Item: If characters make a -3 roll to spot hidden things, they will find pistol. Ruger Security-Six Offices starting left to right. Suite 1: Chauncey Robie – Standard Architect office. Notable Gear: Bicycle hanging on the wall. Suite 2: Bennie Waring - Standard Architect office Notable Gear: 6-pack of bottled water Suite 3: Lounge – A room with a couch and television, refrigerator and pool table. Notable Gear: Pool Ques, Pool Balls, 4 cans of soda. Suite 900 – Lee Security Consultants Door is standing open to the Lee Security Consultants suite. There are shell casing and 3 bodies lying on the floor in the main office. It appears that someone barricaded themselves behind the reception desk and had a gun battle with three people. It is unclear if they were zombies or people without close examination. Notable Gear: A Glock 20 is laying under the reception desk, but the magazine is empty. Standing next to the desk is a Plated Densiplast (AV 11) bullet proof vest in good condition. It has the word “SECURITY” on the front and back in yellow type font. Offices front to back. Suite 1: The door to the office appears to be jammed. It is locked, once unlocked it will not open. Lock complexity 4. Door barrier value 20. Once access is gained, a body is sitting in the desk. It has several bite marks on the arms and a bullet wound to the head. Notable Gear: A Glock 20 is in the hand of the dead body. The magazine appears to have 3 bullets and one in the chamber. On the desk is a go bag with clothes, some cash, antiperspirant, and a pair of shoes. There is a locked gun safe in the room. 3 digit code, complexity 4. Requires safe cracking to open. Barrier value 120pts to force open. It isn’t expected that this can be opened. Suite 2: The door to suite 2 is closed and there is rope tying the handle to a water cooler. The rope can be cut, but the lock would need to be picked or broken down. Lock complexity 4. Door barrier value 20. The window at the back of the office is broken, the door appears to have been blocked to prevent entry into the building. If players get close to the window. 1D6 zombies will enter every two combat turns until the players put a closed door between them and the window. Notable gear: There is a large gun safe in this room, but it is empty. Several empty boxes of ammo litter the floor. Several metal cabinets hang open. 3 pistol belts hang in the cabinet, with no guns. There is also a first aid pack with 3 medical supplies. Bathrooms and storage Nothing of interest here. The doors swing inward, so any zombie that enters gets trapped inside. Suite 1000 – Kennon Communications The suite is unlocked. Kennon Communications seems to do something with satellites, but it isn’t clear from looking around the suite. The main office has two desks. The room is in disarray, it appears something has search the suite looking for something. Papers and books litter the floor. Notable gear: Stacked neatly near the door is a backpack, a fire axe, mini-flashlight, work gloves (Light Leather, AV 3) and full-face motorcycle helmet. (Macroplast AV 9) Suite 1: (On left) Communications Room – The communications room appears to be a room with a number of computers and monitors. None of the equipment appear to be turned on. There is a cabinet with some electronic parts and tools for working with electronic parts. Hidden Item: -3 to find hidden things for this item. Under floor panel, Benelli M3 Shotgun, with 5 rounds. Suite 2: (middle office) Muriel Badgley – The door to this office is locked. This is a woman’s office, she from the decor, she likes clowns and satellites. There is a note on the desk. “Merlin, I’ve got some supplies together for you. You never showed, I left them by the door. Pull the floor panel in the Comm Room. I’ve left you a master key. Muriel…” Suite 3: Merlin Vanleer – This room is a complete mess. 4 zombies are pressing their faces against the window in the back. They will not notice the party enter if they are using stealth. The can be bypassed if using stealth. Notable Gear: 5 rounds of 12 GA shot are sitting on the top of a filing cabinet. Suite 1100 – Baier Armor Baier Armor appears to supply police departments with bullet proof vests and other items. The main office is locked. Barrier 20, complexity 5. The office has an alarm which will sound 1 minute after the door is opened. The alarm will bring 1D6 Zombies from the hall (perhaps they came in from outside?) The alarm can be disabled by removing the speaker, which his hidden behind the drop ceiling. Find hidden things at -5. Once it sounds, the alarm can be found easily, removed by shooting or whacking. The alarm can also be disabled using magnalock tuner. It can also be disarmed from the alarm panel near the back of the room. Find hidden things +1. Electrician or Electronics skill to cut the correct wire, or smash to bits. Barrier 10. Standing along the left wall are 4 dummies in various police and FBI tactical gear. Each is armed with a replica m-14, replica Glock and a holster belt. There are two Police Tactical Outfits, one grey camo, one black, one black FBI SWAT and one blue camo Police SWAT outfit. Suite 1: Todd Markle – Todd’s office contains a desk and office materials. There is a disassembled clothing dummy with a placard in front of it “Field Infantry Mark 1b”. The armor appears to be missing. In a glass case on the wall is a baseball bat, marked with a brass plate, “Home run 2016 Battle of the City”. It has a number of signatures on it. Suite 2: Berniece Emanuel – The office appears to be totally destroyed, most of the furniture is broken, it appears it was piled in front of the door, then broken up and shoved out of the way. Hidden things: +1 to find in the rubble, a Tonfa Suite 3: (on the left) Samuel Garrity – This office has an intact window with vertical blinds drawn. The office door is locked. Inside the office is a zombie boss, Berniece Emanuel and a the zombie that bit her. Suite 1200 – We Work Temporary Staffing This is a day labor office. The main office has a desk in the back and chairs along the wall. The door is glass, so anyone looking inside can see inside. The door opens in, so zombies will push up against the glass, but not open the door. If the zombies are attacked, or excited, they will break through the glass. The main office contains 12 zombies, mostly wearing worker outfits and one in a pink dress. Suite 1: (Left) Testing Room – The testing room has computer terminals along the walls where potential employees are tested. The door is closed and the lights are off. The room contains 3 zombies. Suite 2: Accounting – The accounting room is an office for 2 employees. There are desks and computers. Suite 3: No Admittance – The office door is closed, but the room contains a pass-through (think bank teller) which is open. The zombies from the main room can easily climb over the pass-through. Notable Gear: Two shovels are propped up against the back wall. Suite 1150 – The Cookie Company The main office has shelves of different types of cookies. Most of the shelves have not been stocked for the day and are empty. A dead body is laying half in and half out of the pass-through, wearing a Baier Armor t-shirt. Something pulled it half into the back office, next to the cash register. Sitting in front of the checkout counter is a green duffle bag with the Baier Armor logo on both sides of the bag. The bag contains 3 bottles of water, a road flare, a roll of tape, a hammer, and a Baier Armor Jacket (M-MP) AV 6. Suite 1: Cookie Checkout – The room contains several cabinets with various wrapped cookies. The room has 2 zombies with The Cookie Company t-shirts on. Both can climb though the pass-through. One has a bayonet sticking out of its chest. Hidden things: -3 to find. Keys to a delivery van outside. Suite 1050 – Atlantic Lynx Mortgage The door to the office has been smashed through and bloody hand prints are all over the door and the door frame. Near the door are three bodies that appears to be two construction workers and older black lady. All three, lay facing into the office, as if they were killed attempting to enter the office. One of the construction workers has a broken wooden chair leg sticking out of his head. There is a small reception area at the front of the office, with a four-foot dividing wall separating the reception area from the office in the rear. The reception area is a complete mess with bloody foot prints and broken furniture. A forth body lays in the entry way between the divider. The man is wearing a business suit, it isn’t immediately clear his cause of death. A quick look reveals he was stabbed by a sharp object in the chest several times. Beyond the diver, the office is more pristine, with a few bloody foot prints leading from the reception area back into the office, but it isn’t clear the number of people and whether they were coming and going, or just going back further into the office. There is one desk toward the back that has the computer monitor laying on the floor next to it. The surface of the desk is clear expect for some bullet casing. There are several more laying around the floor near the desk. It appears someone made a stand from behind the desk with a pistol. There is a closed safe (Complexity 2, Barrier 20) at the back of the office that has some cash and important papers. (Well, important to someone, before the zombie attack) Back door: The back door is unlocked. Several bloody hand prints are on the door. Suite 1: Conference Room 1 – The conference room has a conference table and chairs. There is nothing of interest here. Suite 2: Conference Room 2 – This conference room is closed and the door appears to be locked, (Complexity 1, Barrier 5). Behind the locked door is another conference room identical to conference room 1. Several boxes of bullets sitting on the table, but all appear to be empty, the bullet having been removed. There is a duffle bag sitting on the table and a set of car keys and remote. The duffle is empty. A pistol holster is sitting on the floor near the table. Suite 950 – The Bannon Group It isn’t clear what the Bannon Group does from the outside of the office. The office door is broken with bloody hand printings and appears someone has smash their fists through the door to get at whatever was inside. There is a small reception area with chairs near the entrance. There is no door connecting the two areas. The reception area is in disarray, chairs tossed around and one of the pictures, a boy on a sail boat, has been knocked off the wall and bloody broken glass lays around it on the floor. Main Office: The main office is in complete disarray. The front window is broken and the main door is jammed open by a fallen coat rack. There are four tables in the main office, which had a number of phones on them. The tables, made of light plastic material, have been overturned and are now in various states of being over turned. The tables, tossed chairs and number of phones make moving through this area at anything but a walk difficult. Many of the surfaces in this room have bloody hand prints. There are no bodies in the room. View Outside: Because of the open door and broken windows, the office gives a good view of the situation outside. The situation outside is not very promising. Occasional cars weave through the stopped traffic past the office. Zombies can be seen chasing groups of people, though the people aren’t easily seen as they seem to be taking care not to be seen. If anyone approaches the windows or door without stealth, two zombies nearby will enter the building. Weapons fire in this room will draw four zombies. Suite 1: Near outside wall – The door is open and this room appears to be some sort of break room with two soda machines, a microwave and large trash can. There is a small round table in the middle of the room. The room looks like someone search it, but it is impossible to identify what they were looking for. Suite 2: Next conference room and inside wall – This is a file room. There are filing cabinets against all of the walls and a double row of them down the middle of the room. There are several bloody foot prints near the door. Suite 3: The door to suite 3 is closed. Inside are 7 dead bodies, all dressed in green polo shirts with the Bannon company logo. The bodies appear to have been dragged into this room, as drag marks and blood stains indicate they were not killed in this room. All appear to have died from stab and slice wounds after turning. There is one zombie in the room. It is wearing a green polo shirt and is bloody and bitten, hanging from the ceiling fan in the middle of the room. The zombie cannot free itself. It appears that it was hung when it was a human, and turned after death. His name tag says, “Hi, my name is Mark. Ask me about lawn care”. Laying at its feet is a Katana, which appears to be covered in blood. Sissy Bohrer 3.7 15 7 5 8 4 2 15 7 5 25 12 8 12 6 4 11 5 3 10.0 7.5 5.0 2 12 19 3 23 3 4 6 1 2 10 10 0 6 0 -1 1 Brawling 100 20 Climbing 40 8 Culture, Pre-Ruin 21 4 Knife 94 18 Literacy (Specify) 46 9 Lockpicking 40 8 Pistol, Modern 100 20 Search, Urban 60 12 Stealth, Urban 80 16 Survival, Urban 19 3 Technology Use 40 8 11 SKILL FORMULA FORMAT Brawling STR + DFT + Combative 3 Climbing STR + DFT + Natural 1 Culture, Pre-Ruin WT + Communicative + Esthetic 1 Knife DFT + SPD + Combative 3 Literacy (Specify) WT + WL + Communicative 1 Lockpicking DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Pistol, Modern DFT + WT + Combative 3 Search, Urban WT + WT + Natural 2 Stealth, Urban DFT + WT + Natural 2 Survival, Urban HLH + WL + Natural 1 Technology Use DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Skills in bold can not be advanced by Learn By Doing Doc Hamm 4 9 4 3 9 4 3 18 9 6 18 9 6 16 8 5 16 8 5 9.0 6.8 4.5 3 13 25 2 18 3 3 8 2 2 -1 10 0 0 0 1 11 Advanced Medical 82 16 Automobile Driving 30 6 Autoweapon 40 8 Brawling 80 16 Chemistry 26 5 Culture, Post-Ruin 15 3 First Aid 82 16 Lab Technique 30 6 Literacy (Specify) 30 6 Pathology 82 16 Pharmacy 82 16 Pistol, Modern 80 16 Polearm 40 8 Rifle, Modern 80 16 Search, Urban 60 12 Technology Use 30 6 Throwing 80 16 Two Weapon 80 16 9 SKILL FORMULA FORMAT Advanced Medical WT + DFT + Scientific 1 Automobile Driving DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Autoweapon DFT + WT + Combative 1 Brawling STR + DFT + Combative 3 Chemistry WT + Scientific + Natural 1 Culture, Post-Ruin WT + Communicative + Esthetic 1 First Aid DFT + WT + Scientific 1 Lab Technique DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Literacy (Specify) WT + WL + Communicative 1 Pathology WT + WT + Scientific 1 Pharmacy WT + DFT + Scientific 1 Pistol, Modern DFT + WT + Combative 3 Polearm STR + DFT + Combative 3 Rifle, Modern DFT + WT + Combative 3 Search, Urban WT + WT + Natural 2 Technology Use DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Throwing DFT + WT + Combative 3 Two Weapon STR + DFT + Combative 3 Skills in bold can not be advanced by Learn By Doing Wild Bill 4.4 17 8 5 15 7 5 15 7 5 15 7 5 12 6 4 15 7 5 9.0 6.8 4.5 3 13 30 3 32 3 3 6 2 1 -1 17 -2 3 7 2 0 Armorer, Plastics 39 7 Autoweapon 98 19 Brawling 47 9 Culture, Post-Ruin 18 3 First Aid 64 12 Hunting, Trap 64 12 Knife 88 17 Literacy (Specify) 30 6 Plastics Forming 39 7 Polearm 94 18 Rifle, Modern 98 19 Stealth, Urban 64 12 Survival, Urban 60 12 Tactics 64 12 Technology Use 39 7 12 SKILL FORMULA FORMAT Armorer, Plastics DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Autoweapon DFT + WT + Combative 1 Brawling STR + DFT + Combative 3 Culture, Post-Ruin WT + Communicative + Esthetic 1 First Aid DFT + WT + Scientific 1 Hunting, Trap DFT + WT + Natural 1 Knife DFT + SPD + Combative 3 Literacy (Specify) WT + WL + Communicative 1 Plastics Forming DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Polearm STR + DFT + Combative 3 Rifle, Modern DFT + WT + Combative 3 Stealth, Urban DFT + WT + Natural 2 Survival, Urban HLH + WL + Natural 1 Tactics WT + Combative + Communicative 1 Technology Use DFT + WT + Mechanical 1 Skills in bold can not be advanced by Learn By Doing BAP_____ MNA _____ PCA ____ DRT ____ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

textdata/thevault/Aftermath/1st Edition/Aftermath! - Zombie Supplement (unofficial).pdf

1 Treasures of NeoExodus: inf inite fury The pursuit of knowledge and magic is paramount to the Cynean people and the Cynean wizard Kal-Dor pursued this goal with a fervor and fire unmatched by any of his brethren. However, when this wizard had mastered magic to the extent that he claimed to understand even the Kaga itself, he found his life empty without a goal for which to strive. Using his knowledge and understanding of the arcane arts he crafted a device to serve as both weapon and companion in his new quest: mastery of martial combat. HISTORY Kal-Dor was a cynean wizard who sought the same thing that enraptured the rest of his kin: knowledge and mastery of the arcane. He traveled all across Exodus in search of strange magical devices, new spells, magical theories, and scraps of esoteric lore forgotten by time. He sought out scholars and wizards of renown to teach him their secrets, and even plumbed the depths of ruins left behind by the First Ones to discover the secrets within. As he studied, his mastery of the arcane forces grew with astonishing speed, and it was said his powers rivaled, if not surpassed, that of the Sorcerer-Kings. Yet, despite having completed his life’s goal of mastering the arcane, Kal-Dor was unfulfilled, for now he had nothing for which to strive. While meditating on what he had learned, Kal-Dor determined that since he had mastered his mind, he must now master his body. With this new revelation he decided that if he were to become a master of martial combat he would need a weapon befitting such a goal. Using the wealth of knowledge he had accrued, Kal-Dor crafted the blade known as Infinite Fury. This powerful sword would help in his quest with its many magic properties: powerful abilities to compensate for the weaknesses of his waning body so that he could stand toe to toe with the youngest of fighters, the ability to take the form of various weapons, for just as magic has many schools so too do the martial arts, and perhaps the most important feature: an arcane intelligence he named Sana-Dol. Sana-Dol would observe and record all of Kal-Dor’s battles, storing the knowledge and techniques of the myriad of fighting styles that he encountered so that he might add them to his own. Kal-Dor encountered TREASURES OF NEOEXODUS: INFINITE FURY fighters whose origins and techniques were as varied as the magic he had mastered, and overcame all of them, each one adding new maneuvers to his repertoire, and ensuring that he always had the perfect counter or offensive strike for any situation. This continued for many years, but knowing that he would not live forever Kal-Dor set his final plan into motion. He asked his friend and companion, the arcane intelligence Sana-Dol, to ensure that their work would be finished and to find able warriors to wield Infinite Fury, expanding its knowledge until, just as he mastered the arcane, it had mastered the art of combat. Sana-Dol agreed and arrangements were made to have the sword sent faraway and placed into the hands of someone worthy upon his death. To this day no one knows who initially received the sword but it has changed hands dozens if not hundreds of times since. Sometimes taken as loot by the victor of a battle, other times found coincidentally by a new master after the previous one grew to tired of fighting and fulfilling the blade’s needs, and sometimes it is lost for years waiting for a new warrior to claim it. Regardless of how one comes upon the blade they all find it useful, as its array of abilities ensure than any can wield it with ease and understand the basics of many styles. Many who have wielded it claim that it offers insight into enemies or their fighting styles, constantly adapting the wielder’s own to exploit his opponent. A rare few claim to have felt the true power of the blade; a rush of knowledge and magic that transforms their mind and body into a that of a peerless warrior and striking, blocking, and countering, with a seemingly endless number of maneuvers. To this day the blade is coveted for its power and the struggle to possess it ensures it never stays in the same hands for long. There are Sasori who seek to unlock techniques that have been lost to time while some P’Tan desire to use the blade against the First Ones. In an almost ironic fashion many Cynean have no interest in the blade and consider the intelligence housed within it to be the only worthwhile reason to pursue ownership. But regardless of who wields the blade it is certainly destined to change hands again and again until it finally completes its goal. 3.5 SYSTEM COMPATIBLE LPJ9422 Treasures of NeoExodus: inf inite fury 2 DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION Infinite Fury is an elegant curved blade made of two separate lengths of mirthral forged with an empty heart- shaped space between them to balance the blade’s weight. The mithral grip is wrapped in fine brown leather that shows signs of wear and ends in a spiked pommel set with a thumb-sized shining sapphire. AVAILABLE NOW AT RPGNOW.COM, DRIVETHRURPG.COM AND PAIZO.COM 3.5 SYSTEM COMPATIBLE LPJ9516 folding circle enemies of Neoexodus: first ones e ne mie s o f Ne o e xo du s : 3.5 SYSTEM COMPATIBLE LPJ9506 3.5 SYSTEM COMPATIBLE LPJ9484 3.5 SYSTEM COMPATIBLE LPJXX22 world of Exodus Neoexodus Chronicles: THE WORLD OF EXODUS NEEDS HEROES... Aura strong Divination and Transmutation; CL 16th Slot none; Price 171,815 gp; Weight 2 lbs. STATISTICS Alignment N Senses 60 ft., darkvision and hearing Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 10, Ego 15 Communication speech Power Tactical Acumen 1/day Special Purpose Defeat powerful and varied enemies Dedicated Power Transformation at will DESCRIPTION Infinite Fury is a +2 defending transformative mithral longsword that grants its wielder proficiency with whatever form it takes. Sana-Dol’s constant pursuit of battle has given it a wealth of information that it imparts on its wielder giving them a + insight 2 bonus on all knowledge checks made to identify a creature. As a full round action a wielder can focus on the knowledge within the blade to gain insight on an enemy within 60ft. This grants the wielder a +10 insight bonus on all checks made to identify that creature and gives the weapon the bane special property of the appropriate creature type or subtype. CONSTRUCTION Requirments Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Major Creation, Summon Monster I,Transformation, Tactical Acumen, True Strike; Cost 85,908 gp INFINITE FURY WEAPON CARDS Aura strong Divination and Transmutation; CL 16th Slot none; Price 171,815 gp; Weight 2 lbs. STATISTICS Alignment N Senses 60 ft., darkvision and hearing Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 10, Ego 15 Communication speech Power Tactical Acumen 1/day Special Purpose Defeat powerful and varied enemies Dedicated Power Transformation at will DESCRIPTION Infinite Fury is a +2 defending transformative mithral longsword that grants its wielder proficiency with whatever form it takes. Sana-Dol’s constant pursuit of battle has given it a wealth of information that it imparts on its wielder giving them a + insight 2 bonus on all knowledge checks made to identify a creature. As a full round action a wielder can focus on the knowledge within the blade to gain insight on an enemy within 60ft. This grants the wielder a +10 insight bonus on all checks made to identify that creature and gives the weapon the bane special property of the appropriate creature type or subtype. CONSTRUCTION Requirments Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Major Creation, Summon Monster I,Transformation, Tactical Acumen, True Strike; Cost 85,908 gp Item Description __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ Notes: ____________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ Item Code ________________________ ____________________ INFINITE FURY The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty- free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. Treasures of NeoExodus: Infinite Fury Copyright 2013, Louis Porter Jr. Design, Inc. OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a Written By Loren Peterson Editing: Joshua Yearsley Artwork by Sergey Koziakov All gaming mechanics on all pages is Open Game Content as defined by the Open Gaming License.

textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Louis Porter Jr. Design/LPJ9422 - Treasures of NeoExodus - Infinity Fury.pdf

General Abilities Early Childhood Later Life Apprenticeship (Magi Only) After Apprenticeship (Magi Only) Total Experience Score Remaining Experience Total Experience Score Remaining Experience Academic Abilities Arcane Abilities Martial Abilities Supernatural Abilities (Area) Lore Animal Handling Athletics Awareness Bargain Brawl Carouse Charm Chirurgy* Concentration Craft (Type) Etiquette Folk Ken Guile Hunt Intrigue Leadership Legerdemain* Native Language (Living Language)* Music (Organization) Lore Profession (Type) Ride Stealth Survival Swim Teaching Creo Inetllego Muto Perdo Rego Animal Auram Corpus Herbam Ignem Imaginem Mentem Terram Vis Apprenticeship After Apprenticeship Artes Liberales* Civil and Canon Law* Common Law* (Dead Language) Medicine* Philosaphiae* Theology* Code of Hermes* Dominion Lore* Faerie Lore* Finesse Infernal Lore* Magic Lore* Parma Magica* Penetration Bows Great Weapon Single Weapon Thrown Weapon Animal Ken* Dowsing* Enchanting Music* Entrancement* Magic Sensitivity* Premonitions* Second Sight* Sense Holiness & Unholiness* Shapeshifter* Wilderness Sense* 45 points 75 15 points per year 30 points per year 240 points How to use this worksheet: For each stage of your character's life, simply jot down how many experience points you would like to apply to any given Ability (or Art if applicable). Once all the points are spent, then see what score your character has in that Ability or Art. Any remaining experience is not lost, but simply means the character is that much closer to the next score when you begin play. Note that you cannot develop the shaded Abilities in Early Childhood. Also note that the 75 points next to Native Language represent the experience needed for the beginning score of 5 all characters get. This does not prevent you from spending more experi- ence in this Ability if you choose. Remember that Virtues & Flaws can affect several Abilities. ©2005 Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games. All rights reserved. � Permission granted to reproduce for personal use.� Our thanks to Andy Reimer for developing this worksheet. Aquam

textdata/thevault/Ars Magica [multi]/5th edition/Ars Magica 5e - Abilities Worksheet.pdf

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2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 2.25X3.25 INCHES ART AREA 2.5X3.5 INCHES LIVE AREA 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textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Darklight Interactive/Seyvoth Manor/Poker Cards.pdf

NexEarth Setting Preview NexEarth is an upcoming setting for the Exodus System RPG. It details the adventures, trials and triumphs of the descendents of the survivors of a crashed colony ship. The Exodus System SRD is available from Thunderegg Productions at DrivethruRPG.com. The Long Journey NexEarth is a paradisaic world far from Terra. By the mid 24th century mankind had exhaused the resources of their homeworld and polluted the planet to the point that a biosphere was no longer viable. Many scientists, engineers and leaders made a valiant struggle to save the Earth, but their efforts came too late. Humanity’s last hope came in the form of the Venture, an enormous colony ship designed to carry several million of the the most skilled and capable people in human society to a new world for a fresh start. The Venture carried more than people. Its Ark section stored genetic profiles of virtually all known species of plants and animals, including some of those that were preserved in the fossil record. Several bays of nano fabrication plants were programmed to create the basic necessities for a new, eco-friendly infrastructure once the ship arrived. The plan was to nad the vessel in sections, each one becoming a sealed city, while the miraculous terraforming defices went to work. While this equipment was not up to the task to save the too-far-gone Earth, it could set up a virgin planet with a new start for humanity. That was the plan, at least. Halfway through the journey the Venture passed through a radiation cloud that through off its navigational and sensor instruments. For another 50 years the ship drifted aimlessly before getting pulled into the gravity well of an uncharted world. Plantetfall The pre-fab city modules failed to detach from their moorings, so the passengers had to make desperate scrambles for the escape pods. THe Venture broke up into several sections as it crashed down. The original Venture development team prepared for this outcome and made sure to stock the escape pods with food and material. The survivors found their closes neighbors and eventually settled into many different city states, using the limited technology that they had on hand combined with their own scientific knowledge. During the journey the survivors of Earth experienced a cultural shift. Most of them blamed modern societies for the excesses that led to their eventual exodus. While they traveled the stars the people became interested in adopting the ways of older cultures. This shift continued as new societies set themselves up on the planet. Folks began to assimilate and blend so that the new states resembled hodge podges of ancient human kingdoms. This new paradigm did not resemble Earth exactly, as the more enlightened citizens rejected such concepts as racial and gender discrimination and slavery. Many Earth cultures practiced terrible abuses of human rights, and each of the new cities independently enacted charters renouncing the brutal aspects of history and vowing to respect all human life. Rebirth Three centuries have passed since Planetfall. Early explorers discovered that this world, colloquially called NexEarth, held far more opportunities to than Terra had ever given them. While much of the terrain outside of the pod landing sites remained uninhabitable, the discovery of the Shards made future development possible. Shards are enormous crystalline prisms that dot the landscape at distant intervals. These anomalies radiate a form of energy that provides wireless power to new developments. Shards are incompatible with technology that comes from components recovered from the Venture, but it provides an animating force to items made from NexEarth. Most of the escape pod cities are now abandoned in favor of settlements built around large shards. These structures allow for wireless transmission of data within a limited radius, powering various automata and the near-magical effects of the Scholar class. Besides the large Shards, scavengers sometimes find smaller pieces that a person can carry with them. Scholars use these miniature shards to power their own “magical” abilities even when they’re outside the reach of their city’s central Shard. Hazards of NexEarth Right now there is a conflict between the “native” NexEarthers who want to destroy all vestiges of old technology and those who feel that NexEarth is just another resource and that if they ruin it there are still infinite planets to settle. This conflict is exacerbated by the fact that Venture technology and Shards are incompatible. When two pieces of opposing technolgy are close to one another they produce interference that makes both harder to use. The Venture partially ran on solar power, and since Planetfall some of its components came back online. These machines shudder to life unexpectedly, rise from beneath the ground and begin to terraform the NexEarth terrain into a more Earthlike habitat. The surface of the world is now a patchwork of forests, deserts, jungles and exotic alien biomes. Other Venture machines use nanofabrication to cause new cities to spring into existence. These complexes are coveted by the various nations, even those vehemently opposed to Venture tech, as they offer easy opportunities for expansion. Claiming a nano city is usually no easy task. The same nanofabricators also function as genetic looms, using the data stored in the Ark systems to create new life, or to mutate local species. Usually the corrupted databanks create genetic chimeras that resemble creatures of ancient Earth legends. These creatures consider the nano cities as their own territory and do not cede it willingly to human squatters. The Proclaimers Among the smaller shards that explorers occasionally find are artifacts known as Proclaimer Columns. These polyhedral structures stand about the size of a man. They run on some internal energy source that is almost certainly the same force that emanates from shards. The Columns discovered so far all contain a wealth of information. Proclaimer Column respond to verbal queries and answer questions asked of them. Sometimes the response is a simple “That is not for you to know”, but they never remain silent. Nobody has ever cracked one open to examine what lies inside. Proclaimer Obelisks have an internal defense system that manifests as energy tendrils. Those who attempt to open the casing get neutralized, or if they persist, met with lethal force. Whenever a Proclaimer Column gets discovered it emits a wide-ranging signal. Within a few days a group of strangers arrives, each traveling from a different direction. They politely ask that any “outsiders” present leave. THey take no action until that anyone who was at the site before their arrival leaves. In one case the original explorers stayed for days until the strangers simply died of thirst after maintaining a motionless, silent vigil. The Column allows the strangers to touch it, and they walk with it as it hovers towards the nearest city. The strangers pool any money that they have on themselves to purchase property in the new city, unless one of them was already a city resident. In that case they simply move the Column into the resident’s house. These buildings become places of interest. The strangers, now calling themselves Proclaimers, wear diamond-shaped masks that resemble two side of the Column. They never remove them and any visitors to their residences don’t see the Proclaimers’ true faces. Visitors supplicate the Columns for advice, which usually comes in a cryptic or riddle-like form. The Proclaimers themselves require favors or boons in trade for consultations. One or more of the Proclaimers usually find a place at the city ruler’s court, and others gain positions with guilds, schools or armies. Proclaimers don’t talk about their personal lives, but rather seem to focus on “big picture” ideas. These people gain tremendous power from their new position, which manifests in the words that they speak. No one can simply apply to become a Proclaimer, they are selected, apparently by the Columns. Proclaimer Flavor Use this Flavor to simulate the abilities that Proclaimer Columns bestow on their caretakers and agents. As a Proclaimer you may not remove your mask in the presence of anyone else, even the other PCs. Command Word: You bring an enemy to their knees by making an attack using Intelligence against their Wisdom. The target cannot move until they defeat your Intelligence roll with their Wisdom. While you maintain focus your opponent has Disadvantage on their roll. This power has an initial range of 4 hexes. If you move out of range the target remains stuck until they make a Wisdom roll, but they take no penalty for you maintaining focus. If you move out of sight of your target this effect ends. Taking the ability multiple times increases the initial range by 1 hex per selection. Connection Word: You can interface with computers, robots or other devices as if you were standing next to them from a range of 5 hexes. Each time you take this ability it increases the range by 1 hex. Edict: You may have one extra target per use of this Flavor’s abilities for each time that you select this ability. Killing Word: You shout a single penetrating word while you point at an opponent. This is an attack that uses Charisma as the offensive Attribute. Targets defend with their Wisdom. The attack has a range of 3 hexes and does damage equal to your class’ Armed rating. Each time you take this ability it increases the hex range by 1. Power Word: You can affect inanimate objects within 2 hexes as if your Intelligence was your Strength. For each time you take this ability you increase the range by 1 hex. DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY The name Thunderegg Productions and game setting information (clans, history, etc.) and proper names (Kaigaku,etc.), artwork, logos and layout are product identity. DESIGNATION OF OPEN CONTENT All other content not designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content under the OGL. OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan,Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The Black Hack, Copyright 2016 Gold Piece Publications, Author: David Black Exodus System SRD, Copyright 2017 Thunderegg Productions, Author: Jacob DC Ross NexEarth Setting Preview, Copyright 2017 Thunderegg Productions, Author: Jacob DC Ross

textdata/thevault/Exodus System (osr)/Exodus Sys NexEarth Setting (preview).pdf

« D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 1 D'or et de Sang Introduction L'histoire se passe à Miragliano, en Tilée. Le doge de Miragliano, Pericoloso Sporgersi, est riche, vieux et malade. Trois héritiers potentiels s'offrent à son choix : Andreo, son frère ambitieux et avare, Anna Cheminchione, sa jeune et jolie maîtresse, et sa fille au caractère difficile, Chiappa. Cette dernière sait que son père, fou amoureux d'Anna, a fait un testament en sa faveur qu'il a laissé chez son notaire Umberto Topolino, et qu'elle est en troisième sur la liste derrière son oncle Andreo. Chiappa, qui désire pour elle tout l'héritage, a décidé de faire assassiner ses "concurrents". En temps normal, ces deux meurtres la désigneraient comme commanditaire évident puisqu'elle resterait la dernière héritière de la fortune de son père. Or, depuis deux mois une vague de crimes submerge la ville. Toutes les couches de la population sont touchées, les pauvres comme les riches, les humains comme les Nains ou les Elfes. La Guilde locale des Voleurs est montrée du doigt, surtout depuis que son vieux chef, Benvolio Piccolozi a laissé la place à son voyou de fils, Christiano. Chiappa a décidé de profiter de ces assassinats pour se couvrir des deux meurtres qu'elle doit accomplir et reporter la faute sur le nouveau maître de la guilde des Voleurs. Du côté de la Guilde des Voleurs, on est en proie au doute. Christiano n'est pas le commanditaire des meurtres, et refuse de rompre le serment sacré qui empêche les voleurs de tuer leur victime si elle ne se défend pas. Il ignore que l'auteur de ces meurtres est la succube qui partage sa couche et qu'il a rencontrée le jour de son accession à la tête de la Guilde. Ce démon femelle sort la nuit pour tuer au hasard, par plaisir. Aimant le luxe et la débauche, la succube a choisi de profiter du jeune chef voleur inexpérimenté afin de répandre le chaos dans la ville. On embauche enquêteurs.... Les Pj participent à un concours organisé dans la ville de Miragliano chaque année, et doté d'une forte récompense. Le concours est un tournoi de lutte à mains nues / de tir à l'arc / de magie... etc. selon la spécialité des Pj. Que les Pj gagnent ou perdent, ils sont abordés à la fin par un homme qui leur propose du travail, impressionné par leurs qualités (si les Pj n'ont pas remporté le concours, le gagnant vient de refuser l'offre de l'homme). L'homme est un marchand, Giuseppe Merlotto, dont la nièce, Anna Cheminchione, vient d'être assassinée par le Tueur Sanguinaire. Son dernier but dans la vie est de la venger, et il est prêt à donner jusqu'à son dernier sou pour cela. Anna était sa seule famille. Dans la chambre d'Anna, les Pj peuvent trouver certains indices :  Un signe en Pictographie des Voleurs, signifiant "Bon butin trouvé ici" (tracé par le skaven qui a assassiné Anna, aux ordres de Chiappa).  Une gigantesque trace de sang sur le sol. Giuseppe explique qu'Anna a été sauvagement égorgée et qu'elle s'est entièrement vidée de son sang.  Dans une des commodes, sous une pile de linge, se trouve un coffret rempli de pièces. Il y en a environ pour 2000 couronnes. Jamais Anna n'aurait pu posséder pareille fortune. Giuseppe, s'il découvre la boîte avec les Pj, dit que cette somme s'ajoutera à leur récompense.  Un mot encore glissé dans une poche d'une robe dans la penderie. "Rejoins-moi ce soir au palais vers onze heures. Ton "Péso" qui t'aime."  Un portrait d'Anna Cheminchione. La jeune fille est d'une beauté hors du commun. En enquêtant sur les fréquentations d'Anna, les Pj apprennent rapidement qu'elle montait souvent seule au Palais du Doge de Miragliano. Giuseppe et la plupart des habitants de Miragliano sont persuadés que le nouveau chef de la guilde des voleurs est pour quelque chose dans cette vague d'assassinats. En parcourant les rues, les Pj tombent sur une place où ont été pendus deux voleurs de la Guilde, en représailles aux assassinats. La tête du chef de la Guilde, Christiano Piccolozi est mise à prix 5000 couronnes par le Doge. Qui veut la peau de Piccolozi ? Les Pj tenteront sans doute de rechercher le maître de la Guilde des Voleurs. Ils pourront récolter les renseignements suivants dans les auberges ou auprès des habitants de Miragliano : « D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 2  Christiano Piccolozi vient de succéder il y a quelques mois à son père, Benvolio.  Les premiers meurtres attribués au Tueur sanguinaire ont eu lieu juste après cette succession  La plupart des habitants de Miragliano sont persuadés que Christiano est pour quelque chose dans ces meurtres.  Christiano Piccolozi a une réputation de voyou sans honneur, qui n'hésite pas à piller les tombes, violer les femmes et assassiner les innocents.  On raconte que Christiano aurait même congédié l'ancien bras droit de son père, Castoro Longidenti, membre de la guilde depuis des décennies et opposé à Christiano.  Le Doge lui-même est convaincu de la culpabilité de Christiano et offre 5000 couronnes pour sa tête.  Il y a eu une quarantaine de morts, de toutes races, de tous âges et de toutes classes sociales, tous assassinés de la même manière.  Christiano aurait beaucoup changé depuis qu'il a rencontré sa nouvelle compagne, et certains disent qu'elle a une influence maléfique sur lui (Information réservée aux Pj de vocation Filou) Ces informations générales sont assez simples à découvrir. Personne ne sait cependant où se cache Christiano Piccolozi, et même si chacun connaît son nom personne n'a jamais vu son visage en dehors des membres de sa guilde. Après avoir questionné quelques personnes et collecté des renseignements mineurs sur Piccolozi, les Pj sont abordés par un gamin des rues. Celui-ci est porteur du message suivant : « Si vous voulez retrouver Christiano Piccolozi, rendez vous à minuit au 23, rue Luglio. Un ami. » L'ami en question est Castoro Longidenti. Désireux de se venger de Christiano, il compte livrer son ennemi aux Pj qu'il estime à la hauteur de la tâche, sans pour autant trahir la guilde des voleurs à visage découvert. Audience au palais Les Pj qui ont découvert qu'Anna se rendait souvent seule au palais iront enquêter de ce côté-là. Sur les marches du palais se trouve un vieux mendiant qui demande l'aumône. Contre une obole, il confirme aux Pj avoir vu Anna Cheminchione monter au palais la nuit de son assassinat. Si les Pj insistent, il révélera également qu'Anna venait souvent au palais de nuit. Le Doge Pericoloso Sporgersi est un homme très occupé et affaibli par la maladie, mais en négociant habilement les Pj peuvent peut-être obtenir un rendez-vous. Sporgersi les accueillera dans ce cas dans son bureau, en présence de sa fille, sa "meilleure secrétaire", qui semble veiller jalousement sur lui. Souvent Chiappa répond à la place de son père. Ce dernier prétendra ne pas connaître Anna Cheminchione. Il est déjà au courant de sa mort.. Si les Pj affirment qu'Anna entrait au palais de nuit, Chiappa prétendra qu'elle devait être une prostituée invitée par les gardes. Le sergent du palais, Nilo Minestrone, et son caporal Ernesto Sprouto ont trois points communs : le vin, les filles et la stupidité. En partageant quelques verres avec eux, les Pj arriveront sans doute à les rendre bavards... Au palais, tout le monde savait qu'Anna était la concubine du Doge, qui paraît-il avait une grande influence sur lui. Si les Pj arrivent à rester une nuit au palais, ils pourront apercevoir une ombre furtive courir de façon étrange dans la cour du palais. Il s'agit de Kravaksh, le serviteur Skaven de Chiappa. Rendez-vous nocturne Les Pj qui se rendent au 23 rue Luglio avant minuit ne découvrent qu'une baraque en ruines inhabitée. Les murs sont couverts de toiles d'araignée et tous les meubles ont été enlevés depuis longtemps. Les voisins parlent d'une maison maudite qui attirait le malheur sur tous ses propriétaires et que plus personne ne veut habiter. A minuit, un poignard lancé à travers une fenêtre brisée se plante dans l'une des poutres de la maison délabrée. Autour du manche est attaché le message suivant : « Je vous indique l'endroit où se trouve Christiano Piccolozi contre la moitié de la récompense pour sa capture. Suivez mes instructions et vous serez riches. Trahissez-moi et vous perdrez la vie. Si vous êtes d'accord avec ces conditions, agitez trois fois de haut en bas votre lumière. » Si les Pj acceptent, ils reçoivent un second message envoyé par de la même manière, mais par une autre des fenêtres. Les Pj attentifs pourront peut être remarquer un homme qui s'enfuit dans une ruelle. Normalement ils ne devraient pas le rattraper, mais si cela était le cas, ils pourraient alors capturer Castoro Longidenti, qu'ils devraient alors "convaincre" de les guider vers Christiano Piccolozi. Le second message dit la chose suivante : « Sortez d'ici, tournez sur votre gauche. Prenez la première ruelle à droite, puis la quatrième à gauche. Descendez l'escalier jusqu'en bas. Piccolozi loge ici. Capturez-le dans son sommeil, « D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 3 silencieusement et ramenez-le directement chez le Doge. Ne prévenez pas la milice et ne vous fiez à personne. » Longidenti n'a pas prévenu directement la milice car il sait que la Guilde des Voleurs bénéficie de ramifications jusque dans les cercles très proches du pouvoir. Il préfère passer par des étrangers qu'il sait totalement neutres et attirés par l'appât du gain. La retraite du voleur La maison de Piccolozi ne paye pas de mine. Menacé par la forte récompense qui est promise contre sa capture, Christiano a préféré une retraite discrète pendant quelques temps. Sa cachette se trouve à l'endroit indiqué par Longidenti, au milieu du quartier pauvre. Un vieil "aveugle" fait le guet dans une ruelle adjacente. Les Pj doivent opérer avec discrétion. Si l'un des occupants de la maison parvient à sortir, ou si le quartier est réveillé par des bruits insolites (sorts de magie de bataille bruyants, hurlements...) il y a fort à parier que l'alerte sera très vite donnée et que tous les membres de la Guilde présents dans le secteur iront au secours de leur chef. La maison a deux étages. Au rez-de-chaussée se trouvent cinq gardes endormis. Au premier étage, une garde plus efficace est menée par trois rudes gaillards qui jouent aux cartes pour rester éveillés. Piccolozi occupe le dernier étage de l'immeuble, qui a été redécoré pour accueillir son prestigieux invité. Christiano sommeille paisiblement dans un grand lit, une magnifique jeune fille dénudée à ses côtés. Cette femme, Aria Vega, est en fait une succube, un démon femelle. Elle est le garde du corps personnel de Christiano et cachera son jeu en jouant les catins effarouchées jusqu'au moment où elle pourra passer à l'attaque. Même supérieurs en nombre, les Pj ont peu de chances de sortir vainqueurs du combat contre un démon surpuissant. Ne permettez pas la victoire des Pj. La Succube tentera d'abord de vaincre par la ruse ses adversaires, usant de son Regard Envoûtant pour faire perdre toute volonté aux Pj. (test de FM pour y résister). Si elle n'y arrive pas, elle se défendra avec toute son habileté pour vaincre. Au pire, le chahut finira par alerter les membres de la Guilde des Voleurs et les Pj seront finalement capturés. Ne dévoilez cependant pas la vraie nature de la Succube. Tous - y compris Christiano - ignorent sa véritable identité pour l'instant. Une fois les Pj capturés, ou si les négociations sont entamées, le maître de la Guilde leur révèle qu'il n'est pour rien dans ces affaires de meurtres et qu'on cherche apparemment à lui faire porter le chapeau. Il donnerait cher pour tenir le véritable meurtrier et se disculper auprès de toute la ville. Il leur fait grâce de la liberté et de la vie en raison de leur courage, mais tient à ce qu'ils attrapent leur ancien commanditaire. Il a de forts soupçons sur Castoro Longidenti et leur indique son adresse afin de le ramener à lui. Mission au sein de la Guilde Les Pj vont donc côtoyer, le temps d'une mission, les voleurs de la Guilde du même nom. En bavardant avec eux, ils apprendront les renseignements suivants : Christiano Piccolozi semble être sous la coupe de cette femme qu'il a rencontrée et qui est très dangereuse. Beaucoup de voleurs ne l'aiment pas. Un des membres de la Guilde, avant d'être pendu en place publique, avait révélé à ses juges qu'il avait vu le meurtrier, une énorme créature ailée. Quelques voleurs parlent d'une affaire rentable menée il y a quelques temps par Longidenti : le cambriolage de l'étude du notaire Umberto Topolino. De nombreux papiers intéressants ainsi que de fortes sommes d'argent se trouvaient dans son coffre. Après l'arrestation de Longidenti, les Pj trouvent chez lui un parchemin intéressant, provenant du coffre de Topolino. C'est le testament du Doge Sporgersi, sur lequel il déclare léguer tous ses biens à sa chère Anna, et fait de ses autres héritiers potentiels son frère et finalement sa fille Chiappa. Les membres de la Guilde apprendront rapidement aux Pj qu'Andreo Sporgersi a été lui aussi victime du Tueur inconnu la nuit dernière, et qu'il ne reste donc que Chiappa. Les soupçons des Pj devraient rapidement se porter sur la fille du Doge... Dénouement sanglant Qu'ils aillent trouver publiquement Chiappa ou qu'ils l'espionnent en secret, les Pj ne tarderont pas à lui faire avouer la vérité : elle est le commanditaire du meurtre de son oncle et de la maîtresse de son père, et s'apprêtait à empoisonner celui-ci. Mais elle affirme s'être servie de la vague de meurtres qui frappait la ville, et apprend aux Pj que le meurtrier a été vu par son serviteur Skaven une nuit : il s'agit d'une grande jeune femme rousse aux yeux de braise... le portrait craché d'Aria Vega. Il ne reste plus aux Pj qu'à livrer une dernière bataille... « D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 4 Documents à donner aux PJs : Rejoins-moi ce soir au palais vers onze heures. Ton "Péso" qui t'aime. Si vous voulez retrouver Christiano Piccolozi, rendez-vous à minuit au 23, rue Luglio. Un ami Je vous indique l'endroit où se trouve Christiano Piccolozi contre la moitié de la récompense pour sa capture. Suivez mes instructions et vous serez riches. Trahissez-moi et vous perdrez la vie. Si vous êtes d'accord avec ces conditions, agitez trois fois de haut en bas votre lumière. Sortez d'ici, tournez sur votre gauche. Prenez la première ruelle à droite, puis la quatrième à gauche. Descendez l'escalier jusqu'en bas. Piccolozi loge ici. Capturez-le dans son sommeil, silencieusement et ramenez-le directement chez le Doge. Ne prévenez pas la milice et ne vous fiez à personne. Je lègue la moitié de ma fortune en liquidités ainsi que ma résidence principale et tous les biens mobiles à Anna Cheminchione. De plus, elle héritera ad vitam de la rente de provenant de ma flotte de commerce. Je lègue l’ensemble de mes vignobles à mon frère Andreo Sporgersi. Il héritera également de l’ensemble de ma flotte marchande avec obligation de verser une rente mensuelle de 300 couronnes à Anna Cheminchione, ainsi que celle de subvenir aux besoins vitaux de ma fille jusqu’à son mariage. Je lègue la moitié de ma fortune restante ainsi que ma résidence d’été à ma fille Chiappa Sporgersi. Elle bénéficiera d’une rente qu’aura obligation de lui verser Andreo Sporgersi sus-mentionné. Pericoloso Sporgersi, Doge de Miragliano « D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 5 PNJs ARIA VEGA, SUCCUBE Agilité d8  Combat d10 Ame d6  Intimidation d8 Intellect d6  Perception d8 Force d8 Vigueur d6  Expert en parade Allure 6 (12 en vol)  Séduisante Parade 6+1  Très Séduisante Résistance 6 Charisme +4  Regard Envoûtant Epée courte (Force+2) ou dents (Force+1) CHRISTIANO PICCOLOZI Agilité d8  Combat d8 Ame d6  Intimidation d8 Intellect d6  Perception d8 Force d8 Vigueur d6  Expert en parade Allure 6  Séduisante Parade 6  Très Séduisante Résistance 6 Charisme +4  Regard Envoûtant Epée courte (Force+2) Gardes endormis Agilité d6  Combat d6 Ame d4  Perception d4 Intellect d4 Force d6 Vigueur d4 Allure 6 Parade 5 Résistance 4 Charisme +4 Epée courte (Force+2) Gardes costauds Agilité d6  Combat d6 Ame d4  Perception d6 Intellect d4 Force d8 Vigueur d6 Allure 6 Parade 5 Résistance 5 Charisme +4 Epée courte (Force+2) Quelques noms et prénoms « tilééns » Prénoms féminins Valentina, Ileana, Sara, Laura, Cristina, Eleonora, Elisa, Chiara, Silvia, Tiziana, Roberta ,Giorgia, Barbara, Michela, Giulia, Elena, Flavia, Simona, Giada, Marta, Claudia, Verena Prénoms masculins Marco, Stefano, Francesco, Luca, Matteo, Massimo, Alessandro, Luigi, Giacomo, Toni, Leonardo, Simone, Gianni, Massimiliano, Jacopo, Davide, Andrea, Lassaad Noms Airaghi, Belinzaghi, Biraghi, Arnaboldi, Gastoldi, Uboldi, Barbarigo, Gradenigo, Pasqualigo, Canal, Manin, Carrer, Biasutti, Gregorutti, Zanutti, Zoruttiastai, Bicchierai, Ferrai, Rucellai, Biadaiuoli, Cascaiuoli, Seraiuolitroisi, Puglisicaffedu, Cugurru, Mannu, Cannas, Furcas, Piras, Baudi, Gribaudi, Bagnasco, Cevasco, Rezzasco. « D’or et de sang » scénario pour Warhammer/Savage Worlds écrit par Kundïn (khroumir@yahoo.fr), mise en page par Trois Gestes (troisgestes@yahoo.fr) 6 Cartes

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Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 1 †ABOUT DAWNING STAR Dawning Star was the first full-scale science fiction campaign setting built on d20 Modern and powered by the Future ruleset from Wizards of the Coast. The critically-acclaimed setting was nominated for an ENnie for Best d20 Game. You can learn more and download free material by visiting www.dawningstar.com. †ABOUT TERRAFORMER The Terraformer line of products from Blue Devil Games presents new material designed for Dawning Star but usable in most science-fiction campaigns. Each entry will offer a new prestige class, xenomorph, talent tree, feat, weapon, etc. and advice on using it into your campaign and using it to “shape your world.” †ABOUT BLUE DEVIL GAMES “Fiendishly Clever.” Blue Devil Games is one of the highest-quality small-press publishers on the market today. BDG product lines include Dawning Star, AEvolutions in support of Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, and the upcoming Passages. Visit our website for more information: www.bluedevilgames.com. †ABOUT LEE HAMMOCK Lead writer and game designer on the Dawning Star line, Lee has been affectionately called the “Hemmingway of RPGs” for the quality of his writing and prolific body of work. Lee has worked for numerous publishers, including AEG, Bastion Press, Louis Porter Jr. Designs, and DC Comics. A new company in the lucrative arms market on Eos, Daxion Arms has quickly caused a storm of controversy in the few short months it has officially existed. Branded by the Dawning Star Republic as a group of traitors and gun smugglers, their products have been outlawed in the Republic due to the shady past of the company’s founders. But this has bothered CEO Neil Pritchard and his associates not a whit as they have held the Republic in little esteem for many years. Daxion History Daxion Arms began as a band of relic hunters and mercenaries called the Freedom Band, which was led by Neil Pritchard and was made up of a rotating roster with a dozen members at any given time. The Freedom Band began when Neil Pritchard was branded a criminal by the Republic in 2140 for unauthorized use of limited resources--namely parts from the Dawning Star ship itself--in experiments on relics recovered from the ruins of Eos. The use of unauthorized parts eventually led to a number of other investigations into how Pritchard, a professor at the Dawning Star University at the time, had acquired the relics in the first place. Eventually, it was learned he had hired a number of independent relic hunters with laundered money from University accounts, breaking many of the quarantine and safety protocols for entering alien ruins in the process. In short, for trying to push his scientific achievements to their greatest heights through any means necessary Pritchard became an outlaw. He wouldn’t let that stop his pursuit of knowledge. 2 After escaping the Republic, Pritchard traveled to Hapeville, where he used his knowledge of relics and alien technology to get involved in the local relic trade. He quickly became known as an expert on relic weaponry and made a decent amount of money helping relic hunters operate or repair their finds. But money was not his goal; ultimately Neil Pritchard is driven by the idea that he is right and everyone who disagrees with him or his methods is wrong. Because the Dawning Star Republic has disagreed with him in a most serious manner, his top priority is proving that the Republic was in fact wrong. In 2145, using his own funds, Pritchard put together a relic hunting mercenary group called the Freedom Band. They were based out of Hapeville but, on occasion, also operated out of Steel End. The Freedom Band primarily engaged in relic hunting operations across Eos, relying on Pritchard’s knowledge of relics and alien technology to boast a better than average success rate for these endeavors. Unfortunately, they also suffered a higher than normal casualty rate due to Pritchard’s recklessness, but the high pay Pritchard offered secured them a steady stream of replacements. Most of their finds were sold to the EFL or independent agents like Maximillian Dagos, though Pritchard kept a number for his own research. The Freedom Band openly flaunted Republic borders and regulations on these missions, regularly taking relics from Republic territory and even getting into gunfights with Republic troops on a number of occasions. The EDF suspects the Freedom Band in a number of unsolved murders and ambushes in the Southern Resource Zone, but these investigations are still ongoing. Needless to say the Freedom Band does not receive a warm welcome from the agents of the Dawning Star Republic, who have orders to arrest on sight. After several years of operations Pritchard’s age began to catch up with him, and he began to look for away to continue his work without all the running around and danger that being a full time relic hunter entails. He looked back over the relics he had recovered in his operations thus far, and decided to try to reverse engineer them in order to see if any aspect of their operation could be duplicated with less advanced technology. After several months of fruitless research he managed to reverse engineer a powerful electromagnetic rail system from a medical injector unit used by the Star Confederation to penetrate the thick hides of alien species. By enlarging and modifying this technology he was able to build the first man-portable rail gun that carried enough ammunition and power to be a feasible weapon. Possessed of long range and excellent armor-piercing power, Pritchard had a weapon that would interest many on Eos. Using his remaining fortune and the assistance of the Freedom Band, Pritchard transferred his operation to Steel End in 2151, where he purchased a warehouse and began converting it into factory. He was able to acquire manufacturing equipment from several contacts in the EFL and quickly set about trying to enter the weapons market. Using gyro-jet bodies and spare parts for his initial production run, Pritchard made a test run of 100 rail gun rifles in 2152 and quickly sold the entire lot to the EFL after demonstrating their effectiveness to Patricia Rogers. 3 Ever since, the EFL has been buying up most of Pritchard’s guns, issuing them to special forces and heavy infantry units in the same fashion that the EDF deploys its energy weapons. After his first successful sale Pritchard renamed his company Daxion Arms after the maiden name of his mother, hoping to leave behind his days of the Freedom Band in order to open trade with the Republic. He hoped this would prove that they were wrong in forcing him out since they now wanted his weapons. He has not been so lucky. Despite some bribes and even turning in some of his former cohorts from the Freedom Band to the Republic Rangers, Pritchard remains a wanted criminal in the Republic and is considered a traitor by most who know of his actions. Realizing getting in good with the Republic government is a lost cause, he has changed his tactics and now targets his goods at the more independent-minded citizens of the Republic. His pitch: “The Republic wants to keep them poorly armed so they cannot rise up against it,” or “only those brave enough to fight the Republic are worthy enough to buy these weapons.” Still, most of his goods go to those faction-camps that are part of the EFL. Daxion Arms Now Now Daxion Arms is a small but growing arms manufacturer allied with the EFL, and its prospects look good. Pritchard has dealt fairly with the EFL and been treated well in kind. His weapons give the EFL a military strength it had previously lacked. Daxion Arms is expecting to construct a second factory in the next two years, purchase some local mines to gather its own materials, and broaden its line of weaponry to include more anti-vehicular weapons, something the Dawning Star Republic is not likely to take well. Pritchard has become a rising star in the EFL and often meets with Patricia Rogers and other leaders regarding relics and alien technology. He can often be found in Roger’s Point but spends most of his time in Steel End. He occasionally sends the remaining members of the Freedom Band, of which there are six, on relic hunting missions in the hopes of discovering new technology that can be used by Daxion Arms to develop new weapons. However, he has not enjoyed his previous levels of success due to his attention being elsewhere. The Freedom Band spends most of its time working security for Daxion Arms, but it is not the close knit group it once was after Pritchard used several members as sacrificial lambs to try and get the Republic to forgive his past misdeeds. If there is a weakness in Daxion Arms, it is the Freedom Band since Pritchard is blind to their eroding loyalties. For now the Dawning Star Republic believes Daxion Arms to be an annoyance, but much like Brase Arms in Roger’s Point it is a threat that is not worth eliminating due to the political firestorm it would create. While there are elements within the EDF that push for a covert mission to eliminate Daxion Arms factories, they are a minority in the military as most believe it would spark more conflicts with the EFL. Daxion Arms sells its weapons to all-comers. While the Republic 4 officially will not deal with the company, some citizens of the Republic and many independents are interested in getting their hands on Daxion weapons. Several non-EFL faction camps have put in orders with Daxion, including Sun City, in order to equip some of their patrol boats. It seems that with Daxion Arms in business Eos is becoming a much more dangerous place. Daxion Arms Compound Daxion Arms occupies a small factory and adjacent two-story office building on the northern edge of Steel End. The entire area is surrounded by a ten-foot-tall, electrified fence complete with guard towers at every gate and corner, all of which are manned by guards armed with Daxion Longarm Rifles and night-vision goggles. The fenced in area is roughly square and 400 yards on a side, while the factory at the northern end of the compound is approximately 400 feet long and 200 feet wide. The office building is in the southwestern corner and is 100 feet on a side. The rest of the space in the compound is taken up by a loading dock, parking lot, and weapons testing range. The compound has a total of 30 guards, 70 factory workers, and twelve office personnel present at most times as the factory operates day and night with three alternating shifts. The entire compound runs off a small fusion generator housed in the basement of the factory. The compound can be reached through gravel streets from Steel End or by train. A spur of the Southern Cargo Line, which runs from Hapeville to Steel End and Sunder Ridge, goes right into the loading zone in the compound, and most of the weapons shipped out are sent via train. An empty dirt field next to the compound is sometimes used as a landing pad for vectored-thrust vehicles. Several cargo trucks are always in the parking lot at the compound, along with a small number of personal vehicles. Most employees walk or ride bikes to work, though some ride horses or Dawson dragons. These animals are usually kept tied up outside the compound in a nearby stable that has little security. All the structures in the compound are made out of crude cement and iron rebar, making them resilient to damage but not particularly advanced. These walls have a hardness of 7 and 72 hit points per square foot. All doors have a lock requiring a keycard and 6-digit code to access (Disable Device, DC 30 to bypass). Touching the electrified fence inflicts 1d6 points of electrical damage per round; anyone taking damage from the fence must also make a Fortitude save (DC 12) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Daxion Employees This section includes descriptions of the major figures of the Daxion organization. The factory workers and office personnel are 1st-level ordinaries, who have no interest in combat and want nothing more than to earn a decent wage and live out their lives in quiet contentment. 5 Neil Pritchard Founder of the Freedom Band and later Daxion Arms, Neil Prichard was only twenty years old when the Earth was destroyed. At the time, he was a promising theoretical technician, who had developed a number of the inertial control systems used in the Dawning Star. His advanced abilities with cutting edge technology earned him a place on the evacuation ship, but he was not awakened until 30 years after the ship landed on Eos. After an initial period of adjustment, which included a lot of drinking and several violent incidents with police, Pritchard was brought in on several government projects studying alien relics. This quickly became an obsession for Pritchard, who eventually joined the Dawning Star University in the hopes of continuing his research there without government interference; he long felt that the moral and safety concerns of the government had no place in true scientific research. Pritchard quickly found the restrictions at the University too confining and set out to handle things his own way, hiring relic hunters to obtain relics for him and paying them out of his department’s budget for teaching assistants and instruction materials. This didn’t work for long, but long enough to get Pritchard in a great deal of trouble when he was caught. While a highly skilled scientist. Pritchard’s skills at deceit and accounting were not quite so developed, though he would never admit as much. Fleeing the Dawning Star Republic, Pritchard ended up in Hapeville, and there entered the seedy world of professional relic hunters. Eventually, he formed his own band of relic hunters, the Freedom Band. But Pritchard was almost 40 years old and no longer the spry researcher of his youth. He used his knowledge of relics and his personal stash of alien technology to found Daxion Arms, which he know spends all of his time keeping in operation. This keeps him a very busy man, though he hopes to amass enough of a fortune in the next few years to retire entirely. Neil Pritchard is an ambitious, impatient man, who believes that everyone around him is jealous of his intelligence and skills. He has trouble accepting anyone as an equal or abiding by the limits placed on his activities by his many inferiors. He only has a few people he sees as equals, one of whom is Patricia Rogers. Ultimately he is a creature of ego, driven to prove that everyone that ever doubted him is wrong and punish them accordingly. A rail-thin man, Pritchard has little fat or muscle on his body. He always wears a pair of worn glasses. His hair is thinning and gray, which combined with his glasses, would give him a scholarly appearance if he were not so thin that he looked like a drug addict. While working he usually wears a simple jumpsuit with numerous tool belts, but in the field he wears a custom-made set of rough outs. When conducting business he wears a silk suit that he keeps vacuum stored at all other times due to its immense value. 6 Neil Pritchard (Smart Hero 5/Technosavant 5): CR 10; Medium humanoid; HD 10d6; hp 38; MAS 10; Init + 1; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 16, touch 16, flat- footed 15 (+1 Dex, +5 class); BAB +5; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d3 electricity and stun, stun gun), +6 ranged (3d4, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol); Full +4 melee (1d3 electricity and stun, stun gun), +6 ranged (3d4, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol);FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Cybermancer, down with robots, exotic weapon adept robomancer, skilled salvager, technocant, technophile; AL Daxion Arms; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +8; AP 11; Rep +3; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 11, Cha 12 PL Familiarity: 7 Occupation: Academic Skills: Computer Use +19, Craft (Chemical) +12, Craft (Electrical) +19, Craft (Mechanical) +19, Decipher Script +14, Disable Device +17, Drive +6, Forgery +12, Investigate +12, Knowledge (Business) +8, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +19, Knowledge (Technology) +19, Navigate +9, Read/Write Language (English, Technocant). Repair +19, Research +19, Speak Language (English, Technocant), Spot +5. Talents: Identify Alien Technology, Repair Alien Technology, Utilize Alien Technology Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light), Builder, Educated, Gearhead, Iron Will, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Salvage, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Studious, Technological Aptitude Possessions: Upgraded info comp with advanced App-3 program, universal communicator, stun gun, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol with 2 clips, wallet Wusalli Oppo The current leader of the Freedom Band, Wusalli is also the chief of security for the Daxion Arms compound. The longest surviving member of the Freedom Band, he was previously a member of the EDF but was court-martialed after selling ammunition to the faction-camps on the black market. A dour and disciplined man, he now greatly regrets that decision and is none to happy with his current lot in life, working for a man who thinks him an idiot and disrespects him constantly. In the heyday of the Freedom Band, Wusalli was a loyal soldier under Pritchard. However, after losing so many of his men to Pritchard’s incompetence and then seeing several of them turned over to the Republic as Pritchard tried to buy his way out of trouble, Wusalli is fed up. He goes through his daily responsibilities with a detached air, not really caring about Daxion Arms or its safety. The Freedom Band is all he has known for years so he is not ready to cast it aside, but he has started thinking of ways to get back at Pritchard for all the things he put Wusalli and his comrades through. It will probably take some sort of outside force or unusual opportunity for Wusali to make his move, but when he does it will be devastating both to Pritchard and Daxion Arms. A large dark-skinned man of African decent, Wusalli is getting on in years but is still in excellent shape. His long hair is kept in dreadlocks and is starting to gray in several areas. He wears rough-outs that are always kept in excellent condition. He rarely goes anywhere unarmed. 7 Wusalli Oppo (Strong Hero 3/Soldier 6): CR 9; Medium humanoid; HD 3d8+6d10+18; hp 70; MAS 14; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 20, touch 17, flat- footed 18 (+2 Dex, +5 class, +3 armor); BAB +7; Grap +10; Atk +10 melee (1d6+3, baton), +9 ranged (3d4, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol) or +10 ranged (3d6+2/19-20, Longarm Rifle); Full Atk +10/+5 melee (1d6+3, baton), +9/+4 ranged (3d4, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol) or +10/+5 ranged (3d6+2/19-20, Longarm Rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Improved critical, tactical aid, weapon focus, weapon specialization; AL Freedom Band; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3; AP 10; Rep +1; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 PL Familiarity: 6 Occupation: Military Skills: Climb +7, Demolitions +6, Drive +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Tactics) +12, Read/Write Language (English), Repair +4, Speak Language (English), Survival +7, Swim +9 Talents: Improved Throwing Arm, Throwing Arm Feats: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Armor Proficiency (Light), Blind- Fight, Burst Fire, Dodge, Double Tap, Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rail Gun), Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus (D-3 Longarm Rifle), Weapon Specialization (D-3 Longarm) Possessions: Rough-outs, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol with 3 clips, D-1 Longarm Rifle with 2 clips, 2 fragmentation grenades, 2 thermite grenades, 2 smoke grenades, collapsible baton, universal communicator, flask of whiskey. Daxion Guards Mostly locals from Steel End who have trained with the EFL, the guards at the Daxion Compound are not hardened soldiers. While competent, they are, in the end, simply hired hands with little investment or real dedication to their jobs. Looking to cut costs, Pritchard does not pay them enough that they would be willing to put their lives in peril; they will likely flee at the first casualty. They have little police training and may react to threats with inordinate amounts of force, but they are not generally cruel for the sheer sake of it. The Daxion Guards are all equipped with rough-outs and carry nightvision goggles when on duty at night. Most of their equipment is issued to them by the company and thus stays on the company grounds when they punch out for the evening. Daxion Guards (Tough Ordinary 3): CR 2; Medium humanoid; HD 3d10+6; hp 24; MAS 14; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+2 class, +3 armor); BAB +2; Grap +3; Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, baton), +2 ranged (3d6, D-1 Longarm Rifle); Full Atk 3 melee (1d6+1, baton), +2 ranged (3d6, D-1 Longarm Rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ None; AL Daxion Arms; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 9 PL Familiarity: 6 Occupation: Law Enforcement Skills: Climb +5, Drive +4, Intimidate +1, Read/Write Language (English), 8 Speak Language (English), Spot +4 Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light), Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapon Proficiency Possessions: D-1 Longarm rifle with 2 clips, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol with 2 clips, nightvision goggles, radio, light combat armor, baton. The Freedom Band The elite troubleshooters of Daxion Arms, the Freedom Band began as Pritchard’s personal relic hunters but has changed over time to better suit the corporate infrastructure. They still occasionally go on relic-hunting missions when Pritchard comes across rumors of particularly interesting finds. More often than not, these are simply smash-and-grab jobs to steal newly discovered relics from their new owners. The Band doesn’t plumb the depths of the Eos ruins much any more. The Freedom Band has not taken this change in mission well, feeling more like thieves than treasure hunters; similarly, they do not like the new business-like attitude of Pritchard. The Freedom Band was once a freewheeling group of mercenaries, but now they feel like glorified thieves and security guards. They spend most of their time in the Daxion Arms compound keeping an eye on security matters or acting as personal guards to Pritchard. Like Wusalli they are increasingly frustrated with their poor treatment and may well turn against Pritchard in the near future--something he, in his arrogance, could never acknowledge as a possibility. All of the Freedom Band wear matching rough-outs, bearing the Daxion Arms logo: a silver hawk on a black background. Most carry Daxion Arms weapons, but a few also carry EDF-9 pistols as backups. While the abilities below are representative of an average member of the Freedom Band, most have their own specialties that are not represented below, such as a demolitions expert or a computer expert. Freedom Band Member (Tough Hero 2/Dedicated Hero 2/Explorer 2): CR 6; Medium humanoid; HD 2d10+4d8+18; hp 53; MAS 16; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; Defense 20, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +5 class, +3 armor); BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 melee (1d6+1, baton), +5 ranged (3d3, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol) or +5 ranged (3d6, D-1 Longarm Rifle); Full Atk +4 melee (1d6+1, baton), +5 ranged (3d3, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol) or +5 ranged (3d6, D- 1 Longarm Rifle); FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ Explorer lore, resolve, survivalist; AL Freedom Band; SV Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +4; AP 9; Rep +1; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 PL Familiarity: 6 Occupation: Explorer Skills: Climb +5, Disable Device +4, Drive +6, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) +8, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +7, Listen +9, Navigate +4, Read/Write Language (English), Search +7, Speak Language (English), Spot +11, Survival +9, Treat Injury +7. Talents: Aware, Second Wind Feats: Alertness, Armor Proficiency (Light), Endurance, Great Fortitude, Guide, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Point Blank Shot, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Track 9 Possessions: Baton, rough-outs, universal communicator, D-3 Rail Gun Pistol with 4 clips, D-1 Longarm Rifle with 2 clips, nightvision goggles, 2 days of survival rations, info-comp, climbing kit, canteen, 2 fragmentation grenades, survival knife Daxion Arms Weapons All Daxion arms firearms (except for the EMP cannon) use specially made clips that hold both the power source and the metallic rounds needed to fire the weapon. These clips may not be used in any other weapons and other power sources, such as standard power packs, cannot be used in Daxion Arms weapons. Reloading a clip of rail gun ammunition is a time consuming process that requires a special reloading kit, metal rounds, and a power source. This process requires one minute per round of ammo being reloaded. A rail gun reloading kit weighs 5 pounds and has a purchase DC of 15. All Daxion Arms weapons are considered to have a military purchase restriction in the Dawning Star Republic. Daxion D-6 Rail Gun Pistol A recent addition to the Daxion weapons line, this bulky, oversized pistol fires a small sliver of metal using a magnetic rail. These weapons have very long range but limited stopping power due to the small size of the rounds they fire. Rail gun pistols may fire on automatic and carry a large amount of ammunition for a weapon of their size. It is becoming more common among EFL police units and air runners who favor its large ammunition capacity. This weapon treats the hardness of objects it strikes as if it were 5 points lower and is covered by the Personal Firearms Proficiency feat. Daxion D-1 Long-Arm Rifle The first weapon made by Daxion Arms and its most popular and most widely produced model, this weapon is becoming the standard issue rifle of the EFL special forces and heavy infantry units. It is also becoming increasingly popular with non-aligned faction-camps for use by their own security forces due to the rarity of energy weapons. It has yet to catch on in any civilian markets. This weapon treats the hardness of objects it strikes as if it were 5 points lower and is covered by the Personal Firearms Proficiency feat. Daxion D-12 Rail Gun Cannon An oversized version of the long-arm rifle, this weapon is meant to fire large, solid shells (similar in size to a can of pectar fruit) at a high velocity and rate of fire. In addition to being devastating against infantry, this weapon can inflict very significant damage on all but the heaviest armored vehicles. This weapon was made available for sale only recently, and three dozen have been sold thus far to the EFL for use in various secure installations and on some attack vehicles. Sun City has ordered several for mounting on some of the patrol boats they use to keep the peace in 10 the surrounding waters. The Rail Gun Cannon comes in two components: the weapon chassis and its ammunition pack. The chassis itself weighs 80 pounds and can be disassembled and carried by two people. The ammunition pack contains 200 rounds of ammunition and weighs 100 pounds. This weapon treats the hardness of objects it strikes as if it were 10 points lower and is covered by the Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rail Guns) feat. Daxion D-13 Disposable Anti-Armor Cannon The newest commercial release from Daxion Arms, this weapon is meant to be a cheap, single-shot weapon similar to the D-12 for those customers who need a cheap, infantry-portable weapon that can inflict significant damage on even armored vehicles. Similar to the LAW rockets of old Earth, these weapons hold a single, large, metallic slug and only have enough power for a single shot. After being fired the weapon is simply discarded; it is not designed to be reloaded--even at the factory. Made out of cheap parts with low tolerance for damage, the weapon currently has a high misfire rate (around 6%); reducing this is currently one of the main goals of Daxion Arms. Regardless of this drawback, hundreds of these weapons have been ordered by a number of organizations, most of which are believed to be fronts for the EFL. The Disposable Anti-Armor Cannon requires a move action to prepare to fire. It treats the hardness of objects it strikes as if it were 10 points lower and is covered by the Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rail Guns) feat. Daxion D-20 EMP Cannon Still in the final stages of development, this weapon takes the highly efficient magnet technology used in the rail gun and uses it to fire a burst of electromagnetic energy. This burst of energy has no effect on living beings but plays havoc with all manner of electronics and can shut down most electronic devices for several minutes, if not render them permanently useless. This weapon was designed by Neil Pritchard to serve as the ultimate weapon against armored vehicles, and he has attracted significant funding from the EFL for his research based on this idea. So far the weapon only exists as a handful of prototypes within the Daxion compound, but Pritchard hopes to go into full production within a few months. The EMP cannon has an appearance similar to a bazooka or shoulder fired rocket launcher, only with many more wires, a radar-dish- looking device mounted on the front, and a backpack power source attached to the weapon by heavy, insulated cable. This power source is a back-mounted power pack, and it holds 200 charges. The EMP cannon consumes 40 charges each time it is fired and may be fired only once per round due to the weapon’s cooling cycle. The EMP cannon doesn’t deal damage in the traditional sense; it is treated similarly nonlethal damage. Its pulse only affects robots, vehicles, spacecraft, and other objects that have electronic components. EMP damage is totaled separately. If an object’s total EMP damage equals or 11 exceeds its current hit point total, it is rendered permanently inoperable. Additionally, any such object struck by an EMP cannon is rendered inoperable for one round; sentient electronic creatures (such as robots) struck are dazed for one round. The EMP cannon ignores hardness and is covered by the Exotic Firearms Proficiency (EMP Cannon) feat. Daxion Arms in a Dawning Star Campaign Depending on which side the PCs operate, Daxion Arms could be a valuable resource or a nettling adversary. The PCs could run into the Freedom Band on one of their own relic hunts, setting off an ongoing rivalry. If they serve in DS law enforcement, one of their missions might be to shut down Pritchard’s operation once and for all or, striking a blow to the faction camps and making them a wealth of new enemies. On the other hand, shadier PC groups might call on Daxion Arms to outfit them for a dangerous mission, or they might enlist Pritchard’s know-how to help them decipher the function of their own relic. In an act of corporate espionage, a rival arms manufacturer (or perhaps Maximillian Dagos) might hire the PCs to steal a bit of Daxion Arms technology for their own purposes. Daxion Arms in Other Science-Fiction Campaigns Daxion Arms can be placed pretty much anywhere and serves as a suitable example of a black market arms dealer. The PCs could be hired on to move a shipment of Daxion Arms weapons to a dangerous corner of the galaxy or in any of the scenarios presented above. DAXION ARMS WEAPONS Weapon PL Dmg Crit Dmg Type Range Increm RoF Mag Size Wgt Purch DC D-6 Rail Gun Pistol 7 3d4 19-20 Ball. 80 ft. S,A 80 box M 3 lb. 20 D-1 Longarm Rifle 7 3d6 19-20 Ball. 120 ft. S, A 100 box L 10 lb. 23 D-12 Rail Gun Cannon 7 3d12 19-20 Ball. 200 ft. S, A 200 linked H 180 lb. 28 D-13 Disposable Anti-Armor Cannon 7 4d12 19-20 Ball. 100 ft. S 1 int. M 14 lb. 19 D-20 EMP Cannon 8 5d12 N 20 Special 80 ft. S Power pack H 52 lb. 32 DAXION ARMS AMMUNITION Weapon Purch DC D-6 (loaded magazine) 9 D-6 (100 loose rounds) 8 D-1 (loaded magazine) 11 D-1 (100 loose rounds) 9 D-12 (loaded ammo pack) 18 D-12 (100 loose rounds) 15 12 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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GM’S MONTHLY MISCELLANY: RAGING SWAN PRESS JUNE 2017 PATREON.COM/RAGINGSWANPRESS YOUR TIME IS PRECIOUS MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGN PREP. EASIER JOIN RAGING SWAN PRESS’S PATREON CAMPAIGN GM’S MONTHLY MISCELLANY: JUNE 2017 Featuring material from some of Raging Swan Press’s newest products as well as classic releases of yesteryear, advice articles and material from Creighton’s own Borderland of Adventure campaign, the GM’s Monthly Miscellany series is a terrific free resource for the busy, time-crunched GM. Design: Creighton Broadhurst, Jeff Gomez, David N. Ross and Martin Tideswell Development: Creighton Broadhurst Art: William McAusland, Matt Morrow and Maciej Zagorski (The Forge Studio). Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. Cartography: Maciej Zagorski (The Forge Studio) Thank you for purchasing GM’s Monthly Miscellany: June 2017; we hope you enjoy it. If you did, please consider leaving a review. If you didn’t, did you know Raging Swan Press offers a money back guarantee? C O N T E N T S Foreword ...................................................................................... 2 10 Pieces of Battlefield Dressing .................................................. 3 Ronak At A Glance ........................................................................ 4 Raveneye Sanatorium At a Glance ............................................... 6 Villains: Teraim Arasten ............................................................... 8 Are You Suffering From Option Fatigue? ................................... 10 Support Raging Swan Press ........................................................ 11 OGL V1.0A .................................................................................. 11 S O U R C E S As well as new, never seen before material from my own Borderland of Adventure campaign, this instalment of GM’s Monthly Miscellany presents information from several Raging Swan Press products and advice articles including: § 20 Things #15: War-Ravaged Land Creighton Broadhurst. § Places of Power: Raveneye Sanatorium David N. Ross. § Village Backdrop: Ronak Jeff Gomez. § Villains Creighton Broadhurst and Martin Tideswell Product Identity: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artefacts, places and so on), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, artwork and trade dress are product identity as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e) and are not Open Content. Open Content: Except material designated as Product Identity, the contents of GM’s Monthly Miscellany: June 2017 are Open Game Content as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. The moral right of Creighton Broadhurst, Jeff Gomez and David N. Ross to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. ©Raging Swan Press 2017. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Inc., and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Inc., and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Inc. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Inc. does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. To learn more about the Open Game License, visit wizards.com/d20. 2 F O R E W O R D I’m so organised this month, I’ve surprised myself! I’m well ahead on the release schedule which allows me to consider other things. I’ve been becoming increasingly interested in trekking, encumbrance, what’s in an adventurer’s backpack and wild camping. I’m hoping with the arrival of summer I’ll be able to go out and run some actual “real live” tests of what would be in my adventurer’s backpack. Hopefully, I won’t have too many dangerous random encounters on my adventures. In slightly more mainstream news, I’m beginning to plot the beginnings of a new line for Raging Swan Press. I’m hoping to be able to share the details with you soon. In any event, herein you’ll find excerpts from some of Raging Swan’s newest products including Village Backdrop: Ronak, Places of Power: Raveneye Sanatorium and 20 Things #15 War- Ravaged Land as well as one of the evil villains featured in Villains. I’ve also included a recent article entitled, “Are You Suffering From Option Fatigue.” I’d encourage you to take the design challenge I set in the article at creightonbroadhurst.com. You might surprise yourself! P A T R E O N You might be aware Raging Swan Press is now on Patreon. We signed up at the start of April 2015, and it’s going rather marvellously. The thrust of our Patreon campaign is to be able to afford better rates of pay for our freelance game designers. As I’m sure you know, the economics of 3PP are notoriously tight, but Patreon gives us at Raging Swan Press a way to increase our freelancer rates. At time of writing, we’ve already massively increased our word rate to 11 cents a word, which gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. We want to pay more, but to do that we need your help! If you sign up, you get our supplements earlier than normal and cheaper than normal. Even better, you can pledge what you want and cancel when you want. If you are interested in supporting us, check out patreon.com/ragingswanpress or head over to patreon.com and search for Raging Swan! T H A N K Y O U ! In any event, I hope you enjoy the material in this GM’s Monthly Miscellany, but more importantly I hope you find it useful and that it enhances your campaign. If you’ve got any comments or questions about Raging Swan Press, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me at creighton@ragingswan.com. 3 1 0 P I E C E S O F B A T T L E F I E L D D R E S S I N G After the butchery and death has abated, a battlefield is an environment like no other. Hacked and broken bodies lie scattered about among severed body parts, broken equipment and the general leavings of the slaughter. Exploring or travelling through such a terrible, unique environment should be a memorable experience for the PCs. Use the table below, to determine what the PCs find on the battlefield. Such discoveries could be nothing more than “dungeon dressing” or could be a hook for an encounter or entire adventure. 1. A corpse—festooned with arrows—lies sprawled on the ground. Almost a score of arrows pierce the unfortunate’s body, although strangely his face is completely unblemished. Nearby, lies the warrior’s small, much dented, iron shield. 2. Here lies a great tangled heap of bodies surrounding the hacked and mutilated body of an enemy champion. Blood soaks the ground and body parts lies scattered about. The enemy champion has been comprehensively looted—of his no doubt fine weapons and armour there is no sign. 3. Crows feast upon the bodies of the fallen in this part of the battlefield. The birds peck and tear at the dead; blood stains their feathers and beaks giving them a somewhat infernal appearance. Unconcerned by folk moving among the dead, they only take flight if attacked or assailed by a loud noise. 4. A ragged, blood-splattered standard yet stands (at a somewhat drunken angle) among the carnage. The fighting was particularly savage here; piles of bodies lie scattered about. Macabrely, a severed hand yet clings to the banner. 5. Blood from the dead and the dying has flowed and oozed into this small hollow, which is now filled with a veritable pool of congealing blood. A stray dog laps at the blood, seemingly unaware of the surrounding butchery and slaughter. 6. Freshly turned earth—a crude grave—stands amid the slaughter atop a small rise. A broken sword is thrust into the ground at the head of the grave to serve as a grave marker; a helmet hangs from the sword’s pommel. 7. A low moaning emanates from beneath a pile of bodies. Investigation reveals a critically injured warrior mere moments from death. The warrior, who bleeds profusely, has suffered several deep scalp wounds and one of his eyes has been destroyed. 8. A heap of broken equipment shows where the victors have begun gathering up the leavings of the slaughter. Hacked suits of armour, splintered shields, broken weapons and so on all lie here in a pile. 9. A horse—several deep slashes along one of its flanks— wanders among the carnage. Wearing slashed and torn leather barding, the beast is a warhorse—breed to fight. It is skittish and exhausted; the PCs must earn its trust before it allows them to approach. 10. A small heap of bodies is the beginnings of what is destined to be a large funeral pyre. Nearby, lies a salvaged pile of useable equipment, weapons and armour. Slightly further away lies a pile of broken equipment. 4 R O N A K A T A G L A N C E Government Council Population 68 (68 scaled dwarves) Alignments N Languages Ronakee (Hybrid Draconic and Dwarven, understood partially by speakers of either language, or perfectly by speakers of either language with a DC 10 Linguistics check). Corruption -1; Crime -4; Economy -1; Law 0; Lore -1; Society 1 Qualities Ancient ancestors, insular Danger 0 Nobody knows Ronak exists. Or, more precisely, nobody remembers. Ronak was the last hope of a dying trade company, a desperate attempt to settle and explore a distant swamp. When the colony found nothing but lizardfolk, the company did not have enough gold to retrieve their employees. Ronak never heard from civilization again. The native lizardfolk, despite their peaceful culture, were seen as nothing but savage natives by the dwarves. As the dwarves struggled to survive, the scaled tribesmen taught them how to hunt and fish in these dangerous lands. But cultural misunderstandings and rising tensions quickly led to violence. In a night of blind fear, the dwarves massacred the lizardfolk. Centuries later and the dwarves have reverted to a more savage state, transforming bit by bit from organized colonists to hunter-gatherers. They are haunted and guided by the ghosts of the exterminated lizardfolk who seek the continuation of their culture. The dwarves speak a hybrid of Dwarven and Draconic, build thatch huts amid the colony’s ruins and worship a mixture of altered dwarven deities and heathen serpent gods. Most disturbingly, the Ronakee now bear scales and jagged teeth, and grow to proportions unnatural for a dwarf. Perhaps one day soon the lizardfolk will be born again, this time from dwarven mothers. The dwarves of Ronak believe civilization to be but a myth, but they cannot stay hidden forever. While some Ronakee may cautiously seek to learn more from trespassing outsiders, others view interlopers as evil spirits who must be destroyed. V I L L A G E R S Appearance: The Ronakee resemble a mixture between dwarves and lizardfolk, but vary greatly in their degree of transformation. Some grow shaggy beards over pink flesh, while others have rows of pointed teeth and scratch at malformed scales. Dress: The Ronakee dress in furs and hides, as well as clothing woven from swamp plants. Children paint their faces with mud and adults sport intimidating tattoos. Nomenclature: male Balgrik, Barik, Durnak, Garuk, Rorgek, Throrvak; female Frimaz, Gimdatz, Talez, Uslatz, Yadaz; family Bronzewall, Blackspine, Stonespear, Thundertooth. M A R K E T P L A C E Resources & Industry Fish, peat Base Value 500 gp; Purchase Limit 2,500 gp; Spellcasting 3rd; Minor Items 2d4; Medium Items 1d4; Major Items – When the PCs arrive, the following items are for sale: § Potions & Oils oil of shillelagh (50 gp), potion of hide from animals (50 gp), potion of darkvision (300 gp), potion of gentle repose (300 gp) V I L L A G E L O R E A PC making a Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (local) check may know something about Ronak. A successful check gains all the information revealed by a lesser result. DC 15: The Ronakee are dwarves who have forgotten all ties with civilization. DC 20: The Ronakee are decedents of a dwarven colony that disappeared almost 500 years ago. DC 25: The dwarves of Ronak massacred the lizardfolk who used to live in these lands. W H I S P E R S & R U M O U R S A PC can use Diplomacy to gather information about Ronak and its surroundings. This takes 1d4 hours and requires a DC 10 check. A PC exceeding this check gains one additional rumour for each 5 points by which he exceeded DC 10. Use the table below to determine which rumour(s) the PC learns. D6 RUMOUR 1 The gravepits to the north are filled with bones of the ancestors. 2 Urraz Scaleborn thinks those without scales should be expelled from the council. 3* The Ronakee are descended from lizardfolk. 4 Smoking sawleaf allows communication with the spirits of the ancestors. 5 In funeral rites, the Ronakee consume the corpse raw, then add the bones to the gravepits. 6* Long ago, a group of dwarves invaded the bog and tried to murder the Ronakee. They failed. *False rumour 5 N O T A B L E F O L K Most of the population are nothing more than hardworking peasants. A few, however, are of interest to adventurers: Dunaz the Fisherman (location 1; NG male scaled dwarf ranger 3) Dunaz is far progressed in her transformation. Her large eyes pierce muddy water and she swims like a lightning snake with the help of a malformed tail. Elder Karhok (location 3; CN female scaled dwarf cleric 8) Blind Elder Karhaz is the oldest of the Ronakee. After instruction from his god, he split his tongue in twain with an axe. Now he spits prophecies of rebirth, while raising his claws in reverence to Sskalaz. He reviles outsiders as evil spirits. Hildaz Scaleborn (location 4; CN female scaled dwarf barbarian 6) Feared and respected, Hildaz is the tribe’s best. Past rows of jagged teeth, she dribbles froth at any who displease her. Hildaz often fights with her brethren, but she is a valuable tribeswoman. She hates outsiders. Hinrok Throatsinger (location 5; CN male scaled dwarf bard 4) Hinrok Throatsinger comes from a line of bards. While his forbears played the lute, Hinrok intones modified dwarven epics in rough chants. He is fascinated by outsiders. Tordaz Mudrunner (location 5; LN female scaled dwarf fighter 5) Though decisions are made in collective by all parents, Tordaz holds the most sway. She is respected among her peers for her patient and fair judgement. Tordaz is open to outsiders, but is highly defensive of her people. N O T A B L E L O C A T I O N S Most of the village comprises crude huts. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers: 11. Bitter Bog: Bitter Bog surrounds Ronak for 50 miles in all directions, isolating it from the rest of the world. 12. Fangwaters: The Fangwaters, a saltwater spring where alligators do not tread, is an excellent fishing ground. 13. Gravepits: When the dwarves of Ronak massacred the lizardfolk, they threw the charred corpses into mass graves. Centuries later, the Ronakee view the Gravepits as sacred, a place for meditation and reflection where the ancestors’ whispers can be heard. 14. Scaleborn House: The Scaleborn family are closest to lizardfolk, and they wear their mutations with unusual pride. 15. Spirithouse: Hallucinogenic sawleaf smoke fills the spirithouse at all times. Hunters pray here, and the villagers seek counsel among the vapours. 16. Temple of Sskalaz: The Temple of Sskalaz was once a temple to the dwarven god of protection. However, the elements have reshaped the statue into the shape of a stone serpent, and religious customs have followed suit. 6 R A V E N E Y E S A N A T O R I U M A T A G L A N C E Ruler Lady Alumora Raveneye Population 83 (49 humans, 2 dwarves, 3 elves, 8 gnomes, 6 half- elves, 5 half-orcs, 11 halflings) plus visitors Alignments NG, LN, N (staff), NG, N, CN (patients) Languages Common Resources & Industry Alchemical items, curse-breaking, long- term care, containing those who endanger themselves and others Travellers can find the lonely Raveneye Sanatorium looming over the intersection of two backwater roads. Once a bulwark against the dangers of the wild, the sanatorium now presents the only opportunity for magical healing in an often-overlooked region. Here, the cold but efficient Lady Alumora and her staff contend with magical maladies and imprison those who are beyond help until new treatments are developed. Many come from afar to acquire Lady Alumora's rare alchemical remedies. Adventurers might visit Raveneye to identify or cure their own maladies, unlock hidden magical powers or to seek help for another. The party might also be hired to escort here or even free a hapless lycanthrope, vampire-to-be, possessed innocent or natural spellcaster unable to control her powers. L O R E A PC making a Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (local) check may know something about Raveneye Sanatorium. A successful check reveals all the information revealed by a lesser check. DC 10: Patients are sent to Raveneye Sanatorium when they suffer from curses, madness, uncontrolled magic or other supernatural afflictions that make them a danger to themselves or others. DC 15: Raveneye Sanatorium has grown steadily since it was founded thirty years ago. There are always more patients taken in than are cured. DC 20: The sanatorium makes use of dangerous and questionably-legal substances in subduing and treating patients. N O T A B L E F O L K Most of the patients and workers are nothing more than ordinary individuals. § Appearance: Almost everyone in Raveneye looks tired and at least a little unkempt. Few sleep well and fewer care about the impression they make on others. Patients dangerous or restless enough to get shackled have marks on their wrists and ankles. § Dress: Patients wear simple linen clothes without fasteners— easy to slip on or off, easy to repair and hard to injure anyone with. Staff wear grey, white or pale blue robes with aprons. § Nomenclature: male Aberrick, Egger, Sarman, Vansarr; female Constance, Fidelia, Linseed, Pru; family Dunn, Livewood, Pallman, Silversmith. Some of the inhabitants, however, are notable: Chaplain Sister Marvielle Silverblossom (location 4; NG female elf cleric 2) Sister Marvielle knows the patients better than anyone and hears much, although she prefers not to gossip. Chief Attendant Zox Ironwood (location 8; CG female gnome cleric [god of knowledge] 5) Zox relies on guidance from Lady Alumora and Erzot Chargrave to know what treatments are most likely to work. He oversees the other attendants. Doctor Erzot Chargrave (location 2; N male dwarf expert 3) Doctor Chargrave diagnoses new patients and locks up anyone meeting a wide variety of ambiguous standards for at least temporary observation. Head Orderly Janik Quinn (location 3; LE female human commoner 2/warrior 1) Janik oversees the other orderlies who ensure patients don't wander and whips those who cause trouble. Lady Alumora Raveneye (location 8; LN female human wizard [universalist] 9) Lady Alumora is the founder and chief physician of Raveneye Sanatorium. W H I S P E R S & R U M O U R S A PC can use Diplomacy to gather information about Raveneye Sanatorium and its surroundings. This takes 1d4 hours and requires a DC 10 check. A PC exceeding this check gains one additional rumour for each 5 points by which he exceeded DC 10. Use the table below to determine which rumour(s) the PC learns. D6 RUMOUR 1 Recently, more patients and visitors than usual have been critically injured or killed in the upper ward. 2 The alchemists at the sanatorium use dangerous poisons and herbs to sedate and treat the more extreme cases. 3* The healers dissect any dead body found or killed within a mile of the sanatorium. (In truth, patients sometimes will their bodies to the healers for the furthering of the healing arts.) 4 Lady Alumora is the best physician but you must convince Doctor Chargrave that waiting for him to observe your symptoms over time would take too long before seeing her. 5 The apprentices who run the apothecary accept custom orders, but only from those who do them favours. 6* Lady Alumora has hired bandits to capture travellers who will not be missed to use as extra test subjects for her frightful experiments. *False rumour 7 N O T A B L E L O C A T I O N S Most of Raveneye Sanatorium comprises locations of little interest to adventurers. A few locations, however, are notable: 1. Tollhouse at Roserock Bridge: This is the first point of contact visitors have at the sanatorium. Visitors must pay a 1 sp toll to cross the bridge whether they are visiting the sanatorium or not. 2. Hospital Tower: The most unwell patients as well as staff and visitors injured by patients rest here while they recuperate. Here works Doctor Erzot Chargrave. 3. Garden Ward: These shared rooms are used by the most stable and self-sufficient patients. The Garden Ward hosts numerous patients. 4. Raveneye Chapel: The simple chapel has minor trappings for a variety of faiths and is open to anyone. Here Sister Marvielle tends to patients needs and leads services to all major deities. 5. Apothecary: This large apothecary constantly bustles with activity to meet the needs of Raveneye's many patients. The staff are keen to try out their own concoctions and only sell their excess stock of more common creations to those submitting to their experimentations. 6. Botanical Garden: This garden grows a variety of herbs and magical plants, many of which are dangerous. Its gardener— Warmark Ironaxe—sells excess herbs and drugs to line his own pockets. 7. Dormitory: The dormitory houses most of the staff and hosts visitors. Many of the staff come from families that have served the Raveneyes for generations. Most are loyal to their mistress. 8. Laboratory Tower: The laboratory tower contains chambers used to examine patients as well as Lady Alumora's personal chambers. Here she formulates new remedies, potions and elixirs 9. Upper Ward: These locked rooms keep the dangerous patients isolated. Visitors are not often granted access to this area; most rooms are stoutly secured here. The inmates’ movements and freedoms are carefully managed to keep the other patients and staff safe. 8 V I L L A I N S : T E R A I M A R A S T E N As tough as the rock of the mountains that spawned him, Teraim the One-Eyed is a brutal, unstoppable killer for hire… A drunken savage, Teraim has been variously employed as muscle, for the purposes of extortion, or as an executioner. No job for Teraim is too big or small if the price is right. He has no qualms about killing anyone or anything – as the notches on his wicked morningstar, Widowmaker, attest. Background: Some cultures believe that children cannot be born evil. Teraim Arasten surely disproves that rule. Banished by his clan at the age of 11 for the brutal and drawn-out murder of another young dwarf, Teraim became almost feral. He lived in the wild for several years and it was during this time that he lost his eye in a fight with a wolf, which almost cost him his life. One day Teraim, barefoot and wearing little more than rags and a crude wolf-skin cloak, staggered into a village, half-starved and desperate. The blacksmith there – a kindly man named Dunstan – took pity on the emaciated young dwarf and foolishly welcomed him into his home. For three years, Dunstan cared for Teraim and schooled him in the ways of metalwork whilst attempting to civilise the brute. It was, ultimately, to no avail. Teraim, by now a burly youth with a strength forged by the smithy, bludgeoned his benefactor to death one night in a haze of alcohol-fuelled violence leaving a grieving widow and an orphaned son in his wake. Teraim even made off with much of Dunstan’s wealth and a suit of armour (which the dwarf wears to this day), consigning the smith’s family to a life of poverty. Since then Teraim has been the instrument of pain and death for many unscrupulous merchants or noblemen. He can most often be found boozed-up on dwarf spirits in a tavern, awaiting his next purse. His signature item is his morningstar – Widowmaker – which he looted from the tomb of a long-dead priest during service with one of several mercenary companies all of which ultimately tired of the brutal and savage warrior. Personality: Teraim is almost entirely devoid of emotion. He is oblivious to the cries of his victims and sees only his personal gain in their suffering or death. The pursuit of wealth to furnish his need for splendid lodgings, the services of whores (whom he treats appallingly), and a near-endless supply of ale drives him to commit ever- worsening acts of appalling violence and cruelty. His greatest motivation, however, remains his sole weakness. Teraim is an alcoholic who very often completes his tasks while deep under the influence of strong spirits. He now fights virtually from memory. He is slower than he should be and carrying more weight than is good for him, as a result of his excessive consumption of all kinds of alcohol. Mannerisms: Teraim is unable to read or write, despite the best efforts of the elders in Dunstan’s village. His illiteracy is a source of great embarrassment to the dwarf and one of the many things that can spark at explosive outbreak of violence. Needless to say, Teraim is quick to anger and not one for conversation. He ordinarily shuns company and simply lets Widowmaker do the talking. When drunker than usual, he can sometimes be found slurring the words to an old folk song that Dunstan’s wife sung to him to soothe his nightmares. Distinguishing Features: The intimidating warrior wears a leather patch over his right eye and pays handsomely for his beard to be trimmed and braided in the style of his kin – something which stands out compared to his generally unkempt appearance. Whether wearing armour or not, Teraim never lets Widowmaker leave his side. TERAIM ARASTEN CR 7 ( X P 3 , 20 0) Male dwarf fighter 8 LE Medium humanoid (dwarf) Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8 (+10 vs. unusual stonework), Sense Motive +2 Speed 20 ft. ACP -6; Acrobatics -5 (-9 jumping), Climb +2, Swim +2 AC 24, touch 11, flat-footed 23; CMD 22 (26 vs. bull rush and trip); +4 dodge vs. giant subtype foes (+1 Dex, +9 armour [+1 half-plate], +4 shield [+1 heavy steel]); Shield Focus Fort +10 (+12 vs. poison), Ref +6, Will +7 (+9 vs. fear); +2 vs. spells and spell-like abilities hp 88 (8 HD) Space 5 ft.; Base Atk +8; CMB +11 (+13 bull rush) Melee +1 morningstar +14/+9 (1d8+7) Ranged mwk throwing axe (range 10 ft.) +10 (1d6+3) Atk Options Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack (-3 attack, +6 damage), Vital Strike, +1 vs. goblinoids and orcs Combat Gear elixir of fire breath, potion of cure moderate wounds Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 6 SQ armour training (1), bravery (+2), stonecunning, weapon familiarity, weapon training (flails +1) Feats Improved Bull Rush, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Shield Focus, Toughness, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (Morningstar), Weapon Specialisation Skills as above plus Appraise +0 (+2 vs. metal or gems), Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (engineering) +6 Languages Common, Dwarven Gear as above plus cloak of resistance +1, 20 gp 9 A D V E N T U R E S E E D S Teraim is likely encountered in the dark corner of a tavern, well- oiled with liquor. Often in a foul mood, it is not long before he begins to pick on one of the other patrons in the taproom or begins to make lewd and graphic suggestions to a terrified serving wench. If the PCs intervene, a brawl immediately ensues and although Teraim does not use lethal force, he takes great delight in beating anyone in his way. Rescuing the target of Teraim’s attention gains the PCs a friend who could prove a useful future contact able to provide local news or other small resources (such as a place to lie low, news and rumours and so on). Subsequent encounters with the dwarf escalate as Teraim either reminds the PCs of the beating he meted out to them or tries to reassert his dominance over his new best enemies. Alternatively, the PCs may be hired to hunt down Teraim and bring him to justice by the orphaned son of Dunstan the smith. Now grown to manhood, the young man thirsts for revenge against the dwarf responsible for destroying his young life and breaking his (now dead) mother’s heart. Ironically, his father’s death warped and twisted the young man’s outlook on life. Now bitter and consumed by revenge, he is little better than Teraim (although he attempts to hide this from the PCs). Finally, one of the PCs’ enemies could hire the dwarf. Along with a gang of hired thugs and hangers-on, Teraim hunts the PCs down and begins to frequent the tavern in which the PCs are staying. His presence in the taproom scares away many of the establishment’s other customers. Late one night, he strikes, attempting to cut the PCs down in the taproom. If the battle goes badly, he grabs a terrified serving wench cowering under a table and threatens to kill her unless the PCs let him go. If he escapes, anger over his humiliating defeat consumes him. Several weeks later – ragingly drunk and with a much larger gang of hired thugs – he attacks again. This time, he fights to the death. E N C O U N T E R S Chance encounters with Teraim probably occur in a dive or other back-alley drinking establishment. He is no-doubt half drunk when the PCs arrive and in a bad mood. The PCs could encounter Teraim (and/or his minions) in one or more of these encounter groups: EL 8 (XP 4,800): Teraim Arasten and two Thugs (CR 3 each, page 10). EL 9 (XP 6,400): Teraim Arasten and Grash the Destroyer (CR 7, page 6). EL 10 (XP 9,600): Teraim Arasten, two Brawlers (CR 5 each, page 10) and four Thugs (CR 3 each, page 10). EL 11 (12,800): Terain Arasten, Grash the Destroyer (CR 7, page 6) and four Brawlers (CR 5 each, page 10). L O R E Characters can learn more about Teraim Arasten with a successful Knowledge (local) check. A successful check reveals all information gained by a lesser result. DC 17: This is Terain Arasten, a famed dwarven warrior and notorious drunk known for his sudden, terrible anger. DC 22: Terain is wanted for several murders, including that of the man who adopted him after he was cast out of his dwarven home. His favoured weapon – Widowmaker – is a vicious spiked morningstar. He is never without it. DC 27: Teraim wears a patch over his right eye. he lost the eye beneath in a vicious wolf attack when he was younger. 10 A R E Y O U S U F F E R I N G F R O M O P T I O N F A T I G U E ? I think we’ve lost our way. Over the last two decades or so there has been a general rush (perhaps even a stampede) toward ever increasing amounts of choice in our games. While I love Pathfinder and its rich complexity, I don’t want games so stocked full of options I need dozens of hardback books to keep up with the available options. Having that many options is utter madness and leads to choice paralysis. Do you know what is better? A good story, exciting challenges and memorable characters. Of the three, a good story and exciting challenges are fairly self-explanatory. But what do I mean by memorable characters? Frankly I don’t care which new and/or “cool” mechanic you use to slay your foes. To me, what is important is the character behind those mechanics. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook has an amazing amount of player options within its covers. With seven races, eleven classes (if you ignore the different flavours of clerics and wizards) and hundreds of magic items, spells and feats I defy anyone to have exhausted the various options within that book. I’ve been running Pathfinder since the playtest and I certainly haven’t. I don’t think my players have either. A S A P L A Y E R Instead of focusing (or obsessing) over which new cool feat or spell to take instead work on your PC’s non-mechanical aspects (personality, background and personal development). That’s what sets your character apart from a piece of paper with some numbers and name scribbled on top. (Incidentally, these aspects of your PC’s design—personality, background and suchlike—are the elements of the game hardest for publishers to sell; imagine the sales for Complete Personality or Ultimate Background!) A S A G M From one GM to another: it’s okay not to allow every option under the sun in your game. Sometimes less is more. Stripping away extraneous options allows you to focus on the game’s bedrock. Focus is a wonderful thing. It provides flavour and clarity; it strips away the “noise”—the unimportant and extraneous distracting crap we seem to be filling our games with these days. It enables us to concentrate on what’s important. Instead of spending hours going through umpteen books in search of something new the PCs haven’t faced before instead focus on crafting exciting and memorable quests, opponents, encounters and adventures. That’s what will live in yours group’s memories. T H E D E S I G N C H A L L E N G E Gygax once said that the hallmark of a great player was the ability to think imaginatively and creatively. If you are a player, here’s a design challenge: take one of the standard, “boring” race/class combinations—for example, a human fighter, halfling rogue or elf wizard—and in a short paragraph describe a compelling, unique and flavoursome neophyte adventurer you’d like to play. GMs: do the same thing, but take a standard monster—for example, an ogre—and make him unique, flavoursome and memorable. Make him an NPC your players will remember for ages. (And if you do this, please head over to my blog— creightonbroadhurst.com and leave your design in this article’s comments—I’d love to see what you come up with!) 11 S U P P O R T R A G I N G S W A N P R E S S Please consider joining our Patreon campaign. Your support enables us to pay our freelancers a decent wage. In return, you get free books before they go on general release. Learn more and sign up at patreon.com/ragingswanpress. O G L V 1 . 0 A The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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Villains. ©Raging Swan Press 2011; Author: Creighton Broadhurst and Martin Tideswell. 20 Things #15: War-Ravaged Land. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst. Places of Power: Raveneye Sanatorium. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: David N. Ross. Village Backdrop: Ronak. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Jeff Gomez. GM’s Monthly Miscellany: June 2017. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst, Jeff Gomez and David N. Ross. R A G I N G S W A N . C O M EVERYTHING is better with tentacles   TITLE Visit us at ragingswan.com 

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MARTIN KNIGHT THE ADVENTURERS COMPANION D100 DUNGEON THE ADVENTURERS COMPANION www.martinknight39.wixsite.com/mk-games © 2018 Martin Knight. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the Author and Publisher. For permissions contact: martin.knight39@virginmedia.com Useful sites available at time of Publication Facebook English https://www.facebook.com/groups/672373642932827/ Facebook French https://www.facebook.com/groups/242689246478317/ Board Game Geek https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/237031/d100-dungeon Special thanks to Wendy Knight, Raymond Knight, Dorian Terry, BGG, Brice Romiant, Cyrille Guyonvarc'h, Adam Purcell, Kevyn James, Dominic Velasco, Jacob Andersson, Samuel Sarjant, Mark Adams, Kirk Gardner, Christopher Haywood and Gary Bergeron. The Dungeon Song A Dungeon we will go A Dungeon we will go Strap on a Sword and don’t get bored A Dungeon we will go Tips to surviving the dungeons D100 Dungeon does not suffer fools lightly, and knowing when to quit is an important part of surviving the dungeon. Invest your gold, and don’t be too quick to sell your items. If you don’t need the gold to buy supplies for your next Quest then don’t sell them. Gaining experience can be slow, so train regularly, and don’t underestimate the use of armour, shields and the Defence characteristic. Only equip essential items as they may get damaged. Use Fate points to manipulate dice rolls, and use them for greed as well as for getting you out of tricky situations. Your Adventurer will always need a weapon, so carry a spare, or even a couple in case one gets lost or destroyed. Whilst the Adventurer can equip many kinds of weapons, the dice are your weapons, however, not all dice are manufactured very well, so if they are not being kind to you, check their balance. After all, your Adventurer would always check a weapons balance before using it. Good luck the Dungeon awaits! INDEX D100 DUNGEON THE ADVENTURERS COMPANION 4 ADVENTURER CONVERSION 4 ADVENTURER FAST TRACK OPTION 6 PARTY PLAY IN D100 DUNGEON 8 THE ENCOUNTER RULE 10 NEW MONSTERS 12 TABLE EA – ENCOUNTER A 12 NEW MONSTER ABILITIES 14 NEW HERO PATHS 15 NEW RACES 15 WITCHERY 16 TABLE O – WITCHERY 18 QUEST MAKER 19 SKILLS AND THEIR USES 23 DEATH KILL 24 TABLE K – DEATH KILL 24 THE CAMPAIGN QUEST 27 SIDE QUESTS 27 NORTHREACH - A BRIEF DESCRIPTION 28 CAMPAIGN - THE GOBLIN AND THE GOBLET 29 TABLE QA – QUESTS A (NORTH REACH) 65 TABLE EA – ENCOUNTER A AND NEW MONSTER ABILITIES 74 TABLE K – DEATH KILL 76 MAP OF NORTHREACH 78 D100 DUNGEON THE ADVENTURERS COMPANION An exploration of Adventure by Martin Knight ©2018 D100 Dungeon The Adventurers Companion, is an essential guide for any adventurer wishing to spice up their games. It offers new rules and additions that can be implemented into your games, and contains a new way to play quests, with the introduction of a campaign quest line and side quests. If you have been playing any of the previous versions of D100 Dungeon, you may have some adventurers, which you might like to use in version 3, and this section deals with converting them into a version 3 adventurer. Follow the steps below, in order, and by the end of the process, you will have converted them into an adventurer ready to play D100 Dungeon version 3. 1. Take a version 3 adventure sheet, and add the adventurer’s name, Rep, Fate, Life, Gold Pieces, Current Health, Primary Health, Primary Strength, Primary Dexterity, Primary Intelligence and all Skill Bonuses from the old sheet to the new version 3 adventure sheet. 2. Roll or choose a Hero Path from Table H – Hero Path, and record it to the new adventure sheet. Apply all of the modifiers shown for the Hero Path to the Primary Characteristics and Skill Bonuses, and then shade in the associated Experience Stars. 3. Roll or choose a Race from Table R – Race, and apply all of the modifiers just as you did in step 2 to the Primary Characteristics and Skill Bonuses, and then shade in the associated Experience Stars. 4. Copy all items stored in the backpack and equipment slots from the old adventure sheet to the new version 3 adventure sheet. Just add the names of the items for now, and do not add any of their details such as Characteristics, GP or FIX Values. ADVENTURER CONVERSION 5. If the adventurer has a legendary cloak, roll 1d100 (you may not use Spells, Potions, Brews, Fate points or anything else that may help modify the result when making this roll), if the result is 95 or higher, the cloak retains its Legendary Status and becomes a Legendary Studded Leather Cape. Record only its title to the adventure sheet, however, if the result is 94 or less it become an ordinary Studded Leather Cape, add “Studded Leather Cape” to the new adventure sheet, and gain its original GP Value (less any value for its current state of repair). 4 6. Look up all of the items added to the new adventure sheet on the appropriate tables throughout the D100 Dungeon version 3 rulebook and record all of their characteristics, such as Str, Dex, Int, HP, Dmg, Def, GP Value, Fix Values and A or S. Please note that Finer, Greater and Superior weapons and armour no longer have a bonus to their GP Value or Fix Values, and are recorded with their GP and Fix values equal to their lesser counterpart (i.e. A Superior Knife would have the same GP and Fix Values equal to a Knife found on Table W result 9-10). 7. Copy all the Spells from the old adventure sheet to the new adventure sheet. Add only the names of each spell in the order they are recorded, then using Table S – Spells, look up each spell and record its casting cost. 8. Shade in an equal number of pips of Oil, Food and Picks on the new adventure sheet equal to the number that has been recorded on the old adventure sheet. 9. Copy all Investment Shares and Shaded Pips from the old adventure sheet to the new adventure sheet. 10. Copy the number of quests that have been completed and failed to the new adventure sheet, then deduct the number of failed quests from the number of completed quests, and then for each full 5 completed quests that are remaining, apply the following adjustments. 1. Roll 1d10 for a random Skill which gains +5 Skill Bonus. 2. Add 1 to Primary STR, DEX, INT and HP. 3. Add 1 REP. Example: If James has completed 16 Quests but failed 4, he would deduct 4 from 16 for a total of 12 quests remaining. As this results in 2 lots of 5 Quests remaining, the adjustments are made twice to the adventure sheet. 11. Next, add all ticks and crosses marked on Table Q – Quests from your version 1 or version 2 rulebook to the quest tracker on the new adventure sheet. If you don’t have this information any longer, you may go ahead and tick any quests that you know your adventurer definitely succeeded, and cross those that you know they definitely failed. Then compare the number of quests that are shown as completed on the quest log against the number of quests you have ticked on the quest tracker. If the number of ticked quests is less than the number shown for completed quests, you will need to roll for random quests on Table Q – Quests, and tick each result on the quest tracker, until the number of quests you have ticked on the quest tracker is equal to the number of completed quests recorded on the quest log. If you happen to roll a quest that has already been ticked or crossed, ignore that result and re-roll until you can tick a quest. Example: James has ticked all the quests on the quest tracker that he knows his adventurer completed during his version 2 games; he ticked the first 5 quests because they were completed for dungeon training, and was able to tick a further 5 quests he remembered the adventurer completing, but he does not remember any others. James’s quest log shows that the adventurer has completed 16 quests. He compares 16 to the number of quests shown on the quest tracker, and the quest tracker shows that 10 quests have been completed, so James must ADVENTURER FAST TRACK OPTION Sometimes when you are required to create a new adventurer, you might want to jump right in and start rolling for quests immediately, but because your starting adventurer is too weak and must rely on the first 5 training quests to beef them up a bit, they will not stand a chance when rolling for random quests. However, by using the Adventurer Fast Track option, you can fast track a new adventurer to be quest ready, just as if they had completed the first five Dungeon Training Quests. Follow the steps below in order to create a quest ready adventurer. When the steps have been completed, the adventurer is ready to begin questing, and you may complete the “Before Your Next Quest” phase prior to determining the adventurers next quest. 1. Take a blank adventure sheet and create your adventurer in the normal way. 2. Add 1 point to Primary Str, Dex, Int and HP, and add 1 point to Rep, Fate and Life. Add 100gp to the adventure sheet. Then roll 1d10 for a random skill which gains a +5 Skill Bonus. 3. Tick the first five quests on the quest tracker, and then roll 1d100 on the table below to see how many quests the adventurer will have completed and failed during their dungeon training quests, and record the results on the adventure sheet. 4. The adventurer will have acquired some additional items, so roll on Table W – Weapons four times, Table A – Armour four times and Table TA – Treasure A twice (if you happen to roll an objective Item, re-roll for a different result) and add the results to the adventure sheet. If the item has a damage track, you need to roll for damage in the usual way. If you do not wish to keep an item, you may instead choose to receive its value in Gold Pieces. 5. The adventurer will have gained experience along the way, so roll 1d100 on each of the two tables below and apply all of the adjustments shown for the results rolled to the adventure sheet. On the first table you must cross reference the result with your adventures Hero Path to determine the result. 6 6. The rigours of adventuring may have had some varied consequences, so roll on the table below to see what has occurred during the adventurers first 5 dungeon training quests, based on the number of times they have failed quests. The results will instruct you to roll on certain tables. Roll 1d100 on the tables the required number of times shown, and add the items to the adventure sheet. If an item has a Damage Track, roll for its damage in the usual way. If you do not wish to keep an item, you may instead choose to receive its value in Gold Pieces. 7 PARTY PLAY IN D100 DUNGEON The following rules can be used when playing D100 Dungeon with more than 1 adventurer. All the adventurers that play together are considered a Party. 1. Combat Tracks - All adventurers each complete their own combat track sheets. 2. Choosing a Quest - When choosing a quest, the adventurer with the lowest REP value makes all of the rolls on Table Q – Quests and determines the forthcoming quest in the normal way. 3. Questers and Helpers - All adventurers in the Party that have not completed the chosen quest are Questers, while those that have completed the chosen quest are Helpers. 4. Dungeon Sheets - The adventurers share the dungeon sheets and map the dungeon as a Party. They are never permitted to split up and must navigate the areas together as a single group. 5. End of Turn - At the end of a turn, the adventurers each compare their Time Track with the others. The adventurer with the most advanced time track need do nothing more, whilst the other adventurers, one at a time, must shade in clocks until they have a matching number shaded as the adventurer with the most advanced time track. Each non-encounter effect that is triggered by the Time Track, such as Oil and Food is dealt with by the individual adventurer. However, if a Wandering Monster is triggered, all adventurers will need to roll for an Encounter on Table E – Encounter. 6. Encounters - When any adventurer is instructed to roll on Table E – Encounters, each adventurer alive in the Party rolls 1d100 for an encounter, and adds the monster they rolled to their own combat track sheet (don’t forget to apply the quest modifier). With each combat round, each adventurer performs an attack against their monster in the usual way, rolling for their monster reaction, making an attack or taking a combat action etc. and then their monster will react. 8 7. Looting – Adventurers may only loot monsters that have been recorded on their combat track. 8. Hand Weapon Attacks (Str) - Once an adventurer using a hand weapon has defeated their monster (and not before) they may move to aid a comrade still fighting a monster; see Ganging Up below. 9. Ranged Weapon Attacks (Dex) – Ranged attacks made during combat may target any monster on any combat track sheet and not just the monster the ranged attacker is fighting; see Ganging Up below. 10. Spell Casters - Spells that are cast during combat may be directed at any adventurer or monster, and not just a monster on the spell caster combat track. 11. Ganging Up - Each adventurer beyond the first that is attacking a monster, adds +5 to the first adventurers attack roll, spell or scroll test for the current combat round, just as it would for a monster with the pack ability. The first adventurer is always the adventurer who has the monster recorded on their combat track sheet. Example: The adventurers, Tom, Dick and Harry are each fighting an orc. Round 1: Tom using a mighty claymore kills his orc with one blow. Dick using a bow, ignores his orc and instead attacks the one fighting Harry. Harry gets +5 to his attack roll because of Dicks ranged attack and wounds it. Round 2: Tom, without an opponent, decides to attacks Harry’s orc, and Dick decides to shoots at Harry’s orc again. With the help from his friends, Harry gets +10 this time to his attack roll, and the orc dies. Round 3: With no opponents, both Tom and Harry gang up on Dicks orc, and this time Dick gets +10 to his attack roll. 12. Death – When an adventurer has been killed and cannot use a Life point or a previously cast resurrection spell, any of the adventurers companions can cast a resurrection spell from their spell book or a scroll to try and restore their dead friend back to life. If they are successful the dead companion is brought back to life just as if they had spent a Life point themselves (see LIFE, P11 of the main rulebook). Whilst the adventurer is dead, the other party members are not permitted to leave them behind and are dragging their friends corpse around with them, and so, a resurrection can take place at any time during the quest, even during combat (by using a combat action). If the dead adventurer is not resurrected by the end of the current quest they have been lost forever, and the player of the dead adventurer will need to create a new adventurer. Dragging corpses around is very time consuming for the Party, therefore, each dead adventurer in the party requires one additional clock face  to be shaded on the Time Track during step 1 of each turn. If death occurs due to an encounter, the surviving monster automatically escapes and is removed from the dead adventurers combat track. 13. Passing Items - Observing the rules for “Adjusting Equipment” (see page 20, of the main rulebook) members of the Party may give and receive items and gold to and from each other freely. However, in combat, to give an item to another Party member is considered a Combat Action (see page 14, of the main rulebook). The adventurer may pass one equipped Main/Off hand item or a Belt slot item to any other party member by forfeiting their attack, and may then equip any one item from their backpack to their Main/Off hand item or Belt slots. The recipient must then forfeit their attack to receive the item, and can then unequip one item from their Main/Off hand or Belt slot to their backpack before adding the passed item to a Main/Off hand or Belt equipment slot. 14. Search – Each adventurer in the Party may take it in turns to search the current area and will suffer the consequences or rewards independently. If a monster is encountered, all adventurers must roll independently on Table E – Encounter to see what they will fight. After the area has been searched by at least one adventurer, it is marked as searched (S) in the usual way, and should the party ever return to an area that was previously marked as searched it cannot be searched again. 9     15. Geographic – When a green area is mapped to the dungeon sheet, only one player rolls on Table G – Geographic to see what the area contains. All adventurers must adhere to the areas features. However, when dealing with a Geographic that needs to be interacted with and ticked, the players should select just one adventurer to interact with the feature, unless it is stated otherwise below. Once a feature has been used and ticked it cannot be used again. 1. Barrels/Crypt/Carved Circle - If a Monster is revealed (Giant Spider or Skeleton), there are an equal number of Monsters encountered as there are adventurers alive in the party. 2. Chests – When successfully opened, each adventurer still alive rolls for a reward. 3. Portcullis/Boulder - Select just one adventurer to make the test. However, for each extra adventurer that is alive with a Str of 50 or more, the test gains a +5 modifier. 4. Carved Circle/Shrine/Altar – When a Curse or Bonus result is rolled, choose only 1 adventurer to make the roll, and all adventurers will be affected by the result. In the case of the Carved Circle, if a result causes an adventurer to fall into a pit, then all adventurers will fall into the pit. 5. Forge/Treasure Troves – Each adventurer may roll on the tables indicated the required number of times. 6. Fountain/Mushrooms – Each adventurer may use the fountain or cook up some Mushrooms. However, choose only 1 adventurer to make the roll for the effect. 7. Tree/Grate – Choose only one adventurer to interact with the Tree or Grate. 16. Key and Lever Tracks – One Adventurer should be selected as a “Key Holder”. The Key Holder will record all keys and lever pips on their adventure sheet regardless of which actual adventurer made the discovery, and all Key and Lever tests are made by this adventurer. 17. Time Track Bonus – All Time Track Bonuses are tracked individually by each adventurer as they are acquired, and are applied to their own adventure sheets. 18. Completing Quests – Only Questers can meet the quest requirements. Helpers do not qualify for any of the quest requirements. For instance, if a quest requires that an item is looted, it must be looted by the Quester and not a Helper, or if the quest specifies a Monster must be killed, that monster must be recorded on the Questers combat track and not on a Helpers. Collected and Objective Items must be added directly to the Questers adventure sheet from a result rolled on a Table by the Quester and may not be passed to them from a Helper. However, Objective Rooms act normally. THE ENCOUNTER RULE Sometimes when applying the encounter modifier, you may find the adventurer is constantly scoring either below 1 or above 100 for an encounter. The game then defaults the score to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 100, and so, the adventurer is constantly encountering a lot of the same monsters, either Giant Rats or a Golden Dragons. The Encounter Rule is an optional rule that you can apply to the game at the start of any quest, and will provide you with a variation of monsters instead of the lowest or highest monster from the Encounter table. When scoring 0 or less, or over 101 or more on any Encounter Table you are using, you instead use the following rules to determine which monster you will encounter. When scoring 0 or less - roll 2d10+15 and look up the result on the current Encounter table. When scoring 101 or more - roll 2d10+80 and look up the result on the current Encounter table. 10 11 NEW MONSTERS Below is a new Encounter Table that you can use to introduce some new monsters to your games. At the start of any quest, you must decide which encounter table you will use, and for the duration of the quest, whenever you are asked to roll on an Encounter Table, you must roll on your chosen table. 12 13 NEW MONSTER ABILITIES On the new Encounter table (above) a few of the monsters have some new abilities not found in the main rulebook. Below are details of these abilities - ALLIES – The monster has lesser monsters that they can call upon or summon during a fight. At the start of each combat round roll 1d6. If a 1 is rolled, an Ally comes to the monsters aid, so add /X to the end of its current HP value, with X being equal to the number shown after the monsters Allies ability. Example: A Monster with HP “16/4” with an Allies 4, if a 1 was rolled at the start of the combat round, you add /4 at the end of its HP value giving it a new HP value of “16/4/4”. DOPPELGÄNGER – The monster transforms into an exact copy of the adventurer and has an AV equal to the adventurer's Str or Dex, depending on which was last used to attack the monster. The attack gains any bonuses for the adventurer's equipment and weapon such as to Str, Dex or Dmg, but does not gain any bonuses the adventurer may have from the time track, or any potions or spells the adventurer has, or is using. When a hit is scored to the monster, the location is rolled normally and any damage bonuses for location are applied. Next, check to see if the adventurer is wearing any armour in the location hit. The monster will have the same armour too, except the monster is not able to deflect damage like the adventurer can. If any armour is present, its A value deducts from the damage scored. If the adventurer has a shield equipped, it has no effect for the monster. Note that if any equipment the adventurer is wearing at the start of the combat is destroyed, due to deflecting damage, it is not destroyed for the monster, who may continue to gain its benefit. FRENZY – The monster at times during a combat may go into a maddening rage. When a natural roll of 1 has been scored on its damage dice, it gains another attack and the player repeats step 5 of combat. Note that if another 1 is scored on the damage die for the second attack, it will gain another free attack and so on. LEAP – The monster is very agile in combat and will often pounce to attack. When a natural roll of 1 has been scored on its damage dice, the monster has pounced, causing some extra damage. The player rolls the damage die again for the monster, and adds it to the monsters damage total. Note that if another 1 is rolled, the player rolls again for extra damage and so on. PETRIFY – The monster has the ability to turn an adventurer into a solid stone statue from which there is no return. If the monster rolls a natural 1 on its damage die, the adventurer must make an Avoid Petrify test. If the test fails, the adventurer can use a Life Point or a Resurrection effect to negate being turned to stone, otherwise they will make a nice life-sized ornament for the monsters lair and their adventure is now over. AVOID PETRIFY – Test: Int +20 [S: No Effect] [F: Turned to Stone] (Aware, Lucky) 14 NEW HERO PATHS When creating a new adventurer, you may also choose from the following extended Hero Paths, or roll on Table HA – HERO PATH A in addition to those from the main Rulebook. When creating a new adventurer, you may also choose from the following extended races, or roll on Table RA – RACE A in addition to those from the main Rulebook. NEW RACES 15 WITCHERY This section adds a new step to the “Before Your Next Quest” Phase of the game called “10. WITCHERY (optional)”. During this step adventurers may attempt to create special potions and anointments from parts they have looted from monsters by making a WITCHERY test. If the test is successful the adventurer not only gains a potion or anointment with a special effect when drunk or used, but also unlocks its formula, making it easier to create the potion again. To make a new potion/anointment and attempt to learn its formula, follow the steps below- 1. Select 3 different parts from the adventurers backpack. They must all be different from each other. Uncommon, Scarce and Rare parts do not set themselves apart from their lesser counter parts. For instance, you could select 1 Giant Rats Ear, 1 Giant Spiders Leg and 1 Giant Apes Blood, but not 1 Giant Rats Ear, 1 Giants Spiders Leg and 1 Uncommon Giant Spiders Leg. 2. Make the WITCHERY test shown below, because you do not yet know the formula, it is made with no modification. 3. If the test fails, the parts are ruined, and you must remove them from the adventure sheet and roll on Table O – Witchery, using the column for a Mishap. 4. If the test is successful, remove the parts used from the adventure sheet and you gain 1 Witches Potion/ Anointment and have learnt its formula. Roll on Table O – Witchery using the column for Potions/Anointments for its effect and how it is used. Add “Witches Potion of” or “Witches Anointment of” before the name of the Formula rolled when adding it to the adventure sheet (i.e. add Witches Potion of Stronger, if you happened to have rolled 1-5 on the Potions/Anointments Table). 5. Next write down the formula for the newly created potion on the adventure sheet in the notes section. The next time you create a Witches potion/anointment using this combination of parts it will always produce the same effect, but, you will gain a bonus to the Witchery test based on the rarity of the parts used. Normal Parts provide a +5 modifier, Uncommon Parts a +10, Scarce Parts a +15 and Rare Parts a +20 modifier. Your finished formula should end up looking something like this. Witches Potion of Stronger (+5 Strength) Giant Rats Ear (+5), Giant Spiders Leg (+5), Scarce Giant Apes Blood (+15). WITCHERY – Test: Int +Formula [S: Create Witches Potion] [F: Roll Mishap) (Magic, Lucky) You may attempt to create as many potions or anointments as you like providing you have the parts available during the “Before Your Next Quest” phase. When a formula has been learnt, it is recorded on the adventure sheet in the notes section, or to a separate piece of paper, and when an adventurer combines those parts together again, the Witchery test is made with the formula bonus applied. If the test is successful, the potion or anointment is created with the effects recorded for the formula, however if the test failed, then the adventurer must roll for a Mishap. In some cases a combination of different monster parts will create the same potion or anointment and this is entirely acceptable. The adventurer will now have the ability to combine different parts together to create the same potion or anointment. 16 Potions and Anointments are always selected and used (remove from the Adventure Sheet) at the start of a quest, and will provide bonuses to the adventurer until the quest is over or an item with an Anointment has been removed from the adventure sheet. If a test of witchery goes wrong and the adventurer is suffering a penalty due to a mishap, it also lasts for the duration of the quest or until an affected item is removed from the adventure sheet. Any number of Potions or Anointments can be used, and all mishaps that were acquired during the witchery step must be recorded before beginning a new quest. All effects should be written at the top of the adventure sheet as a reminder that they are in play, and when the quest comes to an end, all effects of witchery also end, and they are removed from the adventure sheet. If the adventurer wishes, they may sell potions and anointments during the Witchery step. The value of a single potion or anointment is calculated by using the original cost of all the parts used, plus the bonuses they provide as a formula, and then multiplied by 2. In the example below, each Witches Potion of Stronger is worth 528gp (Giant Rats Ear 10gp + Giant Spiders Leg 14gp + Scarce Giant Apes Blood 215gp + their formula bonus of 25gp (5+5+15) =264gp x2 =528gp). Witches Potion of Stronger (+5 Strength) Giant Rats Ear (+5), Giant Spiders Leg (+5), Scarce Giant Apes Blood (+15) During the Before your Next Quest phase, in Step 6. Search the Market (Optional), the adventurer may look for monster parts to buy. First, they roll on table E – Encounter and if a monster is rolled that offers a part as a reward when it is killed, the player rolls on table P – Parts to see what is for sale. Each time the adventurer searches the markets for a monster part, it uses up one of their allocated rolls, as explained in the main rulebook, p26 for Step 6. Search the Market. 17 18   QUEST MAKER This section details a unique way to create new quests for your adventurer, that you can attempt yourself and share with friends. Follow the steps below in order, and with each step, keep note of the Quest Reward (QR) value, which, at the end of the process will be used to define a reward or penalty for completing or failing the quest. 1. QUEST OBJECTIVES The first task in creating a quest is to set the objective of the quest. It might be to kill a monster, or to find a lost treasure, or may even involve both. Either choose or roll from the table below to determine the main objective of the quest. To create tougher quests you can always choose or roll multiple times on the table. The more objectives you set the harder and more challenging the quest will become. 19 20 21 2. ENCOUNTER MODIFIER You will next need to set the Encounter Modifier for the quest, and this will greatly depend on the objective/s of the quest that have already been set. For instance, if the adventurer is required to Loot parts or armour, you should select a range of monsters that will offer parts or armour as a reward for killing them. Quests with an Explore Objective could potentially have any range of monsters, whilst, Loot and Kill objective will most probably need a specific monster range. Choose or roll a Monster Range from the table below and apply the Encounter Modifier to the quest. Note that the Monster Range determines where the Monsters are most likely to be found on the Encounter Table specified for the quest objective, but this need not, or always be the case, and you could potentially make a quest a lot harder by applying an Encounter Modifier that falls outside of the appropriate Monster Range. 3. QUEST DESCRIPTION With some of the details filled in, its time to create a story and a title for your quest. This is the only part of the Quest Maker rules that is not generated for you, and you may find yourself needing to add extra objectives to fit your description. For example, if you have a quest objective to Collect 1 Objective Item from Table – TA, your story might detail that the Objective Item is an Ancient Hammer, inlaid with Arcane gems, and gives its wielder supreme strength, but long ago the gems were removed and are now laying in the treasure horde of a dragon and they need to be united. You could add to the quest objectives Kill 1 Monster 94 or higher on Table – E, and the adventurer would need to Collect the hammer (Objective Item) and Kill a dragon (for the gems). How you build upon your description is entirely up to you. 4. QUEST REWARD AND PENALTY So far as the quest has been compiling, you should have been adding up a Quest Reward (QR) value, using the table below find the quests QR total and either choose or roll 1d10 to select the quest reward and penalty. Once you have completed this section, your quest is complete and ready to be played. 22 SKILLS AND THEIR USES Below you will find a brief summary of the skills used in the game, the information may help you to decide which skills you would like to apply experience to and those you can award later on. 23 DEATH KILL During combat, when your adventurer has delivered an attack that has inflicted so much damage that it has reduced a monsters HP to zero, and there is still plenty of excess damage left to spare, the new Death Kill rules will track those massive killing attacks into a narrative (mainly for Bipeds), that details exactly how the monster has been killed, and provides a bonus to the table you will roll on for the loot reward. After the attack damage has been fully calculated (i.e. hit location bonus, monster’s Def has been deducted and the Adventurer’s DMG modifier has been applied), if the result provides 10 or more excess damage, beyond the amount that was enough to kill the monster (i.e. damage remaining after the monster has been reduced to 0 HP), the attack has inflicted a Death Kill, and it’s result is looked up on the table below, the player finds the excess damage scored for the Death Kill and the location struck. Example: James begins a new combat round against a monster with 9 HP remaining. His attack hits the monster in the head for a final damage of 23. He deals the monster 9 points of damage, which kills the monster and James is left with 14 unassigned damage. Because the excess damage is 10 or more it becomes a Death Kill. James looks up the result on the Death Kill Table. He finds the Head result showing 14 excess damage and gets to add +15 to any table he rolls on for his reward. James then reads the Death Kill description. 24 25 26 THE CAMPAIGN QUEST The new Campaign Quest provided in this book, is made up of 20 separate quests (Shown in yellow on the Map of Northreach, at the end of this book). They must be followed and completed in numeric order. Each quest tells an ongoing story and will detail an entire campaign once played through from start to finish. When a quest is completed, the player places a tick in the white box provided on the Campaign Map, and when a quest is failed, the player adds a cross, just as they would when marking the Quest Tracker on the adventure sheet. Each quest must be completed before moving on to the next one on the Quest Line. It is recommended that you use a new adventurer that has completed all 5 dungeon training quests prior to beginning this campaign, otherwise you may find it far too easy for a seasoned adventurer, or much too hard for a new adventurer. If you don’t have a new adventurer already trained, you can create one using the Adventurer Fast Track rules, supplied within this book. Once you have a suitable adventurer, you can begin the campaign by reading the Campaign - The Goblin and the Goblet. During the campaign follow all instructions shown in bold. There are 25 extra side quests that can be played at any time. They do not have to be completed in any particular order, although, it is recommended they are not attempted during a campaign as they would undoubtedly interfere with the progressing story. Any seasoned adventurer with at least 10 completed quests should be able to tackle them. When playing the side quests, you should roll 1d100 on Table QA – QUESTS A (NORTH REACH) found at the end of this book, and follow the normal rules for quests as detailed in the main rulebook. You can use the map of Northreach (at the end of this book), for tracking which side quests have been completed and which have been failed. SIDE QUESTS 27 Northreach is one of four large continents that protrude high above a vast ocean. The continents provide a safe haven for a multitude of animals and creatures and to a few intelligent species. Elves, dwarfs, humans and halflings dominate the lands and all commonly believe that they live on the great chest of a god named Terra, the father god. As each day breaks his son Firesear rises in the sky to warm his chest. Sometimes Aqua, Queen of the gods, who at night spends half the year watching over her husband as he sleeps, will come and wash his chest with her tears, and Heinous his youngest son will often wish to play, however, his play is not always kind, and he will jump and thump his father’s chest, causing him to suffer. Whilst the gods are in fact planets, there does seem to be a strange force at work making their existence to the inhabitants of Terra a reasonable conclusion, whether caused by several Aztopaz crystals dotted around the globe or perhaps the planets themselves are emitting energy that can be harnessed through a kind of worship. At least some of the inhabitants have embraced this mythology, and through worship can perform the most wonderful or vile effects, whilst others have harnessed this strange power through study and experimentation. NORTHREACH ‑ A BRIEF DESCRIPTION Whatever the planets are, whether gods or just bodies of matter floating in space, the large red sun Firesear sits at the centre of the solar system, whilst the planet Terra rotates every 24 hours as it orbits around the red star. Two moons each orbit Terra on alternate rotations. The small blue moon Aqua or the large green moon Heinous can be seen lighting up the night at various stages of their trajectories, and both moons are clearly visible from the surface of Terra, orbiting the planet at almost the exact opposites, and on a similar trajectory. They will orbit Terra every 54 days, while Terra will orbit its sun every 365 days. The great sun which is in the early stages of collapsing into a White Dwarf, burns bright red during the day, and at night, the moon Aqua, emits a soft blue glow, whilst its opposite moon Heinous emits a stronger green glow. 28 29             CAMPAIGN ‑ THE GOBLIN AND THE GOBLET You should begin this campaign with any adventurer that has completed at least the first 5 dungeon training quests as detailed in the main rulebook. To begin, first read the Campaign Story, and then follow the instructions shown in bold. You must complete each quest of the campaign in order from 1 through to 20. If you decide to fail a quest, the next time you play, that quest must be selected. You are not permitted to skip a quest that is proving too challenging, therefore, each quest must be completed in order to progress though the campaign. Once an adventurer has committed to play a campaign, they must follow the story to the end or die in the attempt and cannot ditch the campaign half way through. READ THE STORY OF THE GOBLIN AND THE GOBLET “Many years ago a master metalsmith was ordered by a dwarven King to make a golden set of tableware for the Queen as a gift for their fiftieth wedding anniversary. For many months the metalsmith’s Foundry never stopped working to fulfil the Kings order. One week before the big day a set of golden tableware was finished, with enough plates, bowls, goblets, cutlery and serving implements to hold a banquet for a hundred dwarves, and all inlaid with the largest gems in the Kingdom. The metalsmith had worked hard producing some of his finest work, and he was sure the King would be overwhelmed with his creation. Sending such a gift would require protection, and the metalsmith employed extra guards and a young Wizard’s Apprentice to make the cargo invisible to the eye until it reached the palace. Despite every effort to deliver the Queens gift on time, the wagons ended up being attacked by a band of goblin raiders, and even the extra guards employed for the trip were no match for the vile creatures. They ripped apart the wagons, killing everyone they came across, and were not fooled by the invisibility spell. The golden banquet set never reached the palace, and after a long week of searching, the soldiers of the dwarven King recovered three empty wagons and some half eaten corpses. The cargo was nowhere to be seen. The Queen was so upset that the King had no gift for her on the special day, she blamed him for not sending an armed escort to protect her present, and in turn the King blamed the metalsmith and had him beheaded. The young wizard was locked up for his part, but managed to escaped just before his trial. The goblin raiders returned with their prize to their nest where it was shared out amongst their leaders. Most had no use for golden tableware and they melted it down to make grotesque jewellery and sacrificial ornaments. However, one who received a goblet, happened to be a warlock, and he decided it was the perfect vessel in which to mix up his potions and ingredients. Many years passed by, and perhaps from all the residue left behind from making potions, or even the original invisibility spell placed upon the tableware, something very strange happened to the goblet. One morning after the warlock had just finished his latest potion, he noticed that every time he filled a bottle with the liquid, the goblet would refill itself after being emptied. After every spare bottle was filled from his study, he sent a young goblin out for a keg, and later that afternoon a barrel, but no matter how many times he drained the goblet, it would instantly refill. It was not long before the warlock had filled every cup, pot and pan he could lay his hands on, and now with nothing left to fill, he decided to drink from the goblet. Shrugging, he took a long swig and sighed at the bitter taste. Just as he thought, the goblet refilled, however, the potion that was meant to make him strong, instead turned him invisible. 30 And that, children, is the story of the Goblin and the Goblet”. All the youngsters moved closer and one little boy put up his hand, “Yes Mickle”. “Sir, if that’s a true story, sir, why can we see so many goblins around sir, when surely they would all be invisible? Sir!” The boy who had a confused expression slowly and shyly lowered his hand and turned from left to right glancing at his classmates. The teacher stood up and began stroking his long beard and chuckled at the question, which only confused Mickle more. “Well young man, that is a story all by itself, but in short, once the goblet was revealed to the others, the nest went berserk and they fought over it. The warlock, when the invisibility potion had worn off, was ripped to shreds and eaten alive whilst trying to defend himself and the goblet from the others. The goblet was ripped from his hands and they set about each other. It is believed that just one goblin survived and took the goblet to a place not far from here, where he tried to hide it away until the fighting had stopped and the dust had settled. Many years have passed since then, and some believe that because the goblet never resurfaced, the goblin probably died and the goblet is laying in a crevasse or hole in the depths of some dungeon just waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, as the cogs of time turn, the story of the goblet is being told less and less, and its recovery is drifting further from our grasps. When the King and Queen passed away, the story became less important, and with each new generation it is slowly fading into history. There is still one, who knows the full story of the goblet. He is now very old now and lives just outside Dirtwood, in the Dwarvern Provinces. I met him once, and that is how I know this part of the story. Back then he was a kind hearted dwarf going by the name of Yarkwin. During our encounter, he told me that he had been mistakenly captured by the King, and was due to be tried as the young Wizards Apprentice who had failed the kingdom. He managed to escape just before the trial. Back then Yarkwin was a young dwarf and a Wizards Apprentice studying at the Arcane Tower learning the ancient languages and how to wield them into spells. At around the time of the King's anniversary, Yarkwin was at home, in Dirtwood, on a short break visiting his family when the metalsmith supposedly offered him the chance to try out a new spell he had just learnt. An invisibility spell. Witnesses claimed he had jumped at the chance, and a few days later had cast the spell on the crates before the wagons set off to the palace. This is something Yarkwin has always profusely denied and spent the rest of his life trying to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, whoever it was that cast the invisibility spell, had chosen the word “Hazar” as the magical trigger that would cancel the invisibility spell and make the banquet set reappear. It was arranged that once the crates were presented to the Queen, they would be opened, and whilst she stood confused, staring at the empty crates, the King would shout out the words “Hazar” three times, and on the third “Hazar” the golden tableware would instantly appear, with a puff of smoke thrown in for good measure. The whole affair would be a spectacular event and everyone including the King who loved practical jokes would fall about laughing. Sadly, however, “Hazar” was a bad choice of words, because in goblin tongue it means “Death”. The Metalsmith who had been riding a little way ahead of the convoy, later reported back to the King, after he had made a heroic escape from the terrible attack, that he had clearly heard the goblins raiders screaming “Hazar, Hazar, Hazar”. Mickle stop picking your nose, and don’t wipe it on your trousers.” BEGIN WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 1 31 CAMPAIGN QUEST 1 ‑ GETTING TO DIRTWOOD Enc mod:-20 [S:+150gp] [F:- ½gp] At a junction, a broken sign that hangs from a rusty nail, directs you off the main road and onto a narrow path towards Dirtwood. With rain beating down and splashing off your long travelling cloak, you laugh and remember the teacher telling the story of the The Goblin and the Goblet to the class. The teacher’s long beard was like a ferret hanging from his lip, and why did he always tug and stroke the blasted thing? A little further up the track, a large tree offers shelter from the rain, and is a good place to rest for the night. An hour later and with a full stomach, you sit in front of a warm fire and ponder the journey ahead, hoping that after coming this far, teachers story is true, and not just another fairytale designed to fill the heads of children with nonsense. With less than fifty miles to go, your only hope to recovering the Goblet is to find Yarkwin and hear his story for yourself. In the morning, you set off for Dirtwood, refreshed and full from breakfast. It is not long before the great Dwarven city comes into view a short way off in the distance. Spurring old “Swifty” your trusty steed into a gallop, you do not see the cunning tripwire laid across the track. Swifty’s legs tangle and you are thrown from your saddle, landing in a heap on the ground. The battle is short and lasts just a few seconds. The Hobgoblins make a poor defence, and now standing over their corpses you wonder if you should spend the time to bury them or just leave them. You decide to drag their bodies to the side of the track, and after a quick prayer, you kick a little dirt over each. Its more than they deserve and a lot more than they would have given you. Untangling Swifty, you mount up and press on, and for a moment you glance back to see a group of ravens have already started tearing out and gulping down the Hobgoblins eyes. By noon you have reached Dirtwood, and being your first time in the City you marvel at the tall buildings and wonder why it has been named Dirtwood. In common tongue, it suggests the place should be dirty and that the buildings are made of wood, but their solid stone structures are bright and freshly painted white and at times the morning sun glares off their surface, forcing you to shield your eyes. You stop and ask a few of the street folk if they know where the dwarf Yarkwin lives, and eventually you learn that the old fool has headed off to the Fire Hole at the base of Mount Brin, in the Burning Lands, on another one of his many missions. After gathering some supplies and getting something to eat and drink in a friendly tavern named the “Giants Head”, you set off for the fiery volcano the dwarves have named after their Sun God. Its easily a ten day journey, and on the way you pass the ruins of Ender. It is clear it was once a great city, but after a long and brutal war with the Urg, a race of Half Giants, it has been reduced to the rubble you see now. Deciding to have a quick look you enter the ruins. YOUR QUEST: Explore until any 10 areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 2 32 CAMPAIGN QUEST 2 ‑ THE SEARCH FOR YARKWIN Enc Mod:-20 [S:+180gp] [F:- ½gp] The last three days have been hell. It's not called the Burning Lands for the fun of it. Almost out of water, you hope that the Fire Hole will have some underground springs so you can refill your canteen, even though the name suggests it will not. You gaze up at Mount Brin. The immense heat sends beads of sweat dripping down your head. Its peak glows bright red, and every so often you see the splash of lava burst from its top. After whispering a reassuring word to Swifty, you share out half the remaining water into a food bowl and descend into the Fire Hole. YOUR QUEST: All Encounters in the Fire Hole are rolled using Table EA – ENCOUNTER A. Explore until you have found a Skeleton (41-45 or 96-100 on Table F – FIND) or you Kill Skeleton 54 on Table G – GEOGRAPHIC or you Kill 3 Monsters 34-37 from Table EA – ENCOUNTER A. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST The skeleton remains are clearly that of a dwarf, and after a quick search you are saddened to find items relating to the dwarf you are looking for. Both a Spell Book and a Journal bear his name “Yarkwin”. Opening the spell book you find a few spells scribbled inside, but they don’t appear to be in the ancient texts you recognise, and you are further disappointed, when you examine his Journal, as it appears to be written in the same language. Unable to read either of the books, you stow them carefully in your backpack and promptly leave the Fire Hole. You are desperate for water and have been feeling guilty for leaving Swifty alone for so long. By the time you reach the surface you have decided to head to the Fallen City, which is the Dwarven Capital, and where you will find their Grand Library, which has been collecting ancient scrolls and tomes for thousands of years, and where hundreds of scribes are employed to work day and night trying to decipher them. ADD “YARKWIN’S SPELL BOOK” AND “YARKWIN’S JOURNAL” TO THE ADVENTURER SHEET AND CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 3 33             CAMPAIGN QUEST 3 ‑ THE FALLEN CITY Enc Mod:N/A [S:+1300gp] [F:- ½gp] After leaving the Burning Lands, you manage to find a stream, and spend half an hour bathing and drinking its delights before heading onwards. The rest of the journey is uneventful, and it is not long before you are riding through the gates and into the Scholars Quarter of one of the largest cities in the whole of Northreach. It takes a day before you can get to see a scribe, and when you show him the books, he ponders a while before telling you that they are written in an ancient text not used much these days, and for a price of 1,000 gold pieces, he will have them translated into any language you desire by this time tomorrow. With no other choice, you leave the books with him and set out onto the street, wondering how you are going to raise that kind of money and in just a single day. Outside, the streets are filled with merchants, selling all kinds of wares, and whilst you restock your supplies, a sign catches your eye. It reads “ATTENTION! Due to the rising sewer problems within city limits, the Kings Council has offered a reward of 1,000 gold pieces for anyone foolish enough to enter the sewers and exterminate the vermin that now reside down there blocking up our drains. Report to the Palace with proof of at least 8 dead things and immediate payment will be made. A free bath afterwards is provided for each successful applicant. Roughly a days work!” Is this your lucky day or what? YOUR QUEST: Whilst in the Sewers all Encounters rolls are made by rolling 3d10 on Table E – ENCOUNTER and you must Loot 8 Parts from the Monsters you find there. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST After the free bath, you head back to the Library and exchange 1000gp with the scribe for the translated books. Looking over Yarkwin’s Spell book you are pleased to find it contains two useful spells. REMOVE 1000 GP’S FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET, THEN ROLL TWICE ON TABLE S – SPELLS AND ADD THE RESULTS TO THE SPELL BOOK. Examining the old wizards journal, it appears to detail all the places he has searched for information about the Goblet, and turning to the last page, you read - “The heat in the Fire Hole is so fierce it reminds me of the breath from old Brin. I hope the beast is resting in his mountain and not lured by my scent. Like all the other places, this seems to have been a wasted trip. I will make haste for the Forest of Farmendell next, the nesting place of the vile goblins who stole the Queens gift all those years ago. I will not rest until I have the goblet and can prove once and for all, that I am not the wizard who has been blamed all these years. On my travels, I will venture into the Southern Pits of Deepmine. I hear it is overrun with Succubus and I will need a heart from one of the Queens for the Breaking Spell. Afterwards I will visit my brother “Tarin” in Gogorren to see if he has discovered anything new.”. You find it sad to read the words of the dead dwarf. You wipe away a tear and decide you will follow his plans and travel to Gogorren. The least you can do is inform his brother of his death, and you have a few questions that need answers. What is the Breaking Spell? And where in the Forest of Farmendell is the goblin nest? Tucking away the books you set off for the Pits of Deepmine and wonder how one goes about killing a Succubus Queen. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 4 34 CAMPAIGN QUEST 4 – THE PITS OF DEEPMINE Enc Mod:-20 [S:+300gp] [F:- ½gp] The journey takes you across the Kings Bridge, and you stop a moment to look at the rapid river flowing 60 feet below. It is rumoured to be awash with gold, and a thought crosses your mind to wander down to its bank and try some panning. Who knows, you might get lucky. However, your thoughts are quickly diverted back to the quest at hand, when you spot a large crocodile casually strolling to the edge and disappearing into the rapid waters. You continue across the bridge, through the huge arched legs of two magnificent stone statues, which were once Dwarven Kings and now stand proudly at each end of the bridge making up part of its structure. You press on for the Pits, and after an uneventful week and a half you stand before its entrance. YOUR QUEST: Explore until 6 Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet, from then on add +5 when rolling on Table M - Mapping. The next Objective Area added to the Dungeon Sheet, is the Lair of a Succubus Queen and you must Kill Monster 58 on Table EA – ENCOUNTER A. During combat with the Succubus Queen all Escape Reaction results are ignored and the Succubus Queen has +10 HP and the following reward instead of the reward shown on Table EA [Succubus Queens Heart, W+20]. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST The trek back to the road is long and exhausting and you’re happy to see old Swifty is still tied up grazing on the grass where you left him a few days ago. After sharing some water, you climb up and ride on towards Gogorren. The road takes you through the mountains and eventually into the lower tier of the city. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 5 Enc Mod:-20 [S:+300gp] [F:- ½gp] The city of Gogorren begins at the foot of the Mountains of Deepmine and is a sight to behold. It was originally built into the side of the mountain, but due to expansion, it grew outwards towards the coast, and there are now three tiers that make up the city as a whole. The upper tier is the original city that was carved out of a dead mine shaft to house the miners and their families. It quickly expanded into more than a place to sleep, and its tunnels extend almost a mile into the side of the mountain. The middle tier was added around 100 years later and extends out from the mountain 50 feet below the main entrance to the old city. It rests on a long supporting wall with hundreds of arches, extending 50 feet above the long road, that winds from Farmendell to the Fallen City in the Dwarvern Lands. Hundreds of holes in the middle tier roof line up, following along the road below, and are used for the loading and unloading of goods, to and from the upper and middle level of the city. The lower tier was added, when the small fishing town of Ren expanded outwards and joined up with the road, and when the two settlements merged, the city’s name changed from Gogor to Gogorren, an exercise to satisfy the townsfolk of Ren who had lost their town to expansion. CAMPAIGN QUEST 5 – GOGORREN 35 The road that makes up the middle tier of the city, winds itself along the edge of the mountain, like a long tunnel. During the day, light streams in from the tall arches that support the upper tier and at night, torches secured to the pillars are lit, providing the long tunnel road with light that casts eerie shadows. At various stages on the mountain side, buildings and workplaces have been erected and people are busying themselves with various activities, essential to the well being of the city. Further along the road, you stop and ask a few workers unloading crates, how you can find a dwarf named Tarin in the city. They shrug and say they can’t help and then continue loading the crates onto a large platform. Watching for a moment you marvel at the process. The platform is suspended on strong ropes and pulleys mounted to a wooden frame to the tier above. The platform is raised up slowly through a large square hole set in the ceiling. This must be the only way to get goods to and from the middle and upper tiers. Continuing further along the road, you encounter the same set up, bunches of workers loading and unloading goods, using these platforms. You stop and ask again and get the same answer. In the shadows to your right, you can just make out a steep narrow staircase leading up between a stables and a blacksmiths. You drop Swifty off at the stables and ascend the stairs to the upper tier. 36 Walking out onto cobbles, you immediately notice a difference between the two tiers. Everything is so dusty and shoddy below, but up here with the sun shinning brightly its like a completely different city. You stop a passer-by and ask if the city keeps details of its residents, and he points you towards the Office of Public Records. Finding the office isn't a problem, and inside you speak with a clerk and learn Tarin’s address and after getting directions you set off to inform the dwarf of his brother’s death. When you arrive at his home you find a sign nailed to the front door “Gone to Deepmine, back in 5 days”, sighing you set off for the mines to search for him. When you reach the entrance to the mines, you can’t help but notice the array of signs warning of the dangers; “Enter the Mines at your own Risk”, “The mines are not safe” and “The City of Gogorren cannot be held responsible for deaths or injuries within the mines”. When the ore ran dry, the mines were shut and locked, but somehow vile monsters have managed to find their way in and have taken up refuge. The city doesn't mind anyone entering the mines, as each monster killed, is one less for them to deal with should it try venturing into the city, but they have made it abundantly clear that entering the mine has no support from the city. The entrance is guarded around the clock, and as you pass through, a city guards warns you of the dangers and tells you that this week 5 have entered and so far none have returned. YOUR QUEST: Explore until any 10 areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet, from then on add +10 when rolling on Table M - Mapping. The next Objective Area found, you find two zombies and watch in horror as they rise from a half eaten corpse. You must Kill the Zombie Lord and his minions. During combat with the Zombie Lord all Escape Reaction results are ignored. ZOMBIE LORD AV:50 DEF:1 DMG: +1 HP:16/4 [K:Table TA+20] (Disease, Pack, Allies 4*) READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST When the combat is over, you see the half eaten corpse is a dwarf, and after a quick search, you are saddened to learn that it is Tarin, the dwarf you seek. In his pack you find several pieces of equipment and a large key that must be for his house. ADD “TARIN’S KEY” TO YOUR ADVENTURE SHEET AND THEN ROLL 5 TIMES ON TABLE N – NEEDED AND ADD ANY RESULTS YOU WISH TO THE ADVENTURE SHEET As you attempt to leave, Tarin's corpse begins to twitch and animate, and its jaw drops open emitting a terrifying roar. Jumping back in horror, you swiftly remove its head. Its green blood has already been infected, and sprays out in all directions, and the corpse drops lifelessly to the ground. Leaving the mines, you set off for his home to search for clues, and inside you find it is filled with notes and maps dedicated to helping his brother find the Goblet. Various scrolls and books lay scattered across a large desk and you spot a map showing the rough location of the Goblins Nest in Farmendell Forest. ADD “MAP OF GOBLIN NEST” TO YOUR ADVENTURE SHEET Taking the map, you lock up Tarin’s home and pay a visit to the Office of Public Records to let them know of Tarins fate, and they inform you, that unless a next of kin comes forward in the next 3 months, by city law, the house will belong to you, providing you can pay the 10 percent hand over tax. You have never owned a house before, but the tax will be around 10,000gp. Stopping briefly for supplies, you collect Swifty and ride for the Forest of Farmendell. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 6 37 CAMPAIGN QUEST 6 ‑ THE GOBLINS NEST Enc Mod:N/A [S:+350gp] [F:- ½gp] The road is poorly maintained and the pot holes cause old Swifty to stumble on occasion, but after a long ride you eventually reach the edge of the forest. For the first few miles, daylight manages to penetrate through the branches, but the further you go the gloomier it gets, and it is not long before you are almost riding in complete darkness. Apprehensively, you light your lantern, and continue, and after a while your eyes adjust enough for you to check your progress on Tarin’s map. Eventually you find the spot and leave the road towards the goblins nest. Originally, the Forest of Farmendell was part of the Woods of the Elfkin, until an elf wizard named “Zorbeal the Wretched” discovered the secrets of Dark Magic, a vile form of the Arcane Power, and he began teaching its magic to others. In essence it is easier to work than conventional magic, as it is less taxing and draining on the sorcerer, and the spells can be very powerful, but it corrupts those that wield it and everything around them. In less than 5 years, it had spread to an area of 200 square miles, and had caused the trees to change. Their wood turned black, and their trunks and branches twisted and turned into unnatural shapes. The leaves themselves became infected with a silver mould, that gave the appearance of ash sitting on dying leaves. Once it was clear the corruption was spreading at an alarming rate, the practice of Dark Magic was forbidden on pain of death throughout the Elven Provinces. However, for those that had already tasted its strength, it could not easily be given up. They lusted for its power, and were driven mad in an unsatisfying yearning for more and more of the dark energy to flow through their veins, and so they continued, teaching and practising in secret. When another 300 miles of woodland became infected the Elf Queen “Meredith the Fair”, could see no other option and ordered the great divide. A line of trees 100 miles wide, were chopped down and burnt, dividing the wood in two. For the elves that remained in what is known as Farmendell Forest, over time they became deformed and squat in appearance. Their skin discoloured and became brown and green, and their minds twisted. They were filled with thoughts of evil and greed. In less than a century they evolved from wise, beautiful and good hearted elves, into the evil and destructive creatures known as Goblins. For a few hundred years they were left to their own devices and didn’t venture far from the forest in which they evolved and by most were simply forgotten about. However, due to overpopulation they had outgrown the small forests and they ventured outside looking for new places to nest. As they spilled out into the lands, their evil nature was not tolerated by the other races and the Goblin Wars begun. It did little good to stop them and it was not long after that their Dark Magic had spread to all corners of the land and had infected all manner of creatures with its draw of power. Finally the goblin armies were quashed with the “Unity of Five” when the five good races allied together against the goblin scourge, wiping out all but a few thousand. The goblins returned back to the cover of the forests in defeat. The forest is very eerie, and the only sounds you hear are the rustle of leaves and the breaking of dead twigs underfoot. Eventually you manage to find the entrance to the nest and descend into its depths. 38 YOUR QUEST: Whenever you are instructed to roll on the Encounter Table, instead roll on the GOBLINS NEST table below. Enter the Goblins Nest and Loot 1 Objective Item (Goblin Key, 80gp) from any Monster that is marked with a  on the Goblins Nest Encounter Table and find 2 Objective Areas. Each Objective Area you find, you will encounter a Goblin King. During combat with a Goblin King, all Escape Reaction results are ignored. When the second Objective Area is found, as well as a Goblin King, it also contains a large treasure chest with a lock that cannot be picked by any means (mark its location on the Dungeon Sheet and mark with a  if it is opened). The only way to open the chest is to have found the Objective Item (Goblin Key). You must be at the location of the chests and have the Goblin Key in order to open the chest, once it is opened it contains 1d100gp, and a piece of legendary Armour (roll on Table A – Armour and then on Table L – Legendary), and a filthy piece of dried Goblin Skin, on which has been drawn a crude diagram of a Goblet with various sections of writing in a language that looks like it could be goblin. ADD THE GOLD, LEGENDARY ARMOUR AND “GOBLIN SKIN OF THE GOBLET” TO THE ADVENTURE SHEET AND CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 7 39 CAMPAIGN QUEST 7 – THE WIZARDS TOWER Enc Mod:-20 [S:+500gp] [F:- ½gp] Leaving the Goblin Nest, you retrace your steps back to the road and search for Swifty, however, he is nowhere to be seen. The tree you tethered him to, shows no signs of how he could have escaped, and with no other option you head off along the road towards Farmendell on foot. The journey takes twice as long, and you are thoroughly exhausted when you enter the main gates. A guard stops you and asks what business you have in the city, and you tell him that along the road your horse was stolen and you are here to buy a new one. He suggests you report the crime officially to the Town Guard, and gives you directions to their offices. On the way you pick up some supplies and stop off for a bite to eat at a Tavern called the “Drunken Goblin”, the sign outside shows a goblin holding a tankard of ale, and to your surprise when you go inside you find a couple of the evil little buggers chained to a hoop, set in the centre of the bar room floor. A circle of patrons have surrounded them and are taunting and prodding them with spears to fight each other. Their black blood spills out onto the fresh sawdust on the floor. A guy to your left nudges you in the ribs and asks if you want to make a bet on the winner. You find the whole affair disgusting and politely decline and head over to the bar for a meal. The noise of the crowd gets louder and louder until one of the goblins eventually manages to kill the other. Its corpse is dragged outside leaving a trail of blood in the sawdust, and is strung up in an effort to entice any one passing by, inside to sample the taverns delights. The guy who nudged you earlier, sits on a stool next to yours and strikes up a conversation. You learn that he hosts fights all over the city and often takes a crew into Goblin Woods (another name for The Woods of Farmendell) to capture new contestants and he is very interested to learn that you have just come from there. When you show him the goblin skin, he becomes concerned and whispers “Put it out of sight” and leads you to a quieter area of the tavern. He tells you that it might be a Dark Scroll, a scroll that holds Dark Magic, and if it is, it could get you in a whole lot of trouble. Just having it could get you arrested and hung. You tell him a little of your quest and that it is the only clue you now have of finding the Goblet and he nods as you tell him your story “I would suggest you either get rid of that thing, or take it to the wizard Bendrell, he lives in a tower on the island called Reaching Claw just west of here. The tower is easy to spot once you land on the shores of the island. It sits high on top of a mountain, and can only be reached by passing through a labyrinth of tunnels and caves. He speaks the vile tongue of the goblins and will not persecute anyone if it is a Dark Scroll. He would be your best choice if you are foolish enough to pursue this venture. Otherwise, why not work for me. I am always looking for people like you, not afraid to face a bit of danger. I pay well and we have another convoy heading out first thing tomorrow to capture some more goblins.”. You thank him for the information and the offer of work but politely decline, telling him you must find the goblet. After another hour or two of sharing stories, the pair of you part ways and you head off to find a ship that will take you to the Island. You ask around and after some time you find a boatman who is willing to take you. However, he will not anchor and wait as he believes the whole island to be cursed, but instead will return tomorrow at noon to take you back. The passage to the island is swift, and even before you are dropped off on the shores of Reaching Claw Islands, you can see the mountain and the wizards tower sitting on its top. 40 The mountain wall is sheer and like a sheet of glass. No crags or handholds are visible, and it would be impossible to scale, even for a skilled climber. A large hole at the base of the mountain must be the entrance to the labyrinth, and the darkness beyond is uninviting. Waving the boatman goodbye, you take a deep breath, light your lantern and enter the labyrinth. YOUR QUEST: Explore until 12 Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet, from then on add +10 when rolling on Table M – Mapping. The next Objective Area found, is where the labyrinth enters the wizards tower and you meet the Wizard Bendrell. Unfortunately the old wizard is in a spot of bother and as you enter, he is being attacked by some Hell Hounds and has been knocked unconscious, you must Kill Monster 75 on Table EA – ENCOUNTER A, during combat with the Hell Hounds all Escape Reaction results are ignored. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST After the Hell Hounds have been defeated, you rush to the aid of the wizard, splashing his face with some water. He comes around, and you help him into a chair as he explains “An experiment gone badly wrong I’m afraid. Those blasted hounds should not have been summoned. It is like some unusual evil is at work here.”. You open your pack and show him the Goblin Skin. His eyes widen and he grabs the scroll tossing it to the ground and yells out “Oglack, Narrash, Boonezz!”, rising from his chair, he booms out the strange words again and the scroll begins to glow and vibrate on the stone floor, “Oglack, Narrash, TENZZEE!” Suddenly his arms fling outwards and he raises them in an arc above his head “Oglack, Narrash, FARSCREEL”, small shoots of lightning crackle and dance between his fingers, and you step back just in time, as the wizards arms thrust forwards and small bolts of lightning explode from each of his fingers. As each strike hits the scroll, you hear the sound of crackling thunder. Then a brilliant light engulfs the chamber, spreading outwards from the scroll, and you are forced to shield your eyes, and a strong force pushes you back a few paces. You hear the old wizard scream out in pain, but you dare not open your eyes, for fear of being blinded by the over-powering light. Suddenly as soon as it all started, everything goes dark and still. When you return your gaze, you see the old wizard has been flung across the floor, writhing in agony and out of breath and the scroll is gone. REMOVE “GOBLIN SKIN OF THE GOBLET” FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET “Oh blast, why do they do that, don’t worry I have an idea where its gone, but we must move quickly, the Dark Magic will draw others to its power, especially now I have cast an Unveil Spell on it. We have just a few days and then who knows where it will go” The old wizard gets up off the floor and grabs his hat and staff “what are you waiting for, to the top of the tower!” He charges off like a man possessed, and you follow, desperately trying to keep up. After an exhausting climb you reach the tower roof and are greeted by the most magnificent sight you have ever seen. A white Pegasus is casually eating from a trough. She raises her head and flaps her large wings as the wizard leaps onto her back. Leaning down with an outstretched hand, Bendrell yells out “Come on, climb up, we have at least a days flight ahead.”. She must be at least 20 hands high and you struggle to climb up behind the wizard, and even before you have grabbed on, she takes off and you are flying away from Reaching Claw Island at breath taking speed. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 8 41 CAMPAIGN QUEST 8 ‑ THE BURIAL GROUNDS OF THE RESTING Enc Mod:-15 [S:+400gp] [F:- ½gp] You have never been so high, and looking down everything looks so small. Every so often the Pegasus needs to flap her large wings to keep you up, then she glides. During the quieter periods of gliding, you learn that the wizard has cast an Unveil Spell to banish the Dark Magic from the scroll. It leaves only clean magic behind, magic that will not destroy and tarnish the lands in its wake. Once cleansed the scroll can be read without concern, but Unveil Spells can do strange things as they react to the rejection of the Dark Magic, and in this case the scroll has been transported to one of the four Mystic Pools to be cleansed, washing away the Dark Magic with its waters. The closest pool, lays deep in the Burial Ground of the Resting, so this will be the first place to check. The Pegasus begins a long slow descent and your ears feel like they will burst. When her hooves touch down on the ground in front of a cave entrance on a secluded beach, you slide off, and are surprised that Bendrell does not follow, “This is the entrance to the Burial Ground, watch out in there, as the further you explore, the viler the creatures will become. Once you have found the pool, be careful, because if it contains the scroll, it will have attracted all kinds of monsters to savour the expulsion of the Dark Magic. I will head for The Elven Trees and search the Bogs of the Dead, where lays another of the pools where it might have gone. We meet again at Saltwater, at the Inn of the Wizards Hat, good luck and watch your back”. He mutters something else you do not hear, and when he places his staff on your head, a strange feeling surges through your body. ADD +1 DEF TO THE TIME TRACK ON THE ADVENTURE SHEET Shocked, you stand watching as the Pegasus flaps her feathered wings and they rise high into the sky. “I will be at the Wizards Hat in Saltwater in four days time, and hopefully one of us will be in possession of the scroll”. The Pegasus turns and flies off, and you watch until they are just specs on the horizon. YOUR QUEST: Inside the burial grounds, use Table EA – Encounter A for all of your encounters, any Monster marked with a C on the Encounter Table has +10 AV and all of their Escape Reaction results are ignored. Any Monster you defeat in a Red Area, adds +5 to the Quest Encounter Modifier. Explore until 4 Green Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. Do not roll for the forth Green Area’s geographic feature, instead it contains a pool of water, with a strange green mist floating above its surface. You have found the Mystic Pool. Roll 2 times on Encounter Table EA – Encounter A and Kill the Monsters rolled, one at a time in the order they are rolled. They have been lured to the pool by the remnants of the Dark Magic the pool has expunged. When the last Monster has been defeated, you find that the Mystic Pool has attracted and cleansed a scroll. Grabbing it from the water, you are disappointed to find it is not the Goblin Scroll, but another (roll once on Table S – Spells, add “Scroll of” before the spells name and add it to the Adventure Sheet). You leave the Burial Grounds for the City of Saltwater, hoping that Bendrell has had better luck. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 9 42           CAMPAIGN QUEST 9 ‑ SALTWATER CITY Enc Mod:-10 [S:+200gp] [F:- ½gp] The once great city of Saltwater, is now nothing more than a dilapidated shanty town. The buildings are small, and fitting for its residents. The smallfolk of Northreach appear as children to the taller elves and men, but are only a head shorter than their cousin the dwarves. A hardy people, their size does not do them justice, as they are intelligent and cunning and their lack of strength is more than made up for with wit and wisdom. When required to, they can raise a formidable army, embellished with a wealth of tactical advantages that will outsmart the strongest of enemies. During the Elven Wars, the Dragon Riders did so much damage to the city, that its little stone buildings could never be fully repaired to their original stature. The Resting Jungles that once encroached into the city were cut back miles from its boundaries to supply enough timber for the rebuild, and after two hundred years the city still shows signs everywhere of the destruction. You quickly find the Wizards Hat Inn and sit down for a pint of ale by a roaring fire, and wait for the wizard Bendrell. By evening you have counted the days over and over, and you are convinced today is definitely the forth day since your parting outside the entrance to the Burial Grounds. By midnight and still with no sign of the wizard, you book a nights lodgings and decide to ask around after breakfast, however, whilst everyone seems to know of the wizard, no one has seen him for many months. Stepping out into the fresh morning air, you see a halfling woman pouring her heart out to anyone and everyone for help. Her son has fallen into a cave whilst playing on some rocks on the shore and he has disappeared into its depths. Everyone she asks for assistance sympathetically declines, and when she spots you, she rushes over telling her story. She pleads and cries never letting go of your arm until you agree to help. Leaving a message for Bendrell at the Inn, you follow the woman to the entrance of the cave. YOUR QUEST: Explore the cave, when the second Objective Area is found, you find a Skeleton Spider carefully winding a small halfling child into a perfect cocoon, the decaying silver web wraps the entire body leaving only the head exposed. You must Kill Monster 67 on Table E – Encounters, during combat with the Skeleton Spider all Escape Reaction results are ignored. Unbeknown to you, the cave has been named Spiders Hole by the locals and contains several nests of Skeleton Spiders. After rescuing the boy, you must retrace your way back to the dungeon entrance, one Area per turn. At the start of each turn there is a chance that a Skeleton Spider has been alerted to your presence. Roll 1d10 and if the result is equal to or less than 5, you encounter another Skeleton Spider and must Kill the spider to continue. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST Stepping out of the cave you carry the boy back to the city and his waiting mother. She is overwhelmed with joy and cannot thank you enough. Checking in at the Inn of the Wizards Hat, you are disappointed to learn the wizard has not shown up yet. You decide to head for the Elven Trees and the Bog of the Dead to search for him, as it has been six days now and your concerns are mounting. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 10 43             CAMPAIGN QUEST 10 ‑ THE SEA SERPENT Enc Mod:-10 [S:+200gp] [F:- ½gp ] With no idea where the Bog of the Dead is, you ask around and are given directions to a Cartographers Office in the heart of the city. By the end of the morning you find the office and are asked to make a small donation for the information. REMOVE ANY NUMBER OF GOLD PIECES FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET. IF YOU DONATE 0-50 GP, THE MAP MAKER SHARES THE INFORMATION RELUCTANTLY. IF YOU DONATE 51 GP OR MORE THE HALFLING DRAWS YOU A DETAILED MAP. ADD “MAP OF THE ELVEN TREES” TO THE ADVENTURE SHEET You learn the Bog of the Dead lies just across Longfire Gulf, almost directly north from Saltwater, and around 10 miles inland from the coast, deep within the elven treeline. Finding a ship to take you is challenging, as the 700 mile trip means sailing the coast and then crossing the gulf, which is home to a large sea serpent the locals have named “Jormungander”. She is a mile long and can swallow ships whole. After a great deal of haggling, you find a ship and agree to pay the captain 200 gold pieces when you are safely delivered to the elven side of the gulf. Next morning the ship sets sail for its 9 day voyage and for the best part the water is very calm and still. Gulls screech and fly overhead, trying as best as they can to dive bomb the crew for scraps of food. On the forth day, a young halfling in the crows nest, shouts “land, land ahead”. The captain rushes to the bow, removes a long eyeglass from his pocket, and raises it to his unpatched eye. Panic spreads across his usually calm face, and he pushes past you muttering under his breath. “That’s not Land, that be the Lady Jormungander” you rush to the front of the ship to take a look, whilst behind you chaos is spreading amongst the crew. Orders to change course are being yelled, and several halfling harpoonists appear alongside you, aiming at the advancing serpent. Slowly the ship is turned, but everything is all too late, and you drop to the deck in horror and just in time as the serpents mouth opens and engulfs the ship, lifting it up out of the ocean. Laying on your back you watch in terror as large teeth pass overhead, and then the roof of its mouth spreads a terrifying darkness over the vessel as its jaws clamp shut, extinguishing all light for only a moment until it takes another bite. Each time you are plunged into darkness, and then light cascades in as it opens its jaws, preparing for the next bite. With the ship broken in two, you are tossed in all directions, which is the least of your troubles, as masts and sails swing across the broken ship striking anyone in their wake. Again and again its jaws open and close and the ship is crunched into pieces. Amongst all the devastation, you are flung from the deck and barely manage to grab hold of some rigging as it swings past your head, holding on, with all your strength. You watch the ship below as you violently swing high up into the monsters mouth. Below, in all directions, you can see the crew falling from the wreckage and disappearing out of sight, as they are swallowed down by the monster. Grasping hold of the ropes as hard as you can, you’re determined not to follow the crew. Your knuckles turning white, you swing around and are thumped into a large incisor. The impact causes you to let go of the rigging and instinctively grab hold of the tooth. Shocked for a moment, you peer out of the serpents mouth and can see a long way below the surface of the ocean. You take a deep breath and hold on to it as the creature dives head first into the depths. Its mouth fills with water and you hug the tooth for dear life. Glancing over your shoulder, you watch the last of the ship being swallowed down, and then you are thrown into darkness again as the beast closes its mouth. 44 For a minute or two you sense the serpent is travelling at speed through the seas and you cling onto the tooth desperately, with each second passing feeling like a week. You pray to the gods that she doesn't open her mouth, as you will surely be washed down her throat and be gone forever. After a terrifying few more minutes, your prays are answered. The serpent comes to a halt and her jaw relaxes and opens, spilling you and the water out onto a sandy beach, and inside a dark cave. Now exhausted, cold and wet through, you manage to get to your feet and move away from the sea monster. She is sound asleep and begins snoring, and the smell of her vile breath fills the underground cavern. This must be her lair. As your eye adjust to the light, you explore the back part of the cave and find a man sized hole in the rock face. Cold air flows out from the hole so this must be a way to the surface. Checking your equipment you find that surprisingly, most is intact, and just items attached to your belt are damaged. With one last look at the Lady Jormungander, you head off through the hole in search of the surface. REMOVE ALL EQUIPPED BELT ITEMS FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET YOUR QUEST: Explore and when the third Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, you have reached the surface and escaped the Sea Serpents Lair. After the first Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, add +10 when rolling on Table M – Mapping. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST Leaving the Sea Serpents Lair you make for high ground to get some idea of where you are. It seems to be early afternoon and you can hear the ocean breaking on the shore. After a short walk, you leave some grasslands and find yourself on a beautiful sandy beach. Near a rocky inlet you see some gannets feeding on unlucky fish caught in the rock pools after the tide went out. Disturbing them to climb over the rocks you are surprised to spot just off shore a small fishing boat. Managing to draw its attention, it is not long before you are safely aboard their ship and telling them your story of the sea serpent. As sceptical as they appear to be, they inform you that you are on the main island south of Longfire, and after the days fishing they will gladly take you to the city of Longfire. By evening and after sharing a bite to eat with the crew at a tavern named “The Jolly Pirate”, you shake their hands and bid them farewell. It has never felt so good to have both feet firmly placed on dry land, a feeling that you hope to have for a long while. CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 11 45 CAMPAIGN QUEST 11 ‑ THE CITY PORT OF LONGFIRE Enc Mod: -5 [S:+200gp] [F:- ½gp] The City Port of Longfire is the wood elves only trading point with the rest of Northreach, and is home to hundreds of thousands of the woodland dwelling people. Everywhere you look the forest has been brought into the city in one shape or form. Tree shaped structures support bridge sections that weave paths over rivers, whilst leaf shaped boats ferry passengers along the waterways. All of the buildings have been made to look like great trees, and no matter how high they reach into the sky, they are all interlinked somehow with bridges made to look like stretching branches. The elven people are obsessed with cleanliness and order, and as you wander and marvel at the sights, you see several elves busy wiping away marks and clearing away rubbish as soon as it appears. The city is immaculate throughout. Asking around for a guide, you are eventually acquainted with a young elfling. He will only guide you to the edge of the bog and warns you “It is not a place to go, especially alone. Its called the Bog of the Dead because most who enter are never seen again, and any that have returned, lived very short lives. The place is cursed and a terrible stain on our Kingdom.”. You share with him the details of your quest, and he is genuinely saddened when you mention the wizard Bendrell did not meet you at the Wizards Hat. He leads you to the edge of the city and the pair of you set off through the forest for the Bog of the Dead. YOUR QUEST: Enter the Woods as you would a normal dungeon, but any narrative that contains the words “Dungeon” or “Dungeon Wall” replace with the word “Forest”, and re-roll any result that corresponds to finding or using a lever or stairs. In the forests you will not come across any doors. Any results on Table M – Mapping that shows a doors can be added to the Dungeon Sheet, but do not add any doors. Whenever you are instructed to roll on the Encounter Table, instead roll on the FOREST table below. The elf guide will help you fight any Monster you encounter and will give you +10 to your combat roll, while he is alive. Any damage that you sustain in or out of combat can be applied to your guide instead of you. However, he has a starting HP of 10 and can not be healed by any means. ADD GUIDE - HP: 10, TO THE TOP OF THE ADVENTURE SHEET If the guide, at any time has 0 HP, he has been slain, and you must try and find the Bog of the Dead on your own. While the guide is alive you must Explore until 3 Objective Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet, however if your guide has been slain, you must Explore until 5 Objective Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet in order to find the Bog of the Dead. After the second Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, add +10 when rolling on Table M – Mapping. Once you have found the Bog of the Dead you part ways with the elf guide and must remove him from the top of the Adventure Sheet. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 12 46 47 CAMPAIGN QUEST 12 ‑ THE BOG OF THE DEAD Enc Mod: Special [S:+300gp] [F:- ½gp] Taking a deep breath you ready your weapon and head into the bog in search of the wizard Bendrell. If the old sorcerer is here, you must find him and soon. Already the place is giving you the creeps, and you notice an immediate change from the forest. The ground underfoot is moist and in places you are walking through sludge and pools of tepid water. YOUR QUEST: Enter the Bog as you would a normal dungeon, and any narrative that contains the words “Dungeon” or “Dungeon Wall” replace with the word “Bog”, and re-roll any result that corresponds to finding or using a lever or stairs. In the Bog you will not come across any doors. Any results on Table M – Mapping that shows a doors can be added to the Dungeon Sheet, but do not add any doors. Whenever you are instructed to roll on the Encounter Table, instead roll on the BOG OF THE DEAD table below. Any Monster defeated in a Red Area, adds +5 to the Encounter Modifier. 48 Explore until 4 Green Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet, but do not roll for the forth Green Area’s geographic feature, as instead it contains a pool of water, with a strange blue mist floating just above its surface. You have found the Mystic Pool, and laying unconscious beside it is Bendrell. He is clutching the Goblin Skin in his Hand, and two undead Monsters loom over him. Roll 2 times on the BOG OF THE DEAD table below and Kill the Monsters rolled, one at a time in the order they are rolled. During combat with these monsters all Escape Reaction results are ignored. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST When the last Monster has been defeated, you rush over to the wizard, and revive him, “stupid me, I cast the wrong spell, a slumber spell instead of a thunder spell, Ha, put myself into a deep sleep, well at least I don’t feel tired any more, and good job you turned up when you did or I would be joining those dead rotters”. You help him up and brush off the dirt from his robe “We must get out of here before more of the wretches feel the draw of the diminishing dark power and turn up. With the scroll washed clean we have a fighting chance to decipher what its all about, and I know just the person who can help us. To the beach! Peggy is waiting. We must fly to Merryton with haste.”. Before he has even finished his over dramatic sentence, he rushes off leaving you standing alone. Sighing, you give chase and wonder what sort of a madman would name his pet Pegasus “Peggy” CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 13 49             CAMPAIGN QUEST 13 ‑ MERRYTON IN TURMOIL Enc Mod:-5 [S:+400gp] [F:- ½gp] From the wings of Peggy you look down at the changing landscape and by night time Merryton comes into view. From your current distance, you can see hundreds of tiny torch lights and open fires throughout the city, and you ask Bendrell why a city would have so many fires burning. “I don’t know, but something does not look right, I have flown this way many times before and I have never seen it look so bright as it does tonight”. He snaps the reins and Peggy surges forward, and soon you are close enough to see the destruction that has engulfed the city. A large goblin army is tearing its way through the streets and is destroying everything in its wake. “The halflings do not stand a chance, there are too many, we must fly to the Sanctuary of the Elder and find Pendrit, there must be a way we can help them”. Bendrell steers the Pegasus over the rooftop of a tall tower nesting in the north section of the city. For a moment you peer down over a wooden balustrade and watch the street below, and see that a few hundred goblins are already advancing towards the tower. Rushing through a rooftop doorway, you descend hundreds of spiralling steps, ignoring many floors, until Bendrell shoots off along a corridor. Several halfling guards you pass move out of the way, and some nod or say a greeting to the old wizard. The passage ends at a large wooden door and two guards either side open them widely as you approach. Once you are through the doorway you are greeted by a halfling War Council. A large stone table has been laid out with a map of the city, and several smallfolk are using long sticks to push crude green carvings of goblins around various positions on the map. At the head of the table is a female halfling, her eyes are shut and she stands with her arms outstretched, and appears to be in a trance. Every so often she calls out a position on the map and one of the smallfolk repositions a carving to its new location. Bendrell whispers to you “That is Pendrit, the Elder we seek. She is scrying the city and telling the officers where the goblins are going to attack next.”. Pendrit’s eyes then open and she leaves the trance “Bendrell, your arrival has been foreseen, but I had not anticipated it to be so soon, this means the goblin invasion is further along than I had expected. We need your help and the help of Peggy.”. “Just four days ago the goblin army launched its attack from the jungle, first taking the towns of Halflings Rest, Plunder, and Drinn and then pushing north and are now breaching our city. The few surviving halfling that have made it to the city, have brought terrible news of orcs and stone ogres, but as yet I have not been able to see them.” Pendrit lowers her head and both you and Bendrell immediately offer to help in any way you can. After a short discussion, it is decided that Bendrell will fly to Kingsport to council the King for help, whilst you will leave the city through a network of ancient tunnels and head east to the military town of Drud, to seek their help. You are escorted to the tunnels entrance at the base of the tower, and just before you head into the gloom, Bendrell assures you that after he has counselled the King, he will take the Goblin Scroll to the Arcane Tower, to have it looked at, and you arrange to meet him there as soon as you have alerted Drud of the Goblin invasion. YOUR QUEST: Enter the catacombs and Explore until either a stairs is added to the Dungeon Sheet, or you have added 3 Objective Areas to the Dungeon Sheet, the third Objective Area will contain a stairs. After the second Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, add +10 when rolling on Table M – Mapping. The stairs will not descend to a lower section of the Dungeon, but will instead ascend to the surface. However, protecting the stairs is a Minotaur, and you must Kill Monster 85 on Table E – Encounter. During combat with the Minotaur all Escape Reaction results are ignored. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 14 50 CAMPAIGN QUEST 14 ‑ THE JUNGLES OF DRUD Enc Mod:-5 [S:+600gp] [F:- ½gp] Leaving the catacombs, you find yourself in the middle of the Drud jungles and must now head east towards the small military town of Drud. It is situated at the most northerly point of the inlet of the Reaching Claw, and shouldn't be too hard to find, once you emerge from the jungle. Your instructions once you have located Drud is to head to its Fort and speak with Commander Grey. Only he has the authority to send military aid to the halflings. You set off through the undergrowth looking for a path or trail, but do not find either and are forced to chop and fight your way through the vegetation. YOUR QUEST: Enter the Jungles as you would a normal dungeon, and any narrative that contains the words “Dungeon” or “Dungeon Wall” replace with the word “Jungle”, and re-roll any result that corresponds to finding or using a lever or stairs. In the Jungle you will not come across any doors, any results on Table M – Mapping that shows a doors can be added to the Dungeon Sheet, but do not add any doors. Whenever you are instructed to roll on the Encounter Table, instead roll on the JUNGLE table below. You must Explore until 20 Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 15 51               CAMPAIGN QUEST 15 ‑ DRUD IS UNDER ATTACK Enc Mod: N/A [S:+600gp] [F:-5 Skill] At last you can see daylight streaming through the trees and you emerge from the jungle a short way south of the town of Drud by the coast. You head northwards, and as the town comes into view, you are forced to dive back into the jungle when you spot two very large ogres pounding away at the front gates, and several battalions of orcs waiting patiently behind them with siege equipment and barricades. For a while you just stare out wondering what to do next, but then you feel a tap on your shoulder, and you spin around readying your weapon. Staring into the jungle you blink twice before you realise that there is actually a figure standing in front of you. It looks like a large jungle fern. Bits and pieces of vegetation have been stuffed all over its body, tucked into belts and straps and hanging off a huge multi-shaded green backpack, that looks really heavy. Slowly raising your gaze from its feet to its head, you reach a face, that has been painted in various shades of green, and cunningly matches its green backpack. None of the figure's actual skin colour is visible, and at times its hard to make out that it is actually there in front of you. When it raises a finger to its lips, you, understanding the universal sign language to be silent, decide it is best to oblige, and then you become very nervous, when it removes a very large serrated knife, the size of a small sword, and begins to prise away a huge leech that until now you hadn’t noticed was attached to your arm. Leaning forward it whispers softly “Good day mate, that was a Vampire Leech, and if you don’t get them off early, just one will drink you dry, dead as a dodo in just under a minute. Judging by how white ya face is, I’d say its probably had at least half ya blood already.”. After it has spoken you realise that the thing in front of you, is in fact a man dressed to blend in with the vegetation. Before you can say thank you, he raises a finger to his lips again and motions you to move further back into the jungle. Following the stranger is not easy, and every now and then, he disappears as his outfit blends in perfectly with the flora. At a safe distance, you explain your mission and the goblin invasion. He listens patiently “I sympathise, I really do, mate, but Drud has its own problems now. I’m going in there and I’ll pass on ya concerns. Commander Grey is a pal of mine, and I know if he can help, he will. You need to head through the Lizards Tail, bypass Drud and head north to the Alliance Stones, and instruct the elves to light the Halfling Stone and the Stone of Man, on the authority of General Fullbear, Keeper of the Seven Swords, Heir to the Throne of Irontorn, and Slayer of the Silver Dragon “Wrathdrict”. Once the great beacons are lit, the black smoke will alert the nations and each will be duty bound to send a thousand strong arms to the aid of the lit beacons. The Dwarven Mountains, The Woods of the Elfkin, The Elven Trees, The Elven High Born, the Barbarians from Bladesworn the city with no King and the King of the Irons from the Irontorn Mountain, and in four days, five thousand will be answering the call of Drud and the Resting Lands. Meanwhile I will sneak into the town and inform Commander Grey of the goblin attack on the smallfolk. This is looking more like an invasion force of orcs and goblins and god knows what else they have mustered to fight with them. If we don’t unite the five races now, we are all doomed.” You agree to the plan and set off to head through a network of naturally eroded subterranean tunnels known as the Lizards Tail. The tunnels must be entered from the mouth of a cave a short swim below the surface, just south off the coast of Drud, and they emerge half a mile inland to the north. 52 Wishing each other the best of luck, you part ways, and it is not long before you reach the sea and dive in close to the mouth of the cave. Swimming downwards your eyes sting at first, but quickly adjust, and as you reach the cave, you are struggling to hold your breath. Inside it is very dark and you are relived when you finally find the shore. Dragging yourself onto its small sandy beach, you lay still for a while, in a puddle, gasping in air, and are happy to be breathing normally again, even if the air is damp and salty. When you are fully recovered, you investigate and find the large entrance, that marks the beginning of the Lizards Tail. YYOUR QUEST: Inside the Lizards Tail your aim is to reach the opposite side of the Dungeon Sheet from the Dungeon Entrance. Explore until you have added at least 1 Area to any of the 8 squares shown in red on the diagram. The red squares are on the opposite side to the dungeon entrance, which is shown in blue. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 16 53             CAMPAIGN QUEST 16 – THE ALLIANCE STONES Enc Mod:+0 [S:+700gp] [F:-5 Skill] Leaving the Lizards Tail, you head north at a steady run and manage to reach the Alliance Stones by the end of the third day. They each stand over three hundred feet high, and even from a distance of thirty miles away, they are clearly visible. Their bases are set deep into the ground in a rough circle, around one hundred feet in diameter. Five hundred miles to the south-east, is an identical set of stones. The stone circles also go by the name “The Claws of Dreadstorm”, and it is believed that before the time of the Giant King, a thousand year old dragon, named “Dreadstorm”, was slain by a giant called “Goll”, in a fierce battle that lasted over a hundred years. The giant eventually got the better of the old dragon and cut its feet from its legs, and the dragon took to the skies and was never seen again. The stones are the claws of Dreadstorm and all that remain of its severed feet. One day he will return to destroy Northreach with his fire, in revenge for the mutilation he has suffered. Goll was celebrated and made the King of Northreach, a decision that was regretted by all. His rein was merciless and fuelled by greed and was to last three hundred years. Not long for a giant, but seemed like an eternity for mankind, who suffered the greatest, and were forced to work as slaves in the Giant Hills, digging tunnels to link their cities. The giants worked them day and night, and many hundreds of thousand died at their cruel hands. Then thanks to the elves and a war known as The Great Giant Cull, they contrived and launched a mass attack targetting multiple giant strongholds, and they did not stop until the head of King Goll was hanging in the square at Kingsport. The few surviving giants that managed to escape were relentlessly tracked down and slaughtered, and very few slipped past the elven wrath, who by this time were determined to return some order back to Northreach. As you approach the elven guards at the perimeter, they raise halberds and ask you to state your business. You tell them all that has happened and of the attack on the Resting Lands and Drud, and demand that they light the beacons, under the instruction of General Fullbear, Keeper of the Seven Swords, Heir to the Throne of Irontorn, and Slayer of the Silver Dragon “Wrathdrict”. They glance at each other and instruct you to wait whilst one sets off to a tent a few yards away. When he emerges, he is followed by an elderly man dressed in an officers uniform of the Irontorn Empire. He walks up and as he speaks his long waxed moustache twitches in time with each word. “I am General Fullbear, how is it you have come to speak on my behalf and give the order to light the Alliance Beacons?” You tell the story again, but can see in his eyes, he doesn't believe you. Since the goblin wars, when thousands of them were slaughtered, they have become a rarity in Northreach and only the few nests in the Forest of Farmendell are believed to still exist. You complete your story and then you are asked to leave. The General promises he will dispatch two of his fastest riders to Drud, and if it is true they will light the beacons. Despite every effort to convince them that by the time they have got word to Drud it will be too late, you are escorted to the perimeter. Now you must take matters into your own hands. Watching from a secluded spot, you study and formulate a plan, and decide you will attempt to light the Alliance Stones yourself. The stones are huge columns of rocks, roughly twenty feet in diameter, and as they reach the top, they taper slightly to a flat peak. Down each side a long wooden ladder zigzags left and right where they intersect with small sheltered platforms, large enough for one person to stop and rest during the long climb up. On top of each claw is a stone pail filled with oil and when lit will emit black smoke. If you can climb one of these stones undetected, you could ignite the oil and attempt to shoot a flaming arrow over to light the other beacon. You wait until the early morning, just before it gets light and head for the Stone of Man, grabbing a bow on the way. The climb up is hard work, but you make it to the top safely, just as the first rays of the morning sun warms your cheeks. Carefully, you prepare five arrows, binding them with rags and soaking them with oil. Lighting the stone pail, is more of a challenge than you had expected. The wind is so fierce this high up that you struggle to get the oil to catch alight, but when it does erupt into flame, it almost knocks you off balance. The heat is like a furnace. You stop a moment to glance down and witness the chaos below. 54         Your actions have been noticed and several guards are making their way towards your Stone. Wasting no time you begin lighting and shooting the arrows, and on the fourth try, it hits its target. With immense satisfaction you watch the Halfling Stone erupt into flames, and then descend the ladder ready to be arrested. At the bottom you are surrounded and marched off to the centre of the stone circle, beside a large well. Your equipment is confiscated and as they are about to clamp you in manacles, you hear a horn sounding somewhere off near the edge of the stone circle. Your captors glance around at each other and then rush off in the direction of the horn. Wondering what to do next, you glance around looking for an escape route, but everywhere panic is spreading, as elves and men are charging here and there, putting on armour and rushing to obey orders. An officers runs past yelling “We are being surrounded. Quickly, get the barricades up, orcs are surrounding the Claws”. Your stomach turns over as the news sinks in. Drud has fallen and the invasion is pushing northwards. Making a quick decision, you grab your pack and jump over the wall of the well, sliding down the rope to the bottom. If Drud has fallen, then the Alliance Stone guards don’t stand a chance. Perhaps if you can hide out in the well, when the invasion force moves off, you can head to Blitsworth and warn them before heading on to the Arcane Tower for help. Splashing into the water below you are surprised to see a tunnel at head height leading off northwards. It smells foul and dank, but it may have an exit and lead you far enough away from the stones to escape the invading orcs. YOUR QUEST: Enter the tunnel and Explore until either a stairs is added to the Dungeon Sheet or you have found 3 Objective Areas, the third Objective Area will contain a stairs. After the second Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, add +10 when rolling on Table M – Mapping. The stairs will not descend to a lower section of the dungeon, but will instead ascend to the surface. At the top of the stairs is a large ogre that must have got lost from the advancing army. You must Kill Monster 84 on Table E – Encounters, during combat with the ogre. All Escape Reaction results are ignored and the ogre has +10 HP. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 17 CAMPAIGN QUEST 17 ‑ BLITSWORTH Enc Mod:+0 [S:+800gp] [F:-5 Skill] You spend the next few days dodging various orc patrols, which are all generally heading in the same direction, northwards through the Great Pass and on towards Bladesworn. You reach Blitsworth by nightfall, and as you enter the city you can see it is all ready aware of the orc invasion, and preparations are well underway. Walking through the stone arches of the walled city, the twin towering iron gates are being prepared for sealing, and a line of blacksmiths are busy fuelling portable furnaces and smelting iron rods to wrap around the bars of the gates, sealing them together. Meanwhile, women and children are being evacuated to the mountains and told to scatter in the old mines and hide. As you are taking it all in, a messenger races through the gates yelling that Tower Pass is full of orcs and they have five trolls. Immediately several men begin yelling orders to seal the gates, and the apprentices begin pumping the bellows of the furnaces. You have no other choice but to leave the city or risk getting trapped inside. You curse your bad luck, you had planned to use Tower Pass as the road to the Arcane Tower, and now you must take the hidden path, through the Lost Mines, a foul and deadly place filled with all manner of vile and dangerous Monsters. YOUR QUEST: Enter the dungeon and Explore until 12 Yellow Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. The last Yellow Area is the exits you seek and will place you just a miles walk from the Arcane Tower. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 18 55 CAMPAIGN QUEST 18 – THE ARCANE TOWER Enc Mod:+0 [S:+800gp] [F:- 5 Skill] The trek towards the Arcane Tower takes you across the mountains, and when you eventually catch sight of the structure you are forced to stop and gaze a moment at its size, and wonder how it could be made to hold itself up against the elements. When you stood on top of the Alliance Stones, the wind was terrifying, and they are just a third of the height of this colossus. Settling on the theory it must be magic, you descend to the base of the Irontorn Mountains to find its entrance. On the descent you fondly recap on the lessons you had as a child, and smile as you remember teacher stroking his long ferret-like beard, and telling you all about the Arcane Tower. Back then you would never have believed that one day you would be seeing it with your own eyes. 56 “A long time ago, many years before the Great Icing and the War of the Five Kings, a great sorcerer named Farquin commissioned a tower to be built on one of the many Arcane sites found throughout Northreach. Artisans and architects were hired from the Dwarvern Mountains to build the structure that stands over a thousand feet high, and has one hundred floors. An elaborate lift mechanism is a much preferred alternative to the two thousand steps of the single staircase that winds itself around the outside. At only twenty feet in diameter, it rises up like a staff plunged into the ground at the base of the Irontorn Mountains. On the lowest level sits the large white Aztopaz Crystal. The Arcane stone pulsates like a beating heart and causes the tower to emit a soft hue of light from its many windows on each beat. The crystal almost fills the entire chamber with just enough space to walk around its circumference, and a cleverly built hollow column hangs down above its centre. Filled with thousands of precisely placed mirrors, it collects and sends the Arcane light up to the various floors of the tower, until it emerges through a hole in its spired roof. As it bursts out from the top, the light spreads out like a flame from a torch. The light itself, is filled with Arcane energy, and from each floor wizards can collect its power and use it to channel their spells and studies. The tower became known over time as the Arcane Tower, and is where the Council of Seven, and the University of Sorcerers reside. It is a place that trains aspiring wizards in the Arcane Arts, and is open to all good races of Northreach, as long as the candidate shows outstanding skills in wizardry.” Stepping down from the mountain trail onto a beach, you walk towards the tower, and turn to face its entrance. With the sea now behind you, it lashes with every wave onto the rocky coast, and you slowly look up at the tower against the mountain and can see why it is often called the Wizards Lighthouse. Following a stone path that disappears in places due to the sand that has been washed over it during high tide, you trace your way towards the tower and the two giant white doors that mark its entrance. Standing in front of the doors, you search for a handle or knocker, but are completely baffled as it has neither and does not appear to have any furnishings at all, apart from the four large grey hinges that spread out from both sides like gnarled fingers creeping across their smooth surface. Stretching out you gently rap on the door and wince in pain. It is as cold as ice and burns your knuckles to the touch. From behind, a voice calls out “I wouldn't do that if I was you, its now an ice door and will burn your skin”, you recognise the voice instantly and spin around to see Bendrell peering down at you from the back of Peggy, tucking her wings into her sides the wizard slides down and approaches. “The orc problem has got worse, and most of the Council are away, trying to rally the 5 races to meet the invading forces on the battlefield, somewhere along the Great Pass, and before they reach and sack the City of No King. If they reach Bladesworn, Northreach will be divided in two, and we will each have to face the orc army on separate fronts.” Heading for the door, he places a hand on your burns and whispers “Spectra Valgor”. You feel the pain instantly vanish, and all traces of the ice burn are gone. Shouting at the door, he commands it to open “Open up or I’ll turn you into a toad, you vile creature”, he raps loudly on the door with his staff. A moment later it creaks open, and an ugly, bald man, bent over appears in the doorway. “Oh my liege, Magnificent One, High Wizard of the Council of Seven and Keeper of the last Pega...” Shoving him aside, Bendrell pushes through the door, “Out of my way, Winzel you worthless piece of horse dung, there is no time for your grovelling. Anchor your affections, and take care of Peggy properly this time, because if she tells me you haven't fed her again, you’ll be hopping from lily pads and living in a swamp by morning, toad boy”. Following the wizard inside, you brush past the man, and smile as he does remind you of a toad. 57 Inside you manage to catch up with Bendrell, and he explains why he was so cruel to the doorman. “Winzel was once a great wizard, and even had the potential to become one of the Council of Seven, but he didn’t have the patience to wait for the position of power and used his magic to try and overthrow the Council to take control for himself. He tricked and planted doubt in the minds of the Seven, and they believed his lies. The Council was broken, and each thought the other was conspiring and plotting against them. Arguments ensued and finally Winzel had won, and the Seven agreed to leave the tower, taking with them their understudies, initiates and apprentices. The Arcane Tower emptied over night, but Winzel the worm, remained in secret with an army of followers. It was not long afterwards that the Council learned of the deceit and attempted to retake the tower, and the War of the Wizards began. Eventually his army was defeated, with both sides suffering great losses. Six of the seven Pegasus mounts were killed, and thousands perished in the battle that lasted almost three hundred years. Winzel’s army did not give up easily, and fought down to their last man. However, Winzel was found hiding in the privy, and like a coward, he surrendered without a fight. The Council stripped him of everything Arcane, and by combining all Seven Scriptures of magic into one, they cast a powerful spell of anti magic upon him. He is now full of Pazarite, an energy that eats away magic and warmth, and all around him is an aura of intense coldness. This is the reason for the ice doors you touched earlier. He was made to serve the tower as its Door Keeper, and is kept alive for eternity as a constant reminder to anyone who may have the same urges for power.”. Bendrell walks into a small windowless chamber at the back of the tower. It would probably hold no more than 5 or 6 people, and as you step in behind him you notice three small levers set into a panel beside the door. “Close the door will you”. You close the door and Bendrell shuffles over to the panel. “Okay, you may wish to hold on to the rail for this”. He pulls a lever marked "Down" and the room slowly begins to jostle and move downwards. Outside the room you hear groaning and squeaking as pulleys and cogs burst into life. You grab hold of the rail just in time as the lift begins to plummet at high speed, and whilst you start to feel sick, Bendrell fills you in about the Goblin Scroll. “Now this scroll of yours. After we cleaned it of Dark Magic, it was safe to bring it to the Arcane Tower. The tower has been built upon a large white Aztopaz stone, its Arcane energy will destroy anything made of Dark Magic that is brought to the tower, or in range of the stone, but don’t worry, the scroll is safe and up in the meeting hall at the top of the tower.”. A little confused you interrupt the wizard and ask why are the pair of you going down and not up. “Well this is where things get interesting, because this scroll of yours is, in fact, a formula. A list of instructions if you like. It is probably one of many, and details each step that is needed to create an Invisibility Goblet, just like the one from the story of the Goblin and the Goblet. It seems like the goblins have been busy, and this could be something to do with the invasion. If they have managed to replicate several of the Invisibility Goblets, it would explain how their forces have managed to attack the various settlements throughout Northreach relatively undetected. Now, the old wizard Yarkwin, he was on the right track, his Breaking Spell will break the magic protecting the scroll, but we need to know if any of the Goblets actually do exist and if so where they are, or where they are likely to be moved, with an army for instance, and to do that, we need to cast a Seeing Spell, at the exact time the Breaking Spell is cast, and this is where you come in. We will need the eye of a Basilisk, and lucky for us, at the bottom of the tower is a dungeon, that over the years has been filled will all manner of vile beasts and monsters, and which we use for just this type of occasion. When fresh reagents are required for spells, we can drop in and grab them from the dungeon. Its all very handy. After a quick stock check, I know that we have at least four, maybe five Basilisks down there. 58 Now get ready, and when the lift reaches the bottom and the doors open, I’ll shut down the Arcane barrier, and you dive in and go and find the eye. Meanwhile I’ll be up top, working on the preparations for the spells. Good luck now and don’t look directly at the eye, it will turn you to stone”. YOUR QUEST: Enter the Dungeon and Explore until 10 Red Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet or you have added a Basilisk Eye to the Adventure Sheet. The tenth Red Area added to the Dungeon Sheet will contain a Basilisk and you must Kill Monster 79 on Table EA – Encounter A. During combat with any Basilisk, all Escape reaction results are ignored. During the quest, whenever you Kill a Basilisk, do not roll for a reward, but instead, you will cut out its eye, and can add Basilisk Eye to the Adventure Sheet. The quest is completed as soon as you have added a Basilisk Eye to the Adventure Sheet. READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST With the dead Basilisk at your feet, you drop to your knees and carefully begin cutting, all the while trying not to look at its eye. After a few moments it comes free and you drop it into the leather pouch Bendrell shoved in your hand earlier when you stepped out of the lift. Retracing your steps, you go back the way you came and enter the lift, and move the lever to the up position. When the lift reaches the top you step out hurriedly, glad to be on a steady surface once again, and you find yourself in a sizeable chamber. A large circular stone tablet rests all the way around the central column of the tower, and you can see the Goblins Scroll has been laid out neatly near one of the many closed shutters, that holds back the Arcane light, stopping it from spilling out from the column until it is required by a wizard. Bendrell turns towards you as you enter the chamber “Did you get it?” he asks, and when you nod, he smiles and motions you to step up to the tablet. Carefully you place the basilisks eye and the succubus heart in each of the two prepared bowls, and step back for Bendrell to take up position. Using his staff, he slides opens one of the bolts to a shutter, and immediately the two of you are flung back by the sudden outburst of bright white energy as it gushes into the chamber. Fighting against its power, you both push forward and manage to reach the table. In all the turmoil, Bendrell’s hat flies off hitting you in the face, and you swat it away sending it to the floor where it is pinned against a bookcase on the far wall. “Up here the Arcane energy is at its strongest, and this is what we need to cast the Breaking Spell. Hold on to your hat, this is not going to be pleasant.” you can barely hear the wizard, even though he is shouting. The noise of the escaping pressure is so intense it reduces his usually loud voice to less than a whisper. Straining forward, you help steady the frail old wizard as he stumbles. “I seek the light, I command the light, I will take the light”, the wizard’s hands stretch out, and he grabs some of the escaping energy, and beings curling it into a ball, “Light show me, Light teach me, LIGHT BECOME ME”. He harvests more and more of the light, until it has filled both of his palms, and then begins combining and working it from one hand to the other. The light dances, leaving an illuminated trail in its wake. “QUICKLY THE SHUTTER”. You grab his staff and use it to slam shut the shutter, and then everything goes still. Bendrell relaxes a little, but he is in deep concentration. The light breaks in two, filling each hand with Arcane energy that pulsates and crackles. Suddenly he plunges his right hand into the bowl with the succubus heart, and grabs hold. You hear it crackle and spit and he holds it over the scroll “I am Bendrell, Son of Farquin the All-Knowing, Keeper of the Last Pegasus, High Wizard of the Council of Severn and Sorcerer of the Esoteric Order. I COMMAND YOU TO BREAK THIS SPELL AND REVEAL ITS TRUE POWER.” The heart bulges in his tightening grasp and bursts, dropping pieces of it all over the scroll, and where they land, they begin to burn holes in its surface. Seeing the scroll is in danger of being destroyed, you reach out to stop the burning, but Bendrell violently thrusts you aside and continues “Show me its power, I COMMAND TO SEE ITS POWER!” 59 As the last piece of the scroll burns away, it leaves an imprint on the table, and you both peer down and watch a ghostly image unfold. One after the other it shows seven goblins drinking from goblets, and then disappearing. After the last image is shown, it slowly fades from view, and the imprint on the tablet transforms back into the original scroll. Bendrell smiles at you “Now the fun part”. Plunging his left hand into the bowl he grabs hold of the basilisks eye. The Arcane light spits and crackles around its exterior, and he turns its pupil to stare down at the scroll. Now engulfed in light, the eye begins to stretch and elongate as it is sucked into the scroll. When it has vanished, Bendrell’s hand begins to follow. “Show me the path of the seven Goblets of Invisibility, I COMMAND YOU TO REVEAL THE GOBLETS!” Bendrell is flung forward and is being pulled into the scroll. You watch in horror, as the old wizards hand, arm and then shoulder all disappear into the scroll. He lunges forward and looks back at you and winks, and then his head stretches and elongates as it too is pulled into the scroll. Flinging out his free hand, you instinctively grab hold and try to pull him back, but there is no stopping him, and eventually you too are being pulled in to the scroll. Somewhere in your mind you hear Bendrell whispering “Don’t resist it, everything will be fine”, and with little choice you give up. You feel a strange elation and then a brief moment of pain, as you pass through the scroll, and you scream out and then immediately feel foolish as the pain is gone. Bendrell smiles and says “Now sit back and enjoy the ride”. You are floating in the sky. It is a bright afternoon and below is a marching army. You scream out again, as suddenly you drop at speed to the ground and hover a few feet above the soldiers. Standing in seven orderly lines on the north side of a bridge, are thousands of orcs and goblins, squabbling amongst themselves, whilst several ogres are tearing and dismantling the bridge. At the head of each line stands a goblin warlock holding out a golden goblet, and one by one the troops are stepping forward and taking a sip, and then they turn invisible. As fast as you dropped before, you are flipped over and sent shooting up into the sky. Feeling sick you are swept along in the air at lightning speed until you flip back over and once again plummet downwards towards the ground. You are now over a mountain range, and as you descend down, you pass through rock. This time both you and Bendrell yell out in pain, but it quickly passes and you are now in an underground chamber surrounded by goblins. In the centre a warlock is holding a golden goblet high above his head and chanting Dark Magic. The goblet is shrouded in a thick black mist, with several strands stretching out from it. They grasp and wrap themselves around several smaller goblets like fingers that are floating and dancing in the air. Standing around the warlock are seven other goblins, all of them are in a trance with their eyes closed, and they are chanting dark incantations. Their arms and hands are stretched outwards, and more black mist is spreading from their fingers towards the goblin warlock. Again, both you and Bendrell scream out in pain. Your heads feels like they are about to explode and Bendrell nods in the direction of the goblin warlock. You look over and notice that he is watching you, and he breaks a moment from the ritual, shouting “Granix Cantrile DOOOMBA” and then you pass out. 60 When you wake, you are back in the Arcane Tower and Bendrell is standing over you. “Good you are awake. That was one hell of a ride, don’t you think. That warlock was on to us at the end and broke the Seeing Spell, but I think we have learnt enough of its secrets. It appears that they are unable to create more of the goblets, and need to share the original ones power. They have to constantly channel it with the dark mist, the energy and power source of all Dark Magic to create the others, and the bridge that we saw being dismantled, is the Bridge of the North, which rests at the foot of the Great Pass and links the road from the Dwarvern Mountains to the Resting Lands. The goblin warlock is channelling the original goblet somewhere in the goblin city of Urackhire, you would know of it as Winterhall. Once a place of refuge during the long hard winters, it was abandoned a long time ago by the race of Men, when the city of Kingsport grew large enough in size to sustain the province through the cold months of the year. However, it wasn’t long before the goblin scum infested its halls. I recognised the crest of Irontorn on the stone work from our vision, two crossed blacksmith hammers over an anvil. The warlock must be channelling the other goblets from inside the Stolen City.” Helping you to your feet, Bendrell moves towards the lift and you follow. “This is the plan, if you’re up for the challenge. The fate of Northreach is now weighing heavily on our shoulders.” Inside the lift, Bendrell explains the plan. You are to head to the town of Hopen, and from there you will take the secret tunnels of Winterhall and enter the City of the Goblins. Inside you will search for, and slay the goblin warlock, and then destroy the Goblet of Invisibility. Bendrell hands you a Scroll of Destruction. Meanwhile he will fly to the Bridge of the North, and try to slow down the advancing invasion. He has a few tricks he can try, and a Reveal Spell, that may cancel the effects of the goblets power. REMOVE THE BASILISK EYE AND SUCCUBUS QUEEN'S HEART FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET AND ADD SCROLL OF DESTRUCTION AND THEN CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 19 Enc Mod:+0 [S:+800gp] [F:-5 Skill] The journey to Hopen is thwart with danger, and you find yourself constantly avoiding goblin and orc patrols. When you catch sight of Hopen, your heart sinks and you slump behind a rock. Smoke and burnt buildings are all that remain of the once thriving town, and closing in, you walk amongst the carnage and find no survivors of the cruel attack. It is a sight of complete devastation. The few corpses that remain, appear to have died by the brutal hands of the invaders, or burnt alive, having been trapped inside their homes after they were set on fire. Gathering what supplies you can, you follow Bendrells instructions, and head into the Secret Tunnels of Winterhall. YOUR QUEST: Explore until any 25 Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. ONCE COMPLETED CONTINUE WITH CAMPAIGN QUEST 20 CAMPAIGN QUEST 19 – TUNNELS OF WINTERHALL 61 CAMPAIGN QUEST 20 – URACKHIRE, CITY OF GOBLINS Enc Mod:+0 [S:+800gp, +1 Rep] [F:-5 Skill, -1 Rep] The entrance to the city is proving hard to find, and after hours of searching you sit for a while and ponder the instructions the old wizard gave you. “To find the gates of Winterhall, don’t look too hard, they are hidden and it will be a surprise when you find them.” Repeating the words over in your head, you think to yourself, it makes no sense at all, and you lean back against the wall and close your eyes to think over your next action. Instead of resting against stone, you tumble backwards through the wall and land in a heap in front of the city gates. Quickly you rise to your feet and glance around, checking your surroundings. Grinning, you repeat the words from the old wizard aloud. “To find the gates of Winterhall, don’t look too hard, they are hidden and it will be a surprise when you find them.” Now you must find and kill the goblin warlock and his initiates and destroy the Goblet of Invisibility. YOUR QUEST: Enter the Goblin City of Urackhire and Explore until 10 Objective Areas have been added to the Dungeon Sheet. After each Objective Area has been added to the Dungeon Sheet, add +5 when rolling on Table M – Mapping (i.e. When you have mapped one blue area add +5 when rolling on table M, when you have mapped two blue areas, you add +10 when rolling on table M and so on). Whenever you are instructed to roll on the Encounter Table, instead roll on the Urackhire table below. The tenth Objective Area is where the goblin warlock is channelling the Goblet of Invisibility, however, before you can Kill him, you must first defeat his 7 goblin initiates, Kill 7 Monsters 50-54 on the Urackhire Table below, fight them one at a time and when they have been killed, you must Kill the goblin warlock. Kill Monster 50-54 on the Urackhire Table below. During combat with the goblin initiates and the goblin warlock, all Escape reaction results are ignored, and the goblin warlock has +10 AV and +10 HP. 62 READ THE FOLLOWING WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS QUEST The goblin warlock, laying in a pool of blood, speaks through gritted teeth “Grack Isac spal velsko Isk” and then slumps dying with his last word. You translate the vile language as best you can and believe it has said “Nothing will stop the invasion now”, you only hope that you are not too late. Grasping the goblet, you pull out the Scroll of Destruction and then hesitate. WILL YOU CAST THE SCROLL OF DESTRUCTION AND DESTROY THE GOBLET OR KEEP IT FOR YOURSELF. YOU MUST CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO OPTIONS AND THEN READ THE STORY END. 1. CAST THE SCROLL – Holding out the Scroll of Destruction, you read out the ancient texts, and as the last word is spoken, the scroll crumbles to dust. Brushing away its fragments you look down at the goblet and watch satisfyingly as it smokes and melts down into a pool of molten gold. Leaving Urackhire behind, you head for the city of Kingsport, and already news has spread of the invasion. Everywhere they are talking of a great battle, led by Bendrell at the Bridge of the North, and of a lone hero who braved the depths of the City of Goblins, to seek out and destroy the ancient Goblet of Invisibly that was hiding the invading army. Each tavern you pass by, you hear your name, being sung in songs and mentioned. You will be remembered for a long time and have now become a part of history. If you have 10,000 gp’s you may visit the city of Gogorren to make a claim on Tarin’s house. As a next of kin has not come forward, you may pay the tax and add “Medium Home” to the Adventure Sheet in the notes section. Owning property will be explained in further detail in the next instalment of D100 Dungeon. REMOVE THE SCROLL OF DESTRUCTION AND ADD 2000GP TO THE ADVENTURE SHEET, AND INCREASE YOUR REP BY 2 POINTS. 2. KEEP THE GOBLET – With the Goblet safely stowed in your pack, you leave the City of Goblins and head to the Mountains of Irontorn to lay low. You are sure that the five races will unite and triumph over the invading forces like they have done so many times before, and why should this time be any different? After a few months, you head to a tavern for news, and learn that you were right, the five races did managed to overthrow the invasion, but at great cost. The City of No King, Bladesworn, was burnt to the ground, and over half of its buildings were destroyed. A bard in one tavern you visit is singing a song of a legendary hero named Bendrell, Son of Farquin, Keeper of the Last Pegasus, High Wizard of the Council of Severn, Sorcerer of the Esoteric Order and Destroyer of all Goblins and Orcs. It tells a story of how he fought and killed the armies of the green skins, but was slain along with his steed, a magnificent Pegasus, outside the gates of the City of No King. A statue of him riding upon the winged Pegasus will be built on the Red Island and will stand for all time as a memory of the sacrifice he made for the kind people of Northreach. When the song ends, you try to blend into the shadows as the bard begins another song that mocks a betrayer and a traitor, who instead of destroying the Goblet, stole it for himself, and when your name is sung, you feel compelled to leave and vow you will never use your name ever again. REMOVE THE ADVENTURER’S NAME FROM THE ADVENTURE SHEET AND CHOOSE A NEW ONE, THEN REDUCE YOUR REP DOWN TO 1 AND ADD THE GOBLET OF INVISIBILITY (BELOW) TO THE ADVENTURE SHEET GOBLET OF INVISIBILITY (3000gp) (Belt Slot) Gain +15 Dex bonus to all Escape Combat Tests and it ignores all Belt Checks STORY END However you have decided to deal with the Goblet of Invisibility, the story is over for now, and against great odds you have won the campaign. 63 64 TABLE QA - QUESTS A (NORTH REACH) 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 TABLE EA - ENCOUNTER A 74 ALLIES – The monster has lesser monsters that they can call upon or summon during a fight. At the start of each combat round roll 1d6. If a 1 is rolled, an Ally comes to the monsters aid, so add /X to the end of its current HP value, with X being equal to the number shown after the monsters Allies ability. Example: A Monster with HP “16/4” with an Allies 4, if a 1 was rolled at the start of the combat round, you add /4 at the end of its HP value giving it a new HP value of “16/4/4”. DOPPELGÄNGER – The monster transforms into an exact copy of the adventurer and has an AV equal to the adventurer's Str or Dex, depending on which was last used to attack the monster. The attack gains any bonuses for the adventurer's equipment and weapon such as to Str, Dex or Dmg, but does not gain any bonuses the adventurer may have from the time track, or any potions or spells the adventurer has, or is using. When a hit is scored to the monster, the location is rolled normally and any damage bonuses for location are applied. Next, check to see if the adventurer is wearing any armour in the location hit. The monster will have the same armour too, except the monster is not able to deflect damage like the adventurer can. If any armour is present, its A value deducts from the damage scored. If the adventurer has a shield equipped, it has no effect for the monster. Note that if any equipment the adventurer is wearing at the start of the combat is destroyed, due to deflecting damage, it is not destroyed for the monster, who may continue to gain its benefit. FRENZY – The monster at times during a combat may go into a maddening rage. When a natural roll of 1 has been scored on its damage dice, it gains another attack and the player repeats step 5 of combat. Note that if another 1 is scored on the damage die for the second attack, it will gain another free attack and so on. LEAP – The monster is very agile in combat and will often pounce to attack. When a natural roll of 1 has been scored on its damage dice, the monster has pounced, causing some extra damage. The player rolls the damage die again for the monster, and adds it to the monsters damage total. Note that if another 1 is rolled, the player rolls again for extra damage and so on. PETRIFY – The monster has the ability to turn an adventurer into a solid stone statue from which there is no return. If the monster rolls a natural 1 on its damage die, the adventurer must make an Avoid Petrify test. If the test fails, the adventurer can use a Life Point or a Resurrection effect to negate being turned to stone, otherwise they will make a nice life-sized ornament for the monsters lair and their adventure is now over. AVOID PETRIFY – Test: Int +20 [S: No Effect] [F: Turned to Stone] (Aware, Lucky) 75 TABLE K - DEATH KILL 76 77 MAP OF NORTHREACH 78 The map is also available to be downloaded for free from the following websites - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/265432/d100-dungeon-adventurers-companion/files http://martinknight39.wixsite.com/mk-games/d100dungeon

textdata/thevault/D100 Dungeon/D100 Dungeon - Adventurers Companion Digital.pdf

Tier 4 4 The Knuckle Bone Pit Brawler Sheet Brawler Features Trexxar (human) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 19 Speed 30 Str: +2 Dex: -1 Con: +3 Int: -1 Wis: 0 Cha: +1 Drunken Strength Punch: +3 hit. 1d4 +1 dmg. Mug Toss: +3 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4+1 dmg. Slovic (human) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 19 Speed 30 Str: +2 Dex: +2 Con: +3 Int: -2 Wis: +1 Cha: 0 Charger Punch: +3 hit. 1d4 +2 dmg. Barrack (halfling) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 17 Speed 30 Str: +2 Dex: +2 Con: +2 Int: -2 Wis: +1 Cha: -2 Leadership Punch: +3 hit. 1d4 +2 dmg. Mug Toss: +3 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4+2 dmg. Shield (dwarf) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 20 Speed 25 Str: +2 Dex: +1 Con: +2 Int: 0 Wis: +1 Cha: +1 Selfless Punch: +3 hit. 1d4 +2 dmg. Jaeger (dwarf) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 18 Speed 25 Str: +2 Dex: -2 Con: +2 Int: 0 Wis: +1 Cha: -1 Drunken Strength Punch: +4 hit. 1d4 +2 dmg. Mug Toss: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4+3 dmg. Frisic (halfing) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 17 Speed 25 Str: 0 Dex: +3 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +2 Cha: +2 Spellcaster 1 (DC 13) Punch: +0 hit. 1d4 dmg. Ney’siv (half-elf) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 16 Speed 30 Str: 0 Dex: +3 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +4 Cha: +3 Spellcaster 1 (DC 13) Charm Punch: +0 hit. 1d4 dmg. Skud (gnome) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 17 Speed 25 Str: -1 Dex: +3 Con: 0 Int: +3 Wis: +1 Cha: +2 Spellcaster 1 (DC 13) Cunning Action Punch: +0 hit. 1d4 dmg. Kud (mud mephit) AC 11 HP 27 Speed 20, fly 20 Str: -1 Dex: +1 Con: +1 Int: -1 Wis: 0 Cha: -2 Death Burst Mud Breath Punch: +3 hit. 1d6 +1 dmg. Jah (human) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 20 Speed 30 Str: +3 Dex: +1 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +2 Cha: +1 Spellcaster 1 (DC 13) Leadership Punch: +3 hit. 1d4 +3 dmg. Axe (half-orc) AC 16 (heavy armor) HP 25 Speed 30 Str: +3 Dex: +1 Con: +3 Int: +1 Wis: 0 Cha: +1 Charger Reckless Attack Punch: +5 hit. 1d4 +3 dmg. Greataxe: +5 hit. 1d12+3 dmg. Mir (kenku) AC 15 (light armor) HP 20 Speed 30 Str: +1 Dex: +3 Con: 0 Int: +1 Wis: +2 Cha: +2 Sneak Attack Multiattack Punch: +2 hit. 1d4 +1 dmg. Dagger: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4 +3 dmg Violet (elven twins) AC 15 (medium armor) HP 21 Speed 30, climb 10 Str: +1 Dex: +3 Con: 0 Int: +1 Wis: +3 Cha: +2 Sneak Attack Cunning Action Multiattack Dagger: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4 +3 dmg. Olive (elven twins) AC 15 (medium armor) HP 22 Speed 30, climb 10 Str: +1 Dex: +3 Con: 0 Int: +1 Wis: +3 Cha: +2 Cunning Action Multiattack Shortbow: +5 hit. Range 80 ft. 1d4 +3 dmg Ironbeard (dwarf) AC 16 (heavy armor) HP 26 Speed 25 Str: +3 Dex: +3 Con: +3 Int: 0 Wis: 0 Cha: 0 Drunken Strength Multiattack Punch: +5 hit. 1d4 +3 dmg. Handaxe: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d6+3 dmg. Hugmug (half-ogre) AC 13 (natural armor) HP 34 Speed 30 Str: +4 Dex: 0 Con: +4 Int: -2 Wis: 0 Cha: 0 Charger Multiattack Punch: +5 hit. 1d4+4 dmg Rusty Fish Hook: +5 hit. Range 10 ft. 2d6 +5 dmg Jax (gnome) AC 15 (light armor) HP 24 Speed 25 Str: 0 Dex: +4 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +2 Cha: +2 Spellcaster 3 (DC 13) Benign Transposition Dice Flail: + 5 hit. 1d8+2 dmg Conjured Arcane Deck: +5 hit. Range 30ft. 2d6+3 dmg Drag (goliath) AC 15 (natural armor) HP 27 Speed 30 Str: +4 Dex: +2 Con: +4 Int: 0 Wis: +2 Cha: +2 Drunken Strength Punch: +5 hit. 1d4+4 dmg Crossbow: +4 hit. Range 100 ft. 1d10 + 2 dmg Sugar (ape) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 25 Speed 30, climb 30 Str: +3 Dex: +2 Con: +2 Int: -2 Wis: +1 Cha: -2 Multiattack Punch: +5 hit. 1d6 +3 dmg. Mug Toss: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4+3 dmg. Nalak (goliath) AC 16 (medium armor) HP 29 Speed 35 Str: +4 Dex: +2 Con: +4 Int: -1 Wis: +1 Cha: 0 Rage Reckless Attack Multiattack Punch: +5 hit. 1d4 +4 dmg. Drunken Strength Use a bonus action to increase any damage output and AC by +1 for 1 minute. Leadership For 1 minute, the brawler can utter a special command whenever a teammate within 30 feet makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The teammate can add a d4 to its roll. Only one Leadership die can benefit the teammate at a time. Selfless Whenever a teammate is attacked within 5 feet of the brawler, he may use a reaction to become the target instead. Charger When the brawler uses an action to Dash, he can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon or punch attack or to shove the target. If he moves at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, he either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed). Mage Slayer When a creature within 5 feet of the brawler casts a spell, he can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. When he damages a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration. The brawler has advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 5 feet of him. Multiattack The brawler makes two attacks. Rage Use a bonus action to gain the following benefits: Advantage on Strength checks and saving throws; +2 all damage output; resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Reckless Attack On the first melee attack of the brawler’s turn, he may give the attack advantage, in turn of giving attack against you advantage, as well. Cunning Action On each turn, the brawler can use a bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide. Sneak Attack Once per turn, the brawler deals an additional 2d6 damage when he it hits a target and has advantage on the attack, or when the target is within 5 feet of the brawler’s teammate that isn’t incapacitated, Death Burst When the mephit dies, each medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained until the end of the creature’s turn. Mud Breath Recharge 5-6 One medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect prematurely on a success. Charm 1/Day Target a creature the brawler can see with 30 feet, making them make a DC Wisdom throw. On a failure, the target becomes Charmed. Benign Transposition 2/Day Use an action to teleport the brawler up to 30 feet away he can see. Alternatively, he can choose a willing target within range and swap positions (teammates are willing). Spellcaster 1 (+Int Mod or +Wis Mod to hit) Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand 1st Level (2 slots): mage armor, magic missile Spellcaster 2 (+Int Mod or +Wis Mod to hit) Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, vicious mockery 1st Level (4 slots): burning hands, grease, shield 2nd Level (2 slots): blur, shatter Spellcaster 3 (+Int Mod or +Wis Mod to hit) Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, vicious mockery 1st Level (4 slots): burning hands, grease, shield 2nd Level (3 slots): cloud of daggers, crown of madness, invisibility, mirror image Slimejack (halfling) AC 14 (natural armor) HP 25 Speed 25 Str: 0 Dex: +3 Con: +2 Int: +3 Wis: 0 Cha: +3 Spellcaster 2 (DC 14) Drunken Strength Mage Slayer Punch: +4 hit. 1d4 dmg. Kabo (human) AC 15 (natural armor) HP 21 Speed 30 Str: +3 Dex: +2 Con: +1 Int: +2 Wis: +2 Cha: 0 Spellcaster 1 (DC 12) Cunning Action Multiattack Punch: +5 hit. 1d4 +3 dmg Virk’ala (dragonborn) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 25 Speed 30 Str: +3 Dex: 0 Con: +2 Int: +3 Wis: +1 Cha: +2 Spellcaster 2 (DC 13) Leadership Punch: +5 hit. 1d4 +3 dmg. Chipnet (kobold) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 20 Speed 30 Str: -2 Dex: +3 Con: -1 Int: -1 Wis: 0 Cha: 0 Spellcaster 1 (DC 10) Benign Transposition Punch: +0 hit. 1d4 dmg. Mug Toss: +3 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4 dmg. Fennis (human) AC 12 (natural armor) HP 23 Speed 30 Str: +1 Dex: +2 Con: +1 Int: +3 Wis: +1 Cha: +3 Spellcaster 2 (DC 14) Charm Punch: +1 hit. 1d4 +1 dmg. Mug Toss: +5 hit. Range 20 ft. 1d4+1 dmg. Roll a d4 each tier until there are three brawlers Tier 1 Tier 2 (3 to 4 players) Tier 2 (optional) Tier 3 (5 to 6 players) 1 2 3 (choose both) (skip to Tier 4 if playing with 3 to 4 players) (3-4 players: roll for 2 brawlers; 5-6 players: roll for 4 brawlers)

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Zach Frederick/Knuckle Bone Pit Brawler Sheet.pdf

RES ROMANA: CLASS & RELIGION Savage Worlds, Weird Wars, all unique characters, creatures, and locations, artwork, logos, and the Pinnacle logo are © 2013 Great White Games, LLC; DBA Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. Permission is granted to print for personal use. Written by Jack Emmert Art by Mike Burns and iStockPhoto.com 2 CLASS Much of the history of Rome can be broken down into the struggle between the haves and have not’s. Though a form of democracy, the Roman Republic tended to weigh the votes of the wealthy far more heavily than the votes of the more humble classes. Even worse, most political offices were legally held only by the most elite. Many of the struggles of the Late Republic were due to plebians, or commoners, struggling for political acceptance. There are two interconnected systems within Roman Society. One of the oldest is the division of the Roman people into two categories: patrician and plebian. According to myth, Romulus selected one hundred men to serve as his advisors in the Senate. Their descendants were designated “patrician”, since these senators were often called “pater” (“father”) as part of their office. In reality, the patricians formed a noble class within the Roman Republic and controlled the Roman political system for centuries. For quite some time, the commoners, or plebeians, could not serve in most political offices or even priesthoods. It wasn’t until the Licinio-Sextian law of 367 BC that plebeians finally achieved a level of equality with patricians. Even after that point, there was always a great deal of tension between these two classes. The reality was that the patricians dominated Rome not just politically, but economically. These ancient families tended to accumulate wealth over generations and jealously guarded their power. While some plebeians fought against the patricians’ control, a great many simply saw it as part of the fabric of Roman life. These plebeians often worked for patricians, sometimes enthusiastically, sometimes grudgingly. In the Roman military, officers were always patricians, while plebeians served as either common soldiers or officers. And there’s nothing like a horde of barbarians to make every soldier feel at least some level of camaraderie with their fellow warrior. While these social divisions didn’t rend the legions as greatly as Roman society as a whole, there was no doubt some level of friction on a daily basis. By the time period of Weird War Rome, the patrician/plebeian division had subsided somewhat. But in its place was another system that divided Rome into several categories. Originally, two magistrates called censors would evaluate the wealth of every Roman citizen and assign him to one of three classes: senatorial (the wealthiest), the equestrian (next wealthy) and the proletariat (the poor). It’s important to note that the equestrians (so named for their ability to supply their own horse) were not a middle class. It’s simply that they were not the most wealthy. And that a middle class in all likelihood barely existed in Roman Society. The vast majority of citizens lived hand to mouth and depended heavily on their friends, family, or patrons. Because the military provided economic stability, it became an attractive opportunity to many in the late Republic and early Empire. There was an enormous crossover between the patrician and the senatorial/ equestrian classes, so much so that the terms became nearly interchangeable. Anyone of senatorial or equestrian rank would almost certainly serve as an officer. It would simply be inconceivable to the Roman mind to do anything else. SLAVES There was in fact another social class, whose labors supported the entire Roman social structure: the slaves. Rome’s vast military machine captured thousands and converted them into 3 RES ROMANA slaves. And these slaves powered Roman agriculture and commerce. Romans viewed slaves in a way that would be expected. Slaves were clearly considered less important than a full Roman citizen. Even the poorest Roman considered himself above any slave. A Roman, unlike a slave, possessed political power in the form of a vote. Admittedly, many citizens often sold their votes in order to earn a livelihood, but Romans still viewed it as something valuable. Though Roman history is scattered with various servile insurrections, Rome managed to keep these incidents to just a handful. Nearly any attempt at rebellion faced quick opposition and certain death. Rome knew that slaves outnumbered Romans in many places throughout its empire; only brutal tactics could hope to prevent an all out uprising. RACE Romans were completely certain that their society and culture were superior to everyone else’s. That was a considered a fact. And being a Roman meant certain things—obedience to Roman law and following Roman traditions specifically. Roman citizenship meant that one could participate in the political process of the most powerful nation in the Western World. Romans looked at various other Mediterranean cultures and formed stereotypes, much like cultures do today. Gauls and Germans were seen as uncouth barbarians who did not comprehend finer elements of civilization (such as laws). Romans saw Greeks as effete intellectuals whose time had passed. Egyptians were superstitious and overly religious. The Parthians were a mysterious, implacable foe to be feared at all times. Interestingly, Romans never saw these characteristics as genetic or certain. Early in the first century B.C., Rome extended ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jack Emmert is best known as the CEO of Cryptic Studios, makers of such major MMOs as Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, Champions Online, and City of Heroes. Jack also has a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania, a Masters Degree in Greek and Latin from Ohio State University, and a Masters in the Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World at the University of Chicago. Jack is a life-long gamer and comic book fan, and lives in San Jose, California with his wife, Elizabeth, and three children—one of whom is even named Trajan. full citizenship to everyone in Italy. And three centuries later, the Emperor Caracalla made all inhabitants of the Roman Empire full Roman citizens. In other words, the legal and even social concept of being Roman was mutable. People outside the Roman Empire could theoretically become part of it, if only they rejected their old lifestyles and embraced Roman ones. CITIZENSHIP THROUGH SERVICE One of the ways Rome extended her influence and culture was through its military. For centuries, Rome enrolled 4 RES ROMANA non-citizens and allies into the auxilia. Essentially, the auxilia were reflections of the Roman legions but open to far more people. Until the Roman Empire, the auxilia tended to be somewhat less equipped, though this changed over time. Auxilia units often specialized in areas Romans tended to put less focus on, such as cavalry. Once a soldier served 25 years in the auxilia, he earned citizenship along with his retirement. In these years, soldiers learned not just Roman military tactics, but also Roman culture and language. The auxilia became a way to slowly transform various territories into Roman cultural centers by training its men generation after generation in the Roman way. RELIGION Few things were more omnipresent in a Roman’s life than religion. Every day brought numerous interactions with the divine. For the most part, there were no particular observances or rituals that a person needed to follow (for example, attending a religious service once a week or prayers at specific times during the day). Instead, Romans tended to engage their gods on their own initiative and schedule. The simplest, and most common, was the prayer. A Roman usually invoked a god or goddess and politely requested some sort of boon. The official stance was with eyes casts downward and palms raised upwards, but in practice a few simple spoken words sufficed. Prayers could be uttered anywhere, though often Romans did so in front of temples or statues. Sometimes, Romans took their requests directly to the gods themselves by bringing a note and placing it on a temple. Aside from prayer, Romans also offered sacrifices to show their devotion to the gods. Most famously, Romans sacrificed cattle in altars set in front of the temple. The meat was eaten by the supplicant and occasionally the priest, while the fat and bones were given to the god. Other animals (goats, sheep, etc.) were also commonly sacrificed. Nearly every Roman city was filled with numerous temples to various gods. Temples were seen as literal houses for the divine images within. Usually, only the priests were allowed into the temples. The duty of a priest was to care for the statue within by giving it offerings and occasionally changing AN EQUESTRIAN 5 RES ROMANA its decorations. The statue was seen as an extension of the god itself and the temple was a sort of house for it. Only the privileged few were permitted in the god’s presence. Many homes, whether full houses or even just a simple apartment, contained small idols and figurines of various gods. Romans also worshiped a special divinity, called the lares familiares (“the family spirits”), that looked after the household and all in it. All family members regularly prayed to and sacrificed to the lares to ensure good luck. PRIESTS Few commoners could ever become priests. Nearly all priesthoods required patrician (i.e. noble) lineage. Unlike the modern era, most Roman priests were not full time. Their duties did not require them to be on the temple’s premises at all times. And a few of the priesthoods were not even associated with a temple. THE GODS By the time of the late Republic, Roman religion had fully morphed into a reflection of their Greek fore bearers. Centuries earlier, the Romans appeared to have had a far more animistic religious system. In other words, nearly every object possessed some sort of spirit. So there was a god of doors, a god of windows, a god of beds, a god of lamps and so forth. But over time, the pantheon of gods familiar throughout the Greek world slowly dominated Roman practice. Nearly every Roman god assumed the characteristics and likenesses of a Greek counterpart. The most common are as follows: • Zeus - Jupiter • Poseidon - Neptune • Hades - Pluto • Ares - Mars • Aphrodite - Venus • Hera - Juno • Hermes – Mercury It would be a mistake to think these gods were exactly the same as their Greek versions. Ares, for example, was the god of violence and irrational warfare. He was seen as the ultimate villain in most Greek myths and consequently the Greeks dedicated almost no temples to him. Mars, on the other hand, was a god worshiped on nearly the same level as Jupiter himself. Mars oversaw not just matters of war, but also agriculture and statecraft. Most likely, Mars was quite a different sort of deity at first, but slowly acquired Ares’ characteristics as the Romans tried to equate their gods to their Greek neighbors. During the late Republic, the religious world was thrown into turmoil over the arrival of very new, very different sorts of deities on Roman soil. These imports, mostly from the Eastern World, introduced Romans to an entirely different type of worship. Four major deities are generally grouped into this category. The first, and earliest, arrival, was the Magna Mater or “Great Mother.” Her massive sacred rock was brought up the Tiber along with her frenzied priests. So great was their devotion that they would castrate themselves in her honor! Second was Serapis and his consort Isis. Both were versions of gods well known to Egypt, but these gods imparted special mystic knowledge to their followers. The third and fourth gods spread mostly in the Imperial Period. Mithras was a warrior god with close association to an Asian deity. He was seen as eternally battling forces of chaos to preserve the world. Lastly, a small, but incredibly devoted group called Christians were perhaps the most unique of all. Unlike nearly everyone else in Roman society, the Christians worshiped only their god, but no others. This stood them apart from almost every other type of worship known at the time. HADES, OR PLUTO TO THE ROMANS 6 RES ROMANA MAGIC The modern observer often draws a pretty strict line between magic and religion. To the average Roman, the line was much more blurry. Charms were ubiquitous in everyday life. People often wore amulets to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and illness. People could hire oracles to read their futures. Soothsayers and miracle workers cast their spells— but only for a fee. And these spells often invoked the very same gods that Romans could find in a temple down the street! Romans had a well developed sense of witchcraft, or bad magic. Most commonly, witchcraft involved invoking foreign or odd deities for malicious acts. Almost always, such witches and spells came from Eastern locales such as Thessaly or Asia Minor. BELIEF Most of what we know about how the Romans felt about their religion is derived from the writings of authors such as Cicero, Livy, and even Julius Caesar. Nearly every author had a relatively similar viewpoint on Roman religion. Mostly, these authors valued the traditions of Rome because they had been passed down for centuries and Romans tended to value their ancestors highly. So if something was done in antiquity, Romans tended to keep doing it. But actually believing that the Jupiter was sitting on Mount Olympus? Or that Vulcan worked in the fires of Mount Aetna? The classical writers tended to turn their nose up at such notions. But we must take into account that these authors all tended to be drawn from the very elite of Roman society and they did not necessarily represent the views of the great majority. And sadly, we possess almost nothing of what the “common man” actually felt about their gods. All we have are archaeological scraps here and there. The first, and perhaps most important, piece of evidence is the sheer number of temples throughout the Roman World. It’s difficult to believe that a populace would work so hard and so long to erect enormous structures for something that had no belief attached to it. Secondly, the classical authors all testified to the need of Roman religion as a means of keeping society tied together. Shared, communal rituals helped provide common experiences for all Romans. But again, it’s hard to imagine millions of Romans participating in various holidays and rituals if there was no faith involved. Lastly, we do possess a great amount of physical objects that indicate a large degree of reliance and trust in the gods. We have discovered thousands of amulets which invoke gods in order to ward off bad luck and illness. We’ve uncovered papyri that call upon the gods 7 RES ROMANA to help assist people in their common lives. It appears that these spells were possessed by itinerant priests and mages that made their living by their magical invocations. We have found thousands of shards, inscriptions and graffiti on and around temples that call upon the gods to help. MYTH AND RELIGION Romans managed to handle two completely different depictions of their gods in their minds. On the one hand, there were the vaguely omnipotent deities invoked in prayer, ritual and spells. Usually, this is what tends to come to mind when seeing the massive statues of the gods in Roman temples. On the other hand, Romans produced stories and myths about their gods that bordered on the profane. A good example is the god Hercules: he was revered in an ancient temple near the center of Rome’s business district, but at the same time, the butt of various indecent jokes in a play of Plautus. It’s important to remember that Romans, much like other Mediterranean peoples, had a rich storytelling tradition. And they loved a good yarn and tale. Sometimes, these myths were intended to impart a moral lesson, other times a myth was nothing other than an attempt to entertain. And because there was never any formal attempt to standardize these myths and put them into text, tales of the gods kept multiplying and adapting to the needs of the storyteller. The Roman audience didn’t need or expect the gods in its myths to resemble the gods of its religion. Much to the contrary, it appeared that both types could exist simultaneously without any discord, though a few philosophers did point out this disharmony. There was, however, a rather stern streak within Roman culture palpable in many writings. Some Romans found poetry, plays and storytelling in general as frivolous at best and amoral at worst. Certainly an aspect of this was the fact that these media tended to depict gods in a not-so-nice light. But much of this attitude is probably a dislike of these brands of entertainment as a whole and not just the subject matter. Proper Romans, in their minds, were serious and focused wholly on practical matters. THE EMPEROR The Emperor sat in a strange position regarding religion. During his lifetime, an Emperor was always given the office of Pontifex Maximus—or chief priest. And upon death, most emperors (assuming they weren’t mad) usually achieved divine status and became a god honored by temples. But during his life, an emperor was not to be worshiped as a god…in Italy. In other places, temples to honor an emperor were accepted and later even encouraged. But within Italy, this was forbidden for centuries. Romans thought that immortalizing a living person was an uncivilized act only done by barbarians. Of course someone wasn’t a god while they were still living! Only a savage would imagine that! However, the Romans cleverly got around this by worshiping not the emperor, but his genius. A genius was a sort of guardian spirit that everyone possessed. So every Roman citizen honored an emperor’s genius, ostensibly to wish the emperor good fortune and by extension, the empire. But in practice, this became a version of the imperial cult. THE STANDARDS The Roman Army was one of the most difficult existences in the world. Rome forged a military machine greater than any previous through an incredible mixture of discipline and violence. Soldiers became so attached to their units that the army’s standards became sacred instruments. Those standards weren’t necessarily divine in the sense that they 8 RES ROMANA represented a particular deity. But the standards represented the health and very existence of a legion. As a result, Roman soldiers did nearly anything to preserve the standards—and their loss was something almost too awful to contemplate. FROM REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE One of the most striking differences in the Roman military in the change from Republic to Empire was the legions’ loyalty. Throughout the Republic, the backbone of the Roman military was made of Roman citizens serving dutifully the needs of Rome. The generals, appointed by the Senate, usually served a year, perhaps slightly more when need arose. The overall Roman aristocracy tended to share command of the legions between each other. But as the Roman Republic grew larger and larger, it became more and more impractical to rotate commanders so frequently. After all, it could take months to get to a legion before a general could even take command! Even more importantly, the conquests of a Roman legion brought larger and larger spoils. One of the contributing factors to the end of the Roman Republic was in fact the rise of generals, such as Marius, Sulla, Pompey and Caesar, whose wealth was so vast they could raise a legion all by themselves. And with the Roman war machine in full swing, these generals could satiate the army’s desires with vast amounts of plunder. No longer did the legions owe allegiance to the Senate and the Roman people, now they owed allegiance to a single man. And when several of these powerful men rose to prominence at a single time, civil war inevitably followed. AUGUSTUS AS PONTIFEX MAXIMUS 9 RES ROMANA AUGUSTUS The end of the Republic and the rise of the Empire did not happen with a single event, but rather a series of small changes. Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, inherited a Roman state torn apart by these civil wars for almost a century. He immediately began putting obstacles in the way of aspiring generals to prevent them from acquiring too much glory and too much support among their legions. As a result, Augustus virtually eliminated threats to his dominance of the Roman State. Though we call Augustus the first emperor, the term and office didn’t really formalize for well over a hundred years. Augustus was consider the princeps or “first man of the Senate.” He was clearly “first among equals” and possessed an unprecedented litany of legal and religious offices, but no Roman would consider him a “king.” For many years, Rome still considered herself a Republic, where citizens’ votes actually passed the laws and the Senate still guided the ship of state. Though Augustus adroitly amassed institutional power and influence and even made it hereditary, the notion of an absolute Roman ruler was still over a century away. FURTHER READING Life in Ancient Rome, FR Cowell A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome: Daily Life, Mysteries, and Curiousities, Alberto Angela Cthulhu Invictus, Chaosium Games GURPs Imperial Rome, Steve Jackson Games The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of Emperor Nero and His City, Stephen Dando-Collins THE LEGIONS We’ve found Stephen Dando- Collins works particularly useful. • Caesar’s Legions • Nero’s Killing Machine • Legions of Rome • The Ides: Caesar’s Murder and the War for Rome • Blood of the Caesars • Mark Antony’s Heroes • Cleopatra’s Kidnappers MOVIES & TELEVISION Rome, HBO Spartacus, Starz 10 RES ROMANA AUGURIES Romans talked, prayed, and sacrificed to the Gods constantly. Soldiers in particular asked for the deities’ blessings before engaging in important actions such as battles or diplomatic missions. In Weird Wars Rome, prayer and sacrifice take multiple forms. Soldiers who want to donate a Spoil to the gods receive a temporary blessing for their tribute (see the Spoils of War section in Weird Wars Rome). Commanders of larger forces might “take the auspices” to see if the signs and portents are in favor of battle on a particular day. CONSULTING THE AUGURIES Prior to the start of a Mass Battle, the priests of any sizable Roman force (a cohort or larger) must take the auspices (watch the birds for signs from the gods), read the haruspices (examine the entrails of sacrificed animals), or any other ritual appropriate to the era. The War Master then draws a single card and consults the Auguries Table below. The penalty or bonus is applied to the commander’s first Knowledge (Battle) roll made in the next 24 hours. Assuming he has a choice, the commander may decline giving battle for a 24-hour period, at which point the effect expires and a new reading may be taken. Of course this may give the enemy time to build defenses, gather reinforcements, or otherwise prepare for the coming offensive. ENEMY AUGURIES Enemy commanders, including non- Romans, might also consult their gods as well. Each side may benefit—or suffer— from the blessings of their deities. AUGURIES Card Mod Reading 2 –2 The animal’s entrails are black and cancerous. This is a poor day to start a battle. 3–5 –1 The auguries are not favorable. 6–8 — The gods seem unconcerned in the affairs of men this day. 9–10 +1 The gods desire battle—and blood. In the Battle Aftermath stage, the victor recovers tokens only on a 5–6, while the loser recovers only on a roll of 6 (or cannot recover if they routed). Any character involved in the battle takes an additional +1d6 damage if they suffer damage. Jack–King +1 The gods are pleased. Ace +2 The gods revel in the slaughter to come. Joker +2 The gods embrace the coming sacrifice and find favor with the greatest warriors. The commander adds +2 to his Knowledge (Battle) roll as usual, but both sides add +2 to their morale (Spirit) rolls, ensuring great violence and bloodshed. Characters on the commander’s side gain a +2 bonus to their attack rolls during the Mass Battle as well. WITHOUT FEAR Gladiator Magnus Bos remembers little before the fight with the strange gray beast of Aegyptus. Some say that battle left him addled, simple...even dumb. But it also left the Thracian without fear. Perhaps this is why the slave is purchased by a strange cabal and taken to a cursed village on a distant isle--and the strangest arena of his life. WITH UTMOST DISPATCH Legionary Titus Aetius is tasked with hunting down a deserter, his best friend of a decade and fellow soldier. But Titus isn’t the only hunter stalking the dark forests of Gaul. The deserter’s trail disappears in a blood-soaked and empty village. Torn between honor and loyalty, Titus must find some way to outwit his officers, save his friend, and survive whatever horror has ravaged the countryside...with utmost dispatch. TALES OF THE WEIRD WARS Want more tales of military horror against the backdrop of the greatest empire the world has ever known? Look for Without Fear and With Utmost Dispatch from Wendigo Tales, available at www.peginc.com!

textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Weird Wars/Rome/Savage Worlds - Weird Wars - Rome - Res Romana.pdf

Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 1 Il pleut des vaches Un scénario pour Magna Veritas v1.0 par G.E. Ranne Parution dans Plasma n°7 (octobre – novembre 1992) Illustrations par Var Anda Numérisation par Fervalaka avec l’aimable autorisation de G. E. Ranne, Croc et Var Anda Introducing le scenario du jour INS/MV, une petite nouvelle apolitique pour se mettre dans le bain Toc toc… « Oui, entrez ! » « Jean-Marie Gadin ? » « Moi-même... Entrez donc puisque vous êtes déjà à l'intérieur... Quelle fougue… Vous désirez ? » « Roger Daruge, du Provençal. Vous savez, le quotidien...» « Oui, je vois. Et que puis-je faire pour vous ? » « Et bien c'est très simple... Ce n'est pas au conseiller régional au-dessus de tout soupçon que je désire m'adresser aujourd'hui, mais à l'escroc... Vous comprenez ? » « Pas du tout... Mais je vous en prie, continuez, là, vous commencez à m'amuser. Et Dieu sait si l'amusement me tient à cœur. . . Si j'ose dire. . . » « Commençons donc par le début si vous le prenez si bien... Tout le monde connaît vos actions sur les quartiers Nord... Figurez- vous que je suis tombé tout à fait par hasard sur certains dossiers du conseil régional. Bien sûr, ces dossiers auraient dû être passés au broyeur, mais dans le Sud, vous savez un pot-de-vin arrange beaucoup de choses... Ces dossiers sont maintenant en sécurité... Vous comprenez maintenant ?» « … » « Ahhh... J'aime mieux ça... Alors, répondez-moi... Les quartiers Nord méritent-ils l'installation d'un dépôt de déchets toxiques ? Surtout derrière l'hôpital Saint-Georges ? Le dépôt passe encore, mais quand on y ajoute le détour de la voie du TGV qui longe maintenant l'école maternelle, les couloirs aériens de l'aéroport 1515 qui font voler les avions à moins de 100 mètres de la « zone résidentielle du soleil », j'en passe et des meilleures, on arrive à un joli paquet de scandales qui pourrait vous valoir votre poste, votre tête, sans compter ce par quoi certains aimeraient vous pendre...» « Soit. Admettons... mais pourquoi êtes -vous ici en train de parler au lieu d'écrire tout ceci dans le.,. euh... Le Provençal ?» « Comme je vous l'ai dit tout à l'heure, un pot-de-vin arrange beaucoup de choses dans le Sud... J'ai toutes les preuves de ce que j'avance, vous devez avoir beaucoup d'argent. Le calcul est simple. Vous me versez beaucoup d'argent et je garde les dossiers pour moi. Et on se serre la main, bons amis. Qu'en pensez-vous ? » « Un instant je vous prie... Catherine, Catherine ? Que l'on ne me dérange sous aucun prétexte. Aucun, d'accord ? Oui et détournez les appels également... Merci Catherine... Alors, Monsieur Daruge, retournons à nos moutons...» « Oui, je vais être clair : disons 15.000 par mois pour commencer. Après on pourra considérer des versements plus... Oh, c'est curieux que vous parliez de moutons alors qu’un troupeau traverse justement votre bureau... et... oh, des pommiers avec des pommes ! De grosses pommes violettes qui rebondissent ! Oh non, elles écrasent les moutons ! C’est horrible ! Et là, regardez au loin, ces nuages qui se forment... Il va pleuvoir, je vais prendre mon parapluie... Ah, j’avais raison, il commence à pleuvoir... Ce sont des grosses gouttes. Elles ont une forme bizarre, une forme de... de vaches ? Mais ça ne va pas du tout... je n'ai pas de parapluie à vaches, moi. Je vais en acheter un dans ce trou-là, à ce gros lapin. Bonjour lapin, je voudrais un parapluie à vaches. Comment, là, dans le tunnel du TGV, dans le noir, c'est la réserve des parapluies à vaches ? Ils sont rangés à côté des ombrelles à baleines bleues et des parasols à Carpentras, ah, non des parasols à cancrelats, c'est ça ? Et je vais aller les chercher moi-même ? Vous êtes bien aimable ! J'y vais... Quoi, ce grondement au fond du tunnel, cette lumière ? Le TGV? Oh non ! Le Queen Elizabeth 2 ! ! ! » « Pfuuuuiii... Catherine, passez-moi les services de nettoyage de la mairie s'il vous plaît... Allô Victor ? Gadin à l'appareil. J'ai une urgence dans mon bureau, comme d'habitude... oui, une hémorragie cérébrale fulgurante si l'on veut...» Vous remarquerez à la lecture de ce charmant scénario que le titre censé l'introduire n'a que très peu de rapport avec le contenu (quoique...). Il est évident que Mon curé chez les travelos serait plus approprié, mais dévoilerait aussi un peu trop l'idée directrice de la trame de l'intrigue. Vous suivez ? L'histoire II était une fois (au passage, notons l'existence de l'excellente extension d'INS-MV du même nom, en vente partout) Jean-Marie Gadin, Démon de grade 3 aux ordres de Kobal, Prince de l'humour noir. Celui-ci, fidèle à la réputation habituelle de son Prince, cherchait depuis longtemps à réaliser le gag ultime. Il fut nommé, grade oblige, à un poste important à Marseille, ville sympathique s'il en est. Là, outre ses nouvelles activités d'attaché culturel, il eut accès à un grand nombre de documents concernant les forces du Bien sur le territoire de la région PACA, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur. Il faut savoir que quand un Ange ou un Démon de grade important est repéré par les forces adverses, il est rare qu'il soit immédiatement éliminé. Il est beaucoup plus intéressant de le mettre sous surveillance, voire sous écoute afin d'obtenir encore plus de renseignements (à ce sujet, reportez-vous au scénario Arrête de sucer mon gros crayon dans l'excellente extension d'INS- MV Demonix Remix, en vente partout). Il existe donc, dans les archives de chaque camp, une liste de noms et de coordonnées des couvertures d'êtres importants du camp adverse, surveillés étroitement par des services prévus à cet effet. Ces coordonnées ne sont accessibles qu'aux seuls grades 3 et plus, pour éviter toute bavure. Avoir en permanence sous les yeux une telle mine de gags en puissance, sans pouvoir s'en servir, frustrait le bon Jean-Marie. C'est sa rencontre avec Martial Gaulard, un Démon de grade Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 2 1 aux ordres de Nisroch, Prince des drogues, qui lui donna l'idée du siècle. Il allait enlever certains des Anges présents sur la liste et leur faire subir une petite opération. Bon d'accord, c'est un euphémisme : il allait en faire de parfaits transsexuels. Notons que les Anges étant asexués de base (toujours les éternelles questions sur le sexe des anges) l'opération n'a aucun effet sur leur corps éthéré ni sur leurs pouvoirs. Seul le corps d'emprunt de l'Ange, son corps physique, qui lui a un sexe, est touché. L'opération est irréversible, mais par contre, l'Ange se remet de l'opération extrêmement rapidement. Une fois « l'opération » intervenue, comment maintenir l'Ange sous contrôle ? C'est là qu'interviennent Martial et sa boîte de nuit. Martial est propriétaire du Sax, une discothèque qui ferait le bonheur d'un village paumé d'Eure-et-Loir, mais qui, sur le vieux port de Marseille, fait un peu ringard. Martial étant aux ordres de Nisroch, il possède tous les pouvoirs et toute la pharmacopée nécessaire pour garder chimiquement quelqu'un sous sa coupe, fut- il un Ange. Transsexuelle et droguée, la créature divine pourra alors être sans encombre livrée à la prostitution après un stage intensif de formation au Sax. Simple, non ? Le premier Ange à se faire mettre [pardonnez-moi l'expression, mais c'est tout de même le but de la manœuvre) est Richard Andréas, un avocat du barreau de Marseille. Après un enlèvement réussi, et un court séjour dans une clinique borgne, Richard est transformé en Jeannine. Au bout de quelques jours au Sax, il se fait rapidement des roubignoles en platine, s'il en avait encore, à se prostituer sur les chantiers de Marignane. Bref, il enrichit son proxénète, une connaissance de Martial. Tout se complique quand la hiérarchie démoniaque se rend compte de la disparition du deuxième Ange, Alain Badoit, un journaliste local. En effet, quand un Ange au service de Dominique, c'est le cas d'Alain Badoit, disparaît sans laisser de traces, ce n'est pas pour faire une fugue... du moins rarement. C'est souvent parce qu'il a été invoqué par un sorcier ou tué par un Démon. Et dans ce cas, les représailles ne tardent jamais, les Anges au service de Dominique mettant un point d'honneur à griller la file d'attente au guichet de retour au Paradis pour aller dénoncer tout le monde et crier vengeance. Dans le cas qui nous intéresse, l'Ange en question n'est pas au paradis, mais plutôt en enfer... du moins au Sax, où il répond maintenant au doux nom de Fernande (quand j'y pense, je... STOP !). Mais cela, les Démons ne peuvent bien sûr pas le savoir. Certains Démons aux ordres d'Andromalius ont commencé à trouver ça un peu louche : deux Anges puissants, sous surveillance depuis longtemps, qui leur fournissaient involontairement des informations intéressantes... disparaissant tout d'un coup ! Ils décidèrent donc d'envoyer l'un de leurs agents locaux en mission à Marseille. Celui-ci, Édouard Vaillant, vint très naturellement trouver Jean-Marie Gadin, eu égard à son grade, et lui expliqua le pourquoi de sa venue. Pour Gadin, une seule solution (il connaît le flair des envoyés d'Andromalius et il s'est mis en infraction vis-à-vis de la hiérarchie démoniaque en châtrant deux Anges « sous surveillance » auxquels il ne fallait pas toucher - qu'est-ce qu'on ne ferait pas pour un gag...) : en deux temps, trois mouvements, Édouard est transformé en Ginette, l'imperfection au masculin. Mais alors, où est le problème ? Le problème, c'est que du côté des forces du Mal, la disparition d'un Démon aux ordres d'Andromalius ne passe pas inaperçue, et une équipe d'investigation est immédiatement envoyée sur les lieux pour enquêter. Du côté des forces du Bien, la disparition des deux Anges précités - en particulier celle d'Alain Badoit - qui ne répondent plus à l'appel, entraîne également l'envoi, mais avec un certain retard, d'une équipe d'investigation de choc. Le retard s'explique facilement : les forces du Bien ne surveillent pas tous leurs Anges, surtout ceux au service de Dominique qui sont censés surveiller les autres. Il existe un système sophistiqué de codes à horaires déterminés à l'avance. Ce n'est que lorsque deux des codes ne sont pas parvenus à destination que les services de renseignements se mettent en branle et déclenchent les recherches. À ce moment-là, tout va souvent très vite. Les plus rapides d'entre vous auront déjà tout compris, mais une explication est peut-être nécessaire pour les malcomprenants : les joueurs d'INS vont jouer l'équipe d'investigation envoyée par les Démons et les joueurs de MV joueront celle envoyée par les Anges. Les deux équipes seront en même temps sur le coup. L'équipe sur la même enquête que les joueurs, mais qui leur est opposée (composée de Démons si les joueurs jouent à Magna Veritas, et d'Anges si les joueurs jouent à In Nomme Satanis) sera composée de PNJs, détaillés dans le chapitre du même nom. L'introduction générale Le 25 janvier 92, les joueurs, où qu'ils soient, sont convoqués via un Message Officiel dans le TGV en direction de Marseille. Les réservations en seconde classe ainsi que les billets sont livrés avec le message. Aucune autre information ne leur est Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 3 donnée, ils auront tout à l'intérieur du TGV. Dans le TGV, l'ambiance est sympathique, entre le bébé qui hurle devant eux, le rappeur qui fait profiter de sa « musique » à toute la voiture et le chien qui vient de découvrir qu'il y avait un chat, là, dans la boîte en osier posée devant lui. Laissez vos joueurs agir ou se défouler un peu, cela ne fait de mal à personne. Le contrôleur ne tardera pas, et demandera avec la plus grande courtoisie les billets aux joueurs. Après quelques secondes de vérification, il annoncera que les personnages doivent le suivre, leurs réservations étant visiblement fausses. Note à l'intention des joueurs bourrins : toute attaque physique visible contre le contrôleur en présence des voyageurs sera récompensée par une limitation, applicable immédiatement, et n'aura d'ailleurs aucun effet sur lui. Une attaque mentale n'aura pas plus d'effet. En considérant que les joueurs suivent bien gentiment le contrôleur dans son local, en face des toilettes, il devrait bientôt y avoir 6 ou 7 personnes entassées dans 3 m2. C'est à ce moment que le contrôleur lancera la fameuse phrase qui l'a rendu célèbre en d'autres temps, dans d'autres lieux. L'introduction INS « Bonjour, je suis le Prince Andromalius. » Le fait qu'une telle huile se déplace pour donner l'intitulé de la mission aux joueurs devrait mettre la puce à l'oreille des joueurs sur l'importance de ladite mission. « La mission que je vous confie est d'une simplicité enfantine. Édouard Vaillant, Démon à mes ordres a disparu, il n'est pas apparu aux portes de l'Enfer, il doit donc être encore sur Terre. À moins qu'il ne se soit fait invoquer par un sorcier, ce qui est possible. Il était parti enquêter sur la disparition d'un Ange sous surveillance, un certain Alain Badoit. Découvrez où il se trouve et je serai généreux. Échouez et je serai sans pitié. Voici le dossier comportant tous les renseignements concernant l'identité humaine d'Édouard Vaillant et les renseignements sur Alain Badoit. Votre contact à Marseille sera Jean-Marie Gadin, Ange de Grade 3 aux ordres de Kobal. Allez le voir et surtout, soyez discrets. » L'introduction MV « Bonjour, je suis l'Archange Dominique. » Le fait qu'une telle huile se déplace pour donner l'intitulé de la mission aux joueurs devrait mettre la puce à l'oreille des joueurs sur l'importance de ladite mission. « La mission que je vous confie est d'une simplicité enfantine. Alain Badoit, Ange à mon service a disparu, il n'est pas apparu aux portes du Paradis, il doit donc être encore sur Terre. À moins qu'il ne se soit fait invoquer par un sorcier, ce qui est toujours possible. Votre mission, vous allez l'accepter, est de découvrir ce qui est arrivé à Alain Badoit et, si possible de lui porter secours. Voici le dossier comportant tous les renseignements concernant l'identité humaine d'Alain Badoit. » Sur ce, les personnages arriveront à bon port, en l'occurrence en gare de Marseille Saint Charles. L'important ! ! ! Ayez toujours à l'esprit que les deux équipes, celle des joueurs et celle des PNJs, vont tenter de résoudre l'enquête en même temps. Cela dit, la réaction de Jean-Marie Gadin à la venue de l'équipe démoniaque va précipiter les choses, comme vous pourrez le voir ci-dessous. On a beau être Démon de grade 3, on en est pas moins terrorisé quand une équipe d'investigation vient vous voir, surtout si elle déclare être envoyée par Andromalius lui-même (les joueurs ne sont évidemment pas obligés de dire qui les envoie, mais dans ce cas, la hiérarchie étant ce qu'elle est, les Démons se feront marcher dessus par Gadin). Jean-Marie Gadin a tout de même quelque chose à se reprocher. Aucune des pistes ne peut en principe remonter jusqu'à lui, mais le maillon faible dans sa chaîne de culpabilité est Martial Gaulard (le Démon aux ordres de Nisroch de Grade 1, son complice). Dès que les Démons auront quitté son bureau, Gadin préviendra Gaulard et lui ordonnera de faire disparaître toutes les traces de son forfait. Non pas Fernande et Ginette, mais bien tous les indices qui permettraient de remonter jusqu'à lui. Fernande et Ginette sont maintenant des pensionnaires à demeure du Sax et sont indétectables par l'un ou l'autre camp, le Démon aux ordres d'Andromalius possédant le pouvoir spécial Humanité et l'Ange au service de Dominique étant non détectable. Ce sont donc deux prostituées « normales », droguées jusqu'à l'os, mais complètement nymphomanes qui seront en permanence en train de danser au Sax, quand elles ne seront pas en train de pratiquer leur nouvelle occupation lucrative dans les toilettes. Martial Gaulard va donc envoyer quelques-uns de ses zombies pour effacer, ou plutôt pour manger, toutes les traces dans les appartements des victimes, à savoir Alain Badoit (Fernande), Édouard Vaillant (Ginette) et Richard Andréas (Jeannine). Richard Andréas est quantité négligeable dans ce scénario dans la mesure où il fait déjà les chantiers et que si les joueurs découvrent des traces pouvant mener jusqu'à lui, c'est qu'ils auront déjà découvert le pot aux roses. Le zombie de l'appartement L'appartement d'Alain Badoit n'a rien d'exceptionnel, de même que celui d'Édouard Vaillant. Les documents et indices qui peuvent être découverts seront détaillés un peu plus loin. Attardons-nous un peu sur le rôle et sur les motivations du zombie envoyé par Martial Gaulard (le Démon au service de Nisroch) pour enlever les indices. Quoique d'une intelligence tout juste supérieure à la moyen d'un militant communiste, le zombie, appelons-le Marcel, suit à la lettre les ordres de son patron. Vêtu d'un très joli imperméable et coiffé d'un très joli chapeau, il doit aller dans un appartement en évitant de se faire remarquer. Il faut bien avouer, que déguisé de la sorte, il ne passerait pas inaperçu partout, et surtout pas sur le vieux port. Il doit ensuite manger tous les documents qu'il découvrira dans l'appartement. En cas de danger, il doit se cacher dans le premier placard venu. S'il est attaqué, il doit se défendre, en tuant l'attaquant si possible. Il doit ensuite retourner d'où il vient, c'est-à- dire du Sax, en évitant une fois de plus de se faire remarquer (iI n'est pas inutile de répéter plusieurs fois la même chose à un zombie, ils sont tout de même très très cons). Chez Édouard Vaillant (INS) Le dossier d'Édouard Vaillant contient sa photo (un petit mec brun) et son adresse. Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 4 Il habitait un petit deux pièces près du port. Rien de louche dans son appartement... Édouard Vaillant était un vaillant petit Démon organisé. On trouve donc, classés proprement sur son bureau, tous les éléments concernant ses missions anciennes. Un joli petit dossier rose pour chaque. Mais, hélas, rien du tout sur Alain Badoit, même pas la pochette rose qui devait contenir les documents. Où que puisse être maintenant ce pauvre Édouard, il a emporté son joli petit dossier rose avec lui... Édouard Vaillant a disparu le dimanche 20 janvier. Les Démons, pour continuer l'enquête, n'ont sous la dent que le dossier d'A. Badoit. Le dossier d'Alain Badoit (INS / MV) Le dossier d'Alain Badoit contient la même chose, qu'il ait été fait par les Anges ou par les Démons, ce qui prouve l'excellence des services de renseignements démoniaques. Il contient : • Sa photo (un grand et beau mec blond), la photocopie de sa carte d'identité et son adresse. • Un petit dossier du travail qu'effectuait Alain Badoit : journaliste « mondain », il couvrait les réceptions et les cocktails de la haute société marseillaise. Il en profitait pour rester en contact avec les Anges qui s'y étaient infiltrés - et servait aussi, sans doute, à y dénicher d'éventuels Démons. Alain Badoit a disparu le mardi 15 janvier. II était employé officiellement par la succursale marseillaise du très fameux célèbre journal Points de Vue - Mirages du Monde, dont l'adresse se trouve comme il se doit dans le dossier. L'appartement d'Alain Badoit (INS / MV) II est situé au quatrième étage un bel immeuble sur La Canebière. Une concierge balaie la cour d'entrée et regarde d'un air noir tous les individus qui tenteraient d'entrer dans son royaume. Elle fera chier jusqu'au bout votre petite équipe, juste pour les habituer à faire un peu de roleplaying. Arrangez-vous, par exemple en faisant passer des habitants de l'immeuble, pour que vos joueurs ne la tuent pas dans un geste de colère... C'est pour leur faire une petite surprise quand ils vont redescendre. L'appartement est grand (cinq ou six pièces), beau, feutré. Les volets des fenêtres sont fermés et il est plongé dans une pénombre moite. N'insistez cependant pas trop sur l'ambiance bizarre... là aussi, il faut garder la surprise. En effet, Marcel le zombie est dans l'appartement, où il allait faire disparaître les indices. Entendant du bruit, il s'est caché dans un placard. Un zombie contre une équipe d'Anges ou de Démons, c'est vraiment du menu fretin. Il faut donc jouer sur la surprise et l'étrangeté. L'équipe de joueurs n'ayant rien à craindre, devrait s'éparpiller un peu partout pour pouvoir mieux chercher : un dans la salle à manger, un dans le bureau, etc. Le zombie essayera de faire peur à un isolé. Improvisez ; des yeux brillants dans le placard où le joueur regarde, etc. Le zombie attaquera aussitôt, essayant de le faire silencieusement (on lui a assez répété « Sois discret ! »). Il y a peu de chance que le zombie réussisse, mais bien jouée, la scène pourra avoir un certain effet psychologique. Le zombie a dans sa poche les clés de l'appartement que Martial Gaulard a tout simplement prises à Alain Badoit. Il a trouvé ce qu'il voulait détruire : l'agenda d'Alain Badoit, où était peut-être inscrit le nom de Jean-Marie Gadin... En effet, Jean-Marie Gadin, pour enlever Alain Badoit, l'a invité, en tant qu'attaché culturel, à venir prendre un cocktail au Sax (mais tous ces détails vous seront précisés plus tard). Il était donc entré en communication avec Alain, et ne désirant pas qu'on puisse établir un lien entre lui et l'Ange disparu, il a préféré faire détruire cet agenda. Marcel l'a d'ailleurs consciencieusement dévoré et il ne reste, par terre dans le bureau d'Alain, que la petite boucle en métal qui fermait le Filofax et que Marcel n'a pas pu ingérer. La cible suivante de Marcel devait être l'agenda du bureau d'Alain Badoit... il ne l'atteindra malheureusement jamais. Les joueurs ne trouveront rien d'intéressant, à part la photo d'une jolie jeune femme rousse et souriante qu'Alain Badoit tient par la taille sur de nombreuses photos, et une boîte de préservatifs Prophyltex dans la salle de bains. Les joueurs vont finir par redescendre. Tout a l'air normal... Sauf que : MV : La concierge gît, égorgée, dans une mare de sang. Quelques témoins sont déjà sur les lieux, et la police a été appelée. Une vieille dame, qui a tout vu par la fenêtre du premier étage, leur dira que « La pauvre femme avait interpellé des gens avec une petite fille qui voulaient monter chez M. Alain Badoit... C'est horrible, y en a un, il lui a passé la main sous la gorge et elle est tombée comme ça par terre, morte. Alors, j'ai crié, les gens sont sortis et ils sont partis. » Il s'agit de l'équipe de Démons, voir description dans le chapitre PNJ, qui est sur la même piste que les joueurs et qu'ils viennent de rater... de très peu. INS : La concierge est assise devant sa loge, les yeux fixes, le regard dans le vide. Une vieille dame demande aux joueurs d'aller chercher de l'aide... « La pauvre femme avait interpellé une bande de loubards qui voulaient monter chez M. Alain Badoit... Y en a un qui l'a regardé, et elle a eu tellement peur qu'elle est restée comme ça, figée, le regard glacé... J'ai cru qu'elle était morte. Alors, j'ai crié, et ils sont partis. » Il s'agit de l'équipe d'Anges, voir description dans le chapitre PNJ, qui est sur la même piste que les joueurs et qu'ils viennent de rater... de très peu. Points de vue - Mirages du monde La branche marseillaise de Points de Vue - Mirages du Monde, qui sort un petit encart « Spécial Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur », est installée au rez-de-chaussée d'un joli immeuble à porte vitrée. Elle emploie trois personnes à mi-temps : Laure, une petite brunette, responsable communication, Henri, le maquettiste, et bien sûr notre pauvre Alain Badoit. Laure et Henri accueilleront les Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 5 joueurs avec un sourire crispé : l'autre équipe (MV : les Démons, INS : les Anges) vient en effet de passer les interroger, se faisant passer pour une bande de vieux copains d'Alain. Trouvant bizarre que deux bandes de vieux copains passent le même jour, Laure et Henri commencent à se demander s'il n'y a pas une grosse plaisanterie bien lourde là-dessous... Les joueurs pourront en profiter pour avoir une description plus précise de l'autre équipe - se reporter aux caractéristiques des PNJ. Laure et Henri répondront, agacés, aux questions que leur poseront les joueurs : non, ils ne savent pas où est Alain, non, ils n'ont même pas une petite idée, oui, ils ont son agenda de travail où il y a marqué son emploi du temps du mardi 15 janvier, le jour où il a disparu (la police a été prévenue de la disparition et a ces détails, mais ne semble pas persuadée de l'urgence d'une recherche). Henri fouillera alors dans le tiroir du bureau pour leur montrer l'agenda... puis se passera soudain la main sur le front, l'air égaré « Qu'est-ce-que... » Il se mettra à chercher dans ses souvenirs. « Mais... Je leur ai donné l'agenda... Je ne comprends vraiment pas pourquoi j'ai fait ça ! » Vous aurez compris que l'autre équipe a utilisé le pouvoir Charme ou Contrôle pour récupérer l'agenda... Laure, furieuse, engueule Henri qui a l'air complètement perdu. « Et quelle idée aussi as-tu eu de leur donner l'adresse de la fiancée d'Alain ! Vraiment, parfois, je ne te comprends pas ! » Cette adresse, Laure et Alain ne la donneront pas volontairement. Mais ce ne devrait pas être très difficile aux joueurs de l'obtenir. Avant de passer à la suite, reportez-vous au ci-dessous à L'embuscade. Marie et l'agenda Marie est très choquée, et il faudra beaucoup de roleplaying pour la calmer et arriver à lui faire prononcer deux mots. Utiliser la violence ne servira à rien, à part lui faire avoir une crise cardiaque et périr sur place ! Sa version des faits est brève, mais informative : mardi 15 janvier au soir, elle était avec Alain Badoit à un cocktail donné à 22 heures au Sax, une boîte un peu « underground » de l'avis de Marie, qui ne sait pas vraiment ce que c'est que l'underground. Ce cocktail était donné par un certain Jean-Marie Gadin, l'attaché culturel de la mairie. A un moment, elle a perdu Alain de vue parmi les invités... Et elle ne l'a plus jamais revu. L'agenda indique bien pour le mardi 15 janvier le rendez-vous pour le cocktail au Sax, et on y trouve à côté, sur un Post-it, le numéro de téléphone de Jean-Marie Gadin... (INS : Numéro que les joueurs connaissent bien.] L'embuscade La fiancée d'Alain, la jolie rousse qui se trouvait sur les photos, s'appelle Marie Toila et habite dans un petit pavillon à jardinet. Les roses poussent, l'herbe verdoie, le chemin poudroie, il y a de petits rideaux de broderie anglaise à la fenêtre et dans la maison, l'autre équipe a monté une embuscade pour votre équipe... Comment savent-ils que mon équipe existe, proteste-alors le MJ, alors que l'autre équipe ne l'a jamais croisée ? Très simple : la concierge d'Alain Badoit, avant de se faire « zapper », a parlé à l'autre équipe en faisant allusion à un groupe {vos joueurs) qui était déjà là-haut. Du coup, par acquit de conscience, l'autre équipe a laissé un de ses membres derrière, à surveiller Point de Vue - Mirages du Monde. Le Démon (ou l'Ange) a repéré les joueurs, s'est douté que leur prochaine étape allait être chez Marie. Un coup de téléphone, un saut dans le premier taxi venu, et hop, l'embuscade était en route. La maison est de plain-pied (pas d'étages) et comprend une cuisine, un cellier, une salle de bains (où Marie Toila est ligotée et bâillonnée, et proprement violée si l'embuscade est menée par les Démons, on ne se refait pas), une chambre, un grand living-room et une cave. La manière dont est préparée l'embuscade dépend, bien sûr, de la nature de l'équipe (Anges ou Démons) ainsi que de l'humeur, sadique ou sympa, du maître de jeu : nous n'entrerons donc pas dans les détails. Si vos joueurs se font tuer, fin du scénario. S'ils gagnent et qu'ils ont fait un prisonnier, ils peuvent tenter de le faire parler. Les renseignements que l'autre équipe peut donner n'ajoutent cependant pas grand-chose à l'enquête. Seuls les Anges apprendront du nouveau : en l'occurrence, qu'un Démon a lui aussi disparu. Torturé, un Démon pourra lâcher le nom de son contact à Marseille - Jean-Marie Gadin - ainsi que son numéro de téléphone. Les joueurs récupéreront, en tout cas deux choses : la pauvre Marie Toila, traumatisée, mais vivante, et l'agenda d'Alain Badoit qui était dans les affaires de l'autre équipe. Le Sax Toutes les tentatives pour joindre Jean-Marie Gadin resteront infructueuses : et pour cause, il est au Sax. Jusqu'à 22 heures, la boîte est fermée : les joueurs pourront toujours essayer d'entrer, même par effraction, Gadin et Martial Gaulard sont dans un restaurant en train de dîner, et entreront par une porte blindée donnant dans une rue adjacente. À 22h30, les premiers habitués commenceront à arriver. Les joueurs, s'ils entrent, ne verront au début rien d'anormal : Martial Gaulard, assis derrière le comptoir du bar (boissons, tarif unique, 10€) parle avec sa petite cour d'habitués. Très vite, les lumières baissent et la boîte se remplit. Deux étages, deux pistes de danse minuscules, un disc-jockey trisomique, de la musique d'il y a vingt ans, non, pire que ça : de la mauvaise musique d'il y a vingt ans, une atmosphère enfumée, des junkies qui se shootent dans les coins... l'ambiance va rapidement devenir agréable, et dans la foule, les joueurs devront faire attention s'ils ne veulent pas être séparés. De gros fauteuils de skaï sont à disposition, mais les toilettes sont beaucoup plus appréciées pour les relations intimes. Peu à peu, les zombies de Martial (ils sont sept) vont s'introduire, comme tous les soirs, parmi la foule. Martial aime bien les avoir sous la main en cas de problèmes. Ils sont habillés en imperméable et en chapeau mou, et sentent un peu mauvais... mais avec tout ce qui sent déjà mauvais dans la boîte, l'odeur ne choquera pas plus que ça. Vers 23h30, les filles viendront danser au deuxième étage, très dévêtues et debout sur des cubes en bois. Elles feront un strip- tease - pourtant, il ne leur restait pas grand-chose à enlever - et dandineront ensuite vaguement des hanches, l'air drogué... car elles le sont. Ce sont en effet Ginette (Édouard Vaillant), transformé en petite brune et Fernande (Alain Badoit) transformé en grande Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 6 blonde, sous l'emprise des drogues de Martial. Jouez d'abord sur l'ambiance et ce que les joueurs vont deviner sans voir. Faites les balader dans la foule, croiser un zombie ou deux, leur trouver une silhouette et une odeur bizarre, revenir sur leurs pas - le zombie se sera bien entendu fondu dans la foule. Faites les passer près de Ginette et de Fernande, sans leur décrire particulièrement (juste « Il y a deux strip-teaseuses qui se trémoussent d'un air drogué sur des cubes »). Ce ne sont après tout que deux filles comme les autres. Le malaise devra grandir petit à petit. Ils apercevront soudain Jean-Marie Gadin, en train de parler avec Martial, le barman. Il leur semblera que Jean-Marie les montre du doigt... Mais le temps qu'ils se précipitent vers le bar, Jean-Marie aura disparu. Et comme par hasard, au moment où ils se jetteront à sa poursuite, un type un peu étrange, en imperméable et chapeau mou, se mettra juste en travers de leur chemin. Si un joueur se sépare des autres, c'est le moment de le faire happer par Martial et cinq zombies dans les toilettes... Qu'il n'en ressorte pas, si possible. Puis, quand la tension sera bien montée, un projecteur se mettra à éclairer les visages des deux strip-teaseuses. Et là, ébahis, les joueurs reconnaîtront (enfin, devraient reconnaître), pour les avoir souvent vu en photo, les visages d'Alain Badoit et d'Édouard Vaillant... C'est bien entendu le moment que Jean-Marie et Martial choisiront pour attaquer. D'abord extrêmement discrètement, en essayant d'avoir les joueurs un par un, perdus comme ils le sont dans la foule. C'est là, particulièrement, que Jean-Marie jouera de son pouvoir de Gag Absurde pour mettre hors de combat ses adversaires... Il peut pleuvoir des vaches, si vous voulez ! Si Jean-Marie et Martial sentent que le combat tourne à leur désavantage, ils n'hésiteront pas à employer l'artillerie lourde (Uzi, lance-flammes, etc.}, et tant pis pour la discrétion et les victimes innocentes. La foule se déversera dehors en hurlant de terreur, et ce scénario pourra finir dans une apothéose de violence, comme il se doit. Conclusion MV : Les autorités angéliques tueront Ginette, le Démon, après lui avoir fait cracher tout ce qu'il savait. Pauvre Édouard Vaillant ! Un Démon si correct ! Fernande (Alain Badoit) et Jeannine (Richard Andréas), dont ils finiront par retrouver la trace, seront désintoxiquées et continueront à œuvrer pour le bien... sous leur nouvelle identité. INS : Les autorités démoniaques tueront Fernande et Jeannine, les Anges, après que quelques-uns des membres de cette même autorité les aient sauvagement violées (c'est rare, chez les Démons, de pouvoir se taper des Anges) et leur aient fait cracher tout ce qu'elles savaient. Ginette (Édouard Vaillant) sera désintoxiquée et continuera à œuvrer pour le mal... sous sa nouvelle identité. Conditions de victoire Le sort atroce de Fernande, Jeannine et Ginette est découvert : 50 Jean-marie gadïn est éliminé ou mis hors d'état de nuire : 30 Martial Gaulard est éliminé ou mis hors d'état de nuire : 15 Moins de 50 : échec De 50 a 64 : victoire partielle De 64 a 94 : victoire normale 95 : victoire totale Personnages non-joueurs (PNJ) INS : l'autre équipe Fabrice Lampion, Ange au service de Dominique FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 3 5 3 4 4 1 15 Talents : Discussion +2, Esquive + 0, Arme de poing +0, Savoir faire + 1. Pouvoirs : Eclair +1 (121), Peur +1 (134), Détection de mal +1 (311), Détection du futur proche +0 (314), Détection du mensonge +0 (316), Intégrisme (défaut), Jugement (Spé). Description : Un type grand, brun, maigre, habillé en noir. Il cache un colt 45 dans sa mallette. Willem, Ange au service de Laurent FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 5 3 4 3 3 2 12 Talents : Arme de contact lourde +2, Esquive +2. Pouvoirs : Armure +1 (211), Régénération + 1 (226), Détection du danger +1 (315), Arme bénite (411, Hache), Couleur des yeux (Déf), Juste lame de Laurent+0 (Spé). Description : Un touriste allemand... Cheveux blonds, peau rosée, yeux bleus sans pupilles, short Adidas, tee-shirt blanc, gentil sourire. Bérénice, Ange au service de Christophe FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 2 5 5 3 3 2 18 Talents : Acrobatie +2, Esquive +2 Pouvoirs : Eau du robinet +1 (125), Charme +1 (161), Paralysie +0 (163), Sommeil +0 (165), Réduction +1 (265), Polymorphe +0 (266), Bond +1 (333), Asexué (626), Chance (Spé). Description : Une délicieuse petite fille de huit ans, brune aux yeux noisette, en jean et tee-shirt « Juliette, je t'aime ». MV : l'autre équipe Mireille Vinnetti, Démon aux ordres d'Andromalius FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 3 5 3 2 3 2 15 Talents : Discussion +2, Esquive +0, Arme de poing +0, Savoir faire +1. Pouvoirs : Acide +0 (126), Charme +1 (131), Peur +1 (134), Il pleut des vaches – Plasma n°7 - 7 Détection du bien (311), Détection du futur proche +0 (314), Détection de la vérité +0 (316), Odeur suspecte (621), Humanité (Spé) Description : Une femme blonde aux cheveux courts, habillée en tailleur. Dans son attaché-case, un colt 45. De près, y'a une odeur. Gaston Pluton, Démon aux ordres de Crocell FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 5 2 4 2 4 1 14 Talents : Arme de contact lourde +2, Esquive +2, Corps à corps +1 Pouvoirs : Glace +2 (122), Armure +1 (211), Immunité au froid (214), Glace +1 (252), Vitesse (334), Arme de contact maudite (411, Hache), Kleptomanie (636), Froid (Spé). Description : Un homme moustachu au bon sourire, en pantalon de velours et pull à col roulé. Lyse, Démon aux ordres de Malphas FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 3 4 3 3 2 3 14 Talents : Discussion +1, Baratin +2, Séduction +2 Pouvoirs : Queue barbelée +0 (115), Sommeil +0 (132), Faiblesse +0 (133), Douleur +0 (166), Polymorphe +1 (266), Vérité +0 (316), Lumière (644), Discorde + 1 (Spé) Description : Une délicieuse petite fille, blonde aux yeux bleus, en robe d'été et lunettes noires (Vuarnet). Les méchants de l'histoire Jean-Marie Gadin, Démon aux ordres de Kobal FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 3 5 2 3 2 3 36 Talents : Baratin +2, Esquive +2, Discussion +2, Discrétion +2, Lance-flammes + 1 Pouvoirs : Immunité aux maladies et aux poisons (212), Pas de nourriture (215), Volonté supranormale +1 (221), Régénération +0 (226), Invisibilité +1 (261), Détection des ennemis +1 (312), Détection de la vérité +2 (316), Dialogue mental +1 (322), Lire les pensées +2 (323), Cauchemar +2 (326), Téléportation +1 (331), Vol +1 (332), Bond +2 (333), Gag Absurde +3 (Spé). Description : Un type chic d'une cinquantaine d'années, avec un curieux rictus. Au Sax, il a un lance-flamme sous le bar, surnommé Oradour, c'est tellement drôle. Martial Gaulard, Démon aux ordres de Nisroch FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 4 3 3 2 4 2 11 Talents : Chimie +2, Esquive +2, Arme de poing (Uzi) +2 Pouvoirs : Absorption de douleur +1 (144), Paralysie +1 (163), Zombies (511), Accoutumance +2 (Spé) Les zombies (8) FO VO AG PE PR AP PP 3 1 1 1 1 1 - Talents : Griffes (puissance +1) ; Corps à corps +1 Vous remarquerez que l'équipe de Démons est plus passe-partout que celle des Anges. Ils pourront être décrits comme « Un couple charmant, avec une petite fille ».

textdata/thevault/In Nomine/LANG/FR/INS-MV - Scenarii/INS-MV 1E - Il pleut des vaches.pdf

Druid Circles Circle of the Deathbloom The Circle of the Deathbloom is composed of druids who revere the process of decomposition as the ultimate form of renewal and rebirth. They often spend their lives in solitude as they release the energy trapped in the dead and imbue the earth with fertility and growth. The druids have a strong affinity for the fungus and vermin who play the critical role of natural decomposers. Although they are generally shunned and associated with the dark art of necromancy, these druids abhor undeath. Expanded Spell List At 2nd level, you add cloudkill, ray of sickness, revivify, and stinking cloud to your druid spell list. Fungal Wild Shape When you take this circle at 2nd level, you may also take the shape of blights, fungi, and spores when using Wild Shape. When assuming a beast form with Wild Shape, you can choose to apply the Spore Servant template to it. Regrowth Starting at 2nd level, you can harness the energy of the fallen to germinate new life. Up to 1 minute after of a Small or larger creature's death, you can use an action to magically decompose its corpse to grow plants or plant creatures. You may summon any number of plant creatures whose combined challenge rating does not exceed your druid level divided by 4 (rounded down to the nearest 1/2). CR 0 creatures count as 1/8 for the purpose of calculating combined challenge rating. The summoned creatures are friendly to you and your companions. Roll initiative for the summoned creatures as a group, which has its own turns. They obey any verbal commands that you issue to them (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to them, they defend themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. The DM has the creatures’ statistics. The creatures will return to their spawning location when you take a long rest and will not obey further commands from you. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again. You can only have plant creatures grown from one corpse under your command at a time. Corpses decomposed this way cannot be raised as corporeal undead. Return to the Earth When you reach 6th level, when your summoned plant and beast creatures are reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to return them to the earth. You can also use a bonus action to return one such creature to the earth regardless of hit points on your turn. The creature releases a burst of healing energy which imbues all creatures within 5 feet with life. The creatures regain 1d8 hit points for every 1 challenge rating the summoned creature had. Creatures with a challenge rating lower than 1 do not release enough energy to heal. Putrid Inoculation Beginning at 10th level, you are immune to disease and poison. You also have resistance to necrotic damage. Fertilize At 14th level, you can use your action to decompose one dead or rotting plant, beast, or humanoid within 30 feet at will. Whenever you decay something this way, the biomass is absorbed into the ground and you can harness its energy in one of the following ways as part of the action. Corpses decomposed this way cannot be raised as corporeal undead. Grow a mundane plant or fungus. The size of the plant that grows cannot exceed the size of the corpse decayed. Cause plants to overgrow. If the corpse is medium or larger, the area in a 5 foot radius around the corpse becomes difficult terrain. If the corpse is small or smaller, the corpse's space is treated as difficult terrain. If a creature is standing on land when it becomes overgrown, they must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or become entangled in the undergrowth. If the creature fails its save, it is grappled until succeeds a DC 13 Strength check to break free of the brush. Siphon its trapped life energy. You gain temporary hit points equal to the corpse's hit die. Follow the Hit Dice by Size table in the Monster Manual. For example, if you decomposed a medium creature, you would gain 1d8 temporary hit points. Enrich the land for one season. All plants in a 50 foot radius centered on the corpse become enriched for one season. The plants yield twice the normal amount of food when harvested. Credits    "Death's Roar" by The-Hare (the-hare.deviantart.com/) PHB-style Homebrew Template by stolksdorf/Natural Crit (naturalcrit.com/hombrew) 1 PART 1 | CLASSES

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Character Name: _____________________________ Character Race/Archetype/Class Description: Proficiency: (Mark “+” sign next to traits below) Deficiency: (Mark “-” sign next to traits below) Strength: ____ ● Athletics Check ● Melee Attack ● Strength Saving Throws Dexterity: ____ ● Turn Order in Battle (Initiative Check) ● Acrobatics Check ● Sleight of Hand Check ● Piloting (Land, Sea, Air, Mech) ● Lock Picking ● Stealth Check ● Hide Check ● Ranged Attack ● Dexterity Saving Throws Constitution: ____ ● Constitution Saving Throws Intelligence: ____ ● Arcana Check ● History Check ● Streetwise ● Investigation Check ● Computer Use ● Nature Check ● Religion Check ● Intelligence Saving Throws Wisdom: ____ ● Animal Handling Check ● Insight Check ● Medicine Check ● Perception Check ● Survival Check ● Magic Spell Attack ● Casting Magic Spells (Non-attack) ● Wisdom Saving Throws Charisma: ____ ● Deception Check ● Intimidation Check ● Performance Check ● Persuasion Check ● Charm Person Check ● Charisma Saving Throws (STR) Melee Weapons: (DEX) Ranged Weapons: Armor Class: _____ Hit Points (Optional): _____ Character Special Abilities: Items: Background: Character Portrait Charisma Saving Throws Sir Raolin the Lion Human Knight- knights are well known for being excellent in all sorts of combat. Broadsword Extra Attack- 1x per Long Rest, you can use an extra Attack Action after making an attack. Shield- +1 to AC Broadsword Gold- 10 At the great Battle of Skulldread, you accompanied your lord into battle as a squire. During the battle that great Knight was cast down by a foul back stab from a dirty ogre. You picked up the Knight's sword and proceeded to charge and kill the ogre. Heralded after the battle, you were knighted on the battlefield. You progressed in the ranks quickly, your daring and prowess earning high praise and rewards. But politics reared its head and you were cast out by false accusations and treachery. You found your skills and courage useful to the Dark Ravens guild and seek to clear your name through greater deeds. 15 4 + - + GATEWAY RPG QUICK REFERENCE SHEET Proficiency/Deficiency: • “+” Proficiency =Roll a d20 twice and take the higher roll • “-” Deficiency = Roll a d20 twice and take the lower roll • __ Normal (Blank Trait) = A character that has neither proficiency or deficiency will only roll a d20 once Advantage/Disadvantage: Proficiency Trait with Advantage Advantage (+1) = 2d20 and take the highest number rolled and add +1 to the total Proficiency Trait with Disadvantage No Bonus = 1d20 and take the number rolled Normal Trait with Advantage Advantage = 2d20 and take the highest number rolled Normal Trait with Disadvantage Disadvantage = 2d20 and take the lowest number rolled Deficiency Trait with Advantage No Bonus = 1d20 and take the number rolled Deficiency Trait with Disadvantage Disadvantage (-1) = 1d20 and take the lowest number rolled and subtract -1 from the total. Difficulty Class Scale • Simple: 2 to 5 • Easy: 6 to 10 • Moderate: 11 to 15 • Hard: 16 to 19 • Near Impossible: 20 Attack Types Melee Weapon Attacks = Strength Trait Swords, Daggers, Axes, Katana, Clubs, Lightsabers, etc. Ranged Weapon Attacks = Dexterity Trait Crossbows, Longbows, Short bows, Muskets, Pistols, Lasers, Rifles, etc. Magic Attacks = Wisdom Trait Fireballs, Lightning, Charm, Force Push, etc. Special Ability Attacks = GM Discretion Depends what the GM chooses at character creation that your Ability trait uses Armor Class Based on Dex (or Modifiers added) • “+” Proficiency = 14 AC • “-” Deficiency = 10 AC • Normal (having neither) = 12 AC Attack Range • Close Combat- Within 5 feet • Short Range- 10 feet to 60 feet • Medium Range- 65 feet to 300 feet • Long Range- 305 feet to 500 feet • Very Long Range- 500 feet and Above Resolving Combat Step 1: Game Master Determines if there is a Surprise Round Step 2: Roll Initiative for all involved (Dexterity) Step 3: Resolve Surprise Round if necessary, then full Initiative during each Round. Step 4: During a Player’s Turn they can do the following: • One Move Action (30 feet on average) • One Primary Action • One Bonus Action Primary Action examples: • Attack • Move again “aka Dash” (move the same amount of the first movement) • Interact with an object • Cast a spell or use some other Special Ability • Hide • Search • Ready an Action (Choose to delay your action and set a trigger and what you want to do when the trigger is met) • Grapple (Contested Strength Skill) • Escape from being Grappled (Contested Strength Skill) • Declare a Dodge (causes Deficiency, of all attacks to this player until its next turn.) • Help on another player's turn (Gives the target player Proficiency, on their next Primary Action) • Improvise- simply tell your GM what you would like to do as an action to see if they can allow it (Get creative!) *GM’s see “Rule of Cool”. Bonus Action examples: • Attack with the off hand • Interact with an object • Switch Weapons • Talk to someone during combat • Special Ability (GM Discretion) • Cast a Spell (GM Discretion) • Any other minor type of action Step 5: Continue following Initiative Turn Order until all combatants are cleared from the battlefield.

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©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC. 1 SEASON 10 PLAYER’S GUIDE FAQ It looks like variant human and other variant rules are not called out (like multiclassing and feats). Is that intentional for season 10? The variant human is one of the available races in the Player’s Handbook and therefore completely legal for play. Access to multiclassing and feats has not changed. You can still multiclass and take feats as per the rules listed in the Player’s Handbook. If the season 9 documents are still in effect for post- migration characters, how does this effect Dungeon Master campaign rewards? Dungeon Master rewards earned remain intact. Unused rewards can be used during season 10. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden lets new characters start the adventure with a set of cold weather clothes. Is that the case for AL play or will characters be forced to spend their starting gold on those, if they can even afford to? All season 10 characters begin play with a set of cold weather clothes. What adventures can I play with my Season 10 character and earn rewards for them, and still have that be considered D&D Adventurers League play? The below table provides you with guidance on what you can play and earn rewards for. You can play your season 10 character in any level appropriate adventure from any season, but only receive rewards (including story-based rewards) or a level for advancement from season 10 adventures. ADVENTURE CONTENT HISTORIC1 SEASON 10 Seasons 1 - 93 X Season 103 X Dreams of the Red Wizards X X2 CCC Adventures4 X X 1Historic Characters are characters made and played in seasons prior to season 10. The only exception is if you created a character to play at D&D Live 2020 and have since played that character in content released prior to the rules for season 10 being released. 2Once you’ve migrated your season 10 character to begin playing in the Dreams of the Red Wizards campaign, they’re no longer eligible to play season 10 content. However, they do become eligible to receive rewards (including story-based rewards) or a level for advancement from Dreams of the Red Wizards content. 3These include the hardcover adventures published by Wizards of the Coast in support of their respective seasons. 4CCC content will be designated as either Historic content or Season 10 content on a case-by-case basis. No new Historic content CCCs will be approved for creation. I played my character at D&D Live and then played adventure content from prior seasons with that character before the current season’s rules were available. Do I have to remove the rewards I received during that play? The current rules are effective September 15, 2020. If you played adventures between D&D Live and that date, they are considered legitimate under the rules you were playing, and you are not required to remove rewards received during that play. Can characters (of appropriate level) made prior to season 10 play season 10 adventures if they take no rewards, including level advancement or story awards? Yes, but the DM has the power to ask you to leave specific magic items behind to maintain the integrity of the play experience. What is the level range for season 10 adventure content? The level range currently planned for season 10 coincides with the level range of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. We are planning five Tier 1 (levels 1 – 4) adventures, five Tier 2 (levels 5 – 10) adventures, and one Tier 3 (optimized for level 11) adventure. Additionally, there will be two Tier 1 epics and 1 epic that is both for Tier 2 and Tier 3 characters. After this, we invite you to migrate your character to play the Dreams of the Red Wizards storyline/campaign. Do the season 10 house rules apply to Historic characters? Season 10 house rules for the D&D Adventurers League apply to season 10 characters only. If I create a new character to play in Historic content, what house rules do I use? The season 9 house rules are the final house rules for all Historic adventure content. ©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC. 2 If season 9 DM/player documents are still usable for Historic characters, how does this effect DM rewards? We’re still working on DM rewards for season 10. Our intent is to have them available for use by the end of October 2020. If backgrounds can be custom, does that mean there’s no restriction on what resource they come from? You may create a custom background, but background features from the sources listed in the player’s guide are the only ones allowed. The only exception is the Safe Haven feature, the rules for which are included in the player’s guide. Buying potions and scrolls is no longer in the players guide, is that an oversight or intentional? This is intentional, as this content will be found in the ALDMG 10.x when it is released. Faction Agent is listed as a background in Sword Coast Adventurers Guide, but that is not listed as a viable book for backgrounds, can I just take it as a made up background? Yes. We’ve included the Safe Haven feature in the ALPG 10.x for easy reference. In the Proficiencies section of Appendix 1, it says you can swap out tool and weapon proficiencies. Can you swap out an armor proficiency, like the Mountain Dwarf has? If so, for what? At this time there is no provision for swapping out your armor proficiency. If that changes it will be noted in a future version of the player’s guide. Can only season 10 characters use Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as a resource? At the moment only season 10 characters can use this resource. However, look for a revised Historic campaign player’s guide by the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Will a free rebuild of Historic characters be allowed? This question will be addressed in an upcoming revised Historic campaign player’s guide. CHANGE LOG Swapped out the term Legacy for Historic in reference to older season adventures and rules.

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IUZ6-04 Acid Test A One-Round Dungeons & Dragons ® LIVING GREYHAWK™ Iuz’s Border States Metaregional Adventure Version 1.0 by Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl, Esq. Reviewed by: Britt F. Frey An evil is revealed in the recently liberated city of Admundfort, one that could send it’s tendrils out across Oerth. An old friend, Gildor Arcanix, asks assistance against the vile foe. Never before has the enemy been so determined to see good and honest folk fail. Can heroes overcome this Acid Test? An Iuz Metaregional Adventure for APLs 8 to 14. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission of Wizards of the Coast. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 SYSTEM license, please visit www.wizards.com/d20 This is an official RPGA ® play document. To find out more about the RPGA and to learn more on how you can sanction and run DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game events of all sizes, visit our website at www.rpga.com. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, Living Greyhawk, D&D Rewards, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc, in the US and other countries. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. © 2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Visit the LIVING GREYHAWK website at www.rpga.com. RPGA® Sanctioned Play Most likely you ordered this adventure as part of an RPGA even from the RPGA website, or you received it from your senior gamemaster. To play this adventure as part of the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign—a worldwide, ongoing D&D ® campaign set in the GREYHAWK setting— you must sanction it as part of an RPGA event. This event could be as elaborate as a big convention, or as simple as a group of friends meeting at the DM’s house. To sanction an RPGA event, you must be at least a HERALD-LEVEL™ gamemaster. The person who sanctions the event is called the senior gamemaster, and is in charge of making sure the event is sanctioned before play, runs smoothly on the date sanctioned, and then reported back to the RPGA in a timely manner. The person who runs the game is called the table Dungeon Master (or usually just DM). Sometimes (and almost all the time in the cases of home events) the senior gamemaster is also the table DM. You don’t have to be a HERALD-LEVEL GM to run this adventure if you are not the senior GM. By sanctioning and reporting this adventure you accomplish a couple of things. First it is an official game, and you can use the AR to advance your LIVING GREYHAWK character. Second player and DMs gain rewards for sanctioned RPGA play if they are members of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS program. Playing this adventure is worth one (1) point. This adventure retires from RPGA-sanctioned play on December 31, 2007. To learn more about the LIVING GREYHAWK character creation and development, RPGA event sanctioning, and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS REWARDS, visit the RPGA website at www.rpga.com. Players Read No Farther If you are planning on playing this adventure, stop reading now. The rest of the information in this adventure is for the DM only. If you read farther than this section, you’ll know too much about its challenges, which kills the fun. Also, if you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, reading beyond this point makes you ineligible to do so. Preparing for Play To get the most out of this adventure, you need copies of the following D&D rule books: Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. Throughout this adventure, text in bold italics provides player information for you to paraphrase or read aloud when appropriate. Sidebars contain important information for you, including special instruction on running the adventure. Information on nonplayer characters (NPCs) and monsters appear in abbreviated form in the adventure text. Full information on NPCs and monsters are given in Appendix 1. For your convenience, that appendix is split by APL Along with this adventure you’ll find a RPGA Session Tracking sheet. If you’re playing this adventure as part of an RPGA-sanctioned event, complete and turn in this sheet to your senior GM directly after play. You’ll also find a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure Record (AR). LIVING GREYHAWK Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportionate to the modified average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine this modified Average Party Level (APL) follow the steps below: 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (such as animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts) or the warhorse of a character with the Mounted Combat feat, use the sidebar chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum of step one. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. # of Animals Mundane Animals Effect on APL 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 6 7 8 5 5 7 8 9 6 6 8 9 10 CR of Animal 7 7 9 10 11 3. Sum the results of step 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure. Round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience and gold a PC can gain at the end of the adventure. If a player Acid Test Page 2 character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL at which this adventure is being played, that character receives only one-half of the experience points and gold for the adventure. This simulates the fact that either the PC was not challenged as much as normal or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Furthermore, a PC who is four or more levels higher than the highest APL supported by the adventure may not play the adventure. LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Four or five 1st-level characters may find the challenge of an APL 2 adventure difficult. Suggest the following to these groups to help increase their chances of success: 1. Enlist a sixth player. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them and fight for them. Time Units and Upkeep This is a standard one-round Iuz’s Border States Metaregional adventure. Characters native to a region that is a part of the Iuz’s Border States Metaregion pay one Time Unit per round; all others pay two Time Units per round. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp per Time Unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50 gp per Time Unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 100 gp per Time Unit. Characters that fail to pay at least Standard Upkeep will retain temporary ability damage until the next adventure, must buy new spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may suffer other in-game penalties (or possibly gain in-game benefits) as may be detailed in this adventure. A character that does not pay for at least Standard Upkeep may also avoid the above-described penalties by living off the wild. If the character possesses four or more ranks in the Survival skill and succeeds at a DC 20 Survival check, the character will heal temporary ability damage as if he or she paid for Standard Upkeep, may refill spell component pouches and healer’s kits, and may restock up to 20 arrows or bolts if the character has at least four ranks in Craft (bowmaking). The player is allowed to Take 10 on this roll. More information about Lifestyle and Upkeep can be found in the “Lifestyle and Upkeep” section of Chapter 3 of the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. Adventure Background The Shield Lands is a nation fighting back against a cruel foe, Iuz, often called “The Old One”. For a generation, the nation was reduced to a single holding, Bright Sentry, located on Scragholme Island. Its capital, Admundfort, was now the home of the Boneheart, Vayne, general- wizard of the Old One’s armies. How the Shield Lands lost the war is a story for another day. Suffice it to say, paranoia of Furyondy annexing the Shield Lands in return for assistance against Iuz was fostered by dark forces. The embers of ancient prejudices were flamed into a roaring fire, and the pride imbedded in the upper class of the Shield Lands was the fuel. Only through years of effort and great sacrifice did the Shield Lands reclaim some of what they had lost. First, Critwall was liberated and reestablished as the capital. Then, Torkeep was freed, followed by Gensal and South Keep. But then, victories faltered and the military initiative was lost. Lady Katarina, the face and voice of the Shield Lands, was assassinated. The Council of Lords went mad and civil war threatened the nation. Iuz mustered his forces and laughed. His laughter carried an insidious disease, the Black Breath of Iuz. Many citizens of the Shield Lands were weakened by its foulness. Only through great acts of heroism and personal loss did adventurers manage to find a cure to the Black Breath and turn it on its maker’s forces. Katarina, thought lost, was recovered and raised just in time to unify the Council. Iuz was defeated again. But then, one year ago, a new opportunity presented itself. The merchants and military of Dyvers cut a deal with the Council of Lords and Lady Katarina. In exchange for a permanent trading port on the north side of the Nyr Dyv, Dyvers sent forth an armada to assist in the liberation of Admundfort. The battle was glorious! Admundfort’s occupying army was crushed and Vayne was thrown down and captured. Now, Admundfort is a ruined hole in the ground. While Dyvers and the Shield Lands have established trading and military outposts on the outskirts, treasure hunters, fools, and heroes frequently make excursions into the city to rout out the lingering evils in the wreckage, look for treasures, and to seek personal glory. A note on the technical background of this adventure: There were a number of obelisks scattered around the Shield Lands. These were Ur-Flan artifacts that served two purposes: First, they could be used to raise and control vast amounts of undead. Second, their magic could be used to protect its users from detection. Over the centuries, the obelisks became attuned to the lands new occupants, the Shield Landers. As a result, their latent magic helped thwart Iuz’s forces on more than one occasion. However, when the Black Breath was to be cured, the magic stored in these stones was consumed in order to overcome the infernal nature of the illness. As a result, the Shield Lands became more vulnerable to the activities of evil. But in life, all things must balance. An unexpected consequence of the obelisks being destroyed was that a cult of Ur-Flan in Admundfort, calling themselves the Black Dragons, were no longer hidden from the forces of good. Their evil crimes were laid bare. Gildor Arcanix, a gold dragon who has favored the Shield Lands for some time, has used this opportunity to track the Ur-Flan down to their lair in Admundfort. This is when the adventure begins: Gildor has sought out adventurers who he hopes will be useful in fighting this evil. Acid Test Page 3 Adventure Summary This adventure moves more or less in a straight line. The party has been requested to appear in Admundfort in the Shield Lands in order to assist the forces of good in a battle versus evil. They arrive only to discover the messenger has been assassinated. The person who summoned them, Gildor Arcanix, (really a gold dragon) is grief stricken at the loss. He agrees to accompany the party to strike and the evil cultists who committed the crime. The party races through Admundfort to the lair of the cult. They find they have arrived too late! The cultists are gone. However, the cultists did not leave cleanly… a glowing portal beckons. Stepping through separates the party as it teleports them deep into the jungles of the south. There the party must reunite and obtain the assistance of the lizardfolk of the region. The lizardfolk point the party to the cultist’s lair, set in a mountain. On the way, the party is attacked by two- headed abominations. Once at the lair, the party travels through what first appears to be a deserted tunnel system. However, it ultimately arrives at a central chamber where the cultists are about to sacrifice Gildor Arcanix. The cultists have consumed an explosive drink that causes them to explode when they die! The party rescues Gildor and then may proceed back to Admundfort with new information about the evil worming its way into the Flanaess. Preparation for Play The idea behind this adventure is to give the party a taste of truly going after a cult of evil. There are, I’m sure, many more ways to solve this adventure than are written into the rules. The judge should feel free to reward clever play and clever players! They are, after all, the true heroes of this story. Introduction He s dead. But instead of blood seeping out onto the dirt streets of Admundfort, wisps of black smoke billow out from his body as it is consumed by dark and vile arcana. i t l i l i The youth of 16, 17 perhaps, had sought you out a little over a week ago, and told you he was sent with word of a quest. Krylinn, the boy, said that he had others to reach, and had left to do so. He had agreed to meet you with details of the quest at the Orc and Pike in Admundfort, recently reclaimed by Dyvers and the Shield Lands from the Old One. Before he left, he had given you a cracked and broken talisman. This, he said, was found by his patron, and should prove the need of skilled adven urer such as you. Upon arriving in Admundfort, you found that it is a city rebuilding after a disaster. Blasted and shattered bui d ngs of stone and wood are everywhere, silent tombstones to the war. Adventurers, soldiers, merchants and fortune seekers are everywhere, looking to profit from the ruins reclaimed. The “Orc and Pike” was not easy to find. Like many of the businesses here, it is new and bui t up from the ruins around it. Still, with a bit of information gathering, you were directed to its location. That is when you heard the screams and managed to arrive just in time to see Kryl nn lying dead on the streets of Admundfort. Give the party the opportunity to introduce themselves to each other. Krylinn has given each of them a similar talisman. It is of a claw wrapped around a human skull. It is an old and powerful symbol of the Ur-Flan. The edges of the talismans appear to have cracked due to exposure to extreme heat. It is presumed that the party would have used all of their various skills by this time to learn what they could of the talisman. They would have learned the following: • The talisman is a variant symbol of some groups of the Ur-Flan, especially those focusing on ritual sacrifice. • Such symbols, if found, should be hundreds of years old. However these (absent the fire damage) appear to be made within the last decade or two. • The talisman was cast in iron with flakes of obsidian embedded into the eye sockets of the skull. The talisman could be worn around the neck. • There is an inscription on the back, in Flan. It reads: “Life is nothing. Death is all. Obedience is the bridge between the two.” • In ancient days, such cults were formed around rituals of murder and oaths in draconic at secret locations devoted to the worship of a black dragon. • The point of the cult was to bring down societies through fear and intimidation, thus opening opportunities to usurp power. • The fire damage appears to be VERY recent (within the last year, at the most…). • Clearly, if a Cult of the Black Dragon is currently at large, the risk to all good and orderly beings could be great. Krylinn was killed at dusk. If his body is investigated, a DC 25 Heal check will reveal his very life force was burned out of him. A DC 20 Spellcraft check will reveal he died due to being blasted with negative energy. If the Spellcraft check is 30 or higher, the cause of death will be revealed as a more insidious version of enervation that burns out the soul as it leeches away the life’s energies. Examining the boy’s corpse will reveal that he too wears a talisman. It is of a claw clutching a golden orb. A DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check will reveal that this is a variant of the Bahamut holy symbol. The difference between the two symbols should be apparent. The first symbol the party encountered is claw-like and is withered in the way a vampire or other undead might be (although Acid Test Page 4 still draconic in nature). The second is healthy and robust in appearance. There are only a few TRUE witnesses to the murder, though there are many “gawkers” who claim to have seen the entire thing but actually saw nothing. Feel free to make up any number of false witnesses and extravagant stories (For example: “A shadow man ripped his soul out and drug it down to the underworld, it did.” “There was an albino elf with a magic sword. She hit him with the sword, I think…” “It was kobolds I tell ya… lots and lots of kobolds. The under ground is thick with ‘em. Wha’s that? His body’s blasted by fire you say? Well, all them kobolds is demon-infested, ya ask me…” A successful DC 25 Gather Information check will sort the wheat from the chaff and give the following (slightly more accurate) information. A dark robed man with pale skin stepped from the shadows and with a single word filled the youth with dark energies. When the deed was done, the man clutched at something hanging from around his neck and vanished. Krylinn has no soul left and cannot be raised or resurrected from the dead. Instead, there is a possibility his body will be inhabited by one of the many spirits horribly killed over the years in this town. Any character able to see into the ethereal plane will see 1d10 ghosts lingering about, harmlessly, at any given time. Speaking with these spirits is pointless… they were all killed in a violent manner during the war or occupation and have nothing intelligible to say. None of them currently have the power to manifest themselves or do any harm. Still, they all seem to be focused on this area, staring at the boy’s body. Casting speak with dead or raise dead, resurrection, reincarnation (etc.) will give one of these spirits the ability to animate the boy’s form. Treat the body as being animated by the 5 th level fighter ghost shown in the Monster Manual on page 118. It will immediately attack the party, doing what it can to the living as revenge for its loss of life. ALL APLs (EL 7) Ghost: Fifth Level Fighter: hp 32; see Monster Manual page 118. Encounter One: Enter the Dragon The party can do some investigations in the immediate area: The location where the robed man was standing is a dead end alley – no exits there. Read or paraphrase the following: l l i l i . The street Krylinn was murdered on is busy enough… there are al manners of persons going back and forth on their daily errands. Ironical y, only 10 yards from the youth’s body, “The Orc and Pike” stands as a silent witness to the crime. A three story affair, it looks recently built and what it lacks in architectural artistry it more than makes up for in its utilitarian sturdiness. Upon entering the building: “The Orc and Pike” is certainly bustling with activity – adventurers, treasure seekers and the like, mostly, although a few soldier types, some Shield Lands, some Dyvers, are lingering about, off duty and enjoying a meal and a drink. The tavern owner, a shrewd business woman named Xarlene, knew Krylinn. The youth had just rented out the third floor common room upstairs not more than an hour ago. He paid in advance and the room has been set up with food and drink. The party is free to go upstairs. Examining the common room will reveal no clues. It is a simple enough setup, consisting of a food and drink table and some chairs. There are enough chairs for each of the party members plus two. After about 10 minutes in the area, or if they look to be leaving the area, a man will join up with the party, wherever they are. He has straw-colored hair and wears an open, black vest over a simple cotton shirt and dark heavy wool pants. He wears dark leather boots and carries a sturdy-looking quarterstaff. His name is Gildor Arcanix, and his actions depend largely on how the party reacts to him. He will initially appear to not know where Krylinn is. He WILL know who the party members are. He personally selected them through a variety of means: divinations, a friend of a friend, past encounters with the party, etc. whatever seems appropriate to the party. Once he learns of the loss of Krylinn he will be incredibly upset, a clear mix of sorrow and anger showing on his face. ”Ah! I cannot bel eve this loss! We were SO very careful, so very careful. Those, fiends… I…” He chokes back words and for a moment his eyes flash from blue to golden-red. He turns to you. “This was not how it should have been. Krylinn died far too soon. He had… such promise as a sorcerer, such promise… I should have fol owed my orig nal plan, but there were too many tasks to be done at once. I took what should have been the more dangerous task and sent him on what should have been the safer. Ah, but this is not the place for such conversation. Let me make arrangements for poor Krylinn, then we must make haste. Villains need pay for this sin ” This is a quick review of what Gildor knows and does not know, as well as his attitude towards the party: • He knows who the party members are. He hand picked them either based on divinations, past encounters with them, or based on the word of mouth of persons he trusts. • If the party left the body of Krylinn outside, he knows of Krylinn’s death and is looking for answers – thus he sought out the party. Acid Test Page 5 • If the party did something else with the body, or are outside with the body, he will not know what has happened to Krylinn, yet. • Gildor should be played as very intelligent, but also very friendly. He truly likes the “mortal races” but never looks down on them. • He is a firm believer that the mortal races need to accomplish or fail in their goals on their own, and will therefore only directly intervene in the direst of circumstances. Gildor will want to place a gentle repose on Krylinn. After this, he will advise the party he will be right back as he is taking the body to the local cult. Without waiting for a response, he teleports away, returning a few minutes later. The party may or may not know that Gildor is a gold dragon of great power. He has taken an interest in Shield Lands’ events and has been known to nudge the local affairs to favorable conditions from time to time. If asked, Gildor will not deny being a gold dragon. However, focusing on this fact will draw his ire; he is very upset about the death of Krylinn. In fact, party members who decide to chastise him or his actions regarding Krylinn will NOT receive “The Scales Balance” at the end of the module. This is because he already feels terrible about the loss, but also knows that Krylinn knew the risks. Gildor suspects the Ur-Flan cultists. He is insistent on seeking vengeance immediately, before the villains can escape. He asks the party to assist him and begins heading out towards the ruins, where he says the murderer likely fled. See “Gildor’s History of the Ur- Flan”, below. As they move, Gildor, if asked, will explain that he teleported the body of Krylinn to the shrine of Bahamut, located elsewhere in Admundfort. There is another shrine located in South Keep. Originally, the shrine had originally been set in Critwall, but continued misunderstandings with the Church of Heironeous forced it to be moved. Krylinn was one of about fifty worshippers (about 25 or so at each shrine), and one of especial promise. Gildor agreed to let him work with him in combating a new evil: a cult of Ur-Flan mages. Based on the nature of the players, either they can ask the below information from Gildor, or he will simply relay it. Any of this information is also discoverable through applicable Knowledge checks, such as Knowledge (history), (local: Iuz Border States), (arcana), or Bardic Knowledge. It is up to the DM to adjudicate which Knowledge checks are applicable to each piece of information. The DCs are listed next to each piece of information. Gildor’s History of the Ur-Flan: • The Ur-Flan were in the Shield Lands region before civilized folk. (DC 20) • Today, they are thought of more as a myth than a reality; however, there are still some lingering cults, their evil passing down and renewing from generation to generation. (DC 25) • Ages past, they began building a series of obelisks that drew dark and dangerous energies to them. With them, the ancient worshippers could convert those energies to the study of Necromancy. One obelisk could negate the ability to feel pain; another could negate the ability to love, and so on. (DC 30) • There was another side effect as well: The obelisks contained a masking effect. They radiated an energy that allowed its controllers to hide themselves from others. One such obelisk was in the Shield Lands village of Ringland. Over the centuries, it laid beneath the Oerth, becoming attuned to the humans living there. As a result, when the Old One attacked, his forces failed to attack Ringland at all! (DC 30) • With the Reclamation of the Shield Lands, not all the citizens that returned were loyal Shield Landers. Some were Ur-Flan cultists. They began to reclaim their ancient powers. In Ringland, Critwall, Bright Sentry, and other locations, they summoned the obelisks from beneath the Oerth, and used their powers for their obscene rituals. With those obelisks re-summoned, who knows what evils could have been perpetrated? (DC 25) • The cultists used the energies of the obelisks to mask their activities for nearly five years. But then, the Old One erred. He released a plague upon the Flanaess. Adventurers from all over risked their lives to end what was called the Black Breath. Eventually, they found a way to tap the power of the obelisks, permanently draining them of their accumulated arcana, and disrupting the foulness of the plague. (DC 25) • This had an unexpected consequence: The Ur-Flan could hide no longer. Gildor and some loyal humans began eradicating their cults (the local government being too divided by petty politics to spend resources on shadowy accusations). (DC 25) • Recently, they found an especially nasty group of cultists here, in Admundfort. Gildor decided to watch their activities while calling in more help, namely the adventurers. He believes Krylinn must have been spotted in his travels, and then killed. (DC 35) • This particular cult is especially nasty. Known as “The Black Dragon” cult,(or “Worshipers of the Black Dragon”), they have apparently been living here, unseen and undetected, even under the watchful eyes of The Old One, for nearly a decade. They have been training fanatical sorcerer/assassins, using their dark deeds to influence events all across the Flanaess. Recently, he has learned this sect has sent members to Highfolk, Perrenland, the Bandit Kingdoms, Greyhawk City, and elsewhere. (DC 35) Gildor believes that because they were so bold as to strike out in a public assassination this close to their cult’s base indicates they must be abandoning it. He feels he cannot Acid Test Page 6 wait any longer. Gildor would like the adventurers to help him raid the cult’s hidden lair and destroy them. Encounter Two: The Cult on the Edge of Admundfort Admundfort, former capital of the Shield Lands, is now a dead city. Once you leave the outer docks region, the city is a corpse. Ruins o buildings jut from the wreckage like bleached bones on a battlefield. Near the safety of the docks, are a number of treasure seekers, or possibly fool sh merchants, going through the rubble looking for lost and forgotten items to sell. Gildor calls them foolish, stating: “just because The Old One has fled this city does no mean the touch of h s evil is completely gone.” Indeed, more than once you get the distinct feeling of being watched. f i t i Gildor directs your travels deep into the heart of the ruined city. As you go farther away from the docks, the air loses its fresh, healthy, lake smell and now is heavy with a wet, rotted smell; it carries a coppery taste. Despite the weather’s warmth, you feel a distinct chill upon your skin. Gildor slows his pace and points at a ruined barracks. The grinning skull, the unholy symbol of Iuz, still hangs over the door post. Only that part of the wall facing you, and part of one on the opposite side still stand. The rest of the building has been blasted away by war. The building is a complete loss. It has been blasted right down the middle by some sort of attack from a war machine (like a catapult or the like). The front and back wall still, partially, stand, like two hands cupped around the center. The interior appears to be made of solid wood slats on a brick foundation. Searching the rubble for anything of value is pointless. There is a secret trap door located just outside the back of the barracks. Because of the lingering power of the obelisk, it is particularly difficult to find (DC 30 Search check). The area on the back side of the building radiates strong abjuration and illusion magic. This is because the obelisk (which is treated as an artifact) is still radiating the equivalent of both nondetection and silent image on the trap door. If the party has trouble finding the door, Gildor will tell them to “try detecting magic” as the cult may be using arcana to hide the entrance. If a dispel magic or the like is used, the masking magic of the obelisk is treated as a 12 th level caster. The party may pre-cast spells or make any other preparations they wish. The secret door, once revealed, is a sturdy iron door set into the ground. It is a triangular door cunningly designed to be easy to lift open. Beneath it, all appears to be dark initially; however, after a moment, one can see that there is a purplish light emanating from deep beneath the surface of the earth. The light is accompanied by a crackling sound, similar to fire burning slightly wet wood, as there are loud pops and snaps mixed in with the crackling. The way to the cult’s lair is a five foot wide staircase, winding in a counter-clockwise direction. On the 27 th stair down, (a third of the way to the ground floor), a magical trap has been set. If a person, in Flan, states “I owe my loyalty to the Black Dragon Cult” as they reach they 27 th stair, the trap will deactivate for one minute. The trigger to deactivate the trap is actually “cult,” so the trap may be disabled inadvertently by other phrases. This trap was designed to take down a single invader with extreme prejudice, and in a hopefully painful manner. The magical trap will only target the character setting it off and it will do so with all of its attacks. Further, due to a quirk in the trap’s settings, it is only designed to attack members of the humanoid races, thus Gildor cannot set off the trap. The Ur-Flan could never have expected a human-shaped gold dragon from breaching their lair! APL 8 (EL 4) Melf’s Acid Arrow Trap: CR 4; magic device; proximity trigger; one-shot trap; spell effect: Melf’s acid arrow x2, 4 th level sorcerer, 2d4 acid per missile plus 2d4 acid per missile for 3 more rounds); Atk +4 ranged touch; Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27; Market value 1,800 gp. APL 10 (EL 5) Melf’s Acid Arrow Trap: CR 5; magic device; proximity trigger; one-shot trap; spell effect: Melf’s acid arrow x3, 4 th level sorcerer, 2d4 acid per missile plus 2d4 acid per missile for 3 more rounds); Atk +5 ranged touch; Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27; Market value 2,200 gp. APL 12 (EL 6) Melf’s Acid Arrow Trap: CR 6; magic device; proximity trigger; one-shot trap; spell effect: Melf’s acid arrow x4, 4 th level sorcerer, 2d4 acid per missile plus 2d4 acid per missile for 3 more rounds); Atk +6 ranged touch; Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27; Market value 2,600 gp. APL 14 (EL 7) Melf’s Acid Arrow Trap: CR 7; magic device; proximity trigger; one-shot trap; spell effect: Melf’s acid arrow x5, 4 th level sorcerer, 2d4 acid per missile plus 2d4 acid per missile for 3 more rounds); Atk +7 ranged touch; Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27; Market value 2,600 gp. As the party gets about two-thirds of the way down, they will be able to see into the cult’s chamber. It is a massive room with a high vaulted ceiling, approximately 200 feet across and 90 feet high. The stone has been shaped smooth by magic and is devoid of any carvings. On the far wall, away from the stairs, is a blood stained altar. A shimmering field hangs in the air above it (See “The Shimmering Field”, below). The walls, floor and ceiling Acid Test Page 7 are crammed with various runes and magic symbols painted on nearly every square inch. In many places, faded symbols have been repainted or painted over with different symbols. The symbols are disturbing to look at. Anyone trying to read them must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. In the center of the room is a black obsidian obelisk, about 20 feet across. Its point stands just a few feet from the ceiling of the cave. When the party enters the chamber, a number of robed forms will rise out of the floor to face the party. Read or paraphrase the following: l As your feet hit the floor of the chamber, two dozen robed figures rise from the rock bed itself. They are human in appearance, with heavy black leather robes. They wield daggers of an especially cruel make. One of them, their leader, apparently, throws back his hood. He is a pale, strong looking man. Al the hair has been shaved from his head and tattoos cover his scalp. A sickly black goatee sprouts from his chin beneath a cruel looking grin. He says “So, you have followed us this far. Welcome to your death! Your blood will mingle with the blood of the innocent we have already spilt.” This is nothing more than a programmed image (DC 19 Will save to disbelieve). It is designed to scare off the party, make them retreat, or otherwise waste time. The villains are trying to buy time; for all they know, their lair is being raided by easily scared local militia as opposed to hardened adventurers looking for battle! The images cannot really harm the party and don’t really react except to silently crowd in on the stair area. The Obelisk The obelisk in the chamber is one of the ancient Ur-Flan artifacts. It is carved with Flan and Draconic runes that form a magical speech that instructs one to trace the runes in a particular order to activate or deactivate its magical powers. Fortunately for the party, its magic energies, long stored, are now quickly dissipating; however, it still has some lingering power. The first person to touch it (if anyone does) must make a DC 26 Reflex save to pull away in time to avoid receiving the obelisk’s “blessing”. If a person fails their save, they receive the Lifeless curse on the AR. (See the “Special” section in the treasure summary, below). Such a person also receives a vision: The character is wearing the dark, leather robes of the Ur-Flan and stands on a blood soaked dais. Before the character, on an altar, lays a human male warrior, bound with chains. With a single stab, the character plunges an obsidian dagger down towards the vulnerable victim. As this is done, a snake-like hissing voice says “We accept this gift…” (but pronounced ‘acsssssept thissss’). The Shimmering Field Hanging in mid air over the altar is a shimmering field. It is a swirling mass of color, all from the dark end of the spectrum (navy blue, deep purple, etc.), shifting colors every few seconds. This is what is causing the purplish glow seen earlier. A DC 24 Knowledge (arcana) or DC 19 Spellcraft check will reveal it to be a form of teleportation circle. Where it leads is unknown. If the character beat the DC by 5 or more, it will also be known that the spell effect will fade in approximately eight hours (the exact number is 10 hours). Apparently, the magic of the obelisk is fueling the spell, allowing it to last longer than it normally would. Gildor will advise that his research shows the Ur-Flan traditionally had a number of “lairs” they might have retreated to. This portal might lead to any of them. Some locations rumored to hold cults include the frozen wastelands among the barbarians of the snowy north, the snake infested jungles of the far south, and the dust caked desert near the Sea of Dust. Stepping through brings the party to Encounter Four. Studying the portal briefly (a few minutes) will reveal that it is fueled, in part, by the obelisk. This will require a DC 30 Spellcraft check. If they learn this, they will also learn that casting Conjuration (teleportation) spells on the obelisk will increase the time the portal stays open. Each level of spell “fed” into the obelisk will keep the portal open for an additional half hour, to a maximum increase in time of five hours (for ten levels of spells). If detect magic is cast in conjunction with a DC 30 Spellcraft check, the character will realize that there is an underlying low level evocation magic embedded into the magic of the portal that is triggered on the other end of the portal when the portal is used. Development: If the party takes time to prepare or study the portal, proceed to Encounter Three. If the party steps through the portal, proceed to Encounter Four. Encounter Three: Interlude The party now has a limited amount of time to cast spells, heal, get supplies, etc. One of the things they may look at is how to get animal companions (especially large ones) down the narrow stairs! Additionally, animals with an Intelligence lower than 4 will not naturally go into the portal. A PC must make a DC 20 Handle Animal check to get the animal to enter. Attempts to track down the cultists via magic will be impeded. There is some sort of masking magic being used to keep one from finding the cultists, similar to that exuded by the obelisks. Any spell used to scry or otherwise locate the cultists requires a DC 27 caster level check to succeed. Failure results in painful headaches and a feeling of being “watched”. The party is free to use whatever time they feel they have available to purchase supplies in Admundfort. Essentially, any potions of 200 gp or less as well as all standard PHB supplies are available. Gildor insists on going along with the party. Acid Test Page 8 Encounter Four: Never Split the Party SPECIAL FAST PLAY OPTION: If time is a serious factor, it’s ok to have groups of two or more characters to arrive together. Just increase the amount of lizardfolk and shaman groups in each encounter to match the number of players! This encounter may be very frustrating for some parties. The portal is going to separate them and have each of them thrown into their own private encounter. Randomly place each character at one of the starting points shown on the attached map. It is best if each person is PRIVATELY run through their encounter (albeit somewhat quickly so no one gets too bored – after all, with a party of six players, if you spend just 10 minutes with each player, that is an hour of game time!). THE ENCOUNTER IS NOT HERE TO FRUSTRATE OR ANGER PARTIES; it is here to allow players a chance to show what their characters can do when left to their own resources. Each player will find themselves teleported into a different section of jungle. They will have no obvious point of reference and no immediate way to find the other party members. The idea is to give each party member a chance to have a micro-adventure. Their actions should, more or less, be simultaneous. Read or paraphrase the following to each party member: ll Stepping into the portal, you find yourself sliding down a tunnel of light. You feel your self rushing quicker and quicker towards a dark green light. Suddenly, there is a loud explosion of fire and sound and you find yourself… where, exactly? Looking around, you see you are in the middle of a charred and burnt ring of foliage, forty feet across. Wisps of smoke trail towards the bright blue sky above. Bits of flame and sparks dance here and there in the blasted surface of the land. Charred and blasted trunks of trees stand smoking and blackened through out the area. At the edges of the ring, thick and unrelenting jungle fences you in at all sides. A few of the trees and plants on the edges of the blast zone look to be partia y on fire. The smell of a fresh fire mixed with the wet smell of the jungle is heavy in the hot humid air. Excited sounds of exotic birds and strange animals can be heard from all around you. First, each party member will have been teleported to their own private “landing zone”. This is because the fading magic of the obelisk has caused the teleport mechanism to go awry. They will have any animal companion (familiars, etc.) that traveled with them but that’s it. It is impossible to guess all of the things a person might do, but here are some top possibilities to use as a guide. • Examine the blast zone. A DC 23 Spellcraft check is necessary to know the fire damage was from a fireball that hit the zone just seconds before the party member teleported in. This is actually a preprogrammed spell effect the cult had in place! They typically would be teleporting into a stone circle and the fireball effect would insure that any enemies waiting for them would be incinerated, or at least very weak, when the teleportation was completed. • Put out the fires! A DC 10 Knowledge (nature) check will reveal the fires that are lingering are too weak to overcome the wet, thick jungle. As a result, they will go out naturally within 10 to 15 minutes. • Climb a tree or fly. Climbing a tree is simple enough (DC 10 Climb check), though the vantage point is not very good; however, either flying or climbing will quickly show the party is in a sea of green. Jungle stretches in all directions for many miles. Ringing the forest in on the north is a mountain range which dips slightly to the south far to the east and west. A DC 20 Spot check (with a +2 competence bonus for every 10 feet above the surface of the jungle a person is flying) will reveal the plumes of smoke of the other party members’ teleports. See the attached map. • Head off into the jungle. If the perimeter is searched, there is a trail leading out of either side of the teleport zones. The party members should be given the opportunity to go off on their own. By the time a flying character reaches one on the ground, for example, chances are that character may have already entered the jungle. If not, DON’T PANIC! The characters are supposed to be heroes, after all. Describe travel through the jungle, even along the path, as somewhat difficult. Thick, hanging, ropey vines dangle off of strange dense trees. Jungle brush stands anywhere from two feet to five feet tall. Bird calls, insect buzzing, and wild animal shrieks occasionally fill the air… but not too closely… In this next encounter, each character will meet the pre-set amount of lizardfolk. If they have joined up, somehow, before this happens, then the amount of lizardfolk groups they meet is increased to match the number of characters. The lizardfolk have an excellent understanding of their environment, having lived here their entire lives. Thus, in addition to any other abilities, the lizardfolk have a competence bonus for being in the native terrain of +4 to all Hide, Move Silent, Spot and Listen checks. Additionally, because their scaled hides are colored similarly to the jungle’s foliage, they receive an additional +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks. This gives them (total): • +8 Hide • +4 Move Silent, Spot, Listen Acid Test Page 9 • The Shaman has an additional +2 Spot and Listen (+6 total) It is possible that characters have abilities to completely avoid the encounter; that is ok! However, the party member should be made aware of how their ability prevented the encounter. For example: “As you fly invisibly over the jungle, you can see through an occasional gap in the foliage the movements of a lizard man hunting party. It is clearly lucky you managed to avoid these feral beasts!” Otherwise, choose one of the texts below (or make up suitable text) to reflect the situation most appropriate: (Party Member surprised) As produced by some conjurer’s trick, thick jungle brush parts and you find yourself viewing a number of very agitated ooking l zardfolk! They have dangerous ooking weapons pointed at you and their leader – a deep blue-green lizardfolk wearing a brightly plumed headdress – seems to be hissing out words of magic! if l i l i i it (Lizardfolk surprised) Your keen senses have paid off! Through the dense undergrowth you have spotted movement… lots of movement! A patrol of l zardfolk led by a deep blue-green, plumed headdress wearing lizardfolk, are stalking through the jungle. Could it be they are looking for you? (Neither party surprised) Travel through the jungle has been difficult but so far you have not encountered any other creatures. Suddenly, as if produced by some conjurer’s trick, thick jungle brush parts and you find yourself v ewing a number of very ag ated looking lizardfolk! They have dangerous looking weapons and a leader – a deep blue-green lizardfolk wearing a brightly plumed headdress. You both appear to have spotted each other at the same time! APL 8 (EL 4) Lizardfolk: hp 17; see Monster Manual page 170. Shaman: Female lizardfolk Drd3; hp 33; see Appendix One. Viper: Medium Viper Animal Companion; hp 23; see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL 5) Lizardfolk (3): hp 17 each; see Monster Manual page 170. Shaman: Female lizardfolk Drd3; hp 33; see Appendix One. Viper: Medium Viper Animal Companion; hp 23; see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL 6) Lizardfolk (5): hp 17 each; see Monster Manual page 170. Shaman: Female lizardfolk Drd3; hp 33; see Appendix One. Viper: Medium Viper Animal Companion; hp 23; see Appendix One. APL 14 (EL 7) Lizardfolk (10): hp 17 each; see Monster Manual page 170. Shaman: Female lizardfolk Drd3; hp 33; see Appendix One. Viper: Medium Viper Animal Companion; hp 23; see Appendix One. Tactics: The lizardfolk have been harassed by the Ur-Flan for ages. While not the ONLY humanoids they have seen, they are generally the only ones they have recently seen in the ‘civilized’ dress. As a result, they believe the adventurers to be Ur-Flan or Ur-Flan agents. They will want to capture the character alive with no fight (if possible) and if not possible, then they will attack to kill the intruder. They are on patrol because of the loud/explosive fireballs that went off during the teleports. If the party chats to the lizardfolk about prior humanoids in the jungle, the lizardfolk will say there are, on very rare occasions, “visitors” dressed as strangely as the party. So far all of those visitors were taken to the camp where they were sacrificed to the jungle creatures. Generally, the lizardfolk (if they surprise or if neither party is surprised), will ready actions to attack the party member with prejudice if the party member does ANYTHING other than surrender. The Shaman will ready an action to cast entangle if the party member does anything other than surrender. Otherwise, the lizardfolk will react according to the player’s actions. They certainly can be talked out of attacking (if the player speaks draconic)! Let players pantomime out conversation if they want. This can also be fun roleplaying. This encounter, while it looks like a combat encounter, is not intended to be one! The party members should be encouraged to attack to subdue, talk their way out of trouble, etc. Essentially, once the party members can convince the lizardfolk they are not there to harm them (other than self defense), the lizardfolk will realize these are not Ur-Flan and back down. Treasure: Generally, they only have their crude weapons and armor (which are worthless in civilized lands). However the shaman also has his set of Dragonhide Full Plate. All APLs: Loot: dragonhide full plate 275 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 0 gp. NOTE: If the PCs befriend the lizardfolk, they do NOT gain access to the dragonhide full plate on the AR. Acid Test Page 10 Development: Depending on the party members’ actions, they will either be taken to the lizardfolk village by force or as friends. Alternatively, the pathways lead to lizardfolk village. The village has 250 lizardfolk in it. The attitude of the lizardfolk towards each player depends on how they arrived: • Captured party members will be interrogated (where the truth of the matter will be discovered). Afterwards they will be given many apologies, but always looked at as a bit “weak”. • Party members that talked their way here will be treated as great friends of the village. The lizardfolk will happily do their best to give aid and assistance to the party. • Party members that killed off the warband and found their way here will be treated with fear (and respect). The lizardfolk will sense an aura of death around them that cannot be shaken. Still, the lizardfolk respect power and will show it to such party members. Encounter Five: We are not the Ur−Flan you are looking for… Once party members are in the village, they are free to use it as a base of operations. The lizardfolk here will be excited to learn the party members are after the Ur-Flan cult that has plagued this village for so long. The lizardfolk will relay the following information to the party: • The Ur-Flan have been harassing this village for ages. They come here every few years and steal young lizardfolk and eggs. • The Ur-Flan have carved a lair out of a mountain about two days march from here. It is an area the lizardfolk shun because when they approach, they are attacked with strange magics. • The jungles are very dangerous for outsiders. The party should watch out! Each party member that talked their way into the village, with no lizardfolk being killed, will be able to recruit one of the war band members as a guide/warrior; however, the lizardmen will NOT volunteer. They are actually TERRIFIED of sending anyone to help as they view the Ur-Flan as extremely powerful. They do not want to draw their wrath upon themselves Describe the village as an area of cleared jungle, perhaps a quarter of a mile in diameter. It is surrounded by a trench dug from the jungle and filled with nasty looking, outward pointing wooden spikes. Dense jungle growth has over taken the floor of the trench so it must be old. Inside the clearing are a number of wood huts with thick leaf roofs. These huts are sturdy in appearance, and appear to be well maintained. The village itself has approximately 200 citizens of which a third are young, a third are middle aged, and a third are elders. If the party asks around, the elders are the only ones who remember disposing of prior visitors in the trench. As described above, the outskirts of the village are surrounded by a trench, overgrown with jungle plants. Spiked stakes, 4 to 5 feet long, have been driven into the trench, pointing outwards, as defense against some of the jungle creatures. If this area (a 20’ wide circle surrounding the village, which is about one-quarter mile in diameter) is searched, a number of humanoid bones will be discovered. These are the remains of explorers who did not meet the lizardfolk on friendly terms! Among the bones will be a few magical trinkets not destroyed by animals, the humidity of the jungle, time, etc. Because of the heavy undergrowth and the large area, it takes four hours of work and a DC 25 Search check, or magical means such as detect magic, to discover the treasures (although the dwarven plate can only be found with a Search check, as it is nonmagical). Each item should require its own search check, though all the checks can be made in one four-hour period. These items include: arrow of slaying (undead), dwarven plate, horn of goodness, maul of the titans, stone of alarm, and vest of escape. Treasure: All APLs: Loot: 0. Coin: 0 gp; Magic: arrow of slaying (undead) (191 gp), dwarven plate (1,375 gp), horn of goodness (542 gp), maul of the titans (2,109 gp), stone of alarm (59 gp), and vest of escape (433 gp). Development: The tribe really does not have much to offer party members. They will provide food, shelter, and druid spells cast by the shaman (see the Shaman’s stat- block in Appendix One for spells available) and items for sale that could normally be purchased in a village of 200 citizens. Encounter Six: Above and Below The next section is difficult to adjudicate because players have so many skills and talents at their disposal. Still, they should not feel boxed in. If the party goes by air, the trip will take nearly an entire day. Additionally, the party will have the “aerial” encounters (Six A/B). If the party goes by land, the journey will take the better part of two days and the party will have the “ground” encounters (Six C/D). The party cannot get BOTH sets of encounters. So, if they get the aerial encounters, they cannot get the ground encounters and vice versa. Encounter Six A Travel to the mountain is more or less easy to accomplish. As the party finishes traveling about three-quarters of the way, they will have the following untiered encounter: i Your fl ght has been, more or less, excellent. The air is cloudy and overcast, but not rainy. Blue skies can be seen behind the fluffy white of the clouds. Flying Acid Test Page 11 over the jungle is almost pleasant: thick humid, growing smells come up, and there is the ever present background song of jungle birds. As you travel along, you can see the particular mountain described by the lizardfolk growing ever closer. It has an odd dark-reddish tint compared to the other mountains. Then, with a screech, a nasty trio of arrowhawks dives out of a cloudbank straight at your party! The birds, an Elder and two Adults, will screech horribly and close to within 120 yards of the party. The party may want to react here. They have one round to do so if they express such a desire. At the start of the next round, the creatures CHASING the arrowhawks fly into view… Cawing in anger, a second set of arrowhawks swoops down out of the cloudbank and attacks the first set of arrowhawks! Feathers fly everywhere… A clutch of four Adults and four Juveniles will swoop down on the first group of arrowhawks. These two groups will fight each other exclusively until one side or the other is killed or driven off. They are fighting over nesting areas and will not attack the party unless forced to. ALL APLs (EL 11) Elder Arrowhawk: hp 112; see Monster Manual page 20. Adult Arrowhawk (6): hp 38 each; see Monster Manual page 20. Junior Arrowhawk (4): hp 16 each; see Monster Manual page 20. Tactics: This is not intended as a combat encounter for the players. If they want to get involved in the battle, they can, but the Arrowhawks will completely ignore them. These creatures are locked in a territorial dispute. If the players get involved, the Arrowhawks will stay back and try to shoot at mounts first (with their electricity attack), flying creatures (via visible means such as wings) second, and magically flying creatures last. They will concentrate their attacks as best as possible. Development: After encountering the Arrowhawks, the party can continue to watch them battle or simply go on their way. However, the battle SHOULD act as foreshadowing for the next encounter (in that monsters may be coming out of the various cloud banks). Encounter Six B You near the dark mountain. Looking more like a broken leg bone jutting from the Oerth than any actual natural occurrence, its neighbors seem weak in comparison. The top of the mountain is a jagged mess with shear points jutting from the thick fog surrounding the peak. The dark stone of the rest of the mountain is a rough, craggy affair, offering little purchase for any climber. The jungle seems to stop about a 100 yards before the mountain’s foot and, even from here, what may be the blackness of a cave front can be seen. As the party approaches, they will be attacked by one or more huge, multi-headed wyverns. At APLs 8 and 10, the wyvern(s) is/are distracted, giving the party a surprise round to act before the wyvern(s). This reduces the EL of these encounters by 1 each. APL 8 (EL 8) Huge Multiheaded Wyvern: hp 161, see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL 10) Huge Multiheaded Wyvern (2): hp 161 each, see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL 12) Huge Multiheaded Wyvern (3): hp 161 each, see Appendix One. APL 14 (EL 14) Huge Multiheaded Wyvern (6): hp 161 each, see Appendix One. Tactics: The wyverns are intelligent cohorts of the cultists. They have been warped by strange Ur-Flan magic and trained to defend the area from interlopers. Generally, they feed on the occasional lizardfolk that come too close, jungle animals, or the extremely rare explorer. However, they are excited to see a good battle suitable to their dragon heritage. They will use their flyby attack to best of their ability, possibly using their talon and improved grab to get a free sting attack on a victim. They have no problem with taking mounts out, allowing the riders to fall to their deaths. At APLs 8 and 10, the party spots the Wyverns at their highest spot check roll times 10 feet. At APLs 12 and 14, the wyverns get full use of their Hide (+11) skills. This can be interpreted as the wyverns flying out of the sun, using a fog bank for cover, etc. The starting encounter distance is equal to ten times the amount by which the highest Spot check in the party beats the lowest Hide check amongst the wyverns. Roll separately for each wyvern’s Hide check. Treasure: The wyverns have no treasure. Development: Defeating the wyverns gives the party access to the mountain. Note: the wyverns nest in the rocky crags of the mountain’s peak. Exploring the nest only finds old bones. Encounter Six C Describe the party’s exploration of the jungle as tiring. The humidity and heat inside the cover of the jungle is heavy and sweat may pour freely from party members. At Acid Test Page 12 the start of the second day, read or paraphrase the following: As you travel through the jungle, you hear a thumping sound. Rapidly, it approaches from just ahead. The party may want to react here. They have one round to do so if they express such a desire. A moment later, through a clearing just ahead of you, three raptors smash out of the jungle path. They spot you and appear to be momentarily surprised to see creatures here. Throwing aside trees as if they were children’s toys, two massive beasts roar into the clearing behind the raptors. Their black scaly skin makes them seem even larger in the dark of the jungle. They open their massive jaws and roar! ALL APLs (EL 11) Tyrannosaurus Rex (2): hp 180 each; see Monster Manual page 61. Deinonychus (raptors) (3): hp 34 each; see Monster Manual page 60. Tactics: This is not intended as a combat encounter for the players. If they want to get involved in the battle, they can, but the raptors will completely ignore them. These creatures are fleeing for their lives from the Tyrannosauruses. If the players get involved, the dinosaurs will have no problem turning on player characters as a dinner choice. Otherwise, one of the Tyrannosauruses will critical on its first bite attack on a Raptor. Development: After meeting the dinosaurs, the party can continue to watch them battle or simply go on their way. However, the battle SHOULD act as foreshadowing for the next encounter, in that monsters may be coming out of the jungle. Encounter Six D At long last you near the dark mountain. The jungle floor has steadily become hillier. In places, the ground is quite rough, as if it has suffered seismic activity. Now you are at the edge of a clearing, perhaps 300 feet across. Looking more like a broken leg bone jutting from the Oerth than any actual natural occurrence, its neighbors seem weak in comparison. The top of the mountain is a jagged mess with shear points jutting from the thick fog surrounding the peak. The dark stone of the rest of the mountain is a rough, craggy affair, offering little purchase for any climber. From here you can see what may be the blackness of a cave front. APL 8 (EL 8) Huge Multiheaded Ankheg: hp 172, see Appendix One. APL 10 (EL 10) Huge Multiheaded Ankheg (2): hp 172 each, see Appendix One. APL 12 (EL 12) Huge Multiheaded Ankheg (3): hp 172 each, see Appendix One. APL 14 (EL 14) Huge Multiheaded Ankheg (6): hp 172 each, see Appendix One. Tactics: The ankhegs are unintelligent beasts that know a good thing when they get it. The Ur-Flan will bring victims and feed them to the ankhegs. These beasts have been warped by strange Ur-Flan magic and now (unintentionally) defend the area from interlopers. Generally, they feed on the occasional lizardfolk that come too close, jungle animals, or the extremely rare explorer. They will use their burrowing ability to try to attack by surprise. Their goal is to get a victim and drag it back down into their lair to munch on it. They may not be intelligent, but they are cunning. The Monster Manual describes the Ankheg tactic as lying underneath the ground, approximately 5 to 10 feet beneath the surface. They use their tremorsense to detect persons walking above them. They then burrow out, treating the movement as a charge. It is possible that they do not have to come out of their holes entirely to attack in which case they may receive a cover bonus (+4). Treasure: The ankhegs have no treasure. Development: Defeating the ankhegs gives the party access to the mountain. Note: they live in a warren of tunnels beneath the mountain. Exploring the warrens only reveals old bones. Encounter Seven: The Cult’s Lair The cult of Ur-Flan has secured itself inside a great, dark mountain. Access to the mountain is through a cave opening 20 feet wide. The subsequent tunnel has been carved into a gentle incline, wrapping around itself, until it reaches its final destination: a massive altar/teleportation chamber. In that chamber, the cult sacrifices its victims to its dark and dangerous faith. As the party travels through the tunnel, they will note a number of side chambers. These are interconnected cells where prisoners are held or, Acid Test Page 13 alternatively, the cultists can rest. The final chamber has a vast number of other side chambers leading off of it. A few special notes about the chambers and the cultists: • The mountain has been ravaged by dark magic over the centuries. This has the effect of making the mountain resistant to magic that affects stone (stone shape for example). Any spell or spell-like affect that would affect the mountain is treated as if the mountain has Spell Resistance 27. • The moisture that runs down the hairline cracks in the walls has gathered magical energies of its own. This cult has designed the altar chamber in such a way as to collect these waters in a basin beneath the main altar. These waters are thick, reddish and smell heavily of ash. If consumed, they have the effect of an elixir of reckoning (see Appendix Six). • The walls of the mountain are infused with a similar, if less strong, version of the masking magic contained in the obelisks. Any attempt to scry or divine through the mountain walls must surpass a DC 27 Caster Level check in order to succeed. • As party members explore the mountain hallways, they will encounter a number of areas; these are: General Hallways, Generic Cult Rooms, The Room of Bones, The Memorium, and the Final Hallway. As the party explores these chambers, they should be made aware that every indicator says this should be an inhabited area, but, it’s not. So, the party should wonder, where is everyone? General Hallways Read or paraphrase the following: l “ i i t l l Dark, worked stone almost seems to absorb your light as it reflects it back into a dark violet glow. The floors and wal s are inset with countless honorarium” markings: carved stones with the names of dark heroes or events. However, so many cultists have walked upon or caressed these stones that the writ ng is all but faded. Here and there a word or symbol, perhaps a bit of a phrase, is v sible. None of the writings are healthy for a sane mind to contemplate for long… Anyone wishing to study the writings will find them unable to do so without serious effort. A DC 30 Decipher Script or Bardic Knowledge check or magic such as comprehend languages will find the writings are a bastardized combination of Flan and Draconic. PCs that speak either Flan or Draconic receive a +2 bonus to this check, or +4 if they speak both languages. The writings talk of a great darkness that is coming and mention “the Consort of the Queen” (although no exact reference is made as to what that could be). Such efforts are both rewarding and costly. As a reward, any character translating the words as described above will be able to claim to be so revolted by the vile deeds contained therein, that they will receive a +2 circumstance bonus to hit all Ur-Flan in this mountain. Generic Cult Rooms As party members explore the various chambers of the mountain, read or paraphrase the following: Dark red candles in iron holders, tattered books dealing with subjects not clean of thought, rough wool bedding, scrolls decorated with diagrams of anatomy and constellations: these are just a smattering of the various accouterments found in the chambers of the Ur-Flan cultists. There is very little special information to be learned from these diagrams, but what is here is important. Reviewing the diagrams with a successful DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check will reveal these cultists believe all races are nothing but fodder for some power. They are of the belief that all of Oerth is nothing more than a breeding ground for a being or beings so terrible it or they are beyond comprehension. They have sacrificed victims for centuries, providing spiritual fuel to this nameless evil. The symbol of this cult is the clawed, black scaled, lizard hand. This symbol looks draconic. It is clear that this cult does not know the true nature of the evil they worship. Room of Bones This door to this room is different than the others. Made of stone, with an inset handle, it appears to be designed to pull open. The face of the door has the diagram of a skull on it, and across the face of it are three deep gashes, like a claw across leather. Once the door is opened, read or paraphrase the following: As the door opens, grinding on i s ancient hinges, you are able to see the contents of this dreadful room. Skulls are piled wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Hundreds upon hundreds of skulls are here. Opening the door swir s dust out around your feet and you quick y realize from its chalky white nature that it is the crushed and decayed remnants of even older bone matter. This room, which is 15’ square, is where the cult stores the skulls of certain of its victims. While there is a wide variety of skulls in this room; orc, lizardfolk, elf, dwarf, etc., the vast majority (85%) are human. Of these, probably 70% were of persons under 14 years of age. Each of the skulls has been carefully (almost lovingly) carved with two Flan runes (although of a style not in common use for centuries) – One of the runes is that of death, the other of dragon. The Memorium Before the party reaches the final chamber, the hallways all join into one final corridor. The corridor leads to a room thirty feet square. This room is of black stone, much as the rest of the mountain, and appears to be a dead end. The room has four memorial markers. Each marker is Acid Test Page 14 roughly two feet tall, three feet wide and six feet long, and is composed of rose quartz slabs topped by a carved likeness of a former head of the cult – ones who died after extreme service to the forces of evil. There are two on either wall. On the wall opposite the door, there is an archway carved over a stone surface (see below) The first statue is a thin looking woman with an angular face. Dragon shaped tattoos cover every inch of skin not covered by her robes. In Flan, the inscription reads: “Yizinlly – Heer lyez thee queen oph deeds most vyle in the research of darkling magycs for Acerak the grim. The second statue is a somewhat corpulent fellow with an especially unhealthy grin. Each of his fingers has carved upon it a unique looking ring. In Flan, the inscription reads – “Garglemier, the Grey Friar - Hees actions yn drowning the youths of Dyvers, Greyhawk and Critwall to raese the daemoness of waters deep. Heer lore still corrupts.” The third statue is an athletic looking man with bony features. In one hand he bears a rose and in the other a snake. In Flan, the inscription reads “Qrll Urglan – Vynomous reaper, master poysoner. Assassyn of kings, deceyver of queens.” The fourth statue is an elegant looking woman of stern visage and boney hands. In Flan, the inscription reads – “Kurollyn – Whyle her deedes where neyther of an overt natyre unwholesome, her amassing of coin to the detryment of the poor, and the subsquynt donation of the same, ys reason enuf to remember her nayme.” On the wall opposite the entrance is an odd sight. A stone archway, made of innumerable bits of shiny black onyx, juts from the surface. It is eight feet tall and wide and comes to a precise point. The two columns appear to be a pair of entwined winged snakes wrapping themselves around the archway from floor to apex. There, they stare out at the room, jaws agape. Still, the archway leads to nowhere – the doorway is a solid piece of the same stone as the rest of the chamber. When one approaches this archway, a person needs to go to each of the memorials and push in on the eyes of the figures. They will ever so slightly recess. If this is done, there will be a clicking sound and the wall will slide into the floor. If it is not done, and a person touches the wall in the archway, a scythe blade will swing up from the floor! ALL APLs (EL 4) Wall Scythe Trap: CR 4; mechanical; location trigger; automatic reset (after two minutes); Atk + +20 (2d4+8/x4 scythe); Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 18; Market value 17,200 gp. This trap may be especially deadly for a party that detects the secret door (for example via an elf’s special ability) and goes straight to the wall to search it. After the Memorium, the hallway expands to 15 feet wide and extends straight for approximately 100 feet, then angles in to the heart of the mountain. Fifteen feet past the Memorium, an alarm spell has been placed. Encounter Eight: The Cult of the Black Dragon Cut out of the mountain’s heart is a circular room fifty feet across and thirty feet high. The dark stone of the mountain is now streaked with dark red stains. These stains swirl, twist and intertwine across the floor of the chamber, leading ultimately to massive altar. This stone table of death is eight feet long, three feet high and four feet across. It is carved from a single block of obsidian. Pooling about its base is a nasty reddish fluid, bubbling up from the floor. Grinning, dragon-shaped, stone gargoyles perch on each corner of the altar, facing away from its center. They seem to strain away from the center, pulling at chains that are collared to their necks. Attached to the chains, and securely strapped to the table, is Gildor Arcanix! Around the edges of the room are numerous alcoves. These alcoves are not empty. Each has a white, bone colored lectern facing the altar. Behind many of them stand several black robed acolytes and one white robed figure, all chanting. Fifteen feet past the archway described in Encounter Seven, above, the high priest has placed a silent alarm spell off of a scroll. The command word to bypass the alarm is any of the names of the villains memorialized in the monuments. If the party triggers the alarm, the cultists will not be surprised. Otherwise, there is a chance the cultists will not hear the party approach (if the party is moving stealthily, for example). The altar is not a true rectangular box. In fact, its shape is more like a subtle, inverted pyramid. The base is about forty-seven feet long and twenty-seven feet wide, while the top is forty-eight feet long and twenty-eight feet wide. The nasty fluid circles around the base of the altar. The fluid is a number of doses of elixir of reckoning. This nasty substance, when consumed, will cause its drinker to explode in a 20’ radius for 5D6 damage! There is a DC 14 Reflex save for half. The altar has been carved with the names of enemies of the Ur-Flan along with the date that enemy was slain. These records go back centuries. A DC 20 Search check will reveal some recent names, including Gildor’s, Keljor the Ivory Mace, Irinna Qu’lla, Markoz Kregg, and Waruna of the West. These names can be recognized with a DC 25 Knowledge (local: Iuz Border States) or Bardic Knowledge check. Success reveals these are adventurers of some small renown and that all of them have one thing in common: each went on at least one adventure with a member of the Church of Bahamut. Gildor Arcanix is unconscious. A nasty welt on his brow makes it appear he has been knocked out (This is Acid Test Page 15 not the source of his unconsciousness, however; this wound was delivered after he was rendered helpless.) Instead, he is the current victim of a “bound slumber” version of binding. Essentially, the altar’s surface doubles as the exit point for the obelisk’s teleportation circle in Admundfort. Anyone who lands on the altar and is not a member of the Ur-Flan cult is subject to the altar’s inherent binding ability. When the party comes in, the cult will attack. APL 8 (EL 10) Desperate Cult Apprentice (4): Human Sor3; hp 19 each; see Appendix One. Cult Leader: Human Sor9; hp 49; see Appendix Two. APL 10 (EL 12) Desperate Cult Apprentice (4): Human Sor3; hp 19 each; see Appendix One. Cult Leader: Human Sor9; hp 49; see Appendix Three. Elite Cult Leader: Human Sor11; hp 59; see Appendix Three. APL 12 (EL 14) Desperate Cult Apprentice (4): Human Sor3; hp 19 each; see Appendix One. Elite Cult Follower: Human Sor11; hp 59; see Appendix Four. Superior Cult Leader: Human Sor13; hp 69; see Appendix Four. APL 14 (EL 16) Desperate Cult Apprentice (4): Human Sor3; hp 19 each; see Appendix One. Superior Cult Follower: Human Sor13; hp 69; see Appendix Five. Horrible Cult Leader: Human Sor15; hp 79; see Appendix Five. Tactics: This encounter will play, most likely, one of two ways. Either the party will get the drop on the cult or the cult will have a good shot of getting the drop on the party. Either way, all of the cultists, as part of the ritual they are going to perform, have consumed the elixir of reckoning (see Appendix Six). • Each alcove a cultist is in is sufficiently dense that a blast will not wrap around/through to the next cultist chamber. • The lecterns the cult members are standing behind are easily tipped over and do not impede movement for anyone. They do, however, act as soft cover (PHB page 151. +4 AC vs. ranged attacks), but do not provide concealment. • The cultists will generally cast as offensively as possible, then charge in to attack. They will coordinate their attacks on one or two persons. They are smart enough to try to take out the strongest threat. Remember – at APL 8, for example, 4 level 3 sorcerers casting magic missile could deal 8d8+8 automatic points of damage on one player (not counting whatever mayhem the leader decides to do). • The apprentices have just a few scrolls left that they managed to scrounge from their lair in Admundfort. They will use these on the party as aggressively as possible. Assign the scrolls randomly to the Desperate Cult Apprentices. To use the scrolls, they need to make a Caster Level check (DC is equal the Caster Level of the scroll. See DMG pg. 238): Scrolls: • Fireball (CL5, DC 16) • Lightning Bolt (CL5, DC 16) • Ray of Exhaustion (CL 5, DC 15) • Slow (CL 5, DC 15) Try to sell the life of each cultist as dearly as possible, and hopefully within 20 feet of the party! However, the way the elixir works, unconsciousness will not trigger its effects. A clever party may switch to using nonlethal damage. If the alarm was triggered, each cultist should have time to prepare one or two spells (shield, then mage armor for apprentices, whatever seems most appropriate for the leader and follower). The leader will have cast Mordenkainen’s faithful hound near the altar before the ceremony began, if available to him. Don’t forget, the cult leader wears a white robe of the archmagi, using Use Magic Device to Emulate Alignment. This gives him +5 armor bonus to AC, Spell Resistance 18, +4 on all savings throws and +2 to overcome spell resistance. The idea behind this encounter is to make it one where the party is attacked in strength by a number of minions as well as a strong leader. The cultists are insane loons that worship death and have no problem throwing themselves at the party, knowing their death may kill others. However, they are also more than happy to zap the party with as many spells as possible first. Treasure: All APLs: Loot – 6 gp, Coin – 0 gp, Magic – robe of the archmagi (6,250), scepter of obedience (1042 gp), scroll of fireball (32 gp each), scroll of lightning bolt (32 gp each), scroll of ray of exhaustion (32 gp each), scroll of slow (32 gp each), elixir of reckoning – (6 @ 70 gp each). Development: With the cultists dead, the party can tend to Gildor. As mentioned above, he is subject to the spell effects of a “bound slumber” version of binding (CL 20). It can be broken by any appropriate means and Gildor will regain consciousness 1d6+6 rounds later. Alternatively, with the death/capture of the leader, the magic will fade away in about an hour. When Gildor is removed from the altar, there will be a depression underneath him that contains a blood-red Acid Test Page 16 jewel, the size of a man’s head. It is multi-faceted (much like a d12) and pulses with dark power. If checked for, it radiates strong necromantic magic. If the party holds it, they know that it is filled with the soul energy of all those ever slain on the altar. But should they destroy it or keep it? The cultists have no idea. For purposes of this adventure, if it is destroyed, it will open a teleport circle back to Admundfort, and the party will receive “Blessed by Good”. If it is NOT destroyed, but is taken from the altar, the bearer of it will slowly (after about an hour) determine it can be used to open a teleport circle back to the cult lair in Admundfort. Either way, it will not go into extradimensional spaces (such as a bag of holding or a rope trick). If it is brought back to Admundfort, the Obelisk will suddenly glow a dark purple and begin to sink into the floor and the gem will shatter. If this happens, the party gets “Blessed by Darkness”. If the party does neither and keeps it, it will slowly lose its stored energies over the next few weeks, finally crumbling to useless bits of glass and the party gets neither reward. If any of the cultists survive (and they may, once the party figures out that they tend to explode if killed) or are questioned successfully via speak with dead, the cultists will state that they have been operating out of Admundfort for years. They learned they were being pursued by the “hated cult of platinum” (i.e. the church of Bahamut) and so operated to put an end to their meddling. Before killing the messenger (so to speak), they realized the magic of the obelisk was fading and they would need to leave anyway. The killing was, thus, out of revenge. Having Gildor come through was merely a bonus. Some other top questions they might be asked: • Uh, so who are you guys again? “Worshipers o the darkness in the souls of all living things – evil taken form and despair given shape! We worship… evil!” f l l l i i • Ok… that’s creepy. Any NAME to this evil? “We call ourselves the followers of the Black Dragon because of the acidic burning hatred we carry for all things good and pure. You, uh, might have noticed, not a lot of clerics here…” • Oh, right. So, why all the dead children’s skulls? “Well, some arcane rituals prefer innocent souls. Generally, not a lot happens after the ritual. Some weird smoke, maybe some sparks; then we typically have something to eat. However, we keep hoping to please the darkness that lies outside of the dreaming minds of al whom…” • Yeah, yeah, heard you on that. So… where’s all your food? And, why didn’t I find a lot of writing materials for scrolls and stuff? “Oh. We are not the ONLY cult out there. There are others, equal y dedicated to – ah, but you know that already. Essentially, we brought a few supplies with us, then some of us (the ones that knew the secret location) teleported away with most of the good stuff. As for food, well, we are in a jungle and there are some good fruits and animals out there to eat.” • So, what about the obelisks? Are their powers completely done for? “Who knows? But the local ones in the Shie d Lands are, for the most part, done for. There are others out there, however… all across the Oerth… waiting, waiting to be awoken by true believers in the forces of incredible darkness that lurk in the shadows of the hearts of those who know and follow the true ways of evil!” • What about the names of all those people carved on the Altar? “Those are enemies of the darkness that must be destroyed, or well, have been already.” • What about all the crimes of assassination, terror, etc. you are charged with? “Well, a cultist isn’t much if you aren’t doing cultist things, right? We get our instructions in our dreams, from some other faceless evil. It fills us with dread and exaltation when we are contacted.” Beyond that, they don’t know a heck of a lot. They all have odd sounding Flan names such as Artur, Beyor, Cornad, Delsia, Enag, Fellipe, or Gunzer. If their backgrounds are thoroughly researched, these are all missing members of extremely wealthy families scattered across the Flanaess. As to Gildor, he will remember teleporting through, then feeling extreme pain, and after that… dreaming. He dreamed of being in an eternal battle with other dragons all of whom were evil, but some of whom he thought (in his dream state) were friends. Conclusion – The Thrilling Conclusion The party can go where they want, but it is presumed they end up back at Admundfort. In any case, Gildor will thank them before they leave telling them: “Th s is certainly not the way I intended this adventure to go. Even though evil was vanquished and a dark stain removed from the Flanaess, I cannot help but think this is but a single scale from a dragon’s back. Still I appreciate your efforts. I am not with out my influences. Be assured I will put in a good word for you.” After leaving you to your devices, you are aware that more questions remain – Where did the other cultists go to? Who were the persons carved into the altar, and exactly why? All you have learned, however, leads you to believe that someth ng is directing the cultists. But who or what could it be? The End Acid Test Page 17 Experience Point Summary To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value (objectives plus roleplaying) to each character. Encounter Two Disable or survive the trap on the stairs: APL8 120 xp APL10 150 xp APL12 180 xp APL14 210 xp Encounter Four Defeat or avoid combat with the lizardfolk: APL8 120 xp APL10 150 xp APL12 180 xp APL14 210 xp Encounter Six Defeat the two-headed monster: APL8 240 xp APL10 300 xp APL12 360 xp APL14 420 xp Encounter Seven Disable or survive the scythe trap: APL8 120 xp APL10 120 xp APL12 120 xp APL14 120 xp Encounter Eight Defeat the cultists: APL8 400 xp APL10 460 xp APL12 520 xp APL14 580 xp Discretionary Roleplaying Award APL8 255 xp APL10 270 xp APL12 315 xp APL14 360 xp Total possible experience: APL8 1125 xp APL10 1350 xp APL12 1575 xp APL14 1800 xp Treasure Summary During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasure. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason, they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the item does and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate. Because this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend additional Time Units to practice professions or create items immediately after the adventure so this total may be modified by other circumstances. L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables; M = Magic Items. Encounter Four: All APLs: Loot: dragonhide full plate 275 gp. Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 0 gp. Encounter Five: All APLs: Loot: 0. Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 4,709 gp – arrow of slaying (undead) (191 gp), dwarven plate (1,375 gp), horn of goodness (542 gp), maul of the titans (2,109 gp), stone of alarm (59 gp), and vest of escape (433 gp). Encounter Eight: All APLs: Loot: 6 gp, Coin: 0 gp, Magic: 7840 gp – robe of the archmagi (6,250), scepter of obedience (1,042 gp), scroll of fireball (32 gp), scroll of lightning bolt (32 gp), scroll of ray of exhaustion (32 gp), scroll of slow (32 gp), elixir of reckoning – (6 @ 70 gp each). Acid Test Page 18 Total Possible Treasure APL 8: Loot: 281 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 12,549 gp - Total: 1,250 gp. APL 8: Loot: 281 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 12,549 gp - Total: 2,100 gp. APL 8: Loot: 281 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 12,549 gp - Total: 3,000 gp. APL 8: Loot: 281 gp; Coin: 0 gp; Magic: 12,549 gp - Total: 6,000 gp. Special The Scales Balance: For assisting Gildor (and rescuing him), he has granted you his favor. Once per adventure for one year from the date of this AR, during any Iuz metaregional adventure, you may invoke Bahamut’s name as a standard action, granting you the benefits of a protection from evil spell as if cast by an 18 th level arcane caster. This is a supernatural effect. This favor counts as peaceful contact with a representative of Bahamut. Lifeless: You were the first to touch the obelisk of the Ur- Flan. As a result, you were infused with powers intended to create undead and your soul has been infused with a bit of these energies. You gain low light vision (or your current low light vision is doubled in range) and darkvision 30 feet (or your current darkvision is increased by 15 feet). However, you suffer a -1 to hit, and a -2 to spot and search attempts when in daylight. This benefit fades after one year from the date earned. Blessed by Good: For the next four adventures, you have Spell Resistance 16, or if you already have Spell Resistance from some other source, you gain a +2 holy bonus to your Spell Resistance. Kissed by Evil: As “Blessed by Good,” but in addition, during this time period, spells treat you as if you were evil. This does not affect your alignment at all. The bonus to Spell Resistance is profane, rather than holy. “Kissed by Evil” may be removed with a remove curse accompanied by a DC 27 Caster Level check. List of Enemies of the Cult: This is a list of names recently carved into the side of the altar: Gildor Arcanix, Keljor the Ivory Mace, Irinna Qu’lla, Markoz Kregg, and Waruna of the West Strange Black Dragon Scale: The bearer of this scale and all allies within 30' gain a +2 luck bonus on saving throws against the attacks, spells, and special attacks (extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like) of dragons. This item only works for humans and does not take up an item slot. Frequency: Adventure. Faint abjuration; CL 3rd; Antidragon aura DRA, Craft Wondrous Item, Dragon Hunter Bravery DRA; Price 3,000 gp; Weight 1 lb. Items for the Adventure Record Item Access All APLs: • Arrow of slaying (undead) (Adventure; DMG; 2,282 gp) *maximum of three may be purchased • Black dragonhide full plate (Adventure; DMG; 3,300 gp) • Dwarven plate (Adventure; DMG; 16,500 gp) • Horn of goodness (Adventure; DMG; 6,500 gp) • Maul of the titans (Adventure; DMG; 25,305 gp) • Robe of the archmagi, white (Adventure, DMG; 75,000 gp) • Scepter of obedience (Adventure; Miniatures Handbook; 12,500 gp) • Stone of alarm (Adventure; DMG; 2,700 gp) • Strange black dragon scale (Adventure; see above) • Vest of escape (Adventure; DMG; 5,200 gp) • Wand of searing light, 6 th (Adventure; DMG; 13,500 gp) Acid Test Page 19 Appendix One – All APLs Encounter Four Lizardfolk Shaman: female lizardfolk Drd3: CR 4; Medium humanoid (reptilian); HD 2d8+2 plus 3d8+3; hp 33; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (+8 armor, +5 natural armor, +2 shield); Base Atk: +2; Grp: +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4+1/x2, claw) or +4 melee (1d6+1/x2, club) or +3 ranged (1d6+1/x2, javelin); Full Atk +4 melee (1d4+1/x2, 2 claws) and +2 melee (1d4/x2, bite) OR +4 melee (1d6+1/x2, club) and +2 melee (1d4/x2, bite) OR +3 ranged (1d6+1, javelin); SQ Animal Companion (viper), hold breath, nature sense, wild empathy +3, woodland stride, trackless step; AL N. SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 14, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Balance -1, Handle Animal +6, Jump +2, Spot +3, Swim +4; Multiattack, Spell Focus (Conjuration). Hold Breath: A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning (see page 304 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Skills: Because of their tails, lizardfolk have a +4 racial bonus on Jump, Swim, and Balance checks. Spells Prepared (4/3/2; base DC = 12 + spell level [ C +1]): 0—detect magic, guidance (3); 1st—entangle, produce flame, hide from animals; 2nd—chill metal, summon swarm. Possessions: heavy wooden shield, dragonhide full plate, club, javelins (10), holly, mistletoe, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: rich blue-green hide tattooed with stick figure animal shapes. Animal Companion Viper: CR -; Medium animal; HD 4d8; hp 23; Init +7; Spd 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.; AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +5 natural armor); Base Atk: +3; Grp: +2; Atk +7 melee (1d4-1/x2 plus poison, bite); SA Poison; SQ Evasion, link, scent share spells; AL N. SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 9, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide +12, Listen +5, Spot +6, Swim +7; Weapon Finesse, Ability Focus (poison),. Tricks: Fighting, Guard, Track. Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 14, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based. Viper, see Appendix One. Encounter Six B Huge Multiheaded Wyvern: CR 9; Huge dragon; HD 11d12+55; hp 137; Init +4; Spd 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor); AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20 (+12 natural, -2 Size); BAB: +11; Grp +28; Atk +18 melee (1d8+9/x2 plus poison, sting) or +18 melee (3d8+9/x2, bite); Full Atk +18 melee (1d8+9/x2 plus poison, sting) and +18 melee (3d8+9/x2, 2 bites) and +18 melee (2d6+4/x2, 2 wings) and +18 melee (3d6+9/x2, 2 talons); Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.; SA Improved grab, poison; SQ Darkvision 90 ft., immunity to sleep and paralysis, low-light vision, multiheaded, scent; AL N. SV Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +8; Str 28, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 9. Skills and Feats: Hide +10, Listen +19, Move Silently +14, Search +0, Spot +22; Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Combat Reflexes B, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative B, Improved Multiattack* B, Multiattack B, Wingover. Languages: Wyverns speak draconic but usually don’t bother with anything more than a hiss or deep throated growl. Improved Grab (Ex): The wyvern must hit with its talons. It can then start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins, it establishes a hold and gets a free Sting attack on its victim. Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based. Skills: Wyverns have a +3 racial bonus on Spot checks. Multiheaded creatures have a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Encounter Six D Huge Multiheaded Ankheg: CR 8; Huge magical beast; HD 11d10+102; hp 172; Init +4; Spd 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.; AC 22, touch 8, flat-footed 22 (+14 natural, -2 Size); BAB: +11; Grp +29; Atk +19 melee (4d6+15/x2 plus 1d4 acid, bite); Full Atk +19 melee (4d6+15/x2 plus 1d4 acid, 2 bites); Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.; SA Improved grab, spit acid; SQ Darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision, multiheaded, tremorsense 60 ft.; AL N. SV Fort +21, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 30, Dex 10, Con 28, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 6. Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide +5, Listen +3, Move Silently +5, Spot +2; Ability Focus (acid), Alertness, Combat Reflexes B, Improved Initiative B, Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Toughness. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the ankheg must hit with its bite attack. If the ankheg is damaged after grabbing its prey, it retreats backward down its tunnel at burrowing speed, dragging the victim with it. Spit Acid (Ex): 30-ft. line, once every 6 hours; damage 4d4 acid, Reflex DC 26 half. One such attack depletes the ankheg’s acid supply for 6 hours. It cannot spit acid or deal acid damage during this time. The save DC is Constitution-based. An ankheg does not use this ability unless it is desperate or frustrated. It most often spits acid when reduced to fewer than half its full normal hit points or when it has not successfully grabbed an opponent. Acid Test Page 20 Note: IF ONE HEAD USES THIS ATTACK, BOTH MUST USE THIS ATTACK. They may aim at different areas, however. Skills: Multiheaded creatures have a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Tactics: An ankheg usually lies 5 to 10 feet below the surface until its antennae detect the approach of prey. It then burrows up to attack. (Treat this as a charge even though the ankheg does not need to move 10 feet before attacking). Encounter Seven Desperate Cult Apprentice Sor3: CR 3; Medium humanoid (human); HD 3d4+9; hp 19; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex); Base Atk: +2; Grp: +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Concentration +8, Knowledge (arcana) +8; Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Spell Focus (Evocation), Toughness B. Spells Known (6/6; base DC = 12 + spell level, [ E +1]): 0—acid splash, detect magic, flare E, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—mage armor, magic missile E, shield. Possessions: dagger, cult robe, scroll (See the Encounter for scroll description), spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Black sturdy robes cover this boney, gray-skinned figure. Acid Test Page 21 Appendix Two – APL 8 Encounter Seven Cult Leader Sor9: CR 9; Medium humanoid (human); HD 9d4+21; hp 49; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 Robe of the Archmagi); Base Atk: +4; Grp: +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4/10-20, dagger); SA Spells, SR 18; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +13; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16. l Skills and Feats: Bluff +20, Concentration +14, Use Magic Device +23; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Toughness B. Spells Known (6/7/7/7/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st— alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, hold person; 4th--dimension door, Evard’s b ack tentacles. Possessions: dagger, robe of the archmagi (white), scepter of obedience, strange black dragon scale, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Acid Test Page 22 Appendix Three – APL 10 Encounter Seven Cult Follower Sor9: CR 9; Medium humanoid (human); HD 9d4+21; hp 49; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 armor); Base Atk: +4; Grp: +4; Atk +4 melee (1d4/10-20, dagger); SA Spells; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +9; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Concentration +15, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Spellcraft +15; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Toughness B. Spells Known (6/6/7/7/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st— alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, hold person; 4th--dimension door, Evard’s b ack tentacles. l Possessions: dagger, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Elite Cult Leader Sor11: CR 11; Medium humanoid (human); HD 11d4+25; hp 59; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 Robe of the Archmagi); Base Atk: +5; Grp: +5; Atk +5 melee (1d4/x2, dagger); SA Spells, SR 18; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +14; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Bluff +22, Concentration +16, Use Magic Device +25; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Toughness B. Spells Known (6/7/7/7/6/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, light E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, resist energy, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, dispel magic, hold person; 4th--dimension door, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles; 5th-Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, cone of cold E. Possessions: dagger, robe of the archmagi (white), scepter of obedience, strange black dragon scale, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Acid Test Page 23 Appendix Four – APL 12 Encounter Seven Elite Cult Follower Sor11: CR 11; Medium humanoid (human); HD 11d4+25; hp 59; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +4 armor); Base Atk: +5; Grp: +5; Atk +5 melee (1d4/x2, dagger); SA Spells; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 16. Skills and Feats: Concentration +17, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Spellcraft +17; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Toughness B. Spells Known (6/6/7/7/6/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, light E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, resist energy, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, dispel magic, hold person; 4th--dimension door, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles; 5th--Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, cone of cold E. Possessions: dagger, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Superior Cult Leader Sor13: CR 13; Medium humanoid (human); HD 13d4+29; hp 69; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dexterity, +5 Robe of the Archmagi); Base Atk: +6; Grp: +6; Atk +6 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); Full Atk +6/+1 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SR 18; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +15; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Bluff +24, Concentration +18, Use Magic Device +27; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration, Toughness B. Spells Known (6/7/7/7/6/6/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, light E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, resist energy, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, dispel magic, hold person; 4th--dimension door, phantasmal killer, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles; 5th--Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, dominate person, cone of cold E; 6th--chain lightning E, repulsion. Possessions: dagger, robe of the archmagi (white), scepter of obedience, strange black dragon scale, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Acid Test Page 24 Appendix Five – APL 14 Encounter Seven Superior Cult Follower Sor13: CR 13; Medium humanoid (human); HD 13d4+29; hp 69; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dexterity, +4 armor); Base Atk: +6; Grp: +6; Atk +6 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); Full Atk +6/+1 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells; SQ Familiar (toad); AL CE. SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Concentration +19, Knowledge (arcana) +17, Spellcraft +19; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration, Toughness B. Spells Known (6/6/7/7/6/6/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, light E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, resist energy, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, dispel magic, hold person; 4th--dimension door, phantasmal killer, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles; 5th--Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, dominate person, cone of cold E; 6th--chain lightning E, repulsion. Possessions: dagger, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Horrible Cult Leader Sor15: CR 15; Medium humanoid (human); HD 15d4+33; hp 79; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dexterity, +5 Robe of the Archmagi); Base Atk: +7; Grp: +7; Atk +7 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); Full Atk +7/+2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells; SQ Familiar (toad), SR 18; AL CE. SV Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +16; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Bluff +26, Concentration +20, Use Magic Device +29; Greater Spell Focus (Evocation), Greater Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative B, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device), Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration, Toughness B. Spells Known (6/7/7/7/6/6/6/4; base DC = 13 + spell level, [ E +2]): 0—acid splash, daze, detect magic, flare E, light E, message, open/close, resistance, touch of fatigue; 1st—alarm, mage armor, magic missile E, protection from good, shield; 2nd--protection from arrows, glitterdust, Melf’s acid arrow, resist energy, levitate; 3rd--fireball E, suggestion, dispel magic, hold person; 4th--dimension door, phantasmal killer, enervation, Evard’s black tentacles; 5th-- Mordenkainen’s faithful hound, dominate person, hold monster, cone of cold E; 6th--circle of death, chain lightning E, repulsion; 7th--prismatic spray E, spell turning. Possessions: dagger, robe of the archmagi (white), scepter of obedience, strange black dragon scale, spell component pouch (2). Physical Description: Skin nearly grave-like in pallor and covered with horrible tattoos is barely visible from beneath the black sturdy robes. Acid Test Page 25 Appendix Six – New Rules Items Template CREATING A MULTIHEADED CREATURE "Multiheaded" is an inherited template that can be added to any corporeal creature that has a discernible head (hereafter referred to as the base creature). A multiheaded creature has all the base creature's characteristics except as noted here. A multiheaded creature speaks any languages the base creature does. Size and Type: Animals that have this template become magical beasts, but otherwise type is unchanged. All additional heads are like that of the base creature. Limit on Additional Heads: The number of heads possible for a multiheaded creature is based on the base creature’s size. Base Creature Size Maximum Additional Heads: Up to Medium-size 1 Large 3 Huge 11 Gargantuan 19 Colossal 29 Hit Dice: Each additional head adds 2 HD to the base creature's total. Attacks: A base creature with a bite, gore, or tongue attack gains one additional such attack for each additional head. This additional attack has the same attack bonus as its counterpart in the base creature. The base attack bonus increases for additional Hit Dice as appropriate for the creature's type. Damage: The damage bonus for an extra natural attack gained by the addition of a head is the Strength modifier for a primary attack, or 1/2 the Strength modifier for a secondary attack. Special Attacks: If the base creature has a breath weapon, the extra heads also have breath weapons. All weapons activate on the same round but can aim in different directions. This rule also applies if the base creature has a spit, spray, ray, or cone attack, so long as that attack comes from the head. A multiheaded creature does not gain extra gaze attacks, fear auras, and the like for its additional heads. A multiheaded creature that can use weapons gains the Superior Two-Weapon Fighting or Superior Multiweapon Fighting ability (see below), as applicable. A multiheaded creature that has only natural attacks instead gains the Improved Multiattack feat as a bonus feat if it has any secondary attacks available at all, even if it does not have three or more natural weapons. Superior Two-Weapon Fighting or Superior Multiweapon Fighting (Ex): Because each head controls one arm (or analogous weapon-using limb), a multiheaded creature has no penalty on attack rolls for attacking with multiple weapons, and the number of attacks and the damage bonus for each weapon are calculated as though the weapon were held in a primary hand. AC: Natural armor bonus increases by +1 per additional head. Special Qualities: Multiheaded creatures have darkvision to a range of 90 feet. Having a redundant head makes a creature more able to survive otherwise lethal attacks. Thus, a vorpal blade would have to remove all heads to have its usual effect. Severing a head requires hitting the creature's neck (same AC as creature) with a slashing weapon and dealing damage equal to the multiheaded creature's original hit point total divided by the original number of heads. (The player must declare an attack against the neck just before making the attack roll.) The severed head dies, and a natural reflex seals the neck shut to prevent further blood loss. The creature can no longer attack with the severed head but takes no other penalties. A severed head cannot regrow naturally. Abilities: Con +2 per additional head. Skills: Each additional head a creature has gives it a cumulative +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks. The creature gains additional skill points for its extra Hit Dice as normal for its type. Feats: A multiheaded creature gains Improved Initiative and Combat Reflexes as bonus feats, provided that it does not already have them. The creature also gains additional feats for its extra Hit Dice as appropriate for its type. Organization: Solitary. Challenge Rating: The multiheaded creature's Challenge Rating depends upon how many additional heads it has and on any head-based special attacks, as given on the table below. Number of Additional Heads CR Adjustment: 1 +2 2–4 +3 5–7 +4 8–10 +5 11–15 +6 16–20 +7 21–25 +8 26–29 +9 Acid Test Page 26 Adjust the CR by an additional +1 for every head-based special attack of the base creature, such as a breath weapon or a gaze attack. Level Adjustment: A multiheaded creature's level adjustment depends on the number of heads it has, as given on the table below. These figures assume that the base creature has sufficient Intelligence to be a player character. Feats Improved Multiattack [Monstrous] You are particularly adept at using all your natural weapons at once. Prerequisites: Three or more natural weapons, Multiattack. Benefit: Your secondary attacks with natural weapons have no penalty on the attack roll. You still add only ½ your Strength bonus, if any, to damage dealt. Normal: Without this feat, your secondary natural attacks are made at a –5 penalty (or a –2 penalty of you have the Multiattack feat). Items Elixir of Reckoning: After consuming an elixir of reckoning, the imbiber’s body is filled with unstable magical energy. If the imbiber dies (the hit points fall to -10 or lower) within 1 hour of imbibing the elixir, her body explodes in a blast of eldritch energy that deals 5d6 points of damage to every creature and object within a 20-foot radius. Targets in this area can attempt a DC 14 Reflex save to halve the damage. Remnants of the imbiber’s body survive the blast but are distributed around the periphery of the blast radius. If the imbiber is not slain within 1 hour of consuming the elixir, it has no effect. Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, glyph of warding, Price 825 gp (DMG II, page268). Strange Black Dragon Scale: The bearer of this scale and all allies within 30' gain a +2 luck bonus on saving throws against the attacks, spells, and special attacks (extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like) of dragons. This item only works for humans and does not take up an item slot. Frequency: Adventure. Faint abjuration; CL 3rd; Antidragon aura DRA, Craft Wondrous Item, Dragon Hunter Bravery DRA; Price 3,000 gp; Weight 1 lb. Acid Test Page 27 Appendix Seven – Maps Acid Test Page 28

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Meta-Region Iuz Border States/596/Normal Scenarios/IUZ6-04 Acid Test (APL 8-14)/IUZ6-04 - Acid Test.pdf

1037 1037 Wesenszüge Sanft, melancholisch, erwartet immer das Allerschlimmste und wird selten enttäucht. Aber auch ein Frauenheld, der selten eine Nacht allein verbringt und ein treuer Gefährte für seine Freunde. 1002 BF: Geboren in Kendrar 1006 BF: Umzug nach Thorwal 1016 BF: Rückkehr nach Kendrar, Beginn der Lehre zum Koch 1018 BF: Heimholung durch den Vater, Lehre zum Skalden Verbindungen Marada die Wölfin: Hetfrau der Hjörnen-Ottajasko und Führungsfigur im Norden Thorwals. Motivation Mikko ist Marada schon seit Jahren treu ergeben und hilft der Hetfrau gerne. Besitz Rahjalieb (Verhütungsmittel): Rahjaliebs Blätter wirken als Rahjaicum bei Männern und Frauen und haben allein bei Frauen auch eine empfängnisverhütende Wirkung. Man nennt die Pflanze darum auch Levthanstreu, Rote Rettung oder Unschuld. Raskald ‘Geysingrir’ Gerasson, der Stürmende – Kapitän/Pirat Hintergrund Raskald Gerasson kommt aus dem kleinen Ort Uddahjal und ist der jüngere Bruder der Hetfrau Marada Gerasdottir. Früh schon zeichnete sich ab, dass Raskald mit Spott nicht umzu- gehen weiß. Als er mit sechzehn bei seiner Ottajara scheiterte und ihn seine eigene Schwester vor der gesamten Ottajasko mit Schmähungen überzog, packte ihn derart die kalte Wut, dass er sich blindlings auf sie stürzte. Erst das Eingreifen der Hetskari beendete sein Toben. Wohl wissend, dass er seiner Schwester nicht mehr unter die Augen kommen dürfe, zog er sich aus seinem Geburtsort zurück, um auf der nächstbesten Otta anzuheuern. In den nächsten Jahren wechselte er mehr- mals das Schiff, weil ihn seine Tobsucht dazu zwang. Wogenbund Aventurisches Jahrbuch 1037 BF Alveraniarshelden Mikko Hanusson – Skalde aus Thorwal / Kendrar Lebenslauf Im Jahre 1001 BF besetzte Hetman Eldgrimm Oriksson auf Grund einer Wette das nostriche Kendrar. Mit in seiner Ottajasko reiste der verheiratete Skalde Hannu Gustavson, der in Kendrar eine heiße Affäre mit der nostrischen Köchin Friedsche einging aus der der Junge Mikko geboren wurde. Im Jahre 1006 reiste Mikko mit seinem Vater zurück nach Thorwal zu dessen Ehefrau, die über das unerwartete Kind wenig erfreut war und den Jungen nur sehr widerwillig un- ter ihrem Dach aufnahm. Aufgrund seiner wohlklingenden Stimme und hohen Intelligenz schien es Mikko früh vorher- bestimmt in seines Vaters Fußstapfen zu folgen. Der pum- melige Junge zeigte allerdings mehr Interesse an kandierten Früchten als an der Rechtslehre. So riss er mit 14 Jahren aus seinem Heim aus um bei seiner Mutter in Kendrar in die Lehre zu gehen. Mikko zeigte Talent und durfte schon bald einige größere Aufträge machen, darunter eine Torte für eine Feier des Hetmanns Eldgrimm. Dieser schwärmte (ohne von der Vorgeschichte zu wissen) bei einem Besuch in Thorwal dem entsetzten Kindsvater vom Talent seines Sohnes vor, der sich daraufhin wutentbrannt aufmachte, seinen Sprössling heimzuholen und auf den „rechten Pfad“ zu führen. Unter dem wachsamen Blick seines Vaters lernte Mikko nun artig Rechtskunde und genoß bald einen guten Ruf in seiner Ottajasko, denn der Jüngling hatte Talent und seine Gedich- te waren bald weit bekannt. Trotzdem versinkt Mikko immer wieder in tiefen Depressi- onen, kommt ihm sein Leben doch fremdbestimmt und un- glücklich vor. Und fürwahr scheint der Skalde vom Pech gera- dezu verfolgt. Zu seinem Glück nehmen Fremde seine sanfte Art, seine Melancholie und seinen konstanten Weltschmerz oft als Zeichen besonderer Feingeistigkeit auf und halten ihn für einen philosophischen Gelehrten. Vor allem die Frauen liegen dem Skalden trotz seiner Beleibtheit zu Füßen und da Mikko sich allein im Dunklen fürchtet, nimmt er die Ange- bote der Damenwelt immer gerne an. Dass seine Geschichten und Gedichte meist von unglücklichen Liebesgeschichten handeln und er vorrangig trauriges Liedgut vorträgt, unter- streicht seinen Ruf als Herzensbrecher nur noch mehr. 1030 schließt sich Mikko der Hetfrau Marada an und wird in ihre Ottajasko aufgenommen. 1 WOGENBUND 1037 1037 AVENTURISCHES JAHRBUCH 1037BF ALVERANIARSHELDEN Marada ‚die Wölfin‘ Gerasdottir: Schwester, Hetfrau der Hjörnen-Ottajasko Frenja Sveiddottir: Immanspielerin der Hjaldinga Ol- port, gute Freundin Walla Isgarddottir: Ehefrau, Fürstenhaus Bennain. Nebelschwaden Marada hat Raskald als Gesandten nach Havena geschickt, um in ihrem Namen an den Feierlichkeiten teilzunehmen. Er nutzt dies auch als Vorwand, um sich das stattfindende Immanturnier anzuschauen, auch wenn er das Vertrauen sei- ner Schwester nicht enttäuschen will. Charaktere: Adalim ya Vulpes (Medicus), Aigilmar von Bregelsaum (Ritter des alten Schlags), Brynia Lichterfeld (Bardin), Heldar von Pandlaril (Knappe Aigilmars), Idra Rondraige ni Llud (Ritterin der Krone), Kasemine Beleneth Styper-Truning (Efferd- Geweihte), Maire Leanai ni Tonna- ta (Druidin) und Sharan Tarefsun ash’Yakuban (tul. Rahja- Geweihter). Sven „Lykkesson“ Hasgarsson – Skipssmider / Kämpfer aus Prem Hintergrund Sven wird 1003 BF als vierter Sohn einer alten Skipssmider- Sippe in Prem geboren. Er stand immer im Schatten seiner älteren Brüder und hatte als Kind Schwierigkeiten, sich durchzusetzen. Entsprechend setzt er alles daran, sich stän- dig zu verbessern und ist mit seinen Leistungen nie zufrie- den. Selbst in der Freizeit trainiert er oft stundenlang, um seine Kraft zu stärken. Gleichzeitig ist Sven ein wahres Glückskind. Beim Wür- feln hat er mittlerweile Schwierigkeiten, Gegner zu finden, die sich überhaupt noch trauen gegen den „Lykkesson“ („Glückssohn“) zu spielen. Wenn irgendjemand in einer ver- lassenen Bärenhöhle Schutz sucht und dabei einen Schatz findet, kann man sicher sein, dass Sven der glückliche Finder ist und wenn Sven stolpert, dann vermutlich über die am Bo- den liegende Geldkatze eines unglücklichen Händlers, der diese verloren hat. Leider neigt Sven dazu auch seine eigenen Errungenschaf- ten als „reines Glück“ zu interpretieren. Er ist ein fähiger Kämpfer und guter Schiffsmann, glaubt aber, dass sich seine Erfolge nur eine Folge von „glücklichen Treffern“ und „gu- tem Wetter“ sind. Entsprechend hat er wahnsinnige Angst davor, dass ihn sein Glück eines Tages verlassen könnte und verwendet einen guten Teil seines Geldes für Amulette und Glücksbringer. Damit kein Unheil ihn befallen möge, trinkt er nur aus einem Trinkhorn, dass er extra im Swafnirtempel zu Prem hat segnen lassen. Sven ist allseits beliebt. Zumindest teilweise lässt sich sein Erfolg bei Frauen auch damit erklären, dass sich hartnäckig das Gerücht hält, sein Glück würde abfärben. Als er auf der Otta der Feuerrochen anheuerte, erwischte der Kapitän Isgard Jurgarson ihn mit seiner Tochter Walla unter der Bettdecke. Im darauf folgenden Zweikampf be- zwang Raskald den alten Kapitän. Als neuer Kapitän der Feuerrochen machte er in der nächsten Zeit zusammen mit Walla die Westküste unsicher und erbeutete große Reichtü- mer. Als er Walla während dieser Zeit bat sich mit ihm vor Travia zu vereinigen, erlegte sie ihm auf erst seine Swafska- ri zu bezwingen, wenn er sich mit ihr verbinden wolle. Im Swafnir-Tempel zu Olport, fand er Hilfe. Bald darauf stach er in Begleitung des Geweihten Hjalde Laskirson, seiner Mannschaft und Walla in See, um in der Ferne die Walwut zu überwinden. Erst vier Jahre später kehrt er nach Thorwal zurück, um vor der Geweihten Shaya den Bund mit Walla zu schließen. In ihrer Begleitung begibt er sich nach Uddahjal, um seine Schwester um Versöhnung zu bitten. Als Zeichen seiner Reue überreicht er ihr ein großzügiges Schiedsgeld und legt die Ottajara gegenüber der Hjörnen-Ottajasko ab. Es kommt zur Versöhnung der Geschwister. Zitate „Jeder verdient eine zweite Gelegenheit.“ „Besprechen wir das bei einem Glas Premer Feuer.“ „Wer mit den Gewalten des Meeres nicht umgehen kann, soll es lassen!“ „Werfen wir ihn ins Wasser – es soll über ihn entscheiden!“ Wesenszüge Aufbrausend (inzwischen aber beherrschter). Lebenslustig. Lässt sein Leben vom Schicksal steuern. Ungerechtigkeiten lassen ihn den Zorn der alten Tage wieder erleben. Lebenslauf 1004 BF: Geboren in Uddahjal. 1020 BF: Zerwürfnis mit seiner älteren Schwester Ma- rada. 1026 BF: Kapitän der Otta Feuerrochen. 1028 BF: Berüchtigt für ‘Handelsfahrten’ an der Westküste. 1029 BF: Fährt mit seiner Besatzung ins Exil, um die Swafskari zu bekämpfen. 1033 BF: Heimkehr nach Uddahjal, Schulterschluss mit Marada. 1035 BF: Teilnahme an den Tsafeierlichkeiten des desig- nierten Fürsten Finnian in. Mit der Rettung Finnians sowie der Auslöschung eines charypthoiden Kultes sichert er sich dabei die Gunst des albernischen Fürstenhauses („Nebel- schwaden“). Verbindungen Hjalde Laskirson: Swafnirgeweihter Shaya Lifgundsdottir: Oberste Traviageweihte Thorwals Thamos Scherenschleifer: Albernischer Kapitän, Hjör- nen-Ottajasko 2 1037 1037 Besitz Allgemeiner Besitz: Sven verfügt über keine großen persön- lichen Besitztümer, die er auf seinen Fahrten mit sich führt. Neben einigen wirklich guten Werkzeugen, die er als Skipss- mider auf Herferd mitnehmen kann, sind es vor allem seine unzähligen Glücksbringer, die er bei sich hat. Von jeder Reise und fast jedem Kampf, den er gewonnen hat, hat er mindes- tens ein Andenken an seiner Weste befestigt. Weiterhin hat er Unsummen für allerlei glücksbringende Anhänger, Edelstei- ne und anderen Tand ausgegeben, die er nicht einmal beim Baden ablegen würde. Seine neueste Erwerbung dahinge- hend sind seine (angeblichen) Drachenlederstiefel. Besonderer Besitz Persönliches Trinkhorn: Sven hat sich ein besonders edles und reich verziertes Trinkhorn im Swafnir- Tempel zu Ol- port weihen lassen, in der Hoffnung, dass seine Glücksträh- ne nicht durch das Trinken aus “pechbehafteten” Gefäßen gefährdet wird. Ob dies wirklich etwas bringt, oder das Trink- horn gar vor Giften schützen kann, hängt wohl davon ab, wie viel Glück erwirklich hat. Wesenszüge Fröhlicher Glückspilz mit paranoider Angst, dass ihn sein Glück eines Tages verlässt. Lebenslauf 1003 BF: Geboren als vierter Sohn der Trondeson Skippsmidersippe in Prem 1021 BF: Svens erste Herferd 1024 BF: Svens wird bei seiner 3. Fahrt erstmals als Thins- kari angeheuert 1025 BF: Sven lernt Marada bei einer Herferd kennen. 1026 BF: Sven tritt als Thinskari Maradas Ottajasko bei 1033 BF: Sven verlässt die Ottajasko um nach dem Tod seiner Eltern seine Sippe zu unterstützen. 1036 BF: Sven schließt sich erneut Maradas Ottajasko an Verbindungen Marada die Wölfin: Hetfrau der Hjörnen-Ottajasko und Führungsfigur im Norden Thorwals. Motivation Sven fährt bereits seit vielen Jahren mit Marada auf Herferd. Seine Fähigkeiten und Kenntnisse werden von ihr und den anderen Mitgliedern ihrer Ottajasko geschätzt. Nicht zuletzt bestehen darüber hinaus freundschaftliche Bande zum Skal- den Mikku Hannusson. 3 WOGENBUND

textdata/thevault/Dark Eye, The [multi]/LANG/[DE]/Das Schwarze Auge/Aventurisches Jahrbuch 1037 BF/AventurischesJahrbuch1037_Wogenbund_Helden_Hintergrund_3389.pdf

Expedition: The Roleplaying Card Game The adventurer's guide to printing I. Download this PDF and take it to your local print shop. II. Have it printed on heavy white cardstock (usually 80-pound or heavier). Although the cards are black and white, you'll get nicer results on a color printer. III. Make sure to print double-sided, and to set to document to 100% zoom. IV. Cut the cards using a paper cutter. The more precise you are, the easier they'll be to handle later. V. Secure your cards with a small box or rubber band, and prepare to adventure! Blank page for printing purposes. Save paper by only printing pages 3+! Blank page for printing purposes. Save paper by only printing pages 3+! Command  ≥ 6  All adventurers Success: All other adventurers at or above base persona gain +3 to their first roll this round.  ≥ 20: Double the roll boost.  ≤ 1: Target loses 2 persona. Grim Bet  ≥ 7  1 Success: Deal 2 damage for each persona level you are above min. Then, lose 4 persona.  ≥ 20: Deal double damage.  < 7: Set your persona to min. Dire Prediction  ≥ 9  1 Success: Deal 2 damage for each persona level you are below max. Then, lose 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Deal double damage.  ≤ 1: You lose 2 persona. Cutting Wit  ≥ 8  1 Success: Deal 5 damage. 1 adventurer loses 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Adventurers instead lose no persona.  ≤ 1: You lose 2 persona. Scavenge  ≥ 6  Self Success: Lose 1 persona and draw one tier 1 loot.  ≥ 20: Draw an extra tier 1 loot.  ≤ 1: Lose 2 persona. Bolster  ≥ 6  Self Success: Players lose 1 less persona from enemies and abilities this round.  ≥ 20: Gain double persona.  ≤ 1: Lose 2 persona. Reason  ≥ 7  1 Success: Gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Gain double persona.  ≤ 1: Target loses 2 persona. Inspiring Line  ≥ 8  2 Success: Gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Gain double persona.  ≤ 1: Targets lose 1 persona. You shout guidance to your allies. It's the only option. The darker the deed, the harder the fall. Your insult cuts like a double-edged sword. You use the environment to your advantage. You brace against the fear. Rationality can sooth the soul. You deliver a timely, uplifting quote. Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Declare Target  ≥ 7  1 Success: Adventurers that damage the target this round gain 1 persona. If the target is damaged, you also gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Double bonuses.  ≤ 1: Target takes -2 damage this round. Bastion of Will  ≥ 7  Self Success: All persona increases and decreases are redirected to you this round.  ≥ 20: You take 2 less persona damage this round.  ≤ 1: Lose 2 persona. Lend a Hand  ≥ 8  1 Success: Deal 1 damage. You gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Deal 3 extra damage.  ≤ 1: You lose 2 persona. Let Go  ≥ 5  Self Success: Discard 1 loot. Gain persona equal to the loot's tier.  ≥ 20: An ally may pick up your discarded loot.  ≤ 1: Discard 1 random loot. Reprimand  ≥ 6  1 Adventurer Success: Target loses 1 persona and deals +3 damage this round.  ≥ 20: Double damage bonus.  ≤ 1: Target deals -2 damage this round. Empower  ≥ 6  1 Adventurer Success: You lose 1 persona. Target gains 2 persona.  ≥ 20: Do not lose persona.  ≤ 1: You lose 2 persona. Calm  ≥ 6  All adventurers Success: Adventurers above base persona lose 1 persona; those below base gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Adventurers gain 1 persona.  ≤ 1: Adventurers lose 1 persona. Final Call  ≥ 7  All adventurers Success: All adventurers at or below base persona deal +2 damage from abilities this round.  ≥ 20: Adventurers gain 1 persona.  ≤ 1: Adventurers lose 1 persona. Tactical Plan  ≥ 8  Self Success: Gain 1 persona for each enemy that takes damage this round.  ≥ 20: Gain double persona.  ≤ 1: Take 1 damage for each alive enemy. You coordinate an inspiring attack. You stand strong and take one for the team. You lend a hand where the battle is worst. You let go of attachment to material things. Harsh criticism can be a powerful motivator. You put others' sanity first, at the expense of your own. Your words bring everyone towards peace. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Your plan's success brings confidence. Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Disengage  ≥ 7  Self Success: Return to base persona. If you were at min persona last round, do not suffer its effects.  ≥ 20: You also take no damage this round.  ≤ 1: Take 3 damage. Conscript  ≥ 7  1 Success: Target takes your damage this round. You gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Gain double persona.  ≤ 1: You take double damage this round. Cautionary Tale  ≥ 8  All adventurers Success: Adventurers that would end the round at min persona gain 1 persona.  ≥ 20: Double persona gained.  ≤ 1: Adventurers that end the round at min persona take 1 damage. The Independent Archaeologist Starting abilities: 4 Melee 2 Influence 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Solving mysteries with a bullwhip and a fedora. The Wizened Antiquary Starting abilities: 4 Music 2 Influence 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Knowledgeable of the ancient and antique. The Fraud Psychiatrist Starting abilities: 4 Magic 2 Influence 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A fraud...or perhaps a Freud?  Must have been a slip of the tongue. The Deceptive Gambler Starting abilities: 4 Ranged 2 Influence 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Can they be trusted? Acolyte  6 Tier I Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 8: Lose 1 persona. 5 4 3 2 1 0 The acolyte chants ceaselessly in an elder tongue. Dark Young  7 Tier I Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 8: Lose 1 persona. 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Many-hooved and tentacled offspring of an outer god. Time to clear your mind. You "volunteer" the target to clean up your mistakes. You warn your allies of dangers unseen. Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Influence Ability September 8, 2017 Adventurer September 8, 2017 Adventurer September 8, 2017 Adventurer September 8, 2017 Adventurer September 8, 2017 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 I 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 I 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nightgaunt  7 Tier I Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 8: Lose 1 persona. 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Faceless, soundless, flyer in the night. Shoggoth  10 Tier II Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 8: Lose 1 persona. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Faintly self-luminous, its myriads of temporary eyes form and unform horrifically. Dhole  11 Tier II Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 13: Lose 1 persona. 0 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 A slimy, worm-like creature that spits thick mucous. You do not see its other end. Moon-Beast  10 Tier II Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 13: Lose 1 persona. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Toadlike and tentacle-faced, infamous for abducting and slaving. Tindalos Hound  18 Tier III Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 15: Lose 1 persona. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 Seed of a monstrous deed. They drip blue ichor, and emerge from corners and angles. Soul Eater  15 Tier III Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 15: Lose 1 persona. 0 1 2 3 4 5 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 Gaping mouths and tendrilous, beckoning talons. Oddly enrapturing. You stagger closer... Deep One  21 Tier IV Horror Surge: All adventurers lose 1 persona. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 Fish-headed humanoid with an odd, hopping motion and a horrible, croaking voice. Cthulhi  26 Tier V Horror Surge: All adventurers roll.  ≤ 15: Lose 2 persona. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 0 1 2 3 A lowly spawn of the mighty Cthulhu. Bandage Tier 1 loot Single use Use anytime 1 adventurer gains 2 health. Also gain 1 persona if below base persona. Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 I 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 II 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 II 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 II 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 III 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 III 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 IV 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horror 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 September 8, 2017 V 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Loot I September 8, 2017 Snuffbox Tier 1 loot Single use Use anytime 1 adventurer gains 1 persona. Holy Water Tier 2 loot Single use Use anytime 1 adventurer gains 2 persona. Elder Sign Tier 3 loot Single use Use anytime All adventurers do not lose health or persona due to enemies and abilities this round. Max confident: Play the top ability from your ability deck as   = 20. △ - - Base arrogant  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min temperamental: Take 2 damage for every failed party ability this round (max 6). Max untroubled: All adventurers' failed abilities count as successes this round. △ - - Base unaware  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min oblivious: You do not benefit from others' abilities and loot this round. Max leisurely: Regain 6 health. △ - - Base lazy  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min spineless: If you take damage this round, -10 to your next roll. Max ambitious: You may play up to 3 cards this round. △ - - Base greedy  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min exploitative: You must use another adventurer's loot if any exists. Max theatrical: Increase three adventurers' personas by 1. △ - - Base tragic  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min melodramatic: Reduce two adventurers' personas by 1. Max cautious: Enemies deal 3 less damage this round. △ - - Base paranoid  (Dark type) ▽ - - Min superstitious: If your first roll this round is an odd number, skip your turn. The strong smell lifts your spirit. A blessing in a bottle. Protection from ancient horrors. Loot I September 8, 2017 Loot II September 8, 2017 Loot III September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Max courageous: +2 to all of your damage and rolls this round. △ - - Base optimistic  (Light type) ▽ - - Min overconfident: All your rolls this round must be ≥ 15 to succeed. Max complimentary: One other adventurer regains all missing health. △ - - Base enamored  (Light type) ▽ - - Min infatuated: The highest-tier enemy regains 4 health. Max precise: Change any one roll this round to  = 20. △ - - Base logical  (Light type) ▽ - - Min pedantic: If your next roll is ≤ 8, change it to   = 1. Max boisterous: +5 to two targets' next rolls. △ - - Base lively  (Light type) ▽ - - Min unruly: Any damage you deal this round, also deal it to yourself (max 3). Max charismatic: Remove a tier 1 enemy from combat. △ - - Base dignified  (Light type) ▽ - - Min pompous: Take double damage from enemies this round. Max virtuous: Increase one other adventurer's persona by 3. △ - - Base innocent  (Light type) ▽ - - Min gullible: Your abilities and loot deal 3 less damage to enemies this round. Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017 Persona September 8, 2017

textdata/thevault/Kid Friendly/7. RPGs/Ages 13-15 (Competent readers, competent writers, Able to do all basic math, can handle darker themes)/Expedition - the RPG Card Game/Expedition - Horror cards.pdf

1 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE 2 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE 3 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE You’ve always known something was wrong. A feeling deep in your soul that there was something more out there for you, that you were incomplete in some fashion. Everyone around you gets up each day and lives out a life in full colour, but here you are fading away to nothing. Pale. You aren’t like the others. It came to you first as a suspicion. Doubt lurking at the very edges of your waking mind, easily shoved to one side and ignored. A doorway to some vast, unexplored horizon. Endless possibility, perhaps a place for you in another world, another life, another state of being. You begin to see it everywhere - under the stairs, in sidestreets, under the floorboards. The stair will not be denied. It promises danger. Excitement. Change. Above all, it promises this - ascend the infinite staircase, and you will become more than you were before. 4 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE USING THIS BOOK The Infinite Staircase is a book of planar lore for D&D 5th edition. It’s also more than that. The Infinite Staircase is a journey of discovery and reflection - each of the planes in the D&D multiverse represents something of the human(oid) condition, and our quest to better understand ourselves. Characters undertaking to use the Infinite Staircase should be prepared to reflect on what makes them who they are, and why their choices matter. The outer and inner planes of the D&D cosmology are places to fight monsters and gather treasure, should one be feeling reductive, but they have the capacity to be so much more than that. A journey through the planes should be strange, and wonderful. Angels commit acts of barbarism. Devils offer chances at redemption. Waterfalls of fear wash away the years and recreate the world in shades of rioutous colour. If a character should emerge on the other side with a new class, a new name, or a better understanding of their own gender identity, then the Infinite Staircase has performed its function. CONTENTS Using This Book Finding The Stair Landings The Infinite Staircase Stairway Denizens Telling Stories In The Planes THE INNER PLANES Feywild Intensity Shadowfell Blues Ethereal Drift Restless Waters Raging Flames Rushing Winds Rumbling Earth THE OUTER PLANES Astral Depths Elysian Bliss Beastly Kingdom Arborean Wilds Ysgardian Fervour Ruinous Limbo Howling Pandemonium Abyssal Incursion Carcerian Labyrinth Hades Wastes Gehennan Greed Phlegethos Hellfire Acheron Crescendo Mechanical Law Arcadian Harmony Celestial Grace Bytopian Lighting STRANGE LOCALES Overwhelming Life Mists of Ravenloft Gay Agenda Crystalline Resonance 5 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE FINDING THE STAIR Finding the Infinite Stair can be tricky. Entrances exist all throughout the many world of the D&D multiverse, though most are hidden or guarded by terrible creatures who covet the secrets of the stairway. Locating an entrance can be a quest in and of itself, as can making it past the ferocious and cunning guardians that the stairway seems to attract like moths to a flame. DOORWAYS In order to access the stair at all, a doorway must be found. On the material plane, these doorways almost always manifest as portals, gates, arches and other symbolically sympathetic architectural devices. Activating such a door can be as simple as opening it using a handle or key, though many entrances in the planes also require the traveler to experience a particular emotion, sensation or revelation before they will open. PLANAR LORE Some entrances to the staircase are hidden in books and legends, though such records are few and far between. Some items and spells are able to detect breaches between planes, such as the Detect Portal spell below. On occasion, powerful creatures such as devils might trade the location of an entrance in exchange for something of great value. DETECT PORTAL Bard Cleric Druid Paladin Ranger Sorcerer Warlock Wizard CASTING TIME: 1 action DURATION: Instantaneous 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th Divination Range/Area: 60ft. V S M* *a set of coloured glass lenses You learn the direction and distance to the closest planar portal within 5 miles, if any are present. When you cast this spell, you learn if the portal connects to another plane of existence, and if so the name of that plane. This spell can be cast while touching a planar portal to learn the conditions by which it may be activated, if any. This sourcebook is designed for the 5th edition of the Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying game. You will need a copy of the Monster Manual to get the most use from this book, and you may also find useful to have access to Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes 6 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE LANDINGS Even after the travails of finding an entrance, once a creature enters the stairwell, their fate is by no means assured Each time a creature ascends (or descends) the staircase, they are almost certain to encounter one or more ‘landings’ on the way. Landings are places where the stair meets a plane of existence, a weak spot in reality where the stair is able to puncture it and use it as a stepping stone. They are technically part of the plane of existence they border, and follow most of the usual alterations to magic and restrictions of that plane. Landings vary in shape, size and nature, from small rocky platforms to expansive illusory vistas that could easily be mistaken for the real world. To continue along the stairway from a landing, travelers must quickly find the doorway that will take them back onto the stairwell the stairwell, lest the door vanishes and they become stuck on a plane they had no desire to visit. The farther away the destination, the more landings will usually occur before the traveller reaches their destination. If the destination is on another world, then the journey length is subject to the stair’s capricious whim. 7 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The stairway is a metaphor and a cosmic force. It exists behind the planes, and walking it seems to take an eternity, or no time at all. It varies in shape, size, material, and cares little for gravity or spatial reasoning. Sometimes the stair splits, tempting the lost or unfocused astray. It always ends with a door, gate or portal. TYPES OF LANDING Emerging onto one of the Infinite Staircase’s many landings can be compared to awakening from a long and confusing dream. Landing is perhaps a poor word for the weak, permeable areas of reality that dot the planes, but it shall have to suffice. On the Plane of Earth, a Landing might be a stretch of rock and dust, with the doorway to the stair manifesting as a deep tunnel stretching down into the dark. In the Beastlands, a Landing might be a dank and fetid cave, occupied by a huge and territorial animal guardian. In the Shadowfell, a Landing takes the form of a haunted house. To get back on the stair, one must climb through a trapdoor in the basement of the house. UNSTABLE LANDINGS The nature of the stair requires it to travel through shallow points in the fabric of the cosmos. These landings are highly unstable as a result. Adventurers who take too long to discover the door to the stair may find that it has disappeared entirely, or no longer functions. These poor souls will need to find another door entirely if they wish to continue their journey on the Staircase which could mean a substantial amount of travel through a potentially hostile plane. Precisely how long travelers have to locate the door on each landing is up to the DM, who should use their discretion based on the size, scale and difficulty of the landing’s challenges. 8 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE LANDING 1 ORIGIN LANDING 2 LANDING 3 DESTINATION THE DESTINATION Creatures walking the Infinite Staircase usually do so with some destination in mind. Perhaps they are stuck on an outer plane due to a magical accident and wish to return home, or maybe they have tired of their current existence and seek a new life on plane that better suits their temperament. Either way, the staircase is not a means of conveyance to be used lightly. Not all planes connect to each other directly by the stair - a map is provided later in this document showing the usual pathways the stair takes. Each time the stair would pass through a plane, there should be a landing for that plane. This can result in long and treacherous journeys depending on how far removed the destination is from your starting plane - travelling from Gehenna to Arborea, on opposite points of the Great Wheel, is no mean feat. HEART’S DESIRE The staircase has a secret will of its own, a special ability which sets it apart from other means of travel. It can sense a creature’s heart’s desire, what they truly want more than anything in the world. Occasionally, the staircase will branch off from itself, leading to a second path. A creature that follows this path knows they are on the road to their Heart’s Desire. The stairway wends through many landings, leading to a door through which the afflicted creature can glimpse the prize waiting for them, and take it if they choose. If the doorway is refused, then it never shows this creature the path again. A creature may still attempt to reach their heart’s desire, but it will be without the aid of the staircase. The staircase can never be forced to offer this boon to a traveler, but does not discriminate based on alignment. 9 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE ONWARDS AND UPWARDS The stair is not really a place, and by merit of this it cannot be destroyed. The only encounters that occur on the stairs are those with other planar travellers, though given the immensity of the stair and the scarcity of knowledge concerning it, those should be few and far between. • Creatures gain no benefit from short or long rests taken on the stairwell, even those taken in spaces such as a Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion. • Creatures who fall off the stairs (or fly more than a hundred feet away) are set adrift at a random location, often in the astral plane or the border ethereal. • Teleportation and planar travel effects do not work on the Infinite Stair - it is a jealous and often fickle form of transportation. Attempts to cast the teleportation spell in particular always result in a mishap. • Time passes normally on the stair, in that creature age and natural materials decay. at the same rate they would in the material plane. The stairway is a metaphor and a cosmic force. It exists behind the planes, and walking it seems to take an eternity, or no time at all. It varies in shape, size, material, and cares little for gravity or spatial reasoning. Sometimes the stair splits, tempting the lost or unfocused astray. It always ends with a door, gate or portal. 10 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d6 The Stairs Go... 1-3 Upwards 4-6 Downwards d8 Style 1 Straight (Heterostaircasual) 2 Spiral or curved 3 Floating 4 Switchback 5 Ladder/Rope Ladder 6 Slope/Ramp 7 Stepping stones 8 Moving platforms/elevators Stairway Themes by Destination Next Landing Linked Plane Staircase Suggestions Themes Feywild Intensity Feywild Flora, Bright light, Colour Emotion, Stories, Fey Shadowfell Blues Shadowfell Shadow, Stone, Dust Memory, Regret, Undead Rushing Winds Plane of Air Wind, Storm, Lightning - Restless Waters Plane of Water Underwater, Tidal, Lunar - Raging Flames Plane of Fire Heat, Volcanic, Sunlight - Rumbling Earth Plane of Earth Underground, Mountain - Elysian Bliss Elysium Grass, Sunsets, Flowers Rest, Peace, Tranquility Beastly Kingdom Beastlands Animals, Meat, Hunger Hunting, Nature, Life Arborean Wilds Arborea Forest, Wilderness Creativity, Inspiration Ysgardian Fervour Ysgard Crags, Heights, Shades Competition, Battle Ruinous Limbo Limbo Pure Energy, Mutations Change, Energy, Chaos Howling Pandemonium Pandemonium Hollow, Shrieking, Tunnel Madness, Emptiness Abyssal Incursion The Abyss Ichor, Filth, Growths Infection, Demons Carcerian Labyrinth Carceri Maze, Multiple Choice Imprisonment, Traps Hades Wastes Hades Grey, Empty, Silent Neglect, Amnesia Gehennan Greed Gehenna Fool’s Gold, Gaudy Greed, Betrayal Hellfire Fumes The Nine Hells Brimstone, Sulphur Punishment, Devils Acheron Crescendo Acheron Blood, Weapons War, Slaughter, Rage Mechanical Law Mechanus Gears, Ticking, Regular Law, Rules Arcadian Harmony Arcadia Patterns, Lines Order, Perfection Celestial Grace Mount Celestia Clouds, Light, Sun Virtue, righteousness Bytopian Lighting Bytopia Parallels, Duos, Twins Balance, Goodwill Material Plane Unique - ACCESSIBILITY The staircase wants to be used. If a character would find a stairway so difficult as to render travel impossible, such as for wheelchair-using characters, then the stair always manifests as a slope, a lift or another means accessible to them. The stair is a metaphor, and it serves the needs of those who use it - no-one is left behind or forgotten for any reason as prosaic as a walking stick. 11 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 Environment 1 Purple clouds and glimmering stars, which seem to drift in and out of view. 2 A dark void, entirely lightless. 3 A grey fog that clings to the stairway and hinders vision. 4 Shimmering fractal patterns endlessly evolve and devolve around the stairs. 5 Bright colours slowly staining the air like ink in water. 6 A twisting aurora that wends into the distance out of sight. 7 Strange silhouetted letters that seem to be legible in all languages and none. 8 A grey, fleshy brown colour that pervades everything, rendering it all in sepia. 9 A moonlit, starless night - the moon orbits the stair from far, far away. 10 A starry expanse in the blackness, lit- tered with dying stars and dead worlds. d8 Things Floating In The Aether 1 A grecian pillar, riddled with pockmarks. 2 The corpse of a traveller, rotted away to the bare bones. 3 A spinning golden coin marked with the face of a minor god of prosperity. 4 A bag of devouring, posing as a bag of holding containing 5000gp. 5 A dismembered fragment of the stair, seemingly broken by some long ago explosion. 6 A demon (slowly revolving and howling to itself) drifting in the distance 7 A battered brown hat, which someone somewhere is looking for 8 A chewed up spellbook, partially decayed into fragments 12 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE ANGELS Devas and planetars in service to the gods can sometimes be found traversing the stairway, guiding or foiling mortal travelers as befits their mission. Chief amongst these are the Shards of Selune, planetars made from moonlight and fire sworn to defeat the darkness wherever it might lurk. The price for this aid, however, is high - should the Shards rescue a group from mortal peril, they demand that a creature ascend to join their ranks. STAIRWAY DENIZENS Though the staircase is a well-kept secret, some of the older and cannier races of the multiverse are more frequently encountered there than others. MIND FLAYERS Since the loss of their nautiloid fleet, the mind flayers have long lusted after a way to travel between worlds easily, both to escape the hunting parties of the githyanki and to plant the seeds of conquest in as many planes as possible. Alhoons, Illithiliches and other mind flayer outcasts can sometimes be found relying on the stair as a means of escaping the clutches of a rival mind flayer colony. SHADAR KAI The Raven Queen knows many things. As keeper of secrets and memories, the Infinite Staircase represents a most delicious and tantaslizing secret. To this end, her servants the Shadar Kai are tasked with investigating the staircase for curiosities and clues as to its true nature. The Shadar Kai pursue this in their own ways, in their own time - some would prefer to kill onlookers rather than risk discovery, and others would happily break (grey) bread with travellers in order to wheedle information from them. 13 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE THE WAYFARER Legend has it that the Infinite Staircase is a pet project of the god Shaundakul, Faerunian god of travel and exploration. Whether you believe this or not, far more credible are the tales of a lonesome middle-aged man carrying a large set of heavy bags and offering nigh miraculous aid to travellers in need. Called the Wayfarer by some, he never asks for anything in return THE RED WIZARD Covered in sinuous tattoos from head to toe, the Red Wizard searches the staircase for a book lost to the ages, the fabled Book of Vile Darkness. An evoker of no small talent, they would sell their own grandmother to a beholder for the meresy hint as to the location of the Book. With it in hand, the Red Wizard could turn to his true agenda, returning to his homeworld of Thay to overthrow the lich Szass Tam and rule in his place. MORTIMER FILIGREE This heavily cloaked figure appears on the staircase only sporadically, and seems to be able to vanish at- will. They trade wordlessly in trinkets and magical items, though their habit of dropping spiders everywhere doesn’t do much for customer retention. Sometimes they will give directions, though these do occasionally lead into pits of arachnids instead of wherever they were supposed to go. 14 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE LILLENDI Celestials native to Ysgard, the Lillendi most often manifest as eerie (sometimes winged) feathered serpents. with humanoid upper bodies. Guardians and protectors, they seek to defend the stair from infiltration by undesirables - they hold particular grievances against devils and modrons, for reasons unknown. Lillendi love creativity, and are drawn to artists, poets, bards and other fonts of inspiration. DEVILS The work of the Nine Hells is never done, and Asmodeus is always looking for new ways to communicate across planar boundaries. The Infinite Stair is sometimes hostile to devilkind, but not so much that high ranking devils won’t risk sending messenger imps up and down it. Very occasionally, more powerful devils who do not possess plane shifting abilities will use the Stair, but the more powerful the devil, the more likely the staircase is to exact retribution. INEVITABLES Servants of Law native to Mechanus, Inevitables are constructs designed to punish those who break the rules. The most famous inevitables are maruts, who enforce contracts, but all manner of bespoke inevitables exist to track down and destroy creatures who attempt to subvert the underlying rules of the multiverse. Inevitables can track travellers through the Infinite Stair, making them very hard to shake off. 15 15 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE TELLING STORIES IN THE PLANES Walking the planes can be a transformative experience, both inside and out. No plane should pass by without imparting a lesson (however small) on what it means to exist. Consider the following questions as you pass through each plane of existence: Stairway Themes by Destination Landing Linked Plane Questions Feywild Intensity Feywild Am I in control of my emotions, or do they control me? Shadowfell Blues Shadowfell What do I regret? Do my past sins shape my present? Elysian Bliss Elysium While evil exists, can eternal rest ever be moral? Beastly Kingdom Beastlands It is the natural way to eat or be eaten. Is this defensible? Arborean Wilds Arborea Is heroism a worthy thing to aspire to? What does being a hero mean? Ysgardian Fervour Ysgard Is conflict and challenge always something to be avoided? Does it motivate us? Inspire us? Ruinous Limbo Limbo The nature of living things is to change. What would you change about yourself, and what is stopping you? Howling Pandemonium Pandemonium What am I trying to drown out? Why am I afraid of the quiet? Abyssal Incursion The Abyss Is it possible for there to ever be an end to evil acts? What would this mean for the world? Carcerian Labyrinth Carceri Everyone is in a prison of their own making. What is mine? Hades Wastes Hades Under my material possessions and my fancies, who is left underneath? Do I like what I see? Gehennan Greed Gehenna What price would it take to sway me from my principles? Hellfire Fumes The Nine Hells Can there be a use and a purpose in Evil? Acheron Crescendo Acheron What do you fight for? When is violence the right way? Mechanical Law Mechanus What rules do I live by? What would convince me to change them? Arcadian Harmony Arcadia Do I want to be the same as everyone else? Why do I want to fit in? Celestial Grace Mount Celestia Is being Good worth the cost? What do I understand by the term Good, anyway? Bytopian Lighting Bytopia Do I have confidence in who I am? Why? 16 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE 16 17 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 A surge of anger rampages over the area. Things become uncomfortably hot to the touch, and flammable objects may even set alight. 08-17 Laughter, bright and merry, fills the air. Sparkles play in the light, and objects begin to float off the ground. 18-30 The frost of grief rimes the ground, coating creatures in thin layers of ice and shattering into diamonds. 31-35 Rain begins to fall like tears from the sky, mounting into a downpour accompanied by a lingering sensation of guilt that hangs in the air like a shroud. 36-50 Jealousy creeps into the plants and vines, turning them a deep green hue and sickening them with desperate avarice. 51-62 Fear crawls along the ground and along ceilings, turning the air a bitter purple and causing denizens of the feywild to flee in large numbers. 63-76 Ecstasy washes over the assembled, drowning creatures in crashing waves of bliss and painting the landscape in deep, vibrant tones of regal blue. 77-82 Irritation crumbles and cracks the landscape, glowing an angry orange and causing creatures to itch. 83-88 Fatigue seeps over the sky, infusing it with grey. Sleep hangs over the land, threatening to plunge it into enchanted slumber. 89-98 Anxiety begins to bubble up from below, festering in yellow clumps and shivering. 99-00 A permanent Fey Crossing opens, through which creatures from the Feywild can freely slip into the material plane and vice versa. The feywild is an emotion echo of the real world, and draws strength from all sentient creatures. Overlaid onto the Material Plane like a bright and twisted mirror, it is a place of intense feeling and saturated colours. Everything is more…itself…in the feywild, home to creatures lost in the tide of their instincts and desires. For all the Feywild exemplifies joy and intimacy, it also displays bitter sadness and terrible anger. Consider rolling on the Feywild Intensity table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A character experiences a strong emotion in line with their Personality Traits or Flaws • A character betrays a principle or oath • A creature is troubled by visions, dreams or other apparitions that shake their faith in the stability of reality 18 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic A wish for summer to come again A feeling of loneliness 2 Coastal A spiral of flourescent coral A feeling of confusion 3 Desert The last thoughts of a man dying from thirst A feeling of desolation 4 Forest A bridge over a small river A feeling of curiosity 5 Grassland The burial mound of a dead king A feeling of loss 6 Mountain A henge of broken stones A feeling of passion 7 Swamp A ring of mushrooms A feeling of jealousy 8 Underdark A cave full of bright, buzzing fireflies A feeling of wonder 9 Underwater The bottom of a garden pond A feeling of hate 10 Urban A story told to children A feeling of longing d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A dryad (or another type of nymph) tasked with protecting the door. 3 A colony of meenlocks who have claimed it as their home. 4 Several redcaps lured here by a murder. 5-14 Nothing. The door is young, and unknown. 15 A green hag who built their hut over it and fuels it with suffering. 16 A korred, which likes to be offered treats. 17 A winter eladrin, bound to the location by a superior. It resents the task. 18 An elven cult dedicated to an extraplanar being. 19 A village of gnomes. They love visitors. 20 A pack of displacer beasts who want to come inside, and then immediately change their minds. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1 Arborean Wilds 2 Beastly Kingdom 3-6 Ethereal Drift 7-16 Material Plane 17 Bytopian Lighting 18 Rushing Winds 19 Restless Waters 20 Elysian Bliss BLOODY GRANDPA The careless user of a doorway into the feywild may encounter Bloody Grandpa, an ancient redcap sustained through perfunctory ritual murder of anyone who rings on his doorbell. Bloody Grandpa can be waylaid instead with stories of mayhem and carnage, which please his dire sensibilities. If angered, he can summon a tide of younger redcaps who take great glee in devastating the area. 19 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku FEYWILD INTENSITY 20 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 The world seems to sigh. Each character chooses a personality trait, bond, or ideal. That feature is suppressed for 24 hours, at the end of which characters must succeed on a DC15 Charisma saving throw, or lose it for good. 08-17 Familiars, bonded pets and other companions seem to lose their enthusiasm, and nothing can drag them out of their despondency. 18-30 Creatures inside the area are each consumed by a single regret from the past – have each charac- ter relate which memory is troubling them. 31-35 For the next 24 hours, all creatures inside the area can see into the ethereal plane. 36-50 For for the next week the area is shrouded in a pervasive gloom that turns all bright light into dim light. 51-62 All pleasant emotions in the area become muted and dull. All creatures in the area temporarily gain the personality trait “I am riven by doubt” until the sun next rises. 63-76 Colour leeches away, casting life entirely in shades of grey. This affects the perceptions of all crea- tures inside the area as long as they remain there, and ends after 24 hours. 77-82 Memories of grief bubble to the surface. All creatures in the area remember someone or some- thing they loved and lost - have each character relate which memory is troubling them. 83-88 A random character sees their shadow detach from their body. The shadow is autonomous, and may be friend or foe (decided by the DM). 89-98 All corpses and bodies in the area begin to softly hum or vibrate for up to an hour. Creatures touching afflicted remains can hear that creature’s last thoughts from the moments before they died. 99-00 A permanent Shadow Crossing opens, through which creatures from the Shadowfell can freely slip into the material plane and vice versa. The Shadowfell, plane of bleak misery and pale memory, lies close to the material plane. In places strongly connected to death and tragedy, the two worlds overlap, producing melancholy zones that resonate with half-hearted woe and unlikely misfortune. Consider rolling on the Shadowfell Blues table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A character uncovers a revelation or a secret that should have stayed hidden • A character regrets their choices, and wishes they had taken another path • A creature is reminded of dark events from their past 21 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A lich, determined to preserve the secret of the stair- well for its own selfish uses. 3 The skeletons of the dead, who will brook no pas- sage. 4 A shadow demon, bound to the spot by a long dead sorcerer. 5-14 Nothing. No-one remembers it exists. 15 The lonely, who just wants a friend. 16 A gloom weaver in the service of the Raven queen, who would prefer this doorway remained a secret. 17 A ghost, who must pass on knowledge of the door- way in order to find rest. 18 A balhannoth, cloaked in an illusion. 19 A medusa, who collects trophies 20 A red shadow dragon, who considers the door to be one of its treasures (and thus not for sale.) d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic An icy crag far from the light A memory of winter 2 Coastal A cove of jagged rocks A memory of sorrow 3 Desert A graveyard of bleached bone A memory of anger 4 Forest A dark glade on a moonless night A memory of brutality 5 Grassland A gothic archway, shrouded in dust A memory of fear 6 Mountain A secret door in the mountainside A memory of struggle 7 Swamp A gothic archway, choked by vines A memory of misery 8 Underdark A fossil of an unknown creature A memory of a memory 9 Underwater A sunken shipweck A memory of wickedness 10 Urban The shadow between two buildings A memory of death TALKING SKULLS The shadowfell is a place of quiet reflection on the past. The undead who reside here are likely to have opinions on their passing, and often have messages they wish to pass onto their living relatives. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-3 Phlegethos Hellfire 4-6 Gehennan Greed 7-11 Ethereal Drift 12-16 Material Plane 17 Crystal Resonance 18 Carcerian Labyrinth 19 Mists of Ravenloft 20 Hades Wastes 22 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku SHADOWFELL BLUES patreon.com/czepeku SHADOWFELL BLUES 23 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The Ethereal Plane exists ‘behind’ or perhaps in the same place as the material plane and the elemental planes - every point in any of those worlds has a corresponding point in the Ethereal Plane - usally referred to as the Border Ethereal, easily accessed by low level magic. The infinite stair will sometimes deposit creatures in the Deep Ethereal, a fogbound haze that contains no entrances to the stair - instead the Ethereal contains a number of colourful portal entrances directly into the material plane, the feywild, shadowfell or the elemental planes. Anyone wishing to continues their journey from here would have to find one of these portals (described better in the Dungeon Master’s Guide) and find a new entrance to the stair from there. Despite this, a journey through the stair might inadvertently lead through here, and a table of wandering planar denizens to encounter is included for your reference. d8 + d12 Ethereal Wanderers 2 A deva, disguised as a wandering human. It makes a lot of suspicious speeches about hope. 3 A colony of phase spiders, hunting for food 4 A wraith, spiteful and entirely willing to kill someone over a sandwich 5-10 A ghost, which became lost after wandering too far from the border ethereal 11-12 A plane wandering archmage, filled to the brim with unearned confidence. 13-14 A night hag, surprised to see anyone here 15-16 A nightmare, out of control 17-18 A succubus/incubus looking for something gay and entirely consensual to do on a weeknight. 19 The lonely. It doesn’t know how it got here, and it does not care for it. 20 A cloud giant, which fell asleep and was banished here in an ill-fated prank. ETHEREAL ACCIDENTS The multitude of magics abusing the nature of the ethereal make it a tempting place to sojourn for assassins, mages and spies of all kinds. Alas, it’s just as easy to fall into the Deep Ethereal by mistake, and finding your way home from there can be quite the adventure. 24 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ETHEREAL DRIFT 25 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 Aquatic creatures begin to converge on the location. There is a 50% chance they intend to be helpful, and a 50% chance they are filled with evil intent. 08-17 All cloth, wood and other porous material in the area becomes uncomfortably damp, remaining so for the next 7 days regardless of attempts to dry them. 18-30 A water weird appears in a nearby source of water, and lurks hoping to invest itself in a more suita- ble receptable (such as a waterskin, or a bottle). 31-35 A thick fogbank rises over the area, heavily obscuring the area except underwater. This fog lasts for 24 hours 36-50 Water in the area begins to act in a highly irregular fashion, as per one of the effects of a control water spell. 51-62 Nearby water develops a strong current, in a direction determined by the DM. Whenever a crea- ture enters a strong current for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be carried 1d4x10 feet in the direction of the current. Such water is difficult terrain for all swimmers. 63-76 A water elemental manifests from the aether. It ignores creatures with a swim speed or who can breathe underwater, but attacks and drowns others. 77-82 Fires and open flames in the area are extinguished, and may not be relit for 24 hours. 83-88 Torrential rain begins to fall, blanketing the area in Heavy Precipitation. 89-98 Water in the area becomes clouded in magical gloom, reducing the visibility to 10 feet. 99-00 A permanent breach to the elemental plane of water opens, allowing creatures to pass through from either side. The four elements – fire, water, earth and air – provide the building blocks on which all worlds are founded. In some places (called ‘nodes’) one or more of these forces are particularly strong. Water nodes are usually found under the sea, or in coastal locales. Cultists of forces such as Elemental Evil prize these locations, using them to power magical devices and augment spells. Consider rolling on the Restless Waters table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts an elemental spell aligned with or in opposition to the magic of the node • An elemental creature is summoned or mani- fests near the node • The node is used to power an ability, device or magical item 26 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A marid, cursed to guard the stair, who desires freedom above all else. 3 A wild and spiteful water elemental with a murderous agenda 4 A water elemental myrmidon bound to defend it with magic 5-14 Nothing. No-one remembers it exists. 15 A sea hag with a nearby lair. She considers it to be her elemental node. 16 Cultists dedicated to Elemental Evil. 17 A giant crocodile, wallowing in idle notions of murder. 18 A merrenoloth hired to guard the doorway between planes. 19 A jealous aboleth who likes to be feted and admired. 20 A leviathan slumbering in a demiplane underneath the water source. d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic A vast glacier, mirroring strange visions An offering of saltwater 2 Coastal A vast wave that appears only once a day An offering of saliva 3 Desert A cool oasis in the shade An offering of blood 4 Forest A swift river under the treeline An offering of sap 5 Grassland The deepest reaches of a flooded plain An offering of wine 6 Mountain A secret valley spring An offering of mercury 7 Swamp A treacherous sinkhole An offering of treacle 8 Underdark Beneath an underground sea An offering of oil 9 Underwater A permanent whirlpool far out at sea An offering of liquor 10 Urban A sewer pipe, always leaking An offering of urine d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-3 Ysgardian Fervour 4-6 Beastly Kingdom 7-11 Ethereal Drift 12-16 Material Plane 17 Feywild Intensity 18-19 Rumbling Earth 20 Astral Depths THE ASSASSIN A water elemental myrmidon freed from servitude by the whispers of the Elder Elemental Eye, the Assassin is searching for three hundred and thirty three peculiar gems. 27 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku RESTLESS WATERS 28 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 The air is uncomfortably toasty. For the next 24 hours, creature passing through the area are sub- jected to the rules for Extreme Heat. 08-17 There is a dangerous tension in the air. For the next hour, creatures lose resistance to fire damage whilst they remain inside the zone 18-30 A group of 1d4 magma mephits bubble up from nowhere and begin to maliciously pelt the party with anything they can lift that isn’t tied down. 31-35 Dark smoke clouds the air, lightly obscuring the entire area. Creatures that need to breathe must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion 36-50 A fire elemental manifests. It heads for the neartest available source of easily combustible ma- terial, only confronting other creatures if they get in the way (or qualify for the dubious honour of ‘combustible materials’. 51-62 The weave of magic is suffused with heat. Spells that manipulate or produce fire are treated as being cast at one level higher than they were. 63-76 A blast of sulphurous gas leaks from a crack in the floor. This is treated as a stinking cloud spell (DC 13). 77-82 Part of the floor (determined by the DM) crumble away into lava. A creature takes 6d10 fire dam- age when it enters lava for the first time on a turn or when it ends its turn there 83-88 For the next hour, any spells of 1st level or higher which produce heat or fire also produce a fireball spell centred on the caster (DC15). 89-98 An incendiary cloud (as per the spell) wafts into the area, following a random character until it dissipates 1 minute later. 99-00 A permanent breach to the elemental plane of fire opens, allowing creatures to freely pass through from either side. The four elements – fire, water, earth and air – provide the building blocks on which all worlds are founded. In some places, one or more of these forces are particularly strong. Cultists of forces such as Elemental Evil prize these loca- tions, using them to power magical devices and augment spells. Fire nodes are reflections of heat and light, and are usually found in volcanos or deserts. Consider rolling on the relevant Elemental Node table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts an elemental spell aligned with or in opposition to the magic of the node • An elemental creature is summoned or mani- fests near the node • The node is used to power an ability, device or magical item 29 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic Reflected sunlight from an icy peak A sacrifice of wood 2 Coastal The light of dawn hitting the shore A sacrifice of spirits 3 Desert A parched and barren mesa A sacrifice of water 4 Forest A withered forest, eternally burning A sacrifice of silk 5 Grassland A stifling heatwave A sacrifice of salt 6 Mountain The heart of a volcano A sacrifice of cloth 7 Swamp A pit of boiling tar A sacrifice of metal 8 Underdark A magma filled crack in the earth A sacrifice of light 9 Underwater A bubbling hot spring A sacrifice of paper 10 Urban An antique sundial at noon A sacrifice of leather d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A phoenix, trapped in a fragile, fading imprisonment spell 3 A group of firenewts excited about their discovery. 4 2d4 azer using the node to fuel their work 5-14 Nothing. Memories burn away to cinders. 15 A hell hound acting as a guard dog. It seems bored and open to bribery. 16 Three flameskulls who cannot agree on anything. 17 A salamander looking to extort wealth for access to the portal 18 A fire elemental myrmidon in service to elemental evil. 19 A fire giant seeking to abuse the node in their crafting 20 An adult red dragon, decadently bathing in the energy of the node. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-3 Rushing Winds 4-6 Rumbling Earth 7-11 Ethereal Drift 12 -16 Material Plane 17 Hellfire Fumes 18 Acheron Crescendo 19 Mechanical Law 20 Gehennan Greed MR. SALAZAR A disdainful and sulky Efreeti, Mr. Salazar is currently trapped within an iron flask, and wants nothing more than to be free and return to his home, the Plane of Fire. On being released, he realises his powers are diminished due to his long absence, and is willing to bargain his knowledge in return for safe passage back to the City of Brass. 30 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku RAGING FLAMES 31 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE 32 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 An howling echo carries in the air. It lasts for 1d10 minutes, muffling other sound for the duration. 08-17 Sparks begin to crackle in the air, casting a flickering dim light. These sparks fade after 24 hours. 18-30 A thunderous boom rocks the area. Each creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 10 (3d6) thunder damage and is deafened for 1 minute. On a success, the creature takes half damage and isn’t deafened. 31-35 A blinding flash of lightning splits the air, striking the tallest creature, or the creature wearing the most metal. The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) lightning damage on a failure, or half as much damage on a success. 36-50 All creatures in the area gain a fly (hover) speed equal to their walking speed, if they do not pos- sess one already. 51-62 The air becomes supernaturally potent, carrying with it threads of magic. For the next minute, roll on the wild magic surge table whenever a creature casts a spell of 1st level or higher 63-76 An air elemental flurries into existence. It howls about, looking for fires to put out and water to splash at people. 77-82 Eddies of harsh wind stutter ferociously for the next hour. The rules for Strong Wind apply 83-88 A gale blows in a random direction. Creatures moving against the wind must spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot they move 89-98 The fierce winds pick up into a tornado, which rips through the area in a direction dictated by the DM. 99-00 A permanent breach to the elemental plane of air opens, allowing creatures to pass through from either side. The four elements – fire, water, earth and air – provide the building blocks on which all worlds are founded. In some places, one or more of these forces are particularly strong. Cultists of forces such as Elemental Evil prize these loca- tions, using them to power magical devices and augment spells. Wind nodes are expressions of air, lightning and thunder, channelled from the elemental plane of air into the material plane. Consider rolling on the relevant Elemental Node table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts an elemental spell aligned with or in opposition to the magic of the node • An elemental creature is summoned or mani- fests near the node • The node is used to power an ability, device or magical item 33 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A djinn, tethered to the door until it gives away three wishes. 3 An invisible stalker, which follows tres- passers through the stairs. 4 An air elemental myrmidon, enchanted to slay intruders. 5-14 Nothing. No-one remembers it exists. 15 A storm giant, reading omens. 16 Cultists dedicated to Elemental Evil. 17 A behir, which takes poorly to being disturbed by flesh-things. 18 A vampiric mist, always hungry. 19 A cloud giant, looking for answers to a question it cannot share. 20 An elder tempest that rages perpetually overhead. d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic A bitter blizzard A gift of mirror shards 2 Coastal An errant sea wind A gift of red sand 3 Desert A raging sandstorm A gift of bone dust 4 Forest A psithurism laden with intent A gift of smoke 5 Grassland A whisper in the reeds A gift of ground herbs 6 Mountain A howling in the high passes A gift of paper fragments 7 Swamp A downpour of foul-smelling rain A gift of grave dirt 8 Underdark A steep opening to the sky A gift of crystal pieces 9 Underwater A fierce and swirling current A gift of diamond dust 10 Urban A waft of yellowing smog A gift of soot MR. SALAZAR Mr Salazar, a grumpy and unhelpful Djinni, is currently trapped in a clichéd lighting aid. He will grant a wish in return for being re-united with his husband, the Efreeti also called Mr. Salazar. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-3 Restless Waters 4-6 Raging Flames 7-11 Ethereal Drift 12-16 Material Plane 17 Feywild Intensity 18-19 Celestial Grace 20 Astral Depths 34 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku RUSHING WINDS 35 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The four elements – fire, water, earth and air – provide the building blocks on which all worlds are founded. In some places, one or more of these forces are particularly strong. Cultists of forces such as Elemental Evil prize these loca- tions, using them to power magical devices and augment spells. Earth nodes draw power from the ground, often resulting in disastrous quakes and uncontrolled fissures. Consider rolling on the relevant Elemental Node table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts an elemental spell aligned with or in opposition to the magic of the node • An elemental creature is summoned or mani- fests near the node • The node is used to power an ability, device or magical item d100 Effect 01-07 The earth cracks open, bleeding a bubbling black mud onto the surface. This mud has the features of Green Slime (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide). 08-17 Patches of ground throughout the area become weak and treacherous, and are treated as Quick- sand. 18-30 1d4 large and ugly crystals split through the surface of the earth, glowing with dim light out to 5 feet. 31-35 A fissure 1d6 × 10 feet deep opens in the floor beneath one party member. The affected party member must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the fissure. On initiative count 1 of the next round, the fissure closes again, killing anything inside. 36-50 If the party are underground or in a building, the ceiling collapses on the creature at the front of the group. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) bludg- eoning damage and be knocked prone and buried. While buried in this way, the target is re- strained and unable to breathe. A creature can take an action to extricate itself or another buried creature, doing so with a successful DC 15 Strength check. 51-62 An earth elemental animates from the rocks and stones. It looks around and destroys any signs of manmade artifice before wandering off to seek a town or a village to destroy. 63-76 All tracks and prints in the area are erased, and any landmarks/tunnels are shifted slightly to con- found wayfinders and render maps erroneous. 77-82 A galeb duhr awakens from a boulder. It is friendly, and follows adventuring sorts around to make sure they don’t run into too much trouble. After 24 hours, it returns to being an ordinary boulder. 83-88 The floor in a 100ft radius around the party grows twisted, sharp spines across the floor as per a spike growth spell. 89-98 An earthquake shudders through the area centred on a random point determined by the DM. 99-00 A permanent breach opens between the elemental plane of earth and the material plane , allowing creatures to pass through from either side. 36 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic A deadly mountain pass A forfeit of silver 2 Coastal A jagged shoal of sharp rocks A forfeit of sapphire 3 Desert A rock formation, shaped as an arch A forfeit of ruby 4 Forest A warren for a huge creature A forfeit of gold 5 Grassland A ring of dark stones A forfeit of copper 6 Mountain An avalanche of rocks A forfeit of limestone 7 Swamp A peat bog filled with corpses A forfeit of coal 8 Underdark A tunnel never before travelled A forfeit of crystal 9 Underwater A trench at the bottom of the sea A forfeit of chalk 10 Urban A dark basement A forfeit of obsidian d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To... 1-3 Restless Waters 4-6 Raging Flames 7-11 Etheral Drift 12-16 Material Plane 17 Crystal Resonance 18 Ruinous Limbo 19 Abyssal Incursion 20 Shadowfell Blues d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A purple worm, rumbling from a distance 3 2d4 mud mephits at play 4 A gaggle of gargoyles lurking silently 5-14 Nothing. No-one remembers it exists. 15 Two galeb duhr, who forbid entry 16 A xorn, which demands gemstones in exchange for passage 17 A dao, resolute in its instructions not to let anyone past without the password 18 Two bulettes, competing for food 19 A pair of umber hulks, working in concert 20 A zaratan, on the back of which the entrance is situated ROCKY VIII A stone golem left to guard an entrance to the stairway, it’s been over a thousand years since Rocky the Eighth heard from his wizardly employer. He wants to find out what happened... which means a trip to the material plane. 37 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku RUMBLING EARTH 38 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The astral plane connects and divides the outer planes, providing the neutral fabric on which the stories of men, gods and devils play out. A realm of thought and dream, the astral plane contains a great many discarded relics and notions from bygone ages, floating in an limitless, timeless sea of lilic starlight. Familiarity with the dangers of the astral plane is imperative for any budding planar traveler. The infinite stair moves through the Astral, but only to deposit people here. There is no way onto the stair directly from the astral - fortunately the astral plane is filled with coloured pools of light that lead directly to the various planes of existence - see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information. Despite this, a journey through the stair might inadvertently lead through here, and a table of wandering planar denizens to en- counter is included for your reference. d8 + d12 Astral Wanderers 2 1 githyanki gish astride a young red dragon, looking for something 3 A horned devil, accompanied by a retinue of imps, returning to the nine hells 4 A planetar on some obscure divine mission of great importance 5-10 1 githyanki knight and 1d4 githyanki warriors spoiling for a fight 11-12 A group of berbalang nesting and chattering on the corpse of a dead deity 13-14 One or more night hags, sensing an opportunity for mischief. 15-16 An arcanaloth, fleeing a bad bargain 17-18 1 deva on its way to the upper planes 19 1d4 mind flayers on a harvesting mission 20 An astral dreadnought, which attacks any and all living creatures. NEVER INSULT A BERBALANG The berbalang infest the astral like bedbugs, manifesting on the corpses of dead gods that litter the plane. Their ability to speak to the long departed dead makes them useful allies, though their haughty attitude and mercurial affections can make them difficult to rely on. 39 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ASTRAL DEPTHS 40 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE 41 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The blessed fields of Elysium occupy a strange place in the litany of the outer planes - they exemplify peace, happiness and (most importantly) rest from hardship. Where the powers of Elysium warp the world, motivation is sapped and creatures enter a state of idle bliss. Consider rolling on the Elysian Bliss table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature begins a short or long rest • A creature consumes food or drink • A creature slows to take in the scenery, appreciate the world around them, or otherwise make themselves vulnerable to the hooks of Elysian magic d100 Effect 01-07 A rosy-tint settles over the vision of all creatures in the region, and everything becomes more plausible. For 24 hours all creatures have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) ability checks. 08-17 All creatures in the area lose their weapon proficiencies. A creature regains their proficiencies when they finish a long rest outside the affected area. 18-30 Creatures in the area immediately tire, as if they had already spent a whole day at work. Any further travel in the next 24 hours is treated as a forced march. 31-35 A deceptive lull soothes creatures into a sense of false security. Creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks unless they are unaffected by sleep magic. 36-50 Creatures in the area gain a level of exhaustion, which manifests as a deep, aching desire to lie down and rest. A creature which gains six levels of exhaustion in this way transforms permanently into part of the scenery, such as a tree or a statue. 51-62 All creatures in the area not native to Elysium must succeed on a DC15 Charisma saving throw or gain the Bond “Elysium is my new home”, which overrides conflicting personality traits. 63-76 Benevolent dryads appear all around, soothing cares and giving advice. These nature spirits are biased towards convincing travelers to stay in Elysium. 77-82 Creatures in the area are reminded suddenly of an occasion which brought them happiness and contentment - discuss what that means for each character. 83-88 All creatures in the area not native to Elysium must succeed on a DC15 Charisma saving throw or become Charmed by planar magic for 24 hours. Whilst charmed in this way, they refuse to leave. 89-98 The landing conjures an illusory mirage arcane that fulfils the surface desires of creatures inside. 99-00 All creatures on the landing must succeed on a DC13 Intelligence saving throw or fall victim to a feeblemind effect. 42 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A hollow tree in a dappled glen A dream of peace 2 Consuming an apple given by a willing tree A dream of satisfaction 3 Falling asleep on a sunlit field A dream of warmth 4 A warm feather bed, with thick covers A dream of comfort 5 A cloudbank shaped like a dragon A dream of beauty 6 The sun setting on the horizon A dream of dusk 7 A sprinkle of sand, and a whisper A dream of the sea 8 Sheep, being chased over a fence A dream of dreaming 9 A field of dense poppies A dream of flowers 10 A rabbithole A dream of peculiarity d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 An empyrean, which seeks stories from the other planes 3 A couatl, using the door as a nest 4 A coven of awakened trees 5-10 Nothing. Elysium is unaware of it. 11-15 A deva, tasked with protecting the door from evildoers. 16 A field of a thousand awakened shrubs 17 A night hag, who has built a house on it 18 An aasimar druid, wary of strangers 19 A ki-rin, wise but tired 20 A solar, taking rest from their labours. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-6 Bytopian Lighting 7-11 Astral Drift 12-16 Feywild Intensity 18 -20 Beastly Kingdom BRIGHTEYES The elderly treant ‘Brighteyes’ takes a great deal of interest in visitors to Elysium. He loves to hear about their lives, where they’ve been, and where they are going. Sometimes he takes so long about this that people forget where they were even going, which is regrettable. 43 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ELYSIAN BLISS 44 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The Beastlands is a place of wild spirits and animal instinct. Hunters and hunted endlessly intertwine in an eternal game of cat and mouse that provides the inhabitants with endless amusment and distraction. Visitors to this plane seldom avoid being caught up in these pastimes, whether they like it or not. Consider rolling on the Beastly Kingdom table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • Initiative is rolled • Someone confronts and denies their own instincts or impulses • A chase sequence begins or ends • A creature changes their form or shapeshifts d100 Effect 01-07 A ferocious and murderous hunter picks up the scent of the party, such as a steel predator. It hunts until it kills someone, or until the target(s) leave the plane. 08-17 An intelligent beast of CR1 or less, such as a mastiff, decides to tag along with a party member. 18-30 The senses of all creatures become supernaturally acute. Every creature nearby gains advantage on Wisdom (Perception) ability checks until they finish a long rest. 31-35 All trails and tracks made by creatures in the last 24 hours begin to softly glow. 36-50 A random creature transforms (as the true polymorph spell) into a beast form determined by the DM. In this form, the creature retains its intelligence and ability to speak. This effect ends at dusk, and can be cured prematurely with a remove curse spell. 51-62 A swarm of angry bees is disturbed, and begins to harrass the party (as per the effects of a DC15 insect swarm spell). The bees disperse after 10 minutes, or in the face of strong winds/waters. 63-76 All creatures on the plane lose the ability to understand languages for 24 hours, or until they leave the Beastlands. 77-82 Random plants or beasts in the area are awakened, (as per the awaken spell). These effects last until the creature leaves the Beastlands. 83-88 All humanoids and beasts in the area randomly switch minds with each other in a manner determined in collaboration between the players and DM. These effects last for 24 hours. 89-98 A voluntary familiar, such as a pseudodragon or a tressym, enters the scene looking for a new master to bond with. 99-00 All temporary transformations (polymorph, wild shape) become permanent, until the affected creature(s) both leave the Beastlands are are cured by either a wish spell or divine intervention. 45 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 The waiting maw of a ravenous beast A trophy of gold 2 A suspicious den under the earth A trophy of roots 3 A gigantic nest in the trees A trophy of feathers 4 The bloody carcass of a dead creature A trophy of bone 5 The memorial to a great hunter A trophy of memory 6 A swarm of deadly insects A trophy of honey 7 A broken and twisted cage A trophy of freedom 8 The footprint of something gigantic A trophy of strength 9 The rumbling of a stampede A trophy of speed 10 The death rattle of a worthy hunt A trophy of blood d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A killer whale, which has beached itself in an extremely unlikely context. 3 A swarm of 30-50 feral hogs. 4 A weretiger making sure animals don’t accidentally wander onto the stair. 5-10 Nothing. 11-12 A giant octopus, oddly tenacious, which wants to see the outside world. 13-14 An elephant. It is wise and knows many things. 15-16 A giant crocodile which returns to life at dawn if slain. It holds grudges. 17-18 Three giant crabs playing cards. One of them is hiding a knife. 19 A society of giant apes going about their business. 20 A tyrannosaurus rex and its entire family, including ten baby dinosaurs. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Bytopian Lighting 3-7 Astral Drift 8-12 Feywild Intensity 13-16 Arborean Wilds 17 Overwhelming Life 18-19 Rumbling Earth 20 Ysgardian Fervour KILLER BEES Travelers to the Beastlands often forget that its portfolio covers not only mammals, avians or reptiles, but insects too. They are rudely reminded of their mistake when horse-sized bees swarm over the horizon. 46 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku BEASTLY KINGDOM 47 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Arborea is a plane of wild magic and carefree abandon. Passion in the name of the good is the dominant spirit of Arborea, which houses a number of celestial realms (most notably Arvandor, home of the elven gods). Rage, lust, joy - all passions are considered to be equally important to the denizens of this plane. Consider rolling on the Arborean Wilds table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature displays their feelings in a visible or disruptive way • A creature changes their mind on a matter of importance d100 Effect 01-07 A wild magic surge blossoms into being. If the result rolled is an odd number, roll again until the result isn’t an odd number. 08-17 Each character temportarily swaps Personality trait with another nearby character. This change is reversed when both characters leave Arborea. 18-30 Characters feel a powerful pull towards a landmark of the DM’s choosing, and are able to feel both the direction and distance in miles from of that landmark. 31-35 A swarm of fey creatures such as boggles begin to gather around the characters, transfixed with curiosity. 36-50 A pegasus descends from above. It is a proud, utterly unreasonable creature looking for a bold hero to attach its legend to. 51-62 A powerful, sentient, godsent artefact appears nearby, calling for a hero to wield it. The artefact is being hunted by powerful foes, and is hellbent on securing a heroic death for its wielder. 63-76 One of the many powerful, capricious elven gods who walk the world of Arborea stop to levy a curse or a blessing (with very little rationale for doing so). The results may be harsh, but should always be entertaining. 77-82 A strange weather pattern descends on the area, carrying with it a reluctant (and highly inconven- ienced) monster for budding heroes to slay. 83-88 A wise extraplanar creature (such as a ki-rin) takes interest in the party, with an agenda designed to throw them off course entirely and disrupt their plans. 89-98 All creatures native to Arborea seem just a bit gayer than they were 5 minutes ago. Apart from the satyrs, who really can’t get any gayer than they already are (though they do try). 99-00 Corellon arrives. They are entirely, delightfully, capriciously unpredictable. Have fun. 48 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A gigantic butterfly with luminous wings A surge of confidence 2 An archway at the top of a high mountain A surge of exhaustion 3 The blood of a terrible monster A surge of victory 4 A tree cursed by a cruel god A surge of fear 5 A sandbar filled with golden dust A surge of desolation 6 A ring of judgmental talking mushrooms A surge of lightning 7 A riverboat manned by a terrible hag A surge of magic 8 A gap in the sea which falls into nothing A surge of speed 9 The heart of a Grandfather Oak A surge of compassion 10 The sarcophagus of a heroic mortal A surge of dread d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 An rowdy ensemble of satyrs intent on all manner of disreputable entertainment 3 A hollyphant, which has a lot of opinions about your state of mind. 4 A celestial lion or another big cat. It can only speak the truth. And it hates you. 5-10 Nothing. 11-12 Three elven druids rest here, enjoying the afterlife. 13-14 A viciously improper court of eladrin who change seasons on a whim 15-16 A gaggle of pixies bent on some aggravating mischief. 17-18 A planetar dressed in nothing but an almost indecent loincloth. 19 A bheur hag, looking for something to devour but only to shock onlookers 20 An androsphinx, who wants the whole thing to be a dramatic ordeal. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Elysian Bliss 3-7 Bytopian Lighting 8-12 Restless Waters 13-16 Feywild Intensity 17 Ysgardian Fervour 18-19 Arborean Wilds 20 Astral Depths CAPRICIOUS GODS Aborea is the home of the elven pantheon, who have a reputation for making quick and rather intrusive decisions. Will they turn you into a pumpkin, or steal your ears? You never know until it is too late. 49 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ARBOREAN WILDS 50 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Ysgard is a challenge, a spiritual gauntlet for the heroic dead and the warlike divine who find peace in the neverending competition that the plane provides. Floating islands hold noble warrior spirits above lakes of molten rock, beneath which crafty giants and vigilant subterranean races work tirelessly to perfect their works of artifice. Consider rolling on the Ysgardian Fervour table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature issues a challenge or a threat • A creature begins a new quest, project or venture • Initiative is rolled d100 Effect 01-07 A wild and dangerous creature such as an adult red dragon emerges from the sky, intent on a murderous rampage unless it is stopped. 08-17 A frost giant bursts through the earth from below, hefting a huge weapon. It may want to trade, but only to those who prove themselves worthy in a ‘game’ that probably involves a great deal of cartoon violence. 18-30 The earth trembles and buckles in a localized earthquake (DC20). 31-35 Creatures on the plane begin to experience accelerated healing, as if they were under the effects of a permanent regenerate spell. This effect fades from a creature after 24 hours, or when they leave Ysgard. 36-50 The adventurers are issued a challenge to armed single combat by a powerful figure of myth. If the adventurers’ champion wins, they may ask a boon of their challenger. 51-62 A ballad to death in battle fills the air, sung by unseen spirits. Listening to the entirety of the ode grants the listeners inspiration and cures a single level of exhaustion where relevant. 63-76 The roots of Yggdrasil burst through the earth, gnarling and twisting into a glowing doorway. This doorway leads to a random plane of existence determined by the DM. 77-82 The knowledge of how to forge or unmake an artefact of power blazes into the mind of a random character. The words burn in their vision for 24 hours, during which time they are blinded. 83-88 The landmass shifts and bubbles underfoot, reshaping completely. 89-98 A spectacular and visually arresting weather phenomenon explodes into the sky, such as a storm of red lightning, or a pink aurora. 99-00 A rainbow road of bright light shines down, opening a portal of light with a 10 foot radius, which remains open for 1 minute. The portal leads down to a random world on the material plane. 51 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 The flaming breath of a dragon A victory over fear 2 A crack in the earth caused by a quake A victory over shock 3 The captured weapon of a worthy foe A victory over sloth 4 A trophy from a gladiatorial contest A victory over timidity 5 The last words of a dying creature A victory over pride 6 First blood spilled in mortal combat A victory over vanity 7 The ring of sword striking shield A victory over complacence 8 An object made by dwarfcraft A victory over greed 9 A relic etched with giant runes A victory over ego 10 A warhorn sacred to a lesser god A victory over indecision d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A storm giant quintessent deep in the eye of a whirling tempest 3 A fire giant dreadnought astride a small hillock of defeated foes. 4 Three hill giants, wallowing in filth. 5-10 Nothing. The gate is newly formed. 11-15 2d4 phantom warriors, under oath to defend the door for eternity 16-17 A gladiator, waiting for a worthy challenge. 18 A blackguard, angling for single combat. 19 A war priest and three veterans, who have claimed the door for a god. 20 A solar, girded for battle and determined to smite evil wherever it lurks d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Arborean Wilds 3-7 Beastly Kingdom 8-12 Ruinous Limbo 13-16 Restless Waters 17-19 Feywild 20 Astral Depths 52 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku YSGARDIAN FERVOUR 53 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The plane of Limbo, from whence all chaos springs, is a place of constant rebirth. Limbo’s influence is pervasive, working to deconstruct order and instead replace it with something fresh and unexpected. There is both good and evil in chaos, and strange forces build their homes in the changing landscape. Consider rolling on the Ruinous Limbo table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts a spell of 1st level or higher • A creature uses their mind to alter or influence the landscape (see Limbo in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Chapter 2) d100 Effect 01-07 All nearby surfaces transform into lava and molten rock. A creature takes 6d10 fire damage when it enters lava for the first time on a turn or when it ends its turn there. 08-17 The earth becomes a storm of vengeance, crumbling away into wind and lightningt, sending creatures into freefall through infinite nothingness. 18-30 The landscape rebuilds itself to match an image in the mind of a random character. This might be a face of water, a childhood home made of bees, or anything else you might imagine. 31-35 The air changes to deep, dark water, which churns and rages as if under the effects of a maelstrom spell. Rules for underwater fighting apply, and there is no way to surface for air. 36-50 Riproaring winds pick up, and the area is buffeted. A strong wind imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly im- possible. A flying creature in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall. 51-62 A series of 20 foot square earthern or metal platforms materialize underfoot, and begin to rise upwards at a rate of 60 feet a round. More platforms appear at the start of every round. 63-76 Gravity changes direction, as per a reverse gravity spell. There is a 50% chance it reverses again at the start of each round. 77-82 All ongoing spells immediately end. Each one triggers a wild magic surge centered on the caster. 83-88 Random nonmagical objects creatures are holding turn into harmless objects, small CR0 beasts, or have their substance changed so as to make them ineffective, eg. a wooden sword. 89-98 A variety of 2d4 randomly typed elementals appear from the chaos, bent on destruction. 99-00 A tiny rip in reality occurs, manifesting as a sphere of annihilation. 54 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A barely cooled arc of magma. A revelation of confidence 2 A momentary lull in the winds. A revelation of calm 3 A fracture in the air, invisible from one side A revelation of grief 4 A deep tunnel into the dark A revelation of despair 5 A swirl of colourful energy in the sky A revelation of wonder 6 A fuzzy mirage on the horizon A revelation of truth 7 A flash of energy from a spell A revelation of power 8 A githzerai portal in a monastery A revelation of anger 9 A ripple of psionic power A revelation of pride 10 A terrible nightmare A revelation of horror d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A morkoth, holding together its lair by strength of will 3 2d6 black puddings attacking in a pack 4 1 elemental of a random type 5-10 Nothing. 11-12 1 death slaad, and two red slaad 13-14 1 green slaad and three blue slaad 15-16 2d4 red slaad looking for hosts 17-18 A beholder, paranoid about being discovered and hunted down 19 1d4 githzerai monks and 1 githerzeri enlightened 20 A githzerai anarch and a host of other githerzerai in their lair d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Abyssal Incursion 3-5 Restless Waters 6-7 Rumbling Earth 8-12 Overwhelming Life 13-16 Arborean Wilds 17 Ysgardian Fervour 18-19 Howling Pandemonium 20 Astral Depths RAGE AGAINST THE DICE The life expectancy of a randomly generated elemental in Limbo is remarkably short, so you really can’t hold their behaviour against them. 55 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku RUINOUS LIMBO 56 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Of all the lower planes, the Windswept Depths of Pandemonium are perhaps the most horrifying. Blanketed in night, and ravaged by screaming winds, Pandemonium is a desolate underworld which many planar travelers are careful to steer awat from lest they fall prey to its mind-warping keening. Consider rolling on the Howling Pandemonium table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A spell or ability is invoked which interacts with sound, such as a thunderwave or silence spell • A spell or ability is invoked which creates light or warmth d100 Effect 01-07 Creatures hear voices in the winds, voices from their past. Discuss with characters which voices they hear, and what the voices are asking them. 08-17 Creatures that are charmed or frightened, or under the effects of any mind controlling magic, are released from those effects. 18-30 Creatures that prepare spells find they have forgotten all the spells they know, as if they had prepared no spells at all that day. 31-35 The winds steal all words, and take them away. All creatures lose their ability to speak languages, or speak verbal components to spells. 36-50 The keening of Pandemonium reaches new heights, and all creatures are defeaned to sounds (except the howling winds) until it passes 24 hours later. 51-62 The odd music in the howling wind disrupts spellcraft. All spells and continuous effects immediatley come to an end. A creature that was concentrating on a spell takes 1d10 psychic damage. 63-76 The winds take on illusory, ghostly forms that tap into the deeper fears of characters. 77-82 A deep chill settles on Pandemonium. All fires are extinguished, and the rules for Extreme Cold apply for 24 hours. 83-88 Creatures suffering from madness effects, or from magically induced personality trait changes, are temporarily cured of those effects for 1 hour. This effect ends early on a creature if it leaves Pandemonium. 89-98 All creatures must succeed on a DC13 Charisma saving throw, or forget how they got to Pandemonium, where they were going, and why. 99-00 All books, scrolls and text are erased, wiped clean by the scouring winds. Artefacts are immune to this effect. 57 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A seemingly empty cave in the shadow A cry of hopelessness 2 A doorway into an abandoned fortress A cry of weariness 3 Falling far into the grey winds A cry of despair 4 Embracing the winds of Pandemonium A cry of madness 5 A specific musical note, pure and clear A cry of desperation 6 The illusion of a doorway A cry of hope 7 A strange diagram scrawled on a wall A cry of frustration 8 A scrap of doggerel or nonsense poetry A cry of joy 9 Complete darkness with no light A cry of fear 10 The ripple of a scream on the waters A cry of loss d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A banshee, cackling her deadly aria 3 1d4 shadow mastiffs, and 1 shadow mastiff alpha 4 2 shadow demons competing for food 5-10 1d4 howlers, ravenous 11-15 Only the howling of the winds. 16 1d4 deep scions 17 1 allip, which knows a dread secret 18 A hive of kruthik 19 1 demilich, screaming continually 20 1 elder oblex, with a sadistic bent d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-6 Abyssal Incursion 7-11 Ruinous Limbo 12-16 Carcerian Labyrinth 18 -20 Astral Depths THE DEEP CAVES Pandemonium has often provided sanctuary to powerful beings hiding from their enemies. However, the very forces that make Pandemonium a place even demons fear to tread slowly change the nature of those who reside there. In the darkest parts of Pandemonium, terrible and forgotten creatures slumber out of sight and mind, waiting to be awakened by a careless explorer. 58 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku HOWLING PANDEMONIUM 59 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Throughout the multiverse, the evil of the abyss bleeds into reality like a stain. In locations corrupted by abyssal magic, demons ooze forth to spread violence and madness wherever they tread. Abyssal corruption can be spontaneously occurring, but often manifests in locations where sentient creatures or cults call on its magic for evil ends. A corrupted location can be dormant for many years, becoming spurred to action decades later by an act of evil, or through dark rites. Consider rolling on the Abyssal Corruption table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A power derived from demonic sources is invoked, such as a warlock pact or cult boon • A demon is summoned or contacted • A creature openly calls to the abyss for aid, including by naming a greater demon d100 Effect 01-07 1d6 dretches ooze through from a nearby surface, covered in demonic ichor. They caterwaul and split up to cause as much chaos as they can by destroying things and chattering foul jokes. 08-17 The walls, floor or ceiling begin to gurgle in a distressing manner. Sometimes they bark words in abyssal. 18-30 The true name of a greater demon appears on a surface or in the air nearby. Speaking it aloud allows it to send minions through the breach for the next 24 hours. 31-35 The ground becomes translucent, and vast horrible shadows can be seen under the surface, as if the ground were a thin membrane between onlookers and the abyss. 36-50 The air becomes grey and toxic. Each living creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution sav- ing throw or become Poisoned for 1d4 hours. 51-62 Celestials and good-aligned clerics begin to glow an ugly red colour. 63-76 A vrock (or another demon of CR6 or less) explodes into the area, and attacks any living creature it can see. 77-82 One character in the region hears the whispers of a demon lord. They must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, or gain a personality Flaw decided in consultation with the DM that over- rides conflicting traits. A remove curse spell or similar magic can lift this supernatural compulsion. 83-88 Plants and fauna in the region are subsumed by a wave of corruption, mutating them with strange growths and changing their alignment to chaotic evil. 89-98 A strange and unnatural weather pattern develops, determined by the DM, but in clear violation of natural law. Examples include the rain turning to blood, or the wind carrying hot embers de- spite the lack of a fire. 99-00 A rift with a radius of 2d6 x10 feet opens between this layer of the abyss and the material plane, allowing demons of all kinds free access to the material plane through it. 60 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Black ice, which mirrors the abyss Doorways to the abyss are always opened by invoking the name of a demon lord, who is able to use the connection to tear open the rift. This connection may also allow the demon to corrupt the user in subtle ways, depending on the power of the demon and the strength of the traveler. 2 A black tide at dusk, slick with dark oil 3 Onyx quicksand which reeks of decay 4 A twisted tree, the leaves fallen 5 An ill wind filled with demonic mutters 6 A stone altar etched with abyssal symbols 7 An ichorous, fetid pool of water 8 A dark crystal infused with demonic wiles 9 A school of evil fish, chattering in abyssal 10 A demonic scrawl of street graffiti d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A yochlol, from the demonweb pits, which delights in tormenting visitors. 3 A draegloth, left by drow who use this as a portal from the underdark. 4 A cult fanatic and cultists devoted to a demon lord. 5-10 Nothing. It killed anyone who found it. 11-15 An alkilith, which created the portal. 16 Three bulezau arguing over meat. 17 A dybbuk disguised inside a corpse 18 A band of gnolls and a shoosuva 19 A nabassu, which lurks unseen hoping to catch stragglers. 20 A red shadow dragon, who considers the door to be one of its treasures (and thus not for sale.) d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Howling Pandemonium 3-5 Astral Depths 6-11 Material Plane 12 Ruinous Limbo 13 Carcerian Labyrinth 14-18 The Nine Hells 19 Ethereal Drift 20 Hades Wastes INFECTION The abyss is a disease which aggressively infects other planes. When moving from an abyssal Landing to another location, there is a possibility the destination location becomes tainted, slowly tranforming into another abyssal landing. 61 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ABYSSAL INCURSION 62 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE A six layered sphere of confusing paths and dead ends, Carceri is the archetypal prison plane. The magic of Carceri prevents all planar travel in and out of it, making the infinite stair one of the only ways to escape it - naturally these doorways are few, far between and guarded by horrific forces. Consider rolling on the Carcerian Labyrinth table when the characters enter Carceri, and then again whenever they enter a new layer. There are no doorways to the Infinite Staircase on any layers but the first, and Carceri is constantly trying to trap creatures in the sixth (deepest) layer, from which there is no egress by any means short of a wish spell. d100 Effect 01-07 Nearby waypoints, markers and doorways are suddenly shifted about (or disappear entirely). 08-17 Gravity shifts permanently in a random direction. 18-30 All nearby creatures are shunted down to a deeper level of Carceri, each of which is more dangerous and harder to escape from than the last. There are no doorways to the Infinite Staircase on any layers but the first. 31-35 The layer of Carceri becomes shrouded in impenetrable magical darkness for 24 hours. 36-50 Creatures are unable to cast spells on this layer of Carceri for a day and a night. 51-62 All scrolls, potions and other expendable magical items on this layer of Carceri become inert. 63-76 Magical items (excluding artefacts) on this layer of Carceri expend all charges (if possible) and cease to function until the next dawn. 77-82 The text on all books and scrolls on the plane becomes scrambled by a cipher, illegible until solved. A creature may attempt to decipher a single text corrupted in this way by succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence ability check over the course of a long rest. 83-88 The direction of true north and the time (insofar as Carceri experiences it) change randomly to something new. 89-98 The means by which all doors and portals in Carceri are opened are randomly switched with each other. 99-00 The world spins with an ugly lurch, and the layers of Carceri are shuffled. Determine using a d6 which layer the party ends up on. 63 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A secret hatch with 13 locks Carceri is (by definition) a difficult place to leave. Doorways to the stair are scarce, and hard to open, requiring keys, passwords or powerful magic to access. 2 An archway that looks like a pot plant 3 A hidden wall that moves 4 A ceiling trapdoor with no handle 5 An archway filled in with bricks 6 A box inside another box inside a crate 7 The dark behind a curtain 8 The skeleton of someone who starved 9 A wormhole in the broken stones. 10 A mysterious puzzle sculpture. d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A death knight, living its punishment. 3 A minotaur, enraged by its incarceration. 4 A gray render. It wants to play. 5-10 Nothing. Carceri has many secrets. 11-15 A goristro from the abyss, trapped in the endless tunnels. 16 An androsphinx, enjoying the puzzling nature of the place. 17 A group of the lost, seeking solace. 18 A stone giant dreamwalker, trapped in a nightmare. 19 A stone golem, walking an automated route. 20 Baphomet, hunting with glee and absolutely not lost. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Shadowfell Blues 3-5 Astral Depths 6-11 Abyssal Incursion 12 Ethereal Drift 13 Mists of Ravenloft 14-18 Hades Wastes 19 Crystal Resonance 20 Hades Wastes 64 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku CARCERIAN LABYRINTH 65 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The lowest of the lower planes, Hades is the place that souls go when no-one (not even the devils) want them. Bereft of hope, passion or joy, Hades is an empty wasteland of sunken planar detritus. To linger even momentarily in Hades is to risk drifting away to nothingness. Consider rolling on the Hades Wastes table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature gains a level of exhaustion • Someone loses something important to them, or suffers a defeat • A creature finishes a rest of any kind d100 Effect 01-07 All magical items other than artefacts become inert. If you roll this result twice, the magic items fade away to dust instead of re-rolling. 08-17 Corpses, bodies and dead flesh rot away into dust, leaving only skeletons behind. Living creatures take 1d10 necrotic damage. 18-30 All metal items rust away into dust. 31-35 All cloth items rust away into dust. 36-50 All scrolls, paper and wood items fade away into dust. 51-62 All food and other perishable items fade away into dust. 63-76 Creatures must succeed on a DC10 Charisma saving throw or lose one of their Personality Traits, Bonds or Ideals. If you roll this result more than once, increase the DC by 1 instead of re-rolling. 77-89 Creatures must succeed on a DC12 Charisma saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion. If you roll this result more than once, increase the DC by 1 instead of re-rolling. If the creature reaches six levels of exhaustion, it doesn’t die. Instead, the creature permanently transforms into a larva (see DMG) whereupon all levels of exhaustion afflicting the creature are removed. 89-98 Living creatures must succeed on a DC13 Constitution saving throw or have their Strength score reduced by 1d4. A creature dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. 99-00 All living creatures on the plane are reduced to 0 hit points. Creatures can sacrifice a Personality Trait, Bond or Ideal to ignore this effect. 66 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A bridge covered in gargoyles The loss of curiosity 2 A twisted skull, cracked and broken The loss of humanity 3 Dust from something long gone The loss of memory 4 A graven memorial The loss of a loved one 5 A bed of bones on which to sleep The loss of reverence 6 A petrified wanderer, caught by surprise The loss of flesh 7 The shadow of a greater demon The loss of hope 8 An abandoned ritual circle The loss of skill 9 The calcified corpse of something huge The loss of courage 10 The fossil of a dead hero The loss of destiny d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 An atropal, wailing and wailing 3 A boneclaw, bitterly resentful 4 A berbalang, reading the old bones. 5-10 Nothing. It killed anyone who found it. 11-15 3d6 shadows, seeking to smother the spark of life wherever they find it 16 A bodak, wandering alone 17 An invisible stalker, which likes to kill any- one who uses the door 18 A medusa, admiring her collection 19 A night hag coven, who allow travellers to bargain for use of the portal 20 A nabassu, delighted to find new souls on which to feast. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-5 Ethereal Drift 6-11 Shadowfell Blues 12 Mists of Ravenloft 13 Crystal Resonance 14-18 Gehennan Greed 19 Carcerian Depths 20 Astral Depths Ethereal Drift 67 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku HADES WASTES 68 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Gehenna is a strange plane, based on the slopes of three vast volatile volcanos. Nothing is predictable in Gehenna, other than the fact you will eventually be betrayed. Home to the scheming, bartering Yugoloths, those who tarry long on Gehenna soon find that anybody will sell anything for the right price. Consider rolling on the Gehennan Greed table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature makes a bargain or an offer • A creature deploys a selfless act or acts against their own self interest • A deal is broken or contravened d100 Effect 01-07 All precious metals in the area turn to lead. 08-17 Swirling white Infernal text floats in the air around each creature not native to Gehenna, revealing the nature of any magical pacts, bonds, treaties or deals the creature is currently bound by. This effect lasts until the creature leaves Gehenna. 18-30 An arcanaloth appears nearby. It may be a little confused at first, but the first thing they teach you in arcanaloth-school is to extort the first person you see, so it quickly rallies. 31-35 Molten gold oozes from the ground, quickly hardening into a solid immovable pool worth 10,000gp. After 1d4 hours, the gold turns back to rock. 36-50 A blackened portal cracks open the earth, large enough for a medium creature to squeeze through. It leads to another plane of existence determined by the DM, and remains open for 1 minute before closing. 51-62 The greed of Gehenna weighs heavily on travelers. Creatures not native to Gehenna must succeed on a DC14 Charisma saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion. 63-76 A volcanic spray of lava bursts through the ground. Creatures must succeed on a DC14 Dexterity saving throw or take 7d10 fire damage from the melted rock. 77-82 Creatures must succeed on a DC15 Wisdom saving throw or gain the personality trait “I have an itch that I can only satisfy by buying things.” This trait can be cured by a remove curse spell once the creature has left Gehenna. 83-88 All items of value on every creature not native to Gehenna begin to glow brightly in a way visible for hundreds of feet. The light shines (albeity mutedly) though cloth. 89-98 Magical items on the person of creatures moving through Gehenna begin to awaken, slowly gaining sentience and their own selfish agendas. 99-00 All beneficial spells cast on creatures not native to Gehenna in the last hour have their effects reversed, where possible. 69 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 The entrance to a volcanic temple All doors on Gehenna are opened by a bribe. The nature of the bribe depends on the guardian and the doorway, but the price must always be the loss of something meaningful. 2 A river of molten rock 3 A bag of holding owned by a yugoloth 4 The piercing gaze of an ultraloth 5 The shimmer of a gold piece in firelight 6 A crack in the mountainside 7 A leap into the mouth of the volcano 8 A fast-rotating circle of embers 9 A book of spells owned by an arcanaloth 10 Images engraved on a ruined pillar d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A barghest, sulky and bored 3 1d4 mezzoloth, looking to be bribed 4 1d2 dhergoloth, on guard duty 5-10 Nothing. The door stands alone. 11-15 1 canoloth instructed to prevent all passage from either side 16 A nycaloth perched on the door like a garygoyle 17 A yagnaloth, prepared to make a deal 18 An arcanaloth, extorting arcane secrets 19 An oinoloth, hoping to escape to the material plane 20 An ultroloth, and a court of lesser yugoloths d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Hades Wastes 3-5 Carcerian Labyrinth 6-11 Phlegethos Hellfire 12 Crystal Resonance 13 Raging Flames 14-18 Shadowfell Blues 19 Acheron Crescendo 20 Astral Depths FOXES IN DISGUISE The subspecies of Yugoloth known as arcanaloths are particularly fond of using their innate magic to masquerade as humanoids. 70 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku GEHENNAN GREED 71 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE ‘The Nine Hells’ constitutes the locus of Lawful Evil in the planar multiverse. Most doorways leading from the infinite stair to this bastion of devilry deposit the walker into Phlegethos, the 4th layer, and heart of the hellish judicial system. The devils here jealously covet and hide any entrance they discover. Consider rolling on the Phlegethos Hellfire table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature invokes, manipulates or conjures fire • A new deal or bargain is struck • Radiant or celestial magic is employed d100 Effect 01-07 The heat becomes incredibly intense for 1 minute, tongues of flame appearing spontaneously. At the start of their turn(s) for the duration, each creature take 3 (1d6) fire damage from the flames. 08-17 A claxon sounds through the infernal hills, as the archdevils have set up one of their needless curfews. Horned devils are standing by to enforce this. 18-30 A beleaguered looking incubus from the Bureau of Orthocoital Business appears, in a shower of paperwork. They are late for a meeting, and happen to be on the wrong plane of existence. 31-35 The footprints of living creatures leave a soft glow behind them if they retain their soul and have not yet bargained it away. The glow remains for 1 hour after the creature has passed. 36-50 A friendly imp offers to lead the characters to somewhere helpful, and inevitably betrays them after leading them to a cohort of stronger devils. 51-62 Creatures are surrounded by small, flaming, infernal words describing any contracts or enchantments the creature is bound by. This effect ends when the creature leaves Phlegethos. 63-76 Creatures who tell a deliberate untruth receive a nasty burn courtesy of local Phlegethosian by- laws, taking 1d4 fire damage. 77-82 The characters are stopped by a squadron of barbed devils wanting to see valid planar immigra- tion paperwork (or at least a decent visa). 83-88 The souls of living creatures which retain them can briefly be seen beside them in spectral form, with appearances based on the health of the soul and how stained it is by evil deeds. 89-98 For a moment, each creature’s Flaw can be seen clearly in their expression and demeanour, as if it were written in letters over their head. 99-00 The adventurers attract the attention of one (or both) of Phlegethos’ two competing archdevils, Fierna the Charismatic and Belial the Strategist. The outcome is unlikely to be pleasant. 72 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A hole in the floor of a courthouse Trading away a soul 2 A huge bonfire to throw prisoners into Trading away a truth 3 A crater where a comet hit the ground Trading away a life 4 A cloud of poisonous fumes Trading away a future 5 The bottom drawer of a desk Trading away a secret 6 A bad-smelling briefcase Trading away a profession 7 A chunk of rather ugly brimstone Trading away something precious 8 A book written in infernal Trading away your faith 9 A devilish crown or mitre Trading away your obediance 10 A literal door. How very peculiar. Trading away a key d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 Three erinyes with orders to apprehend strangers and interlopers 3 2d4 merregon who are waiting impatiently for shift change to arrive 4 A chain devil assigned here to interrogate travelers 5-10 Nothing. The devils have not found it. 11-15 3d4 imps sat around the doorway like infernal pigeons 16 A squadron of barbed devils, squabbling and disgruntled. 17 A horned devil, idling away the hours. 18 Two or more bone devils playing a version of knucklebones. 19 An amnizu accompanied by a gaggle of imps. It is bored. 20 A pit fiend with orders to defend the door- way to the death. Which it resents. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-6 Ethereal Drift 6-11 Raging Flames 12 Shadowfell Blues 13 Mechanical Law 14-18 Acheron Crescendo 19 Gehennan Greed 20 Astral Depths CONTRACTS The devils of Phlegethos are willing to trade access to the stair for things of importance. Like souls. Or tuna. 73 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku PHLEGETHOS HELLFIRE 74 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE War. Eternal, Brutal War. The plane of Acheron is drowned in the battle cries of spirits consigned to endless bloodshed from which they will never be granted release. Vast forces marshalled by cruel gods are hurled against each to the music of slaughter atop huge iron cubes floating in the void. Consider rolling on the Acheron Crescendo table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • Initiative is rolled • A creature is reduced to 0 hit points • Blood is spilled across the metal floor d100 Effect 01-07 A deep red light falls over the region, blanketing everything in crimson for 24 hours. 08-17 An iron clang reverberates through the air. All creatures must succeed on a DC17 Constitution saving throw or take 7d6 thunder damage, fall prone and become deafened for 1 hour. 18-30 Blood spattered across the metal floors congeals into a blood elemental (use the statistics for a water elemental). It is hostile to everyone and everything (apart from vampires, which it fears). 31-35 VAMPIRES. 36-50 A confused array of 5d4+5 warring spirits appear all around the group, using the statistics for beserkers. They proceed to ecto-spatter each other across the floor. 51-62 The warbeat of Acheron is unceasing. Each creature gains 20 temporary hit points at the start of their turn for the next minute. 63-76 Two cubes collide, sending shockwaves across the plane and tilting both cubes. Creatures must succeed on a DC15 Strength saving throw or be hurled off the cube into the darkness, where they will inevitably strike the surface of another cube some 3d8 x10 feet below. 77-82 For the next minute, creatures wounded in combat always develop a Lingering Injury (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide). 83-88 All weapons become unusually dangerous, bypassing any damage resistances and dealing a criti- cal hit on a roll of 18, 19 or 20. 89-98 All creatures are hit by a surge of bloodlust, and must succeed on a DC18 Charisma saving throw or enter a Rage (as per the Barbarian class feature) which lasts for 1 minute. 99-00 The entire last minute of time is reversed. If you are in combat, return all combatants (including the deceased) to full health and start from the beginning. 75 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A corpse, killed in the last minute A murder for hate 2 A pool of blood at least 5 feet wide A murder for joy 3 A secret door in the side of a metal cube A murder for a secret 4 A weapon held by an orc god A murder for glory 5 The scar left behind after a divine battle A murder for revenge 6 The light of a blood moon A murder for love 7 The wardrums of Acheron at fever pitch A murder for passion 8 A deep and terrible wound A murder for a last resort 9 A broken shield taken from an enemy A murder for anger 10 The spirit of someone who died in battle A murder for the dead d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 1 nilbog and 5d6 goblins minding their own business 3 A barghest, waiting for goblins to eat 4 An orc eye of gruumsh and claw of luthic, who consider this a sacred site 5-10 Nothing. The war rages around it. 11-15 1d6 orcs and 1 orc war chief, who consider this a tactical choke point 16 A tanarukk, out of control but fabulous 17 1 bugbear chief and 3 bugbears, sleeping 18 2d4 hobgoblins and 1 hobgoblin devastator 19 3 hobgoblin iron shadows 20 A booyahg booyahg booyahg: (Use the mage stat block, darkvision and the Nimble Escape traits common to all goblins. Each time the goblin casts a spell, there is an accompanying surge of wild magic. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Shadowfell Blues 3-5 Rushing Winds 6-11 Mechanical Law 12-13 Raging Flames 14-18 Phlegethos Hellfire 19-20 Astral Depths Nisus the Orc and Euryalus the Hobgoblin are forbidden lovers doomed to slay each other again and again on the fields of Acheron. What they really want is to retire to the fields of Elysium. 76 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ACHERON CRESCENDO 77 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 Roll a d20. For the next hour, whenever anyone rolls a d20, instead of rolling they use the result shown, and all passive scores use this number as a base instead of 10. 08-17 For the next hour, creatures always use the average damage result for attacks and spells. For example, an attack that normally deals 1d10 + 5 damage always deals 10 damage on Mechanus. 18-30 Creatures can no longer gain Inspiration. This effect fades after 24 hours. 31-35 Somewhere, a clock strikes all hours at once. All effects, abilities and items that refresh or expire based on the time of day immediately refresh or end as appropriate. 36-50 The modrons become aware of a metaphysical spanner in the orderly working of Mechanus, and begin to hunt down the characters in an effort to excise them. 51-62 All illusions (and any magical effects closely related to that school) immediately expire. 63-76 The stamping of feet throughout the many cogs of mechanus does not bode well. Are the modrons...assembling for something? It’s hard to say. 77-82 The adventurers are marked for extermination by a powerful inevitable, such as a marut, which can and will follow them across the planes. 83-88 For the next hour, only even-numbered spell slots may be expended for any reason. 89-98 A philosopher of an enlightened nature proves through logic that one or more of the characters do not exist - and thus, they do not. Perhaps he can be persuaded to change his mind. 99-00 A random character suddenly realises the solution to a problem which has been distressing them, including the inevitable price that must be paid. Discuss this with the character and the DM, for the predicted events must come to pass, no matter what. Mechanus is the planar source of order, a huge network of gears and machinery engaged in the calculation of a single, unknown question. Chiefly inhabited by the robotic modrons, Mechanus emanates pure law, and no errant event goes unnoticed. Travelers to Primus must take care, lest they become part of the grand machine. Consider rolling on the Mechanical Law table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • The clock strikes the hour • Someone rolls a natural 20, or a natural 1 • A new type of modron appears 78 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A clockwork door in the center of a gigantic revolving gear. The doorways are always the same in mechanus, though which gear is hosting a door changes every hour - there is a pattern for those who take the time to watch it. A key stolen from inside a modron 2 A password known only to Primus 3 A missing cog from the works 4 A blow from a spanner 5 Blowing on the machinery really hard 6 Stopping the cog and starting it again 7 Jumping up and down a lot 8 A hidden button under the cog 9 Giving the cogs a manual turn 10 Turning the cogs in reverse d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A marut, which will allow no-one to pass. 3 2d4 helmed horrors 4 4d6 monodrones 5-10 Nothing. The war rages around it. 11-15 3 monodrones, 2 duodrones, and 1 tridrone 16 A pentadrone and 4 quadrones 17 3 stone defenders 18 2 shield guardians 19 2 oaken bolters 20 1 iron golem d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Gay Agenda 3-5 Celestial Grace 6-11 Arcadian Harmony 12 Rushing Winds 13 Raging Flames 14-18 Phlegethos Hellfire 19 Acheron Crescendo 20 Astral Depths DOES NOT COMPUTE Far from fiends and aliens, the most resolute and intractable denizens of the stair are the modrons and other constructs of Mechanus. They are quite literally unable to break the rules, which makes them quite dangerous when you consider that the average modron is -not- particularly insightful or perceptive. 79 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku MECHANICAL LAW 80 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d100 Effect 01-07 Creatures are cured of all levels of exhaustion. 08-17 Enchantments, curses and geas are broken on all creatures, shattering into nothingness. Crea- tures are de-attuned from cursed items, which are rendered inert until the item is removed from Arcadia. 18-30 Alterations to bonds, flaws, ideals and personality traits are healed and restored to their natural state where possible. Consult the DM if you are unsure which effects can be healed in this way. 31-35 Scars, imperfections and flaws in items and creatures are smoothed over and wiped away. This cures any injury which would be fixable by a greater restoration spell. 36-50 All the items in all inventories are neatly cleaned, folded and ordered in a manner pleasing to the eye of the bearer. 51-62 Appearances are unruffled, creatures are cleaned, and creases are ironed out of clothing. Dyes are removed from hair - permanent body alterations are temporarily closed or removed until the creature leaves Arcadia. 63-76 Creatures are cured of diseases and poisons afflicting them. 77-82 Creatures immediately regain all their hit dice as if they had finished a long rest. 83-88 Creatures are restored to their maximum hit points, and any hit point reductions are lifted. 89-98 Any reductions to ability scores are cured, returning the ability scores to their normal values. 99-00 All of Arcadia’s other effects on this table activate at once. Arcadia is a world bent on order and perfection. In Arcadia, not a single leaf is out of line in any of the perfect orchards dotted across trimmed fields and sweepingly beautiful cities. Arcadia may seem like a paradise at first glance, but it fails to understand that it is our imperfections which make us beautiful. Consider rolling on the Arcadian Harmony table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A healing spell of any kind is cast • A curse, blight or ongoing negative effect triggers, such as a werewolf turning into their wolf form 81 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 The doors to the Infinite Stair in Arcadia always present themselves as rune carved stone arches decorated with winding vines. A commitment to order. 2 A commitment to peace. 3 A commitment to love. 4 A commitment to justice. 5 A commitment to silence. 6 A commitment to healing. 7 A commitment to charity. 8 A commitment to moderation. 9 A commitment to humility. 10 A commitment to service. d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 A unicorn, using the door as a lair. It will not allow evildoers to pass. 3 A number of earth elementals with commands to root out irregular life forms 4 2d4 flumphs eager to snitch on “troublemakers and ideological terrorists” 5-10 Nothing. Arcadia is nothing if not orderly. 11-15 A deva, eager to heal but troubled by fierce individuality 16 A treant obsessed with orderly growth 17 1 or more priests, who have forgotten what violence looks like 18 An autumn eladrin, stuck in one season 19 An archdruid, lost in thought 20 A good-aligned elven lich, determined to quash any threat to the eternal peace of Arcadian life d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Bytopian Lighting 3-5 Celestial Grace 6-11 Mechanical Law 12-13 Rushing Winds 14-18 Feywild Intensity 19-20 Astral Depths THE SLOW DEATH Those who stay in Arcadia long enough sometimes forget they ever knew another life. This helps them move on from their suffering, but it can also limit their empathy and desire to help others. 82 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku ARCADIAN HARMONY 83 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Mount Celestia occupies a prominent place on the map of the Planes, representing not only the power to do good, but also the drive to make it happen. Many good-aligned gods make their home here, and it remains one of the few places on the planes where virtuous creatures can take a well-earned rest. There are no ‘random’ events on Mount Celestia in the same way as on the other planes. Instead, creatures who possess true virtue can try to ascend the mountain to the very top layer. Creatures who fail this ascent may not attempt it again. Layers of Mount Celestia Lunia All portals from the Astral Plane and Infinite Staircase lead here. It is a realm of night, lit by a perpetual full moon and stars overhead. Here, the silver sea connects to the base of the mountain, and the world is at peace. Mercuria A creature may only climb to Mercuria if they are sufficiently infused with Hope. Golden light falls from shining clouds above, basking the world in a gentle glow. Bahamut, god of good dragons, makes his home here in a temple guarded by seven ancient metallic wyrms. Venya A creature may only climb to Venya if they possess true Temperance. Silver streams bubble down the mountainside, and villages rest in green valleys. Celestial halflings live here in great numbers tending to spiritual livestock. Solania A creature may only climb to Solania if they possess great Fortitude. Solania is a realm of burnished artifice and holy forges. Dwarves work here under the guidance of Moradin. Mertion A creature may only climb to Venya if they possess an unshakable sense of Justice. The silver light of Mertion’s sun destroys undead who tread here. Paladins and scions of the cosmic good often finish their pilgrimage here. Jovar A creature may only climb to Venya if their life has demonstrated selfless Charity. Gemstones litter the floor, capitivating and alluring. Chronias A creature may only climb to Chronias if they possess true Faith. A creature which ascends to Chronias is dissolved into pure light, and they are reborn anew into the multiverse to serve Good. 84 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 A deep whirlpool in the silver sea A prayer for safety 2 A portal of blazing white light A prayer for guidance 3 An archway of silvery stone A prayer for wisdom 4 The statue of a Good aligned deity A prayer for help 5 A relic from a martyr of legend A prayer for courage 6 The light of the moon on the water A prayer of wonder 7 A star map of Lunia’s sky graven in stone A prayer for understanding 8 The shadow of a silver dragon overhead A prayer in awe 9 A dream of happier times A prayer for sanctuary 10 A blessed sepulchre A prayer of thanks d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 An empyrean, confused by the newcomers. They want to know more about the planes. 3 An adult silver dragon who likes people but rarely gets to meet them. 4 A young copper dragon with an overly-familiar sense of humour. 5-10 Nothing. The war rages around it. 11-15 A deva, assigned here but aching to do good elsewhere. 16 A young bronze dragon, which has lost a trinket of value in the water. 17 A planetar, under orders to allow no passage. 18 A ki-rin, sanctimonious and pious. 19 An ancient gold dragon, once betrayed and now cautious. 20 A solar, guided to the adventurers by need. They offer guidance, healing and wisdom. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down Too 1-5 Arcadian Harmony 6-7 Gay Agenda 8-12 Bytopian Lighting 12-16 Rushing Winds 17-19 Feywild Intensity 20 Astral Depths 85 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku CELESTIAL GRACE 86 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Bytopia is a plane of opulent towns and untamed wilderness, blurring at the edges into a colourful fusion of both. Between these two worlds, intelligent beasts and fiercely autonomous people meet in the middle, free to decide for themselves who they want to be. The twin layers of Bytopia are occupied chiefly by gnomes and errant celestials. Creatures not native to Bytopia gain a cosmetic enhancement to their appearance which expresses something of their nature (eg, cats eyes, a tail, feathered hair). Characters may choose whether to discard this enhancement when they leave Bytopia - if they choose to keep it then it becomes permanent. Opening a doorway from Bytopia is simple - it requires the traveler(s) to be at peace with who they are. d8 The Door To The Stair Is (and is opened by) 1 Pride in your strength 2 Pride in your appearance 3 Pride in your resilience 4 Pride in your intelligence 5 Pride in your identity 6 Pride in your actions 7 Pride in your heritage 8 Pride in your intentions d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Celestial Grace 3-5 Beastly Kingdom 6-11 Elysian Bliss 12 Rushing Winds 13 Arcadian Harmony 14-18 Feywild Intensity 19 Gay Agenda 20 Astral Depths 87 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d8 + d20 Enlightening Encounters 2 A pirate called Claude is carrying a box, which is under strict instructions not to open. 3 A gnome illusionist who likes to change their form between sentences. 4 It’s a cow, and it wants to be eaten. 5 A woman is sat spinning straw into gold. At night, she unweaves it. 6 A medusa who likes to freeze people in their prime, to show them off as art. 7 A forest gnome conjurer, with no qualms about using magic on strangers. 8 A green hag coven, disguised as helpful crones operating a pyramid scheme. 9 A guardian naga. It is very, very old, and thinks everyone it meets is just a strange snake. 10 Two gay unicorns called Alfred and Jasper who cannot agree where to vacation. 11 A glittering pseudodragon quietly fleeing the scene of an accident it may or may not have caused. 12 A family of werebears who insist on you staying for dinner. No, really. They insist. 13 A group of 2d6 deep gnomes, who ask politely to be left alone, despite the diamonds they are clearly hauling. 14 A herd of centaurs galloping through the forest/town/ground floor toilets. The centaur sabattical scheme is entirely voluntary. 15 It’s a lovely morning in Bytopia, and you are a homosexual goose. 16 A swarm of gnome bards crests the hill. 17 A bipedal cat wearing riding boots. It wants to start a business selling pottery. 18 A bird holding a paintbrush. They are suffering from artists block. 19 A pirate called Claude, who has opened a box he was told not to open and is now being chased by a flameskull. 20 An ancient brass dragon, which is quite willing to knock people out with its sleep breath and take them back to its lair so they can keep it company. 88 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku BYTOPIAN LIGHTING 89 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE In places where divine magic runs awry, or under the influence of certain Elder Evils, the positive energy plane that supports all life can become coterminous with the material. Uncontrolled, this energy propels life forms into a state of harmful and unnatural growth that subsumes and corrupts whatever it touches. Consider rolling on the Overwhelming Life table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A creature casts a spell of healing, or one which encourages plants to grow • A creature uses a regeneration or self-heal- ing ability • A creature begins a short or long rest d100 Effect 01-07 A creature begins to manifest strange, fleshy protrusions and growths on their body. These growths are permanent, and disfiguring, but not directly harmful. 08-17 A random creature must succeed on a DC15 Constitution saving throw or find their eyes, mouth or nose fused shut (chosen at random). A fused orifice can be unsealed by a remove curse spell within 24 hours of it occurring – otherwise the change is permanent. 18-30 Plants begin to sprout and grow out of control in the area, which becomes plant based difficult terrain for any creature travelling through it. 31-35 Undead creatures in the area begin to unravel as if the entire area were protected against them by a forbiddance spell (DC15). 36-50 Creatures begin to self heal at a rapid rate. All living creatures regain 2d10 hit points at the start of their turn. 51-62 Creatures cannot die within the area, returning to life with 1 hit point at the start of their next turn after dying. If a creature’s body is damaged or destroyed as to prevent it returning, it simply grows a new one and the soul returns to the newly created body. A creature cannot return to life if their soul is trapped or destroyed by any means. 63-76 Healing spells are more effective for the next hour, restoring an additional number of hit points equal to twice the caster’s level. 77-82 Positive energy begins to build in a pinprick of light adjacent to a random creature, growing quickly over time. On initiative count 1 of the next round, it explodes in a fireball 83-88 A surge of positive energy pulses from under the earth, and creatures with scars or lingering wounds find they are healed of them. 89-98 The earth ejects 2d4 gibbering mouthers, which burble their way into being a nuisance. 99-00 All creatures that died in the area during the past year return to a mockery of life in their broken, buried bodies. If a creature is unable to return to its body, it becomes a specter instead. 90 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE d10 Environment The Door to the Stair is... Opened by... 1 Arctic Flowers blooming in subzero conditions The doorway will open only to a surge of positive energy - light, heat, or healing magic. 2 Coastal A mountain of fish beaching themselves 3 Desert A forest growing in the desert 4 Forest Tress growing humanoid body parts 5 Grassland Thick, thorny brambles over 100 feet high 6 Mountain Fleshy cysts grown into the mountainside 7 Swamp A bubbling pool of fetid swamplife 8 Underdark A hollow filled with biomass secretions 9 Underwater The stomach of a gigantic leviathan 10 Urban A hospital with patients begging for death d8 + d12 Guarded By 2 1d6 gibbering mouthers, yawling and chibbering 3 A shambling mound, hangry. 4 1 flesh golem, spontaneously animated. 5-10 Nothing. Maybe a few tentacles. 11-15 An otyugh, living its best life. 16 1d6 will’o’wisps, excitable. 17 1 beholder, possessive and jealous 18 1 morkoth, not accepting visitors today 19 A slaad infestation, led by a death slaad. 20 An escaped neothelid, which does not want to go home. d20 The Next Stairs Lead Up/Down To 1-2 Rumbling Earth 3-5 Ysgardian Fervour 6-11 Arborean Wilds 12 Gay Agenda 13 Feywild Intensity 14-18 Ruinous Limbo 19 Bytopian Lighting 20 Astral Depths 91 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku OVERWHELMING LIFE 92 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE The mists of Ravenloft ebb and flow, stealing away those who have done wrong and depositing them in hellscapes designed to torment them for eternity. Occasionally, travellers become trapped in these domains of dread, encountering the mists by grim misfortune, or by the will of the Dark Powers that guide them. The Mists of Ravenloft can appear at any time, anywhere. They prefer to appear near the Shadowfell (or other lower planes) but are attracted primarily to selfish acts. Rage, spite and malice can also attract the mists, which may or may not choose to let the travelers go again. You can use the mists as a story device either to begin a Ravenloft campaign (such as in Curse of Strahd) or to play a ‘weekend in hell’ narrative exploring an inescapable tropey horror location such as an abandoned murder house before returning the characters to the stair once the mists deem them suitably punished. Because the mists aren’t strictly bound by the same rules as most of the multiverse, you can choose to kill off characters during your spooky sojourn only to return them to the staircase with the survivors. d8 Weekends in Hell 1 The vampire Strahd von Zarovich is expecting guests for dinner. 2 A murderous puppet is terrorising the small town of Odiare. 3 The adventurers are trapped in a pyramid, and the clock is ticking until the mummy lord inside awakens. 4 A cruel illithid tortures captives, making them relive their worst nighmares. 5 The adventurers are hunted through dense wilderness by a terrifying predator. 6 The adventurers are abandoned on the top of a mountain, too cold to survive. 7 The adventurers are plunged into a scandal, accused of being witches by an evil religious elite. 8 The characters are trapped in a mirror of mundane village life, but only one charac- ter remembers the past, the others have no recollection of ever being adventurers. 93 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Oh no. It’s the gay agenda. I don’t think I need to explain or advocate for a breach in reality through which literal rainbows are leaking into the world. I would live there, and it would be fabulous. Consider rolling on the Gay Agenda table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • Someone does something fabulous • A cake is baked for a gay wedding • A lesbian picks up a sword • A same-sex kiss occurs • Someone determines their own identity and gender for themselves • Gay Socialist Paradise Mood Lighting d8 + d12 Gay Wanderers 2 An adult red dragon. It’s a bad dragon. 3 The very fanciest of elves, and a minotaur. Are they...brawling? 4-5 It’s a werebear. It wants a hug. Probably. 6-7 A bard? No. Seven bards. A WALL OF BARDS. 8-10 A beholder, feeling like a rainbow warrior. 11-12 It’s a hag, and it follows you because it can. 14-15 A horned devil. It seems to enjoy its job. 16-17 A unicorn wearing a hat. 18-19 It’s a criminally seductive planetar wearing nothing but a loincloth and holding a gigantic sword. 20 An empyrean, firing off random colours from its hands willy nilly. d1 Gay Agenda 1 TIME FOR A GAY WEDDING. Everyone is invited, apart from the people who aren’t. Bring a big hat. 94 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku GAY AGENDA 95 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Some worlds in the multiverse contain an ‘underdark’, a sequence of caverns and caves in which entire underground civilisations hide away from the light of day. This underworld is frequently protected by a radiation that interferes with magic. The infinite staircase sometimes comes to an inexplicable dead end in these areas, perhaps due to the resonance interfering with safe interplanar travel. Consider rolling on the Crystalline Resonance table when the following circumstances occur in the region: • A character casts a divination or conjuration spell inside the area • A character uses a psionic power • A creature manipulates or disturbs the earth and stone d6 Resonance 1 Characters with the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature(s) lose one spell slot of the highest remaining level they possess. 2 An earthquake starts, threatening to plunge nearby creatures down into the dark. 3 The crystals start to glow, rapidly becoming painfully bright. For the next minute, any creature relying on conventional sight or darkvision is blinded. 4 Sound warps and stutters, echoing back on itself. Anyone who attempts to cast a spell with a verbal component must succeed on a concentration saving throw or fail to cast the spell, wasting the spell slot. 5 The crystals pulse a rhythm into the earth, over and over, attracting underground predators like umber hulks, or xorn. 6 The caves become suffused with an antimagic field which lasts for 24 hours. 96 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE patreon.com/czepeku CRYSTALLINE RESONANCE 97 THE INFINITE STAIRCASE Designer: Oliver Darkshire Illustrators: Cze & Peku Cartography (patreon.com/czepeku) Interior Illustrators: Fonts and graphics licensed though Adobe, Creative Market, GraphicRiver and privately, with particular thanks to A-Ravlik, via graphicriver extended commercial licensing. individual licenses available on request. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley

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WEAPONS 82 ACCESSORIES TABLE Type OCV RMod Conc. Nuyen Bayonet Use Bayonet -2 125 Biometric Safety Tuned to 1 User -- 2250 Bipod 4 -10 STR Min -2 350 Bow Accessory Mount Use Firearm Access. -1 100 Flash Suppresser IPE: Sight -1 250 Gas Vent 3 -5 STR Min -1 500 Grenade Launcher 5 Underbarrel Mount -1 200 Hi-Power Scope 1 +1 +2 -1 250 Laser Sight +1 +1 -- 400 Low-Light Scope 1 UV Vision -1 1500 Micrometer Sight 1 +1 0 -- 150 Normal Scope 1 +1 +1 -1 200 Shoulder Stock 2 -2 STR Min -2 100 Silencer IPE: Sound -1 150 Smartgun Link, External SmartLink Interface -1 600 Smartgun Link, Internal SmartLink Interface -- +100% Sound Suppresser IPE: Sound -1 750 Thermographic Scope 1 IR Vision -1 1500 Tripod 4 No STR Min -6 600 1 The character must Brace to gain any OCV and RMod bonuses or any other abilities. The bonuses are in addition to those granted by using the Brace maneuver. 2 The Shoulder Stock on a weapon reduces the STR min by 2 when Bracing (for a total of –7 to STR min). Folding stocks reduce concealability only by 1 when folded. Rifles and Machine Guns are assumed to have shoulder stocks as standard. 3 The Gas Vent recoil suppresser can be installed in any autofire small arms except needle weapons. When installed, it reduces the STR Min of the weapon by up to 5 when firing on Autofire. It can only offset the increase of STR Min brought about by Autofire. It cannot reduce the STR Min of the weapon below its starting score. It cannot be mounted on Minigun class weapons. 4 The character must Brace to gain the benefits of the Bipod and Tripod and they must be able to place the accessory on a proper surface. Bipods reduce concealability by –2 when attached or –1 if folded, and Tripods reduce concealability by –4 when mounted. 5 The listed Grenade Launcher only carries 1 shot per magazine. +1 Ammo per +50 nuyen. Note: Infrared Scopes and Low-Light Scopes may be combined with Normal and Hi-Power Scopes (Hi-Power Infrared Scope, for example). A Laser Sight may be used in conjunction with Scopes but not with any other sight or targeting system. DAMAGE BY AMMO SIZE TABLE Ammo Damage STUNx Other STR Min Pistol/SMG Ammo1 5mm 1d6-1 0 - 2 .22 Caliber 1d6 0 - 5 6mm 1d6 0 - 5 7mm 1d6 0 - 5 8mm 1d6 0 - 5 9mm 1d6+1 0 - 8 .38 Caliber 1d6+1 0 - 8 10mm 1½d6 0 - 10 .357 Magnum 2d6-1 +1 - 11 11mm 2d6 0 - 11 .45 Caliber 2d6 0 - 11 .410 Magnum 2d6 +1 - 13 12mm 2d6+1 0 - 13 .44 Magnum 2d6+1 +1 - 15 .454 Casull 2d6+1 +1 - 15 14mm 2½d6 +1 - 20 .666 Caliber 3d6-1 +1 - 25 Rifle/Assault Rifle/Machine Gun Ammo2 4.5mm 2d6 0 - 7 5.56mm 2d6+1 0 - 10 .223 Caliber 2d6+1 0 - 10 7.62mm 2½d6 0 - 13 .30 Caliber 2½d6 +1 - 15 .450 Caliber 3d6-1 +1 - 18 .50 Caliber 3d6 +1 - 20 13mm 3d6 +1 - 20 14.5mm 3d6+1 +1 - 23 Shotgun Ammo2 .410 2d6 +1 - 10 20 Gauge 2d6+1 +1 - 12 12 Gauge 2½d6 +1 - 15 00 2½d6 +1 - 15 10 Gauge 3d6-1 +1 - 18 8 Gauge 3d6 +1 - 20 4 Gauge 3d6+1 +1 - 23 Cannon Ammo2 20mm 4d6+1 +1 - 27 25mm 4½d6 +1 - 29 30mm 5d6 +1 - 31 75mm 6d6 +1 - 38 90mm 6½d6 +1 - 42 105mm 7d6 +1 - 44 120mm 7½d6 +1 - 48 140mm 8d6 +1 - 50 Railgun Ammo2 4mm 4d6 +1 AP x 2 45 6mm 4d6+1 +1 AP x 2 49 8mm 4½d6 +1 AP x 2 53 1cm 5d6 +1 AP x 2 56 2cm 5½d6 +1 AP x 2 64 3cm 6d6 +1 AP x 2 68 4cm 6½d6 +1 AP x 2 75 1 Assumes firing the weapon 1-handed. If using 2 hands, reduce the STR Min by 2. 2 Assumes firing the weapon 2-handed. If using 1 hand, increase the STR Min by 3 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 83 FIREARMS Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Light Pistols (One-Handed Weapon) Hammerli Model 610S (.22 Cal) Micrometer Sight, Very Reliable +3/+4 0 1d6 0 5 6 (c) 250 0 SA 2.5 1000 Walther Palm Pistol (.22 Cal) +1 -1 1d6 0 5 2 (br) 50 -2 SS .75 225 Colt L36 (.38 Cal) +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 11 (c) 100 0 SA 1 425 Light Fire 70 (.38 Cal) Removable Silencer +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 15 (c) 100 +1/+2 SA .5 550 Tiffany Self-Defender (.38 Cal) +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 4 (c) 100 -1 SA .5 250 Walther PB-120 (.38 Cal) +2 0 1d6+1 0 8 10 (c) 100 0 SA .75 575 Ceska vz/120 (9mm) +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 18 (c) 100 0 SA 1 575 Federated Arms-X (9mm) Laser Sight +2 +1 1d6+1 0 8 12 (c) 100 +1 SA 1 850 Goncz-Taurus (9mm) +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 15 (c) 100 0 SA 1.25 325 Seco LD-120 (9mm) Laser Sight +2 +1 1d6+1 0 8 12 (c) 100 +1 SA 1 700 Texas Arms 351 Gyrojet Pistol (9mm) API Ammo already figured into stats, ½ DC out to 5” +1 0 1d6/½d6 ERKA (AP) 0 3 8 (c) 500 +1 SS 2.5 450 Heavy Pistols (One-Handed Weapon) Browning Ultra-Power (10mm) Laser Sight +2 +1 1½d6 0 10 10 (c) 125 +1 SA 2.25 925 Colt Alpha-Omega (10mm) Very Reliable +2 0 1½d6 0 10 10 (c) 125 +1 SA 2.5 750 FN-Browning “3-Spot” (10mm) Always fires on Autofire-3 +1 0 1½d6 0 13 25 (c) 125 +2 AF-3 3 750 IMI Gamad (10mm) Laser Sight, Very Reliable +1 +1 1½d6 0 10 7 (c) 125 +1 SA 2.25 850 Colt Python (.357 Mag) +2 0 2d6-1 +1 11 6 (cy) 125 +2 SS 2 650 Savalette Guardian (.357 Mag) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +1 2d6-1 +1 11 12 (c) 125 +3 AF-3 3.25 1750 Mustang Arms Mark II (11mm) Very Reliable +2 0 2d6 0 11 12 (c) 150 +2 SA 2.5 850 Nova Model 757 Cityhunter (11mm) Laser Sight +2 +1 2d6 0 11 18 (cy) 150 +3 SS 3.25 1200 Sternmeyer Type 35 (11mm) Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +1 2d6 0 11 8 (c) 150 +2 SA 2.5 1050 Colt Manhunter (.45 Cal) Laser Sight +2 +1 2d6 0 11 16 (c) 150 +2 SA 2.5 1100 Ares Predator (.410 Mag) +1 0 2d6 +1 13 15 (c) 150 +2 SA 2.25 725 Ruger Thunderbolt (.410 Mag) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +1 2d6 +1 13 12 (c) 150 +3 AF-3 2.75 1850 Ruger Thunderbolt (.410 Mag) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +1 0 2d6 +1 13 12 (c) 150 +3 AF-3 2.75 1950 Colt-AMT Model 2000 (12mm) Very Reliable 0 0 2d6+1 0 13 8 (c) 175 +2 SA 2.75 675 Royal Enfield Ordnance Spitfire Battle Pistol (12mm) Internal Smartgun Link +2 0 2d6+1 0 13 12 (c) 175 +2 SA 2.75 1075 SCK Gyodo (12mm) +1 0 2d6+1 0 13 16 (c) 175 +2 SA 2.5 775 Militech Crusher SSG (20 Gauge) Shotgun Rules when firing shot ammunition 0 0 2d6+1 +1 15 6 (m) 175 +3 SS 3 750 Ares Predator II (.44 Mag) Internal Smartgun Link +1 0 2d6+1 +1 15 15 (c) 175 +3 SA 2.5 1100 Armalite 44 (.44 Mag) Very Reliable +1 0 2d6+1 +1 15 8 (c) 175 +2 SA 2.25 825 Federated Arms 454 Super Chief (.454 Casull) Very Reliable +2 0 2d6+1 +1 15 5 (cy) 175 +3 SS 2.5 800 Malorian Arms 3516 (14mm) Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +1 0 2½d6 +1 20 6 (c) 200 +4 SA 3 1525 Magnum Opus Hellbringer (.666 Cal) Very Reliable 0 0 3d6-1 +1 25 3 (br) 200 +5 SS 3.5 850 Magnum Opus Hellraiser (.666 Cal) Very Reliable 0 0 3d6-1 +1 25 6 (c) 200 +5 SA 3.75 1000 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Machine Pistols (One-Handed Weapon) Ares Crusader MP (9mm) Very Reliable +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 40 (c) 100 +2 AF-5 3.25 800 Beretta 200ST (9mm) Detachable Shoulder Stock +1 0 1d6+1 0 8 26 (c) 100 +2 AF-5 2 600 Goncz-Taurus MP (9mm) Unreliable 0 0 1d6+1 0 8 30 (c) 100 +2 AF-5 2.75 475 Beretta 1010 MP (10mm) -1 0 1½d6 0 10 30 (c) 125 +1 AF-10 2.5 750 Ceska Black Scorpion (10mm) Folding Stock +1 +1 1½d6 0 10 25 (c) 125 +2 AF-5 3 925 Glock-30 MP (10mm) Gas Vent, Very Reliable +2 0 1½d6 0 10 20 (c) 125 +2 AF-5 2.5 1250 Sandler TMP (.45 Cal) Laser Sight, Folding Stock, Unreliable +2 +1 2d6 0 11 20 (c) 150 +3 AF-10 3.25 1600 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 84 Submachine Guns (One-and-a-Half-Handed Weapon) Setsuko-Arasaka PMS Advanced SMG (7mm) Internal Smartgun Link, Integrated Sound Suppresser +1 +1 1d6 0 3 40 (c) 75 +3 AF-10 3.25 1675 Militech Mini-Gat (8mm) Cannot mount Gas Vent or Suppressers, Always fires on Autofire-20, Only ½ Recoil Penalties +1 0 1d6 0 13 120 (c) 75 +4 AF-20 4.5 850 Beretta M-24 (9mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +2 +1 1d6+1 0 6 50 (c) 100 +4 AF-10 3.25 2275 Beretta Model 70 (9mm) Laser Sight, Integrated Sound Suppresser +2 +1 1d6+1 0 6 35 (c) 100 +4 AF-10 3.75 1575 Federated Arms Tech Assault II (9mm) Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +2 0 1d6+1 0 6 50 (c) 100 +4 AF-10 3.5 1600 Ingram Supermach 100 (9mm) Gas Vent +1 0 1d6+1 0 6 60 (c) 100 +5 AF-20 3.25 1500 Uzi Miniauto-9 (9mm) Very Reliable +1 +1 1d6+1 0 6 30 (c) 100 +3 AF-10 2.75 1050 Arasaka Minami-10 (10mm) Very Reliable +1 0 1½d6 0 8 40 (c) 125 +4 AF-10 3.5 1150 Ingram Warrior-10 (10mm) Very Reliable 0 0 1½d6 0 8 30 (c) 125 +4 AF-10 3 900 IMI Gandaii (10mm) Gas Vent, Very Reliable, Grenade Launcher (1 ammo cap.) +2 +1 1½d6 0 8 35 (c) 125 +5 AF-10 3.5 2175 Malorian Arms Sub-Flechette Gun (10mm F) Gas Vent, Very Reliable, Flechette Ammo already figured into stats +2 0 2d6 (RP) 0 8 30 (c) 125 +4 AF-10 3.5 1725 Militech-10 (10mm) +1 +1 1½d6 0 8 30 (c) 125 +3 AF-10 3.25 1100 Colt Vampire (11mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Folding Stock, Very Reliable +2 0 2d6 0 9 35 (c) 150 +5 AF-10 3.25 2500 Colt Cobra TZ-115 (11mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, Folding Stock +2 +1 2d6 0 9 32 (c) 150 +4 AF-10 3 2000 Colt Cobra TZ-118 (11mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Folding Stock +1 0 2d6 0 9 32 (c) 150 +4 AF-10 3 2100 Heckler & Koch MP-5 TX (11mm) Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +2 2d6 0 9 20 (c) 150 +3 AF-10 3.25 1800 Sternmeyer 21 (11mm) Folding Stock 0 +1 2d6 0 9 30 (c) 150 +4 AF-10 2.75 1250 Ingram Smartgun (.45 Cal) Gas Vent, Folding Stock, Unreliable 0 -1 2d6 0 9 32 (c) 150 +4 AF-10 3 1650 SCK Model 100 (.45 Cal) Internal Smartgun Link, Folding Stock, Very Reliable +2 +1 2d6 0 9 30 (c) 150 +4 AF-10 4.5 1875 Steyr AUG-CSL Submachine Gun (5.56mm Rifle) Gas Vent, Laser Sight +2 +1 2d6+1 0 10 40 (c) 875 +4 AF-10 3.5 5000 Heckler & Koch MPK-2020 (12mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight +2 +2 2d6+1 0 11 60 (c) 175 +5 AF-10 4.5 2325 SCK Katsu (12mm) Folding Stock +1 +1 2d6+1 0 11 32 (c) 175 +4 AF-10 4.25 1400 SCK Rinzai (12mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Folding Stock +1 +1 2d6+1 0 11 60 (c) 175 +5 AF-10 4.5 2575 Ares Sandstorm (.44 Mag) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Integral Sound Suppresser, Folding Stock, Very Reliable +3 +3 2d6+1 +1 13 40 (c) 175 +4 AF-10 4.75 5000 Malorian 3600 Super SMG (14mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link +1 0 2½d6 +1 18 20 (c) 200 +5 AF-5 4.75 2425 Arasaka Rage (.666 Cal) Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable 0 -1 3d6-1 +1 23 20 (c) 200 +5 AF-5 4.75 2050 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Shotguns (Two-Handed Weapons) Remington Roomsweeper (.410) Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +1 2d6 +1 10 8 (m) 150 +4 SA 3 1025 Franchi SPAS-27 (20 Gauge) Internal Smartgun Link, Folding Stock 0 0 2d6+1 +1 12 10 (m) 175 +5 AF-5 4 950 Remington 550 (20 Gauge) Shoulder Stock, Very Reliable +1 0 2d6+1 +1 12 8 (m) 175 +7 SS 3.5 625 Constitution Arms Hurricane (12 Gauge) Gas Vent 0 0 2½d6 +1 15 40 (c) 200 +5 AF-10 6.5 1800 Remington 770 (12 Gauge) Shoulder Stock, Very Reliable +1 0 2½d6 +1 15 8 (m) 200 +7 SS 3.75 725 Arasaka Assault Shot-12 (00) Shoulder Stock 0 0 2½d6 +1 15 20 (c) 200 +7 AF-5 4.25 1175 Mossberg CMDT (10 Gauge) Laser Sight, Very Reliable +2 +1 3d6-1 +1 18 8 (c) 200 +5 AF-5 4.25 1500 Mossberg SM-CMDT (10 Gauge) Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +1 0 3d6-1 +1 18 8 (c) 200 +5 AF-5 4.5 1600 Remington 990 (10 Gauge) Shoulder Stock, Very Reliable +1 0 3d6-1 +1 18 8 (m) 200 +7 SS 4 900 Remington Elephant Gun (8 Gauge) Shoulder Stock, Very Reliable +1 0 3d6 +1 20 6 (m) 225 +7 SS 5 950 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 85 Assault Rifles (Two-Handed Weapons) Ares High-Velocity Assault Rifle (4.5mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link 0 +1 2d6 0 7 50 (c) 150 +7 AF-20 5 2150 Militech M31A1 (4.5mm) Grenade Launcher (4 ammo cap.), Very Reliable, Gas Vent +2 +3 2d6 0 7 150 (c) 750 +6 AF-10 4.5 2950 AKR-20 (5.56mm) Folding Stock +1 +1 2d6+1 0 10 30 (c) 875 +6 AF-10 4.75 1400 Chadran Arms Jungle Reaper (5.56mm) Very Reliable +1 0 2d6+1 0 10 60 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4.5 1350 Darra-Polytechnic M-9 (5.56mm) Normal Scope, Unreliable +1/+2 +1/+2 2d6+1 0 10 40 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4.75 1550 Militech Ronin LAR (5.56mm) Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable +2/+3 +3/+5 2d6+1 0 10 35 (c) 875 +8 AF-10 4.5 2350 Sternmeyer CG-13 (5.56mm) Normal Scope, Very Reliable +1/+2 +2/+3 2d6+1 0 10 90 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4 1975 Steyr AUG-CSL Assault Rifle (5.56mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, Weapon System +2 +2 2d6+1 0 10 40 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4 5000 Colt M22A2 (.223 Cal) Gas Vent, Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable, Grenade Launcher (6 ammo cap.) +1/+2 +3/+5 2d6+1 0 10 40 (c) 875 +9 AF-10 4.75 3150 Colt M23 (.223 Cal) Very Reliable +1 +2 2d6+1 0 10 40 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4.5 1650 Heckler & Koch 77UK (.223 Cal) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link, Grenade Launcher (4 ammo cap.), Very Reliable +3 +3 2d6+1 0 10 30 (c) 875 +8 AF-10 4.75 3625 Ceska vz88V (7.62mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, Hi- Power Scope, Unreliable +1/+2 +3/+5 2½d6 0 13 35 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 4.75 2650 Federated Arms Light Assault-15 (7.62mm) Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable +1/+2 +1/+3 2½d6 0 13 30 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 4.5 1850 Fabrica De Armes M-2012 (7.62mm) Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable +3/+4 +1/+3 2½d6 0 13 30 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 5 2300 FN-RAL Heavy Assault Rifle (7.62mm) Laser Sight, Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable +1/+2 +3/+5 2½d6 0 13 30 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 4.5 2400 Heckler & Koch G12A3z (7.62mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight +2 +3 2½d6 0 13 32 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 5.25 2525 Royal Enfield Ordnance LPA1 (7.62mm) Very Reliable +2 +1 2½d6 0 13 90 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 4.75 1975 Ares Alpha Combat Gun (.7.62mm) Internal Smartgun Link, Gas Vent, Grenade Launcher (8 ammo cap.) +2 +2 2½d6 0 13 42 (c) 1000 +7 AF-10 5.25 2000 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Sport/Sniper Rifles (Two-Handed Weapons) Steyr AUG-CSL Sniper Rifle (7.62mm) Gas Vent, Hi-Power Scope, Sound Suppresser +2/+3 +4/+6 2½d6 0 13 40 (c) 1000 +7 SA 4.5 5000 Ruger Sport 100 (.30 Cal) Hi-Power Scope, Very Reliable +1/+2 +3/+5 2½d6 +1 15 5 (m) 1000 +6 SS 3.75 1500 Walther MA-2100 Sniper Rifle (.450 Cal) Hi-Power Low-Light Thermographic Scope, Internal Smartgun Link, Integral Sound/Flash Suppresser, Very Reliable +2/+3 +4/+6 3d6-1 +1 18 8 (m) 1000 +10 SS 4.5 4525 Barrett Model 121 Sniper Rifle (.50 Cal) Hi-Power Low-Light Thermographic Scope, Internal Smartgun Link, Integral Sound/Flash Suppresser, Folding Bipod, Very Reliable +1/+2 +3/+5 3d6 +1 20 14 (c) 1125 +12 SS 10 5000 Stein & Wasserman Model F Sniper Rifle (13mm) Gas Vent, Very Reliable 0 +1 3d6 +1 20 8 (c) 1125 +7 SA 8 1500 Remington Gyro-Sniper Rifle (18mm Gyro-jet) Laser Sight, Hi-Power Scope, API ammo already figured into stats, ½ DC out to 15” +3/+4 +3/+5 2½d6 RKA and 1d6+1 ERKA (AP) +1 10 6 (c) 1500 +10 SS 12 2100 Man Portable Machine Guns (Two-Handed Weapons) Ares High-Velocity MP-LMG (5.56mm) Gas Vent, Internal Smartgun Link +1 +1 2d6+1 0 10 80 (c) 875 +8 AF-20 8 2600 Ares MP-LMG (7.62mm) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, +2 +2 2½d6 0 12 50 (c) 1000 +8 AF-10 7.5 2300 Heckler & Koch G-6 LMG (7.62mm) Hi-Power Low-Light Thermographic Scope, Internal Smartgun Link, Very Reliable +1/+2 +2/+4 2½d6 0 12 100 (c) 1000 +8 AF-10 7.75 2900 Vindicator Minigun (7.62mm) Cannot mount Gas Vent or Suppressers, Always fires on Autofire-20, Only ½ Recoil Penalties 0 +1 2½d6 0 22 80 (c) 1000 +10 AF-20 15 1500 Fabrique National MAG-5 (.30 Cal) Gas Vent, Laser Sight, +2 +3 2½d6 +1 15 50 (c) 1000 +8 AF-10 9.5 2650 Stoner-Ares M107 GP-HMG (.50 Cal) Gas Vent, Laser Sight +1 +3 3d6 +1 20 40 (c) 1125 +8 AF-10 12.5 3000 Tsunami Arms Helix (8 Gauge Shotgun) Laser Sight, Cannot mount Gas Vent or Suppressers, Always fires on Autofire-20, Only ½ Recoil Penalties 0 +1 3d6 +1 30 60 (c) 225 +12 AF-20 19 4300 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 86 Needle & Flechette Weapons Fichetti Hornet Needle Pistol (2mm Needle) 1-h Weapon, Micrometer Sight, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +3 0 1d6+1 (AP) 0 10 30 (c) 100 +2 SA 2 2375 Malorian Arms Heavy Flechette Pistol (4mm Needle) 1-h Weapon, Internal Smartgun Link, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +2 0 2d6-1 (AP) 0 13 25 (c) 125 +2 SA 3 2700 Militech Silver Shadow Flechette Pistol (5mm Needle) 1-h Weapon, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +1 0 2d6 (AP) 0 15 8 (c) 150 +3 SA 3.25 2000 Fichetti Talon Needle SMG (4mm Needle) 1.5-h Weapon, Folding Stock, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +3 +1 2d6-1 (AP) 0 13 60 (c) 125 +4 AF-10 3.75 2950 Fichetti Spike Needle Rifle (6mm Needle) 2-h Weapon, Shoulder Stock, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +3 +2 2d6+1 (AP) 0 18 90 (c) 875 +7 AF-10 4.25 4225 Hammer M-11 Bolt Pistol (9mm Needle) 1-h Weapon, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +2 0 2½d6 (AP) 0 20 10 (c) 200 +4 SA 3.75 2300 Fichetti Sliver Heavy Needle Sniper Rifle (10mm Needle) 2-h Weapon, Shoulder Stock, Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser +3 +4 3d6 (AP) 0 23 16 (c) 1125 +8 SA 7 4650 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Grenade Launchers (Two-Handed Weapons) Ares Antioch Grenade Launcher (40mm Grenade) 2-h Weapon +1 0 As Grenade 0 15 6 (m) 150 +3 SS 2.5 2000 ArmTech MGL-6 2-h Weapon +1 0 As Grenade 0 15 6 (c) 150 +3 SA 2.5 2250 ArmTech MGL-12 2-h Weapon +1 0 As Grenade 0 15 12 (c) 150 +5 SA 5 2500 Heavy Weapons (Two-Handed Weapons) Colt-Mauser M2X Assault Cannon (20mm) Hi-Power Scope, Shoulder Stock Folding Bipod 0/+1 +2/+4 4d6+1 +1 27 8 (c) 1625 +10 SS 15.5 5800 Rhinemetall EMG 85 Kinetic Energy Railgun (4mm) Internal Smartgun Link, STR Min 10 When Mounted on the Harness +2 +2 4d6 (AP x2) +1 45 5 (c) 1500 +12 SS 25 8500 Panther Assault Cannon (25mm) Shoulder Stock, Detachable Bipod +1 +1 4½d6 +1 29 22 (c) 1750 +8 SS 18 7950 Royal Enfield Ordnance Cockeril Assault Cannon (25mm) Hi-Power Scope, Shoulder Stock, Detachable Bipod +1/+2 +2/+4 4½d6 +1 29 12 (c) 1750 +9 SS 20 6500 Man-Portable Rocket Launchers (2-h) M79B1 Light Anti-Armor Weapon (LAW) Micrometer Sight, See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers 0/+1 +2 5d6 (AP) Rocket +1 5 1 1875 +9 SS 2.5 7275 Arbalest II Medium Anti-Armor Weapon (MAW) Hi-Power Scope, See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers 0/+1 +2/+4 5 ½ d6 (AP) Rocket +1 5 1 2125 +10 SS 2.75 8250 Man-Portable Missile Launchers (2-h) Ares Man-Portable Missile Launcher See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers 0 -- By type -- 7 4 (b) By type +9 SS 3 5000 Ballista Multi-Role Missile Launcher See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers +2 -- By type -- 7 4 (m) By type +9 SS 6.5 5600 Great Dragon Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launcher (ATGM) See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers, Only fires the Great Dragon ATGM 0 -- See Missile -- 10 1 (b) By type +10 SS 2.75 7500 Militech Urban Missile Launcher See Rules for Rocket and Missile Launchers, Only fires Micromissiles 0 -- By type -- 5 12 (m) By type +7 SS 2.5 3500 Anti-Personnel Missile Ammo, No Range Penalty, - 1 DC/1” Radius +2 -- 6d6 (EX) +1 -- -- 11250 +4 -- 2.25 2000 Anti-Vehicle Missile Ammo, No Range Penalty +2 -- 6d6 (AP x2) +1 -- -- 11250 +4 -- 3.25 3375 High-Explosive Missile Ammo, No Range Penalty, - 1 DC/3” +2 -- 6d6 (EX) +1 -- -- 11250 +4 -- 2.25 3375 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Ammo, No Range Penalty, - 1 DC/5” +4 -- 8d6 (EX) +1 -- -- 22500 +4 -- 1.5 4875 Great Dragon Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Ammo, No Range Penalty +4 -- 8d6 (AP x2) +1 -- -- 11250 +4 -- 3 4500 Anti-Armor Micromissile Ammo, No Range Penalty +2 -- 3d6 (AP x2) +1 -- -- 1125 +3 -- 1.5 1700 Anti-Personnel Micromissile Ammo, No Range Penalty, - 1 DC/1” +2 -- 3d6 (EX) +1 -- -- 1125 +3 -- 1 1250 High-Explosive Micromissile Ammo, No Range Penalty, - 1 DC/3” +2 -- 3d6 (EX) +1 -- -- 1125 +3 -- 1 1700 Mortars (2-h) 60mm Mortar See Rules for Mortars, -1 DC/1” -1 -1 4d6 (EX) +1 -- 1 1500 +8 SS 30 6225 80mm Mortar See Rules for Mortars, -1 DC/1” -1 -1 5d6 (EX) +1 -- 1 1875 +9 SS 35 7875 120mm Mortar See Rules for Mortars, -1 DC/1” -1 -1 6d6 (EX) +1 -- 1 2250 +10 SS 40 9425 Mortar Shell Ammo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 4 150 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 87 SPECIAL WEAPONS Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Con Mode Wt. Nuyen Lasers Ares MP Laser III (10 Gigawatt) Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser, 1.5-h Weapon, Cannot mount Gas Vent +2 +2 3d6 ERKA (AP) 0 3 20 (batt.) 1125 +8 SS 20 120000 Hip Battery Ammo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +2 -- 2 500 Ares MP Laser Plus (15 Gigawatt) Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser, 1.5-h Weapon, Cannot mount Gas Vent +2 +2 4d6 ERKA (AP) 0 3 50 (batt.) 1500 +10 SS 30 300000 Batter Pack Ammo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +8 -- 15 2000 Ares Redline Integral Flash/Sound Suppresser, 1-h Weapon, Cannot mount Gas Vent +1 +1 2d6 ERKA (AP) 0 3 10 750 +4 SS 5 75000 Battery Clip Ammo -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 -- 1 250 Flamethrowers Shiawase Blazer 1-h Weapon, Ammo lasts for 1 Turn each, Affects a 7” Cone, See Special Rules in Equipment Section +1 0 1d6+1 RKA NND (Fire) 0 3 4 7” Cone +4 SS 6 1100 Kendachi Dragon Flame Thrower 2-h Weapon, Ammo lasts for 1 Turn each, Affects a 10” Cone, See Special Rules in Equipment Section 0 0 2d6 RKA NND (Fire) 0 5 10 10” Cone +6 SS 21 1700 Chemtech Application Gear Cascade 2-h Weapon -1 -1 Special 0 8 100/20 (c) 100 +3 SA 5.5 1800 Dart Pistol 1-h Weapon +1 -1 Special 0 3 5 (c) 50 0 SA 1.5 600 Dart Rifle 1-h Weapon +1 +1 Special 0 5 10 (c) 150 +3 SA 3.25 1700 ELD-AR 2-h Weapon +2 +2 2d6 N 0 8 50 (c) 750 +4 AF-5 4.5 950 Splat Gun 2-h Weapon, Entangle is Sticky 0 0 3d6 Entangle 0 5 2 (m) 100 +4 SS 3 600 Spray Tank 1-h Weapon 0 0 Special 0 5 20 7” Cone +4 SS 5 100 Ares SuperSquirt II 1-h Weapon +1 0 Special 0 3 20/20 (c) 75 +2 SA 2 800 Other Weapons Ares Protector SMG (10mm) 1.5-h Weapon, Integral Sound Suppresser, Briefcase gun, when fired from case, OCV is –2 +1 0 1½d6 0 8 35 (c) 125 -4/+4 AF-10 5/3 2000 Bracer Gun 1-h Weapon 0 0 1d6 0 5 1 (b) 75 -2 SS .3 700 Gun Cane 1-h Weapon +1 0 1d6 0 5 1 (b) 75 -4 SS 1 1350 Netgun 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 4d6 Entangle 0 5 4 (b) 50 +3 SA 4 1000 Large Netgun 1.5-h Weapon +2 0 5d6 Entangle 0 8 4 (b) 50 +3 SA 4.5 1325 Kendachi Monocoil 1-h Weapon 0 0 4d6 Entangle 0 3 2 (m) 10 +1 SS 2 825 GRENADES Type Damage/Effect Blast Concealability Weight Nuyen Chemical See Chemtech Section of Equipment 5” Radius +1 .5 500+Chemical Dose Concussion 9d6 N -1 DC per 1” +1 .25 30 Dual Charge Combine any 2 Grenade Effects ½ Radius for each effect +2 .5 150 Defensive 3d6 RKA -2 DC per 1” +1 .25 30 Flare Create Light 3” Radius +1 .25 40 Flash 5d6 Flash vs. Sight and Hearing -1d6 per 2” +1 .25 40 Flash-Pak 5d6 Flash vs. Sight, Continuous, Uncontrolled (SPD 4) lasting 2 Turns -1d6 per 2” -4 .2 250 Incendiary 1d6 RKA NND (Fire/Heat), Starts Fires lasting 2 Turns 5” Radius +2 .5 50 IPE Concussion 12d6 N -1 DC per 1” +2 .5 70 IPE Defensive 4d6 RKA -2 DC per 1” +2 .5 60 IPE Offensive 4d6 RKA -1 DC per 1” +2 .5 60 Offensive 3d6 RKA -1 DC per 1” +2 .25 30 Smoke -4 Sight PER Rolls, -4 OCV vs. Normal Sight and UV Sight 5” +2 .5 30 Smoke, Thermal -4 Sight PER Rolls, -4 OCV vs. Normal Sight, UV Sight, IR Sight 5” +2 .5 50 Superflash 8d6 Flash vs. Sight and Hearing -1d6 per 2” +2 .25 80 White Phosphorous 2d6 ERKA, Continuous, Uncontrolled, Sticky lasting for 2 Turns (SPD 4) 4” Radius +2 .5 120 COMMERCIAL EXPLOSIVES, PER KILO Type Damage/Effect Blast Concealability Weight Nuyen Commercial 1d6 -3 DC per 1” +1 1 60 Plastic, Compound IV 2d6 -6 DC per 1” +1 1 80 Plastic, Compound XII 4d6 -12 DC per 1” +1 1 200 Radio Detonator Radio Detonation of Explosives -- -1 .25 250 Timer Timed Detonation of Explosives -- +1 .5 100 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 88 MINES Type Damage/Effect Blast Concealability Weight Nuyen Anti-Personnel Mine As Grenade Type As Grenade Type -1 2 Grenade x 10 Anti-Vehicle Mine 4d6 RKA -1 DC per 1” +1 5 500 Bouncing Mine As Mine, detonates at 1” to 10” height -- -- -- +500 Directional Detonates in a Cone Shape in Desired Direction -1 DC per 2” -- -- x 1.5 Disguised +2 Concealability (can be bought multiple times) -- -- -- x 2 Built-in Sensor Detect Target (Base 11-) -- -- -- +1000 per +1 Smart Mine Detect Enemies (Base 11-) -- -- -- +1000 per +1 AMMUNITION TYPE AND EFFECT TABLE (Per 10) Type Effect DC Weight Nuyen Armor Piercing (AP) Armor Piercing, -1 STUNx +0 .25 70 Armor Piercing Incendiary (API) Armor Piercing and 1/3 DC ERKA (NND: Intense Heat), -1 STUNx +0 .25 150 Cannon -- +0 1.25 450 Flechette (F) Reduced Penetration +1 .5 100 Gel Rounds (GEL) DC in Normal Damage +1 .25 30 General Purpose (GP) None +0 .25 20 Glazer (GLZ) Reduced Penetration +2 .5 75 Hi-C Plastic (HC) Invisible to Detect Group -1 .25 50 High Explosive (HE) +2 Hearing PER Roll to notice weapon discharge +1 .75 50 High Explosive Armor Piercing (HEAP) Armor Piercing, -1 STUNx, +2 Hearing PER Roll to notice weapon discharge +1 .75 250 Hollow Point (HP) Armored Targets get 25% DR +3 .5 50 Tracer +1 OCV per Tracer round fired in Autofire -- .5 50 Tracker (per 1) Radio Transmit +0 1 3000 SHOTGUN AMMUNITION TYPE AND EFFECT TABLE Type Effect DC Weight Cost per 10 Big D’s Temper TM Shot Rules, May start fires, Makes weapon Unreliable +2 1 200 Bola 1d6 Entangle +1 1 100 Flare Creates light, May start fires x½ 1 25 Shock Lock Armor Piercing against Objects, +1 STUNx and –3 RMod against creatures x1 .75 70 Stun Shells DC in Normal Damage +1 .5 25 MELEE WEAPONS Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Shots Length Conc Weight Nuyen Axes Throwing Axe 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 +1 1d6 0 8 -- M +3 .5 35 Masterwork Throwing Axe 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 +1 1d6 0 8 -- M +3 .5 55 Hand Axe 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 0 1d6+1 0 10 -- M +4 .75 350 Masterwork Hand Axe 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 0 1d6+1 0 10 -- M +4 .75 525 Battle Axe 1.5-h Weapon 0 0 2d6 0 15 -- M +6 1.5 460 Masterwork Battle Axe 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 2d6 0 15 -- M +6 1.5 690 Wallacher Combat Axe 2-h Weapon 0 0 2d6+1 0 15 -- M +7 2 975 Centurion Laser Crescent Axe 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 2d6 (vs. rED) 0 15 -- M +6 5.2 1725 Blades Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 0 ½d6 0 5 -- S +1 .5 35 Masterwork Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 0 ½d6 0 5 -- S +1 .5 55 Throwing Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 +1 ½d6 0 5 -- S +1 .25 40 Masterwork Throwing Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 +1 ½d6 0 5 -- S +1 .25 60 Cougar Fine Blade Short Combat Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +2 0 1d6-1 0 5 -- S +1 .5 400 Redstone Survival Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 0 1d6 0 8 -- S +2 .75 125 Cougar Fine Blade Long Combat Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +2 0 1d6 0 8 -- S +2 .75 500 Short Sword/Wakizashi 1-h Weapon 0 0 1d6 0 8 M +3 .75 250 Masterwork Short Sword/Wakizashi 1-h Weapon +1 0 1d6 0 8 M +3 .75 375 Broad Sword/Ninja-to 1-h Weapon 0 0 1d6+1 0 10 -- M +4 1.5 350 Masterwork Broad Sword/Ninja-to 1-h Weapon +1 0 1d6+1 0 10 -- M +4 1.5 525 Ares Monosword 1-h Weapon +1 0 1½d6 0 10 -- M +4 2 1000 Bastard Sword/Katana 1.5-h Weapon 0 0 1½d6 0 13 -- M +5 2 425 Masterwork Bastard Sword/Katana 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 1½d6 0 13 -- M +5 2 650 Greatsword 2-h Weapon 0 0 2d6 0 15 -- M +6 6 475 Masterwork Greatsword 2-h Weapon +1 0 2d6 0 15 -- M +6 6 725 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 89 Clubs Baton 1-h Weapon 0 0 3d6 N -- 8 -- M +3 1 50 Riot Baton 1-h Weapon +1 0 3d6 N -- 8 -- M +3 1 75 Club 1-h Weapon 0 0 4d6 N -- 10 -- M +4 1 65 Rattan Stick 1-h Weapon +1 0 4d6 N -- 10 -- M +4 1 100 Nunchaku 1-h Weapon, Can Grab +1 0 4d6 N -- 10 -- M +2 .5 200 Masterwork Nunchaku 1-h Weapon, Can Grab +2 0 4d6 N -- 10 -- M +2 .5 300 Metal Nunchaku 1-h Weapon, Can Grab +1 0 5d6 N -- 13 -- M +2 1 350 Masterwork Metal Nunchaku 1-h Weapon, Can Grab +2 0 5d6 N -- 13 -- M +2 1 525 Three-Section Staff 2-h Weapon, Can Grab +1 0 6d6 N -- 15 -- M +4 2 400 Masterwork Three-Section Staff 2-h Weapon, Can Grab +2 0 6d6 N -- 15 -- M +4 2 600 Extendable Baton 1-h Weapon +1 0 3d6 N -- 8 -- M 0/+3 1 375 Ares Shock Rod 1-h Weapon, 1 hour recharge +1 0 4d6 N and 4d6 NND (Elec) -- 10 10 M +4 2 1500 AZ-150 Super Stun Baton 1-h Weapon, 1 hour recharge +1 0 4d6 N and 6d6 NND (Elec) -- 10 12 M +3 2 2000 Easton Robo Bat 1.5-h Weapon 0 0 10d6 N -- 20 -- M +6 6 750 Louisville Cyberslugger 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 10d6 N -- 20 -- M +6 6 1000 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Shots Length Conc Weight Nuyen Hammers Light Hammer 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 0 1d6 +1 10 -- M +3 1.5 60 Masterwork Light Hammer 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 0 1d6 +1 10 -- M +3 1.5 90 Heavy Hammer 1-h Weapon 0 0 1d6+1 +1 13 -- M +4 3 400 Masterwork Heavy Hammer 1-h Weapon +1 0 1d6+1 +1 13 -- M +4 3 600 Warhammer 1.5-h Weapon 0 0 1½d6 +1 16 -- M +5 5 500 Masterwork Warhammer 1.5-h Weapon +1 0 1½d6 +1 16 -- M +5 5 750 Sledgehammer 2-h Weapon 0 0 2d6 +1 19 -- M +6 10 550 Masterwork Sledgehammer 2-h Weapon +1 0 2d6 +1 19 -- M +6 10 825 Kendachi Thunderhammer 1-h Weapon, Uses .50 Cal Rifle ammo 0 0 2½d6 +1 18 10 M +5 5 2450 Ares Shockhammer 1-h Weapon, 1 hour recharge +1 0 1½d6 and 4d6 NND (Elec) +1 16 10 M +5 5 1575 Slamdance, Inc. Hyper Hammer 2-h Weapon, Must be refueled after 2 shots, fuel costs 100 nuyen, STR doesn’t add to damage -1 0 4d6 (AP) 0 25 2 L +8 15 3000 Polearms Staff 2-h Weapon +1 0 4d6 N 0 10 -- M +6 2 90 Masterwork Staff 2-h Weapon +2 0 4d6 N 0 10 -- M +6 2 120 Metal Staff 2-h Weapon +1 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +6 3 120 Masterwork Metal Staff 2-h Weapon +2 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +6 3 160 Collapsible Metal Staff 2-h Weapon, ½ Phase action to extend or collapse the staff +1 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +2/+6 3 600 Masterwork Collapsible Metal Staff 2-h Weapon, ½ Phase action to extend or collapse the staff +2 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +2/+6 3 800 Metal Staff/Three-Section Staff 2-h Weapon, ½ Phase to change between both forms, Use Three-Section Staff stats for other form +1 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +4/+6 3 600 Masterwork Metal Staff/Three- Section Staff 2-h Weapon, ½ Phase to change between both forms, Use Three-Section Staff stats for other form +2 0 6d6 N 0 15 -- M +4/+6 3 800 Mounted Bayonet 2-h Weapon, Use as a survival knife when not mounted 0 0 1d6 0 8 -- M +2 .75 50 Spear 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 0 1½d6 0 13 -- M +6 2 85 Masterwork Spear 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon +1 0 1½d6 0 13 -- M +6 2 130 Longspear 2-h Weapon 0 0 2d6 0 15 -- L +8 4 120 Masterwork Longspear 2-h Weapon +1 0 2d6 0 15 -- L +8 4 180 Glaive 2-h Weapon 0 0 2d6+1 0 18 -- L +8 6 650 Masterwork Glaive 2-h Weapon +1 0 2d6+1 0 18 -- L +8 6 975 Centurion Laser Crescent Glaive 2-h Weapon +1 0 2d6+1 (vs. rED) 0 18 -- L +8 10 1900 Ares Shockstaff 2-h Weapon, 1 hour recharge +1 0 6d6 N and 4d6 NND (Elec) 0 15 10 M +6 4 1575 Whips Whip 1-h Weapon, 3” Range, Can Grab, STR Min doesn’t add to damage 0 0 ½d6 0 5 -- L3 +4 1 135 Chain Whip 1-h Weapon, 3” Range, Can Grab, STR Min doesn’t add to damage 0 0 1d6 0 8 -- L3 +4 2 185 Kusari-Gama 2-h Weapon, 3” Range, Can Grab, STR Min doesn’t add to damage 0 0 1½d6 0 13 -- L3 +4 1 250 Ares Electrowhip 1-h Weapon, 3” Range, Can Grab, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, Must be recharged for 1 hour 0 0 1d6 and 4d6 NND (Elec) 0 8 10 L3 +4 1 725 Kendachi Monowhip 1-h Weapon, 3” Range, Can Grab, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, See rules for Monowhips 0 0 3d6 (AP) 0 5 -- L3 -1 -- 7750 SHADOWPUNK—WEAPONS 90 Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Shots Length Conc Weight Nuyen Unarmed Brass Knucks/Studded Glove/Heavy Armor Gauntlet 1-h Weapon 0 0 +1d6 N 0 -- -- -- -- .25 0 Ares Karatand 1-h Weapon, Implast Glove 0 0 +2d6 N 0 -- -- -- -1 .5 200 Forearm Snap Blades 1-h Weapon +1 0 1d6 0 -- -- S 0/+2 1.5 300 Shock Glove 1-h Weapon, Must be recharged for 1 hour 0 0 Unarmed and 3d6 NND (Elec) 0 -- 8 -- -2 .5 750 Kendachi Monofilament Garrote 2-h Weapon, Can Grab 0 0 2d6 (AP) 0 -- -- S -1 -- 5000 Cyber-Implant Weapons Hand Razors See Rules for Cyberware 0 0 1d6 (RP) 0 5 -- S -2/0 -- 3750 Cyberspur See Rules for Cyberware 0 0 1½d6 0 10 -- S -1/+1 -- 6250 Cyberspike See Rules for Cyberware 0 0 1d6 (AP) 0 10 -- S -1/+1 -- 3750 Cyber Fangs See Rules for Cyberware 0 0 ½d6 (AP) 0 -- -- S -2 -- 3750 PROJECTILE WEAPONS Weapon Standard Accessories/Notes OCV RMod Damage STUN x STR Min. Ammo Range Conc Weight Nuyen Bows Short Bow 2-h Weapon 0 0 1½d6 0 13 -- 125 +5 1 350 Compound Short Bow 2-h Weapon +1 0 1½d6 0 13 -- 125 +5 1.5 500 Long Bow 2-h Weapon 0 +1 2d6 0 15 -- 150 +7 1.5 675 Compound Long Bow 2-h Weapon +1 +1 2d6 0 15 -- 150 +7 1.75 825 Ranger X Compound Bow 2-h Weapon +2 +2 2½d6 0 20 -- 200 +7 2 1100 Crossbows Pistol Crossbow 1-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, 1 Phase Reload 0 0 1d6+1 0 5 -- 50 +3 1.5 275 Light Crossbow 2-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, 1 Phase Reload 0 0 1½d6 0 8 -- 75 +5 2 350 Medium Crossbow 2-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, 1 Phase Reload 0 0 2d6 0 10 -- 100 +6 3 425 Heavy Crossbow 2-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, 1 Phase Reload 0 0 2d6+1 0 13 -- 125 +7 4 500 Very Heavy Crossbow 2-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, 1 Phase Reload 0 0 2½d6 0 15 -- 150 +8 4.5 575 Repeating Crossbow 2-h Weapon, STR Min doesn’t add to damage, ½ Phase Reload 0 0 2d6 0 10 10 (c) 100 +7 4 600 Throwing Weapons Throwing Knife 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 +1 ½d6 0 5 -- -- 0 .25 40 Shuriken/Dart 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 +2 ½d6 0 5 -- -- -1 .25 50 Net 2-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon 0 -2 3d6 Entangle 0 10 -- -- +5 4 350 Caltrops (10) 1-h Weapon, Thrown Weapon, See Rules for Caltrops 0 0 See Rules 0 5 -- -- -1 .5 80

textdata/thevault/Hero System/SHADOWPUNK/Shadowpunk ver 091 PDF/Shadowpunk-07-Weapons.pdf

TENRA BANSHO ZERO DIRECTOR’S NOTES INTRODUCTION-IN-BRIEF Hey, I’m Andy. I’m the guy who translated and published Tenra Bansho Zero, a role-playing game which you likely own in some capacity (PDF, physical book). Unless you have it, this biography-of-sorts will make no sense, really. Well, maybe one third of it or so. Anyway, this Director’s Notes book was meant as a behind-the-scenes look into the game. Over the eight years I’ve worked on TBZ, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about it. Everything from the translation process, to stories behind the rules, to a deeper explanation of some of the concepts in the game. I found myself telling some stories over and over again, and figured it’d be worth writing them down somewhere for others to enjoy as well. In the process, I had a ton more stories bubble up in my mind: The good, bad and strange things that happened over the years, the cool cultural bits that are utterly hidden from the text like the base of an iceberg, and so on. If the Tenra Bansho Zero text was a movie, these next pages would be the vignettes I’d be sharing over the Director’s Audio Commentary, reliving the nostalgia of the project perhaps with a drink in hand. I chose this “A-To-Z of Tenra” format because it was the one that triggered the most flashbacks, got me to write with speed and clarity, stories and history and random thoughts spilling from my fingers into my keyboard. I shared as many of the stories I could think of in relation to the book. Most of the stories, anyway. I still have a few good ones, but you’ll have to hit me up in person for those. Enjoy! If you bought Tenra Bansho Zero in some form, you helped make this happen. Thank you so much! 1 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO A is for Aiki! Aiki. What a word! It’s the Aiki of “Aikido”, and the characters reversed form KIAI. It really has no easily transferable meaning in English that doesn’t sound like hippie bulshit: Ai is “meeting/joining/ fusion” and Ki is “spirit” (Chi in Chinese). So it can be thought of as “the meeting of spirits” or “the meeting of minds”, or sometimes simple “harmony”... if you squint a bit. Originally, in the First Localization Pass of long ago, I called Aiki “Harmony”. There was simply a lot of Japanese in the game already, and I wanted to pull the parts that were easily English-ifiable into English, to reduce the stumbling block of having to learn all these new terms we’d be throwing at people (Kijin! Kongohki! etc). Problem is, in playtests and stuff I kept calling it Aiki instead of Harmony by accident. And players just picked up on it, referred to them as Aiki instead of Harmony. So the term stuck. Which is probably for the best. I was never entirely satisfied with using the word Harmony in the game. Words like Harmony fit into a category of words that “people say too much when they talk about Japan and Japanese culture without really understanding it.” Harmony! Efficient! Traditional with the Modern! Samurai! It’s a cheap tool to make an already asian-sounding setting sound that much more asian. In the end, the Real Deal - Aiki - proved strong enough to stick in people’s minds. A is also for Aiki Chits Aiki chits in Japan were traditionally strips of paper. There was a sheet of paper in the book that you could print out and cut up. There was a set of mail-order supplements that were hard cardboard full-color aiki chits in the same format: Long strips about the size of your forefinger, a few mm wide. Honestly, it was just now that I realized that they pretty much look like Mah Jongg betting sticks. Huh. Anyway, coins, glass beads and the like make far better aiki chits, though they can weigh a bit to carry around. For the longest time, I used thick clay poker chips: Yellow ones for 1s, Black or Red ones for 10s. They have weight, feel sturdy, have an excellent feel for something you give to someone or receive. Only problem with them is that if you’re easily distracted (raises hand), you’ll find yourself playing with them, making them clink together in a stack. Clink. Clink. Clink. It can get really fucking distracting as a GM or player, so just be mindful of that. So, in the Kickstarter campaign, I decided to make these big foam sets of 50 aiki chits (40 of one color, blue for 1s; 10 of another color, red for 10s). They turned out to be pretty pricey, well over a dollar per chip. But man, they are awesome. Heavy, sturdy, soft, you can throw them at people when they say something awesome, you can shuffle/juggle them without making any noise. Pretty much any other RPG or board game that has a marker mechanic, I bust these out for that game. I got inspired by this from work, actually. I sat for a while in a cube near a sales guy, and he had a blue foam poker chip as some kind of giveaway, with our company’s logo on it (company colors are blue-and-white). I knew I had to have a set, and went around online looking for a place that would sell them. It took FOREVER to find one, for some reason they’re a real minor item in the whole “plush/soft corporate giveaway crap” market. In fact, it was half as cheap to write “Tenra Bansho” on BASEBALL-SIZED SPHERES OF THE PLANET EARTH (though much more space) than go with the poker chips. That kinda brings a cool image, though, of some guy role-playing well, getting rewarded with foam earth-spheres, having to herd them in front of him with his arms: The better he role-plays, the more unweildy spheres he receives and thus has to herd with his arms so they don’t fall on the floor or roll all over. So role-playing too much becomes a handicap, as it’s hard to give a dramatic speech when you’re hunched over 20 woblbling, randomly-moving spheres you’re trying to prevent from rolling away. A is also for Asura! Asura - 修羅 - “Shura” in Japanese. Asura is basically a kind of Buddhist/hindu devil, powerful and rich of emotion. In the game, once you go over 109 you don’t actually grow demon horns and shit, you just go “dark Jedi”. But hey, maybe in your game they do, that might be interesting. While in most of my games the “Asura limit” is thought of (rightfully!) as “A wall one should not breach”, I’ve had a few characters go asura usually in the very last scene or as their epilogue moment. Usually it only happens if it really fits the story. Since the game lasts like 1-3 sessions, the taboo against going Dark Jedi and retiring from play isn’t as strong. I consulted with the rules designer Endo Takuji (and bystander-designer Yano Shunsaku of DoubleCross to lend his opinion, being a huge fan of the game) to get his feedback: Have you actually had a character go full asura in play before the last scene? Did they retire? What happened at the table? Seems that in the end, becoming an asura before the last few scenes or so is pretty hard unless you are gunning for it like there’s a console game “Achiement” on the line. In the end, we discussed some options like “letting the player play their character, but as an antagonist”, “letting the player play a side character”, etc. All solid options. In the end, asura-ization (it’s a word now!) shouldn’t be thought of as a goal, it should be thought of as Getting Cancer. But sometimes it really works for the story-at-hand. See how it comes about at your table. 2 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO B is for Buddhism Wow. I could really kind of go on and on and on on this topic. There’s so many interesting sub-topics to explore! My own stuff: I’m an atheist who acts like a Buddhist. I normally say I’m Buddhist, as I follow the traditions of my wife and family in Japan, which is basically “being culturally Japanese”. I studied under one of the foremost Buddhist academic scholars in the US (who also happened to be a cruel but fair grader), so I know my scripture, don’t get me wrong (pounded into me through tests and papers in college, I was a double-major, one of those was Philosphy with an Eastern focus). But in reality, I’m actually still Buddhist (thought, act and deed), though don’t really believe any of the higher-level spiritual and mystical stuff. Don’t be fooled, Zen practitioners will tell you that there is no spiritual stuff to Buddhism, but that’s a specific belief branch that applies to Zen, doesn’t apply to all the other sects of Buddhism all over asia. * Buddhism in Japan I’ve heard the purest, “to the scripture” version of Buddhism is found in Sri Lanka, followed closely by Thailand. In Japan, it’s kind of a messy thing though. Lots of sects, lots of sub-sects, lots of in-fighting (not physical, just ideological) that happened centuries and millennia ago, that are pretty much over. What emerged is a cultural Buddhism that is kind of a mash-up of all three Buddhist traditions (Mahayana, Theravada, Esoteric/Mikkyo), where some certain ceremonies and observances are made usually around holidays and the death of relatives, but otherwise it’s more of a background noise than a capital-R “Real” religion for Westerners. For example, I’ve seen the following exchange happen a lot in front of me: Western person: What religion are you? Japanese person: I’m Buddhist! Western: Oh! What do you do? Japanese person: … ….Hm? Western: Like, what do you do in Buddhism? Where do you go on Sundays? Japanese: ...Go? In effect, someone in the west can ask someone openly about their religion (and in all the cases I witnessed, it was a genuine curiosity, not a lead in to sell them on Christianity or something), and if the person is Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim, they can reply with: * The tenets of their faith * What they “do”: Basically what they do in their religious observances. Stuff they avoid, like taboos (treyf, haram, etc) * Where they “go” (temple, church, mosque, etc), or at least where they would go if they were serious practitioners. But in general, you have to “do something” for your faith. Go somewhere, do something, etc. Not so much in Japan. No one really “does anything” for their faith (restrict themselves, go somewhere weekly) outside of funeral observances and the like. People that actually DO do something for their faith are either: * Actual Buddhist priests (or Shinto shrine-keepers) * Totally suspicious people, likely in a cult of some kind The latter is, of course, a stereotype, though one with a lot of real news and incidents to back it up. Though there are real Buddhist communities like Soka Gakkai which do meet up and Do Things, aren’t really a cult, but have historically organized against the government on occasion and thus are viewed with suspicion from members of the government. A friend of my wife, she wanted to marry this guy. His family was Soka Gakkai (and again, pretty much all these guys are are Buddhists who Actually Go To “Chuch” and stuff, they’re not worshipping sleight-of-hand artists or gas-attacking subways), her family was mostly police and government officials, and her family wouldn’t allow it. I forget how that turned out. But anyway, Soka Gakkai aside, folks who actually Do Things and Go Places (outside of nationally recognized cultural events) for their faith are viewed as suspicious cultists (Buddhist, Chirstian, Jehovah’s Witness, Animist or otherwise). Which... well... okay, I’ll stop there. It’s interesting to come back and live in America after staying in culturally-Buddhist Japan for years. Some strange little observances. * I’ve met a not insignificant amount of people who say that they are Buddhist (usually Zen), which is interesting. The depth beyond that statement being almost exactly the same depth as the Japanese “non- culty” people I met who say that they were Christian. Which is cool, no reason to really stay tied to traditions and teachings and doctrines and history and stuff. Still, I think a more proper term for both sides is “I *have a real interest in* X”, until you at least dedicate yourself to learning at least one actual simple phrase, prayer, line from a sutra or passage from the Bible. * I’m actually really impressed by some of the temples I’ve visited in the US. The communities are cool, laid back people looking for something more. They run pretty kick-ass meditation retreats, which I think is a good thing for people of all beliefs and backgrounds. I’m surprised that at points many US folk take on Japanese/Chinese monk names, but I guess that’s the black belt of being a monk. * I have encountered a few hardcore Buddhists who declare that they were seeking something more than the system of rites, forms, traditions and beliefs of their familial western religion. Then they found Buddhism, and now adhere to the system of rites, forms, traditions and beliefs of that instead. * I joined a few Buddhist internet message forums back in the day, looking to discuss belief and meditation. I found a lot of heated arguing, fighting, name-calling and the like, completely unhinged from the noble eightfold path... Oh well, it’s not like Buddhism would be the one religion that would be free of that crap. Overall, I’ve had positive experiences with Buddhism most places I’ve been, and the bad ones were usually do to people- 3 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO issues. I guess that makes it... well... like every other religion out there in those regards I guess, eh? * Buddhism in Tenra There’s three sects! That’s pretty cool, and I really loved that aspect to the game. Sure, in advanced versions of D&D you can pick which God/dess you believed in and that can give your cleric a few different spells, but for the most part religion in western games has been pretty one-sided; “You’re a cleric”. In games that featured Japanese culture, you could often be a Buddhist monk. A monk of Buddhism. The one single Buddhism in all of Japan. Heh. Other games set in a faux Japan, you could be a Buddhist- esque-monk-analogue. They study scrolls, walk around without shirts on, throw fireballs and have tattoos which turn them into tigers and dragons. Rawr! Well, in Japan they sort of catered to various sensibilities in the monks portrayed, using sects and beliefs to really set them apart. * The Phoenix order is the classical “cloistered monk who studies sutras” archetype of the Theravada monk. Robes, meditation, sutras and prayer. Some of them know the esoteric arts which let them communicate with or pacify spirits and ghosts, heal with a touch, and shoot spirit energy balls. * The Ebon Mountain order is the Fist of the North Star slash Street Fighter slash Shorinji/Shaolin martial artists, with a belief system which makes it make sense for them to be wandering around learning murder arts while helping people (Mahayana). The heretical monks or monks who worked closely with their community in Japan. * The Bright Lotus sect is really interesting. I mean, looking at the above, that split makes sense: How to have the cloistered book-worm magic monks and the kung fu monks? Make them different belief systems and backgrounds. Yup. Makes sense. So what are the Bright Lotus sect supposed to represent, with their strong underground base and simple belief system? Hippies? Nope, they’re basically an analogue of the history of the Pure Land (Jodo Shu/Jodo Shinshu) sect in Japan, right down to them being treated with suspicion during the feudal era, and the simple “say this and you’re set” mantra. Look up Pure Land/Jodo Buddhism, heck even Wikipedia has a decent article on them. Might give you an interesting perspective on them, enough to make you want to have them in your game. Which I think is important, because they’re believers who believe DESPITE not being able to shoot fireballs or break stones with their fists. In a game, where everyone could take the role of a walking weapons platform, that’s pretty intriguing! * Back to Buddhism in Japan... Anyway, I mentioned a few times that Japan is kind of a mashup of junk when it comes to religion and Buddhism and the like. The best historical record of how this came to pass is in Sakaiya Taichi’s book “Taiyaku Nihon wo Tsukutta Juuninin”/”The Twelve People who Made Japan” (you can import a Japanese/English bilingual version online, very cool biography, extremely popular in Japan), who traces it back to the actions of Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi), who back in the year 600 or so was pretty much responsible for the upholding and growth of Shinto, the native beliefs of Japan. When Buddhism appeared, rather than do what traditionally happens in these situations like “buckle down and drive it off ”, “start a religious war to crush or stomp it out”, etc, he publicly came out and said, “Yeah, Buddhism’s pretty cool. Now we’re THAT, too.” Or more specifically, “We’re Shinto, but our *religion* is Buddhism.” That level of acceptance made it really easy for relatively bloodless entry of various religions (they saved the blood for power/land wars in the feudel era), as well as when schisms within Buddhism eventually happened. Cut several thousand years to make a long story of Religion in Japan short: “I’m Christian!” says the Shinto Buddhist. B is also for Bows Bows (bows and arrows, not “bowing at the hips”) don’t appear much in the game other than in the weapon list. In the setting, pretty much gunpowder rifles have replaced them. Feel free to make a campaign that takes place a generation or more earlier before the gunpowder revolution. Also, if you want to hack Tenra and set it in Tenjiku (mythic India), to keep the cultural theme you won’t find katanas and soulgem swords there, instead there will be massive, beautiful crimson steel/soulgem bows. B is also for Baian the Assassin Baian the Assassin - 仕掛人藤 枝梅安 - Ken Watanabe! Hashizume Isao! What a friggin’ awesome show, and like extremely inexpensive to buy the full collector’s set on Amazon.com. You really need to get this. The first episode is two hours and a little drawn out, but all the rest are awesome and tight. I’ve gotten everything from Names of NPCs to Descriptions of Locations to even some plot points from this series. Also, the original book/story series it’s based off was written by Ikenami Shotaro, who was like the Robert E Howard of Japan with his highly pulp-like fantastical tales of old Edo: Assassins, Ninjas, Samurai, oh my! He also wrote the book which Basilisk: Koga Ninpouchou was based on, which also (the original work, that is) totally influenced Ninja Scroll as well. If there’s something you like from anime, manga or movies that has anything to do with assassins or ninjas, there’s a high chance it was based off a work of Ikenami Shotaro. 4 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO Sometimes, though, discussions of Buddhism through the lens of gaming actually lend to a mutual sharing of knowledge and ideas, and ultimately understanding! [From Oscar S, reprinted with his permission] Finally got to begin reading my pdf of the TBZ game and came to discover a faux pas. On page 50, you placed a sidebar discussing Karma in Buddhism and labeled it as bad, without stating this was for purposes of the TBZ game. As a real world practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism I can tell you the commentary is, at best, a gross generalization, and, at worst, a falsehood in describing Karma. Shakyamuni maintained that what makes a person noble or humble is not birth but one’s actions. Therefore the Buddhist doctrine of karma is not fatalistic. Rather, karma is viewed not only as a means to explain the present, but also as the potential force through which to influence one’s future. Mahayana Buddhism holds that the sum of actions and experiences of the present and previous lifetimes are accumulated and stored as karma in the depths of life and will form the framework of individual existence in the next lifetime. Buddhism therefore encourages people to create the best possible karma in the present in order to ensure the best possible outcome in the future. Within the world of TBZ I would have no problem accepting Karma as bad, but I am saddened that most readers will not know real world truth from game fiction. -=-=-=-=-=- [My response] Hey Oscar, thanks for your feedback! First off, I’m working on that “Director’s Cut Book” thing where I post notes about the behind-the-scenes of the game. Do you mind if I actually quote your letter below, in order that the players/readers of the game get a deeper, more nuanced understanding that “karma doesn’t mean just one thing to all schools?” I think it’s important to share knowledged views outside of my own, and I think this is a great start. Anyway, good stuff! However, there’s a couple things going on: 1) The author comes from a background more rooted in Shingon and Soto/Zen sects, vs . We all know what Dogen thought about karma (basically discussions of its metaphysicality were a waste of time and “not buddhism”, just rather taking its cues straight from the heart sutra in regards to action/goh/karma). Nichiren isn’t as popularly known/ practiced here it seems, more folks in general are familiar with the vajrayana schools of Japanese-style Buddhism, which of course are aimed at personal vs world enlightenment. In most of the avjrayana and esoteric schools like shingon, and even the “out with the metaphysical” schools of Zen, there’s a real strong attitude of goh (業), namely the physical 身業, 口業 and 意業 (I forget what these are in English; “karma/acts of the body, speech and will?”) being the things that lead to the the path of suffering. So, he just didn’t really consider every angle to all schools’ views on karma. Inoue definitely wasn’t a scholar of Buddhism, he just knew what he knew and did probably just a little more research to solidify it, but not enough to appease all sects views of how karma worked (and its importance). Ultimately, I think Shakyamuni’s interpretation of karma stands in the game/ writing as-is, it doesn’t say anything to the fatalistic-ness of karma (in fact, you change it only through action). But the more fatalistic view of karma that comes from Hinduism, that there’s like this “original karmic sin”, and you can get better karma from doing good things, and bad karma from doing bad things, and that cycle doesn’t take you further away from suffering but instead just determines what happens after you die (or to yourself in this life) is definitely the view of Karma that most westerners are exposed to. That view really had to be stomped out, I felt, by really calling a dramatic difference between the two (*general*, mind! We already see how various sects take the beliefs in different ways) belief systems so that there was no confusion. In play, folks would say things like, 5 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO “How do I build up my “Good Karma”?” “If I do “good things” like kill monsters and evil people, will that lower my “Bad Karma”?” stuff like that. I needed to really instill some Four Noble Truths (in the form of the vajrayana sect view of 業/goh to get folks not to focus on the Hinduism view of karma. Ultimately, hacking the game to a more mahayana/nichiren spin probably wouldn’t be hard at all (just a careful balance of good/bad acts, and what things constitute them: “Is violence a bad act if it ultimately destroys true evil?” etc. And if the vajrayana/zen (soto, mind) view of karma is kind of a show stopper, I’d really urge you to, in your game, DEFINITELY hack it to suit your beliefs if it helps you find that easier to work with. If you do, I strongly urge you to please give me your notes, I would absolutely be happy to host them. I’m not a huge practitioner (I don’t go to temples outside of sightseeing and traditional services within my (Japanese) wife’s family), but I’ve done a lot of research on various schools of Buddhism (mostly mikkyo and some zen; but I’m kind of a zen debunker, there’s so much misinformation about zen going around), and always welcome the chance to talk to another scholar! -=-=-=-=-=-=- Oscar was a great, stand-up fellow, and we followed up by thanking each other for our comments and participation. Oscar’s comments hold real weight, though: Buddhism is deep and varied; every country and culture has different practices and methods, and even within one culture (like Japan) something called “Buddhism” can be very different from sect to sect. The meanings of the terms, and their importance, varies dramatically as well! (Scholarly Buddhists will maintain that there’s no such thing as “heaven” or “going to heaven”, at least not as a thing of real concern for the faith; and yet a lot of texts reference “heaven”, and even laypeople will commonly say that the ultimate goal of ending suffering is not annihilation but “getting into heaven”). While the author of the game Inoue Junichi says “Seriously, guys, don’t sweat the details of culture and beating yourselves up about “getting it right” if it’s going to prevent you from having fun.” But at the same time, don’t think that you “get it”, that you can jump into a discussion of Buddhism (culture, practice, beliefs, etc) based on the limited information presented in the game book alone. Get out there and read! Even Wikipedia is surprisingly scholastic as an entry- level text to Buddhism and Buddhism in Japan. And movies like Zen (2009) about the life of Dogen Kigen are solid in the basics of history and practice as well. 6 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO C is for Cluney comma Ewen Ewen Cluney is awesome. Long story short (you can read the long version in his book “Yaruki Zero”, it’s interesting! You can also get it on Amazon), he translated most of the Maid Role-Playing Game. I helped a little, did the eventual (re)localization, and published it. Ewen was testing out what it meant to be a translator, and I was testing out what it means to be a game publisher. We were both looking to cut our teeth. It worked out well. While it pushed back Tenra-work about half a year, I got to explore everything from managing a book production project, to seeing all the aspects of layout, writing, and printing. Then, the other side of the project, publishing, managing print and electronic book copies, working with a fanbase, handling feedback. All in all, a great experience (filled with potholes of crappy stuff, but whatever, that’s life), and it couldn’t have been done without Ewen Cluney coming up to me saying, “Hey, that crazy “Maid RPG” you and I have, I translated it to run at a convention! Want to see?” C is also for Curry Doria This is my meal of choice for Sunday afternoons or early dinner, when I’m on a writing or translating bender. Maximized ease of cooking vs taste. You need: Delicious fresh vegetables: Standard is onions, green peppers, potatoes, maitake mushrooms (if available), maybe small tomatoes. Cube them all up so that you have like one to two fistfulls of vegetables. If you have time, sautee them plain in a pan for a few minutes. Cooked Rice: Rice cooker rice is okay, but pressure cooker rice is the friggin best. Seriously. If you’re thinking about buying a rice cooker, but you already have a good pressure cooker, STOP, You’re Done. Better rice and in only 5 mins. Shredded cheese: Any blend will do. I prefer just a very light amount of white cheddar or mexican blend. You can cut up some sausage or veggie-burger if you want. and mix it in. I prefer straight veg, but sometimes some spicy or fruity sausage is nice. Ready-made curry rice pouch: Go to your local asian/ Japanese market. Of the big three (Golden Curry, Vermont Curry, Java Curry), Java medium is my fave, but if you can find other brands, or minor brands, aim for those. You might hit something crazy-awesome. Get an oven-safe bowl. Dump in a standard rice-bowl of cooked rice. Throw the vegetables on top of that. Then, the curry sauce on top. Cook it at 400 degrees (200 celcius) for 15-20 minutes. Then, take the bowl out, drop the cheese all over the top, and cook again at the same temp for another 10 minutes. OISHII! C is also for Crane comma Luke A good friend for almost 10 years now, Luke was at the wrong place at the wrong time: That being the GenCon where I told friends I was translating the game, upon which he told me that he would love to do the layout. Now, he curses my name in his sleep. Luke’s an awesome human being (extremely kind and generous when people aren’t poking him with a stick online), a whirlwind of perfection and layout power. He had a vision for the book, and hot damn did he pursue it like a madman. He ended up discarding two layout drafts before finishing his final vision of the game, which took him several weeks/ months of straight, solid, no-nonsense work to get it as good as it was. Luke’s designed a number of role-playing games, like Burning Wheel, Burning Empires, Mouseguard, and Freemarket. Personally, Freemarket is my favorite because I love transhumanist science fiction and imagining what future societies and culture would be like. If you like long-form fantasy (running long games over several weeks/months/ years), definitely give Burning Wheel a look. I helped out on the Kamakura-era supplement for it called “The Blossoms are Falling” (mostly the items on Buddhism/Shintoism). It’s the only Non-Sengoku, Non-Edo, Japanese historical setting out there: The rise of the samurai, basically. D is for Diaper Girl That’s the affectionate name we’ve called the character on the front cover of the slipcase book, the original Japanese version of Tenra Bansho Zero. In reality, that dress is based on a the kimono of a classic kimono that Kunoichi (female ninja) used to wear. If you go to a cheesy historical theme park like Edo Wonderland Ise or Nikko Edomura, you’ll see a ninja show or a tour of a trapdoor-laden ninja housse by women in outfits like these, though for some reason classically they’re purple. There’s a reason for purple, I just haven’t learned why yet. Oh, except those ninja shows don’t feature gun-swords as big as people. Otherwise, I would never leave. Anyway, due to licensing and legalities and things and stuff, that was the cover, we couldn’t change it (even though the girl was a layer of the cover that could be removed) for aesthetic and legal reasons. The folks at FEAR, who I have a lot of love for, were extremely open to changes in the game text and rules and content, but the art was the one point that was not negotiable. In America, which is far more conservative on what goes on the covers of books, there was a real sentiment (from both strangers and friends!) of being uncomfortable to imagine carrying the book around town or on public transport. It’s not an accident that the covers of the softcover books *inside the slipcover* feature a different centerpiece. That was our compromise. 7 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO D is also for Dunlap comma Drew My best friend since childhood and the Original Assassin from ‘Nam, together we broke down the heavy doors of this hobby and marched right in. Take good care of Seth, he’s an awesome kid. D is also for D-Addicts Dot Com The sponsor of my ongoing Japanese language listening education and upkeep for many, many years now. If only more J-dramas were legitimately available over the web via Hulu, Crunchyroll or similar service... One may dream... Dream that Japanese traditional media conglomerates get their heads out of their butts and join the 21st century. Anyway, until that time comes, Japanese television dramas, with their short seasons and complete stories, with their range from “crap starring crappy idols” to “historical dramas” to “bizarre but awesome late-night conceptual dramas”, there’s at least something each season that a language learner is bound to find compelling enough to watch for several hours, keeping up their listening skills. E is for Eight Years Eight years ago, I worked at a company (I’ll just make up a word, and refer to them as Sisco Cystems) known for creating internet routers and switches, doing deep-level support. It was a good day’s work, I wasn’t... too... bored. But some of the work was repetitive, so it left me with time to think and plan. It wasn’t so exhausting, so I would come home and be ready for my Second Day: For a time, when we were poor as shit, I would work a night job as well. But over time, I no longer needed to, and thoughts turned to game design and translation of games. Right around that time, Kenneth P contacted me (see P) and we blasted off. Contacted FEAR, DING, scored the rights. Awesome. At this rate, I’d have the translation done in less than two years, considering how much free time I had at nights. ...but then traged...er, AWESOMENESS struck. A few months later I scored a job at the storage computing company where I work today. An awesome job, much more interesting than my previous one. A job where literally I spend every day working and learning for 10 hours a day or more, a job involving so much daily learning that I would wager people would pay to work here just to get the knowledge and experience. Anyway, awesome things. Except for hobbies, namely the hobby activity of the translation of Japanese RPGs. The new job and learning took its toll, daily: I quickly understood why most of my colleagues took on the hobby of installing/watching satellite TV: You get to a point where your brain just can’t learn more, you can’t do anything more in front of a PC; you’re *done*. That’s where I was for a few months as I got up to speed started learning my job. Then, things got under some control, and I found more time to translate. Awesome! Then I got a promotion. And more responsibilities. Then moved teams. Then switched specialties. Then switched teams again to a superteam, which was a huge pile of new responsibilities. Then switched specialties again to the single hardest specialty in support-computing (performance). Then another promotion. And team switch. And another team switch. And now, as I write this, yet another team switch to the team which the future of this company rests on: A rich, deep, OS with tons of features and a depth so utterly deep not even light can escape. And I love it! Man, I love the work (owning solid work, seeing it through to completion! What a rush!), the company, the co-workers, good stuff all around. But it is brutal on hobby time. Bru. Tal. Long hours in front of a computer mean that I often get home after 9, 10, 12, on rare occasions 14+ hours with zeeeeeeeero desire to look at a screen, much less spend more hours typing/”working” in front of one. If I sit in front of a screen after a long day of work, it’s to control a hero as he shoots evil in the face for XPs. So that’s the underground story of why things took eight years instead of two, as I originally planned. There was some good sides to all that time lag, though! * First off, all this Kickstarter stuff was a huge boon to self-publishing. * In those 8 years I never stopped running sessions of it at cons and the like. That was a lot of seed time to get the word out about the game, though it was also frustrating to make new fans wait that much longer. * I got to cut my teeth with publishing Maid, to avoid crappy potholes that could have sunk the game or made things a lot worse. * The biggest dodged bullet was that the game is coming out at all! Several years ago, I signed a contract to publish the game through a solid RPG company known at the time for releasing anime-themed games, and even had the Game of Thrones RPG license. A year after that was signed, the company collapsed, all product lines dead, all contracts locked or severed, all books printed but rotting, unsellable, in warehouses. That could have been the fate of Tenra if I didn’t change jobs, and wasn’t as much of a lazy shit as I am! Speaking of changing jobs, 8 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO E is for a three- letter-long company I used to work at that began with E Don’t get me wrong, that job I had when I scored the rights to Tenra wasn’t a classic shit job, the kind where you’re so bored that you do hobby shit, writing, or game design at work because work is boring or dumb. No, that was what I was doing at my job previous to that, when I worked at... okay just checked they no longer exist... EXY (that’s not their real name, but they started with an E. A one-time presidential candidate was the man who founded this company, but admittedly in his day as CEO it was an solid, industrious, and honorable place to work, not a grey, tasteless mashed up paste of a business/information company). Man, what a shithole. When I came back to the US in the early 2000s, I was looking to crawl into a professional field - IT/Computers - that was collapsing in on itself at the end of the bubble, with people in that industry trying to crawl their way out. I had a wife, three cats, a car, and a few thousand dollars saved up in Japan which was hemorrhaging out as I looked for work. For about a year I had to work 2-3 jobs at once (only one of them remotely computer/technical-related), and at the same time I put my car up as collateral against a loan to go to a local school for more technical training to get back into the workforce. EXY hired big in the area for new folks looking to get into the industry. They were basically a business casual meat- grinder for the soul. They didn’t so much use you up and spit you out as assimilate you, make you do boring busywork while telling you that the interesting work--the work you joined the company on the expectation of doing--would be coming soon. Soon, don’t worry about it. Real soon now. Then fired you when numbers looked bad. I was part of a small team which was comprised of people who left a shittier, larger team, so for the most part they were okay. The job was easy and boring. Every time I tried to start projects to automate manual aspects of the job, to correct broken data, to write documentation, research potential cost- saving replacement systems, etc, I was told that wasn’t my job, and that I should just stick to my job. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be paid a salary of an 8-hour day for at most 90-120 minutes of work. I spent a lot of my day surfing RPGNet and other RPG hobby or technical forums. It was that time that led me to get interested in possibly publishing or writing RPGs in the future. I was already cashed out, but the wake-up call was when I got called into my manager’s office. I was wearing white socks one day (all my blacks were in the wash, I didn’t think anyone would notice). And our business casual dress code clearly stated that only black socks were allowed at EXY. In a position/area where clients never, ever appear. “Just make sure it doesn’t happen again, or there will be consequences.” “Absolutely. It won’t happen again.” I went back to my desk, found that much better job, quit that place within a week. They were a great springboard, though. E is also for Emotion Matrix The emotion matrix (in Japanese “Kaikou Matrix” or “Reaction Matrix”) was the first thing I stumbled upon back when I picked up my copy of Tenra Bansho Zero in Japan back in 2001 or so, that struck me as special. That TBZ wasn’t just another bog-standard “stas and skills” RPG with some pretty Japanese-themed window dressing. It would be later when I would stumble upon the Karma and Zero Act systems which clearly distinguished itself from other games, but the first thing I clearly remember seeing that led me to think something interesting was going on was the Emotion Matrix. I remember what I remember thinking the first time I understood the implications and rules surrounding it: “... … ...wut?” For real, the Emotion Matrix was kind of a paradox in roleplaying, and it took me a little bit to actually understand what it was saying. “You... don’t control... what your character feels?” That’s sort of anathema to classical role-playing, which pretty much has at its core “You control everything about what your character does and feels”. It was a pretty new idea, even in Japan. And admittedly, even as the emotion matrix determined “how your character feels about another character”, you ultimately have control over the results by spending kiai. Still, pretty weird. But I was into ‘pretty weird’, when it came to gaming. 9 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO One thing I noticed as I started playing in America, though, with other friends that were into ‘pretty weird’ games: Many friends wanted the “Punch me in the gut, I’ll show you what I’m made of” experience of sticking to whatever result- -no matter how strange or far-fetched--that the emotion matrix presented and taking it as a personal skill challenge. Don’t get me wrong, accepting a challenge is awesome, and can really help you push your RP skills. Plus, since the game only lasts 1-3 sessions or so, strange role-playing twists aren’t that big of a deal since you’re not stuck with them for weeks or months or play. Still, as a GM there were a few times where I had to pry players into settling on a more appropriate emotion. The system of buying with Kiai and giving Aiki offsets the totally nonsensical results that may happen from time to time (“I feel that my young daughter... wants to kill me?”), and in Japan it’s a total natural thing to say “Hmmm, I’m up for a challenge, or a twist, but this result really doesn’t make much sense for my concept of this character. But that result seems pretty cool, so I’ll spend Kiai to take that result.” But for a time, when playing with friends, it seemed like the emotion matrix was a wheel-of-fortune of challenges, like a game show result: “You rolled X, you get X. Your challenge is to play it. The end.” Anyway, just remember as you play, not to treat it as a straightjacket. It’s just to provide a spark. Still, challenges can be fun. F is for Fuck You, 2ch Anonymous Dipshit Smug assholes are universal! When I originally announced the rights to Tenra and eventual release, it made some waves in the Japanese RPG community as well, including on 2ch, the largest internet message board in the world, kind of a giant Yggdrasil-sized mind toilet. Anyway, over on 2ch, there was a lot of interest, some fanfare, a few flamewars about how awesome/shitty FEAR games were (including “Don’t get me wrong, I like FEAR games, I just hate the people who play them”). I didn’t participate in any of these discussions, I just watched them, and in the process learned a little too much about Japanese- style anonymity-driven sarcasm, ennui, memespeak, and other general internet bullshit. Anyway, there were some smarmy anonymous turds (anonymous people being anonymous; they just happened to be Japanese RPGers) taking potshots at the potential audience for the game. One person was convinced that no one outside of Japan could *possibly* want to play such a Japan-centric game. Another person agreed, and lamented that no one picked up the English rights to a bog-standard Japanese-made vanilla-with-vanilla-sauce (elves and dwarves... but they wear interesting hats!) western sword-and-sorcery game. Like we have a need of more plain vanilla western fantasy in the US, like we can’t go to any shelf of any game store, pick a game book at random with a blindfold on and not have a 70% chance of hitting that.. But the third guy, the third dude got on my nerves. His response, loosely translated was basically, “Guys, guys, you’ve got this all wrong. These sweaty foreign otaku just looooove all this Japanese shit. It’ll capture their little hearts, they’ll eat this shit up! Samurai! Sushi! Geisha! Ninja!” Yeah, fuck you too, dude. Remember where your hobby comes from: At least the folks at FEAR do. (^.^) F is also for FEAR FEAR is short for Far East Amusement Research. They’re the number one company of tabletop RPG production in Japan. They’re also really laid back, chill guys, though make no mistake: They are hardcore workers. Fingers crush keys. Paper flies. The DTP guy’s hands fly around the mousepad like he’s blocking bullets in realtime. There’s lots of regulars who work there. I don’t know who is a permanent employee and who’s a full-time freelancer, but here’s the folks I’ve met: - Nakajima-san, AKA Suzufuki Tarot (pen name). He’s the CEO of FEAR, and also an RPG writer and designer. If you’re an RPG player from way back in the day, and have the old Cyberpunk 2020 game books, he wrote the material (in the English game!) for the Asia-Pacific supplement about Japan. He’s really awesome. His vibe is totally laid back, jovial, and kind. But he also has an undertone of being a cunning businessman, a shrewd decision-maker, and an ambitious developer, which is basically the combination that (with the aid of some awesome games in the mid/late 90s) brought the Japanese Tabletop RPG scene back to life from its dying, vegetative state. It’s said that FEAR is the reason for the revival of the gaming scene in Japan, which was dying from lack of availability and pervasiveness of console gaming. But I’d credit it to Nakajima directly. He would totally not take credit for it, though. Two of the big games he designed were Tokyo NOVA, a very Japanese-centric cyberpunk game, which uses Tarot cards and playing/trump cards for system resolution (and incidentally the first Japanese RPG I ever played!); and Blade of Arcana, a spiritual high-fantasy RPG which also uses a system of special Tarot cards to create characters and drama. Tokyo NOVA really made waves when it came out, as it was the first game to really picture RPGs as a play, TV show or movie, with a real feeling of “scenes”, “acts”, “main character for this scene” and the like. Likely this was influenced by his work developing TORG RPG supplements in Japan, but where TORG just use scenes and acts as a namesake for encounters, he took that step forward and tied it even closer to media. That was 1994. - Inoue-san, the creator of Tenra Bansho Zero. Self- proclaimed unredeemable otaku, he has recently gained huge- -HUGE--success after publishing his autobiographical manga about living as an otaku with a Chinese wife. Very kind soul. He illustrated and designed numerous RPGs, like the “You are a monster hunting other monsters” game Beast Bind; the revolutionary Norse-myth-inspired Final-Fantasyesque 10 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO INTERVIEW WITH JUN’ICHI INOUE (originally appeared on the tenra-rpg.com blog; preserving here in print) About halfway through the Kickstarter campaign, I gathered some questions to ask to Tenra’s original designer Junichi Inoue. I added commentary where needed in parenthesis. [1) How did you get involved in the tabletop RPG design business, and what was the first RPG project you made?] The first RPG I’ve ever designed was the original version of Tenra Bansho (1996). When I was in college, I joined up with the company Hobby Japan, where I worked by doing illustrations for them. I got a foothold into this company because I often contributed art to their in-house TRPG-themed magazine. That was my fateful beginning. (called “RPG Magazine”, Hobby Japan published it from 1990-1999. They had a monthly “submit your fan art” section, where aspiring or fan artists would submit color and B&W prints with an RPG theme to them; Inoue apparently submitted a lot of art to that magazine, enough quality art to be recognized) [2) What was the first RPG you ever played? Did that RPG influence Tenra Bansho Zero?] The first RPG I played was of course Dungeons and Dragons! It was the “Red Box” edition (4th version, 1983; Japanese 1985). My first experience was the pretty typical starting adventure: A plain goblin extermination. But when that short session ended, I thought, “I’ve never in my life heard of a game as wonderful as this!” Heh, I actually still think that today! Technology has changed so much since those times, but game-wise nothing comes close to tabletop RPGs. I guess it was inevitable that I would end up making them. [3) The English version of Tenra Bansho Zero is finally being released. Please let us know your thoughts on that. Also, please say a word to the fans of the English version, if you will.] Wow, it’s been a long time hasn’t it*. I really think that all the hard work has been worth it. Thank you, Andy. For those folks who are looking forward to the English version, I’ll loosely borrow some words that appeared in the Avengers trailer here in Japan: “Hey, America! This is what Tabletop Role-Playing is all about!” I hope people enjoy this game, that would make me so happy! * In the time after I made Tenra Bansho, I created the game Alshard (a game equal parts final fantasy and Norse myth), which has become the de-facto standard RPG in Japan. I’ve also made dozens of wildly popular supplements for it, and even witnessed the second edition of that game. A world (Alshard) was born, Ragnarok came, and the world was resurrected. That’s how long it’s been! [4) As people play your game Tenra Bansho Zero in English, is there anything regarding the rules, setting etc that you want people to be careful of?] Tenra Bansho Zero isn’t a game where you beat up your friends over being correct about being properly Japanese. For example, if you are playing with some friends, and one of them says in character “I want to eat a Big Mac!”, you shouldn’t get on their case: Rather it is important to develop an attitude of forgiving that sort of thing, and giving it a pass. That’s harmony. Hah, actually I say that but even at my own table we totally beat each other with thick rulebooks about rules nuances and the like. But hey, I’m still in the process of learning and training as well! [5) You are extremely busy these days with your manga “An Otaku Husband and a Chinese Bride”. Are you planning on returning to game design? Or perhaps even revisiting Tenra?] Well, it’s true that my blog (with some 24,000+ views a day) has kind of become the center of my life. 11 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO There’s no way I can become a ninja and live on eating and drinking air. I am ashame*. Tenra is my life work. At some point in the future I will totally return to it with a new edition. Absolutely, before Maitreya (Miroku-bosatsu) arrives**. * (I am disappoint; but opposite) ** Maitreya–”The Buddha of the Future”–is said to herald the end of everything, and will arrive 5,669,999,500 years from now. [6) It’s been almost a decade since Tenra Bansho Zero came out in Japanese. Is there anything you look back on and say, “I wish I did this/that instead”?] In those days, the RPG world in Japan was absorbed in a boom of innovative or unusual features. Tenra Bansho Zero was sort of at the spearhead of that movement. After I released my followup game Terra the Gunslinger, that boom ended, and was replaced by an era of reductionism and simplification. My game Alshard became the spearhead of that movement as well. Because of all of that, sure, there’s a ton of small adjustments that I would have make to simplify the experience. And yet, my ideology which I made the foundation of the Zero edition of Tenra Bansho has not changed one single bit since it came out: “Create a wonderful story together, with the people at the table, in a spirit of harmony.” [7) You travel a lot to China because of your wife and business. Have you ever thought about, like Tenra, creating a game set in a fictional China?] What I see when I’m in contemporary China is not fantasy, but reality. Because of that, every day that I experience China, it becomes hard to make the leap to fantasy. It’s like, imagine if in your D&D session the DM said, “All of a sudden, SOME CHINESE PEOPLE rush to attack! What do you do?” Imagine what kind of face you’d make at the DM if she said something like that. That’s the way it feels. [8) There’s a lot of cultural Japan in the setting of Tenra (Buddhism, Shinto, Samurai etc). Did you have any fear that foreigners might not “get it”?] There is absolutely no reason to be concerned with how correctly Japanese your experience is. Leave that stuff to academics. You just have to have an interest in Japanese culture. That’s the most important thing. It’s all about having fun, and keeping your and the players’ interest going. That’s far more important than being concerned with whether or not there are cheeseburgers in Tenra. [9) As a player or GM, is there a moment about playing Tenra that particularly sticks in your mind?] All of the sessions I’ve been a part of have been wonderful, and they are very cherished memories! That’s the kind of game that Tenra Bansho Zero is. So do I then actually remember every moment of play from the last twelve years? Heh, well. The beginning of everything is belief, is it not? You can also read an interview with Inoue regarding his new manga and lifestyle over on the Japan Times, at this easy-to-type URL: http://bit.ly/XGR13n 12 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO game Alshard and its sequels (Alshard ff, Alshard Gaia), Tera the Gunslinger (basically the Tenra Treatment, turned on a Steampunk wild west America, using a playing card game mechanic), and Angel Gear (high school kids in mecha kiss each other and fight off the murderous alien invasion). He’s a talented artist, producing everything from manga art, to setting design (computer eroge like Angel Core), and even several lines of figurines which are very very very very very NSFW. That latter point is what made him a millionaire, and also led to him traveling to China (to inspect the figure factories), and getting married to a lovely Chinese woman, the subject of the manga he now writes from his blog to hundreds of thousands of views daily. He also taught me a Japanese sentence that echoed in my own otaku, obsessive soul: “GenTeiBan ni Yowai”; “I have a weakness for limited edition material.” - Endo-san, the unsung hero of FEAR. Saying “game design” definitely has the implication of the actual rules, but a lot of that is doing things like conceptualizing and writing or drawing the setting material. Endo Takuchi is the man behind the scenes who creates and tests the actual rules for the various games. He’s often a one-two combo with Inoue on his games, where one person designs the setting, and he designs the rules which provide the backbone for the games. He can also bend steel with his bare hands. I saw him. - Yano-san, designer of Doublecross. Very handsome! - Nakamura Y, a friend from long ago, introduced to me by my best friend at the time Satoru (see dedication in the credits page of the book). A gaming freelancer for a long time, he’s a super laid back game obsessive. For instance, one time I came in to Tokyo for a few days to hang out with Satoru. It had been a while since I saw Nakamura, so Satoru called him over for a night of eating, drinking and game/nerd talk. An hour later, his girlfriend showed up. She was sent in his place. “Tanaka’s making characters for Earthdawn, so I came instead”. She was cute so we forgave him, but I don’t think they lasted. The most disappointing part: I confirmed for myself weeks earlier: The Earthdawn character generation system was no more comprehensible in its Japanese translation as it was in English. It was a fool’s errand. After Tokyo NOVA and Tenra Bansho made huge waves, they also took the scene by storm again with Alshard (a final fantasy-esque tactical-yet-rule-light RPG of high action, which caused a second gaming revolution), then Arianhrod (similar system to Alshard, but turned towards more generic western fantasy), and DoubleCross (Japane Anime X-Men in a dark conspiracy world). Just like Earthquakes, Tokyo is due to another rocking from FEAR... G is for Grayson comma Jerry Jerry Grayson, who I consider a friend and mentor, though he’d laugh if he heard that. He’s been a game writer for much longer than I, with a passion deeper than my own. He also has that perfect combination of magnetic charisma and lack of shame that draws people to him. He’d regularly just pull friends, co-workers, random strangers into one of his several weekly game sessions, and his enthusiasm so effective that it would unlock their ultimate gaming potential. That hottie model over there? Jerry introduced her to gaming, and now her Myrmidon warrior-oid will kick your ass while she trash talks you in front of your friends. Also, his lovely wife Renee is not only the hotness and an awesome human being, she makes exquisite sock monkeys. It was Jerry’s enthusiasm and encouragement that led me to scream and claw and kick this project to completion, so we all owe him a little for the experience. Check out his game HELLAS, it really is in the same family as Tenra: A fairly traditional role-playing game of Greeks in space with super technology and magic, with rules that encourage character change and role-playing drama. I’m still iffy on the 1d20 rolling system, but the setting is PHENOMENAL. G is also for Grammar Japanese grammar is awesome. It will bend your brain like pay-doh and make you its bitch. Japanese grammar is horrible. It will twist your mind and ruin your day, it will make you question every single sentence you’re about to say, because you’re likely about to use the wrong grammar or a word with the wrong nuance to it. Grammar in Japan at the low levels is hard. At its higher levels it’s haaaaaaaaaaaard. And the more vocabulary words you learn, the more opportunities you have to misuse them or get them mixed up in front of other people. The following things are acceptable in Japanese: * Subject-less sentences: The downpour in April. This doesn’t really work in English. * Predicate-less sentences: A run down street. This sorta works, but still a fail. * Run-on sentences: He found the joke fitting, as many in his condition do, because of the circumstances of his situation, which he couldn’t put on anyone but himself. Nope. * Passive Voice: The pie was guarded by the ork. Not a rules-out in English, but we’re trained to never, ever, ever use it. However, in Japan, most writing is exactly the opposite: People are taught to always use passive voice when possible, as it is less aggressive and harsh in tone than speaking direct. While there are lots of unique-to-Japanese grammar issues that fuck us translators up, the one that really makes me run for the hills are noun phrases. A simple one is “The Blue HAT”. Another: “The (which belongs to Tanaka) blue HAT”. More: “The (which belongs to Tanaka and which just the other day he had sent to cleaning) HAT.” Got it? That’s called a “Noun phrase”. Now, by itself it’s not a huge deal, but with a few in a long run-on sentence, it’s can be maddening to translate. Essentially, you can easily run out of memory, in very much the same way a computer does, as you read these long sentences if you’re not super familiar with all the words within them (that is, you have to translate words in your head as you go along without being familiar with them all). You’ll get towards the end of the second half of the sentence, and 13 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO forget the contents or point/message of the first. So you go reread the first half of the sentence, and forget the contents, words or point/message of the second. And so on, repeatedly. If you get caught in a loop, it basically does to you like in that one episode of Star Trek TNG where they developed this logical-loop spiral death pattern that would kill all the Borg. With enough of these over time, I learned my lesson: Nowadays I just will write out the first half of the sentence, in word and meaning, before moving on to the second half of the sentence. Anyway, the thing is, the more poetic the writer is expressing him or herself, the more that many or all of the above will be used. All together, or right near each other. And Tenra’s writing is really, REALLY poetic. To put it simply, I’ve translated eight-page medical specialist essays and patent reports on new-type intraocular lens injectors and their distribution systems in the time it takes to translate about 1-2 pages of the setting sections of the book. Since Tenra was more poetic, it takes a few steadier, concentrated hand to reassemble the words and thoughts into equally meaningful English sentences. Biotech reports are complex, filled with words I’ve never heard in Japanese or English, but because of the matter-of-fact and direct writing, it’s so much easier to translate. I’d wager a book of 10 poems would be harder to do justice in a correct, thought-out translation than a 100 pages of medical reports. Back to those long sentences and noun phrases. For example, Page 149 of the worldbook, the second paragraph on The Fist of Acala the Immovable, is this phrase: “The founder of the First of Acala was Bokusen the Ebon Mountain, the originator of the Ebon Mountain sect of Buddhism. It is said that he met with the incarnation of Acala the Immovable while doing penance in the mountains and was instructed by this bodhisattva in the essential points of the art.” In Japanese, that was actually all one sentence: 不動明王拳の開祖は、墨仙宗の創始者 である墨仙であり、山中での苦行のさな か、不動明王の化身に出会い、極意を伝 授されたという。 Let’s break that down into it’s grammatical components! First, we’ll do a simple passthrough into roman letters, just for kicks: * Fudoh Myou-oh no kaiso ha (well, “wa”, for those in the know. Anyway). Bokusen-shu no soushisha de aru Bokusen de ari, yamanaka de no kugyou no sanaka, Fudoh Myou-oh no keshin ni deai, Gokui wo denju sareta to iu. Now, let’s cut it up into its component English words. As you know, I went with the original Sanskrit words for the various Bodhisattvas and the like (Fudoh Myou-Oh literally means “Unmoving Bright King”, but he’s known as Acala in sanskrit): * Acala Fist/Martial Art (possessive/’s) founder (target), Ebon Mountain sect -‘s- originator (‘as it exists’; indicator of noun phrase) Bokusen it is, mountains in the (at) (possessive) asceticism/ penance -’s- at the height of, Acala -’s- avatar/personification (to) encounter, ultimate point (objective) initiate was (passive) it has been said. I don’t think like that when I translate, mind. It’s just the way the grammar works. Anyway, you can see the meaning starting to come together. The problem is that it’s a huge run on sentence. Plus, the phrase “Ebon Mountain order’s originator” was a noun phrase used as an adjective to describe Ebon Mountain himself. I skipped out the “height of” to simplify the translation, but the “in the middle of the mountains” modifies the noun “penance”, and together “penance in the middle of the mountain” is a modifier for “height of”. The rest made grammatical sense as a complete sentence, so I cut it there into two sentences. At the time, paragraph-long sentences in Japanese like the above were the bane of my existence. Some of these I’d be waffling on for like 30-60 minutes before it came together full and baked in English. I’m a lot better at them (because of these kinds of experiences), but still it was an uphill climb. When I went to Japan to study Japanese, we had a speech delivered by a recent expat. I still remember his speech opener to this day: “You begin studying Japanese. Your friend begins studying a European language, like German or French. You both study equally as hard. Time passes. Right around the time that your friend is at a major university in a country that speaks that language, giving a dissertation about that language while speaking in that language to her peers, you’ll be juuuuuuuuuuust about conversational enough in Japanese to order a beer without messing up.” Yep. G is also for Gotcha! I read one of the original replays from the TBZ supplement “Tenjo Tenge”. In it, I saw an experience that could only happen in Tenra, and it was just so cool I had to share. The GM ran the adventure, which involved time travel, the 14 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO be UNDERGROUND GM ADVICE - TENRA AT MY TABLE Some of these thoughts I actually coded into the rulebook under GM or Player advice. Others are just Five friends gathered one bright spring day to indulge me in playing the first English game of Tenra Bansho Zero. It went pretty well, given that there was a lot of newness (rules, setting, playstyle) for all of us. I ran lots of campaigns and demos over the next few years, and learned a lot from the experience. The main things I learned are reflected here and there throughout the book, but let me spell them out with personal examples: [When running with new players, don’t do ANY skill/combat rolls in the Zero Act] Hey, I bought the book, I read and memorized the rules, so I totally want to bust out the rules like rolling skills and combat up front, and the first opportunity is the zero act. RESIST! Seriously, the only rules that you should really focus on having everyone learn in the Zero Act is just “Hey! Remember to give folks Aiki chits!” (while trying to remember to give them out yourself). Skills and attributes and combat and crap is in pretty much every tabletop system out there (this is assuming you’re coming from a background of playing some other games in the past). Just focus on the Aiki chits for now. It really does take a little while to get used to handing out rewards to awesome lines/roleplay to the extent it happens in Tenra, both as a player and as the GM. Focus on it, like a laser... that’s... uh... really focused! You’ll get to the skill rolls and stuff eventually in Act One and the rest of the game, you’ll have plenty of time to use them then. For now, stick to the cornerstone of the game, the Karma (Aiki Chit givin’) rules. In my first few sessions, I tried to demonstrate the way skills or combat work (even with a single roll) in the Zero Act, but it really just ends up bogging down the character scene: Each scene will go for 2-5 minutes, but then you start explaining the rules and next thing you know you’ve got one person with a 10-minute Zero-Act scene. Besides, in the end, I think that the Zero Act really shines best without skill rolls: This is a snapshot of who your character is and how they are tied to the story. Resolve all that stuff in true-to-Tenra form: With drama. Leave the dice for the story that unfolds in Act One. Make the Player in the Zero Act Have a Significant Choice So, even in the official replay with four masters of the game that appears in the Tenra supplement Tenjo Tenge, there was this one scene (the first scene, even) where the Armour Rider girl is basically having a nightmare, as if she was seeing through the eyes of her crazed Armour, and blood and death all around. The player got to get a choice line in or two, but basically it was a reaction to what the GM was throwing out there. A fine exposition, but it was also kinda flat: It started and ended fast. There was no “footprint” of the player in that scene, it was like the GM was saying “You’re stuck in a haunted house! Scream a few times! ...Good. Okay you’re out now, Scene Over!” Good enough if you’re at a convention or something and have limited time, but not really good enough for a game with friends. Pretty much from my first ever session running Tenra, I realized that the Zero Act scene works best if you provide: * At least one emotionally close NPC to speak with. * But more importantly, a Choice of some kind. The NPC to speak with provides opportunities for the player to talk in character, and start building up Aiki chits. However, that Choice provides the player with an opportunity for the player to make a meaningful, usually hard, decision right at the beginning of the game. This basically throws gasoline on a Aiki Chit bonfire, for real: It fires up the player’s in-game dialogue (before, during and after that Choice) and puts them in a natural situation to be awarded Aiki chits if they just come out of their shell a little bit. But it also allows the player to - right off the bat - make a decision of importance to their character, something that speaks to their personality. This helps start that “immersion” into the character, to help define them a little as a person and feel a little closer to them. It also gives them a chance to shine. Now, sometimes the choices I set up are ones where the player might feel an obvious pull to go in a certain direction: One Zero Act scene in my pocket is for Kugutsu War Maiden characters; their master has finished her, she is sitting in the study with her “younger sister” doing calligraphy, when basically the master - crazed - comes into the room dragging an adolescent village boy or girl and a katana. The master tells the kugutsu to kill the girl/boy to complete her training. I’ve used this startup about a dozen times, and every single time the player chooses to turn against the master (sometimes in interesting ways), free the child, run away, etc. However, it’s the nature of /how/ they come to the conclusion of that choice that is interesting. And while this setup is a little extreme and I don’t actually expect that we’ll see the kugutsu kill the adolescent, I make sure to tell the player that “Either way, it’s totally up to you; the story will change depending on what you choose, but it’s still your decision.” 15 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO In fact, I kinda wonder what I’ll do if a player calmly grabs the katana and -slash-... I’ll likely frame it as a flashback from many years ago, where “...After that the kugutsu dealt with the consequences of the pain she brought to the world, and promised herself that she’d never do that again... Right, PLAYER?” (wait for nod) Heh, I’m not interested in perpetuating a game of soulless psychopaths, so if that means railroading their character’s emotions a hair to get back to a humane character, so be it. But most of the Choices aren’t that extreme or “It’s totally up to you” (...but you and I both know you’re going to do the Good Thing, right?). Frex, many of them are like: * You’re a monk. You are being thrown out of your order. How do you treat your expulsion, and what do you say? What do you do after you leave the monastery? * You’re a warrior, and competing at your domain’s annual sword tournament. Final round, your last opponent is the nephew/son of the regent. Your instructor knows that you can beat him, but asks you to allow the nephew to save face by losing to him. What do you do? * You’re an annelidist in a hut on the outskirts of town. The drunk tough guy who has been harassing you for a year, calling you a “Corpse Eater” when you walk by, brings his kid (with a high unbreaking fever) to your hut in a rainstorm in the middle of the night, begging you to help. What do you do? How will he treat you later? And as you can imagine, a lot of these require the GM to think fast, too: Based on what happens, there’s a lot of cool dialogue spoken or outcomes of the choices to describe. Give Out Aiki Chits Drill this hard into all the players at the table from the first scene. Seriously, it’s the most important fucking part of the game. More than all that combat stuff and all. There’s a reason the Karma rules come first in the English version! I often lead in with an anecdote about how I, as a GM, also forget to give Aiki chits at the beginning. Like, how I’ll be watching this awesome dialogue unfold right in front of my eyes, and then forgetting to give out Aiki chits. It’s like I have to slap myself out of a “Watch awesome dialogue unfolding before my very eyes” coma in order to remember to reward them. But it’s worth it: Once the Aiki starts flowing, the game pretty much runs itself. “Protagonize” the Characters “You roll your attack using your katana. You whiff and fail.” Blah. “Your katana strikes true, and severs your enemy in half! ...At least, that’s what you saw in your mind’s eye. If it weren’t for the fact that he was trained in a style that kept him mobile, it would have been over already. When you refocus, he’s just outside of your striking range.” As a GM, I tend to do this for all sorts of character failures. Not that the characters will never whiff, but keeping failure as a “you would have succeeded if only for a factor beyond your sight/control” can be a pretty interesting way to describe failure, to keep things a little exciting. Combat! Sparse and Meaningful! Holy cow, if there’s one thing I learned about Tenra by running it, it’s that combat should be limited to about once per Act, and really should be meaningful: Like mini-boss fights, major boss fights, and so on. Fights with like a few weak dudes? Maybe once in a long while. However, after playing a lot of games, one thing that I do as a GM when introducing a new system is to include a... well... for lack of a better word, a relatively meaningless fight against a horde of weaklings/zako. Gets you used to the flow of the rules, helps you understand the game, etc. PC success is pretty much guaranteed. The whole thing is kind of a dance that is done with all RPGs with combat systems: “Gotta try it out, gotta throw a lite combat scene in there right away.” Ehhh, not so much with Tenra. The first game I ever ran, there was a fight between the PCs and about 5 (one per PC) mid-level punks (lower in attribute/skill levels than the PCs, but not so low that they’d be taken out in one hit, so it took a few rounds to beat them down). But it wasn’t at the end of an Act (which would have made it fit), it was the second or third scene or so. Basically a typical RPG Rules Test Drive. It went on a little too long, and in the end didn’t really impact the storyline at all. Normally it doesn’t matter, but with Tenra you only have a few hours and a few Acts to tell a story. So “side combats”, even if you want to show off the system, really don’t have a place in Tenra. Get a feel for the combat system with the first mini-boss fight at the end of an Act, it’ll more meaningful and you’ll get the same effect. Plus, by then the players will have built up enough Aiki chits and Kiai points to make a difference. In that first combat I mentioned above? The PCs didn’t have enough Kiai to dump dice into finishing blows, so the combat took about 20 minutes (inclduing description of combat system) before I just had them describe finishing off the last two NPCs. 16 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO son of Makuu Nindo, and high-fiving the Oni Earth-Speaker. There was a big bad enemy warrior who had a showdown with a PC samurai. All the players gave it their all, kicked some serious ass, spent a dumpload of Kiai, and everyone ended the session just a few karma south of 108. GM: Great job guys! Everyone: Yeah, that was awesome. GM: Okay, so now we’ll start right into the next adventure, which I have prepared right here. Everyone: WHAT???? Basically, the GM planned out a full 6 or so hours of gaming, and the scenario he ran was about four hours long. Solid and fulfilling. But then he surprised the players by popping a second, smaller, 2-hour-long scenario on top of the first. There wasn’t a lot of combat, it was mostly roleplaying-focused, centered on the decisions the players made in the previous scenario. But he really got the players by bringing them into a second session when they had almost all their karma maxed out. The players had to play and spend Kiai very carefully in order to manage their Karma. One of these days, I’m totally gonna do that too. G is also for Gunma Prefecture I’ve lived in Tokyo, have traveled from the wilds of northern Hokkaido down to the southernmost parts of Kagoshima and everywhere in between; I’ve been to Kyoto more times than I can easily remember, have hiked to the top of Mount Fuji, got lost and found again in all sorts of wonderful places. While I think my favorite place in all of Japan is the Kamakura region, Gunma is my home. Gunma, two prefectures north of Tokyo (about an hour by train) is where I lived after college for nearly five years. I met my wife there and made many friends. I spent many weekend nights with Rafi or Yoshi in the lively shutter-town of Kiryu, eaten my way from one side of Maebashi to the other (Goemon Ninja Soba, White Gyoza, and God King Burger), and watched in a kind of curiosity-and-horror as my town of Azuma and my wife’s town of Sakai-machi were absorbed into the larger city of Isesaki. Many times I’ve gone up to the top of Mount Akagi (famous internationally for drift racing), even when it was too stupid-cold and windy to think rationally. From shopping at the crazy charming variety goods store Humpty Dumpty or the mesmerizing hobby center complex of Joyful Honda in Ota, or the cultural dumping grounds for all the cool shit that is (admittedly a chain store) Village Vangaurd. Thick forests, high mountains, steep valleys and long rivers, Gunma really has it all. Well, except for trains. Everyone gets around by car, so that trains suck ass. Like, 2 trains an hour in some places. And walking several miles to the nearest station. And downtown life. Isesaki had a culturally rich downtown that in a few quick years turned into a countrywide-famous brothel area because the city council couldn’t get it through their fucking heads that Gunma culture is car culture, and not providing parking meant people would go to the car-centric areas of Isesaki, leaving the downtown to rot. And warmth in the winter. Gunma is famous for its face- ripping cold, dry wind that blasts the area all winter long. It’d be nice with a load of snow like the northern parts of Gunma in the mountains, but the place I lived felt pretty much like Minneapolis at times. Combine that with Japan’s historic lack of solid home insulation on traditional homes, and you have long, cold, dark, dreary winters. But hey, Gunma’s my home in Japan. H is for Hayami Rasenjin He’s the guy who did the rules manga that appear in the book. He’s been doing his unique, comical manga art for RPGs for years now, mostly featured in the RPGs “Satasupe”/”Saturday Night Special”, a self-described “Asianpunk” RPG, and “Meikyu Kingdom” (Labrynth Kingdon). He’s recently released an actual capital M-manga called “Stamps and Cannons”, a somewhat half-comical/ half-serious war chronicle of a fictional Eastern European country analogue in the early 20th century. I really love the individualistic style he brings, and it’s kind of a dream to one day work with him, perhaps illustrating something I work on. We’ll see. Incidentally, a few years before I even considered picking up the rights to Tenra, I showed the book to a bunch of game designer friends. For folks like me, rules illustrated through manga was a real winner. So easy to learn. It inspired a bunch of people, most notably Mike Miller, who released a superhero drama game called “With Great Power”. Its card- based mechanics were illustrated through a 4-page comic spread not dissimilar to the way done in Tenra! H is also for Hyougen (Japanese Expressions) So, at one point I got involved with providing real Japanese phrases for the RPG “Blood and Honor”, a game about conflicting Japanese nations and their leaders (it’s actually really good!). The inspiration, like most projects I get involved with, was something like “It looked like someone pulled random English shit and stuffed it into a hand- dictionary and called it Japanese; it hurt my eyes and my brain, so I told them I’d do it for a copy of the book”. This experience has happened about four times to date. Anyway. I was going to provide the Japanese kanji for some English phrases and put them in Japanese. I received the list of phrases. Thing is, they were all kind of awkward, stilted. Like if someone said “I want to get 17 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO a kanji tattoo of AWESOME POWER EAGLE, what would that be?” Well, I can do it, but it wouldn’t look, seem or sound right, really. Anyway, I started looking at a few of the phrases, and they just weren’t working out well in English. I decided to see if the author would instead be up for using, you know, like actual historic Japanese cool expressions that really existed. “I don’t understand what the problem is?? These ARE Japanese expressions!” ...what? Turns out, he had gone to some website long ago that specialized in “Well known Japanese phrases. From Japan”. Like a website of cool phrases from around the world, with a section for Japanese phrases. He grabbed the ones he liked, added in a few he had heard of before, and that’s what the list was. That’s what the original weird Japanese I saw was, too: Someone was trying to recreate them in Japanese without finding their original form. So I went hunting for those well known Japanese phrases. Since they were so well known, I could just look up expressions on Japanese websites, or use a couple words from the expression to find it. First, I hunted for sites that contained the “Japanese phrase” (in English) but also had the original Japanese next to it, for proof. Yeah, long story short, of a list of about 13 phrases, 3 of them actually existed! (“Ten men, ten colors” was one of the ones given; yep, it was exactly that, in a Japanese-but-likely- originally-Chinese form, actually used in Japan. “To each their own”, “Every person is unique”, that sort of meaning). The other 10 were TOTAL BULLSHIT. I did about 12 hours of (admittedly fun) research before coming to that conclusion. How could that be? Well, best as I could tell, someone just made shit up, cause it sounded cool to attribute it to Japan. They then put it on a website. Someone else, creating a similar “quotes of the world” website, lifted all the quotes attributed to Japan, and included them in an even bigger site. Someone else did the same. There are dozens and dozens of “cool quotes from around the world” sites, and for most of them, the Japanese sections are all identical, having been copied from each other and propagated on and on until they stuck. ...which kinda sucks, because there are a lot of really awesome expressions in Japan: “Curse a person, dig two graves”. “After the rain falls, the ground becomes stronger.” “Even the bright halo of the statue of the Buddha statue depends on the amount of gold it was made with.” “Neither the spirit of justice in prostitutes nor square eggs exist.” Okay, that last one is a little weird. So I ended up using those three actual, real Japanese phrases from the original batch, and then about 10 more I found on various Japanese language expression sites, verified ones that had meanings similar to (almost impossible to get “the same as” between English and Japanese; too much nuance differences) the ones they wanted to use in the first place. In cases where a meaningful match couldn’t be found, I went with something that was (well in Japanese anyway) cooler than the original suggested phrase. Anyway, if you ever hear the word “famous Japanese expression”, more often than not it’s bullshit. If you want to check look for expression sites that have both English and original Japanese together. H is also for How to Win at Tenra Matthew had a really smug face when he came to our second session of Tenra. Matthew: “Hey Andy, I think I figured out how to win at Tenra.” (big grin) Andy: (without a pause) “Oh, you mean pick a character with a high Empathy like the Kugutsu, load up on Fates that target the other players, and roleplay your ass off?” M: (smile fades) “Um... yeah.” A: “Here’s the thing. To do that, you still have to do step three: Roleplay your ass off. Does everyone at the table try to win by roleplaying their asses off? Then FUCKING MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!” M: “Heh. Well, what you can do is see who the scene judge is, and make sure you role-play in a way that they’ll reward you. Or, if everyone gives out chits, then target people specifically and roleplay in a way that they’ll reward you.” A: “Um... yep! Oh, and if you want to score a basket from the three point line, all you have to do is just put the basketball in the net. Also, if you want to create a database application, you just need to program it with your fingers until it works with no bugs.” M: “Hmmm?” A: “It’s far more complicated than just saying “I roleplay in a way that they like”. If you can read your players, then tailor the role-play of your character to hit the reward-nerves of every player at the table individually, and still find fun playing them, then you need to step away from the table and book a flight to Vegas, NOW.” M: “Hah. Touche!” Still it was fun, because I got to out-Matthew Matthew (who is really good at finding broken rules in games) 18 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO I is for It’s Finally Fucking Finished Done. *claps dust off of hands* J is for Japaaaaaan As RPGs in Japan go, there’s not that many that are truly Japan-focused. Games like Dungeons and Dragons and Tunnels and Trolls were what introduced Japanese people to the world of TRPGs (on the coattails of Lord of the Rings being translated into Japanese and released only a few years previously). From the start, “TRPG == Western Fantasy, based on a European vision” was a thing that was locked into the mindset in the scene. In Japan, “grognard” gamers aren’t necessarily concerned with rules, but they usually do have a preference for western-themed games. Tenra was the second successful Japanese historical (well, “ish”) game released in Japan. The first was “Daikatsugeki”, “The Big Action Movie”, which came out in 1992. It was a game set in the Edo era of Japan, and came in a boxed set that featured several booklets for rules, scenarios and the like. It featured the kind of play that was half role-play and drama, and (commonly) half brutal combat and infiltration. Stuff like walking around town and seeing the injustices at the hands of the evil magistrate, then infiltrating the magistrate’s compound and dispensing justice. There were games set in modern or future Japan, like Tokyo NOVA (cyberpunk Japan) and the like, but it wasn’t until Tenra Bansho came out that a second real “Japanese game set in Japan for Japanese gamers” came out. Between that and the drama-focused rules, it really started a revolution in Japan, even dragging new butts into seats. K is for Katakana So there’s three syllabries in Japanese: Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji. Most of you reading this probably have heard of them already, but the quick is this: Kanji are the intricate Chinese characters, imported long ago into the Japanese language. Hiragana is the softer brush-stroke-like phonetic syllabary that everyone learns when they start reading Japanese, including Japanese children. Katakana is the more sharp stilted-looking syllabary, created long ago (originally carved up from kanji into phonetic components). These days katakana is used for things like: Foreign Loanwords - Pasta (パスタ), Remote Control (リ モコン), Foreign Names - Andy (アンディー), Germany (ドイ ツ), etc Onomatopoeia - ガラガラ (sound of a sliding door opening), プリプリ (the sound of violent diarrhea) Anyway, Tenra is punctuated by katakana in an interesting way. For example, the words “Armour”, “Shinobi”, “Samurai” and “Oni” are always written in katakana, even though there are absolutely kanji characters for each (which is how they’re normally written). The reason is that the author wanted to make it clear to the Japanese reader that, for example in the case of the word “samurai”, that they were seeing a word with a “warning bell”: That is, that by the syllabary used to write the word, it was an indicator that “this isn’t the word you expect”. In a single word, they conveyed the meaning of “This is written ‘samurai’, but this is clearly not the samurai that I’m used to seeing in other writings and fiction, otherwise they would have just used the kanji”. It was done to excellent effect in the original. Other words, like Onmyoji, Annelidist, Kugutsu and the like were written as-is in kanji, as they were ‘exactly as written’. In English, though... well, we only have one lettering system, the Roman alphabet. The least I was able to do, though, is to draw attention to the difference between armor (that you wear) and armour (the mecha of the setting) by using the Queen’s English/UK English version of the spelling for that word, and the American English for “regular armor” and the rest of the book. Unfortunately it couldn’t be done with the other words. The little differences between languages can sometimes create a real gulf between them. K is also for Karma Another aspect to the Buddhism that appears in Tenra and through the book... Turns out that a lot of practicing Buddhists took issue with the Buddhism as portrayed in the book! This I thought was pretty interesting: The Buddhism in the game was pretty clearly made up, but also researched as well using some real world sects, beliefs, and of course the Japanese cultural background as the foundation to how it was all written. The main point of contention was Karma, and how it’s mostly “bad”, where having too much causes you to turn evil and having zero causes you to transcend. It became a point of discussion for lots of folks! I’ve included a really cool and charitable discussion of the issue with a believer on the subject of Karma in the game, it was a rewarding exchange on both sides. While the Karma in Tenra is not a perfect example of pure straight-from-the-sutras manifestation of the Karma of classical (read: as written in the original sutras, as opposed to as practiced all throughout Asia), the distinction definitely had to be drawn between Buddhism and Hinduism for the purposes of play. In America, in the 60s, we had a wave of eastern mysticism enter the mindspace. The tip of the spear there was Hinduism, and soon “karma”, and the concepts of “bad karma by doing bad things; good karma by doing good things” was a household concept. In my early games, using Karma (in Japanese “Goh”, which simply means “Acts”, and implies neither good nor evil inherently), sometimes the players became confused. 19 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO “I’m just trying to influence this person, it’s not evil. Why am I getting (bad) karma for it?” “If I get (bad) karma for adding dice to attacks, can my character buy it off by doing good things, like giving to charities or helping the common people?” Well, Goh is Goh, acts are acts. The only way to stop suffering is to release the cause of that suffering’s hold on you. The Noble Eight-fold path is the basic way to that. But simply to “stop caring about the things that make you mad, the things that drive you to do hurtful acts, etc” is the way the game gets to the same endpoint. It really baffles in the creative way it handles the Buddhist condition. And yet, all the designers were going for at the time was a system of Awesome Power Points where if you use too many you “go to the dark side” (“Hey, we could set the upper limit at 108 because of the 108 buddhist sins/bonno! Hah, cool!”). But I’ve seen other comments here and there on the InterSpheres, with folks saying “Scoff! Destiny? Real Buddhists don’t actually believe in destiny!” “There’s Good and Bad Karma, I read all about it in some books! Why don’t these Japanese people understand that?”, “I know better than these buffoons”, and so on. Basically calling out the beliefs of the writers of the game (who called on common knowledge, plus did additional research from source material) who have identified as Buddhist *all their lives*, because their description of their faith as applies to a couple of dials and coins in a game differs from what some western hardcore believers read in books about Japanese Buddhism - in English - somewhere. Anyone with a sociology background might find this fodder for an interesting essay on cross-culture/cross- religious experiences vs academia. But to simplify it into a single sentence: At the end of the day... religion’s messy. Christianity and Judaism aren’t the only religions that get to claim endless discussion--and schism--on written minutiae. K is also for Kugutsu So a few people (westerners, that is) have been perplexed about what the Kugutsu is all about. Some think “Pinocchio story”, others think “Realdoll/sex robot with feelings”. Their existence seems a little off, and certainly can be seen as problematic: A figure (mostly women) created by an artisan, then sold for lots of money to a lord, to be treated as at best a second wife, at worst a “thing” to look at. Not to hand-wave those concerns away, but I think an understanding of the cultural context of doll culture in Japan can frame the kugutsu within a deeper, richer cultural background that may fill out the picture a little more, or help the reader come to a more thorough or personal understanding. So, it’s really easy for Westerners to look at the result of what kugutsu are in the fiction and leap to thinking of them like the fantasy game equivalent of Realdolls/sex dolls. There’s certainly material there to deconstruct and understand, in terms of gender and status (human ownership, for example). However, I think a pure “living sex doll” interpretation without looking deeper would be a cold misrepresentation, perhaps at worst a western monocultural attempt to judge an asian culture. Japan has a rich and long history of doll culture, from ancient doguu statues to classic kokeshi dolls, to traditional princess/royalty dolls, to modern ball-joint dolls (look up “Japanese dolls” and “ball-joint dolls” on wikipedia), and of course the steampunkish self-moving karakuri dolls of the 18th and 19th century. So it’s really not that much of a leap to understand why they might appear in a Japan-themed game: Dolls have been a huge part of the culture since - at least - one thousand years before Christ. Likewise, magical “doll comes to life” stories and folklore tales are present as well (like our Pinocchio, for example). One of the interesting focuses that Tenra has, aside from the dolls (in this case, kugutsu) themselves, is the relationship between the doll craftsperson and the doll. In Japan, there’s the tradition of the shokunin, or craftsperson, complete with apprenticeship and living one’s life focused on honing one’s craft. This is explored in the movie “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”: Potters, weavers, brush-makers, doll-makers, all who basically live their life doing one traditional craft and over again, in order to perfect the art. In bunraku doll plays, for example, it’s said that it takes 10 years to learn to manipulate the legs. Then you graduate to spend the next 10 years learning the 20 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO FAVORITE PLACES IN JAPAN When I think about Japan, I think fondly on... Places in General Kamakura - I may in fact retire here. Orie and I traveled here for the first time a few years back, and after wandering the city and forests, the towns and valleys, we both independently came to the conclusion that the Kamakura area of Japan (home of the ancient capital of Japan, after Heiankyo, before Kyoto and Tokyo) is our favorite. You know all that crap you see on TV about “Japan is a blend of old and new, of tradition and modernity, blah blah blah?” Well, it’s really true of Kamakura. There’s so much natural beauty, situated next to modern(ish) towns and transportation. When we came here, we both felt a sense of a “deep Japan”, a richness here we couldn’t put our fingers on, but didn’t experience even in Kyoto or Nara. Old temples, old roads, the feeling of Japan of long ago, a certain slowness, restfulness, mindfulness. Wonderful ancient temples and historical sites, great places to eat and do things, and oh my: The mountains, valleys, forests and ocean, all in one spot. Plus, the island town of Enoshima is nearby, and also fairly fun to walk around, if a little touristy. Of course, the spell is broken if you go to the great Buddha statue when there’s a million elementary schoolkids running all over the place and screaming, but still it’s a pretty kickass place. Nara - Come for the nature, history and hiking. Sure, there’s the big-ass Daibutsu statue, lots of temples and historic sites, but there’s just simply lots to see and experience. Grab a map, pick a direction and start walking. Definitely has a more “in the forest” feel than Kamakura, and far more recognized temples and ancient buildings. I dunno, might be gaijin catnip, but lots of Japanese love this area too. Kagoshima - Why? No idea. Something about the fact that Kagoshima city is the southernmost prefecture of mainland Japan, that it faces an active, always-smoking-day-and-night volcano that erupts lava regularly THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE ON, that it houses lots of cool scenic spots south of the city on the coast... Between that, the food, the warm people, and the scenery change from “everyday Tokyo”, makes Kagoshima a place I find myself returning to a lot. Kobe - Kind of the best of all worlds, and the place I determined to retire before i visited Kamakura. Kobe is a city surrounded by forested mountains, right on the coast, near Osaka and Kyoto, surrounded by small towns: It’s like a snowglobe that has a little of everything in Japan right in one little area. Specific Places The Top of Mount Akagi The famous mountain which frames my home prefecture of Gunma (and known internationally for its “perfect for drift-racing” curved mountain paths), the topmost part is quiet and serene on the way to the top, and at the top offers an overlook over what seems to be half of the Kanto region. If it’s a hot summer day, try a swim across the lake in the dormant caldera, a great picnic spot. And at night, a starry night is so bright you feel warmed by the stars above, and the distant specs of light from Maebashi city below. Hakata at Night It was a toss-up. I also like West Shinjuku and Kasumigaseki at night over in Tokyo, but there’s something about Hakata: You can start at one end of the river and eat and drink your way through like a dozen food stands before it’s time to go home. Hakata ramen is also famous for being heavy on taste and delicious. Oh, missed the last train? Hakata is also where the first capsule hotels were built. Try one out if you don’t get claustrophobic. Kamakura Hiking Trails You owe it to yourself that if you come to Kamakura for hiking: Get yourself lost. Take a trail not on the map. You’ll find yourself emerging in (roll 1d6) 1-2 a hidden temple/shrine/statue/overlook not noted anywhere in any known guide 3-4 the middle of a relatively modern suburb town, with houses in clutches along roads bordering ricefields 5-6 the back of a super-huge and temple, with no idea of how you go there Plus, it’s kinda interesting to watch young women you pass navigate the several-km-long hiking trails in high heels. Hey, I didn’t say anything, when they see me they usually apologize for being underprepared as they slip all over wet rocks and dirt. See if they need help, and move along. Sanjusangendo, Chion-in and Kyomizudera I can’t fail to drop a few temples from Kyoto in here, right? Sanjusangendo is home to a huge, quiet hall of over a thousand Buddha statues. It’s showy, and yet ancient and peaceful. The cool breeze, the reek of old wood and incense, the feel of the creaking floors and thick beams, all add up to an awesome experience. Chion-in is a temple that never makes it into the guidebooks, but is awesome (and not crowded for that very reason): Huge steps lead up to a Jodo-Shu temple compound, quiet and actually used. Kyomizudera, sure, everyone goes there and it’s awesome... but on your way to the ticket counter, veer off 21 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO to your left, go to the gate, and head into the forest BEHIND Kyomizudera. The forest there is something out of a Miyazaki anime or Endor reel: Gorgeous, rich, sensual. Walk about a km and you’ll come to some scenic views of the ancient capital city of Kyoto: Try to imagine it as it was a thousand years ago. Himeji-jo The most badass of all of Japan’s badass castles. It’s a huge castle compound where you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a tale of history. Currently being restored, which is awesome because now’s the time you can climb up and actually touch the outside walls and roof of this massive, beautiful castle. Harajuku Yeah, I’m kind of a fan of fashion, even though I don’t look it myself. Sometimes I wander through Harajuku’s Omotesando street or the side- alleys with all the clothing and fashion shops, sit in a cafe and soak in whatever the year spewed out onto people. Punk, dance, club, sporty, high fashion, reggae, hippie, goth, it’s all here. It’s like a dance party for your eyes. Sento/Onsen I actually prefer public baths to hot springs. Hot springs are special and expensive. Sento/public baths are there to remind you that you’re tied to a community of people who live (and bathe) together. They cut through any level of stress like a Global brand knife through rice porridge. Plus, they’re slightly cooler (tempwise), cheaper, and more local (location-wise, and homeliness-wise) than hot springs. New And while I’m comfortable in many places in Japan, I got that way by going to new places, setting off in new directions. I’ll circle a place I’ve been before, then actively look for new directions to go or paths to take. Or I’ll just pick a new location I’ve never gone before, to some prefecture I know nothing about, and just show up. Cause shit, there’s almost always something interesting, cool, or weird in every locale from one end of the country to the other. My home of Gunma is pretty boring in comparison, but even within Gunma there’s all sorts of crazy cool things under the surface: Gunma’s enormous flower park, German Village, Yabusuka Snake Center, Maebashi’s Yasuragi-no-Yuu, the old shops of downtown Kiryu, the old hot springs towns of Ikaho and Minakami... It’s like that everywhere. You just have to point yourself in a new direction. Food Everywhere Seriously. If you can’t find something to eat in Japan, you may have real dietary restrictions, and thus I feel bad for you and would like to try to offer you help. Otherwise, if you’re just picky, go home. I can’t walk a kilometer in any direction without stumbling upon 2-3 places I’d love to eat at. Particularly Japanese taverns/izakaya: I don’t think there’s a foreigner alive who’s lived in Japan for any length of time who didn’t get the idea to build a Japanese-style izakaya in their own town or city... then realize it wouldn’t work, since US public transport sucks, so no one could get home after drink-eating without a messy and expensive taxi system. With Coworkers on a Friday Nothing beats heading out to an earned break of eating and drinking with coworkers on a Friday after a hellish week of hard work. Since my own office (the Tokyo branch, that is) is in downtown businessman and government worker central, it’s easy to find delicious food and sake in a warm environment for not-so-crazy-expensive. Just make sure you don’t... well, overdo it. See the train station at Shibuya after 11PM on a weekend to see what I mean. Tonbo (Tokyo) A restaurant in Tokyo that has ties to a specific ricefield in the boonies, where every single dish is build upon a foundation of rice (from rice tea to riceballs to rice soup to rice-made desserts)? Wow. I try to come back once every year or two. Goemon Ninja Soba (Maebashi) Like 10 types of soba and udon, from Kirishita Mountain soba to Tea-cut udon, with do-it-yourself toppings for your bowl, this is my favoritest soba place to date. White Gyoza (Maebashi) Fat, hot, juicy potstickers that have the texture of compressed marshmallows. The most delicious souldfood I’ve ever eaten, and yeah I’m counting Gindako-brand takoyaki in there too. Ohgiya Ramen (all over Kanto, mostly Gunma and Saitama) Sure, I like all kinds of ramen, usually miso-based, from all over Japan. But Ohgiya Ramen’s miso is like a high-powered garlic kick to the face. Perfect noodles, rich broth, great vegetables and toppings, this is like the best that fast food has to offer. 22 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO left arm. Finally, after ten years of that, some schools will finally let you manipulate the right arm and head, seen as the “master level”. Spending 30 years learning a craft before calling someone a “master” is kind of a big thing in this Japanese shokunin culture, and that piece also comes out in Tenra as well. In fact, in the earlier version of the game, “kugutsu craftsman” was a standard skill, as the author expected not only kugutsu characters, but also kugutsu craftsperson characters, as well... but ultimately players found the kugutsu themselves more compelling, the kugutsu craftspeople best left to be NPCs, and thus the game went that way. A recent development in Japan is a hobby culture of doll crafting with ball-join dolls, especially Super Dollfie (search for Super Dollfie on wikipedia). This is a highly expressive culture that both women and men participate in (including my cousin, who has made two when he became temporarily interested in that hobby culture: He even sewed the clothing they wore carefully by hand over weeks). The cost, care and craftsmanship make them as much an “otaku” culture item as building elaborate plastic model mecha or highly customizable RC car kits. They are very lifelike, and limited edition dolls or dolls made by talented shokunin can even cost $2000-$5000 USD sometimes. Doll culture has really exploded in Japan since particularly the mid-90s, and I’d say that most folks who are into deep visual culture like manga and anime have dipped their toe into the BJD/Dollfie culture (be it pricing them out or looking at them on display at stores, if not actually buying or crafting one). Including, well, both female and male game designers. Now, to combine the above statements on shokunin culture and contemporary doll culture back into the game: It’s often the case that the story of a kugutsu becomes inter- twined with the story of their craftsperson, the person who gave them life. For example, in the setting, the undisputed master craftsman on the planet is a woman named Sho- Un, whose works are so beautiful that people fight wars over them. In Japan, many games of Tenra that involve Sho-Un aren’t just about the kugutsu herself, but about her connection to Sho-Un: Why did she create me? Why did she craft me so that I age like a human, or alternately not age like a human does? Why did she make me a master swordsman? Why did she make me blind, but give me the ability to tell the future? Why did she hide me, releasing me “into the wild” rather than risk a war being fought over me, wouldn’t it have been better not to make me at all? In many ways, the story of a kugutsu is the story of a doll and her maker/god, with rich questions of personal existence that actually might be answered in game (not to mention the whole idea of “does my character try to become human? It’s rumored that such miracles can happen” ala Pinocchio). That’s a good “Japanese” kugutsu-focused game. A “bad” kugutsu-focused game would put the PC in the roll of a kugutsu forced into a situation beyond her control, forcing them to live out the life of a piece of property, focusing solely on the misery of the kugutsu and not their inevitable escape from their situation, their confrontation with their master (or previous owner), their deeper understanding of who they are in relation to humanity, and so on. I hope that adds depth of understanding to this discussion. However! Now that kugutsu have been clarified in more depth, at the same time I definitely agree with a feminist look/deconstruction of the kugutsu: It’s plain that there are elements in play in the game that feature the fact that they are not treated as people, that they are basically the luxury items and slaves of human lords. There are many kugutsu stories which are less “philosophical discussion of what it means to be made, and to be human”, and more “get revenge upon a cruel former lord” or “escape from slavery and hide while the lord scours the land for his ‘property’ “, and other tales which are more along the lines of “kidnapped princess” or “runaway Replicant” style narratives. And yet, even in those reports, there always seems to be a point at which the kugutsu’s player explores those issues of humanity. Anyway, in the end, the question of “What is a kugtsu, anyway?” is deeper than it appears when you take into consideration the very Japanese cultural background components of the kugutsu (doll culture, craftsman/ shokunin culture)... and yet, that doesn’t change the fact that the narratives are what they are, or where a deconstruction of the kugutsu from another cultural context (in our case, Western) might make them that much more palatable to us, or even more interesting as a story element! L is for crap there’s no L in Japanese There’s no L-sound in Japanese. Which is why I chose to relocalize all the oni words to make the L sound a strong component of their language. Frex, originally Yi-Yil was “I-iru”. Laz-Dii-Go was “Ra-Dei-Go”. I used a sound set that was almost a blend of Korean and French to emulate the quick staccato sounds of the words of their language, but with a richer consonant tone and L-sound of French. L is for Learning Japanese I highly recommend that if you’re interested in learning the language, that you find a community class or local college (take it as an audit, that way you can attend and learn without having to pay for full enrollment). If you really want to get better quickly... the best option would be to move to Japan. Seriously. I took Japanese 101 as a freshman in college because I had been interested in Japanese forever but didn’t have the discipline to learn on my own. I had a free credit, so I started learning Japanese. A week later, I made it my minor: I was that interested in it. Sure, it was brutal, but it was fair. You got out what you put in. Still, by the time I went to Japan for the first time to live and study in Tokyo (at Sophia University), I had studied Japanese for about 2 full years, and was one of the better students in my grade. But six months living and “working” (studying) in Japan with a homestay family made my 23 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO schooling up to that point look cheap and meaningless in comparison. The learning scale basically was a steady arithmetic climb until I went to Japan, and then it shot up like a parabola. Just being surrounded by it at all times, even if you’re not actively studying, is enough to hammer in the language if you’re receptive to it. After college I went to live, teach and work in Japan for about four more years, right in the early days of the Internet. Since then, I’ve gone back to Japan once every year or every other year or so, usually for somewhere between 2-4 weeks (sometimes for work, sometimes for family). I’m still learning today, and even though I read Japanese pretty much daily (short stories and manga before I go to sleep), I still have so far to go before I get to the level I want to be. If only I could just take a year off and go back to being a student for one single year; I think that would do it, put me at the “Level One of the old Japanese Language Proficiency Test” level that I’m aiming at getting before I die. In the meantime, though, I’ll maintain and grow slowly. Reading and translating Japanese games has helped greatly with that. L is also for Localization Localization is the art of taking a translation, and making it make sense for the target culture. Normally we use the shorthand of “localize” when we mean “standardize a few terms or names that repeat over and over throughout a work”, but it also means things like, “take a poem, and rewrite the poem so that the meaning is still the same even if the words are a little different”. Here are some terms that we did a little localization dance with, where it was actually hard to determine how to actually treat the words for some time: - Yoroi became Armour, although we say “Armour” or sometimes “Yoroi Armour”. For a time I waffled between using many Japanese terms as-is, and localizing as many Japanese terms as possible because I feared that with too much Japanese the game would be that much harder to play. Still, the mecha were called the Japanese word for “armor”, and I thought that was a pretty friggin sweet image, so I went with “Armour”. Mind, this was a rare term where I actually also referred to “Yoroi Armours” in the game, effectively straddling both sides of the fence: Using the English word yet still keeping the Japanese word around, just in case. - Mushi-tsukai became Annelidist in much the same way. Mushi is “worm/bug/insect” (the word does not distinguish between annelids, bugs, flying insects, and worms of the earth; they’re all “mushi”, and thus it was hard to pick one word), “-tsukai” is “-user”. I started off with worm-user for some time, but annelidist just had a ring to it. - Kiai became Focus, then later went back to Kiai again. I figured I wanted to keep the symmetry of the words AIKI and KIAI that exist in Japanese. - Aiki became Harmony, then went back to Aiki. Same reason. - Karma was “Sin” for a while, but figured it was best to keep it as Karma and provide an explanation. Although Karma (literally “act”, as in “people taking action”) can sometimes be translated as “Sin”, it sounded too Western- religious. - Tenka was Tenra, then became Heaven and Earth, then became Station. Station was the closest thing to what the attribute Tenka was trying to represent. - Makura-jutsu became Pillow Arts, a straight-up translation of that word. It can surely mean sex itself, but it’s mainly the art of seduction. I only saw one guy freak out at seeing the skill “pillow arts” on the character sheet. Fuck that guy. Funny thing is that I remember seeing the word “Pillow Arts” long ago in a magazine or something, and I thought, “My, what an interesting expression!” I recently tried to find it again in Google, but Google just gives me tons of listings of “how to make a PILLOW: ARTS and crafts projects.” Urg. Adding other words, though, turns of searches for references in books, usually involving “Chinese tantric sex stuff”. Side note: I re-translated/localized the original descriptions of the “use this attribute with this skill for these situations” for pillow arts. The description of the skill was clearly a seduction-like skill, but all the attribute pairing descriptions were kinda goofy and immature. They sounded slightly less immature in Japanese, but only just. - Fudoh Myou-oh became Acala or Acala, Lord of Light (a combination of the Sanskrit and English words. I love Buddhist iconography. Fudoh/Acala is a badass. - Kongohki stayed Kongohki, though I waffled with “Vajrid”. Just didn’t roll off the tongue correctly. Kongoh is the Chinese/Japanese word for “Vajra”, which is the ancient Sanskrit word that is sometimes translated as “Diamond”, but is basically “Admantium” or “an unbreakable mystic substance”. Vajra is also the name of the buddhist symbol/ object that looks like a hand-crank with 2 or 3 curved prongs on the end (the chapter opener for the Buddhist Monk section shows a pic of a monk holding one). Anyway, Kongohki is “Vajra/Admantium” and “Machine”. Android... Vajroid? Didn’t stick, so I went with keeping the original term. - Bokusen, Hou-oh and Myouren became Ebon Mountain, Phoenix and Bright Lotus sects, respectively: Using the straight translation of each of the sects characters from Japanese to English. I really waffled on these. I really like the way Myouren sounds, and Bokusen, too. But Hou-oh, the Japanese word for Phoenix, just wasn’t as slip-off-the-tongue for English speakers. Feel free to use the original words if you want. Anyway, Bokusen and Myouren were monk names, and monk names are always natural or poetic, so I figured the poetry came across in the English translations of the sect names. - Onmyouji went from Taoist Sorcerer, then back to Onmyoji, since the word had picked up popularity recently. Still, I alternated between Onmyoji and Taoist Sorcerer, cause that’s what they are. 24 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO - Ohjuu became Gems, then Soulgem/Soulgems. This was my working word for a few years, and then I noticed that in the video game Skyrim they were using the word “Soul Gem” as a resource object in the game. My “I don’t wanna get sued” drop of sweat rolled down my head, but the words are common enough, the actual ways the terms are used are different, and Tenra’s spelling has them as one word, not two. - Jingu-ke (Shinto House/Family) became “The Priesthood”. It just sounds ominous and awesome. - Shura became demon, then Shura again, then Ashura. When in doubt, stick with the Sanskrit. - Fuujutsu became The Seal became The Dark Arts. Fuujutsu literally means “the art of seal/sealing away (through magic)”. It just didn’t work well as-is. But the text referred to it as a kind of dark ritual that few survive, so I went with that interpretation. Dark Arts! - Everything else was pretty much translated as-is into English, without a lot of waffling of terms. M is for Martial Arts If you can get to the 5th rank of Celestial Form Kung Fu in one game, you can basically get to that “+40 damage” effect in one round by spending “additional action” and “interrupt” over and over again until you do 5 attacks in one round, the 5th doing the +40 damage. Using the word “Fist” for a few of the monk martial arts hopefully evokes Fist of the North Star, which they are clearly inspired by. But “fist” is just one interpretation of the kanji “ken”, and honestly a poor interpretation. It usually means “art” or is shorthand for “kung fu”. Like “suiken” (drunk, “fist”/”art”/”kung fu”) is the word for “drunken style kung fu”. Anyway, it’s the fault of the first localizer of Hokuto no Ken: It should have been called “North Star Kung Fu”. However, “Fist of the North Star” is pretty damn evocative in its own right. M is also for Mushi-Tsukai Ahhh, the Annelidist aka Mushi-tsukai - 蟲使い - Not sure where the original inspiration came from, but there’s plenty enough to be found in media, just between the animes Ninja Scroll (remember Mushizo? The dude with the colony of wasps in his back and throat-needles) and Nausicaa. Note to Japa- nese speakers: Not just mushi 虫, but TRIPLE MUSHI 蟲, so that’s like totally exXxtreme and stuff for realz. It’s a pretty compelling character class, always torn between two worlds: People are afraid of them because they’re “unclean” like the burakumin, but when it comes to broken limbs or nasty diseases all of a sudden they’re the ones to turn to. They also have this “on the outskirts of society” thing going, living out away from others usually or traveling around, yet they also have their organized almost yakuza-like “Hive” organizations they can join and find a place among others of their kind. Personally, my favorite kind of annelidist to play is not so much the “healer who controls his abilities”, but rather the “Oh shit I was a normal guy who stepped on something weird in the woods and now it’s buried in me and I can barely control it/myself anymore” annelidist. Oh, quick aside: The “Demon-of-Battle” bug, which basically can shoot blasts of electricity. That demon-of- battle bug was in the earlier version of Tenra (1997) and was CLEARLY (based on the art and description in the old book) an opportunity to have a Sentai/Ranger hero type: They can even transform to look like Kamen Rider (or a really bug- like Iron Man suit), with a chitinous “helmet” and laser..er... LIGHTNING blasts from their arms. However, in play I like to re-describe the lightning (since lightning is just “something that does damage” without special “lightning rules” or whatever) for my own character as “chitinous 1000-needle/ spike attacks” and other gooey/horrific bug-like things. I run my demon-of-battle less like Kamen Rider and more like “Clive Barker’s Kamen Rider”. N is for Ninja Ninjas are awesome. If someone tells you that ninjas are not awesome, step back cautiously, and when you’re at a safe distance, run the fuck away. You’ve just met a sociopath who may try to eat your face. Now, I can get it if people think “Ninjas are awesome, but they’re played out”; or “I used to like ninjas, but they’re so overused that I’m tired of them.” Okay, I get that. If you want to know more about “real” ninjas and ninja history, there’s a great little book that’s come out recently called “Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws” by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt. It’s really interesting, and gives a historic look at the records of ninjas in history. It’s much better than anything that came before it, like all the bullshit books from the 80s that taught you how to learn “real ninjutsu” and the like (yeah, Stephen K Hayes, I’m looking at you too mister “Quest Center”. Mikkyo’s cool and all but it’s not Ninja Stuff). How about some random shotgun ninja stories? - My friend Seiji recalls one of the first movies he saw as a kid in an actual movie theater (a pretty rare and special occasion). It was the original Hollywood “Ninja” movie (likely “Enter the Ninja”). It made a huge impression on him, 25 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO namely because after the awesome credit sequence featuring almost Shaw Brothers-style martial arts performances by Sho Kosugi, the opening scene features the Temple of the Golden Pavillion, Kinkakuji, with the legend, in English: “TOKYO”. Kinkakuji is such an utter hallmark of the ancient capital city of Kyoto, it would be like seeing a Japanese movie where the scene opens with Big Ben and Parliament on the Thames, and the legend “NEW YORK” appears. - The first RPG I ever made was in 7th grade, in the back of Math class. I used the West End Games Paranoia rules as a foundation to make a game about ninjas. It was awesome. Almost no role-playing at all occurred, but the skill spread was badass. - GI Joe was pretty dumb, but there was one part where Storm Shadow basically punches pressure points on a tank to make it explode. Funny that I can remember that some 30 years later, and I don’t remember my online banking password every time I try to log in. Oh, another time Storm Shadow opens a letter by throwing the envelope in the air and slicing it open with his sword: But lengthwise; basically cutting the letter so the front of the envelope and back of the envelope fall away cleanly, and he snatches the floating message from mid-air. Badass. - Tenchu was one of my favorite games for the original Playstation. I played the hell out of it. Actually I still highly recommend the soundtrack: Utterly devoid of digital bleeps and bloops, the soundtrack features a rich Spanish guitar and strings over a subdued acoustic-electronic blend. The first Tenchu game for the PS2, by the same studio, was also pretty incredible. It also featured a third playable character based on Fujieda Baian (doctor by day, assassin by night) which was doubleplusawesome. Unfortunately, that studio (Acquire) gave up the rights to the game (to From Software, as well as others), and subsequent versions of the game made by other companies were inferior: No evolved controls, dumb storylines, etc. The original studio went back to make an even better ninja game experience through the game “Shinobido: Imashime” for the PS2, and it featured some wicked gameplay (albeit a little repetitive at times), cool character designs and a decent story basically lifted from The Bourne Identity, and a completion mechanism that required you to work with three opposed feudal lords while covering up your activities to the other lords, so they round-robin hired you over and over again. Unfortunately, for some reason it never came out in North America (it did in Europe), but man it’s almost worth learning Japanese to play it. If you run out of ideas for a ninja-themed Tenra game, go back to the original Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, or Shinobido if you can find it. - I’ve seen westerners taken to task for glorifying the ninja, “hollywood-ifying” their abilities and the like (from skilled infiltrators into “flying dudes with ninja magic”). Which, hey, I get it. Cultural appropriation and all that, it’s always good to be on the lookout for it, to make sure you’re not doing it too much unreflectively. And yet, whatever appropriation a westerner applies to ninjas, it’s nothing--NOTHING--on what the Japanese have themselves appropriated from ninjas. Heck, even in Japanese- made tabletop RPGs, ninjas almost always appear in some capacity, even in games without a strong Japanese setting or feel! The roots of all the dumb 80s Hollywood ninja crap comes from movies made in Japan which over-glorified the powers and abilities of ninja. And when you trace it back far enough, most of the stories of ninjas flying around, using magic and crazy arts, comes from folklore and the like of course; however, you can put a focal point on the prolific writings of Ikenami Shotaro and Yamada Futaro, early 20th century “pulp fiction” writers who wrote about samurai and ninjas and assassins instead of sword and sorcery. But the stories are similar: Larger-than-life figures with too-incredible realistic and mystical powers. Fighting. Power. Status. Rawrr. It was Yamada Futaro’s writings which led to the works which led to Hollywood-ification (and the Japanese branch, of course, what was stuff like Ninja Scroll and Basilisk: Ninja Scroll/Shinobi: Heart Under Blade). Anyway, I too long ago used to harp on folks for over-glorifying the history of ninjas in Japan, reading/watching too much pap pulp. Then I understood the full extent of how much that pap pulp originated from Japanese authors, and took on a life of its own, and realized that no matter how much weirdness we attribute to ninjas, it’s not as weird as you’ll find in the text of the country they came from. Still, while kinda universal (there’s all sorts of myth surrounding the kukri knife in Nepal, for example), it’s still good to know the roots. Maybe 26 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO give some Yamada Futaro a read, but also check out that “Ninja Attack!” book. - What the hell is up with that giant monster toad that high-level Ninja can summon? Look up “JIRAIYA” on the net. It’s a cool story, bro. - When I came back to the US, I got into a local dojo for a while. It was a school teaching “Ninjutsu”, officially “Ninpo Taijutsu” (“Ninja-esque Exercise”) of the Genbukan school. I ended up quitting after a few months, too busy putting my life back together and all (I’d later move on to Wing Chun, then recently Aikido again after 15 years). But my friend Jurgen in Germany for years now has been training in Bujinkan, and is actually pretty high level now. Since Genbukan and Bujinkan are technically rival dojos, I’ve been telling Jurgen for years now we ought to settle the clan struggle in a fight. A cute little joke that is meaningless at this point, since I’m so out of shape. Ahhh, the little rivalries. O is for Original Plans 2004. That was when I originally talked to the guys at FEAR about an English release. The scene was so different then. Originally... we were going to release a d20 rules hack for Tenra Bansho Zero! Yeah, d20 was pretty huge in those days, and there were more than a few games with original rules that also had a “d20 hack” or “d20 compatible rules in the back” section, to ride the wave of Dungeons and Dragons 3e’s rising tide. Although Ken (see below) made the suggestion, it seemed right at the time. Amazingly enough, the folks at FEAR were totally cool with it. While we couldn’t really toy with the art, they suggested we change the rules as much as we wanted to make the game work in the West. Well, cut to about a year later, as I’ve dug in and understood the implications of the rules and style of play. At that point I had realized that a true d20 conversion would have been... well, at the very least misguided, at the worst unreflective and dumb. Still, there were a few really solid d20 conversions that played up the strengths of the original material and setting in new ways: Namely the post-Christian- apocalypse game “The End: Lost Souls Edition” (which is one of my favorite settings ever; I highly recommend buying the PDF if you come across some cash) and the superhero game Mutants and Masterminds. For a time, I invested a lot of thought into a d20 rules hack/ conversion for the back of the book. I actually made it work, too: Aside from the Hit Points, Saving Throws, levels, abilities and the like (which are not that hard to build in a balanced format, as long as you keep things relatively simple), I even had a nascent frame for converting the entire Kiai-Aiki-Fate system into d20 (basically just kind of tacking it on, though it fit remarkably well), as well as Tenra’s “one session, campaign over” style of play (of course you could level up your guy and bring her back in another campaign or session later). After some time, and realizing the scope of the interworkings of the game and the complexity of the text, I had to back-burner those thoughts. And back-burner eventually led to discarding them entirely once I realized how much extra work it would be, and the d20 tide started to fade out. Still, if the game was released when we expected it to be released... Well, it wouldn’t have been released (see Peters, below); but if it had, it might have had this d20 section stapled to its ass. O is also for Other Stuff I’m Working On Since Tenra started coming together hardcore in the last two years, I made a friend who’s become a writing/publishing companion, Matt Sanchez. The dude is a translation rocket, and an awesome human being. Because of his enthusiasm and work ethic (admittedly, at the time it was because he was still career-hunting and hadn’t landed the awesome--and busy--job he has now) which fueled my own, we were able to make plans, translate the shit out of some stuff, contact some dudes, set up some contracts, and line up the next few works. - Our next game will be “Ryuutama: Natural Fantasy Roleplaying” by Okada Atsuhiro. It’s a western-themed feelgood game of travel and wonder. You play “normal people” in a fantasy world like bakers, farmers and the like, who get this bug and feel the inescapable need to travel (every character gets this feeling, so everyone understands). You find some people who also have the bug, and set sights on faraway lands. The game has cute monsters, focuses on travel over combat, most of the adventures are about helping people (vs loot or death)... and yet, you can still get Total Party Killed by two 4th level poisonous bees (*shakes fist in the air angily*). You also have to rigorously maintain equipment lists for your travels, in a way similar to the old computer game “Oregon Trail”. It’s a game where the GM also has a character sheet, for a shapechanging dragon who watches over and protects the characters from a distance. It features magic spells like “Create a cubic yard of dead leaves” and “Turn any possible edible thing into a jam-in-a-jar”. It also features rules where having a delicious meal the night 27 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO before can save your character from an untimely death. It features awesome, simple, “happy” art by a few talented female artists, and it’s quite a departure from the style of play of Tenra; with its Western theme, long-term play, and generally “feelgood” attitude. By the time you have a copy of this physical book in your hands, we’ll either be weeks away from or into the Kickstarter project to fund the printing of this game. - After that, we will be releasing the small-form-factor story-focused RPG “Shinobigami: A Modern Ninja Battle Game” (“God of the Shinobi”) into English. This is a hand- sized book with simple rules, which produces a single-session story with your friends. Every player creates a ninja of a warring ninja in contemporary Japan, with their own abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and open and hidden secrets and goals. From there, the players have to both co-operate and compete with each other to achieve a goal or take the single “prize” of the scenario. Who you ally with, who you make your enemy, how you seek out information and what you do with it, these are all the themes of this wonderful, charged game. It’s the closest I’ve found to a tabletop role-playing game that plays out with the mindset of a German-style board game. It, too, is a very different game from Ryuutama and Tenra (not only are the authors and companies different, the themes and styles of the games are totally different as well). - In the future after that... who knows? The folks at FEAR are wonderful to work with, and once the dust settles and we have a long rest, I’d love to consider translating another game from their collection. Or perhaps write our own FEAR-style game, using FEAR’s house rules system called the “SRS system” (basically a high-action anime-themed d6-based alternative to a d20 style Open Game System). If we don’t do so ourselves, we’d love to assist other earnest people in contacting FEAR or other companies to translate more games into English. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who or which company gets the rights to the English translation of Japanese RPGs: Just by the fact that they come out in English at all enriches the entire hobby. O is also for Oedo Onsen Monogatari This fakey hot-springs theme park over in odaiba is one of my favorite “Contemporary Tokyo” places to go in Japan. I recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially if you don’t have the time or chance to get out to an old resort town in the mountains or a local public bath/ sento. It will kick all the asses out of your ass, and leave you so refreshed you’ll be able to return and tackle a project... say, the translation and publishing of Tenra Bansho Zero... without curling up into a ball and giving up. P Peters comma Kenneth Ken is the reason you’ve got Tenra Bansho Zero in English. Well, sure, I did all the work and all, but without Ken I never would have considered picking up the project. I bought TBZ back in Japan in 2002 or so. I was so enthralled by the art and style that I scanned a bunch of pages to show to friends and acquaintances on various RPG message boards at the time. A lot of folks became extremely interested in it. We all lamented, “Man, if only we could read this in Japanese” or “If only some big company would pick up the rights to translate it!” Translation of “fun media” (rather than say, things that pay the bills like medical/science/tech translation) is a hard game to get into: The pay is cheap as shit. Translating a manga or an anime is a pretty easy thing in comparison to a short story or novel. I remember grabbing the output of the subtitles of some anime I was watching with a pretty solid amount of talking (Fruits Basket, perhaps?), a good 30 minutes or so of anime dialogue. I tossed it into word and compared that to the size of the Tenra setting book. The anime episode was something like the equivalent of a single page and a half (maaaaaybe two pages) of Tenra’s more dense spots. And the anime was of course much more converational, and fun to work on. That, in short, is why all the Japanese RPGs out there (as well as solid novels, academic works etc) don’t end up in English at all. But I digress. Anyway, for about two years after that initial post (or followup posts about other Japanese games, with scans of illustrations from those), every few months someone would contact me. “I represent a new up-and-coming RPG company”, they would say, “and I’d love it if you could translate this for us.” Most of the talks died right then and there, with no followup replies after I explained how long the book was. The longest the discussion ever lasted was with one person who said, “I can free up about four hundred dollars for this project” They said it with such an air that I’m sure they felt like that was a lot of money, and not like the cost to produce less than 40 books, much less pay for their translation. Hell, at the time, both they and me were poor as shit, so a hundred dollars was a lot of money... ish. Real translation is a whole different game, though. The 28 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO The Gun Goes Off Way, Way too Early... From November 10th, 2004: Z-Builder Design* proudly announced today that it will be translating and publishing one of the most revolutionary RPGs ever created, the Japanese RPG Tenra Bansho Zero. It was originally designed by Junichi Inoue and produced by Far East Amusement Entertainment (FEAR) and Enterbrain in 2000, a revision of the original 1997 release. Junichi Inoue is highly regarded as one of the best and most prolific game designers of our time, having designed, written and even illustrated several blockbuster games. Coordinating the Tenra Bansho Zero translation and production will be Andy Kitkowski, under the supervision of project lead Kenneth Peters. “This is the first ever Japanese RPG to be released in English”, said Z-Builder Design Head, Andy Kitkowski**, “and hopefully English players will find it as revolutionary as the fans of the Japanese version. Thanks to the support of designer- illustrator Junichi Inoue, and Shinichi Nakajima of FEAR, Inc, and their tireless enthusiasm, we’ll see an English version of the game that caused Japanese gamers to rethink the way they roleplay. We’re blessed to have such cooperation on all levels, from designer to producer to distributor. This game will turn heads with its jaw-dropping gorgeous interior art, both color and black and white, as well as the mode of play it encourages” TENRA BANSHO ZERO Tenra Bansho Zero (TBZ) is a relatively rules-light game of high fantasy and science fiction that takes place in the Sengoku (Feudal Warring States) Era on another planet in the far future. High magic and technology is commonplace in a world where Taoist demon summoners interact with mecha-rider children and high tech Ninja. There are dozens of archetypes from which to choose a character for quick and easy play, and rules are provided for people who want to make their own. TBZ uses a light rules system of small pools of 6-sided dice. The game received much critical acclaim because of the core rules which focus on turning the gaming session into a theatrical production. Players gain abilities, skills and powers, as well as perform heroic feats, by spending “Kiai Points”. Players get these points through roleplaying; Playing their character well, coming up with witty lines, and generally entertaining the other players. With the theatre motif, the game uses Scenes, Acts, and Intermissions to drive the action. And like a play or a movie, an entire campaign or story arc is meant to play out in one 4-6 hour gaming session. The players are encouraged to give their characters various inner struggles, which they try to overcome throughout the roleplaying session. At the beginning of each session, the GM assigns the characters objectives called “Destiny” which they must meet over the course of the adventure. This friction is what drives the stories that are created in Tenra Bansho Zero sessions. Over the coming months, Z-Builder Design will provide more information about the game, including translator notes, interviews with the designer and publisher, downloadable playtest files, sample character sheets, and more information about the world of Tenra Bansho Zero, including glimpses into the world of Junichi Inoue’s Tenra Bansho through his fantastical and gorgeous manga art. The game is currently scheduled for release in January 2006***. * That was the original name for my little RPG and Internet Consulting company at the time. Z-Builder, short for “The Ziggurat Builder”. Ech. I so much more love KOTODAMA HEAVY INDUSTRIES, but maybe in 10 years I’ll be going “yech” again. ** “said Z-Builder Design Head, Andy Kitkowski”. LOL. In those days, everyone wrote their own press releases, as if some reporter with a pencil and the word “PRESS” taped to the side of his fedora was eagerly writing down my every word. Man, we were total chumps. I never want to write a press release like that again. Just info, entice, details, dates, and exit. No self-fellatio. *** 2006. Two years. Holy hell was I naive. . 29 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO 30 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO average price for a technical/”hard” translation is about 20 cents per word. That’s about what I charge when I do freelance translation on the side (give or take; far less if it’s “fun”, 20 or more if it’s extremely technical or ‘poetic’). This dude was effectively offering to pay me the rate I would charge for about 2,000 words (this Director’s Cut book is currently about 9 times that size, Tenra, at last I counted, was Way Fucking More), plus deal with all the international conversations, contracts, etc. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I DO I remember being extremely polite when I said “no”. Ken was the last of the folks to approach me. He grabbed my attention by immediately proving himself: * A fan of the genre. * Having a lot of idle money (being single at the time and working for the government can create quite a stash). * Having the will to commit the money to Tenra. It was he who got me out of my “Politely dismiss yet another fool” mode and into more of a “Wait a minute, I wonder if this actually CAN be done?” Ken took me very seriously. Which made me take him very seriously. And got me to look at the project as not something that’s wishful thinking, but accomplishable in my lifetime (only just, heh). So we all have Ken to thank for this being out. Ken dropped off the project a few years ago and has focused on going back to school since, but he’s been a huge supporter all this time, and is one of the high-tier Kickstarter backers. Thanks, Ken, for getting the ball rolling. P is also for Press Release The original Press Release I made for the game back in 2004 is included in here. Wow, it made me laugh with nostalgia. P is also for Phoenix Sect 鳳凰宗 - Hou-oh Shu - The traditional “shaved-head monks in quiet training, giant temples, chanting, and mysical magic” sect of Buddhism. Also, totally not a stand-in/metaphor for historic real-world Japanese Shingon Buddhism. Wink. Phoenix Sect was the problem child in my translation/ localization effort. I liked the sound/tone/hibiki of the other two sect names: The Bokusen sect, the Myoren sect (and heck I think I included the words in the text so that people could draw upon them if they really felt it). However, then we get to the Phoenix sect: Hou-oh. That’s the best romanization I could apply to it to make it sensible, traditional Hepburn- shiki would have me write “Houou”, which looks like a trick word to use in the game Hangman. I asked about a dozen people, some of them Japanophiles, and no one could really wrap their heads around or remember the word for Phoenix, so instead of having Bokusen, Myoren and Phoenix (which when read triggered some OCD or some shit), I went for All Englishificat’d. If you play at my table, though, it’s Myoren, Bokusen, and Phoenix. If you want to play a monk character, at some point try to make a Phoenix or Bright Lotus sect monk with no kung fu. Everyone jumps for the kung fu monk (which usually means Ebon Mountain, or Phoenix), which is awesome because who the heck doesn’t like kung fu monks (I’ll tell you: The people on the opposite side of a Shaolin monk’s spear/staff/sword, that’s who). But try just a down-to-earth practicing monk (even one with magic is cool), trying to sort her shit out as she travels the world and sees the sights. It would be a fun challenge, I think. 31 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO Q is for Questioning My Sanity This happens after trying to perfectly translate and capture the nuances of poetically-written sentences for like four or more hours straight. Luckily, my wife has been really supportive at those times. She would gently come over to me and say, in soothing Japanese, “I told you this project was much bigger than you thought. Didn’t I say that? Yeah, I said that.” Sometimes a slap of reality in the face like this is enough to summon a few more hours of hysterical, raw focus. “I’ll show them!! I’ll show them ALL!!!!” R is for Rules Changes There were a few! In some cases, I realized that some of the rules weren’t particularly thought ahead (like the Kongohki transformation), and really were lopsided in play. Others were just too fiddly. I documented a list of all the changes made to the rules that I can easily recall. There weren’t that many, I didn’t carve it up into my “ideal set of rules” or anything like that: It would have turned Tenra Bansho Zero into a totally different game. I might write up a skinned-down rules-set at some point and make it a supplement, but I didn’t want to change the core book any more than necessary to make the game more playable, more fun, sliiiiiightly more streamlined. At the same time, I made absolutely sure to preserve the feel of what Inoue (setting, feel) and Endo (rules-smithy) were *aiming* for with the game. I also read their later games, most notably the wildly successful Alshard, taking queues from those and applying them back to their older work Tenra: Just enough, not going too far. In one case, the rules for distribution of Aiki chits, I got straight from Inoue himself. The original Japanese game only had the “Scene Judge rules (plus GM)” for aiki chit distribution (for fear of being “fair” and “ensuring balance in distribution”), and the “anyone can distribute Aiki at any time” rule was a very common house rule many people simply created and used themselves, and was not mentioned in the book. When I met Inoue years ago, I asked him at one point, “Is there any section of the rules that you wish you could change?” He thought about it, mainly coming to the conclusion of it being hard to change one thing, as it was created as a whole (though he did mention vagaries of wanting to slim things down just a touch). But one thing he did say was that he wished he wasn’t as strict with the Aiki rules, that he just let the players and GM give Aiki chits whenever they wanted without all the overhead rules of the Scene Judge. I took that as my cue to make the change that I was hoping to add as a mere house rule, and instead rewrite that whole section in alignment with the author’s wishes: Aiki chits distributed by anyone, with the original Scene Judge rules relegated to an “optional rule” status. I’ve tried both ways, and honestly, I’ve played with friends, I’ve played with strangers, I’ve played with folks deliberately trying to dink with the system, and have never had a problem with the “everyone gives Aiki” approach. As long as they follow Rule Zero of roleplaying (“Don’t be a dick”), there should be no problems at your table. Still, the Scene Judge, which it requires more handling, might be a fun switch-up if you are looking for a different way to play. Oh, speaking of rules changes: One of the major changes in formatting of the book was the splitting up of the book into rules and setting books or sections.: For the most part, the rules for the characters (the character-focused rules-sets in the rules book) were put in at the end of each character’s setting description. It was a little strange, because it basically presented all of the character-centric rules before it got to the rules section where it told you how to roll dice or use skills. So there was a lot of flipping back and forth between the sections of the book. We pulled all that text into the rules book, each into its own section (and splitting some further; the Kongohki and Armour rules were actually one cojoined section, but ultimately a little hard to reference because of the minute differences that appeared between each character type; so we split them into their distinct sections, even though some of the rules overlapped and thus were duplicated). Hopefully, the setting-rules split produced a version of the game easy to read (setting) and easy to reference (rules). R is also for Reverse Death Spiral I love that rule. Seriously. It messes with everyone the first time they recognize exactly what it represents. The swelling of music while the hero stands back up; the “This is my Final Form!” In fact, normal “Death Spirals” in RPGs kinda piss me off. If I wanted hardcore reality, I’d be out Doing Things and not Making Stories with friends. It got to the point where when I ran Legend of the Five Rings (the most famous asia-themed RPG; overall a cool game but holy shit the setting’s place and people names are so wrong they grate on my nerves) for about six months, the first thing I hacked onto it was a kind of Fate system, and Tenra’s Reverse Death Spiral. 32 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO RULES CHANGES Here’s where I catalog all the rules changes made from the original Japanese version TBZ (the ones I can remember anyway), and why. ADDITIONS I compiled most of the expanded information and rules from the official supplement and extra rules-packs into the core book. I figure this was a one-shot deal without that whole “release fat supplements” thing that we tend to do on major tabletop game releases in the US, so I wanted to cover as much ground in the core book as possible. That’s like an extra $120 worth (in the extra supplement and rules packs) of pure, raw data into the core book. Not to mention folding about 8 pages of errata and Q&A text into the core rules, to fix it all straight from the gate. You’re welcome! OTHER ADDITIONS I also scavenged the “How to make your own archetypes” appendix (p416) out of an RPG magazine I had to hunt to find, released around the same time as TBZ in Japan. That article didn’t exist in the original game or supplements. PUNCHES AND KICKS Punches were 0 damage, Kicks were +1 damage. This naturally led to everyone saying “I kick!” in unarmed combat, ALL THE TIME. I figured the simplest fix was reducing all hand to hand damage to 0, and letting the player describe them as kicks, punches, grabs-and- throws, jabs, elbows, and so on. WAR ART: Dragon and Tiger Under One Sky Style, Supreme Rank This originally let you add both the damage ratings from each sword together when you hit, before they exploded. I’m like, “The swords EXPLODE. The gemblade that is your soul is devastated. That’s all you get??” So I tweaked it a tad after playtesting, I changed it to making two rolls, piling on the bonuses/differences, and adding that difference plus damage twice. Far more damage, a one-shot attack worthy of making your swords into slag. WAR ART: Clarity of Heaven Style: A Lot I had to rework this art a bit, as this sword art was little used in the original Japanese game from what I could read. In the original TBZ, NPCs pretty much had all the stats of PCs, including Vitality and all the Wound boxes. Since they no longer did, this style had to be re- adjusted. Originally the low level power let you auto-target the enemy’s Light Wounds. Then Heavy. Then Critical. But that no longer made any sense. I still kept a reference to wounds ala the Advanced Rank, figuring that this technique could be used by major NPCs. The master technique essentially lets you double the damage done against NPCs. KUGUTSU-JUTSU: There was a skill on the original sheet for Kugutsu-making (carving, training, etc). But the Kugutsu-maker was such a rare archetype that it was rarely used. Killed it, made it an optional fill-in skill in case anyone ever did make or play a kugutsu-maker. STRATEGY: This was a skill originally only used for the mass combat system. Since the mass combat system wasn’t going into the main book, I reworked the skill into something that a friend inspired (I think the idea was borrowed from Clinton Nixon’s The Shadow of Yesterday): Where you “roll in advance” to save up successes to bring into play later through description. It’ll get more skill-ish used in the Mass Combat system supplement. MASS COMBAT SYSTEM: Removed. It’s an awesome, well-planned system based on the Chinese 36 Strategems, and I planned on pushing it out as a simple few-page supplement. In the core book, though, it was simply out-of-place. Just a “Blap! Here’s some mass combat rules! Yay!” They’re cool and all, but weren’t really “placed” as to how to use them, when to not use them, what they really do, and ideas on bundling them into scenarios that won’t fall apart if the wrong side wins. None of the “advice” that I had carefully written into a lot of the rules was there, so I felt that to write it into the mass combat system would take up more time and space than was necessary. Since most of the game is individual-level stories, I figured on expanding them with scenario ideas and real advice/”placement” in their own supplement eventually. NINJUTSU: Extra Successes: ...Yeah, that too. It felt dumb to roll 9 Agility:Ninjutsu dice on a skill that only took 1-2 successes to get off, plus had a target resistance (for the NPC roll to escape, like Shadow Stitch) so low that bosses could easily get out of them. Carryover successes: Problem solved. NINJUTSU: Hmmm. So the original Japanese rules say that when building a school of techniques, that you had to take the lower and higher version of the same skill in one school. I kept that as-is in the corebook, but in my houserules I say “you don’t have to take both”. KARAKURI/MECHANICA: I have a feeling that after playtesting I might have adjusted some damage up or down on maybe 1-2 mechanica. Not positive, I just remember thinking about doing so, thus likely did. MARTIAL ARTS: Nothing! But cool side story: So Hokuto Shinken, the martial art from Fist of the North Star, is the basis for the Fist of Acala. Kenshiro’s real “secret power” in that manga was not his “I make people explode” thing, that was sort of just the effect of his martial art. His real secret power that he used all the time was “mikiru”, or “see-cut”, or “seeing the attack come in, and counter- attacking at the last possible second at blinding speed before their attack lands”. That’s his real superpower, the exploding heads thing is just gravy. 33 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO SAMURAI LOADOUTS: Created all those myself in order to make custom samurai creation fast and easy. ONMYOJI: I didn’t hack/change anything here, but if I ran an onmyoji-centric campaign, I might make some house-rules to make them a little more powerful. Perhaps more creation points: Instead of Knowledge time X (skill), maybe (Knowledge+4) times X (skill). Give them the power to create some truly horrific, awesome random shiki. ARMOUR/KONGOHKI CREATION RULES: These were originally one ruleset, with a lot of side-references to “if Armour, do this; if Kongohki, do that”. It was confusing, so I split them apart into two sections. SCENARIO CREATION SECTION: Lots of little rules changes, including: * All the scenario advice from page 160 onwards. Especially the Creative Task Rolls bit. * All the rules on creating NPCs from 154-156, focusing on fast-made NPCs for quick creation and play, plus careful advice on how to balance them. Those are it from that section, but that latter one on NPCs was very important. TBZ was created in an era where designers and players still thought that NPCs had to feature all of the stats and complications of regular characters. Thus it took a long time to create even simple NPCs, much less a cast of several important NPCs. While TBZ created a revolution of play in Japan, with new people stepping up to GM who never ran a game before, a common complaint for that era is “Man, NPC creation takes too long, I have to prep so much to run these games!” I wanted to remove that barrier, utterly. Furthermore, Inoue and Endo themselves came to that same realization a few years later, and when they sat down to create the Final Fantasy-inspired game Alshard, all major NPCs and monsters had very simple stats, since they were just flavor and opposition in the end. I took the spirit of what they developed later in other game lines, and reverted it back into the “TBZ code line”. I think it worked well, especially since I’d been playtesting the heck out of it for years! SCENE JUDGE: As mentioned elsewhere, the core of TBZ had the scene judge rules, which was changed to an “optional rule” after talking to the designer about what they liked and didn’t like about the game. A new players of the English version commented that he used the scene judge rules only for the first act, to get the players used to giving each other Aiki, then went to the default “everyone gives” style. That’s an awesome transition idea! PROTECT/TAKE BLOW (in Combat): The rules were fuzzy in the original version of the game. Official replays showed three different takes on the Protect rules: 1) If you protect, you must take all the damage, you cannot defend. 2) If you protect, you can defend to reduce the damage but you cannot counter-attack. 3) Same as 2, but you CAN counter-attack. Option 2 came up the most in the rules, so I changed them all to reflect that clearly. DAMAGE BONUS FOR RANGED WEAPONS: Yeah, this originally was a confusing description-only example of how if you through 5 shuriken, 3 at one dude and 2 at another, they can give you little damage boosts and stuff. I created the chart on Page 95 to graphically explain it better. In truth, this rule kinda confuses everyone, and in Japanese replays I read often houseruled out. I simply houserule it that if you throw or shoot your weapons at multiple targets, no bonus. If you shoot or throw a lot at a single target, +2 damage (shuriken, uzi, machine gun, whatever). Simple. Unfortunately, by the time I came around to thinking that it would be a good idea to replace that rule like others I had done, it was too late. Oh well. Now you at least have my own houserule. KONGOHKI OVERDRIVE: The original formula for Kongohki Overdrive was “Every day, you can start overdrive a number of times equal to your Spirit score, and it would last for a number of rounds equal to your Body score”. One... day? Most games of Tenra have a pattern of play where the ‘day’ can change every other scene or so. So I changed it to “session”, to keep it part of the overall play experience. Even then, it was too overpowered: The sample Kongohki could activate Overdrive six times a “day” (now “session”), and it lasted for 10 rounds. 60 total rounds of Overdrive capability. I’ve never run a combat in TBZ to my knoweldge, in about 100 or so actual games, where combat ever took more than five rounds. Certainly not more than six. Total overkill. The solution I had (activating it for a number of *rounds*) is still pretty much overkill for 99% of your games, but at least there’s the *remote possibility* that the Kongohki won’t go full Overdrive, all the time. So that was it. Ultimately, not a lot: Just a tap here and a tap there to knock some dust off and make it more interesting and in alignment with the own designer’s thoughts he would have later in future designs, backporting those ideas into this game. 34 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO S is for Satoru Satoru “Hottsu” Hosono, was my best friend in Japan until his untimely and totally unexpected death from heart failure in 2006. He’s the little dedication that appears in the credits section of the books. I met him by pure accident in late 1995 when I was living in Tokyo and attending college. It was the days of the Yoyogi/Harajuku-area street shutdowns on Sundays, where indie musicians, artists, rockers, DJs, and dancers would bring their gear and rock out, free concert style, on Sundays. I was aiming to be a DJ at the time, and thus made a lot of techno DJ friends, and spend many Sundays dancing all day in the streets of Harajuku in a giant open rave. Long story short, I happened to be wearing a “Cyberpunk 2020” hat, and he happened to be a gamer. We ended up talking a lot, and became fast friends; speaking mostly in Japanese, with some crazy English punctuation (his English speaking was okay-ish, but he had a crazy-high vocabulary from all the academic reading he did, he could pull out crazy English words like “post-structuralism” or “ethnomethodology” and the like at the drop of a hat). He took me to the Tokyo game stores, got me into my first Japanese RPG session and convention, and introduced me to all sorts of cool visual culture: He ran with lots of manga artists (many of them indie), and I found myself upon my return to Japan for the long term regularly being dragged to Tokyo’s Comiket to help his friends set up or run their indie manga booths. Met lots of interesting folks, including Japanese RPG industry freelancers, female pornographic manga artists (I met the lovely and talented Yonekura Kengo and helped her set up her booth, although later she and Satoru would have a falling out of sorts), philosophers who specialized in critiquing modern media (manga, anime, pop culture) from a postmodern philosophy/sociology lens, and all sorts of awesome weirdos and normals in between. He was doing so much - editing philosophy periodicals for a famous professor, organizing media and gaming events, writing literature, playing bass in a punk band, working as an assistant of sorts for the artist of the Hellsing manga, and dragging his white gaijin friend to meet cool people and go cool places when in town. His family became a foster family of sorts to me, too, always pleased to see me when I came over, letting me stay with them for days at a time (convenient for downtown Tokyo, but they were such lovely people, from his mother, aunt and grandmother), asking me questions and telling me all sorts of cool things about their areas of expertise (his aunt was a clothing designer, which I found fascinating). He was planning on taking me to a cabaret club his friends (male and female) worked at the next time I came to Japan. Alas, he left the world too soon. In January 2006 he passed away very suddenly from heart failure, so fast I couldn’t book a ticket in time to return to Japan to be at his funeral (I instead had flowers and a message for his family sent remotely). He had always had long-running heart issues, and unfortunately didn’t take good care of his body to compensate (he was always kind of rail-thin, but moreso the more he got involved with various projects; he was the kind who sacrificed his health to get that booklet written and printed on time, to make sure that the event was organized, to make sure others were taken care of). Satoru was the one that introduced me to the Japanese gaming scene, and Tenra Bansho in particular (and so much more). While I’m forever grateful for that, enough that I dedicated the book to him, I really wish I could just turn back time to seven years ago and hang out with him for one more week, just talking culture, 35 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO society, philosophy and shit, roll through Tokyo tearing it up, hitting up a giant-ass rave at Laforet in Harajuku or Jeff Mills’ club in Shibuya. Even after all the blood and sweat I’ve put into this translation project, I’d trade in all the money gained from it if that were possible. Alas. The least I could do is share his story with you. Ultimately, that was the desire I had which led to the idea of creating this whole Director’s Cut book. gestures. He looks like a mentat, it’s awesome. When I see him conquering math in his head, I’m kinda jealous I never learned soroban, actually. Anyway, that’s the kind of thing that the shiki-slingers do: The kimenkyo (mechanica mirror) is a “computer”, the abacus is the “keyboard”, and they store/cast shikigami with it. Kablow! Murder By Math. S is also for Shitty Translation I aimed to not do that. I think I succeeded. You can see there there are other translators credited in the book: At one point, I realized that I would have to start recruiting some help on the initial translation pass in order to get the work done faster. So I recruited a handful of folks with talent and free-time to assist, and had them go through some of the sections of the World/Setting book, translating entire sections. In order to see if their translating mindset was compatible with the project, I had each person kind of... well, it sounds crappy to say “audition”, but that’s basically what I did: I gave each person one column of “poetic setting text” and one element of “rules text” to translate, to see if we were on the same wavelength in terms of: * Striving for perfection. * Attempting to translate as close to source as possible, but * When impossible, to change the words and creatively reinterpret rather than a rote, unbalanced, stilted but exacting translation. And for the most part, the exercise was hugely successful: I got back good work, sometimes excellent work. In the end, it all had to be relocalized, so some translations I used as a springboard to re-write the entire section by hand in a better way; others were used almost (80% or so) as-is, with more localization and editing to get it perfect. Each translator was paid promptly, like within 3 days of finishing if possible (that’s my policy). Not “I’ll give you money when I recoup it from publishing” or other old industry standard crap, I paid with my own pocket cash long before publishing was an option. If the translator turned in their work before the deadline (most did), also immediately got a 10% bonus added. With one exception (which I paid for, because I screened the translator myself; but ultimately had to totally trash the translation and start over because it was just poor. Not even numbers were translated correctly, no idea how they passed my test) it was an overall awesome experience, and it added a little turbo boost of productivity. Ultimately, translations of work this big either amount to: * One person doing a monstrous amount of work by themselves. If they have a day job, then they now have two jobs. (raises hand) or * Many people (usually with a central organizer) cutting up, distributing, and translating the work in small chunks, then reassembling it back together. For Tenra, while I did most of the rules book myself, the world book had both distributed and central work, a hybrid of the above two. S is also for Shakujo Shakujo - 錫杖 - In sanskrit it’s Khakkhara (sounding staff), this is the Buddhist monk staff with the head with all the rings hanging off of it. “Ringed staff.” In the great movie Versus (Versus is my favorite martial arts zombie yakuza gun-battle samurai time travel prison break post-apocalypse brotherhood supernatural horror movie), in the little “ancient era” clip, the bad guy has a katana hidden in his ringed staff: That scene, because of the cinematography involved (no SFX, just cheap/creative camera handling), is awesome, and it’s a scene I’ve replicated more than once in my games. Look for it. S is also for Soroban Soroban (算盤) in Japanese is the word for Abacus. Look up soroban videos online: Moden schools of soroban are set up like martial arts schools, complete with black belt ranks. There are videos (on Youtube, and on findable shows like “Begin Japanology” which had a soroban episode) where a master soroban dude outperforms huge mathematical functions (nine digit number times nine digit number) vs a guy with a calculator. Soroban are awesome. Plus, remember that one dude from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. I have a scientist friend that learned soroban at an early age, he basically does pretty high-level math in his head, visualizing the soroban beads, sometimes flicking them in his mind and at the same time making hand/finger physical 36 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO T is for Tenjo Tenge Tenjo Tenge is the Chinese characters for “heaven above heaven below”. It basically is another expression which means “everything in heaven and earth”, usually used when some famous general or leader yells out to the masses what he intends to take control of. Aside from being the title of a graphically pretty but totally hollow and fanservicy martial arts manga, it is also the name of the original supplement book that came out a year after Tenra Bansho Zero. It featured: * A replay, with the designer of the game (as a player), where the players travel through time with Makuu Nindo’s son and beat up a dude. Followed by a second scenario involving an evil Shinto cult priestess. Together, they were a series called “Demon in the White Mask”, and it took up about half the book. * Two scenario outlines in rough detail. * Zero-Act Scene ideas for various character types: A total of 18, which I used as a base to create the Zero Act Ideas for each sample character in the book. * Revised Yohjutsu (Ayakashi) rules. The rules for Ayakashi in the original TBZ Japanese book were a little rough. This totally revised those rules. I used these revised/perfected rules as the core Ayakashi rules in the English version of the book. * 17 New Archetypes: All of which appear in the English rules book’s Archetype section. * A few new Arts of War, which were included in the English book as well (the “Advanced Arts of War” are these). * Ninjutsu rules, Mechanica, and Annelids, all again which were imported into the English version of the core book text. * A bunch of extra sample characters. While the character descriptions themselves do not appear in the book, many of their character illustrations do. These gorgeous brush- stroke illustrations are the ones that make up each character- focused rules section’s preceeding character sketch. The ones that didn’t make it into that book are being moved into a “character collection supplement”. T is also for Tree Geisha That was the shorthand that Mark Causey used to refer to his Kugutsu character (“So, I’m basically a Tree Geisha?”) as a player in the first ever game of TBZ I ran in English, long ago. The name stuck. I remember Lisa’s horrifying annelidist, Eric’s old gruff cyber-shinobi, Remi’s brutally huge but emo samurai, and Matthew’s young up-and- comer ninja. Also: That first session is where I learned that throwing a lot of medium-strength fighters at the heroes is good for a more tactical-combat game like Dungeons and Dragons, but in a game like TBZ it can really drag things down. I tend to stick to fewer, stronger enemies (usually 3-4 max; then only 1 or maybe 2 for major boss fight). Speaking of which, T is also for There’s Gotta Be A Boss Fight So, a few years ago I was talking with Luke one weekend after a rousing set of Roller Derby at the North Carolina state fairgrounds. At the time, he was the manager of the Gotham Girls from Brooklyn, and they were fighting at the east coast conference. Roller Derby is badass: Far from just a spectacle, there’s really so much strategy and skill that goes into... ah, but I digress. Anyway, in TBZ you engage in combat just like other tabletop RPGs: You make a series of attack rolls. You take damage, in the form of Vitality and Wounds. When you use magic, you use Soul, just like Magic Points (MP) in console games you’re familiar with. But there’s nothing deeper for Social conflicts, no further expanded rules of social maneuvering and conflicts. Social conflicts come down to in-character role-playing, plus maybe a single roll: Something like “I try to convince the warlord that what he’s doing is wrong! I roll my Spirit and Persuasion against his Spirit and Willpower!”. You can still “do things” with that roll: You can spend Kiai to get more dice, to lower your difficulty number and get an advantage, etc. But the roll comes down to You vs Them, Most Successes Wins. There’s no “Social Points” or “Station Vitality” to whittle down in social conflicts until one concedes. This seems like a bit of a design flaw, really, and Luke questioned me about it. “This game needs some kind of social conflict and maneuvering system” (perhaps with an undertone of, “Perhaps kind of like the systems that are in all the games I designed, from Burning Wheel to Mouseguard!”). Admittedly, TBZ is about a decade old and all, and stuff like Social Combat is kind of a more recent RPG development. Therefore its lack seems like a flaw, or a Something Missing… until you look a little further. I didn’t even have to go as far as to compare Tenra against other games from FEAR that did have some kind of social maneuvering/extended conflict mechanic , in order to determine that the lack of such a system was a conscious choice. I simply had to Watch More Samurai Movies. I had to think back to all the Zatoichis, all the Hissatsu Shigotonins, all the Mito Komons, all the Baian The Assassins… or over to manga like Blade of the Immortal or Shigurui, or anime, or back to Kabuki Theater: There’s Always a Boss Fight. In fact, there Must Be A Boss Fight. That’s the way the drama works. And that’s the way the game works. The town is on fire, burning all around us. The warlord’s men are slain. He stands before you, sheathed katana at his side. He drops his Boss Speech, then draws his katana. You can reason with the warlord. The princess (PC) can step forward and point her finger and demand that he stand down (with a contested roll). However, true to the fiction, the game will not end with the warlord sheathing his sword and turning himself in (even if that was historically perhaps more accurate). Hell no. 37 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO Why? Because there’s got to be a boss fight. Instead, the princess convinces the warlord that he was wrong. She can destroy his beliefs. She can taunt him, or sympathize with him. She can make him believe that his quest (which in his mind was for a noble goal) was folly and in fact mistaken. But he will still draw his sword and attack. Perhaps instead of “Shut up! I don’t believe you!” (which may have been the result if the princess had failed her social roll), he has tears rolling down his cheeks: Confessing his sins and wrongdoing as he attacks, he says, “But this is all that I am now. I have nothing. I am nothing!” You can still have a quick-roll roleplay and social conflict. It doesn’t mean that the boss fight is avoided, though. It just means that the boss comes into the fight in a different state of mind. And when you defeat the boss, did you kill him? Did you spare him, avoiding that final killing stike (but knocking him out)? That’s up to the players. But first they have to beat the boss in the scenario-ending boss battle. When I explained this to Luke, he nodded his head in complete understanding. The answer was there this whole time in front of us, we just had to think about the story medium to realize it. It’s something to think about when creating a scenario. You can design a game of clever twists and raw role-playing excitement, or a bog-standard but fun Mission Quest (“Go X and Do Y, I demand it!” says the lord). But don’t get past the fact that, be it a baddie NPC, a misguided NPC, or a PC- turned-Asura, just remember: There’s got to be a boss fight. U is for Underwear I used Kickstarter to back Tenra Bansho Zero, and it was an awesome success. I’ve backed a lot of Kickstarter projects, but one of the ones I’m most proud of is “Flint and Tinder” helping start a new underwear company who makes underwear from durable, solid fabric and 100% produced (down to the packaging) in the USA: That’s not jinogism, that’s thinking/ acting local. Plus, the underwear is awesome high quality stuff. I’ve never been so excited to purchase underwear in my life. My 8-year-old self would punch me in the balls with contempt then go back to his GI Joes and LEGOs if he heard me say that. U is also for Usack comma Nikolai My other best friend and hero. Don’t die before I die or I’ll kill you. The world would be a fucking dumb place without you. Cho thumbs up. V is for Video Games So, when I get stressed out at work or whatever, I should really hit the gym. I’d be in rad fucking shape. Instead, I unwind by mostly playing video games. Sometimes I surf the web or read, but mostly it’s video games. At one point, stress was so high that I had gone about a month without touching Tenra (a few weeks at a time was common here and there), I was in a marathon session of... something. Likely at the time another runthrough of Final Fantasy X. I had the thought to make a journal of all the video games I was playing when I should have been working on Tenra or other creative projects (side game ideas, etc). I had a running total in my head, but over time (plus numerous Steam PC game sales) I just totally lost count. I can offer a “catalog list of notable games I played far too much (20+ hours at the very least) when I should have been doing Tenra/creative stuff”, though! PC Borderlands, Borderlands 2. It doesn’t get better than shooting evil in the face for laughs. Thief, Thief 2 and Thief 3. Hard mode. 3 times each. Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Skyrim. Crazy hours at first, quickly tapered off Majesty Gold: That’s about as deep as I go into simulation games, but man it hit the sweet spot. Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale. Never had it in me to unlock all the hidden characters, though. There’s obsession then there’s Obsession. Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike. For almost a decade Counter-Strike was my go-to when I needed to retreat from life, off and on. Team Fortress replaced it eventually. Terraria: Never got into Minecraft that big, but man my world-tree which I designed in Terraria was an object of art. PS2 Final Fantasy X, over and over. Including the Japanese version, and the International Version with the (unfortunate) English voice-overs but the far-better grid system. My favorite of the franchise. Others are free to disagree and cite others as their favorite. That’s fine, the world is big enough for WRONG PEOPLE too! Final Fantasy X-2 at least twice. A wonderful followup. But man, the random encounters. Ugh. SIREN 2: Probably five times. With respect to FFX, Siren 2 is the single best game for the PS2 generation. Unmatched in story, depth, suspense and graphics. Ending is a total “WTF?”, tho. All of the Fatal Frame games. Actually, more accurate to say that I watched my wife Orie go through these games while I sat on the couch clutching a pillow. Someone said they were scarier than Silent Hill, and I laughed at them... until I played the first, and then apologized to them with a low 90 degree bow. Shinobido: Imashime. The best ninja game on console, ever. It’s so disappointing that it never came to North America (EU folks lucked out on that one!). Persona 3. Wow. I played the crap out of Persona 4 as well (and liked some of the rules/system a little more), but the setup, the situation behind Persona 3 is just too rich. It 38 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO quickly became one of my favorite series. It was no surprise I saw a connection between P3 and Tenra, enough of one to create a setting based of the Persona series. Yakuza 1 and 2. Shadow Hearts: Covenant... I actually played before I picked up Tenra. So it technically doesn’t count. But since it was such a long, involved, rich console RPG, I had to give it a mention. Stay away from Shadow Hearts 3, it was shit. PS3 Yakuza Kenzan!, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and right now Yakuza 5 (though I took a break from it for a little while to do things). What an incredible series. Story-wise, I think Yakuza 2 is the strongest, Y3 is the weakest, but Y4 is solid, and Y5 is proving to have the story-mass of a dying star. Yakuza Kenzan was great, though, as it reskinned the series in the age after the Warring States period. A damn shame it never left Japan, never picked up for translation by an international studio. Valkyria Chronicles: The first ever strategy/war game I actually was interested in, enough to dedicate the time required to go through its long and deep story. I put in the hours to finish Final Fantasy XIII (and XII on PS2 for that matter), but man. Letdown. Other Muramasa for (borrowed) Wii. I referenced this in the media section of Tenra. Badass game, great developer, a little repetitive but otherwise awesome. 3D Picross, Style Savvy for Nintendo DS. Great stress- relievers! Man, so glad I never got into MMOs. That could have been the end of it all! W is for Writing I’ve gone back to Japan at least six times since I got the rights to the game, maybe seven. The trip is like 12-16 hours by plane, total “door-to-door” of almost exactly 24 hours. I always bring my laptop or writing materials in order to translate and write, both on the actual travel leg, or in the downtime of my trips (business, personal, etc). Heh, never happens. I dunno, as soon as I sit in the plane I zonk out. Every time I think “I’ll get it done this time, there’s 12+ hours”, every time I crumple and sleep. Anyway, that aside, folks have asked me how much I contributed to the actual writing of the game. Well, I rewrote the thing from scratch, but of course I was basing that on the translation. In short, my own contributions come in the forms of: * Explanatory text: Discussing the very basics of Shinto, Buddhism, “Killing Intent/Ki Presence” etc for folks who have never encountered them and didn’t know the difference. * A lot of rules examples, or expanded text on existing examples. It increased the page count, but reduced confusion. * A lot of expanded explanations or added sentences in the rules books, to add clarification. * Many of the Combat section sidebars, which were learned and forged in actual play. * A lot of expanded text in the Type Zero/Zero Act section, including many of the Emotion matrix examples. * The rules in the scenario section for creating NPCs. In the original game, there was no real advice here, it was expected that GMs created them like players did PCs. But in practice, most GMs simply wrote down the relevant numbers that were important, guessing at strengths, without creating full characters. This disconnect caused some confusion in the Japanese game with new players, and caused a lot of people excited to run the game take pause because of the sheer amount of work to create good NPCs, while their RPG-savvy counterparts were simply ad-libbing the enemy stats to great success. I cut straight to the ad-libbing, but in a structured way. The methodology behind this was pulled largely from reading the enemy/NPC/monster sections of Inoue & Endo’s later games like Alshard. * The entire second half of the Scenario Creation section from Scenario Advice onwards (again, all forged in actual play over the years). * I didn’t write the Against the Tide playset, but commissioned it from talented game writer TS Luikart. Nothing like that existed in the original game, instead it was just a sample scenario. It was a Japanese game for a Japanese audience, no one imagined the difficulty of a foreigner trying to create a Japanese-ish setting from scratch! My contribution in there was simply in adding all the “bullet point questions” at the end of each text section, to get people thinking about how to actually USE the setting. To not memorize it and use it as canon to discuss, but to actually pull parts out and put them into the actual game. * The Glossary, Media Resources (of course), Advice, Setting in a Nutshell, 222 Things to Do, and Names sections were all my own creation for the English translation of the book. * The ordering of archetypes into groups rather than sort- of randomly. * The original sample characters were in the book, but the Roleplay Ideas and Zero Act Ideas for each one was my contribution. Also, the original game didn’t have a sample Ayakashi character, which I found puzzling given all the attention and special character build rules for them. So I added that one at the end. That was “my stuff”. Hope it helped make the game playable! W is also for Whitewashing Am I a professional translator? Well, I’ve translated a lot for money, so I guess so. Although it’s not my core day job, else I’d be a lot faster at it than I am now. “Voice and Flow” is supremely important when making a text easily accessible to a new audience. The text has to flow and not “stutter” (with things like constant obvious grammatical mistakes, constant switching of perspective from 3rd to 1st person, etc); and it should have a voice, or a consistent method in which it speaks to the reader. So interestingly enough, after two solid runthroughs of the text by guys with solid editing (in terms of grammar for both, and one (Grant Chen, credited in the book) had a 39 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO lot of skill with ensuring consistency across the text, asking questions that a reader might ask, and doing some copy- editing) skills, I tossed the text to a friend of mine who had a lot of experience with editing, including for various tabletop role-playing games. He was going to help with a third round of editing, but slammed on the breaks. BUDDY: Andy, um… About the text. It needs a lot of editing. ANDY (ME): Huh. I thought the text was pretty solid, save for the grammatical pieces we missed. What in particular? BUDDY: Well… basically… um… This text needs to be totally rewritten from scratch. ANDY: … … … … … … …wut? BUDDY: From scratch. All of it. Needs to be totally redone in order to be Perfect. QUE ANDY HAVING A STROKE. So after we hashed it out for a bit, my shock and horror turned to “Ooooooooh, so THAT’s what you’re talking about. Yeah, never mind that.” Basically, my friend was coming from a place of Total, Exacting Perfection (for English grammar) for the text. He said that the content was okay, that the organization was fine, that there certainly wasn’t too little and if anything there may be Too Much text and explanation. But what he was concerned about was the grammar. Specifically, the fact that there were some sections--most of them throughout the World/Setting/Characters material where the “voice” of the original authors in Japanese is strongest rather than the Rules sections--that didn’t flow perfectly. A few sentences that seemed stilted. A few sentences that were almost run-on sentences. More than a few places where Passive Voice (“The kingdom was conquered by the Oni” rather than “The Oni conquered the kingdom, etc”) is used. This feedback was great! But I quickly realized something interesting about the text. The text *feels* Japanese! It’s not a stuttering mess of classical Japanese grammatical problems with English ala Engrish and the like (if you’re interested in what that looks like in an RPG, go Google a game setting I wrote called “Take Back of Freedom!” an experiment in this kind of “translation from no source” from a few years ago). But as I went through the text in the original and subsequent translations, I actually did something subconsciously that I later--when it was pointed out by my friend--made a deliberately conscious effort to continue: I preserved the Voice of the original text as much as humanly possible in the English translation. Instead of tearing it down to its raw meaning and reconstructing it back in always-perfect English writing form, I instead made the decision to keep a few of those “telling grammatical choices”: A few run-ons, a few predicate-less sentences, some healthy Passive Voice, etc. In the end, the author of the original Japanese text was, throughout the writing, really giving you the feeling of the sheer largeness of the setting, the sheer awesomeness and limitlessness of the characters and world. I did everything possible to keep that tone while at the same time preserving English grammatical rules so as not to kill the Flow (which would have made the text “Cool” but at the same time “Frustrating to Read”). In other words, I didn’t want to “Whitewash” the text: To remove everything uniquely Japanese about the writing in order to make it fit our classical English literary-form buckets. To keep the essential meaning of the text yet totally sift out the tone because it got in the way. I’ve read some translations of various novels in English that lost the tone to appeal to an English-speaking audience (probably due to a conservative and aggressive editor), and honestly to me the effect ranges from “rubbing me the wrong way” to screaming “this is BULLSHIT!” and throwing the book across the room. Just like the art and setting and rules, the actual writing itself is a unique and distinctively Asian/Japanese piece of work, and I wanted to make sure that showed! I think I did a good job of this. For if nothing else, when I explained this clearly to my friend, the light instantly went on in his head (he’s a huge fan of anime/manga, but just wasn’t “in that zone” when his “English grammar editor cap” was on on his first readthrough), and he totally Got It. He too agreed that whitewashing the text would really deter from the goal of publishing the game. We agreed that while it might give English majors some fits in places (although of course I did my best to ensure that it was as grammatically sound as possible, and flowed as smoothly as possible given the voice/ tone of the text), the only reply to those criticisms--sans the few actual grammatical errors that make their way to print (and to date I have not seen)--is, “That’s the tone of the Japanese authors. Deal with it!” W is also for Whale comma White My White Whale is Slain. Your patronage is proof. ...By the way, you should really try it. Cooked like a steak, it has the extremely soft texture of filet mignon, but with the rich flavor of a ribeye. You can’t get that combination in cowflesh; it’s either the deliciousness of the ribeye, or the super-soft texture (but relative flavorlessness) of filet mignon. Put down the sign, people in Japan eat a fraction of the meat that Americans and Europeans eat. Don’t get me wrong, I was a vegetarian almost a third of my life: But when our own abattoirs slow to 1/10th production, I’ll join you in protest. 40 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO X is for X Batsu! Batsu-Batsu! Baaaaatsu!!! I...Ichi! Ichi! Saaaaafe! Ichi! Saaaaafe! Ichi! Y is for Yellow Submarine This is the name of the chain of stores in Japan which sell tabletop RPGs. There are some that focus on RPGs, others that focus on CCGs, yet others that focus on anime trading/collectible cards, plastic models and airsoft guns. It was the (at the time largest) RPG-shop Yellow Sub in Shinjuku’s west side where I picked up Tenra Bansho Zero back in 2001, and where I’d go back again and again to get more. That is, until they opened an even larger RPG-shop Yellow Sub in Akihabara. That has become one of my go-to places to pick up the latest and greatest games when I return to Japan. The other store that has grabbed my heart is the Role and Roll station, also in Akihabara, only a few years old. They have a great play space, clean but small interior, enthusiastic staff, and the owner or a senior staff member updates the store’s blog DAILY with pictures of the latest news and releases in the store’s RPG, board game and fiction areas. I used to have to scramble all over the net to find out what was coming out and where, and they have it all in one place. Z is for Stop Reading Now We’re done. Thanks for following along! 41 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO 42 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO THIS GAME BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY... Coffee – Lots of it. For a while I switched to Yerba Mate tea (bought online by the 5-pound bag), which is its own majesty: All the effects of coffee without the blood pressure increase, the caffiene ass-kick; it’s caffiene, just in a different chemical form which leads to a gradual rise rather than a kick. But ultimately, I switched back to coffee: Through the magic of the Raleigh/Durham area Japanese community, my wife was able to get an excellent espresso machine for like 50 bucks. Turns out the owner was Takayoshi Sato, the lead artist, CGI director and writer on the games Silent Hill 1 and 2. I tell every fucking body this when I make them their espresso or cappuccino. To date, I haven’t had any powerful hellworld-inspired nightmares, but each sip I have my fingers crossed that Tonight’s The Night. Gunnar Glasses – Holy shit, seriously. I am such an advocate that I ended up contacting Gunnar Optiks to hook me up with demo sets of glasses I could pass around the office (and got a few dozen more people hooked, too). So these are basically self-overhyped computer glasses with a yellow tint marketed as ExXxtreme Gamer Glasses, but they are MAGIC. I was kinda worried that they were snakeoil until I read a compilation of favorable and negative reviews together. Gave them a shot, have worn them pretty much every work day ever since. The slight magnification keeps you from leaning into your monitor (though I wear magnification-less prescription versions). The anti glare does its anti glare thing. But for me, the magic is in the yellow tinting. I can work or game for hours with pretty much zero eyestrain. At work we have a typical heavy flourescent light environment, and between these and something called a “CubeShield” I’ve been able to rock a PC 8-14 hours at work, then come home to do more writing and translation. I’ve got two friends at work who used to get migraines all the time when using the PC, and who have both had them stop completely when using these glasses regularly. Some people don’t get anything out of them, but man, for me they saved my eyes, kept me in computer work, and kept me productive. Kitties – Yuki, Maya, Nacchi. Mostly Maya, she’s the one who sits near me when I write or hangs out with us when we game. Hearts of Space – I’ve got a yearly subscription to www.hos.com. I love ambient/space music, it’s the perfect background music for me when I work: I just can’t listen to anything with lyrics when I’m trying to work or translate, and even a strong techno beat can be distracting (I dunno, it’s just me). If you don’t want to buy in hard, check out the iPhone app that gives you access to the weekly program. Favorite programs to date: My fave list has 039, 464, 545, 552, 571, 593, 750, 769, 782, 862, 867, 871 (Sakura!), 878, 879, 885, 890, 894, 906, 909, 910, 911, 932. Got everything from space to melancholic to asian to otherworldly. While my music taste ranges all over the board (usually electronic, experimental, soul, metal and hip-hop), so called “Space Music” is my Work Tunes. IceKey Keyboard- Typing, typing, typing, typing all day at work and home. Even though I use a PC at home, I’ve used Macally’s IceKey keyboard with it for... wow, about 11 years now (on my third). Super light touch with a tiny bit of resistance, so much better for my style than rigid keys or the no-resistance of the newer Mac keyboards (plus those keyboards have keys that are a tad too small, too crushed together). Choice! AirOBic Mouse – Years ago I was actually worried that my tendinitis (not really carpal, just in my “mouse hand”) was going to make me leave or re-evaluate my computer career. In constant wrist pain, my doctor basically gave me the “Computer User Bowling Glove” and that was it. Then my friend showed me his “Quill Mouse” (later remanufactured and remarketed with the kind of silly name “AirOBic”) and let me use it for a few days. It took me an hour to get used to the mouse. Within three hours my tendinitis went away and stayed away. Works so well that I can use this AirOBic mouse at work, and then come home and play crazy amounts of Team Fortress or Borderlands or whatever using a regular mouse, and my hands will be fine. This thing was a miracle, both a wrist and career-saver. I thought it was kinda pricey, though, so I tested out like 5 alternative ergonomic mice (trackballs, stick-mice, upright mice, etc). Then I returned each and bought the AirOBic/Quill Mouse. That was 8 years ago, it’s served me ever since. 43 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO Aeron Chair - If you work in front of a desk, you’re gonna be at that thing like up to a quarter of the day, every day. That’s a lot of time. Getting a chair that will be extremely comfortable yet support you is critical. I bought mine (one for home, one for work) on eBay way back when I was shit-poor, but it was worth it. Beds, chairs, eyeglasses, stuff you’re going to use for hours every single day, it’s worth spending a little extra to prevent your body from being mangled up, eyes ruined, daily exhaustion, etc. The aeron chair is kind of the standard for work chair excellence. I got tuned into them back when I worked at a company that sounds like “SchmAOL-Time Schmwarner Cable” as a cable modem support guy, one of my first tech jobs upon returning to the US from Japan. The place was a fucking tomb of humanity and careers, but even us barely-above-minimum-wage hosers all were sitting in aeron chairs. Let me tell you, the reason that we could remain so calm and collected while dealing with the most stupid of stupid customers? That supporting, comfortable work chair. It probably prevented suicides and riots. It’s the epitome of “things that startup companies buy” (and in fact I got my first two on eBay from collapsing dotcoms in Houston: “Hey want a fussball table too? We’ll throw it in.” “UHNOTHANKYOU.”), but they’re not just some asshole status symbol, they really are (for me anyway) the perfect intersection of support and comfort. Aikido, Yoga, The Gym – Sitting in front of a computer all day isn’t healthy. If it weren’t for going to aikido or yoga... yikes. Mind and body aren’t two separate things, if you want to keep your mind healthy you have to keep at your body as well. Internet folks (like me!) tend to forget that. Most of my bursts of insane creativity usually come within 0-2 hours of visiting the gym. Orie – My wife. Uh, I could just start writing and not stop like ever, so I’ll just say that she’s awesome all over. 44 http://www.tenra-rpg.com/ TENRA BANSHO ZERO T his book was made beautiful from ugly by Jerry D Grayson (www.hellasrpg.com) This document’s art primarily consists of art submitted by players and fans. Thank you all! Some of the art was pulled from the original TBZ books, please see credits there. Submissions from: 16, 31 S Hagen kakuboi.deviantart.com 26 Robert Burson coyotegrey.deviantart.com 17 Cary “Tetsu” Watson 2, 13, 19, 25 Craig “Shiro Kuro”Judd 27 TheFIN hyakujihigh.net 9 Eric_H dudereno.deviantart.com 29, Inside Back Cover Glharmon 5, 8, 30, 43, 44 Tebs Yap 45 Director’s Notes TENRA BANSHO ZERO

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21 U rodziłem się na pięć lat przed wybuchem wojny. Kiedy zaczęło się piekło, byłem małym przerażonym dzieciakiem. Niewiele pamiętam z tamtych lat, w zasadzie tylko strach. Pamiętam straszny bałagan i przerażenie. Potem nasta- ły długie lata wojny. Dorastałem na południu, potem ruszyłem na północ wal- czyć z Molochem, teraz, po dobrych piętnastu latach zmagań jestem już zmęczony. Wracam na południe, tam żyje się lżej... 22 Świat Dzisiejszy świat to ruina i rozpacz. Gdzie się odwrócisz tam widać ruiny i złomo- wiska. Wzdłuż autostrad stoją wraki dawnych samochodów, poprzewracane kikuty drogowskazów i zniszczone li- nie wysokiego napięcia. Raz na jakiś czas natkniesz się na opuszczone sta- cje benzynowe, stare, doszczętnie znisz- czone bary i przydrożne knajpki. Wszystkie one wyglądają, jak gdyby właściciel wyszedł na chwilę i zniknął na dwadzieścia lat. Wybite okna, drzwi wyrwane z zawiasów, ściany poprzeci- nane seriami z broni automatycznej. Tylko wiatr wyje jak dawniej, uderza- jąc rozbitymi okiennicami. Okolicą nie- sie się wtedy skrzypienie od lat nie naoliwionych zawiasów. Wszędzie rdza i kurz. Pod nogami masz rozbite szkło, gdziekolwiek skierujesz swe kroki. Dziś spotkać człowieka jeśli nie mieszkasz w ruinach jednego z miast, to wydarzenie. Po wojnie świat stał się pusty. Nieprzyjemnie cichy, jak mówią ludzie, którzy pamiętają Stany sprzed wojny, cichy i opuszczony. Dawniej au- tostradami mknęły szybkie wozy, z każdej strony dobywała się głośna mu- zyka, i gdzie się nie odwróciłeś, zawsze napatoczyła się niezła panienka. Dziś, jeśli dobrze się obrócisz, trafisz na mutanta, lub dzikie zwierzę. Niezłe laski, szybkie wozy i dobra muzyka ode- szły w zapomnienie i już nigdy nie wrócą. Miasta Największe miasta Stanów dostały dużą porcję ognia i runęły. Dziś to tylko ru- iny zamieszkane przez resztki dawnych mieszkańców. Ludzie żyją tam jak szczury na wysypisku śmieci, myszku- ją pomiędzy budowlami, strzegą swych ciemnych nor i walczą o najcenniejsze dobra. W miastach jest najwięcej rozbi- tego szkła, możesz spacerować godzina- mi i być pewnym, że będzie ci chrzęści- ło pod butami. Chyba ludzie nie zdawali sobie sprawy z tego, jak dużo szyb ich otaczało. Teraz to wszystko leży, przy- walone zwałami betonu i cegieł. Spod zwałów budowli wystają wraki samo- chodów, i pozostałości dawnej infra- struktury. Możesz trafić na znaki świetl- ne, hydranty, czy kable linii energe- tycznej. Większość z miast ma swoje centra, wielokrotnie nie mające nic wspólnego z dawnymi centrami i usytuowane w zupełnie innej części miasta. Centrum poznasz po tym, że jest wysprzątane, tam akurat nic nie chrzęści pod buta- mi. Z reguły znajdziesz tam targ, kilka knajp, czy stację benzynową. Centrum jest odgruzowane, nie ma tam zbyt wie- lu wraków, czy innego złomu. W niektó- rych miastach są nawet sklepy we- wnątrz budynków, porządne, jak za dawnych dobrych czasów. Warto tam wpaść i coś kupić, dla samej satysfak- cji zakupów. Przyjemne uczucie, uwierz mi. 23 W miastach częściej słychać ludzki głos, często ujadanie psów, czy strzały z broni. Czasem ktoś gra, i dostaje za to niezłą kupę gambli, czasem leci radio, włączone gdzieś, w którejś z nor. W mia- stach jest życie. Ludzie Ludzie zmienili się, tak mówią ci, któ- rzy pamiętają dawne czasy. No cóż, nie trzeba pamiętać dawnych czasów, by o tym wiedzieć. Wojna zmieniła wszyst- ko, także nas. Kilka lat temu rozmawiałem ze star- szym mężczyzną, miał prawie sześćdzie- siąt lat. Dobrze się trzymał. Był nauczy- cielem w Chicago, nim powstał Moloch. Bardzo mądry człowiek. Wieczór z nim był tysiąc razy bardziej interesujący i wartościowy niż wycieczka z Tornado. Brałeś już Tornado? Jeszcze ci o nim opowiem. Mężczyzna, Kevin mu było, opowiadał, że dawniej ludzie byli bar- dziej do siebie podobni. System eduka- cji, wymogi społeczne, kultura, wresz- cie telewizja i sieć, wybijały ludzi jak ze sztancy. Pewnie, nie każdy był taki sam, ale gdy spotykałeś jakiegoś czło- wieka, wiedziałeś, czego się po nim spo- dziewać. Dziś nic nie wiesz. Napotkany wędrowiec może być psy- chopatą, który odrąbie ci łeb siekierą, lub biologiem, szukającym szczepionki na jedną z paskudnych chorób zesła- nych na nas przez Molocha. Kevin po- wiedział mi: „Dawniej było społeczeń- stwo. Dziś to nawet nie jest stado...”. Każde miasto, przez lata odcięcia od in- nych wykształciło inne zwyczaje i pra- wa, każda wieś to zupełnie nowy świat. Wszyscy jesteśmy o wiele bardziej ostrożni i zamknięci, nie ma serdeczno- ści i radości. Już nikt nie pyta jak ci leci. Dziś pyta się skąd jesteś. Staliśmy się nieufni i agresywni. Tak bronimy się przed strachem przed nieznanym. Dziś każdy człowiek jest dla drugie- go czymś nieznanym. Życie Wbrew temu, co powiedziałem przed chwilą, życie większości z tych, którzy przetrwali wygląda podobnie. Trudnimy się zbieractwem, jedni na większą ska- lę, inni na mniejszą. Kevin opowiadał mi jak było dawniej i wyjaśnił dlaczego dziś nasze życie tak bardzo się zmieni- ło. Dawniej miałeś pracę. Ktoś był kio- skarzem, inny wykładowcą, inny ma- klerem. Każdy dostawał pensję, kupo- wał żonie kwiatki, a dzieciakom czeko- ladki. Gdy się zestarzał, dbało o niego państwo, dostawał pensję od prezyden- ta Stanów. Dasz wiarę? Każdy starzec był na utrzymaniu głowy państwa. Ameryka musiała być naprawdę wspa- niałym, bogatym państwem. Dziś nikt nie ma pracy, pensji, spo- koju. Każdego dnia na nowo musisz wy- walczyć sobie chleb i leki. Staliśmy się kupcami, choć częściej nazywamy sie- bie zbieraczami. Wstajesz rano i prze- szukujesz ruiny, szukając czegoś war- tościowego. Tam wciąż jest niewiarygod- nie dużo wspaniałych przedmiotów. Jak szczury spędzamy całe godziny poszu- kując i zbierając. Potem ukrywamy znaleziska w norach i czekamy, by wy- mienić je na ciepłe ubrania, tabletki, czy cokolwiek innego. Zbieractwo i handel, to całe współczesne życie. Bogatsi nie zbierają gambli, lecz mają własne sklepy, czy choć stoiska i żyją z handlu. Niektórzy, choć ich jest niewie- lu żyją sprzedając swe umiejętności. Mechanicy, lekarze, szczególnie denty- ści, zarabiają kupę gambli nie ruszając się nawet w kierunku ruin. Dziś wiedza jest równie cenna jak przed wojną. Mądry człowiek zawsze, w każdym świe- cie będzie żył godnie. Są i tacy, którzy żyją z przestępstwa. Czasem mam wrażenie, że ich jest naj- 24 więcej. Ilość gangów i grup bandziorów działających w Stanach jest ogromna. Ich życie toczy się wokół przemocy, bro- ni, chaosu. Ich dzień codzienny to na- pad, wymuszenie, to szaleńcze rajdy po pustych ulicach i autostradach. Podróże Poszczególne miasta są od siebie odcię- te. Podróże są rzadkie i bardzo niebez- pieczne. Praktycznie nie istnieje coś takiego jak wymiana informacji. Więk- szość ludzi woli mieszkać w swych no- rach, choćby i najbardziej zatęchłych i nie ruszać w pustkę. Dziś podróże to wędrówka w pustkę właśnie, bo gdzież podróżować. Na mapie Stanów ostało się kilka miast, kilkanaście większych mia- steczek i setki, tysiące osad. Skąd wie- dzieć, na co trafisz? W knajpach zbyt często opowiada się mrożące historie o sektach, szaleńcach, kanibalach. Ru- szysz sto mil i znajdziesz się samotny, jak rozbitek na falach oceanu. Gdziekol- wiek się skierujesz czeka cię niewiado- ma, i niebezpieczeństwo. Łatwiej dziś znaleźć kłopoty, niż przyjazną dusze. Autostrady i dawne drogi stanowe są oczywiście wciąż uczęszczane. Nie brak awanturników i łowców przygód, ludzi odważnych, niespokojnych duchów, czy ściganych przez prawo złoczyńców. Przy- drożne knajpy, choć rzadkie, zawsze są pełne najprzeróżniejszych osobistości. Każdy, kogo spotkasz w takiej splunie to bohater ciekawej historii. Są tam łow- cy mutantów, są gangsterzy, kurierzy i wielu innych. Każdy z nich, podróżni- ków to człowiek gotowy rzucić wszyst- ko w kilka sekund, nie mają domu, zbyt wielu przyjaciół i żadnych sentymen- tów. Są gotowi walczyć o życie, są goto- wi życie odbierać. Podróżując przez Stany będziesz prze- mierzał tysiące mil pustyni i pustki wypełnionej mutantami, dzikimi zwie- rzętami, polami radiacji i terenami klę- ski ekologicznej. Gdzieś, prędzej czy później napotkasz jeden z setek gan- gów lub maszyn Molocha. Sam nie wiem co gorsze... Legendy Słyszałeś legendy o Molochu? Moloch nie jest legendą, w przeciwieństwie do wie- lu innych, krążących w knajpach opo- wieści. Kiedy padła telewizja, zniknęły gazety i książki, ludzie powrócili do ustnego przekazywania wieści. Tak na- rodziły się legendy. Nie wiem jak i kiedy to się stało, ale w pewnym momencie ludzie zatracili poczucie rzeczywistości. Historie, które opowiadano w barach stały się coraz ciekawsze i barwniejsze. W końcu zu- pełnie zatraciły kontakt z prawdą. Tak powstały legendy, opowieści, które opo- wiada się w barach, rzadko prawdziwe, często przekolorowane, zawsze przycią- gające uwagę słuchaczy. Nikt nie zarzuci drugiemu, że opowiada bajki, bo wszy- scy wiedzą, że to bajka. Ważne tylko, czy interesująca. Wesoły zabójca, Atomowy ksiądz, dzikie bestie prawdopodobnie są tylko wymysłem ludzkiej wyobraźni. Nigdy nie spotkałem żadnego z nich, może za wyjątkiem kilku dzikich zwierząt. Le- gendy żyją w sercach słuchaczy, jedy- ne zaś gdzie można ich spotkać to knaj- piany bar. Moloch Skoro już wspomniałem o Molochu, niech będzie. Opowiem i o nim. Byłem pod Molochem, widziałem go. Moloch to ziemie należące do zbuntowanych ma- szyn. Rozciągają się na terenie kilku- nastu stanów i nieustannie rozrastają się na południe. Moloch rozbudowuje się zajmując kolejne miasta i zakłady prze- mysłowe. Każda fabryka, elektrownia jest zdobywana przez jego wojska i włą- 25 czana w sieć. Wyobrażasz to sobie? Że- lazna pajęczyna utkana z kabli, prze- wodów, czasem żelaznych rur, czasem nawet kursujących robotów. Punktami sieci są najważniejsze zakłady i mia- steczka okolicy. Moloch wokół nich bu- duje swoje bazy, które z każdym rokiem pęcznieją i stają się coraz bardziej obce i niepodobne do niczego. Punkty sieci przypominają koszmar science fiction. Wiesz, co to science fiction? Moloch trochę przypomina archipe- lag złomowisk przynajmniej tak wy- glądał przez lornetkę. Wokół roztacza- ją się kłęby spalin i dymu. Możesz go wyczuć na sporo ponad sto mil, wpierw drżenie pod nogami, potem smuga cie- nia i wreszcie smród. Kiedy wleziesz na jakieś wzgórze, by go dostrzec, będziesz stał osłupiały przez kilka godzin. Nie będziesz mógł uwierzyć. Naprawdę, dziw, że ziemia się pod nim nie zarwała. Moloch powstał w dniu buntu ma- szyn, kiedy wybuchła wojna, jest ma- nifestacją siły komputerów i maszyn. Dziś zajmuje już sporo ponad czwartą część Stanów. Tam, na północy prowa- dzimy z nim wojnę. Brałem w niej udział. Jest okrutna i krwawa, walka z robotami jest prawdziwym horrorem. Ekologia Mówiąc w skrócie, wygląda tu jak w piekle. Jest sucho i duszno. Na południu jeszcze da się żyć, ale im bardziej na północ tym gorzej. Każda kropla wody jaką tam znajdziesz będzie zatruta. Każdy kawał zieleniny ma w sobie wię- cej trujących substancji niż paliwo mojego Buicka. Jeśli spotkasz tam zwie- rzę, na pewno jest głodne i wściekłe. Północ wygląda jak pole bitwy. Do cho- lery! To jest pole bitwy! Moloch rozpieprzył cały ekosystem. Nie bawił się w gierki, poszedł na ostro. Zatruł każdy zbiornik, jaki był w jego zasięgu. Rzekami popłynęło takie gów- no, jakiego moi starzy nie mieli nawet w klopie. I świat się sypnął. Zdechło wszyst- ko, co nie było dość silne by się wyco- fać. Został piach. Północne Stany są obszarem ekolo- gicznej katastrofy, nie da się tam żyć. O wiele lepiej jest na południu, tam przy- roda trzyma się całkiem dobrze i po drobnych kłopotach, trzydzieści lat temu, kiedy Moloch zaatakował chemią, jest już całkiem dobrze. Można żyć nie sypiając z licznikiem Geigera i nie trze- ba odkażać każdej kropli. Jest taki facet, Lotka na niego mówią, wiesz, mó- wił mi, że przeleciał blisko Molocha na swojej mo- tolotni. Niewiele widział, ale napstrykał mnóstwo zdjęć. Nie widziałem ich. Nikt kogo spotkałem ich nie widział. A jednak Lotka twierdzi, że te zdjęcia to fakt i że widać na nich Molocha z góry. I że jak dopadnie tego sukinkota, który zwinął mu fotki... Chodzi o to, że Moloch zamontował w siebie kilkaset wyrzutni rakiet i czego tam jesz- cze. Jest największym czołgiem w historii świata. I wiesz co? Lotka twierdził, że na zdjęciach wy- raźnie było widać, że działa celują w niebo. Gów- no na tych zdjęciach byłoby widać w tym smogu nawet własnej reki nie dojrzysz. Ale Lotka zarze- ka się. Moloch boi się bombardowania. Rozwali- my go z góry. Mam nawet plan... Lotka jest zdro- wo walnięty. 26 Gamble Jak już wspominałem, życie toczy się wokół zbieractwa i handlu. Miarą są gamble, to ile masz gambli, oznacza na jakie leki cię stać, i czy zjesz ciepły posiłek w najbliższej knajpie, czy bę- dziesz musiał się zadowolić sucharami na kawie. Ja sam nienawidzę gambli, nie mam do tego głowy i zawsze wydaje mi się, że jestem robiony w wała. Jeżdżąc po kraju odnajdziesz miejsca, w których wartość poszczególnych towarów jest to- talnie zachwiana. W jednym miejscu wysoko cenią benzynę, gdzie indziej naj- cenniejsze są kukurydziane chrupki. Gdzieś spotkasz gościa, który za zega- rek odda ci wóz, gdzie indziej trafisz na faceta, ,który ma po kilka zegarków na rękach i nogach. Nigdy nie wiem, ile warty jest kufel browca. Doprowadza mnie to do pasji. Nawet nie wiem, czy stać mnie na to by urżnąć się w trupa. Niemniej znam więcej niż kilku fra- jerów, których gambling rajcuje. Cwa- niaki. Zagadają cię na śmierć, wcisną kit i wywiną kota do góry nogami. Wmówią ci, że to czego najbardziej ci trzeba to ciśnieniomierz, zaś kompas to najmniej przydatny przedmiot współ- czesnego świata, są przecież gwiazdy, na diabła ci kompas?! Jeden taki skubaniec raz mnie tak zakręcił, że faktycznie od- dałem mu moją busolę i jeszcze dołoży- łem tubkę ruskiego kleju. Dopiero nad ranem połapałem się, że mnie wyruchał. Dopadłem go po ponad tygodniu pości- gu. To chyba jedyny raz, kiedy zarobi- łem na handlowaniu. Zabrałem mu wóz, shotguna i komplet śrubokrętów. I wla- łem mu. Obiecał już nigdy nikomu nie zabierać kompasów. Tornado Największe zamieszanie jest z handlem Tornado. Narkotyk osiąga najprzeróż- niejsze wartości. Cóż, trudno się dziwić, w zadupiach jest trudno dostępny, a zarazem ludziska dosłownie pękają z chęci zażycia kilku działek. W miastach i większych skupiskach ludzkich Tor- nado jest o wiele łatwiej dostępne. Tornado to najpopularniejszy narko- tyk świata, dzięki któremu, w narko- tycznych snach można przenieść się do świata sprzed wojny. Czarne tabletki dosłownie zalewają rynek, i wraz z upły- wem lat rzucają w otchłań nałogu ko- lejne grupy straceńców. Myślę, że Tor- nado jest na medalowym, trzecim miej- scu w konkurencji gnojenia ludzkości. Plasuje się za Molochem i mutantami. Ostatnio chyba jest nawet bardziej sku- teczne niż mutanci. Długo, by jeszcze opowiadać. Nie masz czasu, co? Młody jesteś, chcesz ruszać na autostrady, poczuć wolność i przy- godę, mam rację? Czeka cię wiele przy- gód to pewne. Dzisiejszy świat dla niko- go nie jest obojętny, dla każdego znaj- dzie się coś ciekawego. Każdy z nas znaj- dzie tu swój los. Ruszaj. Więcej o świecie dowiesz się później, przy kolejnej okazji. Powodze- nia.

textdata/thevault/Neuroshima [PL]/Neuroshima - swiat.pdf

Map of the Region 1 hex = 2 miles. Key FARM FOREST HILLS MOUNTAINS NATURAL BRIDGE SWAMP TELLURINE MONASTERY DINING HALL KITCHENS STAIRS LEADING DOWN THE HILLSIDE FOYER MAIN PATH LEADING DOWN THE HILLSIDE First Floor SMALL TOWER BASEMENT THE MONKS’ APARTMENTS AND CLOSETS SMALL TOWER LIBRARY Second Floor SMALL TOWER LIBRARY Third Floor STAIRS TO SECOND FLOOR READING ROOM Fourth Floor Key Halls = about four feet wide. CELL BARS RIVER STAIRS STATUE CELL CELL CELL UP TO MONASTERY 1 2 3 4 5 6 CAVE OF BLOOD SACRIFICE 7 8 9 10 Key 1 square = 5 feet. 1 RITUAL CHAMBER 2 3 4 5 6 1. INITIAL CAVERN 4. LARGEST CAVE 2. ESMERELDA’S CAVE 5. DEQUINCY’S CAVE 3. LADY ARGENT’S CAVE 6. MANDALAR’S CAVE LABORATORY Map of the Region 1 hex = 2 miles. Key FARM FOREST HILLS MOUNTAINS NATURAL BRIDGE SWAMP TELLURINE MONASTERY

textdata/thevault/Labyrinth Lord/Labyrinth Lord Adventures & Settings/Red Box Vancouver (LL, DW)/RK2 Evil Wizards in a Cave Maps (LL, DW).pdf

THE PATRON In the golden age of legend, they had industries. A boss might have a crew of 100? No, larger. A crew of 1,000? No, larger still. A crew of 100,000? A million? Shit, a million? Now you’ve named a boss worth naming. He burps and farts and whole cities rise and fall, whole peoples feast or groan and go hungry, whole nations prosper or gut themselves into ruin. An operator of old could gig across continents and spend across them too. Chains of biz locked the whole earth to the whole sea to the whole sky, and if you found yourself in foreign burn flats or foreign rag wastes among the utmost unfamiliar strangers, shake jingle in your hand and they will recognize the same sound. Now, here, in this Apocalypse World, no gigs cross continents. Nothing does. Now, here, someone shakes jingle in their hand, and you know the sound only if you know the hand doing the shaking. USE IN PLAY Print this playbook supplement out and bring it to the table. Choose v1 (p1–2), v2 (p3–4), or v3 (p5–6). As a player, you can bring the patron into play during character creation, or during play as one of your advances. Either way, show it to the MC and make sure she knows how it works and what you’re up to. As MC, you can give the patron to a player of your choice during character creation, or at any time during play, freely, if it seems right. You can also offer it as an advance for someone to choose instead. PATRON A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT APOCALYPSE WORLD APOCALYPSE WORLD The Patron v1 a Playbook Supplement ©2017 by Meguey Baker & D.Vincent Baker THE V1 THE PATRON V1 A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT The world’s psychic maelstrom has taken an active and surprisingly personal interest in your doings, in the form of a bizarre patron. Choose 1: Your patron is a wolf of the maelstrom. If the child-thing is in play, ask that player what the wolves of the maelstrom are like. Otherwise, create them yourself, using the rules below. Your patron appears as a mysterious, ambiguous child, sometimes real, sometimes hallucinatory. Tell the MC to create your patron as a perversion of birth, and to put it on the threat map in the “out” octant, on the “nearer” side of the line. Furthermore, if the child-thing is in play, get with that player. Your patron also hears the mother’s heartbeat. Your patron appears as a large, lazy, inquisitive scuridae, genus marmota. It’s visible to you, but no one else can see it, at least without opening their brain. Tell the MC that your patron represents the world’s psychic landscape as its agent, and to create it as a threat accordingly. At the beginning of the session, roll+weird. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 anyway. No matter what you roll, the MC holds 1 against you. At the beginning of the session, you can choose to spend 1 of your hold to have your patron give you 1-barter or 2-barter to spend toward your lifestyle, your choice which. During the session, any time you read a person or read a situation, you can choose to spend 1 of your hold to tell the MC that your patron is there, though invisible to anyone but you, or perhaps not present at all, only whispering into your brain, but to ask her “what is my patron doing? What does my patron say?” Your patron can offer you guidance, warning, opinions, advice, or insight, from their own point of view, and from the world’s psychic maelstrom’s as well. During the session, at any time of her choosing, the MC can spend 1 hold against you to have your patron appear to you and tell you what they’d like you to do. If you do it, you mark experience, but if you refuse to do it, your patron erases one of your stat highlights for the rest of the session, exactly as though they’d seduced or manipulated you and hit the roll with a 10+. THE WOLVES OF THE MAELSTROM Your patron is a wolf of the maelstrom. They seem human, but under their disguise, like all of the maelstrom’s wolves, they look like (choose 1): people birds beasts insects angels shadows machines But (choose 2): they have no faces they don’t stand on the ground they have human faces they make terrible grinding noises they have wolves’ faces they are made of metal and plastic they have empty holes for eyes they have awful voices they have no expression they come and go impossibly they’re dripping gore they’re invisible they only howl Tell the MC the above. Tell her to create your patron as a perversion of birth and to put them on the threat map anywhere on the “nearer” side of the line. You can remind the MC that she has hold to spend against you whenever you like. You may find it in your interest to do so. At the end of the session, if the MC still has hold against you, she chooses 1: • Your patron is delighted with what you’ve done, despite giving you no instructions. The MC spends 1 hold against you now and you mark experience. • Your patron found no use for you, and wonders whether you can be of service after all. The MC keeps her hold against you and carries it over into the next session. If any session ends with the MC still holding 3 against you, your patron abandons you for good. THE PATRON In the golden age of legend, they had industries. A boss might have a crew of 100? No, larger. A crew of 1,000? No, larger still. A crew of 100,000? A million? Shit, a million? Now you’ve named a boss worth naming. He burps and farts and whole cities rise and fall, whole peoples feast or groan and go hungry, whole nations prosper or gut themselves into ruin. An operator of old could gig across continents and spend across them too. Chains of biz locked the whole earth to the whole sea to the whole sky, and if you found yourself in foreign burn flats or foreign rag wastes among the utmost unfamiliar strangers, shake jingle in your hand and they will recognize the same sound. Now, here, in this Apocalypse World, no gigs cross continents. Nothing does. Now, here, someone shakes jingle in their hand, and you know the sound only if you know the hand doing the shaking. USE IN PLAY Print this playbook supplement out and bring it to the table. Choose v1 (p1–2), v2 (p3–4), or v3 (p5–6). As a player, you can bring the patron into play during character creation, or during play as one of your advances. Either way, show it to the MC and make sure she knows how it works and what you’re up to. As MC, you can give the patron to a player of your choice during character creation, or at any time during play, freely, if it seems right. You can also offer it as an advance for someone to choose instead. PATRON A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT APOCALYPSE WORLD APOCALYPSE WORLD The Patron v2 a Playbook Supplement ©2017 by Meguey Baker & D.Vincent Baker THE V2 These NPCs don’t offer any blanket bonuses or mechanical benefits, but you may be able to incorporate them into your moves. When you do, if you call upon their strengths—when you use the furtive and violent one to go aggro on someone, for instance, or when you open your brain while in deep conversation with the broken and wandering one—the MC can choose to give you +1 to the roll. Some of them might also, at the MC’s option, give you access to augury or insight. If you spend only 1-barter on your lifestyle at the beginning of a session, or none, then once during the session, the MC can choose one of the above NPCs and have them come around, angling for scratch. MC, choose 1: • They’re furious that you promised them your patronage and let them down. • They’re desperate; if you don’t pay them, their shit will go bad. • They’re jealous, convinced that someone else has gotten hold of the scratch that’s theirs by presumed right. • They figure that the well’s dry, and they’re here to make sure they’ve gotten everything out of you that there is to get. • They’ve got another patron lined up, but they’ll give you a last chance if you’re still materially interested. • They know things about your business that your enemies would like to learn, and have decided to use them to extort you. THE PATRON V2 A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT You’re the patron. You like to spread your jingle around when you’ve got it, and you like people to jump and come running when you crook your finger. If you spend 2-barter on your lifestyle at the beginning of a session, then once during the session, you can make the following move: Crook your finger: when you want someone to come running, roll+cool. On a 10+, choose one of the following NPCs. On a 7–9, narrow it down to the three you’d prefer, and the MC chooses one from among them. On a miss, the MC chooses one freely. Whichever NPC it is, they come running, eager to please you. Choose from these NPCs: • Someone skilled with their hands and brute tools, a worker in scrap and rivets who can make something striking. • Someone broken and wandering, a seer of antiquity and of lost things, babbler of impossible truth. • A dancer, an artist of bodies in motion who can captivate eyes and hearts. • Someone touched with insights and arcane skills, who can repair or improvise devices weird and hi-tech. • Someone devoted to you beyond thought, sense, or reason, who will stand in death’s way for you. • Someone brazen and fearless, who will go among your enemies and proclaim your name, words, and will. • Someone beautiful and still, stately, with a rich voice, watchful and elevating. • Someone furtive and violent, who will undertake to kill for you. • Someone who’s been in love with you from a distance, who’ll do whatever you say in order to get close to you. • Someone who has been intimate with your enemies, who knows their mind. It’s the MC’s job to name them, naturally, and to create them as threats if they survive and stick around. THE PATRON In the golden age of legend, they had industries. A boss might have a crew of 100? No, larger. A crew of 1,000? No, larger still. A crew of 100,000? A million? Shit, a million? Now you’ve named a boss worth naming. He burps and farts and whole cities rise and fall, whole peoples feast or groan and go hungry, whole nations prosper or gut themselves into ruin. An operator of old could gig across continents and spend across them too. Chains of biz locked the whole earth to the whole sea to the whole sky, and if you found yourself in foreign burn flats or foreign rag wastes among the utmost unfamiliar strangers, shake jingle in your hand and they will recognize the same sound. Now, here, in this Apocalypse World, no gigs cross continents. Nothing does. Now, here, someone shakes jingle in their hand, and you know the sound only if you know the hand doing the shaking. USE IN PLAY Print this playbook supplement out and bring it to the table. Choose v1 (p1–2), v2 (p3–4), or v3 (p5–6). As a player, you can bring the patron into play during character creation, or during play as one of your advances. Either way, show it to the MC and make sure she knows how it works and what you’re up to. As MC, you can give the patron to a player of your choice during character creation, or at any time during play, freely, if it seems right. You can also offer it as an advance for someone to choose instead. PATRON A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT APOCALYPSE WORLD APOCALYPSE WORLD The Patron v3 a Playbook Supplement ©2017 by Meguey Baker & D.Vincent Baker THE At the beginning of play, you have grace+2 with your patron. At the beginning of each session, your patron provides 1-barter toward your lifestyle. You can spend additional barter of your own toward it too, if you choose. Then ask the MC to choose 1: • Your patron is occupied with other things and isn’t thinking about you at all. You get -1grace with them, to a minimum of grace-2. • Your patron is occupied with other things but thinks of you with satisfaction. You get +1grace with them, to a maximum of grace+3. • Your patron lets you know that they expect what they expect. If you make good during the session, you get +1grace with them, to a maximum of grace+3. Otherwise, you’ve denied them something, as below. • Your patron lets you know that they expect something unusual from you this time. MC, say what it is. If you make good during the session, you get +1grace with them, to a maximum of grace+3. Otherwise, you’ve denied them something, as below. • Your patron shows off your goods or brags about you to their friends and/or rivals. MC, note that the affliction:custom of the PC’s fame spreads. When you deny your patron something, whether it’s what they asked for at the beginning of the session or anything else, roll+grace. On a 10+, they accept your denial without rancor. On a 7–9, they’re frustrated and disappointed, and you get -1grace with them, to a minimum of grace-2. On a miss, you get -1grace with them, to a minimum of grace-2, and they’re enraged; tell the MC that they’ll act to enforce their demand upon you. When you ask your patron to do something for you that is within their power, roll+grace. On a 10+, they do it. On a 7–9, they do it, but you get -1grace with them, to a minimum of grace-2. On a miss, you get -1grace with them for asking, to a minimum of grace-2, and the MC decides whether they do it or not. If you’d like to end your relationship with your patron, you may. It counts as denying them something, and only works if they accept it. THE PATRON V3 A PLAYBOOK SUPPLEMENT You have an NPC patron who supports you, to whom you are beholden. Who are they? Choose 1: Goscar the Krill, stubby and severe. Tell the MC that Goscar the Krill is a grotesque:cannibal, and to put them on the threat map anywhere on the “nearer” side of the line. Sad Marney, a traveling merchant and eager middle-man. Tell the MC that Sad Marney is a grotesque:disease vector, their souped-up airstream trailer is a vehicle:cagey bastard, and to put them on the threat map anywhere in one of the cardinal directions, with an arrow to show the direction they’re currently moving. Opa 1, through whose fingers jingle falls. Tell the MC that Opa 1 is a brute:sybarite, and to put them on the threat map anywhere on the “nearer” side of the line. Tell the MC to create your fame as an affliction:custom, and that your patron has it. What does your patron expect from you in return for their support? Choose one or more: Your violent protection. Your art. Diversion & entertainment. Access to your friends. Invitation to your parties. Your expertise. First pick of your spoils. Gossip. Your willing assistance. Your memories. Other: Other: GRACE

textdata/thevault/Apocalypse World (PbtA) [multi]/2nd Edition/Playbooks-Suplements/Apocalypse World 2e - Patreon Playbooks/ThePatron.pdf

CHARACTER SHEET TALENTS NAME Faction Ranged damage Bonus Melee DaMage Bonus ChroniCle points CRITICAL INJURY STATUS MENTAL WOUNDS 1-2 HEAD SOAK 3-5 RIGHT ARM SOAK 6-8 LEFT ARM SOAK 9-14 Torso SOAK 15-17 RIGHT LEG SOAK 18-20 LEFT LEG SOAK CritiCal WOUNDS SeriouS WouNDS AGILITY: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • AcrobAtics • CloSE CombAT – UnARmEd CombAT • STEAlTH AwArENESS: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • obSERvATion – inSigHT • THiEvERy CoordiNATioN: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • RAngEd WEAponS – HEAvy WEAponS – gUnnERy • piloT – SpACE iNTELLigENCE: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • EdUCATion – lingUiSTiCS – SCiEnCE • mECHAniCS • SURvivAl – vACUUm • TREATmEnT – mEdiCinE – pSyCHoTHERApy MENTAL: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • WillpoWER – mySTiCiSm PErSoNALiTy: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • AnimAl HAndling • lifESTylE • pERSUAdE – CommAnd PhySiquE: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • RESiSTAnCE STrENgTh: SKILL SIGNATURE ExpERTISE / FocUS • ATHlETiCS ATTriBuTES & SKiLLS DREAD wEAPoNS NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: Range Damage moDe enc Size Reliability ReloaDS QualitieS NAME Range Damage moDe enc Size Reliability ReloaDS QualitieS NAME Range Damage moDe enc Size Reliability ReloaDS QualitieS NAME Range Damage moDe enc Size Reliability ReloaDS QualitieS NAME seph dark (Order #9858670) TALENTS CoNTiNuEd NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: NAME SKILL: EFFECT: BACKgrouNd Social StatuS ExpEriEncE Earnings Influence Assets TraiTs, EvEnTs & rElaTionships BELoNgiNgS NAME LOAD ENcuMbrANcE rELiAbiLity rEstrictiON cOst MAiNtENANcE seph dark (Order #9858670) Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: Spell / dark gift / mutation difficulty target duration SPELL NAME EFFECT: SPELLS seph dark (Order #9858670) LiFE PATh worKShEET SKILL SIGNATURE SKILL ExpERTISE FocUS BIRTh FAcTIoN STATUS ENvIRoNmENT EdUcATIoN cAREER 1 cAREER 2 cAREER 3 cAREER 4 cUSTomISATIoN (LIFE poINTS) cUSTomISATIoN (2 SKILLS) • AcrobAtics • CloSE CombAT – UnARmEd CombAT • STEAlTH • obSERvATion – inSigHT • THiEvERy • RAngEd WEAponS – HEAvy WEAponS – gUnnERy • piloT – SpACE • EdUCATion – lingUiSTiCS – SCiEnCE • mECHAniCS • SURvivAl – vACUUm • TREATmEnT – mEdiCinE – pSyCHoTHERApy – WillpoWER • mySTiCiSm • AnimAl HAndling • lifESTylE • pERSUAdE – CommAnd • RESiSTAnCE • ATHlETiCS LIFE POINTS AGE ChroniCle PoinTS Agility AwAreness CoordinAtion intelligenCe MentAl PersonAlity Physique strength stArting stAtus environMent eduCAtion CAreer 1 CustoMisAtion TOTAL TALENTS BELONGINGS TraiTs & evenTs Birth Faction FAMILY HERITAGE Education Free career choice Career 2 Career 3 Career 4 Career 1 seph dark (Order #9858670)

textdata/thevault/Mutant Chronicles (2d20)/3rd edition/MC3e - Character Sheet (3rd Ed).pdf

Ba-Rykue, the Lesser of the Barinith Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\barykue.html 11/3/99 Ba-Rykue - Barinith, Lesser © 1999 by Leonidas. Artwork © of Kaaz. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Any lower planes Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: High (13-14) Treasure: 1/2H, T Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: -1 Movement: 12 FL 30 (C) Hit Dice: 7 THAC0: 12 No. of Attacks: 3 or 1 + weapon Damage/Attack: 1d10/1d4+4/1d4+4 Special Attacks: Backstab, swoop, Chill or Heat Metal, Acid Web Special Defenses:Immune to Acids, Gases, Flame and cold. Hit only by +1 or greater magical weapons. Regenerates 1 hp per round unless it is done by spells or holy items/weapons Magic Resistance: 15% Size: Medium (4'+ to 7') Morale: Steady (11-12) XP Value: 17,000 (A Ba-Rykui, embarking upon the hunt...) Habitat/Society: The society of the Barinith is totally based around the hunt. They are very status conscious and take any excuse to brag of their kills. If given time they will eat the flesh of a victim as they believe they can gain power and knowledge this way (10 percent chance to be able to recall any memory including spells for 1 turn per victim level, +1 hp per victim's hit dice gained for 1 day). Once per cycle the Elders of the Barinith on a particular plane will have a conclave. During this gathering of all the plane's Barinith they will declare a hunt for each sub species. All of that type will go after the aforementioned creature (this is not a species, but a single named being they hunt) with the winner being raised to the next level of existance by the elders. "...the hunt callsss... The Ba-Rykui are the lowest form of Barinith. They are are grey skinned with bat-like wings and a heavily muscled body. The average height is 5' though they are so solid they normally weigh in excess of 220 lbs. The wings are very veined and make a warm wind due to the high body temperature of the creature. Normally the Ba-Rykui is a solitary hunter going after any creature it discovers that it believes will make a good trophy to bring back to the elders. If it is on a declared hunt for a specific creature the hunter will do anything necessary to bring the head back to the elders. If this requires enlisting non Barinith allies it will do so. Any time the Ba-Rykui can get lesser creatures to do the bleeding and dying it considers that a victory. Combat: The Ba-Rykui is an ambush hunter. They are well aware of the fact that they are on one of the bottom rungs of the Lower planar ladder of power and Ba-Rykue, the Lesser of the Barinith Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\barykue.html 11/3/99 might and they use every advantage they have to tip the scales in their favor. They will use their strong claws to dig a well camouflaged hole or use a swoop attack. If ambushing from the ground and they have a piercing weapon (spears are favored) they will use a X3 backstab. With their +4 bonus to damage due to strength this is a formidable attack. If that does not destroy the foe they will normally take to the air. Any air attack will be a swoop with the spear held foremost to make a double damage attack, they may also bite on 50% of these attacks (1d10 points of damage). They will use their innate abilities of heat or chill metal three times per turn to disarm opponents and acid web once per turn to trap them and make the kill easier. "...the hunt callsss... ...alwaysss..." -the mind of a Ba-Rykui- Ecology: The main impact of the Barinith is to weed out the creatures of the plane that they can hunt. They have no need to eat on their own, merely do so for the magical benefit. In many cases Barinith have kept large pieces of a powerful foe in bags of holding or similar containers so they may be eaten later as an emergency power boost. Baatezu - Lesser, Barzu Page 1 of 3 http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~kalinor/portals/monsters/barzu.htm 8/24/99 Barzu - Baatezu, Lesser © 1999 by Gary Ray, Artwork © of RICHARD Damien. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Baator Frequency: Very Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Omnivore Intelligence: Exceptional (9-16) Treasure: Nil Alignment: Lawful Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: 6 Movement: 18 Hit Dice: 7 THAC0: 13 No. of Attacks: 2 Damage/Attack: 1-12 or by weapon Special Attacks: See below Special Defenses: See below Magic Resistance: 30% Size: L (9' tall) Morale: Elite (13-14) XP Value: 5,000 "Damned if you do, damned if you don't..." -From a Speech to the troops by a blood war commander "Humans?" Malignus telepathed across the battlefield. A legion of lemure, lined up in a slimy line of snot, oozed at the twenty or so thousand disorganized dretches who threw themselves haphazardly into the battle. The dretches died by the thousands, but their sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm the dull-witted blobs, who looked much the same whether dead or alive. "Of course," Bachel thought back, "by the hundreds! It's my normal afternoon. How about elves?" In a blind rage, an elite army of cambions, wielding glowing bastard swords in the dim light (A Barzu, thinking impure thoughts...) Barzu are hideous creatures with a tough hairless hide, scimitar horns, fangs, and a physiology that requires a steady diet of fresh meat as well as plants. The fiend who impregnates the doe is thought to appear as a irresistibly handsome stranger who promises excitement and intrigue. It is unclear whether this is actually true, or whether it's a folk story told to keep potentially promiscuous does in line. Combat: The Barzu attacks viciously with its scimitar horns or by weapon. Most Barzu lack the discipline to learn weapon skills, and instead rely on their horns. Barzu who attack their opponent can do triple damage, but only receive one attack that round. Opponents impaled should roll a save versus petrification or they remain stuck on the Barzu's horns, resulting in automatic hits the following round until a successful save is made. Barzu magic resistance is similar to that of their fiendish parent. Barzu are never surprised. Habitat/Society: Barzu, like many fiendish Baatezu - Lesser, Barzu Page 2 of 3 http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~kalinor/portals/monsters/barzu.htm 8/24/99 wielding glowing bastard swords in the dim light of the Abyss, sliced through the remaining lemures and eyed the grotesque nupperibo with a growing blood lust. "Yes, elves too," thought Malignus, his fangs dripping green acid as he considered the various races he had defiled. "although I find them too passive. Maybe because they live so long - no spirit. Now a bariaur, that could be entertaining." The cambions slashed into the vastly outnumbered nupperibo. Counter-attacking the cambions, several hundred barbazu waded into combat, their glaives clearing a path in front of them, leaving many a cambion without leg or arm. "Ahh, a bariaur would be quite a treat, but their females would never go willingly. They won't even mate with centaur. I know I tried to force them." Bachel thought as he cracked his whip enthusiastically at a nearby air wing of chasme, while flaming a group of lazy dretches that huddled terrified around his feet. "You could force them, of course, but that's against our rules. And besides, they hurt oh so much more when they know they weren't forced." The chaotic miasma of chasme descended from the commanding balor upon the distracted barbazu, who where busy hacking limbs from a frantically disintegrating legion of cambion. "Oh yes?" thought Malignus, his bat wings stiffening with excitement, "I think I'm up for the challenge." The sky momentarily grew black as the chasme bug creatures plunged their sharp pointed noses into the barbazu, who looked back fearfully to Malignus, their pit fiend leader, for further orders. But there were no further orders, this was the Blood War. You fight until you die, and if you survive today, rest assured, you'll live to die tomorrow. Barzu are the offspring of a greater baatezu and a female bariaur. Only a baatezu with polymorph ability could ever hope to mate with a female bariaur, and only then in bariaur form. Barzu are always male. creatures such as cambion and alu-fiends, are considered freaks and outcasts. A Barzu is never accepted in Bariaur society and is considered a joke in baatezu circles. Barzu are often killed young if they make it to Baator, which has no place for such an outcast in its rigidly ordered social structure. Those that aren't killed outright either flee back to The Outlands or are recruited and secretly held by greater baatezu for unauthorized missions and assassinations. There is a stiff penalty for even the most powerful baatezu who harbors a barzu, but the risks are offset by the success rate of the barzu, who seem to possess a high degree of stubbornness inherited from their bariaur mothers. Those barzu fleeing to The Outlands from Baator, or those on their way to Baator through The Outlands, may meet up with a wandering band of Barzu who live around Ribcage. This band, known to Outland bariaur as Spagon (spawn), hover around Ribcage basking in the Baatoran planar energies that emanate from the gate town. The flock is sometimes utilized by visiting fiends who wish to accomplish acts of revenge and murder in The Outlands without links back to themselves. Many of these acts are against competing fiends, or mortals who reneged on their agreements or "bargains." Payment to Spagon is usually in the form of a promise. Sometimes this promise involves a homeland in Baator, something promised for centuries to the Spagon, but never fully delivered. The promise may also be revenge against a group that has wronged a barzu, such as the flock of the barzu's mother. As with most bargains with fiends, the bargainer is never satisfied with the end result. For example, barzu returning to Baator are likely to find their homeland a concentration camp for hungry fiends. Occasionally a Barzu is born that is not evil, although its environment surely drives it towards that end. Like other outcasts, they will remain doomed to a miserable existence. Ecology: Barzu can reproduce, although the Baatezu - Lesser, Barzu Page 3 of 3 http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~kalinor/portals/monsters/barzu.htm 8/24/99 always male. During the seventh month of pregnancy, the barzu rips through the mother in the middle of the night with its scimitar horns. The mother is killed and the Barzu usually steals away into the night, instinctively making its way to a portal to the lower planes. As these births are extremely rare, Bariaur flocks often belief this to be an animal attack on the mother, rather than a hellspawn birth. offspring will kill the mother, much like the Barzu. Most hybrid creatures would likely have little to do with a barzu. Please Visit The Tale of the Bariaur for more chant on this creature! Cat Hair Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\cathair.html 3/1/00 Cat Hair - Tanar'ri, Least © 1999 by William Northern. Artwork © of Yigit Savtur. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: The Abyss Frequency: Rare Organization: Swarm Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Blood & Decaying Flesh Intelligence: Nonintelligent (0) Treasure: Nil (see below) Alignment: Chaotic Evil No. Appearing: 100-1000 (d10 x100) Armor Class: -4 (size & speed) Movement: 3" fl 21" (D) Hit Dice: 1 THAC0: 16 No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 1 (cut) Special Attacks: Fear (Roar), Blood Absorption Special Defenses: Size, Fear (Roar) Magic Resistance:Immunity to mind control Size: Tiny (2' tall or less) Morale: Steady (11-12) XP Value: 975 (Cat Hair harmless? Not likely!) Due to the small size of cat hair, most victims aren't aware of what's attacking until it's too late. These horrid creatures are immune to all forms of mind control due to their highly chaotic nature. Wind-based attacks will disperse the swarm for no greater than 10 minutes and fire/cold-based attacks will only do half damage (after a failed save). "I'll just wait for this dust storm to blow over . . . OUCH!" -a soon to be dead- booked cutter- Cat hair is by far the most harmless (in appearance) of all tanar'ri. Each cat hair looks like an actual strand of hair. Only an enchanted item (such as a gem of true seeing) could reveal the many tiny razor sharp tubes that form the follicles covering the main strand. The Cat hair has a small slitted pupil on both ends and, therefore, does not have a definite top or bottom. The eyes are almost ornamental and vestigial, as the creature relies on its follicles to sense heat, movement, and stationary objects. These creatures vary in length and color, and they each weigh nearly a full pound. Cat hair floats as if caught in a sudden gust of wind. They are quite small and cannot be distinguished for what they truly are at distances more than three feet away (even by true tanar'ri). A traveling swarm may resemble an average dust storm to the Abysally unaware. Cat hair do not have any form of visible communication, but they will always travel as a swarm and will never be encountered individually. Combat: The initial attack of the cat hair falls into two major categories and both are often used Cat Hair Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\cathair.html 3/1/00 together. The cat hair can mimic the sounds of various types and sizes of cats. This is accomplished by vibrating its follicles (similar to how a cricket generates its sound). As the cat hair increases its speed, the larger (and louder) of cat sound that can be duplicated (a curious float will generate the purring of a domestic cat, while an agitated dart will duplicate a lion's roar). A swarm will circle its intended prey and a create such an aura of fear that a party will usually disperse (wisdom check -3). It's at that point that an isolated target will fall victim to the second part of the Cat hair's attack. The swarm will surround the intended target and continue to generate fear as it closes for an attack. Each cat hair will then attempt to locate any and all bared flesh to brush against it. This brush is the equivalent of sliding a razor blade across bare flesh. Once blood has been drawn, the cat hair will lapse into only what can be called a feeding frenzy. The creatures will land on all bleeding areas of the victim until, by sheer weight, the victim will collapse. Cat hair move like worms once they have landed on their target and when one comes in contact with the wound, it will begin to absorb the blood like a sponge. Each cat hair can absorb roughly 6 oz. of blood if left undisturbed. Once the prey has been drained, the swarm seeks another moving target. Further, the swarm will never separate to follow different targets. booked cutter- Habitat/Society: Cat hair favors dark, moist areas and will seldom be encountered in well lit surroundings. These creatures are extremely antisocial and will attack any living creature entering their territory. The creature has no lair to speak of but, in a specific territory, decaying bodies will contain whatever treasures they were carrying before their demise. Ecology: Although similar to a swarm of insects in many ways, cat hair does not have a hive or central nest. The swarm will rest in a dormant fashion on the last victim conquered, which will resemble a body completely covered with hair. The layer of the Abyss on which they reside, called the Cat's Meow, is the main breeding ground for this creature. However, swarms have occasionally appeared on many a dark and cavernous layer as well. There is no lead role in the swarm. For all intents and purposes, all cat hair are equal parts of the greater whole of the swarm. Centimere, Greater Barinith Page 1 of 2 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\submitted\centimere.htm 9/10/00 Centimere - Barinith, Greater © 1999 by Leonidas. Artwork © of Yigit Savtur. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Gehenna, The Grey Waste, Carceri Frequency: Very Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: Genius (17-18) Treasure: U, V x 2 Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: -6 Movement: 18 Hit Dice: 13+2 THAC0: 8 No. of Attacks: 7 Damage/Attack: 3-18/1-8 x 6 or by weapon +10 x 6 Special Attacks: Venom, Acid Cloud, Trample, Breath Weapon, Fear Special Defenses: Immune to Heat, Cold, Acid and Poisons. Regenerates 4 hp/round, only hit by +3 or greater magical weapons, impossible to surprise. Magic Resistance: 65% Size: Huge (12'+ to 25') Morale: Fanatic (17-18) XP Value: 27,000 (The enforcer of the Barinith, the Centimere!) "My sweet go--- EERRRRKKKK!" -A Prime, upon first seeing the mighty Centimere- Given 50' to charge, the centimere will use its trample ability. They charge with a THAC0 of 10 and stamp upon any creature doing 5d8 points of damage to those caught under them. Each round after the first a save vs. paralysis must be attempted to escape the pummeling feet. Each round the Centimere regenerates 4 HP. Like all Barinith they are immune to Heat, Cold, Acids and Poisons. They may only be hit by a weapon of +3 or greater enchantment. The antennae sense all movement within 50' making them impossible to surprise. Awe at the sight of a centimere makes all creatures of less than 8 levels or hit dice within 25' save vs. spells or be frozen in place by fear for 1d6 rounds. The Centimere is the great enforcer for the Wise Ones. Any Barinith that is being recalcitrant or seditious will soon have a visit from this massive horror. The body of the centimere is much like that of a tremendous centipede. There are seven sections, each with four insect-like legs. The torso is manlike, though heavily chitin coated. There are three torso sections, each appearing to be a human torso, stacked one atop another. Each torso has its own set of well muscled arms. The head is large and insect-like. It is angular with large compound eyes set to either side, and mandibles dominating the face. The whip like antennae lean slightly to the rear and are sensitive to any movement. From head to rear section they measure 25' in length and a normal specimen will weigh 4,000 lbs. The chitin-armor Centimere, Greater Barinith Page 2 of 2 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\submitted\centimere.htm 9/10/00 of the creature is dark red with black whorls in a seemingly random pattern. It is slightly ridged and reflects very little light. Combat: The Centimere in combat is a fearsome thing. Each of their six arms will normally wield a different magical weapon. They prefer giant sized weapons that their awesome size allows them to use in one hand. Their incredible strength (22) gives a +10 to all damage rolls. The great mandibles bite for 3d6 points of damage, on a roll of 18 or higher a limb is severed as per a sword of sharpness. Like all Barinith, the Centimere's skin sweats a powerful acid. When they get excited (as in combat) this becomes an acid aura that burns all within 10' for 1d10 points of damage with a save vs. breath weapon for half damage. Once every five rounds it may use a poison and an acid spray. Each covers a cone shaped area 30' long and 12' wide at its farthest end. Those struck by the poison must save vs. poison or die in 5 rounds (lose 20% of hit points per round until dead, this continues regardless of healing for either 15 rounds or until neutralized). The acid spray does 5d10 points of damage with a save vs. breath weapon for half. 1d6 rounds. Habitat/Society: The Centimere are the favored Barinith of the Wise Ones. They are used as enforcers for all those that disobey their will. They rarely take part in the hunt, though they will seek out those that have slain several lesser Barinith. None can be allowed to flout the Wise Ones on their home planes of Gehenna, The Grey Waste and Carceri. When any outsiders tries to establish an embassy or have dealings with the Barinith, it is normally a Centimere leading two Jehorra that does all the talking. If negotiations fail, they are quick to make a meal of the supplicants. Ecology: Centimeres enjoy hunting those that they consider "lesser" creatures. They are too large to be truly skillful at anything beyond ambush tactics, though they are endlessly patient. Any large or greater class creature may see these leviathans rise up from the ground screaming exultantly. There have been precious few survivors of these awesome ambushes. Tanar'ri, Greater - Echideneco Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\codex\submitted\echideneco.html 10/6/99 Echideneco - Tanar'ri, Greater © 1999 by Heiner de Wendt. Artwork © of William Teo. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: The Abyss Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary or Mother with Daughters Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: Very (11-12) Treasure: Nil Alignment: Chaotic Evil No. Appearing: 1 or 3 Armor Class: -5 Movement: 12 Hit Dice: 9 THAC0: 14 No. of Attacks: 9 Damage/Attack: 2d4+9 x6 (arm tentacles), 2d8+9 x2 (tails), 1d8+9 (bite) Special Attacks: Tail poison, venom bite Special Defenses: +2 or better magical weapons to hit Magic Resistance: 45% Size: L (10 feet tall) Morale: Fearless (19-20) XP Value: 12.000 (The Brutal Echideneco) "My daughters, I feel hungry." "What about that Balor over there? I've never killed a Balor up to now." -Echideneco "family", soon before their deaths Habitat/Society: Despite their fierce fighting prowess, the echideneco are usually seen as lowly fiends. They're killing machines against whom only the most powerful beings could hope to win, but they are not able to do any subtle influencing, strategical planning or something similar. Very often, the echideneco are forced into guardian service; as much as they hate this, they have realized that fighting prowess alone isn't enough The Echideneco are supposedly related to the Marilith tanar'ri. They look quite similar (female upper body, snake-like from the waist down, six tentacle-like arms), but are larger and more fearsome fighters. They have two tails, each with a long sting at the end, and the mouth is filled with long, razor-sharp teeth. Their faces usually show expressions of pure hatred and bloodlust. Combat: The echideneco are tanar'ri that have concentrated on melee combat. They consider magic or distance weapons such as bows "lowly" and unworthy for them. Indeed, they have lost (or maybe never had) all tanar'ric magical abilities; they do retain the standard immunities, though. Echideneco attack with their six tentacle-like arms that bear an unimaginable strength (Strength 21, +9 damage adjustment). Each tentacle-arm inflicst 2d4+9 points of damage, and a character who got hit by one has to make a Strength check or be Tanar'ri, Greater - Echideneco Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\codex\submitted\echideneco.html 10/6/99 knocked several feet away. Their two tails hit for 2d8+9 damage, and the sting at the end of each tail injects a lethal poison. If the victim does not save vs. poison, it dies instantly as the infernal liquids burn him from inside. Even if the victim succeeds the saving throw, it carries the venom inside its' body now, and the next saving throw vs. the echideneco poison gets a cumulative penalty of two points. The horrible fangs of the echideneco inflict 1d8+9 points of damage as the fiend rips the flesh from its' victim. Also, it injects an acid-venom into the victim's blood (immunity vs. poison doesn't help, but immunity vs. acid does). If for some reason the acid-venom only touches the skin, but doesn't enter the body, it just inflicts 1d3 points of damage for 2 rounds; as soon as it enters the body, though, the victim has to manage a system shock roll in the following three rounds. If one fails, the acid destroys the victim's veins and brutally breaks the blood circulation, thus killing the poor sod. If the victim manages all three saving throws, the body overcomes the acid-venom, but the victim still suffers a loss of one point of constitution. This can be regained by at least 12 hours of rest, or by magic as powerful as a Heal spell. realized that fighting prowess alone isn't enough to free them. The echideneco have no interest in treasures or magical items; they want to prove their personal might and abilities, and would never use magic to enhance their own power, nor would they trade with or bribe anyone. Ecology: It has been suggested by various sages that the echideneco are a kind of "ancient form" of the marilith, a metaphorical "fiend-dinosaur". If this theory is true, most of these beasts have probably evolved into mariliths, during the last millennia or so. The echideneco are able to impregnate themselves once each decade, and they always give life to two female echideneco. The daughters work together with their mother surprisingly well, hunting other fiends (or whatever crosses their way) and sharing their food equally. Echideneco that were imprisoned in the Abyss for about a century have shown some interesting aspects: Not only have these beasts become calmer the more they were suppressed, they also were not able to give birth to children when the possibility of contacting the prime material plane was cut off from their "jail". It seems the daughters' souls are actually "stolen" from the Prime, though how exactly is yet unknown. Grozu, Medial Barinith Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\grozu.html 5/4/00 Grozu - Barinith, Medial © 2000 by Leonidas. Artwork © of Roberto Campus. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Gehenna, The Gray Waste, Carceri Frequency: Uncommon Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: High (13-14) Treasure: S,V Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: -1 Movement: 18 Jump 36 Hit Dice: 6 THAC0: 14 No. of Attacks: 2/1/1 Damage/Attack: 1d10/1d10 or 3d8 or 2d6 Special Attacks: Acid Cloud, Poison, Bite, Stun Gaze Special Defenses: Immune to Fire, Cold and Acid based attacks, +1 or greater weapon required to hit Magic Resistance: 10% Size: Medium (4'+ to 7') Morale: Elite (13-14) XP Value: 9,000 (The insatiable Grozu) Like all Barinith the Grozu sweat a powerful acid. When excited (as in combat) this causes an acid cloud in a six foot area doing 1d6 points of damage per round to all inside it. The Grozu is immune to his own poison, in addition to the standard immunities of fire, ice and acid based attacks. Only +1 or greater magical weapons can hope to damage a Grozu. Habitat/Society: The Grozu is by nature the most solitary of all Barinith, though they are occasionally forced into near proximity. On these occasions it is inevitable that fights will break out between rivals, often lasting until one is dead or it is broken up by a Greater Barinith. They are happiest when hopping about their home plane seeking out foes to count coup against. The honor brought by a successful kill will bring them ever closer to their goal of being elevated to a superior species. Ecology: The Grozu is a fearsome predator, constantly hunting and eating all it can reach. It is unknown if they are that hungry or if they are acting out their instinctive response to any living thing. "Yup - I saw that thrice-damned critter comin'. T'was hoppin' The Grozu is the most common of the Medial Barinith. They hop about their home planes constantly seeking powerful foes to test themselves against. When Hunts are declared it is the Grozu that lead the hordes of lesser and least Barinith against foes too weak to justify the attentions of a Jehorra. The Grozu are the weakest Barinith that actually have a chance of gaining the attention of the wise ones. They are constantly judged, with those who are found wanting demoted to Shilfana. Infighting is common for this rank, as they are always trying to one up each other. The Grozu are insect-like creatures. Their two segmented legs allow them to jump great distances or gallop with an odd crablike gait. Their two huge eyes give them incredible distance vision and their antennae sense movement within 50' making them impossible to suprise. They also have two powerful arms end Grozu, Medial Barinith Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\grozu.html 5/4/00 in a single large claw, with tiny dewclaws acting as their thumbs. The skin texture is a rough dark brown chitin. Combat: In combat the Grozu are notable for their recklessness. They attack almost without thought, closing with a foe in great leaping bounds. They will first attempt to jump on a foe, hitting with their rear spike for 3d8 points of damage. If they miss they will swipe with both arms at a single foe. Each can do 1d10 points of damage. If both hit the Grozu will bite its foe doing an additional 2d6 points of damage and forcing a save vs poison or die in three rounds. The two large eyes of the Grozu can stun any creature that looks at them (save vs spells to avoid) for 1d4 rounds. This is normally used to allow the Grozu to close with a foe without being destroyed. comin'. T'was hoppin' round the rocks, lookin' all bug-like... I yelled, 'Don't look at it!'... ...but it was too late, they'd already been 'grozu-ed'." -First hand account of an encounter with a Grozu- Iaiwi, Drone Page 1 of 3 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\iaiwi_drone.html 8/9/00 Iaiwi, Drone © 1999 by Michael Truman Artwork © of Giorgio Baldessin. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Urban Frequency: Rare Organization: Colony Activity Cycle: Varies Diet: Paresitic Intelligence: Animal (3) Treasure: As host Alignment: Neutral No. Appearing: 1 or 5d4 Armor Class: 5 Movement: fl6 (A) Hit Dice: 1 THAC0: 20 No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 1d4 Special Attacks: Posession, see below Special Defenses: Host, see below Magic Resistance: nil Size: Tiny (2' tall or less) Morale: Fearless (19-20) XP Value: 1000 (Alien and deadly, the Iaiwi Drone!) Habitat/Society: Almost nothing is known about the social structure of Iaiwi. They tend to arrive in small, isolated settlements, which they quickly take over. From there on, they will infest groups of travellers with a spare Keeper or two and some Drones. Ecology: A Keeper can produce one Drone per day. A Drone can go one week without a host, after which it will die. It should be noted that Paladins, as well as members of certain races with keen senses (Elves, Half-Elves, Planetouched and all Paramortals of any stature above Least), will sense a chill and uneasiness while around the Iaiwi. Although it requires a great deal of concentration to pinpoint it, True Seeing will reveal what they are. "Want dark on Fiends eh? Well you've found the right tout. What is it you're The Iaiwi (Ee-yai-we or Yai-we) are encountered on Krangath and the colder parts of Mungoth, as well as various isolated locations. They have also been encountered on the Plane of Ice, extremely cold areas of the Waste and the more isolated regions of Cania. In their true forms, Drones appear as amorphous spectral blobs, much like slimes, oozes, puddings or jellies, although they are usually in hosts. Combat: If lacking any host or keeper, Drones will attempt to possess creatures of animal or lower intelligence. Without a Keeper, a Drone cannot possess more intelligent creatures, but it can possess mindless undead. If it does have a host, it can use its limited abilities to protect itself or others of its kind. All Iaiwi share these common powers, immunities and vulnerabilities. � immunity to all damage from natural cold, half damage from magical cold. � can Feign Death at will. � save at -2 against fire attacks. Iaiwi, Drone Page 2 of 3 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\iaiwi_drone.html 8/9/00 � save at +2 against poison, acid and electrical attacks. � ability to inherently sense all other Iaiwi within a 5 mile radius. � telepathic communication with all Iaiwi within a 5 mile radius, usually only one Iaiwi can be communicated with per round � immunity to all forms of mind control � Mind Blank (always active) A Drone without a host can attempt to possess an unconscious victim, the victim must save vs death, and a successful save will wake the victim back up. While possessed, a victim cannot knowingly and willingly harm any Iaiwi. The host is also subject to a Charm Person spell. When the charm is broken (see the spell description), the host can do as they please (though still not harm Iaiwi) for one hour for each point of intelligence and wisdom before the charm re- asserts itself. The host will never betray their alignment or beliefs, and the more dedicated members of many factions with strong beliefs in freedom, chaos, pointlessness or the lack of emotion (Indeps, Anarchists, Bleakers, Dustmen, Fated, Xaositects) have shown a great deal of resistance to Iaiwi possession. Ciphers also show a great resistance because they act too fast to be controlled, and Signers can often force the Iaiwi out. Any race with a resistance to charms or mind control (Elves, Aasimar) can resist the possession. A Drone can also attempt to place a Suggestion once per week, but the nature of these suggestions are limited by their intelligence. Drones that inhabit mindless creatures such as zombies or slimes have complete control, and will basically try to survive until they find a Keeper. Holy Word, Dispel Evil or Symbol of Pain will sever the Drone from it's host, as will extreme pain (enough to cause unconsciousness). Killing a host will throw the Drone out. While in a host, the immunities of a Drone are passed on to its host. Drones can only use their Feign Death power if it and its host agree to use it. A Drone regenerates one HP per hour. In its incorporeal form (without a host), it is immune to nonmagical weapons, but can be harmed by silver. What is it you're looking for darks on? 'Ri, 'Leth, 'Loth, 'Zu or ... other. Other eh? The kind that possess, you mean Mezzikim? No? That's right, you said 'other', what's it look like? A blob of flesh and tentacles that looks like a tree? Yes ... I think I know what you're talking about, let me get that leafer ... yes, 'Born of the Fourfold Furnaces - a Catalogue of the Spawn of Gehenna' here it is, the Iaiwi, 'Creatuses from the Dead Furnace of Krangath, the lesser Iaiwi resemble amorphous spectral blobs, while the more powerful of their race look like trees, sprouting tentacles and made of molten flesh ..." -A tout whose hende about the darks of the Lower Planes.-- Jehorra, Greater Barinith Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\jehorra_greater_barinith.html 12/9/99 Jehorra - Barinith, Greater © 1999 by Leonidas. Artwork © of Yigit Savtur. Climate/Terrain: Grey Waste, Gehenna, Carceri Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: Exceptional (15-16) Treasure: U, S Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: -3 Movement: 24 Hit Dice: 10 THAC0: 11 No. of Attacks: 5 Damage/Attack: 3-12/2-12 x 2/1-8 x 2 or by weapon Special Attacks: Acid Cloud, Poison Spittle, Spells, Amputation, Backstab Special Defenses: +2 or greater weapon to hit, regenerates 2 hp/round, immune to acid, fire, cold and poisons Magic Resistance: 45% Size: Large (7'+ to 12') Morale: Champion (15-16) XP Value: 20,000 (The Fearsome Hunter, Jehorra) If a creature is near enough the Jehorra will bite for 3d4 points of damage. When bitten the victim must save vs. poison or die. As the Jehorra prepares for combat it will spit poison on its weapons and forearms. The first creature struck by each of these attacks must save vs. poison or go into shock from the pain for 1d6 rounds. Like all Barinith, the Jehorra sweats a potent acid. When they get excited (like in combat) they begin to sweat profusely causing all within 10 feet to suffer 1d10 points of damage per round with a save vs. breath weapon for half. They are immune to damage from fire, cold and poisons. Each round, 2 hp are regenerated. Habitat/Society: The Jehorra train the lesser Barinith. They are harsh teachers, often severely damaging their students. When a great hunt is declared, it is the Jehorra who lead it. They will ensure no Barinith shirks their duty and see to the awarding of honor to the killer. The Jehorra will The Jehorra are the huntmasters of the Barinith. They lead the Gurris (Great Hunts) of the species against the most powerful of foes. They appear to be a praying mantis version of a centaur. They have the full lower body up to the large forelegs, above this is a humanoid torso with two man's arms leading to an antlike head. The entire body is covered by a black nonreflective exoskeleton. Small streaks of purple form a tiger stripe patter across the entire abdomen. The large compound eyes set of the sides of the head give 320 degree vision, and the antennae sense movement within 50' making it impossible to suprise a Jehorra. The enlarged jaws have a pronounced overbite and are extremely sharp. The crushing bottom arms are mantis like and stay curled by the body except when attacking. Jehorra, Greater Barinith Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\jehorra_greater_barinith.html 12/9/99 Combat: The Jehorra in combat is an awe- inspiring sight. Each of them has the abilities of a 9th level mage and will normally use their spells to soften up a foe from afar. Once melee is joined they will draw their weapons. One spear is always a Lifestealer that does 2d6+10 points of damage and drains one level as energy drain on any hit roll of 18 or higher. The second weapon is a Glaive of Sharpness doing 4d4+10 points of damage and removes a limb on a roll of 19 or higher. Both are +3 weapons for both hit and damage. Each of these weapons may be used one handed by the Jehorra and does +7 points of extra damage due to their strength of 19. The midnight black exoskeleton gives the jehorra a 98% chance to hide in shadows, and their great skill allows a 95% move silently. They backstab as a 9th level thief, gaining x3 damage with their Spear of lifestealing. The large, praying mantis-like second arms (located near the joint of the torso and the abdomen) get first attack in any round due to the speed with which they strike. Each may attack a separate opponent doing 2-12 points of bludgeoning and slashing damage, or both may be directed against the same foe. If that is the case a single attack roll is made. If the attack is successful it does 4d6 points of damage and on a roll of 18 or higher will sever a limb as a sword of sharpness. awarding of honor to the killer. The Jehorra will normally see that the body of the victim is carried back to the lair for the feasts of power. This is where an honorable foe is consumed by the whole group of Barinith in the belief that its strength will be granted to them. "Why did it have to be a bug? I HATE bugs!" -Moriss, upon his initial encounter with a Jehorra- Ecology: The Jehorra serves as the master of its food chain. They fear no creature and will slay their appointed foe or die in the attempt. The greatest of foes are assigned as single targets of the Jehorra. Great honor is bestowed upon any foe that slays one single handedly (though they will then be declared the target of a great hunt). Tanar'ri, Lesser - Karaycai Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\codex\karaycai.html 10/6/99 Karaycai - Tanar'ri, Lesser © 1999 by Heiner de Wendt. Artwork © of Craig Koehler. Climate/Terrain: The Abyss Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore Intelligence: Genius (17-18) Treasure: None (20%) or A, X Alignment: Chaotic Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: 2 Movement: 12 Hit Dice: 5 THAC0: 17 No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 1d3 Special Attacks: Spellslinging Special Defenses: Tanar'ri immunities, +2 or better weapons to hit Magic Resistance: 40% Size: S (3 feet tall) Morale: Elite (13-14) XP Value: 10,000 (Abyssal mage's bane, the Karaycai!) *I like chaos* *thus, my mortal Chaosmage* *I allow you one spell* *before I attack* -Karaycai, not knowing about the Hassardeur's spell key Habitat/Society: The karaycai are beings that combine the wildness of the Abyss with the cunning of powerful magicians. They often attack like berserkers, but they also know how to use their abilities with good effect. And as they aren't exactly silly, they also know when it isn't a good idea to fight, or when it is time to flee. Karaycai, or "Spellslingers", are worm-like creatures with countless feelers spread all over their body. They move just as a normal worm would except, of course, if they use their innate magical abilities. The "skin" colour of karaycai varies, but they tend to be either ash gray or dark brown - no matter what color they are, however, they always look somehow foul and slushy. They communicate via telepathy but they can not control this telepathy, however, and everyone within ten feet of the creature "hears" what they "say". Combat: The karaycai are cruel beasts that love to torture a victim a long, long time before actually killing it. Indeed, it may often happen that a karaycai forgets about a battle surrounding it while torturing one defeated enemy. The karaycai have a bite attack, but despite their large mouth, their teeth are quite stumpy and weak. Thus, their bite only inflicts 1d3 points of damage each round. The karaycai love to Tanar'ri, Lesser - Karaycai Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\codex\karaycai.html 10/6/99 endlessly chew on a hapless victim, watching it die very slowly and enjoying every moment of it. The real danger of a karaycai lies in its' spell slinging. Whenever they observe a spell completely failing due to the nature of the Abyss (e.g. in case of prohibited spells, as Summon elemental, or if a spell does not work but instead results in a wild magic surge), it can "suck up" the power of this spell, so that nothing at all happens. During the next 24 hours, the karaycai has to unleash the spell (if it waits longer, the spell will unleash automatically), but now it is controlled by the spellslinger. A Summon elemental would, of course, still not work if the karaycai doesn't have a spell key, but a wild magic surge would take effect normally, only that the karaycai would know the exact effect and could control where the magic is directed. The karaycai can "store" no more than five such effects at any one time. In addition to this and the abilities available to all tanar'ri, the spellslingers have the following spell-like powers: clairvoyance, ESP, fly, shield, suggestion, and telekinesis (3 times per day). They can also attempt to gate in 1d3 karaycai (30% chance) or 1d4 rutterkin (40% chance) once per day. Thus, they often lay traps to victims they consider "worthy" enough (i.e. that might have treasures they want; note that they surely use such items if they consider it necessary), but at the same time don't seem to be hard to defeat. A rutterkin might become the victim of a karaycai (even a rutterkin the spellslinger has gated in itself), but a succubus (which has the power to gate in balors) usually can consider herself safe from this beasts. Ecology: Mortals and other visitors of the Abyss that proove they are too weak and too stupid to survive often become victims of the karaycai. This, of course, is especially true for mages that have not yet learned how to cast spells in the Abyss. In a plane like this, the only place for the weak and the dumb is that at the wrong end of the food chain. Tanar'ri, Greater - Law Eater Page 1 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\laweater.htm 9/22/99 Law Eater - Tanar'ri, Greater © 1999 by Heiner de Wendt. Artwork © of Richard Damien. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: The Abyss, occasionally on lawful planes Frequency: Uncommon in the Abyss, very rare on lawful planes Organization: Organization? Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore (see below) Intelligence: Average to Genius (8-18) Treasure: D, Q Alignment: Chaotic Evil No. Appearing: 1-80 (1d4*1d20) Armor Class: 0 Movement: 20 Hit Dice: 7 THAC0: 14 No. of Attacks: 2 plus special Damage/Attack: 1d4+6/1d4+6 or by weapon+6 Special Attacks: Law Eating Special Defenses: Tanar'ri immunities, +2 weapons to hit Magic Resistance: 60% Size: M (6 feet tall) Morale: Varies (12-20) XP Value: 15.000 (A horde of law eaters attacking...) "I wILL kill you! Look! A six-headed ape! GARRGGALAA......... Lalalaallalaaa!" -A relatively sane Law Eater As soon as the law eater gets some time to rest after devouring the lawful essence, he turns into a slimy-liquid form again. Slowly, though, they take on their true form again, only leaving behind a dark brown, crystalline slime. This slime contracts itself into some geometric form then. In effect, it becomes an ioun stone that changes its' wearer's alignment to lawful. Usually, the law eaters suddenly destroy that ioun stones after their creation. Law Eaters seem to be a sub-species of Babau. They're, among tanar'ri, also often called "True Chaotics", "Real Babau", "Idiots" or "Freedom fighters". The one thing that fits to every Law Eater is that he (she/it) is unique - even more so than the tanar'ri in general. No one law eater looks like any other; most have many similarities to babau (shape, size, etc.), but even law eaters the size of a whale or with the shape of a pit fiend have been seen. Chant has it there even was a law eater who had the size of a whale AND the shape of a pit fiend. As unique as their appearance is, so are there abilities. (The above statistics are only the "most common" law eaters, but the DM should feel free to change the statistics of any particular law eater). There might also be some who are Lesser, Least or even True Tanar'ri. Law Eaters usually share two other things with Tanar'ri, Greater - Law Eater Page 2 of 2 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\laweater.htm 9/22/99 others of their race: Their mind is even more chaotic than that of a normal tanar'ri, and contacting their mind results in an additional permanent feeble mind. That is, if the contact with the mind of a tanar'ri would result in a 6-week- feeble mind anyway, curing the victim would need to cure the victim TWO times. (The DM can feel free, of course, to also change this particular effect as he wants). Further, all law eaters have one special attack, which gives them their name: Law Eating (see below). Combat: The common law eater attacks with his two powerful claws, often trying to disarm a mighty opponent by breaking/tearing off/whatever the opponent's arm/tentacle/whatever. Then, they use the weapon themselves. One legend tells of a law eater who killed five paladins, each with his own holy sword, before he died himself due to the effects of some of those swords against the law eater. Their truly fearsome attack, though, is the Law Eating. They bite an opponent (normal THAC0), and then turn into a fluid, slimy-liquid form and enter the victim's body through the wounds their bite created (strangely, though, the bite itself doesn't really harm the victim). Effectively, they possess the victim's body then, but instead of "misusing" it, their aim is to rip all lawfulness from the being. (Each round the victim is possessed, a saving throw vs. death magic is needed). As soon as one saving throw fails, the law eater manages to pierce his teeth into the victim's very mind, and tearing out any pieces of lawfulness. The tanar'ri devours this lawful essence, turning the victim into a being of chaotic alignment and obvious insanity. Then, the law eater leaves the victim's body again, usually by forcing the victim to vomit the tanar'ri in its' slimy-liquid form (a horrible moment for the victim - but then, he's insane now, anyway). If the victim manages to succeed in five saving throws, the law eater can't keep himself in the body anymore and suddenly flees from the victim (of course, also only after the vomiting). In addition to the above and the general tanar'ri abilities, the law eaters have one randomly chosen spell ability from each spell level up to and including the sixth. Often, though, they use these abilities like wild when it doesn't help them at all, and then again forget to use them when it could safe their life. Of course, no cutter should count on these mistakes of the law eaters. Just be prepared for anything. Habitat/Society: How each law eater fits into any society really depends on the individual. In tanar'ri society, though, they're usually seen as extremists, with some considering them even too extreme, others thinking their ideas are good, but their ways are just barmy, and still others viewing them as "freedom fighters". Some, though, absolutely hate the law eaters, because they're responsible for the ioun stones of lawfulness. They think it would be better to just slay lawful beings, instead of risking the creation of such a damned piece of magic. Ecology: In the Abyss, law eaters often appear when some place turns slowly towards lawfulness. In fact, they're most often seen in Graz'zt's layers, eager to spread some chaos where the laws of trade try to settle down. Graz'zt, on the other hand, has officially stated that he pays a good price for any dead law eater brought to his palace (it's not known, though, if entertaining bounty hunters will really be happy with that "good price"). Outside of the Abyss, law eaters only visit planes of law. This is one of the only REAL rules that the law eaters follow: they're either in the Abyss, or on some lawful plane. There, they spread chaos and destruction until they're either destroyed or return to the Abyss. Especially on the good and neutral lawful planes, their "visits" leave horrible scars for decades or longer, in the plane as well as in its' inhabitants. One occasion is known where a group of a few hundred law eaters have started out a real siege on an Acheronian cube. After a long, long time, they've turned all its' inhabitants into insane chaotics, and finally the whole cube shifted into the Abyss. It's unknown, though, what happened with the cube afterwards. Loather Page 1 of 3 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\loather.html 3/2/00 Loather © 1999 by Heiner de Wendt. Artwork © 1999 by Shreyas Sampat. See more of her artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Any Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Any Intelligence: Genius (17-18) Treasure: Varies (see below) Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: 10 (see below) Movement: 12 Hit Dice: 1 THAC0: 20 No. of Attacks: 1 Damage/Attack: 1d2 Special Attacks: Disease, ESP, Know Alignment Special Defenses: Protection from Harm, Immunity to Mind-Affecting and Mind-Reading Spells Magic Resistance: None Size: Medium (4'+ to 7') Morale: Elite (13-14) XP Value: 4,000 (A Loather, twisted by his own inner evil) Habitat/Society: Loathers fit in perfectly into any society. They know how to make friends with everyone, and subtly pull their strings to bring ultimate doom. Sometimes, their schemes work out over cycles or decades, other times, it's just a matter of a few moments. They use intrigue and lies as well as presents and compliments to "He looked like one of us. Nothing about him was unusual. Nothing - or so it seemed. When he came into town, he was just a stranger. But it didn't take long before everyone seemed to know - and like - him. He was charming, and talkative. He was friendly to everyone. It took less than a day before his schemes worked out." This introduction to the Tome of the Loather was the first sign ever the Fraternity of Order found about the beings called Loathers. It took decades until the countless fragments of the Tome were unburied by faction members. It seems someone was interested in making sure the Tome would never be read by anyone; it was nothing but chance and extreme devotion of the members of our Fraternity that crossed these plans. With even more research, we also found out why that someone did not simply destroy the Tome. It turned out the book was magically protected, and even high-level magic could not permanently harm it. It always repaired itself after some time; the only way to "destroy" it was to scatter its Loather Page 2 of 3 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\loather.html 3/2/00 pieces all over the multiverse. We have, unfortunately, not yet found out how this magic works. The Tome, as well as our own research, has provided us with about all the darks there are about The Loathers - and in the long run, this might be far more important than the secrets of the Tome's magic. Origin: Loathers are of human origin, seemingly without exception. They once were normal mortals, but some events, or maybe simply the individual's own nature, turned it to embracing pure evil. Living the lives of criminals and perverts, they somehow got into contact with yugoloths. The exact details of what happened then are dark. Our best sages suggest that they met an Ultroloth, or maybe even higher beings in the ranks of yugoloths, and struck a deal. The mortals, with all their devotion to evil, would serve the fiend in a way that would bring pleasure to himself. For that, the planeborn Evil would imbue the mortal with powers that, used intelligently, would make it near-invincible. Not enough, becoming a Loather means becoming immortal - at least if you are successful. After the deal is struck, the Loather takes on a nomadic lifestyle. He settles in towns and other inhabited places for a short time, spreads confusion, destruction and doom - and moves on. Until the cycle repeats and his settles again. Combat: Loathers usually do not fight. It seems only the most intelligent humans are chosen to become Loathers (although Yuddar the Ranting, an intelligent but sometimes confused member of our Fraternity, is sure this intelligence is GIVEN to them - a cold, evil intelligence which is what turns the mortals into evil beings in the first place). They scheme and use everyone as puppets, but they avoid direct action whenever possible. If they are forced into combat, they are horrible fighters (and it seems Loathers never have any class). Their defenses, though, are quite good. They have always active powers of ESP and Know Alignment, giving them both hints at who wants to harm them, and time enough to avoid that the being ever gets the chance to harm them. But even if their plans do not work out as they intended, it is not that easy to kill a Loather. Throw a fireball at him, and he will just laugh about it; not even his clothes will get burned. Shot with an arrow at him, and he will laugh lies as well as presents and compliments to achieve their goal. Each Loather seems to have its own "style", but where ever they come, in the end there are usually no survivors. The inhabitants of a region nearly always fall to the plans of the Loather, wiping themselves out. Some Loathers concentrate on small regions, little villages and such, others prefer kingdoms or even whole Prime Material worlds. Most though seem to love the change, and bring destruction to single individuals or small settlements one day, just to doom a whole world in the following decade or century. In any way, they love what they do, delighting in their evil plans. If they fail, they shrug it off; the next victims are already waiting. Even if they just scared a few people, they are satisfied. And if not - they can come back a few decades or centuries later, when people have forgotten about them. "...they're just yugoloth wannabe's..." -Bubhouse screed on the subject of Loathers- Note that Loathers can show up everywhere, from Prime Material worlds to the Inner and Outer Planes. A member of the Fraternity of Order was also sent to the Astral Plane to research if a Loather was responsible for the recent wiping out of a complete Githyanki fortress. Ecology: It seems even most yugoloths don't know about the Loathers. These beings work independently from the fiends (although definitely in their service, or at least in the service of one or a few fiendish individuals). They don't "produce" anything, although they may gather great treasures during the centuries. They either collect what once belonged to their victims, or even gather items that are personally important to someone, so they can use it cycles later when the victim has already forgotten about the item - and is deeply moved when encountering the item again (a fact the Loather then uses to pull the strings of that person). Young Loathers, though, have nothing but their clothes. And even a few old ones don't have personal belongings - for example, if they love to take on the role of a beggar (interestingly, each single Loather seems to have one cover story that he uses over and Loather Page 3 of 3 file://E:\web\pw.com\codex\submitted\loather.html 3/2/00 again; bury him alive, and he will unbury himself when he thinks it's safe again. Loathers have a near-perfect protection from harm; there is only one exception. If a brave character, with the intention to destroy the evil that the Loather embodies, takes a direct and successful action to kill the wicked creature, it is as easy to kill as any human. The brave soul may not do it for finishing a mercenary contract; it may also not be done to rob the Loather, or for any other selfish reason. It seems that only thoughts of purity, defying evil and absolute braveness (which can be seen in the direct battling, instead of using long-range weapons or similar things) breach the powerful defenses that protect a Loather. Still, even the bravest of heroes often fail when they fight a Loather. His schemes, as said, usually overcome their opponents before those even know they are his opponents. Using his mind- reading powers, he easily finds out how to handle a character, and has the genius to work out a near-perfect plan. Also, loathers of great age have often accumulated fantastic treasures, some of them providing them with powerful magical armor and weapons that give them the ability to stand a fight. Also, Loathers are completely immune to any mind-affecting spells, as well as similar psionics. It is as impossible to read the mind of a Loather, as well - even finding out its alignment isn't possible via any supernatural means. Finally, they often use their power to cause a disease (as per the reverse of the spell Cure Disease) to bring down known or probable foes - often using deadly diseases, and (if really pressed) suggesting the opponent to tell him of a way to heal the disease, if the victim stops to oppose the Loather. Of course, the ways to overcome the disease usually either include the victim's death, or a way to absolutely bind it to the Loather's service (or any other way to get rid of it). to have one cover story that he uses over and over again, just adapting it to a particular situation). Of course, over the centuries, they become perfect in that one disguise. It is not perfectly known how they become "immortal". They do still age, but it seems their evil deeds let them overcome the effects of passing time. The sage Murianna Winterblossom suggests that for each life they destroy, they have one more cycle to live, while smaller evil deeds bring them less time. Still, a successful Loather could add up so many evil deeds that he would keep on living for millennia even if he didn't do any further evil. Yuddar the Ranting stated this theory is nothing but "the barmy mutterin' of a soddin' elven leatherhead", and is sure Loathers age normally, and are simply replaced by a new Loather when they die, to keep up the illusion of immortality. Tanar'ri, Lesser - Tanar'riaur Page 1 of 4 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\oldtanarriaur.htm 9/2/99 Tanar'riaur - Tanar'ri, Lesser © 1999 by Gary L. Ray Climate/Terrain: Frequency: Organization: Activity Cycle: Diet: Intelligence: Treasure: Alignment: No. Appearing: Armor Class: Movement: Hit Dice: THAC0: No. of Attacks: Damage/Attack: Special Attacks: Special Defenses: Magic Resistance: Size: Morale: XP Value: Any Very rare Solitary Any Carnivore Low (5-7) R Chaotic Evil 1 6 15 7 13 3 2-12, 1-6, 1-6 See below See below 30% L (9' Tall) Steady (11-12) 3,000 However, what they cannot forgive is the violent nature of the Tanar'riaur, which evolves quickly as soon as the young buck is capable of any form of action. The young Tanar'riaur will harm, kill or defile everything within its power. As it grows older, so does its strength and likewise its destructive power. The Payira master, torn between his love for the buck and his duty to the order, often gives the creature away to a loving tiefling family in hopes they might better be able to control and cultivate the youngster. Unfortunately, the Tanar'riaur is beyond anyone's control, as it only understands pain and suffering and thrives when inflicting these attributes on others. Only the strongest of creatures, both physical and mental, could possibly hope to control one. Once the Tanar'riaur reaches its teenage years, it often attempts to find an outlet for its violence, usually by working as a mercenary or cutthroat. It's in the teenage years that the Tanar'riaur's "The only good Tanar'riaur is a dead tanar'riaur" -Mayor of Tradegate after recent tanar'riaur attack Bachel the Balor, or "Render" as his friends called him, screeched in pain. He turned and saw a large creature with scimitar horns, kind of like a bariaur but more sinister and crafty. The creature had just impaled one of its horns in his left side. It would have been a mortal blow to any other creature, but was a mere scratch to Bachel. Bachel waved his hand and a bolt of blue- green lightning shot from fingers and into the hideous creature, vaporizing it from the inside out. Tanar'ri, Lesser - Tanar'riaur Page 2 of 4 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\oldtanarriaur.htm 9/2/99 "What in hell was that?!!" Bachel telepathed across the battlefield to his pit fiend rival Malignus. "Bwa ha ha ," Malignus laughed. "I see you've met my son." The battle continued beneath them in the Outland valley. Lemures oozed and overwhelmed a legion of beleaguered cambions. A dozen beholders, brought here from some unholy alliance with the beholder god, zapped lemures into sticky paste with rays from their eyestalks. "How can that thing be yours?" thought back Bachel, trying to comprehend the losing battle, the assassination attempt and his rival's intentions all at once. "Yes, you didn't smell him did you?" Malignus chided, with no sense of regret or distress over the death of his son. "That's because he's an Outlander -- never even stepped foot in Baator." "But when did YOU sire a son in The Outlands?" Bachel asked naively, playing on Malignus' ego to gain more information. The cambions threw their last bit of strength against the lemures, pushing them back nearly twenty yards before the beholders flew in for the slaughter, their eyestalks shooting a rainbow of colors at the nearly spent cambions. "It was that little bet of ours, about the bariaur, remember?" Malignus telepathed. The battle was nearly over and the Baatoran forces had clearly claimed victory on the field. An army of dwarves waited to the north, ready to contain the battle if it spilled over into their territory. They started to advance on the defeated forces, looking to It's in the teenage years that the Tanar'riaur's sex drive begins to play a role in its violent behavior, driving it to attempt to mate with any creature it can. These tendencies towards sex and violence continue throughout its lifetime, causing great fear and hatred from those who know of it. Luckily for most creatures, the actions of the Tanar'riaur are extreme enough to keep it away from populated areas which have a reasonable level of law and order. Without order, such as in warring regions, the Tanar'riaur has free reign to spread its type of terror. More than one peasant in a war torn region has opened his door to find a Tanar'riaur. Although it's a little known fact, many tieflings are born from Tanar'riaur rapes in regions of war. Combat: The Tanar'riaur attacks with its two front claws and its vicious bite. They eschew weapons and any type of armor, as they think it interferes with their lust -- both for battle and sex. Opponents of the Tanar'riaur must save versus fear or flear in panic of the horrible beast. Tanar'riaur magic resistance is similar to that of their fiendish parent. Tanar'riaur have the spell-like powers of other tanar'ri, including darkness 15' radius, infravision, and teleport without error. They rarely use these abilities in their "carnal" pursuits, as they greatly enjoy the fear and pain they cause by breaking down doors and using force. Tanar'riaur receive the immunities of their fathers: Full Damage: acid, iron weapon, magic missile, silver weapon. Tanar'ri, Lesser - Tanar'riaur Page 3 of 4 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\oldtanarriaur.htm 9/2/99 express their frustration and anger with their sharp axes and swords. Bachel looked to the advancing dwarves and the beholders who were now focusing their deadly eyestalks on the Tanar'ri leadership. "Next time maybe I'll have a little horned surprise of my own!" Bachel telepathed to Malignus, right before teleporting back to The Abyss. His commanders and few surviving troops were left behind to be slaughtered by the beholders, and waiting dwarves. Such was the price of failure. Tanar'riaur are the male offspring of a Tanar'ri and a female bariaur. It is believed that the pure chaos and evil of the Tanar'riaur, combined with its incessant desire to defile and desecrate all that is alive, cannot possibly be contained in a female form. Others believe that the female Tanar'riaur are easier to spot at birth and may simply be drowned, as some flocks do with horned does. At birth the Tanar'riaur appears to be a normal male bariaur, although without horns. A member of the Payira Order appears shortly after the births to induct the newborn into the order. Most bariaur flocks are never aware of the true nature of the Tanar'riaur because of the short time they spend with the newborn. The payira master who raises the Tanar'riaur soon discovers the true nature of this creature. Within a few weeks from birth, the Tanar'riaur's skin changes color from brown to red. Its hair never grows, leaving it to look like a large rodent. The normal molars of the vegetarian bariaur grow into sharp fangs, designed for ripping flesh. The cloven hooves grow claws at the ends. Even the missile, silver weapon. Half Damage: cold, fire (magical), gas. No Damage: electricity, fire (non-magical), poison. Tanar'riaur have no ability to gate in other creatures. Habitat/Society: Tanar'riaur are welcome in all places where violence and defilement rule the day. A Tanar'riaur would never wish to live within bariaur society, although it may occasionally prey on its does. Although Tanar'riaur are welcome in The Abyss, they would rather live elsewhere, where there are more opportunities to satisfy their lust. Tanar'riaur are not very intelligent but they understand the need to work within organized groups to satisfy their destructive urges. They are the literal embodiment of the monster terrorizing the countryside, and without a group of soldiers or cutthroats to back up its heinous actions, a Tanar'riaur would live a short, brutish life. Tanar'riaur care little for money or payment of any type, beyond the opportunity to wreak havoc on civilian populations. Often they will patiently fight battles against organized armies, knowing that success will result in the town or city being sacked and pillaged. Tanar'riaur would never fight in The Blood War, as there are not enough rewards or opportunities. Ecology: Tanar'riaur live to satisfy their lusts for violence and sex. They are fully capable of reproduction and are thought to be extremely potent, as witnessed by the many Tanar'riaur offspring in occupied war zones. Tanar'ri, Lesser - Tanar'riaur Page 4 of 4 file://E:\web\portals\monsters\oldtanarriaur.htm 9/2/99 social activist payira could forgive these "deformities." Tanar'riaur offspring in occupied war zones. Tanar'riaur have no allegiance to their Tanar'ri fathers or respect for their bariaur mothers. They also have no desire to visit or live in the Abyss, or associate with other Tanar'ri, unless it somehow fulfills their short term goal of destruction and defilement. Please Visit The Tale of the Bariaur for more chant on this creature! Tanar'ri, True - Voodracoor Page 1 of 3 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\voodracoor.html 10/6/99 Voodracoor - Tanar'ri, True © 1999 by Heiner de Wendt. Climate/Terrain: The Abyss Frequency: Very rare Organization: Solitary or Cult Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Carnivore, Minds Intelligence: Genius to Godlike (17-21) Treasure: C, F, H Alignment: Chaotic Evil No. Appearing: 1 or 2-5 (1d4+1) Armor Class: -7 Movement: 10 Hit Dice: 10 THAC0: 10 No. of Attacks: 3 Damage/Attack: 1d4+7/1d4+7/1d6+7 Special Attacks: Voodoo, Mind Eating, Fear aura, Magical weapon Special Defenses: Tanar'ri immunities, +3 weapons to hit Magic Resistance: 70% Size: L (9 feet tall) Morale: Fanatic (17-18) XP Value: 22,000 (The mysterious Voodracoor...) "Die." -Rumored to have been said by a Voodracoor When a voodracoor controls a being in this way, it can also use another power it has - the Mind Eating. It touches the doll's head with its' hand (or whatever appendage the creature might have; observers only see that the doll is under the sleeve) and suddenly the victim gets a headache that is worse than all the pain the howling winds of Pandemonium could cause. It is, in any case, paralyzed for the whole round and the round thereafter. If the victim fails a The Voodracoor belong to the least known tanar'ri, as they are extremely rare. In fact, it is very, very bad luck if one ever meets one (and especially a group) of these horrible fiends. Voodracoor appear as large humanoids completely covered in wide, flowing hooded robes of darkest colors. Trying to get a glance at their faces under those hoods only reveals dark, red-glowing eyes in pure darkness. Whenever a voodracoor is slain or otherwise defeated, he simply vanishes, no matter what precautions are taken. Thus, no one knows what these beasts truly look like. Combat: Voodracoor attack with powerful fists hidden under their long, wide sleeves. They have a strength of 19 (+7 damage adjustment) and each hit with a fist inflicts 1d4+7 points of damage. All Voodracoor possess one Abyssal-forged magical weapon, which is additional to any other treasure the fiend has. Roll randomly on the special Tanar'ri, True - Voodracoor Page 2 of 3 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\voodracoor.html 10/6/99 weapons tables in the DMG, or choose one freely. A full 10% of these special weapons also have intelligence; in fact, the soul of a dretch has been imprisoned in the weapon then, to serve the Voodracoor. Such weapons always have the special ability to cast stinking cloud once per day, but all other abilities of the dretch are lost. The normal rules for intelligent weapons with alignments apply, though. Depending on the kind of weapon, the voodracoor loses one or both fist attacks when using the weapon (do not forget the size of the Voodracoor - a normal two-handed sword could be used one-handed by the creature). The Voodracoor also attack with a head butt if possible, inflicting 1d6+7 points of damage; these moments are the most probable of an opponent seeing the glowing eyes of the beast. In addition to those available to all tanar'ri, the voodracoor can cast once per round at the 10th level of spell use: chill touch, command, ESP (always active), polymorph other, sleep, true seeing (always active). Furthermore, they're always surrounded by a powerful fear aura in a radius of 20 feet. A being inside the fear aura has to save vs. paralyzation at a -2 penalty every round or flee in terror for 2d4 rounds. The most beloved power (by themselves, of course) of the voodracoor is the Voodoo Ritual. The voodracoor has to concentrate one round in order to create a small doll out of the fabric of space surrounding the fiend. This doll looks very similar to one being in sight of the voodracoor. After creation of the doll (which is, for any rules purposes, just an non-magical, wooden doll), the voodracoor has to bring the doll to body contact with the appropriate victim (thus, a character completely clad in armor is quite safe from this power of the fiend). After this contact, the voodracoor (and only the voodracoor) can use the doll to control the victim absolutely. Just breaking the doll would instantly kill the victim (and create quite a gory mess), moving it around could make the victim fly through the air or even attack his friends, and so on. This control lasts as long as the voodracoor sees the victim. If the fiend is somehow separated from his victim, though, and meets the character again later (as improbable as that is), the doll still has the power of control over the character. and the round thereafter. If the victim fails a saving throw vs. death magic, the being's mind is completely sucked out of him, leaving just a mindless, though still living, shell. It seems the voodracoor gain something from this, though what exactly is unknown. Curiously, they use this power very rarely. Note that this power works on all mortals and on all undead up to, but not including, "Special" status. It works on all Least and Lesser tanar'ri and baatezu, but only on those yugoloths with a magic resistance of less than 50%. It does not work on any other 'paramortals', strangely. Habitat/Society: Voodracoor are mysterious creatures who have never been observed to speak, eat or interact with anyone, except by fighting or controlling them. They always seem to be on a kind of mission, and it has been observed that the various rulers of a layer ignore them. It is thus very probable that the voodracoor are direct servants of the Abyssal lords, maybe even their creations. A truly fearsome sight are the voodracoor cults. In such a cult, two to five of these beings apparently try to accomplish some very definite goal (as gaining a magical item, killing a particular person, or something similar), and nothing, absolutely nothing can stop them, then. They never give up when in a Cult, fight until slain or successful, and do not care for anything but reaching their goal. When the voodracoor appear in a Cult and their goal has to do with a particular being, one of them nearly always uses the Voodoo power in order to reach that goal. The other voodracoor then work perfectly together to make sure the Voodoo-casting voodracoor will be successful. Such cults can also appear outside the Abyss, though this happens rarely. Only one occasion is known where the Voodoo Lords appeared in the Blood War, and they "only" killed the baatezu army's commander before disappearing again (this, though, was the key event, ensuring the success of the tanar'ri army during that battle). Ecology: The voodracoor, or Voodoo Lords, do not seem to fit into any ecology, except (and even this is only a guess) in some obscure and convoluted Abyssal system, wherein they possibly serve the layers' rulers. Then again, so Tanar'ri, True - Voodracoor Page 3 of 3 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\voodracoor.html 10/6/99 possibly serve the layers' rulers. Then again, so few is known about these fiends that about anything could be possible. Zon'de - Aasimon, Undead Page 1 of 2 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\submitted\aasimon_undead_zonde.html 1/2/00 Zon'de - Aasimon, Undead © 1999 by Rutger Kramer. Artwork © 1999 by Emil O. Carlstrom. See more of his artwork here. Climate/Terrain: Lower Planes Frequency: Vary Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Night Diet: Carnivorous Intelligence: Exceptional (15-16) Treasure: Nil Alignment: Neutral Evil No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: -5 Movement: 15, Fl 36 (B) Hit Dice: 10 THAC0: 11 No. of Attacks: 8 Damage/Attack: 1d4/1d4/ 2d6/2d6+2/ 1d4+1/1d4+1/ 1d8/1d8 Special Attacks: Aggressive Aura, Alignment Drain Special Defenses: Regeneration, +2 to hit, immunities Magic Resistance: 60% Size: Large (7'+ to 12') Morale: Fearless (19-20) XP Value: 10000 (A Zon'de, seeking goodness to consume!) Habitat/Society: Zon'de are vengful creatures that dwell on the Lower Plane they were created upon and attack everything good they encounter. They can't stand direct sunlight, so they usually only come out at night. When two Zon'de meet, they fight till death, so as to try to relieve the other of its suffering. Ecology: On the rare occasion that a winged Aasimon (thus excluding Lights and Agathinon) travels to a Lower Plane and is defeated by a fiend that has the knowledge to turn the body into one, a Zon'de is created. Usually Baatezu and Yugoloths are responsible, as Tanar'ri cannot remember the intricate magical patterns and rituals required for this horrible act. Fortunately, there are also few other fiends who can. When other Aasimon encounter a Zon'de or learn of its creation, they normally send out adventurers to free the poor sod from his current state, as well as avenge the wrong that has been done him. Zon'de live in constant agony because of their sudden evilness. It is only by absorbing the goodness of others can they abate this pain. If you're ever on the Lower Planes, and you stumble upon a pure white, yet monstrously hideous creature, you can be pretty sure it's a Zon'de, a cursed Aasimon. Everything about this abomination is white - skin, teeth, fangs, even blood. That's about as far as any resemblance between them and their former self goes. Zon'de (pronounced Zon-Dhay) are beings of almost pure evil. It is said that if someone lives long enough to look the creature straight in the eye, he might be able to see the terrible despair the beast is suffering from. Somewhere within, a spark of good that even the foulest fiends cannot eradicate, remains. Combat: Such is the evil that the Zon'de radiates that everyone within 20 feet of it must make a succesful saving throw versus Spell. Those of neutral or evil alignment that fail this save immediately attack any good creatures around. Zon'de - Aasimon, Undead Page 2 of 2 file://C:\pw.com\current\codex\submitted\aasimon_undead_zonde.html 1/2/00 Those of good alignment merely become very aggressive - they receive a +1 to damage rolls, but a -1 to hit because of the blind hate they're experiencing. A Zon'de further has all the immunities of a normal Aasimon. They regenerate 2 hit points per round and can be hit only by +2 or better weapons. When attacking, a Zon'de rakes with its claws, bites, uses its horns, and four of the claws it has on its huge wings. The pure fury of their attacks makes them foes to be reckoned with. What's more, their bite also drains a being of its goodness. After every succesful bite, the victim must make a save vs. Death Magic or lose some goodness. After two (three for elves and aasimar) bites, good becomes neutral. After two more bites, neutral becomes evil. Since this draining is the only way a Zon'de can relieve its own suffering, it usually starts by attacking good creatures and leaves when everybody is evil. Lastly, Zon'de can be turned as 10 HD undead. "I don't believe that... Nothing can curse an Aasimon!" -young slave, upon hearing about this creature- Seeing one usually leaves a big impression on even the most hardened of cutters. The sheer desperation of a Zon'de is said to be enough to drive even a halfling Sensate into the arms of the Bleak Cabal.

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/3rd Party/Planescape/Fiends Netbook.pdf

by Davide Quatrini Intro Starting a new campaign in Ghelspad can be a daunting task for a GM, but don’t worry! This accessory will provide to you a lot on information and hooks useful to ignite numerous adventures set in the northern empire of Darakeene, and especially in the Fernmagh city area. Fernmagh (in 150 AV) The city of Fernmagh (‘green field’, in the local dialect) is located in northern Darakeene, in one of the large and low fjords leading to the Blossoming Sea. Population: more than 15,000 (73% humans1, 17% slitherin, 9% asaatthi, 1% others) Government: Hierarchy. Three layers of bureaucrats and officials apply the rules and laws decided by Samniekka Naval (NE human female), tanist (province duchess) of Fernmagh. Anyway, the hierarchy is only a formal one, and often low-level officials hold much more power than high-ranking bureaucrats because of personal wealth, obscure political influence (local and in Darakeene royal court) or both. Defense: the tanist castle (see A in the map below) has two curtains of high and robust walls, and it is built on an earthy rampart. About one thousand men-at-arms directly sent by Emperor Klum act both as soldiers and policemen, and rumors about Samniekka not-completely-human personal guard abound. Commerce: Fernmagh is a thriving city rich in grain, wheat and whisky. Every single item worth 1,000 gp or less is readily available, and food and alcohol can be bought at half price. Moreover, common and uncommon magic items can be traded in the Asuras facilities (see below). Organizations: house Asuras maintains an enclave in Cunnan street (see G in the map below) and has about complete monopoly in seafaring commerce. The most widespread cults are the Denev one (among the farmers) and Enkili’s, mostly appreciated by merchants and sailors. Anyway, any major deity has at least one shrine in the city, and the Church of Hedrada is present with a small temple. Atmosphere: a damp, seafaring city in the north. Most citizens live in small, crowded wooden houses rising on streets cluttered with mud, crates and sacks full of wheat. The smell of smoked and fried fish is ubiquitous, as it is the one of whisky fermentation. Although the city is industrious, it is also cloaked by an unnatural phenomenon capable of absorbing sounds and spreading an unsettling aura of silence. Emperor Klum men-at-arms stationed in Fernmagh 1 Mostly Albadian and Ledean, both of pure and mixed heritage. A. Tanist Castle: Fernmagh does not have a single, identified building which can be called ‘a castle’. The seat of the tanist is instead more akin to a very large fortified square, protected by two high stone walls and a lot of defense towers: seven internal ones and fourteen outside. Samniekka lives in the easternmost internal tower, one of the largest, and her rumored personal guard is stationed in the underground level of the same building. The artificial rampart on the base of the castle provides it with a privileged, elevated position: from there, the trebuchets installed on every tower roof can reach with their projectiles any point in the city area. Secret: a small cadre of commissioned officers among the 1,000 soldiers sent by the Emperor to defend the city are not so loyal to the crown. Instead, they are actively working in secret to transform Fernmagh in a free city-state. The first tool they are employing to accomplish their long-term plan is a fake thieves guild built only to create turmoil in the streets and perform false-flag operations on behalf of the police. The tanist suspects something about ‘her’ soldiers, but she mistakenly underestimates their skills and commitment in pursuing their goal. B. Mrora Street: the main street of the city is slightly more colored and noisy than the rest of Fernmagh. Among small bazaars and wandering sellers of trinkets and oddities, tired travelers can find the Spinning Lady, the largest city inn. Named after the dancing shows and ballets on stage every evening, the locale is run by a strange, brawny, androgynous innkeeper nicknamed ‘Device’. Smoked fish and fried chips are available at every hour of the day and the night, served with the ‘greeny’, a strong drink obtained mixing beer, whisky and cod liver oil. Secret: sometimes, when the pumpkins’ harvest and the related Carnival approach, an elf merchant coming from afar can be encountered in Mrora Street. He sells costumes and masks of very high quality at very discounted prices, made of exotic fabrics and woods. Normally people are satisfied with his services, but seldom whispered rumors about customers disappearing while wearing the elf’s products can be heard in the inns of the street. One bard has even composed a ballad about an ebony mask capable of capturing the soul of the wearer. C. Rruth District: a mass of small hovels made of poor wood, Rruth District is the slitherin ghetto in Fernmagh. Ratfolk live a meager life, but because of their large families and love for skill and luck games (and cheap alcohol, of course) they are happier than the average citizen. Their dirty reputation is mainly related to the fact that a lot of evidences and hints show direct slitherin involvement in the criminal activities of the thieves guild. Anyway, a lot of them work as longshoremen or laborers in the rice fields just out of the city. Secret: the largest part of the rumors about slitherin thieves are false, expressly built by the traitor soldiers (see A above) as a part of their conspiracy. Some of the smartest among the ratfolk started to suspect about those black operations, but they are too afraid to damage their community with an open-field confrontation with the army. For this reason, the slitherin are searching for some brave ‘agents’ able to actively contrast the actions of the men-at- arms and sabotage their plans. D. The Market: a not-so-large square surrounded by the city’s oldest buildings, The Market is used by Fernmagh inhabitants in their everyday life, and thus it is normally not so interesting for adventurers and mercenaries unless they have trade goods to sell (in particular, sugar and hop are highly appreciated). Aulek the Green (LE human male) is the richest merchant in the market, a fat man easily recognizable because of his brilliant emerald cap. Sometimes he hires small parties of skillful individuals for escorting the goods he sells or buys from other Darakeene cities, but his contracts are normally full of cavils and penalties. Secret: being the heart of the old city, the Market square hides the entrance of a deep dungeon under an old, forgotten manhole. This underground place can be reached through a very long spiral staircase, and it contains the nest of an ancient, huge, oozy creature. Its name is lost in the folds of time, and no one knows why it is currently trapped in this large glass bubble resembling a round vial. Something is certain, however; its touch is highly mutagenic, and it would be able to create a lot of new horrors in case someone would set it free. F. Still Mill: this place is very old, and it was one of the main mills in Fernmagh up to a couple of centuries ago. Nowadays it is completely abandoned, and the reason is a peculiar one. Most probably because of the otherworldly exile imposed to Lethene, the Dame of Storms, the wind never blows in this area, and also weather-controlling spells fail here. So, it is impossible to use this mill to produce wheat, and most Fernmagh people avoid this place as much as possible, both for fear of collapses and superstition. Secret: Dagzor, a lonely sutek from the Ukrudan desert, took an extenuating pilgrimage to Fernmagh because he firmly believes that the Sword of Flames, a powerful artifact tied to Thulkas, lies somewhere near the city. The monster wants the weapon for himself in order to re-unite all the scattered sutek clans under his own banner, and he is ready to do anything necessary in order to find and conquer the item. First of all, he needs information, allies and slaves, and from his new lair in the Still Mill is ready to wreak havoc on the nearby town. the Still Mill G. Cunnan Street: House Asuras strongly keeps a low profile when operating in Fernmagh, but every citizen knows the truth: the city port, the ships and Cunnan street itself are exclusive property of the mercantile House. This area has very few houses, and it consists mainly of large warehouses and facilities used for building and repairing ships, or as workshops for any kind of finely-decorated wooden or metal luxury goods. One of the most renowned city taverns, The Drunk Boulder, operates in this street, and its owner is Kelern (N human male), the brother of Aulek the Green (see D above). Secret: House Asuras bought Kelern fealty a lot of time ago, and they want to use his influence on his brother in order to acquire shares in the Market shops and various trades. The mid-term goal of the House is becoming monopolist in the rich commerce of Fernmagh and, if possible, replacing Samniekka Naval with someone ‘nearer’ to Asuras family. Agents of the House are already working in Emperor Klum’s court to achieve this goal, profiting of the sovereign age and political turmoil related to separatists groups in the south. H. Carpentry: a peculiar building near the castle, this workshop is an open place in which every Fernmagh recognized citizen can find tools and provisions useful for carving wood or performing small domestic works. The equipment formally belongs to the tanist and can be freely borrowed by anyone, but the penalties for improper use, damaging or theft are very severe. The carpentry is managed by Lyssynya DeVril, a muscled woman (N human) skilled in woodcarving and whitewashing. Her seven daughters and sons can be found playing with crude wooden toys near the building almost at every hour of the day. Secret: one of the carpentry tools, a small, faulty hammer, is cursed. Normally the curse does not spread easily, because the hammer is too small for most jobs and not easily wieldable. Anyway, a person so unlucky to pick the tool is destined to fall into a slumber from which it is very difficult to wake up. Phylacteric Vault members would be very interested in obtaining the hammer in order to able to study it and determine its origin and the nature of its properties, but Lyssynya knows something about the item and does not want to allow it to leave the carpentry. I. Sskahl Houses: this area of the city is almost completely inhabited by asaatthi. The buildings were made from large dark stones coming from ruins located some miles east of Fernmagh, and the serpentfolk are now famed as skillful stonemasons among their artisans peers. The Houses are named after the Sskahl clan, the largest and most powerful asaatthi family in the area, led by Yovia the Wizard (LN asaatthi female). Asaatthi are normally shy and secretive in everyday life, and therefore not completely trusted by the humans dominating Fernmagh. Secret: The serpentfolk are reserved not by choice, but for necessity. During the excavations performed to obtain the stones needed to build their homes, in fact, they discovered a large blood-red serpentine egg emanating a dark magic aura. The egg is currently hidden in Yovia’s laboratory, and the wizard is trying to understand its secrets. The probability of having the egg tied to the current status of Mormo the serpent titan is very high, and Yovia is terribly worried about that. K. Customhouse: every person, piece of gold or trade good arriving by land travel shall pass here before entering the city (a lot of stuff is smuggled by other means, obviously, but the vast majority of legal trade is subject to taxation and verification in this office). Customs duties are not very high, but they are applied to all goods, also the ones coming from other Darakeene cities, in order to discourage import and bolster export. The customhouse is managed by a small squad of soldiers cyclically sent by the tanist, and the composition of the squad changes regularly to prevent corruption. L. Makedow Hill: the highest place in city area (higher also than the castle rampart), this hill hosts an abandoned, crumbling temple. The peculiar thing is that no one in Fernmagh remembers to what deity the temple was dedicated, also if the oldest asaatthi of the Sskahl family (older than 180 years) confirm that the building was already there also before the Victory of the Gods. Because of this lack of clear information, most inhabitants avoid the hill as much as possible, apart from the summer months in which the brambles around the temple are full of big, delicious blackberries. Secret: mistakenly interpreted as a temple, this structure is instead the most external part of a large Slarecian underground complex which occupies the entire hill, spanning several levels. The horrors inhabiting the place are unspeakable, but strangely silent and quiet, almost never interfering with Fernmagh everyday life. They are surely waiting for some kind of event (an astronomic alignment, maybe, or the fulfilling of a prophecy) in order to unleash their dark power on the entire northern Ghelspad. M. Rarke Mansion: sir Ulrikh Rarke, a minor Darakeene noble, lives in this modest mansion just outside the city. Arrived in Fernmagh just before the appointment of the current tanist, his relationship with the city ruler is cordial, although their meetings are very rare and mostly focused on the production of rice by the fields owned by Rarke family. A shy bachelor, handsome sir Ulrikh is the target of interests of a lot of ambitious bourgeois women coming from the rich Darakeene families living in Fernmagh area. Secret: Ulrikh Rarke (NE human male) is a mad scientist morbidly fascinated by the titans’ capability of creating new life forms. For this reason, he equipped the basement of his mansion with a horrible laboratory, a ghastly place in which he performs disgusting and painful experiments on kidnapped subjects belonging to the poorest Fernmagh families. He is particularly interested in mixing the traits of all the races present in the city area (humans, asaatthi and slitherin) in a unique, completely new sort of creature. Fernmagh area – random encounters Roll on the following table when the PCs travel in the grassland area surrounding Fernmagh. According to the official 5E rules, check for random encounters every 4 hours: the encounter occurs if you get a result of 18 or more on a d20 roll. Note: bolded monsters stat blocks can be found in 5th Edition Scarred Lands Player’s Guide. Underlined ones are instead included in the 5.1 SRD. d12+d8 Encounter 2 A Hunter’s Hound tracking the party’s spellcasters. 3 An opaque bank of salty fog suddenly appears. 4 A Charfiend starting a fire to a haystack located near a farm full of children. 5 The corpses of three Darakeene soldiers stabbed by swords. If removed, they suddenly attack, behaving like Flying Swords. 6 A couple of Spider-Eye Goblins building a nest in the heart of a giant black tree. 7 A burned cart lying on a side, its content of small wine barrels scattered everywhere. 8 A partially torn tapestry with figures of dancing asaatthi and slitherin on it. 9 A small herd of goats. They are eating strange, purple grass. 10 Coffee-scented white flowers. If pressed, they produce a juice usable as ink for magic tattoos. 11 Large puddles of stinking, salty, brown water. 12 Five Murder Sprites threatening a couple of young lovers. 13 A large bush bearing pallid, orange fruits. Their taste is awful, but they are very effective as baits for titanspawn. 14 A squad of three humorous and cunning Shadow Ravens dedicated to banditry. 15 A far, unsettling chorus of treble voices. 16 Two Shadows lurking near the ruined walls of an isolated, forsaken tower. 17 A small statue built using round, colored stones. It disturbingly resembles one of the PCs. 18 A Flesh Corruptor busy in spoiling a grain field. 19 A set of clay figurines depicting the Divine Victors. They are on the ground, some of them cracked and broken. 20 An aubergine-colored Night-Touched Hound stalking for a distressed damsel. She is Tyra, Samniekka Naval’s beloved partner. Legal This product was created under license. SCARRED LANDS and its logo, and Slarecian VAULT and its logo, are trademarks of Onyx Path Publishing. All Scarred Lands setting material, art, and trade dress are the property of Onyx Path Publishing. www.theonyxpath.com This work contains material that is copyright Onyx Path Publishing. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for “Slarecian Vault” Community Content. All other original material in this work is copyright 2018 by Davide Quatrini and published under the Community Content Agreement for “Slarecian Vault” Community Content. Cover image can be used in Slarecian Vault products. See http://www.rpgnow.com/product/237434/Slarecian-Vault-Scarred-Lands-Players-Guide-Artwork for more details. Map and interior art are in the Public Domain. See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaumaris,_1610.jpg, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Galloglass-circa-1521.jpg and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andreas_Schelfhout_-_Nederlandse_boten_afgemeerd_aan_een_rivier_naast_een_windmolen.jpg for more details. OTHER STARTER SETS! Bored of saving princesses, joining the Harpers and worshipping benign gods? No problem! http://www.dmsguild.com /product/237358/Vile- Darkness-Starter-Set Start your new Forgotten Realms campaign in the village of Easting! http://www.dmsguild.com /product/236022/Forgotte n-Realms-Starter-Set-2 Wanna help me in writing more? Check my other 5E stuff! Arm your character with powerful technomagical armors! 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Dramaria Sector Azukail Games I Dramaria Sector Credits Design, Editing and Layout: Adrian Kennelly Cover and Page Backgrounds: Lord Zsezse Works Image: Maciej Zagorski Published by Azukail Games, a trading style of eGDC Ltd Copyright Information The contents are copyright © 2020 Azukail Games. All rights reserved. As a purchaser of this product your are entitled to print one copy for personal use. Reproduction, reselling and redistribution of this work are strictly and expressly forbidden without written per- mission from Azukail Games. Open Gaming License Copyright © 2007 Wizards of the Coast. All rights reserved Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells™ is a trademark of Diogo Nogueira. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Con- tent: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, trade dress and the “Dramaria Sector” name. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Azukail Games product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Dramaria Sector is published by eGDC Ltd under the Open Game License v 1.0a Copy- right 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This PDF uses Adobe layers and the backgrounds and images can be disabled for a print- er friendly version. 1 Introduction This sector is all about entertainment and the residents of it will be entertained, whether they like it or not, and will participate in shows, whether they want to or not and, given how lethal many of the shows are, most contestants are unwilling. The Galactic Overlord of this sector, Teatra, is said to have been the head of propagan- da for the First Sorcerer, with a love of entertainment of all kinds, though especially the bloodier and more improvised types. Though the sector is based on entertainment and countless different shows are recorded, very few of these are scripted shows or anything that requires much in the way of investment. Most of them are gameshows and reality shows that have a lethal bent and many contestants fail to make it to the end of a show without being maimed or killed. Shows are recorded and exported to other sectors, and these exports form a major part of the sector’s income. The nature of the shows means that there is a constant need for new participants, and these are more often than not unwilling participants. Many participants are convicted criminals, and to maintain a regular supply of such, there is much that is illegal in the sector. Sometimes, when demand is great, citizens are simply dragged off the streets. Themes Cameras, Drama, Entertainment, Live Action, Performance, Scripted Reality, Television, Theatrical d66 Dramaria Sector Hex Contents 11 An artificial asteroid made from metal that houses a number of holographic projectors. Depending on the angle at which the asteroid is approached, a dif- ferent hologram is seen. The holographic images display programmes from the sector’s entertainment channels. 12 A black hole used as a way to execute criminals, all televised for the audience’s viewing pleasure. Those to be executed are placed in small pods with minimal life support, just enough to keep them alive until the tidal forces rip the pod apart, with cameras inside and out filming as long as they can. The pods are launched from a station some distance from the black hole. 13 A major satellite used as a broadcast and rebroadcast hub for the sector. Pro- grammes from all over the sector are beamed to the satellite, then rebroad- cast to other areas of the sector. The satellite is manned by ordinary residents watched over by Punishers. The satellite is guarded by a squadron of starfight- ers. 14 A wilderness planet used for various survival games, from desert to jungle to cold to mountain to island survival. Contestants are dropped on the planet to see how long they can survive for, and there are always several groups, or re- mainders of groups, on the world. Very few contestants survive the experience. 2 15 An asteroid that has been turned into a maze of passages and rooms. Groups of contestants are sent into the asteroid with primitive armour and weapons and, once inside, do battle with the monstrous creatures that inhabit the maze, as well as other groups. Hidden cameras and microphones blanket every portion of the maze, all with advanced night vision capabilities, so that the encounters can be filmed. 16 A vast space station that has clearly suffered extensive damage when viewed from the outside, with gaps leading into the structure. Inside, the station is a maze of blood-splashed passages and rooms, with flickering lights, intermit- tent force fields and malfunctioning systems. The station was built like this and contestants within it are hunted by bloodthirsty robots and rampaging alien monsters. 21 A jungle-swathed planet where titanic beasts roam, preying on each other. Hunters travel to the planet to attempt to bag one of these beasts, along with hovering cameras that record every second. More often than not, the hunters become the hunted, ending their lives as a tiny snack for the megafauna. 22 A hollowed-out asteroid occupied by thousands who work within the corridors and cubicles that turn the interior into a warren. Inside the different offices, people work to edit many of the sector’s programmes into something suitable for export. Doing a good job is rewarded with continued existence and a slow move up the promotion ladder. Doing a poor job is rewarded with being cast out of an airlock; an execution that is naturally televised. 23 A world on which different armies, comprised of enslaved citizens, fight each other. Most of the conflicts are old-fashioned, with combatants wielding swords and ancient weapons and wearing metal armour, though there are a handful of more modern conflicts. Cameras hover above every battle, recording every element of the conflict. 24 A barren planet that is now only inhabited by the dead and scattered with the wreckage of media equipment. None of the sector’s occupants truly know what happened here, only that whatever show was being recorded got out of control and everyone died. The surviving staff of the show also died, though far more slowly in a recorded execution. 25 One of many vast monitors scattered across the sector that show some of the currently playing shows to all who pass, and all are expected to spend at least some time watching and enjoying the screen. 26 A gas giant in which pilots fly in specialist flying craft that are launched from a hovering city. The pilots fight against each other with short-ranged weapons that are designed to cripple the electronics of their opponents. Once a craft is crippled, it will fall into the depths of the gas giant to be crushed in front of the cameras. 31 Arenas are located all over this planet, from one that will only seat a few hun- dred to immense ones capable of taking hundreds of thousands of people. Spectators come from all over the sector, selected by lottery, to watch and cheer - and cheering is mandatory - as contestants fight each other or mon- sters on the bloodied sands of the arenas, though many can also be turned into lakes. Primitive weapons are the preferred arms used. 3 32 A water world with only one single peak of land, a mountain that functions as the starport, though there are underwater cities scattered around the globe. Submarine vessels sail under the seas, fighting enormous leviathan creatures, though they are more often swallowed, and each other, as cameras record events within and without the boats. 33 A perpetually-burning nebula, fuelled by an unknown source. Few go there now, but it was once the site of a stunt that was being filmed that went terribly wrong, though the surviving recordings still prove popular, simply for watching the destruction caused. 34 A network of self-contained units joined together into a space station. Each unit contains sleeping, cooking, cleaning and relaxation areas and an assortment of contestants occupy each area. The last person to survive wins, and view- ers watch the alliances and betrayals happen between the contestants as they attempt to kill each other off, though overt violence results in the perpetrator being spaced. 35 An artificially dense region of asteroids in which small, one-person craft navi- gate, trying to avoid each other and some killer drones. Each craft is unarmed except for a laser that can be used to paint another craft and attract one the drones to the target. The individual who survives to the end wins. 36 A vast industrial planet whose skies and seas are choked by toxins from the factories that blanket the surface. This world is one that manufactures many of the items used in the shows, from weapons to robots to vehicles to record- ing equipment and everything in between. Workers in the factories live short, unpleasant lives, working at menial jobs whilst screens show clips from various shows. 41 A desert world where groups in armoured vehicles attempt to gain possession and control of the few resources whilst video drones capture the action. Battles between vehicles are common, especially when new resources are dropped on the planet from stations in orbit, and those groups nearest the drop head to- wards it. There is never a victor in these contests, only those who don’t die as quickly, and the bloody show goes on. 42 A world covered in skyscrapers where billions of people live in cramped and only just liveable conditions. Screens, on which the latest shows are run, litter the surfaces of the skyscrapers and are in every room. Huge projectors turn the entire sides of buildings into screens and the constant light makes it unpleasant for those trying to live within the buildings. 43 An immense space station that is a labyrinth of recording studios in which au- dio plays are made. Much of the entertainment involves violence, and though regular characters on shows are generally safe, plenty of characters are killed off live on air, literally, as the individual playing them is slaughtered. The audio recordings are broadcast live and pre-recorded, in places where visual enter- tainment is not always possible. 44 A world filled with various educational institutions, which are intended to churn out the staff and engineers needed to create the various forms of entertainment and the technology needed to do it, including recording equipment and robots. There is always heavy demand for the places available, as graduates are safer than the average citizen. Sometimes duels are fought for places, which are then broadcast out. 4 45 A gas giant in which strange structures have been built, conglomerations of sor- cery and technology. The structures harvest raw materials, and perhaps other things, from the gas giant, that are used to make the sector’s technology. Some of the structures seem to be harvesting power from the gas giant, which is then broadcast to other stations. 46 Travelling starships that are no more than mobile holographic emitters, which project different shows into space, visiting most of the sector so that all inhab- itants can be entertained, no matter where they are. 51 A world covered in training grounds for some participants in a variety of shows. All types of terrain and combat can be found on the world, as the more profes- sional participants hone their skills to be later used to make the shows more entertaining, and more fatal for the regular contestants. 52 An orbiting laboratory space station within which are hundreds of different labs. Within these labs, scientists and technicians work to create new lifeforms and robots, which will then be used against contestants in various different shows. 53 A planet used as a testing ground for new shows and technology that will be used in them. The planet is covered in many different types of terrain, some of them artificially created, so that tests can be carried out in a wide range of environments. Dangerous technology, malfunctioning robots and escaped sur- vivors add to the world’s peril. 54 Potemkin world where news articles are filmed showing how wonderful life is for the average inhabitant of the sector. The public face of the inhabitants is cheerful, but this is backed up by an iron fist out of sight of the camera. 55 A scorched planet that rebelled against the Galactic Overlord, and was de- stroyed as a result. The few survivors of the attack live in the ruins of the cities that once covered the planet, trying desperately to survive on a world with al- most no food. 56 A virulent green world with no life except for plants. The world is home to en- gineered plants that were going to be used in shows. The plants escaped from their laboratory, killed the inhabitants and rapidly took over the world. Here and there the occasional wreck of a skyscraper sticks out of the green canopy. 61 An immense capital ship covered in transmission dishes. The ship’s power is ca- pable of blasting transmissions through any form of electronic blocking, taking over all the screens within range with whatever programmes the ship chooses. 62 A dark, charnel world filled with graveyards in which many of the sector’s dead are buried. Psychic ghosts lurk in the graveyards, and contestants are released onto the planet to see if they can survive the ghosts. Most contestants are giv- en small cameras with which to record their story, under the promise that this will make it easier to survive. 63 A world covered in immense, continent-spanning racing tracks, with bridges and tunnels crossing oceans. Heavily armed and armoured ground vehicles race around these tracks, attempting to destroy their opponents and finish the race first, avoiding attacks from various traps and weapons scattered around the track at the same time. 5 64 A vast space station containing many dozens of stages in which a lot of the few pre-scripted shows created in the sector are filmed. The life of those who act in these shows is generally higher than the sector average, though injuries and fatalities in the shows are real, not done by special effects. 65 A planet that appears perfectly normal, until attempts to land on it reveal that it is a hologram. The world is part of an experiment to create ever-larger displays for the sector’s shows. Some believe that the world was once a real one, for it appears inhabited, that through an accident of sorcery was transformed into a hologram permanently. 66 An egg-shaped, dense nebula that is believed by some to be the egg of a na- scent Star God of entertainment that the Galactic Overlord wishes to enslave and by others to be the Overlord’s own attempt to become a Star God. d20 Visions from Dramaria Sector 1 Several starfighters are dogfighting with each other through an artificially-dense region of asteroids, whilst a large cruiser looks on and controls a number of video probes that are recording the contest. One of the starfighters suffers a minor hit and spins out of control to crash into an asteroid. 2 A massive dreadnaught that scans all vessels that approach closely. If the ships look like they are easy prey, the dreadnaught orders them to stand down as shuttles are sent over to board them. The occupants of the ship will star in some of the deadlier shows. 3 A breach to the Void, the site of a failed show, that radiates energy that warps space and creatures within it for thousands of miles around. 4 A cloud of metallic objects, sparkling in the light of the star they orbit, is a graveyard of ships of many different types, destroyed during combat shows. 5 A nebula being reshaped by a multitude of starships into a giant image of the Galactic Overlord, one many light years across. 6 A gigantic cloud of camera drones that has escaped control and now hunts through the sector looking for things to kill and film their death. 7 A group of patchwork spaceships containing inhabitants fleeing the sector. The starships are cobbled together from different bits and pieces and are barely functional. 8 A star being slowly siphoned away into a monstrous power station, where its energy will be stored and broadcast throughout the sector. 9 A swarm of starfighters attacking a Great Devouring Worm, whilst camera probes record it for later broadcast. Many starfighters have already been re- duced to drifting debris. 10 A jagged bolt of what looks like lightning, but is an overpowered broadcast that will fry the systems of anything it hits. 11 A conglomeration of broken robots and destroyed starships, discarded after their on-air use, that is forming into a new monstrous entity of metal and com- puters. 12 An enormous eye that turns to stare at approaching ships, yet doesn’t appear to do anything more than that. 6 13 A ring of floating corpses surrounds a small planet, dumped from a large space station that orbits the world. The dead are those that failed in some way, wheth- er as show participants or as crew. 14 A maddened Great Devouring Worm with cybernetic enhancements. It was in- tended to be part of a production that would have contestants piloting the worms and fighting each other, but the worm escaped and has been on a ram- page ever since. 15 A derelict ship, rent and torn, in which contestants attempted to battle mon- strous entities. They all died, but their spirits and the entities remain. 16 A gigantic lens in space, used to increase the distance over which broadcasts can be sent, powerful enough to override any other broadcast for a great dis- tance. 17 A nebula with an unusual sensitivity to certain types of radiation. It picks up various shows broadcast throughout the sector and these can be seen playing out across the nebula’s gasses. 18 A rogue group of automated starfighters that were used as warmup opponents in space combat shows, until they rebelled against their programming and es- caped. They will attack any non-robotic life encountered if they think they can win. 19 An asteroid that has been carved into a huge face. It depicts a now forgotten star of a discontinued programme. 20 A world that appears to be a negative of itself, frozen in time, orbited by a space station around which the energies of the Void swirl. 2d6 Encounters in Dramaria Sector 0- The Galactic Overlord looking for contestants for a new show they have person- ally devised. 1 1d3 Dominator Void Demons bound to the Galactic Overlord dragging dominat- ed 2d6 victims away. 2 4d6 Punishers using lethal force on 10d6 Commoners foolish enough to protest against the Galactic Overlord. 3 2d6 escapees from one of the shows, scavenging for supplies to keep them alive. 4 1d6 Smugglers with bootleg copies of various shows that they plan to sell out- side the sector. 5 1d3 Followers of the Eternal Show seeking to found a temple dedicated to en- tertainment. 6 1d6 high-ranking entertainment officials travelling to a meeting about an up- coming show. 7 2d6+2 Punishers are dragging 1d6+1 less than willing residents (Commoners) away to participate in a lethal game show 8 1d6 camera drones suddenly take an interest in a group, either to broadcast their activities or as potential recruits for a show, and start following them around. 9 3d6 Commoners fleeing from a holding area for one of the shows. 7 10 2d6 Soldiers looking for rebels that have fled custody. 11 Camera drones videoing a number of Commoners being attacked by criminals. 12 Contestants from a space-themed show fleeing in the starship they were as- signed to command. 13 3d6 Rebels who have just planted explosives intended to take out a major broadcast facility. 14+ An embryonic Star God of entertainment. d10 Adventure Opportunities in Dramaria Sector 1 A rebel group wants to introduce a virus into one of the broadcasting stations, so that they can briefly take over one of the channels and broadcast material opposing the Galactic Overlord. 2 The Galactic Overlord has apparently developed a new technology that makes it easier to control their subjects and enforce them to participate in shows. Some want to destroy this technology; rival Overlords want to steal it. 3 An important member of the resistance against the Galactic Overlord has been captured and will be forced to take part in a gameshow where contestants have to try and escape heavily armed and well-equipped hunters. The other mem- bers of the resistance want to rescue them. 4 Rebels want to break into one of the top development facilities in the sector, where upcoming shows are planned out. They want to steal the data on what shows will soon be filming and where, so that they can use this information to sabotage the shows in question. 5 The Order of the Thousand Suns has sent a master into the sector in order to broadcast a message through the entertainment network that will help block the Overlord’s manipulation of the population. 6 The Galactic Overlord is testing a new means of controlling the sector’s popula- tion, and that of other sectors, using a transmission embedded in the broadcast programmes. Both rebel groups and other Overlords want to put a stop to this. 7 A rebel faction wants to destroy one of the enormous, planetoid-sized broad- casting hubs in the sector, reducing transmissions until it can be replaced. They have found what they believe is a weakness in the hub’s reactor. 8 An ancient laboratory has been discovered with experimental technology relat- ed to communications. This technology would be worth a lot to many, but the rebels want it destroying so that it can’t be misused and the Galactic Overlord wants to obtain it. 9 One of the game shows is known to have a very valuable prize. No-one has won this prize to date, because the contest is fixed, but it’s real and kept in careful storage, only being brought out to display it to competitors and viewers. The prize would be worth a lot should anyone be able to steal it. 10 Two high-ranking officials, both controlling large numbers of successful shows, are coming into conflict. Both want someone to infiltrate the other’s organi- sation and cause trouble for them, undermining their authority and hopefully causing their death at the hands of the Galactic Overlord. 8 More Related Supplements 100 Detailed Bits of Junk to Find in Space 100 Encounters for a Dubious Starport Links Join our mailing list and get a free PDF, The Book of Sixes, which contains 33 d6 tables taken from our fantasy supplements. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for product demos, unboxing videos, tutorial videos and more to come. Find us on itch. Our Ko-fi store 9 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The original roleplaying game “The Black Hack” text, tables, all artwork, logos and layout are Copyright 2016, David Black. “Additional Things” text, tables, artwork and layout are Copy- right 2016, David Black. “Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells” Copyright ©2018 Diogo Nogueira. Dramaria Sector © 2021, eGDC Ltd; Author: Adrian Kennelly

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The Ecology of Geoff Ninian ap Ioseff speaks When most people think of the land of Gyruff, they picture a landscape full of rolling hills, deep woods, and high, snowcapped mountains. Those that know her a little better know that it is what lives and grows on those hills, and forests and mountains that truly define this rich land. The ever-present hills and mountains would be but mounds of dirt were it not for the heather, green grasses, and flowers that grow wild throughout the land. And the forests and mountains, well, they are living, breathing landscapes that serve as home for not only the plant life, but also for the myriad animals that live on the Land. Weather Life cannot exist without water, and Gyruff is blessed with more of the sky-gift than most any other realm. If rain clouds were sheep, then the Crystalmists and the Barrier Peaks would be the fences penning them in. The mountaintops that circle most of the land are too tall for heavy clouds to pass over, and so they linger and lean against and sit atop the mountains until they are so laden with rain they cannot bear it any longer. Hence, rain is plentiful in Grand Duchy, with the higher areas seeing more than central Gyruff. That is not to say it is always raining. Thunderstorms are common, but they are short, violent affairs and soon allow Pelor to shine through. Rainbows are quite common. Morning fog is also common, especially in and around the forests. The intertwined trees hold water like soaked wool, prolonging its journey back to the sky, and indeed from on high, the treetops do look like verdant wool shearings. The swath of land between the Dim and Oytwood is particularly known for its thick fog, which commonly lingers in the low-lying dells until mid-morning. It is no wonder this region has a reputation for secrecy and hauntings. Eventually though, Pelor’s rays coax the mist back into the sky, where it joins the clouds, and begins the cycle anew. When Old Man Winter returns, the raindrops turn to snowflakes. He brings significant snowfall, especially in the west and mountains. All too often he returns to the land sooner than expected, and even lowland lakes have been known to turn icy by early Ready’reat. The mountains are snowcapped year round, and the highland Flan tribes refer to them as Bythol Gwyn Brigi (tr. Peaks of Eternal White). Of course, the mountain air is always cooler no matter the season, but it can change dramatically from pleasant to bearable to bitterly cold in a matter of hours. The swings are milder and more predictable closer to the valley floor. The return of spring is heralded when the rivers break their banks. This is an expected event, but only the most seasoned druid or ranger can predict the day any particular avon (tr. water) will flood. The melting snows swell the rivers, and the more severe the winter, the more water will try to make it’s way landward. The rolling valleys prevent most floods from traveling far, and while the flatter regions get it worse, the Gyri in those areas are accustomed to the spring tantrums and consider them more of a nuisance than a danger. One body of water, or bodies of water, that rarely change are the hot springs of Pregmere. Old Faith tradition holds that the hot springs well from Beory’s breath, deep below the ground, while others claim that it is some elemental or magical far below the surface source which heats the waters. While they are not a weather phenomenon in and of themselves, they do affect the local clime of the cantreval capital somewhat and are home to one of the most unusual and uniquely Gyric fish…which I will get to in a moment. Fauna In Gyruff, leeks dominate the garden, apple trees the grove-stands, and sheep dominate the rolling landscape. Cattle could thrive here just fine, but they are not common to the culture, and so goat’s milk and lamb’s meat are more familiar to the Gyri. The fields and woods teem with game, rabbits and deer being most commonly hunted for their meat and hides. Bual (tr. bison) and mountain goats dominate the alpine meadows and canyons, and are sources of food as well as clothing and labor. Hunted or domestic, the Gyri do not waste any part of the animal, so wool, fur, leather, oils, and hide-glue, as well as meat, are all gathered from the beasts. It is said that sheep, deer, and Gyri are the most populous inhabitants of the land…in that order (though I think that last part a slight exaggeration). Elk, bears, wolves and wild boars are common enough, and even more so the further one ventures into the wilds of the land. Such a venturer, if he’s lucky, might even catch a glimpse of the White Stag, a portentous and magical animal in Gyric culture. Some relegate it to myth and legend, though most Gyri believe (if they do now know) otherwise. Four legged beasts are not the only animals for which Gyruff is known though. Majestic golden and whitecrown eagles are the monarchs of the birds in the sky, and make their home in the peaks of both the Stark Mounds and the surrounding mountain ranges. They are considered a particularly sacred animal in the ancient culture of our Flan ancestors and the Gyri use their feathers as fetishes, tokens, charms and decoration. The giant eagles of the Barrier Peaks are especially revered by the Gyri, and sightings of the magical beasts are considered a very good omen by the ffolk. The formidable creatures are intelligent, have a language all their own, and have even allied with the Gyri when the Land is threatened. As for the cold rivers and lakes of Gyruff, they are home to Peakborn whitegill, steelhead trout, and the ever-plentiful brithyll (tr. spotted trout). Indeed the villages along the waters rely on fish for much of their diet, and in the cantrev of Rhwng yr Coed, fishing the Javan is a way of life. The most unique waterborne native is the tandwr fish; the hot- water adapted fish found in the hot springs of Pregmere. No one is sure how they came to live in the hot springs, or why they are found only in Gyruff. To their detriment, the scarlet fish are very tasty, and fishing has depleted their numbers greatly. The tandwr fish isn’t the only animal unique to Gyruff. There are a number of beasts that share the distinction of being native to our land and I will go over a few of them now. Gyric Mynyth Ceffyl (tr. Geoffian Mountain Pony) As unique as our homeland, the Gyric Mountain Pony possesses qualities that distinguish it from equine found in other parts of the Flanaess, the most apparent being its physical appearance. The Gyric Ceffyl is larger than a donkey, yet just smaller than a typical riding horse, averaging 13 hands in height. The head of the pony is small, with neatly pointed ears, big bold eyes and a wide forehead. It has a strong and round jaw line which tapers to a small muzzle, and its legs are short and well defined, ending in round dense hooves to better deal with the hilly territory. Although they do vary in color, white, seems to be unusually common. I have heard tell that this is attributed to a close kinship with unicorns, though I personally can’t verify nor deny this claim. Still, there are those who swear by Beory that our charming mountain ponies are related to those magical beasts. Perhaps this is more a product of our Gyric pride, than truth, (but I will not be the one to say so). Generations of climbing mountains, leaping ravines, and constantly enduring the rugged landscape of Gyruff in general has bred the hardiest horses in all the Flanaess. Iron constitutions, sturdy bodies, and a keen intellect, (combined with the native Gyric temperament), define the Geoffian Mountain Pony, and makes these horses a fitting complement to any Gyru. Much like their bipedal counterparts, the Ceffyli of Gyruff are quite versatile, and ideally suited to many tasks. Their agility and surefootedness in the hills and woods make them ideal Geoffian cavalry mounts, while their strength of body and endurance make them indispensable to our farmers. Even the dwarves seek out these mounts as they are shorter than a warhorse, yet just as strong. Personally, I would not trade my Ceffyl, Iona, for any other kind of mount in the Flannaes. Bual (bah-awl, tr. bison) Before I begin, it is important to note that there are two types of bual. The “lowland bual”, or bualbach (tr. small bison), are less common than the larger “highland bual”, the bual bre, which are often considered ‘true’ bual. I will speak of the highland variety first, though apart from their size and grazing grounds, they are fairly much the same beast. Native to the highlands of Gyruff, the bual are horned beasts akin to shaggy oxen or bovine bulls. They roam the alpine meadows of the Crystalmists and Barrier Peaks, and are well known to the Flan highlanders for their milk, meat, wool and burden-bearing backs. The bual bre (tr. highland bison) is larger than it’s lowland cousin being a good head higher at the withers than the tallest Flan highlander, and weighing more than two hill giants…carrying full rock-sacks. They are, surprisingly, as sure-footed as the mountain goats with which they share their demesne. The lowland bual are primarily found to roam the valleys, canyons and ridges of the Stark Mounds. They are smaller than the highland bual, their withers resting at about the eye level of the average Gyru. Though they roam in slightly larger herds than their highland cousins, they are surprisingly cagey for beasts of their size. Most who do encounter them usually find themselves running away, as the beasts have a tendency to stampede at the slightest disturbance. Gyric Griffon The word ‘grif’ literally means ‘hooked beak’. It is used to mean any bird of prey, or similar beast, and is the root of hippogriffs and griffons. These large raptors are kings of the sky throughout the flannaes, and more than a few makes their home in the Stark Mounds and high foothills of Gyruff. Griffons especially are a rarity, though more can be found in the Stark Mounds than in most any other locale of the Sheldomar Valley. Nests of the lion-eagle are scattered amongst the highest of those craggy hills, which have a great view of the surrounding lands, and allow the griffons to spot for their favorite prey, the lowland bual. As rare a griffons are though, the majestic Gyric griffon is the most elusive of all. It is almost a thing of myth, though it exists surely as I sit here today. The Gyric griffon’s leonine half is dark charcoal grey, while the avian half is covered in silvery feathers. The argent and sable griffon makes it’s home exclusively in the Stark Mound and in the higher hills of the Oytwood, or at least, that is where it has been encountered. Legend has it that Iowerth the Farsighted had a special affinity for the Gyric griffon, and some say the Land spoke to him through one of the beasts. Hence it became his symbol upon becoming the first Brenin and adorns the coat-of-arms of Gyruff to this day. Flora As the Gyri people traded their boar-spears and arrows for plows and hoes, they had an easy time of finding crops to grow. In fact, the chore likely lay in choosing which to plant. Small grains such as oats grow wild in the land, especially in the northern hills, and over half a dozen varieties of oat alone can be found in Gyruff. Many types of maize and wheat are also cultivated throughout, though they are better suited to central Gyruff where the soil is ever just slightly drier than the oft-rain-soaked lands at the foot of the mountains. Lettuce, squash and cabbage are grown, but more popular with the Gyri are the root plants: onions, potatoes, carrots and most especially turnips and leeks. Basically, the hardier the plant, the more recipes it can be found in. Indeed, Gyric tastes have been dictated by what the land will provide. For example: Grapes do not grow in Gyruff, and so wine is an exotic import enjoyed by the few who can afford it. Instead, the Gyri have ‘made due’ by fermenting the fruit of the abundant apple trees to make their famed siedr (tr. cider). Bardseed, Gellygen, Russett Pippin, and Ioan Downie are all apple varieties native to Gyruff, and are used in hundreds of siedr and meal recipes. I’m partial to Bardseed apples and its siedr. An interesting note: legend has it that the Bardseed apple is named after the master bard Kindler, who is said to have planted the first seed of that variety after bringing an apple back from the feylands. Hornwood Trees If one tree was to be chosen as the most favored by the Gyri, my wager would be on the hornwood tree. Tall and straight, black-barked, with narrow, spearhead shaped leaves, the species grows only in the Hornwood Forest and its wood is highly valued for making longbows. While the cut wood can vary in color from light yellow to deep red (making it hard for a novice to distinguish it from other varieties), the telltale sign of hornwood is that it is always elastic and very close-grained, making for a very flexible yet extraordinarily strong bow stave; the hallmark of the famed Gyric longbow. The hornwood is a peculiar specimen in that it exhibits traits of both evergeen and broad- leafed trees. It has a broadleaf, yet the male variety’s fruit is a long and pointed horn- shaped cone, such as is found on pines and firs. However, unlike those evergreens whose branches droop towards the ground, the strong boughs of the hornwood branch straight from the trunk at right angles. Both male and female trees bloom with small white flowers in the spring, and drop their golden leaves in the fall. The black bark varies from scaly to stingy on the surface, and is a reddish gold color underneath regardless of the actual color of the wood. As far as bowyers are concerned though, the color of the wood is the key and the male variety of the hornwood tree has the darkest and closest-grained wood, making it the best for making bow staves. The female variety has lighter colored wood, and less compact grain, yet it is only slightly less well suited for making bows and well superior to birch or ash or even yew. Yet not every Hornwood tree, male or female, is alike. For the absolute best bow wood, one must travel high into the Hornwood, up the steep foothills of the Crystalmists. Something about the altitude makes the Hornwood trees that grow in those heights consistently yield the very best wood in the whole of Oerth, yet harvesting from those dangerous environs it is a risky proposition making it a very rare and expensive commodity. Fuinoira Trees Called ‘night everlasting’ trees by the wood elves, they have am imposing and ubiquitous presence in the Dim forest. Their name comes from the dense leaf-span, which can grow up to one hundred feet across, intertwining with other trees, and blocking nearly all sunlight. Indeed this species is the reason the forest is ‘Dim’. It is often hard to tell where the overlapping boughs of one tree end and another begin, making them especially suitable for elven foot traffic. Like many Gyri I know, they are broader than they are tall, rarely reaching more than seventy feet in height. The trunks however are some of the largest in the Flannaes and have been known to reach diameters of twenty feet. Most average about ten. Because the thick leafy canopies prevent nearly all sun from reaching the forest floor, there is even less undergrowth in the Dim forest than in most temperate forests and what sparse growth there is consists of flora that grows well in the shade such as ferns, moss, clovers, violets, and such. Occasionally, there are stands of oak or maple or ash trees that crop up in the Dim, but for the most part, other trees cannot compete with the sun-greedy fuinoira. Ironwood The best (and most costly) bridges and buildings in Gyruff are made of ironwood. This broadleaf tree is the strongest of all the hardwoods in Gyruff due to its extremely close grain, which is barely visible with the naked eye. The wood is so dense, that one log weighs as much as three equally sized logs of oak. The tree is resistant to water rot, and is the favored material for bridge building, though it is extremely hard to work, and is most often used as whole logs. It is too heavy to be used as boat timbers. Ironwood grows primarily in the Oytwood, as well as in the Hornwood, and is discernable by its russet colored bark and it’s large leaves. The grey olve of the Oytwood claim that the ironwood originated in the Oyt, and while this is debatable, it is certainly true that they are masters of working the stubborn wood. Most of their largest structures are built in the branches of a hornwood tree, and the timber has proven to be ideal for fortifications both elven and Gyri alike. Serencolvi Trees The ancient Flan druids planted groves of the ‘star trees’ in the Dim forest in ages long past. The rare trees are most unusual and much revered by the Old Faith. They have smooth white trunks and leaves of mild green that shimmer when light hits them. As they mature, they have a tendency to intertwine their branches with nearby serencolvi, until they are no longer distinguishable from one another, forming a solid shimmering canopy of leaves. It is said that they have mystical properties, though what they could be eludes me. The elder druids will say nothing on the matter, and I am not one to push them on it. Straffern This is a new species to Gyruff discovered in the last few years by an elven herbalist name of Nenarömé. It originally appeared around the town of Hocholve after the invasion, and is most definitely worthy of mention due to the effect it has on our enemies, the giants. It is similar in appearance to a common fern, with dark green leaves, but it produces purple flowers that resemble buttercups. On the underside of the leaves, peculiar bi-chambered stomata emit a colorless yet pungent gas, which appears to act as a catalyst for its reproductive spores. When inhaled by giants, and only by giants, the spores implant and grow, killing the giant host in the process. Unfortunately, the plant is very fragile and cannot be exposed to sunlight, cannot be transplanted, and cannot reproduce without a giant host. Even plant spells used to affect the plant fail, and attempts to take it out of the Dim forest have met with no success. It has however, been planted along the border of the Dim by the wood elves, and has been most effective in deterring any giant kin from entering those woods. -Jose Ortiz

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- 1 - – Eberron – The secret of nature is patience Shadows of the fiend – chapter 2 of 4 A D&D adventure for tier 1 characters by Davide C. Milano - 2 - Abstract Welcome to Ruins of Madness, a D&D Eberron adventure, part 2 of 4 of the “Shadows of the fiend” story. The adventure takes place in the island of Durast, a mysterious place where a strange population lives in secret and adventurers have landed after the crash of the airship Oceanus. Will the adventurers be able to save the people that was on the airship with them? Adjusting the adventure This adventure is designed for 5 1st-level characters. The story arc should lead the group from 1st level to 5th within 8 chapters. If you play it as a one-shot adventure, anyway, you can find suggestions about how to increase the difficulty of the encounters for different groups. Shadows of the fiend The “Shadows of the fiend” set of stories is designed to offer a good way to shift from a set of new characters to a group of new characters. Each chapter explores tips and situations to develop bonds between the characters, both PCs and NPCs. “Shadows of the fiend” uses rules of 13th moon – Eberron Shared Campaign, which you can download for free. Characters will need 2 chapters to obtain a level up. If you don’t use these rules, you can adjust XP rewards accordingly. - 3 - Introduction This adventure takes place in a mysterious island, Durast, which was chosen by a mighty Rakshasa, Durastoran the Wyrmbreaker, to save a sparkle of Bel Shalor (someone could say that it’s because of this loss that Bel Shalor’s imprisonment was possible at all). The island was later used by Cyre’s army as an outpost during the Last War. The sparkle of Bel Shalor, called Nal Shalor, managed to twist and corrupt cyren soldiers, forcing them to worship him and offering acts of evil and betrayal. The adventurers, after the crash of the Oceanus, will assest damage and try to explore the area to find resources and getting an understanding of possible threats. They will find cyren soldiers fighting terrible monsters from a templerecently risen in the middle of the island – actually, they are tricked by Nal Shalor who is feeding upon their despair and corrupting their soul. Development The adventure takes place in three acts. After a quick setup, to introduce new characters, in Act I – Damage assessment the adventurers should try to understand their situation, checking NPCs they have related with and the other survivors. In Act II – Exploring the wilderness, the adventurers will find a group of cyren soldiers, isolated since the Last War. They are unaware of the rest of the world, do not know that the Last War has ended, and that their country is a pile wasted dweomers. Their mind is warped by a malign entity, Nal Shalor, which corrupted their Sivis communication officer, isolating and tricking them. In Act III – Gaining freedom, the soldiers will be assaulted by a group of dangerous monsters from the other side of the island. In the aftermath of the fight, PCs will understand that some kind of madness is keeping the soldiers in a delusional state and they will need to find out the source before falling mad themselves. What happens next? “Lost and found” is designed in 2 storylines of 4 chapters. The first storyline, “Shadows of the fiend” is • Flying fear (level 1) – hijack of the Oceanus and crash on the mysterious island of Shont • Ruins of madness (level 1) – exploration of the island of Durast and discovery of lost cyren soldiers • The Shadowflame altar (level 2) – finding the lost temple of Nal Shalor, the group will find something unsettling – and the elemental of the ship! • Tides of danger (level 2) – after repairing the ship, will the characters be able to find a way back home? NPCs presented in these adventures should help introduce special themes of the setting: widespread magic, savage frontiers, faiths and religions, clear and obscure conflicts. This should help with an introduction and a chance for the PCs to build their relations with NPCs and other PCs. - 4 - Act I – Damage assessment Duration: 30/45 min After the crash, the ruins of the airship Oceanus lie on the shore of a mysterious island. The passengers, 25 ordinary people, don’t know what to do and the only adventurer among crewmembers, captain Shorel d’Lyrandar, is badly wounded. Setup If you didn’t play the previous module, Flying fear, or there are new players, you can play a short intro scene with your characters to introduce them to all other players. You can ask each player to introduce the character, adding some relevant information on where or what the character is doing. You can also set up an “opening credits” scene, describing the last instants of the previous module and asking them to decide what were they doing during the crash, choosing something that outlines the character, so that, for example, they can show bravery instead of telling that the character is brave. The crash ends with the fire elemental powering the ship roaring and escaping into the forest. Dead, alive, and all in between After the crash, the PCs should be hurt, badly wounded and surrounded by chaos: passengers in bad conditions, captain Shorel out of action due to a bad wound inflicted by the bandits (consider him having 5 levels of exhaustion) and survivor bandits escaped. It’s raining and the smoke coming from the ship makes it difficult to have a complete view of the situation, which is grievous. Show lots of emergency situations to players and let them be creative about resolution: it’s a good time to reward inspiration. Offer situations like: • A woman with her legs locked under a huge chunk of debris • A man with a big splint piercing his arm • Some people in shock screaming still in front of something dangerous which is gonna fall upon them • Someone wandering in shock unaware of surroundings and putting himself in danger Use a CD15 ability check, relevant to the possible solution attempted by the PCs, giving advantage on the roll if the solution seems ok, to outline the outcome. If the attempt fails, the passenger will die – mark down the number of dead passengers and subtract them to the total. After 2 failed attempts or 3 successful attempts, the fire elemental bound to the airship gets loose: the ring around the ship breaks, explodes, and the elemental starts running free to the center of the island. On its path there are 3 passengers which will be roasted if PCs do not intervene. Enjoy the solutions your players will try to implement (or the lack of them). If the passengers die, panic will fill the air and it will take a lot to settle down and understand how to survive. The hull of the airship is in almost good conditions, despite some missing piece, and it can be used as shelter to rest. This is the chance for the PCs to enjoy a long rest (required after the crash). Nothing dangerous will happen during the rest, but add some scene involving wounded or panicked NPCs. - 5 - Notable characters Same as the previous adventure, there are various NPCs for the PCs to interact with. You can of course change what happened to them to your own accord. • Captain Shorel d’Lyrandar is a daring adventurer and ex-captain of the ship. His leg is wounded, and he is unable to act due to exhaustion. He’ll need some days to recover. He can give good advice to the PCs • Countess Louette Lorianne is the vain and frivolous daughter of a rich merchant of Sharn. She was almost unscathed at the crash, but she keeps annoying everyone around her, trying to draw anybody’s attention. • Count George Blacktail is Leouette’s betrothed. He often brags a lot about his combat skills, but he’s more an animal handler. He’ll develop a Mark of Handling in the future – if he survives. He’s unhappy of Louette, who is too vain and careless. • Roman Dylar [Moshar d’Phiarlan] is a member of House Phiarlan in disguise. He’ll try to kill and get the message from Bringer without being discovered. Can be a minor antagonist for PCs. • Sam Guilleran was the bartender on the Oceanus. The captain will ask him to be his eyes and keep an eye out on the passengers. He can be trusted by the characters for surveillance of the passengers. • Jerome Luliac is a cold-blooded killer. After the crash he died and got raised as a wight by Nal Shalor. Now he is trying to get the revenge he wants from the people who denied him his higher destiny. His aberrant dragonmark is still visible but not working. • Kurgaath, the brutal and disciplined hobgoblin was a former ally of Jerome but after his “return” as a wight he is changing his mind and looking for a chance to dump his undead partner. His hatred towards Lyrandars will create trouble with the captain. • Bringer can be an ally of the PCs: he’s looking for a reason to live, since he was built to deliver a message and the recipient is no more, lost forever after the Mourning. • Kevin, the ship boy will be a problem for the PCs, since he’ll try in any way to get involved in adventures, putting himself at risk. You don’t have to use them all: try to choose NPCs that will be more interesting for your players. - 6 - Act II – Exploring the wilderness Duration: 1 hour After a night of rest, the PCs will be refreshed and ready to explore the island. The captain will push them to do so to find resources to fix the ship and come back home. Exploration time The island hides many threats, mostly related to Nal Shalor’s spreading corruption. Let the players decide their role during the exploration, assign ability and skill relevant to that action and let each player make a single CD14 ability check. Grant advantage on the roll for well-constructed ideas. If at least half of the group succeeds, consider the ghoul surprised at the beginning of the next encounter. Light and darkness While traveling, the group will find an unexpected scene: two armored soldiers, unconscious on the ground, are being attacked by another mad gnome solder with darkened gloomy eyes, almost unable to speak (statistics of a cultist) and a huge corrupted undead soldier (statistics of a ghoul). Add 1 mad soldier for every PC beyond the 5th. Behind them there is a creature made of black flame, Nal Shalor, trying to get a new host – he will stay behind and not fight at this time. As soon as they see the group they will attack them. The flame, if attacked, interacted with, or if the monsters are defeated, vanishes and reappears in the temple. If someone is at 0 hit points while the flame disappears, the flame can inhabit the unconscious body and heal it to 1 hp, to spy on the enemy (a passive perception of 19 or more reveals that the flame turned back while fleeing and it is probably still around, lurking). Nal Shalor A very long time ago, Durastoran the Wyrmbreaker, a powerful Rakshasa from the Lords of the Dust, managed to find some remnant sparkles of Bel Shalor and hid them all around Eberron, hoping to make them grow and obtain new powerful demon at his disposal to free his master. One of the sparkles, Nal Shalor, was hidden in this little island. Forgotten soldiers Ten years ago, during the Last War, a cyren force secured the island as an outpost for surveillance. Nal Shalor took advantage of the situation, corrupting the mind of the soldiers, possessing their Sivis - 7 - communication officer, lying them and feeding himself of their hope and despair. The Last War has ended two years ago, but they are unaware of that, praying every day to be the day they finally get home. If the PC manage to save the soldiers, they will be scared: they were unconscious in the hands of an enemy and their last orders, twisted by Nal Shalor, were to execute every enemy invading the outpost. All cyren soldiers have statistics of a guard, except where noted. They can manage to find their camp talking, intimidating, or following them or any other plan. Captain Angela Thennos The captain was a kind and honorable half-elf woman, always polite and respectful. After all these years, she is willing to execute every single non cyren invader, man, woman, or child. Nal Shalor, possessing the communication officer, told her about unspeakable horrors the enemy has inflicted on her people and filled her mind with cruelty and her heart with rage. Statistics of a Knight. First lieutenant Gregory Woyit Second-in-command for the group, he was an apprentice magewright turned as a wandslinger for the war. He was a good confident for each of his comrades, but his mind got twisted by Nal Shalor and he has become a pathological liar, trying to seed hate and discord. He is equipped with two wands of magic missiles. Chaplain Kareema Kundarak Faithful servant of Dol Arrah, Kareema is a dwarf combatant raised and born in Metrol. Without a dragonmark to secure her future, she decided to join the army and travel the world. She was a spirit of hope, a light in the darkness, but after the touch of Nal Shalor she became obsessed with looming threats from the forest. Sparkles of life Add any other soldier that could be a bond with one of the PCs. Maybe an old comrade, an old friend, enemy, partner-in-crime or what is more appropriate to the group you have at your table. Create drama, tension, and interest in your players using their character’s background. It’s a good spot to involve more a shy player: pick a line from his background (personality, ideal, bond, flaw) and ask the player to use that line to tell the story of how the two met. Meeting the soldiers As the group manages to meet the soldiers, it should be evident that their condition is terrible. They are ready to fight, raging against their enemy. The PCs can try to persuade them and tell them that the war is over and that the five nations are at peace but it will require a good amount of roleplaying or a CD18 Charisma[Persuasion] check, made with disadvantage in presence Karrnathi (due to some lies of Nal Shalor). It’s a powerful scene to play – reward good roleplaying and/or well-played lies with inspiration. - 8 - Act III – Gaining freedom After a time for shock about the news, the group should understand the big issue: monsters from a temple inside the island keep attacking them and they are being killed, one by one. The monsters are hiding some elemental entity, which the PCs can try to use to fix the problems of their ship and go back home. After some time (which can be used for a short rest), the PCs can go explore the place. They can ask for reinforcement to the soldier and the captain is ready to assign one of them, at their choice (even herself). If the PCs manage not to kill any of the soldier and are able to ally with them, the captain will reward them with a wand of magic missiles from their supply. The wand has the silver bell of Cyre on its handle which can be rung as an action to make it shed bright light in a 10ft radius and dim light for an additional 10ft. Ringing the bell again, as an action, turns the light off. Roleplay the hard trip through the forest asking each player how he is helping and assigning an ability[skill/tool] check to each one. If at least half of the group succeeds on a CD15 check the group can reach the temple safely, else they all will gain one level of exhaustion. Once at the temple, they find some people in savage clothing, their eyes empty and their teeth long and sharp, with a strange black flame, Nal Shalor, between them. They are 1 will-o’-wisp and 2 zombies (add 2 zombies for each PC beyond the 5th). They are soldiers from the cyren outpost, ultimately corrupted being too near to the temple, receiving orders from the undead fiend. Every time a PC damages in melee one of the undead, tell that the character notices something strange on his target: a military badge, a cyren weapon or remnant of armour, brightly coloured cloth – everything that can hint their origin. After that, show that the soldier that went with them is slowly turning into an undead. If they manage to move far from the temple before the second turn of fight, the soldier will be saved – else, he’ll turn into a zombie and he’ll start attacking the PCs. A colourful note Some PCs should level up after this session: write down in advance which abilities they should gain on the next level and tell them to use them in this fight, to show their growth. The doors open After the fight, the doors of the temple open and everyone can hear a voice taunting them: “Come! Come and feed me with your souls! You will never leave this island, you are mine and mine only!” Give the PCs time to shout a cool reply and freeze the scene: the temple comes for the next episode and a good cliffhanger works like a charm! - 9 - Rewards Each player (and DM as well) gains 1 XPC and 1 TP. If the players got the wand of magic missiles from cyren soldiers, they can add it to their list. Mark down how many passengers survive the adventure. A special thank you… …to my UESM fellows who helped me playtesting the adventure. Legal disclaimer DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast. ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. 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58 58 Overview Overview The Player Characters, onboard a besieged craft, must defend themselves and their ship. They capture a map that leads to a fabulous treasure, a map with a prominent ‘X’ marked on it, as well as a dark warning. The characters proceed to the island and their ship is damaged or destroyed by a ghost whale. The characters then fi nd danger in the form of a siren and treasure in the form of a glass bowl. The characters also discover a lost pirate stronghold dating back to the founding of the Hyborian nations. This adventure is designed to introduce players to the ship- to-ship combat, some of the monsters and demons of Pirate Isles, as well as give the players a taste of a few of the new spells offered within Pirate Isles. Preparation Preparation Non Player Characters for this adventure are provided in the Appendix, although Games Masters are encouraged to add additional characters of their own for campaign continuity. This would also be a great spot to have a reoccurring antagonist appear and attack the characters or seek to steal the map for themselves. One character should be made captain of the Dagon’s Valour. How this is accomplished does not matter, however this might make a separate adventure all on its own. Perhaps the character battled his way to the top. Perhaps he won the ship in a high-stakes game of chance. Perhaps his family owns the ship and asked him to do something worthwhile with it, or use it to bring in some income. Making a Player Character the captain gives the characters more freedom to make choices. However, the Games Master may want to limit the player’s freedoms somewhat, taking them ‘along for the ride’, so to speak. If so, the Games Master will have to create his own captain. A Games Master will need Conan the Roleplaying Game, Pirate Isles, and a few players to get full use of the material included in this adventure. A player needs a copy of Conan the Roleplaying Game, a Games Master and some fellow players. Ghost of the Deep A Pirate Isles Adventure for Conan the Role-Playing Game Vincent N. Darlage and Vincent N. Darlage and Eric K. Rodriguez Eric K. Rodriguez 59 59 Chapter One: The Chapter One: The Wrath of the Wrath of the Driving Seas Driving Seas That I followed the road of the restless gull As free as a vagrant breeze, That I bared my breast to the winds’ unrest And the wrath of the driving seas Robert E. Howard, The Day That I Die The characters begin the game on board a ship known as Dagon’s Valour, and they are already in the midst of a battle. If one of the characters is not already captain of the ship, then perhaps the captain can be killed in this introductory battle, leaving one of the players in charge thereafter. The player characters begin this adventure at the onset of combat; for they are engaged in a brutal battle between their craft and the Stygian warship Pa-Userukhet-enpa-Iumahu-Khesef (translates roughly from Stygian as The Wrath of the Driving Seas). The Games Master should use the narrative combat system introduced in Pirate Isles. The ships are already engaged, and Captain Iufenamun has already sent his crew to capture the Dagon’s Valour. The captain is acting against the wishes of his passenger, Khonsirdais, a priest of Set, but he has his reasons for doing so. The Dagon’s Valour, long before the players had possession of it, once pirated a ship he served aboard and resulted in a major setback to his career. Sighting it again after all these long years enraged him and he has decided to sink the ship as some form of revenge. Khonsirdais has hired Captain Iufenamun’s ship to take him to a nameless isle. He possesses a map stolen from a sorcerer of the Black Ring and is headed south to fi nd a glass bowl and a siren plaything. He will bargain for his life if he is afforded the opportunity, hoping to betray the party later if he can manage the services of the siren. He will not warn the characters about the siren, however. He will want to use her as his ace-up-his- sleeve to assure his victory later. Of course, if he is killed during the fi ghting, none of his knowledge will be available to the player characters. The player characters are intended to win this battle. They can capture the Stygian craft, sink it, force it to pay a ransom, set it adrift or any other fate they decide for it. One way or another, the Games Master needs to make sure the map falls into the hands of the characters, as well as the hint of treasure. Chapter Two: Chapter Two: To Rest on an To Rest on an Unknown Isle Unknown Isle That ever my spirit turned my steps To the naked morning lands And I came to rest on an unknown isle – Jade cliffs and silver sands. Robert E. Howard, The Day That I Die Early in the morning on the sixth day, the islands are spotted in the distance. The characters start to make their way through the chain of islands, but unknown to them they have awoken a ghastly guardian. A ghost whale circles the chain of islands, smashing boats that approach. As the characters sail into the waters between the small island marked with an ‘X’ and the larger island, the whale attacks. The surface of the water is broken in an explosive blast of brutality and violence. The ghost whale will strive to destroy any and all ships that pass too close to the islands – potentially marooning the characters on the island. Ghost Whale Ghost Whale Gargantuan Animal Hit Dice: 12d8+8 (141 hp) Initiative: +9 (+1 Dex, +8 Refl ex) Speed: Swim 40 ft. (8 squares) DV: 16 (-4 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural) DR: 8 Base Attack/Grapple: +9/ +33 Attack: Bite +17 melee (4d6 +12) Full Attack: Bite +17 melee and tail slap +12 melee (1d8+6) Space/Reach: 20 ft. /15 ft. Special Attack: Charging attack Special Qualities: Blindsight 120 ft., hold 60 60 breath, low-light vision Saves: Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +6 Abilities: Str 35, Dex 13, Con 24, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6 Skills: Listen +15, Spot +14, Swim +20 Feats: Alertness, Diehard, Endurance, Improved natural attack (bite), Toughness Climate/Terrain: Aquatic Organisation: Solitary Advancement: 13 – 18 Hit Dice (Gargantuan); 19 – 36 Hit Dice (Colossal) These great white whales once roamed the deepest seas, preying on giant octopi and the great kraken. They grew to be over 60 feet in length. They were wise beyond their means, capable of deep thought and wisdom unknown to the men of their era. Unfortunately, those brought back through necromantic means go mad, turning their intelligence to the destruction of all life. Ghost whales may be found anywhere in the world, although they are far too large to come close to shore. Like all creatures brought back through necromancy they once served a sorcerer; unlike most revenants summoned back into a semblance of life, their intelligence allowed them to slip the bonds of control long ago. They now rove the seas, searching for and destroying anything that resembles the hated creatures that cursed them with their current, tormented state. Most sailors panic when they see a ghost whale resting on the water. They regard the creatures as omens of death, pain and imminent destruction. All of these are absolutely true; the ghost whale will stop at nothing to destroy living creatures. Combat Ghost whales are quite intelligent. If they spot a ship they will sink beneath the waves and ram it repeatedly, until they break it into splinters, then pick off the sailors one by one. If chased they will swim for long distances, dragging the target further and further from the shore and help. Then they submerge, loosing the opponent in the uncharted vastness of the sea. In combat ghost whales may use any of the following abilities: Blindsight (Ex): Ghost whales ‘see’ by emitting high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most other creatures, allowing them to locate objects and creatures within 120 feet. Its normal vision is approximately equivalent to a human. Charging Strike (Ex): If a ghost whale executes a charge attack it strikes with its head, dealing 5d12 blunt damage in addition to its normal bite damage. It cannot effectively use charging strike on a target smaller than itself. Hold Breath (Ex): A ghost whale can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to ten times its Constitution score before it risks drowning. Skills: A ghost whale has a +8 racial bonus on 6161 any Swim check. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. It has a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Listen checks, although this bonus is negated if the ghost whale cannot use its Blindsight. History of the Ghost Whale History of the Ghost Whale The ghost whale of this lonely chain of islands is insane, although it is still quite intelligent, as most of this ancient species are. This particular ghost whale was summoned by an ancient sorcerer not long after the fall of Acheron. History does not record whom the Acheronians were defending their isle against, but the ghost whale remains as a mute testimony to the desperation of the ancient pirates and seamen who once dwelt upon this chain. The whale broke the chains of bondage and smashed the pirate fl eet of these renegade Acheronians, dooming those that remained on the island to a slow starvation. The island became ill reputed and eventually passed into legend. The ghost whale remains, guarding this territory and killing any who enter into his waters. Characters will likely have to swim to shore, or they may make their escape from the fury of the ghost whale on small boarding craft. The island the characters are making for are largely rocky, with few safe harbours and beeches. For added challenge, the Games Master may want to introduce sharks in the water, although this will not likely be a need. The players have a choice – to make for the small island marked with an X, or the beech across the harbour on the larger island. The smaller island will be a deadly choice. If players land on this island, proceed to Chapter Three: The Siren’s Call. The larger island is mostly deserted. The island is mountainous, and the characters can see a 300-foot long rope bridge spanning a chasm to another island. The anchors of the rope bridge are up high on mountainous ridges. If characters choose to climb the forested ridges to the rope bridge, proceed to Chapter Four: The Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef. Chapter Three: Chapter Three: The Siren�s Call The Siren�s Call For ever the wind came out of the east To beckon me on and on, The sunset’s lure was may paramour And I loved each rose-pale dawn. Robert E. Howard, The Day That I Die Along the sandy strip of white beach on the smaller isle (indicated by the X on the treasure map) lies a beached ship of medium size. Several large rock spires rise out of the water near the beach. Behind the white beach rise towering cliffs overgrown with tropical vines and plants, giving them a jade appearance. On this map, however, ‘X’ does not mark the site of treasure; it marks the site of danger, a site to be avoided by the mapmaker. Here lurks the siren ‘Neshelafi ’, who seeks the death of all men, save the owner of the Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef. Perched on a rocky outcropping not far from the beach is a beautiful woman, perfect in shape, voluptuous and pert. Her eyes are lascivious and mocking, triumphant in her knowledge of her overwhelming manner and seductive appearance. Her pale blue skin, seen to be scales up close, is both alluring and wonderful; a realm of softness beckoning to be explored and pursued. Her soft voice is vibrantly intense, a voice that poets might ascribe to a fresh rose or an alluring sunset. She will use hypnotism, hypnotic suggestion and mass hypnotic suggestion to ensnare the Player Characters and bring them to her oddly cold embrace. With a pixie smile she promises any indiscretion an aroused male may desire even as she lays back with him into the clammy wetness of the ocean, to kiss his breath away as he drowns. One by one she intends to destroy all comers, taking their souls and their bodies as her own diabolic repast. There is one exception – she will obey the possessor of the Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef. The spells that bind her to earth also bind her to serve as the plaything of Nakhtnebef or his successors. Siren Siren Medium Outsider (demon) Hit Dice: 10d8+10 (52) Initiative: +11 (+4 Dex, +7 Refl ex) Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) swim 30 ft. DV: 19 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +1 Dodge) DR: 6 Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+12 Magic Attack: +11 Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d6+2) Full Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d6+2) Space/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft. Special Attacks: - 6262 Special Qualities: Body voice, manifest, waterbreathing Saves: Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +11 Abilities: Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 22 Skills: Bluff +19, Diplomacy +19, Listen +17, Knowledge (arcane) +12, Perform (dance) +19, Spot +17, Sense Motive +17 Feats: Adept (hypnotism), Dodge, Archer’s Bane Climate/Terrain: Aquatic Organisation: Solitary or coven (2 – 16 sirens) Advancement: 9 – 18 Hit Dice (Medium) These human-like female demons have light green/ blue scales on their skin, slit-like eyes and webbed hands. They come forth to be the playthings of some sorcerers, as well as to protect areas and close off shipping through specifi c areas. Sirens speak all human languages, as well as Demonic. Without speaking they can easily make their intentions obvious to any male, of whatever race. All sirens know and can cast any spell from the hypnotism school. They generally use hypnotism, hypnotic suggestion and mass hypnotic suggestion to lure sailors from their ships; clasp them in their clammy embrace; then sink down to the shadowed sea fl oor to consume them. A single siren can kill off an entire pirate crew if left unchecked; leisurely gathering enough blood and souls to infl ame her inhuman passions. Sorcerers use the summon demon spell to summon sirens, just as they summon other creatures from beyond the stars. Sailors regard the presence of a siren as a sure sign of death to come. They say that a siren never entered the world that did not lust for the blood of men. They speak of crews brought to a watery grave, writhing in pleasure as the breath raced from their lungs. All of these things are true, but often the siren’s destruction was not originally intended for the pirates; the command that binds the siren to this world may well be centuries old, a remnant of some forgotten sorcerer’s hate. Combat Sirens avoid direct combat unless there is no other alternative. If faced with a target they cannot hypnotise or dominate, they will vanish under the waves, never to be seen again. When cornered, sirens turn to fi ght, slamming opponents with their frail looking hands. In combat sirens use the following special powers: Body Voice (Su): Any creature that can see the siren can hear the words that she whispers as she moves. This extends the siren’s evil eye range to line of sight. Manifest (Su): As a standard action the siren can either leave Earth and return to its home place or appear on Earth. In either case it manifests at the new location at the end of its action. Waterbreathing (Su): Sirens can breathe water as if it were air. A dark cave looms behind her, but it is shallow (although that fact cannot be discerned from the beach) and leads nowhere. It was carved out by centuries of pounding tides. The ship beached on the white sands is heavily damaged but can be repaired with enough effort and time. Its name is the Neferrenpet. 63 63 Chapter Four: The Chapter Four: The Glass Bowl of Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef Nakhtnebef Galleys shall break the crimson seas seeking delights for you; With silks and silver fountain gleams I will weave a world that glows and seems A shimmering mist of rainbow dreams, scarlet and white and blue. Robert E. Howard, A Song Out of Midian From the beach on the larger island, across from the small island marked with an ‘X’ on the map, the players can see they are surrounded by jungle. Toward the south, they can also see a forested ridge terminating at a sheer cliff. At the upper terminus of this cliff on the peak of the ridge, a massive rope bridge, at least 300 feet long, extends to a smaller island with another ridge. This smaller island is sheer on all sides – it is the cone of an ancient volcano. A minimum of searching will fi nd both fresh water and a trail. The trail looks as though it was a road thousands of years ago, but the jungle has pretty much overtaken it by now. The ancient road is dangerous if taken at night. Most of the more aggressive animals hunt in the darkness. During the day, the chattering of monkeys and the cries of the birds are the most likely things to be heard. The ancient trail winds up the ridge and fi nally surmounts it. It terminates at the end of the huge rope bridge. The ropes are ancient, but thicker than fi ve men tied around. The wood of the bridge is old, but, for the most part, stable. A Balance check (DC 12) is required to successfully move across in calm, clear weather. The Balance check increases if it is windy and/or raining. Any check that fails by more than 5 is a complete fall (a board breaks, the character fl ips over one of the ropes); a failure of less than that means the character is dangling for his life. The fall is a 400-foot drop into shallow and rocky water (the water beneath the bridge is less than fi ve feet deep in most places). On the other side of the rope bridge, the road continues into the Cave of Vulmea, a carven tunnel through the wall of the ancient volcano. Strange and curious carvings can be seen if a source of light is brought into the dank cavern. During the day, this cavern serves as the lair of a pair of leopards. If the cavern is entered at night, the cave is empty as the leopards are out hunting. Leopard Leopard Medium Animal Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp) Initiative: +7 (+4 Dex, +3 Refl exes) Speed: 40 ft (8 squares), climb 20 ft. DV: 16 (+4 Dex, +2 natural) DR: 2 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5 Attack: Bite +6 melee fi nesse (1d8+3) Full Attack: Bite +6 melee fi nesse (1d8+3) and 2 claws +1 melee fi nesse (1d4+1) Space/Reach: 5 ft/ 5 ft. Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d4+1 Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2 Abilities: Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 Skills: Balance +12, Climb +11, Hide +8*, Jump +11, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Spot +6 Feats: Alertness Environment: Warm and temperate forest/jungle Organisation: Solitary or pair Advancement: 4-5 Hit Dice (Medium) These jungle cats are about four feet long and weigh about 120 pounds. Leopards are found anywhere south of Stygia among Kush and the Black Kingdoms and sometimes among the jungle covered islands of the western sea. Combat Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a leopard must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake. Pounce (Ex): If a leopard charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks. Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +6 melee, damage 1d4+1. Skills: Leopards have a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks and a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. Leopards have a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks. A leopard can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. At the end of the cave-tunnel the characters come out into the bowl of the ancient volcano. The grand ruins of a fantastic city can be seen beneath the shimmering arc of a rainbow. The tropic humidity keeps the air moist here. Apparently this island use to be a pirate port long, long ago, before the ghost whale ran everyone off. The staggering city of tall purple towers lies ruined among the encroaching jungle at the centre of the volcanic bowl. This ancient Acheronian pirate city, once a base of operations for renegades preying both upon Acheron and Stygia in the pre-Hyborian eras, is an impressive ruin of overwhelming immensity. Deep within the crumbling ruin is a prehistoric temple to a primeval god of unwholesome aspect. Within this temple is the Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef. Games Masters should realise that the ruined city can be made into an entire campaign on its own. 64 64 The characters could spend weeks searching through the ancient ruins, with the possibility of many encounters. It is up to the Games Master to develop this part of the adventure in more detail if he wishes. Chapter Five: The Chapter Five: The Arrival of Ankh- Arrival of Ankh- Psamtek Psamtek That I drained Life’s cup to its blood-red lees And it thrilled my every vein, But I did not frown when I laid it down To lift it never again. Robert E. Howard, The Day That I Die Khonsirdais stole the map from a more powerful sorcerer; this dread sorcerer wants it back and has arrived on the island to reclaim it. The Games Master may wish to have Ankh-Psamtek arrive by sorcerous means; however, if the characters have not yet found a means of escape from the island Ankh- Psamtek’s small sloop may have escaped notice of the ghost whale and is anchored near the siren’s cove. Ankh-Psamtek’s sole purpose is to capture Khonsirdais alive. However, if Khonsirdais has been killed already, then the Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef will suffi ce. If the characters turn Khonsirdais over to Ankh-Psamtek, he will let them keep the bowl in exchange. Ankh-Psamtek will not befriend the characters or help them in any other way and will leave the island as soon as he has Khonsirdais or at least knows that he is dead. If the characters decide to fi ght Ankh-Psamtek, they will be facing a dangerous foe with death dealing magic at his disposal. Ankh-Psamtek will fi ght with every spell at his disposal, but if faced with death or capture, he will fl ee and seek revenge against the characters at a later time. This lost city gives the Games Master a unique opportunity to create special encounters or introduce rare and powerful items. At the very least, several days should be spent exploring the ruins and recovering many unique and mysterious items, whether they are magical or not. In addition, this would be a good spot to introduce strange and terrifying creatures that would have been unique to the Acheronian era. Below is an example of a rare and unique creature that might be released from its prison by the unknowing adventures: Foaming Blasphemy Foaming Blasphemy Medium Outsider (demon) Hit Dice: 8d8+8 (44 hp) Initiative: +11 (+1 Dex, +6 Ref, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares) Defence Value: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, fl at-footed 15 Damage Reduction: 5 (mutable form) Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+10 Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d3+2 plus corporeal instability) Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d3+2 plus corporeal instability) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Corporeal instability, terror (DC 14) Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to critical hits and transformation, mad thing drumming Saves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6 Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Climb +13, Escape Artist +12, Hide +12, Jump +9, Listen +11, Perform (percussion) +14, Spot +11, Survival +0 (+2 following tracks), Tumble +14, Use Rope +1 (+3 with bindings) Feats: Skill focus (perform-percussion), Improved Initiative, Mobility Advancement: 9–12 Hit Dice (Medium); 13–24 Hit Dice (Large) The horrifi c creatures known as foaming blasphemies have mutable, ever-changing forms. A foaming blasphemy’s dimensions vary, but it always weighs about 200 pounds. Foaming blasphemies do not speak. Combat For all its fearsome appearances, whether it has claws, fangs, pincers, tentacles or spines, a foaming blasphemy does little physical harm. Regardless of form, the creature seems unable to manage more than two attacks per round. Its continual transmutations prevent the coordination needed to do more. Mad Thing Drumming (Su): With a successful Perform (percussion) check (DC 23), the foaming blasphemy may grant one scholar within range a +1 morale bonus to his Magic Attack rolls plus an additional +1 for every 5 points that the foaming blasphemy exceeds its Perform check. The foaming blasphemy must have a Magical Link to the target scholar if it does not have line of sight to him. Corporeal Instability (Su): A blow from a foaming blasphemy against a living creature can cause a terrible transformation. The creature must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15) or become a spongy, amorphous mass. Unless the victim manages to control the effect (see below), its shape melts, fl ows, writhes and boils uncontrollably. The save DC is Constitution-based. An affected creature is unable to hold or use any item. Clothing, armour, rings and helmets become useless. Large items worn or carried - armour, backpacks, even shirts - hamper more than help, reducing the victim’s Dexterity score by 4. Soft or misshapen feet and legs reduce speed to 10 feet or one-quarter normal, whichever is less. Searing pain courses along the nerves, so strong that the victim cannot act coherently. The victim cannot cast spells or use magic items, and it attacks blindly, unable 65 65 to distinguish friend from foe (–4 penalty on attack rolls and a 50% miss chance, regardless of the attack roll). Each round the victim spends in an amorphous state causes 1 point of Wisdom drain from mental shock. If the victim’s Wisdom score falls to 0, it becomes a foaming blasphemy. A victim can regain its own shape by taking a standard action to attempt a Charisma check (DC 15) - this check DC does not vary for a foaming blasphemy with different Hit Dice or ability scores. A success re-establishes the creature’s normal form for one minute. On a failure, the victim can still repeat this check each round until successful. Corporeal instability is not a disease or a curse and so is hard to remove. A Warding or Greater Warding spell removes the affl iction. Immunity to Transformation (Ex): No mortal magic can permanently affect or fi x a foaming blasphemy’s form. Effects such as Awful Rite of the Were-Beast force the creature into a new shape, but at the start of its next turn it immediately returns to its mutable form as a free action. Chapter Six: Escape Chapter Six: Escape From the Island From the Island That I loved the song of the thrumming spars And the lift of the plunging prow, That I could not bide in the seaport town And I could not follow the plow. Robert E. Howard, The Day That I Die After surviving the many dangerous encounters and creatures that are on the island, the characters should escape and head back toward the mainland. However several methods are available. The Neferrenpet could be repaired with supplies from other destroyed ships and skilled seamen. Perhaps Ankh-Psamtek was killed and his small sloop was found in the sirens cove. If the group found the Glass Bowl of Nakhtnebef they could command the siren to pull their ship or summon other aquatic creatures to do the same. Games Masters should provide the characters with several options, but not to make the decisions for them. This is an opportunity for characters to use various skills and abilities that they normally do not use. Appendix one: Appendix one: Characters Characters Ankh-Psamtek, Sorcerer Ankh-Psamtek, Sorcerer of the Black Circle of the Black Circle Medium Stygian (7th level Scholar) Hit Dice: 7d6 (25 hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) DV (Dodge): 13 (+2 level, +1 Dex) DV (Parry): 11 (+2 level, -1 Str) DR: - Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+4 Attack: Akbitanan Dagger +4 melee (1d4-1/19-20/ x2/AP 2) or Stygian Bow +7 ranged (1d12/19-20/AP 1) Full Attack: Akbitanan Dagger +4 melee (1d4-1/19- 20/x2/AP 2) or Stygian Bow +7 ranged (1d12/19- 20/AP 1) Special Attacks: New Sorcery Style (x3), Advanced Spell x5, Bonus Spell x2 Special Qualities: Stygian qualities, scholar, lay priest background, knowledge is power Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +12 (+10 vs. Corruption) Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16 Skills: Bluff +13, Concentration +10, Craft (alchemy) +15, Craft (herbalism) +13, Decipher Script +13, Sleight of Hands +9, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcane) +15, Perform (ritual) +18, Profession (priest) +7, Search +13, Sense Motive +12 Feats: Exotic weapon profi ciency (Stygian bow), Iron Will, Ritual Sacrifi ce, Tortured Sacrifi ce, Hexer, Skill Focus (perform), No Honour Reputation: 10 Magical Attack Bonus: +6/+8 (+3 base, +3 Charisma modifi er/+2 when casting Curses) Power Points: 8 (24 max) Sorcery Styles: Prestidigitation, Curses, Counterspells Spells Known: Conjuring, Lesser Ill Fortune, Telekinesis, Warding, Greater Telekinesis, Ill Fortune, Greater Ill Fortune, Greater Warding, Burst Barrier, Curse of Broken Blood Captain Iufenamun Captain Iufenamun Medium Humanoid (7th level Pirate) Hit Dice: 7d8+7 (42 hp) Initiative: +6 (+1 Dex, +5 Refl ex save) Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) DV (Dodge) melee: 16 (+5 level, +1 Dex) DV (Dodge) ranged: 20 (+5 level, +1 Dex, +4 large shield) DV (Parry): 19 (+3 level, +2 Str, +4 large shield) DR: 3 (quilted jerkin) Attack: Short sword (+7 melee, 1d8+2, 19-20/x2, 66 66 AP 1) or Stygian Bow +2 (+7 ranged 1d12+2, 19- 20/x2, AP 2) Full Attack: Short sword (+7 melee, 1d8+2, 19- 20/x2, AP 1) or Stygian Bow +2 (+7 ranged 1d12+2, 19-20/x2, AP 2) Special Attacks: Ferocious Attack (additional attack), To Sail A Road Of Blood And Slaughter, Sneak Attack +2d6, Sneak Subdual Special Qualities: Bite Sword, Uncanny Dodge, Mobility, Seamanship +2 (+2 to DV on board ship), Pirate Code (Black Corsair Drums). Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3 Abilities: Str14, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 15 Skills: Appraise +13, Climb +7, Balance +11, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Arcane) +9, Knowledge (geography) +9, Profession (sailor) +11, Use Rope +11 Feats: Dabbler, Combat Refl exes, Leadership Reputation: 9 Leadership: 9 (7 level, +2 Cha; followers: 12 1st level; cohort 4th level pirate) Captain Iufenamun is a pale and terrifi ed lot, since they know that at any moment a priest may appear and demand their services. Khonsirdais, High Khonsirdais, High Priest of Set Priest of Set Medium Stygian (7th level Scholar) Hit Dice: 7d6 (25 hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) DV (Dodge): 13 (+2 level, +1 Dex) DV (Parry): 11 (+2 level, -1 Str) DR: - Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+4 Attack: Akbitanan Dagger +4 melee (1d4-1/19-20/ x2/AP 2) or Stygian Bow +7 ranged (1d12/19-20/AP 1) Full Attack: Akbitanan Dagger +4 melee (1d4-1/19- 20/x2/AP 2) or Stygian Bow +7 ranged (1d12/19- 20/AP 1) Special Attacks: New Sorcery Style (x3), Advanced Spell x5, Bonus Spell x2 Special Qualities: Scholar, Lay Priest, Knowledge is Power Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +12 (+10 vs. Corruption) Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16 Skills: Bluff +13, Concentration +10, Craft (alchemy) +15, Craft (herbalism) +13, Decipher Script +13, Gather Information +7, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcane) +15, Perform (ritual) +15, Profession (priest) +7, Profession (sailor) +7, Search +13, Sense Motive +12 Feats: Exotic weapon profi ciency (Stygian bow), Iron Will, Ritual Sacrifi ce, Tortured Sacrifi ce, Sorcerer’s Boon, Priest, No Honour Reputation: 10 Magical Attack Bonus: +6 (+3 base, +3 Charisma modifi er) Power Points: 8 (24 max) Sorcery Styles: Sea Witchery, Divination, Hypnotism Spells Known: Sense Currents, Astrological Prediction, Entrance, Visions, Mind Reading, Domination, Tentacles of the Deep, Grip of the Deep, Set’s Blessings, Psychometry, Rolling Waves Appendix Two: Ships Appendix Two: Ships Dagon�s Valour Dagon�s Valour Large Zingaran Merchant Galley (Value 69,000 sp) Dimensions: 190 ft. long, 28 ft. beam Hardness/Hit Points: 5/400 Components: Deep Water Hull, Cargo Hold, Passenger Rooms, Barracks Crew: 8/32 (plus 50 marines) Speed (Sail): 2 Max Cargo: 1 Maintenance: Profession (sailor) DC 25, 1 Component, 1 Component, 10% Hit Points The Neferrenpet The Neferrenpet Medium Stygian Merchant Galley (Value 10,700 sp) 65 f tx10 ft Crew: 30/90 with up to 100 slaves on board Hardness/HP: 5/200 Speed (Rowed): 3 Speed (Sail): 2 Tactical Movement: 3 Modifi ers: – Max Cargo: 2 cargoes of slaves Components: Bank of Oars, Drum, Slave Hold Maintenance: Profession (sailor) DC 25, 1 Component, 1 Component, 10% Hit Points Sailors recognise the infamous stygian galleys not by their sails, but by the throbbing beat of their slave drums. The galleys carry slaves from all over the world to a short, brutal life of service and sacrifi ce among the priests and nobles of Stygia. They generally have black sails, stink like the foulest pits and avoid other folk. The Wrath of the The Wrath of the Driving Seas Driving Seas Large Stygian Warship (Value 95,000 sp) Dimensions: 185 ft. long, 25 ft. beam Hardness/ Hit Points: 5/380 Components: Bank of Oars, Drum, Slave Hold, Barracks, Passenger Rooms Crew: 30/90 with up to 140 slaves on board (30 marines) Speed (Sail): 2 Tactical Movement: 2/3 Modifi ers: - Max Cargo: 2 cargoes of slaves Maintenance: Profession (sailor) DC 25, 1 Component, 1 Component, 10% Hit Points

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Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 1 †ABOUT DAWNING STAR Dawning Star was the first full-scale science fiction campaign setting built on d20 Modern and powered by the Future ruleset from Wizards of the Coast. The critically-acclaimed setting was nominated for an ENnie for Best d20 Game. You can learn more and download free material by visiting www.dawningstar.com. †ABOUT TERRAFORMER The Terraformer line of products from Blue Devil Games presents new material designed for Dawning Star but usable in most science-fiction campaigns. Each entry will offer a new prestige class, xenomorph, talent tree, feat, weapon, etc. and advice on using it into your campaign and using it to “shape your world.” †ABOUT BLUE DEVIL GAMES “Fiendishly Clever.” Blue Devil Games is one of the highest-quality small-press publishers on the market today. BDG product lines include Dawning Star, AEvolutions in support of Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, and the upcoming Passages. Visit our website for more information: www.bluedevilgames.com. †ABOUT LEE HAMMOCK Lead writer and game designer on the Dawning Star line, Lee has been affectionately called the “Hemmingway of RPGs” for the quality of his writing and prolific body of work. Lee has worked for numerous publishers, including AEG, Bastion Press, Louis Porter Jr. Designs, and DC Comics. Kastor laid his free hand upon the cold, damp stone, his other gripping his kertaff spear. The creature was close. He delved into his inner mind and “saw” the beast 20 paces behind him. Without warning he flung the spear at its heart, striking true, loosing a viscous, yellow ichor that dripped sickly to the stone. Known among the velin as the darkket, human sociologists call these velin warriors “Daybringers,” the closest translation of their velin name that can be achieved. The Daybringers are velin warriors that train to battle the evils that hide in the dark places of the world on their own terrain. They fight the evil ones there so that other velin do not have to fight them at home. These velin are charged with making sure their fellows live to see the dawn, hence the name Daybringers. It is by their hands that other live to see the sun rise. The Daybringers are respected by the velin, but also feared and avoided due to the close relationship they share with the darkness. Indeed, to fight the dangers contained in the darkness, the Daybringers must become as darkness. Often they live apart from their fellow velin, watching over their tribe from a distance. It is not uncommon for velin to awake and find an unknown Daybringer in their midst tending to the last embers of a dying camp fire. Daybringers are seldom addressed by name among the velin. Rather, those that must address them do so by their title. No humans have yet become a Daybringer, but nothing specifically bars them from becoming one. Select this prestige class if you wish to play a pseudo-mystical warrior trained to stare evil in the face without flinching and to hunt it in its own lair. The fastest path into this prestige class is from the Dedicated and Tough Hero classes, in particular those who which proceed through the Velin Guardian advanced class. 2 REQUIREMENTS To become a Daybringer, a character must fulfill the following criteria. Special: Must be velin or have the Velin Tribal Guest feat. Base Attack Bonus: +7. Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks, Survival 8 ranks. Special: Must have defeated a vaasi (or one of their servitor species) in head-to-head combat or be trained by a Daybringer. Allegiance: Velin Tribe or Velin Tribal Council. CLASS INFORMATION The following information pertains to the Daybringer advanced class. Hit Die The Daybringer gains 1d10 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies. Action Points The Daybringer gains a number of action points equal to 7 + one-half his character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class. Class Skills The Daybringer’s class skills are as follows. Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Navigate (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int modifier (4 + Int modifier for nonhumans). Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Special Defense Bonus Reputation 1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Detect Vaasi, Improved Low- Light Vision, Stand Apart, Sworn Enemy (vaasi) (+2) +1 +0 2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Blind-Fight, Scent +2 +0 3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Detect Vaasi Allegiance, Frightful Presence, Sworn Enemy (vaasi) (+4) +2 +0 4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Calming Presence, Smoke Ward Ritual +3 +0 5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Improved Blind-Fighting, Sworn Enemy (Vaasi) (+6) +3 +1 DAYBRINGER 3 Class Features The following class features pertain to the Daybringer advanced class. Detect Vaasi At 1st level, if he does not already possess it, the Daybringer gains the ability to detect vaasi as the velin ability of the same name. By inspecting his surroundings, the Daybringer may sense any vaasi creature, including their servitor species, within 30 feet. This requires a Wisdom check (DC 15). The DC is reduced by -1 for each vaasi above one within range. If successful, the Daybringer knows the number and location of all vaasi within range. This ability is usable a number of times per day equal to the Daybringer’s Wisdom bonus, but not less than once per day. Using this ability requires a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If the Daybringer already possesses the detect vaasi ability, he gains two additional uses per day. Improved Low-Light Vision At 1st level, if the Daybringer already has low-light vision he gains the ability to see four times as far as a human can in conditions of poor lighting, such as star light, fire light, or the light of a glow stick. If not, he gains normal low-light vision, able to see twice as far as a normal human can in conditions of poor lighting. Stand Apart Beginning at 1st level, the Daybringer is considered to be separate from traditional velin culture. While treated with respect and dignity, other velin hold the Daybringers at arms-length due to their close familiarity with darkness and due to the many casualties among their ranks. Daybringers are considered beyond the authority of all but the velin tribal council and other Daybringers; individual chiefs have no authority over the Daybringers. While Daybringers are welcome in any velin camp they enter, they will be given the tent farthest from the center of camp, and no one will seek them out for conversation. Sworn Enemy (Vaasi) At 1st level, the Daybringer gains the Sworn Enemy (vaasi) ability. This ability confers a +2 bonus Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skill against vaasi creatures, including their servitor species. Additionally, he gets a +2 bonus to weapon damage rolls against vaasi creatures. If the Daybringer already has the Sworn Enemy (vaasi) ability, the bonus increases by +2 to a total bonus of +4. This ability increases by an additional +2 bonus at 3rd level and 5th level. Blind-Fight At 2nd level, the Daybringer gains the Blind-Fight feat as a bonus feat. Scent At 2nd level, the Daybringer gains the scent ability, allowing him to detect enemies by scent and to track by smell. The Daybringer enjoys a +2 competence bonus on all skill checks related to this ability when it is used against any vaasi creature, including their servitor species, but suffers a -2 penalty when used against other creatures. 4 Detect Vaasi Allegiance At 3rd level, the Daybringer may use their detect vaasi ability to detect those who merely have an allegiance to the vaasi. This is done through smells, mannerisms, and other small hints that others miss. Frightful Presence At 3rd level, the Daybringer gains the Frightful Presence feat as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites of the feat. The DC for this ability enjoys a +2 competence bonus when it is used against any vaasi creature, including their servitor species, but suffers a -2 penalty when used against other creatures. Calming Presence At 4th level, the Daybringer’s very presence causes those velin around him to remain calm even in the face of overwhelming danger. The Daybringer is of such skill and poise that other take comfort in his appearance, even if they do not feel completely comfortable talking to him. Velin within 30 feet of the Daybringer and able to see him gain a +2 morale bonus on all Will saves and a +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls, but only as long a the Daybringer is conscious and in the fight. If the Daybringer is disabled, nauseated, stunned, or otherwise incapacitated, these bonuses are lost. Smoke Ward Ritual At 4th level the Daybringer is instructed in an ancient Daybringer ritual that helps keep the vaasi away from velin camps. This ritual involves placing a specially prepared satchel of herbs in a campfire while chanting quietly and dancing in the warmth of the flames. The fumes created by the burning herbs are painful to the vaasi and make it less likely they will approach a camp protected by a smoke ward ritual. Daybringers also use this ritual to earn a brief rest when adventuring deep in vaasi territory. The herbs used in the ritual require four hours and a Survival check (DC 25) to collect and can be collected in most plains or forest areas of Eos. Preparing the bundle requires another 2 hours. Once prepared, the herbs may be placed in any fire to create the smoke ward. The dancing principally helps spread the smoke over the area and has little real effect on the ritual. However, Daybringers are very protective of the ritual and will not perform it in front of even other velin or share the secrets of the herbs used in its creation for fear of the vaasi learning a way to counteract the smoke ward. Once thrown in the fire the smoke ward takes five minutes to become effective. Once this time has passed any vaasi that comes within 100 feet of the fire must make a Fortitude save (DC 14) or become nauseated. A new saving throw is required every round the vaasi remains within the area of effect. The nauseated condition lasts for 1d4 minutes after leaving the area. The smoke ward lasts for eight hours from the completion of the ceremony. Improved Blind Fighting At 5th level, the Daybringer’s ability to fight in darkness improves. Any miss chance suffered by the Daybringer due to concealment caused by darkness is halved. Additionally, the Daybringer does not suffer any penalty to Defense for fighting in darkness. 5 DAYBRINGERS IN A DAWNING STAR CAMPAIGN The Daybringers offer a host of opportunities for a campaign set on Eos. The PCs may come across a Daybringer in the midst of a battle against the vaasi. They might earn his trust by assisting him in vanquishing the threat. In so doing, he enlists them to join him on a dangerous trek into the subterranean world to a vaasi encampment he has located. Alternatively, the PCs might try to enlist the services of a Daybringer to guide them on a relic hunt in Star Confederation ruins known to be inhabited by the darklings. DAYBRINGERS IN OTHER SCIENCE-FICTION CAMPAIGNS Using the Daybringers in another campaign requires only slight modifications. All of the class’s vaasi-related abilities can be ported over to a xenomorph more suited to the campaign world. As long as the new xenomorph is a prevalent threat and inhabits principally dark or subterranean environments, the conversion should work smoothly. NEW FEAT The following feat would improve a Daybringer’s (or velin’s) detect vaasi ability but would also be useful to many other characters. EXPANDED DETECTION Your ability to detect things has a greater range than normal. Pre-Requisite: Ability to detect something with a range of at least a 30-foot radius. Benefit: The radius of your range with the chosen ability increases by 15 feet. Special: You may select this feat multiple teams. If you apply the feat multiple times to the same ability, the range increases by 15 feet for each such instance. Principal Writing by Lee Hammock. Cover Illustration by Danilo Moretti. Editing and Layout by Justin D. Jacobson. 'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and other countries and are used with permission. All other content is ©2006 Justin D. Jacobson. Dawning Star, Operation Quick Launch, Helios Rising, TERRAFORMER, their corresponding logos, and all Blue Devil Games logos are trademarks of Justin D. Jacobson. This edition of TERRAFORMER is produced under version 1.0a of the Open Game License, version 6.0 of the d20 System License, version 5.0 of the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and the Modern System Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate later versions. All rights reserved. Product Code BDV5051. Designation of Open Content: All of the content not specifically enumerated as Closed Content is Open Content, including but not limited to the Daybringer Prestige Class, the Expanded Detection feat and all associated mechanics. Designation of Closed Content: Dawning Star logos and titles, TERRAFORMER logos and titles, the cover illustration and the term vaasi.

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CHARACTER NAME PLAYER CLASS(es) / LEVEL(s) STARTING OCCUPATION AGE GENDER HEIGHT WEIGHT EYES HAIR SKIN CURRENT HP = + + + + + = + = + + = + + = + + TOTAL Base Attack Bonus = + + + = + + + TOTAL Base Attack Bonus Hit Die 3 DR3/- Special Properties Max Dex +3 MOVEMENT 3/- 30' (Run 120') 4d10+12 + 3d10+9 + 6 DEX +25 16 +2 DEXTERITY +3 Touch Size Mod Misc Bonus Character Sheet Armor Penalty +17 +0 +0 0 +22 5'9" Black Damage Reduct. 175lbs Brown Bald HIT POINTS STR 14 66 STRENGTH HP ABILITY SCORE TEMP SCORE MODIFIER Male ABILITY MODIFIER 23 ABILITIES CON 16 +3 CONSTITUTION INT 12 +1 INTELLIGENCE WIS Balance Dex modifier Dex Mod Misc Mod Cha + 0 WISDOM BASE ATTACK +6 13 +1 +3 = + 0 = +3 + 0 +0 + 0 CHA +0 bonus + +0 Str +3 = 1 +2 0 CHARISMA Int +1 = + 0 + + Misc + +0 Con +2 +4 = REPUTATION SAVING THROWS TOTAL Base Ability + + 0 FORTITUDE +8 +5 +3 (CONSTITUTION) +1 10 Int 0 0 = = + 0 + 3 +2 +0 +0 WEALTH BONUS 3 ACTION POINTS +0 +0 = = Diplomacy Cha Craft (Writing) Int + 0 + 0 Disguise Cha +0 + 0 (WISDOM) +3 = + = 0 0 + 0 Str Mod Size Mod Misc Mod Escape Artist Drive Dex + 0 Dex +3 = 0 MELEE +8 +6 +2 0 0 RANKS Bluff Climb Computer Use Concentration Craft (Structural) + + Forgery Int +1 + 0 attack bonus +1 = + = + 0 0 + 0 Gather Info Gamble Wis +0 = Cha attack bonus RANGED +9 +6 +3 0 0 Dex Mod Size Mod Temp. Mod + 0 + 0 SKILLS SKILL NAME MISC KEY ABILITY SKILL MOD ABILITY MOD + 0 Intimidate Cha = + +4 = 3 Critical + +2 + +0 Dex Hide +1 +0 +1 +0 Melee Weapon Total Attack Bonus Damage + 0 0 + 0 0 Knife +8 1d4 +2 19-20 = Knowledge (Tactics) Int Jump Str +2 Move Silently Dex Wis Special Properties +1 0 Listen = +1 + + + 2 + Range Weight Type Size 10ft 1 lb Piercing Tiny 5 +1 = +3 = +7 0 +3 + +3 + Special Properties 0 Melee Weapon Total Attack Bonus Damage Critical +1 +7 = +1 Navigate Int + 5 + Perform (Act) Cha = +0 + + 0 Perform (Dance) Cha = + + +0 0 +0 Range Weight Type Size +0 +0 = + Perform (Keyboards) Cha +0 M-203 40mm grenade launcher + 0 Perform (Percussion instruments) Cha +0 = Ranged Weapon + Total Attack Bonus Damage +9 By Grenade Cha = + 20 Critical +0 +0 = 0 0 +0 + + + 0 0 +0 70 ft 3 lbs As Grenade Small Range Weight Type Size Critical Total Attack Bonus Damage Special Properties = Perform (Stringed instruments) Perform (Wind instruments) Cha +0 +0 + 0 Ranged weapon = Cha = +0 0 + 0 + + +1 Profession 0 +1 Wis +1 - Int Dex +3 Ride Research = 0 + +3 + 0 + +1 + = 0 Range Weight Type Size Special Properties Fragmentation grenade +9 4d6 0 20 ft 1 lb Slashing Tiny Burst Radius 10 ft +1 +1 +0 +0 +3 +3 +1 +1 0 +1 = + +1 = + Speak Language = + 0 +1 Sense Motive Search Int Wis +1 Total Attack Bonus Damage Critical = +1 0 + + 1 + 7 +1 +0 +9 M-4 Carbine with ACOG reflex sight +9 2d8 20 None Ranged Weapon Spot Range Weight Type Size S, A Swim +7 Special Properties Survival Wis +2 60 ft 7 lbs Ballistic Large = +1 + + + Unarmed 0 +1 + Str Treat Injury = +2 + Total Attack Bonus Type Equipment Bonus -- Range Weight Type -- Bl T Armor / Protective Item + Interceptor Armor w/ Ballistic Helmet +8 Proficient? Check Penalty Weight Speed = +0 30' 25lbs + ATTACKS Special Properties Damage Critical Unarmed Dex Modifier Sergeant John Weston +3 Int Flat Footed Class Bonus Equipmen t Bonus 10 +4 +8 +3 DEFENSE +0 INITIATIVE +3 +1 (DEXTERITY) REFLEX +2 +5 +3 WILL +2 + 0 0 +0 +0 0 0 + 0 0 +3 + 5 + 0 5 + 0 +1 = + Tumble Dex +3 = +1 + + 0 0 + -5 0 0 +1 + + = + = Military Tough Hero 4/Assault Training 3 +8 1d3+2 20, x2 Cha CROSS CLASS Craft (Visual art) Wis Size + + Perform (Sing) Perform (Stand-up) = = = Wis + + + + +6 + +1 + 0 + 0 4 +1 +1 CHARACTER NAME CAMPAIGN # Acrobatic # Endurance # Exotic Firearms Proficiency* Air Assault Training Forced March Grenadier # Aircraft Operation* Enemy # Strafe Evasive Maneuvers Antithesis # Point Blank Shot # Alertness # Exotic Weapon Melee Proficiency* # Double Tap Amphibious Assault Training # Far Shot # Precise Shot # Animal Affinity # Dead Aim # Shot on the Run # Archaic Weapons Proficiency Fast Track # Skip Shot Artic Warfare College # Focused # Power Attack # Armor Proficiency (light) Formation Flying # Cleave # Armor Proficiency (medium) # Frightful Presence # Great Cleave # Armor Proficiency (heavy) # Gearhead # Improved Bull Rush # Athletic # Great Fortitude # Sunder # Attentive # Guide Psychological Warfare Black Market Psychotherapy # Blind-Fight Jump School # Quick Draw # Brawl Jungle/Swamp Warfare College # Quick Reload # Improved Brawl # Improved Damage Threshold** Radar Operation # Knockout Punch # Improved Initiative # Renown # Improved Knockout Punch # Iron Will # Run # Streetfighting # Lightning Reflexes SERE # Improved Feint # Low Profile Signalling # Builder # Medical Expert # Simple Weapons Proficiency # Cautious # Meticulous Sniper School # Combat Expertise MOS Administrative Sonar Operation # Improved Disarm MOS Air Defense # Stealthy # Improved Trip MOS Armor # Studious # Whirlwind Attack MOS Aviation # Surface Vehicle Operation* Combat Driving MOS Driver # Surgery # Combat Martial Arts MOS Engineering Tactician # Improved Combat Martial Arts MOS Field Artillery Teamwork # Advanced Combat Martial Arts MOS Intelligence Fighter Escort # Combat Reflexes MOS Law Enforcement # Toughness** # Confident MOS Legal Services # Track Cover Fire MOS Maintenance # Trustworthy # Creative MOS Mastery # Two-Weapon Fighting # Deceptive MOS Medical # Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Defense Language Institute MOS NBC # Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting # Defensive Martial Arts MOS Pilot Urban Warfare College # Combat Throw MOS Pyschological Operations # Vehicle Expert # Improved Combat Throw MOS Recruiting and Retention # Force Stop # Elusive Target MOS Religious Services # Vehicle Dodge # Unbalance Opponent MOS Rifleman War Profiteer Desert Warfare College MOS Signals # Weapon Finesse* Desk Jockey MOS Supply and Logistics # Weapon Focus* # Dodge MOS Transportation # Windfall** # Agile Riposte Mountain Warfare Collage Wingman # Mobility # Nimble # Wild Talent # Spring Attack Officer Candidate School # # Drive-By Attack # Personal Firearms Proficiency # # Educated* # Advanced Firearms Proficiency Electronic Warfare # Burst Fire **You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack. 9mm M-9 pistol 4 10 round clips of 9mm ammunition Sergeant Stephen Baker Experience: FEATS *You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different skill, type of equipment, or weapon type. Wt Gear Item Knife M-4 Carbine with ACOG reflex sight 7 30-round magazines of 5.56mm ammunition Interceptor Armor w/ Ballistic Helmet 2 fragmentation grenades 1 red smoke grenade 1 CS grenade 2 M2A2 SLAMs 2 M-86 PDMs Canteen LCE Tac-com Compass Field dressing Gas mask 2 MREs 1 entrenching tool 1 sleeping bag 2 water proof bags CHARACTER NAME CAMPAIGN APPEARANCE SGT Baker is a short wiry man, standing at 5'9' and weighing in at 150 pounds, with his blond hair cut in a flat top. His blue eyes are slightly watery behind his glasses, and many people mistake him for an easy target. He walks with a slight limp from being shot in the leg, but it does not hamper his speed or endurance. He looks to be in his mid-20s and has a set of twisted scars across both forearms. RANK AND DECORATIONS OF NOTE Sergeant (E-5), Sharpshooter Rifle Badge, Purple Heart (x6), Silver Star, Bronze Star with V device (x2), Bronze Star (x3), POW Badge, Air Assault Badge, Airborne Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, NCO Development Award (x2), Army Achievement Medal (x8), Army Commendation Medal (x4), Meritorious Service Medal (x3). Stephen Baker is in his mid-30s, having joined the military in 1990. He served with 1st Infantry Division during Desert Storm and later took part in the invasion of Haiti and peacekeeping missions around the globe. He recently became a Ranger after his second tour of Iraq during OIF I. Baker is a smiling man, quick with a joke or friendly sarcastic comment with a seemingly endless supply of useless trivia. ALLEGIANCES Sergeant Stephen Baker TALENTS/SPECIAL ABILITIES LANGUAGES LANGUAGE READ/WRITE? LANGUAGE READ/WRITE? English R/W/S Portuguese R/W/S MOS Rifleman (Hide, Navigate, Spot) Talents (Strong Hero): Extreme Effort Talents (Infantry Training): Defensive Position +1, Marksmanship 1 Talents (Assault Training): Tough as Nails, Sharpshooter 1 Talents (Special Operations Training): Mental Toughness, Marksmanship 2 US Army, 75th Rangers

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a game of post-apocalyptic community by jim pinto t h e m o u s e m o u s e The mouse is the perfect information gatherer. The mouse moves about the tribe, almost invisibly. He or she appears out of no where and leaves just as quickly. All mice begin play with one secret they hold over another character or NPC. In addition, whenever a mouse spends one drama point to enter a scene, he or she decides which player receives the drama point. Who* was left the tribe when you joined (perhaps as a f**k you)? Who do you look up to for help? Who treats you like a sidekick, or after-thought? Who owes you one big favor that you can call in anytime? Who** is really responsible for the old leaders death (and only you know the truth)? Anytime the mouse rolls dice on an action related to sneaking or secrets, he or she rolls on the mouse action chart. All other rolls are made on the mouse fight chart or general action chart. 3 mouse action chart Roll Value 2 Failure. Trepidation. 3–6 Failure. Exposed. 7 Minimal Failure. 8–9 Minimal Success. The Bargain. 10–11 Success. 12 Overwhelming Success. mouse fight chart Roll Value 2 Failure. Trepidation. 3–4 Failure. Stymied. 5–6 Minimal Failure. 7 Press on. 8–9 Minimal Success. The Bargain. 10–11 Success. 12 Overwhelming Success. general action chart Roll Value 2–3 Failure. Trepidation. 4–5 Failure. Stymied.* 6–7 Minimal Failure.* 8 Minimal Success. 9 Minimal Success. The Bargain. 10–11 Success. 12 Overwhelming Success. t h e c a r c a s s : m o u s e words by jim pinto art by Michael Phillippi graphics and doodles by jim pinto proofing and assistance by Tobie Abad, Diana Kwolkoski Stoll, Martijn Tolsma This is an expansion role to The Carcass roleplaying game. The Carcass is Book 4 in the GMZero series. new action results Exposed. The action leads to the character being exposed for treacherous or otherwise nosy behavior. If there is already trepidation over this issue, the issue escalates. Copyright 2014 © post world games and jim pinto. Stake artwork © 2014 Earl Geier, used with permission. All rights reserved. There is no open source system data in this product.

textdata/thevault/Any (Any System Generic)/GMZero - The Carcass/The Carcass - The Mouse.pdf

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textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Principality of Ulek/591/Normal Scenarios/ULP1-07 - Spyders Quest (APL 2-6)/ULP1-07 - Spyders Quest certs.pdf

CORS3-01 Lower−Level Version A One−Round D&D ® LIVING GREYHAWK® Special Adventure Winter Fantasy 2003 verison by Stephen Radney−MacFarland An adventure for characters level 1-8. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA ® are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Scenario detail copyright 2003 by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 1 This is an RPGA Network scenario for the Dungeons & Dragons game. A four-hour time block has been allocated for each round of this scenario, but actual playing time will be closer to three hours. The rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are here to help you with both the preparation and voting segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you know and can communicate to your players the special aspects of playing an RPGA scenario. PREPARATION First you should print this scenario. This scenario was created to support double-sided printing, but printing it single sided will work as well. There is enough room along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you desire. Read this entire adventure at least once before you run your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important passages. When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that you have access to the following books: the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some sccrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packing, and your sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map and cits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and miniatures. Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the requirements of the scenario as described in the introduction. Keep in mind that you must have at least three players (not counting the DM), for a game session to be a sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more than six players participating in the game. Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each player to place a name tag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player's name at the bottom, and the character's name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core rule books during certain times of play. For example, the players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the Monster Manual when confronted with a monster. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in bold italics. It is strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text, instead of reading it aloud, as some of the text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters. SCORING After the players have completed the scenario or the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, the players and the DM score the game. The RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult your convention coordinator to determine which method to use for this scenario. 1. No vote scoring: The players write their names and RPGA numbers on the scoring packet grid. You fill in the top of the grid. That is all. No one is rated. This method is used for people who are just playing for fun. 2. Partial scoring: The players rate the game master and the scenario on their player voting sheets, and provide personal information, but don’t vote for other players. The game master rates the scenario and completes personal and event information, but does not rate the players as a team or vote for players. This method is used when there is no competition, but the event coordinator wants information on how the game masters are performing, or the game master wants feedback on his or her own performance. 3. Voting: Players and game masters complete the entire packet, including voting for best player. If this method is used, be sure to allow about 15-20 minutes for the players to briefly describe their characters to the other players, and about 5-10 minutes for voting. This method is used when the players want to know who played the ‘‘best’’ amongst the group, or when the adventure is run in tournament format with winners and prizes. When using voting, rank the players in order of your voting choice while they are completing their forms so that you are not influenced by their comments on your abilities. It is a good idea to have the players vote while you are determining treasure and experience awards for the scenario. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 2 After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your event coordinator. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 3 This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring their own characters with them. It players fo not have a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, ant then have any players without a character create on. Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK character, play can begin. Along with the other materials that you are assumed to have in order to run a D&D game, it is also recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING GREYHAWK Gazetteer. Living Greyhawk Levels of Play Because players bring their own characters to LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s challenges are proportioned to the average character level of the PCs participating in the adventure. To determine the Average Party Level (APL): 1. Determine the character level for each of the PCs participating in the adventure. 2. If PCs bring animals that have been trained for combat (most likely being war horses, dogs trained for war), other than those brought by virtue of a class ability (i.e. animal companions, familiars paladin’s mounts, etc) use the following chart to determine the number of levels you add to the sum above. Add each character’s animals separately. A single PC may only bring four or fewer animals of this type, and animals with different CRs are added separately. CR 1 2 3 4 1/4 & 1/6 0 0 0 1 1/3 & 1/2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 4 5 3 3 4 5 6 4 4 5 6 7 3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by the number of characters playing in the adventure – round to the nearest whole number. 4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add one to that average. By following these four steps, you will have determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs will face. APLS are given in even-numbered increments. If the APL of your group falls on an odd number, ask them before the adventure begins whether they would like to play a harder or easier adventure. Based on their choice, use either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. APL also affects the amount of experience you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your character is three character levels or more either higher or lower than the APL this adventure is being played at, that character will receive only half of the experience points awarded for the adventure. This simulates the face that either your character was not as challenged as normal, or relied on help by higher-level characters to reach the objectives. Note: LIVING GREYHAWK adventures are designed for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or sometimes even five 1 st-level characters may find difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 there are three things that you can do to help even the score. 1. Attempt to create a table of six 1 st-level characters, or try to enlist higher-level characters to play at that table. 2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to help protect them, and fight for them. All riding dogs are considered trained to attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack must succeed at a Handle Animal or Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates that the animal will not attack that round. This is a free action (spoken command) that may be attempted each round. If an animal loses half or more hp in a single round it flees, unless another check is successful. Time Units and Upkeep This is a one-round special adventure, set in Sterich. All characters pay two Time Units to play this event. Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per time unit. Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per time unit. Luxury Upkeep costs 200gp per time unit. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 4 Preparation This is the lower-level adventures for Assault on the Vault, one half of the special event at WINTER FANTASY 2003. This document is split up in three different sections. Each section is an adventure in itself, and when WINTER FANTASY 2003 participants play in the lower-level version of Assault on the Vault, they will be playing in one of these adventure. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with each section of the adventure, as you may be called on to run any of the three when you act as Dungeon Master for this event. Don’t worry, it is actually easier than it seems. Each adventure is a pretty simple, pretty standard site- based adventure. And at WINTER FANTASY, each adventure comes with its own full-color playmat detailing the site where the adventure takes place, so you don’t have to spend time drawing and redrawing the play board on your Battlemat. These adventures are chiefly designed to challenge LIVING GREYHAWK characters levels 1-6------that is, APL 2, 4 and 6. One of the adventures, Ebon Tower, is also expandable to APL 8, if by chance there are tables of that level of play signed up for the event. Each section is optimized for one APL, and supports one or more higher levels of play. This means the adventure is best designed to handle that APL, but, if necessary, it can handle play above that APL. In all of these adventures Resbin Dren Emondav, the Marchioness of Sterich, has recruited the PCs for a great and dangerous ‘‘favor.’’ Recent drow activity in the March of Sterich has culminated in the capture of three important members of the Sterich court by the drow House Noquar, one of the eight ruling houses of the dark elf city of Erelhei-Cinlu (pronounced eh-reel- hay-sen-loo), within the infamous vault of the drow. Marchioness Emondav, historically quiet and reclusive, has moved with surprising boldness to counter this drow threat. For reasons unknown, but heatedly debated from the streets of Istivin, to the villages of the borderlands, it is said that the Marchioness has put her lands in hock to pay for a massive operation to free the captives of the drow. She has bought the services of the mysterious (and expensive) Wayfarers’ Union, and any mercenary in the Underdark and the Oerth above she could get her hands on, She wants nothing less that the retrieval of the captives, and the downfall of House Noquar, and she now has the resources to make those desires a reality. The PCs have been tapped to aid in the direct assault of House Noquar. While more powerful adventurers work on extracting the prisoners from deeper within the Noquar estate, and mercenaries from the surface and Erelhei-Cinlu’s Ghetto of Foreigners directly assault the estate’s walls, the PCs participating in the lower-level adventure are performing dangerous interference mission. They are teleported directly into the estate by members of the Wayfarers’ Union, and tasked with disrupting important structures in the drow complex. The following are the three adventures detailed in this packet. Each has a brief description of the mission, its optimized APL, and the APLs it can support. Thralls’ Bastion: In this section of the adventure the PCs are tasked with storming the Thrall’s Bastion, a reached slave pit, where House Noquar’s nondrow hoards dwell. The bastion is optimized for APL 2, but playable by APL 3, 4, and 6 groups. Nightmare Gate: Actually the name of many gates that surround the House Noquar estate, in this adventure the PCs are teleported into the gate, and must find a way to open the outer gate. Ebon Tower: Home of Noquar’s wizards, the PCs must brave its strange traps and arcane dangers in an attempt to deny the drow of their wizards. Event Introduction Read or paraphrase the following to the players before play begins. There is also a brief bit of introduction text in the appropriate adventures section, For Ster ch! The words echo down the long hall like thunder. Hundreds of brave warriors, priests, mages, and even the occasional scoundrel line the wall of the Marchioness’s court. Excitement is thick in this room…and so is fear. i ta r a s f From almost every corner of the Flanaess adventurers have come to battle with the drow enemies of this battered land. And most have to know that they will die at the hands of the dark elves in their sunless realm, but few will admit it. There reasons for aiding the March reclaim their ken nobles a e m ny------ ome do so to de end the honor of their homeland, some do so out of fear and hatred of the drow, but most, you guess, do so for the mercenary love of the gold Sterich is paying, and for the right to honestly say ‘‘I attacked the Vault of the Drow and lived to tell you of my deeds.’’ As for you, your reasons for being here are your own. But you are destined to have a special place in this assault. You have been selected for a special mission. The Wayfarers’ Union, mysterious (and no doubt expensive) masters of teleportation, are magiking you and your group of companions inside the walls of the dread House Noquar. There, you will interfere with its inner workings as other Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 5 heroes go in the house’s very hearth to steal back Sterich’s nobles. The nobles of Sterich have hinted that if you are successful, you could be worthy of nobility. Hopefully their veiled promise of land and a title isn’t cold comfort to someone they consider to be no better than a walking corpse. At the end of the adventure, the characters participating in the assault are awarded a title (see the Lord Errant of Sterich special certificate). They are also granted the salvaging rights for any treasure they pick up during the adventure. After the PCs are ready to begin their assault on the Vault of the Drow, go to the appropriate adventure selection, read or paraphrase the introduction text there, and the fun begins. Odds and Ends This section contains a couple of play rules for this special event and some suggestions on how you can make the event run smoother. They are presented in no particular order. � The PCs have no way to leave House Noquar until the event is over. This adventure takes place over the course of a few hours. Still, if the PCs seem in over their heads, and they have found a place to hole up, let them do so. Also, if the PCs have lost half or more of their group, and you think it is painfully obvious that they will lose the rest in the coming fight, feel free to have the Wayfarers’ Union bring them back at just the right moment. It might be a good idea to ask the players first, before teleporting them back to Sterich. � Ask the characters what kind of light source they are using. Light is important in this adventure, so keep track of it. � Remind the players that fighting defensively, casting on the defensive, using the Power Attack or Expertise feat, the total defense combat action, or any other options that the PC has to specially declare an action to get a bonus, must be done on their turn in the initiative, and before dice are rolled. � Remind the players than unless it specifically states differently in the description of the magic item (or in the Official D&D Errata), activating the power of a wondrous item takes a standard action. � If the PCs are in over their � This is the most important rule and word of advice. You, the DM, are the final arbitrator of actions in this game. At the same time, be sure to base your rulings on the written D&D game. If a player thinks you made a mistake, hear him or her out, and if necessary ask for an outside opinion from another DM or an RPGA event staff, but the final decision is yours. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 6 Thralls’ Bastion Adventure Overview Thralls’ Bastion is optimized for characters 1 st to 3 rd level (APL 2), but playable at APLs 4 and 6. In this section of the adventure, the Wayfarers’ Union teleport the PCs to the walls of House Noquar, near the entrance to the upper level of Thralls’ Bastion. This place is a type of prison, and proving ground, for the nondrow soldiers of house Noquar. The so-called ‘‘lesser races’’ dwell in this drab, dank, and dirty box- like fortress without towers or windows in an insane squalor, at least until the mercenaries hired by Sterich attacked. Always a place where the inmates ran the asylum, Thralls’ Bastion went insane with the first sounds of battle pounding on its walls. Spurred on by leaders of the various factions (goblins, fiendish kobolds, as small contingent of norkers, bugbears, and orcs), the majority of the bastion’s inhabitants rushed their captors and fled the place at the beginning of the battle. When the PCs show up to House Noquar’s walls, just outside the upper ‘‘back door’’ entrance, the majority of the bastions inhabitants are gone, but the ones that are left are very dangerous. And some are desperately dangerous. The PCs’ mission is simple: cause as much havoc within the walls of the Thralls’ Bastion as possible, keeping its inhabitants------and more importantly its commanders------away from the battle at the extractions points. The Wayfarers Union will pull back the PCs to Sterich once the battle is over, via the wayfarer amulet they give to each PC (see below). There are many more encounters in this adventure than any group is bound to face. This is done for a good reason. Since the characters are ‘‘running interference’’ and don’t have a definitive goal in this adventure, this give characters the opportunity to always have more to do if they choose. This way, getting farther into the bastion becomes its own goal, and different groups can exchange war stories and ‘‘how far we got’’ boasts after the game is over. There are many places in the Thralls’ Bastion that the PCs can ‘‘hole up.’’ Basically let the characters stop at any reasonable place in the adventure if they wish. The cans always fortify themselves and wait for the Wayfarers’ Union to transport them out. In this way the group can end the adventure before the slot has concluded. If they decide to do this, end the game, but make sure they don’t want to play on. Remember, they only have one shot at this. It is not possible to go ‘‘back to town’’ and restock on potions of cure light wounds, or other things that would help them out. The Adventure Read or paraphrase the following to the PCs: You are taken to one of the castle’s chambers. Here Wayfarer Union w zards prepare for casting, as a Sterich noble come to great you. i ‘‘The wizards will soon be ready, and you will be teleported into the walls of House Noquar, just outside of a structure called Thralls’ Bastion. The place is a garrison for the nondrow troops of the drow house. It is your mission to cause as much havoc and carnage inside the walls of the bastion as possible. We would like them busy with you, instead of harassing the groups extracting the nobles deeper inside the complex.’’ The stern noble hands each of you an amulet. Made of gold, the triangular amulet is not adorned with any symbols or markings. ‘‘Wear this at all times. When the nobles have been extracted, we will magic you back here. We cannot do so if you are not wearing one of these amulet.’’ With that, he escorts you to the wizards, who begin casting their spells. Wayfarer amulet The amulet the Wayfarer’s guild gives to the character is a wayfarers amulet. With the help of a special form of teleport spell (an arcane spell called wayfarer’s retrieval) that the union keeps as a guarded secret, they can teleport anyone one wearing one of these amulets from the spot they are at, to anywhere within short range of the wizard casting the spell. The union uses this amulet to bring the characters back. It must be worn to be effective, and does take up the character’s amulet slot. Dungeon Features The following features are true unless otherwise noted in a specific area description. Doors: Doors in the Bastion are made of iron. Some are locked but in many case the locks are rather simple. Those locks are detailed in the area descriptions. �Iron Door: 2 in thick; hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 28. �Walls: The walls of the bastion are hewn stone walls (6 ft. thick on average, hp 700, hardness 8, break DC 50), but physical damage and centuries of erosion have reduced the Climb DC to 20. Light: Since most to the creatures in the bastion have darkvision or better, and there are no windows, there is very little natural lighting in the bastion. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 7 Unless stated in the area text, consider all areas of the bastion to be in complete darkness. Smell: Hundreds of creatures dwelled in the bastion until somewhat recently, and few of them cared overly much for personal hygiene. Not only is there much rubble and filth within the bastion, the place smells absolutely horrible. This has the effect of reducing scent to 10 feet throughout the bastion. 1. The Walls (EL 0 or EL 1) The PCs start on one of the inner walls to the House Noquar estate, scant yards from the upper entrance to the Thralls’ Bastion. Sterich’s assault and the drow reaction to it have driven the complex into a fury of melees of various sizes. Feel free and describe the carnage how you wish, but the players should get the impression that staying on the wall will mean certain death, as powerful spells sizzle around the complex, and the cavern sky of the vault come alive with Noquar’s nightmare cavalry. There is little to do here except for the PCs to approach the door, dispatch the lock, and enter the Keepers’ Chambers. When the characters reach this door, read the following. This iron door is brown with rust. On its face you see a nightmares head, the house symbol of the Noquar drow. Just to the right of the devise is a strange keyhole, though it’s well used, with jagged gouges and scrapes distorting the hole. It looks like someone has broken into this lock before. �Locked Iron Door: 2 in thick; hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 15 (the lock on this door is a worn and damaged very simple lock. The Pick Pocket DC is 12). If the PCs dally for more than 5 rounds on the wall, drow sentries spy them, and use them for target practice (+0 ranged [1d6/x3 and drow sleep poison (see the Elf entry in the Monster Manual), composite short bow]------they fire three shots a round, each round). 2. Keepers’ Chamber (EL 3) The following read-aloud text describes what the PCs see as they enter the chamber from atop House Noquar’s walls. Read or paraphrase the following: The room is drenched w th humidity, and smells fishy. Toward the center of the room are two rus ed iron vats filled with water. Wisps of condensation float up from the bubbling vats. At the far end of the room is a rusted iron door. There is another to the wall to your right. Everything in this room is very slick due to the humidity created by the vats. The vats are the relaxation chambers for two of the bastion’s keepers, a pair of kuo-toa. PCs attempting to charge or run in this room must attempt a Balance check (DC 10) in order to do so successfully. PCs failing this check fall prone at a random point in their progression, and have a 25% chance of dropping items they are holding. Shields and items held with locked gauntlets have no chance of being dropped. Creatures: With House Noquar on alert, so are the kuo-toas. They are actively listening for creatures entering the chamber, leaping out to attack anyone approaching their tubs, or attempting to seek egress. The kuo-toa can leap out of their tubs to any five-foot space adjacent to those tubs as a move-equivalent action. If possible they will leap out during the surprise round. They will try to use hearing to pinpoint PCs approaching the tubs. If they succeed at a Listen check (DC 20 or the PC’s Move Silently check +20), they have pinpointed a PC �Kuo-Toas (2): hp 13, 11; see Monster Manual. Tactics: At the optimized APL (2), this encounter is a straight up fight. The kuo-toas do their best to there best to bar the passage of the PCs by way of melee combat. They only throw their spears as a last resort. If necessary they will use the vats for cover from missile-intensive assaults into their chamber. For tactical changes at other APLs, see the scaling the encounter sidebar. Treasure: At the optimized APL, the only treasure in the chamber is the kuo-toas’ equipment, and a pile of coins one keeps in his vats, and a necklace the other has at the bottom of his. Vat A holds the coins, all of them copper (this particular kuo-toa likes the way they turn green and slimy in his tub). There are 100 cp times the APL. Also, hidden among the copper pieces (Search DC 12, or if the PCs take the time to gather all of the coins), there is an iron key. The key opens all the doors within the bastion. At the bottom of vat B the PCs can find a necklace decorated with the shells pearls of Underdark oysters. The pearls glow with a strange purple (but natural) aura. It is worth 20 gp per APL. Development: Once the characters are finished with the kuo-toa, no doubt their attention will fall upon one of the two doors in the room. Both are locked with very simple locks (Open Locks DC 20, or by use of the key in vat A), and both have sliding peepholes allowing the kuo-toa to spy either into area 3 or area 4 depending on which door they look through. If PCs look into either room via the peephole i t - Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 8 use the notation on your map and the proper area description to determine what they see. Kuo-Toa Traits Keen Sight (Ex): Kuo-toas have excellent vision thanks to their two independently focusing eyes. Their eyesight is so keen that they can spot a moving object or creature even if it is invisible, ethereal, or astral. Only by remaining perfectly still can such objects or creatures avoid their notice. Slippery (Ex): All kuo-toas secrete an oily film that makes them difficult to grapple or snare. Webs, magic or otherwise, don’t affect kuo-toas, and they usually can wriggle free from most other forms of confinement. Adhesive (Ex): Kuo-toas use their own body oil and other materials to give their shields a finish almost like flypaper, holding fast any creatures or items touching them. Anyone who makes an unsuccessful melee attack against a kuo-toa must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 14), or the attacker’s weapon sticks to the shield and is yanked out of the wielder’s grip. Creatures using natural weapons are automatically grappled if they get stuck. Immunities (Ex): Kuo-toas are immune to poison and paralysis. The various hold spells also have no effect on them, and their keen sight automatically detects figments for what they are. Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds kuo- toas for 1 round. In addition, they suffer a ----1 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. Amphibious (Ex): Although kuo-toas breathe by means of gills, they can survive indefinitely on land. Skills: Kuo-toas receive a +15 racial bonus to Escape Artist checks and a +4 racial bonus to Spot and Search checks. [[[end sidebar]]] Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 5) �Kuo-Toa Whips (2): male kuo-toa Clr2; hp 22, 20; see Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 7) �Kuo-Toa Whips (2): male kuo-toa Clr4; hp 31, 29; see Appendix 1. [[[end sidebar]]] 3. Goblins’ Oily Defense (EL 2 or 1) This encounter is closely tied to area 4. Familiarize yourself with both areas. Unlike other areas of the bastion, the numerous small fires in the northern section of the room illuminate this place and area 4. Also illuminating these rooms are the light spells being cast by Rewoot in area 4. Read or paraphrase the following: Numerous small fires and a magical light source illuminate this room. On the other side of the room is a large pile of broken tables, smashed crates, rocks and other debris that partially block entrance into another chamber. Three goblins armed with c o sbow ------ he r bol s aligh with f ame------ tand in front of the debris. They speak curtly to you in their own language. By their tone they could be asking something, or maybe giving you an order. r s s t i t t l s Observant characters (Spot DC 15------remember the ----1 per 10 feet of distance away from the strip when making the check) may also notice the strip of oil and alchemist fire mix on the floor of the room (see your DM’s map for the location). If the characters speak Goblin, or can understand them through magical means (by way of a comprehend language spell), they find that the creatures are questioning them. ‘‘Who are you? Where are the keepers? Do you work from the drow?’’ are their primary questions. If the PCs don’t answer the questions, or act in a hostile manner, questioning turns to taunts, and the goblins attempt to take a defensive position behind the makeshift barricade between this chamber and area 4. Even if the PCs do answer the goblins, the creatures do not believe them unless they are magically complied to do so, or the characters ace a Diplomacy check (DC 22). They have seen too much devious treachery by the drow to be trusting of strangers. They order the PCs to turn around and leave the goblin’s ‘‘turf.’’ If the PCs don’t comply, they stand their ground waiting for the opportunity to catch them in the oil patch. Trap: While simple in its application, the burning oil patch trap is a slight bit more complicated than other traps in how it is sprung. Unless the PCs somehow catch the goblins unawares, the goblins always have an action ready with their fiery bolts. When a character (or preferably characters) reach the patch the goblins shoot it (AC 5), and the flames ignite the volatile, oily mess immediately. �Burning Oil Patch: CR 1; mechanical; manual trigger (see above); manual reset; Reflex save (DC 13) for half (1d6, fire); Search (DC 13); Disable Device (DC 13). Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 9 Creatures: The three goblins continue peppering the characters with bolts for as long as possible------ seeking do so with cover of the debris pile if possible------until it becomes absolutely necessary to fight hand-to-hand. �Goblins (3): hp 4, 3, 2; see Monster Manual. Development: On the off chance that the characters parley with the goblins and gain their trust, the PCs are introduce them to their leader, Rewoot. That introduction has its own challenges (see area 4). Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 4 or 3) �Goblins (3): male goblin War2; hp 8, 7, 6; see Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 6 or 5) �Goblins (2): male goblin War4; hp 15, 14, 13; see Appendix 1. 4. Shrine to Maglubiyet (EL 3) This encounter is closely tied to the one in area 3. Familiarize yourself with that encounter before running this one. Unlike other areas of the bastion, the numerous small fires in this room and area 4 illuminate this place and area 4. Also illuminating this room is the light spells being cast by Rewoot. Before the assault, this place was the focus of goblin thrall life. A slimy and cunning yellow-skinned goblin adept named Rewoot used his powers to protect and control the goblins of the bastion. Now, with his many of his former minions running amok in the many courtyards of House Noquar (under his direct order) he stays here waiting for the chaos to subside. While other goblins fight in the hopes that their drow masters will fall, Rewoot is smarter than that. At heart an opportunist, the goblin adept is always looking for a way to make the best of his situation. He is open to work with the PCs, but only so it benefits him. When the characters get a clear view of the full room, read or paraphrase the following. Modify the text to include the three goblins from area 4 where needed. This room was obviously the site of many foul rites. On the west wall a double-bladed axe is painted in dried blood, and the floor below it is stained brown. Candle nubs outline the altar area of this obvious place of sacrifice. If the PCs reach this area by way of area 3, there are two basic ways this encounter can play out. If that encounter culminated in combat with the goblins, those goblins attempt to defend their leader. Rewoot attempts to stay out of combat (but will use a few of his spells in support role to keep up appearances among the goblins) unless his minions clearly have the upper hand. If his minions are defeated, he feints cowering, and begs for the PCs to grant him mercy. A successful Sense Motive against his Bluff reveals his insincerity. Creatures: Cunning and cleaver, Rewoot is like few goblins the PCs are likely to have meet. He thinks more like a drow than a goblin. �Rewoot: male goblin Adp4; hp 18; see Appendix 1. Development: Rewoot is a survivor, and tries to surrender if his goblins don’t dispatch the invaders. He will grovel and bribe the characters with his treasure (see below) if it will save his life. He will even go as far as to renounce his foul patron Maglubiyet and will declare his new religious loyalty to the god of any cleric in the party. He is of course lying. While kissing up, he also questions the PCs, and tries to find out their goals. If he finds out they are here to neutralize threats, he immediately moves to put a plan in motion. Rewoot is confident that after the attack things will settle back to normal at House Noquar, but he wants to take the best advantage of the chaos to better his lot in the bastion. He tells the PCs that he can take them to the biggest threat of Thralls’ Bastion------a demon named Flairz. He claims that Flairz is the ‘‘boss of the bastion,’’ and that once the PCs get rid of her, there are few other threats to tackle. Rewoot is lying, as Flairz is his rival for power in the upper bastion, and if he can get rid of her, he will virtually rule the upper bastion when the humans leave. After he manipulates his new ‘‘friends’’ to rid him of the pesky half-demon/half- kobold, he leads them to area 9 which he claims has a secret door that leads to Flairz’s treasury. He then attempts to drop them in to the otyugh pit if the PCs are careless enough to follow his direction (see area 9). Treasure: Rewoot has a stash of treasure hidden in a secret compartment in the floor at the northwest corner of the room (Search DC 20). The stash contains the following: 50 sp, 10 gp, 2 pieces of jasper (50 gp each) 1 carved jade spider (100 gp) and a potion of po son. i Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 5) �Rewoot: male goblin Adp6; hp 27; see Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 7) Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 10 � Rewoot: male goblin Adp8; hp 36; see Appendix 1. 5. Hellishly Curious Kobolds (EL 1) When the characters enter this room, they stumble upon a group of fiendish kobolds hiding from more powerful monsters. They attack anyone entering this room, refusing to parley. Strange small reptilian creatures with electric blue skin, unusually long horns, hiss something strange in a strange language as they prepare their crossbows for a volley. The language is draconic (the only language these creatures speak). They are reciting their battle prayer ‘‘may the queen deliver us to the next fight or the next life.’’ Their queen is Flairz, a half-devil, half-kobold, whom these fellows worship like a god, and protect with their lives. Creatures: While these kobolds will give their lives for Flairz, they are not stupid, firing crossbows from afar for as long as possible, until they are forced to defend her by way of melee. �Fiendish Kobolds (6): hp 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1; see Appendix 1. Development: Questioning these odd kobolds does the PCs little good. With a successful Diplomacy or Intimidate check (DC 10 for Intimidate, DC 30 for Diplomacy) the reptilian humanoids warn characters that orcs are now walking the upper halls and that they bring the lower master’s fire dogs, but they spill little else. They too know about the garbage chute in area 9, and if possible they will try to lead the PCs to it, if they have a reasonable chance of setting off the trap’s mechanism (see area 9 for details). Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 3) �Fiendish Kobolds (12): hp 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1; see Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 5) �Fiendish Kobold Killers (7): hp 6, 6, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3; see Appendix I. 6. Rewoot’s Rival (EL variable) Note: Just before the characters enter this room, Thrall’s Bastion is hit with a powerful spell effect. The spell jostles the structure, causing every creature in the upper level to succeed a Reflex save (DC 12+APL played) or fall prone. The characters also hear the noise of falling debris coming from the direction of area 6. Feel free to run this hazard during combats in areas 5 or 8. This area is the traditional turf for the fiendish kobolds dwelling within the bastion. While most of those kobolds fled the bastion during the thrall’s great push out, others fled to area 5 when Soulcrusher’s orcs came up the stairs (see area and 8). Only their queen, Flairz the half-devil kobold is still in this chamber. Creature: Taking advantage of her ability to fly, Flairz has taken a hidden position with the rubble in the center of the room (all of which is about 5 feet high) to watch area the door to area 8 in this room, and the door in area 9 in the other. She knows the orcs and Soulcrusher’s hell hound(s) are in areas 7 and 8, thanks to the fact that she stole a bastion key from an orc earlier in the day, and used it to scout area 9 when the orcs came upstairs. She has ordered her minions into area 5 to watch for the koa-toa, while she tries to hatch a plan for her and the fiendish kobold’s escape. Now she has an added complication. With the jostling of the bastion, three holes have opened up in the ceiling. Flairz could easily escape, but her lawful nature, and the terrible sounds coming from the outside of the bastion, has stopped her from doing so, at least up to now. Flairz’s future actions depend on the PCs’. Though she will no doubt hear any combat the PCs have with her minions in area 5, she does not come to aid them. She is rather cowardly, and is deathly afraid of being caught between two enemies, as she figures the orcs will eventually produce another key and enter the chamber in the near future. If the PCs enter the room without Rewoot, more than likely Flairz uses her darkness ability and leaves trough one of the ceiling’s holes. Only is she thinks the outsiders are extremely weak (she thinks there are only two or less PC) will she attack. If Rewoot is with the characters, she attacks immediately, wishing more than anything to destroy her hated rival. �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1: hp 9; see Appendix 1. Treasure: The only real treasure Flairz has is an iron key that opens all of the doors in the bastion. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 4) �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1/Sor1/Mnk1; hp 19; see Appendix 1. APL 6 (EL 6) Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 11 �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1/Sor1/Mnk3; hp 28; see Appendix 1. 7. Orcs to “Investigate” (EL 2) The orcs in this room are the orc minions of Soulcrusher, the keeper of the lower level of the bastion. After the initial rush of bastion inhabitants getting past Soulcrusher, he sent these fellows along with his pet hell hound (or hell hounds, see area 8) to investigate. When the characters enter this chamber, they will find the orcs arguing loudly in Orc (characters listening at the doors to this chamber gain a +5 to their Listen check due to this) over which one of them was supposed to bring the key------a key stolen from one of them by Flairz (see area 6) earlier in the day. Without the key they can go no further in their investigation of the upper level of the bastion. They immediately attack non-residents they find in the upper chambers. Creatures: These are typical orcs, with typical tactics. They attempt to take out whoever is in reach of their vicious greataxes. If possible, during combat they try to secure open doors. After they take out the PCs they still have a mission to fulfill. �Orcs (3): hp 5, 3, 3; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 4) �Orcs (7): hp 8, 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 6) �Orc Barbarians (4): male orc Bbn2; hp 23, 20, 17, 15; see Appendix 1. 8. Stairs (EL variable) Soulcrusher sent the orcs and his pet hell hound(s) up to investigate after the bastion settled The orcs------a bit overwhelmed with their charge------chained the pet(s) here. Spitting and snarling, the hell hound obviously would like to rip your throat out, but a rusty chain stops his charge. Refer to the map to see the how far the chain reaches. The chain is rusty and is about to break. It is up to you if and when it does. If the PCs have had an easy time of it up until now, have the chain break immediately. If the PCs are badly wounded, don’t have the chain break at all. Alternatively, each round, on the hell hound’s turn, give the chain a 50% chance of breaking. Creature: The hell hound(s) attack to the death. �Chained Hell Hound: hp 22; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 4) � Chained Hell Hounds (2): hp 25, 22; see Monster Manual. APL 6 (EL 6) �Hell Hounds (3): hp 30, 25, 22; see Monster Manual. At this APL the hell hounds are not chained at all, they are just guarding the stairs down. 9. Garbage Chute (EL variable) When the upper level becomes too filthy for even its inhabitants to stand, all the garbage and filth is pushed down the sloping floors into this room. In the center of the room there is a chute, hidden by caked dung and trash (Search DC 15). In the southwest corner of the room, there is a hidden lever disguised as a floorstone (Search DC 20) that drops the chute with loud and immediate force. Anyone standing on the chute must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 14 + APL) or fall 20 feet into the Otyugh Pit (area 10). Every inhabitant of the bastion knows about the pit and the hidden trigger, and most try to trap the PCs here if given the opportunity. 10. Otyugh Pit (EL 4) There are two ways the characters can reach this chamber. Either by way of the garbage chute in area 9, or one by opening one of the three large release doors on the lower level. Either way of entrance has dangers. PCs falling from the area 9 take 2d6 points of subdual damage for the fall, since the floor is soft with refuse. PCs that open the release doors (or are within 10 feet of those doors when released) must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 12 + APL) or fall prone, be stunned for a round, and be pushed back 10 feet from the rush of muck. After that, the Otyugh attacks. Creature: An otyugh, who eats the complex’s refuse, is happy to get some fresh flesh, and put up a fight to keep it. �Otyugh: hp 33; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 6) �Otyughs (2): hp 40, 33; see Monster Manual. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 12 APL 6 (EL 8) �Otyughs (3): hp 40, 35, 33; see Monster Manual. 11. Graffiti Room (EL 0) Read or paraphrase the following. From the stairs you see a strange blue glow emanating from the chamber below. As you get your first glimps of the chamber, you see that the glow comes from patches on the walls. Among the patches of strange glowing wall, you see many strange symbols and writing. The walls of the room are patched with a harmless phosphorescent fungus. The writing is Orc graffiti (using Dwarven script) and mostly attests to the strength and power of the Orcs of Soulcrusher, but PCs that don’t know Orc may think the writing is a magical glyph trap------feel free to play on those fears. If a PC that knows Orc spends some time to read through the graffiti, they can find a reference to Soulcrusher as ‘‘the biggest, meanest ogre who ever lived.’’ And a dreaded ‘‘floating killer brain’’ that the orcs are deathly afraid of and wish that Soulcrusher would get rid of. Also, if the PC spends the time to read the graffiti, there is a 50% chance that two orcs from area 12 will open the unlocked door to the west, and then alert their friends of the PCs presence. 12. Orcs’ Den (EL 3) Read or paraphrase the following (may be modified by the PCs actions in area 11): The first thing evident in this room is its horrid s ench------l ke a thou nd we dog and heir o fal. The second is the horrible mess of cots and filth that litter the room. Many creatures mus have once dwelled in here, but now there are only five orcs. t i sa t s t f t A huge iron door takes up most of the south wall. There is no apparent lock or opening mechanism to the door. Room Hazards: Anyone entering the room must succeed at Fortitude save (DC 10) or become sickened by the stench, suffering a ----2 circumstance penalty to all attacks, save, and skill checks for 1d4+2 rounds. Anyone attempting to charge or run in this room must attempt a Balance check (DC 10) in order to do so successfully. PCs failing this check fall prone at a random point in their progression, and have a 25% chance of dropping items they are holding. Shields and items held with locked gauntlets have no chance of being dropped. Soulcrusher, the malicious ogre master of the bastion keeps control by way of not only his awesome presence, but also by way of a group of young orcs who, while technically thralls of the bastion, also serve as his enforcers. While these orcs are usually crammed into area 14, Soulcrusher has exiled those who didn’t escape the bastion here, to make sure no other thralls escape from the upper level. This chamber used to be a pen for a group of particularly nasty-smelling bugbears, most of which escaped during the rush of thralls out of the bastion. At this point PCs have already encountered some of the Orcs of Soulcrusher. The rest dwell here, bemoaning their plight, and guarding the exit in an attempt to get back into the favor of their master. While even the orcs find the smell in this room extremely unpleasant, they don’t suffer any ill effects for the stench. Creatures: The orcs fight to the death in a desperate attempt to redeem themselves in the eyes of their master. �Orcs (5): hp 5, 4, 4, 3, 3; see Monster Manual. Development: If the characters soundly defeat the orcs, getting information from them will be an easy task (Intimidate DC 11, a +1 bonus for each orc who died in the encounter). Intimidated survivors warn the characters about the ‘‘killing beak-thing” in the next room (the grell), and not to release any of the levers in that room (see area 13). The orc also warns that the characters should turn back now, because on the off chance that the ‘‘killing beak-thing’’ doesn’t kill them, the great Soulcrusher will. If the characters insist, he can give an accurate description of the ogre, and his devastating spiked chain. Treasure: One of the orcs hides two bits of rock crystal (50 gp each) hidden in his boot (Search DC 12). 13. Strange Guardian (EL 3) This room is the lair of grell. Captured by the drow, the strange creature works with Soulcrusher to control the population of the bastion. Unfortunately, this creature, while intelligent and somewhat loyal to Soulcrusher, did almost nothing to stop the stream of inhabitants from fleeing the bastion. He used his tentacles to grab a few choice bits of tasty humanoid flesh, and let the other pass. Something Soulcrusher was not pleased to discover. Now the grell is under strict orders not to allow anyone to pass------not even the orcs. Soulcrusher drove his point home with a slash from his spiked chain, a wound the grell still has. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 13 Peering in, this room appears empty. Smaller than most rooms you have found in this place, its east wall is dominated by another large handleless and keyhole e i on door on the ea wa ------ hi one smaller than the one you found in the last room. On south wall you see a normal iron door and three eve set in the w ll fo ming a p e n------ wo parallel on the bottom, and one lever on top. The bottom levers stand about five feet off the oor, and the top some 10 feet from the floor. l ss r st ll t s l rs a r att r t fl The three levers forming the triangular pattern open the three release doors (one in this room one in area 12, and one in area 14). The top one opens the one in this room, the one on the left opens the one in area 12, and the one on the left opens the one in area 14. See the description for area 10 on the effects of opening these release doors. Creature: The wounded grell attacks any creature that enters this room, not wanting to suffer more damage from Soulcrusher. When the PCs enter the room, the grell is floating above them, flush with the ceiling of the chamber, some 15 feet up, tentacles up so it can ambush those who enter. Roll a Hide check for the grell. The characters must beat its Hide roll with Spot checks in order to act during the surprise round. �Grell: hp 32 (currently 22); see Appendix I. Tactics: The grell attacks to paralyze. It wants to subdue its victims if possible, and call Soulcrusher by banging its body on the southern door three times (a standard action that does provoke attacks of opportunity). The grell is by no means dumb (Intelligence 10), and if it feels that it is outmatched it will knock to rouse Soulcrusher, pull the top lever (flooding the chamber with refuge and otyugh) or both. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 5) �Advanced Grell: hp 54; see Appendix I. APL 6 (EL 7) �Advanced Grell: hp 94; see Appendix I. 14. Soulcrusher’s Last Stand (EL 4) Once the bastion’s orc turf, the ogre Soulcrusher, keeper of the Thrall’s bastion waits in this chamber. He is on guard for thralls attempting to escape, and also awaiting his punishment from his drow masters. Rubble and the remains of furniture have been s acked he e wi h gre care------obv ou y a s ra egic barricades to slow attackers. And the far end of the room, on the other side of the smallest of these three barricades, is an ogre. Well armed and c eaner than most of his kind, he looks at you with intelligence. He seems to be measuring you, and waiting for your reaction to his obstacle course. t r t at i sl s t t , l Creature: Sadistic, cunning, and extremely smart (by ogre standards) Soulcrusher is also a villain caught between a rock and a hard place. He has failed in his obligation to House Noquar, and now he knows he is going to die. But he means to die well, and that means making sure no one else gains exit from the Thralls’ Bastion. �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr2; hp 39; see Appendix I. Tactics: Soulcrusher has made his stand behind three groups of overturned tables and stacked debris (see DM’s Map). The two longer debris piles are about three feet high, and serve only to slow down movement toward him (it takes double the normal move to pass through spaces with the debris. The smaller stand direct in front of him, piles on five feet high. Granting three-quarter to one-half cover when he stands, and total cover when he falls prone (which he will do if the PCs attempt to take him out with only ranged attacks). He waits patiently at his fortified position for characters to approach him. When they do, he attempts to take each down in melee combat, roaring in Giant ogerish songs glorifying the bloody mess of final battle. If faced with a spell assault, Soulcrusher changes his tactics, retreating into area 15, and then to area 16, where he pulls the lever releasing the otyugh (at full speed, it takes him three rounds to do so). Then he will activate the skeleton of his mate (see area 15) and return to the room to finish the job. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 6) �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr4; hp 52; see Appendix I. APL 6 (EL 8) �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr6: hp 65; see Appendix I. 15. Keeper’s Quarters (EL 1) This chamber served as Soulcrusher’s lair. He has gutted most of his possessions to build the barricades in area 14, but his most prized possessions are still here. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 14 The ogre skeleton is all that remains of his mate, Grethuk, who died many years ago. In death she she serves as the guard of Soulcrusher’s treasure. The large gems in here eye sockets are low quality glass fakes (10 gp each, Appraise DC 15 if the PC examines from a distance, DC 10 if he or she is holding the ‘‘gems.’’). Trap: If anyone touches the gems, or moves Grethuk’s skeleton, it animates, attack all living things in the room (except for Soulcrusher, if he is here). It was a trap rigged by a drow necromancer in return for a large group of goblins the wizard used for experimentation. �Large (ogre) Skeleton: hp 18; see Monster Manual. Treasure: In a small alcove behind the skeleton of Grethuk, the PCs find Soulcrusher’s treasure: 50 pp, 200 gp, 5 bloodstones (50 gp each) and a potion of love. 16. Entrance Chamber (EL 3) Soulcrusher has also rummaged this room for barricade material, so little is here except for broken pieces of cages, and other scraps of material. The ogre uses to use this place as as a kennel for his hell hound(s), which he found useful for keeping folks in and out------ before the attack that is. The only two outstanding features of this chamber is the double door leading out into the courtyards of House Noquar, and a sister set to the levers in area 13. Those levers open the release doors to the center room in the same way that the ones in area 13 do. If the players make it this far, congratulate them for a job well done. They must have had either incredible luck, or they must be an extremely skilled group of players. On the extreme chance that they have not only made it this far, and you still have time in the slot, and they are game for another challenge, have a group of drow enter through the double doors. �Drow Warriors (3): 5, 4, 3; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 4 (EL 5) �Drow Warriors (6): 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3; see Appendix I. APL 6 (EL 7) �Drow Warriors (8): 8, 6, 6 5, 4, 4, 4, 3; see Appendix I. Drow Traits In addition to the proficiencies, spell resistance, saving throw bonuses and skill modifications already included in drow stat blocks, they also have the following traits: Immune to magic sleep spells and effects. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against Enchantment spells or effects. • A drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if he or she were actively looking for the door. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day------dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. Caster level equals character level. • Darkvision 120 ft. • Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a drow for 1 round. In addition, he or she takes a ----1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. Experience To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value to each character. 2. Keepers’ Chamber Defeat Koa Toa APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 3. Goblin’s Oily Defense Defeat goblins APL 2 60 XP APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 4. Shrine to Maglubiyet Defeat Rewoot APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 5. Hellishly Curious Kobolds Defeat Fiendish Kobolds APL 2 30 XP APL 4 90 XP APL 5 150 XP 6. Rewoot’s Rival Defeat Flairz APL 2 60 XP APL 4 120 XP Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 15 APL 6 180 XP 7. Orc to ‘‘Investigate’’ Defeat Orcs APL 2 60 XP APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 8. Stairs Defeat Hell Hound APL 2 60 XP APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 10. Otyugh Pit Defeat Otyugh APL 2 120 XP APL 6 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 12. Orcs’ Den Defeat Orcs APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 13. Strange Guardian Defeat Grell APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 14. Soulcrusher’s Last Stand Defeat Soulcrusher APL 2 120 XP APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 15. Keeper’s Quarters Defeat Skeleton APL 2 30 XP APL 4 30 XP APL 6 30 XP 16. Entrance Chamber Defeat Drow APL 2 90 XP APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP Total Possible XP It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. APL 2 540 XP APL 4 810 XP APL 6 1,080 XP Treasure During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a ‘‘treasure’’ section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasurer. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minute per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (that is., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold piece each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer, or similar spell to determine what the item does, and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasures from each encounter add it up and that is number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the Gp Gained field of the adventure record. 2. Keepers’ Chambers Search the vats and loot the kuo-toas APL 2 coin------9 gp APL 4 coin------18 gp; magic------+1 large shell shield (97 gp) Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 16 APL 6 coin------25 gp; magic------+1 large shell shield (97 gp) 3. Goblins’ Oily Defense Loot the goblins APL 6 magic: 10 +1 bolts (40 gp) 4. Shrine to Maglubiyet Loot Rewoot APL 4 magic------potion of cure light wounds (4 gp) APL 6 magic------potion of cure light wounds (4 gp) Find the hidden stash All APLs coin------42 gp; magic------potion of poison (417 gp) 5. Hellishly Curious Kobolds Loot Kobolds APL 6 magic------7 potions of cure light wounds (4 gp each, 28 gp total) 6. Rewoot’s Rival Loot Flairz APL 2 magic------potion of cure light wounds (4 gp) APL 4 and 6 magic------potion of cure light wounds (4 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of color spray (2 gp). 14. Soulcrusher’s Last Stand Loot Soulcrusher APL 2 magic------+1 Large chain shirt (109 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp). APL 4 and 6 magic------+1 Large chain shirt (109 gp), +1 Huge spiked chain (194 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp). 15. Keeper’s Quarters Find Soulcrusher’s stash All APLs coin------190 gp; magic------ potion of love (13 gp). Total Treasure Possible It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. APL 2 600 gp APL 4 900 gp APL 6 1,174 gp Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 17 Appendix 1 1. Keeper’s Chamber APL 4 �Kuo-Toa Whips: male kuo-toa Clr2; CR 4; Medium- size monstrous humanoid (aquatic); HD 4d8+4; hp 22, 20; Init +0; Spd 20 ft., swim 50 ft.; AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19; Atk +4 melee (1d8+1/x3, spear) and ----1 melee (1d4, bite), or +3 ranged (1d8+1/x3, spear); SA Lightning bolt, spells, rebuke undead, spontaneous inflict spells; SQ Keen sight, slippery, adhesive, immunities, electricity resistance 30, light blindness, amphibious; SV Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Escape Artist +19, Knowledge (religion) +6, Listen +11, Move Silently +3, Search +10, Spot +11; Alertness, Great Fortitude. Lightning Bolt (Su): Two or more kuo-toa clerics (known as "whips") operating together can generate a stroke of lightning every 1d4 rounds. The whips must join hands to launch the bolt but need merely remain within 30 feet of one another while it builds. The lightning bolt deals 1d6 points of damage per whip, but a successful Reflex save halves this amount (save DC 13 + number of whips) Equipment: +1 large shell shield, spear, spell component pouch, silver holy symbol of blipdoolpoolp, Spells Prepared (4/3+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0------guidance, mending, virtue (2); 1 st------cure light wounds, doom, obscuring mist*, shield of faith. *domain spells; deity: blibdoolpoolp; domains: Destruction (This kuo-toa gains the smite power, a supernatural ability to make a single melee attack with a +4 attack bonus and a +2 damage bonus (if it hits). You must declare the smite before making the attack. It is usable once per day); Water (This kuo-toa may turn or destroy fire creatures as a good cleric turns undead, and rebuke or command water creatures as an evil cleric rebukes undead. It can use this ability 2 times a day). APL 6 �Kuo-Toa Whips: male kuo-toa Clr4; CR 6; Medium- size monstrous humanoid (aquatic); HD 6d8+6; hp 31, 29; Init +0; Spd 20 ft., swim 50 ft.; AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19; Atk +8 melee (1d10+2, masterwork pincer staff) and +2 melee (1d4+1, bite); SA Lightning bolt, spells, rebuke undead, spontaneous inflict spells; SQ Keen sight, slippery, adhesive, immunities, electricity resistance 30, light blindness, amphibious; Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with pincer staff); SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +9; Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Escape Artist +20, Knowledge (religion) +7, Listen +13, Move Silently +3, Search +10, Spot +11; Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (pincer staff), Great Fortitude. Lightning Bolt (Su): Two or more kuo-toa clerics (known as "whips") operating together can generate a stroke of lightning every 1d4 rounds. The whips must join hands to launch the bolt but need merely remain within 30 feet of one another while it builds. The lightning bolt deals 1d6 points of damage per whip, but a successful Reflex save halves this amount (save DC 13 + number of whips) Pincer Staff: Many kuo-toa fighters and all whips above 6th level carry this Large exotic weapon. A pincer staff deals 1d10 points of bludgeoning damage, threatens a critical hit on a 20, and deals double damage on a critical hit. It has a 10-foot reach and cannot be used against an adjacent opponent. A wielder that hits an opponent of at least Small but no larger than Large size attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the wielder gets a hold, the staff grabs the opponent and deals 1d10 points of damage each round the hold is maintained. Equipment: +1 large shell shield, masterwork pincer staff, spell component pouch, silver holy symbol of blipdoolpoolp, Spells Prepared (5/4+1/3+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0------guidance (2), mending, virtue (2); 1 st------cure light wounds, doom (2), obscuring mist*, shield of faith; 2 nd------death knell, hold person, shatter*. *domain spells; deity: blibdoolpoolp; domains: Destruction (This kuo-toa gains the smite power, a supernatural ability to make a single melee attack with a +4 attack bonus and a +4 damage bonus (if it hits). You must declare the smite before making the attack. It is usable once per day); Water (This kuo-toa may turn or destroy fire creatures as a good cleric turns undead, and rebuke or command water creatures as an evil cleric rebukes undead. It can use this ability 2 times a day). 3. Goblins’ Oily Defense (EL 2 or 1) APL 4 (EL 4 or 3) �Goblins (3): male goblin War2; CR 1; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 2d8; hp 8, 7, 6; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, masterwork light crossbow), and +2 melee Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 18 (1d8-1, morningstar); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Hide +6, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +3; Alertness. Equipment: Studded leather armor, light crossbow, 10 bolts, morningstar, flask of alchemist’s fire. APL 6 (EL 6 or 5) �Goblins (2): male goblin War4; CR 3; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 2d8; hp 15, 14, 13; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +8 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow), and +4 melee (1d8- 1, morningstar); SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 8, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Hide +6, Listen +5, Move Silently +4, Spot +4; Alertness, Point Blank Shot. Possessions: Studded leather armor, masterwork light crossbow, 10 +1 bolts, morningstar, flask of alchemist’s fire. 4. Shrine to Maglubiyet (EL 3) APL 2 �Rewoot: male goblin Adp4; CR 3; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 4d6+4; hp 18; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +1 melee (1d4-1/19- 20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spells; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Bluff +2, Concentration +8, Heal +7, Knowledge (religion) +5, Speak Language (Common), Spellcraft +9; Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Casting. Possessions: studded leather armor, dagger, light crossbow, 10 bolts, spell component pouch, 10 tindertwigs. Languages: Goblin, Elvish (drow dialect), Undercommon, Common. Spells Prepared (3/3; base DC = 11 + spell level): 0------cure minor wounds, light (2); 1 st------burning hands, cause fear, protection from chaos. APL 4 �Rewoot: male goblin Adp6; CR 5; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 6d6+6; hp 27; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +3 melee (1d4-1/19- 20, masterwork), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spells; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Bluff +3, Concentration +10, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +5, Speak Language (Common), Spellcraft +11; Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Casting, Iron Will. Possessions: studded leather armor, masterwork dagger, light crossbow, 10 bolts, spell component pouch, 10 tindertwigs, potion of cure light wounds. Languages: Goblin, Elvish (drow dialect), Undercommon, Common. Spells Prepared (3/3/1; base DC = 11 + spell level): 0------cure minor wounds, light (2); 1 st------burning hands, cause fear, protection from chaos; 2 nd------invisibility. APL 6 �Rewoot: male goblin Adp8; CR 7; Small humanoid (goblinoid); HD 8d6+8; hp 36; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +4 melee (1d4-1/19- 20, masterwork), or +5 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spells; SQ Darkvision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +9; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Bluff +4, Concentration +12, Heal +11, Knowledge (religion) +5, Speak Language (Common), Spellcraft +13; Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Casting, Iron Will. Possessions: Studded leather armor, masterwork dagger, light crossbow, 10 bolts, spell component pouch, 10 tindertwigs, potion of cure light wounds. Languages: Goblin, Elvish (drow dialect), Undercommon, Common. Spells Prepared (3/4/2; base DC = 11 + spell level): 0------cure minor wounds, light (2); 1 st------bless, burning hands, cause fear, protection from chaos; 2 nd------cat’s grace, invisibility. 5. Hellishly Curious Kobolds (EL 1) APL 2 and 4 �Fiendish Kobolds: CR 1/6; Small humanoid (reptilian); HD 1/2 d8; Init +1; Speed 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk ----1 melee (1d6-2/x3, halfspear), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA: Smite good; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, Cold and Fire Resistance 5, SR 1; AL LE; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 6, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 10, Wis, 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +9, Listen +0, Move Silently +5, Search +2, Spot +0; Weapon Focus (light crossbow). Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Smite Good (Su): Once per day these kobolds can make a normal attack to deal additional point of Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 19 damage against a good foe. The use of this supernatural ability must be declared before the attack roll is made, and if the attack fails, the daily use of this special ability is still spent. Possessions: leather armor, halfspear, light crossbow, 10 bolts. APL 6 �Fiendish Kobold Killers: male and female fiendish kobold Rog1; CR 1; Small humanoid (reptilian); HD 1d6+1; Init +1; Speed 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 12, flat- footed 14); Atk +1 melee (1d6/x3, halfspear), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20 and poison, light crossbow); SA Sneak attack 1d6, smite good, poison; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, Cold and Fire Resistance 5, SR 2; AL LE; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis, 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Bluff +3, Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +9, Listen +0, Move Silently +5, Search +2, Sense Motive +3, Spot +0; Weapon Focus (light crossbow). Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Smite Good (Su): Once per day these kobolds can make a normal attack to deal additional point of damage against a good foe. The use of this supernatural ability must be declared before the attack roll is made, and if the attack fails, the daily use of this special ability is still spent. Poison (Ex): Three of 10 crossbow bolts coated with blue whininis (Injury DC 14; Initial 1 Con; Secondary unconsciousness 1d3 hours). Possessions: leather armor, halfspear, light crossbow, 10 bolts, potion of cure light wounds. 6. Rewoot’s Rival (EL 3) APL 2 �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1: CR 3; Small outsider (evil); HD 1d8+2; hp 9; Init +4; Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average); AC 21 (touch 15, flat-footed 17); Atk +5 melee (1d6+2/19-20, masterwork short sword), or +4 melee (1d3+2, 2 claws) and ----1 melee (1d4+1, bite), or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spell like abilities; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, poison immunity, acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 20; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0; Str 14, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 16, Wis, 10, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Intimidate +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +8, Spot +3; Flyby Attack. Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Spell-Like Abilities: Darkness 3/day. Cast as a 1 st- level sorcerer. Possessions: Chain shirt, masterwork short sword, light crossbow, 10 bolts, potion of cure light wounds. APL 4 �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1/Sor1/Mnk1; CR 5; Small outsider (evil); HD 2d8+1d4+6; hp 19; Init +4; Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average); AC 17 (touch 15, flat-footed 13); Atk +4 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws) and +2 melee (1d4+1, bite), or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spell like abilities, stunning attack; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, poison immunity, acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 20, evasion; AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 16, Wis, 10, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Concentration +7, Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Spot +3, Tumble +6; Flyby Attack, Multiattack. Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Spell-Like Abilities: Darkness 3/day, desecrate. Cast as a 3 rd-level sorcerer. Spells Known (5/4; DC = 11 + spell level); 0------ daze, ghost sound, read magic (2); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Possessions: Masterwork short sword, light crossbow, 10 bolts, spell component pouch, potion of cure light wounds, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of color spray. APL 6 �Flairz: female half-fiend/half-kobold War1/Sor1/Mnk3; CR 7; Small outsider (evil); HD 4d8+1d4+10; hp 28; Init +4; Speed 35 ft., fly 35 ft. (average); AC 17 (touch 15, flat-footed 13); Atk +6 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws) and +4 melee (1d4+1, bite), or +8 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spell like abilities, stunning attack; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, poison immunity, acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 20, evasion, still mind; AL LE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 16, Wis, 11, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Concentration +8, Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +10, Spot +3, Tumble +10; Deflect Arrows, Flyby Attack, Multiattack. Light Sensitivity (Ex): Kobolds suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Spell-Like Abilities: Darkness 3/day, desecrate. Cast as a 5 th-level sorcerer. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 20 Spells Known (5/4; DC = 11 + spell level); 0------ daze, ghost sound, read magic (2); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Possessions: Masterwork short sword, light crossbow, 10 bolts, spell component pouch, potion of cure light wounds, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of color spray. 7. Orcs to “Investigate” (EL 2) APL 6 �Orc Barbarians (4): male orc Bbn2; CR 2; Medium- size humanoid (orc); HD 2d12; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +6 melee (1d12+3/x3, masterwork greataxe), or +3 ranged (1d6+2, javelin); SA Rage 1/day; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity, fast movement, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC); AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Climb +7, Intimidate +4, Jump +7, Listen +4;Weapon Focus (greataxe) Light Sensitivity (Ex): Orcs suffer a ----1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Rage (Ex): HD 2d12+4; AC 13 (touch 9, flat-footed 13); Atk +8 (1d4+6/x3, masterwork greataxe), or +3 ranged (1d6+4, javelin); Climb +9, Jump +9. Possessions: Scale mail, masterwork greataxe, 3 javelins, potion of endurance. 13. Strange Guardian (EL 3) APL 2 �Grell: CR 3; Medium-size aberration; HD 5d8+10; hp 32; Init +2; Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect); AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +4 melee (1d4 plus paralyzation, 10 tentacles) and ----1 melee (2d4, bite); SA Improved grab, paralysis; SQ Blindsight 60 ft., flight, immunities, tentacle regeneration; Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft (10 ft. with tentacles); AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 9. Skills and Feats: Hide +12, Listen +4, Move Silently +12, Spot +8; Flyby Attack. Improved Grab (Ex): If a grell hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +20 including a +16 racial bonus on grapple checks). If it gets a hold, it has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use a single tentacle to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the grell is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tentacle damage. Paralysis (Ex): A grell’s tentacles are lined with small spiny barbs, much like a squid’s. Any creature hit by a grell’s tentacle must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 14) or be paralyzed for 4 rounds. Flight (Ex): A grell’s body unusually buoyant. The creature continuously produces an effect like that of the fly spell, which it can use to move at a speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability). This buoyancy also grants the grell a permanent feather fall effect with personal range. Immunities (Ex): A grell is immune to electricity and paralysis effects. Tentacle Regeneration (Ex): Foes can attack a grell’s tentacles, but only when those appendages are actually holding an opponent. A tentacle has an AC of 19 (touch 12) and can withstand 10 points of damage. The loss of a tentacle does not harm the creature (that is, the damage does not apply against its hit point total), and it regrows the limb with a day. APL 4 �Advanced Grell: CR 5; Medium-size aberration; HD 9d8+18; hp 54; Init +2; Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect); AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk +7 melee (1d4 plus paralyzation, 10 tentacles) and +5 melee (2d4, bite); SA Improved grab, paralysis; SQ Blindsight 60 ft., flight, immunities, tentacle regeneration; Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft (10 ft. with tentacles); AL NE; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 9. Skills and Feats: Hide +14, Listen +6, Move Silently +14, Spot +10; Flyby Attack, Multiattack. Improved Grab (Ex): If a grell hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +23 including a +16 racial bonus on grapple checks). If it gets a hold, it has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use a single tentacle to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the grell is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tentacle damage. Paralysis (Ex): A grell’s tentacles are lined with small spiny barbs, much like a squid’s. Any creature hit by a grell’s tentacle must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be paralyzed for 4 rounds. Flight (Ex): A grell’s body unusually buoyant. The creature continuously produces an effect like that of the fly spell, which it can use to move at a speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability). This buoyancy also Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 21 grants the grell a permanent feather fall effect with personal range. Immunities (Ex): A grell is immune to electricity and paralysis effects. Tentacle Regeneration (Ex): Foes can attack a grell’s tentacles, but only when those appendages are actually holding an opponent. A tentacle has an AC of 19 (touch 12) and can withstand 10 points of damage. The loss of a tentacle does not harm the creature (that is, the damage does not apply against its hit point total), and it regrows the limb with a day. APL 6 �Advanced Grell: CR 7; Large aberration; HD 13d8+52; hp 94; Init +2; Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect); AC 16 (touch 10, flat-footed 15); Atk +14 melee (1d4+5 plus paralyzation, 10 tentacles) and +12 melee (2d4+2, bite); SA Improved grab, paralysis; SQ Blindsight 60 ft., flight, immunities, tentacle regeneration; Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft (10 ft. with tentacles); AL NE; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6; Str 20, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 9. Skills and Feats: Hide +13, Listen +8, Move Silently +14, Spot +12; Flyby Attack, Multiattack. Improved Grab (Ex): If a grell hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a tentacle attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity (grapple bonus +31 including a +16 racial bonus on grapple checks). If it gets a hold, it has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use a single tentacle to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the grell is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals tentacle damage. Paralysis (Ex): A grell’s tentacles are lined with small spiny barbs, much like a squid’s. Any creature hit by a grell’s tentacle must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be paralyzed for 4 rounds. Flight (Ex): A grell’s body unusually buoyant. The creature continuously produces an effect like that of the fly spell, which it can use to move at a speed of 30 feet (perfect maneuverability). This buoyancy also grants the grell a permanent feather fall effect with personal range. Immunities (Ex): A grell is immune to electricity and paralysis effects. Tentacle Regeneration (Ex): Foes can attack a grell’s tentacles, but only when those appendages are actually holding an opponent. A tentacle has an AC of 19 (touch 12) and can withstand 10 points of damage. The loss of a tentacle does not harm the creature (that is, the damage does not apply against its hit point total), and it regrows the limb with a day. 14. Soulcrusher’s Stand APL 2 �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr2: CR 4; Large giant; HD 4d8+2d10+12; hp 39; Init ----1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 8, flat-footed 18); Atk +11 melee (2d6+7, masterwork Huge spike chain); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft. (15 ft. with the Huge spiked chain); SV Fort +9, Ref +0, Will +1; Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Listen +3, Spot +2; Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked chain). Possessions: +1 Large chain shirt, masterwork Huge spiked chain, potion of cure moderate wounds. APL 4 �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr4: CR 6; Large giant; HD 4d8+4d10+16; hp 52; Init ----1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 8, flat-footed 18); Atk +13/+7 melee (2d6+8, +1 Huge spike chain); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft. (15 ft. with the Huge spiked chain); SV Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Climb +8, Listen +3, Spot +3; Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Great Cleave, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked chain). Possessions: +1 Large chain shirt, +1Huge spiked chain, potion of cure moderate wounds. APL 2 �Soulcrusher: male ogre Ftr6: CR 8; Large giant; HD 4d8+6d10+20; hp 65; Init ----1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 8, flat-footed 18); Atk +15/+9 melee (2d6+8/19-20, +1 Huge spike chain); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft. (15 ft. with the Huge spiked chain); SV Fort +110, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Listen +4, Spot +3; Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Great Cleave, Improved Critical (spiked chain), Power Attack, Sunder, Weapon Focus (spiked chain). Possessions: +1 Large chain shirt, +1Huge spiked chain, potion of cure moderate wounds. 16. Entrance Chamber (EL 3) �Drow Warrior: Male and female drow War1: CR 1; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 1d8; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20, masterwork rapier), or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 12; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 22 Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +2, Listen +2, Move Silently +1, Search +2, Spot +2; Dodge. Possessions: Masterwork chain shirt, masterwork buckler, masterwork rapier, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 23 Nightmare Gate Adventure Overview Nightmare Gate is optimized for characters 3 rd to 5 th level (APL 4), but playable at APL 6. In this section of the adventure the Wayfarers’ Union teleports the PCs atop one of the two main gates of House Noquar. Their goal is to try to open the outer gate, allowing the forces laying siege to the walls to enter and attack. The Wayfarers Union will pull back the PCs to Sterich once the battle is over, via the wayfarer amulet they give to each PC (see below). There are many more encounters in this adventure than any group is bound to face. This is done for a good reason, as the PCs can pursue the gate’s means of opening via many paths. There are many places in the Nightmare Gate where the PCs can ‘‘hole up.’’ Basically let the characters stop at any reasonable place in the adventure if they wish. The cans always fortify themselves and wait for the Wayfarers’ Union to transport them out. In this way the group can end the adventure before the slot has concluded. If they decide to do this, end the game, but make sure they don’t want to play on. Remember, they only have one shot at this. It is not possible to go ‘‘back to town’’ and restock on potions of cure light wounds, or other things that would help them out. The Adventure Read or paraphrase the following to the PCs: You are taken to one of the castle’s chambers. Here Wayfarer Union w zards prepare for casting, as a Sterich noble come to great you. i ‘‘The wizards will soon be ready, and you will be teleported to one of the gates of the House Noquar estates. Your mission is to find a way to open their formidable outer gate from the inside, and thus gaining easier access to the estate for the mercenaries laying siege to House Noquar. The stern noble hands each of you an amulet. Made of gold, the triangular amulet is not adorned with any symbols or markings. ‘‘Wear this at all times. When the nobles have been extracted, we will magic you back here. We cannot do so if you are not wearing one of these amulet.’’ With that, he escorts you to the wizards, who begin casting their spells. Wayfarer amulet The amulet the Wayfarer’s guild gives to the character is a wayfarers amulet. With the help of a special form of teleport spell (an arcane spell called wayfarer’s retrieval) that the union keeps as a guarded secret, they can teleport anyone one wearing one of these amulets from the spot they are at, to anywhere within short range of the wizard casting the spell. The union uses this amulet to bring the characters back. It must be worn to be effective, and does take up the character’s amulet slot. Dungeon Features The following features are true unless otherwise noted in a specific area description. Doors: Doors in the Nightmare Gate are made of strong wood. They are unlocked, unless otherwise noted in the area description. �Strong Wood Door: 2 in thick; hardness 5; hp 20; Break DC 25. �Walls: The walls of the gate are hewn stone walls (up to 20 ft. thick on average, hp 1000, hardness 8, break DC 70). Light: Since most to the creatures this place have darkvision or better, and there are few, there is very little natural lighting in the bastion. Unless stated in the area text, consider all areas of the lower gate to be complete darkness. The arcane and natural fires raging from the battle against House Noquar illuminate the upper gate. Drow Traits In addition to the proficiencies, spell resistance, saving throw bonuses and skill modifications already included in drow stat blocks, they also have the following traits: Immune to magic sleep spells and effects. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against Enchantment spells or effects. • A drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if he or she were actively looking for the door. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day------dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. Caster level equals character level. • Darkvision 120 ft. Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a drow for 1 round. In addition, he or she takes a ----1 circumstance Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 24 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. 1. Sinister Tower Top (EL 4 or 6) The Wayfarers Union teleports the PCs here. The battle is going on around the characters, as the mercenaries from the Ghetto of Foreigners pummel the gate, and the drow of House Noquar attempt to repel the assault. Read or paraphrase the following: You find yourself immediately among the bleeding bloody confusion of battle. The vault is alight with spells and fiery fire, and the grunts and screams of war assault you from all side. As your senses adjust to the new environment, you find that you atop a tower at its turret. Drow warriors fire down from the turret and mercenaries storming the gates. They don’t seem to notice you yet. , l st t ar f r a With a quick glance over to the sister turret of this gate, you detect that someone has, in fact noticed your entrance. A drow points at you and calls out something, lost to you in the din of battle. Then you notice something that would chill the b ood of even the mo s alw t o he oes------ flying horse without wings, dark as night, but shrouded in flames, landing next to the drow that pointed toward you. That drow looks as if he is waiting for the horse to settle so that he can ride the awful beast. The characters have two rounds after the surprise round of combat before the battle wizard arrives mounted on the nightmare. Before that happens, it is in the best interest of the PCs to take care of the defenders atop this tower. See area 3 for the battle wizard and the nightmare’s statistics. Creatures: Like all areas of the upper level of Nightmare Gate, these drow start the combat firing their crossbows at the defenders below. The PCs automatically gain the only actions during the surprise round, as the group of drow has just fired a volley down at the gate’s attackers, and have not yet noticed the PCs. Their crossbows are now empty, and they will have to reload before they can fire again. �Drow Warrior (3): hp 7, 5, 4; see Appendix I. �Drow Battle Wizard: hp 10; see Appendix I. Tactics: Surprised, and flustered, the drow are more likely to drop their crossbows and draw their rapiers to melee attack. One will cast darkness on the area around the ladder leading down to the middle tower, in an attempt to close off the PCs means of escape from them and the coming nightmare support. Development: After the second full round of battle, the drow battle wizard lands on the tower with his nightmare steed. If the characters escape him, he will wait on the tower until he sees the characters again on the upper gate or the walls (areas 4, 5, 6 and 7). After the battle atop this tower, the characters will find little more resistance than the stray crossbow bolt (one -6 ranged attack every round due to the distance, and the cover the characters have on the turret, but the bolts will be coated with drow sleep poison). The tower stands a full 20 feet over the top of the upper gate level. They can use the ladder to get to the middle tower. No more than two characters can take a full-round action to reach area 2 each round, by sliding. Sliding down the ladder is impossible while darkness covers it, and it does provoke an attack of opportunity. Climbing down the ladder takes longer (see the Climb rules, the DC is 5). Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6 or 8) �Drow Warrior (3): hp 12, 10, 9; see Appendix I. �Drow Battle Wizard: hp 20; see Appendix I. 2. Middle Tower (EL 4) Like the upper tower encounters, the drow here are busy firing at the gate’s attackers. Unlike the encounter in area 1, determine who can act in the surprise round normally. Creatures: The drow warriors attack the PCs as soon as they are able, realizing that the new foe is attempting to open the gates from within. �Drow Warriors (4): 6, 6, 5, 4; see Appendix I. Development: After the characters dispatch the drow, they can exit this tower by continuing down the ladder, or by way of the door leading to the upper gate. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Drow Warrior (4): hp 11, 11, 10, 9; see Appendix I. 3. Dexter Tower (EL variable) The forces on this tower are almost identical to the forces in the Sinister Tower. If the characters storm this tower later in the adventure, both the drow battle wizards and the nightmare will most likely be gone, hopefully already defeated by the PCs. If the PCs flee the nightmare and its rider, and not show up again in Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 25 one of the open areas (areas 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), you may want to have the nightmare and the battle wizards stationed here again. Creatures: The drow warriors here respond in the exact same way as the group on the Sinister Tower, the chief difference is that they have a normal chance of getting to act in the surprise round. �Drow Warrior (3): 7, 5, 4; see Appendix I. �Drow Battle Wizard: hp 10; see Appendix I. �Nightmare: hp 45; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL variable) �Drow Warrior (3): 12, 10, 9; see Appendix I. �Drow Battle Wizard: hp 20; see Appendix I. �Nightmare: hp 60; see Monster Manual. 4. The Walls (EL 3) Like the upper tower encounters, the drow here are busy firing at the gate’s attackers. Unlike the encounter in area 1, determine who can act in the surprise round normally. Creatures: The drow warriors attack the PCs as soon as they are able, realizing that the new foe is attempting to open the gates from within. �Drow Warrior (3): 7, 5, 4; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 5) �Drow Warrior (3): 12, 10, 9; see Appendix I. 5. Upper Gate—Sinister Side (EL 5) When the PCs reach this open area of the upper gate, they are quickly greeted by reinforcements coming up the stairs from the lower gate. Read or paraphrase the following: From the northern stairs emerges a massive spider, followed by three drow warriors. This foul group looks ready for combat. Creatures: These dark elf warriors are supported by a large monstrous spider from the Spider Lair (area 10 below). �Drow Warrior (3): hp 7, 5, 4; see Appendix I. �Large Monstrous Spider: hp 22; see Monster Manual. Tactics: Here the drow warriors support their charging arachnid, opting not to use their spell-like abilities until the spider is defeated, but supporting it with ranged attacks. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 7) �Drow Warrior (3): 12, 10, 9; see Appendix I. �Large Monstrous Spiders (2): hp 27, 22; see Monster Manual. 6. Upper Gate—Middle (EL 6) The middle section of the upper gate has two main features. The first is a pair of ogres, commanded by their drow warlord. The giants are acting as anti-siege equipment, throwing boulders down at the gate’s attackers. The second feature is the long murder holes that look down into the lower level of the gate (see Area 12: Troll in a Box). A pair of ogres throws boulders down from battlements. Beside them is a huge pile of yet unflung missiles, and a tough looking drow, draped with a wicked-looking spiked chain, yelling orders. Creatures: Once the drow warlord detects the characters, he moves forward to defend his ogres with his spiked chain. If it is obvious that the characters are great threat to the gate’s defenses (by dispatching a group of drow with little effort, attacking him or the ogres from afar, or if they spot and attack the troll in area 12), he calls to the ogres for aid. �Ogres (2): hp 26, 23; see Monster Manual. �Drow Warlord: hp 20; see Appendix I. Tactics: The drow warlord is arrogant, and does not believe that a small group of humans inside the gate can do much damage inside the walls. Actions by the PCs can persuade him otherwise (see above), in which case it is his primary goal to wipe them out. A good strategist, he maneuver his ogres to flank foes, and all three of them attempt to gain the most advantage from their reach weapons. He can also (as a move-equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity) use his battlehorn to call reinforcements from either area 6 or area 7 (or both, if the PCs have not defeated either group), but he only does so this under the direst circumstances. Development: The murder holes (or more properly, murder slots) impede movement through their spaces. Basically, characters cannot run nor charge through a space with a murder hole. PCs with proper light source or darkvision are able to see the troll shambling in front of the main gate from the murder holes (see area 12), and can attack him with Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 26 ranged attacks. He does not merely sit still for attacks, though, and quickly (within two rounds of the initial attack) hides within a corner, giving him total cover. Still, PCs attacking with some area of effect spells (such as, say, fireball) are able to glean his location well enough to get him within the blast. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 8) �Ogres (3): hp 26, 23, 20; see Monster Manual. �Drow Warlord: hp 30; see Appendix I. 7. Upper Gate—Dexter Side (EL 4) When the PCs reach this open area of the upper gate, they are quickly greeted by reinforcements coming up the stairs from the lower gate. Read or paraphrase the following: From stairs to the north, a group of five drow arrives. They bring their crossbows to bear menacingly. Creatures: The drow reinforcements come up the stairs with their crossbows ready and loaded. They harass the PCs from a distance (and with drow sleep poison) for as long as possible. �Drow Warrior (5): 5, 4, 4, 4, 3; see Appendix I. Tactics: If given the opportunity, these drow start a firing line. Two spend the first round firing and then reloading, while three cast faerie fire not so affected. On the second round the two that fired crossbows during the first round, will either cast faerie fire on other PCs or cast darkness, whichever is more advantageous. For as long as possible they will stay out of melee combat, but don’t flinch from it when it comes. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Drow Warrior (5): 10, 9, 9, 9, 8; see Appendix I. 8. Lower Tower (EL 4) The read-aloud text for this encounter changes depending on whether or not the PCs enter the chamber from the ladder or the door. Entering Via Ladder: When the PCs enter the lower tower, a group of reinforcements enter through the door to the tower. Read or paraphrase the following: You arrive at the bottom of this tower, just as a group of drow reinforcements throw open the door. Their shock turns to grim determination, as one hisses something at you before reaching for his rapier. i Enter ng Via Door: When the PCs enter the lower tower, they run into a group of drow, readying to join their comrades upstairs. Opening the door, you see a startled looking group of drow warriors near the ladder leading up the tower. Their shock turns to grim determination, as one hisses something at you before reaching for his rapier. He hisses a curse to the newfound invaders. Come up with something particularly insulting to the group------an insult to a cherished deity, or particular PCs looks works best. Creatures: �Drow Warriors (4): hp 5, 4, 4, 3: see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Drow Warrior (4): 10, 9, 9, 8; see Appendix I. 9. Halls (EL 3) These hallways lead to the front door of the gate (located in area 12). The door leading to area 12 is both locked and trapped. Trap: The drow have put in a particularly nasty trap on the door that not only weekends foes, but alert drow in the area of a meddler’s doings. Anyone touching door to area 12 sets off the sonic burning hands trap. �Sonic Burning Hands Trap: CR 3; magic devise; touch; automatic reset (immediately------the trap goes off each time the door is touched); spell effect (sonic burning hands, 4 th-level wizard, Reflex save [DC 11] half damage, 4d4 sonic); Search (DC 26); Disable Device (DC 26) ; Dispel check (DC 18). The trap also has the effect of brining drow enemies in the appropriate section of the gate to investigate the noise of the sonic trap. The door to area 12 is also looked with a good lock (DC 30 to open). 10. The Spider Lair (EL 6) This gate supports not only a garrison, but also a stable of spiders as support troops. These vermin are Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 27 somewhat trained to follow the hand commands of the drow troops (basically pointing in the direction they want the spider to move, and the command to attack anything that is not a drow). Needless to say, they attack the PCs when they enter the room. Creatures: �Large Monstrous Spider (3): hp 25, 22, 20; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 8) �Large Monstrous Spider (5): hp 25, 23, 22, 20, 29; see Monster Manual. 11. Barracks (EL 4) This room is a barracks. There are currently a group of four drow warriors here, about to join their companions in the siege above. �Drow Warriors (4): hp 5, 4, 4, 3: see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Drow Warriors (4): hp 10, 9, 9, 8: see Appendix I. 12. Troll in a Box (EL 6) If the forces outside are able to penetrate the gate, the drow have a terrible surprise for them------an angry, hungry troll. The have locked the miserable creature in this area between gates, known they will have to move their troops back if the defenses are breached. Between the constant banging on the main gate by the mercenaries outside, and the anticipation for blood, the troll is in a frenzy. Trap: The troll stays away from the doors leading to the halls (area 9) because this side of the door is also trapped with sonic burning hand trap. Note that if the PCs were able to dispel or disable that trap, it is nullified on this side as well. �Sonic Burning Hands Trap: CR 3; magic devise; touch; automatic reset (immediately------the trap goes off each time the door is touched); spell effect (sonic burning hands, 4 th-level wizard, Reflex save [DC 11] half damage, 4d4 sonic); Search (DC 26); Disable Device (DC 26); Dispel check (DC 18). Creature: The troll does not hesitate to attack any nondrow entering this area. �Troll: hp 63; see Monster Manual. Tactic: It’s a troll. Who needs any more tactics than that? Development: Once the troll is out of the way, characters will want to find a way to open the outer gate. This is a practically impossible task from this chamber, as the mechanism to open the door is found in area 17. �Iron Outer Gate: 8 in thick; hardness 10; hp 240; Break (DC 58). There is a second gate, almost identical to the first on the other side of the chamber. This one has what looks like a giant diamond-shaped keyhole in the center of the door. Picking this lock is a virtually impossible task (DC 45), but the PCs can find the key in Priestess’s Quarters (area 14). Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 8) �Trolls (2): hp 63, 55: see Appendix I. 13. Priestess’s Pet Demon (EL 4) The cleric of Lloth who oversees this gate has left her ‘‘pet’’ demon here to stand guard. Not quite domesticated, this abyssal evicerator is known to attack even drow if not overseen by her master, which is the very reason Nobruzza leaves it on its own as often as she can. Standing in the middle of the room a dark purple mass of muscle, spines, and teeth waits here. Its eyes dart manically to each of you, as its long serpent-like tongue sways back and forth across its dagger like fangs, like some sort of sick abyssal pendulum. It growls, ‘‘Uriikul-muttek Shahakat.” The phrase is a demonic joke in the Abyssal language. While it does not translate perfectly into Common (or English) it means something like ‘‘I don’t remember ordering take-out.” Creature: Like trolls, abyssal eviscerators take the straightforward approach to killing, thrusting themselves into combat, allowing their claws to do their talking. �Abyssal Eviscerator: hp 42; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Advanced Abyssal Eviscerator: hp 90; see Appendix I. 14. Priestess’s Quarters (EL 6) This chamber is the quarters of the gate’s resident cleric of Lloth. When the PCs enter, her two goblin Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 28 attendants have just finishing putting on the last pieces of her intricate suit of full plate armor. Read or paraphrase the following: A stunning drow woman, wearing a suit of shining ebon full plate armor, turns nonchalantly toward you. In perfect Common, and w thout emotion she says, ‘‘Leave now. I will join the battle and destroy you and your puny forces in my own good time.’’ Her two goblin attendants flinch at her words, and shake their heads. You get the feeling they think you have made a horrible mistake by opening this door. i The cleric becomes incensed when the PCs don’t immediately leave the chamber. See commands her goblin servants to attack, which they do with blind devotion------better to die quickly in battle, than slowly by their mistress’s hands. Creatures: The cleric attempts to use her goblin attendants as roadblocks, giving her time to cast at least one spell, before engaging in melee with her foes. �Drow Cleric: female drow Clr5; hp 22; see Appendix I. �Goblins (2): hp 3, 2; see Monster Manual. Treasure: This entire chamber is lush and richly furnished, and if the PCs had the time, and way to bring it back, they could make a fortune selling the exotic tapestries, furniture, and frills. Other than her rich furnishing, the cleric hides (Search, DC 20) a small stash of coins and gems in a secret compartment under her bed. Inside there are 500 gp, and five pieces of jet (100 gp each), along with a potion of cat’s grace. Also, out in the open, the characters will find the large (about the size of a halfspear, and over 10 times heavier) key that opens the inner gate. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 8) �Drow Cleric: female drow Clr7; hp 31; see Appendix I. �Goblins (2): hp 3, 2; see Monster Manual. 15. Inner Courtyard (EL 0 or 8) Once the characters find the key to the inner gate (or either jump or repel down the 30 feet from the upper courtyard), they can enter the inner courtyard. If you think the PCs can handle it, and you want to end the adventure with a truly epic battle, have the undead from 16, and the group of commanders from area 17 converge here. 16. Undead reinforcements (EL 4) Courtousy of the clerics of Lloth, the drow commander keeps force of undead in this room, and will use them for troops if the inner gate is breached. They attack any nondrow that enter this room until they are given new orders. �Medium-size zombies (6): hp 20, 18, 16, 16, 15, 14; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Weight (3): hp 26, 24, 20; see Monster Manual. 17. The Commander’s Station (EL 7) The drow commander, his wizard advisor, and a small contingent of guards are here plotting the defense of the Noquar estate. They of course interrupt their planning when the PCs show up. Creatures: If possible the commander and the warriors spend a round attacking the PCs with ranged attacks (poisoned bolts). If not, they rush into melee, allowing the Ebon Tower wizard to cast spells on the PCs from afar. �Drow Commander: hp 25; see Appendix I. �Ebon Tower Wizard: hp 9; see Appendix I. �Drow Warrior (3): hp 7, 7, 6; see Appendix I. Development: The character will also find the crank that opens the outer gate in this room. Once they open he outer gate, the mercenaries flood in the complex and the PCs have achieved the main objective. Award them maximum XP, even if they did not gain enough XP in battle to warrant it. Scaling the Encounter APL 6 (EL 6) �Drow Commander: hp 35; see Appendix I. �Ebon Tower Wizard: hp 14; see Appendix I. �Drow Warrior (3): hp 12, 12, 11; see Appendix I. Experience To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the experience award. Award the total value to each character. 1. Sinister Tower Defeat drow warriors and battle wizard only APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 29 Or defeat drow warriors, battle wizard, and battle wizard atop nightmare APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 2. Middle Tower Defeat drow warriors APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 3. Dexter Tower Defeat drow warriors and battle wizard only APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP Or defeat drow warriors, battle wizard, and battle wizard atop nightmare APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 4. The Walls Defeat drow warriors APL 4 90 XP APL 6 150 XP 5. Upper Gate------Sinister Side Defeat drow warriors and monstrous spider APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 6. Upper Gate------Middle Defeat drow warlord and ogres APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 7. Upper Gate------Dexter Side Defeat drow warriors APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 8. Lower Tower Defeat drow warriors APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 9. Halls Encounter trap APL 4 and 6 90 XP 10. The Spider Lair Defeat monstrous spiders APL 4 240 XP APL 6 300 XP 11. Barracks Defeat drow warriors APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 12. Troll in a Box Defeat Troll APL 4 150 XP APL 6 210 XP 13. Priestess’s Pet Demon Defeat Abyssal Evicerator APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 14. Priestess’s Quarters Defeat Cleric of Lloth APL 4 180 XP APL 6 240 XP 16. Undead Reinforcements Defeat Undead APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP 17. Command Station Defeat drow command group APL 4 120 XP APL 6 180 XP Total Possible XP It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. Note: If the PCs are able to open the outer gate, give them full XP regardless of what XP they earned defeating foes. APL 4 810 XP APL 6 1,080 XP Treasure During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a ‘‘treasure’’ section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasurer. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minute per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 30 characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (that is., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold piece each character gains if they take the coin available. A normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer, or similar spell to determine what the item does, and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasures from each encounter add it up and that is number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the Gp Gained field of the adventure record. Incidental Treasure If the PCs take the time to loot bodies they find the following bits of incidental treasure per drow. APL 4 Drow Warrior: coin------3 gp Drow Battle wizard: coin------25 gp Drow Warlord: coin------75 gp APL 6 Drow Warrior: coin 8 gp Drow Battle Wizard: coin------55 gp Drow Warlord: coin------150 gp 14. Priestess’s Quarters Find the Priestess’s Stash APL 4 and 6 coin------167 gp; magic: potion of cat’s grace (30 gp) 17. Command Station Loot Rewoot APL 4 coin------92 gp; magic------ bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (4 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), arcane scroll of fireball (31 gp). APL 6 coin------92 gp; magic------+1 spiked chain (196 gp), potion of cure moderate wounds (25 gp); bracers o armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (4 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), arcane scroll of fireball (31 gp), wand of lightning bolts (20 charges) (375 gp). f Total Treasure Possible It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. Note: If the characters were able to defeat the command station and open the outer gate, award them full gp. APL 4 900 gp APL 6 1,200 gp Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 31 Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 32 Appendix I Dark Elf Troops------APL 4 �Drow Warrior: Male and female drow War1: CR 1; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 1d8; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20, masterwork rapier), or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 12; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Climb +2, Hide +2, Listen +2, Move Silently +1, Search +2, Spot +2; Dodge. Possessions: Masterwork chain shirt, masterwork buckler, masterwork rapier, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Battle Wizard: Male and female drow Ftr1/Wiz1: CR 3; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 1d10+1d4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat- footed 14); Atk +3 melee (1d6+1/18-20, masterwork rapier), or +2 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 13; AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Climb +5, Jump +5, Ride +4; Combat Casting, Mounted Combat. Spells Prepared (DC = 11 + spell level; 10% arcane spell failure): 0------daze (3); 1 st------magic missile (2). Possessions: Mithral shirt, masterwork rapier, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Warlord: Male and female drow Ftr3: CR 4; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 3d10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat-footed 14); Atk +6 melee (2d4+2, masterwork spiked chain), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 14; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Jump +7, Ride +7;Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Possessions: Masterwork chain shirt, masterwork spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Commander: Male and female Drow Ftr3/Wiz1; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 3d10+1d4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat- footed 14); Atk +6 melee (2d4+2, masterwork spiked chain), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 14; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Climb +7, Jump +7, Ride +7;Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Spells Prepared (DC = 11 + spell level; 10% arcane spell failure): 0------daze (3); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Possessions: Mithral shirt, masterwork spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Ebon Tower Wizard: male and female drow Wiz4; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +9, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Scry +10, Spellcraft +10; Combat Casting, Dodge, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 12 + spell level); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile (3), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, web. Possessions: Bracers of armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball. Dark Elf Troops------APL 6 �Drow Warrior: Male and female drow War2: CR 2; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 2d8; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (touch 11, flat-footed 16); Atk +4 melee (1d6+1/18-20, masterwork rapier), or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 12; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Hide +2, Listen +2, Move Silently +1, Search +2, Spot +3; Dodge. Possessions: +1 chain shirt, masterwork buckler, masterwork rapier, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Battle Wizard: Male and female Drow Ftr3/Wiz1; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 3d10+1d4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat- footed 14); Atk +6 melee (2d4+2, masterwork spiked chain), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 14; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Climb +7, Jump +7, Ride +7;Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Spells Prepared (DC = 11 + spell level; 10% arcane spell failure): 0------daze (3); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 33 Possessions: Mithral shirt, masterwork spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Warlord: Male and female drow Ftr5: CR 6; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 5d10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +8 melee (2d4+2, masterwork spiked chain), or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 16; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Jump +9, Ride +9;Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Possessions: +1 chain shirt, masterwork spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. �Drow Commander: Male and female Drow Ftr5/Wiz1; CR 7; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 5d10+1d4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat- footed 14); Atk +8 melee (2d4+3, masterwork spiked chain), or +6 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 17; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Climb +9, Jump +9, Ride +9;Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Spells Prepared (DC = 11 + spell level; 10% arcane spell failure): 0------daze (3); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Possessions: Mithral shirt, +1 spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison, potion of cure moderate wounds. �Ebon Tower Wizard: male and female drow Wiz6; CR 7; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 6d4+6; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +3 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +4 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 17; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Scry +12, Spellcraft +12; Combat Casting, Dodge, Scribe Scroll, Toughness. Spells Prepared (4/4/4/2; base DC = 12 + spell level); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile (3), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, web; 3 rd------haste, lightning bolt. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+1), amulet of natural armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball, wand of lightning bolt (20 charges). f Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 34 13. Priestess’s Pet Demon APL 4 �Abyssal Eviscerator: CR 4; Medium-size outsider (chaotic, evil); HD 4d8+20; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 20 (touch 10, flatfooted 20); Atk +10 melee (1d6+5, 2 claws); SQ Poison immunity, scent, acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 20; AL CE; SV Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 20, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Climb +12, Jump +12, Listen +8, Spot +8; Blind-Fight, Weapon Focus (claw). APL 6 �Advanced Abyssal Eviscerator: CR 6; Medium-size outsider (chaotic, evil); HD 10d8+50; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 20 (touch 10, flatfooted 20); Atk +16 melee (1d6+5, 2 claws); SQ Poison immunity, scent, acid, cold, electricity and fire resistance 20; AL CE; SV Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +8; Str 20, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11. Skills and Feats: Climb +18, Jump +18, Listen +14, Spot +14; Blind-Fight, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw). 14. Priestess’s Quarters APL 4 �Priestess of Lloth: female drow Clr5: CR 6; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 5d8; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 21 (touch 11, flat-footed 20); Atk +6 melee (1d8+2, +1 heavy mace); SA Spells, rebuke undead; SQ spontaneous cast inflict spells, drow traits, SR 16; AL CE; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Concentration +9, Spellcraft +9; Dodge, Weapon Focus (heavy mace). Possessions: Full Plate, large steel shield, +1 heavy mace, potion of cure moderate wounds. Spells Prepared (5/4+1/3+1/1+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0------guidance (3), virtue (2); 1 st------cause fear, inflict light wounds*, magic weapon, random action, shield of faith; 2 nd------bull’s strength, hold person, invisibility*, sound burst; 3 rd------bestow curse, contagion* *Domain Spells; Deity: Lloth; Domains: Destruction (this cleric can smite with a single melee attack once per day. She gains a +4 attack bonus, and +5 damage if she hits. You must declare the smite before making the attack), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills). APL 6 �Drow Priestess: female drow Clr7: CR 8; Medium- size humanoid (elf); HD 7d8; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 22 (touch 11, flat-footed 21); Atk +8 melee (1d8+2, +1 heavy mace); SA Spells, rebuke undead; SQ spontaneous cast inflict spells, drow traits, SR 18; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Spellcraft +11; Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (heavy mace). Possessions: Full Plate, +1 large steel shield, +1 heavy mace, potion of cure moderate wounds. Spells Prepared (6/5+1 /4+1/2+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0------guidance (3), virtue (3); 1 st------cause fear (2), inflict light wounds*, magic weapon, random action, shield of faith; 2 nd------ bull’s strength, hold person (2), invisibility*, sound burst; 3 rd------bestow curse, cure serious wounds, contagion* *Domain Spells; Deity: Lloth; Domains: Destruction (This cleric can smite with a single melee attack once per day. She gains a +4 attack bonus, and +7 damage if she hits. You must declare the smite before making the attack), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills). Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 35 Ebon Tower Adventure Overview Ebon Tower is optimized for characters 5 th to 7 th level (APL 6, but playable at APL 8 In this section of the adventure the Wayfarers’ Union teleports the PCs on the turret of the Ebon tower, goal is to harass the wizards of the tower, to limit their joining the battle. The Wayfarers Union will pull back the PCs to Sterich once the battle is over, via the wayfarer amulet they give to each PC (see below). There are many more encounters in this adventure than any group is bound to face. This is done for a good reason, as the PCs can pursue many paths in this section of the adventure. There are many places in the Ebon where the PCs can ‘‘hole up.’’ Basically let the characters stop at any reasonable place in the adventure if they wish. The cans always fortify themselves and wait for the Wayfarers’ Union to transport them out. In this way the group can end the adventure before the slot has concluded. If they decide to do this, end the game, but make sure they don’t want to play on. Remember, they only have one shot at this. It is not possible to go ‘‘back to town’’ and restock on potions of cure light wounds, or other things that would help them out. The Adventure Read or paraphrase the following to the PCs: You are taken to one of the castle’s chambers. Here Wayfarer Union w zards prepare for casting, as a Sterich noble come to great you. i ‘‘The wizards will soon be ready, and you will be teleported into the turret of the Ebon Tower. The place is the wizards’ guild for House Noquar, and is sure to be filled with hostile advisories. Kill as many wizards as you can, and do your best to cripple the tower. The stern noble hands each of you an amulet. Made of gold, the triangular amulet is not adorned with any symbols or markings. ‘‘Wear this at all times. When the nobles have been extracted, we will magic you back here. We cannot do so if you are not wearing one of these amulet.’’ With that, he escorts you to the wizards, who begin casting their spells. Wayfarer amulet The amulet the Wayfarer’s guild gives to the character is a wayfarers amulet. With the help of a special form of teleport spell (an arcane spell called wayfarer’s retrieval) that the union keeps as a guarded secret, they can teleport anyone one wearing one of these amulets from the spot they are at, to anywhere within short range of the wizard casting the spell. The union uses this amulet to bring the characters back. It must be worn to be effective, and does take up the character’s amulet slot. Dungeon Features The following features are true unless otherwise noted in a specific area description. Doors: The doors of the ebon tower, are not really doors at all, but are rather ebon outlets. These magical gateways take on two forms, the ebon outlet curtains of magical darkness that stands vertically in rooms, and the ebon outlet holes (also obscured by a curtain of darkness) that allow egress from one level to another, but jumping or levitating through them. Unless a creature wears a ebon wayglyph (see below), every time he or she passes through an ebon outlet, he or she must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or take a single point of Constitution damage. Clerics that can channel positive energy can use one of their turn attempts to nullify a door for 30 minutes, this both disrupts the magical darkness, and suppresses the ebon outlet’s ability to do Constitution damage. Ebon outlets that lead to a lower (or upper level) are always 20 ft. above the floor to the lower level. Creatures jumping down take 1d6 points of subdual damage, and 1d6 points of damage for falling from this height, unless they have a way to suppress some or all of this damage (by way of a successful Jump check, using rope, or magic) �Iron Door: 2 in thick; hardness 10; hp 60; Break DC 28. �Walls: The walls of the tower are hewn stone walls (3 ft. thick on average, hp 540, hardness 8, break DC 22). Light: Since most to the creatures in the tower have darkvision or better, and there are no windows, there is very little natural lighting in the bastion. Unless stated in the area text, consider all areas of the bastion to be in complete darkness. Ebon wayglyph: Many of the denizens of the tower wear ebon wayglyphs------tattoos that not only brand them as servants of the Ebon Tower, but also grant them magical abilities. Creatures wearing the ebon wayglyph don’t take the temporary Consistution damage possible for passing through ebon outlets. The Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 36 ebon wayglyph also grants the creature the spell-like ability levitate personal only) at will. All of the wizards and some of the creatures in the Ebon tower wear the ebon wayglyph, the chief exceptions are the quasits in area 2, and any construct or undead creature in the Ebon Tower, for they are immune to the Constitution damage, and the drow typically don’t want these creatures skulking about with the power of levitation. Drow Traits In addition to the proficiencies, spell resistance, saving throw bonuses and skill modifications already included in drow stat blocks, they also have the following traits: Immune to magic sleep spells and effects. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against Enchantment spells or effects. • A drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if he or she were actively looking for the door. • A +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. • Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day------dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. Caster level equals character level. • Darkvision 120 ft. • Light Blindness (Ex): Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds a drow for 1 round. In addition, he or she takes a ----1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light. 1. Tower Turret (EL 7 or 9) The PCs begin this adventure here, the turret of the Ebon Tower, where the Wayfarers’ Union has placed them. When the PCs arrive, they immediately attract the attention of one of the tower’s guardians, an invisible stalker. But, of course, they will not know this at first. Transported to the top of the Ebon Tower, things are quie here----- oo quie . Wh e you c n hear the noises of distant combats, a strange wind mysteriously muffles the sounds of war. The only h ng you see on thi tu ret is a i ed da ------ maybe some so t o c ting p at o m------ nd a hole in the center of the turret’s tiled floor. What’s beyond the hole is obscured by darkness. t -t t il a t i s s r ra s is r f as l f r a There is nothing here of interest. And the place calm until the characters attempt to enter the tower, or 10 rounds have passed (see Development) Creature: The invisible stalker moves against the PCs as soon as they try to enter the tower via the hole leading to area 2. It does not act until they do so. �Invisible Stalker: hp 52; see Monster Manual. Tactics: The invisible stalker has been commanded to kill anyone entering, or attempting to enter the tower, and will attempt to make good on that command until it is killed. A canny combatant, it immediately targets spellcaster who make themselves know by using their abilities. The invisible stalker feels confident it can defeat those not aided by spells, a byproduct of working for wizards for over three centuries. Development: There is nowhere to go but down. The hole is an ebon outlet, describe in the Dungeon Features, above. If the characters linger here (more than 10 rounds with no action), a group of two drow atop nightmares spots them (Spot DC 10). If the characters don’t move on, they land atop the tower and attack within two rounds. If the PCs enter the tower, this force does not follow them, knowing that there is more danger inside Ebon Tower than they can provide. �Nightmares: 48, 45; see Monster Manual. �Drow Battle Wizards: hp 20, 19; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 9) �Invisible Stalkers (2): hp 60, 52; see Appendix I. 2. Perches of Strange Birds (EL 6) The wizards of the tower use quasits as messengers and spies. The ones awaiting missions are here in their alternate form: that of large ravens. This chamber is dominated by numerous large bird stands. Huge ravens perch on some of the stand. None are upset by your entrance, but just look at you intently. The quasits examine the characters, using their detect good and detect magic abilities to better glean the threat that just entered the room. They do not act against the PCs until they have time to get all the information they can by way of the detection spell-like abilities (six rounds to detect, and then to compare notes telepathically), or the PCs attack them. Then one of them says in common: Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 37 Black birds mean bad luck! Creatures: Wily opponents, the quasits use their flight and their invisibility at will spell-like ability to full advantage during combat. �Quasits (4): hp 18, 15, 13, 10; see Monster Manual. Tactics: One of the quasits goes invisible and flies to area 3 to warn Deggras the Jovoc of the intruders. The quasits don’t wear the ebon wayglyph (the wizards don’t trust the demons to wander the lower tower) so the one who warns Deggras must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or take a point of temporary damage to Constitution. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 8) �Quasits (7): hp 18, 15, 15 15, 13, 11, 10; see Monster Manual. 3. Chamber of the Keeper (EL 5) This cluttered place is the lair of Deggras, Keeper of the Quasits, a jovoc demon. This little demon keeps the quasit’s perching area clean by sweeping all the bones and filth into this chamber, where he hoards it like gold and gems. He does keep a small path clear so that the wizards can travel from the from the floor ebon outlet to the one leading to area 2. Creature: Unlike the quasits, Deggrass does wear an ebon wayglyph, but has never traveled to the lower tower, and does not know anything about its denizens. �Deggras the Jovoc: hp 36; see Appendix I. Treasure: Under a pile of particularly foul smelling quasit filth, Deggras hides his treasure 10 time APL platinum pieces. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 7) �Deggras the Jovoc: hp 65; see Appendix I. 4. Mangled Experiments (EL 5) This chamber, like its twin, is also a mess. The drow wizards use this room to dump some of their magical experiments gone bad. A sort graveyard, there is still some life twitching in the sad piles of forgotten works. Read or paraphrase the following: The smell in this place is a mix of rotting flesh and pungent rust. Skeletons and rotting flesh lie mixed with discarded scrap metal, all piled almost to the ceiling. A narrow path winds its way northeasterly through h s s range junkyard between piles of flesh and scrap. t i t The path is only five feet wide, and is shown on the DM’s Map. When the first character reaches the x marked on the DM’s map, two iron half golems shamble out of the piles, attacking all living things in their path. Creatures: These almost mindless things attack without intelligence, and definitely without conscience. �Iron Half-Golems (2): hp 8, 7; see Appendix I. Development: The iron half-golems attack for as long as the characters are in the room. They do not follow the PCs beyond the ebon outlets. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 7) �Iron Half-Golems (4): hp 10, 9, 8, 7; see Appendix I. 5. Chamber of Mirrors (EL variable) This is a chamber use by the head of the Ebon Tower, an evoker named Bettulos, to communicate with other important members of House Noquar. There are three magical mirrors in this room; each is connected to another magical mirror in other parts of the estate. Read or paraphrase the following. There are three 6-foot tall freestanding mirrors in this room. All three point in toward the center point of the room. Each mirror is of exquisite workm n h p------ ea m e wo k quality. a s i r l ast r r To the PCs, these mirrors hold nothing but danger. If they attempt to use them without the proper command words (which there is no way they can get short of communing with higher powers, or pulling them from Bettulos’s mind) they set off an effect that guards the mirror. The trap is set off by anyone who spends more than two rounds looking into the mirror, or anyone who touches the mirror. Mirror 1: The frame of this mirror is decorated with spiders, and symbols holy to the worship of Lloth (Knowledge [religion] DC 15). Bettulos uses it to communicate with the houses temple of Lloth. As a guardian, the mirror has captured the life of a wayward priestess (working much like a mirror of life trapping), who is doing her penance by protecting the mirror with her life when the time comes. When a PC sets off this mirror’s trap, she springs forth from the mirror, attack her foes. When she dies, this trap is nullified. �Drow Cleric: hp 31; see Appendix I. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 38 Mirror 2: The frame of this mirror is made of bronze, and is emblazoned with images of rampant nightmares. Bettulos use this mirror to communicate with the master of arms at the Nightmare Stables. When a PC sets off this mirror’s trap, a fireball (as an 8 th-level caster------8d6 points of damage Reflex DC 15 for half) goes off, centered on the mirror. This trap automatically, and immediately resets. Mirror 3: The frame on this mirror is plane steel. It is used by Bettulos to contact the various gates of House Noquar. If a PC activates the trap on this mirror, the will feel a tingling------a slightly painful pricking------sensation travel through their entire body. Unless they succeed a Will save (DC 18) that character under the effect of a terrible curse for as long as they are in the Vault of the Drow------every time the victim makes a d20 roll, a roll of 20 counts as a 1. A PC may only be affected by this curse once, and if he or she succeeds at her Will save, she cannot be affect by this particular curse for another day, but the trap automatically and immediately resets, so multiple PCs can come under its sway. 6. Alchemist’s Lab (EL variable) Stewing caldrons, bubbling beakers, strange jars with shrunken heads, preserved devil fetuses, and just about any other foul alchemical thing you can think of are crammed in the various worktables and shelves of this chamber. While all of the junk in this room might bring a good price from the right bidder, there is too much of it for the PCs to reasonably grab. The PCs may find one table of interest. It is relatively clear, except for five potions. Each potion container has a label. On the label the words cure moderate wounds are written in the drow dialect of Elvish. Three of the potions are potions o cure moderate wounds. The other two are potions of poison (see DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide page 235. f 7. Glass Guardian (EL 5) In the center of this chamber stands a curious piece of art. Read or paraphrase the following: In the middle of the room stands a stained-glass window as a stand-alone piece of artwork. It is framed in a rich ebon wood-like substance. The window depicts a powerful drow wizard in the midst of casting a powerful spell. The glass is treated with strange swirling violet and green phosphoresces; casting light around the room is a hauntingly beautiful pattern that causes slight dizziness if watched too long. The dizziness that the pattern causes has no real ill effect on the PCs. It only creates a slight discomfort. For those who are curious about this strange artwork, they can examine it without ill effect, and they may be able to find its true nature (see below). The artwork depicts the founder of the Ebon Tower, but is more than a tribute; it is also a cunningly hidden guardian. Creature: The stained glass golem that guards this room stands completely still until the characters attempt to leave the room. Then it attacks. Characters examining the stained glass artwork can attempt a Spot check against the creatures Hide (+20 Hide in this circumstance) to determine that the thing is actually some sort of creature. �Stained Glass Golem: hp 66; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 7) �Advanced Stained Glass Golem: hp 88; see Appendix I. 8. Bettulos’s Chamber (EL 5) The current head of the Ebon tower, a strange hairless and tattooed male drow of a dusky gray complexion named Bettulos, uses this spartan chamber as his quarters. It contains only a mediation mat, and a brazier. He keeps his spellbooks, magic items, and other personal belonging either on his person, or in secret extradimensional spaces. Bettulos currently resides in area 12, where he is rallying the remainder of the mages to aid in the assault against his house. Creatures: This room is not without hazard. Bettulos has left two shadows to guard his chamber. They attack any who enter. �Shadows (2): hp 20, 14; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 7) �Shadows (4): hp 20, 16, 14, 12; see Monster Manual. 9. Temple and Advisor (EL 8) This chamber is the temple’s temple of Lloth, which also serves as the current residence of Bettulos’s advisor, an illithid named Tel’luntok. This large chamber is decorated w th obscene images dedicated to the worship of Lloth, Queen of i Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 39 Spiders. Its walls lack the floating windows of other chambers, and are instead sport various mosaics made with eerie glowing colored stones. The art depicts the slaughter of elves, the power of spider, and the rampaging frenzy of the Spider Queen in battle. The statue on the dais features an obsidian representation of the drow god, being lifted on the backs of male drow wearing wizardly garb. Start the encounter by rolling Spot checks against Tel’lunkok’s Hide. The illithid attempts to get the jump on the characters if possible. Creature: The temple’s ceiling is a vaulted, and almost 30 feet tall. Tel’luntok typically levitates toward its top, meditating. His first action is to douse the chamber with mind blast. When he feels that his prey is sufficiently tenderized, he floats down to feed. �Tel’luntok (Mind Flayer): hp 44; see Monster Manual. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 10) �Tel’luntok: Mind flayer Mnk2: hp 56; see Appendix I. 10. First Chamber (EL 8) One of the two larger open congregation chambers of the lower level of the Ebon Tower, this room is purposely empty to enable wizards to practice casting and spell duels. The floor, walls and ceilings of this place are scorched from such activity. Currently two Ebon Tower wizards are in this chamber, they were about to join Bettulos in area 12. Creatures: One of these wizards peppers the characters with spells, as the other attempts to gain support from Bettulos (area 12), Zengrat (area 14), or Fenniit (area 17). �Ebon Tower Wizards (2): hp 18, 15; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 10) �Ebon Tower Wizards (4): hp 18, 16, 15, 15; see Appendix I. 11. Second Chamber (EL 6) One of the two larger open congregation chambers of the lower level of the Ebon Tower, this room is purposely empty to enable wizards to practice casting and spell duels. The floor, walls and ceilings of this place are scorched from such activity. Currently two lesser Ebon Tower wizards are in this chamber, they were about to join Bettulos in area 12. Creatures: One of these wizards peppers the characters with spells, as the other attempts to gain support from Vegrittal (are 15), or Dellundaz (area 16). �Lesser Ebon Tower Wizard (2): hp 10, 8; see Appendix I. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 8) �Lesser Ebon Tower Wizard (4): hp 10, 9, 9, 8; see Appendix I. 12. Entrance Chamber (EL 9) The doors leading to this chamber are magically enchanted to take two complete rounds to open. When their handles are touched, the door slowly begins to creep open. After a round the door is open enough for two PCs to take move-equivalent and squeeze through the tight space, and on the second round it is open enough to offer normal movement through it. The drow of the Ebon Tower have a standard practice of uttering ‘‘Here Comes a Wizard of the Tower’’ in the drow dialect of Elven before entering this chamber. If Bettulos does not here that phrase utter when the door begins to open, he begins casting spells to prepare for battle (starting with improved invisibility). �Iron Magical Door: 3 in thick; hardness 10; hp 90; Break (DC 30); Dispel (DC 17). Creature: The Master of the Ebon Tower Bettulos dwells here, waiting for the rest of the tower wizards to join him. From here they plan to join the battle at the houses walls. �Bettulos: hp 31; see Appendix I. Tactics: If possible, Bettulos uses his improved invisibility to cast as many enhancement spells as possible. He typically casts them in this order: improved invisibility, haste, shield, cat’s grace. He will then begin his attack against the PCs by casting shout (which also has the effect or rousing the tower’s other wizards, who will then converge in this room to fight the invaders) and then lightning bolt, if successful in his casting of haste. Then, pull out all the stops. Bettulos is a vicious and cunning opponent who has in the past bragged publicly that both he and the Ebon Tower were invincible. And he cares more about his reputation than his death. Scaling the Encounter APL 8 (EL 11) �Bettulos: hp 40; see Appendix I. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 40 Bettulos’s dying curse------At APL 8 only, the character that kills Bettulos becomes the recipient of his dying curse. There is no saving throw. The victim of the curse treats all of their rolls of 20 as if they were rolls of one until the curse is lifted. Unlike the similar curse in the Chamber of Mirror, this curse lasts until lifted. The curse can only be lifted if the PC affected kills, or helps kill Bettulos’s rival, Yeresk the Crimsoneye, the master wizard of House Godeep, or is the recipient of a wish or miracle spell that specifically counters this powerful curse. The character will have the opportunity to do so in a future adventure. 13. Empty Cell (EL variable) These chambers are all the residence of lesser wizards of the tower. Currently the cell’s occupants are elsewhere helping in the defense of their house. Each wizard’s area consists of a simple mat (where they can sit and meditate upon) and a small chest. There are 2d4 such ‘‘living areas’’ in this room. PCs can take the time and open the chests, but each is locked (good lock, DC 30), and may be trapped (1 in 6 chance). Inside each chest there are only additional sets of cloths, an extra spell component pouch, parchment, pens, and 2d20 gp. There is also a chance that the chest contains either potions or scrolls (1 in 10 chance). If the PCs find either trap or magical treasure, use the charts below to determine what they find. Traps (d8) 1 glyph of warding (blast------4d8 points of fire damage, Reflex DC 14 for half) 2 glyph of warding (blast------4d8 points of cold damage, Reflex DC 14 for half) 3 poison dart trap (Atk +17 melee [1 plus poison, needle]; poison [blue whinnies, Fortitude save (DC 14) resists, 1 Con/unconsciousness); Search [DC 22]; Disable Device [DC 17]. 4 glyph of warding (blast------4d8 points of sonic damage, Reflex DC 14 for half) 5 glyph of warding (blast------4d8 points of acid damage, Reflex DC 14 for half) 6 poison dart trap (Atk +17 melee [1 plus poison, needle]; poison [Medium-size spider venom, Fortitude save (DC 14) resists, 1d4 Str/1d6 Str); Search [DC 22]; Disable Device [DC 17]. 7 glyph of warding (magic missile------2d4+1 points of damage) 8 glyph of warding (blast------4d8 points of electricity damage, Reflex DC 14 for half) Magic Treasure (d8) 1 potion of cure moderate wounds 2 potion of cat’s grace 3 arcane scroll of fireball 4 arcane scroll of haste 5 arcane scroll of magic missile 6 potion of cure light wounds 7 2 potions of cure light wounds 8 arcane scroll of haste and an arcane scroll of shield. 14. Zengrat the Enchanter (EL 5) This room is the quarters of one of the more important wizards of the tower, Zengrat the Enchanter. The wizard is preparing to join Master Bettulos in area 12, and then on to defend the walls of House Noquar. �Zengrat: hp 12; see Appendix I. 15. Vegrittal the Necromancer (EL 7) This room is the quarters of one of the more important wizards of the tower, Vegrittal the Necromancer. With him or two wight servants, waiting for their order’s master. They protect their master without question. The wizard and the wights are preparing to join Master Bettulos in area 12, and then on to defend the walls of House Noquar. �Vegrittal: hp 15, see Appendix I. �Wights (3): hp 30, 26, 23; see Monster Manual. 16. Dellundaz the Younger (EL 6) This room is the quarters of one of the more important wizards of the tower, Dellundaz the Younger. The son of an important merchant (Dellundaz the Elder), what this wizard lacks in talent, he makes up for in wealth, and with his pet howler, both of which he uses to bully others in the tower. The wizard is preparing to join Master Bettulos in area 12, and then on to defend the walls of House Noquar. �Dellundaz: hp 10; see Appendix I. �Howler: hp 45; see Monster Manual. Treasure: Dellundaz has 600 gp in his locked (good lock DC 30) but not trapped storage chest. 17. Fenniit the Evoker (EL 5) This room is the quarters of one of the more important wizards of the tower, Fenniit the Evoker. The wizard is preparing to join Master Bettulos in area 12, and then on to defend the walls of House Noquar. �Dellundaz: hp 13; see Appendix I. Experience To award experience for this adventure, add up the values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 41 experience award. Award the total value to each character. 1. Tower Turret Defeat invisible stalkers APL 6 210 XP APL 8 270 XP 2. Perch of Strange Birds Defeat quasits APL 6 180 XP APL 8 240 XP 3. Chamber of the Keeper Defeat Degras the jovoc APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 4. Mangled Experiments Defeat iron half-golems APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 5. Chamber of Mirrors Encounter the threat of at least one mirror APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 7. Glass Guardian Defeat Stained-Glass Golem APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 8. Bettulos’s Chamber Defeat Shadows APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 9. Temple And Advisor Defeat mind flayer APL 6 240 XP APL 8 300 XP 10. First Chamber Defeat drow wizards APL 6 240 XP APL 8 300 XP 11. Second Chamber Defeat drow wizards APL 6 180 XP APL 8 240 XP 12. Entrance Chamber Defeat Bettulos APL 6 270 XP APL 8 330 XP 14. Zengrat the Enchanter Defeat Zengrat APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 15. Vegrittal the Necromancer Defeat Vegrittal APL 6 240 XP APL 8 300 XP 16. Dellundaz the Younger Defeat Dellundaz APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP 17. Fenniit the Evoker Defeat Fenniit APL 6 150 XP APL 8 210 XP Total Possible XP It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. APL 6 1,080 XP APL 8 1,350 XP Treasure During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, usually finding it in the possession of their foes. Every encounter that features treasure has a ‘‘treasure’’ section within the encounter description, giving information about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the encounter’s treasurer. The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly possessions. Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minute per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold. If you feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the bodies, and those bodies are there (that is., not carted off by dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve loot. If the characters do not loot the body, the gold piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. The coin total is the number of gold piece each character gains if they take the coin available. A Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 42 normal adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a round or so. If for some reason they pass up this treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter totals given below. Next, the magic items are listed. Magic item treasure is the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and because characters may want to use them during the adventure. Many times characters must cast identify, analyze dweomer, or similar spell to determine what the item does, and how to activate it. Other times they may attempt to use the item blindly. If the magic item is consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is subtracted from the adventure totals below. Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed treasures from each encounter add it up and that is number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value increase at the end of the adventure. Write the total in the Gp Gained field of the adventure record. 3. Chamber of the Keeper Find Deggras’s treasure APL 6 coin------100 gp. APL 8 coin------133 gp. 6. Alchemist’s Lab Take the Potions APL 6 magic: 3 potions of cure moderate wounds (25gp each, 75 gp total), 2 potions of po son (417 gp each, 834 gp total) i 10. First Camber Loot the drow wizards APL 6 magic------2 bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 166 gp total), 2 amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 166 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of expeditious retreat (2 gp each or 4 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of endurance (13 gp each, or 26 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of fireball (31 gp each or 62 gp total). APL 8 magic------4 bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 322 gp total), 4 amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 322 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of expeditious retreat (2 gp each or 8 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of endurance (13 gp each, or 52 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of fireball (31 gp each or 124 gp total). 10. First Camber Loot the drow wizards APL 6 magic------2 bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 166 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of expeditious retreat (2 gp each or 4 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of endurance (13 gp each, or 26 gp total), 2 arcane scrolls of fireball (31 gp each or 62 gp total). APL 8 magic------4 bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp each, or 322 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of expeditious retreat (2 gp each or 8 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of endurance (13 gp each, or 52 gp total), 4 arcane scrolls of fireball (31 gp each or 124 gp total). 12. First Camber Loot Bettulos APL 6 and 8 magic------bracers of armor (+2) (333 gp), amulet of natural armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), arcane scroll of fireball (62 gp total), wand of lightning bolts (20 charages) (375 gp). 13. First Camber At most the PCs get away with the following treasure by looting chests. APL 6 coin------200 gp APL 8 coin------300 gp 14. Zengrat the Enchanter Loot the Zengrat the Enchanter APL 6 and 8 magic------bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp), amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), arcane scroll of suggestion (31 gp). 15. Vegrittal the Necromancer Loot Vegrittal the Necromancer APL 6 and 8 magic------bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp), amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), arcane scroll of vampiric touch (31 gp). 16. Dellundaz the Younger Loot Dellundaz the Younger APL 6 and 8 coin------100 gp; magic------bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp), amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp). 17. Fenniit the Evoker Loot Fenniit the Evoker APL 6 and 8 magic------bracers of armor (+1) (83 gp), amulets of natural armor (+1) (83 gp), arcane scroll of expeditious retreat (2 gp), arcane scroll of endurance (13 gp), 2 arcane scrolls of fireball (31 gp). Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 43 Total Treasure Possible It is possible but extremely unlikely) that PCs could total more than the following maximums. If they do, only give them these values. APL 6 1,200 gp APL 8 1,875 gp Appendix I 1. Tower Turret APL 6 and 8 �Drow Battle Wizard: Male and female Drow Ftr3/Wiz1; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 3d10+1d4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, flat- footed 14); Atk +6 melee (2d4+2, masterwork spiked chain), or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SQ drow traits, SR 14; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +3, Climb +7, Jump +7, Ride +7;Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (spiked chain) Spells Prepared (DC = 11 + spell level; 10% arcane spell failure): 0------daze (3); 1 st------magic missile, shield. Possessions: Mithral shirt, masterwork spiked chain, light crossbow, 20 bolts, 1d6-3 does of drow sleep poison. 3. Chamber of the Keeper (EL 5) APL 6 �Deggras the Jovoc (Tanar’ri): CR 5; Small outsider (chaotic, evil); HD 4d8+18; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 13, flat-footed 14); Atk +6 melee (1d3+1, 2 claws) and +1 melee (1d4, bite); SQ Aura of retibution, DR 5/silver, fast healing 5, outsider traits, SR 13, summon tanar’ri, tanar’ri traits; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Hide +8, Listen +7, Search +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +7; Toughness (x2). Aura of Retribution (Su): This effect is always active in a 30 ft. spread centered on the jovoc. Whenever the creatures take damage from any source, even nontanar’ri within the area takes an equal amount of damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 15) halves the damage. (For example, if an opponent deals 12 points of damage to a jovoc, that opponent and every other nontanar’ri with 30 feet also immediately take 12 points of damage each, or 6 points with a successful Fortitude save.) Regardless of the source of the damage to the jovoc, the damage dealt to nontanar’ri by this effect is not subject to negation or reduction because of resistance, immunity, damage reduction, spell resistance, or the like. Fast Healing (Ex): A jovoc regains lost hit points at the rat of 5 per round. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow the jovoc to regrow or reattach lost body parts. Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a jovoc can attempt to summon another jovoc with a 25% chance of success. APL 8 �Advanced Deggras the Jovoc (Tanar’ri): CR 7; Small outsider (chaotic, evil); HD 8d8+18; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 13, flat-footed 14); Atk +10 melee (1d3+1, 2 claws) and +5 melee (1d4, bite); SQ Aura of retribution, DR 5/silver, fast healing 5, outsider traits, SR 16, summon tanar’ri, tanar’ri traits; AL CE; SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 7. Skills and Feats: Hide +12, Listen +11, Search +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot +11; Toughness (x3). Aura of Retribution (Su): This effect is always active in a 30 ft. spread centered on the jovoc. Whenever the creatures take damage from any source, even nontanar’ri within the area takes an equal amount of damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 15) halves the damage. (For example, if an opponent deals 12 points of damage to a jovoc, that opponent and every other nontanar’ri with 30 feet also immediately take 12 points of damage each, or 6 points with a successful Fortitude save.) Regardless of the source of the damage to the jovoc, the damage dealt to nontanar’ri by this effect is not subject to negation or reduction because of resistance, immunity, damage reduction, spell resistance, or the like. Fast Healing (Ex): A jovoc regains lost hit points at the rat of 5 per round. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow the jovoc to regrow or reattach lost body parts. Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a jovoc can attempt to summon another jovoc with a 25% chance of success. (Note: the jovoc summoned is a standard variety [see above] rather than an advanced version). Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 44 4. Mangled Experiments (EL 5) APL 6 and 8 �Iron Half-Golem: CR 4; Medium-size Construct; HD 1d10; Init ----1; Spd 30 ft. (can’t run); AC 25 (touch 11, flat-footed 25); Atk +10 melee (1d6+8, light mace); SA Breath weapon; SQ Construct traits, DR 25/+2, magic immunity, rust vulnerability; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 27, Dex 10, Con ----, Int 1, Wis 11, Cha 1. Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Jump +10; Power Attack, Weapon Focus (mace). Breath Weapon (Su): As a free action, an iron half-golem can emit a cloud of poisonous gas from its limbs in a 10-foot cone directly in front of it. The cloud lasts 1 round, and the limbs can emit another clouds ever 1d4+1 rounds. The initial damage is 1d4 points of Constitution damage, and the secondary damage is death. A Fortitude save (DC 10) negates both effects. Rust Vulnerability (Ex): An iron half-golem is affected by rust attacks, such as that of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell. 5. Chamber of Mirrors (EL variable) APL 6 and 8 �Drow Priestess: female drow Clr7: CR 8; Medium- size humanoid (elf); HD 7d8; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 22 (touch 11, flat-footed 21); Atk +8 melee (1d8+2, +1 heavy mace); SA Spells, rebuke undead; SQ spontaneous cast inflict spells, drow traits, SR 18; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 13, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 14. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Spellcraft +11; Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (heavy mace). Possessions: Full Plate, +1 large steel shield, +1 heavy mace, potion of cure moderate wounds. Spells Prepared (6/5+1 /4+1/2+1; base DC = 12 + spell level): 0------guidance (3), vir ue (3); 1 t st------cause fear (2), inflict light wounds*, magic weapon, random action, shield of faith; 2 nd------bull’s strength, hold person (2), invisibility*, sound burst; 3 rd------bestow curse, cure serious wounds, contagion* *Domain Spells; Deity: Lloth; Domains: Destruction (This cleric can smite with a single melee attack once per day. She gains a +4 attack bonus, and +7 damage if she hits. You must declare the smite before making the attack), Trickery (Bluff, Disguise, and Hide are class skills). 7. Glass Guardian (EL 5) APL 6 �Stained Glass Golem: CR 5; Medium-size construct; HD 12d10; Init +0; Spd 30 ft. (can’t run); AC 15 (touch 10, flat-footed 15); Atk +10 melee (1d8+1/19-20, 2 rakes); SQ Construct traits, DR 10/+2, fast healing 5, keen, magic immunity; AL N; Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 13, Dex 10, Con ----, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 7. Skills: Hide +0*. Keen (Su): A stained galss golem’s rake attack threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19-20. Magic Immunity (Ex): A stained glass golem is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows. A shatter spell affects it normally. A mending spell heals 2d6 points of damage the golem has taken. Sonic attacks affect it normally. *A stained glass golem receives a +20 competence bonus on Hide checks when standing motionless in a setting. APL 8 �Advanced Stained Glass Golem: CR 5; Medium-size construct; HD 16d10; Init +0; Spd 30 ft. (can’t run); AC 15 (touch 10, flat-footed 15); Atk +13 melee (1d8+1/19- 20, 2 rakes); SQ Construct traits, DR 10/+2, fast healing 5, keen, magic immunity; AL N; Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 10, Con ----, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 7. Skills: Hide +0*. Keen (Su): A stained galss golem’s rake attack threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19-20. Magic Immunity (Ex): A stained glass golem is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows. A shatter spell affects it normally. A mending spell heals 2d6 points of damage the golem has taken. Sonic attacks affect it normally. *A stained glass golem receives a +20 competence bonus on Hide checks when standing motionless in a setting. 9. Temple and Advisor (EL 8) APL 8 �Tel’luntok: Mind flayer Mnk2: Medium-size Aberration; HD 10d8+10; Initiative +6; Speed 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 12, flat-footed 16); Atk +9 melee (1d6+1, 4 tentacles); SA Mind Blast, psionics, improved grab, extract, stunning attack; SQ SR 26, telepathy, evaision; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +12; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 17. Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Concentration +14, Hide +10, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Listen +12, Move Silently +9, Spot +12; Alertness, Combat Casting, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (tentacle). Mind Blast (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in this cone must succeed at a Will save (DC 18) or be stunned for 3d4 rounds. Mind Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 45 flayers often hunt using this power and then drag off one or two of their stunned victims to feed upon. Psionics (Sp): At will------astral projection, charm monster, detect thoughts, levitate, plane shift, and suggestion. These abilities are as the spells cast by an 8th-level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level). Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the mind flayer must hit a Small to Large creature with its tentacle attack. If it gets a hold, it attaches the tentacle to the opponent’s head. A mind flayer can grab a Huge or larger creature, but only if it can somehow reach the foe’s head. After a successful grab, the mind flayer can try to attach its remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or Escape Artist check, but the mind flayer gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent’s turn. Extract (Ex): A mind flayer that begins its turn with all four tentacles attached and successfully maintains its hold automatically extracts the opponent’s brain, instantly killing that creature. Telepathy (Su): Mind flayers can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. 10. First Chamber (EL 8) �Ebon Tower Wizards: male and female drow Wiz6; CR 7; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 6d4+6; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +3 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +4 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 17; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Scry +12, Spellcraft +12; Combat Casting, Dodge, Scribe Scroll, Toughness. Spells Prepared (4/4/4/2; base DC = 12 + spell level); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile (3), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, web; 3 rd------haste, lightning bolt. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+1), amulet of natural armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball. f f 11. Second Chamber �Lesser Ebon Tower Wizards: male and female drow Wiz4; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +9, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Scry +10, Spellcraft +10; Combat Casting, Dodge, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 12 + spell level); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile (3), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, web. Possessions: Bracers of armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball. 13. Entrance Camber APL 6 �Bettulos: male and female drow Wiz8 (evoker); CR 9; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 8d4+11; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (touch 11, flat-footed 13); Atk +4 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +5 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 19; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +11, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Scry +14, Spellcraft +14; Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Mastery (magic missile, web, haste), Toughness. Spells Prepared (4+1/5+1/4+1/2+1/1+1; base DC = 13 + spell level------DC 15 + spell level for Evocation spells [marked with e])); 0------daze e (3), flare, mage hand; 1 st------magic missile e (5), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere e, web (2); 3 rd------haste, wind wall, lightning bolt e; 4 th------improved invisibility, shout e. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+2), amulet of natural armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball, wand of lightning bolt (20 charges). APL 8 �Bettulos: male and female drow Wiz10 (evoker); CR 11; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 10d4+16; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (touch 11, flat-footed 13); Atk +5 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +6 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 21; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 11, 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +14, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Knowledge (religion) +16, Scry +16, Spellcraft +16; Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Mastery (magic missile, web, haste), Toughness (x2). Spells Prepared (4+1/5+1/5+1/4+1/2+1/1+1; base DC = 13 + spell level------DC 15 + spell level for Evocation spells [marked with e]); 0------daze e (3), flare, mage hand; 1 st------magic missile e (5), shield; 2 nd------cat’s Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 46 grace, flaming sphere e (2), web (2); 3 rd------haste, wind wall (2), lightning bolt e (2); 4 th------ice storm, improved invisibility, shout e; 5 th------cone of cold e, feeblemind. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+2), amulet of natural armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball, wand of lightning bolt (20 charges). f f f t f 14. Zengrat the Enchanter �Zengrat: male drow Wiz4 (enchanter); CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (touch 141, flat-footed 11); Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +8, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Scry +10, Spellcraft +10; Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Enchantment). Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 13 + spell level------DC 15 + spell level for Enchantment spells [marked with e]); 0------daze e (4), mage hand; 1 st------charm person e, magic missile (2), shield, sleep e; 2 nd------cat’s grace, Tasha’s hideous laughter e(2), web. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of suggestion. 15. Vegrittal the Necromancer �Vegrittal: female drow Wiz4 (necromancer); CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +2 melee (1d6, quarterstaff), or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20, light crossbow); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +8, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Scry +9, Spellcraft +9; Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Necromancy). Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 12 + spell level------DC 15 + spell level for Necromancy spells [marked with n]); 0------daze (3), disrupt undead n, mage hand; 1 st------cause fear n,magic missile (2), ray of enfeeblement n, shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, ghoul touch n, web. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of vampiric touch. 16. Dellundaz the Younger �Dellundaz: male drow Wiz4; CR 5; Medium-size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (touch 11, flat-footed 10); Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha10. Skills and Feats: Concentration +8, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Scry +9, Spellcraft +9; Combat Casting, Dodge, Scribe Scroll. Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 12 + spell level); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile (3), shield; 2 nd------cat’s grace, flaming sphere, web. Possessions: dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance. 17. Fenniit the Evoker �Fenniit: male drow Wiz4 (evoker); CR 5; Medium- size humanoid (elf); HD 4d4+4; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +2 melee (1d4/19-20, dagger), or +3 ranged (1d4/19-20, dagger); SA Spells, SQ Spells, drow traits, SR 15; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Alchemy +9, Concentration +9, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Scry +9, Spellcraft +10; Combat Casting, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Evocation). Spells Prepared (4/4/3; base DC = 12 + spell level------DC 15 + spell level for Evocation spells [marked with e]); 0------daze (3), mage hand; 1 st------magic missile e (4), shield; 2 nd------ca ’s grace, flaming sphere e (2), web. Possessions: Bracers o armor (+1), dagger, arcane scroll of expeditious retreat, arcane scroll of endurance, arcane scroll of fireball. Assault on the Vault Lower-Level Version Page 47

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Core Specials/593/CORS3-01 Assault on the Vault/CORS3-01AssaultontheVault-LL.pdf

BattleCorps BattleCorps ISLE OF THE BLESSED Book Two Chapter 1: Post-Game Wrap Steven Mohan, Jr. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps River Road, North Hopton, South of Avalon City New Avalon, Crucis March Federated Suns 2 February 3073 The dull roar of an unholy thunder rolled across the shallow ferro- crete canyons of North Hopton, rattling window panes, kicking up dust, shaking the earth. Somewhere in the distance a BattleMech had lost reactor shielding and been torn apart by the nuclear hell at its heart. The sound left Brevet Leftenant Robert Doucette with only two questions. Ours or theirs? And: Do I really want to know? The fact that he was moving away from the sound was answer enough. There was a chance, a chance that Jackson Davion had taken the few minutes that Doucette and da Rosa had bought him with their Legionnaires and brought the Corean facility down before the Wobbies could get their grimy hands on it. But no matter how he twisted and turned the tactical picture in his head, Doucette just could not make himself believe that JD had survived. And so he knew he had to put as much distance as he could between him and Corean. Before the Wobbies set up a perimeter patrol. He’d changed into the pair of olive coveralls he’d shoved into the couch’s storage compartment, but he knew he couldn’t pass as a civilian. So he’d just have to keep from being found. He ducked down a side street and confronted a pile of rubble blocking his path. A warehouse had come down, scattering red bricks painted a rich cream color on one side. Mixed in with the pile of brick were pieces of steel rebar, twisted and mangled I-beams, glittering shards of blue-green glass, and one more thing. A boot. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps It was a combat boot, black, and polished to a fine sheen, sit- ting upright atop the pile, giving no sign of its mate or its former owner. Doucette tried to swallow in a dry mouth. MechWarriors were insulated from the battle up in their cockpits, protected from the ground-level sights, stepping over the destruc- tion, shielded from the horrible sounds, the cries of anguish, the awful smells… Down here it was so much more real. He glanced behind him, thinking. The pile of bricks would slow him up, but it would also slow anyone pursuing him, maybe con- vince a Wobbie patrol to take a different route. And it would get him off the main north-south arterial. Doucette made up his mind quickly. He moved to the east side of the road where the pile was thin- nest and began climbing. It was hard going. The mound of bricks was treacherous, shifting suddenly under his weight to reveal new obstacles. Four times he fell, twice he nearly turned an ankle, once he missed being impaled on a jagged piece of rebar by four cen- timeters. There had been a time when Doucette’s balance had been in- credibly good, but that had been years ago, back before an injury to his inner ear had finished his first career as a MechWarriror. He could no longer get by on superhuman balance. Now he was just going to have to rely on luck. He pushed up an over the brick pile, not stopping until he made it to the other side and he was sure he was shielded from view from the intersection. He stopped then and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm, took a swig of water from his canteen. It wasn’t until he screwed the cap back on that he really took a close look at the debris that choked the side street. His eyes automatically catalogued the junk, a trio of streetlights felled by a blast concussion, a smashed hoverjeep, a fire hydrant fountaining water, and a— Doucette’s breath caught in his throat and the canteen clattered to the ground as he at last recognized the final piece of junk. He BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps stood there staring at it, his mouth hanging slackly open, seeing, yes seeing, but not believing. He stood like that for maybe ten, fifteen seconds. And then he was sprinting toward the impossible thing he saw before him. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Corean Facility, Complex 44-J2A, North Hopton, South of Avalon City Even before he saw Armaros’s Ostsol erupt in a nuclear fireball, even before he heard Avitue issue her general recall order, Demi- Precentor Warner Colton knew that everything was going to hell. All he had to do to confirm he was screwed, was look up. Look up and see the heavy metal coming up over the hill behind Corean. ’Mechs painted in the red, white, and blue of the Davion Assault Guards. How the hell had everything gone so wrong, so fast? “Grounders, this is Grounder Actual. Pull back. I say again, pull back.” “Grounder One, Grounder Two,” snapped Adept Levinsky. “We can’t pull back, we have to support Demi-Precentor Arma--” And right then the Ostsol erupted into a sphere of golden light, the shock wave showering Colton’s troops with debris, the roar of the ’Mech’s death filling the world, and swamping the radio chan- nels with an electromagnetic shriek. “Any other questions, boys and girls?” Colton asked. His words were met by conspicuous silence. “All right, then,” Colton roared. “Conventional infantry into the APCs, two by two. Purifier squads will lay down covering fire. We’ll form up on the west side of the building. Stay out of the gunsight of those ’Mechs as long as possible. Extract along River Road and form up on Avitue. We’re doing this quick and dirty, boys and girls. No one waits for anyone else.” “What are your orders when we clear Corean?” asked Levinsky stiffly, obviously still smarting from Colton’s earlier rebuke. “Only one order,” said Colton. “Run.” v v v Major Alberto Quiros of the Davion Assault Guards steered his GUN-1ERD Gunslinger around the south side of the Corean facility BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps and received a trio of crimson beams to the chest for his trouble. His already brutalized Kevlar 5000 armor bubbled and melted un- der the caress of chromatic light. Quiros watched his wireframe flicker from yellow to red. He flashed on a man-sized blur, khaki on slate, seven, eight me- ters away, like reality didn’t quite mesh up with itself. Mimetic armor. Without thinking Quiros dropped his right arm and triggered his Poland Main Model A Gauss Rifle. His own silver blur flashed through the air and then the blurry background abruptly disap- peared. Replaced by an untidy pile of parts. Apparently that was all the rest of the Purifiers needed to see. Both squads (less one) fell back toward the building’s southwest corner. They were a lot easier to see when they were moving. “I’ve got ants,” Quiros snarled. “Purifiers. West side of Corean, moving south to north.” And then he stomped down on his jump jets and twin spires of argent fire pushed the massive Gunslinger into the air. And that’s when Quiros let his instincts take over. He pulled his feet off the pedals almost immediately, turning his jump into a short fifteen- meter hop. Not very far. But far enough. He came down right where he wanted to. On top of a armored soldier with the full force of eighty-five tons of assault ’Mech suddenly abandoned to the whim of gravity. Quiros barely felt a bump as the unfortunate Wobbie absorbed the impact. Smashing him flat. The other Purifier soldiers darted off in multiple directions, no one even bothering to lay down covering fire, some hitting their own jump jets, the closest sprinting for the river, another pressed up against Corean’s west wall. Clearly terrified beyond reason. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps “And what do we do with ants?” Quiros said savagely as he stomped down on his pedals again, rising once more into the air. “Step on them.” v v v The Fed Rat in the Gunslinger should have been more careful facing two full squads of Purifier battle suits, especially since his torso armor had been shredded, but the pilot was enraged. Colton could see it in the hunch of the Gunslinger’s massive shoulders, the splay of the ’Mech’s legs. He saw it in the Fed’s reckless leap. That terminated in spot where Adept Michelle Yurovsky was standing. There was a single terrible moment where she looked up and then the Gunslinger’s jets washed over her suit, cooking her alive a split-second before the ’Mech came down. Colton looked away. Not quite soon enough. It was like watching someone step on a jelly doughnut. Colton didn’t think he’d forget the image for the rest of his life. However long or short that might be. “Scatter,” he said in a hoarse voice. “He can’t get us all.” And then he hit his own jump jets, feathering them at random, to zigzag him through the air. At the apex of his leap he switched off the right and kept the left on, bringing him about in a tight circle. In time to see the damned Gunslinger come down on another one of his troopers. And one other thing. Adept Mark Pensk was frozen against Corean’s western wall. If he was counting on his mimetic armor to save him, he was going to die very soon, his silhouette flash- burned into the building’s khaki paint. “Pensk,” shouted Colton. “Get moving. NOW.” Colton’s eyes flickered right and he saw the assault machine lumbering toward his soldier. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps For just a second, Colton played his small laser across the fer- roglass of the Gunslinger’s cockpit, hoping to draw the pilot away from his trooper. The Fed Rat didn’t take the bait. And then Colton had to turn. He hit his jump jets again, righting himself. He hit the ground in a crouch and jumped again, bound- ing away from the battle scene. The image of the doomed Mark Pensk frozen against that khaki wall flashburned into his mind. v v v When Jackson Davion had been a boy he had played club foot- ball, not the plodding sport that some people called American football, but actual, real, football. Sometimes he played forward, although more often than not he played midfield. One summer, when he was eleven, his club had played in a tournament It had been a grueling test of endurance with one game scheduled immediately after the last. After each match, their coach gathered them together for a quick post-game wrap, in which they recapped the previous game and made adjustments for the next. It only took five minutes, but that planning session was essential to their success. Davion’s team won the tournament. And that’s what he had to do now, Davion realized, a post-game wrap. Because although his men and women had won the battle for Corean, they were going to lose the battle that followed if he didn’t make the correct decisions, right now. A fact as he realized just as soon as he heard a voice on his comms circuit say. “I’ve got ants. West side of Corean, moving south to north.” “On it,” said Zibler, at once. An APC marked with a Word of Blake sword zipped down River Road, followed by a second. Zibler missed the first with his twin medium lasers, but Davion got the second with his medium laser. The APC pitched over. Five or six Wobbie soldiers spilled out and ran in all directions. Zibler stepped in Davion’s line of fire just as Purifier armor bounded by on jump jets. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Davion gritted his teeth. He didn’t think for a second that Zibler’s move had been an accident. Davion was tired of his troops throw- ing themselves in harms way to protect him. And then inspiration hit. His people had paid a fearsome price for their victory, but there was an opportunity to capitalize on it. The Wobbie force was broken and running. If he could just pin them in place he could use the Crushers to pound the hell out of them. He glanced down at his area map. They’d already blown the Hopton Bridge. If he took out the float- ing bridge to the north, the Wobbies without jump jets would be trapped on this side of the river. They still could cross, of course, but that would burn precious time and stretch out their column. He would cut them into little pieces. And then he would kill them. He could call in an airstrike in from one of the combat air fields hidden in the Boreal Reaches. He’d give up the location of the air- field, for a quick strike at the bridge and some harrying close air support. It was one hell of a trade. He tasted the order on his lips. And then he felt an itch in the back of his neck, a terrible itch, like someone was watching him from behind. From above. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 10 BattleCorps Just Off River Road, North Hopton South of Avalon City Doucette reached the overturned command couch. It was over on its side, part of it sliced cleanly away by a laser’s ruthless touch. He could see where the beam of chromatic light had melted the couch’s steel frame. But none of that mattered. What mattered was the man in the couch. Pops. He was still strapped to the couch, his head lolling to the one side. His bald head was covered with an ugly blue bruise, his nose broken, his jaw and cooling vest stained rusty red with blood, his left arm twisted back at an impossible angle. But there was still color in his face. Doucette reached out for the old man’s shoulder with a trem- bling hand… It was warm. The old man shuddered and drew a shallow breath. His injuries were grave. But Pops was alive. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 11 BattleCorps Corean Facility, Complex 44-J2A, North Hopton South of Avalon City Ruby fire washed over Quiros’s canopy, like rain sheeting over a windscreen, the Purifier squad leader’s attempt to draw him off the soldier trapped against the wall. For a second Quiros ignored the gambit, stepping through the fire, toward the soldier frozen against the wall. And then he pivoted left and snapped a shot off with his right Gauss. The slug missed left by a couple meters, slashing right past the bounding officer. Quiros side-stepped right, lining up a second shot. At the last second he pivoted left on his right foot and lunged for the soldier trapped against the wall. The trooper finally moved. The Purifier hit his jump jets and rose on a pillar of plasma. Too late. Quiros swung the massive Gauss rifle in his right arm, swung it like a cricket bat. And suddenly the world was filled with the unhappy clang of metal on metal. “And the crowd goes wild,” Quiros shouted, dark jubilation filling his voice. v v v Mark Pensk pressed up against the building’s wall, trying to blend in with his surroundings, praying that in the heat of the battle the Fed pilot would miss him, that his mimetic armor would save his ass one more time. It would have to. Because he just could not move. The Gunslinger’s pilot was not engaged in a battle. More like a rampage. It wasn’t a man piloting that machine, oh no. Pensk had known that as soon as he watched the terrible way Michelle died. No, not a man. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps The Gunslinger’s pilot was the incarnation of brutality. An avatar of carnage. Of fury. There would be no surrender, no mercy. No hope. The assault machine came down on Christina Morton just as she reached the river’s edge. How the hell was he doing that? Two perfect death from above attacks in a row. And then the monster turned toward him and Pensk nearly passed out. Still, his traitor muscles would not move. Don’t see me. Crimson light splashed across the monster’s face. For a moment he thought the Gunslinger was going to ignore the attack, but then it turned and fired at its attacker. YES. Kill them, not me. The ’Mech’s shot missed wide left and then it drifted right, trying to line up a better shot. “It’s almost over,” Pensk whispered. “Almost over.” And then the monster pivoted suddenly and threw itself at him. Pensk slammed down on his jump jets, so terrified he didn’t re- alize he’d just sprayed piss all over the inside of his expensive Purifier battle armor. He shot up, thinking of nothing but the des- perate need to escape. He never even saw the blow coming. One moment he was riding an arc of fire into the sky and the next he lay on the ground twisted and broken, writhing in pain. Surely the Gunslinger would kill him now. But no. This servant of death had something worse planned. The great machine stalked forward. Pensk looked up at the monster, towering ten meters above him, so high that it looked like it was growing right into the frickin’ sky, and suddenly all he wanted was for it to be over. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps The Gunslinger set itself and then it raised one foot and brought it down on his chest. Slowly. Using all of its massive weight to delicately pin him to the ground. The Gunslinger massed eighty-five tons and Mark Pensk felt every one of them, pressing him into the ferrocrete roadbed, trapping him against the dirt. Only the questionable mercy of the Fed pilot stood between him and a horrible death. Only mercy and the pilot’s balance. And so Mark Pensk laid there, waiting for the horrible thing that would happen next, seeing in his mind Michelle Yurovsky’s hor- rible death over and over again as he waited. v v v Davion watched Zibler’s Salamander pour laser fire after the re- treating Wobbie infantry. Then Zibler’s machine stepped left, back out of River Road. “They have speed on us. But North Hopton’s torn up pretty good. That’ll slow them down. If we can take out the floating bridge, we’ll hold them on this side of the river. Candy, I want our four fastest long-range hitters moving north, along Inland Avenue. They should have an unobstructed path to--” Davion cut into the Crusher’s command circuit. “Belay that order.” The Salamander turned and for a moment Davion felt as if the great machine were peering at him in confusion. “Sir. I think we could cut off the—” “Crushers Actual, this is New Avalon Actual,” said Davion, his voice ringing with steel. “And I said no.” “Yessir,” said Zibler crisply, but not so crisply that Davion didn’t hear the confusion in his voice. And why not? Davion had just publicly berated one of his best general officers and passed up a textbook opportunity to route a retreating enemy force in the bargain. And why? Because his instincts told him there was a deadly trap here. One he’d almost stumbled into once before. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps Post-game wrap. Davion closed his eyes. Had to make the right decisions, right damn now. Or they would lose. “Marshal Zibler,” said Davion, “get me an update from North Albion.” Silence for a heartbeat and then Zibler gasped as the implication of Davion’s order sank in. “Yessir.” One of the Crushers cut in on the channel. “Crusher Actual, This is Crusher Bravo One ,” said the man in an excited voice. “I got me a Wobbie.” v v v Davion pushed his massive BattleMaster into a lope. He ran down to the edge of the Corean facility and hooked left. And stopped. What he saw took his breath away. A Gunslinger holding a soldier in power armor pinned to the ground with his foot. “Bravo One, this New Avalon Actual. Is he still alive?” “That’s affirm, Marshal,” said the man. Davion stalked his ’Mech forward. “Release him,” said Davion. “But Marshal, I--” “Release him,” Davion roared. The Gunslinger took a step back, pulling its right foot off the in- fantry trooper. The soldier staggered to his feet. And Davion leaned down and snatched him up in one of his ’Mech’s hands. He delicately plucked the man’s helmet off his head. The man started, but Davion held him fast. “Soldier, what is your name?” The man stared up at him goggle-eyed. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps “I am Marshal of the Armies Jackson Davion,” Davion said coldly, his amplified voice reverberating off the building’s high wall. “I have defeated the best Word of Blake could throw at me. Do you really think you can stand against me?” The man said nothing. “Your orders are to conduct a fast retreat, even if that means tak- ing heavy losses,” said Davion. The man’s jaw sagged open. “H-how did you—” Zibler’s Salamander stepped around the corner. “Marshal, one of our techs was able to make it past the booby-traps in the Nexus IIs cockpit. We have a location for the Wobbie base. And a snippet of raw data feed.” “Let’s hear it,” said Davion grimly, muting his external speakers. There was a pause and then he heard a woman’s voice over his radio: “—tor Force, Gold. Withdraw across the river at best pos- sible speed. You will form up on—” It was no more and no less than what he’d already guessed. “North Albion?” “Nothing yet, Mar— Oh, wait. I have a report coming in.” There was a pause and when Zibler resumed voice was suddenly tight and fast. “The university observatory’s reporting Mordred’s drop- ping into low orbit. Overhead in two one mikes.” Davion dialed up a circuit that gave him all the Crushers. “OK, Assault Guards, listen up. We are cutting the Wobbies loose. Company’s coming and we need to get ready.” He quickly outlined his plan. No one interrupted and no one asked questions. Davion hoped that meant they all got it. Their lives would depend on it. He released them and suddenly Corean was a desperate flurry of motion. Davion flicked his speakers back on and looked down at the Wobbie cradled in his hand. “Now, soldier. I want a name.” “My name,” he squeaked. “My name is Mark Pensk.” “Not your name,” Davion roared. “Her name.” BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps The Wobbie soldier trembled in Davion’s hand, shrinking back from his voice, and the Marshal wondered if he’d pushed it a little too far. Just when he was sure the trooper wasn’t going to talk, the man looked up, his face stricken with terror, and whispered a single word. “Avitue.” BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps Westbound on the M26 Motorway Avitue pushed her Grim Reaper just as fast as it would go down the west-bound highway. Already she could feel the earth tilting madly beneath her feet; everything she believed in, everything she’d fought for teetering on the edge of the precipice. Corean was lost. And Jackson Davion lived. The fierce resistance put up by Davion and his Legionnaires had badly damaged the force of infantry and light machines Armaros had led and her heavies had been mauled by the Davion Assault Guards when they punched through Acheron. And while her at- tention had been occupied with Corean, a joint strike force made up of the Davion Heavy Guards and the Fifth FedCom had slipped into Camp Alpha, smashed through the light defenses, and set the facility ablaze. Her forces were battered, dispersed, and lost. A cruel smile stretched across her face. At least that’s how it must look to Jackson Davion. The truth was, even though Plan A had turned out to be a mis- erable failure, there was always a Plan B. Mordred’s captain had finally overcome the engineering casualty that had kept the WarShip sidelined the last few weeks. North Hopton had been badly damaged by the fighting. Surely, most of the civilian population had fled. Which meant she could bring Mordred’s capital weapons to bear without much risk of col- lateral damage. She hoped Davion and the Assault Guards were bunched up around Corean, where they could be easily dealt with. But even if they were pursuing her lights, they’d lag far behind, making them easy targets. Either way, Mordred would have a clear shot. This time, there would be no escape for Jackson Davion. And if there were? If somehow, impossibly, he wriggled off the hook again? Her ’Mech slipped past a green roadside sign that said: “Cormarc Falls 54.” Well, there was always Plan C. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps Just Off River Road, North Hopton South of Avalon City Doucette gently touched the old man’s shoulder. “Pops.” Nothing. He studied his old friend for a long moment. Pops was laying on his side, the five-point restraint anchoring him to the command couch. Doucette knew it was unwise to move someone who’s been in an accident. He heard a rock skipping across pavement. But it was unwise to stay here, too. He pulled out the long, combat knife he wore strapped to his leg. He pulled the straps loose, revealing angry pink marks in Pops’s skin where the blood had pooled beneath the skin. He cut the straps quickly, careful to catch the old man when he rolled out of the couch. Pops moaned. “Shhhh,” said Doucette. “I’m right here, old man.” The MechWarrior’s eyes fluttered open. “Robert?” “That’s right,” said Doucette with more confidence than he felt. “What’re you—?” “Well they needed someone sharp to an old, broken-down wreck like you. And I’m the best tech in Corean.” Pops closed his eyes and sighed. “Not, ‘wreck.’ Mean.” “Yeah, seems like I heard this speech before,” said Doucette. “Mean and crazy.” “Mean an crazy,” said Pops and starting chuckling. His laughs devolved into a liquid cough. Doucette frowned, deeply concerned about his friend. He reached into his pack and pulled out a pre-wrapped plastic pouch. He tore it open with his teeth and pulled out a blue square a couple centimeters on a side. He placed the patch inside on Pops’s chest. Next came a green patch. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps “There, analgesic and antibiotics.” Pops sighed and closed his eyes. That’s when Doucette came across the black foil squares wrapped in clear plastic. His mouth tasted dry just looking at them. He drew a deep breath and scooped them up. He found a piece of medical tape, unzipped his coveralls, and taped them to his right thigh. Then he zipped back up. He looked up and was startled to see Pops looking at him. Doucette dropped the pouch, spilling the remaining patches on the ground. “That one.” Pops’s gaze fixed on a red foil square. “Stim.” Doucette shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “You’re not strong enough for a stimulant.” “Gottoo get outa here,” said Pops, struggling to speak. “Don’t worry,” said Doucette, “We’re hidden along a side street. The Wobbie patrols won’t look for us here. They’ll keep to the main roads. No reason to come this way unless you’re a fugitive.” “Let me just think through what’s wrong with that reasoning,” said a deep voice behind him. Doucette wheeled around to see a mess of Wobbie infantry be- hind him, mostly regular troopers in body armor, with five or six Purifier troops mixed in. All their weapons leveled at him. For a second Doucette thought about the slug thrower on his hip; and then he thought, No. Might as well use one of the black patches for all the good the gun would do. He slowly raised his hands. “Tol ya,” muttered Pops. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 0 BattleCorps Eagle-class WarShip Mordred, Low Planetary Orbit About New Avalon Precentor Garbis Muradian watched the beautiful sapphire blue orb of New Avalon rotate beneath him. No light illuminat- ed Mordred’s bridge, not even the standard GQ blue lights. The watchstanders had the illumination of their consoles, and that was all they needed. The rest was black. The black of night. All the better to enjoy this final, delicious moment. Muradian had anchored himself to the forwardmost part of the Mordred’s bridge, surrounded by ferroglass. He could almost imagine he stood naked above the world, a terrible God in the mo- ment before he unleashed his terrible vengeance. The heart of the Federated Suns lay at his feet, its end drawn to him by the inexorable workings of orbital mechanics. Stretched along the limn of this ocean world he saw an arc of green-brown. Sea giving way to land. Albion. And then a voice in the darkness said, “Primary target coming up in seven minutes.” “Stand by your guns, Officer of the Deck,” said Muradian to the darkness, and a smile touched his lips. Because this time there was just no way for Jackson Davion to escape. How could you hide yourself from the eyes of Heaven? BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 1 BattleCorps River Road, North Hopton, South of Avalon City The shrill cry of sirens punched through late afternoon, their faint echo reverberating even through the sound-proofed cockpit of Jackson Davion’s BattleMaster. Somewhere in the distance he heard a deep voice shouting, the deep, amplified voice of a MechWarrior warning the civilians of North Hopton. Davion could almost make out the words: We are expecting Word of Blake to attack any moment. Take nothing and flee. By order of Marshal Jackson Davion. Davion gritted his teeth. North Hopton was a company town, a set-piece designed to fool the careful observer. A lot of what looked like town was actually support facility. But there were real civilians here, many of them people who worked in or around Corean, but some of them who were just here for window dressing so the town would stand up to scrutiny. When the Wobbies attacked there would be real casualties. And he had brought this storm down upon their heads. He stalked his BattleMaster down River Road and then took a turn down Mercer Road. Low clouds the color of gunmetal wreathed the sky, the miasma of war filled the air. And Davion was about to add more. A flatbed truck passed behind him, carrying ammunition and ar- mor rescued from Corean. Davion just hoped they’d be able to recover at least one of the Legionnaires, too. He turned down Corston Avenue and stopped. He stood there, before an oil refinery, a maze of silver pipes and valves and tanks. Oil pumped from offshore wells was shipped here for distillation. It was a mammoth facility designed to feed Avalon City’s insatiable appetite for gasoline and heating oil. Davion toggled his comms set. “New Avalon Actual, confirm tar- get clear.” “Force ANGLICO, target clear, Marshal.” ANGLICO was the code name for a team of spotters who usu- ally called in artillery or naval gunfire. This time they had taken on BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps a different mission. They’d worked with the plant’s engineers to energize every pump in the facility. Open every valve. Millions of liters of gasoline and light, sweet crude poured out onto plant’s ferrocrete deck. Volatile gasses filled the air. Davion lowered his left arm. He reached out and triggered a pair of small pulse lasers. There was a flash of emerald light and then suddenly the plant was consumed by a glowing white fireball the size of a DropShip. He heard the boom, even through his cockpit. The massive con- cussion rattled the teeth in Davion’s head and staggered his 85-ton BattleMech. Shrapnel battered his massive machine, pounding like angry hail. And then in an instant it was over. The explosion was gone, replaced by something else. A tower of fire, yellow-orange flames licking at the remnants of the hydrocarbons, clawing their way twenty, thirty meters into the leaden sky until they gave way to a column of billowing black smoke. His gift to Word of Blake. To Avitue. Post-game wrap. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Westbound on the M26 Motorway For Robert Doucette, the ride was a nightmare, trapped in the back of an APC, breathing in diesel exhaust, his left hand shackled to a steel padeye above his head, his butt pressed into the APCs canvas benches, grinding against one of the steel supports. But none of that was the really bad part. The really bad part was Pops, slumped up against him on his right. The old MechWarrior was chalk white and his breathing was shallow and labored. Pops winced and gasped with every pothole the APC rolled over, every piece of debris its wheels found, every jar, every shock. And it was puzzling, too. If the Wobbies had taken Corean then why the long ride? They’d taken Doucette’s watch when they’d been captured, but he was certain they’d been riding for more than an hour, maybe closer to two. And he’d heard the hum of the APC crossing a bridge, probably the floating bridge, which meant they were moving northwest. What the hell was going on? Doucette, glanced at the soldiers sitting across from them, their backs up against the APCs steel bulkhead, weapons out. They might as well have been carved out of stone for all the emotion they showed. Doucette tried to swallow in a dry mouth. “Hey, any chance we could divert to your base camp?” He jerked his head at Pops. “He’s not in very good shape.” Nothing. Like he’d asked a statue for the time. “Or at least give him some water and slow down.” The soldier looked thoughtfully at Doucette, grabbed the barrel of his slug thrower, and clubbed the leftenant in the face. Pain exploded in Doucette’s face and then darkness swept over him. The question of where they were going or whether Pops would live or die, suddenly unimportant. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Eagle-class WarShip Mordred, Low Planetary Orbit About New Avalon Precentor Muradian was still smiling when the gray patch of ferrocrete and glass that was Avalon City rotated into view. The thread of blue that was the Thames bisected the city before losing itself in the crumpled relief of the mountains to the north. Are you watching? he asked the city. Because you are about to see the end of all that you know. All that you love. “You have weapons free, Deck Officer. You may fire at will.” Muradian heard a slight pause instead of the crisp repeat-back he’d expected. He turned to peer into the darkness. “Excuse me, Precentor,” said the Deck Officer. “I have no clear targets.” “What?” Muradian shouted. Then he glanced back at the world beneath his feet. Avalon City in all its glory, yes, but south of it an ugly smudge of gray. “Big telescope,” he snapped. “Put it up on the main screen, right now.” The image of New Avalon was replaced by a projection of the planet below, or rather the blanket of gray-black smoke hiding the planet below. Visual targeting was out. “Thermal imaging,” Muradian snarled. The realtime visual was instantly replaced by one painted in false greens overlaying a map of North Hopton. Huge parts of the image were washed away by bright white splotches of lights. Gas stations and factories were burning and the refinery was an in- ferno. He peered closer at the diagram, picking out beads of emerald green moving up and down Hopton’s shattered streets. “There,” Muradian shouted. “There is Davion. Engage.” “But sir—” began the Deck Officer, but Muradian saw it before the man could get the words out. There was a flare of emerald light, followed by another. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps ’Mechs shooting at each other. Muradian ground his teeth. He couldn’t fire into North Hopton, not without hitting his own forces. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps River Road, North Hopton, South of Avalon City Distracted by his thoughts Davion didn’t notice the other ’Mech until it fired on him. A Cerberus painted in the red, white, blue of the Assault Guards, popped out from behind a building and speared Davion in the chest with its medium pulse lasers. Davion fired back with one of his medium lasers, leaving a scorch mark on the big machine’s paint, but doing no real damage to the armor underneath. The Cerberus ducked back behind the building and Davion lis- tened to the reports coming over his radio. “Crushers Actual, this is Crushers Charlie Two Three, River is clear north of Leigh Avenue.” “This is Crushers Alpha One Four. Estimate that River will be clear north of 17th in five min--” “New Avalon Actual, Crushers Actual. Updated report from North Albion. Mordred is maneuvering. Overhead in two-three minutes.” Davion cut in to the all-unit circuit. “All right, that’s it, Crushers. Cease all recovery efforts. Execute immediate withdrawal, now, NOW, NOW.” BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Westbound on the M26 Motorway Even over a thousand kilometers, Avitue could hear the indeci- sion in Muradian’s voice and it mad her sick. It made her furious. “Muradian, you must hit the Assault Guards. Hit them now.” “Precentor, I have no way to separate our troops from theirs.” “Our troops should be clear.” “I’m seeing signs of ’Mech-on-’Mech fire. Picking up chatter on Word of Blake freqs.” Avitue chewed her lower lip, thinking furiously. Only about half her units had mustered. Were the rest destroyed or were they try- ing to fight their way free of the Assault Guards? And did it matter? If she could destroy Davion and the Crushers, wouldn’t it be worth the sacrifice Maybe. But not yet. “Muradian, use the Blakist forces in North Hopton as spotters. Have them direct your fire.” “Precentor, we weren’t able to synch with the fleeing Blakist units before our orbit carried us over the horizon.” Avitue gasped. In that instant she saw it all: Davion literally hid- ing within the fog of war, staging mock battles between his ’Mechs, generating false message traffic over Blakist frequencies, all to cover his withdrawal. “Muradian. You will engage all ’Mech targets immediately.” “I repeat, Precentor, I cannot differentiate between Fed ’Mechs and Blakist ’Mechs.” “You fool,” Avitue exploded. “There are no Blakist ’Mechs.” BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps River Road, North Hopton, South of Avalon City Jackson Davion stood on the banks of the Thames, watching his ’Mechs march into the river. He had divided his forces into three parts. He had sent Zibler and Alpha Company north with the trucks carrying what could be salvaged from Corean and the Legion proj- ect. He’d sent Bravo southeast to fade back into Acheron. While Charlie slipped beneath the Thames, their heat signatures hidden by the river. Despite Zibler’s protests, Davion had made his place at the back of the line. This was one time he didn’t mind letting his troops go first. The long line of ’Mechs moved smartly but carefully down the reinforced cargo ramp. Davion was the last to gain the safety of the river, the last to see the gray-blue water close over his cock- pit. Leaving nothing behind in the war-torn city of North Hopton but a sudden, final silence. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page  BattleCorps Westbound on the M26 Motorway “Precentor.” Avitue heard the hesitation in Muradian’s voice and closed her eyes. “Go ahead,” she said icily. “We maneuvered boack into firing position and--” He drew a deep breath and Avitue could almost picture the color draining from his face. “The enemy forces have disappeared.” Of course. “Avitue, out,” she said crisply. She’d let Muradian wonder if he’d keep his head. “Damn you, Jackson Davion,” she whispered. I will not lose to you again. On the blood of the Holy Blake Himself. Not. Again. BattleCorps Post-Game Wrap • Page 0 BattleCorps Undetermined Location Doucette awoke to darkness. His face felt curiously swollen and puffy. He touched his right cheek and white flashes exploded be- hind his eyes and he gasped. Now that was a mistake. W-where am I? Darkness. But not black. Dim gray light, filtering through-- Window. He closed his eyes. A small window, maybe thirty centimeters by ten. Pipes running through room. Ductwork. The high-pitched whine of…equipment. He tried to bring his left hand up, but it was secured to the cot he was lying on. So, he was a prisoner. But in a make-shift prison. In an…equipment room. The cuff was loose on his wrist and by twisting around and con- torting his left hand he was able to pull it free. He propped himself up into a sort of hunched-over sitting position. He saw-- Pops. Pops was laying on a cot next to him. His color looked better, though it was hard to tell for sure in the light. And then a shadow moved in the semi-darkness. A man’s voice said, “I see you’re awake.” W-who was that? Sounded familiar. The man took a step forward and the dusty light from the window illuminated a kind face with wide brown eyes. Doucette blinked rapidly trying to— It was Jerry…Evans. No. That was a lie. That wasn’t this man’s name. This man was… Geoffrey Zucker.

textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/EXTRA/Novels/Battlecorps Novels/Isle of the Blessed Bk2 Chap1 - Steven Mohan Jr.pdf

25 Witches of Hagswallow Harpy Tower ~ Ground Level Scale = 5 ft. 26 Witches of Hagswallow Harpy Tower ~ Third Level Witches of Hagswallow Harpy Tower ~ Second Level Scale = 5 ft. Scale = 5 ft. 27 Scale = 5 ft. Witches of Hagswallow Harpy Tower ~ Cellar Level 28 S Scale = 5 ft. Witches of Hagswallow Temple of Vyrkolas - 2nd Level 29 [t] S S Scale = 5 ft. Witches of Hagswallow Temple of Vyrkolas - 3nd Level 30

textdata/thevault/Battleaxes & Beasties (osr)/Witches of Hagswallow/WoH Maps.pdf

Gary Gygax’s The Epic of Ærth™ Addenda A Mythus™ Supplement By: Greg Timm Edited By: Alan Kellogg Note: This is the fourth edition of this treatise, and an effort has been made to correct mistakes from the ear- lier editions and provide a bit more background than was previously available. Questions, comments and cor- rections should be e-mailed to: gt@tctc.com. Thanks! The Following Information May Be Added To The Section On Subterranean Ærth (pgs. 44 - 47) THE GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE of ÆRTH The purpose of this treatise is to provide a more in- depth look at the structure and composition of Ærth’s crustal and intercrustal layers. The upper 100 miles of Ærth’s planetary surface is much the same as that of Earth. There is a granitic crust averaging 5 to 10 miles in thickness of which the continental masses are com- prised and which the oceans overlay. Below this is the Outer Lithosphere of gabbro which extends down for about 50 miles under whic is the Outer Asthenosphere composed of partially molten basalt which experiences convection currents within its substance and extends down to about the 100-mile depth. Below these layers a phase change in materials occurs, there being an “ultradense matter” mantle which is largely magma consisting of silicates of aluminum, magnesium, iron, and a bit of hekalite. Near the center of this mantle is a highly compressed iron and nickel layer at a tempera- ture of around 2700° F. (1500° C.). It is from this layer that Ærth derives its magnetic field. The mantle and the central metal band are the center of gravity and are about 800 miles thick, then the layers reverse.That is, there is a 50-mile thick Inner Astheno- sphere followed by a 50-mile thick Inner Lithosphere which in turn is followed by an Inner Crust. Suspended at the center of the Ærth, within its hol- low interior and roughly 2800 miles above the surface, is a sphere of pure hekalite some 400 miles in diameter. This sphere supplies continual light and heat to the in- terior (primarily visible light and infrared, virtually no ultraviolet) and emits a field which keeps the globe suspended in the center. It also emits the enigmatic heka energy which infuses the entire planet and its im- mediate vicinity in space. The sphere is believed to have caused the development of many of the strangely evolved lifeforms found in the warrens of Subterra- nean Ærth, as well as causing the formation of the very rare elemental gems. The only known access to the Interior Ærth from the outside (barring magickal means) are at either polar region.There exist openings beyond the ice floes. The northern being about 1100 miles wide and the southern one some 1000 miles. These openings are almost con- tinually surrounded by obscuring cloud masses where the interior and exterior air masses meet and mix. SUBTERRANEAN ÆRTH Subterranean Ærth refers to that portion of the sub- surface crust which is actually inhabited by various representatives of flora and fauna. This then covers the tunnels and chambers down to a depth of about three miles. Beyond this depth, the temperature exceeds 160° F. and the presence of hydrogen sulfide, methane and carbon monoxide make it virtually uninhabitable (certain micro-organisms notwithstanding). The Sub- terranean world is divided into three regions: Shal- lowshadow, Midgloom and Deepdark. Shallowshadow consists of the upper levels of the subterranean cave systems, and has a fairly constant temperature of 55º F. Relatively small amounts of mushrooms and other fungi form the basis for the food chain, which includes isopods, slugs, spiders, beetles, crickets, bats, cave salamanders, blindfish, and blind crayfish. Water is actually fairly common in many of the larger chambers, though most of the tunnels are quite dry. In the Midgloom regions the temperature begins to rise (60° to 80° F) and many of the stranger forms of life in subterranean Ærth begin to manifest themselves in greater numbers. Fluorescent minerals and phospho- rescent plants actually provide a dim lighting in many areas of this region. Many large caverns (some nearly a mile in extent) exist in this region and large amounts of fungi, in a multitude of shapes and sizes, grow here as well as many exotic and dangerous forms of plant life. Water is plentiful and a multitude of large chambers are filled with it. Streams of impressive volume exist, as well as many notable waterfalls. Deepdark is a predominantly hot region which has many huge chambers, including some sizable under- ground lakes. Some are several miles across, and re- ports of veritable subterranean seas exist, having depths in excess of 1000 feet. In some of the lower and larger chambers pools of hot asphalt and tar or molten sulfur, fumaroles and geysers, and outbreakings of magma are said to be found. Fungal and floral forms are plentiful all the way down to the nether borders of this region, and many bizarre (and often deadly!) sorts of animals are prevalent as well. THE ECOSYSTEMS OF INTERIOR ÆRTH There are several factors which keep the various re- gions of Interior Ærth —Outer, Intermediate, and Equatorial— distinct in regards to the fauna inhabiting them. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere of the exterior, it is winter likewise in the interior, and the same is true for winter in the Southern Hemisphere. As cooler air pours in from the polar openings and dis- places the lighter warm air, snow and ice form, and heavy mist and clouds obscure the normally constant daylight of the interior polar areas. This occurrence of cold fronts keeps the warm climate life forms from spreading beyond the Equatorial and Intermediate re- gions. Other agents also play a role in determining which animals can exist in which regions. Foremost are the in- terior oceanic bodies and the specific regions in which various groups of vegetation exist. Sandwiched be- tween the Azirian Ocean to the Interior East and the Vargaardian and Amazonian Oceans to the Interior West, is the Cretaceous region. This area is largely warm plains with some rather large expanses of rain- forest. Much of the vegetation can also be found on the Exterior of Ærth. Trees include redwood, maple, wil- low, sassafras, pine, magnolia, and live oak. Sedges, horsetails, fan palms, and palmetto are also prevalent. This region’s climate ranges from warm and dry in the plains to hot and wet in the rainforests. Nestled be- tween the Sea of Magmur, the Azirian Ocean and the Afrikan Ocean one finds the Jurassic region. This is an area of steamy swamps and jungles with hot beaches. Vegetation includes cycads, ferns, tree ferns, ginkgo, horsetails, and various conifers. Some of the last of great height. Finally, located between the Æropan and Afrikan Oceans on one side and the Vargaardian and Amazonian Oceans on the other, there lies the Triassic region. Here grows primitive conifers, ferns, cycads, and horsetails. Around the mountainous more arid ar- eas of the Interior East of this regions one finds a place that supports Permian types of vegetation and fauna. Vegetation here is primarily horsetails, conifers, ferns, and seed ferns with afauna of primitive mammal-like reptiles and early therapsids. In the swamps along the strait between the Vargaardian and Amazonian Oceans there is flora of the Devonian-Carboniferous sort; psilo- phytes, giant club mosses, calamites, ferns, tree ferns, and cordaites. Many insects, arachnids and myriapods are found in this region as well as primitive sorts of amphibians and legged fish. To the north and south of all of these regions are found the Intermediate Bands, where dwell evolved forms of therapsids, crocodilians, lizards, and snakes that prey successfully both on saurians and mammals and, thus, abeting the climate in separating the life forms. Regarding the native sophonts of Interior Ærth, the Theriopodid humanoids are found in the Equatorial Band. The Pithecanthropids are found in the southern hemisphere, along with scattered bands of Homo hab- ilis, Australopithecines, and Neanderthals. The Cro- Magnon and other groups of early modern humans are found in the northern hemisphere. METALS of ÆRTH & PHÆREE There are several metals peculiar to Ærth and Phæree which deserve some mention at this point. They are: Adamantine: A silvery, almost translucent metal that is nearly twice as strong as steel and has a higher melting point. It is often used in the manufacture of magickal arms and armor of unsurpassed quality —though only the most effective of heka-forgers and smiths can work it, and sometimes used as coinage. Some alchemists believe that this is an odd metallic form of diamond. Some deposits are found in Ægypt, Manchuria and Hy Braseal. Findrina: A silver-colored metal with the strength of bronze found exclusively in Phæree. It is favored by the Shee, who use Heka to improve its qualities. Hekalite: A silvery mineral with small glowing motes of light within the matrix. It is infused with heka energy, but whether it is the source or that it gathers and stores the force from its surroundings is still a mat- ter for debate. Hekalite is a prerequisite material in the manufacture of many of the more powerful enchanted items. This mineral is usually brought up from Subter- ranean Ærth, but deposits are found in the Avillonian Kingdom, Ægypt, Pohjola, and Hy Braseal. It is fairly common in Phæree, and its odd counterpart, the purplish-black anti-hekalite, is found in Interior Phæree. Oricalcum: This metal is known mostly from Atlantl and the Rowona-Ahuke border in Lemuria. It has a color similar to molten copper and a hardness slightly greater than gold. It is used mostly in decorative met- alwork and coinage, but when alloyed with bronze it makes quite impressive and serviceable armor or weaponry. ADDENDA & ERRATA: MYTHUS: Epic Of Ærth (The page number indicates where in the Epic of Ærth Manual the error-correction or addition is to be inserted) Venomous Fauna (pg. 39) Some jellyfish, coneshells, and octopi are also quite poisonous; notably from the Great Reef off the east coast of Magmur. Treat venoms as 50/50/25 to 70/70/35. Fauna of Ærth table (pg. 40) Correction: The Llama is incorrectly designated as be- ing native to Vaargard and should be designated as Amazonian. Ægypt (pg. 65 - 66) Mention must be made of the city of Alexandria with its huge and comprehensive library and the 500-foot tall lighthouse (pharos) guarding its harbor, rebuilt af- ter being nearly destroyed by an ærthquake. The Palace of the Ptolomies was recently discovered just off shore and is being moved to dry land and restored. Afula (pg. 66) The Afula (or, Fulani) are tribes existing north of the Mandingu in West Afrik. They raise chickens, goats and sheep, and grow millet, rice and sorghum for food. They are paler of skin than most of the Black race of Af- rik, appearing more like the Berbers to the north. Many of these tribes have been absorbed by the west- ward expansion of Darfur. Aleyeska (pg. 68) This huge peninsula of northwest Vargaard is named for a native word meaning “Great Country”. It is a diverse region, with tundra and ice to the north, mountains and plateaus in the central section (including Mt. Aleyeska, 20,300' in height) and a tem- perate south coast with wooded fjords. It is inhabited by the Tlingit tribes to the west and south, and the Inuit peoples to the north and east. Bear (both brown and polar), caribou, seals, hares, wolves, salmon, and cod are common; as are spruce, fir, birch, poplar, tun- dra mosses, and grasses. Some mineral wealth, includ- ing gold, exists but is currently unexploited. Amazonia (pg.69) The Amazon River Basin and Rain Forest constitute a huge portion of Amazonia, but are largely unex- plored. The river itself is nearly 4200 miles in length. The flora includes trees such as andira, vochysia, sapo- dilla, cacao, mahogany, brasil nut, peanuts, and kapok; as well as an assortment of lianas, epiphytes, orchids, and ferns. Fauna ranges from ocelots, tailed monkeys, capybaras, sloths, tapirs, and armored anteaters to par- rots, toucans, caimans, boas, anacondas, and iguanas. Colorful tree frogs, butterflies, moths and katydids are abundant, and here one finds the trooping army ants. Electric eels and piranha are to be found in the river and streams along with the 10' long arapaima and the endless variety of tropical fish. A variety of the leech found in some tributaries grows to over a foot-and-a- half in length! Mineral wealth includes tin, silver, gold, diamonds, topazes, and emeralds. Rumors exist of towering plateaus (called tepui) within the forest, the tops of which are said to have vegetation and animals of bygone ages dwelling thereon. Primitive tribes such as the Aguaruna, Txukahamai, Kayapo, and Yanomamo —using blowgun darts tipped with such poisons as curare and arrow-poison frog venom— dwell within this forested area, as well as the Onaxares (see Mythus Ærth Bestiary). They raise manioc (cassava) to supplement their diets. Also of note is the legendary region of El Dorado with its capital city of Manoa, rumored to be located somewhere in the northern part of the Amazon Rain Forest. It is said to be the home of an advanced society, having buildings decorated with silver, gold and emer- alds. Apache (pg. 69) This region includes nomadic tribes such as the Jicar- illa, Chiricahua, Mescalero, and Navaho (which all speak the Athabascan dialect); as well as sedentary tribes like the Pueblo, Hopi and Zuni (who speak the Uto-Teclan dialect). The nomadic people hunt buffalo, peccaries and jackrabbits and dwell in wickiups made of brush, or sod-covered hogans in the case of the Na- vaho. They use bow and spear to hunt game, and make baskets and weave textiles. The Pueblo and other set- tled peoples tend to dwell in structures composed of adobe and stone and raise crops such as maize, sun- flowers, squash, and wheat. The Pueblo are famous for their pottery, woven goods and jewelry of copper, sil- ver and turquoise. The terrain of this region is mostly arid plain, desert, or mountainous, the vegetation in the territory ranging from grasses to desert flora such as sagebrush, creosote, mesquite, saguaro, prickly pear, and yucca. The total population of these tribes of native Vargaardians is around 45,000. There is a legend of seven cities of pueblo-like dwell- ings located somewhere in the mesa lands which are said to be rich in gold, but further information is lack- ing. A continual guerilla war is waged by the nomadic tribes of the region against the invading Teclans from the south, who are also distracted by a war with Muya. Atlantlis (pg. 71) The worship of Qalkhru, black kraken god of death, misfortune and piracy is currently quite prevalent in this nation. There are two very lavish xaquagi racing stadiums in Atlantis City, resembling the Circus Maxi- mus of Rome, but much older in origin. It is rumored that several heka-powered metallic flying machines known as vailxi are hidden in a cave of the Atlantlchol Mountains within this nation. Some of the dangerous marine flora off the coast of Atlantl should be mentioned; notably the Black-and- White Tiger Crab which grows to 200 pounds and can be quite deadly to unwary swimmers, and the Crimson Moray with its venomous bite (20/20/10). These both dwell in the deeper waters just beyond the coastal reefs. In addition to other critters already mentioned, the ermine, mink, stoat, and fox are all found here, as well as crocodiles, adders, vipers, hawks, vultures, and rooks. Correction: Lake Artax is roughly 100 miles long by 75 miles wide. Babylonia (pg. 72) The sultan is referred to as lugal in the Old Babylo- nian tongue; his vassals—the bey—serving as regional governors are called ensi, the high priest of each deity is referred to as an en, and his grand vizier is known as a sukkalmah. Though the language of Babylonia is re- ferred to as ‘Sumerian’, it is actually an agglomeration of Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian with a smatter- ing of Yarbic and Turkic as well. Magickal devices also include the Palu (literally, “term of rulership”), the Divine Weapon of the Babylo- nian pantheon, said to have been bestowed upon the ecclesiastia by Ea himself. This is kept within a vault of the 300-foot tall Etemenanki; also called the Tower of Babylon. The folk of this region enjoy a simple board game that was developed in ancient Ur. Bedouin (pg. 73) These nomadic tribesmen dwell in the desolate lands just south of the Phoenecian principalities of North Af- rik. They are mainly of Yarbic-Babylonian descent, hav- ing originated from the jihads which swept from Near Azir, and their mode of dress is similar to that found in Yarbay. They ride upon camels and dwell in tents made of camelskin. Benin (pg. 74) Products from this kingdom include palm oil, in- digo, cotton and ivory. The people refer to their king as oba. The juju (medicine man/sorceror) of each village is elected for a period of seven years. To the southeast of this kingdom is the center of the secret society known as egbo, whose members serve as judges and adminis- trators for the region. They possess a seccret form of writing called nsibidi, and their order has seven grades: ekpiri ngbe, ebu nko, mbawkaw, ndibu, oku akama, eturi, and nkanda Caledonia (pg. 82) The Caledonians are noted as fierce fighters, their slogan being “Raise not the ire of the Lion of Caledo- nia!” Among their favored weapons is the claidhaemmor (claymore sword). Cherokia (pg. 86 - 87) The Cherokian tribe is divided into seven matrilineal clans. As well as hunting and fishing, they raise maize, sweet potatoes, squash, and sunflowers in their vil- lages. Their dwellings are generally made of thatch over wooden frames. Tomahawks are the favored weapons of battle. The forests of their territories con- sist mainly of white oak, live oak, maple, pecan, and willow. Cholcan (pg. 88) This Atlantlan government possesses the amazing Starmetal Sword; a broadsword composed of meteoric alloy that is anathema to magick and said to be able to nullify heka of even Entital level (treat wielder as hav- ing an R factor of 5000!). It is said that some of the At- lantlan deities are uneasy about this weapon and its implications… Colzuvan (pg. 88 - 89) Yntygka, octopus-headed god of sailors and enemy of Qalkhru, is the object of popular worship here. Hasur (pg. 103 - 104) The king of this nation is called a melek. Under him serve several priest-judges known as shofets, and each major city and its surrounding territory is overseen by a rab. Hawai‘i (pg. 104) These volcanic islands to the west of Vargaard and north-east of Lemuria have a population of around 200,000 living in a tribal society ruled by a kingship (Kamehameha VI). The priestly caste of medicine men is known as kahunas, and they are strong wielders of mana (heka). The other strata of society are: ali‘i (the nobility), maka‘ainana (the commoners) and kauwa (the outcasts). The islanders subsist mainly upon fish, mol- luscs, crustaceans, coconuts, pineapple, taro, and kava. Several Lemurian states would undoubtedly like to ab- sorb this kingdom into their own (such as Tonuia and Muavinapu), but distance and politics upon the main- land prevent them from devoting any real effort. These folk have a small naval force based upon a type of cata- maran. Hiluo (pg. 106) The folk of this nation are agrarian in nature, raising cassava, coconuts, plantain, pineapple, papaya, and mangoes. They hunt the jungle fringes and catch sea- food for their meat. Though there is some malachite and native copper to be found, as well as tin, their im- plements and weapons tend to be made of wood, stone, coral, and bone. The location of this nation pro- vides its greatest defense, as well as the possession of a powerful artifact that allows its wielder to turn fierce predators of the jungle and sea against intruders. Hispanola (pg. 107-108) The society of this land includes the mestizo (Arawak-Atlantlan or Arawak-Iberian mix), the Creole (Black-Iberian mix) and the aristocrats of the Haciendae (landed estates). The municipal areas are run by an Al- calde. On the isle of Cabao Rey, the voudon religion is popular among much of the population, and led by the houngans (priests) and mambos (priestesses). Hyperborea (pg. 109) It is said that in the arctic north of Pohjola there ex- ists a volcanically heated mountainous country known as Hyperborea. Palms, ferns, bromeliads, and other tropical plants grow in the steamy valleys and animals of Ærth’s Paleocene and Eocene eras wander therein. The southern boundary of this land is the Riphaean Mountains. A human civilization flourishes here as well, ruled by the apparently immortal wizard-priest Abaris. An artifact of great power, the Golden Javelin, is in his possession. Inca (pg. 109-110) Inca is noted for its well-kept roadways, vine-rope suspension bridges, terraced fields, and use of ‘quipu’ (knotted, colored counting strings used for inventory). Its efficient foot courier system allows messages to travel up to 150 miles per day. Agriculture consists mainly of maize and potatoes, though several plants in- digenous to the semi-tropical highlands are also util- ized including cacao (for chocolate), cherimoya (a fruit tasting like a combination of banana and pineapple), and the leaves of the coca tree (chewed as a stimulant). Cotton is grown as well, having shades of white, brown and mauve. Despite the introduction of horses, llamas and alpacas remain the primary beasts of bur- den as well as sources of food and wool. The amazo- nian devil is honored for its ferocity and curiousity. Iroukia (pg. 111) The Iroukian peoples dwell in longhouses made of wooden poles and covered by sheets of bark. In fact they refer to themselves as ho-de-no-sau-nee (“people of the longhouse”). Each has a smoke hole in the roof over an enclosed fire hearth, and several families live in the structure. Their towns are often surrounded by palisades constructed from tall, wooden stakes. They manufacture canoes of wooden frames covered by birch bark slabs. Their clans are matrilineal with women enjoying a fairly high status within this culture. The tribes will sometimes meet in a Grand Council of 50 sachems (chiefs). These people hunt deer, duck and small game as well as raising maize, beans, squash, ap- ples, and strawberries. The forests in their area are largely of maple, oak, birch, hornbeam, sumac, pitch pine, and white pine. Bow and arrows, carved wooden clubs and the tomahawk are the preferred weapons of battle. The ganeo'q (the drum-dance of thanks) and the ostowegowa (great feather dance of thanks) —both to their creator god (Haweniyo)— are quite interesting. The wasase is their dance of war. An alliance between the Potawatomi, Miami and Shawnee tribes to the west —formed to repel Æropean invaders— is viewed as a potential threat as it unites a population of over 30,000. Khitai (pg. 117) Somewhere above the rhododendron and bamboo thickets of the Byakalan Range lie the cursed pools known as jhusenkyou, which are said to have transfor- mational properties for any who bathe or fall in their waters. Kolok Island (pg. 118) Though nominally a portion of Vekanu, this island —covered by jungle growth— is virtually uninhabited by man except for fierce natives of the hunter-gatherer ilk. The island is particularly active volcanically, and obsidian and sharpened basalt are commonly used in weaponry. Kongo (pg. 118) This region of Afrika —currently ruled by the head chief Ngurumo-Kubwa of the Bakongo Bantu tribe— is mostly rain forest, with acacia savanna to the south and highlands to the east. The legendary Mountains of the Moon with their snow-covered peaks are found in this region, some with heights of over 17,600 feet. Some- where to the east of these in uncharted territory is said to be a massive freshwater lake named Lake Osiris by explorers from Meroe. Forest swine, okapi, civets, squirrels, monkeys, hornbills, chimpanzees, and croco- diles are typical fauna of the forest, and insects are well represented; including the dreaded tsetse fly and driver ants. Gorillas dwell in the eastern, forested highlands. Deep in the forest is said to dwell the mokele mbembe, a great elephantine beast with a long neck and long, thick tail. Said to be a form of sauropod. Around 50,000 pygmies of the Mbuti tribe dwell within the forests’ confines. Ebony from the diospyros trees, mahogany, teak, rubber, plantains and bananas, raffia palm fiber cloth, and ivory (said to be harvested from a hidden ‘elephant’s graveyard’ in the east) are noted exports. Small quantities of salt, copper, iron, gold, and silver are also occasionally traded. Lakota (pg. 119) The peoples of “The Seven Council Fires” are very tall, and nomadic in their ways. They dwell in teepees hunting buffalo and pronghorn in the tall grasses of the plains with spear and bow. For combat they favor the tomahawk and round shields of leather over wooden frames. They dominate their neighbors, the Ojibwa, Cree, Blackfeet, Crow, Pawnee, and Kiowa. The Sun Dance is their most important religious ceremony. Lemi-Lemu (pg. 120) Lemi-Lemu has vast supplies of copper, as well as deposits of tin, silver, lead, gold, zinc, nitrates, sulfur, salt, garnets, and emeralds. The folk here cultivate cas- sava, coconuts, pineapple, bananas, breadfruit, pota- toes, tomatoes, sugar cane, and sapodilla. They raise the guanaco (a relative of the llama) and tapir for food, leather and wool; gathering seafood along the coasts. In the wilds of the hilly regions and swamps be- tween this nation and Mu are found many creatures, including megasloths, hippoceri (toxodonti), toradillos, tapirephants, peccaries, emu, condors, parrots, boas, crocodiles, and caimans. The eastern and southern ter- rain of Lem-Lemu consists of coastal mangrove swamps and tropical rainforests featuring palms, ferns, orchids, geraniums, tree ferns, lobeliads, epiphytes, and sandalwood. To the west, the terrain becomes more akin to the pampas of Amazonia, and vegetation consists mostly of various grasses and scattered acacia. Slavery is common here, but nowhere near to that found in Mu. The bulk of the population are serfs, fol- lowed by a middle class of merchants and artisans. Luhiva Jungle (pg. 122) This northwestern section of Lemuria —bounded by the Ofua Mountains to the south— is inhabited by wild tribesmen and horrible beasts found nowhere else, in- cluding a giant form of the Komodo dragon (see: Colo- sitor, pg. 69 in the Mythus Ærth Bestiary) and a 3' long variety of venomous spider. A freshwater fish very similar to the piranha of Amazonia is found in many of the streams in this region. In addition there are wild pigs, jaguars, lemurs, boas, crocodiles, parrots, and hawks, as well as prehistoric species such as thyla- cotherium, boerhyaena, machairodi, and glyptodont. The jungle is mostly tree ferns, black beech, calophyl- lum, eucalyptus, fig, and many varieties of ferns, creep- ers and flowering plants. Mangroves, coconuts and candelabra pines dot the coasts. Expeditions from Tonuia have vanished in this re- gion, but the Phagu of Hiluo to the east has a device that exercises some control over the terrible creatures dwelling here, and allows passage of small groups from that nation. In addition to the aforementioned hazards, typhoid, malaria and dysentery are prevalent enough to make the region even more hostile to outsid- ers! Lyonesse (pg. 124) Along with all of its other bounties mention needs to be made of this nation’s wondrous honey supplied by the bees of its many apiaries, its outstanding dairy cat- tle (which give vast supplies of milk and creamy butter), and the salmon and trout of its rivers and lochs. The great Bard Colleges should also be noted, which under Brehon Law contain seven grades; the highest of which is called Ollamh (usually achieved after a mini- mum of ten years of study). The bards of the schools of Lyonesse generally wear blue clothing to mark their calling. Likewise, those of the Ovate calling wear green while those who are of Druid station wear white. It is important to note that in addition to their religious du- ties Druids also serve as judges and teachers. At least one important portal to Phæree exists within the con- fines of this nation. Many creatures of the Seelie and Hobgoblin sort are known to use it to visit Ærth. There is a type of chess game that is most commonly preferred in this nation called gwyddbwyll (or, fidchell). Magmur (pg. 125) The least explored continent of Ærth, Magmur has temperate coastal plains, an arid interior (the Ganu- umu), tropical jungles to the north, and the Great Bar- rier Reef extending off of its entire eastern coast. Men- tion should also be made of Uluru, a massive red sand- stone monolith held sacred by the Magmurians which rises over 1100 feet above the surrounding Ganuumu Desert in the north. The marine waters around this continent are home to the most venomous sea creatures of Ærth (coneshell, seawasp jellyfish, sea snake, blue- ringed octopus, and stonefish), as well as sharks, barra- cudas, and giant clams. The dry inland deserts are home to the deadly tiger snake, death adder, funnel- web spider, and desert scorpion. Many interesting ani- mals are to be found. These include kangaroos, walla- bies, dingoes, koalas, and platypuses. Flora includes spinifex grass, kunzea, desert pea, bottle brush, golden wattle, eucalyptus, desert oak, and acacia in the drier regions and ferns, palms, cycads, tree ferns, orchids, breadfruit, and coconuts in the wetter areas. A species of mountain ash found here grows to over 300 feet in height! In the far northwestern portions of the upper peninsula can be found cloves and nutmeg. The Magmurians of the Ganuumu Desert and the eastern, southern and western coasts along with the Papuans of the northern jungles are of the Magmurian Black race. One of the oldest races on Ærth. The Mag- murians carry little more with them than two sticks for starting fires, a small supply of food (often dried worms!) and weapons (stone knives, boomerang, spear, and woomera [spear-thrower]). Their various clans are based on "Dreamtime" ancestors. There are several rudimentary Lemurian colonies located on the eastern and southern coastal areas. Small amounts of gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper have been mined here. Mandan (pg. 129) These folk refer to themselves as numakaki and live in dome-shaped, earth-covered lodges with stockades around the villages. The shaman, as healer and com- municator with spirits, is a vital member of each com- munity. They raise maize, beans, pumpkins, and sun- flowers as well as hunt buffalo and deer. They manu- facture much pottery. Their weapons of choice are bow and lance. The Mandan are able to communicate amongst their tribes with a form of sign language. Mandingu (pg. 129) These tribesmen are found within the lower region of Western Afrika, currently ruled by Samori III. They often skirmish with Dakhlan and Senegal. They incor- porate captives into their army as an alternative to en- slavement, thus solidifying their holdings. These folk trade in gold dust and cattle, and harvest yams, oil palm nuts and plantains for food. They also have many iron foundries and make their weapons of that metal. They utilize cowrie shells as a form of money, 10 shells approximately equaling 1 BUC. Movare Desert (pg. 135) This is the desolate home of the Eahoi Tribes, who subsist as nomadic bandits. They often use an archaic form of camel-llama (Camelops) for mounts. The pre- dominant vegetation here is cacti, mulga, grasses, and some pandanus palms near the coast. The Ao Moun- tain Range stretches along its southern border, separat- ing it from the Caconeate of Mu. To the east in the Gulf of Chuna dwell particularly huge cuttlefish, and one 50-foot specimen is said to be an incarnation of Fe’e, the god of war, to whom human sacrifices are some- times given. Mu (pg. 135) This nation has productive mines of copper, tin, iron, gold, and coal. Basalt and marble are quarried for building use in the mountainous regions. Maize is raised in the rich plains, and cassava, potatoes, toma- toes, sugarcane, and pineapple are also harvested in various areas. Tapirs and a domesticated form of hairy hippoceri are kept for food, and rich catches of fish, shellfish and crustaceans are brought from the Gulf of Mu. Most of the terrain of Mu consists of fertile grass- lands, but the coastal areas have tropical vegetation similar to that found in Lemi-Lemu. Both Ahuke and Mu purport to possess the artifact known as The Shell of the Deep, and it has changed hands between the two nations several times; but the actual item is in the hands of Ahuke, while that held by Mu is a less powerful copy! Muavinapu (pg. 135 – 136) Most of the local economy consists of fishing and ag- riculture, with the fields fertilized using bird guano found in vast quanities along certain stretches of the coast. Pineapple, taro, kava, cassava, yams, and copra are all raised here. Small quantities of gold are found in the mountain streams of the east. It is believed that this nation has the largest sea navy of the Lemurian states. Muya (pg. 136) The Muyans have a highly sophisticated culture due to their contact with both Olmec-derived peoples and the Lemurians. Their language is a creole of their na- tive tongue mixed with a Lemurian vocabulary. The Muyans are distinct in appearance, with their pro- nounced nose, slanting forehead, black hair, and full lips. They have a very accurate calendar system and a system of writing that involves pictograms, which also have phonetic values. They build impressive stone step-pyramids with bases 200 feet on a side and rising steeply to nearly 100 feet in height. Broad staircases on all four sides climb the sides to wood and stone temples at the pinnacle. They also build “I”-shaped courts around 250 feet in length wherein they play an interesting sport involving propelling a hard, rubber ball through small stone hoops on either side of the court using flat, stone scoops. This is known as pok-ta-pok, and the leader of the losing team is often executed! The deities of the Muyans are, in fact, the Lemurian gods that were imposed upon them by their former masters. They include: Hunab Ku (supreme creator god), Itzamna (sky & moon god), Ixchel (goddess of fe- cundity), Hurakan (storm and wind deity), Kukulcan (serpent deity of culture & resurrection), Chaac (rain deity), Hunhau (death god), and Nacon (war deity, for whom the holkam-okat—“dance of warriors”—is performed). Sacrificial victims are usually disjointed, lacerated with obsidian or flint knives, and then de- capitated, or have their hearts cut out. The high priest is called Ac-ay. The land of their territory is mostly rain forest, with ceiba, mahogany, rosewood, logwood tree, sapodilla, cacao, lianas, ferns, and mosses growing about. Jag- uars, deer, monkeys, tapirs, coati, toucans, macaws, quetzal birds, and snakes are common. The soil is thin over the limestone bedrock, but through careful culti- vation and fallow techniques the Muyans are able to raise decent crops of maize and beans. An item of moderate power held by the Muya is the Obsidian Scrystone (Chay aba). Nippon (pg. 142) Nippon has an organized thieves’ guild known as the yakuza (treat as Physical vocation Thieves), and as- sassins known as ninja (“shadow warriors”) with a penchant for weapons such as shuriken, ninja-to, man- rikigusari (a weighted chain), nunchakus, and toxins. The samurai are similar to the knights of Æropa and fol- lows a code of behavior called bushido. Samurai who lose their master or become mercenaries are known as ronin. The kuge is the noble class, the heimin are the commoners, the chori are the outcasts, and the hinin are the beggars. Foreigners are somewhat disdainfully re- ferred to as gaijin. Many forms of martial arts are practiced in this na- tion, including karate and kempo (emphasizing hand and foot strikes), and jiu-jitsu and aikido (emphasizing throws, holds and locks). Sword strategy is referred to as kendo, and that of the staff as bojitsu. Nunavut (pg. 144) Across the northern section of Vargaard, beyond the Seven Great Lakes, exist the people known as Inuit (or Eskimo, to some of their neighbors). The name of this region means “our land” in the native language. They dwell in earthen-walled shelters with roofs made of stone slabs, animal bones or skins, or in the far north- ern reaches in dome-shaped igloos constructed from blocks of frozen snow. They hunt moose, caribou, geese, seals, walrus, narwhal, and beluga, and catch fish for food. They travel about on foot (aided by snow- shoes when necessary) or by water in kayaks —a type of canoe made by stretching animal hide over a bone or wooden frame—or umiaks, a larger boat. They have a complex system of tabus, but they are a cheerful and hospitable folk. There are perhaps 18,000 of these peo- ple dwelling here. Panay Sulu (pg. 145-146) The principal crops raised by the native folk include rice, coconuts, abaca (hemp), sugar, rubber, mangoes, and papayas. The largest native mammal is the red deer, and most natives subsist on fishing rather than hunting. The language is a Malayan dialect of Bisayan and Tagalog. Po~hai (pg. 148) The Po~hai navy is particularly known for its “dragon ships” (iron-clad, oar-propelled ships having a tortoise-like shell over the top and a dragon-head prow). Many of the inhabitants practice a martial art form emphasizing foot-strikes known as tae kwon do. Pukare (pg. 149) Primitive tribes inhabit this mysterious jungle area of Lemuria. Which has many dangerous bogs and quicksand patches in the northern region. Typical flora includes tree ferns, dubautia trees, sandalwood, coco- nut, breadfruit, papaya, mango, pepper trees, strangler fig, taro, hibiscus, tiare, geraniums, orchids, ferns, and lobeliads. The ill-rumored Lake of the Moon (Kamahina‘roto) is located in the center of this jungle; formed possibly by the collapse of a large volcanic cra- ter. Rumors say that there are strange volcanic caverns under and around the lake, fraught with sulfur pools, tar pits and gas pockets. Evil undead known as mauli are said to dwell here, the servants of the dread amor- phous and phosphorescent demon-god Terrim’ta. To the west, in the Bay of Sharks, is said to lurk a particu- larly huge specimen of Carcharodon megalodon that is believed to be an avatar of the shark god, Ukupanipo. Roahu Tribes (pg. 151) This area is home to a loose confederation of tribes who maintain their independence due to their ferocity in combat. They maintain a guarded neutrality with Rowona and Wipoona, and indulge in only minor skir- mishes with the Eahoi to the east and Hiluo to the west. Their main concern is with the ever-expansionistic Muavinapu Princes to the southwest. Rome (pg. 151) Mention should be made of the Circus Maximus, a horse and chariot-racing stadium which seats 250,000; and the Pantheon, a temple rebuilt by Hadrian and dedicated to the Roman deities. Both are found in the city of Roma. Salishinook (pg. 154) This tribal group extends up the coast of northwest Vargaard almost to the Tlingit territories in southern Aleyeska. They dwell in long plankhouses, travel in wooden canoes and subsist through the hunting of mountain sheep and deer, and fishing for salmon. They practice a flattening deformation of their chil- dren’s heads. They are known to capture and maintain slaves from battle. The forests of this region consist mostly of alder, lodgepole pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, and a few scattered redwoods. The population of this people is around 60,000 individuals. Sargasso Sea (pg. 156) In the Atlantlan Ocean due East of the Xalgades Pen- insula there exists an area of unnatural calm covered with mats of sargasso weed and kelp. The region is said to be inhabited by giant squids, giant crabs and other marine terrors. The rotting, wooden hulks of many entrapped sea vessels remain afloat here. Shamash (pg. 160 – 161) There is a small but powerful minority who wishes to reunite Shamash with Hasur as a member of the Phonececian Coalition. They are centered in Tyre and Sidon in hidden, subterranean strongholds. Rumor has it that a traitor once led officials to one of their meeting places, and all of the officials vanished and the traitor’s horribly mutilated body was found later. As some strong sorcerors are known to be affiliated with this faction, diabolical forces are suspected to have been utilized. Suskehankia (pg. 166) These people have been driven southward by the Ir- oukian Nation, and westward by Æropean settlements. They are noted as fearless warriors. They typically dwell in dome-shaped or elongate, wooden-framed structures covered with bark known as wekou-om-ut (or, wig-wam). They raise maize, beans and squash, and catch fish. Taureg (Tuareg) (pg. 168) These are nomads from the dry regions of West Af- rika. They mine salt, herd goats and raise chickens, and harvest dates in the oases. Camels serve as their primary mode of transportation, although a few war- lords possess horses. They wear veils to cover their lower face, unlike their neighbors to the north, the Ber- bers. Tecla (pg. 168 - 169) The Teclans live mostly in the grasslands between the two coastal mountain ranges of their land. Here grow oak, pine and prickly pears. Jackrabbits, deer, coyotes, eagles, turkeys, quail, and ducks are found here. These folk raise maize, squash, beans, tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, plums, avocados, chilies, and cotton on elevated rectangles of land surrounded by irrigation ditches. An alcoholic beverage called octli is made from fermented maguey plants. The Teclan warrior caste is divided into three orders—Jaguar, Eagle and Serpent (the last being the newest). They wield stone-headed maces, obsidian- edged clubs, wooden lances with obsidian tips, and at- latls as weapons and wear ornate headresses and deco- rative leather armor. Higher-ranking warriors often wear trappings of the order to which they belong over their armor and carry leather shields decorated with feathers. They are very fearless in combat, and all cap- tives of war eventually end up as sacrifices for their deities. Up to 20,000 captives a year are sometimes slain for this purpose! The warriors indulge in a ritual cannibalism of the victims afterward. Some of the pyramids built by these folk rival those of Ægypt in size, and have temples dedicated to their deities located at the summit. The Teclans indulge in a ball game similar to that of the Muyans (q.v.) called ol- lamaliztli or tlachtli. They also play a boardgame called patoli upon which large sums of money are often wa- gered. The cacao bean, acquired to the south, is used as a form of money and each one is worth approxi- mately .25 BUC. They indulge in music and dance for festivals, the instruments including flutes, horns, cylin- drical drums, and conch shells. Thuringia (pg. 170-171) In the borders of this kingdom lie the Schwartzwald —“The Black Forest”. This nearly 2000 square mile area has extensive forests of fir and spruce with some hornbeam, oak and beech. Wild boars, deer, squirrels, and a variety of birds are common here. This forest is the hotbed of Phæree activity in this portion of Æropa; the boundary between the two worlds being as thin as that found in parts of Avillonia. All manner of elves, dwarves, ogres, and such beings are spotted here. Tlingit (pg. 173) These native Vargaardians of the far northwest are much like their Salishinook neighbors to the south in that they dwell in plankhouses, travel in ornate canoes carved from wood, and subsist largely on fishing and whaling. However, they indulge in much more totem pole art and utilize spears and long daggers. They are noted warriors, and wear chest and leg armor made of wooden slats. They have three divisions of their peo- ple: Eagle, Raven and Wolf and have a total population of around 15,000. Their language is the Tlingit-Haida dialect. Tonuia (pg. 173 – 174) The capital city of Tonu is noted for its 35-foot tall walls of stacked basalt boulders (some of which weigh 50 tons!). These were perhaps constructed as a precau- tion against incursions of beasts from the Yoboyo Swamp to the east and the Luhiva Jungle to the north. There are also stone-flagged roads in and around the city and a system of stone and clay-lined canals. Wipoona (pg. 180) In addition to other mineral wealth, Wipoona has large supplies of nickel and iron ore, as well as quartz and limestone. Tall pines are found growing in the mountains and hills of this nation—virtually unique upon this continent. Xalissa (pg. 180) Correction: Vancha III is actually the ruler of Xalissa, while Chartol Alzza is a lovely city on the west coast (pop. 50,000). Ys (pg. 181-182) Centered within encircling stone-slab monoliths is a black building called Alkar-Aaz, an evil edifice thought to have been built <7500! One theory holds that the Slaugh of Phæree are the people who built this struc- ture, prior to their immigration from Ærth. Zimbabwe (pg. 183 - 184) Great Zimbabwe has a circular central stronghold composed of unmortared granite-block walls and tow- ers. Iron tools and weapons are in common use here. Directly eastward is the Sakalava Penninsula, with a broad and deep valley between it and the rest of Af- rika. It has a mountainous interior and swampy plains and rainforest on its coasts. Due to its isolated nature, many strange creatures such as the elephant bird, dodo, lemurs, and pygmy hippopotamus dwell here. The native folk of this peninsula exist within a social caste system consisting of andriana (nobles), hovas (middle-class) and andevo (slaves). Zulu (pg. 184) This tribal area consists of dry steppe and tall grass- lands with arid desert and scrub to the south and west (these dry lands being the habitat of the nomadic bushmen). Acacia, baobob and candelabra trees grow here and antelopes, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, rhinocer- oses, lions and elephants roam the area. Cattle and sheep are herded by the folk, and chickens are raised. The people mine gold, copper, tin, and coal. Fabulous diamonds are said to be found in a hidden mine some- where in this region, and ivory is harvested as well. Kraal Sotho is more advanced than most outlying villages; it has a broad and deep moat surrounding the usual wall of thorn branches, its mud-and-grass walled dwellings have stone foundations, and a central cistern holds water for times of severe drought. The infantry are noted as fierce and accurate spearmen, and carry large shields. The indunas are the royal officials placed in conquered regions who are directly responsible to the king. The Twelve Wonders of Ærth Four Great Pyramids & Twin Sphinxes (Ægypt) Stonehenge (Albion) Great Wall (Ch’in) Colleseum (Rome) Leaning Tower of Pisa (Genoa) Porcelain Tower (Sung) Tower of Eiffel (Francia) Second Colossus of Rhodes (Ionia) Mountain Spire of Siva (Oudh) Menagerie of Huscal (Zuivan) Temple of Diana at Ephisos (Byzantium) Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Babylonia) *Some refer to the Nineteen Statues of the Dread Ones in Rowona as the 13th Wonder, and certainly the Parthe- non in Achaea and the Pharos of Alexandria in Ægypt hold some claim as well. Map Errata What follows is a listing of corrections for maps in the back of the Epic of Ærth compendium: Pg.249 16 Bucharest 17 Sofia 18 Alexanderopolis 19 Thessaloniki 20 Athens 21 Kroei 22 Cnossus 35 Brescia 36 Milan 37 Florence 38 Genoa 39 Roma 40 Napoli 41 Arborea 42 Bastia 43 Chambéry 44 Arles 45 Bern Pg. 252 The city of Olovina is incorrectly shown on the west coast of Cholcan, and should be located in northern Atlan- tis. Pg. 254 The islands of Kulakia are labeled as Kolakia on the map. The capital of Ahuke, Abayaeo, is listed as Abayoro on the map. Pg. 263 Drop numbers 1 - 7 at the beginning of the key. Ærth Timeline c. <7500 = Monolithic structures of Ys built. c. <6000 = Atlantl develops mathematics, astronomy and navigation, as well as earliest written records. c. <5000 = Atlantl explorers are active in the Middle Seas. First encounter of Atlantlans with Ægyptian folk and Semitic villagers of Mesopotamia. Some exploration and trade eastward into Afrika may account for eventual de- velopment of Ægyptian hieroglyphics and Sumerian cuneiform. c. <5000 - <4000 = Age of the Four Kingdoms of Atlantl (Atlantlchol, Colulcan, Zulvanal, & Xalissa). Rise of the nations of Lemi, Lemu and Mu on Lemurian continent, and their subsequent expansion westward across island chains of the Titanic Ocean. c. <4500 = The Sumerian people settle on the banks of the Euphrates River. c. <4150 = Narmer defeats all opposing factions of Ægyptian area along Nile, forming First Dynasty of Ancient Dynastic Period of the Conjoined Double Kingdom. <4007 = War Between Kingdoms in Atlantl begins. <3990 = War Between Kingdoms ends. Atlantlchol is renamed Atlantis and proclaimed capital of the Atlantl Empire with Evenor as its first Emperor. <3920 = Menes founds Second Dynasty of Ancient Dynastic Period in Ægypt <3911 - <3011 = Reign of the Line of Evenor in Atlantl (Atlas, Eumelus, Gades, Ampheres, Evaemon, Mneseus, Autochthon, Elasippus, Mestor, Azaes, and Diaprepses). Atlantlan power exerted in Ægypt and Sumeria. c. <3700 = Reign of Gilgamesh, demigod ruler of Uruk (Erech), begins in Sumeria. c. <3649 = Beginning of reign of Djoser (Zoser) in Ægypt. Pyramid building begins. c. <3575 - <3475 = Reigns of Khufu, Snofru (Khafre), & Menkaure in Ægypt, builders of the Great Pyramids. c. <3323 = Beginning of reign of Teti in Ægypt. c. <3300 = Sargon of Akkad founds Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamian area. Sumeria grows strong in the ar- eas of Astrology, Divination and Sorcery. Beginning of the Indus Valley civilization in the Hindic subcontinent. c.<3200 = Hsia Dynasty in Ch’in begins. <3120 - <3040 = Assertion of nomarchic power and drying climate lead to First Intermediate Period in Ægypt. <3040 = Mentuhotep II reunifies Ægypt with Thebes as its capital. Beginning of Early Dual Kingdom. <3010 - <2919 = First Rebellion of Princes in Atlantl. Ægyptian and Sumerian regions assert independence. c. <3000 = Aryan immigrants enter Farz region. <2919 = Restoration of Atlantl Imperium. Atlantlan exploration to the west commences. c. <2880 = Atlantl has established trading ports in what is now Hy Braseal and the Karribs, as well as eastern Vargaard and Amazonia. c. <2800 = Canaanites on coast of Mare Librum begin Phoenician city-states. Stonehenge finished in Albion. <2796 = Atlantlans encounter Lemurians, who have set up colonies in southwestern Vargaard. c. <2783 - <2567 = Second Intermediate Period of Ægypt brought on by Hyksos raiders and internal strife. <2750 - <2708 = Ammurapi (Hammurabi) establishes Babylonian Dynasty over Mesopotamian region. He re- ceives the sacred Tablets of Law Codes from the deities Marduk and Shamash. <2599 = Emperor Culchan has restored holdings of Atlantl in the Mare Phoenecium and Mare Librum coastal areas. Babylon sends aid to Phoenecian city-states. <2595 = Hittites raid into Babylonia. <2567 = Battle of Sharuhen; Amenophis I (Ahmose I) expels Hyksos from Ægypt. Beginning of Old Dual King- dom Period. <2490 - <2436 = Reign of Thutmosis III, Ægyptian acquisition of Phillistia. <2470 = Eruption of Thera causes 100-foot tsunami to strike Crete, destroying much of the culture. Remaining Minoan civilization is supplemented by Mycenaeans immigrating from Grecia. <2373 = Second Rebellion of Princes begins in Atlantl. c. <2350 = Mare Ostrum coasts free of Atlantlan domination. c. <2330 = Near Azirian shore of Mare Librum free of Atlantlan control. c. <2300 = Phoenician city-states assert independence and become a major power. c. <2285 = Hittites and Ægyptians stalemate at Battle of Qadesh. c. <2200 = Last Hittite incursions into Babylonia occur. Rameses III settles ‘Sea Peoples’ in Phillistia. c. <2190 = Phrygians invade Hittite Empire. c. <2183 - <2173 = Voyage of Odysseus. <2170 = Elamites sack Babylon and carry off the Tablets of Law Codes; the Six Centuries of Disorder ensue. c. <1900 = Reign of Ogyges II begins in Atlantl. Consolidation of Northern Afrik under Atlantlan rule begins. <1883 = Emperor Ogyges completes conquest of all civilized areas of the Iberian peninnsula. <1858 - <1823 = Assyrians conquer Babylonia under rule of Shalmaneser III. <1855 = Phoenecian forces bolstered by Ægypt stalemate forces of Assyria at Qarqar. <1815 = Phoenicians of Tyre found Carthage. <1802 = Atlantlan Empire recognizes Kingdom of Rome. Quetzales supplies Rome with gold and arms and in- stigates war between Ægypt and the nations of Lybbos and Minos. <1750 = Ægypt successfully invades Crete and subdues Minoans. <1721 = Sargon the Great assumes rulership of Assyrian Empire. <1711 = Sennacherib comes to power in Assyria and razes much of Babylon. <1700 = Dorians from Grecia invade Crete and expel Ægyptians, setting up a militaristic Grecian government in its place. <1671 - <1669 = Ægypt repels Assyrian forces led by Essarhaddon. <1670 = Median tribes unite into a single state. <1600 = Median invasion of Babylonia. <1591 = Carthage and Tripolis make treaties with Rome. <1590 = Nebuchadnezzar II begins renaissance of Babylon. Tower of Babylon (300' tall) and Hanging Gardens are constructed. Tablets of Law Codes are recovered and Babylon becomes world power again. <1585 = Nebuchadnezzar II begins eight-year occupation of Shamash. Former Phoenician strongholds (Sidon, Tyre, Acre, etc.) become Babylonian territories. <1559 = Cyrus the Great founds Persian Empire centered in Farz. <1540 = Cyrus the Great enters Babylonia and frees Hasur and Phoenician city-states from Babylonian rule. <1525 = Babylonia becomes satrapy of Persian Empire and successfully invades Ægypt. c. <1500 = Lemi-Lemu and Vekanu trading regularly in southwest Vargaard and the Narrow Land. <1490 = Grecian forces defeat Persian forces at Marathon. <1480 - <1479 = Grecian forces defeat Persian forces at Thermopylae, Salamis, Plataea, and Mycale. Persian westward expansion is ended. <1404 = Pharaoh Amyrtaios drives Babylonian rulers from Ægypt. <1384 - <1322 = Life of Aristotle. <1332 = Ægypt and Shamash conquered by Alexander the Great. Beginning of Fourth Intermediate Period in Ægypt. <1330 = Persian Empire falls to Alexander the Great. Western Babylonia tributary to Grecian forces. <1323 = Death of Alexander. Empire splinters and Babylonia becomes independent again. <1304 = Piye, first Nubian Pharaoh, restores Ægyptian rule and begins Classic Dual Kingdom Period. <1294 = Battle of Syracuse; Roman-Phoenecian Alliance defeats Atlantlan Black Fleet. <1264 - <1241 = First Roman War; Phoenician forces ally with Atlantl to stalemate Rome’s imperialism. <1221 = Ch'in (Qin) Dynasty founded with Shih Huang Ti as first August Emperor. <1214 = Great Wall of Ch'in completed. <1170 = Parthians attack Babylonia, Bactrokush and Farz. <1058 - <1051 = Roman Empire subdues Gaul under Julius Caesar. <1030 = Romans under Augustus conquer Ægypt. <996 = Amasis VI regains Ægyptian rulership from Romans. Beginning of Late Dual Kingdom Period. <900 = Babylonia defeats Parthians. <888 - <688 = Second Roman Wars; Ægypt and Babylonia join conflict against Italic Empire to reclaim territo- ries. <694 - <663 = Constantine is Emperor of Italic Empire. <685 = Italic Empire defeated by Atlantlan-Phoenician League. <650 = Nominal end of Italic Empire; Visigoths invade. <600 = Shamash annexes Phoenician city-states of Tyre and Sidon. Beginning of five centuries of major warfare between Lemi-Lemu and Mu. <587 = Proclamation of Triple Kingdom by Ægypt. <561 = Vandals attack Carthage but are driven back. <500 = Arthur unites Brythonic tribes against invading Saxons. Nations of Delhi, Hind, Sinraj, and Ceylon are extent on Hindic subcontinent. Kingdom of Ghana arises in West Afrika. Lemurians arrive in Magmur to ex- plore and set up colonies. <447 = Justinian expels Goths from Italic peninsula. <350 = Prophet of Ea presents Caliph Ali-Erra with palu in Yarbay. Yarban - Shamish forces declare jihad to bring Babylonian pantheon (specifically, Ea) to the rest of the world. Babylonia, Nejd, Sheba, and Ophir join the Palu-Ea Alliance. <340 = Scythus, Turkistan, Bactrokush, and Kabul are converted to the Babylonian pantheon. <338 = Dynastic Wars (Third War of Princes) begins in Atlantl. <300 = Iberian race arises from a mixture of Atlantlans and Æropeans. <285 = Battles of Rosetta and Um Semiuke prevent Yarban - Shamish forces from overrunning Ægypt. <280 = Yarban - Shamish forces take Lybbos and make incursions into Tripolis, Carthage and Numidia. <250 = Grecian forces push Palu-Ea out of Mare Librum and out of Hasur. <229 = Charlemagne becomes King of Francia. <222 = Atlantlan-Iberian forces attempt invasion of Francia but are repelled by forces led by Roland. <210 - <150 = Skandian raids are prevalent in Avillonian Islands, except Lyonesse which successfully repels them. <200 = Charlemagne becomes Emperor of Carolingian Empire. Lemi-Lemu briefly dominates Mu in Lemuria. <190 = Atlantlan/Dakhlan forces capture Timbuktu and end Kingdom of Ghana. <186 = Charlemagne dies. <170 = Last Afrikan colony (Marrakech) lost to Atlantl. <157 = Carolingian Empire breaks up into three divisions. <138 = Atlasippus founded in Timbuktu. <133 = Muyan people revolt against Lemurians and gain control of region. <113 = Daughter of Emperor Gades IV is married to Gonzalvo, Prince of Portugal. Mysterious death of Gades IV allows Gonzalvo to become Emperor. <100 = Parthian - Farz coalition ends eastward expansion of Palu-Ea. End of Great War between Lemi-Lemu and Mu. <38 = Otto is Emperor of Germanic Empire. <20 = Skandian exploration of Vargaard begins. 1 = Peace of Emolares breaks Atlantl into six states which are tributary to various Æropean nations. This is known as the Fall of Atlantl. Beginning of The Lost Age. 56 - 77 = Palu-Ea elements in Berber States attempt jihad but are eventually quelled with Atlantlan aid. 66 = Normans attack Albion from Neustria, but are driven back. 88 = Migrating Fula tribes over run Timbuktu. 96 - 99 = Greco-Roman forces launch First Punitive Crusade to drive Palu-Ea influences out of Phrygia. Forces also strike into Medis, Yarbay and Shamash. Emperor Comnenus of Byzantium requests these measures. 110 = Skandian settlers found Jarlesheim. 147 - 149 = Second Punitive Crusade strikes into Hasur and Shamash to protect Hasur and Phrygia from Palu- Ea advances. 189 - 191 = Third Punitive Crusade, led by Frederick I, reclaims Lydian territory (including Iconium) taken by Palu-Ea forces. 190 = Palu-Ea forces with Afghani allies invade and occupy Delhi. 202 - 204 = Fourth Punitive Crusade, an attempt to take Shamash, fails. Greco-Roman forces declare an end to involvement in any further actions of this nature. 207 = Mongols under Genghis Khan invade northern Ch'in. 214 = Mongols take Peking. 214 - 294 = Life of Roger Bacon. 215 = Magna Carta gives certain legal rights to Albish citizens. 228 = Frederick II negotiates alliance between Æropean forces and Ægypt to keep Palu-Ea and Mongol forces under control. 240 = Mongols attack and subjugate Kiev. Grandmark colony founded. 245 = Falcondonia colony founded. 250 = Formation of the Cardinalian Empire in central Æropa in order to keep Azirian invaders at bay. This, with a renewed interest in the study and application of magick, leads to The Great Rekindling. 256 - 265 = Mongol hordes pressure Middle Azir. 274 - 281 = Mongol attempts at invading Nippon fail. 290 = Farzian forces drive bulk of Palu-Ea forces from Delhi. 337 - 360 = Battles between Albion and Francia. 349 = Tuaregs capture Timbuktu. 381 = Tamerlane invades Farz and Bactrokush. 389 = Servian Empire halts Turkish expansion at Battle of Kosovo. 398 = Tamerlane invades Delhi and sacks capital. 405 = Death of Tamerlane. 452 - 519 = Life of Leonardo da Vinci. 500 = Island kingdom of Kolakia declares sovereignity. 520 - 566 = Suleiman is Sultan in Babylonia. 561 - 626 = Life of Francis Bacon. 564 - 616 = Life of William Shakespeare. 567 = Sovereign state of Atlantis formed. 571 = Dakhlan reclaims Timbuktu from Tuaregs. 588 = Armada of ships from Leon, Navarre, Alzorax, and Cholcan engage vessels from Lyonesse and Albion and are defeated. 606 = Sovereign state of Colzuvan formed. Wildedge colony founded in Vargaard, in area disputed between Jarlesheim, Grandmark and Iroukian Nation. 618 - 648 = Thirty years of civil war within the Cardinalian Empire result in the component nations becoming independent, but members of the Cardinalian League. 630 - 648 = Taj Mahal constructed in Agra by Belbar, a Palu-Ea invader. 638 = Nippon forbids entry of Æropeans within its borders. 644 = Sovereign state of Xalissa formed. 650 = Iroukia Nation wars on Huron, Tobacco and Neutral Nations in northeast Vargaard. 694 - 778 = Life of François “Voltaire” Arouet. 743 - 795 = Life of Cagliostro. 750 = Beginning of The Established Order. 811 = Shawnee forces under Tecumseh, with Miami reinforcements, repel advance of Falcondonian settlers into Ohio Valley area. 816 – 820 = The Mfecane, in which the Zulus drive the Ndwandwe and Khumalo tribes northwards and the Mpondo and Bhaca south and westward to establish their nation. 865 = Ægypt’s Modern Period begins under Pharaoh Wahibre III. 871 - 875 = Sindraj, Delhi and Oudh confederate in an abortive attempt at the conquest of Bactrokush. 894 - 895 = Nippon and Manchuria go to war. 904 - 905 = Nipponese incursion into Siberia is repelled by Mongol forces. 914 - 916 = Heavy border skirmishes between Saxony and Flanders and between Germania and Burgundy. 917 = Uprising of peasants and some of the Sterlitz in Russ is quelled. 980 - 990 = Ten-Year Border War between Babylonia and Farz. 992 = Unsuccessful attempt of Prince Llewyn of Lyonesse, with aid from the witch Louhi of Pohjola, to gain control of Avillonian Isles. 993 = Nippon invades Po~hai, but tardiness of Liang allies leads to Nipponese retreat. 996 – 999 = Hostilities between Servia and Dalmatia/Epirus erupt into full-scale battles along border area. PHÆREE ADDENDA INHABITANTS OF PHÆREE ADDENDA FÆRIES: The Seelie Court Shiwanna: "Cloud People", benign spirits taking a cloud-like form which have Considerable Heka powers, es- pecially in regards to weather and vegetation growth. Sometimes seen in southwest Vargaard. Wakyambi: A dark-skinned and short, elf-like race having tails. They have High Attributes and Considerable Heka use. Sometimes seen in the Kongo on Ærth. Common vegetation includes mosses, ferns, asphodel, lotus, myrtle, white roses, and færie-ring toadstools. HOBGOBLINS: The Borderers Unthlatu: Humanoids covered with boa-like scales, having slit pupils and forked tongues. They have Average attributes and Limited Heka, and are ambivalent towards other races. These folk are sometimes observed in southern Afrika. Two interesting types of flora of the hobgoblin realm of caverns should be added. The wine chantrelle is a purplish-black funnel-shaped mushroom which is used to ferment a potent wine-like beverage possessing a dis- tinctive musky taste. Glowglobes are a particular type of puffball which give off a bioluminescent glow in shades of blue and green. GOBLINS: The Unseelie Court Auuenau: Ghoulish, thin, hairy storm spirits with tails, and wearing human bones. They have Considerable Heka and are sometimes spotted in Magmur. Getiet: Intelligent and malevolent creature with gorilla-like arms, the hindquarters of a hyena, and a head with the crossed features of ape and hyena. They enjoy eating the brains of their victims. They possess Superior Physical Attributes and have Limited Heka. Isiqukqumadevu (Usiqukqumadevu): Huge, bloated squatting monster, bearded with moss, which has a vo- racious appetite. These creatures have Superior Physical Attributes. Izingogo (Ingogo): Degenerate humanoid race, appearing as man-faced baboons. They are cannibalistic in na- ture and fear fire. They have Average Attributes. Rakshasa: Powerful shape-shifting creatures native to the Nether Planes, having ESP and Great Heka use, with Moderate Heka powers. Their ruler is Ravanna and they are enemies of the Yakshas. These monsters are some- times reported in the Hindic subcontinent of Ærth. Tarasque: A unique creature of the dracos family that is roughly 50 feet in length. It has a head combining leo- nine and lizard features (including a mane), a nearly indestructible spined carapace on its body, six draconian limbs, and a powerful scaled tail. It can breathe gouts of terribly hot flame from its mouth. This creature is ex- tremely difficult to wound and regenerates very rapidly, but has a high susceptibility to blessed water. The flora of the Goblin realms is comprised heavily of mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, molds, and lichens. It is reported that some specimens of the Greatcap, a pale gray mushroom, reach heights of thirty feet! There are also various tree-like growths (Ebon Oak, Dark Willow, etc.) that generally have a gnarled appearance, a sparse amount of leaves and are colored in black, white and grays. Grasses and mosses tending to gray-green shades provide groundcover. Some Goblin-folk raise Dark Barley (which is a bland grain, but can be used to make as- sorted potent ales and beers) and White Wheat (an albino version of the more familiar grain that has a rather sour taste to it). (Information excerpted from the Phæree Bestiary written by Gary Gygax and Dave & Michele Newton) A PHÆREE GAZETTEER ©1992 Omega Helios Limited. All rights reserved. FAUNA: Airfish: Sub-tropical, highly phosphorescent, brightly colored, nocturnal aerial animals (piscine?) which have neutral buoyancy and "swim" through the night sky feeding on wind-borne pollen, insects, other flying creatures, and each other (in some cases). Some school, others appear in small numbers or are solitary. Blazefly: Name applied to giant dragonflies which glitter as if faceted gemstones—emerald, ruby, sapphire, topaz, etc. They are very dangerous to grab, for their sharp chitin can lacerate flesh. Upon death all color and glitter is lost. Flutterfires: Glowing butterfly-like insects of moderate to large size that are nocturnal in habit. They have in- credibly beautiful color patterns of surreal sort. Because they can discharge a jolt of electricity, most predators leave them alone. Horsehog (Porccohippus megalus): A Phæree animal which appears to be a cross between a wild boar and a horse. The animal is about five feet high at the shoulder, runs quite swiftly, has cloven hooves, and a tail which resembles the warthog's. The head of this animal is quite large, the mouth opening exceeding a foot in length, and the dentition is very similar to that of a monstrous wild boar's. The horsehog is mainly a herbivore, but its porcine heritage enables it to be quite omnivorous. Some, in fact, are aggressive predators. All are voracious feeders. Horsehogs tend to be mated pairs, with nearly grown young accompanying them. Sometimes several pairs will herd. They give birth to 4-6 young once every year. (Inspiration: Alex Gygax.) FLORA: Bullthistle: A mobile plant with an aggressive disposition whose leaves and stems taste like beef and are high in protein. Cheeseweed: Plant yielding a sap which can be made into several white or yellow cheese-like substances simi- lar to goat's-milk and sheep's-milk cheese. Chickweed: Plant which has an excellent flavor, rather similar to that of grouse, pheasant, quail, snipe, wood- cock, etc. depending on how it is prepared. Cowslip: Another mobile plant with a defense of a slippery sap whose leaves and stems taste like veal and are high in protein. Dogwood: Plant with sentience that sounds a warning if anyone approaches it, the noise much like that of a dog barking. Duckweed: Aquatic plant able to swim and which, when cooked, tastes like the fowl it is named after. Henbane: A plant so named because once one has eaten it even the finest of pullets’ flesh pales in comparison. Lambsquarters: Plant whose stems and leaves are high in protein and taste similar to lamb or mutton. Lantern Tree: There are several species. The manifold dependant flowers of these trees resemble the most fan- ciful of paper lanterns. Some varieties are globular or oval, others star-like, and some are bell-shaped. In full darkness, internal gasses light them to the brightness of candle-lanterns; glowing red, orange, pale amber, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, violet, or silvery depending on the variety of plant. The light attracts pollinating insects and animals of other sort. Milkweed: A plant whose pods yield large quantities of milk-like substance substantially similar to that of a cow's milk. The substance can be made into cheese. Mock-Marine growths: Various species of plants of outer Phæree which seem to mimic marine flora and fauna while being solidly terrestrial. These are low-light plants which develop an area of ultramarine twilight in which to grow, usually in a damp grotto. The species include: Anemone cluster shrub Blue-haze willowkin Brain coral bush Branch coral tree Eel grass Finnyschool shrub Kelp grass Lilac-blue mist bush Puffer plant Ray grass Seaweed plant Seascape pine Sharkshrub Silvershoal hedge Urchin weed Pigweed: Plant whose stems and leaves are high in protein and tastes similar to roast suckling pig. Sandalpod: Tree whose seedpods are leathery and, after bursting to release the feathery seeds, can be worn as a crude footwear. The pods grow in various sizes. Snowgrowths: A whole variety of species of trees and shrubs which have pale stems and foliage growth which resembles snow and/or ice accumulated on the branches and twigs of plain trees and bushes. These plants grow in enclaves of outer Phæree where normal green vegetation seems unable to survive, such as cool to cold climates and areas with heavy cloud cover. The species include: Crystal locust Diamond-coat rowan Downyshrub Driftwillow Ivory-limb elm Lace maple Milky ash Snowoak Whitefluff bramble Sowthistle: Plant whose stems and leaves are high in protein and tastes similar to pork. The plants are covered with nasty spikes for defense. Toiletree (Cycas coprophagus): A cycad-like tree which has bushy, drooping stems and leaves so arranged as to entirely screen the trunk. Inner leaves are soft, absorbent, and strong. Those plants in need of nourishment will open a seat-like growth at the base of their trunk whose fleshy rim is soft and comfortable. Liquid excretions are drained into a lower chamber where plant enzymes break them down. When fecal waste (along with leaves usually) is deposited into the opening of this portion of the toiletree, the plant closes the opening and sends diges- tive juices to break down the matter it has surrounded into its basic elements. (Inspiration: Alex Gygax.) PHÆREE NOTES 1. Agrarian Produce: On Ærth a typical farmer/herder feeds from two to seven families besides his own, de- pending on the state and the land in question. That is, on average in the more fertile nations farmers will produce sufficient surplus to feed five or six other families, while in the least fertile perhaps only one or two will be pro- vided for thus. Phæree is quite different in many places in that gathering is sufficient in large areas. The highly developed states within the interior, however, require intensive (slave) agriculture to support the hordes of troops which are employed in constant warfare. 2. Production Of Spider Silk: The unusual size and nature of many kinds of arachnids on Phæree enables the use of the material in various ways. Most is harvested for garments, the silk being slightly less thick than that of silkworms, stronger and more supple. A coarser grade is used for cloth from which tents and like are made. This material is similar but superior to Earth's synthetics such as nylon. Lastly, the very thickest and strongest spider silk is spun into multi-filament cords from which is woven armor. 3. Spidersilk Armor: This armor is coarsely woven stuff not unlike the loose weave of burlap, for example, al- though it is a bit thicker. The armor must be loose fitting and have padding underneath to absorb the shock of its yielding under pressure. Each square inch of spidersilk cord has a hundred stress points which give when there is an impact upon it. Its tensile strength is unbelievable, the material does not cut easily, and its resistance to penetration is some three times superior to normal steel. The material for a full suit is no more weighty or cum- bersome than apparel typical of that necessary to keep one warm on an autumn day, providing about as much warmth/overheating on a warm day. However, spidersilk armor transmits shock (Blunt and Impact PD), so that broad-area weapons which inflict such damage are basically effective against such protection. Thus, the Aver- aged Overall Armor Protection of Spidersilk is: Spidersilk Armor Piercing/Cutting Blunt/Impact One-half 12 4 Three-quarters 18 6 Full 24 8 Spidersilk armor worn under other armor is impractical because of the necessity of it being loose and free to move about. However, with some light, stiff protection underneath, hardened leather, for example, its value against shock improves significantly, thus: Spidersilk Reinforced Piercing/Cutting Blunt/Impact One-half 16 10 Three-quarters 24 15 Full 32 20 Cost of spidersilk is the same as for plate armor. SOURCES: First and foremost, material for this treatise is gleaned from the Epic of Ærth volume, written by Gary Gygax. In addition, the following sources proved useful: African Folktales – P. Radin Ancient Iraq - G. Roux Atlas Of Indians Of North America - G. Legay A Treasury Of African Folklore – H. Courlander Bray’s University Dictionary of Mythology - F. C. Bray Dictionary of Irish Mythology - P. B. Ellis Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore and Symbols - G. Jobes Encyclopedia Brittanica (1945 edition) Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were - Time/Life Lost Cities Of Ancient Lemuria & The Pacific - D. H. Childress Hawai’i (Compass American Guide) - M. Tregaskis History Of Africa – K. Shillington Lost Continents - L. S. DeCamp Random House Encyclopedia (1978) South Pacific Handbook (Moon Publications) - D. Stanley The following are sources of inspirational fiction: The Tritonian Ring - L. S. DeCamp The Lost World - A. C. Doyle Maracot Deep - A. C. Doyle King Solomon’s Mines - H. R. Haggard Creep Shadow, Creep - A. Merritt Dwellers In The Mirage - A. Merritt The Moon Pool - A. Merritt A Journey To The Center Of The Earth - J. Verne The jhusenkyou pools of Khitai are a nod to the Ranma _ animated series. When considering the historical data of Ærth, the following items are important to bear in mind: 1. Due to the operation of heka and “the will of the deities”, the laws of magick take precedence over many of the laws of science on Ærth. Thus, gunpowder does not detonate, a battery does not hold an electrical charge, atomic fission chain-reactions do not occur, etc. 2. There are no Judaeo-Christian-Islamic influences on Ærth. Rather, a multitude of pantheons and a plethora of gods are active. There are some parallels to the three aforementioned religions to be found in the Phoenecian- Greco/Roman-Babylonian theologies, but they are certainly not exact! 3. Due to the factious nature of Æropean colonies and judicious heka-usage and guerrilla tactics by the native population, Vargaard has not been overrun by settlers from across the Lantlan Ocean; and likewise, the wild and dangerous rain forests of Amazonia have not been encroached upon. 4. Areas such as Atlantl, Lyonesse and Lemuria which do not exist on Earth have had definite impact upon the regions neighboring them on Ærth. 5. Since the advent of The Established Order, there have been no “Great Wars” in the Æropa/Atlantl region; so there has been no WW I or WW II. Fighting has been, at worst, limited to border skirmishes—so far! Editor’s note: The timeline shows an obvious Atlantl bias, and contains much misinformation. I will consult with my sources and provide corrections in the near future. In addition I shall add further details etc. as they be- come available. Commentary on this work is welcome, and will be forwarded to Greg for his comment. You may consider this official Mythus material usable in any Mythus campaign set on the world of Ærth. Alan Kellogg, March 19th 2002

textdata/thevault/Mythus/Mythus - The Epic Of Ærth Addenda.pdf

BattleCorps This fiction is from a Classic BattleTech sourcebook or rulebook. It is presented in its original text, complete and unedited. FIELD MANUAL: CRUSADER CLANS 1998 THE CALL OF GLORY Loren L. Coleman BattleCorps Field Manual: Crusader Clans • Page  Electric white-blue discharges from particle projection cannons lanced across the battlefield, lighting up the night in false twilight. The coruscating beams and staccato pulses of laser fire-ruby, em- erald, sapphire-ionized the air and added color to a world of grays. Almost invisible but just as deadly were the missiles, backlit for a few seconds by their own exhaust, and the Gauss and autocan- non slugs that tore into each side’s machines without warning, Star Commander Valerie Sender of the Wolf Clan Fourth Striker Cluster broke from her Trinary’s formation and walked her Warhawk forward into the no-man’s-land that separated the forces of Clan Wolf and Clan Goliath Scorpion, alternating the firing of her PPCs and large pulse lasers. The Wolves enjoyed an advantage in this Harvest Trial, fielding superior machines and elite warriors. They were meant to win, accepting the “tribute” of Clan Goliath Scorpion, which had bid possession of its Trinary to the victor. The honor came in being selected by Khan Ward to bring in the new warriors, thereby increasing the strength of the Wolf Clan. But for Valerie, that was no longer enough. After seven years of constraint under the Truce of Tukayyid, Valerie’s Crusader blood boiled for action against the Inner Sphere. Not even the Refusal War, though it had come close to destroy- ing the Wolves, had quelled her desire. She knew it was vital to rebuild Clan Wolf, but she also wanted personal honor and glory. Such desires were bred into her; they would not be stilled. When the invasion began again, she would face it with her own com- mand or die in the attempt to gain it. To her, there were no other options. She advanced on the Goliath Scorpion line. Her opponent, in a Gargoyle, stepped forward as he became aware of her at- tack. His mistake. Sporting missiles and a single Gauss rifle, the Gargoyle was ill-configured for such close-range fighting. And in moving forward, the other MechWarrior had abandoned the grove of trees that had offered slight protection. Valerie Sender thrust both of her ‘Mech’s arms forward and triggered all of the massive machine’s weapons, targeting the Gargoyle’s already- damaged torso. Her PPCs flayed away the last of the Gargoyle’s armor and carved fissures in its internal structure. The scar- let pulses of the Warhawk’s large lasers ate away at the rest, destroying the gyro required to hold the eighty tons of metal upright. The Gargoyle fell backward into the trees, crippled and out of the battle. BattleCorps Field Manual: Crusader Clans • Page  Howling a wolf-call in victory, Valerie Sender realized that she stood unopposed in the middle of the Goliath Scorpion line, Calling her Star forward into the breach she had created, the Star Commander flung her ‘Mech’s arms wide and sighted down both sides- To the left, the silhouette of an enemy Summoner appeared under her targeting reticule. She unleashed a barrage of PPC fire that cored into its side. Then, scanning quickly to the right, she located the Scorpion Trinary commander’s Dire Wolf and fired both large pulse lasers at it. Her targeting computer showed the Summoner fallen, but still active. She left the Summoner and the Scorpions’ right flank to her Starmates while she rounded on the Dire Wolf. Too late, the Scorpions spotted the Wolf among them. Valerie Sender drove forward to pointblank range, targeting the Dire Wolf. Ignoring her ‘Mech’s dangerous heat levels, she triggered her entire weapons array for the third time, relying on her target- ing computer to strike the Dire Wolf’s right leg. Three of the large energy weapons hit, boiling away armor and laying bare the leg’s internal skeleton. The Dire Wolf’s backlash of missiles and lasers shook Valerie’s Warhawk and nearly threw it to the ground, but she managed to keep her machine upright and slapped the over- ride a split second before losing her engine to a heat-induced shutdown. As the Scorpion commander attempted to back away from the ferocious onslaught, the Wolf Star Commander held her place and took advantage of her enemy’s delay, firing large pulse lasers at the Dire Wolf’s vulnerable right leg. The leg snapped in two places where the lasers burned through it, sending the huge machine crashing to the ground. As swiftly as that, the battle was over. Sender’s Star had bro- ken the right flank of the Goliath Scorpion line and the Star Captain of her Trinary, sensing the shift in battle, had pressed forward against the Scorpion left flank until it, too, gave way. Star Commander Sender accepted the Star Captain’s praise gra- ciously, then claimed the downed Dire Wolf as her isorla. With the adrenaline rush of combat still surging through her veins and the cockpit’s residual heat flushing her skin, Valerie felt nearly invin- cible. Soon she would see battle against the Inner Sphere. When the invasion resumed, she would lead the way. The Inner Sphere belonged to the Clans. To the Wolves. To her.

textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/EXTRA/Novels/Battlecorps Novels/Field Manual Crusader Clan The Call of Glory - Loren L. Coleman.pdf

Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist 1 Contents Introduction ........................................................................... 2 Examining the Alchemist .................................................... 2 30 New Feats for Alchemists ............................................. 3 Character Builds.................................................................... 8 Alchemist Build: The Carpet Bomber ............................ 8 Alchemist Build: The Mighty Mutant .............................. 9 Alchemist Build: The Mad Scientist ..............................10 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist Designer Sigfried Trent Editor Scott Gable Artist Christophe Swal Graphic Designer Matt Widmann Publisher Wolfgang Baur ©2010 Open Design LLC. All rights reserved. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. www.koboldquarterly.com The feats in the "30 New Feats for Alchemists" section are open content. All other material — including descriptions, proper names, characters, story elements, designer's notes, setting material, flavor text, and society information — is product identity. 2 alchemist has around 5d6 damage worth of bombs/day and a 20th-level alchemist may have more than 300d6 damage worth of bombs/day. Because bombs are thrown as a weapon rather than cast as a spell, it is much easier to increase the number of bombs you can throw in a round. Because they are touch attacks, it is much easier to hit with secondary attacks than with other ranged weapons. And while the range of a bomb is short, the touch attack means range penalties are less of a concern for the aspiring bomber. The splash damage from bombs can also be a great boon if used wisely, or it can cause problems in tight quarters. Fortunately, one of the alchemist’s bomb-enhancing discoveries, precise bombs, offers a simple solution. Extracts Extracts blur the lines between spells and potions. While they are learned like spells and progress as you rise in level like spells, you don’t cast them so much as drink them, so you do not need to worry about interruptions, counterspells, arcane spell failure, or any of the usual challenges a caster faces. On the other hand, you can’t use metamagic or feats pertaining to spells with extracts. What is less clear is if you must pull them from your inventory before use or if feats and abilities that apply to potions can also be applied to extracts. No doubt, future FAQs will provide official answers to these questions. The alchemist’s extract formulae list offers players an interesting mix with a strong focus on defensive buffs, physical transformations, and cures. In a way, the alchemist is something of a blank slate, and their extracts color in a tapestry of offensive and defensive options. Potions With the free Brew Potion feat, alchemists essentially extend their spell list or share select spells with the party. Nearly any caster can brew potions if they choose to, but the alchemist’s formulae list covers nearly every type of potion, making them a one-stop shop for all your quaffing needs. Mutagens For the most part, the mutagen feature simply improves the character’s self-buffing potential. In this case, the long- lasting physical stat buff of a mutagen grows stronger and lasts longer as the character levels up. In many ways, the mutagen works like a potent extract, Introduction More than just a list of feats, Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist gives you insight into the alchemist class and the tools to make an exciting character that is a “blast” to play. With a class breakdown, 30 new feats, and character builds showing you how to put it all together, the Advanced Feats series takes character building to a higher level. The Advanced Feats series takes the idea of a feat supplement a bit further. Instead of providing a dry list of feats, Advanced Feats helps you put them into context to build interesting and powerful characters. For the advanced player, we hope to spark your imagination. For the casual player, we hope to show you the path to making fun characters. For the GM, Advanced Feats provides feats that your players can use without slowing down or unbalancing your adventures. Advanced Feats draws heavily on the Netbook of Feats, an Open Gaming License (OGL) publication for feats in the d20 system. As its chief editor, I have more than 10 years of experience crafting and editing feats for playability, accuracy, and balance. Before publication, feats in the Netbook of Feats are reviewed by a panel of experienced rules experts, and only a select number are accepted for publication. Advanced Feats takes this a step further by selecting the best and most applicable feats for the class highlighted. Each feat in this book has been either carefully re-worked to be fully compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or created specifically for this book based on the new Advanced Player’s Guide classes. Examining the Alchemist At first blush, an alchemist is just a character that mixes potions and throws bombs, but digging deeper reveals an interesting mix of abilities and skills for a multi-faceted and unique experience --- that may still throw a few bombs. This character examination assumes you have already read the class itself. If you haven’t reviewed it yet, take a look at the Advanced Player’s Guide before getting started here. Bombs! The bomb ability is the first thing that jumps out about the alchemist class and gives it the whole “mad bomber” vibe. Bombs provide a non-spell way of producing offensive spell-like effects. Because both the number of bombs and the power of your bombs increases with level, they start fairly weak and end exceptionally strong: a 1st-level Expanded Alchemical Options and Builds 3 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist is clearly a core skill, and if you are set up for bomb throwing, you can make good use of the more mundane alchemical weapons that you can craft and toss at foes. Disable Device and Perception let the alchemist handle traps and locks for the party. Use Magic Device gives alchemists access to a wide range of magic items. And with Heal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival, they make a good herbalist or wilderness guide. Since intelligence is their prime statistic, a typical alchemist is likely to have a good number of the skills highly ranked. All of this gives the alchemist a lot to do outside of combat. Summing it up. Alchemists have very accurate and potent short-ranged attacks, strong buffing and healing- based defenses, and a wide range of useful non-combat skills. Their biggest weakness is a lack of armor and weapon proficiencies, which limit their damage and defense potential in melee combat. Alchemists are very much about individual performance and self sufficiency. 30 New Feats for Alchemists While the following feats are especially useful for alchemists, most can be chosen by any PC. The exceptions giving the alchemist greater physical traits or natural weapons by drinking a potion-like substance. Poison Poison use is another powerful tool of the alchemist. They can create poisons using their alchemy skill, and the class grants automatic benefits for quickly applying it in battle. As a side benefit, alchemists also become immune to their own poisons, which is a definite boon when dealing with deadly traps. It can also be a strategic advantage; you can fight from within poisonous clouds while daring your foes to come in and get you. Defenses. With d8 hit dice, solid saves, and a good mechanism for healing and buffing themselves, alchemists are fairly durable in combat. Their lack of armor and shield proficiency limits their AC, but a quick dip into a class like fighter or a few feats can solve that challenge. Combining good armor with the natural AC from mutagens and defensive extracts creates a formidable tank-like alchemist. You can see an example in the mighty mutant build in chapter 3. Skills. It’s easy to overlook the alchemist’s skill list, but it is an important part of the character. Craft (alchemy) Feat Name Prerequisites Benefit Accurate Assessment — Learn one statistical value of a foe during combat Advanced Alchemy 10 ranks in Craft (alchemy) Add Int bonus to alchemical item DC values Bottoms Up BAB +1 Drink potions as a move action Craft Anywhere Any item creation feat Craft 8 hours/day while adventuring Craftsman — +2 bonus to all craft skill checks Create Wondrous Creature CL 5th Create new life forms Extra Extract Alchemy class feature Prepare an additional extract Fast Item Creation Craftsman, 9 ranks in Spellcraft Create magic items in half the time Fire in the Hole BAB +1 Splash weapons ignore cover Frugal Crafting Any item creation feat or any ranks in Craft Item creation costs are reduced Hardy Brawler Toughness Nonlethal DR equal to Con modifier Improved Sleight of Hand Dex 13, Sleight of Hand as class skill No penalty to using Sleight of Hand as a move action Learn Command — Learn commands words when activating magic items blindly Lighten Weapon Str 13, BAB +1 Effort to wield weapon reduced by one category Lighten Weapon, Improved Lighten Weapon, BAB +3 Removes the attack penalty for using Lighten Weapon Mind over Body Con 13 Heal more ability damage/day Minor Damage Reduction Con 15 Gain DR 1/− or increase existing DR by 1 Modify Mutagen Mutagen class feature Change the penalty you take from a mutagen Opportunity Shot Rapid Shot, BAB +8 Take attacks of opportunity with ranged weapon Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist 4 Prerequisite: BAB +1. Benefit: You can drink a potion or any other small volume of liquid as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Note: The benefit of this feat does not include any actions needed to retrieve a potion from your inventory, only the action of consuming it. Commentary—This feat is great for anyone who wants to make the most of potions in combat. Often, you need to drink potions in critical moments and pulling an attack of opportunity to chug a healing potion can be very counterproductive. For alchemists, this feat is especially potent since their extracts and mutagens are essentially special potions only the alchemist can drink. The barbarian archetype, drunken brute, gains a similar capability as part of the raging drunk alternate class feature. Craft Anywhere You are always tinkering and can work in nearly any environment. Prerequisite: Any item creation feat. Benefit: You can put in a full 8 hours/day of magic item crafting while adventuring as if you were working in a comfortable and distraction free environment. Normal: While adventuring, you can dedicate only 4 hours to crafting and receive only 1 hour of progress from it. Commentary—Having a character with crafting feats in a campaign that involves back to back adventures can be frustrating since the crafting rules make it very impractical to craft on the road. I think this would be an essential feat for anyone who really wants to get the most out for their item creation feats. are, of course, those that have an alchemist class features as a requirement. Accurate Assessment You can accurately judge how good someone is at something. Benefit: During combat, select a target creature within 60 ft. By taking a standard action, you can learn one current statistical value of the target of your choice. Notes: A statistical value is anything in a stat block or character sheet represented by a formula or numerical value. The value learned is the current modified value. Commentary—While this may lead to some meta- gaming, I think of it as representing a character’s ability to accurately judge the threat or defenses of an opponent with a practiced eye. It’s limited to combat because otherwise the GM would have to hand players a full stat sheet every time they scout an enemy. The pretence is that you must see combatants in action to judge their abilities. Advanced Alchemy Your formulae use secret ingredients known only to master alchemists. Prerequisite: 10 ranks in Craft (alchemy). Benefit: Add your Intelligence bonus to the target DC values to resist the effects of alchemical items you create. Note: This does not apply to bombs, mutagens, or extracts. Commentary—It would seem a shame to have alchemical items become completely useless. This feat is limited to higher levels since the DC values on alchemical items start at a decent value. Cranking them up too early could be unbalancing and lead to the entire party using them to harry foes. Bottoms Up You have trained yourself to swallow liquids in one quick gulp. Feat Name Prerequisites Benefit Organized Inventory Quick Draw Draw non weapon items as a free action Pack Mule — +4 bonus to Str for purposes of carrying capacity Practice Makes Perfect — +3 bonus when taking 10 or 20 on a skill check Primeval Fury BAB +1 Gain combat prowess for a short time Reliable Bombs Bomb class feature +2 to DCs of bomb effects and damage Sidestep Charge Dodge +4 bonus to AC against charge and attack of opportunity if missed Skirmishing Shot on the Run +2 bonus to AC while moving and making ranged attacks Suicide Bomber Bomb class feature Set off all your bombs at close range Sundering Bomb Precise Shot, bomb class feature Use bombs to make sunder attacks Throw and Charge Quick Draw, Run Throw a weapon and charge as a full round action Weapon Juggle Dex 13, Quick Draw Sheath, pick up, and trade weapons as a free action 5 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist Special: This feat can be taken multiple times and stacks with itself. Each time it is chosen, add 1,000 gp to the value of a single magic item that the character can create each day. Commentary—I’ve often found that most campaigns and adventures leave little time to utilize item creation feats. This can definitely help a character make better use of such feats. Fire in the Hole (Combat) You can lob splash weapons around covered positions. Prerequisite: BAB +1. Benefit: When using a ranged splash attack, your target does not receive AC bonuses for cover, sitting, kneeling, or being prone. Commentary—The name of the feat isn’t so great at telling you what it does, but I couldn’t resist since it’s very appropriate to what you are actually doing. Frugal Crafting You have mastered the art of crafting on the cheap. Prerequisite: Any item creation feat or any ranks in Craft. Benefit: The cost of creating magic items is reduced to 1/3 its base cost in raw materials. The cost of crafting non- magic items is reduced to 1/4 its base cost in raw materials. Commentary—Essentially, this feat just saves you money. Its value depends a bit on the type of campaign you play in. If gold is tight, it may well be of great value; if gold is plentiful, this feat does little to strengthen your character. Hardy Brawler You can shrug off non-lethal blows without effect. Prerequisite: Toughness. Benefit: You gain DR against nonlethal damage equal to your Constitution modifier. Commentary—While this feat wouldn’t normally be of great use in combat, it could be great for an alchemist who makes their living as a bar brawler or sport fighter. Craftsman You have a knack for creating things. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Craft checks. Create Wondrous Creature You have learned the magical art of creating new flesh from old. Prerequisite: CL 5th. Benefit: You can create any aberration, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or plant creature whose prerequisites you meet. However, the creature created is not necessarily under your control. To begin, you need access to an alchemist’s lab worth at least 500 gp. The process involves subjecting a similar creature or creatures to various spells and grafting techniques. There is a chance that the experiment will be a failure. To create a creature, you must succeed with both Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (nature) checks (DC 20 + CR of attempted creature). You gain a +1 circumstance bonus for every attempt at a specific creature that you have previously made, whether successful or not. If both Knowledge skill checks are failed the creature dies a horrible death. If one Knowledge skill check fails and the other succeeds, the resulting creation is horribly deformed in some way and is hostile to you. The base price of a creature is its CR value squared times 1,000 gp (CR x CR x 1,000 gp). Creating a creature takes 1 day/1,000 gp in its base price. To create a creature, you must supply raw materials costing 1/2 its base price. The minimum CL for creating a creature is 2 times the CR (2 x CR) of the intended creature until you reach 10th level; thereafter, it’s your level minus 5. The appropriate spells must be used to add extraordinary (Ex), spell-like (Sp), and supernatural (Su) abilities to the creature. Special: If a charm monster spell is cast every day of the creation process, a successfully created creature will be entirely loyal to you, although not under your direct control. If a limited wish is used in the creation process, a successfully created creature will be loyal and will follow a life goal you choose for it. If a wish is used in the creation process, a successfully created creature and all its descendants will follow a single life goal of your choice. Extra Extract You can prepare more extracts than others of your level. Prerequisite: Alchemy class feature. Benefit: You can prepare 1 additional extract/day of any level you can normally prepare. Fast Item Creation You have optimized your crafting techniques to save time. Prerequisite: Craftsman, 9 ranks in Spellcraft. Benefit: You increase the rate at which you create magical items by 1,000 gp/8-hour day. Commentary on Create Wondrous Creature This feat breaks the rule of simplicity wide open although, considering what it does, its handled with a pretty simple mechanic that is consistent with item crafting in most respects. It was not intended to help the character create their own personal army of monsters so much as to capture the flavor of the mad wizard cooking up the monster of the week. This feat definitely requires GM participation and a good bit of roleplaying if you want to use it in a campaign. I think it has great potential for fun and creativity and is a great fit for the mad alchemist. Commentary on Create Wondrous Creature This feat breaks the rule of simplicity wide open although, considering what it does, its handled with a pretty simple mechanic that is consistent with item crafting in most respects. It was not intended to help the character create their own personal army of monsters so much as to capture the flavor of the mad wizard cooking up the monster of the week. This feat definitely requires GM participation and a good bit of roleplaying if you want to use it in a campaign. I think it has great potential for fun and creativity and is a great fit for the mad alchemist. Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist 6 take this feat multiple times, each time choosing a different type of weapon. Example: Rogar the human fighter takes Lighten Weapon and chooses greatsword. He can now use a Medium greatsword in one hand with a −2 penalty to hit, gaining 1 x Strength bonus to damage. He can also wield a Large greatsword in two hands with a −2 penalty to hit and adding 1.5 x Strength bonus to damage. Lighten Weapon, Improved (Combat) You have mastered the use of oversized weapons. Prerequisite: Lighten Weapon, BAB +8. Benefit: Choose a weapon when taking this feat. When using the Lighten Weapon feat, you do not suffer the associated −2 penalty to attack when using that feat with your chosen weapon. Mind over Body You heal ability damage at an astounding rate. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefit: You heal ability damage and ability burn more quickly than normal. You heal a number of ability points per day equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier. Normal: You heal ability damage and ability burn at a rate of 1 point/day. Minor Damage Reduction Minor wounds seem to have no effect on you. Prerequisite: Con 15. Benefit: You gain DR 1/− or increase all your existing DR by 1. Special: You can take this feat multiple times, and its effects stack. Commentary—DR is often treated as a very potent game mechanic, and while for monsters it can be a hearty defense, for a character, it’s often weak on its own. This is especially true if you cannot increase it as you level up. Modify Mutagen You have gained greater control of your mutagens’ side effects. Prerequisite: Mutagen class feature. Benefit: When creating mutagens, you can change the ability score in which you suffer the penalty. Commentary—Losing Intelligence can be a bummer for alchemists looking to boost their Strength. I think a feat is a decent cost to shift the penalty to a less vital statistic. Opportunity Shot (Combat) You can shoot nearby opponents who let their guard down. Prerequisite: Rapid Shot, BAB +8. Benefit: When armed with a ranged weapon that is ready for use, you effectively threaten all squares up to 30 ft. or the reach of your ranged weapon, whichever is smaller, for the purposes of making attacks of opportunity Improved Sleight of Hand Your hands are especially deft and quick. Prerequisite: Dex 13, Sleight of Hand as class skill. Benefit: You can make a Sleight Of Hand skill check as a move action without the usual −20 penalty. Learn Command You gain insight into an item when activating it blindly. Benefit: If you are successful when activating an item blindly (that is, Use Magic Device DC 25), you actually learn the true command word or activation mechanism for the item you are using and, thus, no longer need to activate it blindly. Notes: You still may need to make a Use Magic Device check to use the item if you don’t meet the normal requirements for it, you only get to skip the activate blindly check. Commentary—This is a nice feat that demonstrates how a feat can actually speed up play by removing a dice roll from the game. Lighten Weapon (Combat) You can balance heavy weapons, making them easier to wield. Prerequisite: Str 13, BAB +3. Benefit: Choose one type of weapon. When using a weapon of that type you may reduce the effort required to wield it by one step but suffer a −2 penalty to hit with that weapon. This allows you to wield a weapon 1 size category larger as if it were your own size, use a two-handed weapon in one hand, or a one-handed as a light weapon. Normal: Weapons 1 size category larger increase the effort required to wield them by one step: light becoming one-handed, one-handed becoming two-handed, and two- handed becoming un-wieldable. Two-handed weapons may not be used one-handed. Using a one-handed weapon in your off hand results in a −2 penalty to all of your attacks (in addition to other off-hand penalties that may apply). Special: The effect of this feat does not stack with other feats that alter wielding effort or weapon size. You may Commentary on Lighten Weapon I wanted to create a catchall feat that would grant the ability to wield over-sized weapons that is so popular in our imaginations and fantasy illustrations. Other d20 feats have generally failed to achieve this without creating confusion and have not quite covered all the rules angles. I think this one hits the mark, but it does require some explanation for those not up on the rules minutia it covers. While the effect may seem powerful, running the numbers on it shows it to be a modest boost to damage over time in most situations although the larger the combatant, the more it has to offer. Commentary on Lighten Weapon I wanted to create a catchall feat that would grant the ability to wield over-sized weapons that is so popular in our imaginations and fantasy illustrations. Other d20 feats have generally failed to achieve this without creating confusion and have not quite covered all the rules angles. I think this one hits the mark, but it does require some explanation for those not up on the rules minutia it covers. While the effect may seem powerful, running the numbers on it shows it to be a modest boost to damage over time in most situations although the larger the combatant, the more it has to offer. 7 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist Prerequisite: Dodge. Benefit: You gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against charge attacks. If a charging opponent fails to make a successful attack against you, you gain an immediate attack of opportunity. This feat does not grant you more attacks of opportunity than you are normally allowed in a round. If you are flat-footed or otherwise denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, you do not gain the benefit of this feat. Commentary—As a ranged attack character, you become the focus of charge attacks fairly often since it is one way to close distance and still strike at you. Combined with Skirmishing, you can become a pretty challenging target while on the move. And a poison blade that further slows your opponent would go well with this feat. Skirmishing (Combat) You have mastered the art of ducking and weaving while returning shots of your own. Prerequisite: Shot on the Run. Benefit: When you make a ranged attack or reload a missile weapon—moving at least 5 ft. while doing so—you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC until the beginning of your next action. Commentary—One of the challenges of having a short- ranged range weapon is that you lose many of the defensive benefits of ranged attacks. It’s easy for your opponent to simply walk over and beat you up. While the feat cost of this is pretty high, it does help you if you want to run and gun. Suicide Bomber You are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to stop your foe. Prerequisite: Bomb class feature. Benefit: You must spend a full round action preparing with it. This feat does not work if you are threatened by an opponent, nor can it be used to establish flanking. Organized Inventory You retrieve items from your inventory quickly. Prerequisite: Quick Draw. Benefit: You can retrieve any handheld item from your inventory as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Commentary—Quick Draw specifically omits non weapon items like potions and wands from being pulled as free actions. Combined with Chug Potion, drinking potions in combat is quick and easy. Pack Mule You can carry more than others of your stature. Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to Strength for the sole purpose of the weight you can carry (or your encumbrance). Commentary—If your game doesn’t pay attention to encumbrance, there isn’t much point to this feat, but if you do, an alchemist could find themselves with a lot of equipment to carry, and this fits a kind of inventory management theme. Practice Makes Perfect You excel when taking your time or making repeated attempts. Benefit: When taking 10 or 20 on a skill check, you gain a +3 competence bonus to your skill check. Primeval Fury You summon the primal rage within for a short time. Prerequisite: BAB +1. Benefit: As a swift action 1/day, you tap into a primal fury within to gain a +2 bonus to damage on melee attacks and 10 temporary hp. This lasts a number of rounds equal to 2 + your Constitution bonus. Commentary—This feat bends the rules a little by granting something that is similar to a class ability. None the less, it fits well thematically with the mutagen side of the alchemist and not many feats do. Rather than bumping statistics as rage does, I instead opted for simpler bonuses to final rolls. This helps avoid slowing down play while the feat is in use but offers very similar benefits. Reliable Bombs Your bombs’ effects are more difficult to resist. Prerequisite: Bomb class feature. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to the DC values to resist the effects and damage of your bombs. Sidestep Charge (Combat) You are skilled at dodging charging opponents and taking advantage when they miss. Commentary on Suicide Bomber Some may find this feat offensive, but when you think of a mad scientist walking around with a bunch of bombs, the idea of using them this way quickly leaps to mind. In many ways, it’s not really a good feat. Either it will end the life of the character using it, or the character has found some way to cheat the system and will abuse the feat badly. Nonetheless, if you are playing a one-shot game, this could make for a great ending to the story. And if you find yourself in a no-win scenario, your sacrifice could save others. Because it has so much good roleplaying potential, I felt it was worth including. It is definitely a feat that you should discuss with your GM before using in a game. The damage potential is massive at higher levels -- which is both good and bad news for the alchemist who chooses to use it. Commentary on Suicide Bomber Some may find this feat offensive, but when you think of a mad scientist walking around with a bunch of bombs, the idea of using them this way quickly leaps to mind. In many ways, it’s not really a good feat. Either it will end the life of the character using it, or the character has found some way to cheat the system and will abuse the feat badly. Nonetheless, if you are playing a one-shot game, this could make for a great ending to the story. And if you find yourself in a no-win scenario, your sacrifice could save others. Because it has so much good roleplaying potential, I felt it was worth including. It is definitely a feat that you should discuss with your GM before using in a game. The damage potential is massive at higher levels -- which is both good and bad news for the alchemist who chooses to use it. Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist 8 free pick up is great if you disarm an opponent. Combining this with Organized Inventory lets you use magic items and remain armed at all times. You can sheath a weapon, wave a wand, put the wand away, and pull the weapon back out all in one action. You become the undisputed master of your inventory. Character Builds Planning out a character can be both a lot of fun and a learning exercise. Doing a little planning early means you avoid indecision about what to take at your next level, and you never miss prerequisites for something you want to take down the road. These following three builds are handy for players who may not know all the ins and outs of the rules but still want to create a powerful, mechanically sound, and well- thought-out character. The character builds were created using the core rules, the Advanced Players Guide, and Advanced Feats for source material. Ability scores were purchased using 15 points (standard fantasy). Only those elements of the character where you are making build choices are listed, and in the leveling charts, only those levels where such choices occur are shown. The Carpet Bomber This build is maximized for throwing a large number of high-damage bombs per round. If you really want to blow things up, this is the build for you. And you might want to consider playing an elf. Why an elf bomber? Being an elf helps with two primary ability scores you need, and the weapon proficiencies fit well with the feats taken for bomb throwing. Even the skill bonuses coincide. Pathfinder games should see quite a few elf bombers, if players really maximize the mechanics! Feat and discovery selection for carpet bombers—elvish or not—are pretty focused: anything that gets you additional attacks and anything that makes the bombs do more damage. The builds are loaded up on every feat that grants additional ranged attacks: Rapid Shot and the Two- Weapon Fighting chain. Beyond bombs, Weapon Finesse lets you use rapier, unarmed attacks, and dagger pretty well, and the longbow can come out when the bombs are depleted. Formulae that provide touch attacks, such as elemental touch, can also be leveraged very effectively with two-weapon fighting. At 20th level, assuming you do a bit of Intelligence boosting, you will have about 28 bombs, each of which deal 10d6+6 damage. You can throw up to 7 during a full attack for 70d6+56 damage, not to mention the 136 splash damage and effects from bomb discoveries. It is a slow build to develop, however, and at early levels, you are a somewhat fragile combatant. The elf’s weapon proficiencies really shine here, giving you something to do while gearing up your bomb tricks. Once you hit 9th level, the build for this attack during or just prior to combat. To execute the attack, you must first move into an opponent’s square, provoking an attack of opportunity. Then, as a standard action, you create and set off all your remaining bombs for the day simultaneously. You may not apply any discoveries to these bombs. You and your opponent are automatically hit by all of the bombs. Your opponent may make a single Reflex save for half damage from all of the bombs, you may not. Splash damage is treated as if only one bomb had gone off. Sundering Bomb You can use bombs to destroy your opponent’s equipment. Prerequisite: Precise Shot, bomb class feature. Benefit: You can use one of your bombs to make a ranged sunder attempt. Your opponent takes only the splash damage from the bomb. Normal: Sunder can only be performed with a melee attack. Commentary—It seemed to me that bombs would be great for blowing things up as well as people. Keep in mind you will not be making a touch attack but a combat maneuver check; however, if it works, a high-level alchemist’s bombs should be quite effective at destroying opponents’ equipment. Throw and Charge (Combat) You can hurl a thrown weapon while charging. Prerequisite: Quick Draw, Run. Benefit: As a full round action, you can throw a light or one-handed ranged weapon, draw another weapon, and then charge. Both attacks are made at your highest BAB with a +2 bonus to your charge attack. You cannot use this feat if your movement speed is reduced by armor or encumbrance. Commentary—There’s nothing quite like softening up a target before charging in. Originally designed for a Viking warrior, this feat is great for the well-rounded alchemist that wants to both toss bombs and fight in melee. Weapon Juggle (Combat) You can freely move items between your hand and inventory. Prerequisite: Dex 13, Quick Draw, Sleight Of Hand 3 ranks Benefit: You can sheath a weapon, pick up an item from the ground, or trade weapons from one hand to another (even if both are holding something) as a free action and without provoking an attack of opportunity. You cannot use this feat to make an off-hand attack with the same weapon used to perform a main hand attack in the same round or vice versa. Commentary—I really like the idea of someone who juggles in combat, but it’s hard to see how it would really give you an edge on your opponents. Being able to quickly put away gear is very handy in critical situations, and the 9 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist The Mighty Mutant This build focuses on the self-buffing aspect of the alchemist to create a chemically enhanced behemoth of destruction and endurance. Not just a mindless brute, this is a cunning warrior with a mix of offensive and defensive abilities. For this build, multiclassing is a huge boon, providing armor and weapon proficiencies that you can make great use of without losing any casting-like abilities. Half-orc is a nice choice for their ability to fight for 1 round after going below 0 hp. This gives a mighty mutant alchemist a chance to drink a healing potion or extract and stay in the fight, which can be invaluable. That they add to Strength is also a boon. This build’s list of feats is primarily a long series of damage bonuses for melee combat, few of which are tied to any given weapon type. Combat Expertise is nice for the tanking side of the build. Combined with natural armor from the mutagens, heavy armor, magical buffs, and a tower shield, you can have an AC few can easily match. Eventually, you also pick up Bottoms Up for healing quickly in dangerous situations. Further, the combine extracts discovery helps speed up buffing and healing and the extend potion discovery keeps the shorter buffs going longer. You get every mutagen bonus available short of the final capstone discovery. Don’t neglect your ability to use and apply poisons in battle; it will give you an edge few hard-hitting melee types have. While not as powerful as bombs, the poisons are still a very nice backup weapon and pretty easy to hit with despite your low Dexterity score since they are touch attacks. The Lighten Weapon feat, when taken with a two- handed weapon, gives you a lot of versatility with a single weapon, letting you hack away for heavy damage using two hands or pair the same weapon with a shield for a more defensive stance. If you can find a nice Large weapon, you can really go to town with Vital Strike. Details Race half-orc Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 7 Skills Climb, Craft (alchemy), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Survival, Swim Favored Class alchemist (take extra hp) Leveling Guide (class features, feats, and ability increase choices per level): 1—(fighter)—Power Attack feat, Primeval Fury feat 3—Combat Expertise feat, feral mutagen discovery 4—Str +1 5—Extend potion discovery, Lighten Weapon feat 7—Cleave feat, sticky poison discovery 8—Str +1 9—Combine extracts discovery, Vital Strike feat 11—Fast bombs discovery, Improved Critical feat really blossoms, and you can throw a solid 20d6 worth of bombs a turn. Of course the build does do more than just fight with bombs. When not blowing things up, a carpet bomber makes a pretty good breaking-and-entering specialist with strong Disable Device, Perception, and Sleight of Hand skills. You can also make potions, poisons, and alchemical items galore for your companions or yourself. Details Race elf Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 8, Cha 8 Skills Craft (alchemy), Disable Device, Fly, Knowledge (arcana), Perception, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft Favored Class alchemist (take extra hp) Leveling Guide (class features, feats, and ability increase choices per level): 1—Two-Weapon Fighting feat 2—Acid bomb discovery 3—Weapon Finesse feat 4—Precise bombs discovery, Int +1 5—Point Blank Shot feat 6—Explosive bomb discovery 7—Rapid Shot feat 8—Fast bombs discovery, Dex +1 9—Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat 10—Sticky bomb discovery 11—Precise Shot feat 12—Force bomb discovery, Dex +1 13—Opportunity Shot feat 14—Greater mutagen discovery 15—Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat 16—Grand mutagen discovery, Int +1 17—Sundering Bomb feat 18—Delayed bomb discovery 19—Reliable Bombs feat 20— Frost bomb, shock bomb, true mutagen grand discovery, Int +1 Formulae that combine especially well with this build: 1st—bomber’s eye, reduce person, shield 2nd—cat’s grace, elemental touch, fox’s cunning, levitate 3rd—elemental aura, fly, haste 4th—air walk, greater invisibility 5th—none 6th—true seeing, twin form Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist 10 12—Str +1 13—Bottoms Up feat, greater mutagen discovery 15— Concentrate poison discovery, Improved Vital Strike feat 16—Str +1 17— Grand mutagen discovery, Improved Lighten Weapon feat 19—Elixir of life discovery, Furious Focus feat 20—Str +1 Formulae that combine especially well with this build: 1st— cure light wounds, enlarge person, reduce person, true strike 2nd—barkskin, blur, bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds 3rd— cure serious wounds, displacement, draconic reservoir, elemental aura, haste, heroism, rage, thorn body 4th— cure critical wounds, death ward, fire shield, stoneskin, universal formula 5th—spell resistance 6th—giant form I, heal, true seeing The Mad Scientist The mad scientist is far more comfortable supporting the party and doing research than wading into battle. The real focus of this build is crafting items for use by yourself and your party. A good deal of planning ahead is helpful so as to be prepared for whatever comes. You are no slouch with bombs, but until that ability develops a bit, they are limited in combat situations. With enough buffing and mutagens, you should be able to contribute in a fight, but when all is said and done, this build shines more brightly out of combat than in it. With your great intellect, you can be the mastermind that gets others to do your heavy lifting while you reap the rewards, and in time, you will no doubt rule the world! Feats like Create Wondrous Creature and Craft (clockwork) require some participation from your GM to be useful, so you may want to chat about it before committing. If everyone is in a creative mood, these feats can even be the launching point for grand adventures. Details Race human Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 7, Cha 12 Skills Craft (alchemy), Craft (armor)1, Craft (clockwork)1, Craft (traps), Craft (weapons), Disable Device, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device (1) Acquired after increasing Intelligence. Favored Class alchemist (take extra hp or human extra formula) Leveling Guide (class features, feats, and ability increase choices per level): 1—Craft Anywhere feat 2—Smoke bomb discovery 3—Frugal Crafting feat 4—Infusion discovery, Int +1 5—Create Wondrous Creature feat 6—Dispelling bombs discovery 7—Craft Wondrous Item feat 8—Fast bombs discovery, Int +1 9—Quick Draw feat 10—Precise bombs discovery 11—Organized Inventory feat 12—Explosive bomb discovery, Int +1 13—Advanced Alchemy feat 14—Extend potion discovery 15—Bottoms Up feat 16—Eternal potion discovery, Int +1 17—Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat 18—Inferno bomb discovery 19—Extra Discovery: Elixir of Life feat 20— Combine extracts discovery, delayed bomb discovery, philosopher’s stone grand discovery, Int +1 Formulae that combine especially well with this build: 1st— comprehend languages, crafter’s fortune, expeditious retreat, identify 2nd— alchemical allocation, fire breath, fox’s cunning, invisibility, vomit swarm 3rd—amplify elixir, gaseous from 4th—dragon’s breath, elemental body I 5th— contact other plane, dream, elemental body II, elude time, magic jar, nightmare, polymorph 6th—analyze dweomer, transformation, true seeing 11 Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Advanced Player's Guide. Copyright 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn. System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR. Netbook of Feats, Authors: Carl Cramér, Jonathan D. Woolley, Terje Kristian Backman, Paul W. King, Scott Metzger, Eric D. Harry, Bradley H. Bern, Sigfried Trent. Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist. Copyright 2010, Open Design LLC, www.koboldquarterly.com. All rights reserved.

textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Kobold Press - Open Design/Advanced Feats/Advanced Feats - Secrets of the Alchemist.pdf

� BLUE PLANET� CHARACTER DESIGN SHEET CHARACTER PROFILE ATTRIBUTES SKILLS CHARACTER‘S NAME ORIGIN SPECIES BACKGROUND EDUCATION GOAL MOTIVATION ATTITUDE PLAYER‘S CHOICE PROFESSION Awareness Total Modifier Modifier Education Mods Background Origin Species Adv/Disad. Base Total Education Mods Background Origin Species Adv/Disad. Base Charisma Education Experience Initiative Intellect Will ADMINISTRATION Bureaucracy Law Management AGRICULTURE Animal Husbandry Aquaculture Farming Hydroponics ATHLETICS Aquatics Archery Freefall Parachuting Physical Training Throwing COMMAND Leadership Logistics Strategy Tactics COMMERCE Economics Negotiation COMMUNICATIONS Language Oration Persuasion Writing COMPUTERS Computer Engineering Computer Operation Computer Repair Hacking CONSTRUCTION Carpentry Civil Engineering Demolitions ELECTRONICS ORIGIN BACKGROUND EDUCATION OTHER PROESSION TOTAL ORIGIN BACKGROUND EDUCATION OTHER PROESSION TOTAL ORIGIN BACKGROUND EDUCATION OTHER PROESSION TOTAL Electronics Operation Electronics Repair FINE ARTS Acting Artisan Dance Music Painting Photography Sculpture FIREARMS Autofire Handguns Longarms HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT Brawling Martial Arts Military Hand-to-Hand HUMAN SCIENCES Anthropology Archaeology History Political Science Theology LIFE SCIENCES Biochemistry Botany Environmental Engineering Genetics Zoology MECHANICS Mechanical Engineering Mechanics Operation Mechanics Repair MEDICINE First Aid Forensic Medicine General Medicine Genetic Engineering Pharmacology Psychology Surgery Veterinary Medicine Electrical Engineering PHYSICAL Agility Appearance Constitution Dexterity Endurance Speed Strength MENTAL MILITARY WEAPONS Heavy Weapons Gunnery PHYSICAL SCIENCES Astronomy Chemistry Geology Meteorology Physics SCIENTIFIC METHOD Experimental Research Mathematics SUBTERFUGE Bribery Disguise Fast Talk Forgery Pick Pocket Stealth SURVIVAL Fishing Foraging Mountaineering Navigation Orienteering Tracking VEHICLES Driving Piloting Sailing CULTURE Colonial Earth GEO Incorporate Military Native Spacer Street Artillery BLUE PLANET� PRIMARY CHARACTER SHEET MODIFIERS DAMAGE � ATTRIBUTES MENTAL SKILLS PROFILE ENCUMBRANCE PHYSICAL HTH MOD DAMAGE ROUNDS MINIMAL MODERATE MAXIMUM ORIGIN BACKGROUND EDUCATION GOAL MOTIVATION ATTITUDE PLAYER‘S CHOICE PROFESSION LOCATION LEVEL EFFECTS NAME AGE GENDER BUILD COMPLEXION EYE COLOR HAIR COLOR HAIR STYLE HEIGHT WEIGHT SPECIAL SPECIES ABILITIES AWARENESS CHEMICAL HEARING INTUITION TOUCH VISION CHARISMA EXPERIENCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE INTELLECT WILL AGILITY APPEARANCE CONSTITUTION DEXTERITY ENDURANCE SPEED STRENGTH PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE; COPYRIGHT BIOHAZARD GAMES BLUE PLANET� SECONDARY CHARACTER SHEET PERSONAL GEAR PERSONAL INFORMATION ITEM MODS DAMAGE RANKS ARMOR HEAD FACE NECK TORSO ARMS LEGS HANDS FEET WEAPON RANGES ROF WT GRADE VALUE RESIDENCE EMPLOYER FINANCES FAMILY FRIENDS AND CONTACTS RESOURCES PROFILE DETAILS LOCATION WEIGHT CHIPS CURRENT TOTAL PB S M L PERMISSION GRANTED TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE; COPYRIGHT BIOHAZARD GAMES

textdata/thevault/Blue Planet/Blue Planet Character Design Sheet.pdf

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textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Bandit Kingdoms/592/Normal Scenarios/BDK2-05 - Retribution (APL 2-10)/BDK2-05 - Retribution_cert.pdf

GP Starting GP Lifestyle � None � Standard (12 gp x TU) � Rich (50 gp x TU) � Luxury (100 gp x TU) Lifestyle Cost Other Coin Spent Total Coin Spent - GP GP Spent GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal + GP GP Gained GP Subtotal - GP GP Spent GP FINAL GP TOTAL Items Sold Total Value of Sold Items Add ½ this value to your gp value Items Bought Total Cost of Bought Items Subtract this value from your gp value XP Starting XP - XP XP lost or spent XP Subtotal + XP XP Gained FINAL XP TOTAL XP TU Starting TU 2 or 4 TU TU Cost - TU Added TU Costs TU REMAINING � Influence with Rubyfalls: You have rescued the kidnapped gnome children and returned them to their grateful parents. The town of Rubyfalls is grateful for your assistance and heroism in the face of the evil, and you have gained three (3) influence points with the town. they promise the following to you as a small token of their appreciation. Check off the influence with used � AR ___ � AR ___ � AR ___ � Favor of Rubyfalls: The citizens of Rubyfalls hail you as a hero for your brave efforts in rescuing their children. In addition to the normal uses for influence, you may use your Influence with the town to gain the following benefits. • +20% discount to build one (1) structure in the town of Rubyfalls. This structure must have a base cost of 5,000 gp or less. • Eliminate the annual cost for the Required Staff of any one (1) Residential Component or Business unit you own in Rubyfalls. This lasts for one year from the date of this AR. Each use of the Favor of Rubyfalls requires the use of one (1) Influence point with Rubyfalls. This Record Certifies that _______________________________ Played by___________________________________ Player RPGA # Has Completed VERIntro5-03: Rubyfalls An Introductory Adventure Set in the Verbobonc Region Play Notes: � Gained a level � Lost a level � Ability Drained _________ � Died � Was raised/res’d � Was reincarnated __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Home Region_______________ Event: _________________ Date: ________ DM:________________________________ Signature RPGA # APL 2 max 900 xp; 900 gp 595 CY A D V E N T U R E L E V E L O F P L A Y (CIRCLE ONE) Adventure Record# ITEMS FOUND DURING THE ADVENTURE Cross off all items NOT found This area is typically used to list items from the DMG that are now available for purchase as a result of the adventure. As an Introductory Scenario, this event does not contain any such items. However, the following items are available for purchase after any LIVING GREYHAWK Event. � All items from the PHB, tables 7-3, 7-5, 7-6, and 7-8 with the exception of spells � Any +1 weapon or armor of a type listed in the PHB � Any potion, oil, or scroll from DMG valued at 750gp or under � A normal, masterwork, or +1 version of a weapon type listed in the PHB made of alchemical silver or cold iron � +1 Ring of Protection � +1 Amulet of Natural Armor � +1 Bracers of Armor � +1 Cloak of Resistance � Amulet of Health +2 � Cloak of Charisma +2 � Gauntlets of Ogre Power � Gloves of Dexterity +2 � Headband of Intellect +2 � Periapt of Wisdom +2 You must have campaign documentation to purchase items not found on the above list. Adventure Records are the most common form of documentation.

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/EXTRAS/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/VER (Verbobonc)/ARs/VERi5-03 Ruby Falls AR (3E).pdf

Le Livre du Samourai ROKUGAN LEXIQUE ROKUGANI ▪ BUSHI (« Bouchi ») Signifie Guerrier. Les Bushi étaient les guerriers en charge de la protection des clans. ▪ BUSHIDO (« Bouchido ») Signifie La Voie du Guerrier. Ce sont les principes moraux qui guident les samurai japonais, mettant en avant notamment la Loyauté et l’Honneur. ▪ COUR D’HIVER Une Cour d’Hiver est une cour que chaque Daimyo organise. Ce dernier choisit ses invités et profite de l’hiver, où la guerre est impossible, pour trouver alliés et faveurs, et éventuellement se débarrasser d’un ennemi. La cour est le moment où les Clans et les différentes familles nobles signent des accords commerciaux, des alliances, des traités de paix, et même des déclarations de guerre. En fait, c’est l’endroit où les Clans règlent leurs différents en remplaçant les effusions de sang par des mots, qui peuvent affecter l’existence de milliers de personnes. ▪ DAIMYO (« Daïmio ») Titre de noblesse. Ils sont les plus puissants gouverneurs féodaux. Il peut y avoir plusieurs Daimyo dans un clan, mais seul l’un d’entre eux est le seigneur du clan. Exemple : Mirumoto Ukira est le Daimyo de Mirumoto Shiryu, mais n’est pas le dirigeant du clan du Dragon (qui est Mirumoto Hitomi). ▪ DAISHO (« Daïcho ») C’est le nom donné aux deux armes portées par les samurai, le Katana et le Wakizashi. Seuls les samurai sont autorisés à porter un daisho, vu que c’est aussi un symbole de leur rang. ▪ HAI (« Haïe ») Signifie Oui. ▪ HEIMIN (« Héïmine ») Signifie demi-homme. Les Heimins désignent tous les gens non-nobles. Ils représentent les fermiers, les artisans et les marchands. ▪ KATANA C’est un sabre de plus de 60cm. Il est porté à la ceinture, le tranchant tourné vers le haut (vers le bas dans le cas d’un cavalier). ▪ GEMPUKKU (« Guémepoukou ») Signifie Cérémonie de la Majorité. Cérémonie durant laquelle les jeunes reçoivent des présents de passage à l’âge adulte (notamment des vêtements) et changent aussi de nom pour prendre celui de leur école (Par exemple Kakita Noritoshi a fait l’école de duelliste Kakita). ▪ KAMI Ce sont des esprits célestes ayant des pouvoirs, mais n’étant pas tout-puissants, et aussi des esprits terrestres dispensant des bénédictions ou des sanctions aux gens sur terre. il y aurait donc en réalité une infinité de kamis, un pour chaque chose qui existe. ▪ MAHO-TSUKAÏ (« Maho Tsoukaï ») Utilisateurs de la magie du sang. Cette forme de magie est détestée. ▪ MON (« Mone ») Emblème. ▪ ONI Démon ▪ RONIN (« Ronine ») C’est un samurai sans maître, excommunié de son clan. Ils vivent souvent dans un environnement modeste. Leur but varie de l’un à l’autre. ▪ SAIA Extrémité du fourreau des sabres du Daisho ▪ SAMURAÏKO Femme samurai ▪ SENSEI (« Sénesséï ») Maître ▪ SEPPUKU (« Sépoukou ») Signifie Coupure au Ventre. C’est une forme de suicide rituel masculin par éventration. Connu aussi sous le nom d’Hara-Kiri. C’est une façon de se repentir d’une faute impardonnable, commise volontairement ou pas accident. Il sert aussi à laver son honneur et celui de son clan. Les femmes pratiquent le Jigai (prononcez « djigaï »), suicide rituel féminin lors duquel la femme se tranche la gorge à l’aide d’un poignard. ▪ SHUGENJA (« Chouguéneja ») Lanceur de sorts divins qui se met en harmonie avec les éléments et focalise son pouvoir à travers son corps pour produire des effets magiques. ▪ TETSUBO (« Tétsoubo ») C’est un bâton au bout pointu ou arrondi qui sert d’arme contondante aux samurai. ▪ WAKIZASHI (« Wakizachi ») C’est un sabre japonais dont la taille est comprise entre 30 et 60cm. Il est l’arme utilisée lors d’un Seppuku. L'étiquette -san (« sane ») Équivalent de monsieur, madame, mademoiselle. C’est le plus couramment utilisé. C’est la forme de politesse commune. -sama Employé envers quelqu’un de très respecté, ou envers une personne de rang bien supérieur au sien. -dono Équivalent français de « monseigneur ». -kun (« koune ») D’une personne adulte envers un jeune homme ou garçon que l’on connaît. Il peut aussi avoir un sens affectif, toujours employé envers un homme. -chan (« tchane ») D’une personne adulte envers une jeune femme ou fille que l’on connaît. Il peut aussi avoir un sens affectif, toujours employé envers une femme. ROKUGAN, L'EMPIRE D'EMERAUDE Rokugan est un pays fictif, un vaste empire dont l’histoire, les mythes et la culture doivent énormément à l’histoire et à la culture de l’Asie antique et médiévale. Il s’agit essentiellement du Japon, mais également de la Chine et de la Corée, voire d’autres pays. C’est un pays ou les samurai, honorables serviteurs de l’Empereur Divin, font la guerre pour forger la paix au nom de leurs seigneurs. C’est un pays où de puissants clans majeurs comprenant chacun diverses familles très anciennes travaillent de concert ou s’affrontent dans l’espoir de mener à bien leurs desseins politiques et militaires. C’est un pays ou de vaillants guerriers, ou bushi, luttent pour remporter la victoire sur le champ de bataille au nom de leurs clans. C’est un pays où des prêtres dévots appelés shugenja prient d’innombrables fortunes dans l’espoir d’attirer la bénédiction du Paradis Céleste sur leurs terres. C’est un pays ou les politiciens, les courtisans, mènent une guerre éternelle à coup de tirades et de discours, cherchant à grappiller le moindre avantage pour leurs clans. Rokugan est un Empire pétri d’honneur et de gloire, riche en affrontements et en aventures, mais aussi plein d’horreur et de mystère. Sa géographie Rokugan est un pays à la géographie variée, allant des vastes plaines et fermes fertiles, aux montagnes accidentées, en passant par les îles tropicales. Pour l’essentiel, le climat reste tempéré, avec un long été relativement chaud, mais un hiver étonnamment rude. Tout le Rokugan continental connaît d’abondantes chutes de neige durant les mois d’hiver et les déplacements se font alors à l’allure d’escargot. Les paysages géographiques les plus marquants de Rokugan sont ses deux massifs montagneux : la Grande Muraille du Nord et Les Montagnes du Toit du Monde (également appelées Montagnes Seikitsu). La Grande Muraille du Nord représente la frontière septentrionale de Rokugan et fait office de barrières entre les terres du clan du Phénix, du Dragon et de la Licorne d’un coté et les vastes steppes qui s’étendent de l’autre, terres de barbares gaijin Keiretsu. Les montagnes du Toit du Monde scindent Rokugan en deux, coupant l’Empire du nord-ouest au sud-est. Bien qu’il y ait plusieurs cols près des extrémités de cette chaîne, elle est traversée en son cœur par un unique accès significatif. Il s’agissait pour la plus grande partie de l’histoire de l’Empire de l’illustre Col de Beiden qui reliait les terres du Clan du Lion et du Scorpion, mais il fut détruit durant la Guerre des Esprits. Par la volonté des cieux, un nouvel accès s’ouvrit plus au nord, le Col de Seikitsu, reliant les terres des Clans du Scorpion et de la Licorne. Au-delà des frontières de Rokugan, le vaste désert des Terres Brûlées, s’étend à l’ouest et au nord-ouest. On trouve en ses confins d’étranges terres et royaumes avec lesquels Rokugan a eu quelques contacts. Pour l’essentiel, néanmoins, l’Empire ne se soucie guère de ce désert morne et de ce qu’il précède. Sur la frontière occidentale de Rokugan, la forêt de Shinomen constitue une barrière naturelle entre l’Empire et les Terres Brûlées. Il s’agit d’une grande forêt primitive abritant fantômes et créatures inhumaines, notamment les légendaires Naga. La plupart des Rokugani évitent ce site et peu de personnes savent ce qu’il cache.Saga Au sud-ouest en revanche, s’étend un royaume qui ne peut échapper à l’attention de Rokugan, même si l’Empire préférerait ne pas avoir à s’en soucier : l’Outremonde, domaine corrompu et terrifiant que créa Fu Leng en chutant des Cieux, à l’aube des temps. Le cataclysme fut tel qu’il provoqua une brèche de la réalité vers Jigoku, le Royaume du Mal, engendrant le célèbre Puits Suppurant de Fu Leng. Oni, monstres, et diverses manifestations de la Souillure émergent sans cesse du Puits, l’Outremonde étant le fruit de leur influence. Classes sociales et Ordre céleste Les Rokugani croient que toute chose vivante, toute forme d’existence, a sa place dans la hiérarchie établie par la Volonté de Cieux. Cette hiérarchie que l’on appelle l’Ordre Céleste, fut révélée aux Rokugani par les Kami lors de la fondation de l’Empire. Les habitants de Rokugan la voient comme l’expression sacrée et absolue de la volonté divine. Passer outre l’Ordre ou l’enfreindre revient à blasphémer contre le cosmos même. Ainsi, les citoyens de l’Empire d’Emeraude s’organisent en trois castes différentes, chacune étant divisée en sous-castes et rangs inférieurs. En général, on naît dans une caste pour y demeurer toute sa vie durant, mais les exceptions existent. Au sommet de l’ordre social, on trouve les samurai, qui dirigent Rokugan. Ces derniers, seules « personnes véritables » de Rokugan jouissent d’une autorité totale et de droits sur tous ceux qui es trouvent à un échelon inférieur. En dessous des samouraï, on trouve les Bonge ; les roturiers également appelés heimin ou « demi-peuple ». Cela comprend l’essentiel de la population de Rokugan, la partie qui permet à la nation et à l’économie de fonctionner. Ils n’ont généralement pas le droit d’utiliser d’armes, mais il existe des exceptions pour certaines fonctions comme les ashigaru (troupes militaires paysannes) et les budoka (serviteurs armés d’un samouraï). Les samouraïs peuvent exiger ce qu’ils veulent d’un heimin sans devoir le récompenser, mais aussi tuer tout heimin qui désobéit ou ne montre pas le respect dû. En revanche, l’Ordre Céleste dicte également que les diverses castes de la société ont des responsabilités les unes envers les autres, ce qui est mis en exergue par certains écrits comme les Articles des Cieux. Ainsi, tandis qu’il appartient aux heimin de produire et d’obéir, il en va de la mission des samouraïs de protéger et administrer. Les moines occupent une position à part dans l’ordre social. Ils n’appartiennent pas à la caste des samouraïs et ne peuvent considérés comme autre chose que des heimin selon la stricte interprétation du système social rokugani. Toutefois, leur statut de garants des traditions religieuses de l’Empire leur accorde un respect dont les autres roturiers ne bénéficient pas. La plupart des samouraïs montrent une certaine déférence à l’égard des moines et on voit parfois les membres importants de la Confrérie de Shinsei invités à la cour pour offrir leurs conseils avisés au daimyo. Sous les bonge, on trouve le rang inférieur de l’ordre social de Rokugan, celui des hinin ou « non-peuple » qui naissent avec la responsabilité des tâches que les rokugani considèrent comme spirituellement impures. Pour commencer, cela inclut toute activité qui demande de toucher des substances « malpropres » comme le sang, les ordures ou la chair morte. Ces individus perçus comme des moins que rien, ne reçoivent que mépris et maltraitance de la part des paysans. La vie d’un eta, amère et détestable, n’offre qu’un seul espoir selon les règles de l’Ordre Céleste, bien remplir leur devoir pour renaître à un meilleur statut dans leur prochaine vie. La plupart des samouraïs ne tiennent même pas compte d’eux. Ils assument pourtant un rôle essentiel en exécutant les taches « impures » que personnes d’autres n’acceptera. Les principes du Bushido Tous les samouraïs doivent vivre selon les principes éthiques, stricts et exigeants réunis par le Bushido (littéralement « La Voie du Guerrier »). La doctrine du Bushido a été établie par le Kami Akodo, fondateur du clan du lion. Elle figure dans ses premiers écrits, notamment l’ouvrage majeur Le Commandement. Elle fut rapidement acceptée par tous les Clans de Rokugan. Quand le rôle de samouraï engloba aussi les fonctions de courtisan et de shugenja, le Code du Bushido évolua pour devenir une perception philosophique complète du rôle et des devoirs des samouraïs. A l’époque moderne, le Bushido intervient dans le moindre aspect de la vie du samouraï. D’ailleurs, les samouraïs ne cessent de débattre sur la bonne manière d’honorer le Code. Les 7 Vertus du Bushido COURAGE COMPASSION COURTOISIE DEVOIR HONNÊTETÉ HONNEUR SINCÉRITÉ Ces vertus représentent la manière dont le samouraï doit vivre et servir ses seigneurs, le Bushido donne la même valeur à chacune des Vertus et le samouraï devrait adhérer à chacune avec la même véhémence. Mais dans la pratique, peu de samouraï mènent une vie sans défaut. Par ailleurs, tout clan de Rokugan a sa propre perception du Bushido, selon son idée du devoir, de l’honneur et de la vie. La véritable nature du Bushido fait constamment débat dans s cours de l’Empire et la bonne manière de respecter ses Vertus fait rarement l’unanimité, y compris au sein d’un même clan. Chaque Clan, même celui du Scorpion, compte des idéalistes qui s’efforcent d’honorer toutes les Vertus coûte que coûte. Mais chaque Clan, y compris celui du Lion, compte aussi quelques âmes sinistres qui se moquent du Bushido et méprisent ses principes. Le concept de Face (On) Ce qu’on appelle la face présente un aspect central de la culture samouraï, intrinsèque à la conviction des samouraïs d’être des individus exceptionnels, choisis à la naissance pour servir l’Empire d’une manière impensable pour des paysans. Le samouraï se doit de faire preuve d’auto-discipline à chaque instant, de ne jamais perdre le contrôle, de ne jamais se laisser submerger par les émotions et comportements déplacés, qui caractérisent les « personnes inférieures ». Le samouraï qui ne maîtrise pas ses émotions ne peut servir son seigneur dans l’honneur et la confiance, car son jugement et sa loyauté seront biaisés. Ainsi, le contrôle de soi et la dignité sont essentiels à l’existence des samouraï. La faculté de garder le contrôle de soi, de ne jamais montrer ses vrais sentiments, correspond à ce qu’on appelle garder son on ou la « face ». Le samouraï qui garde la face ne peut être manipulé et peut tromper l’ennemi, donc un samouraï qui sert son Clan sans faillir. A l’inverse, le samouraï qui perd la face, qui contrôle mal ses émotions, sombre dans la honte, mais cette disgrâce touche alors aussi sa famille et son Clan. La face est un concept réservé aux samouraïs, que l’on ne peut attendre de la part des paysans et autres roturiers. Garder la face se compare parfois au port d’un masque que l’on doit garder à toute heure de la journée pour dissimuler ses sentiments. Le clan du Scorpion aime rappeler que ses propres masques physiques ne représentent aucunement un déguisement, mais juste l’acceptation de la vérité : aucun samouraï ne se montre sous son vrai jour. « Nous portons tous un masque. La différence réside dans le fait que nous autres du Clan du Scorpion le reconnaissons. » Honte et disgrâce Un samouraï qui connaît la honte par ses actes déshonorables ou en perdant la face doit, à tout le moins, présenter des excuses sincères et profondes. En général, quand la disgrâce reste mineure, le samouraï sera puni provisoirement ; assigné à ses devoirs moins prestigieux, par exemple, ou expulsé du château, de la cour ou de la ville où sa conduite indigne l’a fait remarquer. Ces châtiments n’ont rien de mortels, mais ils représentent pas moins une honte profonde pour le samouraï qui passera le restant de sa vie à racheter son échec. Pour les manquements plus graves, comme un emportement démesuré, une attaque ou une insulte envers un individu de statut supérieur, ou pour une infraction du devoir ou de la loyauté, les sanctions s’amplifient d’autant. Un samouraï qui commet de tels actes risque fort qu’on lui demande de faire seppuku (s’il ne le propose pas spontanément). En d’autres occasions, le samouraï peut être expulsé de sa famille ou de son Clan, devenant ainsi ronin. Il peut également renoncer à sa féauté de lui- même plutôt que de devoir subir le châtiment du seppuku, surtout s’il estime ne pas être véritablement coupable. La politique On considère souvent la voie du samouraï comme synonyme de la voie du guerrier. Pourtant, dans l’Empire d’Émeraude, les samouraïs ne se contentent pas de servir leur Clan sur le champ de bataille. LA politique reste un élément central de l’histoire de Rokugan depuis sa fondation. Les négociations et manœuvres des courtisans ont changé l’Empire aussi souvent que les conflits, sinon plus. On peut même dire que les courtisans les plus talentueux parviennent à changer les retombées d’une guerre une fois les batailles livrées, ce qui irrite au plus haut point les Clans les plus militaires comme ceux du Lion et du Crabe. Bien que certains bushi dédaignent les courtisans et l’art subtil de la politique, ceux qui servent leur Clan à la cour rejettent l’idée d’être moins samouraï que leurs cousins guerriers. Les courtisans doivent mener leurs luttes diplomatiques avec le même courage et zèle que les bushi au combat, car un échec peut s’avérer aussi catastrophique à la cour que sur le champ de bataille. Les courtisans évoluent sans cesse sur le fil du rasoir, afin de gêner, de miner, et de détruire leurs adversaires sans succomber eux-mêmes à ce sort. Les bushi aguerris qui se retrouvent assignés à la Cour sont souvent forcés d’admettre que l’arène peut devenir aussi éprouvante que la guerre à proprement parler. A Rokugan, la politique se déroule avant tout dans les diverses cours de l’Empire. Tout daimyo ou gouverneur a sa propre cour dans sons château ou son palais, où il invite émissaires ou visiteurs d’autres familles et Clans. Plus le statut de l’hôte est grand, plus prestigieuse est la cour, plus importantes y seront les discussions et négociations politiques tenues. La cour la plus illustre de l’Empire est la Cour impériale, tenue par l’Empereur et ses principaux conseillers. De nombreux courtisans passent leur vie à tenter d’y être nommés. L’activité politique la plus importante a lieu durant l’hiver. De même que la Cour Impériale donne le plus de prestige et d’importance aux affectations politiques, la Cour d’Hiver de l’Empereur est la plus recherchée pour les mois enneigés. Economie Le commerce a bien prospéré à Rokugan, mais cela reste un sujet dont les samouraïs préfèrent pour la plupart ne pas se soucier. Leur éducation leur a enseigné l'idée que l'argent ne représente aucun intérêt et que seuls les roturiers doivent se charger du commerce. Bien entendu la réalité s'éloigne de cet idéal; les samouraï qui doivent gérer leur foyer doivent regarder l'argent et les dépenses, et les daimyo doivent surveiller les revenus de la province, collecter les taxes et verser les émoluments des samouraï vassaux. Il n'en reste pas moins que la convention veut que les samouraï ne se salissent pas les mains avec des questions commerciales. La monnaie de Rokugan se base sur le riz, graminée qui assure la survie de l'Empire. L'unité de monnaie de Rokugan, la pièce d'or que l'on appelle koku, représente la quantité de riz nécessaire à l'alimentation annuelle d'une personne. Dans la pratique, la valeur réelle d'un koku au fil des siècles, érodée par la circulation de nouvelles monnaies. En théorie, toutes les terres de l'Empire appartiennent à l'Empereur, qui délègue leur entretien et leur protection aux divers clans. De même, toutes les denrées et marchandises créées chaque année en l'Empire appartiennent à l'Empereur, qui les répartit selon les besoins à ses sujets. Bien entendu, le transport de tous ces produits vers la capitale Impériale en vue d'une redistribution s'avère tout bonnement impossible. Le concept de koku fut inventé dès les premières pages de l'histoire de l'Empire en raison de cela. Chaque automne, quand on récolte le riz, le daimyo local et les collecteurs de taxe impériaux évaluent les vivres et marchandises produites dans chaque province, et les autorités Impériales emportent 60% de l'ensemble, en nature ou en monnaie, dans la capitale. Crimes et Châtiments Rokugan recense les mêmes crimes que les autres cultures : meurtre, vol, corruption, faux témoignage, etc. En revanche, l'identification et le châtiment de ces crimes se compliquent à cause d'un certain nombre de facteurs, notamment la répartition social de l'Ordre Céleste, ainsi que la notion rokugani de ce qui constitue une preuve acceptable de culpabilité. Les crimes sont examinés et punis par les magistrats, essentiellement les magistrats des Clans que nomment les daimyo et les gouverneurs pour faire régner l'ordre et la loi dans leurs provinces. Ces magistrats, généralement assistés par une équipe de yoriki (samourai de moindre rang), peuvent également recruter des ronin, voire des budoka pour les aider à traquer et punir les criminels. On compte aussi deux classes de magistrats impériaux : les Magistrats d'Emeraude, nommés par le champion d'Emeraude, qui enquêtent sur les crimes d'ampleur nationale, et les Magistrats de Jade, désignés par le champion de Jade, chargés spécifiquement des crimes liés à la magie noire ou l'Outremonde. Les crimes qui ont le plus de risques d'attirer l'attention des magistrats sont les infractions à la Loi Impériale, que l'on considère comme des trahisons. Il s'agit entre autres de la maho (magie du sang) et autres formes religieuses blasphématoires, des attaques contre l'autorité ou des personnalités impériales, etc. Les magistrats enquêtent également sur les pratiques déshonorantes (bagarre, perturbation de l'ordre public, mensonge à l'autorité)., les violences contre des personnes, la corruption et le crime organisé. La justice rokugani s'écarte des conceptions occidentales vis-à-vis du traitement des crimes. On pourrait même dire qu'elle n'a pas grand chose d'une justice. A Rokugan, seuls comptent le témoignage et la preuve physique. La déduction logique n'a aucune valeur légale et l'idée de résoudre un crime ou un mystère de cette manière passe pour farfelue, sauf pour la famille controversée des Kitsuki, du Clan du Dragon. Le témoignage direct apparaît comme la preuve par excellence. Plus élevé est le statut du témoin, plus son témoignage aura du poids. Les investigations magiques n'ont pas reçu l’aval des autorités de peur que de puissants shugenja manipulent les esprits pour compromettre leurs ennemis. Cependant, on cautionne la torture comme un moyen admis d'enquêter à Rokugan. La plupart des daimyo et des magistrats font appel aux services de tortionnaires hinin pour les assister dans les interrogatoires de suspects pour encourager les confessions. Quand on arrête un criminel, ce dernier doit avouer son crime. On considère la confession écrite comme le document qui clôt toute enquête criminelle. Sans elle, toute condamnation demande l'autorisation expresse du daimyo ou autre personnage important. Une fois la confession établie, on a résolu le crime et il est donc oublié : rien n'est prévu pour rouvrir une affaire et la simple idée de le faire passe pour malséante aux yeux des rokugani. Les crimes peuvent être punis de plusieurs manières selon leur gravité. Les magistrats bénéficient d'une certaine latitude pour décider du châtiment le plus approprié. Tout crime sérieux, comme le meurtre, la maho, le banditisme ou la trahison, n'a d'autre issue que la mort par pendaison ou décapitation. Si le criminel appartient à la caste des samurai et s'est confessé, on pourra l'autoriser à faire seppuku plutôt que de connaître la disgrâce de l'exécution. Quand on accuse un samurai d'un crime mais que les preuves manquent (notamment quand l'accusé et l'accusateur possèdent le même rang social), le magistrat peut autoriser un duel pour régler l'affaire. Une fois le duel remporté, on clôt l'affaire et personne n'a le droit de la remettre en question. Duels Rokugan est gouvernée par une caste de guerriers qui obéissent à un code d'honneur et de l'étiquette très strict. Un samurai insulté ou diffamé, plus encore quand il s'agit de sa famille, de son Clan ou de son seigneur, répondra bien souvent en provoquant le responsable en duel. Le duel représente la réplique appropriée et acceptable d'un point de vue social lorsqu'un samurai estime que l'honneur ou la réputation a été menacé ou compromis. Celui qui ne provoque pas en duel confirme ainsi la validité de l'affront ou de l'accusation. A l'inverse, une fois le duel provoqué, l'autre samurai a le choix entre retirer ses paroles (ou s'excuser) ou bien les revendiquer par l'acier. Celui qui revient en arrière s'expose bien entendu à perdre la face et beaucoup de prestige, si bien qu'un samurai avisé n'ira jamais insulter ou accuser sans être prêt à participer au duel qui risque de s'ensuivre. LES CLANS MAJEURS Rokugan est régi par les Grands Clans qui dominent ses terres politiquement et militairement. Les Grands Clans ont été fondés lors des premiers jours de l’Empire quand les kamis tombèrent des Cieux, rassemblèrent les peuples et enseignèrent leurs visions. Chaque clan a un rôle à jouer dans l’Empire, une injonction donnée par le premier Empereur, le glorieux Hantei 1er. Bien que la dynastie des Hantei soit aujourd’hui éteinte, le rôle des Clans est resté le même. Le Clan du Crabe Les robustes Crabe se disent les protecteurs de Rokugan chargés d'assurer l'étanchéité de la frontière méridionale de l'Empire contre tous les démons venus de l'Outremonde. Des siècles de guerre incessantes contre des adversaires inhumains ont fait des Crabes des guerriers pragmatiques particulièrement violents, ce qui explique certainement qu'ils fassent rarement preuve de politesse et de bonnes manières. Il n'est donc pas étonnant que les autres Clans voient bien souvent en eux des barbares et des rustauds. Les Familles du Clan du Crabe ▪Les Hida sont les seigneurs du clan et font partie des meilleurs guerriers qui soient ▪ Les Hiruma sont les éclaireurs et les gardiens du Crabe, récoltant des informations vitales ▪ Les Kaiu sont les plus grands ingénieurs et des maîtres du siège, prenant soin du Mur. ▪ Les Kuni sont les sinistres shugenja du clan, qui maîtrisent des ténèbres que personne d’autre ne pourrait. ▪ Les Toritaka, autrefois le Clan du Faucon, sont les chasseurs des esprits et des fantômes. ▪ Les Yasuki sont les seigneurs marchands, s’assurant que la guerre sans fin soit financée. Le Clan du Dragon Énigmatiques et mystérieux, les samourai du clan du Dragon empruntent leur propre voie depuis la fondation de l'Empire. Plus individualistes et plus détachés des richesses matérielles que les autres Clans, Les Dragon partagent beaucoup de points communs avec la Confrérie de Shinsei, et ce malgré l'incroyable diversité de leurs familles. Les Familles du Clan du Dragon ▪ Les Kitsuki représentent le clan pendant les Cours et leur servent de magistrats ▪ Les Mirumoto sont les seigneurs du clan et les pratiquants du style de combat à deux lames ▪ Les Tamori servent de prêtres des Kamis et guident les esprits du clan ▪ Les moines de l’ordre de Togashi sont les sages et les philosophes du clan Le Clan de la Grue Connu depuis des siècles comme la Main Gauche de l'Empereur, le Clan de la Grue se charge de préserver l'équilibre et l'intégrité des cours de l'Empire et de la société rokugani en général. En tant que tel, les Grue excellent en matière de diplomatie et de politique. Par ailleurs, chacun les considèrent comme les maîtres incontestés des cours de l'Empire, avec tout le ressentiment que ce titre suscite auprès des autres Clans. Les Familles du Clan de la Grue ▪ Les Asahina maintiennent la spiritualité du clan et son vaste réseau de temples. ▪ Les Daidoji garnissent les rangs des armées du clan et sont aussi ses éclaireurs ▪ Les Doji sont les seigneurs du clan, les maîtres de la Cour ▪ Les Kakita servent leurs seigneurs en tant que Yojimbo (Garde du Corps) et sont des duellistes hors-pair Le Clan de la Licorne Les Licorne, autrefois regroupées sous le nom de Clan de la Ki-Rin, sont restés absents de l'Empire pendant près de huit siècles alors qu'ils parcouraient le monde, explorant et s'assurant qu'aucune menace extérieure ne planait sur l'Empereur. Depuis leur retour, beaucoup considèrent ces samourai comme des barbares et des étrangers, sans doute parce qu'ils ont adopté des coutumes qui contrastent énormément avec celles de Rokugan. Cependant, on respecte éminemment les Licorne pour leur cavalerie. Ils se servent de montures gaijin et leurs cavaliers n'ont pas d'égal dans l'Empire. Les Familles du Clan de la Licorne ▪ Les Horiuchi représentent une branche de la famille Iuchi spécialisée en magie défensive et n'interviennent qu'en temps de crise ▪ Les Ide représentent les intérêts du clan pendant les nombreuses Cours de Rokugan ▪ Les Iuchi maîtrisent de nombreuses formes de magie apprises en voyageant ▪ Les Moto sont les seigneurs du clan et le noyau de son armée ▪ Les Shinjo sont les éclaireurs et les tacticiens qui guident les armées du clan à la victoire ▪ Les Utaku sont la plus puissante cavalerie de l’Empire, craints par tous Le Clan du Lion Le Clan du Lion est la Main Droite de l'Empereur, le protecteur de ses terres et de sa personne, même si la famille Seppun et les Légions Impériales jouent aussi parfois ce rôle, faisant de bien tristes suppléants aux yeux du Clan. Les Lion particulièrement militaristes possèdent la plus grande armée du monde connu. On les craint pour leur vaillance et on les respecte pour leur nature honorable. Les Familles du Clan du Lion ▪ Les fils d’Akodo deviennent les plus grands officiers et commandants de l’Empire ▪ Les héritiers de Kitsu communient avec les ancêtres sacrés du Lion pour chercher leur bienveillance ▪ Les enfants d’Ikoma servent d’éclaireurs et de diplomates qui chantent les louanges du clan ▪ Les filles de Matsu garnissent les rangs de la plus grande armée de Rokugan Le Clan de la Mante Ce Clan présente de bonnes facultés d'adaptation tout en étant imprévisible. On le compare souvent à l'océan qu'il sillonne entre son île et le continent. La Mante ne compte pas parmi les Clans Majeurs d'origine, mais a gagné sa place durant l'un des plus importants conflits de l'histoire, la Guerre des Clans. Constituée de familles issues de différents Clans Mineurs, elle offre sans doute le visage du Clan Majeur le plus varié et individualiste à la fois. Les Familles du Clan de la Mante ▪ Les Kitsune, ancien Clan du Renard, est plus proche des esprits de la nature dans les forêts qu'avec les rokugani ▪ Les Moshi, ancien Clan des Mille-Pattes, matriarcal, se tournent vers le culte du soleil ▪ Les Tsuruchi, ancien Clan de la Guêpe, sont de loin les meilleurs archers de l'Empire ▪ Les Yoritomo, originaires du Clan du Crabe, représentent les seigneurs du Clan de la Mante. Le Clan du Phénix En ce qui concerne les Shugenja, l'Empire tout entier convient que les Phénix en abritent le plus vaste et puissant contingent de Rokugan. Les descendants de la tribu Isawa et ceux qui leur ont prêté allégeance maîtrisent des pouvoirs mystiques différents de ceux des autres Clans. En plus, les serviteurs du Kami Shiba ont juré de les protéger pour l'éternité, quoi qu'il leur en coûte. Les Familles du Clan du Phénix ▪ Les versatiles Agasha, autrefois vassaux du Dragon, explorent les nouvelles méthodes de magie ▪ Les monastiques Asako s’assurent de la pureté du clan face aux tentations des ténèbres ▪ Les puissants Isawa sont les seigneurs du clan et approfondissent les mystères des éléments ▪ Les nobles Shiba prennent les armes pour défendre le clan Le Clan du Scorpion Quand l'Empire fut fondé, on confia aux Scorpion deux devoirs sacrés : protéger les Parchemins Noirs dans lesquels se trouvait liée la puissance du Dieu Sombre déchu Fu Leng, et servir en quelques sortes de félons contre lesquels les Clans Majeurs allaient s'unir, afin de ne jamais le faire contre l'Empereur. C'est dans cette seconde mission que les Scorpion ont tout particulièrement excellé, et il faut dire que le rôle leur sied à merveille. Les Familles du Clan du Scorpion ▪ Les Bayushi sont les seigneurs, les soldats et les courtisans du clan ▪ Les Shosuro sont les éclaireurs, les assassins et les infiltrés du clan ▪ Les Soshi sont les magistrats et la première famille shugenja au service du Scorpion ▪ Les Yogo sont les inquisiteurs et la seconde famille shugenja du clan LES CLANS MINEURS Les Clans Mineurs sont considérés moins "importants" que les Clans Majeurs, créés par les Kami, et bien souvent, on rattache un Clan Mineur à un Clan Majeur, qui veille sur lui tout en lui laissant son indépendance... Le Clan de l'Araignée Usurpateur d'un titre devenu sien par héritage mais non sur décret impérial, le Clan de l'Araignée revendique le statut de Clan Majeur alors que nul ne l'a jamais reçu d'un quelconque Empereur de Rokugan. Mai tous comme les autres Clans, il dispose d'un Kami. Un Kami déchu, certes, puisqu'il s'agit du Dieu Sombre Fu Leng. Ambitieuse et secrète, l'Araignée épouse à bras-le-corps le chaos, la cruauté, la corruption spirituelle et des formes de sorcellerie reconnues comme des perversions de l'ordre naturel. Les Familles du Clan de l'Araignée ▪ Les Chuda regroupent les maho-tsukai qui explorent les secrets de la magie du sang ▪ Les seigneurs Daigotsu sont la plus vaste famille du Clan, beaucoup ayant sombré à la Souillure de l'Outremonde ▪ Les Goju sont la plupart du temps des monstres sans visage ni âme ▪ Les Moines de l'Araignée adhèrent à la philosophie de l'Araignée par soif de pouvoir et de démonstration de force Le Clan du Blaireau Le fondateur du Clan du Blaireau était un puissant guerrier Crabe qui prouva son mérite lors d'une épreuve de force menée devant l’Empereur en personne. Les descendants du premier Blaireau vivent sur la frontière septentrionale de Rokugan et se chargent de protéger l'Empire des invasions étrangères. Les Blaireau tiennent clairement de leurs cousins Crabe et embrassent la force au détriment de toute forme de raffinement, sans compter qu'ils n'acceptent pas la défaite, quelques soient les circonstances. La Famille du Clan du Blaireau ▪ Les Ichiro, montagnard et trapu, préfèrent l'action aux belles paroles Le Clan du Bœuf Le samourai Morito fut chassé du clan de la Licorne pour avoir blessé l'un des précieux destrier Utaku. Il rallia à lui quelques partisans et leur enseigna les Techniques qu'il avait acquises après des décennies passées sur les routes. Ce groupe hétéroclite de guerriers prouva son courage lors de la Guerre des Esprits et eut le droit de fonder le Clan Mineur du Bœuf pour services rendus. L'insidieux Kolat plongea toutefois ses racines au cœur du Bœuf dès sa naissance et se servit bien souvent de ses guerriers pour protéger le Temple Caché de la conspiration. La Famille du Clan du Bœuf ▪ Les Morito, en dehors des terres des Licornes, n'ont pas d'égal en selle Le Clan de la Chauve-souris Dans les veines de Komori, le fondateur du Clan de la Chauve-souris, coulait le sang d'esprits chauves-souris de Chikushudo. Ce Clan, très jeune puisque fondé sous le règne bref de l'Empereur Toturi III, n'a pas encore véritablement trouvé son identité. Les shugenja Chauve-souris travaillent dur pour affiner leurs pouvoirs d'invocation qu'ils comptent bien mettre au service de l'Empire. La Famille du Clan de la Chauve-souris ▪ Les Komori sont des shugenja qui en partagent guère de caractéristiques communes Le Clan du Faucon (Clan du Crabe) Les Crabe tiennent bon face aux hordes de l'Outremonde, mais d'autres périls menacent Rokugan. Les guerriers du Clan du Faucon se rangent aux côtés de leurs cousins Crabe pour vaincre les fantômes malveillants qui hantent le royaume des mortels. Leurs ennemis n'ont rien à voir avec les monstres de l'Outremonde bavant aux pieds de la Grande Muraille Kaiu, mais se trouvent plutôt parmi les spectres insidieux qui terrorisent le cœur du pays. La Famille du Clan du Faucon ▪ Les Toritaka sont une petite confrérie de guerriers imposants qui se tiennent à l'écart de la société rokugani Le Clan de la Libellule Les fondateurs de la Libellule s'attirèrent la colère du Clan du Lion dès la création de leur Clan et en souffre grandement depuis. Leur importance dépasse de loin leur population, pour la simple raison que tous ceux qui souhaitent se rendre sur les terres du Dragon doivent d'abord obtenir la permission auprès des Libellule. Leurs liens étroits avec le Clan du Dragon et leur histoire tragique ont donné naissance à un peuple serein et robuste, prêt à faire face aux dangers que leur réserve l'avenir. La Famille du Clan de la Libellule ▪ Les Tonbo sont principalement shugenja ou bushi et vivent humblement et simplement Le Clan du Lièvre L'Adepte du Sang Iuchiban était un maho- tsukai d'une puissance incommensurable, un fou terrifiant qui bien souvent porta atteinte à la sécurité de l'Empire. Le ronin Reichin risqua héroïquement sa vie pour lutter contre l'avènement de Iuchiban et eut le droit en récompense de ses services de fonder le Clan du Lièvre. Ses descendants empruntent aujourd'hui encore cette voie, affrontant les Adeptes du Sang à la moindre occasion, sans oublier l'insidieuse conspiration du Kolat. Le Clan a tout de même failli disparaître en plusieurs occasions et n'a dû sa survie qu'au dévouement qu'il met au service de sa cause. Les Familles du Clan du Lièvre ▪ Les bushi Usagi sont toujours sur le qui-vive et attentifs aux moindres signes de corruption. ▪ La famille Ujina est minuscule et n'hésite pas à se tourner vers les actes de la pire sournoiserie pour que les Lièvre parviennent à leurs fins Le Clan du Loriot Les Empereurs créent bien souvent un Clan Mineur lorsque les exploits d'un simple guerrier les impressionnent. Le Clan du Loriot finit par être fondé parce que les Tsi, une famille de ronin, faisaient preuve de fidélité à leurs préceptes. Son daimyo eut donc l'autorisation de former un Clan Mineur lorsqu'il créa l'Épée de l'Empereur Vertueux pour la dynastie Toturi, une lame d'une qualité inégalée à ce jour. La Famille du Clan du Loriot ▪ Les Tsi se consacrent au travail de la forge, avec une qualité inégalée, et quittent rarement leurs terres Le Clan du Moineau Ce Clan a été fondé dans la pauvreté et survit aujourd'hui encore sur les terres à peine fertiles qui séparent les provinces des Clans de la Grue et du Crabe. Son fondateur, un samourai de la Grue, avait mené une vie faite de luxe avant son exil sur les terres du Moineau. Les difficultés alors rencontrées firent de lui un homme meilleur, une leçon qu'apprennent depuis tous les Suzume. Le Clan du Moineau n'a jamais grandi au fil des ans et n'a guère d'influence en dehors de ses frontières. Toutefois, il fait de son mieux pour observer les préceptes de compassion et de vertu, au point qu'il a rallié l'Alliance Tripartite lors de la Guerre des Clans pour protéger les siens des ravages du conflit. La Famille du Clan du Moineau ▪ Les bushi Suzume apprécient davantage les arts que les autres Clans Mineurs et notamment les contes Le Clan du Renard (Clan de la Mante) Le Clan du Renard fut le premier et peut-être le plus vieux des Clans Mineurs (bien que les Mante persistent à dire le contraire), tout simplement parce que ses origines remontent au Clan de la Ki-Rin, avant son grand voyage par-delà les frontières de Rokugan. Le Clan du Renard fut chassé des terres des Ki-Rin et finit par s'installer dans la paisible Kitsune Mori, où il se lia d'amitié avec des esprits renards et se découvrit un amour certain pour la beauté de la nature. Ce très modeste Clan Mineur ne dispose que de ressources limitées, mais il n'hésite jamais à prendre les armes pour une juste cause. La Famille du Clan du Renard ▪ Les shugenja Kitsune préfèrent le calme des forêts à l'agitation de la civilisation et protège la nature Le Clan du Sanglier (Clan disparu) Le Clan du Sanglier reçut pour terres les Montagnes du Crépuscule, sur la frontière septentrionale des terres du Clan du Crabe. Les Montagnes du Crépuscule, riches en fer et en jade, firent croître l'importance du petit Clan Mineur lorsque les samourai se mirent à exploiter les métaux précieux. Toutefois, les montagnes se montrent dangereuses car agitées de tremblements de terre, sans compter les esprits fous, maho-tsukai aliénés et esprits malveillants Shakoki Dogu qui s'en prennent bien souvent au Clan du Sanglier. La Famille du Clan du Sanglier ▪ Les Heichi sont des bushi endurcis et amer qui combat avec tout ce qui lui tombe sous la main pour défendre ses terres Le Clan du Singe Toku était un homme jovial bien déterminé à sauver l'Empire alors qu'une crise grave sévissait. Il prit place dans l'Armée de Toturi, aux côtés de samourai rejetés par les Clans Majeurs, et servit loyalement la dynastie Toturi pendant plusieurs décennies, luttant pour rétablir la paix et protéger Rokugan des forces du mal. Son Clan Mineur défend aujourd'hui encore sa vision et abrite des magistrats en quête d'un Rokugan en paix. Les Familles du Clan du Singe ▪ Les samourai Toku deviennent souvent Magistrats Impériaux dans le but de rendre justice et de restaurer la paix dans le pays ▪ Les Fuzake sont des shugenja particulièrement intelligents et très curieux des choses de la vie Le Clan du Serpent (Clan de l'Araignée) L'histoire du Clan du Serpent débute avec héroïsme et s'achève par une tragédie. Isawa Chuda gagna le droit de fonder son propre Clan Mineur lorsqu'il déjoua une attaque maho contre l'Empereur. Malheureusement, la créature malveillante du nom de Shuten Doji s'empara par la suite des terres des Serpent et fit de ces derniers de simples pantins obéissant à ses volontés. Le Clan du Phénix éradiqua le Clan du Serpent lors des Cinq Nuits de la Honte, mais les survivants prirent la fuite avec leurs connaissances en magie noire. La Famille du Clan du Serpent ▪ Les Chuda étaient des shugenja sages et plein de conviction, luttant contre les cultes prohibés Le Clan de la Tortue Fondé après la première rencontre très violente de l'Empire avec les gaijin, le Clan de la Tortue compte quasiment parmi les Familles Impériales, mais il reste à l'écart de celles-ci. La famille Kasuga a réalisé de véritables exploits pour l'empereur et se dit prête à tout pour préserver le pouvoir du souverain. En bien des façons, les samourai du Clan de la Tortue regroupent les hommes de main de l'Empereur et possèdent des accointances avec de nombreuses organisations criminelles du pays. Ils représentent les Clans Mineurs à la Cour Impériale et se dont écho de ceux qui n'ont pas la taille suffisante pour y maintenir une présence. La Famille du Clan de la Tortue ▪ Les Kasuga sont contrebandiers, voleurs et souvent brutes, mais peuvent faire preuve d'une grande diplomatie LES FAMILLES IMPERIALES Du fait de leur lignée, les familles impériales sont les représentants directs de l'Empereur. Bien qu'ayant un rôle assez fictif vis-à-vis des autres Clans, tous leur doivent respect. Les Familles Impériales ▪ Les Miya regroupe de nombreux hérauts et médiateurs de la paix. ▪ Les courtisans Otomo empêchent les intriguent et les conspirations contre l'Empereur. ▪ Les bushi et les shugenja Seppun veillent directement à la sécurité de la Maison Impériale LA CONFRERIE DE SHINSEI La Confrérie de Shinsei se compose de moines et d'érudits bien décidés à sauver l'âme de l'Empire. Ils sont en quête de l'Illumination, d'une compréhension parfaite du monde et de tout ce qui y vit. Chaque groupe de la Confrérie croit que sa méthode pour trouver l'Illumination montre la meilleure voie, ce qui a donné naissance à des centaines de techniques visant à apaiser l'esprit et à trouver l'équilibre. Rien ne fera changer d'avis la Confrérie, car le plus chaque homme doit suivre sa propre voie. Les Écoles de Moine ▪ L'Ordre des Héros, disciples du Tao, du Dragon Tonnerre et de la Fortune Goemon (la Fortune des Héros), est persuadé que la grandeur de chaque homme se cache au plus profond de son âme ▪ Les Quatre Temples pensent qu'ils faut entretenir un lien très étroit avec la civilisation pour comprendre les mystères du monde. Ils restent d'ailleurs en contact avec le cœur politique de l'Empire ▪ Le Sanctuaire des Sept Tonnerres rendent hommage aux sept mortels qui se sacrifièrent contre Fu Leng et consacrent leur existence à l'Illumination dans la contemplation et la sérénité, quittant rarement leur monastère ▪ Le Temple de Kaimetsu-Uo, pense que l'Illumination vient de la conciliation et de la paix avec autrui. Kaimetsu-Ho est le fondateur du Clan du Crabe ▪ Le Temple d'Osano-Wo voue un attachement sans faille aux arts martiaux et prouesses physiques en général. Ses disciples pensent que l'Illumination vient avec le travail et les efforts physiques. Ils pratiquent la scarification, qui marque les progrès de leur entraînement ▪ Les Temples des Mille Fortunes apparaissent aussi variés que les dieux auxquels ils se consacrent. La plupart pensent cependant qu'il leur faut travailler avec diligence pour se montrer dignes de l'Illumination. RONIN Les ronin sont des samourai, mais des samourai sans Clan. Leur quotidien est périlleux, et peut d'entre-eux sont assez forts pour survivre sans perdre leur honneur et leur vertu. Il existe deux grands types de ronin : les ronin de Clan et les Vrais Ronin. Les premiers servaient jadis un Clan en tant que samourai, mais pour une raison ou pour une autre ont été chassés ou ont reçu l'interdiction d'utiliser le nom et mon de famille. Habituellement, on réserve cette punition aux individus ayant connu un échec très lourd dans leurs devoirs. Les Vrais Ronin naissent quand à eux d'un ou deux parents samourai, sans qu'un Clan leur ait proposé de le rejoindre. Cela arrive bien souvent aux enfants illégitimes nés d'une mère n'appartenant pas à la caste des samourai, ou encore lorsqu'au moins un des deux parents fait lui-même parti des ronin. Pour certains, ce sont des héros romantiques, mais pour la plupart des Rokugani, ces quelques héros sont des aberrations, indignes de leur attention. Chez les ronin, il existe des bushi ou des shugenja, avec des voies propres. POINTS DE REGLES Généralités ■ LE « ROLL & KEEP » Jeter XgY d10 Garder Y d10 Additionner les d10 conservés. ■ JET DE COMPÉTENCE Jeter (rangs de Trait + Compétence) d10. Garder (rang de Traits) d10. Additionner les scores des dés gardés. Relancer les dés qui ont fait 10. ■ JET DE TRAIT Jeter et garder (rang de Traits) d10 ■ JET D'ANNEAU Principalement pour les effets magiques ou surnaturels. Jeter et garder (rang Anneau) d10. ■ JET D'INCANTATION (shugenja) Jeter (rang Maîtrise + rang Anneau concerné) Garder (rang Anneau) d10 ■ JET D'OPPOSITION Le score final le plus haut l'emporte. Refaire les jets en cas d'égalité. ■ NIVEAUX DE DIFFICULTÉ (ND) Pour réussir une action, le joueur doit dépasser le ND demandé par le MJ. Aucun : Difficulté banale 5 : Très Facile 10 : Facile 15 : Moyenne 20 : Modérée 25 : Difficile 30 : Très difficile 40 : Héroïque 60 : Impossible ■ AUGMENTATIONS Ce principe permet d'effectuer des prouesses spectaculaires. Les joueurs choisissent en général une ou plusieurs Augmentations quand ils sont certains de pouvoir passer le ND demandé par le MJ. Les Augmentations servent principalement pour les Manœuvres de Combat, ou pour accomplir des actions de manière inhabituelle, par exemple. Nombre maximum = rang Anneau du Vide (Valeur fixe de 5) Si le joueur déclare une Augmentation sur un jet, et que le résultat contre ce NG augmenté échoue, alors l'action échouera même si le résultat du jet de dés aurait suffit sur le ND d'origine non modifié. ■ JET SANS LA COMPÉTENCE - Jet de Trait contre ND de Jet de Compétence. - Les 10 ne se relancent pas sur le d10 - Les jets ne peuvent avoir d'Augmentation, même gratuite. ■ REFAIRE UN JET Ajouter +10 au ND Impossible pour les Attaques. Utiliser un Point de Vide ■ ND d'Armure + 10 (un round) ■ Initiative +10 (pour toute la durée de l'escarmouche) ■ Compétence de 0 à 1 (échange temporaire) ■ Échanger son score d'Initiative avec un personnage, avec son accord (pour la durée de l'escarmouche) ■ +1g1 à une Compétence, un Trait, un Anneau ou un Jet d'Incantation (avant le jet) ■ -10 au nombre de Blessures subies Combats ■ ACTIONS POSSIBLES 1 action complexe + actions gratuites ou 2 actions simples + actions gratuites Actions gratuites ■ Action de mouvement (Anneau Eau x1,5m) ■ Activer un Kata (en dehors d'une escarmouche ■ Dégainer une petite arme ■ Laisser tomber un objet/une arme ■ Parler avec 5 mots maximum ■ Sortir un parchemin de Sort Actions simples ■ Action de mouvement (Anneau Eau x3m) ■ Activer un Kata (lors d'une escarmouche) ■ Dégainer une arme (moyenne ou grande) ■ Descendre de cheval ■ Garder quelqu'un (Manœuvre Garde) ■ Parler avec plus de 5 mots ■ Ramasser un objet/une arme ■ Ranger un parchemin de Sort ■ Se relever (de la Condition au Sol) Actions complexes ■ Garnir un arc d'une corde (encorder un arc) ■ Lancer un Sort ■ Monter à cheval ■ Porter une Attaque (CàC ou Distance) ■ Utiliser une Compétence (sauf Compétence d'Armes) ■ POSTURE Assaut +2g1 à ses Jets d'Attaque (durant le round) Armure -10 de l'attaquant Impossible sur monture. Attaque Aucune restriction Centre Pas d'actions possibles Lors du round suivant : +1g1 + rang Anneau de Vide au résultat d'un seul de ses jets. +10 au score d'Initiative (lors de ce round) Défense Pas d'attaque possible. ND d'Armure + rang Anneau d'Air + Défense Esquive Jet Défense/Réflexes + la moitié du résultat de ce jet à son ND d'Armure (jusqu’au début du prochain tour). Seules les Actions Gratuites sont possibles. ■ INITIATIVE - Choisir sa posture. - Lancer Rang de Réputation/Réflexes - Le plus haut score commence. ■ MANŒUVRES Attaque supplémentaires Déclarer 5 Augmentations sur un jet d'Attaque et réussir ce jet : + 1 Attaque supplémentaire. Coup précis Permet de toucher des parties spécifiques du corps en fonction du nombre d'Augmentations déclarées. 1 : un membre 2 : une main/pied 3 : tête 4 : petite partie du corps (œil, oreille,...) Dommages augmentés +1g0 pour chaque Augmentation déclarée (sur un jet d'attaque réussi) Feinte Nécessite 2 Augmentations Si jet attaque réussi : ajouter moitié de la valeur dont le jet d'attaque excède le ND de l'Armure de la cible au résultat de jet de Dommages (maximum 5x rang Réputation du personnage). Renversement Nécessite 2 ou 4 Augmentations selon l'adversaire. Si jet d'attaque réussit, dommages normaux puis, jet d'opposition entre personnage et cible, si le perso gagne, la cible tombe au sol. ■ DOMMAGES Jeter Valeur Dommages (VD) de l'Arme (+ Force éventuellement) Expérience ■ POUR AUGMENTER DE 1… …un Trait : valeur souhaité x4 … l'Anneau du Vide : valeur souhaité x6 … une Compétence : valeur souhaitée … une Spécialisation : 2 points d'Expérience Le niveau d'un Anneau est égal au niveau le plus bas entre ses Traits. ■ LA RÉPUTATION Score de Réputation = (somme des Anneaux) x10 + somme rangs des Compétences Rang de Réputation 1 (score de 1 à 149) 2 (score de 150 à 174) 3 (score de 175 à 199) 4 (score de 200 à 224) 5 (score de 225 à 249) 6 (score de 250 à 274) 7 (score de 275 à 299) 8 (score de 300 à 324) +1 (score +25) L'Empire d'Emeraude de Rokugan à de grandes attentes pour ses samourai : ils doivent servir leur seigneur, leur Clan mais aussi leur Empereur. Le Bushido est un code de conduite inflexible qui exigent que les samourai mènent une vie de devoir, définissant ainsi leur personnalité et guidant tous leurs choix. Tandis que certains samourai suivent le Code à la lettre, d'autres utilisent les rigidité du Bushido pour manipuler les autres et gagner en puissance. Suivrez-vous l'honneur ou le rejetterez-vous ? Le choix vous appartient ! Huit Clans forment l'essence de Rokugan. Chacun est défini par ses principes, valeurs et motivations. Chacun voir le Code du Bushido sous un jour différent. Chacun cherche à servir l'Empereur à sa propre manière. Prenez en mains l'âme de vos ancêtres – votre daisho de samourai – et combattez pour la gloire et l'honneur de votre famille et de votre Clan. Le temps des héros est arrivé, dans un monde ou l'Honneur est plus puissant que l'Acier. Dégainez votre Sabre et rejoignez le combat pour Rokugan. Livret compilé et mis en forme par Solaris (déc. 2014). Les éléments graphiques et le texte de la dernière page restent propriété de leurs auteurs respectifs. Le Livre des Cinq Anneaux est un jeu édité par Edge Entertainment , sous licence Alderac Entertainment Group

textdata/thevault/Legend of the Five Rings/LANG/FR/Aides de Jeu/L5A - Le Livre du Samourai.pdf

1 Ravnica Boros Guild Bestiary Booster * All creatures adapted from Magic the Gathering: Ravnica cards (Wizards of the Coast) 2 FIREMANE AVENGER 3 ORDRUUN COMMANDO 4 ORDRUUN VETERAN 5 BLAZE COMMANDO 6 SUNHOME ENFORCER 7 FORTRESS CYCLOPS 8 HAMMER DROPPER 9 ELITE 10 EMBER MAGE 11 SWIFTBLADE 12 TRUEFIRE CAPTAIN 13 TRUEFIRE PALADIN 14 WOJEK APOTHECARY 15 BOROS RECRUIT 16 3 Firemane Avenger The Firemane Avengers are some of the Boros’ most elite commanders. They are deployed to lead troops in aerial fights, or in places that are hard to reach by ground. They can often be targets of enemy assassinations. While similar to Firemane Angels, Firemane avengers typically wear heavier armour making them harder to hurt, but slower. Firemane Avenger Medium celestial, lawful good Armor Class 18 (plate) Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36) Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 14 (+2) 13 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 22 (+6) Skills Insight +6, Perception +6 Senses passive perception 16, truesight 120 ft. Languages all Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Flyby. The Avenger does not provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. Innate Spellcasting. The Avenger’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The Avenger can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: compelled duel, guiding bolt (as a 5 th level spell) 1/day each: daylight, fireball (as a 6 th level spell) Actions Multiattack. The Fireman Avenger makes two longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 +6) slashing damage, or 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 22 (5d8) fire or radiant damage (angel’s choice). 4 Ordruun Commando The Ordruun are Minotaurs, and are the backbone of the Boros legion. They are strong and stout, and love a good fight. Opposing them is not the greatest idea if you have a will to live. Ordruun Commando Large monstrosity, lawful good Armor Class 15 (natural armour) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 13(+1) 10 (+0) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 5 (3,900 XP) Shield of courage. Once per day, when the Orduun Commando is attacked by a creature it can see, it can use its reaction to to halve the attack’s damage. Charge. If the Orduun Commando moves at least 20 ft straight towards a target and hits it with a Greataxe attack, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) slashing damage. Actions Multiattack. The Ordruun Commando makes two greataxe attacks. Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d12 +3) slashing damage. 5 Ordruun Veteran Ordruun Veteran Large monstrosity, lawful good Armor Class 14 (natural armour) Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+2) 15 (+2) 16 (+2) 13 (+1) 13(+1) 10 (+0) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 3 (700 XP) Charge. If the Orduun Veteran moves at least 20 ft straight towards a target and hits it with a Greataxe attack, the target takes an extra 6 (1d12) slashing damage. Actions Multiattack. The Ordruun Veteran makes two greataxe attacks. Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d12 +2) slashing damage. 6 Blaze Commando The Blaze Commando has a fiery heart and an even fierier axe. The love of fighting propels him through battle and all of his duties. He also does not believe in calling in reinforcements because there would be less fighting for him … other than to clean up the mess when he’s done. Blaze Commando Large monstrosity, lawful good Armor Class 15 (natural armour) Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 13(+1) 10 (+0) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 5 (3,900 XP) Reckless. At the start of its turn, the Blaze Commando can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn. Charge. If the Blaze Commando moves at least 20 ft straight towards a target and hits it with a Greataxe attack, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) slashing damage. Flaming Greataxe (Recharge 5-6). The Blaze Commando’s axe is charged with magical fire, dealing an extra 6 (1d12) fire damage. Actions Multiattack. The Ordruun Commando makes two greataxe attacks. Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d12 +3) slashing damage. 7 Sunhome Enforcer The Sunhome Enforcer is one of the many esteemed guards of the Sunhome. Highly powerful, it discourages most people from even attempting to get remotely close. Sunhome Enforcer Huge giant, lawful good Armor Class 18 (plate) Hit Points 162 (13d12 + 78) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 9 (-1) 23 (+6) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Regeneration. If the Sunhome Enforcer does damage to a target creature during a round, the Sunhome Enforcer regains 15 hit points at the start of its next turn. Charge. If the Sunhome Enforcer moves at least 20 ft straight towards a target and hits it with a greatsword attack, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) slashing damage. Actions Multiattack. The Sunhome Enforcer makes two greatsword attacks. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (6d6 +7) slashing damage. 8 Fortress Cyclops Despite great efforts, the Fortress Cyclops will never be fully tamed, even if some think so. They will remain a powerful force of nature until the end of time. Fortress Cyclops Huge giant, chaotic neutral Armor Class 14 (natural armour) Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) Senses passive perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Stance switching. The Fortress Cyclops can either focus on defence and use Parry, or focus on offence and use Reckless. The Cyclops can choose only one option per turn at the start of its turn. No other actions or reactions can be used if using one of these two options. Parry. The Fortress Cyclps adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the Cyclops must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. Reckless. At the start of its turn, the Fortress Cyclops can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn. Actions Multiattack. The Fortress Cyclops makes two hammer attacks. Hammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. 9 Hammer Dropper Some of the wiser members of the Boros, Hammer Droppers are mentors, and help train other troops. They have also learnt how to use their leverage to deliver a more devastating blow than many of their less-intelligent counter parts. Hammer Dropper Huge giant, lawful good Armor Class 18 (plate) Hit Points 126 (12d12 + 48) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Actions Multiattack. The Hammer Dropper makes two hammer attacks as a melee weapon attack or throws the hammer as a ranged weapon attack. Hammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (7d6 +7) bludgeoning damage. Hammer Throw. Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (7d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage. 10 Elite The leaders of the common troops, and the best fighters, the elite stride into battle with courage and determination, and inspire others around them to do the same. Boros Elite Medium humanoid, lawful good Armor Class 14 (chain) Hit Points 71 (11d8 + 22) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) Skills Perception +4 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the Elite can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the Elite that isn’t incapacitated. Actions Multiattack. The Elite makes two shortsword attacks. Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 2) slashing damage. 11 Ember Mage One of the more experienced mages in the guild, Ember Mages use stealth and intelligence to try to find information, but when secrecy and diplomacy fails, they are always ready to fry the brains of their opponents. Ember Mage Medium humanoid (any race), lawful good Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armour) Hit Points 39 (7d8 +7) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 9 (-1) 12(+1) 12 (+1) 16(+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) Skills Arcana +6 Senses passive perception 11 Languages Common Challenge 3 (700 XP) Spellcasting. The ember mage is a 6th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 14, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The ember mage has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light 1 st level (4 slots): burning hands, magic missile, witch bolt, mage armour? 2 nd level (3 slots): continual flame, flaming sphere 3 rd level (3 slots): chains of fire Actions Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 +2) piercing damage. Chains of Fire 3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (100 feet) Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Chains of fire form out from you in a direction you choose towards up to four targets of your choice. You must roll for each hit. Upon a hit, the target takes 2d6 (7) fire damage. The fire ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd. 12 Swiftblade Swiftblades are masters of their craft -- artists even -- and find joy in practicing their art in the field. Their swords paint their pictures throughout the battle. Swiftblade Medium humanoid, lawful good Armor Class 16 (studded leather) Hit Points 60 (11d8 + 11) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Skills Athletics +6 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the Swiftblade can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally that is not incapacitated. Sentinel. The Swiftblade has advantage on initiative rolls. Flaming Rapier (Recharge 5-6). The Swiftblade’s sword is charged with magical fire, dealing an extra 4 (1d8) fire damage. Actions Multiattack. The Swiftblade makes two rapier attacks. Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) slashing damage. 13 Truefire Captain Truefire Paladins and Captains are true warriors and show it on the battlefield. They inspire those around them, either through their communion with the gods or through their sheer prowess and charisma. Truefire Captain Medium humanoid (any race), lawful good Armor Class 15 (chain) Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) Skills Athletics +4 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 5 (3,900 XP) Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the Captain can deal an extra 9 (2d8) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the Elite that isn’t incapacitated. Actions Multiattack. The Truefire Captain makes two longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d8+2) slashing damage. 14 Truefire Paladin Truefire Paladin Medium humanoid (any race), lawful good Armor Class 14 (chain) Hit Points 47 (7d8 + 18) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 12(+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) Skills Religion +4 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Martial Advantage. Once per turn, the Paladin can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the Elite that isn’t incapacitated. Spellcasting. The Truefire Paladin is a 4 th level paladin. Its spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 14, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The Paladin has the following spells prepared: Lay on Hands: 1/day. The Paladin can restore up to 20 hit points to a target creature OR 4/day cure disease or neutralize poison. 1 st level (3 slots): Cure Wounds, Heroism, Searing Smite Actions Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d8+2) slashing damage. 15 Wojek Apothecary Fighting to keep their allies alive, Apothecaries haunt the backlines of the legion, helping those who need help, and keeping the fighters in the battle to win a glorious victory. Wojek Apothecary Medium humanoid (any race), lawful good Armor Class 11 Hit Points 22 (5d8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 13(+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+3) Skills xx +4 Senses passive perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 1 (200 XP) Spellcasting. The Apothecary is a 4th-level cleric. Its spellcasting ability is charisma (spell save DC 13, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The Apothecary has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy, Light 1 st level (4 slots): Bless, Cure Wounds, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary 2 nd level (3 slots): Prayer of Healing, Lesser Restoration Actions Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage. 16 Boros Recruit New, inexperienced members of the legion, the recruits are still impressive fighters. Most of the recruits are people from the streets that are yet to prove themselves in battle or worthy of climbing higher. Boros Recruit Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral Armor Class 15 (leather armour, shield) Hit Points 7 (2d6) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14(+2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (=0) 8 (-2) Skills Stealth +6 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 9 Languages Common Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Actions Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 +2) slashing damage. Shortbow: Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to his, range 8/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 +2) piercing damage.

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Non-Publisher Titles/Ravnica - Boros Guild Bestiary Booster.pdf

Hauling A’ A 1 page 2 player game    Introduction The population of Mars is just under 2,000 people ‐ mostly scientists, some entrepreneurs, and a handful of very wealthy tourists. This population is growing every week. There’s not much money to be made on Mars, but there’s plenty to be made getting people there. Hauling Astronauts (or Hauling A’, for short) is a game that pits two space transport companies against each other as they try to make the most money transporting astronauts to Mars. Components 1 page containing: ● Space Transport Loading Docks and Destination Docks game board and scoring tracks ● A selection of 6 Space Transports for each player, cut from the top portion of the game board page 9 D6 dice 2 scoring cubes or tokens Optional: 1 D6 die that is larger or yellow or gold to be the positive bonus die 1 D6 die that is smaller or red or black to be the negative bonus die Game Overview The goal of the game is to load as many of your Space Transports with the  correct number of astronauts so as to maximize your profits.  Groups of  astronauts are represented by the top face of a D6 die (varying from 1 to 6).      Each Transport has its own astronaut capacity, such as “5 or Less”, “6 ­ 10”,  etc. and a corresponding Profit for that load expressed in whole numbers  between 2 and 6.            1  Each player has 3 Ports where they dock their  Transports.  The players share 6 Destination Ports where  bonus profits can be made if a player’s shipload matches  the range at the Destination Dock.    So, throughout the game, the dice will move from the  “Available to Roll” area to “Booked” to “Confirmed” (3x3  grid), onto Transports, to “Destination” docks, then  returned to “Available”.  Players will gain points by  matching their load to their Transport, and to the bonuses  at the Destination docks.  Set‐up 1. Place the game board between the two players.  2. Each player select 3 of their Space Transports  and place them face up at their docking ports in  any order they desire.  3. Set aside the unused Space Transports.  4. Place the 9 dice in the “Available” section of the  game board.  Gameplay Player 1 rolls 3 D6 and places them in the “Booked” staging area above the game board. These dice can be used by both players to place in any of the 9 positions in the “Confirmed” dock area of the board ‐ the 3x3 grid in the center of the game board. Any time there are at least 3 dice in the “Available” section, a player may roll 3 dice and place them in the “Booked” staging area prior to taking the following actions.   Play continues with each player taking any one of the following actions:  1. Place 1 die from the Booked area to any open position in the Confirmed area (3x3 grid).  2. Move 1 die orthogonally one square to another position in the Confirmed area. A placed  die may only be moved once.  Any die that has been moved must be rotated 45 degrees  to denote that it has been moved.  That die cannot be moved again until it is loaded on a  Transport.  3. Exchange positions of 2 of their own Transports.     Play continues until all 9 Confirmed spaces are full of dice.  Starting then, at the end of their  action, if one of the player’s loading strips is full (3 dice in a row or column aligned with one of  your Transports), the player may (but does not have to) slide those 3 dice and the Transport off  the board and depart for Mars with that Transport.  If the number of astronauts (pips on the  2  three dice) matches the Transport’s capacity, the player adds the  Transport’s profit to his score.  Place the Transport on one of the  Destination Docks to score bonus points, if possible.  If no  Destination dock bonus matches the Transport’s load, place the  Transport on any desired Destination dock.  Move the dice to the  “Available to Roll” area above the game board.    Continue with the above actions to fill Transports​.   ​Once a Transport departs, that player may not add or move any more dice to that loading strip.    Winning  Once one player has departed with all 3 of his or her Transports, the other player continues to place dice to fill their remaining Transport ship(s), then profits are compared and the most profitable Transport owner is declared the winner.       Optional Rules  Bonus Dice  If the optional Gold and red dice are used, the scoring for the Transports with those dice are  modified as follows:  ● The Transport hauling the Gold (or larger) die has its profit DOUBLED from either the  departure dock (the Transport Ship’s score) OR the Destination Dock ­ player’s choice.  ● The Transport hauling the Red (or smaller) die has its profit CUT IN HALF from either  the departure dock (the Transport Ship’s score) OR the Destination Dock ­ player’s  choice.    Hidden Transports  Rather than place Transports face up, place them face down so your opponent cannot see  them.  .    Credits Game Design: Scott A, Michael Berg Game Art: ​Marianne Waage Legal Hauling A’ is ©2016 Narrow Gate Games. All rights reserved. Rules revision 1.1, May 2016  3 

textdata/thevault/Collections/Duet/Boardgames/Dice/Hauling Astronauts/HaulingARulesrev1.1(1).pdf

Necroficer A dishevelled scientist hovers over the corpse of a child; He is not Mourning, not today. From jars of hastily embalmed specimens he retrieves the necessary organs. What body parts he cannot repair, he borrows from the host of cadavers strewn about his lab A Flash of Lightning; A Dark Incantation; A glowing and unstable formula pumping through the tubes. Unnatural quiet is pierced by a terrible moan and dead Flesh begins to twitch and move. The undead abomination jerks to life - the latest in a long line of Horrors at the command of the Necroficer. Perhaps this one will finally prove to be the answer.... Unwholesome Science History is littered with tales of the undead, of mages and mystics who have deemed to overcome the barrier between life and death, wielding magical incitations and vague arm-wavings in an attempt to control the very forces undeath. These men are shortsighted fools. Death is not conquered by esoteric ritual and unempirical fairy-tales. A true student of the world understands that the secrets of death can only be revealed through a liberal and uninhibited application of the scientific method. Necroficers seek to apply the principals of science to the dark and mystifying practice of necromancy. As much a surgeon as a scholar, the Necroficer holds no qualms about digging graves and stitching together corpses to create whole new forms of grizzly undead. No two Necroficers are the same, but all share a single thing in common: an indomitable mind and an even stronger stomach. Through their skilled hands, they bring life to the unliving, and death to those who stand in their way. Nothing stands between a necroficer and the pursuit of their goals; least of all death. Creating a Necroficer The Science of Necroficy is a gruesome blend of dark magics and medical experimentation. It is not a path taken by those faint of heart, or those without some terrible purpose. What drew you down this path of depraved and defiled science? Are you in search of answers to the ultimate question? Did you hope to bring back a loved one lost behind the veil of death? Perhaps it is none of that; perhaps you simply sought power over the one force which still brings and end to all things. Another thing that may be worth considering is how your necroficer first came across the knowledge and skill required to practice their grizzly art. Some necroficers took their first steps through a pursuit of medical expertise. Others began their journey by studying the arcane roots of necromancy and came to understand the limits of such archaic methods. Did you perform your first surgery on a medical cadaver, or were you forced to rob graves for your earliest experiments. And where do you gather such resources now? Perhaps it was the need for fresh bodies that has driven you to become and adventurer. If it was not the quest for fresh corpses that led you down the path of adventure, then what was it? Did your grizzly pursuits outcast you from the rest of the world? Many a necroficer has been stripped of their medical license or chased out of their home by torches and pitchforks. Finally, how does your necroficer treat their undead creations? Are they simple tools or experiments to be cast aside as soon as their usefulness has been expended? Do you treat them as friends or family, or perhaps your beloved pets? Some necroficers name every creature they bring to life, others see such gestures as nothing but sentimental waste. Maybe you fall somewhere in between. Class Features As a Necroficer, you gain the following class features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d6 per Necroficer level Hit points at 1st Level: 6 + you Constitution modifier Hit points at higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier each level after 1st Proficiencies Armor: Light armor Weapons: Simple bladed weapons Tools: Herbalism Kit, Alchemist’s Tools Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Deception, Intimidation, Medicine, Survival, and Religion Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: • Two daggers or a scythe* • A sickle and light armor • Your choice of an Herbalism Kit or Alchemist’s tools • A necrotically preserved Heart • An anatomical journal and a scholars pack Vile Creations Necroficers Harvest the remnants of the dead. In order to bring their own undead monstrosities to life Soul Embers: At 1st level you learn to harvest the dying embers of mortal souls, which you store in a necrotically preserved heart, and can spend to craft your grisly creations. In order to harvest soul embers from a corpse, the creature must have been dead for no more than an hour, and you must a 10 minute ritual. The number of soul embers you can harvest from a creature is equal to that creature’s CR. The maximum number of Soul Embers you can have stored is shown on the Necroficer Table. If you lose your preserved heart, you also lose all Soul embers stored within it, and may create a new one over the course of a long rest. Undead Horrors At first level you have studied the nature of death deeply enough to craft your first Horror - an undead creature chosen from the monster manual or other source accepted by your DM. Rules for Crafting these Horrors, are included at the end of this Class Description. Once Crafted, a Horror remains until destroyed. During an encounter You may command one Horror as a bonus action on your turn, or spend a full action to command all of your Horrors. If a Horror is not given commands, it moves towards the nearest enemy and makes a basic attack. The maximum number of Horrors you can control is equal to your constitution modifier, and their maximum CR is shown on the Necroficer table. If you have more horrors than you can currently control, then the horrors with the highest CR break free of your control and attack the nearest creature. You cannot control creatures you have not directly created, such as any creatures created or summoned by your horrors. Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th Proficiency Bonus +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +6 Features Undead Horrors, Student of Dissection Dark Defilement Necromantic Perversion Ability Score Increase Invigorating Undeath Necromantic Perversion Feature Horrors of Science Ability Score Increase Necromantic Resilience Emergency Sacrifice Necromantic Perversion Feature Ability Score Increase Cannibal Recovery Rapid Construction Surgical Precision Ability Score Increase Necromantic Perversion Feature Necroficer’s Bond Ability Score Increase Necromantic perversion Feature Max Soul Embers 1+ Int 1 + Int 3 + Int 3 + Int 3 + Int 6 + Int 6 + Int 6 + Int 6 + Int 8 + Int 8 + Int 8 + Int 8 + Int 8 + Int 10 + Int 10 + Int 10 + Int 10 + Int 10 + Int 11 + Int Defilements Known - 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Horror Maximum CR 1/2 1/2 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 Necroficer Crafting and Repairing Horrors Necroficers excel in one skill above all others: creating unique undead from the corpses of the fallen. When creating an undead Horror, you may choose any undead creature from the monster manual or other DM approved source that is of a level you can craft (see necroficer table). To craft the Horror, you must spend a Number of Soul Embers equal to the target Creature’s CR, and one hour of time for each CR of the Resulting creature (including defilements). During a short or long rest, you may also spend Soul embers to repair you undead creations. When spending soul embers in this way, a single horror regains hit points equal to 1d6 + your intelligence modifier for every soul ember spent. You must have access to a corpse of the same size category and type (Humanoid or beast) as the target creature. Your DM may ask you to provide additional components, such as body parts harvested form other creatures when creating specific undead. Student of Dissection You have dissected more bodies than some of the most trained physicians, and can easily recognize death and signs of sickness; Beginning at lvl 1, you gain proficiency in Medicine if you do not already have it, and can use intelligence in place of wisdom when making medicine checks. If you are already proficient in medicine, you may double your proficiency bonus when making medicine checks In addition, You instantly recognize dead or undead creatures and have advantage on checks to detect or identify diseases. You are not fooled by spells such as feign death. Dark Defilement Your intricate knowledge of the dead allows you to modify your horrors in ways no mere necromancer could conceive. Starting at 2nd level, you gain access to a list of Defilements which you can use to modify your creatures, and horrors you create add your proficiency bonus to their attack rolls. At 2nd level, you know 3 Defilements, from the list at the end of this class description. You learn additional defilements as shown on the necroficer table. Each time you gain a level in this class, you may choose one defilement you know and replace it with another from the list at the end of this class description. Necromantic Perversions Delving deeper into the unnatural processes of reanimation and defilement, a practiced necroficer develops even more unique ways to put their art into practice. At level three, choose from one of the unique schools of perversion listed in this class description. Ability Score Increase When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. You can choose to gain a feat as per the Player’s Handbook instead of improving ability scores. Invigorating Undeath By level 5, Your studied understanding of undeath allows you to bolster your creations with additional necrotic energy. When you create a horror, it gains additional hit points equal to it’s total CR times your constitution modifier. Horrors of Science The undead monstrosities that you create are as much the work of macabre science as they are the result of dark and unholy ritual. When you reach 7th level, this scientific origin grants your Horrors advantage against spells or effects such as Turn Undead which specifically target undead. Necromantic Resilience Beginning at 9th level, your constant exposure to death and necrotic energies has gifted you with an unnatural level of resilience. You have resistance against necrotic damage and advantage on saving throws against the disease, exhaustion, frightened, and poisoned conditions. This changes to immunity when you reach level 18. Emergency Sacrifice Working closely with the dead does not mean you do not value your own life, and by 10th level you have taken certain precautions to ensure you do not become a corpse yourself. If you are targeted by an attack and have a horror within 5 ft of you may spend a soul ember as a reaction to make your horror the target of the attack instead. You must take a short or long rest before using this feature again. Cannibal Recovery At 13th level, your dark studies have taught you how to reinvigorate your own life-force with the same necrotic energies you use to animate the dead. As an action on your turn, you may spend up to half your level in soul embers. For each Soul ember spent in this way, roll one hit die and add the your Constitution modifier to it. You Regains hit points equal to the total. You may use this ability a number of times each day equal to your constitution modifier. Rapid Construction Beginning at level 14, your skilled hands can easily throw together an undead horror in a fraction of the time it might take lesser necroficers. The time required for you to craft a horror is halved. If the horror you are creating has a final CR of 4 or lower, the time required for you to craft it is instead reduced to 1/4 the normal crafting time. Surgical Precision Years of dissecting corpses has left you with a studied knowledge of anatomy - a knowledge you have no qualms about using to your advantage. Beginning at level 15, when you or your horrors make an attack roll with a bladed or natural weapon, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. Necroficer’s Bond Your grisly abominations are more than just disposable fodder for your enemies, they are your eyes and ears. Beginning at 18th level you gain the ability to experience the world through the senses of your horrors. Once per short rest, as a free action, you may choose to possess one of your horrors within 100 ft. You see, hear, and otherwise perceive the world through the senses of your horror, including any additional senses they may have. You can choose to speak through your horror using your own voice, so long as the creature has a mouth. While you are possessing a horror in this way, your body is considered incapacitated. Necromantic perversion Necroficers are masters of unseemly acts and grotesque creations, and their exploration into the grisly nature of undeath leads them to discover new and perverse ways in which to harness the dead for their own ends. At third level, your research leads you to one of the following paths of Perversion. Corpse Collector Surrounding themselves with an army of undead abominations, the Corpse Collector uses overwhelming numbers and powerful beasts to crush their foes under an unrelenting torrent of death. To these lords of the undead, every fresh corpse adds another soldier to their legion. Undead Swarms While an individual undead may be easily overcome, a swarm of undead minions is a force to be reckoned with. Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this Perversion, you gain the ability to create swarms of lesser undead. A swarm consists of 2 or more identical Horrors, acting together. Creatures in a swarm move and take actions as a single unit, sharing attack and damage rolls as well as saving throws. All members of a swarm take the same actions at the same time, although they may target different creatures. A Swarm is commanded as if it were a single creature, and the total CR of the swarm cannot exceed the maximum CR you are able to control. Swarm Attacks Creatures in a swarm always attack as a unitt, while they may target different creatures, they roll attack and damage rolls as one. Targeting a Swarm Swarms are made up of many creatures in close proximity, and share hit points as if they were a single creature. When one creature in a swarm is reduced to 0 hit points, any remaining damage is dealt to the closest remaining member of the swarm. Expanded legion As your power grows, so too does your army of undead. When you reach 6th, you gain the ability to command additional Horrors. At 6th level you may command 1 additional horror, this increases to an additional 2 Horrors at 11th level, and at 17th level, you may command an additional 3 Horrors Siege machine Where other necroficers are limited by the size and shape of the bodies they harvest, your grizzly creations are not so restricted. By unceremoniously grafting together the bodies of lesser creatures, you are able to build massive undead the likes of which are fearsome to behold. Beginning at 11th level, when crafting a Horror, you may create an undead of any size category or type by stitching together medium sized corpses. A large creature requires 2 corpses, a huge creature requires 5 corpses, and a gargantuan creature requires 25 corpses, and a colossal creature requires 100 corpses. You may also create 2 small undead or 4 tiny undead from a single medium corpse. Unending Horde At 17th level, the necrotic energy that you use to animate your horrors has become so potent that even corpses untouched by your hands quickly become a part of your undead horde. When a creature is killed by one of your horrors, and you have fewer than your maximum number of horrors under your command, you may choose to immediately raise the corpse as a skeleton or zombie under your control. . Undead General At 20th level, You create a single undead with a CR equal 8 + your intelligence modifier or lower (including defilements) to act as your undead general. Your general does not count towards the maximum number of Horrors you may control, and cannot break free of your command unless it’s level increases beyond your own. Your Undead General rolls initiative and acts separately from you, but serves you loyally and obeys your commands. It may command your horrors in the same way that you do, however it cannot command a horror you have already commanded during the same round. At your dm’s digression, your general may retain memories, personality, or abilities from it’s former life. You may only control a single undead general in this way. If your general is destroyed, you may spend 1 week to create a new one. Soul Binder Most necroficers are unable to cast spells directly, however, among their ranks a select few have discovered that the Souls of the fallen are good for more than simply sewing the dead back together. While these Soul Binders cannot channel magic in the same ways that other casters might be able to, their perverse brand of magic holds the potential to be far more potent. Inscribed Horrors Your studies have taught you how to use the souls of the dead as an arcane fuel source. The power is to raw to handle on your own, but by inscribing magical spells into the bones and flesh of your undead creations, you are able to turn them into a walking arsenal of spells. Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this perversion, you learn 3 necromancy spells of 1st level from any spell list and gain the ability to inscribe spells into your undead Horrors when you first craft them. You learn additional necromancy spells as shown on the Soul Binder Table The maximum number of spells you can inscribe into a single horror is equal to your proficiency modifier, and the total level of the spells inscribed on a creature cannot exceed twice that creature’s CR, although the level and number of it’s spell slots aren’t limited in this way. When you cast a Spell through one of your horrors, it’s maximum hit points are reduced by the value shown on the Spell Cost table. This damage is automatic and cannot be reduced in any way. All spells cast through your Horrors are considered to originate from the horror used to cast them, and have a range of touch. Summoning spells such as create undead are... Not recommended, as your horrors do not have enough willpower of their own to control summoned creatures Your Horrors use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to their spellcasting ability. In addition, they use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for spells they cast and when making attack rolls with spells Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier Dark affinity The unwholesome nature of your spellcasting lends itself inherently to dark and necrotic energy. Starting at 6th level, when a one of your Inscribes Horrors casts a necromancy spell, it can treat the spell as if it were cast at one spell level higher. Corpse Surrogate By 11th level you have learned how to channel the magic of others into your undead. When you are targeted by a spell or spell like-effect, and have at least one Inscribed Horror remaining, you may spend a number of soul embers equal to the level of the spell to transfer all damage and effects to one of your inscribed horrors. If this damage would reduce your horror below 0 hit points, the remaining damage is dealt to you. Arcanum Mortis You have mastered the art of harvesting the souls of the dead, and are able to do so much more precisely than other necroficers, learning arcane secrets from the whispers of the dead. Beginning at 17th level, when you harvest soul embers from a corpse, you may choose one spell from any spell list that the creature was able to cast when alive, and add it to the spells you know. Such precision takes time, however and you must spend twice as long when harvesting soul embers to benefit form this effect. Waking Dead Your skill in harvesting the souls of the dead is unmatched, and the undead you create are proof. Beginning at 20th level, Horrors you create gain a +2 to intelligence. In addition, when you cast a spell which requires concentration, and the horror you use to cast it has an intelligence of 10 or higher, you can choose to have the Horror maintain concentration for you. Spell level cantrip 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Hit Point Cost 5 10 15 25 40 65 105 170 Spell coSt Level 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th Max Spell Level 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 7 Cantrips 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Spells Known 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 10 Soul BiNder caStiNg Flesh Sculptor Where other Necroficers may be content raising paltry Horrors from the bodies of the dead, others seek to distort the line between life and death even further. Consuming the harvested souls of the fallen to defile his own body with the power of undeath, the Flesh Sculptor is the living example of his own most grotesque perversions. Demented and Disfigured, these madmen hold no qualms in mutilating their own bodies in pursuit of their unseemly goals. Self-Mutilation Unlike your more cowardly peers, you are not afraid to suffer the grisly defilements of your work if it means gaining power or perfection. Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this perversion, you can gain the ability to apply the same defilements to your own body that you can apply to your Horrors. Living flesh, however, does not take as well to the necrotic energies used to sew power into the undead; you may only apply a number of defilements to yourself equal to your constitution modifier, and can only apply the same modifier once. Applying a defilement to your own body is taxing and requires a full 24 hours to complete the process. You may remove or change the defilements applied to your own body in the same way. If by some unforeseen mechanism you find yourself with more defilements upon your body than your constitution would allow, you gain one level of exhaustion a day for each additional defilement. Intelligent design Beginning at 3rd level, you have taken the nature of your body into your own hands, augmenting it with surgical precision. You gain additional hit points per necroficer level equal to half your intelligence modifier, and your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your intelligence modifier while not wearing armor. Horrifying Ferocity By 6th level, the grisly modifications you have made to your own body have made you stronger and more ferocious in combat. You may add 1/2 your intelligence modifier rounded down (minimum of one) to attacks made with bladed or natural weapons. In addition, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 17th level in this class. Gruesome Visage Constant defilement of your own body has made you terrifying to behold. At 11th level, the number of defilements you may apply to your own body increases by 2. Additionally, your mutilated visage grants you advantage on intimidation checks against living creatures, and advantage on persuasion checks against undead creatures. Live Dissection So practiced are you in the act of dissection, that you can perform such mutilations even on moving and unwilling targets. Beginning at level 17, when you score a critical hit on an attack roll, you may us your reaction to make a medicine check and apply one of the following effects the target of your attack • You slice into one of the targets vital organs, dealing additional damage to the target equal to the result of your check. • You sever a vital artery, causing your target to bleed out. At the end of each of it’s turns, the creature must make a constitution saving throw using your check as the DC or take an additional 1d10 damage. This effect lasts for 1 minute, or until the target succeeds on it’s saving throw. Self-Made Monster At 20th level, your grotesque experiments have turned you into an undead Horror all your own. You count as undead for the sake of spells and effects that specifically target undead; however you have advantage on saving throws against these effects. You no longer age and are immune to poison and disease. You treat exhaustion as if it were one level less, and do not need to eat or breath, although you can ingest food or drink if you wish. In addition, Your Undead body no longer rejects defilement. You are no longer limited in the number of defilements you may apply to your own body. Defilements Defilements are unique alterations you can make to your undead Horrors to alter their statistics or give them special abilities. Beginning at 2nd level, you Know 3 defilements. You learn additional defilements as shown on the Necroficer table. If a defilement adds an attack that a horror already possesses, the attack with the lower attack bonus is replaced, and the number of damage dice of the remaining attack is increased by one. If a defilement adds an ability that forces other creatures to make a saving throw or skill check, the DC of that saving throw or skill check is equal to 8 + your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. Each defilement has a CR modifier that determines how it effects a Horror’s CR. In order to learn a defilement, your level must be at equal to 4 x the CR of the defilement, or higher. Defilements can only be applied to a horror during it’s creation or repair. To apply a defilement you must spend a number of soul embers equal to it’s CR modifier, with a minimum of 1. Acidic Blood (+3) A concoction of noxious and highly reactive chemicals causes your creation’s very blood to become a dangerous acid. Whenever this creature takes damage from a physical source, all creatures within 5 ft must succeed on a dexterity save, or take 1d4 acid damage. Additional Limb (+2) A gruesomely attached arm or tentacle gives your undead creation an additional advantage in may situations. The limb can hold or carry objects and weapons up to 100 lbs. This Horror has advantage on grapple checks, and can make an additional claw, slam or weapon attack when using the attack action. Animate Eye (+1) By infusing one of the eyes of your creation with delicate necrotic energy, you gain a useful spy when you need it most. At any time, you may remove his horror’s animate eye as an action, dealing 5 damage to the creature. Once removed, the eye hovers in the air for up to an hour and you can use your action to move the eye up to 30 feet in any direction. There is no limit to how far away from you the eye can move, but it can’t enter another plane of existence. A solid barrier blocks the eye’s movement, but the eye can pass through an opening as small as 1 inch in diameter. You mentally receive visual information from the eye, including any additional optical senses (such as darkvision) that your horror would benefit from. If the eye is not returned to your horror within an hour of being removed, it rots away. A horror missing one or more eye in this way has disadvantage on attack rolls and dexterity saving throws until the eye is returned. Arcane Resistance (+2) Rune-like scars carved into the creature’s body give it a gruesome barricade against magical effects. This Horror has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects that would target it. Bioluminescence (+1) Bioluminescent bacteria or fungi implanted within your creature cause it to glow in response to certain stimuli. A portion of this horror’s body produces an eerie glowing light. You choose the color and intensity of this light and may activate it or deactivate it by commanding the horror. At maximum, the horror sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. Bladed Claws (+1/4) Sharp blades grafted to the ends of your monster’s limbs turn it into a gruesome executioner. Your Horror gains the following natural weapon attack Claws: Dex vs AC, 1d8 + strength modifier slashing damage. Burrowing (+1/2) Sharp digging claws or bug-like mandibles allow your creation to dig rapidly beneath the earth. This Horror gains a burrow speed equal to half it’s base speed. Caustic Spit (+2) Repurposing the digestive system allows your horror to launch a volatile acid from its mouth. Your Horror gains the following ranged attack Spit: (Range: 10/20) Dex vs AC, 1d8 + dexterity modifier acid damage, and if the target is wearing metal armor, it takes a -1 penalty to AC until the armor is repaired. Cerebral Implantation (+2) Grafting portions of humanoid brain tissue into the creatures skull allows it to become dangerously intelligent. This Horror’s Intelligence increases by 2. This defilement cannot raise a creature’s intelligence above 20 Chromatic skin (+2) Chromatophores implanted into this creature’s hide allow it to alter it’s appearance to blend in with surroundings. This horror has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and can attempt to hide as a bonus action. Climbing (+2) Hook-like appendages, sticky secretions, or squid-like suckers allow this Horror to climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings without needing to make an ability check. Clublike Limbs (+1/4) Large, muscular limbs allow your abomination to deliver a devastating bludgeoning attack. Your Horror gains the following natural weapon attack Slam: Str vs AC, 1d6 + strength modifier bludgeoning damage, and the target must make succeed on a dexterity save or fall prone. Creeping Claw (+1/4) By animating the hands or claws of your creature separately, you are able to give it’s appendages an un-life of their own. This horror’s hands or hand-like appendages can be detached to act on their own. While these limbs are detached, the creature suffers a -2 to dexterity, and cannot perform tasks that would require the use of hands. The detached appendages function as Crawling Claws, as listed in the Monster Manual. Dagger maw (+1/4) A fearsome maw full of dagger-like teeth allow your creature to tear into it’s prey. Your Horror gains the following natural weapon attack: Bite: Str vs AC, 2d6 + strength modifier points of piercing damage. Polycephaly (+2) Two heads are better than one: This horror has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. In addition, when it uses the attack action to make a bite attack, it can make two bit attacks instead of one. Electrostatic Gland (+1) Specialized glands harvested from electrified sea creatures allow your Horror to stun it’s prey. Once per round when this horror hits a creature with a melee attack, the target must succeed on a constitution save or takes 1d8 lightning damage, and be unable to take reactions until the start of its next turn. .Elemental Affinity (+3) Attuning the necrotic energy that fuels your creation to a specific element allows you to craft a truly terrifying elemental creature. Choose an elemental damage type from the following; acid, fire, cold, or lightening. This Horror gains resistance to damage of that type, and it’s attacks deal additional damage of the chosen elemental type equal to 1d4 times your proficiency bonus. In addition, it gains the Elemental origin and is considered an elemental creature. Explosive Decomposition (+3) When this horror’s hit points drop to 0 or lower, it explodes in a burst of gruesome flesh and bone. All creatures in a 5 ft radius must make a Dexterity save or take 1d6 dmg per the Horror’s CR Fearsome Presence (+2) Infusing vast amounts of necrotic energy into your creature causes it to radiate an aura of terror. Your Horror is surrounded by a 5 ft aura of fear. Creatures that move into or begin their turn in this aura must succeed on a charism save or become frightened for 1d4 rounds. A creature that succeeds on this check is immune to this effect for 24 hours Flame Retardant (+1/2) Flame-retardant chemicals pump through the veins of this Horror, allowing it to resist the flames that might otherwise consume it’s desiccated flesh. This horror is no longer vulnerable to fire. Alternatively, if the creature was not vulnerable to fire already, it gains fire resistance instead. Flesh-Stitched Wings (+3) Crude wings sew together from patches of skin and hide allow your monster to fly. This Horror Gains a fly speed equal to it’s base speed Grafted Horns (1/4) Large horns or antlers fused into the creature’s skull allow it to impale it’s enemies. This horror gains the following natural weapon Horns: Str Vs AC, 1d8 piercing, or twice as much damage when used as part of a charge attack. Grisly Endurance (+2) Channelling additional necrotic energy into your monstrous creation allows it to take more damage than it would normally be capable of withstanding. This Horror has advantage on constitution saving throws and it’s maximum hit points are increased by 1d8 per CR Hypermusculature (+2) Additional muscle tissue unceremoniously grafted into your creature turns it into a lumbering behemoth. This Horror’s size category increases by one, and it’s strength and constitution scores increase by 2. This defilement cannot raise a creature’s ability scores above 20 Hypodermic Poison (+1) Needle-like fangs or a vicious stinger allow your monstrous creation to inject poison into it’s victims. Your Horror’s melee attacks deal additional poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus. In addition, creatures dealt piercing or slashing damage from this Horror’s attacks must succeed on a constitution saving throw or become poisoned. This saving throw can be repeated at the end of each of the creatures turns. Implanted Gills (+1/2) This Horror is able to breath underwater, and gains a swim speed equal to half it’s regular movement speed. Infectious (+3) The Decaying flesh of this horror is riddled with pustules of disease. Creatures that make melee attacks against this creature must succeed on a Constitution save or contract Deathrot: The infected creature suffers one level of Exhaustion, and it regains only half the normal number of hit points from spending Hit Dice and no hit points from finishing a Long Rest. At the end of each Long Rest, an infected creature must make a succeed on a Constitution saving throw or gain one level of Exhaustion. On a successful save, the creature’s Exhaustion level decreases by one level. If a successful saving throw reduces the infected creature’s level of Exhaustion below 1, the creature recovers from the disease. Lifelike (+1) Careful stitching and allows you to craft a creature that might even pass for living. Your Horror appears to the untrained eye to be an average specimen of it’s closest living counterpart. Determining that this Horror is undead requires a perception or insight check vs 10 + your intelligence modifier + your proficiency bonus. Applying this defilement multiple times increases the DC by 5 for each additional application. Myopic Sac (+2) Splicing the unique glands of cephalopods or similar organisms into the throat of your monstrosity allows it to blind targets with a thick inky secretion Your Horror gains the following attack Ink: Choose a point within 15 ft. All creatures within 5 ft of this point must succeed on a dexterity saving throw or be blinded until the end of their next turn. Natural Tracker (+1/2) Heavily modified sensory organs allow your monstrous creation to track like a bestial hunter. This Horror can detect creatures within 30 ft, although it cannot determine exact position or specific information in this way. In addition, this Horror has advantage on checks made to track creatures if it has encountered them before or is provided with something belonging to the creature. Noxious Fumes (+2) The disgusting odours produced by the creature’s defiled body are enough to make most creatures sick to their stomach. Your Horror is surrounded by a 5 ft aura of stench. Creatures that move into or begin their turn in this aura must succeed on a constitution save or be incapacitated until the end of their next turn while they throw up. A creature that succeeds on this check is immune to this effect for 24 hours Putrid Breath (+2) The disgusting odours produced by the creature’s defiled body are enough to make most creatures sick to their stomach. Your Horror gains the following natural weapon: Breath: Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 poison damage and is poisoned until the end of their next turn, on a successful save, a creature takes half damage and is not poisoned. Rotting Touch (+2) The necrotic rot of your creature spreads contiguously to anything it touches. Your Horror’s unarmed attacks deal an additional necrotic damage equal to your proficiency modifier. Deadly Quills (+1/4) Long needlelike spines paired with a unique musculature gives your creature a deadly range. This Horror gains natural weapon Quills: (Range: 10/20) Dex vs AC, 2d6 + dexterity modifier piercing damage. Sensory Implants (+1) Harvested sensory organs from other creatures change the way this creature perceives the world. This Horror gains one of the following • Darkvision 60 ft • Tremorsense 30 ft • Blindsight 30ft Siren Song (+1) Carefully constructed vocal chords allow your monster to mimic sounds with perfect accuracy. This Horror can mimic sounds that you have heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds must make a successful Wisdom (Insight) check to determine they are false. Sticky Secretions (+1) Ooze-like secretions produced in various glands on the creatures body make it a disgustingly slimy and sticky abomination. When this Horror is hit by a melee attack, it’s attacker must succeed on a dexterity saving throw or become slowed until the end of the encounter. Toughened hide (+2) Thick leathery hide or bony plating make your monstrosity far more resilient in combat. This Horror’s AC increases by 2 This defilement cannot raise a creature’s AC above 26 Treacherous Spines (+1) Bony protrusions or metal spikes grafted into the creature’s flesh make it hazardous to strike. When this Horror is hit by a melee attack, it deals damage to the attacker equal to your proficiency bonus Unseemly Speed (+1/4) Altering the musculature of your monster’s limbs allows it to move at far greater speeds that it would normally be capable of. This Horror’s Speed increases by 10 ft. Undeathly Grace (+2) Careful channelling and surgical precision in crafting your undead grant it a sense of phantomlike grace. Your Horror has advantage on dexterity saving throws, and does not take damage from falling 20 ft or less unless it is incapacitated. Vampiric Regeneration (+3) Infusing the blood of your creature with enough necrotic energy allows you to replicate the healing effects of vampirism. Whenever this Horror hits with a melee weapon attack that deals slashing or piercing damage, it regains Hit Points equal to 1d8 + your Proficiency Bonus. This regeneration stops if the creature takes radiant damage or damage from a weapon with the silvered property. Credits and Acknowledgments Class By DM Clockwork Dragon (Sebastian McCoy) https://dm-clockwork-dragon.tumblr.com/ https://ko-fi.com/U6U6GK7U https://www.patreon.com/DMClockWorkDragon https://discord.gg/jr3gMsZ Template and Backgrounds By Nathanaël Roux https://www.patreon.com/barkalotdesigns Special thanks A huge thank you to Saber153 for inspiring me with his corrupt necromancer class. The principal of a crafting- based necromancer came directly from conversations we had nearly 8 months ago. Also to my Patrons and Players for helping to me balance and playtest (still an ongoing process) And especially to my Wife, who helped me pull together various resources and medical references to help inspire and fill out the class. Fan Content Notice The Alchemist Class is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Images in order Lab - Monika Zawistowska https://www.artstation.com/monii Wow fanfic-Undead thief - Rabbiteyes https://www.deviantart.com/rabbiteyes Anatomy of a Western Dragon - Kate Pfeilschiefter https://www.deviantart.com/katepfeilschiefter Select elements from: The Resurrectionist - E.B. Hudspeth http://www.ebhudspeth.com/ Frankenstein’s Laboratory - Stephan Martiniere https://www.martiniere.com/ Undead Hoard - Adrian Smith https://www.artstation.com/adrian-smith Frankenstein - Nat Jones http://natjones.com/ Concept Art - Steve Prescott http://www.rottface.com/ Vampire Anatomy 2 - Daniel Govar https://www.deviantart.com/danielgovar Mechanicum Thallax - © Games Workshop http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Thallax Wendigo Sketches - Beltaguise https://www.deviantart.com/beltaguise Undead Wolf - Lucky978 https://www.deviantart.com/lucky978 And Various other public domain illustrations Pulled from 19th century medical textbooks Notes By the Author Like many of my classes, the necroficer is designed to be flexible. The rules outlined in this document describe a Class that Focuses on building unique undead minions, however, it is not out of scope to imagine a prodigal machinist who crafts clockwork automatons out of brass, or a mad geneticist who uses science to create strange new animal - even going so far as alter his own body to become more like his creations. To this end, don’t be afraid to use this class as a framework. Its very easy to change the creature type the class can create from undead to constructs, or magical beasts. From there, take a look at features like Horrors of Science, that are designed to fill in the weak-spots of your creatures or grant your character some of the most recognizable traits of their creations, and alter them to better suite the creature type you have chosen. Beyond that, its just flavor, and you can reimagine the necroficer any way you like! One of the most Unique builds I have seen using this class is actually a Pokemon trainer! Change the Creature type to magical beasts, and take the Soul- binder option to empower your animal friends with spells like fireball or bolt of lightning to replicate powers. Just make sure you take care to heal your new pokemon, because those powerful attacks take a lot out of them! When your character wants to aquire a new pokemon, they have to spend time gathering wild berries to attract the strange creatures, and have to have a belt full of poke balls in order to capture them. With some help from the DM, you can use those pokeballs to store your pokemon when not in battle, and in exchange, you have to defeat a pokemon in combat before you can catch it. There is even an abundance of stat-blocks available for adding actual pokemon to 5e Charizard- RJ Palmer https://www.rj-palmer.com/realistic-pokemon/

textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Clockwork Dragon/01-Classes/Necroficer Class by ClockworkDragon.pdf

Each duellists rolls Awareness/ Iaijutsu against TN5 For each increment of 5 above the TN the duellist may learn one of their opponent’s stats (q.v.) Stats Agility Awareness Current Wound penalty Iaijutsu skill rank Reflexes Remaining Void Points Void The duel starts Each duellist adopts their stance Combatant declares Focus or Strike Winner of the Awareness/Iaijutsu roll decides who goes first. That person becomes the ‘Active Combatant’ Does either duellist declare the other the victor? The duel ends Each duellist selects their opponent’s ‘Choice’ from Agility, Reflexes or Void TNtbH of each opponent is reset to 5 plus armour if worn The Opponent makes a Reflexes/Iaijutsu strike using the current TN with a free raise for every focus they made. Roll damage as normal. Free raises may be used to lower TN or increase damage. Did the Strike hit? Is this a duel to the death? The Duellist who struck their opponent has won the duel No Yes The Active Combatant gets to take their Reflexes/Iaijutsu strike using the same TN Did the Strike hit? Roll damage as normal. Free raises may be used to lower TN or increase damage. No Yes The duel becomes a skirmish The Active Combatant makes a Choice/Iaijutsu roll against the TN. A VP may be spent as normal Did the roll exceed the TN? The Opponent becomes the Active Combatant and vice versa The TN increases by 5 The Active Combatant calls Focus or Strike Is the max number of Focuses (q.v.) met? Does the Active Combatant spend a VP to Focus? Yes No Yes No Yes Focus Max number of focuses The Combatant’s rank in Void (AotD) + Additional Focuses granted by techniques Strike Active Combatant must call Strike No No Focus If the winner nominates their opponent, they gain 1pt of Honour Both combatants can spend any remaining Void Points to do damage. 1 VP = 1k1 damage No Yes Strike The duel is a draw Is this a duel to the death? No The Active Combatant gets to take their Reflexes/Iaijutsu strike using the same TN Yes Yes Active Combatant F/S? TN 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Duellist A Duellist B Name Choice Max No. Focuses Iaijutsu Duels

textdata/thevault/Legend of the Five Rings (d20) [multi]/EXTRAS/L5R - Iaijutsu Duels.pdf

Anti-Harassment Policy Why do we have an anti-harassment policy? Nobody shows up for a game with the goal of feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, and sorry that they came. But organized play brings together many different types of people with different expectations and approaches to play. An anti-harassment policy sets ground rules that everyone can recognize and follow, resulting in better games and more fun. The 5 principles of 13th Age organized play At a 13th Age organized play event: 1. Everyone has the right to be listened to. 2. Everyone has the right not to have their feelings belittled. 3. Everyone has the right to set boundaries on themselves and their property. 4, Everyone has the right to a space that is safe from any type of harassment: physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual. 5. Everyone has the right to a space that is free from language, actions, or behavior that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or which denigrate participants’ religious beliefs and affiliations (including the lack thereof), or ethnic or national origin. These rights are shared by players and GMs. Infringing on these rights is harassment, and can lead to being removed from the game. What if I’m being harassed at a 13th Age organized play event? ● Find a 13th Age organized play GM immediately and report it. They’ll take swift action to investigate and address the problem. (See “What happens to the harasser?”) ● If you ARE the GM, report it to the store owner, convention organizer, or whoever’s in charge of the space where you’re running the event. ● If you feel as though you need other avenues to resolve the problem the GM will be happy to help you contact convention security, the store owner and/or local police if you request them. ● If you disagree with how a GM or event organizer implemented or enforced this policy at an event, please email our director of organized play, ASH LAW, at ash.law@fireopalmedia.com. Please be specific about who, what, where, and when. We’ll investigate and take appropriate actions, up to and including removing the infringing party from the 13th Age organized play program. What happens to the harasser? You don’t have to keep playing with somebody who’s determined to make things unfun for others. If someone at a 13th Age organized play event is violating this policy, the GM can take any action that he or she decides is necessary to stop the harassment – ranging from a simple warning to removal from the game. If it’s necessary to resolve the situation, the GM can escalate it to the store owner, event organizers, or onsite security. GMs: How To Use This Policy We understand that it can be hard to run a game event with a group of strangers (or even friends). Everyone brings different experiences to the table, and what some players will find difficult, uncomfortable, or painful will pose no problems to others. Here’s some time-tested guidance for applying the policy. Talk with your hosts before the event if you’re at a store or convention, they probably have their own anti-harassment policies and procedures for enforcing them. Find out what those policies and procedures are, so that you’re familiar with all of the guidelines that apply to this event. Let your hosts know in advance that you might come to them during the game if there’s a problem that you can’t resolve by yourself, and make sure they’re willing and able to support you if you need it. Familiarize your players with the policy Make sure your players read and understand the above policy and the store/convention policy (if there is one). Feel free to hand out a copy, give them time to read it, and ask them if they have questions. Set expectations before the game Consider having a brief conversation before the game about topics and stories that people would rather avoid during play. ● Take the initiative by going first and naming something you don’t like to see in games: “I don’t want to see bad things happen to children,” or “I don’t want to see violence against pregnant women”. Then ask if there’s anything anyone else would prefer not be part of the game. One of your players might name something that you included as part of your prep. That’s cool—13th Age makes improvising easy. Just change your story to remove or change the element that causes discomfort. ● If a more formal approach appeals to you, consider using an X-Card: http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg ● If an informal approach suits you better, watch the reactions of your players and adjust accordingly. Pause the action If a player says that something that’s been narrated makes them uncomfortable, pause the action and come up with an alternative that the player can be happy with. Don’t pressure them to go along for the sake of the story. Check your players’ comfort level If you see signs that players are feeling uncomfortable, check in to make sure they are okay. You don’t need to make a big deal of it. “You look uncomfortable - is this okay? Or should we rewind a bit?” is enough. Often, simply knowing that their feelings are being respected is enough to make players feel okay. Speak up when you see harassment If you see something going on at the event that you’re uncomfortable with, chances are others are uncomfortable with it too. Harassment needs silence to thrive. Speak up. Please! Ask those involved if they are okay with what is happening or being said. Be courteous yet firm. Calling for backup If you, or the person being harassed, think that the situation is potentially dangerous, notify the store owner, local police or convention security immediately. Do NOT put yourself in harm’s way under any circumstances.  

textdata/thevault/13th Age/Booth In A Box/Game Materials/13th_Age_OP_Anti-Harassment_Policy_2016.pdf

Gran March Military Elite Organization Version 4.0 Protectors of the Commandant, of the country, and of the region Part II of a Gran March Meta-campaign Organization written by the Gran March Triad Organization Alignment(s) Mountaineers: Any non-evil (chaotic types not welcome, but not prohibited) Couriers: Any non-evil Giant Slayers: Pathfinders: PC Organization: Yes Point of Contact: Mountaineers: Couriers: Giant Slayers: Pathfinders: Mountaineers ............................................................................................................................... 2 Couriers........................................................................................................................................ 6 31st Provisional Battle (Giant Slayers) ......................................................................................... 9 Pathfinders................................................................................................................................. 12 Military Elite Organization 4.0 2 Mountaineers Patrolling the Lortmils and protecting the people of Gran March Originally written by Taylor Davenport and the Gran March Triad Grumnar has commanded us to serve you despite your lack of respect for our traditions. By my axe and the axe of my fathers, I pledge myself and my men to serve in your army. We will show you what it means to fight in the dwarven tradition of our forebears. We will treat your enemies as our enemies and destroy them as we destroyed the humanoid invaders during the time of my father. Furthar the Valiant, first commanding officer of the Mountaineers As part of Gran March’s commitment to excellent war fighting practices, Gran March has developed several elite units. One such elite unit is the Mountaineers, which serves to protect the northeastern border of Gran March and communities in the Lortmils and the Lorridges. This document covers the Mountaineers organization by describing its service requirements and benefits. Organization Ranks within the Mountaineers parallel the standard Gran March Army rank progression. The Apexmaster of Ander’s Falls outranks the other Apexmasters, and is the commander of the unit. The alternate Mountaineer progression is given on the table below: Number Enlisted Alternate Designation Equivalent Military rank 6 Apexmaster Captain 18 Apexclimber Lieutenant 36 Senior Mountclimber Mountclimber Senior Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant 240 Senior Hillclimber Hillclimber Sergeant Combat Specialist While the Gran March Style is appropriate for the battlefields of the plains of the Sheldomar Valley, it is not well suited for the valleys and peaks of the Lortmils. The Mountaineers operate in small units that rely more on teamwork and skill rather than the crushing might of the Gran March Style. This teamwork is learned during the initial training and refined facing the natural hazards of the Lortmils. During training, the Mountaineers more than any other unit, rely on punishing the group for the failures of the individual. To overcome this, the training units inevitably have to work closely together to make it through the process. As a result, those individuals that do not wash out during training have a very strong sense of camaraderie and trust in one another that their companions will not fail them. This translates into a very efficient fighting style in which members capitalize on each other’s strengths. In addition to the training to develop teamwork, the training of the Mountaineers further develops the martial abilities of the Mountaineers as well as teaching them the ins and outs of the peaks and valleys of the Lortmils. This intimate familiarity with their prospective battlegrounds translates into increased efficiencies in patrols and combat. Military Elite Organization 4.0 3 Philosophy and Credo The Mountaineers have one unwritten rule. The only acceptable humanoids are dead, in chains, or serve in the Gran March army. This translates into a philosophy that has very little tolerance for humanoid intruders into what they consider their territory – namely the Lortmils. Beyond their general hatred for humanoids, the Mountaineers are concerned with protecting the inhabitants of the Lortmils and Lorridges from harm. They are cognizant that they are essentially the first line of defense and cannot expect ready aid from other units that have prior commitments. This has led them to have a strong sense of self-reliance (as a unit). Day-to-Day activities The Mountaineers’ primary responsibility is to help the 6th Battle patrol the Lortmils and deal with any threats to the communities therein. As a result of the Hateful Wars, this duty was relatively peaceful, allowing the Mountaineers time to explore many of the more remote valleys and dales within the Lortmils. However, after the rise of Turrosh Mak and the challenge he presented to the Principality of Ulek, the Mountaineers had to turn their attention to repelling invaders from the Pomarj. As rumors of the Master and his army of humanoids trickled out from Turamil and further proof of the Master’s forces was discovered in Fort Tavisham, coupled with the need to support the Army of Retribution, there has been an increased need for the Mountaineers to step up their activity and increase their patrols to help rid Gran March of his insidious evil. This increased activity led to the discovery of the ancient city of Seneshta and another batch of vampires living in the sewers thereof. As a result, the Mountaineers are now more cognizant of an undead threat while still performing their task of humanoid interdiction. Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies The Mountaineers celebrate the evening before Mustering Day with a dwarven feast. For them, this is a celebration of those Mountaineers who have completed their service and who are heading home. It is also a time for dwarven bards to recount the achievements of the unit for the past year in various forms of expression. Finally, it is also an excuse for dwarves and their friends to drink and make merry to show that they have survived the orcs for another year. The Mountaineers are also very cognizant of the dwarven religious holidays, and particularly those dedicated to Clangeddin. Other notable dates include: Reaping 22, which marked the end of active operations in Gran March in the Hateful Wars; Coldeven 7, which marked the death of Furthar; and Patchwall 4, which marked the slaughter of three thousand orcs and goblins in Hettarik Canyon through the use of a well timed induced avalanche and subsequent mop up by the predecessor troops of the Mountaineers. Headquarters/ Major power centers The headquarters of the Mountaineers is in Ander’s Falls, the Cragmor Baronial seat. The headquarters consists of four buildings. The largest building is an extensive barracks that is capable of housing all of the currently active Mountaineers. However, only about one-third of the barracks is in use at any given time. The second largest building is a stable for military mounts. The third building is the administrative headquarters, which houses the administrative offices of the Mountaineers and further has a chapel to the dwarven pantheon. A second, smaller, non- denominational chapel in which other faiths are permitted to hold services is also located in the administrative headquarters. The final building is a smithy that is staffed with a complement of master dwarven smiths, supplemented with a few dwarven wizards and clerics to furnish the Mountaineers with the best possible equipment. Military Elite Organization 4.0 4 History The genocidal war that led to the human-dwarf alliance of 120 CY also gave rise to a small band of dwarves that always seemed to be in the thickest fighting. Losses from this band were typically very high, but veterans displayed uncanny abilities to fight together, sense impending conflict, and be at the right place at the right time to defend the dwarves of the Lortmils from the humanoids. This band of dwarves drew from all sectors of society. Fighters and warriors formed the backbone of the band, but arcane spellcasters provided artillery support, battlepriests helped keep the band in fighting trim, dwarven bards relayed signals between units, and inspired dwarves everywhere with tales of bravery, and scouts ranged ahead, gathering information about the enemy. The battlepriests were heavily laden with priests of Clangeddin, although a few of Moradin's priests were also present. When their new human allies encountered this unit, they were amazed at the abilities of these dwarves. A few hardy souls apprenticed themselves to these dwarves and began to learn their ways. The end of that war saw these veterans, both dwarf and human, find the peace of the strongholds too confining. Having dedicated themselves to war, they continued the lifestyle, rejecting the comforts of the stronghold. Numbers dwindled over the years, but surged again during the Hateful Wars circa 480 CY. During this upsurge, elves and gnomes were also allowed to train with these hardcore battle dwarves. In turn, these races offered their own battle techniques to the dwarves. After Grunmer's showdown with the Commandant, the Gran March military command was told to integrate this dwarven battle force into the Gran March military structure. Thus, Gran March commissioned the Mountaineers and accepted Grunmer's selection of the first 180 dwarves to the post. These 180 dwarves nominated 25 gnomes, ten elves, five halflings, and nine humans thought to be acceptable to the new unit. As part of the compromise of Grunmer, 20 Pathfinders were assigned to the dwarven commanders of the Mountaineers as "advisors" with an eye towards integrating this unit into the Gran March fighting style. While not in this first wave of advisors, Wayfinder Hruck Snagtooth became the first half-orc involved in the Mountaineers. A seasoned, axe-wielding cleric of Heironeous, his honor and ferocity earned him the grudging respect of the dwarven commanders. Based on his personal recommendations, Grund Rocksmasher, Frang Goblincleaver, and Tark So'Tark became the first full members of the Mountaineers with orcish ancestry. Circa 540 CY, the Pathfinder advisors were dismissed and a concentrated effort was made to bring the numbers of the Mountaineers up to 300. These were primarily dwarves, but the numbers of non-dwarves also necessarily increased. At this point, humanoids of all the PC races are accepted within the ranks of the Mountaineers, although those with orcish ancestry undergo more hazing and abuse than the average recruit. Furthar the Valiant was the first formal Commander of the Mountaineers and served from 510 to 590 when he and thirty other Mountaineers decided to take the fight to Turrosh Mak in the Pomarj/Principality of Ulek. Unfortunately, skills mastered in the hills and mountains of the Lortmils proved no match for the prolific Pomarj natives and Furthar's force was cut down, albeit after wading through hundreds of their foes. This was a heavy blow to the Mountaineers. Since that disaster, the Commandant has forbidden the Mountaineers from fighting outside Gran March as a unit without express orders. Recently, however, individual Mountaineers can be seen in the Yeomanry studying methods of giant fighting for use in the greater battle against the giants of Geoff. Military Elite Organization 4.0 5 Allies As part of the Gran March army, the Mountaineers enjoy the support of the rest of the Gran March army and can be counted on to support the Gran March army where requested as a natural function of the chain of command. Because of their history and the high percentage of dwarven members, the Mountaineers enjoy the support of the dwarven populace of the Lortmils. The resurgence of the humanoid threat and the threat of the Master’s undead has caused the Mountaineer patrols to be extended into the predominantly gnomish Lorridges. The gnomes have, by and large, welcomed the new patrols as evidence of the Commandant’s desire to protect his citizens. Rivals There is some friendly rivalry between the Mountaineers and certain elite units in the Principality of Ulek. Likewise, the Mountaineers and the Pathfinders engage in some friendly banter and jibes about who is the more efficacious in their duties. While this may occasionally rise to the level of a bar fight, no lasting injuries have ever been sustained. There is some less friendly rivalry with the peoples of the Kron Hills as the border between Gran March and these peoples has never been formally defined to each side’s satisfaction. Foes The elves of Celene are seen to have betrayed the treaties forged during the Hateful Wars by their isolation and failure to help the Principality of Ulek against the Pomarj, and thus the Mountaineers consider them foes; what the elves think is known only to the elves within that isolationist nation. Recent events have disclosed the presence of a powerful undead creature known only as the Master. He is reputed to have many humanoids in his service, and their presence is most unwelcome in the Lortmils. This has led to several armed confrontations and ill feelings between the two groups. While the ties of kinship are perhaps remote in some cases, the Gran March dwarves, and as a result, the Mountaineers, feel some loyalty to the dwarves of the Principality of Ulek who are sorely pressed by the humanoids and giants in the service of Turrosh Mak. Recent events indicate that Mak may be pushing some tribes into the Gran March portion of the Lortmils as well, breeding further hatred for this orc general. Heraldry/ Symbol The Mountaineers’ flag is a black field with a white circle in the middle. A mountain looking vaguely like a tooth is profiled within the white circle. This mountain is the Tooth of Time that sits on the ridge above Ander’s Falls. Those individuals that use a shield typically have this symbol emblazoned thereon. Other individuals emblazon this symbol on their breastplates or other armor. Military Elite Organization 4.0 6 Couriers Provide the Army with all its messaging needs Originally written by George Harris, Ed Podsiad, and the Gran March Triad Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. - Original Advertisement for Gran March Couriers, CY 439. Get the orders to the front lines. Report the results of a battle. Present a message to foreign nobility. Survive on the road. Avoid the enemy. Choose the most direct route. Find a way to anywhere, anyplace, anytime. All these qualities and more are required of the Gran March Couriers. The Gran March Army created an elite unit to provide just these capabilities. In the drive to create the finest military force on all of Oerth, the command implemented a corps of Couriers to provide the Army with all its messaging needs. A Courier must be able to adapt to any situation, to be ready with a contingency plan, and to remain capable under the most stressful situations. Harsh elements, fatigue, wounds, hazardous terrain, or impossible odds are but minor nuisances to the best Couriers. Organization Ranks within the Couriers parallel the standard Gran March Army rank progression. There is one Diplomatic Unit, and four regular units. The Diplomatic Unit is based in Hookhill. The other units are based in Buxton’s Crossing. The Special Ambassador of the Diplomatic Couriers of Hookhill outranks the Ridemasters, and is the commander of the unit. The alternate Courier progression is given on the table below: Number Enlisted Alternate Designation Diplomatic Designation Equivalent Military rank 5 Ridemaster Special Ambassador Captain 15 Ridefinder Special Envoy Lieutenant 30 Senior Marchrider Marchrider Senior Diplomatic Envoy Diplomatic Envoy Senior Staff Sgt. Staff Sgt. 100 Senior Courier Courier Senior Diplomatic Courier Diplomatic Courier Sergeant Corporal Philosophy and Credo The Couriers serve several important functions, and are found wherever Gran March has an interest. Their primary duties are as follows: • To carry military orders from Hookhill to military commanders in the field, and then to report back the results of those orders. As Couriers are not a part of a Battle’s command structure, they cannot carry orders from unit commanders to troops under their command out in the field. Military Elite Organization 4.0 7 • To carry important diplomatic packets from the Commandant to the leaders and nobility of other countries, and to return with the response to those diplomatic packets. • To carry important documents between Hookhill and the various Gran March Electors. • To spread important news to all corners of the realm in less than a week. Day to Day Activities The day-to-day activities of the Gran March Couriers mainly consist of delivering important messages from one end of the Gran March to the other. You can normally find at least one courier with each battle or at a nearby Rider Relay station. Stations: Rider Relay: o New riders take over every 75 to 100 miles. Horse Relay: o Riders get a fresh horse every 10 to 15 miles. Speed: o Horses travel an average of 10 miles per hour. Horses: o 600 horses stock the Gran March Courier route. Light Warhorses are the most popular horses for the route. Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies The first day of Richfest is Mustering Day. This is an important day for many aspirants as this is when many new Couriers are given their assignments as more experienced Couriers retire from the military. Couriers can be appointed at any time to fill the ranks, most assignments occur at this time. Flocktime 18 is also an important time for many Courier Aspirants. On this day, training and testing begins for those individuals hoping to enter the ranks of the Couriers. Headquarters / Major power centers The Diplomatic Unit is assigned to the Commandant on a permanent basis in Hookhill. Each additional Ridemaster provides oversight on a regional or operational basis. One always serves at the Courier’s headquarters in Buxton’s Crossing (and is also responsible for the training center), while the other three are assigned at need. Currently, one is with the Army of Retribution at Hochoch, one is responsible for internal operations, and one is assigned to extraterritorial operations. Each has 3 Ridefinders, 6 Marchriders, and 20 Couriers under his command. There are 12 Rider stations (approximately one in each of the Baronies and Marches), and an additional 48 horse switching stations. The horse switching stations are run by the Herdmaster’s Guild. The Courier Trail normally stays within the bounds of the Gran March. The longest trail within the Gran March is the approximately 300 miles from Hookhill to Hochoch. Diplomatic Couriers are frequently seen in Geoff, Bissel, and Keoland; but can be found at any country’s capital, especially those friendly countries in the Sheldomar Valley. The most frequent trail outside of the Gran March is the approximately 450 miles from Hookhill to Niole Dra, of which over 200 miles is in Keoland. Military Elite Organization 4.0 8 History After Commandant Berlikyn was slain in the Small War, his elected replacement was faced with the task of not only reassuring the Electors that he would not repeat Berlikyn's practices, but of evolving Gran March military strategy to compensate for weaknesses brought to the fore in the recent war. One of these weaknesses was that the Gran March could not reliably send information from one military location to another. The military caravans took twelve days to cross from Hookhill to Hochoch and even longer to Niole Dra. But twelve days to a military commander seemed an eternity, and something had to be done. Commandant Trelyn ordered the formation of the Couriers, an elite group consisting mostly of highly decorated soldiers. These soldiers first and foremost had to be the best riders in the military. Secondly, they had to be able to find the fastest route from one location to another. Thirdly, they had to know proper etiquette when delivering messages to high ranking military officers or foreign nobility. Allies As part of the Gran March Military, the Couriers are strong allies with their brothers in arms. All Gran March soldiers immediately recognize Couriers and know the important function they serve. The Couriers also enjoy the respect of the Knights of the Watch and the Knights of Dispatch, for the same reasons. Rivals The Couriers have no real rivals within the borders of Gran March. Their job is an important one and extremely arduous, for this they earn much respect from all branches of the military. Outside of the March as well, very few organizations begrudge the Couriers their duties. Foes The enemies of Gran March are the enemies of the Couriers. Heraldry/ Symbol Couriers' insignia is a galloping horse on a Gran March Shield. The horse’s color/metal denotes the rank within the organization: a brown horse for Couriers, a black horse for Marchriders with a red saddle on the horse denoting Senior status in both ranks. Ridefinders have a silver horse, and Ridemasters have a golden horse. Military Elite Organization 4.0 9 31st Provisional Battle (Giant Slayers) The elite forces devising the defeat of the Giant menace Originally written by Michael D. Moore and the Gran March Triad Trying to use cavalry to herd giants into arrow fire only gets your horse killed. Strike them from a distance, hidden and behind cover. They can’t hit you if they can’t see you. Coordinate concentrated fire, stay in motion on the battlefield, stay out of their reach, and stay in contact with your comrades in arms. Sergeant Amalyn Goodheart, Gran March Scout The combat doctrine of the Gran March military evolves with each foe they face. For years, the methodology of the Gran March military has centered around cavalrymen leading mounted assaults with the intent of softening up enemy forces and herding them into open territory, where archers pick off units with near impunity. This doctrine has only been a formula for disaster against larger foes, such as giants, who can bat down Gran March horses before charging cavalrymen can make contact with their lances. Knight Field Marshal Alicia Helanasdotter of the Gran March Army of Retribution in Geoff developed a new methodology of dealing with the giants and determined that, ultimately, a new unit would need to be developed to support this methodology, an elite force of guerrilla fighters and trainers who would develop a coordinated effort and tactical doctrine for bringing down large foes from a distance using stealth, guile, and combat multipliers to minimize force casualties while maximizing the amount of damage against the enemy. This document covers the purpose, organization, and fighting doctrine of the 31st Provisional Battle (Giant Slayers), the first military unit formed specifically for doing battle against giants. Organization The 31st Provisional Battle (Giant Slayers) follows the organizational structure of a standard Gran March Battle, except that the Pikeline has been replaced with a second quiver. Transfer into the 31st Provisional Battle requires certain standards to be met (see Requirements). After a soldier comes into the 31st Provisional Battle, he must then undergo wilderness survival and tactical training in a grueling one-month long course. At the end of this course, the soldier candidate earns the right to wear the Giant Slayers emblem as part of his military uniform standard, denoting that he has completed elite forces training. Even after the soldier has left the 31st Provisional Battle, this emblem will remain authorized to denote his or her time in the elite forces and his or her qualification to give advice on tactics for fighting giants. The 31st Provisional Battle is commanded by Knight Colonel Oleg Malathorn (newly promoted out of the Army of Retribution), with a staff consisting of a captain, 2 lieutenants, a senior staff sergeant, and a staff sergeant. There are a transport platoon, a spell caster support platoon, two quivers, and two prides. The spell caster support Platoon is responsible for prepping the battlefield with mass damage spells, providing morale to encourage soldiers into battle (bards), and providing healing for soldiers injured on the battlefield. The quivers, rather than lining up and arching arrow fire against the enemy, practices coordinated movement to cover and firing against the foe in such a manner that half the element is firing at the enemy while the other half the element is moving to cover. When the moving element arrives at a feasible firing position behind cover, the firing element advances to its next position while the other element provides suppressive fire. Cavalry Prides then charge against the enemy with swift movement through the enemy lines to break their cohesiveness and make future offensives easier to launch against split units. To fight against giants, mounted combatants never remain near the enemy for longer than it takes to make a pass with a lance. Staying in direct contact with a giant is fatal for combatant and mount alike. Military Elite Organization 4.0 10 Philosophy and Credo The 31st Provisional Battle (Giant Slayers) was formed to address a developing battlefield doctrine of guile, concentrated missile fire, constant movement, and efficient communication on the battlefield. This doctrine is the safest and most effective way to bring down a larger foe. Knight Field Marshal Alicia Helanasdotter noted while fighting in Geoff that, while cavalry can whittle down giant forces by effective charges, the casualties suffered are too great. Helanasdotter then petitioned the Commandant to form a Battle to support a new methodology to bring the giant menace down while reducing the casualty rate in combat. As a result, she and those of the Army of Retribution’s Headquarters unit developed the doctrine of strategic guile and the development of a force in constant motion. The central motto of this new force is “Shoot with deadly accuracy, move like lightning, and communicate the next move.” In short, “Shoot, move, communicate.” Day to Day Activities The 31st Provisional Battle has a two-pronged mission focused on the defeat of the giants in Geoff, though they are not necessarily part of the Army of Retribution in Geoff. The first prong of this mission is to devise methods of defeating giant units with a minimum of casualties suffered by the army. This means developing training scenarios to test plans and methods developed by the strategic think-tank of the 31st Provisional Battle. The second prong is to send trainers to all of the units in the Gran March military organization as advisors and tactical instructors in the methodologies developed by the headquarters element of the 31st Provisional Battle. The 31st Provisional Battle is not a conventional unit in the sense that all members fight together. They are a coherent unit in that all members work together to devise methods of defeating giants with a minimal casualty rate and then send contingents to inform sister units of the tactics devised by the 31st Provisional Battle. Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies The 31st Provisional Battle observes the same important dates, holidays, and ceremonies as the Gran March military. Since the 31st Provisional Battle is an organization that is literally under development, it has not yet developed its own traditions, though graduation from the Giant Slayers course (GSC in military anachronism terminology) will probably come to be seen as a special enough moment in a Gran March soldier’s life as to warrant the development of special traditions with particular meaning for all those who participate. Headquarters / Major power centers The 31st Provisional Battle will be headquartered at Orlane, with a fort in the process of being built nearby and access to large tracts of land suitable for conducting battle drills and training exercises. History Currently, the 31st Giant Slayers has no extensive history. In recent months, Knight Field Marshal Alicia Helenasdotter submitted a proposal to the Commandant to create the 31st Provisional Battle to develop a doctrine for fighting giants that would not result in such high rates of casualties. The Commandant approved the proposal and called a war council to discuss what doctrines should be the starting point for fighting the giants, who will lead the 31st Provisional Battle, and what volunteers will be taken to man the unit. Allies The 31st Provisional Battle is part of the Gran March army, and so the unit enjoys the support of the rest of the Gran March army and can be counted on to provide advice and support wherever Military Elite Organization 4.0 11 the Gran March army is conducting operations against giants and their kin. In fact, 31st Provisional Battle operatives are intended to be dispatched to units throughout the Sheldomar Valley to train the rest of the army in the methodology under development. Rivals Many old soldiers have become so entrenched in the battle doctrine of the Gran March style that the concept of a new methodology that contradicts theirs is offensive to them. Such old soldiers are likely to see 31st Provisional Battle operatives as a threat to their command structure, as upstarts come to tell them how to conduct warfare. To an extent, that is exactly what the 31st Provisional Battle is intended to be, though operatives serve as advisors and trainers attempting to transition the battle doctrine for use against the giant menace. These old soldiers view the 31st Provisional Battle with suspicion, and when they outrank an operative, it is very likely that they will maneuver to keep 31st Provisional Battle operatives out of their business as much as possible without making it too obvious that they are not welcome. At best, they provide begrudging cooperation while trainers from the 31st Provisional Battle do their best to prepare units for the next encounter with the giants. Foes The 31st Provisional Battle was formed to destroy giants, who have received only minimal intelligence that such a unit is under formation. Enough of a reputation has not been established between giants and the newly formed unit to formulate a history of hostility. The unit itself is nothing more than an attempt at solving a problem that has been nagging at the high command of both Gran March and Geoff. Enemies are yet to be made. Heraldry/ Symbol Members of the 31st Provisional Battle wear a patch on the left shoulder or shoulder pad of their uniform shaped like a shield. Its field is green with the symbol of a bow firing an arrow shaped like a lightning bolt toward the upper right-hand side. Military Elite Organization 4.0 12 Pathfinders The Pathfinders provide the Gran March Military with all of its expeditionary needs. Originally written by George Harris, Mike Sell, Michael Eshleman, Nick Perch and the Gran March Triad Organization Alignment(s) Any non-evil PC Organization: Yes Lead a quick, safe retreat. Find a way to infiltrate a camp. Hide the passage of troops. Survive in the wilderness. Choose the most direct route. Find a way out of anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Track an enemy. Find a lost person. All these and more are required of the Gran March Army. - Commandant Trelyn, CY 439. The Gran March Army created an elite unit to provide just these capabilities. In the drive to create the finest military force on all of Oerth, the command implemented a corps of Pathfinders to provide the Army with all its expeditionary needs. Whether invading a neighboring country, escorting VIPs, or harassing invading forces, the Pathfinder gets the job done. A Pathfinder must be able to adapt to any situation. Any member should be always ready with a contingency plan and always capable under the most stressful situations. Harsh elements, fatigue, wounds, hazardous terrain, or impossible odds are but minor nuisances to the best Pathfinders. Organization Ranks within the Pathfinders parallel the standard Gran March Army rank progression. The Waymaster of Shiboleth is outranks the other Waymasters, and is the commander of the unit. The alternate Pathfinder progression is given on the table below: Number Enlisted Alternate Designation Equivalent Military rank 5 Waymaster Captain 15 Wayfinder Lieutenant 30 Senior Marchwalker Marchwalker Senior Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant 180 Senior Trailblazer Trailblazer Sergeant Combat Specialist One Waymaster, three Wayfinders, six Marchwalkers, and 30 Trailblazers are assigned to the Commandant on a permanent basis, in keeping with the longstanding tradition of having 40 Pathfinders under the Commandant’s banner. Each additional Waymaster provides oversight on a regional or operational basis. One always serves in Shiboleth (and is also responsible for the training center), while the other three are assigned at need. Currently, one is with the Army of Retribution, one is responsible for internal and border patrol, and one is assigned to extraterritorial operations. Each has three Wayfinders, six Marchwalkers, and 30 Trailblazers under his command. Military Elite Organization 4.0 13 Philosophy and Credo The Pathfinders serve several important functions and are found wherever Gran March has interests. Their primary duties are as follows: • Tactical Intelligence Gathering - determining the location, disposition, and intent of enemy formations. • Counter-Unit Operations - operating behind enemy lines to collapse bridges, interview locals in a clandestine and surreptitious manner, raising and training partisans, and generally disrupting the enemy’s ability to make war. • Training - making sure that units of the Gran March Army scouts units are trained on the latest methods of waging war against the enemy. Day to Day activities Pathfinders spend most of their time out in the field. They travel in small groups or alone. Occasionally, a Pathfinder will lead a group of scouts into the wilderness for training and other special missions. Occasionally, a Pathfinder might be outside the bounds of Gran March and her allies. If they are on a mission at this time, the Gran March would disavow all activities of the individual if caught. Important Dates, Holidays & Ceremonies The first day of Richfest is Mustering Day. This is an important day for many aspirants as this is when many new Pathfinders are given their assignments as more experienced Pathfinders retire from the military. Pathfinders can be appointed at any time to fill the ranks, most most assignments occur at this time. Flocktime 18 is also an important time for many Pathfinder Aspirants. On this day, training and testing begins for those individuals hoping to enter the ranks of the Pathfinders. Headquarters/ Major power centers Shiboleth is the main headquarters for the Pathfinders. This is to prevent the appearance that all of the Pathfinders are under the direct control of the Commandant. There is also a major presence of Pathfinder in Barony Malthinius. Due to the conflicts with the giants and other humanoids in Geoff, there are many Pathfinders stationed near Hochoch, Orlane, and the Dim Forest. History After commandant Berlikyn was slain in the Small War, his elected replacement was faced with the task of not only reassuring the Electors that he would not repeat Berlikyn's practices, but of evolving Gran March military strategy to compensate for weaknesses brought to the fore in the recent war. One of these weaknesses was that the Gran March Army's scouts had become complacent in their training since the early days when the Gran March was first being settled, and from whence the scouts had truly earned their reputation for finding paths, uncovering information, and infiltrating enemy lines. Felling two goblins with one stroke, Commandant Trelyn ordered the formation of the Pathfinders in CY 539, an elite group consisting mostly of highly decorated scouts. Each of the eighty Electors was asked to select two men from among their retinue to report to Shiboleth for 'special training'. Commandant Trelyn himself personally selected forty veterans of the war to receive this honor as well. After a year of intense training the two hundred soldiers emerged as the first elite Military Elite Organization 4.0 14 unit of the Gran March armed forces: the Pathfinders. The mandate of the Pathfinders was for them to have current information on all potential Gran March enemies, infiltrate enemy lines in order to harass and confuse the enemy, as well as to make sure that the scouts are constantly being trained in the most current techniques. In the beginning, individual Pathfinders owed allegiance first to their Electors, then to the March, then to the Commandant. This provision was enacted by Commandant Trelyn to strengthen the loyalty of the Electors, and to demonstrate that the Commandant was not building a private army with which to enact a coup of some sort. The forty men selected by the Commandant, of course, were loyal the March, and then to him. The two sets of Pathfinders served different functions within the March. Those of the Commandant were sent to neighboring countries to assess the movements of enemy troops and report of any untoward activity. Those of the Electors patrolled the interior of the March, reporting any humanoid activity and training the Gran March Army scouts. As time wore on the organization grew more cohesive, a trend which was completed when Commandant Trelyn's successor appointed one of the Pathfinders, Line Sgt. Tywyr Cavened, as its leader and granted him the rank of Captain. And although the unit headquarters remains in Shiboleth, he also granted the unit its own training facilities in Barony Malthinius. Since that time, the unit has served with distinction in every major conflict Gran March has engaged. Allies As part of the Gran March military, Pathfinders are strong allies with their fellow brothers in arms and are loyal to the Commandant. This allegiance is particularly strong with the Gran March Scouts, as Pathfinders have instructed many scouts through the years. They are also on good terms with both the Knights of the Watch and the Knights of Dispatch, but tend to favor Dispatchers more due to the use of similar tactics. Rivals The Pathfinders keep close tabs on Knights of the Malagari operating within the borders of the Gran March, and try to keep tabs on them when they are operating in some of the disputed areas of the Rushmoors. The Pathfinders still tend to keep close tabs on agents of the nation of Furyondy. While they are not hostile to people from Furyondy, they still have many suspicions that arose from the Short War. Foes The enemies of Gran March are the enemies of the Pathfinders. However, they hold special loathing for the enemies that tend to plague the northern and western borders. These include giants and humanoids of Geoff, the humanoid forces of the Pomarj, and the Baklunish armies of Ket. Heraldry/ Symbol Pathfinders' insignia is a single upright arrow on a black field. The arrow color/metal denotes the rank within the organization. A red arrow for Trailblazers, a green arrow for Marchwalkers with a hash on the arrow denoting Senior status in both ranks. Wayfinders have a silver arrow, and Waycaptains have a golden arrow.

textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Metaorg Material/Gran March/temp/Gran_March_Military_Elite_Organization_4.0.pdf

Introduction 1 ZAya’s Promise by Stacy Dellorfano by Stacy Dellorfano Artists: Kaos Nest, Gennifer Bone Editing: Stacy Dellorfano & Leigh Tuckman Cartography: Stacy Dellorfano Layout: Leigh Tuckman AyA’s P Z romise Dedicated to all the lovely people who never let me give up. Playtesters: Ethel Buster, A. Miles Davis, Robert Dellorfano, Christopher Helton, Mandy Morbid, Kirin Robinson, David Rollins, Zak S., Josh Thompson, Jeremy Whalen... ...and anyone else I might have missed! Zaya’s Promise 2 T his idea has been kicking around in my head for a few years, now. Like most ideas, the execution has varied sharply from the original vision in some ways and has gotten closer to it in others. Personally, I rarely use adventures in my own GMing, so this adventure is my first real foray into ‘what I’d like as an adventure’: a modular adventure that is designed to be picked apart and used elsewhere with a whole lot of reusable material. I want you to have a reason to pick up this book again and again, and I want to make it so that every time you run Zaya’s Promise, it’s a new experience. Hopefully, I’ve hit both marks. If not, use it to steady that table you have that’s always a little wobbly. I won’t mind. Enjoy! – Stacy Dellorfano Introduction • Use it however you want. Seriously. At its core, this book is a whole lot of tropes related to a really twisted version of childhood that can be played as an adventure. Play it as-is, or chop it up and use it in a game of your own devising. • Don’t read the text descriptions aloud word-for-word. There is no boxed text or read-aloud text in this adventure, just broad stroke descriptions of the rooms to give you an idea of what’s there. Describe them in your own words, and add in your own details. • Zaya’s Promise was designed specifically for use with Swords & Wizardry, but can easily be adapted for use with pretty much any system. • You’ll be using the standard set of polyhedral dice plus a d30. If you don’t have a d30, you can use a d6 and a d10. The d6 determines the ‘tens’ of the number. • All monsters are assumed to have a d8 hit die unless specified for some reason. Or, if you want to make it easier, multiply the number of hit dice by 4. If you want to make it harder, multiply the number of hit dice by 5. Default values for monster hit points are added to each room, but don’t have to be used. • This dungeon was originally created for levels 1-4, edging closer to 4, but, like most OSR dungeons, the dungeon isn’t perfectly balanced. There are plenty of fights that will be over your characters’ heads, so they’ll have to be cunning and crafty. • Full monster descriptions are located in the back of the book. This is so you can come back and reuse the new monster section for your other games without having to sift through the book. Stat blocks are included with each room. • Full magic item descriptions are located in the back of the book for the same reason. How to Use This Book Roll on d6 Read the d10 as... 1-2 0-10 3-4 11-20 5-6 21-30 Zaya’s Promise 3 • About 1,000 years ago: A wealthy elven couple in another part of the world bring their dying infant to Cross Valley after discovering a partial ritual in an ancient text once performed there when it was Marda Valley. They bring their child to Marda’s altar and perform the ritual not realizing its true goal is to give Marda a body. Marda uses the moment to take over the infant. She takes the lives of both parents to heal the child. The infant is found by a group of traveling merchants, and taken to Port Cross. There, she is adopted by a pair of local farmers who were unable to have children of their own. They name her ‘Zaya’, and dote on her constantly. • About 989 years ago: Advances in technology allow for easier crossing of the Never-Reach range. A particularly ambitious noble takes it upon himself to take Port Cross in the name of a competing realm. They arrive at Port Cross to butcher the townspeople, but not a single person from either the town or the invading army makes it out alive. • About 988 years ago: It takes a full year for any help to get to Port Cross. Those who attempt it report monstrous difficulty navigating via land or water. It’s as though the entire valley is angry and lashing out. When aid finally arrives at Port Cross, they find the town covered in a thick layer of thorny vines that are nearly impenetrable. • About 800 years ago: Despite several attempts to discover what has happened to Port Cross, the river it sits on, and the valley it inhabits, no one is able to get in, and every expedition mounted takes heavy losses in the attempt. Expeditions end, and the valley is soon forgotten. • About 200 years ago: A sole survivor from a failed expedition into the valley reports forests covered in thick webs, fields that are nothing but crushed bone, a raging river, and a town covered in writhing, thorny vines. They recount an underground network of rooms, each more insane than the last, filled with more treasures than anyone could carry. This kicks off a new round of attempts to get to Port Cross, though no one who goes after the riches returns. What’s Really Going On • An untold time ago: During the creation of the world, a shred of a soul, a piece of something sentient, was flung into a river instead of a being. There, she raged angrily over her lack of freedom, turning her river confines frothing and dangerous, full of terrible monsters, sudden currents, and thrashing rapids. • About 4,000 years ago: A group of elves settle in the valley with the river. They name the tempestuous river goddess ‘Marda’, and the valley ‘Marda Valley’. The elves live off the rich resources provided in the valley’s thick forest, supplementing that with gifts from the river granted by Marda. • About 3,500 years ago: Still seeking freedom from her watery prison, Marda takes advantage of the elves’ primitive beliefs and becomes their primary goddess. She exhorts them to scour the world for magic in an effort to find a way to free her. • About 3,000 years ago: The elves finally amass enough magical knowledge and artifacts to perform a ritual that will give Marda a body. The first body is lent by a volunteer. Now, with legs, Marda is free to rule the elves, and the river becomes calm in her absence. • About 2,000 years ago: Marda rules the valley with just as much chaos as she ruled the river. This, combined with ready access to the valley thanks to the now-calm river, eventually leads to the extinction of the valley elves, leaving Marda with no new bodies to claim. She is thrust back into the river, where she bides her time, waiting for more beings to show up who can provide her with freedom. • About 1,250 years ago: Humans settle in the valley, which they name Cross Valley, and their settlement Port Cross. Port Cross becomes an important trading stop for several realms thanks to the river. It remains free of any real danger during the ongoing territorial disputes thanks to its difficulty to reach by land and necessity for trade via the river. Though it changes hands several times as borders change, it’s always a peaceful transition. B elow is a rough timeline of what happened prior to the opening of Zaya’s Promise. Decide for yourself what you want the players to know or not know based on how you want to set up the adventure. Generally speaking, when running it as a stand-alone adventure not in a greater campaign, I only tell the players about the past 200 years. Zaya’s Promise 4 The Bone Fields Just outside Port Cross, there were once robust farmlands. Now, this area is entirely barren, consisting of nothing but overgrown homes that are hardly more than a few broken down walls, foundations, and the occasional food cellar. The soil has been replaced with brittle, splintered bones that crunch underfoot and lacerate unprotected feet. Even though the bones are crushed and washed white with age, there’s still an overwhelmingly terrible stench of death that permeates the entire area, and a constant heavy wind wails across the barren landscape. When walking over the fields, there is a chance of awakening the bone shards. Roll on the encounter table below every 2-3 turns (20-30 minutes), or whenever the party does something that could cause attention or disrupt the shards. Basement 1: Turnip Farmer What looks like the foundation and basement walls of a farmstead remain here, making it a welcome shelter from the wind. In the center of the basement, there appear to be remnants of a very old fire ring. After dark, the ground of the basement turns into Bone Quicksand (see table above for description), and 10 Brittle Bone Humans wielding spears form from the bone shards. They stand around the edges, barring escape. 10 Brittle Bone Humans: HD 4 (7, 17, 17, 11, 19, 20, 12, 19, 28, 16); AC 5[14]; Move 12; Save 13; Attack 1 Hooked Bone Sword (1d8); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Outside Environs Z aya’s Promise is set in the remains of a trading village once called Port Cross. Port Cross is settled in a valley rimmed with enormous mountains called the Never-Reach Range, the peaks of which are always lost in cloud, even on the clearest, most sunny days in the valley. The way through the peaks is difficult, dangerous, and tedious and it often seems like snowstorms intelligently target traveling parties. Through the valley snakes the Marda River, named long ago by the elves that inhabited the valley well before the humans of Port Cross. The river is extremely wide and dangerous. It’s filled with rapids, large rocks, dangerous currents, and unknown creatures happy to tear flesh from bones. Standard ships won’t go anywhere near the valley. The Lost Wood These ancient woods are full of enormous trees that have been completely taken over by giant, web-spinning spiders that shoot venomous, zombifying poison. Moving through the forest is difficult thanks to the thick webs that seem to cover absolutely everything. The only thing to find in the Lost Wood is a single set of ruins – a stone altar that’s been partially destroyed and mostly covered in moss, leaves, and webbing inside the partial remains of a stone building. After a thorough search, the only thing to find at the altar are engravings on a partial stone wall depicting what looks like half a ritual. The ritual, which is readable by any class that knows how to use magic, describes the steps involved to prepare a living vessel for some sort of transformation. While in the Lost Wood, roll on the following encounter table once every 3 turns (30 minutes). The Lost Wood Random Encounter Table 1d8 Encounter 1-3 Each party member must make a saving throw or become caught up in the webs for 1d4 turns. Additional party members helping to cut out those caught halve the duration. 4 1 Giant Death’s Head Spider: HD 6; AC 2[17]; Move 10, Save 11, Attack 1 Bite (3d6); CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Zombification Poison (10% chance / 1d8 days / half time on save). 5 1d10 Giant Zombie Rats: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18, Save 18, Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Undead, 10% chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). 6 1d8 Giant Zombie Squirrels: HD 4; AC 6[13]; Move 18, Save 13, Attack 1 Bite (1d6), 1 Claw (1d4); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Undead, 5% chance to diesase (plague). 7 1 Giant Zombie Crocodile: HD 6; AC 3[16]; Move 9, Save 11, Attack 1 Bite (3d6), 1 Tail (1d6); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 8 1 Giant Death’s Head Spider Baby Swarm: HD 7; AC 3[16]; Move 20, Save 9, Attack 1 Death by a Thousand Bites (1d8/1d4 split); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Split Swarm. The Bone Fields Random Encounter Table 1d6 Encounter 1 1 Brittle Bone Giant: HD 7; AC 3[16]; Move 10, Save 9, Attack 1 Spiked Fist (1d10), 1 Spiked Bone Club (3d6); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. 2 1d4 Brittle Bone Humans: HD 4; AC 5[14]; Move 12, Save 13, Attack 1 Hooked Bone Sword (1d8); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. 3 1d6 Brittle Bone Cougars: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 20, Save 14, Attack 1 Bone Spur (1d8), 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. 4 Bone Quicksand: The bone shards turn into a thick sand that hinders movement, and will suck party members in if they’re not careful (or rescued). Roll to save. A successful save means you can still function, but at ½ speed, and -2 to attack. And unsuccessful save means you’re struggling against the bone quicksand, and are unable to move or attack until someone helps you out. 5 1d6 Brittle Bone Orcs: HD 3; AC 5[14]; Move 12, Save 14, Attack 1 Spiked Bone Club (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. 6 1d8 Brittle Bone Goblins: HD 2; AC 5[14]; Move 9, Save 16, Attack 1 Bone Spear (1d6); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Zaya’s Promise 5 Basement 2: Zaya’s Farm Another set of farmstead ruins with only parts of the foundation and the basement walls still standing. The floor of this basement, however, is not made of bone sand. During the day, there’s nothing special about the basement. It serves as a nice refuge from both the wind, and the bone shards. At night, roll twice per watch on the Bone Fields random encounter table, ignoring the quicksand entry unless anyone chooses to sleep outside the basement on the bone sand. If a campfire is lit in the basement at night, shadows on the walls will repeatedly depict the brutal attack that ultimately slaughtered all the inhabitants at Port Cross, until the campfire dies out or daylight comes. Port Cross: BrambLes Entrance The bone fields end at the outskirts of the city, which is completely gone, covered by a writhing, seething mass of bramble- ridden vines. There appears to be a single way through the brambles – one very inviting-looking path leads to a set of stairs that in turn leads down into darkness. The brambles will attempt to reach out and grab anyone that passes near them. A successful dexterity check will get a character through the vines without getting snagged. On a failed check, the character will be grabbed by a twisting, writhing bramble that almost seems alive. The vines go after exposed skin, wrapping around extremities to sting with a dose of poisoned barbs. On a successful save versus poison, the brambles don’t affect the character. On a failed save, roll on the following table: Bramble Poison Effects Table 1d10 Effect of Poison 1 You’re overtaken by uncontrollable laughter that comes and goes, but most often at the most inopportune times (like when sneaking). Lasts for 1d4 hours. 2 You begin hallucinating an animal that follows you around and talks to you. The talking animal sticks around for 1d4 hours, and lies about almost everything. 1d4 Animal 1d4 Personality 1 Dog 1 Snarky 2 Horse 2 Overly Cheerful 3 Rat 3 Depressed 4 Cat 4 Angry 3 For the next 1d4 hours, you can smell magic. It smells like black licorice. 4 For the next 1d20 minutes, you are paralyzed (successful save cuts the time in half). 1d10 Effect of Poison 5 You get aural hallucinations that last 2d6 hours. Periodically, the referee should roll on the table below to see what sounds are hallucinated. 1d6 You hear... 1 The sound of footsteps behind you no matter what direction you’re facing for 1d4 minutes. 2 The sound of something scratching at a nearby wall, like it’s trying to get out. The sound follows you for 1d4 minutes, scratching at walls, the floor, or the ceiling. 3 A small child singing a lullabye in a language you don’t recognize. The child sings through the lullabye once, then giggles and fades away. 4 The sound of fluttering wings, like a bird has taken flight nearby. 5 A scraping sound, like something being dragged across a stone surface. If the sound is followed, it will take you out of view of the party. When you’re alone, you’ll head a bloodcurdling scream that seems to come from everywhere at once. 6 A persistent dripping sound that lasts for 10 + 1d10 minutes. 6 You begin crying uncontrollably for the next 10 x 1d20 minutes. This puts all actions at a -2 penalty and makes any sort of sneaking impossible. 7 Your skin changes to a different color for the next 1d4 hours. 1d6 Color 1 Teal 2 Crimson 3 Salmon 4 Periwinkle 5 Chartreuse 6 Transparent 8 For the next 1d8 hours, you periodically experience olfactory hallucinations. Referee may decide what they are, or: 1d6 You smell... 1 Rotting garbage. 2 Fresh baked bread. 3 Cinnamon. 4 Death. 5 Fire and brimstone. 6 Gingerbread cookies. 9 You end up with an impossibly itchy rash covering your skin. It spreads the more you scratch. For 1d20 minutes, before each combat round make a save or suffer a -2 penalty to attack. 10 For the next 2d10 minutes, you entirely lose your sense of smell. Zaya’s Promise 6 Port Cross: Shipwreck Entrance The second entrance to Zaya’s Promise is through a shipwreck only accessible from the water. The wreck is more recent than the loss of the city, though it’s been there long enough there’s little to identify the ship or the reason it ended up wrecked. The ship is half-covered in brambles, but there is a tunnel-like entrance through a large hole in the ship’s hold just below the water line. Inside the hold, the air is moldy, mildewy, fetid, and dark once you get past the first few feet near the opening. The entrance to the lair can be found at the far end of the ship, near the prow. The way through the cargo hold is covered in about two feet of water and scattered piles of debris along with plenty of debris floating in the water. It will take 3 turns (30 minutes) to get through the wreck. Roll on the following encounter table once each turn as the party picks their way through the debris and wreckage. Shipwreck Entrance Random Encounter Table 1d6 Encounter 1 2d8 Pirate Skeletons: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 10, Save 16, Attack 1 Rusty Sword (1d6); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 2 1d8 Pirate Skeletons: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 10, Save 16, Attack 1 Rusty Sword (1d6); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 3 1d4 Pirate Ghosts: HD 4; AC 3[16]; Move 12, Save 13, Attack 1 Cold Finger (1d6), 1 Psychic Wail (1d8, 10’ radius); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold), requires magical weapon, freezes limbs. 4 1d10 Drowned Townspeople: HD 2; AC 9[10]; Move 12, Save 16, Attack 1 Slap/Punch (1d4); CL/XP 2/30. 5 The ship’s hull shifts in the river and begins to take on water from the massive hole in its side. In 4+1d4 rounds, the ship will sink. If there are still party members trapped in the ship when it sinks, they must make a save or drown. 6 1 Giant Crocodile: HD 6; AC 3[16]; Move 9 (Swim 12), Save 11, Attack 1 Slap/Punch (1d4); CL/XP 6/400. Zaya’s Promise 7 Zaya’s Promise 8 The Quest (Saving Zaya) I n the panic during the attack on her town, Zaya used Marda’s magic to destroy the invading army, though she also destroyed the town in the process. As a form of defense, she encased herself in a thick, crystal-like shield that’s placed her in stasis. This has infuriated Marda, who can not completely take over Zaya’s body until she is an adult. Zaya believes she is asleep and dreaming, having a particularly long and wicked nightmare. In reality, she’s using Marda’s magic to make the dreams she’s having come to life. In order for her to be released from stasis, she needs to have an artifact returned to her in one piece. Which artifact that is depends on how long you want the adventure to run. Once the party has gathered all the parts to the artifact, no matter what door they choose to go through, they’ll end up in Room #21, Zaya’s Holding Room (pg. 21), where placing the artifact in Zaya’s outstretched hand will break the spell, and free Zaya. Here’s what happens when Zaya is freed: • The river calms to a state that is usable by boats again. • The mountains leading into the valley cease with their constant storms. • The brittle bones in the bone fields stop animating. • The underground fortress Zaya created using Marda’s magic remains, but everything in it turns to dust save for the adventurers and their immediate possessions. • What’s left behind are excavated underground rooms with bare rock walls and dirt floors. There are consequences to this: • Zaya is an 11-year-old orphan who needs someone to take care of her. The good news is that the journey to anywhere that would have an orphanage is a lot easier. The bad news is they’ll still have to bring a child on a hard journey. • Zaya is also a girl with a malevolent (or at least irresponsible) god-like creature inhabiting her, waiting for her to become an adult so she can take over the body. The party may or may not know this depending on whether or not they investigated the mystery surrounding Zaya’s creation. In a longer campaign, you can use this as a plot point later on. Random Quest Item Tables When a room is searched, roll on the table below to see which special quest item the room contains. Once a quest item has been looted, it can’t be rolled again, so cross it off the list. If the same number is rolled for another room, use your best judgment and either have that room contain no special item, or roll again. There are three versions of the quest item table; choose the one that most suits the amount of time you want the adventure to run. 3 Items – d4 Table – Short Game Completed Artifact: A Child’s Quilted Blanket. The top side of the blanket is made of a rich, red satin-like cloth that shimmers in the light, while the underside is made of a soft, felted fabric similar to wool that’s been dyed blue. 5 Items – D8 Table – Medium Game Completed Artifact: A Velvet Bunny. Lovingly stitched together by hand in royal purple velvet with two red buttons as eyes, and a nose and mouth stitched with golden thread. Inside Zaya’s Lair 1d4 Item 1 A rectangular blanket edge. It’s hemmed on three sides, but torn on the fourth. 2 The blanket’s middle. It’s hemmed on the top and bottom, but torn on both sides. 3 A rectangular blanket edge. It’s hemmed on three sides, but torn on the fourth. 4 Secret Decoder Ring of Protection (+1 AC) 1d8 Item 1 The head and torso of what looks like a child’s doll – a bunny, based on the ears. 2 The purple, velvet right arm of a child’s doll. 3 The purple, velvet left arm of a child’s doll. 4 The purple, velvet left leg of a child’s doll. 5 The purple, velvet right leg of a child’s doll. 6 Secret Decoder Ring of Protection (+1 AC) 7 Secret Decoder Ring of Assault (+1 Attack) 8 Secret Decoder Ring (no bonuses) Zaya’s Promise 9 8 Items – D12 Table – Long Game Completed Artifact: Rag Doll Annah. Annah is a lovingly-made rag doll created using several bits of fabric all stitched together. She has cat’s eye button eyes, and a smile stitched onto her face with black thread. Her head is a mess of red yarn held back with a red and white spotted bow that matches her dress and red shoes. Zaya’s Dreamscape Zaya’s domain is entirely the dreamscape of an 11-year-old elven girl who’s been trapped in stasis for hundreds of years. When the party first enters the dungeon, they’ll feel like they’ve stepped between worlds because they have. Once in the dungeon, the party is inside Zaya’s dreamscape, where the rules are all made up by her, and what’s “real” or not is entirely questionable. She is always aware of what’s going on in her lair, and always spying on the party. Play Zaya like an NPC. She’s brave, curious, clever, and loves to play. She’s completely unaware that any of her playing could or has hurt anyone. To her, everything in her domain is completely make- believe, including the PCs. Zaya’s Moods Zaya’s main goal is to wake up. Anything that alters that goal has a chance of changing her mood. Use the table below to determine what happens in the dungeon dependant on Zaya’s mood. Either choose her mood randomly with a die roll (d20), or have her respond as she might to the actions of the players. For example, a player who does or says something that makes her believe they won’t release her from the crystal might cause a mood shift to ‘Threatened’. Zaya’s mood should change periodically even if the group does nothing to alter her goal. How often her mood changes is left up to the referee, but here are some guidelines: 1d12 Item 1 A red and white spotted dress sized to fit either a teeny tiny person or a doll. 2 The head of a lovingly-made ragdoll. 3 The right arm of a ragdoll. 4 The left arm of a ragdoll. 5 The right leg of a ragdoll. 6 The left leg of a ragdoll. 7 The torso of a ragdoll. 8 A pair of black shoes fit for a tiny human or a doll. 9 Secret Decoder Ring (no bonuses) 10 Secret Decoder Ring (+1 AC) 11 Secret Decoder Ring (+1 Attack) 12 Secret Decoder Ring (+1 Hit) Zaya’s Promise 10 • Whenever you get an interactive hit on the encounter table – after the encounter. • Whenever the group seems to get ‘stuck’ on her current mood, and has trouble progressing in the dungeon. • Anytime the party does something that takes her closer to or further away from her goal of being released. • Whenever the party stops in one place for an extended period of time. Zaya’s Moods Table 1d20 Mood Environmental Response 1 Happy All encounters in the dungeon become non-aggressive until Zaya’s mood changes. Monsters won’t attack on sight, but they’ll still attack if the party attacks them first or threatens their environment. 2 Excited She’s so excited the party’s there, she has a habit of triggering events early. Whatever triggerable events available in the room start automatically. Robots fight each other, hippos have their pearls released, the octopus is already alive, etc. 3 Frightened Zaya is afraid of the party or something else. Her presence withdraws entirely, but roll twice as often on the random encounters table until her mood changes. 4 Depressed As Zaya cries in her crystal prison, rain clouds form in all the rooms in the dungeon, and a medium downpour persists, causing a -2 penalty to all actions until Zaya’s mood changes and the rain stops. 5 Frustrated When in combat, once per round Zaya flings a random item in the room at a party member, doing damage equivalent to the size of the item being thrown (Sm. 1d4, Med. 1d6, Lg. 1d8) – or if the item happens to be a weapon, doing weapon damage. Characters can dodge by making a save, but can only do so at the expense of their turn this round. 6 Lonely Roll on the random encounter table twice as often. Zaya’s making some new playmates. 7 Curious Every time you roll on the encounter table for an encounter, choose a random player and remove something random from their inventory. Zaya will keep it for 2d6 rounds before returning it. 8 Bored Zaya’s become bored, and will periodically act out in differen ways: 1d4 Effect 1 “Curious” effect. 2 “Frustrated” effect for each random encounter roll rather than during combat. 3 “Selfish” effect. 4 “Playful” effect. 9 Threatened Add 1d4 additional monsters to each monster type in every encounter as Zaya beefs up her defenses. 1d20 Mood Environmental Response 10 Content No changes to the dungeon. Any other effects caused by other moods immediately dissipate. 11 Angry All encounters in the dungeon that were once non-aggressive become aggressive. 12 Hopeful Zaya makes the way easier. All characters get +1 to their hits, damage, and saves for the next hour. For this hour, don’t roll on the random encounter table. 13 Playful Zaya will participate in any and all games being played in any of the rooms that have game-like traps and special events. 14 Tired As Zaya gets drowsy, so does everything in her domain. A fine mist fills the area, causing everyone who fails a save to fall asleep for 1d6 hours. The mist persists for fifteen minutes, requiring a save at the beginning or end. 15 Hungry It’s irrelevant because she can’t eat the food, but Zaya takes 1d6 random pieces of food from a random member of the party. After an hour, roll on this table again (she’ll no longer be hungry). 16 Devious All traps no longer require a trigger to activate. When the party gets close to a trap, Zaya will activate it on her own. 17 Selfish Zaya wants to keep all prizes for herself. Anytime anyone picks up something in the dungeon and puts it in their pack, it will disappear from said pack and reappear back where they found it. Anything picked up prior to this mood can be kept. There’s a 20% chance she’ll return the item to the character’s pack once her mood shifts away from ‘Selfish’. 18 Rude Zaya starts acting very rude. Once a turn, roll on the below table until Zaya’s mood changes: 1d6 Behaviour 1 Something in the room farts loudly. It stinks. 2 Pick a random character. They get slapped by a ghostly hand for no damage. 3 Every time someone speaks, Zaya interrupts them in some way – by speaking herself, or by creating other loud noises. 4 From nowhere, the party is startled by the sudden loud and blood-curdling sound of a child screaming. 5 Same effect as “Selfish”. 6 Same effect as “Sarcastic”. 19 Contrary Every being in the dungeon becomes contrary, saying and doing exactly the opposite of what they intended. 20 Sarcastic Every monster in the dungeon that can talk is suddenly super sarcastic. Zaya’s Promise 11 Random Encounters There’s no specific interval to roll on the random encounter table. Use it as you see fit. Below are some guideline examples of good times to roll: • Whenever the group stops in one place for a long period of time. • Whenever the group does something that makes a whole lot of noise, thus gaining them the attention of Zaya or whatever’s wandering around. • When the party is resting, once per watch. Depending on how long of a dungeon you create, they’ll likely need some time to rest and recuperate to regain spells and one not. Ask the players how many watches they’ll set up, and who’s keeping watch in what order, then roll once for each watch. • Whenever the party thoroughly searches a room. Random Encounters Table 1d12 Encounter 1 1d6 Beam Doggies: HD 5; AC 4[15]; Move 16; Save 13; Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Invisibility, Teleportation. 2 2d6 Undead Buskers: HD 5; AC 3[16]; Move 12; Save 14; Attack 1 Tentacle Grab (1d6), 1 Slap (1d4); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 3 1 Lost Giant Crocodile: HD 6; AC 3[16]; Move 9 (Swim 12); Save 11; Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 6/400. 4 3 Pixies: HD 3; AC 3[16]; Move 8 (Flying 20); Save 14; Attack 1 Bow (1d6), 1 Sword (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Flying. 1 Lion Mount: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 12; Save 12; Attack 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. 5 Mud Tavern Keep (delivering some food): HD 3; AC 9[10]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Throw Mud (1d6), 1 Punch (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Suffocate (1d8/round) 6 Clockwork Sentry: HD 5; AC 3[16]; Move 14; Save 12; Attack 1 Longsword (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. 7 Wandering Gang of 3d4 Wailing Homunculi: HD 3; AC 8[11]; Move 16; Save 14; Attack 1 Acid Vomit (1d8); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Cowardice roll. 8 The haunting sound of a little girl giggling can be heard thoughout the area. It echoes off walls and ceilings, and seems to come from everywhere at once. 9 Handirat Repair Crew (4): HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 18; Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). 10 Zaya changes the rules: 1d6 Effect 1 Tea party: Disregard how each room describes what monsters in the rom are doing. Instead, the monsters are all seated around a table laid out with a full setting for tea – child-sized. 2 Hide & Seek: Whatever monsters are in the room are hiding when the party enters. Possibly badly. 3 Hopscotch: All the doors in the room or hallway lock. The only way to get through them is to play a game of hopscotch. To unlock the door, one character needs to make 8 consecutive dexterity checks. Picking the lock won’t work; neither will brute force. 4 Nap Time: Everyone in the group must make a save or instantly take a nap wherever they are for 2d20 minutes. 5 Portal Shuffle: All the portals in the dungeon shuffle prematurely. Reroll all the portals on the referee’s table. 6 Anti-Gravity: Gravity stops making senes for sentient/animate beings only. Furniture and items stay on the ground, but people and monsters have to swim through the air for the next 2d20 minutes, incurring a -2 penalty to anything that requires movement. 11 At the next convenient pause in the action, the room fills up the the ghostly scene of the attack on Port Cross that caused Zaya to go into her crystal cage. The scene is a slaughter as the invading army cuts through townspeople and militia alike. 12 No encounter. Zaya’s Promise 12 Traversing the Dungeon Zaya’s Promise is a dreamscape that alters itself when it isn’t observed, making traveling between rooms an inconsistent experience. There are two main modes of travel: Walking and Teleportation. Of the two, teleportation is mildly more consistent. When arriving by land, start in Hallway 1 (pg. 22). When arriving by sea, start in Hallway 4 (pg. 22). By Walking The most common way to get around Zaya’s Promise is by walking – a mode of transportation that isn’t as reliable as it sounds. Zaya’s lair has no default setup, and no fixed map. The exits and entrance change any time someone walks through a doorway into a room that doesn’t contain any other party members. When any portion of the party crosses the threshold of one room into another, roll on the table below to determine which room or hallway they enter. The dreamscape only alters itself when it isn’t being directly observed by something outside the dreamscape, so it’s quite possible to have party members stay in a room to ‘hold’ its position in the dungeon. Rooms do not reset. If the party enters a room they’ve already been in, it should be in the same state it was when they last left that room. To determine which exit the party members come through, roll the die corresponding to the doors shown on the table. Use the table below to determine if an approached door is locked, trapped, or both. Room Traversal Table # Room 1 The Art Gallery 2 The Tapestry Room 3 Beam Doggy Kennels 4 Broken Toy Storage 5 Puppet Theater 6 Unicorn Glen 7 Room of Mirrors 8 Undead Ball 9 Mud Tavern 10 Sheet Fort Market 11 Armory 12 Baths 13 Hippo Pool 14 Aquarium 15 Vault 16 Library 17 Candy Land 18 Polar Bear Throne Room 19 Zaya’s Bedroom 20 Mermaid Chapel 21 Hallway 1 22 Hallway 2 23 Hallway 3 24 Hallway 4 25 Empty room* 26 Empty room* 27 Empty room* 28 Empty room* 29 Empty room* 30 Empty room* * Empty rooms are rooms that are incomplete ideas in Zaya’s dream. They’re good places to take a rest, and contain no monsters or traps. Describe them however you see fit. Door Status Table 1d6 The door is... 1 Locked. 2 Unlocked. 3 Locked (barred from the other side, can’t be picked). 4 Locked and trapped. The trigger is always on the door’s handle: 1d4 If the trap is triggered... 1 The handle becomes super-heated, doing 1d4 damage. 2 A poisoned needle pops out of the handle, stabbing you in the palm. Save or become paralyzed for the next 1d6 x 10 minutes. 3 Blades pop out of the door, causing 1d6 damage (half on save). 4 The handle of the door turns into a funnel that fires out a cone of ice, causing 1d6 damage and freezing you in place for 1d6 minutes (half damage and duration on save). 5 Unlocked. 6 Unlocked, but stuck shut. Zaya’s Promise 13 young girl enjoying some of her favorite pastimes: playing with her many pets, reading books to her stuffed animals and dolls, and dancing at a ball. The Handirats are here to inspect or (if it’s broken) repair the painting / teleportation portal. They aren’t instantaneously aggressive, though they’ll be considerably unhappy and put on edge if the door is broken down. They will defend their own, but are more keen on disappearing into rat-sized holes should violence break out. They’re happy to trade any sort of parts for any sort of other parts they have available in their tool pouches. Special Features In the center of the room, there’s an 8’ wide, 12’ tall painting resting on an easel. This is a teleportation portal. The painted picture will be a view of the room the teleportation portal leads to, save for some modifications that make it a more stylized painting. The decoded magic word for this teleportation portal is ‘Petrichor’. When broken, the teleportation portal turns into a trap. If anyone approaches and touches the painting or tries to walk through it, the paint flows off the canvas, forming a film that causes suffocation for 1d6 points of damage per round. This will continue until the character is dead, or they’re pulled at least 10’ away from the painting. Monsters 6 Handirats: HD 2 (10, 11, 16, 4, 7, 4); AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 18; Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). Treasure • In a padded bench along the north wall: An abacus made of some kind of animal tusk (40gp). • In a padded bench along the south wall: 240gp, a copper chain (3g), and a pewter ring inlaid with copper leaves, sized to fit a child’s finger (50gp). Dungeon Rooms Room #1 – The Art Gallery By Teleportation Portal The denizens of the dungeon get around using specialized teleportation portals that occasionally fall into disrepair and start malfunctioning. A malfunctioning portal turns into a deadly trap, so it’s in the best interest of all the dungeon’s denizens to keep the portals functioning properly. This is a job the Handirats have evolved to do well in particular, but most sentient creatures within the dungeon also know how to fix the portals. Teleportation portal locations change once per day, as does their broken/unbroken status. Roll for their locations and status once at the beginning of the game, then every time a day passes or the party stops to take a long rest. Use the Referee Dungeon Status form in Appendix F (pg. 32) to keep track. There are six portals in the dungeon, often in the shape of other framed items. Each portal has a small device at the top of the frame containing gems, gears, and cogs. A metal plate attached to the device spells out a word in symbols. The word can only be decoded with a Decoder Ring. Assuming the portal is in working order, activating it is as simple as saying the magic word. Each portal requires the following to function: • 1 Red Gem • 1 Green Gem • 2 Gears • 2 Cogs Missing or broken parts will cause the portal to malfunction, acting instead as a trap (as detailed in the room description). To fix a portal, the broken part needs to be replaced. If the party is on good terms with the Handirats, they’ll be happy to trade out parts. Otherwise, parts can be found in the treasure of some rooms. When rolling teleporter locations, there’s a 1-in-4 chance that teleporter is broken. If it is, roll on the table below to see which part is broken or missing. Teleportation Portal Locations and Magic Words Table Location Magic Word Room #1: Art Gallery Petrichor Room #2: Tapestry Room Solander Room #2: Tapestry Room Mim Room #2: Tapestry Room Anguilliform Room #7: Room of Mirrors Humdudgeon Room #7: Room of Mirrors Paraph Painting Styles Table 1d4 Painting Style 1 Realism 2 Impressionism 3 Cubism 4 Childlike Missing Parts Table 1d6 Missing Part 1 Red gem 2 Green gem 3 Gear 4 Gear 5 Cog 6 Cog An opulent art gallery soars into the stone above by at least thirty feet. The walls are covered in artwork of all shapes and sizes, each framed ornately. Most of the artwork looks to have been created by an untrained child, however. Among the cruder paintings, there are a few of higher quality, showing Zaya as a Zaya’s Promise 14 Room #2 – Tapestry Room Room #3 – Beam Doggy Kennels have been chewed on (there’s a 1 in 6 chance part of a dead adventurer is among the bones). The whole room smells strongly of wet dog. This is where the dogs live. When the party enters, the dogs in the room will be invisible, hiding in corners and against walls so they can warily watch. Once they determine the party’s intentions, they’ll make themselves visible and Gaspard, the lead dog, will approach. All Beam Doggies are sentient and can talk. They are intelligent, but have simple motivations, seeking comfort, affection, a job to do, and food. They are cautious, wary, and defensive of their guardian and goddess, Zaya, but they aren’t aggressive unless they’re attacked or Zaya feels threatened. The dogs are always grateful for fresh meat, and may be convinced to give up Gaspard’s bejeweled collar for enough of it. Monsters 6 Beam Doggies: HD 5 (18, 13, 25, 18, 29, 28); AC 4[15]; Move 16; Save 13; Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Invisibility, Teleportation. Treasure • On Gaspard: A platinum collar with embedded sapphires (1,000gp). Room #4 – Broken Toy Storage have been altered in some way displeasing to the child who owned them. It may be possible to find something useful or valuable here, but it would take a thorough search of at least 20 minutes. \ Treasure Each attempt to search the toy piles takes one turn (ten minutes), and triggers a roll on the Random Encounter Table (pg. 11). This represents the entire party searching, and grants one roll on the Broken Toys table. enjoying a spring festival in the town center, and ends with an invading army slaughtering every man, woman, and child, down to the last. The six rainbow-colored pegasi in the room are lounging about, waiting for the portals to change. They’ve been separated from their unicorn companion, who’s located in the Unicorn Glen (Room #6). If the Unicorn Glen was already the destination of one of the tapestry room teleportation portals, the party enters just as the pegasi are leaving, and may even witness them using the teleportation portal. The pegasi are snobby, lazy, and uninterested in doing anything that doesn’t involve frolicking in a meadow. They are anxious to get back to their unicorn friend, but don’t want to leave the room and risk ending up in another place in the dungeon without a teleportation portal. If the party can get them talking (remember, they’re snobs), they’ll be happy to explain all about the portal, and they’ll be extremely grateful if the party can help them get back to the Unicorn Glen. Special Features Three of the tapestries are teleportation portals. They show the images of the room they’re attuned to, completely animated (if there’s anything moving in the room). The magic words for these portals once decoded are ‘Solander’, ‘Mim’, and ‘Anguilliform’. If broken, the tapestry portals show a shifting grey and black pixelated background. Attempting to use a broken tapestry portal causes the tapestry itself to lash out, spitting yarn out to wrap around the neck of whoever attempted to use the portal, and suck them in (or strangle them). A save dodges the attack, otherwise the victim will need to be cut out within 1d4 rounds or strangle to death. Monsters 6 Rainbow Pegasi: HD 2+2 (12, 8, 9, 14, 10, 18); AC 6[13]; Move 24/48 (flying); Save 13; Attack 2 Hooves (1d8); CL/XP 4/120. Treasure • Worn by the red pegasus: Ornate gold and sapphire reins (900gp). • Worn by the orange pegasus: Ornate platinum and emerald saddle (1,000gp). • In a grate sunk into the floor: Scroll: Confusion, Scroll: Reincarnation, 360gp This room is thirty feet tall, with walls covered in ornate tapestries. Most of the tapestries are animated displays of life in Port Cross prior to its destruction. The largest tapestry in the room takes up the entirety of the north wall and plays the horrid destruction of the town on a constant loop. It starts with the townspeople This room is barely lit by one bowl of fire hanging from the ceiling. The floors and walls are composed of shiny obsidian, and the floor is ever-so-slightly slanted from the outsides towards the middle, where there is a drainage grate. There are several piles of hay scattered around the room and a few bones of large mammals that This simple, unlit, brick room has a dirt floor cluttered with piles of broken toys. The 30’ tall walls are lined with shelves, all of which contain even more broken toys. Beyond climbing, there’s no obvious way to get up to the higher shelves. Each toy is broken in a different way. Some of them are unusable and unrecognizable, while others Zaya’s Promise 15 Room #5 – Puppet Theater appears to be a puppet show currently in progress. Whoever is manipulating the puppets can not be seen. The Undead Puppeteer has been without an audience (save Zaya’s unseen presence) for a very long time. He has two problems he needs to solve. First, he is very lonely. No one ever seems to come to his puppet shows. He suspects they’d all rather be dancing in the ballroom, instead. Second, he needs to feed on living flesh in order to survive, and he hasn’t had a meal in quite some time. These two desires – to entertain someone, and to eat them – constantly battle one another in the puppeteer’s brain. He won’t show himself unless someone comes behind the curtain, instead following his directive to put on a puppet show. If the group watches the entire show to the end without interruptions, he’ll finally show himself at the end and be (nearly) friendly to the party, asking for help to get him fed rather than attacking outright. If the party interrupts the show by looking to see who’s behind the curtain, however, he will fly into a rage and attack. He has on him tickets to the Undead Ball, which he won’t attend because he sincerely believes the ball is taking away from his audience. He’ll give them up in exchange for food, noting that he cannot leave the room to find his own food. To feed him, he’ll need the flesh of any living creature. Monsters 1 Undead Puppeteer: HD 5 (21); AC 3[16]; Move 12; Save 14; Attack 1 Tentacle Grab (1d6), 1 Slap (1d4); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Treasure • In puppet theater: Intelligent Noble Marionette, Dragon Puppet • In Undead Puppeteer’s pocket: Tickets to the Undead Ball (8). Room #6 – Unicorn Glen Broken Toys Table 1d30 Toy Found 1 A rag doll missing its head. 2 A quarter deck of playing cards. 3 A broken boomerang. 4 A jigsaw puzzle clearly missing several pieces. 5 A pull-toy dog missing one wheel, its right eye, and its left ear. 6 A half-knitted pair of socks (like leg warmers).* (+2 AC, generates warmth). 7 A broken yo-yo. 8 Animal Pull Toy* 9 A tangled marionette of a noble with most of its clothes gone. 10 An empty rattle. 11 A large ball of string. 12 Bone Rattle* 13 A pirate ship with all the masts broken off. 14 A broken jack-in-the-box. 15 A well-chewed ball. 16 Potion of Extra Healing* 17 A rag doll missing its right arm and head. 18 A wagon missing its handle and back set of wheels. 19 A discarded pencil, shaved down to just a nub. 20 Porcelain Doll* (physically damaged but magically intact). 21 A set of jacks, but no ball to go with them. (Can be used as caltrops that cause 1d4 damage). 22 A chess set missing about half its pieces. 23 A collection of skipping ropes, all tangled up. 24 A board game missing most of its pieces. 25 A headless rag doll. 26 A deflated ball. 27 Potion of Healing* 28 A mangled slinky. 29 A wooden sword, broken in half. 30 720gp * These are Magic Items (see Appendix C, pg. 28). This is a comfortable room with plaster walls and tile floors. Warm lamps affixed to the walls add a soft light. The room is chiefly occupied by a large stage that has been set up to be an elaborate theater for puppetry. Set in front of the stage are three rows of child- sized chairs – all presently empty, even though there loop around and come back in from the other side. The unicorn is awaiting her friends, the rainbow pegasi (Room #2, the Tapestry Room). They were sent out on a scouting mission two weeks ago, and have yet to return. She’s terribly worried about them and looking for word that they’re okay. If the party has seen the pegasi already, and can relate to her that they’re all okay and waiting for a portal shift, she will be very relieved and open to conversation. Like the pegasi, she is a bit of a snob. She knows she’s a perfect creature of light and beauty, and flaunts it whenever possible. She’s never left the unicorn glen, having most everything she needs to live forever in her perfect little glen. The only problem is, she has a sweet Unlike all the other rooms in Zaya’s lair, the door to this room opens up into what looks like an astonishingly beautiful glade on a warm, spring day. At the center of the glade rests a startlingly beautiful and perfect unicorn. Attempting to walk in any direction further than the dimensions of the room causes the character to Zaya’s Promise 16 The undead in this room are magically induced to dance for eternity, and they’re always eager to have new dancers join the party. A doorman stands at the door, waiting to take tickets. If the party has tickets, they can use them to enter the ballroom unmolested. If the party doesn’t have tickets, the doorman will ask them to leave. If they don’t leave, the whole room will turn from dancing to attacking. The undead won’t leave the room, however. If the party does so, the whole room will reset, and the doorman will ask for the tickets again. If the party has tickets and enters the room peacefully, they will feel compelled to dance. For every five minutes the group stands within the ballroom, each character must make a save or lose the battle. Once a character begins dancing, they are unable to stop on their own. Uncompelled characters can break the spell by pulling the compelled character out of the room, however the compelled character will fight back as fiercely as possible. If everyone ends up compelled, they dance until they die of starvation, then continue to dance on into eternity… Monsters 10 Undead Dancers: HD 3 (10, 8, 16, 6, 12, 12, 16, 13, 15, 8); AC 7[12]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Claw (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 4 Undead Musicians: HD 3 (11, 16, 17, 14); AC 7[12]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Claw (1d6) or Instrument Bludgeon (1d8); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). 1 Undead Doorman: HD 3 (16); AC 7[12]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Claw (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Treasure • The undead musicians have instruments in fair to good shape. The lute and recorder can easily be taken along, but the harp and viol are large and unwieldy. Lute (50gp), Recorder (10gp), Harp (800gp), Viol (200gp). Room #9 – Mud Tavern on the opposite side of the room. The decay of the dancers varies; a few are skeletons, while some look as though they might’ve been adventurers who came through relatively recently and never came out. the kitchen, and two acting as servers. There appear to be no patrons, but on some of the tables there are plates of ‘food’, all of which look like molded slabs of mud. The golems aren’t aggressive, and are there to serve. They have very simple programming to do the task they’re made to do – make or serve food or drink. They’re unaware of anything else outside of the room, and will only attack if attacked first. tooth, so occasionally sends the pegasi out to look for sweet things to bring back. If the party has sweet things to give her, she’ll give up to two rolls on the Missing Parts table (pg. 13). Monsters 1 Unicorn: HD 4; AC 2[17]; Move 24; Save 13; Attack 2 Hooves (1d8), 1 Horn (1d8); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Magic resistance (25%), double damage for Charge, Teleport. Treasure • On the unicorn’s horn: Gold Ring (300gp) • Laid out on a grassy hill: Magical Unicorn Blanket Room #7 – Room of Mirrors This room was once an opulent ballroom, but has fallen into disrepair over a lengthy period of time. The wallpaper is peeling, the buffet is full of rotted or rotting food, even the chandeliers are covered in dust. Its occupants don’t appear so fresh, either. They whirl, spin, and dance to music being played by a quartet of undead This room looks like a classic tavern or inn set in any medieval town, save for the fact that the northern quarter of the room has caved in, and it’s staffed by muddy golems. The rest of the room is set up with tables, a bar, and a hearth. Four golems dripping with mud are working – one behind the bar, one in what remains of Light bounces from mirror to mirror to mirror, making the room incredibly bright. All actions requiring sight are done at a -1 penalty. Special Features Two of the mirrors are teleportation portals. Instead of reflecting this room, they reflect the room they’re dialed into. The magic words for these two mirrors are ‘Humdudgeon’ and ‘Paraph’. When the portals are broken, any character that gets too close must make a save or the mirror will begin leaning outwards, attempting to suck the person into the mirror. Once trapped in the mirror, the character will feel two dimensional, and have limited movement. To rescue a stuck party member, the mirror must be broken. Room #8 – Undead Ball All the walls in this diamond-shaped room are covered in mirrors that vary in size, shape, and style of frame. At the center, a circle of four mirrors stand on freestanding frames all facing out. Just above them, a mirrored chandelier hangs from the ceiling, lit with white candles. Zaya’s Promise 17 Special Features While the food in this room might look like mud, it actually tastes quite delicious, and it bestows blessings upon those who eat it. All the food is free. The golems don’t understand money, and there aren’t any prices printed on the menus. Monsters 4 Mud Golems: HD 3 (11, 14, 11, 11); AC 9[10]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Throw Mud (1d6), 1 Punch (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Suffocate (1d8/Round). Treasure • In the kitchen: Roll Twice on Missing Parts Table (pg. 13) Room #10 – Sheet-Fort Market Food Blessing Effect Table 1d10 Blessing 1 You feel a fresh surge of power and strength coursing through your veins and muscles, granting you +2 to melee damage for the next two hours. 2 Any injuries you currently have instantly fade away and heal, bringing you back up to your maximum number of hit points. If your hit points are already full, you gain +2 to your AC for the next two hours. 3 For the next 1d4 turns, you become partially invisible. It is less likely that you’ll be chosen as a target in combat. Add +20% to any Hide in Shadows rolls (even if you don’t have the skill). 4 Luck is with you. For the next two hours, roll 2d20 for any attack roll you make and take the better of the two results. 5 You feel like you’ll live forever. For the next two hours, you have temporary immunity to death. Any attacks that would take you below 0 hit points heal you to full, instead. 6 For the next 1d4 hours, all things magical take on a faint, gold aura. 7 For the next 1d2 hours, you can sense where valuable items are in any room. 8 Whenever you enter combat for the next 1d4 hours, 1d4 Blink Puppies (6 HP, 1d6 Bite) will appear to give you aid. 9 For the next hour, you can breathe fire without it burning you for 1d6 damage (cone). 10 You feel protected, gaining you +4 to your AC for the next hour. The goblins aren’t actually real. They’re illusions created by Zaya so she’ll have some friends to play with. Their ‘programming’ is relatively simple. Each goblin has a different list of goods, each of which costs either 1,000gp or 1,000gp worth of loot. The item will materialize only after payment is made. Use the handout in Appendix E to let the party know what’s available for purchase. Room #11 – Armory The wallpaper and decorations of this room suggest that of the sitting room of a well-off family. The furniture that would normally be in such a room, however, is being put to alternate uses. It’s used as a frame for an entire market full of sheet forts, each manned by a single goblin, ready to sell their wares. obots standing across from one another in a fighting ring taking up the middle of the room. Each one sits dormant next to some form of control unit that resembles a box with lots of buttons and knobs on it. Special Features These clockwork robots can be guided using the control boxes next to them so they fight one another within the ring. The robots have different moves on their boxes allowing them to punch, uppercut, and kick. To play the game, two players take up positions guiding the robots, then both roll versus their Dexterity. If both succeed, roll again until someone fails. On a failed roll, the robot that player controls takes a hit and the other player scores a ‘point’. After three points, the robots shut down and do a congratulatory dance. The ‘winner’ gets a 50g payout at their terminal, and the robots reset for another game. Each time a robot gets hit, however, there’s a 10% chance it’s head will pop off, causing it to explode. The explosion will happen after a ten second timer ticks off. Those closest to the explosion take 2d6 damage, saving for half damage. Those furthest away take 1d4 damage from flying shrapnel. Treasure • Inside the control boxes, there’s money used for the payout, 500gp in total. Taking the boxes apart breaks the device so it can no longer be played, but also grants three rolls on the Missing Parts Table (pg. 13). This room is lined in utilitarian rock walls, decorated with a few colorful flags. There are torches in several places, but none of them are lit upon entering. There are shelves and stands for armor and weapons all along the walls, but there are no actual weapons present. The main focus seems to be the Zaya’s Promise 18 Room #12 – Baths The tile in the pool itself is red and orange, however, giving the pool a warm glow where the tile reflects off the light from several braziers hanging from the ceiling and attached to the walls. The dark color of the tile make it difficult to see what’s in the water, but with some careful examination, one will notice a rather large, locked treasure chest sunk on one end of the pool. On the other end of the pool is an underwater recessed enclosure, caging in a Giant Octopus. The chest contains a trigger attached to the hinge mechanism that causes the cage gate to lift. The octopus is very territorial, and will attack anyone in its pool once it is released. Monsters 1 Giant Octopus: HD 4(22); AC 7[12]; Move 9 (swimming); Save 13; Attack 8 Tentacles (1d3) (see description, pg. 25); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Jet, Ink. Treasure • In the chest: Pony Action Figure, Daybreak Potion Room #13 – Hippo Pool five large pearls about the size of bowling balls behind a gate. There appears to be a mechanism to open the gates (they’re all connected to one another) on the wall next to one of the doors. Special Features When the hippos animate, they are effectively frozen to their spot save for their heads and necks. Their neck extends far enough to reach to the very center of the pool. They seem incapable of moving left and right, just forward. This makes them fairly easy to dodge on a successful dexterity check. Taking one of the pearls causes the hippo next to it to animate and attack until the pearl is replaced. Pulling the lever on the wall causes all the gates to open, releasing the pearls into the center of the pool, at which point the hippos animate, aggressively vying with one another to “swallow” the pearls, which reappear back in their appropriate storage areas. Unaided, the game plays out with each hippo amazingly getting back exactly five pearls with no actual “winner”. Players might come up with clever ways to aid the hippos in retrieving the pearls so that one wins over the others. If Zaya, herself, is in a playful mood, she’ll also pick a color and play as well. To referee this, consider each successful attempt at aiding a particular hippo an automatic extra pearl (Zaya’s attempts are always successful). More than one act of aid can happen per hippo, resulting in more than one pearl grabbed by that hippo. Keep in mind, there are only 20 pearls total, so when one hippo gains an extra pearl, another hippo loses (likely an unaided one). If a game finishes where there is clearly a winner (no ties), the winning hippo belches up a prize for the winning team aiding them. Roll for the prize on the Random Vault Item table (pg. 23). It will appear suspended in mid-air over the water in the middle of the pool. If Zaya wins, her mood will immediately change to ‘depressed’, because she can’t actually touch the item herself, but if she has a good relationship with the party, she will gift the item to one of the characters. If she doesn’t have a good relationship with the party, her reaction to someone taking her prize should be based on that relationship. For example, if Zaya is angry with or fearful of the party, she may choose to summon some monsters for taking her prize. Monsters 4 Hungry Hippos: HD 7 (24, 28, 29, 41); AC 0[19]; Move 0; Save 9; Attack 1 Head Thrash (2d6), 1 Bite (2d8); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Half damage from piercing weapons. Treasure • Each of the pearls weighs 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms), and is the size of a bowling ball. They’re worth 2,000gp a piece, but are unwieldy to remove. Room #14 – Aquarium anemones, cucumbers, slugs, and snails. Occasionally, the area clears and a large shark will swim by menacingly, and one can see – off in the distance – what looks like the shape of a whale moving slowly through. The room is lit by a bright, magical glow coming from the well in the middle of the room. A large bathing pool takes up most of this tile-lined room. There’s only about two feet of space to walk on at any one side before stepping into the water. The walls are tiled in blue and green mosaics depicting an underwater scene showing tropical fish, mermaids, and a giant, grinning octopus right in the middle. The walls of this room are entirely tiled in red, ceramic tiles similar to the ones in the bathing pool. In each of the four corners of the room, stands a life-size granite statue of a hippo, each painted a different color: pink, orange, green, and yellow. Next to each of them is an indentation carved into the rock that holds Save for the entryway, all the walls and the ceiling of this room are glass walls looking into a mythical, childlike underwater paradise. All manner of fish – some of which shouldn’t even be in the same habitat – swim by in pairs, by themselves, and occasionally in whole schools. Enormous clams line the bottom, along with sea Zaya’s Promise 19 Room #15 – Vault there lovingly and perfectly, like a beautiful piece of treasure. They are, however, a child’s treasures. Feathers, pretty rocks, buttons and baubles; very little that might be considered a treasure to an adult. Treasure All the objects in the room are precious to Zaya, even though they might not be magical or might seem completely ordinary to anyone else. It’s possible to search through all the ‘things’ to find objects that might be usable by the party. Each turn spent searching (10 minutes) results in finding one object that may be useful or even magical in nature, but triggers a roll on the Random Encounters Table (pg. 10). Room #16 – Library The all-metal walls of this room rise above at least 40’. The metal glows with a warmth like it’s some mixture between brass and gold, not quite like anything seen before. Shelves line the walls all the way up, though there are no ladders to get to the highest shelves. All the shelves are lined with objects – each one placed scrolls that also come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. A criss- crossed collection of ladders attached to the walls or leaned against the bookshelves provide access to the upper levels for those who can’t fly. The room is being guarded by a tribe of pixies that tame and use lions as fighting weapons and mounts. They’ve claimed the library as their own, and will be aggressive to anyone who they think is invading their territory. It’s not possible to parlay with the overly-aggressive pixies, but the lions speak as well, and it may be possible to talk to them, though they will be guarded. The lions would be more than happy to have their freedom. Special Features The books themselves have colorful covers with names that often barely make sense. Use the table below to create the names of tomes if the characters choose to look through the books themselves. They are worth very little save as items of curiosity. The insides are blank 50% of the time and filled with gibberish the other 50% of the time. To construct the random name of a book pulled out of the stacks, roll a d6, d8, d10, and d12 and consult the following table. Thick carpets cover the stone floor of this room. The walls soar above to at least 30’ high, with every inch of surface covered with bookshelves. What must amount to hundreds of bookshelves in different shapes and sizes are stacked haphazardly all the way to the ceiling, and stuffed to overflowing with books and Tome Naming Table # d6 d8 d10 d12 1 An Alchemist’s Guide to Pottery and Kittens 2 A Farmer’s Essays on Ghosts and Candy 3 My Manual on Puppies While Sleeping 4 A Child’s Tome on Herbs Under Pressure 5 A Polar Bear’s Journal About Goblins at Night 6 A Ghost’s Primer on Household Pets Underwater 7 Book on Weaponry and Wild Animals 8 Spellbook, Featuring Origami in the Kitchen 9 Hop Scotch in the Wild 10 Teleporting and Knitting 11 Volume (d100) 12 and Magic Monsters 8 Pixies: HD 3 (8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 15, 17, 9); AC 3[16]; Move 8 (20 flying); Save 14; Attack 1 Bow (1d6), 1 Sword (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Flying. 2 Lion Mounts: HD 3 (17, 14); AC 7[12]; Move 12; Save 12; Attack 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. Treasure • 2 rolls on the Missing Parts Table (pg. 13). Room #17 – Candy Land Special Features Eating the sweets causes the person eating to become more hungry and crave more sweets. On a failed save, they’ll sit in the room and continue to gorge themselves until they die or they’re forcibly removed from the food for three full turns (30 minutes). The sweets-crazed party member affected will fight like mad to keep from being removed from the room. Once the sweets are removed from the room, they are harmless and perfectly yummy. This room is brightly lit by means that don’t appear visible. The walls are covered in pink and white candy stripes, and the floor is tiled in clean black and white tiles. The room is peppered with tables covered in pastel tablecloths, and serving dishes and trays full of all kinds of sweet goodies and treats. Zaya’s Promise 20 Room #18 – Polar Bear Throne Room Room #19 – Zaya’s Room Random Ice Block Table 1d30 Item 1 A bottle of rice liquor that’s been partially frozen. 2 A bottle of oregano. 3 100gp 4 A journal recounting an adventurer’s path through the keep to this room. 5 Candy Necklace* 6 Lilac Perfume* 7 A set of gold candlesticks (90gp). 8 A soggy chocolate cupcake. 9 A set of six silver-speckled glass marbles in a leather pouch. 10 Porcelain Doll* 11 A strawberry-scented pillar candle. 12 A bangle bracelet. 13 An ornately-jeweled rat figurine (1,000gp). 14 A jade set of polyhedral dice (1,200gp). 15 Potion of Healing* (frozen for 1d4 hours) 16 An ivory hair comb. 17 A barrel of (frozen) sardines. 18 10 days of dry rations (somewhat soggy). 19 A dragon-shaped kite. 20 Yo-Yo of Doom* 21 A copper teakettle. 22 Potion of Extra Healing* (frozen for 1d4 hours) 23 A blue knit cap. 24 Dragon Backpack of Holding* 25 A half-bottle of some form of blue liquor, partially frozen. 26 Potion of Heroism* (frozen for 1d4 hours) 27 A retractable 10’ pole. 28 A pinwheel. 29 Portable Playhouse* 30 920gp * These are Magic Items (see Appendix C, pg. 28). Intricate scenes have been carved into the throne depicting seals, penguins, and other creatures found only in the icy parts of the world. Sitting on the throne is a very large polar bear, holding a giant scepter made entirely of ice. Behind the throne are stacked what must be hundreds of large ice cubes, each holding something frozen inside. The ice isn’t clear enough to tell what’s frozen inside, requiring the ice to be melted, broken, or chipped away to get at the loot. The party must go past the Polar Bear Monarch to get to the ice. The Polar Bear Monarch (who can speak common) is a kindly and polite bear so long as the party is also kindly and polite to them. They’ll answer any questions put to them, but they know little of Zaya’s lair beyond their own throne room, making them incredibly lonely. The Polar Bear Monarch will offer up a roll on the quest item table, and access to the blocks of ice behind the throne if the party spends at least two hours entertaining them, or if they find a more permanent friend for the Monarch. Special Features Since the floor is made of ice as well as the walls, there’s a -2 penalty to all attack rolls made while in the Polar Bear Throne Room. Monsters 1 Polar Bear Monarch: HD 7 (35); AC 6[13]; Move 12; Save 9; Attack 2 Claws (1d6+1), 1 Bite (1d10+1); CL/XP 7/600. Treasure • Once granted access, the party can attempt to get at the things frozen into the giant cubes behind the throne room. Each block requires a full turn to search (triggering a roll on the Random Encounter Table, pg. 10), but unlike other rooms where an extended search requires the whole party to search, each party member can tackle an ice block of their own. This room is literally freezing. The walls and floors are made from solid, glittering ice several feet thick. The room is lit by a magical glow coming from the center of a half-dozen icicle chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The back of the room is taken up by a large dais with an enormous throne sitting on top of it made entirely of ice. Covered in inches of dust and debris from a cave-in, this room looks like it once was the room of a little girl – likely Zaya, herself. The walls are painted with frescoes showing a lush forest full of trees, and the remains of what was once a canopy bed made to resemble the branches of a tree. It’s now nothing more than sticks and feathers and fabric. Zaya’s Promise 21 device the number of times on the die roll. This will leave you with four choices. Roll 1d4 to chose amongst the flaps (or, alternatively, let the player choose by looking at the duration), then lift the flap to see the blessing. Monsters 2 Giant Eels: HD 2 (3, 7); AC 8[11]; Move 0 (Swim 9); Save 16; Attack 1 Bite (1d3); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Electric shock (3d6 damage in water). Room #21 – Zaya’s Holding Room Mermaid Chapel Blessings Table 1d8 Blessing 1 For 1d4 days, your movement speed is doubled. 2 For 1d4 hours, you always win initiative. 3 For 1d20 days, you don’t need to eat to survive. 4 For 1d10 days, you gain darkvision (20 feet). 5 For 1d12 hours, you can taste magic (it tastes like raspberries). 6 For 2d8 hours, you gain a magic shield that provides +2 AC. 7 For 1d4 hours, you get double attack speed. 8 For 1d20 hours, you heal faster, refreshing 1 HP an hour. The floor is scattered in debris – some broken toys, some forgotten child-size clothing, but mostly it appears to have come from the cave-in at the back of the room. Rubble, rocks, pebbles, bits of molding, and dirt. A white dragon has taken over the room, and can be seen sleeping peacefully on the remains of the bed. A careful inspection of the room will reveal a stone that’s out of place. It’s amongst the rubble left by the dragon, and appears to be very old. Anyone versed in magic will notice it’s half of a ritual designed to give some sort of powerful spirit or God the body of a mortal. Over and over again, Zaya repeats the following rhyme while anyone’s in the room: One, two, where’s my shoe? Three, four, lock the door! Five, six, the soldier kicks, Seven, eight, it’s far too late, Nine, ten, start over again! Monsters White Dragon, Adult: HD 28; AC 2[17]; Move 9/24 (flying); Save 9; Attack 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (2d8); CL/XP 13/2300, Special: Breathes cold in a cone 3 times/day (28 damage). Treasure • Scattered around in the debris: 2 Rolls on the Missing Parts Table (pg. 13). • In an ornately carved nightstand: A silver hand mirror and brush (900gp). • In a wardrobe: Cloak of the White Dragon. Room #20 – Mermaid Chapel This entirely round room has stained glass windows for walls, glowing from an unknown light source, depicting images of underwater creatures and plant life. At the center of the room sits a large statue of a mermaid made of marble, on a circular dais also made of marble. Positioned just in front of the dais is a round well with several partially-melted candles around it, along with offerings in the form of knick-knacks found around the rest of Zaya’s lair. The water in the well is murky, and deep. Occasionally, it lights up with jolts of electricity from the giant eels that live down below. If anything enters the water, the eels will electrify it as a defense mechanism. Special Features Giving an offering of food or gifts to the mermaid statue confers a blessing upon them. Roll on the following table, or print or copy Appendix E and build a paper fortune teller. When using the paper fortune teller, choose a die on the outside flap and roll it (d8, d10, d12, or d20), then open and close the T here are no forms of light in this room, plunging it into deep black. There are also no sources of heat in this room. The walls and floor are pure white, and look to have been completely undisturbed by the other denizens of the lair. There isn’t even any dust. Lining the walls are alabaster statues of frozen townspeople who appear to be observing a set of young girls, all also alabaster statues surrounding a maypole, frozen in a dance. The expressions on the face of the dancers are joyful and jubilant, matching most of the townspeople watching save for those on the north wall, where the statues are all staring at something unseen in alarm, pointing towards the southern wall as if there was something terrifying there. The southern wall is also made up of eerie, white alabaster statues all frozen in place. These statues are being run over by horses, archers, and spearmen. Their faces are frozen in contorted pain, their expressions of surprise, terror, and shock. Between these two sets of statues stands Zaya herself, encased in pink crystal, though otherwise looking unscathed. She’s seen in a defensive pose, a scream on her lips, her arms stretched out as if to reach for something... Special Features Placing the completed artifact in Zaya’s hand causes the crystal around her to dissipate, and the dream world to fall away. The party will find themselves in the ruins of the city, no longer covered in a seething mass of vines, brambles, and thorns. Everything except their immediate possessions turns to dust. Zaya’s Promise 22 Hallway 3 – Exit to Shipwreck Outside light can be seen about 20’ down the corridor, leaking in where the ruined corridor meets up with an apparent shipwreck. Treasure • In a water-logged barrel: 1 item off the Missing Parts Table (pg. 13). Hallway 4 – Vertical Hallway of Ladders Hallways Hallway 1 – Entrance Corridor Hallway 2 – Slide Special Features There is a very sensitive, sound-activated dart trap running through fifteen feet of the wall in the middle of the hallway. Each character that passes through the area without moving silently will get shot at by the trap three times. If any of the darts hit, they do 1d4 damage apiece. The trap is loaded with 20 darts, and the mechanisms controlling it can be found inside the wall. A long corridor with grey stone walls and a red clay floor that ends in a caved-in pile of rubble. The only light in the hallway comes from what little light spills down the staircase from outside. The entirety of this hallway is slick, black, obsidian-like stone with about 2” worth of ledge on either side. A dexterity check is required every ten feet for any characters that want to attempt to walk down the slide or stay on the ledge. The sound of rushing water can be heard in the distance as soon as anyone steps foot in this corridor. There’s about an inch of water on the floor, and a thin layer of green moss that’s grown in that small amount of water, making the way forward very slick. This hallway heads in only one direction – up. The hallway is a lengthy 40’ tall, traversable only by climbing a mish-mashed set of ladders bolted into the walls. Every 20’, make a dexterity check to keep from falling. The only exit is a hatch at the top of the corridor leading to the next room. Zaya’s Promise 23 Only one of each of these items exists in the vault. When an item is looted off this list, cross it out and add your own item. Appendix A: The Vault Random Vault Item Table 1d30 Item 1 A child-sized set of cast-iron cookware. 2 Potion of Levitation* 3 Potion of Healing* 4 Bone Rattle* 5 A hand puppet made to resemble a wizard. 6 A set of wooden blocks. 7 A plush elven cat (500gp). 8 A hand puppet made to resemble a princess (50gp). 9 A cat’s-eye shooter marble. 10 Boomerang of Returning* 11 A large scallop shell. 12 A hobby horse (unicorn). 13 A toy sail ship. 14 Potion of Invisibility* 15 A box of miniature metal knights with matching horses and squires (100gp). 16 Slingshot of Striking* 17 Lucky Coin* 18 A leather pouch with a set of glass marbles inside. 19 A bamboo pinwheel. 20 Zoo Animal Figurines* 21 Wagon of Holding* 22 A green feather. 23 Jewelry box containing 100gp. 24 Potion of Extra Healing* 25 Pony Action Figure* 26 Dragon Hand Puppet* 27 A beloved ragdoll. 28 Potion of Gaseous Form* 29 Red and blue ball. 30 Plush Dragon* * These are Magic Items (see Appendix C, pg. 28). Zaya’s Promise 24 T his appendix is here to list monsters that aren’t already in the Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook. For monsters already in the rulebook, I’ve included stat blocks where they are encountered. To save space, and to give you an easy way to cut these monsters out of the PDF and paste them into your GM notes, I use stat blocks below. Here’s a quick legend for stat blocks: HP = Hit Points; AC = Armor Class; Move; Save = Saving Throw; Attack; CL/XP = Challenge Level/Experience Points; Special For example: HD 4; AC 7[12]; Move 9; Save 13; Attack 2 Claws (1d3), 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Fly. Appendix B: New Monsters Beam Doggy Beam Doggies are well-behaved domesticated dogs that have been altered by Zaya’s dreamscape. Aided by her magic, they’re more intelligent, and can turn invisible and teleport at will, allowing them to go to most places in the dungeon without need of the teleportation portals. Unless antagonized, the dogs are friendly. Beam Doggies are naturally invisible, needing to concentrate to make themselves visible, and they can teleport anywhere within the environs of Zaya’s Promise twice a day. HD 5; AC 4[15]; Move 16; Save 13; Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Invisibility, Teleportation. Brittle Bones Made from the brittle bone shards of the Bone Fields, these creatures form themselves into the shapes of various creatures via magic that molds the shards together. The finished creature appears to be mostly like the creature it’s emulating, but with sharp spikes of bone that stick out at all angles all over their body. All Brittle Bone monsters can use the bone shards around them to regenerate and repair themselves at the rate of 1d4 HP per round. Brittle Bones are not undead; they are magical constructs. Brittle Bone Cougar HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 20; Save 14; Attack 1 Bone Spur (1d8), 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Brittle Bone Giant Forming at a minimum of 30’ in height, Brittle Bone Giants rely on their spiked fists and spiked bone clubs to do the most damage. HD 7; AC 3[16]; Move 10; Save 9; Attack 1 Spiked Fist (1d10), 1 Spiked Bone Club (3d6); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Brittle Bone Goblin These bony remnants of goblins stand at around 4’ high and throw themselves into attacking anything and everything with cackling glee. HD 2; AC 5[14]; Move 9; Save 16; Attack 1 Bone Spear (1d6); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Brittle Bone Human HD 4; AC 5[14]; Move 12; Save 13; Attack 1 Hooked Bone Sword (1d8); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Brittle Bone Orc HD 3; AC 5[14]; Move 12; Save 14; Attack 1 Spiked Bone Club (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Regenerates 1d4 HP/round. Clockwork Sentry These sentries wander the halls of Zaya’s Promise, looking for anything that doesn’t belong there. If it spots a non-inhabitant, the sentry will hold out its arm, shouting “HALT! Who goes there?!” – and then immediately launch into an attack without waiting for an answer. HD 5; AC 3[16]; Move 14; Save 12; Attack 1 Longsword (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. Zaya’s Promise 25 Drowned Townsperson These are townspeople who drowned in the initial slaughter and were never able to really let go of the event and move on. They appear in tattered rags, with bluish skin that’s been wrinkled from time in the water. They’re often covered in algae and weeds from the river, and water pours from their mouths, noses, and ears. HD 2; AC 9[10]; Move 12; Save 16; Attack 1 Slap/Punch (1d4); CL/XP 2/30. Duck of Death This brave little ducky has a razor-sharp bill, and a taste for blood. Though the Duck of Death is small and of weak constitution, it will defend itself viciously and often to the death. HD 2; AC 3[16]; Move 14; Save 16; Attack 1 Razor-Sharp Bill (2d6); CL/XP 2/30. Fearless Ferret The Fearless Ferret is a masked marauder capable of taking out an enemy by first climbing up their bodies, then gouging out their eyes and tongues with their teeth and claws. HD 2; AC 3[16]; Move 16; Save 16; Attack 1 Bite (1d4), 2 Claws (1d2); CL/XP 2/30. Giant Death’s Head Spider Death’s Head Spiders are giant spiders about the size of a grizzly bear. The spiders themselves are black, sometimes mottled with some grey, and their abdomens carry a marking that resembles a skull. Death’s Head Spiders are web spinners, and will often take over an entire area, keeping out intruders with their webs and the army of zombified creatures they create. Unlike other spiders, Death’s Head Spiders don’t cocoon their prey. Instead, they bite and inject them with a poison that turns them into mindless zombies. The zombies lose control of themselves, wandering the area. They continue to eat, drink, and otherwise take care of their own basic needs until the spider is ready to eat them. When bitten by a Death’s Head Spider, there is a 10% chance the zombification poison affects the target for 1d8 days (at the end of which, the spider will re-inject their prey or eat them). If the target of the poison makes a save, halve the time. HD 6; AC 2[17]; Move 10; Save 11; Attack 1 Bite (3d6); CL/XP 9/1100; Special: Zombification Poison (10% chance / 1d8 days / half time on save). Giant Death’s Head Spider Baby Swarm Baby Death’s Head Spiders are about the size of an average human hand, and function as swarms, working together to take down their prey. The entire swarm can function as one creature, or as up to three creatures if the swarm splits. A split swarm still has as many hit points as an unsplit swarm; when the swarm splits, divide its remaining hit points by however many parts it splits into. HD 7; AC 3[16]; Move 20; Save 9; Attack 1 Death by a Thousand Bites (1d8/1d4 split); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Split Swarm. Giant Zombified Crocodile These giant, mindless crocodiles come from the river and are at a minimum 30’ in length. HD 6; AC 3[16]; Move 9; Save 11; Attack 1 Bite (3d6), 1 Tail (1d6); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Giant Octopus After a giant octopus hits with a tentacle, it does 1d6 points of damage per round, automatically, instead of the initial 1d3. Also, there is a 25% chance that the tentacle “hit” pinions one of the victim’s limbs (roll randomly for left/right arms and legs to see which is immobilized). A giant octopus can jet water out to achieve a movement rate of up to 27, and can also release a huge cloud of ink to obscure its location. Some giant octopi might be able to move onto land for short periods of time. HD 4; AC 7[12]; Move 9 (swimming); Save 13; Attack 8 Tentacles (1d3) (see description above); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Jet, Ink. Giant Zombified Rats These mindless rats have grown to the size of small poodles. They appear unkempt, with patches where all their fur has fallen out, and red porphyrin staining down their cheeks. Many have chunks taken out of their ears, and a few are missing eyes or tails. These rats are vicious predators, known for traveling in packs. A pack can strip a large mammal to bones in less than an hour. On a successful bite that causes damage, there is a 10% chance of becoming diseased. The disease lasts for 1d20 days (save for half duration), and causes all magical attempts at healing to work at only ½ effectiveness. HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 18; Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Undead, 10% chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). Zaya’s Promise 26 Giant Zombified Squirrels These zombified squirrels are the size of German Shepherds, and entirely carnivorous. They’re missing patches of fur all around their bodies, often foam at the mouth, and have a glazed-over look in their eyes. They attack anything that comes their way, sometimes including one another. On a successful bite that does damage, there’s a 5% change to communicate the plague. On a failed save, the plague must be cured within three days, or the character will die. Each day, the affected character gets sicker and sicker, starting with a -1 penalty to all actions, and ending with a -3 penalty before they keel over. On a successful save, the character’s immune system battles it off after spending a day with a -1 penalty. HD 4; AC 6[13]; Move 18; Save 13; Attack 1 Bite (1d6), 1 Claw (1d4); CL/XP 6/400; Special: Undead, 5% chance to disease (plague). Handirats These nimble, oversized rats have opposable thumbs, and can use tools. They’re about the size of a medium-sized dog, and have the tools, knowledge, and replacement parts to fix the teleportation portals in the dungeon. On a successful bite that causes damage, there is a 10% chance of becoming diseased. The disease lasts for 1d20 days (save for half duration), and causes all magical attempts at healing to work at only ½ effectiveness. Handirats are always happy to trade parts with anyone they’re friendly with. If the trader is looking for a specific part, there’s a 20% chance the rat will have it in their toolbox. Otherwise, if they’re traded with they have 4 random parts from the Missing Parts Table available, but they’ll want to trade or barter for them rather than sell them outright, and they’ll never just give their parts away. If the rats are killed, they only have 1 part on them from the Missing Parts Table. HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 18; Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). Hungry Hippo Hungry Hippos are made entirely of stone, and are huge, but stationary. The only part of their body that can move is their neck, which can extend their heads up to 8’ away from their stationary torso. The giant stone hippos attack their prey by extending their necks and using their massive mouths to crush them into a paste. HD 7; AC 0[19]; Move 0; Save 9; Attack 1 Head Thrash (2d6), 1 Bite (2d8); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Half damage from piercing weapons. Lion Mount These lions are your typical lions except that they are sentient, and can speak fluid common. They are proud and noble creatures, who have been kept under the thumb of the pixies as long as they’ve existed in Zaya’s Promise. HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 12; Save 12; Attack 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. Mud Golems Large, living creatures made from thick, wet, dripping mud. These creatures move ponderously slowly, and leave a trail of mud behind wherever they walk. Their chief method of attack is to suffocate their target by hugging them close and enveloping their body in mud. The enveloped character can attempt a save each round to get out of the mud, and will be released upon the death of the golem. A golem can only envelop one character at a time. When other characters attack the goblin, there’s a 20% chance they will hit the enveloped character instead. HD 3; AC 9[10]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Throw Mud (1d6), 1 Punch (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Suffocate (1d8/round). Pirate Ghost These ghostly apparitions glow with an otherworldly light. They’re dressed as pirates, but there’s hardly anything left of who they used to be. They always appears to be shivering with cold and are surrounded by a bubble of freezing air that leaves behind cold spots. Pirate Ghosts are always aggressive, angry at the living for being alive and warm. By pointing a finger, a Pirate Ghost can freeze a limb on a failed save, doing 1d6 damage in the process. Roll 1d4 to choose which limb is frozen. A frozen sword arm incurs a -4 penalty to attack. A frozen offhand can’t wield a shield. Either leg frozen reduces movement to half. Limbs are frozen for 1d10 rounds or until the character can get to a fire. In close combat with many combatants, Pirate Ghosts can employ their Psychic Wail, blasting all those in a 10’ circle around them with a debilitating psychic wail that does 1d8 damage. HD 4; AC 3[16]; Move 12; Save 13; Attack 1 Cold Finger (1d6), 1 Psychic Wail (1d8, 10’ radius); CL/XP 8/800; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold), requires magical weapon, freezes limbs. Missing Parts Table 1d6 Missing Part 1 Red gem 2 Green gem 3 Gear 4 Gear 5 Cog 6 Cog Zaya’s Promise 27 Pirate Skeleton Skeletal beings that were once pirates. They carry cutlasses, and some have peg legs and eye patches. They kill anything they find on sight, and laugh hauntingly while they do so. HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 10; Save 16; Attack 1 Rusty Sword (1d6); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Pixie These pixies are mean, small flying creatures who have enslaved lions as their pets and ground assault crew. They don’t ever pause to talk before launching into an all-out assault. HD 3; AC 3[16]; Move 8 (20 flying); Save 14; Attack 1 Bow (1d6), 1 Sword (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Flying. Polar Bear Monarch Roll 1d2 or flip a coin to determine gender (or just pick one). The Polar Bear Monarch is a walking, talking Polar Bear come to life from a children’s book. They are helpful, kind, benevolent, and wise, particularly to children. They prefer to live in an environment cold and completely covered in ice. They won’t become aggressive unless given a good reason. HD 7; AC 6[13]; Move 12; Save 9; Attack 2 Claws (1d6+1), 1 Bite (1d10+1); CL/XP 7/600. Undead Dancer Undead Dancers have been under a compulsion to dance non- stop since they were still alive. The compulsion keeps them dancing even well after they’ve died – the only thing keeping them moving is the magic itself. Thus, Undead Dancers come in all states of decay. The oldest will be nothing but bones, while the younger ones still have decaying flesh stuck to them. The Dancers are only interested in violence in the event that their compulsion to dance is interrupted or they are alerted to the presence of visitors without tickets. HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Claw (1d6); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Undead Musician Undead Musicians are similar to Undead Dancers in that they’ve fallen under a compulsion to play music non-stop. Though the musicians themselves have rotted down to nothing but bone and some last vestiges of rotting flesh and muscle, their instruments appear to be nearly brand new. Similar to the Dancers, the Musicians will only attack visitors to the ball who don’t have tickets, and those who try to interrupt their compulsion to play music. HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 8; Save 14; Attack 1 Claw (1d6), Instrument Bludgeon (1d8); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Undead Puppeteer Cobbled together with many arms and other appendages found on creatures throughout the lair, the undead puppeteer is set up to be a one-creature puppet master capable of putting on any show. It has 4 arms (only two of which match), and 4 of what look like tentacles from an octopus, or perhaps several different octopi. HD 5; AC 3[16]; Move 12; Save 14; Attack 1 Tentacle Grab (1d6), 1 Slap (1d4); CL/XP 4/120; Special: Undead (immune to sleep, charm, hold). Wailing Homunculi A tiny, pale humanoid creature that stands only about two feet tall, and doesn’t appear to be a fully-formed human. They have very large heads, are often hairless (or only have patches of hair in strange places), and are bow-legged, causing them to run much like a humanoid toddler might. These nightmarish creatures always run in packs of five or more, often scattering when they don’t find a large enough pack to run with. Whenever a group of Wailing Homunculi gets down to 5 or less, the referee should have each remaining creature roll a save. If any one of them fails, they all attempt to flee. The main attack of a Wailing Homunculi is a vicious acid projectile vomit that comes from the mouths of the odious little creatures. Their favorite tactic is to climb up the body, and vomit right into the face of their attacker, often even pulling up faceguards to do so. HD 3; AC 8[11]; Move 16; Save 14; Attack Acid Vomit (1d8); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Cowardice roll (as described above). Zaya’s Promise 28 Animal Pull Toy In its default form, this toy looks like a carved wooden duck on wheels with a red silk pull-cord attached. On the bottom of the toy, burnt into the wood is the word ‘Dio’. Uttering the magic word while pulling the toy causes it to come to life as one of the random animals below. It will fight or help the one who called it for 1d6 minutes before turning back into a toy. Dio can only be used once each day. Bone Rattle This beautiful rattle carved out of bone and adorned with a tattered black and green ribbon summons 1d10 tiny skeletons (each about a foot tall) once per day. Tiny Skeleton: HP 1; AC 7[12]; Move 10; Save 18; Attack Fists (1d4); CL/XP 1/5. Boomerang of Returning A fine, curved boomerang made out of a lightweight but hard wood, polished to a shine. No matter how far away this boomerang is thrown (and no matter how incompetent the thrower), it will come back to its owner the same round it is thrown. Damage 1d6; Rate of Fire 1; Range 100ft; Weight 1; Cost 200gp. Candy Necklace Sweet, sugary disk-like beads of sugar threaded onto a thin, silk rope in a variety of pastel colors. They can be bitten off and eaten individually. Eating two pieces is the equivalent of eating one set of rations, and the supply never seems to run out. Cloak of the White Dragon A full-length cloak made out of the sparkling iridescent scales of a white dragon. Can be worn over any standard armor. +2 AC, +2 Charisma, +2 Save vs. Cold Daybreak Potion Drinking this entire potion leaves the imbiber feeling as if they’ve had a whole night’s rest, including all the benefits that come from such a rest. Dragon Backpack of Holding A black leather backpack artistically formed to resemble a small, black dragon clutching to the back of the wearer, complete with a sculpted head and eyes made of red marbles. It’s fairly small, as though it was designed for children (or smaller races), but there’s an abundance of room inside. The bag can carry up to 1,000 pounds of gear, yet still only weighs five pounds on the wearer’s back. Dragon Puppet A well-made felt puppet of a red dragon. To activate the puppet, the user need only place it on their hand, open the puppet’s mouth wide and utter the magic word of ‘rawr’, at which point the puppet will belch forth flame breath for 3d6 damage. [2d6 charges] Intelligent Noble Marionette This puppet walks and talks all its own. It can cast Cure Light Wounds, Find Traps, and Bless once each day before becoming inanimate until the next day. Appendix C: New Magic Items Animal Pull Toy Transformation Table 1d6 Animal 1 Beam Doggy: HD 5; AC 4[15]; Move 16; Save 13; Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Invisibility, Teleportation. 2 Handirat: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 18; Attack 1 Bite (1d4); CL/XP 3/60; Special: Chance to disease (½ healing for 1d20 days). 3 Lion Mount: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 12; Save 12; Attack 2 Claws (1d4) 1 Bite (1d8); CL/XP 5/240. 4 Polar Bear Monarch: HD 7; AC 6[13]; Move 12; Save 9; Attack 2 Claws (1d6 +1), 1 Bite (1d10 +1); CL/XP 7/600. 5 Duck of Death: HD 2; AC 3[16]; Move 14; Save 16; Attack 1 Razor-Sharp Bill (2d6); CL/XP 2/30. 6 Fearless Ferret: HD 2; AC 3[16]; Move 16; Save 16; Attack 1 Bite (1d4), 2 Claws (1d2); CL/XP 2/30. 1d4 Personality 1 Snarky 2 Overly Cheerful 3 Depressed 4 Angry Zaya’s Promise 29 Lilac Perfume When worn, this perfume makes the user nearly invisible to attacking monsters. So long as there’s someone else around to keep their attention, monsters won’t attack the wearer directly no matter what they do. Effects and spells that target an entire area can still harm the wearer. Lucky Coin This large, silver coin is inlaid with gold. One side bears the image of a horseshoe, and the other bears the image of a rabbit’s foot. Spinning the coin on a hard surface activates its enchantment. For the next two hours, whenever the owner rolls to hit, they roll two d20s and take the better of the two rolls. Magical Unicorn Blanket This beautiful throw blanket is big enough to share. It features a unicorn woven into the blanket in shades of blue, looking out from a forest. One person can use the blanket to cover themselves from head to toe and become invisible. Plush Dragon Giving this plush dragon a hard squeeze summons a small, blue dragon to fight for you for 1d6 minutes. This dragon can turn invisible at will, teleport small distances, breathe lightning, and bite. It is semi-intelligent and can perform small tasks. Pseudo-Dragon: HD 2; AC 2[17]; Move 6 (fly 25); Save 16; Attack 1 Bite (1d3), 1 Lightning (1d6); CL/XP 5/240; Special: Invisibility, Teleport, Lightning. Pony Action Figure Summons a 2HD pony for 1d6 hours that can serve to hold gear and give smaller party members rides. Doesn’t fight, but it can be killed. When killed, it turns right back into a pony figurine. Pony: HD 2; AC 7[12]; Move 18; Save 16; Attack 1 Bite (1d2); CL/XP 2/30. Portable Playhouse This is a kit to assemble a play tent suitable for children to play in. When assembled, it’s a small tent made of red silk with purple ribbons. An adult has to get on all fours to climb into the tent, but once inside they’ll find there’s much more room. The tent opens up into a comfortable one-room cottage, complete with fire, bed, and comfortable place to sit. It can’t be used to store anything, and can only be entered when assembled. Porcelain Doll Once per day, turns into an animated doll with the capability to cast Shield, Sleep, and Detect Magic. Once she’s used up all her spells, she’ll collapse back down into an inanimate porcelain doll. She is fragile and can be destroyed in one hit. Slingshot of Striking This is a simply-crafted slingshot made with a piece of stretchy sinew. Whoever owns the slingshot will always find a rock in their pocket that fits perfectly. Damage: 1d4+2; Rate of Fire: 1; Range: 40ft; Weight: 1; Cost: 0.5gp. Yo-Yo of Doom This metal yo-yo has sharpened edges, making it particularly deadly. It’s enchanted to give whoever wields it the skill necessary to handle such a weapon. Damage: 1d6 +2; Weight: 1; Cost: 50gp. Zoo Animal Figurines A set of five porcelain models of animals frequently found in zoos, each about three inches tall: a bear, an elephant, a giraffe, a gorilla, and a monkey. Throwing each figurine to the ground and making the appropriate animal sound will break the figurine, but summon the appropriate animal to fight or do simple tasks for you for 1d10 minutes. Bear: HP 4+1; AC 7[12]; Move 9; Save 13; Attack 2 Claws (1d3), 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 4/120. Elephant: HD 10; AC 6[13]; Move 12; Save 5; Attack 1 Trunk (1d10), 2 Gore (1d10), 2 Trample (2d6); CL/XP 11/1700. Giraffe: HD 3; AC 7[12]; Move 9; Save 14; Attack 1 Trample (1d10); CL/XP 3/60. Gorilla: HD 5; AC 5[14]; Move 12; Save 12; Attack 1 Bash (1d8), 1 Bite (1d10); CL/XP 5/240. Monkey: HD 2; AC 6[13]; Move 14; Save 16, Attack 1 Bite (1d6); CL/XP 2/30. 1d4 Personality 1 Snarky 2 Overly Cheerful 3 Depressed 4 Angry Zaya’s Promise 30 Appendix D: Sheet Fort Market Handout Zaya’s Promise 31 Appendix E: Mermaid Chapel Fortune Teller Zaya’s Promise 32 Missing Parts Table 1d6 Missing Part 1 Red gem 2 Green gem 3 Gear 4 Gear 5 Cog 6 Cog Zaya’s Current Mood: Teleporter Status Chart Room # Magic Word Room Linked to Missing Parts (1-in-4 chance) Room #1: Art Gallery Petrichor Room #2: Tapestry Room Solander Room #2: Tapestry Room Mim Room #2: Tapestry Room Anguilliform Room #7: Room of Mirrors Humdudgeon Room #7: Room of Mirrors Paraph Door Status Table 1d6 The door is... 1 Locked. 2 Unlocked. 3 Locked (barred from the other side, can’t be picked). 4 Locked and trapped. The trigger is always on the door’s handle: 1d4 If the trap is triggered... 1 The handle becomes super-heated, doing 1d4 damage. 2 A poisoned needle pops out of the handle, stabbing you in the palm. Save or become paralyzed for the next 1d6 x 10 minutes. 3 Blades pop out of the door, causing 1d6 damage (half on save). 4 The handle of the door turns into a funnel that fires out a cone of ice, causing 1d6 damage and freezing you in place for 1d6 minutes (half damage and duration on save). 5 Unlocked. 6 Unlocked, but stuck shut. Appendix F: Referee’s Dungeon Status Reference Sheet Introduction 2 O ne, two, Where’s my shoe? Three, four, Lock the door! Five, six, The soldier kicks, Seven, eight, It’s far too late, Nine, ten, Start over again! One, two, Where’s my shoe? Three, four, Lock the door! Five, six, The soldier kicks, Seven, eight, It’s far too late, Nine, ten, Start over again! One, two...

textdata/thevault/Swords & Wizardry (osr) [multi]/SnW 1e & 2e/Adventures & Settings/SnW - Zayas Promise.pdf

THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 1 Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and other countries and are used with permission ‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20. CONTENT MANAGERs: CHARLES RICE AND CHRIS DAVIS LAYOUT: CHRIS DAVIS PROOFREADING: CHRIS DAVIS WWW.RPGOBJECTS.COM #47 NEW TORTUGA BY PAUL KING Tortuga is an island in the Caribbean that was home to pirates in the 1600s. As mankind set sail to the stars, pirates followed. In honor of Isla Tortuga, New Tortuga was named and founded as a port of call for those who walk the seamier side of life. New Tortuga is a planetoid near the major space lanes, but far enough to not be easily discovered. At fist, it was a place where the various captains could go to find new crewmembers and to buy/sell cargo. As more pirates and smugglers heard about New Tortuga, it grew into a permanent establishment. There have been numerous attempts over the years by governments and the major corporations to do away with New Tortuga. Each assault has been met by the captains, and repelled. Most have been pyrrhic victories for the captains. As New Tortuga has grown, people who do not care for governmental or corporate policies have arrived to set up shop. Doctors specializing in cyberware, engineers improving upon engines, businessmen dealing in the illegal have all made their way to New Tortuga. There is a thriving marketplace for such goods. A mercenary hall has been set up to connect the warriors with their future patrons. Arenas also exist, with active betting, for fights: unarmed and mecha alike. Most areas of space have a PL of 6. New Tortuga is at PL 7 because of all the illicit trade that goes through. Supposedly ‘secret’ governmental and mega-corporation research projects are traded and discussed with impunity here. THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 2 Currently, there is a détente between the captains of New Tortuga and the rest of space. The governments and corporations have been known, clandestinely, to send agents to New Tortuga to purchase some items there because the inventors don’t want to work for ‘The Man’. Because of this, major assaults on New Tortuga have ceased, though the snatch and grab of an unwary captain still occurs. Because of this illusion of legitimacy, the blatant piracy has, for the most part, ceased. The Hangman Pirate cartel is the only group that has not curtailed its activities. CAPTAIN’S COUNCIL The ruling body of New Tortuga is the Captains’ Council. Their word is Law. Every merchant, mercenary, pirate, and smuggler captain has a vote to determine which seven captains sit on the Council. The original Council included Benito ‘Hangman’ Hang himself. Hangman is a ruthless man and was able to enforce peace on New Tortuga through fear… his methods were direct and brutal. Umber Grey: Hopper (Fast Hero 4 / Smart Hero 1 / Dedicated Hero 2 / Tracer 3 / Corporate Fixer 5): CR 15; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 3d6 + 12d8; hp 69; Mas 10; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft; Defense 25, touch 25, flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +12 class); BAB +10; Grap +10; Full Atk +12/+7 melee (1d4+2/19-20 knife) or +13/+8 ranged (2d8 laser pistol); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA +12 melee (1d4+3 axe kick) or +13 melee (1d3+2 hopboxing); SQ daddy longlegs, elude the quarry, find the quarry, finisher, lithe, sneak attack +4d6, swift strike +2d6, target species; AL Sons of Jove, New Tortuga; SV Fort +5, Ref +12, Will +9; AP 7; Rep +5; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12 Skills: Balance +12, Computer Use +7, Craft (chemical) +7, Demolitions +4, Disable Device +5, Disguise +11, Drive +9, Escape Artist +10, Gather Information +23, Hide +15, Investigate +20, Jump +11, Knowledge (streetwise) +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +15, Sense Motive +5, Spot +7, Survival +10, Tumble +10 Feats: Alertness, Axe Kick, Defensive Martial Arts, Hopboxing, Leadership, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Stealthy, Track, Trustworthy, Unbalance Opponent, Urban Tracking, Zero-G Training Talents (Dedicated Hero): Skill Emphasis (Gather Information) Talents (Fast Hero): Evasion, Uncanny Dodge I Talents (Smart Hero): Savant (Investigate) Possessions: knife, laser pistol, miscellaneous personal gear DEFENSES The Captains’ Council is charged with the defense of New Tortuga, both as a police force in the city itself and surrounding the planetoid. The police work is performed by the Laughing Knives, a mercenary company under permanent contract for internal security. The security around the planet is two battle stations and roving spaceships under contract by the Council. The head of the fighter squadron around New Tortuga is Stacey Rauls. Stacey comes from a merchant family, but she rejected the merchant trade at an early age, finding it boring. Her latent psionic ability, coupled with her piloting instincts allowed her to sign on as a fighter escort instead doing merchant work. As her experience with flying grew, so did her reputation…and thus the demand for her services. While she is under contract to defend New Tortuga, she pilots an ultralight fighter. Col. Stacey Rauls: Hopper (Dedicated Hero 2 / Fast Hero 3 / Dogfighter 3 / Sensitive 3 / Psychic Pilot 5): CR 16; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 7d6 + 9d8; hp 68; Mas 10; Init +5 (+5 Dex); Spd 30 ft; Defense 29, touch 27, flat-footed 24 (+5 Dex, +2 equipment, +12 class); BAB +9; Grap +10; Full Atk +10 melee (2d6+1/19-20 high frequency sword) or +14 ranged (2d8 laser pistol); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA; SQ daddy longlegs, defender of the universe, empathic dogfighting, empathic evasion, evasion, lithe, psyche 15/day, recognition, uncanny dodge 1, zen piloting; AL Danger, New Tortuga; SV Fort +5, Ref +12, Will +8; AP 8; Rep +5; Str 12, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14 Occupation: Hauler (Navigate, Pilot / Spacer) Skills: Balance +13, Computer Use +8, Concentration +19, Craft (mechanical) +11, Hide +11, Jump +5, Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +9, Knowledge (current events) +8, Move Silently +11, Navigate +18, Pilot +28, Repair +8, Sense Motive +8, Tumble +7 Feats: Extra Psyche (x2), Foresight, Futuresight, Improved Slingshot, Lightning Reflexes, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Precognition, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Spacer, Starship Dodge, Starship Gunnery, Starship Operation (ultralight), Starship Strafe Talents (Dedicated): Skill Emphasis (Pilot) Talents (Fast): Evasion, Uncanny Dodge 1 Possessions: flight suit and helmet, high frequency sword, laser pistol, miscellaneous personal gear Nimrod is the sergeant in charge of the day-to-day police force on New Tortuga. A Mauler who broke free from his corporate bonds, he bounced from contract to contract until he ended up on New Tortuga. His mere presence is usually enough for people to think twice about starting a fracas anywhere. Because of his training and abilities, the Space Marines want him back for going AWOL. THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 3 Sgt. Maj. Nimrod: Mauler (Strong Hero 5 / Helix Warrior 3 / Starship Marine 3): CR 11; Large Humanoid; HD 5d8 + 6d10 + 50; hp 103; Mas 18; Init +2 (+2 Dex) {+4 when firing with the laser rifle}; Spd 30 ft; Defense 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +6 class); BAB +10; Grap +19; Full Atk +14 melee (1d6+12/19-20 unarmed) or +14 melee (1d8+12 large stun baton) or +11 ranged (3d8 large laser pistol) or +13 ranged (5d8 large laser rifle w/ computer targeting and increased damage); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 10 ft; SA –; SQ beachhead +1, brute, darkvision (60 ft), haul, light sleeper, rage, survivor, tough as nails; AL New Tortuga; SV Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +4; AP 4; Rep +3; Str 20, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8 Occupation: Military (Demolitions, Knowledge (tactics), Survival / Armor Proficiency (light) Skills: Hide –2, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (tactics) +9, Survival +11 Feats: Armor Proficiency (light, medium, powered), Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Teamwork (Space Marines) Talents (Strong): Advanced Melee Smash, Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash Possessions: large laser pistol, large laser rifle w/ increased damage, large stun baton, miscellaneous personal gear Low-level guard: Joe (Strong Ordinary 1 / Tough Ordinary 1): CR 1; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 1d8 + 1d10 + 4; hp 14; Mas 15; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft; Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 class); BAB +1; Grap +3; Full Atk; SA; SQ; FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AL Any; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8 Occupation: Military (Demolitions, Knowledge (tactics), Survival / Personal Firearms Proficiency) Skills: Demolitions +2, Knowledge (tactics) +6, Survival +4 Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency Mid-level guard: Joe (Strong Ordinary 3 / Tough Ordinary 3): CR 5; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 3d8 + 3d10 + 18; hp 48; Mas 16; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft; Defense 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 class); BAB +5; Grap +7; Full Atk; SA; SQ; FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AL Any; SV Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8 Occupation: Military (Demolitions, Knowledge (tactics), Survival / Personal Firearms Proficiency) Skills: Demolitions +5, Knowledge (tactics) +8, Survival +6 Feats: Armor Proficiency (light, medium, powered), Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency MECHANICAL MAGICIANS The Mechanical Magicians is a sprawling shop that contains engineers and inventors who are always tweaking their creations, trying to make a ‘better mousetrap’. Their products are well known for their quality, once the prototypical bugs are worked out. They also take pleasure in fixing older items with new technology. Bryan Sugg is the owner of this shop. He was able to buy out his contract from the Coalition due to some of his inventions, and has made his way to New Tortuga to practice his trade. He still has contact with the Coalition, and any Coalition craft in the area that needs repair is serviced for at a reduced rate. Bryan Sugg: Astronomer (Dedicated Hero 2 / Smart Hero 3 / Gadgeteer 5 / Inventor 10): CR 20; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 5d6 + 15d8; hp 87; Mas 10; Init –1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 28, touch 18, flat-footed 28 (-1 Dex, +9 class, +10 armor); BAB +10; Grap +14; Full Atk +14/+9 melee (2d8+4/19-20 beam sword) or +9/+4 ranged (3d10 pulse rifle); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ bug hunter (all) +5, darkvision (120 ft), magnum opus +3, master inventor, mother of invention 250 pts, sharp eyes, stone knives and bear skins +2; AL Inventing, Coalition; SV Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +15; AP 10; Rep +7; Str 8 (18), Dex 9, Con 10, Int 22, Wis 16, Cha 12 Occupation: Technician (Craft (electronic, mechanical), Knowledge (technology), Repair) Skills: Bluff +11, Computer Use +27, Craft (electronic) +34, Craft (mechanical) +37, Craft (structural) +28, Craft (visual art) +11, Craft (writing) +11, Decipher Script +12, Demolitions +22, Disable Device +27, Drive +6, Knowledge (business) +29, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +22, Knowledge (history) +12, Knowledge (physical sciences) +31, Knowledge (technology) +32, Navigate +22, Pilot +6, Repair +28, Research +27, Search +12, Sense Motive +14, Spot +7 Feats: Advanced Armor Design, Advanced Electronic Design, Advanced Starship Design, Advanced Vehicle Design, Advanced Weapon Design, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, powered), Builder (Craft (electronic, mechanical)), Cutting Edge (x2), Educated (Knowledge (physical sciences, technology)), Perfectionist, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency Talents (Dedicated): Skill Emphasis (Craft (mechanical)) Talents (Smart): Savant (Craft (electronic, mechanical)) Possessions: beam sword, pulse rifle, Sugg Armor, miscellaneous personal equipment THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 4 MERCENARY HALL The Mercenary Hall is a rather new addition to the growing city of New Tortuga. Mercenary companies come here to register will the Hall Master. Once registered, each company posts what jobs they’re interested in and what their capabilities are. Those seeking to hire mercenaries can come here and, for a fee, look at what companies are looking for work. Joe 11328732 is the master of the Mercenary Hall. He was in the UEG forces before he became disaffected with the government and left. He joined Umber and the Sons of Jove for a while before coming to New Tortuga and setting up shop. He is dedicated to making sure that all mercenaries get the best deal possible in their contracts. Joe 11328732: Cone (Charismatic Hero 5 / Strong Hero 3 / Tough Hero 3 / Mercenary 5): CR 16; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 5d6 + 3d8 + 8d10 + 48; hp 126; Mas 16; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; Defense 24, touch 22, flat-footed 21 (+3 Dex, +2 armor, +9 class); BAB +12; Grap +15; Full Atk +15/+10/+5 melee (2d6+5/19-20 high frequency sword) or +17/+12/+7 melee (1d8+5 non-lethal unarmed) or +17/+12/+7 melee (1d4+5 lethal unarmed) or +15/+10/+5 ranged (2d8 laser pistol); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ DR 1/-, electricity resistance 3, face in the crowd, manhandle, rage 2/day for 8 rounds, team player, tough image; AL Mercenary Hall; SV Fort +13, Ref +11 Will +6; AP 8; Rep +11; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8 Occupation: Military (Climb, Knowledge (tactics), Survival) Skills: Bluff +11, Climb +10, Diplomacy +11, Gather Information +13, Knowledge (tactics) +13, Survival +12 Feats: Armor Proficiency (light, medium, powered), Assault Training, Brawl, Combat Martial Arts, Deceptive, Improved Brawl, Midas Touch, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Renown, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Trustworthy Talents (Charismatic): charm (female, male), favor Talents (Strong): improved melee smash, melee smash Talents (Tough): DR 1/-, electricity resistance 3 Possessions: Atlas Mk I armor, high frequency sword, laser pistol, miscellaneous personal equipment THE BAZAAR The center of town, this is a rolling collection of side streets and buildings where merchants of all flavors reside and hawk their wares. Almost everything found here is at least restricted, most being military or out-and-out illegal. There are a few merchants who specialize in the mundane, for those clients who can’t show their faces in ‘civilized’ society. Typical Bazaar Merchant: Earther (Charismatic Ordinary 3 / Smart Ordinary 3): CR 5; Medium- sized Humanoid; HD 6d6; hp 21; Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 class); BAB +2; Grap +0; Atk +0 melee or +3 ranged; FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ immunity enhancement; AL any; SV Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6; AP 0; Rep +4; Str 6, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 18 Occupation: Entrepreneur (Bluff, Diplomacy) Skills: Bluff +16, Computer Use +11, Craft (writing) +5, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +6, Gather Information +12, Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +11, Knowledge (business) +11, Knowledge (current events) +11, Knowledge (popular culture) +11, Perform (act) +10, Profession +11 Feats: Deceptive, Iron Will, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Trustworthy, Ultra Immune System, Windfall Possessions: miscellaneous personal equipment THE ARENA This area is on the southern side of town. The Arena is a place for sporting events, and lively betting. Almost any sporting event can be found here: boxing, mecha and racing to just name a few. Typical betting agent: Earther (Charismatic Ordinary 3): CR 2; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 3d6; hp 10; Mas 10; Init –1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (+1 class, -1 Dex); BAB +1; Grap +1; Full Atk +1 melee or +0 ranged; FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ –; AL The Arena; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +2; Rep +2; Str 10, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 16 Occupation: Drifter (Bluff, Gather Information, Knowledge (streetwise)) Skills: Bluff +12, Diplomacy +11, Disguise +11, Gamble +6, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (business) +8, Knowledge (current events) +8, Knowledge (streetwise) +9 Feats: Confident, Deceptive, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Trustworthy, Ultra Immune System Possessions: miscellaneous personal gear DR. MYTHOS’ MEDICAL MYSTERIES Dr. Mythos is both a wonder and a bother to the respected medical practitioners. He has great skill with healing people of almost all ailments, but he has no ethical qualms about whom he treats or by how he gets the requested treatments. He has access to cybernetic gear that many smaller governments and companies can’t access. As long as the credit is good, he does not care who his clientele is. Dr. Mythos’ main aid is a Europan who was driven from his home. Me’nek’t’la is a highly curious person, and would THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 5 frequently spy on people to learn what is going on. Initially, he’d be reprimanded because he also was a decent healer. After repeated offenses, he was driven out. He has found a home with Dr. Mythos…for the moment. Me’nek’t’la does not care for Dr. Mythos’ personality, and is thinking of opening his own shop in New Tortuga. Dr. Mythos: Earther (Dedicated Hero 3 / Smart Hero 2 / Field Medic 10): CR 15; Medium-sized Humanoid; HD 3d6 + 10d8 + 13; hp 71; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Defense 21, touch 18, flat-footed 21 (+3 armor, +8 class); BAB +8; Grap +7; Full Atk +7/+2 melee (1d4-1 knife) or +8/+3 ranged (2d8 laser pistol); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ immunity enhancement, medical master, medical miracle, medical specialist +3; AL Avarice, Pride, Diligence; SV Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +11; AP 7; Rep +6; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 14 Occupation: Doctor (Craft (pharmaceutical), Treat Injury) Skills: Concentration +13, Craft (electronic) +15, Craft (mechanical) +15, Craft (pharmaceutical) +22, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (business) +9, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +23, Knowledge (technology) +25, Listen +20, Sense Motive +10, Spot +20, Treat Injury +28 Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Builder (Craft (electronic, mechanical)), Craft Cybernetics, Cybermonger, Cybernetic Surgery, Dedicated Plus (aware, cool under pressure, healing touch 1, healing touch 2), Educated (Knowledge (earth and life sciences, technology)), Medical Expert, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Surgery, Ultra Immune System, Xenomedic Talents (Dedicated): Aware, Cool Under Pressure (craft (pharmaceutical), knowledge (earth and life sciences, technology), listen, sense motive, spot, treat injury), Healing Knack, Healing Touch 1, Healing Touch 2, Skill Emphasis (treat injury) Possessions: knife, laser pistol, surgery kits (standard, cybernetic, xeno), surgical armor, miscellaneous personal gear Me’nek’t’la: Europan (Dedicated 3 / Sensitive 4 / Psychic Healer 1): CR 8; Medium-sized Humanoid: HD: 1d4 + 3d6 + 4d8 + 8; hp 41; Mas 12; Init +0; Spd 20 ft, Swim 60 ft; Defense 16, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 armor, +3 class); BAB +4; Grap +4; Full Atk +4 (1d3 unarmed); FS 5 ft x 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SA –; SQ amphibious, darkvision 120 ft (only under water), empathic surgery +1d6, natural endorphins, psyche 11/day, recognition; AL Curiosity, Peace; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +11; AP 4; Rep +3; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16 Occupation: Doctor (Craft (pharmaceutical), Knowledge (earth and life sciences), Treat Injury) Skills: Concentration +15, Craft (pharmaceutical) +15, Gather Information +7, Knowledge (behavioral sciences) +12, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +9, Sense Motive +13, Treat Injury +18 Feats: Clairaudience, Medical Expert, Mental Communication, Precognition, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Surgery, Telepathy Talents (Dedicated): Empathy, Healing Knack Possessions: surgical armor, miscellaneous personal gear NEW FEATS ADVANCED STARSHIP DESIGN You are able to design and build futuristic starships Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) 10 ranks, Craft (electronic) 10 ranks, Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 ranks, Knowledge (technology) 8 ranks Effect: You are able to build advanced starships (any starship that has a PL of 6 or higher). Normal: Characters without this feat may not design futuristic starships. CYBERMONGER You have access to sophisticated cyberware. Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to Wealth checks to buy cyberware. Either you have a backer providing you with equipment or you have financial support to purchase the cyberware. Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects stack. Bonus: This feat is a bonus feat for Charismatic heroes. EVA TRAINING You have learned how to fight and survive in spacesuits outside of a spacecraft. Skills: you gain a +2 bonus to three skills while in EVA: Computer Use, Demolitions, Knowledge (tactics), Navigate, Survival and Tumble. Special: You may take this feat twice. Taking this feat twice grants a bonus to all six skills affected by this feat. EXTRA PSYCHE You can use your psyche more often a day than normal Prerequisite: You must have a psyche score Benefit: Each time you take this feat, the number of times a day you can use your psyche increases by 4. Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects stack. Bonus: This feat is a bonus feat for the Sensitive advanced class THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 6 NEW PRESTIGE CLASSES PSYCHIC HEALER The Power of the mind has great healing potential. For those gifted with psychic energies, this energy can be used to heal injuries outside the bounds of normal medicine. The power of the mind and the power of modern medicine combine in this character. REQUIREMENTS To qualify to become a Psychic Healer a character must meet the following criteria (the quickest path into this class is through the Dedicated Hero basic class and then the Sensitive advanced class). Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Treat Injury 10 ranks Feats: Surgery, Telepathy CLASS INFORMATION The following information pertains to the Psychic Healer class. Hit Die: 1d4 Action Points: 7+ one-half character level, rounded down, every time the character gains a new level in this class. Class Skills: The Psychic Healer’s class skills (and the ability for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Craft (pharmaceutical) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcane lore, behavioral sciences, earth and life sciences, physical sciences, technology) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis) and Treat Injury (Wis) Skill points at each level: 5 + Int. modifier CLASS FEATURES The following features pertain to the sensitive Psychic Healer prestige class. Empathic Surgery: This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. The character, while performing surgery, attunes his mind to the body of his patient. The character heals an added amount of damage with his skill as listed in the class table. This extra healing goes up as the character gains levels in this class. Natural Endorphins: This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. The character can use his psyche to induce the brain to release massive amounts of pain killing endorphins. These endorphins act like the drug Marvey (see the drugs section in Blood and Space 2: Merchants, Pirates and Smugglers), but with no side effects. Psyche: As the psychic pilot gains experience the powers of his mind grow. The modifier listed on the class table is added not only to the number of times each day a psychic pilot can use his powers but also to the Save DC and duration of those powers. Natural Stim Dose: This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. Endorphins can not only inhibit pain, they can also banish fatigue. This ability acts like the drug Open EyeZ (see the drugs section in Blood and Space 2: Merchants, Pirates and Smugglers), but with no side effects. Mind Heals the Body: A character must be at full Psyche to use this ability. This ability is so draining that the character immediately becomes exhausted (see the condition summary in the DMG) upon successfully using it. Furthermore, the character’s Psyche is halved for one week as his mind recovers. This ability allows the Psychic Healer to fully unleash the healing powers of the mind. The character must make a Concentration skill check (DC 20) to successfully execute this ability. The patient’s body is completely purged of all diseases, and will be healed of all damage. PSYCHIC PILOT A small percentage of all people are born different. These lucky (or cursed) few are able to tap into reserves of inner strength locked away from normal folk. Fighter pilots already know a life of stress and danger unknown to even most adventurers. These TABLE 1: THE PSYCHIC HEALER Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Defense Bonus Reputation Bonus 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Empathic surgery +1d6, natural endorphins +0 +2 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Psyche +1 +1 +2 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Empathic surgery +2d6, natural stim dose +1 +2 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Psyche +2 +1 +3 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Empathic surgery +3d6, mind heals the body +2 +3 TABLE 2: THE PSYCHIC PILOT Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Defense Bonus Reputation Bonus 1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Zen piloting +1 +2 2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Psyche +1 +1 +2 3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Empathic dog fighting +2 +2 4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Psyche +2 +2 +3 5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Empathic evasion +3 +3 THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 7 pilots are stranger still, a minority within a minority. However, no one can doubt the power of being able to separate the task at hand from the constant danger, and when one can control the minds of others, controlling your own fear is much easier to accomplish. Psychic Pilots are also skilled at taking an empathic “read” on an opponent during a dogfight, knowing which way he’s going to turn, and firing so he flies right into the field of fire. REQUIREMENTS To qualify to become a Psychic Pilot a character must meet the following criteria (the quickest path into this class is through the Fast Hero basic class and then the Sensitive advanced class). Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Pilot 10 ranks Feats: Precognition, Starship Operation (ultralight) CLASS INFORMATION The following information pertains to the Psychic Pilot class. Hit Die: 1d6 Action Points: 7+ one-half character level, rounded down, every time the character gains a new level in this class. Class Skills: The Psychic Pilot’s class skills (and the ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Computer Use (Int), Concentration (Con), Knowledge (tactics, technology) (Int), Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis) Skill points at each level: 3 + Int. modifier TABLE 3: NEW GEAR Armor Type Equip/Str bonus Non-proficient bonus Max Dex Armor penalty Speed Weight Purchase DC Restriction Sugg Powered +10/+10 +3/+3 +6 -0 30 ft 16 lbs 45 Ill (+4) Surgical Light +3/+0 +1/+0 +6 -0 30 ft 6 lbs 20 Lic (+1) CLASS FEATURES The following features pertain to the Psychic pilots prestige class. Zen Piloting: Psychic pilots are masters at removing their personal fortunes from the task at hand. Fear is a part of the mind that can be “put to sleep” by the psionically gifted. This ability allows the Psychic Pilot to add 1⁄2 his Concentration skill to any piloting check. This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. Psyche: As the psychic pilot gains experience the powers of his mind grow. The modifier listed on the class table is added not only to the number of times each day a psychic pilot can use his powers but also to the Save DC and duration of those powers. Empathic Dog Fighting: This ability allows the Psychic Pilot to add 1⁄2 his Concentration skill to her next attack roll. This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. Empathic Evasion: This ability allows the Psychic Pilot to add 1⁄2 his Concentration skill to the Defense of his craft. This ability counts against the character’s psyche as one of his psychic powers that he can use for the day. NEW GEAR SUGG ARMOR This is the armor that Bryan Sugg has created for himself. This armor would normally be only found in PL 9 settings. However, because of Sugg’s raw genius, he’s been able to create this advanced armor before normally allowed. This armor is made of a super- lightweight alloy (Lightweight Alloys armor modifier chosen 7 times) and is Self Repairing. SURGICAL ARMOR This armor is worn by many surgeons to grant them an extra pair of arms to assist during surgery. THE MODERN DISPATCH NEW TORTUGA PAGE 8 OPEN GAME LICENSE OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker. Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast; Author Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman Mutants & Masterminds Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing Swords of the Father Copyright 2003, The Game Mechanics OGL Cybernet – CYBERPUNK ROLEPLAYING is Copyright 2003, Mongoose Publishing Limited. Ultramodern Firearms d20, Copyright 2002, Charles McManus Ryan d20 Modern Weapons Locker, Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Author Keith Potter Modern Dispatch #47 2004, RPGObjects; Author Paul King, Charles Rice OPEN GAMING CONTENT Designation of Product Identity: The following terms are designated as product identity as outline in section 1(a) of the Open Gaming License: Modern Dispatch, Darwin’s World, Blood and Guts, Blood and Fists, Blood and Vigilance, Blood and Circuits, Blood and Relics, New Tortuga. Designation of Open Gaming Content: The following sections of Modern Dispatch #47 is designated as open gaming content except for terms defined as product identity above. All illustrations, pictures, and diagrams are Product identity and property of RPGObjects™. All NPC statistics blocks, new feats, new gear, and new classes are open content. All other content is closed.

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New Powers for Villains and Vigilantes Copyright 2000 by Michael L Straus http://www.sabledrake.com/2000a/powers_vv.htm Introduction: In my opinion, no superhero game on the market has ever captured the true flavor of comic books better than Second Edition Villains and Vigilantes. Say what you will about the old game; it is the most well balanced of all the SHRPGs ever. In no other game that I have played can you truly have any type of character and have them play on an equal level with any other type. Bat Guy and Super Dude truly can fight together in V & V. The following are several new powers for the Second Edition Villains and Vigilantes games. In here you will find variations of existing powers, new powers and some ideas for the many “Wild Card” powers of V & V (mutant power, body power, chemical power, etc.). Many of these powers are original, but others are copied from other web pages or adapted from other games. Where I have used someone else's idea, I will let you know. Absorption: 1: Physical Structure The character can absorb or mimic the properties (and thus the structural rating) of any substance he can touch. This ability applies to mimicking the properties of structure only; if you touch an open fire you won’t get Flame Powers. The Power cost (PR) of this power should equal the SR of the substance being absorbed. If you touch Stone (SR=6) then it would cost 6 PR to transform. Once transformed, multiply the character’s weight by the SR of the substance absorbed -- for stone (SR=6), multiply weight by 6. The character would also take on the basic appearance of the substance. It is up to the GM whether the character gets any “special effects” from the substance absorbed. You may wish to let them have the SR of the substance as a form of invulnerability. If they absorb SR 6 Stone having them gain 6 points of Invulnerability may or may not be ok with you. Obviously taking on the properties of glass, paper, balsa wood and other fragile substances is a BAD THING! This transformation can have a time limit (2d8 rounds is good) or a PR cost per round/ hour to maintain. Whatever you feel best fits your game. Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man of Marvel Comics had this power and the ability to copy any power/special effect projected at him (see below). He once was able to even absorb/transform in to water but he became so diffused in the lake that it took him months to reform himself. (Based on ideas found on The Morpheus Unbound and Pandemonium web site.) 2: Powers/Special Effects There are three common variations on this power: A) Power Copy by Touch The character can touch a willing (or unwilling) subject and copy their super powers. If your subject can fly, now you can also. The character may or may not have any control over what power they get if the subject has more then one power (that's up to the GM). In most cases the character can only copy one power at a time, though in some cases more may be allowed at the GM’s discretion (the Super Adaptoid was able to copy the powers of the original Avengers, Mimic could copy all the powers of the original X-men at the same time, and Amazo could copy the powers of the original Justice League. Animal Man could copy the ability of any animal in the area). The PR of this should be 2 and the power should have some kind of time limit (2d8 rounds is good). One important fact to remember is that you are just getting a photo copy of someone else’s power. At their level of power, not yours. If you copy TK Boy’s Telekinesis, you get Telekinesis at whatever range and effect he has. Your ability and level will have no effect on it. Variations on this theme might let the individual copy Technology powers (from devices) or magic, but the power should not let you copy everything. B) Power Copy by Contact The character can copy any power he has had contact with, that is to say any power he has been hit by. So if the character gets hit with Flame Powers now he has Flame Powers. Of course you will still take the damage from the attack! (Example: In the Avengers cartoon, The Absorbing Man was hit by Scarlet Witch's hex bolt and absorbed it; for the next few seconds he was firing off random hex bolts) There should be no PR cost for this type of absorption (taking the initial damage is price enough don’t you think) though a time limit of some kind should be implemented (it wears off). As above, remember that you are just getting a photo copy of someone else’s power. Your own ability and level will have no effect on it. C) Effect Copy The character does not necessarily copy powers, but their effects. So if you touch someone with Flame Power B or who is made of Iron, then you will get that power / effect. If you touch someone with Telepathy, you won’t copy it as there is no ACTIVE special effect. This version best explains Crusher Creel’s (see above) ability to touch a blast furnace and suddenly gain Flame Powers or to touch water and become water. The PR should be around 2 and their should be a Time Limit. 3: Skill Copy/Knowledge - Memories The character can touch a subject and gain an innate understanding of all their skills and knowledge. If you touch Mozart, you copy his level of musical skill. If you touch Archery Boy, you copy his skill with a bow. If you touch Mario Andretti, you copy his driving skill. This ability would allow you to Copy any “Super Skills” (such as Heightened Agility A or any thing else rolled on the SKILL table) and also any knowledge/training/skills the subject has. So if you touch someone with Heightened Endurance A +6, you gain that SKILL; if you touch someone with Martial Arts you gain that skill, if you touch Stephen Hawking you gain his skills and knowledge. You can only copy one Super Skill at a time or one Skill Set / person’s normal skills at a time. So if the individual touched Bow Guy he would get his Heightened Expertise with Bows, but if he then touched Stephen Hawking, he would gain his understanding of Physics but lose the bow skills. The Power Cost of this should be 2 and it should have a time limit. Remember you are just Xeroxing someone else’s knowledge, not improving your own. You copy their knowledge at their level of skill. Your abilities have no effect on what you copy and once the skills fade, you should only have a vague recollection of them. The GM may allow the character to spend inventing points to Keep a skill set but not Super Skills. 4: Stat Copy The character touches an individual and copies one (or more) of their stats. For the next (Level x2) rounds, the character’s stat is now an exact copy of the subject’s stat -- higher OR lower! The character’s hit points and Power should not change but their CC, Damage Mod, Accuracy, Reaction Mods, etc. should. The character must state which stat they are going to copy before they touch, and can only copy one stat at a time. PR=2 5: Movement rate The character touches an individual and copies their total movement (running) rate. He can ADD this to his ground rate and/or any other movement rates he may have. This lasts (level X 2) rounds. PR=1 to copy. Animated Servants: There are two types of Animated servants -- magical (golems, zombies), and technological (robots).You could also have Psychic animated servants, though I can’t think of any examples from comic books that I have seen (but don’t let that stop you from coming up with one). 1: Animate the Dead Based on ideas from Christine Morgan The character has the necromantic ability to animate and control the dead (yuck). The character can summon up 1d6 Zombies/Skeletons from the area. These can be human or animal based on whatever happens to be around. The PR=2 per Zombie summoned and the corpses hang around for one hour/level before reverting back to their original ‘dead’ state. Zombies are 100% loyal but not very smart. They will obey simple commands but have no free will or decision making ability. They simply do what they are told to the best of their ability. Typical humanoid zombie: HP: 12. Power: 24. HTH damage: 1d8. Agility: 8. Move: 20 Typical animal zombie: HP: 6. Power: 12. HTH damage: 1d4. Agility: 5. Move: 10 2: Spirit Guide Based on ideas from the Mystery Man film The character has a ghostly companion/spirit guide that has taken up residence in the character’s body or perhaps in an item or object the character possess (Such as the Ghost in the “haunted tank” or the bowler’s father in her bowling ball). The Ghost can only be seen and heard by the character (and perhaps those with special senses or telepathy). The ghost can advise the character and will have its own intelligence rating and areas of knowledge. If the Ghost inhabits an object (such as a bowling ball) then the ghost can animate the object and even attack with it (As a 4th level character). 3: Summon Ghost/Spirit Based on ideas found on the Pandemonium web site. Similar to the summon zombie power, but the character can call upon the local spirits for aid. This can be a humanoid or animal ghost what ever happens to be around. PR=X where X is the ‘ecto’ points of the spirit. The spirit will have the Non-Corporealness power, fight at 4th level, and have 2d10 ‘ecto’ points (hit points). When a spirit reaches 0 ‘ecto’ points it returns from whence it came. 4: Tattoos The character has 1d6 magical tattoo of animals on his/her body. The character can activate one tattoo at a time turning it into its real life counter part. PR=4 to activate a tattoo and you can only have one going at a time. Animals can be real or fantastic and will be totally loyal to their master. It’s up to the GM and the player as to what animals are in tattoo form. Use the Animal stats at the end of the V & V rule book. When an Tattoo beast reaches 0 Hit Points it does not die but reverts back to the energy it came from. The owner can not call on it again for one week while it heals. 5: Figurine of Wonder Based on the Ice Wind Dale books. The character possesses a small figurine carved in the likeness of an animal (such as a black panther). The Figurine can magically transform to its real life counterpart. PR=4 to transform the figurine. The creature is intelligent and loyal to whomever holds the figurine. It fights at 4th level and responds in all ways like a real animal. (see the animal tables at the end of the V & V rule book). Should the creature reach 0 Hit Points it will revert back to its figurine state and the owner can not call on it again for a week while it recovers. 6: Summon Giant Robot Based on Iczar Robo and several other anime style robot shows. The character can summon a giant robot from “hammer space” that will fight for him. It can either be a suit the character must pilot (Iczar Robo) or have its own intelligence and personality (The Iron Giant). The robot stands 20 feet tall and weighs about 4000 pounds. It has an agility of 16 and an ADR of 100. Its internal SR/HP is 60. The Giant Robot will be very strong (HTH +1 to hit 4d10+2 damage) and have some kind of beam weapon (R=20. D=3d8) as well as a Energy Sword (+2 HTH + 2d10+4 damage). Body Powers: The character’s entire body or body parts possess a power of some sort. Here are some ideas. 1: Chameleon Blending The character shares the powers of the Chameleon lizard, able to blend into his surroundings. The character is 90% undetectable if not moving, 70% undetectable if moving at a rate of 1’ per turn. 20% undetectable if moving at a rate of 5’ per turn. Moving any faster and the power does not work. The power has a hourly cost of PR=1 per hour. 2: Clinging The character can cling to and climb and surface at a rate of 1/2 his full movement rate. It is up to the GM as to whether he can cling to slick surfaces like oil, ice and glass. 3: Hold Breath The character has super strong lungs. Able to hold his breath for a number of ROUNDS = to his Endurance. 4: Glow in the Dark The character’s body generates a pale natural light similar to fireflies and many marine animals. The light provides no offense or defense but can be used to see in the dark, communicate (Morse code) and help to disguise the character’s identity. PR=0. Movement only to turn on/off. 5: Super Leap The character can leap and spring like a human pogo-stick. He can leap (S+EX.75) high and (S X E X 1.25) across in one bounce . He can leap up to (A/10) times in a turn. PR=0. 6: Extra Limbs The character has extra arms or legs. *+15 inactive per extra arm. *+20 movement rate per extra leg. *Snake tail. The character’s lower body is in fact a long (8 feet) snakelike tail. The tail can be used to make a HTH attack and it allows the character to rear up on the tail an extra 8 feet. 7: Generate Blades The character can cause blades composed of organic steel and bone to pop out of any part of their body. PR=1 per turn for +1 to hit +2 to damage. PR=2 per turn for +2 to hit +4 to damage. PR=3 per turn for +3 to hit +6 to damage. 8: Prehensile Hair The character’s hair can act as an extra limb. It can stretch up to (S+A X 2) and can lift up to(S X 10) pounds. PR=1 per turn. Treat as telekinesis defense if used as a defense. 9: Shoot needles /quills/ spikes /thorns /shards The character can generate and shoot razor sharp ‘needles’ from the skin. +1 to hit D=2d8. R=E. # of shots per day = E. PR=1 per shoot. Anyone attempting to touch the character will take 1d8 damage from the quills. 10: Human Top The character can spin at amazing speeds. PR=1 per turn and gets Vibratory defense. +1d10 to all HTH type attacks while spinning and +15 inactive 11: Tunneling/Burrowing The character can tunnel much like a groundhog or mole. The character can turn at a rate of (S+E/2 - the SR of the substance they are tunneling through). If the total is 0 the substance is too tough to dig through. PR=1 per turn. 12: Characteristic Boost Roll 3d10 and divide total amongst ALL your stats any way you see fit. 13: Extra Attack The character does not have to spend any extra power during a combat round if he gets more then one attack. He still has to spend PR if he makes multiple attacks on his phase but he does not have to spend 2 PR for every phase after his first. 14: Fast Recovery The character recovers (E/10) points of power at the end of each turn. 15: Heat Vision R=A . D=2d8. PR=2. Attack as flame power. 16: Heightened Carrying Capacity Calculate CC normally then roll 3d10 and multiply CC by that number. 17: Perfect Hair Based on an idea on Morpheus Unbound web site. The character is always attractive and well groomed. Their hair only moves when it is dramatically important. They never break a nail, have bad breath, or body odor. Their teeth are always white and their clothing is always clean. Tar, blood, mud and dust do not stick to them (Last Action Hero) and they get a +1 reaction modifier from the opposite sex. 18: Performance Boost Everything about you is a little better then normal. +2% to both detects. +1d6 to all stats. +1 to hit HTH. 19: Personal Force Field A glowing energy nimbus around the character that provides Heightened Defense and the Adaptation defense. PR=1 per use/hour. 20: Reflection The character’s body is highly reflective. Any light/laser based attack will bounce off the character and has a (A%) chance of hitting the person that fired the blast. 21: Immune To... Pick one damage type. The character is immune to it. He take no damage from it. Examples: Immune to fire, immune to electricity, immune to poison. Does not age. 22: Body Mass X 1d4 to weight. +1d6 strength and endurance. 23: Impact Resistance Character takes 1/2 damage from all falls. throws and kinetic impacts. This includes punches and kicks and blows from blunt weapons like a mace or a club, but not from swords or other blade cutting weapons. It also includes bullets. 24: Body Weapons At the cost of 2 PR the character can turn his hands into any melee weapon (mace, club, sword, dagger, etc.) 25: Plague Claws/Bite On a successful HTH attack the character can scratch and/or bite a victim and deliver a painful plague-like infection. The initial attack with do HTH damage +2d6 AND the victim will take an additional d6 every round till the wound is cleaned out. 26: Retarded Aging The character only ages one year for every three, and physically appears to be in their 20’s no matter what their actual age. 27: Contact Illusion / Emotion Control Anyone touching or touched by the character will experience a very realistic illusion / emotion control attack. The victim must save vs. I or experience the effect for the next 2d8 turns. Examples: Morgue has the ability that any one touching him feels like they are crawling with maggots. Laurel has the ability that any one touching her falls in love with her._ 28: Big Fists Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character has big strong hands and does +1d10 in HTH combat. 29: Polarized Eyes The character’s eyes adapt quickly to changes in light. He can not be blinded by bright sunlight or flash attacks. Chemical / Poison / Venom Powers: 1: Chemical Structure Pick a compound or structure (such as stone or diamond). The character’s body now takes on the composition of said compound. Multiply weight by the SR of the chosen substance (stone = x6 weight) and give the character SR points worth of Invulnerability. If the character can switch back and forth then it’s PR=4 to transform, though this should be permanent. 2: Blinding Foam The character can project a stinging foam that causes 2d8 damage. On a special attack to the eyes the foam can blind for one hour. PR=2. R=e. # of shots per day =E. 3: Chloroform Based on an idea from the Pandemonium web site. The character can assume the state of chloroform. *Gaseous state. PR=4 to transform. Non Corprealness defense. All in cloud must save Vs E or fall asleep for 2d8 turns. Move as cloud =1/2 normal move. *Liquid state. PR =4 to transform. IF any one touches liquid they take 2d8. Automatic chemical power defense, Move=1/2 normal movement rate. 4: Crystalline Structure The character’s body is now made of organic crystal/silicone .Weight X3. The character can also focus and reflect light provided there is a strong light source (like the sun), duplicating the powers of Light Control. 5: Hydro Form The character is composed of organic liquid (Fathom, Hydro Man). *Generate a high pressure water blast. R=S+E .D=2d6 PR=1 *Turn into water. Defend as vibratory and the character can fit into tight spaces, puddle, splash and pour himself just like water. Move= 1/2 normal movement rate. PR=4 to transform. 6: Phantom Gas Attacks on the chemical power chart but at +2 to hit. Fills an area that is 2’ wide by 5’ deep. All in the area must save vs. I or lose the last 5 minutes of memory and be stunned for one full round. Individuals that do not breathe, have adaptation or will power are not effected. 7: Pheromones R=C. PR=3 per turn. +10 reaction from opposite sex while in use. 8: Burning Blood R=E X 2. D=2d8 PR=8. 9: C02 Foam Spray The character possesses the ability to project C02 foam which amongst other effects can be used to put out fires. R=E X 2. PR=4 D=1d8 Heightened Senses: 1: Detect Magic The character can see magic auras around enchanted people, places or things within his line of sight. 2: Reception The character can receive and translate most radio and television broadcasts. This does not include cable, satellite, HD or scrambled communications. 3: Lie Detection Based on an idea from Anton Lewis Can tell if a target is telling the truth or not. Must make a successful Detect Hidden X2 % roll to spot a lie. May spend inventing points to spot lies in print of prerecorded broadcasts. 4: Precognition The character has the ability to see into the possible future. *Detect danger X3 *GM can give the character precog flashes/dreams and visions of the future at any time he wants to give the character a hand or a red herring. *+2 to hit with ALL attacks. 5: Object Reading / Blueprint The character gains an instant insight and understanding of any object or device he touches. He will instantly understand the use and function of the device no matter how alien and has an I% to ‘read’ the history of the object. 6: Perception The character has an enhanced sense of perception and awareness. +20% to all detect hidden rolls. 7: 360-Degree Vision The character can not be snuck up on or surprised. Opponents get no bonuses for attacking him from behind and the character can make side or back attacks at no minus. 8: Keen Senses All the character’s % senses are at the peak of human perfection. *+10% to both detect hidden and detect danger. *+3/15% to all rolls involving perception or one of the five senses such as tracking, smelling, hearing etc. 9: Direction Sense The character can always sense Magnetic North and can never get lost. They always have a general idea of where they are and how far it is to get back to wherever they consider ‘home’. 10: Time Sense The character always knows what time it is. Not only can he act like a human watch and stopwatch. He can also tell how long he has been doing something, how much time has passed since a certain event he was involved with has passed and most importantly. If knocked out he can tell how long he was asleep. Heighten Attack- Variations 1: As Is Character receives a +1 to ALL damage he does per level. 2: Set The character receives a +4 bonus to ALL damage he causes. This does not increase with level as does the above. Heightened Defense – Variations 1: Heightened Defense A This is the classic Heightened defense in the V & V rule book. 2: Heightened Defense B Based on an idea from Derrick Scott Think of this as the reverse to Heightened Attack. You are -1 to be hit per level. Eek. 3: Heightened Defense C Based on an idea from Christine Morgan Displacement -- the character appears 1d4 feet away from where he actually is. All attacks against the character are made at -4 whether he is aware of it or not, and the character is +1 to hit when he attacks due to this effect. Mutant Powers: Mutant power, the ultimate wild card in V & V. Anything goes with this power. The following are some original ideas, conversions from other games and some ideas I found on the web. 1: Manipulate Kinetic Energy The character can ‘charge’ any hand held object with kinetic energy, turning it in to a weapon and being able to throw it accurately and cause damage with it. In addition the character has a higher resistance to kinetic damage then normal. *The character takes 1/2 damage from falls, explosions, punches, kicks, bullets, arrows, swords and other kinetic/impact based weapons. Energy and such still does full damage. PR=1 per attack repulsed. *The character can double the range of any thrown object. PR=1 per use. *Double the damage of any thrown object (no, that does not mean a grenade does double damage when the character throws it) PR=1 per use. * Any object thrown may return to the character on the next turn if he so wishes. PR=1 to make it return. 2: Divine Aura This power provides the character with a divine aura of divinity, similar to that of legendary figures such as the Greek gods. *Reaction modifier. The character may chose to receive all positive or all negative reaction modifiers from a group based on his charisma. PR=8 per round. *Followers. Whether the character wants them or not he attracts one follower/side kick per level who treats the character as a trusted friend. *Power of command. the character can issue powerful one word commands to listeners. Treat this as a Mind Control attack. R=Charisma. PR=8 *The Voice. The character can make his voice as loud as a speaker system and can be heard clearly up to 1600 feet away. PR =1 per round. *+1d10 charisma. 3: Immortality The character does not age and is immune to poison and disease as well as being able to heal at an incredible rate. The character can still be damaged and can still die, it’s just very hard to kill him. *Does not age. *Immune to all forms of disease and sickness. *Immune to all forms of toxin, venoms and poisons including radiation poisoning. Immune to gases, the effects of drugs (including the good ones) and even food poisoning. *The character’s natural healing rate is doubled. He can recover from damage up to below negative ENDURANCE hit points as long as his body is still in one piece. This does NOT include regeneration. *Immune to Death Touch. 4: Machine Link / Technoempathy The power to communicate with machines the way a telepath can communicate with people. *Chance to drive/pilot any vehicle. 80% PR=1 per hour *Chance to use/understand any computer, mechanical or electronic device= 80% *+2 to HIT with any modern technological weapon, including energy weapons but not swords and the like. *Chance to operate alien technology. 60% *Chance to short out technology (Lightning control) R=E X 2 PR=4 65% to short out *Chance to take control of technology (lighting control). R=E X 2. PR=4 per round.. Save on INT to gain control, save on AGILE every round to maintain control. 5: Clone Self / Duplication The character can produce one or more duplicates of himself. These clones have all the knowledge, skills, stats and powers of the original (but NOT the clone power) and appear wearing the same or similar clothing to the character (but without any equipment, armor or weapons the original may have had). The character can create one copy at first level. It is up to the GM and the player as to whether he can make any more copies after the first (Maddox, the multiple man could make up to 10 copies of himself, while Duo could make only one). It costs 10 PR to create a clone and one action. If the clone is injured the character can reabsorb it and it will be healed in 24 hours. If the clone is killed the creator can never replace it and he loses ONE POINT OF ENDURANCE from shock. Clones fight at 4th level and never gain any experience. Any experience the clone would have gained goes to the creator. 6: Luck The character is unbelievable lucky. Probability and karma are always in their favor. *-4 to be hit in combat due to dumb luck. *Killing blows will not kill the character, only stun him. *Character receives +6 to all skill and stat checks when ever he needs to do something and +10% to all % rolls. *The character’s chance to detect hidden and danger are doubled. *Critical blows do normal damage against the character and not double. The character will always come out ahead in games of chance, but the laws of karma will never allow him to get TOO lucky (or too cocky). So the character could go to Vegas and win a fortune but by the time he gets back home most of the money will be gone and he will only have enough left to pay his bills for the month and live comfortably. 7: Density Control The character can control his density, changing from massive as a mountain to light as a feather. *Increase density. The character can increase his mass at the rate of +100 pounds per level. Besides the increased basic his and carrying capacity this will grant him, he will be harder to knock over/back. PR=4 to transform. Should the character’s weight ever exceed his own carrying capacity he will be unable to move himself. *Decrease density. The character can decrease mass to the point where he becomes weightless. -100 lbs./level. PR=4 to transform. Besides affecting agility, hit points and carrying capacity, should the character drop weight to 0, he will become weightless and bob and float about like a balloon. Unless the individual has Flight, TX, Magnetic, Gravity, Flame, or some other way to maneuver himself, he will be victim to the whims of the wind. *Intangibility. The character can alter his density to the point where he becomes completely intangible (Non-Corprealness). PR=4 to transform. PR=1 per hour. 8: Deflection The character can deflect energy based attacks from himself and towards a different target. PR=4. Save vs. agility to successfully deflect an attack. Works vs. energy (fire, lightning) only. 9: Energy Bombs (Meltdown of X-force has this power.) The character has the ability to create balls of explosive energy that can be programmed to detonate after a predetermined delay (No longer then 60 seconds). Each bomb is PR=2 to create. Can be thrown up to A range and will explode in a 2’ radius causing 1d10 (Bombs are +2 to hit). Character may generate up to (A/5) bombs in one action and must specify how long before the bomb explodes (remember no longer then 60 seconds) 9: Explosive Charge (Gambit of the X-men has this power.) The character can ‘charge’ any non living object they touch with an explosive charge that will detonate when the object is struck. PR=2 per use. D=1d10 explosion in a 1’ radius. Objects can only hold one charge at a time and can only hold a charge for one hour. Can be used on any non living object from thrown weapons, to playing cards, to a door, to lunch meat. 10: Healing Touch The character can ‘lay on hands’ and heal others. The character can either heal hit points or power when touching a subject but not both at the same time. PR=2 to heal 1d6 power points PR=4 to heal 1d6 hit points. This power takes one full turn to use. This is not regeneration, it can not bring the dead back to life, re-grow lost limbs or work on anyone who is at 0 HP and 0 PR. 11: Vertigo. The character can induce vertigo in a target R=(S X 2) PR=2 to strike one individual or the character can attack everyone in a (S X 2) radios for PR=4. Vertigo attacks on the Sonic powers chart. Everyone effected will be dizzy and nauseous and will be unable to tell left from right and up from down. Each victim must save vs. A every turn they are effected or take 1d6 from bumping in to things and such. Each victim is allowed a E save at the end of the round to shake it off. 12: Lava/Magma powers Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character has control over lava and magma, getting the best of both Ice and Flame powers. *Lava blast. R =(S+E/2). D=2d6. PR=2 This attack creates 2 cubic feet of hot lava per point of damage. Each victim will take an additional 2 points of damage per cubic foot of lava stuck to them in between rounds until they free themselves of the lava. Lava has a SR of 4 for purposes of breaking free. IF the number of cubic feet of lava on a victim X100 is greater then the victim’s carrying capacity then they are immobilized and can not break free. *Magma armor. The character can coat himself in a armor made of lava and magma. This armor gives the character flame defense and 1 point of ADR for each game inch of movement spent (up to 100 ADR Max). Magma armor crumbles off at a rate of 4 ADR a phase unless maintained. PR=1 to create armor and PR=1 per phase to maintain at full ADR 13: Sand Blast The character can create and control high power blasts of sand. *Sandblast. R=(S). D=1d10. PR=2. Attack as vibratory. *Sandstorm. PR=8. Area of effect (Current power/4)sphere. Duration=6 turns. Vision is reduced to 1’ (except for the creator who can see just fine in the sandstorm). Sandblasts attacks do X2 damage in the sand storm. All other attacks do 1/2 damage. 14: Aura of Heat / Cold Based on an idea from Van The character radiates a zone of either extreme heat or cold (chose one only) from his body in a one hex radios. All living targets within the radius must make a save vs. A or take 2d6 damage and either be set on fire or frozen. PR =2 per round active. 15: Double Pick any one Stat or sub-stat the character has and double it. Examples: Behemoth has Double Strength. Sham has double Power. Body Bag has Double Healing rate. 16: Creation The character has the ability to rearrange particles in the environment around him to create any non living object he has seen or read about. The creation will have all the ability and powers of the described object. Maximum weight of the creation is about 500 lbs. PR=20. The creation remains for one hour then reverts back to ‘ecto goop’. 17: Heightened Initiative Although not much faster then a normal person, the character reaction time is incredible; +30 initiative. 18: Invention Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character has the ability to understand, conceive and design technology at an unbelievable rate. *x3 inventing points; *x4 inventing %; *+1d6 intelligence. 19: Life Force Manipulation Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character can manipulate the life force of a target. By touching a living being he can perform one of two things: *Steal life force. PR=5, attack as Paralysis. You can drain 2d6 hit points from a victim and transfer them to yourself for the purpose of healing. You can not use this ability to raise your hit points above their total max. *Lend life force. PR=5. You can loan another 2d6 of your hit points. The recipient’s hit points can not exceed their normal max. You can not drop yourself below 2 hit points 20: Relative Gravity Based on idea from Anton Lewis The character has their own personal center of gravity. They can determine that down is always beneath their feet. Among other things the character can walk along walls, ceilings or at any angle. The character can also choose to fall in any direction, simulating a form of uncontrolled flight. The character is unaffected by Gravity Control attacks. Their gravity can not be altered. PR=1 per use or as a defense. 21: Photosynthetic Skin Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character’s skin is photosynthetic like a plant’s. The character can regain one point of lost power per phase while in sunlight. He can heal 2d6 hit points per day and the character is immune to light/laser based attacks. It’s just harmless sunlight to him. 22: Fax / Electroform Based on idea from Barry Osser The character can transform himself into a living bolt of electricity and while in this state can travel along power lines and phone lines. PR=4 to transform. PR=4 per hour. There is a 1 in 6 chance that while traveling along the phone lines the character will get lost and end up someplace other than intended. 23: Cold Fire From the mind of Barry Osser The character can project a blast of “Cold Fire.” R=S X 2. D=2d6. PR=2 per shot. Cold Fire does not spread like normal flame but the victim of the blast can not put the flames out with water or Co2 foam and will take 2 points a turn until he gets the flames out. Only sand or baking soda can put the flame out. 24: Disruption Touch The character can disrupt the molecular bonds in objects by touch. PR=2. D=3d10 to inanimate objects. If used in an HTH attack against a living opponent it will cause X2 HTH damage. 25: Flame Power C Based on an idea from Barry Osser The character projects a cone of flame. R=E. creates a cone of flame that fills a area 2’ by 1’ at the start of the cone and 8’ by 4’ at the end of the cone PR=5 D=4d6. 25: Withdraw The character can “Withdraw” himself from others to the point where he is completely undetectable. This is not invisibility, simply the ability to remain unnoticed by others. Characters attempting to locate the individual with this power must roll a 5 or less on a 1d100% to even have an idea as to where he is. 26: Soul Absorption Gains ALL the powers and memories/skills of any individuals he has personally killed (he sucks their soul). PR=5 per use. Obviously a EVIL power. 27: Decrease R=30. PR=10. Can decrease any single property to 10% of its original state (D=2d10 or death touch). 28: Spellbinder Can instantly learn and cast any spell character has seen cast by another spell caster. Psionics: 1: Alter Probability R=I X 2. PR=8 per use. The target of this power will receive either +4 to all their die rolls for the rest of the round or -4 to all their die rolls. Instead of this modifier the GM may have a spontaneous uncontrolled but not impossible event to happen that will either help or hinder the target of the attack. Note that the character can not use this on himself, only others. 2: Power Negation The character can effect the paranormal powers of others. Note that this only effects powers and has no effect on skills , magic or technology. R=I/2. PR=2 attack as Mind control. Or the character can effect all powers in a (I/2) radius. PR= 4. 3: Power Scramble As above but instead the character can scramble the victim’s powers, making the uncontrollable. Flyers will soar off in an uncontrolled direction. Energy blasters will start firing off randomly. PR=3, attack as mind control. 4: Psi Bolt The character can generate a bolt of pure psychic energy. PR=1 R=I. D=2d10. Attack as mind control. 5: Translate / Cipher The character can understand any spoken language, no matter how alien. If he hears a language for 60 seconds he will then be able to “speak” the language back to the individual. The character has a I X 3% chance to understand and translate any written language, including machine codes, alien dialects and Magic. 6: Minor TK R=I/2. PR=2. Can only lift 50 lbs. 7: Shadow Blending PR=1 per turn. The character is 80% undetectable in shadows/ darkness if not moving and 50% if moving. 8: Reactions The character can chose to have the reaction modifier from their charisma be all positive or all negative when dealing with others (_example_: Force) 9: Immune To ... The character is immune to the effects of any one other psychic attack. Examples: immune to telepathy, immune to mind control, immune to emotion control, immune to fear. 10: Trip Based on an idea from Barry Osser R=I/2. PR=2. Attack as Mind Control. Victim trips and falls over taking 1d6 and losing their next action. 11: Range Double the range of any one other Psychic ability the character has. Example: x2 mind control. 12: Healer’s Touch Heal 2d6 power points on others PR=4; Heal 2d6 hit points on others. PR=8; Not usable on self 13: Inventive Genius X2 inventing % in one filed of specialty Would have a normal inventing % for everything else but in his one field of specialty that % would be doubled. Example: The Trapster has this for making glue based technology. Professor Steamhead has it for steam technology. 14: Animal Empathy Based on an idea from Matt Keating Animals like you, they really like you. You will always receive a positive reaction from pets and trained animals and untrained/wild animals or guard ‘animals’ must save vs. your C to not be hostile towards you. 15: Minor Telepathy R=1/2. PR=2 per use. Can only link to 4 minds at a time. No probe ability. 16: Photographic Memory The character is able to recall up to 80% of everything they have ever seen, heard or read. Should the character ever wish to ‘bring up’ a memory they simply have to roll 79% or less on 1d100 to recall it. 17: Speed Reading The character can read and comprehend at an incredible rate. They are able to clearly read and understand up to 1/10 pages of information per round (15 seconds) Willpower B: 1: Pain Resistance The character is so tough that he can ignore pain and does not have to make any unconsciousness rolls until dropped to zero hit points. (Think the Undertaker or Cactus Jack) 2: Power Boost +40 to total power score. 3: Agent Training +2 to hit HTH. -2 to be hit in combat while aware and mobile. +2 to hit with all modern firearms. Weakness Detection - Variations 1: Weakness Detection A Works just like Weakness detection in the rules book. 2: Weakness Detection B (Batman option) Same rules as in the V & V book but only vs. known and studied foes. This means you have to Fight the guy at least once and survive but if you do, every time after that you get the modifier when you fight him.

textdata/thevault/Villains & Vigilantes/Extra Material/Villains & Vigilantes New Powers for Villains & Vigilantes.pdf