This is the continuation of the dungeon that began in Web of Ostigaar (4) (map detail here).
Room descriptions (rooms 11-20)
11.The Observatory - This room is full of all sorts of (mostly broken) metal implements and instruments useful for navigation, or the drawing of charts and maps. The ceiling is home to a magical construct, the Star Portal of Oo'Zondra (described here). Of note, in the etheric landscape visible in the Star Portal, there is a wrecked hull of a strange wooden ship, designed to travel amongs the moons, suns, and other astral bodies. Spilling over the side of the wreck, and down into the room, at the rate of 1d3 every 10 rounds (1 turn), are Giant Scorpions (see standard stats here). When the room is visited, there are already 5x of the Giant Scorpions in the room. Toppled and ancient furniture clutters the outer edge of this room, with a round stain dais in the middle. In the corner of the room, there is a large stuffed chair, covered in cobwebs, and with stuffing coming out of the cushions. If the seat is rummaged through, there is a small box, with 2000gp worth of highly polished purple gemstones inside it. The box is locked and trapped, however, and any attempt to handle it roughly (picking, smashing, etc) will result in 1d4 poison needles striking the offender. Each of these will do 1d6+1 damage, save for half.
12. The Cistern - This room consists of a spiral staircase that descends, with the outer edge against rock, and the inner edge open, down 60' to a pool of water. Disturbing the water in any way will bring on the attack of an 8hd Giant Sea Snake (see standard stats here). Down inside the cistern itself, it is 30 feet deep. At the bottom is the skeleton of a dead ogre. He is holding a giant golden key in his hand, which weighs 80 pounds. This could be difficult to lift up through 30 feet of water. If the key does break the surface of the water, it causes a 5d6 lightning bolt to shoot around in the room. All must make a save vs. breath weapon to avoid being hit. If one IS struck, then save vs. spell to avoid half damage.
13. Shrine of the Reptal - This room is dominated by two features. The first is a large stone sarcophagus, in the eastern part of the room. It is a large diamond shaped stone sarcophagus, with an outline carved in the top of a curious reptile-man type figure, with a chameleon head and tail. This is a Reptal, and the sarcophagus is the magical construct, the "Sarcophagus of Wim" (detailed earlier). In the western part of the room is a very large grating on the floor, that leads to a drop shaft that goes down some 60 feet to a chamber of water, contains three greater Filth Prawns (detailed earlier). At the bottom of the pool is a sealed stone urn that contains a bag of holding (empty).
In the room, ready to engage the characters should they enter, are a Dark Elf Captain (she is named "Sidlar U'Zella") and 8 Dark Elf Warriors. Sidlar U'Zella is wearing a curious necklace set with gemstones that glow different colors based on who is wearing it (worth 1000gp). She also is in possession of several magical components, described earlier. She has 1 dose of Revenant Lace, 1 dose of Cat's Paw, and 2 doses of Firecaps. Upon entering combat, she will immediately take the Revenant Lace and the Cat's Paw, rendering her invisible and able to climb walls. She is completely dedicated to the Artaxil Coven, and will fight to the death.
The Dark Elf Warriors have, on average, 200gp worth of jewelry each. Among the group there is a potion of healing, and a potion of extra healing.
All of the Dark Elves - Captain and Warriors - are capable of spell use.
The Dark Elf group has with it a strange chest, bound in iron straps. The straps are held by a strange stone disc (about 2" across) with a spider on it. It is thin, and must be smashed to release the iron straps and open the chest. Once the disc is smashed, if it is not by an Artaxil Dark Elf, it will summon 4 Stone Spiders to attack those who are attempting to open the chest. Inside the chest are 5000gp worth of gems and also an ioun stone that grants the bearer the ability to cast Faerie Fire once per hour.
14. The Charred Room - This room was once adorned with fantastic tapestries of all types, covering the walls. In the past, however, some conflagration burned up the major part of every tapestry. Only charred remains are left hanging on the walls, and covering the floors. The room is otherwise unfurnished. In the room, however, are five large skeletal ogres (ac4, 30hp, thac014, 2 attacks (1d8+3 each), piercing and slashing weapons do half damage). These can be turned by a member of clergy typically able to do so, but treat the skeletal ogres as 4th level undead for this purpose.
15. Meditation Rise - This room slopes up, at a steep angle, from north to south (the highest point). At the southern end, there is a flat area, and there were once open grates in the ceiling opened up to the sky. Since the layers of the city were built over this layer, that has closed up. There is a dead body in the chair below the grate (a sort of throne like chair, but with no special material value or gems or anything out of the ordinary). The body is unremarkable except for the (magical) gold band on the right arm.
As the players may want to ascend the steep ramp up to where the chair is with the dead body, they must climb. It requires 3 checks in all, each check is of 1d20 trying to roll less than the dexterity of the checker. Unfortunately, the whole way, a ghostly arm extending from the armband on the corpse, will attempt to attack the players using a ghostly long sword. The long sword strikes twice per turn, with a thac0 of 11. It will do 1d10+2 damage per strike. The arm has an ac4, cannot be struck by non-magical weapons, and will take 24hp to diactivate.
The armband will summon the arm for whomever is wearing it, and it will be equipped with whatever weapon that person has in the arm of the arm band. It will attack with that weapon, twice per round, with a +2 better than the wearer. It will do damage +2. The ghostly arm does not need to be concentrated on, but if the wielder loses consciousness it is disappears. Deactivating it (by doing 24hp to it) results in the ghost arm being banished for 1d6 turns (10 min each).
16. This is a curious room. First, to the east, there is a section of the room that is separated by a curtain. The curtain is made of very heavy dark blue cloth, and there is a pale white glow coming out from under and on the sides of the curtain. The rest of the room is full of dense clouds of steam. The steam clouds are quite hot, and have peculiar properties that disrupts both infra and ultra vision. Only normal sight works, and it is limited to approximately 10 feet in any one direction. The only thing that can be made out upon entering from the northwest door or the south door is that there is a pale light coming through the mist from the eastern edge (the curtain). In the floor, on the west, the floor all gathers down to a low point, with a grating, to allow any water gathered in the room (from the steam) to run out of the grating, down deep into an underground pool some 100' below. Within the mists, in the western half of the room, there are lurking three blind trolls in the room. They have learned a peculiar troll skill - blind fighting (typically trolls can regenerate lost eyes, but these for some reason cannot). The trolls do not suffer negative effects in combat from the loss of eyesight, but they cannot make distinction between foes, and will always attack the nearest, regardless of the nature of that foe.
Behind the curtain is a large, glowing hot, pillar of stone. It is 3' across the base, and 10' tall (the room ceiling in this room is approximately 12' tall, so the pillar does not go all the way to the ceiling). The top and bottom of the pillar are encircled by a curious white metal. The pillar is a magical construct, the Column of Fa'Tar (detailed earlier). In the corners of the room, aimed at the column, are four hideous statues of feather covered gargoyles, each spitting a stream of water at the column, which explains the presence of the prodigious clouds of steam. Curious note - if the gargoyles are removed from the wall in any way, they will continue to spit out a 15-20 foot stream of water, continuously, absent a dispel magic spell.
17. The Beating Room - This room was evidently originally designed to somehow separate people into groups, now it serves as hideous trap. The two portcullis structures will come slamming down, as soon as they divide the party up into at least two groups. At that point 6 filth prawns will be released into each section, and will attack whatever is there.
18.The Shining Room - There is a curious white globe floating in the middle of the room that gives off enough light (30' radius) to dimly illuminate the entire room. The globe is weightless and can be moved. It will continue to work. In the room is a a large iron chest in the middle of the floor (near the globe, but apparently not related), which is locked. Opening the lock will trigger a poison gas trap that will fill the room. Make a d20 save vs. Constitution to see if breath can be held long enough to leave the room. If passed, character immediately moves to the nearest door in panic, and crosses out of the room. If failed, it means that they are stuck in the room, or didn't move fast enough, and suffer the effects of the gas (jittery and nauseous for 1 hour; lose 1d3 each from Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution; heal one random point back each day, cure disease will cure 1d3 points per day). Beyond the gas trap, the iron chest has 3 platinum bars worth 1000gp each (very heavy, 40# each), and a magic broadsword (constructed by Storm King barbarians, a very long time ago), +2, with Ainark Runes that, if read, reveal (1) that the sword is named Nightfoe, and (2) if the name is uttered when the broadsword strikes the killing blow on an Intelligent foe, it transforms the body into 1d12 Death Birds. If the wielder is of neutral or good alignment, the birds will remain for 2d12 rounds, attacking any foes that the wielder is an enemy of, but the shriek of the birds affects all in range; if the wielder of the sword is rather of evil alignment, then the birds' shriek only affects the enemies of the wielder.
The inhabitants of the room are swirling schools of large toothy fish. They will modestly avoid any characters, as they swim in seemingly meaningless patterns around the room. If one is molested or attacked the fish immediately become hostile. There are enough for 6 to attack each player. They have the following stats:
Airacuda
Num Appearing: 5d6
Alignment: neutral
Movement: Swim (through air) 120'/round
Armor Class: 4 (hard metallic scales)
Hit Dice: 2hd
Attacks: Bite; if successful then automatically do bite damage per round until removed; if not successful, attempt a second Bite attack vs. same target.
Damage: 1d6+3
Save: F2
Morale: 9
19. Mantis Room - Five Thri-Kreen (see stats here) have taken up residence in here. The grating over the floor opening (the whole room slopes down to this opening) has been pushed aside, and the Thri-Kreen have obviously climbed up out of the deep shaft, that 60' down opens up into underground cisterns. The Thri-Kreen have a side cave, leading to a compound of their nest/hive; it is down about 30' in the shaft. One of the mantis-men has a strange pot hanging around his neck, it is obviously very expensive, but not of Thri-Kreen manufacture. If the party somehow enters the cave that the nest/hive of the Thri-Kreen are from, they will find an ancient burial crypt, with a half dozen of sarcophagi, each having 3 or 4 of the very expensive pots arranged on it. Each pot (there are 20 in all) is worth 1000gp. In the room, however, there are 3 mummies (see stats here) that will work to defend the pots against any warm blooded invaders.
20. Copper Room - The walls of this room are lined in copper, and there are strange astronomical symbols etched on them in acid. The copper is untarnished and highly polished. Standing the middle of the room are two tall stone humanoids, with wings wrapped around them, and covering their face. Touching either the statues or the copper will awaken the two Gargoyles (see stats here) that will attack fiercely and without hesitation.
Showing posts with label dungeons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dungeons. Show all posts
Sep 9, 2012
Jun 22, 2012
Khomaes Adventure - Cult of the White Shadow
There are are very interesting forces at work in Khomaes. Although the Barony (which includes the city) is ruled by a nominally good member of Westroner society, Baron Aldra Ap Iaggio, there are forces within the city that are far from anything recognizable as Westroner culture. A broad, but unorganized, subculture of different groups exist within the city, some of them religious, some with more earthly gains. One of the most bizarre, however, is the Cult of the White Shadow. An encounter by the player characters with this cult would probably be a dangerous one, but one where good characters would probably seek to harm the cult, and its leaders, in any way possible.
This secret organization draws its members from among the families of the wealthy nobility, and yet preys on the members of the poor and dispossessed classes. The members are typically 2nd and 3rd sons and daughters (and others, further removed from being first son or daughter), that are likely not to partake of the inherited positions of authority and power within those families. These are drawn into the Cult, and typically have little loyalty to the culture that has little room for them. It should not be thought that all of the sons and daughters of these families that don't stand to inherit will immediately become members of this or that cult, it is only a small percentage. But a high percentage of the recruits of the Cult do come from these situations.
The cult believes that it has found a way to contact servitors of one of the deities of the Old Ones. In this case, it is the Lady of Air, and her servant is the White Shadow. The White Shadow (according to the Cult) is an ethereal creature (actually from the shadow dimensions, but they are similar in characteristics to the ethereal plane) that seeks to bring about changes to the material plane, such that all beings, especially those with a brain, are subject to the Lady of Air, and her desire to bring an end to stultifying order, and overly shackling concepts of law. In truth the doctrine is quite complicated, and under close scrutiny (like most Cults) does not seem logical. The Cultists, however, don't seem to mind.
One of the main activities of the Cult is the summoning of Shadow Wyrms, which are supposed to make the way open for the White Shadow to arrive. These Shadow Wyrms are infernal creatures, not resident to the world of the Valley, but must be summoned by magical means. It is the belief of the Cult that those means include the sacrifice of young maidens, and the gathering of those maidens is the main business of the cult, within the city.
The activities of the Cult occasionally arise throughout the city, and there have been several Paladins and Clerics of various orders within the Church that have sought to stamp it out, but it arises again, and again in spite of such efforts. Currently, the headquarters of the Cult are located in a series of chambers, carved out of the rock of Dancer's Spike, entered via secret passage from the villa of a certain noble famly, the home of Lady Rema. Lady Arabelle Siago Rema herself (an elderly noble woman) is a member of the cult, but other than hosting the "dungeons" where they are headquartered, has little to do with the day to day abduction and murder activities. She does, however, maintain a social circle of various nobles that are involved.
A map of the chambers is given here, with a key below.
A. Golden Chamber - This is the main room of the cultists when they gather. As a precaution against non cultists entering here, there are a number of pillars in the room, which are charmed to produce guardian Shadow Creatures. These apparently appear in direct proportion to the number of invaders that enter the room.
Each round someone comes into the room, 1d3 shadow creatures appear. There are 12 pillars, so the maximum number of creatures that can appear in one round is 12.
Smashing the pillars will cause them to cease working. They are made out of amberstone. The base of each pillar has a gold collar around it, worth approximately 300gp each.
B. Storage Room - This is the room where the cultists keep their weapons, used for kidnapping and killing. It has several racks in it, all containing a variety of bladed weapons, from push daggers, on up to short swords (nothing larger).
In the room, located up near the ceiling, there are two air sharks swirling around. These are the trained pets of the weapons master, and will attack anyone else who enters the room.
If the racks are emptied, hidden inside one (which is not apparent unless all the weapons are removed) there is a hidden magical short sword, which is +2 to hit and damage, and which does double damage vs. elves of all sorts.
C. Guardian Room - This room is never entered by normal members of the cult, nor would they progress to the chambers beyond here (E,F,G,H). In this room are two rot-trolls, which will attack any who enter who are not bearing the gold White Shadow pendant that senior members of the cult bear. They will not stir from this room, nor will they allow any to pass it while they are still "alive". A golden lined fountain against the southern wall sparkles out a flowing supply of special unholy water. It provides healing (as a potion of healing, 1d6+4 hp) to characters and beings of an evil alignment (the rot-trolls know this, and won't hesitate to drink from the fountain in the midst of a fight, should they need to). It, however, acts as acid vs any characters or creatures of a lawful good or chaotic good alignment. Those of a neutral alignment (true neutral, lawful neutral, or chaotic neutral) are unaffected by the unholy water.
D. Prison Room - This room contains a large iron cage in the middle of the floor, with approximately 8 wretches crammed into it, who are awaiting sacrifice. These are all young women, mostly taken from the low city, who have had their minds tampered with. Sadly, due to diabolical magical treatment, they are no longer aware of their surroundings, or what is happening to them, and are only vessels of life in the most academic sense. Guarding the room, are 6 Shadow Creatures.
E. Fetid Room - This is a room full of a curious fungus fungus room. There is a curious growth, covering all surfaces in here (which includes the walls, ceiling, floor, several stone benches, and a fetid pool in a low-walled (12") enclosure, about 8 feet across, in the middle of the room. All those surfaces have a weird sort of orange fungus growing on it, which will (if it senses body heat nearby), emit a strange orange fog that will not only affect all in the room, but also all those within 10 feet of the doors to the room, even if those doors are shut.
The orange fog disrupts magic. It has a chance to disrupt the magical properties of items (roll, once per property, percentile dice. A roll of 25 or less means the property is negated for a period of 1d4 hours. Artifact level items are not so affected). It can make spell casters forget their spells, or lose their ability to channel divine magic. If a magic user, make a save vs. spell. If it is failed, then 1d4+1 spells (random from among those memorized) that are currently memorized, are forgotten (i.e. can not be cast without re-memorizing). If a cleric, make a save vs. spell. If it is failed, then lose the ability to cast 1d4+1 cleric spells (random levels) for the rest of the day. In addition, the orange fog (unless a save vs. paralyzation is made) will render the victim "attractive" to the Shadow Snakes in room G.
The pool, if disturbed (it has a surface crust of the orange fungus' spoors), will cause two great shelled giant rotting filth-prawns to rise up out of the muck, and begin to attack (and inject with their damned magical larvae) any in the room.
F. Nursery Chamber - In this room is a giant larval grub (15' long, 8' high and 8' wide) of a greater mist walker. It is being tended to by six Cultists (3 Swords of the Shadow; 1 Mind of the Shadow; 2 Flames of the Shadow) at any one time. These are senior cultists, and at least two of them are (in addition to their normal stats, see below) also trained as 7th level necromancers. The sole duty of the Cultists is to take care of the grub, and not to enter combat in other areas of the dungeon.
The grub, if attacked, can be killed without difficulty (it only requires some repeated hacking, for approximately 1d6+6 rounds). The problem with this is, that the juices and fluids that will spray forth from the grub will affect all in the room, as per the Mental Lash of a lesser Mist Walker.
If the cultists are killed, or if the Grub is attacked, then the giant Grub will flail about, seeking to crush all in the room. Each turn in the room with the flailing Grub, all who are smaller than Large size, must make a saving throw vs. petrification, or suffer 2d8 damage from being rolled on and crushed by the ponderous Grub. This is in addition to any save required because of spraying juices or fluids. If anyone is paralyzed, due to spraying fluids, then they suffer a -2 to their saving throw attempt to avoid being crushed.
The cultists each wear a gold pendant, the sort that will allow passage beyond the rot-trolls of room C. These are worth, in gold, approximately 150 gp each. Selling them in the city of Khomaes, however, is likely to arouse suspicion, and perhaps prompt a visit from cult assassins.
G. Portal Room - This room contains the portal, guarded though it is, to the treasure room of this dungeon. The center of this room has, on the floor, a round slab of marble, with a carved magical circle on it, that serves as a portal. Activating the portal consists of putting on the curious bone helmet sitting on a pedestal, within arm's length of the magical circle, and then standing on the circle.
Hanging from the ceiling,in all parts of the room other than the very center where the magical circle is, are thick, rubbery tentacle-like roots hanging from the ceiling, having forced their way through the rocky ceiling, and now filling the room.
Swirling around, through the air, and among the tentacles, are a half dozen (6) Shadow Snakes. These will give attack preference to anyone who still bears the orange fungus gas from room E.
If metal weapons are used in combat against the Shadow Snakes, the tentacles will react, and begin spraying a protective mist into the room, which is a light acid spray. Everyone in the room during a round when metal weapons are used (and the immediate round following) has to make a dexterity save (d20 vs dexterity) in order to avoid a thick discharge of the acidic mist. Failure means an acid attack (2d4 first round, 1d4 for two following rounds; save vs. poison for half damage).
There are several niches in the walls around the room (which have to be looked for specifically, because the tentacles from the ceiling will hide them from casual observation). The niches each contain an urn, most of which are full of poisonous insects (no real attack, can be smashed handily, but save vs. poison to avoid a nuisance bite, if save is failed, then take 1d3 poison, and the irritant gives -1 to all attacks for two days). There is one urn (random) that contains gemstones worth 3000 gp.
Standing on the magical circle, while wearing the helmet, will activate the teleportation form this room to room K (the only way to enter room K is via this portal). The actual teleportation takes 1d6 rounds, during which time the person being teleported is subjected to acid sprays (save as usual) from the tentacles, and can be attacked by the Shadow Snakes.
H. White Room. - This room is empty, and is painted white throughout. There are blood stains on the floor, and bits of rotting flesh in the corner of the room.
J. Entrance. - This is the entrance to the Cult dungeon. It is found at the end of a long secret passage, from a hidden room at Lady Rema's villa. There are casks of wine stashed here, as well as a pile of clothing, and normal city garb. On the wall are a number of peg hooks, each holding one or two grey robes, with hoods. These are the garbs of the cultists.
K. Audience Chamber. - Upon being teleported into this room from G., the room takes on a curious glow once the inhabitant is standing in it. That glow slowly fades to black, and then stars appear all around the person in the chamber. It appears as if they are not standing on anything, but are suspended in deep space. From out of the space, comes a hideous, gigantic white creature, like a huge (miles long?) body of a great white moth's body. The flesh on top of the worm is rotting, and flaking off into space, and the legs are apparently groping. The gigantic wings are rotting through here and there. The face of the thing is shockingly horrible - looking like a great abomination of a woman's head, but deformed in horrible ways. The face sees the victim, and the great wretched, fetid creature begins gyrating towards the person in the chamber. It will seek to communicate telepathically, but since it is so alien, yet strong, it has a chance of damaging the mind.
This has a huge potential of affecting the individual negatively. First, make a save vs. spell, to see if the mind is damaged. If the save is failed, lose 1d3 Intelligence and 1d3 Wisdom. Next, make a save vs death magic. If this is failed, then the alignment of the victim is affected. First, test the law/neutral/chaos axis - roll 1d6. On a 1-3, the alignment shifts one slot towards chaos. Then test the good/neutral/evil axis - again roll 1d6, on a 1-3 the alignment shifts one slot towards evil. These changes can be overcome over time, but will affect the character's behavior in the short term (several weeks). Finally, there is a chance that the character, in being touched by the creature in space, will be affected by exposure to the magic of that being. Roll a test vs. Intelligence. If this is passed (use the modified Intelligence, if it was lowered), then the character has learned some secrets of the creature's magic. The character now has a chance to learn 1d6 spells that would normally be accessible by a necromancer. Randomize which spells, and then roll (based on the character's intelligence) the chance to know that spell. After all this, the character takes 3d6 psychic damage, but is returned to room G. Unless the character passes a Wisdom test, he/she will be in a coma for two days.
If the character, at any point, removes the helmet, then the connection is broken. Immediately take 6d6 psychic damage, and return to room G. Also make a Wisdom test to avoid coma, but if failed, then this coma lasts 4 days.
Next posting will include stats on the following creatures from this dungeon:
Dec 6, 2010
1st level of the Dungeon underneath the Forest Abbey of the Hedgehog People
If you like the old school look (genuine vintage TSR looking maps), and you like doing digital map drawings, then I can recommend (from my experience) nothing finer than Dungeon Crafter. I prefer the old 1.4.1 version, and there are some excellent tile downloads available over at Dragonsfoot.
Anyway, following that paradigm, here is the map for the first "dungeon" level of Finch Abbey. The location of the adventure I will be running at MarsCon. I use the word dungeon hesitantly, because while it is the first level an adventurer would recognize as such beneath the good abbey, there are also two basement levels below the abbey. So this guy is pretty far underground for starters.
As far as inhabitants go - that will have to wait until after the convention, before I post it here.
Anyway, following that paradigm, here is the map for the first "dungeon" level of Finch Abbey. The location of the adventure I will be running at MarsCon. I use the word dungeon hesitantly, because while it is the first level an adventurer would recognize as such beneath the good abbey, there are also two basement levels below the abbey. So this guy is pretty far underground for starters.
As far as inhabitants go - that will have to wait until after the convention, before I post it here.
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| Dungeon level 1, beneath Finch Abbey |
Nov 28, 2010
Week of Encounters Day 5: Living Skulls of the Purple Marsh
This encounter takes place in the Darkearth Plains region of the Valley. It takes place just north of the Great River, where the Jazzan Mountains can be seen to the south, and the Harp Woods spread out to the North.
On the northern banks of the Great River, as it passes just east of the Jazzan Mountains, near the Harp woods, there is a swampy expanse that stretches for approximately 25 miles along the river. This swamp is called the Purple Marsh, named long ago for the semi-aquatic Narreck trees that clog the waterways of the swamp (the Narreck, when they flower, produce a purple floss that becomes airborne in the spring winds, and spread the growth of the trees).
The locals from the fishing villages that owe fealty to the Barony of Khomaes have long known that they should give the Marsh a wide miss. It is widely known that the normal dangerous Marsh inhabitants (trolls, lizardmen, dangerous large aquatic grazers such as the catoblepas and so on) are present, but these rarely leave the marsh to raid surrounding areas. When they do, the fighting men of Khomaes, led by Knights of the White Lady, often arise to contain the threat, and keep it limited to the marsh itself. The area is too large, and largely impassable to military units, for the soldiery to clear out the marsh - but they can keep the dangerous inhabitants contained.
Recently, numerous trading cogs from areas west of the Jazzan have been attacked by a string of piracy in the area of the Marsh. The Player Characters, traveling through the area, come across the wreckage of a cog that has washed up on shore. It was attacked, and the crew mostly killed, but a few survivors are found with the wreckage. They talk about an attack by a pirate ship that came out of the morning mists on the Great River, as the cog passed by a part of the Purple Marsh. The cog was carrying a heavy cargo of expensive clothes and other luxury items, meant for trade in Khomaes and Gorrem river towns. These trade goods have all disappeared. The player characters should be given a sense that tracking down the pirates will be quite profitable for them.
The survivors will describe the pirates as living men (human fighting men and thieves), but with skulls for heads. Living Skulls with no flesh, no skin, no eyes - but attached to the body and capable of a rude speech. The players have no concept of these skull men, nor have they encountered anything like it before.
Living Skull
Num Appearing: Special (created creature)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Movement: 60'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2d (10 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (claw) or by weapon
Damage: 1d6 - or by weapon (claws are 40% poisoned)
Save: F2
Morale: special (commanded creatures)
Special Abilities: Similar to undead - can be controlled by Evil priests and clerics, but cannot but turned by Good or Neutral priests and clerics.
The claws of a Living Skull are poisoned 40% of the time. Every time a claw attack scores, there is a 40% chance that it is poisonous (does an additional 1d3 points of damage per round, for 1d6 additional rounds - save for half as many rounds).
Living Skulls are supernaturally strong, even if they are slow (if using initiative rules, they suffer are -2 slower than a typical human). Their strength gives them +1 to hit in combat with weapons, and +2 damage when using weapons.
The searching and investigating of the players should lead them to a watery inlet into the Purple Marsh, that goes to a protected lake, surrounded by small islands and ridges of dry land, but the whole area is thickly forested with Narreck trees. The region is full of primitive bands of hunting lizardmen who are always seeking a source of fresh meat. On one of the larger dry land ridges at the edge of the lake, there is a small walled village, with some simple piers stretching into the lake. There are several galleys (the sort that would make good piracy vessels) moored here.
The village appears deserted. There are some wild denizens of the Marsh who have moved in where pirates and brigands once dwelt. Nearby is a solitary stone structure (all else is made of wood and bamboo), a squat round tower, with a large bronze brazier (25' across) on the exposed top floor. Examining this reveals that there is a dungeon complex underneath. Several layers, magically constructed, lined with marble and extending deep underground, past the water table levels of the swamp. Some areas of the dungeon are dry, and some are intentionally flooded as pools.
Within the dungeon is a society of cultists of the ancient Old Ones' deity, the "One beneath the Waves". These deranged beings seek to draw their deity back to the world, in order to destroy it. They have taken up with a clan of Kuo Toa (who dwell in the dungeon as well, within the flooded chambers, and elsewhere), and have perfected and cast a spell on the inhabitants of the brigand village on the surface. All of the men (and women and children - although the latter were mostly eaten by the cultists in cannibalistic rites) were transformed into "skull men" - mindless servants that are enslaved to the cult and do its bidding. These are strange hybrids of life and undeath, but are immune to the religious sway that modern priests and clerics would have over normal undead. While slow, like most undead, they fight very well and are persistent to the point of destruction.
The dungeons under the tower are quite well stocked with treasures of both the normal and magical types, and exploration of the site by the Player Characters would prove quite valuable. What to do with the knowledge of the Cult and their macabre invention is up to them.
Living Skulls are created by EHP's of the cult of the "One Beneath the Waves". It is a level 6 spell, taught only to priests of the cult, and it works as follows:
Create Living Skulls (spell)
Level: 6
Duration: Permanent
Range: 30'
This spell turns incapacitated humans (it only works on humans) into Living Skulls. The created beings have no memory of their pre-converted life. The process removes all skin, hair, eyes, brain, muscle etc from the head, leaving an exposed skull. The created beings respond to simple commands (as with other simple undead) from their creator, although this can be a command to transfer their allegience (such as "Obey Igor").
The number of humans converted per application of the spell is equal to 1d6 plus the caster's level. All of the humans to be converted must be incapacitated (sleeping, knocked out, tied up, or something similar), and within the range of the spell.
On the northern banks of the Great River, as it passes just east of the Jazzan Mountains, near the Harp woods, there is a swampy expanse that stretches for approximately 25 miles along the river. This swamp is called the Purple Marsh, named long ago for the semi-aquatic Narreck trees that clog the waterways of the swamp (the Narreck, when they flower, produce a purple floss that becomes airborne in the spring winds, and spread the growth of the trees).
The locals from the fishing villages that owe fealty to the Barony of Khomaes have long known that they should give the Marsh a wide miss. It is widely known that the normal dangerous Marsh inhabitants (trolls, lizardmen, dangerous large aquatic grazers such as the catoblepas and so on) are present, but these rarely leave the marsh to raid surrounding areas. When they do, the fighting men of Khomaes, led by Knights of the White Lady, often arise to contain the threat, and keep it limited to the marsh itself. The area is too large, and largely impassable to military units, for the soldiery to clear out the marsh - but they can keep the dangerous inhabitants contained.
Recently, numerous trading cogs from areas west of the Jazzan have been attacked by a string of piracy in the area of the Marsh. The Player Characters, traveling through the area, come across the wreckage of a cog that has washed up on shore. It was attacked, and the crew mostly killed, but a few survivors are found with the wreckage. They talk about an attack by a pirate ship that came out of the morning mists on the Great River, as the cog passed by a part of the Purple Marsh. The cog was carrying a heavy cargo of expensive clothes and other luxury items, meant for trade in Khomaes and Gorrem river towns. These trade goods have all disappeared. The player characters should be given a sense that tracking down the pirates will be quite profitable for them.
The survivors will describe the pirates as living men (human fighting men and thieves), but with skulls for heads. Living Skulls with no flesh, no skin, no eyes - but attached to the body and capable of a rude speech. The players have no concept of these skull men, nor have they encountered anything like it before.
Living SkullNum Appearing: Special (created creature)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Movement: 60'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2d (10 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 (claw) or by weapon
Damage: 1d6 - or by weapon (claws are 40% poisoned)
Save: F2
Morale: special (commanded creatures)
Special Abilities: Similar to undead - can be controlled by Evil priests and clerics, but cannot but turned by Good or Neutral priests and clerics.
The claws of a Living Skull are poisoned 40% of the time. Every time a claw attack scores, there is a 40% chance that it is poisonous (does an additional 1d3 points of damage per round, for 1d6 additional rounds - save for half as many rounds).
Living Skulls are supernaturally strong, even if they are slow (if using initiative rules, they suffer are -2 slower than a typical human). Their strength gives them +1 to hit in combat with weapons, and +2 damage when using weapons.
The searching and investigating of the players should lead them to a watery inlet into the Purple Marsh, that goes to a protected lake, surrounded by small islands and ridges of dry land, but the whole area is thickly forested with Narreck trees. The region is full of primitive bands of hunting lizardmen who are always seeking a source of fresh meat. On one of the larger dry land ridges at the edge of the lake, there is a small walled village, with some simple piers stretching into the lake. There are several galleys (the sort that would make good piracy vessels) moored here.
The village appears deserted. There are some wild denizens of the Marsh who have moved in where pirates and brigands once dwelt. Nearby is a solitary stone structure (all else is made of wood and bamboo), a squat round tower, with a large bronze brazier (25' across) on the exposed top floor. Examining this reveals that there is a dungeon complex underneath. Several layers, magically constructed, lined with marble and extending deep underground, past the water table levels of the swamp. Some areas of the dungeon are dry, and some are intentionally flooded as pools.
Within the dungeon is a society of cultists of the ancient Old Ones' deity, the "One beneath the Waves". These deranged beings seek to draw their deity back to the world, in order to destroy it. They have taken up with a clan of Kuo Toa (who dwell in the dungeon as well, within the flooded chambers, and elsewhere), and have perfected and cast a spell on the inhabitants of the brigand village on the surface. All of the men (and women and children - although the latter were mostly eaten by the cultists in cannibalistic rites) were transformed into "skull men" - mindless servants that are enslaved to the cult and do its bidding. These are strange hybrids of life and undeath, but are immune to the religious sway that modern priests and clerics would have over normal undead. While slow, like most undead, they fight very well and are persistent to the point of destruction.
The dungeons under the tower are quite well stocked with treasures of both the normal and magical types, and exploration of the site by the Player Characters would prove quite valuable. What to do with the knowledge of the Cult and their macabre invention is up to them.
Living Skulls are created by EHP's of the cult of the "One Beneath the Waves". It is a level 6 spell, taught only to priests of the cult, and it works as follows:
Create Living Skulls (spell)
Level: 6
Duration: Permanent
Range: 30'
This spell turns incapacitated humans (it only works on humans) into Living Skulls. The created beings have no memory of their pre-converted life. The process removes all skin, hair, eyes, brain, muscle etc from the head, leaving an exposed skull. The created beings respond to simple commands (as with other simple undead) from their creator, although this can be a command to transfer their allegience (such as "Obey Igor").
The number of humans converted per application of the spell is equal to 1d6 plus the caster's level. All of the humans to be converted must be incapacitated (sleeping, knocked out, tied up, or something similar), and within the range of the spell.
Nov 27, 2010
Week of Encounters Day 4: Terror of the Stoatmen
This encounter takes place in the Wychwood region of the Valley. It could be just about anywhere that an untended forest exists, but here it is placed in the northern parts of the forest stretching along the Great River, just across from where the Greywater joins the Great River.
The player characters, while crossing a patch of woods on their way to a village for the night, come across a camp site that has been attacked. A storm as come up at the last minute, and what should have been the last hour of sunlight is rapidly darkening. The travelers are all dead, and their equipment has been taken. Worse, some of them, and their dead horses, have been partially eaten.
While examining the bodies, all of a sudden, a hail of arrows rains down on the party. Each member of the party is shot at twice per round, by a suitable number of Stoat archers who have climbed up high in the surrounding trees.
After the second round of this shooting, and whatever response the players offer up, some trap doors in the forest floor open up and 8 stoatmen warriors emerge to viciously attack the players.
Stoatmen Warriors
Num Appearing: 2-16
Alignment: neutral evil
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1d+1 (6 h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite), or 1 weapon (preferred)
Damage: 1d4; 1d4; 1d6 - or by weapon (scimitar or short bow are common)
Save: T1
Morale:9
Special Abilities: Climbing and Burrowing.
Stoatmen are Forest Folk, and as such have no souls. They are considered a cursed race.
The Stoatmen favor man's flesh for food, but will stoop to eat dwarves, elves, or even horses. The group of Stoatmen archers in the trees will stop firing once their comrades emerge from the warren, and will descend the trees to aid in the attack (mostly because they fear missing out on any meat).
There is a leader of this group of Stoatmen, named Bloodfang, who will unleash a sack of poisonous snakes into the combat if things begin going bad. These snakes attack as 2HD monsters, but only have 3 hit points. If they successfully attack, there is no damage, but a 50% chance of affecting the victim as per a sleep spell (save vs. poison).
If the Stoatmen are vanquished, then their warren holes can be explored. All but one of them are just simple ambush holes, however one leads to a small warren complex with three rooms, in succesion.
The first room has a Stoatwoman Witch (4th level MU) with two pet giant badgers.
Giant Badgers
Num Appearing: 1-4
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (22h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite) plus disease
Damage: 1d3+1; 1d3+1; 1d8
Save: F2
Morale:9
Will fight past death (until -10 hit points). If the giant badger scores a bite hit, then it will hang on and do an additional 1d6 points until removed or slain.
The second room has a bunch of stoatmen young feeding on a stash of rotting bodies of farmers and travellers.
The third room has a board of wood over the door, once removed those opening the door are attacked by two very large coyote spiders.
Coyote Spiders
Num Appearing: 1-2 (underground only)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (20h.p.)
Attacks: 1, plus poison
Damage: 1d6
Save: F3
Morale:8
The coyote spider, if it scores a hit, injects a very potent poison. Unless the victim makes a saving throw vs. poison, they will start screaming horribly in pain, and spasming uncontrollably. This forces all of the rest of his comrades to make a saving throw vs. fear or they will flee the area. The spasming and screaming lasts for 1d3+1 rounds, but after the first round his comrades are immune to the fear. Each new victim, however, causes a save to be made. During the period of spasming, etc. the victim suffers a -4 on all combat rolls, and also a +4 to foes to score a hit.
If the spiders are slain, then the last room in the warren is revealed to have a treasure of 1,200 g.p. worth of jewelry, coins, and valuables in it.
The player characters, while crossing a patch of woods on their way to a village for the night, come across a camp site that has been attacked. A storm as come up at the last minute, and what should have been the last hour of sunlight is rapidly darkening. The travelers are all dead, and their equipment has been taken. Worse, some of them, and their dead horses, have been partially eaten.
While examining the bodies, all of a sudden, a hail of arrows rains down on the party. Each member of the party is shot at twice per round, by a suitable number of Stoat archers who have climbed up high in the surrounding trees.
After the second round of this shooting, and whatever response the players offer up, some trap doors in the forest floor open up and 8 stoatmen warriors emerge to viciously attack the players.
Stoatmen Warriors
Num Appearing: 2-16
Alignment: neutral evil
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1d+1 (6 h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite), or 1 weapon (preferred)
Damage: 1d4; 1d4; 1d6 - or by weapon (scimitar or short bow are common)
Save: T1
Morale:9
Special Abilities: Climbing and Burrowing.
Stoatmen are Forest Folk, and as such have no souls. They are considered a cursed race.
The Stoatmen favor man's flesh for food, but will stoop to eat dwarves, elves, or even horses. The group of Stoatmen archers in the trees will stop firing once their comrades emerge from the warren, and will descend the trees to aid in the attack (mostly because they fear missing out on any meat).
There is a leader of this group of Stoatmen, named Bloodfang, who will unleash a sack of poisonous snakes into the combat if things begin going bad. These snakes attack as 2HD monsters, but only have 3 hit points. If they successfully attack, there is no damage, but a 50% chance of affecting the victim as per a sleep spell (save vs. poison).
If the Stoatmen are vanquished, then their warren holes can be explored. All but one of them are just simple ambush holes, however one leads to a small warren complex with three rooms, in succesion.
The first room has a Stoatwoman Witch (4th level MU) with two pet giant badgers.
Giant Badgers
Num Appearing: 1-4
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (22h.p.)
Attacks: 3 (claw, claw, bite) plus disease
Damage: 1d3+1; 1d3+1; 1d8
Save: F2
Morale:9
Will fight past death (until -10 hit points). If the giant badger scores a bite hit, then it will hang on and do an additional 1d6 points until removed or slain.
The second room has a bunch of stoatmen young feeding on a stash of rotting bodies of farmers and travellers.
The third room has a board of wood over the door, once removed those opening the door are attacked by two very large coyote spiders.
Coyote Spiders
Num Appearing: 1-2 (underground only)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: 90'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4d (20h.p.)
Attacks: 1, plus poison
Damage: 1d6
Save: F3
Morale:8
The coyote spider, if it scores a hit, injects a very potent poison. Unless the victim makes a saving throw vs. poison, they will start screaming horribly in pain, and spasming uncontrollably. This forces all of the rest of his comrades to make a saving throw vs. fear or they will flee the area. The spasming and screaming lasts for 1d3+1 rounds, but after the first round his comrades are immune to the fear. Each new victim, however, causes a save to be made. During the period of spasming, etc. the victim suffers a -4 on all combat rolls, and also a +4 to foes to score a hit.
If the spiders are slain, then the last room in the warren is revealed to have a treasure of 1,200 g.p. worth of jewelry, coins, and valuables in it.
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