Adventure Backdrop: Deep Roads
I’ve been playing a lot of the computer game Dragon Age: Origins recently and I’ve really enjoyed the great writing of the game: they really put together a deep and interesting history for the game’s setting. One of the elements of this history keeps inspiring me with adventure ideas and encounters every time I think about it: The Deep Roads.
In the game’s history the dwarven people once had a vast underground empire. The cities of this empire were connected by a massive series of tunnels that the dwarves had dug and that spanned hundreds of miles underground.
This idea, a series of underground highways, just keeps inspiring me as a DM. What heroic adventures must have been undertaken as those roads were first carved? What difficulties must have faced those undertaking the creation of such an ambitious work? What troubles and opportunities did the Deep Roads create during the heyday of the dwarven empire? And after the empire’s fall, when the deep roads were lost to them, taken over by horrors from below, what opportunities for adventure do they present? Who could resist the lure of the lost treasures of a dwarven empire? What needful items might be lost down their dark and crumbling avenues?
In the coming days I will be posting some encounters, creatures, and adventure seeds that take place against this inspiring backdrop. For today, I refer you to one of the creatures that slithers along the dark passages of the underdark: the Crawling Drake.
Crawling Drake
This creature’s common name is something of a misnomer, as this dragon-like creature has no legs, just a scaly, sinuous, serpentine body and a pair of muscular wings. Able to rise and strike by propping itself up with its wings, these drakes deliver vicious wounds with their snapping jaws.
The origin of their species is speculated to be a mixture of dark things of the underlands, such as a corruption of fang dragon touched by creatures from the outer realms of cruelty and madness. Able to speak a few words of broken draconic and undercommon, crawling drakes are not especially intelligent, but they are tremendously fearsome, nasty and cruel.
Crawling drakes are crafty combatants and adept stalkers, and so will ambush their prey when possible. Once they pick a target, they will attempt to crush them in their coils while delivering bite after bite. If possible they will attack the weakest-looking member of a group first.
Presented below is the wyrmling version of this monstrosity, as it is encountered while still young and relatively small.
Wyrmling Crawling Drake Level 5 Elite Lurker
Medium Aberrant Magical Beast (Reptile)- XP 400
Initiative +11 Senses Perception +9
HP 96; Bloodied 48
AC 19 Fortitude 17, Reflex 18, Will 16
Vulnerable 5 poison
Saving Throws +2
Speed 4, fly 8
Action Points 1
Powers
Venomus Bite – At-Will, Standard Action, Poison
+10 vs AC, 1d10 + 4 damage, the target is grabbed, and make a secondary attack:
Secondary Attack – Venom
+8 vs Fortitude, 1d6 + 4 posion damage and ongoing 5 poison damage (Save Ends).
Crushing Coils – At-Will, Minor Action
Target must be grabbed
+8 vs Fortitude, 3d8 + 4 damage and the target is weakened until the end of its next turn.
Hypnotic Coils – Immediate Interrupt when Attacked, One target within close blast 5, Recharge 4-6
As you prepare to strike the loathsome beast, its moving coils cause a sudden disorienting vertigo.
+6 vs Will, the target is dazed (save ends) and takes -4 on the triggering attack’s to-hit roll.
Alignment Evil – Languages some Undercommon, Draconic
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +12
Str 18 (+6) Dex 21 (+7) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 12 (+3) Int 9 (+1) Cha 9 (+1)
A character knows the following about crawling drakes with the following Dungeoneering skill checks:
DC 15: These large aberrant reptiles, called Crawling Drakes by the dwarves, are dangerous hunters of the caverns below the surface.
DC 20: Crawling Drakes use a venomous bite and their crushing coils to kill their prey, and have strangely hypnotic power over men’s minds.
DC 25: Ironically, though venomous, Crawling Drakes are themselves particularly susceptible to poison.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged creature origin: far realms, creature type: magical beast, creature: heroic lurker, Fantasy by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Phylactery of Faithfulness
This small container holds pieces of parchment bearing holy tracts. Worn tied to the head with leather straps it serves as a constant reminder of your god’s commandments.
Level 8
3,400 gold
Head Slot Item
Effect: while worn this item gives a +2 sacred bonus to your Will defense against attacks with the Charm keyword.
Power (At-Will, Standard Action): by praying to your god for guidance, you learn weather a stated course of action will violate your god’s code of conduct or offend your god’s principals.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged equipment: magic helm by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Altar of Transfixion
Altar of Transfixion
Level 5 Warder (500 XP)
The ziggurat altar ahead has a swirling aura about it, oscillating wildly in scintillating patterns.
Trap: This shrine is linked to the Abyss, and attempts to daze those in its area of of effect while its allies strike.
Perception: No skill check required.
Additional Skills: Religion
DC 20: PC recognizes the altar.
DC 30: PC can read the runes on the altar.
Trigger: An enemy approaches within 3 squares.
Free Action, One enemy within Close Burst 3 Attack: +10 vs. Will
Hit: Target is pulled 1 square and dazed (save ends)
Countermeasure: An adjacent character can disable the trap with a DC 24 Thievery check or a DC 24 Religion check (with a holy symbol).
Additional Description: Runes run along the steps of the ziggurat spelling out the name “Tharizdun” in Abyssal and the horrors that he inspires.
Additional Effect: If Tharizdun’s name is uttered in Abyssal in the aura of the altar, the altar makes an attack at +10 vs. Will against all enemies within close burst 3, dealing 3d10 damage to all affected.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged trap: heroic warder by Adam A. Thompson with 1 comment.
Mirror & Door Puzzle
Everyone loves puzzles thrown into their games every now and then. They provide an opportunity to stretch the player’s brain-muscles in a different way, and can really draw the players into the adventure by giving them a compelling reason to explore their surroundings carefully. This area is a locked and warded room with a puzzle-locked door and a couple of trapped items.
Comfortable furniture adorns this room – a chair and small table with a lit oil lamp, and a closed wooden chest. On the walls hang several paintings of priests ministering to the needy, and a small framed mirror hangs on the west wall. Other than the door you entered by two closed doors lead out – one north and one east.
Upon the false door to the north and the empty chest are magical petrification traps (Hard DC Thievery or Arcana check to spot, DC hard + 5 Thievery to disarm) for intruders that trigger when opened – blackness pours out and attacks at +(Level -2) vs Fortitude, on a hit the target is slowed (save ends), on first failed save target is immobilized (save ends), on second failed save target is petrified.
This door is arcane locked (DC Level + 26 Thievery or strength to open) with an inscription: “I am deaf, dumb and blind, but I always tell the truth” Reading the inscription phonetically backwards opens the door.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged puzzle; trap: warder (variable level) by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Abysm’s Dread Kraken
Deep beneath the waves of the oceans of Abysm, Demogorgon’s realm in the Abyss, lurks a creature of unfathomable might. Spawned and nurtured by the Sibilant Beast, Drigular is to a squid what Demogorgon is to a monkey. Drigular will rise to the surface at his master’s bidding to whelm and destroy intruders on Demogorgon’s waters.
Drigular
Size/Type: Colossal Magical Beast (Aquatic, evil, outsider)
Initiative: +4
Hit Dice: 44d10+484 (726 hp)
Armor Class: 28 (-8 size, +26 natural), touch 2, flat-footed 28
Damage Reduction: 10 / magic
Saves: Fort +35, Ref +22, Will +18
Resistances: cold & fire 20
Spell Resistance: 30
Speed: Swim 20 ft. (4 squares)
Attack: Tentacle +42 melee (4d6+22/19-20) with 10 point power attack
Full Attack: 2 tentacles +42 melee (4d6+26/19-20) and 6 arms +37 melee (1d8+18) and bite +37 melee (4d8+18) with 10 point power attack
Base Attack/Grapple: +44/+76 (+56 if not concentrating completely on a single target)
Space/Reach: 30 ft./ 20 ft. (90 ft. with tentacle, 45 ft. with arm)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 4d6+16 or 1d8+8, swallow whole, smite good (+20 damage 1/day)
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., ink cloud, jet, darkvision, spell-like abilities
Abilities: Str 42, Dex 10, Con 33, Int 21, Wis 20, Cha 20
Skills: Concentration +58, Diplomacy +7, Hide +0, Intimidate +32, Knowledge (geography) +30, Knowledge (nature) +25, Listen +51, Search +51, Sense Motive +34, Spot +51, Survival +5 (+7 following tracks), Use Magic Device +32
Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Improved Critical (tentacle), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Improved Natural Armor (x7), Power Attack
Environment: Abyssal Ocean
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: Triple standard
Alignment: any evil
Advancement: 21-32 HD (Gargantuan); 33-60 HD (Colossal)
Level Adjustment: —
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, the kraken must hit with an arm or 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.
Constrict (Ex)
A kraken deals automatic arm or tentacle damage with a successful grapple check.
Jet (Ex)
A kraken can jet backward once per round as a full-round action, at a speed of 280 feet. It must move in a straight line, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity while jetting.
Ink Cloud (Ex)
A kraken can emit a cloud of jet-black ink in an 80-foot spread once per minute as a free action. The cloud provides total concealment, which the kraken normally uses to escape a fight that is going badly. Creatures within the cloud are considered to be in darkness.
Spell-Like Abilities
at-will-deeper darkness, bestow curse, contagion, control weather, control winds, resist energy
3/day-dominate animal (DC 27 Will negates), insanity (DC 22 Will negates)
1/day— unholy aura (DC 23 Fort. or 1d6 strength damage when hit).
Caster level 17th. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature and tagged aquatic subtype, evil subtype, magical beast by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
New Figures: Reaper, Dwarven Forge, and others
Here’s pictures of a couple of figures I painted last night.
The armored lady is Reaper’s undead hunter, a figure I got because I loved the pose – very dynamic – and the flames on the sword so much. I feel like I did a good job, but of course my camera doesn’t capture it.
And here’s one of her backside, since we all love a lady’s backside. Seriously though, I like this figure because she’s in full armor instead of a chainmail bikini. Another part of me is happy that they left a generous amount of cleavage showing through a low neckline on the breastplate. I’m complicated like that.
The spider is another Reaper figure, and the paintjob on it was pretty perfunctory. Sometimes it’s nice to not care too much how a figure turns out. I just need painted spiders to throw at the players every so often. Now my monster collection is that much closer to being complete!
The third guy is some type of space-centurion one of my friends gave me. Not sure who made him. I’m having fun painting him blue-green and purple with white details. He just has his base coat and a blackwash on him at this point.
I also received a box from Dwarven Forge last night, and we used the dungeon furniture I got in the game. I was suprised at how quickly the figures arrived. I also got a whole mess of pre-painted skeletons for half price. Not bad! I really like how the archers have real string for their bowstrings. It gives them a nice texture that you don’t usually see in archer minis, and of course they came pre-painted which I appreciate in large mobs like this. Also, they are cast from a nice hard plastic and so aren’t deformed or bent like Reaper’s pre-painted plastic figures or Wizard’s D&D minis. I’m sure it means they will break instead 🙂
You can see our party enjoying a meal at a table in the background – all the furniture and food are from Dwarven Froge’s dungeon & tavern furniture sets.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged gaming gear: miniatures by Adam A. Thompson with 1 comment.
Abyssal Headlesses
Created by Orcus from the corpses of Demogorgon’s subjects when he began reshaping Abysm to suit his will, these horrors now stalk the burning jungles of the 88th layer of the Abyss. They mindlessly kill all they encounter other than their own kind.
These horrible maimed wretches are as varied as the demons of the abyss in appearance, but all share the trait of having no head – just a bloody stump for a neck.
Abyssal Headless CR 15
CE size large monstrous humanoid (outsider, undead)
Init: +1 Senses: tremorsense 60 ft.
Languages: none
AC: 30 (+1 dex, +20 natural, -1 size) touch 10, flatfooted 16
HP: 199 (HD 30d12)
Immune: mind-effecting and illusions, fire, poison & electricity
Resist: 15 cold, acid & sonic
DC 15 / magic
Fort: +18 Ref: +9 Will: +13
MV: 40 feet
Attack: claw +28 (1d8+12) or greatclub +27 (2d8+18)
Full Attack: 2 claws +26 (1d8+12) or greatclub +27 / +22 / +17 (2d8+18)
Attack Options: improved grab, rend, combat reflexes
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Base Attack: +15 Grapple: +39
Abilities Str 34, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 14, Cha 6
SQ: tremorsense 90 feet, senseless, undead traits
SA: improved grab, rend
Feats: Improved Grapple, Weapon Focus (claws), Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Improved Natural Armor (7 times)
Skills: climb +46, jump +46
Rend (Ex): If a headless hits with both claw attacks it can automatically rend for 4d6+18 damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): If a headless hits with a claw attack it can start a grapple as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once it establishes the grapple it can either attack with it’s claws at a -4 penalty or it can roll a grapple checks to deal claw damage.
Senseless (Ex): having no heads, these creatures are blind, deaf and dumb. Beyond the reaches of their tremorsense, they are not aware of their surroundings.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature and tagged undead by Adam A. Thompson with 2 comments.
Burning Treant Husks
These eternally burning undead treants were created by Orcus when the Savage Tide was thwarted, Orcus became Prince of Demons, and he began to transform Abysm, the 88th layer of the Abyss, to his liking.
This blackened, shrieking, humanoid tree rushes toward you, its panicked expression back-lit by the blazing fire in its foliage.
Burning Treant Husks CR 15
CE size huge plant (outsider, undead)
Init: -1 Senses: darkvision
Languages:abyssal, common
Aura: creatures within 5 feet take 3d6 fire damage
AC: 29 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +22 natural), touch 7, flat-footed 27
HP: 187 (HD 28d12)
Immune: mind-effecting and illusions, fire, poison & electricity
Resist: 15 cold, acid & sonic
DC 15 / magic
Fort: +18 Ref: +9 Will: +11
SR: 20
MV: 30 feet
Attack: slam +32 (2d6+18)
Full Attack: 2 slams +30 (2d6+18) and 3d6 fire
Attack Options: trample 2d6+18 and 6d6 fire, (DC 32 Reflex for half damage)
Space / Reach: 15 ft. / 15 ft
Base Attack: +15 Grapple: +31
Abilities Str 37, Dex 8, Con -, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
SQ: plant traits, undead treaits
SA: trample
Skills: climb +46, jump +46
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature and tagged undead by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Gremlins!
Of all the unseliee fey none are better known for causing annoying mischeif then gremlins. Cruel pranksters of the first order, gremlins love to untie knots, steal linchpins, pull stoppers out of drains, or anything else that will cause consternation in their victims. So sneaky are gremlins that their victims usually never see them, only hearing cruel, sniggering laughter as the gremlin’s pranks come to fruition.
Gremlins make their homes in caves and caverns, and are found in large numbers in the feywild’s underdark. They live by theft, and usually take food from a target. If retaliated against they will make a career out of harassing someone with dangerous pranks and sabotage.
Gremlins – Level 2 Lurker
small fey humanoid – XP125
Initiative +6 Senses darkvision, Perception +3
HP 25 Bloodied 12
AC 15 Fortitude 12 Reflex 16 Will 13
Speed 6
Powers
Dagger (At-Will, Standard, melee 1)
+6 vs AC, 1d4-1 damage.
Steal (At-Will, Standard, only usable while invisible)
Younk!
+6 vs Reflex (note: Gremlin will usually have combat advantage while making this attack)
Hit: the gremlin has stolen a small piece of non-held equipment, such as a purse or a loaf of bread, from the target without being noticed. If the target is aware of the Gremlin’s presence they take a -10 on this check.
Special: if the gremlin misses by 5 or more the target notices the attempted theft.
Sneak (At-Will, Standard)
As stealthy as a kitten in mittens, the gremlins tiptoe towards their victims.
The gremlin becomes invisible until the end of its next turn.
Disappear (At-Will, Immediate Interrupt, when attacked)
You raise your weapon to strike the horrid little thing, only to find it is no longer there!
The gremlin becomes invisible until the beginning of its next turn and teleports 2.
Alignment Evil – Languages Elven, Common
Skills Acrobatics +11 Stealth +11 Theivery +11
Str 8 Dex 20 Wis 14
Con 13 Int 12 Cha 6
Equipment leather clothes, dagger
Tactics
Gremlins who come upon adventurers will often sneak up on them and steal all of their food, though they may instead take an object that the heroes consider especially important or valuable, such as a quest item. Usually this happens during several surprise rounds, since the gremlins are so stealthy. This can then lead to a rollicking chase, perhaps culminating in a challenge of riddles or some other such frustrating confrontation.
Gremlins will never simply attack someone. They would rather set a trap or, better still, sabotage their victim’s equipment and watch them die as a result. Climbing kits and ropes are favorite targets for this treatment.
As cowardly as they are cruel, gremlins will never stand and fight. If somehow cornered or caught they will bite and scratch desperately to try to escape, and may plead for their lives if unable to do so.
Gremlin Lore
The following can be recalled with a successful Arcana check of the following DCs:
DC 15 – That horrid little madly grinning goblin is a Gremlin, awful pranksters from the faerie lands.
DC 20 – Gremlins like to steal and sabotage things, and can disappear at will.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged creature origin: fey, creature: heroic lurker by Adam A. Thompson with 1 comment.
Ale Break: 24 Hours in Faerun
Update: more OwlCon photos available here!
I just spent 24 hours in the Forgotten Realms, and boy am I tired!
This weekend Steve and I packed up our PHBs and trekked on over to Houston for OwlCon 2010. We left early Friday because I wanted to play some D&D, actually I wanted to play a lot of D&D, and I got what I wanted!
When we got to Rice University, where OwlCon is put on, we were really pleased at how well organized everything was. Steve had the foresight to book a hotel just a few blocks from campus, so every day started and ended with a nice walk across their stately campus to the buildings where the games were. Inside, we got our packets, peeked into the exhibit hall, noting the Battletech Pods with excitement, and made our way over the the building where the RPGA games were held.
Now, in my experience, with the exception of GenCon, RPGA is the red-headed stepchild of convention events. That is to say the RPGA events tend to get shuffled off to a corner of the convention, and I usually get the impression that the convention organizers either don’t really care too much about them, or, at some historical-miniatures-focused conventions I could name, seem downright hostile towards them.
OwlCon was different. When we arrived at the nice large room the RPGA events were in there were plenty of comfortable chairs and large tables. I was directed to the Houston RPGA organizer and right away started to have my socks blown off. My pre-registeration on Warhorn was indicated on his printout of all the weekend’s games, he directed me to the GM for my game, and we sat down and started playing. We didn’t have to stand around for an hour trying to muster, we didn’t have to fight other players for a GM, we just showed up and started playing. Pow.
And that was just the start. On Saturday the morning slot started at 10 AM instead of 8 AM, as one often sees at a con. That meant we got a good night’s sleep and didn’t have to rush breakfast or run like mad to catch our games. Steve headed off to play some Advanced Civ and Rail Baron, while I put on my dragon-skull helmet and headed back to Ferun for more bloody fun.
As a side-note, I’ve always been a Greyhawk fan, and was a little disappointed to see it replaced by Forgotten Realms by WoTC. But I really liked the stories that they ran this weekend. The organizers had put a lot of work into the scenarios and it showed. The adventures dove-tailed into each other and after an adventure or two you really had the impression that you were in a living setting where your actions would have an effect on what was ahead. They even played a round where the player’s success or failure at the some tables affected what was happening at the other tables.
After my elven barbarian got his ass handed to him by were-rats (actually, a total party kill) the organizers went around and got sandwich orders from everyone from the campus deli. 30 Minutes later lunch arrived. That meant we didn’t have to rush to wrap up our game, run off to find some lunch, and run back to make the next slot. This convention had a very atypical relaxation component to it that I could really get used to. I pretty much couldn’t believe it.
After the third slot of the day finished at midnight we strolled over to the dealers room, perused the wares on display, and played a round of the Battletech PODS, which I had never had a chance to try before. It was every bit as fun as I imagined it would be. I was once again impressed by the fact that the dealer’s room didn’t close up at 7 pm or so as is typical at previous conventions I’ve been to. Usually, even at GenCon, I have to decide between playing a game or skipping something to shop at the dealer’s room. Not so at OwlCon.
Sunday followed Saturday’s great lead with more of the same: friendly, if tired, GMs and players playing two more slots of RPGA events. At the end of the weekend my elf was 3rd level, I was tired and satisfied, but not frazled or exhausted as is ofter the case after a con, and we headed on home to Austin. We had met a bunch of great players and GMs from all over Texas, and we had hit the monsters until the gold came out.
I’m already looking forward to OwlCon 2011. Thanks for a great time, guys!
Posted in convention and tagged ale break, news: convention by Adam A. Thompson with 4 comments.