Creature: Phase Guardian (CR 8)
Phase Guardian (CR 8)
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 15d10+20 (102 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (–1 size, +15 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+21
Attack: Slam +16 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 slams +16 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 5, find master, guard, low-light vision, shield other, spell storing
Special Defense: Phasing
Spell Resistance: 50%; Immune to all spells when out-of-phase, susceptible when in phase.
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 16–24 HD (Large); 25–45 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
The tall, lanky figure seems to disappear completely every few seconds, reappearing a few seconds later. For a moment, you can make out the symbol of an hourglass, but only for a moment. (more desc here)
Forever oscillating in and out of phase with the current time, phase guardians are slaves to time. When one is fashioned, the phase guardian is keyed to a particular magical timepiece. Henceforth, it regards the wearer of that timepiece to be its master, protecting and following that individual everywhere (unless specifically commanded not to do so).
A phase guardian obeys its master’s verbal commands to the best of its ability, although it is not good for much beyond combat and possibly simple manual labor. It can also be keyed to perform specific tasks at specific times, down to six second accuracy, if it’s in phase when the alarm goes off. The wearer of the timepiece can call the phase guardian from any distance, and it will come as long as it is on the same plane.
A phase guardian is some 9 feet tall and weighs more than 1,000 pounds. Phase guardians cannot speak, but they understand commands given in any language, though only in six-second increments.
COMBAT
Phase guardians are straightforward in battle, bashing with their heavy stone fists. They are made for defense and are not particularly impressive on offense.
Find Master (Su): As long as a phase guardian and its timepiece are on the same plane, the phase guardian can find the timepiece wearer (or just the timepiece, if it is removed after the guardian is called).
Guard (Ex): If ordered to do so, a phase guardian moves swiftly to defend the wearer of its timepiece, blocking blows and disrupting foes. All attacks against the timepiece wearer take a –2 penalty when the phase guardian is adjacent to its master.
Phase Other (Sp): Forever oscillating in time, a phase guardian must phase through time. If the Phasing is ever dispelled or otherwise disrupted, the phase guardian is trapped in whatever time it is disrupted in, and begins losing hit points at a rate of 1HD/rnd.
Spell Storing (Sp): A phase guardian can store one spell of 4th level or lower that is cast into it by another creature. It “casts” this spell when commanded to do so or at a predetermined time. Once this spell is used, the phase guardian can store another spell (or the same spell again).
CONSTRUCTION
A phase guardian is built from wood, bronze, stone, steel. The materials cost 5,000 gp. The timepiece also runs on two ounces of magesilver, kept within an hourglass that constantly resets itself every round, the amound of time it takes for the magesilver to flow from the top bulb of the hourglass to the bottom one.
The creature’s master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. Creating the body requires a DC 16 Craft (blacksmithing) or Craft (carpentry) check. The keyed timepiece is fashioned at the same time, and its cost (20,000 gp) is included in the cost of the guardian. After the body is sculpted, the phase guardian is animated through an extended magical ritual that requires a specially prepared laboratory or workroom, similar to an alchemist’s laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature’s body, the building and the ritual can be performed together. A phase guardian with more than 15 Hit Dice can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds +5,000 gp to the market price, and the price increases by +20,000 gp if the creature’s size increases to Huge, modifying the cost to create accordingly.
CL 15th; Craft Construct, limited wish, discern location, shield, phase other, caster must be at least 15th level; Price 120,000 gp; Cost 65,000 gp + 4,600 XP.
TIMEPIECE
If a phase guardian’s timepiece is destroyed, the guardian ceases to function until a new one is created. If the wearer dies but the timepiece is intact, the phase guardian carries out the last command it was given.
Posted in Creature and tagged construct by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Encounter: Old Captain Thorenson
“Kommen Sie in, and welcome, my friends… I am Kjarl Bard Thorenson, son of Thoren Bard Kjarlson… and on and on… You seem a nice lot… make yourselves comfortable… the signs of the zodiac… ah yes… Ven I was your age, I lived out at sea. I sailed a great vessel… the Fjord Escort ’twas, ja… The only mistress far me, if ya catch me drift.”
At this point the characters notice a stench emanating from the bearded man; they do catch his drift. Luckily, he lights a pipe and the room is filled with the tangy odor of sweetleaf. An owl paces back and forth along a perch on the far end of the room. The old man continues without pause as the characters examine the room.
The walls of this living room are covered with nautical regalia — silver sextans, sea-soaked and sun-stained maps of faraway lands; even a proverbial ship-in-a-bottle adorns the oaken table before the window. The light from the lone window barely illuminates the room, assisted by a fading fire under the mantle and the dim cherry of Thorenson’s pipe.
“So, how do you expect to fight it… I mean… 24, 40, 60 sailing men… driven back in fear… Have you seen it yet?”
He waits only briefly for an answer, continuing,
“And the gilled children… swimming out to sea along a warm current… right out to Harpy Point… no doubt to feed the harpies on the rocks… foul bitches… feeding on your young… My friend’s child! O, Anrik, now there was a lad… a wee tot, but full of piss and vinegar… I’ve seen so many terrible things… at sea… and at that window…”
The owl lets out a squak, eyeing the characters and making them feel uneasy. The characters will later see the same owl hunting rats elsewhere in the wharf district if they wander the streets at night. Grack is the old man’s closest companion now that he’s lost the sea to his memories, and keeps a close watch on the house. His eyes glow an intense golden glow, and he always appears to be on the verge of speaking, leaning forward and peering deep into any character’s eyes that come near.
If pressed with great skill, the old man will tell of his past life as a shipwright and then sailor, culminating with his encounters with sea serpents, after which he retired from the sea some sixty moons ago. He will speak of his friend’s loss of his child to “the mutation.” This friend, Falkonne, has been studying the mutation on the east side of town, where the disease seems to have appeared with the most prevalence. He urges the party to talk to him, and to relay a message, which he removes from his pocket and hands the most trustworthy of the party (determined with a sense motive check +12) a letter, sealed with an emblem of the Wyndm marsh tongue for sea (“go”), which appears as two wavy lines with two dots in between, roughly like so:
~
..
~
The note is in the Wyndm marsh tongue and reads:
Falkonne, I fear the worst for you. I have heard nothing from you in weeks, and cannot help thinking that you too have become one of the sea-spawn and become harpy bait. I watch the eastern sky with my spyglass looking for signs of your demise. Alas, I am too pessimistic. But an old man am I! On a positive note, the harpies seem awfully quiet lately. I send Grack to deliver this note to you, and hope you will return word of your whereabouts. As one of my few friends, you must understand my request that you halt your work and return to more a civilized neighborhood. With care, -KBT
Posted in Character, Encounter by Stephen Hilderbrand with 1 comment.
Creature: Wyndm-Wolf (CR 3)
Wyndm-Wolf (CR 3)
Medium Fey Wolf
Armor Class: 15 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Hit Dice: 4d10+5 (32 hp)
Initiative: +4
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +1
Speed: 50 ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+10
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: trip
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
Skills: Hide –1*, Listen +6, Move Silently +7, Spot +6, Survival +1*
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative, Track
Environment: forests and mountains
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (3–5)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None, though the hides are considered luxury items
Alignment: True Neutral
Advancement: 5–6 HD (Large); 7–8 HD (Huge) (very rare)
Level Adjustment: +3 (cohort)
A Wyndm-wolf grows about 6 feet long and stands about 3-1/2 feet at the shoulder. It weighs about 300 pounds. Wyndm-wolves can speak Fey and all three Wyndm tongues.
COMBAT
Wyndm-wolves typically hunt in packs, and tend to eat creatures smaller than themselves. However, with the colonization of the Wyndm-lands, and thus the introduciton of cattle to the lands, they have acquired a taste for beef and pork. A pack usually circles an opponent, each wolf attacking in turn to exhaust it. When solitary, they usually sneak up on their opponents.
Trip (Ex): A Wyndm-wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+8 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 Wyndm-wolf.
Skills: Wyndm-wolves have a +1 racial bonus on Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Wyndm-wolves have a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks. *Their natural coloration grants them a +7 racial bonus on Hide checks in forests and mountains. A Wyndm-wolf has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Posted in Creature and tagged fey, Horror of the Old Ones by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Character: Anna červená (CR 9)
Anna červená is a tall, hardy woman who has fought her way up through the ranks to be the second-in-command in the Baron’s militia, where she was often called “the Baronness” in jest by men whose respect she hadn’t earned. All those men are dead now. She always provided a voice of reason to the Baron, before he became overly corrupted. Her closest followers are those who were most loyal to the Baron himself, when he was more honorable.
“The Baronness” Anna červená (CR 9)
Medium female Fighter 9
Lawful Neutral with good tendencies humanoid
Init: +2 Senses: normal
Listen +3 Spot +3
Languages: common
AC: 20 (8+ Armor, +1 Dex, +1 sheild)
HP: 73 (HD 9d10+18)
Saves: Fort: +8 Reflex: +5 Will: +3
MV: 20 ft., 50 ft. mounted
Base Attack: +9 / +4 Grapple: +11
Attack: +12 battleaxe (1d8+4) or +12 shortbow (1d6+3) [+1/+1 under 30 ft.]
Full Attack: +12 /+7 battleaxe (1d8+4)
or +12 / +7 shortbow (1d6+3) [+1/+1 under 30 ft.]
or +10 / +10 / +5 shortbow (1d6+3) [+1/+1 under 30 ft.]
Face / Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Attack Options: spring attack, ride-by attack
Abilities: Str: 16 Dex: 14 Con: 14 Int: 12 Wis: 11 Cha: 9
Feats: 5 bonus, 5 normal Power Attack, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Point Blank Shot, Percise Shot, Rapid Shot, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Mounted Archery
Skills: 48 sp Climb +6+3= +8, Handle Animal +6-1= +5, Intimidate +12-1= +11, Listen +3, Ride +12+2= +14, Spot +3
Gear: 12,000 gp worth of gear: heavy flail, +1 battleaxe (2,310 gp), masterwork mighty composite shortbow (str +3) (525 gp), +2 full plate (5,650 gp), light wooden shield +1 (1,153 gp), big honkin’ warhorse named Pinky (400 gp), studded leather barding (100 gp), 2 potions of cure moderate wounds (600 gp), 1,226 in coin and gems.
Heavy Warhorse: HP: 31 AC: 17 MV: 50 ft
Posted in Character and tagged fighter, Horror of the Old Ones, Journey to Castle Steiglitz by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Location: Onuago Wharf District
The Wharf District is situated on the east side of the west split of Onuago, along the waterfront. It was once a bustling port of ten warehouses, but now it is eerily deserted.
This salty run of docks has fallen into disrepair. Dilapidated shacks and weathered warehouses give way to creaky planks along an industrial boardwalk that juts out over the bay itself. Piles of sandbags, now mudbags, provide a makeshift levee that wavers against the waves. The air is uncomfortably still, and the sound of cats skirmishing echoes down the alleyways. The sky is overcast and a light drizzle plops into the pools in the building stoops.
As the characters make their way through the streets of the wharf district, point out the rustiness of the gutters and boarded up buildings and bring particular attention to the growling cats on rooftops. There is a distinct uneasiness in town, especially along the waterfront. The misty fog reduces visibility to 30′, allowing creatures and thieves to sneak up on the party.
The map above faces east. Key locations within the Wharf District include:
I – Snug Harbor Inn (description in another post, encounter in another)
C – Old Captain Thorenson‘s House
W – Warehouses
R – Rowhomes
t – Places where thieves are likely to accost the party
Old Captain Thorenson’s House (C)
As the characters approach the house, read or paraphrase the following:
A strand of smoke rises out of a the chimney of a lone hovel, set off the road, partially hidden by a row of connected homes. Three cats patrol the grassy yard, the only patch of green in this part of town. A flowerbox decorates the single window, set off to the left of the front door, painted blue.
Thorenson will answer the door if the party knocks. He will not have time for any haughty behavior, and he has many stories to tell.
Warehouses (W)
In one of the warehouses, surprise the party with three to four Koa-Toans, freshly visiting from the marshy bay for their daily catch. They are hungry and attack without pause or end; they fight until they are slaughtered.
Rowhomes (R)
The most common domicile in Onuago is a rowhome. Almost all the homes in the city itself share walls with other homes.
Thieves (t)
Thieves patrol the darker and more remote alleys of the wharf district. If the characters stray too far from the roads with foot traffic, they will likely be jumped by a band of two to three third level thieves. If they capture one, the thieves have a one in three chance of being an expatriate of Baron von Steiglitz‘ militia, and are either fending for themselves or are part of one of the factions that now claim von Steiglitz’ lands. If the latter, they will demand a tariff or entrance fee of the party when they are first encountered, and will threaten the party in the name of their faction leader, Petry Pokrm the Dish-eater.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Location: The Port of Onuago
Also known as Onuago Port-town by the foreigners who’ve settled it, Onuago (in the marsh tongue of the native Wyndm-folk, “where the river meets the sea”) is a colonial town, and it prospered greatly from the trade generated by the inland resources, carried out by native slaves. In the past five years, ever since the Lazy River changed its course, the town has been on a a decline. Rarely do foreign ships enter the Old Bay, and increasingly the townspeople are unwilling to venture seaward. There is still a native population in small pockets in the region which you are free to introduce at any time. A sample camp will be included in a later post.
When the party arrives by sea, read the following:
As you disembark, you note the tufts of spanish moss which dangle from the ancient oaks that dot the streets of Onuago. The streets seem desolate and a silver mist hangs in the moist air. The buildings are set close to one-another, pulling at your most closterphobic strings. To the southeast end of the town, the docks form a hedge against the Old Bay, perhaps serving a purpose more like a levee, as they are covered in sandbags. The Lazy River has overflowed its banks, dividing the town into murky east and slightly-less-murky west banks. The west bank appears inhabited, but the east bank appears deserted.
The players notice before too long that there are only elderly and children in the town. The children have smooth, olive skin and move much faster than the rest of the city’s denizens.
The town once prospered as a trading port, but now it seems stuck in time, reverted to a fishing village. Various skiffs, canoes, and other vessels line the docks, and in the early morning, the elder men still head to sea, their profiles set against a foggy backdrop. The east portion of town on the other side of the river has been abandoned, and is dangerous to travel in.
Main characters:
• Adept: 6th
• Aristocrat: 4th
• Barbarian: 3rd
• Bard: 6th
• Cleric: 4th – old drunk sod – a failure – wanted to do conversions but failed
• Commoner: 9th
• Druid: 4th
• Expert: 10th
• Fighter: 7th
• Monk: 1st
• Paladin: 2nd
• Ranger: 3rd
• Rogue: 5th
• Sorcerer: 2nd
• Warrior: 3rd
• Wizard: 3rd
Creatures in and around Onuago (for use in random or planned encounters):
• Kelp Angler (CR9) along coast
• Mud Slaad (CR6) in marsh
• Octopus Tree (CR12) in river delta, east side of Onuago
• Swamplight Lynx (CR7) in marsh
• Mudmaw (CR7) in marsh
• Morkoth (CR5) underwater
• Darktentacles (CR7) in marsh
• Catoblepas (CR6) in marsh
• Reekmurk (CR6) in water along shore
Gather Information / Divination information
• The town has fallen on hard times (DC 5)
• The annual celebration at Castle Stiegleitz is not being held as usual this month (DC 15 before ghost event, after ghost event completed DC 5)
• Baron Stieglietz isn’t coming out of his room anymore (DC 20)
• Person at the inn has been moaning in pain and disturbing other occupants, but he won’t come out of his room and has barred the door somehow – former servant of S just died and is haunting the room (DC 5)
• The priest of Kord in village of Elsemere is acting strangely (DC 20)
• The son of Elsemere’s thain refuses to go hunting anymore, though that used to be his favorite activity-and his hair has turned completely white (DC 20)
• Weird shit is going on in Elsemere (DC 15)
• Ex-knight robber baron & other bandit elements on way to castle
• Creatures taken up residence in basement of a house in the east side of Onuago and are scaring people there (talk to Bard for DC 10)
• The dead scholar was poking around about weird shit (DC 5)
• Fishermen and tales of monster at sea (DC 5)
• There is a pirate cove at harpy point (DC 10)
• People are getting killed along the way to the village and no one knows by what (DC 5)
• Bog hounds can be heard at night (DC 5 / event)
• If the party tries to secure passage on another vessel to Galorad, they find out that there are no vessels that are seaworthy enough to make a long voyage (DC 5)
• If the party makes a DC 3 Gather Information check, or if they ever ask the DM why the paint on the sign above the door is fresh, they learn that the inn used to bear a different name. If they succeed on a DC 20 Gather Information check, they succeed in getting someone to tell them what the old name is, which is something that the innkeeper doesn’t want people to know: XXXX
Onuago overview map:
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Character: Baron von Stieglitz (CR 12)
“Baron von Stieglitz” is a title referring to the current ruler of the Barony of Stieglitz.
von Stieglitz lived his life a baudy drunkard, leading a militia of seventy from an isolated castle deep in a valley in the Cyrűk Mountains. In the past few months, the Baron has become corrupted by his greedy lifestyle, and has become a wight.
Baron Von Stieglitz CR 12
Medium Male Wight Fighter 7, Rogue 2
lawful evil Undead
Init: +2 Senses: Darkvision 60 ft
Listen +7 Spot +10
AC: 22 (+6 Armor, +2 Dex, +4 natural) touch 12, flatfooted 20
HP: 72 (HD 7d10 and 2d6 and 4d12)
Saves: Fort: +6 Reflex: +8 Will: +6
Defensive Options: Hide +11 Move Silently +14, Combat Expertise
Immunities: All mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects, not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects, immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
MV: 20 ft. (50 ft hasted)
Base Attack: +10 Grapple: +13
Attack: +13 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain) or +15 bastard sword (1d10+6)
Full Attack: +13 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain)
or +15 / +10 bastard sword (1d10+6)
or +13 / +8 bastard sword (1d10+6) and +11 slam (1d4+3 plus energy drain)
Face / Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Attack Options: energy drain, sneak attack +1d6
Abilities: Str: 17 Dex: 14 Con: 8 Int: 13 Wis: 10 Cha: 12
Feats: (5 and 4 bonus, 1 undead) Leadership, Two-Weapon Fighting, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard Sword), Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (Bastard Sword), Weapon Specialization (Bastard Sword).
Skills: Languages: common, draconic/dwarf. (Skill points 18 rogue, 30 fighter, 20 wight): Bluff +3+1=+4, Climb +10+3-4=+9, Diplomacy +3+1=+4, Hide +10+2+5-4=+13, Intimidate +12+1=+13, Listen +7, Move Silently +10+2+8-4=16, Ride +10+2-4=+8, Sense Motive +3, Spot +10.
Gear: 12,493 gp worth of gear: +1 bastard sword (2,335 gp), masterwork throwing axe (308 gp), +1 breastplate of shadows(5,100 gp), cloak of resistance +2 (4,000 gp), Potion of Haste (750 gp).
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, trapfinding, evasion.
SA: Energy Drain, Create Spawn, Sneak attack +1d6.
This grizzled warrior’s skin and hair are a shocking, sickly white. Blue veins are clearly visible beneath the leathery-looking skin. Gauzy, black-yellow eyes glare out from beneath his wiry eyebrows. Claw-like fingernails tip the ends of his powerful, gnarled digits. His breastplate is tarnished and stained but still sturdy, his cloak is dusty and a fine bastard sword and throwing-axe hang from his belt.
COMBAT
If Attacked Herr Stieglitz will attempt to flee combat to attack again from surprise or with his family at his side.
Given opportunity he will quaff his potion of haste, which will last for 5 rounds.
If able to sneak up on an opponent he will approach the weakest-looking one and attempt to perform a full attack with bastard sword and a slam attack as his off-hand weapon. His hope is that this will slay them and they will rise in 1d4 rounds as a wight to fight at his side.
If fighting with his family he will try to spring attack the party from behind their ranks.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by the Baron becomes a wight in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the wight that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by the Baron’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 13 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the wight gains 5 temporary hit points.
Skills: Wights have a +8 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
Undead Type: Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
—No Constitution score.
—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
—Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
—Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.
—Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
—Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
Posted in Character and tagged fighter, Horror of the Old Ones, Journey to Castle Steiglitz by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Issue Release: Claw/Claw/Bite Issue 1 – August 2006
The PDF version of Claw/Claw/Bite‘s Issue 1 is now available for download here, and also at enworld.org here. It contains material first published on this site from July 7-25, 2006. Material published from July 25th until the end of this month will be included in Issue 2, due out September 1st.
[In our best imitation of the voice from the Justice League of America]: Stay tuned for more exciting material from Unicorn Rampant’s Claw/Claw/Bite!
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged CCB issue by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Location: Castle von Stieglitz: Front Grounds
The Castle von Stieglitz is located in a broad valley deep within the Cyrűk Mountains along the northeast shore of the Old Bay. Its isolated location has provided Baron von Stieglitz and his militia of seventy-five men an outpost for their nefarious operations for decades. Despite being universally feared, the citizens of neighboring towns joyously attend the annual St. Zyekni’s Day festivities.
The enormous Castle von Stieglitz offers an impressive counterpoint to the distant mountains surrounding this broad valley. Atop a slightly inclining hill, its stonework glows in the afternoon sun. Normally a festive occasion, the castle grounds are abnormally quiet for this St. Zyekni’s Day. The trees within the complex are early in their barrenness, despite the planned celebration of autumn harvest season. There is no welcoming party, save a flock of ravens perched by the hundreds in the defoiled arbors. Other ravens pirouette about the main steps, rending pieces of cloth from one another’s beaks.
If the characters approach the ravens, they fly off, landing on the multi-stepped rooftops of the giant stone structure, calling out to their brethren. The players should feel a sense of approaching horror in this scene. If the characters examine the cloth, they notice that it was once a tunic, but there is no sign of the disrobed.
Map update to follow…
The front door is locked and barricaded from the other side, so the characters will most likely attempt to explore the grounds at the rear of the castle.
Behind the scenes: In his isolation, Baron von Stieglitz has allowed himself to become corrupted by dark, sinister, undead forces. His greed led him down a path of self ruin until he himself became a Wight. He has no plans to trap the party, or even the townspeople, otherwise he would hold the annual celebration as usual. He is so currupted, he has not left his bed chamber in months. The allegiances of his men have splintered, and the rival factions have set up their own mini-baronies within his lands. The party will most likely have enountered at least two of these factions, both claiming dominance over the lands, and requiring tariffs on all things traversing the road the parallels the Rychlý (Rapid) River from the lands to the northeast of the Cyrűk Mountains to the port town of Onuago. This will lead the characters to wonder who holds dominion. The answer is, it’s up for grabs, much like Russia after the Cold War.
Faction leaders include:
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Character: Gundar (Lvl 15)
Unsuited to paladinhood, Gundar Harl nevertheless continued his career as an adventuring priest. He grew wiser but eventually reached the limit of his abilities as a cleric. From within the stained-glass windowed cathedral he had built he became more interested in the natural world and the sun’s place in it, and after deep contemplation of this mystery Pelor granted him powers related to the sun the better to fight evil.
Gundar Harl LG Size Medium Male Human Cleric 14, Master of Radiance** 1 CR 15
Senses: normal vision
Listen +3 Spot +3
AC: 25 (-1 dex, +11 armor, +4 shield, +1 deflection)
HD: 15d8+15 HP: 90
MV: 20′, fly 40′ or 50′ mounted
Base Attack: +10/+5 Grp: +14
Attack: +16/+11 heavy mace (1d8+4) or +9 Heavy Crossbow (1d10, 19-20 x2)
F: +12 R: +3 W: +14
s: 16[18] (+4) d: 9 c: 12 (+1) i: 10 w: 17 (+3) c: 15 (+2)
Feats: Power Attack, Cleave, Mounted Combat, Improved Sunder, Negotiator, Ride-By Attack, Spell Penetration.
Skills: concentration +18, diplomacy +19, know religion +4, know history +4, know nature +8, profession (barrister) +6, sense motive +5, spellcraft +2
Gear: (76,000 gp worth) gold holy symbol of pelor, Greater Marbles of Ulthar***, +3 full plate (10,650gp), +3 flaming heavy mace (32,312gp), +2 Large Steel Sheild (4170gp), Heavy crossbow (50gp), 10 bolts, white tabard with gold sun sewn on chest, Red Cloak or Resistance +1 (1000gp), Ring of Protection +1, gauntlets of ogre power (4000), Winged Boots (16,000), heavy warhorse with saddle, bit and saddlebags (426), backpack, 3 flasks of holy water (75), bedroll, 3 torches, 5 days rations, etc.
SA: Cleric Spells (Domains: Strength, Sun), Turn Undead (as 15th level), Greater Turning 1/day, Feat of Strength (+15 str 1/day for 1 rd.), Radiant Aura 1/day
Spells Prepared:
7th: (2+1): holy word, mass inflict light wounds, sunbeam*
6th: (3+1): harm, heal, undeath to death, stoneskin*
5th: (3+1): dispel evil, flame strike, spell resistance, righteous might*
4th: (4+1): death ward, divine power, dismissal, freedom of movement, fire shield*
3rd (5+1): bestow curse, blindness, dispel magic, inflict serious wounds, prayer, searing light*
2nd (6+1): aid, align weapon, inflict moderate wounds, sound burst, 2x spiritual weapon, bull strength*
1st (6+1): bless, fear, 2x divine favor, magic stone, doom, enlarge person*
0th (6): detect magic, guidance, inflict minor wounds, light, mending, resistance
* : domain spell
Radiant Aura(Su): A master of radiance can emanate an aura of brilliant light that weakens undead creatures. The aura provides bright illumination in a 30 foot radius around the character, and a shadowy illumination for an additional 30 feet beyond that. Creatures that take penalties in bright light also take them while within the radius of the bright aura. In addition, undead creatures within the radius of bright light take -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls and saving throws.
Activating the radiant aura is a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity While her radiant aura is active, a master of radiance casts spells with the light descriptor at +2 caster level.
The aura lasts one minute, and is the equivalent of a 5th level spell with the light descriptor for the purpose of interacting with spells and effects with the darkness descriptor.
** Master of Radiance: see Libris Mortis p 45.
*** Marbles of Ulthar: see Claw / Claw / Bite at http://unicornrampant.com/newccb/?p=682
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