Encounter: The Scholar Falkonne’s House (EL 7)
1) Outside The Scholar’s Home
113 Torrance Street. The house sags to the right as you stand before the mildewy wooden door, which hangs slightly ajar. Through the space between the row houses on either side, you can see the muddy banks of the Lazy River, its waters sliding past the foundation stones.
General description – A DC 5 Wilderness Lore check allows the players to see the boot prints of a humanoid walking towards and away from the house. They are also found around the front yard leading up to the door. All the bootprints are from the same person: the old scholar. The most recent ones are about two days old.
2) The Scholar’s Rooms
Upon entering the house, the players will smell the briny water of the Lazy River intermingled with a fouler stench coming from the basement—a combination of rotten eggs and decaying vegetables.
The first floor of the house is cluttered with stacks of papers, books, and various measuring instruments.
The kitchen is located in the back and a door leads out to what would have been a backyard in days past. Now it opens up to the muddy banks of the Lazy River. The kitchen sink still has dirty dishes in it. The coals from the stove are cold. There is a trap door to one side of the kitchen. It is open and stairs lead down into darkness. The smell of rotten vegetables and salt water is stronger here.
A DC 10 Search check will allow the players to find an old, but still serviceable spyglass in the closet/spare bedroom on the first floor. Most of the papers are written in the same handwriting (the scholar’s). Others are taken from various sources. The papers and books pertain to the history of this region, the Wyndm people and their culture (particularly their religious beliefs), and geographical surveys of the area.
The best source of information will be on the second floor loft, where the scholar’s opus magnum sits upon an unvarnished wooden desk with uneven legs. The book is entitled “On the Origin of the Children of the Sea” and is unfinished. The last sentence of the last page stops in mid-sentence (this is when the scholar went downstairs to investigate the noise from the basement). Cold coffee and half-eaten bread (covered with small cockroaches) are next to the book on the desk. The desk also has an inkpot, some pens. In one of the drawers, the party can find 10 silver and 35 copper pieces.
A bed with a sagging, stained mattress is directly opposite the desk. A wardrobe is next to the bed and contains a few articles of threadbare clothing.
Whenever the party spends a few minutes perusing the book, they discover the following things about the situation in Onuago and Elsemere:
3) Flooded Basement (EL 7)
This basement is severely flooded, half of it’s floor eroded and filled with dark water. At the base of the steep steps leading down an unlit lantern lies on it’s side, it’s glass broken.
Creatures: A Chuul (CR 7) has taken up residence in the washed-out and flooded basement, into which it dug a canal several days ago. Yesterday it had become hungry and restless. When the scholar entered the basement to investigate the sounds he quickly became it’s latest meal. It is now well-satiated, having eaten aproximately half of Falkonne’s body, and is content to lay concealed in the water in the basement unless it’s realm is entered or it’s kill is distrubed.
Chuul: HP 98 (Monster Manual)
Tactics: If the chull hears the party entering the house it will conceal itself in the water in the basement (Hide +13, +6 circumstance for water and +2 for darkness = +21). If anyone comes downstairs it will attempt to grab them with suprise and drag them into the deeper water with it to drown, parylized by it’s tentacles. Persistant attacks will cause it to resurface to grab the last attacker and submerge them.
Treasure: A thorough search of the basement (DC 20) reveals a small lock-box mostly buried in the mud. It contains the Falkonne family’s savings: 20 gold coins, 315 silver coins, and a rodochosterite worth 10 gold.
Development: The dead scholar is restful in the afterlife and will not return if raise dead or similar magic is cast on him.
If enterprising characters cast speak with dead on the body it reveals the information listed in the scholar’s journal.
Asking around (DC 10 gather information) revelas that the scholar has no next of kin, being befeft of his wife and recently his only child, who was apparently a disfigured shut-in.
Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: +10 % XP due to ambush situation.
Posted in Encounter and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Location: Onuago Old Town Hall
1 Front Facade
The Old Town Hall was once an architectural marvel, standing five stories high with a dome providing the top two stories. Now the dome has caved into the center, and the structure is nothing more than a husk with a few carved figures adorning facades. Seven marble columns rise before the entrance, five of which are structurally intact. Splinters of broken timbers block the entrance to the building, labeled overhead with the text “Onuago Town Hall” in carved lettering.
The boards are easily removed fro the doorway, revealing a door less passage into the interior, location 2.
2 Antechamber
From here, the main dome of the town hall rises into the next room. The floor slopes sharply down, forming a basin, which is full of murky water, the ripples illuminated in the crisp moonlight. A small boat is tied to the shore close to this chamber.
The party will find that the boat is seaworthy, and that the water is at least 6′ deep. Ideally, they will take it to the center of the chamber, where gargoyles lay in wait at location 3.
3 Center of the Dome
The water here is suddenly not so calm! Swooping down from above are two gargoyles, while another two burst from the water, rocking the boat!
Once the party reaches this spot (hopefully in the boat), the gargoyles will attack. f the party members in the boat when the attack begins must make a reflex save DC 15 or fall in the water. Characters who fall in the water are descended upon by any gargoyles not already engaged in melee.
Creatures: Gargoyles (4) as per DMG. HP: 37, 41, 33, 45
Tactics: The gargoyles will wait until the party has passed them before attacking by swooping down upon them. Though vicious, they are not bloodthirsty, and if strongly opposed will likely flee through the cracked dome and scatter.
Treasure: The individual gargoyle’s hordes are located under the lecturn in location 4 and include material looted from the Town Hall’s coffers. The individual caches of treasure are: 1) 23,190 silver coins (2,319 gp), 374 gold coins (374 gp) and 64 platinum coins (640 gp), 26,043 silver coins (2,604.3 gp) and a scroll- divine (150 gp) Stonetell (l2, cl3), 4) 466 gold coins (466 gp) and a potion of Reduce (at 5th level) (250 gp), which is fallow-colored, has a peppery odor and taste, and a vaporous, layered appearance.
Development: Any gargoyles that escape the party’s defenses will fly off to harpy point where they came from and may be encountered there later.
The side chambers are all empty, with the exception of a few nests made from shredded parchment and scrolls. This suggests other living creatures which make their homes here, as gargoyles require no such nests. Indeed, harpies from the island in the bay sometimes take up residence in the town hall, and toy with and feast on Onuago’s less-aware citizens.
4 Lecturn
The gargoyles’ horde is stuffed inside an old lecturn (see location 3).
A worn and warped lecturn is the lone island in the far end of the chamber. The moonlight casts unsual shadows against the back of the room, framing the brightly lit lecturn.
5 Councilman Rifa’s Chambers
Two feet of standing water fill the room. A bookshelf on the far wall appears half full.
Most of the documents are simple, though the party finds old documents describing the rising waters and the lack of useful legislation and organization to stop it. I addition, the party finds a scroll of Comprehend Languages and another of Zone of Truth.
6 Councilwoman Gulley’s Chambers
A film of sticky mud coats the bottom foot of the room, unmarked by footprints or other visible signs of disturbance.
The party finds documents describing the lack of focus on public health and other domestic shortfalls of the Port of Onuago. Gulley’s personal writings lambast the inability of the town council to get the job done.
7 Back Chambers
Shallow ridges in the mud-filled hallway give way to a 20×20′ chamber.
This meeting room/hallway is the home of a mud naga (stats to appear as a new creature). The naga has very little treasure.
8 Steps
A set of stairs leads up, though the passage is filled with rubble.
The party is unable to move this rubble, and if they do, the steps lead to an empty, roofless chamber that overlooks the dome. There is nothing of interest here.
9 Rally Pedestal
This was once the rally point for political organizations that approached the town council. It was also once a shrine to Hemera and Nyx, the Gods of Time.
If the characters examine it closely enough, they find “Time is on our side” etched into the wooden pedestal.
Posted in Encounter and tagged Horror of the Old Ones, Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Encounter: The Haunting of The Snug Harbor (EL 8)
The Haunting of The Snug Harbor
This location is the player’s first contact with the town of Onuago, and the beginning of The Horror of the Old Ones, an adventure coming soon from Unicorn Rampant publishing.
Inn features: The entire inn is lit by daylight filtering in through the windows by day and by the hearth and candles on the tables by night. All doors are simple wooden doors (hardness 5, HP: 10).
1) Snug Harbor Common Room
This inn is well taken care of, even in these times of trouble. The floors are swept and the mahogany wood of the bar is polished to a golden sheen. A bartender stands behind the bar, a middle aged man with flaming red hair, a shinny, bald pate, and a humongous sprouting beard that all but swallows his face, his dress nondescript aside from the multicolored suspender he wears. Above his bar hangs a massive great axe.
NPCs that are likely to be encountered here include: Mme. Babushka, Jax the Jaded, and the innkeeper Parvic Potbelly. By night there will also be 2-10 other patrons drowning their sorrows.
Services available here include a common meal of fish stew and bread taken with the other patrons for 3 copper, a single meal of grilled cod, potatoes and rice for 1 silver, ale for 1 silver a gallon or 4 copper a mug, wine for 2 silver a pitcher, stronger spirits for 10 gold a bottle, a bed in the common room upstairs for 2 silver and a private room with a double bed for 5 silver.
In addition, Mme Babushka’s services are available for 20 silver – including the 5 silver for a private room, though she may well try to get more from a wealthy-looking patron (appraise +6, sense motive +16).
If the party speaks about their boat, they are likely to attract the unwelcome attention of Jax, who desperately wants passage out of town.
2) The Haunted Room (EL 8)
This small room reeks of death. A ghastly, maggot-ridden corpse lies on the stained bed. There is a small table and a wardrobe.
As the door to the room is opened, a translucent figure dressed in dirty but nicely tailored servant’s clothes floats up from the head of the bead where it was moaning quietly to itself. It faces you and shouts “Leave me!” before unleashing a horrifying wail.
Examining the corpse’s clothes will reveal the insignia of the Baron of Stieglitz on the breast.
Creatures: This room is haunted by the ghost of Lux Cathcart the former butler of Baron Stieglitz. The ghost will try to frighten away anyone entering the room, and will defend itself if attacked.
Lux came to this inn still alive but mortally wounded. Several days ago he escaped form the Castle Stieglitz, stealing some jewelery and coming to Onuago where he intended to use the money from the jewelery to start a new life elsewhere with his sweetheart who lives in east Onuago.
Unfortunately, he was wounded by a zombie while escaping, and though able to swim to a boat and make his way to onuago, he became feverish and died shortly after arriving at the inn.
Now his spirit cannot rest until the letters and jewelry are delivered to his love in the east side of town.
Lux Cathcart, Butler and Restless Soul CR 8
neutral (chaotic) male human aristocrat 7
medium undead -ghost (incorporeal)
Init: Senses: darkvision 60 ft
Listen +2 Spot +2
Languages: common, wyndm
AC: 16 (+1 dex, +5 deflection) touch 16, flat-footed 15
HP: 53 (HD 7d12)
Resist: +4 turn resistance
Immune:undead immunities
Fort: +2 Ref: +2+1 Will: +5+2+1
MV: fly 30 ft (perfect)
Attack: incorporeal touch +6 (1d4 ability damage (any))
Attack Options: frightful moan, horrific appearance
Space / Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft
Base Attack: +5 Grapple: +5
Abilities: Str:10 Dex:12 Con:- Int:14 Wis:13 Cha:20
SQ: undead traits, rejuvenation, +4 turn resistance
SA: manifestation, frightful moan, draining touch, horrific appearance
Feats: athletic, alertness , iron will, animal affinity
Skills: 60 sp appraise +10+2 = +12 bluff +10+5 = +15 diplomacy +10+5 = +15 disguise +5+5 = +10 handle animal +10+2+5 = +17, hide +8+1 = +9, listen +5+8+1 = +14, search +5+8+2 = +15, spot +5+8+1 = +14.
Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours.
Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a ghost must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ghost’s horrific appearance for 24 hours.
Manifestation (Su): Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.
When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets.
A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes.
Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghost has +4 turn resistance.
Skills: Ghosts have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Tactics: The ghost will unleash a frightening moan if the door to this room is opened. If characters do not flee, it will continue to moan. Characters have an opportunity to talk with it at this point, though it will require a adjustment form indifferent to friendly. If attacked it will use it’s horrific appearance and draining touch to slay it’s attackers.
If destroyed it will rejuvenate in 2d4 days unless its letters and jewelry are taken to its intended.
Treasure: In a velvet bag in his coat – a trinket for his intended – 2000 gp worth of jewelry. On the belt- just a few copper pieces in a purse and an ornate but dull dagger (it is a costume piece -1 to attack & damage) worth 50 gp.
Also, hidden under the pillow (DC 10 search check) are love letters between him and someone named Dusana. The letters indicate his intention to come to her with something that will let them start a new life together now that “the baron has gone”.
Development: The ghost cannot rest until the trinket is delivered to his intended, and will rejuvenate in 2d4 days.
Characters defeating the ghost will receive a +5 on gather information checks relating to the Castle Steiglitz after successfully completing this encounter due to gratitude from the inn’s patrons and excitment generated on the topic.
Finding Dusana, the ghost’s love, in east Onuago requires a DC 10 gather information check. The party must then travel through the east part of town to the edge of town near the north bank of the river where she lives in her partent’s home. She is friendly, then tearful and heartbroken at the news of Lux’s death. If the players deliver the jewelry to her she will accept if gratefully and announce her intention to leave the dying town. Before they leave she will offer them assistance finding things out about the town in the form of knowledgable people to talk to. This information will confer a +2 on gather information checks taken in the town of Onuago.
Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: If the players put the ghost to rest without defeating it give XP for a CR 8 encounter. If they defeat it and then put it to rest, give CR 8 + 10%, and if they just defeat it without putting it to rest, give only half XP for the encounter.
Posted in Encounter and tagged Location by Adam A. Thompson 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.
Encounter: The Baleful Bog and Teen Troll Ranger (EL 8)
Presented below is an encounter with a crafty troll ranger who has laid an ambush involving a pool of quicksand. Included are some of the features applicable to any swamp you might use the encounter in, a complete description of the encounter, and statistics for the trap-laying troll.
Marsh Features
Fog: The entire marsh area is covered in low-hanging fog that obscures ground details. Attempting any tracking in this fog increases the DC by +2.
Marsh Terrain (DMG p.88): with the exception of the remnants of the road, this entire swamp is a moor. Terrain is as follows:
20% of terrain is Shallow Bog (movement is 2/1, Tumble DCs are +2),
5% is Deep Bog (Movement is 4/1 or you can swim, Tumble is impossible, water provides cover),
30% is Light Undergrowth (movement is 2/1, Tumble DCs are +2, provides 20% miss chance concealment), 10% is Heavy Undergrowth (movement is 2/1, Tumble DCs are +2, provides 30% miss chance concealment).
The remaining 35% of terrain is normal.
As the players enter this area, read or paraphrase the following:
“Low brush and pools of water are half-concealed by low-lying fog. Dark trees stretch up, as though trying to escape the fetid swamp; dense vines, moss and foliage block out any light from the sky. The buried and half-submerged road is blocked at two places by fallen trees, the first 50′ ahead and the second another 50′ past that.”
The area to the left of the path at the second fallen tree is a patch of quicksand (see below) that the troll has concealed (DC 25 Spot or Survival check to detect). Anyone entering the squares marked as quicksand will fall in and begin to sink.
Creatures: A clever troll ranger is hiding in a hunter’s blind 30′ up in a tree and 30 feet away from the road, waiting for prey (Hide:+3 bonus for being 30 ft away, +6 ranks in Hide, -4 for size Large, +10 circumstance bonus because the blind is exceptionally cunning, for a total Hide of +15).
When the party gets to the second blockage on the path, the troll ranger will swing down from the blind and attempt to bull rush a member of the party into the quicksand hidden next to the path (with +4 circumstance bonus for momentum and +4 for size Large). He may wait at first to see if any of the players stumble into the quicksand and the other players are distracted trying to rescue him.
Once he completes the bull rush, he will land on the ground on the opposite side of the bog. From there he will harry the party with showers of arrows. The first shot will be with a rope-arrow at the party member in the quicksand. The troll is equipped with a composite longbow (+3 Str) and 10 barbed arrows with a thin but strong cord made of vine attached to the shaft allowing him to retrieve prey from the quicksand. These rope arrows are located in a quiver hidden behind a tree stump. The ends of the cords are already secured to the tree stump.
The Teen Troll Ranger is here. In addition, there are Bog Hounds.
Tactics: Attempting to surprise any prey, the troll will initiate combat with a bull rush to push an opponent into the quicksand. He will likely target the party member with the heaviest armor and will recieve a +4 circumstance bonus for momentum and a +4 bonus for his large size.
After the party member is trapped in the quicksand, the troll will fire a rope-arrow at him, allowing retrieval of his corpse later. At the same time, he will yell for his bog hounds (free action), who will arrive 1d3 rounds later. The troll, being fearless, will then fight to the death.
When they arrive the bog hounds will attack the weakest looking party member, making use of their trip attacks.
Quicksand: Roughly 25′ x 25′ area. The troll has covered the surface of the quicksand with leaves, brush, and other natural vegetation to conceal its true nature. The party can detect the trap with a DC 25 Survival or Search check. Any character entering squares marked on the map as quicksand immediately falls in and is subject to the effects of quicksand as listed in the DMG on page 88.
CR 6; mechanical; automatic reset; DC 25 Reflex avoids; 30ft. deep; drowning danger; Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 15 to clear camouflage.
Treasure: The troll has a belt-pouch with 50 silver coins and 35 gold coins, and has secured some prey he has caught in the blind with him. It amounts to 10 days worth of fresh rabbit and young wild pig meat.
Development: If the party defeats the teen troll ranger, they should be able to help drowning compatriots by pulling them out of the quicksand by the cords attached to the rope-arrows the troll shot them with. Doing so is a DC 15 strength check for every 5 feet they move their friends.
Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: +%20, or give experience for entire encounter as a CR 8.
Posted in Encounter and tagged Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Encounter Index
| Encounter Level – 1 | Encounter Level – 11 |
Posted in Encounter by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.