Demonchain Flail
This enhanced flail’s origin is with a chain devil, who fashioned the demonchain flail out of his own body so his brethren could wield power over demons.
Demonchain Flail Level 5
This magically-enhanced +1 weapon was forged from the remains of a chain devil, and provides an additional +2 vs. demons.
Power (Daily): Standard action. Make two spiked chain attacks.
Power (Triggered): When first bloodied, make two spiked chain attacks.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Equipment, Magic Item and tagged weapon by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Alter of Transfixation (reworked)
I have worked up a new version of the altar for use in High Water Marks, a 4e adventure due out later this month.
Altar of Transfixion
Level 5 Warder | XP 500
The ziggurat-shaped 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 effect while its worshipers strike.
Perception: No skill check required.
Additional Skill: Religion
DC 16: The character recognizes the altar as a source of active, malevolent evil.
DC 24: The character can read the runes – see Additional Description, below.
Initiative: +6
Trigger: Approach within 3 squares.
Attack: Attack again when others enter. No Action Close Burst 3 Attack: +10 vs. Will
Hit: The altar deals 1d6+1 psychic damage, the target is dazed (save ends) and the altar pulls the target 1 square closer.
Countermeasures:
– An adjacent character can disable the trap with 3 DC 24 Thievery checks or 3 DC 24 Religion checks (with a holy symbol).
– Dealing 50 holy/radiant damage destroys the altar.
– Covering the altar or surrounding it in complete darkness reduces the attack to +5 vs. Will.
Additional Description: Runes run along the steps of the ziggurat spelling out the name “Tharizdun” in Abyssal and a warning regarding the horrors that he inspires.
Additional Effect: If Tharizdun’s name is uttered (in any language) in the aura of the altar, the altar makes a Close Burst 5 +10 Will attack, dealing 3d10 damage to all affected.
DMs Note: The altar is intended to be used to enhance the difficulty and dynamics of an encounter with similarly malevolent creatures, such as demons.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Trap by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Buffing the 4e Lich
I recently ran a group through an encounter involving a lich, and found them grossly underpowered. Their lack of a melee attack renders them weak in the face of a single 15th lvl fighter, let alone a full party. To make up for this likely accidental shortcoming, here are some powers that beef up the 4e lich.
Fear Aura (psychic) 
Aura 3
Any creature beginning its turn in the aura takes 5 damage and is immobilized (save ends).
Necrotic Touch (necrotic) At-Will
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature) +15 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 +5 necrotic damage, and the creature is dazed until the end of the lich’s next turn
Dominate the Living (psychic) Minor Recharge 
Attack: One living creature within close burst 10, +15 vs. Will
Effect: The lich dominates one living creature (save ends).
These effects provide the lich with plenty of up-close-and-personal, up-in-your-Kool-Aid power that will make your players truly fear an encounter with this granddaddy of the undead. Feel free to adjust the numbers to make an appropriately-powered lich for your encounters.
Update: after writing a draft of this post, Scott Murray of Save Versus Death pointed me to the Monster Vault, which includes a number of improved variants of classic creatures that seemed underwhelming in 4e. The Lich Necromancer on page 183 takes on similar traits, as well as added ranged attacks and movement.
Happy player hunting!
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Creature by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Character Race: Treant
RACIAL TRAITSLanguages: Common, Elven
Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Insight
Nature’s Health: You have one additional healing surge per day.
Firmly Rooted ✦ Treant Racial Power
Digging your root-toes in, you hunker down and stand your ground.Encounter ✦ Immediate Reaction when effected by a push, pull or slide
Target: Personal
Effect: You are not moved by the push, pull or slide that triggered the power.
Nature’s Stilness ✦ Treant Racial Power
Composing yourself and standing still, you become indistingushable from a normal tree to the untrained eye.
Encounter – Standard Action
Target: Personal
Effect: As long as you stay still, you are indistingushable from a normal tree. An opposed Nature Skill Check is required for a observer to notice your true nature.
Play a Treant if you want . . .
✦ to play a tough character who is connected to the natural world
✦ to play a wise champion of nature
✦ to be a member of a race that favors the cleric, fighter, shaman, and warden classes.
Physical Qualities
Treant resemble humanoid trees, with two thick legs ending in many root-like toes, two arm-like branches with twiggy fingers, and generally with leaves and foliage sprinkling their bodies and as hair and beards. Young treants can be anywhere from 4 feet to 7 feet tall, and quite heavy due to their woody bodies.
Playing a Treant
To a Treant the natural state of the wilderness is home. Not hunted by predators, they are not combatative in the way most other humanoids are. Generally the only threat to their lives comes from those other humanoids, either by the destruction of their natural habitats or directly. Not requiring food or shelter the way most races do, they are generally uninterested in wealth and posessions beyond the simple things they need to live. Ocassionally, a young treant will have a curiosity about the world and will go wandering, generally unnoticed by those they pass among.
Treant Characteristics: Most treants are slow, thoughtful, sedentary, in tune with nature and the wilderness, solitary, and traditional.
Male Names: Treebeard, Quickbeam, Fangorn, Leaflock, Finglas, Skinbark, Fladrif, Beachbone, Bregalad,
Female Names: Fembrithil, Wandlimb
Treant Adventurers
Three sample Treant adventurers will appear in upcomming posts.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Race by Adam A. Thompson with 2 comments.
Jäällätaudin – Icetongue
This ancient blade’s full history is known only to the most studious Dwarven sages of the Dunheng Kingdoms. In its centuries of existence it has appeared in the hands of many heroes only to be lost again with their passing. Most recently it was wielded by Jak, a King of the Fridon people who in tales is called the Giant Slayer. He was a king of the Fridon many years ago, when his people were attacked by the giants from the Danor Mountains. He fought against them wearing the hide of a dragon and wielding Jäällätaudin, and drove them back to their burning peaks.
Icetongue – Paragon Level
Description
Icetongue is a +4 mithrail fullblade (Adventurer’s Vault – superior weapon, +3 profeciency, 1d12 damage, high crit (+2d12 on crit))
Critical: +4d6 cold damage
Power (At-Will ✦ Cold): Free Action. All damage dealt by this weapon is cold damage. Another free action returns the damage to normal.
Power (Daily ✦ Cold): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target takes an extra 2d8 cold damage and is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Goals
Cold forged of mithrail, Icetongue was made by the Dwarves of Danor to slay fire giants and all their thrall. Any creature with the fire subtype is an enemy to Icetongue, be it azer, elemental, or dragon, and it will demand their death without consideration.
Roleplaying Icetongue
Icetongue speaks in a clear, ringing voice. It speaks Common, Dwarven, Giant and Draconic.
Flame and passion are anathma to Icetongue, and its will is as deliberate and as implacable as a glacier. It will calculatedly drive its wielder to confrontation with its hated foes. Patient, unforgiving and heartless, Icetongue does not care what cost must be paid for victory.
Concordance
Starting Score 5
Wielder gains a level: +1d6
Wielder kills a creature with the fire subtype (max 1 / day) +1
Wielder refuses to fight a creature with the fire subtype -3
Wielder refuses to obey Icetongue’s command -1
Pleased (16-20)
Icetongue becomes a +6 weapon that deals +6d6 cold damage on a critical.
Power (Daily ✦ Cold): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target takes an extra 4d8 cold damage and is restrained until the end of your next turn.
Power (Encounter ✦ Cold): Standard Action, Melee 1. Thrust Icetongue into any normal fire to douse it. If the fire is magical in nature, such as a zone or conjuration of fire, make a weapon attack against the caster’s Will defense to end the effect.
Satisfied (12-15)
Icetongue becomes a +5 weapon that deals +5d6 cold damage on a critical.
Power (Daily ✦ Cold): Free Action. Use this power when you hit with the weapon. The target takes an extra 3d8 cold damage and is immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Property: The wielder gains Icewalk, the ability to move through difficult icy or snowy terrain at normal speed.
Normal (5-11)
Icetongue’s statistics are as listed above (+4 weapon, +4d6 cold on a critical).
Unsatisfied (1-4)
Icetongue becomes a +2 weapon that deals +2d6 cold damage on a critical.
Icetongue will not use its daily slow power.
The wielder gains vulnerable 5 cold.
Angered (0 or lower)
Icetongue is considered a non-magical weapon for the purposes of attack and damage.
If Icetongue’s wielder rolls a 1 on an attack roll, they take 2d8 cold damage and are slowed for one turn.
Moving On
When Icetongue has defeated the fiery menace that it arose to battle it will leave the stage again. Typically it is buried with the corpse of whatever hero it chose to wield it for that battle, as Icetongue’s heartless drive often causes the death of its bearer even as they slay its foes. If by terrific fortitude or cunning they win Icetongue’s epic battle with their life intact he will either make them seek out a new fiery foe or else make them leave him in a desolate, icy location, such as thrust into the ice atop a glacier or hurled into a mountaintop lake.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Magic Item and tagged equipment: artifact weapon by Adam A. Thompson with 3 comments.
Two-Headed Hound
Living in small packs in the deepest wilds of the Feywild, these Two-Headed Hounds are terrifying monsters that the seelie fey tell their children frightening tales of. Those who wander into the green depths of the Feywild sometimes find that the tales are no exaggeration. Occasionally, some of the wilder Fey will befriend a lone male of these creatures and accompany them through the wilds.
Standing almost as tall as a horse at their shoulders, these shaggy wolves bear two heads where most have one, each large enough to eat a child up in one bite.
Two-Headed Hound ✦ Level 16 Elite Soldier
Medium Fey Magical Beast ✦ XP 2,800
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Initiative +17 Senses Perception +8
HP 296; Bloodied 148
AC 34; Fortitude 30, Reflex 28, Will 30
Saving Throws +2
Action Points 1
Speed 8
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Powers
Bite ✦At-Will, Standard Action, Melee 2
melee basic
Attack: +21 vs. AC
Hit: 3d8 + 11 damage.
Horror of Tearing Teeth ✦At-Will, Standard Action
Effect: The hound makes two bite attacks.
Leaping Death ✦Encounter, Standard Action, Melee 2, Recharge 6
The hound hurls itself across the battlefield, knocking down and tearing those it lands on.
Special: The hound may make this attack as part of a charge.
Attack: +23 vs. Reflex against up to 4 targets
Hit: 3d6 + 8 and the target is slid 1 and knocked prone.
Overwatch ✦ At-Will, Minor Action, Melee 2
The hound’s heads look around, ready to take advantage of any opportunity to strike.
Effect: The Hound marks one or two targets within 2 squares. If those targets make an attack that does not include the Hound, the Hound may make an opportunity attack against that target.
Rending Counterattack ✦ Encounter, Immedeate Reaction
Special: Triggered when first bloodied.
Effect: the hound’s Leaping Death power recharges and the hound uses the Leaping Death attack as a free action. For the rest of the encounter, while still bloodied, the hound recieves a +2 to damage.
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Alignment neutral Languages Sylvan
Skills Athletics +20, Nature +13
Str 24 (+15) Dex 21 (+13) Wis 11 (+8)
Con 12 (+9) Int 10 (+8) Cha 21 (+13)
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Two-Headed Hound Lore
The following can be recalled about Two-Headed Hounds with the following Nature skill checks:
15: Two-Headed Hounds are dangerous predators from the depths of the feywild. Though some understand Sylvan, few choose to speak it.
20: Two-Headed Hounds prefer to leap upon their prey and knock them down, and become very dangerous when seriously hurt.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Creature by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Arc-Inquisitor Liodla
Arc-Inquisitor Liodla is the leader of the Shan’n’nur Inquisition. Many years ago he was a powerful wizard who lived at a temple of Boccob. When the An-Magus Crusade was declared by the High Pointiff of Heironeous and the knights of the Sword of Light began raiding the temples of Boccob. Liodla was captured and forced to convert and renounce the use of magic along with many other worshipers of Boccob. Too canny to die in the inquisition’s jails, Liodla emerged from the Sword of Light’s clutches an apparently zealous supporter of the Crusade.
Some time after his conversion Liodla approached Mikail Brightbrow, the leader of the Sword of Light, with an idea. He suggested that a cult to Heironeous be established. This cult could be composed of former mages, sanctified by Heironeous’s priests, and sworn to the eradication of non-sanctified arcane magic. He suggested that the cult be called the Shan’n’nur – from the Nimberlan Elvish tongue – which translates as “those who hate magic”. Liodla put forth a convincing argument at a time when the Sword of Light was meeting more organized resistance from the worshipers of Boccob, lead by their hated enemy Barael, and Mikail agreed.
Thus were the Shan’n’nur established. Liodla recruited some of his former comrades from the temples of Boccob, and through their use of magic helped the knights of the Sword of Light defeat those who resisted them in Boccob’s houses of worship. Among those captured the Shan’n’nur forced more conversions and their ranks grew.
Now that the An-Magus crusade is over the Shan’n’nur Inquisition polices magery in the counties of former Soguer and the middle kingdoms to the west. There is a sanctum of the Shan’n’nur Inquisition, as they are now known, in most major cities throughout the region. Whenever they find the use of magic they descend upon the practitioner and take them back to their temples to be purified either through conversion or death.
Throughout all of these events Liodla’s secret patron Graz’zt reveled in all of the anguish and betrayal. What no one knows even now is that Liodla is one of several simulacrum created by the wizard Alidol when he was First Mage of the Mage’s Guild of Soguer. When Alidol lost his powers during the Fall of Soguer his magical slaves gained their freedom and took their revenge upon him. They left him trapped in the Mage’s Guild tower in the ruins of Soguer and went their separate ways in the world. Like his original, Liodla’s soul is bound to Graz’zt in a dark pact and he has worked the Dark Prince’s will to this day.
Using Liodla in your game
The Arc-Inquisitor is a major villain. In the Heir of Soguer campaign he is the leader of the Inquisition, and as such leads forces who confront the players throughout the campaign.
After many social and martial confrontations throughout the campaign, one or several of the players with the arcane power source will be captured by the Inquisition and taken to their headquarters in Merton for cleansing – either by death or conversion.
At that point the players must either submit to the Inquisition’s regiment of drugs and enchantment, or face the tortures of the Inquisition’s pits – a very dramatic challenge. During the long conversion process Liodla will converse with the PCs many times, attempting to coerce them into converting by hook or by crook. Generally he plays the benevolent father-priest figure, offering the tortured player his love and protection if only they will renounce their former allies and gods, sign false confessions, and other repugnant acts. His goal is to break down their wills and make them his minions, and also to enjoy seeing them suffer as they betray the things they love.
The climax to the Inquisitor’s sub-plot would be a dramatic rescue & escape adventure, where the imprisoned must resist the tortures and deceit of the Inquisitors, and the rest of the party must find their comrade’s prison and break in to rescue them. Re-united the party would then confront Liodla and, if victorious, discover the secret of his demonic pacts.
Arc-Inquisitor Liodla ✦ Elite Level 20 Controller
medium construct humanoid (human simmalacrum)✦ XP 5,600
Initiative +12 Perception +11
HP 380; Bloodied 190
Healing Surges 2; Healing Surge Value 95
AC 36; Fortitude 31, Reflex 34, Will 35
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points: 1
Powers
Eyebite Warlock (Fey) Attack 1
You glare at your enemy, and your eyes briefly gleam with brilliant colors. Your foe reels under your mental assault, and you vanish from his sight.
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Charm, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: +25 vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + 15 psychic damage, and you are invisible to the target until the start of your next turn.
Quickened Arcane Blast
At-Will ✦ Arcane, Force
Minor Action Close Blast 3
+25 vs Fort, 1d6 + 15 force damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Killing Flames Warlock Attack 13
You use an enemy’s recent injury to fuel infernal flames and sear the foe.
Encounter + Arcane, Fire, Implement
Immediate Reaction Ranged 10
Trigger: An enemy within 10 squares of you becomes
bloodied
Target: The triggering enemy
Attack: +25 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d8 + 15 fire damage.
Infernal Pact: The damage ignores resistance to fire.
Vile Lightning (Infernal) Attack 17
Black lightning leaps from your hand and wracks your foe. The evil energy allows you to feed on his life essence.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Healing, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: +25 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 3d6 + 15 damage, the target is weakened until the end of your next turn, and you can spend a healing surge.
Void Star Warlock Attack 19 – Recharge & use when bloodied
You summon a fragment of a dark star and hurl it at your foe, causing the creature’s flesh to slough away.
Daily. Arcane, Healing, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action Ranged 1 0
Target: One creature
Attack: +23 vs. Reflex
Hit: 4d8 + 13 modifier necrotic damage. The target takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage, and whenever the target would regain hit points, you regain the hit points instead (save ends both).
Miss: Half damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends).
Summon Seducer – 20th level Attack
Daily – Minor Action (Minor sustain)
Liodla summons* a succubus that has Speed: 6, fly 6 and the following powers:
- Corrupting Touch (standard; at-will)
+25 vs. AC; 1d6 + Int. Modifier damage. - Dominate (standard; at-will) ✦ Charm
Ranged 5; +25 vs. Will; the target is dominated until the end of the succubus’s next turn. - Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph
The succubus can alter its physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid, including a unique individual (see Change Shape, page 280).
* Per the summoning rules detailed in Arcane Power, p. 98.
Infuriating Elusiveness Warlock (Fey) Utility 16
You will yourself across the boundary between worlds, teleporting a short distance. When you appear from the Feywild, you are surrounded by a glamor of invisibility.
Encounter ✦ Arcane, Illusion, Teleportation
Move Action Personal
Effect: You become invisible and then teleport 4 squares.
The invisibility lasts until the start of your next turn.
Spell Betrayal (11th level) – Once a round, when you hit a target with an arcane power against whom you have combat advantage you deal an extra 1d8 damage.
Dark Charisma (11th level) – You gain a +2 vile bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff checks against evil creatures. This bonus increases to +4 at 21st level.
Spellstrike (16th level) – When you spend an action point to cast an arcane power at a foe who is engaged in melee or against whom you have combat advantage, you deal an additional 1d12 damage with the power.
Alignment evil Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Abyssal, Promordial
Skills arcana + 23, bluff +21
Str 12 (+11) Dex 15 (+12) Wis 13 (+11)
Con 22 (+16) Int 23 (+16) Cha 26 (+18)
Equipment: Robes, Master’s Mask of the Shan’n’nur, Wand, Amulet, Dagger
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Character, Creature and tagged subplot: the Shan'n'nur by Adam A. Thompson with 2 comments.
Thug Scurf
The first in a series of humanoid thugs that can be applied to any of the humanoid races. Place these creatures on windy roads between towns or in salty warehouse districts riddled with slippery docks, or even in dungeons as parties who are on their own looting raids.
Thug Scurf Level 6 Minion
Medium natural humanoid XP 63
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +3
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 14, Will 15
Speed 6
Powers
Short sword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+12 vs. AC; 6 damage.
Cut to Shreds
At-will ✦ Weapon
Immediate Reaction
The thug scurf receives an attack of opportunity whenever their allies make a critical hit.
Alignment Any Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +7, Endurance +5, Perception +8, Streetwise +10
Str 16 (+6) Dex 13 (+4) Wis 12 (+4)
Con 14 (+5) Int 10 (+3) Cha 13 (+4)
Equipment leather armor, short sword
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Creature by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Sithadel
Sithadel is an elf of the Kitel Woods to the west of the former kingdom of Soguer. There he lives a solitary life in the wilderness hunting the game of the feywild for meat, hides, sinew, bone and teeth. He claims no allegiance to any of the elven houses, though he is not hostile to any of them as a whole. He has a fierce hatred for anything that encroaches on the elven lands, be it orc, goblin, man or dwarf, and has fought all of them both alone and at his elven brethren’s sides.
A wild and spontaneous elf, his heart burns with passion for life, whether dancing with fey beneath the open sky, running through the woods after his prey, or standing on a mountaintop watching the sunrise. All these things make his heart swell with joy at creation’s raw glory. Not one to plan or analyze, Sithadel acts decisively based on his instincts.
Sithadel ✦ Level 11 Barbarian (Frenzied Berserker)
Medium Natural Elf ✦ XP 600
Initiative +15 Senses Perception +13
HP 85; Bloodied 42 Healing Surges 8
AC 22 (+5 on full defense or second wind); Fortitude 20, Reflex 20, Will 18
Resist 5 cold and fire
Speed 7
Attack
+15 longspear, 1d10+8 (+3 when raging, +1d6 when charging)
Features
- Frenzied Blood (when spending an action point to attack, deal half damage on a miss)
- Warpath (+2 damage while raging, must attack when starting adjacent to an enemy)
- Feral Might: Swift Charge (Encounter, Free Action – when dropping a target to 0 HP, gain 6 temp HP and charge an enemy, use a healing surge if charge hits)
- Rampage (make a free melee basic after a crit)
Powers
At-Will
- Wild Shape
- Howling Strike (can use with charge (+2 speed when raging) Str vs AC, 2[w]+str)
- Pressing Strike (shift 2, attack Str vs AC, [w]+str (+1d6 while raging), push 1)
Encounter
- Pounce (Beast Form, Can use when charging, Wisdom vs. Reflex, 1d8 + wisdom damage, Target provides combat advantage to the next attack that targets it within 1 turn)
- Great Cleave
- Hammer Fall
- Curtain of Steel
- Persistent Frenzy
Daily
- Rage Strike (2 / day)
- Mace Tail’s Rage (3[w] + knock prone, gain 5 temp HP on any hit)
- Silver Pheonix Rage (2[w] + ongoing 5 fire, gain regen 3, and can spend a HS when dropped to 0 HP)
- White Tiger Rage (2[w] cold damage + immobilized, adjacent enemies are slowed)
Utility
- Combat Sprint (move 11 squares)
- Instinctive Charge (at start of combat get +5 init, +2 to first attack)
- Black Harbinger (wild shape to a tiny raven, fly 7)
Alignment neutral Languages Common
Feats Initiate of the Old Faith (Multiclass Druid), Paragon Defenses, Rageblood Recovery, Improved Initiative, Quickdraw, Deadly Rage (+1 damage when raging), Acolyte Power (Multiclass Utility)
Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +15, Nature +13, Perception +13
Str 21 (+10) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 16 (+8)
Con 11 (+5) Int 9 (+4) Cha 11 (+5)
Equipment: defensive longspear +3 (+3 to defenses on full defense or second wind), wounding longbow +1, pinning dagger +1, elven battle hide armor +2, cloak of survival +2, Bracers of Defense (interrupt – reduce damage or an attack that just hit by 10), Horned Helm (+1d6 damage on a charge), Ironskin Belt (daily – gain resist 5 for 1 turn), Bag of Holding, Parry Gauntlets (+2 defenses on full defense or second wind), 4 potions of healing, 220 gold worth of carved ivory
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Character by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
The Ruins of Soguer – River Journey to the Ruins
Presented below is the first leg of the adventure The Ruins of Soguer. Previously the players had been tasked with traveling to the nation’s fallen capital to find the old king’s sword so that their liege can be coronated.
Previous sections of the adventure can be found here:
The Ruins of Soguer – Introduction
The Ruins of Soguer – Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle
Running the adventure – This section of the adventure details the player character’s travel from Aguies town to the ruins of Soguer. There is an important encounter along the way, where they meet a ship crewed by Aurochs who are searching for a kidnapped member of their royal family. There are also a few encounters with dangerous creatures and terrain as they travel the wild marsh near Soguer.
Goal – rescue the Auroch princess – Iejir’svern.
level 10, XP 2000 or 3000
This is an encounter with crocodiles in what were once the surrounding farmlands – now swallowed by the marsh. As the journey continues, read or paraphrase the following:
Free Action Melee 0
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +14 vs. Reflex
Hit: The creature falls into the quicksand, is restrained until they escape and begins sinking (see Effect – Sinking below).
Miss: The character is slowed in the quicksand square but is not yet sinking.
Effect – Sinking: After one hit, a character sinks up to their waist. A second hit or a failed Athletics check means they sink to their neck. A third hit or failed athletics check indicates they sink completely and begin suffering the effects of suffocation (DMG p. 159).
-A character wearing light or no armor can make a DC 24 Nature check to know that if they hold still they will float, and can then do so. While floating in this way the character is not subject to any more attacks from the quicksand. Any move or standard action will end the float and cause the character to be subject to further attacks by the quicksand.
If you wish to add a greater threat to this encounter, feel free to add a few hungry stirge swarms to up the threat.
Creatures – stirge swarms – XP 700 each.
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure and tagged encounter: skill challange level 10, subplot: Lament of the Aurochs, The Ruins of Soguer, trap: hazard level 11 (elite) by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.