Room 4: Wands vs. Wall
Upon entering this hexagonal chamber the first thing that you see is a mesmerizing wall of warm, red energy which seems to cut straight through the center of the room. On the wall to your left are six stone shelves carved into the stonework. Upon each shelf rests a single wand. An ebony plaque laid into the floor reads:
“To gain your prize you must pass the wall”
Under each wand is an etching in the stone each with a single word engraved upon it. The words from left to right are:
Blow, Chill, Bolt, Zap, Sun, Pass
These are the command words for the wands and a clue as to the effect that each wand casts. The wands themselves have a single charge and may be used by anyone capable of uttering the command word. The wall can be destroyed, color by color, in consecutive order, by various magical effects; however, the first color must be brought down before the second can be affected, and so on. Thus, the “Chill” wand must be used before the “Blow” wand etc. in order to bring down each successive layer.
If the party fails to use the wands in the correct sequence, the wands will regain their charges and the wall will reset to its original state once someone attempts to pass through the wall.
Anyone attempting to pass through an active wall will take each and every one of the effects that remain active.
Red (1st)
Stops non-magical ranged weapons.
Deals 20 points of fire damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Chill (Cone of cold)
Orange (2nd)
Stops magical ranged weapons.
Deals 40 points of acid damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Blow (Gust of wind)
Yellow (3rd)
Stops poisons, gases, and petrification.
Deals 80 points of electricity damage (Reflex half).
Dispel: Zap (Disintegrate)
Green (4th)
Stops breath weapons.
Poison (Kills; Fortitude partial for 1d6 points of Con damage instead).
Dispel: Pass (Passwall)
Blue (5th)
Stops divination and mental attacks.
Turned to stone (Fortitude negates).
Dispel: Bolt (Magic missile)
Violet (6th)
Stops all spells.
Will save or become insane (as insanity spell).
Dispel: Sun (Daylight)
DM Note: another method of gaining the key fragment would be through a creative use of the Passwall wand to create a passage either under or to the side of the prismatic wall thus allowing someone to squeeze around the wall (Dex check DC 14) to get to the key with the wall still up. However Passwall will not create a passage directly through the prismatic field and will have no effect upon it at all except to negate the 4th layer (provided that layers 1-3 have already been correctly neutralized).
After red is disabled:
The wall of red energy sputters under the chill wind projected by the wand. In its place, a swirling orange edifice with bands that stretch across the room.
After orange is disabled:
Bolts of acid bombard the swirls, which writhe like tentacles, grasping the bolts and dissolving into withered hulks of petrified wood wrapped with barbed wire. Yellow electricity arcs between the tips of the metallic sinews.
After yellow is disabled:
The wooden wall disintegrates into a line of lime green sawdust, which wisps up into the form of mortar in a brick wall, only there are no bricks.
After green is disabled:
The mortar drips with a viscous gel that runs down the spaces between the mortar, dissipating in iridescent blue stones that run the length of the corridor and pulsate with each heartbeat.
After blue is disabled:
A large volley of bolts shoots from the wand, landing in a door-shaped pattern among the blue stones. Blood runs down the wounds, the blue stones turning a deep purple.
After violet is disabled:
A flash as bright as daylight temporarily blinds everyone in the room. When you rub your eyes, you see no signs of the prismatic wall. There, resting on a seventh shelf at the far end of the room is a prismatic key, its hexagonal handle aglow in all six colors of the wall.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Adventure, Encounter and tagged The Tomb of Athganazar by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Room 3: Golem Guardian
A 40′x40′ chamber opens before you. Nestled in between two large stone fountains set into the wall, a rusty statue twice the size of a man dominates the far wall of this room. Its chest is puffed out, revealing an oversized keyhole. The heads of jackals adorn the walls above the marble fountain basins, their jaws open wide, spewing a steady stream of gurgling, sudsy liquid.
As they approach the fountains or statue:
Glowing embers illuminate the eyes of the ruddy statue. Its metallic jaw rumbles, spilling bits of nuts, bolts, and screws upon the floor. Finally, it speaks.
“I am G-L-M. I hold great mysteries. I will not attempt to bar your way – if and only if you can assist me in my existential dilemma. If you challenge my existence, or my authority on such matters, you will face my wrath.”
The rusty statue is a rusted iron golem with a door on its chest and inside there are various potions to heal and restore the party as well as one of Athganazar’s key fragments, an iron key.
If they answer the golem’s questions correctly then they gain the key and the potions.
If they do not answer the questions, then they must fight the golem and the potions will be destroyed. In this case, they will also need to find a way to open the golem’s chest, since it it rusted shut.
Questions:
- What is my condition?
- What beast think you that crossed my path to bring me to this condition?
- What can be used to soothe my weary joints?
- What other materials are my brethren made from that would not suffer the same fate?
- Yet I am the mightiest! Take these metal boxes and give me an appropriate name. Not all boxes are needed, but all must be heeded. With this he opens his chest and out drop 10-12 boxes labeled with letters. DM Note: Use letter dice or tiles from a popular word game for this.
- Now tell me how I have earned this name and how I am the mightiest!
One set of answers the golem will accept:
- Rusted; angsty; bored; disused.
- A rust monster attacked the golem; the golem has been here between the fountains for far too long; golem has idled too long.
- Grease or some lubricant; the grease spell; a higher purpose.
- Flesh, clay, stone (also bone, straw).
- The answers to this challenge depends on their roll of the letter dice. They will have to make this up themselves – the more patronizing the higher chance of success.
- Here they should air on the side of honoring and praising the golem to earn its respect.
Upon success, the golem will seem pleased and it will present the healing potions and the iron key.
With each incorrect answer, it will take a 5′ step closer to the nearest adventurer and bellow “Incorrect!”, “No” or “This angers me.” With each correct answer, it will say “Correct” or “Yes” or “This pleases me.”
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Adventure, Encounter and tagged The Tomb of Athganazar by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Room 1: A Restful Chamber
This tapered 30′x30′ room is cast in a pale blue light that evokes the calm skies of a mid-spring afternoon. An animated mural of puffy clouds meander about the domed ceiling. Small, decorative cockatrice feathers in a variety of pastel colors float along a plane six inches out from the walls indicate a protective ward, a testament to a great arcane power that still is rooted in this tomb. Carved in to the far wall above a granite crucible are a set of arcane runes. Copper braziers fill the four corners of the room. Above them float golden feathers that are interspersed among the others.
If someone can read magic, the runes say:
To be at peace. To be at rest. To be mended. To pass the test.
This is the central room to this level. The room is warded against any unexpected encounters, so this room provides the dungeon delvers a refuge to fall back to and regroup as needed. Any attempt to grab the feathers will be unsuccessful, as they are also warded and will move away from any advance. After each key is collected, the adventurers can rest here and receive 2d8 hp of healing from the room.
Once all four keys are collected, the crucible can be used to reforge Athganazar’s key. All four keys must be placed in the crucible and all four braziers pushed around the crucible.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Encounter and tagged The Tomb of Athganazar by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Room 2: Chamber of Self Reflection
In this room you find a table, upon which are a collection of charred tiles. A shattered floor-to-ceiling mirror dominates the opposite wall. Scrawled at waist height along the mirror in faded black finger paint is the following:
“Upon reflection you may find the key.”
Looking closer at the black paint shows that is actually ash. Looking closer at the tiles on the table reveals:
Nine tiles lie scattered upon the ash-covered table, each with a unique symbol inscribed upon them.
Upon moving the ash from the table, either by hand or by creating a breeze:
Eight indentations (each of which would fit one tile) set in a line across the center of the table. Above the indentations, floating in an arc above the indentations, glowing ash reads:
“Leave all but your number. Leave the rest in order.”
Once someone touches any of the tiles the encounter begins with the springing of a trap.
With an enormous thud, a large stone block drops to the floor, sealing the doorway. In the dissipating dust, a flash catches your attention and you can barely make out a marble sized dot of fire hovering in the air between the table and the mirror. With a ticking sound, the fire pulses slightly once per second, as if keeping time.
The dot is a Delayed Blast Fireball (10d6+1 points of damage) which will detonate exactly 60 seconds after the encounter is activated. The only way to prevent this from happening is to correctly solve the riddle. The tiles upon the table must be laid out in the correct sequence, omitting the number of characters in the party exploring the tomb. Upon the tiles are the numbers 1 through 9 which are drawn with a reflection of themselves.
You will need to give the players actual tiles with these symbols upon them (jumbled up of course) and will only consider the riddle solved once they have been placed into the order shown above.
If they fail to do this within the 60 seconds, the fireball detonates, the door opens and the encounter resets. It will continue to do this until the puzzle is correctly solved.
The mirror is simply a red herring placed there to potentially throw people off. It serves no useful purpose except to provide a clue as to the nature of the mirrored numerals that comprise the symbols.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Encounter and tagged The Tomb of Athganazar by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Tomb of Athganazar (Introduction)
Athganazar, the feared Archmage of Wayrenth has died. The loss of the wizard has been a great blow to the city and the Duke has begun to seek out replacements for the position of wizard to the court.
This however is not what has brought you all here to the city but instead it is the promise of both riches and power which were offered in the riddle that appeared on the door to Athganazar’s tomb the morning after he was laid to rest…
Five are the tests Athganazar told
To wealth and power for ones so bold
When the wizard was dying, his time at an end
The key he shattered for those to mend
Find one, find two, find three, find four
‘Twil be all for naught until restored
To gain the key will mean one more test
Then after it’s over a much deserved rest
For you’ll have found the prize of the great archmage,
…His wealth of treasure, gold and page.
News of this message spread fast across the realm and has led to what amounts to the greatest scavenger hunt of the age, with treasure seekers looking for clues as to both where to find these key fragments as well as for more information as to where these “tests” are supposed to take place.
Many have sought answers in the Mage’s home, school and the places where he was raised as a child but your group seems the first to have actually discovered the wizard’s testing ground, here beneath his very tomb.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Encounter and tagged The Tomb of Athganazar by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Boast of White Eye
The “Boast of White Eye”, as it is called by the magi of Setheria Isle, was found by the Magus Oahkill when a quest led him to the Ice Isles of northern Findor, some one hundred years ago. His written account of the journey contains the following passage. He first saw the sign of a simple spell, and investigated. His eldritch sight deciphered secret wizard-writing sorcerously scrawled across an iced-over engraving of the royal family of dwarves who had built the towers here so long ago.
Posted in Character, Fiction by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Adventure: The Dragon of Krom Frykt – The Dragon’s Lair
Here is the third and final part of the Pathfinder-compatible adventure The Dragon of Krom Frykt. See the introduction here and the wilderness encounters here.
The Dragon’s Cave
Once the players reach the entrance read or paraphrase the following:
The rocky hillside, cracked and smoking from various vents, descends to the valley floor here where a wide, low cavern lies. A natural stone awning canopies an open space of small scattered rocks. WIthin, a dark passage emits heat and haze.
One goblin hides among the rocks in at the entrance (DC 20 perception to spot) and watches the approach (perception +0). If he sees the party approaching the cave he will alert the goblins in area 1 (see below).
An alternate entrance can be discovered through investigating the vents on the hillside above and succeeding on a DC 20 nature, survival or dungeoneering skill check. Success means they discover a fissure on the hillside above the cave, which leads to a corridor behind the entrance guards (area 2 on map).
Dragon’s Lair Areas
When the players enter the lair, run the following encounters as the players progress through the areas.
1) Guards and Wards – CR 4 – XP 1300
Within, more goblins with cover and bows and magical traps pass the time by playing at dice inside the entrance.
Trap – At the apex of the entrance, a mark has been made on the stone with grayish paint. Any who cross the threshold or touch the rune trigger this glyph of warding, which summons a poison frog swarm that will attack whoever triggered it.
Creatures – 5 goblins – one on watch among the rocks at the entrance, the rest wary. The goblins will attempt to use cover from the large rock in the center of the chamber and fire their shortbows at attackers.
2) Savage Riders – CR 5 – XP 2000
A natural stone passage splits in an area with several interconnecting chambers. Here, a couple of goblin worg-riders and their mounts stand guard.
Creatures – 2 x Goblin commandos (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/unique-monsters/cr-1/goblin-commando) and 2 worg. They will attack the players with shortbows, charges, and halberds on their mounts. The goblins will try to keep moving and flank single opponents.
3) A Fallen Champion – CR 3 – XP 800
Among the corpses of many goblins, the party finds the temple champion’s corpse, which has been partially eaten, and his ceremonial trappings -a helm, shield, and necklace.
Creatures – 2 zombies and 3 skeletons, animated corpses of the goblins that the champion killed, rise up and attack the party as they prepare to leave the area.
Treasure – The necklace is an amulet of health +2. If returned to the Temple further rewards will be bestowed upon them in the form of honors – they will be named Champions of Krom and a feast will be held.
4) The Chamber of Earthfire – CR 6 – 2400 XP
In the chamber of earthfire, a large cavern with lava pools and a natural stone bridge, the party must rescue the dragon’s eggs from the goblin wizard who ejected her. His intention is to hatch them himself and train them.
Hazard – the chamber is extremely hot and each round inhabitants who are not immune to extremes of heat must make a DC 10 Fortitude check or become Fatigued.
Hazard – the area around the nest is even hotter due to closer proximity to the lava, and creatures take 1d3 points of fire damage while past the stone bridge.
Hazard – anyone falling into the pool of molten rock in this chamber will take 5d6 points of damage per round.
Creatures – Goblin Wizard (see below) and 2 Bugbear Bodyguards, one of whom wields the Beastblade (see below) will confront the party. Both are wearing hide armor and are AC 19 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/bugbear). The goblin’s wizardry protests all three from the sweltering heat hazards of the chamber except the lava, and he will fight the battle flying around the chamber casting spells.
Treasure – The goblin wizard and the bugbears carry 10 platinum and 30 gold coins each. The dragon’s hoard consists of ore and globs of lead, copper, silver, iron, and gold that are melted together into a nest which weighs 500 pounds and is worth 1000 gold.
Within the lumpy metallic nest rest three egg-shaped stones, very hard, scaly, and hot to the touch. A DC 20 Knowledge Arcana skill check will reveal that these are the dragon’s eggs and require a constant temperature in order to hatch. A DC 25 Knowledge Arcana skill check combined with a DC 25 Knowledge Nature skill check will reveal that these three will hatch in 5d12 days if undisturbed. A DC 25 appraise check will reveal they could fetch up to 500 gold apiece.
Developments – If the eggs are harmed or removed the dragon will wreak her wrath upon the valley. The eggs will only hatch if their temperature is properly maintained.
Concluding the Adventure
Return to the temple and complete a skill challenge where the PCs must give an accounting of their deeds before the dragon is convinced that her treasure is safe and will leave. As she does she will sniff all of the PCs to check if they smell like her eggs, or, more direly, dragon blood. If she notices the Beastblade which the bugbear took from her hoard she will mention that a fool carried it last and that they may keep it as “the memory is sour”. If flattered she will tell the story of a group of thieves who came into her lair. She killed two and two more escaped, but the one carrying the Beastblade fought to the death with the smell of fear strong upon him.
Any harm to the eggs leads to dire repercussions the next day after the dragon finds out. She will hunt the players down if possible, likely destroying the village Sera and the temple regardless.
When the players rid the Temple of Krom Frykt of the dragon they are offered 100 gold coins each as a gesture of gratitude. Additionally, as the temple’s kennels have just had a litter, and they are offered up to two mountain hound pups.
Faoer Dornoe, The temple elder, expresses concern at the machinations of the goblin waste wizard, as the goblins have not troubled the valley since he was a boy. Their wolf and goat borne raiders had earned them a reprisal from the warriors of the temple and the men of the village. He mentions that a scouting expedition may need to be mounted and asks the players if they would consider undertaking such a task, which could lead to further adventures in the wastes to the north. Perhaps the players will meet the wizard’s two brothers.
Creatures
Deom-Adr, earth dragon, CR 10
Neutral large dragon (earth, fire)
Draconic, Common
Senses: darkvision, tremorsense
12 HD, 131 hp
AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 21 (+1 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
F +12 R +10 W +9
Move: 40 feet
Bite +19, 2d6+10 +1d6 fire damage, 2 x claws +17, 1d8+7 damage
Breath Weapon – 60 foot line of fire – 6d8 fire damage, DC 20 reflex save for 1/2 damage
Choking Smoke – at will the dragon can exhale a cloud of choking poisonous gas and smoke. Each round of exhalation grows the cloud by 10′ diameter. The cloud gives concealment for all within it, which the dragon ignores due to tremorsense. Living creatures in the cloud must make a DC 20 Fortitude saving throw each round or begin to suffocate and take 1d6 points of subdual damage per round in the smoke.
Stats – S 24 D 14 C 18 I 12 W 13 Ch 12
Canny and suspicious, Deom-Adr seethes with anger at the goblins who are holding her eggs hostage. She has had dealings with the men of Sera in the past and is reluctant to inform them of the true nature of her treasures and will resort to threats if the players ply her for details. She will instead insist that the players secure all of her treasure and kill or drive off the goblins.
Ixame, Wizard of the Wastes – XP 1200
NE small humanoid (goblin) Witch 5
hp 20 AC 11 F +1 R +2 W +4
Spear +2, 1d6 damage
Spells – lightning bolt, hold person, summon swarm, sleep, ray of enfeeblement, cause fear
Hexes – Evil Eye, Flight, Healing
Gear – spear, scroll of cure light wounds, resist elements, ray of enfeeblement
Stats – S 10 D 12 C 10 I 16 W 14 Ch 10
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature, Encounter and tagged creature type: dragon, dragon by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Recapping SpaceCityCon 2013
I took a Saturday to make a trip out to SSC 2013 to run a session of The Tomb of Athganazar.
The adventure went well — even had a few folks playing who expressed interest in seeing our other adventures, so I’ve pointed them to this site. If you, dear reader, are one of them, thanks for the kindly-worded validation. The adventuring party found a very creative solution to the wizard’s challenge, different than those at the last con, but just as off-the-wall and fun for all. This seems to be the norm for games I run at cons, which is very encouraging, both in the flexibility of the adventure as well as the creativity of the players at Texas gaming cons. Excessive hack-n-slash isn’t as fun for me as a storyteller, as it too often turns adventures into glorified calculators. The question for me has always been whether players enjoy this outside-the-lines style of session, and it seems they do. Again, thank you all players who roll with these adventures. I am grateful for your participation and positivity.
On the floor, I met a visual artist, Joey Blackard, with an intriguing, yet simple style, and picked up one of his framed originals. I’d love to use more of his work in our adventures; more on that in time. Then, after running the session, happened upon Diesel on the vendor’s floor, and though I usually don’t approach such luminaries in the history of role playing, he seemed very approachable, so I decided I’d say hi. Thirty minutes into our discussion of role playing, scoping projects, the experience of working at TSR, then WoTC, and finally life in Austin, I realized that we had a lot of common ground. He was so down to earth and genuinely interested that I had to cut myself short or I would have kept talking with him all evening. I’ll definitely look him up at other Texas cons; he tends to make the rounds each year. One of my favorite con experiences ever.
As usual, the Houston hospitality was second to none, the organizers, gamers, and other locals taking care of me as they always do. Special shout out to Leo and Phil for the discussions and good times on Saturday night after we’d packed out of the con. Always great to hear about your campaigns and story ideas and to meet more of your friends and colleagues in adventurecraft.
More to come as we are already hard at work on an adventure to run atOwlCon in early 2014. This one will showcase the Dungeonstone Caves and Caverns Set that recently closed on Kickstarter. Odds are they’ll have some sets available for purchase at the con. So in six months, come check out the booth; the adventure will be run in multiple sessions at the neighboring table.
Posted in convention by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Wooly Manticore
Wooly Manticore CR 3
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
STATISTICS
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, Creature and tagged magical beast by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.