Padaric Malloy
Padaric Malloy is the leader of a small rebel unit that has held out against the Baroese army’s advances into its home nation. The group of wild-dwellers has evaded the large, organized army by living at the edge of a great forest. The Baroese tactics do not account for heavy forests. Malloy’s group is able to steal supplies and sneak attack the troops in their bivouacs when the sun is down. Malloy’s men and women number six.
Malloy himself was once a soldier, so he understands tactics. His recent need to survive in the the woods has led to his greater understanding of nature, and he has recently gained the ability to cast ranger spells.
Padaric Malloy
Medium-size Male Human
Fighter 5 Ranger 3
Hit Dice: (5d10)+(3d8)+8
Hit Points: 67
Initiative: +1
Speed: Walk 20 ft.
AC: 20 (flatfooted 19, touch 14)
Attacks: Dagger +12/+7;Dagger (Thrown) +9/+4; Shortbow (Masterwork) +10/+5; Sword +1 (Bastard) +14/+9; ;
Damage: Dagger 1d4+4; Dagger (Thrown) 1d4; Shortbow (Masterwork) 1d6; Sword +1 (Bastard) 1d10+5; ;
Vision: normal
Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Orc)) +2, Two Weapon Fighting Combat Style, Wild Empathy (Ex) +5
Saves: Fortitude: +8, Reflex: +5, Will: +1
Abilities: Str 18 (+4), Dex 12 (+1), Con 12 (+1), Int 10 (+0), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 14 (+2)
Skills: Appraise 0; Balance -4; Bluff 2; Climb 1; Concentration 3; Craft (Blacksmithing) 3; Craft (Untrained) 0; Diplomacy 2; Disguise 2; Escape Artist -4; Forgery 0; Gather Information 2; Handle Animal 6; Heal 2; Hide -1; Intimidate 10; Jump -5; Knowledge (Geography) 1; Knowledge (Nature) 3; Listen -1; Move Silently -4; Ride 5; Search 2; Sense Motive -1; Spot 1; Survival 1; Swim -4;
Feats: Armor Proficiency (Heavy), Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Diehard, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Sword (Bastard)), Leadership, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Power Attack, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Tower Shield Proficiency, Track, Weapon Focus (Sword (Bastard))
Challenge Rating: 8
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Possessions: Arrows (20); Arrows +1 (20); Banded Mail (Masterwork); Dagger; Medallion of Honor (AC Bonus+2) (Sacred); Shortbow (Masterwork); Sword +1 (Bastard); Wild Boots – AC Bonus (Insight) (+1);
Spells:
Spells per Day: (0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/ DC:9+spell level)
Ranger – Known:
Level 1: Alarm, Animal Messenger, Charm Animal, Delay Poison, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Poison, Entangle, Jump, Longstrider, Magic Fang, Pass without Trace, Resist Energy, Speak with Animals, Summon Nature’s Ally I
Posted in Character and tagged fighter, proppian by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Thousand Eyes of Prince Sangor
This prince of a nomadic tribe is said to have a thousand eyes.
In actuality his tribe has over 500 warrior-aged men and women who act and fight in his name. As nomads, they are known to travel in many directions, even away from the tribe. They keep watch wherever they go, reporting news back to Prince Sangor through a specialized sending spell.
In person, the middle-aged prince can seem distant, since reports from his “thousand eyes” stream in constantly. To his credit, he is amazingly attentive for someone who has the central node in a hive mind in his head at all times.
The prince rarely sleeps for more than a few hours (whenever his “eyes” sleep, he is able to), leading many outsiders (and even some closer to him) to question his humanity. However, to many he comes off as a kind and generous leader who believes very strongly in core principles of honesty and justice.
The story element here is that the prince’s counsel has gone missing, and he has been unable to sort through the many messages that fill his mind. The party will be sent on a search and rescue mission across the desert in order to win his trust. Sandor’s top archers will accompany the party, and will teach those who use bows how better to use them. They will, of course, be able to be impressed.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged campaign plotline, desert, nomad by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Secondary Skills
Presented here are lose rules for all the flavor skills that aren’t part of 4th edition D&D: the craft and profession or trade skills, riding, sailing, forgery, performance, or any other skill that may add flavor to your characters.
These secondary skills can be useful mainly for providing another dimension of detail to characters, or, as a DM, if you intend the players to be involved in some skill challenges that go beyond the primary skills. For example, you might introduce the secondary skills Navigation (Int) and Sailing (Dex) in a swashbuckling adventure and make them available to the players. You could then put the players through skill challenges or even shipboard combat encounters that gave the players an opportunity to use these skills.
Characters may chose a number of secondary skills based on their class, or alternatively, they can get training in as many secondary skills as are appropriate to their backgrounds. Around 2 or 3 skills seems right for most PCs, with NPCs getting more or fewer depending on their class (look for NPC classes here in a later article).
Training in a Secondary Skill, much like a primary skill, gives the character a +5 bonus to rolls involving the skill.
Possible Secondary Skills include:
- Craft (choose an object type to craft) (Int, Dex, or Str)
- Profession (choose a profession to be skilled in) (Could be any attribute)
- Navigation (Int or Wis)
- Sailing (Dex)
- Riding (Dex)
- Engineering (Int)
- … or any other skill as deemed appropriate in conjunction with your DM….
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged variant rules: secondary skills by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Atavistic Onslaught 4
Another illustrated moment from the Savage Tide game I’m running. This occurred in the basement of the Seventh Coil minting house in Scuttlecove – Frank’s Vannaran shaman, “Tirapiki” is coup’de-grac-ing a stunned Yaun-Ti.
Art courtesy of Daniel Smith, colored by myself.
Posted in Comic by Daniel Smith with no comments yet.
Roadside Shrines
Roadside Shrines are found throughout Farghoal. Some are even far off the road, in the middle of the wilderness. Wherever people have found a reason to note a piece of ground, shrines can be found.
These shrines have multiple uses:
* providing a location to worship while on the road
* providing a source of (holy) water for travelers
* consecrating an area that once was tainted
* memorializing an event, such as a successful battle or a treaty
* memorializing a hero, especially one of the traveling saints
* providing spiritual or holy defense of an area
Sample Roadside Shrines
In the Central Valley, shrines are common roadside reminders of times past. The rich histories of the people who live in the valley are woven together in detailed, sometimes cryptic poetry and prose.
Every mile or so (twenty minutes walk) between towns and inns there is some shrine serving as a reminder of the teamwork and sharing that keeps the valley thriving.
Some towns have markers in the form of shrines on every corner, telling some part of the story. Though these have mostly taken on a more secular meaning. Those that have not are homages to Farlagn, though others praise Pelor, Moradin, or Toddemere Wolfhaven, a minor god of travel.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged campaign flavor, farghoal, holy by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Soup Stone
Dropped into a cauldron or pot filled with water, this knobby stone will leak the taste of onions, carrots, potatoes, and other root vegetables into the mix, proving a nutritious and tasty meal. The stone shrinks by a negligible margin with each use; a new soup stone lasts up to a year.
This meal will not cover all the nutritional needs of an adventurer, but will provide more than half, making soup stones a valuable, if not expensive item. Multiple soup stones add to the nutritious value of the meal, and make the meal tastier.
Unfortunately, if soup stones get wet (by rain or accidental dunking in a river), they wear away much quicker.
To make a soup stone, the caster must be able to create food through magical means and must be able to enchant objects. Price: 750 gp.
Drawing by Ben Dare.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged food and drink, proppian by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Dungeon A Day
Monte Cook (co-designer of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons and author of the awesome Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and Ptolus) has a cool new project out: DungeonADay.com. He’s designing a megadungeon (hundreds of rooms, according to his definition) and posting them a room at a time. I’ve read over the preview of some of the rooms on the first level, and I have to say I’m super excited about this project. The art and maps look great, there’s background and handouts for the players, and, of course, the encounters are super interesting (spoiler alert).
To get access to the full content, there’s a subscription of $10 / month, with discounts for quarterly and yearly subscriptions. Personally, I have my plate full with games to run, but if I could find a DM to run this adventure for me, I’d gladly pay for the subscription.
Here’s a bit form Monte’s site describing the assumptions behind his design:
Whether you’re playing out of the little white box, the Basic Set, 1st Edition, 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition (or 3.5), or 4th edition, dungeons come into the game. But dungeons mean different things to different people. At Dungeonaday.com, I plan on taking a rather old school approach–but even the meaning of that term varies depending on who you ask. So, I thought it valuable to share the assumptions I’m making as I design the dungeon.
These, then, are my Ten Tenets of Dungeon Design.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged preview by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Manners, Customs and Dress During the Middle Ages
I just found this book on the Project Gutenburg site, and wanted to share it. It’s currently the #5 most popular book on the project’s site.
Although most modern games gloss over historical cultural and political structures, as a student of history I find the minutiae of such fascinating. Occasionally I will find something that I can write into a game that gives flavor, and sometimes it becomes a major underpinning of the story. For example, in “The Heir of Soguer”, the system of vassalage is really central to the story. I’ve tried to engage the players in that by having it brought up by NPCs, making it the source of the current major conflict in the story, and even knighting the player’s characters in the game. All of this has been wonderful detail that helps create a historical feel for my game, as well as informing the central conflict.
I’m hoping that this book yields more of such wonderful details. It has more than 400 woodblock prints, as well.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10940/10940-h/10940-h.htm
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged ale break by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Trangúll Dřevo Rumors
The following are quotes that various people who have heard of Trangúll Dřevo, or who are putting the party on, will say to them.
“It is said that southwest of Olde Bay is an ancient wood, wherein lives elf folk. Mischevious, kiniving they are, and will steal your pack if you don’t keep it close you. Be careful traveling in those parts.”
“I daresay, you should never head there. Only death and despair. ‘Tis why the Olde Bay’s been so haunted all these years. Foul beasts come form there, beasts half stone and half flesh. Carry you out to their island. Don’t go into those woods.”
“I never venture south of the Bay. Recommend you don’t either. It is said there is a haunted wood down there. Filled with dark fey folk.”
“In the heart of Trangúll Dřevo is a portal to another world — on the other end is a dragon. Can’t imagine anyone would ever want to find it.”
“We have seen wandering patrols of armed men dressed in deep robes, with shiny armor sneaking out from under their adornment. Their faces have a slight green hue, and they are armed with impressive weapons. If you’re heading there, be sure to be well armed, or you will face certain disaster.”
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged farghoal, forest, Location, rumors, southbay by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Traveling to Minwood
After the battle of Clommel Bridge the players and their liege, Ludwig Staledwo, take their army in pursuit of Count Aguies and his protege, Trent. The most direct route is the road through Minwood. Once there they must decide how to deal with the hostile lord of Minwood, and possibally Oltorf as well.
Encounters
- Treatment of prisoners – if the players captured any Knights in the previous encounters (such as Ilúvënis, the haughty Eledrin Lord of Linton, and Jack the young human son of Lord Erding) they must decide how they are to be treated.
As you survey the battlefield that Aguies has just fled, one of your troops approaches, looking uncertainly back at Iluvenis and Jack, the knights who have surrendered to you. “What should I do with these two, m’lord?”
If given general liberty, good food and wine and otherwise treated as guests they will be social with the players, riding and talking with them, and may be disposed to ally with the party’s liege Ludwig later. If kept harshly they may try to escape or stir up trouble – Iluvens can teleport, so keeping him prisoner will be hard. If killed their families will greatly resent Ludwig during the reconciliation later.
Skill Challenge Level 5, complexity 1, XP 200, 3 successes before 3 failures –
Primary Skills (DC 12); Diplomacy, Intimidate to make friends or control the prisoners, can be carried out over the course of the journey to Castle Aguies.
Success – the players make a good impression on their prisoners or frighten them into submission.
Failure – the prisoners may attempt to convince some of the player’s troops to join them or they may try to escape (use Knight of the Realm stats for Jack, and Eladrin Knight stats (see Monster Manual) for Iluvens. - During the journey to Castle Aguies, the players may have a minor encounter if they want to attack the lightly defended Oltorf and Minwood – who may just surrender with a skill challenge. Lord Jared of Oltorf is still with Count Aguies, but Lord Toel of Minwood was injured at the battle at the bridge and is recuperating in his keep with his family and a small contingent of guards.
The trip to Minwood takes 2-3 days for the player’s army.
Description – they party comes upon the town, and it seems deserted – the keep is closed up and archers watch from their positions on the battlements / arrow slits. If parleyed with, they say that Duke Aguies rode by and warned them that Ludwig’s army was coming. They will gladly say that they will not attack the army’s flank in an attempt to convince the players to continue on (Insight or History DC 14 to realize that this is probably not ture).
Skill Challenge – Level 7, complexity 4 – xp 1200. 10 successes before 3 failures. Primary skills – (DC 14) Intimidate checks to bully them into surrendering, Bluff checks to trick them into giving up, Diplomacy checks to convince them they will not be hurt if they surrender, History to make the argument that Ludwig is the rightful lord of these lands, Stealth checks to sneak into the castle, Athletics checks to scale the walls.
Secondary skills – (DC 19) Endurance checks to keep watch while blockading them, keeping supplies from getting in or out, Nature to notice the spring feeding water to the keep, and to block or taint it, Stealth and then Acrobatics to squeeze in through the grate that lets the spring water in.
Success – The castle’s defenders surrender to Ludwig’s army and if they succeeded at at least one Diplomacy check, the Lord swears fealty to Ludwig. Otherwise they merely surrender and the party faces a dilemma – what do they do with the captured troops? The sword of war suggests conscription or execution.
Failure – The defenders refuse to surrender: to take the castle they must defeat the well-fortified 20 troops defending the place (see encounter below). If they do not take Minwood and Oltorf there is a counter attack from these troops during the siege of Aguies detailed below.
Development – given the opportunity, the Sword of War will make it’s bearer attack the keep.Encounter – Level 7 – XP 1400 –
If the players do not convince the defenders to surrender, they must defeat the well-fortified troops defending the keep. While the player’s troops help fight the rest of the forces off-screen (or are repelled by archers if sent in alone), the players make the main assault on the keep and fight:
Creatures
- Knight – xp 250
- pikeman – xp 250
- 3 x human guards (see MM) – xp 150 ea
- 6 x human lackeys (see MM) – xp 75 ea
Treasure – small money parcel as the keep and town are looted. Simple skill challenge to keep the looting from turning into pandemonium as their troops grab everything not bolted down, including livestock, furniture, erc. – the Sword of War tries to encourage the looting. Failure – flush with their loot, four of the player’s troops desert in the night.
Development – If they do not take Minwood and Oltorf there is a counter attack from these troops during the siege of Aguies (to be detailed later).
Posted in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Encounter and tagged Campaign: Heir of Soguer, encounter: skill challenge level 5, encounter: skill challenge level 7 by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.