Traveler’s Tables
Traveler’s tables are nice little elements to add some spice (and encounter locations) to your worlds. Placed outside the city walls, though often in view of the town guard, these are simple tables set up so that merchants and travelers can regroup, take in a meal, and generally rest up before heading into the hustle and bustle of town and city centers.
The construction of the tables varies per region, with some city-states erecting magnificent stone tables, complete with moderate shelter, horse ties and posts, working wells and shrines. Other, less well-to-do locales offer more meager accommodations, but all municipalities consider it their duty to accommodate the weary traveler, and this is one such gesture of welcome.
These locations are often named for famous adventurers who hail from the towns in which they are placed.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged campaign flavor, dm tips by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Barael
History: Barael has lived a long life of adventure. Born near the Linglew Wood to a woman who had traveled there to learn elven magic, he was a young man when Soguer fell. After many years wandering across the world, in and out of groups of companions, he found himself at the Temple of the Stars in the north of the Middle Kingdoms, where he fell in love with one of the priestesses there. In the years that followed he defended that place against the Anmagus Crusade and became a bitter enemy of the Shan’n’nur Inquisition.
Barael ✦ Level 19 Fighter (Kensei)
Medium natural humanoid (half-elf) ✦ XP 2,400
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +11, low-light vision
HP 136; Bloodied 68; Healing Surge 34; Healing Surges: 11
AC 34; Fortitude 30, Reflex 28, Will 27
Resist 5 fire and necrotic
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Powers
Basic Melee ✦ At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Barael’s Blade +23 vs. AC; 1d10 + 14
At-Will Powers
Magic Missile ✦ At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
+17 vs. Reflex, 2d4 + 8,
Precise Strike ✦ At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Encounter Powers
Ray of Frost ✦ Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Thunderwave ✦ Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Griffon’s Wrath ✦ Encounter ✦ Standard, Melee
Spectral Ram ✦ Encounter ✦ Standard, Ranged 10
Storm of Blows ✦ Encounter ✦ Standard, Melee
Force Volley ✦ Encounter ✦ Standard, Ranged 20
Daily Powers
Victorious Surge ✦ Daily ✦ Standard, Melee
Dragon’s Fangs ✦ Daily ✦ Standard, Melee
Disintegrate ✦ Daily ✦ Standard Ranged 10
Utility Powers
Boundless Endurance ✦ Daily ✦ Minor, Stance
Unbreakable ✦ Daily ✦ Immediate Reaction, Personal
Into the Fray ✦ Daily ✦ Minor, Personal
Blur ✦ Daily ✦ Minor, Personal
Stoneskin ✦ Daily ✦ Standard, Touch
Alignment Neutral Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven
Feats Arcane Initiate, Ritual Caster, Novice Power, Acolyte Power, Adept Power, Expanded Spellbook, Weapon Proficiency Bastard Sword, Weapon Focus Heavy Blades, Inescapable Force, Armor Specilization (Scale), Iron Will
Skills Arcana +18, Athletics +18, Diplomacy +12, Endurance +16, Insight +13, Streetwise +16
Str 20 (+14) Dex 13 (+10) Wis 14 (+11)
Con 14 (+11) Int 20 (+14) Cha 13 (+10)
Equipment: Barael’s Blade (+3 Witchblade), Black Iron Wyrmscale Armor +4, Orb of Reversed Polarities +3, Bracers of Defense (level 7), Winged Boots, Elven Cloak +4, Spellbook, Holy Symbol of Boccob, Adventurer’s Backpack.
STATS as a 19th level NPC
19th level Fighter, Half-elf
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +11, low-light vision
HP 165; Bloodied 82; Healing Surge 41; Healing Surges: 11
AC 36; Fortitude 33, Reflex 30, Will 28
Speed 5
Action Points 1
Combat Challenge
Powers
At-Will
Basic Melee: witchblade + 21 vs AC, 1d10+12
Magic Missile: +20 vs Reflex, 2d4 + 11
Encounter
Thunderlance
Force Volley
Daily
Disintigrate
Greater Invisibility
Stoneskin
Skills: Arcana +18, Streetwise +15
Str 21 (+14) Dex 12 (+10) Wis 14 (+11)
Con 13 (+10) Int 19 (+13) Cha 11 (+10)
Gear: Scale Mail, +3 Witchblade, holy symbol of Boccob, spellbook
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged subplot: the Shan'n'nur by Adam A. Thompson with 1 comment.
Barael’s Blade
Witchblade – Level 9+
This sword is infused with arcane energy, and can cut the very fabric of magic.
Lvl 9 +2 4,200gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000gp
Lvl 19 +4 105,000gp
Lvl 24 +5 525,000gp
Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000gp
Weapon: Light or heavy blade
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 force damage per plus
Power- Eldrich Parry (Encounter): Immediate Interrupt. When targeted by a power with the arcane keyword, use your melee basic attack bonus with the witchblade + 10 as your defense against the attack.
Power – Sever Spell (Daily): Standard. Intelligence vs. the Will defense of the creator of a conjuration or zone.
Hit: The conjuration or zone is destroyed. All its effects end, including those that normally last until a target saves.
History: Forged by the Crow Mage from shards of darkness, infused with the finest dwarven steel, and honed by his half-breed apprentice to near-vorpal sharpness, this blade was wielded by Barael, the famous bastard child of King Elespor Galdius.
It is said that it takes a warrior’s hand and a wizard’s mind to wield this blade and those crafted in it’s image. The original Witch-blade has many special properties, and is a hand-and-a-half sword. It has the same dispelling and counterspelling properties that all witch-blades share. In addition, Barael’s blade has a deadly thirst for the blood of those who lead the worship of abominations, such as the Spider Priests of the Shona’qua dark elves whom Barael repelled from the mountains of Abernath.
As its fame grew, the cultists of Shan’n’nur attempted to wrest this blade from Barael’s possession in order to learn the secrets of it’s construction. For many years the cult hounded him and would send agents after him whenever his travels brought him to the middle kingdoms.
The cult was never successful in subduing Barael or eliciting his cooperation, though they nearly succeeded once, when he was seduced by one of their agents. Eventually the leaders of the Shan’n’nur decided to abandon their efforts, as it was too great a drain on the organization’s mediocre resources.
Years of research later, the Shan’n’nur duplicated the witch-blade effect with the help of Barael’s old foe Faduardo Gantonín and began enchanting their long knives and swords with the property.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged equipment: magic weapon, subplot: the Shan'n'nur by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Tablas of Persuasion
These portable drums appear normal until played by someone who succeeds at a DC 15 Perform (drums/percussion) check. At this point the rhythm of the drums causes all who are within earshot (typically 60′) to make a DC 15 Will save or be at a -10 on all Will saves while the drums are played. This makes them more susceptible to persuasion, charm, and command effects originating from the player or those aligned with her.
Faint enchantment; CL 8th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must have the bardic music class feature, charm person; Price: 15,000gp; Weight 5 lb.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged drums, enchantment, instrument by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Ale Break: Immediacy in Storytelling
Here is a problem that plagues many role playing campaigns. The story isn’t driven enough by the need to move. Think of many classic fantasy stories that inspired the creation of dnd and have been written since then – Lord of the Rings, Golden Compass, the novels of Jack Vance, etc. time and time again, these stories move from location to location because the protagonists aren’t allowed to idle. There are no two-month periods where they sit around spending loot in bars and brothels. Sadly, too many dnd games devolve into this, with players playing out their adolescent fantasies in the campaign world. This is also the pacing of games like World of Warcraft, where the goal is to level your characters without ever actually role playing. This too has become too often the norm. Sure, players love shouting one-liners across the table, and this should be encouraged, especially when it’s done in character. But in too many games, real role playing is often the afterthought.
Unfortunately, World of Warcraft has made its snickering (and highly profitable) way into the latest edition of the rules, which are written to entice players to want to level up to get that next encounter power, and making that the focus, rather than actual role playing. This perversion of the rules (huh… why’s everyone able to heal themselves fully ~10 times a day?!?! and where’s spellcasting gone?!? it feels like fighters wield as much magic as mages…) More reasons why 4th ed is subpar compared to other, more realistic, though perhaps more loop-hole-ridden systems to follow in a later opinion post.
Back to the topic at hand. One thing I’ve noticed (remember that this is an opinion piece) is that so many decent fantasies come from Britain, and so few from the U.S. It’s not to say that Americans (and I’m one of them) can’t create them, but why are we as a culture so stunted when it comes to deep storytelling? Maybe because there’s not much of an oral tradition anymore, or really any sense of history at all. More people my age can name all the thundercats and transformers than can name all the U.S. state capitals or the 44 presidents. And don’t dare utter the term Magna Carta unless you want to face blank stares.
In role playing sessions (and outside them as well), this bugs me, for without knowing your history you have no context for what you’re doing. History (though often confined to thick tomes and a certain not-so-aptly-named cable channel that shows more infomercials than actual history) is living… history provides context… history provides immediacy. And it’s this immediacy that makes role playing fun and exciting. Not all campaigns feature short people who travel the land to deliver an evil ring to its maker, but certainly any epic-scale campaign should include some reason for the characters doing what they’re doing.
Otherwise they’re just floundering around the world, a drunk gambler with a penchant for whores, like a gamer with no opposing alignment. And thus, no need to move!
So if you’re a DM, keep reading up on history (or make some up!), and introduce or maintain a sense of immediacy in your storytelling. Your players will thank you… maybe not today, but when they look back on your campaign through the lens of their future’s past.
Posted in Editorial and tagged dm tips by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Rug Rats
Created by a mage who once sought world dominance through sales of a specially-tainted rug, rug rats are now relatively common in most lands.
Rug Rats
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast(Swarm)
Hit Dice: 8d8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, +4 Dex), touch 16, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/—
Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, distraction
Special Qualities: Half damage from slashing and piercing, low-light vision, scent, swarm traits, meld with fabric
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 16, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +16, Climb +16, Hide +16 +18, Listen +8, Move Silently +10, Spot +8, Swim +8
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Any
Organization: Pack (2–4 swarms), or infestation (7–12 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: —
Combat
Rug rats seek to climb up from the rug they’re in and attack any warm-blooded prey they encounter. A rug rat swarm deals 1d6 points of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move, 2d6 if they stand upon the rug they inhabit.
Disease (Ex): Filth fever—swarm attack, Fortitude DC 14, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a rug rat swarm in its square must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Meld with Fabric (Su): A rug rat swam can meld with the rug it inhabits. This makes them unable to be attacked, though the rug can still be destroyed. If the rug is destroyed, they immediately meld back into their rat forms and scatter, at which point they are treated as normal rats.
Skills: A rug rat swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Swim checks. A rug rat swarm can always choose to take 10 on all Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. A rug rat swarm uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier for Climb and Swim checks. A rug rat swarm has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard.
Posted in Creature and tagged magical beast, swarm, tiny by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Tasun Sölya
A hooded figure clutching an ornately carved shortbow steps quietly from the shadows. He bows slightly, intoning a solemn greeting in a foreign tongue, the light revealing a silver medallion around his neck in the shape of a moon eclipsing a sun.
Tasun Sölya was raised by a monastic order in a kloster (Kloster Saiben) overlooking in a small alpine village along a trading route. He studied the crafts of brewing and writing and would sneak out into the fields where he practiced archery and herbalism. From time to time, wandering traders would come through the small town offering tales of far away places and strange herbs and spices. He memorized some of these stories, which have moulded the way he thinks about the world. In his late adolescence, he learned that the interactions of salt, pepper, and other spices have a profound affect on food, something he has begun to explore in his alchemical concoctions. Toward the end of his stay in the kloster, he began to think he is a half-elf, and so he has taught himself to read elvish script out of one of the elven tomes in the kloster (there were no elves around to teach him to speak).
He set off to adventure as soon as he could, in dire spiritual need of new forms of spices and herbs. Along the way, he has come to realize that his religious beliefs are aligned more with those he believes are his blood brethren, rather than the monks from the kloster who raised him.
In game terms, I Tasun is a cleric with druidic leanings and a penchant for skills commonly associated with rogues and bards – archery, sneaking, and storytelling. He’ll take levels of rogue and/or bard in time.
Tasun Sölya (goes by Tæsundel Sölya-mun because he thinks he’s half-elf)
Medium-size Male Human
Cleric of Eilistraee
HP: 18 (2d8+2)
Initiative: +2
Speed: Walk 30 ft.
AC: 15 (leather armor, dex+2)
Base Attack Bonus: +2 melee, +3 ranged
Attacks: Shortbow +1 (+4 to hit), Dagger (+2 to hit)
Damage: Shortbow 1d6+3, Dagger 1d4+1
Vision: normal
Face/Reach: 5ft, 5ft.
Special Qualities: none
Saves: Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +3
Abilities: Str 12 +1 Dex 15 +2 Con 13 +1 Int 10 – Wis 13 +1 Cha 12 +1
Skills of note:
Bluff 2
Concentration 4
Diplomacy 2
Heal 4
Knowledge: Nature 2
Knowledge: Religion 2
Listen 1
Spellcraft 3
Survival 1
Languages: Common, Elven (Read/Write, not speak so well – knows a few catch phrases, but has a strong human accent)
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Brew Potion
Possessions: Shortbow +1, Leather Armor, Leather Belt, Spell Component Pouch, Travelers Outfit, Tinwhistle, Hooded Cloak, Leather Boots, Boot Sheath, Masterwork Dagger, Quiver, 40 arrows, Small Backpack, Holy Symbol, Silk Gown, 3 Days of dried food, Quill, Scroll Case with 2 pieces of parchment, Small Traveller’s Journal, 2 Potions of Cure Light Wounds
Deity: Eilistraee
Domains:
Community (Use calm emotions as a spell-like ability once per day. Gain a +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy checks.)
Rune (Free Scribe Scroll feat.)
Spells:
Spells per Day: (5/4/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/ DC:10+spell level)
Often Prepared:
0th: Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mending, Read Magic
1st: Cause Fear, Detect Undead, Entropic Shield, Shield of Faith
Posted in Character by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Sitar of Confusion
While the sitar of confusion is played, all within earshot must make a (DC 10 + the Perform (music) skill of the player) Will save or find themselves under the effect of a confusion spell. The player must make a DC 10 check or be affected.
Those under a silence spell or similar effect are immune to the effect of the sitar.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged instrument by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
Reading Room
Level 8 – 1750 xp
The broken and charred remnants of furniture lie scattered around the room, piled up along with sticks and plant matter to form a raised nest. Coins, items and bones lie scattered around the room. Both the north and west doors have been broken down and the roof and archway leading to the southern balcony is mostly missing.
The debris in this area constitutes rough terrain and covers 1/2of the floor.
CREATURE: A young chimera has made its lair here and will leap to attack anything entering the room. If hard pressed it will retreat out one of the balconies and try to regain the upper hand by swooping in upon the party from above the roof. It will not easily abandon its horde of treasure. If the players made significant noise entering the area 24, the chimera will be waiting to ambush the first to come through the door.
TREASURE: The items scattered around the room include broken bookshelves and chairs, crumbling ancient scraps of paper and book covers, ruined scraps of clothing and armor, an elven longsword, a small steel shield, a short sword, 800 gold coins, two gems worth 100 gold, and a Rod of the Dark Reward +2.
| Young Chimera – Level 8 Solo Brute Large natural magical beast – XP 1,750 Initiative +10 Senses Perception +14; all-around vision, darkvision HP 288; Bloodied 144; see also bloodied breath Powers Ram’s Charge (melee; standard; at-will) Triple Threat (melee; standard; at-will) Dragon Breath (blast; standard; encounter) – Fire Bloodied Breath (blast; free, when first bloodied; encounter) Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Draconic |
Posted in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Creature, Encounter and tagged creature type: magical beast, creature: heroic brute (solo) by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Ft. Wood Area Map
This map shows the area around Ft. Wood. There will be a series of posts related to an upcoming Unicorn Rampant release over the next few weeks. Enjoy!
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Location by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.