Welcome,
fellow Dungeon Masters, to our first adventure designed for the setting of
Ruins of the Forbidden Elder. You may use this adventure as is, import it into
your own setting, or pick and choose things to use for your own adventures.
This
adventure is designed for a party of four first level Player Characters. At the
end of the adventure the PCs should be a third of the way to second level.
Staves of Blood and Scales
Adventure Background
In the
county of Lyndeshyr, north of the Black Ash River, a bounty has been placed
upon the kobold den near the village of Ashfall. The kobolds have become
unusually bold, attacking caravans and outlying farmsteads, stealing and
kidnapping. The most recent attack was on the caravan from Argoport bearing
Count Byron’s father-in-law: Trade Prince Nostriano. In addition to the bounty
Ashfall is offering of fifteen gold per kobold head, Count Byron is offering
fifty gold for information of Nostriano’s whereabouts and one hundred gold for
the safe return of his father-in-law.
The Blackhorn Tribe of kobolds has lived
within the ruins of an ancient temple that have been long since picked clean by
archaeologists and scavengers. Before they were a mere nuisance, stealing the
occasional sheep and farming tools on rare raids, but somehow they have gained
access to a strange mutagenic ability. This has emboldened the kobolds far
beyond what is usual for their kind.
Thus far the kobolds have kidnapped
fifteen people, ranging from young farm hands, merchants, milk-maids, to the
Trade Prince. While Count Byron is the only one offering a monetary reward for
the return of a kidnapped victim, the rest would surely be willing to offer
free food and lodgings when the characters are passing through their villages.
Adventure Summary
While a
cliché, the suggested beginning for this adventure is in a tavern. More
specifically, the Bucking Mare in the small town of Ashfall. The town sheriff
has placed a bounty on kobold heads due to the increase in attacks from the
tribe that lives in the nearby woods. Once the players have asked around to get
a better idea of where in the woods the kobolds might have their lair, it is
into the woods they go.
More than kobolds dwell within the woods.
For decades, a monster has been attacking and mutilating animals and lone
travelers. The party can expect a generous reward if they can find and slay
whatever is behind these attacks.
Introduction
Read the
following section to your players:
You are in the sleepy town of Ashfall, about
two days north of the Black Ash River and nearly a week from Argoport by foot.
The townsfolk look at you with a suspicious gleam in their eyes, and there is a
tenseness to their posture as you walk by.
While nursing your drinks at the Bucking Mare tavern, the door to the
tavern slams open and in walks a bloody half-orc man. His scale armor is barely
hanging onto his shoulders, showing burns, cuts, and punctures throughout his
torso. A book hangs off his belt from a chain, and a black sword nearly six
feet long drags behind him.
With a bubbly, rattling breath, the half-orc speaks, “I bring word from
Count Byron, get me the mayor and the sheriff,” before collapsing like a puppet
with cut strings.
Whether or not one of the PCs go looking
for aid, one of the locals head for the local priest of Maidanaa while another
looks for the sheriff. If any of the characters wish to, they may attempt to
heal the man. A DC 10 Heal check will identify that he has been poisoned and is
not in immediate danger of bleeding out. The current danger is the fluid that
seems to be in his lungs. A cure light
wounds spell or potion will cause him to cough up a mixture of blood and
some sort of greenish liquid.
If the players choose to examine the man’s
belongings while waiting for further aid to arrive, they find, besides the
sword and book mentioned above, a collection of knickknacks (a brass pocket
watch with a small painting of a young orc woman, a small wood carving of a
howling wolf, and a pointed tooth about an inch long), a belt pouch with a wax-sealed
scroll, and a feather pen in a leg pouch.
Examining the book reveals that it is a
spellbook. A DC 14 Knowledge (arcana) check can identify the spells within the
book but there is not an opportunity to copy spells from the book before the
authorities arrive and take both the half-orc and the spellbook away. The spell
list can be found here.
The sword is a masterwork bastard sword,
but whenever it is picked up and taken away from the half-orc man it deals 1
point of fire damage to whoever is holding it each round until it is returned
or dropped. Examining the sword with detect
magic results in, from the perspective of the one casting the spell, an eye
opening where the blade meets the guard and a voice filling the caster’s mind: Only those I choose may wield me.
Whether or not the PCs search the
unconscious man, after about five minutes local priest of Maidanaa and the
sheriff both arrive. The priest chants a prayer and casts healing magic while
the sheriff questions the tavern patrons.
The townsfolk that retrieved the priest
and sheriff assist the priest in taking the man to the temple of Maidanaa to
recover. After questioning the tavern patrons (5 townsfolk plus the PCs), the
sheriff places a piece of parchment on the bounty board next to the tavern’s
entrance before leaving. The new bounty is offering a reward of 15 gold per kobold
head.
Let the PCs roleplay for a little bit
before reading the following:
It is now early morning, and after the
excitement from the night before you managed to get a good night’s sleep.
Entering the common room, you see the shirtless but heavily bandaged form of
the half-orc that entered the tavern half dead the night before arguing with
the sheriff.
“I don’t care if you’re the King of Chor Kolav, I was given orders not
to open this scroll without talking to the mayor first! Now either you can get
him, or I’ll kick in every door in town until I find him!”
With a glare, the sheriff leaves.
A DC 10 Knowledge (local) check identifies
the half-orc as Sadik Blackblade, the Captain of the Guard of Count Byron and
Lyndeshyr. He is known to routinely ride out on long patrols of the county, and
deliver messages from the Count while on said patrols. Succeeding by 5 or more
reveals that he is rumored to combine the arcane arts with that of the sword.
If the PCs wish to interact with Sadik, he
is very gruff and does his best to ignore them. If the PCs press him, he glares
at the before growling out, “I’m here on business, not to chat with wet behind
the ear greenhorns. Leave me be.”
Shortly after, the sheriff arrives with
the mayor and the three have a whispered conversation. A DC 20 Perception check
allows the PCs to overhear that the local kobolds have kidnapped Count Byron’s
father-in-law and that if the problem isn’t settled soon Byron will be taking
matters into his own hands.
With
that, Sadik leaves the tavern while the mayor makes an addition to the
parchment that the sheriff added to the bounty board the night before. An
examination reveals the addition is a 50 gold reward for any information on the
whereabouts or health of Trade Prince Nostriano and a 100 gold reward for the
safe rescue of the Trade Prince.
Asking around, the PCs learn that the most
likely location of the kobolds is the local wood (which is called Gloomwyld by
the locals), though where exactly no one knows. However the PCs are warned that
there is some kind of monster that will attack anything or anyone if they are
not careful.
A DC 20 Knowledge (local or history) check
reveals the existence of a ruined temple on the northern part of the wood that
the Archaeology Society picked clean nearly six decades ago. No maps exist
locally anymore and the old trails have long since been overgrown, but a rough
verbal map is enough to lead the party to the temple. Otherwise the PCs need to
roll a DC 15 Survival check to try to find where the kobolds have been.
When the PCs make their way to the
Gloomwyld, read aloud the following passage:
The outer edge of the Gloomwyld is a five
minute walk from Ashfall, and at a glance the source of its name is apparent.
Thick canopies of oak, acorn, ash, and elder almost completely block sunlight
from reaching the forest floor. Bird calls and cricket chirps fill the air as
you enter, and the thick smell of wet loam fills your nostrils. The temperature
seems to plummet, and a shiver runs down your spine.
If you have any available, play forest
sounds in the background throughout the time the party spends in the Gloomwyld
until they reach the temple. Should you be able to afford it, we recommend the
material from BattleBards.
Whether you use background audio or not,
try to set the scene in your player’s minds. Describe more than the trees,
describe the various animal calls, the smell of wet soil and leaves, the feel
of being surrounded by life even if it isn’t apparent.
After giving your players a chance to have
their surroundings sink in, roll three Stealth checks compared to the PC’s
Perception modifiers +10. Any PCs that have a score higher than the Stealth
checks spots between 1-3 black-scaled kobolds. If no PCs spot the kobolds, then
the kobolds get a surprise round, after which the PCs get to roll for
initiative.
In addition to their base stats, found
here, each kobold carries a mutation
staff. These staves grant benefits to each kobold in a 100 ft. radius
carrying one. The staves for the three kobolds in the ambush combined grant the
following: a tail slap dealing 1d3 + Str damage, +2 Constitution bonus, and +2
bonus to natural armor. If the PCs sunder a staff, then the kobolds in the
ambush loose the benefits of that staff. The kobolds fight until either
victorious or two are down, at which point the remaining kobold flees.
After the battle, a closer examination of
the mutation staves reveals that they
are shrunken and mummified kobolds. A DC 18 Knowledge (arcana) or Craft
(Alchemy) check reveals that the kobolds were alchemically mutated before
death. Identifying the magic that grants the wielder the mutation requires
resources beyond what the PCs possess.
If the PCs do not have the location of the
ruined temple, a DC 10 Survival check allows the PCs to follow the trail that
the kobolds made on their way to the ambush site. After five minutes, the PCs
come across a group of four kobolds (or five kobolds if the third escaped from
the initial ambush).
Each of the four kobolds has a mutation staff, and if the PCs brought
along any from the ambush, then those grant their mutations to the four kobolds
as well. If the kobold that fled the initial ambush survived, roll 1d3 to
determine which of the earlier mutation
staves he has. The mutation staves
for the five kobolds grant: 2 claws that deal 1d3 + Str damage each, the Scent
special ability, a pair of wings that grant a fly speed of 20 ft., and a +2
Strength bonus.
The PCs can only surprise the kobolds if
they did not bring along a mutation staff,
otherwise the kobolds will notice the presence of the new mutations. If they do
manage to avoid detection, any of the PCs that speak Draconic can listen in on
the kobolds conversation with a DC 7 Perception check. Success reveals that the
kobolds are talking about trying to convert the kidnapped humans into mutation staves, with the hope that
since humans are larger they can hold more mutations.
If the PCs have not at this point realized
what the mutation staves do, this is
a good opportunity to try to drop more clues. For example, describe the kobolds
as franticly trying to avoid damage to the staves, even moving into the way of
attacks that might hit the staff they carry.
After the fight, the PCs no longer need to
roll a Survival check to follow the trail back to the temple.
After ten minutes, you come to a clearing. In the middle sits the remains
of a marble building, the roof missing in places and the remains of columns in
the front. Smoke lazily drifts up from one of the holes in the roof, and the
sound of chattering kobolds can be heard inside. As you step into the clearing,
the coppery tang of blood seems to saturate the air, and the hairs on the back
of your neck rise. The colors of the trees and grass seem to drain, looking
less vibrant, less alive. A weight seems to settle in your bones, growing
heaver the further you enter, as if your body is trying to tell you to stay
away.
If the PCs decide to use detect magic or detect evil, then they learn that this clearing has been suffused
in blood sacrifices to the point that the entire clearing has a necromantic
aura. While not strong enough to have mechanical effects, any PC with a rank in
either Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) knows that several dozen such
rituals are required before the environment gains a necromantic aura of any
kind. As they proceed into the clearing, any PCs that can understand Draconic
hear a kobold screaming about most of the tribe dying on an ambush against a
single half-orc.
If they so desire, the PCs can search the
clearing outside the temple before proceeding in, but the clearing has nothing
of interest.
The inside of the temple is a single room
with four fire pits, a kobold with upward curving horns and a crocodile-like
tail in bone jewelry with a backpiece containing two mutation staves as well as a pale-skinned humanoid with a bored
expression on its face. A DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check identifies it as a
neavir. Neavir are a type of undead that are mechanically vampire spawn, but lack
the gaseous form ability and exist independent of vampires as they are extinct
in the Green Coast. In the very back are four humans (a boy and girl that look
to be around ten and seven respectively, a woman that looks to be in her late
teens, and an older man in dirty but very fine clothes) with their wrists and
ankles bound by ropes.
If the PCs manage to avoid detection then
the neavir and the kobold, have a short conversation. The kobold insists that
the neavir needs to supply more aid, while the neavir responds (in Common) that
he is a neavir not a kobold, and his master provided him (Chief Longtooth) with
the knowledge needed to make the mutation
staves, that should have been enough. At this point, describe the wind
shifting and blowing into the temple before the kobold stops talking and begins
to sniff the air.
Due to one of his mutation staves, Chief Longtooth has the scent special ability.
Telling the neavir that they have visitors, Chief Longtooth casts protection from good, followed by using
a scroll of bless, both on himself.
Chief Longtooth’s stats can be found at the end of the post. Upon Chief
Longtooth casting his spells, the neavir tells the kobold that he has no
interest in fighting for a dead tribe that cannot handle a few farmhands. He is
however interested in watching. Upon hearing this, Chief Longtooth flies into a
rage and attacks the neavir.
If the party chooses to interfere in the
fight, the while he won’t go out of his way to avoid hurting the PCs Longtooth
focuses all of his efforts on defeating the neavir. Should the PCs choose not
to interfere, read the following:
With a roar, the kobold pulls a scrap of paper out from under its amulet.
Reciting of a few short words, a burst of fire shoots forth to engulf the
surprised neavir. Dashing out of the cloud of fire, the infuriated undead
lashed out at the kobold with an open hand, only for the determined kobold to
duck under the swipe. Palming a vial behind his back, the kobold chief belched
out a second cone of flame before hurling the vial into his opponent’s face.
Glass shattered and fluid splashed
back onto the chief. Flesh sizzled as the acid ate away at skin and scale.
Bellowing out in fury, the neavir dashed forward and got both hands around the
chief’s neck. With a loud snap, the victor was decided. Turning to the captive
humans, the neavir declared, “I really need something to eat,” as the fire and
acid burns slowly began to heal.
At this point, the neavir has been reduced
to 10 hit points. Though it still has DR 5/silver and fast healing 2, four 1st
level PCs should be able to defeat it. The neavir fights to the death,
declaring that he is dead no matter the outcome of the fight.
When the fight is over, should the PCs
win, read the following:
With the chief dead, the kobolds should no longer be a problem. The
captives call out to you, overjoyed at being rescued. Tears of joy gather at
the edges of the girl and woman’s eyes, the young boy declares that he wants to
be like you when he’s grown up, while the older man simply looks at you with a
raised eyebrow.
“I was honestly expecting my
son-in-law’s bodyguard. Still I’m not in the position to be picky. You have my
thanks…whoever you are.”
Upon leading the captives back to town
with the kobold heads, Sadik identifies the old man as Trade Prince Nostriano,
the count’s father-in-law. There is a bit of tense banter between the two of
them before Sadik sends the PCs to the sheriff for their bounty. Upon arrival
and the sheriff confirming that Nostriano is the man for whom the extra reward
was being offered for, the PCs receive a total of 220 gp.
Chief
Longtooth CR 1/3
NE Kobold
Adept 2 XP 135
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +4
Defense
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +1
natural, +1 size)
hp 10 (2d6+3)
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +5
Weaknesses light sensitivity
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee gore +0 (1d4-1)
Ranged dart +4 (1d3-1)
Special Attacks 1/day breath weapon (30 ft. cone,
2d6 fire, DC 11)
Adept Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
1st—protection
from good (DC 13), cause fear (DC
13)
0 (at will)—detect magic (DC 12), read
magic, touch of fatigue (DC 12)
Tactics
During Combat If fighting foes lacking in
darkvision, Chief Longtooth opens with using scroll of darkness. He then targets groups of enemies to target
with scroll of burning hands or scroll of sleep. If those fail, then he
tries to target a spellcaster with cause
fear. When backed into a corner, he will use the breath weapon from his mutation staff as a last ditch maneuver.
Statistics
Str 9, Dex
16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB -1; CMD 12
Feats Combat Casting
Skills Knowledge (religion) +5, Spellcraft
+5
Languages Draconic
SQ crafty, summon familiar (toad)
Combat Gear scroll
of bless, scroll of sleep, scroll of burning hands, scroll of darkness,
flasks of acid (2); Other Gear mutation staff (2)(Breath Weapon)(Scent,
Gore), leather armor, dagger, darts (10), spell component pouch, unholy symbol
(tooth and feather amulet worth 3 gp), 5 sp
*A Note from
the Writer: When I was writing this post, I had decided beforehand that I would
roll the fight between the neavir and Longtooth. Given how neavir are a CR 4
encounter, I assumed that Longtooth would be steamrolled. To my immense surprise,
Longtooth came close to winning. By utilizing energy damage, the neavir’s DR
didn’t affect Longtooth’s attacks, and he used two of the three energy types
that neavir don’t have resistance to.*
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If you like my work and want to support me, check out my homebrew race book here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you like my work and want to support me, check out my homebrew race book here.
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