B8724 FreeRPGDay Adv GUTS Lowres

8/2/2019 B8724 FreeRPGDay Adv GUTS Lowres

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IntroductIon

Welcome to Aths, ld of hsh svivl d svge

dvete.Bloodsand Arena cold be yo fist foy itothe Dark Sunwold, o yo might be etig fte

log hits. Fist pblished i 1991, the log-wited

esectio of this beloved 2d Editio cmpig set-tig is slted fo Agst!This dvete folio peviews 4th Editio Dark Sun

mteil, cotis two mii-dvetes sitble fo

1st-level chctes, d comes with pc of pegee-ted chctes. Afte whettig yo ppetite fo Dark

Sun tody, yo c evisit Aths t yo locl gme stoe

dig smme 2010 D&D Ecotes (ow plyig)d Dark Sun Gme Dy o Agst 21. I dditio,D&D

Insideroffes peview cotet d mothly sppot foAths. Chec otwww.dungeonsanddragons.com fo

moe ifomtio.

Eight Characteristics

of AthasThe wold of the Dark Sun cmpig settig is iqe

i sevel wys. My fmili tppigs of the Dun-

n Dran gme e missig o ted othei heds. Aths is ot plce of shiig ights d

obed wizds, of deep foests d divie ptheos.

To vete ove the sds of Aths is to ete wold ofsvgey d spledo tht dws o diffeet tditiosof ftsy d stoytellig. Simple svivl beeth the

ciet ed s is ofte its ow dvete.

Newcomes to Aths hve my thigs to le bot

the wold, its people, d its mostes, bt the follow-ig eight chcteistics ecpslte the most impott

fetes of the Dark Sun cmpig settig.

1. The World Is a DesertAths is hot , id plet coveed with seemigly

edless ses of des, lifeless slt flts, stoy wstes,ocy bdlds, d thoy scblds. Fom the fist

momets of dw, the cimso s bets dow fom

olive-tiged sy. Tempetes otiely exceed 100

degees by midmoig d c ech 130 degeesbylte fteoo. The wid is lie the blst of fce,

offeig o elief fom the oppessive het. Dst d

sd boe o the beeze cot eveythig with yellow-

oge silt.I this fobiddig wold, cities d villges exist oly

i few oses o vedt plis. Some plces dot see

i fo yes t time, d eve i fetile egios, pe-cipittio is little moe th hmid mist tht flls fo

few wees befoe givig wy to log moths of het

d doght. The wold beyod these islds of civiliz-tio is be wsteld whee omds, ides, dhgy mostes om.

Aths ws ot lwys deset, d the cmblig

is of plet oce ich with ives d ses dot the

pched ldscpe. Aciet bidges spig dy wte-coses d empty stoe qys fcig ses of sd tell

the tle of wold tht is o moe.

2. The World Is SavageLife o Aths is btl d shot. Bloodthisty ides,

geedy slves, d hodes of meciless svges ove-

the desets d wstelds. The cities e ot mchsfe; ech choes i the gip of immotl tyt.

Slvey is widesped o Aths, d my fottes

sped thei lives i chis, toilig fo btl tsms-

tes. Evey ye, hdeds of slves, pehps thosds,e set to thei deths i bloody e spectcles.

Chity, compssio, idessthese qlities exist, bt

they e e d pecios blooms. Oly fool hopes fo

sch iches.

Dgeos & Dgos, Dar k Sun, Wizds of the Cost , Wizds Ply Net-

wo, D&D Ecotes, D&D I side,Playe rs Handbo ok,Dungeo n Mast ers

Guide,Monst er Manu al,Blood sand Aren a, d ll othe Wizds of the Cost

podct mes d thei espective logos e t dems of Wizds of the

Cost LLC i the U.S. A. d othe coties. All Wizds chctes, d

the distictive lieesses theeof e popety of Wizds of the Cost LLC.This mteil is potected de the copyight lws of the Uited Sttes of

Ameic . Ay epodctio o tho ized se of the mte il o two

cotied heei is pohibited withot the expess witte pemissio of

Wizds of the Co st LL C. Ay simi lity to ctl people, ogi ztios,

plces, o evets iclded heei is pely coicidetl. Pited i t he

U.S.A . 2010 Wizds of the Cost LLC. B8724.

Chris TulachDesign

Dawn J. GelusoEditing

Matthew StevensArt Director

Cole MeierGraphic Designer

Tyler WalpoleCover Illustration

Tyler Walpole, Eric Belisle,Warren Mahy, Matias Tapia,David Rapoza, Dave Allsop,Interior Illustrations

Jason A. EngleCartographer

Liz Schuh, Jesse Decker,Laura Tommervik, ShellyMazzanoble, Kierin ChaseD&D Brand Team

Joe YochumOrganized Play Project Manager

Donna WoodcockProduction Manager

credIts


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Balic: Peched o the shoes of the Foed Toge

Esty, Blic is welthy d tots ich cltl

heitge. Its mectile powess bigs pospeity,

d its Chmbe of Pticis pholds the city-sttes

democtic petese. I tth, howeve, the chmbes

setos swe to Socee-Kig Adopiis, dicttothey de ot defy.

Draj: Fthest fom the hb of civiliztio, Dj

is isolted city-stte emboiled i edless wfe.

Md Socee-Kig Tecttitly les the City of Moos

thogh fe d bloodlettig. Tecttitlys templs,

the moo piests, ct s bects d eligios

efoces, sig popgd d btlity to cow the

poplce. Mss exectios d scifices e commo-plce, d the chels ct ito the toweig Fthe d

Mste Temple with Dji d eemy blood lie.

Gulg: Withi the vedt cofies of the Cescet

Foest, the smllest of the city-sttes exists s collec-

tive of villges tht dws sstece fom the boty

of the lsh ld. Glgs hve o dobt the Ob, s they

cll Socee-Qee Llli-Py, is goddess, d most

willigly seve he. Llli-Py teches tht she d hetempls std s the city-sttes oly defese gist

the piml spiits tht b to destoy Glg d its

people. I tth, Llli-Pys shms d dids se

piml mgic to eslve the voltile spiits.

Nibenay: Residets believe Nibey, the City of

Spies, is the lst bstio of te civiliztio o Aths.Tht vted woldview is eflected i evey spect

of Nibeese clte, gig fom the city-sttes op-

let chitecte to its espledet dce foms. The

eclsive Shdow Kig, who shes his me with the

city-stte, hs spet ceties tced wy i his ce

stdies. Howeve, with the ews of Socee-Kig Kl-

s deth, Nibey hs beg to te moe ctive

iteest i the city-sttes govece d the ctivitiesof his meos templ-wives.

Raam: The poplos city-stte of Rm, oce ipe

d mgificet, is cmblig. The hedoistic Socee-

Qee Ablch-Re igoes the stvig iotes d

violet wlod-swod fctios s she idlges i evey

plese. Citizes sqbble ove scps of food, d

ftlism ws with despetio o evey filthy, decepitsteet of Rm.

Urik: Hm, igid d billit sttegist, les

this powefl, militized city-stte. The self-styled Kig

of the Wold log go eected fotess wlls odUi, d the thoiti te of his le demds

pece d ode be ept withi the city-sttes gtes.

Uis lboes d cftes e idstios, eepig the

seemigly ivicible Hms w mchie sppliedd povidig mssive otpt of tde goods.

Forest Ridge: A sweepig expse of lsh jgle

wildeess beeth the Rigi g Motis, Foest

Ridge is pimevl ld filled with boty, dge, d

is. Fiece, ciblistic hlflig tibes clim Foest

Ridge s thei homeld. Few tveles joey to the

ote edges, let loe the iteio, of this teem ig ld.Most Athsis dot believe it exists.

Ivory Triangle: Mjo tde otes coss this

ld i the cete of the Ty Regio, d oly hof villges d city-stte otposts e sctteed c

the empty ld. Both fctos me the Ivoy Ti

pime htig teitoy fo ides d mostes

ldscpe icldes the Get Ivoy Pli, slt fl

tht sps hdeds of miles; t he Cescet Foest

low-lyig Meillot Motis; d the Bestbe

csed ld tht wps the bodies of deset ped Ringing Mountains: At the weste edge of t

Regio, the Rigig Motis e the lgest

ow to Athsis. The highest pes top 20,00

d the lowest psses stetch bot 12,000 feet

the lowlds. Tibes of goliths, hlfligs, d oth

fol ee ot existece i the thi i. These he

mies, d omds live thei lives ot of ech of

socee-igs. The high vles e lso home to teig of mosteies.

Sea of Silt: A get dst si tht exteds ito t

ow eches of the wold, Athsis coside

Se of Silt impssible. Silt simmes d wdes c

the shoelie whee the dst is shllow, bt tvelideepe s the is of mostes, dowig, d G

Dethsffoctig i iboe dst. Ths, this esedge of the Ty Regio lies lmost completely ex

Tablelands: A expse of scb plis, dese

ocy bdlds foms the weste cdle of civili

i the Ty Regio. Ty d Ui clim domice

the Tblelds, d most settled Athsis who d

otside the city-sttes live i this e. The fotifie

tow of Alt, bttig the Blic-Ty tde ot

impott Tblelds settlemet. Oses, sch s Pool d Silve Spig, d few well-sed cv

otes me this Ty Regio w ildeess moe hos

th othe es.

People of AthasAthss svge eviomet d its poplce m

iqe mog the Dunn Dran wolds.

city-sttes socil ode stts with the socee-i

picle. Templs d obles me p the ppe

Mechts d othe fee citizes fom the midds, d the biqitos slve lboes ct s th

sttes fodtio.

Hms domite the cil compositio of m

city-sttes. Ideed, ll the socee-igs e (o owee) hm. Elves ply the des d metpl

my e ow s shifty tdes o oppotisti

es. Dwves lbo, ofte s bildes o fmes, wesolte detemitio. My goliths, lso ow

hlf-gits, wo s bodygds o meceies fo

welthy d powefl.

3. Metal Is ScarceMost wepos d mo e mde of boe, stoe,

wood, d simil mteils. M il o plte mo exists

oly i the tesies of the socee-igs. Steel bldes

e ely piceless; my heoes eve see sch wep-

os dig thei lifetimes.

4. Arcane Magic

Defiles the WorldRecless se of ce mgic dig ciet ws

edced Aths to wsteld. To cst ce spell,

mgic se siphos powe fom the livig wold. Nebyplts withe to sh, cipplig pi wcs imls d

people, d the soil is pemetly steilized. It is pos-

sible to cst spells with ce, voidig y moe dmge

to the wold, bt defilig is esie d fste th

pesevig. As eslt, socees, wizds, d othe

wieldes of ce mgic e eviled d pesected

coss Aths egdless of whethe t hey peseve odefile. Oly the most powefl spellcstes c se thei

ce bilities withot fe of episls.

5. Sorcerer-Kings

Rule the City-StatesTeible defiles of immese powe le ll bt oe of

the city-sttes. These mighty spellcstes hve held thei

thoes fo ceties; o oe live emembes time

befoe the socee-igs. Some clim to be gods, d

some pofess to seve gods. Some e b tl oppessos,

while othes e sbtle i thei ty y. The socee-

igs gove thogh piesthoods o beccies ofgeedy, mbitios templs. Oly i the city-stte of Ty

does glimme of feedom beco, d powefl foces

ledy cospie to extigish it.

6. The Gods Are SilentLog go, whe the plet ws gee, the btl might

of the pimodils ovecme the gods. Tody, Aths is

wold withot deities. No cleics, o pldis, d

o pophets live o Aths. Ad eligios odes e

dedicted to socee-igs who clim godhood.Oldshies d cmblig temples lie mid ciet is,

testimoy to time whe the gods spoe to the people

of Aths. Nothig bt the sighig of the deset wid is

hed ow.I the bsece of divie gidce, othe powes hve

come to pomiece i the wold. Psioic powe is well

ow d widely pcticed o Aths; eve itelli-get deset mostes c hve dedly psioic bi lities.

Mewhile, shms d dids cll o the wolds

piml powes, which e ofte sclpted by the ifl-

ece of elemetl powe.

7. Fierce Monsters

Roam the WorldThe deset plet hs its ow dedly ecology. My ce-

tes tht e fmili sights o milde wolds hve log

sice died ot o eve existed o Aths. The wold hs

o cttle, swie, o hoses; isted, people ted flocs of

edls, ide o s o codls, d dw wgos with

iixes d meillots. Wild cetes sch s lios, bes,

d wolves e lmost oexistet. I thei plce e

teos sch s the id fied, the bzg, d the tembo.Pehps the hsh eviomet of Aths beeds ce-

tes togh d vicios eogh to svive it, o mybe

the toch of ciet socey poisoed the wellspigs

of life d iflicted moste fte moste o the dyig

wold. Eithe wy, the desets e peilos, d oly

fool o ltic tvels them loe.

8. Familiar Races

Arent What You ExpectTypicl ftsy steeotypes dot pply to Athsi

heoes. I my Dunn Dran settigs, elvese wise, beevolet foest-dwelles who gd theihomelds fom itsios of evil. O Aths, elves

e omdic hedes, ides, peddles, d th ieves.

Hlfligs et mible ive-fol; theye xeophobic

hedhtes d cibls who ht d ill tespss-

es i thei moti foests. Golithso hlf-gits, s

they e commoly owe btl meceies who

seve s elite gds d efoces fo the socee-igsd thei templs.

Tyr RegionThe emis of Athsi civiliztio teosly clig tolife i the Ty Regio, e tht tes its me fom

the oldest city-stte. The Ty Regio bosts dozes of

tows d villges, bt most Athsis live i oe of the

seve get city-sttes. Aciet d despotic socee-

igs le the Seve Cities, defiig life fo city-stte

esidets s well s the smlle societies tht dwell i

the expses betwee the b cetes. The Rigig

Motis, mssive chi of pes, d the vst Se ofSilt bode the Ty Regio. Beyod them stetch wste-

lds devoid of settlemets d clte.

The followig pgphs biefly descibe the city-

sttes d othe mjo Ty Regio fetes. Tyr: The mssive Ziggt of Kl d the impos-

ig Golde Towe domite the sylie of Ty, the oldest

Athsi city-stte. Its steets withe with itige,hope, d fe s its esidets ect to the ovethow d

sbseqet slyig of Socee-Kig Kl. Afte ce-

ties of tyy, the cll fo feedom hs echted

sigifict potio of the popltio. While ifletil

fctios stch t powe, stedy stem of dvet-

es seeig fote d fee life flows ito Ty. Kig

Tithi, the high templ who betyed Kl, holds

powe fo ow, bt o oe c sy whethe th t will lst few hos, few dys, o few ceties.


3/13

TylerWalpole

Discovery and Desolation: Athss wstelds

etomb secet locles, icldig is fom the fogot-

te ges befoe the wold ws dyig, ciet bes

i which the socee-igs hve loced wy powefl

owledge, mgiclly coceled sites tht iexplicbly

gthe powe, d lis of teible pimodil d ele-metl beigs bet o sowig despi d destctio.

Chctes might be compelled to vel mystey o

see ot pticlly lctive elic o secet.

LookIng for AthAsIAn

Monsters?

The DarkSunCreature CatalogTMcontains a multitude ofunique creatures that call Athas home. But if youre loo-ing to run more Dark Sun adventures before the boosAugust release, these existing low-level (levels 15) D&Dmonsters could fit the bill. Monster Manual: Beetles, rats, ruthis, seletons,

zombies, lizardfol (called ssurrans), hyenas, bats, spiders,

magma beasts, oozes, draes, ghouls, and slaad tadpoles. Monster Manual 2: Anhegs, elementals, demons, cen-tipedes, lizardfol, ants, oozes, draes, and seletons. Monster Manual 3: Elementals, demons, spiders, rotgrubs, and dread warriors.

In general, reptilian and insectlie creatures sport anAthasian feel. Of course, youre not limited to thesemonsters; use whatever you thin wors.

Arena CombatThis dvete folio icldes doble-sided poste mp

depictig thee ecote es: Athsi met-

plce, gldito tiig chmbe, d glditoil

e. The e mps miimlist ppoch to fetes

is desiged to offe DMs bl cvs o which to plot

myid glditoil cotests.

All the city-sttes hve es, s do sevel smllecommities. The pevsiveess d ite vestility of

glditoil gmes offe DMs edless oppotity. Yo

c cft excitig oe-off ecote fo yo plyes

o se e cotest s the fodtio fo ew cm-

pig. Thowig yo gop ito e teemig with

mostes might be f, bt e combt c povide

othe excitig chlleges s well. The followig ides

c dd spice to yo e e ggemets.

Small Simultaneous Fights: Istedof hvig ll yo plyes fight s sigle

it, split the pty ito two o thee

gops. Yo c divide p the e

spce d hve ech pty tem

fight smlle gop of foes. Yo

c eve the combts o thesme iititive, povidig the feel

of ct scee s yo move the

ctio bc d foth betwee the

e bttles.

Arena Haz ards and Terrai n: Itodce hid

blocig, d ftstic tei i diffeet spots o

e floo. Hve tps o hzds tht move o

the bttlefield o thei t o eqie cetive tdecisios to void. This ppoch bes lies of s

ths ecogig meveig d itectio w

e eviomet. Plce beeficil pieces of te

sch s blood oc (see Dungeon Masters Guide , pi ey es whee yo wt the pty d its foe

jocey fo positio.

Crowd Goes Wild: Ech e cowd fvos

ticl bloodspot. Some ppecite btl westfo exmple, while othes pefe imble si mish

c wd sml l bos (+1 to the ext ttc o

to ll defeses til the stt of the ext t) to e

ge ceti combt m eves, fet se, o powe

Whe plye chcte ses cowd-fvoed t

the cowd whoops its ppovl.

Game Within the Game: A e fight cbe moe th fight to the deth. Cete gmes th

ivolve item etievl d possessio, ig-of-the

mze vigtio, o tggig (scoig hit) eveyeemy o the opposig tem. Develop mltiple w

ditios o hve sccessio of simple gmes so

of plyes hve oppotity to shie.

Something Completely Different:To ellyp, positio yo e combt i shocig loc

silt pod with ships, the bc of eomos b

the edges of mgm pit, o echted vestige

the Feywild. O the flipside, big the ftstic t

to the e; fte ll, the socee-igs e ice

powefl ce wieldes.

Nomdic tieflig bds om the wstes d ot-

sits of civiliztio, idig d slghteig t will.Dgobo, o dy, e ofte meceies, socees,

o slve tdes. They live i tight- it cls d shelte

i secet citdels. Hlfligs feel most t home i the

Foest Ridge, thei cestl ld, d othe Athsis

fe thei svge wys. The secetive eldi live i

the few wild plces the Lds withi the Wid (the Fey-

wild) still toches. Eldi e e i the motl wold.I dditio to the moe fmili D&D ces, Aths

is lso home to mls d thi-ee. Tlle th most

hms, mls e ce of hlf-dwves. Stog, togh,

d qic, mls ofte seve s slves, glditos, d

lboes. The imble, mtislie thi-ee c svive

o little. Thei pcs ht i the wstes d view evey-

thig thogh the pedto-pey eltioship.

Adventurers of AthasHeoes of Aths e fied fom diffeet il d

hve little i commo with dvetes fom othe

Dunn Dran wolds. Evey dy is fight fosvivl d oppotity i fogivig ld. I

dditio, Athsi histoy hs seveed ccess to swth

of eligios d mgicl pths.

Mtil dvetes, sch s fightes, ges, oges,

d wlods, e commo i settlemets d otlds.Ayoe who c wield wepo d hs bit of mbi-

tio c fi d wo s gd, h te, gldito, o get.

I the wstes d wildeess, piml mgic is powe-

fl, eveed, d o occsio feed. City-stte dwelles,

howeve, ely destd piml powe d e sspi-

cios of people who wield it. Mewhi le, most tveles

e oplssed whe they ecote bbi, did,shm, seee, o wde, especilly whe vetig

f fom settled es.

Ace mgic is dgeos. Its misse is wht

despoiled the wold d coties to defile the ld

whe the se doest wield the powe with ce ( t

clled pesevig). The socee-igs e the mighti-

est cists d pish y sctioed se of ce

mgic. Bds, socees, wizds, d wlocs e htedd pesected fo wieldig ce powe, eve whe

they wl the pth of peseve.

Psioic tlet is commo, d my people pc-

tice the Wy. Nobles, mechts, d wlods employ

psioic dvetes to egge i tss both ovet dcovet. Adets, bttlemids, mos, d psios e

fod coss the Ty Regio.Whees psioic powe is widesped o Aths,

divie mgic is essetilly extict. The gods hve bee

silet fo ceties, d thei fiths hve cmbled

log with thei temples of old. Isted of te deities,

Athsis woship socee-igs, clts of demos o

pimodils, o piml spiits.

keep pLAyIng In AthAs

If your group has played the two mini-adventures pre-sented in this folio and wants more action in Athas, yourplayers can continue using the provided characters, level-ing them up when appropriate. Plenty of existing powersand feats are suitable substitutes for the material in theDarkSun Campaign SettingTM. Once your players pic upthe Dark Sun boos in August, you can allow them tocreate new characters or let them retrain any substitutestaen for their existing characters.

To tae up arms in more Athas adventures, head to yourlocal game store on Wednesdays to tae part in the summer2010 season of D&D Encounters. This program featuresa Dk S mini-campaign called Fury of the Wastewal-erTM, broen into weely one-encounter sessions.

Adventure ThemesBloodsand Arena povides two mii-dvetes thttoch o commo Dark Sun themes. If yo wt to f-

the exploe Aths, yo c se the followig themes s

sttig poit fo cftig yo ow dvetes. Slavery and Freedom: The Seve Cities dhee to

hiechies tht gt ights, impose les, d divvy

esposibilities. Uspisigly, the heviest bdes

fll to the lowest clss. Ths, slves sholde the siml-

teosly mde d vitl tss tht eble the

city-sttes to fctio. Chctes might begi theiheoic cees s slves i y mbe of oleslbo-

es, gds, glditos, o sevtsd fid feedom

thogh hppestce, egotitio, bttle, o sbte-

fge. Altetively, oppotistic slves wold thi

othig of cptig fee people d sellig them ito

sevitde. Advetes wold liely be lctive to

sch mlig idividls.

Survival and Danger: Athss wstelds e hshd fogivig. Tvel fom oe settlemet to othe,

eve log well-sed od, is still gmble. Usc-

plos ides, vicios mostes, svge tibes, d the

oppessive eviomet c me qic deth fo

we o foolhdy people. Rig ot of food o wte

tios, gettig lost i fete-stved flts, d coss-

ig hzdos tei e pessig dges, pticllywhe tveles vete off the tde otes.

Intrigue and Authority: Eve thogh the city-sttes

offe potectio fom the wilds, life withi thei wlls

c be jst s svge. Athsis e svivos by te,d they te dvtge of oppotities to get hed,

eve if it mes steppig o the bcs of othes. The

socee-igs, obles, d powefl mechts wield

vyig levels of iflece, d chctes cold esilybecome emboiled i fctio coflicts. My powe

gops opete o the sly. The Veiled Allice, fo ex m-

ple, disceetly employs sympthetic otsides to id

pticl schemes, povide distctios, o ct s cove

fo its vios opetios.


4/13

ericBelisle

IntroductionThis is the fist of two mii-dvetes.

A wily elf tde who is movig cgo fom Ty to

Alt hies the plye chctes to gd h is cv.

Oce they ive i tow, the tdes tibe ttempts to

cpte the chctes to lte sell ito slvey. Alts

efoces itevee, d the mtte is liely boght to

Bloodsd Ae fo esoltio.

ALtAruk

The town of Altaru sits atop an important juncture alongthe Balic-Tyr trade route. Other routes branching fromAltaru extend toward the northern city-states and intothe eastern Tablelands. Altaru lies near the head of theEstuary of the Fored Tongue, a silt channel dotted with

small islands that pours into the great Sea of Silt.Powerful Balican merchant houses sponsor the heav-

ily fortified town. A 15-foot wall encircles Altaru, anda well-trained mercenary army drives off raiders. Thearmys frequent patrols flush out bandits and predatorycreatures within a half-days ride. Only a sizable offensivemight crac the mercenaries defenses. Lately, the armyscommanders have been casting a wary eye toward theEstuary as rumors swirl that the giants are planning toagain move against the town.

Arisphistaneles, a Balican noble, governs the town.He is well nown as a pragmatic man who holds citizensand traders equally accountable to Altarus laws. Aris-phistaneles also has a secret. He heads the towns VeiledAlliance cell and can be counted on to provide shelter,information, and supplies to Alliance members who canprove their dedication to the cabal.

Given the towns covert status as a haven to preserv-ers and its fair rulership, Altaru could mae a good baseof operations for an adventuring group interested inrighteous action. Its way-station drama, regular bandit-clearing excursions, and plague of giants eep Altaru

flush with adventure possibilities.

BackgroundKlds, elf tde d oppotistic slve, fmily eteed the voltile city-stte of Ty o bs

Afte deliveig the lst of thei cgo, Klds i

his tibes pofits i io goods del. Lte i th

ig, he discoveed hed bee hoodwied; fo-

of thei ew cgo ws ctlly mde fom shodd

cemic. De to leve with the dw, Klds sim

ove the hmilitio tht wited him i Alt

he ws schedled to edezvos with the est of htibe. Chgied, Klds decided to fll bc o

fie pl: hie cpble-looig people to wo s

d best hdles; the hve the tibe jmp the

hds d lte sell them ito slvey.

The plye chctes wee pefect ms: ot

itiets, d tveles who hd o eso to sty

d wee sechig fo wo. So the smtig elf them, d the cv beg its joey to Alt

Adventure Synopsis

The plye chctes begi thei dvete o thledig wy fom Ty, city-stte i chos followdeth of Socee-Kig Kl. Woig s hied h

they mst coted with the fogivig deset el

while potectig the elves d thei cgo fom t

Oce i Alt, Kldss cv heds to t

smll Elve Met o the otsits of the mech

qte, which is coveietly positioed e th

tow gtes. As the plye chctes begi tedibests, the tibe mbshes them. The esltig

lets the tow gd, which stmps ot the bw

befoe it c spill ito moe eptble es of th

cht qte.

Tellemo, the cpti of the gd, demds t

why the elves d the dvetes e distbig

pece. Klds sses Tellemo tht the plye c

tes e slves who escped fom oble B lic d his tibe ws hied to big them bc. The c

ti of the gd listes to both sides of the stoy

estig ll the combtts d declig tht th

pte c oly be esolved i the e.

Rules Options for Dark

Sun GamesThe Dark Sun Campaign Setting itodces sevel lesoptios tht c ifse decidedly Athsi flvo ito

yo gme. The followig selectios e smplig ofoptios yo c tp whe teig yo plyes coss

the dyig wold.

Character ThemesThe Dark Sun Campaign Setting icldes ew optiofo chcte bildig, d ll six pegeeted chc-

tes peseted withBloodsan d Arena hve it: chctetheme. A theme is cee, cllig, o chetype tht

might iclde chctes of sevel diffeet clsses

d oles. Jst s ce d clss help to idetify who chcte is i the wold, theme dds thid chc-

te compoet to help efie plye chctes stoy

d idetity. A chcte might be elf oge, bt is

she elf oge de tde, elf oge omd, o

elf oge who spies fo the Veiled Allice? Ech

theme offes diffeet stoy fo the sme bsic ch-

cte cocept. If bcgod descibes how o whee chcte gew p, theme descibes how d why he

becme heo.

A theme embces chctes of lmost y clss. Fo

exmple, my templ chctes e wlocs;

howeve, templ who seves chiefly s

commde of the socee-igs toops

might be bette descibed by the w-

lod clss, whees templ who ispt of the socee-igs secet police

cold esily be oge. Similly, gldi-

to chctes e ofte fightes; bt

bbis, bttlemids, ges, oges,

d wlods c be jst s sccessfl s

fightes i the e. Templ d gldi-

to e theefoe themes tht exted beyodthe wloc d fighte clsses, eve thogh

theye pticlly ppopite fo wlocs

d fightes, espectively.

Weapons of Inferior

MaterialsNometl wepos be moe esily th metl

oes. A boe item is t best impovised wepo.Dmged mgic wepos lose thei ehcemet, pop-

eties, d powes til epied. The followig optio

simltes the eltive fgility of ometl wepos,

mig combt moe pedictble d excitig.

Reckless Breakage: Whe plye olls tl 1

o ttc oll, his chctes wepo hs chce tobe. He c ccept the eslt, tomticlly missig

the ttc s sl, d eep his wepo itct. Alte-

tively, the plye c eoll. Regdless of the eoll

eslt, ometl wepo bes oce the ttc is

complete. A metl wepo, howeve, bes oly if the

plye olls tl 5 o lowe o the eoll. This le

gives him sy i whethe his wepo bes. He c

ply it sfe d ccept the et ttc, o he c is

his wepo to ty to void miss.

Defiling MagicDefilig mgic is esy pth to powe fo cecste. Ideed, its se is esposible fo the wolds i-

os stte. Whe chcte sig ce powe

chooses to defile, she c se arcane defiling to lte theotcome of he most powefl spells (dily powes).

Two of the pegeeted chctes e cists.

Sldi is membe of the Veiled Allice d pe-

seve, someoe who csts his ce spells i hmoy

with te d wold eve wl the pth of defile.Vi the wloc, templ-wife to Socee-Kig

Nibey, is oppotist d might ty to defile if she

deems it ecessy.

Alternative RewardsChctes i Dark Sun dot e s my mgic

items s chctes i ot he D&D wolds. Sch items

e scce o Aths d ofte ed p beig destoyed

ot of fe o loced wy i socee-ig coffes. Ths,

ltetive ewds, sch s fvosd specil tiig, e

impott i Ath-

si cmpigs.

Yo c lso

dopt fixed

ehce-

metboses,

llowig ch-

ctes to gi

iheet boses to

ttc olls, dmge

olls, d defeses.

These flt boses

woldt stc withehcemet

boses fom

mgic items.

Yo c

ed moe botthese optios i

Dungeon Mas-ters Guide 2d theDark

SunCampaignSetting.

BetrAyAL At ALtAruk


5/13

TylerWalpole

E n c o u n t e r L e v e l 2 ( 7 5 0 X P )

setupThe dvetes begi o the od otside Ty. They

e i the employ of elf tde Klds, who hs

chged his hied hds with gdig the cvd cig fo his fmilys s. The two gops of

chctesthe Tyi otlws d the wsteld ot-

cstsbegi wo s stges. The plyes might wt

to itodce thei chctes to oe othe befoe yo

poceed with the ecote.

Once the players are ready to begin the

adventure, read:

Withering waves of heat lap at you, borne on a dusty desertbreeze. It is Highsun, the hottest and most oppressive time ofyear. You are walking along a cracked and hard trade roadleading away from Tyr.

Wrapped in dun-colored traveling tunics, Kaldras and hiselven family of eight take large, measured strides down thepath. Two kankslarge, bla ck, insectlike c reatures often usedas beasts of burdencarry the cargo Kaldras purchased in Tyr.The goods are mostly mundane ceramic wares, and you cantimagine theyll sell for much in Altaruks market quarter. Asyou settle into your traveling ga it, you notice the el ves are com-petent and careful caravan g uides. You feel confident that yo uand the other hired strangers will be able to easily fulfill yourcommitment over the next several scorching days.

The elves do ot ide the s, pefeig to move t

qic pce o foot. Hdy, fst, d eqiig little

sstece, s e idel mots fo tvel i the

hottest sesos. If chcte ss to ide oe, Klds

llows it, bt the set of his bow shots of his disdi

fo sch we peso.

Guide the Caravan to AltarukEve thogh Kldss cv hs tveled this tde

ote my times, sfe pssge is eve gteed.

Oveld tvel is peilos y time of ye, bt High-

s ts tese sittio ito gelig ffi.This sill chllege is divided ito thee stges. Ech

stge eqies 4 sccesses befoe 3 files.

Kldss cv leves Ty well stoced with sp-

plies. Howeve, file dig the secod stge of the sill

chllege cold eslt i the chctes hvig to dip ito

thei pesol stoes of svivl dys (tios d wte).

10 Human Slaves Level 1 MinionMedium natural humanoid XP

HP 1; a missed attac never damages a minion. Initia

AC 13, Fortitude 15, Reflex 13,Will 11 Percep

Speed 6

TLaborers Resilience

When it drops to 0 hit points, the slave does not fall unc

scious until the end of its next turn.

Strength in NumbersThe slave gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls for each a lly

to its target.

S AmClub (weapon)At-Will

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +6 vs. AC

Hit: 5 damage. The slave deals 1 extra damage for each

adjacent to the target of its attac.

Str 16 (+3) Dex 12 (+1) Wis 10 (+0)Con 13 (+1) Int 9 (1) Cha 7 (2)

Alignment unaligned Languages Common

Equipment club

3 Human Wasteland Raiders Level 2 SMedium natural humanoid XP 1

HP 40; Bloodied 20 Initia


Speed 6

S AmDagger (weapon)At-Will


Hit: 2d4 + 5 damage.

mBarbed Spear (weapon)At-WillRequirement: The raider must not have a creature g rabb

Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. AC. While the raid

creature grabbed, it can use barbed spearagainst the g

creature only.

MGutting Dagger (weapon)At-WillAttack: Melee 1 (one creature grabbed by the raider); +7

Hit: 3d4 + 5 damage, and ongoing 5 damage (save ends

Skills Intimidate +5

Str 18 (+5) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 12 (+2)

Con 16 (+4) Int 8 (+0) Cha 9 (+0)


Equipment hide armor, barbed spear, dagger

Adventure HooksI the dys followig the ebellio tht seted dslew Socee-Kig Kl, thee otlws hve bee

tig dvtge of the chos to me some ficil

iods i thei lives s they hide fom thei pses.

Howeve, Kindrok, Suldin, d Vinara hve idve-

tetly cossed cople of well-coected thieves, d

ews of the otlws wheebots hs sice bee tm-

peted coss the city-stte. The thee eed to hightil it

ot of Ty while cloed i espectbility. Whe elftde offes them wo d cemic cois (Athss c-

ecy), the otlws immeditely ccept. The politiclly

stble tow of Alt cold be jst the plce to she

ot the fles d begi ew.

Mewhile, thee wsteld otcsts, Morg,

Pakcha , d Ulieth, e hedig to Ty to e some

cemic with which to by spplies d wte fo theismll gg of svivos hidig ot i the foothills oth

of the city-stte.

Ech gop hs its ow hoo below. If yo e sig

yo ow chctes, yo c modify the hoo s to sitthem o cete ew oes.

Hook: Tyrian OutlawsRed the followig to plyes ofKindrok, Suldin,

d Vinara:

Tyr is a city-state in chaos, and paradigms across Athas aresnapping. Kalak, one of the nearly omnipotent sorcerer-kings, is dead. A band of rebels, now known as the Deposersof Kalak, laid low the centuries-old tyrant. In the wake ofthe great arcanists downfall, the citys oppressive order hascrumbled. Factions struggle for power, snatching at scraps ofinfluence and wealth as templars, Kalaks agents, struggle toreassert civic authority. Howls of anarchy mix withthe joyous whoops of freed slaves in a cacophony thathas yet to quiet since the world turned on its head.

You thought the bedlam Kalaks death created wouldafford you a measure of protection from your current troubles.So confident were you that you opted to throw the dicein a couple questionable financial opportunities.Apparently those who l ost while you gained ale rtedbounty hunters to your whereabouts. Now desper-ate for a discreet way to flee the nearly lawless Tyr,youve accepted work with an elf t rader name Kaldras.

He needed a few able- bodied workers to guard his caravanand care for his beasts as they journey to Altaruk, a townsoutheast of Tyr. Once there, Kaldras plans to reunite withthe rest of his tribe, unload his cargo, and pay you 50 gp inceramic. By posing as respectable hired hands, you hope toevade your pursuers and find a new, less colorful path whenyou reach Altaruk.

Quest XP: 100 XP (mio qest) fo ivig i Alt-

d, ths, evdig thei pses.

Hook: Wasteland OutcastsRed the followig to plyes ofMorg, Pakcha,

d Ulieth:

Highsun, the h ottest month of th e year, is brutal on everyon e,including your band of outcast refugees living in the foot-hills of the Ringing Mountains north of the city-state of Tyr.When your gang moved to its current camp during the coolermonths, game was plentiful enough, and the spirits of theland answered your calls with occasional finds of water buriedbeneath the cracked stones and within cacti near your hideout.

Now, the oppressive heat has taken a toll on your group ofescaped slaves, former convicts, and displaced tribal folk. Yourbands small stores of water are running dangerously low, andthe cacti have long since been desiccated. Your hunters musttravel farther to find prey, and they return with less to eat. Thecamp turns to you, its trusted leader and fighters, to bringback sustenance before more of your outcast kin die in therocky badland hideaway.

You gather up your meager possessions and set out for Tyr,where you hope to find a way to earn some coin or bart er forsupplies. Just outside the city-state, you hear rumors that itscitizenry is in open rebellion, and its sorcerer-king, Kalak, isdead. Such disorder has surely sparked a mad grab for pre-cious resources, dashing your hope.

As you skirt Tyrs boundaries, you spy an elven caravanheading southeast. You notice the elves have a few workersalong and ask the caravan master, Kaldras, if he could use afew more hands. He hires you to g uard the caravan and carefor his beasts. O nce in Altaruk , you can collect your 50 gp inceramic apiece and either purchase supplies there or head toGraks Pool, a nearby oasis, to obtain water.

Quest XP: 500 XP (mjo qest) fo obtiig sp-

plies d deliveig them to the otcst cmp.

encounter B1: roAd to ALtAruk


6/13

Stage Three:

Raiders in the BadlandsEvetlly, the cv eches the ocy bdlds. Thetwistig cyolie pssges e pefect fo mbshes,

d it ist log befoe the cv comes de ttc.

Start the skill challenges third stage with a combat

against the raiders. Read:

You reach the twisting maze of badlands, the last leg of yourjourney. The road wen ds between rock faces, and your skintingles. Someone, or many someones, could be lurking aboveyou, in front of you, or besid e you, and you might ne ver knowit. You walk for several hours, listening to the echoes of yourpartys steps bounce b ack to you in unpredictable pa tterns.

Raider Attack


3 human wasteland raiders

10 human slaves

A bd of despete hms desceds o the clooig fo spplies. Two wsteld ides d th

escped slves ttc the dvetes. The othe

ld ide seches fo wy to ech the s

thei cgo. Dig the fight, Klds d his fm

hide e the s, lettig the dvetes pov

woth.

This ecote does ot hve mp, bt yo ccete twistig pth with lots of ocs d bbl

c seve s blocig d difficlt tei.

If the dvetes scceed i the bttle, it co

oe sccess fo the gop i this chllege.

Level:1 (XP 100).

Complexity: 1 (eqies 4 sccesses befoe 3 f

Primary Skills: Edce, Nte, Peceptio, Endurance ( DC 12): Despite the het d techcte pshes o to Alt, tioig his o

spplies s ecessy fo the good of the gop.

sill c be sed to gi mximm of 2 scces

this chllege.

Nature (DC 12): The s e edgy, bt the dte mges to clm them d eep them moviThis sill c be sed to gi mximm of 2 sc

i this chllege.

Perception (DC 12): Wtchig the blffs, the chspots lge idig pty d mges to shffle

cv ot of sight til the gop moves wy. T

sill c be sed to gi mximm of 2 sccess

this chllege.

Special: The combt gist the ides cots sccess i this chllege.

Secondary Skills: Hel.

Heal (DC 19): Whe chcte fils Edchec, diffeet dvete c me Hel ch

etlize tht file. A Hel chec c be sed

me oly oce dig this stge of the chlle

Success:The chctes ech Alt withothe icidet.

Failure: The chctes mst oveight otsi

Alt , echig t he tow the ext moi g.thei lst ight o the od, Klds seds oe

sos hed to Alt to let the tibe of his

ig ivl with potetil slves.

Stage One:

Cross the Stony BarrensThe fist dys of tvel e spet cossig the cced,ogh bedoc of the stoy bes. The eve, tech-

eos god mes it impossible to move with y

speed if yove styed fom the od. The elves ow

the pth well, thogh, d they psh the chctes to

me good time despite the stiflig het.

Start the skill challenges first stage with a group

Athletics check (see below), and the n read:

Youre no soft-bellied kings son, but youre starting to feel likeone as you trek through the stony barrens outside Tyr. For twodays, the elves have practically loped across the baked land-scape without even breathing hard. However, your scalded anddust-caked lungs feel like youve swallowed the sun, and youhave days yet to go before you reach Altaruk.

Level:1 (XP 100). Complexity: 1 (eqies 4 sccesses befoe 3 files).

Primary Skills: Athletics (gop), Diplomcy,

Edce, Nte, Peceptio.

Athletics ( DC 12, group check): Keepig p with Kl-dss fmily is o esy t s fo yoe sed to

ig with elves. All the dvetes mst oll this

chec. If t lest hlf scceed o this chec, the gopchec cots s 1 sccess i this chllege.

Diplomacy (DC 12): Klds d his elves dive thedvetes hd. To eep tesios fom flig, the

chcte steps i to clm the sittio. This sill c be

sed to gi mximm of 1 sccess i this chllege.

Endurance (DC 19): Despite the qic pce dscochig het, the chcte pshes owd withotdiig dditiol esoces. Chctes who sc-

ceeded i the gop Athletics chec gi +2 bos to

this chec. This sill c be sed to gi mximm of

2 sccesses i this chllege, bt o chcte c co-

tibte moe th 1 Edce chec sccess.

Nature (DC 12): The dvete ses his o he owl-edge of the ld to foge fo dditiol spplies. This

sill c be sed to gi mximm of 2 sccesses ithis chllege.

Perception (DC 12): Keepig eye o the teihed, the chcte cicmvets spots of techeos

bble d ldslide es. This sill c be sed to

gi mximm of 2 sccesses i this chllege.

Secondary Skills: Hel.

Heal (DC 19): Whe chcte fils Edcechec, diffeet dvete c me Hel chec to

etlize tht file. A Hel chec c be sed i this

me oly oce dig this stge of the chllege.

Success:The chctes ech the sdy wstes

withot icidet.

Failure:A ldslide bels dow towd the c-

v. Eveyoe mges to void its pth, bt the od

hed is bloced. Now, the cv mst sped extdy tvelig off the od to ech the sdy wstes.

Stage Two:

Storm in the Sandy WastesDepedig o the dvetes sccess i the fist stgeof the sill chllege, it tes two o thee dys to ech

the weste lip of the sdy wstes.

Start the skill challenges second stage with a

group Endurance check (see below), and then read:

After heading so utheast for days, th e rocky terrain colla psesinto dunes. The wind picks up, blowing yellow sand into youreyes and nostrils. You look for a way to shield your blisteredface from the stinging granules. When th e wind still s, younotice that the heat appears to shimmer in the bare, beigelandscape. At night, the air turns frigid, and a chill creeps intoyour flesh to d isturb your sleep.

Level:1 (XP 100).

Complexity: 1 (eqies 4 sccesses befoe 3 files).

Primary Skills: Edce (gop), Itimidte,Nte, Peceptio.

Endurance (DC 12 or 19, group): If the chctesfiled i the fist pt of the sill chllege, they mst

plow thogh mssive des to ech the od. I this

cse, se the highe DC vle fo the gop chec. All

the dvetes mst oll this chec. If t lest hlf sc-

ceed o this chec, the gop chec cots s 1 sccessi this chllege.

Intimidate (DC 12): The s e pticlly lyi the deset, bt the dvete pshes them o with-

ot mecy. This sill c be sed to gi mximm of

2 sccesses i this chllege.

Nature (DC 12): The chcte ses his o he svivlsills to costct meshift shelte to potect the gop

fom the s, wid, d ight chill. This sill c besed to gi mximm of 2 sccesses i this chllege.

Perception (DC 12): Eve thogh the tei seemsfeteless, to the tied eye, the sdy wstes e

vigble. The dvete mges to cicmvet lge

difts i the od. This sill c be sed to gi mxi-

mm of 2 sccesses i this chllege.

Secondary Skills: Hel. Heal (DC 19): Whe chcte fils Ed-ce chec, diffeet dvete c me Hel

chec to etlize tht file. A Hel chec c

be sed i this me oly oce dig this

stge of the chllege.

Success: The chctes ech the bdlds

e Alt withot icidet.

Failure:A sdstom wllops the chctes,d they lose thei wy fo sevel dys i the tcless

des. Ech dvete loses 3 svivl dys fom his

o he pesol stoes. A chcte who doest hve

eogh svivl dys loses 1 hel ig sge fo ech dys

woth of tios he o she is shot. The effect lsts til

the chcte tes exteded est i Alt (t this

dvetes ed).


7/13

If the adventurers stop attacking, read:

A battl e-scarred human m ale in a polishe d carapace breast-plate st rides t oward you. The s un refl ects br illiant ly off hisbared steel short sword. Everyones eyes are drawn to theprecious metal .

I am Tellemon, captain of the guard of this quarter. Youhave violated the peace, and I demand to know why.

Tellemo is oe of Goveo Aisphisteless chief

efoces. He hs fodess fo bloodspot d this

the best plce to hsh ot d isptes is i the e. He

efses to shi potocol, eve thogh he this gettig

tthfl swe i the Elve Met is s liely s

coolig i i Highs.Tellemo ss tht epesettive fom ech side of

the coflict step fowd d expli the eso fo the

ltectio. If Klds is live d coscios, he spes

fo his tibe. If ot, his sipe so does.

Diplomacy Check

DC Varies The adventurer speaking for the group explains

that Kaldras and the Moonrunners attacked without provoca-tion. The elf speaking for the tribe refutes this story and offershis own in response.

The speig chcte mes Diplomcy chec,

opposed by the elfs Blff chec.

Accodig to the elf, the dvetes e escped

slves, d thei mste hied Klds to big them

bc. Boght to Alt with his cgo, the slvesescped thei bods d ttced the tibe. The elf

speig eceives +1 bos to his Blff c hec fo ech

elf illed i the fight. If Klds ws illed, the spee

eceives +3 bos to his Blff chec.

Resounding Success: If the Diplomcy chec is10 o moe th the Blff chec, the dvete cts

thogh the veil of sspicio Tellemo eseves fo llElve Met deizes. The cpti bishes the t ibe

fom Alt fo oe ye d odes the elves to py the

dvetes 200 gp i cemic cois d item of vle

fom Kldss pesol stoes. Uless the chctes

wt to fight i the e, go to Coclsio o pge 16.

Success:If the Diplomcy chec is eql to o higheth the Blff chec, Tellemo believes the dvete.

Bt he lso sees oppotity to give Klds pbliccomeppce. He odes tht the dispte to be settled i

Bloodsd Ae, whee he sspects the dvetes will

thmp the elves. Go to Ecote B3: Cois i the Coffe. Failure:If the Diplomcy chec is lowe th theBlff chec, Tellemo decides tht despite the elves

beig cosmmte lis, he sees o eso to tst ot-

sides. The elves hve boght good coi to Alt,eve if thei methods e bit dehded. The cp-

ti detis the dvetes d seteces them to

fight i Bloodsd Ae. Use the e gme fom

Ecote B3: Cois i the Coffe; howeve, eplce

the elves with ppopite mbe of gith (see Gith

sttistics, pges 20-21).

Features of the Area Illumination:Bight light otside. Dim light ithe tets.

Auction Platform: A 30-foot-by-20-foot pltfo

sed fo slve ctios is ised bot 5 feet off th

god. Sets of stis e bilt ito two of the plt

wlled-i sides. Cetes o the god c se

sides s cove gist ged ttcs while lch

thei ow ttcs hideed.

Carts and Tables: These sqes e hideigIt tes DC 9 Athletics chec to ete these sq

cete whose chec scceeds jmps top the obje

Tents and Buildings: A mbe of mecht t

d othe bildigs dot the metplce. All the b

igs doos e loced fom the iside. A cete

ete tet e thogh opeig o whee the

flp is visible o the mp. Oce i side, the cetof sight is limited to wht is visible thogh the op

ig. If cete moves o is foced to move ito

sqe tht lcs opeig, the tet collpses

the cete. The cete is immobilized til thof its ext t d mst me immedite sv

thow. If the cete fils its svig th ow, it flls

Treasure: If chctes Diplomcy chec is esodig sccess, Tellemo believes the dvet

stoy, d they eceive 200 gp i cemic d +ing obsidian battleaxe fom the elves stoes s ecom

Elf Peddler (E) Level 2 Skirmisher (LMedium fey humanoid



Speed 7

TWild Step

The peddler i gnores dif ficult terr ain when it shi fts.

S Am Bone Longsword (weapon)At-Will



MDouble DealingAt-WillEffect: The peddler uses bone longsword and then shifts

speed. If it ends the shift in a square where it flans an

other than the creature it just attaced, uses bone long

against the flaned enemy.

M APeddlers CommandAt-Will (1/round)

Effect:One ally within 20 squares of the peddler moves

speed. If that ally is an elf, it instead shifts half its spee

F AElven AccuracyEncounter

Effect:The peddler r erolls one of its at tac rolls and use

second result.

Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Stealth +9, Thievery +9

Str 11 (+1) Dex 16 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)

Con 10 (+1) Int 12 (+2) Cha 16 (+4)

Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Elven

Equipment bone longsword


setupKaldras (elf peddler) (E)

6 elf snipers (S)

3 kank spitters (K)

When the characters reach Altaruk, read:

After a long t rek from Tyr, you finally arri ve at the gates lead-ing into Altaruk. As Kaldras speaks to mercenary guardswho palm his proffered ceramic coin s, your eyes travel up thesmooth walls that enclose the town. More guards, armed withobsidian-tipped spears, perch at intervals atop the wall. Everythird guard faces the town rather than the landscape. As Kal-dras wraps up his conversation, he motions for the caravan tofollow him insid e.

You meander through a ramshackle bazaar, watching aself merchants haggle with an assortment of buyers. Realizingthis must be the Elven Market in Altaruk, you start thinkingabout what you should do once Kaldras pays you. Withinminutes, the caravan stops, and Kaldras greets members of hisMoonrunner trib e. As elves begin unloa ding the cargo, Kal-dras asks you to unhitch the kanks while he fetches your wages.He disappears into a nearby tent.

Klds istcts the tibes fightes to qicly oc

the hied hds coscios, bid d gg them, d

dg them ito the tet. The tibe c smggle them ot

of Alt i the pedw light. Clely diftes, this lotwot be missed, d the pice theyll fetch o the slve

met c feed the tibe fo moo t lest.

Insight Check (ot llowed if the chctes filed

Stge 3 of the si ll chllege fom Ecote B1)

DC 15You notice that the approaching elves are fingeringtheir blades rather than eyeing the cargo.

If o oe i the gop scceeds o the Isight chec,

the dvetes e spised o the fist od of combt.

TacticsKlds emeges fom the tet o his iititive, d

odes the sipes to cocette fie o oe dvete

t time. The sipes te im t oe of the ged

ttces (Pakcha, Suldin, o Vinara). They dce

od the met, oly eggig i melee whe ble

to fl oppoet. The sipes ely o Kldss ped-dlers command to meve ito idel positios.

Wheeve possible, Klds ses double dealing tofl with spitte. The elf tde tied the spit-

tes (which e smlle th the cvs soldies)

to wo togethe to big dow oe cete t time.

Oe spitte ses bite while the othe stys ot of ged ses kank spitto loc dow the oppoet.

Whe chcte flls coscios, othe tibe

membe emeges fom tet o stll o the sipes ii-

titive to tie p the coscios chcte d dg himo he ito the tet. (Use elf sipes sttistics, bt dot

hve this elf ttc y ch ctes still fightig.) A bod

chcte, whe coscios, is immobilized d poe.

The chcte c be the bods with DC 19 Athlet-

ics chec o slip fee with DC 19 Acobtics chec.

DevelopmentKldss scheme ist woig ot s qicly o s

qietly s he hd hoped. Meceies posted o the

wlls e the Elve Met he shotig d see dst

clods spotig p. A e dshes off to let Tel-

lemo, cpti of Alts mecht-qte gd.Tellemo d two doze efoces ive s the chc-

tes gi edge ove Klds.

Pleading a CaseOnce Kaldras is bloodied, Tellemon arrives. Read:

As you strike a t the treacherous elf, he yel ps in pain. Beforeyou can land anothe r blow, a commanding voi ce reverberatesthrough the market square.

Hold! Stay your weapons! By the authority of Arisphista-neles, I order you to cease your violence!

Mercenary guards armed with razor-sharp obsidian spearspour from every n earby passage. The elves eyes fli ck warily inyour direction as the y wait to see how youl l react to the cap-tains order.

Pessig the ttc gist the elves is se wy to

fce two-fot sslt d codem the dvetesto gilt. If the chctes cotie to ttc, yo c

hve them fight gist foce of hm gds (see the

Monster Manual , pge 162) til theyve sbmitted.

encounter B2: kALdrAss BetrAyAL


8/13

DaviDrapoza

6 Elf Snipers (S) Level 3 Minion LurkerMedium fey humanoid XP 38 each

HP 1; a missed attac never damages a minion. Initiative +9

AC 17,Fortitude 13, Reflex 17,Will 16 Perception +8

Speed 7

TSharpshooters Advantage

The sniper deal s 3 extra damage a gainst any cre ature it is

hidden from.

Wild StepThe sniper ig nores diff icult terrai n when it shif ts.

S Am Bone Dagger (weapon)At-Will


Hit: 5 damage.

rChatkcha (weapon)At-WillAttack: Ranged 6/12 (one creature); +8 vs. AC

Hit: 5 damage.

M AElven MisdirectionAt-Will

Effect:The sniper moves 2 squar es. If it has cover or conceal-

ment, it can mae a Stealth chec to become hidden with an

automatic chec result of 25.

Skills Bluff +6, Stealth +10

Str 11 (+1) Dex 18 (+5) Wis 15 (+3)Con 10 (+1) Int 10 (+1) Cha 11 (+1)

Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Elven

Equipment bone dagger, 10 chatchas

3 Kank Spitters (K) Level 2 ArtillerySmall natural beast XP 125 each

HP 30; Bloodied 15 Initiative +4

AC 14, Fortitude 13, Reflex 15,Will 14 Perception +3

Speed 8

Resist 5 acid, 5 poison

S AmBite (acid)At-Will


Hit: 1d4 + 1 damage plus 1d8 acid damage.

RKank Spit (acid)At-WillAttack: Ranged 10 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d4 + 1 damage, and the target is slowed and taes ongoing

5 acid damage (save ends both). If the target is already slowed,

it is instead immobilized (save ends).

Str 13 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)

Con 12 (+2) Int 2 (3) Cha 6 (1)

Alignment unaligned Languages


9/13

3 Jhakar Trapjaw (J) Level 3 SSmall natural beast (reptile) XP 1



Speed 6 Low-ligh

TUncanny Senses

The trapjaw s attacs ignor e concealment.

S AmBiteAt-Will

Primary Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +8 vs. AC

Hit: 2d4 + 5 damage, and the trapjaw grabs the target. T

target grants combat advantage until the grab ends. Thjaw maes a secondar y attac aga inst the target .

Secondary Attack: Melee 1; +8 vs. Fortitude

Hit: The target taes ongoing 5 damage until the grab e

MDrag DownRecharge when first bloodiedAttack: Melee 1 (one creature grabbed by the trapjaw); +

Fortitude

Hit: 3d4 + 7 damage, and the target falls prone and can

stand up until the grab ends.

Str 17 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 12 (+2)

Con 15 (+3) Int 2 (3) Cha 6 (1)



setupKaldras (elf peddler) (E)

5 elf snipers (S)

3 jhakar trapjaws (J)(See the pevios ecote fo the elves sttistics.)

Goveo Aisphisteles ppoves Tellemos lig to

pit the otsides gist the Mooes (o the gith,

with filed Diplomcy chec) i Bloodsd Ae.

Read:

You are locked, weaponless, inside a seldom-used section of thearena barracks. You are given time for a short rest before beingwell fed and watered. As you a re escorted to a modest-sizedarena, you hear the crowd churning above you.

Once your eyes adjust to the brightness outside, you seeKaldras and his cot erie across the bloods tained arena f loor.A glance around the c racked arena shows you a mult itudeof stone pots filled with razor-sharp brambleweed, two largestonecoffers on opposite ends of the arena, and a pile of sevengiant ceramic coins. Your weapons and implements are piledon the floor at your feet.

A Balican noble, appointed todays master of games,stands up and sounds a gong.

Red the gmes objective to the plyes. Hve them pic

coffe. Be se to tell them the cois eqie two hdsto cy d tht the coffes stt ot closed.

Coins in the Coffer Objective:Te the cois fom the cete of the

e d plce them i yo tems stoecoffe. Thegop tht scoes the most poits fte five ods wis.

Combtts c stel cois fom ech othes coffes.

Attack ing the Other Team :Yo cot me

ttc tht diectly does hm to membe of the

opposig tem. If yo do so, yo e emoved fom the

gme. Yo c, howeve, cse idiect hm thogh

foced movemet o by othe mes.Coins: It tes mio ctio to pic p coi d

fee ctio to dop it i coffe. The git cois eqie

both hds to cy.

Coffer: Both coffes stt ot closed. It tes mio

ctio to ope coffe. The lid c be closed gi with

othe mio ctio, lthogh it ist ecessy.

DevelopmentIf the dvetes illed Klds i the met fight,

othe Mooe elf peddle tes his plce,

d the elvesesolvig to wi the gme i Kldss

memoygi +1 bos to speed o thei fist t.

If yo hve fewe th six plyes, edce the mb e

of elf sipes to ccot fo the d iffeece. (Klds pls

the sipes shold eql the gops mbe.)

TacticsThe sipes cpitlize o thei elven misdirection dKldsspeddlers command to dsh bot the ewith ese. They bll sh dvetes cy ig coisi effot to psh them ito bmbleweed, bt do ot

diectly ttc them less fist ttced.

Afte the fist od, the gte opes. Thee sqt, sl-

veig jhs scy ot, ch sig eby combtts.They svge elves d dvetes lie. Oce bloodied,

they etet to coe to ted thei wods.

Features of the Area Illumination:Bight light.

Arena Walls: The e wlls e 15 feet high.

Brambleweed: The cicles o the mp epesetlow, wide pots of bmbleweed ft bsh coveed

i zo-shp offshoots. Bmbleweed sqes e

difficlt tei. A cete tht stts its t i bm-

bleweed sqe tes 5 dmge. A cete tht eds

its t i bmbleweed sqe is estied til the

stt of its ext t.

Crowd: Olooes chee wildly whe combtt

foces oppoet ito the bmbleweed, gtigthe ttce +1 bos to speed d ll defeses

til the ed of its ext t.

Gong: The mste of gmes sods lge

gog t the stt of ech od.

ConclusionAfte the combtts exit the e,

Tellemo cogtltes the vic-

tos. If the chctes wi, jovilTellemo offes to she his wi-

igs fom the bet he plced

o the gme. The dvet-es eceive 100 gp i cemic

piece pls wht Klds owed

them fo thei lbo.

I dditio, the wsteld

otcsts e give spplies to te

bc to thei cmp otside Ty if

they told Tellemo of thei plight.

encounter B3: coIns In the coffer

Daveallsop


10/13

WarrenMahy

As you go about your business, you hear rumors about theVeiled Alliance, a secret order of preservers and opponents ofthe sorcerer-kings. If the stories are true, the organization ismostly responsible for the towns current fortunes. The Alli-ance seems like it would be a good ally; itd probably help hideyou from the bounty hunters you gave the slip to in Tyr. Afte rseveral nights out buying drinks for talkers, you learn thatAlliance mem bers meet in a secret locat ion near BloodsandArena. You decide to search for it. To mask your t rue inten-tions, you enter a gladiatorial contest alongside another groupof vagabonds.

Quest XP: 500 XP (mjo qest) if the dvet-

es me pecefl cotct with the Veiled Allice

cell i Alt.Checs evel:

Arcana Chec k

DC 12When the Alliance scopes out a prospectivemember, an agent approaches the arcanists and asks a fewcarefully worded questions. His or her answers can lead to atrial period wherein the order covertly observes the candidate.

If deemed worthy, the arcanis t is offered initiation testing. DC 19Initiation is b roken into two parts. T he GreenTest requires an arcanist to prove his or her use of magic doesnot defile the land. If the arcanist passes, a Test of ActionanAlliance-set mi ssioncompletes th e initiation . Then the orga-nization inducts the arcanist.

Streetwise Check DC 19According to rumor, many of Alt aruks leadingsociety members belong to the Alliance. Even Governor Aris-phistaneles migh t be an agent. Hes sent more tha n one defilerto arena death battles, and he has spared known preservers.

Hook: Wasteland OutcastsRed the followig to plyes ofMorg, Pakcha, d Ulieth:

Your time in Altaruk has not been pleasant. You thought thetown would offer respite from the hard life you lived in the out-cast camp near the Ringing Mountains, but your rotten luckhas struck again. You incurred a debt to a Balican noble forsome perceived insult against his niece. Youre still not clearabout what you supposedly did wrong. You suspect yourebeing used as a scapegoat for the nieces misbehaviornot thattheres anything you can do about it.

The noble is in league with the powerful Wavir merchanthouse. Youve been ordered to pay restitution and must com-pete in several arena batt les to earn the ceramic . Pay fromtodays arena fight will cover the last of your debt, and youllbe free to leave this profit-mongering town.

Quest XP: 100 XP (mio qest) if the dvetes

fiish thei e combt d settle the debt.

IntroductionThis is the secod of two mii-dvetes. It c be

plyed loe o s follow-p to Betyl t Alt. If

yo choose the ltte, the evets i Veiled Thet occ

sevel wees lte. Yo might eed to djst few stoy

elemets, depedig o how the chctes esolved the

pevios mii-dvete.

A pomiet mecey cpti (Tellemo) is m-

deed i the e stds s the dvetes wp pthei bttle o the field. A ide to the goveo hies

the chctes to ivestigte the slyig d cpte the

ille. Deepe ivestigtio exposes Veiled Allice d

Te ogiztio plots d coteplots.

BackgroundAisphisteles, goveo of Alt, is the covet lede

of the locl Veiled Allice cell. The ogiztio ofcists is dedicted to pesevtio mgic d thwt-

ig defiles. Eve thogh Aisphisteles ciges fom

memoies of ceti itiges, hes bee ble to jstify

most of his ctios s sevig highe idel.The Veiled Allice ist the oly ogiztio with

covet opetios i Alt. Membes of the Te cbl

e devot followes of Socee-Kig Kl of Ty, who

ws ecetly ovethow d sli. They hold ot hope

tht Kl svived the ttc. Big tht, they pl to

pt hei o his thoe. Sevel Te membes, de

deep cove, hve wo positios of iflece i Alt.Dozes moe hve seced powefl posts thoghot

the Ty Regio.

I the ftemth of the Tyi ebellio, most stoies

cedited the ebels with illig the socee-ig, bt

few mos figeed the Veiled Allice s well, syig it

ted the wheels tht set the pl i motio. Eged,

Te followes see evege o the Veiled Allice.Acoss the egio, hidde gets e eceivig wod to

stie t ow o sspected Veiled Allice membes.

Tellemo, oe of the mecey cptis hied to

gd the pomiet mecht hoses coces i

Alt, is Te membe. Hes sspected Aisphist-

eles of beig Veiled Allice sympthize fo moths.

Util few dys go, Tellemo ws cotet to qietlywtch while ejoyig gifl employmet i the fot i-fied tow. Howeve, his Tyi cotcts ltest lette

eveled tht Aisphisteles ist jst Allice get;

he heds the Alt cell. So Tellemo beg htchig

pl to ill the goveo.

Bt slldggey oosts i the Allices s, too.

Whe Veiled Allice get Bi Stoched cov-

eed the gd cpti s pl oly hos befoe its slted

exectio, he decided to stie fist d didt is thetime it wold te to ifom Aisphisteles. Kowig

Tellemo wold be t Bloodsd Ae fo the dys

gmes, Bi hied ssssi to ill the cpti while

the gmes held his ttetio.

Adventure SynopsisAs the dvete begis, the chctes e b ot to

pticipte i fteoo fight t Bloodsd Ae.

As thei bttle eds, pic speds thogh the stds.

Gd Cpti Tellemo, feqet pto of the

gmes, hs bee mdeed while wtchig the dve-

tes compete. Selois, oe of the goveos scibes,

ppoches the chctes o Goveo Aisphist-

eless behlf. He hies them to fid the mdee dbig him o he to jstice.

The chctes begi thei ivestigtio i the

e stds. The ifomtio they gthe leds themto the bcs qte of tow. With fthe diggig,

the dvetes set ot fo the gldito tiig hlls,

whee they fid the ille d possibly discove the

ivly betwee the Te d the Veiled Allice.

Adventure HooksFo this dvete, the chctes ow ech othe bt

still pefe the compy of thei oigil gops. If yo

plyes didt go thogh the fist mii-dvete, yoc ssme the chctes mde ech othes cqi-

tce i the e. If yoe sig yo ow chctes,

yo c me p ew hoos o modify the oes below.

Hook: Tyrian OutlawsRed the followig to plyes ofKindrok , Suldin ,

d Vinara :

Your time in Altaruk, a fortified town on a critical trade junc-ture between the city-states of Tyr and Balic, has served youwell. After f leeing the chaos in Tyr following Sorcerer-KingKalaks demi se, youve managed to stay gainfully empl oyed asyou wait out the worst of Highsuns blis tering heat.

Unlike the city-states oppressive rules, Altaruks laws arereasonable and afford you a measure of stability, especiallywith mercenary guards around to back up the d ecrees. Aris-phistaneles, A ltaruks govern or, even encourages residents tolearn to read and write, something no despot ruling one of theSeven Cities would ever promote.

eILed threAt


11/13

2 Ambush Spiders (A) Level 2 LurkerMedium natural beast (spider) XP 125 each



Speed 8, climb 8 (spider climb) Tremorsense 5

TCamouflage

The spider can ma e a Stealth chec to b ecome hidden when it

has cover or concealment instead of needing superior cover or

total concealment.

S Am Bite At-Will



MVenomous Bite (poison) At-WillAttack: Melee 1 (one creature the spider is hidden from); +7

vs. AC

Hit: 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is slowed and taes ongoing

5 poison damage (save ends both).

First Failed Saving Throw: The target is immobilized instead of

slowed and taes ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends both).

Special: When charging, the spider can use this power in place

of a melee basic attac.

Skills Acrobatics +9, Stealth +9

Str 13 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)Con 10 (+1) Int 4 (2) Cha 7 (1)


2 Gith Hobblers (H) Level 4 ArMedium natural humanoid XP 1



Speed 6

TOBrain FogAura 1

Enemies within the aura tae a 2 penalty to attac rolls

damage rolls.

S AmBone Dagger (weapon)At-Will


Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage, and the gith shifts 1 square.

rJavelin (weapon)At-WillAttack: Ranged 20 (one creature); +9 vs. Reflex


RPinning Javelin (weapon)EncounterAttack: Ranged 20 (one creature); +9 vs. Reflex

Hit: 2d6 + 6 damage, and the target is immobilized (sav

M ATelekinetic LeapEncounter

Effect: The gith flies 5 squares.

Str 16 (+5) Dex 13 (+3) Wis 12 (+3)

Con 16 (+5) Int 8 (+1) Cha 9 (+1)

Alignment evil Languages Deep SpeechEquipment inix-shell armor, bone dagger, 10 obsidian-tipp

javelins


setup2 gith hobblers (H)

4 gith piercers (G)

2 ambush spiders (A)

If the dvetes did ot ply Betyl t Alt, the

two gops begi this bttle s cqitces ssiged

to fight togethe. Whe the chctes ete the e,

the mbsh spides e ledy hidde i the des

med o the mp.

When the players are ready to begin theadventure, read:

Late after noon offers no respite from the b listering heat t hatclings to the air, and the stench of the days previous arenabattles fills your nostrils.

You are charged with subduing your opponents. You arenot required to kill them today; however, doing so wont loseyou any points. A s usual, you dont k now what types of savagecreatures will emerge from the gate at the far end of the arena.

The fighting field is elaborately decorated. More than ahalf dozen large pillars sheathed in serrated obsidian dot thefields dunes . Each 20-foot-tall column i s topped with a f lat,dull surface. Massive spiderwebs stretch vertically betweensome of the pillars, partially obscuring your view.

The master of games sounds the gong, and the crowd cheersas the gate cranks open. Several hunched, gaunt humanoidsclad in mismatched armor and carrying bone spears andobsidian-tipped javelins stride from the darkness. You instantlyrecognize your foes: Gith, psionically gifted, merciless hunters.

Perception Check

DC 19You notice a sand dune shifting of its own accord.

Chctes who me sccessfl Peceptio checs do otgt combt dvtge to the spides whe they ttc.

Tactics

The gith hobbles se telekinetic leap to gi the highgod top the pills. The they i jvelis dow othei oppoets. Mewhile, the gith pieces cicle the

field i pis, looig fo we foes to gg p o. The

pieces lch telekinetic pierce ttcs ight wy. Thethey sh i, stb oppoets, d qicly shift wy.

Roll iititive s oml fo the mbsh spides. Ech

stys hidde i its de til cete moves withi 5

sqes of it. O its t, it scttles fom its hidig spot

d sesvenomous bite . Whe edced to 7 hit poits ofewe, spide withdws fom the bttle.

Features of the Area Illumination:Bight light.

Arena Walls: The e wlls e 15 feet high.

Pillars: These cicl pills e shethed i se-

ted obsidi. A cete foced ito pill does ot

move ito the sqe; isted, it t es 1d8 dmge. The

20-foot-tll pills e blocig tei. The top of ech

is flt d smooth.

Spiderwebs: Webbed sqes e difficlt teid lightly obsced. A cete tht etes webbed

sqe mst me Acobtics o Athletics chec, o it

is immobilized (Escpe DC 13).

Crowd: Tied fom log dy t the e, the

cowd gets fied p fo spectc l displys of violece

oly. Wheeve cete scoes citicl hit, oloo-

es shot thei glee, bolsteig the ttce d gtig

it 5 tempoy hit poits. Treasure:Afte completig the bttle, the wsteld

otcsts settle thei debt, d ech Tyi otlw is pid

his o he choice of 50 gp i cemic o fruit of healing(which hs the sme popeties s potion of healing ; seePlayers Handbook , pge 255).

DevelopmentThe cowds shies of plese devolve ito fight s

Tellemos body flls d his blood dips o the spect-

tos i the stds below.

4 Gith Piercers (G) Level 4 Minion SkirmisherMedium natural humanoid XP 44 each

HP 1; a missed attac never damages a minion. Initiative +4

AC 17,Fortitude 18, Reflex 15,Will 14 Perception +2

Speed 6

S AmSpear (weapon) At-Will


Hit: 6 damage, and the gith shifts 1 square.

RTelekinetic Pierce EncounterAttack: Ranged 5 (one creature); +7 vs. Fortitude

Hit: 6 damage, and the gith pushes the target 1 square.

M ATelekinetic Leap Encounter

Effect: The gith flies 5 squares.

Str 16 (+5) Dex 10 (+2) Wis 10 (+2)

Con 14 (+4) Int 8 (+1) Cha 9 (+1)

Alignment evil Languages Deep Speech

Equipment inix-shell armor, obsidian-tipped spear

encounter V1: MAtInee of WeBs


12/13

First Success (Perception only): The chcte fids bloodydgge de set e the body. Its hilt is wpped i

fie t cloth tht is coveed i stge glyphs.

Second Success (Arcana only): The dvete elizesthese qicly fdig symbols me ce chm

ws plced o the cloth d hs bee sed. Success: The chctes discove the mdee fled

towd the bcs qte, d they le the ifo-

mtio withot isig y sspicio.

Failure: A spectto elcttly voltees tht the

mdee fled towd the bcs qte, bt the chc-

tes iqiies hve cght the Veiled Allices ttetio.

Stage Two:

Bound for the BarracksAs the charac ters leave the s tands, read :

Your inquiries have led you to the barracks quarter of twhere the mercenaries wh o guard Altaruk live. O ff-duguards drink, play games of chance, and par ticipate intests of athleticism as the day begins to cool into the eve

Level:1 (XP 100).

Complexity: 1 (eqies 4 sccesses befoe 3 f Primary Skills: Diplomcy, Itimidte, Pece

Stelth, Steetwise.

Diplomacy (DC 12): A chcte ss cople gtheyve see ythig sl tody. Oe of the g

sys dwf begg sed sevel qestios bot

mo d his cohot this moig. This sill c b

to gi mximm of 1 sccess i this chllege.

Intimidate (DC 12):A dvete fightes itio fom oe of Tellemos gds, who ws lso

fied. He discloses tht the c pti eceived mis

fom Ty evey few wees d ws willig to dthei cotets. This sill c be sed to gi m

of 1 sccess i this chllege.

Perception (DC 12): A chcte sees disheveldwf mtteig to himself d hedig towd tsits of the bcs qte. This sill c be s

gi mximm of 1 sccess i this chllege.

Stealth (DC 12, after successful Perception check):cte follows the dwf to gldito tiig hl

the bcs d wtches him ete. This sill c

sed to gi mximm of 1 sccess i this chll

Streetwise (DC 19): Thogh bibey d evesdpig, chcte les tht czed dwf begg

ow s Bi Stoched hs bee see etei

of the gldito tiig hlls o the otsits of t

cs. Two sccesses o this sill gide the gop

exct bildig.

Secondary Skills: Athletics, Blff, Edce,

Athletics ( DC 12), Bluff (DC 12), Endurance (DC A chcte pticiptes i gmepehps digmblig, o physicl cotestd es the es

of the gds. The dvete gis +2 bos to

he ext pimy sill chec.

Special: If the chctes filed i the pevios chllege, Bis llies sslt them dig thei i

gtio. Set p combt ecote sig the mmp with the dvetes fightig gist gophms o dwves woth 300 XP (hm slves

well; see pge 9).

Success:The chctes ete the gldito t

hll i time to ovehe Bi Stoched s the

to why he dopped the ife d fled fom the st

Failure:The chctes ete the gldito t

hll d fid the gldito ssssi, bt Bi Stis owhee to be fod.


o r


setupWhen the characters fight in Bloodsand Arena

ends, read:

As you stand vi ctorious in the l ast match of the d ay, cheerserupt from the spectator-packed stadium. A sudden shift fromraucous whooping to frightened shrieks catches your atten-tion. And someone cries, Murder! Guards, help!

The gds cle the stds, whippig t slves d

itimidtig fee fol. The gldito hdles swoop the

dvetes ito the tel etce tht leds betwee

the stgig e d the e bcs. The chctese sed to sty pt til the gds estoe pece i

the e. A ho lte, obed hlf-elf ppes with

scoll tced de oe m.

Read:

Gladiators, I am Selonius. My master, Governor Arisphista-neles, extends his thanks for your patience. He came to thegames today spec ifically to watch you, intrigued by rumors ofyour unconventiona l approach.

The governor grieves the murder of one of his top cap-tains, and worries that an insider might be involved. He hasauthorized me to quietly hire you as outside agents to investi-gate the bold sla ying.

Selonius hands you the sealed scroll.

The scoll is wit thoizig the dvetes to qes-

tio the citizey d cpte the cimil, who is to be

boght to Aisphisteless estte fo qestioig. Thedvetes e pomised 50 gp i cemic piece fo

completig the ts.

If the chctes ccept, Selois tells them the

gds hve left the body s it fell d detils wht little

he ows bot the victim.

The mdeed mecey cpti is med Tellemo.

He ovesw ptols i the mecht q te.

Tellemo ws efficiet d effective lede. Hehd fodess fo sedig disptes to the e fo

esoltio. Believig Tellemos epttio fo doig

so ecoged pecefl behvio, especilly i the

shdy Elve Met, Aisphisteles f foded Telle-

mo this idlgece.

Tellemos fmily lives i Ty. His fthe is pomi-et de tde ffilited with Hose Vodo, thepimy io tdig mecht hose i the egio.

The gds hve detied few witesses whowee sittig e Tellemo whe he ws mdeed.

Find Tellemons MurdererThis sill chllege is divided ito thee stges.

If the chctes plyed Betyl t Alt, they

shold ecogize Tellemo s the gd cpti who

boe p thei fight with the doble-cossig elf tde

Klds (d liely set them to the e, too).

Stage One: Arena

InvestigationRead:

You climb the steps that lead to Bloodsand Arenasstands, where Tellemons crumpled frame bakes in thelate afternoon sun.

Level:1 (XP 300).

Complexity:3 (eqies 8 sccesses befoe

3 files).

Investigating the Body:Heal (DC 12),Nature (DC 12), Perception (DC 12).

Chctes c se y of these sills to

discove the fist thee sccesses, bt oly sc-

cessfl Nte chec evels the foth.

First Success: The chcte sees slede,deep stbbig wod tht eteed Tellemos

left idey. Second Success: The dvete elizes thistype of wod sholdt hve illed Tellemo

so qicly.

Third Success: The chcte fids gee, ps-telie eside i the stb wod.

Fourth Success (Nature only): The dveteows the pste is vilet poiso mde fomccti tive to the e, d mig it eqies

ce mgic.

Interviewing the Witnesses:Diplomacy(DC 12), Intimidate (DC 12), Streetwise (DC 12). Chctes c se y of these sills wheqestioig bystdes.

First Success:The chcte les tht tow-eig mle t lest 6 feet tll d wpped i white tic ppoched Tellemo. The cp-

ti cied ot, d thee ws cltteig sod

momets befoe his body hit the god.

Second Success:A bystde tells the dve-te tht the mdee fled the scee weig

sdls commo to glditos.

Finding the Weapon:Arcana (DC 19),Percepti on (DC 19).

encounter V2: Murder At the gAMes


13/13

Stage Three: Confronting a Killer

Level 1 Encounter (350 or 475 XP)

1 mul gladiator

Birk Suntouched (dwf coscipt)

As the characters enter the training hall, read:

Empty slave pens l ine one end of the room, and a stone tableobviously used for discipline and torture sits in a corner. A

weapons rack, combat circle, training dummies, and a beastpit fil l the rest of the hall .

Use the gldito tiig hll mp fo this ecote.If the chctes scceeded i the fist two stges of

the sill chllege, they ive i time to see hggd

dwf begg (Bi) speig i hshed toes to tll,

thic ml gldito (Tellemos mdee). Both ee the combt cicle.

The dvetes c eithe fight the do, i which

cse Bi pics p goge fom the wepos c, oegge them i covestio. If they do the fome, the

gldito ttempts to eep the dvetes bsy while

Bi (we tht the gop is woig fo the gove-

o, Veiled Allice lly) egges i fightig etet.If the dvetes tl to Bi, go to Coclsio.

If the chctes filed i the pevios sill chl-

lege stges, they fid oly the gldito hee, who

fights til defeted.

ConclusionIf the chctes qestio Bi, he comes cle. The

dwf tells the dvetes he hied the gldito to illTellemo becse the cpti of the gd ws spe-hedig Te plot to ssssite Aisphisteles. If the

chctes show Bi the goveo-siged wit o me

DC 19 Diplomcy chec, Bi tells them tht both hed the goveo e Veiled Allice membes d ss

to be te to Aisphisteless estte to veify his stoy.

The goveo, gld to fid ot bot the Te og-

iztios plot, pys the dvetes d wds themwith his pesol sctio, which comes with fee lodg-

ig d sstece wheeve theye i Alt. The

gldito is exoeted fo illig Tellemo to potect

the goveo. Lstly, the goveo offes the chctes

chce to dego the iititio tests to joi the gove-os cell of the Veiled Allice (which wold complete

mjo qest fo the Tyi otlws). A iititio missio

cold lso be the stt of othe dvete o Aths!If the chctes ppehed the gldito oly, Ai-

sphisteles pys them. They do ot, howeve, gi his

pesol sctio, o e they offeed iititio itothe goveos Veiled Allice cell. The goveo lte

hes the whole stoy fom Bi.

Birk Suntouched (Dwarf Conscript) Level 2 BruteMedium natural humanoid XP 125



Speed 5 Low-light vision

Saving Throws +5 against poison effects

TStand the Ground

The conscr ipt can move 1 square less than specified when sub-

ject to a pull , a push, or a slide.

Steady-Footed

The conscr ipt can mae a saving throw to avoid falling prone

when an attac would noc it prone.

S AmGouge (weapon)At-Will


Hit: 2d6 + 6 damage. If the conscript scores a critical hit, the

conscript pushes the target 1 square and nocs it prone.

M ASingular Focus F Recharge when the chosen enemy drops to 0 hit

points or fewer

Effect:The conscr ipt chooses one enemy it can see. Until the

end of the encounter or until the conscript uses this power

again, the conscript gains a +5 bonus to melee damage rolls

against that enemy.Skills Dungeoneering +8, Endurance +9

Str 16 (+4) Dex 12 (+2) Wis 14 (+3)

Con 17 (+4) Int 11 (+1) Cha 11 (+1)

Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Dwarven

Equipment hide armor, gouge

Mul Gladiator Level 4 Elite SoldierMedium natural humanoid XP 350



Speed 6

Saving Throws +2;Action Points 1

S A

mWarhammer (weapon)At-WillAttack: Melee 1 (one creature); +9 vs. AC


MDouble SweepAt-WillEffect:The gladiator useswarhammertwice. If both attacs hit

the same target, the gladiator nocs the target prone.

T AMPursuing ShoveAt-Will

Trigger: An enemy adjacent to the gladiator stands up.

Attack (Immediate Reaction): Melee 1 (triggering enemy); +7 vs.

Fortitude

Hit:The gladiator pushes the target 3 squares and shif ts 3

squares to a square adjacent to the target.

Incredible ToughnessEncounter

Trigger: The gladiator starts its turn.Effect (No Action): The gladiator ends one effect that includes

ongoing damage and the dazed, the slowed, the stunned, or

the weaened condition.

Str 19 (+6) Dex 14 (+4) Wis 11 (+2)

Con 16 (+5) Int 9 (+1) Cha 7 (+0)


Equipment warhammer

B8724 FreeRPGDay Adv GUTS Lowres

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