Burnt Offerings Conversion v0.8
description
Transcript of Burnt Offerings Conversion v0.8
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Tales from the Rusty Dragon
presents
RISE OF THERUNELORDS
DBURNT OFFERINGS
A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition Conversion
by Scott Betts
Published Version 0.8 (10/21/09)
This document is intended solely for the conversion of the content of Paizo'sproducts to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition. This document is notintended - nor will it function - as a substitute for the adventure itself.
This document uses trademarks and copyrights owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC,which are used under Paizo's Community Use Policy. I am expressly prohibitedfrom charging you to use or access this content. This document is notpublished, endorsed, or specifically approved by Paizo Publishing. For moreinformation about Paizo's Community Use Policy, please visitpaizo.com/communityuse. For more information about Paizo Publishing andPaizo products, please visit paizo.com. All materials published in this documentnot covered by the above are copyright myself, but I grant permission toduplicate and distribute such materials freely so long as they are not used formonetary gain.
This document is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specificallyapproved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This document may use the trademarksand other intellectual property of Wizards of the Coast LLC, which is permittedunder Wizards' Fan Site Policy (www.wizards.com/fankit/fantoolkitdnd.html).For example, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, PLAYER'S HANDBOOK 2,and DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE are trademark[s] of Wizards of the Coastand D&D core rules, game mechanics, characters and their distinctivelikenesses are the property of the Wizards of the Coast. For more informationabout Wizards of the Coast or any of Wizards' trademarks or other intellectualproperty, please visit their website at (www.wizards.com).
About This Conversion
In 2007, Paizo began producing its own line of adventure
paths: Pathfinder. I picked up and read a couple copies of the
adventures and was quite impressed. At the time, though, I
was running a couple games featuring some of Wizards of theCoast's published adventures and didn't have the time to
dedicate myself to yet another game. I vowed that I'd get the
chance to explore Rise of the Runelords, but it wasn't until the
release of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition that I found
myself with an excuse to restart one of my campaigns.
Of course, by this point an entirely different obstacle had
presented itself: though Paizo's products are stellar examples of
adventure design, they were bound to the DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS 3.5 rule set. I was thrilled by the release of 4th
Edition, and couldn't really see myself returning to a previous
version of the game (as much as I loved 3.5 at the time). I hadto make a decision. Would I pick up a different set of
adventures that were already compatible with 4th Edition, or
would I invest myself in converting Paizo's adventures?
In the end, the choice was not a difficult one. The
community consensus seemed to be that converting adventuresto 4th Edition was easier than any previous edition, and I have
found that to be true. It also struck me as a useful crash course
in both design and familiarity with the new edition of the game.
With a little help from the tabletop community, I sat my gaming
group down for our first adventure in Golarion.
Soon afterward, it struck me that there was probably a
desire for a conversion like this. 4th Edition was brand new, and
very few adventures existed to support it. Paizo was known for
its high-quality adventures but had chosen to develop its own
game instead of providing support for 4th Edition. As long as I
was doing the work anyway, why not make it available toanyone else who wanted it?
I began Tales from the Rusty Dragon as a way of deliveringmy conversion content. The blog format provided an easy way
for people using the conversion to keep track of the most
recent material, and gave me a concrete way to track myprogress, piece by piece. It wasn't long before the entirety of
Burnt Offerings had been converted. As handy as the blog was
for publishing an ongoing project, however, it lacked something
when it came to reading through the conversion from the
beginning it needed to be framed in a cohesive document
that could mirror the original adventure.
With that in mind, I've combined and edited all the
conversion material for Burnt Offerings in this document, for
your use.
Happy gaming!
Scott Betts
Tales from the Rusty Dragon
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What This Conversion Provides
In this document you have everything you need to run Burnt
Offerings in a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4th Edition game.
Each encounter is reproduced using monsters, traps and skill
challenges from the new edition. Unless otherwise noted,monsters used in encounter write-ups are found in the Monster
Manual. Other rules elements native to DUNGEONS &
DRAGONS 3.5 have been updated, and are included as well.
This conversion also includes non-mechanical advice that I
believe will help in running the adventure. Finally, I havethrown in an updated version of the bestiary that appears at
the back of all Pathfinder adventures. As with any tabletop
gaming product, you should feel free to make use of as much
or as little of this material as you'd like.
In order to make best use of this conversion, read throughboth the original adventure and this conversion ahead of time,
and have both on-hand at the table when you sit down to play.
You will refer to information printed in the original adventure
often, and then will make use of the converted adventure
whenever rules-specific issues come up (such as an encounter).
What You'll Need
This conversion makes use of a number of other products. In
order to get the full intended use out of the conversion, you will
need the following:
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Player's Handbook, 4th
Edition
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Dungeon Master's Guide,
4th Edition
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Monster Manual, 4th Edition
Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords #1, Burnt Offerings
Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide
A current subscription to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Insider note that all monsters referenced in this
conversion can be found in the D&D Compendium, save
those created specifically for this conversion
Leveling in Burnt Offerings
Characters in the original Rise of the Runelords adventure
path were supposed to reach around 17th level by the
campaign's conclusion. In 4th Edition we have a new challengein restructuring the adventure path around a 30-level range
rather than the 20 levels of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 3.5. I
plan on setting this up so that by the end of the converted
adventure path the party will have reached level 25 or 26. That
means that each of the six adventures contained within Rise of
the Runelords needs to advance the party by a little over fourlevels. To this end, we need to break down each adventure into
roughly four sections so that experience and treasure can be
awarded appropriately.
Burnt Offerings, as written, can be considered in three large
sections: the festival and glassworks, the Catacombs of Wrath,and Thistletop. I am going to expand the number of encounters
for each of these sections so that the PCs will hopefully be well
on their way to fifth level by the end of the adventure.
Let's start by looking at experience breakdowns. By the end
of Burnt Offerings, each character should have accumulatedwell over 4,000 xp. This means that a party of five characters
should encounter in excess of 20,000 xp worth of monsters,
traps, skill challenges and quests. This might seem daunting at
first. Don't worry, we'll get there.
Part 1: Festival and Fire contains three encounters totaling1,875 xp. Part 2: Local Heroes contains another 900 xp
between three encounters. This puts the party a little over
halfway to 2nd level by the time they begin Part 3. This means
that, in short, the party needs to gain three and a half levels
between the Glassworks, the Catacombs of Wrath and
Thistletop. To that end, these dungeons are going to be jam-packed with encounters.
The Glassworks, including the quest to rescue Ameiko, is
worth 3,175 xp. The party should reach 2nd level partway
through the Glassworks. The Catacombs of Wrath is worth
4,300 xp. Thistletop's exterior is worth 5,075 xp, including thequests to save Shadowmist and stop the goblin attack. The
party should reach 3rd level well before they enter the fortress.
Thistletop's upper floor is worth 2,250 xp and its second floor is
worth 4,150 xp. The party should have reached 4th level by this
point. Thistletop's lowest floor is worth 5,293 xp.
All told, this conversion of Burnt Offerings provides a party of
five adventurers with a total of 22,868 xp.
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Treasure in Burnt Offerings
The more immediate concern should be the amount of
treasure the party receives. All of the parcels available in Burnt
Offerings and their locations are laid out below. These will also
be called out in individual encounter write-ups.
Treasure Parcels for Level 1:
Parcel 1 is carried by Tsuto.
Parcel 2 is found in the dining room.
Parcel 3 is on Lonjiku Kaijitsu's corpse.
Parcel 4 is carried by the Goblin Underboss in the dining
room.
Parcel 5 is found in the backpack of a goblin blackbladein the servant's quarters.
Parcel 6 is the bribe money carried by Tsuto.
Parcel 7 is given to the party by Sheriff Hemlock.
Parcel 8 is given to the party by Sheriff Hemlock.
Parcel 9 is found hidden in a desk in the Glassworks.
Parcel 10 is given to the party by Aldern for rescuing
him.
Treasure Parcels for Level 2:
Parcel 1 is found in the Cathedral of Wrath.
Parcel 2 is at the bottom of one of the prisoner pits.
Parcel 3 is carried by Tsuto.
Parcel 4 in encased in glass in the reception room.
Parcel 5 is carried by the statue in the welcoming
chamber.
Parcel 6 is worn by Erylium.
Parcel 7 is found on a goblin in the servants' quarters.
Parcel 8 is worn by Erylium.
Parcel 9 is found in the meditation chamber.
Parcel 10 is found in the meditation chamber.
Treasure Parcels for Level 3:
Parcel 1 is carried by Warchief Ripnugget.
Parcel 2 is found with Bruthazmus.
Parcel 3 is found in Gogmurt's Lair.
Parcel 4 is in the treasury chest.
Parcel 5 is found with Bruthazmus.
Parcel 6 is either in the throne room or Ripnugget's
room.
Parcel 7 is in the research room.
Parcel 8 is in the research room.
Parcel 9 is in the research room.
Parcel 10 is found scattered throughout Thistletop's
upper level.
Treasure Parcels for Level 4:
Parcel 1 is in a hidden side room off of Malfeshnekor'sprison.
Parcel 2 is found on a goblin corpse in the cave.
Parcel 3 is found in the research room.
Parcel 4 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 5 is found in the observation room.
Parcel 6 is a portion of the reward for returning
Shadowmist.
Parcel 7 is found in the sarcophagi in the crypt.
Parcel 8 is found in the sarcophagi in the crypt.
Parcel 9 is Nualia's holy symbol.
Parcel 10 is a portion of the reward for returning
Shadowmist.
Treasure Parcels for Level 5:
Parcel 1 is in Nualia's possession.
Parcel 2 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 3 is buried in the collapsed treasury.
Parcel 4 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 5 is part of the remaining wealth in the collapsed
treasury.
Parcel 6 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 7 is part of the remaining wealth in the collapsed
treasury.
Parcel 8 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 9 is allocated in The Skinsaw Murders. Parcel 10 is the silver coffer found in the hidden room
off of Malfeshnekor's prison.
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Part One: Festival and Fire
Burnt Offerings is the first Rise of the Runelords adventure.
It takes place in and around the coastal town of Sandpoint in
Varisia. The first thing you should do, before the campaign
even begins, is to allow your players to get acquainted with the
setting. The Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide is an excellent
place to start. See the Character Elements document forinformation on converting the Player's Guide to 4th Edition. I
strongly encourage you to allow all core races (the word "core"
in this blog is used in the same manner Wizards uses it -
anything published by Wizards of the Coast for 4th Edition in an
official capacity, outside setting-specific material, is "core").
Dragonborn, Tieflings, and other non-traditional races caneasily be incorporated as exotic travelers from distant lands. At
any rate, the more familiar your characters are with the land
and its people, the better. That goes for you too. Make sure
you've read the Player's Guide and the Sandpoint chapter of
Burnt Offerings.
To kick the adventure off, drop your players right into the
middle of the Swallowtail festival. The festival is busy. Some of
the player characters are probably familiar with the town, so
refer to the townspeople by name as well as occupation. Your
job in the first few minutes is to make Sandpoint seem alive. Its
people are (save a few of its more sober residents) excited,jovial, and eager to show off. Describe the scene vividly, using
the information given to you in the adventure. When your
players have had a suitable taste of what Sandpoint and the
festival are like, go ahead and begin the first encounter.
Initial Assault
Begin the PCs anywhere they'd like within the festival
grounds. The goblins appear coming from the northeast street
between the buildings. I suggest the following encounter for a
party of five adventurers:
4 Goblin Cutters
2 Goblin Warriors
2 Goblin Blackblades
Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
Once the party has finished off the last of the goblins,
provide them with the equivalent of a five-minute rest as the
crowded streets begin to clear and the goblins start to convergeon the town square. When they've healed up and gotten their
bearings, begin the next encounter.
Goblin Pyros
Start the PCs wherever they finished the previous encounter.
I suggest the following encounter for a party of five
adventurers:
5 Goblin Cutters
2 Goblin Hexers
2 Goblin Warriors
Total: 625 xp (Level 2 Encounter)
The hexers should immediately use their Vexing Cloud
abilities in tandem to cover as much of the map as possible,
keeping the clouds maintained as long as they can. Don't forgetto use the Goblin Tactics abilities you have at your disposal, and
try to keep a minion alongside each hexer so they can soak up
ranged attacks.
Again, allow the PCs a short rest to recover after this fight.
They will probably have used a lot of their encounter powers(and possibly some daily powers) in the last fight, and the next
one is the hardest still. Don't forget to award the PCs a
milestone for completing the Goblin Pyros encounter.
Die, Dog, Die!
The third (and final) encounter of the Swallowtail Festival is
designed as a climax and should really stretch the party's
resources. They should be spending their freshly-earned action
points and daily powers now. Describe the scene and center the
encounter around the south-eastern building (this will be where
Aldern is located). Don't bother placing Aldern on the map. Justhave him hide nearby while the goblins ignore him in order to
focus on the more threatening PCs.
Make a mental note prior to this fight if any of the party are
suitable objects of affection for Aldern. If not, keep a running
tally of the damage done by each PC during this fight. Use thisto help determine who Aldern is most fascinated with.
I suggest the following encounter for a party of five
adventurers:
2 Goblin Skullcleavers
2 Goblin Sharpshooters
1 Goblin Blackblade
1 Goblin Dog (see Appendix A)
Total: 750 xp (Level 3 Encounter)
Once the goblins have been mopped up, introduce the party
to Aldern and select his favored PC.
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Part Two: Local Heroes
The Shopkeep's Daughter
One of the most important updates to the Pathfinder
adventures in terms of conversion to 4th Edition is the addition
of skill challenges where appropriate. In Part 2 of Burnt
Offerings there are two such challenges: The Shopkeep'sDaughter and The Boar Hunt.
Skill Challenge: The Shopkeeps Daughter
Setup: When Shayliss first confronts her target, it is in a public
location with the rest of the party present. Begin the skillchallenge by having the party deal with Shayliss' initial request.
If they catch onto her ploy, they might try to excuse themselves
from her demands. If not (and, perhaps, even if), it's quitepossible that the target PC will willingly accompany her. After
the party accumulates a failure in the skill challenge, the scene
moves to the Vinder store's basement. The target PC has timefor a single check in the basement before Ven reaches the
bottom of the stairs and he is discovered.
The Shopkeep's DaughterSkill Challenge
Shayliss' wiles are difficult to resist, but if this situation getsout of hand you might find yourself the subject ofdisapproving glares from the villagers of Sandpoint.One of the male PCs is tricked into accompanying Shayliss
Vinder back to her father's shop's basement where she
attempts to seduce him. The PC must avoid a violent
confrontation with Shayliss' father when he catches them inthe basement.
Complexity
2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Bluff, Diplomacy, Insight, Intimidate, Stealth
Other SkillsStreetwise
Victory
The target PC manages to remove himself from the
seduction or confrontation with Ven Vinder.
Defeat
The target PC is unable to avoid enraging Ven Vinder, whoattempts to drive him from the shop. The target PC and his
pervert friends are thereafter barred from Ven's store.
Special: One Failure or Less
Victory with one or fewer failures means that there are no
hard feelings created between the target PC and Shayliss.
Special: Moving to the BasementThe first time a failure is counted against the party in this
skill challenge, the target PC and Shayliss relocate to the
general store's basement. After this point, only the target
PC can participate in the skill challenge.
Bluff
DC 12 A successful check counts as a success on the skillchallenge.
The PC convinces either Shayliss or her father that thesituation transpired in a different way than it actually did,or that he has something important to attend to for thegood of the town.
Diplomacy
DC 10 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge.
The PC reasons with Shayliss or her father, describing thesituation in a way that looks favorable to him, or politelydeclining Shayliss' request.
Insight
DC 8 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge. This skill cannot be used after the skill challenge
has moved to the basement.
The PC gets the feeling that Shayliss is interested insomething more than just rat extermination, and uses thatto attempt to weasel out of the situation before things turnugly.
Intimidate
DC 10 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge. This skill starts the skill challenge locked. A
successful Streetwise check unlocks it.The PC threatens to spread word of Shayliss' brazenactions to the town at large, causing Shayliss or her fatherto back off slightly.
Stealth
DC 10 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge. This skill can only be used after the skillchallenge has moved to the basement, and only before the
PC has been spotted by Ven. The DC for this skill check
increases to 15 after two uses of this skill.
The PC scampers out of sight, hoping to avoid aconfrontation by not being noticed in the first place.
StreetwiseDC 15 A success or failure on this skill check does not
count as a success or failure for the challenge. A successful
check unlocks the Intimidate skill.
The PC recalls hearing that Shayliss is even more of atroublemaker than her sister. The Intimidate skill isunlocked.
Level 1XP 200
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The Boar Hunt
If the PCs decide to accompany Aldern on his hunting
expedition into the Tickwood, run this skill challenge.
Skill Challenge: The Boar Hunt
Setup: The PCs need to play this challenge strategically.
Assuming they make the requisite History check to understand
how a boar hunt is supposed to unfold, they need to avoid
succeeding on an Endurance check until they've accumulated at
least four successes on the skill challenge.
The Boar HuntSkill Challenge
Aldern claps his hands excitedly, and makes arrangements tohave horses purchased for the expedition. It's a two mile rideto the Tickwood Ford, where the boar hunt is to take place.The PCs are asked to accompany Aldern Foxglove on a boar
hunt near Tickwood.
Complexity
2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Athletics, Endurance, Nature, PerceptionOther Skills
History
Victory
The PCs impress and entertain Aldern with a thrilling hunt,
and he allows each PC to keep the mount he purchased for
them. If the skill challenge ends before a PC succeeds onan Endurance check, Aldern manages the killing shot.
Defeat
The PCs did not manage to impress Aldern beyond the mild
fascination he already possessed towards them. The hunt
ends with nothing to show for it. Aldern accompanies the
PCs back to Sandpoint, taking the horses with him oncethey reach the town.
Special: Trained in History
PCs trained in the History skill are prompted to make a free
History check each when the skill challenge begins.
Special: Aldern's Aid
The PC who holds Aldern's attention from earlier receives a+2 bonus on all skill checks made during the hunt as
Aldern uses the Aid Another action to assist him or her.
Athletics
DC 10 A successful checks counts as a success on the skill
challenge.
The PC maneuvers through the forest, climbing rocks ortrees to get a better view of his surroundings as hesearches for signs of boar.
Endurance
DC 15 A successful check counts as two successes on the
skill challenge, but the skill challenge ends immediately. If
the party has not accumulated six successes when thishappens, they automatically fail the skill challenge. A failed
check does not count as a failure on the skill challenge.
This skill starts the skill challenge locked. A successful
Nature or Perception check unlocks it, and it is locked again
after one use.
The chase is on! The PC rides hard, tailing the boar andwaiting for a shot to present itself.
History
DC 12 A success or failure on this skill check does not
count as a success or failure on the challenge.
The PC recalls that a traditional Varisian boar hunt isundertaken more for the thrill of the chase than anythingelse, especially amongst the nobility. A hunt ended quicklyis a disappointment, even if you have a fresh boar to showfor it.
Nature
DC 7 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge, and unlocks the Endurance skill.
The PC uses his knowledge of boar habits to track onedown and pursue it.
Perception
DC 10 A successful check counts as a success on the skill
challenge, and unlocks the Endurance skill.
The PC spots boar tracks out of the corner of his eye, andfollows them until he discovers one of the creatures.
Whether the party succeeds or fails, have Aldern grace them
with 40 gp for saving his life during the Swallowtail festival
(treasure parcel 10 from level 1).
Level 1XP 200
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Monster in the Closet
This encounter will see some significant changes from its
original incarnation, as well as the party's first introduction to
an elite monster.
Back in D&D 3.5, a fight against a single monster of the
party's level was considered to be an average fight. Of course,
usually a single monster simply couldn't keep up with a full
party of adventurers. It got to hit one of them, sure, and then
the party got to hit back four times. Not the fairest of fights.
4th Edition fixes this by giving the average fight one monster
per character. Furthermore, when the party does face off
against a single monster, that monster is well-equipped to deal
with taking on five enemies at the same time.
Unfortunately for this encounter as designed, goblins simplydon't make great solo monsters. Elite, definitely, but they don't
have the interesting powers that would allow a solo version to
keep a party occupied. So forget the single monster in the
closet approach. Gresgurt is still here, but he's simply the
bravest of the goblins huddled together under the closet floor.
There are now three monsters in the closet.
Begin the PCs in the upper story wherever they choose. It is
likely that the encounter is begun when one of them physically
checks on the body of Alergast, so place the closest PC one
square away from the closet door (right next to the bed),
having recoiled from Alergast's mutilated body. This will allowenough room for all three goblins to appear. Put Gresgurt in
front. Use the Blackblades' Sneaky ability to help them deal
with the cramped quarters of the bedrooms while Gresgurt
hacks away at the nearest PC. I suggest the following
encounter for a party of five adventurers:
1 Elite Goblin Skullcleaver, Gresgurt (apply the Battle
Champion template)
2 Goblin Blackblades
Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
Have Sheriff Hemlock dole out 190 gp and a potion of
healing to the party when he comes to deal with the aftermath
(treasure parcels 7 and 8 from level 1).
Part Three: Glass and Wrath
The Glassworks has been increased from one encounter to
four. This is probably a good time to point out that, for obvious
reasons, the number of goblins mentioned as being used in the
raid on Sandpoint needs to be increased. They cite 30 as the
number, but the PCs kill nearly that many themselves during
the attack. I suggest increasing the number to 50.
Once Shalelu has briefed the party on the goblin threat and
Bethana has shown them Tsuto's letter to Ameiko, they should
be well on their way to the Glassworks. This is a great point to
introduce the party to quests. When Bethana implores them to
find out what happened to Ameiko, give them a major questreflecting their task. See Appendix B for the appropriate quest
card. There are no changes to the adventure until the PCs
reach the interior. The DCs for climbing up the building, should
the PCs choose to do so, and picking the locks on the exterior
doors remain at 20.
I suggest guiding the PCs along a specific route through the
Glassworks (mention that they hear giggling and banging from
a certain door) so that the encounter with Tsuto in the
glassworking room serves as the climactic finish to the set of
fights. There is one notable change that should be made to the
layout of the Glassworks. The door into area A5 (the servants'quarters) should be made to face northwest, across from the
door to A4 (the storeroom) instead of leading into A6 (the
dining room). 4th Edition is much happier with spacious combat
areas, which this change accommodates.
As far as non-combat-related treasure goes, area A16 stillholds 60 gold pieces in three rolls in a hidden portion of the
desk (Perception DC 15 finds it). This is treasure parcel 9 from
level 1.
The first encounter the PCs will likely reach is in area A5 and
its adjoining hallway.
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A3 A5 (Servants' Quarters)
The Glassworks was originally devoid of hostile life save the
glassworking room. We need more encounters, so there are
now goblins crawling everywhere.
The doorway into the servants quarters now leads out into
the hallway instead of the dining area in order to separate
these two encounter areas from one another.
Array the goblins and their dogs within A5, and set the party
up just outside the door in the hallway. The goblins are still inthe process of gleefully ripping up bedsheets and clothing while
the goblin dogs rest on the floor nearby. I suggest the following
encounter for a party of five adventurers:
2 Goblin Warriors
1 Goblin Blackblade
2 Goblin Dogs (see Appendix A)
Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
The goblin blackblade here is carrying a pack of some of the
tribe's supplies and what they've managed to pull off the
workers' bodies and belongings. Within are two potions of
healing, 120 gold pieces and a pearl worth 100 gold pieces
(treasure parcel 5 from level 1, plus treasure parcel 7 from level2).
A6 A8 (Dining Room)
As soon as the PCs enter the dining room area, spring the
next encounter on them.
Position the goblin cutters around the main dining table. You
can introduce them to the PCs as devouring whatever meal you
wish. One of them might have taking a liking to the salt pork,
while others might prefer the leg of one of the glassworks'
unfortunate workers. The underboss and skullcleaver can be inany adjoining room (though probably not the washroom). They
immediately rush out to investigate any sounds of battle. I
suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:
1 Goblin Underboss
5 Goblin Cutters
1 Goblin Skullcleaver
Total: 625 xp (Level 2 Encounter)
The Goblin Underboss carries treasure parcel 4 from level 1,
and treasure parcel 2 from level 1 is propped up against a table
nearby.
A12 A14 (Office & Reception)
By this point, the glassworks should seem infested with
goblins. This is a notable departure from the original adventure,
but shouldn't really alter the mood or urgency of the situation.
For this encounter, place one of the goblin blackblades in the
hallway between areas A13 and A15. When the PCs open the
door into said hallway, the goblin's first action should be to
pound on the door to area A12, where his closest allies are (the
rest of the monsters in this encounter). The goblins have
brought a fire beetle along at Tsuto's request to help make amess of things. I suggest the following encounter for a party of
five adventurers:
1 Goblin Skullcleaver
3 Goblin Blackblades
1 Fire Beetle
Total: 550 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
Hanging on one of the walls in the reception room, encased
in glass, is treasure parcel 4 from level 2.
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A17 (Glassworking Room)
And, finally, Tsuto. This should stretch the party's resources
relatively thin, and Tsuto has a healthy number of goblins
working at the furnace. Of all the encounter maps in the
Glassworks, this is the only one that doesn't need to beenlarged (and shouldn't be, since it barely fits on most mats as
is).
When the PCs first arrive, it's goblins and only goblins. Tsuto
arrives during round 3. Don't bother having a goblin go run and
grab him. It's entirely possible that the PCs enter from the farend of the room, blocking the way to Tsuto anyway. Just have
him join the fight upstairs on his own. Roll initiative for him and
insert him into the combat at the northeast doorway. I suggest
the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:
1 Goblin Hexer
1 Goblin Skullcleaver
Tsuto Kaijutsu (see below, credit to Daniel Rivera)
6 Goblin Cutters
Glassworks Furnace (see below)
Total: 875 xp (Level 4 Encounter)
The goblins should absolutely focus on killing PCs in this
fight, especially once Tsuto shows up. If a PC dropsunconscious at any point, the nearest two monsters should
make a beeline for the body, pick it up (a minor action), carry it
to the furnace doors (bearing in mind that a single goblin
carrying a body is slowed due to the weight), open the doors (a
minor action) and finally throw the helpless character into the
furnace (a standard action). If they have an action to spare,they also slam the furnace door shut again (a minor action).
Careless PCs will thus find that this fight could prove quite
lethal.
Also note that by this point, the party should have
accumulated a total of 5,275 XP if all the encounters outlinedhere are followed. This is enough to bump each character to
2nd level. So far we're on track for our stated goal of reaching
4th level before the end of the adventure.
Tsuto has treasure parcel 1 and treasure parcel 3 from level
2. Tsuto also has 180 gold pieces worth of bribe money on him(treasure parcel 6). Sequestered on Tsuto's father, encased in
glass, is treasure parcel 3 from level 1.
Tsuto KaijutsuMedium natural humanoid
Initiative +8 Senses Perception +9
HP 109; Bloodied 54
AC 20; Fortitude 18, Reflex 19, Will 16
Saving Throws +2Speed 6
Action Point 1
m Short Sword (standard; at-will) Weapon+9 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage.
M Twin Strike (standard; at-will) WeaponTwo attacks; +9 vs. AC; 1d8 + 1 damage.
M Riposte Strike (standard; encounter) Weapon+9 vs. AC; 1d8 + 4 damage, and if the target attacks Tsuto
before the beginning of his next turn, Tsuto may make a
melee basic attack against the target as an immediateinterrupt.
M Jaws of the Wolf (standard; encounter) WeaponTwo attacks; +9 vs. AC; 2d8 + 4 damage. Miss: halfdamage.
Yield Ground (immediate reaction, when damaged by a
melee attack; encounter)
Tsuto may shift up to 2 squares and gains a +2 power
bonus to all defenses until the end of his next turn.
Hunter's Quarry (minor action; 1/round)
The nearest enemy target is designated as Tsuto's quarry.Once per round, Tsuto may elect to deal an additional 1d6
damage with an attack after it hits. Tsuto may only have
one quarry at a time, and designating a new quarry
negates any existing quarry.
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Elf,
MinkaiSkills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +6, Intimidate +6, Thievery +9
Str 16 (+5) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 14 (+4)
Con 12 (+3) Int 9 (+1) Cha 12 (+3)
Equipment 2 short swords
Level 4 Elite SkirmisherXP 350
-
Glassworks FurnaceHazard
The furnace doors swing open and unbearable heat washesover you. The flames beyond are hot enough to work glassfrom sand, and they engulf you in agony as you're tossed in.Hazard: Two wide, iron doors cover the entrance to theglassworks furnace.
Perception
No check is necessary to notice the huge furnace.
Trigger
The hazard triggers whenever a creature enters or begins
its turn in one of the spaces beyond the furnace doors. Ittakes a minor action to open or close the furnace doors,
and a standard action to push an unconscious or otherwise
helpless creature through the opening. Creatures that are
not helpless cannot be involuntarily moved into the
furnace.
AttackOpportunity Action Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the hazard.
Attack: Automatic hit
Hit: The target takes ongoing 10 fire damage and is dazed
(save ends).
CountermeasuresThere is no way to actively disable the furnace during
combat. There are plenty of ways to prevent characters
from being thrown into the flames, however.
The Catacombs of Wrath
Yes, it was originally a "semi-optional" dungeon. The extra
encounters it contains are important to the leveling scheme of
this conversion, though, and it's a great sneak peek into the
world of the Runelords. Encourage your party by whichever
means necessary to investigate the tunnel leading from the
Glassworks to the Catacombs. If the PCs seem reluctant, haveAmeiko mention that she heard Tsuto say something about a
special surprise for Sandpoint in the tunnels, or have Shalelu or
Sheriff Hemlock express concern that the smuggling tunnels
have not been mapped.
Non-combat treasure in the Catacombs includes thedecorative ranseur held by the statue of Runelord Alaznit in
area B3 (the Welcoming Chamber). It is worth 290 gold pieces
(and is treasure parcel 5 from level 2).
B1 (Guard Cave)
This is a pretty straightforward encounter, beginning as soon
as a PC rounds the corner to look into the cave.
A group of Sinspawn are waiting within, and are happy totake out their frustration with guard duty out on the PCs. Place
the Rippers closer to the mouth of the cave, and the Wrathlord
nearer to the back. I suggest the following encounter for a
party of five adventurers:
4 Sinspawn Rippers (see Appendix A)
1 Sinspawn Wrathlord (see Appendix A)
Total: 625 xp (Level 2 Encounter)
B4 (Washing Pool)
It's a good idea to increase the size of this chamber to 5
squares in diameter. The pool in the center can remain the
same size. Vargouilles do not exist in 4th Edition yet, but a very
similar monster - the flameskull - does. I have dropped their
level by 4 to make them an appropriate challenge for a party of
2nd level adventurers.
Place the flameskulls throughout the room, at the same height
as the PCs. I suggest the following encounter for a party of five
adventurers:
3 altered Flameskulls (see below)
Total: 525 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
Try to space out the Flameskulls' use of their fireball ability. One
of the downsides of stacking a fight with artillery monsters is
that they can easily devastate a party by using their encounter
powers immediately.
Flameskull (Level 4)Tiny natural animate (undead)
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +9
HP 46; Bloodied 23
Regeneration 5
AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 19, Will 17
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 fire, 5 necroticSpeed fly 10 (hover)
m Fiery Bite (standard; at-will) FireReach 0; +6 vs. AC; 1 damage plus 1d8 fire damage.
R Flame Ray (standard; at-will) FireRanged 10; +8 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 4 dire damage.
a Fireball (standard; encounter)
Fire
Area burst 3 within 20; +8 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 2 fire damage.
Miss: half damage. The flameskull can exclude two alliesfrom the effect.
Mage Hand (minor; at-will) ConjurationAs the wizard power mage hand (Player's Handbook 158).
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common,
Thassilonian
Skills Stealth +10
Str 5 (-1) Dex 16 (+5) Wis 14 (+4)
Con 16 (+5) Int 22 (+8) Cha 20 (+7)
Level 2 LurkerXP 125
Level 4 BruteXP 175
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B6 (Ancient Prison)
The ancient prison now holds a bevy of monsters for the PCs. A
group of Stormclaw Scorpions has taken up residence near one
side of the cave, but the scorpions dislike the unnatural nature
of the Sinspawn who share the prison with them, and theSinspawn consider the scorpions too dangerous to be
worthwhile eating.
Place the Stormclaw Scorpions off to the left side of the prison
and the Sinspawn to the right. I suggest the following
encounter for a party of five adventurers:
3 Stormclaw Scorpions
3 Sinspawn Rippers (see Appendix A)
Total: 675 xp (Level 2 Encounter)
They should try to fight on their separate ends of the
platform, flanking the PCs, but if no other opportunity presents
itself they take advantage of the second stairway as well. If a
Sinspawn has no way of reaching a PC on the platform above,
it waits underneath a corner of the platform and readies an
attack should a PC take a tumble over the edge.
B9 (Prisoner Pits)
This encounter has undergone some thematic alterations.
The zombies are no longer simply hazards waiting at the
bottom of a pit for a hapless PC to wander into. Not only wouldthey be relatively insignificant threats absent a monster with
the ability to push PCs with a power, but carrying out that
isolated combat in a single 5' square would not be terribly
interesting. And finally, once Koruvus is dealt with the zombies
are a ridiculously simple threat to deal with. On that note, there
are now only four zombies, all of which claw their way up out oftheir pits and into the room once they sense the untainted
presence of the PCs in the room.
The prisoner pits are covered by thin, fragile wooden planks
which instantly break should a creature move atop one. Allow
the creature a saving throw. If successful they are able to leapaside, and land prone in the square they just left. If
unsuccessful, they fall 20 feet to the bottom of the pit (a fall
which deals 2d10 damage). Four of the pits' covers are already
broken. Place each of the four zombies adjacent to one of the
pits with a broken cover. Koruvus begins at the back of the
room, and immediately lumbers towards the PCs, utilizing hisAlchemical Breath first and then engaging the nearest PC in
melee combat. I suggest the following encounter for a party of
five adventurers:
3 Zombies
1 Corruption Corpse
Koruvus (see below)
Total: 850 xp (Level 4 Encounter)
One of the prisoner pits contains treasure parcel 2 from level
2, amongst the bones at the bottom.
KoruvusMedium natural humanoid
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +2; low-light vision
HP 106; Bloodied 53; see also bloodied rageAC 18; Fortitude 17, Reflex 14, Will 12
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5; see also goblin tacticsAction Point 1
m Short Sword (standard; at-will) Weapon+6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 5 damage, or 2d10 + 5 damage whilebloodied.
M Hand Axe (standard; at-will) Weapon+5 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage.
M Silver Dagger (standard; at-will) Weapon+5 vs. AC; 1d4 + 1 damage.
M Arms for Everyone (standard; at-will) WeaponKoruvus makes a short sword, hand axe, and silver daggerattack. If Koruvus is bloodied, this attack can be made at
the end of a charge.
R Alchemical Breath (minor; encounter) AcidRanged 10; +3 vs. Will; 1d6 + 5 damage and ongoing 5
acid damage (save ends).
Bloodied Rage
While bloodied, Koruvus loses the ability to use goblintactics and can do nothing but attack the nearest enemy,charging when possible.
Goblin Tactics (immediate reaction, when missed by a
melee attack; at-will)Koruvus shifts 1 square.
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Stealth +8, Thievery +8
Str 18 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 13 (+2)
Con 13 (+2) Int 8 (+0) Cha 8 (+0)
Equipment short sword, hand axe, silver dagger
Level 3 Elite BruteXP 300
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B11 (Meditation Chamber)
When the PCs come across this room, use the new read-
aloud text provided below:Should they choose to attempt to
retrieve the book, run the challenge.
This strange room consists of a fifteen-foot-diametersphere. Several objects float in the room, spinning lazilyin spacea bottle of wine, a dead raven surrounded by ahalo of floating and writhing maggots, and a ragged butfinely adorned book, along with other broken ordiscarded detritus. Yet perhaps the most unnervingaspect of the room is the walls, for they are plated insheets of strange red metal that ripple every once in awhile with silent black electricity that seems to coalesceinto strange runes or even words far too often for theeffect to be chance.
Should they choose to attempt to retrieve the book, run the
challenge.
Skill Challenge: The Meditation Chamber
Setup: The nature of this room has been altered to make itmore interesting as a skill encounter. When the party enters the
room, the warped gravity effect begins to churn the room's
contents like an erratic whirlpool, a side-effect of the Scribbler's
spirit's increasing awareness of his old domain.
The Meditation ChamberSkill Challenge
As you approach the chamber, the electricity coursing alongthe walls becomes more frantic, and the contents of the roombegin to move, faster and faster, along invisible currents ofwarped gravity. It looks like retrieving anything intact willrequire some finesse.The PCs must carefully traverse the area of warped gravity in
order to retrieve a potentially valuable prayer book.
Complexity
3 (requires 8 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Dungeoneering, ThieveryOther Skills
Perception
Victory
The PCs manage to retrieve the book in stellar condition
thanks to its magical preservation against the ages. It can
be sold back at civilization.Defeat
The book is inadvertently damaged by the party's actions.
When they finally get ahold of it, its value has dropped to
75 gold pieces.
Special: At-will Spells
Any PC attempting to use an at-will spell as part of thechallenge has the power wrested from his control and can
only watch as it spirals throughout the room, wreaking
havoc. Any such use earns an automatic failure.
Special: The Book's Condition
The book's value, unharmed, is 150 gold pieces (treasure
parcels 9 and 10 from level 2). Each failure accumulated in
the challenge reduces its value by 25 gold pieces. Note that
a Make Whole ritual or similar power can restore the book
to its full value.Acrobatics
DC 8 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
The PC deftly launches off one of the chamber's spericalwalls, aiming his body for the book and hoping to catch itwithout harming it.
Arcana
DC 11 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge. Exceeding the DC by 5 or more informs the PC
that the unstable magics here may cause less powerful
spells to be twisted and turned upon their caster.
The PC uses his knowledge of magical anomalies to minizethe room's effects on himself and his allies, allowing themto maneuver easily towards the book.
Athletics
DC 12 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
The PC swims through the air much like he would througha body of water, shooting towards the book's position.
Dungeoneering
DC 16 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
The PC's experiences with magical traps or underwatercurrents gives him remarkable insight into handling thedisorienting effects of the room's lack of gravity.
Perception
DC 6 A success or failure on this skill check does not count
as a success or failure on the challenge, but instead
provides a +2 bonus (for a success) or a -2 penalty (for a
failure) to that character's next check.The PC studies the invisible eldritch currents' effects on theroom, deducing a pattern that gives him an idea of how toproceed.
Thievery
DC 14 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.The PC has dealt with supernatural hazards before, and thelessons learned back then guide his nimble hands inferrying the book to safety.
Level 2XP 375
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B13 (Cathedral of Wrath)
This encounter functions similarly to the original. Erylium is
the focus of the fight, and she uses the lesser runewell of wrath
to summon new Sinspawn to her aid. The main difference is
that she has the ability (and inclination) to summon anadditional two Sinspawn over the course of the fight as she
becomes increasingly desperate. This is justifiable in part
because the number of goblins involved in (and killed during)
the raid on Sandpoint and in the Glassworks afterwards has
been dramatically increased in this conversion, supplying the
runewell with far more wrathful souls than it originallycontained.
The runewell here contains 50 points of wrath before the
encounter begins. Any creature entering the runewell
immediately takes 2d10 cold damage. The runewell then makes
an attack at +5 vs. Will against the creature. If successful, thecreature is compelled to do nothing but attack the nearest
target, using the most powerful abilities available to it (save
ends).
Erylium is positioned atop the pulpit and immediately
summons a single Sinspawn Wrathlord from the runewell. Isuggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:
Erylium (see below)
1 Sinspawn Wrathlord (see Appendix A)
Total: 625 xp (Level 2 Encounter; adjusted for Erylium'ssummon sinspawn power)
Erylium should make use of the runewell after she first takes
damage and immediately after becoming bloodied.
Located in this room, either on Erylium or elsewhere, istreasure parcel 1 from level 2. Erylium wears a tiara worth 260
gp (treasure parcel 6 from level 2) and a black silk gown worth
170 gp (treasure parcel 8 from level 2).
EryliumTiny immortal humanoid (devil)
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +8; darkvision
HP 80; Bloodied 40
AC 19; Fortitude 14, Reflex 17, Will 17
Resist 10 fire, 10 poisonSaving Throws +2
Speed 4, fly 6 (hover)
Action Point 1
m Bite (standard; at-will)+7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 1 damage.
R Alchemical Breath (minor; at-will) AcidRanged 10; +6 vs. Will; 1d6 + 3 acid damage and ongoing3 acid damage (save ends).
M Tail Sting (standard; recharges when Erylium uses vanish)
Poison+8 vs. AC; 1d8 + 3 damage, and Erylium makes a
secondary attack against the same target. Secondaryattack: +5 vs. Fortitude; the target takes ongoing 5 poisondamage and a -2 penalty to Will defense (save ends both).
Vanish (standard; at-will) Illusion
Erylium becomes invisible until the end of her next turn oruntil she attacks.
Summon Sinspawn (move, when adjacent to runewell;
recharges when first bloodied)
Erylium summons a Sinspawn Ripper in any square
adjacent to the runewell. Each use of this ability deals 5
damage to Erylium.Alignment Evil Languages Abyssal, Common,
Thassilonian
Skills Arcana +9, Bluff +9, Stealth +9
Str 12 (+2) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 16 (+4) Int 16 (+4) Cha 16 (+4)
Level 3 Elite Lurker (Leader)XP 300
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The Lesser Runewell of Wrath
The runewell in the Catacombs of Wrath presents a
significant threat to Sandpoint and the surrounding region if not
dealt with. By the end of the fight with Erylium, the runewell
contains 32 wrath points, enough to create 5 more sinspawn.In order to disable the runewell, the PCs have to drain it of
wrath completely. This is an opportunity to include another skill
challenge - allowing the PCs a chance to shut the runewell
down without having to put up with the threat another five
sinspawn pose.
Skill Challenge: The Lesser Runewell of Wrath
Setup: The runewell must be shut down by draining it of wrath
points. This can be accomplished by causing it to disgorge
sinspawn, but with some finesse and patient examination, the
wrath can be diffused without creating more of the taintedmonsters. Whether the PCs succeed or fail, the runewell is no
longer a threat.
The Lesser Runewell of WrathSkill Challenge
The runewell glows a menacing orange as you peer into it.You can feel its influence from where you stand, a palpableevil current in the air around you.The PCs must disable the runewell in order to ensure that itisn't used to produce more monsters in the future.
Complexity
5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Arcana, History, Religion, Thievery
Other SkillsPerception
Victory
The runewell is drained, its vile presence no longer a threat
to Sandpoint. Its glow dims and disappears, and the cold
and unease felt by the PCs upon entering the cathedral
gradually fades over the next few hours.Defeat
A careless mistake in defusing the runewell causes it to
disgorge a host of sinspawn, all eager to prevent the
intruders from meddling in the affairs of greater beings.
Immediately begin a combat encounter involving 3
Sinspawn Rippers and 2 Sinspawn Wrathlords. Award thePCs with 625 XP if they defeat the sinspawn.
Arcana
DC 9 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
The PC's knowledge of summoning rituals provides himwith a few incantations to disperse the influence of wrathin the catacombs.
History
DC 13 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
Having heard of these runewells in dusty old tomes andrumors, the PC knows a thing or two about how one mightdefuse such an artifact.
Perception
DC 13 A success or failure on this skill check does not
count as a success or failure on the challenge, but can
negate a failure gained by the last check made. This
benefit can only be gained once in the challenge.The PC catches a dangerous mistake just before it sets offsome of the dangerous magics of the runewell.
Religion
DC 11 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
The PC counters the unholy presence in the cathedral witha number of furtive prayers to his own deity, who respondsby diluting the taint of wrath covering the runewell.
Thievery
DC 16 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
While this particular device is quite different than what thePC is used to, he finds himself able to identify a handful ofthe runes inscribed along the well's edges and effectivelycounter them.
Level 2XP 625
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Part Four: Thistletop
The next target on the PCs' agenda at this point should be
Thistletop and attempting to put a stop to the enormous goblin
raid threatening Sandpoint. Assign them a couple of quests to
help them along. See Appendix B for the appropriate quest
cards.
The first is given to the PCs by a group of traveling
merchants who have had their prize warhorse stolen during a
goblin attack on their caravan. Shadowmist can be found within
Thistletop, and requires the successful completion of a skill
challenge to save. The monetary reward for returning
Shadowmist is treasure parcels 6 and 10 from level 4.
The second should be given to the party whenever it
becomes clear to them that the town can only be saved by
taking care of the leaders of Thistletop. This could be as early
as when they discover Tsuto's notes, or as late as having to
throw pleading townsfolk at the PCs until they realize they'reneeded for the good of the town.
Allow the PCs a chance to rest up from whatever adventure
they've just returned from, and give them an opportunity to
purchase equipment (they may even have enough gold to buy
a magic item or two).
When they are sufficiently prepared and decide to leave
Sandpoint, set them on the Navigating the Nettlewood skill
challenge.
Navigating the Nettlewood
Before the PCs even come across Thistletop, they run the
risk of getting rather lost in the tangled maze of the
Nettlewood.
Skill Challenge: Navigating the Nettlewood
Setup: While Thistletop is easy to locate simply by heading to
the coast and following the shoreline, it is difficult to access
from below in such a manner. It is very likely that your party
will head through the wilderness to the goblin fortress. To do sothey will have to defeat a skill challenge, or accidentally
stumble across a bloodthirsty hobgoblin patrol (these
hobgoblins have no connection to Thistletop and are nothing
more than bandits keeping an eye on the nearby highway).
Note: This skill challenge is practically identical to the Lost inthe Wilderness sample skill challenge presented in the Dungeon
Master's Guide.
-
Navigating the NettlewoodSkill Challenge
The Nettlewood is a tangled, confusing mess of trees andbrambles. To make matters worse, the sun overhead isobscured by a natural canopy, making travel direction difficultto gauge. Thistletop is here somewhere, but too manymissteps and trouble could find you first.The PCs must find their way through the maze-like forest in
order to locate the goblin fortress of Thistletop.
Complexity
2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures).
Primary SkillsEndurance, Nature
Other Skills
Perception
Victory
The PCs finally come across one of the entrances to the
goblin warren leading to Thistletop. While the trek waschallenging, they are more or less in one piece. Thistletop
awaits.
Defeat
After one wrong turn too many, the PCs stumble out of the
tangled undergrowth and into a clearing. A number of burly
goblinoid creatures turn towards them and chuckle tothemselves, drawing nasty-looking weapons in the
anticipation of another set of victims.
Endurance
DC 12 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge. A failed check causes all members of the party
to lose one healing surge to exhaustion in addition tocounting as a failure on the challenge. At least two of the
successes gained in this skill challenge must be from this
skill in order to achieve victory.
The PC forges ahead, shrugging off the snagging nettlesand ever-growing weariness from his continued trekthrough the forest.
Nature
DC 10 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge. A failed check causes all members of the party
to lose one healing surge to exhaustion in addition to
counting as a failure on the challenge. At least one of the
successes gained in this skill challenge must be from thisskill in order to achieve victory.
The PC advises his companions on how to deal with thehazards of the Nettlewood, picking out the best-used trailsto follow and avoiding dead-ends and briar patches.
Perception
DC 6 A success or failure on this skill check does not countas a success or failure on the challenge, but instead
provides a +2 bonus (for a success) or a -2 penalty (for a
failure) to the next character's Endurance or Nature check.
The PC points out an obscured path for the party to take,or notices a hidden patch of nettles they ought to avoid.
If the PCs fail the skill challenge, they need to contend with
a pack of hobgoblin bandits. I suggest the following encounter
for a party of five adventurers:
2 Hobgoblin Archers
3 Hobgoblin Soldiers
1 Hobgoblin Warcaster
Total: 900 xp (Level 4 Encounter)
Soon after they contend with the hobgoblins, they manage
to find the entrance to the goblin warren and Thistletop. The
party does not need to complete the skill challenge a second
time.
C4 (Refugee Nest)
The majority of the refugees who ended up here are poorly
equipped and are unable to put up much of a fight. A handful
have seen a fight or two, though, and take advantage of their
numbers to overwhelm the PCs, flanking whenever possible.When the fight starts going badly for the goblins (and it
undoubtedly will), have a couple of them panic. PCs who
understand the Goblin tongue are able to make out phrases like
"We're done for!", "Run for your lives!" and "Longshanks are
here to kill us all!"
I suggest the following encounter for a party of five
adventurers:
8 Goblin Cutters
3 Goblin Blackblades
Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
C5 (Goblin Dog Kennel)
There's one more Goblin Dog here than in the original
adventure. The goblin dogs begin the fight leashed to woodenstakes in the dirt, but the presence of potential threats and/or
food is more than enough incentive for them to pull the stakes
free (a move action for the Goblin Dogs) at their first
opportunity.
Any fight here creates enough noise to alert Gogmurt to theparty's presence. I suggest the following encounter for a party
of five adventurers:
5 Goblin Dogs (see Appendix A)
Total: 500 xp (Level 1 Encounter)
Level 2XP 250
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C6 & C7 (Gogmurt & Tangletooth)
Tangletooth growls menacingly at anyone unfamiliar
approaching Gogmurt's lair. Have the goblin make a dramatic
appearance by stepping through the bramble wall as it parts for
him, igniting his dagger in supernatural flame in the process.The PCs should immediately get the feeling that this goblin is
different from the others they've fought so far.
I suggest the following encounter for a party of five
adventurers:
Tangletooth (use the Cave Bear stat block from the
Monster Manual - note the errata increasing the bear's
damage to 2d8 + 5)
Gogmurt, Goblin Druid (see below)
Total: 900 xp (Level 4 Encounter)
Treasure parcel 3 from level 3 can be found at the back of
the lair, amongst Gogmurt's alchemical supplies.
The cave bear makes a surprisingly good stand-in for a
leopard in this fight (though you should still describeTangletooth as a firepelt), and it is an elite monster to boot,
making this an appropriately challenging fight. Gogmurt posed
a few interesting design questions. One of the best ways to
approaching monster conversion in 4th Edition is to start by
making a list of what might be called "signature" abilities. The
list I made for Gogmurt included the following: a love of fire(he's a goblin, after all, and employs produce flame and flame
blade in the original adventure), his ability to move through the
bramble walls and, of course, his animal companion. I also
wanted a chance to try out some of the new Kobold monsters
presented in Dragon #364, and this looked like a great chance
to try out the Kobold Wild Mage stat block (modified for agoblin).
I decided to start with the Scion of Flame template to bump
Gogmurt to elite status. This makes all of his attacks fire-based
(including all of his Wild Magic powers and his dagger). I
removed the Body of Flame ability and Wild Teleport andreplaced them with the ability to heal Tangletooth once and his
free movement through the bramble walls. The random nature
of the Wild Magic effects meshes well with the Pathfinder
imagining of goblins, and Gogmurt should also feel plenty
druid-like to the party.
Gogmurt, Goblin DruidSmall natural humanoid
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +4; darkvision
HP 116; Bloodied 58
AC 18; Fortitude 18, Reflex 19, Will 18
Resist 5 fireSaving Throws +2
Speed 6; see also woodland stride and goblin tacticsAction Point 1
m Flame Dagger (standard; at-will) Fire+7 vs. AC; 1d4 + 2 fire damage.
r Sizzling Surge (standard; at-will) Implement, FireRanged 10; +9 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 4 fire damage and slide2.
R Mad Goblin Forest Magic (standard; at-will) Implement, FireRanged 10; +9 vs. Reflex; on a hit roll 1d4 to determine
the effect:
1 Flame Bolt, 1d8 + 4 fire damage and ongoing 5 fire(save ends).2 Flame Wreath, 1d6 + 4 fire damage and immobilized(save ends).
3 Singe the Flesh, 1d8 + 4 fire damage and dazed (saveends).
4 Dance, Longshanks!, 1d6 + 4 fire damage, ongoing 5fire and slowed (save ends both).
c Companion Bond (minor; encounter) HealingClose burst 5; if Tangletooth is in the area and is bloodied,
she regains 42 hit points.
c There Goes the Warren (when reduced to 0 hit points) Fire
Close burst 2; +10 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 4 fire damage.
Woodland StrideGogmurt can move freely through the bramble walls of the
goblin warren. While in a wall space he gains cover and
cannot be moved involuntarily. Gogmurt cannot move more
than one square deep into the bramble walls.
Goblin Tactics (immediate reaction, when missed by a
melee attack; at-will)Gogmurt shifts 1 square.
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Nature +9
Str 11 (+2) Dex 15 (+4) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 14 (+4) Int 16 (+5) Cha 16 (+5)
Equipment dagger, robes
Level 5 Elite ControllerXP 400
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Thistletop Fortress
And so we near the finale of Burnt Offerings: the assault on
Thistletop. I'm going to quickly go over the changes being
made to this final dungeon before I dive into the encounter
write-ups.
The first floor is being split into three encounters, plus a skill
challenge. The pickle thieves in the guard tower are now
combined with the goblins playing Killgull. The goblin dogs from
the exercise yard are mustered by a pair of goblins from the
barracks and the two commandos from the eastern guardtower,who mount a defense just outside the throne room. The
remainder of the goblins in the fortress are part of the
encounter with Ripnugget. Dealing with Shadowmist is now a
skill challenge.
The second floor prominently features a fight withBruthazmus and the goblin wives. Orik and Lyrie are holed up
together in the research room as a single encounter. The cave
area has been altered to replace the tentamort with up-to-date
monsters, and the chapel contains Shadow Hounds, which are
a decent replacement for the Yeth Hounds.
The final floor begins with a trap encounter (an expanded
version of the scythe-pit trap). The fights with Nualia and
Malfeshnekor remain largely intact, as does the fight with the
undead in the crypt room. The hermit crab no longer resides in
the ruined treasury, which is instead inhabited by a group of
kruthiks.
By this point it is very likely that the party has reached level
3, or will very soon. They will hit level 4 before the end of the
dungeon. Be sure to keep track of your treasure parcels
appropriately.
C9 & C10 (Thistletop Exterior)
The rigged rope bridge and fight with the goblins outside the
hideout now form a single encounter. This has been done for
two reasons: first, the rope bridge trap by itself is not very
tactically interesting at all. Once spotted by the PCs (likely withtheir Passive Perception scores), it's not challenging to simply
send two PCs across at a time. The other reason is that putting
goblins and goblin dogs at one end of the bridge forces an
interesting tactical dilemma on the PCs. Do they fight on the
bridge and get bogged down, with only a couple party
members fighting the goblins at a time? Or do they figure out away to get past the goblins somehow?
Fighting the goblins with ranged weapons is a losing
prospect. Not only can the goblins fire back (with surprising
accuracy), but most ranged powers do not have enough range
to reach across the length of the bridge. If the goblins findthemselves overpowered at range, they simply retreat within
the walls of Thistletop and inform Ripnugget, if he hasn't
already heard of the attack. The onus is on the PCs to make it
inside Thistletop. The goblins have the home turf advantage. I
suggest the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:
4 Goblin Dogs (see Appendix A)
4 Goblin Warriors
2 Goblin Sharpshooters (join the fight in round 4)
Rigged Rope Bridge (see below)
Total: 1,200 xp (Level 6 Encounter)
The goblin dogs and Warriors begin the fight outside the
walls, playing Killgull. They stop once they see the PCs and
attack them immediately (though the one holding the gull-on-a-
string continues to absentmindedly hold the string until he
realizes he needs his other hand for something). The twogoblins in the eastern guardtower (C15) rush downstairs to
warn Ripnugget and protect the throne room while the goblins
in the western guardtower (C13) are awoken by the battle on
round four. After tossing the pickles off the tower, they join the
fight by peppering the PCs at range. If the PCs head inside
without killing the pickle thieves, they are quick to assume thatthe PCs will come to murder them next. Panicking, they
scramble onto the outside of the guardtower and try to climb
their way down and to safety. They do not join the fight in the
throne room.
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Rigged Rope BridgeTrap
The seemingly sound rope bridge shudders worryingly as yetanother creature steps out onto it. You hear a snap, and thewooden planks swing out from under you. Nothing but wavesand rock outcroppings wait below.Trap: The rope bridge has been rigged to collapse should
three or more people attempt to use it at the same time.
Perception
DC 16: The character notices that the ropes on one side of
the bridge don't seem to be secured as tightly.
Additional Skill: Dungeoneering DC 18: The character realizes that the bridge will collapse if
three or more medium-sized creatures are on it at the
same time.
Trigger
The trap triggers as soon as three or more medium-sized
creatures occupy the bridge squares at the same time (asmall creature counts as one-third of a medium creature,
and a large creature counts as three medium creatures).
Attack
Immediate Reaction Melee
Target: All creatures on the rope bridge.
Attack: +5 vs. ReflexHit: The target falls 80 feet into the surf below, taking 4d10
damage.
Miss: Target catches the good side of the bridge but is
considered to be squeezing as long as they remain on the
bridge. Missed targets adjacent to either shore may elect to
leap onto the nearest square of solid ground, falling prone.Effect: The bridge is collapsed. Characters can still use the
attached side of the bridge to cross, but are considered to
be squeezing while doing so. Characters involuntarily
moved off the working side of the bridge can immediately
make a saving throw as a free action to hold on and avoid
the movement, but are immobilized until the end of theirnext turn.
Countermeasures
A character adjacent to either shore of the bridge can
increase the strength of the rigged knots with a DC 15
Thievery check. Each success means that the bridge can
hold on additional medium-sized creature (up to amaximum of six) without triggering the trap.
C11 C13 (Trophy Hall)
At this point it is practically inevitable that the PCs have
alerted at least the top level of the fortress to their presence.
The goblins within the fortress have fortified it with two groups.
One is positioned in the trophy hall with the goblin dogs fromthe exercise yard, and the other waits within the throne room.
The defense here is being marshaled by the two commandos,
who yanked a pair of goblin grunts from the barracks to muster
the goblin dogs. I suggest the following encounter for a party
of five adventurers:
4 Goblin Dogs (see Appendix A)
2 Goblin Skullcleavers
2 Goblin Cutters
Total: 750 xp (Level 3 Encounter)
There is a good deal of potential exploration to be done after
the conclusion of this fight. Divide treasure parcel 10 from level
3 up so that it can be spread throughout this level. 40 goldpieces worth is found in the form of Ripnugget's holy symbol in
C23. The rest should be split between the chest in the treasury
(along with treasure parcel 4 from level 3) and Ripnugget's
possessions.
Level 3 LurkerXP 150
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C18 (Shadowmist)
Shadowmist is in pretty pathetic shape when found by the
PCs. Restoring him to good health is a skill challenge.
Skill Challenge: Tending to Shadowmist
Setup: Consider running this skill challenge in stages tending
to his injuries, getting him back up on his feet, and finally
calming him down to be led back to Sandpoint.
Tending to ShadowmistSkill Challenge
After many days of confinement and deprivation, the once-magnificent warhorse Shadowmist is a shadow of his formerself. Little more than skin and bone, he is in need of prompt,careful attention if you wish to prevent the horse's death.The PCs must look after Shadowmist's recovery withoutaccidentally causing the horse to die of its ailments.
Complexity
3 (requires 8 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Athletics, Heal, Nature
VictoryThe PCs restore Shadowmist to passable health and calm
him to the point where he can be safely led back to
Sandpoint. Upon returning the horse, award the PCs the
quest reward from the minor quest Horse Thieves!
Defeat
One too many mistakes and ill-advised decisions results inthe proud warhorse succumbing to his exhaustion and
starvation, collapsing dead in the yard. This results in the
PCs failing the minor quest Horse Thieves!
Special: Feeding Shadowmist
Offering any food suitable for a horse to Shadowmist
counts as a one-time automatic success on the challenge.Athletics
DC 16 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge.
Once Shadowmist is back on his feet, he reacts violently toany attempt to restrain him. The PC lends a strong arm tohelp rein the warhorse in so that he can be tamed.
Heal
DC 16 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge. The first success with this skill also indicates
starvation and reveals that feeding Shadowmist will provide
a one-time automatic success on the challenge.
While horses may not have been the PC's most commonpatient, he is familiar enough with methods of care forliving creatures that he can get Shadowmist on his feetagain.
Nature
DC 11 A successful check counts as a success on the
challenge. The first success with this skill also indicatesstarvation and reveals that feeding Shadowmist will provide
a one-time automatic success on the challenge.
The PC has spent time caring for horses in the past, or hashad to suffer long periods surviving without food himself.He knows a few things about how to safely handleShadowmist, and whispers some calming words to thehorse while expertly instructing his companions.
C19 (Throne Room)
This marks the PCs' final confrontation with the goblin
menace (save the minor threat that the goblin wives in
Bruthazmus' room pose). It should be a dramatic encounter full
of Ripnugget's taunts and goblin rallying cries (which oftensound more like insults than encouragement).
Any creature forced into one of the four spiked support
columns is dealt 1d10 points of damage from the protruding
spikes. Ouch.
We're also changing things up for this fight. The PCs have
fought dozens of goblins by now, and they are no doubt
becoming somewhat predictable. For this final battle, I've taken
some of the recently released kobold monsters and retooled
them to look like goblins. I suggest the following encounter for
a party of five adventurers:
Warchief Ripnugget (see below)
Stickfoot, Giant Gecko (see Appendix A)
2 Goblin Pikers (as Kobold Piker with goblin racial trait,
see Dragon #364)
4 Goblin Cutters
Total: 875 xp (Level 4 Encounter)
Make heavy, effective use of the pikers' ability to ready
attacks with a bonus by positioning them near Ripnugget, then
using Stickfoot to drag an unfortunate (and now prone)adventurer into triggering their melee attacks. The cutters can
run interference, but don't expect them to last long with the
party pulling out daily powers for what should clearly be a
climactic fight. When Ripnugget becomes bloodied, he uses his
Alchemical Juggernaut ability, pulling out one of Gogmurt's
most powerful alchemical concoctions and throwing it to theground, inhaling the billowing green smoke.
Ripnugget carries treasure parcel 1 from level 3, and
treasure parcel 6 from level 3 can be found either here or in
Ripnugget's room (whichever you feel is appropriate).
Level 3XP 450
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Warchief RipnuggetSmall natural humanoid
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +8; low-light vision
HP 130; Bloodied 65; see also alchemical juggernautAC 23; Fortitude 20, Reflex 15, Will 19
Saving Throws +2Speed 5; see also goblin tacticsAction Point 1
m Dogslicer (standard; at-will) Weapon+12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage and the target is marked until
the end of Ripnugget's next turn.
c Fight On, You Slugs! (minor; recharge 56)Close burst 2; each goblin ally in the area gains a +4 bonusto its next attack roll.
M Knee Splinter (standard; encounter)
Weapon
+12 vs. AC; 2d8 + 5 damage and the target is immobilized
(save ends). Aftereffect: Target is slowed (save ends).M Cheap Shot (minor; recharge 56)+10 vs. Fortitude; 1d8 damage and the target is stunned
(save ends).
Alchemical Juggernaut (minor; encounter) Acid,Polymorph
Ripnugget regains 32 hit points. Until the end of the
encounter, he gains regeneration 5 and all of his attacks
deal an extra 3 acid damage.
Goblin Tactics (immediate reaction, when missed by a
melee attack; at-will)Ripnugget shifts 1 square.
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +10
Str 18 (+6) Dex 13 (+3) Wis 12 (+3)
Con 17 (+5) Int 12 (+3) Cha 17 (+5)
Equipment plate armor, dogslicer, sling
C24 (Treasury)
The treasury chest in this small room sports a nasty surprise
of a trap. Unfortunately, this trap once again runs counter to
the design philosophy of 4th Edition encounters; it challengesonly a single party member and isn't tactically interesting. It
would be a shame to leave it out, though, so I've bitten the
bullet and converted it anyway. The stats for the trap are
below.
The chest itself contains treasure parcel 4 from level 3 andany portion of treasure parcel 10 from level 3 you decide to
allocate here.
Filthy Slasher TrapTrap
A rusty blade of jagged metal springs out of the chest's lid.Trap: While the poison on this blade has long since decayed,
it still has a great chance of giving victims tetanus.
Perception
DC 18: The character notices the blade's triggermechanism.
Trigger
The blade springs when a character attempts to open the
chest.
Attack
Immediate Interrupt MeleeTarget: The creature that triggered the trap
Attack: +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d8 + 4 damage, and the trap makes a secondary
attack.
Secondary Attack: +7 vs. Fortitude
Hit: The target contracts tetanus.Countermeasures
A character can make a DC 17 Thievery check to disable
the trigger mechanism. Success disables the trap. Failure
by 5 or more springs the trap, and the trap gains combat
advantage against its target.
Level 5 Elite Soldier (Leader)XP 400
Level 4 ObstacleXP 175
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C27 (Bunyip Lair)
If the PCs elect to explore this cavern (most likely by
dropping down from above), they can contend with a pair of
bunyips.
The bunyips are potentially very dangerous to unprotected PCs,
and you should make this clear to the players as they approach
this encounter. A critical hit can, under the right circumstances,
nearly drop a non-defender, and retreating from the fight is
very tough the options are swimming or climbing. I suggest
the following encounter for a party of five adventurers:
2 Bunyips (see below)
Total: 700 XP (Level 3 Encounter)
Consider placing a ritual book in the pile of bones. While some
of the pages have been exposed to too much water to be
usable, the rest of the book can contain a few rituals of
appropriate level that you think the party might enjoy using.While technically treasure, mastering a ritual doesn't pose much
of a risk of the party becoming more powerful than intended for
their level. Because of this, I am not counting any rituals found
here as treasure parcels.
BunyipMedium natural beast
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +3; darkvision
HP 134; Bloodied 67
AC 18; Fortitude 17, Reflex 18, Will 15
Saving Throws +2
Speed 2, swim 8Action Points 1
m Bite (standard; at-will)+7 vs. AC; 1d12 + 4 damage.
Frenzy (free, when the bunyip starts its turn within 5 squares
of a bloodied creature; at-will)
The bunyip's attacks deal an extra 1d12 damage until the
start of its next turn. Once per round, if the bunyip reducesan enemy to 0 or fewer hit points while in water and under
the effects of frenzy, the bunyip can swim its speed andmake a bite attack as a free action.
Rows of Teeth
The bunyip scores a critical hit on a natural roll of 18-20.
Waterborn
While in water, a bunyip gains a +2 bonus to damage rollsagainst any creature without a swim speed.
Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +9
Str 17 (+5) Dex 20 (+7) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 17 (+5) Int 2 (-2) Cha 10 (+2)
D2 (Chieftan's Harem)
You have a real opportunity here to demonstrate to your
players that goblins of either gender are roughly equally
depraved and bloodthirsty. Bruthazmus is found in this
chamber, along with a pack of goblin wives.
Despite Bruthazmus' experience as a hunter and trapper, he
sticks to melee in this fight, knowing that the close quarters of
the harem chamber do not favor ranged combat. To that end,
Bruthazmus now possesses a frightening array of melee
abilities. The goblin wives act as a single entity, wreaking havocwhere able and setting characters up to be attacked by
Bruthazmus. They have been turned into the goblin version of a
kobold horde. I suggest the following encounter for a party of
five adventurers:
Bruthazmus (see below)
1 Goblin Horde (as Kobold Horde with goblin racial trait,
see Dragon #364)
Total: 1,250 xp (Level 6 Encounter)
Bruthazmus and the goblin wives have treasure parcels 2and 5 from level 3 on them. If one of your players is in need of
a magic longbow, this would be a prime opportunity to present
them with one.
BruthazmusMedium natural humanoidInitiative +9 Senses Perception +3; low-light vision
HP 244; Bloodied 122
AC 21; Fortitude 19, Reflex 19, Will 16
Saving Throws +5
Speed 7
Action Points 3m Short Sword (standard; at-will) Weapon+10 vs. AC; 2d6 + 3 damage.
M Blur of Movement (standard; recharge 3456) Poison
Bruthazmus shifts up to 8 squares, and can make 2 shortsword attack at any point during the move. Bruthazmusmust attack two different targets, and a target slides 3squares on a hit.
Shadow Walk
Illusion
Bruthazmus turns invisible until the end of his next turn or
until he attacks when he moves 3 or more squares on his
turn.
Predatory Eye (minor; at-will)Bruthazmus deals an extra 1d6 damage against the next
target that he has combat advantage against.
An Eye for Elves
Bruthazmus deals an extra 4 damage against elves and
eladrin. When Bruthazmus drops an elf or eladrin to 0 hit
points or fewer, he gains 15 temporary hit points.Alignment Evil Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +9, Stealth +10, Thievery
+10
Str 14 (+4) Dex 17 (+5) Wis 12 (+3)
Con 13 (+3) Int 13 (+3) Cha 11 (+2)
Equipment leather armor, short sword
Level 5 Solo LurkerXP 1,000
Level 4 Elite BruteXP 350
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D6 D8 (Not-Tentamort Hunting Grounds)
The tentamort doesn't exist in 4th Edition (and in fact was a
3rd-party monster in D&D 3.5). I originally designed this
encounter to feature a pair of Azure Jellies, but it was pointed
out to me that Grells are the closest analogue to the tentamort(credit to Jamie Lovett). I still like the idea of including an
Azure Jelly to spice things up, so I've kept one of them.
Have the jelly drop down from the ceiling into the central
chamber right after the PCs enter the room. The grell should be
floating somewhere nearby.
In running the monsters, try to keep them attached to or
grabbing a PC for as long as possible. Keep in mind that they
can still use their attacks while attached to or grabbing a
character. This has the potential to be a difficult fight if handled
well. I suggest the following encounter for a party of fiveadventurers:
1 Azure Jelly (see Dragon #367)
1 Grell
Total: 1,200 xp (Level 6 Encounter)
One of the goblin corpses still remaining in the caves holds
treasure parcel 2 from level 4.
D12 (Chapel to Lamashtu)
The chapel now contains three hounds, which use the
Shadow Hound stat block. Though Shadow Ho