Healing Call

You call out to your companion, inspiring her to fight through her wounds.

Level 1 Utility • Conjuration, Divine
Encounter, Minor Action • Close Burst 5

Effect: You allow a companion within the burst to spend a healing surge and heal an additional 5 hit points.

Note: This power is similar to Healing Word, except the effect's range scales instead of the d6 with each tier, reaching 10 at paragon and 15 at epic.

The Ruins of Soguer - River Journey to the Ruins

Presented below is the first leg of the adventure The Ruins of Soguer. Previously the players had been tasked with traveling to the nation's fallen capital to find the old king's sword so that their liege can be coronated.

Previous sections of the adventure can be found here:
The Ruins of Soguer - Introduction
The Ruins of Soguer - Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle

Running the adventure - This section of the adventure details the player character's travel from Aguies town to the ruins of Soguer. There is an important encounter along the way, where they meet a ship crewed by Aurochs who are searching for a kidnapped member of their royal family. There are also a few encounters with dangerous creatures and terrain as they travel the wild marsh near Soguer.

Read or paraphrase the following as the players begin their travel to the ruins:

You step aboard the riverboat. Like many of the boats that ply these waters, this 30 foot long boat features a single mast on a broad, flat deck, a small cabin behind the mast, and a low-ceilinged hold below the deck for cargo. The boat's crew - four weathered men - push off from the docks in Aguies town, pushing off from the pier with long poles and then drawing in the mooring ropes once clear of the docks. Soon the sail is hoisted and the boat begins speeding downriver, pulled by the current and pushed by the wind. One of the crew sits in the rear with his hand on the rudder, and the other three watch the sails, occasionally tightening or loosening a rope before retying the crossbeam in a new position. And so goes the journey. For several days your boat travels downriver through farmland and woods, among low hills, and past the towns and keeps of humanity. After a week or so of travel the farmhouses and towns along the river grow fewer. Occasionally you pass the remains of a town or house ruined or burned. The riverboat crew grumbles that this part of the river is subject to pirates and raiders sailing up from the south. As the days pass the land lies lower, and small trees and marshy plants line the riverbanks. Occasionally you pass a small hut, but you see no inhabitants.

Encounter - A boat full of lizards - During the last stretch of the journey before the ruins, they PC's encounter a mercenary ship of auroch warriors on the way.

Sailing down the river among the marshes another boat comes around the bend - a long boat with red crossed swords painted on the high forecastle and a monstrous figurehead. A roaring cry goes up from the other vessel and you see many reptilian men on the decks wearing mail and bearing spears and bows. As the other boat nears you can see that at the base of the mast is a shrine surmounted by two gilded dragons. The sails are furled slightly and oars put out. The boat turns and glides swiftly towards you, and at the very prow is a large armored dragonborn, wearing a helm crested with a dorsal line of many horns. He roars as they near.

Any characters who speak draconic will understand Captain Gamora's hail - which is a demand that the player's identify themselves. If the players try to communicate it is a simple social skill challenge.

Skill Challenge - Treat with the Aurochs (level 10, DC 16 diplomacy, 3 successes before 4 failures, XP 500)

Success: If they succeed in convincing Gamora that they are friendly, they give them some information and a quest. Read the following:

Having introduced yourselves, Captain Gamora takes off his helmet and scratches his scaly head for a moment. "I'm Captain Gamora of the Clashing Red Swords. Sorry about the scare - my men are in a strong rage. One of the holy family is missing - she was kidnapped from the royal shrine!" He narrows his eyes, staring at you for a moment and continues, "Have you heard anything of a young dragonborn lady with fine, pale scales in your travels? Where are you going on this river?"

Seeming to accept your answer, he nods and says, "I would consider it a personal favor, and indeed all our people would be grateful if you hear any word to send it to us. And if you should by chance come upon her, I would expect you to lend her aid in any way you can." After asking for your help thusly, his anger returns, "and if I hear tell you met her and did not - by Chronopsis I will hunt you down and have my vengeance upon you."

After a moment, Captain Gamora begins climbing aboard his ship. As he goes he says "Also, I would not go further down river. There are ruins there of a city of your men that lies there. Demons haunt those ruins, and the spirits of the dead. The gods curse that place."

Minor Quest - level 12, XP 700
Goal - rescue the Auroch princess - Iejir'svern.

Failure: If the players fail the skill challenge, the Auroch mercenaries will demand to board their ship and inspect it. Resistance is met with violence - and the Aurochs swarm the player's smaller riverboat - jumping across, swinging over on ropes and swimming to the attack. All told there are 4 Dragonborn Raiders, 6 Dragonborn Gladiators, and 20 Dragonborn Soldiers who attack. If the players manage to defeat the Aurochs, any captured or left alive will reveal that they are searching for their princess, Ijer'svern. If the players allow the dragonborn to search the ship, they do so and then Gamora imparts the above information.

Encounter - Crocodiles!
level 10, XP 2000 or 3000

This is an encounter with crocodiles in what were once the surrounding farmlands - now swallowed by the marsh. As the journey continues, read or paraphrase the following:

For the next few days you ravel further downriver through thick swamps. The river is wide and slow here, and the boat's crew work the sails and their poles to keep the boat moving east towards the sea and the ruins of the city. Occasionally you spot a few peasants in wooden huts on the low, marshy hills the river winds through. As you push your boat through a fen of high grasses one of the fallen logs in the water leaps to life and reveals itself as a huge scaly monster!

Creatures - 2 or 3 x feymire crocodile - hiding in the river (stealth +13) - These crocodiles attack the boat as they pass it.

Reaching the Ruins

After the crocodile encounter the player characters come to the ruins of the city of Soguer. As they approach they may encounter a patch of quicksand. Read or paraphrase the following:

You sail downriver for another day and the faint smell of salt water begins to tinge the air. Rounding a bend in the river you catch a glimpse of tall walls through the drooping cypress and willow trees. The cracked and vine-strewn walls must stand at least 50 feet high, but you can see no one upon the battlements. As you float closer you can see that the walls end at the river with a fallen tower that makes a hill of stone on the banks. From there the wall stretches inland. Through the foliage you think you can see another set of towers - perhaps an entrance? The riverboat crew poles over to the shore and moors the boat to a large tree on the river bank. The remains of a road lead through the trees, roughly along the wall towards the gates to the north. As you proceed you see the remains of farmhouses and fences - now fallen down and overgrown with the swamp's fecundity.

As the players walk this path towards the ruins they will pass over a patch of quicksand. Unless one of them makes their perception checks, it is likely the first player or two will fall into the hazard.

Hazard - Quicksand - level 11 elite hazard - XP 1200.

Leaves and dirt cover this stretch of flat ground.

Hazard: This hazard consists of a roughly 5 square by 5 square area of quicksand, which is difficult terrain. When characters enter these squares, or try to move in these squares, the hazard attacks. Attempts to escape can also hasten a character's demise in this deadly hazard.

Perception or Nature

- DC 29: The character can discern if any adjacent squares are quicksand.

Additional Skill: Nature

- DC 25: The character’s knowledge provides a +2 bonus to Athletics or Acrobatics checks to escape or help another escape.

Trigger

When a creature enters, begins its turn in, or makes a map move in a quicksand square, the trap attacks that creature.

Attack
Free Action Melee 0
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +14 vs. Reflex
Hit: The creature falls into the quicksand, is restrained until they escape and begins sinking (see Effect - Sinking below).
Miss: The character is slowed in the quicksand square but is not yet sinking.
Effect - Sinking: After one hit, a character sinks up to their waist. A second hit or a failed Athletics check means they sink to their neck. A third hit or failed athletics check indicates they sink completely and begin suffering the effects of suffocation (DMG p. 159).

Countermeasures

- An character can extract themselves or an adjacent sinking comrade with a DC 29 Athletics or Acrobatics check. A rope or similar tool can give a +2 to this check. Failing this check by 10 means that the helping character falls into the quicksand or that the sinking character sinks further.
-A character wearing light or no armor can make a DC 24 Nature check to know that if they hold still they will float, and can then do so. While floating in this way the character is not subject to any more attacks from the quicksand. Any move or standard action will end the float and cause the character to be subject to further attacks by the quicksand.

If you wish to add a greater threat to this encounter, feel free to add a few hungry stirge swarms to up the threat.
Creatures - stirge swarms - XP 700 each.

Cursed Ring of Conflict - Level 16

This ring, made of tarnished silver in the shape of two hands holding long knives, was once worn by the evil mage Bernardin. He used its powers to destroy his enemies and torment his defeated foes by making them fight their loved ones to the death.

Item Slot: Ring
25,000 gold

Power -Daily, Standard Action,
Enchantment,
Two targets within close blast 5.
Cha, Wis or Int +4 vs. Will.
Hit - the targets attack each other as though they were dominated to do so (save ends).

Property: Every time the wearer of this cursed ring meets someone for the first time roll on the following table to determine the way that person feels about the wearer:
1-5: the person hates and despises the wearer.
6-10: the person feels a very strong dislike for the wearer.
11-15: the person feels uneasy and afraid of the wearer.
16-20: the person reacts as they normally would to the wearer.

Corpser

Horrifying creatures from the underworld, no one knows what these burrowing creatures look like. From those who have escaped their attacks it is known that they have strong tentacles with which they drag their prey underground and powerful jaws that they gnaw on their captives with. They are most often found in catacombs, where they are believed to dig into coffins and feed on corpses. In spite of their fearsome nature, they have somewhat sensitive palates, and will tend to spit creatures out that put up a fight.

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Corpser - Level 11 elite brute
Aberrant Magical Beast - XP 1,200

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Senses tremmorsense 60, blind, Perception +14
HP 280, Bloodied 140
AC 25 Fort 27 Ref 25 Will 23
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5, burrow 4
Action Points: 1

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Powers

Lash & Grab - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee 3
A tentacle snakes up through the ground and comes crashing down upon you.
+14 vs Reflex - 3d6+5 damage and the target is grabbed.

Double Lash - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee 3
The corpser can make two Lash & Grab attacks.

Quarter - Encounter, Standard Action, Melee 3
Several tentacles burst out of the ground, grab you and try to pull you limb from limb.
+14 vs Reflex, 4d8+5 and the target is grabbed.

Bloodied Fury - Encounter, Immediate Reaction when first bloodied
The corpser recharges its Quarter power and can use it immediately as a free action.

Drag Under - At-Will, Minor Action, Melee, grabbed target only
+14 vs Fortitude, 2d6+5 damage and the target is pulled into an adjacent underground square. While buried in this way allies do not have line of effect to the target and non-burrowing creatures cannot reach the target.

Gnaw - At-Will, Standard Action, Melee, adjacent grabbed target only
+14 vs Reflex, 3d6+5 damage and the target is swallowed and restrained (no save) and takes 10 damage on subsequent rounds at the start of the corpser's turn. The swallowed creature can make melee basic attacks only, and only with one-handed or natural weapons. If the corpser dies, any creature trapped in the gullet can escape as a move action, ending that action in a square formerly occupied by the corpser.

Regurgitate - Immediate Reaction, Melee, when hit by a swallowed creature
Striking the creature's insides causes a violent reaction, and you are heaved up past the sharp teeth and back onto the ground.
+14 vs Reflex, 2d6+5 damage, ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends) and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Miss - the target is pushed 3 squares.

Burrow - At-Will, Standard Action
The corpser withdraws its tentacles and burrows down into the earth. While buried in this way the corpser is concealed, enemies do not have line of effect to the corpser and non-burrowing creatures cannot reach the corpser. This effect ends if the corpser attacks.

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Alignment neutral, Languages none
Skills: Perception +14, Stealth +16
Str 26 (+13) Dex 23 (+11) Wis 18 (+9)
Con 20 (+10) Int 5 (+2) Cha 8 (+4)

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Saurian Cleric ✦ Level 13 Controller

Medium natural humanoid (lizardfolk) ✦ XP 800

Initiative +7 Senses Perception +11
HP 125; Bloodied 62
AC 27; Fortitude 25, Reflex 23, Will 27
Speed 5

Powers
Mace ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee
+18 vs. AC, 1d8 + 9 damage.

(un)Holy Smite ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Close Blast 3, Radiant or Necrotic, Target: Each enemy in blast
The cleric brandishes his holy wymbol, speaks sacred words and energy from his god smites his enemies.
+17 vs. Will, Hit: 1d10+6 radiant or necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of their next turn.

Dragon God's Claw ✦ Encounter (recharge 5-6), Standard Action, Ranged 10, Force, Fire
In answer to the cleric's prayer a ghostly claw of flame descends and pins the foe to the ground.
+17 vs. Reflex, 4d8+6 force and fire damage and the target is knocked prone, restrained and takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).

Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills Athletics +15, Religion +17

Str 19 (+10) Dex 12 (+7) Wis 22 (+12)
Con 13 (+7) Int 16 (+9) Cha 14 (+8)

Equipment: robes, scale mail, mace, holy symbol

These statistics can be used for either of the two high priests of the new temple to the gods in Veth'achuak'arux - the green valley of the Aurochs. The two priest revere Tiamat and Bahomet respectively and their Smite powers deal radiant or necrotic damage as befits their patrons.

Their creed includes the compatible commandments from those two gods and is primarilly focused on being mighty warriors. The priest of Tiamat tends to extole gaining wealth as a source of power and a benefit of power as well. The priest of Bahomet tends to focus on the importance of defending your family, clan or comrades in arms. Their teachings are very popular and well recieved by the mercanary companies that bivouac near the temple. The mercanaries tend to have a small shrine to these dragon gods on their ships and pray to them before battle. At the urging of the clerics these warriors have taken to calling themselves the Saurians to distinguish themselves from the rest of Aurochs who revere the royal shamans and their less martial spirits.

The Ruins of Soguer - Start of the Adventure in Aguies Town & Castle

Welcome back for part two of The Ruins of Soguer, an adventure you'll see here piece by piece over the next few weeks. In the previous post you saw the introduction of the adventure for the dungeon master. Below is the start of the adventure to be read to the players at the beginning of the adventure, and some detail about the town where the adventure starts.

Castle Aguies - Holding Court as the Count of Aguies: At the start of the adventure, read or paraphrase the following:

Having arrived in Aguies town to answer the call for heroes, you walk up the hill upon which Castle Aguies is built to the large stone gatehouse. Towers to the left and right are topped with battlements upon which fly a flag with a green dragon on a white field. A young guard in mail looks down at you from the battlements as you walk up the road to the open doors between the towers. Another guard standing at the door nods to you as you pass through the gatehouse into the castle's courtyard. Within the well-trodden dirt courtyard a group of soldiers practice their sword-work at the direction of a gruff veteran barking orders at them. A wagon loaded with goods stand unhitched. Servants in simple clothes are busy unloading the sacks and barrels from the wagon while a groom brushes down the horses nearby. Across the courtyard the castle stands, its towers stretching up into the sky.

Crossing the busy courtyard you enter the stone castle by the open double doors below battlements two stories above. Inside this vestibule there are passages that lead left, and right, guarded by soldiers holding halberds. A long hallway with a polished stone floor and pillars flanking the walkway stretches before you, and the sounds of several voices conversing can be heard ahead.

Walking down the hallway between the stone pillars you come into a large hall filled with tables and people. Knights, squires, servants and a few people in fine dress sit or stand talking, eating and drinking. A line of petitioners stands before a scribe awaiting audience with the Count.

At the far side of the hall seated on a wooden throne atop a dais is a young man dressed in a fine green tunic and wearing a golden signet ring. At his shoulder stands a tall dragonborn also in a lordly tunic and with an ornate sword strapped to his hip. The two are in the midst of a discussion with an middle-aged priest in red robes wearing a holy symbol of Kord. As you cross the hall the young lord and his attendant take note of you. The dragonborn speaks in with a hissing accent. "Who approachesss Count Ludwig?"

After you introduce yourselves the young lord says, "I am Ludwig Staledwo, Count of Aguies and heir to the throne of Soguer. This is Gix'varie, leader of my Knights of the Order of Dragonforce, and this is Father Dirk of the Three Brothers. Thank you for answering my call. I am in need of brave heroes such as yourselves."

The young Count stands up and begins to pace about the dais as he talks. He is young - perhaps seventeen - but speaks with passion and has a friendly presence. "As you may have heard, I am grandson to King Ludwig Staledwo, the last King of Soguer. I have made it my life's work to unite the warring lords of this wounded and divided land in peace again. To that end I have asked the Fathers of the Church of the Three Brothers, Kord, Pelor and Heironeous - the same holy order that once ministered to the people of Soguer from their cathedral in the capitol - to coronate me the Heir to the throne of Soguer."

At this the priest of Kord speaks up, "Yes, Ludwig, and after consulting the Brothers in prayer I was sent a message from Kord. I was in prayer in the chapel when a strong man appeared at my side. I could tell that he was a messenger from the gods. This herald of the gods told me that only if the boy speaks with the tongue of the law can he be the heir of Soguer."

The dragonborn warrior interjects, "And of coursssse everyone knowssss he mussst be talking about his grandfather'sss sssword, the Judge'ssss Tounge. Which was losssst when the city of Ssssoguer was dessstroyed by the godsssss."

"Too true," continues the young lord. "They say they will not coronate me without my grandfather's sword. Such is the gods' will." He shrugs.

"So that brings me to you, noble heroes. I have just conquered this county, and am fully occupied restoring order and seeing to the needs of the people. The Knights of Dragonforce are similarly occupied, or else I would send Gix'varie here and his men to search for the sword." Ludwig continues, pointing to the dragonborn warrior.

Looking you in the eyes he says, "What say you, will you travel the River Daren to the ruined capitol of Soguer and retrieve the Judge's Tongue? I will provide you with a boat and crew, and if you succeed then as the anointed King of Soguer I will happily reward you as dear friends. In the name of peace in this land I ask this of you."

If the players accept this task Ludwig asks Gix'varie to see to the provisioning of a daren riverboat for the PCs and fares them well. Give the players the following major quest:

Major Quest - Crown Ludwig the Heir of Soguer
12th level - xp 700 for each player that completes the quest.
Goal: Go to the ruins of Soguer and retrieve the sword of the last King of Soguer, so that the priests may coronate Ludwig as the Heir of Soguer.

After that, give the players time to explore the city at their leisure and provision themselves as they see fit. Gix'varie will accompany them and tell them that by boat is should be a week or so's journey downriver from here to the ruins of the city at the mouth of the river.

Aguies town

A large human town, and capital of Aguies county, Aguies is peopled by farmers on the river's banks and traders on its docks. A large town square with a fountain stands at the foot of the hill upon which the castle stands. Farmlands spread out on the banks of the river east and west, and the Pitore Wood borders the town to the south.

Population: 4,000 people call Aguies their home, mostly human serfs, tradespeople and merchants but with a handful of elves and gnomes from the woods to the south and eladrin from Linton to the southwest. A sprinkling of members of all the other races can be found here as well among the citizenry - especially halfling traders. A few knight's families from throughout the county also have town homes here.

Government: Ludwig Staledwo has just conquered this city, having defeated and killed the Count Aguies in a short war. Mayor Balwin - appointed by the late Count Aguies - oversees the administration of the town's day-to-day business.

Defenses: Ludwig's five Knights of the Order of Dragonforce lead the city's defenses, assisted by 20 cavalry, 40 archers and 50 footmen. In times of need Ludwig also has the right to call up the other lords of the County to aid him in war, adding 15 knights, 60 cavalry, 100 archers and 150 footmen to his forces.

Taverns & Inns: The Old Crow is a busy tavern and public house on the town square, the Wagon Wheel serves mainly merchants and sits at an intersection on the road to Linton, and the Knucklebone caters to gamblers and carousers north near the docks.

Supplies: A few merchants set up stalls in the town square, and most any good can be purchased from the town's many craftspeople and traders. Fynn's Imports by the docks is the front for the local branch of the thieves' guild. Nickad the armor-smith is the famous royal armorer.

Temples: The Cathedral of the Three Brothers (Kord, Pelor and Heironeous) stands on the town square and is the head of the church in Aguies County, the Shan'n'nur Sanctum (Inquisition - Heironeous) stands near the cathedral, a temple to Erathis between the square and the docks, a sailor's shrine to Melora at the docks, and a shrine to Avandra on the road east to Halton.

Oracular Statues

Before him, on an altar of jet, was the dark, gigantic statue of Thasaidon which a devil-begotten sculptor had wrought in ancient days for an evil king of Tasuun, called Pharnoc. The archdemon was depicted in the guise of a full-armored warrior, lifting a spiky mace as if in heroic battle. Long had the statue lain in the desert-sunken palace of Pharnoc, whose very site was disputed by the nomads; and Namirrha, by his divination, had found it and had reared up the infernal image to abide with him always thereafter. And often, through the mouth of the statue, Thasaidon would utter oracles to Namirrha, or would answer interrogations.
-Clark Ashton Smith

Often great works depicting the Gods or the Lords of Hell are fashioned. On occasion the beings they represent will use their likenesses to communicate with mortals. Coveted by seekers of secrets and devoted priests, these statues are kept in warded sanctums, and sometimes are warded by the gods themselves.

These statues can be used to commune with the deities or powers that they represent by the faithful. Either through long devotion or sacrifice a supplicant can attempt to receive a message from their patrons. With a sacrifice of a nature suitable to the deity and the spending of healing surges the supplicant can ask questions of the statue as though they had cast a divination ritual such as Consult Mystic Sages or Consult Oracle, according to the DM's discretion.

If desicrated or disrespected, these statues often become the conduit of their original's wrath. Exploding, coming to life, pronouncing curses, or blasting with lightning and fire are all forms of vengance a powerful being may visit upon defilers through a statue of this type.

As heroes rise in power such a statue could come to be in their possession, and be used by the powers to give the heroes needful information. This could even be the foundation of an entire campaign, with the players doing the bidding of a god who communicates to them from a statue secured in a holy place.

The Ruins of Soguer - Introduction

Welcome back to Tailslap!, Unicorn Rampant's 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons publication.

Today I'm releasing the first on many dungeon-a-day style posts for our latest adventure: The Ruins of Soguer. I'm super excited to be sharing this adventure with y'all in this great format! Every few days you'll see a new section of the adventure, be it a location in town, a interlude, and overview of an area or an encounter.

So without further fanfare, I present the introduction to The Ruins of Soguer!
Look for the details of Aguies town to follow shortly, followed by the start of the meat of the adventure: a trip by riverboat down the river Daren to the Ruins of Soguer!

Introductory Text: Called upon to retrieve the old king's sword and crown from the ruins of the god-destroyed capitol, the heroes must brave the crumbling remains of the once-great city to find the royal insignia. Destroyed, overgrown and daemon-haunted, the ruins of the city of Soguer are said to be cursed, and do not relinquish their secrets easily. It will take heroes of true mettle to return alive with their prize and crown their lord the new King of Soguer!

Background: A year ago, in the war-torn country once known as Soguer, a young man named Ludwig appeared claiming to be the heir to the throne of the shattered kingdom. Pursuing a daring campaign this young warrior captured Castle Devyn from the orcs of the Yellow Snake Clan. As peace spread around Devyn town Ludwig was pressed to become a vassal by the neighboring Count of Aguies. Ludwig, claiming himself the true heir to the kingdom, and that Aguies was thereby rightful vassal to him, refused and forged an alliance with other lords in the County. Ludwig and his allies fought a brief, victorious war against Count Aguies.

Now Count of Aguies, one of the five Counties that composed the kingdom of Soguer, Ludwig has asked the priests of the Church of the Three Brothers to coronate him as King of Soguer. Hesitant, the priests of Kord, Pelor and Herionious cloistered themselves to pray upon the matter.

Several days later Father Dirk, the priest of Kord in the Aguies Cathedral announced that he had received a vision from The Brawler. In Ludwig's hall he tells how a strong man appeared to him and told him that "only if the boy speaks with the tongue of the law can he be the heir of Soguer". All agree that this must refer to Ludwig's grandfather's sword, the Judge's Tongue, and that this is a sign from the gods that if this task can be mastered Ludwig should be coronated.

Thus does a call go out for heroes to retrieve the old king's sword and crown from the ruins of the god-destroyed capitol at the mouth of the river Daren. The heroes are asked to brave the crumbling remains of the once-great city to find the royal insignia. Promised great reward and Ludwig's eternal gratitude they are asked to return alive with their prize and crown Ludwig the new King of Soguer!

Adventure Hooks: This adventure was written as part of a larger campaign, called The Heir of Soguer, where the players are knight-vassals to Ludwig, and are assisting him to establish peace in the war-torn and fractured land that was his grandfather's prosperous kingdom. In this context Ludwig simply asks them as friends to try to find the Judge's Tongue.

If you are playing this adventure as a stand-alone adventure or as part of your own campaign, you may simply announce that a call has gone out for heroes to retrieve the royal sword and start play in that way.

Alternatively, you may wish to replace the sword with some other item or person that the players seek. It could be treasure they want or an important item in your story. Simply run the adventure as written and replace all references to the Judge's Tongue with the item they are questing after.

Adventure on sale to celebrate one year of 4th Edition on Tailslap! Only $2.50!

That's right, here at Unicorn Rampant we've been putting together 4th edition material for over a year now! It's been a long, fun year for me: we started playing a 4th edition game as soon as the material came out, starting with Keep on the Shadowfell, and then switching to my homebrew The Heir of Soguer game. Those characters are now 11th level, and the players are loving it. You can see a bit of the action on the Unicorn Rampant boards here.

It's also been a year since we released our first 4th edition adventure: Anointing the Seer. This dark fairy tale adventure for 5th level characters has been a great seller, and I had a lot of fun writing it and playtestng it at Millenium Con here in Austin. Now, as a special thank you to our readers I'm releasing Anointing the Seer for half price - only $2.50!

Follow this link to get your half-price copy from RPGnow.com!

In this adventure, a malevolent warlock appears at the coronation of the new priestess at a flourishing temple, renowned for it's high priest's abilities as an augury, and lays a curse on all there. A call goes out for some brave souls who must enter the now dangerous temple, discover the nature of the woe laid upon the priestess and set all to right. Before all is done, they will face a witch and her minions, a warlock in his aerie and a dragon in its lair.

Featuring beautiful art, full color maps, and new monsters, spells and magic items!

This dark, fairy-tale style adventure is designed for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons characters of 5th level. It is set in the western end of the Verdant Woods at the edge of the Middle Kingdoms in the Soralic lands, a campaign setting by Unicorn Rampant. As such is is suitable for any wooded area with some mountainous terrain that is near the edge of civilized lands or in a very rural area between kingdoms. The adventure is location-based and character driven, with fairy-tale elements and plenty of crunchy dungeon crawling goodness.

Great care has been taken to make this adventure easy for you to run, with notes for the gamemaster preceding each section of the adventure. All stats are presented in an easy to read format, and the adventure features great art from three professional artists.

Follow this link to get your half-price copy from RPGnow.com!

Water Wyrd

A powerful serpent made of water rises up from the surface of the pool. Spray wets your face as it sways for a moment, then it lunges at you with blinding speed!

Used as guardians, or among some cults as sacred animals, these ceratures from the elemental chaos are unperdictable and violent. Striking unexpectedly from the water, they drag creatures under and drown them.

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Water Wyrd ✦ Level 13 Lurker ✦ XP 800
Medium elemental magical beast

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Initiative +12 Senses Perception +6
HP 98; Bloodied 49
AC 27; Fortitude 24, Reflex 26, Will 24
Speed Swim 8

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Powers

Snatching Strike ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee reach 2
A snake made of water lunges out of the pool and pulls you in.
+16 vs. Reflex, 2d8 + 6 damage, and the target is grabbed and slid 2 squares.

Squeeze! ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee
The creature, invisible in the water, crushes the life - and the air - from your body.
Usable against grabbed targets only.
+16 vs. Fortitude, 4d8 + 6 damage, and if the target is underwater, they must succeed on a DC 20 Endurance check or lose a healing surge or, if out of healing surges, lose hit points equal to their healing surge value.

Dissappear ✦ At-Will, Minor Action
The water-snake dives beneath the water and from sight.
The Water Wyrd takes cover in water and becomes invisible.

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Alignment neutral Languages none
Skills Athletics +15, Stealth +17
Str 19 (+10) Dex 22 (+12) Wis 11 (+6)
Con 14 (+8) Int 5 (+3) Cha 19 (+10)

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Sylvanthread Armor

This extremely light, non-magical cloth armor is made of finely-woven sylvanthread, a durable elven fabric base.

Sylvanthread Armor:

Armor Bonus: +4
Price: 3,250 Gold
Check: 0
Weight: 5 lbs.

Steadfast Helm

This greathelm protects it's wearer from blows that might otherwise send them reeling.

Level 3 - 680 gold
Item Slot: Head
Property: +2 bonus to saves against dazed or stunned conditions.
Power (Daily - immedeate reaction): when dazed or stunned, make a save against the condition.

Ring Mail

An armor made by taking a hardend leather jerkin or coat and sewing rings to the outer surface, this armor provides slightly better protection against blades, but is also more encumbering than regular leather.

Ring mail (leather armor - light):

Armor Bonus: +3
Price: 35 Gold
Check: -1
Weight: 25 lbs.

Saurian Assassin

This hunter, along with the priest of Tiamat, is in charge of the expidition to deliver the Auroch Princess to Baldric Ostov. He has been lurking at the ruined house where they plan to sacrifice her, observing the ritual from hiding in case anything goes wrong. If the players rescue the princess, he will attempt to kill her himself so that she cannot report the Saurian's treachery to the royal family.

Saurian Assassin✦ Level 12 Elite Lurker
Medium natural dragonborn ✦ XP 1400

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Initiative +12 Senses Perception +15
HP 194; Bloodied 92
AC 28; Fortitude 24, Reflex 24, Will 22
+2 to Saving Throws
Action Points: 1
Speed 6

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Powers

Bite ✦ At-Will, Standard, Melee
+17 vs. AC, 2d6 + 3 damage.

Blowgun ✦ At-Will, Standard, Ranged 6
+17 vs AC, 1d4 + 6 damage and ongoing poison 10 (save ends).

Executioner's Noose ✦ At-Will, Standard, Ranged 5
Force, Implement, Shadow
+17 vs. AC, 1d6 + 6 force damage, the target is pulled 2 squares and slowed for 1 turn.

Quickened Breath ✦ At-Will, Minor Action (only usable once per turn), Close burst 5
+15 vs. Reflex, 1d6 + 4 poison damage.

Flury of Talons ✦ Encounter (Recharge 5-6), Standard, Melee
Implement, Shadow
Fly 6 to a square adjacent to an enemy and then make three attacks at:
+15 vs. Reflex dealing 1d8+3 damage per hit.

Bloodied Talons ✦ Encounter, Immedeate Reaction
Flury of Talons recharges and the Assassin uses it immedeately.

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Alignment evil Languages Draconic
Skills nature +11, perception + 15, stealth + 17
Str 16 (+9) Dex 22 (+12) Wis 10 (+6)
Con 19 (+10) Int 12 (+7) Cha 19 (+10)

---

Equipment: blowgun, poisoned darts, torc with dragon heads

Temptation

I was doing some research on the theme of temptation in art, and came upon some very interesting historical practices that resulted. There were people who took up an anchoritic life - a life seperated as much as possible from the temporal world. You can't make this stuff up:

The anchoritic life became widespread during the early and high Middle Ages. Examples of the dwellings of anchorites and anchoresses survive. They tended to be a simple cell (also called "anchorhold"), built against one of the walls of the local village church. Once the inhabitant had taken up residence, the bishop permanently bricked up the door in a special ceremony.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorite

One of the reasons the hermitic and monastic traditions were popular in mideval european culture was the existance of a written tale of the life of St. Anthony the Great (a 3rd century Egyptian Christian) that had been translated into latin and perputuated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_the_Great

Alltogether it makes for very interesting reading....

Thrall of Graz'zt

Arcane Paragon Path

Prerequisite: Evil alignment, Arcane Power Source.

By engaging in a vile rite known as the Hollow Feast, those with a lust for power and a penchant for depravity and betrayal attract the attention of agents of Graz'zt and enter into foul pacts. Traded secrets of power and given demonic servents these fallen souls carry out the creed of the Dark Prince - seduce and betray.

Path Features

Spell Betrayal (11th level) - Once a round, when you hit a target with an arcane power against whom you have combat advantage you deal an extra 1d8 damage.

Dark Charisma (11th level) - You gain a +2 vile bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff checks against evil creatures. This bonus increases to +4 at 21st level.

Spellstrike (16th level) - When you spend an action point to cast an arcane power at a foe who is engaged in melee, you deal an additional 1d12 damage with the power.


Powers

Summon Minor Demon - 11th level Attack
Encounter - Minor Action (Minor Sustain)
You summon* a quasit that has Speed: 4, fly 6 and the following powers:

• Venomous Claws - Standard ✦ Poison
  Inteligence vs. AC; 1d8 + Inteligence Modifier damage, and the quasit makes a secondary
  attack against the same target.
  Secondary Attack: +Inteligence - 3 vs. Fortitude; the target takes ongoing 5 poison damage and a –2 penalty to
  Will defense (save ends both).
• Vanish (standard; at-will) ✦ Illusion
  The quasit becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or until it attacks.
  

Silver Tounge - 12th level Utility
Encounter - Arcane - Minor Action
You gain a +5 power bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks until the end of your next turn.

Summon Seducer - 20th level Attack
Daily - Minor Action (Minor sustain)
You summon* a succubus that has Speed: 6, fly 6 and the following powers:

• Corrupting Touch (standard; at-will)
  +Int. vs. AC; 1d6 + Int. Modifier damage.
• Dominate (standard; at-will) ✦ Charm
  Ranged 5; +12 vs. Will; the target is dominated until the end of the succubus’s next turn.
• Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph
  The succubus can alter its physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid, including a unique individual (see Change Shape, page 280).

* Per the summoning rules detailed in Arcane Power, p. 98.

Forgotten Spells

These spells were discovered in the ruins of Old Soguer, in the halls of the Mages Guild. The tome containing them - formerly used for teaching the novice mages - details magical techniques lost to those living in the current age after the Anmagus Crusade.

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Daze - Wizard Attack 1

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A magic word evokes a burst of bright light that causes your foe to reel back.

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At-Will - Arcane, Radiant, Implement
Standard Action - Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will.
Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence Modifier Radiant Damage and the target is dazed until the end of its next turn.

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Darkness - Wizard Utility 2

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A shroud of magical darkness flows from your implement to conceal you from the enemy.

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Daily - Arcane, Conjuration
Standard Action - Area burst 1 within 10 squares
Effect: You conjure a field of magical darkness that blocks line of sight - even for creatures with darkvision.
Sustain Minor: The darkness persists.

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Vampyric Runeblade

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This black blade's length is engraved with mystical runes that glow evily when it draws blood.

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Level 20 +4 - 125,000 gold
Level 25 +5 - 625,000 gold
Level 30 +6 - 3,125,000 gold

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Weapon: Heavy Blade, Light Blade
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d10 damage per plus
Power (daily): when you kill a nattural, fey or immortal target with this weapon you may spend a healing surge.

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A Princess of the Aurochs

Iejir'svern is a member of the royal family of the Aurochs, a civilization of dragonborn and lizardfolk who inhabit the swamps of southern Soguer - a land they call Veth'achuak'arux (our green valley). The royal family are also the shamanistic priesthood of the Aurochs, and Iejir'svern is a young but powerful spiritual leader of her people - she is well-liked by her subjects. She publically lives out the priesthood's principals of harmony with nature, respect, patientce, and wisdom.

Currently she has been kidnapped by the Saurians, a group of priests in the Auroch society that worship gods rather than nature - a new phenemon within their society that has sprung up in the last few generations. They mainly revere Tiamat and Bahomet, viewing them as powerful complimentary dieties that extol them to become mighty, wealthy and powerful. Some among them also worship other dieties such as Errithul and Hextor. The Saurians resent the power and respect the royal line holds in Veth'achuak'arux and many among them wish to usurp the religious leadership of their people from the Aurochs. A bold group of Timat worshipers among them has kidnapped Iejir'svern to remove her charismatic hold over the people. But this treasonus sacralige was not their own plan - it was suggested to them by an agent of Brashel Ocktor - the priest of Orcus who is carefully building up his power in these lands.

A slender young dragonborn female with light blue-green scales, a small frill above her head, and curving horns, Iejir'svern tends to tap her fingers when nervous, and has a star-shaped patch of white scales on the end of her snout.

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Iejir'svern ✦ Level 9 Shaman
medium natural humanoid ✦ XP 400

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Initiative +5 Senses Perception +9
HP 64; Bloodied 32
AC 20; Fortitude 21, Reflex 18, Will 23
Speed 6

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At-Will Powers
Companion Spirit - Sprit's Shield - opportunity action - when an enemy leaves a square adjacent to the spirit companion. wisdom vs reflex - 4 damage.

Watcher's Strike - Wisdon vs. Reflex, 1d8 + 7 damage and you and allies gain +1 to attack and +5 to perception for 1 turn.

Defending Strike - Wisdon (+12) vs. Reflex, 1d8 + 7 damage and you and allies gain +1 power bonus to AC while adjacent to the spirit companion.

Encoutner Powers
healing spirit - spend healing surge + 2d6 hp

speak with spirits

Dragon Breath - close blast 3, +8 vs Reflex, 1d6 + 6 lightning damage.

Thunderstorm Spirit - ranged 5, Wisdom (+12) vs. Reflex, 1d12 + 7 lightning and thunder damage, and when you and your allies hit a target adjacent to the spirit companion they deal an extra 1d6 lightning and thunder damage.

Daily Powers
Raging Storm Spirit - area burst 5 within 10, Wisdom (+12) vs. Reflex, 3d6 + 7 damage. Effect: creates a zone of thunder that grants allies within it 1d6 extra thunder damage on enemies within the zone.

Blessing of the Iron Tree - one bloodied ally withing 5 gains resist 5 to all until the end of the encounter.

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Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills Arcana +10, Heal +14, History +12, Nature +14
Str 13 (+5) Dex 13 (+5) Wis 18 (+9)
Con 16 (+7) Int 12 (+5) Cha 17 (+7)
Equipment: leather armor, dragon totem, mace

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Flask of Renewal

This carved horn flask seems be about a third full of liquid. The strange old lady that gave it to you said that if you drink sparingly from it you will be refreshed and sustained in times of need. Strange.... This enchanted flask, when sipped from, renews and refreshes the drinker. As long as the flask is not emptied, it remains about a third full. If the entire contents are drank, however, the drinker feels completely refreshed and renewed, but the flask is afterwards forever empty.

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Flask of Renewal - Level 6

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Reusable Potion - 1,800 gold

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Power (Daily): Taking a small sip from the flask, the player may spend a healing surge to regain 10 Hit Points.

Power (Consumable): Drinking from the flask for the second time in a day empties every bit of of liquid left in the flask and allows the player may spend up to 3 healing surges - each for the full Healing Surge value.

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The Tyrant

When the tyrant arrives upon the scene, he seems a mere boy. Young and as impetuous as the PC's liege Ludwig, he seems a child among giants next to the players. But even in the first encounters he speaks with eloquence, emotionally manipulating his listeners with skill. After speaking to him, most feel used, that that they have agreed to do something that makes them feel dirty. With his innocent appearance he makes an appeal to his audience's vanity, be it to their morals or desire for power, offering them a course of action that is presented as furtherance of that goal and plays them like an apprentice's lute.

When next they meet him, during the war for Aguies County he is with the Count Aguies, and outfitted in the regalia of war. His shield bears a gold guantlet holding 3 swords on a red field, and he wears a holy symbol of Hextor.

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Trent ✦ Level 9 Paladin (Soldier)
Medium natural humanoid ✦ XP 400
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +4
HP 83; Bloodied 41; Healing Surge: 20; Healing Surges: 1
AC 28; Fortitude 22, Reflex 23, Will 23
Speed 6 (10 on warhorse)

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Powers

triple-headed flail ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, melee weapon, melee basic
Attack: +13 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 6 damage

Enfeebling Strike ✦ At-Will, Standard Action, Melee, melee weapon
Attack: +12 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 8 damage. If marked, the target takes -2 to attack rolls until the end of Trent's next turn.

Divine Challenge ✦ At-Will, Minor Action, Close burst 5, Divine, Necrotic
Effect: the target is marked, taking a -2 penalty to attacks that do not include Trent as a target, and the first time the target makes such an attack it takes 8 points of necrotic damage.

Lay on Hands ✦ 4 times / Encounter, Minor Action, Melee Touch Divine, healing, Divine Reverence ✦ Encounter, Standard Action, Close burst 1Divine, Necrotic, implement
Attack: +12 vs Will
Hit: 1d8 + 8 necrotic damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.

Necrotic Pulse ✦ Daily, Standard Action, Ranged 10
Divine, Necrotic
Attack: +12 vs Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + 8 necrotic damage, and make a secondary attack
Secondary Attack: +12 vs Fortitude on each enemy adjacent to the primary target.
Hit: 1d10 + 8 necrotic damage and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Sustain Minor: repeat the secondary attack.

Wrath of the Gods ✦ Daily, Minor Action, Close burst 1, Divine
Trent and each ally in burst gain +5 to damage rolls until the end of the encounter.

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Alignment neutral Languages Common
Skills religion +9, bluff +13
Str 16 (+7) Dex 12 (+5) Wis 10 (+4)
Con 11 (+4) Int 14 (+6) Cha 21 (+9)
Equipment: layered plate mail (A.V.), heavy shield, cape of the mountebank +1, triple-headed flail, holy symbol of hextor, heavy warhorse

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A Gnomish barbarian

Hello, again. Just got back from GenCon on Sunday, and I must say I had a blast. Anyway, I thought I'd take a shot at doing an unusual character that avoids the typical Min/Maxing I constantly see in D20/4th ed DnD. If you roll over to Claw/Claw/Bite, our D20 system blog, you can see this guy's stats as I did them for Pathfinder, which is now officially out.
-damp


Luk was not born terribly lucky, despite what his name would tell. His parents were outcast from gnome society while his mother was with him. By the time of his birth, they were destitute, and were forced to abandon him in the heart of the deepest woods. There he was rescued by a pack of wolves, whose alpha female happened to be awakened. Everything was fine, until the month the wolf he called "mother" was killed in the jaws of a hidden trap. He brutally avenged her death by fur collecters, and left the pack to seek his fortune, so that no more of his family would suffer the same fate.
This gnomish warrior could be considered strange even by the standards of his race. Mercrurial and tactless, Luk will pick the absolute worst time to speak the truth with nary a negative intention. But while the insulting replies he receives will roll off his tough hide, the mistreatment of animals--especially wolves and dogs--will immediately send him flying off the handle in a violent rage.

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Luk, level 1 Gnome, Barbarian
Feral Might: Thaneborn Triumph
Background: Gnome - Estranged Fey

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Initiative +1 Senses Perception +0
AC: 15 Fort: 15 Reflex: 12 Will: 11
HP: 30 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 7

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POWERS
Barbarian at-will 1: Howling Strike
Barbarian at-will 1: Devastating Strike
Barbarian encounter 1: Great Cleave
Barbarian daily 1: Swift Panther Rage

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Alignment neutral Languages Common, Gnomish, Lupine
FEATS: Fey Trickster
Skills Perception +5, Intimidate +6, Athletics +7, Acrobatics +1, Arcana +2, Bluff +1, Diplomacy +1, Dungeoneering +0, Endurance +1, Heal +0, History +0, Insight +0, Nature +0, Religion +0, Stealth +2, Streetwise +1, Thievery +1
Str 17, Dex 12, Wis 11
Con 15, Int 10, Cha 12

Equipment: Hide Armor, Battleaxe, Spiked gauntlet, Adventurer's Kit

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Boots of Certain Gravity

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Level 28 Magic Item

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Kard thought he had his foe, Percivin, backed against the wall. That is, until Percivin ran up the wall to the ceiling!

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Item Slot: Feet
Price: 2,125,000 GP

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Property: Gain a climb speed equal to your speed. You can use this movement across any solid surface. You must end your movement on the ground or else you fall.

Power (daily): Free. Choose a direction. That direction becomes down for you for the duration of the encounter or for 5 minutes. You may dismiss this effect and return down to its regular direction as a free action.

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Broken Camp

The following is a preview of our latest 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure "What's Mine's Yours", now available here.

In this encounter, while traveling through the wilderness to root a group of kobolds out of a mine, the party's slumber is disturbed by a group of kobolds intent on protecting their claim.

Encounter: Broken Camp

The PCs are attacked in the night, during second watch.

The evening's fire dies down to a few embers, with most of the party drifting into a weary traveler's slumber.

Skill Challenge: The PCs who remain awake on watch will have to make DC 15 Perception (to hear the rustling in the leaves) and DC 15 Endurance (to stay awake) checks. Each of these two checks will have to be succeeded two out of three rolls.

Success: If the PCs remain awake and perceive the kobolds:

The sound of a twig breaking on the ground brings your attention to the uphill side of the camp.

The PCs on watch will have time to wake the rest of the party before the attack below.

Failure: If not:

The sound of bowstrings startles you on your watch, as arrows fly through the camp, casting fast shadows across your companions' faces.

See tactics below for more information on starting this combat.

Creatures: 2 Kobold Slingers (p168 MM), 2 Kobold Skirmisher (p 167 MM)

Tactics: As the PCs slumber, on second watch, the kobold sneakers will make their way to positions where they can deliver critical missile attacks upon the stronger party members. Those on watch can make perception checks to notice the sneakers moving into place and call an alarm, disrupting their plans. The two brawlers wait for the arrows to be fired, then charge into the fray, the darkness and smoke of the dying fire providing cover for their actions. They will start by attacking the stronger member of the party, hopefully weakened by the first volley of arrows. If the sneakers are discovered, the four kobolds attack as normal.

Development: When the kobolds are defeated, one will notice the party, cursing, "You greedy ssscum, you'll get yoursss!” If the party carefully checks them over in the morning or with a strong light source, they will notice the Guild’s logo branded onto them.

XP: 400

New Adventure - What's Mine's Yours

What's Mine's Yours is a 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure for 1st level characters. This adventure begins in the marketplace in the town of Fort Wood, where the players are approached by representatives of the Guild, a Merchant collective heavily invested in mining operations. They are escorted to a courtyard at the Guild headquarters in Fort Wood, where they are provided with the setting. Kobolds have taken control of a mine of great importance to the Guild. Their task is to free the mine of the kobolds. Over the course of the adventure, the party discovers there is a more sinister story surrounding the Guild's doings in the mine.

This adventure easily serves as the first adventure undertaken by a new party of 1st level characters.

Buy it here for $2.99 -- cheap!

New Comic!

I've been enjoying Mike 'Mortellan' Bridges' W.o.G. comic for some time now, and am pleased to announce that he's given us permission to run it here on Tailslap!

I know it may seem weird to run a comic that focuses on Grayhawk in a magazine for 4th edition D&D, but it's all D&D to me, and for me all D&D goes back to Grayhawk. And on his site Mike muses quite humerously about those old adventures and supliments.

So without further ado: this is the first of the W.o.G. "Cultist" comics, which chronicle the hijinks of a couple of Cultists of Tharizdun in their misadventures across the multiverse.




Mike's inspiration for the comic, and the rest of his work can be seen here: grayhawkonline.com/greyhawkcomic

Ceevok

Ceevok is one of the characters available for the players in the upcoming 30th level game we'll be running at GenCon next month. The rest of the characters are available to view here.

Silent and mysterious, Ceevok speaks only on matters of life and death. As one of the greatest warriors in the grim and mysterious Shadar-kai society, this does not come as much of a surprise. With bow in hand, she has been responsible for slaying some of the most heinous monsters in five planes. At this time, she is entrenched in a quest to release the Chained God, Thardizum, from the Abyss. The vision for this goal came in a dream to her from the Raven Queen, who told her that beings from the Realms beyond the stars threatened the Universe. Only Thardizum has the power to defeat these utterly foreign beings, and must reluctantly be released.

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Ceevock
Female Shadar-kai ranger 30 Size: Med
Initiative: +26 Senses: Passive Perception: 32 Passive Insight: 32 Low-light Vision

HP: 173 Bloodied: 86 Surge Value: 43 Surges per day: 9
AC: 43 (45 vs opportunity attacks) Fort 38 Ref 41 Will 38
Resist 15 cold and fire

Speed: 7 squares

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Class Features
Style: Archer Ranger Paragon Path: Battlefield Archer Epic Destiny: Epic Trickster
Prime Shot: +1 to attack against a target if you are nearer to it than any other ally.
Hunter's Quarry (+3d8)

Powers:
At will: Nimble Strike: +33 vs AC / 2d10+ 13, Twin Strike +33 vs Reflex (two attacks) / 2d10 + 6
Encounter: Combined Fire(p), Triple Shot, Manticore's Volley, Lightning Shot
Daily: Quarry's Bane(p), Great Ram Arrow, Tiger's Reflex, Three in one Shot
Utility: Yield Ground, Weave Through the fray, Expeditious Stride, Momentary Respite, Safe Stride, Archer's Glory (P), Epic Trick (E)

Feats:
Defensive Mobility(free)
Heroic: Lethal Hunter, Escape Artist, Durable, Jack of all trades, Weapon Focus: Longbow, Improved Initiative, Paragon: Blood Thirst, Iron Will, Danger Sense, Great Fortitude, Sly Hunter, Point Blank Shot, Epic: Unfettered Stride, Triumphant Attack, Flanking Maneuver, Skill Focus: Dungeoneering and Perception, Armor Specialization: Hide.

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Skills: Acrobatics: +30, Arcana +20, Athletics +22, Bluff +17, Diplomacy +17, Dungeoneering +25, Endurance +28, Heal +22, History +20, Insight +20, Intimidate +17, Nature +25, Perception +22, Religion +20, Stealth +25, Streetwise +17, Thievery +23

Alignment: Unaligned Languages: Common
Str 16 (+18) Con 16 (+18) Dex 24 (+22) Int 16 (+18) Wis 20 (+20) Cha 11 (+15)

Equipment: Vicious Longbow +6 (+6d12 per critical hit), +6 Trollskin Elderhide (+5 masterwork), Star Opal Ring, Flying Carpet, Cloak of Survival

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For Love of Evil

For those readers who will be playing in "For Love of Evil" at GenCon in a month, we have finished the PCs.

Follow the link below for the D&D Character Builder and PDF versions of the 10 evil 30th level characters. They would also all make suitable villains in any game.

http://unicornrampant.com/ForLoveofEvilCharacters.zip

Astral Archers

You conjure two ghostly, elven archers armed with radiant bows. They fire along with the caster, providing a volley of arrows that deal divine damage to enemies.

Daily • Conjuration, Divine, Implement, Radiant
Standard Action • Ranged 10

Effect: You conjure two elven archers, each occupying 1 square within range. When the caster makes ranged attacks, the conjured archers also fire. If the caster is successful in his attack, the archers also hit, dealing 1d10 + Wisdom modifier radiant damage.

You can move one archer or both a total of 3 squares as a move action. Creatures can move through the spaces occupied by the archers. The archers last until the end of the encounter.

Diseases, Parasites and Afflictions

Before the advent of sanitation and scientific medicine people suffered a broad range of afflictions that we don't ever have to think about. In order to present some medieval flavor to my games I've come up with a few unpleasant conditions for the players to suffer through and overcome.

Ranging form the merely pesky, like an infestation of fleas, to the deadly, such as The Black Death, these conditions can bring your players more fully into the setting you're trying to establish. Are they adventuring in the slums of this city? Better not drink that water unless you want Dysentery! Digging through the ogre's bed looking for lose gold? You're likely to take away some fleas with you along with that coin.

Many of these afflictions can be treated with simple care, bathing, proper diet or simple medicine - aka a Heal skill check. Others can be difficult to treat with the poor mundane techniques available to ancient physicians, wise women and barbers and may require a trip to the temple for the gods' intervention. Whichever disease you chose to afflict on your PCs, these diseases serve as a bit of detail to draw them into character, and perhaps relieve them of some of their coin, without becoming a game-stopper if you don't want it to be one.

These Diseases follow the standard rules for diseases (see DMG p.49). Characters who contract the disease begin at "Initial Effect" on the disease tract, and move towards Cured or Worsened and then Final Stage depending on the results of the Endurance or Heal check they make at the end of each extended rest.

Diseases

Fleas - Level 1 Disease
Tiny bloodsucking insects that cause painful itching bites.
Attack: +4 vs Fortitude upon touch exposure to a source of fleas.
Endurance: improve DC 16, maintain DC 11, worsen DC 10 or lower. Bathing and washing one's clothes gives a +4 on this check.
Cured: The target has freed itself from fleas, or is ignoring them completely.
Initial Effect: Painful itching from flea bites cause the target to lose one healing surge that they cannot regain.
Worsened: The infestation has grown, causing the loss of another healing surge that cannot be regained, and the fleas can attack to infest those in close proximity to the afflicted character (such as the other party members).
Final Stage: The target is constantly itching the fleas, taking a -1 penalty to skill checks in addition to the above effects. Also, the sores from itching may become subject to Infection (see below).


Food Poisoning - Level 3 Disease
Consumption of uncooked, spoiled or tainted foods can result in severe stomach and intestinal distress.
Attack: +6 vs Fortitude upon consumption of tainted food or water.
Endurance: improve DC 18, maintain DC 13, worsen DC 12 or lower
Cured: The illness passes and the character recovers.
Initial Effect: Queasiness results in a -1 penalty to all attacks and skill checks, and the character loses one Healing Surge that cannot be recovered.
Worsened: Weakness and frequent vomiting and dihereah result in a -2 penalty to all attacks and skill checks, and the character loses two Healing Surges that cannot be recovered.
Worsened Further: As Worsened and the character is immobilized until they improve.
Final Stage: The character dies from dehydration.


Dysentery (aka the bloody flux) - Level 6 Disease
A disorder of the digestive system often caused by parasites that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and blood in the feces. If left untreated, dysentery can and usually will be fatal.
Attack: +9 vs Fortitude upon drinking tainted water.
Endurance: improve DC 21, maintain DC 16, worsen DC 15 or lower
Cured: The illness passes and the character recovers.
Initial Effect: Queasiness results in a -2 penalty to all attacks and skill checks, and the character loses two Healing Surges that cannot be recovered.
Worsened: Weakness and frequent vomiting and dihereah result in a -4 penalty to all attacks and skill checks, and the character loses four Healing Surges that cannot be recovered.
Worsened Further: As Worsened and the character is immobilized until they improve.
Final Stage: The character dies from dehydration.


Pox - Level 8 Disease
The pox begins with fever, aches and maliase. Then lesions form on the body and develop into inflamed ulcers that then cover over with thick black crusts.
Attack: +11 vs Fortitude upon physical contact with an infected creature.
Endurance: improve DC 23, maintain DC 18, worsen DC 17 or lower
Cured: The pox clears, usually leaving extensive scars on the skin.
Initial Effect: About 12 days after exposure fevers set in and the target sufferes fatigue, headache and possible vomiting or dhiarreha. The character takes a -2 penalty to all attacks and skill checks and loses two healing surges that cannot be ragianed. In addition, the victim is contagious to others within 1 square for 5 rounds.
Worsened: The pox (red pimples) appears on the target, beginning in the mouth and spreading to the face, then chest, then the limbs. The character suffers the Initial Effect and is immobilized, but is no longer contagious.
Final Stage: Roll Percentile die: the character either dies (%1-75), is permanently blinded by pox on the eyes (%76-85) or suffers a permanent -1 to all attacks and skill checks (%86-100). If the character survives the disease has run its course and the character moves to Cured.


Infected Wounds - Level 9 Disease
Wounds that prevent sufficent bloodflow to the extremeties or that are not properly cleaned may become infected and begin to rot, turning black or green and exhuding a terrible stench.
Attack: +12 vs. Fortitude if the character has open wounds that are not cleaned.
Endurance: improve DC 24, maintain DC 19, worsen DC 18 or lower
Cured: The infection clears up.
Initial Effect: The wound becomes red and inflamed, and pus or fluid drains from the wound. Lose one healing surge that cannot be regianed.
Worsened: Fever sets in. The tissue around the wound begins to turn an ugly dark color and smell like rotten meat. Red streaks may appear under the skin heading towards the character's heart. Lose two healing surges that cannot be regianed and take a -2 penalty to all attacks and skill checks.
Final Stage: The character dies from the infection.


Black Death - Level 12 Disease

Adieu, farewell earths blisse,

This world uncertaine is,
Fond are lifes lustful joyes,
Death proves them all but toyes,
None from his darts can flye;
I am sick, I must dye:

Lord, have mercy on us.

—"A Litany in Time of Plague"
by Thomas Nashe

Attack: +15 vs. Fortitude
Endurance: improve DC 27, maintain DC 22, worsen DC 21 or lower
Cured: The target recovers.
Initial Effect: The target experiences fever, headaches, painful aching joints, nausea and vomiting, and a general feeling of malaise. The target loses two healing surges that cannot be regained, is -2 to all attacks and skill checks, and cannot spend any action points.
Worsened: Painful buboes appear at the groin, armpits and neck and ooze pus and bleed, the target begins coughing up blood or purple skin patches appear on the target. The target is dazed in addition to the Initial Effect.
Final Stage: The target dies.

Ale Break: Keep on the Borderlands

It all started when I ordered a copy of the AD&D adventure "Vault of the Drow". I like to read over these old modules and see how the original writers of this game conceived adventures. I was so taken with "Vault" that I also got "Descent into the Depths of the Earth". I liked them so much that I decided I wanted to run or play in them. But with the two weekly games I run in mid-progress I felt like I was pretty much booked up.

Wednesdays we play "Savage Tide". At 16th level, they're in the home stretch: 4 more adventures to go, and I don't want to lose momentum on this game.

Sundays I run a D&D game for some friends and co-contributors to Unicorn Rampant. I've been running a homebrew campaign I call "The Heir of Soguer", but have had a little writer's block lately. So I thought, here's a chance for us to take a little break from "Heir" and revisit some old adventures I haven't played since high school or have never had a chance to play.

So far it's been a blast running "Keep on the Borderlands". I came up with a place to put the keep in my campaign world and told the players the story was taking place 10 years before the story I'm telling in "Heir". I then told them they were from the Temple of the Stars, a historically important location they're headed to in "Heir" and worked on backgrounds for their characters. I then and gave them their quest: go to the Keep on the Borderlands, where bandits are raiding travelers, and lend a hand however they can. This gave me a way to tie this side trek into the current game: it gives the players some foreshadowing of what they're about to encounter in "Heir". The quest is also the type of cheesy, simple old-school adventure hook that gave the game a great starting flavor.

It's been wonderfully nostalgic running Keep. The players got to the famous "Castallian Keep" and started wandering around, meeting the locals and soaking up the medieval flavor.


I had to come up with names for all the NPCs, since that's the one detail omitted from the town descriptions. For those who have never seen Keep on the Borderlands, there are elaborate descriptions of lots of things, including the contents of every drawer in the moneylender's shop and the traps guarding each drawer, but the people there are "scribe: mu2, ac:9, at:1, dmg: 1-4, spells: ventriloquism, grease". And you thought 4e stat blocks were short :) All together the adventure is about 20 pages with the area descriptions, treasure, hidden features and stats all run together in a single paragraph for each area. Adventures have come a long way in 30 years, although you still sometimes see this.

Once they got to the Caves of Chaos and started in on the meat of the dungeon, I started converting the encounters on the fly. According to the 4e DMG, each 1st level character in the encounter merits 100 xp worth of monsters, up to 175 xp for a really tough challenge. The adventure says there are 6 goblins in the first room, and I have 3 players. So I went with four goblin minions at 25 xp each, and two 1st level goblins at 100 xp each for a total of 300 xp worth of monsters. If there were only 3 goblins called for I made them all 1st level goblins at 100 xp each, or two 2nd level at 150 xp each and a minion for 25 xp. It worked out quite nicely; I was able to run the adventure from a single page in the monster manual, so there wasn't a bunch of flipping around from book to book. Between this and buying 14 goblin minis this kept the players from guessing who were minions and who weren't.

All of this made me think about how simple the monsters were in AD&D. They had a HD, which determined their "BAB", and a number of attacks and damage. They also had a morale score, and if they were special they had a "saves as" entry. Unless they had spells or special abilities, that was it. Compare that to the 3e stat block for a goblin: 23 lines of information jammed together in a poorly orgznized format. Of course, that format was inherited form the old AD&D monster manual. Paizo improved drastically on the readability of that format in their Dungeon Magazine by organizing the stats in sections, and we use that format here at Unicorn Rampant for our Claw/Claw/Bite! line of products, but there can still be a lot of digging around required of the DM compared to having only 5 or 6 numbers as stats for a monster. Now, in 4e, you can almost run all your monsters from a single chart again. I keep thinking I'm going to write up a spreadsheet that takes monster level and roll and spits out complete stats.

For running the dungeon I used our big Chessex mondomat, as usual, and tried out the Dungeon Mastery dungeon tiles from Piazo that I got at GenCon last year. I was really happy with them: they add a lot of good-looking detail to the game without taking a lot of time to draw. Lack of good corridors is the only real weakness of the tiles, but it's easy enough to draw the corridors and use the tiles for the rooms along the way. I'm thinking I'm going to pick up another set or two and copy some of the corridors in the back of the DMG for the next session.

I just got all three modules of the "Against the Giants" series, so hopefully we'll keep enjoying these old adventures enough to string together a campaign out of them.

Thanks to W.o.G. for inspiring me to get "Vault of the Drow" and starting me down this path.

-Adam