Goober4473
2016-04-19, 12:08 AM
So far I've run the Silken Paths and a toned down Lost Tomb of Khaem, and have made some modifications to both to make them more interesting. I'm considering how I want to handle the other two. I plan to run Hook Horror Hunt fairly soon, and the Oozing Temple a bit later when the players are headed to Blingdenstone.
For the Silken Paths, I mostly just wanted to make sure the random encounters checked out, and would make for a good day of adventuring. Plus I wanted to end with a bang.
Cocoons (1,200 XP)
Six cocoons hang against the cliff face, above a 10-foot wide ledge, easily within reach of anyone below. Searching a cocoon without alerting the nearby spider requires a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Creatures: 3 giant spiders (MM 328, CR 1) lurk nearby. One arrives each round after they are alerted.
Treasure: The cocoons hold:
1. A dead human man wearing leather armor and carrying a longsword, a short sword, a short bow, and a quiver 14 arrows. He also has a backpack with 10 pounds of rations, 50 feet of hemp rope, a crowbar, a hammer, 6 pitons, 5 torches, and a waterskin.
2. Fargas Rumblefoot, poisoned and paralyzed.
3. A dead elf woman wearing scale mail armor, carrying a mace and a shield with the holy symbol of Pelor on it. She also has a pouch with 20 gp.
4. Two drow corpses, each wearing studded leather armor and carrying a short sword, hand crossbow, 20 bolts, and a flask of drow poison.
5. A desiccated half-orc corpse with a maul and a dragon-claw on a pendant.
6. A dead dwarven woman in robes, carrying a dagger, a staff, a spellbook (alarm, burning hands, comprehend languages, detect magic, find familiar, identify, magic missile, ray of sickness), and a scroll of cloud of daggers.
Spectator (700 XP)
Ivan the a spectator (MM 30, CR 3) approaches the party, demanding to know why they are trespassing in his master’s castle. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check can point out flaws in the spectator’s logic. Three successful checks are required to convince him. The DC increases by 2 for each failed check, but has advantage if it is a particularly glaring error in logic. Once the DC reaches 25, the next failed check enrages the spectator enough to attack.
Spiders! (1,600 XP)
Giant spiders ambush the party, who are surprised if they fail a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. A spider flees once bloodied. A successful DC 17 Charisma (Animal Handling or Intimidation) check shoos a damaged spider away.
Creatures: 4 giant spiders (MM 328, CR 1). Ivan the a spectator (MM 30, CR 3) returns, hearing the commotion, if he is alive. A successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check as an action convinces him to attack the spiders for 1d4 rounds. The DC is 15 if they did not placate him before.
Spiderzilla Chase
The giant spider, Spiderzilla (see below), chases the party!
NOTE: I use an alternate chase system (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwir5V4Ifx5dZl82dlFVYXRTT1U/view?usp=sharing). References to escape boxes can be replaced by losing 10 feet of movement. Using my system, uncheck 1d4 escape boxes at the end of each round. Skill checks are DC 15 and check one escape box, a 20 or better checks two boxes, and a 9 or worse unchecks one.
Chase Complications
1-4: The webs slope downward. Check off an escape box if you are using grease. Otherwise, make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check/uncheck an escape box.
5-6: Sticky webs! Make a DC 10 Strength check, or use your action to attack with a slashing weapon, or uncheck/check an escape box.
7: Spider nest! Make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check or take 1d4 piercing damage, plus 1d4 poison damage if you fail a DC 11 Constitution saving throw.
8: Giant spider (MM 328, CR 1)! Either take the disengage action, or make a DC 12 Charisma (Animal Handling) check, or it makes a bite attack against you: +5 to hit, 1d8 + 3 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
9: Web break! Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or uncheck/check an escape box. If you fail by 5 or more, check off two boxes.
10: A hidden Darkmantle (MM 46, CR 1/2) drops on you and makes a Crush attack. If it hits, it remains attached until removed or bloodied.
11-20: No complication.
Spiderzilla
Huge monstrosity, unaligned
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Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
------------------------------------------------
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
------------------------------------------------
Saving Throws Dex +6
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages –
Challenge 6
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Spider Climb. Spiderzilla can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, Spiderzilla knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker. Spiderzilla ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Actions
------------------------------------------------
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2d8+4 piercing damage, plus 2d8 poison damage.
For the Lost Tomb of Khaem, I converted it to more closely fit the "five room dungeon" model. I wanted a bit more roleplaying and puzzle solving involved. My idea was that the tomb was built by the enmies of Brysis, who feared her return, or at least the return of her weapons.
Also, my players were brought here by Fargas, so I didn't use the voice calling to them until the final chamber.
1. Entrance Room (1,100 XP, non-combat)
The ghost (MM 147, CR 4) of Brysis appears to the part here, prepared to destroy invading under-dwellers. She will let them pass if they convince her they wish to bring light to the darkness. Not too hard if they are not all underdark denizens.
2. Shrine
The faerzress subsides here, but a continual flame shining from a holy symbol of Pelor illuminates this chamber. The shrine is carved in Undercommon, “the light of Khaem shall never again burn for those above.”
The doors in this room are sealed and hidden. A DC 15 group Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the location of the doors as hollow on the other side, but they cannot be opened. The doors will open only when no light shines within the chamber.
3. Servants’ Sarcophagi (1,600 XP)
Creatures: A Specter (MM 279, CR 1) reside here, rising from a random sarcophagus when disturbed.
Treasure: A pair of gold bracers worth 50 gp and a wand; a silver necklace worth 50 gp; a silver walking stick (club) with a scorpion carved into its handle worth 75 gp; a golden ring worth 10 gp.
Note: My PCs were only level 2 for this, so I used only one specter. More are appropriate for higher level parties. The treasure was also toned down for this reason.
4. False Tomb (200 XP)
The tomb’s curse lasts for one minute, and a new save is allowed at the end of each turn.
Note: This is to make this fight more complicated, but not to screw the party over for a long time without any warning.
Creatures: When the tomb is disturbed, the statue of Brysis (Animated Armor; MM 19, CR 1) attacks the party. The statue's false appearance trait is that of Brysis.
5. True Tomb (1,800 XP)
When the true sarcophagus is opened, the tomb’s curse activates, and Brysis is transformed into a Wraith (MM 302, CR 5) and is compelled to attack the party.
Brysis spends her first turn resisting, telling them to destroy her, using her old weapons if necessary. She is reluctant to fight for two more rounds, causing her attacks to deal half damage, and saving throws against her life draining to be made at advantage. After that, she fights to kill.
Note: A higher level party may not need the extra rounds of weakness for this to be a fair fight.
Treasure: From inside the tomb, Dawnbringer calls for someone to use her during the fight. If they do, she attunes immediately to the first person to wield her. The sarcophagus also contains a necklace of fireballs, a philter of love, and a potion of greater healing.
For the Hook Horror Hunt, I'm not too satisfied with it being just a few gnoll fights, separate from maybe a fight with hook horrors. I want to get the PCs a bit more involved, but I'm not sure how yet. I'm thinking I may also want to leave signs that Yeenoghu is free in the Underdark. Perhaps the players walk along a ledge, overlooking a large cavern, where down below a pair of hook horrors have been slain and hyenas feast on their bodies, transforming into gnolls.
Or better yet, have the players stumble upon an ongoing battle between gnolls and hook horrors, with the horrors injured already. Once one dies, hyenas could behind devouring them and turning into more gnolls. The players then need to take care of the hyenas before they're overwhelmed by gnolls.
For the Oozing Temple, I'd like to provide more choices for the players, and less random holes with oozes in them, but I have no ideas yet.
What has everyone else done for these set pieces, and do you have any ideas for the latter two?
For the Silken Paths, I mostly just wanted to make sure the random encounters checked out, and would make for a good day of adventuring. Plus I wanted to end with a bang.
Cocoons (1,200 XP)
Six cocoons hang against the cliff face, above a 10-foot wide ledge, easily within reach of anyone below. Searching a cocoon without alerting the nearby spider requires a DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Creatures: 3 giant spiders (MM 328, CR 1) lurk nearby. One arrives each round after they are alerted.
Treasure: The cocoons hold:
1. A dead human man wearing leather armor and carrying a longsword, a short sword, a short bow, and a quiver 14 arrows. He also has a backpack with 10 pounds of rations, 50 feet of hemp rope, a crowbar, a hammer, 6 pitons, 5 torches, and a waterskin.
2. Fargas Rumblefoot, poisoned and paralyzed.
3. A dead elf woman wearing scale mail armor, carrying a mace and a shield with the holy symbol of Pelor on it. She also has a pouch with 20 gp.
4. Two drow corpses, each wearing studded leather armor and carrying a short sword, hand crossbow, 20 bolts, and a flask of drow poison.
5. A desiccated half-orc corpse with a maul and a dragon-claw on a pendant.
6. A dead dwarven woman in robes, carrying a dagger, a staff, a spellbook (alarm, burning hands, comprehend languages, detect magic, find familiar, identify, magic missile, ray of sickness), and a scroll of cloud of daggers.
Spectator (700 XP)
Ivan the a spectator (MM 30, CR 3) approaches the party, demanding to know why they are trespassing in his master’s castle. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion or Deception) check can point out flaws in the spectator’s logic. Three successful checks are required to convince him. The DC increases by 2 for each failed check, but has advantage if it is a particularly glaring error in logic. Once the DC reaches 25, the next failed check enrages the spectator enough to attack.
Spiders! (1,600 XP)
Giant spiders ambush the party, who are surprised if they fail a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. A spider flees once bloodied. A successful DC 17 Charisma (Animal Handling or Intimidation) check shoos a damaged spider away.
Creatures: 4 giant spiders (MM 328, CR 1). Ivan the a spectator (MM 30, CR 3) returns, hearing the commotion, if he is alive. A successful DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check as an action convinces him to attack the spiders for 1d4 rounds. The DC is 15 if they did not placate him before.
Spiderzilla Chase
The giant spider, Spiderzilla (see below), chases the party!
NOTE: I use an alternate chase system (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwir5V4Ifx5dZl82dlFVYXRTT1U/view?usp=sharing). References to escape boxes can be replaced by losing 10 feet of movement. Using my system, uncheck 1d4 escape boxes at the end of each round. Skill checks are DC 15 and check one escape box, a 20 or better checks two boxes, and a 9 or worse unchecks one.
Chase Complications
1-4: The webs slope downward. Check off an escape box if you are using grease. Otherwise, make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check/uncheck an escape box.
5-6: Sticky webs! Make a DC 10 Strength check, or use your action to attack with a slashing weapon, or uncheck/check an escape box.
7: Spider nest! Make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check or take 1d4 piercing damage, plus 1d4 poison damage if you fail a DC 11 Constitution saving throw.
8: Giant spider (MM 328, CR 1)! Either take the disengage action, or make a DC 12 Charisma (Animal Handling) check, or it makes a bite attack against you: +5 to hit, 1d8 + 3 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
9: Web break! Make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or uncheck/check an escape box. If you fail by 5 or more, check off two boxes.
10: A hidden Darkmantle (MM 46, CR 1/2) drops on you and makes a Crush attack. If it hits, it remains attached until removed or bloodied.
11-20: No complication.
Spiderzilla
Huge monstrosity, unaligned
------------------------------------------------
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
------------------------------------------------
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
------------------------------------------------
Saving Throws Dex +6
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages –
Challenge 6
------------------------------------------------
Spider Climb. Spiderzilla can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, Spiderzilla knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker. Spiderzilla ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
Actions
------------------------------------------------
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2d8+4 piercing damage, plus 2d8 poison damage.
For the Lost Tomb of Khaem, I converted it to more closely fit the "five room dungeon" model. I wanted a bit more roleplaying and puzzle solving involved. My idea was that the tomb was built by the enmies of Brysis, who feared her return, or at least the return of her weapons.
Also, my players were brought here by Fargas, so I didn't use the voice calling to them until the final chamber.
1. Entrance Room (1,100 XP, non-combat)
The ghost (MM 147, CR 4) of Brysis appears to the part here, prepared to destroy invading under-dwellers. She will let them pass if they convince her they wish to bring light to the darkness. Not too hard if they are not all underdark denizens.
2. Shrine
The faerzress subsides here, but a continual flame shining from a holy symbol of Pelor illuminates this chamber. The shrine is carved in Undercommon, “the light of Khaem shall never again burn for those above.”
The doors in this room are sealed and hidden. A DC 15 group Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the location of the doors as hollow on the other side, but they cannot be opened. The doors will open only when no light shines within the chamber.
3. Servants’ Sarcophagi (1,600 XP)
Creatures: A Specter (MM 279, CR 1) reside here, rising from a random sarcophagus when disturbed.
Treasure: A pair of gold bracers worth 50 gp and a wand; a silver necklace worth 50 gp; a silver walking stick (club) with a scorpion carved into its handle worth 75 gp; a golden ring worth 10 gp.
Note: My PCs were only level 2 for this, so I used only one specter. More are appropriate for higher level parties. The treasure was also toned down for this reason.
4. False Tomb (200 XP)
The tomb’s curse lasts for one minute, and a new save is allowed at the end of each turn.
Note: This is to make this fight more complicated, but not to screw the party over for a long time without any warning.
Creatures: When the tomb is disturbed, the statue of Brysis (Animated Armor; MM 19, CR 1) attacks the party. The statue's false appearance trait is that of Brysis.
5. True Tomb (1,800 XP)
When the true sarcophagus is opened, the tomb’s curse activates, and Brysis is transformed into a Wraith (MM 302, CR 5) and is compelled to attack the party.
Brysis spends her first turn resisting, telling them to destroy her, using her old weapons if necessary. She is reluctant to fight for two more rounds, causing her attacks to deal half damage, and saving throws against her life draining to be made at advantage. After that, she fights to kill.
Note: A higher level party may not need the extra rounds of weakness for this to be a fair fight.
Treasure: From inside the tomb, Dawnbringer calls for someone to use her during the fight. If they do, she attunes immediately to the first person to wield her. The sarcophagus also contains a necklace of fireballs, a philter of love, and a potion of greater healing.
For the Hook Horror Hunt, I'm not too satisfied with it being just a few gnoll fights, separate from maybe a fight with hook horrors. I want to get the PCs a bit more involved, but I'm not sure how yet. I'm thinking I may also want to leave signs that Yeenoghu is free in the Underdark. Perhaps the players walk along a ledge, overlooking a large cavern, where down below a pair of hook horrors have been slain and hyenas feast on their bodies, transforming into gnolls.
Or better yet, have the players stumble upon an ongoing battle between gnolls and hook horrors, with the horrors injured already. Once one dies, hyenas could behind devouring them and turning into more gnolls. The players then need to take care of the hyenas before they're overwhelmed by gnolls.
For the Oozing Temple, I'd like to provide more choices for the players, and less random holes with oozes in them, but I have no ideas yet.
What has everyone else done for these set pieces, and do you have any ideas for the latter two?