TEXT: This adventure is to be played with the 3.5 version of the Dungeons And Dragon rules by Wizards of the 
  Coast. 
  SBN-9-01 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The Accursed Sea 
  An adventure for Greyhawk  
  Set in the Sea Barons 
  Based on an adventure by Michael C. LaBossiere 
   
  The islands known as the Sea barons were originally settled to provide the Great Kingdom with a 
  naval power. The navy of the Sea barons still patrols the coastal waters. But the sea is a cruel mistress, 
  and some parts of the ocean are described as cursed. 
  This adventure suits sea-faring characters. 
  A two round adventure set in the Sea Barons for characters levels 1-9 (APL 2-6) 
   
  This adventure uses the Fiend Folio, Libris Mortis, Monster Manual II, Spell Compendium and 
  Stormwrack. 
  
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  Background 
  In days long past, the Great Kingdom ruled 
  vast areas of land and sea. To ensure that its 
  ships were able to navigate safely, it constructed 
  numerous light houses on key islands and along 
  dangerous coasts. 
  With the Great Kingdom’s demise, many of 
  these beacons were abandoned, and decayed 
  into ruin. The infrastructure and resources 
  needed to maintain and man the surviving 
  beacons simply did not exist anymore. So, one 
  by one the lights went dark. 
  One such beacon is located on a small 
  island, in the Sea Barons. 
  The beacon survived longer than most, but 
  as fate would have it, the Dorshenta, a Scarlet 
  Brotherhood vessel full of mutineers and the 
  pirate vessel Wesren, attacked the island and 
  raided it for supplies and loot. After killing almost 
  everyone on the island, the crews returned to 
  their ships. Perhaps it was a tardy Judgment or 
  mere bad luck, but the Dorshenta was swept 
  onto the Cruel Rocks on the northeast part of 
  the island. With her hull broken, the vessel could 
  no longer shelter her crew – they were cast into 
  the churning surf and crushed upon the rocks. 
  Their compatriots in the Wesren laughed at their 
  fate and set out to sea, only to face their own 
  Judgment. 
  Though 
  the 
  physical 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  Dorshenta’s crew were soon devoured by the 
  rock crabs and hungry fish, the spirits of the 
  crew were trapped in the area of the wreck – 
  condemned to pay for their wickedness until set 
  free. 
  The crew of the Wesren met an equally 
  unpleasant fate out on the waves-they fell under 
  a curse and also became undead beings. 
  A more gentle spirit, the beacon keeper 
  Hepsen, was bound to the island. However, his 
  binding was voluntary – he was granted 
  permission by his god to be able to watch over 
  his beloved beacon. 
  Since the time of the Dorshenta, the island 
  saw no new human visitors, but there were 
  some new arrivals. Corrupted necromantic 
  cursed seeds blew in from the mainland and 
  took root within the forest. 
  From these vile seeds arose necrotrees. 
  These foul things decimated the animals and 
  birds of the forest, leaving behind only a 
  multitude of small bones. 
  While the island has remained in isolation 
  for centuries, that will change with the arrival of 
  the PCs. It is up to them to determine their fate 
  and the fate of the Little Island. 
  Introduction 
  Determine whether characters are native to 
  the Sea Barons or not. Choose the most 
  appropriate introduction. 
   
  Sea Baron Characters: 
  Asperdi Isle is the largest Island in the 
  Sea Barons. The success of the Dominion in 
  establishing peace and order in the Solnor 
  Ocean has made life much better. Fishermen 
  and villagers no longer need to worry that 
  they will be awakened by bloodthirsty 
  pirates. Merchants can travel in safety from 
  one end of the Dominion to the other with 
  little to fear but going broke from bad 
  business decisions. 
  However, threats still remain that the 
  naval power of the Dominion must oppose. 
  The Scarlet Brotherhood and their puppets in 
  the Lordship of the Isles still threaten peace 
  on the Solnor. Leastisle is still in anarchy 
  after the overthrow of their Baron in 584 CY, 
  although this does not affect the rest of the 
  Dominion. It is prudent that the Dominion 
  keep watch in the southern Solnor. 
  The naval ship Dirtiho, currently berthed 
  in Ironport, is taking on independent hands 
  to patrol the seas south of the Dominion.  
   
  Characters from Other Areas: 
  The Dominion of the Sea Barons is not a 
  welcoming place. Yes, Asperdi Isle is fertile 
  and lush, but the people are not as 
  welcoming as the land. As strangers in the 
  land, you have not been welcomed. The 
  Dominion of the Sea Barons sanctions 
  slavery, and they are always watching, 
  conscious of the risk of Scarlet Brotherhood 
  spies. Many of the rules of the Solnor Coast 
  consider the Dominion are little better than 
  the pirates they have displaced. 
  However, the Dominion does not prevent 
  foreigners serving on their ships in a minor 
  capacity. The naval ship Dirtiho, currently 
  berthed in Ironport,  is taking on independent 
  hands to patrol the seas south of the 
  Dominion.  
   
  These introductions illustrate the different 
  views of the Sea Barons, the internal and the 
  external view. The adventure assumes that the 
  
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  PCs will take ordinary seaman roles on the 
  Dirtiho. 
   
  When the PCs find the ship, they note it lists 
  slightly to port. It is, no doubt, a merry vessel – 
  the crew seems to already be well into their rum 
  ration and the PCs can assist the navigator in 
  finding his way on board (“I would have found 
  the ship eventually”, he insists). Even the 
  numerous rats aboard seem happy to see them 
  and wish them well by smiling with their pointy 
  teeth. One even pisses on a PCs boot, a sure 
  sign of the good luck to follow. 
  The PCs board the Dirtiho and find their way 
  to their quarters in the bilge… 
  The promise of adventure is so thick you 
  could cut it…or is that merely the smell of 
  the rancid bacon fat that will be your diet for 
  the journey? No matter, a great voyage waits 
  for you! 
  1:  The  Journey  and  a  Dire 
  Storm 
  Once the ship is prepared and the last of 
  the crew is dragged aboard by the harbor 
  watch, the Dirtiho sets out to sea. A few of 
  the rats, maybe the wiser or smarter ones, 
  look around and then leap overboard, 
  swimming desperately for the shore. 
  The first few days of the journey will be dull 
  and monotonous-the ship will lumber through 
  the waves, the adventurers will be bored and the 
  crew will drink like fish. 
  The PCs will quickly find that one of their 
  fellow adventurers, a sorcerer named Chedek, is 
  an extremely annoying person. He will go on at 
  great length about how he has the blood of 
  dragons in his family (“Yes, that is right-the very 
  blood of the great dragons runs in my veins”), 
  how much he knows about the days of the Great 
  Kingdom (“I have spent countless hours poring 
  over the old books, gleaning remarkable shards 
  of knowledge that will give me a magnificent 
  edge over you dullards”) and how great he is. 
  He will continue along these lines until he has 
  annoyed and alienated everyone except for the 
  cabin boy Buths. Buths will believe his tales and 
  hang on his every word. 
  As the ship gets within a few days of its 
  destination, the crew and captain will seem a bit 
  nervous. If a PC inquires, the person they ask 
  will say “One thing they don’t say much about is 
  how this part of the ocean is still a bit cursed. 
  Tales tell of ships drifting these waters…ships 
  that should be rightfully rotting on the bottom of 
  the sea. Then there are the storms. One must 
  never forget the storms. Only the desperate, like 
  me, or the foolish, like you, would even be here. 
  Now be off with you, I have things to do.” 
  When the Dirtiho reaches the southern 
  ocean, read or paraphrase the following: 
  On the first night in these waters, a faint 
  glow is visible in the distance – a pale bluish-
  gray glow that suggests the shape of a ship. 
  The crew appears nervous and the captain 
  instructs the helmsmen to keep a course 
  away from it. 
  The next day, the above mentioned storms 
  will strike. The day will begin pleasantly 
  enough—the sea gently rocking the ship and the 
  wind firmly pushing the sails. The skies will then 
  quickly darken, the sea will swell and the wind 
  will begin to howl. This is a dire gale. Refer 
  Table 1-4 of Stormwrack (pg 23). The ship is a 
  dromond (Stormwrack pg 99-100), but has a -2 
  circumstance penalty to its seaworthiness 
  because it has not been well maintained. 
  The captain is experienced (Profession 
  Sailor +16), but in this adventure the result is 
  inevitable. Roll 1d20+14 per hour against a DC 
  of 28. When this roll is failed, the ship founders. 
  The Dirtiho is in serious trouble. Waves 
  crash over her deck and the sails are torn to 
  shreds. The the main mast cracks and the 
  ship is going down. Luckily a net full of 
  empty rum barrels is floating nearby. 
  The PCs can stay afloat until the storm 
  passes. They will catch a brief glimpse of other 
  survivors struggling in the water before the 
  storm surges sweep them helplessly away. 
  Naturally, to avoid causing the players to 
  whine, the PCs will be able to miraculously 
  retain all their gear-the netted barrels provide 
  sufficient flotation to keep even a fully armored 
  person and his stuff above the waves. 
  2: A Spooky Passage 
  The PCs will have the ‘good fortune’ of 
  being rescued by a ghostly vessel. Map 1 
  contains the deck plans of this vessel. 
   
  Background: In the days of the Great 
  Kingdom, fleets of merchant vessels sailed the 
  seas, bringing goods and profits to and from 
  great ports. The Wesren was once one of these 
  proud merchant ships, but its original crew was 
  slaughtered by pirates who took it as their own. 
  These pirates were especially merciless-they 
  
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  would force any survivors into the sea and then 
  place bets on how long they would be able to 
  stay alive. They would also follow storms, 
  hoping to find damaged vessel or helpless 
  survivors to rob and slaughter. 
  The pirate crew enjoyed a fair amount of 
  success and managed to avoid the Imperial 
  Navy. They then encountered the Dorshenta 
  and fell in with her mutinous crew for a raid on 
  an Imperial Beacon. While the Dorshenta was 
  smashed on the cruel rocks, the pirates avoided 
  this fate only to meet another. 
  Perhaps the crimes of the pirates were such 
  that the divine forces had to ponder a suitable 
  fate. In any event, in an ironic twist the Wesren 
  was sent to the bottom by the same sort of 
  storm the pirates had taken advantage of over 
  the years. However, the pirates were denied a 
  peaceful rest on the ocean floor-necromantic 
  energies infused the pirates with an undead 
  existence and lifted their vessel back to the 
  surface. 
  The magic sustained the vessel and the 
  crew, but did so imperfectly. Time and the 
  elements ravaged the vessel-the sails fell to 
  tatters, the hull timbers split apart, and water 
  flowed freely through the lower decks. The crew 
  fared as poorly-their flesh rotted away, leaving 
  only their bones. The captained, the most evil 
  and intelligent of the lot, lost all mortal form. Yet 
  still ship and crew sail the waves. 
  The captain of the ship, risen up as a 
  specter, became convinced that he could break 
  the curse if he repented for his crimes and 
  believes that if he saves a number of lives equal 
  to those he took, he and his crew will be 
  released from their fate. He also thinks that he 
  needs to gain the forgiveness of the beacon 
  keeper. The fact that over the years the least 
  wicked of the crew have vanished from the 
  vessel seems to support his belief. 
  The remaining crew, the most wicked of the 
  lot, are now driven by a hatred of life and still do 
  their best to follow their old ways of slaughter. 
  During the day, when the captain is powerless, 
  they will be hostile and attempt to kill anyone 
  who comes on board. At night, when the captain 
  has his power, they will obey him and not harm 
  anyone on board. 
   
  A Ghostly Savior?: The PCs will seem to 
  be dire straits-out in the ocean without a boat or 
  paddle and not even a drop of rum left in the 
  barrels. However, things will soon change. 
  The silhouette of a ship is visible, and  is 
  heading in roughly your direction. After a few 
  hours, the ship is close enough for clear 
  viewing. The wooden hull is grey with age 
  and salt; and it is bearded, like an old man, 
  with sea weed and barnacles. The sails hang 
  in loose tatters from the masts and the decks 
  appear empty. It is a wonder that the ship is 
  afloat at all – gaps are visible in her timbers, 
  even below the water line. By all rights, she 
  should be on the bottom and not here on the 
  surface, blighting the tranquil blueness of 
  the sea. The name of the ship, “Wesren” can 
  still be made out. 
  The ship will slow down as it comes within 
  about 100 yards of the PCs and then gradually 
  come to a stop as if inviting them on board. 
  Boarding ropes, coated in ocean slime and 
  growth, hang down into the water. PCs with 
  Knowledge (history) or Profession (sailor) can 
  make a DC 10 check to recognize the vessel 
  design as one dating from the time of the Great 
  Kingdom. 
   
  Boarding Action: If the PCs decide to 
  board the ship, they will have the following 
  experience: 
  You let go of the relative safety of the 
  empty rum barrels and grab the boarding 
  rope. It is coated in unknown years of ocean 
  slime and seems to wriggle a bit, like an 
  oversized worm, in your grasp. You make 
  your way up the rope, the barnacles on the 
  hull tearing at your clothing. If the ship 
  floated on the water properly, rather than 
  having the water visibly flowing through 
  gaps in the hull, you would feel much better 
  about your situation. As you get to your feet 
  on the slimy deck, you see the crew 
  clambering up from below decks to greet 
  you-cutlasses in hand but no flesh on their 
  bones. 
  The undead skeleton crew will attack until 
  destroyed. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Skeleton (6): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Skeleton (12): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Skeleton (18): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  Presumably the PCs will defeat most or all 
  the skeletons and elect to remain on board. 
  When night falls, the captain will appear. 
  
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  If, for some reason, the PCs decide not to 
  board the ship, it will drift beside them until 
  nightfall. At that point, the captain will be able to 
  speak to them and will do so. 
   
  The Captain: The captain is but a pale 
  shadow in the day, barely noticeable and without 
  power. As darkness falls, he will become more 
  robust and eventually manifest as a specter. He 
  will not harm the PCs and they almost certainly 
  can do nothing to him. He will also prevent the 
  skeleton crew from harming the PCs while he is 
  able, during the hours of darkness. If the PCs 
  insist on attacking a skeleton or trying to take 
  the loot it is guarding while it is present, it will 
  fight. The captain will not be able to stop this 
  unless the PC stops attacking or returns the loot. 
  Assuming the PCs are willing to listen, he 
  will say the following: 
  “Greetings. I am Captain Velchek, master 
  of this cursed vessel. I apologize for the 
  actions of my crew-they apparently cannot 
  help their violent ways. But, I can assure you 
  that you are safe aboard this vessel during 
  the hours of darkness. Why then, you might 
  wonder? It seems to be the nature of my 
  curse that I am powerless during the day. 
  During that time, I can do nothing to keep my 
  remaining crew in check. However, there is 
  an island nearby and we can reach it before 
  dawn. You have my word that you will not be 
  harmed and that you will be able to depart 
  this vessel safely.” 
  If the PCs ask about the vessel and the 
  crew, he will tell them the tale of how they came 
  to this fate. If they ask why he is helping them, 
  he will say the following: 
  “This curse fell on us because of our 
  wicked ways. I believe that if I save a number 
  of lives equal to those we took, the books 
  shall be balanced and we shall be free of this 
  horrid existence. That this is true, I have 
  reason to believe, for our number is not as 
  great as it was when we first arose from the 
  depths. Already, many of the less wicked of 
  us have departed this ship. It is my hope to 
  leave this vessel someday and by helping 
  you, I am somewhat closer to that goal. I also 
  ask you to ask the beacon keeper to forgive 
  us for what we did. I know that he still dwells 
  in the beacon as a spirit-for some secrets of 
  the dead are open to me. Go to him and ask 
  on our behalf. In any case, he will help you if 
  he can. I do warn you to stay away from the 
  wreck of the Dorshenta. Her crew is also 
  under a curse. Some of the crew is active all 
  the time, while others are like me-powerless 
  in the day. If you must go to the wreck, be 
  sure that you do not go there at night, for the 
  worst of the lot are free at night. ” 
  If the PCs decide to take the captain up on 
  his offer, he will prove to be true to his word. The 
  vessel will sail over the wreck of the Dorshenta 
  (the captain will point out the wreck and warn 
  that the crew of that ship also lies under a curse) 
  and to the dock. The captain will wish them luck 
  and remind them to speak to the beacon keeper 
  on their behalf. 
  If the PCs elect to jump overboard, the ship 
  will follow them until they drown, reach the 
  island or agree to come on board. If the PCs 
  attempt to attack the crew, they will, as noted 
  above fight back. If they attempt to attack the 
  captain and have some means of harming him 
  (such as a magic weapon) he will stay away 
  from them-easy enough given that he is 
  incorporeal. 
   
  All APLs (EL-) 
  � Captain Velchek (Spectre): hp 45, MM 
  232. 
   
  Cursed Loot: The captain will say that the 
  treasure on the ship is no doubt cursed. 
  Previous passengers have taken his word for it 
  and left it-after all, when a specter says that 
  something is cursed, people tend to listen. If the 
  PCs insist on taking it (as they no doubt will), he 
  will say that they can only take it if they promise 
  to give at least half of it to aid people who have 
  been harmed unjustly, preferably those harmed 
  by pirates. If the PCs agree and follow though, 
  all is well. If they break their word, they will be 
  cursed until they make good on their word. The 
  curse takes the following form: When the PCs 
  roll initiative for combat, they will hear a 
  distracting sound or see a distracting flicker out 
  of the corner of their eyes that will result in a -
  1D4 on their initiative rolls. This effect can also 
  be removed by remove curse. 
   
  Key to the Map of the Wesren 
  Top Deck 
  1. Main Deck Area: There are small gaps 
  in the deck planks, allowing the PCs to see into 
  the deck below. The deck is slimy and stained 
  with centuries of salt and blood. 
  2. Cargo Cover: This is the cargo cover. 
  There is a crane on the west side of the cover 
  that was used to lift and lower cargo. 
  
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  3. Stairs down: These covered stairs lead 
  down to the crew & cargo deck. 
  4. Stairs down: These covered stairs lead 
  down to the crew & cargo deck. 
  5. First Mate’s Quarters: This room was 
  used by the first mate. It contains water stained 
  furniture. The first mate was killed by the captain 
  in a dispute prior to the raid on the beacon 
  island. 
  6. Captain’s Quarters: The once fine 
  items in the stateroom are badly damaged and 
  ruined to the point of being valueless. The 
  captain’s bones lie on the deck, preserved but 
  not animated. Located in a rusted lock box (the 
  key is among the captain’s bones) is the 
  following: 225 gp, 750 sp, two 50 gp gems, and 
  one 100 gp gem 
   
  Crew and Cargo Deck 
  1. Main Hold: The main hold is open to 
  the cargo deck. It is full of rotted crates, barrels, 
  and boxes. More details are given below. 
  2. Cargo Port: This is the location of the 
  cargo port-it is covered (see the top deck info, 
  above). 
  3. Mess: This is the mess area. The 
  skeletons no longer eat, but there might be a 
  few in this chamber. 
  4. Fore Quarters: There are rotted bunks 
  and seamen’s chests here. There are typically a 
  few skeletons here, guarding their loot. In the 
  lockers is the following total treasure: 37 gp and 
  171 sp in this room. 
  5. Fore Quarters: As above, but the 
  chests contain 1 pp, 23 gp, 245 sp. 
  6. Aft Quarters: This is the aft quarters for 
  the more senior crew. There are rotted bunks 
  and seamen’s chests here. There are typically a 
  few skeletons here, guarding their loot. In the 
  lockers is the following total treasure: 41 gp, 273 
  sp, two 10 gp gems, and an ivory carving of a 
  mermaid worth 35 gp. 
  7. Galley: This contains a rusted stove 
  and the remains of cooking gear. As the undead 
  no longer eat, the room is no longer used. 
   
  Cargo Deck 
  The cargo deck is open to the cargo area on 
  the above deck-cargo was stacked up. This 
  deck is under water (there are gaps in the hull, 
  allowing sea water in) and occupied by one third 
  of the skeletons on the ship. Amidst the debris is 
  275 gp, 300 sp, six amphora of fine oils still 
  worth 75 gp apiece, seven small ivory carvings 
  worth 50-100 gp each, three bars of gold worth 
  100 gp each, and six bars of silver worth 100 sp. 
  While this is a rich haul, the skeletons will 
  defend it to their destruction. Also, the deck is 
  completely full of water and dark-this will make it 
  rather difficult to fight the skeletons and will 
  make searching through the debris difficult. The 
  DM will have to use his/her discretion in 
  determining how much loot the PCs can find, 
  based on their methods. For example, if they 
  spend all night and use water breathing magic 
  and light providing spells, they can probably find 
  50-70% of the loot amidst the debris. If they 
  make a cursory search by touch and by holding 
  their breath, they will probably find nothing of 
  value. 
  3: On The Little Island 
  Map 2 shows the layout of the little island. 
   
  Background: While the PCs might believe 
  that they are the only survivors from the wreck, 
  the sorcerer Chedek, the cabin boy Buths and 
  two other crewmen managed to make it into the 
  ships one leaky boat. They managed to reach 
  the island and the ever ambitious Chedek, 
  having heard of the magic employed in Imperial 
  Beacons, decided to head straight there. 
  At the beacon, Chedek and the others 
  encountered the spirit of the keeper, Hepsen. 
  Hepsen offered to aid them in return for their 
  help-he would tell them how to get off the island 
  via the beacon’s teleportation magic (an Imperial 
  Transport Circle) if they would retrieve the parts 
  needed to get the light operational again. 
  Unfortunately, Chedek decided on another 
  plan. Realizing that the settings book for the 
  transport circle would fetch him a great deal of 
  gold, he decided to steal it and build a large raft 
  on which to continue the journey. He and the 
  others set out to the bone forest to acquire 
  lumber. They managed to fell a few trees before 
  they were attacked by a Yellow Musk Creeper. 
  Chedek and the two crewmen were killed and 
  raised up again as zombies, but Buths was able 
  to escape. 
  Convinced that Hepsen will not be willing to 
  help him now, Buths decides to return to the 
  dock and see what his chances will be with the 
  leaky boat. 
   
  Arrival on the Island 
  Fortuitously, the PCs will be arriving just as 
  Buths is running toward the dock-he will arrive 
  shortly after they do. He will be pleased to see 
  them and tell them what happened, leaving out 
  
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  the part about how Chedek stole the book. He 
  will say the following: 
  Disembarking the Wesren, you stand on 
  the ancient dock on this uncharted island. 
  Running towards you is a humanoid figure, 
  being chased as if his life depended on it. it 
  is Buths, the cabin boy from the Dirtiho. 
  When he reaches the PCs, Buths babbles, 
  barely even taking a breath. 
  “I am so glad to see you! I didn’t think 
  anyone else made it! Chedek, two crewmen 
  and I made it here…but now they are dead. 
  You see, there is a ghost in the beacon. No, 
  he didn’t kill them. The beacon ghost, 
  Hepsen, is kind of a friendly ghost. Well, 
  Chedek decided that we should build a raft 
  and continue our journey. He said he had 
  read a big book about how to make a sea 
  going raft. But as we were chopping wood, 
  we were attacked by these things. They were 
  like rotted trees, but they moved and lashed 
  out with their branches. Chedek put up a 
  brave fight, but it wasn’t enough. I just barely 
  got away. I’m so glad you are here-I’m sure 
  you brave adventurers will come up with a 
  plan to get off the island. Oh, yeah, the ghost 
  said to be real careful about going into any 
  of the buildings here-he said that there might 
  be some pretty bad things in them. I think we 
  should just leave this place! But, if you don’t 
  want to leave, we should go back and talk to 
  ghost. 
  Chedek 
  really 
  didn’t 
  listen 
  to 
  him…and now he’s dead!” 
  If the PCs question Buths, he can lead them 
  to the leaky boat that brought the survivors to 
  the island. Checking the leaky boat, it is clear 
  even to the untrained eye that it will not make it 
  to 
  their 
  destination 
  (unless 
  their 
  desired 
  destination is the sea bottom). 
  Buths will be reluctant about going back to 
  the beacon, but will agree to go along with the 
  PCs in whatever they decide to do. 
   
  Running the Show 
  While the PCs are free to wander about, the 
  adventure generally flows better if they begin by 
  going to the beacon. As such, the DM should 
  guide the PCs towards that building. However, 
  the adventure is presented in an open manner-it 
  does not require that the PCs follow a rigid, 
  linear plot. 
  That said, here is the suggested course of 
  events (the exact details are provided below in 
  each appropriate section). The PCs should 
  begin by going to the beacon and meeting the 
  ghost, Hepsen. Hepsen will ask the PCs to 
  recover parts from the warehouse by the docks. 
  The PCs could find the automatons in the 
  warehouse too much to fight because of their 
  hardness. Hepsen will suggest that they get the 
  blacksmithing hammer from the armory and use 
  it against the automatons so they can get the 
  parts. 
  Once they do this, he will tell them that they 
  need to recover the Keeper’s Medallion from the 
  wreck of the Dorshenta and the book of settings 
  stolen by Chedek. To recover the medallion, 
  they will most likely need to go to the swamp or 
  the pond to get the Mul frog blood required to 
  make potions of long breath-so they can reach 
  the wreck and battle the undead crew without 
  drowning. 
  The PCs will need to go to the Bone Forest 
  to recover the lost settings book. The PCs can 
  investigate the farms, houses and guard tower 
  as they desire. 
   
  The Little Island Main Map 
  The following sections provide the details of 
  the main map’s contents. Some of the areas are 
  detailed fully here, while others have their own 
  sections below. The information needed to DM 
  each area is provided in the relevant text entry. 
  The areas are listed alphabetically, not by their 
  order of importance or the order in which the 
  PCs are likely to encounter them. 
   
  4. Bone Forest 
  This accursed wood is located in roughly the 
  center of the island. The forest initially seems 
  normal, but it will soon become evident that 
  something is wrong-while there are plenty of 
  insects, there is no sign of any other animals, 
  not even birds. This makes the forest rather 
  quiet. 
   
  Background: Originally a mundane forest, 
  the natural ecology of these woods has been 
  disrupted by malign plants, known as Yellow 
  Musk Creepers. 
  When Chedek and his fellows came to the 
  forest to chop down trees. The Yellow Musk 
  Creepers awoke and quickly slaughtered the 
  men, then they raised up again as Yellow Musk 
  Zombies. 
   
  Action: As noted above, the setting book for 
  the transport circle is Chedek’s passion (or 
  rather in the possession of the zombie that was 
  
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  Chedek). If the PCs decide that they want the 
  book, they will need to go into the Bone Forest 
  to find it. The PCs should have little trouble 
  finding the Yellow Musk Creeper and the 
  zombies. Be careful with this encounter at APL 2 
  – it is better for the PCs to fight the Yellow Musk 
  Zombies, and then fight the Yellow Must 
  Creeper separately. 
  If the PCs are cautious and stealthy, they 
  should still be able to find the Yellow Musk 
  Creeper and the zombies quickly-the forest is 
  not that large and these creatures stand out 
  reasonably well. 
  If the PCs are not stealthy, the Yellow Musk 
  Creeper and zombies will come to them. 
  If the PCs flee, the Yellow Musk Creeper will 
  only be able to give limited pursuit, given their 
  slow speed. 
  The setting book is in Chedek’s backpack, 
  which is still on his corpse. He also has a 
  dagger, a light crossbow, 20 bolts, 4 gp and 24 
  sp. The Yellow Musk Creepers tend to be 
  spread put through the forest, so the PCs should 
  only encounter one – unless they do something 
  dramatic (like setting the forest on fire) to attract 
  attention. 
   
  APL2 (EL4) 
  � Yellow Musk Creeper: hp 57, Fiend Folio 
  190. 
  � Yellow Musk Zombie (3): hp 4; Fiend Folio 
  191. 
   
  APL4 (EL5) 
  � Advanced Yellow Musk Creeper (10HD): 
  hp xx, Fiend Folio 190. 
  � Yellow Musk Zombie (3): hp 4; Fiend Folio 
  191. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Advanced Yellow Musk Creeper (14HD): 
  hp xx, Fiend Folio 190. 
  � Yellow Musk Zombie (3): hp 4; Fiend Folio 
  191. 
  5. The Cliffs 
  The top of the cliffs are thirty feet above the 
  ocean (on average) when the water is high. The 
  cliffs are fairly sheer so that climbing them would 
  be a bit of a challenge. There are rocks at their 
  base, so falling off would be rather painful (3D6). 
  There is nothing particularly special about this 
  area of the island. 
  6. Cruel Rocks 
  The cruel rocks are jagged rocks with rapid 
  currents moving between them. The odd water 
  currents and the rocks make this area rather 
  hazardous for ships. The tricky currents and the 
  rocks yield a -5 penalty on sailing rolls made 
  within this area. Failing a roll means that the 
  vessel strikes the rocks. Refer to the appropriate 
  rules for ships and damage. Trying to swim in 
  this area is also a bad idea-swim checks are at 
  an additional -5 because of the odd currents 
  (they seem to change randomly and almost 
  always in the worst possible way). 
  8. Little Pond  
  As the name states, this is a little pond. The 
  pond is one source of the amphibian blood that 
  the PCs will need to make potions of long 
  breath. The Mul frogs were originally brought to 
  the island for food (their legs are delicious-they 
  taste like good chicken) and a source of blood 
  for the potions (used by the beacon personal in 
  rescues). 
  Like many animal species, the disruption of 
  the balance of Nature has affected them-they 
  have grown larger and far more vicious. The 
  frogs in the little pond are dangerous. They are 
  fairly abundant - they feed on fish, insects, 
  unwary animals and each other. 
  The PCs should face the Mul Frogs either 
  here or in the The Swamp (Encounter 9), not 
  both. 
   
  APL2 (EL3) 
  � Mul Frog (Dire Toad): hp 26, Monster 
  Manual II 76. 
   
  APL4 (EL5) 
  � Mul Frog (Dire Toad) (2): hp 26, Monster 
  Manual II 76. 
   
  APL6 (EL7) 
  � Mul Frog (Dire Toad) (4): hp 26, Monster 
  Manual II 76. 
  9. The Swamp 
  This area is a typical swamp-shallow water, 
  lush vegetation, plenty of insects and lots of 
  muck. The area is populated with Swamp Mul 
  Frogs.  
  The PCs should face the Mul Frogs either 
  here or in the Little Pond (Encounter 9), not 
  
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  both. The statistics for the Mul Frogs here are 
  identical to those in the little pond above. 
  10: Dock Ruins 
  Map 3 shows the layout of the ruins. In the 
  days of the Great Kingdom, this is where the 
  support personal for the beacon lived. The area 
  is a bit dangerous. There are berserk constructs 
  in the warehouse, undead in the guard tower, 
  monstrous centipedes and rats in the ruins, and 
  a malign force in the well. 
   
  The Dock: The dock is constructed primarily 
  of stone. The wooden planks set over the stone 
  are almost completely rotted away, but the dock 
  is still quite solid. 
  Boxes: This area is heaped with the 
  remains of cargo boxes. For the most part these 
  are now little more than debris. However, there 
  are two magical iron cargo boxes buried under 
  the debris (see below). 
  Guard Tower: The stone guard tower is still 
  intact, but seems abandoned-the walls are 
  covered in vines and there are no signs of 
  guards. The tower is detailed below. 
  Warehouse: The warehouse, which is made 
  of magically reinforced stone, is still intact. It is 
  detailed below. 
  Houses 1-3: These are the ruins of houses. 
  Little is left beyond their stone foundations. Rats 
  and monstrous centipedes can be found within 
  these ruins. If the PCs investigate a house, there 
  is a 1 in 6 chance they will encounter 1D6 rats 
  and a 1 in 8 chance they will encounter 
  monstrous centipedes. The rats will tend to 
  scurry away, but the centipedes are more 
  aggressive. The PCs should have only one 
  centipede combat. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Medium Monstrous Centipede (4): hp 4, 
  MM 286. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Large Monstrous Centipede (4): hp 13, 
  MM 286. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Huge Monstrous Centipede (4): hp 33, 
  MM 286. 
   
  Well: This well was created with magic in 
  the days of the Great Kingdom. The water is 
  always present and always pure-even poisons 
  and other toxins are neutralized within the water. 
  It is also home to a rather disgruntled trapped 
  water elemental. This being relieves the 
  monotony of its imprisonment by slaying all that 
  it can reach-the bottom of the well is full of 
  bones. 
   
  APL2 (EL3) 
  � Medium Water Elemental: hp 30, MM 100. 
   
  APL4 (EL5) 
  � Large Water Elemental: hp 68, MM 100. 
   
  APL6 (EL7) 
  � Huge Water Elemental: hp 152, MM 100. 
   
  Farms 1-2: These are the ruins of the farms. 
  Little is left beyond their stone foundations. Rats 
  and monstrous centipedes can be found within 
  these ruins. If the PCs investigate a farm, there 
  is a 1 in 4 chance they will encounter 1D6 rats 
  and a 1 in 6 chance they will encounter 1D4 
  monstrous centipedes. The rats will tend to 
  scurry away, but the centipedes are more 
  aggressive. Only play one centipede encounter. 
   
  Animal Stockade: This stockade once held 
  cows-they were used for meat and milk. 
  Because of a freak event the animals were 
  weirdly preserved-the bones of ten cows stand 
  in the field. The individual bones are fused 
  together, so each set of cow bones is intact and 
  standing upright. 
  11. Warehouse  
  Map 4 includes a Warehouse Map. The 
  warehouse is a solidly built stone structure and 
  is still intact. The main door was smashed open 
  during the raid and the contents of the main area 
  were looted. The area is ‘protected’ by berserk 
  iron stevedores. The PCs will need to gain 
  access to the warehouse to acquire the parts 
  needed to repair the light. 
   
  1. Main Area: This area contains some 
  debris and a few sets of human bones. The 
  bones appear to have been crushed by blunt 
  instruments. 
   
  2. Special Storage: The door to this area 
  has been smashed open. The parts that the PCs 
  need are in here and are intact. However, there 
  are berserk iron stevedores in here as well. A 
  single stevedore is a fair challenge for four 2nd 
  level characters, so the DM should have only 
  
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  one or two here, unless the party is higher level, 
  large or tweaked. 
  Enlarge this room at APL 6 to make room for 
  3 large animated objects. 
   
  Iron stevedores were created by wizards 
  from the Great Kingdom to serve in warehouses. 
  They would tirelessly load and unload ships and 
  be unharmed by accidents that would kill 
  humans. They served the Great Kingdom with 
  mindless 
  loyalty 
  for 
  centuries, 
  but 
  their 
  animating force has decayed, making them 
  berserk. These berserk stevedores walk the 
  work areas they were assigned originally, but 
  attack anything that comes within their grasp. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Medium 
  Animated 
  Object 
  (Iron 
  Stevedore): hardness 10; hp 31, MM 13. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Medium 
  Animated 
  Object 
  (Iron 
  Stevedore) (2): hardness 10; hp 31, MM 13. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Large Animated Object (Iron Stevedore) 
  (3): hardness 10; hp 52, MM 14. 
  12. Guard Tower  
  Map 4 includes a Guard Tower Map. This 
  tower was added after the beacon was 
  constructed-during the peak of the Great 
  Kingdom, hence the Guard Tower was well-
  garrisoned. Sadly, this attempt to maintain the 
  Great Kingdom by force proved to be futile-the 
  powers tearing the Great Kingdom apart were 
  largely beyond the reach of blades and strong 
  arms. 
  The tower is still a solid and intact structure 
  despite the years-this structure was built by 
  dwarven stone masons who still took great pride 
  in their work. The tower is covered in vines and 
  seems empty-but it is not. The last soldiers 
  manning the tower died fighting the raiders, 
  leaving their bones behind. Mindless evil spirits 
  claimed the bones and they walk the tower to 
  this day. 
  The skeletons tend to wander about the 
  tower randomly. If not wandering, they simply 
  stand, waiting for something to kill. They will be 
  drawn to noise or other detectable activity. 
  There were twelve soldiers left in the tower 
  before the raid, so there can be up to twelve 
  skeletons in the tower. If the PCs are cautious, 
  they can probably catch them in small groups 
  rather than fighting all at once. If the PCs make 
  a lot of noise, they will most likely draw all of the 
  skeletons. The skeletons do not leave the tower-
  the spirits are bound to this location. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Skeleton (6): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Skeleton (12): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Skeleton (18): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  Basement 
  1. Cistern Area: This area is reached by a 
  circular staircase-as are the other floors in the 
  tower. This area contains the cistern. The cistern 
  is not magical. The soldiers hauled water from 
  the magical well in the settlement to fill the 
  cistern. This area is otherwise empty. 
  2. Storage: This area was used to store 
  supplies as well as preserved foods. Nothing 
  useful or usable remains. 
   
  First Floor 
  1. Entrance: The heavy door to the tower 
  was burned through by the raiders and little but 
  the iron hinges remain. The entrance hall is full 
  of soil and debris. There are bones from dead 
  animals visible here-the skeletons even kill 
  intruding animals. 
  2. Storage: A food storage area. There is 
  only debris here now. 
  3. Barracks: This area contains the remains 
  of bunks and foot lockers. There will typically be 
  1-4 skeletons here. There are 17 gp and 124 sp 
  in the remains of the foot lockers. 
  4. Mess: This room contains the remains of 
  a large table, benches, utensils and plates. 
  There will typically be 1-4 skeletons here. 
   
  Second Floor 
  The second floor has arrow slits every ten 
  feet. The covers for them rotted away long ago. 
  1. Entrance: This area tends to be empty of 
  skeletons. 
  2. Storage: This area was used to store 
  bows and arrows. Age has made them useless 
  as weapons. 
  3. Barracks: This area contains the remains 
  of bunks and foot lockers. There will typically be 
  1-4 skeletons here. There are 21 gp and 113 sp 
  in the remains of the foot lockers. 
  4. Sergeants’ Quarters: Once the quarters 
  for the sergeants, this chamber now contains the 
  
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  ruins of ancient furniture. Scattered about in the 
  debris are 12 gp and 47 sp. There will typically 
  be 1-4 skeletons in here. 
  5. 
  Officer’s 
  Quarters: 
  This 
  chamber 
  contains the debris of higher quality furniture. 
  There will typically be 1-2 skeletons here. 
  Amidst the debris are 1 pp, 22 gp and 74 sp. 
  13. Beacon Area 
  The Beacon Area Map can be found on Map 
  4. The following areas are shown on this map. 
   
  Mess Ruins: This is foundation of the mess 
  building. It was added long after the beacon and 
  was of inferior construction. The wooden 
  structure was set ablaze during the raid and 
  burned to the ground. 
  Barracks Ruins: This is the foundation of 
  the barracks that was added long after the 
  beacon was built. The wooden structure was set 
  ablaze during the raid and burned to the ground. 
  Armory: Refer Encounter 14. 
  The Beacon: Refer Encounter 15. 
  14. Armory Interior  
  The Map is included on map 4. The armory 
  was originally constructed to house spare parts 
  for the beacon and a workshop. 
  As conditions worsened in the Great 
  Kingdom a garrison was added to the area and 
  this structure was converted to an armory. 
  Thurgram, a skilled dwarven weaponsmith, 
  ended up on the island and made fine swords 
  for the soldiers in return for their hospitality in 
  taking him in. He died fighting the raiders, 
  leaving his adamantium hammer behind. 
  The armory, like the tower, was infested with 
  mindless spirits of evil. These entities were 
  drawn to the clothes of the weaponsmiths and 
  took up residence. 
   
  Main Area: The lock on the door is 
  smashed, but is otherwise intact. Weapons and 
  rusted armor are scattered about on the floor 
  and a forge and anvil are present. Lying beside 
  the anvil is an unrusted hammer (Thurgram’s 
  masterwork 
  adamantium 
  warhammer). 
  The 
  number of raiments can be adjusted if the party 
  size is different, the levels are higher or because 
  of other relevant factors. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Raiment (2): hp 13, Libris Mortis 117. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Raiment (4): hp 13, Libris Mortis 117. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Raiment (6): hp 13, Libris Mortis 117. 
  15. The Beacon 
  The Map is included on Map 4. As noted in 
  Encounter 3, the PCs should go to the beacon 
  first. However, they are free to wander about-the 
  adventure is not designed as a one track train 
  ride with a pre-determined plot. 
  If the PCs go to the beacon, they will be met 
  by the keeper, Hepsen. Hepsen is a positive 
  energy spirit. He is incorporeal, but can see, 
  hear and speak. He cannot, however, move 
  physical objects. He can channel positive 
  energy-4 times a day he can ‘cast’ the 
  equivalent of cure light wounds as a second 
  level caster. He cannot leave the beacon 
  grounds, but can depart the material plane at 
  will. Should the PCs try to harm him, he will 
  simply depart. 
  He will begin by saying the following: 
  “It is good to see you. I do hope that you 
  will be willing to help me. Naturally, I do not 
  expect you to help me for nothing…true 
  altruism is rather rare and I freely admit that I 
  want something from you. I assume that you 
  are stuck on this island and are looking for a 
  way off. I can help you with this. In my case, I 
  dearly want my beacon put back in order and 
  the bones of those who died here given a 
  proper burial. Are you willing to work with 
  me?” 
  If the PCs disagree, he will do his best to 
  talk them into helping. If they refuse or act like 
  thugs or fools, he will depart. In this case, the 
  PCs will need to find their own way off the 
  island. 
  If the PCs agree and seem sincere, he will 
  say the following: 
  ”I am glad you decided to help me. There 
  is a way off this island, but it is fraught with 
  some peril. Some of you might know that 
  certain structures in the Great Kingdom 
  contained magical means of transport that 
  would teleport people and items. This tower 
  has such a device. However, there are four 
  problems that must be dealt with before the 
  device can be used. 
  First, you must bury the bones you find 
  in this tower. They belonged to my fellow 
  beacon tenders and, of course, my own. 
  After they died, their bones and my own were 
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 12 
  possessed by malign entities. Fortunately 
  my god granted me the power to return here 
  and the power to channel positive energy. I 
  used this ability to destroy these things, but 
  the bones remain and should be given a 
  decent burial. 
  Second, you must recover the parts 
  needed to make the repairs to the light 
  mechanism. These parts are located in the 
  warehouse by the dock. I can then guide you 
  through the repairs. I will tell you of the other 
  two when you take care of the first two 
  tasks.” 
  If the PCs agree and bury the dead, he will 
  be very pleased. He will then encourage them to 
  get the parts. It is likely that the PCs will be 
  unable to defeat the iron stevedores initially. If 
  they return to the keeper and tell them of the 
  stevedores, he will tell say the following: 
  “That is indeed a problem. Though it is 
  impressive that they still function, it is 
  unfortunate that they are such a threat. 
  Fortunately, there is a way to deal with them. 
  When I was alive a dwarf, Thurgram, arrived 
  on the island, fleeing from some trouble. He 
  seemed a decent sort and made fine swords 
  for the soldiers, so we did not press him. He 
  had a magnificent hammer that he claimed 
  could work any metal. I assume that he died 
  during the raid and that his hammer is still in 
  the armory building. If it is all he claimed it to 
  be, the hammer should serve well against 
  these rogue automatons.” 
  Once the PCs acquire the parts, he will 
  guide them through the repair process which will 
  take about six hours of work. Once this is done, 
  he will thank them and continue with the 
  problems that remain: 
  “I thank you very much for what you 
  have done. Here are the remaining problems. 
  Third, the transport circle requires my 
  Keeper’s medallion. Without this medallion, 
  the 
  circle 
  is 
  merely 
  a 
  curiosity. 
  Unfortunately, many years ago this tower 
  was raided by pirates and traitors. I was 
  killed then and my medallion was stolen. 
  However, I know that it rests within the wreck 
  of one of the raiding ships. The wreck is 
  located just off the rocks east of the dock. I 
  also know that the wreck is home to the 
  cursed remains of the crew. As such, 
  recovering the medallion will be perilous. 
  However, I can help you with two aspects of 
  this task. There is, in the workshop, a minor 
  magical device for creating potions of Deep 
  Breath. We had the device on hand in case 
  we had to rescue people at seas-no sense in 
  drowning during a rescue. To use this 
  device, you will need amphibian blood. 
  Fortunately, frogs were brought to this island 
  for their blood and the fact that their legs are 
  large and tasty. The frogs were quite hardy 
  so I assume they still thrive in the pond and 
  swamp. 
  You might be wondering how you will 
  find something as small as a medallion in the 
  ocean. Do not worry-in my office, hidden 
  under a false stone is a lock box containing 
  my Keeper’s rod. Although most of the 
  magic is gone, it can still create light and, 
  most importantly, locate other Keeper items. 
  It will pull your hand towards the medallion. I 
  will show you the stone and tell you the 
  combination. 
  The final problem is the book of settings. 
  If you have seen the circle, you no doubt 
  noticed 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  possible 
  settings. While the teleportation itself is 
  completely safe, I suspect that most of the 
  arrival points are now quite dangerous. I 
  would suggest very strongly against going to 
  any unknown areas. I know from what the 
  other fellows said that you planned on going 
  to one of the main islands. There is a tower 
  there with a circle and the book has those 
  settings. The others are for other islands and 
  the mainland, but from what the other’s said, 
  I gather those are bad places. 
  Now, the problem is this. The other 
  fellow, Chedek, stole the book. Since you are 
  here and the others are not, I assume he 
  came to a bad end. You will need to find the 
  book and return it to me. The book is in a 
  code, so I will need to direct you in the 
  settings.” 
  If the PCs get the book and the medallion, 
  the Keeper will keep his word. He will tell them 
  how to set the circle and will tell them the setting 
  for the beacon. He will ask them to try to have 
  others come to the island to tend the beacon. 
  If the PCs remember to ask for forgiveness 
  on behalf of the pirate captain, he will say: 
  “That villain really messed things up and 
  I’m sure he has a list of sins as long as a 
  squid’s tentacle. But even though he killed 
  me, I do forgive him-he has suffered long 
  and terribly. I do hope that he and his crew 
  find peace.” 
   
  Beacon Interior Map 
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 13 
  Built in the heyday of the Great Kingdom, 
  the beacon is an impressive structure of white, 
  magically augmented stone. Even though it is 
  centuries old, it still gleams in the sun and is free 
  of vines. However, the light is dark. 
   
  Floor 1 
  1. Entrance: The door to the entrance was 
  smashed open during the raid and this area is 
  filled with dirt and debris. Small animals, such as 
  squirrels and birds, are often present here. 
  2. Kitchen & Dinning Area: The magical 
  oven is still present, but far too heavy to move. It 
  generates heat upon command. Also present is 
  a magical pump-it produces water as long as it 
  is pumped, up to twenty gallons a day. It cannot 
  be removed without ruining the magic. The 
  cabinets and furniture are badly decayed. 
  3. Storage: The storage area is full of debris 
  and ruined parts-what the raiders did not take, 
  they destroyed. 
  4. Workshop: The workshop for the 
  beacon. The rusted remains of tools are 
  scattered about in here. Also present is the long 
  breath potion mixer. 
   
  Floors 2-6 
  Main Area: A spiral staircase allows access 
  to these floors. There are walkways to a catwalk 
  around the interior of the beacon. There are 
  arrow slits in the walls-the Great Kingdom 
  always stuck to the tradition of making all key 
  structures defensible. 
   
  Floor 7 
  1. Entrance: The entrance area. The doors 
  are smashed. 
  2. Quarters: Once the quarters for beacon 
  workers. The furniture is merely debris now and 
  bones lie on the floor. 
  3. Transport Chamber: The transport 
  chamber. There is a silver metal ring embedded 
  in the floor. 
  The circle is five feet across. There are two 
  sets of runes-one around the outside and one 
  around the inside. Floating two inches above the 
  outer runes is a bright blue gemstone. It can 
  easily be moved from rune to rune, but cannot 
  be removed. Floating two inches above the inner 
  ring is a red gemstone-it has the same 
  properties as the first. These gems are used to 
  set the destination for the transport. There is a 
  slot in the wall for the Keeper’s medallion-
  inserting the medallion will teleport those within 
  the circle to the destination set by the gems after 
  a thirty second delay. The circles always 
  transports those using it to another circle, but 
  without the setting book there is no way to know 
  where one will end up. Many of circles are 
  located in some rather dangerous places 
  (undead and demon ruled towers, in collapsed 
  towers, in a flooded city, etc.) so using the circle 
  randomly is a rather bad idea. 
  4. Quarters: The quarters of the beacon 
  keeper. The furniture is little more than debris. 
  5. Keeper’s Office: The office used by the 
  keeper. It contains the debris of furniture. Bones 
  lie on the floor-those of the keeper. Hidden 
  under a false stone (Spot DC 25) and in a 
  locked steel box (lock DC 25) is the Keeper’s 
  Rod. While the Rod originally had a variety of 
  charge based powers, it has but three functions 
  remaining. First, it can be used to cast light4 
  times a day as a 6th level caster and continual 
  flame once a day as a 6th level caster. Third, it 
  detects other Keeper items within 1000 feet, 
  gently pulling the hand of the wielder in the 
  appropriate direction. The pull increases in 
  strength as the rod gets closer. 
   
  Floor 8 
  Main Area: This area contains the beacons’ 
  magical light. The powerful light is shielded 
  behind a metal screen during the day and 
  rotated by a magical ‘engine.” During the raid 
  the mechanism for unshielding and rotating the 
  light were damaged and require replacement 
  parts. 
  These 
  parts 
  are 
  located 
  ion 
  the 
  warehouse in the dock ruins. 
  16: 
  The 
  Wreck 
  of 
  the 
  Dorshenta 
  The Dorshenta lies under 50 feet of water 
  and is located about 100 feet from the edge of 
  the cruel rocks (the currents pushed it to its 
  resting place). On Map 3, the ship is located just 
  under the “t” in “Dorshenta.” 
  The Dorshenta is now little more than a 
  jumble of rotten wood-what remains is preserved 
  by the power of the curse. Because of the curse, 
  the undead crew cannot journey more than 100 
  feet from the wreck and, in any case, cannot go 
  above the surface of the water. 
  During the day, only the skeletons will be 
  active. There is also a specter in the wreck but 
  they are powerless during the day. If the PCs 
  decide to go to the wreck at night, they will 
  certainly perish. 
  The main reason to go to the Dorshenta is, 
  of course, to recover the Keeper’s Medallion. It 
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 14 
  is located amidst the wreckage but finding it will 
  be easy if the Keeper’s Rod (see encounter 15 
  above).  
  Unless the PCs are rather unusual, they will 
  face severe challenges under water. The DM’s 
  Guide details underwater combat. Briefly put, 
  PCs making successful swim checks can move 
  at quarter speed (half speed if taking a full round 
  action). Attacks with slashing or bludgeoning 
  weapons are made at -2 and do half damage. 
  Thrown weapons cannot be used and other 
  missile weapons are -2 to hit for every 5 feet of 
  water the projectiles pass through. Completely 
  submerged creatures have total cover against 
  attacks from the surface. 
  Although the skeletons face many of the 
  same disadvantages as the PCs, they cannot 
  drown. Hence the EL of this encounter has been 
  adjusted for the underwater setting. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Skeleton (4): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Skeleton (8): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Skeleton (12): hp 6, MM 226. 
   
  While the Dorshenta had a fair amount of 
  valuables on board, most of them are long gone 
  (rotted/rusted away or swept away by the 
  currents). There are still 778 gp, 1,433 sp, and 
  8,000 cp scattered within 100 yards of the 
  vessel. However, to find these coins will require 
  extensive searching and digging around in this 
  area-weeks or even months of effort. It is 
  suggested that the PCs be allowed to grab some 
  coins (1D10 or so) on a dive, but it is up to the 
  DM on how to handle a full scale under water 
  recovery. While marine animals avoid the area 
  close by the Dorshenta, there are sharks in the 
  area. If the players decide to undertake a 
  lengthy and tedious salvage operation, the DM 
  can spice things up a bit with a shark attack or 
  two. Be sure to hum the theme from Jaws at 
  appropriate times. 
   
  APL2 (EL2) 
  � Medium Shark (2): hp 16, MM 279. 
   
  APL4 (EL4) 
  � Large Shark (2): hp 38, MM 279. 
   
  APL6 (EL6) 
  � Huge Shark (2): hp 45, MM 279. 
  Conclusion 
  At the end of this adventure the PCs should 
  have: 
  1- Spoken to Hepsen and freed Captain 
  Velchek of the Wesren from his curse. 
  2- Buried the bones of the long dead. 
  3- Retrieve the parts for the beacon and, under 
  Hepsen’s direction, reconstruct it. 
  4- Recover the Keeper’s medallion from the 
  wreck of the Dorshenta. 
  5- Recover the book of settings from the Bone 
  Forest. 
  When all these tasks are completed, 
  Hepsen can assist the PCs to return to Asperdi 
  Isle. The PCs appear at an old tower similar to 
  the Beacon They are an hours walk south of 
  Ironport on the coast. 
  The lighting of the beacon on this island is 
  soon noticed, as it is now only the second 
  currently lit beacon in the area (the other being 
  Pearl Beacon on the mainland). 
  AR Rewards 
  • 
  If the PCs too some of the treasure from the 
  Wesren, 
  they 
  receive 
  the 
  “Curse 
  of 
  Distraction” AR entry. 
  • 
  If the PCs asked Hepsen to release the 
  Spirit of Captain Velchek, they receive the  
  “Boon of Captain Velcheck” AR reward. 
  • 
  If the PCs buried Hepsen’s bones and 
  helped him receive the “Beacon Relit” AR 
  reward. 
  Experience Points 
  Each encounter should earn the PCs a 
  number of experience points. The PCs earn a 
  number xp equal to the sum of the challenges 
  they overcame.  
  Encounters grant 30xp per EL faced. 
  Adventures should always grant at least 60% of 
  its xp through combat. 
  Only include encounters that grant the PCs 
  experience. 
  2: A Spooky Passage 
  For defeating the skeletal crew of the 
  Wesren 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  4: The Bone Forest 
  For defeating the yellow musk creeper and 
  the yellow musk zombies 
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 15 
  APL2 
  120xp 
  APL4 
  150xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  8: Little Pond/9: The Swamp 
  For defeating the Mul frogs and obtaining 
  their blood 
  APL2 
  90xp 
  APL4 
  150xp 
  APL6 
  210xp 
  10: Dock Ruins 
  For defeating the monstrous centipedes 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  For defeating the water elemental 
  APL2 
  90xp 
  APL4 
  150xp 
  APL6 
  210xp 
  11: Warehouse 
  For defeating the Iron Stevedores 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  12: Guard Tower 
  For defeating the skeletons in the tower 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  14: Armoury 
  For defeating the raiments 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  16: The Wreck of the Dorshenta 
  For defeating the skeletal crew of the 
  Dorshenta 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  For defeating the sharks 
  APL2 
  60xp 
  APL4 
  120xp 
  APL6 
  180xp 
  16: 
  Discretionary 
  Roleplaying 
  Award 
  All APLs 
  120xp 
  Total 
  XP 
  allowed 
  for 
  this 
  adventure 
  Below are the maximum XP that can be 
  awarded.  
  Some adventures may penalize PCs with an 
  extra TU cost (for example, getting thrown in 
  jail). Those TUs do NOT give the PC any extra 
  xp. 
  APL2 
  840xp 
  APL4 
  1,410xp 
  APL6 
  1,980xp 
  Treasure 
  At the end of every adventure, all the 
  treasure found in the adventure is pawned off 
  and sold off in exchange for gold.  
  Add the cost of the loot found in each 
  encounter and divide it by 12. The result is how 
  much each PC’s share is.  
  Some adventures may penalize PCs with an 
  extra TU cost (for example, getting thrown in 
  jail). Those TUs do NOT give the PC any extra 
  gp. 
  Any gold left beyond the maximum allowable 
  (aka “overcap”) can be used ONLY to obtain 
  NPC spellcasting. 
  Total 
  GP 
  allowed 
  for 
  this 
  adventure 
  Below are the maximum gp that can be 
  awarded. A PC may spend an extra TU to obtain 
  20% more by making a successful Craft, 
  Perform Profession or Sleight of Hand, DC= 
  10+APL. 
  APL2 
  840gp 
  APL4 
  1,410gp 
  APL6 
  1,980gp 
  Special Rewards 
  Curse of Distraction: For taking the cursed 
  treasure from the Wesren, you have the curse of 
  distraction. Whenever you roll initiative, you hear 
  a distracting sound or see a distracting flicker 
  out of the corner of their eyes. Roll 1d4 and 
  subtract that result from your initiative. A remove 
  curse ends this effect. 
  Boon of Captain Velchek: You spoke on 
  behalf of Captain Velchek, and ended his eternal 
  torture. As a final gift he grants you a one-use 
  invisibility to undead effect. 
  Beacon Relit: One of the last intact 
  beacons of the Great Kingdom has been relit. 
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 16 
  And somehow word has got around that you 
  were responsible. This is a great navigational 
  aid, and you receive free passage on ships 
  belonging to the Sea Barons for one year 
  following the date of this adventure. 
  Item Access 
  All APLs: 
  • 
  Masterwork 
  Adamantine 
  Warhammer 
  (Adventure; DMG) 
  • 
  Potion of Deep Breath (Adventure; Spell 
  Compendium) 
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 17 
  Appendix 1: APL 2 
  4: Bone Forest 
   
   
   
  YELLOW MUSK CREEPER* 
  CR 4 
  *Fiend Folio 190 
  N Huge Plant  
  Init +3; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0; Blindsight 30 ft. 
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14 
   (-2 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural) 
  hp 57 (6 HD); regeneration 5  
  Immune Plant immunities 
  Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +2 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares); 
  Melee 6 vine whips +5 (1d6) or 
  Ranged musk puff +5 touch (see text) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +4; Grp +12  
  Atk Options Musk Puff 
  Special Actions Consume Intelligence 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 21, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 9 
  SQ Plant traits 
  Feats Weapon Finesse  
  Skills -- 
  Consume Intelligence (Ex) As a free action, a yellow 
  musk creeper can extend dozens of probing, 
  sharp-edged tendrils into the head of any helpless 
  or unresisting creature that also occupies its space. 
  These tendrils begin to devour the victim’s brain, 
  dealing 1d4 points of Intelligence damage each 
  round. If the damage reduces a victims Intelligence 
  to 0, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 
  18). Those who fail die, and their bodies grant 
  sustenance to the hungry plant. Those who 
  succeed are implanted with a seed and become 
  yellow musk zombies. The only way to stop a 
  yellow musk creeper from consuming a victim’s 
  intelligence is to either kill the victim or the creeper. 
  Musk Puff (Ex) Yellow musk creepers attack by 
  puffing a spray of potent-smelling dust upon a 
  nearby target. The musk has a range of 30 feet 
  and can target one creature per round. 
   
  Creatures struck by a yellow musk creeper’s musk 
  puff must make a Fortitude save (DC 18) or fall 
  under a mind-affecting compulsion to get closer to 
  the entrancing source of the musk. The duration of 
  the effect is 2d8 rounds, although creatures within 
  the plant remain under the compulsion until 
  removed from the creeper. 
   
  Creature’s under the yellow musk creeper’s 
  compulsion can take no actions other than moving 
  to enter the plant’s space. The creeper does not 
  oppose these attempts. Affected creatures do 
  anything they can to comply with the compulsion 
  and even attack companions who seek to restrain 
  them. Once within the plant, the affected creature 
  drops anything in hand and stands motionless. The 
  creature is dazed and does not resist the creeper’s 
  attacks as long as it remains within the plant. 
  Regeneration (Ex) Fire and acid deal normal 
  damage to a yellow musk creeper. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-SAILOR)
   
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 
   (+2 leather armor) 
  hp 4 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +1 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger +1 (1d4+1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1  
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 9 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-
  SORCERER) 
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 
  AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 
  hp 5 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger -1 (1d4-1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp -1  
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 18 
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 15 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, setting book 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
  8: Little Pond/9: The Swamp 
   
  MUL FROG (DIRE TOAD) 
  CR 3 
  *Monster Manual II 76  
  N Medium Animal 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +9, Spot +10; low-light vision 
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 
   (+2 Dex, +3 natural) 
  hp 26 (4 HD)  
  Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee bite +5 (1d4 plus poison) or 
  Melee tongue +5 (see text) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +3  
  Atk Options Poison, tongue 
  Special Actions Improved grab, swallow whole 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7 
  Feats Alertness, Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Hide +8, Jump +10, Listen +9, Spot +10 
  Poison (Ex) A dire toad delivers its poison with each 
  successful bite attack, DC 14 Fort save, damage 
  1d6 Con/1d6 Con.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) A dire toad can attempt to start 
  a grapple as a free action with a successful tongue 
  or bite attack, without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. Each successful grapple check it 
  makes during successive rounds automatically 
  deals bite damage. 
  Swallow Whole (Ex) A dire toad can swallow a 
  grabbed opponent that is at least one size category 
  smaller than itself by making a successful grapple 
  check. Once inside the toad, the opponent takes 
  1d4 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d4 points 
  of acid damage per round from the toad’s stomach. 
  A successful grapple check allows the swallowed 
  creature to climb out of the stomach and into the 
  mouth, where another successful grapple check is 
  required to get free. Alternatively, a swallowed 
  creature can try to cut its way out with either claws 
  or a light piercing or slashing weapon. Dealing at 
  least 10 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13) in 
  this way creates an opening large enough to permit 
  escape. Once a single swallowed creature 
  escapes, muscular action closes the hole; thus 
  another swallowed opponent must cut its own way 
  out. A medium dire toad’s stomach can hold 2 
  Small or 8 tiny or smaller opponents. 
  Skills A dire toad receives a +4 racial bonus on Hide, 
  Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on 
  Jump checks. 
  14: Armoury Interior   
   
   
  RAIMENT 
  CR 1 
  *Libris Mortis 117  
  CE Small Undead 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1; Blindsight 60 ft., 
  Darkvision 60 ft. 
  AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 
   (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) 
  hp 19 (3 HD); DR 5/magic 
  Immune undead immunities 
  Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee 2 coat sleeves +3/+3 (1d2+3) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4  
  Atk Options Improved Grab, Constrict 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 13, Cha 7 
  SQ Mindless, undead traits 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Constrict (Ex) A raiment deals 1d2+3 points of 
  damage with a successful grapple check against a 
  Large or smaller creature, in addition to the normal 
  1d2+3 points of damage for its regular attack. 
  Because its wraps itself around its victim’s neck, a 
  creature in the raiment’s grasp cannot speak or 
  cast spells that have a verbal component. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a raiment 
  must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a coat 
  sleeve attack. It can them attempt to start a grapple 
  as a free action without provoking attacks of 
  opportunity. A raiment is hard to grapple because 
  of its body configuration, so it gains a +4 bonus on 
  its grapple checks (already figured into the 
  statistics above). If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict. 
  Mindless (Ex) A raiment is mindless, so it has no 
  Intelligence score and no feats or skills. A raiment 
  is immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities. 
   
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 19 
  APL 4 
  4: Bone Forest 
   
   
   
  YELLOW MUSK CREEPER* 
  CR 5 
  *Fiend Folio 190 
  N Huge Plant  
  Init +3; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0; Blindsight 30 ft. 
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14 
   (-2 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural) 
  hp 105 (10 HD); regeneration 5  
  Immune Plant immunities 
  Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +3 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares); 
  Melee 6 vine whips +8 (1d6) or 
  Ranged musk puff +8 touch (see text) 
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. 
  Base Atk +7; Grp +15  
  Atk Options Musk Puff 
  Special Actions Consume Intelligence 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 22, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 9 
  SQ Plant traits 
  Feats Weapon Finesse  
  Skills -- 
  Consume Intelligence (Ex) As a free action, a yellow 
  musk creeper can extend dozens of probing, 
  sharp-edged tendrils into the head of any helpless 
  or unresisting creature that also occupies its space. 
  These tendrils begin to devour the victim’s brain, 
  dealing 1d4 points of Intelligence damage each 
  round. If the damage reduces a victims Intelligence 
  to 0, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 
  21). Those who fail die, and their bodies grant 
  sustenance to the hungry plant. Those who 
  succeed are implanted with a seed and become 
  yellow musk zombies. The only way to stop a 
  yellow musk creeper from consuming a victim’s 
  intelligence is to either kill the victim or the creeper. 
  Musk Puff (Ex) Yellow musk creepers attack by 
  puffing a spray of potent-smelling dust upon a 
  nearby target. The musk has a range of 30 feet 
  and can target one creature per round. 
   
  Creatures struck by a yellow musk creeper’s musk 
  puff must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) or fall 
  under a mind-affecting compulsion to get closer to 
  the entrancing source of the musk. The duration of 
  the effect is 2d8 rounds, although creatures within 
  the plant remain under the compulsion until 
  removed from the creeper. 
   
  Creature’s under the yellow musk creeper’s 
  compulsion can take no actions other than moving 
  to enter the plant’s space. The creeper does not 
  oppose these attempts. Affected creatures do 
  anything they can to comply with the compulsion 
  and even attack companions who seek to restrain 
  them. Once within the plant, the affected creature 
  drops anything in hand and stands motionless. The 
  creature is dazed and does not resist the creeper’s 
  attacks as long as it remains within the plant. 
  Regeneration (Ex) Fire and acid deal normal 
  damage to a yellow musk creeper. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-SAILOR)
   
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 
   (+2 leather armor) 
  hp 4 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +1 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger +1 (1d4+1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1  
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 9 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-
  SORCERER) 
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 
  AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 
  hp 5 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger -1 (1d4-1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp -1  
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 20 
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 15 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, setting book 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
  8: Little Pond/9: The Swamp 
   
  MUL FROG (DIRE TOAD) 
  CR 3 
  *Monster Manual II 76  
  N Medium Animal 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +9, Spot +10; low-light vision 
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 
   (+2 Dex, +3 natural) 
  hp 26 (4 HD)  
  Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee bite +5 (1d4 plus poison) or 
  Melee tongue +5 (see text) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +3  
  Atk Options Poison, tongue 
  Special Actions Improved grab, swallow whole 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7 
  Feats Alertness, Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Hide +8, Jump +10, Listen +9, Spot +10 
  Poison (Ex) A dire toad delivers its poison with each 
  successful bite attack, DC 14 Fort save, damage 
  1d6 Con/1d6 Con.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) A dire toad can attempt to start 
  a grapple as a free action with a successful tongue 
  or bite attack, without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. Each successful grapple check it 
  makes during successive rounds automatically 
  deals bite damage. 
  Swallow Whole (Ex) A dire toad can swallow a 
  grabbed opponent that is at least one size category 
  smaller than itself by making a successful grapple 
  check. Once inside the toad, the opponent takes 
  1d4 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d4 points 
  of acid damage per round from the toad’s stomach. 
  A successful grapple check allows the swallowed 
  creature to climb out of the stomach and into the 
  mouth, where another successful grapple check is 
  required to get free. Alternatively, a swallowed 
  creature can try to cut its way out with either claws 
  or a light piercing or slashing weapon. Dealing at 
  least 10 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13) in 
  this way creates an opening large enough to permit 
  escape. Once a single swallowed creature 
  escapes, muscular action closes the hole; thus 
  another swallowed opponent must cut its own way 
  out. A medium dire toad’s stomach can hold 2 
  Small or 8 tiny or smaller opponents. 
  Skills A dire toad receives a +4 racial bonus on Hide, 
  Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on 
  Jump checks. 
  14: Armoury Interior   
   
   
  RAIMENT 
  CR 1 
  *Libris Mortis 117  
  CE Small Undead 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1; Blindsight 60 ft., 
  Darkvision 60 ft. 
  AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 
   (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) 
  hp 19 (3 HD); DR 5/magic 
  Immune undead immunities 
  Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee 2 coat sleeves +3/+3 (1d2+3) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4  
  Atk Options Improved Grab, Constrict 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 13, Cha 7 
  SQ Mindless, undead traits 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Constrict (Ex) A raiment deals 1d2+3 points of 
  damage with a successful grapple check against a 
  Large or smaller creature, in addition to the normal 
  1d2+3 points of damage for its regular attack. 
  Because its wraps itself around its victim’s neck, a 
  creature in the raiment’s grasp cannot speak or 
  cast spells that have a verbal component. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a raiment 
  must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a coat 
  sleeve attack. It can them attempt to start a grapple 
  as a free action without provoking attacks of 
  opportunity. A raiment is hard to grapple because 
  of its body configuration, so it gains a +4 bonus on 
  its grapple checks (already figured into the 
  statistics above). If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict. 
  Mindless (Ex) A raiment is mindless, so it has no 
  Intelligence score and no feats or skills. A raiment 
  is immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities. 
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
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  APL 6 
  4: Bone Forest 
   
   
   
  YELLOW MUSK CREEPER* 
  CR 6 
  *Fiend Folio 190 
  N Gargantuan Plant  
  Init +3; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0; Blindsight 30 ft. 
  AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 16 
   (-4 size, +3 Dex, +10 natural) 
  hp 175 (14 HD); regeneration 5  
  Immune Plant immunities 
  Fort +17, Ref +7, Will +4 
  Speed 5 ft. (1 squares); 
  Melee 6 vine whips +9 (1d8+4) or 
  Ranged musk puff +9 touch (see text) 
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft. 
  Base Atk +10; Grp +26  
  Atk Options Musk Puff 
  Special Actions Consume Intelligence 
  Abilities Str 18, Dex 16, Con 22, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 9 
  SQ Plant traits 
  Feats Weapon Finesse  
  Skills -- 
  Consume Intelligence (Ex) As a free action, a yellow 
  musk creeper can extend dozens of probing, 
  sharp-edged tendrils into the head of any helpless 
  or unresisting creature that also occupies its space. 
  These tendrils begin to devour the victim’s brain, 
  dealing 1d4 points of Intelligence damage each 
  round. If the damage reduces a victims Intelligence 
  to 0, the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 
  25). Those who fail die, and their bodies grant 
  sustenance to the hungry plant. Those who 
  succeed are implanted with a seed and become 
  yellow musk zombies. The only way to stop a 
  yellow musk creeper from consuming a victim’s 
  intelligence is to either kill the victim or the creeper. 
  Musk Puff (Ex) Yellow musk creepers attack by 
  puffing a spray of potent-smelling dust upon a 
  nearby target. The musk has a range of 30 feet 
  and can target one creature per round. 
   
  Creatures struck by a yellow musk creeper’s musk 
  puff must make a Fortitude save (DC 25) or fall 
  under a mind-affecting compulsion to get closer to 
  the entrancing source of the musk. The duration of 
  the effect is 2d8 rounds, although creatures within 
  the plant remain under the compulsion until 
  removed from the creeper. 
   
  Creature’s under the yellow musk creeper’s 
  compulsion can take no actions other than moving 
  to enter the plant’s space. The creeper does not 
  oppose these attempts. Affected creatures do 
  anything they can to comply with the compulsion 
  and even attack companions who seek to restrain 
  them. Once within the plant, the affected creature 
  drops anything in hand and stands motionless. The 
  creature is dazed and does not resist the creeper’s 
  attacks as long as it remains within the plant. 
  Regeneration (Ex) Fire and acid deal normal 
  damage to a yellow musk creeper. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-SAILOR)
   
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1 
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 
   (+2 leather armor) 
  hp 4 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +1 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger +1 (1d4+1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp +1  
  Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 9 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
   
  YELLOW MUSK ZOMBIE (EX-
  SORCERER) 
  CR ½  
  *Fiend Folio 191  
  N Medium Plant  
  Init +0; Senses Listen +0, Spot +0 
  AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 
  hp 5 (1 HD) 
  Immune Plant traits 
  Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee dagger -1 (1d4-1/19-20) or 
  Ranged light crossbow +0 (1d8/19-20) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +0; Grp -1  
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 22 
  Abilities Str 8, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 15 
  SQ Creeper Loyalty, Deadened Mind, Plant Traits, 
  Seeded 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Possessions combat gear plus dagger, light 
  crossbow, 20 bolts, setting book 
  Creeper Loyalty (Ex) Yellow musk zombies always 
  act to protect and nurture the yellow musk creeper 
  that created them. They can range no farther than 
  100 feet from their progenitor for the first two 
  months of their existence. After that they wander 
  freely for 1d4 days before dropping dead. Unless 
  cured, a yellow musk zombie automatically dies 
  two days after the death of its patron creeper. 
  Deadened Mind (Ex) A yellow must zombie recalls 
  nothing of its previous life, and it exists only to 
  serve its parent plant. It cannot make use of class 
  abilities, skills, or feats it previously knew. It also 
  cannot use magic devices, although it can still 
  wield weapons and use armour. 
  Seeded (Ex) If a yellow musk zombie dies, the 
  growing seed inside its head takes root and grows 
  into a yellow musk creeper within 1 hour. 
  8: Little Pond/9: The Swamp 
   
  MUL FROG (DIRE TOAD) 
  CR 3 
  *Monster Manual II 76  
  N Medium Animal 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +9, Spot +10; low-light vision 
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 
   (+2 Dex, +3 natural) 
  hp 26 (4 HD)  
  Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6 
  Speed 30 ft. (6 squares); 
  Melee bite +5 (1d4 plus poison) or 
  Melee tongue +5 (see text) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +3; Grp +3  
  Atk Options Poison, tongue 
  Special Actions Improved grab, swallow whole 
  Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7 
  Feats Alertness, Weapon Finesse  
  Skills Hide +8, Jump +10, Listen +9, Spot +10 
  Poison (Ex) A dire toad delivers its poison with each 
  successful bite attack, DC 14 Fort save, damage 
  1d6 Con/1d6 Con.  
  Improved Grab (Ex) A dire toad can attempt to start 
  a grapple as a free action with a successful tongue 
  or bite attack, without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity. Each successful grapple check it 
  makes during successive rounds automatically 
  deals bite damage. 
  Swallow Whole (Ex) A dire toad can swallow a 
  grabbed opponent that is at least one size category 
  smaller than itself by making a successful grapple 
  check. Once inside the toad, the opponent takes 
  1d4 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d4 points 
  of acid damage per round from the toad’s stomach. 
  A successful grapple check allows the swallowed 
  creature to climb out of the stomach and into the 
  mouth, where another successful grapple check is 
  required to get free. Alternatively, a swallowed 
  creature can try to cut its way out with either claws 
  or a light piercing or slashing weapon. Dealing at 
  least 10 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13) in 
  this way creates an opening large enough to permit 
  escape. Once a single swallowed creature 
  escapes, muscular action closes the hole; thus 
  another swallowed opponent must cut its own way 
  out. A medium dire toad’s stomach can hold 2 
  Small or 8 tiny or smaller opponents. 
  Skills A dire toad receives a +4 racial bonus on Hide, 
  Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on 
  Jump checks. 
  14: Armoury Interior   
   
   
  RAIMENT 
  CR 1 
  *Libris Mortis 117  
  CE Small Undead 
  Init +2; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1; Blindsight 60 ft., 
  Darkvision 60 ft. 
  AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 
   (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural) 
  hp 19 (3 HD); DR 5/magic 
  Immune undead immunities 
  Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4 
  Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); 
  Melee 2 coat sleeves +3/+3 (1d2+3) 
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. 
  Base Atk +1; Grp +4  
  Atk Options Improved Grab, Constrict 
  Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con --, Int --, Wis 13, Cha 7 
  SQ Mindless, undead traits 
  Feats --  
  Skills -- 
  Constrict (Ex) A raiment deals 1d2+3 points of 
  damage with a successful grapple check against a 
  Large or smaller creature, in addition to the normal 
  1d2+3 points of damage for its regular attack. 
  Because its wraps itself around its victim’s neck, a 
  creature in the raiment’s grasp cannot speak or 
  cast spells that have a verbal component. 
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a raiment 
  must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a coat 
  sleeve attack. It can them attempt to start a grapple 
  as a free action without provoking attacks of 
  opportunity. A raiment is hard to grapple because 
  of its body configuration, so it gains a +4 bonus on 
  its grapple checks (already figured into the 
  statistics above). If it wins the grapple check, it 
  establishes a hold and can constrict. 
  Mindless (Ex) A raiment is mindless, so it has no 
  Intelligence score and no feats or skills. A raiment 
  is immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities. 
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 23 
  Appendix 2: New Rules Items 
  Spells 
  Deep Breath  
  Source: Spell Compendium 61 
   
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 24 
  Maps 
  Map 1. 
   
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 25 
  Map 2. 
   
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 26 
  Map 3. 
   
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 27 
  Map 4. 
   
    
   
  
  SBN9-01 The Accursed Sea 
   
  Page 28 
  Map 5: The Sea Barons Area Map 
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Living Greyhawk/Modules/Sea Barons/599/Normal Scenarios/SBN9-01 - The Accursed Sea (APL 2-6)/SBN9-01 - The Accursed Sea.pdf