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  Author: ASH LAW 
  Editor & Developer: Rob Heinsoo 
  Layout: ASH LAW 
  Cartography: ASH LAW 
  Interior Art: ASH LAW, Rich Longmore,  
  Lee Moyer, and Aaron McConnell. 
  Cover: ASH LAW, Lee Moyer, and Aaron McConnell. 
   
  (Diamonds and Shadows is partially adapted from and contains material originally published in the following adventures: Shadow 
  Port Shuffle written by ASH LAW, with A. Roudabush, and L. Mignola, and developed by Rob Heinsoo; Wyrd of the Wild Wood 
  written by ASH LAW, with E.Kabara, L.Mingoa, T.Scott, R. Cedrylle, and Q. Murphy, and developed by Rob Heinsoo; Omenquest 
  written by ASH LAW, and developed by Rob Heinsoo; The Wyrms’ Tale written by ASH LAW, and developed by Rob Heinsoo; all 
  ©2014 Fire Opal Media, Inc. and Produced by arrangement Pelgrane Press Ltd. Additional material by ASH LAW) 
  ©2015 Fire Opal Media, Inc. Produced by arrangement Pelgrane Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Product Identity: The 
  following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), 
  and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, icons, place names, new 
  deities, etc.), dialogue, banter and comments from Jonathan and Rob or ASH, plots, story elements, locations, characters, 
  artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this 
  declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Fire 
  Opal Media game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No 
  portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without 
  written permission. 13th Age is published by Pelgrane Press Ltd. under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 
  2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 13th Age is a trademark of Fire Opal Media, Inc. ©2015 Fire Opal Media, Inc. All rights 
  reserved. 
  
   
  3 
   
  Contents 
  Chapter 1: Adventure 
  Set-Up .......................... 9 
  Adventure Overview ............................ 9 
  Character motivation, and the icons . 9 
  Agent of an icon ................................... 9 
  Fights ..................................................... 9 
  Hazards ............................................... 10 
  Magic Items ......................................... 10 
  40 Half-lies and half-truths about 
  Shadow Port ........................................ 11 
  Chapter 2: Shadow 
  Port Nights ............... 13 
  DEEP IN THE RED ................................ 13 
  THIS PLACE GROWS ON YOU ........... 21 
  THE CARNIVAL CAPER ..................... 26 
  THE KRAKEN ........................................32 
  THE BIG JOB ........................................ 39 
  
   
  4 
   
  ESCAPE TO DARKSKYE ....................... 45 
  Chapter 3: Wild Wood 
  Woes .......................... 48 
  Recap (the story so far) ..................... 48 
  DARKSKYE CRASHDOWN ................. 48 
  DEATH MARCH ................................... 53 
  HEX CRAWL ....................................... 62 
  Chapter 4: Diamond 
  Chase ......................... 83 
  Recap (the story so far) ...................... 83 
  THE WILD WOOD ............................... 83 
  
   
  5 
   
  THE ISLE OF OMEN ............................. 86 
  THE DUNGEON OF DEATH ............... 90 
  Chapter 5: The 
  Midland Sea............ 104 
  Recap (the story so far) ................... 104 
  Overview ........................................... 104 
  Leaving Omen .................................... 104 
  Encounters ........................................ 104 
  To The Wyrm’s Tale ........................... 108 
  Chapter 6: Turn and 
  Return ..................... 109 
  Recap (the story so far) .................... 109 
  ATTACK ON CASTLE ZAMAK ........... 109 
  A DAY LATE AND A DIAMOND 
  SHORT ................................................ 117 
  THE CROWN AND GOWN ................ 122 
  
   
  6 
   
  INTO THE SHADOWS ....................... 137 
  Chapter 7: Against the 
  Icons ........................ 148 
  Recap (the story so far) .................... 148 
  AGAINST THE ICONS ........................ 148 
  Destinations, motivations, rewards 148 
  Iconic opposition and aid ................. 151 
  Dangerous environments .................. 166 
  
   
  7 
   
  The End! .............................................. 170 
  Appendix: Magic Items
   ................................. 172 
  OPEN GAME LICENCE
   ................................. 173 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  8 
   
  Foreword 
  If you’re reading this, it means you supported the 13th 
  Age Bundle of Holding to the extent that you’ve landed 
  the extra goodies! Thank you! 
  Diamonds and Shadows is the result of a development 
  in 13th Age design that took me by surprise. I was 
  convinced that 13th Age organized play wasn’t possible 
  because—in my previous 
  experience—organized play 
  requires standardization:  
  every player can expect the 
  same experience at every 
  table, and every GM can 
  expect that players won’t 
  bring weird homebrewed 
  PCs to games. The One 
  Unique Thing made that 
  kind of standardization 
  impossible, I argued, 
  because characters can 
  have game-changing 
  uniques like, “I am the only 
  half-elf in the world”. 
  Thankfully ASH LAW 
  knew better. ASH had joined our 
  13th Age efforts as the most 
  effervescent gamemaster we knew, and 
  with his characteristic ebullience said that 
  organized play wouldn’t be a problem if we 
  simply vetoed One Unique Things which described a PC 
  as the only character in the world who had their unique 
  features. So long as no one’s uniques ruled out other 
  people’s uniques, organized play could work. ASH and a 
  group of enthusiastic collaborators then proved it by 
  designing four successful 13th Age organized play 
  adventures—adventures that have now been updated 
  and compiled as the Diamonds and Shadows campaign 
  (together with a lot of brand new material). 
  A few words of explanation for those completely 
  new to these adventures—because they were originally 
  created for groups to play as weekly two-hour sessions 
  of the 13th Age organized play program, they were 
  originally designed with specific time limits in mind. As 
  such if you play Diamonds and Shadows as written you’ll 
  find that the adventure has a natural rhythm, alternating 
  between freeform montages, roleplaying, combat, and 
  more combat!  
  The episodic format of the weekly adventures also 
  explains the linear approach of the early parts of 
  Diamonds and Shadows. ASH loves writing sandbox 
  adventures, but organized play had to stick to specific 
  plotlines. As a result there’s less room at the start of 
  Diamonds and Shadows for players to take off in a 
  completely unexpected direction than there is 
  in an adventure like Shadows of Eldolan. 
  If going off on wild tangents is your 
  players’ only mode, you’ll still be 
  able to use most of the material 
  in Diamonds and Shadow and 
  the good news for such 
  groups: possibilities do 
  widen out at the end!  
  The various sections of 
  the adventure are written 
  for higher and higher level 
  characters. If you play 
  Diamonds and Shadows as 
  written, moving from one 
  section to the next, you’ll level 
  your characters up much faster 
  than in most campaigns. Starting 
  at second level, you’re all beholden 
  to that stealthy puppeteer, the Prince of 
  Shadows. By the end of Diamonds and 
  Shadows, you’re all seventh level, and you 
  may have chosen among several of the icons 
  as your ally and from even more of them as 
  your true enemy.   
  If you find yourself enjoying this style of play, or 
  profiting from the examples of adventure pacing, 
  character montages, and ASH’s other GM tricks, the 
  current 13th Age Organized Play adventures are available 
  as a bonus to subscribers to the 13th Age Monthly from 
  Pelgrane Press.  
  Have fun in the shadows, chasing the diamond! 
   
   
  
   
  9 
   
  Chapter 1: Adventure Set-Up 
  Adventure Overview 
  This adventure revolves around a mystic diamond that 
  by rights belongs the Emperor. The Darkskye Diamond is 
  said to have the power to levitate rock, creating flying 
  islands in the sky.  
  The adventurers start as pawns of the Prince of 
  Shadows, paying off past debts to the icon by committing 
  crimes for him. One of the crimes involves stealing the 
  Darkskye Diamond… and the theft of that item sets the 
  rest of the adventure in motion. 
  Character motivation, and the 
  icons 
  IN SHADOW’S DEBT 
  The adventure starts with the adventurers working for 
  the Prince of Shadows to pay off a serious debt that they 
  owe him. The debt could be a literal debt, or something 
  like a debt of honor. 
  The characters have all somehow incurred a hefty debt 
  to the Prince of Shadows, be it a literal debt or a figurative 
  one. Whether it was for a good reason, bad reason, or just 
  pure luck, the Prince isn’t one to let something like that 
  slide. The Prince wants the characters to put their skills 
  and talents to work and they will do so, if they know 
  what’s good for them.  
  Ask each player what their character has done to land 
  them in the Prince of Shadows’ debt. Is the debt to the 
  Prince a figurative one, or a literal debt of money? Is the 
  debt related to their backgrounds? Was their debt 
  incurred for selfish reasons, from selfless motives, or 
  through chance? Whatever it is, it’s going to take several 
  jobs to repay. . . . . 
  Agent of an icon 
  Of course not every character will fit the ‘I’m in debt to 
  the Prince of Shadows’ mold, so here are some ideas for 
  other icon-related reasons for starting this adventure: 
   
  You are secretly working for an icon who wants to 
  know what the Prince of Shadows is up to. You have 
  taken the place of somebody who has a debt to the 
  Prince. 
   
  You are hiding from an icon, and what better place to 
  hide from an icon than in the employ of another icon? 
   
  You are working for an icon who is concerned that 
  the Prince of Shadows has a plan to do harm to the 
  Wild Wood (Elf Queen, High Druid). Play along with 
  the Prince of Shadows and prevent anything that 
  might harm the forest, and if that cannot be done then 
  stand ready to avenge the forces of nature. 
   
  You are working for an icon who has mystically 
  foreseen some great disaster whose roots are with the 
  Prince of Shadows (Archmage, Diabolist, Priestess). 
  Stick with the Prince of Shadows long enough to 
  discover what is going on, then prevent the disaster. 
   
  You are working for an icon who is keen to get their 
  hands on a treasure that the Prince of Shadows 
  intends to steal (Dwarf King, Emperor, Orc Lord). The 
  icon who has sent you into danger wants you to play 
  along as long as possible, and discover where the 
  Prince of Shadow’s secret base in Shadow Port is so 
  that they may personally raid it. 
   
  You have been sent to infiltrate the Prince’s 
  organization 
  and 
  uncover 
  its 
  deeper 
  secrets 
  (Crusader, Lich King). The icon who has sent you to 
  uncover the Prince’s secrets intends to later use those 
  secrets to their own benefit. 
   
  You are working for a dragon icon who is playing the 
  long game. You don’t quite know what the icon’s 
  plan is, but you know that it involves something 
  called the Darkskye Diamond (Great Gold Wyrm, The 
  Three) and a shadowy creature. 
  Fights 
  Throughout this adventure the party will encounter 
  opposition from armed opponents, monsters, and strange 
  spirits. Each fight in this section has an associated fight 
  chart. To find out how many monsters of each type to use 
  look up the number of player character adventurers in the 
  left-hand column then read across that row. So when 
  there is a fight you will see the following: 
  Fight! 
  …any special details for the fight will appear here. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  First 
  Monster 
  Second 
  Monster 
  Third 
  Monster 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  
   
  10 
   
  4 
  2 
  1 
  10 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  15 
  6 
  3 
  2 
  20 
  7 
  4 
  2 
  25 
  In the above example for four adventurers you would 
  use two of the first type of monster, one of the second 
  monsters, and ten of the third type of monster. 
  Hazards 
  HAZARDS OUTSIDE OF COMBAT 
  Some areas have specific hazards. If the adventurers will 
  not face a fight in an area due to there being no foes or the 
  adventurers avoiding the fight then each adventurer 
  must face a hazard. 
  Adventurers who face a hazard (usually) get a chance 
  to avoid it by rolling a skill check and beating the DC of 
  the hazard. This could represent noticing the hazard in 
  time and dodging out of the way, disarming a trap, or 
  using knowledge of the hazard to avoid the danger. 
  If the adventurer fails to succeed at the skill check (or 
  if the hazard automatically hits) the hazard makes an 
  attack against the adventurer. 
  SUDDEN CHASM 
  FALLING 
  MASONRY 
  BURST OF WILD 
  MAGIC 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Sudden drop, 
  painful stop +5 
  vs PD—2d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Bricks +10 vs 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Wild magic +10 
  vs MD— 
  1d10 psychic 
  damage 
  HAZARDS IN COMBAT 
  In a few combats there are specific hazards that you can 
  introduce. This is especially true in chapter 3 as the 
  kobolds choose to fight in environments that will force 
  intruders or those chasing them to either dodge the 
  hazard (a standard action) or attack the kobolds and risk 
  the hazard harming them.  
  Chapter 4 is intended for 4th level characters. The 
  fights in chapter 4 are pitched at 3rd level characters, but 
  the inclusion of hazards increase the difficulty to 
  something closer to what is fair for a 4th level character. 
  It is up to you as the GM how to use these hazards 
  mid-combat; personally I’d recommend that each 
  adventurer only faces a single hazard each combat, and 
  that you only use one hazard each round. 
  If you want to speed through chapter 4 ignore the mid-
  fight hazards and allow the players some easy wins. If 
  you want to really challenge the party and make them 
  work for their victories then use two hazards per round 
  and aim to throw two hazards at each adventurer every 
  battle. 
  Magic Items 
  There are magic items in an appendix at the back of this 
  book, and you can find more in the 13TH AGE core book, 
  the BOOK OF LOOT, and the 13TH AGE BESTIARY. Some parts 
  of this adventure have specific magic items available only 
  from that location, in those cases the items are in the 
  adventure listed and detailed in that location.  
  
   
  11 
   
  40 Half-lies and half-truths about 
  Shadow Port 
  In the first and sixth chapters of this adventure the city of 
  Shadow Port is featured quite heavily. Rather than give a 
  full city map, long list of NPCs, and so on, we’ve given 
  you forty rumors to choose from as you see fit. Add 
  several rumors to the NPCs found in the taverns of 
  Shadow Port and you’ve got yourself a living breathing 
  city. 
  1. 
  A bard’s guild has moved into some rooms on 
  Nectarnare Street across the road from the Bank 
  of Glitterhaegen, but their playing is awful. The 
  neighbors are complaining but their landlady 
  Mrs Wilberforce thinks they are playing 
  beautifully. 
  2. 
  A big bunch of ranger types rowed ashore in a 
  tiny boat the other day. They came from the 
  direction of the Bitterwood. They looked to be 
  about serious business. 
  3. 
  A bunch of talking multi-colored ponies and 
  other animals have been hanging around the 
  Sand Street pub where the wizards hang out. 
  Probably illusionists playing tricks. 
  4. 
  A moose went berserk in the Strut Square market 
  … again. Yet again nobody knows where the 
  moose came from. It tore around the place, 
  knocking down stalls and biting people. 
  5. 
  A scribe was found dead on a rooftop near 
  Catfindell Street. His eyes had been stolen. 
  6. 
  A ship carrying Orcish Slug Fever has been 
  quarantined down at Quartz Quay. 
  7. 
  Alderman Chesmun stabbed up a whole tavern, 
  and today is due to be hanged until dead. They 
  insulted her milliner, who then went mad and 
  burnt down his hat shop. All true, I swear. 
  8. 
  All over Latchmound district strange warm black 
  fungal spores have been falling. It ain’t no 
  problem, just an oddity. I ‘ave a jar of it ‘ere if’n 
  you wanna buy some. 
  9. 
  An elf was found hanging from the Waxweasel 
  Bridge last night. That is the third one in as many 
  days. Whelp… it looks like the Waxweasel 
  Hangman is back! 
  10. 
  At the last Feast of Gold the Prince of Shadows 
  auctioned his mask. 
  11. 
  Captain Bigfinger the halfling pirate has been 
  down at the docks, looking for a new crew. 
  12. 
  Jimmy the Needle is on the run. He stole 
  something big from an emissary of the Elf Queen. 
  13. 
  Jobe Addermun found a dead body in a chest 
  today, down by the Hanged Stabman tavern. The 
  body was full of fungus, someone had emptied 
  the body and put mushrooms inside. 
  14. 
  Jobe Chesmun was found dead today, stabbed 
  and left hung from the Alderman Inn’s sign. He 
  was covered in thousands of sand crabs, 
  burrowing into his skin. 
  15. 
  Kraal One Tusk the half-orc burnt down his own 
  haberdashery and won’t say why, but he cringes 
  whenever he sees a mushroom. Must ‘ave been 
  the fumes wot sent ‘im mad. 
  16. 
  Lady Rumpdent is to hold a grand gala tonight. 
  The balls of the rich elite of the Cite Crescent 
  district are legendary, and Lady Rumpdent has 
  the biggest balls of them all (second only of 
  course to Morgan Navale). They say she is 
  playing host to centaurs! 
  17. 
  Lumberhulk Way has a new shop opening this 
  week. Nobody knows what the new shop will 
  sell, the signs are covered in tarpaulins and there 
  are dust sheets over the windows. It is all terribly 
  mysterious. 
  18. 
  Madame Bluestaff of Cherrychase Alley is 
  offering runes and potions at a lower than usual 
  price. I hear she is trying to raise a lot of money 
  very quickly. Maybe she needs to leave? 
  19. 
  Madame Vanda has decided to purchase a ship, 
  the Deep Swing. The captain of the Deep Swing 
  isn’t keen on selling. Madame Vanda is hiring 
  ‘guards’ as is the captain. 
  20. 
  On the Street of a Thousand Fools is a fortune 
  teller who can see the time of your death. 
  21. 
  Owls 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  slouching 
  around 
  Tenderhill district. Slouching I tells ya! It ain’t 
  natural. 
  22. 
  Rampqueen Passage was the scene of a recent 
  murder, and now is haunted by a ghostly woman 
  in white.The owner of the warehouse nearby is 
  offering money to anybody who can get rid of the 
  ghost, his workers are getting spooked. 
  23. 
  Rents are going up on Ralrain Avenue, and the 
  tenants are not well pleased. The landlord, 
  Kamock Slant, has sent his thugs around to 
  collect and kick out those who are late paying. 
  
   
  12 
   
  24. 
  The ‘Mucklarks’ street gang are in hiding. Their 
  leader Quin Half-Elven was last seen entering a 
  temple of Vo (“May His inky tentacles rise from 
  the deep to caress you with His knowledge”). 
  25. 
  The Coomb Canyon slaughterhouse district is the 
  place to find the best fresh meat and the deadliest 
  assassins. You have to know the right people first 
  though... 
  26. 
  The Dazedasher is back in port, with yet another 
  captain. Some say there is a curse on the ship that 
  makes captains gamble their ship away. 
  27. 
  The dwarves of Stonedale are visiting relatives in 
  the city, and are drinking the place dry! 
  28. 
  The Flowhag Street flower shop was the only one 
  left alone by the ‘Edgebasher’ gang when they 
  went on a rampage. I wonder why that is - it’s just 
  a pair of little old ladies and some flowers. What 
  goes in in the back room of that shop that is 
  covered by the scent of flowers? 
  29. 
  The halfling street gang ‘the Shalediggers’ are out 
  in force tonight.  
  30. 
  The Iron Moor tavern is home to a great new 
  house band called The Roottles. They come from 
  Anvil and are looking for a new drummer (the 
  last one was eaten by orcs). 
  31. 
  The Jade Palm tavern is having an all-you can eat 
  contest tonight. 
  32. 
  The ladies of Shaftshade Street are rioting. The 
  street is barricaded and they are hurling insults 
  and clumps of mud at anybody who tries to go 
  up the street. 
  33. 
  The people of Shoeshire Street have had their 
  fountain stolen, their pride and joy. 
  34. 
  The scent of roses is powerful near the 
  Screamscarpe Hill cemetery. 
  35. 
  The seamen's mission on Rabblerate Street is 
  looking to hire a guard. 
  36. 
  The skullball team from Jawletcher Narrows is 
  due to play the crew of the Sea Seed tonight. Lots 
  of locals are wagering on the Jawletcher girls to 
  win. Gooooooo Narrows! 
  37. 
  The urchins of Cham Corner have suddenly 
  become wealthy and purchased fine new 
  waistcoats. I hear they mugged the Prince 
  himself, and he let them keep the coins! 
  38. 
  The wizards and enchantresses of the White 
  Unicorn Circus are back, setting up their tents 
  and putting out their stalls. This time they have 
  some goblin acrobats from the Bad Moone Faire, 
  so it should be a grand show. I hear they have a 
  fire-eating dryad this year! 
  39. 
  The yearly parade of brightly colored siege 
  engines arranged by the dwarves of Scrimshaw 
  Street had to take a different route due to 
  subsidence under the parade route. The Empire 
  is sending a huge diamond to the parade, with a 
  thousand guards. Must be a big rock, eh? 
  40. 
  Thornleech Lane disappeared last Middenmass 
  Eve, when it came back the butcher’s shop was 
  missing. Somewhere out there is the dread 
  Butcher’s Shop… lurking…. waiting. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  13 
   
  Chapter 2: Shadow Port 
  Nights
  This section of the adventure is designed for 2nd level characters. 
  1st level characters might find the fights too hard and 
  subsequently might have to flee and thus suffer campaign 
  losses, though smarter players will be able to avoid some fights 
  through careful planning. 
  Chapter 2 is split into six parts: the first five parts are each 
  a different criminal caper but the last part deals with the sudden 
  betrayal of the adventurer’s by their patron, the Prince of 
  Shadows. 
  DEEP IN THE RED 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers must steal a treasure from a guarded mansion 
  as part of paying off a debt to the Prince of Shadows. 
  EARN YOUR WAY 
  The characters are in debt to the Prince of Shadows and 
  they must work it off by completing several tasks in the 
  city of Shadow Port. 
  Just because the adventurers are indebted to the 
  Prince doesn’t mean that they’re actually qualified to do 
  anything for in his name and the Prince wants to make 
  sure that they won’t be a bumbling group of 
  incompetents who stain his reputation. To that end, he’s 
  arranged a simple test for the characters. The individual 
  characters receive, in unlikely and unsettling ways, a 
  missive from the Prince, directing them to arrive one hour 
  past sundown at The Dark Jester Tavern, take the table 
  with the golden mug, and wait for their contact to arrive. 
  Each missive has a description of the other adventurers. 
  Start the session with a montage. Turn to each player 
  and ask them what unusual way the player to their left 
  received their message from the Prince, then turn to the 
  player who received the missive and ask them what they 
  did in order to both find the tavern and arrive there on 
  time. The Dark Jester Tavern is not one of the more well-
  known or trafficked places in Shadow Port and the 
  characters will have to work at getting there on time. Do 
  this until each player has had a chance to introduce an 
  odd way for a message has been delivered, and has told a 
  short tale about how their character got to the tavern at 
  the appointed hour. 
  If players need ideas for how they received their 
  message here are some options to nudge them along. No 
  rolls are necessary here, just narration. 
   
  Woke up with a sealed scroll on their chest written in 
  blood, and a fresh wound on their body. 
   
  A random stranger bumps into the character and 
  reverse-pickpockets a piece of paper into their coin 
  pouch, the paper has cryptic directions on it but is 
  unmistakably from the Prince. 
   
  The serving woman whispers in the character’s ear as 
  she sets down breakfast. 
   
  A crow alights on a character’s head and verbally 
  relays the message on them. 
  If players have a problem coming up for ideas for how 
  to find the tavern here are some ideas to give them.  
   
  Dice with some well-connected gamblers for the 
  information. 
   
  Pay off a notorious street rat to take the adventurer 
  there. 
   
  Call in a favor with some merchants or craftsmen. 
  This is also an excellent place to let players use the 
  stories behind their Icon relationships and Backgrounds 
  to help guide them along, so a reminder of this might be 
  beneficial as well.  
  THE DARK JESTER TAVERN 
  The Dark Jester Tavern is located down a dark staircase 
  in an otherwise unremarkable alley, and if it weren’t for 
  the sign hanging outside it would likely be overlooked 
  entirely—for the regulars there, the tavern is all the better 
  for that.  
  Those who find their way into The Dark Jester find 
  that despite its appearance as a complete dive it stocks a 
  good selection of drinks under the bar. Some of the best 
  musicians, bards, and minstrels in the Dragon Empire 
  have played the tavern when traveling through Shadow 
  
   
  14 
   
  Port and aspiring musicians sometimes seek it out as a 
  good luck token. 
  notable denizens of the dark jester tavern 
  Marek Lightsbane— A half-orc who is notorious for 
  being a horrible gambler and an even worse cheat, but 
  he’s so charming and witty that most of the regulars 
  overlook these particular flaws. Usually. He’s sat at a 
  table alone, building a house of cards. 
  Revka Marass— The mysterious tiefling owner of The 
  Dark Jester. An extremely talented player of a game 
  involving knives and fingers, she invites newcomers to 
  play against her (a DC 15 skill check, a success earns a 
  gold coin, a failure loses a gold coin and the losing PC 
  takes 1d4 damage).  
  Kovaral— A dragonspawn bouncer and musician who 
  plays an unusual string instrument known as a grakaal 
  which has more than once doubled as a club when fights 
  get too much. 
  Vun Dar’zes— A dark elf, or as he prefers to be called ‘a 
  silverfolk’. A lowly cutpurse and thief. 
  Ironsteelbrass Smashface— A forgeborn wizard that 
  describes itself as a ‘battle poet’. 
  Red— A forgeborn sellsword, it has returned from 
  Moonwreck with news of orcs on the move. Lots of 
  people returning from the north have tales of orcs on the 
  march, of seeing battles, and of red banners. Feel free to 
  make up wild and unbelievable tales of brutal orcish war-
  bands - be as outlandish as you like. There have been 
  some skirmishes near dwarven lands in recent months— 
  that much is true. 
  Harmonious First Oak— A forgeborn guard, deep in 
  conversation with Red about possible jobs. 
  Draven Darquespawne, and Bugeyes— A scarred half-
  drow sorcerer and his impling familiar. 
  Jimmy the Needle— A counterfeiter of coins and forger 
  of documents. A nice fellow, and willing to buy a drink 
  for any humans in the group of adventurers (especially if 
  they beat Marek at cards). 
  Father Faust— The others in the tavern refer to him as 
  ‘your holiness’. A defrocked priest of Cathol. 
  Salmanthra Ashburn— A tiefling bard, she is playing a 
  melancholy tune on a dulcimer. 
  Krod— It is hard to say what Krod is. She’s got some 
  tiefling in her, some drow, and maybe a bit of orc too. She 
  is a deserter and wears the battered armor of an imperial 
  soldier, but with no insignia. 
  the golden mug 
  As soon as all the adventurers are at the table with the 
  golden mug (actually a brass mug, at least if anybody wants 
  to appraise it), their contact arrives—he is a rakish tiefling 
  dressed in fashionable clothing, and fits the description 
  they were given in their message.  
  The tiefling seats himself at the table with a grin and 
  orders a round of drinks for all the adventurers; he 
  explains that his name is Samuel Dirrel and he is there on 
  behalf of a “mutual acquaintance”.  Samuel explains the 
  situation to them once more: the adventurers each owe 
  the Prince of Shadows and the Prince is calling in his 
  markers. They will be asked to do several tasks for him 
  and when they have successfully completed them, the 
  Prince will consider their debt wiped clean. Samuel notes 
  that people who refuse the Prince often end up regretting 
  it rather quickly.  
  the caper 
  The party’s first task is as follows...  
  A loudmouthed and rich noble named Morgan 
  Navale has, rather unwisely, bragged about the security 
  around his latest acquisition: The Winter Seal. The Winter 
  Seal is an obsidian statue of an owl, encrusted with 
  sapphires that are set in silver. It is said to have been 
  owned by the Wizard King and may contain untapped 
  arcane power. The adventurers will retrieve the statue for 
  the Prince, in the face of the not-inconsiderable security 
  as well as rival groups also attempting to take possession. 
  When they have taken possession of the statue, they will 
  return to The Dark Jester Tavern and order a “round of 
  the golden ale” and Samuel will come to deliver the 
  Winter Seal to the Prince. Before he leaves, Samuel 
  suggests that they visit a man named Lars Redfist, also 
  known as the King of Valegate. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  A bar brawl might break out in this disreputable 
  tavern, especially if the adventurers provoke one. 
  Number of PCs 
  Bar Patrons 
  3 
  6 
  4 
  7 
  5 
  9 
  6 
  10 
  7 
  12 
   
  
   
  15 
   
  Bar Patrons 
  Careful, they are belligerent when roused. 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Improvised weapon +5 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 14  HP 27 
  MD 12 
  following samuel… bad idea 
  Like all messengers of the Prince, Samuel has ways to 
  ensure he is not followed. If the adventurers insist on 
  following Samuel it is a DC 25 check to keep up with him 
  before he ducks into the back room of a tavern and 
  disappears, then a DC 25 check to find a hidden door that 
  leads to a natural cave. This is a thieves’ guild hide-out 
  and the thieves don’t like being surprised.  
  Fight! (optional) 
  Chasing or attempting to capture of fight Samuel will 
  provoke a fight with the thieves’ guild. If a fight occurs 
  here use the bar fight above, but the improvised 
  weapons can attack at range (nearby only) on turns 
  when the escalation die is odd. 
  For the purposes of the fight the cave hide-out is 
  accessed through a hole in the back room of a tavern 
  known as The Wolf and Moon Pub. During the confusion 
  of the fight, Samuel disappears and makes good his 
  escape. 
  PETTY KING OF VALEGATE 
  If the adventurers decide to take Samuel Dirrel’s advice 
  and go see Lars Redfist use this section, otherwise skip 
  ahead to the next section. 
  There are few people, even in the seedy underbelly of 
  Shadow Port, who have the knowledge and connections 
  to be of assistance on such a difficult task as the ones the 
  adventurers find before them.  
  Known as the ‘King’ of Valegate district, Lars Redfist 
  might be able to help the adventurers. Lars works both 
  sides of the law and is well known in the city—he’s 
  neutral in all conflicts, buying and selling from all comers. 
  Fence-sitting generally doesn’t go over very well in a city 
  like Shadow Port, but Lars is too useful and too well 
  connected to be threatened by any of the power groups 
  within the city. Lars is known to have a generous face, but 
  a will of iron. 
  The adventurers find their way to Lars’ office without 
  any problem (just about any person on the street will 
  point them in the right direction). The ‘king’s’ office is a 
  solidly constructed three story building that is obviously 
  well defended: there are armed guards, iron bars across 
  the narrow windows, and thick iron-banded doors.  
  The adventurers are stopped by a guard at the front 
  entrance, 
  who 
  demands 
  the 
  characters 
  identify 
  themselves and let him know what they want.  
  GMs: Let the players sweat it out. The guard will try to 
  bully them a bit no matter what they say. Eventually the guard 
  lets the adventurers in without a die roll. The guard doesn't get 
  paid enough to start a fight. Of course if the adventurers make 
  a show of force the guard will let them in earlier. 
  The guard shows the adventurers up the stairs to the 
  top floor and Lars’ office.  
  GMs: Go around the table and have each player describe 
  something distinctive about Lars. It could be his hair, his 
  accent, his height or weight, or his clothing. Play up these 
  player-created things when acting out this scene.  
  Lars is willing to help out, but it won’t come easy. He 
  can get them guard schedules, building schematics, notes 
  about traps and wards, and can even obtain tickets to the 
  ball that Navale is hosting that very evening so that the 
  adventurers can get inside and examine things for 
  themselves... but he won’t do anything for them without 
  something in return.  
  Go around the table, one player at a time, and have 
  them describe how they help to convince Lars to help 
  them out, then let them roll a skill check with an 
  appropriate background (DC15). If players want to use 
  their Icon Relationships results to turn a failed die roll 
  into a success they succeed by spending a 6 (and succeed 
  with something owed to Lars with a 5).   
  if the players roll more failures than successes 
  The adventurers have completely been unable to get Lars’ 
  assistance and they’re going to go into the situation blind. 
  Lars informs the players about the ball that evening so 
  they can do their own legwork, but insists that he’s not 
  going to get involved.  
  if the players get at least as many successes as 
  failures 
  The adventurers have persuaded Lars to help them out. 
  He will send a runner to them with tickets to the ball once 
  he has them, as well as enough information about the 
  people involved and the place the relic is being held. This 
  will give the adventurers +2 on all skill checks in both the 
  
   
  16 
   
  Ballroom Blitz and the Melee à Trois sections of this 
  adventure. 
  if all of the players succeed at their rolls  
  The adventurers have managed to seriously impress Lars 
  with their savvy, knowledge, or charisma and they will 
  be rewarded for it. In addition to the ball tickets and 
  information, give each adventurer a healing potion. The 
  adventurers will also get 2 on all skill checks in both the 
  Ballroom Blitz and the Melee à Trois sections of this 
  adventure. 
  magic items 
  If any players succeeded with their Icon Relationship rolls 
  at the beginning of the session, now is a good time to hand 
  out true magic items as well. Lars might have a stolen 
  item that is too hot to fence but he’ll trade it to one of the 
  adventurers if they put in a good word with an icon that 
  they are connected to for him. 
  COME OUT TO PLAY 
  It doesn’t take long in Shadow Port for word to get out 
  that something interesting, and possibly profitable, is 
  going down. Someone has linked the adventurers to this 
  rumor and a group of thugs has decided that they want a 
  piece of the action. Hint to the players that someone sold 
  them out, and let them guess who. Maybe it was Lars or 
  the guard they were dealing with earlier. Maybe it was 
  Samuel from back at The Dark Jester. Maybe it was the 
  Prince of Shadows himself, looking to keep the characters 
  on their toes. Exactly who it is isn’t important, outside of 
  the role-playing possibilities. This lets the characters (and 
  the players) know that they can’t take their time with this 
  heist and that they’re going to need to be careful in 
  Shadow Port. 
  Fight! 
  These are opportunistic thugs who find strength in 
  numbers, not die-hard fanatics. Don’t hesitate to have 
  the bad guys in this fight run away if the battle goes 
  against them or you need to speed things along.  
  Number of PCs 
  Sneak Thief 
  Bruiser 
  Street Scum 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  10 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  10 
  6 
  3 
  2 
  10 
  7 
  4 
  2 
  10 
   
   
  Elven Street Scum 
  Her eyes have an unnatural shine to them. 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +13 
   
  Knives +6 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  R: Rock +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one street scum mook for every 6 damage you 
  deal to the mob. 
  Halfling Sneak Thief 
  2nd level spoiler [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Whip +7 vs. PD—4 damage 
   
  Aggressively sneaky: When the halfling sneak thief 
  disengages, the enemy it disengaged from is hampered 
  until the end of its next turn. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 11  HP 34 
  MD 17 
  Half-orc Bruiser 
  He stinks of stale beer and sweat. 
  2nd level wrecker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Brass knuckles +7 vs. AC—7 damage 
   
  Amazing strength: Once per battle the half-orc bruiser 
  does double damage on a hit. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 15 HP  38 
  MD 12 
   
   
   
  
   
  17 
   
  BALLROOM BLITZ 
  If the players decide to avoid attending the party and 
  just try to rob the vault go the Vault Hunters section. 
  Morgan Navale is hosting a costume ball at his 
  extravagant home in the evening— although The Winter 
  Seal won’t be on display, it’s a great opportunity for the 
  party to gather information about the security, building 
  layout, and more as they hobnob with merchants, nobles, 
  and famous people. Describe the environs as being 
  decadent and opulent: the food, the music, the elaborate 
  costumes, the decorations.  
  Here are some good high-class party words: ambrosia, 
  amphora, aquiline, baroque, bas-relief, beguile, cad, caper, 
  cinnamon, dauphin, debauch, dowager, ebullient, eclair, 
  epicurian, fop, fresco, frolic, gentry, glass, gossamer, halcyon, 
  harlequin, imbroglio, iniquity, irascible, jabber, jeer, jape, 
  kowtow, lucre, madrigal, nubile, opaline, parasite, pompous, 
  rake, shrill, throng, umbral, vapid, zest. 
  notable guests 
  Tagral Bloodaxe— A half-orc gladiatorial champion and 
  surprisingly nice guy. He’s out of his element in these 
  extravagant surroundings, and he knows it, but he 
  manages to be charming and fun to be around in the party 
  anyway as he tells gorey and action packed stories about 
  the arena.  
  Marwyn Baran— A scholarly dwarf with a not-
  undeservedly puffed up opinion of himself. He’s the 
  archaeologist who found The Winter Seal for Navale and 
  he’s happy to talk to anybody and everybody about it, 
  whether they want to hear or not. He’s a very dull 
  conversationalist. 
  Sir Ward Rokat— Sir Rokat is the perfect example of a 
  knight in shining armor. The problem is that nobody 
  knows why he’s there or who invited him. Not even Sir 
  Rokat. 
  Lady Ferenscia— A high-class woman of middle years. 
  She is desperate for an excuse to get away from the 
  terrible conversation she is in with a bunch of twittering 
  noblewomen. 
  Factor Penhalligan of the Merchant League— He’s 
  desperate to impress his high-class host. 
  Lord Articus Windle of Horizon— A wizard and 
  nobleman who has decided to visit old friends. 
  Baroness Angelincia Griven— An elderly woman who 
  considers herself above most other people. 
  Sir Hugh Mondian— He’s fought in some duels but 
  never in a battle. He has vile political opinions. 
  Lord and Lady Moonbaugh— Elven dignitaries, here to 
  do their duty to mix with ‘lesser mortals’. 
  Eldin Castlands— Heir to the castlands shipping fortune, 
  he is bored and looking for a diversion. 
  idle party chatter 
  “Did you see what she is wearing? How daring. Of course 
  I would never attempt to wear something like that. Poor dear.”  
  “The shipping money is all in spices from the Wild Wood 
  these days.”  
  “So I say to him: ‘Sir, I’ve never touched copper in my life.’ 
  Haw haw haw haw!”  
  “Oh, this vintage? Terrible year for grapes, good year for 
  horses. Haw haw.”  
  “Yes, to the OwlBarrens. Of course her husband was beside 
  himself with apoplexy.”  
  “Apparently the grubby little dwarf found it in some ruins 
  near Throne Point.”  
  “Frost giants? A taste of cold steel is what they need!”  
  “Yes, from the Wake Islands. Its all the rage my dear.”  
  “Terrible guests this year. How did they get in?”  
  “Well who invited him to air his opinions?”   
  “His ring?” 
  party montage/skill check 
  This montage/skill challenge revolves around fishing for 
  information from guests, using people as distractions to 
  sneak behind the scenes, bluffing in conversation, 
  sneaking into areas uninvited, and so on.  
  Go around to each of the players one at a time and 
  have them describe an interaction or event at the ball. 
  Then turn to the player on their left and have them tell 
  how they took advantage of that event to learn something 
  that will help them when stealing The Winter Seal, rolling 
  a skill check with any appropriate background (DC 20). 
  Don’t forget about any potential bonus received from the 
  Petty King of Valegate section.  
  Every adventurer that succeeds here gains an 
  additional +2 to any skill rolls made in Vault Hunters 
  section. This stacks with any other bonuses they may 
  have received. 
  VAULT HUNTERS 
  This section might take place during the Morgan 
  Navale’s party as the players sneak off to steal the 
  Winter Seal, or at a later time as they return in the dead 
  of night to rob the vault. 
  It’s time to get down to business. The characters have 
  gathered as much information as they can, studied their 
  opposition, and scouted out the traps and obstacles 
  
   
  18 
   
  they’ll have to face as they raid Nagale’s mansion for The 
  Winter Seal. Nagale has spared no expense and the 
  adventurers’ tasks will be difficult, but if they’ve done 
  their legwork up to this point they could have as much as 
  a +4 bonus to their rolls (or if they just came straight here 
  and avoided meeting Lars or attending the party they’ll 
  have no bonuses).  
  Have each player describe what they’re doing to sneak 
  through the halls and rooms to get to The Winter Seal. 
  Choose the most appropriate trap or obstacle from the 
  following table given what they’ve described and have 
  the player roll an appropriate background to spot, 
  disarm, and/or avoid the trap waiting for them. However, 
  for each failed check, each subsequent check the players 
  need to make increases by 2 as the mansion’s security 
  tightens against the intruders and they have to rush to 
  avoid any guards catching them. 
  PIT TRAP 
  EXPLOSIVE 
  RUNES 
  DART TRAP 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Spiked floor +5 
  vs 
  PD—2d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Explosion 
  +10 
  vs 
  AC—3d6 
  force damage 
   
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Darts +10 vs AC 
  against 
  each 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  damage 
  POISON GAS 
  EXPLODING 
  LANTERN 
  TRAPPED LOCK 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Gas attack +15 
  vs PD against 
  every 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  poison damage. 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Woosh! +15 vs 
  AC—4d6 
  fire 
  damage. 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Poison 
  needle 
  +15 
  vs 
  AC 
  against 
  every 
  party 
  member—2d8 
  poison damage 
  and the target is 
  weakened at the 
  start 
  of 
  their 
  next battle (easy 
  save ends). 
  the winter seal 
  Regardless of whether they players succeed or fail at their 
  checks to avoid the traps they eventually arrive at the 
  vault containing The Winter Seal. However, there’s a 
  problem here. There’s no way to get the item and get it 
  out of the vault without setting off the biggest alarm yet. 
  There’s no choice but to invoke another time honored 
  Shadow Port tradition: Grab what you came for and leg it. 
  As mentioned earlier the Winter Seal is an obsidian 
  statue of an owl, with sapphires set in silver settings. 
  Once the adventurers have grabbed the Winter Seal a 
  shrieking noise fills the vaults below the mansion, 
  alerting the mansion guards. The adventurers will need 
  to run as fast as they can. 
  MELEE À TROIS 
  The adventurers have gotten what they came for, but that 
  doesn’t mean that they’ve gotten away clean. Far from it; 
  in addition to Navale’s guards that come streaming out 
  into the street at the sound of the magical alarms in the 
  vault, other thieves and thugs are also following a time-
  honored Prince of Shadows tradition: let some other poor 
  sap do the dirty work and grab their loot on the way out.  
  Fortunately for the characters, the guards and the rival 
  thieves have no reason to cooperate and every reason to 
  beat each other into submission. The rival groups will 
  fight each other at least as much as they fight the 
  adventurers. A guard who hits a thief (or vice versa) does 
  no damage, but gives that NPC -4 to all defenses until the 
  end of the battle. 
   
   
  
   
  19 
   
  Fight! 
  This has the potential to be a complicated fight to run, 
  with two different sets of enemy combatants to keep 
  track of. In addition, there are a greater than normal 
  number of enemies fighting to make up for the fact that 
  they are fighting each other as often as they are 
  attacking the adventurers. If the adventurers flee have 
  the players pick which group they successfully escape 
  from and then have them run into the other group. 
  Remember that the guards are paid and the thieves are 
  not fanatics—enemies might start running away if the 
  adventurers put up too much of a fight. 
  Pick the chart below that represents the fight—just 
  thieves, just guards, or both. 
  Number of PCs 
  Thieves 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  5 
  7 
  5 
  Number of PCs 
  Brute Guard 
  Vault Guard 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  6 
  2 
  3 
  7 
  3 
  2 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Brute Guard 
  Vault Guard 
  Thieves 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  3 
  6 
  3 
  1 
  3 
  7 
  3 
  2 
  3 
  Brute Guard 
  Double strength 2nd level wrecker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Massive club +7 vs. PD—10 damage 
  Natural even hit: ongoing 4 damage. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  HP 70 
  MD 11 
  Thieves 
  3rd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Knives +8 vs. AC (2 attacks)—4 damage 
   
  R: Crossbow +8 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 40 
  MD 12 
   
  Vault Guard 
  2nd level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Club +7 vs. AC—7 damage 
   
  R: Crossbow +7 vs. AC—6 damage. 
   
  Shouted orders: Once per battle when a vault guard 
  misses or is missed an ally gains +2 AC against the next 
  attack. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 15  HP 34 
  MD 12 
   
  THE HANDOFF 
  Back at the Dark Jester the Prince’s man Samuel Dirrel 
  eagerly accepts The Winter Seal, and cavalierly cracks it 
  open on the floor. Inside is a map, which he pockets. The 
  map looks like it is of the Necropolis. On his way out of 
  the tavern he looks over his shoulder and says: “You can 
  keep the statue, the Prince isn’t interested in that tonight. He 
  has more interesting plans.” 
  GMs: let the players know that the adventurers realize 
  that the Prince will have more jobs for them to do, their 
  debt if far from discharged and they will be in Shadow 
  Port a while longer. 
  Selling the broken statue will raise enough money to 
  be split for 200 GP per adventurer, or it can be simply 
  used as cash (it has sapphires set in silver in it) for 
  1d3x100 gp worth of goods. 
  
   
  20 
   
  WEARY HEADS 
  The adventurers will need to find a place to stay for the 
  night. Maybe the adventurers have their own resources: 
  the druid who sleeps in the form of a cat on a roof, the 
  oozefolk who sleeps as a puddle, the rogue who has 
  connections, the bard who knows somebody in the city 
  already. 
  If the party has no place to stay, or decides to stick 
  together then introduce the Priest’s Bell. Run by an old 
  acquaintance of one of the adventurers it is a safe spot in 
  a troubled city. The party are lucky enough to get a pair 
  of rooms with an adjoining door on the second floor.  
  The main floor of the Priest’s Bell is split into four 
  rooms: a common room (with people sleeping by the fire 
  at night), a kitchen (not open to the patrons and locked 
  after midnight), a bar room for dining and drinking in 
  (closed to patrons sleeping in the common room between 
  midnight and breakfast), and private rooms occupied by 
  the taverns’ owner. 
  The tavern has a cellar containing the usual barrels of 
  drink and stores of food, accessible by stairs in the kitchen 
  or from a locked barrel-run hatch in the street outside. 
  The Priest’s Bell has no special features that might 
  make it a focus for adventures: it isn’t a den of thieves, it 
  isn’t a secret front, it has no secret passages, no demon 
  cults meet in its cellar, and it isn’t cursed. Of course, if you 
  want to introduce adventures that take place in the 
  Priest’s Bell or revolve around the tavern’s owner then 
  feel free to do so—however, unlike the other taverns, 
  pubs, dives and so on detailed in this chapter the Priest’s 
  Bell is intended to be deliberately uninteresting. 
   
   
  
   
  21 
   
  THIS PLACE GROWS ON 
  YOU 
  OVERVIEW 
  With the first debt paid, the party must now proceed to pay off 
  their next debt, by stealing an artifact from a strange cult of 
  fungus-worshipers. 
  DAWN IN SHADOW PORT 
  Dawn breaks over the uneven skyline of Shadow Port, 
  and the sounds of the city fill the adventurer’s ears (and 
  the smells their noses). 
  Go around the group and ask each player in turn what 
  sounds the party hears, what they smell, and what it 
  portends. Then turn to the next player and ask them how 
  their character reacts to dawn in Shadow Port. Go around 
  the group until each player has had a chance to help 
  breathe life into Shadow Port, and each player has had a 
  chance to react to the city. 
  If the adventurers chose to make the Priest’s Bell their 
  base of operations, mention some of the everyday 
  Shadow Port folk who come into the inn for breakfast on 
  their way to their places of employment. Shadow Port has 
  more than just thieves and assassins and pirates:  there 
  are butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers, not to 
  mention book-binders, grocers, cobblers, fishmongers, 
  smiths, carpenters, and so on… 
  That morning during breakfast each adventurer in the 
  party receives a trine coin with the mark of the Prince of 
  Shadows defacing it, with instructions to give it to the 
  doorman at the Pious Gardener, a tavern considered by 
  elves to be home away from home. The coin could be 
  given to them in change and the instructions hidden in 
  their breakfast, or slipped in an envelope into their 
  pocket, or even just handed to them openly by a 
  messenger. 
  THE PIOUS GARDENER 
  Under the eaves of the Pious Gardner many a shady 
  character has conducted their business away from prying 
  eyes.  
  GMs: If anyone in the party is familiar with both elves and 
  Shadow Port, or better yet is a local elf, feel free to have them 
  add details to the Pious Gardener not mentioned here. 
  The adventurers are here to discover what the next 
  favor the Prince wishes them to perform is, and maybe 
  gain some insider information to help them with the 
  caper. Everyone in the tavern knows not to meddle with 
  the affairs of others, so most patrons will quietly point the 
  adventurers to the bartender and owner Kiel. 
  notable pious gardner denizens 
  Kiel Xu’bulon— An old, one-eyed dark elf with a thick 
  accent. “Ah, landlubbers headed out to meet Stormmaker, I see. 
  Aye, I’m the owner of this fine establishment. What can I get 
  ye?” 
  Olan Longfeet— A halfling who is constantly grinning. 
  He wears the symbol of the Diabolist. 
  Erelan Curse-eye— A lithe, middle-aged wood elf, 
  whose left eye seemed to be pulsating with a disturbing 
  red glow. “I see that you’re new here. Want to play a 
  game of chance with me?” 
  Reese Grodshank— A young human who is wearing the 
  robes of a wizard’s apprentice. He’s at the farthest corner 
  of the bar from the entrance, drinking away like there’s 
  no tomorrow. He talks with a bewildered stutter and is a 
  nervous wreck. “Th-th-the th-th-things I-I-I’ve s-s-seen… 
  wh-wh-who are y-y-you? Did my master send you? You c-can’t 
  make me go back!” 
  Aloy Goldbough— An elven trader looking to pick up 
  some cheap silks from Horizon. 
  Eblis Starcircle— A wood elf, working in the city as a 
  tanner. Today is his day off. 
  Cottis Merrybegotten— A half-elf spice-dealer, down on 
  his luck due to some poor trades. 
  Silcen Grynwolde— A wood elf potter. She’s here to 
  relax and meet some friends. 
  Use this as an opportunity for role-playing, and for 
  introducing citizens of Shadow Port who aren’t cut-
  throats.  
  Fight! (optional) 
  Nobody in the tavern is looking for a fight, the adventurers 
  will really have to provoke one. Of course players being 
  players we’ve put a fight in the back of the book just in case. 
  Even if a brawl should take place, once the adventurers 
  leave the tavern (or are kicked out), they’ll find the map and 
  a note with a drawing of a dagger in the pockets of the 
  adventurer with the lowest Wisdom (or in the case of a bar 
  fight, the one who had the most patrons engaged with them). 
  Number of PCs 
  Gardener Patron 
  Named Patron 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  4 
  10 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  2 
  6 
  10 
  3 
  7 
  5 
  3 
  
   
  22 
   
   
  Pious Gardener Patron 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Drinking mugs and broken bottles +7 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one pious gardener patron mook for every 9 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  Named Patron 
  4th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Broken bottles and barstools +10 vs. AC—10 damage 
  Natural 16+: The target moves down 1d3 points in 
  initiative order, to a minimum of 1. 
  Natural even miss: 5 damage. 
   
  R: Barstool +8 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  Named NPC Specials 
  R: Kiel’s hook +10 vs. PD—12 damage. 
  Olan’s Nasty Shiv +10 vs. PD—14 damage and 5 
  ongoing poison damage (limited use, one successful hit 
  per battle). 
  Erelan’s Haunting Glare +10 vs. MD—10 psychic 
  damage 
  Natural even hit: Target becomes weakened until the 
  end of its next turn. 
  C: Reese’s Bloodstorm +10 vs. MD (1d3 nearby enemies 
  in a group)—10 psychic damage 
  Natural 16+: Target becomes confused until the end of 
  their next turn. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 15  HP 48 
  MD 17 
  kiel xu’bulon 
  Kiel welcomes the group and passes them a bottle of 
  nectar wine on the house. The inside of the label on the 
  bottle has a note in it, visible only once the bottle has been 
  drunk from (which Kiel prompts them to do with a 
  knowing look). 
  The note reads: 
  SACRED DAGGER 
  CULT OF THE SAND CRAB 
  DON’T DISAPOINT ME 
  …and is signed with the symbol of the Prince of 
  Shadows. 
  Kiel has extra information for the group. There is a 
  Cult of the Sand Crab in Shadow Port, which occasionally 
  meets down by the docks in an old run-down warehouse. 
  Kiel knows that the area is watched and guarded by 
  armed cultists disguised as vagabonds. The Cult of the 
  Sand Crab funds itself by selling hallucinogenic fungus, 
  but apart from that the group is considered small-fry. 
  Lately, however, the cult has been attracting more 
  members and nobody knows why. Kiel has helpfully 
  made the adventurers a map, outlining where they need 
  to go. Kiel thinks that the dagger has ceremonial rather 
  than magical importance, but it is very old and 
  recognizable by the way that fungus grows more quickly 
  near it. The Prince wants the dagger stolen and given to 
  Kiel. 
  PREPARATION 
  The adventurers prepare to confront the cult and steal 
  their sacred dagger. But how to go about that? The party 
  can attempt a couple of the following things… 
  asking about 
  Use this if the adventurer try information gathering. 
  If the players prefer the traditional ‘ask everyone, get as 
  much information as possible, then prepare to enter the 
  lair prepared’, feel free to skip the Breaking And Entering 
  section, and instead allow everyone to make DC 20 checks 
  in the Pious Gardner to acquire information on the lair, 
  then for each success they acquire, lower the DC to 
  spot/avoid/disarm one trap in the Into The Fetid Depths Of 
  A Fungal Hell by 5; failure results in misleading 
  information that increases the DC to spot/avoid/disarm 
  one trap by 5.  
  Limit the information-gathering to 1-2 questions per 
  adventurer, as asking too many questions tends to make 
  patrons very nervous (and slows the adventure down). 
  
   
  23 
   
  preparation is key 
  Use this section if the players decide that their 
  adventurers are going to physically prepare. 
  Rather than have a long sequence that revolves around 
  preparing, gathering supplies, etc have each adventurer 
  roll a skill check against a background that they think 
  might come in useful and record the result. 
  During the Into The Fetid Depths Of A Fungal Hell a 
  player can replace a failed roll with the result that they 
  rolled while preparing—of course the player must tell the 
  story of how their prior preparation saved the day when 
  they use the prior roll. 
  Each player gets one roll to prepare. 
  FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO 
  TREAD 
  The guards are dressed as dock-workers and vagabonds, 
  and surround the adventurers as they approach the cult 
  lair. 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers have forgone any preparation at all 
  then they meet guards at the outside of the warehouse, 
  otherwise skip this fight as the adventurers can choose 
  to sneak past—unless the party chooses to initiate a 
  fight instead of sneaking past. 
  Number of PCs 
  Infested Cultists 
  Cult Watchguard 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  5 
  4 
  7 
  5 
  5 
  Infested Cultist 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Fungal fist (with poisoned spikes) +5 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  C: Buzzing Chant +5 vs. MD—4 psychic damage 
  Natural 18+ hit or miss: The target is confused until 
  the end of its next turn. Each target can only be 
  confused once each battle. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 11 HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one cultist mook for every 9 damage you deal 
  to the mob. 
  Cult Watchguard 
  4th level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Spiked club (with poisoned spikes) +9 vs. AC—14 
  damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: Target is stunned until the end 
  of their next turn. Each target can only be stunned 
  once each battle. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 17  HP 52 
  MD 14 
  
   
  24 
   
  INTO THE FETID DEPTHS OF A FUNGAL HELL 
  The adventurers have entered the old warehouse.  
  Twygzogs 
  A playable fungal race (the twygzog) appear in the 
  13th Age Bestiary, and this caper involves worshipers 
  of fungus. If a party member is a twygzog then this 
  makes the trek into the fungus-infested cult lair 
  almost a return to home: give twygzog PCs +5 to skill 
  checks and saves in the cult lair. 
  GMs: Describe how the hideout changes from what looks to 
  be a normal abandoned building on the outside to a nightmarish 
  hell inside.  
  There are strange fungi growing all over the place, and 
  an odd miasma permeates the air. Unidentified sounds 
  come from deeper within. Throw the following traps at 
  the adventurers, as appropriate, as they move through 
  the rotted warehouse trying to find the dagger. 
  ROTTEN 
  FLOORBOARDS 
  HELLISH FUNGI 
  ENLARGED 
  MAGGOT 
  SWARM 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 15 
  Drop +5 vs AC—
  2d6 damage, and 
  a DC 20 check to 
  avoid 
  another 
  trap 
  or 
  hazard 
  that was on the 
  floor 
  that 
  the 
  adventurer 
  fell 
  down into. 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 20 
  Dripping poison 
  +10 vs PD against 
  each 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  poison 
  damage, 
  and 
  5 
  ongoing 
  poison damage at 
  the start of their 
  next battle. 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 20 
  Bite and gnaw +10 
  vs 
  PD 
  against 
  each 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  damage 
  and 
  5 
  ongoing damage 
  at the start of their 
  next battle. 
  MADDENING 
  NOISE 
  FUNGAL BLOOM 
  FUNGAL 
  TENTACLE 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 20 
  Psychic attack +10 
  vs MD against 
  every 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  damage, and the 
  target 
  takes 
  ongoing 5 psychic 
  damage 
  at 
  the 
  start of their next 
  battle. 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 20 
  Choking 
  spores 
  +15 vs MD—The 
  target 
  is 
  weakened at the 
  start of their next 
  battle (save ends). 
  Difficulty to avoid: 
  DC 25 
  Lick lick lick +15 
  vs 
  PD 
  against 
  every 
  party 
  member—2d8 
  damage and the 
  target 
  takes 
  ongoing 5 psychic 
  damage 
  at 
  the 
  start of their next 
  battle. 
  UNCLEAN SANCTUM 
  The fungus is thicker the further in the party goes, and 
  biting sand fleas can be found everywhere. The smell of 
  blood and decay is overpowering. 
  The adventurers enter the musty inner sanctum, and 
  discover a strange altar with four grotesque mushroom-
  crab-being statues at its corners, each one has a bowl as 
  part of its head. It looks like there is a mechanism attached 
  to the bowls.  
  GMs: Normally a sacrifice is made so that as the blood flows 
  into the bowls it triggers the mechanism. Once all four bowls 
  are pushed down (by blood, or whatever the adventurers choose 
  use as weight) the hidden door in the altar opens.  
  It is a DC 20 skill check to find the hidden door and 
  DC 15 to bash it in. Using brute force will bring the cultists 
  running. 
  Loot! 
  Not only does the real inner sanctum contain the 
  sacred dagger, but also treasure. There is enough loot 
  in the vault for each adventurer to get 100gp each. In 
  addition, each player may roll their relationship dice 
  with an icon of their choice. Any successes will 
  determine the availability and nature of the magic 
  items that they find in the vault. 
  
   
  25 
   
  CAUGHT RED-HANDED 
  As the adventurers finish with the vault, shambling 
  fungal things arrive at the altar.  
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers supplied a blood sacrifice this is 
  heralded by the blood on the altar transforming into 
  thick clouds of buzzing red flies; the fungal things and 
  cultists will be too busy inhaling the cloud of flies to 
  bother the adventurers. If the fungal things arrive and 
  there is no blood then the fungal things will attack the 
  adventurers and feast on their blood. 
  Number of PCs 
  Infested Cultists 
  Fungal Things 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  5 
  4 
  7 
  5 
  5 
  Infested Cultist 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Fungal fist (with poisoned spikes) +5 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  C: Buzzing Chant +5 vs. MD—4 psychic damage 
  Natural 18+ hit or miss: The target is confused until 
  the end of its next turn. Each target can only be 
  confused once each battle. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 11 HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one cultist mook for every 9 damage you deal 
  to the mob. 
  Fungal Thing 
  4th level troop [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Crab claws +8 vs. AC (2 attacks)—6 damage 
   
  R: Psychic spores +9 vs. MD (one nearby or far away 
  enemy)—15 psychic damage, and the target is 
  confused (save ends); OR the target can choose to 
  avoid the confusion effect by taking 6d6 psychic 
  damage to clear their head... 
   
  C: Mycotic tendrils +9 vs. PD (2 nearby enemies 
  engaged with the same creature or with each other)—
  one target makes an at-will melee attack against this 
  power’s other target (limited use: once per battle) as 
  the tendrils drag the victims around. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 14  HP 52 
  MD 18 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  26 
   
  THE CARNIVAL CAPER 
  OVERVIEW 
  The carnival is in town and all of Shadow Port is out on the 
  streets. It is an ideal night to break in somewhere unobserved 
  while the party is on. The Prince of Shadows wants the party to 
  steal a legendary diamond. 
  INVITATION TO MISCHIEF 
  The adventurers have received an invitation to an 
  exclusive tavern, with drinks and entertainment laid on 
  by their benefactor. The location—the Crown and Gown. 
  TONIGHT AT THE CROWN AND GOWN INN 
  the crown and gown 
  The Crown and Gown occupies the very upper end of the 
  public drinking establishment spectrum, any higher class 
  and it would be a private club: the drinks are pricey, the 
  food is good, and the music is always top-notch. The 
  Crown and Gown is the place to be seen in Shadow Port 
  if you are wealthy (or just want to be seen as such). There 
  is a door charge to get in to the Crown and Gown (if you 
  aren’t on the door list), and a much higher charge to rent 
  out one of the private suites that overlooks the dance 
  floor. 
  on the list 
  The adventurers have found themselves ‘on the list’ 
  thanks to their patron the Prince of Shadows and are 
  shown into a private suite.  
  The suite is a room with sumptuously thick drapes 
  that muffles sound from those below, and beyond the 
  drapes is a balcony that overlooks the main floor of the 
  tavern. A latticework surrounding the balcony allows 
  those in the room to see out while obscuring them from 
  the view of those not fabulously wealthy enough to afford 
  such lavish accommodations. Through another set of 
  thick curtains is a similar enclosed balcony that overlooks 
  the street, where the Shadow Port carnival is currently 
  passing by. The drinks are all paid for, the food comes for 
  free with the room, and the adventurers can even request 
  private entertainments (bards, jugglers, mimes) to be sent 
  to their suite. Tell the players that it is obvious to them 
  that this night out is a gift from their ‘benefactor’ the 
  Prince of Shadows. 
  GMs: Go around the group and ask each player to give you 
  a description of something that is happening outside on the 
  street or down on the main floor of the tavern, then go on to the 
  next player and ask them what crime they see happening while 
  everybody is distracted by the occurrence. This montage is an 
  opportunity for players to add color to the world that their 
  adventurers inhabit. 
  the prince’s note 
  Just as the carnival hits high gear a note is delivered to the 
  adventurers in their private suite, handed to them by a 
  construct of animated shadow who vanishes as soon as it 
  hands over the note.  
  The note is from the Prince of Shadows. It informs 
  them that they are to steal a chunk of glowing rock (in full 
  public view) from a specific float and bring it back to 
  another private suite at the Crown and Gown. They have 
  to bring it back to a tiefling called Shez-a-kah, who will be 
  waiting for it upstairs at the Crown and Gown, but do so 
  in a way they are not spotted or caught giving it to her. 
  The float in question can already be seen coming 
  down the street, they had better act fast! 
  The hunk of glowing crystal is the fabled Darkskye 
  Diamond, said to have once had the ability to bring flying 
  islands crashing out of the air. It is normally heavily 
  guarded in an impenetrable imperial vault guarded by 
  mind-reading warlocks, hellish orbs of disintegration, 
  and unsleeping un-bribable slime-constructs. This is the 
  one night a year that the gemstone is in any way stealable, 
  and they have just minutes to steal it!  
  GMs: Make it very clear to the players that this is a now-
  or-never situation. 
  THE CARNIVAL 
  The crowds are thick, there is a lot of noise, and there are 
  fireworks going off. All that gives the adventurers plenty 
  of cover for moving about unnoticed. However, there are 
  hundreds of people on the street, which makes stealing a 
  hunk of glowing crystal very difficult to go about 
  unnoticed. Added to the problems facing the adventurers 
  is the fact that they have barely minutes to plan their heist 
  before their window of opportunity closes. Oh, and the 
  diamond is a foot across and glows very brightly, so 
  slipping quietly away with it tucked under a cloak isn’t 
  going to work. 
   
   
  
   
  27 
   
   
  Challenge  
  (Only one shot at passing 
  each one, one roll for 
  success or failure. Don’t let 
  one or two PCs hog the 
  limelight, let each PC 
  handle at least one 
  challenge each.) 
  Success 
  Failure 
  1. Get quickly through the 
  crowd 
  Throw money = DC 15 and 
  20 gp 
  Threats of violence = DC 20 
  Amazing acrobatics = DC 
  25 
  Just ask nicely = DC 30 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  See ‘Problems 
  with the crowd’ 
  2. Avoid being recognized 
  while committing the crime. 
  Buy a mask = DC 15 and 10 
  gp 
  Impromptu disguise = DC 
  15 
  Steal a jester's clothing = DC 
  20 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  See ‘Spotted’ 
  3. Slow the float down 
  Create a panic in the crowd 
  = DC 15 
  Block the road somehow = 
  DC 20 
  Bluff another float’s 
  horseman into stopping = 
  DC 25 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  The next 
  challenge has 
  DCs 5 higher 
  than they 
  would 
  otherwise be. 
  4. Get close to the float 
  Pushing and shoving = DC 
  15 
  Ducking and dodging = DC 
  20 
  Acrobatics / swashbuckling 
  = DC 20 or 25 (GMs call) 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  See ‘Problems 
  with the crowd’ 
  5. Avoid a crossbow bolt 
  from a rival thief on a 
  rooftop 
  Duck and weave = DC 15 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  See ‘Rivals’ 
  Grab a gnome, instant 
  shield! = DC 20 
  Notice the rival thief in time 
  to find cover = DC 20 
  Snatch it out of the air and 
  grin = DC 25 
  6. Get past the guards 
  marching alongside the float 
  Slide and dodge = DC 15 
  Just run past = DC 20 
  Bluff “Just here to polish the 
  huge diamond, don’t mind 
  us! Can’t have a non-
  polished diamond.” = DC 25 
  Proceed 
  to the 
  next 
  challenge 
  See ‘Guard 
  fight’ 
  7. Grab the diamond and 
  run! 
  Snatch it and run as fast 
  and as far as you can = 
  DC 15 
  Use magic to do the deed = 
  DC 20 
  Hijack the float! = DC 25 
  Proceed 
  to ‘Back 
  to the 
  Crown 
  and 
  Gown’ 
  See ‘The 
  Chase’ 
  problems with the crowd 
  Treat the crowd as a trapped area, only the traps are 
  people. 
  Pick-pocket / 
  mugger 
  Trampled 
  Food vendor’s 
  cart 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Quick fingers 
  +10 vs AC—
  Lose 15 GP or 
  take 1d12 
  damage from a 
  knife to the side 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Underfoot, over 
  cobblestone +10 
  vs AC—1d8 
  damage as you 
  are knocked 
  down and 
  trampled on. 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Spilled oil +15 
  vs AC—2d8 fire 
  damage from an 
  overturned pot 
  of boiling oil 
  spotted 
  Somebody has spotted an adventurer: maybe the 
  adventurer owes them money, maybe they are an old 
  friend, maybe an enemy. Whatever the case, this means 
  trouble for the party. The acquaintance is gesturing in the 
  party’s direction while approaching, calling out the 
  adventurers’ 
  name. 
  The 
  adventurer 
  can 
  expect 
  complications down the line. 
  
   
  28 
   
  rivals 
  A rival group of ne’er-do-wells is after diamond, and the 
  party has stumbled right into the middle of the heist: they 
  had cunning disguises, daring rooftop getaway routes 
  planned, and a buyer lined up for the huge gem—and 
  now the adventurers have spoiled it all. The rivals decide 
  to take some pot-shots. The rivals get off three shots with 
  a crossbow against the adventurers. The player who 
  triggered this event gets to pick who is targeted: 
  Crossbow with barbed bolts +7 vs AC—7 damage 
  Natural even hit: +5 difficulty to all skill rolls for 
  the rest of the scene while stealing the 
  diamond. 
  guard fight 
  The guards have spotted the adventurers! 
  Fight! 
  You can use any mix of the two guard types here. 
  Number of PCs 
  Guards 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  8 
  Imperial Guard 
  2nd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Stout club +7 vs AC—7 damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  HP 34 
  MD 11 
  Psionic Guardian 
  2nd level Troop [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Fancy-looking staff +6 vs AC—4 damage 
   
  C: Cephalalgia +7 vs MD (1 nearby or far away 
  enemy)—4 psychic damage and the target is weakened 
  (save ends) 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 12  HP 32 
  MD 16 
  THE CHASE 
  The party has the gem, but have yet to make good their 
  escape. Maybe you were followed, maybe the press of the 
  crowd slowed you down, or maybe the fact that you are 
  carrying a foot-wide brightly glowing magical diamond 
  through Shadow Port means that a clean getaway was 
  never really an option. 
  This is now a skill challenge. Each player in turn must 
  narrate how they help to throw off pursuit and make an 
  appropriate skill check using an appropriate background, 
  with a DC as determined by the below chart. When a 
  player succeeds move one place upwards on the chart, 
  but a failure moves the group one place down. Start 
  where the chart says ‘Start...’ 
  Each position on the chart has a listed consequence. 
  When you move up or down on the chart the adventurer 
  who made the roll takes the consequence listed in the new 
  position on the chart. The chase ends when the player 
  characters are cornered by the pursuing guards, or when 
  they make good on their getaway. 
   
  End Getaway! 
   The adventurers have got away 
  clean with the huge glowing 
  diamond! 
   
  DC 25 
   You are almost home free! Just a 
  few more twists and turns to get rid of 
  your pursuers! 
   
  DC 20 
   Take 1d6 damage from skids, slips, 
  and pulled muscles or go to 
  ‘cornered’. 
  Start DC 15 
   Take 2d6 force damage from the 
  energy blazing from the diamond or 
  go to ‘cornered’. 
   
  DC 20 
   Take 3d6 psychic damage from the 
  mind-blasts of the guardians of the 
  priceless gem. 
   
  DC 25 
   Take 4d6 damage from crossbows 
  fired by the pursuing guard or go to 
  ‘cornered’. 
  End Cornered! 
   Fight your pursuers (see the Guard 
  Fight in The Carnival section). 
  
   
  29 
   
  BACK TO THE CROWN AND GOWN 
  The adventurers have made good their getaway, either by 
  cunning and speed or by fighting through the guards.  
  However, the streets around the Crown and Gown are 
  now crawling with guards sent up from Axis as extra 
  security for the Darkskye Diamond. The guards were 
  supposed to be on the scene during the carnival, but were 
  bribed by Morgan Navale to help his guards look for The 
  Winter Seal. Now that the treasure that they were 
  supposed to be guarding has been stolen they are in 
  trouble—if they return to Axis without the magical gem 
  they will probably be sent to the gladiatorial arena!  
  The guards are detaining as many bystanders as 
  possible, beating up anybody who looks shifty, and 
  generally acting like people with their necks on the line; 
  they are doing everything they can think of to find the 
  mystical gem. 
  In this scene the adventurers must find some way to 
  get the glowing diamond past the imperial guards and 
  into the Crown and Gown where their mysterious contact 
  is waiting for them. Remember that the diamond is very 
  heavy, glows brightly, and is at least a foot across. The 
  group must succeed on three skill checks to get into the 
  inn and to the room, the DC is set by what they decide to 
  do; DC 15 for something hard but not impossible, DC 20 
  for something that is risky if it goes wrong, and DC 25 for 
  something that stands almost no chance of working. 
  Reward cunning plans and daring-do with a +2 bonus to 
  the roll, or a +4 bonus if it makes you laugh or is 
  attempted with panache. Every failed roll raises the 
  difficulty for the next roll by 5, and the player who made 
  the failed roll gets to narrate why their failure makes 
  things more difficult. If the whole group makes one roll 
  each and doesn't accrue three successes then the guards 
  have spotted the diamond and a fight ensues. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  The fight only occurs if the adventurers fail to pass the 
  skill challenge listed above. You can use any mix of the 
  two guard types here, but aim for a mix with at least 
  one veteran guard. 
  Number of PCs 
  Guards 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  8 
  Young Imperial Guard 
  2nd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Stout club +9 vs AC—5 damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  HP 34 
  MD 11 
  Veteran Guard 
  2nd level wrecker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Nightstick +7 vs. AC—7 damage 
  Natural 16+: The veteran guard can make a savage beating 
  attack against the target or another creature engaged 
  with it as a free action. 
   
  [Special trigger] Savage beating +7 vs. AC—5 damage, 
  and the veteran guard can make a kick ‘em when they’re 
  down attack against the target as a standard action 
  during its next turn if it’s engaged with that target. 
   
  [Special trigger] Kick ‘em when they’re down +9 vs. AC 
  (3 attacks)—5 damage 
   
  R: Crossbow +6 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 16  HP 32 
  MD 12 
   
   
  
   
  30 
   
  MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR 
  Nothing worth doing is simple, and in this case doubly 
  so. There is another group of adventurers waiting 
  downstairs in the Crown and Gown, here to take the gem 
  and deliver it to the Prince of Shadows—why should they 
  do the work when they can just steal the glory.  
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers triggered the ‘Spotted’ event earlier 
  then there are two extra hired thugs and one extra thief 
  present who are hoping to return the gem for a reward. 
  If the adventurers triggered the ‘Rivals’ event earlier 
  then the there are two extra hired thugs and one extra 
  thief also present, hoping to steal the gem for 
  themselves. 
  Number of PCs 
  Thief 
  Hired Thugs 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  5 
  7 
  8 
  5 
  Hired Thug 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Jagged knife +7 vs. AC—5 cold damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15 HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one hired thug mook for every 9 damage you 
  deal to the mob. 
  Thief 
  2nd level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Fist +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Automatic crossbow +7 vs. AC (1d3 attacks against 
  up to 3 nearby enemies)—4 damage 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 45 
  MD 12 
  The Payoff 
  With their enemies and rivals disposed of or chased 
  away, the adventurers lug the diamond to the private 
  suite of the person they are supposed to be meeting.  
  A tiefling by the name of Shez-a-kah unlocks the door 
  for them and lets them into her private suite upstairs at 
  the Crown and Gown. She thanks them for a job well 
  done, asks for the Darkskye Diamond, and hands them 
  their payment in a sealed envelope.  
  The black wax seal on the envelope has the Prince of 
  Shadow’s mark upon it; inside the envelope is a key and 
  a note. The key is to a private suite at the Crown and 
  Gown, and is in their name… from now on they can drink 
  here at the Crown and Gown for free! The note contains 
  instructions to go a drinking establishment called the 
  Crimson Goddess to meet a Gnome woman named Brita 
  Halfhand in one week’s time. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  If the party decides to fight the tiefling or not hand over 
  the Darkskye Diamond use the fight below, in which 
  she will summon shadow creatures. As soon as the 
  tiefling is staggered she’ll teleport away with the gem. 
  Number of PCs 
  Shez-a-kah 
  Shadowling 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  2 
  5 
  1 
  3 
  6 
  1 
  4 
  7 
  1 
  5 
   
   
  
   
  31 
   
  Shez-a-kah 
  The former dragon-hunter is still in good shape. She looks 
  amused at the situation. 
  4th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Silverfang +10 vs. AC—15 fire damage 
  Natural even miss: Target takes 5 damage. 
   
  Hellish hooves +8 vs. AC—10 damage and the target is 
  dazed (easy save ends). 
   
  R: Knife +9 vs. AC—8 damage 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 14  HP 54 (when she is reduced to half hit-
  points or less she teleports away with the gem.) 
  MD 18 
  Shadowling 
  These shadowy creatures each have one huge yellow eye in their 
  heads. They obey their summoned... usually. 
  1st level troop [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Dark fire +7 vs. AC—5 negative energy damage 
  Natural 16+: 5 ongoing fire damage. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 11 HP 30 
  MD 15 
   
   
   
  
   
  32 
   
  THE KRAKEN 
  OVERVIEW 
  Three tasks for The Prince of Shadows have been completed. 
  Three more yet remain before debts have been paid. This part of 
  the adventure involves breaking somebody out of a prison. 
  SULTRY SHADOW PORT NIGHTS 
  Start the session with a montage scene. This is where the 
  players tell you what happened to them after their last 
  heist up to the point where they’re contacted about their 
  next debt-clearing task and allows for new characters to 
  be introduced and included in the narrative. If the players 
  get stuck prompt them with questions.  
   
  What corrupt officials did you have to bribe or blackmail 
  and why?  
   
  What criminal organization conflict did you see firsthand 
  recently?  
   
  Are there any interesting new rumors floating around the 
  streets?   
   
  Have there been any stories, true or otherwise, about your 
  recent actions?  
   
  Are there any people looking for you after your last tasks 
  for the Prince? 
  After each player has told the tale of what their 
  character has been up to, turn to the player on their left 
  and ask them what the wider repercussions of the first 
  character’s actions were in Shadow Port. 
  THE CRIMSON GODDESS 
  The Crimson Goddess is an inn which used to be a 
  temple, but was refurbished in the last 50 years to be a 
  place of business.  
  There are rumors of divine retribution and curses laid 
  upon those who drink in the former temple, though no 
  evidence of either exist. The red stone statue of a goddess 
  tends to generate the worst of the rumors, it is said to be 
  the avatar of a goddess herself. Magical pranksters 
  occasionally animate the statue or cast an illusion to make 
  it appear to move, further fueling the reputation of the 
  tavern. Those who drink too much and regret it refer to it 
  as the “Crimson Goddess’ curse”. 
  Even though it hasn’t been a consecrated area for 
  decades many people feel the need to act like they’re in a 
  temple while they’re inside the Crimson Goddess tavern. 
  The tavern tends to be almost unnaturally subdued inside 
  with few fights, uncommon arguments, and little singing 
  beyond whatever minstrel or storyteller might be in for 
  the night. It’s not a particularly luxurious establishment 
  either in terms of food and drink, but it’s quiet and 
  relatively safe which are both highly prized qualities in 
  Shadow Port; it is a place for those who want to drink and 
  eat and don’t care to be interrupted. 
  The adventurers have come to the Crimson Goddess 
  come to meet a Gnome woman named Brita Halfhand, a 
  notorious thief and wizard who had apparently retired 
  from a life of crime years ago after one last big job. Despite 
  her retirement, she still commands respect in the Shadow 
  Port underworld. The fact that such a notorious figure is 
  running what amounts to an errand for the Prince of 
  Shadows might be viewed ominously as a herald of how 
  much trouble the players are in or as a light-hearted jaunt 
  by a powerful figure looking to have fun. 
  denizens of the crimson goddess 
  Should you need other NPCs to flesh out the 
  environment 
  or 
  give 
  players 
  some 
  roleplaying 
  opportunities use some of the following: 
  Tailin Briarlance— An elven bard who sings upbeat and 
  happy songs about depressing things like death and 
  destruction. The other regulars keep their distance, 
  thinking he’s a bit… off. 
  Brownstone— A minotaur bouncer who is surprisingly 
  polite, well spoken, and educated. He can still break 
  someone in half and throw them out the front door, but 
  he’s quite apologetic about it.  
  Asuna Ragehammer— The dwarven bartender, known 
  for switching from a bright and cheerful personality to a 
  berserker rage in a heartbeat (and vice versa). Patrons fear 
  her far far more than any of the bouncers. 
  Norman the Red— Norman was killed in a nasty fight 
  the very first night the Crimson Goddess was open. His 
  ghost still lurks about the place and is happy to talk about 
  his life and subsequent afterlife. Norman is good friends 
  with both Asuna and Brownstone. 
  Dworguld Goldstone— A dwarven cleric of Vo (“May the 
  inky tentacles of Vo bring you knowledge”). 
  Sam Bitterfoot— A half-elf-half-halfling sailor, looking 
  for a quiet drink and a game of cards. 
  Alv Longleaf— An elven book-binder, reading a book 
  and enjoying a glass of wine. 
  Sark Millman— A human mercenary, returned from 
  Forge after fighting off an orc incursion. 
  Henry Brownbough— A half-elf mercenary, returned 
  from Forge after fighting off an orc incursion. 
  Edgar Foley— A human mercenary, returned from Anvil 
  after fighting off an orc incursion. 
  
   
  33 
   
  Zublona The Enigma— A human enchantress, returned 
  from Anvil after fighting off an orc incursion. 
  the job 
  Brita Halfhand brings news to the adventurers of their 
  next target—this time it is not an object but a person. For 
  years the half-orc Jont Urner was known as the Golden 
  Blade. Jont was a master of gladiatorial combat, even 
  fighting before The Emperor himself on several occasions. 
  Several years ago Jont disappeared, leaving fans and 
  enemies alike to believe that he’d either been killed by 
  jealous opponents or was escaping his increasing fame. 
  However, Jont Urner has been found in Shadow Port, 
  languishing in the floating prison barge called The 
  Kraken. The Prince wants him free, but has given no 
  reason for this ‘request’. Jont has a curious tattoo on his 
  back—perhaps it is something to do with that? 
  The Kraken is a floating prison for two types of people: 
  the first are criminals so bad and so distasteful that the 
  various criminal organizations in Shadow Port (and even 
  the rest of the Dragon Empire) have no objection to their 
  incarceration, the second type of prisoner is someone who 
  has managed to upset or anger somebody powerful. 
  There are numerous tales of innocent people thrown into 
  The Kraken for causing offence to the wrong person. The 
  Kraken is guarded by golem-like constructs and only 
  docks once per week to take on supplies for the prisoners 
  and the few living crew, then it sails out to sea to make 
  escape difficult. 
  branching adventure paths 
  There are several directions the adventurers could take, 
  several branches to the story.  
  There are a number of different things the players can 
  do to make their prison break go more smoothly and they 
  can do them in any order, leading up to The Kraken 
  section. Players shouldn’t have to guess at what to do 
  next, feel free to tell them that these options are obvious 
  to their characters.  
   
  If the adventurers decide to gather intelligence about 
  the Kraken, use the: Know your enemy section. 
   
  If the adventurers decide to find control words for the 
  guardian constructs that guard the Kraken go to the 
  Construct password section. 
   
  If the adventurers want to create a distraction to make 
  their escape easier, use the Shuffle and scarper section. 
  After they are done preparing, it is time for the 
  adventurers to perform the prison break in The Kraken 
  section. 
  KNOW YOUR ENEMY 
  Although there are plenty of rumors and supposed facts 
  about The Kraken to be heard every night in the taverns 
  of Shadow Port, the characters might want to get 
  something more concrete than word of mouth. That 
  means hitting the streets to buy rounds of ale, lean on 
  snitches, and call in favors owed.  
  Go around the table and ask each player to describe a 
  situation or problem the group runs into while collecting 
  information and have them make a DC 15 skill check with 
  an appropriate background to get through the situation 
  and continue on their hunt for more information; if they 
  fail, hit one of the characters with one of the following 
  hazards: 
  MINOR BAR 
  ROOM BRAWL 
  “A ROUND OF 
  DRAGON ALE 
  PLEASE 
  BARKEEP!” 
  GANG OF 
  MUGGERS OR 
  CITY GUARD 
  BRUTALITY 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  A good ruck 
  +15 vs PD—
  1d12 damage 
  (it is not really a 
  ‘fight’ fight and 
  not worth rolling 
  initiative for). 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Strong drink, 
  weak stomach 
  +10 vs PD—2d8 
  poison damage 
  and the targets 
  are weakened at 
  the start of their 
  next battle (easy 
  save ends). 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Knife in a dark 
  alley +15 vs 
  AC—2d8 
  damage 
  (it is not really a 
  ‘fight’ fight and 
  not worth rolling 
  initiative for). 
  if at least half of the adventurers succeed at 
  their tasks 
  If the adventurers succeed then they’ve gleaned all the 
  reliable information that they can about The Kraken. The 
  living guards of the Kraken will not be looking for a raid 
  and will be caught completely by surprise. The 
  adventurers will get to add +2 to their Initiative when 
  fighting their way onto the Kraken, and the Escalation Die 
  will start at 1 instead of 0. 
  if two thirds of the adventurers fail at their 
  tasks 
  If at least two thirds or more of the adventurers fail their 
  rolls that means that word gets out about someone 
  making a run on The Kraken, so there will be more guards 
  and they will be more watchful; enemies will get a +4 
  bonus to Initiative. 
  
   
  34 
   
  CONSTRUCT PASSWORD 
  Everybody knows that the dwarven magewright Bella the 
  Mad created the constructs that guard some of the vital 
  city areas.  
  There have long been rumors that Bella had a coded 
  book full of magical commands that would allow her to 
  retake control over her constructs at any time. Nobody 
  has ever found this code book but given that her 
  constructs make up the majority of guards for the Kraken, 
  it wouldn’t hurt to look. Her tower workshop was 
  abandoned and is now inhabited by several poor families, 
  but that doesn’t mean that nothing there is worth looking 
  at. In fact a search of the building shows a false wall 
  behind which is a set of stairs leading down to a hidden 
  room in the basement. The wall was previously better 
  hidden before the new residents remodeled. 
  features of the area 
  Bella’s secret laboratory contains: a glass vat with a 
  glowing green liquid in the bottom of it (1d6+2 doses of 
  healing potion), several partial bronze skeletons, a large 
  casket full of odds and ends (stuffed giant rats, old rope, 
  acid-stained white robes, a box of bent cutlery, a burlap 
  sack of mostly broken glassware, half-melted tongs, 
  screws, etc), a hovering jade chest (containing 2235 & ½ 
  copper pieces), three ever-burning lanterns, a stone 
  sarcophagus with notes and books upon it (and three 
  magic items inside it), three jet-black pillars with strange 
  9th age carvings, a section of floor that looks like a trap 
  that is stuck, wooden stairs with shelves of tools and jars 
  of oddments underneath it, an interesting red stain, an air 
  of impending doom, and a door that automatically locks 
  adventurers inside. Oh, and a plethora of construct traps 
  armed and waiting! 
  Fight! 
  Normally we’d just set traps as minor inconveniences, 
  but this trapped room is a mechanical monster all by 
  itself. Treat each part of the room as a separate monster. 
  Everybody in the room is engaged with all traps. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Scythes and 
  Spikes 
  Spinning 
  Pillars 
  Bolt Turret 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  2 
  6 
  2 
  3 
  2 
  7 
  2 
  3 
  3 
  It is a standard action and a DC 20 check (DC 15 for rogues) to 
  ‘daze’ a trap until the end of its next turn, if all parts get dazed 
  at once the room is disarmed. 
   
  Scythes and Spikes 
  Scythes, spikes, and other cutting and impaling instruments lash out 
  from every wall, ceiling, floor, and decorative element of the room. 
  Thankfully, they’re made to do damage, not take it.  
  2nd level troop [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Slash and stab +7 vs. AC—6 damage 
   Natural 16+ hit:  Make a second slash and stab attack. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 15  HP 40 
  MD 22 
  Grotesque Statues 
  These statues pop out of hexagonal hatches in the floor to spray 
  burning acid on intruders. 
  2nd level caster [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Gout of Acid +6 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  C: Acid Splash +6 vs. PD—8 acid damage, and until the 
  end of the statues next turn, the target is vulnerable.  
   
  AC 17 
  PD 12  HP 34 
  MD 22 
  Bolt Turret 
  These crossbows pop out from hatches in the ceiling. Not all of them 
  work and some are unloaded… but enough of them firing at intruders 
  at once gets the job done. 
  2nd level leader [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  C: Rusty bolts +6 vs. AC (1d3 nearby enemies)—3 
  damage and the target suffers a -2 penalty to their next 
  attack 
   Natural 16+ hit: Target is dazed until the end of their 
  next turn.  
   
  AC 18 
  PD 12  HP 36 
  MD 22 
  
   
  35 
   
  the codebook 
  The real treasure here for the adventurers, at least as far 
  as completing their task, is the codebook that Bella the 
  Mad left behind. The problem is reading it. Go around the 
  table and ask each player what their character does to 
  help decipher the code book and learning its secrets, then 
  have them roll on the appropriate background against a 
  DC 20. If players are having some troubles thinking of 
  ideas here are some prompts.  
   
  The character may be able to dispel a subtle magical 
  confusion effect on the book. 
   
  The character may know some bit of history about 
  Bella the Mad that gives them an insight. 
   
  The character may recognize the obscure language 
  the code book is written in. 
  If at least half of the adventurers succeed they gain an 
  understanding of how one of the guardian golems on the 
  Kraken work and may briefly subvert them and order 
  them to attack their comrades (an adventurer may use a 
  quick action to make one construct confused, easy save 
  ends). If the party fails, they still gain some knowledge, 
  but it’s only enough to cause a construct to become dazed 
  instead of confused. Normally non-organic constructs 
  can’t be dazed or confused, but this magical ‘back door’ 
  as built into these guard constructs. 
  LOOT! 
  Use icon relationship rolls to determine the exact items 
  to be found, using the location-specific items below.in 
  In addition there are three ever-burning lanterns 
  (worth 200 GP each), a hovering jade chest (worth 500 
  GP), 1d6+2 adventurer tier healing potions, and 2235 
  & ½  copper pieces. 
  The abandoned laboratory of the mage-machinist still 
  holds some treasures. 
  Alchemist’s Rod 
  This wand contains compartments full of glowing liquids. 
  [Wand] 
  +1 to hit and damage with arcane spells and 
  attacks (champion tier: +2).  
  (Recharge 18+): As a quick action you may 
  transform briefly into an ooze-like humanoid. In 
  this 
  ooze-form 
  you 
  may 
  move 
  without 
  provoking, slip under a door or through a similar 
  tight space, and perform a reach trick. The 
  transformation lasts until the start of your next 
  turn. 
  Quirk: Keen experimenter. 
  Dwarf-forged Shield 
  This shield is made of interlocking cogs and faintly glowing 
  crystals. In combat the cogs turn, restoring life to the wielder. 
  Increase maximum hit points by +4 (champion: 
  +10; epic: +25). 
  (Recharge 11+): When you make a basic melee 
  attack, you may heal using a recovery. 
  Quirk: Craves the sound of ticking clockwork. 
  Orb of Far-Sending 
  This dark orb warps the light that passes near it. 
  [Implement] 
  Bonus to attacks and damage with spells:  +1 
  (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic, only when 
  mounted on a staff). 
  Recharge 16+: Make an attack against a faraway 
  target that you could normally only make against 
  an engaged or nearby target. If dual-wielding 
  orbs this becomes recharge 11+ (orbs like being 
  with other orbs, though their bonuses do not 
  stack). 
  Quirk: Voyeurism. 
  SHUFFLE AND SCARPER 
  Sometimes getting away clean is the hardest part of a 
  caper. The adventurers can attempt to set up one or more 
  distractions or contingencies ahead of time that will help 
  ensure that they get away with the Golden Blade.  
  GMs: This is an opportunity for you to encourage player 
  creativity at the table. One group might plan an escape across 
  the rooftops while another group might hire a group of 
  smugglers to be waiting with boats. Let the players plan and 
  enable their ideas. Ask players to bring their Backgrounds and 
  their One Unique Thing into play. When they start to throw 
  solutions and thoughts around answer with positive answers: 
  if the players start digging for a sneaky solution it will be a 
  
   
  36 
   
  sneaky solution that is best, if they move towards a social 
  solution of some sort then move things in that direction. Unless 
  the players’ solutions are completely illogical or ridiculous, let 
  the plan happen without any dice rolls so long as they have 
  appropriate Backgrounds or One Unique Things.  
  If the players get stuck, here are some ideas for what 
  their adventurers might do to distract pursuit or avoid 
  attention… 
   
  Hire smugglers to be ready ferry them away by boat. 
   
  Set something on the nearby docks on fire as a 
  distraction. 
   
  Bribe a watch captain to look the other way and take 
  his time responding. 
  If the players come up with entertaining ideas then 
  they gain a +2 bonus on all background checks in the On 
  the run section and you as GM should try to incorporate 
  their plan into the story of their escape. 
  THE KRAKEN 
  The Kraken awaits, docked at one of the secluded piers 
  often used for smuggling. The Kraken is taking on 
  supplies late at night to avoid exactly the kind of caper 
  that the characters are attempting to carry out.  
  fighting start 
  Attacking the guards on the way in is an option. The fight 
  will be noisy, but at least the adventurers will not have to 
  deal with them on the way out. 
  FIGHT! 
  If the players completely succeeded in the previous 
  encounter revolving around passwords then as a quick 
  action they may give one construct an order to attack 
  its comrades. This construct then takes 3d6 damage 
  and may not again be ordered to attack its allies again 
  in this battle. If the players did not completely succeed, 
  they instead cause one construct to be dazed for until 
  the end of its next turn. 
  GMs: Remind players that their characters do not have 
  to kill if they don’t want to. Personally I don’t mind 
  killing guards, but Rob objects. When monsters drop to 
  0 hp, it usually means they’ve been slain, unless the 
  characters’ intent is to keep the monster alive and the 
  attack seems like a potentially humane blow that could 
  knock the monster unconscious instead. Some attacks, 
  particularly when gruesomely narrated, don’t feel like 
  attacks that can leave the target unconscious, but we 
  leave that mostly up to you and your group’s 
  sensibilities. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Prison 
  Guards 
  Bruiser 
  Construct 
  Guardian 
  Construct 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  2 
  5 
  2 
  2 
  2 
  6 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  7 
  3 
  2 
  3 
   
  Prison Guard 
  These guards are little more than thugs in uniform and they 
  really enjoy their jobs 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Truncheon: +6 vs AC—5 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The prison guard does 9 
  damage on the next successful hit.  
   
  Prison beating: When an attack against a prison guard is a 
  natural 1, the Prison Guard may make two truncheon 
  attacks against each enemy it is engaged with.  
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15  HP 27 
  MD 11 
  Bruiser Construct 
  This hulking mass of steel and stone will keep peace in this 
  prison, even if it means the peace of the grave. 
  3rd level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Steel fist: +8 vs AC—10 damage. Any dazed enemy 
  struck by a Steel Fist attack is stunned (save ends). 
  One More: When the escalation die is even, make 2 steel 
  fist attacks that round. 
   
  Counterstrike: Any enemy who hits the Bruiser Construct 
  with a melee attack takes 8 damage. 
   
  Immunity: These constructs can not be confused, dazed, 
  or stunned. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 18  HP 45 
  MD 11 
  
   
  37 
   
  Guardian Construct 
  This humanoid construct crackles with electricity and stinks of 
  ozone. It keeps unruly prisoners and intruders alike subdued.  
  2nd level caster [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative +6 
   
  Lightning punch: +7 vs AC—6 lightning damage 
   Natural even hit or miss: The construct may pop free. 
   
  R: Shockwave: +7 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—3 
  thunder damage 
  Natural 16+ hit: Target is dazed until the end of its next 
  turn. 
   
  Immunity: These constructs can not be confused, dazed, 
  or stunned. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  HP 38 
  MD 11 
  sneaking aboard 
  It is a DC 20 task to sneak past the guards on the way in, 
  but anybody sneaking aboard will find that the guards 
  had almost finished loading supplies and are casting 
  off—fighting the guards on the way out is the only way 
  back off the ship.  
  If the party has broken Jont Urner out when they 
  confront the guards, he’ll be more than happy to help out 
  with the fight. However, his long years of imprisonment 
  have sapped his strength and stamina, so he limits 
  himself to assisting the characters instead of attacking 
  directly. Once per round Jont may grant one ally a +2 
  bonus to a roll and grant a different ally a reroll on a failed 
  roll with -2 to the reroll. Any other freed prisoners will be 
  too weak from poor food and lack of exercise to aid in a 
  fight, or will simply dive into the water or run out onto 
  the dock to escape. 
  ON THE RUN 
  There are three parts to any good heist; the adventurers 
  have accomplished the first two by getting in and getting 
  what they came for, but now they need to get away from 
  the Kraken and duck into the shadows before taking Jont 
  Urner aka ‘the Golden Blade’ back to the Crimson 
  Goddess. 
  Go around the table, starting with the player to your 
  left. Ask that player to describe how the guards or other 
  rival interests attempt to capture the escaped prisoner. 
  Then go to the player on their right and ask them what 
  their character does to get them past these pursuers, then 
  they roll a skill check using an appropriate background 
  against a DC 20 difficulty.  
  GMs: Remind the players of the +2 bonus from the Shuffle 
  and scarper section if they did that task.  
  Repeat this until all the players have had a chance to 
  both describe a problem and attempt to resolve one. If a 
  player fails their Background roll, present the player with 
  two of the following consequences and let them choose 
  one.  
   
  The character loses two recoveries as they fall 
  through a rotten bridge, roof, or floor. 
   
  Each party member must make a save (11+) or take 
  1d12 damage as they barrel through a game of dice 
  with some rough customers in an alley.  
   
  The character loses an important piece of equipment 
  in their haste to climb over a wall. 
   
  The character takes 1d8 damage as they run headlong 
  into a fruit or vegetable cart and send produce 
  everywhere, or dive through a glass window, or 
  similar. 
   
  Each party member must make a save (11+) or take 
  1d6 damage as they run loudly through a building 
  and have all manner of unpleasant and painful things 
  thrown at them by some of the residents. 
  if at least half of the adventurers succeed at 
  their tasks 
  If at least half the adventurers succeed rather than fail, 
  the party gets away clean and arrives at the Crimson 
  Goddess untouched and with nobody following them.  
  if at least half of the adventurers fail at their 
  tasks 
  If the adventurers fail more than they succeed, they’re 
  cornered by a group of people (guards, thugs, slavers) 
  who want to take the Golden Blade for themselves and 
  the players are going to have to fight to defend him and 
  escape. 
   
   
   
  
   
  38 
   
  FIGHT! (OPTIONAL) 
  Only use this fight if more than half the adventurers fail the skill 
  check above. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Thief 
  Catcher 
  Rogue 
  Guard 
  Goon 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  10 
  5 
  2 
  3 
  10 
  6 
  3 
  3 
  10 
  7 
  4 
  3 
  10 
  Thief Catcher 
  Dead, alive, peacefully, or in pieces, they always bring in their 
  target.  
  2nd level spoiler [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Sword breaker +6 vs AC—7 damage and the target 
  takes a -2 penalty to their next melee attack 
   
  R: Bolo strike +6 vs PD (1 nearby enemy)—6 damage 
  and the target is stuck (save ends). 
  Surprise: If attacking a target that is engaged, add +3 to 
  the damage done by bolo strike. 
   
  Sneaky: The Thief Catcher gains a +5 bonus to disengage 
  checks. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 17  HP 32 
  MD 13 
  Goon 
  They may not be tough, strong, or smart, but there are an awful 
  lot of them.  
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative +2 
   
  Savage swing +6 vs AC—3 damage 
   
  Coordinated beat-down: Goons gain a +1 to attack rolls for 
  each goon engaged with the target, up to a maximum 
  bonus of +4. 
   
  AC 17  
  PD 14  HP 7 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one goon mook for every 7 damage dealt to 
  the mob. 
  Rogue Guard 
  Go ahead, make his day 
  2nd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Furious beat-down +6 vs AC—8 damage 
   Natural even hit: 4 damage each other enemy the 
  guard is engaged with. 
   
  Oversized hand crossbow +7 vs AC—5 damage 
   
  Feeling lucky?: When staggered the Rogue Guard rolls 
  2d20 for attacks and may take the best roll. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 17  HP 38 
  MD 10 
   
  THE HAND OFF 
  Regardless of whether the players have to fight their way 
  there or not, Brita Halfhand is waiting at the Crimson 
  Goddess for their arrival. She quickly whisks the Golden 
  Blade away to a more secure location with a smile and a 
  nod, but not before telling the characters that their debt 
  has been erased by one more mark. Only a few jobs to go 
  and they are clear of their obligation to the Prince of 
  Shadows.  
   
   
   
  
   
  39 
   
  THE BIG JOB 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers have just two favors to go before they are out 
  from under. The Prince of Shadows has a desire to own a flying 
  barge... 
  THE DRAKE AND DUCATTO 
  The adventurers are taking their ease at a tavern in the 
  Tilgate Heights district of Shadow Port, in a tavern 
  known as the Drake and Ducatto.  
  The Drake and Ducatto is famous in Shadowport for 
  its overpriced drinks and proximity to a place known as 
  the Cloud-Shrouded Tower. The empire maintains a fleet 
  of sky barges, as does the elven Court of Stars—it is at the 
  Cloud-Shrouded Tower that these barges dock in Shadow 
  Port.  
  This night the sky barge Pride of Opals is docked at 
  the tower, and the elves have disembarked to stretch their 
  legs and seek refreshments at the busy Drake and 
  Ducatto. Not only are the elves from the Pride of Opals 
  here trying to order expensive wines, but the dwarven 
  workers at the tower have just got paid and are 
  monopolizing the dart board.  
  GMs: Go around the group and ask each player to give you 
  a name and description of a nefarious Shadow Port low-life who 
  happens to be at the Drake and Ducatto, then go on to the next 
  player and ask them what crime the low-life has recently 
  committed in another part of the empire and is now laying low 
  from. This is not just a montage but also an opportunity for 
  role-play as the adventurers get a chance to interact with the 
  ne’er-do-wells that they have just peopled the world with. 
  Just as the adventurers are settling in for a well-
  deserved night of carousing and revelry the bar steward 
  sends them over a free round of drinks. Tucked under one 
  of the tankards is a letter from the Prince of Shadows (it 
  is unmistakably his mark on the letter), the bar steward, 
  naturally, denies any knowledge if pressed on the subject. 
  The letter gives very specific instructions: Steal the Pride 
  of Opals, land it in a very specific place in the Bitterwood, 
  ad hand it over to one of his agents who will be waiting 
  there. 
  THE CLOUD-SHROUDED TOWER 
  The first step in stealing the Pride of Opals is going to be 
  getting to it. It is moored high above the city at the top of 
  the Cloud-Shrouded Tower. Thankfully the tower guards 
  got paid early and are off drinking in the Drake and 
  Ducatto (the adventurers probably have the Prince to 
  thank for that, or maybe it is just good luck). There are 
  only a few guards left at the tower, but it does have other 
  defenses. This is a skill challenge. Each adventurer must 
  make one of the below skill checks. If they fail the check 
  there is a consequence, if they succeed then the path to the 
  sky barge will be that much easier. 
  Challenge  
  (Only one shot at 
  passing each one, one 
  roll for success or 
  failure. Give 
  everybody a shot at 
  making a roll.) 
  Success 
  Failure 
  1. Get past the 
  remaining tower 
  guards 
  Bribe the door 
  guards = DC 15 and 
  20 gp 
  Create a distraction = 
  DC 20 
  Sneak past = DC 25 
  Intimidate the 
  guards = DC 30 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  Fight the 
  guards  
  (see the Tower 
  Guards fight) 
  2. Pass the magical 
  wards 
  An adventurer has 
  already bribed the 
  off-duty guards for 
  information about 
  the wards = DC 15 
  and 10 gp 
  An adventurer has 
  already located and 
  bought drinks for 
  the wizard who set 
  the wards in the 
  first place = DC 20 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  Potentially 
  set off the 
  traps 
  (see ‘Magical 
  Wards’) 
  3. Get past the heavy 
  locked door 
  Pick the lock = DC 15 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  Bashing the 
  door down 
  alerts the 
  elves still on 
  the ship and 
  
   
  40 
   
  Climb out the 
  window and up 
  one floor = DC 20 
  Kick it in quietly = 
  DC 25 
  they come to 
  investigate. 
  (see The Pride 
  of Opals fight) 
  4. Navigate the 
  interior of the tower 
  Use a dimmed 
  lantern = DC 15 
  An adventurer has 
  found the 
  granddaughter of 
  the woman who 
  built the tower = 
  DC 20 
  Fumble around in 
  the dark = DC 20 or 
  25 (GMs call) 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  Potentially 
  set off the 
  traps 
  (see ‘Tower 
  Traps’) 
  5. There is a gryphon 
  nesting up here, it is 
  on the path of the 
  chosen sneaky route 
  Sneak past = DC 20 
  Actually the 
  adventurers 
  noticed the tell-tale 
  signs of claw marks 
  on a high-up 
  windowsill while 
  casing the joint and 
  bought some meat 
  to throw to the 
  gryphon = DC 25 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  Fight the 
  gryphon 
  (see the 
  Young 
  Gryphon) 
  6. Some elves are 
  wandering back from 
  the tavern… 
  Hide from the elves 
  = DC 15 
  Knock them out = 
  DC 20 
  Bluff “Tower 
  inspectors, here to … 
  Proceed to 
  the next 
  challenge 
  The returning 
  elves alert the 
  elves still on 
  the ship to 
  the intruders. 
  (see The Pride 
  of Opals fight) 
  inspect tower!” = DC 
  25 
  7. Sneak aboard the 
  Pride of Opals 
  Use magic to get on 
  board = DC 15 
  Sneak past the 
  guards = DC 20 
  Create distraction = 
  DC 25 
  Proceed to 
  the Getting 
  Under Way 
  section 
  The party’s 
  bumbling 
  alerts the 
  elves still on 
  the ship. 
  (see The Pride 
  of Opals fight) 
  Young gryphon 
  The adventurers have disturbed a nesting gryphon… 
  Young Gryphon 
  Large 5th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Claw, claw, bite +10 vs AC—20 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: Make a claw, claw, bite attack 
  as a free action, as many times a round as it likes 
  until it rolls an even or a 1. 
   
  Flight: Gryphons can fly, though not in tight enclosed 
  spaces such as most rooms or among close standing 
  trees. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 146 
  MD 14 
   
   
   
  
   
  41 
   
  FIGHTS! (OPTIONAL) 
  If fights occur here use the below fight. The guards 
  from the tower can only fight the party once (after they 
  have been killed or subdued and tied up they can’t turn 
  up again). Of course potentially the adventurers can 
  sneak or bluff their way up the tower without any 
  combat at all. 
  GMs: Remind players that their characters do not have 
  to kill if they don’t want to. Personally I don’t mind 
  killing dwarves, but Rob objects. When monsters drop 
  to 0 hp, it usually means they’ve been slain, unless 
  the characters’ intent is to keep the monster alive and 
  the attack seems like a potentially humane blow that 
  could knock the monster unconscious instead. Some 
  attacks, particularly when gruesomely narrated, don’t 
  feel like attacks that can leave the target unconscious, 
  but we leave that mostly up to you and your group’s 
  sensibilities. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Angry 
  Dwarf 
  Surly Dwarf 
  Tower 
  Guard 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  2 
  2 
  7 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  Dwarf Tower Guard 
  “Come an ‘ave a go if you fink yer ‘ard enuff!” 
  3rd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Club +8 vs AC—6 damage 
   
  Dwarven toughness: Dwarves take half damage when the 
  escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one dwarf guard mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Angry Dwarf Guard 
  “Oi! You! Stand still and fight!” 
   3rd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Axe +8 vs AC—10 damage 
  Natural even hit: If the escalation die is even its value 
  lowered by 1. 
   
  Dwarven toughness: Dwarves take half damage when the 
  escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16  HP 45 
  MD 11 
  Surly Dwarf Guard 
  “You are going nowhere, intruder!” 
  3rd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Hammer +8 vs AC—10 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The target cannot move away 
  without provoking two hammer attacks, even if it 
  pops free.  
   
  Dwarven toughness: Dwarves take half damage when the 
  escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16  HP 45 
  MD 11 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  42 
   
  magical wards 
  Screaming Eye 
  Lightning 
  Barrier 
  Pain Orbs 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Mind-screech 
  +10 vs MD—
  2d8 psychic 
  damage and the 
  target is 
  weakened at the 
  start of their 
  next battle (easy 
  save ends). 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Zap +15 vs 
  PD—2d8 
  lightning 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Racked with 
  pain +15 vs PD 
  against each 
  adventurer—
  Target loses a 
  recovery 
  tower traps 
  Deadfall 
  Guillotine 
  Stairs 
  Dart Trap 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Rocks from 
  above +10 vs 
  AC—2d8 
  damage. 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Ankle-slicing 
  blade +15 vs 
  AC against 
  each 
  adventurer—
  2d6 damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Suddenly… 
  darts! +15 vs 
  AC—1d12 
  damage 
  THE PRIDE OF OPALS 
  The sky barge is a simple ship, with the amazing ability 
  to fly; it is a treasure of the elven Court of Starts. In past 
  ages such things were much more common than they are 
  now, so the elves are not going to leave their ship 
  unguarded. 
  FIGHT! 
  If the adventurers have got this far without alerting the 
  guards by starting a fight elsewhere start the escalation 
  die at 2. You can use any mix of the two elves here, both 
  Elven Guards and Elven Mages.  
  Number of PCs 
  Elves 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  8 
  Elven Guard 
  “For the Queen!” 
  2nd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Longsword +6 vs AC—7 damage 
   
  R: Bow +8 vs AC—7 damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 36 
  MD 12 
  Elven Mage 
  “By the hidden light I curse thee!” 
  2nd level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  C: Caustic ray +10 vs PD (one nearby or far away 
  enemy)—7 acid damage 
  Miss: The mage teleports and one other elf can 
  disengage or move for free. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 25 
  MD 13 
   
  GETTING UNDER WAY 
  The adventurers are aboard the ship, having either snuck 
  past the guards or fought their way past them. Nobody is 
  aboard the Pride of Opals—the ship is tethered by ropes, 
  and cutting them and floating away from the tower takes 
  just moments.  
  As the ship floats off and the tower recedes into the 
  distance the adventurers see more guards rush the roof, 
  but far too late to stop them. With the guards are 
  impressive looking storm witches, and they fly and 
  teleport aboard in order to try to prevent the theft. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  43 
   
  FIGHT! 
  You can use a mix of the two witch types in this fight. 
  GMs: Remind players that their characters do not have 
  to kill if they don’t want to. Personally I don’t mind 
  killing elves, but Rob objects. When monsters drop to 0 
  hp, it usually means they’ve been slain, unless the 
  characters’ intent is to keep the monster alive and the 
  attack seems like a potentially humane blow that could 
  knock the monster unconscious instead. Some attacks, 
  particularly when gruesomely narrated, don’t feel like 
  attacks that can leave the target unconscious, but we 
  leave that mostly up to you and your group’s 
  sensibilities. 
  Number of PCs 
  Storm Witches* 
  Rain Elementals 
  3 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  15 
  5 
  3 
  20 
  6 
  4 
  25 
  7 
  5 
  30 
  Storm Witch (thunder) 
  3rd level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Thunder fist +8 vs. PD—8 thunder damage 
  Natural even hit: an extra 4 lightning damage. 
   
  C: Spray of hail +8 vs. AC (1d3 nearby enemies)—6 
  damage and the target is dazed until the end of its next 
  turn 
   
  Skywalk: The storm witch can fly in the form of a dark 
  cloud. This movement cannot be intercepted. 
   
  Storm shield: Instead of moving, a storm witch can use a 
  move-equivalent action to shield another storm witch 
  until the end of the round. The shielded witch gains +2 
  AC and pops free if she is hit. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 45 
  MD 12 
  Storm Witch (lightning) 
  3rd level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Copper staff +8 vs. AC—10 lightning damage 
  Natural even hit: the target teleports to another nearby 
  part of the ship of the witch’s choosing. 
  Natural odd hit: the witch may teleport to any point 
  nearby or far away. 
   
  R: Lightning strike +8 vs. AC—5 ongoing lightning 
  damage, and the character’s hair stands up on end as 
  sparks fly from anything metal near them. 
   
  Raging storm: Instead of attacking, the storm witch can 
  summon a powerful localized storm as a standard 
  action. Adventurers who attempt to disengage or who 
  move during the storm become vulnerable to all 
  damage until the start of their next turn. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17 HP 45 
  MD 12 
  Rain Elemental 
  2nd level mook [ELEMENTAL] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Chill touch +7 vs. PD—5 cold damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16 HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 12 
  Mook: Kill one rain elemental mook for every 9 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  BEATING WINGS 
  The flying ship is hard to control, but thankfully the 
  Bitterwood is a hard target to miss: just keep heading 
  north from Shadow Port and you’ll get there. 
  Just as all seems to be going rather too well the sky is 
  blotted out by a dark shadow. A flight of elven eagle-
  riders are heading in from the eastern sky to recapture the 
  ship. The adventurers have a chance to shake them off 
  their trail them by flying through cloud, but can they do 
  it? Each player must narrate how their character helps, 
  and make a DC 20 roll using an appropriate background. 
  
   
  44 
   
  Every success eliminates one eagle-rider from the 
  upcoming battle. 
  FIGHT! 
  You may mix the types of eagle-rider as you like. Eagle riders 
  who are defeated fall off their mounts into the Midland Sea, 
  with a scream that fades as they drop from sight—the 
  riderless bird will swoop after its rider and leave the fight. 
  GMs: Remind players that their characters do not have to kill 
  if they don’t want to. Personally I don’t mind killing elves, 
  but Rob objects. When monsters drop to 0 hp, it usually 
  means they’ve been slain, unless the characters’ intent is 
  to keep the monster alive and the attack seems like a 
  potentially humane blow that could knock the monster 
  unconscious instead. Some attacks, particularly when 
  gruesomely narrated, don’t feel like attacks that can leave the 
  target unconscious, but we leave that mostly up to you and 
  your group’s sensibilities. 
  Number of PCs 
  Eagle Riders* 
  3 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  5 
  7 
  6 
  8 
  7 
  9 
  Eagle-Rider Lancer 
  3rd level Troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Lance +7 vs AC—10 damage  
  Natural odd hit: The eagle’s claws do 5 damage as it 
  swoops past. 
   
  Flight: Flies like an angry eagle. 
   
  AC 23 
  PD 16  HP 32 
  MD 11 
  Eagle-Rider Archer 
  3rd level Archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  R: Short-bow +8 vs AC (1d3 enemies)—5 damage 
   
  Flight: Flies like an angry eagle. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 18  HP 40 
  MD 10 
  Eagle-Rider Skirmisher 
  3rd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Twin short swords +7 vs AC (1d3 nearby enemies)—5 
  damage 
  Natural odd hit: The eagle’s claws do 5 damage as it 
  swoops past. 
   
  Flight: Flies like an angry eagle. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 16  HP 50 
  MD 11 
   
  THE HONOR OF THIEVES 
  Grasping the control wheel the adventurers steer the sky 
  barge towards the Bitterwood. As they get close they 
  realize that the Pride of Opals is starting to become 
  sluggish in its responses, though it will be hard to say 
  why without careful examination (on the ground). At this 
  point even if the adventurers attempted to steal it for 
  themselves they wouldn’t get far. 
  Down below in the Bitterwood several pyres are 
  burning, beacons lighting the ship’s way towards a 
  clearing… which is fortunate as the sky barge is rapidly 
  descending toward the dark forest. 
  After an ungentle landing the adventurers are met by 
  a dark cloaked figure, it walks forward and speaks to 
  them in a whisper that carries on the night wind. 
  “My master the Prince of Shadows thanks you for your 
  service. The Prince graciously gifts you this large bag of 
  emeralds.” 
  The Prince’s messenger tosses the bag to the party and 
  disappears with a swirl of its cloak. The emeralds scatter 
  on the ground (there are 10d20x10 gp worth of emeralds). 
  As the adventurers move toward the emeralds, 
  kobolds begin to swarm out of the woods… 
   
   
  
   
  45 
   
  ESCAPE TO DARKSKYE 
  OVERVIEW 
  When last we saw them the adventurers were facing kobolds, 
  having landed a flying ship in the woods.  
  KOBOLD ATTACK 
  Most of the kobolds move over to the grounded flying 
  ship and start fighting among themselves as to who 
  should get to fly it. However, a few of the bolder and 
  greedier kobolds look at the adventurers and attack the 
  party! 
  FIGHT! 
  When the escalation die reaches 2 the shadowy figure 
  from last session joins the party.  
  Rather than track the shadowy stranger’s part of the 
  fight whenever an adventurer kills a non-mook 
  kobold, the stranger also kills a kobold. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Warrior 
  Kobold Archer 
  3 
  3 
  10 
  4 
  4 
  10 
  5 
  6 
  10 
  6 
  7 
  10 
  7 
  9 
  10 
  After the fight the strangers urges the adventurers to 
  flee with them into the woods away from the kobold 
  encampment. 
  Kobold Warrior 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Spear +8 vs. AC—4 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The kobold warrior can pop 
  free from the target. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Not brave: Kobold warriors with single-digit hit-points 
  will run away the first chance they get. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 22 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  THE BITTER WOOD 
  The shadowy stranger runs with the party into the 
  woods, as the kobolds swarming over the flying ship 
  notice that the party has defeated those sent to deal with 
  them. 
  The stranger whispers to the adventurers that they 
  will try to lead the kobolds away while the party circles 
  back to the flying ship. 
  This is now a skill challenge. Each player in turn must 
  narrate how they help to throw off pursuit while circling 
  back around to the Pride of Opals and make an 
  appropriate skill check using an appropriate background, 
  with a DC as determined by the below chart. When a 
  player succeeds move one place upwards on the chart, 
  but a failure moves the group one place down. Start 
  where the chart says ‘Start...’ 
  End Getaway! 
   The adventurers have got away 
  clean and are at the flying ship (see 
  the burning pages section). 
   
  DC 20 
   Take 1d6 damage from skids, slips, 
  and pulled muscles. 
  Start DC 15 
   Take 2d6 damage from running into 
  trees in the dark. 
   
  DC 20 
   Take 3d6 damage from a barbed 
  kobold spear flung at the party. 
  End Cornered! 
   Fight the kobolds (see kobold 
  pursuers). 
  Each position on the chart has a listed consequence. 
  When you move up or down on the chart the adventurer 
  
   
  46 
   
  who made the roll takes the consequence listed in the new 
  position on the chart. The chase ends when the player 
  characters are cornered by the pursuing guards, or when 
  they make good on their getaway. 
  KOBOLD PURSUERS  
  If the adventurers successfully evaded the kobolds skip 
  this section. 
  The party has run right into the kobolds that the shadowy 
  stranger was leading away from the Pride of Opals, or 
  have failed to keep ahead of the kobolds chasing them in 
  the dark. 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers successfully evaded the kobolds 
  skip this fight. There are a lot of mooks in this fight (20), 
  so don’t be afraid to use them in waves. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Kobold 
  Archer 
  Kobold Hero 
  Kobold 
  Grand 
  Wizard 
  3 
  10 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  10 
  2 
  10 
  5 
  10 
  3 
  10 
  6 
  10 
  4 
  10 
  7 
  10 
  5 
  10 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Kobold Hero 
  2nd level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Shortsword +7 vs. AC—6 damage, and each nearby non-
  leader kobold deals +3 damage with its next attack this 
  battle that hits 
  Natural even miss: 3 damage. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 34 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Grand-Wizard 
  “Beware my mighty power! Mighty power!” 
  0th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Static jolt +5 vs. AC—2 lightning damage 
   
  R: Painful liver inversion hex +7 vs. PD—4 poison 
  damage, or 6 poison damage against dwarves 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 13  HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 9 
  Mook: Kill one kobold grand-wizard mook for every 5 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  THE STRANGER EXPLAINS ALL 
  After the party has evaded pursuit or has killed the 
  kobolds chasing them they meet up with the shadowy 
  stranger. 
  Who is this shadowy 
  figure? 
  I’ve left the figure free of description, because this is an 
  ideal opportunity for a new player character to join the 
  party. However, if you don’t have a new player 
  character starting at this point then the shadowy 
  mysterious character is a heavily scarred human 
  woman in her 50s. 
  The shadowy stranger explains that the Prince of 
  Shadows has been betrayed by one of his lieutenants 
  called Shez-a-kah. Shez-a-kah has taken the Darkskye 
  
   
  47 
   
  diamond for herself and has taken it to a flying island of 
  the same name.  
  Darkskye prison is a flying island that has been used 
  for generations to imprison the empire’s most dangerous 
  criminals. The Darkskye Diamond originally came from a 
  mine in the flying island, a mine that produces magical 
  gems.  
  It was originally the Prince of Shadow’s plan to use the 
  Pride of Opals to transport the diamond to the prison and 
  use it to control the flying island, capturing it as a base. 
  However, Shez-a-kah has already taken the diamond 
  there somehow, though she probably lacks the ability to 
  control the flying island. The best that Shez-a-kah could 
  do, so says the cloaked figure, is point the flying island at 
  something and crash it. Shez-a-kah has a weapon to use 
  against any city or icon that she chooses to attack. 
  Shez-a-kah is in league with kobolds, who she has sent 
  to destroy the flying ship the Pride of Opals to stop the 
  Prince of Shadows coming after her. 
  The shadowy stranger can get the Pride of Opals up 
  and running, at least long enough to get the party close 
  enough to the Darkskye Prison flying island for them to 
  sneak onto it. 
  The shadowy stranger commands (or threatens or begs, 
  whichever will work to manipulate the party into doing the 
  Prince’s bidding) the party to stop the traitor Shez-a-kah 
  and bring the Darkskye Diamond back to the Prince of 
  Shadows. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  ESCAPE TO DARKSKYE 
  The shadowy stranger completes a ritual, and pilots the 
  flying ship into the sky, heading toward a dark shape on 
  the horizon that could only be a flying island. 
  GMs: Obviously the next part of the adventure relies upon 
  the adventurers agreeing to go to the Darkskye Prison with the 
  shadowy stranger. Of course if the party refuses you could 
  always run a session where the party is captured and put on 
  trial for their crimes… and of course they will be sent to the 
  Darkskye Prison. 
   
   
  
   
  48 
   
  Chapter 3: Wild Wood Woes 
  This section of the adventure is designed for 3rd level characters. 
  2nd level characters won’t find the fights too taxing though, and 
  with careful teamwork will be able to win the day. 
  Chapter 3 is split into three parts: the first part deals with 
  the crash of the flying island, the second part deals with the 
  adventurers trying to reach civilization, and the third is a good 
  old fashioned hex crawl. 
  Recap (the story so far) 
  The adventurers owe a debt to the Prince of Shadows. In 
  order to repay their debt they performed crimes for him, 
  one of which was stealing the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The Darkskye Diamond was in turn stolen from the 
  Prince of Shadows, who asks that the adventurers steal it 
  back. 
  The Darkskye Diamond has the power to control 
  flying islands, and was originally mined from a flying 
  island called Darkskye—an island that serves as a prison 
  for the Dragon Empire’s worst criminals. The person who 
  stole the diamond from the Prince has taken the diamond 
  to the flying Darkskye Prison. 
  The adventurers have used a stolen flying ship to get 
  aboard the flying island and steal back the diamond… 
  DARKSKYE CRASHDOWN 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers have infiltrated a flying island prison, 
  attempting to locate a stolen magical diamond. 
  In this part of the adventure the party must contend with 
  the flying island speeding out of control and crashing. 
  here are some facts about darkskye… 
   
  The flying island has a lake and several internal reservoirs 
  of water, a small village atop it, and the prison cells built 
  inside the mine itself. 
   
  The crystals mined there used to be a source of mighty 
  power, but nowadays they hardly glow at all. In recent 
  generations Darkskye is also used to keep dangerous 
  prisoners. The famed Darkskye Diamond came from the 
  mines here (the very diamond that the adventurers are 
  looking for). 
   
  Dust from the crystals in the mine is a valuable substance, 
  backstreet alchemists in Shadow Port pay well for it. 
   
  Travel to and from the island is usually via a teleportation 
  circle that shuts down in emergencies, but flying ships land 
  here sometimes too. 
  STOWAWAYS 
  The adventurers have crept aboard Darkskye, the flying 
  island prison, in the dead of night. They have abandoned 
  their flying boat the Pride of Opals after it ran out of 
  magical energy. 
  What do the characters do next? Do they stay hidden? 
  Do they find somebody in charge? Do they look for a 
  means of escape come daylight? 
  Go around the group and ask each player in turn what 
  they do, and then turn to the player to their left and ask 
  them the outcome of that. Anything can happen, the only 
  proviso is that no character can get hurt, get off the island, 
  or change its course. If a player suggests an outcome that 
  involves one of the above three things narrate how the 
  outcome doesn’t quite come to pass, and ask the player 
  whose outcome you modified to suggest ways that the 
  modified outcome affects the guards and prisoners on the 
  island. 
  THE CRASH 
  The adventurers notice that the island is speeding up and 
  changing course. If the players cooperatively created 
  NPCs during the montage then these characters will 
  notice and comment on the unusual speed and course 
  change. 
  With a loud bang the whole flying island shudders 
  and begins to spin crazily! 
  As the flying island lurches out of the sky the ground 
  tilts and whirls far below. Cracks appear in internal 
  corridors. The magical barriers holding prisoners sparkle 
  then explode. Pure magic is radiating outwards from the 
  heart of the island. 
  Go around the table and ask each player to describe a 
  danger that their character must dodge or avoid, and 
  have them make a DC 15 skill check appropriate to 
  avoiding the danger. If they fail throw one of the 
  following at that player and the player to their right. 
   
  
   
  49 
   
  SUDDEN CHASM 
  FALLING 
  MASONRY 
  BURST OF WILD 
  MAGIC 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Sudden drop, 
  painful stop +5 
  vs PD—2d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Bricks +10 vs 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Wild magic +10 
  vs MD— 
  1d10 psychic 
  damage 
  Here are some things the characters might witness as 
  they try to find safety... 
   
  A beam of magic hits a running figure at the end of 
  the corridor. They see the figure explode, and fiery 
  worms emerge from its body. 
   
  A prisoner is trapped beneath a fallen block of stone. 
  Before they can react the prisoner, the block, and the 
  room the prisoner is in fall off the island and go 
  tumbling out of sight into the blue sky. 
   
  The lake at the top of the island has burst its banks 
  and rushes down corridors with force enough to tear 
  doors off hinges and break through stone walls. 
   
  A guard is on fire! As he staggers around the island 
  lurches and he is impaled on a torch sconce. 
   
  A corridor they are about to rush down is hit by a 
  surge of magic. Crystals grow out of the walls, 
  blocking their passage. 
   
  The island tumbles end-over-end. Everybody is 
  hurled about and most now navigate the island with 
  it upside-down. 
   
  The characters are near an outer window and can see 
  the ground approaching, but the air blasting through 
  is so extreme in force they cannot keep their feet or 
  approach closer. 
  Eventually the characters end up in the mine deep in 
  the island itself (they either fled there or the crumbling 
  flying island collapsed in such a way as they end up in 
  the mine). The island is shedding rock and falling apart 
  still but it is no longer falling, though it occasionally shifts 
  or rolls. 
  The walls of the mines glitter with green crystals, 
  crystals which pulse with wild magic. 
   
   
  Loot! 
  During the crash, either in this scene or another 
  introduce locked chests or treasure rooms which have 
  been busted open by the crash or by rioting prisoners. 
  Inside the chest or room is a magic item. See the magic 
  items section for possible magic items. Have players 
  make icon relationship rolls to discover which icon the 
  item is related to. 
  Be generous here. Everybody gets something, even 
  if it is just a potion or a rune. 
  THE HALL OF CRYSTALS 
  GMs: Describe to the players how their characters find 
  themselves together deep in the crystalline mines, battered and 
  bruised. A breeze blows in through a crack in the wall, and as 
  the remains of the island slowly rotate they can see the forest 
  out of a crack in the wall. The magical barrier that stops 
  prisoners from escaping is intact - crackling across the gap 
  through which the Wild Wood can be seen. 
  Outside the island crystals and glowing chunks of rock 
  are raining down from the sky, flattening the forest for 
  miles around. 
  Let the players know that it is obvious to their 
  characters that: 
   
  The flying island is unsafe to remain on or in, or 
  indeed near. 
   
  The glowing crystals are unhealthy to be around. 
  They need to get out of this place now. 
   
  If they want to get out they need to find one of the 
  mystic keys that will lower the barrier around the 
  flying island. 
  From around a corner of the crystal-lined tunnel 
  comes the sounds of hoots and howls. It is a group of 
  prisoners and guards, wounded and with their clothes in 
  tatters. They have oddly glowing eyes and are all carrying 
  mining tools. They halt when they spot the party. 
  GMs: Describe the scene invoking a sense that you haven't 
  used yet. 
   
  “You can taste grit in your mouth, and dust clogs your 
  nostrils. The approaching figures are kicking up a cloud of 
  crystalline dust as they walk. In fact it seems to accompany 
  them.” 
   
  “You can hear the heartbeats of the former guards and 
  prisoners, even from a distance. They are beating in 
  unison.” 
  
   
  50 
   
   
  “You feel something in your eyes. The crystal dust down 
  here is thick in the air, giving everything a shimmering 
  glow.” 
   
  “You smell feverish sweat pouring from the former guards 
  and prisoners. The smell of madness, sickness, and death.” 
  The guards and prisoners have been poisoned by the 
  magical dust liberated from the mines by the ongoing 
  disaster. For centuries the magic of the mines held the 
  flying island aloft. Now that the island is falling the magic 
  of the crystals is running rampant, burning brightly as it 
  warps and destroys! The guards and prisoners share a 
  coalescing group mind, slowly losing their individuality 
  and becoming monstrous and violent towards those not 
  part of their nascent gestalt. 
  There are several ways the players can approach this. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  The adventurers have the option of avoiding the fight 
  through cunning or guile (and some skill checks). 
  Fight: If the adventurers initiate the fight without 
  warning it catches the guards and prisoners 
  unawares—start the escalation die at 1. 
  Flight: If the adventurers run the prisoners and 
  guards will chase them and a fight will ensue. 
  Diplomacy: If the group can make two DC 20 skill 
  checks (using any applicable backgrounds) then the 
  guards and prisoners will let the party past them. If not 
  a fight will ensue. 
  Number of PCs 
  Infected Brute 
  Mutating 
  Infected 
  3 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  5 
  3 
  5 
  6 
  3 
  8 
  7 
  4 
  7 
  Infected Brute 
  This lumbering monster was once just like you. Now it is 
  infected with life-warping crystals. 
  3rd level wrecker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Big fists +8 vs. AC—12 damage 
  Miss: Half damage. 
   
  Frenzied attack +8 vs. AC (each enemy engaged with 
  the brute)—5 damage, and the target pops free from 
  the brute. 
  Quick use: This power only requires a quick action 
  (once per round) instead of a standard action when 
  the escalation die is even. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 16 HP 40 
  MD 12 
  Mutating Infected 
  The crystals under its skin glow, lighting its up from the inside. 
  Its bones twist as you watch. 
  3rd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Rock hammer +8 vs. AC—6 damage 
   
  [special] At the end of any turn where a mutating 
  infected dies all surviving mutating infected gain a 
  random benefit. An infecting mutated can only have 
  one benefit at a time. 
  1. Magically enhanced speed. All mutating infected 
  may move as a quick action on their next turn. 
  2. Crystalline growths. All mutating infected do 3 miss 
  damage on their next turn. 
  3. Crystal dust breath. The mooks breath out clouds of 
  crystalline dust, obscuring them and granting them 
  +2 to their defences until their next turn. This bonus 
  is not cumulative with itself or other bonuses. 
  4. One mook out of the remaining mooks begins to 
  shake and mutate and runs away from the battle (it 
  pops free and flees, leaving the battle). 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16 HP 10 (mook) 
  MD 12 
  
   
  51 
   
  Mook: Kill one mutating infected mook for every 10 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  complications! 
  During the fight feel free to make things tougher by 
  throwing in complications like: 
   
  The crystals flare with a light so bright that it hurts to 
  look at it.  
   
  The ground shifts unexpectedly, tiny rocks roll about 
  on the ground. 
   
  The tunnel starts to crumble and crack, dust filling 
  the mine as the island continues to shake itself apart. 
  These complications give whichever adventurer acts 
  first in the round a penalty. Roll a d4: 
  1. Hampered until the end of their turn. 
  2. Dazed until the end of their turn. 
  3. 3 damage. 
  4. 4 damage. 
   
  THE CRYSTALLINE GOLEM 
  Realizing that the flying island is going to be their tomb if 
  they don’t get out the adventurers must leap to the forest 
  below. 
  After searching for a safe way out of the island the 
  party spots a patch of green—a tree is sticking through a 
  hole in the outside of the island. It won’t be there for long, 
  the wreck of the flying island prison is constantly shifting 
  and turning and at any moment it might drift away 
  leaving the party many hundreds of feet above solid 
  ground. 
  The tree is entangled with a crystal outcropping. As 
  the adventurers approach the tree the crystals in the room 
  come to life! 
  Fight! (optional) 
  If everybody fights: 
  Use the fight below as-is.  
  Everybody tries to escape at once: 
  If the whole party decides to rush around the living 
  crystal monster and get into the tree-tops they will each 
  take 3d10 damage as the crystal monster throws rocks 
  at them and they fall/throw themselves into the 
  treetops. This means that nobody is fighting the golem. 
  Some fight, while some escape: 
  Some of the party could climb out onto the tree if 
  others stay to fight the golem. It takes one round for a 
  single adventurer to climb out of danger, during which 
  time the rest of the party still in the flying island must 
  face the crystal monster. Those who have climbed out 
  are too far away to help fight the crystal golem. 
  Number of PCs 
  Crystalline 
  Golem 
  Crystallings 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  10 
  5 
  1 
  20 
  6 
  1 
  30 
  7 
  1 
  40 
  Crystalline Golem 
  It rises out of the living rock, a quick-moving congery of 
  amethyst. 
  6th level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +8 
  Vulnerability: thunder 
   
  Amethyst hammer fists +11 vs. AC (2 attacks)—8 
  damage 
  First natural even hit or miss each turn: Roll another 
  amethyst hammer fists attack. 
   
  Crystalline Storm +11 vs. PD (2d3 nearby enemies)—10 
  damage 
   Miss: Half damage. 
  [recharge] Crystalline storm can only be used when the 
  escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 20 HP 90 
  MD 16 
  Crystalling 
  This monster is hardly more than a sketch of a humanoid figure 
  made of fragile floating crystals. The crystals are sharp though, 
  flesh-flaying sharp. 
  0th level mook [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +3 
  Vulnerability: thunder 
   
  Amethyst shards +5 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 09 HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one crystalling mook for every 5 damage you 
  deal to the mob. 
  
   
  52 
   
  WATERFALL 
  As soon as the fight with the crystal monster ends 
  everybody hears a rumbling sound that build and builds 
  until it is deafening. The lake at the top of the flying island 
  has burst and is flooding the corridors and tunnels. Any 
  moment now thousands of gallons of water will burst 
  through and drown everybody. Tell players that their 
  character have only a heartbeat to decide what to do 
  before the wall of water hits them. Describe the massive 
  onrush of water. 
  Anybody who made it onto the tree before the fight 
  ended may attempt to pass a DC 15 skill check to avoid 
  taking damage, anybody who was in the fight until the 
  final round must pass a DC 25 roll. Those who fail their 
  roll take 2d6 damage and are blasted away from their 
  location and swept along in a mud-slide/river. Those who 
  pass their roll are still swept away, but take only 2 
  damage. 
  As the adventurers are still gathering their wits they 
  spot some kobolds in the distance, running away to the 
  north. It looks like they are carrying something that 
  glows, possibly the Darkskye Diamond. The kobolds 
  are too far away to catch up with right now, but the 
  adventurers may be able to pick up their trail if they too 
  head north.  
   
  
   
  53 
   
  DEATH MARCH 
  OVERVIEW 
  Escaping a flying island that crashed into the Wild Wood, the 
  party must now navigate the increasingly dangerous realm of 
  the High Druid. 
  THE JOURNEY 
  The adventurers are blasted away from the flying island 
  by a rush of water. They party is in the Wild Wood, and 
  the flying island has dumped a lot of glowing crystals into 
  the forest. The glowing crystals seem to be dangerous, 
  waves of energy emanating from them. 
  The flying island itself is very dangerous to be near. 
  Explosions rock it, and glowing crystals shoot out from it 
  on a regular basis. The island is falling apart! The 
  adventurers did the right thing in getting out of and away 
  from it. 
  GMs: let the players know that the adventurers struggle out 
  of the tangle of mud and branches and they see that they are far 
  from the crashed flying island, from which a sickly green 
  radiance is emanating. The flying island is drifting about in 
  circles, chunks of it exploding and sending crystals and rock 
  arcing over the forest to crush ancient trees. 
  There are some nearby villages, the nearest is several 
  hours walk from where the flying island is hovering. 
  GMs: This is a montage scene, where the players tell you 
  what happened to them between the fall and their eventual 
  arrival near the village.  
  As each player in turn to narrate a problem that the party 
  faced, and then turn to the player to their left and ask them to 
  narrate how their character overcame that challenge. There is 
  no need for dice rolls, this is purely narrative. 
  If the players get stuck prompt them with questions. 
   
  What wild animals are there? 
   
  What dangers normally haunt the Wild Wood? 
   
  What natural barriers might there be? 
   
  Do druids set up traps or wards? 
  ONKAFIELD 
  This assumes that the characters decide to stop at the a 
  village. If they decide to simply keep walking skip 
  ahead to the tanglewood section. 
  The village that the characters find themselves in is called 
  Onkafield, and serves as a focal point for local hunters 
  who trade pelts with the outside world. It is a long way 
  to civilization and quite a trek, and those locals who 
  usually travel to the outside world are currently away 
  trading or hunting. 
  Onkafield isn’t a village like the characters might be 
  used to. Onkafield has one large longhall-like house that 
  serves as a tavern, meeting place, and town hall. The rest 
  of the buildings in the settlement are simple huts tucked 
  into the tangled roots of the massive trees of the Wild 
  Wood. Pelt-drying racks and other signs of local industry 
  can be seen here. Everybody wears clothing made of 
  animal pelts or woven grasses. 
  trade? 
  Various NPCs can be available at this point, bartering 
  their wares not for gold, but either for items or favors that 
  can be accomplished within a short time span. Most 
  villagers will be afraid of the strange rocks that fell from 
  the sky and the strange fires that they started, but some 
  recognize that the adventurers have useful items to trade.  
  Okonkwo Nasiche 
  She can craft two healing poultices if the party will agree 
  to stay overnight in the village and make sure it is safe. 
  Treat these poultices like healing potions, but the max hp 
  of healing is 20, not 30. 
  Kalu Kadokechi 
  Kalu is a magician, though his magic is weak and not on 
  a similar power level to real adventurers. He needs help 
  extracting some sap from trees for the village, trees now 
  surrounded by the glowing rocks. As a reward he will 
  give each party member enough magical oil for one use. 
  Akiki 
  A elf villager named Akiki knows the way out of the Wild 
  Wood, and will help the party get going in the right 
  direction if they gain her trust (a DC 15 skill challenge). 
  The first adventurer to attempt to gain her trust must roll 
  a 15+ on a background of their choosing; if they succeed 
  their player narrates how they impress Akiki, if they fail 
  they narrate how they made it harder for the party to gain 
  their trust. The one who failed the roll then nominates the 
  next person to get to attempt the roll, and the DC rises by 
  5. The  
  If the party does gain Akiki’s trust she’ll accompany 
  them out of the village, and as far as the land claimed by 
  the halfling tribe that live over the hill (the plague hospital 
  ruins section marks the start of their territory).  
  If the party fails to gain the elf’s trust she’ll tell them 
  of the road that lies a week’s travel to the north, and point 
  them in the right direction. 
   
   
  
   
  54 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  If the party really messes up badly Akiki may even 
  attack the party trying to force them out of town, 
  though the party will likely defeat Akiki quickly. If 
  a fight occurs here use the NPC below.  
  Okonjo Akiki the Wild Elf Guide 
  Akiki is very fast, and knows the forest like the back of 
  her hand. 
  Triple strength 3rd level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Daggers +8 vs. AC (two attacks)—15 damage 
  If both attacks hit the same target: Okonjo Akiki pops free 
  and may move as a quick action. 
   
  R: Long Bow +8 vs. AC—36 damage 
  Miss: gain an extra longbow attack next round. 
   
  If Akiki is fighting alongside the adventurers this is what 
  she’ll probably do... 
  Aid Ally: If Okonjo Akiki does nothing but harry the 
  enemy (makes no attack rolls) then she may grant one 
  ally acting before Akiki’s next turn +2 to a roll and 
  grant a different ally a reroll on a failed roll with -2 to 
  the reroll.  
   
  AC 19 
  PD 16 HP 120 
  MD 12 
  THE TANGLEWOOD 
  Even if the party skipped the village of Onkafield they 
  will still need to get past the rapidly growing 
  tanglewood to journey anywhere. If the party gained 
  the trust of Akiki the elf she can show them the way 
  through the tanglewood (a +2 to skill checks to get 
  through the thornwood). 
  One of the reasons this village is ordinarily safe from the 
  predations of the monsters that live in the Wild Wood is 
  that it is surrounded by a grove of tanglewood trees. 
  These massive plants lock their roots and branches 
  together, presenting an almost impassable barrier unless 
  you know the true path through. Unfortunately the 
  falling glowing rocks have caused the tanglewood to go 
  into a period of rapid growth and almost animal-like 
  movement. 
  Each adventurer must make a DC 15 skill check 
  against an appropriate background to pass through the 
  thorny tangle of wood; if they fail their roll offer them a 
  choice between two of the consequences listed below and 
  ask them to pick a consequence: 
   
  The character loses an important piece of equipment 
  in the darkness. 
   
  The party gets lost in the gloom and all rolls for this 
  challenge are DC 20 from now on. 
   
  The character loses two recoveries from blundering 
  into thorns and grasping roots. 
   
  Each party member must save (11+) or lose a recovery 
  from bruises and scratches). 
   
  Character takes 2d6 poison damage from whipping 
  thornvines. 
   
  Each party member must save (11+) or take 2d6 fire 
  damage from glowing rocks that are shaken loose 
  from above as they push through the tanglewood. 
   
  If the player characters have Akiki with them helping 
  them they gain +2 on their rolls, and Akiki herself has 
  no trouble moving through the tanglewood. 
  If anybody comes up with a very clever way to bypass 
  the tanglewood (magic for example) then lower the 
  difficulty by 5. The tanglewood is both fast-growing and 
  hard to burn or cut through. 
  If anybody rolls a 25+ on their skill check offer them 
  one of the following benefits to choose from: 
   
  All subsequent rolls have their DC reduced by 5. 
   
  The characters find a pouch of the potions lost in the 
  tanglewood, and if somebody else gets the same 
  benefit then it will be a single vial of potion on the 
  ground that fell from the pouch. 
  THE WILD THINGS 
  Once they are through the tanglewood and have had a 
  brief chance to rest the party will find itself faced with the 
  long arduous trek through the Wild Wood. The kobolds 
  who possibly have the Darkskye Diamond went north, so 
  the adventurers need to head that way too. 
  GMs: Describe the dense vegetation that surrounds the 
  adventurers for leagues around, and narrate how they (and 
  their guide if Akiki is with them) traverse the forest.  
  Throw the following obstacles at them as they 
  progress through the forest. Each adventurer faces at least 
  one hazard: 
   
   
  
   
  55 
   
  CLIFF 
  VEGETATION 
  ROCKSLIDE 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Sudden drop +5 
  vs PD—2d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Entangling 
  Vines +10 vs 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
  OR 
  Noxious Fungi 
  +10 vs PD—3d6 
  poison damage 
   
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Rocks fall +10 
  vs AC against 
  each party 
  member—1d12 
  damage 
  INSECT BITES 
  ITCHBANE 
  WEED 
  THE 
  WILDERNESS 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Death by 1000 
  needles +15 vs 
  PD against 
  every party 
  member—1d12 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Itchy itchy +15 
  vs MD—Target 
  loses one 
  recovery from 
  scratching 
  themselves. 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Exposure +15 vs 
  AC against 
  every party 
  member—2d8 
  damage and the 
  target is 
  weakened at the 
  start of their 
  next battle (easy 
  save ends). 
  Occasionally the party will pass a glowing pebble with 
  grasses that sway towards it, or will spot a dire animal 
  running with magenta ichor from its sores and mutations.  
  GMs: This is a good opportunity to highlight not just the 
  wildness of the Wild Wood but also the sense that something 
  isn’t right here.  
  
   
  56 
   
  PLAGUE HOSPITAL RUINS 
  As the sun begins to set the party crests a rise and spots a 
  field of graves surrounding an old structure long-since 
  abandoned to the ravages of time and the ministrations of 
  the Wild Wood.  
  If Akiki is travelling with the party she refuses to go 
  any further, saying that the place is evil and cursed and 
  points to the glowing stones that have recently fallen 
  here. Payment by party members might convince her to 
  stick around for a bit longer, but she also claims that a 
  cannibalistic halfling tribe claims this area so will 
  definitely turn back after this section unless the party can 
  find a really good reason for her to stay with them. 
  Investigating the area shows that this is a 12th Age 
  ruin - a massive plague hospital. Most of the hospital is so 
  ruined that the party didn’t even recognize that they were 
  climbing over its outer walls as they travelled—what they 
  took to be a rise was the ruins of a massive wall. 
  …as the sun sets the magically awakened dead begin 
  to rise from their graves. 
  Fight! 
  Spending a 6 with the Lich King or the Diabolist gives 
  the party  enough warning to leave from the area and 
  avoid the fight. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Decrepit 
  Skeleton 
  Wraith 
  Skeleton 
  Warrior 
  3 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  6 
  6 
  1 
  3 
  7 
  7 
  1 
  4 
  Decrepit Skeleton 
  1st level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +6 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Sword +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 7 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one decrepit skeleton mook for every 7 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Wraith 
  5th level spoiler [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Ice-cold ghost blade +10 vs. PD—14 negative energy 
  damage (+1d4 - see ‘Loot’) 
  Natural 16+: The target is also weakened (save ends) 
   
  C: Spiraling assault +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—
  10 negative energy damage, and after the attack the 
  wraith teleports to and engages with one target it hit. 
  Limited use: The wraith can use spiraling assault only 
  when the escalation die is even. 
   
  Flight: The wraith hovers and zooms about. 
   
  Ghostly: This creature has resist damage 16+ to all 
  damage (yes, even holy damage) except force damage, 
  which damages it normally. A wraith can move 
  through solid objects, but can’t end its movement 
  inside them. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 14  HP 66 
  MD 17 
  Skeleton Warrior 
  2nd level troop [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +8 
  Vulnerable: holy 
   
  Spear +8 vs. AC—6 damage. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 26 
  MD 11 
  
   
  57 
   
  FREE LUNCH 
  During the night the adventurers hear whoops and 
  hollers throughout the forest. It is obvious that these are 
  savage halflings. 
  GMs: If Akiki is still with the party they’ll have to really 
  work to keep her from running away back to Onkafield! 
  This is where the adventurers encounter a tribe of 
  cannibals that would LOVE to have them for dinner. The 
  adventurers can choose to sneak around or through them 
  during the night, or they can fight their way through, or 
  if there’s a linguist in the party they might even be able to 
  speak with them. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  The halflings really want to kill and eat the party, so 
  the adventurers will have to work at it to avoid fighting 
  the tiny savages. It is a DC 20 skill check per adventurer 
  to sneak past the savages, ad a DC 25 skill check to use 
  some fast-talking diplomacy. 
  Number of PCs 
  Feral Halfling 
  Halfling 
  Madmind 
  3 
  15 
  1 
  4 
  15 
  2 
  5 
  15 
  3 
  6 
  15 
  4 
  7 
  15 
  5 
  Feral Halfling 
  It is said that centuries ago, a family of halflings got lost while 
  traversing in the Wild Wood, and had learned to survive the 
  wild by becoming wild themselves. 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Human bone dagger +7 vs. AC—5 damage 
  Natural Odd: The target is dazed for its next attack 
  against any feral halfling. 
   
  Poison-tipped blow dart +7 vs. AC—5 damage and the 
  target is weakened (save ends). 
  First failed save: Target is now unconscious (save ends, 
  10+ damage also ends). 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 17  HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 12 
  Mook: Kill one feral halfling mook for every 9 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Halfling Madmind 
  Considered to be holy by other feral halflings, they are far 
  smarter and deadlier than their companions. 
  2nd level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Barbed spear +7 vs. AC—7 damage. 
   
  Mind blast +7 vs. MD (one nearby enemy)—9 psychic 
  damage. 
  Natural 16+: Target is now confused (save ends). 
  Limited use: The halfling madmind can only use this 
  attack while the escalation die is even. 
   
  Telekinesis +7 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—5 damage 
  and the target pops free from engagement. 
   
  Evasive: Once per battle, force an enemy that hits you 
  with an attack to reroll the attack with a -2 penalty. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 14  HP 36 
  MD 15 
  A SIGN OF CIVILIZATION 
  Once day breaks the party can see a tower in the distance, 
  at last a sign of civilization. Though far from the edge of 
  the Wild Wood whoever lives in the tower may be able to 
  help them.  
  GMs: If Akiki is still with the party she will leave them at 
  first light, pointing them in the direction to go (towards the 
  tower in the far distance) and returning to her village. Akiki 
  thinks the tower belongs to a wizard called Alam, though 
  nobody has heard from him in a while and there hasn’t been 
  trade from that direction in a while. If the party convinces Akiki 
  to stay on their journey with them add a few more monsters to 
  each fight from here on out to balance things out.  
  
   
  58 
   
  SUDDEN SAVAGERY 
  The party faces a days long trek through the Wild Wood. 
  As the party marches ever onwards they see signs of 
  wildlife horrifically mutated by the glowing crystals that 
  the crash of Darkskye and the subsequent explosions 
  caused to rain from the sky.  
  GMs: have the players describe to you how their characters 
  take on the task of hiking through the Wild Wood. Do they walk 
  single file? Do some scout ahead of the rest of the party? How 
  do they arrange their camp at night? As the adventurers 
  describe their alertness plans and who is scouting ahead, ask 
  that “point” person to make a DC 20 skill check to detect a 
  danger; if the adventurer succeeds then they notice a slight 
  rumble before an owlbear lunges at the party (roll initiative as 
  normal)—but if the skill check is failed the owlbear suddenly 
  leaps out and catches the party by surprise (select one 
  adventurer at random, the owlbear gets one free Rip and Peck 
  attack on that adventurer before rolling initiative). 
  Fight! 
  A 6 with the High Druid could be used to scare the 
  owlbear off, or to pacify it with some of the party’s 
  rations. 
  Ravenous Owlbear 
  This owlbear is particularly ravenous. It has successfully 
  chased off any nearby meals, and is desperate for 
  sustenance. It is weakened by hunger, but this 
  desperation makes it very dangerous. 
  Large 4th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Rip and peck +9 vs. AC—15 damage, and until the end 
  of the owlbear’s next turn, the target is hampered 
  (makes only basic attacks) while engaged with the 
  owlbear 
   
  Vicious hybrid: If the escalation die is even, make another 
  rip and peck attack. 
   
  Feed itself: An owlbear that scores a critical hit against a 
  hampered enemy tears a piece of the creature off (GM 
  chooses a limb) and will subsequently attempt to 
  retreat with the prize to feed its cubs. The torn-up 
  enemy is stunned until the end of its next turn. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 108 
  MD 13 
   
  During the fight, any adventurer with a wilderness 
  background will notice the owlbear's emaciated state. 
  Clever adventurers might find an alternate source of food 
  for it, but it will need quite a bit not to eventually go after 
  the party! 
  This fight has the potential to be brutal. Play up the 
  owlbear's viciousness, thus welcoming the party to the 
  depths of the Wild Woods! For a group of 6 or more 
  players, add another owlbear to the mix. 
  PROTECTED RUINS 
  Further in their journey, the characters come across ruins. 
  It is unclear what originally was there or what age these 
  ruins are from, but you can use relationship rolls here to 
  see which icons might have left an interesting mark on the 
  landscape. Involve at least one icon here, or more if 
  possible.  
  GMs: Ask the players to help shape the encounter by 
  supplying the answers to the following questions: 
   
  What do you find of interest here, and how is it dangerous? 
   
  Are there any clues of the civilization that left this behind, 
  and how does this change things? 
   
  Who does it look like has been here recently, and why do 
  you fear them? 
   
  What did you find that is still useful, and why are you 
  hesitant to take it? 
  If the players introduce a danger in the ruins through 
  their description then in the coming fight if an adventurer 
  rolls a natural 1 they take 3d6 damage from that danger. 
  Loot! 
  Hey - is there a magic item in these ruins? Yes. Use the 
  player’s icon rolls to help you determine what is found 
  here. 
  During the investigation, the ruins come alive. Circles 
  of power activate, glowing with ancient energy. The air 
  itself ripples and shimmers. The shadows swirl into the 
  form of the aegis—the aegis is the protector of this space, 
  a shadowy figure that shimmers with a nimbus of energy. 
  It does not speak before it attacks. 
  If players defeat the aegis, don't let them rest too long 
  in the ruins. The ruins begin to glow again, this time with 
  even more power. If the adventurers don’t leave soon the 
  ruin guardians will reappear.  
   
  
   
  59 
   
  Fight! 
  Explain to the players that this is obvious to their 
  characters that provided they stay near the ruins more 
  monsters will keep showing up. 
  Number of PCs 
  The Aegis 
  Lesser Aegides 
  3 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  1 
  15 
  5 
  1 
  20 
  6 
  1 
  25 
  7 
  1 
  30 
  The Aegis 
  An unknowable being who does not speak or think or want. It 
  only protects. 
  Large 2nd Level caster [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  When the escalation die is 0 or even... 
  R: Ancient magic +7 vs PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—5 damage, target suffers -2 on its next 
  attack.  
  When the escalation die is odd... 
  R: Searing light +7 vs PD,  (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—5 damage and 5 ongoing fire damage (save 
  ends).  
   
  Hard to catch: The Aegis automatically disengages when 
  it moves. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 16   HP 40 
  MD 16 
  Lesser Aegides  
  1st level mook [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: see Linked Initiative 
   
  Refocused Energy +6 vs PD—4 damage or 6 damage if 
  target has been struck by the Aegis this round.  
   
  Linked initiative: Lesser aegides always act immediately 
  after the aegis. If the Aegis is defeated, the lesser 
  aegides take their turns on its initiative and fade away 
  two turns after the aegis was defeated. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16   HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 13 
  Mook: Kill one lesser aegides mook for every 5 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  THE CHASM 
  After leaving the ruins, the adventurers come to the next 
  obstacle of the Wild Wood: a chasm hundreds of feet 
  across. To climb down over and up would take extra days 
  that the adventurers can't afford. They need some way to 
  cross the chasm directly. 
  GMs: This is an opportunity for you to encourage player 
  creativity at the table. One group might engineer a vine bridge 
  to cross, while another group uses a cleric ritual to create a 
  bridge powered by belief for the adventurers to cross.  
  Present the problems to the players and let them start to 
  plan. Ask players to bring their backgrounds and their One 
  Unique Thing into play. Let them start to throw solutions and 
  thoughts around, and answer their thoughts with positive, 
  affirming answers. If the players start digging for a magical 
  solution, it will be a magical solution that is needed—if they 
  move towards a physical solution of some sort, then move things 
  in that direction. 
  This area of the Wild Wood is dangerous, but also full of 
  mystery and wonder. Push your table to come up with its own 
  unique solution to this problem, and be lenient; unless 
  adventurers try something exceptionally illogical or inept, let it 
  happen without any rolls provided they have appropriate 
  backgrounds and one unique things. 
  If you are looking for more inspiration, you can roll to see 
  what element is the key. 
  1-2 
  An Icon related to the characters (but not the 
  prince of shadows) 
  3 
  An item for the Ruins (they may have to go 
  back for it) 
  4 
  A character's one unique thing 
  5 
  A character's background 
  6 
  A bargain with the Prince of Shadows 
  If the players get stuck here are some ideas of what 
  adventurers could do to cross the chasm: 
   
  Make primitive hang-gliders and coast over the 
  chasm on wind drafts. 
   
  Construct a rope bridge and get an archer to shoot 
  arrows across with vines attached. 
   
  Create a makeshift catapult to launch the adventurers 
  across. 
   
  Use a ritual to create a way across with magic. 
   
  Lasso passing giant eagles and fly across the chasm. 
  
   
  60 
   
   
  Find a bits of the flying island in the Wild Wood and 
  create floating stepping stones. 
  THE SWAMP OF FLAME SPURTS 
  On the day after the adventurers cross the chasm they 
  come to a swamp within the forest. It has many dangers, 
  including fire spurts and lightning sand. In the swamp 
  lives otyugh, lurking just beneath the surface of the 
  brackish water.  
  As the adventurers make their way through the 
  swamp throw obstacles at them, one per adventurer. 
  FLAME SPURTS 
  SURPRISE 
  PYTHON 
  LIGHTNING 
  SAND 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Pft! Woosh! +5 
  vs PD—2d6 fire 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Snake! +10 vs 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Drowning in 
  sand +10 vs AC 
  against each 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  damage 
  SERPENT BITES 
  UNUSUALLY 
  LARGE VERMIN 
  NOXIOUS 
  RAZOR GRASS 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Venomous bite 
  +15 vs PD 
  against every 
  party 
  member—1d12 
  poison damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Rodent attack 
  +10 vs AC 
  against all 
  nearby party 
  members—
  1d12 damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Ankle-height 
  cuts+15 vs AC 
  against every 
  party 
  member—2d8 
  poison damage 
  and the target is 
  weakened at the 
  start of their 
  next battle (easy 
  save ends). 
  After each adventurer has had a chance to experience 
  danger have the adventurer who is taking point make a 
  DC 15 check to spot the otyugh. If the check fails, the 
  otyugh ambush the party. 
   
   
  Fight! 
  See page 164 of the core rules for ambushes if the 
  otyugh ambushes the party. After the fight the 
  adventurers have a short time to rest before they hear 
  the sound of wolves… 
  Number of PCs 
  Oyugh 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  2 
  6 
  3 
  7 
  3 
  Otyugh 
  This is an unpleasant creature to be stuck in the mud with. All 
  teeth and tentacles, someone is going to get hurt...probably you. 
  Large 3rd level blocker [ABERRATION] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Grasping tentacles +8 vs. PD (2 attacks)—5 damage 
  Natural even hit: The otyugh can grab the target. 
  Natural 18+: The otyugh can grab the target and make a 
  big toothy maw attack against it as a free action. 
   
  Big toothy maw +12 vs. AC (one enemy it’s grabbing; 
  includes +4 grab bonus)—16 damage 
   
  Big mud defense: The otyugh gains a +2 bonus to all 
  defenses while fighting in the mud. 
   
  Tentacle flail: Once per round, an otyugh can make a 
  grasping tentacles attack as a free action against a 
  moving nearby creature it is not engaged with; on a 
  natural even hit, the target is grabbed and its 
  movement stops. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 84 
  MD 13 
   
  Loot! 
  After the fight the adventurers will find a cache of 
  potions in the muck, left behind by long ago victims of 
  the otyugh. There are 1d6+1 adventurer-tier potions of 
  healing (Recovery +1d8 hp of healing, maximum 30 HP 
  regained) in a rucksack, along with other ruined junk. 
  
   
  61 
   
  RACE TO SAFETY 
  At the edge of the swamp the adventurers regain sight of 
  the tower that they have been using as a landmark, but 
  they are not yet out of danger: before they can get to their 
  destination, they spot that they are being surrounded by 
  a pack of wolves.  
  The wolves see prey and little else: they make no 
  attempt to sneak up on the adventurers. The wolves stalk 
  and circle the party for almost a mile before making their 
  first attacks. When the wolves burst out of the cover of the 
  trees to attack it comes as a surprise that the wolves are 
  made of living wood! 
  Fight! 
  As soon as an adventurer uses fire on one of these 
  wolves their vulnerability becomes obvious. 
  Number of PCs 
  Timber Wolf 
  3 
  20 
  4 
  25 
  5 
  30 
  6 
  35 
  7 
  40 
  Timber Wolf 
  These wooden wolves you aren’t even hungry... they just want 
  you to die. 
  2nd level mook [BEAST] 
  Initiative +6 
  Vulnerable: fire 
   
  Vicious bite +7 vs AC—5 damage 
   
  Worse bark: Whenever a timber wolf drops an enemy to 0 
  hp or below, all other timber wolves add 2 damage to 
  their attacks until the end of their next turn. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 16  HP 8 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one timber wolf mook for every 8 damage you 
  deal to the mob. 
  THE VIEW AHEAD 
  As the party escapes from the wolves they discover 
  that they are at the edge of a rift valley. To the north, 
  beyond the valley, is the road to civilization that they saw 
  long ago from the air. In the valley below is a very tall 
  tower, the tower that they saw earlier. 
  
   
  62 
   
  HEX CRAWL 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers arrive in a broad valley. If they can cross the 
  valley they will be able to make it to the road out of the Wild 
  Wood. First, however, they must contend with some of the 
  destruction and mutation that the crashing of the flying island 
  of Darkskye caused. While the area around the crash itself is 
  ruined, the largest chunks of magical crystals were ejected in 
  enormous explosions that sent them many leagues away from 
  the crash site. 
  SANDBOX 
  This part of the adventure is a ‘sandbox style’ journey, 
  focusing on exploration, also sometimes known as a hex-
  crawl—it is split between locations of interest that the 
  adventurers can visit, random encounters, and set pieces. 
  THROUGH THE WILD WOOD 
  Start the session with a scene of the adventurers huddling 
  in a cave while torrential rain comes down outside, trying 
  not to freeze to death. To keep their spirits up they are 
  telling each other what they are going to do when they 
  get back to civilization. Think ‘Ice Cold In Alex’ (an old 
  black and white movie, if you haven't seen it you really 
  should). Maybe it is the thought of a loved one that is 
  keeping them going, or maybe they are just longing for a 
  cold drink by a warm fire.  
  Go around the players and ask them to role-play their 
  character saying what they miss most about civilization, 
  or what they intend to do when they get home. Then turn 
  to the player to their right and ask that player what their 
  character thinks of that, and then ask them to role-play 
  their character saying what they intend to do first when 
  they get out of the Wild Wood. Go around the group until 
  everybody has had a chance for a short monologue and a 
  chance to react to somebody else’s monologue. 
  THE VALLEY 
  This part of the adventure focuses on exploration, as the 
  party tries to find a route out of the enormous rift valley 
  that they are in. 
  locations of interest 
  The adventurers are in a broad valley, and can see from 
  their vantage point three locations of interest. Exactly 
  where to go from here is down to the adventurers, and if 
  they choose they can bypass all the locations and set out 
  into the wild. 
  Alam Tower—This imposing wizard’s tower looks 
  abandoned, even from a distance.  
  Alamede Village—This settlement has a high wooden 
  wall around it, and from the wisps of smoke rising from 
  the chimneys it looks like somebody is home. 
  Now and again, and again—A strange glow in the forest. 
  Is it a camp fire, a crashed fragment of Darkskye, or 
  perhaps even the Darkskye diamond itself? Only by 
  investigating will the adventurers discover its secret. 
  random encounters 
  The 
  adventurers 
  might 
  encounter 
  the 
  following 
  situations, either as they head towards or away from a 
  location. If the players decide that their characters are 
  bypassing anything of interest and just heading straight 
  across the valley use more of these random encounters. 
  If you want the encounters to be truly random roll a 
  d8 a three or four times, ignoring any duplicates. 
  Against the elements—An encounter with enraged forest 
  spirits who seek to punish the adventurers due to the 
  lingering magical taint of Darkskye upon them.  
  Broken Caravan—An encounter with owlbears.  
  Nyett Bannbur—A forest spirit.  
  Owlbear Trail—An encounter with owlbears.  
  Rats!—An encounter with the wildlife of the Wild Wood.  
  Sylvian Friends—An encounter with an dying elf (leads 
  into The Green Shadows later).   
  The Thorn Wall—The party meets resistance from a 
  rapidly-growing plant (leads into The Green Shadows 
  later). 
  The Green Shadows—Elven rangers working for the 
  High Druid, they are trying to minimize the damage done 
  by Darkskye’s crash.  
  set pieces 
  You should definitely include at least one of the following 
  encounters (if not both) as well as the Kobolds! encounter.  
  Horror of the Green Realm—The adventurers face the 
  mutated creatures of the Wild Wood, horrors created by 
  a chunk of magical crystal from Darkskye.  
  Taking a stand—The party are attacked by walking trees, 
  and must decide if they will fight them out in the open or 
  retreat to a battlefield of their choosing.  
  Kobolds!—The adventurers face the mutated creatures of 
  the Wild Wood, horrors created by chunk of magical 
  crystal from Darkskye. This encounter provides vital 
  information for the rest of the adventure. 
  
   
  63 
   
  ending 
  After the players have had their fun exploring the valley 
  trying to find a way out, use the following encounter: 
  Out of the Woods—The adventurers arrive at a village 
  that is close to the road that gets them north out of the 
  Wild Wood.  
  ALAMEDE VILLAGE (LOCATION) 
  Alamede is a walled village in the Wild Wood, within 
  sight of a distant wizard’s tower. 
  This settlement has a high wooden wall around it, and 
  from the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys it looks 
  like somebody is home. 
  the arrival 
  As the party makes its way towards the village of 
  Alamede several of the village’s residents notice the 
  party’s arrival and come out to meet the strangers. After 
  short introductions, the villagers invite the party to come 
  into the settlement for a hot meal and a rest. If the party 
  hesitates or declines, the villagers explain that the offer 
  comes free of charge. The community values hospitality 
  as a virtue. (NPC names if you get stuck for who has run out 
  to meet the party: Capicer, Callatch, Sool, Elenri, Lymer) 
  It is obvious that the villagers mean no harm and that 
  their offer of aid is genuine. The villagers are also curious 
  about the large explosion they heard some days ago and 
  the purplish glow that they can see at night on the horizon 
  (from the direction of the crashed flying island). 
  backstories 
  It’s unlikely that any of the characters’ backstories will 
  include Alamede, but possible. A character who rolled a 
  5 or 6 on their relationship with the High Druid or 
  Archmage might know some secondhand knowledge, 
  Ask any player(s) who feel justified in sharing what they 
  know about Alamede to do so now and build on their 
  descriptions. Otherwise just read the following aloud and 
  go from there.  
  “As you continue to approach the village, you notice that it 
  is composed completely of homes in a radial pattern. There are 
  no shops or non-residential buildings to be seen save one large 
  communal structure in the middle that has a roof, but no walls. 
  Fruit vines grow around wooden posts and arches throughout 
  the village, serving as both food source and decoration. Berry 
  bushes and long boxes of herbs border the lanes where people 
  walk about. Here and there are the tools of trade, open for use - 
  a well, a large furnace and bellows with an anvil, clay pots and 
  the like. Surrounding the village is a large wooden wall with a 
  gate in it” 
  exploring 
  Adventurers who wish to fully explore the village do so 
  in a montage. Ask the player immediately to your left: 
  “The village is very busy today, with all kinds of people 
  doing different tasks. Please tell me the name of one person who 
  lives in this village and what he or she is doing.” 
  Then turn to the next player in order and ask: 
  “You bonded with this person over his/her task. What do 
  you have in common with him/her?” 
  Players don’t need to roll for this—they just tell you a 
  piece of information about their NPC. Repeat this around 
  the table until everybody has had a chance to come up 
  with some little tidbit of backstory. As players tell you 
  their anecdotes, narrate each one back to them and 
  expand using more details. Keep your expansions shorter 
  than the original player anecdotes. 
  npcs 
  The characters who live in Alamede are more than ready 
  to share information with the adventurers. Here are some 
  characters to add to any created during an exploration 
  montage: 
  Elien Bowekittle—Friendly dark-eyed Elien needs 
  repairs done on her house, and is willing to let the 
  adventurers rest there if they don’t mind the holes in the 
  wall through which the wind blows. 
   
  Witeva Brasher—Witeva wears a straw hat and could use 
  a hunting partner, as a strange animated tree scared away 
  his tame half-wolf. 
  Oxwald Kibel—Gap-toothed Oxwald is weeding the 
  herb boxes and wants to chat with the adventurers to get 
  out of the chore. 
  Warvan Goffe—The sweating Warven is repairing some 
  hand tools in the smithy. 
  Lankmew Helmer—The short Lankmew is preparing the 
  next communal meal 
  , and wants to know what the 
  adventurers like to eat. 
  Alice Leder—The short-sighed Alice is spinning clay for 
  bowls, and eagerly gives one of the finished decorated 
  clay bowls to the party as a gift. 
  information 
  The friendly villagers are more than willing to talk openly 
  with the adventurers. They impart the following 
  information in among less significant gossip: 
   
  The tower: Alamede (short for Alam Meadow) grew 
  up near a wizard tower that still stands today 
  southwest of the village. Alam abandoned his tower 
  a long time ago. The villagers avoid the area, partly 
  
   
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  out of superstition and partly because they simply 
  have no reason to go there. 
   
  The old wizard (Alam): The wizard who used to live 
  in the tower that can be seen in the distance came here 
  to research magically-animated trees as a way to raise 
  soldiers on short notice, the results were disastrous 
  and prompted the village to forswear all violence. A 
  few people still hunt small game and there is some 
  contention in the village about that. 
   
  Defenses/elves/dangers: The villagers of Alamede 
  have made a deal with a band of local wood elves. In 
  return for food and finished goods, the elves see to it 
  that Alamede remains safe from the creatures and 
  magic of the Wild Wood.  A dozen or so stags came 
  into the village a few nights ago and became 
  extremely aggressive. No one was hurt, but some 
  buildings were damaged. The elves came and dealt 
  with them. The stags looked ‘odd’. The wooden 
  palisade wall around town has not been repaired for 
  many years, and won’t stand up to assault, a fact that 
  worries some villagers. 
   
  The road: There is a road on the far side of the valley 
  that leads north to the civilized lands of the empire. 
  The road is little more than a dirt track, but further 
  north it becomes a gravel road. The road is 
  doubtlessly the best way to return to the civilized 
  lands of the Empire. 
  loot? 
  The villagers don’t believe in money (where would they 
  spend it?), but won’t just give up precious possessions for 
  nothing. Sure the village will be able to feed them, repair 
  tears in their clothing, and give them a place to sleep for 
  the night—but that is about it. 
  However, the adventurers might be able to trade their 
  services in exchange for things that they need. Maybe the 
  party is willing to help repair tools or go hunting or fix 
  the palisade wall. The villagers can trade for some of the 
  following things: 
   
  Adventurer-tier healing potion—This could be as a 
  proper potion, an herb poultice or a medicated 
  bandage. 
   
  Fresh trail rations—During a rest the party can eat 
  these rations and spend recoveries as though they all 
  had the Strong Recovery feat. 
   
  Minor blessing—The character has +1 to all defenses 
  during their next combat encounter. 
   
  Training—An NPC is willing to share their skills or 
  experience. The player character gains the next 
  incremental advance immediately instead of at the 
  end of the session. 
   
  Local guide—An NPC can accompany the party at 
  least part-way on their journey. Mechanically this 
  gives the party +2 to a skill check, then the NPC must 
  return to the village. 
  ALAM TOWER (LOCATION) 
  An abandoned wizard’s tower. 
  The tower is exceptionally tall, forming a landmark that 
  can be seen from miles away—when the view is not 
  blocked by the trees. The closer the adventurers get to the 
  tower the wilder the Wild Wood becomes. 
  exterior 
  As the party staggers out of the dense undergrowth they 
  see the tower clearly for the first time.  
  GMs: When the party decides to investigate the abandoned 
  wizard’s tower, ask players what they know about wizard’s 
  towers. No one needs to roll for this. Use their description of 
  tower layout to inform this next section, otherwise use the 
  information below.  
  The tower stands tall and decrepit, as if some powerful 
  architectural magic were holding the building together 
  against its will and against the best attempts of nature to 
  tear it down. The sides of the tower are pock-marked with 
  holes about the size of a human’s head, allowing the 
  forest’s green light to stream in. 
  Any party members who succeed at a DC 20 skill 
  check involving observing the tower from the outside will 
  see an object block one of the holes at the top of the tower 
  for just a moment and then disappear. 
  interior 
  Inside the tower things are in disarray: The furniture 
  is broken, equipment shattered, books scorched and 
  anything organic rotten or shriveled. The lowermost floor 
  of the tower is covered in mulched magical tomes 
  overgrown with moss and grasses.  
  GMs: Describe various rooms and what might be in them - 
  apprentices’ quarters, a shattered greenhouse, cages for 
  domesticated or experimental animals, a pantry, a kitchen, a 
  lecture hall, etc. If a player asks about a room that you think a 
  wizard’s tower might have, let them find that. 
  scour the tower, root for loot! 
  The party will probably leave no chair, alembic, bowl, or 
  moth-eaten garment unturned in their quest for loot. If 
  that is the case have everybody makes an appropriate 
  
   
  65 
   
  background check to see what they find while looting the 
  tower.  
   
  Natural 20: The character finds a secret room with 
  two magic items in it. 
   
  DC 20+:  The character finds a true magic item near a 
  corpse overgrown with flowers (doesn’t stack with 
  rolling a natural 20). 
   
  DC 15: An adventurer-tier rune glows from within a 
  book OR two healing potions are found at the back of 
  a cupboard of mold-encrusted jars. 
   
  DC 10: Assorted spell components worth +2 to any 
  single ritual check can be scrounged from a ruined 
  laboratory. 
   
  DC 9 and lower: Danger! 
  If any character rolls less than DC 15 they encounter 
  danger. Pick what they encounter from the table below. 
  EXPLOSIVE 
  RUNES 
  COLLAPSING 
  FLOOR 
  ANGRY 
  ANIMATED POT 
  PLANT 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Blam! +5 vs. 
  PD—2d6 force 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Collapse (auto-
  hit)—3d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Thrashing 
  fronds +15 vs. 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
  Everybody looting the tower gets to roll once, if 
  anybody wants to roll a second time they have to face 
  potential danger first (moving over an unsteady floor, 
  moving through a greenhouse of potted plants, inching 
  up a stair that has runes on the steps). 
  animated tree 
  After each party member has had a chance to loot the 
  tower (or if the party declines to loot the tower) and the 
  party is back together in a group, they will hear 
  movement from the top of the tower. Climbing down the 
  outside of the tower is an animated tree monstrosity—it 
  breaches the outer wall and attacks. As the tree monster 
  attacks several potted plants and innocuous-looking 
  vines that had been biding their time spring into action. 
   
   
   
  Fight! 
  The animated tree was previously growing out of the 
  top of the tower, so the party has a few moments to 
  prepare before the attack. 
  Number of PCs 
  Arboreal 
  Guardians 
  Animated Plant 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  2 
  3 
  7 
  2 
  5 
  Arboreal Guardian 
  Left over from the wizard’s experiments, something has 
  recently awakened this plant being to life. 
  3rd level large wrecker [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Oaken Fists +8 vs. PD—21 damage 
  Natural odd hit: The target is vulnerable until the end of 
  its next turn. 
  Natural even hit: The target is grabbed. 
  Special: If the arboreal guardian has an enemy grabbed 
  while using this attack, it wields the enemy as a 
  weapon, dealing an additional 3 damage to the 
  grabbed enemy, hit or miss. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 16  HP 85 
  MD 12 
  Animated Plant 
  1st level troop [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Lashing Fronds +6 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 13  HP 26 
  MD 8 
   
  Once the tree attacks and is defeated let the players know 
  that it is obvious to the adventurers that the tower holds 
  no further secrets. The tower might make a good place to 
  rest or to retreat to while exploring the valley, but there 
  are no further secret rooms to find. 
  
   
  66 
   
  Loot! 
  Once the animated tree is dead if less than three 
  adventurers found true magic items in the tower then 
  the party discovers up to three magic items embedded 
  in the tree’s trunk—it grew around them. 
  When the wizard Alam disappeared he left behind his 
  tools. The villagers left the tower alone, so while the 
  wizard’s notes have long since rotted away there are still 
  some choice items to be looted. 
  Brachiating Bracers 
  These silk armguards have an emboridered motif of branches 
  and leaves. They subtly bend wood and vines to their wearer, 
  making it easier to climb and swing through the trees. 
  Add +5 to checks involving climbing. 
  Gain the ability to traverse heavily forested areas 
  as though flying while not in combat. 
  Quirk: Always seeks something higher than ground level 
  to stand upon. 
  Prismatic Rod 
  A long pyramidal clear crystal serves as the handle to this 
  wand. The end is tipped with obsidian, from which constantly 
  emanates a faint rainbow aura. 
  [Wand] 
  +1 to hit and damage with arcane spells and 
  attacks (champion tier: +2).  
  Once per day cast color spray at your level, as a 
  quick action. 
  Quirk: Insists on speaking each letter of a word distinctly. 
  Orb of Wild Growth 
  This green crystal orb shines with an inner light, and flowers 
  blossom near it. 
  [Implement] 
  Bonus to attacks and damage with spells:  +1 
  (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic, only when 
  mounted on a staff). 
  Recharge 16+: Spend a recovery as a quick action 
  and heal half the rolled recovery amount, and one 
  nearby ally also heals the same amount. If dual-
  wielding orbs this becomes recharge 11+ (orbs 
  like being with other orbs, though their bonuses 
  do not stack). 
  Quirk: Voyeurism. 
  NOW AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN (LOCATION) 
  A shard of crystal from Darkskye is warping time and 
  space. 
  Finally the adventurers are on the road.  
  a strangeness! 
  Wait, how did that happen? The last thing the 
  adventurers remembered was pushing through the 
  undergrowth heading towards the location of something 
  glowing. 
  the road 
  The road the adventurers are on curves and wends 
  around the many hills and chasms of the Wild Wood, but 
  clearly leads towards north towards New Port and Santa 
  Cora. There they will be able to rest, receive healing, and 
  finally put their recent troubles behind them (or continue 
  to search for the Darkskye Diamond).  
  the crystal 
  As the party marches along they discover a huge 
  chunk of pulsing crystal embedded in the road. A crack 
  runs along its length, magic pulsing out from it. It 
  physically hurts to go near it, and nearby the plants are 
  dead. Dust skitters in a circle around the crystal, gravel 
  rolls in an orbit. 
  If the adventurers keep walking soon enough they’ll 
  reach … the crystal. Again. And again. And again. They 
  are trapped in a loop of space and time. Even if they decide to 
  head back they will come upon the same scene again. 
  If the party leaves the road hoping to escape they catch 
  glimpses of other versions of themselves doing the same, 
  overhear snippets of their own past conversations on the 
  road, and eventually discover their own desiccated and 
  mummified corpses from the far future! (Yes, the 
  adventurers can loot their own bodies, though only the 
  ‘current’ versions have magic items). 
  GMs: Explain to the players that it is obvious to the 
  adventurers that the only way to escape is to deal with the 
  crystal.  
  Dealing with the crystal is a DC 60 skill check! Each 
  failed check kills the party in some terrifyingly horrific 
  and inescapable way  
  GMs: When the party dies encourage players to tell you just 
  how they die horribly - are they atomized, turned inside out, 
  drained of all life, half-shunted into a ghostly dimension, aged 
  a million years in an instant, turned to crystal?.  
  Each time the party dies another potential version of 
  the party walks up the road in time to see their potential-
  past/future-selves die. This lets the party learn from their 
  
   
  67 
   
  past selves’ mistakes and the DC to fix the problem is 
  lowered by 5 each time (60, 55, 50, etc). If the party is 
  smart they’ll attempt communication with other 
  past/future/potential thems—reward clever thinking 
  with a +d6 bonus on the next roll after they die (they can 
  pass information onto the next set of thems to arrive). 
  Very clever adventurers might even try to survive the 
  magical explosions or implosions and join another 
  version of the party, though ultimately only one version 
  of each character can survive the encounter. 
  Here are some ideas on how the party could fix the 
  crystal, but I’m sure your players will come up with even 
  better ideas:  
   
  Casting the mending cantrip as a ritual. 
   
  Use burning hands as a ritual to weld shards of the 
  crystal back into place.  
   
  Characters with animal companions can send them 
  off to recruit forest animals to help gather smaller 
  shards of crystal and slot them into the crack in the 
  big crystal.  
   
  Destroying the crystal by hitting it with everything 
  they’ve got repeatedly.  
   
  Casting bless as a ritual. 
   
  Carrying the crystal down the road so that it lops 
  back and encounters its own past self. 
  Once the crystal is fixed a wave of magic will implode 
  into the crystal which shall then fly upwards into the sky 
  out of sight. Any duplicate adventurers will merge with 
  themselves, but corpses and non-magical equipment will 
  remain. 
  Unfortunately once the party fixes the crystal they find 
  themselves back in the rift valley, deep in the Wild Wood. 
  RATS! (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  When wildlife attacks… 
  As the party moves through the forest they stumble onto 
  one of the many scenes of everyday life and death in the 
  Wild Wood. A pack of unusually sized rodents has 
  attacked and injured a wildcat. The rats are startled by the 
  adventurers and the wildcat runs, looking for somewhere 
  to hide. Denied their meal the rats turn their ferocity on 
  the party. 
   
   
   
  Fight! 
  Feel free to go nuts with the rat impressions. Gnash your 
  teeth, squeal, flail your hands, whatever. Have a grand old 
  time with it. Your players will have fun watching you.  
  Number of PCs 
  Dire Rats 
  3 
  22 
  4 
  28 
  5 
  34 
  6 
  40 
  7 
  46 
  Dire Rat 
  From age to age, dire rats vary in size. In this age, they’re only half as 
  big as they sometimes get, but they’re also twice as vicious. 
  1st level mook [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +2 
   
  Infected bite +5 vs. AC—4 ongoing damage 
   
  Squealing pack attack: This creature gains a +1 attack 
  bonus per other dire rat engaged with the target it’s 
  attacking (up to a maximum of a +3 bonus). 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 15   HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one dire rat mook for every 6 damage you deal 
  to the mob. 
  The Wildcat 
  Wildcats are normally brave and adventurous. This one might 
  settle for a quiet ball of yarn after what it’s just experienced. 
  0th level troop [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Claw +5 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  Injured: The wildcat will simply move from place to 
  place, avoiding combat to the best of its ability. It will 
  fight back if a party member attacks it, but is not in 
  good shape. At full health it has 30 HP and is no longer 
  injured… it is only injured when it starts the fight at 
  half hit points. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 15 (30 HP if uninjured) 
  MD 10 
   
  
   
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  SYLVAN FRIENDS (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  The party might stumble upon this encounter, or might 
  have set out from Alamede to deliberately search for the 
  village’s elven allies. 
  A dying elf bursts out from the undergrowth, followed by 
  several mutated elf-things. Without hesitation the elf-
  things attack the party. 
  Fight! 
  After a round of combat it becomes obvious to the 
  party that the elf is a mutant, warped by the magic of 
  Darkskye. 
  Number of PCs 
  Elf Things 
  Dread Hawks 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  2 
  5 
  1 
  3 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  2 
  Elf-Thing 
  Glittering green dust is in the saliva of this frothing 
  mutant. 
  6th level spoiler [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +11 
   
  Venomous fangs +11 vs. AC (2 attacks)—5 damage, and 
  5 ongoing poison damage 
  Natural 18+: The target becomes confused (save ends). 
   
  R: Poisoned arrow +11 vs. AC (one nearby or far away 
  enemy)—7 damage, and 5 ongoing poison damage 
  Natural 20: The target becomes confused (save ends). 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 16 HP 75 
  MD 20 
  Dread Hawk 
  Wood elves sometimes hunt with hawks - this hawk is 
  twisted,  it flies in a menacingly erratic pattern. 
  1st level troop [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Twisted Talons +6 vs. AC—5 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The dread hawk pops free and 
  may move as a quick action. 
   
  Flight: The dread hawk can fly, swooping in and out of 
  the battle. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15 HP 25 
  MD 11 
   
  After the battle ends the party can still hear fighting. 
  Soon the sounds of combat end and some beaten and 
  wounded elves come down the track. The half-dozen 
  elves who approach are the very last of their tribe. Their 
  names are Quiatris Treefriend, Bellamin, Marlamin 
  Woodsoul, Elgold Taletreader, Eilmorel Darksbane, and 
  Quentis. 
  Several days ago the elves heard a loud explosion and 
  strange rocks began falling from the sky. The plant-life 
  here began acting strangely and growing in unnatural 
  ways. Fearing that the wizard Alam had returned from 
  exile to continue his experiments the elf tribe set out to 
  stop him. Instead they found a crater with a glowing rock 
  in it. The plants and animals nearby attacked them 
  savagely. They discovered today that some sort of 
  infected tree-man army is on the march. They were on 
  their way to warn the citizens of Alamede when several 
  of their number went mad and turned into the elf-things. 
  The elves impart to the party some useful facts: 
   
  The way to the New Road is blocked by an army of 
  plant monsters. 
   
  If the party needs to find a defensible location to 
  survive, Alamede is as good a location as any. The 
  elves are headed there right now. 
   
  The village of Alamede is in trouble: if the plant 
  things come into the village then the villagers won’t 
  be able to survive alone, and the elves are now in no 
  shape to help the villagers. 
   
  There is a group of rangers known as the Green 
  Shadows who patrol this valley and the area around 
  it. The Green Shadows are loyal to the High Druid. 
  
   
  69 
   
  THE THORN WALL (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  The adventurers encounter wild growth, and an elf. 
  As they cut their way through the ever-thicker 
  undergrowth the plants begin sprouting thorns and 
  cutting at the adventurers. Further into the tangle strange 
  plant-animal hybrids can be glimpsed. Hissing toxins 
  drip from the thorns.  
  At the center of the undergrowth can be seen a 
  glowing hunk of crystal. As the adventurers approach 
  they witness plants mutating, growing mouths and 
  whipping tendrils, the contagion spreading ever-wider. It 
  is obvious that the way to safety is blocked and the 
  adventurers must divert around the wall of thorns—the 
  wall grows too quickly to be cut through. 
  As the adventurers walk around the wall of living 
  thorns, they perceive a shape moving quietly around 
  them. 
  GMs: read the following—“A figure is stalking you. It is 
  dressed entirely in dark green leather and is wearing a mottled 
  brown and green cloak. It is hard to see, at first you thought it 
  was just a shadow. It moves like an elf.” 
  If anybody has a relationship with the High Druid add: 
  “You notice a wooden broach on the cloak, the symbol of the 
  High Druid. These must be her fabled Green Shadows. They are 
  rangers and protectors of the forest.” 
  The Green Shadow is aware that he has been spotted 
  and rises from behind the tangled roots he was crouched 
  behind.  The figure straightens, rising from behind the 
  tangled roots it was hidden behind. He has a bow slung 
  on his back and you see the bulges of weapons under his 
  cloak, but his hands are empty. He pushes back his hood 
  to reveal his face. He is a drow, wearing a dappled green 
  bandanna. 
  The drow ranger’s name is Dermak. He specializes in 
  killing abominations and has been tracking and killing 
  the strange new things that have been emerging from the 
  forest from the direction of the crashed flying island. 
  GMs: read the following—“The ranger visually inspects 
  you, moving closer. His eyes keep flicking in the direction of the 
  unnatural wall of thorns and when the strange animal noises 
  come from within the wall you see his hands twitch closer to his 
  weapons. After a long pause he seems satisfied that your party 
  are not what he is looking for, and he relaxes slightly. He 
  whistles and several huge spiders that you had not noticed shake 
  themselves free of the leaf litter where they were hidden poised 
  to strike and scuttle to his side.” 
  Dermak explains that he is a member of the Green 
  Shadows, and is a slayer of abominations. The Green 
  Shadows would normally remain hidden from outsiders 
  but Dermak needs help and information. He asks the 
  adventurers where they come from and what they know 
  of the source of the abominations and the strangely 
  glowing rocks. Of course the adventurers know that the 
  sourse of the problems is the crash of Darkskye and the 
  glowing crystals that its explosion spread throughout the 
  forest. 
  GMs: Encourage the PCs to ask any questions they may 
  have of Dermak. As they do Dermak will mention The Green 
  Realm. If anybody has a background relating to magic, religion, 
  the High Druid, or similar explain what the Green Realm is. If 
  no player character has a suitable background then Dermak 
  could stop to explain when he sees that they are puzzled at his 
  mentions of the Green Realm. 
  “The Green Realm is another universe, where there is no 
  death, only life. It may even be the source of all life. However, 
  without the presence of death to temper it, the Green Realm is a 
  chaos of unrestrained growth, mutation of form and purpose, 
  and constant pain. Nothing intelligent can survive there long. 
  Something has caused a magical imbalance and the 
  unrestrained life energy is leaking into the Wild Wood, 
  mutating it away from the balance of nature.” 
  Dermak is due to report back to the rest of his group 
  who have travelled here from the north beyond the 
  valley. The Green Shadow camp lies not far away and 
  Dermak offers to take them there, though he says that the 
  forest is changing rapidly and getting more dangerous 
  every minute so he cannot be responsible for their safety 
  if they travel with him (and he also points out that he is 
  not responsible for what may happen if they do not travel 
  with him). 
  Dermak also reports that he has seen a band of furtive 
  looking kobolds headed north.  
  GMs: Remind the players that the adventurers are looking 
  for the kobolds that are in league with Shez-a-kah and who have 
  stolen the Darkskye Diamond. 
  If the adventurers decide to travel with Dermak give 
  each player an extra 1d4 that they can add to one skill roll 
  or one attack roll to represent the help he can give both in 
  and out of battle. 
   
   
  
   
  70 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  Some groups may choose to attack the Green Shadow 
  elf. Larger groups will discover Dermak has friends 
  lurking in the trees, his spider allies. 
  Number of PCs 
  Green Shadows 
  Spiders 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  8 
  7 
  3 
  8 
  Green Shadow 
  5th level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10  
   
  Longsword +15 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  R: Pinning Shot +15 vs. PD (3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—6 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target is stuck (save ends). 
   
  Extreme Maneuverability: green shadows add the 
  escalation die to all disengage checks and on any 
  save that would increase maneuverability. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 60 
  MD 18 
  Green Spider 
  These trained spiders are striped with green dye. 
  1st level mook [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Needle-like fangs +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Wall-crawler: A spider hatchling can climb on ceilings 
  and walls as easily as it moves on the ground. 
   
  AC 14 
  PD 13  HP 8 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one green spider mook for every 8 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
   
   
  
   
  71 
   
  OWLBEAR TRAIL (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  More wildlife… 
  As the adventurers continue through the Wild Wood, 
  they see signs of wild growth everywhere. 
  If any character has an background applicable to 
  spotting owlbears they may make a DC 15 check (with a 
  -5 penalty to the roll if they are listening, see the owlbear’s 
  monster entry for more details on that); on a success they 
  hear a snuffling grunt that alerts them to the owlbears in 
  the bushes, if they fail they still know it is owlbears but 
  discover this by stepping into owlbear dung! 
  Fight! 
  Build suspense by describing the glimpses of the 
  owlbears as they circle the party, obscured by the forest 
  itself.  
   
  A limb twisted and gaunt from hunger. 
   
  Deep brown fur deep in the gloom of the forest. 
   
  Gray and brown feathers speckled with blood.   
   
  Wings that end in great talons. 
   
  Giant reflective eyes. 
  If none of the adventurers have a background related 
  to spotting owlbears, then the owlbears get to ambush 
  the party (see page 164 of the core rules). 
  Number of PCs 
  Weaker Owlbears 
  (70 HP) 
  Stronger 
  Owlbears 
  (101 HP) 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  0 
  1 
  5 
  2 
  0 
  6 
  0 
  2 
  7 
  3 
  0 
  Owlbear 
  Some wilderness tribes have an abnormal fear of both owls and bears, 
  a testament to the savagery of this preposterous hybrid. 
  Large 4th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Rip and Peck +9 vs. AC—15 damage, and until the end 
  of the owlbear’s next turn, the target is hampered 
  (makes only basic attacks) while engaged with the 
  owlbear 
   
  Vicious hybrid: If the escalation die is even, make another 
  rip and peck attack. 
   
  Feed the cubs: An owlbear that scores a critical hit against 
  a hampered enemy tears a piece of the creature off 
  (GM chooses a limb) and will subsequently attempt to 
  retreat with the prize to feed its cubs. The torn-up 
  enemy is stunned until the end of its next turn. 
   
  Silent hunter: Owlbears are nearly silent until they strike. 
  Checks to hear them approaching take a –5 penalty. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP see above 
  MD 13 
   
  
   
  72 
   
  THE GREEN SHADOWS (RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTER) 
  The adventurers meet some elves. This encounter works 
  best after Sylvian Friends or The Thorn Wall but can take 
  place before those encounters or without them. 
  The adventurers enter a clearing containing a camp. The 
  inhabitants of the camp are a group of elven rangers who 
  have been sent into the rift valley to deal with the 
  destruction caused by the crystal shards raining down 
  from the sky. The Green Shadows are accompanied by 
  halfling allies, the Forest Lookouts. 
  judgement 
  The Green Shadows know the locals, and know that the 
  adventurers are strangers. They have met escaped 
  prisoners from Darkskye as well as mutated monsters, so 
  strongly suspect that the adventurers are more of the 
  same. 
  The rangers might react to the party in one of several 
  ways: 
   
  Attack—The rangers blame the party for the disaster, 
  or have evidence that the party have somehow been 
  damaging the Wild Wood. If the party met and killed 
  Dermak (in The Thorn Wall section) then the rangers 
  know of that and attack the party. 
   
  Reward—If the party dealt with some of the crystal 
  (in the Now and Again, and Again or the Horrors of the 
  Green Realm sections) and can prove that the elves 
  decide that the adventurers are heroes and siblings-
  in-arms and gift to the party a magic item. If the party 
  can bluff the elves that they are heroes who have been 
  fixing the damage to the forest (even if they are not) 
  and succeed at a DC 20 skill check then the elves will 
  reward them as well. 
   
  Aid—The rangers are too busy to help the party, but 
  the halflings can help the party by pointing them 
  north and sharing some of their provisions with the 
  adventurers. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Looting the bodies afterwards provides useful things 
  for the party—food, boots, lanterns, etc. 
  Number of PCs 
  Green Shadows 
  Forest Lookouts 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  8 
  7 
  3 
  8 
  Green Shadow 
  5th level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10  
   
  Longsword +15 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  R: Pinning Shot +15 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—6 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target is stuck (save ends). 
   
  Extreme Maneuverability: Green Shadows add the 
  escalation die to all disengage checks and on any save 
  that would increase maneuverability. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 60 
  MD 18 
  Forest Lookout 
  1 level mook [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Dagger +6 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 12  HP 7 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one forest lookout mook for every 7 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  NYSETT BANNBUR (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  The party meets a tree sprite. 
  The party hobbles along, weary and wounded. As they 
  push onwards the adventurers encounters a tree sprite by 
  the name of Nysett Bannbur. Nysett has been trying to 
  avoid any contact with his fellow tree sprites that have 
  become angered by the crystals that have fallen from the 
  sky. 
  The tiny winged creature flits in and out of the forest 
  trees, darting about in apparent confusion. Nysett 
  suddenly finds himself face to face with one of the 
  adventurers. A look of horror is obvious and the little 
  creature quickly attempts to flee, but instead crashes head 
  first into another character and knocks himself 
  unconscious. 
  GMs: Anyone who knows anything about the Wild Wood 
  (a DC 15 skill check, an automatic success if anybody has a 
  background directly related to the Wild Wood) knows that tree 
  
   
  73 
   
  sprites are secretive creatures that tend to the forest. They work 
  tirelessly, using their magic to maintain the health of the Wild 
  Wood and the balance of nature. They are quite unlike their 
  cousins, the dreaded Murder Pixies. 
  While Nysett is unconscious it babbles fitfully. It is a 
  DC 15 skill check to make out what it is saying. Anyone 
  who passes the check discovers one of the following 
  pieces of information: 
   
  A giant shard of a dark green crystal is the source of 
  the foul magic that has infected the local forest. 
   
  His fellow tree sprites are angered and are tearing up 
  the New Road, making it impassable.  
   
  The New Road is besieged by earth elementals called 
  forth by the sprites. 
   
  There are owlbears on the loose, driven from their 
  nests deep in caves by the emanations of the crystal. 
  If all the adventurers fail their check they just discover 
  this: 
   
  Something fell from the sky that caused a 
  catastrophic 
  explosion 
  that 
  sent 
  shockwaves 
  throughout the entire Wild Wood. A corrupt magic 
  accompanied that shockwave and has affected a great 
  many of the inhabitants of the wood. 
  Once it has been roused from unconsciousness Nysett 
  is very much interested in helping his tree sprite friends 
  get free of the influence of the crystal, and will tell them 
  that the shard lies embedded in the ground several miles 
  north (if the party have not yet encountered the Horrors of 
  the Green Realm or the Now and Again, and Again sections 
  this is a good lead-in to one of them). 
  You might have your own picture of what a tree sprite 
  is like and you should go with that. If you are stuck we 
  think they probably talk in rapid-fire chirping and 
  nattering: “I was minding my own business, tending to the 
  trees, plants, and animals when the most terrible, awful, huge 
  explosion shook the woods and there was a massive terrible 
  wave of evil energy that started destroying and corrupting 
  everything, animals, turning dark the true and faithful, 
  scattering animals everywhere. It scared me. Did it scare you? 
  Did you see it? Were you there? I was, were you? I’m so scared 
  for my friends. I’m only one small sprite and not very powerful, 
  but maybe I can help, I don’t know. Do you think I can help? 
  Will you help? I hope you can.” 
  AGAINST THE ELEMENTS (RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTER) 
  A fight against maddened elementals and spirits. This 
  encounter has ties to the Nysett Bannbur encounter. 
  As the party walks along they hear a sound of ripping and 
  thumping and tearing. Clods of earth the size of horses 
  are being thrown around. Above the trees rise the 
  hunched rounded shoulders of earth elementals. They are 
  destroying the Wild Wood! 
  Ahead is a chasm with a roaring white river blocks 
  their path. An ancient stone bridge spas the chasm, but 
  the elementals will soon get to the bridge and wreck it. 
  The adventurers can’t really go around the chasm, and 
  it is too large to jump across (or even for a high elf to 
  teleport themselves across), and is far too dangerous to 
  try to climb down and across. The bridge is the only way 
  across.  
  As soon as the adventurers step out of the 
  undergrowth they’ll be spotted by the many hostile 
  sprites who are directing the earth elementals to wreck 
  everything. 
  There are only two real options are attempt to sneak 
  past (a DC 25 skill check from each adventurer) or try to 
  fight through to the bridge. Maybe, just maybe, 
  diplomacy will work. Probably not though. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  If the party keeps pushing forwards during the battle 
  they will reach the bridge once the escalation die 
  reaches 6. It is up to you as a GM if the monsters try to 
  chase them after that point. 
  Number of PCs 
  Earth Elemental 
  Angered Tree 
  Sprites 
  3 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  15 
  5 
  3 
  20 
  6 
  4 
  25 
  7 
  5 
  30 
  
   
  74 
   
  Earth Elemental 
  The earth elemental erupts from the ground, crumbling and 
  reforming as it strides towards you. 
  3rd level blocker [ELEMENTAL] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Rock Fist +8 vs. PD—8 damage 
  Natural even hit: 12 damage 
   
  C: Gravel Spray +8 vs. AC (1d3 nearby enemies)—6 
  damage and the target is dazed until the end of its next 
  turn 
   
  Earthwalk: Instead of walking, an earth elemental merely 
  sinks back into the ground and re-emerges somewhere 
  else nearby. This movement cannot be intercepted. 
   
  Reinforce: Instead of attacking, an earth elemental can 
  use a standard action to physically merge with another 
  of its kind until the start of its next turn. The reinforced 
  elemental gains +2 AC and any damage is split 
  between the two component elementals. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 45 
  MD 12 
  Angered Tree Sprite 
  Black, sooty skin and glowing red eyes reveal the nature of these 
  foul critters. 
  2nd level mook [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Vile Touch +7 vs. PD—5 negative energy damage 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 12 
  Mook: Kill one angered tree sprite mook for every 9 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  BROKEN CARAVAN (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  The party encounters the remnants of a recent trade 
  caravan on a dirt track running through the valley. 
  The party has found a poorly maintained dirt road 
  through the valley, with recent wagon-tracks on it.  
  encountering the broken caravan 
  After following the track for a while the adventurers hear 
  sounds up ahead.  
  Two large cargo wagons are broken and overturned 
  on the side of the track. Dozens of crates, bags, and loose 
  items are strewn about the ground. At least half a dozen 
  dead bodies are scattered amongst the debris. Three men 
  are sifting through the wreckage and cargo, one of them 
  has an open scroll in his hands. 
  It is obvious that this caravan was attacked. 
  The caravan is hauling finished goods and the sort of 
  things that an isolated forest community can’t easily 
  make for itself (bolts of cloth, sturdy winter clothing, 
  lanterns, wine, saw blades, etc). 
  the survivors 
  The trio of surviving caravan members asks the party for 
  help in delivering the goods to the nearby community of 
  Alamede, travelling together for safety.  
  The survivors explain that the caravan was attacked 
  by earth elementals and timber wolves (the survivors will 
  be keen to point out “Wolves MADE OF timber!”) 
  The three survivors identify themselves as Borack, 
  Timuren, and Gareth. Borack is the one holding the scroll 
  while the others are sifting through the cargo. 
  GMs: In reality, the merchants are really escaped prisoners 
  from the crashed island who have taken the identities of caravan 
  members that they have slain. 
  If the party approaches openly, Borack notices them 
  and calls out to them in the friendliest tone that he can 
  muster, but attempting to maintain the impression that he 
  is grieving. Borack and his companions are not skilled 
  fighters or adventurers and are not capable of challenging 
  the adventurers. Borack has decided that he can strike a 
  deal with the adventurers to his benefit. 
  “Hello, friends. We have come under attack and our people 
  are slain and our commission threatened. Can you offer us any 
  assistance? We would be in your debt.” 
  what really happened 
  The reality of the situation is that a small merchant 
  caravan was headed to Alamede when the island prison 
  of Darkskye crashed in the Wild Wood. A large chunk of 
  the island hit the ground and the shockwave of magical 
  energy rippled along the road, overturning one wagon, 
  disengaging two horses, and causing damage to both 
  vehicles. 
  As the merchants were attempting to make repairs to 
  the wagons, they came under siege by a pack of hungry 
  
   
  75 
   
  wolves. Two of the merchants managed to scare off the 
  wolves with fire, but not before their comrades were 
  slain.  
  The three escaped prisoners came upon the scene as 
  the wolves were retreating into the deep woods. They 
  took advantage of the situation, surprising the 
  beleaguered and grieving merchants, and killed them.  
  The adventurers have a chance to recognize the three 
  ‘survivors’ for what they really are (a DC 25 skill check, 
  whoever is taking the lead in talking to the ‘survivors’ 
  should roll the skill check). Failing forwards means that 
  the person talking to the ‘survivors’ instead notices one of 
  the following facts: 
   
  None of the slain individuals had weapons of any 
  kind in their hands, they were caught by surprise. 
   
  Most of the dead bodies died by numerous vicious 
  bites. Some of the bite marks seem to be infected with 
  a purplish substance oozing from the wound. 
   
  Two corpses suffered fatal blows to the back of the 
  head, probably from a large rock or heavy weapon. 
  If the prisoners are discovered for who they really are 
  and are threatened by adventurers who were guards, 
  they might attempt to run away or might start a fight 
  hoping to overpower the adventurers by surprise. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Fighting or threatening the prisoners leads to the following combat…  
  Number of PCs 
  Escaped Prisoners 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  3 
  6 
  3 
  7 
  3 
  Escaped Prisoner 
  Fugitives from the imperial law, these humans are desperate 
  and dangerous. 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Club +5 vs. AC—4 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The thug deals +6 damage with 
  its next attack this battle. (GM, be sure to let the PCs 
  know this is coming, it’s not a secret.) 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 14  HP 27 
  MD 12 
  fixing the caravan 
  If the adventurers and the ‘survivors’ agree to work 
  together to get the caravan to the village of Alamede 
  they’ll need to fix its wheels and haul it through the Wild 
  Wood. The adventurers and NPCs need to work together 
  to cobble together parts from one cargo wagon to repair 
  the other cargo wagon, re-pack all the inventory, and get 
  underway—during this time the adventurers have the 
  chance to again discover what really happened (a DC 25 
  skill check). Go around the table and have the players 
  describe their individual efforts.  
  Optionally, the adventurers can simply scavenge the 
  cargo for their own uses and ignore the ‘survivors’ 
  request to travel to Alamede. In that case the ‘survivors 
  might want to tag along with the party for a bit if it is 
  obvious that the party are heading out of the valley. 
  the scroll  
  The scroll in Borack’s possession is a crude map of the 
  valley, but marked with a lot of useful notes like ‘strong 
  vines grow here’ and ‘clean water here’ and ‘avoid the yellow 
  berries’. Taking the scroll gives the party +1 on any skill 
  until they are out of the rift valley. 
  the dead rise 
  The slain caravan guards and merchants have green stuff 
  oozing from their wounds; the creatures that attacked the 
  caravan were infected by the magic of Darskye, and that 
  same magic is about to (temporarily) revive the corpses. 
  GMs: Burning the bodies after discovering the green ooze 
  infection prevents the corpses from rising. 
  If the party sticks around the some of the slain 
  individuals rise up as undead and attack the party.  
  Needless to say the escaped prisoners will not join in 
  the fight—instead they feign wounds, or run off. The trio 
  of murderers are content to let the undead and the 
  adventurers fight it out. Hey, they might get lucky and an 
  adventurer will die and they can loot the body. 
  If the adventurers leave the trio on the road and 
  continue along it they will hear screams in the distance as 
  the dead rise and slaughter the trio. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  76 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  The corpses are angry at being killed. Spending a 6 
  with the Priestess might allow an adventurer to 
  convince the corpses not to attack. 
  Number of PCs 
  Angry Corpse 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  8 
  Angry Corpse 
  “Ven...gence… shall...be...ours.” 
  2nd level troop [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +1 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Grab and bite +7 vs. AC—6 damage 
  Natural 16+: The target is grabbed. 
   
  Headshot: A critical hit against an angry corpse deals 
  triple damage instead of the normal double damage for 
  a crit. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 13  HP 60 
  MD 9 
   
  HORRORS OF THE GREEN REALM (SET PIECE) 
  The adventurers encounter some terrifying things, and 
  encounter a huge chunk of crystal from Darkskye.  
  As the adventurers walk through the forest they are see 
  the twisted horrors of unrestrained life-force. 
  GMs: Ask each PC to describe one unnerving thing they saw as 
  they come closer to the source of the high weirdness. If they do not have 
  any ideas, here are some descriptions to jump start their creativity: 
   
  A spider made of vines and skinless muscle. 
   
  A tree with mouths, mouths that constantly scream. 
   
  A snake made entirely of emerald hands. 
  the clearing 
  After everybody has had a chance to describe something 
  creepy the PCs enter a clearing. Here is what we imagine the 
  clearing to look like, but based on your player’s creepy 
  descriptions of the forest you might have a better idea, if so run 
  with that. 
  “You enter what could generously be called a clearing. The trees 
  here are covered in pulsing veins and arteries and you see spurts of 
  thick emerald blood where the vessels don’t quite join the bark. Over-
  head you see a spiderly canopy made of sinew that quakes with pulses 
  of ichor. Peer further in, you see masses of green leafy muscle among 
  the sinew. The masses vibrate, crack and spit forth a horror of blood, 
  branch, and barbed tentacles. The things stand to a height taller than 
  a horse and move toward your group as smaller growths fall of the 
  monster.” 
  Fight! 
  If the party flees this fight they run through some 
  spore-bearing plants that make them slightly dopey—
  it will have an effect on their next fight. 
  Number of PCs 
  Green Horror 
  Wild Growth (see 
  ‘spawning’) 
  3 
  1 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  2 
  10 
  6 
  3 
  5 
  7 
  3 
  10 
  spawning 
  The area is alive with raw life energy. Any character that does 
  not move on their turn has a wild growth sprout from their body 
  or from the pulsating forest floor at the end of their turn. This 
  wild growth is in addition to the ones already involved in the 
  battle.  
  The good news is that healing in this area always gains a 
  character the maximum possible HP. 
  
   
  77 
   
  Wild Growth 
  2nd level mook [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  C: Sap explosion +10 vs. AC (1d3 nearby enemies)—5 
  damage and if the 1d3 result was 3 remove the wild 
  growth from the battle because it is dead. 
   
  Nastier Special: 
  When the wild growth is killed, immediately make the 
  following attack:  
  R: Bloody explosion +5 vs. PD (against the nearest 
  enemy)—5 damage. Do not trigger this power if the 
  wild growth was removed from play by sap 
  explosion 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14 HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one wild growth mook for every 5 damage you 
  deal to the mob. 
  Green Horror 
  4th level troop [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Toxic cloud +9 vs. AC—14 poison damage 
   
  C: Verdent tentacles +9 vs. AC—10 damage 
  Natural 16+: Ongoing 5 acid damage and weakened 
  (save ends both). 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 15 HP 60 
  MD 15 
  the heart of the problem. 
  As the last of the green horrors die the clearing itself 
  withers and dies, revealing a crystal (...or as the party 
  runs away they stumble through a wall of fleshy vines 
  and come upon a crystal that pulses with amethyst and 
  green light). 
  The crystal bears the same strange hue as those from 
  the crashed flying island of Darkskye. Roots wrap about 
  the crystal, and the crystal is partially covered in a 
  squamous and pulsing fleshy ball of veins and eyes. The 
  crystal/flesh/plant mass leaks a green ichor that seeps into 
  the forest soil. 
  GMs: Let the players know that the adventurers see that this 
  is obviously the heart of the problems in this part of the Wild 
  Wood.  
  As the party observes the scene trees and other fibrous 
  tissues rush from behind them and up from the earth, 
  sealing off their escape. Barbed roots ending in mouths 
  emerge from the ground and move to attack the party.  
  Fight! 
  If the party fled from the last fight then the escalation 
  die stays at 0 until the first adventurer becomes 
  staggered. 
  Number of PCs 
  Forest Heart HP 
  3 
  90 
  4 
  120 
  5 
  150 
  6 
  180 
  7 
  210 
  Forest Heart 
  5th level spoiler [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Feet-piercing roots +10 vs. AC—18 damage and target is 
  stuck (save ends) 
   
  C: Phasing tentacles +10 vs. PD (1d3 enemies)—8 
  damage 
  Natural 16+ hit: The target is confused (save ends). 
   
  R: Eyes of insanity (1d2 enemies) +10 vs MD—10 
  damage and the target is confused (easy save ends) 
   
  Action surge: When the escalation die is even, add it to all 
  attacks that round. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 15 HP See Above 
  MD 17 
  fixing or breaking? 
  When the last blow hits the horrible heart of the 
  contagion, most of the twisted forest remains fall off the 
  crystal. The forest around the party still pulses with the 
  light from the crystal, but now they can clearly see it.  
  GMs: As this is the heart of the problems facing the area, 
  fixing this may lead to a reward from the Druid’s Green 
  Shadows, and the High Druid herself. Leaving this crystal here 
  will harm the High Druid by throwing the balance of nature 
  
   
  78 
   
  out of alignment. Let the players know that the adventurers 
  realize that this crystal holds great power, perhaps it can be 
  harnessed? 
  This is the choice that the players have to make… 
   
  Do they fix the problem, but potentially endanger 
  themselves? 
   
  Do they hate the High Druid and try to make the 
  problem worse? 
   
  Do they try to seize the power of the crystal for 
  themselves, risky as it is? 
   
  Do they just walk away, content or even glad to let 
  the High Druid’s realm fall apart? 
  Walking away is easy—the party just walks away 
  from the crystal, allowing it to continue tainting the Wild 
  Wood. 
  Walking Away—”As you turn your back on the crystal, you 
  hear rustling among the leaves. Looking back you see new roots 
  growing into the crystal. The creature is still too weak to attack, 
  so if you leave now you will make the clearing’s edge before it 
  can attack again.” 
  If the party tries to fix the problem posed by the crystal 
  each adventurer must make a DC 15 skill check and their 
  player describe what it is they are doing to contribute to 
  messing with the crystal. On a failed check the adventurer 
  fails forwards and their player must choose one of the 
  following: 
   
  Somehow the character fouled up and the DCs for all 
  subsequent skill checks is 5 higher. 
   
  Each party member present takes 1d10 negative 
  energy damage as they get sudden painful growths 
  throughout their body. 
   
  The adventurer loses a recovery as they suddenly 
  undergo strange growth spurts. 
  If anybody rolls a natural 1 the character failed so 
  badly that the party must start over again. 
  Once everybody has made a skill check and succeeded 
  or failed forward (and nobody rolled a natural 1) the 
  party gets one of the following outcomes depending on 
  their intentions and actions. 
  Shutting down the crystal—”With a loud crash, the crystal 
  shoots out a burst of light and shatters. As you begin to regain 
  your vision you see the strange growths of the forest wither.” 
  Making it worse—”With a strange hum, the crystal’s light 
  shifts from clear to green. You are bathed in the uncanny 
  amethyst light. The plants around you twist and thicken, moan 
  and bleed. The strange guardian of the crystal starts to regrow. 
  You must run before you are consumed by the burst of 
  unnatural life.” 
  Seize power—”The crystal cracks and becomes black. You feel 
  power fill you, though you can tell it is only temporary.” (Each 
  player chooses one benefit: gain +1 to all attacks for the 
  next battle, add twice the escalation die to the 
  adventurer’s miss damage in their next battle, hovering 
  flight 3 foot above the ground for the whole of the next 
  battle, teleport as a move action during their next battle). 
  TAKING A STAND (SET PIECE) 
  The adventurers meet walking trees. 
  As the adventurers are travelling along, or as they are 
  leaving a location, they notice that the Wild Wood itself is 
  moving. A veritable army of walking trees is marching 
  through the forest in a long line.  
  GMs: This is either the High Druid taking drastic action to 
  root out the infection caused by Darkskye crashing, or is a direct 
  result of Darkskye’s magic. You decide which it is. 
  The trees are tearing other trees out of the ground, 
  tearing apart animals, throwing boulders, and generally 
  wrecking the place. As the army walks along more trees 
  awaken to life and join them. The line of walking trees is 
  several ranks deep and stretches to the left and right as 
  far as the adventurers can see. 
  GMs: The party must either stand and fight, or run to a 
  defensible location. Give them both options, and then ask if they 
  have a third option they’d like to suggest (fight here/fight 
  elsewhere/something else). Let the players know that diplomacy 
  or bluffing the trees is not really possible. 
  stand and fight 
  If the adventurers just rush the trees skip ahead to the 
  fight, but all the adventurers start the fight dazed (normal 
  save ends, 11+) due to the flying debris that the walking 
  trees that they are not directly fighting are throwing 
  about. 
  run and fight elsewhere 
  The most sensible option is for the adventurers to head to 
  some place defensible like the Village of Alamede or 
  Alam’s Tower and fight there. 
  Running ahead of the oncoming army gives the 
  adventurers time to prepare some defenses against the 
  oncoming onslaught. Each party member preparing 
  makes a skill check against an appropriate background, 
  with the difficulty of each task as follows: 
  Rally villagers (DC 25)—The villagers of Alamede agree 
  to take up arms and defend their homes in an organized 
  way. The villagers have only farming implements and 
  hunting bows, and can only really harry and distract the 
  walking trees. The distraction that the villagers ‘fighting’ 
  
   
  79 
   
  creates grants the adventurer who passed this skill check 
  a +1 attack throughout the coming battle with the walking 
  trees. 
  Brew potions (DC 20)—The villagers of Alamede can 
  brew potions for the party. The adventurer gains one 
  healing potion for passing this skill check. 
  Build/repair defenses (DC 15)—The adventurer can 
  build barricades, create alchemist’s fire, perform ritual 
  magic, etc. Though the tower is easier to repair than the 
  village’s palisade walls there are villagers at Alamede 
  who can help the adventurer so the DC for either task is 
  15. 
  Scout 
  (DC 
  15)—Forewarned 
  is 
  forearmed, 
  and 
  succeeding at this task starts the escalation die at 1. 
  the fight 
  Eventually the trees will reach where the adventurers are, 
  even if all the adventurers are doing is running directly 
  away. The adventurers are faster, but have to rest 
  eventually and the walking trees are implacable. 
  Fight! 
  Well-prepared and quick-thinking adventurers could 
  possibly lure the animated plants into a trap, giving 
  them an advantage against their foes. If you as GM feel 
  that the party deserves a break due to their luring their 
  leafy enemies into a trap start the escalation die at 2. 
  Number of PCs 
  Hunter Vine 
  Saplings 
  Hive Plant 
  Thralls 
  3 
  2 
  5 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  5 
  3 
  10 
  6 
  4 
  10 
  7 
  5 
  10 
  Hunter Vine Sapling 
  The shapeless network of vines stalks across high branches with 
  the speed and strength of a jaguar. When it drops from its perch 
  the vine creature encompasses and ensnares its prey, slowly 
  digesting it until nothing but bare bones remain.  
  2nd level troop [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Vine smack +7 vs. AC—7 damage 
   
  Constricting attack +6 vs. PD—5 damage and the hunter 
  vine grabs the target. While grabbed by the vine, the 
  target takes 5 ongoing damage. The hunter vine can 
  have any number of creatures grabbed. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 36 
  MD 12 
  Hive Plant Thrall 
  A hive plant thrall looks and acts like the creature it used 
  to be, but behind its eyes a plant intelligence controls its 
  thoughts and actions, luring more prey to the hive plant’s 
  horrible maw.  
  2nd level mook [PLANT] 
  Initiative: +2 
   
  Smashing fist +7 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  Spore-infested: When a hive plant thrall is reduced to 0 hit 
  points from an attack, it uses the spore burst attack as a 
  free action before it dies. 
  [Special trigger] C: Spore burst +7 vs. PD (all enemies 
  engaging the thrall)—5 damage and the target 
  makes a normal save. If the target fails, it is confused 
  (easy save (6+) ends). 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 12 
  Mook: Kill one hive plant thrall for every 9 points of 
  damage that you deal to the mob. 
   
  
   
  80 
   
  KOBOLDS! (SET PIECE) 
  The adventurers meet some kobolds, and spot the 
  Darkskye Diamond! 
  The party is marching through the Wild Wood when they 
  come across a group of kobolds digging crystals out of the 
  ground. The crystals are those from the flying island of 
  darkskye. Nearby there is a large chunk of Darkskye’s 
  rock hovering in the air. 
  some kobolds fight, others run 
  As soon as the party spots the kobolds two things 
  happen simultaneously. The first is that the kobolds spot 
  the adventurers and rush to defend their prizes. The 
  second is that a kobold yells out “I’ve got it!” and holds 
  aloft the Darkskye Diamond. 
  GMs: The kobold with the Darkskye Diamond is too far 
  away for the party to reach or stop, and runs off immediately. 
  The adventurers can track that kobold down, but that will 
  happen in chapter 4. The kobold is out of bowshot range, too far 
  away for magic, and runs into the undergrowth before the 
  adventurers can properly react. 
  Fight! 
  As soon as half of the kobolds are dead the other half 
  will run away carrying as many of the crystal 
  fragments as they can. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Archer 
  Kobold Warrior 
  3 
  15 
  5 
  4 
  15 
  7 
  5 
  15 
  9 
  6 
  15 
  11 
  7 
  15 
  13 
  Kobold Warrior 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Spear +8 vs. AC—4 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The kobold warrior can pop 
  free from the target. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Not brave: Kobold warriors with single-digit hit-points 
  will run away the first chance they get. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 22 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  information gathering 
  After the fight the adventurers might want to check out 
  the bodies or otherwise look for clues.  
  The kobolds have no useful items on them, at least not 
  from an adventurer’s viewpoint. Most of their kobold 
  weaponry is inferior, they have crude tools, and their 
  packs of food leave much to be desired. 
  Most of the kobolds are carrying scraps of paper with 
  drawings of the Darkskye Diamond on them. A fair few 
  of them are also carrying crudely made books of religious 
  writing that promises the kobolds an ascent to power if 
  they can revive a certain dragon said to slumber deep 
  within the isle of Omen. The kobolds are all wearing 
  leather from dust-dune snakes, a type of creature found 
  only on the isle of Omen.  
  GMs: Even if the adventurers do not search the bodies they 
  will still notice the dust-dune snake leather and make the 
  connection with the isle of Omen.  
  OUT OF THE WOODS (ENDING) 
  The adventurers finally reach the road out of the Wild 
  Wood. 
  After a days of travel the party arrives at a wood elf 
  community at the edge of the rift valley. Beyond the 
  village is a road that leads north. 
  The wood elf village is known as Crow’s Leigh, and is 
  sheltered among the roots of ancient trees. Half a day’s 
  travel to the north is a human community known as 
  Tilgate, and then from there are the rolling fields of tilth 
  that stretch on towards Fullcatch Bay.  
  
   
  81 
   
  the kobolds 
  The adventurers notice that several kobold corpses have 
  been gruesomely displayed at the outskirts of town. 
  Other kobolds are in cages slung from trees. The wood elf 
  villagers caught the kobolds running out of the deep Wild 
  Wood carrying crystals with them.  
  The villagers mention to the party that they saw one 
  bunch of kobolds carrying a glowing diamond headed 
  north, but they got away. 
  The villagers tell the party that these kobolds come 
  from Omen, worship a dragon, and have with them the 
  Darkskye Diamond. The kobolds in the cages will be only 
  too happy to corroborate the story, with threats that once 
  their dragon god rises on the isle of Omen that it will burn 
  the world so the villagers had better let them go. 
  GMs: If the party didn’t meet the kobolds in the forest then 
  this is a chance to have that encounter happen here: run the 
  combat from that section as the kobolds break free from their 
  cages, then have a couple of kobold corpses for the adventurers 
  to investigate. 
  praise or punishment? 
  If the party acted in the High Druid’s best interests 
  throughout this adventure then they are welcomed by the 
  elves. The elves feed them, and the owner of the local 
  tavern (the tavern is called The Green King) refuses 
  payment. This encounter becomes a reward where they 
  are praised for their actions, and admirers present them 
  with gifts. 
  BUT… if the party deliberately tried to harm the Wild 
  Wood the elves seem welcoming at first, but once the 
  party is inside The Green King tavern the High Druid 
  aligned wood elves will lock the doors and attack the 
  party. A fight ensues. 
  If the party turns up with the ‘survivors’ from the 
  broken caravan then the elves realize that the trio killed 
  the traders and assign blame equally to the adventurers. 
  The elves are familiar with the dead traders believe that 
  the adventurers are murderous escaped convicts. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  82 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  Wither the fight occurs or not will depend on if the 
  party are travelling with the murderers from the Broken 
  Caravan encounter or refused to ‘fix’ a problem with the 
  crystal in the Horrors of the Green Realm section. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Elven 
  Archers 
  Elven 
  Fighters 
  Woodland 
  Creatures 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  4 
  2 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  2 
  3 
  10 
  6 
  3 
  4 
  10 
  7 
  3 
  5 
  15 
  Woodland Creatures (and maybe 
  secretly druids) 
  Dogs, foxes, deer, falcons, rabbits. Rather tougher and smarter 
  than normal. 
  1st level mook [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  Teeth and Talons +6 vs. AC—5 damage 
   
  Leaping! Jumping! Flying!: Woodland creatures are able to 
  leap, climb or fly around most physical obstructions. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one woodland creature mook for every 5 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  Elven Archer 
  Elven archery is a thing of beauty until you’re on the end 
  receiving end of it. 
  2nd level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +5 
   
  R: Longbow +7 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Even miss: Reroll the attack with a -2 penalty. 
   
  Short-sword +7 vs. AC—6 damage 
  Natural 14+: The elven archer pops free. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 14  HP 36 
  MD 14 
  Elven Fighter 
  The only thing faster than their feet are their blades. 
  2nd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Elven Sabre +7 vs. AC—7 damage and the fighter gets a 
  +2 to its next attack 
  Natural 16+: The target makes a Quickstep Strike 
  (below) as a free action. 
   
  Quickstep Strike +6 vs. PD—3 damage, and the target 
  becomes engaged with a different nearby ally. 
  Special: This attack is only used when triggered by Elven 
  Sabre. 
   
  Two-weapon warrior: Elven fighters reroll the first 
  natural 2 of each attack. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 38 
  MD 12 
   
  onwards to tilgate 
  Tilgate is a human town, and a good place to give the 
  party a full heal up and maybe a couple of day’s rest and 
  a chance to resupply.  
  The people of Tilgate tell the party that a great number 
  of kobolds set out into the Wild Wood shortly before a 
  flying island exploded, and then later came out with a lot 
  of crystals and a giant glowing diamond. 
  The older and wiser citizens of Tilgate tell the party 
  that they think that the kobolds came from a magic circle 
  of stones a couple of days travel to the north. 
  GMs: It’s possible that the party may avoid the wood elf 
  community altogether and head directly out of the Wild Wood 
  to Tilgate. That is fine. If the kobolds encounter didn’t happen 
  in the forest and the party bypassed Crow’s Leigh then have the 
  kobold encounter happen on their way to Tilgate and have the 
  party meet the kobolds in cages in Tilgate itself
  
   
  83 
   
  Chapter 4: Diamond Chase
  This section of the adventure is designed for 4th level characters. 
  Some of the fights are easy, but have hazards that GMs can 
  throw at adventurers mid-fight to ramp up the difficulty. 
  Chapter 4 is split into three parts: the first two are fairly 
  short, the third section is a dungeon crawl. Kobolds feature 
  prominently in this adventure, and it spotlights the varied and 
  often deadly kobolds of 13th Age. 
  Unlike other chapters this one is fairly linear: chase the 
  kobolds and the Darkskye Diamond—the whole chapter is one 
  giant extended chase scene. However, once the adventurers 
  reach the kobold’s dungeon lair in the third part of the chapter 
  there is an element of exploration involved. That said there is 
  plenty of room for GMs to add their own twists: have kobold 
  NPCs attempt to bribe the adventurers to leave them alone, 
  have an encounter with a living dungeon breaching the surface 
  of the Desert of Broken Statues - go nuts! 
  Recap (the story so far) 
  The adventurers owe a debt to the Prince of Shadows. In 
  order to repay their debt they performed crimes for him, 
  one of which was stealing the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The Darkskye Diamond was in turn stolen from the 
  Prince of Shadows, who asks that the adventurers steal it 
  back. 
  The Darkskye Diamond has the power to control 
  flying islands, and was originally mined from a flying 
  island called Darkskye—an island that serves as a prison 
  for the Dragon Empire’s worst criminals. The person who 
  stole the diamond from the Prince has taken the diamond 
  to the flying Darkskye Prison. 
  The adventurers used a stolen flying ship to get 
  aboard the flying island and steal back the diamond, but 
  the prison crashed out of the sky into the Wild Wood.  
  The adventurers made their way out of the Wild 
  Wood and tracked down the Darkskye Diamond to a 
  group of kobolds, and are now hot on their trail… 
  THE WILD WOOD 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers follow the trail of the kobolds from chapter 3. 
  THE SPARKLING TRAIL 
  The adventurers have left the village of Tilgate (from 
  chapter 3) far behind them and have set out to find the 
  magic circle that the villagers described to them. The 
  villagers believed that the kobolds came from the magic 
  circle. 
  Following the kobolds is easy, they have dropped lots 
  of crystals behind them as they fled with their prize, the 
  Darkskye Diamond. Some of the kobolds have been 
  turning into crystal along the way (a deadly side-effect of 
  the broken magic of the Darkskye flying prison), and 
  have left a sparkling trail as they have crumbled to death. 
  However, occasionally the trail ends suddenly, or the 
  kobolds doubled back on themselves. 
  Go around the group and ask each player a problem 
  or challenge the group had tracking down the kobolds to 
  the Blood Wood. Move to the next player and ask them 
  how their adventurer solved the problem, then work that 
  into the narrative. Repeat this until each player has had a 
  chance to tell of a challenge that the group encountered 
  and of how their adventurer solved a different problem. 
  THE KOBOLD CAMP 
  The adventurers have finally caught up with some of the 
  kobolds, the party has tracked the kobolds down to a 
  circle of tents on a path through the forest. The path is 
  cleared of vegetation and is rutted by many kobold 
  tracks—a lot of kobolds have been passing through here 
  over an extended period of time. 
  The Darkskye Diamond is obviously not here: it is too 
  large for any of the kobolds to have hidden on their 
  person, and it is reputed to glow very brightly—it would 
  be visible even through the tents. 
   
   
   
  
   
  84 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  The party could potentially avoid the fight as it is 
  obvious that the diamond is not here. Sneaking around 
  the kobold camp is a DC 25 skill check, or DC 15 if the 
  party use a creative distraction. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Archer 
  Kobold Dog 
  Warrior 
  3 
  10 
  5 
  4 
  10 
  7 
  5 
  10 
  9 
  6 
  10 
  11 
  7 
  10 
  13 
  Kobold Warrior 
  1st level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Spear +8 vs. AC—4 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The kobold warrior can pop 
  free from the target. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Not brave: Kobold warriors with single-digit hit-points 
  will run away the first chance they get. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 15  HP 22 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  kobold camp hazard chart 
  If you want to make this fight more difficult (and I suggest that 
  you do) throw some of these hazards into the mix mid-fight so 
  that the adventurers must choose to spend a standard action to 
  try to avoid a trap or spend it trying to hit a kobold and hope 
  that the hazard doesn’t harm them. 
  KOBOLD FOOT 
  TRAPS 
  KOBOLD HIVE 
  TRAP 
  LARGE SPIKED 
  PIT TRAP 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Ankle breaker 
  +5 vs AC—1d10 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Stinging 
  insects +10 vs 
  PD (all 
  adventurers)—
  1d12 poison 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Dung-covered 
  spikes +10 vs 
  AC (all 
  adventurers)—
  2d8 poison 
  damage 
  A BETTER 
  MOUSETRAP 
  STINK POT 
  DEEP YET 
  NARROW PIT 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Clang +5 vs 
  AC—1d10 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Mobile latrine 
  +10 vs PD—3d6 
  poison damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Fall +15 vs 
  AC—4d6 
  damage 
  TREACHEROUS CIRCLE 
  The Darkskye Diamond glows brightly, and through the 
  trees the adventurers can certainly see a bright and clearly 
  very magical glow. In a clearing in the thick forest is a 
  stone circle, and a group of kobolds in red robes are stood 
  at the center of it chanting and waving around the kind of 
  draconic relics that the degenerate creatures prize so 
  highly. This is a teleportation circle, and kobolds are 
  queueing up to step into the portal of bright light at the 
  center. 
  Just as the adventurers spot it, four kobolds straining 
  under the weight of the huge Darkskye Diamond step 
  into the portal of light and vanish. Unfortunately this 
  happens far too quickly for the adventurers to do much 
  about it, except to follow the diamond through the portal 
  to wherever it may lead. There are a lot of kobolds about, 
  together with the red-robed kobold wizards, so sneaking 
  up to the portal isn’t an option.  
  
   
  85 
   
  Fight! 
  Unless an adventurer does something to alert the 
  kobolds first, the escalation die for the fight with the 
  kobolds starts at 1. The kobolds will see the 
  adventurers as soon as they get close enough to fight 
  (bow range), but the adventurers will definitely have 
  the momentum in the fight as the kobolds are all 
  focused on the portal. 
  An adventurer who steps into the glowing portal 
  before the fight is over has removed themselves from 
  the fight, but a kobold hero will also flee either through 
  the portal or into the forest when an adventurer does 
  so. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Kobold 
  Archer 
  Kobold Hero 
  Kobold 
  Grand 
  Wizard 
  3 
  9 
  3 
  8 
  4 
  12 
  4 
  7 
  5 
  15 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  18 
  6 
  5 
  7 
  21 
  7 
  4 
  The grand-wizards do not really add much to the fight, but 
  killing them will sure be satisfying. 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Kobold Hero 
  2nd level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3 
   
  Shortsword +7 vs. AC—6 damage, and each nearby non-
  leader kobold deals +3 damage with its next attack this 
  battle that hits 
  Natural even miss: 3 damage. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 34 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Grand-Wizard 
  “Beware my mighty power! Mighty power!” 
  0th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Static jolt +5 vs. AC—2 lightning damage 
   
  R: Painful liver inversion hex +7 vs. PD—4 poison 
  damage, or 6 poison damage against dwarves 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 13  HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 9 
  Mook: Kill one kobold grand-wizard mook for every 5 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  Loot! 
  The dragon relics are mostly just carved bits of wood, 
  but one or two of them are magic items. 
  None of the relics are weapons or implements or 
  armor, instead these dragon-themed objects are things 
  like magic rings or wondrous items. 
  GMs: If the adventurers dally too much then the portal 
  closes, but it can be re-opened by the adventurers. If a wizard 
  or other magic user is with the party they can re-open the portal, 
  if the adventurers lack the ability to cast spells then they can 
  use some of the dragon relics to open the portal. 
  
   
  86 
   
  THE ISLE OF OMEN 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers have gone through a magic circle and ended 
  up on the isle of Omen, chasing the kobolds who have the 
  Darkskye Diamond. 
  THE DESERT OF BROKEN STATUES 
  The adventurers awake near a glowing blue portal. 
  Obviously they passed out as they travelled from glowing 
  portal to glowing portal, but it doesn't feel like they have 
  been here for long, probably only moments. The portal 
  has bought them all here at once, they seem to have 
  caused a magical bottle-neck with the teleportation spell. 
  The glowing portal is slowly fading away - they won’t be 
  able to return from wherever they are now.  
  The adventurers see that they are on a great plain of 
  grey dust. Statues from past ages litter the landscape, and 
  surrounding the desert like a ring of mountains is a series 
  of living dungeons, their monster-haunted spires jutting 
  up into the sky like claws. This unfriendly place is the 
  Desert of Broken Statues on the isle of Omen. 
  In the extreme distance a glow can be seen retreating 
  at speed - the Darkskye Diamond is headed north in the 
  direction of a river that flows sluggishly through the 
  lifeless desert. 
  As the adventurers attempt to get their bearings they 
  are attacked by a band of kobolds. 
  Fight! 
  This is a good chance to introduce kobolds that may 
  have escaped previous fights by running away. “Hey, 
  the kobold facing you is the one that stole your dagger in the 
  Wild Wood”.  
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Archer 
  Kobold Dog Rider 
  3 
  10 
  2 
  4 
  12 
  3 
  5 
  10 
  5 
  6 
  12 
  6 
  7 
  10 
  8 
  Trapster (roll d3) 
  1. Oil bladder explodes underfoot. Target takes double 
  damage from fire for the rest of the fight. 
  2. Spring-loaded darts concealed under a statue. 1d4 + 
  escalation die damage. 
  3. Blasting powder under a statue. 3 damage and target is 
  dazed (-4 to attack) until the end of their next turn. 
  Kobold Dog-Rider 
  Here comes the cavalry! Riding feral terriers, savage corgis, and 
  dire-schnauzers! The tiny doggy armor is adorable, the flaming 
  lances of the riders much less so. 
  3rd level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Flaming lance +8 vs. AC—6 damage, and 3 ongoing fire 
  damage 
  Natural 16+: The kobold and its steed pop free from all 
  enemies and can move as a free action. 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow +8 vs. AC—9 damage and the kobold 
  and its steed can move as a free action. 
  Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): There is a 
  line tied to the barbed dart, pulling/tripping the 
  target into a trap. See Trapster. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Canine steed: The steed can’t be targeted separately from 
  the kobold. If the kobold dies the dog runs away. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 16  HP 41 
  MD 12 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  
   
  87 
   
  DESCENT INTO DARKNESS 
  The kobolds have left deep tracks in the powdery grey 
  dust of the lifeless desert. The tracks turn to follow the 
  river, as the sluggish water starts to pick up speed. Soon 
  the sound of a waterfall can be heard from the direction 
  of what look from a distance to be camp fires.  
  Approaching closer the smoke proves not to be camp 
  fires but pock-marked holes in the ground. Volcanic 
  vapors and thick dark smoke are coming from the holes, 
  chimneys to an underground inferno.  
  GMs: Let the adventurers know that everybody knows that 
  Omen is not volcanic, it is an accretion of living dungeons. 
  What is going on here? Something magical. 
  The river thunders over the lip of a chasm into a dark 
  void. Peering over the edge it is possible to see kobolds 
  making their way around cracks in the ground that glow 
  with molten magma. The chimneys through the rock here 
  are so hot that they glow on the inside, and the air is thick 
  with fumes that scorch the lungs. For a moment the pure 
  white light of the Darkskye Diamond can be glimpsed as 
  the kobolds carry it into a tunnel. The kobolds below are 
  too far away to attack, and even a feather-fall spell would 
  likely run out too soon to carry the adventurers down 
  safely. It appears that they will have to climb. The 
  kobold’s superior knowledge of the terrain has allowed 
  them to get far ahead of the party, but the adventurers are 
  still in hot pursuit. 
  As the adventurers consider their options a rock 
  skitters down into the chasm from the opposite side… it 
  is more kobolds! 
  Fight! 
  Some of the kobolds with ranged attacks can stay on 
  the opposite side of the chasm, close enough to shoot 
  bows but too far to jump. The adventurers will be 
  obligated to use ranged attacks on the far away 
  kobolds. Don’t put too many kobolds out of reach of 
  melee fighters though. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Engineer 
  Kobold Skyclaw 
  3 
  1 
  16 
  4 
  2 
  16 
  5 
  3 
  16 
  6 
  4 
  16 
  7 
  5 
  16 
  Kobold Engineer 
  Kobold engineers are part of the reason why kobolds thrive in 
  almost any environment, although they are also adept at 
  creating traps and undermining dwarven mine shafts. 
  3rd level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Wrench, pick, or shovel +8 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Natural 16+: The engineer’s kobold allies gain a +2 
  attack bonus against the target until the start of the 
  engineer’s next turn. 
   
  R: Explosive flask +5 vs. PD—The target is vulnerable 
  to non-magical attacks (easy save ends, 6+) 
  Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): The blast 
  knocks the target into a trap. See Trapster. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 45 
  MD 13 
  Trapster (roll d6) 
  1. Patch of strategically placed slippery oil. 
  2. Foot-sized spike-pit, hidden in the dust. 
  3. A foot snare attaches bag of 1000 biting millipedes to 
  adventurer's leg! 
  4. Broken glass and a foot snare. Ouch! 
  5. Explosive powder and a lit fuse… blam! 
  6. Metal spikes coated in kobold dung. 
  All these traps do 1d4 + escalation die damage. 
  
   
  88 
   
  Kobold Skyclaw 
  The kobolds hurl themselves into battle wearing dragon-winged 
  backpacks. Landing among the enemy they begin to hurl 
  alchemical flasks about—those kobolds that don’t explode on 
  impact that is! 
  2nd level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Spike-toed boots +5 vs. AC—4 damage 
   
  C: Alchemical flask +6 vs. PD (one nearby enemy or 
  one far away enemy at -2 to attack)Spike-toed boots 
  +5 vs. AC—3 damage, and roll d4 for the effect of the 
  flask’s contents 
  1. Distilled ankheg spit: The target takes 3 ongoing acid 
  damage. 
  2. Reconstituted remorhaz lymph: The target takes 3 
  ongoing fire damage. 
  3. Essence of giant spider web: The target is stuck (save 
  ends). 
  4. Kobold blasting powder: There’s a loud bang and 
  the battlefield is obscured with thick smoke. Each 
  non-kobold creature takes a -2 attack penalty during 
  its next turn.  
  Natural 1: The kobold explodes (see mook). 
   
  Erratic flight: The kobold flings itself from a trebuchet or 
  ignites an unstable alchemical propellant and lands 
  among its enemies. Each time the kobold uses a move 
  action to fly, roll a d20. 
  1:  
  It crashes and explodes (see mook). 
  2-15:  It lands safely, 
  16+:  It stays aloft and can keep flying. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 7 (mook) 
  MD 13 
  Mook: Kill one kobold skyclaw mook for every 7 damage 
  you deal to the mob. If an attack roll against a skyclaw 
  is a natural 20 or a skyclaw rolls a natural 1 attack roll 
  or flight roll, it triggers a chain reaction that ripples 
  through all nearby skyclaws in the mob; each one 
  makes an alchemical flask attack as a free action as it 
  explodes and dies. 
  desert of broken statues hazard chart 
  If you want to make this fight more difficult (and I suggest that 
  you do) throw some of these hazards into the mix mid-fight so 
  that the adventurers must choose to spend a standard action to 
  try to avoid a hazard or spend it trying to hit a kobold and hope 
  that the hazard doesn’t harm them. 
  VOLCANIC 
  OUTGASSING 
  HOT ROCKS 
  DUST 
  EXPLOSION 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Woosh +10 vs 
  PD (all 
  adventurers)—
  1d12 poison 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Burning feet +5 
  vs PD—1d10 
  fire damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Blam +15 vs PD 
  (all 
  adventurers)—
  2d8 fire damage 
  UNCERTAIN 
  FOOTING 
  TOXIC FUMES 
  KOBOLD 
  CALTROPS 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 15 
  Sudden drop +5 
  vs PD—1d8 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Choking 
  hazard +15 vs 
  PD (all 
  adventurers)—
  2d8 poison 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 20 
  Foot piercing 
  spike +10 vs 
  AC—3d6 
  damage 
   
  
   
  89 
   
   
  THE TUNNEL 
  Though there is no sign of the kobolds by the time the 
  adventurers reach the floor of the steep-sided chasm, 
  there is only one possible way they could have gone. To 
  the west is cracked and broken rock, glowing with heat. 
  Scalding fumes would cook any kobold (or adventurer) 
  who tried to go that way. To the east the river flows, 
  towards the tunnel that the adventurers saw the kobolds 
  enter. 
  The tunnel is dark, and is hip deep in the ice-cold 
  water from the river. The bottom of the river is thick with 
  greyish mud, the fine choking dust of the Desert of 
  Broken Statues has become a sucking sludge. A rumbling 
  sound echoes out of the tunnel, and rocks fall from its 
  ceiling.  
  Unfortunately for the adventurers this tunnel is the 
  lair of a bulette. The kobolds know of the bulette and 
  bought meat to distract it with as they ran past. The 
  adventurers are not so well prepared. 
  Fight! 
  The bulette is just protecting its young from what it 
  perceives as a threat. 
  Number of PCs 
  Bulette 
  Hatchling 
  Bulettes 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  6 
  1 
  3 
  7 
  1 
  4 
  Hatchling Bulette 
  Newborns bulettes are hungry 
  3rd level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Barbed claws +8 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target takes 4 damage each round 
  until the hatchling is dead or they are no longer 
  engaged with the hatchling. 
   
  Blood frenzy: The bulette’s crit range expands to 16+ 
  while the escalation die is 4+. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 45 
  MD 10 
  Bulette 
  Certain specialists claim to be able to attract or repel bulettes by 
  creating rhythmic sounds transmitted into the ground through 
  metal poles. Judging by results, the most effective type of metal 
  pole is a hollow prosthetic worn in place of a missing leg. 
  Large 5th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Gigantic claws +12 vs. AC (2 attacks)—15 damage 
  Dual hit: If both claws hit during the same turn, the 
  bulette can make a terrible bite attack during its next 
  turn as a standard action. 
   
  [Special trigger] Terrible bite +14 vs. AC—45 damage 
  Miss: 22 damage. 
   
  Blood frenzy: The bulette’s crit range expands to 16+ 
  while the escalation die is 4+. 
   
  Serious burrower: A bulette can burrow incredibly 
  quickly for short distances. They’re renowned for the 
  mounds of dirt and rock they push above them as they 
  surge through the ground like land torpedoes. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 19  HP 170 
  MD 14 
   
  If the adventurers want to rest the tunnel seems as 
  good a place as any—the kobolds seem like they might 
  live nearby so have probably not gone far. 
  Loot! 
  Before the kobolds figured out that the bulette could 
  be appeased with meat they sent their best warriors to 
  kill it. Those warriors were eaten. 
  Fortunately for the adventurers the kobold 
  warriors were carrying magic items, and 1d3+1 magic 
  items can be found in the gullet of the bulette after it is 
  dead. 
   
  
   
  90 
   
  THE DUNGEON OF DEATH 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers have located the kobold’s lair, but must brave 
  its depths to retrieve the diamond that they seek. 
  DEAD DUNGEON 
  This part of the adventure allows for multiple routes 
  through the dungeon. 
  dungeon entrances 
  Exiting the tunnel the adventurers are faced with a choice, 
  proceed forwards towards what looks like a cave 
  entrance, or keep following the river as it plunges into a 
  dark cataract and disappears deep into the rock. It is 
  obvious that the kobolds went into the cave, they have 
  even tracked the river’s grey mud towards the entrance.  
  There are two ways into the dungeon: 
  The Mouth of Fire—This area is a cave entrance with lots 
  of magma and gouts of steam near it. The kobolds have 
  set up a watch post outside. Going in this way leads to 
  The Caves of Fire. 
  The Cataract—The river plunges down into a crack in the 
  rock. It looks like descending into the steep and slippery 
  hole will take the adventurers past the kobolds on guard 
  out front. Going in this way leads to The Green Dungeon.  
  the caves of fire 
  These caves are a confusing network of lava tubes and 
  cave spaces open to the sky. Feel free to have the 
  adventurers explore as much as they like here. Eventually 
  the party will reach the Infinite Stair section of the 
  dungeon. 
  There are three main encounters in this area: 
  Kobold Tunnels—This area is clear of kobolds or other 
  threats, unless you as the GM want to introduce some 
  new treat—it is an ideal place for a random encounter.  
  Kobold Watch Post—The kobolds have set up a watch 
  post to keep an eye out for intruders. With typical kobold 
  cunning the tiny menaces have decided to wait near 
  where they know undead might rise against intruders.  
  Tephra the Stone Burner—Tephra is a slumbering lava 
  dragon, sleeping merged with the rocky floor of a cave. 
  The adventurers presence wakes the mighty beast from 
  its centuries-long nap. 
  the green dungeon 
  This living dungeon intersects with the kobolds’ chosen 
  home, though they tend to avoid going into it. The living 
  dungeon is reached via The Cataract and ends at The 
  Infinite Stair.  
  The Great Hall—An ‘empty’ area of the dungeon, but a 
  perfect place for some random encounters.  
  The Living Dungeon—A fight with slime monsters.  
  The Birthing Chamber—Hungry stars guard a series of 
  chambers in which chuul body-parts bubble away in vats. 
  random encounters 
  Omen is the island of living dungeons, and occasionally 
  monsters wander into the kobold’s lair from other 
  dungeons. The kobolds know how to hide when these 
  monsters come calling and have an early warning system 
  set up—the adventurers are perhaps not so fortunate. 
  If you want the encounters to be truly random roll a 
  d4. 
  Spiders—Monstrous spiders.  
  Undead—Undead kobolds!  
  Snakes—Giant snakes with a head on both ends. 
  Horrid Things—Half-formed monsters with too many 
  mouths and tentacles.  
  ending 
  After the players have had their fun exploring the 
  dungeon, use the following two encounters: 
  The Infinite Stair—A staircase that leads downwards 
  into the darkness and into Hot Water.  
  Hot Water—The kobolds are conducting a ritual with the 
  Darkskye Diamond, on an island surrounded by boiling 
  water. 
   
   
  
   
  91 
   
  THE MOUTH OF FIRE (DUNGEON ENTRANCE) 
  Sneak past the kobolds, or fight? 
  At the entrance to a cave sit several kobolds, standing 
  watch. The kobolds look bored. 
  It is a DC 20 skill check for each adventurer to sneak 
  past the kobolds, if at least one adventure fails the skill 
  check the kobolds spring up and fight. 
  The adventurers could try to talk their way past the 
  kobolds, but the kobolds aren’t stupid and some really 
  good role-playing or really clever thinking will be needed 
  to get past the kobolds by bluffing or diplomacy. 
  The Mouth of Fire leads into The Caves of Fire (Kobold 
  Tunnels, Kobold Watch Post, Tephra the Stone Burner). 
  Fight! 
  Adventurers who passed their skill check to sneak past 
  the kobolds get a +1 attack bonus with their first attack. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Bravescale 
  Kobold Archer 
  3 
  2 
  10 
  4 
  3 
  10 
  5 
  4 
  10 
  6 
  5 
  10 
  7 
  6 
  10 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14 HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Kobold Bravescale 
  These iron-clad woad-painted kobolds don’t run away from 
  danger! 
  4th level blocker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Spear +9 vs. AC—13 damage 
  Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): The 
  kobold pushes or trips the target into a trap. See 
  Trapster. 
   
  Disciplined maneuver: If the escalation die is 3+ and this 
  creature has at least two bravescale allies in the battle, 
  whenever an enemy moves to engage the bravescale, it 
  can make a spear porcupine attack against that enemy 
  as a free action. 
  Spear porcupine +11 vs. AC—10 damage 
   
  Lock shields: For each other kobold bravescale next to the 
  bravescale or engaged with a creature that this 
  bravescale is engaged with, the bravescale gains a +2 
  bonus to AC (maximum of +4), and each enemy 
  engaged with the bravescale takes a -2 penalty 
  (maximum of -4) to disengage checks. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18  HP 55 
  MD 14 
  Trapster (roll d6) 
  1. Lava spills out of stone bucket up above. 
  1d4+escalation die fire damage. 
  2. Steam vent uncorked by tripwire. 1d4+escalation 
  die fire damage. 
  3. Foot snare hidden under volcanic dust. Stuck (hard 
  save ends). 
  4. Boiling oil flung from tiny catapult in shadows. 3 
  ongoing fire damage. 
  5. Suddenly caltrops! Caltrops everywhere! 1d8 
  ongoing damage. 
  6. Hallucinogenic dust from concealed billows. 
  Confused (easy save ends). 
   
   
  
   
  92 
   
  THE CATARACT (DUNGEON ENTRANCE) 
  Into the depths via a subterranean waterfall. 
  The river plunges down through a hole in the rock. The 
  rock is wet and slippery, with jagged edges. It is a DC 25 
  skill check to get down without taking damage: if they get 
  20-24 on their roll they take 2d6 damage, 15-19 they take 
  2d8 damage, anything less than 15 and that adventurer 
  takes 2d12 damage.  
  The roaring water pushes the adventurers deeper into 
  the rock. The roar of the water is deafening, adventurers 
  tumble against the rocks, and there is no air. Just as their 
  lungs are bursting and they are close to blacking out, 
  disaster strikes. One of the adventurers ends up wedged 
  upside-down in a narrow passage, blocking the flow of 
  water. Everybody is stuck and the adventurers begin to 
  drown. The pressure backs up and at the point of no 
  return … they pop free to rush further down into the 
  terror-filled darkness. 
  It takes a minute for the gasping adventurers to realize 
  that they can breathe. The water is still rushing around 
  them but there is space enough to wiggle along on their 
  backs and gasp air. Up ahead there is a light! It takes some 
  pushing and a lot of scraped-off skin, but they exit the 
  rushing water into a room. It is one of the living dungeons 
  of Omen! 
  The Cataract leads into The Green Dungeon (The Living 
  Dungeon, The Great Hall, The Birthing Chamber). 
  KOBOLD TUNNELS (THE CAVES OF FIRE) 
  Empty tunnels, or are they? 
  Though the adventurers are plunging unprepared into 
  monster-infested darkness, the path ahead seems clear of 
  danger.  
  GMs: This is a good place for a random encounter. 
  The kobolds have left paintings on the walls here, and 
  following these paintings leads to more. Some paintings 
  are maps and diagrams of the tunnels showing which 
  ones are safe and which pose dangers, and some are 
  crude pictograms of dragons.  
  One set of drawings show up over and over, a 
  hexagonally-framed illustration of a diamond being used 
  to resurrect five red dragons so that they may lay waste 
  to the world. These dragons are legendary: the World 
  Burners. In a past age the World Burners nearly 
  extinguished all life in the lands surrounding the Midland 
  Sea. Entire armies perished attempting to fight the beasts. 
  The World Burners were powerful, commanding the 
  power of volcanoes from their fortress in the Magma 
  Keeps.  
  GMs: Explain to the players that it is obvious to the 
  adventurers based on the paintings that the kobolds seem to 
  believe that they have found the final resting place of the World 
  Burners, and intend to raise their ‘gods’ to life once more! 
  KOBOLD WATCH POST (THE CAVES OF FIRE) 
  The kobolds have set up guard posts. 
  Kobolds are not stupid. Cautious to the point of 
  cowardice sometimes, but never stupid.  
  Kobolds are cunning. 
  The kobolds of this clan know that somebody might 
  try to stop them resurrecting their gods (see Kobold 
  Tunnels), and have taken appropriate measures to destroy 
  who or whatever tries to stop them; to that end they have 
  set up a perimeter of watch posts in the dark caverns.  
  Either through skill or luck the adventurers have 
  avoided the kobold watch posts so far, but this one cannot 
  be avoided—the only way onwards is right through the 
  watch post.  
  There doesn't appear to be any kobolds present. A fire 
  is burning and their sleeping rolls are there, but no 
  kobolds. Maybe they are out on patrol? 
   
   
  
   
  93 
   
  Fight! 
  The camp is a decoy for an ambush, and is set up on 
  ground that the undead infest. It is a DC 25 skill check 
  to spot the hiding kobolds, otherwise two kobolds get 
  a free attack before initiative is rolled. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Shadow-
  Warrior 
  Kobold Archer 
  3 
  10 
  10 
  4 
  15 
  10 
  5 
  20 
  10 
  6 
  25 
  10 
  7 
  30 
  10 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14 HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob.  
  Kobold Shadow-Warrior 
  Stealthy kobolds with color-changing skin, they climb the walls 
  like lizards and strike from the shadows. 
  4th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  C: Throwing star +9 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—7 
  damage 
   
  C: Stinging dust +6 vs. PD (up to 2 nearby enemies in a 
  group)—5 damage, and the target takes a -1 penalty to 
  attacks until the end of its next turn 
   
  Elusive: If a shadow-warrior hasn’t been attacked since 
  the end of its last turn, it can spend all of its actions to 
  disappear from sight (remove it from play as it gets 
  into position). At the start of its next turn, it reappears 
  (dropping down out of the ceiling or springing out of 
  cover and re-entering play) and can make an elusive 
  strike attack as a standard action. 
  C: Elusive strike +13 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—18 
  damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Wall-crawler: A kobold shadow-warrior can climb on 
  ceilings and walls as easily as it moves on the ground. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 13  HP 14 (mook) 
  MD 17 
  Mook: Kill one kobold shadow-warrior mook for every 
  14 damage you deal to the mob. Apply damage to 
  shadow-warriors using the elusive ability last (or 
  ignore that damage). 
   
  TEPHRA THE STONE BURNER (THE CAVES OF 
  FIRE) 
  A sleeping dragon is roused to action. 
  The adventurers proceed further into the rock, passing by 
  the ruins of living dungeons that were killed by the 
  anomalous recent volcanic activity. Strange doorways 
  and steps uncarved by any creature that has seen the sun 
  beckon to dangers untold. Echoes of monstrous noises 
  issue forth from cracks in the walls, and it is unclear if the 
  sounds are volcanic or… something else. 
  GMs: The ‘dead’ dungeon entrances are mostly just dead 
  ends sealed off by lava or fallen rocks, but if you want to take 
  
   
  94 
   
  the adventurers into The Green Dungeon or introduce a 
  dungeon of your own this is an ideal place to do so. 
  As the party proceeds forwards a wall cracks open, 
  and lava begins to pour out. As the lava lights up the 
  cavern that adventurers realize that they are standing on 
  a dragon! The lava awakens the dragon from her 
  deathless slumber, and she attacks them. 
  GMs: This dragon is not one of the huge ‘big five’ World 
  Burners the kobold tribe are trying to revive. No, they are much 
  worse. This is Tephra, one of the World Burner’s lesser 
  children. She was hibernating in the rock. 
  Fight! 
  Tephra rears up out of the rock, sending dust 
  everywhere. Adventurers who think quickly can hide 
  from her (a DC 25 skill check) provided they do so 
  immidiately.  
  Number of PCs 
  Tephra 
  Living Lava 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  6 
  1 
  3 
  7 
  1 
  4 
  Living Lava 
  Tephra’s magic has animated the lava itself! Adventurers 
  ‘fighting’ it are probably not striking directly at it but are 
  instead knocking rocks in its path or trying to dig trenches to 
  divert it. 
  Large 1st level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +0 
   
  Everything burns +6 vs. AC—10 fire damage 
   
  Lava immunity: The lava only takes half damage from all 
  attacks, no damage at all from attacks involving fire 
  damage, and attacks involving cold damage do triple 
  damage to the lava. 
   
  Fighting lava: Whenever an enemy would do miss 
  damage to lava, instead that enemy takes 5 fire 
  damage from outgassing and heat. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 17  HP 55 
  MD 30 (...a crit will still hit, but otherwise lava is very 
  hard to affect at all with psychic powers, to mind-control, 
  or to fool with illusions. Its lava.) 
   
  DRAGON! Run away! Run away! 
  While Tephra is only just awakened, it is still a 
  tough fight. They might all die - let them know 
  that going in. Remind the players that fleeing this 
  battle is a valid option. If they do so they escape 
  the lava and dragon, but get no treasure. 
  There is no shame in running from a dragon. 
   
  Tephra the Stone Burner 
  The volcanic heat has re-awakened Tephra from her hibernation 
  deep within the rock. She isn’t happy at being disturbed. 
  Large 5th level wrecker [DRAGON] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Tephra makes two or three attacks per round from the 
  following list: 
  Stone-melting claws +10 vs. AC—12 fire damage  
  C: Pyroclastic breath +10 vs. PD (one nearby or far 
  away enemy)—12 fire damage  
  R: Burning eyes +12 vs. MD (1d3 enemies)—Targets 
  either take 4 ongoing fire damage or can chose to lose 
  their next move action as they put out the flames. 
  If Tephra only makes two attacks in a round instead of three 
  then both attacks roll 2 x d20 to hit and the dragon takes the 
  higher attack roll for each attack. 
   
  Flight: Thephra can fly fast and well. If she uses her 
  standard action to fly, then all engaged enemies pop 
  free from her before she moves and they take 2d12 fire 
  damage each. 
   
  Dragon fear: Enemies with 24 HP or fewer that are 
  engaged with Tephra can not use the escalation die 
  and are dazed (-4 to attack). 
   
  Escalator: Tephra adds the escalation die value to her 
  attack rolls. 
   
  Fire heals me!: When Tephra takes fire damage from an 
  enemy she heals hit points instead of losing them. This 
  becomes obvious the first time she receives fire 
  damage from an enemy. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 144 
  MD 15 
  
   
  95 
   
   
  Once the dragon is dead its corpse proves to be 
  treasure! Tephra’s corpse is a glittering mound of fire-
  hardened flesh and bone, some of which can be turned 
  into magic items. 
  Loot! 
  Adventurers can form items from Tephra’s corpse—
  the dragon doesn't have treasure, it is treasure! The 
  dragon has slumbered for so long in the rock of a 
  highly magical isle of Omen that its remains are magic 
  items. There are enough intact bones for one magic 
  item per adventurer. 
  Dragontooth Necklace 
  Nothing says ‘bad-ass adventurer’ like a dragon tooth necklace. 
  +1 to saves when you have 10 HP or fewer 
  (adventurer); 25 Hp or fewer (champion); 50 HP 
  or fewer (epic). 
  +5 bonus to death saves when fighting dragons. 
  Quirk: Likes meals very very over-cooked. Charred really. 
  Orb of Tephra 
  Tephra’s eyes are crystals. 
  [Implement] 
  Bonus to attacks and damage with spells:  +1 
  (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic, only when 
  mounted on a staff). 
  Recharge 16+: Detect all hidden treasure nearby. If 
  dual-wielding orbs this becomes recharge 11+ 
  (orbs like being with other orbs, though their 
  bonuses do not stack). 
  Quirk: Covetousness. 
  Tephric Blade 
  One of the dragon’s sharp claws has survived intact. Wrap 
  some dragon-skin leather around the root to form a grip and you 
  have a perfect weapon! 
  [Melee weapon, any bladed] 
  Bonus to attacks and damage:  +1 (adventurer); +2 
  (champion); +3 (epic). 
  Recharge 16+: Deal your level in fire damage to 
  each enemy you are engaged with. 
  Quirk: Only comfortable when sleeping on (or in) rock. 
  Bag of Dragon Teeth 
  The shattered teeth fragments hold power still. 
  [Wondrous item] 
  Summon up to thirteen strong skeletons to do 
  your bidding! They cannot fight but they can dig, 
  carry, lift, fetch, etc. This free unskilled labor lasts 
  for one hour a day (after the hour they turn back 
  into teeth). Sunrise (or sunset, or moonrise, or 
  darkfall - whatever, it is only one use per day) 
  restores the magic to the bag of teeth. 
  Quirk: Lazy when too warm. 
  Dragonscale Shield 
  The chest scales of some dragons make excellent shields. 
  Increase your maximum hit points by +4 
  (adventurer); by +10 (champion); by +25 (epic). 
  Recharge 16+: Subtract your level from any fire 
  damage that you take, until the end of the battle. 
  Quirk: Fascinated by flames. 
  Dragonwing Weapon 
  One of the long hollow wing-bones is perfect for a hafted 
  weapon. So light and swift! 
  [Melee weapon, two-handed] 
  Bonus to attacks and damage:  +1 (adventurer); +2 
  (champion); +3 (epic). 
  Recharge 16+: Fly (more like glide) for one round. 
  Quirk: Claustrophobia. 
  THE GREAT HALL (THE GREEN DUNGEON) 
  The adventurers explore a living dungeon. 
  The dungeon that the adventurers find themselves in is 
  tiled with green hexagonal plates, and a sickly green 
  luminance issues forth from the air itself—a glowing 
  miasma that illuminates everything but gives no joyful 
  light. 
  GMs: This is a good place for a random encounter. 
  The living dungeon consists of a series of interlinked 
  halls, empty and echoing. Some of the halls have basins 
  built into the floors, others have stairs that lead 
  elsewhere, and many of them have shafts that lead 
  downwards to deeper areas of the living dungeon. 
  GMs: Explain to the players that their characters feel the 
  empty dungeon is uncanny and unsettling, an echoing place 
  devoid of life or ornament but that also makes them feel as if 
  they are being watched. 
   
   
  
   
  96 
   
  THE LIVING DUNGEON (THE GREEN 
  DUNGEON) 
  An encounter with slime monsters. 
  The adventurers enter an area of the living dungeon 
  where it is burrowing into the rock of Omen. The living 
  dungeon is converting the bedrock (actually thousands of 
  generations of living dungeons compressed together) into 
  more of itself. 
  As the adventurers watch a section of rock falls off the 
  wall; behind the rock is dressed green stone, regular 
  hexagonal blocks that form a geometrically perfect wall. 
  In the wall is a long passageway, down which can be seen 
  a green glow.  
  down the tunnel 
  Exploring down the passageway reveals a series of empty 
  rooms. Everything is tiled with green hexagons. 
  Following the light reflected from the stone blocks leads 
  the adventurers to the source of the illumination: slime. 
  A sluggishly moving slime fills carved troughs in the 
  ground, giving off a bright green glow. In the floor is a 
  deep shaft, from which blows the scent of jasmine and 
  lavender. A metal grate in the shaft blocks off exploration 
  in that direction, but it looks like it might be possible for 
  the grate to be dislodged with enough force. 
  the ooze 
  The adventurers, regardless of if they went down the 
  tunnel or not, will encounter slime monsters.  
  If the party went down the tunnel they will meet the 
  slime monsters as they ooze up one of the shafts, 
  otherwise the adventurers encounter the slime as it comes 
  out of the tunnel. 
  Fight! 
  These undead creatures are animated by slime sticking 
  to their bones. If a clever adventurer comes up with a 
  way to de-slime the undead mid-fight let them do so 
  and as a reward advance the escalation die by 1.  
  Number of PCs 
  Glowing Corpse 
  Glowing 
  Phantasm 
  3 
  7 
  2 
  4 
  7 
  3 
  5 
  7 
  4 
  6 
  7 
  5 
  7 
  7 
  6 
  Glowing Corpse 
  Its silence is eerie. 
  1st level archer [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  C: Baleful glare +6 vs. MD (one nearby or far away 
  enemy)—5 acid damage 
   
  Ethereal senses: Glowing corpses can see invisible or 
  obscured characters (spells like blur will not work on 
  them), can target characters who are shadow walking, 
  and will not target characters possessed by glowing 
  phantasms, dybbuks, or similar. 
    
  AC 17 
  PD 15  HP 24 
  MD 10 
  Glowing Phantasm 
  The phantasm floats around the room, phasing into victims. 
  4th level spoiler [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Phasing possession: Once per turn a glowing phantasm 
  may enter an enemy. That enemy becomes possessed 
  and glows. While possessed the phantasm controls 
  where the enemy moves on the enemy’s turn, and the 
  enemy is confused. While possessing an enemy the 
  phantasm may not be targeted by attacks against its 
  AC or PD. The phantasm remains inside the enemy 
  and possessing it until the enemy takes damage or 
  succeeds on a DC 20 wisdom roll (a quick action).  
   
  Chilling aura: Once per turn as a full-round action the 
  phantasm may de-escalate the escalation die, reducing 
  its value by 1 (to a minimum of 1). 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18  HP 54 
  MD 14 
   
   
  
   
  97 
   
  THE BIRTHING CHAMBER (THE GREEN 
  DUNGEON) 
  Hungry stars and chuul body-parts! 
  The only way onwards is down a shaft set into the 
  ground. A gurgling sound issues forth from the shaft, and 
  the smell of jasmine and lavender wafts up from below.  
  Kicking the grate out and using ropes attached to its 
  remains, it is possible to descend the smooth-sided shaft. 
  At the bottom of the shaft are more green-tiled rooms, 
  and the light is much brighter here. The scent is 
  overpowering.  
  Everywhere tiny glowing worms squirm across the 
  ceiling, occasionally one of them will fall and drop down 
  the back of an adventurer’s shirt, or into their hair. The 
  only sound here is the echoing footsteps of the 
  adventurers. 
  In a large room pools and oddly-shaped troughs of 
  glowing liquid bubble away, the obvious source of the 
  odor. The smell is now chokingly strong, an unpleasant 
  smell. All adventurers must succeed on a DC 15 
  constitution check or get a nosebleed and be completely 
  unable to smell for the rest of the chapter. 
  Fight! 
  It is up to you if the hungry stars come out of the 
  vats or are guarding them or doing something 
  involving them. Do hungry stars farm chuul? Are the 
  two monsters allies? Is this a laboratory, a nursery, or 
  something else entirely? Strange things wiggle in the 
  vats… 
  Number of PCs 
  Hungry Stars 
  3 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  5 
  8 
  6 
  9 
  7 
  11 
  Hungry Star 
  They’re clearly deviant, malevolent, octopus-like flying 
  monsters from a dimension where space obeys a different 
  geometry. No one understands their language, but everyone 
  can understand their squeals of glee when they kill and feed. 
  3rd level wrecker [ABERRATION] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Ripping tentacles +8 vs. AC—10 damage 
  Natural even hit: If the target is taking ongoing psychic 
  damage the attack deals +2d6 damage. 
   
  [Group ability] R: Warp-pulse +8 vs. PD (1d3 enemies 
  in a group)—5 ongoing psychic damage  
  Natural 16-18: While the target is taking ongoing 
  psychic damage, it is dazed (-4 attacks). 
  Natural 19-20: While the target is taking ongoing 
  psychic damage, it is confused instead of dazed. 
   
  Group ability: For every two hungry stars in the battle 
  (round up), one of them can use warp-pulse once per 
  battle. 
   
  Limited flight: Hungry stars flap and glide and hover, 
  always within about seven or eight feet of the ground. 
  No one knows how that works. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 12  HP 54 
  MD 15 
   
  Loot! 
  The vats contain chuulish items, biological living 
  weapons that graft to the bodies of humanoids. The 
  13TH AGE BESTIARY has a full write-up on chuuls and 
  chuulish magic items. 
   
   
  
   
  98 
   
  BIRTHING CHAMBER TREASURES 
  In the breeding vats can be found magic items. Living 
  (and disgustingly biological) magic items! They are made 
  of bone, pulsing flesh, and black carapace. These are 
  chuul symbiote magic items. There are enough wiggling 
  things swimming in the vats for one item per adventurer. 
  See the 13TH AGE BESTIARY for more details on the 
  horrid chuul and further chuulish items, together with 
  some further details on the benefits (and potential 
  dangers) that they offer adventurers. 
  Quirks: Chuul items weave their flesh into the flesh of 
  those that attuned to them, becoming as one. This causes 
  minor mutations, mutations that become obvious and 
  impossible to disguise if the user over-attunes. 
  Sometimes un-attuning requires surgery. Caveat hospes! 
  Recharge: Chuul items that have a recharge do so on a 
  16+. Those who are willing to expend some of their life-
  essence may lower this to 11+ for a cumulative -1 penalty 
  to all saves until their next full heal-up, or to 6+ for a 
  cumulative -2 penalty to saves until the next full heal-up, 
  or to an automatic recharge for a cumulative -3 penalty to 
  saves until the next full heal-up.  
  Death Claw 
  A lobster-clawed gauntlet that fits over the forearm of the off-
  hand. The clusters of eyes at the fleshy joints blink unnervingly. 
  [Gloves] 
  Chuulish recharge: Reroll a missed melee attack 
  with a +1 attack bonus (champion: +2; epic: +3). 
  Quirk: The claw flexes and snaps when the host is excited. 
  Evil Eyes 
  This gauntlet has armored eyes on the knuckles, aiding archers 
  and spellcasters alike. 
  [Gloves] 
  Always: Bonus to attacks and damage with 
  ranged attacks:  +1 (adventurer); +2 (champion); 
  +3 (epic).  
  This bonus does not stack with bonuses from 
  magic implements or weapons. 
  Chuulish recharge:  Until the end of the battle or 
  for five minutes, you can see the unseen. Invisible 
  creatures are visible to you, and you spot 
  illusions for what they are. 
  Quirk: The host has bone ridges and strangely patterned 
  callouses on the arms. 
  Implanted Aventail 
  The symbiotic creature is normally hidden beneath your skin. 
  When commanded, a wave of small crab-like creatures pours 
  out of gill-like openings in your skin, providing you with scale-
  like armor. 
  [Light Armor] 
  +1 AC (adventurer); +2 AC (champion); +3 AC 
  (epic). 
  Unleashing the armor is a quick action, and you 
  retain the AC bonus for as long as it is out and in 
  place. When the insects are back beneath your 
  skin you do not appear to be (or count as) 
  wearing armor. 
  Quirk: Gill-like slits cover the host’s rib cage, leading to 
  the flesh-hives from which the armor skitters out from. 
  
   
  99 
   
  SPIDERS (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  Spiders! 
  The party meets monstrous spiders in the dungeon. The 
  spiders aren’t interested in negotiating with the 
  adventurers, they are only interested in eating them! 
  Loot! 
  The spiders likely have some minor loot in one of their 
  webs, maybe even a true magic item. 
   
  Fight! 
  The area has webs. Adventurers rolling a natural 1 
  become stuck (save ends). 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Giant Web 
  Spider 
  Hunting 
  Spider 
  Spider 
  Hatchling 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  10 
  4 
  2 
  4 
  10 
  5 
  3 
  4 
  10 
  6 
  4 
  4 
  10 
  7 
  5 
  4 
  10 
  Giant Web Spider 
  The vile thing stalks slowly across the web-covered cave 
  towards you. 
  Large 2nd level blocker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Bite +7 vs. AC—5 damage, and 5 ongoing poison 
  damage 
  Natural even hit: The target also takes 2d6 ongoing 
  poison damage if it’s dazed or stuck. 
   
  C: Web +7 vs. PD (1 or 2 nearby enemies in a group)—3 
  damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the 
  spider’s next turn 
  Natural 18+: The target is also stuck until the end of the 
  spider’s next turn. 
   
  Wall-crawler: A giant spider can climb on ceilings and 
  walls as easily as it moves on the ground. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 16  HP 68 
  MD 12 
  Hunting Spider 
  Your face is reflected in the many eyes of this hairy scuttling 
  horror. It is as big as a cat! 
  2nd level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Bite +6 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Natural 16+: The target also takes 1d8 ongoing poison 
  damage. 
   
  Scuttle: A hunting spider can turn its own failed 
  disengage check into a success by taking 1d4 damage. 
   
  Wall-crawler: A hunting spider can climb on ceilings and 
  walls as easily as it moves on the ground. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 14  HP 34 
  MD 11 
   
  Spider Hatchling 
  Urgh! They are everywhere! 
  0 level mook [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +0 
   
  Needle-like fangs +5 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Wall-crawler: A spider hatchling can climb on ceilings 
  and walls as easily as it moves on the ground. 
   
  AC 14 
  PD 13  HP 5 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one spider hatchling mook for every 5 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
   
   
  
   
  100 
   
  UNDEAD KOBOLDS (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  Undead kobolds!  
  The party stumbles right into a group of undead kobolds. 
  The kobolds have crystals growing out of their heads, a 
  side-effect of their exposure to the magic crystals of 
  Darkskye. 
  Fight! 
  The kobolds glow bright enough to see by. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Ghoul 
  Zombie 
  Newly-
  Risen Ghoul 
  3 
  2 
  2 
  12 
  4 
  2 
  4 
  12 
  5 
  4 
  3 
  12 
  6 
  4 
  5 
  12 
  7 
  4 
  7 
  12 
  To represent the fact that these undead creatures used to 
  be kobolds, they have the ability stumbling evasion. 
  Kobold Ghoul 
  They hunger only for what they used to be. 
  3rd level spoiler [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +8 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Claws and bite +8 vs. AC—8 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target is vulnerable (attacks vs. it 
  have crit range expanded by 2) to attacks by undead 
  until the end of the ghoul’s next turn. 
   
  Pound of flesh: The ghoul’s claws and bite attack deals +4 
  damage against vulnerable targets. 
   
  Infected bite: Any creature that is slain by a ghoul and not 
  consumed will rise as a ghoul the next night. 
   
  Stumbling evasion: Undead kobolds take no damage from 
  missed attacks when the escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 18 
  PD 16  HP 36 
  MD 12 
   
  Kobold Zombie 
  “Brains . . .” 
  2nd level troop [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +1 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Rotting fist +7 vs. AC—6 damage 
  Natural 16+: Both the zombie and its target take 1d6 
  damage! 
   
  Headshot: A critical hit against a zombie drops it to 0 hp. 
   
  Stumbling evasion: Undead kobolds take no damage from 
  missed attacks when the escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 15 
  PD 13  HP 60 
  MD 9 
  Newly-risen Kobold Ghoul 
  Newly slain, barely conscious, terribly hungry. 
  2nd level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +5 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Scrabbling claws +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
  Natural 16+: The target is vulnerable (attacks vs. it have 
  crit range expanded by 2) to attacks by undead until 
  the end of the ghoul’s next turn. 
   
  Pound of flesh: The newly-risen ghoul’s scrabbling claws 
  attack deals +2 damage against vulnerable targets. 
   
  Stumbling evasion: Undead kobolds take no damage from 
  missed attacks when the escalation die is odd. 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 15  HP 9 (mook) 
  MD 11 
  Mook: Kill one newly-risen ghoul mook for every 9 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
   
   
  
   
  101 
   
  SNAKES (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  Monstrous snakes! 
  Giant snakes with a head on both ends. The snakes 
  originate in a nearby living dungeon and have crawled in 
  to this location through a crack in a wall. 
  Fight! 
  Can adventurers get the heads to attack each other? 
  Probably not, but a clever player somewhere will come 
  up with a way to do it, and if you are fortunate enough 
  to have such a bright and imaginative player let them 
  succeed on a DC 15 skill check as a standard action 
  with the snake doing 16 damage to itself. 
  Number of PCs 
  Two-Headed Snakes 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  Two-headed Snake 
  These giant snakes have a head on each end of their bodies! 
  Large 2nd level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Bite +7 vs. AC—14 damage 
  Natural 16+: The two-headed snake can make a squeeze 
  attack against the target or another creature engaged 
  with it as a free action. 
   
  [Special trigger] Squeeze +7 vs. AC—10 damage, and 
  the two-headed snake can make a constriction attack 
  against the target as a standard action during its next 
  turn if it’s engaged with that target. 
   
  [Special trigger] Constriction +9 vs. AC (3 attacks)—10 
  damage 
   
  R: Venom spit +6 vs. AC—5 ongoing poison damage 
   
  AC 17 
  PD 16  HP 64 
  MD 12 
  HORRID THINGS (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) 
  Horrid Things! 
  Half-formed monsters with too many mouths and 
  tentacles. They are things. They are horrid. They want to 
  do horrid things to the adventurers. 
  Fight! 
  What are these horrid things? The answer is that they 
  are horrid, half-formed monsters birthed by the 
  dungeon. Go overboard with your description of their 
  horribleness. 
  Number of PCs 
  Horrid Things 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  4 
  7 
  5 
  Horrid Thing 
  Half-formed monsters with too many mouths and tentacles, 
  they leave a trail of poisons from their leaking bodies wherever 
  they go.  
  Large 3rd level spoiler [ABERRATION] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Toothless maw +7 vs. AC—6 acid damage, and 10 
  ongoing poison damage 
   
  C: Noxious vomit +7 vs. PD (one nearby or far away 
  enemy)—14 damage, and the target is dazed (save 
  ends) 
  First natural 16+ each turn: The horrid thing makes a 
  noxious vomit attack against a different target as a 
  free action. 
   
  Poison cloud: Whenever a creature attacks the horrid 
  thing and rolls a natural 1–5, any enemies engaged 
  with the horrid thing take 1d20 poison damage. 
   
  Wall-crawler: A horrid thing can climb on ceilings and 
  walls as easily as it moves on the ground, hauling itself 
  along with its multitude of tentacles and pseudopods. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 13  HP 80 
  MD 16 
   
   
  
   
  102 
   
  THE INFINITE STAIR (ENDING) 
  The penultimate section of the chapter. 
  The sound of rushing water echoes through the tunnels 
  as the subterranean river reappears, roaring out of a crack 
  in the wall. The previously ice-cold water is now boiling 
  hot!  
  Up ahead is a sickly green glow. A hexagonal opening 
  in the cavern floor reveals a set of steps going down, 
  descending into the unknown depths of the world. Large 
  glass jars full of glowing worms line the stairs for a few 
  hundred feet downwards, but beyond their light all is 
  darkness. From the bottom of the stairs comes the sound 
  of chanting as out of a side-tunnel kobolds creep… 
  Fight! 
  Forcing a kobold off the stairs requires making a basic 
  melee attack with no modifications (no barbarian rage, 
  no flexible attack, no smite evil, no sneak attack, etc) 
  and deals 4d10 damage to the kobold and removes it 
  from the fight for one round. After the first kobold goes 
  over the edge the other kobolds will fight more 
  carefully—it is a once-per-battle trick. 
  Number of PCs 
  Kobold Dungeon-
  Shaman 
  Kobold Archers 
  3 
  1 
  7 
  4 
  2 
  7 
  5 
  2 
  7 
  6 
  3 
  7 
  7 
  3 
  7 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Kobold Dungeon-Shaman 
  Dungeon-shamans are wizard-engineers guided by dreams. 
  They usually serve living dungeons, repairing traps and 
  restocking treasure and monsters. In return a dungeon-shaman 
  can call upon a dungeon to mystically entrap an area. Although 
  small and seemingly frail a dungeon-shaman has mystic 
  dungeon-strength. 
  Double-strength 4th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Bear traps on chains +9 vs. AC (2 attacks)—13 damage 
  Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): The 
  kobold drags the target into a trap. See Trapster. 
   
  R: Hex of entrapment +9 vs. MD—26 damage 
  Natural roll is above target’s Wisdom (trapster): The 
  kobold summons a trap that was not there a moment 
  ago, which the target triggers. See Trapster. 
  Miss: The target is stuck and hampered (save ends 
  both). 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 17  HP 110 
  MD 15 
  Trapster (roll d6) 
  1. Blast powder under a rock sends shrapnel into the 
  adventurer’s feet. 1d8+escalation die damage. 
  2. Barbed spikes shoot from the ceiling into the adventurer’s 
  head. The spikes are on strings, and they begin to winch 
  the adventurer upwards into the darkness. 1d4+escalation 
  die ongoing damage and the adventurer is stuck until they 
  save against the damage. A kobold somewhere is playing 
  with a puppet! 
  3. A bucket of angry scorpions, hidden under a fake rock. 
  1d8+escalation die poison damage. 
  4. Acid-filled needles shoot deep into the adventurer’s eyes. 
  1d4+escalation die ongoing acid damage, and the 
  adventurer is dazed (-4 to defences, no actions) until the 
  start of their next turn. 
  5. Flaming oil bladder disguised as a rock sends fire up 
  trouser legs. 1d8+escalation die fire damage. 
  6. Tripwire sends adventuring tumbling down the stairs. 
  2d8+escalation die damage. 
   
  
   
  103 
   
  HOT WATER (ENDING) 
  The boiling river pours down the stairs and from a 
  hundred cracks in the walls. Once the adventurers reach 
  the bottom they are drenched and have each been scalded 
  and burned by the magma-heated liquid (1d6 fire damage 
  each). The cavern at the bottom of the stairs is beginning 
  to fill with boiling water. Staying down here for too long 
  will mean getting cooked alive! In the distance a red glow 
  can be seen, and an eldridge tooth-vibrating hum fills the 
  air. It is hard to see what is going on through the steam, 
  but it looks like the Darkskye Diamond is inside a 
  glowing orb. Getting closer the adventurers see kobold 
  priests performing a ritual inside a stone circle. Nearby a 
  huge pile of gold sits unattended, doubtless an offering 
  for their unholy dragon gods once they are once more 
  extant. The water is rising, and getting hotter. 
  Fight! 
  The Kobold Dragon-Priest is busy with the ritual and will not 
  join in the fight until the escalation die is 1+ or until she is 
  attacked. Fortunately the adventurers are just in time to stop 
  the kobolds from completing their ritual. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Kobold 
  Dragon-
  Priest* 
  Kobold 
  Dragon-
  Soul 
  Kobold 
  Archer 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  5 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  0 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  1 
  2 
  0 
  7 
  1 
  2 
  5 
  Kobold Archer 
  1st level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +4 
   
  Simple knife +6 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  R: Tiny crossbow or javelin +7 vs. AC—3 damage 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Split off: When one of the kobold’s allies engages a 
  creature engaged with the kobold, the kobold can pop 
  free as a free action. 
   
  AC 16 
  PD 14  HP 6 (mook) 
  MD 10 
  Mook: Kill one kobold archer mook for every 6 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Kobold Dragon-Soul 
  These kobolds have claws that drip with acid, can fly using 
  dragon-like wings, and can even spit out gobs of burning 
  mucus. 
  5th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Claws +10 vs. AC—17 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target also takes 8 ongoing acid 
  damage 
   
  R: Fire spit +10 vs. PD—18 fire damage 
  Natural even hit: If flying, the kobold can remain in the 
  air until the end of its next turn if it would normally 
  have to land at the end of this turn. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  Flight: A dragon-souls wings aren’t strong enough for 
  sustained flapping flight, but with a headwind and a 
  tall place to launch from it can glide for hours. During 
  the battle, however, it must land at the end of its turn if 
  the escalation die is even (but see fire spit). 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 19  HP 70 
  MD 14 
  Kobold Dragon-Priest 
  She is the high-priest of the kobold clan’s dragon-worshiping 
  cult. 
  6th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Dragon rage +16 vs. AC—18 thunder damage 
   
  R: Wild black magic lightning +16 vs. PD—18 lightning 
  damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The target teleports to a point 
  (nearby or far away) of the dragon-priest’s choosing. 
   
  Evasive: Kobolds take no damage from missed attacks. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 19  HP 70 
  MD 14 
  
   
  104 
   
  Chapter 5: The Midland Sea 
  This section of the adventure is designed for 5th level characters.  
  Chapter 5 is pretty free-form, a series of potential 
  encounters that the adventurers could have on their way back 
  from the isle of Omen. As GM your job is to flesh these out, 
  weaving in the character’s backgrounds and stories. 
  By the end of the chapter the adventurers should be headed 
  towards Castle Zamak. 
  Recap (the story so far) 
  The adventurers owe a debt to the Prince of Shadows. In 
  order to repay their debt they performed crimes for him, 
  one of which was stealing the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The Darkskye Diamond was in turn stolen from the 
  Prince of Shadows, who asks that the adventurers steal it 
  back. 
  The Darkskye Diamond has the power to control 
  flying islands, and was originally mined from a flying 
  island called Darkskye—an island that serves as a prison 
  for the Dragon Empire’s worst criminals. The person who 
  stole the diamond from the Prince has taken the diamond 
  to the flying Darkskye Prison. 
  The adventurers used a stolen flying ship to get 
  aboard the flying island and steal back the diamond, but 
  the prison crashed out of the sky into the Wild Wood.  
  The adventurers made their way out of the Wild 
  Wood, tracked down the Darkskye Diamond to a group 
  of kobolds, followed their trail to the isle of Omen, and 
  retrieved the Darkskye Diamond.  
  Now the adventurers must get back to civilization… 
  Overview 
  The adventurers travel from Omen to the Demon Coast. 
  Leaving Omen 
  This montage scene is all about how the adventurers get 
  off the island of Omen, and ends with them setting out 
  across the Midland Sea. 
  Turn to a player and ask them to describe a problem 
  that the party faced on the isle of Omen as the 
  adventurers attempt to leave it; then turn to the next 
  player and ask them how their adventurer solved the 
  problem. There is no need for dice rolling, this is purely 
  narrative. 
  As the players tell the tale of getting off the island you 
  can use the encounters on this chapter to interrupt and 
  play through the more interesting outcomes of their 
  narration. For example, if a player mentions crossing a 
  ravine you could put an encounter on the far side of that 
  ravine. 
  Alternately you could finish the montage with the 
  adventurers leaving the island and have encounters on 
  the way to the Demon Coast, using one element from the 
  montage as a reoccurring theme that links together the 
  encounters.  
  GMs: If you and your players are confident with using 
  montages, you feel confident improvising based on player 
  input, and you want to switch it up a bit use the ‘interrupted 
  montage’ method. If you prefer to take time to think out what is 
  coming in the session up use one element of the montage as a 
  reoccurring theme and plan your encounters around that. 
  Encounters 
  Each of these encounters can be run in a couple of 
  different ways, and strung together however best suits 
  the story of the adventurers getting off the isle of Omen. 
  If you want the encounters to be truly random roll a 
  d4. 
  Pirates—Either ashore or on the sea.  
  Sea Monster—The Archmage drove these out of the 
  Midland Sea, but there are still some that lurk on the 
  coastline. 
  Living Statues—Rising from the depths, or on the isle of 
  Omen. 
  Mist of Ghosts—Strange weather that blows across from 
  the Necropolis. 
  PIRATES 
  Yarrr! 
   
   
  
   
  105 
   
  as a fight… 
  These pirates want treasure, and the adventurers have 
  with them a huge glowing diamond. 
  Fight! 
  If you decide that it fits the story best if the pirates are 
  undead give them a vulnerability to holy damage. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Pirate Crew 
  Sea Wizard 
  Pirate 
  Captain 
  3 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  2 
  1 
  5 
  7 
  2 
  1 
  6 
  9 
  2 
  1 
  7 
  11 
  2 
  1 
  Pirate Crew 
  4th level troop [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Cutlass +9 vs. AC—14 damage 
   
  R: Crossbow +9 vs. AC—14 damage 
  Limited use: The pirate needs to use its move action to 
  reload. 
    
  Back to back: For every ally engaged with the enemy that 
  the pirate is attacking it gains +2 to attacks (maximum 
  +4) 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 17  HP 54 
  MD 13 
   
  Sea Wizard 
  4th level caster [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Forked lightning +12 vs. PD (1d3 engaged enemies)—5 
  lightning damage and the target pops free 
   
  R: Call the sea winds +12 vs. MD—7 ongoing thunder 
  damage 
    
  AC 20 
  PD 13  HP 45 
  MD 17 
   
  Pirate Captain 
  Double-strength 4th level leader [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Hook and cutlass +9 vs. AC (two attacks)—15 damage. 
  Natural 16+: One ally may end an ongoing effect on it. 
   
  Shouted orders: If the pirate captain forgoes their 
  standard action they may grant one ally +6 to their 
  attacks until the end of that ally’s next turn.  
    
  AC 21 
  PD 17  HP 110 
  MD 13 
   
  as a role-playing opportunity… 
  The pirates are lost, either run aground on Omen or lost 
  at sea after being cursed by a sand witch. 
  The pirate leader, Captain Vastaslice, wants to get his 
  crew back to the mainland via the shortest possible route, 
  in this case sailing south to the demon coast. If the 
  adventurers can convince Captain Vastaslice that they 
  can help remove or work around the sand witch’s curse 
  then the adventurers might be able to hitch a ride with the 
  pirates. 
  other… 
  The adventurers have decided to head to Shadow Port or 
  Drakkenhall or somewhere other than the Demon Coast. 
  Unfortunately the pirates kidnap them and set sail for 
  their secret anchorage on the demon coast. 
  GMs: Yes, this is a tad rail-road-y. Chapter 5 starts on the 
  Demon Coast and you need to find a way to get the party there. 
  Of course if you are confident in your improvisational skills 
  then you can let the players have a little more freedom in their 
  destination and adjust Chapter 5 accordingly.  
  SEA MONSTER 
  Driven out of the water by the Archmage’s magic, this 
  monster is hungry… 
  as a fight… 
  The sea-monster lurches out of the mists, its tentacles 
  flailing.  
  The Archmage’s magic forced this thing out of the sea 
  and onto the shoreline, where it has been waiting for its 
  vengeance… 
   
   
   
  
   
  106 
   
  Fight! 
  We’ve given lots of nastier specials so you can customize it to 
  what will best terrify your players. 
  Number of PCs 
  Sea Monsters 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  Sea Monster 
  7th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +11 
   
  Deep-sea maw +12 vs. AC—15 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target takes 10 ongoing damage. 
  Natural odd hit or miss: The sea monster can make a 
  second or third deep sea maw attack as a free action. 
   
  Swimmer: Though the Archmage’s magic keeps it out of 
  the water this monster can still swim. 
   
  Nastier Specials 
  We’ve left this as a generic ‘sea monster’. If you want to make 
  it more flavorful use one or more of these nastier specials. 
   
  Grasping tentacles: Enemies engaged with the sea monster 
  take a penalty to their disengage checks equal to the 
  escalation die value. 
   
  Snail shell: Add +2 to the sea monster’s AC, and +2 to its 
  PD until the start of its next turn if it did not move on its 
  turn. 
   
  Eye-stalk flails: Enemies who move into engagement with 
  the sea monster take 7 damage. 
   
  Crab claws: When the sea monster makes a melee attack 
  and misses it does 7 miss damage. 
   
  Ink cloud: When the sea monster first becomes staggered, 
  all enemies engaged with it are dazed (hard save ends). 
   
  Sea urchin spikes: Creatures that miss the sea monster with 
  a melee attack take 7 poison damage. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 21  HP 100 
  MD 16 
  as a role-playing opportunity… 
  The sea monster is intelligent, and wants to get from 
  where it is to the isle of Omen. Unfortunately the 
  Archmage’s magic prevents it from crossing the Midland 
  Sea.  
  That is where the adventurers come in. If the 
  adventurers agree to take it as far as the Demon Coast the 
  sea monster will tell them where to find a ship that has 
  run aground, and help them keep the wreck afloat. 
  other… 
  The sea monster is cunning, and has access to magic. It 
  has been able to circumvent the Archmage’s magic that 
  keeps monsters out of the Midland Sea by turning itself 
  into a humanoid. 
  The Archmage’s servants who maintain the sea wards 
  are aware that something odd is happening with the 
  monster and so have sent a sand witch out looking for it. 
  The monster decides to travel with the party for 
  protective camouflage, and suggests that they make 
  landing at the Demon Coast. The disguised sea monster 
  spins a tale that it is being chased by an evil sand witch 
  and that the energies of the Demon Coast will help hide 
  their trail from pursuers (an almost true story that warps 
  a couple of details).  
   
   
  
   
  107 
   
  LIVING STATUES 
  These could be mistaken for fellow travelers at a 
  distance… 
  as a fight… 
  These 
  statues 
  are 
  harmless, 
  but 
  distract 
  the 
  adventurers from a more pressing menace… 
  Fight! 
  The sharks might end up chasing the adventurers at 
  sea, or swoop in on land.  
  Number of PCs 
  Flying Sharks 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  Flying Shark 
  …and you thought land-sharks were bad. These flying ray-like 
  creatures have underbellies the same shade and color as clouds. 
  Large 4th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +7 
   
  Bite +8 vs. AC—24 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target takes +2d6 poison damage 
  from a tail sting. 
  Miss: 10 damage. 
   
  Scent of blood: The flying shark’s crit range expands by 2 
  (to 18+) against staggered enemies. 
   
  Fly and swim: Flying sharks can ‘swim’ in the air, and 
  positively fly through the water. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 19 HP 130 
  MD 14 
  as a role-playing opportunity… 
  The living statues are the survivors of a medusa attack, 
  and were partially revived. They beg the adventurers to 
  take them to the Demon Coast where a strange flower 
  grows that can turn them back to flesh. 
  other… 
  The living statues are patterned after the adventurers! 
  GMs: This is a good opportunity to showcase a player 
  character who doesn’t get a lot of screen time, or to spotlight 
  some backgrounds that don’t come into play that often. 
  MIST OF GHOSTS 
  Encountered at sea or on the land, this uncanny weather 
  poses a problem for adventurers. 
  as a fight… 
  The mist deposits ghostly entities where the adventurers 
  are, entities that attack without a sound... 
  Fight! 
  There is probably something that will keep these monsters at bay. 
  What are mist ghosts afraid of? A 6 with the Priestess or Lich King 
  will let the adventurers scare off the ghosts for a round or two.  
  Number of PCs 
  Mist Ghost 
  Chill Wind Ghast 
  3 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  2 
  5 
  5 
  3 
  5 
  6 
  3 
  7 
  7 
  4 
  7 
  Mist Ghost 
  6th level blocker [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative +9 
  Vulnerable: holy. 
   
  Soul-snatching claws +9 vs. PD—25 negative energy 
  damage 
  Quick use: The mist ghost can take 15 damage to make this 
  attack as a quick action (once per round). 
   
  C: Possessed puppetry +11 vs. MD (one enemy)—14 
  damage, and the target is confused (save ends).  
  Possession: While the target is confused the GM controls 
  their move action. While the target is confused the mist 
  ghost cannot make attacks nor be targeted by attacks 
  that do not do holy damage. 
   
  Exploit trauma: A mist ghost’s crit range with attacks 
  against MD expands by 2 against staggered enemies. 
   
  Lost opportunity: This creature can’t make opportunity 
  attacks. 
   
  Resurgent spirit: The first time a mist ghost becomes 
  staggered in a battle it gains a bonus equal to the current 
  escalation die value to all attacks and defenses until the 
  end of the battle or until it takes holy damage. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 16  HP 90 
  MD 20 
  
   
  108 
   
  Chill Wind Ghast 
  3rd level troop [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative +9 
  Vulnerable: holy. 
   
  Life draining claws +8 vs. PD—5 ongoing negative 
  energy damage 
   
  Teleport: Once per round a chill wind ghast can teleport as 
  a free action, provided doing so puts it into engagement 
  with an enemy. 
   
  Chill aura: Enemies that end their turn engaged with a 
  chill wind ghast take 5 cold damage. 
   
  AC 19 
  PD 13  HP 45 
  MD 17 
  as a role-playing opportunity… 
  The ghosts are not evil, just lost. 
  The ghosts plead with the party to find their mortal 
  remains and bury them on the mainland so that the 
  ghosts can at last rest. 
  GMs: The mortal remains are probably right where the 
  party is at the moment, which is why the ghosts showed up. Of 
  course the adventurers will be asked to take the remains to the 
  Demon Coast as it is both the closest part of the mainland and 
  has a special tie to the ghosts. 
  other… 
  The mist of ghosts encircles the adventurers, and when it 
  parts they are on the Demon Coast. 
  Doubtless other strange things happen to the party 
  while they are in the mist (meetings with dead loved 
  ones, strange omens, glimpses of the future, etc), but the 
  end result is that the party ends up on the Demon Coast. 
  GMs: Yes, this is -road-y as all heck. Use this option if the 
  players really have no idea where to head and are just as happy 
  ending up on one part of the mainland as the other.  
  To The Wyrm’s Tale 
  Eventually the adventurers arrive on the Demon Coast.  
  GMs: It doesn’t matter what route the party takes in 
  Chapter 5, provided they are ready to start Chapter 6 near 
  Castle Zamak.  
   
   
   
  
   
  109 
   
  Chapter 6: Turn and Return 
  This part of the adventure is designed for 6th level characters, 
  but if you prefer to end the adventure with really hard fights 
  and all-or-nothing gambits then run Chapter 6 for a 5th level 
  party instead. 
  Recap (the story so far) 
  The adventurers owe a debt to the Prince of Shadows. In 
  order to repay their debt they performed crimes for him, 
  one of which was stealing the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The Darkskye Diamond was in turn stolen from the 
  Prince of Shadows, who asks that the adventurers steal it 
  back. 
  The Darkskye Diamond has the power to control 
  flying islands, and was originally mined from a flying 
  island called Darkskye—an island that serves as a prison 
  for the Dragon Empire’s worst criminals. The person who 
  stole the diamond from the Prince has taken the diamond 
  to the flying Darkskye Prison. 
  The adventurers used a stolen flying ship to get 
  aboard the flying island and steal back the diamond, but 
  the prison crashed out of the sky into the Wild Wood.  
  The adventurers made their way out of the Wild 
  Wood, tracked down the Darkskye Diamond to a group 
  of kobolds, followed their trail to the isle of Omen, and 
  retrieved the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The adventurers have got back to civilization, and find 
  themselves on the Demon Coast… 
  ATTACK ON CASTLE 
  ZAMAK 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers start the adventure arriving at Castle Zamak, 
  a castle run by the paladins who work for the Great Gold Wyrm. 
  Forces loyal to The Three attack the castle, seeking to seize the 
  contents of the vault (and the Darkskye Diamond). And after 
  helping to defeat the servants of The Three the adventurers are 
  tasked with the delicate mission of rescuing some missing 
  paladins and the Darkskye Diamond.  
  JOURNEY TO CASTLE ZAMAK 
  This first section is a travel montage.  
  There are many dangers on the Demon Coast. Turn to 
  a player and ask them to describe a possible danger—
  then turn to the next player and tell them that their 
  character faced and (barely) overcame that danger, and 
  ask them to say how their character did that. There is no 
  need to roll, this is a travel montage. Go around the group 
  until everybody has had a chance to invent a danger, and 
  everybody has overcome a danger.  
  By the end of the montage the adventurers will arrive 
  at a castle run by paladins of the Great Gold Wyrm, so 
  help the players work towards that. 
  The castle is a refuge for travelers, and if they intend 
  to survive their journey along the monster-haunted 
  Demon Coast the party must stop there. 
  ARRIVAL 
  The adventurers are gladly received by the paladins of 
  the small castle. The servants of the Great Gold Wyrm 
  were warned in a dream to expect the adventures, and 
  that they would be carrying the Darkskye Diamond with 
  them.  
  GMs: The adventurers might be surprised that the Great 
  Gold Wyrm knows that they have the Darkskye Diamond—
  explain to them that with an item that has caused as much 
  trouble as the diamond has it is likely that the icons are all 
  taking an interest in it, and in the adventurers. 
  The leader of the paladins is called Lord D’Arcy of 
  Zamak, and he is assisted by the castle’s chief knights: Sir 
  Randall Gerard (the castle’s seneschal), Lady Erika Flint 
  (a dwarf knight and chief of the armory), and Sir Goy 
  Gurdo (a gnome knight). There are dozens of other 
  knights, squires, and soldiers as well as many cooks, 
  servants, and so on. 
  The adventurers are met by Lord D’Arcy (the leader 
  of the paladins) who offers to let them store their glowing 
  diamond and any other treasures in the castle’s vault, and 
  offers the weary travelers refreshments.  
  GMs: Players, being a naturally suspicious lot, might 
  decide that the paladins are trying to steal the diamond. Point 
  out to the players that the adventurers have been given no 
  indication of malfeasance from the paladins. Explain that these 
  armored warriors of light can be trusted to keep their word, and 
  the adventurers know it. If the adventurers flatly refuse to hand 
  over the diamond then the paladins will offer to let the party 
  stay guard outside the vault. 
  
   
  110 
   
  MESSAGES FROM THE ICONS 
  The following icon options can be used one after the 
  other, but you should cut out those not applicable to the 
  party’s icon relationships or tailor them to the player 
  characters as needed. 
  Emperor or Great Gold Wyrm option: 
  If the adventurers have strong ties to the Emperor or Great 
  Gold Wyrm the following happens: 
  The adventurers are told by Lord D’Arcy that the 
  knights will provide them an escort to Horizon, and 
  from there on to Axis. Since the diamond was stolen 
  the Emperor has sent many of the Dragon Empire’s 
  flying islands to uninhabited areas, where they will 
  not harm anybody if they fall. Unfortunately many of 
  these flying islands are of vital strategic or magical 
  importance and if they cannot be set back to their 
  usual places the empire will suffer. The paladins and 
  their patron the Great Gold Wyrm want the 
  adventurers to return the diamond to the Emperor. 
  Prince of Shadows option: 
  If the adventurers have ties to the Prince of Shadows the 
  following happens: 
  During the meeting with Lord D’Arcy a squire slips a 
  note to the party asking them to meet him in the 
  stables.  
  The squire, Gotho the dwarf, is an agent of the 
  Prince of Shadows. He explains that the Prince of 
  Shadows wants the traitorous Shez-a-kah found and 
  killed. The paladins have also been trying to track 
  down the troublemaker (some of the Great Gold Wyrm’s 
  paladins are missing-and it is the fault of Shez-a-kah) and 
  the party can probably manipulate the paladins into 
  taking them by ship to a place the Prince of Shadows 
  knows of—a ruined keep in a place called Roachdale. 
  The keep is also known to Shez-a-kah and they may 
  be able to pick up her trail there.  
  The party should also bring the Prince of Shadows 
  the Diamond as soon as they have the chance, but first 
  the traitor must be dealt with. 
  High Druid option: 
  If the adventurers have ties to the High Druid the following 
  happens: 
  After the meeting with Lord D’Arcy a stag wanders 
  into the castle, exhausted from journeying across the 
  Demon Coast. The stag is on the verge of death, and 
  while the paladins discuss eating it the beast mind-
  speaks with the adventurers.  
  The stag tells the party that the High Druid wants 
  Shez-a-kah found and killed, as she suspects that the 
  crashing of Darkskye Prison was just the first of many 
  acts of terror that the Prince of Shadow’s traitorous 
  former-lieutenant will wreak on the natural world. 
  Lich King option: 
  If the adventurers have ties to the Lich King the following 
  happens: 
  Later after the meeting with Lord D’Arcy the paladins 
  provide the party with a meal of stag, saying that it 
  wandered into the castle and died of exhaustion and 
  the paladins decided to kill it and cook it—taking the 
  unexpected bounty as a good omen. 
  As the adventurers tuck into the meat the stag’s 
  head animates and speaks to the party! It tells them 
  that the Lich King is aware of the threat that Shez-a-
  kah poses to the Necropolis: if she is willing to steal 
  the Darkskye Diamond to crash a flying island into the 
  High Druid’s domain then surely she’s just warming 
  up to take on the true mas ter of the world—the Lich 
  King. 
  The Lich King commands the party to find Shez-a-
  kah and dispatch her before she becomes a threat that 
  he must deal with personally. The Lich King further 
  commands that the party convince the paladins to 
  provide them with resources to track down Shez-a-
  kah. 
  The cook who is carving the stag’s meat is 
  oblivious to the talking skull as are the other servants 
  and denizens of the castle—the message was intended 
  only for the adventurers. 
  Throughout the rest of the meal the (un)dead stag 
  head continues to stare at the party. 
  ‘Other’ option: 
  If the adventurers have no compelling ties to the Emperor, 
  the Great Gold Wyrm, the High Druid, the Lich King, or 
  the Prince of Shadows (or if they no longer wish to serve the 
  Prince of Shadows, or if they wish to build a new 
  relationship with the Great Gold Wyrm) the following 
  happens: 
  Later that evening the adventurers meet again with 
  Lord D’Arcy who tells them that the knights will 
  provide them with a bodyguard so that they can 
  continue their journey; he claims to have seen in a 
  dream that disaster will befall the Dragon Empire if 
  the diamond falls into the wrong hands. 
  
   
  111 
   
  That night, as the adventurers rest from their 
  wounds and recuperate, they receive a vision. Read 
  the following aloud to the players: 
  You see the Great Gold Wyrm, flying through a star-lit 
  sky. He lands and you walk out from your home to meet 
  him. The vast dragon inclines its head towards you, until 
  its forehead touches yours. 
  You see a vision of questing knights, golden paladins of 
  the Great Gold Wyrm, being snatched up by a vast shadowy 
  claw. More knights travel out in search of the first knights, 
  but are likewise taken. The claw is searching for a glowing 
  gemstone, the Darkskye Diamond. 
  You see yourself and your companions, wearing cloaks, 
  setting out in search of the lost knights. The shadowy claw 
  searches for you, but cannot find you. You slip through its 
  clutches again and again. 
  You approach a ruined keep atop a hill, and enter it as 
  the shadowy claw searches the land for you in vain. In the 
  keep you find a key with a golden thread attached to it. You 
  follow the thread to a deep cave, and there you fight an 
  ethereal menace that is cloaked in darkness. You defeat your 
  nebulous enemy, and free the lost paladins from the golden 
  thread.  
  You are then standing back where you started. The 
  Great Gold Wyrm has become a knight in golden armor, 
  who knights you with a sword. As you rise, now a knight, 
  you are presented with a treasure beyond compare. The 
  Great Gold Wyrm is once again a dragon, and breathes its 
  fire upon you, but instead of being burned you are filled 
  with power. 
  DRAGON FALL 
  The adventurers are in Castle Zamak when the paladins 
  are roused to action by the call to arms.  
  The castle is a small enough one that it is possible to 
  hear what is going on, no matter where the adventurers 
  are in the castle: it’s a dragon attack!  
  Suddenly a huge three-headed black dragon crashes 
  into the area where the adventurers are and starts 
  slaughtering everything it can reach. As bad luck would 
  have it, the dragon’s explosive entry into the room blocks 
  the doors that the adventurers could use to easily escape 
  or that the paladins could use to get in and fight alongside 
  the adventurers.  
   
   
  Fight! 
  The paladins will eventually rally, break through into 
  the area with the adventurers, and kill the dragon—but 
  the adventurers must survive until the escalation die 
  reaches 6, at which point the paladins rush the dragon 
  and kill it at the end of the round. 
  If the paladins being cut off from the fight is too cheesy for 
  you, describe how the first couple of couple paladins on the 
  scene squeeze in through a shattered wall but are killed 
  quickly. Then describe the ongoing efforts of the paladins to 
  reach the party. 
  If the adventurers flee the fight the dragon likewise 
  withdraws, and this affects how some later bits of this 
  adventure will play out. 
  Empyrean Dragon  
  Huge 9th level spoiler [DRAGON]  
  Initiative: +17  
   
  Gleaming bite +14 vs. AC—50 damage, and one effect 
  triggers based on the head that attacks (GM’s choice)  
  Head 1: The target can’t use recoveries until end of its 
  next turn.  
  Head 2: One enemy that hit the dragon since the 
  dragon’s last turn takes 12 damage.  
  Head 3: The target moves to a nearby non-harmful 
  location of the dragon’s choice as a free action. This 
  movement can provoke opportunity attacks.  
   
  C: Venom breath +13 vs. PD (1d3 + 1 nearby enemies)—
  35 damage  
  Swarming motes: Each time the dragon uses this attack, 
  a swarm of light motes that resolve into scorpions 
  and stinging insects swirl around the targets. The 
  swarm harasses each targeted enemy, hit or miss. 
  During its next turn, any enemy being swarmed this 
  way must choose one: Take 25 damage; OR roll twice 
  for each attack roll it makes that turn, taking the 
  lower result.  
   
  [Special trigger] C: Crying heavens +13 vs. MD (each 
  enemy in the battle)—20 ongoing damage  
  Miss: 10 ongoing damage.  
   
  Temporal manastorm: The empyrean dragon’s connection 
  to the overworld falters, creating a storm of distorted 
  time and magic in the area. The dragon’s critical hit 
  range for all attacks expands by 2 until the end of the 
  
   
  112 
   
  battle. In addition, when a target saves against the 
  ongoing damage from this attack, the crit range of its 
  attacks against the dragon expands by 1 until the end 
  of the battle.  
  Limited use: 1/battle, as a free action when first 
  staggered.  
   
  Three heads are better than one: The empyrean dragon can 
  make two gleaming bite attacks as a single standard 
  action, one each from two heads. The third head is 
  assumed to be maneuvering the body around. It can 
  choose not to make one of those attacks to end any 
  condition affecting it except for ongoing damage (this 
  includes the stunned condition, even though it 
  technically doesn’t get an action when stunned).  Any 
  enemy who scores a critical hit against an empyrean 
  dragon can forego the extra damage to lop off one of 
  the dragon’s heads. If an enemy deals 150 damage with 
  a single attack against the dragon, the attack will also 
  remove a head. An empyrean dragon with two 
  remaining heads can make only one gleaming bite 
  attack as a standard action and can’t sacrifice that 
  attack to remove conditions. The dragon dies if all 
  three heads are removed.  
   
  Intermittent breath: An empyrean dragon can use venom 
  breath 1d2 + 1 times per battle, but never two turns in a 
  row.  
   
  AC 25  
  PD 23  HP 510  
  MD 21  
   
  QUESTIONING THE HARUSPEX 
  The three-headed dragon was not the only attacker, a 
  cadre of blue sorcerers loyal to the Three attacked the 
  castle at the same time. The paladins fought them off, and 
  have captured one of the sorcerers, a dragonic who is 
  dressed in robes that indicate seniority.  
  The paladins are questioning the creature, but are 
  getting nowhere. Needing to know if another attack is 
  imminent, the paladins invite the adventurers to question 
  the blue sorcerer. 
  Rob says: “Everybody knows that the Three torture their 
  underlings so effectively that their servants are pretty much 
  immune to anyone else’s torture, except maybe for the 
  Diabolist. Frustrates the Crusader no end. So you’ll have to be 
  more subtle here, even if you were inclined towards torture.” 
  ASH says: “Instead of torture adventurers will be best off 
  asking questions and watch for facial tics, eye movements, and 
  other tell-tale signs that the line of questioning is getting closer 
  to the truth. Adventurers with relationships with icons known 
  for their cunning might attempt trickery. Magically inclined 
  adventurers might attempt to use magic to see into the 
  sorcerer’s mind. Some practically-minded adventures might go 
  through the sorcerer’s possessions, looking for physical clues.” 
  Interrogating the sorcerer is a DC 20 skill check (it is 
  pretty beat up from the fight with the paladins and 
  doesn’t fully have its wits about it), and each success 
  reveals a new fact: 
   
  The sorcerer is after something in the castle: a 
  glowing diamond. The sorcerer is a haruspex, one 
  who reads the future in the entrails of living 
  creatures. 
   
  The sorcerer and the three-headed black dragon work 
  for the Three, and are doing their bidding. However 
  the Three are working with somebody called Shez-a-
  kah, and the Three will hand the diamond to her. 
   
  The sorcerer expects to be rescued, and is allied with 
  a red dragon called Vatra Flamewing. 
  The 4th success lets the adventurers know that no other 
  information can be gleaned at this time. If the party gets 
  three successes before they get two failures they learn that 
  another attack is very imminent, this time from a red 
  dragon (this modifies how a later section of this 
  adventure plays, as forewarned is forearmed).  
  GMs: In television procedural dramas (cop shows and 
  detective dramas) the heroes always know when they have 
  recovered all the available information and the scene ends 
  (sometimes with a piece of dramatic music that signals to the 
  
   
  113 
   
  audience that a vital clue has been uncovered). In role-playing 
  games this vital cue is missing, meaning that players can keep 
  on questioning a character or searching for clues once all 
  available information has been gleaned on the assumption that 
  the GM is sneakily keeping something back and they can find it 
  if only they spend more game time searching, or if they only 
  interrogate harder or ask the right questions. If the players fall 
  into the trap of over-searching, tell them know that their 
  characters have honestly found all available information and 
  move immediately on to the next part of the adventure. 
  FIRESTORM 
  The castle lookouts comes running—a huge red dragon is 
  flying toward Castle Zamak. Clutched in each of its claws 
  is a huge net full of barrels. The dragon flies overhead and 
  drops the nets, splitting the barrels inside and covering 
  the castle in flammable oil! The dragon circles about high 
  overhead, setting fire to Castle Zamak while staying out 
  of range of most of the defenders.  
  There are two ways to deal with this threat. The first 
  solution is simply to drive the dragon off by attacking it. 
  The second option (which is less deadly, at least for the 
  player characters) is to stop the fire from spreading, and 
  let the Great Gold Wyrm’s paladins deal with the dragon. 
  Suggest both options to the players, and let them pick 
  which one to go with. 
  fighting vatra 
  If the adventurers learned about the red dragon while 
  getting information from the haruspex they gain +2 to all 
  their defenses during this fight. 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers learned about the red dragon 
  previously and are thus forewarned they gain +2 to all 
  their defenses during this fight. 
  Vatra isn’t interested in engaging individual 
  enemies, she would rather fly above the castle and 
  burn it with her flaming wings. At the start of each of 
  her turns roll a d8, if it is above the escalation die she 
  withdraws to the sky (she is far away, unless a 
  character has a way of flying, or has jumped onto her 
  back [a DC 30 skill check] while engaged with her). 
  Vatra will flee the castle if she becomes staggered 
  (her level has been decreased from 11th to 10th to 
  reflect that fact). 
  Vatra Flamewing 
  Huge 10th level wrecker [DRAGON] 
  Initiative: +16 
   
  Fangs, claws, and tail +13 vs.AC (3 attacks)—70 damage 
  First natural even hit or miss each turn: Roll a fourth 
  fangs, claws, and tail attack. 
  Second natural even hit or miss each turn: Roll a fifth 
  fangs, claws, and tail attack. 
   
  C: Fiery breath +13 vs. PD (2d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—80 fire damage 
  Miss: Half damage. 
   
  Vatra's breath: Vatra can use fiery breath 4 times per 
  battle, but never two turns in a row. 
   
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies with 144 
  hp or fewer are dazed (–4 attack) and do not add the 
  escalation die to their attacks.  
   
  Burning wings: Creatures with 145 hp or higher take 30 
  damage if they end their turn engaged with Vatra. 
   
  Resist fire 18+: When a fire attack targets this creature, 
  the attacker must roll a natural 18+ on the attack roll or 
  it only deals half damage. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 27  HP 1200 (but flees once at 600 hp) 
  MD 23 
      
   
   
   
  
   
  114 
   
  the roof is on fire... 
  The adventurers just need to survive the red dragon’s 
  onslaught long enough for the paladins to drive the red 
  dragon off; and survival means fighting the fire.  
  Each player in turn must narrate how they help to stop 
  the fire spreading, and make a skill check using an 
  appropriate background, with a DC as determined by the 
  below chart. When a player succeeds move one place 
  upwards on the chart, but a failure moves the group one 
  place down. When you move to a space on the chart take 
  any damage listed there before making the skill check. If 
  the adventurers learned about the red dragon earlier they 
  are better prepared, and the DCs are 5 lower. Start where 
  the chart says ‘Start...’ 
  End! 
  The fire is out. 
  Castle Zamak is safe! 
  The red dragon Vatra is 
  driven off by the paladins, 
  and most of the fires are out.  
  Proceed 
  to 
  the 
  Haruspex’s Rescue fight. 
   
  DC 30 
  You almost have the fire 
  out, and the castle is safe 
  (for now). 
   
  DC 25 
  The smoke is thick, 
  everybody takes 1d6 poison 
  damage. 
  Start 
  DC 20 
  The 
  dragon 
  comes 
  around for another pass, 
  everybody takes 2d4 fire 
  damage. 
   
  DC 20 
  The character making 
  the skill check takes 3d4 
  poison 
  damage 
  from 
  smoke. 
   
  DC 25 
  The fire spreads, all 
  characters take 2d12 fire 
  damage. 
  End! 
  All is lost! 
  The fire cannot be put 
  out! Vatra the red dragon 
  flies off, her task complete. 
  Proceed immediately to 
  the fight in section 1.5 
  without the chance for the 
  adventurers to rest. 
  THE HARUSPEX’S RESCUE 
  The haruspex’s comrades burst into the partially burnt 
  castle, looking for their captured leader. Those paladins 
  that are still able to stand are busy putting out the fire and 
  do not see the servants of the Three enter. The 
  adventurers find themselves between the attackers and 
  the dungeon where the haruspex is locked up. 
  If the three-headed empyrean dragon survived earlier 
  add it to this battle fully recovered. If the adventurers 
  failed to put out the fire (in the The Roof is On Fire section) 
  they take 2d6 poison damage from smoke inhalation at 
  the start of each round that the escalation die is even. 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers flee from this fight there is a 
  campaign loss: the servants of The Three loot the 
  castle’s vault of all magic items, not just the Darkskye 
  Diamond. This means that later the servants of the 
  Great Gold Wyrm cannot hand out magic items to the 
  adventurers. 
  Number of PCs 
  Elite Blue 
  Sorcerer 
  Dragonic Brute 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  2 
  3 
  5 
  3 
  2 
  6 
  3 
  4 
  7 
  4 
  3 
  Dragonic Brute 
  5th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +7 
     
  Spiked chains +10 vs. AC—14 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target is stuck and takes 8 ongoing 
  damage (save ends both). 
  Reach: Once per battle the dragonic brute can use this 
  attack as a close attack against a nearby or far away 
  enemy. 
   
  C: Lightning breath +10 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—
  13 lightning damage 
         
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 72 
  MD 15 
   
   
  
   
  115 
   
  Elite Blue Sorcerer 
  Double-strength 6th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Curved dagger +11 vs. AC—15 ongoing damage  
   
  C: Rolling thunder +11 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—30 damage  
   
  Gathered power: If the sorcerer didn’t gather power on its 
  last turn it can do so as a standard action. Roll d6 for 
  the chaotic benefit: 
  1-2: +1 to AC until the start of its next turn.  
  3-4: One nearby enemy takes 2d6 lightning damage. 
  5-6: The next attack it makes does an extra 2d8 
  damage. 
  On its next turn it can cast one of the following spells:  
  [after gather power only] C: Lightning flash +11 vs. 
  PD (one nearby or far away enemy)—42 lightning 
  damage and the target and the sorcerer swap places. 
  [after gather power only] R: Storm spear +12 vs. PD 
  (1d3 nearby or far away enemies)—26 lightning 
  damage  
  Natural even hit: If the target is nearby to one of its 
  allies the storm spear does 2d6 thunder damage to 
  the ally. 
  [after gather power only] Theft of life’s breath +12 vs. 
  PD—The target spends a recovery and rolls it but 
  gets no benefit, the blue sorcerer gains the recovery 
  value in temporary hit points. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 18  HP 180 
  MD 20 
   
  complications 
  If the empyrean dragon fled in a previous fight but is still 
  alive add it to this battle, but with only half its normal hit 
  points and only using gleaming bite (it is still wounded 
  from its first encounter with the adventurers). If the 
  adventurers failed to put out the fire that was burning 
  through the castle then they take 2d6 poison damage from 
  smoke inhalation at the start of each round that the 
  escalation die is even. 
  During this fight the Darkskye Diamond is stolen by a 
  shadow thief working for the Prince of Shadows’ rebellious 
  lieutenant Shez-a-kah. Unless a character was literally sat 
  on top of the diamond and watching it every second there 
  is no way to have guarded against the theft of the 
  diamond—even then the shadow thief is going to get it 
  after a quick struggle. 
  GMs: Ah, but you’ll get a clever player saying “Oh, but I 
  had it in my pack the entire time watched over by my familiar 
  and I warded it with magic and tied a string to it” or some other 
  reason why there is absolutely no way that any force conceivable 
  could have taken the diamond. Let the player know that the 
  diamond was stolen by a supernatural thief—but they can get 
  the diamond back. 
   
   
   
  
   
  116 
   
  THE QUEST IS GIVEN 
  The battle is over and the haruspex and its companions 
  are either dead or captured (or escaped if the adventurers 
  fled the last fight). The captain of the paladins explains 
  that the Three seem to have not been after the contents of 
  the vault (where the few precious magic items in the 
  castle were stored), but after the Darkskye Diamond. 
  Some of the paladins saw an odd-moving shadow during 
  the battle and think that it might have been a servant of 
  the Prince of Shadows. 
  The castle’s chaplain has also had a prophetic dream, 
  sent by the Great Gold Wyrm. He says that they have 
  been chosen by the Great Gold Wyrm to find and defeat 
  an enemy that the Great Gold Wyrm’s paladins are 
  unable to find. In fact several groups of paladins have 
  gone missing, the latest while investigating a ruined keep 
  in a place called Roachdale.  
  Based on the chaplain’s dream a squire has been sent 
  to remove some magic items from the vault and give them 
  to the adventurers as initial help from the Great Gold 
  Wyrm. 
  Loot! 
  There are three items available for the party to 
  distribute among themselves, unless the adventurers 
  fled from any fight in Castle Zamak in which case the 
  minions of the Three cleared out the vault and left it 
  empty. 
  Superb Breastplate 
  This glittering golden breastplate is inlaid with sapphires. 
  [Heavy armor] 
  +1 AC (adventurer); +2 AC (champion); +3 AC 
  (epic). 
  Recharge 11+: You are not affected by fear, and 
  when fighting an enemy with a fear aura you 
  gain an extra bonus +1 to all defenses. 
  Quirk: Insists on taking the brunt of any potential danger 
  Consecrated Blade 
  The blade has been dedicated to the gods of light. 
  [Weapon, any bladed] 
  +1 bonus to attacks and damage (champion tier: 
  +2; epic tier: +3). 
  Recharge 11+: Until the end of the battle the crit 
  range for this weapon expands by a cumulative 1 
  every time it misses, to a maximum expansion of 
  4. 
  Quirk: Sings battle-hymns 
  Helm of Brilliance 
  The jewels of the richly adorned helmet sparkle in the light. 
  +1 MD (adventurer); +2 MD (champion); +3 MD 
  (epic). 
  Recharge 16+: When a daily power misses all 
  targets it is not expended and may be used again 
  after the current battle. 
  Quirk: Prone to wild speculation 
   
   
  
   
  117 
   
  A DAY LATE AND A 
  DIAMOND SHORT 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurer’s quest for the Darkskye Diamond takes them 
  to an abandoned village called Roachdale, near a ruined keep on 
  a hill. A year ago the village was over-run demons, who used 
  the keep as a prison. The demons were killed between then and 
  now, and the place is now used as a secret meeting place for 
  servants of evil icons. The adventurers are in Roachdale to look 
  for clues as to where the Prince of Shadow’s traitorous former 
  lieutenant Shez-a-kah took the Darkskye Diamond. 
  The adventurers arrive much too late to recover the 
  Darkskye Diamond and must search for clues as to where the 
  diamond ended up. 
  The Road to Roachdale 
  This first section is a montage, dealing with the 
  adventurers getting through the village of Roachdale 
  itself.  
  The village of Roachdale is swarming with undead, 
  though often they are only minor ones such as undead 
  cockroaches or skeletal rats.  
  Turn to a player and ask them to describe a possible 
  danger that the group faced; then turn to the next player 
  and tell them that their character faced and overcame that 
  danger, allowing the group as a whole to proceed 
  forwards, and ask them to say how their character did 
  that. There is no need to roll, this is a montage. Go around 
  the group until everybody has had a chance to invent a 
  danger, and everybody has overcome a danger.  
  The point of the montage is to get from the outskirts 
  of the village of Roachdale to the ruined keep that 
  overlooks the village. 
  INTO THE KEEP 
  Once the adventurers are past the dangers of the 
  abandoned village, they will need to get down into 
  dungeons under the keep. Unfortunately the keep’s 
  entrance is guarded by a listless-looking pair of undead 
  creatures. These were formerly demons, but the influence 
  of the Lich King in this area has reanimated them into 
  undead. 
  The obvious solution is to fight past the shambling 
  undead, but a better idea is sneaking past. It is a DC 20 
  skill check to sneak past the undead, and a result of 30+ 
  allows the sneaking adventurer to get past the undead 
  and sneak an ally with them who otherwise failed their 
  roll. 
  If any adventurers fail their roll, then a fight occurs, 
  but PCs that succeeded at sneaking gain +1 to their attacks 
  in the first round of combat and +4 to their initiative rolls. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  118 
   
  Fight! (optional) 
  The adventurers can flee this fight: they can run down into the ruined 
  keep, but the undead will follow and eventually find them. 
  Number of PCs 
  First Monster 
  Skeletal Dretch 
  3 
  3 
  10 
  4 
  5 
  10 
  5 
  7 
  10 
  6 
  9 
  10 
  7 
  11 
  10 
  Shambling Imp 
  10th level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +10 
   
  Festering  claws  +15 vs.  AC—16  damage, and  10 
  ongoing damage 
   
  R:  Blight  jet  +15 vs.  PD—30 damage, and  the target is 
  dazed (save ends) 
  First  natural  16+ each  turn: The imp can choose one: 
  the target is weakened instead of dazed; OR the imp 
  can make a blight jet attack against a different target 
  as a free action. 
   
  AC 24 
  PD 22  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 20 
  Mook: Kill one wretched imp mook for every 54 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Skeletal Dretch 
  When a demon is killed and eaten in the Abyss, it passes out of 
  its devourer as a dretch. Becoming undead is actually an 
  improvement for them. 
  6th level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +8 
   
  Claws +11 vs. AC—12 damage 
   
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 30 hp or fewer are dazed (–4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18  HP 23 (mook) 
  MD 14 
  Mook: Kill one undead dretch mook for every 23 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  THROUGH THE DUNGEON 
  The dungeon below the ruined keep is a labyrinth of 
  twisting passages and dead ends. Its lack of upkeep and 
  changing hands from those of demons to the boney 
  undead hand of the Lich King has not made finding the 
  way through the dungeon any easier, and in fact has 
  added additional hazards to navigating the underground 
  passages. 
  Co-operatively narrate with the players the tense 
  journey through the dungeon, during which the 
  adventurers must face the six obstacles below. The party 
  should nominate a different adventurer to face each 
  obstacle. 
  FALLING 
  MASONRY 
  PIT / UNSTABLE 
  FLOOR 
  HUNGRY 
  UNDEAD RATS 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Unstable 
  ceiling 
   +10 vs AC (1d3 
  adventurers)—
  2d10 damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Collapsing 
  floor  
  (automatic 
  hit)—4d6 
  damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Eternally 
  hungry bites 
   +20 vs AC (1d3 
  adventurers)—
  2d12 negative 
  energy damage  
  PIT TRAP 
  TRAPPED DOOR 
  ACID PUDDLE 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Demon pit trap 
  (automatic hit 
  against 1d3 
  adventurers)—
  2d12 damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Poison Darts 
  +25 vs AC—4d6 
  poison damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Acid splash +20 
  vs AC (1d3 
  adventurers)—
  2d12 acid 
  damage  
  GMs: If the adventurers fled a fight in a previous part of the 
  adventure now is a good time to have those monsters show up 
  again. This is probably where the undead guards from the door 
  show up if the party just ran away from them mid-fight. If the 
  party fled from any other monster from the start of the 
  adventure in Shadow Port to right now, they could well turn 
  up here as servants of an evil icon opposing the adventurers. 
   
   
  
   
  119 
   
  MEET THE OOZE 
  Once all of the lesser dangers of the dungeon have been 
  faced the party will have moved into the lowest level of 
  the dungeon, and here encounters the true danger of this 
  dungeon—a gelatinous octahedron has taken up 
  residence.  
  Fight! 
  It is a DC 25 skill check to avoid walking face-first into 
  the gelahedron, as it is almost invisible in the dim light. 
  If the party has some warning (i.e. the person walking 
  at the front passes the skill check) they can fight the 
  gelahedron as usual, otherwise it gets a free attack on 
  whoever was at the front of the party before initiative 
  is rolled. 
  If the adventurers flee the fight with the ooze they 
  find themselves turned around in the winding 
  corridors and confusing dead-ends and end up 
  wandering back toward (or into) the ooze. They’ll get 
  a chance to rest (a short rest) between the fights, but the 
  fight starts again with an adventurer walking face-first 
  into the fully healed ooze.   
  All oozes have the following two abilities:  
  Flows where it likes: The ooze is immune to opportunity 
  attacks.  
  Ooze: The ooze is immune to effects. When an attack 
  applies a condition to an ooze (dazed, hampered, 
  weakened, ongoing damage, etc.), that condition 
  doesn’t affect it.  
   
  the ooze… 
  Gelatinous Octahedron  
  These deadly oozes are hollow on the inside and contain a highly 
  corrosive liquid.  
  Huge 6th level blocker [OOZE] 
  Initiative: +5  
   
  Shlup’n’schlorp +11 vs. PD—38 acid damage, and the 
  cube engulfs the target (functions like a grab; see 
  below) if it’s smaller than the cube  
  Miss: The cube can make a spasms attack as a free 
  action.  
  [Special trigger] C: Spasms +11 vs. AC (up to 2 
  attacks, each against a different nearby enemy)—
  19 damage  
   
  Engulf and dissolve: Targets engulfed/grabbed (13th Age 
  core book, page 172) by the cube take 38 acid damage 
  at the start of the cube’s turn but are not viable targets 
  for additional attacks by the cube. Multiple targets can 
  be held within the cube simultaneously. Any engulfed 
  creature that is also staggered must begin making last 
  gasp saves (page 200 of core book) or become 
  paralyzed as the cube’s toxins overwhelm it.  
   
  Instinctive actions: Gelatinous creatures have no brains, 
  sometimes they just do things. When the escalation die 
  is odd, instead of making an attack or moving, roll a d8 
  to see what the octahedron does. If an option is not 
  viable (you roll a 3 but there are no nearby targets), 
  reroll until you get a valid option.  
  1. C: Acid splash +11 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies in a group)—8 ongoing acid damage  
  Each failed save: Acid destroys one of the target’s non-
  magical items. The target takes a cumulative –1 
  attack penalty until the end of the battle (boots fall 
  apart, shield straps snap, etc.).  
  Miss: 5 ongoing acid damage.  
  2. The octahedron grows an orifice that gushes out a 
  liquid glue that floods the area. Each enemy engaged 
  with the octahedron is stuck (hard save ends, 16+). 
  Each nearby enemy not engaged with the octahedron 
  is stuck (save ends). Each far away enemy is stuck 
  (easy save ends, 6+). The glue has no effect on 
  creatures who are flying or that have some way of 
  avoiding it.  
  3. The octahedron squirts a slick slime that targets 1d3 
  nearby enemies. Until the end of the battle, each 
  
   
  120 
   
  target must roll an easy save each time it moves; on a 
  failure, it’s hampered until the end of its next turn.  
  4. The octahedron makes a fire gout attack as it 
  splashes out a gel that ignites in the air and sticks to 
  skin and clothing.  
  C: Fire gout +11 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies in a group)—8 ongoing fire damage  
  Each failed save: The ongoing damage for all enemies 
  hit by the attack increases by 1.  
  5. The octahedron sweats acid. Each enemy engaged 
  with the octahedron must roll a normal save; on a 
  failure, it takes 40 acid damage. On a success it takes 
  20 acid damage.  
  6. C: Acid jet +11 vs. PD (one nearby or far away 
  enemy) —45 acid damage  
  Miss: 8 ongoing acid damage.  
  7. C: Acid geyser +11 vs. PD (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—30 acid damage, and the octahedron is 
  propelled uncontrollably about the area, passing next 
  to each of its enemies. Unlike normal, each enemy 
  can make an opportunity attack against the ooze as it 
  moves this way, but the ooze can make a glomp 
  attack against those who do as a free action as it 
  passes. (Tell the PCs that the ooze will get a counter-
  attack.)  
  Glomp +9 vs. PD—10 acid damage, and the cube 
  engulfs the target if it’s smaller than the cube  
  8. The octahedron splits into two tetrahedrons, and 
  each one can act this turn (roll a d4 for the instinctive 
  actions of each one). Divide the octahedron’s current 
  hit points equally between the two new creatures.  
   
  AC 21  
  PD 19  HP 280  
  MD 16 
   
  and if the octahedron splits into two 
  tetrahedrons… 
  Gelatinous Tetrahedron  
  The ooze whips out a tentacle, grasps an enemy, and flings it 
  through the air to the opposite side of the cavern. Gelatinous 
  tetrahedrons prefer their meals pulped . . .  
  Huge 4th level blocker [OOZE]  
  Initiative: +3  
   
  Shlup’n’schlorp +9 vs. PD—22 acid damage, and the 
  tetrahedron engulfs the target (functions like a grab; 
  see below) if it’s smaller than the tetrahedron  
  Miss: The tetrahedron can make a spasms attack as a 
  free action.  
  [Special trigger] C: Spasms +9 vs. AC (up to 2 attacks, 
  each against a different nearby enemy)—11 damage  
   
  Engulf and dissolve: Targets engulfed/grabbed (13th Age 
  core book, page 172) by the tetrahedron take 22 acid 
  damage at the start of the cube’s turn but are not viable 
  targets for additional attacks by the tetrahedron. 
  Multiple targets can be held within the tetrahedron 
  simultaneously. Any engulfed creature that is also 
  staggered must begin making last gasp saves (page 200 
  of core rules) or become paralyzed as the tetrahedron’s 
  toxins overwhelm it.  
   
  Instinctive actions: Gelatinous creatures have no brains, 
  sometimes they just do things. When the escalation die 
  is odd, instead of making an attack or moving, roll a d4 
  to see what the tetrahedron does. If an option is not 
  viable (you roll a 1 but there is no engaged enemy), 
  reroll until you get a valid option.  
  1. C: Fling +9 vs. PD (one engaged enemy)—14 
  damage, and the target pops free from the ooze and 
  must roll an easy save (6+); on a failure, it loses its 
  next move action  
  2. C: Fling +9 vs. PD (one nearby enemy not engaged 
  with the ooze)—28 damage, and the target is flung 
  somewhere nearby and must roll an easy save (6+); 
  on a failure, it loses its next move action 
  3. C: Fling +9 vs. PD (one far away enemy)—42 
  damage, and the target is flung somewhere far away 
  and must roll an easy save (6+); on a failure, it loses 
  its next move action  
  4. As a standard action the ooze quickly moves around 
  the battlefield, oozing over 1d3 nearby enemies. 
  Those enemies become engaged with the ooze and 
  stuck (save ends).  
  First failed save: The target is engulfed instead of 
  stuck.  
   
  AC 19  
  PD 17  HP half of the Octahedron’s hit points 
  at the time of splitting 
  MD 14  
   
  
   
  121 
   
  WHAT THE OOZE REVEALS 
  The ooze, once defeated, drops a golden key that it had 
  swallowed. The key has a name etched upon it “The 
  Crown and Gown” a famous tavern in Shadow Port. 
  Whoever was here last came from the city of the Prince of 
  Shadows. 
  The ooze also contained a silver and jade statue (worth 
  1200 gp if sold in somewhere disreputable like Shadow 
  Port). The statue looks like it was stolen from a temple in 
  Shadow Port, as it is covered in depictions of the local 
  gods and saints of the city.  
  THE DREAM 
  That night the adventurers receive another dream sent 
  to them by the Great Gold Wyrm.  
  You ride on the back of the Great Gold Wyrm, flying 
  over a defeated army and landing at a ghostly keep that 
  you recognize as the one that you have just been exploring 
  the dungeons of. You hold in your hand a key with a 
  golden thread attached to it. You know that following the 
  golden thread will lead to the missing paladins. 
  A shadowy claw belonging to an unseen monster 
  fumbles blindly for you, but it cannot find you. The 
  monster that took the diamond and kidnapped the Great 
  Gold Wyrm’s paladins is searching you paladins, but it 
  cannot locate you. You see that the shadowy monster’s 
  arm emerges from Shadow Port, and the golden thread is 
  tangled around it. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  122 
   
  THE CROWN AND GOWN 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers are searching once more for the Darkskye 
  Diamond, stolen from them by servants of the Three and given 
  to Shez-a-kah the traitorous former-servant of the Prince of 
  Shadows. The adventurers know that the Prince of Shadows 
  will want it back, and that the Great Gold Wyrm wants it taken 
  to the Emperor. 
  BACK IN SHADOW PORT 
  This first section is a travel montage. The adventurers 
  arrive at the bustling Shadow Port docks, a city that holds 
  many dangers for the foolish or unlucky. Turn to a player 
  and ask them to describe a possible danger of the piratical 
  metropolis. Then turn to the next player and tell them that 
  their character faced and overcame that danger which 
  allowed the group as a whole to move onwards, and ask 
  them to say how their character did that. There is no need 
  to roll, this is a montage scene. Go around the group until 
  everybody has had a chance to invent a danger, and 
  everybody has overcome a danger. 
  GMs: Ask the players if, since they are in a city, they wish 
  to buy any potions, oils, etc… this is a prime opportunity to 
  spend cash gained in previous adventures. 
  THE CROWN AND GOWN INN 
  While searching the secret meeting place in Rochdale the 
  adventurers discovered a golden key for the Crown and 
  Gown. 
  The Crown and Gown is probably the fanciest public 
  drinking establishment in Shadow Port, though there are 
  fancier private clubs. The drinks are exorbitantly priced, 
  the food is respectable, and the entertainment is 
  exceptional. The Crown and Gown is the place to be in 
  Shadow Port, if you are fortunate enough to be on the list 
  to be let in. 
  The upper stories of the Crown and Gown are private 
  rooms, each of which looks out via latticework-shielded 
  balconies onto the main hall of the tavern (and out onto 
  the street outside). The key that the adventurers found 
  last session fits some door here… but which one? 
  Getting past the doorman (a large half-orc woman 
  called Anna Gladtooth) is a DC 20 skill check. 
  Adventurers might try to talk their way past, sneak past, 
  create a distraction, or bribe her. Adventurers who have 
  been to the Crown and Gown before may add +5 to their 
  roll. Anna won’t fight the adventurers if she doesn’t have 
  to. The music from inside is too loud (a dwarf bard band) 
  for any fight to be heard, though patrons near the door 
  might come out to see what the fuss is about. 
  GMs: Remember that the adventurers who took part in 
  Chapter 2’s capers will likely still have a key to a private suite 
  at the Crown and Gown, are always allowed in, and drink for 
  free. If a player points out that their adventurer has already been 
  here, ask them if they still have the key… if so getting through 
  the front door will be much easier. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Anna won’t fight the adventurers if she doesn’t have to, so if 
  she becomes staggered she surrenders or runs away to find 
  help. Thankfully the Crown and Gown is noisy enough 
  inside that aside from the Angry Patrons nobody will hear 
  the fight. 
  Remind the players that they can choose to simply knock their foes 
  out rather than attempting lethal blows. 
  Number of PCs 
  Anna Gladtooth 
  Angry Patrons 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  1 
  8 
  7 
  1 
  10 
  Anna Gladtooth 
  Triple strength 7th level blocker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
   
  Pugilism +12 vs. AC—84 damage (non-lethal) 
  Natural even roll: The target pops free and is pushed 
  back into the street. 
  Natural odd hit: No damage, but the target becomes 
  dazed (save ends). 
  …Failure to save against dazed: The target instead 
  becomes weakened (save ends). 
  …Failure to save against weakened: The target instead 
  becomes stunned (save ends). 
  …Failure to save against stunned: The target instead 
  becomes helpless until a bucket of water is thrown 
  over them or something similar. 
   
  Run away: If Anna becomes staggered (165 hp or fewer) 
  and the adventurers are using non-lethal damage she 
  attempts to flee from the fight. No job is worth getting 
  killed for, right? 
      
  AC 23 
  PD 21  HP 330 
  MD 17 
  
   
  123 
   
  Angry Patron 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +9 
      
  Punch +15 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—30 damage 
   
  On rounds when the escalation die is odd the angry 
  patron does the following… 
      
  If the patron is a sorceress 
  C: Inebriated lightning +15 vs. AC (one nearby or far 
  away enemy)—4d20 fire damage  
  Miss: One other mook is hit. 
  If the patron is a dwarf mercenary 
  Smashed hammer +15 vs. AC (two attacks)—20 damage  
  Miss: If there is an ally engaged with the target, the ally 
  takes the damage instead. 
  If the patron is just a merchant 
  C: Sloppy kick +15 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—30 
  damage and the target is stunned until the start of its 
  next turn 
  Miss: The mook hits itself. 
      
  Mob: If the angry patron doesn’t attack on its round it 
  grants a cumulative +1 to attack against all enemies it 
  is engaged with (maximum bonus +4). 
      
  AC 24 
  PD 21  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 16 
  Mook: Kill one angry patron mook for every 54 damage 
  you deal to the mob. Apply damage to shadow-
  warriors using the elusive ability last (or ignore that 
  damage) 
   
  INSIDE THE CROWN AND GOWN… 
  Once inside the crown and gown, the adventurers 
  discover that the place is crowded. Wandering around the 
  Crown and Gown trying doors shows that they key won’t 
  fit any of the doors upstairs, but the key is identical to the 
  ones that the stage hand uses to open the door to the 
  changing rooms and offices downstairs.  
  Sneaking past the young stage hand (called Roger) is 
  a DC 15 skill check, and if the adventurers draw their 
  weapons he’ll just back away. 
  BACKSTAGE AT THE CROWN AND GOWN… 
  The rest of this part of the adventure involves exploration 
  of the undercroft and cellars beneath the Crown and 
  Gown.  
  There is no one true way, and the adventurers might 
  end up headed straight to where they need to go or end 
  up wandering through various rooms before they find the 
  secret way to the ultimate showdown at the end of this 
  adventure.  
  Each room or area can be run in various ways—
  usually including exploration, an option for combat, a 
  social encounter, and so on. 
  The Corridor and Stairs—The central area downstairs.  
  The Office—An office where the acts for the Crown and 
  Gown are booked.  
  The Money Counting Room—Lots of loot here.  
  The Factotum’s Chamber—The area where repairs to 
  scenery are made, with an unsettling secret.  
  The Store Room—An area containing a (broken?) golem.  
  The Special Reserve—Casks and crates, a good place to 
  hide. It contains a secret door. 
  The Dressing Room—A dressing room.  
  The Secret Ro om—A secret room accessed from the 
  special reserve area’s secret door.  
  The secret room contains a hidden trapdoor that leads 
  downwards (see the Down the Hatch section) to the lair of 
  one of the Prince of Shadow’s lieutenants. 
  GMs: Constantly point out to the players that it is too noisy 
  for the adventurers to hear much down here (listening at doors 
  is usually no good). The sound of the dwarven band up above 
  will also mask any fight the adventurers engage in. 
   
   
  
   
  124 
   
  THE CROWN AND GOWN TREASURES 
  The backstage area of the Crown and Gown holds more 
  than one secret. The following items can all be found by 
  searching various areas… 
  Wyrmshock the Dragon-Slayer 
  This sword is inlaid with gold, and when held aloft the image of 
  the Great Gold Wyrm can occasionally be glimpsed as an aura 
  around the blade. 
  [Weapon, long sword] 
  +1 bonus to attacks and damage (champion tier: 
  +2; epic tier: +3). 
  Recharge 11+: When fighting a dragon (or 
  dragonic, or kobold) double the bonus granted 
  by this weapon. 
  Quirk: Desires to eat eggs. 
  Healing Salve  
  A sticky pinkish paste, intended to be rubbed into the 
  flesh. 
  [standard action to use, consumable] 
  • 
  When applied in combat it revives a dying 
  character, bringing them back to 1 hp 
  • 
  When applied after combat the recipient gets 
  their maximum recovery value for recoveries 
  spent to heal during a short rest.  
  Terpsichore’s Orchestrion 
  This music box has intricate sliding hatches out of which 
  emerge tiny automatons that play music. As they play a group 
  of coryphée emerge from the top of the music box and dance 
  together.  
  [Wondrous magic item]  
  Recharge 11+: Anybody who attempts to mimic 
  the automatons’ dance gains +2 to all skill rolls 
  involving 
  mime, 
  dance, 
  singing, 
  oration, 
  impressions, and other stage arts. The bonus lasts 
  for the next hour or so. If the attuned owner 
  listens to the music and mimics the dance they 
  also roll twice for all disengage checks during 
  their next battle that day. 
  Quirk: Prima donna style behavior. 
  
   
  125 
   
  THE CORRIDOR AND STAIRS 
  from outside… 
  At the top of the stairs is a door, but hearing anything 
  beyond it is impossible due to the music of the dwarven 
  bard band. Peering through the keyhole a set of stairs 
  leading downwards can be seen, at the bottom of which 
  is a brightly burning brazier. 
  what is here 
  A set of stairs leads downwards into an L-shaped 
  corridor. Near the turn of the L a brazier burns, providing 
  illumination and warmth. The floor is stone, and the clink 
  and chink of the adventurer’s armor echoes, though it is 
  hard to hear over the sound of music and revelry from 
  upstairs in the Crown and Gown. Five double doors lead 
  from the long leg of the L, four on the left and one on the 
  right side of the corridor. The first two doors on the left 
  side of the corridor are thick metal doors, and light can be 
  seen coming from the keyholes. At the end of the long leg 
  of the L is a red curtain, which wafts gently in a slight 
  breeze. 
  social encounter 
  A dozen male dancers stand around the brazier, warming 
  themselves. This troupe has travelled from Glitterhaegen, 
  and are known as the Citterios. They are talking about a 
  fight that they heard had happened outside, between the 
  bouncer Anna and some idiots from out of town.  
  It is a DC 20 skill check to convince the dancers that 
  the adventurers are supposed to be down here, if that 
  succeeds the dancers will mostly ignore anything else the 
  adventurers get up to. If the players fail this skill check 
  the DC increases by a cumulative +5 for their next 
  attempt. If the DC hits 40 the dancers will definitely know 
  something is up (move this to a combat encounter).  
  If this is not a social encounter… the Citterios are already 
  upstairs, performing. 
  exploratory encounter 
  The red curtain at the end of the corridor wafts in a 
  breeze, but where is it coming from? If the adventurers 
  investigate the curtain it is a DC 25 skill check to notice 
  the aglets… this is actually a paladin’s cloak—how did 
  this come to be down here being used as a curtain?  
  A DC 20 skill check allows the adventurers to notice 
  that at the bottom of the brazier are partially melted 
  pieces of metal—fishing these out (a DC 25 skill check to 
  avoid 4d8 fire damage unless the adventurer uses the tip 
  of a sword or similar) shows that they are the belt buckles 
  of a dozen paladin’s belts, and each bears the likeness of 
  the Great Gold Wyrm. 
  combat encounter 
  Over a dozen performers stand around the brazier, 
  warming themselves. They are fire-eaters, knife-jugglers, 
  and acrobats, together with various stage-hands, hangers 
  on, and flunkies.  
  When the performers and backstage crew see the 
  adventurers they become angry if the adventurers fought 
  Anna the doorman (she is their friend), but if the 
  adventurers did not fight Anna the performers leave to 
  go upstairs, as they are due on stage. 
  If this is not a combat encounter… the Citterios either don’t 
  care if the adventurers beat up Anna, or they are already 
  upstairs performing. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  If the party didn’t fight Anna then the performers simply 
  leave, having no reason to fight the party. If the party fought 
  Anna then word will have made it to the performers. 
  Number of PCs 
  Performers 
  Stage-hands 
  3 
  1 
  15 
  4 
  2 
  15 
  5 
  3 
  15 
  6 
  4 
  15 
  7 
  5 
  15 
  Performer 
  6th level blocker [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +12 
   
  These muscles aren’t just for show +12 vs. AC (three 
  attacks)—20 damage 
   
  Nastier Specials: 
  Acrobat: On a miss the performer pops free. 
  Exotic dancer: The performer’s attack is against MD and 
  does psychic damage. The dance is more than usually 
  exotic. 
  Fire-eater: The damage is fire damage.  
  Knife juggler: The performer can use the following attack 
  once per battle as a quick action:  
  C: Knife +12 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—20 damage  
   
  AC 23 
  PD 18  HP 55 
  MD 14 
  
   
  126 
   
  Stage-hand 
  5th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +12 
   
  Kick and step +15 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—7 
  damage (non-lethal) 
  Natural 16+: The target is stuck (save ends). 
   
  Team-work: Group the stage hands up into mobs of 5. For 
  every mook in a mob of 5 who does not attack on its 
  turn, add 1 to the defenses of all mooks in the mob 
  until the start of their next turn. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 13  HP 14 (mook) 
  MD 17 
  Mook: Kill one stage hand mook for every 14 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  Not killing: remind players that their characters can aim to 
  knock out enemies rather than aim to kill.  
   
  THE OFFICE 
  from outside… 
  A thick set of metal double doors block access to this 
  room. If an adventurer presses their ear up against the 
  doors they will hear something like the crackle of a fire, 
  though it is hard to hear anything over the sound of the 
  band upstairs. The metal door is not as cool to the touch 
  as it should be.  
  what is here 
  A roaring fire in one corner of the room provides warmth 
  and illumination. It is clear that the fire-place is shared 
  with the next room over and climbing through the 
  fireplace will allow an adventurer to access the other 
  room.  
  Climbing through a fireplace that is enchanted with 
  a continual flame spell +15 vs PD—2d8 ongoing fire 
  damage. Adventurers can attempt to put out a 
  burning ally (DC 20 skill check), failing means that 
  they also catch fire. 
  A chest sits next to the fireplace. The chest contains a 
  set of leather armor, a shield, a club, and a crossbow.  
  Opposite the fireplace is a desk and two chairs. On the 
  desk are several books, two of which are ledgers and one 
  of which (a green book with a skull on the front) appears 
  to be written in code. Breaking the code will take hours of 
  work for somebody with an appropriate background, and 
  it lists payments from and to criminal groups for various 
  services rendered. Between the books is a war axe of 
  orcish manufacture. 
  social encounter 
  In the room sits Mund Osmarvyn, a halfling book-keeper. 
  He is adding up figures in the biggest ledger with the aid 
  of an abacus.  
  Convincing Mund that the party are supposed to be 
  here is a DC 30 skill check—if Mund is not convinced by 
  them he will try not to show it (if the person attempting 
  to convince Mund got at least a 25 on their skill check they 
  see that Mund is not convinced, otherwise Mund looks 
  convinced).  
  If the party acts in a way that threatens him, and Mund 
  is not convinced that they are supposed to be down here 
  Mund will run and hide in another area, potentially 
  triggering a combat encounter in that other area. 
  If Mund is convinced that the adventurers are 
  supposed to be in the office and the adventurer’s threaten 
  him he’ll assume that they are collecting a debt owned to 
  the Prince of Shadows and will give them a bag of 
  
   
  127 
   
  glowing gems (see the exploratory encounter option). If 
  Mund is convinced that the adventurers are working 
  security for his boss Lady Agetha who owns the Crown 
  and Gown, then he’ll mostly ignore them except to pass 
  the time of day as pleasantly as a harried accountant who 
  just wants to get on with his work can. 
  Mund doesn’t really know who else is down in the 
  basement, he just wants to finish his work and go home 
  to his husband. Mund will attempt to run rather than 
  fight, and will hide in another area. It is a DC 30 skill 
  check to catch Mund as he flees between the adventurer’s 
  legs, and Mund will wiggle out of his coat and force a re-
  roll if the first roll succeeds. Mund’s defenses are all 35 
  while he is fleeing, but if caught is so easy to hit that no 
  roll is needed. Mund has 5 hit points, and is useless in a 
  fight. 
  If this is not a social encounter… Mund is not here. 
  exploratory encounter 
  Getting inside the room requires picking the lock (a DC 
  25 skill check). A DC 20 result will open the lock but will 
  also spring a poison needle trap which makes the 
  following attack: 
  Poison needle +10 vs PD—4d8 poison damage 
  If this is not an exploratory encounter… the door is 
  unlocked. 
  The fireplace has a loose brick, behind which is a small 
  concealed space with a velvet bag in it. The bag contains 
  glowing gemstones. The party will recognize the stones 
  as being from the flying prison island Darkskye which 
  crashed in the Wild Wood some time ago. 
  THE MONEY-COUNTING ROOM 
  from outside… 
  A thick set of metal double doors block access to this 
  room. If an adventurer presses their ear up against the 
  doors they will hear something like the crackle of a fire, 
  though it is hard to hear anything over the sound of the 
  band upstairs. The door is not as cool to the touch as it 
  should be.  
  These doors are locked, and getting through them via 
  lock-picking is a DC 30 skill check. The doors are 
  magically re-enforced, making them hard to bash down 
  (it requires two DC 30 skill checks to use brute force to 
  enter the room). 
  what is here 
  The doors do not open all the way due to a large oak desk 
  sat in front of them. On the desk is a sword, several bags 
  of coins, some parchment, hundreds of loose silver 
  imperials and copper coins from across the Dragon 
  Empire, and a candle. Behind the desk are three open 
  chests which contain coins, mostly gold.   
  A roaring fire in one corner of the room provides 
  warmth and illumination. It is clear that the fire-place is 
  shared with the next room over and climbing through the 
  fireplace will allow an adventurer to access the other 
  room. 
  Climbing through a fireplace that is enchanted with 
  a continual flame spell +15 vs PD—2d8 ongoing fire 
  damage. Adventurers can attempt to put out a 
  burning ally (DC 20 skill check), failing means that 
  they also catch fire. 
  On the floor is an expensive looking rug. There is 
  nothing hidden under the rug if the adventurers search 
  under it. 
  social encounter 
  In the room sits Intius Criver the human, a former 
  captain in the imperial army who now works for Lady 
  Agetha, owner of the Crown and Gown. Intius works 
  with Mund the Halfling to manage the day-to-day 
  operations of the Crown and Gown. Convincing Intius 
  that the adventurers are supposed to be down here is a 
  DC 25 skill check.  
  Failing the skill check means that Intius believes that 
  the adventurers are actually thugs here to shake him 
  down for money. He’ll hand out three bags each with 200 
  gp in each of them (actually aumaggits, see the 
  exploratory encounter), and verbally tells chides them for 
  stealing from the Crown and Gown while mentioning 
  that he pays protection money to the Red Hand Mob for 
  this not to happen.  
  If the adventurers succeed on their skill check Intius 
  will deal with the adventurers depending on what lie 
  they tell him or what disguise they are wearing. If Intius 
  believes them to be performers he’ll escort them upstairs 
  and push them out onto the stage, as the Crown ad Gown 
  has a jester out sick and he has sent for a replacement act 
  from the local Fool’s Guild. What the adventurers do once 
  on the stage in front of a crowd of several hundred people 
  is down to them. 
  If this is not a social encounter… nobody is here (unless this 
  is a combat encounter). 
  exploratory encounter 
  Looting the room yields about 1000 gp per 
  adventurer—but there is too much to carry out and most 
  of it is in small denomination coins. It would take several 
  
   
  128 
   
  trips to drag this much money upstairs, and moving it 
  through the bar unseen would require several DC 20 skill 
  checks. Adventurers can scoop up about 200 gp each if 
  they don’t mind their packs being incredibly heavy. 
  In one chest are three bags full of aumaggits. These 
  look like 200 gp worth of coins per bag, but if jiggled 
  about too much (say by an adventurer in their pack as 
  they fight) they hatch into thousands of tiny worm-like 
  things that feast on non-magical precious metals. It is a 
  DC 25 skill check to notice that these coins are flat eggs 
  that mimic coins. If the adventurers take these bags then 
  during the next fight the bags explode (all combatants 
  become stunned until the end of their next turn) and 
  anything of worth that the adventurers have will be eaten 
  by tiny worms that then scurry off through cracks in the 
  ground. A wizard’s mend spell will put the tiny coin-
  eating grubs to sleep until they are next jiggled, but this 
  cannot be done mid-combat. 
  Beneath the desk is a triple-crossbow pointed at the 
  door. The crossbow is attached to a counterweighted 
  mechanism of dwarven design: twisting one of the desk 
  handles releases a mechanism that cocks and loads the 
  crossbow. The mechanism is large enough to takes up 
  most of the desk, it isn’t something that can be 
  repurposed into adventuring equipment. Upon closer 
  examination the sword on the desk is magical, and once 
  belonged to a paladin of the Great Gold Wyrm. 
  Loot! 
  The sword is Wyrmshock the Dragon Slayer. 
  The parchments on the desk show the area around 
  Castle Zamak. 
  combat encounter 
  Upon seeing the adventurers the large man sat behind the 
  desk widens his eyes and pulls on a handle. This triggers 
  the following attack before the adventurers can react: 
  Under-desk crotch-height triple crossbow with 
  barbed darts +20 vs AC (3 attacks)—3d4 damage 
  and the target is hampered; it is a standard action to 
  pull a barbed dart out, which ends the hampered 
  effect and does another 3d4 damage to the target. 
  After the surprise attack roll initiative and normal 
  combat rounds start. 
  If this is not a combat encounter… nobody is here (unless 
  this is a social encounter). 
  Fight! 
  OK, so he’s not a spell caster, but his martial tricks are similar 
  enough to spells in action that it makes little difference. 
  Number of PCs 
  Intius Criver 
  (Tricks) 
  3 
  1 
  3 
  4 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  1 
  6 
  7 
  1 
  7 
  Intius Criver 
  Double-strength 8th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +11 
   
  Sudden thrust +13 vs. AC (+15 against dragonics and 
  other dragon-like foes)—35 damage 
  Natural odd roll: Make another sudden thrust attack 
  against a different target as a free action. Keep 
  making attacks until an even hit or miss. 
   
  Tricks: Initius’ years as an imperial captain has taught 
  him a few tricks. Initius can use a number of tricks per 
  battle equal to the number of PCs present. The tricks 
  are free actions to use and he can use them at any time, 
  but he can only use 2 per round. 
   
  AC 23 
  PD 22  HP 300 
  MD 19 
  Tricks 
  I learned this one from a gnome! 
  C: Fire flash auto-hit (1d3 nearby enemies)—10 
  ongoing fire damage and target is weakened (save 
  ends both) 
  Dagger through the foot! 
  C: Throwing knife auto-hit (one nearby enemy)—20 
  damage and the target is stuck (hard save ends) 
  Sudden distraction! 
  C: Bag of coins auto-hit (1d4+2 nearby enemies)—15 
  damage and the target is weakened until the start of 
  their next turn 
  Dirty fighting… 
  Until the end of the battle, Intius does half damage on a 
  miss.    
  Tricky footwork… 
  Intius moves as a free action, and two PCs must save or 
  move where he wants them to. 
  
   
  129 
   
   
  THE FACTOTUM’S CHAMBER 
  from outside… 
  There is no noise from behind the wooden double doors, 
  or at least none that can be heard over the awfully loud 
  music from upstairs. The doors are not locked. 
  what is here 
  The room is a workshop. There is a sturdy workbench at 
  the far end of the room, and on the top of the workbench 
  are various tools (saws, plyers, hammers, etc). Under the 
  workbench there are various boxes.  
  This room is usually occupied by the Crown and 
  Gown’s factotum (a general worker, prop maker, 
  seamstress and costumer, miss-fixit, etc). 
  social encounter 
  The factotum of the Crown and Gown is Mistress Jenny 
  Bellwether, and she is currently attempting to fix a life-
  size string-puppet. She will be quite surprised to see the 
  adventurers, and knowing more of what goes on in the 
  Crown and Gown than most do will be instantly aware 
  that they are not supposed to be wandering about down 
  here. However, Jenny is smart enough to know that if she 
  tries to raise an alarm the adventurers might use violence 
  against her, so she surrenders to the party.  
  Jenny knows almost everything that goes on in the 
  Crown and Gown, including the fact that some paladins 
  were bought here and taken to a secret room that is 
  accessed from somewhere behind the curtain at the end 
  of the corridor—she will offer this knowledge to the 
  adventurers if they promise not to attack her. If the 
  adventurers require evidence she’ll tell them that she was 
  given the paladin’s belongings to dispose of, but instead 
  of burning them like she was told she used the cloaks to 
  replace the old curtain at the end of the corridor, and cut 
  the paladin’s clothes up for rags. The person who ordered 
  her to dispose of the paladin’s belongings was the 
  sorceress Sonsy Solpok. Jenny says Sonsy is always taking 
  people back behind the curtain at the end of the corridor, 
  which is a storage area for the Crown and Gown’s more 
  expensive wines and ales. 
  If the party uses violence against her, she will be 
  knocked out with the first attempted blow (or will just 
  fake fainting if the blow misses and does no damage). 
  If the party doesn’t tie her up or otherwise prevent her 
  from doing so she’ll head to another area as soon as she 
  can do so without them spotting her in the corridor, and 
  try to raise the alarm. This will trigger a combat encounter 
  elsewhere.  
  If this is not a social encounter… nobody is here. 
  exploratory encounter 
  The room is empty of any obvious threat. Investigating 
  the boxes under the workbench shows various oddments 
  including an under-repair life-size string puppet, balls of 
  twine, scraps of cloth, a sewing kit, bottles of paint and 
  glue, jars full of nails, and so on. Some of the jars are too 
  opaque to make out what is in them without opening 
  them. 
  Loot! 
  Two murky jars with red lids contain healing salves.  
  Three rattling jars contain screws, clock pieces, and 
  other metal oddments that might come in useful to a 
  factotum.  
  One murky jar contains something heavy and clinks 
  when shaken. Opening it unleashes a queen aumaggit 
  that attacks a random adventurer. 
  Queen aumaggit’s bone-liquefying bite +15 vs PD—
  20 ongoing negative energy and poison damage. The 
  ongoing damage instantly ends if the queen is killed 
  and her juices rubbed into the bite (DC 25 to know 
  this about aumaggit biology).  
  The rags in one of the boxes have been cut from the 
  clothing of a paladin of the Great Gold Wyrm, it is a DC 
  30 skill check to realize this. 
  In one box is a life-size marionette (a string puppet). 
  The wooden puppet is broken, and its strings tangled. 
  Those who are ritual casters (Wizards, Clerics, etc) will 
  sense lingering magic on the puppet, but whatever magic 
  was there is faded and no longer working—a DC 20 skill 
  check with a suitable magical background reveals that the 
  magic animated this puppet to sing and dance. 
  combat encounter 
  Sat in the chair is a wooden life-size marionette (a string 
  puppet). It is undressed, unpainted, and featureless. It 
  looks to have been recently sanded, and some parts look 
  newer like the puppet has been recently repaired. 
  Unknown to the adventurers (at this time) is that the 
  resident sorceress of the Crown and Gown helped out her 
  friend the factotum and used magic to repair the puppet, 
  magic that has gone horribly wrong. As the adventurers 
  
   
  130 
   
  sneak into the room the puppet comes to life and attacks, 
  as do some of the tools on the workbench. 
  If this is not a combat encounter… the puppet is still 
  awaiting repair and does not move by itself. 
  Fight! 
  So are adventurers turned into puppets dead, or can 
  they be restored somehow? We leave that up to you, 
  but turning a wooden puppet into a person is no easy 
  feat of magic and might require its own quest. 
  Number of PCs 
  Animated Tools 
  Creepy Faceless 
  Marionette 
  3 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  7 
  1 
  6 
  9 
  1 
  7 
  11 
  1 
  Animated Tools 
  5th level troop [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +8 
      
  Bludgeoning, stabbing, sanding, etc +10 vs. AC—18 
  damage 
      
  Construct immunity: This monster is immune to all 
  conditions, including ongoing damage. You can’t 
  confuse a hammer or daze a pair of pliers. 
      
  Immune to mind-affecting attacks: This monster is 
  completely immune most attacks that target MD. If a 
  player can make a good case why their attack should 
  be the exception the tool’s MD is 31. 
      
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 55 
  MD 31 
  Creepy Faceless Ma rionette 
  Double-strength 7th level spoiler [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +15 
   
  Wooden claws +12 vs. AC—56 damage 
  Natural 16+ hit on a round when the escalation die is even: 
  Use your face is mine as a quick action. 
   
  Your face is mine! +15 vs. MD (one nearby enemy)—
  The adventurer must start making last gasp saves. If all the 
  last gasp saves are failed the adventurer has been turned into 
  a featureless wooden puppet identical to the creepy faceless 
  marionette as it was at the start of the encounter, and the 
  animated marionette now has a face. 
   
  C: No strings on me +12 vs. PD (up to 2 nearby enemies 
  in a group)—The puppet’s strings detach, and strings 
  descend from the ceiling and pierce the flesh of the 
  targets. 2d20 ongoing damage and the targets are 
  confused and stuck and attack each other (save ends 
  all). 
   
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 36 hp or fewer are dazed (–4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
   
  AC 23 
  PD 21  HP 222 
  MD 12 
   
  
   
  131 
   
  THE STORE ROOM 
  from outside… 
  There is no noise from behind the wooden double doors, 
  or at least none that can be heard over the awfully loud 
  music from upstairs. The doors are not locked, but are 
  closed with a simple latch which can be opened by sliding 
  a dagger between the doors. 
  what is here 
  This room is a store room for things that the Crown and 
  Gown is not using right now, or that are broken and 
  awaiting repair by the establishment’s resident factotum.  
  The current contents of the room are a broken table 
  and a stone golem which is facing away from the wall. 
  social encounter 
  There is nobody here to talk to, unless an NPC from 
  another area fled here—in which case that NPC if 
  threatened will activate the golem and turn this into a 
  combat encounter. 
  exploratory encounter 
  The stone golem is unmoving, and doesn’t react to the 
  adventurers in any way. If examined a bit more closely it 
  looks like the golem was recently painted, possibly as part 
  of a stage act. There is not much else of interest in the 
  room. 
  combat encounter 
  The stone golem awakens, and attacks the adventurers. 
  Fortunately for the adventurers nobody can hear the fight 
  over the noise from upstairs, unfortunately nobody will 
  hear their screams either. 
  If this is not a combat encounter… the golem stands mutely 
  unmoving, no matter what happens. 
  Fight! 
  Maybe this clay golem is activated by a command 
  word, and if so perhaps the players can figure out what 
  word that they said that set it off they may be able to 
  figure out the word to deactivate it—if that is the case 
  they might even end up activating it and deactivating 
  it multiple times by accident. Maybe the word that 
  stops and starts it is something simple like ‘it’. 
  Clay Golem 
  The gods made people out of clay, and clay golems are 
  made of the material they had left over. Rumor has it that 
  dwarfs are immune to the clay golem’s curse because the 
  gods made dwarves out of stone, not clay. 
  Large 7th level spoiler [CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +6 
   
  Bare brutal hands +13 vs. AC—36 damage 
   
  Cursed wound: A non-dwarf creature damaged by a clay 
  golem can’t be healed to above half its maximum hit 
  points until after the battle. 
   
  Golem immunity: Non-organic golems are immune to 
  effects. They can’t be dazed, weakened, confused, 
  made vulnerable, or touched by ongoing damage. You 
  can damage a golem, but that’s about it. 
   
  Ignore attacks 11+: When an attack hits this creature, the 
  attacker must roll a natural 11+ on the attack roll or it 
  misses instead. That’s all attacks. 
   
  Regeneration: This golem has been repaired repeatedly by 
  magic, and the magic has accumulated. At the start of 
  each of its turns it heals 20 hp. If the golem takes holy 
  damage its regeneration stops working until the end of 
  the fight. 
   
  AC 20 
  PD 18  HP 120 
  MD 14 
   
   
  
   
  132 
   
  THE SPECIAL RESERVE 
  from outside… 
  A red curtain wafts gently in a breeze. It is impossible to 
  overhear any noises from behind the curtain over the din 
  of music from upstairs. Peaking behind the curtain shows 
  a room with barrels and crates. 
  what is here 
  This room contains barrels and crates. The barrels are of 
  high-priced ale. The crates are full of imported wine from 
  New Port and mead from Forge, packaged in straw. The 
  importer of the wines and mead is J. Rose and Sons, a 
  reputable wine merchant with a dozen offices from 
  Eldolan to Glitterhaegen. 
  social encounter 
  Asleep here is Jon-jon, a halfling in the uniform of the 
  waiters of the Crown and Gown. He snuck back here to 
  cat-nap on his break. If he is woken up he’ll be afraid that 
  he’ll be accused of stealing some of the drinks (he didn’t). 
  It is not hard to wake him on purpose (simply shaking 
  him will do), but he’s unlikely to hear anything the 
  adventurers get up to and be awoken by accident as he’s 
  stuffed rags into his ears to keep from being woken up by 
  the sound of the band playing upstairs. Jon-jon, if 
  awoken, will assume that the adventurers are supposed 
  to be down here. Jon-jon doesn’t know much about what 
  happens in the Crown and Gown, he’s only just started 
  work there that week.  
  Jon-jon can’t put up much of a fight, and will try to 
  flee. It is a DC 25 skill check to catch Jon-jon as he flees 
  between the adventurer’s legs, and all his defenses are 20 
  while he is fleeing—if caught he is so easy to hit that no 
  roll is needed. Jon-jon has 5 hit points, and no attacks 
  worth mentioning. If Jon-jon flees he’ll return to work and 
  not mention meet the party to anybody, he’ll assume that 
  the adventurers were supposed to be checking for and 
  punishing people stealing the expensive wine. 
  If this is not a social encounter… nobody is here, Jon-jon is 
  upstairs serving drinks. 
  exploratory encounter 
  The red curtain at the end of the corridor wafts in a 
  breeze, but where is it coming from? If the adventurers 
  investigate the curtain it is a DC 25 skill check to notice 
  the aglets… this is actually a paladin’s cloak—how did 
  this come to be down here being used as a curtain?  
  A DC 20 skill check shows that one of the walls is in 
  fact a hidden door (DC 15 if the adventurers are looking 
  for the source of the breeze).  
  GMs: If the party is stuck and doesn’t see the secret door 
  and you are ready for them to get into the secret room then 
  simply leave the door ajar. 
  A DC 30 skill check (or DC 25 for those with a 
  relationship with the Archmage) shows that the hidden 
  door is locked by magic… a pass phrase is needed to open 
  it, and attempting to open it without the phrase will cause 
  lightning to discharge from the door. Attempting to force 
  the hidden door open through strength, cunning, or 
  magic results in the magic sealing the hidden door shut 
  in attacking them: 
  Jolt +15 vs PD—4d8 lightning damage  
  GMs: If you are ready for the adventurers to move on to the 
  secret room then mention that they saw the pass phrase that 
  disarms the magic trap written down in an area that they have 
  already explored. Otherwise the door is impassable to the 
  adventurers, at least until they have stopped at other as yet 
  unvisited areas and found the passphrase. You decide where the 
  passphrase is/was written. 
  combat encounter 
  There is nobody here, and nothing to fight… unless of 
  course somebody else has fled here to hide from the 
  adventurers, or unless a fight spills from elsewhere into 
  this area.  
  THE DRESSING ROOM 
  from outside… 
  These double doors on the left (east) side of the corridor 
  are marked with a wooden star that has been painted 
  gold. As the adventurers listen at the door the music 
  upstairs pauses, and fainter music can be heard through 
  the wooden doors. The door has a lock, but they have 
  been left unlocked. Looking through the keyhole shows 
  the viewer a table and desk with a mirror on, and a wall 
  of brightly lit torches with mirrors beneath them. 
  what is here 
  This is a room set aside for star performers (other lesser 
  performers have to get changed outside in the corridor).  
  On the south wall of this room is a dresser with a 
  mirror on it, and a chair. The dresser has a music box 
  running.  
  The east wall has five mirrors, each partitioned from 
  its neighbor by a short section of wall. The partitions 
  continue around to the north wall where three tables 
  stand. There are bottles of drink on some of the tables.  
  Against the west wall (the one with the door into the 
  corridor) is a bed, upon which are a woman’s clothes. The 
  clothing looks fancy, but is not a stage costume.  
  
   
  133 
   
  On the floor is an expensive looking rug.  
  social encounter 
  There is a half-elf woman here, changing into her 
  costume. She is The Amazing Sherlini (real name Moraun 
  Dowd), a quick-change artist and impressionist. The 
  costume Sherlini is donning is a complex one which can 
  be stripped away in layers to reveal new costumes 
  underneath—in 
  her 
  act 
  The 
  Amazing 
  Sherlini 
  impersonates some of the icons, as well as some of the 
  more notable heroes of the day. 
  GMs: This is a great spot for players to spend icon 
  relationship dice 5s and 6s. If a player has a 5 then Sherlini picks 
  up on the fact that they are the champion of an icon (or are the 
  enemy of an icon, or the estranged daughter of an icon, or 
  whatever the relationship is). Sherlini will continue dressing, 
  but ask questions about the icon. If a player spends one of their 
  6s then the costume that Sherlini was just in the act of putting 
  on was of them! Sherlini is momentarily dumbstruck, then asks 
  the adventurer(s) in question if they want to join her on stage 
  as part of her act tonight. She’s willing to coach them on a quick 
  comedy routine that she thinks just might work. If nobody has 
  icon relationship 5s or 6s that they want to spend then Sherlini 
  demands that the adventurers leave.  
  A DC 15 skill check result will convince Sherlini that 
  they are there to see her, to get her autograph or 
  something similar. If the adventurers fail the skill roll and 
  don’t spend icon relationship die results then Sherlini will 
  insist that they leave and if that fails will call for help. As 
  the music upstairs has paused (and Sherlini has quite a 
  set of pipes) this will summon aid from one of the other 
  areas (move a combat encounter from an unexplored area 
  here). 
  If this is not a social encounter… Sherlini is still here if this 
  is a combat encounter, but if this is an exploratory encounter 
  she leaves the room just as the adventurers are about to enter in 
  order to go on stage upstairs. 
  exploratory encounter 
  On the desk is a music box, which is playing a popular 
  tune. The music box belongs to The Amazing Sherlini and 
  is a wondrous magic item. 
  Loot! 
  Terpsicore’s Orchestrion is here. 
  Also on the desk are various bottles and jars, of 
  interest only to those with a theatrical bent: greasepaint, 
  talc, fake eyebrows, spirit gum, that sort of thing. The 
  draws of the dresser do not have much in them, just the 
  various oddments that might accumulate in such places: 
  a set of cutlery, a cup, a glove (singular), an old sock, a 
  half-drunk bottle of spirits that has rolled to the back of 
  the draw, and a half-empty bottle of perfume… that sort 
  of thing.  
  There is nothing hidden under the expensive=-looking 
  rug on the floor. 
  The clothing on the bed belongs to a woman of 
  average stature, and although fancy looking it is street 
  clothing rather than an expensive frock or stage outfit.  
  Under the bed is a travelling case with more women’s 
  clothes in, and has an easily detectable false bottom 
  behind which the owner of the case has stashed her 
  valuables (about 100 gp in coins, and 1000 gp in jewelry). 
  Two of the bottles on the tables (the green bottles) 
  contain expensive wine, and are unopened. The third 
  bottle (red, on the table in the corner opposite the door) 
  looks fancier but when opened unleashes a spell. The 
  owner of the bottle (the performer whose belongings are 
  here) carries it as a deterrent for thieves. When the bottle 
  is opened the magic inside attacks the opener, then the 
  bottle reseals itself. The bottle is good for 1d3 uses. 
  Drowsing vapor +20 vs MD—target must start 
  making last gasp saves as it falls into a magical 
  slumber. Characters in a magical slumber make one 
  save (11+) per hour to wake up, though taking 
  damage will wake them up instantly. Once awoken 
  from a magical slumber the character is at -2 to all 
  rolls until the end of the day or until after their next 
  combat. 
  combat encounter 
  The Amazing Sherlini feels threatened by the 
  adventurers and calls for aid. As the music upstairs has 
  paused (and Sherlini has quite a set of pipes) this will 
  summon aid from one of the other areas (move a combat 
  encounter from an unexplored area here). 
  If this is not a combat encounter… Sherlini is still here if 
  this is a social encounter, but if this is an exploratory encounter 
  she leaves the room just as the adventurers are about to enter in 
  order to go on stage upstairs. 
   
   
  
   
  134 
   
  THE SECRET ROOM 
  from outside… 
  The secret door to this room is made of a thick brick wall 
  section that pivots open when a certain brick is depressed. 
  The door is too thick to hear anything through, but a 
  breeze blows from under the secret door. See the 
  exploratory part of the special reserve section for details of 
  how to open this door. 
  GMs: If you are not yet ready for the adventurers to move 
  on to the secret room and the end of this session then do not 
  allow the door to open until they have stopped at other as yet 
  unvisited areas and found the magical passphrase. You decide 
  where the passphrase is written. If you are ready for the party 
  to enter this area and the players are stuck have the door ajar. 
  what is here 
  This is a magical workspace, with shelves of books and a 
  workbench with all manner of magical odds and ends on 
  it. There are charts and diagrams pinned to the walls. On 
  the floor is a large magic circle in thick chalk, though it is 
  slightly scuffed in places. Near the workbench there is a 
  trap door, from which comes a breeze. 
  The trap door leads to the down the hatch section of this 
  adventure. 
  social encounter 
  A human woman is here, wearing the practical work 
  clothes of an enchantress. She heard the door opening and 
  grabbed a wand from her work bench. She demands to 
  know what the adventurers are doing here. This is the 
  sorceress Sonsy Solpok. She is employed by the Crown 
  and Gown as a cosmetic enchantress and illusionist. 
  Sonsy is also a servant of the Prince of Shadows.  
  GMs: If the party pays Sonsy (or somebody like her) an 
  exorbitant price she can perform a ritual that will temporarily 
  give them a better appearance and more likeable demeanor. If 
  they go ahead with paying for cosmetic enchantment just swap 
  their Charisma with a higher attribute after their next full heal-
  up. The swap wears off in anything from a week to a couple of 
  months. If a player increases their character’s Charisma 
  permanently due to a level-up ability bonus they can explain 
  that as a result of repeated uses of cosmetic sorcery. 
  Sonsy knows full well that the adventurers are not 
  supposed to be down here, but would rather convince the 
  adventurers to leave than fight them. She will tell them 
  that she is employed here to use cosmetic enchantments, 
  which is (she claims) the big secret of the Crown and 
  Gown’s success. If asked about the trap door she will say 
  that it leads to an underground river and isn’t really used 
  any more, but in past ages this was the basement of a 
  monastery and the trap door was an escape hatch used in 
  times of trouble.  
  GMs: Sonsy is obviously lying about the purpose of the trap 
  door, so let the players know that the adventurers are able to tell 
  that she is lying without a skill roll. 
  If Sonsy does convince the adventurers to leave they 
  notice that on her desk is a human skull, and that unlike 
  the one on her shelf it looks new (not covered-in-gore new 
  but still suspiciously fresh). On Sonsy’s workbench 
  (partially hidden beneath some parchments) is a 
  medallion that belonged to a paladin of the Great Gold 
  Wyrm. Sonsy notices the adventurers noticing, and 
  attacks. 
  If this is not a social encounter… Sonsy is still here in the 
  room if this is a combat encounter, but not if it is an exploratory 
  encounter. 
  exploratory encounter 
  There is much of interest in this room. The charts on the 
  wall and magic circle look very sinister, but anybody with 
  a background that relates to magic or will realize that this 
  is the workshop of a cosmetic enchanter, a type of magic 
  user that improves the appearance of others through 
  illusions, charms, and minor polymorph-style spells. 
  Otherwise it is a DC 25 skill check to realize what this 
  room is for. 
  On the workbench are several potions, all of them 
  unlabeled or labeled so poorly that it is hard to tell just 
  what is inside. The potion bottles are opaque, with 
  narrow necks. There are ten bottles, roll randomly (d8) to 
  find the contents of each as they are examined. 
  1. A clear odorless liquid. Water, just water. 
  2. A colorless liquid with a slight acrid odor. A mild 
  acid: 3d8 acid damage if drunk, 4 acid damage if 
  spilled on skin. 
  3. A milky white fluid. A healing concoction (for 
  external use only): it heals 3d6 hp if poured onto an 
  open wound or onto a burn, but does 2d6 poison 
  damage if drunk. 
  4. A turgid purple fluid. 1d6 poison damage if drunk. It 
  is useless for anything but obscure cosmetic 
  enchantment rituals. 
  5. A thick red fluid. A growth potion. Causes an almost 
  imperceptible increase in size of the whole body if 
  drunk, enough that clothes no longer quite fit 
  properly. If poured on a body part it increases the 
  size, which means that if drunk the drinker’s tongue 
  
   
  135 
   
  will swell so that they become unable to speak. The 
  effects wear off after an hour or so. 
  6. A thin red fluid that smells of radishes. A shrinking 
  potion. Just like the growth potion, but in reverse. 
  7. A pale green watery fluid that smells of flowers. A 
  potion that numbs the senses and stupefies the mind. 
  For the next hour the drinker must succeed at a DC 
  25 
  Constitution-based 
  skill 
  check 
  or 
  lose 
  concentration any time they try a complicated task 
  outside of combat (casting rituals, picking a lock, 
  telling a convoluted lie), and in their first combat in 
  that hour nudge their d20 rolls to 1 lower (a natural 
  20 becomes a 19, a natural 19 becomes an 18, and so 
  on). 
  8. A colorless liquid with a pungent odor. This potion 
  ends any ongoing effects on the drinker (ongoing 
  damage, stuck, last gasp saves). 
  Under one of the parchments on the workbench is a 
  golden medallion belonging to one of the missing 
  paladins. On the desk is a suspiciously fresh skull (not 
  bloody-fresh, but not an antique either). 
  The implements, accruements, and ingredients 
  together with the small library of books are worth a great 
  deal if sold in Horizon (4d20x100 gp, roll the amount 
  when they are sold). However, carting all the stuff out of 
  the room will take some time. 
  The trap door leads to a dark void, from which arises 
  a cool breeze and the sound of moving water. The shaft 
  that the trap door leads down into has a ladder bolted to 
  one wall. There is no smell of sewage coming up the deep 
  shaft, so it probably doesn’t lead to shadow Port’s sewers. 
  If this is not an exploratory encounter… Sonsy is here in 
  the room. 
  combat encounter 
  A tiefling woman is here, wearing the practical work 
  clothes of an enchantress. She heard the door opening and 
  grabbed a scalpel from her work bench. She demands to 
  know what the adventurers are doing here. This is the 
  sorceress Sonsy Solpok. She is employed by the Crown 
  and Gown as a cosmetic enchantress and illusionist. She 
  is also a servant of the Prince of Shadows. Seeing that the 
  jig is up, she attacks. 
  If this is not a combat encounter… Sonsy is still here in the 
  room if this is a social encounter (and that is likely to become a 
  combat encounter anyway), but not if it is purely an 
  exploratory encounter. 
   
  Fight! 
  After the battle each transformed character rolls a d20 with 
  a bonus equal to their constitution modifier: 
  1-5: The character looks like Sonsy, at least until they can 
  find a cosmetic enchanter and pay them to undo the 
  effect. The cosmetic enchanter will likely charge the 
  transformed character an extortionate fee. 
  6-10: The character looks like Sonsy until the end of next 
  session, when they will partially transform back. When 
  they partially transform back they will be a woman who 
  looks like Sonsy but part of their original appearance is 
  apparent in the mix (original race, hair color, eye color, 
  clothing color, etc). 
  11-15: The character looks like Sonsy until the end of next 
  session, when they will fully transform back.  
  16+: The effect wears off at the end of this session. 
  The transformation is purely skin-deep, no racial modifiers 
  or powers change. Adventurers who look like Sonsy 
  will have an advantage when they are sneaking 
  around later on... 
  Number of PCs 
  Sonsy Solpok 
  Summoned 
  Shadow-Hounds 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  1 
  7 
  7 
  1 
  9 
  Summoned Shadow-Hound 
  These creatures of smoke and shadow defend their summoner to 
  the death. 
  5th level blocker [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +14 
   
  Soul-bite +10 vs. MD—10 ongoing negative energy 
  damage 
   
  Phasing interception: If an enemy is moving toward their 
  summoner, this creature pops free and intercepts the 
  movement. Phasing interception does not provoke and 
  cannot be intercepted. Staggered shadow-hounds can’t 
  use this ability. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 70 
  MD 14 
   
   
   
  
   
  136 
   
  Clever adventurers: Adventurers might not know which of 
  the transformed people Sonsy is, but the dogs do. If the 
  adventurers work that out, the save to target the correct 
  person is easy (6+). 
  Sonsy Solpok 
  Triple-strength 8th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
   
  Scalpel meets vein +13 vs. AC (three attacks against the 
  same target)—80 damage 
   
  C: Thrown scalpels +13 vs. AC (three attacks against 
  three different nearby targets)—80 damage 
   
  R: Flask of acid +13 vs. AC (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies in a group)—40 ongoing acid damage 
   
  You are me: Once per turn as a quick action Sonsy 
  transforms an enemy into her likeness* and teleports 
  them both to different spots in the room. Enemies must 
  roll a save on their turns or target the wrong ‘Sonsy’, 
  targeting their most recently transformed ally instead.    
   
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 654 
  MD 20 
       
  DOWN THE HATCH 
  The trap door in the secret room leads to a smooth-sided 
  shaft that runs deep into the bedrock of Shadow Port. The 
  sound of moving water filters up the chute, and the air 
  has a damp quality to it. As the adventurers listen at the 
  trap door they hear voices from deep beneath Shadow 
  Port. The distance and echoes make the voices hard to 
  make out clearly, but some words do clearly drift up from 
  below: 
  “… p a l a d i n s  … d i a m o n d … s h a d o w s …” 
  There is a ladder built into the side of the shaft leading 
  downwards, and this appears to be the way onwards.  
  
   
  137 
   
  INTO THE SHADOWS 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers have descended into the dark beneath Shadow 
  Port, looking for the missing Darkskye Diamond and the Great 
  Gold Wyrm’s kidnapped paladins. 
  In the shadows beneath Shadow Port the adventurers will 
  meet one of the Prince of Shadow’s lieutenants. 
  GETTING DOWN THE SHAFT 
  This first section is a travel montage, though one that 
  takes place in a very tight space. The shaft is part of a 
  system of shafts and tunnels under Shadow Port, some of 
  which serve as sewers. All of the shafts are unlit, they are 
  often slick, and sometimes they have things in them. Turn 
  to a player and ask them to describe a possible danger. 
  Then turn to the next player and tell them that their 
  character faced and overcame that danger and thus 
  allowed the group to continue to travel downwards, and 
  ask them to say how their character did that. There is no 
  need to roll, this is a montage. Go around the group until 
  everybody has had a chance to invent a danger, and 
  everybody has overcome a danger. 
  GMs: At the bottom of the shaft there is an area where the 
  adventurers can briefly rest in the darkness. 
  DARK RUNS THE RIVER, AND DEEP 
  The adventurers reach the bottom of the shaft, and find 
  themselves in a dark subterranean area. A river runs 
  through the cavern, leading off into absolute darkness. A 
  chain is attached to a wall, leading off into the darkness 
  of the river. Going upriver is impossible, it originates high 
  up a cliff face behind the adventurers, a torrent of white 
  water issuing forth from a crack. 
  Following the chain into the darkness requires three 
  DC 20 skill checks per adventurer, every time an 
  adventurer fails their skill check they hit their head on the 
  rock or slip on the slick wet stones under their feet—
  adventurers who fail their roll take 4d8 damage. If an 
  adventurer is wearing heavy protective gear (helmet, 
  heavy armor, etc) then the skill check becomes DC 25 but 
  the damage if it is failed is reduced to 3d6.  
  If any adventurer fails all three skill checks they slip 
  into the water and are carried away by the current. 
  Characters carried away by the current take 4d8 ongoing 
  damage. When the character saves against the damage 
  they may make a DC 25 skill check to climb/swim/crawl 
  back up the passage to where there is air, a failure means 
  that they again get swept away by the flow of water and 
  take the ongoing damage. 
  Eventually the adventurers emerge into an area where 
  guide-chains from many tunnels emerge, but they all join 
  with the chain in the river. There are different colored 
  ribbons attached to each chain, some sort of code to tell 
  those that use these tunnels which chain leads where. 
  As adventurers contemplate their next move strange 
  shadowy creatures emerge from the main tunnel into 
  which all the chains (and the river) leads. If the 
  adventurers fought Sonsy the sorceress in the last session 
  the shadow creatures will look similar to those that Sonsy 
  summoned, similar but not identical. The shadowy 
  creatures circle around the adventurers at the edge of 
  their light, then head back into the tunnel from where 
  they emerged. 
   
   
  
   
  138 
   
  SIDE-TUNNELS 
  There are ten side-tunnels with chains that lead off into 
  the darkness. Each chain has colored ribbons attached to 
  it at regular intervals. Following a chain away from the 
  main river chain will lead the adventurers into the 
  darkness and further adventure. 
  GMs: The lure of the other tunnels will doubtless lead to 
  some groups investigating them, hoping to find many 
  interesting locations in and under Shadow Port... however, the 
  main part of the adventure doesn’t lie down these other tunnels 
  but instead at the end of the chain by the river.  
   
   
  
   
  139 
   
  the black chain 
  Following this chain leads the party to an area of the 
  tunnels far from the river, where crates are piled up 
  around a large chamber. 
  The crates contain the uniforms of imperial guards, 
  and there are enough complete uniforms to outfit one 
  hundred people. 
  There is evidence that this area has been visited 
  recently, with a still-warm oil lantern sat on one of the 
  boxes. 
  the white chain 
  The chain leads to an earthen tunnel with piles of dirt at 
  its entrance. There are long boxes on ropes at the entrance 
  which are full of dirt (those with a background related to 
  mining will know that these boxes are used to haul dirt 
  and rubble out of tunnels under excavation). 
  This chain leads down a tunnel of packed earth and 
  wooden props and terminates suddenly. At the end of the 
  tunnel is a brick wall. The end of the tunnel contains 
  various tools, including shovels and picks. 
  The brick wall looks as if it has recently been 
  damaged, it is obvious that whoever is digging this tunnel 
  intends to break through the brick wall but has yet to do 
  so. 
  GMs: What is on the other side of the brick wall? I leave that 
  down to you, but I suggest that you use the opportunity to 
  highlight the background or one unique thing of a character who 
  has yet to have their full share of then lime light. 
  the red chain 
  The chain leads down a side tunnel and into the sewers 
  of Shadow Port. 
  Lurking in the sewer is a giant albino reptile, looking 
  for its next meal. Normally the pale  predator eats dire 
  rats, but the adventurer’s legs look very tasty today. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Fight! 
  Is the albinogator kept down here by somebody, or is 
  it just an escaped pet that has grown large? We leave 
  that up to you. 
  Number of PCs 
  Albino Alligator 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  6 
  6 
  7 
  7 
  Albino Alligator 
  7th level wrecker [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +12 
   
  Bite +12 vs. AC (two attacks against different 
  enemies)—14 damage 
  Natural 16+ hit: The target is dragged under into the 
  sewer and takes 10 damage each round until they are 
  no longer engaged with the alligator. Characters who 
  do not breathe do not take the ongoing damage. 
   
  Thrash and chomp: Characters who are in the ‘water’ of 
  the sewer and move away from the alligator take 7 
  damage, even if they pop free or disengage first. 
  Characters who teleport, fly, or otherwise instantly 
  escape the water don’t take the 7 damage. 
   
  AC 23 
  PD 22  HP 112 
  MD 17 
  the orange chain 
  This chain leads to a brick tunnel that has a sturdy door 
  at the end. The door is not locked. 
  Opening the door reveals that it is a secret door 
  (concealed on the other side) that leads to the back alley 
  that contains the doorway to the Dark Jester Tavern. 
  GMs: The Dark Jester Tavern was the first tavern in this 
  adventure. 
   
   
  
   
  140 
   
  the yellow chain 
  The yellow chain leads off into the darkness and ends at 
  a series of half-height earth tunnels. Humans, elves, half 
  orcs and so on must crawl through these tunnels but 
  shorter characters can move at a crouch.  
  At the mouth of one of these tunnels is a corpse, killed 
  by extreme violence and torn apart. 
  The tunnels are interlinked and maze-like, and run 
  beneath a graveyard, allowing grave-robbers to access 
  graves and tombs from beneath. Unfortunately for the 
  adventurers the dead are fed up with this practice, and 
  have started attacking grave robbers who try to use these 
  tunnels. 
  Fight! 
  Tall characters take a -2 penalty to their attacks and 
  defenses due to the cramped confines, short characters 
  only have a -1 penalty. Due to the cramped conditions 
  the only weapons that can be used are small one-
  handed weapons (daggers, etc). 
  The large number of mooks in this battle might 
  seem like a lot, but due to the narrow tunnels only 4 
  zombies can attack each character at once. Use these 
  zombies in waves. 
  Number of PCs 
  Grave Chill Zombie 
  3 
  30 
  4 
  40 
  5 
  50 
  6 
  60 
  7 
  70 
  Grave Chill Zombie 
  6th level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +5 
  Vulnerability: fire, holy 
   
  Chill claws +11 vs. AC—12 cold damage 
   
  Icy breath of the grave +11 vs. PD—9 cold damage, and 
  the target is vulnerable to cold attacks (save ends) 
   
  Resist cold 18+: When a cold attack targets this creature, 
  the attacker must roll a natural 18+ on the attack roll or 
  it only deals half damage. 
   
  Fiery decapitation: Grave chill zombies have frozen, iron-
  hard flesh that makes them tougher than normal 
  zombies—critical hits that deal fire damage deal triple 
  damage to ice zombies; other critical hits just deal 
  double damage. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 22  HP 20 (mook) 
  MD 13 
  Mook: Kill one grave chill zombie mook for every 20 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  The dead do have good stuff though… 
  .LOOT! 
  The adventurers locate at least two champion-tier 
  magic items if they defeat the undead. 
   
   
  
   
  141 
   
  the green chain 
  This tunnel leads to the sewers of Shadow Port near the 
  docks, and is home to a nest of phase spiders. 
  Fight! 
  Phase spiders like to steal items, let the players know 
  that their adventurers know that fact.  
  Number of PCs 
  Juvenile Phase Spiders 
  3 
  2 
  4 
  3 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  5 
  7 
  6 
   
  Juvenile Phase Spider 
  7th level spoiler [BEAST] 
  Initiative: +16 
   
  Phasing fangs +11 vs. PD (2 attacks)—12 damage 
  Natural even hit: The spider can make a rummage and 
  filch attack against the target as a free action, even if 
  the target isn’t staggered. 
   
  Rummage and filch +11 vs. MD (one staggered 
  creature)—the phase spider steals a random true magic 
  item from the target (see below). 
   
  Phasing abilities: As long as it didn’t just return from being 
  out of phase, at the start of the phase spider’s turn, roll 
  a d6 to see which of its phase and teleport abilities it can 
  access that turn. The spider doesn’t have to use the 
  available ability and can attack normally, if it wishes. 
  1–2: Short teleport—As a move action, the spider can 
  teleport anywhere it can see nearby. 
  3: Long teleport—As a move action, the spider can 
  teleport anywhere it can see nearby or far away. 
  4–5: Phase out—As a move action, the spider can remove 
  itself from the battlefield, returning on its next 
  initiative turn anywhere it chooses nearby. It doesn’t 
  get to make a phase roll at the start of its next turn 
  though. 
  6: Teleport away—If the spider has stolen at least one 
  magic item, as a move action it teleports to the shadow 
  dragon. It leaves the battle. If it hasn’t stolen an item 
  yet, it won’t leave and can use its choice of the other 
  abilities this turn. 
   
  Stolen items: The spider stows items it has stolen in a 
  disgusting pouch in its abdomen. If the heroes can slay 
  the spider before it flees, they get their stuff back, 
  otherwise the spider takes the items to the shadow 
  dragon at the end of the chapter. 
   
  AC 23 
  PD 22 HP 100 
  MD 18 
   
  
   
  142 
   
  the cyan chain 
  This chain leads off into a tunnel that is blocked by a 
  magical field. It is a DC 30 skill check to disable the 
  magical ward to pass through. 
  Further down the tunnel is a large room with many 
  ever-burning lanterns in it. Glittering in piles on the 
  ground are hundreds of necklaces, rings, belt buckles, 
  and other pieces of ornamentation snatched from victims 
  in street robberies. 
  This is one of the Prince of Shadow’s personal vaults 
  that he uses to pay his followers from. 
  Loot! 
  The adventurers can come away with 2000 gp each in 
  jewelry if they loot this area. 
  the blue chain 
  This tunnel leads to the basement of a wizard’s guild in 
  Shadow Port. 
  The tunnel that leads to the basement has signs left by 
  the followers of the Prince of Shadows set in to it, and the 
  way ahead has been roped off. The signs all have skulls 
  on and other easy to understand warning symbols and 
  say variations on the following: 
  DANGER! 
  GO BACK 
  At the end of the tunnel is a doorway (but no door) to 
  a basement. In the center of the basement room is a 
  clockwork devil bound in a glowing red circle. 
  The doors down to the basement from the guild above 
  are securely bolted and spell-locked from the outside (a 
  DC 30 skill check to break through after a DC 30 ritual to 
  remove the binding spell). The reason the wizards bound 
  the doors shut with magic is that they accidentally 
  weakened the barriers between realities during a botched 
  ritual ended up with a demon trapped and bound in their 
  basement. 
  The clockwork devil promises to resurrect any fallen 
  party members if they will break the circle binding the 
  devil. The devil is even willing to tell the party exactly 
  how to break the binding. 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers enter the basement and refuse to free 
  the devil it attacks, but if they stay clear or agree to aid 
  it there will be no fight. 
  The demon can’t leave the basement until it is 
  unbound. There is no immediate campaign loss 
  associated with fleeing from the demon, though 
  leaving the demon down there is not a great idea long-
  term. Freeing the demon is not a good idea either, but 
  again has no immediate bad outcome. The demon and 
  the problems it creates once free can be a springboard 
  for your own campaign. 
  This fight is a tough fight for smaller parties—
  remind players that adventurers can choose to flee. 
  Number of PCs 
  Clockwork Devil 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  6 
  1 
  7 
  1 
  Clockwork Devil 
  The fiend is trapped in the basement, for now… 
  Huge 9th level spoiler [DEVIL] 
  Initiative: +13 
   
  Dust to dust +14 vs. PD (two attacks against different 
  enemies)—75 negative energy damage 
  Critical hit: The target must start making last gasp 
  saves as it begins to age and turn to dust. 
  Miss: The crit range for this attack expands by a 
  cumulative 1 (19+, 18+, 17+, 16+, and so on) until the 
  end of the fight or until the demon next rolls a critical 
  hit. When the demon next rolls a critical hit its crit 
  range resets (to scoring a critical hit on a 20 only). 
   
  Bound: The devil can’t move to engage far away enemies. 
   
  R: Time’s arrow +14 vs. PD—The target takes ongoing 
  damage equal to their initiative score. 
   
  Devil’s bargain: If the party agree to break the circle 
  binding the clockwork devil it will return any dead 
  characters to life (including those turned to dust). The 
  devil will then wish to leave, not continue the fight. 
  Adventurers who want to bargain further with an 
  unbound devil do so at their peril. 
   
  AC 25 
  PD 22  HP 600 
  MD 20 
   
  
   
  143 
   
  the purple chain 
  This chain leads to a series of traps and then a dead end. 
  SPIKED PIT 
  TRAP 
  ELECTRIFIED 
  CHAIN 
  POISON DARTS 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Spiked pit 
   +10 vs AC (1d3 
  adventurers)—
  3d10 damage 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Zap!  
  (automatic 
  hit)—4d6 
  ongoing 
  lightning 
  damage (hard 
  save or ally 
  pulling target 
  off ends) 
  Difficulty to 
  avoid: DC 25 
  Poison dart 
  trap 
   +20 vs AC (1d3 
  adventurers)—
  3d12 poison 
  damage  
  the magenta chain 
  This chain leads down a series of tunnels to a hidden door 
  concealed in a closet in a house of ill repute. 
  GMs: What is going on in the bordello? I leave that down 
  to you, but I suggest that you use the opportunity to highlight 
  the background or one unique thing of a character who has yet 
  to have their full share of then lime light. 
  THE SHADOWS ATTACK 
  Once the adventurers start down the main river tunnel 
  away from the side-tunnels the shadow-creatures attack.  
  Fight! 
  After the fight the defeated shadow-creatures melt into 
  pools of shadow and flee back from where they came. 
  Number of PCs 
  Stalking Shadow 
  Hunting Shadow 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  3 
  5 
  3 
  2 
  6 
  3 
  4 
  7 
  3 
  6 
  Stalking Shadow 
  Double-strength 6th level archer [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +13 
   
  Tenebrous teeth +11 vs. AC (two attacks against 
  different targets)—20 damage 
   
  R: Dark mist +17 vs. AC—18 ongoing negative energy 
  damage 
  Natural 16+: The target is pushed out of phase with the 
  rest of reality. It is must roll a save (11+) or become 
  stunned (-4 to defenses, no actions) until it next takes 
  damage or the end of its next turn. 
   
  Leaping shadows: If the escalation die is odd the shadow 
  can teleport on its turn as a quick action. If the 
  escalation die is even the teleport is a move action. 
   
  AC 22 
  PD 20  HP 180 
  MD 16 
  Hunting Shadow 
  5th level blocker [SPIRIT] 
  Initiative: +15 
   
  Tenebrous teeth +10 vs. AC (two attacks against 
  different targets)—10 damage 
   
  C: Shadowy tentacles +10 vs. PD (up to 2 nearby 
  enemies in a group)—7 ongoing negative energy 
  damage, and the target takes a –1 penalty to attacks 
  while they are taking ongoing negative energy damage 
  from this attack or from shadow bow. 
   
  Leaping shadows: If the escalation die is odd the shadow 
  can teleport on its turn as a quick action. If the 
  escalation die is even the teleport is a move action. 
   
  Phasing interception: Once per round if an enemy is 
  moving toward another shadow creature, this shadow 
  creature pops free and intercepts the movement. 
  Phasing interception does not provoke and cannot be 
  intercepted. Staggered shadow-hounds can’t use this 
  ability. 
   
  AC 21 
  PD 19  HP 70 
  MD 14 
  
   
  144 
   
  Loot! 
  One of the shadow-elves is carrying the following 
  cursed items, but it is not immediately obvious that 
  they are cursed.  
  If a party member just picks up an item and starts 
  using it they attune to it, but if they take a short rest to 
  investigate the item they have a 50% chance of 
  discovering the curse. An examination of an item 
  during a full rest reveals the curse. 
  Vexatious Blade 
  This wickedly sharp blade seems to feel more comfortable in 
  your offhand. 
  [Dagger, cursed] 
  +3 to attack and damage with this weapon, or a 
  cumulative +1 to hit to spells or attacks when 
  used in the offhand (the bonus stacks with other 
  magic items held in the main hand). 
  Curse: Critical hits made by the wielder are re-targeted to 
  the wielder. 
  Quirk: Overly sneaky. 
  Rebel’s Chain 
  A golden necklace made to look like interlinking claws. 
  [Necklace, cursed] 
  +3 to saves when you have 25 hp or fewer 
  Recharge 11+: Turn an ally’s miss into a crit. 
  Curse: When fighting dragons (and similar creatures) 
  nearby allies who are staggered are also dazed. 
  Quirk: Desires to fall at the feet of dragons and worship.  
  THE SISTERHOOD OF SHEZ-A-KAH 
  The river rushes into a cataract that disappears down into 
  the darkness, but the guide-chain leads into a tunnel from 
  which light comes. The adventurers hear the sounds of 
  voices from the side tunnel and can smell food cooking.  
  Emerging from the tunnel the adventurers find 
  themselves standing at the edge of a subterranean village. 
  Side-passages have been carved out into homes, there are 
  lean-tos, and even huts and wooden walkways. The place 
  is evidently inhabited, and also has obviously been here 
  for some time. Moving around the ‘village’ are dozens of 
  identical individuals. 
  These people all look like Shez-a-kah, a tiefling that 
  the adventurers have each met previously in Shadow Port 
  (she met them in the Crown and Gown when they stole 
  the Darkskye Diamond).  
  GMs: Beyond this ‘village’ is the lair of a shadow dragon 
  called Shez-a-kah, a lieutenant of the Prince of Shadows—her 
  humanoid form is that of a tiefling, so she has built a cult of 
  identical-looking people who can stand in for her. The shadow 
  dragon sends her many doubles out on missions for her, keeping 
  herself safe. 
  The adventurers are in a position where they can 
  observe without being observed. After a few minutes it 
  becomes obvious that these women are not all exactly 
  identical, but have undergone cosmetic enchantments to 
  make them look identical.  
  GMs: Anybody who looks like Sonsy Solpok the sorceress 
  (and cosmetic enchanter) might be able to bluff that they are 
  Sonsy, and thus gain information from a ‘Shez-a-kah’. It was 
  Sonsy who enabled these followers of the Prince of Shadows to 
  all look alike. 
  sneaking & investigating  
  It is a DC 20 skill check to sneak through the village to 
  the other side unobserved, where there are large stairs 
  leading upwards. There is nothing much of interest in the 
  village, just the usual oddments you’d expect in a village.  
  interrogation 
  It is a DC 20 skill check to snatch a Shez-a-kah, drag her 
  into the tunnel, and start interrogating her. 
  The Shez-a-kah that the adventurers capture is scared 
  at first, but starts to laugh. She mocks the adventurers, 
  telling them that they will never find their way out from 
  down here, and that their mistress the dragon Shez-a-kah 
  will kill and eat them.  
  If they continue to question her she reveals that she is 
  a member of the Sisterhood of Shez-a-kah, an elite group 
  
   
  145 
   
  of spies and agents who carry out the will of their mistress 
  a shadow dragon. If pressed for details of the activities of 
  her secretive group she’ll lie through her teeth, make up 
  ridiculous plots, and confirm any theories that the party 
  might have no matter how preposterous. It is a DC 15 skill 
  check to see through her rather obvious yet intriguing lies 
  and realize that she won’t give out any actually useful 
  information.  
  If the adventurers come up with a clever way of 
  getting the Shez-a-kah cultist to talk use the rules for 
  information gathering in the bluffing section below. 
  bluffing 
  If any of the adventurers look like the sorceress Sonsy, 
  and the others can disguise themselves (perhaps with 
  long face-hiding robes) then they can walk through the 
  village unmolested. Sonsy is known to the Sisterhood of 
  Shez-a-kah, as she is one of the cosmetic enchanters that 
  makes them all look alike. It is a DC 20 skill check to speak 
  to a Shez-a-kah without giving the game away. If the 
  adventurers manage to pull off the deception they learn 
  two of the following facts (roll d4 for which two are 
  learned). 
  1. The Sisterhood ultimately works for the Prince of 
  Shadows. 
  2. The sisterhood is led by a shadow dragon, who 
  resides up the stairs ta the end of the village. 
  3. The Prince of Shadows has a plan that involves 
  weakening the other icons and fermenting distrust 
  and strife between them, a plan that involves the 
  Darkskye Diamond. 
  4. The sisterhood has captured some paladins of the 
  Great Gold Wyrm, and they are being held in the area 
  up the stairs  
  If the adventurers want to learn a second fact they 
  need to succeed at the DC 20 skill check again. After all 
  four facts are known it becomes apparent to the party that 
  should they continue to converse with the Shez-a-kahs 
  they will look suspicious and might be caught. 
  combat 
  If the adventurers decide to fight (or if they blow their 
  cover or fail to sneak about) then the Shez-a-kahs flee. If 
  the adventurers attempt to chase the fleeing women the 
  shadow dragon from the next section enters the village 
  and attacks the adventurers. If the shadow dragon attacks 
  them in the village and becomes staggered it flees up the 
  stairs and gets the benefits of a full heal-up. 
   
  Fight! 
  If the party starts a fight or causes a ruckus here the 
  shadow dragon comes and attacks them in the village. 
  If the shadow dragon attacks them in the village and 
  becomes staggered it flees up the stairs and gets the 
  benefits of a full heal-up. 
  LAIR OF THE SHADOW DRAGON 
  The adventurers ascend the stairs and find themselves in 
  the lair of a dragon. Instead of a hoard of gold, here is a 
  hoard of mysteries, for scratched upon the rock walls are 
  hundreds of secrets. Most notable of the secrets here are 
  the plans of the Prince of Shadows. It seems that he has a 
  plan to destabilize the Dragon Empire and … do 
  something. The dragon’s scratching don’t details 
  everything, but they do show that he was ultimately 
  behind Darkskye Prison crashing into the Wild Wood. 
  On an altar at the back of the area is the Darkskye 
  Diamond! First though, there is the dragon herself to 
  face… 
  Fight! 
  The dragon will not try to escape this fight, this is its 
  home and it will defend it to the death.  
  After the fight the dragon’s body phases away, 
  leaving only its bones behind. 
  Number of PCs 
  Shadow Thief 
  Shadow Dragon 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  5 
  6 
  1 
  6 
  8 
  1 
  7 
  12 
  1 
  
   
  146 
   
  Shadow Dragon 
  Its huge but undefined form flickers from shadow to shadow. 
  One moment it’s there, and then it’s gone. 
  Large 8th level caster [DRAGON] 
  Initiative: +13 
   
  Shadow claws +13 vs. AC—50 psychic damage 
  Natural 16+: The target is confused (hard save ends, 
  16+). 
   
  C: Nightmare breath +12 vs. MD (1d3 nearby or far 
  away enemies)—60 negative energy damage, and the 
  target becomes a living shadow (hard save ends, 16+) 
  Living shadow: While a living shadow, the target can’t 
  physically interact with or gain aid from companions 
  or aid them (including healing, bonuses, and effects) 
  but is otherwise “normal.” 
  Limited use: 1/battle, but the ability recharges when the 
  dragon is staggered. If it hasn’t already made a 
  nightmare breath attack when it becomes staggered, 
  the dragon makes the attack as a free action and then 
  the breath recharges. 
   
  Made of shadow: The shadow dragon perceives the 
  invisible, is unaffected by the blur spell, and ignores 
  illusions. Rogues attempting to shadow walk near a 
  shadow dragon end up in the dragon’s belly (save 
  ends). While there, they are helpless and take 2d12 
  damage at the start of each of their turns until they 
  save and fall back out of shadow. 
   
  Shadowy escalation: When in poorly lit areas of shadow, 
  the dragon adds the escalation die to its attack rolls. 
  Complete darkness or bright daylight negates the 
  ability. 
   
  Nastier Specials  
  Shadowy phasing: When the escalation die is even, natural 
  odd attack rolls against the dragon automatically miss. 
  When the escalation die is odd, natural even attack 
  rolls against the dragon automatically miss. Attacks 
  that deal holy damage ignore this ability. 
   
  AC 25 
  PD 22  HP 260 
  MD 22 
  Shadow Thief 
  Vaguely humanoid, winged, and two-dimensional. A psychic 
  extension of the dragon, it slithers along the wall and wraps 
  long fingers around your shadow’s neck. Suddenly it’s very 
  hard to breathe. 
  8th level mook [DRAGON] 
  Initiative: +17 
   
  Shadow strangulation +13 vs. PD—20 psychic damage 
  Natural 16+: The target takes 20 negative energy 
  damage, and the shadow thief can make a shadow 
  possession attack as a free action (but see group 
  ability). 
   
  [Group ability] C: Shadow possession +13 vs. MD (one 
  enemy hit by shadow strangulation)—The shadow 
  thief “crawls inside” the target. The target is confused 
  (save ends), and the shadow thief can’t be the target of 
  an attack or effect until it’s forced from the target’s 
  body when that creature saves against the confusion 
  effect. 
  Group ability: For every four shadow thieves in the 
  battle (round up), one of them can use shadow 
  possession during the battle.  
   
  Shadow thievery: The shadow thief is an extension of the 
  shadow dragon, not really a separate entity. When it drops to 
  0 hp, it flees back to the shadow dragon and merges with it. 
  When this happens, if there is at least one enemy engaged 
  with that shadow thief, the thief chooses one enemy engaged 
  with it. Roll a d20; on a 16+, the shadow thief steals a random 
  magic item from the chosen enemy as it flees back to the 
  dragon (but see stop . . . thief below). Stolen items are 
  replaced with shadowy duplicates that work until the end of 
  the battle then fade to nothingness. The items can be 
  recovered if the dragon is slain in the same battle. 
   
  Stop . . . thief! When a shadow thief steals an item, the 
  creature it steals from can choose to prevent the theft, but at a 
  cost. If the natural d20 thievery roll was odd, the target of the 
  thievery attempt can choose to keep the item but become 
  hampered (save ends) as they wrestle with the shadow. If the 
  natural thievery roll was even, the target has the same choice, 
  but it’s a hard save (16+) to end the hampered effect. 
   
  AC 25 
  PD 20  HP 38 (mook) 
  MD 16 
  Mook: Kill one shadow thief mook for every 38 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  
   
  147 
   
  THE RESCUE 
  The paladins are at the back of the underground lair, tied 
  up and badly abused but alive. On the walls are written 
  many secrets, not only of the Prince of  Shadow’s doings 
  but also secrets that relate to the Court of Stars, the 
  Cathedral, even a few mysteries of Forge and Hell Marsh. 
  If the dragon’s scratched words are even part-way true 
  the Prince of Shadows is maneuvering the icons of the 
  Dragon Empire into conflict for his benefit. 
  Worse… many of the Prince’s schemes have benefitted 
  from the unwitting involvement of the adventurers 
  themselves. Central to the Prince’s plans is the Darkskye 
  Diamond. 
  GMs: At this point do a quick free-form cooperatively 
  narrated section where you and the players play through 
  getting the rescued paladins to the surface and out of Shadow 
  Port—and of course getting the Darkskye Diamond out of the 
  city! 
  If the adventurers fled from the dragon they instead suffer a 
  campaign loss; when they return the dragon and the many 
  identical Shez-a-kahs are gone, and the paladins are dead. The 
  party will still have a chance to snatch the diamond on the way 
  out even if they flee. 
  A GIFT FROM THE GREAT GOLD WYRM 
  That night the adventurers dream of golden wings. The 
  voice of the Great Gold Wyrm urges the adventurers to 
  take the Darkskye Diamond to the Emperor. 
  If the adventurers rescued the paladins then when 
  they wake they discover gifts of epic tier magic items. 
  GMs: Or optionally you can upgrade existing magic items 
  to epic tier. 
  Remember that a champion-tier character needs to 
  attune two ‘slots’ to an epic tier item—it counts as two 
  items for the purposes of over-attunement. 
   
   
   
  
   
  148 
   
  Chapter 7: Against the Icons 
  This part of the adventure is designed for 7th level characters, 
  and the fights are all pitched so that they are tough! 
  This chapter consists of modules to plug into your plot and 
  play through. If the party has negative relationships with an 
  icon then that icon becomes an enemy that opposes the 
  adventurers taking the diamond where it needs to go while icons 
  that have a positive relationship with the adventurers will 
  provide aid. 
  Recap (the story so far) 
  The adventurers owe a debt to the Prince of Shadows. In 
  order to repay their debt they performed crimes for him, 
  one of which was stealing the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The Darkskye Diamond was in turn stolen from the 
  Prince of Shadows, who asks that the adventurers steal it 
  back. 
  The Darkskye Diamond has the power to control 
  flying islands, and was originally mined from a flying 
  island called Darkskye—an island that serves as a prison 
  for the Dragon Empire’s worst criminals. The person who 
  stole the diamond from the Prince has taken the diamond 
  to the flying Darkskye Prison. 
  The adventurers used a stolen flying ship to get 
  aboard the flying island and steal back the diamond, but 
  the prison crashed out of the sky into the Wild Wood.  
  The adventurers made their way out of the Wild 
  Wood, tracked down the Darkskye Diamond to a group 
  of kobolds, followed their trail to the isle of Omen, and 
  retrieved the Darkskye Diamond.  
  The adventurers have got back to civilization, and 
  found themselves on the Demon Coast. With nowhere to 
  turn to the adventurers sought refuge with followers of 
  the Great Gold Wyrm. The castle of the paladins was 
  attacked, and the Darkskye Diamond once more taken.  
  The adventurers followed a trail of clues and travelled 
  to Shadow Port to confront the Prince of Shadows’ 
  rebellious lieutenant, and retrieved the Darkskye 
  Diamond. 
  Now the adventurers must choose who to give the 
  powerful magic item to… 
  AGAINST THE ICONS 
  OVERVIEW 
  The adventurers at last have the Darkskye Diamond, and must 
  return it to the Emperor (or take it to another icon of their 
  choosing). However, the party is opposed in its goal by an icon 
  or icons that want the Darkskye Diamond for themselves. 
  A WELL DESERVED REST 
  This first section is a montage, during which the party 
  discusses their next move. The party are sat somewhere, 
  cleaning their wounds and mending their gear. 
  Turn to a player and ask them to describe a scar that 
  their adventurer has picked up during the adventure and 
  how the situation that they got the scar has informed their 
  views on where to take the Darkskye Diamond. Then turn 
  to the next player and ask them for their character’s 
  reaction to the first adventurer. Go around the group until 
  everybody has had a chance to tell the story of how they 
  got a scar, how their adventure has changed them, and 
  how they have reacted to their fellow adventurers. 
  Keep going around the group until the players and 
  their characters have reached a consensus on where to 
  take the Darkskye Diamond. 
  GMs: Just throwing the diamond into a volcano or tossing 
  it into the sea won’t work—any one of the icons have enough 
  power to retrieve the diamond. The adventurers also don’t have 
  the wherewithal to destroy the magical diamond. Let the players 
  know that an icon will end up with the Darkskye Diamond—
  but they are in a position to decide which one gets it. 
  ICONIC OPPOSITION 
  The rest of this chapter is composed of plug-in encounters 
  to be used as the party’s icon relationships determine. 
  First work out who the party is taking the Darkskye 
  Diamond to, then work out which icons are actively 
  opposing them. Finally sprinkle some aid from friendly 
  icons and some complications.  
  Destinations, motivations, rewards 
  TAKING THE DARKSKYE DIAMOND TO… 
  So who should the party take the gem to? 
  the archmage 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  
   
  149 
   
  The Darkskye Diamond was enchanted by the Archmage 
  of a past age, and used to create and control the flying 
  islands that serve the needs of the Dragon Empire. 
  With the Darkskye Diamond in his possession the 
  Archmage can prevent further catastrophes like the fall of 
  the Darkskye flying prison, and learn how to create new 
  flying islands. 
  Of course the Archmage will give the Darkskye 
  Diamond to the Emperor… once he’s done some research 
  first. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The party needs to get the Darkskye Diamond to the city 
  of Horizon and into the hands of one of the Archmage’s 
  servants. 
  The only problem is that the party might not know 
  who to trust in Horizon, and factions of wizards loyal to 
  other icons will attempt to take the diamond for 
  themselves. 
  The reward… 
  As soon as he unlocks its secrets the Archmage will use 
  the magic of the Darkskye Diamond to create a flying 
  castle for the adventurers! 
  the crusader 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The Crusader has no historic claim on the Darkskye 
  Diamond, he just wants it for its power. In the proper 
  hands the magic gem could be a very potent weapon 
  indeed. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The Crusader is currently leading his forces in an attack 
  on a hell hole. To get the Darkskye Diamond to the 
  Crusader the party will need to break through enemy 
  lines while dodging agents of other icons. 
  The reward… 
  The Crusader has liberated a lot of interesting artifacts in 
  his campaigns against demons, and will allow the 
  adventurers to pick the best items out for themselves 
  from his treasure hoard. 
  the diabolist 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  Chaos, pure and simple. The Diabolist will shatter the 
  Darkskye Diamond and unleash the raw wild magic 
  within. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The Diabolist is somewhere in Hell Marsh, or perhaps in 
  a hell itself. The party’s journey will not be an easy one, 
  especially as the other icons definitely do not want to see 
  the diabolist with the type of power that the Darkskye 
  Diamond contains. 
  The reward… 
  Reward? Isn’t chaos its own reward? 
  Of course standing at ground zero of a chaotic magical 
  blast wave will doubtless imbue the adventurers with 
  strange new powers and abilities. Probably. Or kill them. 
  Fortune favors the brave. 
  the dwarf king 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  Everybody knows that it was the dwarves who mined the 
  Darkskye Diamond from the living rock, so the gem 
  belongs to the Dwarf King by rights. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The Dwarf King is in the great dwarven capitol of Forge, 
  and will give an audience to the adventurers in exchange 
  for one of the lost treasures of dwarvenkind. 
  Of course Forge is under siege right now, so the party 
  must get past the Dwarf King’s enemies to get their 
  audience. 
  The reward… 
  The Dwarf King will shower the party with gold and 
  titles, and will see to it that their likenesses are carved into 
  the dwarven Hall of Heroes. 
  the elf queen 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The Darkskye Diamond used to belong to the elves, a 
  present to their monarch from the dwarves in a past age. 
  It will gladden the hearts of all the elven peoples to see 
  the gemstone returned. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The Court of Stars is troubled, both with external threats 
  and internal dissention.  
  The adventurers must make their way through the 
  Queen’s Wood, and slip past the Elf Queen’s enemies 
  who are searching for the Darkskye Diamond. Once at the 
  court the adventurers must keep the diamond a secret 
  from the various factions until they are ready to present 
  it to the Elf Queen herself. 
  The reward… 
  The elven bards will compose songs about the party, and 
  while the elves remember and sing about them the 
  adventurers will never truly die. 
  the emperor 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The Darkskye Diamond legally belongs to the Emperor. 
  Without the Darkskye diamond the empire’s wizards 
  
   
  150 
   
  cannot control the flight of their tamed flying islands, 
  putting the security of the empire at risk. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The party needs to get the Darkskye Diamond to the 
  imperial capitol of Axis, and hand it over to a trusted 
  agent of the Emperor. Along the way they’ll face 
  opposition from icons who would rather have the magic 
  jewel for themselves. 
  The reward… 
  The party will be rewarded with a personal audience with 
  the Emperor himself! The adventurers can parlay the 
  Emperor’s favor into land and titles. 
  the high druid 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The flying island of Darkskye poisoned the land when it 
  came crashing out of the sky, scattering magic-imbued 
  crystals across a portion of the Wild Wood. The land is 
  recovering, but slowly.  
  With the Darkskye Diamond the High Druid will be 
  able to undo much of the damage that was wrought on 
  her realm… and will ensure that no other similar 
  incidents can happen in future. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The High Druid is deep within the Wild Wood, in 
  seclusion communing with nature. The party must find 
  the High Druid and give her the Darkskye Diamond, a 
  task made more difficult by the other icons trying to seize 
  the diamond for themselves. 
  The reward… 
  The High Druid will give stewardship of some of her land 
  to the party, letting them set up their own small kingdom. 
  Of course the party must agree to live in harmony with 
  nature, and follow her decrees. 
  the lich king 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The Lich King is trapped on the Necropolis, or at least tied 
  to it with mystical bonds. The Darkskye Diamond can 
  make islands fly. The necropolis is an island… 
  What the party needs to do… 
  Just get the Darkskye Diamond to the Necropolis and 
  hand it over to the Lich King. Of course every other icon 
  will oppose the party. 
  The reward… 
  Eternal life! The Lich King promises to perform dark 
  rituals that will make the adventurers undying and will 
  and promote them to his trusted lieutenants if they can 
  bring him the gem that will make the Necropolis fly. 
  the orc lord 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The ability to hurl flying islands at his enemies… why 
  wouldn’t the Orc Lord want that? 
  The Orc Lord is particularly interested in how the 
  crystals on the flying island of Darkskye mutated plants 
  and wildlife making it more dangerous, and is keen to see 
  if the Darkskye Diamond has the same properties. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  All the party has to do is present the Darkskye Diamond 
  to the Orc Lord, without it first being snatched from them 
  and the glory stolen by one of the Orc Lord’s followers.  
  Oh, and every other icon will want to stop the Orc 
  Lord getting hold of the Darkskye Diamond. 
  The reward… 
  The Orc Lord will give some of the lands he has seized to 
  the adventurers. The adventurers will have to tame the 
  barbarian lands, and will constantly have to fight off 
  orcs—but it is the opportunity to carve their own little 
  kingdom out of the north. 
  the priestess 
  Why the icon wants it… 
  The Darkskye Diamond was one of the artifacts that the 
  Archmage used to help raise the Cathedral in Santa Cora. 
  If the gem falls into the wrong hands it could spell 
  disaster for the followers of the gods of light. 
  Who better to safeguard the Darkskye Diamond than 
  the Priestess? Yes, it legally belongs to the Emperor, but 
  he has shown that he is not capable of safeguarding it. I 
  mean, parading it through the streets of Shadow Port? 
  That just doesn’t speak highly of the Emperor’s 
  competence or priorities. Time for wiser heads and safer 
  hands to take care of the Darkskye Diamond. 
  What the party needs to do… 
  The adventurers must transport the Darkskye Diamond 
  to the cathedral in Santa Cora, while dodging the agents 
  of the other icons. 
  The reward… 
  The party will receive sainthood when they die, and the 
  blessings of the gods of light now. The party are surely 
  safeguarding their place in the heavens by performing 
  this good dead. 
  OR MAYBE TAKING THE DARKSKYE 
  DIAMOND TO… 
  The following icons don’t want the gem. 
  the great gold wyrm 
  Why the icon doesn’t want it… 
  
   
  151 
   
  The Great Gold Wyrm doesn’t want the Darkskye 
  Diamond, the good dragon wants the Emperor to have it. 
  The Emperor is its legal owner, and the Emperor needs 
  the diamond to keep his people safe. 
  If the party takes the diamond to the Great Gold 
  Wyrm the icon will question why the adventurers don’t 
  trust the Emperor. The Great Gold Wyrm will aid the 
  adventurers but will also send turn the characters away 
  with the command to take the troublesome gem to its 
  rightful owner. 
  the prince of shadows 
  Why the icon doesn’t wants it… 
  The Prince of Shadows did have a plan to use the 
  Darkskye Diamond to turn the icons against each other, 
  as part of a bigger plot. Did. Past tense. 
  Now that Shez-a-kah the shadow dragon is dead or 
  fled the Prince of Shadows has moved on to the next 
  scheme. In fact a vital part of the Prince’s new scheme is 
  to get various icons chasing the Darkskye Diamond as it 
  is transported by the adventurers. The Prince doesn’t care 
  who the adventurers take the diamond to, anything they 
  choose will advance one of his schemes. 
  In fact this could all have been his plan from the very 
  beginning… 
  the three 
  Why the icon doesn’t wants it… 
  The evil dragons helped the Prince of Shadows retrieve 
  the diamond when it went missing and handed it to him 
  in exchange for aid in some dark plot that the Three are 
  currently hatching. If the Three take the Darkskye 
  Diamond for themselves the Prince of Shadows might be 
  tempted to betray them in their current conspiracy.  
  The Three will direct the adventurers to take the 
  Darkskye Diamond back to the Prince of Shadows. 
  Iconic opposition and aid 
  Whoever the party decide to give the Darkskye Diamond 
  to there will be at least two icons that want to prevent that 
  or interfere with the adventurer’s journey. 
  AID FROM… 
  Some icons might send aid to the party, either because the 
  party are bringing the gem to them or because the party 
  intends to give the Darkskye Diamond to one of that 
  icon’s allies. 
  …or maybe it’s a trick. 
  aid from…the archmage, diabolist, elf queen, 
  high druid, priestess 
  Magical message 
  The party are warned by magical means to change their 
  plans or take a different route. Though the warning 
  comes too late for plans to be changed it means that the 
  party are on their guard and get a +5 bonus to their next 
  initiative rolls. 
  aid from…the crusader, dwarf king, emperor, 
  prince of shadows 
  Practical aid 
  The party receive practical aid in moving forward with 
  their plans: a night spent under a friendly roof, disguises, 
  the correct paperwork, or just a map and fresh horses. 
  Whatever the aid is, it equates to a +5 bonus to each 
  character’s next skill roll. 
  aid from…the crusader, lich king, orc lord 
  The enemy of my enemy is my friend 
  An 
  icon 
  aids 
  the 
  party 
  (either 
  knowingly 
  or 
  unknowingly) by attacking those that are chasing the 
  party. The next fight that the party has will have the 
  enemies at only 70% of their normal hit points.  
  aid from…the great gold wyrm, the three 
  Dragon-back ride 
  The party gets to bypass a potential complication, if they 
  trust the dragons that have showed up to keep their word.  
  Of course the dragons can’t take the party the whole 
  way, the party’s enemies would be expecting that—but 
  the dragons can take the party part way on their journey 
  (and then the dragons will head off as a distraction while 
  the party carries the Darkskye Diamond to its intended 
  destination). 
   
   
   
  
   
  152 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE ARCHMAGE 
  Fight! 
  Normally we don’t use tokens in 13TH AGE, but I think 
  that it’s kind of fun for these specific enemies to do so. 
  It is usually obvious to onlookers who is building up 
  mana, so if you use miniatures you can put little glass 
  beads or coins next to these arcane enemies to show 
  how they are crackling with an ever-increasing amount 
  of power. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Great Mage 
  Arcane 
  Companion 
  Arcane 
  Apprentice 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  Arcane Apprentice 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +13 
     
  R: Mana zap +15 vs. PD—35 damage 
  Natural odd miss: The arcane apprentice gains a mana 
  token. 
       
  Mana battery: As a standard or move action the arcane 
  apprentice may give all of their mana tokens to a 
  nearby great mage. 
     
  Nastier Specials 
  Mana explosion: If the arcane apprentice dies with mana 
  tokens, make one mana zap attack per mana token that 
  the arcane apprentice had—those tokens are then 
  expended. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one arcane apprentice mook for every 54 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  Arcane Companion 
  10th level troop [BEAST, DEMON, or CONSTRUCT] 
  Initiative: +13 
     
  Vicious claws +15 vs. AC—58 damage 
       
  Thaumavore: When the escalation die is even, as a quick 
  action; the epic familiar may ‘eat’ a mana token from a 
  nearby ally to heal 40 hp.   
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 200 
  MD 24 
  Great Mage 
  10th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +16 
   
  Mana blast +15 vs. PD—35 force damage 
  Any natural even: The great mage teleports nearby. 
  Any natural odd: The great mage gains a mana token. 
      
  C: Mana wave +15 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies in a 
  group)—40 damage 
  Natural odd miss: The great mage gains a mana token. 
      
  R: Mana flash +15 vs. PD—58 damage 
  Natural odd miss: The great mage gains a mana token. 
      
  Spells 
  As a standard action expend a mana token to cast one of the 
  following spells 
  Zebgast’s preternatural ambiguatior +15 vs. MD—Until 
  the end of the battle the great mage takes half damage 
  (rounded up) from all attacks, and the target takes the 
  other half. Targets can be hit by this spell once per 
  battle only. 
  C: Zuwix’s colliery of tentacles +15 vs. PD (all nearby 
  enemies)—30 damage, and until the end of the battle 
  all enemies nearby the great mage are stuck until the 
  great mage is no longer nearby 
  R: Fistiran’s forever-fire +15 vs. PD—15 ongoing fire 
  damage (hard save ends) 
  Aftereffect: When the target saves they take 40 cold 
  damage. 
  R: Astara’s song of pain (automatic hit)—15 ongoing 
  psychic damage 
   
  Limited escalator: The grand mage adds the escalation die 
  to its attack rolls when it has unspent mana tokens. 
      
  AC 25 
  PD 26  HP 220 
  MD 24 
   
  
   
  153 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE CRUSADER 
  Fight! 
  The Crusader’s forces might include clerics too—
  though they would be clerics of dark gods. The 
  Crusader might even have captured and enslaved 
  demons working for him. 
  Number of PCs 
  Dark Paladin 
  Elite Champion 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  2 
  1 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  2 
  Dark Paladin 
  Remember, paladins can work for the gods of light… or the dark 
  gods. 
  10th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
     
  Darkblessed blade +15 vs. AC—40 damage 
  Miss: 10 damage. 
     
  [quick action] Armored fist of the gods +15 vs. AC—16 
  holy damage and the target pops free and is dazed (-4 
  to attack) until the end of its next turn 
   
  Heavily armored: Twice per battle as a free action; the 
  stalwart paladin totally negates an attack against it, 
  ignoring all damage and effects on a hit or miss. 
        
  Pick ONE special ability: 
  Fear aura: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 72 hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
  Protected by divine providence: Pick a damage type, this 
  battle the stalwart paladin is totally immune to attacks 
  that includes that damage type. 
  Slayer of the unfaithful: Once per battle turn one of the 
  stalwart paladin’s attacks that misses into a crit 
  instead. 
   
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 220 
  MD 20 
   
  Elite Champion 
  10th level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +16 
     
  Expert maneuver +15 vs. AC—50 damage 
  Natural even hit: The target takes 5 ongoing damage. 
  Natural even miss: The target takes 10 damage and the 
  elite champion pops free and moves as a free action. 
  Natural odd hit: The target is weakened (-4 to attacks 
  and damage) until the end of its next turn. 
  Natural odd miss: 10 damage. 
     
  Careful aim: If the elite champion makes no attack on its 
  turn it can make an expert shot attack on its next turn. 
  R: Expert shot +15 vs. AC (1d3 enemies)—60 damage 
  Natural even hit: Until the end of the battle the target 
  takes 20 damage each time it moves. 
  Natural odd hit: The target is weakened (-4 to attacks 
  and damage) until the end of its next turn. 
     
  AC 24 
  PD 26  HP 200 
  MD 20  
   
  
   
  154 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE DIABOLIST 
  Fight! 
  The diabolist might also send corrupted former 
  followers of other icons to do her bidding. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Demonic 
  Warrior 
  Demonic 
  Fly Swarm 
  Possessed 
  Cultist 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  2 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  3 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  4 
  6 
  1 
  6 
  5 
  7 
  2 
  5 
  4 
  Demonic Warrior 
  This soldier of hell is more than eager to send you there. 
  10th level troop [DEMON] 
  Initiative: +16 
  Vulnerability: holy 
      
  Fiery whip +15 vs. AC—20 damage and 15 ongoing fire 
  damage 
  Miss: 10 fire damage. 
      
  [quick action, twice per battle] C: Burning breath +15 vs. 
  PD (1d3 nearby enemies in a group)—20 ongoing fire 
  damage 
     
  Fear aura: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 72 hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
     
  Burning aura: Each enemy engaged with this monster at 
  the start of its turn takes 2d10 fire damage. 
   
  Resist fire 16+: When a fire attack targets this creature, 
  the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or 
  it only deals half damage. 
   
  AC 26  
  PD 20  HP 230 
  MD 24 
  Demonic Fly Swarm 
  10th level mook [DEMON] 
  Initiative: +14 
  Vulnerability: holy 
      
  Thought eaters +15 vs. MD—15 ongoing psychic 
  damage 
      
  Flight: Yes, these flies can fly.  
     
  AC 26 
  PD 22  HP 60 (mook) 
  MD 22 
  Mook: Kill one demonic fly swarm mook for every 60 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  Possessed Cultist 
  10th level mook [DEMON] 
  Initiative: +20 
  Vulnerability: holy 
      
  Wicked claws +15 vs. AC—37 damage 
      
  C: Elongated tongue +15 vs. AC (1 nearby enemy)—20 
  ongoing acid damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The target is pulled into 
  engagement with the possessed cultist. 
      
  R: Vile whispers +15 vs. MD—10 ongoing psychic 
  damage and the target becomes confused (save ends 
  both). 
  Aftereffect: When the target saves it takes 20 psychic 
  damage. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  Flight: The demon can fly, sprouting leathery wings; if it 
  attacks while flying it pops free after its attack. 
  Climber: The demon can climb like a spider, and it gains 
  a +5 attack bonus if it drops down from the ceiling onto 
  its intended target. 
  Sense weakness: The demon has +2 to defenses against 
  attacks made by staggered enemies. 
   
  AC 26 
  PD 26  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one possessed cultist mook for every 54 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  
   
  155 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE DWARF KING 
  Fight! 
  It is likely that at least one of these dwarves has in their 
  possession a magic item. You can give one of the 
  dwarves a magic item that you’ve picked out 
  beforehand, or give that same dwarf a +1d4 bonus to 
  attacks and defenses—and let the players choose an 
  appropriate item to find if (when) they loot the body; 
  either way even if the nature of the item is not 
  immediately obvious the dwarf will appear to have a 
  special aura around them that the adventurers can 
  plainly perceive. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Dwarven 
  Hero 
  Dwarven 
  Defender 
  Dwarven 
  Warden 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  Dwarven Defender 
  10th level blocker [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +14 
      
  [quick action, up to 3 times per turn] Swift hammers +15 
  vs. AC—35 damage 
   
  Bodyguard: Once per round, as a free action; the dwarven 
  defender can pop free and move to intercept a moving 
  enemy. 
     
  Fearless: The dwarven defender is immune to fear and 
  fear-like effects. 
   
  AC 29 
  PD 24  HP 154 
  MD 20 
  Dwarven Hero 
  10th level spoiler [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
     
  Mighty hammer +15 vs. AC—1d8x10 damage 
  Damage dice rolls a 1 or an 8: Either use the damage die 
  result, or re-roll it and add an extra use of shield bash 
  this battle. 
     
  [quick action, twice per battle] Shield bash (automatic 
  hit)—The target pops free and is dazed (-4 to attack) 
  until the end of its next turn 
   
  C: Whirling hammer +15 vs. AC (1 nearby or far away 
  enemy)—60 damage 
  Natural 16+ hit against a nearby enemy: Target is dazed 
  (save ends). 
     
  Escalator: The dwarven hero adds the escalation die to its 
  attack rolls. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 220 
  MD 20 
  Dwarven Warden 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +13 
     
  Ancestral axe +15 vs. AC—35 damage 
     
  R: Throwing axe +14 vs. AC—30 damage 
     
  Lock shields: For every dwarven warden mook in a mob 
  add +1 to their AC, and add +1 to their PD against 
  ranged attacks, up to a maximum of +4. 
     
  Nastier Specials 
  Ancestral guidance: Count non-mook dwarven allies as 
  dwarven wardens for the purposes of this character’s 
  lock shields ability. 
  Axe of my forebears: This dwarf has +1 to attack and 
  damage. 
   
  AC 20 (see lock shields) 
  PD 24  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 20 
  Mook: Kill one dwarven warden mook for every 54 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  
   
  156 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE ELF QUEEN 
  Fight! 
  These elves have an initiative modifier of +3d10. If you 
  feel like it you can roll for each elf, or you can roll once 
  for each type of elf. If you don’t feel like rolling just 
  count the initiative as +16. 
  These elves have abilities that key off their variable 
  modifier, making them ‘swingy’. Fast elves are deadly, 
  elves who go last less so. If you don’t like your elves 
  swingy, use 16 as the variable modifier. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Elven Blade 
  Dancer 
  Elven 
  Archer 
  Elven 
  Warrior 
  3 
  1 
  0 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  6 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  7 
  2 
  1 
  4 
  Elven Blade Dancer 
  10th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3d10 
     
  Blade dance +15 vs. AC—40 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: Make a blade trick, cutting 
  sidestep, or smooth ploy attack. 
  Miss: Damage equal to the elf’s initiative bonus. 
   [Special trigger] C: Blade trick +15 vs. AC—10 
  ongoing damage  
  [Special trigger] C: Cutting sidestep +15 vs. AC—20 
  damage and the elven blade dancer pops free and 
  moves as a free action 
  [Special trigger] C: Smooth ploy +14 vs. MD—If the 
  target moves before the end of its next turn one elf 
  mook can make a free attack against it 
     
  Aura of whirling blades: Each enemy engaged with this 
  monster at the start of its turn takes 2d6 damage. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 230 
  MD 20 
  Elven Archer 
  10th level archer [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3d10 
     
  Point blank shot +15 vs. AC—50 damage and the archer 
  pops free 
  Natural even miss: The archer pops free. 
     
  R: Elven bow +15 vs. AC—30 ongoing damage 
  First miss this battle: Damage equal to half the elf’s 
  initiative bonus. 
   
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 210 
  MD 20 
  Elven Warrior 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +3d10 
     
  Elven blade +15 vs. AC—37 damage 
      
  R: Elven bow +15 vs. AC (1 or 2 enemies)—30 damage 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 26  HP 50 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one elven warrior mook for every 50 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
  racial specials  
  Pick one per elf… 
  Dark elf blade venom: Once per battle, as a free action; an 
  enemy engaged with this creature takes poison 
  damage equal to this elf’s initiative bonus. 
  High elf magic: Once per battle, as a free action; one 
  nearby enemy takes force damage equal to this elf’s 
  initiative bonus. 
  Wood elf swiftness: Once per battle this elf may add half 
  its initiative bonus (rounded up) to its attack roll. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  157 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE EMPEROR 
  Fight! 
  If the adventurers manage to separate the rider and the 
  dragon (a very difficult task mid-combat, but maybe 
  the adventurers sneak up on them while the rider is off 
  having lunch at a tavern and the dragon is washing its 
  scales in the Bronze River nearby) then the rider has 
  200 hp and the dragon has 700 hp. 
  Number of PCs 
  Veteran Imperial 
  Legionnaire 
  Imperial Dragon 
  & Dragon Rider 
  3 
  5 
  0 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  2 
  1 
  6 
  3 
  1 
  7 
  5 
  1 
  Veteran Imperial Legionnaire 
  12th level mook [humanoid] 
  Initiative: +17 
     
  Disciplined attack +15 vs. AC—45 damage 
  Miss: 15 damage. 
     
  R: Volley fire +15 vs. AC (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies in a group)—30 damage 
  Miss: 10 damage. 
      
  Orderly advance: When a veteran imperial legionnaire 
  rolls a natural 19 or 20 another veteran imperial 
  legionnaire can make a melee attack as a free action 
  against a different target. 
     
  AC 28  
  PD 26  HP 90 (mook) 
  MD 26 
  Mook: Kill one veteran imperial legionnaire mook for 
  every 90 damage you deal to the mob. 
   
   
  Imperial Dragon & Dragon Rider 
  Large 12th level wrecker [DRAGON + HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +20 
     
  This monster can make two standard actions on each of its 
  turns (two rider actions, two dragon actions, or one of each). 
  The pair only get one move action and one quick action 
  between them. 
      
  Rider actions 
  Lance +15 vs. AC—90 damage 
  Special: This attack may be performed while the dragon 
  is mid-move. 
   
  C: Rain of arrows +17 vs. AC (1d3 nearby enemies, or 
  one faraway enemy)—60 damage 
         
  Spotter: As a standard action the rider acts as a second 
  pair of eyes for the dragon, allowing it to roll 3d20 for 
  its attacks and use the best d20 roll. 
     
  Dragon actions 
  Raking claws +17 vs. AC (2 attacks)—70 damage 
  Both attacks miss: The dragon makes a wing slam attack 
  as a quick action. 
  C: Wing slam +15 vs. PD (1 nearby enemy)—12 
  damage and the dragon pops free and may move as 
  a free action 
     
  C: Fiery breath +17 vs. PD (1d4 nearby or far away 
  enemies)—30 ongoing fire damage 
     
  Flight: The dragon can fly, fast and acrobatically. 
     
  Escalator: The dragon adds the escalation die to its attack 
  rolls, but its rider does not 
     
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 120 hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
     
  Resist fire 16+: When a fire attack targets this creature, 
  the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or 
  it only deals half damage. 
     
  AC 28 
  PD 26  HP 900* 
  MD 22 
  * When this pair becomes staggered the dragon rider is either 
  dead or incapacitated, and the pair cannot take rider actions. 
  
   
  158 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE GREAT GOLD 
  WYRM 
  Fight! 
  You only get to use protected by the gods once per battle, 
  no matter how many exarch clerics there are. My advice 
  is to wait until a player whips out their killer fireball or 
  ultimate combo of crits and lucky rolls and casually 
  point to this text box to let them know that the gods 
  have decided that their favorite damage type just won’t 
  fly this battle. The gods can be cruel and capricious, 
  this is your chance to be likewise. 
  Number of PCs 
  Stalwart Paladin 
  Exarch Cleric 
  3 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  2 
  6 
  1 
  2 
  7 
  2 
  2 
  Stalwart Paladin 
  10th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
     
  Bright-blessed blade +15 vs. AC—40 damage 
  Miss: 10 damage. 
     
  [quick action] Armored fist of the gods +15 vs. AC—16 
  holy damage and the target pops free and is dazed (-4 
  to attack) until the end of its next turn 
   
  Heavily armored: Twice per battle as a free action; the 
  stalwart paladin totally negates an attack against it, 
  ignoring all damage and effects on a hit or miss. 
        
  Pick ONE special ability: 
  Fear aura: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 72 hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
  Protected by divine providence: Pick a damage type, this 
  battle the stalwart paladin is totally immune to attacks 
  that includes that damage type. 
  Slayer of the unfaithful: Once per battle turn one of the 
  stalwart paladin’s attacks that misses into a crit 
  instead. 
   
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 220 
  MD 20 
  Exarch Cleric 
  10th level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
     
  Smite +15 vs. AC—50+1d12 holy damage 
  …and on a hit: 
  The d12 comes up 1-2: Target is stunned until the start of 
  its next turn. 
  The d12 comes up 3-4: The exarch and one ally heal 10 
  hp each. 
  The d12 comes up 5-6: The exarch and one ally may pop 
  free. 
  The d12 comes up 7-8: All conditions on the exarch end. 
  The d12 comes up 9-10: The target is considered to be 
  staggered for the rest of the battle, no matter their hp 
  total. 
  The d12 comes up 11-12: The d12 ‘explodes’. Re-roll the 
  d12, and add the result to the total damage; if you 
  roll an 11 or 12 again re-roll again, and add the result 
  to the damage—and so on until you do not roll an 11 
  or 12. 
      
  C: Devout prayer +15 vs. MD (one nearby enemy)—40 
  holy damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The exarch cleric or one nearby 
  ally heals 20 hp. 
     
  R: Holy light +15 vs. PD—58 holy damage 
      
  Blessing: Once per round, as a free action; the exarch 
  cleric can bless an ally and allow them to re-roll an 
  attack. 
         
  Holy immunity: The exarch cleric ignores all attacks 
  against it that do holy damage. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  Protected by the gods: Once per battle only, the GM can 
  declare mid-battle one condition (confused, dazed, ongoing 
  damage, fear effects, etc) or damage type (fire, psychic, acid, 
  etc) that the exarch cleric and all its allies are immune to. This 
  ends once the last exarch cleric in the battle is dead or fled. 
  You can only use this once per battle, no matter how many 
  exarch clerics are in the battle. You can’t use this to make 
  anybody immune to untyped damage. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 222 
  MD 20 
   
  
   
  159 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE HIGH DRUID 
  Fight! 
  My intention with the monolith’s mystic node ability is 
  that at some point in the battle all the monoliths will 
  form a stone circle, and begin glowing or otherwise 
  giving a clue that something odd is happening. 
  Number of PCs 
  Wild Druid 
  Awakened 
  Monolith 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  6 
  5 
  1 
  9 
  6 
  1 
  11 
  7 
  2 
  9 
  Awakened Monolith 
  This stone giant used to be part of a stone circle, now it 
  accompanies the druid into battle. 
  10th level mook [ELEMENTAL] 
  Initiative: +10 
     
  Crush +12 vs. AC—37 damage 
      
  R: Past lives +12 vs. MD—The target is confused (save 
  ends), and gains a +4 attack bonus until no longer 
  confused 
  Limited use: Only one enemy can only be confused by 
  past lives at any one time. It is up to the GM and 
  player if the past lives revealed are true or are just 
  illusions, and how much of these past lives are 
  remembered after the battle. 
   
  Mystic node: All normal saves become hard saves, all 
  hard saves become impossible. This ability requires all 
  monoliths in the battle to do nothing but sit there 
  radiating mystic energy. If any monolith does 
  something on its turn that is not this, the effect ends. 
      
  AC 29 
  PD 26  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one awakened monolith mook for every 54 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  Wild Druid 
  10th level caster [HUMANOID or BEAST] 
  Initiative: +16 
      
  [quick action 1/round] C: Wild growth (automatic hit vs 
  one nearby enemy)—5 ongoing damage and the target 
  is stuck (save ends both) 
  First failed save: Target is vulnerable to attacks until no 
  longer stuck. 
  Second failed save: The save against the 5 ongoing 
  damage + stuck + vulnerable becomes a hard save 
  (16+). 
    As part of a move action, or instead of a move action; the druid can 
  switch between humanoid and beast. Switching forms ends all 
  conditions on the druid. 
  Humanoid attacks 
  Wave of earth +15 vs. AC (1 to 3 targets)—33 damage 
  Special: Each target may be attacked separately while 
  the druid is mid-movement, as the wild druid surfs a 
  wave of mud and rock. 
  C: Fire blast +15 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies, targ eting 
  the closest enemies first)—17 ongoing fire damage 
  R: Storm flash +15 vs. PD (2 attacks)—38 damage: the 
  first attack does lightning damage, the second attack 
  does thunder damage  
  C: Tsunami +15 vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies, targeting 
  the closest enemies first)—25 damage and the target 
  must save or pop free and be pushed far away from 
  the wild druid’s current position 
  Beast attacks 
  C: Leaping attack +15 vs. AC (1 nearby or far away 
  enemy)—48 damage and the wild druid pops free and 
  leaps into engagement with the target 
  Miss: The wild druid pops free 
  Savage claws +15 vs. AC (1d3 attacks)—30 damage 
   
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 216 
  MD 20 
  
   
  160 
   
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE LICH KING 
  Fight! 
  The attack and defense penalties for withering touch 
  stack, but can only be a maximum of -4. It only takes 
  one save to throw off all withering touch ongoing 
  damage and effects at once. 
  Number 
  of PCs 
  Deathwalker 
  Tsar 
  Deathwalker 
  Skull Bat 
  3 
  1 
  2 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  3 
  6 
  5 
  1 
  5 
  8 
  6 
  1 
  6 
  10 
  7 
  2 
  5 
  8 
  Deathwalker 
  This withered husk is quicker than it looks. 
  10th level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +20 
  Vulnerability: holy 
   
  Withering touch +15 vs. PD—18 ongoing negative 
  energy and cold damage 
  Each failed save: Target takes a cumulative -1 penalty to 
  all attack rolls and defenses until they save against 
  the ongoing damage (max -4). 
     
  The quick and the dead: On rounds where the escalation 
  die is not even (0,1,3,5) the deathwalker can double 
  move as a move action. 
     
  Resist cold and negative energy 16+: When a cold or 
  negative energy attack targets this creature, the 
  attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it 
  only deals half damage. 
     
  Negative healing: When a negative energ y attack targets 
  this creature and misses, the deathwalker heals 50 hp. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 20  HP 50 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one deathwalker mook for every 50 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
   
   
  Deathwalker Tsar 
  This winter zombie is very tough, and very smart, and wears 
  an iron crown. 
  10th level wrecker [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +20 
  Vulnerability: holy 
      
  Steal life’s breath +15 vs. PD—30 ongoing negative 
  energy and cold damage 
      
  C: Termination +15 vs. MD (one nearby enemy already 
  taking ongoing negative energy damage)—58 psychic 
  and cold damage 
  Critical hit: The target must start making last gasp 
  saves as they turn into a deathwalker. 
        
  Resist cold and negative energy 16+: When a cold or 
  negative energy attack targets this creature, the 
  attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it 
  only deals half damage. 
     
  Negative healing: When a negative energy attack targets 
  this creature and misses, the deathwalker heals 50 hp. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies that have 72 
  hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not add the 
  escalation die to their attacks. 
  Chill aura: Each enemy engaged with this monster at the start 
  of its turn takes 3d6 cold damage. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 20  HP 250 
  MD 24 
  Skull Bat 
  Half-strength 10th level mook [UNDEAD] 
  Initiative: +16 
  Vulnerability: holy 
      
  Bite +15 vs. AC—20 damage 
     
  Flight: This monster flies, cackling as it does so. 
  AC 26 
  PD 26  HP 25 (mook) 
  MD 18 
  Mook: Kill one skull bat mook for every 25 damage you 
  deal to the mob. Two skull bats equals one normal 10th 
  level mook. 
  
   
  161 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE ORC LORD 
  Fight! 
  If you don’t like the idea of dragons being corruptible 
  by the foul mystic taint of the Orc Lord, replace each 
  dragon with a horde of ten great fang cadre orcs. 
  Number of PCs 
  Corrupted 
  Dragon 
  Great Fang Cadre 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  2 
  1 
  5 
  2 
  4 
  6 
  3 
  1 
  7 
  3 
  4 
  Corrupted Dragon 
  Large 10th level wrecker [DRAGON] 
  Initiative: +15 
   
  Diseased claws +15 vs. AC (each engaged enemy)—35 
  ongoing negative energy damage 
  Natural 16+ hit: The target becomes feverish, making it 
  vulnerable to all attacks until the end of the battle. 
      
  C: Balefire breath +15 vs. PD (1d4 nearby enemies in a 
  group)—40 fire and negative energy damage 
  Miss: half damage. 
      
  Corruption aura: Each enemy engaged with this monster 
  at the start of its turn takes 2d10 negative energy and 
  psychic damage. 
      
  Orc rage: Whenever an orc dies in this battle the crit 
  range of this dragon expands by 1 (to a maximum of 
  16+). 
      
  Flight: The creature can fly, though its wings are twisted 
  and misshapen. 
      
  Escalator: This monster adds the escalation die to its 
  attack rolls. 
      
  Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 72 hp or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not 
  add the escalation die to their attacks. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 450 
  MD 20 
   
   
  Great Fang Cadre 
  Among the countless cursed strains of orcs, there are many who 
  grow into tall, fierce warriors when fed on the highest quality 
  food. In particular, they thrive on the flesh of beautiful, talented, 
  experienced, and powerful people. 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +13 
      
  Double-ended axe +15 vs. AC—25 damage 
  Natural 11+: The cadre can make a second double-
  ended axe attack (no more) as a free action. 
  Dangerous mooks: The crit range of melee attacks by 
  great fang cadre orcs expands by 3 until half the great 
  fang cadre mob has been dropped. 
      
  R: Big, black, creaking bow +15 vs. AC—37 damage  
  Natural even hit or miss: The attack targets PD instead of 
  AC. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  On the spot mutation: Whenever an attack eliminates one 
  or more members of the mob, there is a 50% chance 
  that each survivor gains a mutation like a sudden new 
  body part or temporary magical aura. The GM chooses 
  one of the following improvements, perhaps at 
  random, and invents a new body-part or magic effect 
  to explain it:  
  Extra melee attack: the orc can make two melee attacks on 
  its turn 
  Damage aura: 1d20 damage vs. any enemy that starts its 
  turn engaged with the orc 
  Stone-tough hide: +4 bonus to AC. 
      
  AC 27 
  PD 25  HP 50 (mook) 
  MD 21 
  Mook: Kill one great fang cadre mook for every 50 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  162 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE PRIESTESS 
  Fight! 
  An early draft of the sanctified warrior was called the 
  martyr warrior and had them setting themselves on 
  fire, dealing +4d6 fire damage (hit or miss) but taking 
  15 damage per round. I dropped that idea, but you can 
  use it if you like—just be aware of the potential 
  interactions with the exarch clerics’ devout prayer. 
  Number of PCs 
  Exarch Cleric 
  Sanctified 
  Warrior 
  3 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  6 
  5 
  1 
  9 
  6 
  1 
  11 
  7 
  1 
  14 
  Sanctified Warrior 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +16 
     
  Zealous attack +15 vs. AC—24 damage, or 30 damage 
  against staggered targets 
  Miss: 2d12 damage. 
     
  Fanatical charge: If the sanctified warrior moves into 
  engagement in a way that could be considered 
  charging then it gains a cumulative +2 to attack and 
  damage with its next attack each time it provokes an 
  attack during its movement. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  Blessed armor: The sanctified warrior gains +3 to defenses 
  against attacks that it provokes while moving. 
  ‘tis only a scratch: The last sanctified warrior in a battle 
  can keep fighting no matter how low its hp (even 
  massively negative hp) provided at least one exarch 
  cleric remains standing. Only a crit that reduces the 
  sanctified warrior to 0 hp or fewer, or killing or driving 
  away all the exarch clerics, will finally kill this holy 
  fool. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 26  HP 60 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one sanctified warrior mook for every 60 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
   
  Exarch Cleric 
  10th level leader [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +14 
     
  Smite +15 vs. AC—50+1d12 holy damage 
  …and on a hit: 
  The d12 comes up 1-2: Target is stunned until the start of 
  its next turn. 
  The d12 comes up 3-4: The exarch and one ally heal 10 
  hp each. 
  The d12 comes up 5-6: The exarch and one ally may pop 
  free. 
  The d12 comes up 7-8: All conditions on the exarch end. 
  The d12 comes up 9-10: The target is considered to be 
  staggered for the rest of the battle, no matter their hp 
  total. 
  The d12 comes up 11-12: The d12 ‘explodes’. Re-roll the 
  d12, and add the result to the total damage; if you 
  roll an 11 or 12 again re-roll again, and add the result 
  to the damage—and so on until you do not roll an 11 
  or 12. 
      
  C: Devout prayer +15 vs. MD (one nearby enemy)—40 
  holy damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The exarch cleric or one nearby 
  ally heals 20 hp. 
     
  R: Holy light +15 vs. PD—58 holy damage 
      
  Blessing: Once per round, as a free action; the exarch 
  cleric can bless an ally and allow them to re-roll an 
  attack. 
         
  Holy immunity: The exarch cleric ignores all attacks 
  against it that do holy damage. 
      
  Nastier Specials 
  Protected by the gods: Once per battle only, the GM can 
  declare mid-battle one condition (confused, dazed, ongoing 
  damage, fear effects, etc) or damage type (fire, psychic, acid, 
  etc) that the exarch cleric and all  its allies are immune to. 
  This ends once the last exarch cleric in the battle is dead or 
  fled. You can only use this once per battle, no matter how 
  many exarch clerics are in the battle. You can’t use this to 
  make anybody immune to untyped damage. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 222 
  MD 20 
   
  
   
  163 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE PRINCE OF 
  SHADOWS 
  Fight! 
  When you are down to your last shadow warrior you 
  replace it with a deadly assassin at full hp. This 
  represents the final assassin revealing that it is in fact 
  an expert killer hiding among the mooks; of course it 
  could 
  also 
  represent 
  the 
  deadlier 
  foe 
  hiding 
  somewhere else and springing out when the time is 
  right, pushing the last mook aside and delivering a 
  short monolog about its unstoppable technique. 
  Number of PCs 
  Shadow Warrior 
  Deadly Assassin 
  3 
  9 
  0? 
  4 
  11 
  0? 
  5 
  14 
  0? 
  6 
  16 
  0? 
  7 
  19 
  0? 
  Shadow Warrior 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +15 
      
  Razor-sharp swords +15 vs. AC—37 damage 
         
  C: Throwing blades +15 vs. AC (1d3 nearby or far away 
  enemies in a group)—25 damage 
     
  Law of diminishing ninjas: When a group of shadow 
  warriors surround an enemy only one makes an attack, 
  with an attack and damage bonus equal to the number 
  of black clad assassins who have died.  
   
  Nastier specials 
  Last assassin standing: When only one shadow warrior is 
  left in the battle it is replaced with a deadly assassin 
  with full hit points. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 54 (mook) 
  MD 20 
  Mook: Kill one shadow warrior mook for every 54 
  damage you deal to the mob. 
  Deadly Assassin 
  The last one left, but far tougher than the rest. 
  Double-strength 10th level spoiler [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +15, or the same as the Shadow Warriors if the 
  Deadly Assassin joins mid-fight 
      
  Broken blade technique +15 vs. AC (1d3 attacks)—40 
  ongoing damage 
  All three attacks hit the same target: The target is 
  vulnerable to all assassin’s attacks until the end of the 
  battle. 
     
  Limited flight: The creature can fly—well it is more like 
  jumping off objects and running up walls fast, but 
  we’ll call it ‘flying’. While ‘flying’ it does not provoke 
  attacks. It has to land at the end of its turn. 
     
  Escalator: This assassin adds the escalation die to its 
  attack rolls. 
     
  Expert martial artist: This creature can redirect other’s 
  attacks. While engaged with this creature, enemies that 
  have 72 hp or fewer and hit with an attack must save 
  or re-roll their attack against a target that the deadly 
  assassin picks (maybe themselves if there are no other 
  available targets). 
     
  Nastier Specials 
  Pressure point attack: Enemies that start and end their 
  turn engaged with the deadly assassin lower all their 
  d20 rolls by 1 until the end of the battle: natural 2s 
  become natural 1s, natural 20s become natural 19s, etc. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 454 
  MD 20 
   
   
   
  
   
  164 
   
  OPPOSITION FROM… THE THREE 
  Fight! 
  …or you could use dragons from the core book. 
  Number of 
  PCs 
  Black 
  Assassin 
  Blue 
  Enchantress 
  Red Fire 
  Cultist 
  3 
  0 
  1 
  4 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  1 
  1 
  4 
  6 
  1 
  1 
  6 
  7 
  1 
  1 
  9 
  Red Fire Cultist 
  10th level mook [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +16 
  Vulnerability: cold 
     
  Burning scimitar +15 vs. AC—18 ongoing fire damage 
  Natural 19+ hit: Make a second attack against the same 
  target, and the fire cultist takes 1d12 fire damage. 
       
  R: Burning trident +15 vs. AC—36 fire damage 
  Natural 19+ hit: The fire damage is ongoing. 
     
  Lure of the flames: Enemies taking ongoing fire damage 
  take a -5 penalty to disengage checks when engaged 
  with a red fire cultist. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 26  HP 64 (mook) 
  MD 24 
  Mook: Kill one red fire cultist mook for every 64 damage 
  you deal to the mob. 
  Black Assassin 
  10th level troop [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +15 
     
  Spinning chains +15 vs. AC (1 or 2 engaged enemies)—
  45 damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The target pops free and is 
  weakened until the start of the target’s next turn. 
     
  C: Poisonous dust +15 vs. PD (the nearest enemy)—30 
  ongoing poison damage 
  The attack also hits against the target’s MD: The gifted 
  assassin disappears until the start of its next turn. 
     
  R: Blow-dart +15 vs. PD—30 ongoing poison damage 
  Natural even hit: Target is dazed, easy save ends. 
     
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 216 
  MD 20 
  Blue Enchantress 
  10th level caster [HUMANOID] 
  Initiative: +16 
      
  Dimensional detonation +15 vs. PD—55 force and 
  lightning damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: The target is teleported to a point 
  far away. 
  Natural odd hit or miss: The blue enchantress can fly or 
  teleport with her next move action. 
      
  C: Arc lightning +15 vs. PD (1 nearby enemy)—30 
  lightning damage 
  Natural even hit or miss: Make another arc lightning attack 
  against an enemy nearby the creature just targeted. You 
  may keep doing this until you roll an odd attack roll or you 
  run out of new targets. 
      
  R: Mana storm +15 vs. PD (all enemies in a group)—20 
  thunder and force damage 
  Miss: half damage. 
      
  Gather power: Whenever the blue enchantress misses, her 
  crit range expands by 1 until the end of the battle (max 
  16+).  
      
  Expanded lightning aura: Each enemy engaged with the blue 
  enchantress at the start of her turn takes 2d10 lightning 
  damage. If no enemies are engaged with the blue enchantress 
  the damage is dealt to the closest enemy. 
     
  Nastier Specials 
  Resist spells 16+: When a spell attack targets this creature, the 
  attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the attack roll or it only 
  deals half damage. Attacks using weapons or magic 
  weapons, unarmed attacks, or attacks granted by racial 
  abilities do not count as spell attacks. 
      
  AC 26 
  PD 24  HP 216 
  MD 20 
   
  
   
  165 
   
  kroma dragonics 
  The September 2015 edition of 13TH AGE MONTHLY has full 
  stats for ‘Kroma Dragonics’, if you want the opposition from 
  the Three to be specifically dragonic then check out that issue. 
  COMPLICATIONS… 
  an unusual offer 
  The party is approached by an agent of an icon which 
  they had not considered giving the diamond to, and 
  makes it clear to the party that should they take the 
  diamond to their patron (instead of the icon that they are 
  currently trying to reach) the party will be very richly 
  rewarded.  
  Naturally the agent refuses the diamond—it is much 
  too dangerous an item to own as everybody is after it; the 
  agent is merely a messenger, offering an olive branch and 
  a golden handshake. 
  Will the party switch their loyalties? What would it 
  take to buy them off? Of course no matter what they 
  choose they will still face opposition, though now the 
  icons opposing and aiding the party will be different. 
  the bridge 
  The adventurers must cross a bridge while facing 
  opposition from an icon.  
  Maybe the other icon’s forces are blocking off the 
  bridge and won’t let the adventurers cross without first 
  handing over the Darkskye Diamond. 
  Maybe the bridge serves as an ambush spot, where 
  archers or others with ranged attacks can pick off the 
  adventurers while they are pinned down in a fight. 
  Of course the ‘bridge’ could also be a river ford, a ferry 
  crossing, a castle gatehouse, a narrow street, or any other 
  spot where the party is exposed and could be ambushed. 
  poisoned! 
  The adventurers stop at a tavern only to have their drinks 
  poisoned.  
  It is a DC 35 Wisdom based skill check for each 
  adventurer to either notice that something is up with the 
  drinks and avoid drinking (a natural 20 lets the 
  adventurer warn an ally allowing them a re-roll) or a DC 
  35 Constitution-based skill check to avoid the effects of 
  the poison (those that have poison resistance can add half 
  their resistance to their skill roll). Adventurers who are 
  poisoned lose half their current hit points.  
  Before the party can rest to purge their systems and 
  seek an antidote (that is to say spend some recoveries) 
  they will doubtless be attacked. 
  the imposter 
  The party are approached by somebody who claims to be 
  working for the very icon that they are trying to get the 
  Darkskye Diamond to. 
  Of course it is a trick. It is a DC 30 skill check to see 
  through the impersonation. Failing to see through the 
  impersonation means that the party realizes that they 
  have been fooled only after they have handed over the 
  diamond and must chase after it, or after the party have 
  been led into an ambush. 
  snatch and grab 
  Somebody just runs up and grans the diamond! The 
  simplest plans really are the best sometimes… 
  The party must chase the thief down. 
  Each player in turn must narrate how they help to 
  catch the thief, and make a skill check using an 
  appropriate background, with a DC as determined by the 
  below chart. When a player succeeds move one place 
  upwards on the chart, but a failure moves the group one 
  place down. When you move to a space on the chart take 
  any damage or consequence listed there before making 
  the skill check. Start where the chart says ‘Start...’ 
  End! 
  Captured! 
  The 
  thief 
  has 
  been 
  apprehended, 
  and 
  the 
  diamond is safe. 
   
  DC 30 
  The thief has almost 
  been caught, and the party 
  are hot on the diamond’s 
  trail. 
   
  DC 25 
  The lead member of the 
  party loses a recovery from 
  exhaustion. 
  Start 
  DC 20 
   
   
  DC 20 
  The lead member of the 
  party loses a recovery from 
  exhaustion. 
   
  DC 25 
  The party has almost lost 
  the thief, but the trail is still 
  hot. 
  End! 
  Escaped! 
  The Darkskye Diamond 
  is out of the party’s reach—
  for now at least. The good 
  news is that the party has a 
  good idea of where the 
  diamond currently is and 
  can go get it back. 
  
   
  166 
   
  enemy stronghold 
  The party have somehow lost the diamond and it is in an 
  enemy stronghold. 
  It is a DC 25 skill check to sneak into the stronghold, 
  failing forwards means that the adventurers get inside 
  but alert the guards or other opposition. However, if the 
  party successfully sneak in and can successfully get the 
  diamond from wherever it is locked up or guarded (a DC 
  25 skill check), and escape without alerting anybody (a 
  third DC 25 skill check) then they have retrieved the 
  diamond and avoided a fight. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Use an appropriate fight from this adventure if the 
  party fails one of the three skill checks. 
  the searchers 
  Enemy forces are looking for the party. Maybe the party 
  are hiding in a cellar, or trying to sneak through a city 
  crowd, or are in a forest… whatever the situation those 
  friendly to an icon that opposes the party are out looking 
  for them. 
  Each adventurer in turn must succeed at a DC 20 skill 
  check. Failing the skill check means that the party must 
  change hiding places or tactics and causes the next party 
  member’s difficulty to be 5 higher (DC 25). Passing the 
  skill check lowers the difficulty for the next party member 
  to 5 lower (DC 15). If the final person to roll succeeds then 
  the party have got away, otherwise the party must face 
  those that are searching for them. 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Use an appropriate fight from this adventure if the 
  final person in the party fails the final skill check.  
  rock and a hard place 
  The party discovers that their route to their destination is 
  far more dangerous than they anticipated. Going ahead 
  with whatever their plan was will involve facing the 
  agents of two icons at once! 
  Of course there is another option, but it involves 
  trusting an icon who so far has not been involved with the 
  adventure and whose loyalties and motives the party is 
  unsure of. 
  natural barrier 
  The bridge is washed out, the city gates are closed, the 
  icon that they are trying to reach is in a different location, 
  the Koru Behemoth migration is today... some chance 
  happening is working against the adventurers. 
  The party needs to pass three DC 25 skill checks to get 
  past the thing that is impeding their progress, the party 
  nominates which adventurer(s) will make the skill 
  checks. If the party fails one of the three rolls then they 
  get past the barrier but have alerted their enemies to their 
  planned route. If the party fails two of the three rolls then 
  their enemies have found them and they must fight their 
  way to freedom. If the party fail all three skill checks then 
  they have ended up in such a compromised situation that 
  during the fight with their enemies the escalation die will 
  only be a d4! 
  Fight! (optional) 
  Use an appropriate fight from this adventure if the 
  party fails at least two of the three skill checks.  
  Dangerous environments 
  Ah, but where will the adventurers face their enemies? 
  ACTIVE VOLCANO 
  An active volcano, or a hellhole, or maybe the edge of the 
  Abyss itself. Wherever this place is, it is inhospitable.  
  GMs: As a twist, turn fire damage into cold damage and 
  turn this into an ice volcano up near Moonwreck. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Avoiding natural environmental threats such as slow 
  moving lava flows or obvious pools of acid: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding less obvious threats like invisible toxic 
  clouds or pools of clear-looking ‘water’ that can 
  dissolve even metal: DC 25 
   
  Rushing to cover to avoid sudden threats like mud-
  flows or eruptions of super-heated gas: DC 30, 
  success means that the adventurer only takes half 
  damage. 
  traps and other dangers 
  Lava flow +15 vs PD—2d10 damage (probably poison or 
  acid damage, definitely fire damage) 
  Miss: Half damage 
  Acid pool +20 vs PD—4d6 acid damage 
  Miss: Half damage 
  Super-heated steam +25 vs PD (the whole party)—4d6 
  fire and poison damage 
  Miss: Half damage 
  DARKEST DUNGEON 
  This could be a deadly living dungeon on Omen, the 
  basement of the Cathedral, or the secret heart of First 
  Triumph, or the deeper places formerly inhabited by the 
  dwarves. 
  
   
  167 
   
  skill challenges 
   
  Navigating the dungeon: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding the dungeon’s guards or native inhabitants: 
  DC 20 
   
  Convincing somebody that you are supposed to be 
  down here, honest: DC 25 
   
  Disguising yourself as a dungeon inhabitant, and 
  fooling other dungeon denizens: DC 25 
   
  Opening a door with many traps and locks, without 
  springing a trap: DC 30 
   
  Spotting that a corridor is trapped: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Dart or acid trap +15 vs AC (1d3 party members)—
  3d6 damage (probably poison or acid damage) 
  Living corridor’s gnashing teeth +20 vs AC (1d3 party 
  members)—2d10 damage 
  Trapped door +25 vs AC—2d20 damage of more than 
  one type (maybe ongoing damage if it occurs mid-fight). 
  DEEPEST PART OF THE WOOD 
  You aren’t sure that this place is even still part of the 
  mortal realm. Strange creatures lurk in the shadows of 
  trees that reach to the clouds, plants grow so fast that they 
  move as quickly as animals, and strange unearthly smells 
  fill the air.  
  This could be the Queen’s Wood near the Court of 
  Stars, or the very heart of the Wild Wood. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Talking to a tree, and getting it to tell you something 
  useful: DC 20 
   
  Finding your way, after getting lost again: DC 20 
   
  The plants here grow fast, you must avoid getting 
  trapped by them growing over you: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding the half-glimpsed thing in the trees that has 
  been tracking you for half an hour now: DC 25 
   
  The 
  druid/elf/talking 
  tree/forest 
  spirit/walking 
  monolith doesn’t think you should be here, and you 
  must convince it otherwise: DC 25 
   
  NOT drinking from that forbidden pool that looks so 
  inviting: DC 30, with interesting consequences if the 
  adventurer does drink. 
   
  Cutting free from roots that grew over you while you 
  slumbered in the preternaturally still forest: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Beautiful flowers with poisoned thorns +15 vs PD—
  2d10 poison damage 
  Soporific pollen and the music of wind through the 
  trees +20 vs PD or MD (the whole party)—A -5 penalty 
  to all skill checks until your next rest. 
  Animated trees +25 vs AC—2d20 damage 
  FAILING WARD 
  This is one of the Archmage’s wards, or one of his power 
  nodes. The ward is failing (or perhaps has already failed) 
  and the dangerous energies or creatures that it was 
  keeping at bay are spilling forth into the world. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Unlocking a magically locked door or entering a 
  magically protected area without setting off a magical 
  trap: DC 20 
   
  Navigating a magical maze: DC 20 
   
  Convincing a paranoid defender of the ward that you 
  are there to help: DC 25 
   
  Working out a deeply arcane problem, solving a hard 
  riddle, or other feats of intelligence focused on deep 
  magic: DC 25 
   
  Talking your way past a magical guardian: DC 30 
   
  Restoring the ward: DC 30, requires multiple 
  successes with failures increasing damage from traps 
  and other dangers by a cumulative +1d10 each time. 
  traps and other dangers 
  A magical trap +15 vs PD—2d10 damage (probably force, 
  lightning, or psychic damage) 
  A 
  magical 
  explosion 
  (mild) 
  +20 
  vs 
  PD 
  (1d3 
  adventurers)—3d10 damage (probably force and fire, 
  maybe other damage types too) 
  A magical explosion (severe) +25 vs PD (the whole 
  party)—4d6 damage, plus some weird effect like the 
  party being teleported somewhere unpleasant or 
  switching minds 
  Miss: Half damage, and no weird secondary effect. 
  HELL ITSELF 
  Yep, you are in hell.  
  Maybe it is lakes of fiery caverns, maybe a labyrinth of 
  torture chambers, maybe it is all allegories and 
  metaphors. Whatever the place is, it is crawling with 
  demons and is not a pleasant place. 
  
   
  168 
   
  skill challenges 
   
  Interrogating a soul imprisoned in hell: DC 20 
   
  The psychic load of hell starts to get to you: DC 20, 
  the person with the lowest MD in the party rolls. If 
  the skill check is failed the PC who failed and one PC 
  that they nominate become confused, hard save (16+) 
  ends. Roll initiative! 
   
  Navigating hell: DC 25 
   
  Sweet-talking your way past a demon while armed 
  with nothing but flim-flam and self-confidence: DC 
  30 
   
  Rescuing an imprisoned soul: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Unbearable hellish environment +15 vs PD (the whole 
  party)—3d6 damage (probably fire damage, but might 
  be cold damage) 
  Animated torture implements +20 vs AC—3d10 damage 
  OR half damage and the target is weakened until after 
  their next rest (target choose before the attack is rolled). 
  Psychic corruption +25 vs MD (the whole party)—4d6 
  psychic damage, and nightmares for life. 
  MONSTROUS LAIR 
  An 
  elder 
  dragon’s 
  cave 
  protected 
  by 
  dragonic 
  worshipers, the hidden temple of a monster-worshiping 
  cult, or perhaps somewhere in or under Drakkenhall.  
  Wherever this lair is, it is more than just a cave, it is a 
  cave network with a community of monsters serving or 
  worshiping the monster that calls this place home. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Creeping past a sleeping guard-beast: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding a hidden trap: DC 20 
   
  Creeping past watchful guards: DC 25 
   
  Navigating the maze of interior chambers: DC 25 
   
  Fast-talking 
  a 
  cultist 
  into 
  letting 
  you 
  pass 
  unhindered: DC 30 
   
  Sneaking up on the slumbering beast: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Natural cave dangers: pit, falling rocks, chasm +15 vs 
  AC—2d10 damage (or 3d6 damage if the attack is 
  against each party member) 
  Cunning trap +20 vs AC—3d10 damage (probably 
  untyped damage, but maybe poison damage or thunder 
  damage) 
  Strange cave flora +25 vs PD or MD—2d20 damage (or 
  2d10 poison damage and target is confused save ends in 
  the case of hallucinogenic fungus) 
  KORU BEHEMOTH 
  Yes, a Koru Behemoth is an environment rather than a 
  creature—even 
  the 
  icons 
  steer 
  clear 
  of directly 
  challenging these beasts. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Climbing onto a Koru Behemoth, if it is at rest or 
  moving very slowly: DC 20 
   
  Locating a city built atop the Behemoth: DC 20 
   
  Dealing with the strange customs of the people who 
  live in the city atop the Behemoth: DC 25 
   
  Arranging a trade deal with a race that is not 
  normally found in the Dragon Empire: DC 25, or DC 
  30 if the race is really outlandish 
   
  Getting on or off a moving behemoth: DC 30, use the 
  earthquake attack if the roll is failed but only against 
  the PC who failed the roll 
  traps and other dangers 
  Strange flora and fauna that lives on the behemoth +15 
  vs AC—2d10 damage 
  Falling off the behemoth (but catching yourself on a tree 
  rooted in its flank) +20 vs PD—3d10 damage 
  Earthquake +25 vs PD (the whole party)—4d6 damage 
  (or maybe 5d8 damage if the party were foolish enough 
  to be standing directly in the path of the behemoth). 
  Natural even miss: Half damage. 
  PALACE STRONGHOLD 
  The imperial palace, the secret lair of the Prince of 
  Shadows, the Archmage’s tower, or even the audience 
  hall of the Dwarf King... all of these are places where just 
  having a good sword arm isn’t enough. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Navigating conversations with courtiers, without 
  giving offence or agreeing to do something dubious: 
  DC 20 
   
  Sneaking past guards into a restricted area, or talking 
  your way out of trouble when you get caught: DC 20 
   
  Making a good impression with an icon: DC 25 
   
  Swaying a courtier toward your cause: DC 25 
   
  Obtaining an audience with an icon, before the matter 
  in hand becomes moot: DC 30 
   
  Swaying an icon towards your cause: DC 30, will 
  require swaying quite a few courtiers first and 
  everybody making a good impression. 
  traps and other dangers 
  Poisoned wine +15 vs PD—2d10 poison damage 
  
   
  169 
   
  Cunning traps guarding the treasure vault +20 vs AC—
  3d10 damage, and probably an alarm going off 
  Pit of vipers, or some other method of punishing 
  intruders +25 vs AC, PD, or MD—4d10 damage (and it 
  probably requires a DC 35 skill check to escape the pit 
  before it makes another attack)  
  REALM OF THE GODS 
  This might be the realm of the gods of light, or of the dark 
  gods, or might be an astral sea of the overworld. 
  GMs: Remember, wizards have Overworld Advantage! 
  skill challenges 
   
  A servitor of the god wants to talk to you about 
  something important but there is a cultural or 
  ecumenical misunderstanding, the difficulty to avoid 
  the misunderstanding or to extricate yourself from it 
  is: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding weird phenomena of the overworld (holy 
  balls of glowing color, strange mind-warping winds, 
  rivers of souls, etc): DC 20 
   
  Sailing on the astral sea, and getting to your 
  destination without too much fuss: DC 20 
   
  A native creature is interested in you, and you need 
  to avoid its unwelcome attention: DC 25 
   
  Impersonating a demi-god from some far off place, or 
  disguising yourself as an obscure god (“What do you 
  mean you’ve never heard of me… I’m, erm, Kzamiel—
  lesser angel of lost cats”): DC 25, and the deception 
  won’t hold up for long, but maybe just long enough 
  to fast-talk your way into somewhere 
   
  Sneaking into a god’s domain undetected: DC 30 
   
  Talking to the manifestation of your god and not 
  looking like a total fool in front of the deity that you 
  serve: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Lightning bolt +15 vs PD—2d10 holy and lightning 
  damage 
  Psychic wind +20 vs MD (the whole party)—2d10 
  psychic damage 
  Attack by divine pests (a nest of axiomatic serpents, a 
  swarm of celestial bees, a flock of heavenly avians, etc) 
  +25 vs AC (1d3 adventurers)—4d6 damage (probably 
  holy damage, and maybe other damage types 
  depending which god’s home you are nearest) 
  RUINS OF A PAST AGE 
  These could be the grey towers, the ruins on the 
  Lamphaven islands, or perhaps even the Oldwall. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Deciphering writing in a lost language: DC 20 
   
  Realizing that the golden idol is the trigger for a trap: 
  DC 20 
   
  Locating a path that avoids the traps: DC 25 
   
  Avoiding the tribe of monsters who live in or near the 
  ruins: DC 25 
   
  Route-finding through a labyrinth of tunnels: DC 30 
   
  Impersonating a god and intimidating the intelligent 
  monsters who worship whatever used to live here: 
  DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Unstable floor +15 vs PD (1d3 adventurers)—3d6 
  damage from falling (an extra +1d4 damage if there are 
  spikes or sharp objects at the bottom, and maybe +1d4 
  poison damage from scorpions) 
  Angry ghost +20 vs MD—2d8 ongoing psychic damage 
  and the target is confused and attacks their allies (save 
  ends both) 
  Huge rolling stone +25 vs AC (the whole party)—4d6 
  damage 
  SHORES OF THE IRON SEA 
  The Iron Sea hates the land, and batters it with a 
  supernatural ferocity. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Finding the ancient ship tossed atop the Sea Wall ages 
  ago: DC 20 
   
  Locating a temple to a forgotten god, hidden in the 
  Sea Wall: DC 25 
   
  Finding shelter on the beach, when the tide comes in 
  or a storm rises: DC 25; 2d10 damage if the skill check 
  is failed by 10, 3d10 damage if the skill check is failed 
  by 20+ 
   
  Giving an offering to the Iron Sea that will allow you 
  to pass to the Isle of Fire: DC 30 
   
  Swimming in the Iron Sea: DC 30, and you’d better 
  get back onto dry land fast before it tries to drown 
  you. 
  traps and other dangers 
  The Iron Sea’s whispering wind +15 vs MD (the whole 
  party)—1d6 psychic damage and the target is dazed 
  until after their next rest. 
  
   
  170 
   
  Carnivorous rock pool +20 vs AC/PD/MD—3d10 
  damage (probably untyped damage, maybe poison 
  damage, but who knows it might be acid or lightning 
  too) 
  Dragged out, battered, and drowned by the Iron Sea +25 
  vs PD—1d6 damage and the Iron Sea makes a 2nd 
  attack that does 2d6 damage, and if that hits it makes a 
  3rd attack that does 3d6 damage, and if that hits it 
  makes a 4th attack that does 4d6 damage… and so on. 
  After each attack the person being tossed against the 
  shore by the angry ocean may make a DC 30 skill check 
  to desperately cling to a rock and crawl back to dry land 
  STRANGE CITY 
  This city might be high in the Overworld, deep in the 
  underground realms, or even in another realm of 
  existence. 
  skill challenges 
   
  Navigating the city streets, without running into 
  complications from pick-pockets, thugs, or local 
  festivals: DC 20 
   
  Avoiding the natural environmental strangeness of 
  the city: DC 20; failure means that character is the 
  target of a strange storm attack 
   
  Bluffing a city guard: DC 25 
   
  Gaining an audience with the ruler or rulers of the 
  city: DC 25; failing forwards probably means that 
  you’ll have to speak to several underlings first 
   
  Navigating the sewers or other secret ways of the city: 
  DC 30 
   
  Sneaking into or breaking out of somewhere 
  forbidden (city treasury, gateway to other realms, a 
  prison for demigods): DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Strange storm +15 vs AC or PD or MD—3d6 damage, the 
  damage type depends on where the strange city is (a 
  city on the plane of fire might have fire storms, a city on 
  an astral sea might have psychic storms, an 
  underground city might have rock falls) 
  Elemental runes +20 vs PD—3d10 damage (definitely 
  cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage) 
  Psychic barrier +25 vs MD (the whole party)—4d6 
  psychic damage 
  TOWER TO THE OVERWORLD 
  This magical tower reaches far up into the Overworld 
  itself, and surrounding its upper floors are buildings built 
  on clouds, the roosts of fantastical beasts, and a dock for 
  flying ships. This tower might be the Cathedral itself, a 
  tower in Horizon, the tower of the Blue in Drakkenhall, 
  or a wizard’s tower in a place far away from any city. 
  GMs: Remember, wizards have Overworld Advantage! 
  skill challenges 
   
  Convincing a guard that you are supposed to be here: 
  DC 20 
   
  Getting past a magical force-field or other similar 
  arcane or divine barrier: DC 20 
   
  Climbing the outside of the tower: DC 25, failing 
  leads to 2d20 falling damage as the adventurer grabs 
  hold of a window ledge and wrenches their arm. 
   
  Dealing with strange creatures of the overworld: DC 
  25 
   
  A visitation from a demi-god or otherworldly being 
  requires special etiquette: DC 30 
   
  Navigating a flying ship through a storm: DC 30 
  traps and other dangers 
  Magical field +15 vs PD or MD—1d20 damage (probably 
  holy or force damage) 
  Magical storm +20 vs AC or PD (1d3 adventurers)—2d10 
  damage (probably force damage, definitely thunder and 
  lightning damage) 
  Miss: 1d8 damage. 
  Magical rune trap +25 vs PD—2d20 damage (probably 
  force or holy damage, maybe both) 
  The End! 
  Though dangers untold the adventurers have finally 
  reached their destination. 
  DIASASTER? 
  The adventurers have failed, and despite their best efforts 
  the Darkskye Diamond has ended up in the hands of 
  somebody undesirable. Maybe the party tried to hide it, 
  destroy it, or threw it away only to discover that course 
  of action played right into the hands of an icon—or maybe 
  the adventurers just failed in their quest and their 
  enemies took the diamond. 
  Never fear. There is always epic tier to put things right 
  in, and a failure now sets up the epic conflict for levels 8-
  10. The adventurers will still have a powerful patron, a 
  powerful enemy, and a quest. Saving the world is just 
  going to take a little bit longer and be a little bit harder 
  than if they had succeeded. 
  TRIUMPH! 
  The adventurers have taken the Darkskye Diamond to the 
  icon that they believe should have it.  
  
   
  171 
   
  The party receives the rewards that they are due (see 
  the destinations, motivations, rewards section) and receive 
  high praise from the icon. Of course now the adventurers 
  are recognized as players on the world stage, and are 
  closely aligned with an icon—that means that that icons 
  enemies have just become their enemies. Epic tier will 
  likely involve striking at their patron’s enemies and 
  helping to usher in a new age. 
  THIS CONCLUDES THE ADVENTURE!  
  Success or failure, the party are recognized by one and 
  all as mighty heroes of renown.  
  Go around the table and ask each player what their 
  adventurer does next, and where they plan to go. There 
  are rumors of jobs for adventurers in Drakkenhall who 
  don’t mind getting their hands dirty, the wizards of 
  Horizon are always looking to hire adventurers, and of 
  course for those with a taste for adventure there is always 
  the imperial capital of Axis and its deep gold-filled 
  coffers. Do a mini-montage to give closure to the 
  adventure. 
  Thank your players for being great. 
  … and finally THANK YOU. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  172 
   
  Appendix: Magic Items 
  The following magic items might be found at any point in the 
  adventure. You can find more magic items in the 13TH AGE core 
  rule book and the BOOK OF LOOT. 
  GMs: Remember to mention that items are alive and have personalities, so 
  that characters using magic items can have personality quirks if they wish. If 
  you have more items than your level, then your items take over and you become 
  a vehicle for their personalities! 
  Chain Armor of Iron Will 
  The steel links of this heavy chain armor have an opalescent quality that reflects 
  light around the wielder in a splay of muted colors, which some claim represent 
  the gods’ dominions. Whatever the case, the armor does bolster the mental 
  defenses of its wearer. 
  +1 AC and MD (champion tier: +2; epic tier: +3). 
  Quirk: Prone to abstract speculation. 
  Supple Boots of the Slippery Eel 
  These soft boots are made from the skin of the giant black eels that live among 
  the Wake Islands in the Midland Sea. The eel skin soles are surprisingly 
  resilient and surprisingly slick. 
  +1 to disengage checks.  
  Add your Dexterity modifier to your disengage 
  checks. 
  Quirk: Loves puns. 
  Elven Cloak 
  Each elven cloak, often called a “forestfold cloak,” is said to be sewn by the 
  handmaidens of the Elf Queen and holds the memory of her forest court within 
  its threads. 
  +1 to PD (champion tier: +2; epic tier: +3).  
  Add +10 to checks to remain hidden in natural 
  surroundings. 
  Quirk: Prefers the finest things in life; of course, they are elven. 
  Helm of the Undaunted Hero 
  Those who have the will to follow the Crusader can do anything, many of their 
  helms become imbued with their endless courage. Many of them also don’t have 
  owners anymore. 
  +1 to MD (champion tier: +2; epic tier: +3). 
  Recharge 6+ (after save roll): At the start of your turn, 
  you can roll a save against one ongoing save ends effect 
  as a free action. Make the recharge roll immediately 
  after you use the power instead of during your next 
  short rest. 
  Quirk: Favors traditional battle hymns. 
  Shield of Protection 
  This stout kite shield bearing the likeness of the Great Gold Wyrm once belonged 
  a paladin who fought beside the Gold in a past age. 
  Enemies engaged with you take a –1 attack penalty 
  against your allies. 
  Quirk: Tends to others with too much familiarity. 
  Symbol of Gathered Power 
  This odd symbol has a different precious gemstone forming each of its three 
  prongs. 
  Recharge with full heal-up: During a short rest, you 
  can regain an expended daily adventurer level spell. 
  Quirk: One-track mind. 
  Weapon of Vengeance 
  This brutal-looking weapon oozes emotional violence and anger, and it’s 
  obvious that its sole design is to harm others. The simple but effective styling is 
  a common element among the barbarian weaponsmiths who create such 
  weapons to fight for or against the Orc Lord. 
  [Melee weapon]  
  +1 bonus to attacks and damage (champion tier: +2; 
  epic tier: +3). 
  While you are staggered, you deal +1d6 damage with 
  attacks that hit using this weapon. 
  Quirk: Quick to take offense. 
  Haughty Weapon 
  Two types of these weapons are known to have been created: those designed for 
  the imperial soldiers against the creatures of the Wild, and those designed for 
  the servants of the Wild against the agents of the Empire. In either case, these 
  weapons are highly effective at taking down enemy leaders. 
  [Ranged weapon] 
  +1 bonus to attack and damage (champion tier: +2; epic 
  tier: +3). 
  When you hit an enemy with this weapon, if it’s the 
  most dangerous foe in the battle (or tied for most 
  dangerous, GM’s assessment), you deal +1d3 damage 
  to it (champion: +2d3, epic +3d3). 
  Quirk: Challenges others to improvised contests. 
  Potions and Oils 
  Not as permanent as a true magic item, but also less likely to possess you or get 
  you killed by others who seek your precious treasure. 
  [standard action to use, consumable] 
  • 
  Adventurer-tier healing potions (2): Heal using a 
  recovery + 1d8 hp (max 30 hp). 
  • 
  Adventurer tier potion of fire resistance: Gain fire 
  resistance for rest of battle. Attacker must roll natural 
  16+ or fire attack deals only half damage. 
  • 
  Adventurer tier magic oil: Until end of battle, an item oil 
  is applied to gains a +1 bonus. For armor: +1 AC. For 
  weapon or implement: +1 to attack and damage. This 
  does not stack with bonuses from magic items. 
   
   
  
   
  173 
   
  OPEN GAME LICENCE 
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  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  13th Age. Copyright 2013, Fire Opal Media, Inc.; Authors: Rob Heinsoo, 
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