TEXT: 1
  THE
  UNWAVERING
  PATH
  A Multiclassing Quest for 
  Monks and Paladins
  CREDITS
  Design:
  Kolja Raven Liquette
  Editing:
  Miranda Horner
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Web Production
  Bart Carroll
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege
  and Jen Page
  Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by E.
  Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,
  Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.
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  INTRODUCTION
  Monks and paladins, lawful professions at heart,
  demand consistency of themselves more than any
  other quality. Both classes adhere to traditions for the
  sake of creating standards upon which they can always
  count. From the repetition of exercise, meditation, and
  prayer, both classes reinforce the strength of their
  convictions, whether from within (the self) or from
  without (the divine). As such, the moment their focus
  changes to pursue a different path, for even one level,
  both classes must forever abandon that profession.
  These characters must make a lasting choice before
  multiclassing, deciding if they have advanced far
  enough as monks or paladins for their entire career.
  WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
  The Unwavering Path makes use of the information in
  the three D&D core rulebooks—the Player’s Handbook
  (PH), Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG), and M o n s t e r
  Manual (MM), as well as Monster Manual II (MMII),
  Monster Manual III (MMIII), Fiend Folio (FF), a n d
  Fiendish Codex I: The Hordes of the Abyss (FCI). 
  THE UNWAVERING
  PATH (LEVELS 3–5)
  “I never stopped being a monk, even after I discovered
  the magic that flowed through my veins. Still, I had to
  convince myself first.”
  —The human Lornis Dareborn, monk/sorcerer
  Monks and paladins often find themselves tempted by the
  special abilities of other classes and prestige classes. They
  see how many of these abilities can aid them in their fight
  against the unruly forces of chaos. Straying from the monk
  or paladin class, however, comes with a stern warning.
  Once you follow another path, there is no turning back.
  But what if a monk could take levels of sorcerer or a
  paladin could take levels of rogue and then return to being
  a martial disciple of justice or a holy defender of truth?
  
  2
  pqqqqrs
  LORE OF THE UNWAVERING PATH
  Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana),
  Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge
  (religion) can research the Unwavering Path to learn
  more about this quest. When a character makes a skill
  check, read or paraphrase the appropriate information
  from one of the following tables, including the informa-
  tion from lower DCs.
  If the character is looking for a way to ignore her monk
  or paladin multiclassing restriction, use the entire table. If
  the character had heard of the Unwavering Path specifi-
  cally and wants to see whether she knows more about it,
  reveal information only for check results of 20 or higher.
  After getting information from a Knowledge check,
  the characters should be able to learn more about the
  Unwavering Path by consulting masters or priests who
  keep track of the extradimensional anomaly, or by trying
  to find individuals who were referenced in the informa-
  tion they have gained. Such resources can reveal the
  information for Knowledge DCs higher than the PCs’
  check results, or any other information about the
  Unwavering Path that you’d like the characters to have.
  Knowledge (arcana)
  DC
  Result
  15
  During certain days of the summer months, directly asso-
  ciated with low ocean tides, demons have crossed over
  from the Abyss and inexplicably appeared on various
  coastlines.
  20
  At certain times during an ocean tide, lawfully minded
  people can open fissures in reality through which
  outsiders from other planes of existence can enter the
  Material Plane.
  Knowledge (local)
  DC
  Result
  10
  Stories tell of adventurers walking into the ocean during
  low tides, never to be seen again. Those few who return do
  so minutes, hours, or even days later.
  15
  Whenever adventurers disappear into the ocean, locals
  tend to stay away from the coastline for about a week. If
  the adventurers do not return, something profanely evil
  usually appears in their place.
  20
  Villagers who make their living fishing along ocean coast-
  lines have heard of demons that emerge out of the
  depths, shortly after lawfully minded adventurers disap-
  peared into the same waters.
  2 5
  Several years back, during the lowest tide of summer, a
  local boy named Thodun Daystorm, who had originally left
  the community to become a paladin, returned home and
  marched into the ocean on what he called a quest of self-
  d i s c o v e r y. He was never heard from again. No more than
  three days later, a winged creature, immolated with fire,
  emerged out of the water in the same place where Thodun
  disappeared and took off into the sky, laughing raucously.
  Knowledge (nature)
  DC
  Result
  15
  Places located near the coastlines of oceans have portals
  to an alternate dimension that can be opened for a short
  time.
  20
  When the tides are at their lowest, those who know how to
  open fissures in reality can travel through them into a
  bridging dimension.
  25
  For about three days a month, during the season of
  summer, when ocean tides reach their lowest points,
  lawfully minded people can focus their spirit to open a
  dimensional pathway that leads into another plane of exis-
  tence between this world and the Abyss.
  Knowledge (religion)
  DC
  Result
  10
  Former monks and paladins who abandoned their calling
  have been known to become monks and paladins again.
  15
  There is a quest, that masters and priests never talk about
  openly, called the Unwavering Path. The quest allows
  people who were once monks or paladins to embrace
  those callings again after pursuing different professions.
  20
  Those who seek the Unwavering Path must travel to an
  ocean coastline during the lowest tides of summer and
  meditate on their desire to become a monk or paladin
  again. If they can create the needed state of mind, the
  Unwavering Path opens for them and their companions,
  which can then be walked along.
  25
  The Unwavering Path leads to an oppressively hot extradi-
  mensional locality that bridges the Material Plane and the
  Abyss, wherein demons test the faith of adventurers who
  wish to become monks or paladins again. A gift is offered,
  that if accepted, must be returned in kind before continu-
  ing along the path.
  30
  Whenever a former monk or paladin dies while following
  the Unwavering Path, or fails to return a demonic gift, the
  demons that tested her are released onto the Material
  Plane, free to murder and pillage as they are wont to do.
  pqqqqrs
  
  3
  What if their devotion to being a monk or paladin never
  diminished during their exploration of other professions?
  The Unwavering Path quest offers former monks and
  paladins a way to test the strength of their convictions.
  Those who know about the Unwavering Path
  caution those who seek the quest to be certain in their
  desire. Many who walk the path find themselves
  trapped along the way, unable to move forward and
  unable to double back. They must find a way to end the
  journey or expire along the way. While the reported
  methods for completing the quest have been similar,
  those who successfully walk the path come back with
  different stories to tell about their experiences, but also
  are more confident for having endured them.
  Characters can embark upon the Unwavering Path
  in any part of the world where an ocean tide exists. The
  cyclical ebbing and surging nature of ocean tides repre-
  sents the fluctuating choices that people make during
  their lives, some of which return them to where they
  began. The path is an extradimensional anomaly that
  monks and paladins, who still meet the alignment and
  code of conduct prerequisites of their class, can open. A
  character must first attain a meditative state of mind,
  after which the path becomes apparent. The quest can
  be a solitary one, but a character may also bring
  companions along by instructing them how to proceed.
  THE WATER’S EDGE
  A character can embark upon the Unwavering Path
  from the coastline of any ocean that is either connected
  to a mainland continent or island. For three days every
  month, during the season of summer, when the ocean
  tide reaches its lowest point, the Unwavering Path
  opens for about 1 hour (1/2 hour on the day before and
  after the lowest tide).
  A former monk or paladin must travel out to the
  farthest point of the tide, meditate for 15 minutes, and
  succeed on a DC 15 Concentration check to create a
  spiritual focus. This spiritual focus opens a fissure in
  reality and grants the ability to see the Unwavering
  Path, which appears as a straight line of luminescent,
  ionized air leading directly into the ocean. The charac-
  ter must negotiate over seaweed, shells, and stones
  until completely submerged underwater (walking at
  her normal height). During this time, the character
  moves through the water as if affected by a freedom of
  m o v e m e n t and water breathing spell. Those who move
  into an adjacent 5-foot square on either side of the
  Unwavering Path are affected by the water normally.
  Once a character attains the spiritual focus needed
  to sense the Unwavering Path, her awareness persists
  until willfully dispelled from her mind. A former
  monk or paladin can instruct her companions on how
  to follow the Unwavering Path. Once every member of
  the party submerges underwater (walking normally)
  they are simultaneously transported into a bridging
  dimension between worlds.
  The divine and profane magic that saturates the
  bridging dimension redirects any attempts to teleport
  into or out of it. Thus, whether the PCs arrive by magic
  or on foot after traveling to a coastline, they come to
  the farthest edge of an ocean tide.
  Random Encounters
  Entrances to the Unwavering Path may well be fraught
  with chaotic creatures that have come to expect lawfully
  minded adventurers to frequent the area, and so lay in
  wait to ambush them. You can either roll once on the
  table below or select one encounter that you prefer. The
  listed creatures are chaotic in their alignment or behav-
  ior and aquatic in their subtype. Creatures who know
  how the Unwavering Path works can exploit the char-
  acter’s lack of mobility or even attempt to force them off
  the path (to be affected by the water normally).
  The Water’s Edge Encounters
  d%
  Encounter
  EL
  1–10
  Shark, Medium (MM 279)
  1
  11–20
  Squid (MM 281)
  1
  21–30
  Shark, Large (MM 279)
  2
  31–40
  2 ixitxachitl (MMII 128)
  2
  41–50
  Water mephit (MM 185)
  3
  51–60
  Ixitxachitl, vampiric (MMII 129)
  3
  61–70
  Sea hag (MM 144)
  4
  71–80
  Skulvyn (FF 54)
  4
  81–90
  Morkoth (MMII 152)
  5
  91–100
  Sirine (MMII 185)
  5
  BRIDGING DIMENSION
  The monk or paladin, and accompanying party
  members (if any), are transported into an extradimen-
  sional locality. Read or paraphrase the following text:
  The smell of brimstone and sulfur are the first
  sensations that reach you. Smoke hangs in the
  bright orange sky of your new surroundings,
  matched by a copper-red landscape of imposing
  crags that impossibly lean and tower over the
  firmament. The ground beneath your feet begins to
  shake, rumble, and then violently quake as a long
  narrow passageway opens before you, almost as if
  an enormous axe blade cleft the mountain range in
  two. Although difficult to see, an intense fire burns
  at the opposite end of this newly formed corridor,
  from which waves of heat pulse against your skin
  and black smoke continually billows into the sky.
  
  Although it may seem otherwise to the PCs, they have
  not reached the Abyss yet. They are, however, very
  close. The stink of tanar’ri is apparent here precisely
  because demons regularly pass through this locality.
  Any former monk or paladin who has not dispelled
  their spiritual focus can sense the Unwavering Path
  stretching through the newly formed corridor in a
  straight line for about one mile.
  Night and day do not exist in this bridging dimen-
  sion, the temperature condition is “very hot” (see Heat
  Dangers on page 303 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) ,
  natural healing is not possible, and magical healing
  restores only one-half as many hit points. Untold evil
  has been performed in this place, and so the detect evil
  spell reveals a landscape that radiates strong evil. This
  grows to overwhelming evil as the corridor is traversed.
  If the PCs travel in any direction other than down
  the mountain corridor, they must succeed on a
  Fortitude saving throw every 10 minutes (DC 20, +1
  per previous check) or be sickened for 1d4 rounds by
  the ambient evil. For every 24 hours that characters
  spend anywhere in this bridging dimension, another
  Fortitude save must be made to avoid becoming perma-
  nently sickened (DC 10, + 5 per previous 24 hours of
  exposure). A restoration spell is required to remove this
  condition. If already sickened, the character becomes
  nauseated.
  In addition, characters who attempt to climb or fly
  over the corridor or crags encounter a thick choking
  smoke 60 feet above the ground (originating from the
  corridor fire) and must make a Fortitude saving throw
  each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check). A character
  who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points
  of nonlethal damage.
  Corruption Points: Alternatively, taint points may be
  used for this locality (see The Taint of Evil and Tainted
  Locations, pages 62 and 68 respectively of Heroes of
  H o r r o r). In this case, characters automatically take 1
  point of corruption for every 10 minutes spent traveling
  away from the mountain corridor and make the same
  daily Fortitude saving throws to resist taking 1d3 points
  of corruption each 24 hours of exposure.
  MOUNTAIN CORRIDOR
  A character who walks down the one-mile long, 20-foot
  wide corridor encounters the occasional skeleton that
  looks to have died from heat exposure or starvation. In
  some cases, pieces of metal armor litter the corridor
  like bread crumbs that eventually lead to a body. The
  temperature condition is “severe heat” within the corri-
  dor, which increases to “extreme heat” within 60 feet of
  the corridor end (see Heat Dangers, page 303 of the
  Dungeon Master’s Guide).
  Note: PCs who turn around and double back along
  the mountain corridor, after taking even one step into
  the newly formed passageway, discover that the
  passageway now stretches infinitely behind them into
  the distance. PCs can literally walk forever in this
  direction, but would have to cover that ground again if
  they turn back. In addition, any character who
  attempts to climb or fly out of the mountain corridor
  encounters the same choking smoke 60 feet above the
  ground.
  Approaching the Corridor End: As the PCs near the
  corridor end, read or paraphrase the following text:
  The fire you originally perceived is revealed to be a
  pair of burning wooden gates, each 10 feet wide
  and 30 feet tall. Despite the intense heat generated
  by the flames, the wooden gates, braced with metal,
  are never truly consumed, continually billowing
  black smoke into the upper corridor and sky. This
  distraction, however, is nothing compared to the
  creature, most certainly a demon, standing in front
  of the gates, smiling calmly as you approach.
  4
  
  5
  The character level of a former monk or paladin and
  accompanying party members (if any) determines the
  demon or demons that stand before the gates. For
  higher level characters, scale the encounters with the
  former monk or paladin and their accompanying party
  members.
  The Fiery Gate Encounter
  Party
  Party
  Members
  Level
  Demon (CR)
  1
  3
  Dretch (M M 42) or quasit (M M 46) (CR 2)
  1
  4
  Rutterkin (FCI 51) (CR 3)
  1
  5
  2 dretch (MM 42) or 2 quasits (MM 46)
  (CR 4)
  2
  3
  2 dretch (MM 42) or 2 quasits (MM 46)
  (CR 4)
  2
  4
  Juvenile nabassu (F C I 48) or jovoc
  (MMII 58) (CR 5)
  2
  5
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  3
  3
  Juvenile nabassu (F C I 48) or jovoc
  (MMII 58) (CR 5)
  3
  4
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  3
  5
  Arrow demon (MMIII 34) or succubus
  (MM 47) (CR 7)
  4
  3
  Babau (MM 40) (CR 6)
  4
  4
  Arrow demon (MMIII 34) or succubus
  (MM 47) (CR 7)
  4
  5
  2 babau (MM 40) or palrethee (MMII
  59) (CR 8)
  T a c t i c s : The demon or demons are automatically aware
  of any creature within 100 feet whose thoughts they
  can detect, but must otherwise rely on Spot checks.
  The demon or demons have been given the opportu-
  nity to pass to the Material Plane, but must defeat the
  PCs without engaging them in battle. The demon or
  demons address only the former monk or paladin of a
  party and make one statement:
  “Beyond these gates lies your path.”
  The demon or demons gesture toward the gates and
  allow the PCs to approach uncontested. Any character
  who approaches the gates notices letters carved into
  the wooden surface beneath the flames. Characters
  who succeed on a DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check
  recognize these letters from the Celestial alphabet. Any
  character who can read Celestial can decipher the
  following text:
  “Return any harm given before passing through
  these gates alive.”
  Touching the gates deals 1d6 points of fire damage
  and 1d6 points of profane damage. Gripping either gate
  handle to open a gate deals 2d6 points of fire damage
  and 2d6 points of profane damage and imposes a –2
  penalty on attack rolls, Climb, Craft, Disable Device,
  Escape Artist, Forgery, Heal, Open Lock, Sleight of
  Hand, and Use Rope checks until the damage to the
  character’s hand is healed. A Fortitude save (DC 10 +
  damage taken) allows the character to “tough it out”
  and ignore this penalty. The PCs can make a Strength
  check as a full-round action when attempting to open
  the gate, but no amount of force will do so at this point.
  D e v e l o p m e n t s : If asked how to open the gates, the
  demon or demons will address the former monk or
  paladin and open both of their hands (two demons will
  each open one hand):
  “To follow the path, accept my (our) gift.”
  This statement prompts characters to make a single
  Sense Motive check opposed by the Bluff checks of
  each demon present. If the characters win, they receive
  an unnerving feeling that the offered “gift” is double
  sided, potentially resulting in harm.
  A former monk or paladin who places her hands
  into the hands of the demon or demons is immediately
  infused with profane energy and must make a
  Fortitude save to avoid becoming permanently shaken
  (DC 10, + CR of demon or demons). A r e s t o r a t i o n s p e l l
  is required to remove this condition. If the character is
  already shaken, they are now frightened.
  Once the infusion of profanity has been accepted,
  the former monk or paladin now has a chance to open
  the fiery gates with a DC 20 Strength check as a full-
  round action. Touching or gripping either gate or
  handle no longer deals any damage (but only these
  burning gates and handles).
  Characters who look through an open gate can see
  only light disappearing into impenetrable darkness.
  Depravity Points: Alternatively, taint points may be
  used for this interaction (see The Taint of Evil, pages 6
  of Heroes of Horror). In this case, former monks or
  paladins automatically take 1d6 points of depravity for
  accepting the infusion of profanity from the demon or
  demons.
  ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES
  Depending on the decisions made by PCs, the follow-
  ing consequences may result.
  • A former monk or paladin accepts the infusion of
  profanity, forces one or both gates open, and walks
  through.
  This character finds herself in the Abyss, gains
  nothing from the quest, and is greeted by a welcom-
  ing party of demons who are accustomed to adven-
  turers making this mistake. The Encounter Level of
  this encounter should be “overpowering” (EL 1+
  higher than the ECL of one character, EL 3+ for two
  
  6
  characters, EL 4+ for three characters, and EL 5+ for a
  party of four characters). The demon or demons back
  in the corridor may now use the gates to enter the
  Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin does not accept the infu-
  sion of profanity but attacks the demon or demons
  without provocation.
  This character gains nothing from the quest, even
  if another party member attacks the demon or
  demons without provocation. The gates open by
  themselves if the demon or demons are defeated,
  leading back to the coastline where the quest began.
  If the demon or demons defeat the characters, they
  may use the gates to enter the Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin accepts the infusion of
  profanity, but attacks and defeats the demon or
  demons before attempting to force open one or
  both gates.
  This character successfully completes the quest.
  The gates open by themselves once the demon or
  demons are defeated, leading back to the coastline
  where the quest began. If the demon or demons had
  defeated the characters, they would have used the
  gates to enter the Material Plane.
  •
  A former monk or paladin refuses the infusion of
  profanity, awaits her death by purposely failing her
  heat danger saving throws (deliberately forgoing
  rolls), dies in the bridging dimension, and becomes
  a disembodied spirit (gaining a fly speed with
  perfect maneuverability equal to her ground speed).
  This character might successfully complete the
  quest. The gates open by themselves, leading back to
  the coastline where the quest began. The character
  can either allow herself to die permanently at this
  point or move through the gates and successfully
  complete the quest. A true resurrectionspell is cast on
  the character (along with any accompanying party
  member who died and moved through the gates after
  becoming a spirit). Her body appears back on the
  coastline where the quest began, but all of her posses-
  sions remain in the bridging dimension.
  COMPLETING THE QUEST
  Upon completing this quest, the character may forever-
  more multiclass back into the class (monk or paladin)
  in which she had taken one or more levels. If the char-
  acter had taken one or more levels in both classes,
  choose one.
  RETURNING TO THE 
  UNWAVERING PATH
  Characters may return to the Unwavering Path multi-
  ple times, but the benefits of completing the quest can
  be enjoyed only twice if the character has levels in both
  monk and paladin. The quest, however, must be
  completed differently each time.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
  Kolja Raven Liquette is perhaps best known for creat-
  ing The Waking Lands website, but has also co-
  authored Races of the Dragon and Weapons of Legacy,
  in addition to providing material for Five Nations, the
  upcoming Complete Mage, and various articles and
  enhancements for the Wizards of the Coast website.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3.5/D&D 3.5 Adventures/The Unwavering Path.pdf