TEXT: Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game 
  designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
   
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  without permission of the author.  To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 system license, please 
  visit www.wizards.com/d20 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK and RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc. LIVING GREYHAWK is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario 
  is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without approval of the RPGA Network.  
   
  KEOI3-02 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Stuck Between a Rook 
  and a Hard Place 
   
  A One-Round D&D LIVING GREYHAWK®  
   Introductory Keoland Regional Adventure 
  Version 1.1 
   
  by Christian J. Alipounarian 
   
   
  When the favorite chess set of the Earl of Linth is stolen, some fledgling heroes are charged with its recovery. But 
  what does this have to do with… flumphs? This adventure is an introductory module for 1st-level characters. 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 2 
  Introduction 
  This is an RPGA® Network scenario for the Dungeons 
  & Dragons® game. A four-hour time block has been 
  allocated for each round of this scenario, but the actual 
  playing time will be closer to three and a half hours. The 
  rest of the time is spent in preparation before game play, 
  and scoring after the game. The following guidelines are 
  here to help you with both the preparation and voting 
  segment of the game. Read this page carefully so that you 
  know and can communicate to your players the special 
  aspects of playing an RPGA scenario.  
  Preparation  
   
   
   
   
  First you should print this scenario. This scenario was 
  created to support double-sided printing, but printing it 
  single sided will work as well. There is enough room 
  along the inside margin to bind the adventure, if you 
  desire.  
  Read this entire adventure at least once before you run 
  your game. Be sure to familiarize yourself with any 
  special rules, spells, or equipment presented in the 
  adventure. It may help to highlight particularly important 
  passages.  
  When you run an RPGA D&D adventure we assume that 
  you have access to the following books: the Player’s 
  Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the 
  Monster Manual. We also assume that you have a set of 
  dice (at least one d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), some 
  scrap paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packet, and your 
  sense of fun. It is also a good idea to have a way to track 
  movement during combat. This can be as simple as a pad 
  of graph paper and a pencil, as handy as a vinyl grid map 
  and chits, or as elaborate as resin dungeon walls and 
  miniatures. 
  Instruct the players either to prepare their characters now, 
  or wait until you read the introduction, depending on the 
  requirements of the scenario as described in the 
  introduction.  
  Keep in mind that you must have at least three players 
  (not counting the DM), for the game session to be a 
  sanctioned RPGA event. As well, you cannot have more 
  than six players participating in the game. 
  Once you are ready to play, it is handy to instruct each 
  player to place a nametag in front of him or her. The tag 
  should have the player’s name at the bottom, and the 
  character’s name, race, and gender at the top. This makes 
  it easier for the players (and the DM) to keep track of 
  who is playing which character. 
  The players are free to use the game rules to learn about 
  equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. 
  That said, you as the DM can bar the use of even core 
  rulebooks during certain times of play. For example, the 
  players are not free to consult the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide when confronted with a trap or hazard, or the 
  Monster Manual when confronted with a monster.  
  Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you 
  may present it as written to the players, while other text is 
  for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in gray 
  boxes. It’s strongly recommended that you paraphrase 
  the player text instead of reading it aloud. Some of this 
  text is general and must be adapted to the specific 
  situation or to actions of the player characters. 
  This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure.  As a 
  LIVING adventure it is expected that players bring 
  their own characters with them.  If players do not have 
  a LIVING GREYHAWK character generated, get a 
  copy of the current LIVING GREYHAWK character 
  generation guidelines, and a character sheet from your 
  convention coordinator or the RPGA Web site, and 
  then have any players without a character create one.  
  Once all players have a LIVING GREYHAWK 
  character, play can begin. 
  Along with the other materials that you are assumed to 
  have in order to run a D&D game, it is also 
  recommended that you have a copy of the LIVING 
  GREYHAWK Gazetteer. 
  Living Greyhawk Levels of Play 
   
   
  As an introductory adventure, no characters above 1st 
  level are permitted to play. Players who have characters 
  above this level limit should choose another PC or 
  create a new one with which to play this adventure. 
  Time Units and Upkeep 
   
   
   
  This is an introductory one-round Regional adventure, 
  set in Keoland.  Characters native to Keoland pay one 
  Time Unit per round, all others pay two Time Units per 
  round.  Adventurer’s Standard Upkeep costs 12gp per 
  Time Unit.  Rich Upkeep costs 50gp per Time Unit.  
  Luxury Upkeep costs 100gp per Time Unit. 
   
   
   
   
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 3 
  Adventure Background 
  A week ago, a brazen brother-sister pair of thieves 
  named Waldo and Selinda Cur broke into the ancestral 
  manor of the House of Linth, the royal family that has 
  ruled the Earldom of the same name for generations. 
  The thief took only one item – a chess set. This was no 
  ordinary chess set, as each piece was cast in solid silver 
  and solid gold. The Earl has offered a reward for both 
  the chess set and the head of the thieves that stole it. 
  The Curs are the unwitting pawns of Amaretta, a 
  sorceress and a member of the Silent Ones. The mission 
  of her reclusive order is to confiscate powerful items of 
  magic – for reasons not clear to outsiders. The tower of 
  the Silent Ones is in the Earl’s very lands. The order 
  does their best to operate without being noticed, and the 
  ruckus that would be caused by their implication in the 
  theft of the Earl’s property is to be avoided. This is the 
  reason that Amaretta has resorted to middlemen to 
  acquire the chess set. 
  As a further precaution, Amaretta arranged to meet the 
  thieves and pick up the chess pieces at a place that was 
  far from the Silent Tower and that the thieves could 
  quickly reach. This was Sporo’s Point, a gnome 
  settlement a few day’s ride from the Earl’s home. The 
  arrival of a few humans would not be noticed, as the 
  town was hosting many visitors for the local festival, 
  the Running of the Flumphs. 
  Amaretta’s interest lies not in the chess set, but one of 
  its pieces. The chess set once belonged to a very 
  powerful and evil wizard who was a servant of Vecna. 
  Recently, the Silent Ones came into the possession of 
  the wizard’s journal, wherein he described the creation 
  of a powerful Ring of Three Wishes. As Vecna’s rule 
  began to crumble around him, the wizard described 
  hiding the ring inside a hollowed-out chess piece – a 
  wizard - of pure silver. Intrigued, and a bit concerned, 
  the Silent Ones began to research this chess set, and 
  discovered that it was now in the possession of Lucius, 
  the Earl of Linth. 
  The adventure begins with the PCs entering the town of 
  Sporo’s Point, where they hear about both the festival 
  taking place and the Earl’s stolen chess set – and the 
  reward being offered for it. The PCs are either 
  participating in or enjoying the festival when one of the 
  thieves is jostled and one of the valuable chess pieces 
  falls out of a pocket. The thieves make a run for it, 
  fearful of being caught. They trap themselves in a dead-
  end alley and make a stand against the PCs. The mishap 
  by the thieves and the PCs actions are all observed by 
  Amaretta’s familiar, and she flees from town – but 
  leaves a surprise behind for the PCs. 
  The thieves have already made contact with Amaretta 
  and turned over the silver wizard to her. The sorceress 
  told the thieves to keep the rest of the set for their 
  troubles. The PCs would be ill-advised to return the 
  chess set with a piece missing – at the very least, the 
  Earl might accuse the heroes of stealing a piece for 
  themselves. 
  Amaretta can be tracked down to the local inn where 
  she was staying. The PCs will have to deal with thugs 
  paid in advance by her to harry the PCs. The PCs will 
  gather some clues about her possible destination and a 
  likely direction of travel. 
  After a hard ride, the PCs will confront Amaretta. They 
  might not have to battle her to recover the wizard – 
  she’s not interested in the piece itself, and she has 
  already recovered the ring from within it. She will 
  explain the reason she needed the chess piece (although 
  she won’t reveal herself as a member of the Silent 
  Ones), and will threaten to demonstrate the power of 
  the ring if the PCs force the issue. If the PCs attack her, 
  she’ll use a Wish to teleport herself back to the Silent 
  Tower – taking the rook with her just to spite them. 
  Sporo’s Point and                     
  the Running of the Flumphs 
  (From the Player’s Primer of the Earldom of Linth at 
  http://keoland.living-greyhawk.com) 
  The seat of Highland Barony, Sporo’s Point (pop. 480) 
  is home to a large number of gnomes. They have long 
  labored the hills of their home, producing all manner of 
  items and wares. They have found that they are unable 
  to compete with the furnaces of Dreduin, and the 
  settlement suffered a great deal of economic hardship. 
  Recently, under the leadership of Lord Mayor Phineas 
  T. Wigglybottom (known affectionately as “Uncle 
  Wiggly”), the town has reinvented itself as a haven of 
  fine gem cutters and jewelry smiths. Their fine crafts 
  have found a hungry audience in the more affluent 
  settlements in Linth – Dredstadt, Laketowne and Segor 
  – as well as in Niole Dra. 
  Like any city populated by a large number of gnomes, 
  there are always a few bizarre things in evidence. A 
  good example of this is the annual Running of the 
  Flumphs. These small disk-shaped creatures sport 
  eyestalks and float about by means of foul-smelling gas 
  emitted from their undersides. Several of these flumphs 
  are harnessed on long tethers by the gnome race 
  marshalls, and the revelers dash ahead in an attempt to 
  outrun the flumphs. Those that fail will find themselves 
  being overrun (over-floated?) by the creatures, which 
  deliver a blast of pungent gas on the victim as they pass 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 4 
  over them. The gnomes find this riotous, although they 
  admit the stink takes days of washing to get out. 
  The Game of Chess in Oerth 
  The version of chess played on Oerth is vastly more 
  complex than our own. Individuals that can claim the 
  title of grandmaster have usually dedicated their entire 
  lives to the mastery of this exceptionally challenging 
  game. Rules for this game originally appeared in 
  DRAGON Magazine #100. While the DM need not 
  have this article to run the module, it may make it 
  easier to verbally illustrate the game. 
  The game originated with the Flan civilization and was 
  later introduced to the Bakluni and Suel through 
  conquest, in the same manner as our own game of chess 
  came from the Middle East to Europe via the Crusades. 
  The name for the game on Oerth is chatranj, although it 
  is referred to as “chess” here for familiarity while 
  reading. The game has several variants, such as Tenh’s, 
  (which uses a pentagonal board), but the most popular 
  version is the one played in the Free City of Greyhawk, 
  Nyrond, Keoland, and other civilized regions of Oerth. 
  (This is the version featured in DRAGON Magazine 
  #100, referred to there as “Dragonchess”, and is the one 
  represented here in this module). 
  The board is rectangular, and is three levels. The 
  bottom level of the board represents the infernal planes, 
  while the other two represent the Prime Material and 
  celestial planes as one ascends. Each player has three 
  contingents of forces that are “native” to each one of 
  these levels (“planes”). While on their “native plane” 
  the pieces move and capture normally. Pieces may 
  move to other levels, but they become much more 
  limited in mobility and the ability to capture if they do. 
  The three dimensional nature of the game, varied 
  movement and capture patterns for a plethora of pieces, 
  and the time commitment (games can run for many, 
  many hours) make this a game that is difficult to learn, 
  and nigh impossible to master. 
  Introduction: Welcome to 
  Sporo’s Point 
  You can’t remember ever being so happy to finally see 
  a town filled with gnomes. Your trek across the 
  Earldom of Linth, in the Kingdom of Keoland, has 
  been both depressing and dangerous. The lands of the 
  Earl are choked by a magical blight that leaves 
  peasants starving, animals mutated, and plants 
  warped and stunted. In many places, the grass is 
  yellow and dry like old paper, even crumbling under a 
  strong wind. You hope the trip will be worth it. 
  Sporo’s Point is a town whose citizens are mainly 
  gnomes. The settlement is nestled in the hills. You’ve 
  come for the Running of the Flumphs, a bizarre 
  annual festival that promises to help throw off the 
  doldrums of your recent journey. Flumphs, as an 
  eager gnome tether-jockey explains to newcomers 
  such as you, are small disk-shaped creatures that 
  sport eyestalks and float about by means of foul-
  smelling gas emitted from their undersides. The 
  creatures are reviled or ignored in other parts of 
  Oerth, but here in Sporo’s Point, they are loved. 
  In the Running of the Flumphs, several of these 
  creatures are harnessed on long tethers by the gnome 
  race marshalls, and the revelers dash ahead in an 
  attempt to outrun them. Those that fail will find 
  themselves being overrun (or, over-floated in this 
  case) by the flumphs, which deliver a blast of pungent 
  gas on the victim as they pass over them. The gnomes 
  find this riotous, although they admit the stink takes 
  days of washing to get out. At the finish line, the 
  winners are provided with a hero’s feast, while the 
  losers are provided with soap and bathing tubs. 
  Entering the town, you take immediate note of an inn. 
  The structure stands out by dint of being both the 
  largest structure in terms of both stories and scale – 
  most of the buildings here, after all, are built for 
  gnomes. One other thing catches your eye. A colorful 
  bill, with the Earl’s royal seal, can be seen hanging 
  up all over town. A few gnomes are studying it, 
  laughing or scratching their heads. Nearby, the inn’s 
  warm beds and the smell tasty food appeal to your 
  travel-weary bodies. 
  If the PCs examine the bill, distribute Player Handout 
  1. The gnomes are pointing at it, gossiping about who 
  might have stolen the chess set and why. The gnomes 
  have all kind of outlandish theories – mainly to see if 
  any gullible PCs will believe them. For each gnome 
  that is asked, roll a d12 to see what he or she claim 
  really happened (re-roll any duplicates): 
  “The Thief is…” 
  1-2  
  An orange dragon 
  3-4  
  A fiendish duck 
  5-6  
  A blind orc druid 
  7-8  
  A minotaur wizard 
  9-10  
  A Ketite knight 
  11-12  A bear wearing a fez 
   
  “… and stole the chess set because…” 
   
  1-2 “… the thief works for Lashton, and the King’s 
  archmage dislikes the Earl.” 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 5 
  3-4 “… it is part of a big prank our King is playing on 
  the Earl.” 
  5-6 “… the thief lost it to the Earl in a bet and wanted it 
  back.” 
  7-8 “… the thief works for the Silent Ones, and they’re 
  really bored these days.” 
  9-10 “… everyone knows the chess set black market is 
  positively enormous.” 
  11-12 “it is a magic chess set that plays by itself when 
  no one is using it.” 
   
  The Inn of the Sky-High Pie shows a picture of a 
  steaming pie atop a cloud in a blue sky. The proprietor 
  is one of the few humans who lives here in Sporo’s 
  Point. His name is Anson Kell, and he is a elderly, slim, 
  kind-hearted man wearing spectacles. He views the 
  gnomes of the town as his own children, and he is one 
  of the most beloved of the town’s citizens. There are no 
  other places to rent a room in the town, as all of the 
  inns are at capacity with visitors for the flumph festival. 
  Anson Kell will greet the PCs warmly as they enter: 
  Entering the inn, you have to tread carefully. While 
  there are more humans here than anywhere else 
  you’ve seen in town, the sheer volume of gnomes in 
  the place makes you afraid you’ll step on one of them. 
  From behind the counter, an elderly human man 
  looks up at you over his spectacles. Behind him, a 
  peg-board shows but a single hanging key. 
  “Aye,” the old man says. “That’s the last room I’ve 
  got, all right. The festival gets more popular every 
  year. You folk, step lively over here, and we’ll get you 
  squared away with a room, lickety-split. I run this 
  Inn. Name’s Anson, and I can guarantee that this is 
  the only room left in the town, travelers. You’d best be 
  up early; the Running of the Flumphs begins at dawn, 
  and you don’t want to miss it.” 
  There is absolutely no space left anywhere in town, and 
  this single room is the only thing between the PCs 
  having lodging and camping outside the town’s limits. 
  The room will cost a silver piece per adventurer (don’t 
  bother worrying about the cost; in the Living Greyhawk 
  campaign, this cost is subsumed under the “Lifestyle 
  Cost” as noted on the Adventure Record you will give 
  to each player at the end of the module). 
  If the PCs opt for the room, Anson will continue: 
  “The room comes with a breakfast. It’s first come, 
  first served. We put it out at sunup and fill bowls for 
  the next two hours. If you’re not down here by then, 
  you can forget about getting a morning meal. 
  Everyone will be up early for the flumphs. You won’t 
  see the like anywhere else in Oerth, I guarantee that.” 
  Anson will field any questions about the Running of 
  the Flumphs the PCs might have; consult the previous 
  sections of the module for pertinent information. Anson 
  will ask the PCs if they are planning on watching or 
  participating in the festival. If they indicate they have 
  an interest, he’ll warn them  
  “Best invest in some mint-sap for yourselves,” he 
  suggests to you. “The flumphs, we love ‘em so, but 
  they pass wind to float themselves around you see, 
  and that stink is pretty awful. To be blunt, that gas 
  kicks like a Scarlet Brotherhood monk! The gnomes 
  have come up with a little bit of alchemy to help with 
  that problem, though. It’s kind of a sticky sap that 
  smells strongly of mint, hence the name. You just put 
  it under your lower lip, and then you can’t smell those 
  critters, bless their eyestalks. Vendors will be selling it 
  everywhere; you needn’t worry about finding any.” 
  PCs who are staying at the Inn can get themselves 
  settled in for the night. For these groups, the action 
  continues in Encounter One… 
  Troubleshooting PCs that don’t want to stay in the Inn: 
  This isn’t too great of a difficulty. They will not be 
  allowed to sleep, as gnomish city watchmen will shoo 
  them off the streets. They won’t be disturbed if they 
  camp in the hills outside the town. As long as the PCs 
  come back into town in the morning, the action can 
  continue – and if they don’t, see the Troubleshooting 
  section at the end of Encounter One. 
  Encounter One: The Running 
  (Floating?) of the Flumphs! 
  Read the following to any PCs who stay overnight in 
  the Inn of the Sky-High Pie: 
  Even if you were inclined to sleep in this morning, the 
  crowing of roosters leads to the commencement of a 
  fairly raucous din within the Inn. As people begin 
  getting ready for the day’s events, they can be heard 
  talking, slamming doors, and laughing in anticipation 
  of the day’s events. 
  People are making ready to enjoy the day’s events. At 
  cockcrow, a gnome priest of Garl Glittergold named 
  Valdy Vemrath will call for a silent prayer. All of the 
  gnomes will bow their heads in silent supplication. 
  When this is done, the priest will cast a trio of Create 
  Food and Water spells, enough to feed all of the inn’s 
  patrons (forty-five people; the cleric is 5th level). The 
  guests of the inn are aware of the blight and scarcity of 
  food, and everyone takes only what food they need. 
  Large portions simply won’t be doled out, and the 
  cleric will regale those who try and take more with 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 6 
  morality tales about excess and gluttony. (Halflings 
  present should cover their ears.) 
  Once people have finished eating, they will begin 
  making their way outside and jockeying for a position 
  alongside the edge of the street. PCs who come outside 
  (or who enter this town on the following morning) 
  should be read the following: 
  For the entire length of the main avenue, the edges of 
  the streets have been cordoned off with brightly 
  painted hemp rope. Spectators have edged up to them, 
  pushing and straining their necks to get a good view. 
  A large portion of the crowd seems to be gnomes, but 
  the rest seem to be humans and halflings, with the 
  occasional elf or dwarf.  
  Standing in the street are a half-dozen gnomes. They 
  wear leather caps and clothespins pinch their noses 
  closed. The gnomes each carry a long tether curled 
  like a whip at their belts. 
  They are talking near a collection of odd-looking 
  creatures that you can only assume are flumphs. The 
  beasts are shaped like disks, with a pair of eyestalks 
  on their dorsal side and several tentacles dangling 
  from their bottom side. From their undersides, the 
  creatures emit a low, periodic release of gas, sounding 
  like the expansion and collapse of a smith’s bellows. 
  The flumphs are communicating in a language that 
  sounds very much to you like that of soft belching. 
  The sum of noise they make as a result of their speech 
  and locomotion sounds rather… gastric. 
  Ahead of the flumphs, people who seem intent on 
  participating in the run stand in the street, waiting for 
  their mad dash ahead of the creatures to begin. 
  Allow the PCs to mill about a bit, talk to people in the 
  crowd. Here are some things they might overhear: 
  “They said Uncle Wiggly got a discount on the scroll 
  this year from a friend in the Illusionary College in 
  Geoff…” “Shhh! Quiet, stupid! The big’uns are 
  listening!” 
  “My money is on Rankbottom to reach the finish line 
  first. He’s quite the fast stinker, that flumph! I bet he’ll 
  stank LOTS of people!” 
  “I overheard some of the humans who were taking part 
  in the Run for the first time. They wondered how 
  running ahead of creatures as slow as flumphs was 
  going to be a challenge - are THEY in for a shock!” 
  “I’m voting for Uncle Wiggly AGAIN this year!” 
  “Reeker sprained a tentacle and can’t participate in the 
  Running this year. I hear he and his jockey are beside 
  themselves.” 
  A gnome in a top hat strides out into the street with a 
  small box under his arm. He is wearing a fancy 
  courtier’s outfit with colorful buttons. The crowd 
  bursts into applause, with the gnomes pumping their 
  fists in the air and making whooping noises while 
  chanting “UNCLE WIGGLY! UNCLE WIGGLY!” 1 
  The gnome flips over the box and stands atop it, 
  elevating him to a majestic four feet in height. He 
  holds his hands up to calm the crowd. “I am 
  Professor Phineas T. Wigglybottom, Mayor of Sporo’s 
  Point, and I welcome you all to the RUNNING OF 
  THE FLUMPHS!” Once again, the crowd applauds 
  wildly. 
  Gnome vendors walk by, hawking mint-sap – 
  something they explain that, when liberally applied to 
  one’s upper lip, will block the smell of the flumph-gas. 
  Meanwhile, Mayor Wigglybottom points to the crowd 
  of gathered revelers in the streets. “Last chance to 
  join in the Running of the Flumphs, my friends! 
  Anyone interested in being in the Run, gather yonder! 
  Winners are treated to a feast conjured in the name of 
  Garl Glittergold, our patron! Losers get the feast AND 
  free soap! Step right up, the Run will begin in five 
  minutes!” 
  PCs are free to participate, or to play the spectator. 
  When the race begins, the spectators begin cheering 
  and catcalling, and by the time the finishers are 
  thundering or floating to the finish line, the noise is 
  near deafening. 
  With the participants lined up, the mayor removes 
  from his cloak an empty waterskin and a scroll tube. 
  Removing the parchment within, he begins reading 
  words of arcane power. As he finishes the spell, the 
  flumphs and their tether-jockeys suddenly seem to be 
  speaking and moving much more quickly. One rather 
  rotund human swallows hard. 
  The Mayor smiles, grabs the empty waterskin and puts 
  it to his lips. He quickly blows it up, plants it on the 
  box top, and plants his rump upon it. For a split 
  second, you could hear a pin drop. Then, the air in 
  the bladder is expelled in a noise that smacks of 
  flatulence. “GO!” the mayor yells! And with that, the 
  Running of the Flumphs has begun! 
                                                   
   
  1 If the gnomes sound like the audience from The Jerry 
  Springer show, you’re doing it correctly! 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 7 
  The Rules of the Race 
  See Appendix B for details on these lovable, maligned 
  creatures known as flumphs. Players can be given 
  Player Handout #2 which gives a picture of a flumph. 
  The race is broken up into “legs,” four in all. Each leg 
  represents about ten rounds (one minute) of running. 
  Normally, the flumphs could be easily outrun, but 
  thanks to the mayor’s Mass Haste spell, all bets are off. 
  You should calculate the “Race DC” of each PC 
  participating in the Run. To do this, add the total 
  RANKS (not modifiers) each PC has in Jump to their 
  base movement rate, and subtract the number from 45. 
  For example, a human rogue (base movement rate of 
  30’) with four ranks in Jump has a Race DC of 11. A 
  lumbering human fighter encumbered in heavy armor 
  (15’) with no ranks in Jump has a Race DC of 30! A 
  PC’s Race DC can never drop below 2. 
  For each legs of the race, PCs should make Reflex 
  saves against their Race DC. (Remember, a “1” always 
  fails a saving throw!) Failure indicates the PC has 
  tripped, or simply ran out of gas, and has been 
  overrun… er, over-floated by a flumph and gotten a 
  blast of the creature’s pungent underside as it passed 
  overhead! (DM Note: A great prop to have for this is a 
  “whoopee cushion” – use it whenever a PC fails a 
  check!) 
  PCs who fail the check, but invested in mint-sap for 
  their noses are unaffected by the gas. The more 
  “frugal” PCs, however, must make Fortitude saves (DC 
  13) or curl up in gastric distress for 2d6 rounds. It takes 
  several washings of the PCs clothing to get out the 
  stink. PCs make all Hide checks at –20 for the next day. 
  For the length of the festival, smelly PCs receive a +2 
  Stank Bonus to all Cha-based checks made in town – 
  the gnomes of Sporo’s Point appreciate good sports! 
  Dirty Tricks! 
  The PCs might decide to cheat. As gnomes are 
  tricksters at heart, this is definitely allowed. In general, 
  anything that doesn’t cause serious injury or property 
  destruction works. DMs should adjudicate an attempt to 
  use a Dirty Trick on a case-by-case basis. Choose a 
  skill or ability check that best fits what the PC is trying 
  to do. In general, here are some guidelines: 
  Simple Trick (Example: Distracting the runner next to 
  you long enough for him to get over-floated): DC 10 
  skill check, adds +1 to Reflex saves for completing that 
  leg of the race. 
  Average Trick (Example: “Accidentally” brushing up 
  against a crate and sending it tumbling into the street, 
  slowing other runners down): DC 15 skill check, adds 
  +2 to Reflex saves for completing that leg of the race. 
  Complex Trick (Using spells to distract or mislead 
  runners): DC 20 or successfully casting spell; adds +3 
  to Reflex saves for completing that leg of the race. 
  Legs of the Race 
  The first leg of the race is a straight run down the wide 
  main avenue of town. The leg ends in a hard turn right 
  – and the gnomes have laid out bales of hay as 
  obstacles to slow the runners down! 
  The second leg is a winding street that slopes upward. 
  The upgrade in the street slows runners down further. 
  The third leg of the race comes to a T-intersection. 
  Some runners bear right, others left. In truth, through 
  the use of barricaded streets, the runners are making a 
  circle. The flumph-jockeys will go left. Meanwhile, 
  half of the runners are suddenly charging into a mob of 
  their fellows – and running TOWARDS the flumphs! 
  (To imagine what this leg looks like, picture the outline 
  shape of a lollipop) 
  The last leg returns the runners to the main avenue. 
  From here, the few that are left in the race can pour on 
  the speed to get away from the flumphs! 
  Encounter Two: Stop, Thieves! 
  The events of Encounter Two will begin after the race 
  has ended. Waldo and Selinda Cur are in the crowd, 
  working as a team to pickpocket the locals caught up in 
  the day’s festivities. 
  As the last finisher dashes across the finish line ahead 
  of the advancing line of flumphs, the crowd erupts 
  into cheers and applause. The flumphs and their 
  jockeys sail over the finish line, and the crowd rushes 
  past the cordons on either side of the avenue to fill the 
  street. Revelers are everywhere, laughing and singing. 
  Parents hoist giggling children onto the tops of the 
  floating flumphs, and the jockeys sign autographs for 
  their fans. 
  With all of the joy of the events, the hue and cry of 
  “STOP, THIEF!” is that much more jarring. 
  Turning, you spy an older human man pointing to a 
  pair of humans with a familial resemblance.  Both are 
  unattractive and dark-haired. As the pair turns and 
  bolt into the throng, you notice something silver lying 
  in the streets where they stood. 
  The object dropped is a silver chess piece, a dragon. It 
  is a lovely figure, worth 50 gold lions. The people in 
  the crowd will be pointing to the chess piece, 
  murmuring about the Earl’s stolen property and a 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 8 
  reward for the property. No one in the crowd will pick 
  up the chess piece, but the PCs are free to do so. After 
  three rounds, Mayor Wigglebottom will approach and 
  pick up the piece if the PCs have not. He address the 
  PCs (if any haven’t tore off into the crowd after the 
  thieves): 
  “Egad!” the gnome cries. “The thieves of the royal 
  chess set, here in our very midst and causing trouble 
  on a festival day! Hey, there’s a reward for this chess 
  set, you know! Go catch those crooks! If you recover 
  the chess set, bring it to my home. I’ll advance you the 
  reward and send a message to the Knights of the 
  Watch to come and retrieve the Earl’s property.” 
  Chasing the Thieves 
  Chasing the thieves through the crowd is rough going. 
  The throng is thick with people closest to the streets. 
  Once the PCs break past the spectator line on the 
  opposite side of the street, however, Sporo’s Point is all 
  but deserted. PCs that make a good Spot check (DC 20) 
  might notice that their pursuit seems to be watched by a 
  crow that follows overhead. This is Amaretta’s familiar 
  Onyx. The Silent One decided to keep an eye on the 
  thieves after her transaction with them, and with their 
  clumsy self-revelation, she will already be preparing to 
  flee with the chess piece she received from them. 
  PCs with a 20’ base movement rate cannot catch the 
  thieves. PCs with a 30’ movement rate will catch the 
  thieves after eight rounds of hot pursuit. For every 5’ of 
  base movement above 30’, this PC will catch up with 
  the thieves one round sooner. The order of PC arrival is 
  important, as especially fast PCs might find themselves 
  fighting alone for several rounds as their companions 
  catch up – not an ideal situation! 
  Read the following to the first PC(s) that catch up with 
  the Cur siblings: 
  Your chase takes you to a dead-end alley. The thieves 
  are just beginning to climb the wall when they realize 
  that they will not be able to scale the wall in time. 
  Cursing, they whirl and draw blackjacks. 
  The Curs will only use subdual damage - they are 
  thieves, not murderers. 
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Waldo and Selinda Cur: See Appendix A. 
  Tactics: These two are very good at working together, 
  and each will attempt to set up a flank for the other. 
  They will use tumbling to good effect for this. They 
  will stay and fight until captured or until they are sure 
  they have knocked out all of their pursuers (i.e. until all 
  party members who opted to chase them were 
  defeated). 
  Development: Whether or not the PCs defeat the 
  thieves, or even attempt to capture them at all, go to 
  Encounter Three. 
  If any of the more larcenous PCs start considering 
  harboring thoughts about stealing the chess pieces, 
  remind them that they are the stolen property of the 
  Earl and it would be punishable by death should they 
  be caught. DMs should also note that PCs can never 
  acquire more gold than the maximum as listed on the 
  Adventure Record (AR) for this event. 
  Encounter Three: The 
  Snapdragon Downs Inn 
  If the thieves overcome the PCs, or are not pursued, the 
  gnomes will organize themselves into search teams and 
  scour Sporo’s Point for the thieves, to no avail. The Cur 
  siblings will make for the countryside and flee the 
  reach of the PCs. 
  Mayor Wigglebottom will find the PCs shortly after the 
  thieves escape. He’ll admonish them for dragging their 
  heels if they didn’t make an effort to pursue the thieves, 
  or commend them on a fine try if they fought the 
  thieves but were defeated. He’ll be delighted if the PCs 
  have recovered the chess pieces, and will take 
  possession of them pending the arrival of the Knights 
  of the Watch to return them to the Earl. Professor 
  Wigglybottom will then say: 
  “The revelation of their identity of the thieves has 
  perhaps given us a new lead. There may be a 
  conspiracy afoot! You see, once word got around as to 
  what these rogues looked like, a few of the townsfolk 
  reported having seen them in one of our other inns, 
  called the Snapdragon Downs. They met with 
  someone in one of the upstairs rooms. She is a human 
  woman, a wizard by the looks of her, and rather 
  attractive or so I’m told. No one has seen her leave, so 
  I posted a few of townsfolk at the inn’s front and back 
  door. I wanted to ensure she didn’t make a run for it, 
  and also to keep the news about the thieves be 
  uncovered from reaching her ears.” 
  “Until the earl’s Knights of the Watch arrive to take 
  control of the situation, my “town guards” consist of 
  some retired gnome farmers and an old hunting dog. 
  We simply don’t have enough trouble here in town to 
  warrant any more than that, even during festival time. 
  We’d be much obliged if you could follow up on this 
  matter for us.” 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 9 
  The mayor will look disappointed but harbor no ill will 
  towards the PCs if they don’t look into the matter. If 
  the PCs don’t continue the investigation, the adventure 
  is effectively over as Amaretta will escape back to the 
  Silent Tower with her chess piece and the ring within it. 
  Calculate the XP the PCs have earned, and distribute 
  Adventure Records to the players. 
  If the PCs agree to look into the matter, Professor 
  Wigglybottom will thank them profusely and will 
  personally escort them to the Snapdragon Downs Inn. 
  If the PCs are wounded, he’ll suggest a short detour to 
  the small shrine to Garl Glittergold where the resident 
  priests can heal them. (Each casting of Cure Light 
  Wounds by one of the 1st level clerics costs the PCs a 
  10 gp donation each. Each casting heals 1d8+1, but 
  remember that curing magic heals subdual damage at 
  double the normal amount!) 
  The Snapdragon Downs Inn is a shoddy-looking 
  establishment that clearly caters to those with little 
  money. The entire building seems to lean slightly to 
  one side, and the two-story structure is comprised 
  entirely of whitewashed wood and sloppily placed 
  shingles. You notice several gnomes doing their best 
  to look discrete, carefully observing the front door of 
  the Inn. 
  The Inn has a front and back door. It’s two stories, and 
  is rather small – it has about eight rooms on the second 
  floor, each with its own window, and a large common 
  room downstairs. Unlike many inns, the Snapdragon 
  Downs doesn’t have a bar and does not serve food or 
  drinks. When the PCs enter: 
  Like most inns in the town, the Snapdragon is 
  crowded, but it appears that a fair number of people 
  have already left town with the conclusion of the 
  festival. This is definitely a seamier crowd than the 
  Inn of the Sky-High Pie, but you’ve probably been in 
  worse places. Not MUCH worse, though. The ground 
  floor has a small room with a desk where the innkeep 
  conducts his business, and the large common room 
  that takes up the lion’s share of the downstairs space. 
  A short rickety staircase leads upstairs. 
  The innkeeper is a fat, perpetually panting man named 
  Oto Sheebane, who will gruffly ask the PCs their 
  business when they enter. He will verify that a lovely 
  woman with the trappings of a wizard is in room six on 
  the second floor. Oto thinks that she is still there, as he 
  hasn’t seen her leave. (She has actually snuck out of the 
  Inn using magic to cover her escape) He doesn’t look 
  thrilled about letting the PCs investigate but he won’t 
  stop them. He will charge them a copper piece for use 
  of the key if they want to go upstairs (he keeps extra 
  keys to each room of course). 
  The DM should refer to DM Aid One at this point. 
  Each room is very small and dingy with a crude bed, 
  washbasin and chamber pot. Two of the larger ones at 
  the end of the hall have tables. A group of thugs are 
  waiting to crack the PC’s skulls when they enter 
  Amaretta’s room. One of the men loses his nerve when 
  he sees the PCs and puts his hands up. He won’t fight 
  unless he is subsequently attacked, but his fellows will 
  have it out with the PCs. 
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Amaretta’s Goons: See Appendix A. 
  These men were each paid 5gp to rough up the PCs. 
  The thug that doesn’t wish to fight is named Aveyan 
  Krell. When he took the money, he expected to be 
  threatening the PCs, but the other thugs made it clear 
  they were going to rough up the PCs and kill them if 
  they gave them grief. He got cold feet, but was afraid 
  the other thugs would kill him. 
  Krell (or alternatively, any of the other three thugs) can 
  tell the PCs the following: 
  • 
  He can verify her name as Amaretta and can give a 
  very accurate description of what she looked like 
  (waist-length red hair, green eyes, dressed in sheer 
  tan robes). 
  • 
  He mentions that when they met with her, she had 
  a crow perched on her shoulder. 
  • 
  She paid them each 5 gp to “keep the adventurers 
  out of her hair” until she fled Sporo’s Point. She 
  didn’t give orders to assault the PCs – the thugs 
  came up with that idea on their own. 
  • 
  Before she left, she asked Krell about the fastest 
  route to Brede, the nearest major settlement to 
  Niole Dra within the Earldom of Linth. 
  • 
  She cast a spell over herself and disappeared, and 
  the thugs haven’t seen her since. 
  Krell wants to go home and doesn’t want any trouble. 
  He offers to turn over his five gold lions to the PCs if 
  they cut him loose. If they refuse he looks frustrated. 
  He won’t resist unless the PCs get violent first. 
  A search of the room won’t reveal anything of interest 
  to the PCs. 
  Encounter Four: Along the 
  Northern Point Road 
  The PCs have an advantage, as Amaretta is on foot and 
  not pushing herself, as she believes that she isn’t being 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 10 
  pursued. The PCs can afford to rest a single day, but no 
  more, or the risk of losing her is too great. 
  If Amaretta is headed for Brede, it seems obvious to the 
  PCs that she will travel along the Northern Point Road, 
  which connects Sporo’s Point to the center and 
  northern areas of the Earldom. 
  With the festival, there has been a tremendous amount 
  of traffic on the road, and tracking a single traveler’s 
  footprints is impossible. However, the PCs should have 
  a good description of Amaretta. It’s just a matter of 
  catching up with her. If the PCs try to catch Amaretta 
  on foot, it will take six hours of marching. This will be 
  reduced to three if the PCs travel by mount. However, 
  the blight-stricken lands will provide an impediment to 
  the PCs along the way: 
  Your travel over the Northern Point Road reveals in 
  terrible detail how this region, and indeed the whole 
  of Linth itself, seems to succumb to the unnatural 
  blight on the land. The earth is dry and cracked; even 
  the heaviest rainstorms seem never to sate the parched 
  soil. Grass is so yellowed and cracked that it 
  resembles old paper and breaks apart in a wind. Trees 
  are stunted and warped into sickening shapes. Soon 
  after you set out, a rainstorm rolls in 
  Padding down the road towards you is an enormous 
  mastiff with an odd, bulbous head. The beast’s lower 
  jaw appears to large for its skull, and its mouth leaks 
  a near-constant torrent of saliva. Disturbingly, even 
  from this distance you can hear the rain droplets 
  sizzle as they fall and strike the beast’s hide. 
  APL 2 (EL 3) 
  Hellhound: See Appendix A. 
  Have each PC make a Spot check. Take the highest 
  roll; this is the number of squares (five foot increments) 
  away the combat encounter begins. 
  This beast is not one of the twisted and mutated natural 
  animals that have plagued Linth, thanks to the blight. In 
  fact, its presence here in Linth is a small clue to the real 
  origin of the forces behind the blight – something that 
  these fledgling heroes might come to understand years 
  from now. (This will be revealed over time in the 
  Keoland regional modules that comprise the Tales of 
  Linth series of modules) 
  Tactics: Charge and breathe fire across as much of the 
  party as possible, then melee with the closest foe and 
  try to tear out their throats! 
  Encounter Five: Catch Me if 
  You Can! 
  Assuming that the PCs don’t tarry any longer than a 
  normal night’s sleep and a few quick meals, the PCs 
  will finally catch up with Amaretta before she reaches 
  the next settlement (Laketowne). The PCs will 
  encounter her on the road. 
  It’s important that, when running this encounter, you 
  give the PCs ample chance to negotiate with Amaretta. 
  Don’t immediately call for initiative or inadvertently 
  railroad the PCs into a combat. 
  Amaretta will realize that she has to deal with the PCs; 
  she can’t afford to have them dogging her steps back to 
  the Silent Tower, never mind finding out that place is 
  her ultimate destination. Her crow familiar is airborne 
  and is watching for the PCs. Barring magic unlikely to 
  be available to low-level PC’s (such as Invisibility), the 
  party will be unable to surprise Amaretta. 
  At last, the subject of your manhunt is in sight. The 
  human woman is standing in the middle of the road, 
  her arms folded across her ample bosom. She is a 
  stunning woman, with fiery hair that cascades down 
  to her waist, and sheer tan robes cut to show off her 
  figure. A dagger seems to be her only weapon, 
  although you can see pouches along her belt that 
  doubtless contain spell components. 
  “You’re damned persistent,” she says, making no 
  effort to hide the irritation in her voice. “What the 
  hell do you all want? Let’s hear it.” 
  APL 2 (EL 4) 
  Amaretta, Silent One Aspirant: See Appendix A. 
  The sorceress is genuinely under the impression that 
  the PCs somehow know about the ring, and that it is the 
  reason they have dogged her steps for so long. She 
  attempts to let the PCs do most of the talking. If the 
  PCs allude to the fact that they’re interested in the chess 
  piece itself, Amaretta will finally see the big picture 
  and will react thus: 
  The sorceress blinks a few times, apparently coming 
  to some realization. And then she tilts her head back 
  and gives a merry laugh, her red locks cascading 
  down her back. “Ah,” she says, her voice tinkling, 
  “forgive me, heroes. How ignorant I am. The chess 
  piece, of course. I’ll tell you what. I propose we come 
  to an agreement. I’ll return the chess piece to you, 
  and in exchange, you let me go. Or…” she says, 
  looking thoughtful, “we fight. I won’t lose. And you 
  won’t get the chess piece, I guarantee it.” 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 11 
  Any PC making a Sense Motive check (DC 13) gets the 
  feeling that Amaretta knows something the PCs don’t, 
  and that she seems confident and unafraid of the PCs. 
  If the PCs insist on combat, she will not oblige them. 
  She will retrieve the Ring of Three Wishes from her 
  pocket, slip it on as a move-equivalent action, and Wish 
  herself to safety. (She could have done this in the 
  beginning, but she was doing everything in her power 
  not to waste one of the ring’s precious charges!) 
  If the PCs accept the deal, Amaretta will retrieve the 
  chess piece from her robes and will toss it to the party 
  from a good distance. The silver wizard appears to be 
  intact and simply in need of a polish. She will smile and 
  nod to them. “Reasonable,” she says. “Rare, for 
  adventurers. Perhaps we might have a use for you in the 
  future.” With that, she will cast Invisibility and 
  continue her trek back to the Silent Tower. If the PCs 
  attack or attempt to capture her in some way, she will 
  take out the ring and use it as described above. 
  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN THE PCs GET 
  THE RING OF THREE WISHES! If by some fluke the 
  PCs manage to catch Amaretta and defeat her, the PCs 
  will discover that the ring will have already had all of 
  its charges used long ago, and is now nothing more 
  than a piece of jewelry with historic and magic 
  significance. 
  PCs that negotiate with Amaretta instead of fighting 
  with her, and retrieve the chess piece, receive XP as if 
  they had defeated her in battle. Their goal, after all, is 
  to recover the chess piece to make the Earl’s set 
  complete once more. 
  If the PCs now have all the chess pieces (having 
  retrieved the stolen ones from Amaretta and the Cur 
  siblings), proceed to Conclusion A. If the PCs have 
  recovered all the chess pieces but Amaretta’s silver 
  wizard, proceed to Conclusion B. If the PCs retrieved 
  the silver wizard piece, but none of the others, proceed 
  to Conclusion C. If the PCs “screwed the pooch” and 
  recovered nothing, Conclusion D awaits them! 
  Conclusion A 
  Having recovered the final missing chess piece and 
  re-assembled the set, you return to Sporo’s Point. 
  Mayor Wigglebottom is very pleased that the robberies 
  didn’t sully the town’s beloved festival. Not long 
  afterwards, a contingent of Knights of the Watch in 
  service to the Earl arrives to retrieve the chess set. 
  You are given a reward, and the knight assures you 
  that you have the Earl’s thanks for a job well done. 
  The PCs will gain the Favorable Notice of the Silent 
  Ones on their AR’s. Likewise, mark an “X” through the 
  Unfavorable Notice of the Silent Ones. If the PCs 
  defeated the hellhound, they may take the Hellhound 
  Pelt Cloak at their option. 
  The End 
  Conclusion B 
  Your quest to retrieve the final missing chess piece 
  having eluded you, you return to Sporo’s Point. 
  Mayor Wigglebottom is very pleased that the robberies 
  didn’t sully the town’s beloved festival. Not long 
  afterwards, a contingent of Knights of the Watch in 
  service to the Earl arrives to retrieve the chess set. 
  They are unhappy that the entire set was not retrieved, 
  but the knight assures you that you have the Earl’s 
  thanks fordoing what you could. 
  If the PCs attacked or refused to negotiate with 
  Amaretta, the PCs will gain the Unfavorable Notice of 
  the Silent Ones on their AR’s. Likewise, mark an “X” 
  through the Favorable Notice of the Silent Ones. If the 
  PCs defeated the hellhound, they may take the 
  Hellhound Pelt Cloak at their option. 
  The End 
  Conclusion C 
  Your quest to retrieve the missing chess set has left 
  you having recovered but two pieces. You return to 
  Sporo’s Point. Mayor Wigglebottom remains unhappy 
  that the thieves that sullied the town’s beloved festival 
  escaped. Not long afterwards, a contingent of Knights 
  of the Watch in service to the Earl arrives to retrieve 
  the chess set. They are unhappy that so little of the 
  chess set was not retrieved. The knight flatly assures 
  you that you have the Earl’s thanks fordoing what 
  you could. Somehow, you aren’t convinced. 
  If the PCs negotiated with Amaretta and did not attack 
  her, the PCs will gain the Favorable Notice of the Silent 
  Ones on their AR’s. Likewise, if this is the case, mark 
  an “X” through the Unfavorable Notice of the Silent 
  Ones. If the PCs defeated the hellhound, they may take 
  the Hellhound Pelt Cloak at their option. 
  The End 
  Conclusion D 
  Havingbut a single chess piece dropped by the thieves 
  to show for your efforts, you dejectedly return to 
  Sporo’s Point. Mayor Wigglebottom remains unhappy 
  that the thieves that sullied the town’s beloved festival 
  escaped. Not long afterwards, a contingent of Knights 
  of the Watch in service to the Earl arrives to retrieve 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 12 
  the chess set. They are unhappy that so little of the 
  chess set was not retrieved. The knight flatly assures 
  you that you have the Earl’s thanks for doing what 
  you could. Somehow, you aren’t convinced. 
  The PCs will gain the Favorable Notice of the Silent 
  Ones on their AR’s. Likewise, mark an “X” through the 
  Unfavorable Notice of the Silent Ones. If the PCs 
  defeated the hellhound, they may take the Hellhound 
  Pelt Cloak at their option. 
  The End 
  Experience Point Summary 
  To award experience for this adventure, add up the 
  values for the objectives accomplished. Then assign the 
  experience award.  Award the total value (objectives 
  plus roleplaying) to each character. 
  Encounter One 
  Having a good time at the Running of the Flumphs!  
  APL2 30 xp 
  Encounter Two 
  Defeating the Curs 
  APL2 90 xp 
  Encounter Three 
  Defeating the Goons 
  APL2 90 xp 
  Encounter Four 
  Defeating the Hellhound 
  APL2 90 xp 
  Encounter Five 
  Defeating Amaretta OR negotiating with her for the 
  missing chess piece 
  APL2 120 xp 
  Discretionary roleplaying award 
  APL2 30 xp 
  Total possible experience:  
   
  APL2 450 xp 
  Treasure Summary 
  During an adventure, characters encounter treasure, 
  usually finding it in the possession of their foes.  Every 
  encounter that features treasure has a “treasure” section 
  within the encounter description, giving information 
  about the loot, coins, and magic items that make up the 
  encounter’s treasure. 
  The loot total is the number of gold pieces each character 
  gains if the foes are plundered of all their earthly 
  possessions.  Looting the bodies takes at least 10 minutes 
  per every 5 enemies, and if the characters cannot take the 
  time to loot the bodies, they do not gain this gold.  If you 
  feel it is reasonable that characters can go back to loot the 
  bodies, and those bodies are there (i.e., not carted off by 
  dungeon scavengers, removed from the scene by the 
  local watch, and so on), characters may return to retrieve 
  loot.  If the characters do not loot the body, the gold 
  piece value for the loot is subtracted from the encounter 
  totals given below. 
  The coin total is the number of gold pieces each character 
  gains if they take the coin available.  A normal 
  adventuring party can usually gather this wealth in a 
  round or so.  If for some reason, they pass up this 
  treasure, the coin total is subtracted from the encounter 
  totals given below. 
  Next, the magic items are listed.  Magic item treasure is 
  the hardest to adjudicate, because they are varied and 
  because characters may want to use them during the 
  adventure.  Many times characters must cast identify, 
  analyze dweomer or similar spell to determine what the 
  item does and how to activate it.  Other times they may 
  attempt to use the item blindly.  If the magic item is 
  consumable (a potion, scroll, magic bolts, etc.) and the 
  item is used before the end of the adventure, its total is 
  subtracted from the adventure totals below. 
  Once you have subtracted the value for unclaimed 
  treasure from each encounter add it up and that is the 
  number of gold pieces a characters total and coin value 
  increase at the end of the adventure.  Write the total in 
  the GP Gained field of the adventure certificate.  Because 
  this is a Regional scenario, characters may spend 
  additional Time Units to practice professions or create 
  items immediately after the adventure so this total may be 
  modified by other circumstances. 
  L = Looted gear from enemy; C = Coin, Gems, Jewelry, 
  and other valuables. 
  L:  Looted gear from enemy 
  C:  Coin, Gems, Jewelry, and other valuables 
  Encounter Two: 
   
  APL A: L: 326 gp; C: 0 gp; M: 0 gp 
   
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 13 
  Encounter Three: 
   
  APL A: L: 704 gp; C: 20 gp; M: 0 gp 
  Encounter Five: 
  APL A: L: 104 gp; C: 20 gp; M: 0 gp 
  Conclusion: 
   
  APL A: L: 0 gp; C: 1050 gp; M: 0 gp 
  Total Possible Treasure 
  APL A: L: 2184 gp; C: 40 gp; M: 0 gp  - Total: 
  2224 gp (371 gp per PC) 
  Special 
  Hellhound Pelt Cloak: Part of the spoils of your 
  adventure includes the pelt of this beast, fashioned into 
  a cloak of unusual warmth and softness. Its value is 
  included in your "Gold Earned" above, and it makes a 
  fine souvenir of your adventure in the Earldom of 
  Linth. This item cannot be traded or sold. 
  Favorable Notice of the Silent Ones: You are uncertain 
  why, but you have come to the attention of the Silent 
  Ones. Fortunately, the notice is a favorable one. How 
  this will affect your PC in the future…? 
  Unfavorable Notice of the Silent Ones: You are 
  uncertain why, but you have come to the attention of 
  the Silent Ones. Unfortunately, the notice is a favorable 
  one. How this will affect your PC in the future…? 
  Items for the Adventure Record 
  Item Access 
  APL 2: None 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 14 
  Appendix A 
  Encounter Two: 
  Waldo and Selinda Cur, Thieves-for-Hire: CR 2; Medium Humanoid (Human) Rog 2; HD 2d6+2; hp 12; Init +7 
  (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft; AC 16 (+3 armor, +3 Dex); Atk +4 melee (sap, 1d6+1 subdual); SA 
  Evasion, Sneak attack +1d6; SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will -1; AL CN; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 8. 
  Skills & Feats: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +8, Jump +8, Listen +4, Move Silently +8, Open Lock +8, Pick 
  Pocket +8, Search +8, Spot +4, Tumble +10. Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Sap). 
  Possessions: Masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork sap, silver chess pieces (total value of incomplete set 
  is 3000 gp). 
  Encounter Three: 
  Amaretta’s Goons (3, plus one that doesn’t wish to fight): CR 1; Medium Humanoid (Human) Ftr 1; HD 
  1d10+2; hp 12; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; AC 16 (+3 armor, +1 shield, +2 Dex); Atk +4 melee (heavy mace, 1d8+2) or +3 
  melee (dagger, 1d4+2); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +0; AL NE; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10. 
  Skills & Feats: Climb +4, Handle Animal +4, Jump +4, Ride +6, Swim +6. Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Weapon 
  Focus (Heavy Mace) 
  Possessons: Heavy mace, masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork buckler, 5 gp. 
  Encounter Four: 
  Hellhound: CR 3; Medium-Size Outsider (Evil, Fire, Lawful); HD 4d8+4; hp 22; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved 
  Initiative); Spd 40 ft.; AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural); Atk Bite +5 melee (1d8+1); SA Breath weapon (Cone of fire, 
  once per 2d4 rounds, 30’ long, 1d4+1 damage, Reflex save for half damage, DC 13); SQ Scent, fire subtype; AL: 
  LE; SV: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6. 
  Skills and Feats: Hide +11, Listen +5, Move Silently +13, Spot +7*, Wilderness Lore +0*. Improved Initiative, 
  Track. * Gains a +8 to these skills when tracking by smell. 
  Encounter Five: 
  Amaretta, Aspirant of the Silent Ones: CR 4; Medium Humanoid (Human) Sor 4; HD 4d4+4; hp 17; Init +7 (+3 
  Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Atk +6 melee (masterwork dagger, 1d4-1); SV Fort +2, 
  Ref +4, Will +4; AL N; Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16. 
  Spells Known  (6/7/4; base DC = 13 + spell level): 0—[Daze, Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Prestidigitation, Ray 
  of Frost, Read Magic]; 1st—[Burning Hands, Comprehend Languages, Mage Armor]; 2nd—[Invisibility]. 
  Skills & Feats: Concentration +8, Gather Information +5, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (history) +4, Sense 
  Motive +2. Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (Dagger). 
  Possessions: Masterwork dagger, spell component pouches, 20 gp. 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 15 
  Appendix B 
  FLUMPH 
   
  Small Aberration 
  Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp) 
  Initiative: +3 (Dex) 
  Speed: Fly 20 ft (average) 
  AC: 20 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural) 
  Attacks: Spikes +4 melee 
  Damage: Spikes 1d4 plus 1d4 acid 
  Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/0 ft 
  Special Attacks: Acid 
  Special Qualities: Nauseating spray, darkvision 60 ft 
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +5 
  Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10 
  Skills: Hide +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +7, Search +4, Spot +7 
  Feats: Weapon Finesse (spikes) 
   
  Climate/Terrain: Any underground 
  Organization: Pair or colony (4-16) 
  Challenge Rating: 2 
  Treasure: None 
  Alignment: Always lawful good 
  Advancement: 3-6 HD (Small) 
   
  A flumph appears as a jellyfish-like creature about three feet in diameter. Its body is round and almost flat. The 
  body is flanked by two eyestalks, each about six inches long. Several short tentacles hang from the creature's 
  underside, concealing a mass of small spikes. A flumph is pure white in color with slightly darker tentacles. 
   
  COMBAT 
   
  The flumph hovers a few inches above the ground, or hangs motionless in reeds or similar concealment, hunting 
  small creatures such as rats, frogs, and lizards. When it finds a small creature, it rises a foot or two, and drops onto 
  its prey, piercing it with its spikes and injecting its acid into the wounds. 
   
  If threatened by a larger creature, the flumph attempts to drive it away by squirting a foul-smelling liquid from an 
  orifice along its equator. If this fails, the flumph can rise to a height of 10 feet and drop onto an opponent, piercing 
  it with its spikes and injecting its acid into the wounds. 
   
  Acid (Ex): When a flumph hits an opponent with its spikes, it injects a potent acid into the wounds. This acid deals 
  1d4 points of damage to the opponent for 2d4 rounds. The acid can be washed away by vigorously rinsing (two full 
  rounds) or by total immersion in running water. 
   
  Nauseating Spray (Ex): Line of foul smelling liquid, 1 foot wide, 1 foot high, and 20 feet long, once every 1d4 
  rounds; nauseated (no action other than a single move or move-equivalent action) for 1d4 rounds; Fortitude save 
  (DC 11) negates. The odor from this spray lingers in the area (and on any creature hit) for 1d4 hours and can be 
  detected at a range of 100 feet. 
   
  Bonus Feats: The flumph gains the Weapon Finesse (spikes) feat as a bonus feat. 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 16 
   
  Player Handout #1 
   
  ROYAL NOTICE! 
   
  Our beloved majesty, Lucius, the Earl of Linth, is 
   
  THE VICTIM OF A WICKED THEFT! 
   
  Said theft was of one of the Earl’s most prized possessions, 
   
  AN ANTIQUE CHESS SET OF SILVER AND GOLD. 
   
  A REWARD of SUBSTANTIAL VALUE is offered to ANY 
  who bring the MISCREANTS who stole it and return this 
   
  PRECIOUS POSSESSION OF 
  OUR BELOVED EARL 
   
  Any information regarding the WHEREABOUTS of the 
  THIEVES or the STOLEN PROPERTY should be reported to 
  the KNIGHTS OF THE WATCH at once! 
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 17 
   
  Player Handout #2 
   
  Behold… the humble Flumph! 
   
   
  
  Stuck Between a Rook and a Hard Place 
  Round 1 
  Page 18 
   
  DM Aid One 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/RPGA/Living Greyhawk/Sheldomar Valley/Keoland/KEO3-A02 - Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place.pdf