TEXT: 1
  THEATERS OF
  DEATH
  Battlefield Encounters for 
  4th-, 8th-, and 10th-Level Player
  Characters Featuring Material
  from Heroes of Battle
  CREDITS
  Design:
  Darrin Drader
  Editing:
  Penny Williams
  Typesetting:
  Nancy Walker
  Cartography:
  Todd Gamble
  Design Manager:
  Christopher Perkins
  Web Production
  Bart Carroll
  Web Development:
  Mark A. Jindra
  Graphic Design:
  Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege, 
  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.
  D&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and DUNGEON MASTER are registered trademarks owned
  by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the
  Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses
  thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United
  States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the
  material or artwork contained herein is prohibited 
  without the express written permission of 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  ©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  All rights reserved. 
  Made in the U.S.A. 
  This product is a work of fiction. 
  Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, 
  or events is purely coincidental.
  This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. 
  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without 
  written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License 
  and the d20 System License, 
  please visit www.wizards.com/d20.
  For more DUNGEONS & DRAGONS articles, adventures, and information, 
  visit www.wizards.com/dnd
  Heroes of Battle brings the dungeon out onto the
  battlefield and enables Dungeon Masters (DMs) to set
  a d ve nt u res against the backdrop of armed conflict.
  W he t her player characters (PCs) lead army units int o
  battle or perform elite missions on behalf of battle lead-
  ers, the foes they face on the battlefield are just as lethal
  as any they would find in a dungeon. In addition to
  n ew battle-o r i e nted spells, feats, and items, Heroes of
  B a t t l e p re s e nts plenty of sample battlefield encount e r s
  that can be dropped into any war-based scenario.
  Theaters of Death is a collection of new battlefield
  e n c o u nters (for characters from 4th to 10th level) are
  designed to supplement those pre s e nted in Chapter 3
  of Heroes of Battle. T hese scenarios are nonlinear and
  not designed to work with any one specific battle.
  T h u s, each can be dropped into a mass combat of yo u r
  choice, or modified to work with a variety of differe nt
  battles. Like the battlefield encounters given in Heroes
  of Battle, these scenarios can easily be reused simply by
  changing the specific cre a t u res or terrain. As always,
  feel free to adapt the material presented here as you see
  fit to make it work with your campaign.
  Theaters of Death is not set in a specific campaign
  world. In fact, in most cases, no specific names or
  places are give n, so that you can more easily drop the
  encounter into your campaign. 
  PREPARATION
  You (the DM) need the D&D core ru l e b o o k s—t he
  Player’s Handbook, t he Dungeon Master’s Guide, a n d
  t he Monster Manual—as well as Monster Manual II,
  Monster Manual III, and Heroes of Battle—to run this
  adventure. The information presented here utilizes the
  D&D v.3.5 rules.
  To get started, print out the text and maps. Re a d
  t h rough the encounters at least once to familiarize
  yourself with the situation, thre a t s, and major NPCs
  (particularly their motivations). In addition, you might
  w a nt to read over the new uses for skills and the new
  spells pre s e nted in Heroes of Battle so that you are
  familiar with them before starting play. Text that
  appears in shaded boxes is player information that you
  can read aloud or paraphrase for the players at the
  p roper times. For monster and NPC statistics, refer to
  t he appropriate pages in Monster Manual, Monster
  Manual II, Monster Manual III, o r Heroes of Battle.
  MINIATURES
  The D&D miniatures line has been a smashing success,
  and you may find that some of the miniatures produced
  by Wi z a rds of the Coast, Inc. greatly enhance yo u r
  p l a ye r s’ enjoy m e nt of these scenarios. A battlefield
  
  2
  e n c o u nter provides the perfect opportunity to utilize
  some of the more impressive miniatures in your collec-
  t i o n, as well as some of the more common ones that
  you have undoubtedly accumulated over time. 
  You can use human fighters, orcs, and goblins to rep-
  resent the less powerful foes that oppose your PCs, and
  the rarer miniatures in your collection can make excel-
  lent generals or special opponents.
  T he miniatures indicated below are part i c u l a r l y
  useful during play. Some are not exact matches for the
  designated cre a t u re s, but they do an adequate job of
  capturing the nature of the monster, or at least its rela-
  tive size.
  Boneclaws: Deathknell—Boneclaw (47/60)
  Bonedrinkers: Dragoneye—Wererat (40/60)
  Drowned: Archfiends—Cursed Spirit (49/60)
  Ettin Skeletons: Ettin Skirmisher (52/60)
  General Charred: De a t h k n e l l — Death Knight
  (33/60) or Giants of Legend—Lord Soth (36/72)
  Ogre Barbarians: Dragoneye—Ogre Ravager (56/60)
  or Deathknell—Skullcrusher Ogre
  Orc Messenger: De a t h k n e l l —Orc Sa vage (57/60) or
  Giants of Legend—Orc Brute (56/72)
  Vampire Fighters: De a t h k n e l l — R a venous Va m p i re
  (58/60)
  USING THESE
  ENCOUNTERS
  Each encounter begins with a description of the setup
  in plain language. Additional information is pre s e nt e d
  in the format detailed below.
  Character Level: This ent ry gives the optimal ave r-
  age character level for the encounter. Characters of the
  indicated level are expected to spend 20% to 25% of
  t heir re s o u rces in such an encount e r, much as if the y
  we re engaged in an encounter of an EL that matche d
  their character level. The actual EL of the opponents in
  the encounter tends to exceed this value, since it takes
  into account the allied forces aiding the PCs.
  O b j e c t i v e : T he objective is the PCs’ goal. Ma n y
  battlefield encounters have both primary and second-
  ary objectives.
  Allied Forces: This entry describes additional troops
  or re i n f o rc e m e nts available to PCs undertaking the
  mission.
  Enemy Forces: These forces are the foes that the PCs
  will face in the encount e r. T hese cre a t u res are
  described either in the Monster Manual or in the
  appendices of Heroes of Battle (or both). De p e n d i n g
  upon the encounter and the situation, the PCs might be
  a w a re of some, all, or none of these foes before the
  encounter begins.
  Terrain Features: This entry includes any significant
  f e a t u res of the landscape—such as hills, undergrow t h,
  or fort i f i c a t i o n s—that could affect the outcome of the
  encounter.
  T a c t i c s : This section describes the options ava i l-
  a b l e— w he t her to the PCs and their allies, their ene-
  mies, or both—and what effect such tactics have on the
  encounter.
  A f t e r m a t h : T he aftermath section describes the
  effects of a successful or unsuccessful operation by the
  PCs.
  XP Adjustment: In addition to the normal reduction
  of XP awarded after a battlefield encounter that fea-
  t u res allied NPCs fighting alongside the PCs, some
  encounters afford the PCs even greater support before,
  during, or after the battle. In such cases, reduce the XP
  reward granted to the PCs by the indicated percentage.
  This concept is detailed more fully in the XP on page
  61 in Heroes of Battle. In cases whe re this circ u m-
  stance does not apply, the entry is absent.
  Scaling This Encounter: This ent ry offers advice on
  h ow to adjust the encount e r’s difficulty for a wider
  range of character levels.
  INTERCEPT ORDERS
  (4TH)
  A mostly human army gathered by a local prince must
  c o mbat an organized orc incursion. Though orcs are
  typically chaotic and disorganized, a powe rful mon-
  strous warlord has united the nearby tribes against the
  populace, and the resultant army is powerful enough to
  t h reaten the cities in this region of the campaign set-
  ting. Without decisive action on the prince’s part, the
  orcs will overtake the local militias. To prevent such an
  outcome, the prince has united the militias of seve r a l
  cities that owe allegiance to him and sent the massed
  forces to intercept the approaching orc army.
  Since the orcs have their own scouts in place, the y
  a re aware of the mostly human army that is closing in
  on their location. The orc general has concealed half of
  his force, including a company of arc he r s, in a thicket
  of dead trees and brambles atop a nearby hill (area Y) .
  He has given these hidden forces specific instru c t i o n s
  to let the human army advance until his messenger
  a r r i ves with orders to attack. T he rest of the orc army
  waits motionless between the two wooded areas nort h
  of the hill whe re the hidden forces are concealed. In
  addition, several squads patrol the northern half of the
  battlefield map.
  W hen the fro nt of the human army arrives at the
  southernmost squares of the battle map, the front ranks
  spot the orc army. T he humans advance at a rate of 50
  
  3
  
  4
  feet per round until their army’s fro nt is just south of
  the smaller hill. The human general suspects that addi-
  tional forces may lurk nearby, and that the orcs are
  waiting for his army to come closer before attacking.
  Rather than march his troops into a battlefield that may
  p rovide a nasty tactical surprise, he asks the PCs to
  sneak behind enemy lines, disrupt any communica-
  tions in progress, and find any hidden enemies.
  Character Level: This encounter is designed for 4th-
  level characters.
  Objectives: This encounter has both a primary and a
  secondary objective.
  P r i m a r y : Locate and eliminate the orc messenger
  running up the hill toward the hidden forces.
  S e c o n d a r y : Locate the enemy’s hidden forces and
  re p o rt back to the human general with their numb e r,
  type, and location.
  Allied Forces: Since this mission relies on stealth,
  the general assigns the heroes no backup.
  Enemy Forces: T he vast majority of the orc army
  waits motionless between the two wooded areas nort h
  of the hill whe re the army units are hidden. Se ve r a l
  s quads patrol the nort hern half of the battlefield map. 
  T he messenger with the order to attack is an orc
  l i e u t e n a nt (see Heroes of Battle page 152) who begins
  at the location marked with an X on the map. Escorted
  by the orc squad detailed below, he makes his way at
  double speed to the spot marked Y on the map.
  • Ten orcs (see Monster Manual page 203)
  • Three orc sergeants (see Heroes of Battle page 152)
  • One owlbear (see Monster Manual page 206)
  Terrain Features: Two hills and several clusters of
  t rees dominate the battlefield. T he steeper nort he r n
  hill is considered difficult terrain for climbing charac-
  ters. The more southern hill is not as steep and does not
  s l ow move m e nt. T he terrain between these feature s
  consists of gently rolling hills no more than 5 feet high,
  but a +3 bonus applies to all Hide and Move Si l e nt l y
  checks made in this area. PCs wishing to approach the
  e n e m y’s location undetected have a better chance of
  doing so if they pass through the centrally located clus-
  ter of trees.
  T a c t i c s : If the PCs are discove red sneaking int o
  orcish territory, 1d4 orc squadrons confront them, each
  arriving within 1d6 ro u n d s. Until they have found the
  o rc carrying the ord e r s, the PCs need to use stealth. 
  T he PCs would be wise to use the hillside opposite
  t he orc army to their adva ntage if they wish to inve s t i-
  gate the forces waiting atop the hill. Any magic such as
  polymorph, teleport, or invisibility that the party might
  h a ve allows the PCs a greater chance of appro a c h i n g
  the hilltop undetected.
  A f t e r m a t h : If the PCs successfully int e rcept the
  messenger bearing the order to attack, the portion of
  the army in the northernmost section of the battlefield
  attacks well ahead of the surprise force. T he re s u l t i n g
  confusion amid the orcs’ ranks leads to fewer casualties
  for the human army. If the PCs spot the forces waiting
  atop the hill and give the human general an accurate
  re p o rt, he sends a force up the hill to neutralize that
  threat before advancing. If the PCs fail in their mission,
  t he orcs hit the human army with a deadly strike that
  takes a heavy toll.
  If all the PCs are captured, they must escape before
  the messenger reaches point Y on the battlefield map in
  order to complete the mission successfully.
  Scaling the Encounter: For 2nd- l e vel PCs, the
  enemy squad consists of five orc s, one orc lieutenant ,
  and one ow l b e a r. An orc sergeant carries the orders to
  the concealed portion of the army.
  For an 8th-level part y, the squad consists of ten orc
  corporals (see Heroes of Battle page 152), three orc cap-
  tains (see Heroes of Battle page 152) and two 6-HD owl-
  bears (see Monster Manual page 206). An orc colonel
  carries the orders to the concealed portion of the army.
  ATTACK THE GATE (8TH)
  Opening the enemy’s gates in real-world historical war-
  f a re was a costly endeavor at best. T he murder holes,
  t he boiling pitch, the arrow slits, and the defenders
  patrolling the walls ensured that opening a gate would
  cost the lives of countless attackers. Thus, commanders
  often considered a siege preferable to the sheer loss of
  troops.
  In the D&D universe, characters have tools that
  we re not available to real-world tro o p s. Spells such as
  disintegrate, teleport, fly, and dimension door t a k e
  much of the carnage out of the process and ensure a
  much faster resolution. Add character statistical boosts
  such as Deflect Arrow s, high Armor Class, and
  uncanny dodge, and PCs have a ve ry real chance of
  breaching gate defenses.
  In this scenario, the PCs and a small group of elite
  soldiers must move ahead of their army and open the
  gates of an enemy keep. T he rest of their forces wait
  just out of range of the defenders’ arc hers and he a v y
  trebuchets. This task should prove difficult, though it is
  far from impossible—provided that the PCs use stealth
  and whatever magic they have at their disposal.
  Character Level: This encounter is designed for 8th-
  level characters.
  
  5
  
  6
  Objectives: This encounter has both a primary and a
  secondary objective.
  Primary: Open the stronghold gates.
  S e c o n d a r y : Open the doors to the keep and destroy or
  commandeer the heavy tre b u c hets just inside the walls.
  Allied Forces: T he general commanding the PCs
  sends six human elite soldiers (see Heroes of Battle
  page 143) to help overcome enemy resistance while the
  PCs try to bring down the gate.
  Enemy Forces: T he defenders consist of humans
  and ogres deployed as noted below.
  • Two squads of ten human soldiers each (see Heroes of
  Battle page 142) manning the walls
  • Twelve human soldiers staffing each heavy trebuchet
  • Two 4th-level barbarian ogres (see Monster Manual
  page 199) guarding the gate controls
  Terrain Features: The ground in front of the strong-
  hold is flat and grassy. You may wish to increase the dif-
  ficulty of the scenario by adding a moat around the
  stronghold. 
  W a l l : T he wall around the keep is 25 feet tall and 6
  feet thick. The crenellated parapet provides the defend-
  ers with a +4 bonus to AC for soft cover.
  s Exterior Wall: Ha rdness 8, 1,080 hp, Climb DC 22.
  G a t e : T he gate is a 4-inch-thick iron drawbridge. 
  s Gate: Hardness 10, 120 hp.
  T he walls are protected by the aerial a l a r m s p e l l
  (Heroes of Battle page 124, password Mo rd e n k a i n e n,
  audible alarm), which pre ve nts the PCs from flying
  over or otherwise bypassing the walls without drawing
  attention to themselves.
  Towers: Each of the towers has a ground level and a
  top level connected by a spiral staircase. On the
  d e f e n d e r’s side of the wall, each of the towers has a 5-
  foot-wide open archway at ground level that allow s
  access to the interior. Five arrow slits, spaced out every
  5 feet, provide the defenders with additional options. 
  Doors: The stronghold doors are made of iron.
  sStandard Iron Door:Ha rdness 10, 60 hp, break DC 28.
  T a c t i c s : As many enemy soldiers as possible fire
  a r rows through the arrow slits from the inside of the
  t owe r s, while the remainder of the soldiers shoot
  a r rows from the top of the wall. If the PCs manage to
  block the arrow slits, the soldiers within join the forces
  atop the wall. Should the PCs use magical means to
  bypass the wall, the human defenders join the ogres in
  defense of the gate controls.
  Any PCs who try to breach the wall and lower the
  gates by the direct approach face difficult re s i s t a n c e .
  Eve ry defending soldier not attached to the heavy tre-
  b u c hets rains arrows down upon the inva d e r s, while
  the trebuchet operators attempt to pick off any enemies
  on the opposite side of the wall. PCs using t e l e p o r t o r
  dimension door to bypass the wall do not set off the
  aerial alarm.
  A f t e r m a t h : As soon as the gate is open (or a 15-f o o t
  or larger hole has been blasted in the wall), the inva d-
  ing force ent e r s, following the PCs if they have taken
  t he lead. T he invaders attack the heavy tre b u c het per-
  sonnel immediately upon entering. Once they have
  s e c u red cont rol of the siege engines, they go to work
  on the stronghold doors.
  If the PCs fail to open the gate, the invaders bring
  out a battering ram. Opening the doors with this tool
  re qu i res several rounds of bashing and leaves the sol-
  diers on the ground vulnerable to arrow fire fro m
  a b ove. T he heavy tre b u c hets fire at all enemy soldiers
  on the ground outside the wall, specifically targeting
  t he battering ram if possible. This attack proves costly
  in terms of lives and equ i p m e nt, and the results may
  even cause the attacking army to retreat (DM’s option).
  Scaling the Encounter: For a party of 6th-level char-
  acters, use the following defenders.
  • Two squads of ten human soldiers each (see Heroes of
  Battle page 142) manning the walls
  • Eight human soldiers staffing each heavy trebuchet
  • One 4th-level barbarian ogre (see Monster Manual
  page 199) guarding the gate controls
  For a party of 10th-level characters, use the follow i n g
  defenders.
  • Two squads of ten humans soldiers each (see Heroes
  of Battle page 142) manning the walls
  • Twelve human soldiers staffing each heavy trebuchet
  • Four 4th-level barbarian ogres (see Monster Manual
  page 199) guarding the gate controls
  • Add a third heavy tre b u c het manned by anothe r
  twelve human soldiers to the defenses.
  ASSASSINATE THE
  GENERAL (10TH)
  After a millennium of biding her time and gathe r i n g
  her forc e s, the lich Kazgol has finally committed he r
  t roops to battle. Her undead legions are marc h i n g
  
  7
  
  8
  a c ross the landscape, destroying any living cre a t u re s
  t hey encounter while slowly making their way tow a rd
  K a z g o l’s home city. Rather than commit herself to the
  battlefield, Kazgol has enlisted the help of the death
  knight known as General Charred to lead her forces to
  v i c t o ry. T he general is curre ntly holed up in an aban-
  doned cottage in the midst of a vast ruin.
  T he army with which the PCs march has alre a d y
  engaged Kazgol’s army of undead, which consists pri-
  marily of zo mb i e s, skeletons, and ghouls. Ge n e r a l
  Charred has also committed several of his more power-
  ful undead to the battle, although he has held some
  back to patrol the ground between the battlefield and
  his own position. In addition, he has surrounded him-
  self with several powerful servants for extra protection.
  The PCs’ commander orders them to fight their way
  t h rough enemy lines, then attack the general himself.
  Ad vance scouts have provided the PCs with the likely
  position of the cottage in which the general has
  camped to draw up his battle plans.
  Character Level: This encounter is designed for
  10th-level characters.
  Objective: Locate and slay General Charred.
  Allied Forces: T he PCs’ army sends a group of ten
  human elite soldiers (see Heroes of Battle page 143) to
  help the characters fight their way through the battle-
  field. T hese soldiers follow the PCs to the cottage and
  offer combat support during the final battle against
  General Charred.
  Enemy Forces: Once the PCs have fought their way
  behind enemy lines, they encounter undead patro l s,
  each with the following composition.
  •  Twe l ve human skeletons (see Monster Manualpage 226)
  • Four boneclaws (see Monster Manual III page 17)
  • Four bonedrinkers (see Monster Manual III page 18)
  • Two drowned (see Monster Manual III page 46)
  Eve nt u a l l y, the PCs locate General Charre d’s cottage.
  The keyed rooms within this structure contain the fol-
  lowing creatures.
  1. Six boneclaws (see Monster Manual III page 17)
  guard the entrance to the cottage.
  2. Four bonedrinkers (see Monster Manual III page 18)
  occupy this chamber.
  3. T h ree va m p i re fighters (use the 5th-level human
  fighter va m p i re, Monster Manual page 250) have
  made camp here.
  4. The death knight General Charred (use the sample
  death knight, Monster Manual II page 207), one
  plague spewer (see Monster Manual III page 125),
  and three ettin skeletons (see Monster Manual page
  227) occupy this room.
  Pa t rols are positioned approximately eve ry 100 feet.
  Should the PCs engage a patrol, the nearest other one
  immediately begins moving tow a rd the combat to add
  support.
  Terrain Features: This portion of the battlefield con-
  sists of a flat, grassy field and what was once a fore s t
  m a ze. Many of the original trees are now missing, and
  n ew trees are growing in the wrong places. Howe ve r,
  the excess growth in the maze provides a chance for the
  PCs to approach the cottage without attracting the
  notice of the undead patrols.
  Because the vegetation in this area is overgrown, it is
  c o n s i d e red difficult terrain for move m e nt purposes.
  Two undead patrols move within the maze, but because
  of the dense vegetation, they cannot see each other and
  thus are not reinforced when they engage the PCs. Like
  the PCs, their movement is limited to their normal rate.
  In addition to the maze of trees, this region contains
  t he cru mbling remains of a 5-f o o t -tall wall of hew n
  stone and a cottage. All that remains of the cottage now
  are parts of the jagged stone walls that once supported
  its wooden ceiling. Each wall section stands between 1
  and 3 feet tall.
  T a c t i c s : T he strategy of the undead army is fairly
  straightforward—its members move to engage the PCs
  in melee combat as soon as possible. T he undead
  p a t rols use the human skeletons as fodder to flank
  o p p o n e nt s, while the more powe rful undead move in
  and employ their lethal attacks. T he boneclaws,
  b o n e d r i n k e r s, and drowned each have their own spe-
  cial attacks, as noted in their respective descriptions in
  Monster Manual III. These creatures employ their abil-
  ities to great effect.
  When the PCs confront General Charred, he begins
  by using his abyssal blast to weaken the PCs. T hen he
  relies upon his melee skills while the plague spewe r
  and ettin skeletons relentlessly attack the foes.
  A f t e r m a t h : If PCs succeed in destroying Ge n e r a l
  C h a r red, his death disrupts the cohesion and comb a t
  tactics of the ent i re army. Although the undead com-
  batants on the battlefield continue to fight, their strate-
  gies start to fall apart within two hours. Eventually the
  intelligent undead flee, leaving their lesser compatriots
  to be destroyed.
  If the PCs fail to kill Charred, the battle cont i n u e s
  unabated. T he PCs’ commander makes additional
  attempts to destroy the general, but the PCs we re the
  
  9
  most skilled elite unit in the army, so these attempts
  also fail. The cost in human lives is great, and the situa-
  tion becomes even worse when the slain humans are
  raised as skeletons, ghouls, zo mb i e s, and other undead
  creatures.
  XP Adjustment: –10% (minor support)
  Scaling this Encounter: For 8th-level characters,
  re m ove the blackguard levels from the death knight,
  and re m ove the plague spewers from the encount e r
  a l t o g e t he r. Each undead patrol should consist of the
  following creatures.
  • Twelve human skeletons 
  • Two boneclaws
  • Two bonedrinkers
  • One drowned
  For 12th-level characters, add two levels of blackguard
  to the death knight. Each undead patrol should consist
  of the following creatures.
  • Twelve human skeletons (Monster Manual page 226)
  • Six boneclaws
  • Six bonedrinkers
  • Three drowned
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Darrin Drader was born in Pu l l m a n, Washington in
  1973 and stayed there long enough to attend WSU. He
  t hen moved to western Washington and eve nt u a l l y
  landed a job at Wizards of the Coast, Inc. After an eight-
  year stay in the Seattle area, he decided to move back to
  eastern Washington so that he could be closer to his
  family. He has been an RPG freelancer since 2000, and
  has done design work for DRAGON magazine, Star Wars
  Gamer magazine, Bastion Press, Mongoose Publishing,
  and Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/D&D 3.5/D&D 3.5 Adventures/Theatres of Death.pdf