TEXT: SND02-M02 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Dangerous Transport 
   
  A mini-scenario for D&D Living Greyhawk Adventure 
  RETIRED 
   
  by Pieter Sleijpen 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A citizen of Sunndi has been collecting weapons for over a year to donate to the Freedom Fighters of 
  Onnwal in their struggles against the Scarlet Brotherhood. Now somebody offered him a load of weapons. 
  These weapons need to be transported to him first though, which might not be as easy as it sounds. A 
  Sunndi regional mini-module for characters level 1-6. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, ALTERNITY, Living Greyhawk and RPGA are registered 
  trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. RAVENS BLUFF, MALATRA, LIVING CITY, 
  LIVING DEATH, LIVING JUNGLE, LIVING GREYHAWK, and LIVING VERGE are 
  trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Scenario detail copyright 2000 by 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.  
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 2 
  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 actual playing time will be closer to 
  three 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 sccrap 
  paper, a pencil, an RPGA scoring packing, 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 cits, 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 a 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 name tag 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 rule books 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 bold italics. It is strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text, 
  instead of reading it aloud, as some of the text is 
  general and must be adapted to the specific 
  situation or to actions of the player characters.  
   
  SCORING 
   
  After the players have completed the scenario 
  or the time allotted to run the scenario has run out, 
  the players and the DM score the game.  The 
  RPGA has three ways to score its games. Consult 
  your convention coordinator to determine which 
  method to use for this scenario. 
  1. No vote scoring:  The players write their 
  names and RPGA numbers on the scoring 
  packet grid. You fill in the top of the grid. 
  That is all. No one is rated. This method is 
  used for people who are just playing for 
  fun. 
  2. Partial scoring: The players rate the game 
  master and the scenario on their player 
  voting sheets, and provide personal 
  information, but don’t vote for other 
  players.  The game master rates the 
  scenario and completes personal and 
  event information, but does not rate the 
  players as a team or vote for players.  
  This method is used when there is no 
  competition, but the event coordinator 
  wants information on how the game 
  masters are performing, or the game 
  master wants feedback on his or her own 
  performance. 
  3. Voting: 
  Players 
  and 
  game 
  masters 
  complete the entire packet, including 
  voting for best player.  If this method is 
  used, be sure to allow about 15-20 
  minutes for the players to briefly describe 
  their characters to the other players, and 
  about 5-10 minutes for voting. This 
  method is used when the players want to 
  know who played the “best” amongst the 
  group, or when the adventure is run in 
  tournament format with winners and 
  prizes. 
  When using voting, rank the players in order of 
  your voting choice while they are completing their 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 3 
  forms so that you are not influenced by their 
  comments on your abilities.  It is a good idea to 
  have the players vote while you are determining 
  treasure and experience awards for the scenario. 
   
  After voting, give the Scoring Packet to your 
  event coordinator. 
   
   This is a LIVING GREYHAWK Adventure. As a 
  Living adventure, it is expected that players will 
  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, a 
  character sheet, and a LIVING GREYHAWK log 
  sheet from the 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 
  Because players bring their own characters to 
  LIVING GREYHAWK games, this adventure’s 
  challenges are proportioned to the average 
  character level of the PCs participating in the 
  adventure. To determine the Average Party Level 
  (APL): 
  1. Determine the character level for each of 
  the PCs participating in the adventure. 
  2. If PCs bring animals that have been 
  trained for combat (most likely being war 
  horses, dogs trained for war), other than 
  those brought by virtue of a class ability 
  (i.e. 
  animal 
  companions, 
  familiars 
  paladin’s mounts, etc) use the following 
  chart to determine the number of levels 
  you add to the sum above. Add each 
  character’s animals separately. A single 
  PC may only bring four or fewer animals 
  of this type, and animals with different 
  CRs are added separately. 
   
  CR 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
   
  1/4 & 1/6 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  1 
   
  1/3 & 1/2 
  0 
  0 
  1 
  1 
   
  1 
  1 
  1 
  2 
  3 
   
  2 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
   
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
   
  4 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
   
  3. Sum the results of 1 and 2, and divide by 
  the number of characters playing in the 
  adventure – round up. 
  4. If you are running a table of six PCs, add 
  one to that average. 
   
  By following these four steps, you will have 
  determined the APL. Throughout this adventure, 
  APLs categorize the level of challenge the PCs 
  will face. APLS are given in even-numbered 
  increments. If the APL of your group falls on an 
  odd number, ask them before the adventure 
  begins whether they would like to play a harder or 
  easier adventure. Based on their choice, use 
  either the higher or the lower adjacent APL. 
   
  APL also affects the amount of experience 
  you may gain at the end of the adventure. If your 
  character is three character levels or more either 
  higher or lower than the APL this adventure is 
  being played at, that character will receive only 
  half of the experience points awarded for the 
  adventure. This simulates the face that either your 
  character was not as challenged as normal, or 
  relied on help by higher-level characters to reach 
  the objectives. 
   
  Note: 
  LIVING 
  GREYHAWK 
  adventures 
  are 
  designed for APL 2 and higher. Three or four, or 
  sometimes even five 1
  st-level characters may find 
  difficulty with the challenges in a LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure. If your group is APL 1 
  there are three things that you can do to help even 
  the score. 
  1. Attempt to create a table of six 1
  st-level 
  characters, or try to enlist higher-level 
  characters to play at that table. 
  2. Advise characters to buy riding dogs to 
  help protect them, and fight for them. All 
  riding dogs are considered trained to 
  attack. PCs who want their dogs to attack 
  must succeed at a Handle Animal or 
  Charisma check (DC 10). Failure indicates 
  that the animal will not attack that round. 
  This is a free action (spoken command) 
  that may be attempted each round. If an 
  animal loses half or more hp in a single 
  round it flees, unless another check is 
  successful. 
   
  TIME UNITS AND UPKEEP 
  This is a mini-scenario for Living Greyhawk, taking 
  place in the region of Sunndi. All characters pay 
  one Time Unit to participate in the adventure. 
  Adventures’ Standard Upkeep costs 12 gp. Rich 
  
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  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 4 
  Upkeep costs 50 gp, and Luxury Upkeep costs 
  100 gp. 
   
  Adventure Summary and 
  Background 
  This is a mini-module. The nature of mini-modules 
  is such that they are not play-tested to ensure 
  appropriate 
  challenge; 
  all 
  participants 
  must 
  understand that this is a risk 
   
  Sunndi is a country that has suffered under the 
  iron fist of an insane tyrant for centuries. As such 
  her citizens truly appreciate their own freedom and 
  they are inclined to help other nations in their 
  battles against oppressors. Still, there is a deep 
  fear that such active involvement might cause 
  anger 
  and 
  resentment 
  from 
  powerful 
  and 
  dangerous fractions in the Flanaess. So for now all 
  they are doing is discussing whether they should 
  help or not.  
   
  One particular citizen though has got more 
  then enough of talking. He has suffered under the 
  Scarlet Brotherhood and he wants to take action. 
  So that man -Cohen
  1- started collecting weapons 
  during his adventures in the hope to once give 
  these weapons to the Freedom Fighters of 
  Onnwal. Cohen has not been particular secretive 
  about his collection and the reason why he is 
  collecting those weapons. So the Veil of the Sun -
  the intelligence organization of Sunndi- has heard 
  about it. While at the moment Sunndi is not 
  allowed to offer any official support, people like 
  Hazendel and the leaders of the Veil do want to 
  help. So they decided to provide Cohen with some 
  more weapons. As an independent citizen Cohen 
  is free to do whatever he likes without any serious 
  diplomatic repercussions.  
   
  So they use an agent to contact Cohen and 
  offer him a cache of weapons. The agent is 
  disguised as a young merchant and the son of a 
  dead partisan. According to the merchant he found 
  a secret stash of weapons a little while ago. His 
  father probably hid these weapons sometime 
  during the occupation by the Great Kingdom. The 
  weapons are gathering dust and the merchant 
  wants the weapons to be used for some good 
  cause. That is what his father would have wanted. 
  The merchant supposedly did some research of 
  who would do the right thing with these weapons 
  and that lead to Cohen. 
                                              
  1 Cohen is an actual PC in Sunndi who has been 
  collecting weapons since he escaped from the 
  clutches of the Scarlet Brotherhood. 
   
  If Cohen is interested, the merchant will 
  arrange this cache of weapons to be transported to 
  a prearranged spot where the Cohen can collect it. 
  This mini-module will be about this transport.  
   
  An agent of the Scarlet Brotherhood somehow 
  heard about this weapon transport and decided to 
  arrange an ambush in which the weapons should 
  be destroyed. Since this agent is rather ambitious 
  and not too sure on the correctness of his 
  information, he decided to keep it secret from his 
  superiors. Instead he hired a several mercenaries 
  to ambush the caravan from his own money. 
  These mercenaries are specialized people who 
  use rust monster(s) to disable heavy armored 
  opponents.  
   
  These mercenaries are not as skilled or 
  careful as the average Scarlet Brotherhood agent. 
  Due to their carelessness the PCs will hear about 
  the ambush, giving them the opportunity to 
  prevent it.  
   
  Note: The players might wonder what those 
  weapons are doing in the northern part of 
  Brennathar, but they should realize that this area 
  was the perfect spot for partisans to hide. While 
  not very densely populated, the hills are perfect 
  for cattle and sheep and there are numerous small 
  gem mines in the area. Of course, for the Veil 
  (who know there is a real hide-out in that area) it 
  was also an easy way to transport weapons 
  unnoticed out of the Glorioles. 
   
   
  Introduction 
  The PCs are travelling through the wilderness of 
  northern Sunndi looking for a good place to camp, 
  when they spot a light in the distance. The source 
  of the light is clearly a campfire, but who will be 
  sitting around the flames? Will they be friendly or 
  do they belong to a band of outlaws? 
   
  Encounter One - A Feast in the Wilderness 
  At the campsite the PCs will meet a group of 
  outlaws drinking heavily from a recently stolen 
  barrel of wine. During this encounter the PCs will 
  learn about an ambush on a weapon caravan, 
  which the outlaws planning to ambush the 
  ambushers. With a bit of skill the PCs probably 
  will also learn where this ambush will take place. 
   
  Encounter Two - Bad Weather 
  Preventing the ambush will require speed, so 
  there is no time to return to civilisation to acquire 
  help from the authorities. Besides, in Sunndi the 
  authorities expect the citizens to take their 
  protection in their own hands when the army is not 
  around to defend them. During the journey the 
  PCs will feel the wrath of the weather gods. 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
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  Encounter Three - At the Ambush Site 
  How the PCs approach the ambush is completely 
  up to them. The intention is that they will get at the 
  caravan before the caravan is ambushed and they 
  might ambush the ambushers. Though when they 
  are incredibly slow, they might be too late. When 
  they ambush the ambushers though, they will 
  learn that these mercenaries are using rust 
  monsters that hard way.  
   
  Conclusion – A touch of Rust 
  If the PCs manage to save most of the weapon 
  load they will earn the gratitude of the merchant, 
  who unknown to the PCs also is an agent of the 
  Veil of the Sun. This will be especially true if the 
  PC showed intelligence and subtlety in their 
  approach of the problem. Of course, the merchant 
  will also mention the name of the PCs to Cohen. 
  How he treats them is up to the player of Cohen. 
   
  In Encounter 3 the PCs also have got a 
  chance to capture the Scarlet Brotherhood agent 
  behind the attack. They are also free to let the 
  man go, but to go to the authorities with his 
  description. If they chose for the first option they 
  will get a monetary reward for their actions. If 
  instead they chose to ignore the man -as the 
  merchant subtly tries to suggest- they will garner 
  even more support from the Veil. After all, the 
  man might give them a much-needed opening into 
  the workings of the Scarlet Brotherhood within 
  Sunndi. 
   
  Introduction 
  Before the adventure is started, explain that the 
  PCs have been on the road for some time. 
  Whether they have been patrolling the northern 
  borders of Sunndi are returning to New Keep, 
  simply wandering through the wilderness or on 
  their way to the north from Pitchfield is entirely up 
  to the players. Let them come up with a good 
  reason for being together. As long as they are in 
  the northern hills of county Brennathar there is no 
  problem, since that is where this adventure starts. 
   
  Once the players have properly introduced 
  their characters to each other and prepared any 
  spells for that day proceed with the following text. 
   
  It has been a tiresome day for all of you. As 
  usual the temperatures and humidity have 
  been high. The rocky hills offer little protection 
  against the burning sun and there is not much 
  wind. Since you have been traveling the whole 
  day, you are all tired and most of you long for 
  a 
  cool 
  bath. 
  The 
  evening 
  is 
  rapidly 
  approaching, but as of yet you have not seen a 
  good place to camp. Finally, you decide you 
  might as well make camp at the little stream 
  down in the valley. It takes you some time to 
  get at the foot of the hill and by the time you 
  are down the last sunrays disappear behind 
  the hills to the West. 
   
  Then, to your surprise, you see the 
  flickering light of what appears to be a bonfire 
  about probably 1 km further upstream. Only 
  fools would light such a huge fire in this area. 
  Even the bands of orcs and hobgoblins that 
  retreat into this area after raiding more 
  civilized parts of Sunndi in general are more 
  careful then that. Still, a band of orcs might 
  actually be arrogant enough to light exactly 
  such a fire. 
   
  Let the players discuss what they want to do on 
  this point. If they show little interest in the fire, 
  remind them that the fire is directly on their path. 
  In the wilderness it also is very stupid to leave 
  possible 
  enemies 
  behind 
  without 
  at 
  least 
  assessing the danger they pose. If the PCs still 
  decide to avoid the campsite, the band of outlaws 
  will ambush the PCs the next day. Then these 
  raiders are not drunk and fully alert. For more 
  details see the notes at the end of Encounter One. 
  Proceed to Encounter One if the PCs decide to 
  investigate the bonfire. 
   
  Encounter One - A Feast in 
  the Wilderness 
  The bonfire has been light by a band of outlaws 
  who recently plundered a small group of 
  mineworkers who where on their way to a mine 
  with supplies. Among the supplies there were 
  several barrels of wine and the outlaws are 
  celebrating their victory. These outlaws are quite 
  brutal and arrogant due to past victories and the 
  alcohol. Their leader, Grak Manstomper, is a 
  particular brutal and crude half-orc. He has got a 
  price on his head and he is proud of it. The real 
  leader though is Keral, a charismatic and 
  manipulative sorcerer who prefers to let Grak 
  believe him self to be in charge of the group. Keral 
  is not a coward, but he is extremely practical and 
  a very good actor. 
   
  A map of their campsite can be found at 
  appendix I: Maps. On this map four distinctive 
  features can be seen. The outlaws are camping on 
  the banks of a small clear pond, perfect for 
  swimming and drinking. Approaching the outlaws 
  from this side will be difficult, but if the bandits 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 6 
  want to flee in this direction it will also hinder 
  them. The pond is about 7 feet deep on the 
  deepest point and both the bank and bottom are 
  made out of small rocks. To the north there are 
  several large boulders, which provide several 
  good places to sleep when it is raining. It is also a 
  perfect spot for guarding the area. Keral can be 
  found here. The outlaws also stashed some of 
  their loot here. Thirdly there is a pile of sacks, 
  chest and one (or more) barrels lying on a heap. 
  This is the loot of the day and the barrels are open 
  to provide the outlaws with their drinks. Finally, 
  there is a tree to which a man is bound. The man 
  has obviously been tortured and in fact he is 
  already dead by the time the PCs arrive. The state 
  this man is in should clearly show the PCs with 
  what kind of brutes they are dealing.  
   
  This prisoner was a messenger to the 
  mercenaries and the Scarlet Brotherhood agent. 
  He carried a warning that a group of adventurers 
  was going to meet with the weapon caravan. He 
  was fully aware of both the ambush and the route 
  of the caravan. By now Keral and Grak know 
  about everything that his man knows, except for 
  the fact that the mercenaries were planning of 
  using rust monsters in the ambush. Keral and 
  Grak immediately decided to go to the spot of the 
  ambush. They will wait there for the mercenaries 
  to attack the weapons caravan and then attack 
  whoever survives that fight. They are figuring out 
  that victory should be relatively easy. Of course, 
  they let the prisoner draw a map and this can be 
  found among Grak’s possessions. The outlaws will 
  also be discussing their plans loudly during the 
  celebration. 
   
  The PCs might decide to openly approach the 
  outlaws, and in fact this might not be such a bad 
  tactic. The outlaws do not want to fight at the 
  moment, so they will welcome the PCs with open 
  arms, inviting them to celebrate their victory over 
  some local raiders. The prisoner was one of those 
  raiders who did not want to tell where they had 
  hidden the loot. The outlaws are no fools though 
  and the moment the PCs arrive, they stop 
  drinking, while they try to get the PCs drunk. If that 
  does not work, they will try to slit the throats of the 
  PCs during their sleep. The PCs might also decide 
  to wait until the outlaws get into an alcoholic 
  induced torpor, but that will not happen. At a 
  certain point Keral will simply put an end to the 
  festivities. Of course, they will still be relatively 
  easy to surprise. 
   
  Tactics: Except for Keral all outlaws are drunk. 
  This has not been taken into account in their 
  statistics below. They suffer a -4 circumstantial 
  penalty on listen and spot checks, as well as a -2 
  penalty to both dexterity and constitution. Of 
  course, they will not be very tactical. Keral on the 
  other hand will try to dispose opponents as quickly 
  as possible. He will try to flee as soon as it is 
  apparent they are going to lose the battle with the 
  PCs. If that is impossible, he will surrender, 
  offering information for his life. Grak will fight to 
  the death, unless the PCs manage to capture him 
  alive. 
   
  When the outlaws are the ones ambushing the 
  PCs, they will attack from higher ground, using 
  their bows to attack. They will be spread out fairly 
  much and they are taking cover behind rocks. In 
  all APLs Keral will be protected by a shield spell. 
  In APL 6, Keral will have himself, Grak and two 
  other outlaws protected by protection from normal 
  arrows. 
   
  Treasure: Under the rock (location 4) there is a 
  stash of coins and gems well hidden. A search 
  check DC 20 will locate this stash (DC 15 if 
  specifically looking under the rock). Of course, a 
  captured outlaw might also tell the location to the 
  PCs. 
   
  APL 2 (EL 5) 
  • Grak Manstomper: Male half-orc Brb1; CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid (orc/human); HD 1d12+3; 
  hp 15; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (touch 11, 
  flat-footed 14); Atk +5 melee (1d12+6/x3 great ax) 
  or +2 ranged (1d8, longbow); SQ rage 1/day, dark 
  vision 60 ft.; AL NE; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will -1; 
  Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 6. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Intimidate +2, Wilderness 
  Lore +3; Power Attack. 
   
  Possessions: Scale mail, great axe, longbow, 
  quiver +20 arrows, dagger, wooden symbol of 
  Erythnul. 
   
  • Keral: Male human Sor1; CR 1; Medium-size 
  humanoid (human); HD 1d4+1; hp 5; Init +6 (Dex, 
  Impr. Init.); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 12, flat-footed 
  10); Atk -1 melee (1d4-1/19-20 x2, dagger) or +2 
  ranged (1d8/19-20 x2, light crossbow); AL NE; SV 
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 
  12, Wis 10, Cha 16. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Concentration +5, 
  Knowledge [arcane] +5, Spellcraft +5; Combat 
  Casting, Improved Initiative. 
   
  Spells known (5/4; Base save DC = 13 + spell 
  level): 0 - daze, detect magic, detect poison, read 
  magic; 1
  st lvl - magic missile, expeditious retreat. 
   
  Possessions: Travelers outfit, dagger, light 
  crossbow, quiver +20 bolts. 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 7 
   
  Arrow (hawk familiar): Tiny magical beast; hp 
  2; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 10 ft. fly 60 ft. (average); AC 
  18 (touch 15, flat-footed 15); Atk +5 melee (1d4-
  2); SQ alertness, improved evasion, share spells, 
  empathic link; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2; 
  Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 6; Listen 
  +6, Spot +6 (+14 in daylight). 
   
  • Outlaws (4): Male humans War1; CR ½; 
  Medium-size humanoids (human); HD 1d8; hp 5; 
  Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 
  14); Atk +2 melee (1d8+1/19-20 x2, long sword) or 
  +3 ranged (1d6/x3, shortbow); AL NE; SV Fort +2, 
  Ref +2, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10, 
  Wis 10, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal +2, 
  Jump +5, Ride +4; Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot. 
   
  Possessions: Leather, large wooden shield, 
  long sword, dagger, shortbow, quiver +20 arrow. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 7) 
  • Grak Manstomper: Male half-orc Brb3; CR 3; 
  Medium-size humanoid (orc/human); HD 3d12+9; 
  hp 34; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 11, 
  flat-footed 15); Atk +8 melee (1d12+6/x3 great ax) 
  or +4 ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); SQ rage 1/day, 
  dark vision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to 
  AC); AL NE; SV Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +0; Str 18, 
  Dex 12, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 6. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Intimidate +2, Intuit Direction 
  +2, Wilderness Lore +4; Power Attack, Cleave. 
   
  Possessions: breast plate, masterwork great 
  axe, longbow, quiver +20 arrows, dagger, wooden 
  symbol of Erythnul. 
   
  • Keral: Male human Sor3; CR 3; Medium-size 
  humanoid (human); HD 3d4+3; hp 12; Init +6 
  (Dex, Impr. Init.); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 12, flat-
  footed 10); Atk +0 melee (1d4-1/19-20 x2, dagger) 
  or +3 ranged (1d8/19-20 x2, light crossbow); AL 
  NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 14, 
  Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +6, Concentration +7, 
  Knowledge [arcane] +7, Spellcraft +7; Combat 
  Casting, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot. 
   
  Spells known (6/6; Base save DC = 13 + spell 
  level): 0 - daze, detect magic, detect poison, read 
  magic, flare; 1
  st lvl - expeditious retreat, magic 
  missile, shield. 
   
  Possessions: Travelers outfit, dagger, light 
  crossbow, quiver +20 bolts. 
   
  Arrow (hawk familiar): Tiny magical beast; hp 
  6; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 10 ft. fly 60 ft. (average); AC 
  19 (touch 15, flat-footed 16); Atk +6 melee (1d4-
  2); SQ alertness, improved evasion, share spells, 
  empathic link, touch; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, 
  Will +3; Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 
  6; Listen +6, Spot +6 (+14 in daylight). 
   
  • Outlaws (4): Male human Ftr1; CR 1; Medium-
  size humanoids (human); HD 1d10+4; hp 10; Init 
  +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); 
  Atk +2 melee (1d8+1/19-20 x2, long sword) or +3 
  ranged (1d6/x3, shortbow); AL NE; SV Fort +3, 
  Ref +2, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 10, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal +2, 
  Jump +5, Ride +4; Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, 
  Toughness. 
   
  Possessions: Leather, large wooden shield, 
  long sword, dagger, shortbow, quiver +20 arrow. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  • Grak Manstomper: Male half-orc Brb5; CR 5; 
  Medium-size 
  humanoid 
  (orc/human); 
  HD 
  5d12+15; hp 53; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 
  (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +10 melee 
  (1d12+6/x3 great ax) or +6 ranged (1d8+2/x3, 
  longbow); SQ rage 2/day, dark vision 60 ft., 
  uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC, can’t be 
  flanked); AL NE; SV Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 
  18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Intimidate +2, Intuit Direction 
  +3, Wilderness Lore +5; Power Attack, Cleave. 
   
  Possessions: breast plate, masterwork great 
  axe, longbow, quiver +20 arrows, dagger, wooden 
  holy symbol of Erythnul. 
   
  • Keral: Male human Sor5; CR 5; Medium-size 
  humanoid (human); HD 5d4+5; hp 19; Init +6 
  (Dex, Impr. Init.); Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (touch 12, flat-
  footed 10); Atk +1 melee (1d4-1/19-20 x2, dagger) 
  or +4 ranged (1d8/19-20 x2, light crossbow); AL 
  NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 14, 
  Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 17. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Bluff +7, Concentration +9, 
  Knowledge [arcane] +9, Spellcraft +9; Combat 
  Casting, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot. 
   
  Spells known (6/6/5; Base save DC = 13 + 
  spell level): 0 - daze, detect magic, detect poison, 
  read magic, flare, light; 1
  st lvl - expeditious retreat, 
  magic missile, protection from good, shield; 2
  nd lvl 
  - alter self, protection from arrows. 
   
  Possessions: Travelers outfit, dagger, light 
  crossbow, quiver +20 bolts. 
   
  Arrow (hawk familiar): Tiny magical beast; hp 
  9; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 10 ft. fly 60 ft. (average); AC 
  20 (touch 15, flat-footed 17); Atk +7 melee (1d4-
  2); SQ alertness, improved evasion, share spells, 
  empathic link, touch, speak with master; AL N; SV 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 8 
  Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 
  8, Wis 14, Cha 6; Listen +6, Spot +6 (+14 in 
  daylight). 
   
  • Outlaws (4): Male human Ftr2; CR 2; Medium-
  size humanoids (human); HD 2d10+5; hp 17; Init 
  +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 12, flat-footed 16); 
  Atk +3 melee (1d8+1/19-20 x2, long sword) or +4 
  ranged (1d8/x3, long bow); AL NE; SV Fort +4, 
  Ref +2, Will +0; Str 13, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, 
  Wis 10, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +5, Handle Animal +2, 
  Jump +5, Ride +4; Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, 
  Toughness, Dodge. 
   
  Possessions: Chain shirt, large wooden shield, 
  long sword, dagger, longbow, quiver +20 arrow. 
   
  Encounter 2 - Bad Weather 
  The distance between the camp of the outlaws 
  and the ambush site is about 30 miles through hills 
  without any trail. In these hills trails lead to 
  civilization so the PCs might pass several trails 
  they cannot follow them. That means for a group 
  of medium-sized PCs without heavy armor it will 
  take 3 days to get there. More then likely it will 
  take 4 days. A forced march will obviously reduce 
  this time. At the first night after having seen the 
  bonfire the following encounter will take place. 
   
  Sunndi is infamous for it’s weather. Though 
  that concerns mainly the high temperatures 
  combined with a high humidity, in the right season 
  thunderstorms and flashfloods can cause a lot of 
  trouble as well. This is especially true in the hills 
  the PCs are in. Any PC with even a little bit of 
  knowledge on weather will realize that that night 
  they will more then likely be in the middle of a 
  thunderstorm. If none of the players realize the 
  danger such a storm might pose, allow them to roll 
  a wilderness lore check DC 10. 
   
  The thunderstorm will last for a full 4 hours, 
  and it will drizzle until sunrise afterwards. During 
  the thunderstorm visibility is reduced by half, 
  imposing a -8 penalty to all Spot, Search, and 
  Listen checks. Any creature further away then 5 ft. 
  also has got one-half concealment. Lightning bolts 
  are a considerable threat on the top of the hills. 
  The players should not ignore this danger. Each 
  hour there is 10% chance one random PC will be 
  hit by APL x 2d8 dmg lightning bolt (reflex DC 14 
  for ½). 
   
  Flash floods on the other hand threaten those 
  hiding on the slopes and in the valleys. A 
  successful wilderness lore check DC 15 allows the 
  PC to find a save spot on time. Make this check in 
  secret to make the players sweat. Let them think 
  the world will end, because a thunderstorm in 
  open hills is never a pleasure. If the check fails 
  they will get in a flash flood. Everybody in a flash 
  flood needs to make a fortitude save DC 15 to 
  prevent being washed away. Those washed away 
  take 1d6 subdual damage per round. A swim 
  check DC 15 is needed to get out of the water, 
  while a check of 10 reduces the damage to 1d3 
  subdual damage. PCs will not drown, if they do not 
  get out by themselves they will wash ashore 
  unconscious. 
   
  The rest of the journey will be relatively 
  uneventful. It is not that the hills are deserted, but 
  most creatures avoid groups of heavily armored 
  people. If the PCs are looking for humans, they 
  can find a small group of miners about 20 miles 
  from the bonfire. These are a suspicious grim lot 
  quick to grab their weapons. After some tough 
  negotiations though they are willing to sell food, 
  clothes and minor mining supplies (like rope and 
  pitons) to the PCs for double the PHB price. They 
  will not help the PCs in their fight against anything. 
   
  Encounter 3 - At the Ambush 
  Site 
  The weapon caravan consists of only one wagon. 
  There are two warriors on horses guarding the 
  caravan. An old sturdy grim dwarf with yellow 
  teeth and a love for foul language drives the 
  wagon. The dwarf is past his prime and he will 
  prefer to stay out of combat. He is not afraid to 
  use the mace in his girdle and the whip in his 
  hands though. The merchant Deris will also be on 
  the wagon. This man hides under the wagon at the 
  first sign of trouble though. He is a merchant and a 
  spy, and he is fully aware his skill with weapons is 
  bad. The amount of guards may seem low to the 
  PCs, but Deris has made sure the area he was 
  traveling through were heavily patrolled prior to 
  their journey. He is not expecting any trouble and 
  he wants to keep his role as a relatively poor 
  merchant up. 
   
  It is fairly important to keep an eye on the 
  weapons and armor in the wagon during this 
  encounter. Since the PCs know where they will be 
  ambushed, they might decide to hide the weapons 
  and armor. In that case though they will get the full 
  interest of the rust monsters. So while they will be 
  saving the weapons, they might be risking their 
  own. In that case the leader of the mercenaries, a 
  sturdy woman of Oeridian decent who listens to 
  the name Ysena, will quickly realize this is the 
  case based on the behavior of her rust monsters. 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 9 
  In a higher APL she might actually notice it before 
  the ambush takes place. In that case she will 
  never attack, but simply follow the tracks of the 
  caravan backwards until she gets at the location of 
  the weapons. 
   
  In the wagon the following weapons and armor 
  can be found: 
  • 21 longsword 
  • 20 longbows 
  • 20 chain shirts 
  • 20 small wooden shields 
  • 1 large wooden shield 
  • 400 arrows 
  • 1 breastplates 
  • 21 daggers 
  • 1 masterwork longsword 
   
  Tactics: The human mercenaries will cause a 
  distraction by attacking the front of the caravan 
  with ranged weapons. They are spread out to 
  prevent easy destruction by spells and they use 
  the rocks for cover. Only after the initial attack will 
  Ysena release the rust monster(s). She will then 
  follow with the rust monster(s) to protect them. 
  Note the rust monster(s) will go to the biggest 
  source of metal. More then likely this will we the 
  load of weapons in the wagon. Only in self-
  defense will it attack the PCs (except perhaps 
  when a PC in plate mail is in the way). 
   
  None of these mercenaries is willing to fight to 
  the death and they will either flee or surrender 
  when Ysena is down (or gone) or when half of 
  their numbers are down. Ysena prefers surrender 
  above losing the rust monster. Since she has got a 
  good control over the aberrations, she has got a 
  good bargaining chip. 
   
  Remember, the mercenaries have been hired 
  to destroy the cargo. They will try not to kill PCs. If 
  at all possible they will try to stabilize PCs that go 
  down and they will never perform a coupe-de-
  grace.  
   
  APL 2 (EL 5) 
  • Ysena: Female human Ran1; CR 2; Medium-
  size humanoid (human); HD 1d10+1; hp 11; Spd 
  30 ft.; Init +3 (Dex); AC 17 (touch 13, flat-footed 
  14); Atk +1 melee (1d6, club) or +4 ranged 
  (1d8/x3, 
  longbow); 
  SQ 
  favored 
  enemy 
  - 
  aberrations (+1); AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will 
  +2; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 
  13. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +5, Handle 
  Animal +6, Hide +6, Move Silently +6, Wilderness 
  Lore +6; Track, Dodge, Mobility. 
   
  Possessions: Leather, large wooden shield, 
  club, longbow, quiver +20 arrows. 
   
  • Mercenaries (5): Male human War1; CR ½; 
  Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 1d8; hp 4; 
  Spd. 30 ft.; Init +2 (Dex); AC 14 (touch 12, flat-
  footed 14); Atk +1 melee (1d6, club) or +1 ranged 
  (1d6/x3, longbow); AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will 
  +0; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 
  10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Jump +3, Ride +4; 
  Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot. 
   
  Possessions: Leather, large wooden shield, 
  club, shortbow, quiver +20 arrows. 
   
  • Rust monster (1): CR 3; hp 27; See MM page 
  157. 
   
  APL 4 (EL 7) 
  • Ysena: Female human Ran1/Rog2; CR 3; 
  Medium-size 
  humanoid 
  (human); 
  HD 
  1d10+2d6+3; hp 20; Spd 30 ft.; Init +7 (Dex, Impr. 
  Init.); AC 18 (touch 13, flat-footed 15); Atk +2 
  melee (1d6, club) or +5 ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); 
  SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ favored enemy - 
  aberrations (+1), evasion; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref 
  +6, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 
  14, Cha 13. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +5, Climb 
  +4, Handle Animal +6, Hide +9, Listen +4, Move 
  Silently +9, Spot +4, Tumble +9, Wilderness Lore 
  +6; Track, Dodge, Mobility, Improved Initiative. 
   
  Possessions: Masterwork studded leather, 
  large wooden shield, club, longbow, quiver +20 
  arrows. 
   
  • Mercenaries (5): Male human Ftr1; CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 1d10+1; hp 
  11; Spd. 30 ft.; Init +3 (Dex); AC 18 (touch 13, flat-
  footed 15); Atk +1 melee (1d6, club) or +4 ranged 
  (1d8/x3, longbow); AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will 
  +0; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 
  10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Jump +3, Ride +4; 
  Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Far Shot. 
   
  Possessions: Studded Leather, large wooden 
  shield, club, longbow, quiver +20 arrows. 
   
  • Rust monster (1): CR 3; hp 27; See MM page 
  157. 
   
  APL 6 (EL 9) 
  • Ysena: Female human Ran2/Rog3; CR 5; 
  Medium-size 
  humanoid 
  (human); 
  HD 
  2d10+3d6+5; hp 31; Spd 30 ft.; Init +7 (Dex, Impr. 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 10 
  Init.); AC 18 (touch 13, flat-footed 15); Atk +4 
  melee (1d6, club) or +7 ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); 
  SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ favored enemy - 
  aberrations (+1), evasion, uncanny dodge (Dex 
  bonus to AC); AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3; 
  Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +6, Climb 
  +7, Handle Animal +6, Hide +9, Listen +8, Move 
  Silently +9, Spot +8, Sense Motive +4, Tumble 
  +9, Wilderness Lore +8; Track, Dodge, Mobility, 
  Improved Initiative. 
   
  Possessions: Masterwork studded leather, 
  large wooden shield, club, longbow, quiver +20 
  arrows. 
   
  • Mercenaries (7): Male human Ftr1; CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 1d10+2; hp 
  12; Spd. 30 ft.; Init +3 (Dex); AC 18 (touch 13, flat-
  footed 15); Atk +2 melee (1d6+1, club) or +5 
  ranged (1d8/x3, longbow); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref 
  +3, Will +0; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 
  10, Cha 10. 
   
  Skills and Feats: Climb +3, Jump +3, Ride +4; 
  Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Far Shot. 
   
  Possessions: Studded Leather, large wooden 
  shield, club, longbow, quiver +10 masterwork 
  arrows, +10 normal arrows. 
   
  • Rust monsters (2): CR 3; hp 27; See MM page 
  157. 
   
  Conclusion - A Touch of Rust 
  The whole affair was put into motion by the 
  Scarlet Brotherhood agent is eltesh Dawar. He will 
  not fight along side the mercenaries. He is fully 
  aware that he is a bad combatant and he is a 
  coward. Instead he is observing the ambush from 
  the top of a hill nearby.  
   
  Only Ysena is aware of this. She also is the 
  only one who has spoken with him. When 
  questioned about who employed her, she will state 
  that she does not know the name of the man. He 
  was a tall man with long blond hair bound into a 
  ponytail with light blue eyes and a pale 
  complexion. The man was obviously of Suelese 
  decent. She was told that he was operating in 
  name of a group of troubled weapon smiths from 
  Pitchfield who wanted the dwarves from the 
  Glorioles stop producing weapons. This seemed 
  plausible to her. If she is confronted with the truth 
  about the weapon caravan, she will act rather 
  angry. She hates it when employers hire her for 
  the wrong reasons and she will immediately tell 
  that the man was more then likely observing the 
  ambush from a nearby hill. 
   
  If the PCs travel to that hill, he is more then 
  likely long gone. He has left reasonable easy to 
  follow tracks though (DC 15) and the PCs are free 
  to follow these tracks. They will catch up with the 
  man and they can arrest him. Dawar will not put 
  up a fight, but he will immediately surrender. Of 
  course, he will profess to be innocent. If Ysena is 
  alive she will recognize Dawar as the man who 
  employed her and her men. 
   
  The PCs can also decide not to follow the 
  man, but to make some careful notes on the 
  appearance of the man. If they hand over this 
  description together with the story of Ysena (and 
  preferably with Ysena) to the authorities in 
  Pitchfield they will make a favorable impression 
  on the Veil of the Sun. Deris, the merchant who 
  was transporting the weapons, will suggest this 
  course of action to the PCs. Though he will act like 
  he is not too sure about it. 
   
  Finally, if the PCs took evidence of their 
  defeat of Grak and show it to the authorities in 
  Pitchfield they will be given a monetary reward. 
  The amount is dependent on the APL in which this 
  adventure was played and it can be found at the 
  Treasure Summary. 
   
  Make sure that you as a DM fill in the 
  questionnaire in appendix Two and send it in to 
  the PoC of Sunndi (see http://Sundi.blackstar.nl) 
  or hand it over to a Triad member at the event at 
  which this game is run. If it is run after 12 August 
  2002 this is not truly necessary anymore, but it still 
  will be highly appreciated. 
   
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 11 
  Appendix One: Maps 
   
  Encounter 1 - Camp Outlaws 
   
   
  1. Bonfire 
  2. Loot 
  3. Dead prisoner 
  4. Hiding place stash 
  
  Dangerous Transport 
  [mini-scenario] 
  Page 12 
  Appendix Two: Questionnaire 
   
  • The name of the DM: .                                                                               
  . 
   
  • The name of the players and their character: 
  1.                                                                                                                         
  . 
  2.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  3.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  4.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  5.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  6.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
   
  • What happened to Grak Manstopper and Keral? 
   
   
   
  • What did the PCs do with Ysena and her rust monsters? Did they survive? Were they 
  captured? Did they flee? Did Ysena made a bargain with the PCs? If so what kind of 
  bargain? 
   
   
   
  • Did any of the weapons and armor of the weapon transport get destroyed by the rust 
  monster(s)? If so, make a list of the weapons and armor that survived. 
   
   
   
  • What did the PCs do with the Scarlet Brotherhood agent Dawar? 
   
   
   
   
  
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