Worldwide Adventure Writing Month

[shirak]

Set-up: A wealthy family in a coastal town offers to pay the party to find their kidnapped daughter. The daughter was taken by some pirates who have been extorting goods/money/etc from the town. If the party asks about the pirates, the villagers report that the pirate king uses fire.

The DeVice family has been living in the City (replace with coastal city name of your choice) for several years. They made a fortune a few decades back through the establishment of a standard trade route with Big City (replace with major port name of your choice). Unfortunately, the wealth and goods that came in the city attracted vermin: pirates! The Dread Pirate LeSigh and his crew have been praying on the City for many decades. The damage until now was relatively small and not worth the attention of authority (a number of bribes also helped ease things). A few days ago, however, all this changed. The youngest daughter of the DeVice family, Damsel DeVice, was kidnapped! The Dread Pirate left behind a note penned with the blood of Damsel's nanny and pinned with a dagger on Damsel's beloved bunny. The note demanded ransom. Damsel's father, Plotius DeVice, instead decided to hire adventurers to bring back his daughter. He chose the PCs!

Encounter #1: One of the Pirates, a half-green dragon 2nd level warrior Dwarf, demands tribute from the town. If the party tries to intervene in any way, the dwarf breathes on them, then attacks.

The PCs arrive in the City having been notified of Plotius DeVice's offer. As their boat reaches port, they hear a bellowing voice coming from behind a pile of crates. The owner of the voice is a half-drunk Dwarf. His hands have long claws and his mouth looks like a snout. The skin next to his beard is reflecting softly the sun's light. It is not skin but scales! The drunk loudly proclaims himself the master of the City and demands tribute of "wine, women and gold". When a young man refuses to acknowledge him, the Dwarf becomes enraged and slashes the poor man's throat, killing him on the spot. The sailors panic and start screaming for the guards as the Dwarf closes in on the hapless peasants, ready for another kill.

Encounter #2: A low DC Gather Information check reveals that the pirates have a bunch of rowboats they use to go to and from the island. If the party takes one of the boats, on the way to the island (about 2/3s of the way there), a wyrmling black dragon attacks from underwater, breathing acid on the party and attacking their boat when it's breathe weapon is unavailable, so they will have to swim the rest of the way to shore.

After being saved, the sailors willingly talk! The point the PCs to the rowboat the Dwarf used to reach the town and claim the PCs can also use some of the fishing boats from the nearby fishing village. They even offer to escort the PCs and help them pack their gear. A brave young lad, the brother of the sailor first killed offers to take them himself to the pirate's island. The lad's name is Spot and he quickly and efficiently begins rowing.

Unfortunately for the PCs and poor Spot, the Dread Pirate LeSigh was prepared and released his pet and long-time friend on the water: a Black Dragon wyrmling! The Dragon decides to play with his food and instead of fighting the PCs tries to attack the boat. He uses his breath weapon and wicked claws to tear large holes in the dinky rowboat. Unless the PCs stop the attack, they will have to swim to the shore and try again. The Dragon of course is not satisfied and will try to open holes on the PCs too! It will use the same tactics and be very predictable, giving the PCs a significant advantage.

Encounter #3: Once on shore, en guard, bitches. I will assume you know what I mean.

Once they reach the shore of the pirate's island, the PCs find themselves surrounded. Most pirates on the island are first level Rogues but there are a lot of them (crew of 30 plus associated hangers-on) showing up in groups so collectively they count as CR 3. The pirates are armed with rapiers and will try to flank and Sneak Attack. Some of the have alchemical supplies from a ship they looted a while back. These pirates will try to Sneak Attack with vials of Acid or use Tanglefoot Bags on the PCs.

Encounter #4: There is a main door to a tower built against a cliff face, it's about 2 stories high with a main front door and a platform on the roof with a staircase leading into the tower. If the party enters the front door, it is attacked by a 3rd level Tiefling wizard that has a silent image of a big rock over it. The Tiefling casts Web, then Cloud of Bewilderment, then Shadow Spray on the party. His familiar, a monkey with a little hat (the hat has 2 feathers), will juggle Quaal's Feather token whips to hit the party. If the party came in through the roof, the Tiefling will attack them when they come down the staircase from above. In this room is a captive that will tell the party about the Rod of Water Breathing in the room in Enounter #5, and the location of the kidnapped girl.

The PCs finally meet some decent opposition! The second lieutenant of the pirate ship is a cowardly Wizard. His tactics involve trapping the PCs instead of simply killing them which will prove a big mistake in the long run. Although it is out of character, the DM might want to throw a few Magic Missiles at the players after the Wizard completes the attack routine shown above.

Encounter #5: If the party entered through the roof, a bat swarm attacks as they go down the stairs. In this room is a Rod of Water Breathing, that allows full speech underwater. If they came from below, the bats will attack them on that staircase instead.

A few bats should be no problem for our heroes! Play up the swarm's desperate behavior if the PCs think to use fire against them. The swarm will not stop attacking as it is panicked but fire will truly make the bats mad. The Rod of Water Breathing is a useful item but it bears the DeVice family crest and seems more an heirloom than a standard magic items. Remember to impose alignment penalties if the PCs think to keep this item for themselves!

Encounter #6: Behind the room in encounter #4 is a storeroom, with food in it, and a pool in the back. If the party is in the room for more than 3 rounds without saying the command word, a magic trap will begin casting Power Word, Pain and Power Word, Fatigue on a random person in the tower once a round (both are cast every round).

This room is actually not important in any way. The pirates trapped it to mislead any do-gooders that happen along into wasting time exploring this room instead of attacking. To further bait your players, be sure to describe the pool as murky and avoid giving definite answers on what the room contains. Mention a few gleams (as if from gold coins) and they'll be sure to fall for it, just like real people would react in this situation.

After some fruitless searching, you should describe a part of the pool's bottom as fake. The PCs open it to reveal a secret passage. Still, the players should have the Rod so they'll soon continue to:

Encounter #7: The pool of water leads to a water-filled tunnel about 300 ft long. Halfway in, an Allip attacks the party if they don't say the password.

Make sure your players think they have outsmarted the pirates. In fact, this is part of the trap as the guardian Allip proves.

Encounter #8: 2 bound Lantern Archon shoot at the party as they climb out of the water, then climb the stairs to the balcony where the Archons sit. IT should take 4 or 5 rounds at full speed to reach them.

The PCs finally reach clean water. A waterfall empties into the pool from which the players emerge but is drained at the bottom without affecting the murky water. The PCs must be quick on their feet to escape from this fiendish, or rather Celestial, trap! The time suggested above takes into account one round to unlock the iron door at the top of the stairs. If the PCs lack the proper equipment, they'll have to break the lock and this could take longer.

Encounter #9: In a large courtyard, a Kobold Sorcerer, a Kobold Cleric, a Hobgoblin Swashbuckler, and a Hobgoblin Rogue, all first level with Improved Initiative and armed with Amber Amulets of Vermin (Huge Monstrous Scorpion), are having tea and playing cards. The party interrupted their, uh, party. They use their amulets as their first action.

Beyond the courtyard a barracks with Encounter #9's treasure, and a hallway that ends with a locked door.

Finally a proper battle! Well, not really. The four lieutenants lack proper equipment as they have been tricked into buying "lucky scorpion amulets" instead of swords and armor. This should be a fun lesson on not believing everything you are told!

Encounter #10: Beyond the locked door is a thin passageway that the party must squeeze through. The walls are covered i Brown Mold.

The horrible hygiene of the Dread Pirate LeSigh means that this tunnel is covered in Brown Mold. You should pepper the rooms beyond with patches of Brown Mold. If LeSigh can't be bothered to clean a whole tunnel of the stuff, he can't be bothered to deal with the occasional patch.

Encounter #11: At the end of the passage way is a door. In the room beyond the door curtains blocking sight to the sides of the room. Waiting behind the curtains are zombies (3 CR worth), one of whom throws Dust of Sneezing and Choking as his first action, another bars the door back, if the party doesn't give the password in 3 rounds, or touches the curtains. There is a locked door on the other side of the room.

The zombies here are slow and stupid like all Zombies. But LeSigh has programmed them himself with characteristic deviousness. Not that this little problem can't be solved with a good Turn Undead check! You might want to have a Desecrate effect here to toughen up the zombies a bit.

Encounter #12: Beyond a long hallway is a wide opening, right after a corner, into a smallish room. In the room is the kidnapped girl and the Pirate King: A 4th level Swordsage Afflicted Werewolf who is currently stuck in human form. His maneuvers are: Blistering Flourish(not readied), Mighty Throw(not readied), Counter Charge, Wolf Fang Strike (not readied), Sudden Leap, Clever Positioning, Action Before Thought, Burning Brand, and Shadow Jaunt (not readied). He wields a light mace, and has the Desert Wind Dodge, Mobility, and Spring Attack feats. He has Weapon Focus (kukri) from his Swordsage levels, and Insightful Strike(Tiger Claw). He also has a cold resistance ring to protect him from the brown mold.

The Dread Pirate LeSigh is actually not a Dread Pirate, just a hopeful! However, he is a skilled swordsman, having learned the arts of battle in a monastery in the East. After dispatching him, the PCs release Damsel from her bonds and can take her back to her father.


Personal note #1: I really like patronizing DMs. Does it show?

Personal note #2: I tried to give some useful advice here and there. Hope it is appreciated by whoever runs this thing.

Personal note #3: Stat your own damn monsters.

Comments?

[Amra]

Encounter #1: One of the Pirates, a half-green dragon 2nd level warrior Dwarf, demands tribute from the town. If the party tries to intervene in any way, the dwarf breathes on them, then attacks.

"As you walk up the main street of the village, you hear a commotion from up ahead. You see villagers hurrying into buildings and slamming doors behind them; nobody takes any notice of you or wastes any time on explanations. As the crowd thins, you see a well-dressed elderly gentleman being menaced by a filthy-looking dwarf in a ripped and torn seacoat and stained green boots. As you approach, you can see that the dwarf is hideously misshapen, with a protruding jaw, leathery-looking mottled skin and large teeth and claws. The pair stand under a tavern sign - the Poisoned Parrot - as the dwarf holds a muck-encrusted scimitar to the old man's throat and bellows in his face. 'Money! Now!' he roars, and the old man - his back pressed against the tavern wall - nods frantically and scrabbles at his belt for his pouch. 'Please... please don't kill me!', he begs. There is a faint, acrid scent on the breeze."

The elderly man's name is Darnholm Brask, owner and ex-proprietor of the Poisoned Parrot. The "dwarf" is actually a half-green-dragon dwarven warrior; Vivikak Scalearm, a henchman of the Pirate King, here to demand "taxes" from the wealthier citizens of the village. If the party fail to intervene, Darnholm will hand over the money and Vivikak will strut away in the opposite direction to find his next victim. If the party attempt to interfere in any way, Vivikak breathes and attacks.

***

Is this the sort of thing you're after?

[Amra]

Didn't realise there was a second page when I posted... ignore me... Sorry shirak!

[Cielingcat]

"En guard, bitches" means Monstrous Crab.

[Neeek]

shirak: I like the condescending DM tone you've got working there.

Amra: Yes, that's the sort of thing.

CC: Yes, "En guard, bitches" mean GIANT CRAB!!! (battle).

[Crissa]

Looks like your Flavour text fits in perfectly with the scene instructions from shiiak.

-Crissa

[User3]

Can we make that final encounter easier, and higher CR? I'm thinking some sorcerer and monk levels would round things out nicely.

[Neeek]

1182816431[/unixtime]]Can we make that final encounter easier, and higher CR? I'm thinking some sorcerer and monk levels would round things out nicely.

We could, but we were trying to avoid making it obvious how badly he sucked.

[shirak]

GIANT CRAB!

Yeah, I know. But we have to fit the pirate's crew somewhere and this is a pirate adventure anyway.


Alright, alright, I'll go over it again. How about this:

ALTERNATE ENCOUNTER #3

As the PC reach the shore, they should roll Spot Checks. Hidden halfway in the water and nearly submerged in the sand lies a Giant Crab (DC 25 to spot including the circumstance bonuses). The Crab springs to the attack as soon as it notices the PCs (it was not hiding but resting. it merely got submerged by the tide). The Crab will try to charge and attack a random PC. If it's Improved Grab ability works, the Crab will try to drag the PC to the water. Regardless, the PCs will have crab for dinner tonight!

1182816601[/unixtime]]

1182816431[/unixtime]]Can we make that final encounter easier, and higher CR? I'm thinking some sorcerer and monk levels would round things out nicely.

We could, but we were trying to avoid making it obvious how badly he sucked.

You should have tried making him something other than Swordsage then. How about a Water Wu Jen?


Btw, I am naming this adventure The Overkill Project. I am also developing The Underkill Project, an adventure designed to look impossible and be a piece of cake.

[Amra]

Well I'm happy to write flavour text and "stuff the DM reads out" to fit other people's scene instructions if you'd like

[shirak]

1182844374[/unixtime]]Well I'm happy to write flavour text and "stuff the DM reads out" to fit other people's scene instructions if you'd like

Go for it! I came up with some ideas but my knee-jerk reaction to "flavor text" the DM is supposed to read is Wing It You Sissies!

[Amra]

I'll get on it. I may even stat some monsters! I agree with you in general about not making life too easy for the DM, but in a situation like this when we'd want the adventure to be accepted it's probably best to spoon-feed, don't you think?

EDIT: Oh, and I'll change the names to something a *wee* bit less obviously facetious

[MrWaeseL]

How do #1, #5 and #6 cause TPK?

[Neeek]

1182852853[/unixtime]]How do #1, #5 and #6 cause TPK?

#1 breathes on the party, doing 6d8 damage to all of them. Any who survive, he fights in hand to hand. This isn't a sure TPK, but it's pretty likely.

#5 is a bat swarm, which is completely immune to physical damage. Unless they can come up with enough valid damage before those capable of delivering it die, they all die. Most parties won't be able to deal with this quick enough.

#6 does 1d6 per round for 4d4 rounds. These are 3rd level characters. This will kill them. And it keeps getting cast on them until they are dead, so the damage doubles after a while.

[Amra]

Adventure Hook: A wealthy family in a coastal town offers to pay the party to find their kidnapped daughter, Estoria.

Estoria was kidnapped by a ruthless gang of pirates, who have been extorting money and goods from the town for months. If the party asks about the pirates, the villagers report that the pirate king seems to have some sort of power to make fire appear from his weapons, and that the guard don't seem to want to interfere with them.

Background:The Apparaat family has been living in the City (replace with coastal city name of your choice) for many years. They made their fortune a few decades ago through the establishment of a reliable trade route with Big City (replace with major port name of your choice). Unfortunately, the wealth and goods that came into the city attracted vermin: pirates!

The Dread Pirate Kwa DeSchurk and his crew are the latest scum to arrive, and have been preying on the City for several months. Until recently, they had done relatively little damage and the authorities have been turning a blind eye. [A successful Gather Information check (DC15) will reveal that many citizens believe that DeSchurk is bribing Perdente Codardo, the local Guard Captain, to ensure that his raids are never met with more than token resistance]. A few days ago, however, all this changed. The youngest daughter of the Apparaat family, Estoria Apparaat, was kidnapped! The Dread Pirate left

behind a note penned with the blood of Estoria's nanny and pinned with a dagger on Estoria's beloved bunny. The note demanded a ransom, or else Estoria would be killed. Estoria's father, Alesaggio Apparaat, instead decided to hire adventurers to bring back his daughter. He chose the PCs!

Encounter #1: Enter the Half-Dragon

As the PC's disembark and begin to investigate, they see one of the Pirates demanding tribute from the townsfolk.

The PCs arrive in the City having been notified of Alesaggio Apparaat's offer. Any of the bystanders at the docks will be able to point them in the direction of his fine house in the town's main square. Read the party the following passage:

"As you walk from the docks toward the main street, you hear a commotion from up ahead. You see villagers hurrying into buildings and slamming doors behind them; nobody takes any notice of you or wastes any time on explanations. As the crowd thins, you see a well-dressed elderly gentleman being menaced by a filthy-looking dwarf in a ripped and torn seacoat over half-plate armour and stained green boots. As you approach, you can see that the dwarf is hideously misshapen, with a protruding jaw, leathery-looking mottled skin and large teeth and claws, and is holding a heavy steel shield in one hand with no apparent effort. The pair stand under a tavern sign - the Poisoned Parrot - as the dwarf holds a muck-encrusted scimitar to the old man's throat and bellows in his face.

'Money! Now!' roars the dwarf, and the old man - his back pressed against the tavern wall - nods frantically and scrabbles at his belt for his pouch. 'Please... please don't kill me!', he begs. There is a faint, acrid scent on the breeze which you don't recognise, that seems to be emanating from the dwarf."

The elderly man's name is Darnholm Brask, owner and ex-proprietor of the Poisoned Parrot. The dwarf is actually a half-green-dragon dwarven warrior; Vivikak Scalearm, a henchman of the Pirate King, here to demand "taxes" from the wealthier citizens of the town. If the party fail to intervene, Darnholm will hand over the money and Vivikak will strut away in the opposite direction to find his next victim. If the party attempt to interfere in any way, Vivikak uses his breath weapon and attacks.

Vivikak Scalearm - CR3
Male Half Green Dragon Dwarf Warrior 2
CE Medium dragon
Init: +1
Senses: Darkvision 60', Low-light vision
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Undercommon
AC: 24, Touch 10, Flat-footed 24 (+7 armour, +3 shield, +4 natural)
HP: 23 (2 Hit Dice)
Immune: Sleep, paralysis, acid
Fort +8 (+10 vs. poison), Ref +0 (+2 vs. spells & SLA), Will +0 (+2 vs. spells & SLA)
Speed: 20ft (4 squares)
Melee: +9 masterwork scimitar (1d6+6/17-20x2) or +8 bite (1d6+3)
Full attack: +9 masterwork scimitar (1d6+6/17-20x2) and +3 bite (1d6+3)
Base Att/Grapple: +2/+8
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
Special Attack Options: breath weapon (30ft cone, 48 points acid, Reflex DC 15 for half)
Feats: Maximize Breath
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 12, Con 20, Wis 11, Int 14, Chr 8
Equipment: masterwork scimitar, +1 heavy steel shield

Tactics: Vivikak is fairly smart. As such, when accosted by the party he will appear to acquiesce to their demands for a brief moment to take them off guard. He will probably open by holding his hands up (though not dropping his weapon) and saying "Look, this ain't what it looks like!" before positioning himself to use his breath weapon, catching as many party members as possible. If disarmed, he will resort to claws and bite rather than wasting time picking up his scimitar.

When the party overcome Vivikak, the townsfolk will cluster around the PC's, warning them of the dangers of antagonising DeSchurk's crew but also informing them of the location of the pirates' rowboats...

***

Encounter #2: I think Encounter #2 is a bust. Firstly, the EL is higher than 3: the beastie is CR3, sure enough, but unless my memory's playing tricks on me the guidelines for designing encounters say that you should raise the EL by at least one if the terrain greatly favours the monsters.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it can't work as written. A wyrmling black dragon only does 1d4 points of damage with its bite and 1d3 with its claws. Wood has hardness 5. It can't sink the boat.

Might I suggest a Small, 1-HD Water Elemental accompanied by a measly CR2 shark instead? Nobody can say we aren't playing fair...

***

So, Encounter #2, seasoned and statted:

***

The sailors and townsfolk point the PCs to the rowboat the Dwarf used to reach the town. They even offer to escort the PCs and help them pack their gear. A brave young lad, the brother of a sailor killed by DeSchurk's evil crew, offers to take them himself to the pirate's island. The lad's name is Spot and he quickly and efficiently begins rowing.

Unfortunately for the PCs and poor Spot, Kwa DeSchurk has an unusual ally; a Small Water Elemental whom DeSchurk bribes with gold and potions to keep his island safe. It lurks about a quarter of a mile away from the pirates' island, and will attempt to overturn - or at least hinder - any vessel headed in that direction unless the occupants beat a special rhythm out on the water. The Elemental is followed around by a Large shark, which has learned that wherever the Elemental goes, easy pickings follow!

Read the following text to the players:

"The island grows larger with every stroke of the oars as Spot, pulling mightily, rows you ever closer. Suddenly, a scant few hundred yards from shore, there is a mighty blow on the bottom of the boat and it capsizes, tipping you - and Spot - into the water!"

Encounter #2: Water Sports (EL3)

The statistics of the shark and elemental are described below. If any of the party speak Aquan, they can persuade the elemental to let them go without further trouble on a successful Diplomacy check. The elemental is considered to begin as Hostile. The party can shift this attitude to Unfriendly automatically (if they speak Aquan) by offering at least 1,500gp worth of treasure and will be allowed to return to the mainland, but must talk the elemental around at least to Indifferent if they wish to be permitted to continue to the island without molestation. The elemental cannot be persuaded to hinder the shark in any way.

As the elemental has only 11 hit points, it should make for an easy encounter for the party.

Small Water Elemental - CR1
Small Elemental (Water, Extraplanar)
Init: +0
Senses: Darkvision 60'
Languages: Aquan
AC: 17 (+1 size, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
HP: 11 (2d8+2)
Immune: Sleep, poison, paralysis, stunning, critical hits, flanking
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0
Speed: 20ft (4 squares), swim 90ft (18 squares)
Melee: +4 Slam (1d6+3) [+5 Slam (1d6+4) with Water Mastery]
Full attack: +4 Slam (1d6+3) [+5 Slam (1d6+4) with Water Mastery]
Base Att/Grapple: +1/-1
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
Special Attack Options: Vortex (see below)
Feats: Power Attack
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +3

Water Mastery (Ex): A water elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. If the opponent or the elemental is touching the ground, the elemental takes a -4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are noted separately in the statistics block.)

A water elemental can be a serious threat to a ship that crosses its path. An elemental can easily overturn small craft (5 feet of length per Hit Die of the elemental) and stop larger vessels (10 feet long per HD). Even large ships (20 feet long per HD) can be slowed to half speed.

Drench (Ex): The elemental's touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of nonmagical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. The creature can dispel magical fire it touches as dispel magic (caster level equals elemental's HD).

Vortex (Su): A small water elemental can transform itself into a whirlpool once every 10 minutes, provided it is underwater, and remain in that form for up to 1 round. In vortex form, the elemental can move through the water or along the bottom at its swim speed. The vortex is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 30 feet wide at the top, and 10-20 feet tall. The elemental controls the exact height, but it must be at least 10 feet.

The elemental's movement while in vortex form does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even if the elemental enters the space another creature occupies. Another creature might be caught in the vortex if it touches or enters the vortex, or if the elemental moves into or through the creature's space.

Creatures of size Tiny or smaller might take damage when caught in the vortex and may be swept up by it. An affected creature must succeed on a Reflex save when it comes into contact with the vortex or take 1d4 damage. It must also succeed on a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful currents, automatically taking damage each round. An affected creature is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape the vortex. The creature still takes damage, but can leave if the save is successful. The save DC against the vortex's effects is 13. The save DC is Strength-based.

Creatures trapped in the vortex cannot move except to go where the elemental carries them or to escape the whirlwind. Creatures caught in the whirlwind can otherwise act normally, but must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast a spell. Creatures caught in the whirlwind take a -4 penalty to Dexterity and a -2 penalty on attack rolls. The elemental can have only as many creatures trapped inside the vortex at one time as will fit inside the vortex's volume.

The elemental can eject any carried creatures whenever it wishes, depositing them wherever the vortex happens to be. A summoned elemental always ejects trapped creatures before returning to its home plane.

If the vortex's base touches the bottom, it creates a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centered on the elemental and has a diameter equal to half the vortex's height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment, while those farther away have total concealment.

Those caught in the cloud must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.

An elemental in vortex form cannot make slam attacks and does not threaten the area around it.

Skills: A water elemental has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Large Shark - CR2
Large Animal (Aquatic)
Init: +6
Senses: Blindsense 30'
AC: 15 (-1size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
HP: 38 (7d8+7)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3
Speed: swim 60ft (12 squares)
Melee: +7 Bite (1d8+4)
Full attack: +7 Bite (1d8+4)
Base Att/Grapple: +5/+12
Space/Reach: 10'/5'
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +7, Swim +11

Blindsense (Ex): A shark can locate creatures underwater within a 30-foot radius. This ability works only when the shark is underwater.

Keen Scent (Ex): A shark can notice creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius and detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.

Skills: A shark has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Tactics: The elemental lurks below the surface of the water where it is effectively invisible until it attacks. When the party's boat is spotted, the elemental positions itself so that the boat will pass right over it. As the rowing boat is less than ten feet long, the elemental can capsize it automatically as a standard action, after which it will move 90' down and wait for the shark to arrive. Any creature flung into the water by a capsizing ship must succeed at a Swim check (DC 15) or immediately begin drowning.

The shark attacks one round later; having already been drawn to the area by the splashing of oars, it was just waiting for such an opportunity. It will selectively attack characters that are doing the most thrashing around - i.e. those who have failed their Swim checks - and if it successfully bites an opponent, will concentrate on that character until she dies and then move on to the next best target. If all the characters successfully passed their initial Swim checks, the shark chooses a target at random. It will usually attempt to grapple a drowning opponent.

The elemental will charge the first character to be successfully attacked by the shark and join in with the assault.

Getting back in the boat: Two or more characters can cooperate to turn the boat right-side up on a DC25 Swim check as a full-round action, provided they have previously made their swim checks to stay afloat. Up to four characters can contribute, with three making Aid Another actions to assist the fourth. Those cooperating to right the boat lose their Dexterity bonuses to AC whilst carrying out the attempt, and will provoke attacks of opportunity if threatened.

Climbing back into the boat is another full-round action requiring a DC10 Climb check that provokes attacks of opportunity. If the characters get back into the boat before the elemental is defeated, it will wait for a minute or two, capsize the boat again and retreat. It will always attack characters who fail their Swim checks before choosing other opponents.

***

Heh - hope you took your heavy armour off, fish-food!

***

Encounter #3: Not yet home, but dry for now...

Having readily defeated the elemental, the PC's make their way to the island. As the PC reach the shore, they should roll Spot Checks. 80' from their starting position, hidden halfway in the water and nearly submerged in the sand, lies a Giant Crab (DC 25 to spot including the circumstance bonuses).

The Crab springs to the attack as soon as it notices the PCs (it was not hiding but resting. it merely got submerged by the tide). The Crab will try to charge and attack a random PC. If its Improved Grab ability works, the Crab will try to drag the PC to the water. Regardless, the PCs will have crab for dinner tonight!

If the players make their Spot check, read the following text:

"You see something very large and mottled orange-and-white in colour, mostly buried in the sand about 80' away. As you watch, it heaves itself up and you see an enormous crab with wet sand pouring off its carapace, which turns to face you."

If the PC's fail their Spot checks, they will become aware of the creature as it makes its initial charge:

"This massive creature scuttles toward you with surprising speed and grace for its size. Its shell is brightly colored in shades of deep orange to bone white, and its twin claws look both sharp and large enough to behead a horse with one slice."

Monstrous Crab - CR3
Large Vermin (Aquatic)

Initiative: +2
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Hit Points: 66 (7d8+35)
Fort +10 , Ref +4, Will +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), swim 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee: Claw +10 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: 2 claws +10 melee (1d8+9)
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+19
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constrict 1d8+9, improved grab, powerful claws
Special Qualities: Amphibious, vermin traits
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 21, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2
Alignment: Neutral

Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check, a monstrous crab can crush a grabbed opponent, dealing 1d8+9 points of bludgeoning damage.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a monstrous crab hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it also constricts on the same round.

Powerful Claws (Ex): A monstrous crab always applies 1.5 times its Strength modifier to damage inflicted with its claws. Additionally, it gains a +4 racial bonus on grapple checks.

Vermin Traits: A monstrous crab is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). It also has darkvision (60-foot range).

Tactics: The crab is straightforward in combat. On the first round, it charges the nearest target and attacks with a claw, starting a grapple if it hits. It then continues attacking that character until it has successfully grappled and then will attempt to catch a different character in its other claw. Once a monstrous crab has a morsel or creature in each claw, it retreats into the water to feed. If other party members impede its progress, it will scuttle out of their way and try to crush the help characters to death before discarding their bodies and engaging the next opponents. Characters held in its claws if it successfully reaches the sea will soon drown if they can't breathe water.

If the party have been exceptionally unlucky in the preceding encounters, it may be that they wish to rest and heal up a little; in which case it's time for that nice, fresh crab supper!

Once their battle with the crab is over, the party will notice the roof of a building, just visible above the tree line, with some sort of platform above it...

Read the following passage:

"Scanning your surroundings, you notice an unusual structure, which you can just make out through the treetops. It is a flat rooftop, with a makeshift platform of some kind on top of it, just a few minutes' brisk walk away from your current position. The platform appears to be unoccupied."

If the party choose to investigate, Spot will wait with the boat until they return.

As the party approach, they will see the building more clearly:

"Through a break in the trees, you see a small stone tower built in to a cliff face. It looks as though it was probably a watchtower at some point in the past, although the rooftop platform and the sturdy wooden door look relatively new and in good repair. The rusty stump of a large iron post nearby could have been the base of a beacon that would have been lit to warn the town of pirates attacking under cover of darkness, or possibly just to ward ships from the rocks surrounding the island."

Encounter 4: What a tangled web...

This tower is the lair of Murn the Maleficent, a Tiefling Wizard and second lieutenant in Kwa DeSchurk's dastardly crew. He spotted the party as they rowed across from the mainland from his vantage point on the roof of the tower, and has laid his plans accordingly.

If the party enter the tower from the ground floor, read the following description (the creaking of the door can be avoided by the proper application of oil and a DC20 Disable Device check; Murn uses hot water on the hinges to make sure they creak!):

"The door, which is not locked, opens with a dreadful creaking sound. The large room beyond is about 45' long by 40' wide, with a broad staircase taking up the last 5' at the far end of the room. The staircase is blocked by a large boulder placed squarely in front of the entrance to the upstairs room.

Chained to the floor on the right-hand side of the room is a human male captive, thoroughly trussed and bound, with a black bag over his head. He lies very still and does not react to the sound of the door opening. On the table to your right is an old, battered sea-chest full of gold coins, a half-eaten loaf of bread, some fruit and cheese and a jug of ale."

The captive is an ex-member of the pirate crew, Bob Verrader, who was caught with the chest in his possession whilst trying to escape to the mainland. Unfortunately for him, the chest was full of Fool's Gold, designed by DeSchurk to tempt his men. He is remaining very quiet at present because of the dreadful threats of Murn, but will be highly cooperative when the party defeat the evil wizard.

He can tell them about the Rod of Water Breathing in the room in Encounter #5, and the location of the captive girl.

The "boulder" is a silent image concealing Murn and his familiar. He has been concentrating on the illusion whilst the party approached, and once they are occupied with the prisoner (who will not speak to begin with, even with the bag and gag removed) and/or the chest, he will cast Web and begin his assault.

The PCs finally meet some decent opposition!

Murn the Maleficent - CR3
Male Tiefling Conjurer 3
NE Medium Outsider (Native)

Init: +3
Senses: Darkvision 60'
Languages: Common, Infernal, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Orc.
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 mage armor)
HP: 15 (3d4+6)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3
Speed: 30ft (6 squares)
Melee:
Full attack:
Base Att/Grapple:
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
Special Attack Options: darkness, spells
Special Qualities: cold resistance 5, electricity resistance 5, fire resistance 5
Feats:
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 14, Wis 11, Int 18, Chr 6
Equipment:

Barred Schools: Abjuration and Enchantment
Spells per day: 5 0th, 4 1st, 3 2nd (must take 1 Conjuration at each level)

The second lieutenant of the pirate ship is a cowardly Wizard. His tactics involve trapping the PCs instead of simply killing them which will prove a big mistake in the long run. Although it is out of character, the DM might want to throw a few Magic Missiles at the players after Murn completes the attack routine shown above.

***

[shirak]

1182850028[/unixtime]]Oh, and I'll change the names to something a *wee* bit less obviously facetious

Dude, I am disappointed with you. Obviously, this is the working title we will be using. The adventure will be published under the name:

Damsel in Distress

Or, The Walking Plot Device


Man, I love recursive inside jokes

Oh, and I agree on the spoon-feeding. I'm just too lazy to do it

[Amra]

1182859813[/unixtime]]

Dude, I am disappointed with you. Obviously, this is the working title we will be using.

Yeah, I got it!

1182859813[/unixtime]]Man, I love recursive inside jokes

In which case you might like the character names. Kwa DeSchurk (read: kwade schurk) is Dutch for "Evil Villain", and Estoria Apparaat is a munged Italian/Dutch combo for "Plot Device". Alesaggio is Italian for "boring" and Perdente Codardo is "cowardly loser"

1182859813[/unixtime]]Oh, and I agree on the spoon-feeding. I'm just too lazy to do it

Fair enough: I think it's fun

[shirak]

1182861595[/unixtime]]In which case you might like the character names. Kwa DeSchurk (read: kwade schurk) is Dutch for "Evil Villain", and Estoria Apparaat is a munged Italian/Dutch combo for "Plot Device". Alesaggio is Italian for "boring" and Perdente Codardo is "cowardly loser"

I'll leave this to your judgement. I've been using Plotius DeVice as a NPC for several years now and I've always wanted to have him appear in an official publication. OTOH, it does sound weird and a lot of people will start throwing tomatoes at us for using this name seriously. Still, the emotional value alone...

Oh, well. Next adventure!

[Amra]

Plotius DeVice shall have his day! Original post now amended for second encounter, albeit no longer with a wyrmling black dragon...

[shirak]

1182884313[/unixtime]]Plotius DeVice shall have his day! Original post now amended for second encounter, albeit no longer with a wyrmling black dragon...

That Black Dragon encounter was stolen wholesale from Red Hand of Doom. So I rather think they want it there. I'd say make an alternate encounter like I did with #3

[Amra]

Whutwhut? Red whosis of the what'sthatnow?

The thing is, a Giant Crab works. The wyrmling Black Dragon doesn't; not for what they're after. Its breath weapon is a 30ft line that does 2d4 damage, it can't do enough physical damage to hurt the boat, it isn't big enough to capsize the boat, it's not old enough to have spells... Basically, against a party that's tooled up with ranged weapons, it's a pest and nothing more. Even flying, it has the same problem of being within short range for most weapons when it's actually a threat. It's not even big enough to carry anything significant to drop on the party's heads.

We want EL3 TPK!

Almost anything that can get the party into the water is a major threat: the Swim rules alone will finish half of them off unless they've all maxed out their ranks. The reason I went with a water elemental is because even the CR1 version can tip over a rowboat automatically.

An alternative piece of evil would be to have four CR1/2 Merfolk with their standard heavy crossbows and a couple of tanglefoot bags each. The Merfolk surface and lob the bags. Any character who fails the Reflex save is glued to the floor of the boat. The elemental then capsizes the boat immediately thereafter, leaving some characters stuck to it upside-down.

The elemental moves away to 90' and the Merfolk retreat to 30' and use their special underwater crossbows to put on the hurt whilst the characters get on with drowning...

Hmmm, I like that.

[MrWaeseL]

Tanglefoot bags only work 2-4 rounds.

[Amra]

That's 2-8 rounds, average 5, whilst the 3rd-level character is getting peppered with crossbows. The tanglefoot bags are icing in any case, they don't matter that much except to add to the torture; the characters are screwed, particularly if we say the water is "rough" at the time of the encounter. Even if some or all of them get free first time and back into the boat, it's just a case of rinse-and-repeat. The bad guys never need to get into a situation where they're in any serious danger from the party. Better yet, make it two CR1 Merfolk with a Rogue level each. A character who fails to make a Swim check is denied their Dex bonus...

The main vulnerability for the bad guys this encounter is a spellcaster hitting the Merfolk with charm person (or a sorceror with Magic Missile). I'm not sure of the rules for spellcasting underwater though; it could be that this wouldn't be a problem.

[shirak]

1182931411[/unixtime]]Whutwhut? Red whosis of the what'sthatnow?

The thing is, a Giant Crab works. The wyrmling Black Dragon doesn't; not for what they're after. Its breath weapon is a 30ft line that does 2d4 damage, it can't do enough physical damage to hurt the boat, it isn't big enough to capsize the boat, it's not old enough to have spells... Basically, against a party that's tooled up with ranged weapons, it's a pest and nothing more. Even flying, it has the same problem of being within short range for most weapons when it's actually a threat. It's not even big enough to carry anything significant to drop on the party's heads.

We want EL3 TPK!

Are you on drugs? It's a fucking black dragon. It will breathe acid forever until the boat melts. I don't even care how long that takes though assuming 1-inch thickness that's three breaths. Then the PCs have to swim one and a half fucking mile to get to the shore. And the dragon can damn well stay underwater and continue breathing. They can't hurt it, they can't escape, they can't even give up. How much more TPK do you want?

It's exactly the same thing as having a dragon with Fly-By attack only you can do it at level 3 where they're even more helpless.

[MrWaeseL]

Some of these TPK's require too much cooperation on the DM's part, like the black dragon. If a dumb DM just lets the creature swim up to the PC's and melee it they will win easily. That's the beauty of the Giant Crab, it wins no matter what.