So I wanted to mix it up with the leader of the Vecna cult. I decided I would have him able to adopt the face of people that attacked him, and have the confusion in combat represented by an ability of his.

As I recall, it ended up working pretty well, if a bit unconventional from the rules standard. In retrospect, I would have changed this to just be an immediate fear attack against the person hitting him, and dropped the potential confusion.

It was interesting, but not interesting enough.

Faceless One
Level 4 Elite Artillery (Leader)
Medium natural humanoid XP 350
Initiative +4 Senses Perception +5
HP 84; Bloodied 42
AC 19; Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 17
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Saving Throws +2
Quarterstaff (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d8 damage
Secret of Fire (standard; at-will) ✦ Fire
2 attacks - Ranged 10; +9 vs. Reflex; 2d4 + 6 fire damage.
Secret of Earth (standard; at-will) ✦ Thunder
Close burst 1; +9 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 6 thunder damage, and the target is pushed 3 squares.
Secret of Shadow (standard; recharge 4 5 6) ✦ Shadow
The Faceless One makes a separate attack against 5 different targets; range 10; +9 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 6 necrotic damage and target slowed (save ends).
Secret of the Grave (standard; recharge 5 6) ✦Fear, Necrotic
Area burst 1 with range 10; +9 vs Will; 1d8+6 necrotic damage, and targets are immobolized (save ends)
Steal Face (immediate) ✦ Illusion
Whenever the Faceless One is missed with a melee attack, he can immediately transform his look to look like that of the person who attacked him. Further melee and ranged attacks have a 50% chance of hitting the Faceless One's foe, as long as they remain adjacent and the Faceless One continues to look like them. This guise drops when the target is no longer adjacent to the Faceless One.
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Arcana +11, Bluff +8
Str 10 (+2) Dex 14 (+4) Wis 17 (+5)
Con 12 (+3) Int 18 (+6) Cha 12 (+3)
Equipment robes, quarterstaff , wand

Everything in the room depended on how the PC's did the skill challenge. Luckily, they beat it, and so there were only human cultists, and not wererats.

FunkBGR

It was last August or September, so I don't recall what exactly, but the PC's found something that indicated a circle of stones as the next destination.

Looking at the map of Diamond Lake, they scouted out the menhirs on the edge of town, witnessing a creature make for a hidden stone entrance in the middle. The PC's entered, and immediately entered into a maze.

This I modified heavily - because honestly, mazes suck in D&D. I made it a Skill Challenge. I was still new at these, but this is how I did it.

The Skill Challenge required 9 successess overall, but every three they'd stumble across a room where they would have an encounter. Here's my notes for the Skill Challenge itself though.

In retrospect, the idea of an "encounter" check was a bad idea in this Skill Challenge. It looked okay beforehand, but the PC's ended up stumbling about a bit.

NAVIGATING THE MAZE (LEVEL 3 SKILL CHALLENGE - 150 XP/CHARACTER)

Setup:
The PC's must navigate the maze in the tomb below the Menhirs. The PC's can use their knowledge and wits to avoid the traps and hazards down below, but failure means they'll set themselves up for a huge ambush. Success indicates they'll successfully navigate the maze and gain entrance to the last tomb, where the Faceless One resides.

Level: 3
Complexity: 3 (requires 9 successes before 3 failures):
Primary Skills: Dungeoneering, Insight, Perception
NOTE: A skill labeled with Encounter Check means at least one of these skills must be used before moving on to the next encounter.

Arcana (DC 14): The maze is creating some sort of latent illusory and enchantment magic, meant to befuddle creatures.
- DC 14: The whole catacomb is radiating a charm effect that is affecting the PC's (1 Check)

Dungeoneering (DC 14): Using natural underground skills, and simple intuition, the character is able to make some headway in the maze The PC can do a number of things with Dungeoneering:

• Avoid a trap, and assist everyone else with avoiding it (1 Check / Encounter)
• Navigate safely into the maze. (Encounter Check)
• Recognize evidence of unsafe passages, due to mold growth or cobwebs (1 Check / Encounter)

History (DC 14): A character can make a history check to know a bit about the tomb. Its age places it about 1000 years old, and it's definitely hobgoblin make, being very ornate, and built to confuse the enemies of their Empire should they ever be discovered. (1 Check)

Insight (DC 19): A character can make an insight check to negate the magic affecting his senses, and go with his true intuition. (Encounter Check)

Nature (Variable): Once a Perception check has been made to discover the tracks, a Nature check can determine what the creatures are, as per normal monster identification rules (1 Check)

• DC 9: Giant Rats
• DC 14: Rat-men, or Wererats

Perception (DC 14): A PC can do a number of things with Perception:

• Spot tracks in the dust of pawprints, some large and others large and walking upright (1 Check)
• Attempt to follow a trail already built into the maze (Encounter Check)
• To recognize a detail that they've already passed (can be used when a failure has been accomplished) (1 Check / Encounter)

Stealth (DC 19): The Wererats of the maze are constantly alert, but using this skill can help hide the PC's from their rat patrols. (1 Check / Encounter)

Complications:
After the party’s first failure on the skill challenge (or 3 successes), they have the encounter "The First Room - B".
After the party's second failure on the skill challenge (or 6 successes), they have the encounter "The Second Room - B".

Success: The PC's reach the final room before defensive preparations are made, and have the encounter "The Third Room - A"

Failure: The PC's reach the final room but defensive preparations are made, and have the encounter "The Third Room - B"

FunkBGR

The Thing in the Water was me trying to insert some randomness into a fight. I was throwing way too much at the players in a confined place, so this was a way to introduce a "balancing" factor - assuming they used it.

So, I had a section of the Grimlock mines where there was a bridge crossing a chasm, with cliffs that looked out over an underground lake. On the second round of fighting up here, a "thing" came up out of the water and attacked anything close to the edge - be it PC or enemy.

I envisioned the thing being like the creature from Lord of the Rings (The Watcher). I based it off a Hydra I remember.

The players ended up using it to good effect, throwing guys next to the edge so the thing would attack the enemies, and it worked wonderfully well!

Thing in the Water Level 6 Solo Lurker
Large natural beast (reptile) XP 1250
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +10; all-around vision
HP 280; Bloodied 140
AC 20; Fortitude 20, Reflex 18, Will 17
Saving Throws +5
Speed 5, swim 10
Action Points 2
Tentacle (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +11 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage.
Tentacle Fury (standard; at-will)
The thing makes four tentacle attacks.
Threatening Reach
The thing can make opportunity attacks against all enemies within its reach (2 squares).
Alignment Unaligned Languages —
Skills Stealth +11
Str 20 (+8) Dex 16 (+6) Wis 14 (+5)
Con 20 (+8) Int 2 (-1) Cha 8 (+2)

FunkBGR

Hmm, so I've hit a snag with updating this, in the sense that I can't tell from my notes what is from the Monster Manual, and what isn't. I copied things whole cloth sometimes, and then just renamed them.

So I'm going only with what I know, which will probably make some of the 2nd magazine entries very short.

I had the first and most obvious temple be of Torvog, and below the Dourstone Mines. Sneaking in, the PC's encountered all the same things they did with their other group (who TPK'd here in 3.5, and then we quit).

I had what I call a roving encounter, where the players started in one room, but as monsters kept running away, the encounter escalated and would switch rooms as the PC's followed. They had a choice of using more resources and continuing on, or letting the enemies setup for them.

I built this out of cardstock, but can't find the pictures.

I know that I used some stats for Hobgoblins for some of the Grimlocks, and then artificially changed things around like giving them Blindsight.

I took Hyena's, and modified them to have the following ability:

Face Peel (minor; recharge ) * Fear
Close blast 3, +5 vs Will; enemy takes a -2 penalty on attacks rolls (save ends)

I called them Krenshar.

I had two elites in the series of encounters that were specifically against the PC's. The way they were setup though made it so the PC's could lock them down in a hallway.

The first was a "Warpriest of Slaughter", who I gave this ability:

Enveloping Rage (standard; recharge ) * Charm
range 10; area burst 1; +7 vs Will; target must make a melee or close attack, or take 5 damage (save ends)

I thought that was an interesting divergence from normal mechanics.

The other elite, the Chieftain, had an ability that granted all Grimlocks within his aura a basic attack:

Furious Presence (Standard Action, Encounter)
Grant all Grimlocks in aura a basic attack

There was also a solo in the encounter, but it really should be counted as a hazard, as it attacked whatever was nearest to it and within reach. This was used to good effect by the PC's when they realized it wasn't working for the Grimlocks . . .

FunkBGR

I'm running the Age of Worms in 4e, yet my players had played Whispering Cairn. They also under 3e had suffered a TPK in the Mines, but I decided it'd be good to still use it.

Some changes I made to Three Faces of Evil include that I split the cultist groups up. Instead of every one of them being together, I kept the Torvog (formerly Erythnul) in the mines, moved the Vecnan's to a "catacomb" underneath the cairn on the edge of town, and moved the Bane (formerly Hextor) followers out to the Twilight Monastery.

I added a couple of encounters too - a raid on the Smenk residence as the finale, and some small side excursions.

I also changed around some of the motivation of certain people. Smenk hires the PC's because he is double-crossing them. He wants them to finish a nasty ritual that needs the leaders of the individual churches to die.

I also made terrain for some of these encounters. I used World Works Games and Fat Dragon Games to build an underground dungeon, and a set of cliff faces leading up to the Twilight Monastery. I'll see if I can post some pictures.

FunkBGR

Meant to post this Monday, but forgot.

There are a number of "ghost effects" that occur during Hangman's Noose, which are basically traps that the PC's can't do anything about. They're meant to be ghostly manifestations of Jarbin Mord's hate or something.

Here's what I did for a couple of them. Notice instead of Perception, I used Insight for a couple of the hazards . . . it makes more sense, since it's all ghostly and stuff.

Crystal Chandelier Level 1 Lurker
Hazard XP 100
Hazard: The chandelier falls and hits all below it
Perception
DC 20: The character notices the chandelier moves in a non-existent wind
Initiative +3
Trigger
The chandelier is triggered by someone walking under it
Attack
Standard - Reaction - Close burst 2
Targets: All creatures within burst
Attack: +5 vs Ref
Hit: 2d6 damage
Miss: Half damage

Falling Mural and Flying Axe Level 2 Blaster
Hazard XP 125
Hazard: Part of the floor above is weak, and hits an axe just right to send it flying across the room
Perception
DC 20: The character notices the loose marble just above the evidence table
Insight
DC 20: Something feels wrong to the character about the axe
Initiative +5
Trigger
Approaching within 1 square of the evidence table
Attack
Standard - Reaction - Close Burst 2
Targets: All creatures within range
Attack: +5 vs Ref
Hit: 2d6 damage
Miss: Half damage
Followup:
Targets: All creatures in a line between evidence table and juror's box
Attack: +8 vs AC
Hit: 1d6 damage
Miss: No damage

This one was really good, I remember! I grabbed someone, and had another monster come out of somewhere else to attack the party - so they're trying to free his bonds while fighting off some zombie thing. Awesome.

Confessional Chair Level 2 Lurker
Hazard XP 125
Hazard: A chair takes on a life of its own
Insight
DC 22: The character feels something empathetically wrong with the chair.
Initiative +4
Trigger
Approaching within 3 squares of the chair
Attack
Standard - Reaction - Ranged Attack - Range 3
Targets: Closest creature
Attack: +5 vs Fortitude
Hit: Pull 3 squares, plus followup
Followup: 1d6 damage per round (escape ends); target can make an opposed grab (DC 20) or an acrobatics check (DC 20) to be released

Flying Books Level 1 Blaster
Hazard XP 100
Hazard: A fallen spirit is tossing books at the PCs
Perception
Initiative +4
Trigger
Searching the room
Attack
Standard - Reaction - Area Range 10
Targets: All creatures within range
Attack: +7 vs AC
Hit: 1d4+1 necrotic damage
Miss: No damage

This was another great one. While this one occurs in the same room as the Chandelier, I used it first since it happens when you enter the room. Then I had a bunch of rats appear, including a swarm or two. The player's had a hell of a time getting destroying it, and taking out all the rats.

Cacophonous Clock Level 1 Lurker
Hazard XP 100
Hazard: The clock affects all who listen to it
Perception
None
Initiative +3
Trigger
The clock is triggered by someone entering the same room as it
Attack
Standard - Reaction - Area Range 20
Targets: All enemies within area
Aura 20 -> does 2 necrotic damage to all within aura, for 7 rounds (7 o'clock!)

FunkBGR

The following ended up being the two guys rescued along with the PC who was dragged up to the belltower by Sveth.

Silman Trabe was the judge for the trial, while Chaum Gainsworth (name taken from the Mine Managers of Diamond Lake) was a . . . some other guy. Anyway, the PC's are supposed to immediately suspect their involvement, and have been finding clues that should point out one of these two as the culprit.

My players figured it out right away, and immediately started working to get Chaum to confess what he did.

They're not really meant to be fought. Think of them as 3e/3.5e Experts or so. I just gave them stats so that the PC's could fight them if need be. In retrospect, I would have just claimed they were minions.

Silman Trabe
Level 3 Brute
Medium Humanoid (Human) XP 150
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +3
HP 54; Bloodied 26
AC 15 Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 15
Speed 6
Cutlass (standard, at-will): Atk +6, Dmg 1d6+3 (+1d6 on critical)
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common
Skills Bluff +8, Stealth +7
Str 14 (+3) Dex 15 (+3) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 12 (+2) Cha 14 (+3)

Above stats assume he's armed - he probably isn't

Chaum Gainsworth
Level 3 Skirmisher
Medium Humanoid (Human) XP 150
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +3
HP 48; Bloodied 24
AC 17 Fortitude 17, Reflex 15, Will 14
Speed 6
Hammercane (standard, at-will): Atk +8, Dmg 1d6+4
Hand-Crossbow (standard, encounter): Atk +4, Dmg 1d6+1
Combat Advantage Gain +1d6 damage whenever Chaum has Combat Advantage
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills Bluff +8, Stealth +7
Str 16 (+4) Dex 11 (+1) Wis 15 (+3)
Con 16 (+4) Int 14 (+3) Cha 12 (+2)

Above stats assume he's armed - he probably isn't

FunkBGR

I mentioned in some previous posts how the module Hangman's Noose has problems in 3e and 4e with healing. Logue solves this with liberal potions as treasure - this doesn't work in 4e though.

So, I started looking at ways to give healing without spending surges. Here's one of those ways I came up with.

Sir Rekkart Cole is a Paladin who took part in the original murder trial of Jarbin Mord. He ended up being a big help to the party.

Sir Rekkart Cole
Level 2 Soldier (Paladin)
HP: 32 Bloodied: 16
AC 16 Fort 16 Ref 14 Will 15
Longsword (Magic +1) (standard, at-will): Atk +7; Dmg 1d8+4
Faithful Strike (standard, at will): Atk +8; Dmg 1d8+4
Shielding Smite (standard, encounter): Atk +6; Dmg 2d8+3 and Ally within 5 squares gains +2 power bonus to AC until end of next turn
Lay on Hands (minor, at-will):
- 2/times, target can heal a healing surge +1 hp
Str 16 (+4) Dex 10 (+1) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 11 (+1) Cha 13 (+2)

His lay on hands was a huge boon to the healing problem.

FunkBGR

Here's my first "solo", the stats I used for the Croaker. In the original module, he's a tough undead critter who isn't meant to be beat by traditional means.

I tried to replicate that with this 5th level Solo in stats. He wasn't meant to kill players, just scare them.

Croaker (Jarbin Mord)
Level 5 Lurker (Solo)
Medium Humanoid (Undead) XP 100
Initiative +9
Sapped Will aura 5; enemies have a -2 penalty to defenses while within the aura.
Senses Perception +4, darkvision
HP 248; Bloodied 124
AC 21 Fortitude 20, Reflex 19, Will 17
Immune: Disease, Poison Resist: Necrotic 5 Vulnerable: Radiant 5
Action Points 2
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6
Animated Rope (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +10 vs. AC; 1d8+6 damage and the target is grabbed (until escape). A target trying to escape the grab takes a -2 penalty to the check.
- String Up (minor, at-will) Grabbed target only.
+8 vs. Fortitude; 1d6+5 damage. 2 ongoing damage (target escapes grab). Target is still considered grabbed, but Croaker is free to perform other actions.
Maddening Touch (standard; encounter); +8 vs Reflex; 2d6+4 psychic damage and target is dazed (save ends).
Lasso (minor; at-will)
+8 vs. Reflex; target is pulled 3 squares.
Terrifying Moan (minor; encounter);
burst 10; +6 vs Will, Slowed until end of Croaker's next turn, Weakened (save ends)
- Bloodied Moan (immediate reaction; when bloodied);
Croaker can immediately use Terrifying Moan
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills Stealth +11
Str 18 (+6) Dex 16 (+5) Wis 15 (+4)
Con 14 (+4) Int 12 (+3) Cha 10 (+2)

I realize that grab might be kinda wonky from how it is in the books, but honestly, it made some great visuals to have one of these guys' ropes start hanging PC's from the ceiling. I had PC's asking if they could cut ropes, and aid another to get people down, and pretty soon they were running away, while trying to slow this guy down so they could.

His first encounter with them was awesome on my end of things.

Note: I was heavily influenced by Keterys and his work, so he might have some stuff zoinked from him.

FunkBGR

So, as the PC's progress through the module, they discover clues to what's going on in the courthouse. Along the way, NPC's are killed off in horrible ways, in an attempt to give a sense of urgency to the group.

Nevermind that this utterly failed due to the Ranger running out of healing surges within the first or second session. I'm never going to forget him asking the group if they can take a Extended Rest.

This creature is one of the former NPC's, come back to haunt the group.

Gutdragging Lurcher (Elite)
Level 3 Controller
Medium Humanoid (Undead) XP 150
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +2
HP 92; Bloodied 46
AC 18 Fortitude 17, Reflex 17, Will 17
Immune: Disease and Poison Resist: 5 necrotic Vulnerable: 5 radiant
Action Points 1
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Entrails (standard, at-will)
Reach 3, +9 vs AC, 1d4+4 damage plus Grab
Wall of Entrails (standard, at-will)
Three entrail attacks at different targets within reach
Choking Viscera (minor, at-will)
Any foe that is grabbed; +8 vs Fortitude; 1d6+2 damage
Nauseating Appearance (standard, encounter)
Close burst 10; +7 vs Fortitude; Stunned for 1 round, followed by Weakened (save ends)
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills ??
Str 17 (+4) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 12 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 11 (+1) Cha 15 (+3)

FunkBGR

Here's a conversion of one of the more unique creatures in the module - Logue's Ghoul-Stirge.

In my game, I had this guy up in the bell-tower of the Courthouse still, but a PC had been captured and dragged up there by Sveth, who fought with this creature. In addition, two other folks were captured - Silman Trabe (the judge) and Chaum Gainsworth (Age of Worms mine manager, but stand-in for the other guy that shows up with Trabe). I thought the idea that they came to the courthouse and started fighting in there ridiculous.

So the PC's rescued them in a pretty epic battle.

Ghoul-Stirge
Level 3 Soldier (Elite)
Medium natural humanoid (undead) XP 300
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +2; darkvision
HP 94; Bloodied 47
AC 21; Fortitude 18, Reflex 20, Will 17
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4, Fly 8 (clumsy)
Action Points
Saving Throws +2
Bite (standard; at-will) +10 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends) and takes an ongoing 5 damage per round (save ends)
Drain Blood (standard; at-will) Target must be immobilized, stunned, or unconscious; no attack roll needed; 1d6 + 3 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends).
Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Common
Skills Stealth +9
Str 14 (+3) Dex 19 (+5) Wis 11 (+1)
Con 15 (+3) Int 10 (+1) Cha 12 (+2)

FunkBGR

In the module, Jarbin Mord has one friend who works with him. Sveth infiltrates the party of people trapped in the Courthouse, and pretends to be "Killian Paltreth".

In 3e/3.5, Sveth is a couple of levels of Expert.

You can see my version of him suffers from a lack of things to do - which I'm okay with, but in retrospect, he should have something just a little bit more. If I remember right, he was still a big reveal to the party, and he still did a nice amount of damage.

Sveth
"Killian Paltreth"
Level 3 Lurker (Elite)
Medium Humanoid XP 300
Initiative +10 Senses Perception +4
HP 70; Bloodied 35
AC 19 Fortitude 14, Reflex 20, Will 17
Immune: Resist: Vulnerable:
Action Points 1
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Dagger (standard; at-will) +5 vs. AC; 1d4+1 damage and Stormclaw Scorpion Venom (see DMG)
Dart (standard; at-will) +11 vs AC; 1d4+6 damage and poison (see DMG)
Double Darts (standard; recharge 4 5 6) 2 Attacks; +9 vs AC; 1d4+6 damage
Combat Advantage
Sveth deals an extra 1d6 damage against any target he has combat advantage against.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills Bluff +11, Stealth +12
Str 10 (+1) Dex 20 (+6) Wis 12 (+2)
Con 11 (+1) Int 13 (+2) Cha 15 (+3)

FunkBGR

Hey

I'm going to update this blog with stuff from my home campaign.

It's using 4e. It's using the same world I've used since god knows when.

I'm running Age of Worms, mixed with the original Rod of Seven Parts, along with Expedition to Ruins of Greyhawk and potentially Wolfgang Baur's Empire of the Ghouls. There's a lot of conversion here, but unlike most, I'm not jotting down conversion notes. I just thought some other people might find use in what I did.

Funnily enough, I didn't start with The Whispering Cairn, by Erik Mona. Why? Because I had already ran my players through it in 3.5, and I didn't want repeats. So instead, I used a 3.5 Paizo module by Nicolas Logue, called "Hangman's Noose".

Hangman's Noose page

I ran into a couple of problems with "Hangman's Noose" which I posted in my review on Paizo's homepage.

FunkBGR