JoeGKushner

I was pondering doing some encounters to update some of the things from the old Necromancer's Legacy for my next campaign. I would start it off of course, with some of those funky kobolds.

Some general ideas that descend into full blown mind branching at the end.

The Road

The road is well worn and overgrown in numerous places with crabgrass and other weeds.

To the side of the road is an old shrine. The statue, twice the size of a human, is that of a robed man, his right hand in front of his face ion the sign of the deity and his left hand pointing towards the town. There might once have been a beaten path to the shrine from the main road but the only evidence of that now is that the weeds and grass is only slightly shorter than surrounding grass. The stone is old and weatherworn with ivy climbing about it.


The shrine should be of whatever deity or saint watches over travelers in the campaign. If the setting doesn’t have such an entity, the GM could use Saint Botolph, patron saint of travelers and the various aspects of farming or Saint James the Greater, patron saint of travelers. The shrine is hundreds of years old and weather worn being very smooth. The distinctive features of the saint long since watered and winded away.

Background:
The shrine acts as a way to let travelers know that they are near a town, a port of safety in a dangerous world, and if they wish to give thanks for their near safe arrival, they may do so now. Like many other facets of a points of light campaign though, the true benefit and meaning of the statue has been lost as even this close to the city there are bandits and other thorny issues that travelers must face.

Alternatives:

If the Game Master is keeping religious overtones low, such as not using Divine as a Power Source, or feels that the use of a Saint, even one that she makes up specifically for these details, is hitting too close to home, this can be the burnt out shell of a watch tower where well paid, armed and armored guards would escort travelers back and forth from the tower to the city to insure the travelers safety. It would showcase more the military might of an old empire that could afford to place towers so close to town as well as the need for such towers in the first place.

Expanding the Adventure
If the Game Master wishes to expand the encounters here, she could add an underground lair under the Saint’s statue. This could require the players to make a spot or search check or if the Game Master wants the players to have this encounter, fall through the ground into a small series of caves under the shrine.

Any treasures found should be of a religious nature. Note that this doesn’t mean that it has to be holy water or iconic items of a church, but rather, that if there is coin, it should be coin stamped from a church with some indication of its age dependent upon the image stamped onto it. This is the important thing to keep in mind though. Anything that the Game Master adds should be something that the Game Master is willing to add to the campaign at a latter date or is important to the background and ethos of the campaign.

For example, if the shrine is currently being used by robbers, the Game Master should note that the shrine looks well used and the coins found are stamped with modern clerical heads of state as opposed to ancient images whose engraved faces have started to fade. This allows the Game Master to use the shrine for multiple purposes as opposed to just using it for one specific thing.


An unmanned horse approaches the party.

If the party includes anyone with animal skills, they can tell the horse has been spooked and is lightly wounded.

Going ahead, there are signs of a struggle. Broken arrows and blood litter the cobblestone road. There are signs of grown men being dragged off the road as grass is pushed down and stained in various spots.

Alternative:

Neutral characters may find it all well and typical that some fools were assaulted and lost a battle on the open road. They may need something like a story award in terms of XP to drive them to seek out the rider of the horse and any potential survivors. Other players may like that ‘human’ touch and the Game Master can provide that by having a squire, badly wounded on the horse, approach them for help. Squire Anthony Williams reveals that they were ambushed by kobolds that were more fierce and determined than any he’d heard of in legend before.

Minor Quest:

The squire’s leather armor suffers more from everyday wear than battle but there is a long gash in the left arm and the youth’s face has a nick at the ridge of his nose. The lad’s piercing blue eyes look at you and your party members with an almost imperial command to them. “By Saint Botolph, patron of travelers, it is very well meet indeed we are this day. My lord and his retinue are in need of your assistance good lords and will look most favorably upon those who save him.”

The lad pauses for a moment as if considering. “And if the worst has passed, we must salvage his body so that the funeral preparations may be made so soul is not tethered to earth and his path to the afterlife is clear.”

If the party asks the squire questions, the GM can refer to the following:

What were you doing outside the town?

“My patron and I were preparing to leave the town and start my true apprenticeship as a knight under a freelancer.”

GM Note: For this purpose, consider a freelancer similar to a privateer in that they have legal recourse when hunting down proven bandits and are considered men of honor like landless knights.

What happened?

“Kobolds but unlike those I’ve ever seen before. Their appearance was like that of black dragon dogs and they fought with numbers and a ferocity I’ve never seen before.”

How did you escape?

“After they tore my mentor from his horse, they had an easy time capturing the cook and the”, the squire will pause for a moment, turning red, “camp follower but I was providing a little too much sport so they took their gains and fled. I went to find the horse so that I could get the town guard.”

Which direction did they go?

The squire points where the grass is flattened and blood stains mark the passage. If the party moves forward to investigate, they come across one of the kobold corpses, wounded onto death and then dragged off the road so as not to obviously alarm any travelers. .

Minor Quest (XP 150)

Note that Squire Anthony Williams is the fourth son of a Margrave Family and is set up to inherit little. For this reason, he is in the process of becoming a freelancer and well on his way to leaving the town. Any healing the party can provide the youth is looked upon with kindness and he is sure to mention this to his family, the Williams prior to leaving the town for good. On the other hand, if the GM does use this hook and the party fights poorly or does not accept this minor quest, the youth nods his understanding to the group and informs his family of the group’s tendency to act in their own self interest.

If the party ignores the kobolds and murders young Anthony Williams (treat as a minion with 1 hit point and an AC of 15 with an attack of +4 versus AC doing 3 points of damage), have them make a spot check. The statue of Saint Botolph sheds tears of blood and Anthony’s siblings dream darkly of a group of bandits slaying his brother.

If Anthony is slain, his current gear is well worn but will still be sellable for the standard prices of one fifth value save for his signet ring, crossed roses, which is worth 25 gold pieces. However, because of the easily identifiable nature of the ring, the party will not be able to sell it to any honest merchant and because of how quickly this item would lead to the imprisonment and death penalty to any caught trying to sell it, less honest members of the town will only pay 3 gold pieces for it.

Standard equipment: Leather armor, short sword, backpack, boots, iron rations (5 days)

Kobold Assault!

The players track down the kobolds and fight them. The Game Master can have the characters arrive too late to save the prisoners. In this case the prisoners have died in a horrible manner, eaten alive with chunks of flesh missing along with fingers and eyes. In such a scenario, the Game Master is showcasing the harsh realities of a Points of Light setting and that heroes may arrive too late or may not be enough to turn back the tide of darkness.

The Game Master can also use this opportunity to have the players save the victims. In this case the Game Master is showcasing that with hard work and determination, the characters are the heroes of the setting and can push back the encroaching darkness.


Entering the Town:

The characters entrance into the town does not go unnoticed.

Depending on where the characters go, they can encounter a variety of issues.

First and foremost, the Game Master should encourage the use of implements of her own campaign. For example, if the campaign is set in a dark feudal age that distrusts those who draw their power source from the arcane, this should be made clear.

For example, if the town folk see anyone who is clearly a warlock or a wizard, they may make the sign of the local deity to ward off any bad luck.

The Game Master can also bring in local specialties in terms of foodstuffs grown and prepared. Characters can overhear how there is an abundance of wild hog and deer and how those animals have been encroaching on their farming territory and worse, how their presence is bringing in the bigger predators. This allows the Game Master to set up local monsters that are in the region and prepare the party for them well before they have any meetings with them.

In taverns, the party will be pestered for stories. Give the players an opportunity to shine. For those who enjoy role playing in character, have the town folk ask them questions about where they come from, who they serve, what the roads are like. Have the town folk buying them ale and spirits as long as they keep the story entertaining. The town folk are interested to hear what is happening in the outside world and may purchase more than ale and spirits for those who weave a good yarn. For example, they may purchase food and lodging for the characters if they promise to entertain the town folk with good tales. Others may be more impressed and want to make a lasting impression on the characters.

The Game Master can play such choices by ear as she should have a better understanding of what the players are looking for. In terms of having a claim of the characters fame though, some ideas are presented below:

NPC wishes to write down the characters life story so that it will be available for years to come.

NPC wishes to test the player’s abilities in a game of chance. This can range from throwing daggers, throwing axes or darts to drinking contests. Treat this as a standard skill challenge.

NPC wishes to woe the PC. The Game Master should know the players enough to know what the players are comfortable with but should also feel free to throw in complications such as pregnancy or low level theft merely meant to be a ‘token’ of the characters affection. Such ties can keep a player coming back to the town long after the adventure is over in a long term campaign.



If you have players that would like to engage in the speaking, but aren’t actually comfortable doing so, have them make a skill check. Depending on what the players are talking about, the skill check can vary. The Game Master can use this opportunity to also interject pieces of campaign background into the mix.

For example, if playing in a campaign where mages are on the rise, the Game Master could interject when a player makes a history check current rulers and upcoming notables.

The important thing here is that the Game Master uses this opportunity to bring forth the background elements that she wants to bring forward in future sessions. If these encounters are being used as one shots, with no future encounters, then the Game Master should give the players some ideas about what may be encountered wandering around as well as the specifics of what these encounters provide.

General Notes

Earthquake:

When the quake starts, the party may be in any number of locations. Use the following as guidelines as to what could possibly happen to them.

Skill Check: The party needs six successes before three failures.

The following are some options as to what the players can do with the various skills. The Game Master should try to accommodate any skill check though to insure that players don’t feel that they’ve wasted their skill selections.

Athletics: You manage to avoid being knocked off your feet by the violent rocking and swaying of the ground beneath you.

Athletics: (Indoor) You manage to avoid having a chunk of ceiling fall on you as the ceiling gives way above you.

Search: (Indoor) You manage to find a niche in the building that doesn’t seem to be rocking back and forth as violently as the rest of the building.

Spot: With a keen eye, you see a woman pulled into oblivion as the ground beneath her shudders open and she falls into the abyss.

Streetwise: (Indoor) You know that the old church would provide sanctuary thanks to its ancient foundations laid long ago.

Streetwise: (Outdoor) By listening to the tales told of the old church, you know that its supposed to be protected by the patron of travelers and manage

Failures:

The effects of failure should be similar in that it should result in the loss of one healing surge per failure, representing the effects of being pummeled and jostled by the earthquake as well as some condition that should vary depending on where the character was and what skill they were invoking at the time. Below are some recommendations.

Athletics: The balance you thought you’d achieved fails as you plummet to the ground suffering the effects of being Prone and losing one Healing Surge.

Athletics: (Indoor) You fail to avoid a chunk of ceiling that smashes into you. You lose one healing surge and are Immobilized until assisted or you succeed on a Saving Throw.

Search/Streetwise As you scramble about trying to find a place of safety, a table collapses onto you. Lose one healing surge.

Search/Streetwise: Looking about outside with eyes so focused on safety, you are smashed to the ground suffering the effects of being Prone and losing one Healing surge.






Several Vaults into the Underdark open in the city.

One of the vaults opens diseased spoors in the merchant quarters. The merchants want the poor quarters to be torn down and rebuilt using city wealth. In addition, what many don’t know is that one of the vaults that opened up is in the poor quarters and is a mine of vast wealth being rich with silver and iron ore. What the merchants don’t know is that the mine is also the home of dark elves who find the whole thing very inconvenient but love the easy access to potential slaves.

Because of the scope of the initial Earthquake, the players can’t be everywhere doing everything. Into the mix the Game Master might want to add a little rivalry with a fellow group of adventurers doing what the players are incapable of.

When building a rival party, the Game Master has several classic models to follow.

The Mirror Image: Requiring the least amount of game work, the Game Master uses duplicate character sheets from the players and makes a few minor adjustments. This is a classic ploy in that it saves the Game Master time, provides fully detailed game mechanics, and in many cases, may provide highly optimized characters to the Game Master that are well and truly a match for another party.

The Opposites: If the party is a group filled with martial and divine characters, the party is the opposite in some way. They are primarily arcane users and wish to showcase how arcane can do all things and is all things. This allows the Game Master to showcase the strength of the game in the width of the game.

Note that both examples merely talk about the game mechanics of the other party. In terms of how the other party is played, the Game Master should keep the long term use of the rival party in mind. If the rivals are merely there to stick it to the characters, the Game Master should think of making the party evil and attempting to ambush the players at their earliest convenience.

If the party is neutral, the Game Master should allow the two groups to socialize. This will allow the party to gain contacts that may provide them with future information. While the Game Master could play such a group as selfish and mainly out for their own interests, the group is also aware of how tenuous the hold of Man is over the wilds and is thankful for the characters strength of arms.

If the other party is good, the Game Master should only keep them around long enough to let the players know that this other party will be watching them and hopes to hear good things about them. The other party’s name should be thrown around on occasion and the players should meet them from time to time so that the Game Master can use this other party as a mouthpiece to fill in various details to the players.

One option in any case, is to have another group of players control the other party. This can be difficult to do in terms of timing, but it can provide a lot of entertainment to the group, especially if some of the players in one group are players in the other group. It allows the campaign world to have a greater amount of depth as the players will likely do and think of things that the Game Master could not. This allows for a deeper versatility than is normally present in any published adventure.

If using two groups of players, the Game Master can ask the players to write up brief synopsis of their adventurers and post them to a Wiki. This allows the other group to have an idea of what may be going on with the other group without getting the full details and presents the campaign in a broader scope.

The Fallen Cemetery

After the party has made themselves at home in the town, they are approached by the Williams family retainer, a sellsword by the name of Luke.

“Hail and well meet. I’ve come to extend an invitation to the newcomers to meet with the town’s Margrave, Sir Robertson Williams.” Luke is a stout compact man whose chain mail armor has seen wear but is kept in good condition and well oiled as is his shield and sword.

An open fight with Luke with immediately turn the majority of the town against the players as the Williams have been the guardians of the two for several generations and Luke himself has helped the common people through many a standard trial such as putting out fires, fighting off raiders and buying drinks for the common warriors.

If the party declines his offer, he nods once to show his understanding and leaves a piece of folded parchment at the end of the table.

The parchment reads, “Newcomers, please make your way towards the Manor of Roses at your earliest convenience.“, and is signed with the stamp of crossed roses in black ink.

Note, at this point, if the party doesn’t wish to engage with the Williams, and instead fret about town, they may do so but if the party’s main purpose is to avoid being railroaded in doing so, the GM must come up with encounters and objectives for the players outside the scope of this adventure. Note that the party may wind up heading to the cemetery in other ways but loses out on the patronage of the Williams family.

If the party has any questions for the patrons, see below or improvise and answer based on your own campaign and how things should work in it.

“What is this sigil?” Or any question referring to the roses.

“The Williams are known as the Rose knights because of the stylized weapons they use.” Swords, armor, shields and other pieces of Williams arms and armor bear the knight motif in them. For example, the swords often have hilts designed to look like leaves folding back on the stem with the pommel resembling the head of the rose.

“Why would the Williams want to see us?”

“They are the Margraves of this town. It is their duty to insure that newcomers pose no threat to the safety of the city. In addition, they are probably curious for news outside of the town and wish to hear what experienced travelers have to say. Rumors are that it is getting worse beyond the borders and even the farmers are having a hard time making a living.”

Another person pipes up, “Another reason might be because of the cemetery. Something’s eaten through the ground there causing the south end of it to collapse upon itself. End times for all of us, end times for all of us.”

“Fallen Cemetery?”

“The old man speaks the truth. Something has happened to the cemetery and the Williams have quickly put the town watch around it night and day to insure that nothing escapes. Thus far all that has been heard coming from there occurs at night with the snapping of bones and strange lizard like howls. Many of us would look kindly upon any who could discover what the Williams are doing and put an end to those night terrors.”

“Who are the Williams?”

“The Willaims came to power a few generations ago. They were assigned this remote outpost due to the low rank of their clan leader at the time and have brought a sense of peace and stabilization here.”

At that, some of the patrons mutter disagreements. Prior to the Margrave’s arrival, there was a mayor position with a sheriff and the two managed to skim quite a bit under the royal taxes under various headings that never produced any results. While the majority of the people are pleased with the Williams honest and earnest efforts to bring peace and stabilization to the land, the descendants of those who were removed from power and threatened with expulsion are not quite as pleased and would look favorably upon any one who wanted to ‘teach those outsiders a lesson.” Despite the fact that the last two generations of Williams have been born in the town.

Minor Quest:

If the players decide on their own imitative to handle the fallen cemetery, the guard inform them that any items taken from the dead will have to be returned to the dead but that anything else is fair game. The guards almost seem eager to allow a group of outsiders into the cemetery as they believe that will be the end of them.

If the players seek out the Williams and take the job officially, they are still informed that they are not allowed to steal from the dead, but will be paid for their job in addition to anything else that they find.



Kobolds, ghouls, and slithering cralwers.

The crawlers initially dug through causing a partial collapse of the cemetery. Ghouls and kobolds came in afterwards.

The party has been hired by a noble family. They fear it was one of their ancestors that caused the disaster. One member of the family seeks items in ancestor’s tome.

Kobolds feed old, infirm, and crippled kobolds to the ghouls in exchange for allowing tribe to move in and feed on the dead bodies which are important to the kobolds religion.

The Shrine is an ancient chunk of a forgotten church with faded images of a man like being walking among the dead with a massive dragon behind him.

DC 10 general age of shrine based on art style
DC 15 Necromancer’s Name
DC 20 Dragon’s Name