Plots & PlacesPost your PCs and NPCs for others to reference and enjoy. This is also an alternate location for long-term campaign and plot development. These can be system neutral or relate to any game or system.
Did some work on the rat-infestation adventure today, putting together some 4e encounters for the first time. The adventure is planned for 1st-level PCs so there's actually quite a limited set of monsters to choose from and I really didn't want to feature any kobolds for this as they play such a big role in Keep on the Shadowfell.
The first encounter is outside the Black Dolphin's Wake and gives the PCs a chance to try out 4e combat against some dockside thugs (human bandits, human rabble and a halfling thief). Once they get down in the tunnels beneath the tavern they run into:
Encounter 1:
2 rat swarms
2 dire rats
Encounter 2:
3 rat-things (giant rat minions but with human faces)
1 rat-thing hexer (as above, using stats for goblin hexer)
Encounter 3, takes place in the main sewer tunnels:
2 wererats with crossbows
1 visejaw crocodile (how could I resist having a crocodile in the sewers? I couldn't!)
5 rat-thing minions
Encounter 4:
2 cavern chokers
Encounter 5:
The daeva statue
2 wererats with crossbows
2 zombie brutes
3 zombie rotters
Here are the stats for the 3' high now six-armed evil idol brought back by Mikulas from the Pillars of Heaven:
Hidimba, Daeva Statue
Level 4 Controller, 175xp
Initiative +0, Perception +12
AC 20
HP 60 Bloodied 30
Immune disease, petrification, poison
Speed 0
Enslave (standard, recharge ) Charm
Ranged 5; +6 vs Will; the target is dominated (save ends). Hidimba can only enslave one creature at a time.
Alignment Chaotic Evil
I only really did the bare minimum stats for the idol as it's not really a monster. The Enslave power is a weakened version of the mind flayer's; apart from that it has no attacks and the PCs just need to smash it. I toned down the attacks bonus for the Enslave power; it should be +8 according to the DMG but I think that might be too much.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 22nd June 2008 at 09:13 AM..
I love it! I can't answer your question about the Idol's enslavement power, as I don't "do" 4e, but I can certainly say the adventure sounds like a real winner. The chance that the PCs will have to fight/subdue one of their own is fun. Just make sure there's some clear reason for them to realize smashing the statue is the "answer" to stopping it. They might fear that doing so will simply release the demon and make things worse.
In fact, I may steal it, and with a few changes to make it appropriate to my setting, use it in an Egyptian-style adventure I'm about to run. It would make a perfect early adventure for my group!
I love it! I can't answer your question about the Idol's enslavement power, as I don't "do" 4e, but I can certainly say the adventure sounds like a real winner. The chance that the PCs will have to fight/subdue one of their own is fun. Just make sure there's some clear reason for them to realize smashing the statue is the "answer" to stopping it. They might fear that doing so will simply release the demon and make things worse.
In fact, I may steal it, and with a few changes to make it appropriate to my setting, use it in an Egyptian-style adventure I'm about to run. It would make a perfect early adventure for my group!
Cool, glad you like it!
I'm hoping that a sense of palpable evil coming from the idol might give them a clue that they need to smash it, but it's certainly possible that they might think this would make things worse. It'll be obvious to anyone that the statue fails to control that it was trying to dominate him/her.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Still can't think what class works best for Jagadamba in 4e. I've been thinking about making her a warlock with the Ritual Caster feat and Brew Potion ritual. There just aren't that many potions in 4e yet!
Oh well, it'll be some time before the PCs need to fight her.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
N.B. Anwyn is featured in Green Ronin's excellent Book of the Righteous
Shrine to Anwyn
Anwyn is known as the Homely, the Blessed, Goodlady, the Firekeeper and the Lady of the Feast among other names. Her shrine (or hearth, as her temples are called) in Flotsam is on a boat and is a popular meeting place for the wives, daughters and young children of the local fishermen. The deck of the boat is dominated by a communal kitchen and dining area where naan bread and chapatis are baked and fragrant lentil soup simmers away on the stove. The women of Flotsam gather round, chatting about life in Parsantium, politics, the latest gossip and other matters, great and small. This is obviously great place for a female PC to find out information.
In the centre of the deck is the hearth-fire itself; in front of it is an altar arrayed with food, candles and wine. The manciple (priestess) is Goodmother Bree Eleri, a rotund, matronly halfling with rosy red cheeks. Kind and gentle, the Goodmother is a 9th-level cleric and knows the gentle repose, cure disease, raise dead and remove affliction rituals.
She is assisted by a young petitioner (1st-level cleric) called Hannah Megaris, also a halfling, from a village to the northwest of Parsantium named Nicasia.
Secret: Hannah is more powerful than she seems. More importantly she belongs to a secret doctrine within the church of Anwyn which secretly worships the King of Hell, Asmodeus. Corrupted by her (human) village priestess, Hannah was sent to the city to destabilise and destroy the good works of the hearth here from within.
This is likely to be the temple the PCs go to when in need of healing (eg Cure Disease after the first adventure vs the rats beneath the Black Dolphin's Wake) so quite an important location.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
I thought it was about time I detailed a few of the important buildings in the Imperial Quarter:
The University of Parsantium is situated in the Civic Ward and is renowned as the foremost centre of mundane learning in the former Batiaran Empire. Consisting of several buildings, the biggest, an impressive marble edifice known as the Ivory Towers, houses the 300-seater Auditorium where lectures take place, classrooms, and the offices of the tutors and academic staff. The University Library and the Imperial Museum of Antiquities, as well as halls of residence and for the students and academic staff, kitchens and a grand dining hall make up the rest of the buildings.
The Imperial Museum of Antiquities houses a collection of artifacts from the former lands of the Batiaran Empire, the deserts of Khemit, and beyond. Its collection would be more impressive if the University did not need to sell its most valuable artifacts rather than putting them on display, not to mention the steady stream of items routinely stolen from the museum. More interesting perhaps is the stuff not on display stored in the vaults beneath the building: some is awaiting cataloguing, some has been deemed too uninteresting to show and some too dangerous...
The university is also home to an enigmatic sphinx named Flamewind who came to the city after being met by adventurers in a ruined temple deep in the jungles of Sahasra. Flamewind has the body of a giant lion but with orange stripes on deep black fur. Her great falcon wings are jet black; she has the face of a beautiful elf or eladrin maiden, though her features are very feline and her hair is the same black and orange as her coat. She wears a few jewelled chains of platinum and gold around her neck and forelimbs and a silver diadem rests on her brow.
Flamewind spends much of her time in the Great Libary and around the university and has a great deal to offer adventurers and scholars seeking to know more about the Ruined Kingdoms and other remote parts of Sahasra. She possesses oracular powers and has been known to summon a band of adventurers, sending them on strange missions after uttering a cryptic prophecy identifying them by name.
The Great Library of Parsantium is situated in the university district in the Civic Ward and serves as the centre of the worship of the god of knowledge, Tinel.
This is the most complete and inclusive library in the former Batiaran Empire, housing many literary, artistic and scholarly works of the people of the Empire and beyond. This huge collection has grown over the centuries of Parsantium's existence, although many valuable works were destroyed or lost when the city fell into the hands of the humanoids prior to the Great Crusade.
To keep the library's Hall of Records current, the Inceptors (priests) of Tinel who look after the library hire adventurers to travel to remote locations and document their journeys. Sometimes, they are asked to find out the truth of a particular legend; at others, to verify a rumour or reported event. These adventurers are instructed to keep a journal of their travels; these journals are then purchased by the Great Library. Typically, adventurers return to Parsantium from their travels in the months of September and October hoping to sell their journals to the library.
The library is open to researchers and visiting scholars at a cost of 20 gp per day which includes assistance from the librarians, scribes and research scholars.
Sources:
- Flamewind is stolen from Eberron and appears in the Sharn, City of Towers book.
- The Great Library is based on the Great Library of Throal in Earthdawn -- I always liked the setting but never got to play the game.
- Tinel is from Green Ronin's excellent Book of the Righteous from which much of the Batiaran pantheon has been taken.
Any comments or suggestions? With these locations I wanted to give the PCs a places where they could do research as needed for their adventures, and also give them some potential patrons.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
__________________ Website: knightvisionstudios.com KVS blog - the Backstage Pass
Follow me on Twitter - @knightvision
Best quote on Enworld: It's only railroading when somebody else is the DM. Otherwise it's a tight, brilliant story with no plot holes. - CM
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
This large houseboat serves as the religious centre for the Sahasran community of Flotsam although these days many of the women pay their respects to the Batiaran/halfling goddess Anwyn instead.
On the deck stand colourfully painted statues of the Sapta Sindhu, the seven river gods and goddesses, as well as one of Varuna, god of oceans and rivers, astride his makara (a sea creature resembling a cross between a dolphin and a crocodile). Worshippers at the temple will make offerings of rice, flowers and sweets at the foot of the statue they want to bless their endeavours: praying to Kunar for a bigger catch before going out fishing for the day, asking one of the goddesses (often Sarayu) to help find the perfect wife or husband or beseeching Yamuna to provide a healthy son and heir. Vibrant flags and pennants run on strings from the mast down to the front, back and sides of the boat adding to its colour appearance. This increases tenfold during the Festival of Flowers in the month of Sextilis when the temple is covered in bright yellow, orange and red flowers.
The priestess, Chandipati , is a 5th-level cleric; she knows the brew potion and hand of fate rituals. Chandipati is a tall, thin woman in her late 30s. She is short-sighted and has a tendency to squint at anyone approaching in an attempt to recognise them. A strict vegetarian who hates the idea of harming any living thing, she sometimes can’t help showing her disapproval of catching and eating fish to her congregation of mostly fishermen.
Secret: Chandipati’s husband walked out on her a few years ago after an argument and is now mixed up with the Golden Scimitars.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Here's something a bit different. This is the story of the founding of the city and also of the campaign's ultimate BBEG.
The Founding of Parsantium
In the distant past, long before the time of the Batiaran Empire, a number of Sahasran refugees fled the Kingdom of Kadar and its evil geomancer rulers. On the other side of the Pillars of Heaven Mountains they arrived at the Dolphin Strait where the Griffin Water joins the Corsair’s Sea and founded the town of Dhak Janjua that would later become Parsantium.
Vrishabha, a young rakshasa adhura (novice), was among those who fled from Sahasra, sent there by his hakima master Nataraj to insinuate himself in the new city. In time, Vrishabha’s power and wealth grew as he became first a darshaka (servant), serving the interests of his distant lord and then a hakima himself as he took control of the fledgling city as its rajah. Vrishabha acquired powerful servants including other rakshasas and human sorcerors and warlocks, as well as infernal allies. As his influence spread, he was able to become independent of his former master, becoming a samrata, the highest rakshasa caste. As rajah, Vrishabha sought to expand the influence of the city, strengthening trade links with the pharoahs of the desert kingdom of Khemit and with the Sunset Lands to the West. He started a programme of public works to make Dhak Janjua even greater: the huge stone bridges crossing the Dolphin Strait were built during this time, at the height of Vrishabha’s power.
But Vrishabha’s rule over the people of Dhak Janjua was cruel and tyrannical, and the people, led by the priests and followers of the ancient spirit Bauhei, the Black Leopard, champion of the oppressed rebelled against him. The revolt was brutally crushed with those directly involved, their families and their acquaintances tortured viciously before being put to death. The temples of the Black Leopard were razed and the god’s priests rounded up and killed.
However, one young priest, named Srivatsa, escaped into the forest outside the city. Praying to Bauhei for help, he was sent a messenger in the form of a black leopard, who brought with him the means to bring down Vrishabha: a bow made from a rainbow that fired magical arrows. Lumbering behind the black leopard was an enormous white elephant – a mount fit to serve the avenger of the god.
Srivasta rode into Dhak Janjua astride the elephant, unopposed by the guards on the city gate and cheered by the people. Arriving at the palace, the hero fought his way through the rajah’s soldiers and sorcerors, before confronting Vrishabha himself in his throne room. Srivasta shot the rakshasa through the heart, slaying him, and thus, the city of Dhak Janjua was saved from tyranny and evil.
Notes
The story of Srivasta and Vrishabha is still remembered today among the Sahasran community of Parsantium and is retold in an epic poem.
It is said that as fiendish spirits veiled in flesh, a rakshasa is reincarnated somewhere in the world after days, months or years of tormented wandering as a bodiless spirit. It often seeks vengeance against those who killed it in its previous incarnation.
Vrishabha was reincarnated encased in ice high in the Pillars of Heaven mountains. Trapped for now, he seeks to escape his prison and regain the throne of his city and is working through lamia, yikaria and of course rakshasa agents to do this.
There are ruins in the Feyshore Forest dating back to this period – possible clues, foreshadowing of the main plot?
The rakshasa caste names come from a great article in Pathfinder #9.
The Black Leopard cult first appeared in the classic 1e OA modules. Later, they were corrupted by evil so may exist in Parsantium today as a cult plotting to overthrow the basileus.
Srivasta resembles the god Indra (rainbow-bow, riding a white elephant) - I'm toying with the idea that he becomes a god.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 26th July 2008 at 05:53 PM..
I like it. The Scholasticia or did you mean University of Scholasticia? Or something else?
Cheers
Richard
I think the Scholasticia is just about right
__________________ Website: knightvisionstudios.com KVS blog - the Backstage Pass
Follow me on Twitter - @knightvision
Best quote on Enworld: It's only railroading when somebody else is the DM. Otherwise it's a tight, brilliant story with no plot holes. - CM
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
Last edited by RichGreen; 28th July 2008 at 12:24 AM..
OK, there are two temples because Flotsam has a mixed population of halflings and (mostly) Sahasran humans. The Sapta Sindhu temple is dedicated to the Sahasran river gods; Anwyn is a Batiaran/halfling goddess.
From a metagame point of view, I wanted to have a bit of variety in the temples in the PCs' starting location.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
the second part of my question though is why are they on boats?
Ah, that's because they're part of Flotsam which is a boat-town which sprung up around the Old Docks in the Old Quarter. People who had no money for a house ended up living on boats tied to each other and the docks. See this post, this one and the map.
Books used last session Black Horse Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Player's Handbook 2 (invoker), Adventurer's Vault, Wrath of the River King. Dulwich Parsantium campaign: 4e core rules, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (genasi, swordmage), Players' Handbook 2 (barbarian), Dragon (Playing Gnolls), Sellswords of Punjar (the adventure) Lands of Intrigue: 3.5 core rules, Arcana Evolved (unfettered), Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Banewarrens (the adventure), Book of Nine Swords (Desert Wind), Monster Manual V (demons)
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