We join our dynamic duo as they lurk outside a ruined tower while Brelish and Cyre forces clash on the Saerun Road below the hill. Each has mission; can they work together to accomplish them? For the first part of this article, see here.
My daughter and her boyfriend played their first Eberron encounter Saturday night when I got home from work. As a warforged, my daughter’s character Morg was charged with scouting the tower for signs of enemy activity by his commanding officer in the Brelish army, while her boyfriend’s changeling character Lam was tasked with rescuing Lord Major Bren ir’Gadden, who had been captured and was suspected to be held prisoner in the tower.
The two approached the tower on foot from different directions, aware of each other but not really cooperating. I removed one of the dolgrims and half the kruthik hatchlings from the encounter because there were only two characters, but they both decided to take a “wait and see” approach instead of entering the tower, I jumpstarted the action by having Morg ambushed by a second dolgrim. At the same time, I had some of the kruthik hatchlings emerge from the rubble to attack the changeling.
The fighting remained separated for the entire encounter. Morg had the harder battle, as the dolgrim flanked him at one time with a hatchling and got the warforged down to 1 hit point. Thanks to second wind and warforged resolve, Morg managed to remain conscious. His lightning ring took out the hatchling and, thanks to dazzling sunray, the dolgrim never managed to hit him again.
Lam quickly dispatched the other kruthik hatchlings and entered the tower, engaging the other dolgrim. Because of the Prophecy mark, there wasn’t a lot of room for the dolgrim to maneuver or shift, and thanks to Lam’s greenblood oil and assassin’s strike, the dolgrim was done for in just a few rounds. He also made quick work of the shackles holding the Lord Major and Aric Blacktree, thanks to some awesome Thievery checks.
We ended the session on a cliff hanger, as the characters emerged from the tower with a wounded Lord Major and a comatose Aric Blacktree, only to find Emerald Claw agents and a small horde of zombies blocking their path.
Below is the boyfriend’s character, for your enjoyment. I can’t help feeling it’s a bit of an uber-munchkin, but in an adventuring party of two, I feel it’s justified. What do you think?
Lam Level 1 Executioner
Medium natural humanoid (shapechanger) XP
HP 22 Bloodied 11 Surge Value 5 Surges 7
AC 19 Initiative +5
Fortitude 11; Reflex 16; Will 15
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Traits
Attack Finesse
Lam uses his Dexterity instead of Strength for his melee basic attacks. In addition, once per turn he can deal 1d8 extra damage with a weapon attack using a one-handed weapon, a garrote, a blowgun, or a shortbow.
Poison Use
Lam knows two poison recipes – greenblood oil and ungol dust. During an extended rest, he can prepare one vial of poison, provided he has a poisoner’s kit. The poison expires if not used before Lam’s next extended rest. Lam is immune to his own poison.
Quick Swap
Once during each turn, Lam can take a free action to draw or stow a weapon and then draw another weapon.
Two-Weapon Defense
While wielding a melee weapon in each hand, Lam gains a +1 shield bonus to AC and Reflex.
Venom Hand Master
Lam’s attacks ignore poison resistance and poison immunity.
Way of the Ninja
Lam’s Attack Finesse class feature applies to kusari-gama and shuriken, and his assassin poisons can be applied to shuriken.
Standard Actions
M Kusari-Gama (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10+5 damage.
M Short Sword (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Melee (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6+5 damage.
R Shuriken (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Ranged 6/12 (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d4+5 damage.
m Ninja-to Rush (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use short sword.
Effect: If Lam has jumped, fallen, or flown this turn, he gains combat advantage against the target for this attack.
Attack: Melee (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10+5 damage.
Special: When charging, Lam can use this power in place of a melee basic attack.
m Running Slash (weapon) * Encounter
Effect: Lam moves up to his speed and makes the following attack at any point during his move. This movement does not provoke an opportunity attack from the target.
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex (kusari-gama) or +8 vs. Reflex (short sword)
Hit: 1d10+5 damage (kusari-gama) or 1d6+5 (short sword), and the target is slowed until the end of Lam’s next turn.
m Whirling Kusari-Gama (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use kusari-gama.
Primary Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex
Primary Hit: 5 damage, and the target falls prone. Lam can shift 1 square and make a secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. AC
Secondary Hit: 1d6 damage.
r Poisonous Shuriken (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use shuriken.
Attack: Ranged 6/12 (one, two, or three creatures); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d4 damage.
Special: If Lam poisoned his shuriken before this attack, the poison damage applies to each creature hit.
Second Wind (healing) * Encounter
Effect: Lam spends a healing surge and regains hit points equal to his surge value. In addition, he gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of his next turn.
Minor Actions
m Changeling Trick * Encounter
Effect: Melee 1 (one creature); Lam makes a Bluff check opposed by the target’s passive Insight. If Lam’s check succeeds, he gains combat advantage against the target until the end of his next turn.
Changeling Disguise (polymorph) * At-Will
Effect: Lam alters his physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid. He retains his statistics in his new form, and his clothing, armor, and possessions do not change. The new form lasts until Lam changes form again.
Any creature that attempts to see through Lam’s ruse makes an Insight check opposed by his Bluff check, and he gains a +5 bonus to his check.
Greenblood Oil (poison) * Consumable
Effect: Choose one of the following actions:
Assassin’s Strike * Encounter
Trigger: Lam hits a creature within 5 squares with an attack using a weapon.
Effect: The target takes 1d10 extra damage from the triggering attack. If the target is helpless, the damage is maximized.
Special: Nothing but a short or extended rest can allow Lam to regain the use of this power.
Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +10, Stealth +12, Streetwise +8, Thievery +10
Str 11 (+0) Dex 20 (+5) Wis 8 (-1)
Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 16 (+3)
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Equipment leather armor, kusari-gama, shuriken (20), adventurer’s kit, greenblood oil (1 dose), poisoner’s kit, thieves’ tools, 16 gp
My daughter and her boyfriend played their first Eberron encounter Saturday night when I got home from work. As a warforged, my daughter’s character Morg was charged with scouting the tower for signs of enemy activity by his commanding officer in the Brelish army, while her boyfriend’s changeling character Lam was tasked with rescuing Lord Major Bren ir’Gadden, who had been captured and was suspected to be held prisoner in the tower.
The two approached the tower on foot from different directions, aware of each other but not really cooperating. I removed one of the dolgrims and half the kruthik hatchlings from the encounter because there were only two characters, but they both decided to take a “wait and see” approach instead of entering the tower, I jumpstarted the action by having Morg ambushed by a second dolgrim. At the same time, I had some of the kruthik hatchlings emerge from the rubble to attack the changeling.
The fighting remained separated for the entire encounter. Morg had the harder battle, as the dolgrim flanked him at one time with a hatchling and got the warforged down to 1 hit point. Thanks to second wind and warforged resolve, Morg managed to remain conscious. His lightning ring took out the hatchling and, thanks to dazzling sunray, the dolgrim never managed to hit him again.
Lam quickly dispatched the other kruthik hatchlings and entered the tower, engaging the other dolgrim. Because of the Prophecy mark, there wasn’t a lot of room for the dolgrim to maneuver or shift, and thanks to Lam’s greenblood oil and assassin’s strike, the dolgrim was done for in just a few rounds. He also made quick work of the shackles holding the Lord Major and Aric Blacktree, thanks to some awesome Thievery checks.
We ended the session on a cliff hanger, as the characters emerged from the tower with a wounded Lord Major and a comatose Aric Blacktree, only to find Emerald Claw agents and a small horde of zombies blocking their path.
Below is the boyfriend’s character, for your enjoyment. I can’t help feeling it’s a bit of an uber-munchkin, but in an adventuring party of two, I feel it’s justified. What do you think?
Lam Level 1 Executioner
Medium natural humanoid (shapechanger) XP
HP 22 Bloodied 11 Surge Value 5 Surges 7
AC 19 Initiative +5
Fortitude 11; Reflex 16; Will 15
Speed 6
Action Points 1
Traits
Attack Finesse
Lam uses his Dexterity instead of Strength for his melee basic attacks. In addition, once per turn he can deal 1d8 extra damage with a weapon attack using a one-handed weapon, a garrote, a blowgun, or a shortbow.
Poison Use
Lam knows two poison recipes – greenblood oil and ungol dust. During an extended rest, he can prepare one vial of poison, provided he has a poisoner’s kit. The poison expires if not used before Lam’s next extended rest. Lam is immune to his own poison.
Quick Swap
Once during each turn, Lam can take a free action to draw or stow a weapon and then draw another weapon.
Two-Weapon Defense
While wielding a melee weapon in each hand, Lam gains a +1 shield bonus to AC and Reflex.
Venom Hand Master
Lam’s attacks ignore poison resistance and poison immunity.
Way of the Ninja
Lam’s Attack Finesse class feature applies to kusari-gama and shuriken, and his assassin poisons can be applied to shuriken.
Standard Actions
M Kusari-Gama (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10+5 damage.
M Short Sword (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Melee (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6+5 damage.
R Shuriken (weapon) * At-Will
Attack: Ranged 6/12 (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d4+5 damage.
m Ninja-to Rush (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use short sword.
Effect: If Lam has jumped, fallen, or flown this turn, he gains combat advantage against the target for this attack.
Attack: Melee (one creature); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10+5 damage.
Special: When charging, Lam can use this power in place of a melee basic attack.
m Running Slash (weapon) * Encounter
Effect: Lam moves up to his speed and makes the following attack at any point during his move. This movement does not provoke an opportunity attack from the target.
Attack: Melee 1 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex (kusari-gama) or +8 vs. Reflex (short sword)
Hit: 1d10+5 damage (kusari-gama) or 1d6+5 (short sword), and the target is slowed until the end of Lam’s next turn.
m Whirling Kusari-Gama (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use kusari-gama.
Primary Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. Reflex
Primary Hit: 5 damage, and the target falls prone. Lam can shift 1 square and make a secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Reach 2 (one creature); +7 vs. AC
Secondary Hit: 1d6 damage.
r Poisonous Shuriken (weapon) * At-Will
Requirement: Must use shuriken.
Attack: Ranged 6/12 (one, two, or three creatures); +8 vs. AC
Hit: 1d4 damage.
Special: If Lam poisoned his shuriken before this attack, the poison damage applies to each creature hit.
Second Wind (healing) * Encounter
Effect: Lam spends a healing surge and regains hit points equal to his surge value. In addition, he gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of his next turn.
Minor Actions
m Changeling Trick * Encounter
Effect: Melee 1 (one creature); Lam makes a Bluff check opposed by the target’s passive Insight. If Lam’s check succeeds, he gains combat advantage against the target until the end of his next turn.
Changeling Disguise (polymorph) * At-Will
Effect: Lam alters his physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid. He retains his statistics in his new form, and his clothing, armor, and possessions do not change. The new form lasts until Lam changes form again.
Any creature that attempts to see through Lam’s ruse makes an Insight check opposed by his Bluff check, and he gains a +5 bonus to his check.
Greenblood Oil (poison) * Consumable
Effect: Choose one of the following actions:
- Lam applies the poison to his melee weapon or his shuriken. During this encounter, the next enemy he hits with a weapon attack using the poisoned item takes 10 extra poison damage, and it cannot regain hit points (save ends).
- Lam pours the poison into a drink or onto a plate of food. The first creature to consume the food or drink within the next hour takes a -4 penalty to saving throws and cannot regain hit points until the end of its next extended rest.
Assassin’s Strike * Encounter
Trigger: Lam hits a creature within 5 squares with an attack using a weapon.
Effect: The target takes 1d10 extra damage from the triggering attack. If the target is helpless, the damage is maximized.
Special: Nothing but a short or extended rest can allow Lam to regain the use of this power.
Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +10, Stealth +12, Streetwise +8, Thievery +10
Str 11 (+0) Dex 20 (+5) Wis 8 (-1)
Con 10 (+0) Int 10 (+0) Cha 16 (+3)
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common
Equipment leather armor, kusari-gama, shuriken (20), adventurer’s kit, greenblood oil (1 dose), poisoner’s kit, thieves’ tools, 16 gp
