First of all, this is middle phase of campaign arc set in Scarred Lands setting, during which the characters (12-14th levels) are in the process of assembling information on secret origins of Tadhg Mhic Draodoir (party member). Having just signed permits allowing them to act as Representatives of Free-City State of Hollowfaust, they needed a job in order to improve their standing with Draodoir Foundation and subsequently gain further access to vital data.
The job itself was originally assembled as multistage encounter for Magus playtest (Magus - beta version of a new base class set to appear in Ultimate Magic). However, due to time constraints, the playtest was delayed and the encounter was run without Magus character.
Credits:
The lich and zombie giants, originally conceived by Justin Holloway in The Druid and the Lich.
Wights - Caer Wights variant from Pathfinder Bestiary, equipped with longbows (also available online in
Pathfinder PRD).
Erinyes and Barbazu devils - Pathfinder Bestiary (also available online in
Pathfinder PRD).
Something wicked -
Book of Monster Templates by Rite Publishing, with CR adjusted by +3 to better reflect actual creature strength (the book is fine, however I find quite a few templates in dire need of adjusting upwards)
Issue of Necromancer HD control limit:
The bad guy appears to control large number of undead. How is it possible? The answer: he does not. He issues a command, and zombies due to IQ of "-" are simply following the command to the letter. He assumes command of the next batch of undead and issues next command. The final group of zombie giants is told to haul their brethren while following avantgarde. And so they do.
The wights, on the other hand, are intelligent and do what they are told. They are CE, of course, so they are not the most reliable of soldiers. Still they do not lack self-preservation instinct.
What about the devils?
Summoned and bargained with by lich superiors in Glivid Autel. They are essentially mercenaries, who in return for getting to play with living prisoners, are to serve 3 weeks out of four in the field.
Encounter CRs:
- Zombie Giants are Easy
- Wights are Easy to Average (due to good range attack)
- Lich and his retinue - Challenging
- all of these are to happen separately (Zombie Giants attack is a feint, and a delayed feint at that, while Wights are optional)
The encounter initial setup was as follows:
1. Hook #1: The characters join archaeologist party as escorts/bodyguards.
2. Hook #2: The characters are requested to participate in rescue mission for said archaeologists.
The chief difference is that in the former case opponents are better prepared to deal with characters, and in the latter the mayhem already started, archaeologists are scattered and hurt, and the "something wicked" creature is on the verge of escaping.
The story version of the events:
1. The characters play along with hook #1, especially since Tadhg's condition is deteriorating. They split into two groups, the first escorts archaeologists to the edge of Hornsaw, where the excavations are to take place, the latter is to research some spells and teleport in later the same day.
2. The next two days pass uneventfully. The archaeologists map the area and begin to tentatively search ruins of a villa. Tadhg condition stabilizes. Guillermo (party member) experiences two vivid dreams of black feathers falling from the sky during night time.
Important side note: Hornsaw Forest isn't the place you want visit on a sunny day. It's dark, twisted and poisoned by essence of a fallen titan snake-mother Mormo. It houses a city of necromancer renegades from Society of Immortals. Finally it is a home to Hornsaw Unicorn.
Important side note #2: The dreams are a warning from character's divine patron that they have been found by a blackwinged humanoid creature patrolling the area during night time. On the third day the character finds an actual, real feather. Despite all of these, he is hesitant to mention this to other players, and on the last day the other players are not interested in the feather. The real feather was dropped by the wing owner to provide focus for scrying the camp activities.
3. On the third day the archaeologists find entrance to the cellar. They strongly suspect that the items sold recently in Hollowfaust were found in the cellar. The villa's function is reevaluated... the archaeologists are beginning to suspect that the original vine plantation was converted during Titanswar to necropolis.
Unfortunately, the explorers of the cellars fail to notice failing wards and destroy them. This results in a blast of negative energy in a 800' radius.
4. Blast results are devastating - unhallow effect in 800' radius, bones from shallow graves assemble into random (vaguely humanoid) shapes (the effect is too quick to produce full fledged aggressive zombies and skeletons, however the undead are difficult to navigate around and respond with violence if interacted with). This also convinces hostile force to hasten attack plans (the opponents were originally intending to attack at night time).
5. Commander of undead forces uses all his Command Undead uses to direct all of his zombie giants to move forward and kill all living beings. His snipers teleport into positions. The wight detachment moves (hustle) to take position beyond next hill to intercept fleeing opponents. Finally, the commander and his retinue circle heroes' campsite beyond range in order to take position opposite to the giants.
6. Several minutes later the characters are a bit confused as to the nature of spontaneous unearthing of passive undead. They decide to teleport a few students away (4 out of 8 total, leaving servants and professor for later).
The later does not happen as appearance of giant zombies some 300 feet away captures their attention.
The casters take position on the upper floor (with visibility restricted to 90-degree cone toward zombie giants), the rest either hide on ground floor or guard the entrance to the tower (entrance faces in opposite direction, it is blocked by Hollowfaustian zombies).
7. Flying casters engage zombies with tentative fireballs. Unfortunately for players, commander of the undead is also in position and so he unleashes maximized fireball right in a middle of ground floor. This results in instant incineration of students and servants (no chance to survive even with a successful save) and professor (failed save). The PCs are either unscathed or suffer minor burns. One of the flying casters is almost killed by snipers.
8. Barbarian PC charges into undead commander (80 feet charge, his immense strength allowing him to scatter feeble undead) and does almost 80 points of damage. The Barbarian PC finds that commander was not alone - the invisibility sphere shielded no fewer than six bearded devils (3 original, 3 summoned prior to unleashing the fireball).
9. The remaining characters either focus on zombie giants, snipers (Hold Monster), saving grievously hurt caster or try to approach barbarian.
10. Opponents' turn. All six devils slash the Barbarian... 50% strikes hit dealing over 140 points of damage. The commander assesses the situation and blasts Barbarian with Scorching Ray and Quickened Magic Missile. The Barbarian is still standing, bleeding heavily.
The zombie giants continue to lumber toward the tower.
The snipers experience problems (Erinyes devils) - failed saves Hold Monster and misses.
11. PCs' turn. Barbarian PCs bleeds to death (i.e. bleeding damage makes him fall unconscious, which in turn ends rage, which in turn cancels rage CON bonus, which brings the character far into negatives). Paladin PC gets to charge the lich and... misses. Sorcerer PC tries to attack the lich, but his spell fails to account for the target being immune (they were not aware of whom they were dealing with). Cleric PC blasts all devils with Holy Word (and banishes them all).
Wizard PC (Tadhg) uses Command Undead to make zombie giants to attack each other - since the zombie giants were not controlled, this is sufficient to deal with the problem of lumbering horde.
12. The wights are not participating in combat (and they are not too keen to abandon their position). They may at further stage.
13. The furious clash between cleric, paladin and the lich (whose status is finally revealed) results in lich blasting opponents with Cloudkill and using Dimension Door to hide himself in the tower (formerly occupied by PCs, currently covered by Cloudkill).
14. The characters deal with Erinyes, the lich secretly recuperates.
15. The lich blasts Sorcerer PC with another spell, and then, when all PCs converge on him, uses Circle of Death. He is quite surprised that no one succumbs to his spell. The paladin ends the fight with a smite.
End of the primary part of the encounter. The characters are not aware of Wight detachment yet. The
something wicked is not coming out... yet.
