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<blockquote data-quote="AntiStateQuixote" data-source="post: 4958587" data-attributes="member: 30770"><p><strong>All the King’s Women</strong></p><p><em>A D&D 4th Edition adventure for level 13 heroes</em></p><p></p><p>The Fellswamp is a dark and dangerous blight on the southeastern border of the Principality of Edmund. The people of the Principality have wisely avoided the swamp for generations as it is known to be haunted by various spirits and beings of the Feywild. Now the evil of the swamp reaches its swirling tendrils into civilization, and Prince Jorum Edmund calls upon the heroes of his land to put a stop to the terror.</p><p></p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><p>Some years ago Skarlmarga, a mighty troll, arose as a new king in the swamp. He gathered the trolls, ogres and other beasts of the swamp under his banner. He scratched out a kingdom of sorts on the eastern edge of the swamp where his soldiers and minions have managed to hold back the restless spirits of the central and western part of the Fellswamp. Skarlmarga has kept a reasonable peace with the Principality of Edmund, finding easier prey for his people among the goblins and orcs of the hills to the east.</p><p></p><p>A new threat has appeared in the Fellswamp. Skarlmarga and his soldiers are hard pressed to maintain his rule as many of the troll king’s people have died under the teeth and claws of the terrible beast that threatens them. Skarlmarga’s chief advisors, a trio of hags, have taken it upon themselves to seek help among the humans of the Principality of Edmund.</p><p></p><p><strong>Adventure Synopsis</strong></p><p>The adventure begins when Prince Edmund calls the heroes to his court and charges them with uncovering the cause of the disturbances in the village of Aichen near the Fellswamp and bringing peace to his people.</p><p></p><p>In Aichen the PCs hear of three children who have disappeared and of several bloodily failed attempts to track them into the Fellswamp. In reality the three children and their mothers have been kidnapped by ogres and taken to Skarlmarga’s hold on the far side of the swamp, and the three hags have used their magic to take the place of the missing women in the village.</p><p></p><p>In the guise of distraught mothers of missing children the hags will attempt to pass information about the dangers in the Fellswamp to the heroes. An unusually formidable hydra disturbs the peace in the swamp and is the cause of the recent problems there.</p><p></p><p>The heroes may uncover the hags’ treachery, in which case the hags will plead for help or flee into the swamp or die under the swords of the PCs. In any case, the heroes should have some information from their encounters with the hags that lead them to investigate the goings on in the Fellswamp.</p><p></p><p>The trek into the swamp could go several ways. There are numerous encounters with undead and Fey creatures as the heroes make their way either to the lair of the hydra or to King Skarlmarga’s hold. In either case the heroes eventually learn some details about the hydra. It is a creature from the Elemental Chaos that rampages periodically through the Fellswamp, destroying everything in its path before slipping back to its home.</p><p></p><p>If the heroes managed to make peace with the hags, they will be useful allies in navigating both the Fellswamp and King Skarlmarga’s lands. With or without the help of the hags the heroes learn of King Skarlmarga’s wholly justified, but neurotic, fear of fire. He maintains a massive treasury in his keep where he stores various items of value and power. A well guarded and booby trapped vault holds a handful of fire-based magic items including potions of fiery breath.</p><p></p><p>Encounters with the hydra and information gathered from the trolls reveal the hydra to be particularly resilient and resistant to most damage types, but it is vulnerable to fire. Through stealth, force or negotiation, the heroes should attempt to acquire the potions of fiery breath from King Skarlmarga for use against the hydra.</p><p></p><p>The hydra itself exists in both the Elemental Chaos and the World at the same time. It projects its body into the World periodically through a portal in the middle of the Fellswamp. The portal is a deep hole on what appears to be a desert island in the midst of the verdant and putrid swamp.</p><p></p><p>Eventually the heroes track the hydra to the portal. While fighting the hydra the heroes should recognize its link to the Elemental Chaos. Destruction of its body in the World will not end its menace and the heroes must travel through the portal to its lair where, in a final climatic battle, they can bring the creature down with the help of fire magic.</p><p></p><p><strong>Encounters</strong></p><p><strong>The Hags of Aichen</strong></p><p>The encounter in Aichen begins as a skill challenge in which the heroes attempt to learn what’s going on. The DCs for most checks are easy or moderate, although a handful of hard checks associated with discovering the hags’ true identities should be thrown in. Success in the skill challenge can reveal several details about the situation:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The children were kidnapped by ogres</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The ogres are in service to King Skarlmarga, a troll</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Several forays into the Fellswamp have resulted in about a dozen deaths of the would-be rescuers falling to various undead and Fey creatures</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is a hydra on the loose in the swamp</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The hydra is attacking King Skarlmarga’s people</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The distraught mothers are hags in disguise: Giselda, Cowlinda and Ellestia in service to King Skarlmarga</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The hags want the heroes’ help in destroying the hydra</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The hags can become allies if the PCs work toward that end</li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>In the Swamp</strong></p><p>If the PCs have the hags to guide them then the journey through the swamp to King Skarlmarga’s hold takes six days during which they cannot take an extended rest unless they manage some way to hold off the environmental and undead menace that prevents such rest. During this time the heroes will fight off numerous (at least six) easy rated encounters against various undead and Fey creatures. The hags will fight alongside the heroes in these fights. Just before reaching the troll king’s lands a final hard rated encounter with many undead occurs.</p><p></p><p>If the PCs do not have the hags to guide them they must undergo a grueling, hard-rated skill challenge of survival and exploration in the swamp. Regardless of their preferred destination, the troll’s land or the hydra’s lair, they must make twelve hard-rated skill successes before reaching their destination. After every check, success or failure, the heroes will have an easy or moderate rated encounter with undead or fey creatures in the swamp. During this time the heroes cannot take an extended rest unless they have extraordinary abilities to withstand the environment and the waves of undead.</p><p></p><p><strong>At the Troll King’s Lair</strong></p><p>Once the heroes enter Skarlmarga’s lands they can find a safe place to rest either by winning the troll king’s confidence or simply finding an out of the way place to camp.</p><p></p><p>When the heroes reach Skarlmarga’s hold they have the choice of attempting to negotiate or attack. If they choose to fight then a handful of moderate difficulty encounters should get them into the troll king’s lair where they can fight the troll king and his minions in a hard rated encounter and eventually rescue the kidnapped children and their mothers.</p><p></p><p>If they choose to negotiate, a moderate to hard rated skill challenge ensues as they try to win the troll king’s confidence. If the hags are present and friendly with the heroes then the difficulty for negotiation skill checks (bluff, diplomacy, insight) is easy instead of moderate or hard. During this encounter the heroes can learn more about the hydra threat including its resistance abilities and its dual existence nature. The troll king will give the hostages back if the PCs will help him with the hydra menace.</p><p></p><p>The troll king will also reward the heroes for ending the hydra menace. He will give them access to his dreaded fire magic if they can win another hard rated skill challenge. They may also choose to fight or sneak their way into the vault to get at the potions. The hags will tell the heroes of these potions.</p><p></p><p><strong>The Hydra Lair</strong></p><p>The hydra lair is an empty desert island littered with rubble and other rough terrain in the middle of the Fellswamp. The heroes can make their way to the lair by succeeding on six moderate rated exploration type skill checks. If the heroes are friendly with the trolls then the difficulty for the checks is easy as they offer guidance and advice. After each skill check (success or failure) the heroes have an easy rated encounter with undead and/or fey creatures. The heroes cannot get an extended rest on this trip, as above.</p><p></p><p>At the lair the hydra waits in the deep hole leading to the portal. The moment any creature steps onto its island it leaps out and attacks furiously. The creature fights to the death knowing that it will reform on the Elemental Chaos. After the heroes defeat the hydra they track into its lair and discover the deep sandy pit which is a portal to the Elemental Chaos. Crossing over to the other side they can put the beast to rest forever.</p><p></p><p><strong>In the Elemental Chaos</strong></p><p>The heroes find the hydra revived and stronger with greater resistance to damage and greater vulnerability to fire. The creature uses the shifting terrain and dangerous pools of elemental energy to its advantage in a wide ranging fight over a massive, twisted battlefield that moves and shifts under their feet as the battle progresses. The hydra is level 14 solo creature with strong damage resistance and heavy fire vulnerability. There are four level 13 obstacles/traps on the battlefield which the heroes must contend with and can possibly use to their advantage.</p><p></p><p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p>The PCs earn xp for a major quest if they rescue the children and their mothers. Prince Jorum rewards them with a level 16 magic item.</p><p></p><p>If the heroes were friendly with the trolls and defeated the hydra, they earn another major quest xp award and a level 15 magic item from King Skarlmarga. Additionally, they may be able to forge a true peace between the Principality and the trolls.</p><p></p><p>If the heroes ignore the hydra and simply charge in to save the villagers without regard for the trolls’ problem, the hydra will eventually destroy all of the trolls and begin to drain the swamp of all life and energy. It will increase significantly in strength as its link to the Elemental Chaos and the destruction it causes in the World feeds it. The hydra will become a major (epic level) threat to the World that will directly threaten the Principality.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AntiStateQuixote, post: 4958587, member: 30770"] [B]All the King’s Women[/B] [I]A D&D 4th Edition adventure for level 13 heroes[/I] The Fellswamp is a dark and dangerous blight on the southeastern border of the Principality of Edmund. The people of the Principality have wisely avoided the swamp for generations as it is known to be haunted by various spirits and beings of the Feywild. Now the evil of the swamp reaches its swirling tendrils into civilization, and Prince Jorum Edmund calls upon the heroes of his land to put a stop to the terror. [B]Background[/B] Some years ago Skarlmarga, a mighty troll, arose as a new king in the swamp. He gathered the trolls, ogres and other beasts of the swamp under his banner. He scratched out a kingdom of sorts on the eastern edge of the swamp where his soldiers and minions have managed to hold back the restless spirits of the central and western part of the Fellswamp. Skarlmarga has kept a reasonable peace with the Principality of Edmund, finding easier prey for his people among the goblins and orcs of the hills to the east. A new threat has appeared in the Fellswamp. Skarlmarga and his soldiers are hard pressed to maintain his rule as many of the troll king’s people have died under the teeth and claws of the terrible beast that threatens them. Skarlmarga’s chief advisors, a trio of hags, have taken it upon themselves to seek help among the humans of the Principality of Edmund. [B]Adventure Synopsis[/B] The adventure begins when Prince Edmund calls the heroes to his court and charges them with uncovering the cause of the disturbances in the village of Aichen near the Fellswamp and bringing peace to his people. In Aichen the PCs hear of three children who have disappeared and of several bloodily failed attempts to track them into the Fellswamp. In reality the three children and their mothers have been kidnapped by ogres and taken to Skarlmarga’s hold on the far side of the swamp, and the three hags have used their magic to take the place of the missing women in the village. In the guise of distraught mothers of missing children the hags will attempt to pass information about the dangers in the Fellswamp to the heroes. An unusually formidable hydra disturbs the peace in the swamp and is the cause of the recent problems there. The heroes may uncover the hags’ treachery, in which case the hags will plead for help or flee into the swamp or die under the swords of the PCs. In any case, the heroes should have some information from their encounters with the hags that lead them to investigate the goings on in the Fellswamp. The trek into the swamp could go several ways. There are numerous encounters with undead and Fey creatures as the heroes make their way either to the lair of the hydra or to King Skarlmarga’s hold. In either case the heroes eventually learn some details about the hydra. It is a creature from the Elemental Chaos that rampages periodically through the Fellswamp, destroying everything in its path before slipping back to its home. If the heroes managed to make peace with the hags, they will be useful allies in navigating both the Fellswamp and King Skarlmarga’s lands. With or without the help of the hags the heroes learn of King Skarlmarga’s wholly justified, but neurotic, fear of fire. He maintains a massive treasury in his keep where he stores various items of value and power. A well guarded and booby trapped vault holds a handful of fire-based magic items including potions of fiery breath. Encounters with the hydra and information gathered from the trolls reveal the hydra to be particularly resilient and resistant to most damage types, but it is vulnerable to fire. Through stealth, force or negotiation, the heroes should attempt to acquire the potions of fiery breath from King Skarlmarga for use against the hydra. The hydra itself exists in both the Elemental Chaos and the World at the same time. It projects its body into the World periodically through a portal in the middle of the Fellswamp. The portal is a deep hole on what appears to be a desert island in the midst of the verdant and putrid swamp. Eventually the heroes track the hydra to the portal. While fighting the hydra the heroes should recognize its link to the Elemental Chaos. Destruction of its body in the World will not end its menace and the heroes must travel through the portal to its lair where, in a final climatic battle, they can bring the creature down with the help of fire magic. [B]Encounters[/B] [B]The Hags of Aichen[/B] The encounter in Aichen begins as a skill challenge in which the heroes attempt to learn what’s going on. The DCs for most checks are easy or moderate, although a handful of hard checks associated with discovering the hags’ true identities should be thrown in. Success in the skill challenge can reveal several details about the situation: [LIST] [*]The children were kidnapped by ogres [*]The ogres are in service to King Skarlmarga, a troll [*]Several forays into the Fellswamp have resulted in about a dozen deaths of the would-be rescuers falling to various undead and Fey creatures [*]There is a hydra on the loose in the swamp [*]The hydra is attacking King Skarlmarga’s people [*]The distraught mothers are hags in disguise: Giselda, Cowlinda and Ellestia in service to King Skarlmarga [*]The hags want the heroes’ help in destroying the hydra [*]The hags can become allies if the PCs work toward that end [/LIST] [B]In the Swamp[/B] If the PCs have the hags to guide them then the journey through the swamp to King Skarlmarga’s hold takes six days during which they cannot take an extended rest unless they manage some way to hold off the environmental and undead menace that prevents such rest. During this time the heroes will fight off numerous (at least six) easy rated encounters against various undead and Fey creatures. The hags will fight alongside the heroes in these fights. Just before reaching the troll king’s lands a final hard rated encounter with many undead occurs. If the PCs do not have the hags to guide them they must undergo a grueling, hard-rated skill challenge of survival and exploration in the swamp. Regardless of their preferred destination, the troll’s land or the hydra’s lair, they must make twelve hard-rated skill successes before reaching their destination. After every check, success or failure, the heroes will have an easy or moderate rated encounter with undead or fey creatures in the swamp. During this time the heroes cannot take an extended rest unless they have extraordinary abilities to withstand the environment and the waves of undead. [B]At the Troll King’s Lair[/B] Once the heroes enter Skarlmarga’s lands they can find a safe place to rest either by winning the troll king’s confidence or simply finding an out of the way place to camp. When the heroes reach Skarlmarga’s hold they have the choice of attempting to negotiate or attack. If they choose to fight then a handful of moderate difficulty encounters should get them into the troll king’s lair where they can fight the troll king and his minions in a hard rated encounter and eventually rescue the kidnapped children and their mothers. If they choose to negotiate, a moderate to hard rated skill challenge ensues as they try to win the troll king’s confidence. If the hags are present and friendly with the heroes then the difficulty for negotiation skill checks (bluff, diplomacy, insight) is easy instead of moderate or hard. During this encounter the heroes can learn more about the hydra threat including its resistance abilities and its dual existence nature. The troll king will give the hostages back if the PCs will help him with the hydra menace. The troll king will also reward the heroes for ending the hydra menace. He will give them access to his dreaded fire magic if they can win another hard rated skill challenge. They may also choose to fight or sneak their way into the vault to get at the potions. The hags will tell the heroes of these potions. [B]The Hydra Lair[/B] The hydra lair is an empty desert island littered with rubble and other rough terrain in the middle of the Fellswamp. The heroes can make their way to the lair by succeeding on six moderate rated exploration type skill checks. If the heroes are friendly with the trolls then the difficulty for the checks is easy as they offer guidance and advice. After each skill check (success or failure) the heroes have an easy rated encounter with undead and/or fey creatures. The heroes cannot get an extended rest on this trip, as above. At the lair the hydra waits in the deep hole leading to the portal. The moment any creature steps onto its island it leaps out and attacks furiously. The creature fights to the death knowing that it will reform on the Elemental Chaos. After the heroes defeat the hydra they track into its lair and discover the deep sandy pit which is a portal to the Elemental Chaos. Crossing over to the other side they can put the beast to rest forever. [B]In the Elemental Chaos[/B] The heroes find the hydra revived and stronger with greater resistance to damage and greater vulnerability to fire. The creature uses the shifting terrain and dangerous pools of elemental energy to its advantage in a wide ranging fight over a massive, twisted battlefield that moves and shifts under their feet as the battle progresses. The hydra is level 14 solo creature with strong damage resistance and heavy fire vulnerability. There are four level 13 obstacles/traps on the battlefield which the heroes must contend with and can possibly use to their advantage. [B]Conclusion[/B] The PCs earn xp for a major quest if they rescue the children and their mothers. Prince Jorum rewards them with a level 16 magic item. If the heroes were friendly with the trolls and defeated the hydra, they earn another major quest xp award and a level 15 magic item from King Skarlmarga. Additionally, they may be able to forge a true peace between the Principality and the trolls. If the heroes ignore the hydra and simply charge in to save the villagers without regard for the trolls’ problem, the hydra will eventually destroy all of the trolls and begin to drain the swamp of all life and energy. It will increase significantly in strength as its link to the Elemental Chaos and the destruction it causes in the World feeds it. The hydra will become a major (epic level) threat to the World that will directly threaten the Principality. [/QUOTE]
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