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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sparky" data-source="post: 4985574" data-attributes="member: 13681">Iron DM 2009, Round 2, Match 4, Iron Sky vs SparkyIron DM 2009, Round 2, Match 4 – Iron Sky vs. Sparky Still LifeA 4th Edition D&D Adventure for 3-5 Players of levels 8-10. Ideally, the party should include a Bard.* Artist StudioDream SequenceFrightened SeamanSinging BattleaxeVat of PoisonWolf in Sheep’s Clothing  Adventure BackgroundRecently, Maskim (a soulrider) arrived in town after surreptitiously hijacking a merchant and his smuggled shipment of Dreamtrap. After using the Dreamtrap to poison and possess a seaman aboard the ship he was on, the soulrider set about finding a victim well-placed to screen further victims. He settled on the court artist, Skal, a reclusive eccentric with access to the upper echelons of power in the city. He has now infiltrated the court of the Crown (or a suitably high-ranking noble) by taking over Skal’s identity.   Adventure SynopsisThe PCs’ exploits have come to the attention of the Crown who requests that they attend a banquet in their honor. At the banquet, Skal, the Artist-in-residence, a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, feigns being stricken by one of the PCs (the Bard) and requests that the Bard come to the Artist Studio the following day to sit for a portrait. Observant PCs may note that the artist’s admiration is pretense (Insight, Difficult DC). Attract your Bard with whatever indulgences he desires, fine spirits, delicacies, scented baths, massage, a fancy new outfit or instrument for the sitting. Ultimately, the banquet’s host insists on paying the sitting fee and would be offended if the Bard does not accept.  Once at the studio, Skal makes the Bard welcome and, after enjoying whatever enticements were promised, the Bard is escorted into a bath for a long soak in a Vat of Poison (described below) that will make him vulnerable to the soulrider’s possession. If possessed, a side effect of the Dreamtrap is that his soul is displaced into a fey dreamscape. (Encounter – Nothing Like a Good Soak) On the day the Bard will take his poison soak, the other PCs will be approached by a Frightened Seaman, Manfred. He tells the PCs that his friend, Jernin, has gone missing and he can’t report to the authorities that he suspects foul play because he’s afraid of drawing the wrong kind of attention to his questionably legal business (he’s one of the smugglers that brought the soulrider and the Dreamtrap into town). He is earnest and worried. He asks for their help and offers a reward in goods or service, their choice. (Encounter – I Failed the Buddy System) If they search successfully, the PCs find Jernin unconscious, but not in very good shape (certainly he’s been robbed, possibly had his extremities nibbled by rats or other vermin). Worse, his soul is trapped in a fey dreamscape. It is possible to administer an antidote to the poison, but it will go better if the PCs themselves ingest the poison and undergo a ritual to enter the fey dreamscape and rescue the lost seaman through a Dream Sequence. If they are reluctant, Manfred negotiates a new price (he is a good negotiator). If they rescue him, then Jernin can indentify Skal as the soulrider’s next target. (Encounter – Dreams and Lightning) Meanwhile, the Bard is likely to have succumbed to the poison and/or Maskim’s attacks. He is transported to a fey dreamscape, but being a wily PC, he can attempt to navigate the Dream Sequence and get out. And get out he does, though, the Feywild is a strange place… out is relative. He escapes into a battleaxe. If he failed the skill challenge, he is stuck in the battleaxe and can only sing to communicate. He has become the Singing Battleaxe. The Bard’s player should get extra XP if he makes a go of roleplaying this. If he is reasonably successful in the challenge, he can sing to communicate and also has access to his Bard powers and abilities. If he is has perfect success he can sing to communicate, has access to his Bard powers and abilities and is also a Singing Battleaxe with a variety of fiery ‘singe’ powers - melee, ranged and area attacks. Though he must be wielded to use any Attack powers. (Encounter – Fleeing the Feydream) The rest of the PCs, whether out and about or searching for or helping Jernin, eventually spot Maskim-Bard doing something suspicious…· Near the Docks booking passage on a ship· Ducking down an alley (he’s going to clean out his stash of Dreamtrap before leaving town) If he catches sight of them he bolts and tries to lose them, he makes his way back to the studio and prepares to defend and hopefully kill the PCs. If pressed, he will try to flee by other means. (Encounter – The Devil of It) If the PCs are successful at taking down Maskim/Bard, they can attempt to reunite the Bard’s body with the Bard’s soul, if that’s what the Bard wants. (Encounter – Fallen on Bard Times) It might occur to the PCs that Skal is now somewhere, possibly trapped in a fey dreamscape. (Encounter – Naked!) The QuestsMinor Quest – Find and Save Jernin, the Seaman’s friend (optional)Major Quest – Find and Save the Bard  Starting the AdventureThe PCs are to be the guests of honor at a banquet thrown by the Crown (or a noble of sufficiently high rank). Promises of gifts, excellent food and the continued good will of the Crown should be more than sufficient to draw the PCs to the capital city.  SettingDrop this adventure into any capital city that has a Port. If you are in need of a capital city, welcome to Barrowdon in the kingdom of West Dorn. The city is divided into several wards spread over 3 hills and the valleys between. The city is growing towards a 4th hill. The Tops - The wealthy live on the tops of the hills in wards referred to as Tops. Their shops, tavern and manors clustering thickly, but the limited space means the wealthy of Barrowdon have taken to building upwards or out in the suburbs instead of the unthinkable option of expanding into the city’s Bottoms. The city’s 3 hills are festooned with towers. There are a number of broad raised boulevards that connect the Tops with one another like bridges. · Crown Hill, this is where the nobles of Barrowdon live. It houses the royal palace (a tower that is – by royal edict – the tallest building on Crown Hill), the homes of Barrowdon’s nobility, gardens and the civic offices under direct supervision by the Crown or nobles. The PCs attend a banquet on a high floor of the royal palace.· Shining Hill, this Top is where the city’s faithful go to worship. Amongst the Tops, it is the one that flirts most with expanding into the Bottoms, though, in fact, there is still distinct separation between the denizens of the Tops and the denizens of the Bottoms. Shining Hill is home to several temples and the civic offices overseen by the various religious Orders. · Fortress Hill, this is the Top closest to Barrowdon’s bustling port. It is a cliffside promontory where the city’s original rulers once lived and is home to a working Fortress which currently acts as the seat of the military and certain civic offices overseen by the military. The city’s wealthy non-nobles live here. Fortress Hill is the chief gateway to the other Tops. The Bottoms – the Bottoms, unlike the Tops, is a horizontal sprawl of buildings, with some green spaces that are the last remaining remnants of the lawns of the cemetery that used to cover the area. Scattered throughout the Bottoms are intact remnants of the city’s namesake Barrows (Note: they’re not barrows, but rather above ground crypts, the name ‘barrow’ stuck, however). Most of these crypts have been emptied, given over long ago to the needs of the living. In the Bottoms, it is considered lucky to live in a crypt. The wealthy of the city are trying to direct the city’s growth to engulf a nearby 4th hill (so that they can have a new Top to occupy). Skal’s studio is one of the first buildings on the lower slopes of this new 4th hill. Skal’s studio connects a number of impressive crypts in which he lives, works and entertains.  NPCsSkal – Red-haired and wild-eyed, Skal is the reclusive and cranky Artist-in-residence to the King and his Court. Skal does portraiture for the city’s well-bred and wealthy. He is notoriously eccentric, requiring that sitters who visit his home endure an exquisite ritual of hospitality and hygiene for each day of the sitting. For most, this is pleasant for a few days and then it quickly grows tiresome. But anyone who wants to have ‘a Skal’ hanging in their salon comply with the strange man’s demands. And everyone wants ‘a Skal.’ Maskim – a soulrider devil who uses Dreamtrap poison to subdue his victims so that he may possess them in safety. Soulriders are foul looking devil parasites that move from victim to victim. Most victims possessed by a soulrider are obvious, but Maskim has mastered the art of staying unseen while occupying a host. As long as he only uses his victim’s powers, he can remain camouflaged. Manfred – a seaman and smuggler whose friend has gone missing. He approaches the PCs who aren’t sitting for a portrait to enlist their aid in finding his friend Jernin. He is nervous about doing so if he learns that they are guests of the Crown. Jernin – is another seaman, a friend of Manfred’s. He was attacked, poisoned and abandoned by Maskim. He knows that his body was possessed, though he doesn’t know who did it, and that he – while possessed – attacked some painter (Skal). “The Crown” – If you haven’t created a Monarch for your PCs’ homeland, then meet King Rodulus VI. His Queen, Vashna, is just oozing with pride over the recently finished ‘Skal’ hanging in the main hall of the royal residence (whether castle or palace) and suggests throwing a gala so that she can show it off. The PCs have done a number of impressive deeds and the King wants to meet them so that he can gauge their character and bring them closer to him either to watch them because they bear watching or to ally with them because they seem aligned with his royal agendas.  Encounters Non-Combat: Nothing Like a Good SoakThe Bard arrives at Skal’s studio and is greeted by his assistants. He is ushered to a well-appointed sitting room where Skal joins him, showing him a variety of curiosities he’s collected (including a handsome battleaxe). He is entertained, wined, dined. After the pleasantries he is escorted to a bath (if you’re using Barrowdon, the bathhouse is in a crypt and if you think your players/PC won’t bolt, make the vat out of a sarcophagus). The bath contains hot water and an attendant puts in 3 scoops of strongly scented salts (crystalline Dreamtrap). The attendant will stay or go as the Bard wishes, and if asked to scrub, will do so with a long-handled brush. The attendant doesn’t know about the poison, only that they are under strict orders not to contaminate the Bard’s bathwater. Skal is strange and such orders are not unusual. The Dreamtrap poison is in the bath and gets 3 attempts to overwhelm the Bard. If the poison is unsuccessful, the Bard may feel a little light-headed (from the heat and steam, of course) and is ushered off to finish the pre-sitting rituals – massage, wardrobe, coiffure. Maskim is in attendance for the wardrobing and hairstyling.  If the Bard succumbs to the poison, Maskim possesses him as soon as possible, displacing the Bard’s soul into a fey dreamscape. (NOTE: If your players or the PCs are suspicious types, make the vat poison-free for the first few sessions, then spring the poison). If the Bard does not succumb to the poison after the third time he is in the vat, then Maskim will attempt to possess him while the Bard is being dressed and then coiffured (the Bard is admonished to ‘Sit still!’ if he attempts to move or look at what is pinching or poking him). The Bard, though he shook off the poison’s effects, is still tainted by the fey poison and when Maskim takes possession of his body, his soul seeks refuge in the fey dreamscape. NOTE: If you would rather handle this element of the adventure without rolls and it may be more elegant to do so – then do away with them all together. Keep the pleasantries light-hearted an unsuspicious then tell the bathing Bard that he drifts off into a dreamy doze… …and switch to the other PCs.  Skill Challenge: I Failed the Buddy SystemThe PCs who are not at Skal’s studio will be approached by a frightened and nervous seaman, Manfred. He is worried about his friend Jernin and is afraid to take the matter to the authorities. He offers a reward, worth 1 treasure parcel, or a service (he’s a smuggler, not a bad friend to have). If the PCs negotiate and outdo Manfred (Difficult DCs) he will offer 2 treasure parcels. He can’t accompany the PCs but directs them to a likely locale to start the search. Level 8 (Moderate DCs), Complexity 2 (6 successes before 3 failures) Primary Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Streetwise  Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate (easy DCs): Your smooth talking, charm or bullying get you pointed at someone who knows something. Each skill may be used once to generate 1 success per skill. Thereafter Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate (hard DCs) may be used to grant +2 to Streetwise checks. Streetwise (Moderate DCs): You ask around and learn that a man of that description was seen at the Slate & Silk. Once at the Slate & Silk another successful Streetwise check will reveal that Jernin was seen in the warehouse district. Once in the warehouse district, another successful Streetwise check will get the PCs to a specific warehouse unit. Success: The PCs find Jernin in the warehouse unit, a small, locked facility. If they aren’t able to get him out, Manfred can. Failure: The PCs find Jernin in the warehouse unit, dead.  Skill Challenge/Combat: Fleeing the FeydreamThe Bard awakens standing poised on a blades edge. The blade must be as big as a mountain. The edge curves down and away from him in both directions, straight as a razor. Walls of fire follow the blade on either side and down. Above and behind him, the Bard sees sees Skal’s face wreathed in red, bloody hooked tentacles. Skal is singing one part of a duet that the Bard knows well. Without meaning to the Bard takes up his part of the duet. As soon as he begins singing, he feels a searing pain in his feet and begins sliding forward on the blade away from Skal, leaving a smear of blood behind as he ghosts forward. Scenes of what Maskim-Bard is doing with the Bard’s body flash across the sky. Level 9 (mostly Moderate DCs), Complexity 1 (4 successes before 3 failures) Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Insight Insight (Moderate DC): Skal’s singing voice is poor, but the Bard attempts to salvage something reasonably pleasant sounding by adjusting his harmony. A successful Insight check earns a +2 bonus to the next check. This bonus can only be granted twice. Acrobatics (Moderate DC): Flames dart across the blade and the Bard attempts to quickly lean back under them while still balanced on the blade. A successful Acrobatics check earns 1 success. After a success, Acrobatics can no longer be used. Athletics (Moderate DC): There is a notch in the blade, it will have to be jumped. A successful Athletics check earns 1 success. After a success, Athletics can no longer be used. Total Success (no failures): Skal’s face falls away, howling his dismay, the fires subside, and the blade turns slowly flat. The Bard comes awake… Success (up to two failures): Skal’s face roars by and the flames surge in answer. The blade jerks abruptly sideways and the Bard falls down onto the flat of the blade’s surface. The Bard comes awake… Failure (3 failures): Skal’s face flies forward and knocks the Bard off of the blade, he falls endlessly into the flames, screaming. The Bard comes awake…  …and is a Battleaxe. A Singing Battleaxe (+2). Or possibly a Singing Singing Battleaxe (+3 Singing Battleaxe with an At-Will Scorching Burst). The Bard can feel his attack powers (if he has any) at the ready, but needs to be wielded to bring them to bear. In combat he will have his own initiative, but will not be able to make any Movements. The Bard is now conscious and aware, but he is trapped in a Battleaxe in Skal’s sitting room. One last call-and-response refrain echoes in his head and the Bard sings out his part. A curious servant sticks her head through the door and blinks before moving away. The Bard can only communicate by singing (Bonus XP to the player that makes a go of roleplaying this). If he calls (sings) for help, Maskim’s servants peer curiously in the door, but will not touch anything. The Bard is also aware of what Maskim-Bard is seeing and hearing. From his vantage point he can see the entrance hall of Skal’s studio. He will have a ringside seat for Skal’s arrival pursued by the PCs.  (Optional) Skill Challenge: Dreams and LightningThe PCs have discovered Jernin in a small warehouse unit. The unit is leased to the merchant that Maskim had possessed on his way into the city. His stash of Dreamtrap is here (Difficult DC to find). If Jernin is alive, a successful Nature check will reveal that Jernin has been poisoned, a successful Heal check will reveal the same and also that he is in stable condition but is weak in failing health (he needs help fast), a successful Arcana check (trained) will reveal traces of planar magic. Manfred will ask the PCs to help him take Jernin to a nearby atelier (a wizard or alchemist’s workshop). The apothecary is very curious about Jernin’s condition and offers to help, for a reasonable price, of course (Manfred pays this). In order to help Jernin the PCs must take Dreamtrap while under a ritual that will render them safe for the duration of their foray. Taken under the influence of the ritual, the Dreamtrap is reasonably safe. If the PCs are reluctant, Manfred offers to double his payment (which might mean 4 parcels if the PCs played hardball earlier). If the PCs undergo the ritual and ingest the Dreamtrap, they awaken on the deck of a storm-tossed ship… …it is cold and the wind is howling. Rain lashes the deck, it stings the eyes (a Perception check reveals the rain as alcohol). A man’s face, looms out of the clouds reaveled in flashes of red lightning that streak from his eyes and mouth (the PCs don’t know it, but it’s the Merchant’s face). Where the lightning strikes the ship erupts in red, grasping tentacles with nasty looking hooked spikes instead of suckers.  Jernin is at the helm, squinting into the gale. He is shouting orders at the PCs.  Level 8 (mostly Moderate DCs), Complexity 1 (4 successes before 3 failures) Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Nature  Insight or Nature (Hard DC): The PC anticipates Jernins next command and gives a +2 to the next skill check. This bonus can only be granted twice regardless of the skill used. Acrobatics (Moderate DC): Jernin barks a command to a PC who suddenly finds himself in the rigging. A successful Acrobatics check earns 1 success. After a success, Acrobatics can no longer be used. Athletics (Moderate DC): Jernin barks a command to a PC who suddenly finds himself at a winch. A successful Athletics check earns 1 success. After a success, Athletics can no longer be used. Other: Jernin Barks a command for a PC to attack one of the tentacles who suddenly finds himself next to a seething, grasping hooked tentacle armed with a dagger. Basic melee attack vs Moderate DC. This may be used multiple times. Success: The stormy skies clear and the PCs sail into a cave in the side of a cliff. The cliffside is carved in Skal’s likeness with the mouth of the cave as Skal’s mouth. Failure: The ship wrecks into a cliff and the wreckage is battered into a cliffside carved with a gargantuan likeness of Skal. Each PCs loses a healing surge. Jernin wakes and is terribly weak, but is able to reveal that the merchant on his ship paid him in drinks to transport a parcel to a warehouse (where the PCs found him). He felt weird after the drinks and then was stuck on the ship, but still aware of what  Skill Challenge: On the Devil’s TailAfter helping (or not helping) Jernin and Manfred, the PCs are on their way to their next destination when they see the Bard out and about. This is Maskim-Bard. He spots the PCs and flees with the PCs (presumably) in pursuit. The PCs chase Maskim-Bard across the city to Skal’s studio. This skill challenge is the Urban Chase from the DMG, pg 78. Level 10 (mostly Moderate DCs), Complexity 3 (8 successes before 3 failures) Total Success: If the PCs succeed in chasing Maskim-Bard without a single failure, they are hot on his heels as he enters Skal’s studio.  For each Failure: Add an additional Legion Devil Hellguard to The Horns of a Dilemma to represent the extra time Maskim had to prepare his minions.  Combat: The Horns of a DilemmaIn this encounter the PCs are facing Maskim-Bard and his devilish and mortal lackeys. Maskim doesn’t want to risk his new body, but he will if it means his life. The PCs are likely to be reluctant to seriously injure their friend (but remember that a killing blow can be rendered non-lethal at the option of the PC making the attack). The relative success of the PCs in On the Devil’s Tale will determine the level of this combat encounter. Maskim-Bard is not aware of the Bard’s soul in the battleaxe in the sitting room of his studio. The Bard is aware of what Maskim-Bard sees and hears, so he knows the PCs are on their way to the studio. He should probably reveal himself to them then, but he may not. He can only bring his attack powers to bear if wielded by another. Maskim-Bard becomes aware of the Singing Battleaxe, he will attempt to keep it from the PCs, but really, the axe should fall into PCs hands. The final battle takes place in Skal’s actual studio amidst canvasses and tables and a surprising amount of space. The Enemies 2150 XP – 2600 XP Maskim-Bard - Soulrider Devil Bard, Level 11 Atrillery, 750 XP (see below)Succubus, Level 9 Controller, 400 XPCambion x2, Level 8 Brute, 350 XP eachLegion Devil Hellguard x2, Level 11 Minion, 150 XP each For each failure in On the Devil’s tail add 1 Legion Devil Hellguard.  Skill Challenge: Fallen on Bard TimesIf the PCs are successful in defeating Maskim-Bard they now have to decide whether to reunite the Bard’s body with the Bard’s soul. If they decide to do so (after extorting something from the Bard of course).  The PCs (Bard included) enter the dream and are falling. Falling, falling. Surrounded by burning smoke, flame and the shattered remains of the Singing Battleaxe. The Skill challenge involves collecting shard of the Bard’s soul and dodging the shattered giant battleaxe debris, also using that debris to hide behind when storms occur in the dreamscape. See <a href="http://”[/FONT" target="_blank">http://www.penny-arcade.com/2009/8/3/”]Gabe’s Free Fall Rules</a> for how this should play out. Success: The PCs alight on the earth and the battleaxe debris lands gently around them. It forms up into into a battleaxe once more before disintegrating into a glowing ball the flows into the Bard. The PCs… awaken… Failure: The PCs hit with a terrible impact and lose 1/2 of their remaining healing surges and are dazed until the next day. The PCs awaken……and it’s all over. And it wasn’t just a dream at all.  Concluding the AdventureThe PCs may wish to find and help Skal, they may also wish to find and help the Merchant if they can. The King would like Skal returned to himself. The PCs are allowed to keep the Battleaxe and the King commissions a tale or song from the Bard about the whole thing. And then there’s another party, at which Skal requests to do a proper portrait of all of PCs. For free.  Further AdventuresMajor Quest – Find and Recover the Bard’s body (if Maskim flees while still in possession)Minor Quest – Find and Save Skal (if the PCs care Skal is still alive somewhere in the studio (The Bard knows where, because he remembers seeing where Maskim-Bard stashed Skal.Minor Quest – Find and Save the Merchant (if the PCs learn and care, the Merchant may still be alive somewhere on Skal’s property or somewhere in the city.  DreamtrapThis is a relatively obscure poison of extraplanar origin (the Feywild) that saps its victim’s ability to shake off its effects. It has been reported to transport its victims to dreamscapes within the Feywild itself (and always does so when a soulrider successfully attacks a victim). Dreamtrap has a strong flavor and odor, so is most effectively administered as a contact poison or, as Maskim has discovered, a soothing bath salt. Administered in this way, Dreamtrap may make 3 attempts to poison its victim. The plant, Dreamwort, can be smoked or ingested in small quantities to produce mild euphoric and psychedelic effects. Dreamtrap; Level 10 PoisonDistilled from the Dreamwort plant that grows in the Feywild, this poison induces a mild sleepy euphoria that deepens until the victim falls unconscious.Poison; 1,250 gpAttack: +13 vs. Fortitude; the target takes a –2 penalty to Saves (save ends).First Failed Save: The target is weakened and the Save penalty increases to -4 (save ends).Second Failed Save: The target falls unconscious for and experiences vivid dreams of the Feywild. Soulrider Devil Skal(see attached picture)  Soulrider Devil BardUse the Bard PC’s abilities and powers. Add the Black Chill Blast, Acid Flame, Soulrider Sacrifice and Fey Step as above. Unatached Soulrider Devil(see Dragon 370, pg 43) IngredientsArtist Studio· The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’s home base; site of the Vat of Poison and the portrait sitting· The atelier (the workshop of a wizard or alchemist) where the PCs learn of a ritual that will let them attempt to enter the fey dreamscape and attempt to navigate a Dream Sequence to rescue a Dreamtrap victimDream Sequence· The PCs’ attempt to rescue Jernin, Skal and/or the Bard· The Bard’s skill challenge to escape the fey dreamscape into the Singing BattleaxeFrightened Seaman· Manfred is part of crew of smuggling vessel that delivered illicit shipment of poison (and unwittingly, the soulrider); he is frightened of being found out by authorities· Manfred’s friend Jernin has disappeared, he’s afraid for his friendSinging Battleaxe· Battleaxe with PC insideo The PC can only communicate by singingo Also, if the PC is very successful in his skill challenge, he gets ‘singe’ powers Vat of Poison· Spa treatment that is laced with Dreamtrap so that Maskim can possess his victims.Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing· Maskim is a soulrider devil who masquerades as a normal citizen  *If a Bard is not available, a PC with fiery powers or a fiery personality will suffice (preferably one whose class doesn’t focus on Fortitude, like a Cleric, Warlock or Wizard) and especially one who can be bribed with the finer things in life.</blockquote>

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