Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 4990515" data-attributes="member: 60965">OPERATION: LIGHTNING STORM This adventure is designed for a party of 11th level PCs.  It takes place deep in the Underdark and makes a great introduction to paragon-level play.  Background The brilliant and ambitious Locutious “Royal” Bolt had a grand dream; to set up a human empire amidst the dangers of the Underdark.  He was partially successful, creating rifts to the Elemental Chaos to power the defenses of a series of forts around the borders of the territory where he planned to build his empire.  Unfortunately for his grand dream of the “Bulwark Empire”, several factions took an interest in his machinations, including the neighboring drow and the militaries of the elemental cities Stormbreak and Cloudpeak(see below).  While the drow had no interest in the forts themselves due to the distance from their nearest settlements, they didn't like Bolt's rapidly expanding power or the idea of his forts falling into someone else's hands.  They infiltrated his followers and performed a ritual that turned all of the inhabitants of his primary fort into ravening undead, figuring that would deter anyone else from taking it over.  When Bolt himself was transformed, he – unlike most wights – retained a shred of his previous personality and ambitions and created a small “kingdom” of Wights based out of the first fort he constructed: the Sparkrift Bulwark. Sparkrift Bulwark The first fort is built in a massive Underdark cavern, designed around a rift to just inside a massive continual lightning storm in the Elemental Chaos known as the Allfront.  The Sparkrift Bulwark taps into the power of the storm, channeling lightning into the fort and its surrounds to create a nearly-impenetrable barrier.  The yellow metal walls of the fort have arcane and mechanical grounding devices that keep those inside it safe from the energy-saturated area around the rift but those outside aren't so lucky.  Sparkrift Jungle Everything went entirely according to Bolt's plan, including the Sparkrift's effect on the lush, tangled Underdark jungle in which he built his fort.  Much of the native Underdark flora and fauna died away, but what remained adapted and intermixed with the exotic plants and creatures native to the Allfront.  Aside from the usual Underdark giant mushrooms and phosphorescent fungus, the Sparkrift Jungle also now holds brilliantly-colored schools of cloud-swimming Sparkfish, several of the smaller breeds of Skywhales(that tend to remain in the near the energy-rich Sparkrift itself), dangerous Flicker Sharks, volatile current bushes, and, most importantly, exotic Crimson Charge-blossom flowers and an elemental-adapted fungus called Blue Groundweb. Charge Blossoms and Groundweb have the unique property that, when gathered and ground together into a paste that is applied to the skin, the wearer is protected from the worst of the elemental effects surrounding the Sparkrift itself (and lightning in general).  This is the key that let Bolt and his followers come and go from the Bulwark once the Sparkrift was opened and is also the key that has allowed Bolt, in his new form, to keep his small army of Wights intact. The Sparkrift Jungle is a dangerous place.  Every round a creature is in the Jungle, they take an attack versus Fortitude that deals 2d6+3 lightning damage from the ambient lightning energy sent out by the Sparkrift.  The local creatures and plants have either adapted to this environment or are native to it and have grown in/migrated to the Jungle.  Any normal Underdark hazard or an evolved version of just about any normal Underdark monster might be found here as well. Also note that the Jungle is thickly laden with faerzress – the magical energy that is consumed by the Underdark plants in the Jungle – that made the growth so rich in the first place.  Because of this, any teleport attempt is reduced to a 1 square teleport and any divination or scrying rituals fail when used in or on the Jungle or Bulwark. Locutious “Royal” Bolt, aka the Royal Wight Bolt was an eccentric genius whose mad fervor was enough to draw a hundred human followers on his “Royal Underdark Design.”  Once converted, he still remembered enough to coat his wights with his stockpiles of protective paste and have them constantly scour the Jungle for the ingredients to keep their supply high. Now, his wights ambush patrols or caravans of whatever Underdark creatures that happen to pass by the Sparkrift Jungle, then retreat to the relative safety of its bounds, often taking captives so he can Soul Harvest them to heal up any injured/damaged Wights after battle(see below). As the Royal Wight, he still wears the purple and white garb of the royalty he made himself up to be in life and a gaudy crown of white gold studded with emeralds. Mechanically, he is a Battle Wight Commander(MM1,p262), modified to be an elite – mostly consisting of making the Soul Harvest power an at-will rather than recharge power, augmenting the area-of-effect and healing quantity of Soul Harvest, and giving him 15 lightning resist.  The rest of his Purple Wights are as Battle Wights(MM1,p262), any he sends out of the Bulwark are coated with the protective purple paste, granting them resist 15 lightning for the day.  All of them are canny about the hazards of the Jungle and adept at avoiding them. Stormbreak and Cloudpeak Stormbreak is a many-bridged city in the Elemental Chaos that is built on a web of massive wind-blown floating platforms that continually fly along the crest of the ever-expanding Allfront.  Currently, they are preparing for war with the neighboring floating city of Cloudpeak.  Until fairly recently, the cities were peaceful, but Bolt's Sparkrift sits in the Allfront between the two cities, disrupting the schools of Sparkfish and the migration patterns of Skywhales that the two cities fish/hunt as their primary food sources.   As sky fishers in the two cities began coming back with empty nets, the two cities became more aggressive in protecting their territories in the Allfront, eventually leading them to the brink of all-out war as they skirmished over the disappearing foodstocks.  Finally, both called up their militias – the last step before war – the massive swelling of their respective militaries putting a massive strain on their resources and their already fragile relations with each other.  As a last-ditch diplomatic effort, the military leaders of the cities met in an attempt to avert the war and sent a combined squad of soldiers to the material plane in an attempt to find and eliminate the cause of the Sparkrift.  This force wasn't quite prepared for the dangers of the Underdark into which they were sent and their number has now dwindled to two; a Genesai(Wind) Warlord from Stormbreak, code-name “Bellows”, and a Genesai(Lightning) Paladin from Cloudpeak, code-name “the Purifier”. Bellows and The Purifier Having finally reached the edge of the Sparkrift Jungle, Bellows came to the conclusion that if they were to have any hope of completing their mission and surviving to report their success back to their home cities, they had to conscript “locals” to the task.  They have managed to bribe, threaten, coerce, and/or persuade a few adventurous parties to brave the depths of the Sparkrift Jungle for them and have learned much from those group's (mostly fatal) failures.  They have a plan that they think will work, but they are running out of time; every day they wait is another day closer to war between Stormbreak and Cloudpeak. The Purifier was also given a secret objective by the commander of his order, The Knights of the Golden Sky, to test a new ritual codenamed “Heal Evil” that may possibly restore intelligent undead and return them to their previous forms.  It is a lower priority than preventing the war, but if it doesn't compromise their primary mission, he would like to try it on one of the Purple Wights. The PCs will discover them in a small camp on the outskirts of the Sparkrift Jungle consisting of a pair of small personal tents, a much larger “command tent”, and two supply tents.  Both agents own and carry a veritable arsenal of weaponry and equipment – mostly taken from their fallen companions and “conscripts” – some of which might be offered as rewards.  Most importantly, Bellows has the Trident, MK2, Fish Command and Control Device(see below). Bellows has a constant swirl of wind about him and an air of absolute command.  The Purifier is much quieter, but his eyes spark with his zealousness and devotion to the mission(s).  Each is a different flavor of Level 13 Solo Soldier(Leader).  Trident, MK2, Fish Command and Control Device(TMK2-FCACD) These tridents are primarily used to keep Flicker Sharks and other larger sky-swimming creatures away from military airships traveling through the Allfront and the one Bellows possesses is integral to their plan to complete their mission.    The trident has an at-will, standard action power that automatically(no roll required) dominates a nearby swarm of Sparkfish, a single Flicker Shark, or a Skywhale until the end of the player's next turn.     Sparkfish are usually non-hostile “background” elements and the DM can assume there is always a school or two of them “swimming” amidst the Jungle or near the Bulwark.  If the Trident holder calls a school to swarm around them, the bodies of the Sparkfish protect anyone inside the huge(3x3) school from some of the lightning energies of their environment(lightning resist 5).  Also, they can be ordered to attack the Trident-holder's enemies. Flicker Sharks and Skywhales are more rare and Skywhales are also an important part of Bellow's plan(see below).  Also, the Trident has been secretly modified by the Purifier so that if an intelligent undead creature is hit by the blunt end of the trident, an item daily power, free action power activates: the creature makes a saving throw.  If it is successful, the power is not used up; if the save fails, the creature dies unless otherwise noted(see below).  Bellows knows nothing of this power, nor do any PCs not taken aside by the Purifier(see below).  Hooks 1) The PCs, while traveling through the Underdark, encounter the Bellows and The Purifier and are conscripted to aid them on their mission(s). 2) If the PCs have ties to any Underdark factions (drow, dueregar, etc), those factions can send them to investigate Sparkrift Bulwark and/or the Sparkrift Jungle to determine how much threat they pose now. 3) The PCs are encountered wherever they happen to be by Bolt's recruiters – who have been gone from the Underdark for months to years as they roam the lands and haven't heard of their master's fate – who promise them adventure, power, high rank, and/or good pay if they join the “Bulwark Empire's” military, dispatching them to Sparkrift Bulwark to enlist. 4) Cloudpeak and Stormbreak have called upon their allies in the material plane for assistance; allies who happen to be factions the PCs have been working with/for and send the PCs to assist. 5) Good aligned Paladins, Clerics, or similar characters might have been sent by the same order that the Purifier is a member of to aid him in his secret “Heal Evil” mission(see Below). Bullet Point Adventure Summary 0) Hooks 1) Drafted into “the mission” and briefed 2) Infiltration/navigation of the Sparkrift Jungle 3) Skywhale assault on the Sparkrift Bulwark 4) Resolution 1. Mission Improbable The PCs find themselves on the outskirts of the Sparkrift Jungle.  How and why they are there depends on which hook(s) the DM used to get them there. Regardless, when they arrive, the commandeering Bellows will attempt to conscript them into their mission, via whatever means he thinks will work; pleading, persuasion, bullying, promises of equipment, riches, and/or glory, even threats if he believes there is no other alternative.  The Purifier uses Insight to gauge the PCs' trustworthiness, approaching good-aligned Paladins and Clerics first, then any other seemingly good-aligned characters(especially any he discerns to be ritual casters, offering them copies of the ritual if it works).  The Purifier will take such notables aside to discuss his secret “Heal Evil” mission.  If he can convince them to help with his secret mission, he will attempt to get them to help persuade the others to help with the primary mission.  Once the PCs are on-board, Bellows shifts to the stern mien of a commanding officer.  Whichever PC  has the most prominent military bent, took the lead in the negotiations, and/or that Bellows likes most becomes “Sergeant.”  He appends “Private” to the beginning of all the rest of the PCs' names.  When speaking of them in general, he calls them “the Recruits”.  The Purifier mostly stays quiet, though occasionally throws in strong words about the “righteousness” of their mission, especially to any PCs in on his secret mission.  Bellows reveals the following plan, all drawn up and diagrammed on dozens of parchment sheets pinned to a large board that he points to with a long stick as he details the mission:OPERATION: LIGHTNING STORM Preparation: The Recruits are to be trained in the use and operation of the Trident, MK2, Fish Command and Control Device(TMK2-FCACD). Phase 1: The Recruits are to use any means at their disposal, including but not limited to relevant applications of the TMK2 to appropriate a sufficient quantity Objective Alpha(indigenous fungal species BG, alias Blue Groundweb and floral species CCB, alias Crimson Charge-blossom) from the edge of Operation Zone Bravo(Sparkrift Jungle). Phase 2: The Recruits are to rendevous at Home Base with Objective Alpha to regroup to create LBF-15(Lightning Block Factor 15) and prepare for Phase 3. Phase 3: After training in the use and operation of LBF-15, the Recruits are to make liberal application of it to fortify against local conditions and infiltrate Operation Zone Bravo, eliminating or avoiding any encountered hostiles, using the TMK2 at their discretion. Phase 4: Upon reaching the boundary of Operation Zone Charlie(Sparkrift Bulwark), the Recruits are to use the TMK2 to locate and commandeer any sufficient Objective Delta(Skywhales). Phase 5: Once inside a commandeered Objective Delta, the Recruits are to use its arial capabilities to bypass the barrier surrounding Operation Zone Charlie. Phase 6: Upon location of a suitable Landing Zone inside Operation Zone Charlie, the Recruits are to find and identify Primary Objective Echo(Sparkrift's source). Phase 7: If necessary, the Recruits will perform a holding action while destruction and/or neutralization of Primary Objective Echo are carried out. Phase 7b: Target of opportunity, Secondary Objective Foxtrot(Locutious “Royal” Bolt, aka the Royal Wight) shall be eliminated if possible, though not at the expense of Primary Objective Echo. Phase 8: The Recruits will be responsible for self-extraction from Operation Zone Charlie and Operation Zone Bravo.  Debriefing to be carried out at Home Base. Bellows will then answer any questions, distribute written copies of the mission(with all the words in parenthesis omitted for “mission security reasons”, and send the Recruits on their way.  Once the mission briefing is complete, The Purifier will slip the relevant PCs a slip of paper with the following:  Special operation “Heal Evil” Phase 7c: The alternate function of the TMK2-FCACD is to be used on Secondary Objective Foxtrot if at all possible.  If not, it should be used on Tertiary Objective Golf(any Wight).     2. It's a Jungle Out There! The PCs now are set loose into the Sparkrift Jungle.  Their first foray won't take them too far into the Jungle, especially since, even with a swarm of Sparkfish about them, they probably can't survive the round-by-round lightning attacks very long.   Inside, an Easy Nature or Dungeoneering check nets 1 handful of the Blue Groundweb and a Hard Nature or Arcana check nets 1 Crimson Charge-blossom flower.  Failed checks to pick Crimson Charge-blossom inflict 2d10 lightning damage as Charge-blossom's are improperly handled. The PCs will spot (and hopefully use) schools of Sparkfish and maybe a Flicker Shark or Skywhale in the distance, glowing eyes and furtive movements deeper in the Jungle, but shouldn't be forced to fight at this point. Once they return to “Home Base”, The Purifier will quickly grind and mix LBF-15 salves(1 handful of Blue Groundweb, 1 Crimson Charge-blossom, plus a bit of water) that can be applied grant 15 lightning resist for the day.  Any PC with the Alchemy feat that observes him can now produce make LBF-15 if possessing the proper ingredients. On their second foray into the Jungle, the PCs face a skill challenge to navigate the Jungle and find their way to the Sparkrift Bulwark.  Failures will usually mean attacks from roaming bands of Wights and/or a school of Flicker Sharks, encounters with particularly charged flora (walking through current bushes, stepping on blue charge-blossoms, etc) that will overcome even the Groundweb's lightning resist and cost the PCs a healing surge.  The PCs might also encounter any appropriately modified Underdark monsters and especially distinctive Underdark hazards such as doomspores or failed teleport attempts over pits. Once they near the Bulwark, they find the Jungle has been cleared away so the last 50 feet or so from the walls are open ground.  Spires on the walls reach up towards the Sparkrift that sits over the Bulwark, continuous bolts of lightning from the crackling into them.  Blue lightning constantly rolls across the outer surface of the walls; any creature that touches them takes 3d10+5 lightning damage and is pushed 5 squares. The PCs must undertake another smaller/easier skill challenge to find a Skywhale, use the TMK2 on it, have it swallow them(harmlessly), and fly them over the wall of the Bulwark. 3. Fade to Wight Once the PCs “land” the Skywhale, they find themselves inside the Sparkrift Bulwark.  Inside is a large central tower, the spire on its top touching the bottom edge of the rift itself.  The PCs must fight their way through the Wights roaming the courtyard, then into the tower itself.   If they get through the tower's open doors, they can close and bar them against the Wights outside.  On the highest level of the tower, they find a massive and intricate arcane device – a massive central crystal, floors and walls littered with glowing glyphs, spinning crystals orbiting about, swirling arcs of metal, and any other embellishments the DM cares to add.  Guarding it is a handful of Purple Wights and the Royal Wight himself. The room is dangerous – the glyphs flare up when touched, as do the crystals, arcs of metal slam into and push people around, etc – and should make for a dramatic fight, especially since the Wights are canny enough to work together and take advantage of workings of the device – such as immobilizing PCs in the path of hazards or on dangerous glyphs or immobilizing PCs near the Royal Wight so he can use his healing Soul Harvest power on them. If the PCs attack the workings of the device itself, each hit makes the room even more dangerous – randomly arcing arcane energy, massive falling pieces of metal, exploding crystals, etc.     If the PCs successfully hit a normal Purple Wight with the “special end” of the TMK2 and it fails its save, that Wight dies instantly since there is not enough of the previous personality remaining for the transformation.  If the Royal Wight is struck and fails his save, however, he instantly becomes Bolt again.  Several things happen at this point: the Wights instantly see Bolt as hostile and Bolt quickly sums up the situation.  If the PCs have started attacking his device, he will quickly call for them to stop and head towards a series of glyphs on the wall where he needs to survive three rounds to turn the device off.  He keeps the same hitpoint totals he had as the Royal Wight but loses all his powers. Once off, Bolt will suggest they get out of there since there's Wights everywhere and he isn't sure exactly what will happen with the “Singularity” (the Sparkrift) closes. If they land 5 hits on the device(whether Bolt is helping them or not), the whole tower to becomes unstable and the device starts coming apart dramatically.  The Wights will suicidally continue to attack, but it should rapidly become apparent to the PCs that they need to flee.  If he has not been killed or “healed”, the Royal Wight will flee as well to rally any remaining Wights in the courtyard against the PCs. When the PCs reach the courtyard, they will face a horde of Wights to the front and an exploding tower and violently collapsing rift behind.  The Skywhale they flew in should be nearby so they can call it with the TMK2 and make a dramatic fighting escape back over the walls and into the Jungle. If they destroyed the device, as they fly away in the Skywhale, the rift trembles and collapses and the whole tower implodes to a shimmering pinpoint of energy, then explodes in a massive shockwave that tears apart the Jungle and sends the PCs' Skywhale crasthing into the Jungle.  If they didn't destroy it, the rift still collapses and sends out a shockwave the crashes the Skywhale, but the Bulwark (and some of the Wights inside) survives.  At this point, the PCs resources are probably fairly exhausted and the DM can simply narrate their flight through the Jungle back to “Home Base”, though if the DM desires, they may face more of the Jungle's hazards as they depart. 4. See no Evil, Heal no Evil When the PCs reach the camp, they are enthusiastically greeted and rewarded by Bellows.  He issues a round of “field promotions” – the Sergeant to Lieutenant, the Privates to Corporals – and carries out his side of whatever was agreed upon earlier when the PCs were “drafted”.  Also, he hauls out a keg of “field brewed beer” that he made from some of the local Underdark plants, taps it, offers the PCs frothy tankards full, and drinks heartily with them.  The Purifier will pull aside the members of the “secret mission” and ask how it went.  If they destroyed a regular Wight or hit any Wight(s) to no effect, he will take the Trident somberly and not speak of it again.  If they got it to work on Bolt, however, he will examine Bolt, write extensive notes in a journal, then thank the PCs profusely and let them keep the Trident as a reward.  If Bolt lives, he eats and drinks ravenously with the PCs, likely being scolded by Bellows and the Purifier for his irresponsibility and lack of regard.  Bolt half-listens until he is done eating when he jumps up, shouts “so much work to be done!” and disappears back into the Sparkrift Jungle. Further adventures The PCs have many options from here.  They might investigate Bolt's other Bulwarks, perhaps at Bellows and the Purifier's behest.  They might escort the agents to a teleportation circle or another rift where they can return to the Elemental Chaos.  If they go along, they might discover the war has already started and join one side or the other, or be enlisted to try to stop it.  They might head off with the Purifier to capture more undead as he works on perfecting “Heal Evil”.  If Bolt has been restored, they might join him in his instantly renewed attempts to create his empire or find themselves chasing him down trying to stop him from creating more forts and mucking with the planes. Ingredients: Underdark Jungle: The Sparkrift Jungle, full of a strange mix of creatures, plants(such as the Blue Groundweb and Crimson Charge-blossom that are mixed and used by the Purple Wights and gives them their color), and hazards of the Underdark and the Elemental Chaos.  In its depths is the Lightning Fort, ruled by the Evil Healer, the Royal Wight.  Lightning Fort: The Sparkrift Bulwark, built by the Royal Wight(the leader of the Purple Wights and the Evil Healer) in the middle of the Underdark Jungle.  The LBF-15, created from ingredients found in the Underdark Jungle, also Fortifies creatures against lightning.  Also, creatures that spend any time in the Underdark Jungle take Lightning attacks that target their Fortitude. Evil Healer: The leader of the Purple Wights, who built the Lightning Fort in the middle of the Underdark Jungle.  Also, the Purifier, whose secret “Heal Evil” mission is to find a way to reverse the evil that creates intelligent undead.  Military Draft: The war preparations at Stormbreak and Cloudpeak that caused the adventure to take place in the first place.  One of the plot-hooks to get the players to come(to join the military at the Lightning Fort) and what Bellows does once they are there.  As part of their reward, the PCs are given fresh-tapped field-brewed alcohol(Military Draft beer).  Also, as a Wind Genesai, the highly militaristic Bellows also has a constant stirring wind about him (a “military draft”, *wince*). Purple Wight: The Purple Wights led by the Evil Healer, so named because they smear a paste made from plants in the Underdark Jungle and protect themselves from the power-source of the Lightning Fort.  Also, the Royal Wight is dressed in purple, customarily the color of nobility (he also wears purple/white because I couldn't resist the terrible pun).  Trident of Fish Command: A device given to the PCs to aid them in getting through the Underdark Jungle and into the Lightning Fort.  Also the instrument of the Purifier's plan to be the Evil Healer, by healing the Evil Healer with it.</blockquote>

Verification