Mad King's Banquet 4e conversion (spoilers)

[Fredrik Svanberg]

I imagine this whole thread to be a huge spoiler so I won't bother using spoiler tags much. Anyway, I've started working on converting this and decided to put up a thread for discussion and brainstorming. There is a difference in encounter philosophy between 4e and 3e which comes up quite often in this adventure.

I also think there is a slight lack of actual combat and maybe too much "other" content. Some players (ok, one player) in my group didn't like the heavy politics in Shelter From the Storm and requested more combat. I tried to remedy it by making up more encounters but I haven't had time to DM since then so I don't know if I've succeeded yet. Maybe 4e will be different because even fighters will be able to do stuff outside of combat and don't have to feel like they can't contribute in a skill challenge for example.

Anyway - on with the conversion discussion.

Act 1 - Message for the King

The Trip To Bresk

Late Refugees: I've made a remorhaz conversion as a solo creature to suit this encounter. It will probably do well as an end-of-session fight after a long and slow introduction. Remorhaz!

Police Brutality: I have also made Steppengard soldiers and a commander. I'll post them in this thread later. Like the remorhaz I based their level on my own campaign where the characters are at the moment level 5 and will reach level 7 during this adventure. The conversion guide would indicate a higher level and I'm more and more inclined to go along with it since it would save me work if I didn't have to convert everything twice... So I'll probably post higher-level versions later.

The Capital of Bresk
I couldn't really come up with good skill challenges to replace the systems described in this chapter to handle the audience with the king, so I decided to just use the rules given in the adventure.

The First Rule of Assassination
Silencing Balan: I have converted Pixis although I'm not really sure if my version is that good. I will post that too later in the thread.



Skipping ahead a bit:
My first real problem is the criosphinxes. Sphinxes in 4e aren't natural beings anymore, they are immortal angels given the form of winged lions to serve as guardians. The way the adventure describes the relationship between the criosphinxes and the gynosphinx doesn't seem to work when they aren't natural beings anymore. I don't think angels compete for mating rights, after all.

I've been looking for something to replace the criosphinxes and perhaps the gynosphinx too but I haven't found anything that works. Any ideas?

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Police Brutality

Level 7 encounter: 1500 xp
1 Steppengard Commander: 500 xp
4 Steppengard Soldiers: 1000 xp



Steppengard Soldier Level 6 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid (human) XP 250
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +4
HP 72; Bloodied 36; Surge value 18
AC 22; Fortitude 18, Reflex 15, Will 17
Speed 5
Flail (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+13 vs. AC; 1d10+4 damage
Sweeping Blow (standard; encounter) ✦ Weapon
Requires flail; Close burst 1; each enemy in burst; +11 vs Fort; 1d6+6 damage and target is knocked prone
Beatdown (immediate interrupt, when an enemy within reach stands up from prone; at-will)
The Soldier makes a melee basic attack against the target.
Longbow (standard; at-will ✦ Weapon
ranged 20/40; +13 vs AC; 1d10 + 4 damage
Alignment unaligned Languages common, dwarven
Skills Athletics +13
Str 20 (+7) Dex 11 (+3) Wis 12 (+4)
Con 18 (+7) Int 10 (+3) Cha 10 (+3)
Equipment chainmail, heavy shield, flail, longbow, 20 arrows, horse
Tactics: Steppengard soldiers stay in tight formation, taking turns to use Sweeping Blow to keep opponents off their feet. They fight on foot.





Steppengard Commander Level 10 Soldier (L)
Medium natural humanoid (human) XP 500
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +8
Not Allowed To Die aura 5
Lower-level allies (other than minions) in the aura remain alive when reduced to 0 hit points. An affected creature dies at the end of its next turn if it is still at 0 hit points or below.
HP 138; Bloodied 69; Surge value 34
AC 26; Fortitude 22, Reflex 22, Will 22
Saving throws +2
Action point 1
Speed 5
Flail (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 2d6+5 and the target is marked until the end of the Commander's next turn
Shield Bash (minor; recharge )
+15 vs Fort; 2d6+5 and the target is knocked prone or pushed 1 sq (Commander's choice).
Up You Maggots (minor; encounter)
close burst 5; each ally in burst regains 14 hit points.
Alignment unaligned Languages common, dwarven
Skills Athletics +14, Intimidate +14
Str 22 (+10) Dex 13 (+7) Wis 15 (+8)
Con 18 (+9) Int 18 (+9) Cha 18 (+9)
Equipment full plate, heavy shield, flail, horse.
Tactics: Steppengard Commanders stays close to their men to keep them fighting even when they ought to be dead. They fight mounted or on foot as necessary.

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Pixis

Level 8 Rogue Shadowborn Stalker Elite XP 700
Medium natural humanoid (human)
Initiative +9 Senses Perception +4 darkvision

HP 136; Bloodied 68; Surge value 34; Healing surge 1
AC 24; Fortitude 19, Reflex 27, Will 23

Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Points 1

Class Features: First Strike, Rogue Weapon Mastery, Sneak Attack +2d6

Basic Attacks

Shuriken (standard; at-will)
range 6/12; +15 vs AC; 1d6+8

Dagger (standard; at-will)
+12 vs AC; 1d4+4

Thrown Dagger (standard; at-will)
range 5/10; +16 vs AC; 1d4+8​

Shadowborn Stalker powers

Cloak of Shadows (minor; encounter)
Cloud of Darkness (minor; encounter)​

Rogue Exploits

Piercing Strike (standard; at-will)
Cloud of Steel (standard; encounter) ✦ Martial, Weapon
Ignoble Escape (move; encounter) ✦ Martial
Clever Riposte (standard; daily) ✦ Martial,Weapon​

Alignment evil Languages common, dwarven
Skills Acrobatics +14, Stealth +14, Thievery +14

Str 13 (+5) Dex 20 (+9) Wis 10 (+4)
Con 12 (+5) Int 11 (+4) Cha 16 (+7)

Equipment: +2 Bloodcut leather armor, +2 vicious shuriken (5), potion of healing, daggers, thieves' tools.

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Pitchlings

These slender fey step nimbly through the forest, naked except for a coating of black pitch smeared across their bodies. They carry jagged longbows, but no arrows, though rows of long, sharp spines stick out from their backs. As one trains its bow on you, it snaps a spine off from its shoulder and nocks it like an arrow.

Pitchling Level 6 Artillery
Medium fey humanoid (fire) XP 250
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +10; low-light vision

HP 54; Bloodied 27

AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 20, Will 17

Immune fire; Vulnerable 5 cold

Speed 6, Forest Walk

Claw (standard; at-will)
+13 vs AC; 1d6+4 damage

Spine (standard; at-will)
ranged 20/40; +13 vs AC; 2d6+5 damage and target is immobilized (save ends)

Flaming Tar Bomb (standard; encounter)
range 10, burst 1; all creatures in burst; +11 vs Reflex; 3d8+4 fire damage; if target is immobilized, 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends).

Alignment unaligned Languages elven

Skills perception +10, stealth +12

Str 10 (+3) Dex 19 (+7) Wis 15 (+5)
Con 12 (+4) Int 10 (+3) Cha 14 (+5)

Equipment: Longbow, Tar Bombs (1d6-3 remaining after a combat)

Tactics: Almost self-explanatory but alright - shoot and try to immobilize as many enemies as you can before they get too close. Use Flaming Tar Bombs against immobilized enemies if possible.


New Item – Tar Bomb: These wooden flasks of alchemist fire are only created by pitchlings, though an alchemist with access to freshly harvested pitch from the skin of a pitchling could create such items. Each flask grants a single use of the Flaming Tar Bomb power.


Sample Level 8 Encounter - 1750 XP
5 Pitchlings - 1250 XP
1 Cave Bear - 500 XP

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Steppengard Prelate

Level 6 Controller Elite (L)

Medium natural humanoid (dwarf) XP 500

Initiative +5 Senses Perception +5; low-light vision

HP 136; Bloodied 68
AC 24; Fortitude 19, Reflex 16, Will 20
Saving Throws +2, +5 against poison effects

Speed 5

Action point 1

Warhammer (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+12 vs. AC; 1d10 + 3 damage.

Shield Bash (minor; recharge 5 6 )
+10 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 3 damage, and the target is knocked prone or pushed 1 square (prelate’s choice).

Throwing Hammer (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Ranged 5/10; +12 vs. AC; 1d6 + 3 damage.

Stubborn (immediate interrupt, when an enemy tries to push it or knock it prone; at-will)
The prelate makes a melee basic attack against the enemy.

Stand Your Ground
When an effect forces a dwarf to move—through a pull, a push, or a slide—the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.

Cleric Powers
Healing Word (minor; twice during encounter)

Divine Fortune (free; encounter)

Priest's Shield (standard; at-will)
+12 vs AC; 1d10+6 damage

Command (standard; encounter)
ranged 10; +8 vs Will;

Cure Serious Wounds (standard; daily)

Consecrated Ground (standard; daily)


Alignment unaligned Languages Common, Dwarven

Skills Heal +9, Religion +9, Dungeoneering +12, Endurance +6

Str 17 (+6) Dex 10 (+3) Wis 14 (+5)
Con 16 (+6) Int 11 (+3) Cha 12 (+4)

Equipment: plate armor, heavy shield, warhammer, 3 throwing hammers, holy symbol



The Steppengard Prelate is really just a higher level Dwarven Hammerer with a Cleric template.


Sample Level 8 Encounter (Steppengard Prison guard room) - 1750 XP
1 Steppengard Prelate - 500 XP
4 Steppengard Soldiers - 750 XP
1 Guard Hound (elite gray wolf) - 250 XP




Bonus monster: Guard Hound!

Guard Hound Level 2 Elite Skirmisher
Medium natural beast XP 250
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +7; low-light vision
HP 76; Bloodied 38
AC 18; Fortitude 16, Reflex 16, Will 13
Saving throws +2
Speed 8
Action point 1

Bite (standard; at-will)
+7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, or 2d6 + 2 damage against a prone target.

Clamping Jaw (standard; recharge 5 6)
+7 vs AC; 1d6 + 2 damage and target is grabbed (until escape). Secondary attack +5 vs Fort; target grants combat advantage until end of hound's next turn. Sustain minor: the hound can't sustain if target escapes; target continues to grant combat advantage.

Combat Advantage
If the guard hound has combat advantage against the target, the target is also knocked prone on a hit.

Alignment Unaligned Languages —

Str 13 (+2) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3) Int 2 (–3) Cha 10 (+1)

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Steppengard Prison torture chamber

Jutras
Viscera Devourer Level 8 Controller
Medium shadow humanoid (undead) XP 350
Initiative +8 Senses Perception +10; darkvision

HP 92; Bloodied 46
AC 24; Fortitude 22, Reflex 19, Will 20; see also visceral ward
Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant

Speed 6

Claw (standard; at-will)
+12 vs. AC; 1d10 + 2 damage.

Hungry Viscera (minor; at-will)
+12 vs. AC; the creature wraps a viscera tendril around the target; 1d4 + 3 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). A viscera devourer has four tendrils and can grab up to four
creatures, or multiple tendrils can grab a single target (the target takes a –2 penalty to escape checks per additional tendril grabbing it).

Devour Viscera (minor 1/round; at-will) ✦ Healing, Necrotic
The viscera devourer draws life energy from every living target it has grabbed. A grabbed target takes 5 necrotic damage per viscera tendril grabbing it, and the viscera devourer regains the same amount of hit points.

Visceral Ward
The viscera devourer gains a +2 bonus to all defenses while it is grabbing one or more creatures.

Alignment evil Languages common

Skills Stealth +13

Str 18 (+10) Dex 15 (+8) Wis 9 (+5)
Con 20 (+11) Int 12 (+7) Cha 17 (+9)


Sample Level 8 Encounter (Steppengard Prison torture chamber) - 1700 XP

1 Viscera Devourer - 300 xp
4 Chillborn Zombies - 1000 xp
Level 5 Elite Hazard: Treacherous Ice Sheet - 400 xp

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Railroading?

Ok, I've finally figured out my main problem with this adventure. It depends a lot on getting the characters to move north to Gallo, but it does so in a rather obvious way which will make many players (and probably characters) very suspicious. While this may be well in line with Madness' method and style it becomes a problem if it means that the characters decide to by all means necessary never ever go north, since it obviously can't be a good idea.

So how about a more subtle method? I'm considering doing this for my campaign, as a first attempt to get the characters to head north. If it fails, Madness will resort to her usual ways. Here's my idea:

Pixis is not just an assassin but a doppelganger. She infiltrates the party's room, takes out Balan and hands him over to the guards, and if nobody noticed her she takes his place immediately. If anyone notices her she tries to get Balan to the guards outside and then they all leave. A few hours later Pixis returns, disguised as Balan, and claims that it was all a misunderstanding.

No matter how she infiltrates the party, Pixis will suggest that they go north and seek out Gallo since he is the only noble who seems interested in lending Seaquen aid. She suggests that it's a bad idea to stay in Bresk and that she has arranged fresh horses for their journey that will be waiting at the north gate. She even bribed the guards there to let them pass without problem.

To make this all more interesting, Pixis is using the party as a way to infiltrate Gallo's court, with the intent of assassinating him at an opportune moment. This is her main objective. Fortunately for the characters she is not doing a good job at pretending to be Balan.

I intend to use some foreshadowing during the trip to Bresk, for example I will make it obvious that Balan is willing to go to rather great lengths to keep hold of his accordion case, and he will play tunes on it every night at the campfire. Pixis as Balan won't even bring the case with her. Most importantly Pixis is nowhere near as diplomatic as Balan. I will make it quite obvious that something is wrong and the players/characters will be able to figure it out if they pay attention. Hopefully before Pixis completes her task.

For this scenario I will just use a standard Doppelganger Assassin as Pixis instead of the version I posted before. It doesn't really matter if she can take on the entire party on her own in a fight so she doesn't have to be elite or anything.

Any comments on this? Have I forgotten something?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

First of all, this looks great! I wish I had more time to jump in and help..but the end/start of the month is always interesting time at my work.

Regarding the railroading.. I ran the module as written and had no problem getting the group to follow the plot-line. But then again, my group is more of a beer and pretzals team and has, in the past, knowingly followed the 'yellow brick road' {so to speak} in the interest of having a fun time. I also did not have Balan as the PC Bard more than sufficed for the challenge.

Your solution is excellent and adds some good depth to the storyline. If the PC's discover Pixis' disguise before they reach Gallo's Fend, you can ensure she escapes into the night and heads north to finish her mission...further encouragement for the PCs to continue north.


As to the crio/gyno sphinxes, I think you could replace those with variant griffons.