The Bandit Kings Birthright

[WolfOwl77]

I've gotten such great feedback from this site I thought I'd share the adventure I've created for my campaign to get the PCs from level 8 to lvl 9.

Some background, this game started out as a Hero Quest group that through some trial and error was morphed into a full-on DnD4e game. We did decide to keep some of the Hero Quest themes (mainly the NPC Mentor) and have moved on from there. It also has some Runes of Magic (mmorpg) elements.

After escaping from an Orc's trap and revenge, the PCs interrupted a bandit raid on a farm, and decided to take out the leader of the gang, the self-styled Bandit King Lamuud, who earnestly believes he is the true king in exile of the region. And he's totally insane. When confronted with the bandit lord the PCs fell, one by one, until only one remained. That one, in an effort to save the group, swore fealty to the "King" and they were thus spared.

This adventure was designed to get them to lvl 9, and set up their next confrontation with Lamuud.

The adventure as I have written it so far will be in the post below. Suggestions and comments will be greatly appreciated

 

[WolfOwl77]

Lamuud's Birthright
Note: Monsters in the encounters on the mountain or in the temple have the orcus cult theme.


Objectives:

• Objective 1: Negotiation for Rhogar's
• Objective 2: Into the mountains
• Objective 3: Fey Knight encounter
• Objective 4: Owlbears encounter
• Objective 5: Gnome encounter
• Objective 6: The Temple of Tombs
  
  • Encounter 6a: Undead Crocodile
  • Encounter 6b: Behir
  • Encounter 6c: Darkmantle
  • Encounter 6b: Deathpriest
• Objective 7: Closing the Portal

Objective 1: Saving Rhogar xp 1750
You have been serving Lamuud for months. You have managed to avoid hurting any innocents during this term, despite several “tax collecting” missions. He has given you free reign within his camps, but there is always someone with any of you when leaving the grounds. Every couple of weeks he changes locations at random. Currently his location is abutting the mountainous ranges to the west, on a broad plain only reachable by a shallow ford that is closely watched a few miles to the south. The rest of the river is unpassable due to the strength of the current and the many dangerous rapids. During some of his mad rambling Lamuud has revealed that he is looking for something, what he calls his birthright. He believes this thing will restore him to his “rightful” place as King of Silverspring and Varanas.
Thor has been called before him. He has ignored the group for the past few weeks, and the reason for this summons is unknown. As you approach his tent he is standing out in front of it, conversing with his lackeys. They all wear dark cloaks pinned with a strange symbol of a two-headed snake breaking a circle into two halves, one black one white. With the time you've had to observe the comings and going within the encampment your insight has told you that these men are feeding Lamuud's madness, perhaps for some other purpose.
As you approach he eyes you dully, a brief moment of recognition and he smiles broadly. “You will have the chance to redeem yourselves! The thing that I seek...”
He is interrupted by by the whoops and yelling coming from the direction of the river. A party comes into view, three of Lamuud's slavers leading a chained dragonborn prisoner and a pair of gnomes trailing behind. The prisoner is a mass of cuts and bruises, and he is so weak the slavers are nearly dragging him along. Pulling up in front of Lamuud's tent one of the slavers shoves the prisoner to his knees in front of the bandit lord. The slave r then reaches under his chin and jerks his head up. You recognize him as Mentor's assistant, Rhogar. “This paladin tried to cross the river into your lands m'lord, then attacked several of your dutiful servants collecting tolls. Several of your men are dead at his hands lord.”
Lamuud looks down at the kneeling Rhogar. “Kill him.” You must save the paladin's life!


Level 10
Complexity: 5


Stage One: DC 16 Primary skills: Bluff, Diplomacy
Note: intimidation will not work, any attempt will bring the entire camp of bandits down on the group. Flattery attempts will result in a D20 roll, 1-10 will result in a minus 2 to the attempt, 11-20 will result in a +3 to the attempt. Then the appropriate skill check is made.
Stage Two: DC 18
After the group has made 4 successful checks Lamuud starts to act as if he might let the paladin go. The zhuridon minions start to try to counter the attempts by the PC's to forestall the execution, making the DC's rise.
Stage Three: DC 21 Secondary skill: intimidate
Once the PC's have made 8 successful DC checks, the minions start ordering the slavers and gnomes to carry out the King's orders. The PC's may attempt to covertly intimidate them as a group check. If half of the group passes it counts as a success for the challenge, less than half and it counts as a fail.
Success: Lamuud agrees with whatever arguments the PC's have presented, and orders them to escort the “guest” back to the river and let him go.
Failure: Lamuud orders the group to escort the prisoner to the river and execute him. The slavers and gnomes are ordered to follow the PC's to ensure they do the job.
Any attempt to intimidate, bluff, or otherwise get them to leave the PCs alone results in the encounter described below:


2 Gnome Entropist MM2 pg 128
3 Human Slaver MM2 pg 149


Objective 2: Into the Mountains xp 1000
The rescued Rhogar is grateful, and informs the PCs that Mentor is aware of their activities and warns them that Lamuud may be connected to an occult group. He has heard whispers that they are aware of the PCs motivations. He also informs the PCs that the cult has convinced Lamuud that the means of restoring his birthright is in the mountains they are next to. They are referring to an ancient portal that the cult mistakenly believes will allow them to rise in power if they open it. This must not be allowed to happen.
When the PCs return to the camp another messenger brings them before Lamuud again. Any bloodstains on their clothing is interpreted as their carrying out his orders to execute, if they failed the skill challenge from objective 1.


“You will be given a chance to redeem yourselves and prove your devotion to the King. I have sent servants up the river to find an ancient temple that holds my birthright. You will follow them and assist them in their task. Do not fail me.”


Rushing River skill challenge.


The guardians are Will-o-the-wisps MM2 pg 209


Objective 3: Fey Knight encounter xp 1650


2 Eladrin Fey Knights MM1 pg 102
3 Phase Spiders MM2 pg 190 (large)


When the PCs finish the river challenge they find themselves on a bank overrun with growth, up ahead is a winding path up the mountain. As they approach the path 2 Fey knights cultists confront them, attempting to bar their passage. After a few rounds of combat the 3 phase spiders reveal themselves and attack.


Note: the Fey Knights are members of the cult and have the cult theme applied.


Characters receive: Magic Weapon +3 PH pg 235


Objective 4: Owlbear Encounter xp 1752
Setup: After finishing with the Fey knights the PCs move on into the tunnel, coming out on a wide ledge where below the underground lake can be seen. Moving upward along the path the PCs come to an underground temple front, along one side is a sheer cliff, over which can be seen the underground lake below. The path ends at the temple, and there is no way around it. A single, double wide door leads into the interior of the Temple. There is one large room, dominated by a 4x6 pool in the center of the room, floor braziers line the sides of the room. Along the back wall are two double-wide doors, marked with arcane devices. Attempting to open either door begins the encounter.
Note: an Arcane check of DC 15 reveals the writing refers to a “path to power” and it only being visible to the faithful of the cult.

2 Owlbears MM1 pg 212 (large)
4 Hobgoblin Warrior MM1 pg 138


Past the two double-doors is a long room lined with tables. There appears to be no other way out of the temple. The back wall here is an illusion.


Tactics: The twin owlbears burst through the doors dealing 2d6 damage in a area burst 1 each (representing the fragments of the heavy doors flying out) on a +11 vs AC roll. The owlbears get a surprise round. The hobgoblins come in behind the owlbears, hindering the pcs attacks.


Features of the Area:

• Illumination: braziers along the sides of the temple provide normal illumination to the area
• Braziers: provide cover, does 1d6 damage to any creature ending it's turn in the same space
• Inside the Temple is a 4x6 pool of shallow liquid, this pool is difficult terrain.
• Falling off the cliff is deadly, roll to save, DC of 20 is used, presumes character falls into the lake safely. (acrobatics) Character begins next turn at Docks, takes 10 rounds to return.
• Illusory Wall – the back wall of the Temple appears to have no exits, and no other exits (other than the entrance) present themselves. A passive perception check of 20 reveals the wall for the deception it is, or a DC 18 active check. PC must be in the room to make the check.

Once the Illusory wall is breached a rear exit to the temple is discovered. The path the PCs have been following continues upward into the mountain.

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Objective 5: Gnome encounter xp 2350[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Setup: The path continues to wind it's way up the outer edge of the underground cavern. One side is still open to the lake below. The ledge slowly narrows into a 3 space wide path. Up ahead about 10 spaces the path ends in a large doorway with the same arcane markings on it as the ones in the Temple below. On the cavern wall is small plaque with some writing on it.(Arcane check DC 15 reveals that the plaque reads “The pious may continue, the weak will suffer Zhur's wrath!” )[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Inside the doorway is a large room, occupied by 3 Ogres. One of the ogres is working near a large cooking pot. The other two are occupied arguing while being seated at a nearby table. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Tactics: Starting the fight with the ogres alert two gnomes in a side room that attack after all the players have taken their turns. An ogre with a clear path to the PCs will make a charge attack depending on range. Any ogre with a table between him and the PCs will pick it up and hurl it at them. [/FONT]


3 Ogre Savage MM1 pg 199 (large)
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]2 Gnome Entropist MM2 pg 128[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Features of the area: The area in front of the door has a floor trap. [/FONT]
Necrotic Floor Level 10 Obstacle
Trap XP 500
A stretch of hallway contains glowing blue floor tiles. When the wrong tile is stepped upon, a necrotic shock is triggered.
Trap: This trap consists of 10 randomly positioned squares that contain electrified tiles. When the trap is triggered, it attacks.
Perception - ✦ DC 26: The character can discern if any adjacent squares contain electrified tiles.
Additional Skill: Arcana ✦ DC 22: The character’s knowledge provides a +2 bonus to Thievery checks to disable a tile.
Trigger - When a creature enters or begins its turn in a necrotic square, the trap attacks that creature.
Attack - Opportunity Action Melee 1
Target: Creature in a trapped square
Attack: +13 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d10 + 6 necrotic damage. On a critical hit, the target is stunned (save ends).
Miss: Half damage.
Countermeasures
✦ A character who makes a successful Athletics check (DC 6 or DC 11 without a running start) can jump over a single trapped square.
✦ An adjacent character can disable a tile with a DC 26 Thievery check.

• the trapped portion of the path leads to the large door
• the interior of the room is dimly lit by small sconces around the room.
• The room where the gnomes come out contains Mithral Armor +2 AV pg 48 and 544 gp

Objective 6: Temple of the Tombs
Setup: The PC's have now reached the Temple under the mountain itself, sometimes called the Temple of Tombs. The temple is directly under the peak of the mountain itself, the largest mountain in the Muerta range, unpassable overland.


“The path continues to lead upward, still circling the underground lake below. Looming ahead at the end of the path is a large structure that rises up into the roof of the cavern itself. The whole place glows faintly with surreal light. As you near what is obviously the temple, features that should have become clearer seem only to blur and warp even more. As your eye moves from one feature to the next and back again it's not the same. Your mind rebels at the impossibility of the place, you can't pin it down! How will you navigate a temple that is always changing? As you close in on the temple a terrible shrieking fills the air, and the very earth seems to tremble. Something is going on in that place. Could the Zhuridon have found the portal they were looking for?”


Features of the area:

• The Temple of Tombs is constantly changing. Moving through the Temple is done through a skill challenge.

Skill Challenge: Navigating the Temple of Tombs
Moderate DC, Complexity 5 XP 1750
Passes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fails: 1 2 3
Primary Skills: Insight, History, Religion, and Arcana
Secondary Skills: Athletics, Endurance
Athletics: DC 16 (Group check) The players tries to move too fast for the temple to change on them. This skill can be used once per stage for one successful check.
Endurance: DC 14 The player tries to force off all the illusions from their mind. This skill can be used to give a bonus +2 to the next check made by that player.
Failure: The players step through the next door, and find themselves back at the entrance to the Temple.


Stage One: after 3 checks the PCs reach the first encounter room.
Objective 6a: Undead Crocodile xp 1700
Water filling Chamber Trap
1 Feymire Crocodile MM1 pg 45


The crocodile has the Cult of Zhur theme and can use the Aura of Impending Death power as well as the Bloodstained Strike power.
The crocodile is considered undead.


“You find you way to the end of a hall that opens into a large, elongated room. Along the walls of the room are several faces. Closer to the other end of the room is the corpse of a large crocodile. The body shows many scars and some fresh wounds, as if it those who killed it were in the room moments before.”
Once the crocodile and trap are completed: “Beyond the second door is a stairwell leading upward, and is the only way forward.


Setup: The room is trapped and is a water filling chamber. The crocodile is not dead and will “spring to life” when one of the PCs approaches it.
Features of the Area:

• Illumination The room is lit by a supernatural light that appears to come from everywhere and nowhere.
• in a small leather bag the PCs will find 408gp

Stage Two: after 6 successful checks the PC's reach the second encounter room.
Objective 6b: Behir xp 1750
Setup: The PCs enter a room that to be an abandoned library. Part of the room has been burned, and there are partially burned up scrolls all over the room. An Arcane DC of 18 will reveal that the scrolls reveal that the Cult of Zhur used this temple centuries ago and used a portal here to commune with their god.
Once the PCs enter the room start the encounter.


Behir Bolter Whelp MM2 page 22


Once the Behir has been defeated: “Another stairway is revealed at the back of the room. This one spirals upward to the next tier.”


Stage Three: after 9 successful checks the PCs reach the third tier of the temple.
Objective 6c: Darkmantle xp 1750


“There is no light in the room you have entered, and when you turn behind you the way back is also unlit, you'll have to move forward in the dark.”


Setup: The room is long and completely dark. The PCs will have to pass passive perception checks to even see the monsters in this room. Once in range the monsters will attack in a surprise round. A Perception check of DC 22 is required to see the monsters at all, and if spotted they have total concealment in the darkness.


There are several sconces on the wall, a PC may use a torch to light one by spending a minor action.


1 Darkmantle Enveloper MM2 pg 41
2 Black Pudding MM2 pg 172


Once the PCs defeat the monsters in the room they will find a trap door in the back of the room leading to more stairs up.


Final Stage: after 12 successful checks the PCs reach the final encounters for the quest.


Failure: The PC's arrive at the last encounter late, making the skill challenge for distracting the Deathpriest be upgraded to difficult DC


Objective 6d: Deathpriest of Zhur xp 2750
Setup: The PCs enter a very large room where the Deathpriest is occupied near a large circle in the center of the room. He turns on the PCs entering and speaks:
“You will not prevent us from reaching our destiny! The portal opens! Servants! Attack the interlopers! I will speed the portals opening and Zhur will surely send us aid!”


1 Deathpriest of Orcus MM1 pg 210
4 Crimson Acolytes MM1 pg 210
2 Battle Wights MM1 pg 262


Notes:

• lower the monster levels by 1 for a group of 4

Skill Challenge – Distract the Deathpriest xp 350
complexity 1 DC moderate lvl 8
Passes: 1 2 3 4
Fails: 1 2 3
Primary Skills: Intimidate, Bluff
Secondary skills: Arcana, Religion, Basic attack
Intimidate: ( standard action )The player tries to get the priests attention by making him fear them.
Bluff: (standard action) The player tries to distract the priest by pretending they have the power to prevent the portal's opening.
Basic Attack: (standard action) a player may choose to make a basic attack vs the AC of the priest and choose a success in place of damage dealt.
Arcana: (minor action)The player may attempt to slow the portals opening through arcane means, this gives a +2 to the next attempt.
Religion: (minor action) The player may try to determine any steps in the ritual that can be interrupted, giving a +2 bonus to the next attempt.
Success: The deathpriest determines the group is enough of a threat or nuisance and turns to fight.
Failure: The deathpriest is successful and the portal will be fully opened in d6 rounds at this point in the initiative. When the portal is opened the next encounter begins immediately and is added to this one.


Ending the encounter: Successful Deathpriest skill challenge.
The deathpriest moves weakly and, looking at the portal, cries in a moaning voice “I die, yet have achieved my goal. Behold! Zhur's minion answers my call!” In the portal the Tomb Spider from the next encounter appears and moves to engage the PCs.


Objective 7: Closing the Portal xp 1800(?)
lvl 10
Setup: The Cult of Zhur has achieved their goal and the portal is open A Tomb Spider of Zhur has come through the portal. The players now have to defeat the monster and find a way to close the portal. The Tomb spider is the initial monster fault, the Bloodweb spiders are the result of failure in the skill challenge.


Closing the Portal skill challenge pg 90 DMG2
xp 600


1 Tomb Spider MM2 pg 190
? Bloodweb Spider Swarm MM1 pg 246


All the monsters in this encounter have the Cult of Zhur theme and share the following powers:
Aura of Impending Death
Bloodstained Strike


Ending the Encounter: The portal is closed, and among the ruined bodies around the room they find:

• Duelist's Bow +3 AV2 pg 17
• 4012 gp

After closing the portal the Temple loses it's illusory ability, and is shown in it's true form as a decrepit, aged structure that appears ready to collapse. Once the PCs return to the dock and exit the lake they hear a load roar as the temple collapses into the underground lake behind them, closing the way in under a cave-in.


Total expected XP: over 20k