You can run. But you cannot hide! About DMing, ideas?...Münster guys: STAY OUT!!!
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Dark Dragon
Explorer
Thanks! The next meeting will be on sunday...but if the players keep on not using their brains, I'll not guarantee that there will be a session afterwards :\ We'll see...
Speaking of surviving PCs: IIRC, half of the original party has already gathered enough frequent dying miles (I love that OotS comic
) for a permanent resting place in the afterlife...It is a deadly campaign, but only if one ignores an obvious deadly situation 
Dead so far (and replaced):
Dwarven CN ftr/wiz/eldritch knight/spell sword, replaced by human LN warmage/ftr/dragon disciple.
Human LN mnk/tattooed monk, replaced by human CN (?) warlock.
Human CN ftr/rog/tempest, replaced by asimaar LG clr/ftr/pal.
Killed but raised (for story reasons, both lost a level and are now low on equipment):
Human NG clr/sor/hathran/mystic theurge.
Human CG ftr/bbn.
Surving experts:
Human N rgr (somehow he manages it to stay away from serious trouble).
Native outsider CG sor/alienist/wild mage (ex-human, his paranoia may be one reason, his ability to cast time stop and summon hordes of monsters another for his survival ).
Hmm, and I have not used a monster from the ELH so far. The Green Dragon Istandilar was the toughest foe. The other guys just made full use of their skills...
There needs some work to be done before the party can challenge the Aspect of Tiamat and her allies...
Speaking of surviving PCs: IIRC, half of the original party has already gathered enough frequent dying miles (I love that OotS comic
) for a permanent resting place in the afterlife...It is a deadly campaign, but only if one ignores an obvious deadly situation Dead so far (and replaced):
Dwarven CN ftr/wiz/eldritch knight/spell sword, replaced by human LN warmage/ftr/dragon disciple.
Human LN mnk/tattooed monk, replaced by human CN (?) warlock.
Human CN ftr/rog/tempest, replaced by asimaar LG clr/ftr/pal.
Killed but raised (for story reasons, both lost a level and are now low on equipment):
Human NG clr/sor/hathran/mystic theurge.
Human CG ftr/bbn.
Surving experts:
Human N rgr (somehow he manages it to stay away from serious trouble).
Native outsider CG sor/alienist/wild mage (ex-human, his paranoia may be one reason, his ability to cast time stop and summon hordes of monsters another for his survival
).Hmm, and I have not used a monster from the ELH so far. The Green Dragon Istandilar was the toughest foe. The other guys just made full use of their skills...
There needs some work to be done before the party can challenge the Aspect of Tiamat and her allies...
Dark Dragon
Explorer
"Warfare is the art of deceit."
-Sun Tzu
_________________________
After some discussion about what to do next (options: visit Citadel Rashemar, search the Cloud Ray, attack the Shadow Masters in Telflamm, attack the Durthans, get more informations...), the party decided to get more informations about the Aspect of Tiamat and the Cloud Ray.
The party knows the great wyrm White Dragon Storm of the Winter who resides in the Icerim Mountains north of Rashemen. I have to go back in the story to explain why the party tried to contact the dragon (I have not posted this part because it happened at the very beginning of the campaign, shortly after the Shadow Masters' first attacks).
-----------
Along with the Shadow Masters, another group was observing the party: the church of Tiamat. The adventurers did not keep it a secret that the tempest was pregnant with a half-drgaon baby, and this attracted the curiosity of Tiamat's servants. One of them, a half-dragon (white) half-giant (frost) frenzied berserker, was ordered to keep an eye on the tempest and try to kidnap her, if the opportunity arises. He loosely worked together with the Shadow Masters, but for the most time, he kept a low profile (using a ring to adapt to the townsfolk of Two Stars) and observed the group.
But after the Shadow Masters had burned down the party's house in Two Stars, the angry adventurers spotted one guy how behaved somewhat oddly when the townsfolk tried to extinguish the fires. The monk grappled and attacked the guy after some short questions which gave little informations. Now the berserker lost his calm attitude and a hard fight erupted.
Raging in anger, he killed the tempest (despite being ordered not to do so), disabled the monk (he cut of his right leg) and forced the dwarf to flee via Dimension Door. Before the alienist was able to send the berserker (who was at about -500 hp at that time, mainly by the ranger's well placed arrows) into a Maze to cool down and die, he activated his bracelet of friends and called his mother for help. This was the White Dragon Storm of the Winter. But she came to late, nevertheless, she tought the party a lesson, and the fight continued for some rounds, almost resulting in the death of the alienist.
However, she offered an armistice to know what happened. The party agreed and learned that the dragon strongly disliked to be called by her son and help him out of something he has messed up totally. In addition, the relationship between the dragon and her son is quite bad, mainly because the half-dragon is a devout servant of Tiamat, a goddess the Storm of the Winter does not like.
But still the half-dragon was her son, and so she raised him again - in front of the party and the citizens. She gave to the party a magic ring as a payback for the killed tempest. Then she and her son left town and headed north.
The party called Jasmina for help. She was able to convince the hathrans to resurrect the tempest and the baby.
-----------
Remembering the dragon and its relatively respectful behaviour, the group arranged a meeting to ask the dragon about the Aspect of Tiamat and its possible plans. The dragon received some payment, and she willingly answered most questions. The adventurers learned that the Aspect is gathering troops at remote areas in northern Rashemen. The dragon has no interest in interfering with the goddess' plans and left the troops alone. She told the party about the three areas where the troops gather exactly (eastern Rashemen: Endless Wastes, north: Ring of Gray Flames, west: northern shores of Lake Ashane).
She also mentioned that every troop is commanded by a powerful creature and together with the party's knowledge, she assumed that every commander is a half-dragon, her son now being one of them. She warned her son before that she will not help him again if keeps his faith in Tiamat. Now she told the party that she has no problems when the party kills her son again - forever. The other commander is a mage named Talaran (the party knows the name, but not the guy), the third commander is unknown. The troops consist of tuigans, narfellians, orcs, half-orcs, gnolls, tieflings, lower and average demons, and other various monsters (e.g., dragonnes, land sharks, young evil dragons (green, white), ogres, and some giants), every troop consisting now of about 500 creatures.
The dragon also knows some important things about the Aspect, e.g., that she is able to cast a Gate to call for powerful creatures and move her troops quickly from place to place.
The party decided to observe one camp secretly (hey! they've learned something
). Jasmina cast a Chain of Eyes on the warlock who tried to intercept a patrol near the camp and place the spell on one of the patrol's horses. But the transfer failed (I let the player roll up the save for the horse and he rolled a 20 
). A short fight begun, a dragonne arrived, but the warlock successfully held his ground: he only killed the dragonne and let the badly wounded warriors and their horses escape back to the troop camp (he didn't know that the transfer failed). When he returned to his friends, Jasmina told him that the action was a failure. But now the alienist proposed to send his rat familiar into the camp and deliver a Chain of Eyes to a horse. This was successfully done, but for the rest of the day, little happened.
But in the next morning, the Aspect of Tiamat personally arrived and instructed his troops. The party was not able to read his lips, but at least every party member was able to see through the horse's eyes (the Net creature that saved the alienist in the prison secretly 'linked' the party with Jasmina). Then the Aspect opened a Gate and sent his army to the Plane of Shadows. The Aspect stayed on the Material Plane. The troops waited. After a few hours, a gargantuan Shadow Dragon appeared. He talked with the commander, a half-dragon (green) tiefling - Talaran the wizard. The party could at least read the lips of the half-dragon and learned that the troops are preparing a raid to gather food and treasure. Everything else is prepared...The Shadow Dragon then created a minor illusion of the little castle near Lake Murthil and a cave nearby. He simply told Talaran - unkown to the party - that he will now move to this area to shut the trap for the Aspect of Bahamut. The Shadow Dragon has visited the area the day before in a polymorphed form and found the dragons there. Knowing that he is not able to deal alone with two Silver Drgaons, he has to wait for the timely arrival of the Aspect of Tiamat.
This cave is the camp where Alanor, Estanala, and the baby wait for the return of the party...
As long as the alienist was in the camp, he protected everyone with a Private Sanctum from scying magic. However, the party has left the camp three days before, and the spell was not renewed. Both dragons are not capable to cast the spell. And the Aspect of Tiamat cast a Circle Dance once every morning to look for the baby, so it was now only a matter of time when she would get a result...
Quite panicked after realising what that illusion depicts, the party used two Gates to get to the camp - just in time to see the arrival of the Aspect of Tiamat and the Shadow Dragon...
-----------------
Background: The Aspect of Tiamat knows the cave from visits when she started to built up her army some weeks earlier. She made her last secret visit after Karelam attacked the nearby castle and slaughtered the inhabitants, hoping to find some refugees she could question. But the cave was empty.
The Shadow Dragon: The Shadow Dragon calls himself Antaran Black Star. He is a killer, contracted by various evil organisations to remove 'unpleasant creatures'. His last place was technologically advanced world called Maginellic (now inhabited by a mixture of humanoid races: humans, elves, gnomes, and others, but its first intelligent inhabitants are Time Drakes (a slightly modified version from WotC's web supplement), now only a minority after the arrival of space travellers centuries ago). There, Antaran was arrested before he could kill the members of a trade company. While the Time Drakes are a minority, they still have power over law and order on Maginellic, and most elite police forces are made up of Time Drakes.
The Aspect of Tiamat searched a way to destroy her counterpart, the Aspect of Bahamut (Alanor). Tiamat herself provided the information to her aspect that Antaran is a suitable help, and as his execution was under preparation, it would be likely that he is willing to cooperate. Using her Gate-power, she helped Antaran to escape from prison and get onto his star ship. After organising a contract, Antaran traveled with his ship to Toril. The ship is fully armed and possibly a more serious threat to Faerûn than the Aspect of Tiamat and her plans...
However, the Time Drakes sent one of her most skilled hunters after him...
-Sun Tzu
_________________________
After some discussion about what to do next (options: visit Citadel Rashemar, search the Cloud Ray, attack the Shadow Masters in Telflamm, attack the Durthans, get more informations...), the party decided to get more informations about the Aspect of Tiamat and the Cloud Ray.
The party knows the great wyrm White Dragon Storm of the Winter who resides in the Icerim Mountains north of Rashemen. I have to go back in the story to explain why the party tried to contact the dragon (I have not posted this part because it happened at the very beginning of the campaign, shortly after the Shadow Masters' first attacks).
-----------
Along with the Shadow Masters, another group was observing the party: the church of Tiamat. The adventurers did not keep it a secret that the tempest was pregnant with a half-drgaon baby, and this attracted the curiosity of Tiamat's servants. One of them, a half-dragon (white) half-giant (frost) frenzied berserker, was ordered to keep an eye on the tempest and try to kidnap her, if the opportunity arises. He loosely worked together with the Shadow Masters, but for the most time, he kept a low profile (using a ring to adapt to the townsfolk of Two Stars) and observed the group.
But after the Shadow Masters had burned down the party's house in Two Stars, the angry adventurers spotted one guy how behaved somewhat oddly when the townsfolk tried to extinguish the fires. The monk grappled and attacked the guy after some short questions which gave little informations. Now the berserker lost his calm attitude and a hard fight erupted.
Raging in anger, he killed the tempest (despite being ordered not to do so), disabled the monk (he cut of his right leg) and forced the dwarf to flee via Dimension Door. Before the alienist was able to send the berserker (who was at about -500 hp at that time, mainly by the ranger's well placed arrows) into a Maze to cool down and die, he activated his bracelet of friends and called his mother for help. This was the White Dragon Storm of the Winter. But she came to late, nevertheless, she tought the party a lesson, and the fight continued for some rounds, almost resulting in the death of the alienist.
However, she offered an armistice to know what happened. The party agreed and learned that the dragon strongly disliked to be called by her son and help him out of something he has messed up totally. In addition, the relationship between the dragon and her son is quite bad, mainly because the half-dragon is a devout servant of Tiamat, a goddess the Storm of the Winter does not like.
But still the half-dragon was her son, and so she raised him again - in front of the party and the citizens. She gave to the party a magic ring as a payback for the killed tempest. Then she and her son left town and headed north.
The party called Jasmina for help. She was able to convince the hathrans to resurrect the tempest and the baby.
-----------
Remembering the dragon and its relatively respectful behaviour, the group arranged a meeting to ask the dragon about the Aspect of Tiamat and its possible plans. The dragon received some payment, and she willingly answered most questions. The adventurers learned that the Aspect is gathering troops at remote areas in northern Rashemen. The dragon has no interest in interfering with the goddess' plans and left the troops alone. She told the party about the three areas where the troops gather exactly (eastern Rashemen: Endless Wastes, north: Ring of Gray Flames, west: northern shores of Lake Ashane).
She also mentioned that every troop is commanded by a powerful creature and together with the party's knowledge, she assumed that every commander is a half-dragon, her son now being one of them. She warned her son before that she will not help him again if keeps his faith in Tiamat. Now she told the party that she has no problems when the party kills her son again - forever. The other commander is a mage named Talaran (the party knows the name, but not the guy), the third commander is unknown. The troops consist of tuigans, narfellians, orcs, half-orcs, gnolls, tieflings, lower and average demons, and other various monsters (e.g., dragonnes, land sharks, young evil dragons (green, white), ogres, and some giants), every troop consisting now of about 500 creatures.
The dragon also knows some important things about the Aspect, e.g., that she is able to cast a Gate to call for powerful creatures and move her troops quickly from place to place.
The party decided to observe one camp secretly (hey! they've learned something
). Jasmina cast a Chain of Eyes on the warlock who tried to intercept a patrol near the camp and place the spell on one of the patrol's horses. But the transfer failed (I let the player roll up the save for the horse and he rolled a 20 ). A short fight begun, a dragonne arrived, but the warlock successfully held his ground: he only killed the dragonne and let the badly wounded warriors and their horses escape back to the troop camp (he didn't know that the transfer failed). When he returned to his friends, Jasmina told him that the action was a failure. But now the alienist proposed to send his rat familiar into the camp and deliver a Chain of Eyes to a horse. This was successfully done, but for the rest of the day, little happened. But in the next morning, the Aspect of Tiamat personally arrived and instructed his troops. The party was not able to read his lips, but at least every party member was able to see through the horse's eyes (the Net creature that saved the alienist in the prison secretly 'linked' the party with Jasmina). Then the Aspect opened a Gate and sent his army to the Plane of Shadows. The Aspect stayed on the Material Plane. The troops waited. After a few hours, a gargantuan Shadow Dragon appeared. He talked with the commander, a half-dragon (green) tiefling - Talaran the wizard. The party could at least read the lips of the half-dragon and learned that the troops are preparing a raid to gather food and treasure. Everything else is prepared...The Shadow Dragon then created a minor illusion of the little castle near Lake Murthil and a cave nearby. He simply told Talaran - unkown to the party - that he will now move to this area to shut the trap for the Aspect of Bahamut. The Shadow Dragon has visited the area the day before in a polymorphed form and found the dragons there. Knowing that he is not able to deal alone with two Silver Drgaons, he has to wait for the timely arrival of the Aspect of Tiamat.
This cave is the camp where Alanor, Estanala, and the baby wait for the return of the party...
As long as the alienist was in the camp, he protected everyone with a Private Sanctum from scying magic. However, the party has left the camp three days before, and the spell was not renewed. Both dragons are not capable to cast the spell. And the Aspect of Tiamat cast a Circle Dance once every morning to look for the baby, so it was now only a matter of time when she would get a result...
Quite panicked after realising what that illusion depicts, the party used two Gates to get to the camp - just in time to see the arrival of the Aspect of Tiamat and the Shadow Dragon...
-----------------
Background: The Aspect of Tiamat knows the cave from visits when she started to built up her army some weeks earlier. She made her last secret visit after Karelam attacked the nearby castle and slaughtered the inhabitants, hoping to find some refugees she could question. But the cave was empty.
The Shadow Dragon: The Shadow Dragon calls himself Antaran Black Star. He is a killer, contracted by various evil organisations to remove 'unpleasant creatures'. His last place was technologically advanced world called Maginellic (now inhabited by a mixture of humanoid races: humans, elves, gnomes, and others, but its first intelligent inhabitants are Time Drakes (a slightly modified version from WotC's web supplement), now only a minority after the arrival of space travellers centuries ago). There, Antaran was arrested before he could kill the members of a trade company. While the Time Drakes are a minority, they still have power over law and order on Maginellic, and most elite police forces are made up of Time Drakes.
The Aspect of Tiamat searched a way to destroy her counterpart, the Aspect of Bahamut (Alanor). Tiamat herself provided the information to her aspect that Antaran is a suitable help, and as his execution was under preparation, it would be likely that he is willing to cooperate. Using her Gate-power, she helped Antaran to escape from prison and get onto his star ship. After organising a contract, Antaran traveled with his ship to Toril. The ship is fully armed and possibly a more serious threat to Faerûn than the Aspect of Tiamat and her plans...
However, the Time Drakes sent one of her most skilled hunters after him...
Dark Dragon
Explorer
Retreat is an option...
____________________
The adventurers quickly realised that they are little more than spectators in the upcoming fight and risk being ground to dust.
But the Aspect of Tiamat was not willing to let them go easily. Unfortunately for the party, everybody's intiative rolls were very low, especially lower than the Shadow Dragon's roll.
The Shadow Dragon used his breath weapon against as many foes as possible and those were the party and Estanala...Getting 8 negative levels (4 for Jasmina, she rolled a 20 on her save) stripped the group of most magic retreat possibilities (especially Gate from the alienist). The Aspect of Tiamat then blocked the way out of the cave with a Wall of Force. Especially the Aspect's Quicken Breath feat caused some irritation among the players, because the Aspect often readied a spell after he used one of its breath weapons.
Alanor revealed his true form and attacked the Aspect of Tiamat with the Judge of the Dragons.
Estanala kept the Shadow Dragon busy but accomplished little other than receiving heavy blows from her foe who was using some sort of strange staff (it is a huge rail gun with some nice add-ons) in conjunction with his natural attacks. When it turned out that the party is no longer a possible threat, both the Aspect of Tiamat and the Shadow Dragon focused on Alanor. It was an unfair fight, but Alanor at least chopped off the Aspect's white dragon head. Knowing that the battle is lost, Alanor ordered Estanala to save the baby and get away.
The warlock, the only one who was lucky enough to find some cover that protected him from the Shadow Dragon's breath, had a similar intention (to save the baby). In the meanwhile, Jasmina tried to gather her friends to cast a Wind Walk on them, the paladin was already dead at this time (she died fighting the Aspect), the ranger was saved by the last charge of his Ring of Nine Lifes. Estanala cast Telekinesis and moved the baby behind Alanor, then she assumed humanoid form to get away from her foes (the cave was quite full!).
Alanor positioned himself to give Estanala and the warlock enough protection from the other dragons. After his last attack, he dropped his sword, awaiting the killing blow from the Aspect of Tiamat. Estanala cast a Dimension Door and escaped with the baby and the warlock. The warlock picked-up Alanor's sword in time, the last thing they saw was a dying Alanor...The rest of the party managed to escape from the cave as well and now made full use of Wind Walk to get some distance between them and their foes. The warmage carried the body of the paladin and simply headed towards Agalarond, his homeland, without bothering about the rest of the group.
However, soon the Aspect and the Shadow Dragon followed and spotted Estanala (who was not in Wind Walk form). A chase across the plains of Thesk developed, and since all participating dragons had the same speed, it came down to who's the toughest. The warlock, riding on Estanala's back, gave her two potions of Lesser Restoration to keep her fit. But it was quite obvious that outrunning the Aspect of Tiamat is impossible. Jasmina offered to cast a Word of Recall, but since she has gained 4 negative levels, she couldn't take everybody with her. The ranger, still in Wind Walk form, decided to stay behind and tried to get away flying. Then Jasmina cast her spell and teleported the group into the Temple of Mystra in Immilmar, Rashemen.
This was a violation of Rashemi law, since only hathrans are allowed to enter the most secret place of the hathran sisterhood within the city. The group was surrounded by hathrans immediately. The high-priest of the temple and official leader of the hathrans, Lady Myra of the Hidden Goddess, told the party that there are two ways to handle the situation: either every intruder (except for Jasmina) will be killed on the spot, or the adventurers accept a spell that wipes away every memory from the moment when they arrived in the temple. The party was unhappy about the alternative, but they decided to live. After her friends were enchanted, Jasmina's position within the sisterhood was lowered, in addition, she wouldn't be allowed to go on missions outside Rashemen that last longer than a day.
In the evening, the ranger arrived in Immilmar and found his friends at Jasmina's house. Jasmina contacted the warmage via Sending and asked him to come to Immilmar as well so that she could raise the dead paladin (Jasmina advanced to CL 17 and now can cast True Ressurection). The warmage agreed to come to Immilmar the next day. During the night, the corpse of the paladin awoke as a wight (she died of too many negative levels), but because she was kept in a temple of Helm, the clerics finished the undead off immediately.
The next day, the warmage traveled to Immilmar, and there the paladin was raised.
Complete again, the party discussed the options. A fight against the Aspect and the Shadow Dragon was regarded as suicide (true
). Estanala told the group everything she knows about the Aspect of Tiamat and Shadow Dragons. It turned out that there might be a chance to overcome the foes if they are separated. However, the Aspect is still a deadly foe, so only the best protection and the best weapons would give a chance to survive and win a fight. So far, the party has only two weapons capable to harm the Aspect: a green glass dagger +6 everbright and the Judge of the Dragons. Estanala asked Jasmina if she could raise Alanor as well, and the priestess answered that she would need the corpse to cast the spell. The alienist then opened two Gates, the second leading into the cave. There the Aspect of Tiamat was waiting, sitting on the battered body of Alanor...The alienist immediately closed the gate, and the party returned to Immilmar. The rest of the day was spent in Immilmar (visiting pubs, baths, making arm wrestling contests, and so on). But there was a tense feeling that the city faces a dark future...
The next day, Jasmina proposed to check for the locations of the two dragons, and also find something out about her mother. So she cast Discern Location (we moved the spell to level 9 as a house rule) and learned that the Shadow Dragon and her mother are in the ruins of Citadel Rashemar, while the Aspect is in an ancient ruined manor in the Great Dale. The party decided that it would be easier to attack the Shadow Dragon first, but still, a lot of support would be necessary, especially in magic items.
As Citadel Rashemar has long been a source for trouble, and the hathrans have lost some of her members who were scouting in the ruins, the party possibly could make a deal with the hathrans. Jasmina proposed that the party would try to clear the ruins of its monstrous inhabitants and in return the hathrans would provide magical equipment. The party met Lady Myra again and proposed to attack Citadel Rashemar if the hathrans would provide magic items before. The signs of war are imminent, and Lady Myra feared that the monsters in the citadel only wait for a good opportunity to attack eastern Rashemen. So she agreed, and the party gave her list of needed stuff (mainly armor, better weapons, potions, and stat buffing items). Not everything was available, but the group is now able to deal with the Shadow Dragon. Only Jasmina did not make a 'christmas list', because she didn't want to benefit from Rashemen's dire situation and her recent violation of Rashemi law.
To better prepare the group for the fight, the alienist contacted again the Net Creature in the Far Realms (see the chapter about the escape from prison). After this was done, he summoned the minds of his friends into an illusionary cave (to spare his friends from the revolting situation in Far Realms - it may cause insanity if one fails a save ) There, he passed again some of his spell energy to his friends, now each person could cast Mirror Image and Gaseous Form once. When he has sent his friends back to the Material Plane, the Net Creature told the alienist why it helped again. The creature knows about the fight and Alanor's death. It also knows how the Aspect of Tiamat was able to find the Shadow Dragon and form an alliance.
Tiamat herself passed the information to her Aspect that a Shadow Dragon is imprisoned in a different world. The execution of the dragon is under preparation and it is very likely that the Shadow Dragon could be convinced to become an ally if the Aspect saves the dragon. Then the Net Creature showed the alienist what has happened: The Aspect opened a gate into a prison cell that was made of energy bars. The only prisoner was the Shadow Dragon. The Aspect offered help but also asked for a service - removal of all creatures that threaten to stop the Aspect's plans. The dragon agreed and signed a contract with his own blood (quite similar to the scene in Ghost Rider ). But the dragon demanded to be transfered onto his ship, then he'd travel to Toril and start with his work. So it was done...The Net Creature is quite sure that Tiamat violated the 'rules' by giving such crucial informations to mortals. To put things into balance again, the Net Creature simply decided to inform the alienist about what has happened...
____________________
The adventurers quickly realised that they are little more than spectators in the upcoming fight and risk being ground to dust.
But the Aspect of Tiamat was not willing to let them go easily. Unfortunately for the party, everybody's intiative rolls were very low, especially lower than the Shadow Dragon's roll.
The Shadow Dragon used his breath weapon against as many foes as possible and those were the party and Estanala...Getting 8 negative levels (4 for Jasmina, she rolled a 20 on her save) stripped the group of most magic retreat possibilities (especially Gate from the alienist). The Aspect of Tiamat then blocked the way out of the cave with a Wall of Force. Especially the Aspect's Quicken Breath feat caused some irritation among the players, because the Aspect often readied a spell after he used one of its breath weapons.
Alanor revealed his true form and attacked the Aspect of Tiamat with the Judge of the Dragons.
Estanala kept the Shadow Dragon busy but accomplished little other than receiving heavy blows from her foe who was using some sort of strange staff (it is a huge rail gun with some nice add-ons) in conjunction with his natural attacks. When it turned out that the party is no longer a possible threat, both the Aspect of Tiamat and the Shadow Dragon focused on Alanor. It was an unfair fight, but Alanor at least chopped off the Aspect's white dragon head. Knowing that the battle is lost, Alanor ordered Estanala to save the baby and get away.
The warlock, the only one who was lucky enough to find some cover that protected him from the Shadow Dragon's breath, had a similar intention (to save the baby). In the meanwhile, Jasmina tried to gather her friends to cast a Wind Walk on them, the paladin was already dead at this time (she died fighting the Aspect), the ranger was saved by the last charge of his Ring of Nine Lifes. Estanala cast Telekinesis and moved the baby behind Alanor, then she assumed humanoid form to get away from her foes (the cave was quite full!).
Alanor positioned himself to give Estanala and the warlock enough protection from the other dragons. After his last attack, he dropped his sword, awaiting the killing blow from the Aspect of Tiamat. Estanala cast a Dimension Door and escaped with the baby and the warlock. The warlock picked-up Alanor's sword in time, the last thing they saw was a dying Alanor...The rest of the party managed to escape from the cave as well and now made full use of Wind Walk to get some distance between them and their foes. The warmage carried the body of the paladin and simply headed towards Agalarond, his homeland, without bothering about the rest of the group.
However, soon the Aspect and the Shadow Dragon followed and spotted Estanala (who was not in Wind Walk form). A chase across the plains of Thesk developed, and since all participating dragons had the same speed, it came down to who's the toughest. The warlock, riding on Estanala's back, gave her two potions of Lesser Restoration to keep her fit. But it was quite obvious that outrunning the Aspect of Tiamat is impossible. Jasmina offered to cast a Word of Recall, but since she has gained 4 negative levels, she couldn't take everybody with her. The ranger, still in Wind Walk form, decided to stay behind and tried to get away flying. Then Jasmina cast her spell and teleported the group into the Temple of Mystra in Immilmar, Rashemen.
This was a violation of Rashemi law, since only hathrans are allowed to enter the most secret place of the hathran sisterhood within the city. The group was surrounded by hathrans immediately. The high-priest of the temple and official leader of the hathrans, Lady Myra of the Hidden Goddess, told the party that there are two ways to handle the situation: either every intruder (except for Jasmina) will be killed on the spot, or the adventurers accept a spell that wipes away every memory from the moment when they arrived in the temple. The party was unhappy about the alternative, but they decided to live. After her friends were enchanted, Jasmina's position within the sisterhood was lowered, in addition, she wouldn't be allowed to go on missions outside Rashemen that last longer than a day.
In the evening, the ranger arrived in Immilmar and found his friends at Jasmina's house. Jasmina contacted the warmage via Sending and asked him to come to Immilmar as well so that she could raise the dead paladin (Jasmina advanced to CL 17 and now can cast True Ressurection). The warmage agreed to come to Immilmar the next day. During the night, the corpse of the paladin awoke as a wight (she died of too many negative levels), but because she was kept in a temple of Helm, the clerics finished the undead off immediately.
The next day, the warmage traveled to Immilmar, and there the paladin was raised.
Complete again, the party discussed the options. A fight against the Aspect and the Shadow Dragon was regarded as suicide (true
). Estanala told the group everything she knows about the Aspect of Tiamat and Shadow Dragons. It turned out that there might be a chance to overcome the foes if they are separated. However, the Aspect is still a deadly foe, so only the best protection and the best weapons would give a chance to survive and win a fight. So far, the party has only two weapons capable to harm the Aspect: a green glass dagger +6 everbright and the Judge of the Dragons. Estanala asked Jasmina if she could raise Alanor as well, and the priestess answered that she would need the corpse to cast the spell. The alienist then opened two Gates, the second leading into the cave. There the Aspect of Tiamat was waiting, sitting on the battered body of Alanor...The alienist immediately closed the gate, and the party returned to Immilmar. The rest of the day was spent in Immilmar (visiting pubs, baths, making arm wrestling contests, and so on). But there was a tense feeling that the city faces a dark future...The next day, Jasmina proposed to check for the locations of the two dragons, and also find something out about her mother. So she cast Discern Location (we moved the spell to level 9 as a house rule) and learned that the Shadow Dragon and her mother are in the ruins of Citadel Rashemar, while the Aspect is in an ancient ruined manor in the Great Dale. The party decided that it would be easier to attack the Shadow Dragon first, but still, a lot of support would be necessary, especially in magic items.
As Citadel Rashemar has long been a source for trouble, and the hathrans have lost some of her members who were scouting in the ruins, the party possibly could make a deal with the hathrans. Jasmina proposed that the party would try to clear the ruins of its monstrous inhabitants and in return the hathrans would provide magical equipment. The party met Lady Myra again and proposed to attack Citadel Rashemar if the hathrans would provide magic items before. The signs of war are imminent, and Lady Myra feared that the monsters in the citadel only wait for a good opportunity to attack eastern Rashemen. So she agreed, and the party gave her list of needed stuff (mainly armor, better weapons, potions, and stat buffing items). Not everything was available, but the group is now able to deal with the Shadow Dragon. Only Jasmina did not make a 'christmas list', because she didn't want to benefit from Rashemen's dire situation and her recent violation of Rashemi law.
To better prepare the group for the fight, the alienist contacted again the Net Creature in the Far Realms (see the chapter about the escape from prison). After this was done, he summoned the minds of his friends into an illusionary cave (to spare his friends from the revolting situation in Far Realms - it may cause insanity if one fails a save
) There, he passed again some of his spell energy to his friends, now each person could cast Mirror Image and Gaseous Form once. When he has sent his friends back to the Material Plane, the Net Creature told the alienist why it helped again. The creature knows about the fight and Alanor's death. It also knows how the Aspect of Tiamat was able to find the Shadow Dragon and form an alliance. Tiamat herself passed the information to her Aspect that a Shadow Dragon is imprisoned in a different world. The execution of the dragon is under preparation and it is very likely that the Shadow Dragon could be convinced to become an ally if the Aspect saves the dragon. Then the Net Creature showed the alienist what has happened: The Aspect opened a gate into a prison cell that was made of energy bars. The only prisoner was the Shadow Dragon. The Aspect offered help but also asked for a service - removal of all creatures that threaten to stop the Aspect's plans. The dragon agreed and signed a contract with his own blood (quite similar to the scene in Ghost Rider
). But the dragon demanded to be transfered onto his ship, then he'd travel to Toril and start with his work. So it was done...The Net Creature is quite sure that Tiamat violated the 'rules' by giving such crucial informations to mortals. To put things into balance again, the Net Creature simply decided to inform the alienist about what has happened...
Dark Dragon
Explorer
Heavy Fighting
A brief update...
The party has decided to attack the ruins of Citadel Rashemar and try to free Jasmina's imprisoned mother who was supposed to be held as a prisoner in the citadel.
Most parts of the citadel lay in ruins, except the main building is intact but bears the signs of a siege. The new inhabitants fortified the building further.
The party, now having the silver dragon Estanala as an ally (she wants to avenge the death of her partner, Alanor), traveled via Windwalk to the citadel.
The warlock and the ranger (both invisible) carefully inspected the building from the outside by peering through arrow slits and windows. In addition, the hathrans gave the party an old map of the citadel before its destruction. The two found out that only one stairway leads down to the dungeon and about eight war trolls and two dozen orcs are scattered in the building. In addition, two guys in black armor, possibly clerics, and a hill giant were found.
The two scouts returned and a plan was made. To avoid an escape of the clerics and the incoming of hostile reinforcements, a good timing of actions was needed. The plan was to block the stairway with a Wall of Force and a Silence so that no alarm could be raised and no troops could join the fight from the dungeon. After these two spells were silently cast, the attack should immediately begin and focus on the two guys in black armor. The group was supposed to separate: The silver dragon Estanala should attack the trolls and orcs on the roof, the rest of the party should use Windwalk to get into the room with the two enemy men.
The plan was executed, but the guys in black (a cleric level 21 of Tiamat and a HD 15 blackguard) plus one wartroll proved to be tough foes. Especially the cleric (I still had the old documents of Alvin of the Sades, see my other post) did his best to stop the intruders. But he could not stop them and was finally slain when he tried to escape.
Now the party worked their way through the building. They had 20 rounds to reach the room with the stairway before the Wall of Force would vanish. The wartrolls put up bitter resistance and dealt lots of damage, but the group acted as a team, and all went well.
When they entered the room with the stairway, 18 rounds had passed. The warlock had warned before the fight that there is a magical aura in the room, but that was obviously already forgotten when the first adventurer entered the room (and activated a silent alarm... ).
The party searched the whole building and learned from a captured orc that a shadow dragon and a powerful witch (the durthan Chaul) rule the place. The orc also told them that there is a new prisoner, a grey dragon, who was caught be the 'old man'.
Estanala was quite interested about the grey dragon, she assumed that it may be a steel dragon, or, quite unlikely, a time dragon. She thinks that time dragons are extinct for several thousand years...
The adventurers decided to enter the dungeon because no troops have come from there and a surprise still seems to be possible. More trolls awaited the party at the end of the stairway, but they were killed easily. A Symbol of Insanity proved to be more dangerous, because it affected the alienist and the ranger. The ranger almost killed Jasmina before she could undo the damage with a Mass Heal. Estanala assumed the form of a moon elf to get along in the dungeon but thus lost much of her power.
When the party entered a desecrted temple of Mystra in the dungeon, a lich (wiz 13/acm 1) and his undead bodyguards (troll and orc zombies) plus a cleric of Malar awaited the party. Because the group rolled a low initiative, the enemies (who had readied their actions) greeted them with some nasty spells and killed the warlock in round 2. A hard fight begun, and the lich ordered his troops to 'prevent the adventurers to free the dragon'.
On the altar stood a gray statue of a large dragon, holding a strange staff. The lich was quite tough and was well prepared for a fight due to his alarm spell. However, his fate was sealed when Jasmina cast an Antimagic Field and positioned herself close to the lich...
When all hostile opposition was eliminated, the party examined the statue. It depicts a slender, athletic dragon that even Estanala had not heard of. The warmage used his scroll stone to flesh on the statue. It was transformed into a gray dragon with wings black on their upper side, orange eyes, and a very bad mood. He suspected the adventurers being the reason for his imprisonment and demanded that all party members drop their weapons before he would be willing to talk. When the warmage ignored the order, the dragon used his 'staff' (a huge disintegrator gun) and fired once on the warmage. Now the warmage sheathed his weapons and the situation calmed a bit (also because everybody made relatively good diplomacy checks).
The dragon (see stats below) checked everybody with Detect Evil, and as no evil guys were around, he willing answered the questions. He introduced himself as Arulantras, time dragon, officer of the police forces from the world of Maginellic, and given the order to capture or kill the shadow dragon Antaran Black Star (fugitive murder and sentenced to death). The party and Estanala were puzzeled about the strange dragon, but it seems that he is willing to cooperate and provide informations on a powerful foe.
The adventurers explained what has happened, and why they hunt the shadow dragon. Arulantras in return gladly helped with informations and warned the party that if the shadow dragon has traveled to Toril with his star ship, all civilized lands are threatened to be destroyed by the ship's fire power.
To underline his good will, Arulantras used his time hop and time slip power to undo the death of the warlock (he died because of three failed saves...the player was allowed to re-roll these once).
The group asked Arulantras if he wants to join the party and the dragon agreed happily. As the spell power of the adventurers was depleted, a retreat to a save place was planed. On the way out, a young human sorceress and an old orcish man tried to stop the party. Arulantras recognized the voice of the man, a person he has heard before and that ordered him to be imprisoned. He killed to orc by aging him to death, then he shot the sorceress. The party was impressed, since Arulantras' quick action avoided a lengthy combat.
The group found shelter in a cave that Jasmina knew from earlier days. The alienist cast Private Sanctum and a quiet night followed.
Arulantras tried to contact his ship, the Immortal Princess (orbiting Toril) and his crew, but he received no answer. He was quite irritated, but decided to follow his goal, to arrest the shadow dragon, first.
A brief update...
The party has decided to attack the ruins of Citadel Rashemar and try to free Jasmina's imprisoned mother who was supposed to be held as a prisoner in the citadel.
Most parts of the citadel lay in ruins, except the main building is intact but bears the signs of a siege. The new inhabitants fortified the building further.
The party, now having the silver dragon Estanala as an ally (she wants to avenge the death of her partner, Alanor), traveled via Windwalk to the citadel.
The warlock and the ranger (both invisible) carefully inspected the building from the outside by peering through arrow slits and windows. In addition, the hathrans gave the party an old map of the citadel before its destruction. The two found out that only one stairway leads down to the dungeon and about eight war trolls and two dozen orcs are scattered in the building. In addition, two guys in black armor, possibly clerics, and a hill giant were found.
The two scouts returned and a plan was made. To avoid an escape of the clerics and the incoming of hostile reinforcements, a good timing of actions was needed. The plan was to block the stairway with a Wall of Force and a Silence so that no alarm could be raised and no troops could join the fight from the dungeon. After these two spells were silently cast, the attack should immediately begin and focus on the two guys in black armor. The group was supposed to separate: The silver dragon Estanala should attack the trolls and orcs on the roof, the rest of the party should use Windwalk to get into the room with the two enemy men.
The plan was executed, but the guys in black (a cleric level 21 of Tiamat and a HD 15 blackguard) plus one wartroll proved to be tough foes. Especially the cleric (I still had the old documents of Alvin of the Sades, see my other post) did his best to stop the intruders. But he could not stop them and was finally slain when he tried to escape.
Now the party worked their way through the building. They had 20 rounds to reach the room with the stairway before the Wall of Force would vanish. The wartrolls put up bitter resistance and dealt lots of damage, but the group acted as a team, and all went well.
When they entered the room with the stairway, 18 rounds had passed. The warlock had warned before the fight that there is a magical aura in the room, but that was obviously already forgotten when the first adventurer entered the room (and activated a silent alarm...
).The party searched the whole building and learned from a captured orc that a shadow dragon and a powerful witch (the durthan Chaul) rule the place. The orc also told them that there is a new prisoner, a grey dragon, who was caught be the 'old man'.
Estanala was quite interested about the grey dragon, she assumed that it may be a steel dragon, or, quite unlikely, a time dragon. She thinks that time dragons are extinct for several thousand years...
The adventurers decided to enter the dungeon because no troops have come from there and a surprise still seems to be possible. More trolls awaited the party at the end of the stairway, but they were killed easily. A Symbol of Insanity proved to be more dangerous, because it affected the alienist and the ranger. The ranger almost killed Jasmina before she could undo the damage with a Mass Heal. Estanala assumed the form of a moon elf to get along in the dungeon but thus lost much of her power.
When the party entered a desecrted temple of Mystra in the dungeon, a lich (wiz 13/acm 1) and his undead bodyguards (troll and orc zombies) plus a cleric of Malar awaited the party. Because the group rolled a low initiative, the enemies (who had readied their actions) greeted them with some nasty spells and killed the warlock in round 2. A hard fight begun, and the lich ordered his troops to 'prevent the adventurers to free the dragon'.
On the altar stood a gray statue of a large dragon, holding a strange staff. The lich was quite tough and was well prepared for a fight due to his alarm spell. However, his fate was sealed when Jasmina cast an Antimagic Field and positioned herself close to the lich...
When all hostile opposition was eliminated, the party examined the statue. It depicts a slender, athletic dragon that even Estanala had not heard of. The warmage used his scroll stone to flesh on the statue. It was transformed into a gray dragon with wings black on their upper side, orange eyes, and a very bad mood. He suspected the adventurers being the reason for his imprisonment and demanded that all party members drop their weapons before he would be willing to talk. When the warmage ignored the order, the dragon used his 'staff' (a huge disintegrator gun) and fired once on the warmage. Now the warmage sheathed his weapons and the situation calmed a bit (also because everybody made relatively good diplomacy checks).
The dragon (see stats below) checked everybody with Detect Evil, and as no evil guys were around, he willing answered the questions. He introduced himself as Arulantras, time dragon, officer of the police forces from the world of Maginellic, and given the order to capture or kill the shadow dragon Antaran Black Star (fugitive murder and sentenced to death). The party and Estanala were puzzeled about the strange dragon, but it seems that he is willing to cooperate and provide informations on a powerful foe.
The adventurers explained what has happened, and why they hunt the shadow dragon. Arulantras in return gladly helped with informations and warned the party that if the shadow dragon has traveled to Toril with his star ship, all civilized lands are threatened to be destroyed by the ship's fire power.
To underline his good will, Arulantras used his time hop and time slip power to undo the death of the warlock (he died because of three failed saves...the player was allowed to re-roll these once).
The group asked Arulantras if he wants to join the party and the dragon agreed happily. As the spell power of the adventurers was depleted, a retreat to a save place was planed. On the way out, a young human sorceress and an old orcish man tried to stop the party. Arulantras recognized the voice of the man, a person he has heard before and that ordered him to be imprisoned. He killed to orc by aging him to death, then he shot the sorceress. The party was impressed, since Arulantras' quick action avoided a lengthy combat.
The group found shelter in a cave that Jasmina knew from earlier days. The alienist cast Private Sanctum and a quiet night followed.
Arulantras tried to contact his ship, the Immortal Princess (orbiting Toril) and his crew, but he received no answer. He was quite irritated, but decided to follow his goal, to arrest the shadow dragon, first.
Dark Dragon
Explorer
A new ally
These are the stats of the time dragon Arulantras. I used some material of the time drake (WotC supplement), but otherwise, it is a new monster. The Tracer PrC and most of the equipment is from d20 Future. For the equipment and the ship I didn't strictly follow the rules for flavor reasons.
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Arulantras (Time Dragon), Pal 1, Rgr 3, Sor 11, Tracer 8
Large Dragon, age 795
Hit Dice: 33 (10d12+40 + 1d10+4 + 3d8+12 + 11d4+44 + 8d8+32 (293 hp))
Initiative: +9
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 200 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 27 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +10 natural, +3 armor), touch 14, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+37
Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8) OR +33 (MW huge Disintegrator, 6d6 energy, 67 ft., 20x) OR +32 (ranged touch, MW Tangler Gun, -2 Dex, 30 ft., 10x)
Full Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8) and 2 claws +31 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wings +31 melee (1d6+4) and 1 tail slap +31 melee (1d8+4) OR +31/+31/+26/+21/+16 ranged touch (Disintegrator, rapid shot)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Temporal inversion, Smite Evil 1/day, Favored Enemy (Aberrations), swift strike +3d6, aging touch, stasis touch
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to sleep & paralysis, low-light vision, temporal displacement, temporal slide, time slip, time adaption, aura of good, detect evil, track, combat style (archery), wild empathy, target species, uncanny stealth (charge, run), improved uncanny dodge (Dex to AC, can’t be flanked), trap sense +2, time hop, danger sense
Saves: Fort +21, Ref +24, Will +19
Abilities: Str 26 (22), Dex 20, Con 18, Int 16 (12), Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +13, Disable Device +13, Knowledge (Technology) +13, Heal +7, Knowledge (Astronomy) +13, Listen +17, Navigation +13, Search +24, Spot +23, Survival +27, Pilot +20, Computer Use +13, Spellcraft +13, Concentration +14, Tumble +10, Knowledge (Behavioral Science) +13, Investigate +13, Sense Motive +12
Feats: Alertness, Multiattack, Starship Operation (medium), Starship Operation (ultralight), Flyby Attack, Eschew Materials, Silent Spell, Starship Gunnery, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Endurance (B), Track (B), Urban Tracking (B), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (B), Far Shot (B), Improved Initiative (B)
Environment: Any land and underground
Challenge Rating: 27 (needs to be tested)
Equipment:
Implants: Identity Chip, Voice Stress Analyser, Antishock Implant, Knowledge Database
Nanites: Watchdog, Micro Muscles, Brain Boost, Prophecy, 20/20
Other: Neutrad (10 doses), Sporekill (10 doses), Chemicomp Sensor, Violet Rations (15), Medicomp Sensor, Democomp Sensor, Hologram Player/Recorder, Energy Shield, Polyvox, Computer Card, Force Shield (DR 10/-), M-A Communicator, 1 compact Power Backpack, 3 Hackcards (+15 to Computer Use), Fusion Torch, 3x Antitox, 3x Solvaway, 5x Plastiflesh (heals 1d4 damage), HUD (incl. Link, Targeting, Vehicle Software), Motion Sensor, Piercing Visor, Armacomp Sensor, Grappling Tether, 3x Biocort, 3x Truthtell, 2x Neural Scrambler, Neural Recorder, Neural Computer Link, Light Combat Armor
Alignment: Lawful good (typical time dragon: often LN)
A typical time dragon stands about 5 feet tall at the shoulder and has a wingspan of up to 18 feet. Time dragons weigh about 1,250 pounds.
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Time Dragon Spirits
When a time dragon reaches adulthood at an age of ca. 30 years (20 + 2d6 years), it stops aging and there are no known means to age the dragon further. Nevertheless, a time dragon has no unlimited life span. After 1000 + 2d100 years, the dragon undergoes a slow transformation when the regeneration of its body begins to fail. This process takes 1d4+1 years. Most time dragons die of a failure of their vital organs before the transformation is completed (Fortitude save DC 40 for the first year of the transformation, a cumulative +2 on the DC for every following year). Despite the vast technological knowledge of the time dragons, they were unable to improve the surviving chances of their old ones.
However, if the dragon survives, it becomes an immortal powerful spirit of time, able to alter the future of entire civilizations. It becomes an invisible incorporeal outsider. Its temporal displacement is now an extraordinary ability that cannot be suppressed. A mere touch by the dragon can age a living creature to death (Fortitude DC equals 10 + the dragon’s Charisma bonus + half its HD).
The dragon spirit is immune against all kinds of damage (ability and hit point damage regardless the source), transformation effects, ability drain, enchantments, death effects, paralysis, and all effects that need a body to affect (this includes all poisons, gases, fluids). It retains all abilities of a time dragon, except that it can use them indefinetly (still no more than once per round) and all aging and chronal blast effects are doubled, a failure on a save vs. aging or damage always results in death of the affected creature. The spirit is immune against any chronal blast.
The only way to kill a time dragon spirit is sufficient energy drain. This makes most undead and shadow dragons natural enemies of time dragon spirits. Force effects may still affect a time dragon spirit, but they cannot harm it.
The spirit can use foresight and time stop at will, as a supernatural ability. It can cast a scrying sensor at will to learn something on how an action may affect the future (i.e., what might happen if the dragon interferes in a battle between two creatures). However, that future needs not to take place strictly as predicted, but there is a good chance that it will be related to the dragon’s vision in a clear way.
The time dragon spirits are very careful about trying to change the future of a creature, object, or an entire race, since even they cannot precisely predict the future. A time dragon spirit can teleport to any place on the same plane it has seen during its earlier life without error or distance limitations.
Most time dragon spirts lack the ability to move objects and to interact with creatures because they cannot speak or manipulate matter due to their incorporality. A time dragon spirit with spell-casting powers may overcome this hindrance if it has learned how to cast spells without somatic, verbal and material components.
A time dragon spirit gets the following abilities: Str -, Dex +10, Con -, Int +15, Wis +15, Cha +8. Its Charisma modifier gives a deflection bonus to AC. It receives a +5 insight bonus on all saves, attack rolls, AC, and save DCs of its special abilities.
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Time dragons speak Draconic. They receive Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Su): Due to their deep perception of the time stream, time dragons are able to foresee their foes’ actions more easily. This allows them to retain their Dex bonus to AC even when caught flat-footed, or attacked by an invisible creature. In addition, they can’t be flanked and react quickly to traps (trap sense +2). This ability is always active.
Chronal Blast (Su): Once per day the time dragon can emit a spasm of space-time flux in a 30 ft. radius that is centered on the dragon. Every creature (including the time dragon!) receives 15d6 energy damage, 1d4 Constitution damage and ages for 1 year per two HD of the dragon (16 years in Arulantras’ case but this effect does not work on Arulantras). Even other time dragons are, except for the aging effect, not immune to this ability because it ruptures the normal time line. A successful Fortitude save DC 30 halfs all damage and aging effects. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Stasis Touch (Su): As temporal stasis with a CL equal to the dragon’s HD (Fortitude DC 30). The time dragon can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution bonus (4 for an average time dragon). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Temporal Slide (Su): The time dragon can manipulate time as it moves, allowing it to seemingly disappear and reappear elsewhere instantaneously. As a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the time dragon moves its current speed (following the normal rules for movement). The time dragon can use this ability at will. It can use this ability only once per round.
Temporal Inversion (Su): Four times per day, as a standard action, a time dragon can shunt one creature out of the time stream for a short period. The time dragon can affect any creature within 60 feet. The creature is then shunted out of time unless it succeeds on a DC 29 Will saving throw. Time passes for creatures other than the affected creature, and it can take no actions other than trying to escape. The creature seems to vanish, while out of the time stream no other creature, spell, magical effect, or force can affect it in any way. (It is as though the creature has ceased to exist.) Each round on its turn, the affected creature may attempt a DC 20 Intelligence check to rejoin the time stream as a full-round action. If the subject doesn't escape, the effect ends after 10 minutes. The save DC is Charisma-based. The dragon can use this ability even on itself and return to the normal time stream at any time it wishes.
Danger Sense (Su): As time dragons are not strictly bound to the time stream as other creatures, they are able to perceive coming events in the near future and prepare accordingly. This is a bit comparable to instinct of normal creatures. The time dragon has a chance of 'knowing' that a dangerous encounter will take place within the next 10 rounds. This chance equals 1 % per HD of the time dragon.
Time Hop (Su): Once per day the time dragon can either go into the near past to review a special event it has gained some knowledge about or it can go into the near future to learn what situation may await. The dragon can go no more than 1 minute per HD in either direction of the time stream. The dragon then vanishes from its current position in the time stream for a few seconds before it returns. However, when it appears at its destination, it cannot interact physically with creatures and objects (the dragon is incorporeal and invisible) and it stays no longer than 1 round per 10 HD. The dragon can only use its Time Slip ability in this time. Most time dragons use this ability to undo bad luck or prepare for a fight.
Time Slip (Su): The time dragon can step back in time a fraction of a second, potentially changing the outcome of one action. The time dragon can immediately reroll a d20 roll a creature or object within sight just made (including the time dragon), but before the outcome of the die roll is determined. The time dragon may decide which of the two rolls is used. Using this ability is an immediate action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The time dragon can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution bonus (4 for an average time dragon). The time dragon may use this ability only once in any given round.
Time Adaption (Su): The time dragon is immune to any effect that alters time (excluding the dragon’s special powers). This includes spells like temporal stasis and the aging breath of a ghost dragon. If a foe or ally casts a time stop, the time dragon can opt to link itself to the spell and get the benefits as well immediately. In addition, he can interact with the caster of the spell normally, as if the two were under normal conditions. The dragon must be aware of the use of a time stop effect to link itself to the effect.
Temporal Displacement (Su): The time dragon blinks in and out of the time stream quickly and at random. This causes attacks against the time dragon to have a 50% miss chance, and neither the Blind-Fight feat or spells such as true seeing or see invisibility help against this miss chance. Like other supernatural abilities, this ability is suppressed in an anti-magic field. The dragon can suppress or resume this ability as a free action once per round.
Aging Touch (Su): By touching a foe with a claw, the time dragon can age that foe simply by speeding up her personal way through time within a second’s fraction. The foe ages for 1d4 years per HD of the time dragon (33d4 in Arulantras’ case), if the foe succeeds on a Fortitude save DC 30, she still ages for 5d4 years. If this exceeds the creature’s life span, it dies and cannot be ressurrected or reincarnated. The save DC is Constitution-based, the time dragon can use this power once per day. Only a greater restoration or similar magic can undo the aging effect. This abilty also works on objects, as the druid spell crumble (CL equals the dragon's HD).
Spell points: 211
Spells known: 0: Daze, Detect Magic, Electricity Jolt, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance
1: Launch Item, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, True Strike, Shield
2: Choke, Detect Thoughts, Alter Self, See Invisibility, Spectral Hand
3: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Hold Person
4: Fear, Locate Creature, Polymorph
5: Telekinesis, Rary’s Telepathic Bond
6: Bigby's Forceful Hand
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MSC Immortal Princess (MP/TS-15)
Ship: Strike Cruiser (PL 9), Ghost Class
Size: Colossal (950 ft. x 200 ft., -8), weight 40 kt
Speed: 5.500 ft.
Engines: Spatial Compressor + Jump Drive + Thrusters
Armor Class: 11/14 (Arulantras as pilot), flat-footed 7/9
Armor: Ablative (DR 40)
Initiative: +4/+X (Arulantras as pilot)
Crew: 2 (large), 5 (medium), all experts
Pilot’s Class Bonus: +5/+7 (Arulantras as pilot)
Pilot’s Dex modifier: +4/+5 (Arulantras as pilot)
Defensive: Point Defense, Cloaking Screen, Improved Autopilot System, Advanced Damage Control (2d10), Radiation Shielding, Repair Drones, Decoy Drone Launcher, Medium Fortification (50 %), Energy Shield (250 points of damage (except ballistic) absorbed, recharges at 20 points at end of round)
Sensors: Class VII Sensor Array, Achilles Targeting Software, Improved Targeting System
Communications: Drive Transceiver, Radio Transceiver
Weapons: 1 battery of three 2-Fire-linked Singularity Cannons (5.000 ft., energy, 30d8/135, 19-20, ignores hardness & armor), Tractor Beam Emitter (adjacent), Missile Launcher (Starload Missile: 20d8/90, 18-20, 16 missiles), Fire-linked EMP Cannons (4.000 ft., electricity, 12d8/54, 19-20, dazes for 1 round)
Special Equipment: Artificial Gravity Generator, Hangar for 1 Assault Fighter, Temporal Drive Generator (disables the ship’s engines, energy shield, sensors, cloaking screen, and weapons for 1 hour due to energy drain of the generator), Food Replicator
Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +4
Attacks: Singularity Cannons battery +3, EMP Cannons battery -2, Starload Missile -2, Tractor Beam -2 (provokes AoO)
Attacks of Opportunity: Point-Defense +5 ranged (3d12x10, 500 ft.)
Cargo Capacity: 3 kt + 1 Assault Fighter (Katana-type)
Grapple Modifier: +16
Hit Dice: 250 (5.000 hp)
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Equipment – Weapons
Huge MW Disintegrator (with phasing ammunition (negates cover), sound suppressor, self repairing, booby-trapped (1d6 electricity damage), rangefinding laser-scope (HUD-linked), expanded magazine, variable charge, autoloader (power pack), stun module, HUD software: targeting (+1 on attacks), integrated equipment: motion sensor (HUD- & computer-linked) & computer card, alternate weapon: grenade launcher)
Grenades: EMP (20 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 10 in backpack), Singularity (15d6, 5 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 5 in backpack), Cryonic (8d6, 10 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 5 in backpack)
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EDIT: I posted an earlier draft of the time dragon, now it is the actual one.
These are the stats of the time dragon Arulantras. I used some material of the time drake (WotC supplement), but otherwise, it is a new monster. The Tracer PrC and most of the equipment is from d20 Future. For the equipment and the ship I didn't strictly follow the rules for flavor reasons.
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Arulantras (Time Dragon), Pal 1, Rgr 3, Sor 11, Tracer 8
Large Dragon, age 795
Hit Dice: 33 (10d12+40 + 1d10+4 + 3d8+12 + 11d4+44 + 8d8+32 (293 hp))
Initiative: +9
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 200 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 27 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +10 natural, +3 armor), touch 14, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +27/+37
Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8) OR +33 (MW huge Disintegrator, 6d6 energy, 67 ft., 20x) OR +32 (ranged touch, MW Tangler Gun, -2 Dex, 30 ft., 10x)
Full Attack: Bite +33 melee (2d6+8) and 2 claws +31 melee (1d8+4) and 2 wings +31 melee (1d6+4) and 1 tail slap +31 melee (1d8+4) OR +31/+31/+26/+21/+16 ranged touch (Disintegrator, rapid shot)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks: Temporal inversion, Smite Evil 1/day, Favored Enemy (Aberrations), swift strike +3d6, aging touch, stasis touch
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to sleep & paralysis, low-light vision, temporal displacement, temporal slide, time slip, time adaption, aura of good, detect evil, track, combat style (archery), wild empathy, target species, uncanny stealth (charge, run), improved uncanny dodge (Dex to AC, can’t be flanked), trap sense +2, time hop, danger sense
Saves: Fort +21, Ref +24, Will +19
Abilities: Str 26 (22), Dex 20, Con 18, Int 16 (12), Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +13, Disable Device +13, Knowledge (Technology) +13, Heal +7, Knowledge (Astronomy) +13, Listen +17, Navigation +13, Search +24, Spot +23, Survival +27, Pilot +20, Computer Use +13, Spellcraft +13, Concentration +14, Tumble +10, Knowledge (Behavioral Science) +13, Investigate +13, Sense Motive +12
Feats: Alertness, Multiattack, Starship Operation (medium), Starship Operation (ultralight), Flyby Attack, Eschew Materials, Silent Spell, Starship Gunnery, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Endurance (B), Track (B), Urban Tracking (B), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (B), Far Shot (B), Improved Initiative (B)
Environment: Any land and underground
Challenge Rating: 27 (needs to be tested)
Equipment:
Implants: Identity Chip, Voice Stress Analyser, Antishock Implant, Knowledge Database
Nanites: Watchdog, Micro Muscles, Brain Boost, Prophecy, 20/20
Other: Neutrad (10 doses), Sporekill (10 doses), Chemicomp Sensor, Violet Rations (15), Medicomp Sensor, Democomp Sensor, Hologram Player/Recorder, Energy Shield, Polyvox, Computer Card, Force Shield (DR 10/-), M-A Communicator, 1 compact Power Backpack, 3 Hackcards (+15 to Computer Use), Fusion Torch, 3x Antitox, 3x Solvaway, 5x Plastiflesh (heals 1d4 damage), HUD (incl. Link, Targeting, Vehicle Software), Motion Sensor, Piercing Visor, Armacomp Sensor, Grappling Tether, 3x Biocort, 3x Truthtell, 2x Neural Scrambler, Neural Recorder, Neural Computer Link, Light Combat Armor
Alignment: Lawful good (typical time dragon: often LN)
A typical time dragon stands about 5 feet tall at the shoulder and has a wingspan of up to 18 feet. Time dragons weigh about 1,250 pounds.
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Time Dragon Spirits
When a time dragon reaches adulthood at an age of ca. 30 years (20 + 2d6 years), it stops aging and there are no known means to age the dragon further. Nevertheless, a time dragon has no unlimited life span. After 1000 + 2d100 years, the dragon undergoes a slow transformation when the regeneration of its body begins to fail. This process takes 1d4+1 years. Most time dragons die of a failure of their vital organs before the transformation is completed (Fortitude save DC 40 for the first year of the transformation, a cumulative +2 on the DC for every following year). Despite the vast technological knowledge of the time dragons, they were unable to improve the surviving chances of their old ones.
However, if the dragon survives, it becomes an immortal powerful spirit of time, able to alter the future of entire civilizations. It becomes an invisible incorporeal outsider. Its temporal displacement is now an extraordinary ability that cannot be suppressed. A mere touch by the dragon can age a living creature to death (Fortitude DC equals 10 + the dragon’s Charisma bonus + half its HD).
The dragon spirit is immune against all kinds of damage (ability and hit point damage regardless the source), transformation effects, ability drain, enchantments, death effects, paralysis, and all effects that need a body to affect (this includes all poisons, gases, fluids). It retains all abilities of a time dragon, except that it can use them indefinetly (still no more than once per round) and all aging and chronal blast effects are doubled, a failure on a save vs. aging or damage always results in death of the affected creature. The spirit is immune against any chronal blast.
The only way to kill a time dragon spirit is sufficient energy drain. This makes most undead and shadow dragons natural enemies of time dragon spirits. Force effects may still affect a time dragon spirit, but they cannot harm it.
The spirit can use foresight and time stop at will, as a supernatural ability. It can cast a scrying sensor at will to learn something on how an action may affect the future (i.e., what might happen if the dragon interferes in a battle between two creatures). However, that future needs not to take place strictly as predicted, but there is a good chance that it will be related to the dragon’s vision in a clear way.
The time dragon spirits are very careful about trying to change the future of a creature, object, or an entire race, since even they cannot precisely predict the future. A time dragon spirit can teleport to any place on the same plane it has seen during its earlier life without error or distance limitations.
Most time dragon spirts lack the ability to move objects and to interact with creatures because they cannot speak or manipulate matter due to their incorporality. A time dragon spirit with spell-casting powers may overcome this hindrance if it has learned how to cast spells without somatic, verbal and material components.
A time dragon spirit gets the following abilities: Str -, Dex +10, Con -, Int +15, Wis +15, Cha +8. Its Charisma modifier gives a deflection bonus to AC. It receives a +5 insight bonus on all saves, attack rolls, AC, and save DCs of its special abilities.
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Time dragons speak Draconic. They receive Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Su): Due to their deep perception of the time stream, time dragons are able to foresee their foes’ actions more easily. This allows them to retain their Dex bonus to AC even when caught flat-footed, or attacked by an invisible creature. In addition, they can’t be flanked and react quickly to traps (trap sense +2). This ability is always active.
Chronal Blast (Su): Once per day the time dragon can emit a spasm of space-time flux in a 30 ft. radius that is centered on the dragon. Every creature (including the time dragon!) receives 15d6 energy damage, 1d4 Constitution damage and ages for 1 year per two HD of the dragon (16 years in Arulantras’ case but this effect does not work on Arulantras). Even other time dragons are, except for the aging effect, not immune to this ability because it ruptures the normal time line. A successful Fortitude save DC 30 halfs all damage and aging effects. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Stasis Touch (Su): As temporal stasis with a CL equal to the dragon’s HD (Fortitude DC 30). The time dragon can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution bonus (4 for an average time dragon). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Temporal Slide (Su): The time dragon can manipulate time as it moves, allowing it to seemingly disappear and reappear elsewhere instantaneously. As a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the time dragon moves its current speed (following the normal rules for movement). The time dragon can use this ability at will. It can use this ability only once per round.
Temporal Inversion (Su): Four times per day, as a standard action, a time dragon can shunt one creature out of the time stream for a short period. The time dragon can affect any creature within 60 feet. The creature is then shunted out of time unless it succeeds on a DC 29 Will saving throw. Time passes for creatures other than the affected creature, and it can take no actions other than trying to escape. The creature seems to vanish, while out of the time stream no other creature, spell, magical effect, or force can affect it in any way. (It is as though the creature has ceased to exist.) Each round on its turn, the affected creature may attempt a DC 20 Intelligence check to rejoin the time stream as a full-round action. If the subject doesn't escape, the effect ends after 10 minutes. The save DC is Charisma-based. The dragon can use this ability even on itself and return to the normal time stream at any time it wishes.
Danger Sense (Su): As time dragons are not strictly bound to the time stream as other creatures, they are able to perceive coming events in the near future and prepare accordingly. This is a bit comparable to instinct of normal creatures. The time dragon has a chance of 'knowing' that a dangerous encounter will take place within the next 10 rounds. This chance equals 1 % per HD of the time dragon.
Time Hop (Su): Once per day the time dragon can either go into the near past to review a special event it has gained some knowledge about or it can go into the near future to learn what situation may await. The dragon can go no more than 1 minute per HD in either direction of the time stream. The dragon then vanishes from its current position in the time stream for a few seconds before it returns. However, when it appears at its destination, it cannot interact physically with creatures and objects (the dragon is incorporeal and invisible) and it stays no longer than 1 round per 10 HD. The dragon can only use its Time Slip ability in this time. Most time dragons use this ability to undo bad luck or prepare for a fight.
Time Slip (Su): The time dragon can step back in time a fraction of a second, potentially changing the outcome of one action. The time dragon can immediately reroll a d20 roll a creature or object within sight just made (including the time dragon), but before the outcome of the die roll is determined. The time dragon may decide which of the two rolls is used. Using this ability is an immediate action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The time dragon can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution bonus (4 for an average time dragon). The time dragon may use this ability only once in any given round.
Time Adaption (Su): The time dragon is immune to any effect that alters time (excluding the dragon’s special powers). This includes spells like temporal stasis and the aging breath of a ghost dragon. If a foe or ally casts a time stop, the time dragon can opt to link itself to the spell and get the benefits as well immediately. In addition, he can interact with the caster of the spell normally, as if the two were under normal conditions. The dragon must be aware of the use of a time stop effect to link itself to the effect.
Temporal Displacement (Su): The time dragon blinks in and out of the time stream quickly and at random. This causes attacks against the time dragon to have a 50% miss chance, and neither the Blind-Fight feat or spells such as true seeing or see invisibility help against this miss chance. Like other supernatural abilities, this ability is suppressed in an anti-magic field. The dragon can suppress or resume this ability as a free action once per round.
Aging Touch (Su): By touching a foe with a claw, the time dragon can age that foe simply by speeding up her personal way through time within a second’s fraction. The foe ages for 1d4 years per HD of the time dragon (33d4 in Arulantras’ case), if the foe succeeds on a Fortitude save DC 30, she still ages for 5d4 years. If this exceeds the creature’s life span, it dies and cannot be ressurrected or reincarnated. The save DC is Constitution-based, the time dragon can use this power once per day. Only a greater restoration or similar magic can undo the aging effect. This abilty also works on objects, as the druid spell crumble (CL equals the dragon's HD).
Spell points: 211
Spells known: 0: Daze, Detect Magic, Electricity Jolt, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance
1: Launch Item, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, True Strike, Shield
2: Choke, Detect Thoughts, Alter Self, See Invisibility, Spectral Hand
3: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Hold Person
4: Fear, Locate Creature, Polymorph
5: Telekinesis, Rary’s Telepathic Bond
6: Bigby's Forceful Hand
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MSC Immortal Princess (MP/TS-15)
Ship: Strike Cruiser (PL 9), Ghost Class
Size: Colossal (950 ft. x 200 ft., -8), weight 40 kt
Speed: 5.500 ft.
Engines: Spatial Compressor + Jump Drive + Thrusters
Armor Class: 11/14 (Arulantras as pilot), flat-footed 7/9
Armor: Ablative (DR 40)
Initiative: +4/+X (Arulantras as pilot)
Crew: 2 (large), 5 (medium), all experts
Pilot’s Class Bonus: +5/+7 (Arulantras as pilot)
Pilot’s Dex modifier: +4/+5 (Arulantras as pilot)
Defensive: Point Defense, Cloaking Screen, Improved Autopilot System, Advanced Damage Control (2d10), Radiation Shielding, Repair Drones, Decoy Drone Launcher, Medium Fortification (50 %), Energy Shield (250 points of damage (except ballistic) absorbed, recharges at 20 points at end of round)
Sensors: Class VII Sensor Array, Achilles Targeting Software, Improved Targeting System
Communications: Drive Transceiver, Radio Transceiver
Weapons: 1 battery of three 2-Fire-linked Singularity Cannons (5.000 ft., energy, 30d8/135, 19-20, ignores hardness & armor), Tractor Beam Emitter (adjacent), Missile Launcher (Starload Missile: 20d8/90, 18-20, 16 missiles), Fire-linked EMP Cannons (4.000 ft., electricity, 12d8/54, 19-20, dazes for 1 round)
Special Equipment: Artificial Gravity Generator, Hangar for 1 Assault Fighter, Temporal Drive Generator (disables the ship’s engines, energy shield, sensors, cloaking screen, and weapons for 1 hour due to energy drain of the generator), Food Replicator
Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +4
Attacks: Singularity Cannons battery +3, EMP Cannons battery -2, Starload Missile -2, Tractor Beam -2 (provokes AoO)
Attacks of Opportunity: Point-Defense +5 ranged (3d12x10, 500 ft.)
Cargo Capacity: 3 kt + 1 Assault Fighter (Katana-type)
Grapple Modifier: +16
Hit Dice: 250 (5.000 hp)
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Equipment – Weapons
Huge MW Disintegrator (with phasing ammunition (negates cover), sound suppressor, self repairing, booby-trapped (1d6 electricity damage), rangefinding laser-scope (HUD-linked), expanded magazine, variable charge, autoloader (power pack), stun module, HUD software: targeting (+1 on attacks), integrated equipment: motion sensor (HUD- & computer-linked) & computer card, alternate weapon: grenade launcher)
Grenades: EMP (20 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 10 in backpack), Singularity (15d6, 5 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 5 in backpack), Cryonic (8d6, 10 ft. radius, 1 in weapon, 5 in backpack)
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EDIT: I posted an earlier draft of the time dragon, now it is the actual one.
Last edited:
Dark Dragon
Explorer
The dices roll in favor of:...
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The next day, a new plan has to be made since the troops in the citadel are now warned about some high-level PCs and their allies wandering around...
After some discussion during a Hero's Feast, the party decided (against Jasmina's, Estanala's and Arulantras' opinion) to switch the main target: instead of killing the shadow dragon (albeit in an open battle were the two dragons could make full use of their power) and thus avoid a possible return of the dragon to the Aspect of Tiamat, now the ruler of the citadel (the durthan Chaul) shall be battled first. Perhaps Jasmina's mother can be freed as well and gained as an ally. Also, the party thought that the Shadow Dragon is hindered in the dungeon as well. But they had to admit that the actual architecture of the dungeon is unknown...
Fully prepared to meet the shadow dragon and a powerful spellcaster, the adventurers entered the fortress again. However, only a few trolls and orcs dared to fight the group. After the fight, the party moved on carefully. Arulantras showed them how a 'SWAT team' would handle the situation, and more or less, the PCs followed his example.
When the group was about to enter a large room (large enough for three big dragons to fit in), Arulantras felt that the party is in danger (I rolled positive for his danger sense ability). He used his time hop ability and then reported that the shadow dragon is about to come. The party prepared immediately and spread out so that the shadow dragon could not attack the whole group with spells or his breath weapon.
When Antaran Black Star arrived via his shadow walk ability in the hall, he was immediately greeted by Arulantras who declared Antaran as arrested, and the adventurers who attacked him with spells and weapons.
Especially the warlock and the alienist proved to be effective because most of their abilities only require touch attacks. The ranger, the hathran's bodyguard, and the warmage were less lucky (AC 51 is not easy to overcome, even with preparation). The paladin was a third nasty foe, she fights with an intelligent +6 wounding keen acid bastard sword made of Baatorian greensteel. The sword was in possession of the cleric the group has slain the day before and will play a role later in the campaign. The paladin has cast Bless Weapon (naturally... )...
Antaran learned quickly that his breath weapon was useless (all party members were protected with Death Ward), in addition, Jasmina successfully cast a Dimensional Anchor on the dragon, so a teleport-out was impossible, too. So he had to waste time to activate his ability to control light and cast a quickened Silence to become virtually invisible. Then he cast a Heal (he was already at 90 hp from over 600 due to well placed crits (and Con damage) from the paladin, Arulantras and Estanala, and spell damage from the warlock and the alienist), afterwards he successfully dispelled the Dimensional Anchor. In the meantime, the party did its best to attack the dragon, but most attacks missed due to full concealment. Nevertheless, some strikes found their target.
One of these was an attack of the hathran's bodyguard. He came up with a rolled 20. He confirmed it with a 20. And confirmed this one with a rolled 19 (hitting AC 53). He failed his first check due to concealment (50% chance), but as he has the Blind-Fight feat, he was allowed a second roll. He confirmed the crit, finally.
We have a house rule on critical hits. If one rolls a 20, he may confirm the threat (making it a crit). If he confirms again with a 20 and confirms this 20, too (again rolled against the foe's AC), the whole attack is treated as a coup-de-grace with all its consequences (i.e., a Fort save against 10 +critical damage dealt or immediate death). The bodyguard dealt 50 damage, he rolled quite low with his holy spiked chain +3. But the dragon would make his save only on a rolled 20...that didn't show up.
Antaran found his neck artery ripped open wide and quickly lost conciousness. Estanala chopped off the dragon's head with her sword. A part of her revenge was fullfilled.
The party looted the equipment (all futuristic stuff), and then went on. They encountered four more wartrolls who had build a barricade. But it was only short fight...
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Hmm, I hoped that the fight would take longer and deplete more of the party's resources. But well, that happens.
Anyway, Antaran won't be out of the game for long: He is bound to the contract he has made with Tiamat, even after death... He will return as a ghost dragon (see Monsters of Faerûn) soon. And he will be quite happy about his new power.![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
The only way for the party to get rid of Antaran is to find the contract and destroy it. The Aspect of Tiamat keeps it always with her...
--------------------------
The next day, a new plan has to be made since the troops in the citadel are now warned about some high-level PCs and their allies wandering around...
After some discussion during a Hero's Feast, the party decided (against Jasmina's, Estanala's and Arulantras' opinion) to switch the main target: instead of killing the shadow dragon (albeit in an open battle were the two dragons could make full use of their power) and thus avoid a possible return of the dragon to the Aspect of Tiamat, now the ruler of the citadel (the durthan Chaul) shall be battled first. Perhaps Jasmina's mother can be freed as well and gained as an ally. Also, the party thought that the Shadow Dragon is hindered in the dungeon as well. But they had to admit that the actual architecture of the dungeon is unknown...
Fully prepared to meet the shadow dragon and a powerful spellcaster, the adventurers entered the fortress again. However, only a few trolls and orcs dared to fight the group. After the fight, the party moved on carefully. Arulantras showed them how a 'SWAT team' would handle the situation, and more or less, the PCs followed his example.
When the group was about to enter a large room (large enough for three big dragons to fit in), Arulantras felt that the party is in danger (I rolled positive for his danger sense ability). He used his time hop ability and then reported that the shadow dragon is about to come. The party prepared immediately and spread out so that the shadow dragon could not attack the whole group with spells or his breath weapon.
When Antaran Black Star arrived via his shadow walk ability in the hall, he was immediately greeted by Arulantras who declared Antaran as arrested, and the adventurers who attacked him with spells and weapons.
Especially the warlock and the alienist proved to be effective because most of their abilities only require touch attacks. The ranger, the hathran's bodyguard, and the warmage were less lucky (AC 51 is not easy to overcome, even with preparation). The paladin was a third nasty foe, she fights with an intelligent +6 wounding keen acid bastard sword made of Baatorian greensteel. The sword was in possession of the cleric the group has slain the day before and will play a role later in the campaign. The paladin has cast Bless Weapon (naturally...
)...Antaran learned quickly that his breath weapon was useless (all party members were protected with Death Ward), in addition, Jasmina successfully cast a Dimensional Anchor on the dragon, so a teleport-out was impossible, too. So he had to waste time to activate his ability to control light and cast a quickened Silence to become virtually invisible. Then he cast a Heal (he was already at 90 hp from over 600 due to well placed crits (and Con damage) from the paladin, Arulantras and Estanala, and spell damage from the warlock and the alienist), afterwards he successfully dispelled the Dimensional Anchor. In the meantime, the party did its best to attack the dragon, but most attacks missed due to full concealment. Nevertheless, some strikes found their target.
One of these was an attack of the hathran's bodyguard. He came up with a rolled 20. He confirmed it with a 20. And confirmed this one with a rolled 19 (hitting AC 53). He failed his first check due to concealment (50% chance), but as he has the Blind-Fight feat, he was allowed a second roll. He confirmed the crit, finally.
We have a house rule on critical hits. If one rolls a 20, he may confirm the threat (making it a crit). If he confirms again with a 20 and confirms this 20, too (again rolled against the foe's AC), the whole attack is treated as a coup-de-grace with all its consequences (i.e., a Fort save against 10 +critical damage dealt or immediate death). The bodyguard dealt 50 damage, he rolled quite low with his holy spiked chain +3. But the dragon would make his save only on a rolled 20...that didn't show up.
Antaran found his neck artery ripped open wide and quickly lost conciousness. Estanala chopped off the dragon's head with her sword. A part of her revenge was fullfilled.
The party looted the equipment (all futuristic stuff), and then went on. They encountered four more wartrolls who had build a barricade. But it was only short fight...
_______________________
Hmm, I hoped that the fight would take longer and deplete more of the party's resources. But well, that happens.
Anyway, Antaran won't be out of the game for long: He is bound to the contract he has made with Tiamat, even after death... He will return as a ghost dragon (see Monsters of Faerûn) soon. And he will be quite happy about his new power.
The only way for the party to get rid of Antaran is to find the contract and destroy it. The Aspect of Tiamat keeps it always with her...
Dark Dragon
Explorer
Here are the stats of the shadow dragon Antaran Black Star. The Tracer PrC and most equipment is from d20 future. Haven't worked out the ship's crew yet, but they are supposed to be shadows or shades of some sort...
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Antaran Black Star
Great Wyrm Shadow Dragon (CR 27) CE Gargantuan Dragon [Earth] 41 HD
Tracer 4, Assassin 3
Initiative: +11
Speed: 80 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor)
Space: 20 ft. x 20 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Low-Light Vision 4x better than human, blindsense 60 ft., Spot +31, Listen +31
Languages: Draconic, Elven, Common, Gnome
Aura: Frightful Presence 360 ft. radius, DC 43, maximum affected Creature: 42HD
HP: 618 (37d12 +296 +4d8 +32 +3d6 +24)
AC 53, touch 11, flat-footed 48 (-4 size, 40 natural, +5 DEX, +2 armor)
Saves: Fortitude +30, Reflex +32, Will +33 (SR 33)
Immunities: Sleep, Paralysis, Energy Drain
Resistances: DR 20/magic; SR 33
BAB: +43, Grapple: +68, Trip: +25 vs. being tripped: +29
Full Attack: 1x Bite +54 (4d6+15; 20/x2), Snatch possible, Reach 20 ft.
and 2x claw +52 (2d8+7; 20/x2), Snatch possible, Reach 15 ft.
and 2x wing +52 (2d6+7; 20/x2), Reach 15 ft.
and 1x tail slap +52 (2d8+22; 20/x2), Reach 15 ft.
or 1x Tail Sweep; DC 44, 2d6+22, 30 ft. radius, max. vs. small sized creatures
or 1x Crush; DC 44, 4d6+22, in space of dragon, max. vs. medium sized creatures
or 1x Breath Weapon; DC 44, 60 ft., Cone of Billowing Shadows (energy drain, 8 levels)
Attack Options: Flyby Attack, Hover, Snatch, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Enlarge Breath, Recover Breath, Swift Strike +3d6 vs. flat-footed foe, Death Attack (Fort DC 26 or death)
Abilities: STR 40 (36); DEX 20 (10); CON 27; INT 36 (32); WIS 32; CHA 33
Feats: Starship Operation (heavy), Multiattack, Flyby Attack, Hover, Snatch, Starship Gunnery, Stealthy, Improved Initiative, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Improved Flight, Starship Operation (light), Recover Breath, Precise Shot (B), Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Far Shot
Special Qualities:
Shadow blend (Su): During any condition other than full daylight, a shadow dragon can disappear into the shadows, giving it nine-tenths concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A daylight spell, however, will.
Create shdows (Su): 3/day conjure a mass of leaping shadows with a radius of 100 yards and a duration of 1 hour (creation effect). All normal and magical light sources are negated within this radius. All characters and creatures gain a +4 bonus on their Hide checks within the shadows, and can hide even if directly observed. Shadow dragons and other creatures with ties to the Plane of Shadows gain total concealment within the shadows (50% miss chance), though they can move and attack normally. Their attacks gain a +2 bonus and deny their opponents any Dexterity bonus to AC, because they are considered invisible.
Target Species: Human (+2 on skills & damage vs. humans), Uncanny Stealth (full speed)
Spell like Abilities:
3/day - mirror image, nondetection; 2/day - dimension door; 1/day - shadow walk.
Appraise +16; Bluff +31; Computer Use +21; Concentration +23; Decipher Script +25; Diplomacy +31; Disable Device +12; Disguise +31; Investigate +26; Hide +30; Intimidate +29; Knowledge (Arcana) +35; Knowledge (Technology) +25; Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) +25; Knowledge (Geography) +30; Knowledge (History) +25; Knowledge (Astronomy) +30; Knowledge (Nature) +20; Knowledge (Planes) +20; Pilot +20; Navigate +31; Listen +31; Move Silently +30; Search +31; Sense Motive +26; Spellcraft +31; Spot +31; Survival +26; Use Magic Device +21
Spells as Sorcerer (CL 17 /// DC = 21 + Level of Spell) (can choose from the cleric list and the following domain spells as arcane spells, too: chaos, evil, trickery):
Level 0: Mage Hand, Daze, Electric Jolt, Flare, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Acid Splash, Mending, Message
Level 1: Magic Missile, Shield, Silent Image, Launch Item, Magic Weapon, Protection from Good
Level 2: Silence, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility, Spectral Hand, Cat’s Grace
Level 3: Vampiric Touch, Haste, Tongues, Protection from Energy, Lightning Bolt
Level 4: Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Orb of Force, Locate Creature
Level 5: Telekinesis, Feeblemind, Waves of Fatigue, Hold Monster, Wall of Force
Level 6: Heal, Harm, Greater Dispelling, Animate Objects
Level 7: Destruction, Greater Scrying, Waves of Exhaustion, Grasping Hand
Level 8: Moment of Prescience, Polymorph Any Object, Horrid Wilting
Level 9: Crushing Hand
Assassin spells:
Level 1: Detect Poison, True Strike, Disguise Self
Level 2: Spider Climb, Pass without Trace
Equipment:
- Huge MW Rail Gun (9d6+1 slashing damage, 225 ft., 40 shots, sound suppressor, video & rangefinding laser scope, teleporting magazine, booby trapped, sensor baffling, integrated equipment, collapsible, expanded magazine, self-repairing, including motion sensor (HUD linked))
- Medium MW Concussion Rifle (2d10+1 force damage + special, 30 ft., booby trapped, sensor baffling, integrated equipment, collapsible, self-repairing, including motion sensor (HUD linked), miniaturized)
- Scout Armor (chameleonic surface, self-repairing, 4 storage compartments with: minaturized power pack, Computer Card with medicomp & electricomp sensors, HUD (incl. targeting & sensor link & vehicle link software), Universal Communicator, Piercing Visor), Micro-Aural Communicator, Personal Force Field (DR 10/-)
- Implants: Nanites: Brain Boost, Micro Muscles, Prophecy, Fast Reaction
Other: Anti-Shock Implant, Initiative Implant, Microcomputer, Database
- Ring of Dexterity +6, Ring of Polymorph (3/day, CL 15)
Ship: The Void
Battle Cruiser Class (PL 8)
Size: Colossal (1360 ft. x 1100 ft., -8), weight 140 kt
Speed: 5.000 ft.
Engines: Thrusters + Spatial Compressor
Armor Class: 11/14 (Antaran as pilot), flat-footed 7/9
Armor: Nanofluidic (DR 50)
Initiative: +4/+11 (Antaran as pilot)
Crew: 2 (huge), 5 (large), 40 (medium), all experts
Pilot’s Class Bonus: +5/+7 (Antaran as pilot)
Pilot’s Dex modifier: +4/+5 (Antaran as pilot)
Defensive: Point Defense, Cloaking Screen, Improved Autopilot System, Advanced Damage Control (2d10), Radiation Shielding, Repair Drones, Decoy Drone Launcher, Light Fortification (25 %), Energy Shield (450 points of damage (except ballistic) absorbed, recharges at 10 points at end of round)
Sensors: Class V Sensor Array, Achilles Targeting Software, Improved Targeting System
Communications: Drive Transceiver, Radio Transceiver
Weapons: 1 battery of three 2-Fire-linked Zero Bore (6.000 ft., energy, 24d8/108, 19-20), Minelayer (Zero Point Mine: 15d100/550, 50 mines), Tractor Beam Emitter, Missile Launcher (Starload Missile: 20d8/90, 18-20, 16 missiles)
Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +4
Attacks: Zero Bore battery +3, Starload Missile -2, Tractor Beam Emitter -1
Attacks of Opportunity: Point-Defense +5 ranged (4d12x20, 500 ft.)
Cargo Capacity: 50 kt
Grapple Modifier: +16
Hit Dice: 450 (9.000 hp)
_________________________
Antaran Black Star
Great Wyrm Shadow Dragon (CR 27) CE Gargantuan Dragon [Earth] 41 HD
Tracer 4, Assassin 3
Initiative: +11
Speed: 80 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor)
Space: 20 ft. x 20 ft.
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Low-Light Vision 4x better than human, blindsense 60 ft., Spot +31, Listen +31
Languages: Draconic, Elven, Common, Gnome
Aura: Frightful Presence 360 ft. radius, DC 43, maximum affected Creature: 42HD
HP: 618 (37d12 +296 +4d8 +32 +3d6 +24)
AC 53, touch 11, flat-footed 48 (-4 size, 40 natural, +5 DEX, +2 armor)
Saves: Fortitude +30, Reflex +32, Will +33 (SR 33)
Immunities: Sleep, Paralysis, Energy Drain
Resistances: DR 20/magic; SR 33
BAB: +43, Grapple: +68, Trip: +25 vs. being tripped: +29
Full Attack: 1x Bite +54 (4d6+15; 20/x2), Snatch possible, Reach 20 ft.
and 2x claw +52 (2d8+7; 20/x2), Snatch possible, Reach 15 ft.
and 2x wing +52 (2d6+7; 20/x2), Reach 15 ft.
and 1x tail slap +52 (2d8+22; 20/x2), Reach 15 ft.
or 1x Tail Sweep; DC 44, 2d6+22, 30 ft. radius, max. vs. small sized creatures
or 1x Crush; DC 44, 4d6+22, in space of dragon, max. vs. medium sized creatures
or 1x Breath Weapon; DC 44, 60 ft., Cone of Billowing Shadows (energy drain, 8 levels)
Attack Options: Flyby Attack, Hover, Snatch, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Enlarge Breath, Recover Breath, Swift Strike +3d6 vs. flat-footed foe, Death Attack (Fort DC 26 or death)
Abilities: STR 40 (36); DEX 20 (10); CON 27; INT 36 (32); WIS 32; CHA 33
Feats: Starship Operation (heavy), Multiattack, Flyby Attack, Hover, Snatch, Starship Gunnery, Stealthy, Improved Initiative, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell, Improved Flight, Starship Operation (light), Recover Breath, Precise Shot (B), Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Far Shot
Special Qualities:
Shadow blend (Su): During any condition other than full daylight, a shadow dragon can disappear into the shadows, giving it nine-tenths concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A daylight spell, however, will.
Create shdows (Su): 3/day conjure a mass of leaping shadows with a radius of 100 yards and a duration of 1 hour (creation effect). All normal and magical light sources are negated within this radius. All characters and creatures gain a +4 bonus on their Hide checks within the shadows, and can hide even if directly observed. Shadow dragons and other creatures with ties to the Plane of Shadows gain total concealment within the shadows (50% miss chance), though they can move and attack normally. Their attacks gain a +2 bonus and deny their opponents any Dexterity bonus to AC, because they are considered invisible.
Target Species: Human (+2 on skills & damage vs. humans), Uncanny Stealth (full speed)
Spell like Abilities:
3/day - mirror image, nondetection; 2/day - dimension door; 1/day - shadow walk.
Appraise +16; Bluff +31; Computer Use +21; Concentration +23; Decipher Script +25; Diplomacy +31; Disable Device +12; Disguise +31; Investigate +26; Hide +30; Intimidate +29; Knowledge (Arcana) +35; Knowledge (Technology) +25; Knowledge (Behavioral Sciences) +25; Knowledge (Geography) +30; Knowledge (History) +25; Knowledge (Astronomy) +30; Knowledge (Nature) +20; Knowledge (Planes) +20; Pilot +20; Navigate +31; Listen +31; Move Silently +30; Search +31; Sense Motive +26; Spellcraft +31; Spot +31; Survival +26; Use Magic Device +21
Spells as Sorcerer (CL 17 /// DC = 21 + Level of Spell) (can choose from the cleric list and the following domain spells as arcane spells, too: chaos, evil, trickery):
Level 0: Mage Hand, Daze, Electric Jolt, Flare, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Acid Splash, Mending, Message
Level 1: Magic Missile, Shield, Silent Image, Launch Item, Magic Weapon, Protection from Good
Level 2: Silence, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility, Spectral Hand, Cat’s Grace
Level 3: Vampiric Touch, Haste, Tongues, Protection from Energy, Lightning Bolt
Level 4: Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Orb of Force, Locate Creature
Level 5: Telekinesis, Feeblemind, Waves of Fatigue, Hold Monster, Wall of Force
Level 6: Heal, Harm, Greater Dispelling, Animate Objects
Level 7: Destruction, Greater Scrying, Waves of Exhaustion, Grasping Hand
Level 8: Moment of Prescience, Polymorph Any Object, Horrid Wilting
Level 9: Crushing Hand
Assassin spells:
Level 1: Detect Poison, True Strike, Disguise Self
Level 2: Spider Climb, Pass without Trace
Equipment:
- Huge MW Rail Gun (9d6+1 slashing damage, 225 ft., 40 shots, sound suppressor, video & rangefinding laser scope, teleporting magazine, booby trapped, sensor baffling, integrated equipment, collapsible, expanded magazine, self-repairing, including motion sensor (HUD linked))
- Medium MW Concussion Rifle (2d10+1 force damage + special, 30 ft., booby trapped, sensor baffling, integrated equipment, collapsible, self-repairing, including motion sensor (HUD linked), miniaturized)
- Scout Armor (chameleonic surface, self-repairing, 4 storage compartments with: minaturized power pack, Computer Card with medicomp & electricomp sensors, HUD (incl. targeting & sensor link & vehicle link software), Universal Communicator, Piercing Visor), Micro-Aural Communicator, Personal Force Field (DR 10/-)
- Implants: Nanites: Brain Boost, Micro Muscles, Prophecy, Fast Reaction
Other: Anti-Shock Implant, Initiative Implant, Microcomputer, Database
- Ring of Dexterity +6, Ring of Polymorph (3/day, CL 15)
Ship: The Void
Battle Cruiser Class (PL 8)
Size: Colossal (1360 ft. x 1100 ft., -8), weight 140 kt
Speed: 5.000 ft.
Engines: Thrusters + Spatial Compressor
Armor Class: 11/14 (Antaran as pilot), flat-footed 7/9
Armor: Nanofluidic (DR 50)
Initiative: +4/+11 (Antaran as pilot)
Crew: 2 (huge), 5 (large), 40 (medium), all experts
Pilot’s Class Bonus: +5/+7 (Antaran as pilot)
Pilot’s Dex modifier: +4/+5 (Antaran as pilot)
Defensive: Point Defense, Cloaking Screen, Improved Autopilot System, Advanced Damage Control (2d10), Radiation Shielding, Repair Drones, Decoy Drone Launcher, Light Fortification (25 %), Energy Shield (450 points of damage (except ballistic) absorbed, recharges at 10 points at end of round)
Sensors: Class V Sensor Array, Achilles Targeting Software, Improved Targeting System
Communications: Drive Transceiver, Radio Transceiver
Weapons: 1 battery of three 2-Fire-linked Zero Bore (6.000 ft., energy, 24d8/108, 19-20), Minelayer (Zero Point Mine: 15d100/550, 50 mines), Tractor Beam Emitter, Missile Launcher (Starload Missile: 20d8/90, 18-20, 16 missiles)
Gunner’s Attack Bonus: +4
Attacks: Zero Bore battery +3, Starload Missile -2, Tractor Beam Emitter -1
Attacks of Opportunity: Point-Defense +5 ranged (4d12x20, 500 ft.)
Cargo Capacity: 50 kt
Grapple Modifier: +16
Hit Dice: 450 (9.000 hp)
Dark Dragon
Explorer
Pyrrhic victory...and a change of plans (?) Input needed !
The party retreated because of strong depletion of spell casting energy. In addition, the group assumed that the strongest foe, the shadow dragon, is dead and the rest of the troops (along with their leader) within the citadel could be handled later.
The adventurers returned to the cave and had an undisturbed night.
During this night, Chaul, the durthan ruling the citadel, tried to find out more about the party. Scrying attempts failed because the party rested within a Private Sanctum. However, Speak with Dead and Raise Dead gave more informations. As the adventurers seemed to be very strong and obviously have a hathran (Jasmina) with them, Chaul decided to save their troops (she already had lost most of her commanders and wartrolls and was not willing to sacrifice her standard tropos consisting of humans, orcs, and some giants in a hopeless battle). Instead, she wants to stop the group herself, and her servant, a wizard called Samara, should play an important role. Samara was ordered to control Jasmina's captured mother (also a hathran) via Magic Jar. Several Alarm spells and a few troops should warn Chaul of any intruders and give her time to prepare herself for the fight. In addition, she moved her troops with a Teleportation Circle to a new location...
The next morning, the party entered the citadel again, encountering almost no resistance. Only two wartrolls and a half-drow sorcerer were send to stop the group. The three fought well but their fate was sealed.
Then the group met Chaul and her guards, three elite wartrolls, an iron golem, two destrachans, and Jasminas mother. Samara stayed out of sight of the group. A hard battle was fought, Chaul made good use of a prepared terrain (small tunnels leading into a large room with a big concealed shaft, and enchanted with a Forbiddance). The party had some difficulties to get into the room, the paladin and the warlock were hammered with spells and melee weapons and thus were quickly disabled. But the warmage/dragon disciple, the bodyguard, and Arulantras fought quite well, the alienist heavily damaged the golem with Acid Orbs. Estanala (forced into humanoid form because there was not enough space for her as a huge dragon), Jasmina and the ranger were busy to heal and support their friends.
Arulantras nearly aged the dominated hathran to death, but he was almost killed by a wartroll after a critical hit (he was bleeding to death), the paladin who had been healed in time by Jasmina saved the dragon's life. With all her guards dead and her own spell energy already low, Chaul retreated via Gate, and Samara returned to her own body and teleported to safety as well.
The adventurers searched the area but didn't find anything. They returned to the cave again and questioned Jasmina's mother. The aging caused by Arulantras was undone by Jasmina with a Greater Restoration. The group learned not much except that Chaul had assembled an army to attack either Rashemen or the hathran's conclave.
-----------------
How to go on? The situation:
1) With Antaran's early death and rising as a ghost (the party does not know this yet), at least Chaul is probably forced to do her next move. On the other hand, she may assume that the party will not hunt her anymore because the group has succeeded in cleaning the ruins of Citadel Rashemar and freeing Jasmina'a mother. This would give her time to replenish her forces, learn more about her foes, and strike when time and place are right. She will never ally with the Red Wizards because she is still a proud Rashemi and willing to defend the land at all costs (even if that calls for sacrifying other Rashemi).
2) The party and the hathrans in Immilmar assume that an attack on the city by the Red Wizards and their Cloud Ray golem will take place within the next few days, if not hours. However, the hathrans have to elect a new Iorn Lord who will lead the troops in the coming war, and the witches gather in the city for the election.
3) Arulantras assumes that Antaran is dead and sees his job done on Toril. He does not know much about divine magic and that the dead may return as ghosts. However, he is unable to contact his crew on his star ship, and thus fears that something has gone wrong completely. The ship was captured by Antaran's crew, and the original crew members were either killed or disabled. The time dragon has traveled from his star ship to Toril with a smaller ship (fighter class), but it is unable to attack and survive a battle with one of the bigger ships. It also lacks the engines to travel back to Maginellic or even transmit a report. However, it is permanently protected from long-range sensor scans and thus was not detected by Antaran's crew. The law of the time dragons home world forbids any interference with the political and/or technological situation on other, less developed worlds (aka Prime Directive ), so Arulantras is not allowed to use the fighter ship to help Rashemen against the Cloud Ray, nor shouldn't he work for other parties in a way that gives it some sort of advantage (unless the job provides no alternative). This puts him in a difficult situation: As a paladin he is bound by his honor to the guys who helped him in finding Antaran, saved his life, and freed him from imprisonment, but then he has to follow the 'rules of his home world'.
How would you play a paladin in this situation?
4) The Aspect of Tiamat has assembled her troops, but still she has not the half-dragon baby within her grasp. As the party has escaped to Rashemen and disabled temporarily her strongest ally the shadow dragon, she assumes that the baby must be there. She also learned that the hathrans gather in Immilmar for a conclave and correctly assumes that the rest of the country is weakened in its defensive options. She has now three strong attack units lead by powerful half-dragons. She is thinking about a hit-and-run tactic: attacking important towns in Rashemen, search for the baby, and destroy as much as possible before retreat via Gate. When the hathrans try to find and disable the attackers, all her troops will be send to Immilmar with the order to find the baby and ransack the city.
5) The Red Wizard attack party will strike at Immilmar probably the same day when the party battled Chaul. If I let the Red Wizards attack the city by using the Cloud Ray half-golem, it will leave the city burning and devastated, but not conquered. Remember that the half-golem is immune to most kinds of magic, and a Forbiddance denies teleportation on top of the creature. Long-range attack spells are only a few, and the massive body of the cloud ray protects the crew from direct ground attacks. However, the two Thayan bombards on the back of the half-golem can nicely fire into the city, just as modern artillery can do. Any flying opposition will be either dealt with the cloud ray, archers and the spellcasters, or four demonic creatures. The crew of the cloud ray 'ship' is too weak to conquer the city, so the Red Wizards will try to obliterate it.
6) Antaran will soon return as a ghost dragon and will try to kill Arulantras and his allies. He also knows that he could now kill the Aspect of Tiamat with his aging breath. The contract with the Aspect raised him as a ghost, but the Aspect has lost control over the mind of the now undead shadow dragon, something the Aspect has not considered...
But Antaran has time, and he thinks carefully about how to carve his own empire out of the situation...
Ok, I think these are the options. It's quite a mess, and I'm not sure how to proceed.
I consider two story lines:
a) The destruction of Immilmar and defeat of Rashemen. This makes it easy for the Aspect to find the half-dragon baby, therby she reaches her goal. The adventurers have to fight against a powerful ghost dragon and find a way to undo what has happened. Here Arulantras may help with his star ship that is also a time machine (see above). The group must decide about how and where to interfere to effectively stop their enemies' plans...And they must convince or overwhelm the time dragon to use the time machine...
b) The party stops the attack on Immilmar or kills the Aspect of Tiamat. Again, this needs convincing Arulantras (he may serve as a flying steed), and strong support. The only other powerful spellcaster, except for three hathrans, is the durthan Chaul. She is willing to fight the Red Wizards, but it would need tough negotiations to convince her to fight side by side with hathrans and paladins (and vice versa). She would not help in fighting the Aspect, and the hathrans would not leave their country to fight the Aspect as well. So the party has to find other means to locate the Aspect. A good way is to attack her troops and 'question' one of the leaders. A well prepared ambush employing Antaran's futuristic equipment will likely result in a hard-won battle. As Arulantras accepts the laws and traditions of Toril, he has not demanded the equipment of the shadow dragon (despite being a bit puzzled about looting a dead foe, something that is seen as 'not normal' on Maginellic).
Well, many words... Again, I am thankful for any helpful comments, ideas, etc.!
The party retreated because of strong depletion of spell casting energy. In addition, the group assumed that the strongest foe, the shadow dragon, is dead and the rest of the troops (along with their leader) within the citadel could be handled later.
The adventurers returned to the cave and had an undisturbed night.
During this night, Chaul, the durthan ruling the citadel, tried to find out more about the party. Scrying attempts failed because the party rested within a Private Sanctum. However, Speak with Dead and Raise Dead gave more informations. As the adventurers seemed to be very strong and obviously have a hathran (Jasmina) with them, Chaul decided to save their troops (she already had lost most of her commanders and wartrolls and was not willing to sacrifice her standard tropos consisting of humans, orcs, and some giants in a hopeless battle). Instead, she wants to stop the group herself, and her servant, a wizard called Samara, should play an important role. Samara was ordered to control Jasmina's captured mother (also a hathran) via Magic Jar. Several Alarm spells and a few troops should warn Chaul of any intruders and give her time to prepare herself for the fight. In addition, she moved her troops with a Teleportation Circle to a new location...
The next morning, the party entered the citadel again, encountering almost no resistance. Only two wartrolls and a half-drow sorcerer were send to stop the group. The three fought well but their fate was sealed.
Then the group met Chaul and her guards, three elite wartrolls, an iron golem, two destrachans, and Jasminas mother. Samara stayed out of sight of the group. A hard battle was fought, Chaul made good use of a prepared terrain (small tunnels leading into a large room with a big concealed shaft, and enchanted with a Forbiddance). The party had some difficulties to get into the room, the paladin and the warlock were hammered with spells and melee weapons and thus were quickly disabled. But the warmage/dragon disciple, the bodyguard, and Arulantras fought quite well, the alienist heavily damaged the golem with Acid Orbs. Estanala (forced into humanoid form because there was not enough space for her as a huge dragon), Jasmina and the ranger were busy to heal and support their friends.
Arulantras nearly aged the dominated hathran to death, but he was almost killed by a wartroll after a critical hit (he was bleeding to death), the paladin who had been healed in time by Jasmina saved the dragon's life. With all her guards dead and her own spell energy already low, Chaul retreated via Gate, and Samara returned to her own body and teleported to safety as well.
The adventurers searched the area but didn't find anything. They returned to the cave again and questioned Jasmina's mother. The aging caused by Arulantras was undone by Jasmina with a Greater Restoration. The group learned not much except that Chaul had assembled an army to attack either Rashemen or the hathran's conclave.
-----------------
How to go on? The situation:
1) With Antaran's early death and rising as a ghost (the party does not know this yet), at least Chaul is probably forced to do her next move. On the other hand, she may assume that the party will not hunt her anymore because the group has succeeded in cleaning the ruins of Citadel Rashemar and freeing Jasmina'a mother. This would give her time to replenish her forces, learn more about her foes, and strike when time and place are right. She will never ally with the Red Wizards because she is still a proud Rashemi and willing to defend the land at all costs (even if that calls for sacrifying other Rashemi).
2) The party and the hathrans in Immilmar assume that an attack on the city by the Red Wizards and their Cloud Ray golem will take place within the next few days, if not hours. However, the hathrans have to elect a new Iorn Lord who will lead the troops in the coming war, and the witches gather in the city for the election.
3) Arulantras assumes that Antaran is dead and sees his job done on Toril. He does not know much about divine magic and that the dead may return as ghosts. However, he is unable to contact his crew on his star ship, and thus fears that something has gone wrong completely. The ship was captured by Antaran's crew, and the original crew members were either killed or disabled. The time dragon has traveled from his star ship to Toril with a smaller ship (fighter class), but it is unable to attack and survive a battle with one of the bigger ships. It also lacks the engines to travel back to Maginellic or even transmit a report. However, it is permanently protected from long-range sensor scans and thus was not detected by Antaran's crew. The law of the time dragons home world forbids any interference with the political and/or technological situation on other, less developed worlds (aka Prime Directive
), so Arulantras is not allowed to use the fighter ship to help Rashemen against the Cloud Ray, nor shouldn't he work for other parties in a way that gives it some sort of advantage (unless the job provides no alternative). This puts him in a difficult situation: As a paladin he is bound by his honor to the guys who helped him in finding Antaran, saved his life, and freed him from imprisonment, but then he has to follow the 'rules of his home world'.How would you play a paladin in this situation?
4) The Aspect of Tiamat has assembled her troops, but still she has not the half-dragon baby within her grasp. As the party has escaped to Rashemen and disabled temporarily her strongest ally the shadow dragon, she assumes that the baby must be there. She also learned that the hathrans gather in Immilmar for a conclave and correctly assumes that the rest of the country is weakened in its defensive options. She has now three strong attack units lead by powerful half-dragons. She is thinking about a hit-and-run tactic: attacking important towns in Rashemen, search for the baby, and destroy as much as possible before retreat via Gate. When the hathrans try to find and disable the attackers, all her troops will be send to Immilmar with the order to find the baby and ransack the city.
5) The Red Wizard attack party will strike at Immilmar probably the same day when the party battled Chaul. If I let the Red Wizards attack the city by using the Cloud Ray half-golem, it will leave the city burning and devastated, but not conquered. Remember that the half-golem is immune to most kinds of magic, and a Forbiddance denies teleportation on top of the creature. Long-range attack spells are only a few, and the massive body of the cloud ray protects the crew from direct ground attacks. However, the two Thayan bombards on the back of the half-golem can nicely fire into the city, just as modern artillery can do. Any flying opposition will be either dealt with the cloud ray, archers and the spellcasters, or four demonic creatures. The crew of the cloud ray 'ship' is too weak to conquer the city, so the Red Wizards will try to obliterate it.
6) Antaran will soon return as a ghost dragon and will try to kill Arulantras and his allies. He also knows that he could now kill the Aspect of Tiamat with his aging breath. The contract with the Aspect raised him as a ghost, but the Aspect has lost control over the mind of the now undead shadow dragon, something the Aspect has not considered...
But Antaran has time, and he thinks carefully about how to carve his own empire out of the situation...
Ok, I think these are the options. It's quite a mess, and I'm not sure how to proceed.
I consider two story lines:
a) The destruction of Immilmar and defeat of Rashemen. This makes it easy for the Aspect to find the half-dragon baby, therby she reaches her goal. The adventurers have to fight against a powerful ghost dragon and find a way to undo what has happened. Here Arulantras may help with his star ship that is also a time machine (see above). The group must decide about how and where to interfere to effectively stop their enemies' plans...And they must convince or overwhelm the time dragon to use the time machine...
b) The party stops the attack on Immilmar or kills the Aspect of Tiamat. Again, this needs convincing Arulantras (he may serve as a flying steed), and strong support. The only other powerful spellcaster, except for three hathrans, is the durthan Chaul. She is willing to fight the Red Wizards, but it would need tough negotiations to convince her to fight side by side with hathrans and paladins (and vice versa). She would not help in fighting the Aspect, and the hathrans would not leave their country to fight the Aspect as well. So the party has to find other means to locate the Aspect. A good way is to attack her troops and 'question' one of the leaders. A well prepared ambush employing Antaran's futuristic equipment will likely result in a hard-won battle. As Arulantras accepts the laws and traditions of Toril, he has not demanded the equipment of the shadow dragon (despite being a bit puzzled about looting a dead foe, something that is seen as 'not normal' on Maginellic).
Well, many words... Again, I am thankful for any helpful comments, ideas, etc.!
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