his post concerns the first adventure day, played to an almost 90%.
It is my a sort of dev track where you can see how did I plan and manage
the encounters. Corroborating this data with the player’s journals and
impressions, one might get an idea about how adventurer’s earn a living
in the world of Drakonia.
*******
Astral Vortex – Ritual
A magical field of intense and coordinated energy from the Elemental
Chaos, used by an arcane wielder to create a bridge between worlds, to
transport beings and objects. This huge amount of energy causes
exhaustion to the caster and depletes all his powers, except his
At-Will’s. Beings thus transported, may or may not loose their items,
depending on the caster’s Arcane check:
- 25 – 30: Loose all items of Heroic and Paragon and Epic tier except artefacts and intelligent items.
- 31 – 40: Loose all items of Heroic and Paragon tier except artefacts and intelligent items.
- 41 – 45: Loose all items of Heroic tier except artefacts and intelligent items.
Requirement: Level 21, Wizard, Arcana (see above).
Cost: 20 AD worth of Arcane components.
Cast time: 1 hour of unintreruptible focus.
Target: Allies located in other worldly realms, except Planar realms.
Intelligent items
- Gelem’Arr, The Bow of The Unbreakable Vows
This oaken greatbow, speaks vows of doom, for the wielder’s foe.
Weapon: Greatbow
Enhancement: +3 attack rolls and damage
Critical: +3d6 psychic damage
Property: After a short rest or extended rest, choose one of the
following: beast, magical beast, humanoid, animate. If you hit with this
weapon, the chosen type, you deal an extra 1d6 +Wisdom modifier psychic
damage.
Property (Daily): Minor Action. You may change the type of creature,
you have chosen through the property, for the rest of the encounter.
Property: Action Critical – If you spend an action point to take an
attack action, the weapon is treated as having the High Crit property,
until the end of your next turn.
- Luna, Claw of the Infinite Shadows
This dagger, seems to flow through shadows around it, revealing it’s obsidian-like blade only in the moonlight.
Weapon: Dagger
Enhancement: +3 attack and damage rolls
Critical: +2d6 poison damage
Property (Encounter): Immediate Reaction. Use this power when an
enemy would hit you with a melee attack. After the attack is resolved,
you gain concealment against the attacker and you may shift a number of
squares equal to half your speed.
Property(Daily): When you roll a Stealth check and beat the Passive
Perception check of any enemy within 5 squares, you can teleport to the
nearest enemy in a 5 squares range and make a melee basic attack,
instead of gaining concealment. You still benefit from combat advantage
and you may apply your Sneak Attack feature even if you expended it.
- Cha’Keram, Axe of the Wolf
This axe howls with the fury of a thousand wolfpacks
Weapon: Waraxe
Enhancement: +3
Critical: +3d6 untyped
Property: Wielder of this axe, gains +1 Fort and +1 Ref defense, while wielding this axe 2handed.
Property (Encounter): Before you roll initiative. You and your allies
withn 5 squares of you, gain a bonus equal to the weapon’s enhancement
to attack and damage, for the first round of combat.
Property (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. An ally is hit by a Melee or
Ranged attack. The ally gains versus that attack a value to it’s
defenses, equal to the weapon’s enhancement.
Because the heroes came through the Vortex almost naked, they receive the following items:
Nero:
- Weapon: Gelem’Arr, The Bow of The Unbreakable Vows
- Armor: Repulsion Drowmesh +3
- Luckbender Gloves (Heroic tier)
- Brooch of Shielding +2
Blades:
- Weapon: Luna, Claw of the Infinite Shadows
- Weapon: Shuriken +1 (30)
- Armor: Elven Battle Drowmesh +3
- Boots of Stealth (Heroic tier)
- Helm of Battle (Heroic tier)
Yoru:
- Weapon: Cha’Keram, Axe of the Wolf
- Armor: Serpentskin Hide Armor +3
- Bracers of Defense (Heroic tier)
- Belt of Blood (Heroic tier)
Villains
- Eidolon, named Dark Crow
Stat Card, to be completed! (pag 101, MM):
- Increase level and tier to 21, Solo Elite Controller (Leader)
- Karalyn
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
Karalynn, level 14
Shadar-kai, Swordmage, Ghost Blade
Swordmage Aegis: Aegis of Assault
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 14, Int 24, Wis 11, Cha 9.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 8.
AC: 32 Fort: 26 Reflex: 28 Will: 23
HP: 107 Surges: 10 Surge Value: 26
TRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +19, Endurance +13, Athletics +14, Insight +12, Stealth +20
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +10, Bluff +6, Diplomacy +6, Dungeoneering +7, Heal +7,
History +14, Intimidate +6, Nature +7, Perception +7, Religion +14,
Streetwise +6, Thievery +8
FEATS
Level 1: Devious Jaunt
Level 2: Intelligent Blademaster
Level 4: Armor Proficiency (Hide)
Level 6: Weapon Proficiency (Fullblade)
Level 8: Skill Training (Stealth)
Level 10: Weapon Focus (Heavy Blade)
Level 11: Danger Sense
Level 12: Secret Stride
Level 14: Greater Swordmage Warding
POWERS
Swordmage at-will 1: Lightning Lure
Swordmage at-will 1: Booming Blade
Swordmage encounter 1: Lightning Clash
Swordmage daily 1: Dimensional Thunder
Swordmage utility 2: Eldritch Speed
Swordmage encounter 3: Dual Lightning Strike
Swordmage daily 5: Lingering Lightning
Swordmage utility 6: Armathor’s Step
Swordmage encounter 7: Spikes of Agony
Swordmage daily 9: Blade Bolt
Swordmage utility 10: Feywild Grace
Swordmage encounter 13: Dimensional Slash (replaces Lightning Clash)
ITEMS
Feytouched Earthhide Armor +3, Mithrendain Steel Fullblade +3, Elven Cloak +3, Eladrin Boots (paragon tier)
ACTION POINTS: 2
====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&DI Character Builder ======
BACKSTORY:
Terennis will teleport the adventurers at the outskirts of a small
city in the human dutchy of Staghorn, in the Kingdom of Karabor, called
Forestwall. Terennis’s apprenitce, awaits them at the outskirts, hinting
the players that they might find something useful at the local temple
of Melora, then he leaves to his tower. Players may go from time to
time, to sell their loot or get items enchanted, from time to time (only
enchantments from level 1 to 5) or aquire magic items (heroic tier) or
reagents.
Forestwall
Population: 545
Size: Small town
Structures:
- Town Hall
- Inn (The Rugged Boar)
- Stables (Normal horses: 75 gp)
- Temple of Melora
- Leatherwork shop
- Stonemason
- Blacksmith
- Tailor
- Bakery
- Mill
- Brewery
Walls: Simple Stone Walls
Gates: 3
- Forest Gates (East)
- Emperor’s Road (North, to Veluna)
- Moon’s Gate (South, to Mountains)
Personalities:
- Mayor: Bella Morrowsong (Human, Lvl 10, Noble [Leader]):
Bella though runs the city pretty well, isn’t aware of any cultist
activities, at least recently. All the information, the players may get
from her is that some strange people were seen a week ago, followed by a
somewhat strange fellow. Some say it was a little to grey-skinned for
an elf, but he didn’t stay too much to raise any odd questions. She
points to the Priestess for more information.
- Innkeeper: Aleris Garadwen (Half-Elf, Lvl 6, Commoner
[Minion]): Aleris knows some come and goes in the city and will tell it
to the players for a right price. He does not speak unless spoken to and
asked about certain recent events. For a sum of 50 gp (sent by the
Mayor), or a Easy Skill Challenge (4 Successes before 2 failures;
Insight, Diplomacy, Intimidate), players find out that some strange
fellows, donned in black robes, passed a week ago, through the town,
going to Veluna, followed by a gray-skinned elf, few days later. The
strangers bought almost all the whole supply of swords from the
Blacksmith, then left in the dead of night. If they botch the skill
challenge, the innkeeper tells them nothing about the strangers or the
gray elf.
- Blacksmith: Tormel Blackhammer (Human, Lvl 6, Commoner
[Soldier]): When he is approached, Tormel is working on his anvil, very
focused. Players need either to wait, or roll a DC 15 Bluff check, to
draw attention. If he is interrupted, Tormel is unfriendly and responds
monosyllabicaly to any player line of inquiry. If they wait for him to
finish, the may get the Secondary Quest: A pelt for Winter.
- Priestess of Melora: Eawenna Sunglade(Half-Elf, Lvl 8,
Acolyte [Healer]): For a fee, Eawenna, will heal the wounded players
and cure them of any diseases and poisons, level 10 max(100 gp). She
also sells potions, level 8 max. On a medium skill challenge (6
successes before 3 failures) they find out that the gray elf stranger
that passed few days ago, came to pray to the temple and since then,
strange things have happened. If they succeed, it opens up the quest:
Hallowed be thy name.
- Miller Milton
- Tailor Ellis
- Baker Olena
- Brewer John
MAIN QUESTS
- Cultists of the Dark Crow
Objective: Find information regarding any strange cultists activities in the region
The players need to persuade the locals for information. A
Streetwise check of DC 18, will direct the players to either the Mayor
(FAIL) or to the Innkeeper (SUCCESS).
Skill challenge: Innkeeper
XP: 250
Type: 1 (4 S vs 2 F)
Skills: Insight, Diplomacy, Intimidate
Insight – The players notice that the Innkeeper might have something to tell, but for a right price (DC 15)
Diplomacy – The players try to lower the price from 50 gp to 30 gp (DC 18)
Intimidate – If the diplomacy fails, they might try a DC 18 Intimidate,through a new insight check DC 20.
If the players succeed, see above @ Innkeeper entry. Also, Innkeeper
points at the Priestess for more information. If the players spoke
firsthand with the Innkeeper there will be no skill challenge. If the
players spoke with the mayor, the priestess sends them to the Innkeeper.
The skill challenge appears if the players try to find out more, but a
Religion check DC 18, will sort out something wrong with the altar of
Melora triggering the skill challenge.
XP: 350
Type:2 (6 S vs 3 F)
Skills: Religion, Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate
Religion (DC 18): Player senses a disturbance in the divine energies
around, like something tries to shut off or cloud the divine powers from
Melora.
Diplomacy (DC 18): Players try to convince the NPC’s of their good intention and their desire to help.
Bluff (DC -): Success in Diplomacy, yields that Bluff will be a failure
Insight (DC 16): The players realize that eventually the altar will
be overrun by the malign energies, which triggers another use of
Diplomacy at DC 16.
If the players succeed in this challenge, they gain access to Hallowed be thy Name.
Secondary Quests:
- Hallowed be thy Name:
XP:
Monsters:
- 4 Bonecrushers Skeletons (MM2, page 183)
- 1 ore eye of Gruumsh (level 5 controller, MM 204)
- 2 zombie hulk (level 8 brute, MM 275)
Setting: Graveyard
Time: Dusk
Conditions: Rain created small patches of difficult terrain, which the dark priest uses as strategic points.
The players, find a strange crude amulet, made of crow feathers, with
a small obsidian shard, shaped as an eye. A DC 25 Arcana or a DC 20
Religion, reveals it to be the rogue eidolon implement of power, given
to his acolyte priests.
- A pelt for Winter
XP:
Monsters:
- 3 Cave Bears (MM 1, page 29)
- 1 Dire Bear (idem)
Setting: Small grove cave
Time: -
Conditions: Good illumination, some terrain elements, like trees, provide cover, some bushes provide concealment.
MAIN QUEST:
- Road to Veluna
DAY 1
The road to Veluna takes 2 straight days riding. In the first day,
there is a roadside ambush, made by some thugs. They are simple thugs,
payed by Karalynn to delay, hinder or otherwise stop any travelers,
going to Veluna.
XP:
Monsters:
- 1 Human Hexer (MM2, page 146)
- 2 Human Javelin Dancer (MM2, page 147)
- 1 Human Knife Fighter (MM2, page 147)
Setting: Roadside
Time: Dusk
Condition: Road with few patches of difficutl terrain, bushes that grand concealment and trees that grant concealment.
Treasure:
DAY 2
In the second day, roll a d10:
1-3: Nothing happens
4-7: Wild animals (wolf, boar or bear) – IDEM as for “A pelt for Winter. OR 3 Dire wolves (MM1,p. 264)
8 -10: Sudden storm, players need to find immediate shelter! DC 15
Nature, to find a small grove and shelter themselves from the storm. A
DC 25 Arcana, will reveal that it is a magical storm.
After the storm clears, the players will reach Veluna in the third day.
- Veluna
When the players arrive at the city gates, they notice a good number
of guards. An insight check, DC 15, reveals that considering the banners
on the walls, it must be a celebration of sort. Asking the guards, they
will find out that it is the day, when the Duke of Staghorn addresses
his people and walks the city streets to meet the common folk. With
Perception check DC 25, player will notice that one of the guards, wears
a special insignia glyphed KS-9. An Insight check of DC 20, will reveal
that this must be a kind of a secret service. If they approach the
respective guard, they will be asked to move along.
A Streetwise check of DC 15 points them to the nearest unnocupied
inn, the Flourished Rose, a cheap but comfy inn in the lower part of the
city, where this whole celebration will arrive only by dusk. Arriving
at the inn, they note that some shady figures took residence there. A
perception check of DC 30, will enable the players to see that they are
fully armed and ready for battle but they try to leave the impression of
relaxation.
********************
