Encounter 1:
Jungle attack
I'll run something like 4 poison scale Needlers and 1 poison scale brawler (MV1) in this encounter. The real threat is if the whistle is sounded and alerts the temple. I'll do something like if all the needlers die or the brawler dies they will attempt to use the whistle.
Encounter 2:
I'm going to mesh the whole temple into two seperate encounters, outside and inside. Both will be level 7 encounters I'm thinking, the dracotaur I'll change to a Lizardfolk dreadnought (MV2) with the rest remaining posion scale and blackscales.
The two little black dragons will be run as hazards that fly out and attack once from the well.
MV Monster Vault
MV2 Monster Vault 2
MM3 Monster Manual 3
Encounter 1. Jungle Attack EL 1 XP 558
2 Poisonscale Brawlers MV 187
6 Poisonscale Needlers MV 187
This encounter is meant to be easy for the players and a chance to let them show off how tought they have become. The real threat will be if they alert the temple up ahead using a reed whistle. I'm going to have it set up that if the both Brawlers are killed a needler will attempt to use their whistle or if only a brawler is left it will attempt to use a whistle. Same map
Encounter 2. Outside of the Temple EL 7 XP 1,714
3 Poisonscale Needlers
3 Blackscale Crushers MV 191
1 Lizardfolk Chief MV2 119
1 Acid Blast Trap (see below)
So 2 of the needlers will be by the first group of huts, 2 blackscales will be by the second group of huts. The remaining enemies will be in front of the door. The lizardfolk chief replaces the dracotaur by the entrance. The acid blast trap is the little dragons that spring out and attack from the well and is a modified flame jet trap. I will simplify the girallon in the locked cage (DC 16 to unlock) to have it burst out and carry off the closest enemy into the jungle. The map will consist of the entire outside temple. If the enemies were alerted they will be patroling around the area.
Acid Blast Trap Level 6 Blaster
Trap XP 250
A dragon's head appears above the well and sprays acid at you.
Trap: Twenty feet down a well, a stone slab seals off the lower levels. The dragons move the slab fly up and spray acid at the closest PC.
Perception:
-DC 22: The character hears the groaning of the well as a stone plate moves at its bottom.
Initiative +5
Trigger
When a approaches within 8 squares, it makes its first attack as an immediate reaction. It then rolls initiative, attacking each round.
Attack
Immediate Reaction or Standard Action Range 8
Target: One Creature
Attack: +9
Hit: 2d8+6 acid damage
Miss: Half damage
Countermeasures
-A character can climb down the well and jam up the stone plate with a DC 26 Thievery check.
-A character can ready an action to attack the dragon (AC 18, Fort 16, Ref 18, Will 15). If the dragon takes 52 hitpoints of damage it will not come that well anymore. (Subtract the hitpoints form the dragons, if the characters take an extended rest at any point restore those hitpoints.)
1 Greenscale Bog Mystic MV 190
4 Blackscale Crushers
1 Rage Drake MV 83
2 Acid Blasts Traps
I have changed the dire wolverine for a Rage Drake feeling it is more thematically fitting. Although I don't like the large number of brutes in this fight and may choose to stick in a dire wolf or recreate the dire wolverine. This map remains the same also.
4. Dragons' Hoard EL 7 XP 1650
2 Young Black Dragons MV 68
About the only thing I plan on doing different here is to enlarge this part of the map, to give the characters more space to move around. I'm a little worried that the dragons might have a difficult time hitting the players and may add a boost to their attack.
Okay in 3.5 this was a sliding wall trap, I figured the best way to replicate this is with a modified skill challenge, so here it is.
Sliding Wall Trap EL 7 XP 1,500
In this skill challenge the PCs try to escape through a portcullis before a sliding wall will crush them against it. The characters will have 3 rounds to make it through before the wall crushes them.
Special: This skill challenge is finished when all characters make it through the portcullis. Have all the PC's take one action per round. If a character has an ability that will allow them to bypass the trap (teleporting etc.) allow them to use it. If every character has one the characters can use them but do not give out experience for the trap.
Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Thievery
Acrobatics: The PCs can attempt to squeeze through the bars using acrobatics (DC 16). A character who fails by 5 or more gets stuck in the bars and must spend a round trying to get free, before they can attempt to do anything again.
Athletics: The can PCs try to bend (DC 15) the bars of the portcullis or break them (DC 23, then DC 19). If they bend the bars they can a +2 bonus on any attempts to use acrobatics to squeeze through the bars. Breaking the bars requires two successful checks to remove the bars. The wall alongside the portcullis can also be broken (DC 20) with an athletics check. The portcullis can also be forced open (DC 34), by two characters combing checks. A character who fails an athletics trap by 5 or more loses a healing surge as they strain their muscles.
Thievery: A PC who discovers the control panel can attempt to disable the trap (DC 14 then DC 19). Thievery can also be used to slow down the wall, (DC 14) which will slow the wall one round.
Perception: A PC using perception can spot various things, a DC 16 check will show that the wall holding the portcullis is weak, while a DC 20 will show where the control panel is hidden next to the portcullis.
Success: The characters have all escaped the trap before it crushes them.
Failure: The trap crushes them against the far wall, and portcullis. Luckily the wall is weak and it breaks, still the characters lose half of their total healing surges any character who does not have enough healing surges is reduced to zero hit points in addition and is unconscious.
The cost of failure is pretty high but it will be easy to take an extended rest in the dungeon at this point, so I'm not too worried.
4 canodemon lashers
Okay we have platforms hanging by chains over a pit of lava. The characters can leap across them and pull them around the room using chains hooked to the ceiling. Anyway the room has canoloths that appear in it. I didn't really like the fit of the current canoloths in 4th ed for this room so I made some of my own for this room. The Canodemons will try to pull the characters into the pit. I also think I'm going to expand the room and add a two extra platforms along the sides. Anyways here is the stats for the lashers.
8 Whirling Blades DMG 89
4+ Persistent Harriers
Okay there will be an endless supply of Persistent Harriers in this room, when one gets killed the next round another one will be spat out from the alcove. The goal will be to get through the room with all these things trying to damage you. I think I'll do something like lock the far door also. Otherwise pretty much the same, except with an extra set of alcolves closer to the door.
1 Dragonborn Mummy
Okay the half-dragon mummy has been changed to a dragonborn mummy. I created it as a solo, which if anybody has anythoughts on if it is tough enough I would appreciate. I'm going to move the tomb so it isn't over by the lava when it starts to make it more difficult to push into the lava and so it starts closer to the players. Sorry about the size if you want to read it you will have to squint.
During this part I would set up the map but I'm not going to bother statting out the Emerald Claw Soldiers (Dura has stats but I won't use them here since she leaves in a round anyways.) If you choose to use stats I would use the Emerald Claw Trooper in the Eberron Campaign Guide a level two minion, I would just add crossbow attack that works like thier flail (same attack bonus and damage). Either way the PCs should be able to tear through them easily and Dura can use her teleport stone to leave on the second round.
After that the first part of the adventure will be over the characters should have enough exp to pass to level 7, and can move on to the next part. Which I hope to start working on next week.
When you get to the Prince's Map adventure at the end of the "Find the Path" section, let me know what you end up doing for your map prop.
Probably be a while, got a little busy here lately.
Information Gathering in Regal Port or Prt Verge about the location of Jheamast Journal
You could make this into a skill challenge but I would keep it pretty simple maybe a skill check or two since the orginal module left it pretty simple, in addition there will be a big skill challenge coming up later.
The Vorgaard Estate
Encounter 1: Krulak Twins' Ambush EL 8 XP 1,800
Arielon (Human Duelist) MV 172
Emerald Claw Soliders (Human Thugs) x10 MV 146
Krulak Twins (Gnoll Far Fangs) x2 MV 146
Alright just give the Human Thugs a ranged attack that is the same as their melee (I'm not going to change them at all when I do it, but if you want it to be more like the orginal). Start the gnolls as invisible and make them large (once again I'm not going to change them just use gnolls, I will still have them as invisible), reflavor thier arrows as lightning bolts and have them appear after a few of the minions die off. With the map I'm going to add some cover and spread out the Emerald Claw soliders some more to make it more interesting.
Encounter 2: Tentacles and Temptress XP 1,900
Dura
Giant Squid Zombie
Dread Guardian x2 MM3 75
Falling Burning Debris (Caustic Geyser DMG 91)
So the Dread Guardians make great stand ins for Karnathi Zombies at this level (you could also level down zombies, just this is less work). So modify the Geyser a bit to make it work as falling debris, first change damage to fire damage (duh), second instead of blinding have it knock characters prone (I would remove the followup attack and just have it do one attack.) The trap should be placed where the PC's enter, I would also enlarge the area a few squares, add a few more doors so characters can move around and through the other rooms. Basically I would rewrite it like this.
Falling Burning Debris Level 8 Blaster
Hazard XP 350
Perception DC 26: The character notices that the roof is about to collapse.
Initiative: +3
Trigger
The debris rolls initiative when one character moves within 6 squares of it.
Attack:
Standrad Action Ranged 6
Target: One Creature
Attack: +12 vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d8+4 damage and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends) and the target is knocked prone.
Miss: Half Damage
Blood of Vol Divinity Seeker
Blood of Vol Cultists x4
(Eldarin Battle Dancer MV 115)
(Gnome Entropist MV 151)
(Minotaur Solider MV 208)
(Gnoll Gorger MV 145)
So I kind of went with a competing adventurers theme here, anyway just describe them as humans they wil function the same (or keep them as their respective races the Blood of Vol has diversity). Anyways once again expand this room, I would think a set more space on the north and east wall. So I would change it so the enemies are looking for the book still, I would also tell the players they have a short time until the fire starts in the library. so now we can have a mini skill challenge within a fight. So I would do something like Perception (show where the others have searched) insight (have an idea how the books are catalogued). Make these minor actions, as soon as the characters beat the bad guys or find the book have the mansion start crashing down behind them, so they cannot leave through the back (well at least easily don't want to railroad.) A quick jump through the window and this part is done (I don't recomend having them take damage from the fall but you can still do that). Oh yeah the bookcases can be pushed over with DC 15 strength check and they will do 4d6+4 damage and restrained (save ends) to whoever they fall on.
