Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Fingolfin_Aeros Apr 13, 2009 21:22:54	Salutations! I'm looking to get some advice and possibly some help with an adventure I'm running this weekend. I'm trying to set up a horror-themed one off adventure (possibly continuing a plot line/characters in future one-offs) focusing on Zombies. The party will consist of 4 level 4 divine characters. Story planned thus far: The peaceful hamlet of Millfog Barrow is being menaced by a creature after dark that has claimed the lives of over a dozen villagers, leaving pale and cold corpses in its wake (when there are corpses left). Recently the attacks have escalated to small groups and there have been a few within sealed houses, with no indication of forced entry or exit. Hard pressed to defend themselves against a horror of this kind, the town has sent to the nearby Brighthalm Abbey for aid, where the intrepid band of heroes has been recovering from their previous foray against enemies of the church. The party will face 3 encounters. First will introduce them to the vampire Barius (based on Barthus) in an abandoned mill house where he and his lieutenant Avonathemon raise 6 Zombies (4 Rotters, a Corruption Corpse, a Carcass Eater, and 2 Zombies of Iuz). Barius dismisses the PCs as a threat and leaves his Lieutenant to test their ritual by eliminating the party. After he leaves the Zombies burst from their coffins on the Mill Room floor. I'm thinking they'll have removed the mill stone and made it into a dark altar using Bloodstone. Possibly this will occur late at night, after the PCs have tracked them from the graveyard. The second will occur in the entrance to Barius' Caravanserai, where they will encounter the Spectre of the town's lost Cleric (Llewan Aspenhold) who was turned and then killed by Barius, along with a Zombie Grave Digger, a few minions, and two pits filled with Crawling Claws or Gauntlets that Llewan tries to get the party to fall into. This may occur early in the evening after the first encounter, allowing for an extended rest after the previous encounter. The third encounter will pit the party against Barius and three of his enthralled Hands of Bane (serving as Renfields), right as Barius awakes for the night. Since Barius is a Solo 2 levels higher than the party, I don't think additional traps or troops are needed. I'm trying to think of elements to add to the setting to give it more of a classic horror theme, and am not quite set on the second encounter. I might replace Llewan with a Jason Vorhees-esque Zombie Abomination or a resurrected Avonathemon. Also trying to come up with ways to weave the encounters together on a narrative, and how paced out the encounters should be. Depending on how this goes, I'm thinking about future one offs featuring more iconic horror creatures.
#2 doomsought Apr 14, 2009 21:00:25	Random perception checks will keep them jumpy. Tell them they hear some strange noises (dear or something), or see a glint in the bushes in front of a hovel (a house cat). After some travel times inform them of changes in weather. Back ground music. Let them get to know the NPCs who die. Make one of the zombies a child that they meet earlier, perhaps asking them to buy candy from a merchant in the square. If they spot the animals earlier, once the adventure progresses, let them spot it again, dead. Some from sensible things (the dear was eaten by wolves) or just plain creepy (the cat was thrown against the wall, hard, breaking its back, a trail of blood is on the wall where it slid down. Wisdom or int check, things don't slide down walls like that) Perhaps a broken holy symbol, with a crossbow bolt still embedded in it. Just in the middle of the road. Two perception checks, one for seeing it through the crowds, one for stepping on it.